Archive for the ‘Church Life’ Category

Jan
07
2011

Friday Five – Ron Edmondson

One of the steepest learning curves for a young person is in the area of leadership. Whether you’re in ministry, in management, customer service or any job, inevitably you’re managing people. And while you may have exceptional skills in one particular field, chances are, you can use some wisdom on leadership. At least I know I do. That’s why I try to read books and articles, attend workshops, and consult with leaders.

One of the more popular leadership guys online is Ron Edmondson. What’s great about Ron is that he has wide experience both in the business world and in the ministry. His blog: Ronedmondson.com is a widely read blog on leadership and 32,000 plus read his Tweets on Twitter. He is the teaching pastor at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Ron was kind enough to take time to stop by the blog for today’s Friday Five:

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Dec
23
2010

Why I Get Excited on Christmas

Are you excited, yet, about Christmas? Can you feel the anticipation? Okay, so many of you are busy, harried, and hurried. And maybe a few of you are upset about the “commercialization of Christmas.” But, for what it’s worth, I love this time of year.

Yes, I know that much of it is consumed with shopping and stuff. But, isn’t it awesome that the entire world stops and focuses on the story of the incarnation? Okay, maybe most people aren’t thinking of the theology or even the baby, but the fact that this holiday is here because of the birth of Jesus is pretty cool. Millions of unchurched people around the world will fill pews on Christmas Eve and have a chance to hear why Jesus came.

Plus, there is a certain warmth to this season, even its non-Christian elements. I love the music of the season, I love the traditions, the family together-ness, and yes, the food. It’s as if, for a couple of weeks, the world stops all of its craziness and says, “Let’s have a good time.” I like that the fact that every single year, no matter what happened during the year, we still have Christmas.

And all of this happens, because 2,000 plus years ago, on an otherwise obscure night in a little backwater town named Bethlehem, a child was born. Not just any child, but the Christ child. At that time, nobody stopped what they were doing. There were no holidays, traditions, or anything marked off. But out of that humble birth came the greatest story, a story so rich and so powerful that it draws you in. If anything tells you about the character of God, it is His willingness to come and be vulnerable, to humble Himself as a precious, fragile baby born into a common home to ordinary parents.

That’s why I’m excited about Christmas. It’s the chance to invite the world into the story of Jesus and discover Him a little more, to go deeper and understand what the gospel message is about.

Dec
08
2010

How I Preach

Two and a half years ago, my wife and I moved to Gages Lake Bible Church, where I was called as the Senior Pastor. This was my first time doing any major preaching, though I had graduated with a degree in pastoral ministry and had spoken in church and in Sunday School and small group settings periodically. So, obviously, preaching every single week was a new thing for me. It was a new thing I enjoyed immensely and still enjoy. There is nothing as invigorating, humbling, and wonderful as the mysterious calling to preach. I love the study, love the prep, and love the delivery. I love all parts of preaching.

But even though I love preaching and loved studying and had a degree in pastoral ministry, didn’t mean I was comfortable preaching right away. In fact, it took me a good six-to-eight months to get my legs under me. I had a few issues going in.

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Dec
01
2010

Christians and the War on Christmas

Thanksgiving was last week, which means we’re two weeks into the Christmas season. Feels like we’re starting Christmas sooner and sooner aren’t we? I think next year everyone will just dress up like Santa at Halloween and start in October.

Count me as someone who loves the Christmas season. I just love that in 2010, in a world messed up by evil, sin, and violence, we still stop to mark a holiday that celebrates the incarnation of Jesus Christ into the world.

There are certain things we can expect during the Christmas season.

Every other neighbor having better decorations.

Tins of sugar cookies and popcorn.

Really cool pageants by churches.

Christmas specials.

Gifts.

Lots of shopping and unneeded stress.

Pastors saying 1,000 times, “The real meaning of Christmas is . . .”

Churches and Christians doing toy drives and other outreaches to help the community.

Wall-to-wall Christmas music in every store and on every radio station.

No actual work getting done the last two week of December.

Christian and conservative organizations getting all hysterical about “The War on Christmas.”

Okay, I want to camp out there for a bit. In the last few years, it seems Christian organizations, Fox News, and some politicians use this opportunity to get all fired up about the seeming attempt to marginalize Christianity from Christmas.

Now I will admit there is a movement on the leftwing of this country to eliminate Christianity from the public sphere. There have been legal attempts to take down nativity scenes, crosses, etc from public displays. I hate this. Everyone hates this, and its silly.

But we Christians can also be silly about this as well, can’t we? Is it really a war on Christmas if a tired Walmart worker says Season’s Greetings? Do we really have to stomp around and demand that Walgreen’s says, “Merry Christmas.”

Christians hold the greatest story in the world, the story of God’s love for mankind, the redemption of His own people through the miraculous entrance of God into the world as a baby. Christmas is the time for us to lovingly tell our story, how the real story of Christmas, the heart of the Gospel, has the power to radically transform.

This is a story that is not so fragile that it must be affirmed by greeters at Walmart saying Merry Christmas. Honestly, why are we so sensitive. Rather than whining about the War on Christmas, let’s get out there and share the Good News of Christmas.

Maybe, then, people who work to push Christianity out of the public sphere might embrace it.

And then, yes, you might hear people at the store saying, “Merry Christmas.”

Nov
17
2010

On Criticism

One of the hardest things for a Christian to do is accept criticism. I should know, because I typically flinch at criticism. Immediately my defenses go up and I’m ready to lash out at the critics. But this is always the wrong approach.

After all, we’re Christians and we should be, as James 1:19 instructs, swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Even the most biting criticism has an element of truth that can help.

I think this is especially true for those in levels of leadership. I wanted to share a few points about criticism and leadership that I’m learning:

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Nov
16
2010

Young and Young Earth

If you’re a thinking, young evangelical, it is just assumed that you’re not a young-earth creationist. Young earthers believe that the account in Genesis is not allegory, nor do they believe that each day represents a time period. They believe six days mean six days.

But, I’m thirty-two, grew up in the church, and guess what? I’m still a young-earth creationist. And I felt compelled to write this post, because young-earthers are getting beat up and bloodied in the evangelical world. So I thought I’d clear up a few myths that more progressive evangelicals have of young earth creationists.

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Nov
04
2010

Unsolicited Advice for the New House Majority

Rep. John Boehner, Rep. Mike Pencephoto © 2009 republicanconference | more info(via: Wylio) So, another election and this time, the Republicans are the victors. And many evangelicals are doing happy dances all across the country, mainly because this was more of a conservative victory than a Republican one. The question now becomes, what do we do now? Campaigning is more fun and much easier than governing. Now the hard part, the real work begins.

Nobody in new speaker, John Boehner’s office is soliciting my advice, nor should they. But, if they were, this is what I would tell the new Republican leadership:

1) Lead firmly, but humbly. It’s only been a couple of days since their victory, so we’re not sure how Speaker-elect Boehner will lead, but I like what I’ve seen so far in that he’s been humble. He realizes the country isn’t just beside themselves in love with Republicans or even conservatives. They have a job to do. I would urge them to lead humbly, to listen to the other side, and to not act as if they have all the answers and are the smartest guys in the room.

2) Lower expectations. Part of the problem on both sides is that the most fervent supporters put all their hopes and dreams into one election. After all, we’ve been told every two to four years that “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” I regularly have to do Biblical therapy on Christians after an election doesn’t go our way, reminding them that, yes, God is still in control and largely, no matter who wins, we live in the safest, freest, most prosperous country in history. So if Christians in Rome could live under Nero, we can live even if the party of choice doesn’t win. I would urge Republicans in the lead in the house to lower expectations. Everything that conservatives want to see changed won’t happen in six months.

3) Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t get bogged down in petty disputes. Don’t find nitpicky ways to defeat the President. Don’t latch onto made-up, talk-radio, cable-news, Internet controversies. Focus on the issues that elected you by seeking measurable progress on lowering the deficit, promoting job creation, creating a culture of life, encouraging a responsible foreign policy.

4) Politics is the art of the possible. Yes, the American people voted in Republicans in a historic way. But, don’t lose sight that our country is largely split 50/50. I believe we’re a center-right nation, in that we’re largely down the middle and lean to the right. But remember there is a whole other side that has their ideological beliefs. Which means you won’t get all you want. You’ll have to compromise and get what you can. Half a loaf is better than no loaf at all.

5) Beware the corrupting influence of power. Many idealistic, well-intentioned believers go to Congress and end up getting drunk with power. I’ve seen and heard of good, evangelical Christians succumb to the power games, lose their marriages, and seek to rule their own little Kingdoms. Realize that you are there to serve, you are there for a purpose, you are there because God has sovereignly placed you in leadership. Lead wisely, humbly, firmly.

6) Remember, He’s God, You’re Not. Remember that God is ultimately in charge of world events. Psalms 75:6 says that promotion comes from neither the east or the west, but from God. And we’ve seen, just in the last few years, how quickly the political currents change. Two years ago, President Obama was on top of the world. Now his approval ratings have sunk. In 2001, post 9/11 and again in 2004, post re-election, President Bush was hugely popular. People were speaking of a “permanent Republican majority.” Then two years later, President Bush was highly unpopular. People are fickle. Fortunes change. Don’t get cocky. Stay grounded and do the work you were called to do.

Oct
12
2010

Kids These Days . . . .

In the last month or so, I’ve had a chance to speak to a few different groups of Christian teens, from Christian school kids, to home-schooled kids, to groups of youth group/public schooled Christian kids. I have to say that while the settings were vastly different, there is a theme that emerged for me that I must write about.

The next generation will be fine.

I know that runs counter to the scary stuff Barna continually churns out about how the next generation is going to fall into the sea spiritually, because we haven’t trained them right. I know my experience is of a very small sample size, its anecdotale, etc.

And yet I wonder if we evangelicals just like to worry. We worry that we’re not teaching our kids enough of the Bible. We worry that culture will grab them by the soul and keep them from God. We worry that they won’t have the intestinal fortitude to step up and defend Christianity.

I know we worry, because I worry. I’m a pastor. I’m a father of three. I’m an observer of the church and of culture.

But I wonder if some of our worry is a bit of old-fashioned pride. Are we becoming like our parents, who probably sat around saying, “This generation . . .”?

Every group of Christian teens I’ve been with has surprised me by their passion for God–a passion that was far more real and heartfelt than I have felt from similar groups of Christian adults. They surprised me with their knowledge of the Bible. They surprised me with their desire to serve humbly, to learn, to take notes of older generations.

I was deeply encouraged. It reminded me of God’s faithfulness. The truth is that God raises up leaders in every generation. God is building the church in every generation until He comes back. And kingdom-building isn’t dependent on our skill, our particular poll-tested methods. It’s dependent on God, who through the Spirit is working in the hearts of His people.

So, parents, pastors, youth pastors, influencers–work hard at passing on your faith, don’t assume your kids will know God by osmosis. Be concerned. But, in the end, know that while we are parenting, discipling, training our kids, so is God. And from what I have seen, God is doing a grand job.

I’m hopeful about the next generation. I believe in them.