Staying motivated is easy when you love what you're doing. How do you stay motivated when you have to slog through the tedious parts of the day? Well, it depends on your perspective. In other words, how are you choosing to "see" what you're doing? Seeing something as tedious only makes it more tedious. As Victor Frankl wrote years ago, life and circumstances can take away every freedom but one: the freedom to choose your attitude.
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"Come, O come, Emmanuel ..." One of the earliest books (outside of the Bible) to influence my spiritual development was Max Lucado's "God Came Near." For me, it was God in technicolor. It captured beautifully the meaning of "Emmanuel" -- God with us. When Jesus arrived in Bethlehem, God was in the manger. He was not a pillar of fire; he was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. His presence filled the barn. When Jesus interacted with the outcasts of society, God was with them. When Jesus gave sight to the blind, God was there. In our moments of uncertainty or loneliness or grief, we call out to a Savior who is Emmanuel still -- God with us. One word with so much significance. One word with so much hope.
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This past week I spent a few hours in Lakewood at the Bear Valley Church. They hosted a new Denver church planting network called "Breakthrough Leaders." The question is this: how can we work together to impact our region for Christ? It's an important question because one church or one denomination cannot reach everybody. Church history, including the modern chapters, has been plagued by a turf mentality. We see our friends and neighbors as fish within our fishing pond -- and no one else should fish there. It doesn't matter that most churches aren't catching many fish. A better analogy might be to see our friends and neighbors as prisoners in a spiritual war. Does it matter who sets the captive free? Is it acceptable to allow people to remain captives? I sat next to Reg Cox, the minister of the Lakewood Church of Christ. I grew up in the…
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On December 17, 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. They immediately telegraphed their sister, Katherine, with this message: "We have actually flown 120 feet. We will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper with the exciting news. He took the telegram and responded, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” Amazingly, he totally missed the fact they had actually flown 120 feet! It's possible to be so caught up in the ordinary tasks of the day that we completely miss those amazing moments around us.
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Every now and then I get to hang out with church planters. Most of them haven't shaved in a few days and wear wrinkled shirts ... just kidding -- I used to be one of those guys. Come to think of it, there are days I still look like one :-) Yesterday was one of those days. In the early afternoon I spent time with Jonathan Simpson, a guy who is looking to plant in South Denver. He's on staff at The Rock of Southwest, a church that has birthed three churches and a new campus in six years. I enjoyed hearing his vision of starting a movement rather than just a church. When Tonya and I planted a church with Stadia, they challenged us to define success in terms of having a granddaughter church. In other words, not one church but three or more. Then last night I enjoyed…
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