April Fool’s Day

April 1 or April Fools’ Day is a tradition marked by practical jokes. Notable practical jokes have appeared on radio and TV stations, newspapers, web sites, and have even been done in large crowds or gatherings.  BBC television program Panorama ran a hoax in 1957, purporting to show the Swiss harvesting spaghetti from trees. They claimed that the despised pest, the spaghetti weevil, had been eradicated. A large number of people contacted the BBC wanting to know how to cultivate their own spaghetti trees.

But what is the origin of April Fool’s Day and what does the bible have to say about it?

Origin

April Fools’ Day resembles the Roman Holiday of Hilaria that was celebrated by worshippers from two pagan cults. Isis-Osiris Cybele-Attis.  To celebrate their gods and the summer equinox the Romans would disguise themselves,  play games and make fun of others, especially through imitation.

Ok but how does this all connect to the bible?

What does the Bible say about foolishness?

It’s not about intelligence. Some of the smartest people in man’s eyes are counted as fools in God’s eyes. Foolishness is lack of applied knowledge or wisdom. It is also rejecting God and His ways.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 

How does the bible describe a fool?

A fool is complacent and over confident.

Proverbs 1:32 says ‘The complacency of fools will destroy them.’  Complacency brings to mind Inaction and procrastination leading to negative things. Biblically it carries a meaning closer to self-satisfaction, feeling so good about ourselves we don’t need God.

A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. Proverbs 14:16 (NKJV)^[1]

A fool speaks poorly of others.

Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. Proverbs 10:18 

A fool vents rage.

A fool is quick-tempered, but a stays calm when insulted. Proverbs 12:16

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. Proverbs 29:11

A fool seeks evil.

Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. Proverbs 10:23

“For My people are foolish, and do not know Me. They are stupid children, who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right.” Jeremiah 4:22

A fool has a poor legacy.

The wise inherit honor, But shame shall be the legacy of fools. Proverbs 3:35

The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. Proverbs 14:1

A fool doesn’t serve God.

A foolish nation has dishonored your name. Psalm 74:18b

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil. Not one of them does good! Psalm 14:1

I’ll close with these two thoughts. First, the obvious: denying God’s existence or rejecting His ways is the ultimate foolishness. The second thought is just as foolish.  For a believer in Christ to spew anger, chase evil works, gossip, or just live in a place where we are self-reliant, not actively seeking God’s wisdom is to live like a fool.

Repent – Restore – Rely

Repent of our foolish behavior.  Restore ourselves to living by God’s ways through following biblical instruction.  Rely upon Him through prayer again. These are the solutions to foolishness.

Happy April Fool’s Day.

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^[1] All scriptures are New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

3 Warning Signs of a Dying Church

I recently had some medical issues with my heart.  Thankfully, we caught things early enough that it’s fixable before there was a heart attack or stroke because I didn’t ignore the warning signs. 

Any church leader becomes concerned when they observe a rapid decline in attendance, but by then it may be too late to reverse the damage.  What are the warning signs we should be looking for before we have irreversible damage to the local body?

1.   New Members Come Primarily from Transfer Growth

Long before a body begins to decline, there is a very subtle sign most leaders miss, even in growing churches. That troubling trend is no new converts. While we are all thankful for all of the people God brings to our churches, if new people only come from those transferring in from other churches, the growth of that church is temporary!  Eventually, attrition will outpace transfer growth.  Before you hold up a mega-church with a well-known preacher as an example of why my statement is wrong, you should realize that even mega-churches that maintain growth for over a decade statistically always are adept at attracting new converts and unchurched people as well.

2.   Evangelism and Outreach are Replaced by Fellowship Activities

There was one church that was in rapid decline and called me for help to restart it. The first thing I noticed was that they had a full calendar.  There were many activities such as breakfasts, dinners, birthday celebrations for the leaders and many, many meetings. They also had yearly anniversary celebrations for the church’s founding.  Twenty years of celebrations as they slowly declined.  

Now, I’m not against celebrations, we should celebrate the good things God does. However, in this very full calendar, there were no evangelism events or evangelism training for the people.  There was no outreach into the community to let them know the church cared.  

When we see a church that has multiple celebrations of itself but no outward focus, that church is really on life support, they just don’t know it.  Fellowship makes the church seem alive but really it’s like someone a machine breath for them.  It’s artificial. 

You’ll hear words such as ‘family’ and ‘community’ but in reality, the culture has shifted to an inward focus and the Great Commission is neglected. 

3.   An Unhealthy Focus on Finances

When I first began pastoring, I never taught on money, giving, or stewardship.  That extreme made our congregation unhealthy and too weak to make a difference.  I’ve since learned that I must teach the whole word of God.  The other extreme is just as unhealthy.

In an effort to keep the organization of the local church open while stagnant or declining, there is an increased focus on finances, sometimes with an increase in pressure to give.  Desperation in small, declining churches causes the pastor to get out of balance and spells the beginning of the end.  The imbalance causes more people to leave and the problem worsens.

In many denominations, churches have estate planning, annuities, and investments that keep a steady stream of income long after people have left.  I once helped a Presbyterian church start a children’s church.  They paid ½ of my salary to split time with my home church.  They had seemingly unlimited funds for food and activities for the kids.  The beautiful, historic building had a six-hundred seat sanctuary that averaged twenty people for Sunday service.  When I inquired as to how they afforded their expenses, the pastor said they had several annuities from former congregants that would keep the church open indefinitely.

If you’ll forgive the analogy, it’s like a person whose brain has stopped functioning but their body is kept alive by medical devices.  There’s an empty shell where life used to be.  

Don’t wait until the damage is irreversible.  If you need help moving the culture to an outward focus and reversing decline, I’d be honored to help. lon@houseofpraise.cc.

Prediction: Why 2025 will Be a Crucial Year for Most Churches

According to all the research I’ve done and what ‘church experts’ are saying, 2025 will make or break most existing churches. In choosing the word crucial, I mean needing urgent attention because 2025 is pivotal for the future. Whether a church declines or flourishes will hinge on how they handle the following challenges and opportunities

Crucial Challenges

The Smaller Pool to Fish in – The pool of potential church members is shrinking. According to US Census numbers, the population has been flat from 2010-2023, never exceeding 1% which is the margin of error. Without mass immigration, it would be greater decline. The picture is even bleaker in the Northeast and Midwest where population is declining. According to the US Census 19 states lost population. Only the Southeast increased with Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia — accounted for 93% of the nation’s 1.1% population growth.

The largest generation, the Baby Boomers (born 1945-1965) are rapidly aging out of our churches. For over three decades the Boomers have been the face of the American Church. The amount of people over 65 has grown 5x faster than the population with over 60 million being over 65 by the end of 2025. Unfortunately as people move into their 70s and 80s there is a greater attrition rate through death or illness.

Many former churchgoers have not returned to regular church attendance after the quarantine of 2020. Those who have returned, attend less regularly. The average church attendee has changed from attending twice a month to once every six weeks. This means poorer communication, less teaching, less people serving and an overall loss of momentum especially for church of 150 or less.

Financial Struggles will Increase – With fewer people attending, there is less giving. There is also the factor that (in general) the baby boomers are the largest givers. Many Churches won’t be able to pay a full-time salary. Thom Rainer of Church Answers states that approximately 15,000 churches won’t be able to pay a full-time salary as they decline. Less time for the pastor to focus on discipleship, less money for evangelism and advertising all exacerbate the situation.

Churches will go longer without a Pastor – Combining the two factors of shrinking finances and a smaller pool of people going into ministry, it will become more difficult to attract a Lead Pastor. In the last two years, I have given pulpit supply (preachers) and chaired search committees for two local churches. It took over a year for each one to find a lead pastor. In this situation, an Interim Pastor under the direction of an experienced minister such as myself is the best solution. We will talk more about that in the opportunities section.

Thousands of Churches will Close in 2025 – Most of us know that according to Barna research 7,500 churches closed in 2023. Thom Rainer thinks it can be as high as 15,000 in 2025! Whichever number you choose, 2025 will be a crucial year for you to ensure your church is not one of them!

How? Let’s look at the opportunities:

Crucial Opportunities

Every change, every challenge brings opportunity with it. Looking at the Crucial Challenges, here are the Crucial Opportunities that come from them.

More unchurched people are receptive – With the change in the age of our population, there has come an encouraging trend. Gen Z, young adults and teenagers born between 1997 and 2012, are exploring their faith. Most were not raised with any religion by their Gen X parents. (Only 28% of Gen X say they went to church in 2023.) According to Barna Research while this is happening, there is a large increase in the numbers of Millennials attending church services, up 39% attend monthly.

The opportunities are there to reach these generations. The Millennials (1981-1996) are 27-42 and are now experiencing parenthood. Parenting is one of the life transitions most likely to bring someone to church. A renewed focus on children’s ministry and parenting small groups are opportunities to attract them.

While Gen Z are between 12 and 27, they become the more they are searching for their faith. Largely not raised in church, they are exploring what they believe. They will give equal credence to Islam or Buddhism as the Gospel. Therefore, the opportunity lies in open, honest discussion about the merits of Christianity in safe spaces. While no one is intellectually converted to Christianity (The Holy Spirit draws them), we must position ourselves for them to ask questions while also allowing opportunities for them to encounter God’s power. Gen Z are more open to the supernatural. They have lived their whole lives with an information flood via the internet. They know there are unexplained things. Show them the power of God to change their lives.

Crucial Opportunity to Work Together – As we said, there will be fewer Full-Time Pastors and many churches closing in 2025. Rather than taking a defeatist attitude, look at this as a Crucial Opportunity to for us to work together. As long as I have been a Christian, there have been denominations and non-denominational fellowships that have tried to get local churches to work together. Necessity may finally bring unity and end competition.

As I said earlier, I have worked with several churches to help them through tough ministry transitions. As a pastoral leadership coach I’ve placed interim pastors, pulpit supply, taught church growth systems and organized outreaches where multiple churches work together. If you need assistance or just want to talk, lon@potentialcoaching.net. Coaching is the best way I know to quickly gain someone else’s experience and apply it to your church during this crucial year 2025.

The greatest opportunity is church mergers. While I’ve heard horror stories, when done right this is a very effective tool to exponentially reach more people for Christ. After merging the resulting is almost always greater than the sum of its parts. The church I was a staff member of was the result of three churches merging. Congregations of 80, 150 & 300 merged into a congregation of 450 but…it quickly grew to 700 people within three years. They are now a mega church of over 1,000 weekly. I’m not saying our goal should be to become a mega-church but the principle works for smaller congregations even better.

I have observed churches with an aging pastor merge with a younger congregation to have a great impact in their city. The experience and wisdom of the older pastor combining with the enthusiasm and faith for the future of the younger is a potent combination. Many times this is facilitated by the younger congregation not having a permanent building and the older congregation having established facilities but a declining attendance.

The last opportunity is to help churches that have no pastor. You may become an interim pastor bring life into the Sunday services. Denominations often have their ministers pastor two congregations rather than shut a church down. While these are temporary solutions they are opportunities for ministry and help churches through crucial times that may otherwise cause them to close.

Don’t let this crucial year catch you by surprise. I believe being a part of my coaching network will help. Contact me today to find our more.

Let me know your thoughts on the church in 2025 and the contents of this article in comments.

Advice to Preachers This Christmas

As someone who has been preaching for over 3 decades and has had the privilege of being in the room with some of the greatest preachers of our generation, here’s what I’ve learned over the years and my best advice for how to preach Christmas.

1. Preach Shorter 

I’m not going to tell you how long to preach, but whatever your average sermon is cut it by 25%.  For example: If you usually preach 30 minutes, cut it to 22 minutes.  My advice would be the same for praise and worship also.  CEO’s (people who come only on Christmas and Easter Only) often site length of service as a reason they don’t come to church more often.  You want them to come back.

The goals of your sermon should be to give guests hope, a connection to Christ during Christmas, and a reason to COME BACK.

On the other hand, don’t cut the length too much.  I know preachers who cut their sermon time in half.  It’s really false advertising. If a guest comes to Christmas at your church and you preach 15 minutes but when they come back you preach 45, you won’t see them after that.  Show them what to expect from you.

Some don’t preach at all but put on a Christmas pageant and hope people get the message from the drama which brings me to my second point of advice.

2. Preach the Bible

This seems obvious to most of us but you would be surprised at how many churches choose something other than preaching the Bible for their Christmas services.  I firmly believe that the Word of God and The Presence of God are the only things that can bring hope and change lives.

God chose the foolishness of preaching to save souls. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

3. Preach Your Best

For many people, Christmas is the one time they’re open to Christ.  Have your best volunteers serving.  Schedule the best music team, sound team, and greeters well in advance. Decorate, have professional video, but most importantly, make sure you are bringing your best sermon.  

Get rest, practice your sermon and have another set of eyes (or ears) look at your sermon.  You don’t want to be confusing or ill-prepared.  If possible try to put a fresh spin on the Christmas story all have heard.  I once preached a Christmas service called “Scandal” that focused on the scandal a Jewish girl having a baby out of wedlock would have been in a small-town.

4. Don’t Preach Politics

I know in today’s political climate many preachers feel the need to take a stand on certain issues but Christmas is not the time to do that.  People want hope and joy for Christmas, and remember one goal is to get them to come back.  If you think of it, that’s one of the mistakes the religious folk made when Jesus came, expecting Him to be involved in their political stances.

5. Preach a Reason to Come Back

Start a new series that kicks off on Christmas.  When I did ‘Christmas Scandal’ it began a 4-week series looking at some of the most scandalous stories in scripture.

Get guest’s contact info so you can invite them back next week. If you don’t do a connection card weekly, do one on Christmas.  Get your people to fill them out by saying you are going to update your database.  This creates positive peer pressure for guests to fill out a card.

Use a creative offer. It could be free doughnuts and coffee or a special guest speaker but tell them why they should come back.

6. Preach the Christmas Story

While I love creativity, don’t miss the wonder of a God who came as a human to redeem us.  The miraculous virgin birth, the angelic announcement, the magi journey and the babe in the manger still bring wonder to those who hear.

7. Preach The Gospel

As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Take your text and make a beeline for the Cross.”  Show them the connection between the babe in the manger, the suffering Messiah on the cross and the risen Savior.  This may be the only opportunity for salvation for the “CEO Christians” (Christmas / Easter Only).

Last, please, please give them an opportunity to respond to the Gospel.  I don’t care if you ask for a checked box, a raised hand or a come forward call but please ask them to make a decision to follow Christ.

A Reason for Thanksgiving

There are two types of people when it comes to the Thanksgiving Holiday in America. Those who enjoy it looking forward to seeing family members, spending time with friends, and eating a great dinner. The other side are people who would rather avoid the holiday completely. Their reasons range from the dread of dealing with dysfunctional family drama to grief and loneliness.

Allow me to give you an encouragement to participate in Thanksgiving.

Everyone has something to be thankful for. God loves you and has a plan for your life. (Jeremiah 29:11).

If you’ve blown it, failed, alienated everyone you’ve ever known, and are living in loneliness, God forgives you and will never leave you. (Hebrews 13:5). If you’re grieving, suffering loss, you may draw comfort and have thanksgiving for their bliss in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:13). If you’re not sure of their destination, be grateful for your salvation and seek to save others to avoid that disturbing feeling of the unknown.

Ultimately it’s a relationship with Jesus that gives us the power to overcome the painful things. There is a comfort in knowing that we serve an all-powerful God who is able to take the ugliness of life and use it somehow for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). There is also a great deal of thankfulness to be found in experiencing the amazing and miraculous truth that He will take the ashes of life and somehow bring beauty out of them. (Isaiah 61:3)

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for you.

PS: Do me a favor and comment below and tell me what you’re thankful for today.

4 Things We Can Be Thankful For, No Matter What We’re Going Through

I know holidays can be hard for some people.  I’m sure if you think about it, you can think of someone who just lost a loved one and this is the first holiday without them.  Some people have just received bad news from the doctor.  Some have gone through a divorce and are trying to figure out how to share the holidays. Others are mourning over their own sins or poor decisions. Still others are dealing with seasonal depression or loneliness. 

Here’s the thing, the Bible tells us to be thankful in good times and bad…

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 
1 Thessalonians 5:18

How can we do this?

I’m not writing this to be indifferent to that pain or offer some flippant, Christian cliché.  

There are 4 things to focus on that can fill your heart with thanksgiving
even in a tough season.

God’s Grace

Even when we blow it, God’s grace is sufficient to sustain us. You can’t earn His grace and you can’t lose His grace.  It is His unearned favor upon you because of His unconditional love.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8

God’s grace is there to help us through every situation, even if we caused the problem.

Salvation

According to 1 Corinthians 15:19, if this world is all there is, we are to be pitied. But thank you Jesus for your salvation and the promise of heaven!  Look at the most famous verse in the Bible John 3:16.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
 God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.  John 3:16-17

If nothing else, we can thank God for His salvation.  Without it, there’s nothing to be thankful for!

God’s Presence

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8

While the promise of salvation is amazing, I am so thankful that God is also near to us here on this earth.  The promise to never leave us can fill our heart with thanksgiving to one who is always near.

God’s Trustworthiness

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:28

I recently preached on the topic “There is Purpose in Your Pain” based off this verse.  While the holiday season may be tough, we can thank God that He will somehow bring good out of our pain and give us beauty for ashes.

We can trust this because He is not like a human being who could lie.  He always tells the truth and always keeps His promises.

The Bible is filled with His Promises and Plans that we can be thankful for because He is trustworthy. 

Today be thankful for His grace, Your Salvation, His Presence and how Trustworthy He is. 
Happy Thanksgiving!

12 Biblical Facts About Melchizedek the Mysterious

Melchizedek is one of the most mysterious characters in the Bible. He’s only mentioned in three books of the Bible, but people are fascinated with this character.

1. Only Three Books of the Bible Mention Melchizedek

Melchizedek is mentioned in are Genesis, Psalms, and Hebrews.

Genesis 14 introduces Melchizedek in real time near the beginning of Abraham’s story. Melchizedek is introduced as a king and a priest who meets Abraham.

Psalm 110, describes Melchizedek as having a royal priesthood which lasts forever.

In the book of Hebrews, describes Melchizedek as greater than Abraham and he is held up as an example of Jesus’ type of priesthood.

2. Melchizedek is First Mentioned Meeting Abram

When studying a character, it’s important to look at when they are first mentioned in the Bible. We meet Melchizedek right after Abraham went to rescue his nephew Lot who was kidnapped.

King Kedorlaomer, goes to war against five kings who have rebelled against him. Kedorlaomer defeats the five rebel kings then takes the spoils of war.  Unfortunately for Lot, his family and herds are part of the spoils taken from the city of Sodom. Lot and his family are Kedorlaomer’s prisoners.

Abram hears about this. He takes 318 trained warriors from and defeats Kedorlaomer in battle.  He rescues Lot and everything he owns. On the way back to Canaan, Abram meets Melchizedek. 

3. Melchizedek has No Recorded Family

At first this might not seem strange but there are two things to consider. First the Jewish all traced the family line to know what tribe they were in. In the Bible you often see, X the son of Y, yet with Melchizedek this isn’t done. You may think ok that odd but not important except…The Book of Hebrews makes a big deal out of pointing this out. 

There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. Hebrews 7:3

This is part of why Melchizedek is so mysterious.  Who was this guy? How did he become a priest?  This is before the priesthood was established with Aaron. Yet we are told in FACT he was a priest.

4. Melchizedek was a Priest of God 

In the Bible a priest is someone who performs sacraments on behalf of people.  Priests stand in the gap, going to God for the people. This usually means priests are held to a different standard than other people.   In Genesis 14:18 & Psalm 110:4 Melchizedek is clearly identified as a priest.

5. Melchizedek Has Communion with Abram

Ok, so it’s technically not communion because that starts after Jesus and the last supper but Melchizedek brings bread and wine to Abram.  Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

6. Melchizedek Blesses Abram

Abram has just returned from defeating four kings in battle, and Melchizedek brings out bread and wine for the hero. Then Melchizedek blesses Abram:

Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. ²⁰ And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Genesis 14:19-20a

7. Melchizedek is the King of Salem

Salem means peaceful.  The author of Hebrews calls attention to this when comparing Jesus to Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the king of “Peace,” which makes us think of Jesus the Prince of Peace.

This is also interesting because the ancient town of Salem later becomes known as Jerusalem—the Holy City of God. Jesus is the son of David, the king of Jerusalem. 

8. Melchizedek’s Name Means King of Righteousness

Hebrews 7:2 tells us name Melchizedek means King of Righteousness of King of Justice.  Of course Jesus is the King of Righteousness. (Malachi 4:2) 

9. Melchizedek’s Priesthood is Both Royal & Everlasting

Psalm 110 is a prophecy that tells us two things about the coming Messiah: He would be the King in Jerusalem (or Zion) and a priest like Melchizedek.

The Lord has taken an oath and will not break His vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” Psalm 110:4

The mysterious permanency of Melchizedek’s priesthood is wildly unexpected.  Of course, there were no priesthoods than continued past the priest’s death.  There was only the family lineage, continuing to serve in the priesthood of which Melchizedek has none.  What could this mean?

10. Abraham Tithed to Melchizedek

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. Genesis 4:20b

11. Melchizedek was Greater than Abraham

As the author of Hebrews would point out, Abram recognized Melchizedek as greater than himself and received the blessing from Melchizedek.

Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle.  Hebrews 7:4

Abram tithed to Melchizedek, recognizing his kingship.  Abram received a blessing from Melchizedek as his priest also.

 12. Jesus is Called a Priest After the Order of Melchizedek

This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. ¹⁶ Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. Hebrews 7:16

Bonus Conclusion:

This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. ¹⁶ Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. Hebrews 7:16

It is my opinion that Melchizedek was Jesus!  This called a Christophany by theologians, meaning a moment when Christ appears before his miraculous birth.  Looking at the these 12 facts about Melchizedek, I believe the mystery of who Melchizedek was is actually the greater mystery of our faith, how God can walk among us.

Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body. 1 Timothy 3:16

If you don’t agree, that’s ok.  It’s a hard concept to grasp. When I look at how Psalm 110 predicted the Messiah would be like Melchizedek, having an everlasting Kingship and Priesthood, along with the other 12 facts about Melchizedek…He could be no other than Christ Himself.

Mystery solved.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Article Summary – Melchizedek the Mysterious

1. Only Three Books of the Bible mention Melchizedek
2. Melchizedek is First Mentioned Meeting Abram
3. Melchizedek has No Recorded Family
4. Melchizedek was a Priest of God
5. Melchizedek Has Communion with Abram
6. Melchizedek Blesses Abram 
7. Melchizedek is the king of Salem (King of Peace, Also Jerusalem is called Salem sometimes.)
8. Melchizedek’s name means “King of Righteousness”
9. Melchizedek’s Priesthood is Royal & Everlasting
10. Abram Tithed to Melchizedek
11.  Melchizedek was Greater than Abraham
12.  Jesus is called a Priest after the Order of Melchizedek

4 False Jesuses the Church Worships Today

Throughout history there have been false gods, idols and religions but today we see False Jesuses. What do I mean? In the church world today we see people worshipping a version of who Jesus is that is not biblical.

Before we begin, let me give you my definition of heresy: Heresy is a grain of truth taken to an extreme. You will see this in the false Jesuses I outline in this post. I will endeavor to give the grain of truth to balance the false but the goal of this post is for us to examine ourselves and see if we are worshipping a false Jesus.

Here are the 4 most common False Jesuses in the American Church today.

1. The Prepper Jesus

Look there is nothing wrong with being prepared. If you think the dollar may tank or another quarantine may bring back a toilet paper shortage, then by all means prep. The False Jesus is the one who says the end is here. You know…those obsessed with end-time prophesies. “Stock pile now because the ant-christ is coming!” God has not give us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Any teaching that is born out of fear will have you worshipping a False Jesus.

Here’s the balance, preparation isn’t bad, fear is. There will be a rise in persecution of Christians, there will be an anti-christ at some point but it isn’t today. As soon as someone says they know the end is here, they’re wrong because Jesus said no one would know the exact time (Matthew 24:36). Are there some signs of end times? Sure, but no more than during Roman times and the last sign is the great end time harvest which we haven’t seen yet. (Revelation 14)

2. The Patriotic Jesus

I am patriotic. I love the United States. Having said that Jesus is NOT American. Many preachers wrap the cross in an American flag until you can’t distinguish them! Our nation will be blessed if we honor God, destroyed if we don’t. God does not have a special plan for the United States more than any other country. If you think He does, you’re worshipping a False Jesus.

If someone doesn’t like the USA, that doesn’t make them evil. I’m not particularly fond France. I’m not going to go into details here as to why because it’s irrelevant. I’m sure there are many great believers in Christ there and God will bless them if the serve Him. Not likely France doesn’t make me evil and neither does not liking the USA. Right now the church is divided along political lines and on love of the nation. We must stay united in making the Kingdom of God our highest priority.

The cross is eternal, the flag is not.

3. The Prosperity Jesus

This is the version of Jesus that is like a get-rich-quick scheme. If you believe that somehow you’re giving to the church or a certain preacher’s ministry, you will become rich, you’re worshipping a False Jesus. Jesus never promised that.

The grain of truth is that Jesus will take care of needs as we serve Him (Philippians 4:19) and will generously provide all our needs with enough to share with others (2 Corinthians 9:8). The error comes when we give with wrong motives of greed or demanding God to bless us with opulence.

I have heard many preachers hold people hostage to a False Jesus. One example fro the late 1980s was a televangelist & christian college leader claimed that God was going to kill him if he receive $8 million by a certain date for his school. The crazy thing he received $9 million before the date so we will never know if God would have killed him!

Yes, there are promises to obeying God’s word (Malachi 3) but the same verse that Jesus wants us to give offerings cheerfully also tells us not to give under pressure (2 Corinthians 9:7).

4. The Pius Jesus

This is the most insidious of all the False Jesuses. The false piety, the religious, dutiful Jesus is rules based. This false messiah has long plagued the church and is alive and well in the American Church today. This falsehood says, “It’s Jesus and…anything.” It’s Jesus and baptism. It’s Jesus and church attendance. It’s Jesus and being a good person. It’s Jesus and keeping their Sabbath. It’s Jesus and serving others.

If it’s Jesus and any good work, you’re worshipping a False Jesus!

Some churches teach that if you leave their church, God can never bless you. Others say if you worship on the wrong day you’re damned. What does the Bible teach? Believe and confess that Jesus is the risen savior (Romans 10:9) to get to heaven. People worshipping the Pius Jesus hate that! It’s too easy! Where is the good works?

The real Gospel is about what Jesus did for us, not what we do for God. Yes, faith without works is dead (James 2:14) but if you read that passage our works are not to make us right with God but to reach others with His goodness. Belief in the real Jesus should change our lives, to want to do good works (James 2:17-20) but not to gain anything from God, certainly no heaven.

Check your life today. Are you worshiping a False Jesus?

If you liked this post or no someone who would benefit please like and share.

What the Mayflower Compact Teaches and Why You Should Care Today

In l620 a small group of 50 Christians called Pilgrims, sailed to America on a ship called the Mayflower, to escape religious persecution in Europe. Their desire to worship God in their own way, has influenced the birth of a nation and the world still today. What does it mean for you and why should you care?

Most nations of the world have a written constitution. Among them the United States has the oldest, active constitution but did you know it began with the Mayflower Compact? Before I tell you about what was written in it and why you should care, here’s a brief background.

A Brief Background

The Church of England had become the state church and the King James Bible the only approved bible. The Pilgrims believed many of the Church of England’s traditions were not Biblical. Since both King James and his state church persecuted critics as criminals, the Pilgrims fled first to Holland, then to America to escape imprisonment or worse. They received a charter from the King to govern them and planned to land in Virginia. However, November storms in the Atlantic carried them far north to Cape Cod (Massachusetts). Since their charter was not valid outside Virginia, they needed a new charter to govern the new settlement.

And so on this day, November 11, l620, the Pilgrims drew up and signed the Mayflower Compact. (The actual date is November 21st because Britain was still using the Julian calendar) The document begins “In the Name of God, Amen.” then states the purpose, “Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith,” left to start the first colony in Virginia. Then make a covenant together, “in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a Civil Body“.

The Mayflower Compact was modeled after the church covenant that the Pilgrims had drafted and signed in l607 when they had first separated from the English Church and fled to Holland. In the new world, the Mayflower compact would serve as the Pilgrims guiding document for the next fifty years. More importantly, it would become a guide for the idea of a written American Constitution at the Convention of l787.

Why Should You Care?

The influence of this document has lasted centuries because it had divine inspiration that can teach Christians today. If we want to build anything lasting, especially of eternal value, we must learn the lessons from the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were Willing to Depart from Church Traditions that were Not Biblical.

Like the Pilgrims, I was forced to be part of a denominational setting that taught some non-biblical doctrine: the inerrancy of their leader, salvation through good works, a place between heaven and hell called purgatory, praying to dead saints, infant baptism and declaring that church tradition is equally as inspired as the Bible. To depart from that church meant persecution, criticism and isolation from family and friends. I chose to leave tradition to pursue Biblical truth.

The Pilgrims risked their freedom by disagreeing with King James, the State Church and the traditions their community lived by. We will all have moments where we have to decide if my church tradition, my family tradition, government laws, or scripture has the final say in my life.

The Pilgrims Understood They Should Live for the Glory of God.

They stated that they undertook their journey “for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith“. There was some sense that their journey was about more than the religious freedom of 50 people. How do you see your life? Too often our desires are no different than an unbeliever. ‘I just want to have a good family, be happy, make a comfortable living and go to church on Sundays.’ Is that what Christ converted you for?

There is a sign at the exit of our church parking lot reading, “You are now entering the Mission Field.” We are modern-day pilgrims sent to a world without Jesus, who are given the mission to introduce Jesus to them. Therefore, we must daily look for ways to make an eternal impact. The purpose of our lives hasn’t changed since the Pilgrims set sail, to Glorify God and to Advance the Christian Faith.

As we remember the Mayflower Compact today, it is not just the amazing historical impact on the U.S. Constitution and founding of that nation 100+ years later that should grab our attention. It is the instruction to elevate the truth of scripture above tradition and the example to live for the Glory of God and the Advancement of Christian Faith that should challenge us to live by the biblical instructions of Jesus, no matter the hardship.

Go and make disciples of all the nations…

Jesus in Matthew 28:19

How to Best Prepare for an Online Easter Service

As we approach Easter 2020 it seems like we have become part of some weird, apocalyptic, biological warfare movie. We are told to self-quarantine and not gather in large groups. But wait…what about Hebrews 10:25 that commands us as Christians to “not forsake gathering together”?

The solution for most churches has been to do an Online Easter Service. Many churches have found themselves streaming their services on-line for the first time. I want to help you do that effectively. Here’s how.

1. Check Your Tech

The internet has already brought streaming TV, movies, theater, concerts and even library resources into our homes, why not church? The issue is people now expect a certain level of execution. A grainy image where the preacher runs off camera occasionally or a song service where the sound is terribly mixed won’t cut it.

Excellence is doing the best you can with what you have. This is not meant to be a ‘how to’ article, there’s enough of those, but more of an ‘avoid these issues’ look. Here’s what you need:

• An HD Camera – Most smart phones will do but make sure you can record.
• A Streaming Service – There are free services such as YouTube and Facebook Live or so many paid options you can search for. For now, pick one and get started.
• Decent Lighting – What looks good in person, looks shadowing online. Don’t back light yourself. Light should come from front.
• A Good Sound Mixer – if you’re going to just broadcast the preaching, any decent mic will do (more than just your phone) but if you’re going to do music, get a trained sound volunteer to mix it. This is where we had the most trouble until we had one person mixing live and a 2nd person devoted to the online mix. With an online only, you only need one sound person.

The main thing is to do a rehearsal broadcast where you make sure ALL your tech, including your streaming services work well.

2. Promote

Social media a key here. Make it as easy as possible for your people to invite their friends. Create a Facebook Event they can send Evites from. Create tweets they can resend. Instagram an invite from the pastor. Be as absolutely as active as you can. Especially the week of Easter.

Email and text blast anyone who has ever come to the church! It’s an opportunity to reconnect with people who have moved away or maybe aren’t attending a church but came to visit once 3 years ago. It doesn’t matter, they may reconnect to your church.

3. Emphasize Prayer

This seems to be a given but people are out of their routines right now. I find when I’m out of my routine, such as on vacation, I actually pray less. People MOVE towards what they pray for. If you can get your people praying for salvations and for people they want to invite, they are more likely to reach out to their unchurched friends.

Since only God can save a soul, we should get Him involved in His service.

4. Offer Multiple Service Times

The main benefits is this, people need sense of urgency Don’t just put your service online and tell people they can see it whenever they want! Half of the people will never watch it. I know it seems illogical but without a dealine, a sense of urgency, we procrastinate the things we want to do for the thing in front of me. Sales people have used this to get us to buy ‘Today Only’ for years.

Trust me, give them multiple options but give them specific times to attend.

5. Plan Follow Up

God called us to ‘make disciples’ not decisions. Plan to create ways to gather people’s information during the Easter services so you can connect with them afterward.

We have an online Connect Card through our church App but you don’t have to get that fancy. Ask people to comment with their name and where they’re watching from on Facebook. Ask for an email or text, if they accept Jesus as savior.

If we will prepare, this virus attack can be an opportunity to connect with new people and grow.

If this blog helped you comment below and if you know someone who would benefit, please share it with them.

Happy Easter.

I am currently accepting application for my VIRTUAL Church Leader Coaching called Potential Leadership Coaching. To learn more about unlocking your leadership potential and your church’s growth potential go to PotentialCoaching.net or email me: lon@houseofpraise.cc.

5 Things Speakers can we learn from the Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address in 1863. Photo from the Smithsonian.

1. Less is more – the Gettysburg Address was only 272 words and only took 2 minutes.

Too often speakers lose the impact of the message by going too long.  A phrase or idea that would stay with the hearer gets buried by the amount of what is spoken.

I am struck by the brevity of this now famous speech.

2. Start with a Reminder of the Vision – 

President Lincoln began with the nation’s founding premise, “all men are created equal” and clearly stated this is why the nation was founded.

3. Address the ‘Elephant in the Room’ – 

President Lincoln correctly addressed the ‘elephant in the room’ by saying “we are now engaged in a civil war.”  Preachers sometimes try to ignore the big issues hoping no one will notice.

4. Talk Honestly About the Struggle and the Cost – 

President Lincoln talked about those who died here.

5. Tell Listeners Why the Cost is Worth Paying – benefits & consequences

President Lincoln gives vision for the future and the benefits reaped by paying this cost. He then also boldly outlines the consequences of not doing what is right.

They did not die in vain but “shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”  Wow stirring stuff. Worth dying for.

If we won’t pay the cost of this war…This war is “testing whether that nation,…shall long endure.” If we don’t win this war, it’s over. There will be no country.

Bonus Point: End on a High Note

President Lincoln ends the same way he began by vision-casting for what kind of country he wanted.

Start: We’re conceived in Liberty with the vision all men are created equal.
Finish: The soldier didn’t die in vain but “the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

He ended with the big line…by the people, for the people.  That’s what they remembered and they left the speech cheering.

Go here for a complete transcript of the Gettysburg Address.

Transcript of the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

Executive Mansion, Washington, DC, 1863.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal”

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow, this ground– The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln, Draft of the Gettysburg Address: Nicolay Copy. Transcribed and annotated by the Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois

What will Guests Remember This Easter?

Every church I know works hard to create a great Easter experience. Traditional churches are practicing their choirs and cantatas. Others put and an enormous amount of work into a passion play.   Contemporary churches are learning a new song and decorating creatively but all of us are trying to put our best foot forward.

Here’s the truth

The frustrating part of Easter is:  With all those hours put in, most guests will not remember what songs we sang, if the drama was good or recall most sermons.

So what will a guest remember about your Easter service?

They will remember how they FELT in your church.

I know it’s important to preach the gospel.  I know it’s important to praise the Lord and to pray.  If guests are nervous of feel unwelcome they are less likely to receive the gospel or the presence of God.

I hope if you’re reading this blog, you don’t make the mistakes that some declining churches make, of berating those that only come on holidays.  I once heard a preacher say, “It’s nice to see a full church for Easter but what would be great is if you all came back next week.”  While I agree with his intention (to get people to come back) that’s not the way to do it.  What guests were hearing was that the preacher was mad at them because they only came on Easter.  Guess what will happen?

Next Easter they will choose another church or worse…choose not to go to church at all!

Make guests feel welcome, as you would do in your home.  Give them free coffee and a cookie.  Most important greet them.  Smile, shake their hand, and introduce yourself.  Encourage your members to do the same.

People who feel welcome will like your church but not remember why.  They’ll have an ’emotional memory’ that will make them more open to returning when you invite them back.

When I talk to someone who has been attending our church for a month or more, and I ask them about the music or sermon they day they first attended they hesitate. They have trouble recalling those details but they can always recall how they felt.

I hear phrases in our church such as “I felt safe.” or “I genuinely felt like people were glad I was here.”  What they are describing is an emotional memory.

How will they feel on the drive home from your Easter service?

Church Leaders should also read: What is the Most Important Part of Easter?

What is the Most Important Part of Easter?

Your church will have more unchurched guests at Easter than at any service all year long (yes bigger than Christmas Eve).  They may attend because it’s a cultural tradition. They may attend because their loved one pressured them to.  Maybe your church invited them on social media. Most of the time, they attend because someone they knew, from your church, invited them.

To you as a church member, I can’t stress enough the importance of invitation.

All statistics still say that between 85-90% of people who come to church for the first time came because someone invited them.  But this is not the most important thing this Easter or what this article is about.

Regardless of why these guests show up for Easter, it’s a great opportunity to share the Gospel with them.  What is the Gospel?  Gospel means ‘good news’.

To make the Gospel as simple are possible:

• We are all lost sinners.  No one is good enough to get to heaven.
• The good news is Jesus came to make a way for us to get to heaven.
• He paid the price, taking the punishment for our sin on the cross and purchasing eternal life through His resurrection.
• Salvation (being saved from Hell and death) can’t be earned but is the free gift of God given through Christ Jesus.
• Today you can receive the forgiveness for your sin by asking for Jesus to forgive you as Savior and to become His follower by surrendering control of your life to Him.

To you who are preachers, here is the most important thing you’ll do this Easter…

More important than the music being awesome, more important than the greeters being welcoming, more important than having enough chairs or parking, more important than the children’s church being fun, more important than the bathrooms being clean, even more important than preaching the Gospel…what?

Ask for a Decision.

We must preach the Gospel but it doesn’t do any good unless we ASK for the decision to follow Jesus.

Rick Warren says every sermon comes down to the words “Will you?”  I always ask these three questions:

• Will you make the decision to become a follower of Jesus?  
• Will you ask Him to forgive your sin?
• Will you surrender control of you life to Him right now?

Too often people come to Easter, see a skit, hear a choir and listen to a message of how Jesus died for them but are never asked to change their lives.  As an ex-sales trainer, I would get upset with salesmen that would tell a potential customer all the benefits of the product, engage them emotionally, peak their desire but then not ask them to buy in.  We do the same thing in churches.  “Jesus loves you, forgives you…He died for you.  You should live for Him. Ok, Happy Easter, hope to see you next week.”

Don’t forget to ask for repentance and commitment.  Ask for the decision.

My personal thought is to challenge their self-sufficiency.  Too many sermons ask if people want to be forgiven but not who wants to carry their cross.

The Gospel you respond to is the Gospel you live by.

If we say, “Just whisper this prayer and abracadabra you’re born again.” We aren’t asking for their allegiance to Christ.

Many pastors inform the mind and engage the emotions, but avoid challenging the will.

This Easter the most important thing any preacher can do is clearly articulate the need for salvation and then ASK FOR A DECISION to live for Jesus!

God Bless and may you have a great Easter with many decisions for Jesus.

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Bonus point #1:  Some people think they’re too bad to be forgiven, give them hope.  Let them know that they can come to faith in Christ. No person is too far away from God. Many people you’re trying to reach this Easter don’t believe this. Give examples from your life or sinful people forgiven in scripture such as King David the adulterer.

Bonus point #2:  Follow up on all decisions.  After you ask for a decision, remember that we don’t want to make decisions but disciples.  You can’t do that if you don’t capture their information.  To learn more about retaining your Easter guests go to:

How To Make Sure Guests Don’t Come Back

To learn how to make disciples more effectively, the best thing you’ll ever do it participate in Leadership Coaching/Mentoring.  Here’s a shameless plug since Leadership Coaching changed my ministry life.

3 Easy Ways for Anyone to Retain What You Read

President Harry Truman once said that not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers.  That’s a bold statement by this famous leader.  Truman believed that you could learn how to be a better leader through the writing of those who had led before.  We can learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

Truman also believed in personal responsibility.  His most famous quote was ‘the buck stops here’, was in reference to his personal responsibility for the entire country as its president.  He would not ‘pass the buck‘ or blame others.  In my coaching network I teach that all leaders are responsible for their personal leadership growth. One of the ways to grow as a leader is to be a reader, but leaders often complain they don’t retain what they read.  This blog is about how to keep the information you read.

We have strategies and systems for most areas of our leadership, why not this one?  Here’s how to retain more of what you read.

1. Read Actively

Start a highlighter and pen, either in hand or on your tablet.  Highlight what sticks out to you.   After reading something important to you; stop, close your eyes, and repeat what just inspired you.  This causes your brain to ‘pause’ on this passage as different from the rest of what you’ve read and will treat it differently.  This simple trick is actually quite helpful.

Also, take notes. I prefer to write in the book, but I also will make a document in Evernote with my top ten take-aways.  Not every book is worth this sort of effort. One technique is to take notes after each chapter, but then I also write the main book points on the first blank page of the book.  Some people use the front cover but covers can be torn off over time.  I occasionally will go back and re-read some of my important notes. When I do, I don’t have to flip through all of the pages; I just have to flip through the first page.  With a great book, I then read my chapter summaries also.

Read your notes again.

When I’m researching a topic of looking for a solution in a certain area, I will go back and read these notes again.  It’s very helpful for retention and application.

2. Read with Others

You will retain more when you read with others as opposed to reading alone. It is unrealistic to think we can do this with every book, but reading a book with other goal-oriented leaders will skyrocket your remembrance.  I do this once a month.

Discussing your take ways, sharing application and asking questions will take your reading from passive to active.  The best way to learn something is to teach it to others.  This process also has the added bonus of your colleagues noticing something you may have missed.  This ‘group dynamic’ is one of the reasons I am such a huge proponent of leadership coaching.

3. Pray

I unapologetically encourage you to pray before and during your reading to ask God’s help with retention. Before reading scripture or another book you wish to retain, pray. Ask for divine assistance. Pray that you will be able to retain what you read and that it will be stored in long-term memory.

Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” John 14:26 nlt  or in the King James Version, “bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

If God helps us remember His word, asking God for help is a key component to remembering whatever is read.

Bonus Point: The Benefit of Reading

Every book you read from another leader is like having them as a mentor.  We can learn from their mistakes and avoid the cost they paid for us.  Reading how they overcame obstacles and had success, help us to speed up our learning curve and become more successful more quickly than through trial and error.

Add your thought on how to retain more, in the comments below.

Why People Give More at Christmas

According to a recent story in USA Today over 1/3 of all charitable giving occurs in the month of December.

WHY?

As a Christian and a church leader, I truly believe it is because it’s the time of year where many people remember the gift that God gave us of His only Son.  Of course, I know there are many mundane reasons also…

• It’s the end of the year and people are looking for tax write-offs
• People receive end of the year bonuses and so have available money
• People are spending so much on gifts for family that a few bucks to charity seem well…less.

Ask someone for $50.00 in July they’ll say they can’t afford it but after they just spent $500 on a bike and a gaming system for their kid, giving $50 to charity become reasonable.

The bottom line is this church leader, your members want to give.

It’s your job to give them a compelling reason to give.

Reasons People Choose Their Church for Christmas Giving:

1. A Clear Vision

People want to understand how their giving makes a difference.  When I sponsor a child through World Vision, I receive a letter that tells me about the child including what benefits my money is purchasing. (Education, new clothes, food etc.)

Why should I give to your church?

2. Special Projects

Are their special projects happening people would be interested in?  Everything from remodeling the children’s wing to drilling a well in Africa can peak someone’s interest.  Your job becomes communication.  Get the information out there. One way is in an end of the year special campaign.

In my church leader coaching network I teach pastors how to organize an effective end-of-the-year giving campaign.  What I can tell you in this short blog is, do a campaign and communicate clearly what they will be giving to.

3. It’s Easy

I know, not the most exciting reason people give but let’s face reality.  Most people abstain from anything confusing or too difficult.

We’ve already established that people want to give more readily in December.  They are already sitting in your church building.  Make it easy to give.  Talk about the giving campaign on Sunday.  Give special envelopes to everyone.  Make it simple (3 steps or less) to give online to this campaign.

In summary, if you’re a church member, I challenge you to give as much to Christian charities this Christmas as you spend on one family member.  

If you’re a church leader, your challenge is to give them a compelling reason to choose to give to your ministry and an easy way to do it.

Merry Christmas and Happy Giving.

The Principle of Spiritual Readiness

It’s HERE!  Tomorrow I’m co-teaching a seminar with Nelson Searcy called Maximizing Easter.  Why I’m so excited about this opportunity is this.  The teaching in this seminar can help churches reach and keep more unchurched people for Jesus!

Want to know the coolest part about it?  The proven strategies will work in any church culture (I’ve seen it myself.) and help you as a pastor/leader disciple your current people.  If I sound like a commercial I don’t mean to.  I have watch us break our records for attendance and salvations on Easter over and over because of the teaching we’ll give tomorrow.

I’m only hosting this event to help other churches.  I want to see all the churches that are preaching the Bible, grow.  I want to see your church reach more people. We are losing money on this seminar ($25/church) just to get this information out there.

One of the point that will be taught is the Principle of Spiritual Readiness. Jesus comes to fisherman, guys that has been mending their nets and cleaning their nets…you know… getting ready to catch fish.  Not getting ready to fish more that day because they had fished all night and caught nothing. (Luke 5)

Luke 5:3-4 tells us AFTER he taught them. He told the fisherman, let down your nets for a catch.

Same boat (same church)
Same leaders (Peter, James John)

What was different?  Jesus taught and then told them where and how to cast their net.

Maybe you’ve grown tired, fishing with no results.  Maybe you say we’ve tried some church growth strategies that didn’t work.  Try again.  Listen to teaching again.

Our job is to get ready.  To clean and prepare the net (the local church).  The Principle of Spiritual Readiness says if we prepare, He will bless.  It we are ready when comes, He will bless. I don’t understand it all but if we aren’t ready when He comes to us, He’ll pass by like the 5 foolish virgins. (Matthew 25)

The fisherman had prepared the net.  They didn’t know Jesus would ask them to fish so soon but because their net was ready, He could bless them in abundance.

Is your net ready for His blessing?  If not, teaching can help. Come this event or

Contact me.

 

 

 

Fastest Growing Churches Have Modern Worship & Teach Literal Bible Interpretation

That’s the headline from the Christian Post that popped up in my Facebook feed recently.  This article was quoting a study of North American, denominational, Protestant churches.  The study compared growing and declining churches and concluded that “Theology Matters.”

One pastor interviewed about the study* stated that

“I think the wisdom of that study is the two parts. There does need to be a modern sense of an expression of the faith while at the same time a conservative, Orthodox view of Christianity,”.

What is an Orthodox view of Christianity?

• Over 93% of those leading growing churches believe in the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus. Compared to only 56% of those in the study leading declining churches.
• 100% of those leading growing churches believe God does miracles in response to prayer where only 44% of those in the study leading declining churches.

Here’s a crazy side note: 80% of the congregants surveyed from declining churches believe God answers prayers with miracles so maybe they just need better leaders. It seems to me that as a person who believes in the literal resurrection and that God still does miracles when we pray, if my pastor didn’t, I would leave that church.  Maybe that’s why they are declining…hmmm.

This study teaches us three things if we want our church to grow.

1.    Modern Matters. People prefer modern style worship services.

2.    Theology Matters. People want churches to believe in literal interpretation of the Bible.

3.    Evangelism Matters. Growing churches evangelize.

Every church leader surveyed from growing churches believed that it was ‘very important to encourage non-Christians to become Christians.’ Only half of those in declining churches felt the same way.  If you don’t believe the Great Commission to go and make disciples is ‘very important’ then you’ll probably be leading a declining church.

For more on personal evangelism see Your Story Matters.

If you lead a church where your theology is sound but you still find yourself stagnant of declining. I can help.  A great first step would be to Come to the Maximizing Easter seminar.

The Maximizing Easter seminar will give you the tools to unlock your church’s growth potential. Potential that is there each Easter, but is untapped by stagnant or declining churches.

I am hosting this seminar, near Albany, NY with church growth expert Nelson Searcy, who has helped hundreds of churches grow.

What have you got to lose by checking it out? Go to: https://churchleaderinsights.com/maxeaster/albany/  to learn about unlocking your church’s growth potential this Easter.

 

PS: You’re not a church leader?  Send this blog to your pastor!  I want to help your church and your pastor.

 

 

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*Read the whole study at http://www.christianpost.com/news/fastest-growing-churches-have-modern-worship-teach-literal-interpretation-of-the-bible-study-171607

What’s wrong with a Hipster Christmas Anyway?

If you haven’t seen this Hipster Nativity Set, it’s a real product for sale. It’s so popular that even with a pricey $129.99 price tag, they are flying off the shelves, and limited to three to a customer.

The set takes the traditional nativity figures and gives them a distinctly hipster form. Joseph has a man-bun and is taking a selfie. Mary is holding a Starbucks latte in one hand, making a peace sign with the other, is dressed in a sweater that is off one shoulder and is of course making a duck-face for a selfie.

The Magi are arriving on Segways with Amazon gift boxes under their arms. The shepherd is working his iPad. The sheep and cow are even involved: the sheep is wearing a hand-knitted sweater and the cow, eating gluten-free feed, bears a “100% organic” seal.

If you’re not hip to the Hipster vibe, let me explain…Hipsters are ‘cooler-than-you’ because of their independent thinking, counter-culture attitude, appreciation of art & indie rock and their ironic clothing choices.

Listen, I find this whole Nativity Set hysterical and eerily accurate. (I would love one as a Christmas gift…hint, hint) It’s a satire on how far out of control our lives are. BUT why does this Nativity upset so many of my Christian friends?  I truly don’t believe it’s meant to disrespect the holy family or Christmas.  It’s mean to be funny.

I think what upsets so many people is, that it’s too true!

We have the pressure to get the right gift from Amazon, to keep up with the latest organic and fair trade trends, upgrade to the newest ‘must have’ technology and capture all of it in a selfie on our new phone.

None of these things are wrong but be careful not to overspend (another blog for another time) and not miss the meaning of Christmas.

Before you think I’m an old fart, getting on the young hipsters, there are many ways to miss the meaning of Christmas.

When asked the meaning of Christmas, the most common response is ‘spending time with loved ones’.  While I think that’s important, the meaning of Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth.  How do you do that?  Start by reminding yourself of the story of the first Christmas.  One way to do that is at church.

You’re invited to recapture the meaning of Christmas at House of Praise in person or on-line: NoPerfectPeopleHERE.com

Check out the website for time and direction.

Oh, and have a Happy Hipster Christmas, just remember Jesus in the midst of it.

Hope for This Election

MAX LUCADO, pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas said this:

We are really ready for this presidential election to be over. We’re ready for an end to the rancor and tackiness. Voters on both sides feel frustrated, even embarrassed by it all. There is a visceral fear, an angst about the result. What if so and so wins? When we wake up to Nov. 9, post-election, when the confetti is swept away and the election is finally over, what will we see?

I have a prediction. I know exactly what Nov. 9 will bring: another day of God’s perfect sovereignty. He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has his providence depended on a king, president or ruler. And it won’t on Nov. 9, 2016. “The LORD can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases” (Prov. 21:1).

Understanding God’s sovereignty over the nations opens the door to peace. When we realize that God influences the hearts of all rulers, we can then choose to pray for them rather than fret about them. Rather than wring our hands, we bend our knees and we select prayer over despair.

I couldn’t agree more Max.

Christians shouldn’t panic. We should vote, participate, demonstrate, boycott, protest, whatever legal political activities we wish to take.  However, we must not panic because God is in charge.

Having said that, here some things we should remember…

Never compromise your Christianity over politics.

Never, never, never give up influence unnecessarily. Never jeopardize a relationship, especially over politics.  Allow people to disagree and still be your friends.  Don’t sin by slandering political leaders, calling people names, swearing or losing your temper.  Keep your behavior consistent with a manner that would please God.

We will be disappointed but don’t sit this one out.

I have no idea who will win the election. But I know this: no matter who you vote for, you will be disappointed.

Think of some of these things: Benghazi, Locker room talk, missing emails, tax return, bullying…scandal.  Whether you walk behind a donkey or an elephant, you’re going to step into some unpleasant stuff.

If your candidate loses, you’ll be disappointed after Election Day. If yours wins, you’ll be disappointed after Inauguration Day.

We must vote because Evangelical Christians are the most important voting block in America.

John 8:32 – “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – vote truth.

Truth is not objective, it’s absolute. 3+3=6 no matter how we feel about it.  Gravity is absolute.  You can sincerely not believe in gravity but when you jump, you will still hit the ground.  Truth is not subjective, it’s not personal.  Truth does not come from within but outside ourselves. God is truth and the author of truth.

There are a few moral issues we as Christians should agree upon as moral truths. The right to life. I can’t believe we have to discuss a person’s right to exist but the right to life is a moral absolute.  The definition of marriage.  One man, one woman in a monogamous relationship.  This is defined by scripture.  Please consider these truths as you vote.

A side note about Intolerance:

Let me say something about being a loving church that shows God’s love to ALL people.  In America today, we have elevated tolerance to be an absolute truth. Tolerance today says we must accept people’s beliefs as truth.  If I disagree with something that’s actually isn’t true, but based upon another person’s feelings, somehow that’s intolerant.

Love says we treat ALL people with respect…not mocking, not judging but truly loving people who are actively sinning.  Love also tells the truth. If I see you using heroin, I will tell you that going to hurt you and offer to take you to a rehab. That’s not intolerance or hatred.

Our Hope is in Jesus

No candidate can fulfill all the hopes and dreams we have for our nation.

So, yes, we need to vote. Vote wisely and prayerfully. But don’t put your hope there. Don’t put our hope in a candidate, a party or even a system.  Put your hope in Jesus. You’ll never be disappointed that way.

Neither this election nor any election, neither Trump nor Clinton, will encourage my hope or discourage my hope in the Sovereign King and His Kingdom. I will go to bed the night of the election and I will wake up the day after the election with the same hope: that Jesus was crucified, was buried, was raised and ascended to the right side of the Father, from where he rules all creation. My hope is in him and in his rule, not in any human government or ruler.

 

Don’t know who to vote for?  Last election I wrote in Lon Dean.

Your Story Matters

It’s important to tell your story. It matters.  There are people waiting out there that will be encouraged, helped, inspired, motivated and maybe even saved by your story. Why? Because your story is unique.

Your Story Matters Because It’s Unique.

No one else has the exact same story to tell.  It’s not that your story is better or worse, it’s simply unique.  We have to avoid the trap of comparing our story to other people’s story.  Helping others with your story is not about telling a better story or a more shocking story than someone else.  It is simply telling your story in your unique way.  Someone who wouldn’t be touched by my story or my style is waiting to hear from you.  Have trouble believing that?  Well it’s true.

I remember sharing my story of how I came to be a follower of Jesus.  Here’s a summary: I had a great job, a company car, an apartment the company paid for all in my mid 20’s but something was missing.  I thought it was a long-term relationship, that didn’t help. I visited a church a friend invited me to and found something different from the church religion of my youth.  God was real and present today.  I kept saying “He’s real.” over and over again.  I actually cried at the altar and I hadn’t cried since I was young. I said to God, “I always want to be this way. Open before you.” I have never looked back since.  (I even cry at extreme home make over now, but that’s another story.

When I shared this story of how my life changed, several people came up to me and stated that they though only people with serious problems had ‘testimonies’.  They told me that they never felt like they had a story to tell.  Now they did.  It’s not always the bottom that brings you to turn to God sometimes it’s the emptiness of success or every day life.

This leads me to the next reason you should tell your story:

Other People Will Identify With Your Story.

I have a close friend who once told me they could never share their story in public because it was too painful.  My friend also felt no one else could identify with what they’d been through and she didn’t want pity.  You see, she’d been rape repeatedly as a child by her own father.

Who could understand this horror story?  Certainly no one could benefit.  You can probably guess the rest.  She finally did have the courage to share her story and the response was amazing.  Many woman (and a few men) came forward to say they were also molested by a family member or other person.  One woman even contacted her to say, “I never thought I could tell someone my story because they wouldn’t believe it.”  She also had been raped by her father.

In the years to follow, my wife and I had the privilege of providing spiritual counsel (alongside professional counselors) for 4 woman who also have lived through this same horrifying experience with their fathers.  What if my friend never told her story?  These other woman wouldn’t have received the help they needed.

You Can Learn to Easily Tell Your Story.

The easiest way to organize your story is to answer these four questions:

1. What was you life like before?
   (I had a great job, new car, apartment but wasn’t fulfilled.)
2. What happened to cause you to change?
   (I felt empty, like there was no purpose.)
3. What happened at the moment of life-change?
   (My friend invited me to church and Jesus became real to me.)
4. How is your life different now?
   (I now feel fulfilled and have given my life to help others.)

Conclusion:

There’s a lot of ways to improve the world; volunteer, give to charity, acts of kindness, stand up for justice…but I think the most powerful way is to simply share your story.  It will travel far beyond that moment through the life of the person changed.

Be a Difference Maker today.  Tell your story.

 

 

7 Leadership Lessons from the Olympics

Here are 7 Leadership Lessons from the Olympics focused upon the United States athletes.  Whether you’re an athlete or not we can all learn leadership lessons from high-achievers in any field.

1.   Success Comes from Hard Work, There is No Short-Cut

“We’re confident because of the hard work.  We’re consistent because of the hard work.” – U.S. female gymnastics team captain Aly Raisman

Yes, Olympic athletes must win the gene pool to have some God-given talent to start but then they also out-work their peers.

2.   Don’t Confuse Effort with Achievement

No participation trophies here. Yes, there’s pride in simply making it to the Olympics because so few people ever do.  However, they don’t give Gold Medals to the person who ‘tried hard’.  In an era where people want to treat all players as the same, not keep score and give both teams a trophy, the Olympics stand as a stark difference.  “Oh, you’re the 2^nd greatest in the world at this sport?  You get a silver medal.  Please stand one step down from the person with the gold.”

I think we set our children up for disappointment and confusion in life when we tell them they can do anything they want.  It’s simply not true.  Success takes talent and hard work.

The balance between points one and two are important.  You must work hard IN AN AREA WHERE YOU ALSO HAVE TALENT. People spend far too much time working to improve their weakness instead of working on their strengths to make them great.

If Michael Phelps spent all his time trying to be a better runner because he was terrible at it, we’d have never heard of him.  Delegate your weaknesses, enhance your strengths.

3.   Expectation Drives Preparation

A mentor of mine, Nelson Searcy teaches the ‘Law of Spiritual Readiness’ to churches.  He says, “If you prepare for guests, you’ll receive more guests.”  Guess what?  We bought more bibles, made more guest bags and began to pray for more guests and doubled the number of guests coming to our church!

There’s an old saying in boxing, “The fight is won in the gym.”  Champions train like champions. When you’re throwing things together at the last minute it shows.  Do the work.  Prepare like a champion.

4.   Take the Time to Begin Well

When you look at any racer, sprinters like Usain Bolt, swimmers like Michael Phelps etc. they understand the importance of beginning well.  They spend time practicing the start.  They make sure their feet are set perfectly.

My dad used to tell me when building anything, “Measure twice, cut once.”  This goes along with lesson #3, there is no substitute for proper preparation.  I’d rather spend extra time planning a project then rush into unforeseen mistakes.  Sometimes 5 extra minutes preparing saves you an hour down the road.

5.   Leaders Don’t Quit

“I just knew I had to really dig deep.  That’s the closest I’ve ever come to throwing up in the middle of a race.” – U.S. Gold Medal Olympic Swimmer Katie Ledecky

We often hear about ‘heart’ or ‘digging deep’ for champion athletes.  What does that mean?  At means when competing at a very high level, at some point we all want to quit. To get an easier job, to move to a better city, a spouse that will treat me better…everyone faces that moment where they just want to give up.  When it gets really hard, the great ones push harder.  No one ever got a gold medal for quitting.

6.   Leaders Make Their Teams Better

I’ve always detested the athlete that pads their personal statistics at the cost of the team victory. The Olympics seem to build such team unity that I can never remember seeing that.

“My job is to win the game for the U.S., and I’m going to do everything possible to do that.” – basketball player Kyrie Irving

7.   Leaders Don’t Do it for the Cheers

Kim Rhode becomes first woman to medal at six straight Olympic Games. Wow!  You would think that would be a huge story even with the great US gymnastics team and the crazy Michael Phelps gold rush.  Actually it’s one of the least covered stories.  Why?  Shooting isn’t that popular as an Olympic sport and guns are a controversial subject in US.

The point is this, if you wait for the cheers you’ll be disappointed.  For all the medals won in the Olympics we will only read stories on a small number of the gold medal winners. So why do all the other Olympians do it?  Not for fame but to achieve the goals that are important to them.

A proverb from the bible says, “Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth.” Proverbs 27:2

Don’t seek fame as a leader, seek success.

 

Please comment below on which leadership lesson from these Olympic athletes impacted you the most or share something else you learned watching the Olympics.

 

New U

Welcome to the New You.  We hear this talked about every January.  The gyms become full, people make new promises to themselves (or sometimes the same ones as last year) and ‘resolve’ to change.

Here’s the truth, half us don’t even make New Year’s resolutions anymore.  After years of not keeping them, we give up.

• Of the people that do make resolutions, 1 out of 4 quit within two weeks!

The majority of 40+ year olds don’t even bother anymore.  Maybe we’re happier with ourselves.  If you’re over 40 like me, we don’t need a new job, we’ve found our career.  We don’t have to find love, we’ve loved, we’re on our second marriage. We don’t need to get healthier because we’re not trying to impress anyone.  Ok, even I didn’t believe that one.

Yes, most people in their 20s still make New Year resolutions but maybe it’s because they are still optimistic. You believe in true love. You believe you can find a career you’re passionate about. And yes, you can get in shape. 30 somethings…you’re split, half will-half won’t.

Here are the…

Top Three New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Lose weight/get healthy
2. Get organized
3. Improve finances.

These are good goals, life-improving things.

Why we should all believe we can change and make New Year’s Resolutions.

• Of the people who DO make New Year’s resolutions only 17% keep them all year.

Pretty bleak. Why even try?…because 17 out of 100 people do actually make life changes and they’re no better than you and me.  What do these people who keep their resolutions have that most people don’t?  A plan.  Plain and simple, a plan to change.

Success is built by making a few right-decisions, daily.

My wife Joanne and daughter Christy made a simple resolution to not drink soda for a whole year. Their plan was simple. First, get soda out of the house.  Second, decide on alternatives now before going to restaurants (iced tea or water). Bring water or flavored water when you go to friends’ houses. Last, keep each other accountable.  Don’t underestimate the power of someone helping.  For fun, I provided an incentive. $100 on New Year’s Day when you complete it.

Here’s the thing, they both can drink soda now, but really don’t desire it any more.  One year gave them a good health change.

When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:1-3

It’s not too late. If you’ve never been successful with a resolution (or any other goal) try again.  If you made a  New Year’s Resolution and already broke it, it’s just a date on the calendar. Start again, but with a solid plan this time.

1. Write Your Resolution Down

2. Make a Plan

3. Get an Accountability Partner

4. Make the Decision Daily

Don’t think about the whole year, one-day-at-a-time works. I’m going to work out today. I’m going to organize my inbox today. I’m going to put money into savings today.

If you say, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” tomorrow never comes.  It turns into a new today where we say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”  Think about today and before you know it, a year will go by.

And before you know it, you’ll be a New You.

Star Wars…Awaken the Force in YOU

Many people believe in an unseen force, a universal power that connects all life. This search for a ‘higher power’ connecting us is a reoccurring topic in all the Star Wars films. Anyone has watched any of the Star Wars franchise can tell you it’s called ‘The Force’.

The question is what is that force?

STAR WARS: The Force Awakens is officially the biggest box office smash of all-time passing Avatar, as I predicted its opening weekend in my last blog.

Toaists call this energy ‘Chi’. New age gurus and biometric feedback healers will refer the ‘energy of life’.  Shamans and Reiki practitioners call it the ‘Universal Life-Force’. It is most likely a combining of these ideals in these sources that shaped the idea of The Force for Star Wars.

STAR WARS includes the Buddhist concept of Ying and Yang.

This is the belief that there is a connection between all opposite or contrary forces.  In good there is some evil, in evil some good.

Star Wars Director, George Lucas, while raised Methodist was largely influenced by this Buddhist belief. He called himself a Buddhist-Methodist.

The title for STAR WARS: The Force Awakens, gives hope to the universe, saying, “There’s something coming that will combat the evil in the universe.”  Christians feel that same way about the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Universal Life-Force in the Bible

Would it surprise you to know there is a universal-life force talked about in the Bible?

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:2

In the beginning there was a force that created light, that created life!  The Holy Spirit hovered over the water waiting for the word from the Father, it’s time, “Let there be light!” and there was light created.

The Holy Spirit also live in the followers of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 6:19).

An invisible power that brings light, creates life from nothing and dwells inside us? It sounds like the force to me! But it’s not, in fact the Holy Spirit is not an ‘it’ at all but God Himself.

Nine times in the New Testament Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as ‘He’ of ‘Him’ never once it.

I will send you the Comforter—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. John 15:26

Jesus clearly refers to God’s Spirit as ‘He’ and states that ‘He’ will tell you about me. (Jesus) 

There is little doubt that Jesus can’t be referring to some enigmatic energy.  He is describing a living being who speaks.  At other times the Holy Spirit is described as having emotions and a will, these are not characteristics of energy.

To the Christian, that means that God Himself flows throughout the universe.  The greatest hope is that He can dwell in us!

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. Romans 8:11

This is a promise to all who follow Christ. The Holy Spirit will live in you.

Want to awaken the force in you? Just ask.

Your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Luke 11:13

Want to learn more about the real force running the universe…The Holy Spirit?  Contact me in a comment below or go to:

NoPerfectPeopleHERE.com

Read previous post: ‘Twas the Night Before Star Wars

‘Twas the Night before Star Wars…’

That’s right they gave them a pre-release day on Thursday in most theaters. This could be the biggest movie of all time. Why?

STAR WARS contains the two biggest themes in story telling. First the classic good vs. evil and second the search for significance.

Good vs. Evil

The STAR WARS movie series uses the imagery made famous in David and Goliath. The smaller, weaker, people are oppressed by the larger, stronger, evil empire.  Good people often feel like underdogs, unable to make a difference in an evil world controlled by people stronger than them.  From the abused child to the traveler worried about terrorism there’s this sense of helplessness. At some point in our lives we all feel like the underdog.  STAR WARS taps into the message that there is hope for good to win, for the little guy to knock down the evil empire.

The Bible is full of stories where weaker, common, people did extraordinary things, overcoming great obstacles, and defeating great odds with God’s help.  You can win over the injustice in your life and you don’t even need a light saber!

The title for STAR WARS: The Force Awakens, gives hope to the world.  It says, “There’s something coming that will combat the evil in the universe.”  Christians feel that same way about the Christmas Story. There is a ‘force’ (the Messiah) that awakens in the world bringing hope.

The Search for Significance

In the original STAR WARS movie, Luke bemoans his existence on a nowhere farm.  He thinks, “There has to be more to life than this.”  How many people feel as they go to their daily routine?

STAR WARS taps into humanity’s search for significance.

All people want to believe life has meaning. Most believe that there’s some ‘universal force’ that is controlling things. It’s not just a religious thing. Many atheists believe in a ‘universal mind’ or some other life force linking us together.
Why?

We were created with knowledge of the eternal and the divine by our creator.  Something that tells us that there’s something bigger than us, more than what we can see.  The Bible says, “Even nature shows us that there is a Creator.”  In addition to creation, The Holy Spirit is all around us, bringing us life and guiding those who choose to follow His ways. He tells us there’s something more out there.

What can we learn from STAR WARS? 

That there is a desire in all human beings to know the meaning of life.  To know that there’s hope beyond their daily frustrations.  To know that good can win, especially when it looks like all is lost.

That is the message of Christmas.

It may look dark and hopeless now, but a star in the heaven announces that a force for good has awakened in the world.  The one foretold in prophesy, the Savior, the Son of God…Jesus.

Looking for Hope this Christmas?  Go to one of the STAR WARS Christmas Services at House of Praise, in person or on-line.

NoPerfectPeopleHERE.com

Go to Next Star Wars Blog: Awaken The Force in YOU

Leadership Lessons from Jurassic World

Jurassic World: Everything a blockbuster movie should be.  Big actors, lots of action, huge sound, rotten villains, surprising twists and fun. Oh, and did I mention dinosaurs?! But that’s not why I’m writing…
Whether you’re a dinosaur fan or not, we can learn leadership lessons from this movie. How you may ask? Here’s an example:

      The movie caught my attention immediately by using the classic musical score from the original movie.  As a fan of Jurassic Park I smiled and whispered ‘nice’. Throughout the movie, there were several call backs to the original. This reminds leaders that to build the future we must respect the past.

In leadership today, it seems that we often don’t honor the ‘giants’ whose shoulders we stand on.  Honoring the past helps us avoid arrogance.  I attended a conference I Dallas, where Steven Furtick, pastor of the Fastest-growing church in the US made this point beautifully.  Steve said to Ed Young (pastor of Fellowship Church) and Tommy Barnett  (pastor of First Assembly Phoenix) “I should go farther than you because I stand on what you’ve done. Thank you for what you’ve done for me.”

Humility mixed with a desire to do greater. Brilliant.

Jurassic World respected Jurassic Park and the foundation built by the franchise. Now let’s see what other leadership lessons we may glean from this blockbuster.

Here are some direct quotes from Jurassic World and the leadership lessons we can learn from them:

      “Beware treating the awesome as ordinary.” – One of characters, Claire, said, “No one’s impressed by a dinosaur anymore. Consumers want them louder, bigger, more teeth.”  Remember the wonder of one life changed, of hearing God’s voice, of the privilege of leading others. Not everyone has those experiences.  Don’t ‘play marbles with diamonds.” Get just as excited about the 100^th person as you did the first.

      “We have to get people’s attention.” – Claire also stated, “Every time we unveil a new asset, attendance spikes.”  To attract new people to church, we have to surprise them.  It can be as simple as telling them they don’t have to dress up.  Several surveys of unchurched people stated that the biggest objection to going to church was ‘nothing to wear.’  We launched a “These are my church clothes” mailing campaign for Easter.

The ad featured a ‘come as you are’ feel.  The results were our largest attendance ever.  We caught their attention with something different than they expected and leveraged that into overcoming an objection we knew they had. Marketing 101.

      Leaders Should Be Humble – “Jurassic World exists to remind us how very small we are.” – CEO character Simon Masrani. When leading His church, we must always remember that God plan is so much greater than our little piece, and His Kingdom is so much larger than our individual church.  Reminding ourselves that He is in charge, not us, can help avoid disasters.

      Remain teachable – Trust the experts, not the crowd.  Another character, Owen, was a behavioral specialist and had trained velociraptor since they were born, but people refused to listen to his insights on their behavior.  Some of the most scandalous leadership fails could have been avoided completely by simply listening to others.  We all need those “emperor has no clothes on[1]” moments.

      Consider the Perspective of Others – When confronted about creating a ‘monster’ hybrid dinosaur in the film, scientist Dr. Henry Wu responded, “Monster is a relative term.  To a canary, a cat is a monster.  We’re just used to being the cat.”  A good leader should always consider the perspectives of those without decision-making power.  In churches leaders are often surrounded by other ‘core church people’ who think like them.  A ‘groupthink’ results and other perspectives are not considered.  For example: if you want to know why some people don’t attend church, you have to talk to some non-church people.

I could keep going, but you get my point.  Get the DVD/Blue-Ray of Jurassic World and watch it again looking for leadership principles.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below and enjoy the movie.

 

Coming Next Week: What does the Bible say about dinosaurs? Were they real or made up by scientists with vivid imaginations to prove evolution?

______________________

[1] The Emperor’s New Suit by Hans Christian Andersen, http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html

How Introverts Can Easily Start Conversation

How can an introvert be involved in group conversation?

One of the most difficult things for an introvert is to begin a conversation with a group of people they don’t know. In this article I will give you tips on how to do just that comfortably…without sweating or hyperventilating.

I’m an extrovert, I freely admit that.  My four daughters joke that I “could make friends in an elevator.”  I was going to object but in fact I have made friends in an elevator on more than one occasion.  What I mean is, learning about their family, their name, occupation and sometimes even exchanging contact info, in a 3 floor ride!  I enjoy it.  If you don’t, let me help.

My goal is NOT to make you like me. My wife is an introvert.  It’s part of her charm.  She won’t raise her hand for a free gift or make eye contact with strangers. After 24 years of marriage still whispers “Don’t embarrass me or draw attention to me.” as we enter parties or group settings.  I understand how introverts think and how anxious group situations can be and have some practical conversation guides you can easily use.

Let’s talk about how you can OWN a group conversation.

1. Don’t Use a Greeting Alone, 

Don’t say: Hi, Hello or some other greeting.

Don’t use a greeting alone because the person doesn’t really need to respond, and if they do choose to respond it will most likely be a one word answer.

“Hi”     —     “Hello”

“Good morning”     —     “Good morning”

Yawn…I can hear the boredom already.  Feel your palms starting to sweat as you slowly try to find a reason to walk away?

2. Don’t Ask Simple Questions

“How are you?”     —     “Good”

“Where are you from?”     —     “Dayton, Ohio”

“What do you do?”     —     “I’m a computer analyst”

Gosh!  This guy just doesn’t want to talk!  I’ve asked several questions and nothing. Simple questions, solicit simple answers. Simple answers leads to awkward conversations.

Remember: Complex Questions =
More Comfortable Conversations

3. The SECRET is… Ask For Stories, Not Facts

Instead of asking…

“Where are you from?”         ask…
“What’s the strangest thing about where you grew up?”

Instead of asking…

“What do you do for work?”         ask…
“How did you get into your line of work?”

They will tell you, “I’m an air traffic controller. I got into that because I was trained to do that in the Navy.”

Response: “Wow, tell me what you liked best about the Navy.”

Instead of asking…

“How was your weekend?”         ask…
“If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why?”

Stories develop better connections.

BONUS: Want to be a Black Belt in Conversation?

4. Give Unexpected Responses

If someone says, “How was your flight?” instead of responding, “Fine.” try this:

I would pay extra to fly on an airline where the seating was based on IQ!

or for the very brave…

“I read about a Continental flight in 2007 where the airplane bathroom reversed its pressure! There was a 3″ deep stream of waste water running down the aisle in coach!  So I guess compared to that, mine was pretty good.”

If someone says, “Isn’t it nice weather today?” instead of responding, “It sure is.” try this:

“This is the same weather it was during the moon landing, if that actually happened.”

Now you’ve provoked someone into taking a stance on the subject or running away screaming, but they’re not bored!

Try some of these techniques and come back to comment on how they worked please.

I look forward to hearing your stories.

4 Things Avengers 2: Age of Ultron Taught Me About Effective Teamwork

Avengers Age of Ultron, A Lesson In Teamwork

I just saw Avengers: Age of Ultron (View the Trailer HERE.) for a second time! When watching this film, as multiplied millions have, one can’t help but notice the effective teamwork.  The reason the Avengers exist is to “fight the foes no single super hero can withstand.”

As a comic book geek I know that an ever-changing team roster becomes a theme in the comic book Avengers but teamwork was always emphasized.  This comes through in Age of Ultron and is an important lesson for us.

Don’t click away! You don’t have to like comic books or even Marvel movies to read this blog. This film contained some important lessons about effective teamwork.  Here are a few:

1. Effective Teams: Meld Together Diverse Personalities.

The team is made up of wildly different individuals: a billionaire arms manufacturer, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.); a fabled Norse god, Thor (Chris Hemsworth); a raging monster/mad scientist (a modern-day Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo); a WWII war hero, Captain America (Chris Evans), a cold-war, Russian spy, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson); and expert marksman who was a former thief, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). They are under the authority of a mysterious leader Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) who is the director of a government covert ops organization. Wow, how could they ever get along?

Any team needs people with diverse personalities and skill sets.  The key to being an effective team, is melding those individuals into a unit whose skills compliment each other.

In order to do this, creating a team identity is paramount. When a sports team for example shouts “Wildcats!” as they break their pre game huddle, they’re reminding themselves that they win or lose as a team. The effective team player may pass on personal glory or accomplishment for the better of the team. Any effective team must learn that we win or lose as a team.  A great player knows it doesn’t matter if I get my points if we lose the game.  An effective team member realizes it isn’t just about me doing my job but about all of us pulling to accomplish our team goals. As the old cliché says, “There’s no I in team.”

Leaders cast vision for the team and create situations where we win together. [Leader read Servant Leadership to learn more.]

2. Have a Clear Chain of Command

Tony Stark (Iron Man) at one point says, “I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler.” A  shield agent had called Tony ‘boss’. Tony points to Captain America saying “He’s the Boss.”  While there is resentment in his voice there is something more important for effective teamwork, CLARITY.

There is no doubt about who has final decision.  I believe in the synergy or group input and discussion but in the heat of battle, someone has to make the final call. Have a clear team leader and give then the authority to make decisions.

Side note: That leader must have humility as a dominant character trait or the team will become discouraged.  A good leader shares the credit for success and motivates their team to work harder.

3. Give the Team the Information They Need to Succeed 

Tony Stark (Iron Man) is trying to create an artificial intelligence that will protect the world from alien attacks.  He accidentally creates Ultron who decides after some brief contemplation, that the Avengers (and humanity) are the problem with the earth. “I know you’re good people. I know you mean well. But you just didn’t think it through. There is only one path to peace… your extinction.”  Ultron becomes the Avengers greatest foe.

(Geek note: In the comics Henry Pym aka, Ant Man creates Ultron.)

Here’s where it all went wrong.  Tony Stark decides to work on the ‘Ultron project’ with Dr Bruce Banner but decides not to tell the rest of the team.  He didn’t want to hear their objections to this dangerous project.

An effective team communicates with each other to avoid their projects and activities hindering or harming the other team members!  Over communicate.

4. Take Time to Celebrate the Cool Things and Have Fun

As Tony Stark is searching the Hydra base (a terrorist organization) he mutters, “Please be a secret door. Please be a secret door.” and yells, “YES!” when the wall moves and he discovers one. This billionaire inventor gets excited about a secret passage hidden in an old stone wall.

We begin every meeting with “What went well this week.”  We take time to celebrate the good things, the fun stories, the lives being impacted and the successful executions.  Celebrating team success is an important key to being an effective team for the long-term.

I sincerely hope 4 fun facts about being an effective team taken from the Avengers: Age of Ultron will help your team become a super team!

_________________

Read the first two installments in the Avengers inspired blogs: 5 Marvel Marketing Tips, and 5 Leadership Lessons from Avengers 2: Age of Ultron

5 Leadership Lessons from Avengers 2: Age of Ultron

I went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron (View the Trailer HERE.) Friday at the IMAX in 3D.  Wow, I was instantly 12 again.  I haven’t enjoyed a movie this much since the first Avengers. It was so well-written, a modern-day twist on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

As I viewed this special effect wonder, it occurred to me how many great one-liners were in this picture.  However, you don’t have to like Marvel movies to read this blog. Most interesting about this film was it contained some great truths about leadership and life.  Here they are:

1. “You never have to recover from a good start.” In the opening scene the Avengers are attacking the Hydra base and this line was uttered touted the importance of beginning well.

Church planters have learned that successful church plants start well.  If a church can ‘launch’ big and start with a healthy culture (see Nelson Searcy’s book Launch) they are far more likely to exist 5 years down the road.  A general leadership principle is proper planning saves pain during implementation.

[also read Someday Syndrome to avoid procrastination]

2. “Teams are only as strong as their weakest link.” – During the battle with Hydra, the evil Baron ordered, “target the weak ones.”  His strategy to distract the others. They shot Hawkeye, the super-accurate archer who has no super strength or other power.  The others stopped to care for their fallen comrade and to evacuate him.

Any organization can come to a grinding halt when there is a weak staff member, leader, or team member. I experienced this when we had a staff member who was mistreating people and needed constant monitoring.  This led to many meetings, hours of discussion, and increased stress. The result was our church didn’t grow for the first time in years.

Plan ahead, put more time into your hiring and promotion processes to make sure you have the right team members. Don’t settle for people who have talent but character flaws, they’ll distract the whole team.

3. “Everyone creates the thing they dread.”  Ultron quoted this as he mused about people attempting to avoid destruction by make greater weapons of destruction.

We must be fearless when leading.  If we fear failure, we will surely fail.  For example the more I’ve tried not to offend people the more people seem to be offended. When I simply lead, explaining the vision, there are actually less roadblocks from people.

4. “I tried to create a suit of armour around the world but I created something terrible.” As leaders we must realize that our actions affect others.  We can’t make decisions in a vacuum.  It’s important to take a moment and think worst case scenario. This is hard for me as a positive, glass is overflowing kind of guy, but we must remember the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  In our haste to help others we may actually hurt them.  Ultron told Stark, “I know you meant well but you didn’t think it through.”

[Ever felt this way? Read this devotional on regrets.]

5. “Sometimes exactly what I want to hear is exactly what I don’t want to hear.” Bruce Banner (Hulk’s mild-mannered, scientist side) said this quote.  It is a great contrast to prideful attitude of Tony Stark (Iron Man) who isolated from his friends when creating Ultron.  Stark didn’t want to hear the ‘what ifs’  from the ‘caution crowd’.  His lack of accountability lead to creating a monster. The Bible says in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Have people on your team that will tell you what you don’t want to hear.  I don’t mean negative people who stop progress but honest people who aren’t impressed by you. People who ask the question, “Have you considered this?”  We all need those people.

BONUS QUOTE: “I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler.” Tony Stark (Iron Man) corrected the shield agent who called him ‘boss’ pointing to Captain America. “He’s the Boss.”

The person who is the leader isn’t always the most talented or even the most valuable. Every person on the team has a critical function. The caution is, team members must be willing to follow the leader and their vision, even if their pride says, “I’m more talented (or smarter, harder working, etc.) than the leader is.”

I sincerely hope these leadership quotes from the Avengers: Age of Ultron will inspire your team to heroic accomplishments!

5 Marvel Marketing Tips

Subtitle: What the Avengers can Teach Churches about Marketing

Ok, full disclosure…I’m a comic book geek. I know Captain America and Iron Man from when they shared Tales of Suspense and I still yell out “There’s Stan Lee!” when I see the Marvel Mogul in any TV show or movie. I admit to my geekiness but it wasn’t just comic book nerds that went to this opening weekend. What marketing lessons can church leaders learn from the box-office frenzy that is Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron at the box office?

As you can imagine, Marvel (an LLC owned by Disney since 2009) is a marketing machine. Marvel rose above its comic book competitors with superior marketing before being acquired by Disney. Now with Disney, one of the greatest marketing companies in the world, behind the Marvel characters they no longer just target only hard-core comic geeks. No, their target is world domination (cue evil villain laugh Mwuhahahahaa!) Ok, I promised marketing lessons for churches.

Let’s look at the way Marvel marketed this Avengers sequel as part of their BIG-picture plan to market all their films…and look at how we can apply these techniques to church marketing.

1. Marvel got “non-comic geeks” excited about these movies.

My wife and daughters are not comic fans but they are as excited about this movie as I am. Moviegoers don’t have to be comic readers to enjoy Marvel movies. Their story lines we beautifully lifted from classic comic book moments but if you didn’t know that, the stories are easily understood and explained. Bottom line, you don’t have to be a comic book insider to enjoy!

If you look at the trailers, posters and other marketing pieces, you almost forget The Avengers are from a comic book. Marvel is advertizing a movie to any moviegoer who enjoys Action/Adventure pictures. That is a key for churches when marketing, target the general public in your area, not just church people.

Marvel Marketing Tip #1: Create Marketing for People Who Are Not Already Fans

2. Marvel put the right people in the right roles.

One reason for this movie’s wide audience is the quality of actors cast. There is star power in the leading roles, Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Evans (Captain America) etc. etc. That is expected in a blockbuster movie.

What is more amazing is the Academy Award quality in minor or supporting roles: Gweneth Paltrow (Iron Man’s assistant/girlfriend), Anthony Hopkins (Odin: Thor’s Dad), Natalie Portman (Thor’s girlfriend), and Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury).

Marvel Marketing Tip #2: Create Roles for People To Widen Appeal

When possible, leverage star power. The impact a quote from a local celebrity or a 15 second spot from a well-known guest speaker will draw people who would never be interested other wise. A testimony service from heavy metal legend Brian ‘Head’ Welch of Korn remains one of our churches biggest days.

Last thought on this…marketing doesn’t end at the front door, put quality people in support roles such as usher or café server to ensure people get a quality experience.

Beyond the celebrity drawing power, people must identify with your people. Ask some questions about whom you’ve ‘cast’ to represent your church. Is everyone in your marketing material a nicely dressed, thin, white, 30-something? Does your church look like that? More importantly does your city look like that? This isn’t about celebrity as much as having ‘characters’ people can identify with.

For example: Iron man is a flawed man. He has pride, daddy issues, a complicated relationship with his love interest, health concerns, and trouble getting along with others. To target real people, use people they identify with in marketing images and issues people identify with as topics.

3. Every movie has teasers about the next one.

One of my favorite things to do with my youngest daughter is to hang around the theater after the movie ends to wait for the teaser at the ending credits! This gets us thinking (and talking) about the next Marvel movie!

For example, two of the characters in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, were revealed in a post-credits scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier two years ago! I remember explaining to my family who they were including that Magneto from the X-men franchise was their father.

There are some teasers during the films themselves also. In Iron Man 2, Agent Coulson hands Iron Man a half-constructed shield that would later become Captain America’s shield alluding to an upcoming Cap film.

Marvel Marketing Tip #3: Find creative ways to give information about upcoming services or events.

When I send out a mailer advertizing a special service, I try to have a ‘bounce-back’ event included, like a guest speaker. An example of this was Brian ‘Head’ Welch, mentioned earlier, was a January event advertized on our Christmas mailer. We also made it a big deal during the Christmas services to say ‘mark your calendars’ and to show a 30 second teaser commercial. It can be as simple as announcing your new comers gathering on Easter. Leaking info about an upcoming event is a great way to get them to come back and Marvel knows it.

4. Marvel Merchandises EVERYTHING.

Marvel will make millions at the box office, but they will also make millions more from merchandise affiliated with the Avengers. There are action figures, toys, video games, posters, collectables, lunch boxes, clothing, and partnership deals with places like Subway. This is an area where Marvel has always outshined their comic book competitors but now that Disney, the best in the world at affiliated merchandizing, owns them, you see Marvel products EVERYWHERE.

Marvel realizes that the residual money from this kind of marketing can outsell even the biggest blockbuster’s ticket sales. What does this mean to churches? We aren’t merchandising products to get more money.

Marvel Marketing Tip #4: Use merchandizing to keep your church in people’s minds.

A pen with your churches name and website will be found in a purse a month later. A free mug is a reminder to get back to church with their morning coffee. A T-shirt can be a conversation starter for a long-time member who is shy about sharing their faith.

5. Marvel Announces release dates way in advance.

Marvel has told us there are at least two more Avengers films, a two-part series called Infinity War, (They revealed the villain Thanos in one if those teasers). The next Avengers releases in 2018 (yes, 3 years from now), with the second part coming in 2019. Leading up to these films, Marvel has: Captain America: Civil War in 2016, with Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Thor: Ragnarok both in 2017. People are talking about them now because Marvel announces dates well ahead of time.

Marvel Marketing Tip #5: Get important dates into people’s hands early, and in writing.

Don’t assume people know the dates or times! Ok, we may know that Christmas is December 25^th each year but what time is the Christmas Eve service? Easter? Forget about it, they move the date every year! In your announcements, mailers, TV commercials, newspaper ads…PLEASE put the dates and times on them. The most effective marketing I’ve done is to hand out invite cards to our people with the dates and times to give to friends.

A big opportunity churches miss is to have a countdown. Marvel is great at saying “Three days until the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes hit the screen near you.” Count down to your big days on your website or in your marketing. A mailer that says “Easter is less than two weeks away” grabs attention better than “This Easter come to Church XYZ”.

In closing, when we are looking at marketing churches we should look at companies that understand how to put butts in the seats. Marvel is certainly good at that. I hope these ‘marvelous’ tips (I couldn’t resist.) will help us all market more effectively to grow our churches and ultimately touch more lives for Christ.

3 Reasons to Read Your Bible Today

As we’ve been studying the Book of Acts this summer, we’ve learned how good actions can cause a great chain-reaction. During this series, many people have told me they enjoyed reading an entire book of the Bible. This made me decide to write to you today.

I’ll be straight with you – I want to challenge you into doing something. My powers of persuasion rarely work to talk my kids into cleaning their rooms, but I’m hoping for better results with you today.

I’m hoping to convince you to read the Bible every day this week. 7 days in a row. Here are three reasons I think you should:

1. There’s interesting stuff in the Bible.
Don’t ever let someone tell you the Bible is boring. If someone says that, they aren’t reading it right. A fish vomiting up Jonah, all the animals on Noah’s Ark, David and sling vs. Goliath, Samson and Delilah, wars and conquest, love and marriage, miracles, oh, and a dead man coming back to life…I could go on and on. There are some incredible stories in the Bible.

2. The Bible is not like any other book.
This might surprise you, but the Bible isn’t really a book at all. It’s a collection of 66 small books and letters. It was written by 40 different authors across a couple of continents, spread over thousands of years, and in three languages. It’s been collected, organized and preserved for us by the Holy Spirit and God’s servants.

3. The Bible has influenced the world like no other book.
The Bible has shaped more lives than any single thing ever! – It’s influenced Presidents and Kings as well as shaping nations.  Before I was a Christ follower I wanted to read the Bible because of it being the most widely read book every written.  Now, I read it because I know it’s the word of the Living God.

I know reading the Bible seems overwhelming…but did you know if you read just 15 minutes a day, you can read the whole Bible in about a year. If you read God’s Word for just 15 minutes a day, I think you will benefit.

SO, WHERE DO I START?

I know this sounds weird, but if you want to start reading the Bible, I don’t recommend starting from the beginning. (I told you the Bible wasn’t like other books…can you imagine starting a novel from the middle?)

If I were you, I would start with the New Testament, specifically the Gospel of John. It’s all about the love of Jesus, and it was written by one of his best friends.

So what do you say? Will you give it a try?

God Bless,
Pastor Lon

P.S. If you want to read online, or on your tablet, try youversion.com. It’s free and you can follow one of their reading plans or just dive in to the Book of John.

Abortion is Racism

ABORTION IS EPIDEMIC – New York commits the second highest number of abortions in the nation (California being first killing over 214,000 children by abortion every year). Over 100,000 New Yorkers are aborted every year (102,678 in the latest year reported), There is no doubt that it has reached epidemic proportions, one of the largest causes for ending lives in the United States but did you know one of the driving force behind abortion is racism?

Let me share some facts with you…

In NY City, more black babies are aborted than are born alive! You heard me right; more than ½ of all black babies in NYC are killed prior to birth. The NY State Department of Health reports[1] that in 2011 (latest year for available NYC stats) for every 1,000 black babies born alive, 1,223 are aborted. In fact black babies are aborted at ratios up to five times that of the majority population!

You may think, “That’s awful but is it really racially motivated?”

Margaret Sanger is the founder of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. Margaret was a racist elitist who believed that birth control was “nothing more or less than the facilitation of the process of weeding out the unfit, of preventing the birth of defectives or of those who will become defective” (quote from Chapter 18 of Margaret Sanger’s “Women and the New Race”).

Margaret was a Eugenist. Eugenics is the belief and practice of improving the genetic quality of the human population.It is a social philosophy advocating the improvement of human genetic traits through the promotion of higher reproduction of people with desired traits (positive eugenics), and reduced reproduction of people with less-desired or undesired traits (negative eugenics). Sound familiar? Hitler and the Arian Supremacist believed in selective breeding as the next phase of evolution to insure a pure white race. These beliefs were greatly influenced in the Eugenics Movement of the 1920s.

In the 2nd International Eugenics Conference, Eugenics was identified as the “Self Direction of Human Evolution”. This belief system drove Margaret Sanger to found Planned Parenthood to help control the population of those undesirable races. She wanted to eliminate the racial elements that were a hindrance to the breeding of a ‘race of thoroughbreds’. 3“Pivot of Civilization”, Margaret Sanger, 1922

That is why all the early branches of Planned Parenthood were in low-income housing areas that were predominately African Americans…so that the “undesirables” that these racists were trying to eliminate would have easy access to kill their unborn and sometimes newly born, babies.

Today, Margaret Sanger would be thrilled to know their secret agenda to eliminate the races she called undesirable was working. She wanted abortion to control the population of those deemed “less evolved” by the white supremacist of the Eugenics Movement. In New York City where more black babies are killed than are born, that satanic agenda seems to be working.

Planned Parenthood: half a billion dollars a year of your tax money given each year to fund the racist murdering of unborn, black, babies.

I thought you should know how racist abortion is.

____________________________________________________________________

[1] http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/vital_statistics/2011/table23.htm

Dept. of Health, Abortion Ratios by Race/Ethnicity and Residency, Table 23

Repetition (part two): 7 Biblical Truths That Need to Be Repeated

1. Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

Pastor and leaders, keep telling the church — over and over again because the lie of “there are many roads to heaven” is creeping into the Western Church.

Parents and guardians, keep telling your kids that Jesus is the only way to heaven.  They spend most of their time away from you in a world that teaches them the opposite.

Christians, keep telling the world Jesus Christ is Lord.  He’s their only hope of salvation.

Always stay focused on The Lord Jesus with people.  People aren’t offended by the word “God” but use the name of Jesus Christ and many are.  Why? It’s because there are many gods, but only one true and live God!

2. The church is an essential part of the Lord’s plan, for all followers of Jesus.

I am referring to your local congregation. The church of Jesus Christ is more than our local assembly, I know.  However, it is impossible for world-wide church or universal church to carry out God’s will without strong local churches.  In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus tells His followers to go and make disciples.  This includes baptisms and teaching them to obey God’s word.  The most effective place of discipleship is a local church.

Many people claim to be able to live for Christ better without the church but I’ve never known it to be true.  Left alone, nature always moves towards the wilderness.  To produce much fruit a tree needs to be pruned, watered, fertilized etc.  The local church is the means Jesus created to disciple us.

NO ONE who followed Christ in the New Testament church stayed on their own.  They were “added daily” to the local church (Acts 2).  When you read the New Testament 90% of verses that talk about the church refer to a local gathering.  All the Epistles of Paul were written to a local assembly.  The word church itself means “those called out to assemble.”  There is a move today to make it unimportant to be part of a local church and the result is carnal, weak, immature believers who have not been properly discipled.

3. The Bible is the inspired word of God.

Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” David said the godly man’s “delight is in the Word of God and in that Word (law) doth he meditate day and night.”

We must combat the lies that the Bible is a collection of good stories or that the things in the Bible didn’t really happen but as simply allegories.  When it says Jonah was swallowed by a big fish or Peter walked on water, those things really happened to real people!

People have tried for years to disprove scripture, even the history of the Old Testament, to disprove that is was divinely written.  No one ever has disproved on verse.  A great book on this subject is Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.  It’s not easy reading but the facts are great. Josh set out to disprove the Bible and became a preacher after realizing he couldn’t!

As far as the Bible itself.  Repeat verses to yourself and your kids.  Memorize passages. Repetition is a great teacher. In fact, it may be the best teacher on the planet.  If the Bible is the Word of God then let’s do our best to learn it.

I know you’re thinking “WHAT?  There are only 3 truths here!”  Well, it was getting long so the rest will come next blog.  Follow me so you’ll be notified!

Repetition: The Frustrating Father of Learning

A few days ago I spoke to my daughters basketball coach after a loss in a tournament.  (Being a Syracuse University alumni and fan I can sympathize.)  He bemoaned, “The things we just went over in practice two days ago they completely forgot!”  As a coach, I know that frustration, when you practice and practice a play then the players don’t do it in the game.  Any leader runs into this in any area of life.

I recently spoke to someone who asked me for advice about the very topic I had preached upon only two weeks before.  I asked him if he’d missed that Sunday but he replied that he was in that service. I repeated the instruction I had given while preaching and he said, “Wow, that’s really good.  It helps a lot, thanks.”  I stopped him as he began to walk away and asked, “Did you listen when I said those exact words only Sundays ago?” He looked at me bewildered.

In truth, he had heard, but the lesson had not penetrated. Maybe he was distracted or didn’t take notes but more likely he just needed to hear it again.

This is the thing most pastors, leaders and teachers…and dare I say parents, are most frustrated with.  “I teach a great lesson but they don’t remember it two weeks later.”

I remind teachers and leaders often that teaching someone an important truth once is never enough.  The only way to change their behavior is for you to say it over and over again.

Repetition.  No one enjoys it. Some students  will check out, “I’ve heard this before.”  The teacher is bored because they have taught the information before. The problem is repetition is the single best way to invoke change.  If you lift a weight once, nothing changes (except maybe a hernia) but lift that same weight 100 times a day, every day, and you will see great changes over time.

Repetition is the Frustrating Father of Learning but better to endure some frustration than to miss an important truth that should be learned.

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift that is in you … ” (II Timothy 1:6).

“Of these things put them in remembrance … ” (II Timothy 2:14).

I understand we can’t repeat everything but here are something that need to be repeated over and over and over…well you get the point, ad infinitum.  In part 2 of this blog tomorrow, I will give 7 Biblical Truths we pastors, leaders and parents need to keep repeating in the hope that eventually we will get it.

How to View The Son of God Movie

I went to see the newest movie by Hollywood power houses Roma Downey (Touch by An Angel) and her husband Mark Burnett (Braveheart, Survivor, The Voice, and more).  This dynamic duo gave us the great TV series “The Bible” so I was excited to see what they would do with our Savior’s life.

As we talked with friends afterward someone made a joke that was actually profound given the circumstances, “It’s hard to like a movie after you’ve read the book.  The book is always better.”  Well in this case, the book is everlasting word of the living God, so it’s hard to compete. After a brief chuckle, I shared my thoughts about how to view a biblically based movie.

Before going to the Son of God, I thought, “As a person who has given the majority of his adult life to studying, even memorizing the Bible, it would be easy for me to pick part the errors.”  Yes, I could wow my friends with the inconsistencies I would catch as I rattle them off like a ‘theological blooper reel’ played after the credits. That would be one way to view the film with a “critics eye” but is that what God would want me to do?

Another option would be to approach the movie to see if it’s a quality film by Hollywood standards.  For too many years Christians have settled for substandard writing, stiff acting and cheesy scenery by hiding under the banner of “at least the truth is being preached.”  I thought, “If I see one more feminine acting ‘Jesus’ who stares off into space like an 1970’s stoner I’ll scream!”  After some slow breaths it occurred to me that they have Hollywood Critics and Christian Journalists who already break down the film in these areas.  If you want my opinion, it was very well done and Diogo Morgado is excellent as the Son of God Himself.  

No I didn’t go to scrutinize the Biblical inaccuracies nor to see the cinematic quality of the film.  Instead I decided that the best way for me so look at this film was to ask the question, “How does it represent Jesus, the Son of God?”  In answer to that question, the film did an excellent job!  

Jesus was portrayed as joyful and caring when with the people, frustrated and confrontational with Jewish Leaders the Pharisees.  He acted on his disgust when finding money changers cheating people inside the Temple as he overturned their tables.  The film gave us an excellent glimpse into the anguish in the garden as Jesus prayed but correctly included his commitment to the Father’s will in that moment.  While I felt the Passion of the Christ gave us a far more powerful portrayal of the scourging and crucifixion of Christ, The Son of God certainly showed us that Christ suffered and died a brutal death.  I do believe some of the gore was intentionally avoided to gain the PG-13 audience.  I love that this film gave us some time with the risen savior, even if it was brief.

In summary, my opinion is this.  Go to this movie with the question on your mind, “How is the Son of God portrayed?” If you’ll do that, you will leave with a thankful heart that there is another major Hollywood film that gives the world a favorable snap shot of the Son of God who loved them.

2013: A Personal Review

I don’t usually write about personal topics.  I prefer to write about leadership, church growth or our church itself.  I thought I’d make an exception today and tell you how 2013 was for me personally.

In 2013 (after much prompting from my caring wife) I focused on getting healthier.  
I lost 58 lbs, had my knee repaired and got orthopedic shoe inserts to adjust pronation, all of which caused me to walk better.  I worked to bring high blood pressure down to normal by controlling salt and caffein intake.  I then had a medical procedure to fix an irregular heart beat that had gone into chronic AFIB…wow.  I didn’t realize until I wrote this how many medical issues I had.  I had neglected my personal health to focus on improving our church’s health.  Never a good trade off.

The only thing that changed was my decisions.  i decided to make subtle changes and seek help.  As a goal-driven leader, in years past I felt that I could fix my health issues myself.  Once I admitted I needed help, it really wasn’t that hard.  I followed my friends Deb & Tony’s success into Medifast and it worked great for me.  I stop procrastinating doctor’s care that I should have pursued years ago.  That’s all it took, a couple simple decisions.  

We often make personal change look like an insurmountable obstacle.  Don’t look at the 100 pounds you have to lose, start by choosing your strategy. Then commit to do it for one week, no cheating.  At the end of the week, evaluate.  It’s very similar to the highly effective 12 step programs that encourage “one day at a time”.  Look at your next step only.

In ministry we had some great moments in 2013.  Our church is doing really well and it was a good year spiritually.  We saw thousands saved through Joel Osteen’s Albany Night of Hope and made some great connections with him personally.  We had the biggest Easter and biggest Christmas services ever.  I believe our church is now positioned for the greatest growth in it’s history.  We will do what we need to do in 2014 to prepare for what God is going to do.

Like any year, there are set backs and victories, deaths of loved ones and new births.  You can only control how you respond.  What decisions will you make?

Personal goals for 2014 you ask?  Well I’m committed to this year being my break out year in ministry personally.  I’m committing to get published and to begin traveling to speak again.  I have already booked a couple of speaking engagements early in the year.  (Don’t worry House of Praise.  I will continue my commitment to be in the pulpit at least 40 Sundays a year.)

That’s all for now.  2014 is going to be a great year.

The A-B-Cs of Faith

People often ask about faith.  Faith is often mentioned in the Bible but it is one of those subjective topics that people have various opinions on.
What are the basics about faith that we can learn from scripture?

It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. – Hebrews 11:6[1]

We see that faith is important to God.  In fact, it’s impossible to please Him without it.  Hebrews chapter 11 is filled with people who received God’s blessing through faith.  What is faith exactly?

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. – Hebrews 11:1

Faith believes confidently that what we are hoping for will exactly happen for us!  It’s more than a wish or a dream.  It’s a confident assurance in an expected answer.  We have faith in things all the time.  We have faith that when we sit the chair will hold us up.  (Unless you struggle with a fat-guy fear.)  We expect a certain behavior.  Biblically God expects us to have faith in Him to behave in a way that He promised He would.

It’s not about GREAT faith, but child-like, mustard-seed-size faith.  We have all been given a measure of faith and it only takes faith the size of a small seed, to move mountains.  Therefore, it’s not about how great your faith is, just if you have any.

How can we exercise faith?  Here’s a simply A-B-C how to guide:

Always Agree with the Word of God.

Don’t worry about not having enough faith, simply agree with God’s word.  The old bumper sticker said it best “God said it.  I believe it, and that settles it!”

If you’re not going to agree with God’s word what are you going to agree with? The negative reports?  The nay-sayers?

We have faith that if we accept Christ’s work as our salvation we shall get to heaven.  Then we should also believe all the other promises He makes us in His word.

Boldly Believe that God rewards those who seek Him.

We have a wrong belief that God is aloof or uncaring.  He loves us and desires to bless us. If we agree with God’s word and we believe He loves us then we will expect His blessing when we seek Him!

If you believe something, you have to act like it.  Be a doer of the word, not a hearer only (James 1:22).  When God told Noah there was going to be a flood and to build an Ark, Noah believed Him.  How do we know?  We know because Noah spent the next 100 years building a giant boat in the desert!!

Side note:  This doesn’t mean be foolish.  The devil ask Jesus to prove His belief in God’s word by jumping off a building (Matthew 4:1-11) but Jesus replied “not to teat God.”  Don’t let the devil get you to take a ‘leap of foolishness’ thinking it’s a ‘leap of faith’.

Confidently Confess the Word of God aloud.

The tongue is like a rudder steering you to where you will go.  Eventually what keep saying will come to pass in your life.  If continually tell yourself you can’t do something, you can be sure you won’t.

Note: Speaking something isn’t all that take to get somewhere, there is also obedience, aligning with God’s will and more but you can be sure that if you confess you won’t, you won’t.

In John chapter 1 people ask John the Baptist who he is.  John’s responds in humility (not worthy to unstrap the Lord’s sandle) and confidence in God working through Him (I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.)  It’s not arrogance to confidently confess that God is going to do for you and through you, exactly what He said He would do…it’s faith!

It’s my hope that this simple ABCs of Faith will bless you an

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[1] All scripture references are quoted from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

Human Trafficking Myths #3

When Americans think of prostitution in the United States we think of the prostitutes as criminals, not victims. This leads to another common myth about Human Trafficking.

Myth #3: Prostitutes aren’t really victims but criminals.

By definition, people under the age of 18 can’t consent sexual activity and therefore are victims. The entry age for most victims into prostitution in the U.S. is 13-14 years old.  (The average age for someone to be taken in by a trafficker is 11 but it takes time to transport and prepare the victims.) First, by legal definition a child (under 18) cannot consent to any sexual activity.  An adult engaging in these acts commits statutory rape.

If a person is an adult engaging in prostitution, we must consider how they arrived into that situation also. The truth is they are often recruited as children which are often won over through false love, warmth, gifts and/or promises of a better life. However, once the trafficker has earned their trust they are often beaten, burned, raped, confined, provided forced drug injections, starved and then forced to perform thousands of sexual acts per year.

Here are some facts: According to State Department’s Victims of Trafficking & Violence Protection Act of 2000, Traffickers also buy children from poor families and sell them into prostitution or into various types of forced or bonded labor.

(5) Traffickers often transport victims from their home communities to unfamiliar destinations, including foreign countries away from family and friends, religious institutions, and other sources of protection and support, leaving the victims defenseless and vulnerable.

(6) Victims are often forced through physical violence to engage in sex acts or perform slavery-like labor. Such force includes rape and other forms of sexual abuse, torture, starvation, imprisonment, threats, psychological abuse, and coercion.

(7) Traffickers often make representations to their victims that physical harm may occur to them or others should the victim escape or attempt to escape. Such representations have the same coercive effects on victims as direct threats to inflict such harm

PUBLIC LAW 106–386—OCT. 28, 2000 114 STAT. 1467

What have the government studies taught us?  As we just learned from the Protection Act, victims are tricked, coerced, brainwashed, manipulated and forced into this lifestyle.  That means they did NOT willfully choose to be a prostitute and are actually sex slaves.

The next time you see a prostitute who is an adult don’t think “Well they are choosing to do this.” because the vast majority of the time they didn’t.

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Join the fight against slavery.  It begins with an information war to let the truth be known.  Help your friends learn this topic, by letting them know about this blog and sharing it on your social media accounts as well.

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This is the second entry on this topic. With these blog I am attempting to address the most common Human Trafficking Myths.  If there’s a myth you’d like addressed, e-mail me or leave a comment below.

See Myth #1   See Myth #2

Human Trafficking Myths #2

While we believe that trafficking is a problem in Asia and Africa, most people have trouble believing it’s an issue here in the United States.

Myth #2: Human Trafficking is NOT a Problem in America

Hidden Truth: The U.S. State Department reports between 700,000 & 800,000 people are trafficked across borders each year! An estimated 300,000 children are sold inside the United States every year. The hidden truth is America is one of the top three destination points for victims!

If you dig you will find Human Trafficking has occurred in your city.  There have been several arrests in upstate NY, where I live, in the last year alone.  American still has slavery, it’s just hidden.  The ugly fact is, there are people being bought and sold today right in a city near you.

As with any recovery program the first step is admitting there’s a problem.  If we know the truth, the truth will set people free.

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Join the fight against slavery.  It begins with an information war to let the truth be known.  Help your friends learn this topic, by letting them know about this blog and sharing it on your social media accounts as well.

_______

This is the second entry on this topic. With these blog I am attempting to address the most common Human Trafficking Myths.  If there’s a myth you’d like addressed, e-mail me or leave a comment below.

See Myth #1

Human Trafficking Myths

As with many topics, there is a great deal of MYTH-information and incorrect assumption surrounding the area of Human Trafficking. Over the next few days I will attempt to rebuke the most common Human Trafficking Myths.  If there’s a myth you’d like addressed, e-mail me or leave a comment below.

If you have friends that are interested in this topic, please let them know about this blog and share this on your social media accounts as well.  Why? Because the more we talk about Human Trafficking and the more correct information we can share, the more people learn about the issue.  The more people learn, the more people become aware and care. The more that are aware, the harder it is for the traffickers to hide and the more slaves that may be set free!  So here we go…

Myth #1:  Slavery isn’t a big problem today.

FACT: There are actually more human beings enslaved today than at any other time in the planet’s history. According to the United Nations there are over 27 million victims world-wide, half of which are children.[1]  The Department of Justice says it’s the 2nd largest criminal enterprise following illegal drugs.

The truth is the abolishment of slavery is far from complete.  We may not have people chained and sold legally in town squares anymore but they are sold just the same.  We can not allow this to continue and we must work together to end slavery in our lifetime.

Look for another myth tomorrow. Myth #2

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[1] http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/slavery-still-exists/262847/

7 Unspoken Questions People Ask About Their Church

1. Will I be accepted?

This is biggest and most immediate question of every new person. Answering that question involves all that you do. Having different races, ages and styles of people greeting, in our videos, on the platform etc. sends a message that we welcome diversity.

The best way to answer this question is by establishing small groups where people of similar interests, struggles or backgrounds can find and relate to each other. Everyone needs a niche and small groups play a crucial role in meeting this need. You must show people that you have a place for them.

2. Will I find friends at this church?

People are looking for opportunities to connect in new relationships. People aren’t just looking for a friendly church, they are looking for friends.  Encourage your people to greet someone they don’t know each week but also to invite new people over to their house.  Again, small groups are a great way to be intentional about this.  We divide our small groups into semester, forcing people to break for a few weeks to keep groups from devolving into cliques.  If people don’t make 3 meaningful relationship connections in a church within the first year, they usually stop attending.

3. Will I make a difference at this church?

People want to their lives to count. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves. When you can show people that they can make a difference with their gifts and talents, they will want to be involved.  Not everyone wants to be a singer, usher or small group leader so we try to offer a diversity of positions so there is a place for everyone to serve. We want our church to be a creative place where people may express their talents and abilities in various ways.  Of course, feedback and appreciation are key.  Simply telling volunteers they are appreciated or showing how their serving builds the church goes a long way in making people feel valued.

4. Will I Feel Safe?

In our society today people often feel unsafe.  Anxiety is at an all time high.  We must create a culture where people are never belittled, gossiped about or abused.  If a new person hears someone being spoken to harshly or gossiping about someone, they tend to believe they will be treated the same way.  Make a person feel unsafe and they will run for the door.  In addition, if they don’t feel their children are in a safe environment with loving teachers, they will leave quickly.

5. Will there be a lot expected of me?

This is a tricky one. It’s true that in American society today people are afraid of being overwhelmed.  Sometimes people don’t join a church because they don’t want to commit to being there every week. However, the other side is also true.  People want to be a part of something important and they understand it requires commitment.  The answer is simple, cast vision and have reasonable requirements.  The key is letting people know that their commitment matters and avoid having outrageous requirements.  Gone are the days of requiring members to attend service mid-week, Sunday and Sunday night.  Now the multiple services gives people options as to which one they attend.

Expect people to keep their commitments as volunteers and hold them to it but keep the time commitment low.  Don’t expect perfection but encourage spiritual growth.

6. Will I benefit from joining this church?

People are inherently self-centered.  Ultimately we want to know what’s in it for them.  Why should they choose your church over others or sleeping in on Sunday? First, clearly explain the biblical, practical and personal reasons for local church membership in literature, from the pulpit, in small groups, in video announcements, every opportunity you can.  Next share testimonies of changed lives, stories of how the church was used by God in an individual’s life.  The truth is, we know people can improve their relationships, health, career, finances and more from being mentored in a church. Don’t forget to illustrate that.  Of course, don’t forget the greatest benefit, a closer relationship with God.

7. Will I connect to God more at your church?

The greatest benefit of being part of a local church should be strengthening our connection to God.  Not everyone feels more connected by listening to a teaching on Sunday.  We must have a variety of ways to connect through avenues like music, art, prayer, support groups, baptism, Holy Spirit activity, how to study scripture and yes, practical pulpit teaching. Most importantly, teaching on how to connect to God.  Many churches talk about discipleship which means growing in following Christ but never explain how to do that.

Are you helping people answer these 7 questions about your church?

Like Easter Every Day

We had an awesome Easter at House of Praise.  In fact, it was the best Easter we ever had.  More people attended that service than we’ve ever had for an Easter service and 11 adults accepted salvation.  The drama CSI: Jerusalem brought the resurrection into a modern setting with understandable evidence that Christ, in fact, did die and rise again.  Amazing, awesome…a day that reminded me why I wanted to go into ministry in the first place…but what about now?

After the wonder of the wedding, there’s a ‘honeymoon phase’.  We are still enjoying the big day but soon reality sets in.  Like the newlyweds returning to work that first Monday, we all will soon be hit with the reality of arguments, bills and the daily challenges of life in general.  In addition to that we will all have friends that we invited to the Easter service and ‘love the church’ but haven’t come back.  How can we keep the momentum of Easter going every day? Do what we did to prepare for Easter, every week!

First Pray. Pray for you job, your family and for those who came to church with you.  Pray God’s will and presence into your life and ask God to draw our friends back to church.  We were all praying for God to move during the Easter services and to draw loved ones to Himself before Easter.  Don’t stop now!

And Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ – Luke 24:46-47

Next Follow Up. The power of the resurrection is the hope of forgiveness.  Call your friends and remind them that God has a plan for their lives.  Invite them to come back to church (or those that didn’t make it to Easter to come for the first time).  We were excited about Easter so we left our comfort zone and reached out, do it again this week.  Especially follow up on anyone who met with Christ in a real way.  Gently remind them that repentance involves change, so create a new habit of going to church.

If God spoke to you during the Easter service, follow up on what He told you to do.  Stop worrying about the small stuff and focus on the eternity after your resurrection.

During the forty days after His crucifixion, He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 1:3-5

Last, expect God to do what He promised. Expect God’s Spirit to be present in your life.  We can experience the power of the resurrection every day through the Holy Spirit.  Pray for others for miracles and bring God your own needs.  Jesus promised to pour out His Spirit on the original disciples as they waited in Jerusalem. I think the same applies to us today.  As we wait expectantly after celebrating His resurrection, we can experience His power like Easter every day.

Best Easter Ever

This year at our church (House of Praise) we set out to make Easter the best Easter we’ve ever had.  We produced a 15 minute CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) style drama with professionally done video and scenery as a background.  The sermon followed the theme by investigating the scripture on the resurrection. The music team brought excellence and creativity to the service. The Children’s Department set up a cafe style setting and had fun things like a bouncy room.  Our volunteers were on point, greeting, seating and treating people well.  We gave gifts to guests and then we did everything we could to get people to come. We mailed out 12,000 oversize post cards, we challenged our members to invite 10 people each, and the outreach team handed out hundreds of invites at the local Wal*Mart.  The results?  Best Easter Ever!  Why do I say that?

• 0ver 430 people attended (Our highest ever!)
• At least 10 people accepted Christ for the 1st time (filled out a card to tell us)
• At least 7 people rededicated their lives to following Christ
• Many people returned to church
• Many stories of life change already coming in

What this means is all of us didn’t just have a great service but lives were changed and the Kingdom of God advanced!

You can still make it your best Easter ever by committing to let the resurrected Savior run your life.  You can decide to live differently that before Easter, to expect God to be present in your life. You can expect God to flow through you to help others meet the risen Lord.

Make this the best Easter ever in your life by taking the power of the Resurrection with you into the rest of the year…expect new life ahead.  Best Easter ever…

How to can make sure Guests do NOT come back

Subtitle: how to turn guests in to one-time visitors

In our church we call new people guests not visitors.  To understand the difference, think of your home. A visitor shows up unexpectedly, uninvited and doesn’t stay usually.  A guest you’ve invited, you expected them, you’re glad to see them and you want them to stay.  You want guests to enjoy themselves and feel welcome.

We prepare at House of Praise for guests.  We’re glad they came, we’ve invited them and we want them to feel so welcomed that they want to join the family.

If you want visitors to just visit and leave, here’s what you do as a church member:

1. Don’t talk to them.  (Remember it’s US and THEM) Look at them awkwardly and quickly walk away. Only talk to people you already know and most importantly, don’t welcome them.
2. If you see someone who hasn’t been to church in a while (A Creaster- Christmas and Easter only) point that out to make them feel awkward.  Say “Wow, haven’t seen you for a while.” Or even better, “We’d like to see you on more than Easter and Christmas.”
3. You wouldn’t think this matters but it does.  Make sure we all dress in suits and expensive clothes so guests feel under dressed.
4. Let guests find their own way around. (Think “It’s not my job.”)  If they do dare to ask where something is, just point in the general direction and say, “that way.” Or something so complicated “Louis & Clark couldn’t find it such as,  “Our kid’s ministry is out those back doors, to the left, then another left turn, down a hallway, then turn right, go outside into the other building.”
5. Mistreat their kids.  Yell at the guest’s kids for something kids normally do like running or taking a 2nd cookie.  If you’re volunteering make check in a long and painful process. Help make the kid’s areas dirty, cluttered, & poorly with extras from the Walking Dead at the door. If a baby cries in maim service, immediately kick the family out of the sanctuary.  They won’t be back!
6. Keep tension in the air.  Argue or speak rudely to someone in front of the guest. They won’t know it’s your friend you’ve been feuding with all week.  They’ll think we all treat everyone like that.
7. Above all, Don’t invite guests back.  Don’t speak to them as they leave and don’t follow up on them later in the week to see what they thought

If you will do these simple steps it will keep your church from being filled with new people.  More people will give up on church so their lives won’t improve and yes more people will probably also give up on God and go to hell BUT you can keep your church a comfortable size where you know everyone.

Of course, if that’s not important to you…in our church we treat new people like honored guests.  We include them in conversations,  walk them to where they go, make sure their kids love it, let them know there are NoPerfectPeopleHERE, tell them we are glad they are here and invite them back.  If they’re our friends we may even call them next week to see how they’re doing. Why? Because we genuinely care about them improving their lives and their eternity.

Whose Smile Are You Looking For?

In a recent tender moment with my youngest daughter Alayna, I looked at her and said, “You make me smile.” “Why Dad?” she inquired curiously.

“Well, I always smile when I see you just because I love you but what I mean right now is because you do nice things for Daddy. That shows me your heart.”

“Like what Dad?” she quickly retorted. “Well… like bring me my shoes or pick up my plate, when I don’t even ask.” She smiled and went about her day. Our conversation made me think of how we should be serving simply for our Father’s smile. Not rewards on this earth or in heaven, not for recognition from people, certainly not for position or power, but simply the make the Father smile.

Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, he said, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:19

Paul had decided whose smile he wanted. He was ‘performing’ for an audience of one.

That night after dinner Alayna grabbed my dirty dish and brought it to the dishwasher. No one else noticed, but me. Across the dinner room I mouthed “thank you” and gave her a big smile. I believe her smile back to me was bigger.

#makeGodsmile

Do you know you’re at war?

There is a battle raging around you right now…a battle for souls. There are two opposing forces fighting over your soul and the souls of all the people you love.  There is no neutral ground. We can’t decide not to be in the war because WE are what the war is over!

Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and he declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus.
– Revelation 12:17

The devil has made it his purpose to destroy you.  Really Lon?  We’re going to talk about the devil?  Well, think of it this way.  There is a force that works daily against you wanting to follow God.  Some of my Christian friends will say “It’s the flesh.”  According to Galatians 5:16-17 that’s true.  We have a fallen nature that is at war with our spirits.  Our old sinful nature wants to do evil and our new nature from God want to do right.

Other less “churchy” friends might say, “Well, it’s really the influence of culture, society and peer pressure.”  It is true, the message of the Christianity has always been counter-culture and the moral relevantism of our culture today is completely against what scripture teaches.

So why choose to talk about the devil?  It seems so medieval.  The reason is because the devil doesn’t want people to think he’s real or at least active in the earth today.  The truth is satan is real, he’s active in the earth today, he hates you and has declared war on you.

His weapons are espionage, stealth warfare.  He engages in a propaganda warfare.  Satan tries to get us to believe he’s mythical, a fairy tale. Then we let our guards down and he begins to question all of scripture, because if satan isn’t real, then the Bible is just a book.

How do we win this war?  We win by

1. Not believing the lies of the enemy – this is accomplished by learning the truth  (Eph 5:25-26) and not dwelling on thoughts we know aren’t true (2 Cor 10:5)
2. Not seeing people as our enemies – Our battle is with the devil not the people he’s deceived (Eph 6:12).  We must forgive all sins against ourselves to keep the devil from having control of out lives.  (Matt 6:15)
3. Take the fight to the devil – No war was ever one being defensive only.  At some point we must do damage to the enemies forces.  There is no greater damage then saving a soul from hell.  By bringing the truth to those deceived we rescue them from satan’s power but we also diminish the amount of people he controls.

 

A Night of Hope

It was a great experience to be part of A Night of Hope. It was amazing to see 12,000 people pack a stadium to hear about Jesus and sings songs to Him.

Part of the message that Pastor Joel Osteen shared was on “Being a Now Person“, which was about the trouble procrastination brings.  I was convicted.  I have allowed the “Tyranny of the Urgent” to keep me from the important and the enjoyable.  I like to blog.  Some people actually like to read them…(go figure).  So I decided to stop making excuses and just start blogging again.

Don’t get too excited, this is it! Ha ha.  But if the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, then I’ve at least begun again.

More blogging to come soon.

God bless,

Pastor Lon

A Letter of Gratitiude

A few weeks ago (during our “Go Fish!” I asked the entire church to write a letter to thank the person who “hooked” you for Jesus.  I know, corny, but the lesson is great. Even if you never send the letter or the person is deceased, the exercise of writing it will help you remember how much you were impacted by that person sharing their faith.  That fact will in turn help you to share your faith with others, brilliant.  Thank you Andy Stanley for the idea.

If have never done this…DO IT TODAY.  Here’s my letter to a young lady who simply invited me to church.

Dear Annie,

I am writing to thank you. It was 24 years ago this month that I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I remember it started with me asking what I could get you for your birthday and you said, “I just want you to go to church with me.”  It took you continually asking me until October when I finally went!  I said, “If I go with you ONE time, will never ask me again?” and you agreed.  You told me years later how you had people pray because you were nervous this would be the only time I would go.

We went to Agape Christian Fellowship for a Sunday service. (You told me later you didn’t want to bring me to your dad’s church for my first time because he might embarrass you.)  You and Joanne picked me up so I couldn’t back out.

Before I left my parent’s house, my father told me how to know if it was a cult. He said if the people had beady eyes and there were guards at the doors, it was a cult.  I laughed but when I got there, the preacher, Jason Peebles from Tulsa, had beady eyes!  I looked around and there were guards at the door.  (They called them ushers but I know what they were!) I started to panic, my dad wasn’t joking. This is a cult.  There are no statues of saints, not even a cross!  It’s a warehouse with some chairs and a stage!

People were raising their hands and swaying to the music, I heard some of them give this weird chant in another language!  I thought, “What was that, Latin or Wiccan?  I started to plan which “usher” I could knock over to run out an exit when everyone sat to hear the preacher.  I couldn’t tell you one thing he said, but at the end I found myself answering an altar call and asking Jesus to forgive my sins and take control of my life.

Although I was raised in a traditional church, I felt the presence of God’s Spirit for the first time in my life that day. I just began to say, “This is real.  He’s real.”  I had believed God was real before but had never met Him.  I started to cry for no reason.  I never cried!  I was a tough guy.  I prayed, “Lord I wan to always be this way, tender before you.” I still cry today when I feel God’s Spirit moving.

My life today is wonderful.  I lead a growing church with a wonderful group of people who actually want the reality of God in their everyday lives.  I wouldn’t be in the ministry today if you hadn’t prayed for me and invited me to church. Hundreds of peoples lives would have never been impacted by Joanne & myself in ministry.

I been privaledged to travel the world bringing the gospel to Brazil, Argentina, Curacao, Mexico, Kenya, England, Wales and Canada.  I have watched God heal many people including blind and deaf as I prayed for them.  I have watched God set hundreds of people free as we cast our demons and many, many salvations.  None of which would have happened if you didn’t share Christ with me.

My proudest achievement is as a godly husband ad father.  We have a great home and our four daughters all serve God.  Each has seen friends turn their lives over to Christ.  You also introduced me to Joanne.  We wouldn’t be married nor these girls be here, if you didn’t share Christ with both of us.

Like the image painted by the words of the old Ray Boltz song “Thank You”, only when you get to heaven will you understand the impact you have had on thousands of lives because you invited Joanne and myself to meet God.  Thank you.

Write your letter today.  It will help you to remember how important sharing your faith is.  If Anna had never invited me to church, none of the great things God has done in my life would have happened.

Gratitude for Salvation Letter

Hello Everyone,

Two weeks ago as we began the Go Fish! series  I asked you all to do something important.  We called it “homework”.  I asked that each of us write a letter to the person who helped us Connect to God or “hooked us”.  Perhaps you met the Lord as a kid and the reconnected later, write to the person who helped you reconnect.

This is an important exercise.  I believe that as we write these letters, God will help us answer the question, why we should share our faith.  This homework will also help us focus our attention on the eternal things God has done in our life.

Don’t know what to say?  Here’s a few tips for guidelines but remember, it’s about what you want to say, not some formula.

• Begin with gratitude, something like “I am writing to say thank you for helping me connect to Christ as my Savior.”
• Recount something God has done in your life: “God delivered me from fear or addiction” or “I now know God loves me.”
• Remember the benefits of sserving God: “I know have a wonderful family.”   “I’m blessed with a great church.”
• Encourage them: “If you had never shared Jesus with me, I would have a very different life.”

Remember, write the letter like you’re going to send it, but you don’t have to.  it might not be appropriate to send and for some of us, the person who influenced you to Christ might not still be alive.  It’s an exercise for you.  If you choose to send the letter to encourage the person you’re writing to, that’s a sweet bonus.

I hope you will write your letter by this Sunday.  I shared part of mine last week.  Think about sharing parts of the letter in Connect Groups to encourage eachother.

I wouldn’t be here leading this wonderful church if a girl named Annie hadn’t shared Jesus with me.

See you all Sunday.

Love,

Pastor Lon

 

When 9-11 Happened, Where Were You?

When 9-11 happened I was working for the Department of Defense as a consultant at the former Griffiss Airbase in Rome, NY. Someone called to us all to come see what was happening. There was a plane crash in NY City.  We had one TV in the office and we all huddled around it.  We gasped as we watched the second plane hit the second tower.  I was stunned.  Two planes couldn’t be an accident.

Our boss walked in the room and announced that the Airforce had called to tell us stay inside.  All of Griffiss was locked down and we would be ‘detained’ or possibly shot if we went outside by patrols.  I thought, “This can’t be happening.”

I thought the lockdown was unnecessary because Griffiss was a decommissioned base. Most of it was a business & technology park. There were a few military offices still present, such as Rome Lab and the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) buildings, but we shouldn’t be a target in little Rome, NY.  Then someone explained that early detection radar for the North Atlantic was still housed there.

Well it was a very trying day to say the least.  I called my wife to tell her what was happening and we waited for hours, glued to the TV and Internet looking for information.  We heard something about another plane hitting the Pentagon and one headed for the Whitehouse. This was like some bad movie.  Could we really be under attack on American soil? Were they really using our own commercial planes?  Unthinkable!

I thought about the people who died in those planes and how some of their families probably watched in on TV like I did. I paused to pray for them.

When we were finally let go, I drove home as fast I could to my wife and three small daughters, not knowing what the night would bring.  Then I prayed for us all.

Could it be ten years later already?  It seems so clear in my memory, like it was last week.  Yet, I realize I’ve lived in Albany for over 6 years and my kids are all older, then it seems a long time ago.

We have moved on in most of our nation but there are huge exceptions. The families of the people lost when the Twin Towers fell…they can’t just move on.  Their lives are forever changed. I’m sure many of the people who had loved ones on the planes, still have nightmares, images of planes hitting skyscrapers. Horrible memories reactivated by news stories or the latest Made-For-TV movie. To the military families that still have love ones fighting in far away deserts, 9-11 wasn’t that long ago.  The New Yorkers who will walk by the Ground Zero Memorial will never forget that day.

Someday I will tell stories to my Grandkids about 9-11 the way my mother told my kids about Pearl Harbor.  I’ll talk about how stunned we were sure, but more about how proud I was of our nations reaction.  We weren’t different races or social groups, no.  We were proud to be Americans and willing to fight to keep our nation safe.  I’ll talk about how stores sold out of flags and how I never saw people be so patriotic.

Yes, our nation has healed and we’re back to bickering among ourselves.  That’s ok; disagreement is healthy so long as it doesn’t become division and strife.  My prayer is that we will stay one nation, under God, indivisible and that it won’t take another attack to get us to work together for good.  I hope you’ll join me in that prayer and praying for the families of our fallen fellow Americans.