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Weekend Recap – Protected People

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My 8/11/13AM sermon, Protected People from Revelation 12:1-17, is now online.  In this sermon, I attempted to help people see how strong their trust in God can be in light of the victory that is ours through Christ, how we are united to God in this victory and how God continues to help His people until the end.  I hope it helps you.

Dangerous Calling Email – Arrival Danger

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Here’s the email I wrote our elders and deacons today, 7/31/13:

In chapter 11 of Dangerous Calling, “Between the Already and the Not Yet,” Paul Tripp wrestles with the concept of arrival.  Specifically, as we saw last time, he warns of the carnival mirrors of ministry that can distort the true reality of our souls.  Related to that, Tripp gives some clear Results of Thinking You’ve Arrived:
1) You will think that you don’t need what you preach (or teach or study).
2) You will not be open to the ministry of the body of Christ.
3) You will expect of others the perfection that you think you’ve achieved.
4) You will feel qualified to have more control than you have.
5) You won’t feel the need for daily meditative communion with Christ.
6) You will take credit for successes that only grace can produce.
7) You will feel entitled to what you could never earn or achieve.
8) You will be less than watchful and protective when it comes to temptation and sin.
9) You will load more on your ministry than you can responsibly handle.
Again, all of this flows from distortion.  As Tripp closes, he reminds us “that you and I are still a bit of a mess.  Yes, by grace we often get it right, but we also often get it completely wrong.  There are times when we are the exuberant celebrants of the Lord, and there are other times when we are just full of ourselves.  There are times when we are deeply grateful, but there are other times when we feel entitled and demanding…  All of this is to say that the great spiritual war doesn’t rage only outside of us; there is ample evidence every day that it still rages inside of us.” 
What’s the remedy?  “Gospel-driven, Christ-centered ministry, one that gives grace to those who hear, doesn’t start with theological knowledge; no, it starts with a humble heart.  It starts with the recognition of your own need and the acknowledgement that you and I are more like than unlike the people to whom God has called us to minister.”

With you in this dangerous calling…

LRC Email – Takeaways on Failure

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Here’s the email I wrote to Leadership Reno County alumni on 7/29/13AM, highlighting some areas of failure that we learned from recently.  Here’s my email:

Well, the Summer 2013 issue of the Journal of the Kansas Leadership Center arrived in my snail mailbox on Friday.  I didn’t get a chance to dig in to it until Sunday afternoon and a quick skim helped me notice something that might interest us Reno County people…
The article is entitled, “Fail, Why We Must Be Prepared To Fall Short In Civic Leadership (And what to do about it when it happens)” by Chris Green.  What’s of interest to us are the reflections of Randy Henderson, Reno County Sheriff, on the new jail (with some quotes from Dan Deming) as well as Dan Stiffler’s Buhler bond issue ruminations. 
The article concludes with some “Lessons From The Field (How Might One Respond To Failure in Civic Leadership?):”
1) Take the time to diagnose the situation thoroughly.
– Treat failure as a data-gathering opportunity
– Use it to dig even deeper into understanding the different points of view around your issue and more fully explore tough interpretations about why you’ve failed.
2) Put additional effort into managing yourself.
– Closely assess your part of the mess.  Are there behaviors or values you’re holding on to that are getting in the way?
– You’re going to have to be very aware of the stories that others are telling about you.
– Understand that failure is often a reality of exercising leadership on tough issues – there are no easy paths to lasting change.
3) Keep trying new approaches by designing and executing carefully thought-out, skillful interventions.  But accept that the outcome won’t be under your control.
– Don’t lose sight of your deepest purpose.  Hold to it.
– You’re going to have to try something new and act experimentally.
4) Look for others to energize around addressing the situation.
– You will have to engage more stakeholders in the problem, particularly those who haven’t been involved previously.
– Recognize and speak to losses that might be incurred by stakeholders in the problem.

So, there it is.  Reno County’s failures front and center, but great lessons learned.  Read through this article (pp.26-37) and see if reviewing this doesn’t help us catapult out of the failures into progress for the future.  With you in this…

Weekend Recap – ‘Til Kingdom Come

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My 7/28/13AM sermon, ‘Til Kingdom Come from Revelation 11:1-19 is now online.  While a difficult text with many varying interpretations, most can agree that the application of this text points to God’s people being bold witnesses until His kingdom comes.  This text, in particular, gives some encouragement in assuring us of God’s protection and helping reveal to us the kingdom.  I hope this sermon encourages you in this regard, as well.

Dangerous Calling Email – Carnival Mirrors

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Here’s the post I wrote for leaders at Crestview on 7/23/13:

In Chapter 11 of Dangerous Calling, Paul Tripp urges us to be aware of the danger of arrival and, at one point, uses carnival mirrors to illustrate:  
“Rather than humbly standing before the honest assessment of the mirror of the Bible to see myself as I really was, I looked into carnival mirrors. Now, the problem with the carnival mirror is that it really does show you you, but with distortion. You don’t actually have a 20-inch-highneck and a 6-inch torso; yes, it’s you in that concave mirror, but it’s not showing you the way you actually look. The danger of assessments of arrival greets everyone in ministry. The danger that you would quit thinking of yourself as weak and needy is always near. The danger that you would see yourself as being in a different category from those to whom you minister is right around the corner. This danger greets you every day because there are carnival mirrors all around that have the power to give you a distorted view of you. And when you think you’ve arrived, when you quit being convicted of and broken by your own weakness, failures, and sins, you will begin to make bad personal and ministry choices. The reality and confession of personal spiritual weakness is not a grave danger to your ministry. God has chosen to build his church through the instrumentality of bent and broken tools. It is your delusions of strength that will get you in trouble and cause you to form a ministry that is less than Christ-centered and gospel-driven.”  (p.152)

I’m wondering if we view ourselves as weak and needy?  Do you view yourself as different than those to whom you minister?  Have you begun to think that you’ve “arrived”?  Or do you find that you’re convicted of and broken by your own weakness, failures and sins?  Today, remember God specializes in using the broken and bent for His purposes, so rest in the Gospel that accepts you and, with the light of the Gospel pervading your life, LIVE!

LRC Email – Fighting the Hiccups

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Here’s a short email I wrote to Leadership Reno County Alumni this AM:

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written and this has been due to some circumstances in life.  Specifically, I lost my grandmother on July 7.  I had the privilege of traveling home (to Southern Illinois) and being a part of the service.  It was a great time, but hard as that last relative on one side is now gone.  Needless to say, it was a hiccup on the road of my life. 
We all face these don’t we?  We face situations that have the potential to take us out of the game for a season.  We encounter times or seasons that call for refocusing or redirecting our efforts.  We drift into parts of life that mean we’re a little bewildered as to who we are and what we’re doing.  Even a simple vacation, which is an important part of taking care of yourself, can have an effect like this. 
So, how do we fight the “hiccups”?  Well, for me, even writing this short thought meant fighting through the hiccups.  And, I simply recalled a couple of basic KLC civic leadership principles:  Leadership is an activity, not a position.  I have to simply step out and do something.  I also remembered that It starts with you and must engage others.  Reengaging meant stepping into other people’s lives.  And, finally (and maybe most important), I remembered Your purpose must be clear.  Why do I do this?  So that the leadership capacities of you, my friends, are strengthened.  I want Reno County to be better for my children because we are more effectively engaging in acts of leadership. 

Today, what hiccups are you fighting?  Maybe these simple reminders will help you make progress on the issues you care about.  

Weekend Recap – Recommissioned

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My 7/21/13AM sermon, Recommissioned, from Revelation 10:1-11 is now online.  The sermon engages with the revelation that came to John before the 7th trumpet.  Much like the interlude to encourage believers in Revelation 7 after the 6th seal was opened, the 6th trumpet is followed by an interlude to encourage believers.  Specifically, we are reminded at roughly this mid way point in the book, of who God is, what He intends to do and the small part we get to play in His plans.  I sought to encourage and mobilize my listeners to action in being about Gospel work.  I hope it encourages you, as well.

Losing My Mom’s Mom (Tribute To Gma L)

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This past week has been a whirlwind for our family.  I was planning a quick trip to my Mom’s with the boys to take in a Cardinal game and on the day I was set to leave, we got word that my Gma (Mom’s mom) had taken a turn for the worse and she was gone by Noon on Sunday (July 7).  We loaded up the family for the drive to my Mom’s and ended up staying around 9 days, helping our family in various ways.  For my kids, it was a chance to connect with their cousins.  For the adults, it was time to stand with our family in remembrance, then dig through all the leftover stuff, and begin to start to figure out where do we go from here.  Here’s the eulogy (or remembrance) of her life I gave at the service:

Eulogy for Peggy LeMay
The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”  I use this passage of Scripture every time I get the privilege to be a part of remembering someone’s life because it reminds me that the Bible is a practical book, full of help no matter where we are.  Today, as we grieve the loss of Evelyn (Peggy) Lemay, who I knew as Gma, the Bible is up to the challenge of meeting me where I am.  And, as a pastor, I would say to you that no matter where you’re at, the Bible can meet you where you are.  We learn in the Bible that this there is a time for everything under heaven. 
A time to give birth…
Grandma was born on Monday, November 12, 1917 in Franklin County, Illinois the daughter of Clyde and Euna (May) Ezell.
A time to die…
                  She died at 12:15 P.M. this past Sunday, July 7, 2013 at Green Tree in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
The Bible says there’s a time to mourn and a time to dance…
While we are here to mourn the loss of Grandma, we’re really happy for her right now.  Her faith has become sight.  Her suffering and pain in this life is over.  Today, we want to celebrate Gma’s life and remember those great memories we have of her.  These past few years have been hard on the family as Gpa and Gma declined in health.  I know many of us saw firsthand this slow decline has been an ever pressing pointer that one day, mourning would come.   So, this is a time to mourn.  We’ll miss this amazing woman.  We’ll miss her humor.  Which, leads us to that time to dance.  One memory we heard about was how when she was a little girl, her dad would make her dance for company that would come over.  She would dance the Charleston for them.  Some of the family got Gma to replicate this dance routine on the beach in South Carolina one year.  So, when the Bible speaks of a time to mourn and dance, we think of Gma. 
There’s also a time to plant…
                  Planting reminds us of a couple things about Grandma…
1) Much like Gpa, she planted into her family.  She married Everett on December 6, 1942 in Mt. Vernon and was a loyal wife to him for the 69 years God gave them together.  They had 3 children – Pat, My Mom (Linda), and Carl.  Pat married Tom and they had some children: Chad, who preceded Gma to heaven, Krista, and Stefani.  Krista and Stefani gave Gpa & Gma more great grandkids with Ava, Jordan, Aaron and Randon.  Linda married Rick, who also preceded Gma to heaven and had me, Holly and Clint.  Our spouses, Meghan, Todd and Melissa gave us a host of other great grandkids: Andrew, Gabe, Lauren, Micah, Leah, Anna, Ethan, Tyler,  Caleb and Bella.  On top of this family, Grandma was a regular player in the Lemay Family Reunion festivities and also spent lots of time planting into her Ezell family.  I know when I was younger, Grandma was there to serve and care for her Mom, making those trips to Benton and West Frankfort often.
2) For those of us who knew Grandma closely, though, when we hear of a time to plant this immediately makes us think of her selfless service to the needs of others.  This began with her faithfulness to Grandpa.  She was so patient with him.  The Bible speaks of a time to keep silenceand Gma would quietly follow Gpa where he went.  Grandpa was a man with a plan.  He would sometimes point that finger in Gma’s back to get her moving.  Or, stop the car and hop out to go somewhere, walking before Gma got out of the car, but she was there for him and was the love of his life.  I remember traveling with them and stopping only to have Gma pull out of the bags around her feet a bag of cookies (or sometimes lunch) and a thermos of coffee to get grandpa the boost to keep him buzzing.  The mug of coffee and cookie really gave us all the shot in the arm we needed, cause Grandma could cook. 
Grandma planted into the lives of others as a cosmetic dealer.  Many of us ended up getting Vanda for Christmas because of Gma.  She was also an accomplished author.  I was in a Barnes and Noble about 8 years ago and saw the Pastors Wives Cookbook and there, on numerous pages, was the peppering of recipes from one Peggy Lemay. We also have pages of journals that she wrote telling us her story.    
As a matter of fact, many of my memories growing up surrounded Gma in the kitchen.  Whether it was fixing me what I liked or creating traditions that we will never forget like cheesy carrots, White Christmas pie or cookies on demand.  Even the funeral home people commented on how Gma would bring cookies to them.  She simply planted her life in service to Grandpa and others.  She was a faithful pastor’s wife in each setting God led them.  And, at the base of this was a love for God.  The Bible tells us that Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.  While Grandma wasn’t perfect, she did embody this life of service to others.  You could say that she decreased so that others could increase.
The Bible contrasts a time to tear with a time to sew…
Gma could sew.  If you entered that room where she spent her last hours, you’d see the fruit of that labor.  She had that meticulous eye.  I have something she sewed in my kitchen at home.  And, Gma was skilled in this.  She also loved her bling bling.  She loved jewelry.  She was a ladies’ lady.  Exhibiting grace in her appearance and living, what spoke loud from her was her quiet, submissive spirit. 
The Scriptures speak of A time to embrace…
Grandma always did this.  The ladies that cared for her in the nursing home told me that Grandma was always loving on them.  The Bible also mentions a time to heal and being wrapped up in this loving woman was very healing for all of us.  And, again, each of us who are family remember the love of this woman: Grandma giving us that kiss on the cheek.  Her tender care for each of us made us melt with the love in which we were enveloped.  She was that good grandma you always envisioned.
A time to laugh…
We have so many lighthearted memories of Grandma which bring a smile to our faces.  I think of her leaning by Mom’s back door with her foot up on the counter like Holly.  Or, after one of our post-Christmas shopping trips, hiding some purchases from Grandpa in the bushes out front.  Or hiding stuff in general.  Once when they moved, Grandma would load the car under the cloak of darkness, so that Gpa didn’t discard any of her “treasures.”  Or, to use Biblical language, Grandma viewed most things as a time to keep whereas Gpa saw things as a time to throw away.  There’s so many Christmas and vacation memories I have, as well. 

Above all, I am grateful to God for giving me such an amazing woman as a grandmother.  Seeing the legacy that she left on our family, the way she selflessly served others, her faithfulness through the thick and thin of church life, the skill she had in cooking.   These are the type of amazing gifts that God gave us in this woman and we praise Him today for her. 

Weekend Recap – God’s Horrific Judgment

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My 7/7/13 AM sermon, God’s Horrific Judgment, from Revelation 9 is now online.  Judgment is a buzz in our culture.  All kinds of people are critical of others judging them, yet God’s judgment is perfectly right.  While we may question or wonder why He is the way He is, God is the standard of right that we must reckon with.  This sermon, then, sought to show what God’s judgment looks like and how it should inspire God’s people to be deep worshipers of Him, excel in loving others and honest about the story of the Bible.  As always, God extends mercy to those who will listen, repent and believe His Word.  I hope this sermon encourages you.

Dangerous Calling Email – The Evidence Is In

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Here’s my email to Elders and Deacons at Crestview for 7/2/13:

We continue to work through by weekly email the book Dangerous Calling. I hope, on one level, you are at least considering what I write each week.  I think it was McCheyne who said that the greatest need of our people is our personal holiness.  In other words, our pursuit of being a godly leader will have residual effects in the life of our church.  Today, Tripp points out, in chapter 6 on p.85, what for many of us is the obvious: “you know that every day you give personal empirical evidence that you have not yet arrived.  Every day you think, desire, say and do things that point to the existence of remaining sin within your heart.  Since this is true of us, is it not also true that we need to live in a willingly submissive commitment to God’s normal means of protecting and growing his still-being-sanctified children?”  Yes, Yes, Yes.  We need this. 

Consider your life and walk at Crestview.  Do you give the appearance you’ve arrived?  Or would others be aware that you are a sinner growing in holiness like them?  Let’s avail ourselves to the ministry of the body of Christ and watch God use this for His glory and the good of our people.