Do Your Best and Forget The Rest

If you have ever seen this pet commercial you have felt bad for these animals. They work on our emotions and it makes me want to buy them all. If you didn't feel bad when you watched it I will have a special prayer blog for you later. These and other commercials like it make you feel that you aren't doing enough in your life to help others in need. I know your busy and that your life is chaotic. You have just enough time to work, spend time with family, sleep, serve at church, and sleep more. I want you to know that it's OK. You can't do everything! There is only 24 hours in a day, as Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"

You can't do everything, but you can do something. In your busy day, you will come into contact with many that need your help (on the job doesn't count). You can't help them all, but pick one and serve them. In Acts 3 Peter and John are going to worship in the temple and there begging is a crippled man. Peter tells the man that he had no money but then in the name of Christ healed the man. Peter didn't heal the man and give him money, because he couldn't. He did what he could. In the same way as you go through your day you may not be able to do it all, but you can share the love of Christ. Whether its going to your hospital and clearing out the sick, or putting up someone's grocery cart for them. When you notice someone in the office is a little down and out, take time to talk to them about life and not work. Show those around you Christ with your words and actions. You can't do everything, but you can do something.

Do You Shock People?

A thought came to me the other day. I was thinking about what happens to people when they discover I'm a minister, because I'm young and look more like a youth than a youth pastor, people are sometimes shocked. As I thought about this I realized that I'm fine with people being shocked that I'm a minister. Personally I want to shock them and show them that ministers, like everyone else, shouldn't be held to a mold to live up to. I agree that ministers live at a higher standard, but should all Christians? 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a royal priesthood. So really we are all ministers in one way or another; living our lives in a way that draws people to Christ.

You see I don't care if people are shocked that I'm a minister, but what worries me is what happens when people are shocked that I'm a Christian? This is what scares me. I go through my life and when people see me all they see is a "good" person, not someone who is on fire for Christ and wants people to know Him. I have to confess, lately I've just strived to be a "good" person. And I've come to a conclusion about Christians that are just "good" people....this life sucks. There is no true fulfillment in life for a Christian that just wants to be Mr./Mrs. Goody-Toe-Shoes. People will know that they can count on you and trust you, but that's it.

It's time that we make a decision to shock people! Not when they find out that we are Christians but that we live our lives so sold out for Christ that it messes people up. That when they see us showing Christ's love and letting them know that's what we are doing that it radically changes their views on life and their destiny. I want to shock the crap out of people when they see me (attempt) to live a life in complete obedience to Christ and that everything I do will draw people to him.

The question is, "Do you shock people?" The answer to this question is determined by your life and the choices you make. Are you shocking people as you pursue Christ or by claiming to know Christ but living as if He never existed?

Lessons From a Church Launch: Lesson Two

Accept Anyone and Everyone Who Arrive

The second lesson I learned from the launch of Vertical Church is that they accepted everyone no matter what. I've seen in many churches that have a regular attendance after a while they seem to be picky about who comes into the Church for service. I do understand that every church launch just want people to come to their services. This should be the same mentality of every Christian Church in the world. To get everyone in to the service so they can experience Jesus Christ and be forever changed.

I believe the established Churches get complacent and to comfortable, and the moment someone new enters they get agitated. Why? Because this means that they have to get out of their comfort zones and meet someone new, love someone new, plug someone new in, etc. It means that they actually have to get up and be the Church God created them to be. The moment a Church congregation turns away new visitors is the day the Church, in my opinion, begins to decline.

We must rise up away from our compromises and comfort zones the pews and chairs have put us in, and remember what it's like to just want people to come in and experience Christ and not judge them for who we think they are but Love them because Christ loves them. Let's act every Sunday like a Church Launch and everyone and anyone walking through the doors and let God take care of the rest.