What Will Your Story Be?

This past Sunday Oct 16, 2011 is one of the best Sunday’s that I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. From the “This Is How We Do It” contest, to the booger talk, to the topic of tithing, to the testimonies about tithing, to the celebration of a wedding, to the celebration of people coming back to God, to the weeping of a father as he read scripture before his daughter’s baptism, to his daughter saying “daddy stop embarrassing me”, to watching my wife take a girls confession of faith, ultimately baptizing her into the name of Jesus.

Sunday was pretty amazing.

One thing has stuck out to me very clear and it is the idea of STORY.

Through both services, I was blessed to be able to not only my own story about tithing, but the stories of others. You know, the “normals.” In other words, I am the PASTOR, I am supposed to say those things, but when a “normal” speaks their story, something just comes to life.

God is working in people’s lives.

God is working in the lives of people who allow themselves to be woven into the plot.

I am so glad we got to hear the stories of tithing, and faith, and trust, and hope.

All of that got me to thinking, “What will your story be?”

What will your story be?

As we spoke about tithing, we heard people say things like “i USED to give what was leftover, but now I will give to Him first,” or “when I had my checkbook, the kids knew I was going to church,” or “i will now put EVERYTHING into God’s hands,” or “we feel God’s blessing more when we are giving.”

These are just a couple samples about God’s faithfulness. We also heard a story about someone tithing off of their “unemployment” check, never missing a payment, going hungry, or being put on the street.

These are just lines from people’s individual stories.

What will your story be?

Will we be stingy, or generous?

When you think about tithing, what will your story be?

What is your CURRENT story? How will it end?

——-feel free to leave your story here to be shared for God’s glory——–

The MEN i Love!!!

Uh no, this is not what you may think it is, but it is however a profession of LOVE for some of the men in my life. In no particular order and likely not exhaustive, they are:

Steve Hazard
Matt Crawford
Vinnie Salvagni
Garth Tyszka
Angelo Carracci
Ben Clarry
Bruce Aubrey
Scott Adams
Earl Tawney
Dick Blanchard
Stan Rusaw
Don Schultz
Dave McCants
Levi Cichorz
and prolly a few more…..

These are some of the MEN that I love. I love these guys. Flat out, straight up, strictly platonic, MAN LOVE for these men.

In particular Matt, Vinnie and Steve lovingly throw their support at me when something goes wrong. Not flattery because sometimes their support includes rapping me across the head, and beating me about the neck and shoulders. I know that these men love me even when I fail, and support me through tough times. I love you guys, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you. I love these men more than they will ever know.

Bruce Aubrey is someone that I would never have expected to have a real relationship with. He’s a Baptist preacher, and I am a Christian Church guy. In many places, those two people wouldn’t be allowed to have coffee together but in our situation Bruce takes me to play golf, teaches me life lessons, encourages me, mentors me, and even rebukes me when I need it. Bruce is somewhat of a father figure to me. He has raised kids, made mistakes, been a part of a growing church, made mistakes, and still he presses on. I can learn a great deal from that, and from how he has won and lost at the same time. I love this man. I am so glad that our paths have crossed, and my desire is that they will continue to cross all the way up until we are teeing of together at the Crystal Sea Golf Links (heaven’s imaginary golf course). Love ya Brucey.

Finally, I love a dude names Scott Adams. In all likelihood, my best friend. I have several dudes that I could classify that way, but Scott somehow always end up with that title, as lame as it may sound. Once while talking on the way back from Myrtle Beach he described our relationship as “Cathartic”, a word that I acknowledged, but then secretly had to look up. Our relationship is a HEALING relationship. The kind of healing relationship that can only come from someone who intimately knows you and your situation and can speak wisdom into your life. With Scott I have celebrated joy, endured pain, and even confessed sin. No one on this earth knows me like Scott. No one on earth but Scott knows my deepest junk.

Once upon a time, Scott told me one of the most encouraging things I have ever heard. I was contemplating Sr. Ministry and Scott told me “Of course you can do it. You are the reason that I think I can do this Christianity thing.” You will never know what that really meant to me. Thank you so much for being more than just a friend, but for filling the biblical “one another” mandates with me. Our friendship has never been contingent on anything, and never will be, and for that I know that I can rest in our relationship. Unconditional friends, stupidity challengers, sin challengers, truth tellers, and real life living together. I love you Scott. Can’t wait for vacation.

I pray for these men regularly, and I hope that they are doing the same. I am so thankful to Jesus for placing these men in my life. May I never take them for granted, and may God bless us in our relationships.

Men, I love ya.

It’s Gonna Happen

So, a few weeks ago, I said that I would do a blog again, if I got 50 hits in a week. I got like 87, so here it goes. WARNING – i will not withhold my true opinions and emotions. Ever. That being said:

I really feel like I am all alone. I really feel like God has abandoned me to a place in the desert. I really feel like nothing is ever going to happen for LCC, and as her leader, I feel all sorts of inadequacies and overwhelmedness (not a real word). I feel like crap. Drained. Not burned out, drained.

I want so badly for this church to achieve her highest potential, and for God to be glorified, and lifted up.

To make it a little more plain. I feel like I just wrecked my bike, and I am laying on the ground trying to decide whether to get up, or just lay there in pain. I feel like a boxer who is knocked down, and considering whether or not to get up or let the count run out.

I feel tired and alone.

I know that I am not alone.

I know that God is with me, but I just can’t feel it right now.

This is life in the desert. This is where I am right now.

Will I stay here? Doubtful. I know that this is emotional. I know that this will pass, but this is where I am right now. This is the desert. This is ministry. This is life. This is the life of a Christian.

God, please pull me out. Give me the wisdom to know that you are gonna do it. Give me the strength to hold on until you do. I trust you. I need you.

50 hits in a WEEK

So, I am thinking about getting the blog back up and going. I currently write my devo thoughts out in a journal. I like going in that direction. I like writing my thoughts out.

It makes me think.

So, if I am going to switch back to doing it electronically, I need 50 hits in a week.

Warning, my devo thoughts are sometimes raw. Sometimes there is bad language. But always it is real, and it is from my heart.

So, anybody wanna ride?

w

Recently, I have been getting more and more convicted by the holy spirit that people need to be held accountable to bible time and prayer. Especially people in leadership. Especially myself.

Today as I read Proverbs 2 and Hebrews 5 I noticed a common theme; Spiritual Growth and development does NOT happen quickly. Wisdom is NOT gained quickly. In Proverbs 2, I recognize that: in order to understand the Lord, or the fear of the Lord I must:
1. accept the word
2. store up the commands
3. turn my ear to listen
4. apply my heart
5. call out for it
6. look for it

Then, the writer writes: THEN, you will begin to understand the Lord.

After that, he writes that we should:
1. seek blamelessness
2. be faithful

Then, the writer writes: WISDOM will come

In Hebrews 6:14, we are told that spiritual maturity comes from CONSTANT USE of God’s word. By CONSTANT USE, we are trained to distinguish good and evil, this becoming MATURE.

Why then, if we are to work so diligently at all of these things, do we casually and sometimes blatantly BLOW-OFF our responsibility to spend time in God’s word? Why do we blow-off the responsibility to live closely to God and His word?

Why do we try to microwave our faith, when it is very clear that productive growth happens over time, and with constant use?

We MUST stop doing that.

We MUST start pursuing God through His word.

In II Kings 2, Elijah is about to be taken to heaven and he asks Elisha (his pupil/friend/fellow prophet) if there is anything that he can do for him before he leaves. Elisha replies “give me a double portion of your spirit.”

In other words, I want to be TWICE as close to God as you, the MAN OF GOD.

Man, how do our aspirations match up to that?

We say we want to be close to God. We say we want to grow, but so often we are to lazy, or too unwilling to put forth the necessary time, effort or energy to make that happen.

Spiritual growth is clearly needed. Spiritual growth clearly takes time.

An OLD friend, Dave McCants once told me “I am never closer to God than when I am consistently in His word.”

Those words are so true. If you want to be close to God, you gotta spend time with Him.

Please don’t ignore this teaching.

Hurry Up and Be Spiritual

Recently, I have been getting more and more convicted by the holy spirit that people need to be held accountable to bible time and prayer. Especially people in leadership. Especially myself.

Today as I read Proverbs 2 and Hebrews 5 I noticed a common theme; Spiritual Growth and development does NOT happen quickly. Wisdom is NOT gained quickly. In Proverbs 2, I recognize that: in order to understand the Lord, or the fear of the Lord I must:
1. accept the word
2. store up the commands
3. turn my ear to listen
4. apply my heart
5. call out for it
6. look for it

Then, the writer writes: THEN, you will begin to understand the Lord.

After that, he writes that we should:
1. seek blamelessness
2. be faithful

Then, the writer writes: WISDOM will come

In Hebrews 6:14, we are told that spiritual maturity comes from CONSTANT USE of God’s word. By CONSTANT USE, we are trained to distinguish good and evil, this becoming MATURE.

Why then, if we are to work so diligently at all of these things, do we casually and sometimes blatantly BLOW-OFF our responsibility to spend time in God’s word? Why do we blow-off the responsibility to live closely to God and His word?

Why do we try to microwave our faith, when it is very clear that productive growth happens over time, and with constant use?

We MUST stop doing that.

We MUST start pursuing God through His word.

In II Kings 2, Elijah is about to be taken to heaven and he asks Elisha (his pupil/friend/fellow prophet) if there is anything that he can do for him before he leaves. Elisha replies “give me a double portion of your spirit.”

In other words, I want to be TWICE as close to God as you, the MAN OF GOD.

Man, how do our aspirations match up to that?

We say we want to be close to God. We say we want to grow, but so often we are to lazy, or too unwilling to put forth the necessary time, effort or energy to make that happen.

Spiritual growth is clearly needed. Spiritual growth clearly takes time.

An OLD friend, Dave McCants once told me “I am never closer to God that when I am consistently in His word.”

Those words are so true. If you want to be close to God, you gotta spend time with Him.

Please don’t ignore this teaching.

Talking about TITHING is kinda like….

….telling someone that they have a booger on their face. It is uncomfortable, and slightly weird, but who in their right mind doesn’t want to be told the truth?

I mean, who wants to walk around with a friend hanging out?

No one. You would rather know the truth. Then, you can respond appropriately.

Concerning the tithe, it’s no different. Sure, the tithe is an old testament principle, but does that mean we should throw it away? I don’t think so. Should we throw away the creation story, the fall of man, David’s sin with Bathsheba, the wisdom of Proverbs? No, then why should we throw out the TITHE as a starting point to our giving?

We shouldn’t.

Afterall, the NT calls us to a greater standard of giving than the tithe, but for people who are learning to trust God with their finances, the tithe is a great place to start.

Join us at LCC as we discuss what it means to Take God At His Word.

Sundays 8:30 and 10:00.

www.liverpoolfamily.com

Getting People To Serve……..

……..would be so much easier if I could guilt them into it.

Guilt is a great motivator, but unfortunately it isn’t biblical for me to be the harbinger of guilt. Therefore, I have to wait, and be patient, and pray that the Holy Spirit would use His skills to encourage people to act.

Today, Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

So, to me, the question arises, Who “deserves” good, or service, or help, or encouragement, or hope, or love, or kindness, or gentleness, or patience, or peace, or ………..?

I believe the answer to be very simple. The person who deserves these things is the person who “NEEDS” these things.

My challenge today is to open your eyes. Be ready to respond. Don’t squelch the Holy Spirit when He prompts you to “do good” to someone who needs it.

Make yourself available to God ala Isaiah 6.

Peace Out.

waYne

I Need Him Much More Than I Thought I Would

Yeah, when I was starting to get into the Lead Minister game I thought I knew a bunch of different things. Turns out, that I was write. I know a bunch of stuff. I don’t know everything, but I know a bunch of stuff about ministry and leading people to Jesus. I mean, it pretty much comes with the territory. If you have been in ministry for 14+ years like me, you pick up certain knowledge and can function pretty well in ministry.

One thing that I didn’t realize is that I need God much more than I thought I would. I mean, I never thought that my relationship with Him was sewn up not needing more filling, but I also kinda thought that I would be able to skirt through with the same amount of effort that I was already putting into my relationship with God.

I could not have been more wrong.

The biggest surprise to me so far is how much I actually need God on a regular basis. I mean, I rely on God more now than I ever have in my entire life. Diving into His word, praying, and seeking guidance are huge parts of my daily ritual now.

I thought that I was close enough to God, but I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t.

Now, I focus and choose to open my heart up fully to Him.

It is freeing.

It is filling.

It is educational.

It is loving.

It is awesome.

God, thank you for showing up in my life.

Who Wants to Fight?

Proverbs 20:18 “Make plans by seeking advice, if you wage war, obtain guidance.”

A few years ago I had a revelation.

It was simple, like me.

Basically, it was God saying “listen to old people.” Well, at least that is how I heard it. I took it to mean, that if I wanted to survive life, family, and ministry, that I should listen to people who have been there before me. So, I listen to old people. I like to learn from them so that I don’t have to mess up the way that they did.

Now, not just any old people. Successful old people mostly. Why? I think that gray hair does not automatically make someone legit. There are old fools. I know some, and you probably do as well. You might want to listen for a few minutes to an old fool because then you can learn what path not to take.

But this verse reminds me that there is wisdom in gray hair. I want to be a guy who seeks advice. That is evident in my life as I have at least 3 people mentoring me that I can run to when necessary. None of which are fly by night people who have skirted by on other peoples coattails.

So, seek advice. That’s the first part.

Obtain guidance before you wage war. Notice that he does not say “don’t wage war” but that he says we should seek the gray hairs to find out if waging that war is prudent at this juncture.

So, wage war on sin, but find out what it actually costs before you do it. Leave your addiction, but find out what it takes before you try to do that.

Do what it takes knowing that it will take guidance.

There is much more to say, but I need to wage war on my to-do list.