Pastor's Blog

Two Is Better Than One

2011-09-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

I think I am stating the obvious when I say that we cannot do life alone. In fact, life was never intended to be done alone. Every successful season of my life has been because of a dedicated individual effort and the assistance of one or more people influencing me to be my best. I cannot imagine how limited I would be trying to accomplish great things for God in my life without the assistance of others. Simply put, I cannot succeed in life on my own.

This is true for all of us today, especially when life gets tough. Too often we get weary from shouldering burdens and problems in life by ourselves. We eventually collapse in exhaustion and emotional fatigue under the weight of it all. Could it be that the burden was not intended to be so heavy and the weight of life so pressing as it currently is? Could it be that you are carrying a weight meant for two in your limited individual strength?

Jesus tells us to come to him when we are weak and burdened down. To learn of him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. The audience understood this word picture, being familiar with oxen and the yoke. They knew that oxen only labored in pairs, never alone. They shared the burden and the weight together. No farmer would have ever tried to plow a field with a single ox shouldering a yoke that was meant for two.

Let me ask this question: Are you carrying a weight today in your own strength? Is the load getting heavy and the weight becoming increasingly unbearable? The weight of a troubled marriage, financial stress, physical limitations or sickness, relational or emotional pain? If so, then why not try it the way Jesus encourages us to. Come to him with all of the burdens of life and give them to him. Begin to learn of him and by all means take his yoke, the kind where he walks with you and shares the load, and discover that life can actually be much easier and our burdens lighter. Your will never be stronger than when you admit your weaknesses and confess your need for his help and assistance.

Without question, in life, two is better than one! Especially when the other one is Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

An "Orange Leaf" Attitude

2011-08-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do after a staff meeting is to join the team at one of the many Orange Leaf locations in Lexington. There is nothing that helps the team come together like healthy yogurt smothered in Snickers, Oreo's, candy sprinkles and hot fudge! In fact, the amazing toppings selection just increased to include crushed waffle cones. Get this, yogurt not in a waffle cone, but a waffle cone in yogurt! I would love to be on the team coming up with these idea's. Can you imagine a low fat chocolate yogurt over pieces of funnel cake and covered in Captain Crunch Peanut Butter cereal, with peanut butter drizzle?

The truth is 90% of the time I opt for the fat free, sugar free yogurt with fresh strawberries and granola. Take my word for it, guilt free and great stuff at the same time. Orange Leaf captures the best of so many worlds in my mind: great atmosphere, great staff and a great dessert with many healthy options. They do a few things that make the experience extra special, but one thing very well; they have great yogurt!

At the center of every great company, team or church is a group of people committed to being great at what they do and they know what that thing is. If you are football team with a great offensive unit, then you play to your strength, offense. If you are a tire company then you become the best at making and marketing quality tires. If you are a church leadership team, then know what God is calling you to be in your city or community and give yourselves to it.

Extra toppings are good, but they are just that, extras. Focus on being great at the main thing and treat everything else as extras. This applies to our family life, careers and churches. Spending some time at the toppings bar is fun, but when I go to Orange Leaf, it's all about the yogurt! The people at Orange Leaf get it and it's obvious when you stand in line at checkout.

We need to get an Orange Leaf attitude when it comes to life and purpose to keep the main things the main things in life. When we do, life is much more simple and the journey is much more sweet than we could ever imagine! I think I will drop by and grab some yogurt on the way home.

The Under And Over Principle

2011-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am currently learning the need in my life for better boundaries, guidelines and an intense approach to personal discipline. Great intentions do not equal great performance or success. In fact, great intentions never usually make it to the phase of application, which is the real key to change in the first place.

The real enemy toward our advancing from a life of great intentions to a life of great success and fulfillment is over commitment. The old adage of being a mile wide and an inch deep describes too many of our lives. Doing a lot of things but not doing a lot of things well. This leads to a deep sense of frustration and eventually a lack of desire in life, a place we call burnout.

Though bad habits are hard go break, they can be broken. One of the most intentional things you will ever do is address the issue of over commitment and a life spinning out of control. A good first step is the "Under and Over Principle." A simple shift in the way you commit and what you commit to. Try this, the next time you are about to make a promise or commit to something, under promise and over deliver.

Can you imagine the diminished level of stress in your life if you apply this strategy? Simply be careful when you choose to make a commitment and be sure to over deliver when you do commit or make a promise. Get the job done earlier, go the extra mile on the project, bring five idea's to the meeting instead of the required three. Strategic things like arriving ten minutes early, staying ten minutes late and helping when everyone else is eager to leave. Leave a trail at the end of the day of a job well done by the Under and Over Principle.

You can do this and you will be better for it. You will have an opportunity within the next twenty four hours, under promise and over deliver!

Our Code

2011-07-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

What principles govern your life? What would say are foundational truths that set the agenda for the bigger decisions you make in life? At some point in life it’s vital that you are able to define what you are about and begin to make choices that align with that discovery. It’s to easy to be something in theory and not in reality. So with that in mind, I wanted to share what defines bridgeCHURCH and the Code that drives us into what we are called to do in this city!

We are all about the Experience. This is a place where passionate worship and His word bring people into an experience with God.

We are called to bring Hope. We are seeking those in our city who are lost and far from God.

We will Grow. Growth is a sign of health in both the believer and the Body of Christ.

Our hearts beat with Compassion. True compassion moves us beyond just feelings and emotions, and compels us to action through love for others.

We are defined by how we Serve. It is through simple acts of serving, even to the least of these, that we humbly make Christ known in this city.

This is a place to Connect. We are marked by kindness and authenticity. Simply put, people matter to us.

We Give because He first gave. We invest generously, sow bountifully, and spend ourselves for the sake of God and people.

Respect is in our DNA. We show value toward God and others in the way we express honor and respect in both our language and attitude.

Hands and Feet

2011-07-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

What opportunities will come your way today to show the love of Jesus to someone? Every day is a brand new gift from God to influence someone by the way you love, serve and live. At the office, on the job, during lunch, in the department store or simply talking with your neighbor. Simple day to day moments that become amazing opportunities to share Christ with others. The Gospel of Jesus is not complex, his way of life is not burdensome or heavy. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30

Let’s help lift the load of someone today and become the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need. Jesus is still the answer and we have the hope of Christ living in us…let’s share that hope today!

Signs

2011-07-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult topics to engage our culture in is the topic of end time events. There are moments of peaked interest only to be met with much skepticism and doubt. How could a sober, rational and educated person ever believe there are series of events that are currently unfolding on this planet that point to the return of Jesus? Haven’t we heard this before and haven’t we outgrown all the emphasis on prophetic events yet to come? After all, we are finally better focused on teaching believers how to live and make a difference in the here and now. It just feels better to have graduated people to the reality of a gospel that is meant to make an impact on the current world we live in and stop focusing on the sweet bye and bye.

It’s true that we struggle in the Christian world to balance both worlds. No matter how much we resist looking into the reality of end time events for fear of returning to a day of being so heavenly minded we are of no earthly good, we must. We must because Jesus had so much to say about it and so did the apostles. After all, there is so much going on in the world around us to turn a blind eye and pretend it’s not all happening. Just because a confused man on the west coast makes false predictions that become fodder for late night comedians concerning the return of Christ, doesn’t mean that Jesus was wrong or the Bible is untrue. The wise person would simply revisit scripture and see what the Bible reveals to us about the signs of our times and live with a renewed level of awareness and alertness in this present age. I know it’s old school but true nonetheless, Jesus will come again. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3

Free Men

2011-07-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

What does Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, Tombstone and Braveheart have in common? Simply a list of the greatest movies ever made! At least in my opinion they are and Braveheart being the best of them all. The classic true story of a single common man whose bravery led to the freedom of Scotland from British tyranny.

There are so many incredible moments in the storyline of the movie but Wallace’s speech to an intimidated army ready to run is still my favorite. He realizes that he has only a brief moment to convince his outnumbered army to stand and fight for the cause that he was willing to give his life for. A cause that would eventually cost him his life.

You've come to fight as free men... and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom, Wallace cries. What a powerful question to pose to a group of men who were ready to relinquish their freedom for fear of failure and defeat. What will you do with that freedom? As we pause and reflect on the precious gift of freedom that we all share in America and the many sacrifices that have made it all possible, there is a deep sense of responsibility with the free gift given to us. As free men and women we should live in a way that honors those who gave so much for us to experience that freedom.

In John 8:36 we read that, “If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.” By the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ we can experience freedom from all sin and bondage. This is the good news of the Gospel and what good news it is. However, with the wonderful freedom we have in Christ comes the real life responsibility to live in such a way that makes Jesus visible to the world around us. To live in such a way that others who are slaves to sin will see the freedom we walk in and thirst for that very same freedom in their lives. A simple question for everyone who is truly free to consider today…what will you do with that freedom?

A New Chapter in Life

2011-06-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

“Grandchildren are God’s way of compensating for us growing old.” - Mary H. Waldrip
I am only three days into the life of being a new grandfather and I am still overwhelmed by the whole experience. I am not sure there are words that really define the joy and the sense of pride that comes with my new role in life. Grandpa, or Poppa as Everly will call me, seems like it should be someone else’s title. However, it’s mine and I would not have it any other way. I held her the first day and have not been able to put her down since. All the clichés that come along with a grandchild fit perfectly and yet fall so short of describing the sense of pride I feel. I am way too young, at least my wife thinks so, but am so ready for this new chapter of our lives! Baby Everly, you are simply amazing!

My prayer over her life is that she will grow up healthy and experience Jesus at an early age. That she will have a heart full of adventure and a deep sense of purpose for her existence on this planet. I want her to laugh often in life and cry tears of joy in the presence of the Lord. I can only imagine what she will do in life for the cause of Christ with parents who love God deeply, and aunt who adores her, not to mention grandparents who are stunned that God would ever trust us in this role. As we turn the page in this chapter of our lives, it’s with great expectancy and a renewed realization of the great privilege and greater responsibility God has given us. Grandparents, we are so blessed!

Give God Room to Work

2011-04-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

In the early 1990’s, I had been working with a group of inner city students in Central Kentucky. God gave unusual favor in the project areas of our city for our church to minister to at-risk kids. As several of the teens came to Christ and began winning their friends, they challenged me to start a club at our only high school in the county. I was at first reluctant, not knowing how it would be received, but after prayerfully considering the need, I took the challenge and approached the school administration.

I was surprised at how receptive they were to the idea and how with a teacher sponsor, I could even read from the Bible on campus. The day came for our first meeting that had been announced the evening before. We had been given a small classroom to begin with, seating up to twenty five students. When I arrived they informed me that the classroom was needed and I would have to meet in the auditorium. I was a little bummed because room dynamics plays a huge role in atmosphere, but had no other choice than to comply.

I remember that day waiting, expecting my core students to show up and get underway when the bell sounded. As I waited I could not believe what I was seeing. Students came and kept coming for the entire break between bells. When I started, I began our first meeting with 265 students and the momentum just kept going from there. I was able to invite a University of Kentucky Basketball player who served as team chaplain, and over 600 students came out. During that year, over 100 students accepted Christ and the Life Club is still talked about today by those who experienced it.

I only share this to encourage you to be careful not to allow intimidation or fear to cause you to lose sight of the greatness of our God. He shows up in ways that often astound us and cause us to remember His power and faithfulness. You could be just one step away from a step of faith that will impact the course of your life forever. What opportunities have you backed away from for fear or insecurity? I challenge you as my students challenged me; give God something to work with. Make a bold move with your life that requires His intervention and assistance to succeed. Our God is more than able!

The Big Blue Bus

2011-02-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

I accepted Christ at the age of 18 a year after graduating from high school in 1983. It’s kind of strange, but I knew from the first day that if I obeyed God with my life, I would take a lead role in reaching people who are lost and far from God. I attended a conference in Lexington, KY in the fall of 1984. It was there that God spoke directly into my life about starting a ministry to the project areas in the small community in which I lived. This was a small city but a large percentage of the families lived in lower income housing and under the poverty scale.

Behind our church sat a big blue school bus that was used once a year to take a few senior adults to camp meeting. I felt burdened to start with this bus and pick up kids for Sunday school. The burden was so intense I wept for hours that day and many hours over the next fourteen years. I had heard many people talk about these pockets of poverty in our community and how drug traffic and crime made them unsafe for anyone but law enforcement. It’s kind of odd looking back how so many people could identify and see the problem but no one could see themselves or their churches as being part of the solution. There was a huge need for Jesus among these people and God called me and the small church where I served to “be the answer.”

What started one Sunday with one bus and seven children eventually became a ministry to several hundred kids and included 4 full sized buses bringing whole families and kids to Jesus! It is possible that the reason you can so easily identify and are burdened for a need in your community, school or church is because God is calling you to become part of the answer. James writes in chapter 2 verse 17, “faith by itself if not accompanied by action, is dead.” Faith that is not active and lived out by making a difference in our world is not really faith at all.

Listen and look carefully around you today. It’s possible that there is a big blue bus with your name on it. This could be a place of usefulness where you know that God is at work in your life, where you have chosen to follow him and “be the answer” for His cause and kingdom.

Be The Answer

2011-02-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever prayed over a specific thing only to battle an immediate onslaught of doubt and unbelief? Did I have enough faith when I prayed? This will take a miracle and I did not pray with a miracle kind of faith. Why would God answer that prayer for me? Each one of us has certainly faced a need so great that it required divine intervention. When we do require intervention, it’s these types of prayers that are usually the most heartfelt and sincere. We go to God with a sense of, “If you don’t move God, then it’s not going to be good.”

It’s possible that when we pray for an answer, God will call us to become part of the answer. If your child is rebellious and you are praying for a change of heart and attitude, God may speak to you to give up some overtime hours at the office and spend a little time at the ballpark with your son. You may pray for more intimacy in your marriage and God may speak to you to turn off the television for a season and begin to re-connect with simple conversation and coffee. Maybe you are praying for the church you attend to experience a renewed passion for people and Jesus, and to step it up with the programming and make excellence the benchmark to aim for, because after all, this is God’s work.

Be careful what you pray for because as part of the process, God may require that you become the answer - or at least part of it.

Over the next few weeks I will share how in my own life God has called me to “be the answer.” As I reflect and walk down memory lane for a while, I trust that God will speak to you in a new and profound way. Be careful to listen, God may be calling you to a new place of accountability and responsibility for the answer you are praying and believing for.