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How Old Are You?

February 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

There are a few things I know, some from experience and some from common sense. Never ask someone how old they are. Never guess someone’s age. And never, never, I repeat never ask a woman if she’s pregnant – yep even if you are 99.999% sure she is. You are signing your own death certificate in any of those situations.

Ok brevity aside there is a time when age is an important topic to consider. I recently came across a graphic that caught my eye. It was more of a graph than a picture but the details it contained were of some level of interest. What could this mean for me? I’m not a hugely studious person. I do however like to obtain some new information especially if it’s about a topic in which I take interest. This one did just that.

I’m a pastor so this information was pertinent to churches but not just for pastors. Actually I think it’s more intriguing to me as a member of a church than just as a pastor. The graphic contained age breakdowns of different church denominations. Basically it asks what the general age of your church tradition is based on some national study.

Have you ever looked around the church you attend (if you attend one) and evaluated what the general age of the population is? I do this for most places I go. I notice how old people are who eat at the restaurants I frequent. I check the age of the people at the gym during the times I attend. I notice what the average age of the church I serve is and how it fluctuates over time.

Ok so the church body of which I’m a part is listed first. That’s not exactly a good thing in this case. What it says in simple terms is that this Lutheran Church body is made up to a large extent by people who are over 65 years old. and that people 18-44 combined are barely half the percentage of those over 65. It means that this church tradition is getting old and it means we should be asking some serious questions.

Why are there more 65+ year olds than 18 year olds? Why are there so few young people in this church body? Does this reflect the local church that I attend?

These are just a few quick questions that I ask. Now the church I pastor does not fit this mold. As a matter of fact I would almost say our numbers are flipped from these numbers. But why is it that there are so few young people that gravitate toward some of the church traditions that are considered to be more historic mainline traditions?

I think part of it has to do with relevancy. Not the relevancy of Jesus or the Bible. Our job is not to make the Bible or even Jesus relevant. But the work we do as church can be seen as irrelevant by the culture around us if all we do is argue over who does something better, or we’re not using the right book or we don’t dress the right way.

I see a strong desire in the young men and women in the world to want to do more about what they are passionate than to just talk about it. I think this is an area we can learn as churches. We talk about loving Jesus and our neighbors but do we do it with actions? We talk about protecting certain groups of people, but when it comes to the inconvenience of actually lending a hand are we just words?

I think this is a large reason why so many churches are seeing a decline while others are exploding at the seams. Some churches do the hard job of living out what they talk about.

So don’t ask a woman if she’s pregnant or anyone what their age is, but it’s ok to notice the general age groups represented in any given scenario. It’s ok to ask hard questions about why those people are attracted to that type of gathering. And it’s ok to make a few adjustments to be more conscientious toward those groups not represented.

At Least They Didn’t See You Naked!

February 9, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Ok so this one is a bit of an out there kind of comment and I get it, but bear with me. No pun intended, well sort of.

I was recently chatting in a bible study group on the book of Luke in the New Testament. It was the story of Jesus healing the man with many demons. If you don’t know the story, it’s found in Luke 8. But the gist is that a man was possessed by many demons. Those demons did everything they could to try to kill the man. They gave him some unique abilities that we would call supernatural. But they also made him a tad out of his mind to the point that he would often be found running around town stark naked.

I know that would be a tad embarrassing to say the least, right? Well, after Jesus healed this man of his demons and cast them out of him, the man was in his right mind again. And all he could do was tell everyone around him about the man who healed him. And yes he was fully clothed.

As a pastor I hear a lot of people saying how uncomfortable they are with the idea of telling their friends and family what Jesus has done in their lives. We call that evangelism in the church world. We get a little apprehensive because we don’t have all of the answers. We aren’t sure we have the courage to speak up. We’re embarrassed about the idea of it. And what if people talk about us like we’re some kind of weirdo or freak?

Ok so I get it. The idea of sharing your faith is something that’s a bit abnormal. And I also agree that it can be a little unnerving at times. But at least the people you’re telling about Jesus didn’t see you naked!

Could you imagine being that man walking around town telling the people all that Jesus had done knowing that just yesterday he was running around town in his birthday suit? Now I get it. This isn’t the most normal way to think about this passage. And I’ve never really considered myself normal, so take that for what it is.

It’s really not that hard to do when you have had the experience this man had. He knew how much Jesus did for him so even his embarrassing naked escapades didn’t stop him. Do you know how much he’s done for you? Can you see the difference he’s made in your life?

Jesus isn’t calling you to streak through town. He’s just telling you that if you’ve experienced something that he’s done for you, then have the courage and boldness to talk about it. It’s really that easy.

That’s What Friends Are For

February 8, 2023 / / 0 Comments

You know friendship is probably one of the more underrated relationships in the modern world. Friends are critical to the wellbeing of every person in the world. In our culture of self first, what’s in it for me, protect myself at all costs, happiness seeking kind of mentality friends are often a byproduct if they don’t give us what we want or tell us what we want to hear.

I’ve been on the wrong end of this kind of friendship on more than one occasion. I’m sure most of us have to be honest. Friends, real friends, are those kind of people who we love to have fun with, laugh with, joke around with, get in trouble with, but also these real friends can and must tell us the real truth. Hearing hard things isn’t easy but when these kind of truths come from a friend they are intended for our good.

The Bible actually speaks to this in the book of proverbs. The words of a friend are faithful, yeah even those harsh words. There are other places in the Bible that contain several key learnings about friendship.

Real Friends Overlook Differences

Friends get along so well because they’re not the same. We all have differences. It’s actually kind of cool when we see the people with whom we hang out. I love how the people that I consider some of my closest friends have several things in common with me but also have some very unique differences. Those differences are what make us get along so well.

As much as I would like it if everyone in the world was exactly like me, I really don’t think that would be a great world to live in after all. Overlooking differences is what makes life great! But overlooking differences isn’t the same as overlooking gaps in someone’s character.

The story of David in the Bible shows a wonderful friendship that was formed between David and Jonathan. The were very different people. Yet those differences didn’t cause them trouble. They were able to look past those differences to care for one another, but they made sure to keep one another clear on their character.

Real Friends Protect One Another

That same story of David and Jonathan took an unexpected turn when Jonathan had to stand up to his own dad. His dad wanted to kill David because he felt threatened by him. Protection was key to keeping this friendship alive. But protecting a friend isn’t only about saving them from your angry dad, it can look like a hard conversation or loving intervention. Protecting our friends can look like providing for them in a time of need or being there when they’re going through a hard time.

Protecting one another isn’t just about life and death but about relationally, emotionally and socially being present for the people about whom we care.

Real Friends Carry Blessings Forward

The ending of the story of David and Jonathan isn’t one of those happily ever after kind of endings. Jonathan and his father both died. Jonathan orphaned a son who was crippled due to an injury and left in the care of his nurse. But the friendship forged between Jonathan and David was one that stood the test of time. David made sure to protect and provide for the needs of Jonathan’s son in the years to come.

We need to be willing to do the same. Maybe this isn’t about looking out for the orphan of our best friend but when we’re close to someone in this kind of soul connecting way we care about them and their family.

If you’ve been blessed with this type of real, good, and godly kind of friendship, then you’re truly blessed. Cherish this kind of friendship. Let them know how much they mean to you. Don’t take these amazing kind of friendships for granted.

In Jesus Name

February 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

So for people who say they follow Jesus, this should be a given. Should is the operative word in that phrase. But how often is prayer one of the last things on the list? I know for myself it’s not the first thing I run to when I know it should be! It’s disheartening that I can’t seem to get that part of my Christian walk right.

This week we focus on putting Jesus’ name on everything. We do this primarily through prayer. I don’t want to clutter this thing up with too many words so we’ll keep it short and to the point.

Who will you pray for in Jesus’ name today?

What is going on in your life that needs to be given over to Jesus to take care of for you?

Who in your life is hurting and needs to know the Jesus who cares and loves them?

These are just a few things that need Jesus’ name spoken over them. Buying a car? Put the car in Jesus’ name for a day or two before you get it. Changing jobs? Leave it in Jesus’ name for a night or two and see what he says. Having trouble with illness, loneliness, anxiety? Put Jesus’ name on it tonight and sleep knowing he has it.

Look I get it prayer isn’t some magic potion that as soon as we say AMEN everything goes perfect. But something happens inside of us when we place our concerns, loved ones, troubles in Jesus’ name. It’s a faith thing. It’s a trust moment.

So what in your life needs to have Jesus’ name attached to it today? Praying you today friend.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution

February 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered why some people are more inclined to be productive and others tend to flounder? Ever have one of those projects that needed done but you just couldn’t get the wheels moving in the right direction? Overwhelmed by the tasks in front of you and don’t know how you’re going to get it all done?

I know that I’ve wrestled with these and many other hurdles in trying to be productive. This week’s book is another very practical type of read. Sean Covey writes a pretty simple to follow and sensible book on how to execute and create a culture of execution in life, business and ministry.

The four disciplines are pretty straightforward: Focus on your wildly important goals, Act on lead measures, Keep a compelling scoreboard, Create a cadence of accountability. Each of these are very important in their own right. A book could likely, and perhaps already is, written on each of these topics on their own.

Covey does a great job stacking these principles to show how each one builds on the one before it.

Your wildly important goal or WIG for short is that one driver that moves you. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s why you and your organization exist. It’s pretty much what it says the most wildly important thing in front of you right now.

Lead measures was the section that I found the most interesting personally. There are two kinds of measurements we generally use lead and lag measures. Lag measures are the ones that are the final outcomes. They’re often the big deals, or so we think. Lead measures however are the ones that need to be our focus in order to get to the lag measures and make them happen. If we can’t achieve the lead measures, we’ll never make our way to the lag measures. I’ll let you read it to figure out what he’s talking about in greater detail.

Compelling scoreboards are super important. How will you know if you won? This is a section devoted to the idea that the person who is being scored should have a say in and thoroughly understand the score card used for them. So often as leaders in various places in the world we use scorecards that make sense to us but give little thought to what the person being scored thinks of the score card or if they even understand it.

Finally the book addresses the idea of accountability. A regular rhythm of accountability is essential in making sure things get accomplished. If no one holds you accountable and you’re not a person with terrific drive, then there’s a good chance you won’t actually get done what you need to get done.

All in all this book is good for anyone but seems to really focus on those in a leadership capacity. It’s an easy read and has some strong take aways that can easily be implemented nearly immediately without disrupting much of your current schedule.

Life Lesson

February 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I’ve been accused of having a strong personality. Some call it a charismatic personality. Others call me loud. Some say I am far too outside the box for their liking. And if I’m being honest with myself and the world around me, they’re right.

My personality isn’t for everyone. As a matter of fact there are some people who feel threatened by the questions I ask or the challenge I give. In a recent study of the book of 1 Samuel I came across a line that said insecure people feel threatened by successful people.

Wow I really like that one! But I think it can go even one step further. I think that insecure people feel threatened by confident people. I by no means would consider myself wildly successful. As a matter of fact, I have failed at far more things that I have accomplished in life. But in failure I believe that I learn and grow and to me even a failure is a success if I learn from it.

Confident people are scary. Not because they are arrogant or know it alls but when a person is confident they aren’t afraid to try something even if failure is a real possibility. I recently have requested to have a conversation with a group about a direction of an organization of which I am a part.

Remember I’m not everyone’s favorite and I’m actually not offended by that. The challenge however is that the people with whom I’ve been speaking want nothing to do with having a hard conversation. I wonder if there’s something about this principle to blame for their unwillingness? Insecure people feel threatened by confident people. I may never know the reason but the principle remains.

Let’s get back to that whole 1 Samuel reference. This book contains the famous story of David and Goliath. Part of the story that is often overlooked is what immediately follows. Saul, a very large and powerful man, is King over Israel. But David is a young boy who really wasn’t respected even though he was confident in what the Lord could do through him. Saul hated David in part because David was successful.

There’s a verse to a song found in 1 Samuel that claims Saul killed his thousands but David his tens of thousands. Saul was not happy. He wanted to be the answer man. He wanted to have all the keys to success for being the best King and ruler and protector of the people. But here’s this confident little twerp who just killed the biggest threat to the Israelite people and he’s gaining popularity.

Instead of thanking David or praising the God who gave David this ability, Saul wanted to kill David. Man success and confidence of character don’t always prove helpful when it comes to friendships.

So life lesson for today. It’s ok to be confident and successful, but know that not everyone will like your confidence and success. As a matter of fact people that once called you friend will likely dismiss you because of your confidence or success. Don’t let someone else’s insecurity stop you from living a life of confidence and doing what you are called to do.

A Thousand Hallelujahs

January 31, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Some people have asked why I do what I do. Maybe they’ve asked you similar things about going to church on Sunday or doing this whole thing called worship or following Jesus? If they have, then you know there is something about it that you just can’t describe.

One of the Bible verses that I love says the rocks would cry out. The reference is that if we didn’t worship then the rocks would worship God. Have you thought of that? The rocks? I mean they’re hard, cold, inanimate. They can’t talk or move. They’re not even alive. But here the Bible says that they would cry out in worship if we didn’t do it.

Now who would be worthy of that kind of praise. Who would be able to cause a rock to cry out? This week’s song tells us that only one is worthy of that kind of action. Jesus is his name.

This is why I do what I do. This is why we get up and worship on a Sunday morning. Jesus is his name.

Just take a minute and listen to the lyrics of this song. He died and rose. He gave himself freely for us. He traded places with us not because we asked him to but because he loved us that much.

He’s worthy of our praise. He’s worthy of even the praise of the rocks and trees. He’s worthy of a thousand hallelujahs to say the very least!

Prioritize

January 27, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I recently read the book Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. I know it may not be what everyone likes to read but there are many good principles in the book. One of them is about prioritization. But the authors go a little beyond merely setting appropriate priorities. The key to proper prioritization is activation. You have to do something with your priorities.

This is the problem that many people have with to do lists. We set our priorities but we often neglect to tackle the priorities, leaving us no better off than when we started. The secret to priorities is action.

Ok so this really isn’t anything secret. It’s common sense to say the least. But it’s so easy to go through the process of setting our priorities and then leaving things there. Willink and Babin are Navy Seals. They explain how setting and acting on priorities in military endeavors was key to success.

They would look at their objectives. List targets. Set goals. Then delegate the tasks as necessary to more quickly and efficiently reach their objectives.

This can sound like something that doesn’t apply to you and me in the civilian world, but if you really pause for just a few minutes you might see how this common sense approach isn’t really just for a well trained Navy Seal. Consider the last big project you had to tackle.

Maybe you are moving to a new house. Perhaps you’re remodeling a room in your house. Looking for a new career. Planning on a child to be welcomed to your house. There are tons of things we tackle on a semi regular basis that are kind of big deals!

Any of these things can be overwhelming to say the least! I recently took on a kitchen remodel project. We removed walls. Repainted the remaining walls. Refaced cabinets. New counters, floors and appliances. But we didn’t just jump in and start blowing out walls. We had to set the tasks in the proper order. Which needed to be done first? What needed to wait until later?

Now my wife will tell you that she never thought this project was actually going to be tackled. I talked about it for a long time. I’m a verbal processor by the way. For weeks, maybe even months, we discussed the details of the plan. Which walls needed to come down? Which walls couldn’t come down? What did we need to do to prepare for these walls to drop? What color will the paint be? What type of floors do we want? I talked through all of it. Added things to my cart at the store. Deleted them. Added new ones. Over and over the list was edited and evaluated.

Then one day I pulled the trigger. Bought the gift cards. Went to the store. Ordered the materials. Brought them home. And down she came. Prioritization is key! I needed to know what to do first. And what needed another project completed before I started.

But ultimately all of the planning and all of the talking wouldn’t have meant anything if the walls didn’t fall. It wasn’t until I took action that the kitchen remodel actually started.

What’s your remodeling project? What about the plan? Do you have a good grasp on what is first and what needs to wait? What’s stopping you from knocking down that wall?

Priorities without action have no affect at all.

Extreme Ownership

January 26, 2023 / / 0 Comments

I’m kind of a sucker for a good book built around the leadership principles learned in the hard school of the US Military. This one is definitely a good book if you’re willing to apply some basic thoughts to the various aspects of your life and leadership journey. These ideas can be used in business, church, home, parenting, just about any area where you have to take ownership of yourself.

There are a ton of simple ideas that can be implemented. The authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin use real stories of their time serving as US Navy Seals. They take the principles learned in hard fought times of conflict. Tell the story of that challenging time. Then show the straightforward principle they learned. But what makes this book so great is the way they then apply that same battle principle to the civilian sector with real stories of businesses that used these principles to enhance how they function.

I’m not going to give all of the ideas set forth in this book because then you won’t read it yourself. But here are a couple of things to consider.

Simplicity is key. The more simple we make the plan, the easier it will be for the people we lead to follow the plan. Have you ever had someone give you directions using far too many details that really are not pertinent to how you need to go to get to your destination? If so you have experienced the need for simplicity first hand. When we muddy the plan with all sorts of extra steps and details, we make it nearly impossible for those around us to get on board.

Discipline is freedom. That one sounds like an oxymoron but if you really think about it there’s some truth there. The more you disciplined you are about an area of your life, the more freedom you find in the rest of your day. If you have a pretty disciplined routine in life, you’ll find freedom the ability to be productive and get things done. The freedom that comes from discipline is found in the focus and hard work you put in. The more disciplined you are the higher chances of you finding breathing room and margin in life.

If you are in any leadership role at all, this is a book that will benefit you greatly if applied. I’ve been in many roles where the leaders around me would have done far more for the organization had they owned their leadership instead of ignored it. Don’t be that guy!

Build A Boat

January 23, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This week is about faith. When everything around you seems to be going in one direction, but you see God moving. God calls you to have faith. It’s like building a boat when it’s not even raining.

Can you imagine being Noah from the Bible? Think about it for a minute. No rain. No large body of water near by. No real prediction of a storm in the meteorological forecast. But you’re supposed to build a boat. What do you do?

The passers by all laugh and point and call you names. Your friends look at you like you’re crazy. What in the world is this man doing? What do you do?

When the world is spiraling in fear and hatred seems to be all the world cares about. But you know there’s a different message. You know there’s a message of love and hope and peace. What do you do?

Today’s Music Monday song says that you build a boat! When the sun is shining and everything looks great, build the darn boat already.

I don’t know what God has laid on your heart or the things holding you back from making the first cut on that board. But I want to encourage you to build the boat. The rain will come. The promise will be fulfilled. You have what it takes. And just like Noah, you’re not building alone. You might have to look a little but you’re not alone.

So grab the tools and get your supplies, it’s time to build a boat.

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