3. Fox News, Jon Stewart, And The Poor – I try my best to write about intelligent, spiritually deep things, yet my highest ratings come anytime I mention politics.  This is my first video posts which includes a six and a half minute clip from Jon Stewart addressing income inequality in our country and showing clips from Fox News I happen to disagree with.  This post was simply to introduce the subject as a spiritual issue.

2. Jesus, The Poor And Me – This was my follow-up post to the one above in which I gave my opinion about the poor in this country.  Though many disagreed with me, I see this as more of a moral issue than a political one.  I would love your thoughts on this post.

1. Who’s Got A Hot Wife? – By far my most popular post of the year, this blog addresses something I find unhealthy that many contemporary pastors do.  I end the post by admitting I may be nit-picking but I apparently hit a nerve as I got a lot of feedback about this post, plenty of which came from small church pastors.  I would love your thoughts on this topic.

“Why can’t it be easier?” is a thought that often crosses my mind when dealing with my own spiritual growth.  In the past years my life has contained no shortage of dramatic changes: moving away from home, graduating, moving again, getting fired, having to look for a new job, moving once more, and the beginning or ending of various relationships.  Whether by choice or force, some of the shifts in my physical life have brought immediate and dramatic change.  My spiritual life, however, has not followed suit.

As dramatic as they were, none of the above experiences, nor even my own salvation have brought about a drastic spiritual step forward.  I don’t know that I’ve had a dire, all at once, life changing spiritual experience.  Not because the actual experiences have been absent from my journey, but the trend I’ve observed in my spiritual walk is that it takes work, moves slowly, and is even at times longueur.  So I’ve come to believe it’s not necessary to have a life-altering experience to act as a catalyst for moving quickly forward in spiritual growth.

When we were young we were taught that if we earned it, it would mean more to us (usually a lesson about money). I notice time and effort being required for spiritual progress cause growth to be more meaningful, personal, and last longer.  I used to pray for God to pick me up and instantly transplant me to a spiritual step closer to Him.  For Him to do so would probably result in little commitment on my part.

It’s difficult for me to hear testimonies of people having a God encounter through a divine situation, supernatural occurrence, or even disastrous event and it lead them to an “a-ha moment” or 180 degree change.  “Why doesn’t that happen for me?” I ask myself.  To receive my answer and realize what God has been doing in my life, all I have to do is look back.

Looking back over the years I see growth from where I used to be.  There has been drastic change in my attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.  The gifts, abilities, and opportunities that have come into my life almost went unrecognized because they came by what I considered to be such gradual arrival.  Also as I look back and recognize the distance I have come, I see traces of the occurrences in my life that have one by one brought about a slow shift in thought or deed.

Sometimes still I’m inclined to make a commitment to change an area of life based on such simple means as a movie, song, sermon, or conversation.  But such shallow and immediate triggers aren’t deep enough to bring about lasting change.

I cannot have a four minute song stir my emotions and cause me to jump to an entirely different way or focus of life without soon falling back into the practices I’ve become accustomed to in the past.  Even sermons often come with pressure for an immediate response when the story of our lives should prove such compact information in a short time are not significant for yielding all at once change on the major issues and practices of who we are.  We are not so simple a creation that we can be swayed or reprogrammed with such little intent or effort.  All together the situations of my life, as well as their consequences, have connected in a way for me to become more like Jesus.  Surely God uses major events, but only to point us back to our walk with Him.  That is the process of spiritual growth.

I don’t always like this process.  It still causes me to sometimes wonder if God is at work.  But every time I ask God for immediate results I imagine He grins, then perfectly arranges the situations of my day to day so I develop a habit that leads to  deep and lasting change.  So rather than looking for a dramatic situation that will give me spiritual growth, I’m going to continue walking with God, believing that the everyday events of my life are capable of producing eternal results.

The first has to do with the nature and place of repentance.  Someone wrote me a message on facebook after reading my book and pointed to a section of chapter four in which I state repentance is not necessary for salvation.  The person who wrote me on this went on to say that we cannot turn toward God and salvation until we have turned away from self and sin.  They said that what I wrote was dangerous and misleading.  That’s why I want to talk about it in more detail here.

I realize that stating repentance is not necessary for salvation is certainly bold and perhaps I should have more accurately wrote that repentance is not required at the moment of salvation, though I do not believe my original statement to be unbiblical either.  In clarifying the definition of repentance (page 66) I address the meaning of the original Old and New Testament words translated into our English word repentance.  Any proper definition of these words portrays them as acts, works or deeds to be done on our part.

Repent means to turn.  A more expanded translation would be to feel such regret and sorrow that you change your mind and turn to a different set of actions.  It is something we must do.  It’s an act.  It’s a work. It is work!  It does not happen immediately or easily.  So when people say that the first step in salvation in repentance, they are saying that salvation is based upon a work you do.  This is completely inaccurate!

Such understanding for the term repentance is common in contemporary and traditional churches alike.  In the conservative, Baptist church I grew up in I heard the pastor preach something along the lines of, “you don’t have to make yourself clean before you come to God.  You come to God as you are and He will make you clean.”  To me, that is the exact point I was making in the book!  To say repentance is an essential for becoming a Christian is to say you must have already turned from your sin and be acting like a Christian to become one.  That would be a works-based salvation.

I believe the misunderstanding comes from a confusion over terms.  Certainly if you are actively running from God you are not in the position to become a Christian.  At some point you must at least be open to Him and want salvation.  Acknowledging that need is confession.  Making the conscious decision to work toward a changed life and do things differently than you did before is something completely different; that’s repentance.  (By the way, the entire second chapter of my book is spend noting the differences between confession and repentance)

You see, repentance is work.  And it’s hard work at that.  The Message Bible sometimes translates repentance as “life change.”  Perhaps the hardest thing to do as humans is change.  That’s why I believe God desires to, through the Holy Spirit, help believers in repentance.  The Holy Spirit comes into the life of a believer at salvation and is then able to lead and guide them through a time of life change to become more like Jesus.  Saying repentance must come before salvation leaves non-Christians on their own to do this difficult work on their own as they try and become good enough to be saved.

Another common misunderstanding here is that repentance is not a one-time act.  It’s not something we do on the front end to be accepted by God and then we’re done with it.  Because repentance is a turn or change in our actions, away from self and toward God, it is needed over and over again throughout our entire lives.  We consistently sin against God.  We continually turn our back on Him and the desires He has for us.  Each one of those times requires some degree and form of repentance.  Sometimes this means a long, drawn out, public repentance that is worked out over time for a ministry leader who has had a major failure in their life.  Often it is a quick realization of the wrong we have done and an immediate action to end that sin and pursue something better.  Either way, repentance is work.  And it’s most successfully done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

For more on this, I would encourage you to check out this book! 

I have a pretty good number of followers who are subscribers to my blog and receive updates on new postings through email.  I also have generated more traffic to my site by linking many of my posts to my facebook and twitter accounts.  Surprisingly to me, this got more people reading my posts but still produced very few comments.

What did begin happening however is people gave me feedback in different ways.  Since I know about half my readers personally, it was not uncommon to be at work or church and have someone come up to me and tell me they read my blog and give me some feedback.  Some people emailed me their comments about what they read on my site.  Others gave comments via twitter or text.  And some people would click on the link I posted on facebook, go to my site, read my post, go back to facebook, and type in their thoughts there.  Again, this frustrated me.  I would think, why don’t they just leave their comments on my site?

I had to realize that for whatever reason, most of my readers just did not (or do not) want to leave public comments attached to the posts they read.  This did not mean that they were not giving me feedback though.  And that’s what I ultimately wanted.  It would not be wise of me to condemn others when they email me or give me their input in person.  Yelling “put it on the blog” would probably not get me the response I want.  Among the unique people who read what I write there is a trend of giving feedback in a more private and sometimes more personal way.  It would be counterproductive for me to fight this and try to force on them the model I want.

Rather I am embracing this trend.  I now send every new post out on twitter and link most of them to facebook.  I try to encourage conversation when people tell me they read my post.  If I’m getting what it is I want (feedback) it doesn’t really matter how I’m getting it.  I can’t be so concerned about which method or form I think is “right,” it’s more important to know what works!

In your work or relationships are there any new trends you are still trying to put into old molds?  Do you need to forsake what you think is right for the enhancement of what works?  Be on the lookout for how people and processes change and embrace them.  Fighting to keep things the same does not provide greater outcomes.

Self promotion has always brought out my insecurities.  I’m usually embarrassed to talk about the book when someone else brings it up.  But I recently found a reason to plug the book and not be ashamed to do so.

A few months ago my church, Rock Bridge Community Church, began a new missions initiative to aggressively engage in overseas missions.  Through partnerships, finances, and mission trips, our church is trying to fulfill the great commission.  We have done well at serving our local community and are now realizing the bigger picture of God’s will and how we can be a part of it.

As I heard my pastor lay some of the specifics of this plan out, my heart became extremely burdened.  I was specifically burdened for a project the church is doing to send a team of church members to the Ukraine to help start a local church in one week!  God really told me I need to be a part of this project in as many ways as I can.

So not only do I plan to go to the Ukraine and help plant the church, but every penny I am making off the sales of my book are going to fund this mission! If I truly want to reach people for God I cannot be limiting that to one city or one area or even one nation!  So if you have bought my book or choose to do so now, every cent that I receive from that sale will go to help start this new church in the Ukraine where people there can meet and begin to worship Jesus.

Here is the info on all the missions project at Rock Bridge Community Church

You can click here to buy my book from Amazon.com or click here to find it at Barnes & Noble if you want to compare prices.

Also, if you would like an overview of the book, please check out this promotional video my publishers did.

Thank you for joining me as we try to be a small part of what God wants to do all over the world!

In short, the answer is yes!  As a matter of fact, before I ever finished writing Repentance and Recovery I realized that I thoroughly enjoyed the writing process and began files for ideas on about five different books.  Since then I have continued to gather resources for those ideas and arrange them in order of which I would like to write them.  Obviously with being a newly-wed and working toward becoming a full time church planter, who knows when I will actually sit down to outline and begin writing the project that is next on my book list.  But the idea is there.

I have yet to determine the title, but the idea for my next book is to compare the things I find unattractive and dysfunctional about the church to those I dislike in American culture.  I know, I know, it’s almost a fad today to write a book, song, or lecture where you criticize and “call out” the church.  But this idea came to me almost two years ago and my hypothesis, I believe, still stands.  I hope to take a different approach by pointing out the trends of American culture and how the church pretty much follows suit and then takes heat for being so secluded from the culture when actually they are mirroring it.

For example, Christians act like a minority.  I am in no way racist or prejudice.  I believe in equal rights for all minorities.  But many minorities in our culture seem to complain that they are treated differently while at the same time refusing to break away from their minority culture and be fully assimilated into public society.  Christians mimic minority culture in many ways, such as having their own language and terms, being easily offended, and being quick to criticize any of their own who break away from accepted minority culture.

I also plan to involve others in the writing process.  My idea is to have a cookout, get-together, etc. with 8-12 people who I know have had bad experiences with the church and brainstorm ideas on not only how to express our disappointment with how some American churches are functioning, but also provide simple advice or solutions.  Way too many who criticize the church do just that, providing no positive direction and leaving their audience to believe there is no hope for the church.  I want to do just the opposite.  I also want to be sure it does not seem like I am only speaking against a certain kind of church, such as “Traditional,” “Contemporary,” “Emerging,” etc.

I have considered titles such as My case against American Church or America, quit killing my church but think both of those sound more political than the book will actually be.  I’m more than open to your suggestions and thoughts regarding the title, content, or just a story you have that may be helpful.  Please share those with me either as a comment or through an email.  I’m really excited to begin writing again soon but also look forward to involving as many voices and different views as I can.

The truth is I started this blog because at the time it was my only outlet.  I was no longer speaking weekly in a church setting yet still had many things I was learning and experiencing I wanted to share with others.  As I read, pray, study, think, and just live daily life I continue to have thoughts and ideas that, I believe, if developed have the potential to impact others.

Part of my idea in determining how to use this blog is to do series.  One complaint I have received is that some of my posts are too long.  So….just like my book has chapters and my message series have different parts, I think when dealing with a big or drawn out idea on this blog, I will break it down into a series of posts rather than try to convey my ideas in one major, eye drying out post.

I also use this blog for information though.  Sometimes I post things about my life or our church planting endeavor just to keep people up to speed.  I really appreciate those who have shown interest in what we are doing and want to keep them in the loop.  And at times I will still put up a single post about a thought I had, a funny experience, books I’m reading, etc.  I always welcome input and suggestions for things I could write that may generate conversation but ask that just because I post or two don’t interest you you do not quit following.  Give me some feedback!  Let’s make this blog a place of formulating and challenging ideas.

Stay tuned for a post I’m titling, “Arguments You Can’t Win.”

I’m sure you can relate.  Maybe not with writing, but with some other task or work.  Donald Miller just wrote a great piece, sharing his method of getting his writing done.  I think the same tool could be used in accomplishing most tasks without distraction.  You can click here to read Don’s post.

Preaching

Speaking live allows you to sense your audience and receive feedback from them.  A good communicator takes advantage of those in front of them by monitoring their expressions to help judge when people are connecting, understanding, or confused.

Preaching allows you to use a visual aid.

You are able to say things with a certain tone or expression that may give more meaning to your words when you speak live.

Most people have a longer attention span when it comes to watching and hearing over just reading.

Speaking to someone who is at the same place you are causes you to have their attention better than if they are on their computer at home or work where many other things are fighting for their interest.

Blogging

Writing allows you to look at what you have written and even go back and rewrite it if need be to make sure you express yourself clearly.

Written words in books or on websites have the potential to reach more people than you could pack into even the largest room.

Posting short blogs several times a week allows you to address more casual, secondary issues that you may feel need attention but are not necessarily worthy of your forty minute slot on the weekend.

Blogs allow the author to “take you there” with the ability to attach and add links that help the reader experience their point.

Having a blog allows the person with something to say, who struggles with the idea of being in front of people, present their message with confidence.

I enjoy both of these forms of communicating and information sharing.  Studies show that we retain information a lot better if we teach it to others, so find some outlet to be heard.  Take advantage of the many forms of networking that our information age provides.

I would rather be in front of a crowd than a computer any day, but that is not going to keep me from sharing the lessons of my life through whatever means necessary.  Which form of communication do you prefer?