How Deep Does Your Trust Go? by Danny Franks

In a recent post, I talked about our staff’s desire to assume the best: that the people around us are smart and have good intentions. And that’s an outstanding mantra…one that belongs on one of those office motivational posters under a picture of a yoga student sitting in front of a waterfall.

But assuming the best mandates that you trust those around you, even those who aren’t tethered to your church by a title or a paycheck. And while it’s easy to say that we trust a volunteer, how far does that trust go?Ritz-Carlton is the obvious go-to story here. They have an infamous policy where every employee is authorized to spend up to $2,000 to make a guest happy. Not $2,000 over the course of the fiscal year or the course of their career, but two grand per guest, per incident. 

In a 2009 Forbes article, former Ritz President and COO Simon Cooper said:

It doesn’t get used much, but it displays a deep trust in our staff’s judgment. Frankly, they could go over that amount, with the general manager’s permission.

The concept is to do something, to create an absolutely wonderful stay for a guest. Significantly, there is no assumption that it’s because there is a problem. It could be that someone finds out it’s a guest’s birthday, and the next thing you know there’s champagne and cake in the room. A lot of the stuff that crosses my desk is not that they overcame a problem but that they used their $2,000 to create an outstanding experience.

There are stories about hiring a carpenter to build a shoe tree for a guest; a laundry manager who couldn’t get the stain out of a dress after trying twice flying up from Puerto Rico to New York to return the dress personally; or when in Dubai a waiter overheard a gentleman musing with his wife, who was in a wheelchair, that it was a shame he couldn’t get her down to the beach. The waiter told maintenance, who passed word, and the next afternoon there was a wooden walkway down the beach to a tent that was set up for them to have dinner in. That’s not out of the ordinary, and the general manager didn’t know about it until it was built.

In the business world, putting $2,000 in the hands of a front-line employee takes guts. It means that you assume the best about their ability to make wise decisions with the authority you’ve given them. It means that you’re willing to lose money occasionally if it means honoring your guests and trusting your team.

What does that look like in your church? I can’t think of a single congregation that has a $2,000 per guest budget (nor am I advocating for that!). But how have you authorized your volunteers to do whatever it takes to care for a guest?

It’s risky. It can burn you. It might backfire. But maybe…just maybe…the trust of your team and the camaraderie that brings is worth it.

Don’t Lose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism by Sarah Walton

Don’t Lose Spiritual Disciplines for Fear of Legalism
9/14/15 | Topics: Bible Study, Life in Christ, Prayer

This past year, I was given the incredible opportunity of participating in a 16-week course taught by Colin Smith alongside of a few other guest speakers. During one of these sessions, I was struck by a statement made by Pastor Colin. He said,

Don’t let the fear of legalism rob you of the benefits of a regular pattern of walking with God.
His words caught my attention and I began to recognize ways that I had fallen into this skewed way of thinking.

Legalism or Discipline?
Some years ago, while in a small group with other young Christian couples, someone shared that they believed we shouldn’t force ourselves to pray before each meal. “For if we did, wouldn’t that be legalism?” they asked. “If we don’t feel thankful in the moment, aren’t we being hypocritical and legalistic to pray and thank God for our food simply out of habit?” Although something seemed a bit off in his reasoning, I found myself pondering it anyway. For a while, I even tried a little of his method, only praying before I ate when I felt moved to do so. I will admit, this caused me only to grow in a spirit of thanklessness.

As I considered Pastor Colin’s challenge, I began to realize what a subtle, yet real, lie this has become in many believer’s lives. For fear of being legalistic, we can rob ourselves of the benefits of a regular pattern (or “spiritual disciplines”) of walking with God. Is this biblical or beneficial? Not at all! Paul makes it undeniably clear in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
How do we know if our habits are beneficial and necessary patterns of walking with God, or if they are driven more by a legalistic mentality? I find the definitions of legalism and disciplines to be helpful in understanding how the motives behind the two are what sets them apart.

Legalism is defined as “excessive adherence to law or formula.”

Discipline is defined as “activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.”

The danger of confusing the two is that we can lose the important spiritual disciplines which are crucial to our growth, sanctification, protection, and intimacy with Christ. Therefore, as we consider whether our personal disciplines (or lack-thereof) are based on of legalism or the gospel, we can ask ourselves which of these seem most characteristic of us:

Legalism is being disciplined in order to live up to the law in our own strength, for the sake of achieving justification of sins. (We can resort to this way of living even after becoming genuine believers, trying to save ourselves even though we have been given the gift of salvation in Christ.)

Godly discipline is being disciplined in the strength of the Holy Spirit, with the purpose of sanctification, fully aware that justification comes only through salvation in Christ. For this reason we can say, “Christ has bought me with a price and, therefore, I will discipline myself to run the race he has set before me, ‘laying aside every weight and sin that clings so closely’”(Hebrews 12:1).

Maximize Your Running
John Piper spoke a while back about a preacher who, through his interpretation of this passage in Hebrews, had a great impact on his younger years. Here is a portion of what Piper shared:

And the preacher said — and I am the preacher now saying it — this text says, “Look to Jesus and lay aside sins for sure and lots of other stuff, too.” Now that is a different way to live. Well preacher, as a 13-year-old or 14-year-old, what question should I ask if it is not, “Is it a sin?” And the answer is, “Does it help me run?” That is the answer. “Does it get in my way when I am trying to become more patient, more kind, more gentle, more loving, more holy, more pure, more self-controlled? Does it get in my way or does it help me run?” That is the question to ask.

Ask the maximal righteousness question, not the minimal righteousness question.

You know why that question isn’t very often asked? Because we are not passionate runners. We don’t want to run. We don’t get up in the morning saying, “What is the course today? What is the course of purity? What is the course of holiness? What is the course of humility? What is the course of justice? What is the course of righteousness? What is the course of love? What is the course of self-control? What is the course of courage? O God, I want to maximize my running today.”

If you have that mentality about your life, then you will ask not, “How many sins can I avoid?” but “How many weights can I lay down so that I am fleet-footed in the race of righteousness?”
Do you find his words as convicting and motivating as I do? Do we want to live seeking only to avoid sin (which of course is vitally important), or do we desire to run the race with proactive intentionality, laying aside anything that prevents us from running well? This takes discipline! If we want to be equipped to run the race, we must prepare ourselves for it.

Three Keys to Running a Disciplined Race
If you see a runner training for a marathon, do you look at them and think, “What a hypocrite! The marathon is still six months away! He’s running for no reason!” Of course not! In fact, this person would be setting themselves up for failure if they foolishly thought they could get up the day of the race, run well, and win the prize without having disciplined or trained in preparation for it.

The same is true for the race we run as we strive to live a life set apart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I imagine that every great Christian’s life to whom we look for an example is marked by incredible discipline!

However, because spiritual disciplines can stem from a heart of legalism, it is crucial for us as believers to evaluate our motives when creating these patterns of how we invest our time, energy, and money. But we must not go so far as to remove any semblance of spiritual discipline in fear of becoming legalistic.

What then are necessary requirements to a regular pattern of walking with God?

1. Set aside consistent time in God’s Word both in private and with other believers, even if it feels like a discipline.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
I’m certain that most of us would admit that sitting down in the Word, praying, or going to church has been purely a discipline, at one time or another. However, time in the Word, memorizing it, and learning to apply it, is food to a believer’s soul. Apart from it, we will be prone to drift from the truth and susceptible to being swept away when the storms of life come.

We see this in the Psalms as David spoke the truth of God’s Word to his own questioning, hurting, and fearful heart. In fact, the times we feel least like reading the Bible are most likely the times that we need it the most. If we neglect these disciplines, it will do more than keep us from legalism, it will keep us from the life-giving truth, hope, and power that we all desperately need. We need to stop making excuses for why we don’t have time to read, study, and meditate on Scripture. (This will look different depending on the season of life. However, we must continue to find ways to feed ourselves with the Word…especially in these seasons.)

We also need to be careful to not become a culture of believers who downplay the importance of church when other things we enjoy conflict with it. We have one life, one race, one chance. How we spend our time greatly reflects what we value.

2. Pray persistently and regularly in praise, thanksgiving, repentance and supplication.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
For me, prayer has been a challenge at times. There can be so much noise in my head that it can take 10 minutes just to pull my mind into focus. However, that is all the more reason for prayer. When we allow the noise of the world to fill our minds, we become susceptible to lies, burdened with anxieties, and unable to hear the Holy Spirit. We need to discipline ourselves in the pattern and importance of prayer. For me, I have found the consistent habit of journaling my prayers to be greatly effective in helping with my lack of focus, while also allowing me to look back on answered prayers.

Prayer gives us direct access to the One who created us, sustains us, and has the power to change us into his likeness. For this reason, the enemy will work very hard to keep us from an open line of communication with our Father. So we must be prepared for this battle by creating a consistent discipline of focused time in prayer, whether it be long or brief, in quiet or in chaos. This is not legalistic, but rather, wisdom to admit that our heart is prone to wander and, therefore, we must constantly be realigning it with the Spirit.

3. Be disciplined in ways that are unique to your own weaknesses.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:14)
We each have unique areas that will require more discipline than others. For example, would we consider it legalistic for an alcoholic to keep alcohol out of their home? Is it legalistic for a someone who feels controlled by their smartphone to turn it in for a less fancy flip phone? Is it legalistic for a family to say “no” to a sport that has games only on Sunday mornings for the sake of making church a priority? No, it isn’t. It’s creating spiritual disciplines and protection for themselves in areas they know they are vulnerable.

For that reason, it is beneficial for us all to seek wisdom in prayer, counsel, and the Word to see if there are areas in our lives that may require us to put new habits and disciplines in place for the purpose of laying aside anything that does not help us run well. For each of us, this will look different, but with the same goal in mind. May we spur each other on to this! Not in a guilt-ridden, legalistic way, but as fellow racers, encouraging one another towards the upward call we have in Christ Jesus.

Let us not be deceived into a life lacking discipline. Overtime, godly discipline under the truth of the gospel will begin to feel less like discipline and more like the privilege that it is.

As Piper said,

So the point is: Don’t stroll. Don’t meander. And don’t wander about aimlessly. Run as in a race with a finish line where everything hangs on the race.
Godly disciplines are not legalistic. Rather, they are the appropriate and wise response of a chosen, forgiven, and redeemed child of God.

What spiritual discipline is the Lord leading you to pursue right now?

http://www.unlockingthebible.org/dont-lose-spiritual-disciplines-for-fear-of-legalism/#.VfpPxEPT4w8.facebookspiritual disciplines

Kingdom Man

I just finished reading a book called, “Kingdom Man” by Tony Evans. Although the subtitle “Every Woman’s Dream, Every Man’s Destiny” made me grimace a bit, the contents of this book are anything BUT cheesy.

This concept of “Kingdom” is one I started exploring back in college, and have come to love and adore those authors that get it – God is not all about “me”, but really about His Glory being evidenced and displayed to the world through human vessels.

Evans defines a Kingdom Man as “a man who visibly demonstrates the comprehensive rule of God underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of His life. Rules does not mean domination or control; it means leading with wisdom for others.”

Evans believes that men were created with an innate desire to conquer, and the church needs to step up and show them that there IS something to fight for – a broken and hurting world. While not denying that women possess this same desire, Evans believes that women tend to fight in response to needs they see around them, while men are pre-programmed to want a fight, and will find it vicariously (video games, movies) or in misdirected pursuits (achievement, promotions, money, abuse, argument, etc.) if not given the true pursuit they were destined for – to bring God’s Kingdom rule to earth.

One of my favorite concepts that he talks about in the book comes in chapter two when he talks about headship in the home – something I feel has been grossly misrepresented and misunderstood in the Church today. Here are a few quotes:

“When a kingdom man rules his realm well, everyone benefits. Everyone can rest well.”

“When I say, ‘I’ve got it’, that means that whomever I’m saying it to doesn’t have to carry it, worry about it, or try to figure it out. I’ll take responsibility for it… free them to rest… And if it is something that I cannot solve, I will provide the comfort, stability and empathy that are necessary to get through it. It doesn’t mean that I literally and tangibly do everything. It means that I see to it that everything is done.”

“It is no different than what God does for us when He tells us not to worry. God says,

“Fear not, I’ve got it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”

“Be still, I’ve got it.”

“God’s covering over us as His sons is a model of how we as men are to cover those under us. To cover someone or be someone’s covering simply means you provide the protection and provision they need as well as an environment for nurturing and fostering emotional, spiritual and physical health…. essentially, you’ve got it only because you are putting your trust in and functioning according to the truth that God’s Got It.”

“I more often than not come across men who expect everyone else to answer to them without them having to answer to anyone. What many men do is disrespect the headship of Christ but expect the woman living with him to respect his headship over her.”

“When you are a kingdom man and when she hears you say, “I’ve got it,” when you lead with compassion, consistency and wisdom, when you involve her in every significant decision, and when you value her input and desires, you will discover that your relationship with her will go to a level you never dreamed possible. For a man to be “over a woman,” he must take seriously his responsibility for her well-being. He must cover her in such a way that she is free to respond well.”

Wow. I”ve never actually read someone’s description of headship and been able to say, “THAT’S WHAT I WANT!” A man who knows so deeply God’s covering over Him that he can provide that same covering for me as a co-heir in God’s grace as we walk in faithfulness together.

This book is jam-packed with so much goodness, I would highly recommend it if you are 1. a man, 2. a mother or grandmother of sons, 3. someone that speaks into and influences men’s lives (women, this includes all of you).

Stay tuned for February’s book:

“Safe People: How to Find Relationships That Are Good For You And Avoid Those That Aren’t”, by one of my favorite authors, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.

Happy Reading!

Friday night blues…

I know you think I’d feel like a third wheel.

You were just trying to be considerate.

I’d feel unwanted. Alone. Awkward.

You’ll invite me some other time… To a girls night… Or “young adult” hangout.

Somewhere I will feel like I fit in.

only… I don’t.

I’m not a teenager, and not even a college student. I didn’t get stuck in eternal youth and I’m feeling like less of a woman everyday simply because I don’t have HIM by my side.

Normal: Friday date nights with friends. Not normal: a girl with no date.

Normal: to want to do the right thing. Not normal: Neglecting to ask her what that would be. Or is that normal?

i wish you’d ask… I’d tell you what it is like to spend the evening at home with Netflix while flipping through your friends’ Facebook pics,

With all of them around the table but you, unintentionally excluded because you’re one and not two.

I wish I could tell you I don’t really mind that everything’s perfect, I’m doing just fine.

But truth to be told I’ve got Friday night blues, because not one of you has ever walked in my shoes.

Iit’s not really your fault, that our stories should differ, but sometimes I’d like to be more than a babysitter.

so next time you wonder if it would make me feel strange, to sit at a table and play couples games,

Just think of me sitting back home on the couch and know that next time, I’d rather be out.

*disclaimer* this post was written solely to give voice to the single population who are not actively pursuing a romantic relationship. It by no means reflects any offense made against me or a personal grievance. Much of the material in this post has been gathered from many articles, forums and Facebook pages of singles who are honoring God in their dating and family life but feel as culturally backward as the man in the moon!

Look Up

This is a phenomonal piece of spoken word to describe our distraction with technology. I hope it is an encouragement and reminder that not all information that CAN be found through a machine SHOULD be found that way. Sometimes, a conversation is more important than getting through the check-out line faster, asking directions is better than using a GPS, and having coffee with a friend is better than beating them in candy crush saga. This video challenged me to rethink the way that I “look up” and see the world around me.

Do You Suffer from #Kidmin Tunnel Vision?

By: Brian Dollar

I will never forget the Staff Meeting where I confronted my Pastor about why I wasn’t made aware of the big Missions opportunity that the rest of the staff seemed to already know about.  I let him know how upset I was that “those of us who are in Children’s Ministry and aren’t able to be in the Sanctuary on Sundays shouldn’t be kept in the dark.

My pastor kindly asked me, “Brian, did you not read the bulletin the last few weeks?”  I had not.  “Did you read the letter I sent home to every household in our church?”  I did not.  “Have you paid attention in Staff Meeting the last few weeks as we have been talking about it?”  I had not.  I had made the mistake of deciding, “If it isn’t directly related to Kids Ministry, I don’t really need to pay attention to it.”

I made a classic blunder:  Having Tunnel Vision and Missing The BIG Picture.

Turns out it wasn’t my pastors fault I didn’t know about the opportunity.  It was my own.

Every children’s ministry pastor and volunteer has to overcome the obstacle of being isolated to some degree from the mainstream of church life.  We’re passionate about kids and excited about our roles, but it’s easy for us to develop a “silo mentality.”  A silo occurs when each part of an organization becomes self-contained, independent from the others, and fails to coordinate vision, philosophy, and practices.  It can happen in divisions of companies, and it can happen in churches—especially in kids’ ministries.

The leadership term “tunnel vision” is borrowed from the physical condition, which occurs when an individual loses peripheral vision (the ability to see objects on the top, bottom, and sides).  The result is a very constricted field of vision. In organizations, a manager with tunnel vision is zoned-in on his single priority, and he doesn’t see much else.  Being focused is good and helpful, but not in the extreme.

In kids’ ministries, we need to recognize the symptoms of tunnel vision.  If we don’t, we may suffer severe consequences.  Here are some dangers for kids’ pastors and other leaders:

Dangers Of  Tunnel Vision:

1. We develop a territorial spirit.
2. We develop a “poor me” mentality
3. We infect the rest of our Kidmin team.
4. We fail to support (and may even compete with) the pastor’s vision.
5. We fail to communicate key information to parents and team members.

Tunnel vision isn’t just an inconvenience.  It’s an acid that eats away at everything good, right, noble, and pure in a leader’s heart, a team’s life, and a ministry’s impact.   Want to beat it?  Want to avoid Kidmin Tunnel Vision?  It’s not enough to sit back and expect your pastor or other staff members to make sure you’re vitally connected with the entire scope of the church’s life.  That’s your responsibility.

Here are some steps you can take to Avoid #Kidmin Tunnel Vision:

1)  Read every available piece of information. – Make it a weekly practice to read the bulletin, newsletters, articles on the website, and anything else that tells what the church is doing.

2)  Ask questions. – If you’re unsure about an upcoming event, a strategy, or any other plan, take the initiative to get an answer to your questions.

3)  Watch or listen to the Sunday morning service. – Most churches record the pastor’s sermon each week. If you can’t attend the service (and most of the time you can’t), make it a priority to listen to the message sometime during the week.  It will keep you connected to the pastor and to the heartbeat of the church.

4)  Pay attention in staff meetings. – Shut down Twitter, Facebook, and your web browser.  You are getting the info you need if you will just LISTEN and document it.

5)  Regularly pray for your pastor and other department leaders. – This choice has made a huge difference in my perspective, my attitude, and my relationships with each person on the team.  They’ve told me the greatest challenges they face in their ministries, and I found out their joys and struggles in their families.  My commitment to pray for them has kept me connected and prevented me from becoming focused only on Kids Ministry.

So, don’t hesitate.  Choose NOW to start these five habits.  They will keep you from falling into the trap of #Kidmin Tunnel Vision, and you will stay vitally connected to your pastor and entire team.

Lessons from a Lifeguard

The past few years I’ve had the privilege of serving as a lifeguard at a local Christian camp. After three grueling days of training, we received a very important piece of equipment – our CPR mask. Inside the mask there is a small filter that keeps any of the germs or gunk from the person you’re giving CPR to from getting to you. And so I thought, looking at my mask the other day (and having to come up with a devotional for our staff meeting)… just like a pair of gloves or a CPR mask, Christ can be our PPE – Personal Protective Equipment, to help us live full and joyful lives! Here are 3 areas we can guard with the help of Jesus and His word:

1. Guard your spiritual life – So often we look for life in things or people that ultimately are just never going to satisfy, or are going to fail us sometime when we need them most! We need to be plugged into the “life source” that can never run dry – much like a car battery, when ours gets low or dies we often walk around trying to clamp our jumper cables onto other people’s batteries – problem is, we suck energy out of them or drain them dry. Christ is like a never-ending energy supply – his batter never runs out!

Psalm 28:6-8 – “Blessed bye the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults and with my song I shall thank Him. The Lord is their strength and He is a saving defense to His anointed.”

2. Guard your emotional and mental life – Life is a rollercoaster. We have up days, we have down days. Letting Christ protect your emotional and mental life means filtering all your feelings and experiences through the truth of what God says about you. In good days, know that good gifts are always from Him. In the bad days, know that He is faithful. Don’t let your emotions knock you off simple obedience to God.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 – “Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation…”

3. Guard your physical life – Christ is our life – but he often speaks through other people. This is why connecting with other Christians is so important – they become the hands and feet of Jesus to us as we also reach out to physically touch them, supporting one another through the ups and downs of life. Build a community around yourself that will be a physical and practical support to your growth in Christ.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up…”

Hello world!

Welcome to the “new” I’s to See! If you’re interested, you’re welcome to check out my old blog at http://istosee.blogspot.com/ .

For me, a blog is a place to chronicle experiences, books and resources that have shaped or grown me in some way. Hope you enjoy reading!