What Churches could learn from Disney

This past week my family and I spent four "magical" days in the "happiest place on earth." As I took in all the sights and sounds of Walt Disney's creative masterpiece, I started to feel convicted. I realized that Disney World is actually doing a better job of carrying out certain aspects of the Church's G0d-given mission than most churches. Here were my takeaways. Most churches would do well to learn these lessons from Disney:

1.VALUE KIDS. Disney elevates the value of children to the highest levels, and while Jesus raised the value of children more than any person ever (including Walt Disney) most churches see kids as a burden and not as a gift.

2. VALUE CREATIVITY. God is the most creative force in the universe and His Body (the Church) should be the most creative force on earth. There was a time when churches were shaping the creative aspects of culture. Now, most churches are content to sit back and critique culture while not adding anything. Creativity is seen as an enemy of tradition, so most churches choose to worship their tradition in sterile facilities instead of taking risks and creating new things.

3. VALUE EXCELLENCE. Every detail at Disney is executed with excellence. In most churches, we put forth a half-hearted effort and expect God to bless it. Excellence honors God and inspires people.

4. VALUE CHANGE. Disney is always looking to the future while building on their past. Most church are attempting to recreate the past while hiding from the future. Churches should be constantly innovating and changing their methods in how they communicate the unchanging message.

5. VALUE DIVERSITY. God's Kingdom is made up of people from all nations, races and backgrounds; so is Disney World. Most churches are made up of people who act, look and talk alike. We need to value and work to achieve church demographics the represent our communities' demographics.

6. SMILE. If Disney World is the "Happiest Place on Earth" then our churches should be the "Most Joyful Places on Earth". Happiness is based on outward circumstances, but we have the joy of the LORD which nobody can take away. The tragedy is that most churches are filled with people who don't seem to have any joy at all. Maybe this is one of the many reasons why an unbelieving world feels so much more comfortable at Disney World than they do at Church.

Be Yourself

We live in a world where we face constant pressure to look, dress, talk and act a certain way. It's easy to succomb to the social pressures and consequently lose our own unique, God-given identity in the process.

I love to story in 1 Samuel chapter 17 where a scrawny adolescent named David is preparing to go and fight a Giant named Goliath. The regal King Saul tried to persuade David to dress and prepare a certain way for the battle. In essence, Saul was saying, YOU can't win! Take MY armor, look, dress, and act like ME. David gave it an honest try, but ultimately he said, "I can't be you. I have to be myself."

That young shephard boy walked onto the battlefield without armor, but he defeated the giant. When God calls you to face an obstacle, He will never call you to be someone else to do it. Be the person He created you to be and know that you plus God is always enough for victory.

Choose your Advisors Carefully

Every day, life throws many choices our way. To make wise choices (especially on big and difficult decisions) we should always seek wisdom from trusted advisors. The Bible says clearly that "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)" Obviously, having good "advisors" is important, but how do we go about finding trusted advisors?

1. Listen to those with AGE & EXPERIENCE: 1 Kings Chapter 12 tells the story of Rehoboam who succeeded his father Solomon as King of Israel. Rehoboam made the fatal mistake of only listening to his young peers and neglecting the wisdom of the elders. His defiance and poor leadership split the nation in two. His passion was misguided, because he neglected the wisdom of the generation that had gone before.

2. Listen to those with YOUTH & PASSION: You need the wisdom of the old, but you also need the passion of the young. Jesus spoke often about how God has exclusively revealed certain wisdom to "children". The perspective of those who are young and full of vision and vitality will often challenge you to leave your comfort zone and pursue new challenges. Wisdom without action is pointless and young advisors will often push you towards action.

3. Listen to ENCOURAGERS: We all need a "Barnabus" in our lives; we need someone to come alongside and encourage us on the journey. This world has a desperate shortage of encouragement, so be an encourager and surround yourself with people who will be an encouragement to you. They will be like Caffeine for your Soul.

4. Listen to CRITICS: Nobody wants to hear this, but we should listen to criticism. Give the most attention to constructive criticism from those who love and support you, but also consider the grain of truth that might be found in hostile criticism. As Rick Warren says, "Even a broken clock is right twice per day!" Abraham Lincoln surrounded himself with critical advisors who challenged him and very often disagreed with him, and that dynamic created one of the most successful presidencies in our nation's history.

5. Listen to those who LOVE YOU: The best advice will usually come from those who have no agenda other than loving you and wanting what is best for you. They're the ones praying for you and the ones there for you in life's ups and downs. Your spouse, parents, children, siblings and closest friends will usually hold this place of honor as your most trusted advisors.

Take all the advice you receive, pray over it, see how it lines up with the unchanging Truth of God's Word, and then take the best course of action. If you succeed, Great! If you fail, then you'll just have some good, hard-earned advice to share with someone someday!

The Power of "THANK YOU"

Yesterday in church, we brought up several dozen of our several hundred stellar volunteers at Christ's Church just to say, "Thanks"! I was convicted by the fact that I don't say "Thank You" nearly enough. So often, I just assume that people know how much they mean to me and how much I appreciate all they do, but one thousand silent thoughts of appreciation aren't worth as much as one sincere "Thank You."

Gratitude has power and when we communicate our thanks, we will affirm, encourage and validate the faithful service of those around us. I want to be more intentional about voicing my appreciation and I encourage you to do the same. Let's never be too busy to stop and say, "Thanks." It always means a lot to those who hear it.

P.S. THANK YOU for reading this. :)

The Lost and Hurting

Last Sunday, our church services ended powerfully as scores of people wrote down hundreds of names on the back wall of our auditorium. The wall simply says, "PRAY FOR THE LOST AND HURTING." I've walked past that wall every day this week and paused to pray for some of the names written there. It's humbling and overwhelming to think about the thousands of people right here in our own community (and even our own church) who are in pain. The good news is that we serve a God who is near to the brokenhearted and He is able to bring healing and peace in any situatin.

I'm proud of our church for thinking beyond ourselves. I am so thankful to be a part of a church that realizes that our mission cannot be contained by the church walls. We are called to be a light in the darkness and to bring hope and healing to the Lost and Hurting. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, so let us never lose sight of of our Mission. As we move forward as a church, I pray that we would be a community of faith that provides healing to the broken, hope to the hopeless and help to all who need it.

Checklist for Change

CHANGE is a constant part of life and leadership. Any type of change can be tough, so we must always navigate the waters of change carefully. I'm in a new ministry and a new season of life, so "change" is all around me. As I'm making decisions that will impact the future of my family and my church, I'm relying on the process below to make the wisest choices possible.

Checklist for implementing a Change:

1. Get buy-in from those most directly impacted. The change you're making will be taken personally by someone, and getting their insight and buy-in before pulling the trigger on a decision could make all the difference.

2. Do what is in the best interests of the most people. The needs of the few can't outweigh the needs of the many (I think that may be a Star Trek quote from Spock). Remember that you can't always please everyone, but you can always value everyone.

3. Seek wise counsel. The Bible (particularly the Book of Proverbs) has great insight on how to make tough choices the right way and one of the most consistent Biblical lessons is that we should surround ourselves with wise and Godly people and seek their wisdom. As it says in Proverbs...Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors, you will succeed.

4. Pull the Trigger. One of the most important jobs of a leader is to make decisions. When you make a bad one, own up to it and then make it right, but don't let the "paralysis of analysis" keep you from pulling the trigger and making the call. In leadership, a bad decision is often better than indecision.

5. PRAY! I'm spending a lot of time begging God for wisdom and guidance. The more we seek Him and His Will, the better off we will be. Apart from Christ, no amount of "change" really changes anything.

The Adventure Begins!

Things are in full swing here in Fleming Island, and I am so excited to see what God is going to do next! Christ's Church is a remarkable, loving and life-giving community of faith and I believe that God has HUGE things in store for us in the months and years ahead. It is my prayer that He uses this church to reach the thousands in our community who are disconnected from God. I pray that we would be a light in the darkness and a source of hope and healing to a world that so desperately needs the life-saving power of Jesus.

I believe that we will see marriages restored, addictions broken, souls saved, families strengthened and lives changed as we unite to love people and lift up the name of our Savior. I'm truly honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside such amazing people as we take our next steps towards Christ. It's going to be a great ride!

Thank You, Stevens Creek.

My time in Augusta is quickly drawing to a close and as our departure to Florida nears, I find myself feeling a myriad of mixed emotions. I feel tremendous excitement for the door that God has opened for a new era of ministry and I feel humble thankfulness to God for all of the blessings in my life, but I also feel sadness as I reflect on the remarkable church and wonderful friends I will be leaving behind. I know that as Christians, no "goodbye" is ever final, but I still want to take this opportunity to thank God for three of the best years of my life and to thank my "Creekers" for what has been an an amazing adventure!

To my family and friends at The Creek, Thank You! Thank you for the prayers, encouragement, love, friendship and support you have shown to my family and me. I'm a better person and a better pastor because of our time together. It has truly been an honor to be your partner in ministry, and I wouldn't trade our time together for anything. I pray God's best for you as you continue to Love God, Love People and Serve the World!

Dangerous Church

These past few weeks I have been reading through the Book of Acts, and feeling humbled, convicted, encouraged and inspired by the example of the early church and the first Believers in Christ. These were men and women so passionate about Jesus and so full of faith and the Holy Spirit that they were absolutely FEARLESS! Whether in prisons or in palaces, they were thankful; whether rich or poor they were generous; whether young or old they were on fire for God.

Fast forward two thousand years to churches in America. There are definitely still Believers with this same fearless passion for Christ, but as a whole, our churches have lost sight of the primary mission. Instead of making the name of Jesus famous in a lost and dying world, we argue instead over the style and volume of worship music or the color of the carpet in the sanctuary and we consistently place our own personal preferences over the unifying mission our Savior gave to us. We choose comfort over obedience and we play it safe when God has called us to be DANGEROUS. In short, we are missing the point!

In a few weeks, I will officially begin a new ministry as Senior Pastor of Christ's Church in Fleming Island, FL. I am absolutely ecstatic about serving at such a wonderful, grace-filled church. After much prayer about the my first sermons, I believe that God is leading me to preach a sermon series called "Dangerous Church" which will focus on carrying out the Great Commission and following the bold example of Jesus and His earliest followers. God has a huge adventure in store for us, and I can't wait to get started! For all the miraculous things He has done in ages past, I believe that He has even Greater Things in store for this generation!

Time

We always make room for what is most important to us. For instance, I have never been so full at the dinner table that I would pass up warm, homemade apple pie. As soon as I smell it, it's like a whole separte "Dessert Stomach" opens up and I've got room for pie, ice cream and even some coffee.

It's the same in our schedules. We live in a fast-paced, hectic world where our schedules can easily push away the relationships that should matter most to us. We get "too busy" for God, for our spouse and even for our kids, but we must "make room" for the people who are most important. Nothing communicates our love like our time. In fact, I believe that Time is the Currency of Relationships. When we're investing our time into a relationship, it thrives, but when we're depriving a relationship of our time, it dies. Be intentional about how you invest every minute of your day, and make room for what matters most!

Big Announcement

Dear Friends and Family,
THANK YOU so much for your encouragement and prayer. You are truly a blessing to Ashley and me, and we're so grateful you're in our lives. As many of you know, we've been praying about the possibility of moving ot Florida where I would become the new Senior Pastor of "Christ's Church" in Fleming Island (www.ccflemingisland.com) which is just outside Jacksonville. We spent this past weekend there and I wanted to give you an update of our visit and the next steps...

The church enthusiastically welcomed us and actually broke an attendance record with more than 1000 people. They are a wonderful, loving and grace-filled congregation. I believe God used this visit to confirm in my mind and theirs that He is indeed calling me to Florida. Essentially, I have been offered the position and I have accepted it, but it won't be official until I return next weekend (Feb. 7) and the church follows its written bylaws and allows the congregation to vote on my candidacy. The bottom line is that unless God supernaturally slams the door, it's going to happen. We will most likely stay at The Creek through February, and make the move to Florida the first week in March. Now, we're just praying that God would allow the details to fall into place (which He's been doing all along and I'm sure He will continue to do).

Thanks again for your support, prayer and encouragement. This is a very exciting time for us, and we're honored to get to celebrate with you.
Dave

Prayer

As I write this, the impoverished Island Nation of Haiti is experiencing the devastating effects of a major earthquake. The Haitians are in desperate need of help and hope. Many Christians are calling for prayer, which obviously is important, but I just read a facebook post from an agnostic friend of mine that truly convicted me. He wrote that Christians seem to be rallying to prayer as a way of feeling better about not doing anything. He suggested the practical alternative of sending money instead of sending prayers.

As a follower of Christ, I wholeheartedly believe in the world-changing power of prayer, but I must also admit that we Christians have too often used prayer as a substitute for rolling up our sleeves and making any form of real sacrafice. Our prayers should realign our minds with the mind of God and rally us to revolutionary action. Our prayers should chase away our selfish motives and replace them with Kingdom-minded agendas. Our prayers should open up our hearts (and our wallets) to the greatest needs in this broken world.

The world says show me action, not prayer. The Church says, show me prayer, not action. God says, "Show me BOTH!"

Homosexuality (I had to tackle it at some point)

Homosexuality has become one of the most divisive issues in our culture and that division has also stormed into The Church. I believe it's important for all Believers to have a Grace-filled and Truth-filled understanding of this issue from a Biblical foundation. I will do my best to address it in a few paragraphs. This post will be far from comprehensive, but I'm hoping it will spark some healthy dialogue.

I believe that most churches have done a shameful thing by singling out the Gay Community as some sort of special breed of "Super Sinners" and the schism between Evangelicals and those living a homosexual lifestyle continues to grow. I do not believe that this is God's will or a Biblical expression of God's love and grace. With that being said, I also know that the Bible has very set guidelines for the powerful gift of Sex. It is to be used and enjoyed within the context of a marriage between a man and a woman. Any use beyond that will eventually cause emotional, spiritual, and possibly even physical devastation. Any form of homosexual sex would fall into this category of being outside the boundaries of God's plan or more specifically...sin.

If you're living a homosexual lifestyle, please know that God loves you. He is for you. This, however, does not mean that He is for your lifestyle. Anyone of us can fall into the trap of trying to justify any type of sin, but whatever the sin (whether sexual or otherwise), if we choose to continue in it without repentance, we will slowly become more calloused and blind towards the Truth of God in our lives and find ourselves in the dangerous trap of rewriting Scripture to fit our choices instead of rewriting our choices to fit with Scripture. I encourage you to trust God enough to seek His plan for all areas of your life. They are plans to prosper and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future (see Jeremiah 29:11).

So what is a "Deep" Church, anyways?

I often hear people say that they want to go "deep" in their faith, but when I pry a bit, I've found that most folks don't have a good answer for what "deep" really means. I personally believe that a church's "depth" should be measured by the waters of baptism. Without Salvation, love for people and changed lives, a church becomes nothing but an institution of higher learning that no longer functions as a Biblical Church. The depth of your church shouldn't be measured entirely by what you learn on Sundays, but by how you treat people on Mondays.

I also believe a truly "deep" church should be unapologetically "seeker sensitive" on Sunday mornings. Life-giving, Christ-centered Churches should welcome the Prodigals home. If we're not careful, we can easily turn into the self-focused, self-righteous Elder Brother in the Prodigal Son Parable who was, ironically, just as lost as the younger brother. A church filled with very knowledgeable Pharisees can provide an attractive mirage for those who seek growth and "depth" but ultimately there is no real growth without a passion to reach the Lost. That's why the amazing depths of God's Love and Grace should always be the primary focus. Proclaim the Word of God with Boldness, Love God and People Passionately, Serve Selflessly & then you will experience true depth in Christ.

New Creation

Last Sunday was a powerful day at The Creek. Many decisions were made for Christ and this song reminded us all that we are a NEW CREATION in Him. What a beautiful promise. I love being a part of a church that continues to find new ways to praise and celebrate our amazing God.

Lies

I don't believe that there is any decision more signifcant that deciding what you will choose to believe. The world is filled with lies that sound true and truths that are falsely labeled as lies. The Bible gives us clear direction as to what we should believe and while this list is far from complete, I've listed some of the most wide-spread lies in our culture today:

1. Lie: "It's my life and I can do what I want!"
Truth: You were bought with a price (the blood of Jesus) and your life is not your own.

2. Lie: "It's my money and I can spend it however I like!"
Truth: You don't own anything. You are only a temporary manager of "your" possessions.

3. Lie: "My choices are nobody's business but my own."
Truth: Every decision you make has consequences on others.

4. Lie: "There's no point to my life."
Truth: God has plans and purposes for you beyond anything you can imagine.

5. Lie: "It's all about me!"
Truth: It's all about God.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

The Voice of Truth

The one command that God gives in the Bible more often than any other command is simply, "Be Not Afraid". Our Creator realized that fear would be our biggest obstacle in acieving a courageous life fully-devoted to Him. There simply isn't enough room in our hearts for Fear and for Faith. We all must choose which voice we trust...the voice of fear or the voice of our Father.

In this video, my four-year-old son, Cooper, makes his actinig debut. I'm a little bit partial, but I think he deserves an Oscar! I believe this short video captures the essence of fear and the power of faith. Remember, your Father loves you more than you can imagine and He has not give you a spirit of fear.

Preaching Part 3: "The Mechanics of Preaching"

Most preachers are terrible communicators. There, I said it. You know it's true. That's why it sounds offensive. The truth has always offended people! I wish it weren't the case. I wish that God-fearing, Gospel-preaching Pastors were the standard for excellence in communication, but sadly, this is not the case. This is also among the primary reasons why an unbelieving world finds the message of Jesus so unbelievable...they've never heard it communicated with clarity, excellence and passion. As a student of preaching and a teacher of the mechanics of public speaking, I've put together a checklist that I use and I believe these simple steps can be effective tools for other preachers as well:

1. Watch Yourself. You can't possibly know how you sound or look while you're preaching unless you go through the awkward process of self-evaluation. Record every sermon you preach and then meticulously watch and listen for ways you can improve.

2. Study Communicators other than preachers. Most preachers learn to communicate by watching other preachers who are also awful communicators which leads to a form of "Intellectual Inbreeding". Watch stellar preaching, but also intentionally seek out communicators outside the ministry who have mastered the art of timing and delivery. The best in the world tend to be stand-up comics, politicians, and actors who play lawyers on TV and in movies.

3. REHEARSE! Most preachers don't rehearse their sermons and it shows. People are entrusting you with their most valuable resource, their time, and if you don't put in the time to study, prepare and rehearse your message, you aren't worthy to stand before them. I don't always get this much time, but my best sermons are the result of 15-20 hours of preparation including 3-5 full run-throughs before I ever preach it to an actual audience. If you say, "How can the Holy Spirit move if it's rehearsed?" Then you obviously have no real understanding of either the Holy Spirit's power or your own responsibility as a messenger of the Gospel. Sorry, somebody had to say it.

4. Pray. If the first prayer you say about the message happens when you're in the pulpit before the congregation, you might as well just sit back down and let everybody go home early. Never underestimate the power of prayer and never overestimate your own ability. God will sometimes use ability, but God will always use prayer.

5. Give it your all. There is no higher calling than the calling to preach and teach so do it with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and God will do mighty things through you!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

Preaching Part 2: "The Goals of Preaching"

My family chipped in and bought me a GPS for my birthday last year. It's worth slightly more than my 94' Honda Civic, so I wanted to make sure I used it as much as possible. The key to maximizing the GPS is that you need to know your destination before you start the trip. If you don't know where you're going, then it can't possibly help you get there and you will just drive around aimlessly looking at the mesmerizing moving map on the GPS' screen.

I've heard many sermons that make me realize that a lot of pastors preach sermons with no clear destination (or "goals") in mind. It becomes painfully obvious early in the message that they don't know where they're going and they don't know where they're taking the audience. It's an uncomfortable experience for everyone involved.

It's imperative that a preacher be laser-focused on the goals of his sermon. Before he even starts preparation, he must ask himself, "What do I want these people to know and what do I want them to do?". The answers to that question represents the destination or "goals" of the sermon. Once you know where you are going, map out the most direct route possible (with a few scenic points of interest along the way to keep the passengers interested). Preachers must also remember that the ultimate goal of every sermon is to clearly and correctly lift up the Gospel and the name of Jesus Christ. If we will do that, He will do the rest.

"And when I (Jesus) am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:32 (NLT)

Preaching Part 1: "The Importance of Preaching"

This is the first in a 3-part series of posts that will focus on Preaching. Specifically, the Importance of Preaching, The Goals of Preaching and The Mechanics of Preaching. This post will specifically address the importance of preaching.

We live in a world that has become hostile not only to the message of Christ but also to the medium by which that message is delivered. In many circles, "Preaching" has become a negative connotation that stirs up images of closed-minded hate mongers standing on soap boxes and condemning the world on behalf of a distant and judgmental God. Sadly, even in many modern churches, preaching has been downplayed or abandoned completely in lieu of services containing only worship music or experiential elements that exclude a formal sermon. While these other worship elements are good and beneficial, using them as an ongoing substitute and not a supplement to the sermon is irresponsible and completely unbiblical. There are even revisionists who claim that using sermons at all was a tradition borrowed by pagan religions and was never an intended part of God's plan for His Church.

The True History of Christian Preaching is one that dates back to Jesus Himself. Much of what we know of Jesus' Ministry in the Gospels comes directly from sermons delivered to large crowds proclaiming the goodness of God, the need for repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus commissioned His disciples to go out into the world and preach this same message. There has never been nor will there ever be a substitute for publicly proclaiming the Message. Nearly ever major positive shift in Western Culture can be traced in part or in whole to bold men who were unashamed to proclaim the Gospel, and Jesus is still using those who obey His command to be the salt and light of the world. In fact, there is no more powerful, revolutionary or life-changing force at our disposal than the public teaching of God's Word.

"I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching." 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT)