F2Movement

I’ve been inspired by a fresh coat of paint.  Is that possible?  I’m in the middle of painting our children’s playroom and we are converting it into a playroom/classroom.  We’ve been in our home for over 4 years now and this is the first time we’ve done anything to this room.

The inspiration is seeing something transform before my very eyes.  It’s the same room.  Same walls, Same ceiling, Same room.  It’s not done yet, but it’ looks new, fresh, and is changing.  It will serve a new use, a new season, a new room.  This might not seem like much to inspire, but for me… it’s been an amazing night.

My life has been in a steady pace of renovation over the past 12 months.  God has been initiating change all around me, walking me down some roads I’ve been praying for.  I feel like I’m in the midst of a re-direction in my life.  I’m still the same old me, but I’m changing.  I’m on the edge of a new season, a new role, a new opportunity.  I’m not entirely sure what the season fully looks like but I’m feeling the freshness of a new coat of paint, and re-purposing of my passions and talents.  Similar to my project, I don’t think God is done with me yet, but I feel fresh, new, and ready to see what God is going to do.

I’m inspired by a fresh coat of paint.  How about you?  What has God done in your life lately to reveal the work He is doing in you?

I am a father of two.  A 7 year old little girl and a 4 year old boy.  For the past 2 years I have heard a phrase repeated several times in my house, or in the car, or at bed time that I’ve commented about, smiled at, and laughed out lout at.  The phrase… “This is the best day ever!”

What a simple set of words that describe a profound attitude.  Was it really the best day?  Probably not to us…  Did we do something so spectacular to deserve such a proud praise? Probably not….  So why the big deal?  Why the exaggeration?  Why the praise!

The anwser lies in attitude.  My kids don’t always live out this attitude.  Some days are gloom and doom, some days are filled with not feeling well, and some days are very normal.  However, when they get to engage in something (even the smallest thing) that makes them feel unique, special, valued, successful, epic, and ultimately alive – they express this attitude and burst with this phrase – “THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!”

I’m convinced that my kids are teaching me the essential attitude of Life!  If only I allowed the smallest of things to give me a sense of value, success, and uniqueness.  If only I received a thrill of excitement at some activity that what seem to be just a hair above the norm.  If only I could view my life with a child like faith and be thankful for the provision, love, blessing, grace God gives me everyday – I would burst forth with this simple phrase “God… This is the Best Day Ever!”.

How could this essential attitude change your life?  Think about it…

“Count your blessing, name them one by one… Count your many blessings, see what God has done…”

Okay, so it’s a strange question.  Does God really want us to be efficient?  This question comes after a hour long session today of a Google Docs tutorial on Calendar and syncing it with our Macs and phones.   We were all very excited at the end of it because there was a feeling that we would be better organized, communicate better, and overall our efficiency would increase exponentially!

So I thought – Does God want us to be efficient?  Is time management a question of stewardship?  Here are my simple thoughts.

If the goal in our lives is to just get more done – then I think God couldn’t give a rip if we were more efficient.  He might care – but not the same way that we care. If the goal in our lives is to see more people experience the Freedom that He alone offers, and the tasks and relationships we are leveraging can help accomplish this – then I think God is extremely interested in our efficiency.

We see this in the life of Christ.  He lived a life that was focused on people and His mission was always in front of him.  He would stay in a place long enough to do exactly what he wanted to do – then he would move on.  He could tell the difference between a distraction from His mission and something that he needed to give his time to.   I love this about Jesus.  It is something I desire to attain one day.

So in the spirit of efficiency (towards my job) – I will keep this post short.  I just wondered what you might think?  Do you think God cares if you are efficient with your time, resources, relationships?

Have you ever watched something that ignited your soul in several ways.  Have you ever watched something several times because you always enjoy it – it just gets better.

For me over the past 7 years, it has been this video.  Several have redone it – most are okay.  Here are my favorite versions and the first I ever saw.  If you also are a fan of “That’s My King” – respond with your thoughts and feelings about the first time you saw it.

My Favorite Version!

My Second Favorite Version

The First one I ever saw

Warning – I stole this example!!! (with permission of course)

During my first visit to NC back in 1993 – I remember going to Tracie’s Grandma’s House for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a different culinary experience to say the least.  I remember looking at a big pot with leaves in it – wondering why they were boiling the salad?  I remember grabbing a hand full of what I thought were banana chips – and being told that it was cut up squash.   I remember being introduced to food I had never seen before – okra, pinto beans, collard greens, and much more.  I of course didn’t appreciate any of this because I don’t like vegetables – but the family loved it and no one could cook it like Grandma!!!  All hail Grandma!

However, no one complimenting the farmer on this particular day.  Grandma had spent a few long hours in the kitchen preparing the food, but the crop of fruits and vegetables that she prepared took weeks and months to grow.  The farmer toiled over each one of those crops with sweat and hard labor to grow them from seed to end product.  Occasionally you were hear the phrase – “that was some good fruit right there” but most of the time it’s more like “Grandma made the best apple pie today!!!”.

I think sometimes we focus our applause on the cook and not the farmer of the crop.  It reminds me of church.  What preacher doesn’t like hearing the words – “Great sermon today Matt!” or “You really did a great job with that passage today”.  How much attention in our churches are slipping away from Author and Creator of the Word, and shifting to the speaker and deliverer of the Word.  I know I like the applause, but when I think about the future of my life and ministry – I would much rather keep my focus on the Lord of the Harvest – and not how creatively I prepare or “cook” something this week.

Just a thought to consider.   Do you find yourself giving praise to the cook – or to the Creator?

Strange title?  Maybe…  or maybe not!

I was reading in a small men’s (men of all sizes actually) S.O.A.P bible study this morning Romans 8: 1-17.  I recently purchased this amazing parallel bible that gives me the NIV on the left hand and the message paraphrase on the right of the same verses.

I have always loved this passage because of the freedom in the spirit of Christ that it reveals.  However, some new words and thoughts occurred to me this morning as we read it together.

The first part is a great contrast between choosing to “live in” the Spirit or “live in” the desires of the flesh.  It then quickly sets us free that we are not “controlled by” by the flesh if we have the Spirit within us.  However verses 12 – 15 jumped out at me today as I looked at both the NIV version and the Message paraphrase.

NIV - “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

MESSAGE-“So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.”

We could debate the legalism that comes from a word like “obligation,” but I would rather focus on the freedom this passage screams at us that we CAN live in the Spirit and this life is not reduced to grave tending of our “old man — flesh” and making sure the zombie doesn’t rise up.

The passage is speaking to the root of our understanding of the gospel.  Do we really believe that we are not controlled by the desires of our flesh?  Do we understand that we have the freedom and power to live in His Spirit and that this life is ABUNDANT, and full of joy and adventure with our heavenly Father?  Or, maybe we were told somewhere along the way that our Christian life was changing our behaviors and trying not to sin anymore — “putting to death our old flesh” and living out our lives as grave tenders.  We are to continually put our sinful desires to death, but this is way beyond behavior modification.

By no means is this the only thing this passage talks about — but it is the portion that jumped out at me today and is causing me to face this week with an expectant childlike faith that longs to live in His Spirit and live in His freedom.

Spring 2010

The F2 Movement never dies.  It never rests, takes vacation, gets sick, feels depressed, or sit on the sidelines.

I, however, do experience all those things.  It has been over 4 months since my last post and the longer I waited, the bigger – the more EPIC I felt that the next post needed to be.

I just recently went to the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL.  I was looking for some specific answers to some questions in my heart (I didn’t get any clarity, just for those who wanted to know), but I did find something else that I hope will be just as good.  I recieved the challenge to RE:FUEL.

This challenge came not as a charge to pastors to think bigger in terms of ministry or programming, this challenge came in one simple question that was repeated by several speakers throughout the 3 day conference – “What are YOU doing, right now?” The theme of the conference was Transformation: Starts in the Heart of One!  This question was directed at my heart.  Is the power of God’s Fame and Freedom at work in my heart in such a way that I can be a part of a movement of God?  If the anwser to this question was no, not yet, kinda sorta, maybe, or just not sure – then it is time to RE:FUEL.

So I have 6 books beside my chair right now and a commitment to take some deep breaths over the next few weeks and RE:FUEL.  It has been a long time since I’ve asked the F2 questions for me personally.  Let’s review!

• How can God use me, where I am, right now, to spread His Fame?
• How can God use me, where I am, right now, to set people free?
• Where do I need to be set free so that I can passionately pursue God’s Fame and Man’s Freedom?

I pray that God works in my heart first and foremost, and that I can see an F2 Movement happen in my lifetime.  Transformation Starts in the Heart of ONE!

I heard an amazing talk on “Missional Leadership” this past week by Reggie McNeal.  He made a comparison on the church and an airport and that we sometimes get confused on the goal.

If an airport gets confused on its role and goals – it might begin to think that the Airport -  is the destination.  If all the planes are on the ground and the concourse is full of people all gathered in one place – then the airport has lost its goal!  What is the airport’s goal you ask???  Great question!

The church sometimes gets confused in its goals as well.  We tend to start looking like an airport with all the cars in the parking lot, buildings and programs full, and people gathering in one location (and counted!!!).  We’ve missed it.  What is the goal? Also… Great question!

I think we know the answer to the airport.  Its goal is to be a connector – a HUB if you will – to the world!  The airport has people pass through AS THEY ARE GOING to a destination.  Those that travel for a living, frequent the airport – has favorite spots to sit and rest, and knows the program fairly well.  It also has the first time flyers, those that need to be shown where to find what they need AS THEY ARE GOING to the gate to reach their destination.  The Primary purpose of the airport is to be a HUB for these people to connect to the world.

What if the church understood it’s end goal as something very similar.  That we are a HUB, a connector to the KINGDOM.  That we have regulars that frequent us, but only as a stopping point to their lives that are living IN THE KINGDOM.  We help those that are “first timers” understand the church as not a stopping point but a connection point to something MUCH BIGGER.  We supply, fuel, and support the people living out the Kingdom mission (GREAT COMMISSION – “as you are going…”).  What if we viewed the people in our church as those “passing through” and not “arriving”.  What if the goal was not to “gather” but instead “send off”.

Reggie McNeal’s talk on Missional Leadership is available for download and purchase at the following website.  I encourage you to listen to this incredible talk. http://www.catalystspace.com/store/

So, I’ve been praying about the future and about churches in general.  I am doing some study on John 4 right now and it has taken me back to when Jesus quotes Isaiah and says “these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of RULES TAUGHT BY MEN!” (caps added by me)

The woman at the well was also caught up in what religious practices where supposed to look like (we worship on the mountain, you worship in the temple…)  As I pray about what a future church looks like I am feeling more and more trapped by the RULES I’ve been taught about what church is supposed to look like.  I mean, what we see on Sunday’s is not exactly taught in scripture, and what’s even more perplexing is that we even argue among believers which RULES are better.  Traditional, Contemporary ::  Reverent, Relaxed :: Deductive, Inductive.  The more I prepare my heart for the future, the more I see the trappings of the RULES I’ve been taught by men.

Well, this blog is about FREEDOM – so let’s imagine what freedom looks like.  I love the church, and I love the gathering of believers.  What are called to do exactly – (GATHER, TITHE, PRAY, SING, CONNECT with each other, TEACHING of the Word)  Does that happen on Sunday mornings in churches across the world – YES, but we are still trapped by the RULES that we have been told it must look like THIS??  If we could accomplish all those things, and not be trapped by the preconceptions of western church – what could that look like?

I heard a recent talk by Francis Chan from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley.  He said “If I had to do it all over again (plant a church) what would it have looked like if I had gone away for a few years and removed myself from church culture and ONLY had the scripture to go by – would it look different??”  I love to hear Francis Chan think outside the box.  So I began to wonder…

What if…
- we weren’t in rows?  pews? 
- the entire experience was participatory, and not an event to observe?
- if the sermon didn’t have to last 30-45 min? could we go shorter, could we go longer?
- we didn’t have a rigid schedule of start and end times?  could we stay as long as we want, or as short as we need to? Why the demand on time?
- if it was in a more local venue (not blocked off for “just us”).  A mall, a bar, a courtyard? inside, outside?
- if it not just once a week? or not Sunday morning?  what if you could gather at any time?
- the RULES we been taught about how church is supposed to look like – is actually leading us astray from expanding the kingdom of God?

I know – it’s a lot to ponder. Please know -  I am not a fan of chaos.  I don’t like uncontrolled things. However, the movement of God is not mine to control.  If I wasn’t so concerned as a pastor about counting the number of people (attracting them, and keeping them), and getting paid by the institution – would I be more open to a movement like this?  Not sure.

I’m not saying that all those things on the list would prove to be an effective way to gather and worship, but if a few of them worked, could we break through the RULES and see something amazing happen.  What if…

Freedom! from F2 Movement on Vimeo.

Okay, so I was watching this movie “Marley and Me” and although I knew what to expect at the end (I heard the rumors) it was a scene in the middle of this movie that moved my heart the most.

The scene is Freedom.  Marley has visited this area of the dog beach for quite some time, but because he can’t be trusted not to defecate and ruin the beach for everyone, they have to keep him on a leash.  One fine day, his master decides that he’s been on the leash a bit too long, and give’s him some freedom to go and play in the ocean – free.  Then, other dog owners see the pure joy of Marley as he runs into the ocean and rolls around, that they too – free their dogs and let them play without the leash.

I know it’s not a perfect parallel, but I love this picture of freedom because it’s the kind that is contagious.  Have you ever met someone who is so free in who they are, that it draws you in.  You wish you could be that free.  You wish you were not held back by the leash of insecurity, doubt, or fear.  I met those people who have this kind of freedom in Christ.  They live life with a connection to God that allows them to experience the fullness of Christ with such ease that it’s contagious.  Their relationship to God is not supported by disciplines, legalism, or fear of getting something wrong – they RUN in freedom and draw others to run with them.

I hope there is a point for all of us, when we hear the click of our leash (the ones we place on ourselves) and we suddenly realize we are FREE!  It’s the kind of freedom I want!

(Sorry, I tried to embed this video, but it didn’t work – PLEASE CLICK THE LINK!!!!)

Freedom! from F2 Movement on Vimeo.