Confessions of a Cynical Christian – “It’s All Fake” Questions

This past Sunday at Calvary Church we began a series entitled “Confessions of a Cynical Christian” and started the series talking about “It’s All Fake.”  (You can join us in person or online the next two Sundays at 10:30am) We were diving into the conversation that often happens around the validity of what Christianity teaches and what the Bible illustrates regarding God.  At the end of the message I provided opportunity for people to text in questions and answered the ones we had time and space to answer that morning.  Below is a summary of some of the additional questions that were asked that we didn’t have a chance to answer that morning.

Why do we have to suffer because of Adam and Eve’s sin?

This idea of sin entering the world because of Adam & Eve’s sin is referred to as the Doctrine of Original Sin.  This concept has been explained in a lot of different ways throughout history, but one of the best ways I can explain its impact is this.  It’s like taking the toothpaste out of the tube and trying to get it back in.  Once sin entered a sinless world, it forever tarnished the human race because human beings for the first time became aware of sin’s existence.  And once we become aware of something we are more likely to experiment with it.  This is why you tell a child not to do something, and although they weren’t even thinking of doing that ‘thing’ at first, now that you told them not to, they have to do it.

We see this in the conversation Adam & Eve have with the serpent recorded in Genesis 3:2-5,

“2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The death referred to wasn’t a physical death, but a spiritual death.  We see this in Paul’s epistle to the Romans.

Romans 5:12,

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…”

So Adam & Eve’s original sin now brings pain and suffering on us, both because of the curse of sin as well as the practical nature of our awareness of sin as an option, and our tendency to explore our options.

Why can’t we hear God? It’s hard to tell the difference between the voices in my head and God?

Hearing God has been a challenge for human beings since the beginning of creation, but oftentimes we overcomplicate things.  The struggle of recognizing and following God’s voice is the same struggle we can experience with people in our lives.  The only way to recognize a voice and acknowledge that voice’s influence on your life is through ongoing, regular conversation.  That’s because it’s not simply the tone or nature of the voice that allows us to recognize it, but also what that voice influences us or challenges us to do.  For example, if a total stranger walked up to me and said, “You should go be a missionary to Africa,” it wouldn’t carry much weight.  But if a long-time, trusted friend said that I’d lean in and listen more intently.  The reason for the difference is the history I have with that person and therefore their voice.  Over time, that voice has become more recognizable and trusted because of ongoing conversations and interactions.

The struggle in hearing the voice of God is a real struggle for a lot of people.  The solution to this struggle, though, isn’t an easy quick solution.  It’s not a matter of training your ‘spiritual ears’ to hear something unique and recognizable, but rather cultivating a familiarity with God and his voice.  The only way to do that is through regular ongoing conversations with Him, or what we might call prayer.  And if it is to be a true conversation, that means it’s not one-way communication, but that you create space to listen.  It might be taking times of silence to listen to the voice or promptings of God’s Holy Spirit, or it could be putting yourself in a place where the ongoing noise of our world is silenced.  Either way, we will eventually recognize more clearly the voices we spend more time listening to and being around.

Last thing, I wanted to provide a simple filter that I’ve always used to confirm something I sense or feel God is speaking to me.  There are three areas of confirmation:

  1. Does it line up with a dream, passion or purpose God has been stirring in you?  Our feelings are not a good indicator of much because they are ever changing, so this isn’t a gauge of ‘how do you feel about it’?  Instead this is a question of does this line up with God’s ultimate purposes for your life?
  2. Does it align with God’s Word?  The Bible is not simply a guide but it communicates the heart and intention of God.  If you are sensing God is speaking something to you, it should never contradict God’s Words in scripture, but should rather be confirmed by scripture.
  3. Does Godly counsel in your life see the validity of what God is speaking into your life?  Godly counsel are mature, Godly individuals that know you and your trust.  These are people that have proven their spiritual maturity and ability to hear God’s voice in their own lives.

These three are so important that I would go as far as to say if even one of these does not line up, I would strongly question whether or not what you are sensing God is speaking to you is actually of God.  The truth is God is always speaking to us, but there are so many distractions and obstacles present in our world that keep us from clearly hearing His voice.  But as you cultivate that voice in your life, you will come to a place where it’s familiarity brings peace and confirmation to the things you face and the callings God speaks into your life.

How can you defend the validity of the bible? A lot of people that have doubts about the faith have doubts that it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Defending the validity of the Bible is a complex task that involves multiple aspects, including historical, archaeological, philosophical, and theological considerations. Here are a few things to consider when discussing the validity of the Bible:

  1. Historical and Archaeological Evidence: Many events, people, and places mentioned in the Bible have been corroborated by historical and archaeological findings. For example, the existence of significant ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, is well-documented, and their interactions with Israel align with biblical narratives.
  2. Manuscript Reliability: The Bible has a large number of manuscript copies, some dating back to early centuries after Christ. The consistency among these manuscripts provides confidence in the preservation of the biblical text over time. Scholars utilize textual criticism to analyze and compare these manuscripts, reconstructing the original text to the best of their abilities.
  3. Fulfilled Prophecies: The Bible contains numerous prophecies that were later fulfilled. For example, Old Testament prophecies about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are seen as evidence of divine inspiration. Jesus fulfilled anywhere from 300 to 570 Old Testament prophecies.  The statistical improbability of these prophecies being fulfilled often hundreds or thousands of years later by chance alone lends support to the Bible’s validity.
  4. Internal Consistency: The Bible is a collection of books written by close to 40 different authors over a span of centuries, yet it presents a cohesive narrative and consistent theological themes. The unity of its message despite diverse human authors is seen as evidence of divine inspiration.
  5. Impact and Influence: The Bible’s impact on world history, culture, and literature is undeniable. It has shaped societies, inspired great works of art and literature, and influenced moral and ethical frameworks. Its enduring significance suggests a source of wisdom and truth beyond human invention.
  6. Personal Experience: The number of people is unmatched and more numerous than we could count that can attest to personally experiencing a life transformation, comfort, guidance, and encountering God through their engagement with the Bible. While personal experience is subjective, the mass cohesion of these experiences over the span of thousands of years is yet another powerful aspect in defending the Bible’s validity.

Last thing I want to mention is that we put together a video that provides a list of some additional resources that can help you continue to pursue God’s truth in your life.  From processing questions of faith to better understanding the Bible, the resources we provided in this video are ones that we would recommend and are well respected.  You can watch the video HERE.

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The Hidden Gems of Longevity

Almost 17 years ago I graduated from Bible College with the ambition and dreams that so many new graduates possess. I was ready to take on whatever came my way and change the world in the process. Now over a decade and a half into full-time vocational ministry, I’ve come to learn how unrealistic and ambitious my view of the future was back then. Ambitious not because I worked toward things that were impossible, but ambitious in how I viewed the times and seasons of ministry.

You see, one of the great misconceptions of young leaders, and specifically young pastors is the tendency to overestimate what can be done in the short-term and underestimate what can be done in the long-term. As Bill Gates famously stated: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

As a result of this misunderstanding, along with the continuing blurring of the line between how church leadership and business leadership is viewed, moving from one church to the next is no different than transferring from one business or office to another. But there are hidden gems that a pastor will only discover when they have planted themselves in one place for an extended period of time. And so here are five ministry gems I’ve discovered after 10 years of consistent ministry in one place. I am hoping and fully anticipate that after more decades, my treasure box of gems will only multiply.

1. CREDIBILITY
Quick results, a big splash or a few powerful sermons can create buzz, and maybe even a little momentum in ministry, but credibility is only earned over time. Why is credibility so important? Because credibility is the sum of time + progress + integrity. Credibility becomes most important through the trying times. When the storms of ministry come, the waves of resistance arise, which they will, credibility is ultimately what leads the ship forward.

2. DEEP RELATIONSHIPS
I would argue that true, genuine transformation happens most effectively through the avenue of relationships. And the depth of the relationship affects the depth of the change. You can build a relationship in a short period of time, but deep, truly meaningful relationships happen over the span of extended time. Time where you weather the difficult moments and celebrate the good moments. History establishes depth, and depth is only found through longevity. And with that depth God is given the tools He needs to establish generational change that is difficult to see happen in a short window of time.

3. A MAGNIFIED VOICE
With years behind a pastor, their voice becomes louder. I don’t mean audibly, but organizationally. This is what makes it so difficult to follow a long-term pastor. You walk in with a voice that could never carry the same weight and clout of the pastor that precedes you, because you don’t have the years behind you. A magnified voice ironically allows you to lead change more effectively. It’s ironic because most pastors walk into a church wanting to change everything early on, but a pastor can lead change way more effectively when years have magnified their voice organizationally.

4. X-RAY VISION
Sounds a little sci-fi, but it’s true. When a pastor is leading a church toward growth and effectiveness consistently over a period of time, they begin to develop this superhero skill of seeing through circumstances, obstacles and even disappointments. It’s because the years behind them provide a different perspective of momentary setbacks. They are able to still see a bigger picture, even in difficulty, because they’ve lead over a bigger stretch of time.

5. LAYERED CELEBRATIONS
One of the joys of pastoring is seeing God do the impossible. Seeing God transform that person that everyone else has given up on. The culmination of that transformation is often found in baptism. There is nothing better than getting to celebrate with the person that has committed their life to Christ and now is taking the Biblical step of baptism. But that’s where longevity gives you the opportunity for layered celebrations. You see it is awesome to celebrate a meaningful moment of baptism, but it’s an even great level of fulfillment and celebration when a pastor gets to later perform that person’s wedding. And even later gets to dedicate that couple’s first child. Then one day, gets to baptize that same child. These are the layered celebrations that can never be experienced by a pastor simply ‘passing through’ but are experienced when someone has put roots down and been consistent over an extended period of time.

As I close, if you find yourself early into vocational ministry, maybe on staff at a church, leading a church revitalization or planting a new church, these are all gems I pray you one day get to discover for yourself. They won’t be found this year or next year, but gems you’ll see emerge over decades, not years. So when you are looking at greener pastures or more enticing ministry roles, remember that the gems of longevity are experienced when you bloom where you’re planted, not when you move where you’re wanted. Make the most of the places God puts you, and strive to pastor with a longview of ministry, where you’re committed to plant, water and see God bring the increase.

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Leading Change: Listen

A few weeks ago I began walking through the five important steps for leading change.  Here are the five we are walking through (click the links to see the previous posts):

  1. Identify
  2. Listen
  3. Adjust
  4. Roll-Out
  5. Celebrate

This second step to ‘Listen’ is generally the step that most people skip-over and ignore.  Consequently, so many lead good, valuable, potentially beneficial change, but it’s met with resistance, backlash and sometimes fails to be implemented.  Some of that resistance (not all) can be avoided by not just identifying the vision behind the change and the stakeholders most affected, but by also taking the time to listen to what those stakeholders think or feel about the potential change.

When speaking with or communicating with those stakeholders, clearly communicate the what (the change that could be happening) and the why (the vision behind it) with the key stakeholders/users. When communicating hold the desired change loosely. Remember, these are the people that will be most affected, and consequently become the highest priority.  Here’s a short side note on this:  Depending on the impact of change to a stakeholder/user, the closer they are or more affected by the change, the better it is to talk in person.

Once these items are communicated, then sit back and listen to what they have to say. When listening, it is important to focus on:

Their concerns with the change. 

Possible blind spots you have missed.

How this change affects their values, goals and processes.

Keep good records of all the beneficial feedback you receive during this stage because it could become incredibly beneficial in the next step of ‘Adjusting.’  

One final thing I want to mention.  Change by it’s definition means that you’re looking to implement something different than what is.  That means that your key stakeholders may not be fully on board with what you’re looking to change.  Recognize the difference between listening and agreeing.  Listening to feedback does not mean you will agree with or move forward with every suggestion or ounce of feedback you receive.  Filter all that you hear from stakeholders through the grid of your ultimate vision.

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Leading Change: Identify

Last week, I shared the five steps to Lead Change and today want to dive into the first step: Identify. Before you will ever see intentional, productive change take place in your organization or church you have to ‘Identify’ what change you are wanting to implement.  In this step it is important to be clear on the what and the why behind it.  In other words, don’t just settle for “I want to update the worship at my church.”  You need be able to answer the ‘why.’  Why is that important?  Why should that happen now?  Not just what, but also why. Once you’ve clearly identified your ‘what’ & ‘why’, you need to now identify a clear timeline for implementation, your ‘when.’  At what point are you hoping to see this change implemented?  Make sure you take into account all four of the steps (I’ll explain those more in future weeks).  The bigger the change, the slower the process will need to be, and the more listening you will need to do.  This timeline doesn’t have to be a fixed number of days or months.  It can be abstract.  The more complex the change, though, the more specific your timeline will need to be. Finally, you should identify ‘who’ the primary stakeholders/users will be.  In other words, who will be most affected by this change?  This usually (not always) has very little to do with a person’s position or title, but individuals that will regularly be using the tool or experiencing the effects of the proposed change.  You can identify your ‘what’, your ‘why’, your ‘when’, but if you neglect the ‘who’ you are guaranteed to experience an uphill battle the entire way toward change.  Remember that every change affects a person.  That doesn’t mean we hold off on change because of people (we’ll get to this more next week), but you should at least identify who is going to be most affected by the change. As a point of discussion:  Which one of these is often most difficult for you to identify?  The What?  The Why?  The When?  or The Who?
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Leading Change – The Five Steps

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing a simple process I put together for our staff at Calvary that has helped us in making some significant changes over the last 7 years.  I will dive deeper into each of these steps in future posts, but here are the Five Steps for Leading Change:

  1. Identify
  2. Listen
  3. Adjust
  4. Roll-Out
  5. Celebrate

As a foundation for these five steps, the most important thing a leader can grasp when hoping to lead change in their church or organization is this simple idea:

HOW your organization arrives at change is more important than WHEN your organization experiences the change.

In other words, the journey is more important than the destination.  In the coming weeks, we’ll look at each of these five steps in more depth and how you can begin to put them into practice as you lead those God has entrusted to you.

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Four Questions Regarding Community Engagement

I recently did a Breakout Session at a local Church Leadership Conference on the topic of Community Engagement.  Below are some of my notes that I hope will be a good resource for those that are currently leading in a church context!

1. Is your church providing what your community actually needs?

  • It’s one thing to want to bless your community, but you can have the heart to serve and bless your community and actually do neither if you are providing something your community doesn’t actually need…or perceive they need.
  • Are you as a leader or pastor in tune with what your community needs?  This means you need to be in your community, hearing the needs that are present.
    • Being part of community events
    • Being part of community organizations (Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, etc.)
    • Being present on local community social media groups.
  • Evaluation Questions:
    • What does your community complain about the most?
    • What are the barriers that keep your community from becoming something better?
    • Who/What does your community hate or dislike?
    • If resources weren’t a problem, what would your community get excited about?

2. What would happen to your community if your church ceased to exist?

  • Would your community even realize it, outside of a little less traffic in and out of your parking lot on a Sunday?
  • The church has unfortunately relinquished its role in society because we’ve migrated into these little huddles of protection where we strive to not be ‘tainted’ by society.  But the reality is we will never affect our community if we are not in the center of the mess.

Matthew 11:19,

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

  • Evaluation Questions:
    • How is your church pushing your way back into the conversation of your community’s problems?
      • If the end goal of your church is to simply have a service every Sunday, you will never fully impact your community and the words you share every Sunday will be empty and hollow.

3. How are you setting up your church to be able to bless your community?

  • You need to consistently cast vision.
  • Service needs to be modeled from the platform.
  • Be intentional about mobilizing people to serve outside the church.
  • Budget for blessing.
    • Tithe your income toward missions and local projects.
    • Receiving a benevolence offering on Christmas Eve.
  • You will never become what you don’t intentionally plan for.
  • Evaluation Questions:
    • How are you developing a culture of service and generosity within your church?
      • Through your leadership?  Through small groups? Corporately?

4. What do community leaders think about your church?

  • Chances are good that your community leaders are a microcosm of what the rest of your community thinks about your church.
    • The best way to find out the answer to this question is to ask it.
    • Meet up with your community leaders and ask how your church can serve them…what your church could do to better bless the community.
    • Use these opportunities to develop relationships with the leaders in your community.  
  • Change will happen most effectively in the context of relationships.
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Leading In Season

In Matthew 9, Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the growing Kingdom of God and makes a reference to something that any resident of Western Pennsylvania is very familiar with…knowing the changing seasons.  In some parts of America, the annual seasons are more static.  In this part of the country, though, we have four very distinct seasons.  And because of that, it’s always important to be aware of the season you’re currently in.  After all, you’d look pretty funny trying to shovel snow in August or going swimming in the middle of January.  Instead, when you clearly understand the seasons, you are able to make the most of each season you find yourself in.  You’re able to ski in the winter, and go bike riding in the summer.  While each season has it’s ups and its downs, every season presents its own opportunities.

And with this understanding of seasons, Jesus makes this amazing statement in Matthew 9:37-38:

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”” 

You may have read that verse a million times and most will focus on the importance of going out to reap the harvest, but what if this verse isn’t just about ‘reaping a harvest’…what if it’s really about being aware of your season to lead well? Let me explain.

If you’re at all familiar with farming practices, you would know the harvest only happens during a certain season each year.  In one season you plant, another you water, and then another you finally harvest.  Each season has it’s place and is necessary for the next incoming season.

When you translate this idea to the context of leadership, it’s not just a nice approach to leading, but it becomes pivotal to leading well.  This is because no matter how talented a leader is, no matter how persuasive or charismatic, a leader cannot create a season.  God is the one that establishes the seasons, and he has created leaders to guide others toward maximizing each season.  Just as a farmer doesn’t fight the seasons, but responds to the season, so a leader shouldn’t fight the season they’re in, but respond accordingly.  Thus, in a season of harvest, leaders reap the harvest, in a season of planting, they prepare the fields to plant well.

This is why a leader’s prayer life and ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit isn’t just a good idea, but it is crucial to leading well.  A leader leads at their best when they grasp the season God has them in and the season God is leading them toward.  When a leader can identify their season, they can properly lead their team, equip their team, and make the most of each season God leads them into.

You see, seasons are not isolated periods of time, but every season builds upon the previous season.  The winter is crucial to kill off weeds and underbrush to prepare the way for the new growth of spring.  The summer is key to the growth of plant life that leads toward an abundant fall harvest.  Each season a leader leads others through effectively than prepares them for a prosperous following season.  So with all of that said, here’s the big idea:

A leader’s greatest role is to identify the season God has them in, and to lead others effectively through it.

 

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Leave it All On the Field

Growing up playing sports, there’s a statement that coaches will often make to their teams when it’s all on the line…at the end of the game when something big is at stake, they’ll often challenge their team to “Leave it all on the field.”  In saying this, they’re really saying, hold nothing back, give your all, go all in.  It’s a great challenge, because the reality is once the game is over, you can’t go back and change the outcome.  It’s finished.  Once you walk off that field, the score is set and there’s no going back.

Today, I had the privilege of speaking at the funeral of a woman from our church that has actually been part of Calvary from the beginning.  She was the wife of our founding pastor, and over the course of the last 43 years, she has impacted the lives of countless hundreds, if not thousands.  As I was preparing for this special service, it got me thinking.  How often, in life and in ministry, do we hold back in order to keep something ‘left in the tank’?  I know it can sometimes be so easy to simply coast to the finish.  But, I want to be a leader that bucks that trend.  I want to be one that leaves it all on the field.  I want to be that person that at my funeral others can say I held nothing back…I left nothing in the tank, but left it all on the field.  I gave my all to my family, and to the ministry God calls me to.  It may not be a championship game on the line, but it is someone’s life…it is the life of your son or daughter, or the life of that hurting person that walks through the doors just before you’re about to grab lunch with someone.  As leaders, it’s time we leave it all on the field.  It’s time we hold nothing back.  Our world is in desperate need of parents and leaders that hold nothing back.  That give 110%, not for the recognition, but for the impact their able to make in another’s life.

And the really cool thing is, when we leave it all on the field, God picks up what we have given, and not only blesses it, but multiplies it exponentially.  One life becomes two, two becomes four, and so on.  You have the opportunity to impact countless numbers of lifves, but it won’t happen by holding back…you have to leave it all on the field.

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The How and Not Just What

As a church, we are passionate about Leading people into an overflowing life with Christ.  Our desire isn’t that we simply tell people about Jesus, but that we take people along on our own spiritual journey toward Christ.  It’s not simply what we say, but it’s also what we do.  This applies beyond just sharing our faith, but also how we lead others.

You see, how you lead, not just what you say, will lead people to Jesus.  As leaders, we can oftentimes have a lot to say.  From vision casting, to email updates, to simply our conversations with those we are leading.  And communication is key to leading others, but what if not just what we said, but how we led pointing people to the Savior of the world?  This is actually what Jesus himself said in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”   In the context of leadership that means, how you lead, not just what you say. 

How you lead will either magnify or mute what you’re saying.  If your words contradict your approach, your words lose all value and volume in someone’s life.  You can tell those you’re leading they are valuable to you, but if you treat them like they’re expendable, your words won’t mean very much.

On the other hand, the leader that truly does care about those they’re leading, not just in words, but also in their actions is making a statement to their team that speaks volumes.  That because leadership isn’t just about what you’re saying, but how you’re leading.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself about how you’re leading a team:

  • Do your words back up your actions, or do they contradict one another?
  • How are your actions, not just your words, leading your team to Jesus?
  • What adjustments do you need to make to align both what you say and how you’re leading?
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Stop Managing and Start Leading

There has a lot that’s been written about the difference between leading people and managing people.  While there can be necessary expressions of both in any leadership role, I believe when it comes to leading as a follower of Christ, one should be far more common than the other.  And when it comes to leading within the church, one is crucial, while the other could be terminal for any church.  You see, God hasn’t called us to manage people toward Christ, but to lead them toward Christ.  So what’s the big difference?  Relationships.

When we take the approach to lead people, as opposed to manage them, we communicate that they have value as a person, not just a cog in a wheel.  Leading people puts the priority on the relationship, while managing them puts the priority on the task.  That doesn’t mean the task isn’t important, but the relationship is more important.  God didn’t call us to be pastors/leaders to accomplish more tasks, but to reach more people.

Within the context of church leadership, it is a tragedy when we undermine the greatest vehicle of change God has given us, relationships, just to accomplish a task.  What if we could slow down, step back from our long list of tasks, and get our priorities straight?  What if we started to recognize people not as a means to an end, but the end itself?  The reality is we could accomplish far more if we were willing to invest in the relationships around us, instead the responsibilities we can delegate.  This week, rather than trying to be more efficient or accomplishing more (which can both be important in context), try valuing the people around you more.  Stop managing and start leading.

 

 

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