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The Big Ideas of Fear No Evil

December 1, 2010 / / 2 Comments /

I spent some time this week with the folks at Zondervan finalizing the details of my first book, Fear No Evil, which releases in April 2011. The manuscript is all but done, the cover design is nearly finished and all of us seem ready to go public in a few short months. For over a year, I have worked on this project, prayed over this project and sometimes fretted over this project. Honestly, I don’t want to write a book for the sake of writing and selling books. I want this to be helpful to people.

Here are the big takeaways from this work that I hope are helpful to the people who choose to read it.

1. Bad things may happen to us, but God is with us even when everything seems dark. He is near us and He is for us.

2. Life may never be the same as before, but life on the other side of the dark valley can be magnificent if we follow the law of the farm. You will have to read chapter 10 for more insight.

3. No one wants to repeat the trip that took us through the dark valley, but what we learn about God, ourselves and our friends is worth the journey.

Fear No Evil is dedicated to the tribe of people called New Lifers who are the most courageous and faithful people I have ever met. Together we have worshipped and prayed our way through dark days and nights and now we stand on the other side, reflective of the journey and thankful for what we have learned.

Pray with me that many others will find the same hope in their journey and find the courage to take one more step out of the valley of the shadow of death. We do not have to fear evil, but we do have to face it. May the miracle story of New Life give them the strength to do just that.

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Do you take notes?

November 22, 2010 / / 7 Comments /

Do you take notes when someone is teaching you the scriptures? If you do, chances are you retain more than those who do not. In fact, I believe 90% of people who do not take notes on Sunday morning forget everything they have heard by Wednesday morning. If my calculations are correct, Sunday morning was mostly a waste of time for those who did not bother to write something down.

Jesus told us this would happen in Luke 8 when he described the four types of soil that represent the common conditions of the human heart.  The path, the rock, the thorns and the good soil are all mentioned. The seeds that fell on the good soil are the only ones that produced a lasting harvest. Notice what is said in verse 15.

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a good crop.”

Luke did not underline the two words above, but they certainly jumped off the page at me recently. The Message Bible says “who seize the word and hold on no matter what.” I have heard some amazing insight that I have not written down and I am certain I have forgotten most of it. Good seed had been sown, but I did not seize it and hold on no matter what.  What can we all do to make sure the seeds that are being sown fall on the good soil of our hearts and produce a crop?

1. Write down two or three big ideas from every teaching you hear and have a conversation with someone about them within 48 hours.

2. If you use your iphone to take notes, like I sometimes do, don’t check your email or text someone during the talk. Take notes only and do not play paper toss. 🙂

3. If you are speaking and the big ideas are not evident, then use simpler language and better illustrations to make them clear to everyone.

4. If you have access to decent AV equipment, put the big ideas on the screen long enough for everyone to write them down.

5. Hand out notes to people before the talk and have pens or pencils available. Even if you hand out blank sheets of paper, you are encouraging people to take notes.

The word disciple means “learner” and learners take notes. Even if we do not agree with what is said, at least the talk will spark some interesting conversation that might lead us to deeper truth. Let’s not sit in the crowd with our arms folded assuming that we will remember everything that is being said. Let’s hear the word, retain the word and by persevering produce a good crop.

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An Adoption Story – Part 2

November 17, 2010 / / 0 Comments /

Late on a Sunday night ten years ago, the phone rang at our home in Hereford, TX. It was the phone call Pam and I had been waiting to get for a month. Our little girl was about to be born at a hospital 45 minutes away in Amarillo.

Abram had just turned two and was asleep when the excitement erupted. We bundled our little guy up and called my brother who lived in Amarillo at the time to see if he could watch Abram while we went to the hospital.

At the hospital, Callie’s young birth mom was already in labor. Pam went into the room while I stayed outside in the hallway with the mom’s two young friends. Not long afterwards, I heard the sweet sounds of a baby crying and I knew my little girl had arrived. The biggest question Pam and I had was also answered. She did have red hair. For years, Pam and I had prayed for a little girl with red curly hair and blue eyes. That is exactly what God gave us on that November night.

Two days later, we had a ceremony in the hospital where the birth mom gave us Callie. Pastor Garvin McCarrell spoke and prayed for both families inside the small hospital chapel. As we were leaving, the birth mom looked at me and said something that I will never forget. She said, “I hope Callie is always a daddy’s girl.”

Her wish has come true. Callie is definitely a daddy’s girl who loves to play sports, ride horses and wear baseball hats. She is the tallest girl in her class and is already wearing the same size shoe as Pam.

Adoption is a joy that is difficult to describe and I hope more and more Christ followers say yes to the call. If you want more information about adopting a child from the foster system in your state, go to www.ICareAboutOrphans.org

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The 6-Week Hospitality Challenge

November 14, 2010 / / 0 Comments /

We have made Christianity way too complicated.  It is not about complex theology or understanding some hidden code, but instead, it is quite simple if you follow the teachings of Jesus. Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

This past Sunday, I challenged the people of New Life to return to these simple ideas and to embrace a culture of genuine hospitality. In the next six weeks, I asked our fellowship to do one of the following.

1. Bring a meal to someone who is sick, has just had a child or has suffered a loss in their family.

2. Invite a new person in the church to your home for a meal or dessert.

3. Invite a student who is away from their family to your home for a home cooked meal.

4. Host a New Life group in your home next semester.

5. Invite someone who has no family in town to your home to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I believe hospitality and sharing meals together is powerful. Church is not an event to attend but a family in which to belong. In a family, meals are time to talk and to laugh. Let’s open our hearts and our homes to our family, to strangers or to anyone else that God leads our way.

Share your stories with me along the way. I believe God is forming a family before he forms an army. Let’s practice hospitality and let’s do it cheerfully.

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Guidelines for the Guest Speaker

November 8, 2010 / / 3 Comments /

This weekend, we had Pastor Robert Morris as a guest speaker at New Life. Pastor Robert is the Senior Pastor at Gateway Church in DFW and is one of the overseers of New Life, plus one of my closest friends. Pastor Robert spoke at both Sunday morning gatherings and did a great job. Meanwhile, I was at Gateway as his guest, speaking twice on Saturday and once Sunday.

I don’t just let anyone speak at New Life when I’m gone. Most often, the speaker is a part of our pastoral team, but like this past Sunday, we do sometimes have guests from around the country who come to speak. Before they are invited, I make sure they meet certain criteria.

1. They must really care about the people of New Life and genuinely want to pastor them while in the pulpit.

2. They must have some relationship with me or have a substantial relationship with someone I really trust.

3. They must have similar theology, but not necessarily identical theology.  I think it’s great to have speakers who come from different backgrounds so long as they are not out of bounds on the essentials of our faith.

4. They have to be there to minister to the people and not sell something to the people. I am ok with books and products being available for purchase but the guest speaker will not be allowed to make a big sales pitch.

5. They are  typically pastors who are leading their own fellowships because true shepherds usually have a high regard for the local church. I do have people speak who are not pastors, but not often.

I am grateful to have so many gifted speakers and pastors available to communicate the scriptures when I’m gone. I want New Lifers to trust that no matter who speaks on Sunday, truth will be declared and people will receive pastoral care.

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What can we do to serve our city?

October 30, 2010 / / 0 Comments /

The first Dream Center is about to open, just in time to serve families in our city during the holidays. Read about your first opportunity to serve at the Dream Center as well as other possibilities to serve in the update below.

ONE(CAN)PAIGN

Local Ministries is collecting non-perishable food items. Check our donation trunks in the foyer for more details on the most needed items that we can give to bless families in our city. Please call Rina at 265-3180 if you have any questions.

NOVEMBER MONTHLY FOCUS
Teens are often times overlooked during donation drives. Let us show these students how much they are cared for this month by donating items that mean a lot to them. All donations will go to the kids at Carmel Middle School south of town at Christmas time. Donation bins are available on either side of the foyer outside the living room. On the donation bins you can find lists of supplies needed. Please call Rina at 265-3180 if you have any questions.

PASSING OUT THANKSGIVING BASKETS – NOVEMBER 18-20TH
It’s Thanksgiving time again, and we will be providing Thanksgiving Baskets to families in the Knob Hill area. We have three different ways for you to help us with this project. Option 1: Join us as we assemble the baskets of uncooked ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal at our new Dream Center location on November 18th from 1pm to 4pm. Option 2: Deliver baskets to the families on November 20th from 9am to 12pm. Please help us plan accordingly by registering at www.newlifechurch.org/outreach . Option 3: Sponsor a family Thanksgiving Meal anytime for $20 (please make checks payable to New Life Church with Knob Hill Baskets in the memo line). For more information please contact Rina at 265-3180

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Pray, Vote, Pray

October 29, 2010 / / 1 Comment /

I took Abram to get a haircut today and while sitting in the wait area, the radio in the salon was playing nothing but non-stop political ads it seemed. A Democrat was bashing a Republican and the next ad featured the Republican bashing the Democrat. The Independent candidate was against everybody. Uggh!

Once the haircut was underway and I had given the young girl my detailed instructions for cutting Abram’s tricky hair, more ads starting playing. I told the stylist I was really ready for the election to be over and the ads to disappear. She looked at me and said, “I really want to vote, but I don’t think I am going to vote for any of the people because I don’t know what to believe.” Good point, but not a good plan.

As Christ followers who live in a Republic where elections determine so much, I hope we do not stay away from the polls because of confusion or out of protest. Pray about the candidates and the issues, and then vote according to your biblical convictions. Then pray some more! Pray, Vote, Pray!

As much I wanted to give her some suggestions on how to vote, I didn’t. Instead, I prayed for the young lady on my drive home that she would have peace and not be rattled by all the rhetoric that is swirling around. Scriptures tell us that people who pray are people of peace, even during election season.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding (and political ads), will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Pray, Vote, Pray!

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Dream Centers Update

October 28, 2010 / / 1 Comment /

We have signed the lease on our first Dream Center building. It is a small office complex in the geographic center of our city, near the intersection of Academy and Austin Bluffs. I am very thankful to a generous businessman in our church for allowing us to use his property rent free.

The site is perfect for a medical clinic downstairs and the rooms on the second floor will be great for drug and alcohol support groups that we hope to start in January. Right now, Pastor Matthew Ayers is meeting with medical professionals and many other volunteers to organize and plan what types of medical and dental services can be offered. We are also going to install new carpet on the second floor and give it a fresh coat of paint.

This is not something that can be done super quick so be patient as we do our due diligence. We do hope to use the building during the upcoming holiday season for some outreaches into our city and we should have phase one of the clinic open in the first quarter of 2011.

If you want to serve our city, contact Pastor Matthew at mayers@newlifechurch.org Thanks for your prayers and support. The dream of caring for our city through many Dream Centers is becoming a reality. God be praised!

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Defender or Defensive?

October 25, 2010 / / 3 Comments /

Nobody likes to be criticized and all of us want people to like us to some degree. When criticism or unfair comments are made about us, we naturally want to respond, to defend our reputations, to set the record straight. That sounds like the right thing to do, but that’s not what Jesus did. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, instead he trusted his case was in the hands of God who always judges fairly.

In the past three years, there have been blogs and news reports about me that were completely inaccurate and it was difficult to read and listen to them without defending myself. One morning on a phone call, my friend, Pastor Jimmy Evans, gave me some great advice. He told me there was a difference between being a defender and being defensive.

He told me if my only goal was to defend my reputation, I should stay silent but if I needed to defend the people of New Life from harm, then I should speak. It was wise advice and I am thankful I decided to not defend myself. Secure people have faith that God is one the one who brings justice to all situations, either in this age or in the age to come.

Secure people are a people of peace and are quick to forgive those who have hurt them. Secure people prefer mercy because they have not forgotten how much mercy they need everyday.

If we are going to walk away from a life of insecurity, we have to trust, like Jesus, that we have a perfect shepherd watching over us and we are the sheep of his pasture. How do you respond to unfair attacks? Can you trust God for justice?

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Be Wisely Authentic

October 18, 2010 / / 3 Comments /

I think it is great when pastors are candid about their own struggles. Authenticity builds trust and allows for others in the fellowship to speak honestly about their own issues. Church masks are removed and people are able to get the help they need.

But there are times when the pastor can share way too much information and cause people to actually stumble. This past Sunday, I shared a really vulnerable story about my personal struggle with depression last year. I hope it was helpful, but I was mindful of a couple of questions we should all consider before we share personal issues.

1. Has the issue been resolved? I am not sure pastors should confess their struggles publicly until they have at least started the process of getting some help privately. The Sunday morning stage should not the be the first time we confess our weaknesses. We need to have a trusted circle of mature friends who can hear this first and then we can talk about it publicly when it is appropriate. Don’t be vulnerable just to be cool. I know many young believers who have given up even trying to live Godly lives because they believe there is no use trying if their leaders cannot be victorious. Confess, but then tell them the path you found toward healing and wholeness. That is encouraging and will actually build hope in people.

2. Am I about to share something that will embarrass someone? In the first talk on Sunday when I was telling my story of near depression, I made it seem that Pam and I were struggling in our marriage, although the struggle was not with her, but with my role as Senior Pastor. I made that clearer in the 11am service, but it reminded me to be very careful not to reveal something about someone just to tell a cool story about my messiness. Protect people and their reputations at all costs, even at the cost of a good sermon illustration.

I hope every leader feels the freedom to be transparent, honest and vulnerable. It’s refreshing and healing to those who hear and it helps all of us take off those silly church masks and live honest lives filled with hope and freedom.

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