But being passionate doesn’t guarantee success (no matter how you measure it). And being passionate doesn’t mean you’ll do things right. I haven’t. The good news is that not all is lost…not even close. I have great people around me that know what they’re doing and are picking up the slack.

The lesson I’m learning is about the importance of staying connected. When I was in the corporate world this wasn’t nearly as important. People got paid to work and if they didn’t do what we expected they either shaped up or…(you know how that one ends).

Not so much in my new line of “work” (I still hate calling it that). Here, connections are life-blood…critical to keeping anything alive. Over the past few months I’ve made the decision to focus my attention on a smaller number of people…really poor into their lives as best I can. Not a bad call…not one I regret…but I got distracted. Also not an excuse, just the reality.

The consequence is that I lost connection with others. These are leaders that I left in the dust, flapping in the wind (choose your own metaphor). And it’s my responsibility to correct the situation. It will take work. It will take focus. It will take dedication.

But that’s the other great thing about connections…they can be re-established. This is an error that has an “easy” (if not simple) fix…get connected again! So that’s what I’m doing…and I hope I’ve learned my lesson!

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8, NLT)

So, that’s what I’ve been doing. We even talked about the verse and meditation during Monday’s Elder Meeting. It’s a short verse, but there’s a lot to consider here…plenty to mediate on. The first thing I noticed is that Paul is NOT asking us to take action, to do something (which is my natural inclination). He’s simply saying we should “fix our thoughts on” and “think about” these things. That’s it…nothing more (at least for now…perhaps the actions should only happen after the meditation and contemplation?).

Then I started thinking about these questions: What is true? What’s honorable? What’s right? You get the idea. What exactly am I supposed to be thinking and fixing my thoughts on? I struggled here. I prayed about it. I meditated on it (that was the point right?). And the answer became very clear…and something I would have missed had I not slowed down and mediated on this short little verse of Scripture…

What’s true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise?

Only one thing: GOD

He’s the source of all that we’re supposed to think about. He’s what we’re supposed to fix our thoughts on. Now, we may be thinking about His beautiful creation or some amazing piece of art or music, but HE is the ultimate source that we should be fixing our thoughts on.

So that’s what I’m working on now…fixing my thoughts!

As I sit here in the church during my first day I am struck by the similarities. The responsibility is not quite the same magnitude, but it’s awesome none-the-less. The same questions are running through my head. I want to do this right…I want to focus on the right things and not just be about programs and curriculum. I want God to lead the way, not the other way around. I have a list, but is it God’s list?

My prayer is truly to be about God’s business and not my own. I want Him to take the lead and I want to follow. I know I can’t do this in my own power. I need Him.

The similarities don’t stop with the questions and the doubts…

We need God to help us raise our kids…it’s not a solo job.

I need God to help me do this “job” (there has to be a better word than that)…it’s not a solo flight either.

I’m excited about what lies ahead. Today has already been a good day and the calendar is starting to fill up…meeting with the people who are doing the real work in the trenches and starting to build the framework of support for our growth (spiritually and numerically).

We figured most of it out with Lindsay (we’re still in the process)…I’ll figure it out here. Because I’m not alone. Thank God!

We don’t get to be “Lone Rangers” in our spiritual journey…we need share the journey with others.

For more, please take a listen to the sermon podcast.

We all have idols—things that take God’s place in our lives…but God never leaves them alone and He requires that we turn our hearts toward Him and lay our idols down. Sometimes our idols are bad things (i.e.: pride, pornography, etc) and sometimes they aren’t (i.e.: work, family, etc). Regardless, we need to keep our relationship with God the most important part of our lives. Our hearts are prone to wander and we need to come back to our Father daily…He’s waiting with open arms.

For more detail, please listen to the Sermon Podcast

“Love always grows, not just deeper, but wider. Love always loves people more and always loves more people. Love calls us to community; love calls us to humanity; love calls us to each other.

A healthy community is not a place of perfect people. That place does not exist. We are all flawed. If there is a perfect community, it would be ruined the moment I joined it…strangely enough, the best opportunity for building meaningful relationships is admitting up front that you’re not perfect and that you’ve got issues. Honesty is the only context in which intimacy can develop.” (Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, Entry 16).

So here goes…

I’m not perfect.

I’ve got issues.

There…I said it…I admit it.

I need other people in m life pushing me to grow closer to Christ. I need to be pushing others too. Thankfully, I am part of a community that does just that. They love me anyway. I love them anyway. It works.

Here’s the statement (from page 129):

The number of people who have fled the church because it is too patient or compassionate is negligible; the number who have fled because they find it too unforgiving is tragic.

Like I said “Ouch!” It hurts because there is to much truth here. And I am sure I have contributed to the problem, but I am determined to do my part to be “too” patient and compassionate instead of too unforgiving. This is the same issue that Jesus confronted and it plagues the church yet today.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can all do our part to love one another and show compassion to a world that’s dying for a little love.

Until I got to studying this passage I hadn’t always made that connection. Love God…check. Love Others…check. Love Others out of my Love for God….hmmm….not so sure about that one. I prefer to love others out of my own strength and ability. As usual…I still have plenty to work on!

Listen to the sermon podcast.

This is the Truth

The sermon was on John 8:1-11, the woman caught in adultery. Grant is currently going through a sermon series entitled “conversations” that is focused on conversations that Jesus had with various people in the book of John…life changing conversations.

In my sermon, the focus is on these words that Jesus speaks to this woman after her accusers have left (after He makes them look foolish): “Neither do I condemn you.” I still have a hard time hearing this from God. I would much rather carry around my guilt than accept his scandalous forgiveness. It’s hard to hear these words and really accept them, but He means it.

I. Don’t. Condemn. You.

He loves us just the way we are…and too much to leave us there!

Here is the audio of the sermon if you really want to torture yourself:

Conversations: A Guilty Pawn