Think Next Now

The first session of Unleash was pretty exciting.  It was my first time at NewSpring Church, and the room was full of excitement.

He started the conference off by taking us to Joshua 5, which is where the story is told that God told Joshua to make flint knives and to circumcise the sons of Israel for a second time.  You might guess that the room was filled with nervous laughter as Perry began to unpack the situation.  Joshua was asked to circumcise hundreds of thousands of grown men.  He capped the description off by saying, “And we think leadership is hard!”

Perry followed this Scripture up by talking about a trip he took with his family, in which they stopped at a cliff that people could jump off into a lake.  The cliff was pretty high, and Perry admitted to being afraid to jump.  However, his very young daughter decided she wanted to jump.  At this request, Perry’s first response was to tell her that she was not allowed.  But, he thought if she saw the height from which she had to jump, that she might change her mind on her own.

He was wrong.

He stood at the top of the cliff with her, and as they leaned over to see how far she would fall, she responded, “I wanna jump, daddy!”

So, he let her jump!

Crazy, right?  His point was this.  So many church leaders are afraid to jump into what God has called them to do.  Because they’re afraid, they tell the next generation that they shouldn’t jump either.  But he didn’t take the courage of the next generation into consideration.  She wanted to jump – and she did!

Church leaders have forgotten how to jump.

4 Factors Involved in Bold Church Leadership:

1. Desperation Factor

1. God brought them to a place and marked them, so that they had to be desperate for God, because without his provision, they can’t go on.
2. When was the last time you were desperate for God?

2. Sacrifice Factor

1. Everybody in Joshua’s church loved the idea of progress.  It’s the sacrifice we have a problem with.
2. When it comes to sacrifice, leaders have to go first.
   1. i.     Comforts need to go.
      1. We’d like that people come back every week, rather than they’re lives be changed.
      2. We’re more concerned with attendance than repentance.
      3. We want people to enjoy our church services, but God might people to be disturbed!
      4. The church needs to be comfortable with the lost acting like the lost.  We should just be glad they’re in church!
      5. ii.     Conformity needs to go, too.
         1. Stop using Christian buzzwords to describe yourself.  Just go prove it by loving your community!
         2. Some of us are rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

3. Recognition Factor

1. Joshua 5:13
2. The reason churches look like they like today is because the leadership doesn’t recognize Jesus anymore.
3. Are we building His church or asking Him to build ours?

4. Strategy Factor

1. Joshua 6:1-5 – If you’re a leader, you’re not reading this, thinking, “That’s gonna work.”
2. Church leaders need to stop depending so much on strategy and start looking to Jesus again.
3. Vision ALWAYS comes before strategy.
   1. i.     If I wrote a book about surgery, there’s not a doctor in the world who would buy it, but people listen to anyone in the church world?!
   2. ii.     That’s stupid!
   3. iii.     Listen to God. Do what He says!
4. Too many churches are just trying to “get back to Acts 2.”
   1. i.     Why go back, when that was where God started?
   2. ii.     He’s doing a new thing now!
5. If you can fully explain everything that’s happening in your church, then God is probably not involved.

My notes from the second session will come soon.

Every year at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, Jake Rutenbar releases at least one music video with the help of Josh Griffin. This year, he released a video on the 5 Rules Youth Pastors should follow.  Brilliant .

These guys are straight brilliant.  This video was introduced at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference this weekend.  If you’re not familiar with Johnny and Chachi, they’re actually made up of Braun Brown and Rob Thomas. You can check out all their information at their website. Enjoy and check out the rest of their videos.

Killer Youth Ministry Tips from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

OK, I’m super-pumped.  I’m going to Unleash Conference for the first time.  If you’ve never heard about it, you can learn about it here.  Click on the link to check it out and see what I’ll be learning.

The following video will give you a small idea of what I’m about to experience. I’m pumped!

I realized last night that February was ending, March was starting, and that I’ll very likely be introduced to my first-born son before this month is over.

That thought jarred me.  It all sunk in.  Fear overwhelmed me.  I stared in the mirror for around 10 minutes trying to get my head around my new reality.  The weight of it is too much to comprehend.

In preparation for his arrival, my wife and I have been talking about what will go in his room as decoration.  One of the ideas we spoke about was a banner that would include a life verse and a word to sum it all up.  It didn’t hit me until that moment that I would be raising a son to live a certain kind of life.  As we talked about the words to sum it all up, my wife suggested, “loved” and “blessed” as examples.  I don’t usually like to do what others tend to do, because I feel an innate drive to be different, but always on purpose.  So, the first word that came to my mind was, “leader.”

The thought that I might be raising a leader of men is pretty exciting, most likely because that is what drives me (spiritual leadership).  Maybe my son will lead the next generation to the cross!  That would be amazing!

As I got lost in thought, though, it hit me that my purpose for my son may not be what God has in store for him.  It might seem like a good thing to be a spiritual leader of a group of people, but if it’s not what God has called him to do, then that’s not going to work.

I got stuck in my quiet time this morning when I hit a verse that strikes a similar chord.  In Genesis 5, Moses outlines the genealogy of some of the earth’s earliest people.  After a couple verses of family tree fun, in Genesis 5:28-29, Noah is introduced.

“Lamech lived one hundred and eighty two years, and became the father of a son.  Now he called his name Noah, saying ‘This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed.’”

I don’t know what was going through Lamech’s mind when Noah was born, but it must have been quite a thought to know that Noah would play such a huge role in human history; that God Himself would use Noah to “reboot the system” so to speak.

As I pray for my son, I don’t know what God has in store for him.  I haven’t had any dreams including an angel and the infamous “fear not” introduction.  I haven’t seen any burning bushes, nor have I seen water turned to wine.

I know this, though.  He knows my son.  He knows his beginning and his end.  He knows what his years are going to look like.  He knows what his relationships are going to look like.  He knows what he’s going to be inspired by and passionate about.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.”

Jeremiah 1:5

God has literally given my son a purpose in this world.  He’s already set him apart.  Wow!!!  In the midst of the fear of raising a child, I’m so encouraged to know that God has a plan for my son, even though I might screw up! That’s peace beyond my understanding!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of a son!  As I fight to understand why you would give me a gift like him, I want to pursue Godly leadership of my family.  Would you allow me to be the father that Kipton needs?  Would you please allow me to give him what he needs?  I beg of you to steer me as I raise him to look to you for guidance.  God, I beg you to allow me to do this one thing in a way that pleases you: to love and lead my family to your cross.  Amen.

I’m going to start a series of posts on this subject, because I feel there’s something behind them.  Tune in to see which ones are inspiring.  The reason for these posts isn’t just to share personal likes/dislikes, though.  I think there’s something behind them that stirs up the human psyche.  This should be interesting to watch play out.

OK, I’m super-pumped for this. NewSpring Church is about to release their brand new live worship album, called, “Our God Is Love.”  I’ve heard a couple clips from the album and I am definitely picking it up!  You should too!  You can preview the album here.  It will be available on iTunes very soon.  It releases on February 28!

I’ve been following the ministry of Perry Noble and NewSpring Church for the past 4 years or so. They’ve experienced some insane growth and God is really working through them!

Church leaders, if you’re not familiar with Perry or NewSpring Church, you should check them out. There are some really creative things coming out of this church, not to mention lives are being changed! They also do a conference for church leaders called, “Unleash,” which I and a few of our team members will be heading to in a week or so.

Make sure to check out the album out when it releases on February 28!

Promo: Our God is Love (Live Album) from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

Maybe you’ve read the story of Jesus’ Crucifixion.  There are several elements to the story, but Mark Driscoll, Lead Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA, drills down on one key factor of Jesus’ Crucifixion.  While visiting Israel, Mark learned something that shed light on a passage of Scripture that describes the scene depicted in John 19:28-30.  I always assumed that when Jesus was given wine on a sponge just before he died, that it was a last act of compassion.  It’s actually quite the opposite.  Watch as Mark shares with us what he learned about what Jesus was really put through in that moment.

So last year’s picks were much easier.  There was a clear delineation of musical talent and karaoke talent.  This year is a lot different.  I feel, from my perspective (p.s. I’m not a musician or a vocalist, so I don’t really know what I’m talking about. I’m just Joe Consumer who knows what I like to listen to), that there are a ton of contestants that wouldn’t make it in a normal contest (last year was full of outstanding talent).

I’ll make a couple quick disclaimers before you check the picks out.  First, I have outlined the Top 24 Contestants in line of talent.  They don’t exactly get voted off one-by-one, so I know this isn’t show-specific (meaning they may not possibly be voted off in this order…i.e. 3 girls in a row).  Second, I don’t have any sort of confidence that my picks are even close to right.  Last year I was, and I was pretty close.  I can pretty much tell you that these are all wrong.  Anyways, I’m curious to hear your thoughts!

10. Katelyn Epperly -- She’s good, but not that good.

9. Janelle Wheeler -- That passionate waitress. But it takes more than passion to make it to the top 3. Doesn’t have the “X Factor.”

8. Todrick Hall - This guy is an entertainer with a big potential to make it to the top three.  However, I’m guessing he’s going to do something to send himself home.  My guess is that it will be in the area of a lack of discipline.

7. Didi Benami - She has a solid voice, but it’s not “it” enough to take her to the top.

6. Joe Munoz -- This guy is great.  I imagine Joe as a cooler, more smooth Anoop Desai.  That may sound like racial profiling.  But notice they have different voices.  OK, that’s profiling.  But this guy is good!  At this point, the decisions are going to get difficult, because everyone is good.

5. Katie Stevens -- This is a hometown girl with a great voice that knows what to do to get noticed.  Watch out for her.

4. Andrew Garcia -- I really like this guy.  He’s super-likeable, and has a great voice.  However, I think his like-ability might kill him.  Maybe.  Maybe not.

3. Crystal Bowersox - This girl just broke the rules.  She isn’t your typical pop queen.  However, her voice is every bit of awesome.  I’m referring to her as a neo Sheryl Crow.  Seriously, she’s good.  She mentioned in one of her interviews that someone needed to swoop in and rescue the music scene.  I’m excited about what she has to offer.

2. Ashley Rodriguez -- This girl has star power and a great voice.  Very Rihanna-esque.  If she keeps it up, she might run away with this competition.

1. Casey James - I’m not gonna lie. I have huge doubts that this prediction is true, but I can’t get away from picking him as my top spot.  He had a rough history, mainly making it through because he took off his shirt.  Simon doesn’t like him (which doesn’t matter anymore).  But his talent has been shown again and again.  It may be because I’m a fan of chill music, good vocals, and an acoustic guitar, but I feel like this guy could make it happen.  He’ll have to compete with a group of people who reek of star power, though.  That’s something he doesn’t have, or at least I haven’t seen it yet.

Honorable Mention -  People Who Had Great Voices & Deserved Top 24 Positions (in my humble opinion):

Thaddeus Johnson -- This guy got ripped off, plain and simple.  I’m gonna be truthful, and sometimes the truth hurts.  Aaron Kelly has no business being in the top 24 after he messed up the lyrics.  Thaddeus didn’t mess up.  In fact, they told him he didn’t do anything wrong.  This is where the decisions that are made by the powers that be suck sometimes.

Angela Martin -- Again, sometimes, people who did pretty good just don’t make it.  She had a great attitude, personality, and voice.  She was real.  And can I be honest? I really didn’t like most the chicks that were in the top 73.  I won’t name names.  Well, yes I will.  That Mary chick with the short hair (imagine my hand in the shape of a gun next to my temple).  Angela, America likes you. We’re sorry for what happened, even if you did have crazy weird bangs in your first audition (see picture below).

Charity Vance -- Everyone loves a hometown girl.  So let me preface what I’m about to say with, “I’m not griping because this chick is from Arkansas.  I’m griping because she has a good voice -- one that deserved to make it into the top 24.”  There.  Well, that’s pretty much it.

Tori Kelly -- Girl had a straight rockin’ voice.  She should still be on.  That is all.

Antonio “Skiiboski” Wheeler -- Skiiboski Baby!  My words don’t do a justice, so I’ve decided to show you his audition tapes (if you’re reading this, you probably know who he is, but if you’re having a bad day, this might help!).

My Picks for the “Not Top Ten”

24. Tim Urban -- Just shouldn’t be here.

23. Aaron Kelly -- Lame.

22. Jermaine Sellers -- Not awesome & thought he’d throw the band under the bus.  Super not awesome.

21. Paige Miles -- Who?

20. Alex Lambert -- I like him, but I’m not sure he’s got what it takes.

19. John Park -- Uhhh….

18. Tyler Grady -- The 70’s called.

17. Siobhan Magnus -- Good singer.  Makes scary faces when she belts it.

16. Haeley Vaughn -- Good singer. She might make it a lot later in the game than I’m giving her credit for.

15. Michelle Delamor -- Ehh…

14. Lilly Scott -- Great Scott! What’s up with that hair?  Good voice, though.  But seriously.

p.s. She looks like that old witch chick from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves…that was free.

13. Lacey Brown -- Not only do I like her voice, I love her attitude and that she came back after getting sent home last year.

12. Lee Dewyze -- Let the record state that I really like this dude.  I just don’t think he’s gonna make it far.

11. Michael Lynche -- OK, I reaaally like this guy.  Again, you’ve gotta have the X Factor, and I’m not sure he’s got it.

Seriously, you should comment and let me know who you want to win!

“One of the thoughts that passed through my head was that this terrible experience in this restaurant was our first time and that it wouldn’t be probable that we’d be back.  Then, it struck me.  If people encountered anything close to this terrible first-time experience in our church, they would have every reason to never come back.  And that makes me very nervous.”

Recently, my wife and I went to a local pizza place on the referral of a friend.  This is one of the only places that serves Chicago-style pizza in Little Rock.  Since my wife and I both love Chicago-style pizza, we decided to try it out.

At the beginning, it wasn’t all that bad of an experience.  We noticed that there was a disclaimer on the menu stating that Chicago-style pizzas take longer to cook, and that we should expect a 30-minute cook time.  Since Christi and I both have at least 4 years experience working in the restaurant industry, we understood and decided to go with it anyways.  We ordered some breadsticks to have as an appetizer to tide us over, and a Chicago-style supreme pizza.  Plus, it was a date night and we really weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere anyways.

After we ordered, we enjoyed conversation and just enjoyed being together.  Around 40 minutes after we ordered, we noticed that we hadn’t received our appetizer yet. This is probably where the whole thing went downhill.  Again, knowing what we know about the restaurant business made us not want to bother the server to ask about our appetizer, but we were starving!  So, when we decided to ask her if it was coming before the meal, she replied, “It should!”  In restaurant-speak, this translates, “I forgot to put it in.”  Sometimes, it’s disguised as, “Let me go check.”  Again, that actually means, “Let me go put it in.”

We understood and continued on with conversation.  We received our appetizer about 5 minutes later, which tasted like cardboard.  No worries.  They’re not known for breadsticks.  They’re known for pizza.

About 15 minutes later, another server walks out with a barbecue chicken pizza, and places it on our table confidently.  We politely told her that it wasn’t our pizza before she walked off.  So, with a confused look on her face, she took this pizza back to ask what the mix-up was.  She returned about a minute later asking if we were sure (you know, because sometimes you forget…I guess).  We told her that we were, in fact, very sure of what we ordered.  She then asked my wife, “I’m sorry, but are you pregnant?”  My wife nodded, not knowing where she was going with such a question.  “Your server told me that this was for the table with the pregnant woman.”  We looked around.  No obviously pregnant women to be seen (my wife is currently 8.5 months pregnant).  We reminded her that we didn’t order that.

It became obvious that our 30-minute cook-time pizza had not been made.  Let the negotiations begin!  We were offered the barbecue chicken pizza at a discounted price, or the pizza we ordered at a discounted price (knowing it had to be cooked still).  We opted for the barbecue chicken pizza, knowing that it would take another 30 minutes.  The barbecue chicken pizza tasted pretty terrible, so we quickly told our server that we’d wait it out for what we came for.  She returned about 5 minutes later with what she called a Chicago-style supreme pizza.  “This is definitely your pizza.”  She then decided to take the “high road” and blame the mistake on another server (Dear servers, this is never a good choice).  We were a little hesitant, but we took the pizza and started dishing it up, only to find that it only had two toppings, Sausage and Peppers; hardly a supreme pizza.  We decided that we’d cut our losses, eat the pizza that we got, and go home.  We’d been there for 2 hours at that point, and still had some shopping to do.

Then, we get the ticket.  We remembered the server assuring us that we would receive a discount on either pizza that we chose.  We received no such discount.  We didn’t decide to make a big deal of it, nor did we decide to take it out of her tip.  We paid for our pizza, tipped the waitress, and departed with the left-overs of “not our pizza.”

So, what can churches learn from this?  Well, simply put, we have guests every week that are coming for an experience and a product, much like the restaurant we visited.  One of the thoughts that passed through my head was that this terrible experience in this restaurant was our first time and that it wouldn’t be probable that we’d be back.  Then, it struck me.  If people encountered anything close to this terrible first-time experience in our church, they would have every reason to never come back.  And that makes me very nervous.

We know that people make mistakes, and it’s easy to forgive a simple mistake like they made at the restaurant.  However, when eternity hangs in the balance, church need to remember that there are people in the crowd every single week that need to have a great experience!  After all, we’re showing them the greatest “product” in the world!  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing in this world.  How are you presenting it to people?  And are you giving people a reason to leave and never come back?