Dreaming Big in 2010!

I love celebrating the New Year- I have ever since I was a little kid. The chance to reflect on the past year, the prospect of new beginnings, and the potential of the coming year all come together to create a very unique and special time of the year. As a Jesus-lover, I think that the celebration of the New Year can be a very powerful time in the believer's life.

The normal way to express this would be to talk about the various sins that you would like to conquer through Christ's grace this next year or the various spiritual disciplines that you would like to put on this next year. Both of these things are great and life-giving- even possibly life-changing! But what I want to challenge you with this morning is a simple exhortation for the new year: Dream Big!

Let your imagination run completely wild with what God might accomplish in and through you during this next year! If there is one thing we can learn from our sacred Scriptures, it is that God seemingly relishes the chance to flex his muscles and display his glory beyond our wildest dreams. So I am dreaming. And I am dreaming big. I am dreaming about a new year with an unimaginable closeness to Christ. I am dreaming about a year in which Christ works in a ridiculously powerful way through Fc3. I am dreaming about a larger speaking ministry which would allow Christ to reach more people through me.

What have you been afraid to imagine? Are you dreaming big for 2010? Comment and share!

10 Things That Increase My Love for Christ: #6- Praying with Friends

In case you have forgotten the premise of this series- I am unpacking 10 of the things that historically stir up my affections for Jesus. I’ve talked so far about music, sermons, ministry, books, and even sleeping- but today I want to talk about a communal act that almost always increases the amount of joy I have in Christ: praying with dear friends.

I first experienced the power of corporate (2+) prayer when I was a new Christian in high school and would pray in the mornings with a teacher/mentor of mine, Tony Slate. Up until that point, my few attempts at praying throughout my life had always been individually- but there is something deep and stirring that occurs when you approach the throne of God with a loved brother or sister in Christ.

Not only am I personally benefited by the act of praying with a friend, but I have found that it is an incredibly effective community-builder. Deep relationships and committed friendships often have hours of prayer in the foundation. My encouragement to you: Pray with your family or friends this week! Seek Christ together- the journey will be richer and more fulfilling!

I'm back and better than ever!!

Hey friends!

Like Zechariah after the angle Gabriel sealed his mouth shut- I have had some time away from this blog to gather my thoughts, focus on Fc3 stuff, and finish a tough semester. But, I am back- and plan on finishing my series about the 10 things that increase my love for Christ!

Also coming in the future- some thoughts on my future sermon series at Fc3! Pictures of my awesome new apartment! Exciting plans for the summer (exotic traveling!!)!!!

Thanks for waiting for me. Love you all, my readers.

Mike

10 Things That Increase My Love for Christ: #5- Memoirs & Biographies

I am a book worm- I love reading. I am also a super fast reader and can somehow read one or two hundred pages a day and still retain a good portion of what I read. By far one of my favorite genres of literature is the “Memoir & Biography” category of books. I love reading about adventures, hardships, the lives of men and women who love Christ, and even the lives of men and women who don’t love Christ.

I will highlight three that I have recently read and enjoyed oh so much. The first is called “Churched” and is written by Matthew Paul Turner. Churched is Turner’s attempt to recount his childhood growing up in and out of fundamentalist Christianity. It is extremely funny and a great read. The second is one I just finished reading entitled “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls- a heartbreaking and warming tale of her childhood growing up in a dysfunctional family and with crazy (literally) parents. The third, one of the best books I have ever read, is entitled “Beautiful Boy” by David Scheff- a gripping narrative of his son’s struggle with a meth addiction and the havoc it caused in his family. One of the highest compliments I can give a book is by saying that some point in the book made me cry- I cried multiple times throughout Beautiful Boy.

There is something about reading stories of life, the good and bad, that stirs up my heart to follow Christ with everything I have. It makes me realize that we are all a little (or a lot!) dysfunctional and should nevertheless be pursuing a worthy story. Do you like Memoirs and Biographies? Any good ones you’d recommend??

The Untold Cost

In many ways, I feel that preaching/teaching regularly is very similar to being an artist. You are constantly expressing yourself, being transparent and vulnerable (if you are doing it right), and letting others enjoy just a snapshot of hours and hours of your work behind the scenes. In another sense, artists are typically defined by their music and career in much the same way that being a preacher is someone you are more than something you do.

Isaac Slade, the front man for The Fray, expressed his thoughts on the life of an artist in an interview for “Fair Fight”- a documentary included in some versions of their latest album. His words have proven very true in my own life and my heart resonates with them completely.

“You set out to do something- weigh the risks, how much it is going to cost, and what it is going to require of you. If that is something you can afford then you go for it. At the beginning of this, I guessed what it was going to be like, how hard it would be, and I thought it would be worth it and ran after it. It has cost a lot more than I thought it would- personally, relationally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. It is way more draining than anyone ever told me it would be. I definitely get the sense that those people in visible situations that are far more famous than us are extremely lonely people. Most people do not have any idea what it costs- your constant transparency and vulnerability to people you’ve never met. All that to say, it is worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Hard Choices

Four years ago, during my senior year of high school, I started attending a Bible Study on Sunday nights that was led by my senior ‘Worldview and Apologetics’ teacher. This Bible Study was not like other ones- we went straight through Scripture and seemingly tackled every issue that the text raised, afraid of no hard truths. I loved it and went regularly for over two years while Chris, the leader, slowly trained me to lead it without him.

By the time I became the Youth Pastor at First Colony Christian Church (January of ’08) I was leading the group by myself, though we still met at Chris’ house. I named the group “Collide”- a place where Scripture, honesty, and fun meet and collide with each other. Over the years we have studied the book of Revelation, Acts (the longest study ever), Luke, Romans (2x), Hebrews, and even Ezekiel.

When I was promoted to Pastor at Fc3 and my good friend Adam was made Youth Pastor, I began training him in much the same way that Chris did to me. A little less than a year later, I have now completely removed myself from the group. This past Sunday was my last Sunday, for two reasons: 1) I am way overcommitted with other obligations and 2) Adam is ready to lead the group by himself.

Many of my favorite memories over the past few years come from my time spent at Collide, every Sunday night from 6-8. I have also seen God do so many cool things in my own life and the life of the youth that attend. I have invested lots of time and prayer into many of these youth and it is, and will be, hard to step back. But, sometimes we have to make hard choices in order to be able to fully commit ourselves to what God has entrusted to us. Made any hard decisions lately? Do you need to make any?

Poetic Thursday

I am a big fan of poetry, particularly when it is so wonderfully couched in appropriate music. Here is one of my all-time favorite poems (songs) by the great band The Fray off their recent self-titled album.

Happiness

Happiness is just outside my window
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?

Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can’t make it come or go
But you are gone- not for good but for now
Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good

Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never mine to hold
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
‘Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks

Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself, that’s enough for now
Happiness has a violent roar

Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you’ll never find it all
Let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she’ll be home
Home, home, home

You can find a great live version of it on Youtube here. Enjoy!

Thoughts??