Miracles Part 2

It's been awhile, but I wanted to get back to sharing with you from our Miracles series.  In John 6 we find one of Jesus' more famous miracles, the feeding of the 5,000.  

In the story, we see that a huge crowd has gathered, and the disciples panic a little because they don't know how they're going to feed them all, and in the midst of all of this Jesus asks a question..."where are we going to buy enough food for these people to eat?"  I like to think Jesus was messing with the disciples here, because my Jesus is funny like that.  However, verse 6 gives us insight into why He really asked this question.  

John 6:6 - He asked this only to test them, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.

1. Jesus already has your miracle in mind - Whatever it is that you're going through, the Lord hasn't been got off guard by it.  He's not in a state of panic, wondering how He's going to get you through your problem.  When you're walking through a difficult season in your life...when you find yourself in need of a miracle...keep this one thing in mind.  The God of your last miracle, is the God of your next miracle.  He wasn't caught off the guard the first time around.  He's not this time around either.

John 6:9 - The disciples round up some food...5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to be exact.  The disciples bring Jesus the food with one major point of clarification...they looked at Jesus and said, "it's not enough."  But the truth is this.

2. Whatever you've got left to offer is enough - You may be reading this and you're emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained...you're tired of fighting, tired of praying, tired of waiting for things to change.  You simply don't feel as if you have anything left to offer.  Whatever you have left is enough...give it to the Lord.  Worship one more time, pray one more prayer, bring what you have to Him.  

We give the disciples a hard time in this story, but at least they brought the food to Jesus.  Don't play God with your miracle...don't try to determine whether or not you have enough to offer.  Your job is to bring what you have, His job is to multiply it. 

As we approach Thanksgiving, this is a time to remember all the blessings we have in our lives, a time to remember the miracles we've received in previous years.  As you are thanking God for these past blessings and miracles, let your faith be strengthened as you remember that He's always been there for you and will be again this time as well. 

Feels Like Chi Alpha

Before planting Solomon's Porch, my wife and I spent eleven amazing years in the world of college ministry.  I think I speak for her when I say we loved every minute of it.  However, if there's a downside to ministry on a college campus, it has to be finding space on campus to meet in.  This is a problem we had to deal with for the first 7-8 years, until we were able to build our own student center (thank you Life Fellowship in Weatherford, OK).

Even though our college ministries days are over, we find ourselves dealing with the same problem regarding meeting space.  We've been meeting in a hotel since we started doing pre-launch services in October of '09.  Over that time, we've met in pretty much every space they have available.  Thankfully, Chi Alpha prepared us well for this type of inconvenience.  That being said, the inconvenience reached new heights this past weekend.

On Saturday, I received an email from the hotel letting us know our time with them was over.  Starting in November, we will no longer be meeting in the hotel.  It's always tempting to panic or get upset when something like this happens, much to my surprise though, neither happened.  Without going into a lot of details, I believe the timing of all this is God ordained.  I don't know what's around the corner, but I believe God is in the middle of it.

Right now we're praying for direction and wisdom.  Do we find another hotel and/or temporary meeting space?  Do we go ahead and use this time to find a more permanent location?  Do we go into homes?  We're not quite sure which direction we'll end up going, but here's what I do know.  We will not panic.  God is in control!

Miracles

We're currently in a series called miracles.  I'm having a blast with the series and we're seeing God move in the lives of our people.  Because this series has been both encouraging and challenging to me personally, I wanted to use the next few blog posts to share some of what we've been learning at Solomon's Porch.

Week 1-Lazarus

John 11:6 When Jesus heard Lazarus was sick he stayed where he was two more days.  During that time, Lazarus went from sick to dead...however, if you know the story, you know Lazarus lived again.  Lesson...A delay of the miracle doesn't mean a denial of the miracle.  Keep praying...keep believing...your miracle may be delayed but it doesn't mean it has been denied.

The thing that stuck out to me the most in this miracle is found in verse 39...Jesus turned to the crowd and told them to "move the stone."  Lesson...sometimes our participation is requested.  Time after time in scripture we often see that action from our side is needed before we see action from God's side.  Moses had to raise his staff before the sea parted.  A miracle is something only God can do, but it doesn't mean we get to just sit back and wait for God to move.  Many times we need to move some stones before we see our miracle.  Instead of waiting for your miracle to just happen, maybe you should ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there's any action you should be taking.

Maybe the thing that brings about your financial miracle is a change in the way you handle your money...move that stone.  If a passive approach to your miracle hasn't worked, maybe there's a reason for that.  Take some action and walk towards your miracle.

For the entire sermon click here.

 

For Such a Time as This

We just finished the third week of our Game Changers series by looking at Esther.  In fact, most of you knew I would be mentioning Esther from the title of this entry alone.  Esther 4:14 is a much quoted passage of scripture and is a preacher's dream come true for good sermon material.  As I was studying for the message, I realized something about this verse, as well as Esther's situation that I believe is important for us to understand.

"For such a time as this" is often a place we'd rather not be.  We know how the story ended with Esther, we know that she saves the day, and because of that I think we sometimes lose perspective on how scary her 'such a time as this' really was.  Too many times we're guilty of believing we're in God's will when life is going smoothly and not in his will when life is hard.  Esther's story teaches us that sometimes God's will puts us right in the middle of a storm.  Esther was in God's will...she was made queen for such a time as this, but I'm guessing she wasn't really excited about the situation she was in...it was literally life threatening.

If you're walking through a difficult time right now and you find yourself in the middle of a storm, then this next statement is for you.  Just because you're in the middle of a storm, doesn't mean you're not in God's will!  Keep praying...keep fighting...stay in his will.  In the end, you will be victorious.

Game Changers

We just started a new series called Game Changers.  During the four weeks of the series we'll be looking at four different people in the bible to see how they changed the world around them and what lessons from their lives we can apply to our own (that was a long sentence).  When I think of game changers, I think of athletes.  I think of people like Michael Jordan, Albert Pujols, and Peyton Manning.  However, those guys are the best at what they do or did in Jordan's case.  But if we can only be game changers (for the kingdom of God) if we're the best at what we do then most of us are in trouble.  What about the rest of us mortals?  Can we still be game changers?  There's another athlete that we might be able to relate to a little easier.  His name is Robert Horry, or as he became known over the course of his career, Big Shot Rob.

Here's the great thing about Robert Horry...he was never the best player on his teams.  For most of his career he came off the bench...he was a role player.  A role player that hit 7 game winning shots in the playoffs and won 7 NBA championships with 3 different NBA teams.  He played with guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan...how does a guy playing with that kind of talent...a guy coming off the bench, become known as one of the most clutch players of all time?  It's a simple answer and it's the first thing we must learn if we want to be game changers.  Robert Horry had a willingness to take the shot.  When the game was on the line, when the pressure was at its peak and the ball was passed to him...he didn't pass it to someone else...he didn't freeze...he took the shot.

Your ability to change the world around you isn't about talent, or finances, or even spiritual maturity.  It most often boils down to one thing.  Are you willing to take the shot?  Are you willing to take some risks?  Are you willing to ask that co-worker to church...are you willing to reach out to a neighbor you know is hurting?  Robert Horry could have passed the ball to more talented players and nobody would have blamed him for it but instead time after time he stepped up and took the shot.  Regardless of what you believe, you have the talent and gifts necessary to change your world.  The question is are you going to step up and take the shot.

Laugh or Go Crazy

This past week, Solomon's Porch embarked on its first mass mailing campaign.  We sent jumbo sized postcards to 10,000 homes here in Richardson.  Mailing campaigns like this are always a little risky...they aren't cheap (although the price per home is about 23 cents)...and obviously there's no guarantee people will show up because of a piece of mail.  While I'll be disappointed if we don't see any foot traffic as a result of our efforts, I believe simply letting people know we're here and putting our name in front of them is important.  So, as the postcards have hit mailboxes the last few days, I've wondered what, if any impact they were having.  This morning I went to check my email and I had my answer.

I got an email from a gentleman letting me know he got our card......and then he preceded to ask me to take him off our mailing list...hahaha.  So I guess my questions have been answered.   People are getting the cards and they are having an impact...although it's not exactly what we were going for it's a start.

If you ever think about planting a church, I have one important piece of advice for you.  If you don't have a good sense of humor, don't do it.  It's a crazy ride, with lots of ups and downs...you better be able to laugh.

Making the Most of It

When we decided to make the move to Texas to plant Solomon's Porch, we did some significant downsizing.  The most dramatic part of the downsizing process was moving from a three bedroom house, with a great backyard, into a two bedroom apartment.  We have two children, which means now our kids share a room.  Needless to say, this is not an ideal situation, especially when you have a boy and a girl, and they are four years apart.  My son is headed into 6th grade and he's sharing a room with a 2nd grader.  It's not even close when it comes to the issues they're dealing with and being in the same room just complicates matters.

So how do you give your kids a little privacy when they share a room?  How do you give them a space to call their own, to put their own personal touches on?  Well, thanks to my wonderful wife and her ability to make the most out of a less than ideal situation...you give them tents!  She even let them write and draw on the tents to make them their own.  So far the kids are loving it, and although we hope to give them their own rooms again one day, we're all learning to make the most out of where we are.

The hardest thing about planting Solomon's Porch, at least so far, has been the affect that it has had on our kids.  In many ways, our kids have sacrificed a great deal more than us.  As a father, that's a hard pill to swallow and one I wrestle with daily.  Although we can't change our living situation right now, we can make the most of it.  I thank God for a wife that's doing just that for our kids.

Maybe your current situation is less than ideal.  Make the most of it.  When you do, five or ten years from now, you'll look back on this time with fond memories instead of regrets.

Here are a few pictures of their new "rooms."

Jordan's Tent

Sydney's Tent

    

Compassion On

During my prep time for the message this past Sunday, I read a familiar verse in a familiar parable.  However, while reading it, I had an anything but familiar wake up call and it all hinged on one word.

The verse is found in the parable of the good Samaritan.  This is what it says...But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.  Luke 10:33 (KJV)

I read this verse and one word jumped up at me, the word ON.  Now, on the surface it doesn't look like much but I believe this one word speaks volumes about the kind of Christians we are called to be.  Why doesn't Jesus say the Samaritan had compassion for the man?  Why does he say he had compassion on the man?  He uses the word on because there's a huge difference between having compassion for someone and having compassion on them.  Having compassion for someone is passive.  It's a feeling and nothing but a feeling.  Having compassion on someone is active and goes beyond just the initial feeling and results in action.

Having compassion for someone is saying, "My heart goes out to the kids in our community that can't afford school supplies."  Having compassion on someone is saying, "My heart goes out to those kids so we're going to give away backpacks and school supplies to help them out."  As a church, as believers, it's more important for us to have compassion on people...to take action and do something about the hurt and pain we see around us.  Lord forgive us for simply having compassion for people and challenge us to start having compassion on them.

Show compassion on someone this week.

        



 

The Power of Ordinary

Sometimes we're guilty of falling into the trap of believing that in order for something to be considered extraordinary it has to be big, cost a lot of money, or leave us with an emotional high.  I'm afraid churches are the worst when it comes to this mentality.  I'm not anti-big event, in fact I love big events, but I think in our quest to be extraordinary we've lost sight of the power of ordinary.

Most of us would agree Jesus was pretty extraordinary.  In fact, the whole Son of God, raise people from the dead, live a sinless life, tends to make you the most extraordinary person of all time.  We even read in scripture where he walked on water.  However, the bible only mentions him walking on water one time.  Every other time, the bible says he got in a boat to cross to the other side.  Why?  I mean if I could walk on water, if I could do something that extraordinary, I'm never setting foot in another boat.  So why would he choose the boat over walking on water?  Why would Jesus choose ordinary over extraordinary?  Here's why...relationships are built in the boat!  Ministry takes place in the boat!  The boat may be ordinary, but it's in the boat that life change happens.  Jesus knew he could walk on water and get to the other side faster, but just imagine all the time he would have lost "doing life" with the disciples...valuable time that he gained by doing something ordinary. 

As a church planter, I'm constantly praying for the extraordinary and I believe Solomon's Porch is called to do extraordinary things in Richardson.  However, I'm beginning to learn that there's also power in the ordinary.  There's power in getting in the boat with other people, of living life with them in plain, simple, ordinary ways.  I'm learning that it's possible to be great while being ordinary.

What's the Point?

Every month for the past year, Solomon's Porch has done at least one outreach in our city, most months we do more than one.  Yet I have to be honest, we've seen very little fruit from these outreaches.  Sometimes when I'm letting God have it, I mean praying, I'll ask one of the great pity party questions of all time, "what's the point?"  What's the point of investing time, money, and energy into these outreaches if we aren't seeing lives changed?  What's the point of giving away Thanksgiving dinners to needy families when you don't get so much as a thank you from 99% of them?  What's the point of challenging our people to give of themselves if there's no visible, tangible results?  If people's lives aren't being changed, if they're not walking through our doors, then what's the point?

Last night while I was praying, I was reminded of the point.  The point is with every Thanksgiving dinner, every business of the month we take gift baskets to, every backpack and set of school supplies we give away, we're giving someone the gospel.  Every outreach, big or small, preaches a sermon...tells our city that Jesus loves them.  Maybe you're not big on public speaking but you've always wanted to preach a great sermon...take your neighbor some brownies....watch their kids one night so they can have a night off...it may be the greatest sermon that person ever hears.

The next time you hear me say what's the point, remind me of this post.   

 

         

Successful Failure

I hate to lose!  From the time I was a kid, until this very day, nothing bothers me more than losing.  One time when I was just a kid, I was playing catch out in the front yard with some friends, when my mom heard me say a cuss word.  She came running out the door and asked me why I said that particular word.  My response was very simple, “I missed the ball.”  Although I’ve cleaned up my language from my days as a filthy mouthed 6 year old, I still hate losing.  In my head, losing has always equaled failure.

As a church planter, I operate in a world in which failure happens at a pretty high clip.  While I’m never going to be ok with the idea of failing, I’ve come to grips with what I think is a very important truth, one that is currently helping me maintain my sanity.  That truth is this…God’s idea of success is different from mine.  And at the end of the day, I’d rather be successful in His eyes more than anyone else’s, including my own. 

Most of us operate from a worldly perspective of success.  It doesn’t matter if you’re in the marketplace or the church, we are all guilty of using what I believe are incomplete metrics for measuring success, these metrics are not all together wrong, they’re just incomplete.  I’d like to see more of us, including myself, add an additional and I believe more important metric to the equation…obedience. 

Solomon’s Porch may never become the church I dreamed it could be, but if this adventure comes to an untimely end, this one thing I will always know…I was obedient to the call.  While I spend many nights praying/stressing over numbers, finances, and the success of our outreaches, God asks one thing of me…be obedient.  You’ve got to admit, using the world’s standards, the cross looked like a huge failure.  The Son of God was dead.  But little did they know, Jesus’ act of obedience was about to change the world. 

As I’ve chewed on these thoughts the last few days, I’ve come to this conclusion.  It is impossible to fail, if we’re obedient to the Lord.  This doesn’t guarantee Solomon’s Porch will flourish.  It doesn’t mean you’ll get every promotion.  It simply means, when you walk in obedience, in God’s eyes, you’re already successful.  Our obedience to God means that no matter what, we always win!      

Narcissistic Therapy

I suppose a blog is a little on the narcissistic side. Let's be honest, posting your thoughts for the world to see assumes people care about what you have to say. In fact, it assumes you have anything worth saying at all.

While I would like people to stop by and check things out, I think more than anything this may be good for me. So basically, I created a blog which has the primary purpose of serving as my own personal therapy session, and I've invited you to listen in. Yep, narcissism at its finest. Take that Lady Gaga!