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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.

Dangerous Calling Email – Chapter 5

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For today’s email to Crestview’s leadership on Paul Tripp’s Dangerous Calling book, I had one of our deacons, Benjamin Oard, write some reflections on chapter 5.  Here’s what he writes:

The most interesting part of each chapter for me have been personal stories and experiences Paul Tripp shares. I've been able to identify with each of those stories on some level. The story in Chapter 5 of Joe and his life being totally consumed by the stress of circumstance, ministry, and family. This stress transformed his daily mindset into a "survival" mode. I remember reading that particular story and immediately identifying with Joe. More importantly, I remember reading the terrifying response of Joe's wife..."I can't stand what it has done to Joe and our family, I just can't do it anymore." 

Survival is the mindset I easily drift towards. My energy is exhausted by the stress at work, craziness with three small children at home, and helping lead ministry. I've use the "can do" attitude in the past, and believe me that isn't enough. Going through the motions and putting on a good face will not get it done. Personal devotions and reading books won't revitalize me towards the father, husband, and employee I'm called to be. 

Paul Tripp gives us eight essential means of grace that can help minister to each of us. I'm just going to highlight two that I've benefited from:
1) Seek out a spiritually mature person to mentor you at all times. Bob Guthrie and I have met for a few years now. He never tells me what I want to hear (makes you wonder why I keep going back?) The Spirit works through others to minister to each of us. I get great encouragement sharing and asking for wisdom in the seemingly overwhelming circumstances I face. The question is, "Will we take advantage of that means of grace?"

2) Make there is someone regularly mentoring your wife . This is just as important. Jandee did this without me encouraging her to do so. This is such a great tool for young mothers. I'm not sure there is a more draining job than a stay at home mom.  She needs community and takes advantage of this much better than I do.

I hope your encouraged by chapter 5 and were able to benefit from the material Paul Tripp illustrated so well.

Dangerous Calling – Isolation Review

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Our church leadership is meeting regularly to work through Paul Tripp’s book Dangerous Calling.  Each week, I send an email reminding them of things we’re learning.  Here’s this week’s installment:

Gents,
Want to keep building on the momentum from our May 21st meeting.  In that meeting (have you gotten together with Bob Guthrie yet if you missed it?), we watched sessions 5 and 6.  I’m going to summarize session 6 in this email and press for some application. 
The high points:
·         When you begin to believe that you have arrived, you will be unprepared for the violence of grace.  God will bring the grace of refinement and rescue to reclaim your heart.
·         God wants you.
·         Ministry can lead to the temptation of isolation.
·         Sin blinds, and therefore, we will have an inaccurate view of ourselves and will not be able to repent of sins.
We were encouraged to pursue these applications:
·         Have you isolated yourself from or above the body of Christ?
·         Have you been using your position as a leader to justify not revealing your struggles and temptations to others?
·         Do you tell yourself that, as a leader, you must set a good example and, therefore, not confess sin?
·         Have you told yourself that you must not show weaknesses in order to be an effective leader?
·         Have you improperly judged others in ministry or placed unreachable expectations upon them?  If so, perhaps you need to confess this to them.
·         Are you prepared to show compassion, mercy and grace to others in ministry?  Have you made yourself approachable should anyone want to share or confess their struggles to you?
·         Are you prepared to speak the truth in love to those in the body who need to hear difficult truths spoken in love?

I hope some of these resonate with you and result in lots of ministry application out of our lives.  Have a great week.

Dangerous Calling Email – Mediocrity

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Here’s the email I wrote to elders and deacons at Crestview today:

Today, the final chapter of Dangerous Calling that was recommended for us to study after our last video session was chapter 10 entitled Mediocrity.  I resonate with much in this chapter on mediocrity because I knew what was required of me when I worked in the secular world.  I worked for a fast food restaurant that was awarded #1 in the nation for customer service in 1991 (and we received a $50,000 bonus as a store).  I worked for Sam’s Club during seminary and found their standards for serving the customer were very high.  Even when I did marketing work for IBM, I achieved awards for my work not by slacking, but by being efficient and excellent in all that I tried to do.  So, in the church, serving the King of kings and Lord of lords, how does my service line up.
Here’s Tripp’s way of exposing the issue: “Mediocrity is not a time, personnel, resource, or location problem. Mediocrity is a heart problem. We have lost our commitment to the highest levels of excellence because we have lost our awe. Awe amnesia is the open door that admits mediocrity. Awe of God is fear-producing, inspiring, motivating, convicting, and commitment producing. There is no replacement for this in the leadership of the church of Jesus Christ.” 
Today, then, maybe you’ve watched yourself grow slack in service.  The remedy for this heart issue is to return to your awe of the Savior.  Specifically, think about the picture we saw Sunday in Revelation 4-5 of the One seated on the Throne.  Awe Him.  And, let that translate to your service with the highest levels of excellence.  

Dangerous Calling Email – War of Kingdoms

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Here’s my email for the week to leaders at Crestview from Paul Tripp’s book, Dangerous Calling:

Today, we’re back in Tripp’s Dangerous Calling book thinking about Chapter 7, War Zones.  In introducing this idea, Tripp writes, “It took God employing pastoral hardship to get me to embrace the inescapable reality that everything I did in ministry was done in allegiance to and in pursuit of either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God.  This truth is best exegeted for us in Matthew 6:19-34 (Please grab your Bible and read the passage).  I’m convinced that this passage is an elaborate unpacking of the thoughts, desires and actions of the kingdom of self.  Notice the turn in the passage in v.33, where Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God.”  The word “But” tells us this verse is the transition point of the passage.  Everything before it explains the operation of the other kingdom, the kingdom of self.  This makes the passage a very helpful lens on the struggle between the two kingdoms that somehow, some way, battle in the heart of everyone in ministry.” 
Tripp then unpacks 4 ministry treasure principles that are helpful in seeking to examine the motivations of our heart in ministry:
1) You will be treasure oriented in your ministry.
2) Your ministry treasures will command the allegiance of your heart.
3) What captures the allegiance of your heart will shape your ministry actions, reactions and responses. 
4) Your functional treasures are always attached to either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God.
Today, will you ask God to shine the light on your service and ministry so that you may seek out whether you are serving the kingdom of self or God?  And, remember to run to God as your refuge.  

Dangerous Calling Email – War

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Here’s an email I sent to ministry leaders at Crestview today, 4/10/13:

We continue to think all things Dangerous Calling weekly.  Why?  Because we recognize that we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood here.  There’s spiritual stuff happening all around us and taking leaders in the local church out of the game maximizes our enemy’s joy.  So, thanks for taking time to invest in this exercise.  We want hearts that are consumed with bringing joy to our Father in heaven. 
Having said that, today, a quick thought from Chapter 7 of Dangerous Calling entitled War Zones.  Here’s one concern Tripp alludes to:
“My experience with hundreds of pastors (read church leaders) is that many sadly function in a regular state of gospel amnesia.  They forget to preach privately to themselves the gospel that they declare publicly to others. 
“When you forget the gospel, you begin to seek from the situations, locations, and relationships of your ministry what you have already been given in Christ.  You begin to look to ministry for identity, security, hope, well-being, meaning and purpose.  These are things you will only ever find vertically.  They are already yours in Christ.  So you have to fight to give the Gospel presence in your heart.  Also, when you live out of the grace of the Gospel, you quit fearing failure, you quit avoiding being known, and you quit hiding your struggles and your sin.  The Gospel declares that there is nothing that could ever be uncovered about you and me that hasn’t already been covered by the grace of Jesus.  The gospel is the only thing that can free a pastor from the guilt, shame and drivenness of the hide (“never let your weakness show”) and seek (asking ministry to do what Christ has already done) lifestyle that makes ministry burdensome to so many pastors. 
“So, in the war of pastoral ministry, are you a good soldier?  Remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, and he battles on your behalf even when you don’t have the sense to.  Remember too that in Christ you have already been given everything you need to be what you’re supposed to be and to do what you’re supposed to do in the place where God has positioned you.  And remember that since Emmanuel is with you, it is impossible to ever be alone in that moment-by-moment war that is pastoral ministry. 

Great word there.  Hope you hear and are encouraged by the Gospel.  Ministry is war.  Thank God the victory is ours through our Lord Jesus Christ.