Parenting can be such a challenge. Our newest challenge is the word "No." Micah has recently learned this word, and I must say that it's pretty hilarious. He doesn't know many words, but this one is up there on his favorites, right after Momma and Daddy. Last night he and I were outside, and I asked him if he was ready to go back inside. His response was no. I then asked him if he wanted to stay outside and play. His response once again was no. He's learning how to communicate, and right now it's very cute, very charming.

Now Adam, on the other hand...

Last night I told him it was time to go to bed, and he said, "No." This is the second time he's done this. The first time was Sunday night. This was neither cute nor charming. I told him that this was disobedience, and it was not acceptable. His punishment was that he couldn't watch tv this morning before school. He cried and tried to tell me that he was sorry and he wouldn't do it again, but I had to insist on the discipline. Our bedtime routine of talking, praying and singing lasted a little longer than normal. We talked about why it's important for him to obey us, as well as what God thinks about it. I made sure that he knows that I love him, and then he went to bed.

Now here's my dilemma. I don't want to create a double standard. It's not fair for Adam to get punished for saying something that gets a laugh when Micah says it. Now granted, the attitude (the heart) is the core issue here, and for Micah it's different than for Adam. However, I want to be consistent for Adam's sake.

Now for the even bigger dilemma: What about my obedience to my Father? What about when I say "No" to God? May my heart be sensitive to the Spirit's direction today. May I be quick to respond in obedience in whatever my Father says to me today. And I pray that my sons will come to know that I am this kind of man.

Reflections from Orlando Pt. 1

It's been a few days since I returned home from the Exponential Conference, and I think I'm ready to post some reflections from our time in Orlando. The biggest takeaway is that I'm once again reminded what a joy it is to serve with Jason. I am so glad that I'm not doing this by myself. God directed our steps in such profound ways throughout the week, drawing us to His heart and to His mission for our church.

Most people don't have this type of partnership within their line of work. However, if you're married, you'll know what I'm talking about. Often God speaks first to one spouse, then, as the couple talks and prays about it, God brings them both together. This is at least the way it works with Mandy and I. I remember one time, though, when God spoke to us simultaneously. It was May, 2003, and we were preparing for my graduation from Golden Gate Seminary and our move to Las Vegas to work with a network of house churches. Unbeknown to us, God had other plans, and in the span of less than 24 hours, He whispered these plans in both of our ears, at the same time. We knew that he was calling us to move 30 miles away to San Leandro, where Mandy had been teaching the previous three years.

I mention that story because I believe this is what happened with Jason and I this week. God whispered a few things in both of our ears, and really brought us together on what has seemed like a few missing pieces of the mission of Neighborhood Church. We realized that we have definitely made a few mistakes along the way, but we were also affirmed in so many ways that much of what we are doing is good, and even though it is difficult to see the results, it is what God wants us to do.

I'll mention more of those mistakes and affirmations later, but for now, I am grateful that God has revealed his plans to both of us. A few Scriptures come to mind (Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Chron. 12:32, 2 Chron. 20:12, John 5:19).

Proverbs 3-4

Scripture
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Observation
Stewardship is first and foremost knowing that God is God and I'm not. He is the creator of everything. He is the owner of everything. He has given me the task of managing (stewarding) his creation. The tricky thing is that God doesn't force me to give back to Him. He sets up a principle by which it is in my best interest to do so, but He doesn't force it on me. That's why stewardship is also about trust. Do I trust God to give me all that I need? God doesn't need the firstfruits. It is just a part of the principle. When I tithe, I am in a sense saying that I trust God to do more with 90% than I could do on my own with 100%.

Application
God has never failed me in this area. Mandy and I have always tried to be faithful in the area of tithing, and God continues to give us all that we need, and more so. He has blessed us with abundance. We want to do our part by honoring and trusting our Faither, and we know that He will continue to provide for our needs.

Prayer
Father, it is so easy to forget that you want to take care of your children's needs. Help me to honor you with my wealth, and help me to trust you to take care of me. Amen.

Risky Business

I'm in a book group on Thursday nights with two other guys, and we've been reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson. Last night we discussed chapter 6: "Playing It Safe is Risky." A few quotes...

The more you're willing to risk, the more God can use you. And if you're willing to risk everything, then there is nothing God can't do in you and through you (102).

Sometimes taking a calculated risk means giving up something that is good so you can experience something that is great. In a sense, sin is short-changing ourselves and short-changing God. It is settling for anything less than God's best. Faith is the exact opposite. Faith is renouncing lesser goods for something greater. and it always involves calculated risk (106).

Obedience is a willingness to do whatever, whenever, wherever God calls us (109).

Maybe righteousness has less to do with not doing anything wrong and more to do with doing things right (109).

If you were to always act in your greatest self-interest, you would always obey God (111).

(quoting Johann Wolfgang von Goethe): Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do (114).

This chapter had a profound impact on me. It wasn't so much that I read anything new. It was more that I received a renewed permission to take risks for God. My heart beats for stuff like this. I've grown most in my life when I was completely dependent on God to do what only He could do. I feel like I'm in this place right now, especially with the church.

Yesterday our little church had a good day. One of our core group members had been emailing Wendi Thomas, a writer for the Commercial Appeal, about the Advent Conspiracy. Yesterday she received an email from Wendi saying that she was planning on writing about it in Sunday's paper. Shelley forwarded the email to Jason and I, and five minutes later I was being interviewed by Wendi on the phone.

Wendi is a great writer, and I'm very excited that she has decided to write about the Advent Conspiracy. The fact that it is going to be in Sunday's edition is icing on the cake. God is up to something here!

So what does that have to do with the book? Well, last night I was reminded of an incident that took place one year ago. That's when I first heard about the Q conference. I immediately wanted to go, but I knew that Jason and Barb were going to be having their baby around that same time, plus it was pretty expensive. I eventually decided that I probably shouldn't go.

A couple of days later, I felt that God was telling me that I should go, and that He would provide the funds. The trick, though, was that I was going to have to ask for the funds...not from Him, but from people. I'm like most people in that I do not like asking people for money, but I felt like God wanted me to do this. So I took a risk and asked two people. One gave and the other didn't. Then a couple of days later we received the rest of what was needed.

Here's what hit me last night. The Q conference was where I first heard about the Advent Conspiracy. That was my big takeaway. I knew when I first heard Rick McKinley talk about it that this was something that our church should take part in.

The step that God was asking me to take was pretty small compared to others' steps of obedience, but look at what it led to. I continue to be amazed by the creativity of God!

Acts 8:4-40

Philip, one of the seven, went to Samaria and proclaimed Christ to those he met. He healed the sick and cast out demons. Luke says that the crowds "with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip" (8:6). One would think that this might have something to do with Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman a few years earlier (John 4).

A sorcerer named Simon watched Philip and was jealous. For many years he was the one with great powers, and everyone gave him attention. Even so, he was curious about the two-fold message that Philip was preaching: (1) good news about the kingdom of God and (2) the name of Jesus Christ. Many believed and were baptized, among them Simon the Sorcerer.

Word quickly spread back to Jerusalem, and Peter and John were sent to see it for themselves: the Samaritans had believed! They also came to lay hands on these new believers and pray that they might receive the Holy Spirit. When Simon observed this, he quietly went to Peter and John and offered them money if he too could do this. Peter rebuked him and warned him to repent. Simon obeyed.

Some time after this an angel appeared to Philip and told him to go back towards Jerusalem and down to Gaza, which was a coastal city. He didn't tell him why, and Philip didn't ask. He just obeyed. On his way he ran into an Ethiopian eunich who worked for Queen Candace. He was on his way back from Jerusalem, where he had journeyed to worship. Philip saw that he had the Scriptures opened to Isaiah. Luke points out that the Spirit told Philip to go closer to the Ethiopian's chariot. Again, Philip obeyed.

Philip then asked a simple question: "Do you understand what you are reading?" The Ethiopian was obviously hungry to know truth, but indeed did not understand what he was reading. In fact, he said that he would never understand it unless he had someone to help him understand. The chariot stopped, Philip got in, and he looked to see what the Ethiopian was reading. It was from Isaiah 53. Luke says that Philip began with this Scripture and told the Ethiopian the good news about Jesus.

Right about this time they drove by a small body of water. The Ethiopian asked Philip if he could be baptized. Right after he came out of the water, he looked around and Philip was gone. He had vanished. Philip found himself in Azotus, about twenty miles north of Gaza. Understandably a little excited, Philip headed back to Caesarea (another 40-60 miles north), preaching the gospel to all he came in contact with.