Monopoly

When we think about the achievements of our lives they can be expressed as an overflow of the trust we have placed in something or someone. Conversely, we have all placed our trust in people and things that let have let us down. Think about it. Trust establishes the foundation of our lives. Relationships are built on trust. Healthy organizations are built upon a foundation of trust (internally and with customers). Trust grants a mandate to our nation's elected leaders. Trust is a big deal and we all need trusting relationships to thrive in this life. The problem is, the people we trust sometimes let us down. As a result, the more cynical and less trusting we become. Understandably, there's a lot of distrust and skepticism directed at the economic conditions in our country right now. I get it, there are a lot of broken people who have trusted and gotten burned. Imagine if a greater truth existed that we can trust no matter what. Truth that transcends everything and establishes a lasting foundation for life.......

I have been playing Monopoly Junior with my kids today. Like in the game of Monopoly, we are prone to misplace our trust in money rather than trusting God. Sometimes we approach life like it's just a game of acquisition. The rewards of hard work are forthright as long as we glorify Him who provides us with our potential and our opportunities. Money and God are often at odds within our hearts. More specifically, the provisions of money as opposed to the provisions of God. The bible has a lot to say about money. In his famous Sermon on The Mount address Jesus tells His followers not to worry about the basic provisions of life but rather to seek first the kingdom of God and the provisions will be added. He tells His followers to live by BIG FAITH (Matthew 6:25 -34). He said just TRUST ME. It's tough not to worry sometimes but I would rather place my trust in Jesus than anything else.

Church planting takes people on a journey of BIG FAITH. Particularly during these days. We are calling on our Heavenly Father to provide the resources and the partners necessary to launch a unique church focused on leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We are earnestly SEEKING FIRST the kingdom and ASKING BIG from the ultimate source of provision. The cool thing is that the core people of Longleaf Church have the unique opportunity to be an integral part of something so much BIGGER than any of us. We are SEEKING FIRST and ASKING BIG. It's going to be quite a ride!

Compassion

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Cultural Relevance

The trends in our culture change and evolve so fast. Relevance can be a moving target. Successful organizations want to remain relevant to this generation and become relevant to the next. For something to be relevant to a person it must effectively connect with a desire or need. We could all name a product or an organization that has really hit the mark with relevant products in recent years. A really great product should deliver exceptional value and some products can even inspire passion. The packaging and marketing should be engaging and the product must deliver on it's promises. Great products often inspire loyal customers that relationally "evangelize" their products.

Churches have the best product in the universe and it's free to everybody who believes. This righteousness from God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ is offered to all who believe, everybody has sinned and everybody has a path for redemption (Romans 3:21-24). We (the church) have been commissioned to share this amazing product, the gospel of Jesus Christ with everybody.

It seems that we (the church) should be markedly relevant to our culture. It seems that a church of "inspired customers" should be influential with outsiders. I don't mean crazy Christians with bullhorns (have you seen the guy outside the GT games? Not cool.). I mean an irresistible culture of people where the grace of God is expressed through relevant environments. A litmus test for relevance would be whether or not we can effectively invite our friends to church short of "guilt tripping" them into going.

I feel that churches should creatively leverage technology, media, music and art to create relevant environments. Another critical component of relevant church environments are discernible next steps for visitors. Ultimately, a relevant church culture moves people to environments that empower accountability, belonging and care. At Longleaf Church, we believe the best environment for these ABC's are small groups. The defining trait of a small group is something we call Authentic Community. Authentic Community is more than relevant.....it's irresistible.

Longleaf Church is hosting a series of informational events in March and April to share our vision for creating a simply irresistible church culture. Visit our website or click HERE to contact us for more information.

Lego People

My family loves Lego's. We are a creative bunch and Lego's are such a great outlet for our creative energy. I love that the kids can simply imagine something then set out to build it. Lego's don't just come in your basic brick shapes. There are endless shapes and colors designed to build a huge variety of things. We just visited Lego Land in Orlando and there are some larger than life examples of what people can build with Lego's. The pictures above are of my two youngest kids (Em and Harmon) designing and building Lego people. The cool thing about Lego's is that they take our creativity out-of-the-box and allow us to dream. It seems that so many people feel very constrained and boxed-in by life. We should never completely lose the wonder and imagination of childhood. We are all wired to wonder, to dream, to discover and to create....

There are so many times in life when you and I surrender our passions and our dreams because someone or some part of our culture tells us that we are incapable of realizing our dreams and we settle for something less than our God given potential. Cultural currents tend to propel us away from our dreams and we eventually lose sight of whatever it was we dreamed that we could do. Passions give way to complacency. It's interesting that culture seems to position wisdom and courage as being at odds with following our passions and our dreams. Can dreamers be wise and courageous? I suppose that it depends on the heart of the dreamer....

How about Christians? Aren't we suppose to be boring, status-quo type people? We're not suppose to dream big and tell God what we wish for, or are we? Jesus compared himself to a vine and he represented his followers as the branches of this vine. He further explained that those who remain in him will bear much fruit, but apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5). If we are following Jesus with our hearts, we can trust our dreams. He wants us to blossom and bring glory to our Heavenly Father. The wisdom of the Word will guide us to boldly pursue our potential and our dreams. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15: 7-8 NIV).

Is there something in your life that you feel like you are suppressing? Do you feel called to do something that you can't seem to find the courage to do? If you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life then commit your dreams and passions to him by asking big. Then wait for an opening and go for it. Though we will stumble, we are offered great strength to lead fruitful lives that bring fulfillment and reflect glory to God. Our unique gift-sets are like a set of Lego's waiting to create an inspiring work of art that makes an eternal difference!

Unleashed

I am looking forward to our 2/42 gathering tonight. It's so cool that a relational culture already exists at the core of our faith movement (Longleaf Church). It's awesome to consider our future, a church of Small Groups where disconnected people move from rows to circles and "do life together." Small Groups are environments where people experience accountability, belonging and care. Community Groups (Small Groups for adults) at Longleaf Church will encourage growth in three vital relationships; Intimacy with God, Community with Insiders and Influence with Outsiders. Our stories of faith in Jesus will be encapsulated in the "Authentic Community" of Community Groups.

During our early days, the 2/42 will serve as a hybrid environment that will bridge us to a time when we fully organize our small groups and have our first worship service. We are also working to equip our families and invest in the children of Longleaf while we "incubate" our faith movement. I am thankful that two families, the Jarrards and the Greens are really taking initiative on the Family Ministry front. All of this feels somewhat daunting and I haven't even mentioned funding! We are on a journey of faith. When we read about the origins of the early church in the book of Acts we learn that the faith of the Apostles and the early believers was stretched again and again. As the gospel spread and the church became organized, there were several instances when followers had to exercise extraordinary faith.

The first church meeting (oh boy!) is recorded in the 15th chapter of Acts. All of the heavy-hitter leaders of the early church were there. Some of the people were challenging the preaching of the gospel to the gentiles (anybody that was not a Jew). The converts who had been Jewish Pharisees wanted the Gentiles to get circumcised and follow their laws as conditions. They were building boundaries to outsiders and underestimating the power of the gospel. In response, Peter said "He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). Peter's point was expounded upon by James (brother of Jesus) then Paul and Barnabas told of how the gospel had been spreading among Gentiles through them. Since this first "church meeting" and in spite of great obstacles, the spread of the gospel was unleashed around the world to generation after generation. The growth of the church has been miraculous.

The penetrating power of faith in Jesus tears down all boundaries and removes all obstacles. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone so it's our job as the church to make ourselves accessible to outsiders. Like some of the early believers, we sometimes underestimate the power of our faith and try to box God in. When we focus on the ultimate mission of the church (reaching people) we can unleash our faith and inspire a movement. We (I) must remain strong in the faith as we endeavor to plant a church. Two thousand years ago, unfiltered faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ unleashed a passionate movement of people. This movement continues....

Speed

It seems like my oldest daughter, Anna, should be about 7 years old. She turns 12 this Monday and it makes me want to cry. Life is silly fast. Anna is a gifted kid with a tender heart. I'm not just saying that. She is a special kid. Like all parents, I want all the best for her and my other two great kids (Em and Harmon).

Tonight, my family had dinner with an awesome group of college students. It occurred to me that Anna is closer in age to the college students than I am. Wow! How can this be?? Didn't I just graduate from college? There is no other measurement of time so profound as the age of your children. As children move from elementary age to college age, their life becomes so much more autonomous. This is an intuitive truth but the speed of life just takes me aback. Children are provided with lots of structure as they grow up (hopefully) and college instantly grants them great freedom. I want to ensure that our parental influence will sustain itself as my kids discover life, make mistakes, learn and eventually leave home (if I let them).

As I contemplate how fast my kids are growing up, I feel the significance of impressing God's truth upon their hearts (Deuteronomy 6:7). I pray that I am modeling Jesus for my children and that they are all growing in wisdom and truth. Do my kids see my faith? Do my kids see me make wise decisions and trust God no matter what? Does Anna see the passion and wonder of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ reflected within my heart? Here's two important question for parents;

1. Am I consistently making relationship deposits into the lives of my kids? Am I leaning into the uniqueness of each one of my kids and making them feel loved?
2. Am I consistently discussing God's truth with my kids?

I better be able to say yes to these questions. I can't abdicate this stuff. It's up to me and Amy. What happens at home is more important than what happens at church for the spiritual growth of my kids. However, imagine a church culture that doesn't just promote this "Family Ministry" lifestyle to me but comes alongside me through intentional relationships. Imagine another adult and/or an older kid investing themselves into the lives of my children and reinforcing biblical truth to them. I want those relationships for my kids and I believe that relevant ministry environments which are anchored with relational small groups can represent that for them. This passion for Family Ministry is a part of the DNA of Longleaf Church and I am excited to know that these relationships will be a part of the lives of my kids. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking that church is something that you're just suppose to do. I want them to experience the church.

An interesting film clip of the forest...

Sunrise

This past weekend, I spent some quality time in the outdoors with some guys who seem to have successfully blended their unique passions with their unique talents. Each one of us are driven to pursue this unique convergence of our gifts and our passions. When we start getting close to this ideal or this dream of what our lives could represent, an uncommon energy fuels our souls and purpose is discovered.

My friends John and Michael are cinematographers. These guys create art through film. They will rise at 4AM or climb 65 feet up in a tree to capture a certain angle or shot that they envision. Trust me on this, they took me along for the ride. As I watched the splendor of sunrise in the forest with John and Michael I felt like I was a part of something larger than myself. It occurred to me that the remarkable beauty of creation is not just a monument to God's majesty, it serves to remind us that our lives can reflect the remarkable nature of His truth. When we accept the covenant of salvation and follow Jesus we discover that He will guide us on a journey of passion and purpose. Following Jesus is no mundane deal. It's the opposite. You can trust me on that too.

In Isaiah Chapter 55, the prophet Isaiah poetically expresses the salvation covenant and he personifies the redeemed life through nature. He personifies redeemed lives as mountains bursting into song and trees clapping their hands. As nature flourishes and buds through rain and snow, our lives can flourish and bud through the living water of the Word (Isaiah 55:10-11). He has endowed us with splendor (Isaiah 55:5). Sunrise brings light to the forest and reflects the splendor of nature. In the same way, redeemed lives reflect the light of the world. This light emanates from within our very souls. Hang on to that thought for a moment. It doesn't seem like my life should be quite so significant to the God of creation.

I am fired up to know that some people in Middle Georgia believe that church is not simply the transfer of a body of knowledge but a movement fueled by passion and purpose. Longleaf Church is about creating environments where people can do life together, grow in truth, serve strategically and birth a movement. We want to create a church culture that reflects the splendor of Jesus and attracts un-churched people. I am looking forward to our next gathering this Sunday evening!