I’ve been reading through Jeremiah and it appears someone else has too. His a friend of mine and a wonderful leader. So this is his blog and you can follow Jeff Galley’s blog here and the blog is below:

Read Jeremiah 29:1-14. To relate to this passage you have to remember that the way Babylon was running the show (they were controlling Israel against their will) was completely at odds with the principles of living that Israel held to as important. Sound familiar? Like…our society? Speaking for myself, I think the predominant ideas the define our culture are at odds with what I believe to be truth.

So I can identify with Israel’s situation. But that’s not the important take-away from this passage. What is of value to me is Jeremiah’s suggestion to Israel on how to live in the midst of a society that is moving away from truth. He urges them to do five things (these are put into my own words):

• Make yourself at home
• Build communities
• Create healthy families
• Work and pray for society’s well being
• Ignore religious know-it-alls

God definitely had a plan to redeem the situation and make it something good (verses 10-14), but Jeremiah sure didn’t want Israel to take a passive role and sit around waiting for that better day to happen - that’s just lazy. Their part was active and positive: settle in, make a life, and be a positive contributor to the culture! In fact, I think it’s possible that God’s promise to restore society to wholeness was contingent on Israel’s participation in the process.

In your opinion, what does all of this mean to a follower of Christ in the post-modern western world?

I have my own views but I would love to hear some thoughts on my blog as well. What do you think?

Categories: Thoughts, faith
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As a youth, I remember listening to the complaints of the moral ineptitude of Bill Clinton. How could the man disgrace the oval office? Were the Democrats waging a culture war against all things decent in American society? Was this type of personal misconduct the future of the nation? Eight years ago, we cast our vote in a red sea of frustration hoping that a message would be sent to Washington that change was needed. My family is Reagan Republican who seeks to restore the gleam in the country’s then shady eye.

Like most children, when I reached voting age, my parent’s opinion greatly shaped my view of the world. In 2000, I cast my vote for George W. Bush, believing in the humble, compassionate conservatism that would follow Clinton’s economic success while adding a little ethical decency to Capitol Hill. The rest of my Southern Pentecostal family also leaned to the right.

Six years later and horrified at the current state of both the nation and the world, my family is looking left. The fear that George W. used to win back the presidency has begun to scare us in the opposite direction. Yes, the world is a scary place, but the Republicans have been behind the wheel for the past six years. Why should we stay on a course whose direction is headed over a cliff? Slowly, but steadily, I have begun to cherish the civil rights that our country was built. I believe everyone should be treated equal, eliminating poverty is central, fighting global warming is crucial, health care for everyone is inevitable, and I finally support withdrawing troops from Iraq (I believe that the United States should be a model of democracy and not secret torture).

The fog of the Bush presidency is beginning to lift and as our eyes clear, and the majority of the nation begins to look at the facts, we are slowly beginning to see leaders who tell the truth. I actually favored John Edwards before he suspend his campaign for the Presidency. It’s the first time I felt confident about a Democrat. I know all the reasons why Conservative Christians don’t feel as confident - but none of them make sense to me. I believe marriage is between one man and one woman for a lifetime, however I seek a safer world for gays and lesbians. I support life but desire to see equal legislation for the oppressed as there is for the issue of abortion. The crisis of poverty in America (the world for that matter) is a greater problem. No matter the issue I don’t feel the best approach is laws to ban anyone’s freedom - we become slaves to those laws and as a Christian believer I champion freedom.

So where do I stand? I don’t trust McCain because I don’t desire war and he has left me wanting. Barack Obama feels like a leader. A possible glimmer of hope restored seems to be coming back with the wisdom and reason of leaders like Senator Obama. He stands apart from Senator Clinton, who is currently engaged in a desperate campaign to tarnish Barack Obama as a “roll of the dice” who won’t know what to do when that 3am phone call rings in the White House. Does this fear tactic sound familiar? It should, as it is what our country has been experiencing for almost a decade. Clinton may say that she represents change, but her campaign is proof that she will offer more of the same.

But like many of my friends I don’t know if I can support Barack Obama? The jest of it is I don’t know why? He preaches change - I like change, want change. He shares many of the views of J. Edwards and they could become running mates soon. But I still snub the thought of voting for Obama. I think it’s the message of “Hope”? I believe in hope but not in myself or my government. We have to be careful of this human experiment with government and legislation - it has proven to be a fiasco. Various societies and cultures have tried everything from democracy, republicanism, monarchies, dictatorships, socialism, capitalism, communism, to isolationism-all to no avail. None of these have offered any hope for mankind’s survival. The insufficiency and failure of human civilizations and their “hopes” serve only to highlight the fact that mankind is incapable of perfecting government and solving the plagues that come from our inherited sin nature. Because of our failure as a civilization, we cry out for help; but there is only one source of help that can offer true hope-Jesus Christ. Jesus was born into the world for this very purpose.

So I continue to watch and ask the question - can Obama deliver change? His delivered enough messages of hope and should continue. So I linger in the shadow of the crowds in “hope” of the moment when I believe he can carry out true change.

Categories: Thoughts, faith, life
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Have you ever read scripture that just stops you? I mean your sitting down to devote your mind and thoughts to reading and you hit a verse, maybe one you’ve read many times before but this time, it stops you. It happened today when I was reading First Corinthians 15 - the tires screeched to a stop at verse two, “…unless you believed in vain.”

Now vain can mean different things. It could mean the salvation was unsuccessful or fail to take hold. The person didn’t receive what they intended or desired. Vain as if the salvation they received was without purpose, fruit, or effect? But I don’t think that is what Paul meant by vain in verse two.

The context reads “Now I would remind you…of the gospel I preached to you, which you received …you stand…you are saved…hold fast to the word I preached to you - unless you believed in vain…I delivered to you…that Christ died for our sins” (15.1-4).

The vain Paul is talking about is faith without real substance, value, or importance. A person perhaps absent of faith in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Maybe so vain they are narcissistic? Possibly their belief in the gospel message (Christ’s resurrection) is empty and void? Paul is assuming that their belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy that they are in this journey for good and holding tight to the gospel shared with them.

Actually this whole chapter is Paul defending the core of the gospel - resurrection. Here again in verse fifteen he uses vain, “and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” That is deep! If Christ wasn’t raised from the dead then my salvation is worthless and/or unsatisfying to Father God. If Christ hasn’t been raised from the dead, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins (15.17).

This may be more of a stretch but perhaps some in the church had a different type of vain - vain for appearance sake. Vain that was excessively proud and concerned about their facade and persona? Paul addresses doubt concerning resurrection in verses 15.35-49 and speaks to what will their bodies look like (will the corpse stink?), the different forms given to creation (flesh is different for humans and animals), and the glory of the heavens (sun, moon, stars, etc). Paul tackles the big question, “what will people think of confidence is dead people raising from the dead?” This question plagues their mind of vain appearance to others who questioned the resurrection and importance of resurrection for themselves.

It also gives the sense that Paul is writing about vain dependence on God. Some could have held proud for petty things and holding a high opinion of their own accomplishments with insignificant reason. Paul says in 15.10-11, “the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain…I worked harder…though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” I don’t sense any inflated sense of himself or his faith in his statement.

I’m sharing all this because lately I have had a overconfident (vain) approach toward ministry - specifically church planting. I’ve been apart of three teams in starting churches and sometimes hold a higher opinion of myself than I should. God spoke clearly to me today that yes I have worked hard for eight years but it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me.

Paul closed his thoughts with a charge, one I hope to hold dear and I hope you will too. “My brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (15.58).”

No matter where you are in your journey with God - hold to the gospel.

If you’re in ministry - work hard knowing your labor is not in vain.

And look forward to the moment, in the twinkling of an eye that the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we who are still alive shall be changed.

Categories: Thoughts, faith
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Okay so we are at our wit’s end and really looking for people to pray for us.  Some of you know that Summer & I were looking to move to Missouri to be apart of a multi campus project (maybe that is still in the cards).  And we really felt it was the right decision, even though it would have actually been a volunteer position.  We really believe in church planting and really wanted to work with this leader and church.  But after our house on the market for four months and really feeling God telling us to slow down we decided to turn the opportunity down.  We resigned from our church position at Southwest Family Fellowship, volunteer staff positions, to move into full time ministry.  In Missouri we would be volunteering again without the job secular we have in Austin.So since December we have really tried to slow down, even taking our house off the market, so we could hear God.  We both feel called to ministry, but maybe God doesn’t need us in vocational ministry?  So we are putting out a request for prayer.  Sometimes I feel I get in the way of hearing from God and talking straight with Him.  I hope the prayers of many will help.

I’ve always believed in hearing from God before moving.  Have you read 1 Samuel 23?  I pray like David for everything.  Here David hears enemies are robbing a near city, so what does he do?  He “inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go and attack…?”  And God responds and says go and attack…save the city.  Then as he saves the city, hears Saul is coming to kill him and destroy the city and he inquires again as to Saul really coming and will the city turn him over, God says yes twice.  Then David escapes from the city.  David was always inquiring of God before making a move….I feel that is how I make most of my decisions.  I feel like it’s always been positive.

So I would like to ask for prayer.  Please ask God to reveal His plan for us.  Where and what should we be doing?  We both feel done in our current careers and desiring full time ministry that will provided for our needs.  We are really open to any position in ministry besides worship and children.  We can’t sing to save our lives and children’s ministry takes more patience and salvation then either of us possess.  But we truly are open to anything.  We just both want to feel confident in our next step.  I believe God has something to tell us and lead us…we just need help hearing and seeing. 

Thanks.

Categories: Thoughts, faith, life
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Many thoughts have been through this little brain of mine in just three weeks of this new year.  I have so many questions. Many doubts and many hopes.  A friend shared this with me, how to have an exceptional new year, and after reading this literally SIX TIMES today (yes, it was a bad day!) this has helped my mentality and hope that each day those “energy vampires” will go away.

Enjoy.

1.    Take a 10-30 minute walk everyday. Smile while you walk. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2.    Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you must.
3.    Buy a TiVo (DVR) and tape your late night shows, so you get more sleep.
4.    When you wake up in the morning completed the following statement: “My purpose is to _____________.”
5.    Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6.    Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7.    Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8.    Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9.    Dream more while you are awake.
10.    Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat fewer foods that are not manufactured in plants.
11.    Drink plenty of water.
12.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13.    Clear all clutter from you house, car, and desk; and, let a new energy flow into your life.
14.    Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, past issues, negative thoughts and things you cannot control.  Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum. They appear and fade away, like algebra class.  But, the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16.    Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17.    Smile and laugh more. It keeps energy vampires away.
18.    Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20.    Don’t take yourself so seriously.  No one else does.
21.    Don’t try to win every argument.  Agree to disagree.
22.    Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
23.    Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24.    Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear that fancy underwear because TODAY IS special.
25.    No one else is in charge of your happiness except you.
26.    Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    What others think of you is not your business.
29.    Time heals almost everything. Give healing time.
30.    However good or bad the situation, it will change.
31.    Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Family and friends do that. Stay in touch.
32.    Call your family often.
33.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
34.    The best is yet to come.
35.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
36.    Do the right thing!
37.    Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
38.    Each  night before you go to bed complete the following statements: ‘I am thankful for _______.’ And “Today I accomplished _______.”
39.    Remember: You are too blessed to be stressed.
40.    Enjoy the ride. Life is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass.  Make the most of life and enjoy the ride.

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I’m mad at God! Okay, I said it. Maybe mad is too intense? I’m frustrated with Him.

A few months ago my daughter was born and my whole world was turned inside-out and upside-down. I love being a father. I value my daddy daughter days and will miss them when they are gone. But about the time my daughter was born we decided it was time for our next challenge - the challenge of full time ministry. We have always been bi-vocational pastors. Long story short - no full time experience in ministry equals no interest from churches. We’re okay with that - we really want to be in the church planting world - but that, too, is a hard place to get paid. But over the last eight months we have lost focus of what we want to do. I’m growing less and less interested in full time ministry and even more unsatisfied with bi-vocational anything.

If God would only open doors for us (laughing to myself). Sounds so vain! I’m a guy who daydreams a lot and works best when I can focus on goals (helps control the daydreaming). But having nowhere to be my confidence and courage, I feel I’m wasting time in doubt and searching for help. Nothing to keep my head in the clear.

There is a song by a band called Mute Math that says “every moment of time just an answer to find…what you’re here for, what you breathe for, what you wake for, what you bleed for…” I’ve always had that “side” thing in bi-vocational ministry (my church plant) for the last seven years. Now I go to work at the same job and have nothing else to look toward. I’m frustrated and feel a little stuck.

The more I lie in bed and stir at the ceiling I realize I’m annoyed with myself. Why don’t I know what makes me happy? Why can’t I be clear what I want to be remembered for when I die in 50+ years? Sometimes I feel like I have more “Whys” than “Because”.

So really I’m angry with Chris. More frustrated with the guy in the mirror.

Categories: faith, life
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I’ve forgotten how to pray – or maybe I never really knew how? Prayer and Fasting are really a new subject for me because I’ve truly never humbled myself. Fasting to hear from God is a new thought I’ve been chewing on recently. I don’t talk about these thoughts out loud - but I think about it. I recently read Isaiah 58 – really let it soak into my mind and heart – so I have a challenge for my friends. But first read Isaiah yourself – if you don’t have the scriptures I’ve provided a paraphrase (Message) below:

“Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives,
face my family Jacob with their sins!
They’re busy, busy, busy at worship,
and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people—
law-abiding, God-honoring.

They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’
and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way?
‘Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’

“Well, here’s why:

“The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit.
You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
won’t get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after:
a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
a fast day that I, God, would like?

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again. “If you watch your step on the Sabbath
and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!
Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”
Yes! God says so!

If you’re anything like me fasting was about you and God hearing you and moving on your behalf. It had little to do with you acting on God behalf. I spend most of my fasting avoiding food and going hungry - little time overcoming injustice, exploitation, freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, inviting people into my home, clothing others, or being available to my family. Fasting (prayer for that matter) needs to change in my life – and I bet you too. So I challenge you to have a day of fasting and fast in a new way. The way Isaiah 58 outlines. One day and see what God does in the lives of others and yourself. I’m planning a day of fasting soon - one day could change my world.

Categories: faith
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Do you recollect moments God spoke to you, I do! I recall the instances God made decisions for my future clear…or at least that is how I remember them. I can see the sanctuary that I received my calling to ministry, the chapel seat in the balcony at Central Bible College when I resolved to attend school, my conversation with God about moving to Philly and the trip that sealed the deal was just as unmistakeable. It’s not hard to see in my mind’s eye the drive to Austin that made my decision easier. Every decision was a step of faith. Never was I promised a salary for my time starting churches, but never did I stop trusting God. Sometimes all you have is faith and trust. His never forgotten me and always provided. Faith and works aren’t opposites, they are partners. James reminds us in his epistle that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” So we trust in God and give Him our total cooperation by doing our part.

Summer and I are cooperating with God and stepping out in faith – choosing a new path in our journey. We both agreed in July that we are not being called to any other ministry but starting missional churches. That thrilled my heart because it’s important my wife is doing ministry with me and agrees with our calling. Family first and ministry second, right? So we started speaking with friends and leaders about our next place of ministry. We shared that we wanted to be apart of a multi-site church, part of starting new venues for worship spearheaded by more established churches in the city. My friend and mentor from Philly called me and wanted to know more details about our desired ministry. He is feeling called to start a second venue in his new city of and felt our time was divine.

So our journey is taking us to Missouri. Not the place I would have selected but once we saw the city, felt the character of the community, and heard the vision for the city we knew He had our hearts. We have no idea how we will afford to live and minister. There is no money in the budget for our salary, but we can’t allow money to be the issue. God is bigger than we are and His calling is richer. Jesus himself said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…(Luke 10.2). He didn’t say “there’s not enough money,” He said “there’s not enough laborers!” The truth is I believe people want to invest in kingdom minded ministry if they can catch your vision and understand your plan.

In the next months we will ask many of you to help support the church plant. We are being mothered by a local more established church, so they cover the cost of doing ministry, but we will need to raise support for our salaries. Summer and I both hope to devote 100% of our time to connecting with the community, which will require not working 40hr/week secular jobs. Some of my future blogs will involve our journey, our plan and the vision for the city.  I hope you can join us on our journey.

Categories: faith, life
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Let’s be honest - we all want to be blessed.  Entire faith movements have been birthed out of this deep desire.  I believe this journey with Jesus is much more about sacrifice than blessing - but my eyes are drawn to the “BLESSED” in scripture.  Today was such the case.

First, I think we all know the narrative well about Jesus and the Fig Tree.  Jesus, hungry, approaches a Fig Tree in hopes of what - a fig to eat.  Matthew 21.19 says he found nothing on it except leaves.  So He does what every “god” would do - cursed the tree and watch it wither.  Of course Jesus turned this miracle into a lesson for his amazed disciples about faith and doubting.  But there is always more to the story.

This morning during my devotions I was reminded of the Fig Tree.  I was reading Psalm 1 and it begins with “Blessed is the man” and that peeks my interest.  Verse one talks about the blessed not walking, standing, or sitting with the wicked.  Verse two is about the blessed passion for His law, but verse three (oh, verse three) says “the blessed is like a tree planted by streams of water that yeild fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers (paraphrased).” 

Three points.  First, Matthews narrative about the Fig Tree says it grew by the road.  The blessed in psalm is planted by streams of water.  But Jesus expected fruit from the tree by the road.  I think its important we remain aware of our surroundings and plant ourselves where life, movement, and growth can happen.

Second, Jesus cursed the tree and it withered fast - so fast the disciples were amazed.  The blessed tree in psalm “does not wither.”  Now the supernatural took place in Matthew’s narrative, but the lesson is the blessed tree produces fruit and has no reason/cause to wither.  I want to produce fruit.

Last, Jesus closes His lesson on faith with these words, “If you believe, you will recieve whatever you ask for in prayer (Matt 21.22).”  Sounds very similar to the last line of Psalm 1.3 (NIV) when it reads, “whatever he does prospers.”  I like to think that whatever the righteous ask for will prosper, be successful, thrive.  I like that thought.

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