Jeff Flowers is Disquieted

New Blog Home

2009-07-18T23:38:00.004-04:00

Hey, my friends, thanks for stopping by. I am no longer posting to this blog. Please note that you can now follow my ramblings at my new blog home at http://www.CincyMissionary.com.

Artists & Leadership

2009-04-17T15:52:00.006-04:00

I just finished a new design project and was looking over my strategy notes and started thinking what if I approached a leadership decision like I do a new design project. I jotted down the steps I take when starting a new design project and quickly adapted them into a strategy for making a leadership decision. I think it turned out pretty good and I don't think it's too much of a stretch.

Start With A Blank Slate.
Every design strategy starts with a blank slate, even if I have ideas or looks in mind, I still begin with the blank page. Every leader should begin the process with a "blank slate." Leave your ideas and assumptions at the door and lead from your values.
Listen, Listen, Listen.
Great graphic designers listen to their clients first, then design second. To capture your client's ideas and bring them to reality is the task at hand. Great leaders listen first and react later.
Get a Mental Picture of What You Want.
Artists by nature "see" their design in their head, they use their imagination, if you will. Leaders "see" the result before it becomes reality. They use their "vision", if you will.
Get Inspiration.
All artists need creative inspiration. We look at magazines, web sites, other designers' work to get our creative juices flowing. All leaders find inspiration from other leaders. Read magazines, books, web sites and talk with other leaders to help you with the decision or project in front of you.
Do a Rough Sketch (Don't Be Afraid to Erase It and Start Over).
Art is about color, placement, meaning, beauty and message. The end result is NEVER what we started with. We always use more erasers than we do ink! Leaders should always "rough draft" their ideas or decisions. Brainstorm, mindmap, use whatever, just be willing to use more erasers than you do ink.
The Beauty is in the Details.
As an artist, I spend a lot of time on the details. Color, space, symmetry, etc. It's never the main elements that make or break the piece, it's the details. Many leaders don't spend time working through the details of their decisions. Take time for the details, it could be the difference between paint by number and the Mona Lisa.
Add a Unique Touch.
There's a difference in design technique and design style. Everyone uses the same techniques, no one has the same style. There are times you can look at a piece of art and you instantly know who the artist is. Leaders are the same way. Too many times we, as leaders, lead too much from technique and not enough from the gut. Be sure to embrace your style and go with it. Sometime you look at an organization and you instantly know who the leader is!
The Result is Something You Would Proudly Put Your Name On.
The last thing artists do is add their name to their work. It says, "This is something I created, a part of me for the world to enjoy." Leaders should ask themselves, "Am I proud enough to put my name on this?" I think this would go a long way toward creating a better decision in the short and long run.

I would love your feedback on this or feel free to share it with your team.

Two Thousand Verses

2009-04-13T19:57:00.005-04:00

I read a story today about a man, Jim Wallis, who went through all sixty-six books of the Bible and underlined every passage and verse that dealt with poverty, wealth, justice and oppression. After the experiment, he took a pair of scissors and cut every one of those verses out of his Bible. The result was a book in tatters that barely held together. His Bible was left in shambles.

Today, Mr.Wallis speaks on issues of poverty and justice while holding his ragged Bible full of holes.

Brothers and sisters, this is our American Bible; it is full of holes. Each one of us might as well take our Bibles, a pair of scissors, and begin cutting out all the scriptures we pay no attention to, all the biblical texts that we just ignore.

According to The Poverty & Justice Bible, there are almost two thousand verses in Scripture that deal with poverty and justice.*

What's Next on the Reading List

2009-03-30T11:41:00.006-04:00

I'm reading & reviewing another book for Th. Nelson, The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. I am really excited about this one, because I've been kind of desparate for a book that challenges my faith ever since I read My Beautiful Idol by Pete Gall.

Richard Stearns is the president of World Vision. This organization is a "Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty."

Stearns holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1977 to 1985, he held various roles with Parker Brothers Games, culminating in his appointment as president in 1984. In 1985, he became a vice president at The Franklin Mint, then joined Lenox in 1987 as president of Lenox Collections. In 1995, Stearns was named president and chief executive officer of Lenox Inc., overseeing $500 million in annual sales. He joined World Vision as president in 1998.

Learn more about Richard Stearns. Please read this interview from Guy Kawasaki. This will definitely give you some insight to this extraordinary person.

I will post my review when I'm finished. I have a feeling I will be posting a lot from this book...

The One Challenge Registration

2009-03-29T19:51:00.001-04:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jeffflowers.wufoo.com/forms/m7x4z5/" title="THE ONE CHALLENGE"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Powered by Wufoo

"The One" Challenge

2009-03-28T22:40:00.010-04:00

There are usually two places where ideas come to me — the shower and on airplanes. In the early part of February, I spoke at a conference in Dallas and probably spent more time in planes and in airports than I did at the conference. But, knowing that ideas come to me on planes, I looked forward to the idle time. So, the following came to me on a flight back from Dallas to Chicago.

In January, I became one of only two pastoral staff members left after some fairly significant changes in personnel (to say the least). At first, I felt OK about the changes, but after a few days I began to ask myself a lot of questions. One, in particular, was how do we begin discipling 600 people between two part-time pastors? The answer was obvious; you don't!

Now that you have some background, let me tell you what happened. On the way to Chicago, I begin to pray and write down the names of 25 people at church that came to my mind. These were people I knew, some well, others not so well. These 25 quickly became the people that I would strategically disciple. I would start with 25 and not get overwhelmed by the 600.

When I got back into the office on Monday, I typed a letter that simply read:

ARE YOU THE ONE?
Please meet with Pastor Jeff on Sunday, February 22 @ 5:00pm
To accept, please visit (website).

I mailed (not emailed) all 25 invitations that day, and by Thursday afternoon all 25 people accepted the invitation via the web (along with questions about what this was about). Basically, I wrapped the invitation in a mystery and that got the buzz I wanted. On Sunday morning, Feb. 22, almost all of the invitees were clamoring for an explanation. I just told them, "You have to show up." And showed up they did. 25 for 25!

This might be the first time in history all invitees have shown up to a meeting. It was amazing, there was an electricity in the air. Seventeen men and eight women.

The meeting started with a question: Will you be the one who will introduce The One to the one person with whom you have influence? I paused for a response, and then it happened. I saw the light come on as I shared the discipleship experiment we called "The One."* By the end of the meeting we decided to not only find one person to intentionally disciple, but we would also find an encouragement partner within the group, kind of a two-by-two thing. I also introduced the group to Erwin McManus's The Barbarian Way and asked everyone to read it as a group. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes and all us were extremely fired up to go and find our "one."

Over the last 30 days or so, God has done some cool stuff. Everyone found their "one" and is meeting regularly. People are posting testimonies and encouragements to The One Blog and one guy even decided to use his gifts to start a video blog called LifeWalkTV.com. People are experiencing personal revival. One of our ladies is so captivated, she has started a small Bible study for single moms.

The main purpose in this post is to encourage pastors to start their own discipleship experiment. What if you chose a small group of people to share your heart with? What would happen to your church if a small group of people decided to intentionally give their lives to another over the next 30 days? Would your group of 20 people turn into 40 people? Would that group turn into 80 people? Imagine if your group of 20 turned into over 5000 people who were intentionally discipled by the end of this year alone?

This is what is happening at LHC, where I am a pastor. If every person we discipled in March were to disciple another in April, and then those would disciple just one more person in May, and so on...by the end of the year "The One" would end up touching more than 25,000 people!

So, today I am throwing out "The One" Challenge to pastors everywhere. Will you, pastor, find 10 to 20 people and share "The One" concept with them? Please download the notes for "The One" here. If you want to know more about what I did in my church, please contact me here. I would be more than happy to talk with you about the experience and how I can help you.

Also, I would love to know if you have taken the challenge. Please click here to register your experiment so I can provide you with some encouragement. I would also like to start a list of pastor who have taken the challenge so I can post them to this blog for prayer and support.

*Download my thoughts on "The One" concept here.

Here is the online " Accept My Invitation" form example.

Take A Stand, Anonymously

2009-03-22T21:13:00.007-04:00

It's funny to me how I can post something with spiritual content or encouragement and get 1 to 2 comments, and then post something stupid like "Marijuana Legalization Update" and get 12 comments. I like this one:

Anonymous Said:

Why comment and debate. Aren't you a pastor? Take a stand. I work in the ER, and and I can tell you that I will always have job security because of the idiots smoking a "little marijuana" and then...deciding to throw a little paint thinner in the bonfire...take a knife across one's face including the eye because of a little marijuana...raping the little kid in the bedroom because of...a little marijuana...Anything that would cloud your judgment is wrong and illegal i might add. It's time for pastors and Christians to take a stand and stop posting discussions to the matter.

Well, Anonymous, the answer to your first questions is — yes, I am a pastor. So, my question to you is — What does that have to do with anything? I think every pastor in America should be ready to answer the questions that will arise when marijuana is made legal, 'cause its coming next. The reason I bring it up is because it seems it's not being discussed in the circles I run in. What do we tell our students? What kind of stand will Christians take? Obviously, you don't even want it talked about. You ask, "Why comment and debate?" I ask, "Why not?"

This post is not an advocacy for the legalization of pot. Are you crazy? According to your reasoning, the church should not "post" discussions on alcohol, over-eating, illicit sex, driving too fast or getting over-emotional about a movie you just watched. All of these things effect your thinking and judgment.

Finally, I think you last statement is contradicting. It sound like this, "TAKE A STAND, AND QUIT TALKING ABOUT IT!" To this I say, "NO!" I think it is time for Christians to post it, discuss it and even shout it from the rooftops. I believe I am taking a stand. I want my culture to hear me as a pastor. I want my culture to deal with what I have to say on the matter. For too long, the church as either ignored cultural issues or have simply not had the guts (or brains) to take it on. I have something to add to the conversation and if that makes you uncomfortable, then I won't judge you. Just don't judge those of us who want to join the conversation.

If the "world" is the only one talking, how do you expect anything to change? BTW, thanks for the anonymous encouragement to TAKE A STAND!

Marijuana Legalization Update

2009-02-27T13:09:00.004-05:00

Studies and polls are trending toward the legalization of marijuana. Christians already oppose abortion, in fact, abortion is the biggest opposition in the political or moral arenas for US Christians. In comparison, how will Christians react to the legalization of marijuana and the possible legalization of all illicit drugs?

You can read the latest polls here.

Love to hear your thoughts?

Let Love Rule!

2009-02-27T11:54:00.004-05:00

So, I'm taking a little time today to study for the 12:3 Conspiracy. We are in week eight of the studies and I'm looking forward to teaching Romans 12:9 on Sunday. I thought it was cool that the 12:3 Conspiracy was starting Romans 12:9 (Let love be genuine...) on the same day we are starting our introduction to the 40 Days of Love at LHC. Anyway, I'm reflecting on something that I haven't done in a while and wanted to share it with you.

In his brilliant little book, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer has a chapter entitled, The Day with Others that talks about starting your day in reflection of Christ's sacrifice and readings in Scripture, especially the psalms. Then, Bonhoeffer tells us how to end our day in the fellowship of others. Bonhoeffer writes, "The early morning belongs to Christ...the break of light remembers the morning on which death and sin lay prostrate in defeat and new life and salvation were given to mankind." This is how we should start every morning if we are to take on the task of spending the day with others.

Spending the day with others, huh, I've never thought of it that way. Most of our lives are lived in routine. We are around the same people, almost everyday. The same people at work, church, the gym, Starbucks, and most routinely, our families. Do we genuinely think of the "routines" as "others?" I think there is a way to start. It's called practicing the one anothers.

Practicing the "one anothers" from Scripture starts by knowing what they are. Here's a list:

John 13:34
Love one another

Rom. 12:10
Be devoted to one another

Rom. 12:16
Live in harmony with one another

Rom. 15:7
Accept one another

Gal. 5:13
Serve one another in love

Eph. 4:2
Put up with one another

Eph. 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another

Col. 3:16
Teach and admonish one another

Heb. 3:13
Encourage one another daily

1 Pet. 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another

Ok, so it's easy. First, memorize the list so you can recall the one's you need at any given circumstance. However, while you're memorizing them, you could practice at least one a day. Let's say you choose "devoted to one another." What does the word "devoted" mean? According to Webster's it means: to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc. When's the last time you spent time with others like that?

It would be cool to get some comments on this blog and to hear how this "practice of the one anothers" is going for you. Any ideas of how you are doing this? Any stories that could encourage someone else? Let me hear from you.

Pulling Back, Disconnecting or Whatever You Want to Call It

2009-02-27T01:31:00.001-05:00

You never know what a day will bring. It's funny how you can wake up, go about your day, and then, something out of blue happens and you think, didn't see that one coming. I had one of those days on Wednesday. Just when I was wrapping up my day and headed home—BAM! A phone call that changed everything! It changed the whole trajectory of my day, my countenance, emotions—everything.

After the phone call, I got into a mindset that usually happens after I get news like that. I kind of go into this "disconnection" mode where I begin pulling back from people and responsibilities. Have you been there? I think we all "disengage" from time to time, but, sometimes I wonder if that's really healthy? I know all of us go through emotional ups and downs, but what I'm talking about here is cutting loose, hiding out, abdicating our relationships because we are "knocked for a loop." I'm not sure how healthy it is. Any thoughts?

I guess the danger is that we tend to "disappear" or "go dark", as one of my friends puts it, when we face some kind of stress or relational disaster. I think that's when we need the people around us to recognize when and how we start fading. I have had plenty of people recognized my countenance looking a little down the last couple of days, however, I have tried to blow it off as "I'm tired" or "I'm good, no worries." Funny, how we have gotten in the habit of offering these trite expressions. We might as well be saying, "No thanks, I don't need your encouragement or prayers today. Maybe next time when I'm in a better mood." This can no longer be. I know God has surrounded me with people who care. I'm not "putting them out" by sharing how my stresses are bogging me down. Most of these people are my friends, I like to call them "my cushion."

Maybe it's time for some of us to re-engage. Some of us have been disengaged so long we can't remember the last time we allowed ourselves to be encouraged by another. We end up playing a victim and think we deserve a time-out. Well, in a lot of cases we do deserve a time-out, but we don't deserve an off-season. We don't deserve to just quit the game. A time-out is fine, but we must gather our emotions, change our mindset and re-engage with 100% assurance that we can make it. Why? Because, you may need to be the cushion in someone else's life today. You never know what a day will bring.

Below are Scriptures that include the phrase "one another" that might encourage you.

John 13:34
Love one another

Rom. 12:10
Be devoted to one another

Rom. 12:16
Live in harmony with one another

Rom. 15:7
Accept one another

Gal. 5:13
Serve one another in love

Eph. 4:2
Put up with one another

Eph. 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another

Col. 3:16
Teach and admonish one another

Heb. 3:13
Encourage one another daily

1 Pet. 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another

Radical Generosity

2009-02-24T00:45:00.002-05:00

This weekend I taught from Romans 12:6-8. This is one of the lists of "grace gifts" or "spiritual gifts" found in the New Testament (the other found in 1 Corinthians 12). One of the most interesting gifts found on the "Romans list" is giving. The usual verb for giving is didomi, but the word here in Romans 12:8b is the intensified metadidomi, which carries the additional meaning of sharing and imparting that which is one's own. It is clearly a term used to mean generosity, or giving out of one's self to another; we call it sacrificial giving in the church. I call it radical generosity.

Do you have the gift of radical generosity? In an article I read recently entitled Compelling Generosity, I was drawn to phrases like "our culture's self-absorbed economy of excess" and "enough resources to contribute to the lives of others." In this, I found myself in the middle of paradox. I say I am always striving to meet my needs, when really I am striving to maintain a lifestyle. A lifestyle, quite honestly, that is complex and pressure-packed. And this is where the paradox became conviction. I immediately began to realize the measure of my generosity has nothing to do by what or how much I give, but by what or how much I am preparing my life to contribute to the lives of others. Radical generosity is a lifestyle, a gift, to be lived out among people I come in contact with everyday.

For me, radical generosity does not come from my willingness to give. Most of the time, I wish I could give more. Radical generosity comes from being in a place where I can give more. Have I designed my life to be generous? Now, I'm not talking about Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace thing. I'm talking about having the mindset that I can contribute what is mine to others now, not when I get my "emergency fund" together.* I think it goes a step further. It calls for radical changes in our lifestyles.

Over the years, I have heard of the spiritual discipline called simplicity. I have done some reading on the topic and it is a powerful experience when practiced. The practice of simplicity is simply (pun) to learn to live within our means. In effect, it means to be content. Too often, my generosity suffers from the complicated pace of my life or, my lack of simplicity. My life is so loud, fast-paced and over-crowded, that I really don't have anything (time or financial resources) to give. So, it's not that I don't want to give (generosity) or live in contentment (simplicity), it's just that I really can't; it's impossible.

In his book Freedom of Simplicity, Richard Foster writes, "Christian simplicity frees us from modern mania...It allows us to see material things for what they are—goods to enhance life, not to oppress life. People once again become more important than possessions. Simplicity enables us to live lives of integrity in the face of the terrible realities of our global village."

I guess the challenge of radical generosity is real. Real in the sense that I am becoming like everyone else—collecting and consuming everything I see with no regard for who I am becoming in the process. Generosity is integrity, and really, it's self-integrity. Generosity is knowing my true self enough to allow it to be reflected in the way I live my life. Too often, my life is an appearance, just a shadow of my desire to do good, a form of godliness, if you will. I want to change that, but I know it will take real changes, one's that take real sacrifice.

In closing, I would like to quote a friend of mine:

Radical generosity is generosity that flows from an encounter with this radically generous God we meet in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the Gospel takes root in our lives, it becomes the story that shapes, informs and defines the decisions and direction of our lives. So, just like Christ, we gladly become poor, giving sacrificially of our lives to enrich the lives of others. Just as our Savior poured himself out to rescue and enrich our lives, so we would pour out our lives to rescue and enrich the lives of others – not just friends and family, but even those who are removed from us.

Click here to read the article, "Compelling Generosity"

*I am not knocking Ramsey's stuff here. In fact, I think Ramsey does a fine job teaching biblical stewardship. I just find that most Ramsey-ites are learning stewardship for security sake. I believe biblical stewardship also includes risking our lifestyles for the sake of contributing to others.

Determination

2009-02-23T21:51:00.004-05:00

I have a friend that speaks into my life that I respect very much. He often says that what we are missing in our lives is what he calls "the intensity of desire." Whether it is prayer, serving or being a witness for Christ, we lack the desire or determination to seek hard after God. It takes effort, and most of the time we put EVERYTHING first and God last. Then we're too tired; too worn out to give Him the attention He desires. We shouldn't expect more of God's presence, maybe He should expect more of ours.

After reading today's (2/23) My Utmost for His Highest, I realized that the greatest way to be like Jesus is to SERVE. Read the first line of Chambers's journal entry, "Jesus also said, 'Yet I am among you as the One who serves' (Luke 22:27)." Jesus had a quiet strength about him. He was intense about serving others and driven to seek and save the lost. In His "lost" parables in Luke 15, Jesus seems to put the subject of the stories as the "seeker of the lost", and their intense desire to restore what was lost at the risk of losing everything else. Is this who we are to model ourselves after? Maybe we are afraid to have an "intensity of desire" because we are too afraid to risk something. Maybe we that's why we have such a difficult time with our image of God. Is God's intensity of desire so high that He is willing to risk it all?

What is the level of your desire today? Can you say that you desire God more than ANYTHING else? Are you serving your sphere of influence today? Are you leaving your fingerprints on everything you touch today? Someone is waiting for you to be The One who serves. Maybe, it's just someone in your family. Often times, we think of our family members least. Familiarity has left us insensitive to those who are closest. What would happen if we stopped and asked our spouse, son or daughter how we could serve them? What could God do in the heart of the person who has a blazing fire of desire to serve another?

Paul said to Timothy, "...fan into flame the gift of God." This speaks of sparking your intensity and working toward using your gifts for others. May your intensity for God's will be hot! May the fire of God be present in your prayers today! May the intensity of desire overtake your spirit today and make you more like Christ who came to serve.

Click here for the February 23 reading of My Utmost for His Highest.

Are You The One?

2009-02-23T01:02:00.002-05:00

To quote Dallas Willard, the foremost expert on biblical discipleship, "Christians have responded to the Great Commission by making 'Christians', not 'disciples'." Willard writes, "The word disciple occurs 269 times in the New Testament...Christian is found only three." As Willard points out in his book The Great Omission, the church is full of undiscipled disciples. We have replaced biblical discipleship with canned Bible studies, small group fellowships and slick programs. While these are good tools to grow in our knowledge of God's Word, they cannot and should not replace one-on-one discipleship. The One is a call to return.

Learning To Be

Learning to be a disciple is difficult these days with all the quick fix books on spirituality. Discipleship today is more of "what do I get", rather than "what can I give." I was reminded of this today when I received an email on Facebook from a person I haven't seen in 18 years. She writes:

"Please pray for my husband. He is at crossroads right now. He wants a personal relationship with God but has many questions. We have come this far before and he retreats with doubt so the more prayer warriors the better. I am very thankful he is asking questions, praying God places the right people in his life..."

What struck me most about this "prayer request" was her prayer that God would place the "right" people in his life. If this is not a call to discipleship, I don't know what is. Not a call to her husband, but a call to...me! Will I be The One? Will I be the "right" person God sends into his life?

Being the Right Person

This week, you will pass by all kinds of people. People you work with. People you go to church with. People you see everyday and think nothing about. Maybe, this is the week you don't pass by. Maybe, this is the week you stop and start asking questions. Maybe, this week you will be the "right" person God places in the life of another. Isn't this real discipleship?

Living Wide Awake

Here is a great resource that can motivate and encourage you to be the "right" person in another's life. This is the trailer to a DVD that accompanies Erwin McManus's book Wide Awake. I want to encourage you to get a copy of the DVD and watch the first short film "Beauty." It's an elegant story about a lonely girl who experiences a simple act of kindness that changes the way she sees the world.

It's YOU!

2009-02-17T08:08:00.005-05:00

After reading Isaiah 61 last night and again this morning, I am captivated. I am captivated to the Word of God and find myself in the center of His will. Now the choice is mine. Do I act in faith, or do I wave to the journey that is passing by?

The key to this passage for me is the latter part of verse 1 — he has sent me. I think that too many of us are waiting for someone else to be sent. Someone else who can inspire us, lead us and give us hope that we are a noble people worth saving. We are waiting. Waiting for God to raise up a leader that has the Hollywood-iconic qualities to lead. Waiting for the slick, packaged, well-put-together person that has the Midas touch. Waiting for the franchise player. Waiting for the top draft pick. Waiting for a king. All we do is wait and hope and dream. And, all the while, we are waving to God's plan that is passing by.

Have you ever had the thought that the someone you are waiting for is — you? Is it you that God has called to proclaim, release, provide and rebuild? Isaiah came to the realization that God had sent him and no one else. He discerned that the Sovereign LORD was upon him. This means that God had convicted Isaiah's heart and had given him a clear vision of His will. Isaiah's mission was clear and focused. His mission was specific in nature and God-sized. None of these things that Isaiah proclaimed could come from his creativity or imagination. These things had God's fingerprints all over it.

To do justice, proclaim freedom and rebuild the ancient ruins are the call of God, and always have been. Let me say that again — and always have been! The problem has never been God's absence on the scene, it's been ours. We are absent. We have abdicated leadership in the name of waiting and watching. We have taken polls, surveys, focus groups and have gotten the opinions of those who want the best for us. However, we have not acted when prompted by the Sovereign LORD. We are still waiting for the "right" person to show up and lead. And, all the while, we are waving to God's plan that is passing by.

In all honesty, this post isn't really for you. It's for me. I admit, I have been waiting. Waiting for someone to step up and tell me what to do. Waiting for someone to give me a plan, a purpose, a mission to accomplish. Well, the waiting is over. I know that person is — me! I will NOT wave to the journey that is passing by. I will not miss God's call on my life to lead. Starting today, I am getting on board whole-heartedly. No regrets, no looking back, no plan B. I am jumping on board in faith, regardless of the cost. The reward will be great, but that really doesn't matter because waiting is over.

Journey Church

2009-01-30T22:29:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tom Planck the Lead Pastor of Journey Church in West Chester, OH. Tom has a GREAT story and I'm absolutely blown away at what God is doing in his life as a Christ-follower. Journey Church is the real deal. Tom really leads in his vision and the church is exploding with growth and influence. You can read a little about Journey on their website www.cincyjourney.org:

INSPIRING PEOPLE TO LIVE BIG!

Our days are mundane. Predictable. Often grating. It feels like we exist only to survive into the next day.

This is LIFE? Our dreams are of...what? Houses? Cars? A more stressful job?

And what role does the church play? We're all afraid that this thing called the spiritual life will only serve to destroy us—to rein us in and make us settle for being less than who we feel we truly are. One of our biggest fears about Christianity is that it will make us...boring.

There are few accusations in pop culture today worse than being boring. Or irrelevant. Or yesterday.

Tom is passionate about "those who are disconnected from Christ and the Church. Both matter," Tom says.

I really like this dude. I think Tom has got a heart to really reach a lot of people in the Greater Cincy area. Try to get to know this guy, you'll like him too. You can follow his Twitter updates at twitter.com/tomplanck.

Journey currently meets at Lakota East High School in Liberty Township on Sundays at 10:30AM.

Real Influence

2009-01-30T12:45:00.005-05:00

For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearance, as though they were realities and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.
-Niccolo Machiavelli

Every Thursday, for the past 16 weeks, I've been meeting with a friend who spent 37 years working for a large consumer goods company based in Cincinnati. He was the plant manager for the largest manufacturing facility in the world located in Lima, OH and has been retired for about 15 years now. No, this isn't a Tuesdays with Morrie kind of thing. Anyway, these "meetings" have been quite the education in leadership and influence. He has a "wise" air about him (including the deep, thoughtful voice and intimidating presence) and is always thinking of ways to work in a story or two that will blow your socks off. Know what I mean?

Today's "lesson" was shear greatness! We met and talked business for a few minutes and then he got this mischievous look and said, "I want to show you something I think you'd like." He grabbed his little pocket-size datebook and retrieved a small, folded up piece of worn paper. The grin got wider as he unfolded. He handed it to me and pointed to a quote he had circled; it read:

You can buy a person's time; you can buy their physical presence at a given place; you can even buy a measured number of their skilled muscular motions per hour. But you cannot buy enthusiasm. You cannot buy initiative. You cannot buy loyalty. You cannot buy the devotion of hearts, minds, or souls. You must earn these. - Clarence Francis

I immediately smiled and said, "Can I go make a copy of this?"

When I returned, he told me he had kept the paper in his datebook for 36 years. He cut it out of a 1972 Reader's Digest and has read the quote every day since. That means he has read it 13,140 times! How about that?

On the copy paper I wrote down a line from one of his stories that day: Influence is a lot more important than where you are on the hierarchy. He said, "I never really wanted to be promoted higher than plant manager. Some of the song and dance leadership books probably say I'm wrong, but I think I'm right." He went on to tell me that he believed that if he was doing his job, every manager that worked for him would be his boss some day. By the time he retired, 36 people who worked for him in the plant went on to be some of the top executives in the company. His conclusion:

I had more influence throughout the company through these 36 individuals that I could ever have by climbing the ladder myself. It made my life a lot easier and I could be heard. My level of influence was exponentially greater because I reproduced myself in other people. I didn't worry about my significance, I worried about the significance of others. That's my legacy.

Influence. Have we missed out on the true meaning?

Leadership Lesson from a Six Year Old

2009-01-19T23:51:00.002-05:00

So, every night before "bedtime" my 6 year old runs to me with his "reader" and says, "OK, Dad, I'm ready to read, let's go." And dutifully...I go. I mean the kid never misses. It's clockwork. It's routine. It's breathing.

Then, it hits me. If I was half as committed to things as he was...

So, tonight, I observed. And, like the ever-learning leader I pretend to be, I got these 6 things out of it while we, I mean he, was reading.

One: When it's time to do something, just do it; just show up and do it. "Do you feel like reading tonight, son?" He answered in the most apathetic of tones, "not really, but I gotta finish this chapter."

Two: Concentrate; eliminate distractions. I asked him where he wanted to read. He said, "In your office, Rafe (younger brother) is not allowed in there."

Three: Shut up and listen. Now, for the record, my son didn't tell me to shut up. However, he did tell me to not help him sound out big words, "just listen and let me figure it out!"

Four: Repetition really is the mother of all skill. Half way through the reading, I break #3 (you know, shut up and listen) and say, "You're really doing better!" He replies, "Well, it seems like I'm reading the same words over and over, I'd be stupid if I wasn't getting better." I'm sure he was thinking, "Well, duh?"

Five: Learn the Basics. "Dad, did you ever have to read these kids books?" "Yes, son." "Cool, then I'll get to read big books one day, like you?"

Six: Partnerships are Priceless. "Dad, this is my favorite part of the day..." "What do you mean, son?" "I really like learning to read with you, I don't like doing it by myself."

Well, thanks God. Another reminder that I don't have it figured out...

The Bridge in Uptown Cincinnati

2009-01-19T20:42:00.003-05:00

You have to check out The Bridge. Tim Dunn is the Lead Pastor and is one of the coolest guys I know in church planting. Tim meets in the Clifton area of Cincy across from the University of Cincinnati. He's reaching young professionals and college students and is taking this church thing to a whole notha level.

The Bridge is all about seeking truth and justice, exhibiting humility and mercy and finding purpose in redemption and mission. The really strive to be part of the fabric of life in Uptown Cincinnati through local outreach efforts by offering programs and ministries that are relevant to the people who live there.

For more info on The Bridge, visit the official site here. For more info on Tim, visit his blog here.

Passage Church

2009-01-19T20:36:00.004-05:00

What up!

Spent some time today with Dave Dorr, the founding and Lead Pastor of Passage Church in West Chester, OH. First, let me say, Dave is a really great guy. We talked for about two hours about it all and he is just a regular guy who's easy to be with. Here's a little history on Dave if you're intersted.

In the spring of 2007 Dave was serving as an associate pastor at Apex Community Church in Kettering, OH when he sensed a call to start a new work in the Northern Cincinnati area. His passion was to see a church community that focused on discipleship and used that focus to pursue new church plants. That July, Dave, his family, and one other couple were launched from Apex to begin working behind the scenes to start a new church. Two months later a core group of 14 people from the area began meeting in a home and in Easter of 2008 Passage held its first public service at Endeavor Elementary school. And in the Fall of 2008, Passage moved locatons to Lakota West Freshman school and held its official Grand Opening in January 2009. In this short time, God has brought together like-minded people from all throughout the West Chester area to commit themselves to the work God is doing through Passage Church.

If you want more info on this really cool church, visit the official site here.

Urban Hills Church

2009-01-19T20:19:00.003-05:00

Last night I got a chance to spend some time with my new friend, Ed Blackledge at Urban Hills Church (UH) in Anderson Township, OH. This was one of his 3 preview services before he launches on Easter Sunday. The church is meeting in the brand new Anderson Center Performing Arts Center. The facility is as nice as they come and it's a great place to start a church.

Ed spent nearly 10 years in entrepreneurial roles in the financial services industry. In 2002, he abandoned a personal pursuit for wealth to serve his King - Jesus Christ. Ed's passion in ministry is to connect new believers to the King of the universe and equip them to serve Him on His world wide mission. He is married to Buffie and they have two daughters, Katie (8yrs) and Anna (2yrs).

Check out Urban Hills here.

On the transparency thing...

2009-01-13T00:38:00.013-05:00

This weekend, a friend of mine tried to prove to me that the "christian transparency thing is a bunch of #$&%" because he got burned while pouring his life into another on the journey. "So much for that experiment," he said. Since then, I've been reflecting...

There are NO SHORTCUTS to this "christian transparency thing!" I look at Galatians 2:20 and I read the words of the Apostle Paul, "I am crucified..." and I think — there is no shortcut given as an option. Crucifixion is a long, excruciating death. But, once I identify with Christ in His death, I can be real — transparent. It is at this point, I can be like Francis of Assisi — the life of Jesus can become transparent in my personality.

Transparency is clear-headed thinking (wisdom).
Transparency is clear-eyed vision (knowing the will of God).
Transparency is the simple joy in gratitude (humility).

"Being real" is not the attitude of "just deal with it, I'm just keepin' it real." Some of us need to watch Chappelle's When Keepin' It Real Goes Wrong and take some notes. The true heart of transparency is compassion, humility and wisdom. This can only come from the life that Christ lives in and through us.

I've heard of this "two-kinds-of-christians" rhetoric before — carnal v. spirit-filled; faithful v. backsliders; aware v. unaware; soul-winners v. pew-sitters, etc. But recently, I read Søren Kierkegaard's view of it. He was said to believe that there are two kinds of Christians: imitators of Jesus and those who are content to admire Him. Any questions? Merton called this a "convenient spirituality." We keep God close for those moments to which He fits. We are Zacchaeus — we want to get out on a limb for Jesus, but we also want to keep our distance.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." These are the wise words from Harper Lee's timeless character, Atticus Finch. Is this transparency? Jesus has already climbed into our skin, maybe we should climb into His? Is this transparency? A simple disappearance of ourselves and the sudden appearance of Jesus?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. What does "being real" mean for a Christ-follower? Is "transparency" healthy and should this be such a hot topic in our christian rhetoric today? Please feed back...

Experiencing God Like Jesus Did

2009-01-08T14:11:00.005-05:00

Last night I started a new teaching on personal revival. I think it went well, but as you know I am my own worst critic. However, I thought I would share a story with you I thought was really cool.

I was adding some finishing touches to my notes yesterday, January 7th and thought I would start the talk with a devotional from OC (Oswald Chambers). I went to myutmost.org and searched the word "revival" and it returned two results. One of them was for the reading for January 7th, the same day! Funny, huh? You can read it here.

Anyway, if you're interested in the notes for the study, I'll be posting them to the blog every week under the "Seeking Him" label. You can download the Introduction notes below:

Introduction | Experiencing God Like Jesus Did
Download here.

Brennan Manning Memoir

2009-01-08T13:58:00.005-05:00

Publisher David C. Cook is planning to release The Furious Longing of God in March 2009. This is the long awaited memoir from one of my favorite's, Brennan Manning. Here is the descript from the publisher:

Imagine a stormy day at sea: your ship yielding to a relentless wind, pummeled by crashing waves, subject to the awesome force of nature. A force that is both fierce and majestic. A power that is nothing short of furious. Such is God's intense love for His children. The Furious Longing of God is the latest tour de force from beloved author and ragamuffin, Brennan Manning. Hold on tight as you discover the most powerful force in the universe: God's furious longing for you. There is nowhere God won't go to find us. No country too distant. No terrain too treacherous. No risk too great. It is a Father's search for His lost son, His lost daughter. And there are no boundaries to where His love will take Him in order to find us, embrace us, and carry us home!

You can pre-order the book at Amazon here.

If you've never read a book from Brennan, I would recommend The Ragamuffin Gospel or Abba's Child to start off. These are staple works for any follower of Christ that is tired of trying to live for God and chase the American Dream at the same time. If you're life has become too loud and out of control or if you just long for the simple voice of God, these books have helped me return to a place of real peace and simplicity. God is still speaking to you, is it that you can't hear him...

Check these blogs out...they're magically delicious!

2009-01-07T15:22:00.002-05:00

These are some of the blogs I've recently been following. Check 'em out, you'll be glad you did.

Emily McGowin. The smartest person in the room.
http://thinklaughweepworship.blogspot.com/

Craig Kendall. My peep from CO and a guy who actually took "the leap."
http://www.mywalkblog.com/

AO, Alan Oliver. He is genuine and will fall flat on his face to prove it!
http://aotropos.blogspot.com/

Tim Dunn. A pastor's pastor. Keepin' real in the 513!
http://thebridgecincy.wordpress.com/

More to come, I just thought these could keep you busy...

New Teaching Series

2009-01-06T22:29:00.002-05:00

Beginning this Sunday, January 11, 2009 I will began a new teaching series. My friend, Alan Oliver, and I sat down one day before Christmas and came up with 20 marks of the true disciple from the 21 verses in Romans 12. I am very excited about the study and can't wait to start. I haven't really come up with a title for the series, but here are the 20 topics we will cover:

Intro to Romans 12 and its context
Acceptable Worship (1)
Conformed/Transformed (2)
Knowing the Will of God (2)
Humility & The Affirmation of Others (3)
What is the Body of Christ? (4-5)
Service in the Body of Christ (6-8)
Genuine Love (9a)
Evil vs. Good (9b)
Loving Others (10)
Spiritual Fervency (11)
Trials, Prayer & Hope (12)
Christian Hospitality (13)
Blessing Others (14)
Transparency (15)
Lowly Associations (16)
Honorable Actions (17)
Living at Peace with Others (18)
Godly Revenge (19)
Overcoming Evil (20)

Some of these titles may change as creativity tends to hit me at 3 in the morning, however, the topics above will generally be followed in this order. I plan to post my outlines from week to week and certainly invite your comments.

Being Truthful...With Yourself

2009-01-06T20:46:00.010-05:00

Today's quiet time with God was one of those not so quiet moments. In a matter of 10 minutes I heard loud and clear the question: Are you truthful with yourself? I hate it when that happens!

In a noble effort to return to the basics of discipleship in 2009, I confidently turned to Galatians 6 hoping to get a word about bearing my friends' burdens...then came verse 7. DO NOT BE DECEIVED: GOD IS NOT MOCKED. OUCH!!!

Jesus had a relentless passion for truth and I , as every "good law abiding Christian" should, do too. I spend half my pathetic life seeking to correct the injustices and lies that are perpetrated on humanity from the media, the gossips and the fibbers known for their tall tales. In fact, my truth detector has been tuned to a perfect pitch, justifiably aligned with "the Wooordddd of Gaaawwwwdddd" and ready to alarm at any sign of penetration. I'm good, I'm right and I know it! Awe, the false illusions to which I so tightly clutch and cling.

I heard one time that it takes guts to be honest with oneself. I guess that's true or else so many of us would not lie to ourselves and take comfort in our grand rationalizations and realities. And what about those easy, self-indulging justifications that conform us to the world's brand of truth? How easily we justify our "freedoms in Christ" and then forget that we gave up our rights when we chose to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The Book of James says it this way: "We look in the mirror, then walk away and immediately forget what we look like." This is certainly true in my profession; self-deception seems to be the ordre du jour. The senseless defenses we as pastors seem to come up with to make ourselves feel significant at the cost of truth in our own lives is astonishing. We believe discipleship is more Bible study, that "holiness" is the point of walking with God and that the size of our congregations are the proof of our church's success. Generosity, affirmation and justice are words we hardly utter to our "podcast followers." For many Christians, discipleship has become as much a brand as the cute little apple on the back of their computers. I'm cool if I have an iPhone, right?

Could I interpret Galatians 6:7 this way: Don't mislead yourself...God will not be fooled. If so, I guess the pursuit of truth must start with less of a moral eye on everybody else and more of an transparent eye on myself. To quote Brennan Manning, "The first step in the pursuit of truth...is not the decision to stop deceiving others. It is the decision to stop deceiving ourselves."

"For whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

Are you a "crap magnet?"

2009-01-01T15:51:00.002-05:00

I thought today would be a good day to start blogging again with it being the first day of 2009 and all. So, with the new year upon us I thought I would be stupid and obvious and write about my single resolution for 2009. Yes, I need to lose weight. Yes, I need to be more disciplined. And yes, I need to renew my commitment to Jesus and live more for Him with no strings attached. Yes! I need to DO all of these things, but come on, can I really get excited about these? The answer is — not really.

So, after hanging out with some of the coolest people I know over the holidays, I've decided to take a challenge. It's the "Seven Day No Grumble Challenge." Let me explain...

Some friends and I were having lunch Monday at the great Genghis Grill and we began talking about life. One of the guys mentioned he was reading a book that challenged him to not complain, blame or gripe for a period of seven days. Every time he caught himself blaming, justifying or complaining, he would slide his index finger across his neck signifying that he was slitting his financial throat. Intense, huh?

He said quoting the book, "When you complain, you attract crap into your life. You're a crap magnet!" Now, that's funny...

Anyway, we all decided to take "the challenge." So, today is my first day and I've managed not to slit my throat. So far, so good...

FYI...The book is "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Eker. I have purchased the book, but I have not read it as of today. I have read Wealth File #1 starting on page 54, but that's it. I usually don't read books like this, so don't take this as an endorsement, but I do think there are some things to learn from it. Happy reading...