I’ll be teaching on a very familiar verse–Philippians 4:13. Most of you know the verse as “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But I think that the Revised English Bible captures the meaning more accurately. It reads, “I am able to face anything through him who gives me strength.”

The idea here is not that we can do anything through Christ’s strength (as true as that may be). The idea here is that in the strength of Christ we can have confidence to face any and every situation that comes our way.

The context of Philippians 4:13 opens up some valuable insights into how we can have confidence to face any situation–good, bad or ugly. Some of the topics we’re going to look at include: the key to releasing our anxieties to God and leaving them with Him; the importance of shaping our lives by renewing our minds; and the secret of living independent of your circumstances. 

Learn how to be “self-sufficient in the sufficiency of Christ.”

Along the way, I’ve picked up a number of leadership proverbs that have helped me in my own leadership. So here’s a dozen of my favorites:

• A position only gives you subordinates, not followers.
• A leader is the first person through the minefield.
• Leadership is cultivating in people the willingness to follow you into something new for the sake of accomplishing something great.
• Beware the seduction of the secondary.
• Leaders comfort the aflicted and afflict the comfortable.
• You teach what you know but you impart who you are.
• A person who is one step ahead of others is called a leader; a person who is ten steps ahead of others is called a martyr.
• Even if you’re drowning, act like you  planned it that way.
• Never trust someone who doesn’t walk with a limp.
• Leave nothing to chance, then leave everything to God.
• There are no great people, just ordinary people who serve a great cause.
• Someone who is putting on his armor shouldn’t boast like someone who’s taking it off (1 Kgs. 20:11).

I have a hard enough time trying to translate what megachurches are doing into the context of our own church. I usually find that when I “try on” the latest innovative, cutting edge megachurch “must have” program or “must do” ministry initiative, I feel like David trying to wear Saul’s armor. I’m always willing to learn from others and try new things, but I think I’ll stick with my humble slingshot.

So it was encouraing to hear more pastors at this year’s Summit. It was especially helpful because the pastors were not national celebrities and the churches they pastored were not in the top 10 largest churches in America. Some of them weren’t even megachurches. That’s refreshing in our society which worships celebrities and measures success by size.

But it’s been kind of a whirlwind week (so much for easing back into the job). Besides catching up with two weeks worth of back paperwork, meetings, phone calls, e-mails, and preparing Sunday’s message–I spent Thursday and Friday at the Leadership Summit (which was great as usual). And, in addition to that, my son Steven left early Friday morning for a two-week missions trip to Thailand and China!

Nevertheless, I’m excited about continuing my summer message series Great Verses To Live By. This Sunday, I’ll be teaching on what is a favorite verse for many people–Jeremiah 29:11:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Those words were written during one of the darkest periods in the history of God’s people, yet this verse is one of the most hope-filled and encouraging verses in all of scripture.

The title of my message is “A Reason to Hope.” In this message, we’ll be looking at: 

1. God’s Plans (”I know the plans I have for you“),
2. God’s Posture (”plans to prosper you not to harm you“), and
3. God’s Promise (”plans to give you a hope and a future“).

Come this Sunday expecting God to do some great things in your life! Come and have your faith inspired and your hope re-ignited as you discover something of the character and nature of God that gives us “a reason to hope.”

I’m coming to the end of a two-week vacation which has rejuvenated me, and I’m ready to jump back into ministry. I plan to be at church this Sunday, and I’m looking forward to hearing Mark McGrath speaking. Mark always has an encouraging word to share (delivered as only Mark can do it).

On the following Sunday, I’ll be continuing my summer series of messages Great Verses to Live By. There are so many great verses that it’s a challenge to narrow down the list. Next week, I’ll give you a heads up on what I’ll be teaching on in August.

Hope to see you this Sunday!

It was just the kind if vacation I needed–a lazy, leisurely, lounge around kind of vacation. Lazy mornings, long talks with friends, afternoon naps, lots of italian food, and chocolate milkshakes from the Sundae Times. And of course several good books to read.

This week, I’ve been meditating on a quote from Frederick Buechner:

“There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not…because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”

 God often hides himself and travels incognito. But to those who have eyes to see and a heart to seek Him, He reveals himself. I think of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus joins them and walks with them but “their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him” (Luke 24:16). Then, as they approached the village, Jesus “acted as though He would go farther” (24:28).

Jesus always leaves room for us to recognize Him or not. He acts as though  He will go farther, to see if we value Him enough to seek Him. The disciples could have let Him go on his way, and they would have never recognized Him. But they invited Him to stay and during the commonplace event of breaking bread, their eyes were opened to recognize Him (24:31, 35).

I wonder how many times God was present, hidden, leaving me room to recognize Him or not–and I failed to recognize Him. Maybe I was too busy to notice Him, or I failed to recognize Him in the commonplace moments of life. Or, He acted as if He was going on farther…and I let Him go!

God says to us, “You shall find Me when you seek for me with all your heart.” He’s often with us in the most commonplace of moments if we have the discerment to recognize Him. But only those who are looking for Him will find Him.

I’m going to make it my daily prayer that despite the distractions of life, I would recognize Him when He intersects my life, knowing that ALL moments are key moments because ANY moment may be the moment God shows up.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life…Walk with Me and work with Me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

Have you ever noticed that Jesus never seemed flustered, flurried, worried or hurried. He always had time for what was important and for who was important. He had margins to His life that allowed Him to handle interruptions graciously. He lived in pace with the “unforced rhythms of grace.”

I have to confess that I all too easily get swept up in the pace of our society where it “takes all the running you can do just to stay in place.” This summer, I’m asking God to help me recapture the “unforced rhythms of grace” for my life.

Summer is a good time to regain control of your life. It’s a good time to prune some of the activity branches from your life, restore margins to your schedule, and take time for personal reflection and renewal.

God is a God of renewal. The Bible tells us that God renews our life, our days, our strength, our youth, our spirit, our mind, and our inner self. Our spirit, mind and heart become depleted of strength and energy if not continually renewed by the life and power of God.

This summer, I plan to spend time in prayer and reflection to renew my spirit. I plan to spend time reading God’s Word (and a few good books) to renew my mind. And I plan to spend time with friends and family to renew my heart. Of course there’s always plenty of ministry challenges to keep me busy (even during the summer), but I’m learning to establish the rhythms of grace in my life.

I hope that your summer is also a time of reflection, renewal and refreshing, as you walk in the rhythms of grace. 

“Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord.”

 Last week, we looked at the courage we need to face our fears and move FORWARD in faith and obedience to God. This week, we’re going to look at another kind of courage–the courage to WAIT in faith and obedience to God. The courage you need when you’re in God’s waiting room, and God is taking His time.

Waiting is more than simply a matter of having more patience, waiting is one of the most difficult tests of your faith. Will you continue to trust God when you’ve been waiting and waiting, but you’re no closer to your dreams. Do you continue to wait or do you take matters into your own hands? Is there a time to give up on your dreams? If so, how will you know when?

This Sunday’s message will look at some of the temptations and dangers we face during this confusing and often discouraging period of time called waiting. We will also look at what God wants to accomplish in our lives while we’re waiting, and how we can strengthen our hearts with courage during those times.

If you feel like you’ve been stuck in that “gap” between the promise and the power, and you’re beginning to wonder if the expiration date on your dreams have expired, then you won’t want to miss this message. Come and “let your heart take courage.”

My message was from Joshua 1, and was entitled “Be Strong and Courageous.”  For Joshua, it was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was a time of unprecedented challenges and unparalleled opportunities. It was a time when Joshua would have to face his fears, leave the safety and security of his comfort zone, and move forward in faith if he was going to enter into the purpose of God for his life.

Many of you told me of how God used the message to encourage you to face your fears, move out of your comfort zone, and take that step of faith that God has been calling you to. I encourage you to take that step of faith, because it will set into motion the purpose of God and release the power of God. It all starts with a step!

But I believe that this message was for our church corporately, as well as individually. This passage in Joshua 1 is a passage that I have taught on several times before. And every time God has given me this passage to teach, it was at a significant transition point in our church. It always signaled the beginning of a new era for us, with both opportunities and challenges ahead of us.

And I believe that we are at such a juncture once again. We’re entering a time of growth and ministry expansion, a time when God has set before us an open door (actually three open doors,  as I pointed out in my “20/20 Vision” series) which no man can shut. But, as a church, we’re going to have to follow God in faith and go through the doors God has opened.

I don’t know all that this means just yet; God is still unfolding it. But I know that in order to embrace what God has for us will require strength and courage to leave the security of our comfort zone and “walk out our faith.”

I feel that God is saying to us, “Everywhere you set your foot will I give you,” which I understand to mean, “Whatever you undertake to do in faith, I will bless and make successful.” It’s as if God is giving us a blank check. We just have to start walking! 

So here’s some defining moments.

Grace: Starting at the finish line.

Hypocrisy: When appearances are more important than reality.

Cynic: A disillusioned idealist.

Self-pity: A black hole of self-centered preoccupation.

Discipline: Doing what you don’t want to do so that you can do what you’ve always wanted to do.

Holiness: To be set apart for God, i.e., set apart as special in the eyes of God, set apart as uniquely belonging to God,  and set apart for the purpose of God.

Wisdom: Seeing and responding to life’s situations from God’s perspective.

Hope: The confident expectation of seeing the goodness of God in any situation.

Pruning: Subtracting in order to multiply.

Friendship: Two hearts that beat with the same purpose.