Like a good little nerd, I was reading the cover story in the October issue of National Geographic magazine. The article, simply entitled Redwoods: Super Trees, speaks about the value and beauty of redwood trees, which have the potential to be the tallest trees on earth. Although the article addresses issues such as saving the trees and other conservation efforts, the author also writes about a unique process in the forest between the older trees and the second generation trees called release. The writer, Joel K. Bourne, Jr., describes this phenomenon for the reader by saying, “With their high tolerance for shade and ability to sprout, some redwoods can sit almost dormant in the shade of their elders for decades. Yet as soon as a dominant tree falls or is cut down, breaking the canopy and allowing new light to enter the forest, the suppressed redwood springs up with new growth” (October 2009 issue, p. 38).

As soon as I read this statement I paused and re-read it again; it was one of those moments in which I felt as if God was providing a spiritual application to an earthly illustration. In my lifetime I have seen many “elders” and “dominant” leaders pass off the scene which has opened up the forest to many of the “suppressed” (I don’t mean this in a negative way) leaders. For many years, some of you have stood strong in the shadow of an elder who provided shade and protection, but now it is time for you to step into the light and “spring up with new growth.”

I believe Paul wrote some similar advice to those “suppressed” leaders who were getting ready to assume the place of their elders, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:12-16, NLT).

Are you ready to step into the light?

On Tuesday, October 27, 2009 I had the opportunity to attend IMPART at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. The eight hour trip from Ohio was well worth it for the “conference” as well as the time I was able to spend with my parents and both brothers who also live in Charlotte. This one day event was full of surprises, stories, staff, and stirring of the soul. Let me break it down.

Surprises:
Steve Fee showed up and played a few songs and then gave everyone a free copy of his new CD, Hope Rising. That was an unexpected surprise! I must say…hearing Glory to God Forever live was inspiring. The third session with Pastor Steven Furtick included a very special guest, Perry Noble from NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. Hearing them interact about ministry was very helpful.

Stories:
Throughout the sessions, Pastor Steven shared the story of Elevation Church and how God has used their ministry in the city of Charlotte. His stories were especially near to my heart since I grew up in Charlotte. In just three and a half years, God has done some incredible things through Elevation and those stories were invigorating for me.

Staff:
The volunteer staff was AWESOME and the paid staff were available throughout the day. Those who attended the event had full access to the people who make Elevation what it is. You probably don’t get that at many other conferences.

Stirring of the Soul:
There is so much I could share here, but I’ll only highlight a few of the things God hit me with during the four sessions:

• Three essential core values which should be a part of the church: Audacity (faith), Honor, and Generosity
• “We want to be known by what we are for, not what we are against”
• Act on the vision God has shown YOU.
• Say it until you see it
• True vision is holding onto what you cannot see yet
• Don’t think too small
• Our generation must restore honor to the church and that starts by honoring God
• Honor men of God, the word of God, and other ministries
• Respect is earned, honor is not
• Excellence is custom designed
• Simplicity enables excellence
• Build for what God is going to do
• Momentum – you don’t create it, you just ride it
• I prepare, God blesses
• Embrace the pain that lies between you and God
• There is an emotional, physical, and relational cost to your calling

Here in Ohio we have trash stalkers, at least that is what I call them. Trash stalkers are people who spend their evenings/nights stealthily cruising through neighborhoods on the eve of trash day in hopes of finding treasure in someone else’s curbside junk. On more than one occasion, I have personally spoken to one of these stalkers because there must be an unwritten rule that if they get caught digging through your trash, they must ask for permission to assume ownership of it. They typically say something like, “Is it okay with you if I take this?” Since I have an insatiable desire for sarcasm, I am tempted to respond by saying, “No you can’t. That tricycle with only one wheel is going to be used for a lawn ornament.” In reality though, I usually panic when they stop at my house thinking that I possibly chucked something of unrecognizable value or maybe the mirror I am tossing out contains an original copy of the Declaration of Independence behind the glass. I really do not want to end up in national headlines as the idiot who threw away thousands of dollars in his trash because he was blind to an item’s true value.

After spending more than a decade investing in the lives of others, I’m convinced that many people are guilty of throwing away things which they no longer view as valuable, even though it still holds great value; although, I do realize that some repair may be needed to restore full value to certain things. Most of the time, something which was once valuable only became trash because of improper care.

My front yard was starting to look like a jungle so I figured it was time to bust out the old push mower, even though it had not been a week since I last mowed. I filled it with some gas, pulled the cord, and began cutting stripes into the front yard when suddenly something fell from the sky and hit me in the head and then in the back. Great! Over-sized drops of rain were falling at unusual speeds making each drop feel like it was piercing through my skin. I didn’t want to leave my grass half finished (what would the neighbors think?) so I continued on in the rain (which eventually stopped) until the job was completed.

Far too many people run for cover when the rain begins to fall leaving things half finished. It may be time for you to, once again, pull the cord and finish what you started.

Okay. So there are no vampires in this story, but there is a bat. Yesterday, several staff members, including myself, were walking through one of the hallways on the second level of our church (main campus) when all of the sudden our senior pastor stopped and inquired about an object hanging where the wall and ceiling meet. I had walked through the same hallway yesterday and noticed, what I supposed to be, a wire or wires hanging from the ceiling. “That’s a bat!” our senior pastor said. At first, I thought he was seeing things (he is getting older) so I decided to turn on more lights in the hallway. Sure enough, he was right! There hanging from the ceiling in our church was a bat. Although it was a nice call by the pastor, our attention quickly turned to removing this vampire bat from the church building; after all, I’m sure we would get some e-mail complaints if we left it there for Sunday worship.

My first thought was, “The only way to get this bat out of the church is to whack it on the head and kill it.” Don’t get me wrong. I love mammals, but not in confined spaces where there is a risk of me getting bitten. After a few minutes of searching around the custodial closets, we located a broom handle and I was elected to wield it, but the pastor reminded me, “You’ve only got one shot and if you miss, that thing is going to be flying all over the place.” Thank you for that voice of reason. The pastor and another unnamed staff member who works with our middle school students stood at a far distance so they could see the outcome. I’m certain they were rooting for me to miss so they could, as the pastor said, “see me scream like a girl and run.”

As I nervously approached the bat with my weapon of choice, I began thinking about what I would do if I missed. I mentally planned for failure. Many people never try anything because they have already convinced themselves that they will fail. Countless plans, movements, ministries, businesses, and dreams have never been realized because they never escaped from the mind. What would you be willing to try if failure wasn’t an option?

Postscript: Custodians arrived. Bat was removed safely. PETA is happy.

We live in a drive-thru society. Most things can be obtained either instantaneously or expeditiously and although I enjoy immediate gain, I believe there are some dangerous characteristics which can possibly result by attempting to acquire quick progress. One of the major perils in an instant society is quitting too soon; in other words, the desired objective is not accomplished within the stated time, so the mission is abandoned or seriously frustrated. While there are the occasional instant success stories, many more are stories of patience and repeated faithfulness. Eugene Peterson refers to this consistency and perseverance, especially in spiritual maturity, as “a long obedience in the same direction.”

As a church planter, I am beginning to understand this principle. The church across the country who has experienced incredible growth in a short amount of time is not to be my standard of success. Even though I can learn from that church and celebrate God’s work in their ministry, they must not become my obsession. My obsession must be the mission God has given to me and I must be faithful to accomplish it.

The principle is still the same regardless of your application. When your relationship is not progressing as quickly as the next person, don’t give up. When you aren’t losing weight as fast as someone else, don’t run out and stock your cupboards with Twinkies. When your business isn’t experiencing immediate profit, don’t sell out.

Be faithful to the mission. Adjust when necessary, but don’t give up.

Ants were not meant to live in homes, especially mine; but for some reason, ants enjoy the comfy confines of our household. Every single year, usually around this time, we spot those tiny little insects roaming the kitchen and bathroom floor as if they owned the place and although they seem to be oblivious to our presence, we always notice them. I must be honest. I step on the ants. I’m sorry if you are offended by my inhumane actions, but I do. Sometimes I even do the squash and twist to make sure they are dead. The frustrating thing is that even though I’ve put countless ants to death, they keep coming back. I cannot get rid of them. My non-scientific reasoning for failing to exterminate the ants is that I have yet to discover where they are entering; in reality, I could continue killing ants all day long without ever completely eliminating them. I guess my time would be better spent in finding the unguarded source.

Sound familiar? Many people will spend much time and energy trying to correct unwanted behavior (killing ants) instead of facing the real source of their actions. The wise writer of Proverbs says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do” (Proverbs 4:23). When a person’s heart is not guarded by truth and righteousness, wrong behavior will be repeated. Do you ever wonder why you keep looking at porn, continue rising up in anger, or run from the things God wants you to do? And is the real answer found in purity software (which I’m not against), counting to 10 and taking a deep breath, or making deals with God?

Maybe it’s time for you to quit killing ants and begin protecting the place where they are entering.

In case you missed it, read yesterday’s post entitled “One Pastor’s Struggle.”

He was opening his arms really wide to receive the round object quickly descending from the sky and, as a proud father, I looked on as my son’s little eight-year-old arms were stretched to the sky awaiting the kickball just drilled by one of our church’s high school students. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as I was praying that he would remember what we had just been practicing over the weekend. “Don’t try to catch the ball with your hands only, but also use your chest to embrace the ball”, I said to him as we practiced in the backyard. He had gotten the hang of it while practicing, but this was real life and I wondered if he would catch the ball. Ty had done everything right, but the ball was kicked so high and was moving so fast that it bounced off his little chest and arms right into his face and then onto the ground.No, Ty didn’t get the out, but he had done everything I taught him to do. As I arrived onto the field where he was crying a little from a cut lip and maybe a little embarrassment, I was proud of him. I put my arm around him and said, “That was awesome! You almost had it!” He probably thought I was a little weird because, after all, he hadn’t caught the ball. For me, it wasn’t about catching the ball, but about getting on the field and taking a risk. I asked him if he wanted to sit out or keep playing. He said, “I’ll keep playing.”Sometimes even when we do everything right, the ball has a tendency to take a bad bounce now and then. Instead of taking yourself out of the game, wipe away the tears and get back in the game.

I was standing there minding my own business when all of the sudden, I felt this nudge at my rear end. A tap on the shoulder, a slap on the back, or a tug at my arm are all acceptable ways to get my attention, but a touch to my hind quarters is always off limits, unless your name is Leah (my wife). I quickly reacted by thrusting my left leg forward while also jerking my head around to meet the unashamed violator face to face. Relief came over me as I discovered the culprit to be none other than my dog, Marley. Apparently, I wasn’t moving fast enough, so she decided to give me a little jolt from behind.Although I don’t always appreciate the surprise element in being shoved from behind, sometimes I need it to get me moving again.