Vision & Passion & Work

I celebrated with a good friend of mine the opening of MAD RIVER Harley Davidson in Sandusky, Ohio. Six weeks earlier the building was basically trashed. They hauled away 2 large containers of rubbish; they decorated, painted, and cleaned; they secured signage and permits; and they needed to hire new employees, which they did – 31 in all! How did all of this get done? The people had a mind to work. Hearing their story reminded me of the Bible story of Nehemiah.

Work is involved in everything that is worthwhile. Work is required to get anything done. This is true in the work world, and especially true in the work of the church. As the old saying goes, talk is cheap. There have been a thousand great ideas discussed in staff and board meetings that would have borne fruit. But, sometimes between the planning and the application, people stop working and the plan fails. Many will blame the plan and use that failure to speak negatively against the next idea that someone wants to try. The plan, oftentimes, is not the problem, the people are. Work was not done to put the plan into action.

The Old Testament gives an account of God's people who had a big job. Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem and taken the Jews to Babylon. When the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity, they found Jerusalem in shambles. Trusting in God to help them, a group rebuilt the temple. With God's blessing they finished it. Twelve years had passed since that completion, but the walls of the city had not been finished. Without a secure wall, Jerusalem was at the mercy of bandits and raiders. Nehemiah, the cup bearer for King Artaxerxes, felt a burning desire to see the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt, and soon he was on his way to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the city.

There were all kinds of obstacles, not the least being an enemy who had no desire for Jerusalem to be strong. What was their secret? It is found in Nehemiah 4:6, "So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work." They had a mind to work! They were willing to work to build the wall regardless of the danger or hardships. What was the result of their willingness to work? It is found in Nehemiah 6:15, “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.” They overcame all obstacles because the people had a mind to work.

Congratulations to the staff of ADVENTURE Harley and MAD RIVER Harley. You are incredible. You’ve inspired me to be a person of Vision, Passion, and Hard Work. May your vision, passion, and hard work be contagious and find its way into the local church – because I believe the local church is the hope of the world.

Beautiful Wedding

This past weekend, I was privileged to attend the wedding of my nephew J.L. He married a beautiful bride named Jessica. The whole wedding was beautiful. It took a lot of work to pull it off. It really impressed people. They had it all: videos, gorgeous dresses, nice tuxes, great music, great reception with great food, DJ . . . the works.

Here is what we’ve got to understand: The Wedding is Hard work, but the Marriage is Heart work. Read these vows. No doubt they are similar to the ones you made, if you are married.

No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than these you are about to assume. As you resolutely endeavor to fulfill the vows you will make this day, God’s blessing will be upon you, and the home you have established will endure through life’s every change.

_____________, will you have __________ to be your wedded (husband/wife,) to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love (him/her), comfort (him/her), honor and keep (him/her), in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for (him/her), so long as you both shall live?

I take you _____________ to be my (husband/wife,) my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I give you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live. I depend on God’s help in keeping this solemn vow.

It will take some heart work if we are going to be faithful in fulfilling these vows. Here is what God has to say: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

The person God will use the most to bring about the necessary changes that He wants to make and needs to make in your life (heart) will be your spouse. He will use the vows that you took on that day, when you worked so hard to have a beautiful wedding. Let’s not be naive though. People soon forget the wedding ceremony and the reception that we spent so many $$$$ on, and the hard work. But they will always remember your marriage.

LEBRON, free agent

If you haven’t been tuning in to the sports world for the last few months, you might not know that Lebron James is a free agent. This means that he is free to sign with any team in the NBA he wants. The NY Nicks, Nets, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, even the LA Clippers are possibilities. All of these cities and teams are pulling out all the stops to try to lure Lebron to their city. They are getting very creative in their approach to influence his decision. It will mean millions and millions of dollars in revenue for them. This clip shows what Cleveland is trying to do to keep the King there: http://www.break.com/index/we-are-lebron-video.html

One of our values here at NewPointe is EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTS. We can’t make people come to know Christ, grow in Christ, or act like Christ -- but we CAN create an environment that is conducive for the Holy Spirit to work, speak, and transform, and we can create environments that make people want to come back.

If people are willing to do whatever it takes to attract a superstar athlete then we, as God’s representatives, need to be creative and thought provoking, too, in attracting those who have yet to believe.

Worldview

You’ve got one. It is the lens through which you view life. It determines how you perceive the world around you. This worldview is formed mostly by your upbringing, your education, and the culture in which you live – like the books you read, movies you watch, teachings you hear . . . so it kind of happens by osmosis for most people.

For those who follow Christ it is to be much different. Our worldview is shaped by the Word of God, not by the world of people around us. Let me share with you the biblical worldview:

• We believe that God exists (Heb. 11:6).
• He is the standard by which we measure everything else. God created everything that exists (Gen. 1:1).
• Everything is held together by Him (Col. 1:17).
• We believe the Bible is God's divinely inspired Word, revealed to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16).
• We believe that the fullness of God came to earth and lived in the human body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth 2,000 years ago (Col. 1:19).
• We believe that mankind chose to rebel against God in the Garden of Eden and because of that act of rebellion, sin and death entered the world (Rom. 5:12-14).
• We believe that believing in (John 3:15-19, 5:24), and obeying (Luke 8:21, John 3:20, John 14:21, 23-24), Jesus Christ is the only way to have eternal life or to be reunited with God (Acts 4:10-12).

We are committed to looking at life through this lens, and because of that we give ourselves fully and completely to God and His purposes – the Great Commandment (Matt. 22) and the Great Commission (Matt. 28).

Jesus replied, "Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." Matthew 19:28-30 (MSG)

Though Christianity is believed by faith, it is reasonable and rational faith. We all live by faith. The question is – what is our faith in? For many it is ourselves, government officials/leaders, world peace, health, money, education, employment. All of those things are fragile at best and are ultimately temporal. They disappoint us.

We live in a world that has been infected by sin which brings death to everything. Life is one constant change after another – only God can be depended upon, and He never changes (Heb 13:8). God tells us that He will never leave nor forsake those who belong to Him (Heb. 13:5).

What is your worldview?

Character Matters

The NFL draft is usually strictly about talent. Players are chosen no matter what their character is like, as long as their talent is superior – sending a message to society that talent is more important than character.

This is not only true in the sports world; it is also true in the business world, the political world, and any other world you can name. Somehow people believe that talent is what is most important. We can look around and see that this thinking has not served us well. Just read the headlines in the papers, and catch the lead stories on the news.

What we have learned is that talent may get you to the top, but it will not keep you at the top. Most leaders do not have the character to sustain the success they are experiencing via the train wrecks, as we have seen in leaders, athletes, pastors, and politicians.

Well – a message was sent during the 2010 NFL draft when Tim Tebow was selected in the first round with the 25th pick by the Denver Broncos. When asked what he thought he brought to the Denver Broncos, he said, “I bring a willingness to listen to the coach, to do whatever he asks of me, and a willingness to work very hard.” Wow!

Could you get hired based on your character and attitude? Are you worth more to your company, church, etc., for your talent or your character? Would someone hire you because of your willingness to listen to your coach (boss), to do whatever is asked of you for the team, and a willingness to work very hard?

“There is no more important determinant for true success in life than character. Character is the will to do what is right as God defines right, regardless of personal cost.” Andy Stanley

National Day of Prayer May 6, 2010

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth (I Timothy 2:1-4).

John Maxwell suggests the following things that you can pray for leaders and pastors. Please pray for me.

Personal Needs

• HUMILITY: Ask God to give your leader true humility, which includes having a servant’s heart, being teachable, admitting wrongdoing, being willing to receive positive criticism, and reliance on God.
• WISDOM TO KNOW GOD S AGENDA: Effective leaders function according to God s agenda, not their own. Pray that your leader remains sensitive to God s leading, and that he will live and work according to God s priorities.
• POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS: Ask God to help your leader be patient with himself and others, to interact positively with difficult people in the congregation, and to treat everyone with love and respect.
• THE TRUTH OF THE SPIRIT: Every Christian should seek to live a Spirit-filled life. Pray that your leader would have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
• HEALTH: Ask God to give your leader good health and safety when he or she travels.

Family Needs

• THE PRIORITY OF THE FAMILY: The demands of ministry can severely damage a Christian leader s family life. Pray that your church leader would make family his top priority, second only to his relationship with God. Pray that he would spend enough time with them, and minister to their needs first. If your leader has children, pray that they would love God with all their hearts.
• PROVISION FOR THE FAMILY: Ask God to meet the needs of your leader and to show the lay leadership in the church how they can better provide for them.

 Spiritual Needs

• TIME ALONE WITH GOD: Ask God to make prayer, Scripture reading, and worship daily priorities in your leader s life.
• ANOINTING: Without the power of the Holy Spirit, a leader can do nothing of value.
• INTEGRITY: Your leader struggles with temptation just like any other person. In fact, the enemy will try to tempt him more than others. Satan knows that when he hurts the leader, the followers suffer.
• PROTECTION FROM SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Pray that your leader would put on the full armor of God, as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-18, and that he will be given protection from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Ask God to bring into your leader s life other Christian leaders who can keep him accountable.

Congregational Needs

• EVANGELISM: Pray that your leader will have a heart for the lost and that he will make evangelism a priority.
• PERSONAL GROWTH: A pastor who continues to grow in his spiritual life and his ability to lead is being equipped to help his people grow and develop.
• MOBILIZATION OF THE LAITY: Ask God to make your leader an effective motivator and equipper of the people to do the work of the ministry.
• INTERCESSION: Pray that your leader would make intercession for the people a daily priority.

Where the leader goes, the people will follow. James 3:1 says, Not many of you should presume to be teacher, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. I believe God will judge leaders by a higher standard because what they do affects so many other people.

Never underestimate the power of prayer for a leader. If you begin praying for your leader today, there is no telling what may happen to your city, state, country or world - not to mention your church.

Dwight's Monthly Letter, May 2010

This is one of my favorite seasons. The weather is in transition from cold, to warm, to rain, to sun – you just never know. Flowers are coming forth, the grass is green, things are growing, the days are longer – for me it’s an incredible and exciting time.

This month we celebrate our moms. Let her know how much you love her and appreciate her. Don’t take her for granted. Do it now; she won’t be around forever. It’s also a time for graduation parties and mixed feelings. With the celebration of great accomplishment comes the sense of sadness that your home will never be the same; your son or daughter is moving on to a new season of life. Our oldest child and son, Caleb, is graduating. It reminds me that time is moving fast, and that I need to be intentional with our children. They aren’t going to be in our home forever.

I sense great growth and change at NewPointe, too. We just experienced our largest non-holiday weekend attendance at the kickoff of our series The Marriage Experts, which continues through May 30. This is a topic we all can learn from, so bring your family and friends!

Tomorrow is First Wednesday, and I’m excited to be sharing about breaking free from bondage. I believe that most Christians live in bondage to hurts, habits, hang-ups, fear, anxiety, finances, and the list can go on and on and on. The Bible tells us that we shall know the truth and it will set us free, but I am afraid that none of us are as free as Jesus died for us to be. This Wednesday is a great opportunity to experience freedom in Christ and strengthen your faith.

Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. God says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

On Friday and Saturday NewPointe is hosting the Ohio Free Methodist Conference where all of the Free Methodist Churches in Ohio gather, and we have been asked to host and give leadership. The theme is UnTypical – Anyone Can Be Ordinary, and our hope is that we all would be inspired to never settle for ordinary. Please pray with me for this.

Also on Saturday, we are kicking off Second Saturday Serve which happens the second Saturday of each month where you can show up and choose from a variety of serving options. This is for the whole family, and no special skills are required.

Lastly, I want you to know that each week our staff takes time to study and break down a truth or leadership skill. This week we talked about kernels of truth in our lives. Inside nearly every criticism (whether given or received) is a kernel of truth that we can utilize or discard. There are great rewards and benefits for the person who is not only willing to speak the truth in love, but who is open to receiving truth and life-giving correction in love. Knowing the difference between my IDENTITY in Christ (who I am – I am loved, accepted, and secure in Him) and my ROLE in life (what I do – how I lead, perform, and do things) is critical. Let’s cultivate community in our families, small groups, friends, etc., and reach our full God-given potential by welcoming truth telling and receiving. 

The following Proverbs keep my heart soft: If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored (Prov 13:18). If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding (Prov 15:32). An open rebuke is better than hidden love (Prov 27:5)! People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray (Prov 10:17). Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy (Prov 27:6).

It’s God’s Fault

My sister Jean was on a team that was going to Liberia for some mission work. As you probably heard, the Iceland volcano erupted and spread ash everywhere, and they were delayed in Munich, Germany. Literally thousands of flights were delayed; only 6,000 planes were in the air instead of the usual 22,000.

The airline sent them back to Boston and paid for an overnight hotel, but that was it. They were stranded, with no luggage, and had to drive to Akron, Ohio from Boston. It’s likely that they will lose everything – no ticket refund, luggage, etc., because it is being deemed an “act of God.”

It’s humorous and sad when things go wrong in the world (hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions) and it’s named an “act of God.” But when the sun comes up to awaken each day, the rain falls to water the crops, a baby is born, etc., it’s because there were two atom bombs that collided.

What is your worldview? We have one whether we realize it or not – a certain presupposition and bias that affects how we look at life and reality.

Here is mine in a nutshell: God is the creator of the universe and all that lives in it. Sin entered this universe through the choice of man. Sin has now affected and impacted everything about this world, such that it does not function as first intended (including earthquakes, hurricanes, and even people). God sent His Son into the world to redeem us.