A New Church For A New Year

Imagine for a moment that you don’t know anything about cars, trains, planes, boats, bicycles, or anything else that relates to transportation. Now imagine that someone comes to you and says, “Hey, I need something that can take me from South Carolina to California in less than a week.” Would you come up with the modes of transportation as you now know them?? Or would it be just slightly possible that you’d have a completely different set of ideas about transportation????

Now, change gears for a minute. Imagine with me that you didn’t know anything about God, the Bible, Christianity, the Church, spiritual matters, faith, etc. Your mind is a blank slate. Then someone comes to you and says, “Here’s a book entitled ACTS. Read it fifty times and then write a 2 page summary of what the CHURCH is supposed to look like and how it is supposed to function.”

Know where I’m going? Yeah!!! The question now is this: Would your “CHURCH” look anything like it looks now or would it completely be different?

That’s an incredibly powerful question that deserves some serious thought. Seriously – would our typical Sunday morning worship service be what you’d come up with? Would your summary of the church look like what goes on each week in the average church?

I tend to believe that it would be WAYYYYYYY different! I would really love to know how you think the church would be different. I’m not doing this to see who’s reading this or not. I seriously want to get some feedback about how churches can get back to the LEGIT basics. Pass this blog link on to your friends and let them respond. Email your responses to me at bryan@fbcsaltillo.org

I’ll compile the list of all the responses and post them word for word in the next blog for us to see.

Maybe it’s time for God to revive His church.

Maybe it’s time for a new church in a new year!!

A Digital Christmas

Interesting how Christmas may have happened in 2010 huh? Merry Christmas!!!

Top 10 Reasons You Won't Set Goals For 2011

That’s right!! You heard me! I bet you won’t do it!! I triple dog dare you!!!!

Here are my "Top 10" reasons why I believe you probably won't set goals for 2011.

10. UNAWARENESS: You ask, “Do I really need to have goals?”

9. APATHY: You’re probably content with your life as you know it.

8. BUSYNESS: You’ve got too much going on to even think about your goals.

7. FAILURE: You’ve never reached your previous goals.

6. SKEPTICISM: You think setting goals doesn’t really make a difference.

5. PASSIVITY: You never actually write your goals out.

4. LAZINESS: You say, “That takes to much time to think about.”

3. PROCRASTINATION: You know you really should, but you just don’t get around to it.

2. DOUBT: You think that you’ll forget them.

1. FEAR: You’re afraid you won’t keep them.

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your PLANS will succeed.” Later in Scripture we are told, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen!” (2 Peter 3:18).

I don’t know about you, but I believe these verses and I believe God wants me to be proactive about growing into the person He wants me to be. It doesn’t happen automatically though. We've got to plan our growth! 

Here are some areas to think about: Spiritual, family, financial, physical, personal growth, etc.

Come on now!! Prove me wrong!!!! Start working on some goals for 2011 !!!

Email Terrorism

Ever received an email with a subject line like “MAD AT YOU!!!!” or “PROBLEM WITH YOU”? Maybe someone was really nice and wrote “Concern” as the subject line. If it was from someone at church, the subject line may have even said, “Prayerfully.”

Isn’t that sweet?

Email terrorism happens when someone attacks you through email (or facebook, twitter, etc) instead of addressing their concerns face to face. In their warped thinking, some find it too easy to “speak their mind” in a way they’d never be brave enough for in person or for that matter, even over the phone.

I’ve found it so amazing in times past that after I’ve received a terrorist email, the same person is a lot nicer in person. That’s because email terrorists refuse to handle conflict in person. It’s much too easy to take pot shots from a safe distance.

Most of the time, these kinds of emails hurt the terrorist much more than they hurt the recipient.  Instead of breaking out of their shell, they mistakenly build the walls of insecurity around them higher and higher. For the terrorist, learning how to properly deal with conflict in a spiritual manner (Matthew 18:15-17) produces perhaps the deepest character growth anyone can experience. It forces someone to face the fear of being extremely uncomfortable but facing our fears head on improves our character.

What should we do when we receive a terrorist email?

1.     Do not respond to their direct concerns. Don’t even mention them!

2.     Don’t turn into an email terrorist yourself. Love them like Jesus would love them.

3.     Do not defend yourself by email.

4.     Invite the person to come talk with you face to face about their concerns.

5.     Do not waste your time emailing back and forth. It’s madness!

6.     Drop the issue. Handle it when they come to you in person. My dad used to say, “Don’t let them get your goat!”

The Face Of Christ

Great video to remind us about compassion prevailing over concern for trash dumpsters!

Trash Dumpster Paradox - Part 2

So, after the man’s comment about digging in our dumpster for aluminum cans, you’d think that maybe I gave him some cash right? Maybe I invited him to “come back anytime” to collect or cans? Maybe you thought I apologized. Or maybe you thought I was really super spiritual and invited the guy to church. If you really thought I was on my game, you would have thought that I would have shared the Gospel with him.

Unfortunately, I didn’t do any of that. I just simply said something like, “Oh. Ok. Have a good day.” Then I closed his door and off he drove. By the time I got back up to my office, God began strongly correcting me and teaching me some stuff:

1.     Why is it that I feel like I have to right every wrong? (especially when it comes to saving trash dumpsters)

2.     I don’t need to prejudge anyone. People in need have already had enough of that.

3.     The face of the man in need is the face I don’t ever want to get out of my head again.

4.     Did I push that man away from ever coming to our church?

5.     Did I push that man away from ever coming to Jesus?

6.     Will that man be in hell one day because I was more concerned about a stupid trash dumpster than I was about him?

I found myself praying for the next couple of days, “Lord, please give me another chance with that man. Just one more chance to beg him to forgive me and let him know that I acted horribly.” Which brings me to the last thing God hammered into my heart:

7.     Sometimes you only get once chance to be the compassion of Jesus to a hurting person.

Chances are that we’ve all acted this way at some point in time. I think I’ll act differently next time. I hope so. God give us the compassion of Christ!

Trash Dumpster Paradox - Part 1

ALERT!!!! Just last week, someone sabotaged the trash dumpster in the back of our church parking lot!!!! Someone came in the night and dumped countless bags of trash in a dumpster that was not theirs to use!! As I drove into the parking lot the next morning, I noticed trash piled up to the heavens from our dumpster – some even overflowing into the parking lot!! It looked like the Tower Of Babel made of black trash bags!!!

Someone would have to pay!!!!!

Fast-forward one week. Just two days ago, someone in the office looked out a window and said, “Hey! There’s someone at the dumpster.” I looked out my window and saw the “culprit” standing there at the dumpster and watched as he appeared to be adding more trash. Immediately, I flew out of my office and downstairs to catch the “criminal.” When I got into the parking lot, he began to drive off. But no! You can’t get away from me!!

So I ran and yelled . . . “Hey!!!! Stop!!!!” Eventually the man stopped his beaten down pickup truck. After he stopped, I instantly opened the passenger door to ask the man if he had been putting trash in “our” trash dumpster. After I got the question out of my mouth, I noticed the man’s face. It was the face of an older man that was filled with incredible pain. His face told me his answer before a word came from his lips. His face said, “Help!”

Then his voice said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t dumping trash. I was just digging to find some aluminum cans so I could sell them.”

Like a dagger in my soul, I’ve been crushed because I’ve traded the compassion of Jesus for a vain attempt to “save the world of trash dumpsters.” The face of the needy man was the face of Christ. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40).

Draw your own conclusions and come back over the weekend for Part 2 of this story.

Christmas Priorities

December just snuck up on me! A favorite Christmas song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” I think the song should say, “It’s the most busiest time of the year.” When it comes to Christmas, life gets crazy!! There are parades, rehearsals, parties, family get-togethers, presents to buy, trips to make, and terrible fruitcake to eat (some of you will visit some fruitcakes!!). At Christmas time, life speeds up from 5mph to 100mph.

My life is a constant struggle with “things to do.” Those who know me well can tell you that I keep a current list of things to do on my office desk. As a matter of fact, I think it has grown to be another limb on my body. Today there are 55 “things to do” on my list and the list will grow as the week continues. As I write this, I am reminded of what my priorities should be. Have I spent quality time alone with God? Have I spent quality time with my wife? Have I loved people? Have I spent time working on the gifts that God has given me?

Isn’t it strange how our “top priorities” get pushed aside for things that don’t really matter? It’s sad to think about how we let the urgent matters of life to come before the important matters of life. I read a quote in college that has stuck to me this day. It says, “If what you’re doing now won’t matter in five years, it probably isn’t worth doing at all.”

As the Christmas season begins, remember that Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33, NIV).

For more practical help with getting your priorities in order, check out http://www.marin.edu/~don/study/5time.html

Or read this really excellent book http://www.amazon.com/Goals-Everything-Faster-Thought-Possible/dp/1605094110/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291173517&sr=8-1

Lessons From A Broken Down Trailer

A couple of years ago, I saw something outrageously funny (true story). I was riding down the highway and just as I approached my exit, I noticed a horse trailer on the right hand side of the road. The closer I got, I noticed that the trailer was stacked up to the top with tires. I mean a lot of tires!!!

Now, can you even guess why this trailer was on the side of the road? Yep – you got it ….. a flat tire!! Now I don’t know about you, but I think that’s absolutely hilarious! I thought to myself, “With all of those tires that were available, why in the world didn’t he change the old tire that was bad?” Here's what I learned about change:

1. Change is necessary unless you want to wreck or be stranded on the side of the road.
2. Change will cost us something every time. It may be time, effort, money, comfort, and even other opportunities. Whoever owned the trailer must have had some reason for procrastinating and not changing that tire. Maybe it was because he was too busy washing his truck. I don’t know, but a nice clean truck still won’t do a good job hauling a trailer with a flat tire.
3. One change isn't enough. Changing one tire is never enough. In reality, new tires will eventually become old tires.
4. We must constantly monitor our need for change. We ought to be looking out for “thinning tires.” A good tire today may not be a good tire tomorrow.
5. Change gets us where we need to go. It keeps us on the road longer, straighter, and safer. Knowing that you have freshly changed tires can even give you a sense of stability. 

So anyway, that’s both funny and ironic but yet it really helped me to understand the need for change. Now …. let’s go check our tires!

IT Is Coming!!!

It happens at the end of every year. Sometimes you look forward to it. Sometimes you dread it. Sometimes you stay up late waiting for it to come. Sometimes you’re ready for it. Sometimes you’re not. For some, it’s a chance at new beginnings. For others, it’s just another “whoopty-do.”

Can you guess what “it” is?  “It” is the New Year and as we used to say as kids, “Ready or not, here I come!” Whatever your feelings are towards a new year, only a few precious days remain until a brand new year of opportunities arrives.

Question #1: How is your life going to be different in 2011? Chances are that you haven’t even thought about it right???

Question #2: Are you seriously going to walk into it without plans for your life? Come on now . . . seriously! I’m not just talking about “resolutions.” I’m talking about the things that will matter in eternity that can only be accomplished in 2011 and can only be accomplished in your life. How is your spiritual life going to improve? Family life? Physical life? Financial life? Personal life? Church life?

I triple-dog dare you to go write some goals for your life. Go write down what you want to see God do in these areas of your life and review them regularly in 2011. Look at them every day! I bet you won’t do it!

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Prov. 16:3).