Links

It's been awhile since I posted links, so you can imagine that I've got some really good ones here. Hopefully that will prove to be the case.

Tim Chester on the differences between house churches and missional communities

Tim Kimmel, author of Grace-Based Parenting, is coming to Memphis in October. Hoping to take a great group from our church

A month or so ago I started doing a bible study on our identity in Christ. Today I see that Greg Boyd has beaten me to it. This is worth spending some time on. I want to teach on this at some point soon.

A key passage for our Acts series this summer was 1 Peter 3:15, which says that we as Christians should always be ready to give a reason for why we have hope. I remember first hearing Brian McLaren say that this implies that people are asking questions. So what questions are our friends asking?

I just ordered the TK Primer (Workbook). It's a follow-up to one of my all-time favorite books, The Tangible Kingdom, by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. I'm looking forward to going through this workbook.

PC Mag's Best Freeware for 2009

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Why pay? You've already shelled out money for a computer, so there's no reason that what's running on that pricey PC should cost a darn thing. Not in this day and age of amazing freebie software and Web apps. That's why every year PCMag.com presents a look at the best programs you can download or access online at no cost. All are worthy replacements for your ancient and sometimes forgotten desktop applications, and they'll save you thousands of dollars to boot.

Read the rest of the article here.

Reflections from the Beach

Last night we returned from three nights at Orange Beach. It was so good for the four of us to get away and have fun together. Mandy and I knew it would be challenging with with both boys and no other adults (as there has been during other vacations), so we did some pretty intentional planning. We left our house on Monday morning at 4:30 am. This meant that the boys slept quite a bit, but it also meant that we had several hours on the beach that first day.

We also decided that we would feed the boys first, then I would pick up takeout (seafood) and we would enjoy a nice dinner on the balcony after they were asleep. I must say that this was Mandy's idea, and what a wonderful idea it was. It was a great time of reconnecting for the two of us.

One story to share...on the first morning Adam and I went out for a walk on the beach. As we were walking back towards our condo, a jogger came up behind us and passed us. Apparently Adam saw this as a gesture to race, so off he went (picture Forrest Gump). The funniest part was that as soon as he passed him, he cut him off, then went to play in the sand. I'm sure the guy's response was, "Are you kidding me?" By this point I had stopped and was just laughing.

Alright, one more story about the 4-year old. If you've ever spent any time with Adam, you know that he's the extrovert of the family. Mom, Dad and Micah are all pretty boring to him, so he wanted to find friends. I love the fact that he's not afraid to go up to someone and begin talking. I sometimes worry that this is going to lead to heartbreak from time to time, but I love that he has that within him. Here's the funny part. Yesterday morning we went out to the beach one last time before leaving. I was sitting down watching Adam and Micah play in the sand. Two ladies walked by, and one of them said, "Hi Adam." She kept walking. It took me awhile to remember that Adam had met her when he went to play with her sons on our first day there. I laughed, wondering how many others knew Adam.

Left Behind

No, not that Left Behind. This one. This week's Memphis Flyer has a great article about the new outer loop (I-269) that is set to be complete in less than three years. The question that is asked is how this will affect the city. Will this continue to push people out to the suburbs (whatever the suburbs will be defined as now)? Read the article, then check out these maps and graphics for more info.

How I Got Here - Conclusion

Well, I think that's it (for now) on this series of posts. In case you missed any, here are the links.

Introduction

Community

Missional Community

Team

Church Pt. 1

Church Pt. 2

Church Pt. 3

Gospel

Missional Church

City

Culture

Discipleship

Adam and Walt

Last night Walt came over while his parents went out. They were going to be late, so we called it a partial sleep-over. We made them go to bed around 8:30, and they talked for quite awhile. I think it was around 9:30 before they were completely quiet. At one point Mandy and I listened in on their conversation. Here's a portion of it.

Walt: I'm going to St. Louis to a baseball game. I'm also going to a museum.

Adam: What kind of museum?

Walt: I don't know

Adam: Is it a museum for dinosaurs?

Walt: I don't know

Adam: Is it a museum for construction vehicles?

Walt: I don't know

Adam: Is it a museum for helicopters?

Walt: I don't know

Adam (getting quite agitated): Walt, can you tell me what kind of museum it is?

Walt: I don't know

Next time Walt comes over, we're hiding a recorder.

Worried About Michael

Mandy relayed this story to me today.

Adam has been keeping up with the Michael Jackson story. Today he told my mom that Michael Jackson burned himself (happened in 1984 I believe). Then he said, "Now he's in the ground, and I'm very worried."

How I Got Here - Discipleship

I mentioned in a previous post that my friend Dieter Zander introduced me to Missional Church nine years ago. During that meeting he suggested another book that I was unfamiliar with at the time: The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard. I have to admit that I had a difficult time first working through this book. However, over the last five or six years his work has played a major role in shaping the way I view discipleship.

There's a great article that I'd like to recommend for anyone who is unfamiliar with Dallas Willard, or who simply wants to understand better what it means to follow Jesus. I say "great" for two reasons. The first reason is that it's short; 2 pages. Anyone can read 2 pages. Second, it encapsulates some of the major themes from The Divine Conspiracy, such as:

• Disciple = apprentice
• Discipleship is not primarily about knowing facts. Instead, it centers on the amazing fact that Jesus wants to show us how to live life. He is the model. He is the teacher.
• Discipleship is not a passive activity. It requires more than just "trying." It requires training.
• The purpose of spiritual disciplines
• The Kingdom of God

I'll recommend one more article. Though a bit longer, I want to recommend it because it focuses on his VIM pattern for spiritual formation. It comes out of his book Renovation of the Heart. This has been helpful in showing not just why we need to become Jesus' apprentices, but how we become Jesus' apprentices.

How I Got Here - Culture

I read this next article during a break at the Catalyst Conference in October, 2006. It was by Gabe Lyons, founder of The Fermi Project. The article is entitled The Culture-Shaping Church, and continues this theme of the church being a counterculture for the common good. In this article Gabe tells the story of going to the Bahamas and seeing how Clint Kemp and New Providence Community Church were impacting their culture.

Clint shares how early on their church was attracting non-Christians through a seeker-sensitive approach, but he soon realized that "this model of church was not creating the kind of Christ-followers that could revolutionize the island." How's that for a goal! The article goes on to share some the ways they began shaping the culture.

It was around this same time that I heard someone ask the question, "If your church were to move out of your city, would anyone notice?" I think I lost sleep over this question. Neighborhood Church wasn't even in infancy at that point, but I knew right then and there that I never wanted that to be the case with our new church. I wanted our community to know us as good people who loved and were passionate about what they loved and were passionate about. I believed, and still believe, that as we committed ourselves through walking out the three journeys, we could see our culture impacted in a positive way through the gospel.

For a more in depth treatment on this subject, the Fermi Project has a free issue of Fermi Words, and the "short" for that issue is also by Gabe Lyons. It's titled Influencing Culture.

How I Got Here - City

One more Keller article. This one's titled "A New Kind of Urban Christian." When I read this, it put into words so much that had been on my heart for the past few years. My first exposure to Tim Keller was listening to his three messages at the 2006 Reform and Resurge Conference in Seatlle. You can download that talk here. This article is a synopsis of that talk. His primary points are as follows:

1. More Christians should live long-term in cities. Keller believes, like James Montgomery Boice before him, that Christians should "live in cities in at least the same percentage as the general population." He says that the reason we are not influencing culture is that we have left the cities. Couldn't agree more.
2. Christians should be a dynamic counterculture. He references Matthew 5:14-16, where Jesus told his disciples that they were a city on a hill. Basically, we should stand out, not in a bad way, but in a good way. We should look different from the world.
3. Christians should be a community radically committed to the good of the city as a whole. This article first appeared on The Christian Vision Project's website. I love the question they ask: How can followers of Christ be a counterculture for the common good? The story of the Israelites as exiles in Babylon has impacted me greatly in this area. I remember reading Robert Linthicum's City of God, City of Satan in my City class in seminary. He referenced Jeremiah 29, where God tells His people through Jeremiah that as the city prospers, so will they prosper. This is this message of being committed to the good of a city.
4. Christians should be a people who integrate their faith with their work. It's not pastors who shape culture. It's, as Tim Chester and Steve Timmis say, "ordinary people living ordinary lives with gospel intentionality" who shape culture.

It's actually very refreshing to see that the transformation of cities is not rocket science. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. God wants to redeem and restore that which is lost. His plan has not changed. I know it may sound pretty simplistic, but I believe that in some ways we just need to do the opposite of what has been done over the past several decades. A couple of examples: instead of running from our cities because there is so much sin, crime, etc., many of us should move back, and instead of pulling our children out of our schools, let's enroll them there. But not only that, but let's get involved. Let's serve the schools. Jesus says that we are salt and light, but the only way for us to fulfill our purposes as salt and light is for us to be present.

How I Got Here - Missional Church

I mentioned in a previous post that I wasn't sure when I was first exposed to the term "missional," but now I remember. It was when my friend Dieter Zander suggested that I read Missional Church, the great book edited by Darrell Guder. It was one of his parting words to me during our initial trip to San Francisco, when we were deciding if we were going to go to Golden Gate Seminary. The funny thing is that I didn't read it until three years later, after seminary was over. But I remember devouring it over about a week. I would guess that it's a top 5 "shaping" book for me.

As I've said in other posts, the word "missional" took on great meaning for me during my time in seminary. I came to understand that the church is the called out and sent forth people of God. We are called to take the gospel into culture. This is what it means to be missional.

If you've heard this term thrown around but are still not exactly sure what it means, I would recommend an article by Tim Keller titled "The Missional Church." In just three pages he summarizes the what's, why's and how's of missional church.

Acts Study

We've just hit the halfway point on our Acts study. I think it's been good for everyone. Because this study is building as we go, I want to reflect here on the major themes of this book.

Mission of God --> Desperate Dependence --> Doing whatever it takes

It all begins with the mission of God. What is the mission of God? It's Acts 1:8. It all starts with the fact that God has had a plan from the beginning, and that plan has been to redeem and restore that which is lost. The early church did not understand that this plan included all people, so it was a bit of a shock to them when the Gentiles received the gospel. And here's the thing: as far as I can tell, the "ends of the earth" have not been reached. Therefore, our Missional God is continuing on with His plan, and He calls us to join Him.

Though we have a role to play, the primary player in accomplishing the mission of God is the Holy Spirit. This is true now just as it was during the 33 years that make up the account of the early church found in the book of Acts. The Spirit of God orchestrates everything we see there. He births the church, heals people, convicts people, saves people, calls out people, and even tells His servants what to say and what to do.

Once this begins to capture our hearts, as it did the early church, we become desperate to see God do what only God can do. It leads to a radical dependence. Two things come from desperate dependence: Prayer and Repentance. The early church was committed to prayer, not simply because it was what Christians are supposed to do, but because they were desperately trying to keep up with the Spirit of God. All they knew to do at times was to pray, but they learned that prayer is powerful.

Repentance came alongside prayer. We often think of repentance as a one-time event, but the Bible paints a completely different picture. Repentance is a daily event. Last week Nathan Cook taught us from Acts 10, which is a great picture of repentance. What Peter saw in his vision went against everything he knew. It was a major paradigm shift, but even so, he said "Yes" to God. We need to constantly be in a state of repentance. We need to repent of our sins of commission and ommission, but we also need to repent of following our own agendas.

Finally, "doing whatever it takes" is the result, whether this means opening up your home to others (Acts 2), or, to the other end of the spectrum, suffering persecution for the sake of Christ. One point I should make here: It's very easy to start here and believe that we'll never be at that point, but this is a mistake. It didn't start here for the early followers of Christ, and it doesn't start here for us. This is once again why I love the Total Church phrase, "Ordinary people living ordinary lives with gospel intentionality.

I believe that God is at work in our city, and that He wants to use us to accomplish His plans. My hope is that as we continue to live this out in a beautiful (though often messy) and radical way, our friends and neighbors will begin to ask questions (1 Peter 3:15).

If you want to keep up with our study but aren't in Midtown, check out our website for podcasts, articles and a study guide.

How I Got Here - Gospel

The Gospel as been described as a pool in which a toddler can wade and yet an elephant can swim. It is both simple enough to tell to a child and profound enough for the greatest minds to explore.

Tim Keller, The Gospel in All Its Forms

A little over a year ago I was at the Exponential Church Planting Conference in Orlando. One of the keynote speakers was Tim Keller. He gave a talk on the Gospel. He said that when you read the New Testament, it can seem at times as if there are two gospels. There's the gospel that Jesus preached, and there's the gospel that Paul preached. As you read this, you'll probably have one of two reactions: either Keller is a heretic for saying this, or you can relate to this tension. As I listened to his talk, and later read this article, I found myself in the second camp.

I was raised understanding the gospel (good news) as follows: God created me for relationship with Him. However, my sin caused that good relationship to be broken. Jesus died on the Cross as the penalty for my sin. Because of this amazing act, I can be forgiven and cleansed. To top it off, when I die I will spend the rest of eternity with God in heaven.

Keller describes this "form" of the gospel as Paul's gospel of justification. It's also seen in John's gospel. There's another form of the gospel, though. It's the form, or expression, found in the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). This can be described as the gospel of the Kingdom, and it's the form that I began discovering several years ago.

I began to understand that Jesus came not just to forgive me of my sins and provide a way for me to go to heaven. His plan was much bigger than that. I was drawn to texts such as Luke 4:16-21, and I began hearing people talk about topics such as peace and justice. I began to understand that Jesus came to redeem the entire world. The gospel was no longer so much about me, but was instead about God's Kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.

Keller says that we are not dealing with two gospels, but instead with two different forms of one gospel. John and often Paul speak of the individual implications of the gospel (eternal life), while Matthew, Mark and Luke speak of the corporate implications (how the gospel changes society). Both are essential. In this article Keller goes on to explain how he preaches these two expressions of the gospel, yet rarely ever at the same time.

I found this article to be so refreshing and helpful. I'll leave you with Keller's definition of the gospel (if it's possible to put the gospel into one statement, Keller does a fine job doing it):

Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God fully accomplishes salvation for us, rescuing us from judgment for sin into fellowship with him, and then restores the creation in which we can enjoy our new life together with him forever.

More on Engaging Culture

I came across a short paper I wrote after first reading Resident Aliens and beginning to think about engaging culture. Here's what I wrote.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

How does the Church Engage the World?

First, definitions…

“Church”

• Called out ones
• Sent

“Engage”

• From “go” to “come”

Sometime between 1960 and 1980, an old, inadequately conceived world ended, and a fresh, new world began. When and how did we change? Although it may sound trivial, one of us is tempted to date the shift sometime on a Sunday evening in 1963. Then, in Greenville, South Carolina, in defiance of the state’s time-honored blue laws, the Fox Theater opened on Sunday. Seven of us – regular attenders of the Methodist Youth Fellowship at Buncombe Street Church – made a pact to enter the front door of the church, be seen, then quietly slip out the back door and join John Wayne at the Fox.

Resident Aliens, by Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon

This morning (9/15/02), instead of “going to church”, we went to the Depot in downtown Mill Valley in an attempt to begin asking the above question. My journey began about six months ago, while I was on staff at (a local church). We had planned on using a “Man on the Street” video interview for the service. One of our girls had shot the footage and given it to someone else to be edited. He accidentally erased it, and on Saturday night called her to tell her the bad news. They decided that she would get to church early the next morning, go across the street to the café, and shoot more footage. An hour later, we were watching on the big screen what was going on across the street. As I watched, I couldn’t help wondering what those people would think about us watching what they were doing. I wondered for the first time why we weren’t over there instead of over here. Since that time, I have been wondering what it would look like for the church to be more preoccupied with “going” than with trying to get people to “come.”

We’ve come a long way since 1963. During those days, Sunday mornings were reserved for going to church. No stores were open; no one (maybe a few) was at the parks; very few were on the roads, except as they were going to church and then going to the restaurants for lunch. The world was good. Where have we gone wrong? Hauerwas and Willimon share that the world wasn’t perhaps all that good, and perhaps now the world isn’t so bad. People may not be interested in church as they have known it, but many are interested in the good news of Jesus.

How I Got Here - Church Pt. 3

What happens when you wake up one day and discover that the church in America is no longer in a place of priviledge or power? (I know, not all have made that discovery). How do you influence culture when you have no power? Hauerwas and Willimon first helped me understand these questions in Resident Aliens (see, I told you this book influenced me). But then I read an article by Mike Bishop, a church planter in Florida. The article was titled Church as Subversive Community.

I had never thought of church in terms of "subversive", but after reading this article, and especially the quote by Eugene Peterson, it made sense, and helped to answer the questions I posed above. Here's the Peterson quote:

Three things are implicit in subversion. One, the status quo is wrong and must be overthrown if the world is going to be livable. It is so deeply wrong that repair work is futile. The world is, in the word insurance agents use to designate our wrecked cars, totaled.

Two, there is another world aborning that is livable. Its reality is no chimera (illusion). It is in existence, though not visible. Its character is known. The subversive does not operate out of a utopian dream but out of a conviction of the nature of the real world.

Three, the usual means by which one kingdom is thrown out and another put in its place - military force or democratic elections - are not available. If we have neither a preponderance of power nor a majority of votes, we begin searching for other ways to effect change. We discover the methods of subversion. We find and welcome allies.

What are those "other ways" to influence? As God's people, when we live out the Gospel together, and in tangible ways, our neighbors will take notice. (Remember, "gospel" means "good news"). It might take time, but they will notice. At some point they will ask a question (1 Peter 3:15). This requires that we take an incarnational posture. In other words, Christian bubbles are not very effective.

After reading this, I actually got to experiment with this a little. Mandy and I were a part of a house church with two other families. These other families had heard Mandy share about the school where she was teaching. We were praying for Mandy as she was a missionary there. Soon they wanted to be involved, so on the day Mandy had a talent show at the school, we all drove to her school. We all served in whatever ways were needed. This was a blessing to Mandy's co-workers, many of whom wanted to know why her friends would drive an hour just to come help put on a talent show for a group of kids they didn't know. This led to more conversation for Mandy.

How I Got Here - Church Pt. 2

I remember Mandy and I both reading this next article and desiring to be a part of a church like this. It's from the folks at the Gospel and Our Culture Network. The article is Indicators of Missional Church. It lists 12 "indicators" of a missional church, gives a one sentence explanation of "what it looks like", and then goes on to give a more detailed description of each one.

If there were one document that I could give to a group of people who wanted to know what it meant to be church, this is the one I would give them.

How I Got Here - Church Pt. 1

Alright, I'm pretty sure that this is the last article from Cutting Edge that I'll be mentioning. This one was taken from a message presented by Todd Hunter, then the National Director of Vineyard Churches, in 1999. It's called "The Church that I Would Build."

This article first introduced me to Stanley Hauerwas' and William Willimon's book Resident Aliens, which, if I were listing "shaping" books, would be near the top of the list. It's the idea that this world is not our home, but, instead of looking at that idea as simply a longing to be with God forever in heaven one day, it's a missionary strategy. We are exiles in this world, which means that we cannot influence culture through the world's power. We have to be subversive (more on that in a later post).

Here are some of the themes of this article. Even as I write them, I find it pretty incredible how many of them have become core values for the way I've done ministry for the last ten years.

• The Kingdom (reign) of God
• Being a missional church - we are a "sent" people
• The Gospel should have a profound impact on the church. Here's a quote: "The church that I would build would be a community of Christians who believe the Gospel so much that they actually order their lives around it."
• Church = Counter-cultural community - if we are living out the Gospel in a tangible way, we're going to automatically look different. As we do this, we should be compelling to those around us.

How I Got Here - Teams

Here's another article from Cutting Edge, this one from the Spring 2001 issue. (Back in the day, there weren't near the resources for church planting that there are now, or at least I wasn't aware of them). The article was called "Teams that Thrive and Not Just Survive", by Grace McLaren, and the subject was Teams. We moved to California from Nashville so that I could go to seminary, and the reason was so that we would be prepared for church planting. Prior to that time, I had been a worship leader. I felt pretty confident in this, but church planting was something new.

There was one major problem with me being a church planter. I had never been a pastor, and at that point had preached a total of five sermons. I felt that if I were going to start a church, I needed a team. This article helped me to understand why a team is needed to accomplish any project. I was introduced to the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory through this article, and was able to better understand how God had wired me and what I would bring to a team. More importantly, I understood who I was not.

From the time I started seminary, I was on the lookout for team members. Later, I began understanding that my desire to be a part of a team wasn't simply about logistics. It was about being a part of something greater than myself, and it was about doing whatever that was with my friends.

Three years ago our dreams were finally realized when Jason and Barb Elder moved to Memphis with us to start Neighborhood Church. Though they are no longer with the church, I am so glad that they came along us on this journey. They helped us to build a foundation of team, and the team we have now is amazing. I am so thankful to be able to live out the mission of God with my closest friends!

Public School Closer to a Reality

I first wrote a post on our thoughts regarding public education in Memphis around a year and a half ago. Since that time we've continued the conversation with so many others about what it would look like for more people from our neighborhood to send our kids to our neighborhood elementary school (Peabody Elementary School).

It's hard to believe that Adam will be starting Pre-K next year. A few months ago we decided that we would like for Adam to go to Peabody's Pre-K program. We realized that we met the income requirements, so we began pursuing it. Last week we found out that 29 students tested lower than him, which means that he is 9th on the waiting list. We were a little disappointed, but knew that if God had other plans for Adam, that was what we wanted. So we began looking for Plan B. Mandy called several private pre-k programs. A few still had available slots.

We then found out that the principal at Peabody was referring familes who didn't get into the their Pre-K to Red Robin Academy, which is located in First Congregational Church here in Cooper-Young. So this morning Mandy and I met with Robin Mayweather, the founder and director of the academy. Right before pulling up, Mandy made the comment that we were going to have to figure out how much we could spend for Adam's education this year (part of the draw to public education is that it's free).

We went on a tour, then talked with Mrs. Mayweather in her office. We asked several questions, and then Mandy asked her for a tuition schedule. She looked at us a little strange, then said that the Pre-K program is the same as the one at Peabody. Both are a part of Memphis City Schools. That is, they're both free! We just kind of looked at each other.

It looked a door had been closed; one that, at the time seemed like a real "God thing." And now a new door opens, one which has all of the same goals and values behind it. There are still some things that we are a little concerned about, but for the most part, it seems like God is in this. I love the idea of walking Adam to school and of being involved with the families of the school. It just seems to fit so much of what we are trying to do here in Cooper-Young.

Micah got $10 from the Aldi's lady

Yes, you read that right. Mandy called to tell me that she and Micah went to Aldi's this morning. As they were in line Micah was his usual charming self. The check-out lady asked how old he was, and she told her that he turned 1 yesterday. After checking out, the lady left the register, even though there were quite a few people in line. When she returned, she handed Mandy a ten dollar bill and told her to get him something for his birthday. Mandy tried to persuade her not to do this, but she insisted.

What a humbling act of kindness! On the way to the lake this weekend Mandy and I were brainstorming about servant evangelism, and how we as a church can begin blessing people in the same way that Mandy was blessed this morning. This act gives even more momentum to it!

How I Got Here - Missional Community

A year or so after reading the Cutting Edge article about Vineyard Central, I picked up the magazine again and noticed an article about a church that had been started in Washington D.C. in 1947. That church was called The Church of the Saviour, and the planters were Gordon and Mary Cosby. I guess I had skipped this article because I was so excited after reading about Vineyard Central. But I also think it was a timing issue.

Probably the biggest takeaway from this was the idea of Inward/Outward Journey. It's definitely influenced the vision of our church today. It was the idea that the church exists for God's mission. It's much bigger than simply coming together once a week. And it's not meant to be done alone. It was also around this time that I first heard the term "missional community". I don't remember where I first heard it, but I was impacted by it, and primarily so because of what I read from this church.

Here's the quote that I couldn't get out of my mind for a long time:

...the greatest impact on the world comes about by small, highly committed and disciplined communities of people focused on outward mission, inward transformation, and loving, accountable community.

This became a mission statement for me, and something that I desired to be a part of more than anything else.

Another NBA Draft with my boys

Last night the boys and I watched the NBA draft together. This marked Adam's first draft (here's his first) and it was Micah's first. As a side note, I thought the Griz did ok. I'm actually pretty happy with Thabeet, and I was really glad to see Tyreke go #4 to the Kings and Dozier with the last pick of the draft. But enough of that. Here are a few more pics.

How I Got Here - Community

The first article I want to mention comes from Vineyard's church planting magazine, Cutting Edge. It was the Fall 2001 issue, and the article that got my attention was on a church called Vineyard Central (located just outside Cincinnati). I unfortunately couldn't find a link to this article, so I'll just share why it impacted me.

Vineyard Central was a pretty typical church plant, when one day, a year or so in to the plant, they received word that the building they were meeting in for their worship gatherings was being condemned, and they had 48 hours to get out. Plan B was meeting in homes. It was something that God had begun laying on their hearts previously, but they didn't think it would happen like that.

I was impacted by the community I saw in the pages I read. It was true "life together", and it was something that I had never experienced before. Yet God, through this article, began placing within me a deep desire to "be church" rather than to "go to church." That fire has never died, and almost eight years later, I feel that some of this dream is being realized.

How I Got Here - Introduction

Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to begin posting a series of articles that have helped to shape who I am today. Why articles? I've definitely been influenced by a number of books over my life, but over the last ten years, it's been a few key articles that have proven most important to me. I'm doing this as much for me as for anyone else. I find it's good to make a regular practice of reflection of the things that God used to bring me to where I am now.

Wicked

Tonight Mandy and I are going to see Wicked at the Orpheum. We've been looking forward to this for awhile. Actually, it's been six years. Six years ago we had tickets to go see Wicked in San Francisco. It was right after I had graduated from Golden Gate Seminary and we had moved to San Leandro. We were going with our friends Amy and Josh. Earlier that day I started feeling bad. I wasn't sure what it was, but though I was in a bit of pain, I wasn't going to skip going to see Wicked.

That evening Amy and Josh picked us up and we started heading towards San Francisco. On the bay bridge, in normal heavy traffic, the pain in my stomach got worse. I still didn't it was a big deal, though, so we pressed on.

We got our seats (nosebleed I might add), and pretty soon the performance began. The first song wasn't even over, and I had to get up. At this point I thought it was my appendix. After I was gone for 15 or so minutes, Mandy came to find me. We got a cab, and headed to the emergency room. After a catscan, it was determined that I had a kidney stone. A shot of morphine later and I was feeling good. So good, in fact, that I told Mandy that I wanted to name the dog "Morphine." (We got a bichon puppy the next day, and named him Jack, not Morphine).

So here's hoping that this evening is not a repeat of six years ago!

The Role of Parenting in Spiritual Formation

This morning I began reading the book of Judges. Immediately a verse grabbed my attention: After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel (Judges 2:10, NIV).

What a tragedy! The obvious question here is, "Why did this generation not know the Lord or what He had done for Israel?" The best answer is that they were not told this by their parents. I've heard Mark Driscoll talk about this when he says that one generation believes the gospel, the next generation assumes the gospel, and the next generation denies (or forgets) the gospel.

I live in a post-Christian culture, and I consider this a good thing. In a Christian culture, much of the gospel is assumed. In a post-Christian culture the gospel is usually either believed or denied. Assumption is less likely, which, again, is a good thing.

Though every person has a choice of how they are going to respond to the gospel, much of the responsbility is placed on parents. Let me go back to my answer above. I said that parents must tell their children about the Lord. That word "tells" is not adequate, though. To "believe" means that you speak of it often (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9 for God's Words on this). It also means that you live in a certain way. A person who believes the gospel lives differently than a person who assumes the gospel. Either way, this living is contagious.

One of my greatest hopes for Neighborhood Church is that we would raise up children who know and love our God. I pray that God would impress His heart upon our children, and I pray that we as parents would not hinder what He wants to accomplish in their lives.

Hebrews 12 & 13

Scripture

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV).

Observation

The word "therefore" is pointing back to chapter 11 (the faithful servants of God), but I think it can also point us back to the message of the entire letter. The author of Hebrews has given reason after reason for us to be grateful to Jesus for the work he did on the cross, and to surrender our lives to him. Now he is telling his readers that we have a job to do. The job is to live in light of this knowledge, in light of this gift.

Application

God has "marked out" a race for us. In order to complete this race (or "task", as Paul puts it in 2 Timothy 4), we first have to fix our eyes on Jesus. He has run the race before us. He has been a faithful Son. Second, we have to recognize that sin, as well as other "weights" (ESV), serve to hinder our running. These need to be thrown off or else we will not finish well. We will be "weighed down" by the hinderances (anything that distracts us from our purpose of running) and tripped up by our sin. Finally, we need to remember the work of Jesus so that we will not grow weary and lose heart.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for this letter, which, though written almost 2000 years ago, applies in so many ways to my life today. I thank you for the reminders of what my Lord, Savior, and King did for me on the Cross. May I live my life in a way that brings honor and glory to you, and may I be faithful in accomplishing all that you would have me to do.

Weekly Links

The 100 Most Read Bible Verses at BibleGateway.com

Before we can be something, we have to first dream something. Seth Godin says it well here.

Great read about churches in Austin partnering with schools in Austin

Ben Witherington on a theology of work (or lack thereof in our culture)

The TED Commandments (rules every speaker needs to know) - see here for more

Tony Morgan on the difference between Leading and Managing

Tim Chester's review of Sticky Church, by Larry Osborne

Hebrews 10 & 11

Scripture

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Hebrews 10:1

For by a single offering he (Jesus) has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14.

Observation

As I read chapter 10, the word that jumped out to me was "perfect." It's mentioned twice in this chapter. In verse 1 we learn that the law could not make us perfect. In verse 14 we learn that Christ's sacrifice could do what the law could not do - make us perfect. So what does this mean? I did a little word study on it. The Greek word here is τελειόω, which can be translated as follows: "to make perfect, complete, accomplish, finish one's work." This word is also used in Hebrews 2:10, in referring to the fact that Jesus was made perfect by the Father through his suffering, as well as in Acts 20:24, where Paul speaks of finishing the work that God called him to.

Application

Some might be concerned that a word like this might cause us to think too highly of ourselves. However, I think we need to be more concerned about the opposite. We of course have not reached a state of perfection at this point. We still live in a fallen world, and we have the capacity to become slaves to sin rather than slaves to righteousness (Romans 6, Galatians 5). What we need to digest is the fact that Jesus has taken care of it all. I love the phrase that's used "once for all." Because of this "once for all" sacrifice, we are clean before God. When God looks upon us, He does so in light of His Son's perfect sacrifice for us. And what does He see? He sees a people who are holy, sanctified, clean, perfect.

On Sunday I spoke at Church Without Doors, a ministry to the homeless in downtown Memphis. I made the statement that what we think about God is critical, and what we think God thinks about us is also critical. In light of this passage, I'll say it this way: How we think God sees us is critical. And here's another phrase that I try to challenge myself with everyday: The image of God that we carry around in our heart and mind affects the way that we live.

Prayer

Father, help me to see myself the way You see me. I've done nothing to warrant the way You see me. It's all because of Jesus' work on the Cross. For that I am eternally grateful. But I know that You desire for me to accept that work, and one of the ways that I accept it is to see myself in light of that work. I ask for the grace to do this today, knowing that it will affect the way that I live today.

Hebrews 9

Scripture

Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die, once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:25-28

Observation

This is a great chapter on understanding the old covenant (the way the Jews were forgiven by God and cleansed of sin). The writer of Hebrews is making the connection between the old covenant and the new covenant, brought in by the sacrifice of Christ. There are similarities, but there are also major differences. The primary similarity is that, according to the law, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb 9:22). The primary difference is that Jesus, unlike the high priest during the days of the old covenant, only had to shed blood once. His sacrifice brought forgiveness and cleansing once for all.

Application

This is an amazing thing to ponder. No one could have predicted God's plan, but it is truly amazing. I marvel at the fact that God was giving a picture of sacrificial cleansing so long ago, which would one day be fulfilled with Jesus' death. A few months ago I preached a series on the Cross. One of my sermons was on the Day of Atonement. Hebrews 9 serves as a reminder of God's plan, but also connects the dots all the way to Christ.

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for offering your life as the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. My only response is to offer my life up to you as an act of surrender and worship. May it be an acceptable response.

You're a Hard Habit to Break

Yes, I'm speaking of thumb sucking. For quite awhile, Adam has been saying that when he turns 4 he will no longer be sucking his thumb. In place of this, he will be allowed to chew gum. We've been going along with this. So yesterday he turned 4, and set out, with much vision and determination, to break his four-year habit.

By the end of the day he was beginning to realize that this was going to be very difficult. He didn't think he could do it. The confidence he had earlier in the morning was beginning to wane. It's difficult to see your child begin to doubt himself. I was glad, however, that he was thinking about it, and he wanted to quit (he also wants to chew gum really bad).

Before he went to bed he was sharing that it's too hard, so I told him that breaking habits is always hard. He asked what I meant by that. I brought up smoking, and he didn't really know what I meant, so I pretended that I was smoking a cigarette, thinking that he'd say, "oh yeah, I know what that is." Instead, he just started pretending he was smoking a cigarette. I saw in Mandy's expression that I probably should have used a different analogy.

Then my brilliant wife suggested something I should have done from the beginning. She suggested that we pray about it. Adam is still learning how to pray, but this is probably the best way to show him what prayer truly is. It's simply saying, "help." We encouraged him to pray, "God, help me to quit sucking my thumb." He prayed, then went to bed.

My prayer is that God would teach Adam through this experience. I pray that Adam would learn that God is strong and that God is loving (Psalm 62:11-12). And I pray that Adam would learn at a young age that God brings victory, and that his confidence would be rooted in this fact.

Hebrews 7 & 8

Scripture

...and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more Hebrews 8:10-12

Observation/Application

What a beautiful passage. It's taken from Jeremiah 31, another beautiful section of Scripture. This is the new covenant. The culmination of this covenant is that we shall all know the Lord. Two words here should be discussed. Who is "we." Jeremiah (and therefore the author of Hebrews) says that "we" includes all of us - from the least to the greatest. It's not reserved simply for those who have their acts together. It's available to all. Second, what does it mean to "know" the Lord. I think back to Genesis 3:8, where Adam and Even "heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." It's as if God took a walk with these two every day. There was intimacy. Sin caused that intimate relationship to be broken, but one day there will be a new covenant, and all that was broken will be restored. We will once again know God.

Prayer

Father, because of the work of Christ on the cross, I now live in the new covenant. What an amazing work that was. I thank you that the curse of sin is broken and that I can be free. More than that, because of that work it is possible for me to know You. Never let me take that for granted. Let it be my consuming passion to know You.

It's been 10 years!

Today Mandy and I celebrate ten years of marriage. Here are a few pics from that blessed day ten years ago.

Do Hard Things

What a great title for the article I just read in ESPN The Magazine. It's on Zac Sunderland, a 17-year old who is just about to complete a solo sailing trip around the world. Such a great article. Here's an excerpt:

He had found that whenever he stopped -- in Grenada, in St. Helena, in Cape Town and Mauritius and Hawaii -- people hardly ever asked him about the places he'd been; they were more interested in where he was going. And the funny thing was, most people, most strangers, assumed he would fall back into an ordinary life. They assumed that, despite doing this one incredible thing, he would follow it by going to college and getting a job. Then he would retire, and then he would die; that was the accepted order of the universe. Except the strangers had no idea, not the way Zac did, just how big that universe was.

"When you talk about sailing 25,000 nautical miles at six knots, it's almost impossible to contemplate," he says. After all that he's been through, it is just as impossible for him to contemplate staying in one spot for more than a breath. Zac's worst nightmare has become standing still. "I'd rather be caught in a storm than caught in the Doldrums," he would tell them.

There's no doubt that this experience will change this kid's life. As I read it I thought a lot about his parents. Crazy parents...awesome parents. I hope that I always encourage my boys to dream, risk, live lives of adventure, and, do hard things.

For more on Zac, check out his blog.

Ordinary People/Gospel Intentionality

One of my favorite phrases from Total Church is "Ordinary people living ordinary lives with Gospel intentionality." It's a phrase I'm going to be using most weeks during our Acts study at NC. Anyway, here is a great series of Twitter posts from Steve Timmis (co-author of the book) on what this tangibly looks like.

• Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … buying from local shops.
• Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … frequenting a local coffee shop or pub.
• Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … playing for a local sports team.
• Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … always tipping generously in local restaurants.
• Living ordinary life with gospel intentionality means … being the kind of neighbour everyone wants to have as a neighbour.

More.

Total Church

Beginning next Tuesday I'm going to be commenting on the book Total Church with my friend Nathan Cook and others. For more info, as well as to join the conversation, go here.

Will Ferrell as Harry Caray

Hebrews 5 & 6

Scripture

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:7-10

Observation

The author of Hebrews wants his audience to grasp the humanity of Christ. For someone unsure of this, the passage can be very uncomfortable. The following words convey humanity: "loud cries and tears", "learned obedience through what he suffered." Jesus cried out to God to be saved. We see this in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that God could save him, which is what he wanted. But more than that, he wanted to obey his father, even if it meant humiliation, separation from his Father, and a painful death.

Application

What does it mean when the author says that Jesus "learned obedience through what he suffered?" Every high priest had to understand what the people were going through before he could be any help to them. Jesus was the ultimate high priest, but that would not have been the case if he had not truly understood us, and the only way that he could truly understand us was to experience suffering. And experience suffering he did.

In the creation, the Lord made man like himself; but in the redemption he made himself like man. John Brys

Prayer

As the Son of God, and as the only one who never did anything wrong, you were the one person who did not deserve to suffer. I thank you for choosing to lay down your life for me, a pitiful sinner. I am truly thankful that you know me, understand me, and despite all that is in me, you love me.

Hebrews 3 & 4

Scripture

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.          Hebrews 4:14-16

Observation

Fully divine AND fully human!  Jesus faced every temptation that we will ever face, so He understands our condition.  This is His humanity.  Yet Jesus never sinned.  He was victorious (I think back to yesterday's passage that speaks of Jesus destroying the devil).  This is His divinity. It is because of both His humanity and divinity that we are able to, in confidence, approach God's throne, to receive mercy, grace and help in time of need.

Application

Not understanding what Jesus did for me often prevents me from both persevering (v.14) and asking for help (v.16).  I start to believe lies, lies that Satan feeds me.  On the flip side, I begin to understand what Jesus did for me when I read the Bible (Heb. 4:12-13).  

Prayer

Jesus, may the work that You accomplished in Your life, death and resurrection consume my life.  May it reach from my head to my heart, and may it transform my daily living.  I'm thankful that You understand what I go through as a human, yet I am also very thankful that You are God.  If You were only human, You might understand, but You couldn't really do much to help my pitiful predicament.  However, because You are God, You beckon me to the throne of grace, where I find the true rest, grace, mercy and help that I so need.   

Some Pics from our Anniversary Party

Weekly Links

Ben Arment on "Three Kinds of Jobs"

More from Andy Stanley on Communication:  Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

The messages from Advance09 are available for download from Desiring God

New iPhone and software getting ready to come out

Good explanation of bi-weekly payments on a mortgage - I've been doing something similar since we bought our first home, albeit without the fees.  I just divided the monthly payment by 12, then added that to the principal each month.  It will end up knocking around seven years off my mortgage, which will save me approximately $36,000 in interest!

Internetmonk's review of Love is an Orientation, by Andrew Marin.  Here's Andrew on the Neue podcast as well.

Saving the best for last..."Why couldn't Jesus shapeshift?" and other Awkward Questions from Children - from Scot McKnight  

Hebrews 1 & 2

This week I'm going to be reading Hebrews, and thought I would blog my journal entries instead of writing them.  I'll once again be using Cordeiro's SOAP method.

Scripture

...he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."   Hebrews 2:14-15

Observation

What a powerful statement!  Hebrews is filled with so many theologically-rich statements such as this one.  Christ's death did two things for us:  He destroyed the devil and He set us free.

Application

The first step to worship is understanding the pitiful circumstances that I was in (thanks to Dallas Willard for helping me think through this word "pitiful").  I was a slave.  Notice that the author of Hebrews emphasizes this by saying "lifelong" slave.  What's even more pitiful is that I didn't even realize that I was a slave (think back to the movie, The Matrix).  In suffering and dying on the Cross, Christ set me free.  I am no longer a slave.  Thanks be to God.  But not only did He set me free...He also destroyed the devil.  "Destroy" is a powerful word.  It's because of this work that I never have to be a slave again.  Once again, thanks be to God!

Prayer

King Jesus, thank you for dying for me.  Me, a pitiful slave and sinner.  This wasn't forced upon You.  After all, You are the King.  You created the world, and everything in that entire world is subject to You.  No, You willingly laid down Your life, suffering in the most brutal way, but more than that, You took on the sins of the world.  Your Father turned His back on You.  That is true love.  I thank You for that love.  You have won me.  May I be Your servant forever. 

Acts Summer Series

Last night we began our series through the book of Acts.  I've been looking forward to this for awhile.  We're also starting our first community group this Wednesday night.  We had home groups before we started meeting at the Skinner Center, but then went to men's and women's groups because it was easier for one parent to stay home with kids.  

I've felt for awhile that we were really missing something.  That "something" is community.  We were discovering that the women of the church don't really know the men of the church that well, and vice-versa.  And I really felt that our children ought to be in settings where they can observe the lives of godly men and women.  

So this summer, in conjunction with our study of the early church, we're going to practice "being" church.  I'm sure it will be a little messy, but community always is.  And, as we saw last night, the early church was definitely messy!

The Community Group Discussion Questions can be downloaded from our website.

Anniversary Party

This Friday Mandy and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage!  It's hard to believe that it's been ten years.  We've had our highs and we've had our lows, but thankfully, there have been more highs than lows.  God has blessed us with two wonderful sons, and has placed us in a great neighborhood with great friends.

Earlier this year Mandy had suggested that we celebrate our anniversary by having a concert for our friends.  So every so often we would get out the guitar and play through some of our favorite songs.  As we got closer to the date, we began planning the party.  

We couldn't have picked a better evening for our party.  The weather was wonderful, we had good food and drink, and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves.  I know that for Mandy and I, it was a very special time.

I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from Josh (you reading this?).

Batching

One of the greatest takeaways I've gotten from The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss, is the idea of batching.  Batching asks the question, "What activities can I allot to a specific day, week, month, quarter, or year so that I don't squander time repeating them more often than is absolutely necessary? (108).

Before beginning this book, Mandy and I had decided to do this with our grocery shopping.  We had read this book, and decided that we would attempt to go to the grocery store three times during the month of May.  The goal was to free up time and to not spend as much money.  These two goals go hand in hand.  By planning our meals and shopping, we have avoided the ever-so-often last minute trip to Schnucks to pick up croutons.  And we all know what happens when we run to the store to pick up croutons (especially when it's right before dinner).  We end up picking up several other items as well.  This cuts into the monthly budget.  I'm happy to report that we have done really well, and our goal is to cut it to two trips this month.

As I wrote in my first post on this book, my next step was to go from checking emails every time one arrived in my Outlook mailbox to only opening Outlook to read and respond to emails five times per day.  Ferriss suggests only doing this twice a day, and I may get there soon, but as I said, baby steps are needed here.

Yesterday I was waiting on a tow truck to pick up our Saturn (it's been in the parking lot at Union Ave. Baptist Church since Sunday night).  I had some time so I read more from the book. A lightbulb came on as I read his section on batching.  On a notecard I listed all of my monthly, weekly and daily tasks, and put the numbers of hours I spend on each.  This includes admin tasks, meetings and study time for church, property management and real estate work, as well as household chores such as laundry, cooking and paying bills. 

This part wasn't new to me.  I've done it before and it's been helpful.  What I had never done, however, was this:  I opened up Outlook (though I didn't check email yet because it wasn't time), and proceeded to put all of these tasks in my calendar.  I always put meetings, events, and deadlines in my calendar, but I haven't always put tasks such as these on it:

• Prep for sermon
• Upload sermon to website
• Pay bills
• Update rental spreadsheet 

I never forget to do tasks such as these, so I figure there's no need to write them down.  However, by having them in my calendar, I see how my day fills up.  I see the things that have to get done.  There's plenty of flexibility to move things around, but on Sunday night I know that I can get a quick overview of my upcoming week in about a minute.

This may not seem like a big deal to some, but as one who has complete control over my schedule (not always a good thing for some), this helps me gauge my productivity.

The Laws of Pareto & Parkinson

Here's part 2 of my review on Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Workweek.  Pareto's Law, named for an economist named Vilfredo Pareto and often referred to as the "80/20" Principle, states that 80% of the wealth is possessed by 20% of the population.  You've also no doubt heard this principle when dealing with volunteers (it's used in the church world quite often).  Here we say that 80% of the work is performed by 20% of the volunteers.  

Ferriss applies this principle to our outputs and inputs.  In other words, he says that 80% of our results (outputs) come from 20% of our effort and time (inputs).  If this is the case, then we need to figure out how to not only guard that 20%, but to purge as much of the wasted time so that we can do more that truly produces results, as well as do more of the things that bring joy and fulfillment to our lives.  This speaks into the myth that business = productivity. 

 

The second law he mentions is Parkinson's Law.  This law speaks to the need to shorten deadlines so that focus and quality are the result.  If you have two days to finish a project because you are going on vacation, you finish the project in two days, even when the project normally takes a week to accomplish.  If we have 8 hours to fill, we will fill it, but it doesn't guarantee that we will accomplish anything.  He refers to this as the "9-5 Illusion."    

In bringing these two laws together, Ferriss states:

If you haven't identified the mission-critical tasks and set aggressive start and end times for their completion, the unimportant becomes the important. Even if you know what's critical, without deadlines that create focus, the minor tasks forced upon you (or invented, in the case of the entrepreneur) will swell to consume time until another bit of minutiae jumps in to replace it, leaving you at the end of the day with nothing accomplished.

No More Firefox?

For the past few months I've been having lots of issues with Firefox.  I decided this weekend to download Google Chrome, and liked it so much that I uninstalled Firefox.  It has a few issues, but nothing too frustrating, and it seems to be a lot faster than either Firefox or IE.  I may give Firefox another chance at some point, but for now, I'll stick with Google.

Book of Acts Study

I'm right in the middle of teaching a six week course on the book of Acts at Union Avene Baptist Church.  I love the story of the early church, and feel in some ways as if I've been preparing for this course for the past ten years. Right after I finish up with the course at UABC, we begin the same study at Neighborhood Church.  We're also beginning Community Groups this summer.  On Sunday nights I'll be teaching through the story, and on Wednesday nights we'll discuss what we're learning.  

The 4-Hour Workweek

This weekend I started reading The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss.  I remember looking at this book when I came out, but was decided not to pick it up after reading some negative reviews on Amazon.  However, a few weeks ago I read a great review of it, and decided to check it out at the library.  I'm glad I did.  Though I can understand where the negative reviews come from, it has already been extremely helpful to me.  Over the next few weeks I'm going to try to make some small changes in the way I work that I believe will make big differences.

Here are a few thoughts from the first few chapters that have been meaningful to me:

He shares in the Introduction how he hates being asked the "cocktail" questions, "So, what do you do?"  He says that it "reflects an epidemic I was long part of:  job descriptions as self-descriptions (6)."  He goes on to say, "How can I possibly explain that what I do with my time and what I do for money are compltely different things?"  As I said in a previous post, I've just started a real estate investing business, and although I really like this work, it's not what defines me.  And even though I am doing this so that it will allow me to do the work that God has called me to (pastoring a church), that's not entirely what defines me either.

Doing less meaningful work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is NOT laziness.  This is hard for most to accept, because our culture tends to reward personal sacrifice instead of personal productivity.  Few people choose to (or are able to) measure the results of their actions and thus measure their contribution in time.  More time equals more self-worth and more reinforcement from those above and around them (32-33).

Boy, do I struggle with this!  I think it has something to do with the fact that most of my work life has been entrepreneurial in nature, and most of it has been without punching a clock. Though this is great for me, it's often been difficult to know when I've done enough.  There are two reasons for this:  (1) I love my work, and (2) the work is never complete.  I despise laziness, so I work hard.  However, is my work always productive?  That's the big question.  

In chapter 5 he talks about the difference between being effective and being efficient.  He states, "Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals.  Efficiency is performing a given task (whether important or not) in the most economical manner possible.  Being efficient without regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe" (67).  He goes on to give the example of the person who checks email 30 times per day.  I have a habit of keeping Outlook open, and, if I receive an email, I often "tackle" it immediately.  So my first plan of action is to open up Outlook and respond to email only five times per day during this week.  He recommends doing this only twice a day.  I'll hopefully get there, but we've got to start with baby steps!  I'm also thinking the same way with tasks such as paying bills.  

Ferriss next gives two truisms that I felt were worth giving thought to:

1. Doing something unimportant well does not make it important.
   
2. Requiring a lot of time does not make a task important.

I'll try to write more tomorrow on Pareto's Law and Parkinson's Law. 

Introducing Portfolio Investment Group

Last week my friend Joe and I started a real estate investing business.  We're calling it Portfolio Investment Group (LLC).  Joe has been buying, rehabbing, and selling properties for the last four or five years, and I've learned a lot from him.  We purchased our first property together six months ago, and are closing on a second one in a few weeks.  Our plan is to rent some of them, and to sell some of them, with the proceeds going to buying more.

Coldplay Album for Free

Coldplay is giving away their new live album for free!  Download it here.

Lost - Finally Some Answers?

Last night's season finale of Lost finally gave us more answers than it did questions...though it did give us more questions! We finally discovered the identity of Jacob (answer), but also learned that he has a nemesis (question). Here's my theory: one of the primary themes of this show is the issue of free will. Do humans have it, or are we nothing more than "pawns" in a chess game? In this case, the chess game is being played between Jacob (white shirt), representing good/light, and the mystery man (black shirt), representing evil/darkness (though I think we'll see that neither is completely good or bad. It's less a God/Satan thing and more a Greek mythology thing.

At the beginning of the show, they're both watching a boat coming to the island. This boat, most likely the Black Rock we've heard about, was called there by Jacob. The man in black obviously does not like Jacob's "experiments", which leads me to believe that the "losties" were not the first ones "summoned" to the island. This little game has been going on for a long time.

I don't think these two guys are all-powerful. I think they have limitations, and I predict that those limitations will be exposed once the losties realize that they've been a part of a game this whole time.

Can't wait for next season!

Weekly Links

Tim Chester's summary of the one-another passages in the New Testament

I started teaching a six-week series on the book of Acts at Union Ave. Baptist Church two weeks ago, and these posts by Perry Noble and Tim Chester have been helpful.

In another post from Perry Noble (who I've just started reading), he makes the statement: "I believe that God is getting ready to do something unlike He has ever done before." I think I'm starting to believe this as well. Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.

Here's a great story from Scot McKnight's blog on the power of the Scriptures.

Jonathan Dodson on Simplified Missional Living - practical yet powerful.

One of the phrases that stuck out to me in Newsweek's article "The End of Christian America" was "religion is 'losing influence' in American society." Read the article for the context of this quote, but I for one am excited by the possibilities.

TED Conferences cost thousands of dollars to attend, but you can watch the videos online for free.

You'll be happy to know that Micah has been doing a little modeling.