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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.

LRC Email – Catch Valve and Voices

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Here’s the email I sent to Leadership Reno County alums today on engaging unusual voices:

Recently had some plumbing problems and had to put in a catch valve in our sump pump pipe.  Now, I’m not the handiest person when it comes to this, but I do understand the thought here.  The catch valve insures the sump keeps making progress.
In a sense, that’s what engaging unusual voices is all about.  It’s helping all kinds of people make progress on things they care about.
So, if this such a great concept, why don’t we engage unusual voices more often?
– We don’t set high enough standards for ourselves in how we connect with people and build relationships.
– It’s risky.  Usual voices fear losing their status or influence.
– Fear.  We gravitate toward what’s comfortable.
– Time. Engaging unusual voices requires time people are unwilling to give.
– Assumptions.  Those without influence are often assumed to lack expertise.
Anytime and every time is a good time to engage unusual voices.
(taken from a Kansas Leadership Center Conference Call summary)

Today, then, engage in an act of leadership by going after the unusual voices so that you make progress on the issue you care about.

Weekend Review – Seals on Scroll

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My 6/16/13AM sermon, Seals on Scroll, from Revelation 6:1-17 is now online.  Our church is making its way through this book that showcases Jesus and today we saw some expectations we can have as we near the end.  One big point that personally stood out was the call to be faithful.  Living my faith as if it’s worthy dying for is one of the many callings of this passage.  Hope it encourages you.

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.

Meh-wedge – A Good, Good Thing!

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You might know this past weekend, my wife and I had the privilege, along with our 5 month old, to go to Florida for a beach wedding.  In this case it was for my brother.  While I was in the midst of celebrating Saturday night, I read the following tweet online:

mrmeddersJun 08, 6:23pm via Tweetbot for iOS

If you’re a Christian and you don’t *love* weddings, you don’t have a romance problem—it’s a theological problem.
I don’t know how this thought strikes you, but it made me pause a second and get my bearings.  After all, I was the “trained professional” involved in helping pull off the ceremony and, like most every wedding I was involved in, there are things that make weddings somewhat unlovable.  I’m thinking of the personalities of people involved, all the details coming together at precise moments, in our case, the heat of a summer’s day on the beach dressed in nice clothes, time barriers, a crying child.  

But what is marriage about?  A few years ago, our church was rewriting bylaws and we were adjusting some language on the article on marriage.  We said, we believe marriage is a good thing.  Some people thought it was a little too chatty and didn’t have the “sacred institution” language that had always been there.  But, do you know why we opted for the “good thing” language?  Because the Bible (and, as a result, God) does.

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
or 
Genesis 2:18-24
God says “It’s not good for man to be alone” and remedies this by creating a wife for Adam. 
God made marriage to be a sacred institution and a “good thing”.  Hebrews 13:4 gives us 2 directions in regard to marriage: to let it be held in honor among all and to keep it pure.  So, marriages, weddings and the uniting of a man and woman together is a great work of God and, thus, Christians should “love” when people gather to celebrate what God has done in bringing a man and woman together.  
That tweet was right on and exactly what I needed in our celebration Saturday to look to the One who gave us this good thing and praise Him.  Hope you can do the same today reflecting on these things.  

LRC Email: Hearing Voices

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Here’s the email I wrote to Leadership Reno County alums today, entitled “Hearing Voices.”

I’m being serious.  Hearing voices might seem like some metaphysical pursuit or some other kind of psychological thing-a-ma-jig.  But, one of our contentions is that engaging unusual voices is a very important act of leadership.  In a recent conference call, Ed O’Malley said, “Engaging unusual voices is about getting outside your comfort zone.  If we don’t build capacity to experiment beyond our comfort zone, we’re less likely able to engage unusual voices.”  They are important.  So, we’re going to take a couple of weeks and think about this.
Why is it so important to engage unusual voices?
Answer: They see things usual voices don’t.  True progress isn’t made without them.

I’ll leave it there for today.  Hope you have a great week.  And seek out some of those voices you don’t normally.

Dangerous Calling Email – Danger of Arrival Review

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Here’s the email I wrote to the elders and deacons of Crestview today, following up on a meeting we had going over Tripp’s Dangerous Calling DVDs.

I’m going to summarize session 5 in this email and press for some application. 
Some of the high points were:
– The Bible is shockingly honest about the brokenness of this world but is, also, gloriously hopeful.
– Since the Bible is honest and hopeful, we should be the most open and honest community.
– There is a danger of identifying or defining ourselves and each other by positions of ministry.
– Effective ministry requires an intentionally intrusive, Christ-centered, grace-driven, redemptive community based on humble approachability and loving honesty.
– We are all tempted to live according to the lie of autonomy and the lie of self-sufficiency.
– The greatest problems and temptations of life lie inside of me and not outside which means I need the grace of God in me much more than I need changes in situations.
Here’s the applications, we were encouraged to pursue:
Is there someone in your life whom you have made yourself approachable to and will allow them to intrude into your life?  If not, why not?  Who could such a person be in your life?
Are you still a person who hungers and thirsts for God’s grace?
How can our church help develop and support the spiritual growth of each other in leadership?
Pray for and with your church leaders (reminder, we meet each Sunday at 8:30 in the bookstore).

Hope you have a great week.  

LRC Email – You’re Needed

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Here’s the email I sent to Leadership Reno County Alumni on 6/3/13:

I recognize that many of you have plenty on your plate.  Having said that, though, I also realize that some of you are looking for the right opportunity in which to engage.  The Alumni Association was recently approached by the city for help in dealing with board vacancies.  Here’s the low-down:
The City has many advisory boards, commissions and committee, and we are constantly seeking out volunteers who can give the time to participate in their local government.  The City’s web link below provides access to a description of each board, a listing of current board members and upcoming vacancies, an Application for Board Appointment, an Applicant Bank form, and information about our appointment policies.  [They] respectfully request that [we] share the City’s web link with [you].
So, consider if this might be for you and follow up accordingly.  If we really believe that engaging in acts of leadership helps us make progress on our most daunting challenges, joining a board might be a way to engage in an act of leadership and pursue change, while seeking to work for the good of our community. 

With you in this…

Weekend Recap – Bold Trust

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My 6/2/13AM sermon, Bold Trust, overviewing Revelation 6-16 is now online.  In this sermon, I sought to show some application for what these chapters might mean for the 1st century reader, and, as a result, for our lives as well.  Specifically, these chapters encourage a bold trust in God, who will accomplish His plan.  Along with this bold trust, we can expect resistance as well as a calling to be bold witnesses for Him.  I hope it encourages you as well.

LRC Email – Negatives Can Be Positives

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Here’s the email I wrote Leadership Reno County alums today:

We’ve been thinking this month about the temperature and raising the heat, using KLC’s Raising the Heat resource.  Today, the simple reminder I have gets at something we often fail to remember.  We tend to think of raising heat as negative and risky (and, at times, it is).  However, sometimes apparent negative things can actually be positive. 
Consider: WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF RAISING THE HEAT?
■ You provide an example for others and create a culture that raises the heat when necessary.
■ The result is always better than you imagine. It’s always easier than you imagined, too.
■ It can reveal what is on people’s minds and put others things to rest.
■ It creates new energy and the opportunity for alliances.
■ It can catalyze self-discovery
So there are many benefits to be found in raising the heat.  What are you waiting for?

Have a great day…