I finally decided to write a book. It is only in rough outline form right now and I do not even have a publisher, but I have started the process. It was only after a lot of prayer that I decided to enter the world of books. First, I wanted to make sure writing was God’s idea for me and not my plan or other’s plans for me. Second, I wanted to make sure my first book really captured the core of my values and my beliefs. Without giving away the title prematurely, I believe it has done just that.

I have found myself encouraging the team here at New Life and others around the country to write books. I think books have a place in advancing the Kingdom of God for several reasons.

 1.  Books are portable

Not everyone can come to a Sunday gathering or is tech savvy enough to download a podcast, but most of us can read or can listen to an audio book. Books make revelation and truth accessible to just about anyone at just about anytime. Books can be read sitting in a waiting room, during a trip on a plane or on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Books can be consumed in one sitting or processed at a slow, easy pace that is best for the reader.

2.  Books are perpetual

Long after I have left earth for heaven, the truths captured in books written by me will remain. Many of the books that have changed my life were written by men and women who have long since departed this life. Written words can transcend time and generations and continue changing lives for perpetuity. My heritage will be defined by more than just books, but what I write will certainly add to my body of work on the earth.

 3.  Books are personal

Books allow me into the world of the author. I get insights from amazing leaders, thinkers, and futurists without the benefit of spending personal time with them.  I often feel that I know the author while reading their work. I have met many of my favorite writers in person and most often, I feel an immediate sense of relationship with them. The great writers reveal the core of their being in their books and I am certainly the better for knowing them.

Being a pastor is a privilege and I am grateful I get to spend my life serving people in the context of the local church. Growing up, though, I imagined that working at church was a dreadful way to spend your life. I was wrong.  While it is a blessing to be called “pastor”, there are three key elements that must be in place for this calling to be fulfilling to me. Without any one of them, ministry in the local church becomes a burden that can literally overwhelm me.

1.       Ministry must be innovative

Innovation makes ministry fun and keeps me coming back to the church office everyday excited about the new thing that God is doing.  Ministering ancient truths with new ideas and methods fends off the boredom and routine that can settle on a church that is resistant to change or in love with the old wine. I am rarely the one that comes up with the new ideas, but I love the tribe of innovators that surround me at New Life and I love the energy from heaven that is released when we simply ask the question – “Is there a better way to do this?”

2.       Ministry must be for the Kingdom

This is not about the fame of people or of an institution. Notoriety is an addictive drug and the only cure is humility. We must stay committed to making Jesus famous and not ourselves. This is not about mega book deals, although I love to write books. This is not about getting on the conference speaking circuit, although I love to host and attend conferences.  Most of us came into ministry with pure motives only to be ensnared by narcissism, greed or pride. Ministry must be for the benefit and growth of God’s kingdom on the earth and not for the benefit of our own personal empire.

3.       Ministry must be done with friends

I like to work with my friends. I usually hire my friends. I make no apologies. Ministry is too hard without friends around you to help carry the burden. When I came to New Life two years ago, a few friends came with me and literally helped me survive the first 24 months. Now, I am becoming friends with the team I inherited and my ministry has moved from surviving to almost thriving. Friends make a huge difference. Without them, the mountain seems impossible to climb, but with them. you feel like you can slay giants.

Are you fulfilled with the calling God gave you? If not, maybe you have stopped being innovative? Maybe it has become too much about you and not enough about God. Maybe, you need to bring some friends around you to help carry the burden.

I have some great coaches in my life right now. Jimmy Evans, Tom Lane and Robert Morris have all walked closely with me for many years and give me personal insight and constant coaching. I am certain that without them I would have made some huge messes, especially the past two years as the Senior Pastor of New Life Church. 

God has given me key coaches at key times in my life. I will never forget Pastor Jack Hayford standing by my side the entire afternoon after the shooting. His coaching and advice was priceless. The next day, Larry Stockstill flew to Colorado from Louisiana and encouraged me for several days.  I have been coached and loved by all these men and my life is richer and fuller because of their investment.

 No matter what we do in life, we all need coaching and that is why I agreed to participate in the PCC Coaching Network.  The church in America has a great opportunity to be salt and light right now, but I am convinced that coaching can help all of us for four reasons. 

1.       Coaching allows us to learn from the experiences of others. There are a lot of mistakes we can avoid if we pay attention to the mistakes others have made. A really good coach shares his own hiccups so the rest of us can avoid the same ditch.

2.       Coaching allows us to stop and evaluate what we are doing. All of us are probably busy, but are we really being effective. Coaches make us hit the pause button and evaluate how we are spending our time. Are we really living in our strengths? Are we using our resources the best way? Have we built the right team to support what God wants to do?

3.       Coaching allows us to look at who we are becoming. What we are doing is important, but not as important as our personal transformation and development as Christ followers. Coaches require us to take off our pastor/leader mask and to look honestly at our own hearts.  How are we doing as a spouse or as parents? Are we personally in love with Jesus? Are there any private strongholds that could disqualify us?

4.       Coaching allows us to live in authentic community. Pastors and leaders are often lonely people without any real friends. It is sad but true. Coaches push leaders out of isolation and into tribe.  Coaches require vulnerability and honesty which leads to real friendships.

I know firsthand the power of a good coach and I hope every leader finds someone to walk alongside them. If you are a leader in a church and need coaching, check out http://pcccoachingnetwork.com/ for more information.

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 NASB

I am a time and schedule freak. Anyone who knows me well knows how much of a slave I sometimes am to the clock. I get frustrated when there is no schedule, or when the schedule is not followed. I am getting better, but I even schedule every minute of vacation or my day off.

The problem with my problem is found in the passage in Luke 9. I wish to follow Jesus, so the first part of the passage is not negotiable. The problem for me is in the second half – denying myself, which means allowing Jesus to wreck my schedule. Weddings and baptisms can be planned, but funerals and hospital visits always come at inconvenient times. They come at times when I already had something scheduled. But I am a Jesus follower, so my schedule has to take second place.

Serving is another schedule wrecker. We are called to serve others when the need presents itself even if our plans for the day have to be sacrificed. Serving at Elevate on a Saturday morning is great but what about all the other stuff our family has scheduled already? The needs in our city have to take priority at some point or the needs never get met.

This problem is not unique with just me. We are consumers by nature and we typically say yes to things that satisfy a felt need in our lives. Church has catered to this idea by offering ministry opportunities for all the felt needs of their congregations. I believe in meeting needs and I believe in knowing the condition of the flock so they can receive ministry and care.  I just wonder when the last time we were inconvenienced or when following Jesus actually cost us anything.

Suffering and sacrifice are a part of the deal when you choose to follow Jesus. That is what Jesus said in Luke 9. He said we would not have to go looking for sacrifice or invite suffering upon ourselves. He said it would come to us and that we should not avoid it. He said we would be inconvenienced and that we should count the cost. What has it cost us?

I believe we are saved by grace, justified by faith and made more like Jesus because of the work of the Holy Spirit. I do not believe we should get in suffering contests to see which of us can impress God the most. I am not advocating a religious lifestyle. However, I am advocating a life that is marked by self-denial, sacrifice and choosing to be inconvenienced whenever necessary.

There are two groups of people. One group loves change and gets bored easily unless something is changed fairly often. The other group hates change and thinks any change is the result of a government conspiracy or the beginning of the New World Order. You guessed correctly if you think I belong to the first group. To be fair to the other group, let me explain why we decided to change the Sunday service times to 9:30, 11:30 and 5:30 starting September 13.

 1. Right now, the 11am service is 75% full and with the growth we are expecting this fall, this service will be at capacity. We are hoping that many of you who now attend the 11am service will go to the new 9:30 service to allow room for the new families who are starting to attend New Life.

2.  9am is too early for anything to happen on Sunday morning. 9am is when most of us have to be at work Monday-Friday, so we decided on 9:30 so all of us can get a little extra rest on Sunday. Plus, if we are rested at church, we are nicer and not as grumpy.

3.  Starting at 9:30 gives the roads an extra 30 minutes to thaw and clear during the winter. Let’s face it, when it snows, most people wait to come to the later service so the road crews can clear the streets. Starting at 9:30 gives us a little more time for safe travel on those snowy Colorado Sunday mornings.

4. Since we are starting a new Sunday night service at 5:30, it will be easier to communicate the three service times if all three started on the half hour – 9:30, 11:30, 5:30.

For those of you who like change, this is an exciting blog. For those in the second group, please pray before leaving any nasty comments.  See you Sunday.

Pam and I will celebrate 20 years of marital bliss on August 12^th. I have been thinking about the first 20 years and all the memories we have created together.  There are literally thousands of memories I could share, but these four come to mind today.

1.       Sick on our honeymoon

I had just started my first real job at KWKH radio in Shreveport, La.  and my boss only gave me a few days for a honeymoon, so we went to Jackson, Mississippi and spent a few days on the river. On the second day, I came down with an ear infection and fever.  The stress of marriage was already taking its toll. When we got back to Shreveport, I told my boss I needed to stay home. Of course, he did not believe me because he thought I just wanted another day of honeymoon.

2.       The bold move out west

After five years of living in Shreveport, I was given an opportunity to work for NFL Broadcasting and help run two struggling radio stations in Amarillo, Texas.   I remember not being able to even find Amarillo on the Texas map because the top portion of the state was on the next page of the atlas.  It seemed like we were moving to the end of the earth, but Pam and I really felt God was leading us to the unknown. Turns out, it was one of the best moves of our marriage. We knew no one and had to really stick close as friends, and while there, we adopted both our children and were introduced to Trinity Fellowship, the healthiest church we had ever attended, led by Jimmy Evans and Tom Lane. Both men are still close friends to this day.

3.       The miracle of Abram and Callie

Pam and I prayed for children for ten years and then two miracles happened in 25 months. In 1998, a single mom asked us if we would adopt her baby. She was due in three months. The whirlwind that followed was amazing. Pam and I were actually in the operating room when Abram was born and the doctor handed him to me first after the c-section.  Two years later, another single mom asked us if we would adopt her baby. She was due in three weeks. Again, Pam and I were at the hospital when Callie was born. We experienced two unique miracles that changed us forever.

4.       The call to New Life

We had proven to God that we were willing to make bold moves to new places, but the move to Colorado Springs and New Life Church was the greatest test to date. We were really comfortable in the DFW Metroplex and were serving at a great church with lots of close friends. Then, we received a call that changed the course of our life. We had been chosen to lead New Life. Two years later, our marriage is stronger than ever and while the challenges have been the most intense we have ever faced, I am grateful that I walked the difficult path with my best friend, Pam.

I spent last week with five friends up in the mountains, hiking, fishing, and eating lots of grilled mammal flesh. I have known four of these men for at least five years and I would consider each of them a true friend that I trust completely. I consider myself to be rich in close friends, something I do not take for granted.

Most of my senior pastor friends find it difficult to live in that type of authentic community, especially senior pastors who lead large churches.   Sometimes, the loneliest guy in the church is the guy on the stage. While it is not realistic to believe the senior pastor can have more than a few close friends, the fact is, the senior pastor still needs friends.  I have found there are three primary groups of people who try to be friends with the senior pastor. Which group do you belong?

1.      Super Fans

This group believes the pastor is a combination of Superman and Chuck Norris.  They believe he is a holy giant who has a private phone line to heaven and would have a book in the bible if he had been born when it was being written.  It is true that all pastors need compliments and affirmation, but we do not need flattery. Many times, an insecure or needy leader will make this group his inner circle and over time, the leader actually begins to believe he is super human. Why not, all of his friends tell him so constantly. 

2.      Chronic Critics

This group feels they have a mandate from heaven to correct and criticize the pastor no matter what he does.  This group approaches the pastor with a smile that seems genuine, but behind that smile are the teeth of a piranha. An invitation to their house for dinner turns into a kidnapping. You are trapped at their house while they filet you with their “suggestions.”  I do not mind input, but this group wants friendship to be wrapped around their agenda. They give input but usually get offended when you push back or disagree. This group is the reason that pastors disengage from the tribe and isolate themselves in the green room on Sundays.

3.      Real Friends

This group respects what you do, but loves who you are. They will give you input, but most of the time, the pastor has to ask.  They are relaxed around the pastor which allows the pastor to take off his church mask.  They know how to talk about “normal” things and not just “church” things.  This is the group I spent last week with in the mountains.  This is the same group I traveled with to Africa each June and the same group that met at least once a month in one of our backyards for hours of talking, listening and eating.

I realize the problem is not always in the pew.  Pastors also have to be willing to engage in authentic community and they have to invite people into their lives. I have found that ministry without close friends at your side is the most miserable occupation on the planet. Isolation and loneliness drive pastors away from ministry all the time.  I felt really alone in the first few months at New Life, but that has been replaced now by new friends and the occasional company of old friends. I believe it is better to live in tribe with real friends than to be alone on the stage of a big church.

Matthew 7:28-29 NIV

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

Matthew wrote these words as he remembered the Sermon on the Mount, taught by Jesus to a crowd of people on a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee. Notice that Matthew did not say the people were amazed at the humor of Jesus, the exegesis of Scripture or how Jesus was dressed. They were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority.

No one has ever confused my teaching skills to those of Jesus, but I am wondering if the same authority Jesus taught with is available, in some measure, to the rest of us. It is clear in Scripture that all of us who follow Jesus have been given spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12) and there are times when each of us is given power from the Holy Spirit to use these gifts (Acts 1:8).  But how do we get this authority that Jesus obviously had?

Recently, I watched a young lady minister whom I have known for several years. She has always had recognizable spiritual gifts, and she has, for years, ministered with the power of the Holy Spirit.  When I saw her this time, though, she had authority. Her words had weight. She spoke and the words seemed to carry more punch and connected not only to the minds of those who were listening, but to their hearts.

I believe this authority is given to those whose hearts have been radically changed. We cannot give away what we do not have and we have only as much authority as we are under. When we really surrender our hearts to God, and submit to His authority in heaven and on earth, we are given authority.  I believe a lot of people want this authority, but few are willing to pay the price.

I have a position and title as Senior Pastor of New Life Church. I have spiritual gifts and the Holy Spirit has given me the power to use them, but I am asking God for a changed and submitted heart so my words have more authority. Not to impress people or build a spiritual reputation, but so I can be more effective in the assignment He has given me.  I suspect this journey will be painful at times, but I believe it is worth the risk. I sense as I write this that many of you who read this are about to take the same journey. Let it begin today.

Warner Brother’s new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. As the dad of two adopted children, that is simply not true. Pam and I do not have any biological children to compare with the two we adopted, but I cannot imagine loving my biological child any more than I love Abram and Callie.

There are certainly challenges associated with taking an orphaned child into your home. Most of the children who have been orphaned have been traumatized, abandoned, neglected or abused.  Parents need a lot of prayer, counsel and support before, during and after the adoption.  Ask any family who has adopted, and many will tell you it is difficult, but they will also tell you the rewards for rescuing a child are eternal.

I have two friends who are close to finalizing their adoption of a little girl from the state foster system. They have battled through sleepless nights, wrestled with doubt, and heard horrible stories about the little girl’s past, but I have also seen God give them strength for the journey. Most importantly, a little girl’s life will be forever changed for the good because a young couple had the courage to adopt.

Right now, many families in our city are praying about adopting orphans from our state’s foster system through Wait No More. In the past months, over 200 children have found permanent homes because of the efforts of churches and ministries across our state.  By faith, I believe Colorado will have a waiting list of parents wanting children and not a waiting list of children wanting families. There are over 3000 churches in Colorado and less than 600 orphans.  It is realistic to believe our state could be the first in the union without any foster children.

I do not plan to see the movie, Orphan, but I do plan to champion the idea of adoption for the rest of my life. It’s pure. It’s undefiled. It’s religion that pleases God.

Psalms 51: 10-12 (NKJV)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

There are three things I cannot live without. No matter how good my life may seem on the outside, I must have these three things for life to be good on the inside. 

1. A clean heart

I have learned that I am in control of what takes up residence in my heart and I am the one who determines if my heart is clean or corrupt. I have lived with a corrupt heart and I have lived with a clean heart, and I have discovered that living honestly before God is a much better life. Condemnation, guilt, shame and despair are lousy roommates compared to grace, mercy and peace.  I have learned that confession is indeed, good for the soul. I have learned that If I am honest before God about the areas where I struggle, God is quick to forgive and generous with His grace. If I hide, the enemy has a feast on the dark places. If I walk in the light, the enemy runs because he cannot torment me when the rooms of my heart are illuminated by God.

2. The presence of the Holy Spirit

I cannot think of a more miserable life than one without the Holy Spirit. Jesus was right – the Holy Spirit gives us power, guides us in the way of truth and does not leave us as orphans.  Life with the Holy Spirit guarantees immediate access to the throne of God, the ways of God, the mind of Christ and the voice of heaven. Life is too dangerous, too risky, and too mysterious if we do not have the Holy Spirit. I am grateful to live in the age of the New Covenant where the Holy Spirit has made us His temple and chooses to make us his permanent dwelling place and not just a place of occasional visits.

3. The joy of my salvation

I am born again and I can’t get over it. I remember how my life was a train wreck before Jesus. I remember the joy I found 21 years ago, next month, when I said yes to following Him. Since then, life certainly has not been a perpetual Disney experience and I have not always enjoyed life or always been happy. Psalms 51 was written after David was exposed by Nathan the prophet as an adulterer and murderer. King David not only had lost his moral compass, he had lost his joy. Not long ago, Pam asked me if I was enjoying life. At the time, I had to be honest. I told her no. Since that lunch two months ago, I have been on a mission to rediscover the simple joy of following Jesus. I realized, once again that day, that life is better if there is joy. I am determined this joy will not be taken from me again. It is a gift from heaven and I cannot imagine life without it.