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The 1 Thing Most Christians Miss

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When you think about God, do you think of God’s love for you or God’s disappointment in you?

Do you think of God’s love for you or God’s disappointment in you?

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Stop and think about it for a moment.

If you’re like most people and me, you don’t have to think very long to decide the answer; it’s God’s disappointment, his anger.

I’m becoming more and more convinced that Christians would live differently, our culture and churches would be different if we understood God’s love for us.

We read passages like Romans 8 and how nothing can separate us from the love of God and shrug. Then when we sin, we feel far from God and wonder why we don’t feel close.

We read how God sings over us in delight in Zephaniah but aren’t sure what that means or even how that would feel.

I had a conversation with a friend recently who gave me some pushback on my preaching. He told me that I spent too much time talking about God’s love and not enough time talking about God’s wrath. In his words, the gospel is what we have been saved from and what we are saved to, and I spent the majority of my time in a sermon on what God has saved us to.

The reality for many (especially in the reformed tribe) is to focus solely on God’s wrath and make little mention of his love. The Bible doesn’t say God is wrath. It says “God is love.”

The Bible doesn’t say God is wrath. It says “God is love.”

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I want to return to the question at the top. Is there a verse in the Bible that says God is disappointed in you?

Most people live like there is, but there isn’t.

Now, the Bible has plenty to say about life apart from God, sinful desires, giving into temptations and not letting go of past hurts. The Bible has plenty to say about shame, regret and other sins and negative emotions.

But it doesn’t say that God is disappointed in you.

Make no mistake, if you think God is disappointed in you, that will drastically impact your life.

If God’s love or God’s wrath is prominent in your mind, that determines so much of your life.

If God’s love or God’s wrath is prominent in your mind, that determines so much of your life.

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Back to my friend.

The reality is that I do spend more time on God’s love for us and what we have been saved to.

For a couple of reasons:

1. Jesus spent a lot of time on that. Many times, Jesus would talk with someone and end by saying, “Go and sin no more.” That is future-oriented.

How to be a future-focused preacher.

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2. The Bible is full of hope, and that’s what people walk into a church looking for. Every Sunday people walk into a church looking for hope and help. They may not say that, but that is what brought them there. The beautiful thing about this is that is precisely what the Bible has for us.

The Bible is full of hope, and that’s what people walk into a church looking for.

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Now, to be clear before I get emails. When the text calls for it, talking about God’s wrath is something we do at our church (we spent almost a whole year in Romans once). It is in the Bible.

I’ve learned though that regardless of whether or not you have a church background, believing in God’s wrath is not difficult. Believing in His love is.

The 1 Thing Most Christians Miss (and It’s Big)

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The Opportunity of Desperation

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One event sticks out in my mind from when I was 21.

I was sitting at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit and Bill Hybels was talking about church finances and prayer. He said that they get requests form church planters all the time to ask for $25,000 or $50,o00 because Willow’s budget is a multi-million dollar budget. The application goes, “You have so much  money, you won’t even miss it.”

As a young leader, who would eventually plant a church, I can appreciate the request made by these leaders.

Hybels response surprised me though.

He said, “Why would I rob them of the opportunity of desperation?”

Now, it’s easy for someone like Hybels to say that, but when you stop and think about it, desperation is essential in the life of a leader or a person who does great things.

Don’t miss the opportunities God has for you.

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Desperation is the point of deciding, do I believe in this? Do I believe in going back to school? Getting out of debt? Fixing my marriage? Do I believe in starting this church or that company?

Desperation is the crossroads where you either quit or take one more step to your breakthrough.

Desperation is the crossroads where you either quit or take one more step to your breakthrough.

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Right now, where has God brought you to a place of desperation?

That is where he wants you to rely on Him.

Desperation is where God wants us to rely on Him.

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This is a great opportunity.

Throughout Scripture and church history, God brought people to a place of desperation so they can rely on Him, rest in Him, trust in Him.

How to see the opportunities God has for you.

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Summer Break!

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A little later than normal, but my summer break is here!

My elders are gracious each year to make sure my family and I get some time to rest and recharge. I’ll be posting many of our adventures on Instagram.

Also, if you’re a part of Revolution, be ready for July 15th. That is the first day that our brand new worship pastor, Jerry Tipton will be leading worship.

Can’t wait!

I often get asked what I’m reading over the summer, so here are a few of the books I’m most excited about (remember leaders, on your vacation, read books that benefit you personally):

No, I won’t read all of these and I won’t feel bad about it!

In the meantime, here are some of the most recent top posts on my blog to keep you company until I get back:

Healthy Marriage

Healthy Church

Healthy Leadership

Healthy Faith

Healthy Preaching

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3 Ways to Figure Out God’s Will

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Have you ever been in a situation and you knew the right thing to do, but that was the last thing you wanted to do? It may have been a huge decision, a situation that could alter your life forever (cheating, adultery, stealing).

It might be a simple situation like a relationship. Someone asked for help and you knew you should give it, but you didn’t. A child asked to stay up just a little longer, a spouse asks for your attention, but you gave an excuse, pulled out your phone and were selfish.

Many times, we know exactly what we should do, what we should say in a situation, what God wants us to do with our lives or a situation, but we don’t.

Why?

Honestly, it usually comes down to comfort and ease.

The right thing usually hurts in some way, will make us stand out or will make our life more difficult.

It’s easy to lie or tell a half-truth. It’s easier to look at porn than pursue your spouse or purity. It’s easier to push your kids to the side for your career (after all you’re doing all that you do for them).

Ironically, in the midst of ignoring these situations or people, we ignore God.

Think about it. If you’re married and you ignore what God has to say about purity, you ignore your spouse but you close yourself off to God and what He is doing in your world as well.

If you are dishonest at work, you not only close yourself off to opportunities at work: promotions, projects, leadership; but you also close yourself off to God and the work He wants to do at your job through you.

Then, and here’s the important part.

When we close ourselves off from God in these situations, we find ourselves wondering why God isn’t speaking to us. Why His will for our lives isn’t as clear as we’d like.

Have you noticed that when unconfessed sin in your life rises, God’s voice tends to quiet?

Many times, we are resisting God in ways we don’t see or expect. It’s not that we are actively trying to, it’s that we aren’t actively trying not to.

Here are some simple ways to begin seeing God speak and move in your life and stop resisting His voice:

3 ways to figure out God’s will for your life.

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1. Listen to the Bible and close friends you trust (who are spiritually mature). God’s will for your life is not a mystery, in fact, it’s all over the pages of the Bible. He tells us how to be married, how to be friends, a parent, have integrity, honor leaders and government and bosses, how to pray, how to fast, worship and be a good steward of our treasure, time and talents.

I believe, if we do these consistently and wholeheartedly, we will very rarely wonder what God’s will for our lives are.

Why?

Because we will be doing what He called us to do, what He designed us to do.

On top of that, ask trusted friends and mentors who you consider to be spiritually mature.

What do they do? How do they live? What do they say about the questions you ask or the struggles you have?

Listen to them.

Does what they have to say line up with Scripture?

If so, that’s a clue you are heading in the right direction.

2. Live out what the Bible and those friends tell you. 

Here comes the part that many of us get off the ride.

Living it out.

It is one thing to say you are going to get up and read your bible or exercise, and another thing to do it.

It’s one thing to say you are going to be more patient with your kids and another thing to actually show them patience and grace.

Life is filled with regrets, missed opportunities and a laundry lists of should’s and could’s.

3. When you feel like God is speaking…act. 

Which leads to the last part.

Act.

Do it.

Don’t’ stand on the sideline.

Have you ever noticed that God is on the move in the lives of people who act? I don’t know if He speaks more to them, but they seem to listen more and act more.

At this point, it is time to move on what God has said and not look back. .

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Favorite Posts I Read This Week for Leaders

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It’s the weekend…finally. Hopefully, you’re enjoying the beginning of summer break with your kids (if you have any). And hopefully, you can grab some coffee and find some quiet to read some great articles that I hope help you as a leader.

Before diving into those, in case you missed them this week. Here are the top 3 posts on my blog this week that I hope you find helpful:

Also, if you’re looking for a fascinating and helpful book to read this summer, be sure to check out the last one I read: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.

Now, onto the posts I enjoyed that I hope will help you:

Rich Birch has some great ideas (as always) on how to help make the summer great in your church and experiment with some new ideas that will help in the fall. The idea of tag team announcements is one that sounded really fun to me.

If you feel stuck in your church or need to figure out how to lead into 2019, Brian Jones has a unique but genius idea on replanting your church in 2019.

Shari Thomas has a great post on what it is like to be a pastor’s wife. I’ve written on this before as well, as it is a complex role to fill. If you’re a pastor, a pastor’s wife or attend a church, I’d encourage you to read her post.

What matters most in discipleship? Do some things move the needle more than other things? The answer is yes, some things move the need more than other things in discipleship. What are they? Eric Geiger shares 5 things from a 10-year research project.

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How to Talk About Money in Your Church

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Many church leaders struggle with talking about money in their church or loathe the offering time. However, this fear can be alleviated by making a shift in their perspective about money. The topic of money is not about money per se. The Kingdom of God and helping people to live as disciples of Christ is the true aim of money. In the words of Peter Greer, “Money is a vehicle, not the ultimate objective.”

The reality for pastors is that money is important. It is needed when it comes to ministry and money is one of the biggest struggles and stresses of the people who sit in your church.

Here are 5 things to keep in mind for the next time you preach on money:

5 things to keep in mind when you preach on money.

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1. People genuinely are interested in what the Bible has to say on money. People come to your church to hear what the Bible has to say. They drove there, probably looked at your website, they drove past a sign that said church, so they are expecting for you to open the Bible and read it. I think people want to know what God thinks about a whole host of things, money included.

Why?

Because very few people have strong financial knowledge. There are so many takes on it, ideas on what you should do, how to get out of debt, where you should invest that it becomes overwhelming and then people stick their head in the sand. Telling them what the Bible has to say is incredibly helpful and refreshing to them because it says more than “you should give to the church.”

People genuinely are interested in what the Bible has to say on money.

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As well, most couples are fighting over money. Most people are laying in bed at night stressing over money. Talking about it hits them where they live and answers some of their most burning questions.

To read the other 4, click here.

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Praying to the God Who Loves You

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If you’re like me, you often find yourself struggling to trust other people. Someone promises something, but deep within, you wonder if you can believe their promise.

Why?

We’ve been stabbed in the back by a close friend; a spouse cheated on you, a parent lied, again and again, you’ve watched an addict friend or family member say over and over, “this is the last time.”

In fact, the idea of choosing to trust anything or anyone seems like one of the worst decisions we could make. It opens us up to all kinds of hurt.

That is what makes prayer so hard for us, at least for me.

Prayer is difficult because it is hard to trust anyone.

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We think God has to be the same way.

We wonder, will God keep his promise? Will God hear me?

If prayer doesn’t get answered, we think God isn’t listening; God is holding out on us (because someone held out on you before), God isn’t listening because He’s disappointed in you (because someone in authority once said they were disgusted by you or disappointed in you).

Why does this matter?

What if one change, one change in how we see God and ourselves is the key to changing our prayer lives.

One change in how we see God and ourselves is the key to changing our prayer lives.

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When it comes to prayer and trusting in God, we bring all of our hurt and baggage along with us.

We bring our past hurt, past sin, past messages and that is the lens we look at God through and often, that is the lens through which we pray.

As I’ve been preaching through the book of Daniel, it’s important to remember the theme: In spite of present appearances, no matter how things look, God is in control.

In spite of present appearances, no matter how things look, God is in control.

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Before getting to how Daniel prays (because Daniel is a man of prayer), we need to understand where prayer begins. 

It starts with the promises of God.

In Daniel 9:2 were told: In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be seventy.

That promise found in Jeremiah 29:10 – 14: For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you…

Daniel’s prayer starts from reading the promises of God found in the word of God.

Daniel is saying, “God you promised to rescue us after 70 years.” You promised to move.

Promises like this one and others like God promising to heal, promising not to leave us or forsake us, promising to provide for us, when we pray, we go to God with his promises.

God’s promises are the fuel for our prayers.

God’s promises are the fuel for our prayers.

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Prayer starts with the promises of God and those promises fuel our prayers.

Prayer starts with the promises of God and those promises fuel our prayers.

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One author said, “It is as if God’s promises have Velcro on them and our prayers are meant to ‘get stuck’ there.”

That is such a great way to think of prayer because we often feel like we’re talking to ourselves or think our prayers simply leave our mouth, hit the ceiling above us and drop back down.

But they don’t.

Let me make one last point on using Scripture in prayer; often when I talk with people who are struggling in their relationship with God, seeing prayer answered, hearing the voice of God, finding freedom from sin, they are often spending very little time reading God’s word.

To grow in your prayer life, you have to marry it to God’s word.

Because…it will show us our need and what we need to pray for.

What I find interesting (at least compared to my prayer life and most people’s), Daniel’s prayer starts in verse 4 with confession, not a request.

This is important because for many of us begin our prayers with what we want from God.

Our prayers sound like a shopping list. God if you could do this, provide this, make this happen.

Now, I want to be clear, that is part of praying, but many of us make that the only part of our prayer life and wonder why it stalls out.

Throughout scripture, an important part of prayer is the confession of sin.

God responds to Daniel by sending the angel Gabriel.

Now, here’s what you’re thinking, if God sent me an angel, I’d believe in Him more. I’d have more faith.

Here’s the funny thing, first, no you wouldn’t. You would wonder what you ate.

We have more access to God than Daniel did because of Jesus and God’s word and yet, Daniel exhibits more faith than we often have.

What is important about Daniel 9 is how God responds to Daniel.

God doesn’t start by telling Daniel what to do, how he failed, how he did something well, he doesn’t give him an assignment.

What does Gabriel tell Daniel in verse 23?

“You are greatly loved.”

I want us to stop here.

Being loved by God, This is the space we pray from.

Many times we believe that God is disappointed in us, yet there isn’t a verse that says. There are hundreds that say you are loved.

There isn’t a verse that says God is disappointed in you.

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If you are a Christian, you are praying to your heavenly father who loves you, who is pleased with you. A father who gives good gifts to his children. A father who disciplines yes, but because he loves you. We sheepishly come to God because we aren’t sure we belong, we aren’t sure he loves, he cares, yet he does. Notice, before Gabriel tells Daniel what God wants him to know or do, he says, you are loved.

There are hundreds of verses that say God loves you.

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The word “deeply loved” in Hebrew translates as preciousness.

Let me ask you if you believed this, do you think it would transform your faith? Your prayer life? If you believed God was for you instead of against you, would that change things? If you believed God loved you and was not disappointed in you, what does that change? If you believed God would never leave you or forsake you instead of thinking he’ll leave you the first chance he gets, what does that change.

Those are promises of God.

Often, people look to Daniel 9 to show us when Jesus will return or what the millennium looks like. For some help on that, check out Sam Storms great book Kingdom Come. 

I think we see those things in Daniel 9, but we have to look at those through the lens of prayer and answered prayer.

The 70 weeks in Daniel 9 represent the full picture of God’s redemption: the end of sin; atone for sin, everlasting righteousness, and a holy place. That holy place is the everlasting presence of God, full rest, and full redemption.

Gabriel is telling Daniel and us: one day, all prayers will be answered. One day, all things will be redeemed.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

According to Daniel Pink in his latest book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, when you do something matters more than why or what.

This is an essential insight because most of the leadership literature focuses our attention on the other two things. Anytime the word when comes up, it is around productivity or time management, but Pink takes a different look at it. He asks if when we do something matters for each person and the answer is “Yes!”

Here are three takeaways:

3 takeaways from @DanielPink’s new book “When.”

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1. When we do something matters. There is a time for each task. There is a better time for meetings, thinking work, administrative work, etc. If you are a preacher like I am, there is a better time of day to work on your sermon and time that you will struggle.

I found it fascinating that according to studies, 2:55 pm is the least productive minute of the day.

The reason this matter is because many times we are doing the wrongs things at the wrong times.

This is important to if you are a parent. Pink went into multiple studies that showed when students should do math or English, what the impact of taking a test in the afternoon versus taking a test in the morning.

Lastly in this section, the importance of breaks. I try to take a break and stand up, move around (outside is better than inside, with someone is better than alone, and without your phone is best) every 50-55 minutes. Just a short 5-minute break where I move around has proven to be incredibly important for me.

When you do something matters more than why or what.

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2. The ending is important. Pink points out how many Yelp reviews mention the end of an experience, especially at a restaurant.

This is one that I think has enormous implications for churches in how they end their services. I don’t know what this looks like because I feel like many church services, even at my church, just kind of end.

The end is what people walk away with, what they remember, so thinking through the end of a talk, sermon, class or service is crucial.

3. Understand the impact of the middle on a project. My personality is one that just pushes through something.

As Pink unpacked the beginning and end of something, which is very obvious to me, but he also talked about the importance of the middle and how often things are lost in the middle. Especially the energy of a team.

This was a fascinating book with a lot of implications. One I’d put on your summer reading list.

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God’s Answer to Our Questions & Doubts (Daniel 7)

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As I’ve been preaching through the book of Daniel, I’ve been struck by the struggles Daniel has and doesn’t have.

He doesn’t seem to struggle with confidence and courage in following God’s call on his life. When faced with praying to God or worshiping a false god (the king), he chooses God. Was it difficult for him? Maybe, but we aren’t told.

In the second half of Daniel, we encounter a switch in our Daniel writes. The first half is a narrative, the story of Daniel’s life, but the second half is apocalyptic. Apocalyptic means “revelation” so it is a revealing of something.

Many times, apocalyptic carries with it a sense of doom, but also a promise of God’s presence and power. It is two sides of the same coin so to speak.

How to understand apocalyptic texts in the Bible.

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Daniel comes to God in Daniel 7 with a question: why does evil prosper? Why are there mighty kings who are against God and His people?

We have the same question.

Why is my life so hard when I’m only trying to please God? Why do I have cancer? Why do I suffer when those around me who want nothing to do with God have an easy go of it?

Why am I not progressing the way I want to in my career, marriage or parenting? Why can’t my finances come together, but that person at work who cuts corners gets promoted and things his way?

God’s answer to evil.

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God’s answer though to Daniel is simple: Yes, evil exists and prospers but not forever.

This is comforting and hard all at the same time.

God gives Daniel a dream of 4 beasts, a throne engulfed in flames which the Ancient of Days sits on and the son of man (which we know from the gospels is Jesus).

Many historians debate who the beasts are and which kingdoms they represent. What we know is that they are kings and that they prosper in wealth, destroy people and nations, but they also eventually disappear, and someone else takes their place.

This is the reality and comfort God gives Daniel.

For us, when we come to God, asking why things are difficult or struggling to trust Him with today, tomorrow and the day after that, He often doesn’t provide us the answer we want.

He gives us Himself.

That’s what He did for Daniel.

What I found most interesting and is easy to overlook is verse 2 where we are told the beasts come out of the sea after the winds of heavens stir the sea.

God tells Daniel in multiple places of chapter 7, yes evil exists, yes it is difficult and hard.

But I am there. I am here.

That is the power and hope of God’s presence.

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Wednesday Morning Mind Dump…

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  • I love the weeks I am off from preaching.
  • Gives me a chance to refuel physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and relationally.
  • It’s good for my heart too because preaching can become an idol and a source of control for me, so not preaching keeps that in check for me.
  • The last month or so have been a whirlwind for me.
  • I’ve had more travel than normal because of my grandmother’s funeral, we’ve navigated a church plant we were getting to launch this year hit the brakes and we’ve been in the process of hiring a new worship pastor at our church.
  • It’s been hard but good.
  • In past seasons when stress is high, I get really irritable and difficult to be around and want to fight with everyone (or so it seems). Katie made the comment when the stress was at its highest how glad she was with all that was going on that we weren’t fighting.
  • What a testament to God’s grace in our lives and the work we’ve done in our marriage.
  • One of the things that came out of this last season for me is a renewed commitment to getting to bed early and getting 8 hours of sleep.
  • That’s fallen off and something I need to be doing.
  • I was reminded of the importance of this in Michael Hyatt’s most recent podcast.
  • I got to be in Las Vegas last week, which sounds really glamorous, but we stayed in a hotel 30 minutes from the strip in the suburbs.
  • Anyway, it was for an Acts 29 coaching cohort. It was with lead pastors of churches similar in size to ours.
  • So helpful.
  • It’s nice to hear that you aren’t the only one struggling with something.
  • Our team is reading The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups. In it, the author recommends asking your team the following questions: What is one thing that I currently do that you’d like me to continue to do? What is one thing that I don’t currently do frequently enough that you think I should do more often? What can I do to make you effective?
  • It was scary and I know they weren’t excited about it, but it was so helpful to hear from them.
  • Right now, I’m preaching through the second half of Daniel.
  • I’ve been asked about books that would help with that.
  • Here’s one Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative.
  • In the end, whatever you think about end times, the timing of Jesus returning, hold your cards loosely.
  • Lots of smart people disagree with each other.
  • Well, time to get back at it…