The Process...

We are in the middle of renovating the space of our new church building. The past two nights we have been cleaning up messes only to make more messes. If you only evalutate progress on the amount of chaos you see at the end of your time, you can become very discouraged thinking that you will never again get to a point where things look atleast presentable. However, if you take into consideration that projects are like this (mess, clean, mess clean) then you can keep the end result in mind (masterpiece).

Life is a lot like this, especially on the Christian journey. We come to Christ broken and in pieces, because of His redeeming power He puts us back together. Then as we fall deeper in love with Him; He starts breaking old parts of us off, leaving shattered pieces on the floor and restoring and strengthening us in being more whole, more like Him.

This process (mess, clean, mess, clean) will continue everyday until we reach the throne room of the Almighty.

What a beautiful mess we are when we are being restored by the love of Christ.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Great Verse I Read Today

"Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for He who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."
---Romans 13:8

We are a nation of people who understand the concept of debt. We run up debt on the dumbest things (me included). We buy clothes we can't afford, houses that are too big, cars that more new than last years model. We are a people drowning in the debt of keeping up with the Jones'. If we have learned anything from the current economic crisis it should be that our priorities are way out of whack. I love the Proverb that says "The borrower is a slave to the lender."

Paul's words strike as both guide and chastiser. When was the last time you tried to pay your debt of love to another? When was the last time you found your need to show love without an agenda more important that anything else you do?

Jesus summed up the people we are to become when He said "Love God with all you heart and with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself."

Let us, if only for one day, let love guide and be the overwhelming motivator in our lives.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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I'm Going On Blogcation For The Week

It's cold outside, Christmas is coming and I am thinking this would be a great week to go on Blogcation. If this sends you over the edge I suggest you 1. pick up a new hobby. 2. Read the old posts of greatness.

I will see ya next Tuesday.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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4 Prayers For Merge Community Church (Prayer 4)

"Father, make our hearts as one."

Unity is vital for a group of people to make any lasting impact in a community. If the organization, congregation or team can not work together toward a unified goal then they will inevitably struggle to get anywhere because each person will believe that their way is the best way.

Paul address our need to work together in 1 Cor. 12 when He describes the church as a body with Christ as the head. Though there are many parts we are called to work together for the reflection of God's glory.

At Merge I cam amazed by how many people we have with different gifts, this is why I believe we can accomplish much more together than we can apart. So my pray is that God would give us one unified burning desire in loving Him by loving people.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Four Prayers For Merge Community Church (Prayer Three)

"Father, let Your love be our love."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Four Prayers For Merge Community Church (Prayer Two)

"Father, let us seek Your will over our comfort."

Whoever sold you the idea that life with Jesus meant the elimination of pain and discomfort sold you a huge lie. However, we all buy into this mentality from time to time. Truth is, when examined, Jesus said some very specific things in regards to the discomfort of His followers. Especially, when it comes to the ones who were considered His disciples. What I take from His warnings to them is that the closer we draw to God the more dangerous life with Him will become, not less.

We tend to evaluate life by how comfortable we are, when our comfort could be the most dangerous thing to us. Our comfort could quite possibly be killing our vitality and our influence that God is allowing us to have for His kingdom.

This is one of the reasons we planted in Lake Worth. It is filled with middle class families. One of the dangers of the middle class is the gospel of comfort. Work hard for the next vacation, the next car, the next house. (Usually all these things can be considered the bigger and well as next.)

Bottom Line: God did not send Jesus to provide you with lazy chair living. God sent Jesus to suffer the wrath created by our sin and to make possible an avenue for a relationship with Him. The sooner we realize that the discomfort we experience in our lives may actually be God working in our transformation process, the sooner we get to living life to the fullest.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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4 Prayers for Merge Community Church (Prayer One)

"Father, help us see the people of Lake Worth through Your eyes."

It is so easy to judge and evaluate people based on our prejudices', bias or our preferences. The sad thing is that we have a tendency to exclude people based on what we deem as their condition. I remember about this time last year when we were going public with our decision to plant a church in Lake Worth. Though people didn't say it with their lips, I saw it in their eyes. There confusion about why "anyone" would want to plant in Lake Worth showed their hand. They didn't see the people of Lake Worth as much of anything. They thought there were better areas, more financially abundant, more racial similar to us. However, I firmly believe that although their confusion may have been warranted, it wasn't God's plan for us.

I love Lake Worth and the people in it in ways that can only be expressed in a spiritual way. God has placed a burning and a burden inside my heart for the people in this community. I believe that God can break through to this city by breaking through us in love.

This is why I pray for our church that we would not see people through the lenses of our eyes. Rather see people through His eyes of love.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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When Your Decision Is Larger Than Your Ability (Part 4)...

I am sharing some thoughts about the process I am going through as I wrestle with decisions that are larger than what I feel my current ability is. Yesterday I wrote over facing the sometimes brutal facts, while still dreaming big.

Today I'm wrapping up these thoughts:

4. Embrace the fear that is created from your uncertainty.

Some of the greatest writing I have found over the subject of fear, courage and uncertainty is written by Andy Stanley in his book "The Next Generation Leader". I am currently rereading this book for about the 8th time.

There are some truths about fear that I am learning in a new light lately:
1. Fear will always drag your thoughts toward doom and gloom.
2. Fear will limit your vision if you continue to feed it.
3. Fear can both keep you from danger but also paralyze you from seeking safety.
4. Fear can be a proper motivator for change if you are able to handle it in a healthy way.

Some thoughts on uncertainty:
1. Everything is uncertain, we just come in and out of seasons when our awareness of this is more understood.
2. Uncertainty is not the absence of God's leading, He loves to work in the uncertainty so He can get the praise for the outcome.
3. Uncertainty and fear usually hang out with each other.
4. A leader has to face uncertainty with courage because courage is required when you are the only person on the dark road, leading the people who are following.

Bottom line: As leaders we have embrace fear in such a way that it begins to work as an asset for us and not a liability. As uncertainty rises around decisions that are needing to be made, you have to settle in on making the wisest decisions based on the current situation (a great book about this is "Profiles in Audacity"). If you can't get a handle on these two areas, you will not end up being a leader worth following for too long.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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When Your Decision Is Larger Than Your Ability (Part 3)...

I am sharing some thoughts about the process I am going through as I wrestle with decisions that are larger than what I feel my current ability is. Yesterday I wrote of how it is important to look surround yourself with different minds who share the same heart as you navigate through the uncertain waters.

Today I want to give you step 3 of the 4, I'm blogging about.

3. Face the sometimes brutal facts of your current situation, while still dreaming big.

One of a leaders challenges lies in the reality that they spend a good majority of their time thinking of issues and steps that lie only the future. Seeking a clear vision and having the courage to start walking in that direction is often a solo mission for the leader as he draws the necessary support.

The danger is that the leader can either live in a fantasy land void of the reality, or allow the good (but mostly the bad) of their current situation keep them from taking risk. A leader worth following must discover the balance of both.

Dreaming big while taking in consideration of their current situation is a great way to lead. Realizing that every organization will eventually settle on the status quo if they are not intentionally pursuing progress (Andy Stanley--Next Generation Leader thought) the job of the leader is to paint a picture of the next adventure.

We are experiencing this in some incredible ways right now at Merge. As we have been making decisions about our next step in the location we will call our next church home. In my fantasy land we would have a state of the art facility for free. The challenge with that fantasy is that it doesn't exist. It's not even one of the options. This is why we are seeking God guidance in taking a step that is bold but not ignorant.

Bottom line: Face the brutal facts (Good to Great---Jim Collins) but don't let them stop the work that God is doing in your dreams.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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When Your Decision Is Larger Than Your Ability (Part 2)...

I am sharing some thoughts about the process I am going through as I wrestle with decisions that are larger than what I feel my current ability is. Yesterday I wrote of how it is important to look for "God at Work" signs as mile markers as you navigate through the uncertain waters.

Today I want to give you step 2 of the 4 I will blog about.

2. Gather counsel with different minds, but like hearts.

I saw this happen beautifully the other day. I went into the meeting feeling that I had a clear opinion and set out to persuade the group to see things my way. I wasn't necessarily going for a consensus but rather a majority (as long as it went my way:)) What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that the group came in with their own opinions, some like mine, some the complete opposite, others a mix in between.

Over the two hour meeting we hashed out fears, dreams; faced the brutal facts, while thinking optimistically about tomorrow. What I find interesting is the counsel of the group changed my way of thinking. Sure, I could have said that this was what I feel we should do and I think the group would have given me permission to try it my way. I could mask my decision with the blanket statement "I feel this is what God is telling us to do.", that tends to be an 'ender' for a leader pastor.

But what good is having counsel in your life if you don't listen to them?

This is why having people in your life who are willing to give their opinion even if it conflicts with yours is so important. Clearly your perspective is bias and maybe if you are like me, you have a tendency to see things the way that works best for you.

What is paramount though, is not just finding conflicting opinions or different minds. But finding different minds with the same heart. When we have a similar heart or vision the weight of the decision lessens. Because together you can accomplish more than if it was purely a solo effort.

It is possible to have a group of people with the same vision but come on separate sides of an issue. The insecure leader will only surround himself with "yes" men and as a consequence will cap the potential of his organization.

Bottom line: surround yourself with people who support what God is doing through you and are willing to speak truth and counsel in an environment where they feel valued to express such thoughts.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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When Your Decision Is Larger Than Your Ability... (Part 1)

Over the past few weeks we have been praying and seeking God's wisdom on what are our next steps as a church in regards to where we meet together. Over the past year we have been incredibly fortunate to have the space we currently have. Our Landlord is a great man who has been overly supportive of what God is doing. The banquet hall we rent out weekly has given us a very reasonable price and have given us a lot of freedom.

But knowing that this time is coming to a possible end has led us into some rather difficult waters as we try to figure out what the next step is in our journey. There are moments when this topic seems to be harder to decide than actually launching the church.

Because of this I have made (actually learned along the way) 4 things that has to be done when the decisions you are trying to make are larger than your current ability (I'm giving you one today and will blog the rest in the coming days):

1. Look for "God at Work" signs as mile markers.
You may have heard the ancient proverb "Every journey starts with the first step." Dr. Henry Cloud encourages people who are attempting to tackle big projects to "embrace their inner insect" (basically take the enormity of the project and not allow it to scare you away, instead tackle one small project at a time). I believe the same thought applies to your decision making. Look at it this way:

If you were traveling to ski in Keystone, CO and lived here in the metroplex, you would never make it if you were looking soley for the traffic signs that read "Keystone". Because the location is too far away and not relevant for most people in this area. What you have to do is take is one step at a time. Take 820 until you find the next step of 287, travel on that until what ever the next step is. USE THE MILE MARKERS TO GUIDE YOUR TRAVELS. Exit signs are valuable (especially if you are on the wrong road) Eventually you will make it to Keystone and along the way you will realize that the closer you are to your desitnation the more confidence you have because even the signs are starting to line up. If you are heading in the wrong direction, all hopes of arriving will halt and you will know it because your surroundings won't be right.

The same can apply in making decision. When attempting to make a large decision, break the project up. One way we have done this recently is by asking a question Andy Stanley writes about in "The Best Question Ever": Based on our past experiences, current circumstances and future hopes and dreams...What is the wise thing to do?

By breaking the decision into smaller bites you can start seeing the direction and leadings of your Heavenly Father. You will begin to see the torches of His leadings and will arrive at a decision destination with more confidence and much of the time quicker.

My fingers are falling off from all this typing.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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4 Things I Choose Not To Do... (Part 4)

This week I will be blogging over 4 choices is making in not choosing them (hope that makes sense. I believe that by sometimes choosing what you will not do has greater influence in what you choose to do)

4. I choose not to let the WORK of God overpower my RELATIONSHIP with God.

There is a tendency in us to believe that just because we are doing means we are making progress. In fact, some of us have gained promotions and bonuses because we have mastered the art of looking busy over being productive. I believe there is a danger in us all (especially those in full time ministry) in allowing the WORK of the ministry become the god of our lives.

We can get so busy that we remove the work of God from our lives. Granted most times I feel this is accidental. Other times we are avoiding some uncomfortable things He is challenging us to do. We mask our fear with our busyness thinking that we can fool the Creator of the universe.

It is an impossible task to follow God and your agenda. That is why today I am working hard and not working on things that will overpower the whispers and shouts of my Heavenly Father.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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4 Things I Choose Not To Do... (Part 3)

This week I will be blogging over 4 choices is making in not choosing them (hope that makes sense. I believe that by sometimes choosing what you will not do has greater influence in what you choose to do)

3. I choose not to lash out in hate, rather I choose to lash out in love.

Take some time and read Jesus' words on how to deal with the people you would rather toss off a cliff. We see words like, "Pray for those who persecute you" and "if someone strikes you on the cheek turn and offer the other one". Sometimes I think Jesus was telling us this stuff so Heaven can have some entertainment. I would be right except He did that annoying thing and lived as an example to follow (especially when it came to reacting to the people we would rather toss off a cliff).

In 1 John we are called to love not based on conditions of what people can do or have done for us. We are called to be people of love because God first loved us. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians to "do EVERYTHING in love". I find it incredibly convenient when we constantly ignore verses like these. We use excuses such as "well, you don't know what they did" or "I know what I am suppose to do, I just don't want to".

Truth is we have tried for centuries to get even and lash out in the most hurtful ways. Maybe it's time to change tactics. Maybe it's time to lash out in love and just see what kind of world we could live in.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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4 Things I Choose Not To Do... (Part 2)

This week I will be blogging over 4 choices is making in not choosing them (hope that makes sense. I believe that by sometimes choosing what you will not do has greater influence in what you choose to do)

2. I choose not to fight battles over things that don't matter.

Have you ever found yourself in a conflict that in the middle of it you thought to yourself, "Self, you sure are fired up about something, but what you are arguing has little to do with it." I don't think I am the only one guilty of this line of self-destruction. Truth is we fight over things that have little to no consequence. We can misdirect and project our frustrations onto innocent parties. I had a Sociology professor who gave a great illustration of how we do this:

"A man is yelled by his boss. Because he can't yell at his boss, he goes home and yells at his wife. Because the wife doesn't accomplish much by yelling at her husband, she yells at the kid. Because the kid is the lowest on the family food chain, he decides to kick the cat."

I'm not recommending not fighting. Because there are big things that we need to stand up for. What I am suggesting is taking the time while you are in conflict and asking yourself "In six days, six months, 6 years or 60 years; WILL THIS MATTER?"

If not, then take a greatly different approach.

I choose today to only fight the battles that matter and steer clear of the ones that don't.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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4 Things I Choose Not To Do This Week... (Part 1)

This week I will be blogging over 4 choices is making in not choosing them (hope that makes sense. I believe that by sometimes choosing what you will not do has greater influence in what you choose to do)

1. I choose not to allow my time schedule to push against the work of God in my life.

It is so easy to feel that God needs proper motivation to advance the "kingdom of me". There is a time recorded in 1 Samuel where King Saul was impatient with Samuel and took matters in his own hands by taking a specific offering. It marked the beginning of his. He did something we recklessly attempt to do. We try to speed up the provision of God in our lives. When I do this, I find that my justification of my actions conflict with the pace God is calling me to live. We see this played out in great ways in our finances, our career opportunities and for some in our marriage and relationships.

There is a great reason why God invites us into a relationship with Him. There is a great reason why His pace of living is the most sound pace to live by. To put is simply it's a matter of perspective. The fact that He sees the bigger picture of our lives more clearly than we do should be reason enough (though we seldom believe this to be true). When we take the reins of God isn't mainly during seasons of chaos? If we choose to fuel this way of living it will not be long before we have led ourselves astray.

I will ask God each day this week, "What speed are we going today?"

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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