The Tough Way is the Best Way...

yesterday i had some really tough conversations with some students. conversations based in highly charged topics surrounding faith and actions. topics that tend to be polarized...some standing on one side while others choosing the opposite side.

they are things that if we lived and followed Christ in an ideal world, we wouldn't have to deal with. but because that is far from the context in which we live...we do have to deal with them. and i believe that they way we chose to embrace these tough gray areas has serious implications for faith moving forward.

and yet, i have to be honest...there is a huge part of me that wishes...and maybe even dreams that we wouldn't have to have these conversations. often i want for ministry to be easy, and comfortable, and smooth, and safe, and without tough stuff. but i know in the depths of my being, that as soon as those thoughts and emotions win out...our ministry begins to fail. because that is not the way that true life change happens. easy, comfortable, smooth, safe, and without tough stuff is not going to lead people towards finding their way back to God. we have tried that in churches and faith communities for far too long...and it is simply not working.

and so...as i look back on yesterday...it had some of the toughest conversations i have had in a while...and it was one of the more roller coaster like days i have had in a while. and yet, i can say confidently, that it was one of the best days of ministry i have had in quite some time as well. i feel confident that strides were made in people finding their way back to God...and that is what i believe God has called me, and us, to hang our hats on here in this ministry in this place.

i pray that out of this, i will be able to embrace the tough stuff more and more! Lord help me, because i know there is no way i can do it on my own.

Learning About the Holy Spirit...

over the last month or two, God seems to be leading me in a journey to understand the Holy Spirit in a deeper way.

i have been reading and discussing francis chan's book Forgotten God with one of our students...it is stretching and growing me in some great ways. but in addition to that, it seems that everywhere i turn there are experiences that teaching me as well.

today was one of those days...

i met with one of our biggest campus house supporters to tell him about some incredibly exciting things that are on the horizon for our ministry...and to specifically ask him if he would help financially support a major part of the endeavor. however, it turns out there were a number of factors that i hadn't anticipated. as a result, i was not able to ask for his support.

normally, this might be something that i would just reschedule and plan to do in another day or two. but as i have been thinking more about the Spirit, it has caused me to seek to listen to the Spirit about what He may desire for me to do in this situation instead of what i had initially planned.

it is something that i by no means have all figured out, but i am learning that listening to the Spirit opens up all kinds of deeper possibilities. and while it is much less defined, it does certainly seem like the way to go.

A New Way...

we have been studying the sermon on the mount for the last number of weeks. we have talked over and over again about the fact that these words are all about turning the world upside down...or maybe we should say...right side up.

i am not sure there are words in all of scripture that have more potential to turn the upside down world right side up again than the words of matthew 5:38-48.

just try to imagine what it would be like for every Christ follower to take seriously the command to "not resist an evil person" and instead to "love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you". it would be nothing short of revolutionary.

we used this great clip as an illustration...

A New Way...

we have been studying the sermon on the mount for the last number of weeks. we have talked over and over again about the fact that these words are all about turning the world upside down...or maybe we should say...right side up.

i am not sure there are words in all of scripture that have more potential to turn the upside down world right side up again than the words of matthew 5:38-48.

just try to imagine what it would be like for every Christ follower to take seriously the command to "not resist an evil person" and instead to "love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you". it would be nothing short of revolutionary.

we used this great clip as an illustration...