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RG2G 056 21 Ways We Are Saving the American Church

I believe in the church.  Yes, I know. It’s messed up, abusive, and sometimes outrageous the way “church people” behave. But I’m not talking about the institution, the organization, or the denominational artifact.  I’m talking about the dynamic, vital, spiritual community that Jesus had in mind when He said that His church would prevail.

When I entered into the ministry many years ago, it was an ominous time.  The church was declining, people were leaving church en mass, and there wasn’t much on the horizon to give us hope that things would change.  But I have to say that I am more encouraged than I’ve ever been.  I see really good signs that things are being done to not only save the American church and her influence on society, but to turn things around and begin to grow and make a larger impact.

On today’s show, we talk about the 21 movements we see going on in the American church, why they’re important, how you can recognize them, and more importantly how you can find a church to be a part of that embodies these qualities.

If you agree, and you know examples of these kinds of churches, send me an email or leave a comment here on my blog.

Look at All the Broken People

We started a brand new series this week entitled, “Messy Like Me (the 6 people you meet on the way to heaven).”

We started with the first person we meet.  As a matter of fact, it may be you.  And the truth is, it is all of us at one time or another: the broken. We talked about the three kinds of brokenness, and how we get there for each one.

We also talked about what we tend to do when we’re confronted with broken people.  The truth is, the American church has a reputation for shunning broken people; or at least ignoring them and acting as though it’s not true.  As I’ve often said, the greatest sin we commit each Sunday morning in the church in America is underestimating the pain hiding behind the smiles of the people we see and sit beside.

We talked about the difference between condemning with judgment and confronting with love and compassion.  Do you know the difference?  What does it look like in your life, in your church, in your family, in your place of business?

We also talked about what God does when the broken turn to Him in contrition and confession.  We talked about the difference between mercy and grace, what God’s love does, and the simple and single fact put there for those who come to God and bring their brokenness.  They learn this truth; that behind all things that break us is the hand of the loving Father to shape us.

I closed the service yesterday with this prayer, and I hope it will be yours as well.

“I will bring my brokenness to God in confession and contrition, trusting that by His grace He will forge in me the character and qualities that will allow me to be the confident and compassionate person He can bless with abundance and responsibility.”

 

RG2G 055 Ten Good Reasons You Need a Great Church

Something I hear constantly when I’m around people are war stories about how they’ve been burnt by the church.  If you are not careful, you’ll end up thinking that just because a lot of churches are messed up, all churches are messed up.

I know good people who have opted out of attending church or being a part of a church for a period of time just to be able to get their sense of self back together.  And I respect that.  But I, for one, am committed to the church as taught in the Scriptures; that it is a dynamic movement of God’s redeeming grace.  It is a collection of messy people who have found not only their joy, but their peace and their wholeness in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

So today I talk about the 10 good reasons why you need a great church.  Remember that just because there are a lot of broken churches doesn’t mean the idea of church is a bad one.  We don’t stop eating just because there are some bad restaurants.  We don’t stop attending ballgames just because the teams don’t play well.  I urge you to listen.  Talk these ten ideas over with your family, co-workers, and small groups.

Out there somewhere is a dynamic, growing, vital, vibrant gathering of people seeking to know God, love God, and live the life for which they were created.  You can be a  part of that.  You can be a  part of something big, something that makes a difference.  Or you can just be mad, sad, cynical, and stay home.  Your choice.

40 Years in Reflecting

Paula and I celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary this past weekend.  It’s been a great time of reflecting on the decisions that we’ve made in the past and how they’ve borne fruit to create our present.

Yesterday at The Gathering I shared with our whole Gathering family the three biggest regrets I have looking back over the last forty years.  I know they’re forgiven.  I’ve been given grace.  But maybe articulating them will help you avoid some of the pitfalls I didn’t.

But mostly, I talked about the five things that I definitely don’t regret doing.  How many of us made a decision forty years ago that today we’re thrilled we made?  For me, this is one of them.  As you listen to this talk, think about the things you are doing today to make your family, your marriage stronger, more fruitful, more joyful so that when you reflect on your 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, or beyond, you’ll be able to smile and rejoice in the goodness of God and the assurance that if we do life God’s way, everyone wins.

Only You Can Fly Your Flag

Yesterday we concluded the series “Moo Out Loud: How to Stand up and be Heard Above the Herd.”  We talked about the five practices of those who understand how important it is to develop their own brand.

With the changes in the way we do life, knowing who you are, why you’re here, and what you want is more important than ever before.  Because if you don’t, someone else will define it for you and live your life for you.  Having a life of your very own is something for which you’re going to have to fight.  So just floating through life and hoping someone will give you a job that will guarantee the good life is no longer an option.  I think we all know that by now.

So today we finished by highlighting practice number 5, flying your own flag.  This simply means that you are the person responsible for your reputation for how people see you.  The truth of the matter is, that we’ve gotten so used to fixating on our flaws that we’ve forgotten to focus on our strengths and abilities God has given us, and on why we’re here.

So yesterday, we talked about why people still believe the lie that they’re not creative.  There are four reasons.  Go through each one and ask yourself if you’ve ever believed these.  We talked about what flying your flag means, what it communicates.  And then lastly we asked the four flag questions.  Look at your own reputation, how you carry yourself, how you live, how you occupy your space, and if the questions of force, love, agreement, and good are all clearly answered in the way you do life.

RG2G 054 Why Nobody Wants to Join Your Church

There seems to be a lot of controversy these days about church membership.  In fact, there is a lot of debate going on about whether or not we even need churches with all of the online resources available.  So in response to a pastor who asks the question, “Why does no one seem to want to join the church?”  aren’t people committed anymore, or is everyone looking just to be a church shopper or hopper?”

The idea of church membership as it relates to joining an institution is no longer attractive, if it ever was.  The idea of membership was that you joined the institution called church and you were owned by that church for the rest of your life.  I am not sure that was ever the idea, but it’s the idea that gets communicated.

Membership classes, membership covenants all seem to give the impression that joining a church is all about obligations with few benefits.

I think the paradigm shift is better understood as join the movement rather than join the institution, the organization, or the denomination.

Christianity is a movement.  Understand that.  If you think it’s an institution or a religious force, you’ve gotten it backward. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t religious institutions that are very powerful and very forceful.  Denominations have served their place in the past.  But unlike my parent’s generation, people are no longer loyal to the institution.  They want to be a part of things that matter, that help, that move forward, that benefit not only them, but those who need help.

So as you listen to today’s podcast, think about the four aspects of belonging to a movement – any movement. I’ve applied this to The Gathering Nashville because it’s a spiritual community that I am a part of.  But ask yourself, “If all four of these qualities aren’t present, are you really a part of anything that really matters?”  What are the four things that are required to have a sense of belonging? Attending, serving, giving, and supporting.  These are the four dynamics that allow movements to be vital, healthy, and resourced in order to do the mission that they’ve been given by God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally Finding Your Own Voice

It’s been amazing, the feedback I’ve gotten over the new series “Moo Out Loud.”  My hunch was right.  Everyone wants to be heard, wants to make a difference, wants to believe that they can add something to the redemptive drama of life that God is writing.

So what we’ve done in this series is talk about the five practices of building your own personal brand.  Free your mind, take your stand, fix your focus, and this week we talked about finding your own voice.

Have you ever noticed that no two voices are alike?  We now know that our voice has a voice print much like our finger print.  Yet how many of us hate the sound of our own voice? This is because voice diminishes where there is fear, shame, and innuendo.  Do you have any voices in your head telling you you’re not worthy, you’re not smart enough, trained enough, qualified enough?

We talked about the six conditions under which your voice emerges.  As you listen to this message, ask yourself this question: “Of these six, which have been most meaningful in my life as I’ve developed my own voice, as I’ve found a way to give a voice to the vision of the mission God has given me on this planet?”  And if you respond by saying, “I really don’t have a mission,” then go back and listen to the other talks and find the help you need to get serious about your one and only life.

Do You Fixate or Focus?

I started yesterday’s talk by confessing an incident that happened in the Target parking lot on Saturday afternoon.  I had briefly stopped to let my wife out of the truck to get into her vehicle, and the person behind me kept honking for me to move.  So obnoxious did they become, that I thought maybe they were sick.  So I got out, being the nice guy that I am, and asked them if they were ok, and if I could help.

That incident reminded me that we live in a culture where people are in a hurry to get to someplace.  They’re not really sure where it is,  and what they’re going to do when they get there.  We are a world fixated on speed, fixated on noise and clutter, fixated on more and more and more.  And yet the one thing we need more than anything else is the ability to focus.

In our series, “Moo Out Loud,” there are five practices for developing your own personal brand, for building a platform from which you can be heard.  And the third practice is to fix your focus, which means you become an expert in some field that you focus on, that you drill down into, that becomes your one thing that you know better than anyone else.

So as you listen to the talk, look for the difference between broken focus, and fixed focus.  Ask yourself this question: Is my focus broken?  Are we really fixating on the petty things around us, responding to noises and to the urgent things, or are we really focusing on the things that truly matter?

RG2G 053 Why 42 Million Christians Have Left the American Church

In a recent research study, the Barna Group has reported that over 42 million Christians in America are no longer actively attending and supporting a church.

In today’s show we talk about some of the reasons why, and what can be done.   If you’re one of the 42 million, there is hope.  Good things are happening and you can find a church that will not only challenge you, but allow you to fulfill your desire to make a difference for God.