Oreo Cookie shakes take 2

Okay, so yesterday's post was not very clear. Let me try to muddy the waters some more.
What I was trying to say was that when I spend money on non-God honoring things, for me, an Oreo cookie milkshake since I fight the Battle of the Bulge, I am not honoring God with my wealth.

It seems logical that if we are not tithing plus some, we are not honoring God with our wealth, but beyond that, exercising stewardship of our wealth and our lives is another place where God can be honored or dishonored.

So, our spending habits need to honor God- be it in housing choice, automobiles, clothing styles,recreational choices, and Oreo Cookie Shakes--or what ever your addictive food is.

I have always said, "Show me a person's calendar and check book, and I can tell you what and who they love."

Two verses speak to this. 1 Tim 6:17-18 commands us to be generous. So when I am not generous I am not honoring God with my wealth.

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.NIV

In that same vein, James says if we are only getting to spend on our pleasures God isn't going to answer our prayers.

James 4:33 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. NIV

Don't know if this is any clearer, but I'm still not going to have an Oreo Cookie shake

Proverbs 3

Two thoughts this morning about Proverbs 3.

First, Honor the Lord with all your wealth. We often take this to mean we should tithe. That is a good start. The tithe is a symbol of God's ownership of the remaining 90%, but, and this is a big thing, the real test is what we do with the remaining 90%. I don't always think about honoring God with my spending habits. For example, on the way home from the airport late at night, I often buy an Oreo Cookie Milkshake. As I think about it, it just makes me fat and for me at least, adding the extra calories is not God-honoring. It's just a small expenditure, but its not really God honoring. It's choosing the second best route and there are ramifications. Enough milkshakes and I won't be able to fulfill God's plan for my life.

The second verse in Prov. 3 is verse 11. s My son, do not despise the Lord's disciplineor be weary of his reproof,12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,as t a father the son in whom he delights. (ESV)

It would be easy if discipline from the Lord came with a little note that said, "I did this, its for your own good" Signed God. But almost always discipline from the Lord comes through other people or circumstances that we can misinterpret or chalk up to another source.

I have been particularly chafing over a discipline in my life and only in the past month have I come to realize that I need to see my pain in the context of what God is doing in my life. God doesn't like to see me in pain, but knows that if I don't respond to discipline I'll be a spoiled brat in life.

If I'm ever going to get past being a bruised reed and smoldering wick, I must accept God's reproofs and allow him to work his perfect will in my life. Charles Stanley says, "God takes responsibility for a life fully devoted to him" I don't have to worry about the "others" who may be administering God's lessons in my life, God will take care of them. I just have to be willing to learn and grow with God.

Does God ever move away from us?

There is a common saying, "If you are a long way from God, who has moved?" The implication of that question is that God is always right there, and we move away. But that is not always the case. In many cases, we are the ones who move away from God, but, Psalm 138:6 says, "Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly,but the proud he knows from afar." NIV

If we are proud, God looks at us from afar. In a quick concordance look at humble, over and over it is contrasted with the proud. God takes an active role in assisting the humble and in opposing the proud.

This week a group of church planting leaders has been discussing how to help leaders from failing. One common consensus is that a humble leader will fail far less often and is much more open to being restored if he does fall.

Henri Nouwen noted that we need more leaders like Abraham Lincoln, a leader with equal parts of confidence and humility.

I love what Numbers 12:3 says, Num 12:3
(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)NIV

Moses messes up many times in his life, yet, God always comes back to use him again and again. When we are humble, God has good maleable raw material from which to mold His masterpiece. When we are proud, we are like dried up Play Dough, unshapeable in the master's hand. It's no wonder that God actively seeks to humble us.

If TLC ever interviews you, go see a psychologist immediately

Last night I looked up in the middle of a TLC program about people obsessing about their pets. I'm not crazy claimed a woman who had 150 outfits for her dog. Her husband said, "He has more clothes than I do." She brushed the dogs teeth, used TP on the dog, and protestations aside, was clearly crazy.

My daughter said, "If TLC ever asks you to be on their show, you need to see a counselor." $230 per week on cat food, 150 dog outfits, a monkey that goes everywhere and has matching outfits with his owner-- the thing that bothers me is when people care more about their pets than they do about people. Clearly something is wrong.

Pet's are many times easier than people to deal with because we are bigger and smarter and they come to us to have their needs filled. They allow us to be "like God" and "love" us back, as long as we meet their every need. Kids, spouses and neighbors require give and take and don't always respond the way we want. When we play God with them, they usually walk out on us. It's harder.

But, Jesus didn't say, "I came to seek and to save those dogs who were lost" He came to seek and save people! To the lady who spends $230 per week on 11 cats, I say, spend $30 on regular cat food, and help bunches of others people with the difference. To the woman who buys more for her dog than for her husband, I say, get it right! Love your husband more than your dog.

Flapping Wings and Hissing Geese pt. 2

As bruised reeds and smouldering wicks we often feel intimidated. It seems like there is always someone around bigger or bad-er or meaner than we are. I remember as a senior in high school, and one of the bigger guys on the football team feeling pretty good about myself, until I met one of the “Purple People Eaters” the front four for the Minnesota Vikings. As he shook my hand, I was engulfed in this monster appendage that dwarfed me. It is still one of those defining memorable moments of my youth.
Ps. 138:3 says, “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.” Yesterday I took a day for prayer. I have to confess my agnosticism as I started my day of prayer. The first thought was, “Does anything really happen when I pray?” I know we’re not supposed to voice those kinds of doubts in politically correct Christian circles, but sometimes I wonder if I’m talking only to myself.
I guess that’s where faith comes in. I continue to seek God’s face, even in the silent times, even when I’m intimidated by the huge things that face me, trusting in God to make good on the two promises of Psalms 138. “You made me bold and stouthearted”(v.4 ) and “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (v.8).
If you struggle with prayer, keep struggling. I promise I will. And someday, when we all see Jesus, we won’t have to talk to Him by faith. We will be face to face.

Flapping Wings and false fears

This afternoon I walked by a lake in the Sierras. 7 Canadian geese think they own a corner of the lake and are very territorial. I walked towards them to see what would happen. Sure enough they came charging at me, wings flapping, hissing and honking. Weighing 5 times as much as all of them put together, I stood my ground, and they still advanced. When I hissed at them, they hissed back and still advanced. I was beginning to get a little nervous.

I decided to mimic them and flapped my arms and hissed, they immediately turned around an began to go the other way. I stopped flapping and they stopped, although by now they were walking away from me keeping a distance. I flapped my arms again and they began to waddle quickly.

I began to think about some of the things I am intimidated by, people saying "No" to me. People thinking bad things about me, people blustering at me to get their own way. I've decided that like geese, many of these will go away if I'll just step forward and meet their flapping head on.

Satan is a liar. Peter says he is a roaring lion, making fierce noises to drive us into the teeth of other temptations. I say, From this point on, I'm going to stand up and confront my fears.

This is my Father's world

This morning, while driving to preach, I saw a motel advertisement stating, "Stay Green -- Stay Gaia". The implication is that Gaia and green go together. That is not the truth. As Christians we have been given stewardship of the world. If anyone is green it ought to be Christians.

I remember driving my father's car. You always had to make sure it didn't get dinged or scratched and you had to bring it home clean.

Our world, is really, our Father's world. He created it, is going to remake it, and in between, he has left it in the hands of the human race to take care of it. We are not given license to pillage and pollute. But rather are given permission to live and prosper in it.

It is time that Christians take the initiative to say, Go Green and Go Godly!

Connectedness

I just watched the following link on YouTube. It makes me realize how connected we are.

When Jesus prayed for Unity in his body, it meant the Apostle Paul had to sail, walk and struggle to be with other Christians in other places. Now, we can be connected at the click of a mouse.

The message of the song is, we all need someone to stand by us. This morning, why not reach out and touch somebody and tell them that you love them and are standing by them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM&eurl=http://endlessknots.netage.com/endlessknots/collaboration/&feature=player_embedded

It's what comes after the comma

Listening to some sports talk on TV about the steroid scandal, I heard Mike Greenberg say, that keeping your name and reputation clean is of huge importance. I liked his quote, "It's what comes after the comma, that determines your reputation."

I like that thinking. Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches;to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." NIV

What do you want after the comma behind your name?

I look at Scripture and see several descriptions that I would like to see after my name.

• David, a man after God's own heart
• Abraham, a friend of God
• John, the disciple whom Jesus loved

There's also some I wouldn't want.

• Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus
• Demas, who deserted me

Currently, there is a big push towards personal branding. It's our attempt to control what's after the comma. But the reality is, others will fill in the blank after the comma. They ultimately decide how we will be known.

There are probably several audiences that will write the phrase that comes after your name.

• Your spouse will write one phrase.
• Your children will write another.
• Your boss or employees will write still another.
• Your friends will write something different that describes your relationship

Most importantly, God will write the only phrase after your name that really counts. The one I want after my name is: Marcus Bigelow, good and faithful servant.

Share your Stories

This Sunday I listened to a sermon in which the preacher shared the incredibly heart-rending story of how his daughter had been killed in an auto accident on the way to church and how that had been used of God to change the lives of so many.

I realized that everyone who reads my blog has stories of places where they have been bruised and broken but not snuffed out.

I would love for you to share your stories of brokenness. Some of them, with your permission, might be useful for my book. If you will respond and let me know of your stories, I will treat them as precious. David says of God Ps 56:8You have taken account of my wanderings;Put my tears in Your bottle.Are they not in Your book? NASU

If you don't mind them being shared, please indicate. Otherwise, all responses will be treated as confidential.

Life Joy

I have been reading the Beatitudes everyday for the past week. Today I read from the Amplified Bible. Notice their translation of "Blessed"

Matt 5:3
3 Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous — with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!AMP

That phrase "life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions" really caught my attention. I am far too swayed by my physical health, tired-ness, amount of adrenalin I have expended, how people look at me, or by how much money is or isn't in my account, etc..

When I was in India, I had the chance to preach in a small village. The worship team, 7 or 8 older men, all of whom had been beaten and threatened with death, lead vibrant worship with dancing and praises. Their scars from beatings were overcome by the joy that broke through onto their beaming faces. Though poor and having worked a full day (10-12 hours not 8) their circumstances didn't determine their response to Jesus.

I am humbled. I commit myself to being poor in spirit , considering myself as second this week, praying that life-joy will suffuse my being and radiate to those around.

The Joys of a small wedding

Last week, my daughter got married in our backyard. Over the past 4 years as a missionary she has become increasingly un-enamored by American excess in almost everything we do. So, she wanted a simple wedding with a few close friends and family around her.

At first, her mom and I felt like she would be missing too many things, she wanted no attendants, no cake, no processional, no recessional, no professional photographer, no professional musicians, no catered dinner. We kept saying, we can afford it, she kept saying, "It's not about the money".

I have to confess it was one of the most wonderful weddings I've ever been to. The atmosphere was relaxed. The bride and groom greeted each guest as they arrived, walked among them visiting and when it was time, they stood up in front of the people. Both of Anna's grandfathers had a part, they exchanged vows, Jonathan (her husband) sang to her, they exchanged rings and then invited everyone to sit down to sandwiches and ice cream from Anna's childhood favorite ice cream place, Leatherby's. People visited and laughed and ate for 2 hours, people came back for thirds of ice cream, family helped clean up and by 8:30 that evening, the couple was on their way to their honeymoon, without stress and without exhaustion.

As I think about this a week later, the words that come to mind are joy, friends, wonderful, family, God, closeness, gratitude.

It was all a wedding should be. An added benefit, I'm not in debt up to my neck, so we are able to share more with them on their mission.

I'm wondering how many other things I could simplify in my life!

I've Arrived

Last night, on the way home from work, I saw a brand new sports car driven by a 35 year old with the license plate frame, "I've Arrived". It struck me as bad on a number of levels.

It struck me first as arrogant. If you have to flaunt it and tell the world you've arrived, you really haven't arrived at any place very important.

I then thought about how sad it was that at 35 this person had reached his destination. What now? At 35 is there no place left to go, is there no adventure left?

And then I thought, "How does he know?" My experience has been that when I think I've finally made it, God has another place for me to go or person to love.

Finally, I thought, "How short sighted!" As a Christ follower, I won't have arrived until I arrive in heaven to bask in the glory of God. Until Jesus says, "Well done, you good and faithful servant!" I won't have arrived.

Until then, I'll drive my perfectly fine 8 year old car, with no license plate frame and follow Jesus by faith. I also pray that someday I'll get a chance to talk to introduce that person to Jesus Christ and the joy of the journey.

Accountability

I have an accountability partner and thus am interested in accountability questions. Ed Stetzer at edstetzer.com on July 17 had a good article about accountability groups.

Here is one list of questions, attributed to Chuck Swindoll. I think that every Stadia planter should be in an accountability relationship. Try these on:

Chuck Swindoll's Pastoral Accountability Questions:
In his book, The Body, Chuck Colson lists the questions used by Chuck Swindoll.
1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me?

Finishing Well

Bobby Clinton, no relation to Billy Clinton, has done some of the most important work on leadership in the Christian realm. This past week I have spent time with his Leadership Commentary. He concludes based upon years of study, that in the Bible of the 50 leaders for whom we have extensive data, only 1 in 3 finished well. In his study of 1300 other contemporary leaders, he concludes that the ratio continues or is even less.

Here is a link to his study on Finishing Well. http://www.bobbyclinton.com/articles/downloads/3FinishWellArticles.pdf

I would highly recommend.

Father's Day

I'm preaching for Father's Day this year. It's been awhile since I had the chance to preach for Father's Day, but the needs and the blessings still remain.

Recently I have been struck by how many people have issues with their fathers. I'm even more struck by how those issues translate to the succeeding generations. So, I've been re-reading The Blessing, John Trent.

Here's an excerpt that I think is so appropriate for those who didn't have warm fathers.

Affection from Dad is as influential and lasting as affection from Mom, according to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Children who receive physical affection and warmth are apt to have closer marriages and friendships, better mental health, and greater work success.

So, if you are a bruised reed in the Father department, take time this year to be warm and affectionate with your children.

Rein me in and reign in me

This phrase came to me this morning as I was praying. I was thinking about how I love to pray the prayer of Jabez, enlarge my territory, but hate to be reined in. I love unfettered freedom to pursue whatever activity I may desire, but chafe at discipline to go in a direction that the Lord may want me to go.

In the abstract, I always want to do God's will. In the particulars I find it hard to stay focused on His will.

I watched a leader who had several assistants who waited until he needed something and then were instantly there to carry out his directive. While, I'm not sure I like that leadership style, I wish I had the attitude of those assistants. I wish I was more interruptible to carry out the directives of my Lord. So, I pray today, “ Lord, rein me in and reign in me.”

I am convinced until I am willing to be reined in and under His control that He will never reign in me.

Changes at Stadia

A message from Marcus Bigelow

It was almost 3 years ago that I temporarily resumed the duties of Stadia West Director in addition to being President-at-Large of Stadia. At the time, it was very necessary to restore confidence and order to Stadia West. Over this period, mostly due to the efforts of our Church Planting Networks, Network Coaches and staff, Stadia West has been able to not only stabilize but to gain momentum.

In the face of the largest recession this country has faced in our lifetimes, we have a balanced budget and are scheduled to plant as many as 14 churches this year. We are also projecting a balanced budget for the 3rd year in a row.

During the past year, I have been compensated for 75% of my time as President at Large and 25% as Stadia West Director. During this time, David Limiero has moved from 25% time as an associate director of Stadia West to 80% as associate director. He has been doing on-the-job training leading to becoming Stadia West Director on January 1, 2010.

Recently the leadership of Stadia, including myself, felt that it was necessary to accelerate this process due to duties that I needed to assume in the National arena. I also felt that David would bring more to Stadia West as Director than I could currently give. So, a decision has been made to move David Limiero to Stadia West Director effective on May 15.

I will remain with Stadia as President at large. My duties will primarily revolve around leading Stadia church planting nationally, recruiting partners for networks, recruiting planters for both East and West, raising funds to move us forward to the next level, and assisting West, East and International departments as needed.

What does this mean?
1. Beginning on Friday, May 15, all things Stadia West that used to come to me will now go to David Limiero. He can be reached at dlimiero@stadia.cc or at (661) 735-4568.2. David will be 80% Stadia West and 20% Life Journey Christian Church in Bakersfield until a successor can be found for Life Journey. 3. The offices will remain in Rocklin. You can still reach the rest of our staff in the same way.4. I will still be maintaining an office in Rocklin as well and my contact info will remain the same.

I move to my new duties with confidence that Stadia West is as strong as it has ever been and will be stronger under David’s leadership than it has been before. David brings a skill set of both visionary and implementation skills that I do not possess. It is not often that one can choose and train his successor. As such I have complete confidence that David is the right person to lead Stadia West.

I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life. Even in the past week, new vistas have opened up that I had not imagined. It is still my dream that Stadia will plant thousands of new churches affecting the lives of millions of people. Over 90% of the churches in the US are still not actively involved in church planting . Imagine what would happen if 10% more became involved in the next decade.

So, please join me in welcoming and supporting David Limiero as he assumes the leadership of Stadia West.
A message from Marcus Bigelow

It was almost 3 years ago that I temporarily resumed the duties of Stadia West Director in addition to being President-at-Large of Stadia. At the time, it was very necessary to restore confidence and order to Stadia West. Over this period, mostly due to the efforts of our Church Planting Networks, Network Coaches and staff, Stadia West has been able to not only stabilize but to gain momentum.

In the face of the largest recession this country has faced in our lifetimes, we have a balanced budget and are scheduled to plant as many as 14 churches this year. We are also projecting a balanced budget for the 3rd year in a row.

During the past year, I have been compensated for 75% of my time as President at Large and 25% as Stadia West Director. During this time, David Limiero has moved from 25% time as an associate director of Stadia West to 80% as associate director. He has been doing on-the-job training leading to becoming Stadia West Director on January 1, 2010.

Recently the leadership of Stadia, including myself, felt that it was necessary to accelerate this process due to duties that I needed to assume in the National arena. I also felt that David would bring more to Stadia West as Director than I could currently give. So, a decision has been made to move David Limiero to Stadia West Director effective on May 15.

I will remain with Stadia as President at large. My duties will primarily revolve around leading Stadia church planting nationally, recruiting partners for networks, recruiting planters for both East and West, raising funds to move us forward to the next level, and assisting West, East and International departments as needed.

What does this mean?
1. Beginning on Friday, May 15, all things Stadia West that used to come to me will now go to David Limiero. He can be reached at dlimiero@stadia.cc or at (661) 735-4568.2. David will be 80% Stadia West and 20% Life Journey Christian Church in Bakersfield until a successor can be found for Life Journey. 3. The offices will remain in Rocklin. You can still reach the rest of our staff in the same way.4. I will still be maintaining an office in Rocklin as well and my contact info will remain the same.

I move to my new duties with confidence that Stadia West is as strong as it has ever been and will be stronger under David’s leadership than it has been before. David brings a skill set of both visionary and implementation skills that I do not possess. It is not often that one can choose and train his successor. As such I have complete confidence that David is the right person to lead Stadia West.

I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life. Even in the past week, new vistas have opened up that I had not imagined. It is still my dream that Stadia will plant thousands of new churches affecting the lives of millions of people. Over 90% of the churches in the US are still not actively involved in church planting . Imagine what would happen if 10% more became involved in the next decade.

So, please join me in welcoming and supporting David Limiero as he assumes the leadership of Stadia West.

Forgiveness

I've been reading 1 and 2 Chronicles this past couple of weeks and a verse jumped out at me.

2 Chron 30:18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God — the Lord, the God of his fathers — even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. NIV

What really struck me was the phrase, "May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God." And the Lord heard Hezekiah!

These people had broken the rules-- they ate the Passover without purifying themselves in an eagerness to seek God. Instead of saying, "You're not doing it right", Hezekiah seeks grace from the face of God.

Too many stand as gatekeepers to the fellowship of the saints saying, "You're doing it wrong" rather than praying for the grace of God to be shed on the eager believers.

Suffering and Jesus

This is from the Joel International Newsletter.

It's often in the midst of suffering that people find God, and sometimes God even uses terrorists for the good. This week in our regular edition we published the stories of two people who were kidnapped by notorious FARC terrorists in Colombia. They spent six years in the jungle under humiliating circumstances. But Jesus met them right there.
American Marc Gonsalves recalls that he didn't expect to survive captivity until he felt God's presence in the midst of a life-threatening bomb attack by Colombian military jets. "I was physically shaking, and I just called out to God to protect us," he said. "The next morning I woke up and I felt different." A Colombian hostage gave him a Bible, which he often read and discussed with fellow hostage French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt. After her release last year Betancourt said: "Without Jesus at my side I would never have managed to survive the pain. Being a hostage places you in a situation of constant humiliation... faced with this you can either allow yourself to become ugly and bitter, filled with hate and vindictiveness, or you follow the other path, that is shown by Jesus, who said 'bless your enemies'." Both captives consider their release a miracle.

Newsweek, Revival and 2 Chronicles

I'm reading 2 Chronicles this week. I've also read the Newsweek article on America not being a Christian nation. Here's some thoughts.

1.Nations fall away and repent and fall away and repent. Israel with more rapidity than the US. They could repent and by the end of a king's reign have fallen away again.

2. It has happened several times in American history. If Strauch and Howe, Generations, are to be trusted, and I think they are, this is not the worst time in American history. There are at least 4 other times when we were less godly than now.

3. James Orr in his history of revivals in America documents: "Take the liberal arts colleges at that time. A poll taken at Harvard had discovered not one believer in the whole student body. They took a poll at Princeton, a much more evangelical place, where they discovered only two believers in the student body, and only five that did not belong to the filthy speech movement of that day. Students rioted. They held a mock communion at Williams College, and they put on anti-christian plays at Dartmouth. They burned down the Nassau Hall at Princeton. They forced the resignation of the president of Harvard. They took a Bible out of a local Presbyterian church in New Jersey, and they burnt it in a public bonfire. Christians were so few on campus in the 1790's that they met in secret, like a communist cell, and kept their minutes in code so that no one would know.

4. Out of moral decay and despair comes revival. When the only place to turn is to God, we eventually wake up.

5. Even if America goes away from God, God is still on his throne and will save.

Nancy Ortburg

"If the ceiling on the gospel in your church is you, we might as well all go home." We to recruit others better than ourselves to lead with us from in front of us when we can find them.

Where is God when I'm Scared

I'm having my quiet time with Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato and two of my grandsons. They (Bob and Larry) have a tremendous video out (if you don't have kids or grandkids you may not be familiar with Veggie Tales) that deals with fear management. It's called "Where is God when I'm Scared".

The lead song is "God is bigger than the boogeyman and he's watching out for you and me."

When it comes to fear managment and walking by faith, that just about says it all. "Out of the mouth of babes . . ."

What is the boogeyman that you need to turn over to God today?

Fear and Faith

I attended a great retreat last week with a dozen wonderful church planters. My sense, again, is that leadership is all about fear management. When we walk by faith we are either walking into the unknown (which we all dislike doing) or into something that we know includes risk.

The beginning point of fear management is to identify of what we are afraid. This may be harder than it first appears. As in sales, the easiest identified fear may not really be the real reason we are afraid. The reason for this being that if we solve a psuedo-fear, we can still harbor our real fear (sounds kind of strange doesn't it) and still keep in reserve a good reason to not walk by faith.

Being honest with ourselves about what we really fear is often embarassing. We think more loftily of ourselves, but most of us have garden variety fears--failure, embarassment, fear of pain, fear of consequences, fear of ridicule. The old playground wisdom, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me" is totally false, even though we wish it were true.

Seth Godin in Tribes paraphrases the Peter Principle as leaders rise to their level of their willingness to assume risk.

Every leader is afraid. Good leaders identify their fears, lay them before God, and continue walking forward anyway by faith.

Heb 13:9 "It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, . . ."NIV

Good saying

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

Heard it this morning on a Zen sportstalk radio (it's Northern California--give me a break).

Years ago, Dr. Bryce Jessup, after one of my wild-eyed vision talks, gently said to me, "What is your plan?" "A vision without a plan is only a pipe dream." Those words have served me well.

Vision casting and more importantly, vision fulfillment always requires hard work, sacrifice, commitment and dying to self.

For church planters, it's often easy to have vision. I often must be reminded to count the cost before I start building the tower. By disciplining myself,(which is not as common as I'd like, I am able to avoid vision-hopping. When I don't I find myself jumping from one dream to another and nothing gets accomplished except frustrating those around me.

Tribes

I've been reading Tribes, by Seth Godin. I'm a big fan of Seth, I like what he writes. I also like most of Tribes. If it is read in the vein of servant leadership it can help change the face of the church for the better. If it is read in a spirit of self-centeredness, what can I get, then I'm afraid of some of his followers.

And that is the crux of the matter. Many times followers of authors or disciples of leaders, take the themes to extremes.

I have watched this past couple of years, from very close proximity, 6 or more church coups. It seems that the spirit of Absalom is alive and flourishing in our culture. I will grant that there are some old guys (my age) who have decided to hang on rather than grow. But the tragic part is that always there are people lost to the Kingdom of Christ by the strife that happens.

For the next week, I am going to reflect on Tribes. I encourage your dialogue because I'm not always the most critical reader.

In the meantime, I suggest reading one chapter of Philippians for every chapter of Tribes.