That was UNREAL!! (Sunday Reflections)

I don’t even know where to begin thinking about today! Honestly, it’s still a little overwhelming.

For those of you who didn’t make it to Journey Church this morning… I’M SORRY that you missed it (don’t say I didn’t warn you!)  I really can’t even process enough depth yet to really unpack today, so I’m going to have to just snap off a few thoughts…

• I talked to a couple today that saw what’s been on Facebook leading up today and cancelled their weekend away so that they didn’t miss it… they were not disappointed!
• I’ve gotta say… after 6 days of leaning on Jesus to fight off the over-time efforts of the enemy to keep today from happening… just getting through it was a victory!
• Satan, YOU AIN’T GOT CRAP FOR AUTHORITY! You literally have NO POWER! Now, go pout in the corner – you got your tail whipped today!
• Thank you to all of the people who sent me messages (from every source) to let me know that you were supporting me in prayer through this week! I can’t tell you how valuable that is to me!
• I’ve gotta say this… having a wife that supports you in more than just words was one of the only things that can keep a pastor going. I’m always thankful for Sheila… even more so today than usual.
• Holy cow! 464 people jammed into Funzone… people’s exhibit A in the case of WHY WE NEED TO GET THAT BUILDING DONE TODAY!!!
• The Spark did a great job leading worship today! The hardest thing is that we are SO blessed with amazing music at Journey Church that it’s REALLY hard to find a group that does as well as they do!
• I really missed Brice today… not just his music leadership… I missed his leadership of fellow servants and his level head.  I don’t know where I’d be without his partnership in ministry (and he’s not a bad friend either!)
• Thank you to all the extra volunteers who stuck around to tear down so that we could turn the building over to Funzone on time!  You guys (and gals) were UNBELIEVABLY helpful!

NOW… the most amazing thing today was watching 13 PEOPLE take their “next step” toward Jesus in baptism today!  I can’t even begin to process the significance of this day… 11 of those people just thought they were coming to a “regular” day at Journey Church and went home soaked! I love it when people follow God’s call regardless of what’s in the way!

I’m sure I’m missing about a hundred things about today… but I can think of one more… I LOVE JOURNEY CHURCH!!

Jeremy

In a Mom

In a mom

Is where it begins

Fully known and stitched together by the Creator’s hands

We call it a miracle

Cells and organs

Tissue and bone

Eyes and ears

And Lungs and whatever causes her heartburn

All bundled up neatly and placed to grow

In a mom

In a mom

The turmoil begins

At first, a pain that’s common to man

But then it grows and she loses control

Of all that it takes for new like to show

Passion and pressure

Excitement and terror

Joy and pain

Screams and tears

Fear and elation

New life in a blanket

And then the real turmoil begins…

In a mom

In a mom

The call seems so clear

That sick feeling in her stomach isn’t morning – it’s fear.

Prenatal care won’t come from a doctor

She’s paper pregnant and they’re the adopters

God chose you because He knew what you’d say

A different kind of mom, but a mom just the same

She trades pregnancy for paper

heartburn for heartache

delivery for delays

Gustation for Jurisdiction

The love that she has will need to overcome judgement and fears

Because often she trades nine months for years

Then the day comes, a new day to party

This day is a blast… not a birth, but a gotcha!

They look not the same, but their story’s profound

God knew you’d that you’d love them with a love only found

In a mom

In a mom

Is where it resides

Patience that’s not common to mankind

At first excitement over each diaper wrapped

But after time she realizes that it’s just full of…

What some will see as trouble,

She will see as value

She trades movies for cartoons

conversations for coos

She swaps beauty for burp rags

and romance for regurgitated green beans

It’s not pretty and it doesn’t rhyme,

But it’s her story for a very short time

She takes each day as it comes with patience that you’ll only find

In a mom

In a mom

Is where it grows

Something only a mom really knows

The actions of her children even before they know

Their motivations,

Their passions

Their struggles

Their fears

Some call it intuition

But the rest of us know, it’s just what happens

In a mom 

In a mom

Is where it’s seen

Patience and Kindness

Humility and sacrifice

Blind to our faults

And defensive of our pain

Overwhelmed by the task

And terrified of failure

Is she perfect? No.

But real, selfless, sacrificial love…

It’s what we see

In a mom. 

A Vital Lens

After spending yesterday morning at the scene of the tragedy at the bank in Jackson working with the victims as a chaplain with the JPD, I am seeing people a little differently this morning.  The guy at the stoplight at Oil Well looked different… the lady walking across the parking lot looked different… the baristas and customers parading in front of me at Starbucks look different.  Yesterday, I got a very small glimpse into Satan’s end-game and it’s had an effect on me.  Make no mistake, Satan doesn’t want to trip us up so that he can laugh at us… every single note of darkness in this world has one perilous purpose… Satan wants us dead!

Yesterday, darkness shook the very earth of families in our community.  Veiled behind a “regular” job at a bank was a lady’s deep and abiding pain.  Living every single day in terror that one day the threats would no longer be veiled.  By every outside perspective, she was “normal” – – and maybe that’s the worst part – – people carrying deep pain behind the gentle facade is “normal”!

We have no idea what darkness lurks just behind the gentle facade that people let you see in public.  The people around us… regular, everyday people… are hurting and living in darkness.  It’s not relegated to the obvious dark corners of our world… the alleys and underpasses… Darkness resides in the workplace, at the grocery store, in our families and in the lives of the people who live next door (and in your room).

Journey Church, we have a mission… a mandate… to KICK THE DARKNESS UNTIL IT BLEEDS LIGHT! When we talked on Sunday, it was as motivational to me as it was to you to know that we are united together to “turn up the volume” and reach out to the people around us.  It would be easy to think that the whole idea of “INVEST/INVITE”* as a strategy to reach people… even the “mug your neighbor”** thing we did on Sunday is about getting a large number of people to show up on Easter Sunday***, but the truth is that investing in someone’s life and inviting them to church – or handing them a travel mug and an invitation to Easter Services at Journey (or somewhere else if you think that might work better!) WILL REACH PEOPLE and PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD!

I’ve often said that we live in the strange “time between the times” – – 2000 years ago, Jesus DEFEATED sin and death.  The tragic events of yesterday are a painful reminder that the world we live in still belongs to death.  Darkness looms in the hearts of people. We wait… we long…. AND WE WORK in anticipation of the day when Jesus will return and make good on His promise to DESTROY sin and death!  Easter is celebration of the simple truth that tragedies like yesterday were never God’s plan… this crap is a result of us introducing sin into the picture – sin in our lives.

Make no mistake.  People “look” normal… going about their everyday lives… but pain and darkness are just behind the veil.  As followers of Jesus, it’s our role to shine light in the darkness. Let’s turn up the volume!

J

* INVEST/INVITE is Journey’s strategy to reach people for Jesus. It’s really simple… INVEST in the life of someone you know (have them over for dinner, go golfing… build a relationship) and then INVITE them to attend a weekend at Journey with you.  Get there early… save them a seat… meet them in the parking lot… introduce them to people… then, let’s work together to introduce them to Jesus.

** MUG YOUR NEIGHBOR. This past weekend, we gave every person in attendance 2 Journey Church travel mugs. One for them to use and another to use to “mug your neighbor” – – invest it in a person who you will invite to attend a worship service with you on Easter this year!

*** Easter Services are at 9 and 11 AM and 2 and 4 PM on April 5, 2015.

Do YOUR job.

The judgmental epidemic within the church comes down to a matter of spiritual maturity. What’s interesting to me is that often-times, those who are revered by others as the most “mature” (or often revered by themselves as such) are often the biggest offenders when it comes to the way others are treated. Maybe vocal prowess isn’t the marker of maturity we assume it is.

The truth is simple. Love is the defining characteristic of a follower of Jesus. Seriously – it’s that simple.

LOVE.

Not the emotion that is simply the flood of chemicals like dopamine crossing between neurotransmitters in our brains.

Not the “word” that can mean everything or nothing all depending on the deliverer or the audience.

Not the idea that we see portrayed in movies that can be fallen into or out of… I have socks that last longer than that kind of love.

We’re talking about the action that’s patient, kind, isn’t self-seeking or proud and doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. What John says (John 13:35) will make us known as followers of Jesus is not a feeling, an idea or a word, but an ACTION – a lifestyle.

But the problem is that we, as Christians, are known much more for our opinions, our “stances”, our policies, our politics, our definitions, our JUDGMENT that we are the one thing that we’re to be known by.

Paul writes in Ephesians 4 encouraging us to

…lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT

The calling that God has on our lives is one of love and the lifestyle that Paul encourages is one of the same…

Humility… where is that in our dogmatic opinion?

Patience… where is that in the way we treat people who don’t live the same as we do?

Making allowance for our faults…. OUCH! It’s starting to get uncomfortable.

Unity… peace… almost nonexistent.

The dream that Paul had for the church isn’t happening because we’re busy trying to do God’s job rather than trusting that He’s big enough to do it for himself! Billy Graham once said

“It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, it’s God’s job to judge and it’s my job to love.” Billy Graham

The truth is that we don’t trust the Holy Spirit to convict sin, so we take that job on ourselves claiming that “someone has to tell them that what they’re doing isn’t what Scripture says is acceptable.” We don’t trust that God will do an efficient job as judge, so we’re happy to intervene and impose penalties and policies that will “teach” people to behave. And if we’re busy doing God’s job it’s no wonder we see so little progress when it comes to life change and we see so many people simply modify behavior long enough to “fit in” to our little church cliques and then we morn when they’re behavior modification doesn’t make it all the way to their heart (we call it “backsliding” or “falling away” – we’d never call it what it is… the counterfeit transformation they bought tarnished like a cheap gold necklace purchased on a street corner… it looked good for a while, but didn’t ultimately deliver the promise we made)

Reality check: The “love the sinner; hate the sin” idea isn’t working. It’s our job to LOVE… that’s the end of it. Hate never draws people toward Jesus. Never.

Our job is to LOVE THE SINNER and LOVE THE SAVIOR and INTRODUCE THE TWO!

Now… go do YOUR job!

JB

Known

Sitting in Starbucks this morning, I’m noticing all of the people… different lives… different backgrounds… different beliefs… and I’m impressed by the words of Matthew 5:46 “If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.” – – It’s easy to love people who are like you… it’s not easy to love people no matter who they are, what they think, no matter where they come from or who they love… The words of Jesus are cutting to the quick! Convicting. What if Christians were known because of our great love rather than our judgement?

Party like it’s 1999!

One of the greatest problems with the church today is that we don’t throw parties when the prodigal returns home! When someone who makes a mistake or struggles in their mess, we rush to judgement and condemnation when what we should be doing is getting the streamers and balloons out and booking band while we walk with them through their mess and pray for their safe return!

The word “Gospel” means “good news” – – what on earth is good about the way we treat people when they struggle? Is it “good news” when we’re more concerned about making sure that our children never see a person lost in sin than we are that that person experience the same love of God that we did? Is it “good news” when we whisper gossip about someone’s struggle? Is it “good news” when we won’t associate with people for fear of what others will think? ‪#‎shameonus‬

“Good news” to a broken person is someone who is willing to be associated with them. “Good News” to a broken person is someone who is willing to walk with them through the consequences of their choices, not heap on more penalties. “Good news” to a broken person is someone who is willing to love them EXACTLY where they are, but loves them enough not to leave them there. “Good news” to a broken person is someone who is willing to leave the conviction of sin to the Holy Spirit rather than assuming they can do a better job.

Journey Church, let the day never come that we don’t see brokenness as an opportunity for restoration! We will choose to be a church with a healthy supply of streamers and balloons… and a KILLER BAND!

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!” Isaiah 52:7 NLT

The Experiment

“You go first!”  It seems like we hear those words when we’re considering taking a huge risk and we’re terrified.  Maybe you were standing on a cliff with a few brave friends overlooking the Buffalo River getting ready to jump… or maybe you were looking up at a roller coaster or down a water slide.  The point is, when we’re considering something that’s risky, we want someone else to go first… but it’s rare that someone volunteers!

Over the last couple of weeks, someone in our church “VOLUNTEERED” for what she called an “experiment” related to our church.  She wanted to see if our church practiced what we preach.  Would we really not look down our noses or judge people because of what they look like?  Here… see for yourself.  This is what Jesse Snider posted on Facebook after the fact:

[I] Experimented last Sunday morning by wearing lounge pants and a t-shirt to church with my hair in a ponytail and no makeup. Want to know the results? No one, not one single person, looked at me weird, mentioned my looks, nothing. Everyone spoke to me and loved me for me, without being judgmental. I say all of that is say this……..join me in the morning at Journey Church where you will never be judged.

The result? 4 families said they were coming with her the next weekend… and 3 of them did it! (I’m guessing the looming weather kept the other one home).  That’s STINKIN’ AWESOME!  And it was all because she was willing to “go first.”  

You see, for those of us who’ve already taken the risk and come to “the church that meets at Funzone,” we quickly forget how crazy it sounds when we tell someone about Journey… much less about Jesus!  We forget how terrifying it is!  When we ask people to come to church with us, their first image is the church they grew up attending – or the one Grandma went to.  Let’s face it, not always the best images!  Not to mention the way that Christians are perceived today… judgmental, hypocritical, pretentious, arrogant, “holier than thou” (and those are just the nice things).  Followers of Jesus don’t exactly have a shining reputation that we can build upon.   

I think that when someone who either hasn’t been to church – or hasn’t been in a while (or has stopped going because they’ve been hurt at church) shows up at Journey Church, it’s a HUGE RISK for them.  I imagine that they woke up with a feeling in their stomach like they were getting ready for surgery.  I imagine that they got ready and drove to Funzone trying to think of any excuse to turn around and go home.  I imagine that they sat in the car clinching the steering wheel for 5 minutes before they worked up the nerve to get out and walk up to the door.  That might not be the case in every situation, but from their perspective, it often is that big of a deal!

Here’s what I love about “the experiment” – Jesse considered the risk that friends of hers were taking – and she volunteered to “go first.” She INVESTED in their life by risking rejection and judgement on their behalf and was able to say with confidence… “Come on in, the water is fine!”

We all need to take an example from “the experiment.”  I’m not expecting that we all come to church in our pajamas with no makeup (although you’re welcome… We’ve said it before – our only dress code is “please do!”).  There are 4 things that I think EVERY ONE OF US needs to do:

1.)  Prioritize inviting!  People (you) are God’s “Plan A” and there isn’t a “Plan B”!  Don’t forget that.  If not you, then who?  Seriously.

2.)  Consider their perspective.  Consider what it feels like to attend a church for the first time.  You don’t know anyone.  You don’t know where the bathroom is.  You don’t know where your kids go.  You don’t want to sit alone. You don’t know when to stand up or sit down.  It is ok to clap at the end of a song? What is this grape juice and cracker thing about? There are a ton of things that need to be considered!  Make it easy on them.  Promise to meet them in the parking lot.  TELL THEM that they can sit with you.  Get basic info (name, address, kids names (and spelling), kids ages, etc) from them and check their kids in before they get there (that one takes some prep work!  In fact, if you’re inviting someone, you can stop by a checkin station and get a copy of the visitor registration form an fill it out for them).  What I’m saying is this:  Don’t invite them to YOUR church – do everything you can to make it feel like you’re inviting them to THEIR church!

3.)  Use what you’ve got.  Jesse used Facebook and personal connections with people to invite friends.  What has God given you to leverage to reach people?  It might be Facebook, but I know that He’s placed people in your life that HE wants you to reach… God never wastes a relationship – leverage what you have!

4.)  Take RISK!  Jesse took a big risk in “the experiment” – inviting friends always takes risk.  If it were easy to do, it probably wouldn’t be worth doing.  We do everything we can to make it easy to “INVEST and INVITE” (That’s our strategy to reach people… INVEST in the life of someone who needs to take their “next step” and then INVITE them to church with you).   We can make it easier, but it will never be easy.  Take the risk and remember this:  God honors things that honor God.  He will honor the investment of risk that you make in your friends!

Journey Church exists to “Help people take their “next step” toward Jesus.”  All of their “next steps” depend on this FIRST STEP.  Now, GO INVITE FRIENDS!  It won’t be easy, but it is worth it!  Just ask Jesse.

Jeremy

 

 

Sunday mind dump…

A few thoughts from an exhausted brain as we put another week of Journey “gathered” behind us…

• I love this series… “Dumb Ways to Die” is about REAL LIFE STUFF!! I was struck by how many people said “it really hit home today” rather than the usual “good job” – I love it when God’s Word hits home!!
• A BIG thanks to Larry Adams and Mike Long who single handedly mounted the lights to the ceiling at Funzone last night! What a huge help that was!!! Not only is it safer (we’ve learned that the laws of gravity apply to setup too…what goes up must come down!), but it will also knock at least 10 minutes off of the setup and teardown side!!  Also, I’m so thankful for all the extra teardown and setup help that ROCKED last night while we were hanging lights… you guys made it possible to get that done and maintain sanity in the process!!
• We launched the CONNECTION TABLE this weekend!  We’ve been working on the process and communication system that supports this effort for more than 9 months!! A TON of effort from our CONNECTION PROCESS LEADERSHIP TEAM has gone into making this possible! I’m so thankful for a group of like-minded servants who see the potential for what God can do as we work to “help people take their next step toward Jesus”! You guys are the best!
• Right now we have over 20 outgoing men and ladies serving on the connection table team!  They take care of the connection table and the new information center in the lobby one service one time each month on the front lines of helping people move forward.  I’m so thankful for their patience, hard work and focus as we work together to work out the bugs in the system!  If you’re interested in serving, you can contact Tammy Hardee at tammy.hardee@wth.org
• What an incredible privilege it is to be able to celebrate the love of God with such and amazing group of people each week… WE LOVE THIS CHURCH!!!

Now… enough about our church “gathered”…. let’s “SCATTER” and live this stuff out!

Sunday Mind Dump

A few thoughts from an AMAZING sunday at Journey Church!!

• Any day at church that starts out with GNR’s version of “Knockin on Heaven’s Door” is a good day!
• For those of you who might contend that Clapton never did Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door…
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ItL_N400V4 (I particularly like the Bob Marley flavor of this one!)
• Kicking off a series that has an UNBELIEVABLY catchy tune as the ramp up is a good way to get a reaction from people! I got one text that started off “I REALLY DISLIKE YOU!” (I guess they have “dumb ways to die” stuck in their head)… if you haven’t heard it yet, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw.
• Remember… when it’s stuck in your head on Wednesday, just recall that it’s DUMB TO DIE ALONE!!!
• It was AWESOME to celebrate being within $19,000 of the goal that we’ve set for the ADVANCE campaign! I love how this church is on mission!
• The new song we learned today is INCREDIBLE!  If you missed it, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZvcvjLTz58&feature=youtu.be
• That’s 3 youtube links in one blog post… that might be a record!
• I’m privileged to work around so many great people!

Hold on tight… we’re gonna see what this thing can do!

Jeremy

This Saturday is PIVOTAL!

This Saturday will be a “first” at Journey Church.  

Over the past three years, our staff and Elders have at times chosen to fast over a decision or an important time for our church, but we’ve never asked everyone at Journey to fast at one time.

Fasting is an unusual request, isn’t it?  Most people only hear the word “fast” when they’re about to have a procedure and the doctor asks them not to eat after midnight so that they’re able to get an accurate result (or in the case of the dreaded “oscopy” they don’t get an “undesirable result”).

But here’s a guess… you probably have a lot of questions about fasting.  What is it?  Why should someone do it? Are there parameters?  What should you do during the day? What does the Bible say about it?  I’m not expecting this post to serve as an exhaustive treatment of the topic (or the history), but I can do my best to help you figure out what THIS SATURDAY should look like for you.

FASTING IS AN ACT OF HUMILITY

Have you every worked right through a meal time and found yourself weak just a couple of hours after you were supposed to eat?  If so, you quickly realized that we need food to sustain our physical bodies.  God created you and I with a healthy dependence on food to provide energy – we’re not a self-sustaining resource.  When we choose to fast, it will quickly serve as a reminder of our own fragility.  As you move through the day, you’ll quickly realize that God’s constant provision of food allows you to function during the day.  As broken humans, we have a tendency to believe ourselves to be much stronger than we actually are – an idea that will be quickly challenged as you experience the first pangs of hunger.

FASTING CAN PROVIDE CLARITY

In Acts 13:2-3, we see one example of how fasting is used to help followers of Jesus determine direction for ministry.  In this passage, they’re fasting and praying about the direction of a couple of key people as they move forward in faith.  That’s not at all different from what God is asking of you.  Fasting this Saturday will allow you to better understand how God would have you be involved.

This Saturday, should you choose to take the “typical” observation of fasting, you would skip eating food from the time you go to bed on Friday night through our event at 7 PM on Saturday.  During that time, your body will remind you that you need God’s provision for your physical body.  As those “reminders” arrive, simply pause and say something like “God, I know now that I need you to provide for my needs. I know that you’ve provided the resources that I have to supply not only my needs, but the needs of our church.  I’m willing to be uncomfortable to help your church “Advance”, would you please allow me to understand exactly how you would have me sacrifice for the next 2 years.”   You don’t need to say those exact words, just simply ask God to clarify your participation.

WHO SHOULD FAST?

We’re asking every person at Journey Church to “fast” from SOMETHING during the day on Saturday.  We want to be careful that this not be an opportunity to express our own self-righteousness.  Scripture warns against fasting so that others see you and think you’re something special.  The important thing is that you choose to deny yourself something that will remind you of your own fragile state and the simple truth that GOD is who provides for your needs.  If you’re physically healthy, that might be food – it might be all your meals, it might just be lunch – it might be all food, it might not.  You might also consider denying yourself something that you do everyday (coffee, snacks, cokes, cigarettes, etc) – that way you’ll have a constant reminder of your dependence on something that isn’t God – and your need to depend on Him to provide as you determine how you’ll be involved in the “Advance” campaign.

WHAT ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT?

First, let me say this:  YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS SATURDAY NIGHT!!  This Saturday, we’ve purchased time from Funzone to prioritize a much needed, corporate spiritual element of this campaign.  AT 7:00 PM, we’ll get together for a “special” time of worship, prayer and teaching specifically related to this campaign.  We’ll spend time praying for our church from the biggest picture (church planting), to our region (people, organizations, etc) to the specific needs and ministries of our church.  We’ll sing together, pray together and learn together as we work to better understand how God will have each of us be involved.

We have child care provided, so bring the kids!  We’ll have staffed nursery and toddler rooms and we’ll be providing a movie (staffed of corse) for the Elementary aged kids (preschool through ?) – they’re watching the Veggie Tales movie “JONAH”  (in case you aren’t familiar with the story, it’s a story of a man that God called to move forward and his own struggle following… something we’re all familiar with) You can use the movie as a help to judge your child’s involvement.

I hope that EVERY PERSON AT JOURNEY CHURCH will make attending Saturday night a TOP PRIORITY!  It’s not only a needed time to seek God’s direction, it’s an important “family” time.  We’re ADVANCING together, let’s get together!

THIS SATURDAY… 7 PM… FUNZONE… BE THERE!!!

Jeremy