The Bible certainly contains stories of individuals being called out and used greatly by God, but what we see a lot, especially in the New Testament, is God at work in and through teams and groups of believers.  Individual Christians are referred to as simply one part of the body of Christ.  The New Testament church is a gathering or assembly of multiple believers.  When Jesus gave commands, He usually gave them to a group of followers.  And even when pastors use the now popular phrase, “I believe the local church is the hope of the world,” they are in essence saying, the greatest thing that can be done on and for this Earth requires many people working together.

With that being the case, I have to wonder if our focus is not misplaced in our prayers and teachings for individuals to find the unique will of God for them.  Though many Christians gather together with their church family for worship, most of us are still in the habit of going home and praying for God to reveal His specific plan for our individual lives.  In a way, is that not a form of spiritual selfishism?  Rather than seeking God’s will for my life would it not be more proper to seek God’s will for our lives?

I believe in God’s will and pray for it often, but I always want to be open to the possibility that His desire for me may be bigger or different than I think.  Because God does work through His (church) body as a whole and one of His great desires for us is unity, perhaps God wants to use me in a way other than just the personal vision I have for my life.  I believe it’s God’s will that I be in ministry.  But it does not have to end there.  Rather than seeing myself as called to lead a church I believe it is God’s will that I be part of a church, ministering as part of the whole.

In focusing solely on God’s will for just me, I may begin to think of myself as great and forget I’m just one of many Christians God wants to use in this life.  When we shift our focus from just our single role to God’s bigger plan, we are more likely to see where He is at work.  Rather than looking for God to bring His will to you, go be a part of His will and work.

If you believe it’s God’s will to relieve suffering for the poor, be part of those who donate their time and money to a local shelter.  If you believe God wants the gospel shared with those who do not know Him, be a part of the mission trip that is going to dig a water well and share the gospel with those in Africa.  Don’t sit and wait for a custom designed will of God for you and you only.

In seeking what God wants you to do as an individual, do not forsake what He would have you do as a part of the body of Christ.  God’s will is not just for you or just for me; it’s for us as a people of God.  In striving to please God as a community we realize how valuable we truly are as we must each participate to accomplish God’s will for us.

What’s new with you?

The question seemed so simple but I was stumped.  Kind seems like an odd word to describe a preacher.  But with all the public speaking I have done, I felt like I should be able to articulate this better.  I don’t remember exactly what I put as my answer but in my mind I stared the question as something to come back to and more fully develop.

I began the process by brainstorming characteristics I think are (or want to be) true about my preaching.  I came up with five words and a short explanation for each.

Truth – I place a high priority on what the Bible says.

Clear – I try to say in the simplest way what the Bible says rather than add outlines, etc.

Applicable – I present in a way that the message will challenge people to make changes in their lives in order to become more like Jesus.

Relational/Personable – I speak as a real person who struggles and is not distant, separate from, or above the audience.

Casual – I am not formal when it comes to dress or church language.

I then tried to fit all of these words or ideas into a sentence or definition of what kind of preacher I am.  In the end, the word casual did not make it in because I had a hard time including without sounding awkward.  Also, when it comes to preaching, casual sounds like a bad thing and so not to be misunderstood, I left it out.

My completed definition of what kind of preaching I am is this:

I’m a relational preacher who tries to clearly speak the truth in a way that challenges hearers to become more like Jesus.

What do you think?  Is there anything you think I left out?

For those of you who preach, have you ever thought about how you would answer that question?

I used to simply sit down, write out whatever was on my mind, and quickly post it on my site.  I now take the practice much more seriously.  Here are some of my new habits I put into practice when blogging:

• I plan in advance – I rarely get an idea for a post and write the post on the same day anymore.  I let it marinate in my mind so I can think through it and develop more content.  I find that if I’m pondering an idea for a couple days, a good resource of illustration of the topic will usually come up that would have gone unnoticed if I were rushing to quickly produce the blog posts.
• I talk out my thoughts on the subject as though I were being interviewed – This will sometime produce thoughts or opinions on a topic I didn’t know I had.  Once I have my topic I will pretend I’m being interviewed on it.  I usually do this while I’m alone in the car.  This forces me to audibly produce coherent thoughts which help me express what’s in my head.
• I proof read or let my wife proof read – I used to write something and immediately post it.  This sometimes led to spelling errors and sentences that made sense in my head but not on the website.  By going back and re-reading (or having Katy do it) I’m able to catch those errors as well as identify where I may not be clear.
• Let it sit – Again, by not rushing to post something I am giving more time for marinating.  Several times I thought of something great to say on a subject I had just posted and it was too late.  This discipline forces me to be ahead in writing and have several posts on hold.  This allows me to go back and insert any additional thought I may have on the back end that I want to add to the post before publishing it.

Are there any practices or systems you have for writing?

Many people rise to leadership or start churches because they desire to be a part of something greater than themselves, yet they become the face of what they’re leading.  A leader becomes the entry point and their personality begins to determine who follows.  I consider myself a leader and take full advantage of many of the resources listed above, but I still believe the leader should not be the common ground for all who follow.

The temptation and training seems to be for a leader to lead with their personality, their character or their talent.  Those things may make a create leader but what creates a movement is when someone leads with a cause.  When you lead with your cause you attract a wider base that also has a passion for that cause.  By not having the leader as the focal point of the company, party, or church, those interested no longer feel the need to match themselves against that leader to make sure their personality matches.  They are drawn to the cause, and therefore the direction of the movement, rather than a single person who will then have to explain the cause.  Rather than trying to get people to follow you so they will listen to your cause, why not lead with your cause and attract people because of it?  After all, isn’t that cause (the environment, freedom, salvations, etc.) the entire reason you’re leading?

To lead effectively, don’t lead with you.  Don’t make it about your face and your brand.  Don’t lead with your personality, your skill set, or even your character.  Lead with your cause.

What’s dangerous is that I’ve learned that in many occasions I can get by in my checked out state.  I can be at work, hanging out with friends or even in a conversation with my wife and not be found out or have a catastrophe occur as a result of my mind-drifty-ness.  But is getting by really what I want out of life?

Our best work happens when we are present and engaged.  And even if sometimes getting to that place of engagement is work in itself, it is work that will pay off.

We don’t stumble into success yawning and daydreaming along the way.  Even if you are currently in a work or social situation you do not enjoy, it is most likely your attentiveness and diligence in that situation that will get you noticed and moved on in the direction you desire.

If you are faithful with a little you will be given more.  I think that applies to mundane work and unappealing tasks.  So be present.  Be engaged.  Contribute.  Care.  It will be those qualities that will take you further than your desire to just scrape by.

Regardless of who’s right, my wife and I don’t care anymore because we’re married now.  This solidifies that I am the one for her and she is the one for me.  We both traveled broken roads and stubbed our toes a few times in finding each other but we’re together now and we know God brought us together.  Whether it was meant to be or you chose it to be, once a couple gets married that is who God desires each spouse to be with.  Through thick or thin, your spouse is who you’ve committed yourself to and is the only person to whom God will hold you accountable for being faithful.  Sometimes that will be work, but many times that will be a great pleasure.

I have found myself lately telling Katy that she is my one and only.  I don’t know where I got that phrase, but I find myself saying it repeatedly.  I say it not to earn romantic points with her, but because in my heart she truly is the one for me and the only one I do or ever will desire.  This is as much a commitment on my part as it is a romantic feeling of affection.

Saying this phrase is a reminder and acknowledgement of the seriousness with which I take my marriage.  It is a verbal wedding ring that affirms my commitment to her out of love for her and obedience to God.

Marriage is the most exclusive and most committed relationship we can have with another human.  Whether your marriage is good, bad, or indifferent, the person you are married to is your one and only.  I believe the marriages that are happiest and healthiest are those where that truth is spoken and lived out on a daily basis.

I spent some time thinking about the subject of integrity and how to define it with meaning and clarity, not just in order to judge others but also as a way of measuring it in my own life.  There is the cliché that integrity is what you do when no one is watching or that integrity is the thoughts you think that are never shared with others.  However, a thought I had that I think is applicable and memorable is this:

Integrity is actively doing what is right

When I think of integrity I think of someone who not just avoids wrong but is pro-active in working for moral, lawful, and human good.  Standing back and hoping things go well may cause one not to be a trouble-maker but to me, having integrity implies positive action.  Certainly there is an aspect of avoiding and even fleeing sin.  But running from wrong does not make someone good.  A person of integrity not only despises evil situations but is equally disturbed in a neutral one.  Integrity compels someone to move in order to create and do good.

Both publicly and privately a person of integrity is pro-actively taking steps in the right direction in order to benefit themselves and others.  When they see a person being taken advantage of, they take action.  When they are alone and see something that needs to be done, they do it rather than realize no one would no if they just moved on.  Whether others notice or not, and whether the issue is big or small, integrity means taking action to do as much as is possible to make the right thing happen.

So what do you think of my definition?  What do you think of when you hear the word integrity?

My wife and I used the DVD and guide to lead a two month marriage series with our young couples’s small group.  I was the only one in the group who read the book during the period of our discussions but that did not seem to hinder the discussion.  There was enough content in the 15 minute video clips and discussion guides for the twelve of us to have productive conversations about various aspects of our marriages.

In four sessions we chose to cover the chapters on friendship, commitment, repentance, and a guys and girls separated session on our distinct challenges and responsibilities in the relationship.  Most of the stories told by the Driscolls were difficult to relate to young couples without kids.  Some of the discussion questions were simplistic and did not generate complex discussion.  Also, some of the chapters we chose not to discuss were repetitive and discussed sex in such depth that not everyone may have felt comfortable sharing in a group setting.

Overall, I think this material was beneficial for our group.  There was certainly some good discussion and things learned by our group.  I think discussing our marriages in detailed and personal ways also brought our group closer together.  I would recommend this content for almost any married group that would like to discuss their marriages in the company of other couples who could hold them accountable for healthy relationships.  There is also some content included for singles so they would not feel excluded from the discussions.  However, the group leader(s) may want to sift through the material as we did and select the most applicable topics as eleven sessions could cause people to loose interest.

What would you do if you saw someone else doing exactly what you wanted to do for God (or in ministry)?

 I still think this is a pretty good question.  The answer you give to this question really does reveal if you had a pure motive or a selfish motive for wanting to do something for God.

In Bible College most of my friends were other pastoral ministry majors so the things we talked about wanting to do were pastoring a large church, leading a lot of people to Christ, publish Christian books, etc.  They were all good things, but we certainly talked about doing them with a sense of competition.  Kind of like a who will be the greatest?

 I probably had bigger hopes than them all.  I wanted to lead a large church, make a major impact on a city, and see lots of people become believers.  You have to be careful though when you’re talking about ministry and you use words like big and lots.  It’s easy to be labeled as in it for the fame.  It’s also easy to become that way yourself once you experience growth and success in ministry.  So I came up with my motives test.

If you see someone starting the church you wanted to start and reaching the people you wanted to reach or release the book on the subject you wanted to write, how would you react?  Would you be jealous?  Would you complain to God, saying, I thought I was going to get to do that?  Or would you be happy?  Happy because the city needed a church like that no matter who started it.  Happy because those people needed Jesus and it doesn’t matter who got them to realize that.  And happy because somebody needed to say the things in that book so you’re just thrilled it was said even if you didn’t get to say it.

An honest answer to that question shows what’s really in our hearts.  If we say we’re all on the same team but then become jealous and offended when somebody else is doing ‘our thing,’ then there are some impure motives somewhere inside us.

This is a constant struggle with all of us.  Whether it’s ministry, business, or personal, if we say God is leading us to do something, then we need to be sure it’s really from God.  Because if someone else beats us to it and we get upset, then we’ve shown we had some selfish desires buried in our calling from God.

I’m glad I came up with The Ministry Motives Test as early as I did, because I am going to need it every step of the way.