Not your Cross to Carry!

I had a thought this morning while running 100meter dashes with a 15lb barbell, just part of my work for the morning… Well let me back up. I have been doing CrossFit Loveland for the past 5 weeks. If you haven’t heard of CrossFit watch the video at the bottom. I have been doing CrossFit for several reasons…

• I am morbidly obese (as the Dr.’s say)
• I have tried bootcamps –> Weight Watchers –> HCG –> Dieting –> Gym Membership to no avail!
• It kicks my butt ever single time & I feel amazing afterwards
• I’m seeing results
• I’m feeling confident
• The community & encouragement is like nothing I have experienced before
• It’s a focus on overall fitness, not just my gut, or my muscles, it’s everything!
• At 321 lbs at 28 something had to give!!!

That last one is the kicker for me. I have always been a big guy. Always! I’m Broad shouldered so will probably always be ‘stocky’ but I have always been large. Low 200′s in High school to mid 200′s in college, to low’s 200′s in Northern Ireland, to now in the healthiest state in the US & with in 5 years of moving here weighing around 215lbs I have put on 100lbs! What gives???

1st and foremost horrible eating habits. The stress of ministry plays a factor, but ministry doesn’t make me go grab 20nugs from McDonalds & a large fry & Coke. Ministry may take a lot of time & make things more complex in figuring out when & how I can go work out, but it is on the lower reasons. My eating habits suck! To many lunch meetings & not great choices!

I would say 2ndly & possibly the most important when I actually think about it… I don’t take Gods love for me & desire for me to have a ‘full abundant life in Him” (John 10.10) Serious! Nor do I take serious the fact that He has made my body to be good & a temple pleasing to Him. I have made excuses my whole life as to why I’m fat, I’ve ignored the sinful behavior that perpetuates the weight. Is being unhealthy & overweight a sin? If there is something you can do about I feel it is. I’ve lived it!

If you are overweight and reading this hear me please, as a big guy myself I am not trying to attack or make you feel like crap, but in looking at the love & truth of God I can take His grace & mercy for advantage & not try to live a healthier (less heavy) lifestyle for Him, for my family, for my church, for my community… for me!

So what ‘gave’? A number of things I guess. I got tired of making excuses! I got tired of struggling to buckle my freaking pants! I mean really! I got tired of flying in an airplane and wondering if I would have to ask for an extender seat belt… I mean you can jump rope with the 1st one!!! I got tired of mentally feeling that each time I get up to share Gods hope for peoples lives that people can’t possibly take me seriously because my weight tells them a different story of hope. Hear me on this, I am my hardest critic I know. No one has ever said anything to me about this or anything like it, even though it may have been for my betterment. But the way I’ve been living isn’t life, and more importantly this isn’t the kind of cross God has called me to bear, nor is it for you!!!

So back to my 100meter dashes carrying a barbell. As that cold bar straddled my back this morning & my trainer had me going back forth he instructed me to take some time to pray & ask God about thoughts of our next steps with planting DayBreak Church (click here for more information). As I was running & praying I saw my shadow with the bar across my back & was reminded of Jesus carrying the cross, the cross he was nailed to & died on for the sins of all people! Then the thought came to the cross we are also called to bear. I’m not sure if you have ever had God speak to you, whether audibly, through another person, through a feeling, emotion or what ever, but in that moment I felt a powerful word and thought hit me

This is not the cross I desire for you to bear!

I felt that I have made my weight a burden, a cross that I’m called to bear. And well honestly it has been one. I’ve made it a cross and in that I have made it a distraction. God never intended for the cross I bear to be unhealthy eating habits or being over weight. That stuff is merely sin, baggage, and baggage that is meant to be dropped off and left.

I want to bear the cross of caring for my family & loving through the hard times, I want to bear the cross of loving a city in need of Jesus… not the cross of high blood pressure, swollen ankles, jeans not fitting, hard breathing from sitting up in a chair (haven’t got that yet). The bearing of a cross is not about us, it’s about Jesus, it’s about the beauty of tomorrow, it’s more than overcoming, it is embracing Him who overcame!

I felt burdened to write this, to encourage those of you out there who are struggling with weight, or struggling with something/anything that keeps you from the hope of tomorrow! God has more for you than this! I have made 28 years of poor choices that have lead me to here, and not even 28 days will get me to a healthier place, but it is a start. My hope is that you too can take a good hard look and ask yourself, “Is this really the cross I’m called to carry?” If it is about you, probably not! If it is a short sighted thing, probably not! If it is a mistake in your life, probably not! The cross leads to life! Dig deep my friends & experience the Good Life, the Greater Life today!

I am reminded today God has something so much more in store for me and of others around me, for a city even! I am glad my soul is waking up to this truth “You matter! Get it in gear! It’s time to make a difference!”

As promised… the video…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_QUJlRdy-4

Making an impact?

Feeling the need to dust some things off in my life. One of which is this blog. I find that taking time to be disciplined enough to write and ask questions here I am disciplined in other areas, my creativity goes up, and my over all functionality increases as well.

As a ‘soon to be’ church planter in Kenosha, WI. I have been praying and thinking a lot about impact (positive and negative) on peoples lives and a community. Here is a question I am pondering… leave your thoughts as well questions I should ponder…

Question: If you were given $10,000 to make an impact in the life of others/community what would you do

Friday Five: Why I Love Association of Related Churches

My wife and I have begun a journey into planting a church in South Eastern Wisconsin about this time next year into the fall. It has been an incredibly fast ride so far. We said yes to this journey about two months ago and it has been like drinking from a fire hose from God and his provision.

This last week I was in Birmingham, Alabama at the Church of the Highlands with 105 other potential church plant pastors. We were at a training with the group known as ARC (Association of Related Churches). From the late nights conversing with others and early mornings have my brain melted by some incredibly practical thoughts I was very blessed by this trip. I wanted to simply share 5 things really excited me about this time away.

• Partnership – This is possibly one of the biggest realizations in that there are others with the same passions and desire to see people come to know God in a deeper life giving way. Not being alone more importantly means I don’t have to do this alone.
• Practical systems – I am systems guy. Systems plus Holy Spirit equals intentional ministry being done. ARC gives some of the best practical systems that make sense and easy to implement.
• Proven success – We go to hear from other pastors who are following the model and teachings and with a 95% success rate of planted churches after 5 years That gives me some grounded confidence in this group.
• Passionate for God’s Kingdom – ARC doesn’t have really any affiliation with a denomination, but what i have heard/felt and sensed is their dedication to building up God’s kingdom, not adding to a denominational statistic. As pastor Chris Hodge (one of the founding members of ARC) communicated to us “God will give you a supernatural love for the city”. Was refreshing to be around people who were more concerned about the collision of Gods Kingdom with the cities we were going to be going to.
• Powerful vision – There is a boldness that comes from this group that empowers me and helps me refocus. ARC has a powerful vision to plant life giving churches that plant life giving churches. This vision to not simply shotgun into a town and saturate it with God’s word and hope people come, but a vision that reaches the hearts of the people and is life giving to them in a world that is so life taking.

It was a great week, met some amazingly driven new friends and set ablaze to join this group and learn more from them.

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Joshua A Story Unlike Others

I know I have been super quiet on here for some time now. Been a crazy season and it’s about to get even crazier (super excited for all this summer has in store and this next year).

I have been praying and thinking a lot about what God calls us to in life. How He equips us and encourages us to do things that ultimately build His Kingdom. I hear some folks say that when you know Gods call its easy, you just have to follow, just trust. A few days ago I was hit with a reminder of the story of Joshua, the general for Moses and the Israelites as they fled Egypt into the promised land. His story hit me as I began to think about calling and how ‘easy’ it is, how we love Joshua 1.9 “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you where ever you go”. We find so much comfort in this verse. It gives us strength to carry on.

But when I think about the entire story of Joshua this verse, although the lynch pin, is but a flicker in the dark for what Joshua was called to do. What Joshua embarks through for us is 24 chapters, but for him a lifetime of battle, strategy, leading people, watching friends die, going to war, being hungry, dirty and tired.

I am fascinated by Joshua’s story as of late, the promise that God instilled in him was followed up by a call, a call to something difficult, something life changing, something life giving. Join me as we walk through the story of Joshua this next week.

• Joshua: A Promise
• Joshua: A Call
• Joshua: Moment in the Sun
• Joshua: Blood Sweat & Tears
• Friday Five: Joshua a man who never gave up.

 

What I meant was…

We rarely get a chance to repeat ourselves. We live in a world of sound-bytes and quick quips. It feels like more and more people are becoming ‘great politicians’ with their speech. I believe it is because many are realizing that people here and react to what first comes out of our mouths.

We don’t give people much of a chance to explain, to unpack, to paint a better picture for us. We go with what first pops out of their mouth. When I was younger and first starting in ministry I recall many a time when I hadn’t fleshed out an idea that I would just take off and hope to land it at some point with out to much turbulence. I have learned that this style is a great way to lose ‘passengers’ in your conversation & teaching.

The more I spend time in Proverbs I see time and time again comments on our words, choosing the right words, not overly using words, not wasting words, sharing encouraging words and others. Our words are either Life or Death (Proverbs 18.21) not only to the listener but even to us as well. When we speak our words rarely get a second chance.

So why say all of this. choose your words wisely, be ever so slow to speak. Begin to see your words as an actually currency in your life and to others. Don’t be quick to bankrupt yourself and regret what you invested your words in later.

So as a parent learn to be slower with your words with your children so that you know you are encouraging and giving life to spur on your child

…to your spouse don’t be so eager to be ‘right’ all the time, you might find yourself wishing you could take back some words…

…in ministry be SUPER intentional with every word that is ever used. You are speaking the very gospel that saves and every word either draws near or pushes away. Don’t be careless cause you may never get a chance to share it again.

So instead of wishing you could take something back or wish you could say it over again, slow your speech and speak the words right and well to begin with.

Are you new here?

I get the opportunity most weekends during worship to be on the corners watching and greeting new families and visitors that come in through our doors. It can be super overwhelming as you are trying to say hello to that family that was here 3-4 weeks ago, say hello to my friends, get that one fringe kid connected with the youth pastor, go up and comfort that nervous mother with a child who won’t stop crying to let them know everything is ok, all while keeping your eyes pealed for those new faces to say hello to and help in making them feel at home.

We have an incredible minister, Gloria, who coordinates all of our volunteers at our church. We have the door greeters, and the welcoming wagon, and the first impressions crew, we even have folks who call all our visitors to chat with them, and our senior pastor is great at remembering peoples names meeting those new faces, introducing them to the whole church, letting folks know who is who as well. We seem to have a lot of it in place.

But I can’t help but think about those ’1st timers’ and what their thoughts are when they walk in those doors for the 1st time. Are they overwhelmed? Underwhelmed, annoyed, excited, shy, frustrated, feeling of “These people don’t really care”.

I have visited a lot of churches where I feel like I was just greeted by the Walmart greeter. It is so cold, so unreal & unauthentic. I  know, I hope I know anyways, the sincerity of the heart behind it is to try & help people feel welcomed to your gathering. But something that hit me this weekend is the truth that if they don’t feel welcomed on Sunday do you think they will feel any more welcomed later on in the week by a mailer?

You can’t catch every new visitor, well you could actually & should but I’ll cut you some slack, but what are somethings that your ministry does that welcomes people authentically into your gathering? Do you have teams? What do they do? How do you gauge your effectiveness?

I think we do a good job at Faith Community. But I know we aren’t perfect. We are wanting to move beyond our staff being the greeters & face & better at equipping our entire gathering to be the smiling face, helping hand, & welcoming host for those who come through our doors. So what do you do?