Brian Becker: here I go

New Blog - New Site - going to Wordpress...

2011-05-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

hey everyone - I've disabled this site and started fresh at http://plantingtrenches.wordpress.com. The new site is focused on unveiling the everyday experiences, battles, and victories of a 1st year pastor & church plant in portland oregon. Enjoy

why the how is greater than the what

2010-12-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

What I've learned as a churchplanter:
It is easier to agree with the "what-vision" than the "how-vision".

For example, here are some various "what-visions":

"Lead your family well"
"We need to score a goal"
"Let's launch this church with momentum!"

Most everyone would agree and buy-in to these "WHAT" visions.

It's when you get to the "HOW" that people start to bristle. After saying "YES" to the previous "WHAT VISIONS" they may not like the end of the sentence...

What: "Lead your family well"
RESPONSE: YES!
How: Stop watching 20 hours of television and playing video games like your still an adolescent!"
RESPONSE: "HEY! That's not being fair..."

What: "We need to score a goal!"
RESPONSE: YES!
How: "We need you to sit the bench for us to have the best chance of scoring"
RESPONSE: "Hey! That's not the strategy I was thinking..."

What: "Help us launch this church with momentum!"
RESPONSE: YES!
How: "Spend every extra hour of your day passing out doorhangers for one week so we can get the word out to 20,000 homes!"
RESPONSE: "Hey! You're asking too much of me!"

If you want to gather a momentary crowd, spend the majority of the time casting "WHAT" visions.
If you want to create a movement, spend the majority of the time casting "HOW" visions.

If people buy in before the HOW prepare for a wave of disillusionment.
If people buy in after the HOW you've got a movment.

Spend 20% of your time casting "WHAT-vision"
Spend 80% of your time casting "HOW-vision"

The team will be smaller at first if you cast "HOW-vision" because less people will like your "HOW" even if they agree with your "WHAT". But by clarifying the "HOW" your team will also be more powerful, more capable of reproducing, and result in exponential movement.

Understanding Given not Gained

2010-11-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

1 Kings 3:4 "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"

In churchplanting there are so many opinions, models, books, and networks that it can seem like "success" is simply finding the right formula by adding A + B + C. If I just read "this" book, or talk with "that" churchplanter for have "these" resources, we'll be good to go. So, so wrong.

Once again I read in Scripture that God is the source and that he alone is the one that gives understanding. The moment we put these other (well-intended) books and people above God - we've begun practicing idolatry - as if those people and books are what we really need rather than God himself.

Let God be your God, and let your friends be your friends - but don't ever get them mixed up in where your source of wisdom and help comes from.

Prayer: God be my source. That I would know you. Help me. Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people in the name of the Lord without the Lord? Come Lord, be my source.

God or Bust

2010-11-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
- Psalm 127:1 (the Bible)

"And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground."
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (the Bible)

"We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails."
-Kay Warren

For the past 9 months I've tried desperately to have a great plan and purpose for starting hopecity church. I've labored to do things the right way and with wisdom. Understanding the responsibility that has been given to me, I've wanted everything to go as perfectly as possible.

The danger is that plans can become manufactured. All of a sudden I subconsciously became plan-dependent more than God-dependent. Not good.

I don't think God was all too concerned about the exact words that Samuel uttered in I Samuel 3...I just think God wasn't about to let one word fall, because it was the plan of God to raise up Samuel.

Is it fair to say, that God is much less concerned about our plans, 3 year goals, and various strategies than we are?
Wouldn't you agree with me, that - more than anything our PRIMARY purpose is to be totally dependent on God, to be desperate to be near his heart?
If we honestly read the story of the early church in the Bible - can't we conclude that none of them really knew what was next?=

It's not that we don't have plans...it's not that the watchman in Psalms 127 isn't supposed to watch...it's that our primary dependancy must be overwhelmingly clear. May we all live accordingly.

God or Bust.

Prioritizing Spiritual Disciplines

2010-10-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Quiz for Christ Followers:

Greatest Commandment is....___________
Second Greatest Commandment is...____________
(Hint: matthew 22:34-39)

Chances are that if you have been a Christ follower for a year or more, you probably got that one right. Good job. A+

Here's a second quiz that bothered me today: What spiritual discipline should be the highest priority for Christ followers? Should there be a priority list? Are some more important than others?

As I read the Bible in the book of Acts today, I think there might be a right answer to this...and if life-application is the grading curve, I think I've flunked this quiz.

It's not uncommon to get excited about the "Acts 2 church" and desire to mimic their devotion "to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (2:42). But these disciplines, being lumped together, don't really provide a priority list for us...or do they? Turn back a chapter and we get some clarity:

Acts Chapter One Scenario: Jesus has ascended into heaven...has instructed the believers to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit...and then we read the FIRST discipline, the FIRST priority, the FIRST activity of the Christ followers:

"All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." Acts 1:14

The first activity the people of God committed themselves to was prayer. It was the foundation for all that had happened, all that was happening, and all that was about to happen.

You may enjoy the discipline of Theological Study, of Community, etc. But I believe that what really matters in the end is a devotion to prayer that will align, illuminate, and cultivate the other activities to their utmost potential and purpose.

What priority is prayer in your life? Me? It's lumped into all the disciplines & activities of a believer, but I'm more convinced than ever to re-prioiritze, re-position, and renew my commitment to prayer.

So, what do you think? Is that a fair assessment? Is the activity of prayer MORE important than other activities and disciplines? Do you think spiritual priorities exist, or should we just lump them all together?

Portland Marathon: Nerd Watches, Honeybuckets, & a Downpour

2010-10-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Running a marathon isn't an event - it's a journey. 6 months of daily runs, sacrificed Saturdays, and an emotional rollercoaster all converge into a race that takes place in a single morning. Because of this, what happens on that single day unleashes all the emotions and hopes that have stockpiled over this extended season.

Today was that day, and the journey didn't disappoint. Details started getting interesting earlier this week, when the weather report predicted heavy rainfall for today's race, and for once - the weatherman actually got it right. We were soaked to the bone before the gun ever went off, and the rain never stopped. Perhaps the best movie themed title for today's race could be: "A River Runs Through It."

The most unexpected surprise happened last night when my Garmin 305 GPS Watch (aka Nerd Watch - thanks Jenn...) stopped working for the first time ever. No charge. No hope. No backup. For those of you who are not runners, this may seem meaningless, but trust me - running a marathon is all about keeping the right pace. Strike one.

I thought I could use my new iPod nano, which has a stopwatch, but with all the rain, the touchscreen didn't work. Strike two. Never fear, my third plan was to run with the pace group from the Red Lizard Running Club. They have runners hold up signs with a goal time on it, and then pace everyone to finish in that time. I looked and looked for the 4hour pace group, but I was in the wrong starting gate, so there was no one to pace me. Strike three. For an added bonus strike, I thought I could just look at the posted times at the mile markers and adjust my pace, but the marathon didn't a single time clock until the finish line. Looking back, I started out way too fast, but without a watch, I just tried to keep an even pace.

Everything seemed fine during the run, until my bladder almost exploded around mile 19. I had hoped to just get to the finish, but couldn't wait any longer and had to stop at the honeybucket. Nothing like letting minutes and seconds passing by while hanging out in a smelly, green, closet. I lost about a minute, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

I didn't use my headphones until mile 21. I need some extra motivation, and I had pre-made a 3+ hour playlist. Unfortunately, my nano somehow got stuck on repeat to the ONE chill song that was on the playlist...which I ended up listening to over and over again for the last HOUR of my race.

The too-fast first half drained me the last half, and it was all I could do to keep running the last couple miles. My jog turned into a shuffle, but strangely enough I was in good spirits heading to the finish line. I crossed the finish completely unaware of what my time was, fairly certain I didn't break 4 hours as I had hoped. The final results came in: 4 hours, 41 seconds. I missed it by a Honeybucket.

Overall, I was very happy with the results. I still P.R.'d by four minutes in pretty nasty conditions. It still amazes me that its even possible to run 26.2 miles. It takes me to my absolute depths, it reveals my ultimate pain threshold, and allows me to celebrate a feat that few experience.

The details of my race can be seen with cool graphics, if you'd like to see how I compared to the other marathoners. I'm pretty sure they don't give out trophies for coming in two thousand eighteenth place, but I'll have to find out.

After recovery, we headed to Claim Jumper to reclaim part (or all) of the 3000+ calories we burned earlier in the day.

Special thanks to the Portland Marathon Clinic for giving me a reason to run on Saturday, and my wife for putting up with my quirky requests - not just on race day, but during this whole experience.

Overall a journey with no regrets, lots of twists, and a finish worth fighting for.

Sobering Success: a small hopecity story

2010-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our first ever public pre-launch gathering for hopecity church. It was a tremendous night. We currently have about 30 people on our launch team, but there was about 50 people who showed up to Papaccino's cafe in the heart of Woodstock to hear the hopecity story and consider joining our team. We had no marketing, just people inviting people. It was great to see our team so energized to see God move in our midst.

We had laughter, a few tears, and renewed hope. We bragged about Jesus and his love for our city. We tipped our barista over $100.00 for serving us for 2 hours, and people visiting from the community were extremely open and friendly about the idea of a new church coming to this area of SE Portland - despite it being one of the most unchurched areas of our very unchurched city.

Walking away, I'm very thankful...but I'm also sobered to the deep need of prayer. After a big event like that I'm more convinced than ever, that our strategies, plans, and efforts are absolutely ineffective in producing life-changing results UNLESS we run to God in prayer and intercession.

This week our team is stirring up our commitment to prayer. We must remind ourselves that:

"Prayer is the primary role of church planters and their core team. Jesus taught that God provides the harvest and the workers in response to the prayers of the saints (Matt. 9:38). Neil Cole writes, “The more prayers we offer, the more workers we’ll see. The more workers raised up, the greater the harvest”. Prayer provides the wisdom and understanding necessary to deal with the monumental cultural shifts created by the advent of postmodernity. Busyness is an enemy to prayer, and church planters’ lives are replete with busy work. "

- THE PRAYER-DRIVEN CHURCH PLANT

A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary

The first Mon, Tues, & Wed of each month we are fasting and praying over these things:

Mon: "Break up the fallow ground in SE Portland" (see Hosea 10:12-13)
Tues: "Draw people...as we go to people." (See Luke 8:1) "Draw people...to the launch team." (See 1 Samuel 10:26; Numbers 11:17)
Wed: "Open up the doors for financial provision, that we would be well-supplied" (See Phil 4:18-19)

I'd love to invite you to join us in these prayers.

Why I haven't been blogging

2010-08-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for months, and those that know me well know that I love to express ideas, insights, and thoughts. Here's the reason for my absence:

I'm in a season right now of reading more than writing...of listening more than talking.

As we prepare to plant hopecity church, I'd rather be a sponge soaking up wisdom, than a squirt gun spewing out insight.

To those I've been entrusted to lead - there's a lot of leading happening. A lot of faith, a lot of momentum, and a lot of anticipation. But in the bloggosphere I'd rather read than write.

The irony is that this will be changing in some ways. We are developing a hopecity communtiy blog that will update our progress, and share insights we have learned, promote events and families living in SE Portland.

As for this blog - I'll begin to post more about who is influencing me and how, and why they may be valuable to you...and every once in awhile I may post my own thoughts.

In a social media world where there is pressure to get our two-cents in, perhaps its time for voices to quiet down, and ears to open up.

- brian

Willing To Wait...Ready to Move

2010-05-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Numbers 10
21 And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out.22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out.

Are you sensing a shift...a change of direction...a new adventure? I think a lot of us are - but the key is to do nothing unless God moves first. There are a lot of selfish reasons to move...after all, it's exciting to do something new. There are a lot of selfish reasons to stay put...there is security and comfort in the known. That's why I like what the Israelite's did - they were ready to move in a moment's notice - but were willing to stay for life...it was all dependent upon the movement of God.

Be willing to wait...and ready to move.

My Wife. A Proverbs 31 Paraphrase

2010-04-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege today of reading Proverbs 31 in my Bible reading plan from youversion.com. In this chapter it describes an excellent wife...and it describes my wife Jenn. Here is my paraphrase of Proverbs 31:10-31

My wife is excellent.
She is far more precious than jewels.
As her husband my heart trusts in her,
and I will have no lack of gain.
She does me good and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She is productive and creative,
and she makes great sandwiches :)
She goes out of her way to provide
nurture and care for the household
Her strength comes from the Lord
and she seeks Him daily.
She is compassionate and longs
to do all she can for the helpless.
She is not afraid of the "what might be"
because she has seen the miracles of yesterday.
Strength and dignity are he clothing
She laughs at the time to come
She opens her mouth with wisdom
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks wel to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

Jenn,
Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

My wife, is an excellent woman.

Confessions of a Portland Church Planter

2010-04-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Church planting is considered by many to be an insane calling. In fact 8 out of 10 church plants fail within two years. Lesson? Be called, be humble, and repent - a lot. We'll save the "calling" and "humble" posts for another time - this is all about repentance.

So - I've decided to start a blog series called "Confessions of a Portland Church Planter" to prepare me to be a useful instrument for God to use in the city of Portland as we prepare to launch hopecity church in 2011.

Confession #1. I've lived in the city of Portland for almost 11 years, and I have yet to have a Voodoo Doughnut. It's simply unacceptable and borderline sinful to call yourself a local and yet not know the world famous creative flavors of what some people liken to heaven on earth.

Not only is this a confessional...but it's a promise as well. By next Friday, I will have done due diligence and allowed my tastebuds to partake in what is long overdue. The only question is...which Voodoo shall I choose?

Here are a few options...

Grape Ape: (raised doughnut with vanilla frosting and grape powder)
Dirt: (raised doughnut covered with vanilla glaze and oreo cookies)
Arnold Palmer: (cake doughnut covered with lemon and tea powder)
Butter Fingering: (Devils food, vanilla, and crushed Butterfinger)
Neapolitan: (chocolate doughnut with vanilla frosting and strawberry quick powder)
Triple Chocolate Penetration: (chocolate doughnut, chocolate glaze, and cocoa-puffs)
Voodoo Doughnut: (voodoo doll doughnut)
Dirty Snowball: (chocolate cake doughnut covered with pink marshmallow glaze and surprise filling)
The Memphis Mafia: (chocolate chips/banana/ peanutbutter/glaze big!)
Portland Creme: (raised doughnut filled with creme and covered in chocolate with two eyes)
Nyquil Glazed and pepto-bismol (currently on hold)
VEGAN: (thats right, vegan doughnuts! assorted flavors, come in and eat many)

Ok, Portland purists!!! Help me out. Text me, facebook me, give me a tweet, or simply reply here. What is your favorite VOODOO? May I bear the fruit of repentance this next week.

a new era ::: hopecity church ::: coming 2011

2010-03-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

And so it begins. hopecity church now has legs. Truelife Church officially announced on March 14, 2010 that Jenn and I would be sent to launch a new church in SE Portland beginning in 2011. What started out years ago as a restless thought has developed into a clear call as we seek to carry hope and unleash love as we root ourselves and the Gospel of Jesus in our wonderful city of Portland Oregon.

Currently we are praying and asking God to speak to the hearts of the people He wants to join us in this adventure and privilege of serving Him. Perhaps you were created and positioned for this very moment to join us. Pray, seek wisdom, receive counsel, and then let us know...maybe our journey will become yours as well! Some of you have been waiting for a reason to move to our beautiful city - well, here you go!

Thank you so much for all the love and support we have received from godly counsel, friends, and family. It is a wonderful thing to be sent to plant a church while in great relationship with those around you! The future is bright.

Brian Becker
lead pastor
hopecity church

The Actions That Produce The Influence

2010-03-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

^{I continue to wrestle with the lifestyle of influence - the lifestyle of loving our city, rather than merely preaching at them. Here are today's thoughts:}

^{These kind of actions....}

¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
   my justice was like a robe and a turban.
¹⁵I was eyes to the blind
   and feet to the lame.
¹⁶I was a father to the needy,
   and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
¹⁷I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
   and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

produce this kind of influence...

²¹"Men listened to me and waited
   and kept silence for my counsel.
²²After I spoke they did not speak again,
   and my word dropped upon them.
²³They waited for me as for the rain,
   and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
²⁴I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
   and the light of my face they did not cast down.
²⁵I chose their way and sat as chief,
   and I lived like a king among his troops,
   like one who comforts mourners.

These verses from Job 29 show us that whether its our neighbors, co-workers, interest groups, clubs, or organizations...if we will live to serve and fight for those amongst us - we will gain their respect and admiration and our voice will be heard.

On the contrary...nobody wants to hear your message, if you are not willing to first love, defend, and serve. This serving lifestyle is not natural in American culture, so as Christ-followers its up to us to FIND ways and LOOK for opportunities to serve and love as Job did, as Jesus did, and as went have been sent to do.

Love the world. Proclaim the Gospel. In that order.

These are the convictions that are fueling my life right now. I'm excited to be a part of a program that mentors fatherless boys, but beyond programs I want to slow down in my day to day life and look for opportunities to serve and love.

Push back: What have you found difficult or exciting regarding actions that produce influence?

Bring It.

2010-02-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

"Soon afterward he (Jesus) went on through the cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God." - Luke 8:1

Conviction: I can't proclaim the good news if I'm not willing to bring the good news.

What if Jesus only proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God? He would have still brought truth - it just wouldn't have been as effective or clarified the total picture of God's redemption plan.

We're working really hard right now to equip people to BRING the good news of the kingdom to their areas of influence. One way that I'm personally getting involved is through The Mentoring Project which taps into the local church to find godly men to mentor fatherless boys.

We must look for open-door opportunities to love and serve our city. Open-door means there are people and places that actually WANT you in their lives. Neighborhood associations, volunteer groups, clubs and organizations would love you to be a part of them. As you are welcomed - you have the opportunity to love, reach out and build friendships with people who are looking for faith, hope, and love. It's time we didn't just proclaim the good news, but bring it as well.

May the love and compassion that Christ poured out for us, be poured out through us to those in our cities that need it most as we proclaim and bring the good news of the kingdom.

Guerrilla Lovers (not the animal kind)

2010-02-02T21:45:00.000-08:00

As a pastor I'm not a big fan of preaching other people's messages. In fact, I honestly can't think of the last time I used a book to directly influence a message series. That all changed this week as we dived into Vince Antonucci's new book "Guerrilla Lovers: Changing the world with revolutionary compassion". I think this book is a perfect fit for our students at truelife church, and I can't wait to see the impact it makes. I bought 10 books today for my leaders, and I think you'd really enjoy Vince's humorous, yet compelling writing style as he challenges us to reach people with intentional love that exposes the gospel of Jesus. You can get it on Amazon here. Do it, and join the Guerrilla revolution.

HOLD, HOLD, HOLD...but not too long...

2010-02-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Agree or disagree:

The right people + The right vision + The right target + Bad timing = disaster.

In terms of timing, what would have happened if they had engaged 5 seconds earlier, or 5 seconds later?

2010 = Dream Year

2010-01-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

I've been fortunate enough to be accepted into Dream Year. A chance to really pursue & investigate what could be. The following is from my DY Coach, who explained what DY10 is all about:

Dream Year is a 12-month process that's designed to help you bring your God-given dream to life.

You bring the dream.

I'll be your dream coach.

As a community of just 20 participants..

We'll make it happen.

While you go about executing your project, we'll walk through a 12-month curriculum that looks something like this...

January - Authenticating your dream (tracing its history, assessing your readiness, testing the idea, defining a clear project, raising your faith level, preparing for risk)

February - Building your platform (moving from beggar to influencer, finding your audience, trading value for information, becoming an expert in your field)

March - Defining your values (determining what you won't do, then determining what you will do, on the subject of excellence, building a team to bring your idea to life)

April - Funding your dream (great ideas are spreadsheets with skin on, identifying revenue sources, shaping your strategy, cash flow is everything, the art of making the ask)

May - Branding your project (developing a total user experience, a field guide to designers, developing a creative class around you, design as the foundation for what you do)

June - Creating milestones (working backward from the goal, productivity tools, the sacrificial substitution principle, how faith changes the order of action, )

July - Leveraging influence (if you don't have influence you borrow it, if you already have influence you still borrow it, creating social movements around your idea, networking with leaders who matter)

August - Partnerships (creating win-wins, the art of negotiation, rooting out great partnerships, angles of benefit, value exchanges, approaching partners)

September - Rainmaking (sales for people who hate sales, how to put yourself out there without losing dignity, systems that produce revenue, closing deals, invoicing, merchant gateways)

October - Shaping an organization (organizational systems, proprietary versus outsourced, contractors versus employees, legal issues, how to make your idea your living, etc.)

November - Positioning yourself (navigating the world of media, agents, publishers, and conference makers, marketing in an over-saturated field, differentiation)

December - Last-month epiphanies, unresolved issues, feedback and last minute-ideas, charting the future connectivity of the class of 2010

There will be monthly assignments that will help you work toward your dream. But you'll benefit from the influence, connections, resources, talents, and ideas of all of the participants. Each year will produce its own class of graduates... a fraternity if you will. A skull and bones of the Christian world.

I'm so thankful that I have a pastor/boss who is challenging me to grow this year and allowing me to pursue avenues such as DY10 to truly seek out God given dreams! You don't have to be in Dream Year to move towards the fulfillment of your God-given dream. Decide now to grow. Decide now to take initiative. Decide now to pray and then respond to God's leading. It truly can be a DreamYear for us all.

So...I'd love to hear your story. What's your Dream, and what steps are you taking to see it become a reality?

Lord, is that you? 3 Keys To Confirming God's Will

2010-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
- Proverbs 25:2

The search for "God's will" seems to be at an all time high in the midst of my friends and family members at this very moment. I don't ever remember a time that so many people were seeking direction involving jobs, relationships, relocation, education, retirement, and overall direction in life. The resounding question is: "God! What do you want me to do?!?"

For some this question is birthed from dreams of what could be and should be. For others the question comes because of unexpected circumstances forcing a new direction in life. Ultimately, it doesn't matter how the question got there, the fact that it's there puts an intensity back into our prayer to glorify God and make wise decisions about our future.

As I seek out direction for my own life and family here are some things I'm beginning to realize:

God won't just tell you what to do. He's into relationship, not management. He wants you to seek out the answer by investigating, praying, and wrestling with Him. He must be your ultimate counselor above all (Proverbs 25:2; Psalm 16:7; Psalm 32:8;)
God is ok with you asking for confirmation before proceeding with big decisions. Moses asked for a sign (and another, and another - see Exodus 4), Gideon asked for a wet fleece - then a dry one (Judges 6). Jonathan asked for specific conversation (also known as smack talk) from the Philistines (I Samuel 14). Some see this as a lack of faith, but God knows you. His dreams are big - really big, and if it doesn't shake you to the core and ask for confirmation, you probably haven't heard from God in the first place.
God put people in your life to give wisdom - so seek their counsel. Just make sure they are the right people - there are way too many "yes-men" who don't have discernment, and way too many people who will discourage you due to their own lack of faith. (Proverbs 15:22; 11:14; 20:18)

Books have been written on this subject, but really it comes down to this: Be willing to wrestle with God and wait for his guidance. Struggle on the fine line of moving out in faith vs moving out in foolishness. I believe God loves a wrestler (see Jacob in Genesis 32).

God's will IS a big deal. What you do with your family DOES matter.

Don't just sit around and wait for an audible voice...
Don't just take a guess and do something...

Get busy and wrestle - and let God show you his will as you seek Him. He will counsel you, he will give you a sign, and he will confirm it through godly people...and then you will move in faith and confidence into the destiny of your life.

A confessional of some bad tasting Christian cookies.

2009-12-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever switched ingredients accidentally in a recipe? Have you ever measured out salt for the flour and flour for the salt? I think we can all agree that a pinch of flour and three cups of salt in a recipe for cookies would make a pretty nasty cookie!

If your Christian life was a cookie, what ingredient would prayer be? If we were honest, I think prayer would be like a "pinch of salt" in the recipe rather than "3 cups of flour". For me, it's so much easier to focus on strategy, leadership, mission, etc. But I know in my heart it's time to re-read the original recipe because all too often our cookies aren't turning out too great. As I read through the book of Mark, I see Jesus trying to reveal the true recipe God designed for us.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." Mark 1:35

And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:28-29)

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seasts of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything thorugh the temple. And he was teaching them and sayng to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers. (Mark 11:15-17)

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

I think Jesus was concerned because he saw a powerless people trying to accomplish God's mission. If I'm not mistaken, we believe in prayer WAY more than we actually spend time praying.

Reading about prayer, thinking about prayer, believing in prayer, watching other people in prayer - it's not the same as actual time spent in prayer. Let's get back to the original recipe. Let's put the priority of prayer where it should be, and see things happen that have been needing to happen for a long time. The world is overdue for a really tasty cookie!

Where are you?

2009-11-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

"And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him..." Matthew 17:14

Wow, the very first phrase that I read from the Bible today lept out at me...go back and read that simple verse again, and focus on the location of Jesus...if we're not amongst a crowd of people, it is impossible for people to come up to us, and it is only in the crowd that we see God's miracles performed.

Where was Jesus? Amongst the crowd.
Where are am I? Amongst the four walls of my comfortable life - secluded from the crowd.

We must...I must...not live my Christianity inside the four walls of my life - I must go enter the lives of other people. It's ironic that as a pastor I find myself going days without encountering anyone in "the crowd" because I'm too busy spending time with other believers talking about and dealing with believer stuff. Ick. Why are we so good and repeating the words of Jesus but so bad at repeating the steps of Jesus?

How about some help here...

Jesus was amongst the crowd...Where are you?
How do you get into the lives of "the crowd"?
How can believers re-prioritize and find themselves in the same place Jesus would be?

I-Heart Film: Christ is the Cure, Compassion is our Cause

2009-11-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

Last night we took about 20 people to Clackamas Town Center Cinema to see "We're All In This Together" a feature film documentary from Hillsong United about reaching a wandering and wounded world with the action of love and the message of Jesus. This movie was revolutionary for this reason:

For too long Social Justice advocates have left out the necessity of Christ as the cure, and for too long Christians shouting "repent" have left out the necessity of compassion as the cause. The I-Heart film blended both, giving us a clear picture of how our message and our actions must be seemlessly tied together.

Here are my favorite quotes:

The future will be written in the way we respond to the moment in front of us
The church does not exist to meet our needs but to meet the needs of the world around you
"You can choose to look the other way, but you can never say you did not know." - William Wilberforce
You don't have to travel across the world to make a difference, just walk out your front door!
The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved. - Mother Teresa
history will never be made till you recognize where you fit in HIStory, see a need do your part & meet it the best you can
If what happens inside the walls of church doesn't make an impact on the streets around it then maybe we r missing the point
"5 corporations control 90% of what is seen in the world"
Jesus is the ultimate expression of God's love to humanity.
The love of God cannot be measured but it can be demonstrated.
If you are not part of the solution you are a part of the problem.
“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” - Amos 5:21-24, The Message
What we are not, He is
Isaiah 58:9-10 - ”If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Injustice and indifference walk together hand-in-hand.
Talk is cheap, put feet to your vision

We're headed to our leadership retreat today - this film and our response will be much of our discussion - yet what we truly need to do is talk less and "be" more. We need to "be" the sequel to this film. God help us.

Viper Bites give us only ONE option

2009-11-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Continuing from last week's post about VIPER BITES...

Viper bites are not good...there's no way around it. If you asked 100 people if they would choose a viper bite over being "bite free" we'd have a 100% consensus that nobody wants to be bit.

But vipers do bite.
And we do get bit in life.

"Bites" happen in this world, because it is a fallen world...if you want a reason for all the tragedy, it can be traced back to one man's (Adam's) sin. Nothing can change the fact that this world is full of "unfair viper bites". Yet, though this world is fallen and full of viper bites, there is a plan of redemption that has been fulfilled with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has made all things new, and he is our only option.

Sometimes viper bites can cause us to look to the ONLY option we have - and that is to be rescued by the power and might of Jesus Christ.

There are things that are constantly "biting" me. Don't get me wrong - I live a totally blessed life. I have more than I deserve. I'm overwhelmed at the provision and grace of God in my life. Yet, there are things that disturb me. Things that shouldn't be. And today I'm reminded to turn to the One who can heal every disease, who has conquered death and the grave and who makes all things possible.

The youth of our nation have been bit - and I don't like it.
Too many people are unfazed at the peril of their destiny without Christ - and I don't like it.

I don't have answers.
I can't change it.
I have no idea how the tide can turn.
I've been bit.

So, now I get to do what Paul did...shake it off. Paul couldn't fix the viper bite, and neither can I, so I turn to my ONLY option and ask the divine power of God would bring redemption to not just a fallen world (big picture) but to my fallen situations (small picture) that people would be amazed at the One who has crushed satan beneath our feet.

Why does God let Vipers Bite?

2009-10-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Acts 29:3-5 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When p the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, q “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, r Justice [2] has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, s shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

I HATE SNAKES...hate, hate, hate, hate. If I see a snake, I will scream like a girl (sorry ladies), and run, crying out for my mommy. A quick Google search says that the "viper is one of the most dangerous snakes in all of Asia, accounting for thousands of deaths each year. Once bitten, people experience a wide variety of symptoms including pain, swelling, vomiting, dizziness, blood incoagubility and kidney failure."
Why does God let vipers bite? Here Paul has given his whole life to honor God and serve Him, and proclaim the Gospel (that Jesus alone can save us and that he paid the penalty for our sin, and that we must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved) and as the last book of Acts unfolds a nasty viper comes out from hiding and bites Paul with lethal poison.

Have you ever been serving the Lord and living in His grace - doing your best to propel the cause of Christ when...BAM! Out of nowhere comes a lethal viper and bites you. Why would God let that happen? Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

The next few blog posts will dive into this much deeper, for today think about this:

Miracles are only needed where there is a need. Instead of focusing on the viper, perhaps we should focus on the God who can overcome the Viper. Instead of focusing your attention on your tragedy, perhaps God is simply preparing to show You that He is in control of all situations.

"And I will...refine them as one refines silver,and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name,and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people';and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" Zechariah 13:9

This is just the beginning, and honestly it sounds easier than it is...Real life tragedies are just that...tragic...and the result is not always the miracle that we would like. Yet time after time, regardless of the outcome - we see God's love revealed. We'll look at more later. Until then - may you experience the God who overcomes the Viper.

b.

Jenn Becker: SEVEN! WHAT?!

2009-09-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Jenn Becker: SEVEN! WHAT?!

gotta read my wife's post and see the amazing pictures she posted of our beautiful baby!

Fasting: Direction - not intention - moves the heart of God.

2009-09-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm convicted. I'm repenting. I'm headed in a new direction. Here's why:

A word-for-word excerpt from Isaiah 58 about why some prayers are dead and never answered, accompanied with the solution and action to remedy the situation:
---
"Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves

...this is the kind of fasting I want:

Free those who are wrongly imprisoned
lighten the burden of those who work for you
Let the oppressed go free
Remove the chains that bind people
Share your food with the hungry, feed the hungry
Give shelter to the homeless
Give clothes to those who need them
Do not hide from relatives who need your help
Remove the heavy yoke of oppression
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors
Help those in trouble.

Then

your salvation will come like the dawn
your wounds will quickly heal
Your godliness will lead you forward
the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind
when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
your light will shine out from the darkness, the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.
the Lord will be your delight.
I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.

I, the Lord, have spoken!”

----

"They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me."

To be near to God is to be near to the broken and hurting...anything else is pretending. When we move, God moves. If you are desperate for God to move in your life, be desperate to fulfill the needs of others. Your direction - not intention - moves the heart of God.

Point Blank: List the people who fit the one or more of the needs listed above and minister the love of God to them. Do this today, do it everyday...and watch God shine in and through you.

GOALS: Aim + Miss = Success? Yeah, sort of.

2009-09-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Never apologize for setting goals. ever. I'm a goal setter...I aim at targets...and I miss the target most of the time. (all you have to do is look at my new year goals, summertime goals, etc.) Even when I miss the target, I never lose site of the target. I just grab another arrow and aim again.

I'd like to hit the target with more frequency, but for today I'm simply reminding myself and possibly you that the most important thing is staying focused on the target - not hitting it, because if you do stay focused, you will eventually hit it.

Make sure your targets are legit, God-inspired targets...and then keep firing away. Eventually, you'll see the changes come to pass...and as you keep aiming you'll become better at hitting it more often.

Set goals, go for it...regroup, and stick with it.

I've been influenced today by...

2009-06-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Benny Perez, Pastor of The Church at South Las Vegas, courtesy of Swerve when he said "I can do all the study and bring in all the consultants but I must go back to the place of prayer, solitude and trust in the Lord that He will help me..."

Jud Willhite, Pastor of Central Christian Church, of courtesy of Rethink Monthly when he said "I have been convicted that my prayers are too small. I have been reading about he Great Awakening in America and just thinking about how the entire city of Philadelphia went out to a field to hear George Whitfield speak. It has happened before, and like how small my prayers are to imagine the entire city of Las Vegas going out into the desert to hear a message about Christ. My prayers are too small, and our God is so much bigger than I give Him credit. It hasn't sunk into my life enough but I am trying to expand my vision of what God can do and who He is, and all that He is accomplishing." Jud recently baptized 600 people spontaneously after preaching a message on following Christ. Someone stood amazed and said they remebered when the church only had 600 people. Jud replied that now the church had 15,000 and there would be a day when they would baptize 15,000 in a single day...God is big.

Joel Houston, of Hillsong Church and the band United, who said via twitter: @joelhouston to whom 'much' is given... 'much' is required...... how 'much' do you really want it?

2 Chronicles 11 & 12, where I am reminded time and time again that the people of God are an ADVANCING people, a VICTORIOUS people, and MIGHTY people, who live DANGEROUSLY, and COURAGEOUSLY.

excerpts from 2 Chronicles 11...

⁷ David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. ⁸ He built up the city around it....And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. ¹⁰ These were the chiefs of David's mighty men—they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised- ¹¹ this is the list of David's mighty men:
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

¹² Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴ But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

²⁰ Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ²¹ He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²³ And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver's rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men....

excerpts from 2 Chronicles 12

¹ These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; ² they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed...⁸ Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains. ¹⁴ These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. ¹⁵ It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west...

¹⁹ Some of the men of Manasseh defected to David....²¹ They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. ²² Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.

SEEK GOD

DREAM BIG

PAY THE PRICE

EXPECT VICTORY

My Summertime Journey through the Bible (Judges 13 - 1 Sam 3)

2009-06-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

I've begun blogging through my summertime journey through the Bible. This will help record my thoughts - it's really for me, but all the better if you get something out of it too! I'm trying to read through the Bible in 90 days, even though I don't think I've ever read through the Bible in a year. The purpose is to have my Bible open all summer, and to let God breathe fresh on my life.

Today's Impact:

Delilah was the THIRD Philistine woman who Samson got involved with. The first couple times we do something sinful may seem harmless enough, but it's building to a crescendo that will bring a mighty fall. My guess is that Samson thought Delilah was just as "harmless" as the previous two encounters he had (Judges 14:1; Judges 16:1; Judges 16:4)

My Summertime Journey through the Bible (Josh 1 - 15)

2009-06-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

I decided today (a couple weeks late) to begin blogging through my summertime journey through the Bible. This will help record my thoughts - it's really for me, but all the better if you get something out of it too! I'm trying to read through the Bible in 90 days, even though I don't think I've ever read through the Bible in a year. The purpose is to have my Bible open all summer, and to let God breathe fresh on my life.

Today's Impact:

The Israelities take Jericho. Check this out. The walls of Jericho that fell were some of the earliest fortifications known to mankind. No other city had walls. It was the first of it's kind. So that means that the first city that God conquered was the MOST fortified, the MOST intimidating, and the MOST difficult to conquer...He went straight for the impossible to show his glory and power.

I am reminded that when God enters a life, we can have faith that the most intimidating wall in that life can fall by the power of God. Nothing should intimidate us - go after it. Addictions, lifestyles, life-long habits - no matter what it is - those wall will fall. Expect it.

The Things Devoted to Destruction. God gave them victory, but knew of certain things that must be "devoted to destruction". The results of not "devoting to destruction" certain things were the hearts of people that melted and became like water.

I am reminded that nothing can destroy faith...nothing can rob victory...more than when we refuse to "devote to destruction" the things that don't honor God and don't belong in our lives. Woah.

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Summertime Goals: UPDATE

2009-06-15T12:38:00.001-07:00

Ok, two weeks in to my summertime goals, and it's time to reflect and reassess. I've got good news, and I've got bad news.

The good news is that at two weeks in I'm actively pursuing growth in the "health" and "spiritual" focal points.

I've joined Weight Watchers, and have truly kept to the program...My second weigh in will be today, so I'll see how much weight I've lost after one week. [UPDATE: I lost two pounds!] The program is really helping me stay focused on what is important to me which is healthy living. It allows me to eat anything (like the Papa Murphy's Cowboy Pizza I had Saturday night), but forces me to put it all in perspective and stay within healthy boundaries. I like it.
My marathon training is in full swing, and after my 14 mile run on Saturday, I'm really getting back in the groove.
I've been reading the Bible like crazy, and it's been a joy to really feed my spirit in the Word and choose to read rather than other less important things.

The bad news is that I haven't "met" all the standards I set two weeks ago

I didn't purchase the P90X. I thought I had it purchased via Craigslist but it fell through. After looking at my summer schedule, I just don't know how I can follow the "hour a day, everyday" requirement AND be gone for weeks at a time (dreamcenter, vacation, summer camp, etc.) AND continue to get all my miles in for marathon training. So, I'm going to let that goal go and start the P90X in the Fall.
Despite my huge increase in Bible reading, I missed a couple days and that puts me over 30 chapters behind! Wow! But thankfully I missed the latter half of Numbers and the first part of Deuteronomy, so I'm just picking up where I should be, and will try and get those chapters in on vacation.

I'll set some other goals later this week that will have to do with date nights, marriage & parenting books, and other "family" related goals. I really am looking forward to growing in my marriage with Jenn this summer.

Stay tuned!

Sunday Night Reflections

2009-06-14T20:59:00.001-07:00

Super tired after a busy but great week
Saturday was a 14 mile run, a wedding and reception, and then final sermon prep for Sunday
Sunday was filled with preaching twice on two campuses, a DreamCenter missions trip meeting in Vancouver (at another church), and then directly going to the BBQ and Baptisms on Broughton Beach.
Chris and Chrissy's wedding was fantastic. So great to see two people who love Jesus so much, who have both been through so much, end up having a beautiful day yesterday...with many more to come.
Camas worship team hit a home run - I think we could have kept going...there is some legit stuff happening in that team! The people from the Northside our such encouragers! Really makes it easy to preach.
I had to laugh a bit when I saw our Portland worship team...missing three key musicians today, but they did great. Attendance seemed to be up, and everyone seemed engaged in the message.
I had lots of fun preaching the "Summer of '09: Fresh Breath" message today. Handing out Mentos was pretty fun too.
Despite the "fun" of preaching, I truly believe that a significant summer awaits us if we truly grab hold of what God is wanting to do in these next three months - not just in the overall church, but in individual lives and marriages as well.
Sam Bickle and Chris Stewart are probably the most valuable people in our church...I'm amazed at the time and work they exert to make each service happen.
So many volunteers do so many things that are never recognized. I'm so greatful for everyone's willingness to serve and carry the vision.
I enjoyed personally meeting three or four new families in church today. We seemed to genuinely "click".
Saw one person decide to become a "Christ Follower" today...that never gets old!
Baptized three people in the Columbia river in the afternoon...I LOVE THAT STUFF. And not only that but we had a handful of people share their own "Jesus encounter" stories which was a wonderful testimony to the unchurched families who were there to support their kids being baptized. (Thanks Matt, Jason, Greg, Anna, and Katie!)
The only bummer about this weekend was how little I saw Jenn and my baby girl. Dancing with them at the wedding was great, but now I'm looking forward to spending some extra special time with them both this week before I head to L.A. next weekend...any suggestions for a special date?
ok, that's it...veg time!

Summertime Goals Part 2: SPIRITUAL (if there is such a thing)

2009-05-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

It's Summertime, and that is a great time to set goals. June 1 - August 28 is 90 days and that's a perfect timeframe to really focus. Last post was about health (and infomercials), this one is about spiritual goals.

I'm not sure I'm in full theological agreement with Rob Bell, but he coined a phrase that I really agree with: "Everything Is Spiritual" meaning there shouldn't be such a thing as the "spiritual" part of life, the "family" part of life, the "work" part of life, etc.. When living life as a true follower of Christ, everything we do is spiritual:

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Colossians 3:17,23 "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him...And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men"

Now that I've set a theological stance that "everything is spiritual" I'm going to break that mold and set some "spiritual goals" for the summer! (p.s. Even Rob Bell has what they call "spiritual practices" so I guess if he can break the phrase, to clarify a point, I can too!)

Goal #1: Read through the entire Bible in 90 days. I'm going to openly confess that I'm not sure I've ever read through the Bible in a year...but that's not going to keep me from trying to do it in 90 days. Personally, I could care less if you read a verse a day, a chapter a day, etc...it really doesn't matter. Everyday there are people out there that read the Bible that don't have an ounce of God's heart in them. Reading alone doesn't change anything - but feeding on the Word of God for revelation and relationship with Jesus does - and that's my summertime plan. It's about 12 pages a day, which is a lot - but I really want to spend this summer with my Bible open, and so it's a goal I have made.

Goal #2: Coming Soon

Summertime Goals Part 1: HEALTH (Infomercials Abound)

2009-05-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it. I'm a sucker for infomercials. Years ago when I was close to 300 pounds I bought multiple infomercial gadgets such as the ab cruncher, as well as "The Great North American Slim Down Challenge" with Larry North! Ahhh, those were the days. The sad thing is that the only thing that got slimmer was my wallet.

Then one day I decide to just start living healthy, eating right, exercising, etc. and Wah-La! 115 pounds later I had a story that people wanted to know about!

The problem is that all that weight loss happened years ago now - and after trying to lose 10 pounds since November, I've succumed to the fact that I don't have the drive and discipline to just get it done on my own. So, despite my horrible track record, I'm going back to Infomercial Land in search of some discipline and drive that will get me to the place of health that I know I need to have to fulfill everything God has called me to be and do.

Beginning June 1, 2009 I'll be busting out the P90X. According to them I'm going to "get absolutely ripped in just 90 days...hmm. I'd actually just prefer to not jiggle when I go running. You have no idea how much jiggle can take place on a 20 mile long run while training this summer for the Portland Marathon!

When I lost all my wieght the one thing I didn't do is put on muscle - and 4 years later I'm still lacking in the "ripped" category.

Fitness: CHECK
Food: Uh. Yeah, that's the true beast.

To get my mind back on track for what is healthy, what is appropriate portions, and what "well-balanced" looks like, I'll be joining Weight Watchers this Summer. I've never done it before, but I'm looking forward to the accountability and fresh approach to healthy living. As a Christ-follower I'm also excited to have a chance to meet new people in the weekly meetings and hopefully build relationships with people in an effort to spread some love to people who need it!

So there you go:
- Portland Marathon (30-40 miles a week)
- P90X (1 hour a day)
- Weight Watchers Momentum Program

Summer health awaits!

Next Blog - Summertime Goals Part 2: SPIRITUAL

"Be the change?" Sorry Mr. Gandhi - you missed it

2009-05-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Mahatma Gandhi is famous for the words "be the change you want to see in this world". I can appreciate this to some degree...instead of pointing fingers or complaining, we need to do/be what we can do to bring about solutions to injustice. If there are hungry people - we need to be the change - we need to feed them. I get that. I like that. I am doing that more and more.

But I'm sorry Mr. Gandhi - you missed it. We don't have what it takes. We cannot self help our way to solutions. We are absolutely incapable of creating any change that will truly change the lives and destinies of the broken and hurting around us. We can give them food, but "what good is it if a man gains the whole world and yet forfeit's his soul"?

That is why we must pray.

Christians are in danger of blending in with all the humanistic thinking which is so prevalent in our culture today, that "preaches" we can change the world. Pastors and leaders are gathering and trying to come up with the latest and greatest ideas on how to be effective. I love these kinds of meetings. I'm a strategy junkie...but it may need to stop.

We can't do it on our own. We can't come up with Social Justice ideas, we can't come up with strategic programming ideas, we can't formulate ways to truly impact the culture. We don't have what it takes.

If you are a Christian - please hear me: stop trying to figure out plans - and return to your knees and pray.

Pray first...
Be the change second...

If you get those two mixed up you'll be wasting your time.

2 Timothy 2:1-3 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.

Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philemon 1:6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ

If you're not praying - you're spinning your wheels - and spending time formulating plans without the true power that is necessary to see real change take place.

If you are not a Christian...maybe it's time to ask yourself....for all the effort you make trying to make yourself better, and trying to make the world a better place - as admirable as that is...I'd like you to consider the power of a surrendered life. A life that finally allows Jesus to have the controls. Jesus said "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." As you turn your life to him - He will empower you, and give you the strength to "be the change" this world needs. You won't have to be fake - you won't be forced into "good works". You'll be transformed, and God will live inside of you and give you a new heart and new desires.

Let's all stop trying so hard - and get back to prayer and ask God to release His will and power into this world to bring the true transformations that need to take place.

Pray as if it all depends on God
Live as if it all depends on you.
In that order.

Avoiding God by reading the Bible?

2009-05-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

I have a confession: I hide from God...by reading my Bible.

You see, it is so easy for me to have a quiet time "with God" by reading my Bible, and yet never really truly hear from Him, confess to Him, and depend on Him. Nothing like cramming my 5,10,30, or 60 minute "alone time" with God with Bible reading from start to finish.

We often find Scriptures such as these...

Mark 1;35 "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."

Luke 4:42 "And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place."

Matthew 14:23 "And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone..."

Luke 5:15,16 "But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray."

James 5: 16b,17 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of the righteous have great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth."

Notice how it doesn't say that Jesus "got alone and read the Scriptures"...notice it doesn't say that "the effective, fervent Bible-reading of the righteous..."

I've been asking myself...am I hiding from God by reading the Bible? Do I need to just put it down, and truly be still, seek Him, and allow the relationship He desires to cultivate?

Don't get me wrong - Bible reading is absolutely powerful and necessary. It is described in Hebrews 4:12 as "alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." But if I am truly honest with myself - my Bible reading can take the place of true face to face encounter with the Living God.

How about you - do you hide behind your Bible? How else do you find yourself being "godly" while actually avoiding Him?

Now that I'm loaded...we're having another girl!

2009-04-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

We're having another girl! Please welcome Bikki Ajabrao Jangade to the Becker family - our Compassion International sponsored child! After thinking about it off and on for about six months, my wife and I finally moved to action today and got involved with global justice with our sponsorship. After realizing yesterday how loaded I was, I had to make some drastic decisions about how we were spending our money, and sponsoring Bikki was the result.

I must admit - the fact that we watched Slumdog Millionaire the day before Elliana was born, and saw the Indian slums on the big screen really affected our choice. But without Pete Wilson - one of our favorite bloggers, we probably would have never been moved to action.

"The more I learn about Compassion and the work they do the more impressed I am. Compassion International is three things: church-based, child-focused and Christ-centered." - Pete Wilson

I'm loaded, and you are too. Please consider doing something eternal with your money!

much love
b
.

I'm loaded

2009-04-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

So times have been tough financially...I've missed a few paychecks, unemployment is over 10% in Oregon, and we all are being forced to recallobrate our spending and priorities...so after looking at our budget and income I've come to one conclusion. I'm absolutely loaded...and I think you are too. Check this out and find out how much money you really do have!

I'm loaded.
It's official.
I'm the 103,478,261 richest person on earth!

How rich are you? >>

Part Two: How to have Godly Influence in a Dark World

2009-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Part One: How to have Godly Influence in a Dark World

2009-04-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's absolutely ridiculous that so many Christians have absolutely ZERO influence/light in a dark world that so desperately needs the love, forgiveness, and salvation of God. We can't run FROM the darkness - we must run INTO the darkness and shine. We're God's "PLAN A" for this, and there is no "PLAN B". It's up to us. Ok...so how can we shine? How can we have influence?

1. Receive strength and wisdom to have influence by getting alone with God - OFTEN.

Because Jesus died on the cross for your sins - you have access to the Father - an access that strengthens, purifies, and empowers. Time after time while Jesus was bringing light to dark places, he regularly retreated to "desolate places" to be strengthened by the Father. If we don't follow his example we will be full of fear, timidity, exhaustion, and little faith...

Mark 1:35
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Luke 4:42
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him...

Matthew 14:23
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone...

Luke 5:15-16
But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Here are the simple steps:
1. Get alone
2. Go to God in prayer
3. Realize you have access to the very One who created you - your faith will increase.
4. Ask for wisdom, strength, and opportunity to have influence with the people in your life
5. (Part 2 tomorrow...Take the current work/neighbor/play relationships to the next level by having God conversations with them)

Hear No Evil, See No Evil...That's STUPID TALK

2009-04-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to rant.

I'm so sick of Christians avoiding "evil" as if it's what Jesus did. By the way many Christians act you'd think that if Jesus were walking the earth today he'd be attending five youth groups, hang with Christian friends 24/7, watch Christian television, and listen to Christian music ALL WHILE avoiding the darkness that this world is in.

Jesus didn't hop from one Christian enviornment to the next...he brought LIGHT INTO DARK PLACES...but so many Christians are busy with Christian pop culture, they don't have time to bring JesusJustice to the world around them.

We need to HEAR evil.
We need to SEE evil.
(but go ahead and don't SPEAK evil).

If we're blind to the darkness, the evil, the injustice...if we don't hear the cries of the lost and broken...we'll live ignorant Christian lives and do nothing but satisfy our churchy itch by staying in our blinded Christian subculture.

Go LOOK at it
Go LISTEN to it.
GET UNCOMFORTABLE
Surround yourself in the darkness

AND THEN BRING THE LIGHT OF GOD TO IT!

ok...I'm done...till next time.

SWITCH TWEET PEEPS

2009-04-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

We don't apologize to be advocates for Twitter in our youth ministry. It's such a great way to stay connected throughout the week and establish a sense of unity. Here are tweet peeps you can follow:

text "follow (name in bold)" to 40404

Me: brianbecker
Jenn: Jennbecker
Chanell Magee: ChanellMagee
Aly Applegate: AlyApplegate
Sam Bickel: Sambickel3637
Denis Fureyster: Denis8
Vlad Fureyster: VladF1
Jessica Strang: Jessicastrang
Ryan Earls: RyanEarls
Kristen Bickel: jonasfan2526
Jeremy Bennett: jeremyrbennett
Makayla Flowers: Makayla2
Cameron Whitman: CamWhitman
Zach Whitman: Cablinasian
Kristi Stricker: KRISTI36
Mateo Strang: Mattstrang
Donny Bickel: BonnyBickel
Nick Robinson: NickRobinson2
Jonathan Robinson: Jonathan104
Dusty Lomeland: DLomelandLimp
Jason McAnally: jmacswitch
Chrissy Christenson: ChrissyRoseC
Katie Stewart: KTStew
Samantha Howe: samanthahowe
Anna Konstantinova: annacaptivates

To understand how Twitter works, you can go to their website, or you can watch this fun youtube video. Bottom line - GET CONNECTED!

Do You See What I See?

2009-04-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

¹⁶He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." ¹⁷Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. (2 Kings 6:16-18)
Do you see what I see? Depends on your faith. While some people see insurmountable odds, I see an opportunity for God to prove His glory and power. While some people are critical with their assessment, I am hopeful with grace. While some people ditch when the battle increases, I dig in and shout out a war cry.

There comes a time when you must refuse to believe your eyes and choose to see with faith, which, afterall, is the evidence of things NOT SEEN.

Back in the day we stole a line from Pete Greig who wrote the book Awakening Cry: "UCBONES, ICANARMY" (you see bones, I see an army)...and I want to ask you - what kind of believer are you going to be - one that can only see the bones, or the one that can see the army.

God is attracted to faith, and when we combine our faith with movement, we become an unstoppbable force. Giddy up. It's war time!

B.

Facebook is the new Myspace, but TWITTER is the new Facebook!

2009-03-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

It's Twitter Time! Most people are leaving myspace for facebook (as shown in the graph above), but what is really the big deal right now is TWITTER. Market research company Nielsen Online says Twitter grew by 1,689% from February 2008 to February 2009.

That means there are now more than 1.78 million people signed on.

This time last year the social networking site only had 100,000 members.

Most of the growth on Twitter has happened within just the last 3 months.

The big question is why? Why is Twitter growing so rapidly? Here are a few theories I have:

Twitter is easier to scan. Less is more. People gravitate to shorter messages.
Twitter is more social. It’s easier to engage the crowd around a brief shot of wisdom or a story or a question.
Twitter is more viral. It’s easy to grab an insight and share it with friends.
Twitter is more intuitive. To follow someone, I just click “follow.” Blogs still require a bit of an understanding of RSS feeds.

Bottom line: Twitter allows you to send out a simple message to one number (40404) from your cell phone and everyone following you, is instantly updated. You can also do this from your computer, as well as attach images, links, etc.

Read more: "Twitter vs. Blogging | TonyMorganLive.com" - http://tonymorganlive.com/2009/03/18/twitter-vs-blogging/#ixzz0AmdGBTOj

Me and my Study Partner/Baby

2009-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Just wanted everyone to know how much I'm enjoying my Friday, as I prep to speak tonight at our annual Men's Retreat. The source of my smile doesn't come from the study, but from my baby girl who is chillin' next to me as she sleeps. She's 19 days old, and we had to wait over 8 years for her arrival, but boy was she worth the wait!

As for the prep - talking about the call of a leader - once David was anointed with oil and "called" to be King, it says in 1 Samuel 16:
¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.

"From that day on". David went back to the sheep fields after that and stayed there for years before becoming King...but once he was called I believe he saw sheep differently, he saw lions, and bears differently, he saw isolation differently...why? Because he was now "called."

If we understand that God has called us to something greater than the mundane, it will change the way we view life and prepare us for the days ahead.

You are called.

U2 Christianity/Spirituality and White As Snow Lyrics

2009-03-03T11:18:00.001-08:00

Today the new U2 album "No Line On The Horizon" was released. U2 is the icon for us 20-30 somethings when it comes to cutting edge, mainstream, music with spiritual elements. I've always struggled with the "Christianity" of U2 because even though Bono regularly talks about Jesus and the journey he is on, there seems to be a lack of unabashed commitment to following Christ.

My prayer is that in seeking out Truth, the guys of U2 will "finally find what they've been looking for". In the meantime, I can fully appreciate the depth of their lyrics such as "White As Snow" which I have posted below.

So, what's the view from where you stand? Should U2 be applauded for asking the rest of the world to wrestle with their spirituality? Should U2 be chided for making social issues a bigger concern than declaring the preeminence of Christ as the One and only Savior? Should we not be so investigative and just enjoy the music when it's good, and turn it off when it's not?

If you don't consider yourself a Christ follower- what's your take on the message of U2? Do they even have a message, or are they just another band to you?

If you do believe that Christ is your Savior and consider yourself saved by grace, through faith - how do you value their music?

Chime in!

WHITE AS SNOW
Where I came from there were no hills at all
The land was flat, the highways straight and wide
My brother and I would drive for hours
Like years instead of days
Our faces as pale as the dirty snow

Once I knew there was a love divine
Then came a time I thought it knew me not
Who can forgive forgiveness where forgiveness is not
Only the lamb as white as snow

And the water, it was icy
As it washed over me
And the moon shone above me
Now this dry ground it bears no fruit at all
Only poppies laugh under the crescent moon
The road refuses strangers
The land the seeds we sow
Where might we find the lamb as white as snow

As boys we would go hunting in the woods
To sleep the night shooting out the stars
Now the wolves are every passing stranger
Every face we cannot know
If only a heart could be as white as snow
If only a heart could be as white as snow

Lent Anyone?

2009-02-24T10:55:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow Lent begins! Ok, so you probably don't know what Lent is. Even though Lent is not found in the Bible, there is historical significance and good reason for it. I've never known what Lent is, much less participated in it until my decision to do so this year. Like anything else - it can be very deep and personal or just a religious tradition - it's up to you and your heart. Maybe you are a Catholic by heritage, or consider yourself religious, but don't truly know what it means to have a relationship with Jesus - wow, this could be a great time for you to search the Scriptures and find out who this Jesus really is!

Maybe you consider yourself the most UN-RELIGIOUS person on the planet - don't you owe it to yourself to at least find out for yourself who Jesus is and what He taught? Lent could be a great time to do a 40 day study of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - found in the Bible)!

The local church I'm a part of doesn't do fancy liturgy, we don't have stained glass windows, and most of us wear jeans rather than suits or priestly robes...we tend to prefer the electric guitar over the organ, and we're more likely to be laughing and smiling than somber and quiet...but there is a still a very real, and very deep passion to know Jesus and to live our lives for the Savior of the world! Lent is a good way to get on the right track!

Lent is a 40-day fasting season that begins on Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) and concludes at the Easter. Sundays are not included in the 40-day count because every Sunday is a joyful celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Though not found in the Bible, Lent has long been a tradition in the Christian Church, and it is thought that the tradition of the 40 days recalls the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). Lent is considered a time of repentance and discipline.

One of my current favorite authors, Mark Batterson says this concerning Lent:
----
I have a goal-oriented personality. Without goals I'm no good. So I try to leverage things like birthdays and New Years and Lent and Pentecost to set new spiritual goals or reestablish some God habits. A few years ago I started observing Lent and it's made Easter so much more meaningful. Can't wait for Ash Wednesday.

Here's an equation: -++=x.

Translation: subtraction plus addition equals multiplication.

What do you need to subtract from you life?

It might be a bad habit or waste of time or something that is permissible but not beneficial. Last year I gave up television for forty days. This year I'm giving up soda and candy. I know that doesn't sound super spiritual, but if you knew how much I love vanilla coke and gummy bears...

What do you need to add to your life?

You can't just subtract something. You've got to add something to your spiritual routine. I'm going to add an hour to my day. How? I'm setting my alarm clock an hour earlier than I normally do. I want to give God more of my most precious resource: time.

I'm believing that subtraction and addition will result in multiplication. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been filled with more holy anticipation about what God is doing in my life and the life of National Community Church. But I'm believing Him for greater things! I want Him to multiply what He is already doing!

Question: what are you subtracting or adding for Lent?

----
So...who's in? Reply to this email and tell us what you are planning on adding and subtracting.

Subtraction: I'm going to not eat after 8:00pm and refrain from all Desserts including the deadly "C's": Cookies, Crackers, Chips, and Cake

Addition: I'm going to actually read through Beth Moore's 40 Day Bible Study on Jesus, spend an hour in prayer before I shower, read, eat, or do anything else in the mornings, because my prayer time gets easily crowded out with "stuff" in the morning.

See you soon
Pastor Brian

FIFTY-TWO FRIDAYS: Valentines Day Edition

2009-02-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

Well it's been awhile since I've posted much of anything, but today I thought I'd get everyone caught up on our goal of having one planned date each week of the year in 2009.

I missed week three because I had to fly to Spokane to attend (and officiate) my Grandma's funeral. We did some little things, but nothing that would qualify as a planned, special date.

Then last week we ventured to the Laurelhurst district in Portland and spent the morning at Crema Cafe, which is known for it's artistic foam lattes. It was lots of fun, very trendy, and there were about 15 people using Mac's (compared to 1 PC user), which solidified its coolness.

Then this week, we celebrated Valentines day with cards, a truffle or two, and then went to our original favorite place on NE Fremont: Alameda Cafe, where I indulged the best French Toast in the world, and Jenn had their special of the day: Quiche w/ fresh spinich and tomato. Elli isn't here yet, but I couldn't resist buying her a Valentine Card, so she could read it someday - that we were hoping today would be the day she was born!We then walked along Fremont, and went to our favorite (albeit expensive) pet store, Green Dog Pet Supply, and bought a valentine treat for Loomis and Gabby. Here they were patiently waiting to have their heart broken, so they could share.
As for the rest of Valentine's Day...well, we'll see. We sure would like Elliana to come today, but in the meantime there is some love to share!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Brian

A Theological View of Running

2009-01-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Is running an act of worship? Is breaking a sweat part of spiritual wholeness? Doesn't God care about more important things than whether or not I need to shed a few pounds?

Yes and no.

God didn't only make the spiritual side of you - he made all of you. In the Bible, Job 10 says it best:

11You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. 12You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

Here's what I've come to realize. If I'm slothful with my body - it affects the level of my faith. I have a real hard time looking at the magnificent plan that God has for me, when my body is just sitting around the house collecting dust. There is something to be said for healthy bodies and healthy faith. Most of the pastors that I look up to have healthy bodies and a vibrancy for life...and I don't think it's coincidence.

It is true that you can excel in "body" OR "soul" OR "spirit" without the others, but I believe that when you are healthy in all three it's like a finely tuned guitar: ready to rock and roll!

So...why not make a fresh request for grace and forgiveness in your life and ask Jesus to empower you to make the necessary changes in the area that needs attention the most. The cool thing about God is that the verse following 1 Thess 5:23 is this: 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

here's to wholeness!'
b.

FIFTY-TWO FRIDAYS: Date #2 of 52 in 2009 w/ Jenn

2009-01-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, today our date was a breakfast date. Jenn wanted Crepes so, knowing you don't disagree with a pregnant woman who is days away from giving birth, I found a highly recommended place on Alberta (a trendy area in NE Portland) called Tour De Crepes. We got there around 9:30, but found out that it didn't open until 10:00. Despite the high ratings, the place looked pretty scary, and we were both hungry so we decided just to look for another place.
Our detour turned out to be the pathway to a true treasure! As we drove down Alberta we found an amazing French restaurant called Petite Provence. It was pure chance we found this place, but it turned out to be a gem.
This place was beautiful and well designed, with an open kitchen, fresh baked breads and desserts.
Jenn opted for the Coffee Cake French Toast (yeah, take coffee cake and turn it into french toast and voila!) and I ordered Eggs Bennedict Provencal, which I would do a disservice to explain The service was great, and Jenn and I both think this may become a regular place for us (competing with Alameda Cafe on Freemont). We then headed to Delta Park, went to BabysRus and a couple more furniture stores, and ended up back at home around noon. A quick date, but super fun and we're really glad we found such a great place!

Jenn is due Feb. 22, but the doctors say there is a 50/50 chance she has the baby a week from Monday when she goes in to have her cerclage (stich) removed a week from Monday! So the upcoming dates will have to get creative, but I'm up for it and so is Prego!

so...about those New Year resolutions....

2009-01-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

One week in the books and as I look at my New Year Goals for 2009, I have to admit that I have a long way to go. Too often blogging can be about all the great things you do, without owning up to the shortcomings that also are ever-present in our lives. So - here is how I did in week one.

The good:
- took Jenn on a planned date
- participated in the GBF fast Mon-Wed

The not-so-good:
- only ran 11 miles (instead of 25)
- missed a couple days of my "read through the Bible plan" (but did read a bunch of other Scripture)

The bad:
- didn't read ANYTHING out of my new books...but I somehow found a way to play a lot of Mario Kart on the Wii...
- ate like a pig (as seen in the date post...but it was worse than that...I weighed in at 194.5 today, and couldn't fit into some shirts yesterday! I should be about 185 or less...
- didn't hand-write a note...

What now?!? Adjust. The goals are good and reachable. I'm really focusing this week on reaching these goals, and am uber-determined right now to work out and eat right. I renewed my gym membership at Bally's (one year/$99 - can't beat that!), and have started tracking progress again. I'm also writing in time to read and write letters into my schedule which is key.

So there you go. Far from perfect - but far from lethargic. By keeping my goals in front of me, and reviewing the progress each week, I should be able to accomplish much more than living life carelessly!

Peace out.
B.

Under The Influence...I'd rather watch a sermon anyday.

2009-01-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

One of my goals in 2009 is to read through the Bible in a year. Here's a bit of a Bible study this morning from my daily reading...I know quite a few of you that read my blog don't go to church, but maybe this will open your eyes (and mine) a bit to God's perfect ways and whet your appetite to experience his marvelous love and forgiveness.

Job 29 says...

21“Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and the light of my face they did not cast down."

Wow. Talk about influence! Admittedly, as a pastor I would love this kind of attention and interest from the people who listen to me speak. It makes me wonder (and maybe you as well)...what was it that gave Job such influence? Perhaps the verses written just before these give indication....

11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him. 15 I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

Quite simply...Job was a man of action - not a man of words. If we want to be under the influence...if we want people to listen, maybe we should be someone worth listening to. How often do we believe in standing for justice and "right" things, yet our lives are consumed with selfishness. If you want your life to be influential - perhaps we should both start creating stories with the action we take rather than continually trying to be more effective in the way we speak. I think we'd all rather watch a sermon than listen to one anyday of the week - but how about BEING a sermon yourself...that's my desire.

Lord, I want to be a man of action, not just a man of words. Convict my heart -help me to see people and this world the way you see it. May people not know me for my words, but for my willingness to go out of my way to touch those in need.

Amen.

FIFTY-TWO FRIDAYS: Date # 1 of 52 in 2009 with Jenn

2009-01-09T21:34:00.001-08:00

One of my New Year Goals is to take Jenn out on a planned date each week of '09. It doesn't have to cost much or anything, but it needs to be thought out and planned. Today was date #1!

We started out by going furniture shopping. Thanks to the grandma-ma and my parents we received a Christmas surprise with a check to buy furniture. So we mapped out our living room and went furniture shopping. We had already ordered our couch and loveseat and then went to Crate & Barrel in hopes to find a rug to go with it. We found a great deal and ended up with a 9x12 rug to go in our living room. We then drove up 217 to Ethan Allen, but didn't like anything there (at least that we could afford) and then went to Skyline Restaurant, which I found through Citysearch which is was awarded "best burger in Portland". Google maps took us on a real strange route - we ended up driving up Brynwood Lane, which is just about the most narrow, steep drive that I've ever been on, but we eventually got there - and laughed when we did. Skyline was built in the 50's and hasn't been upgraded since then...but the burgers didn't disappoint. We had two burgers (although I only ate half since mine was three times the size of Jenn's regular hamburger) and shared a milkshake. Jenn and I had a blast. We then headed back to the Eastside and watched the ever so romantic movie "Valkaryie" (insert sarcasm here). I offered to go to a chick-flick, but Jenn assured me it was a shared choice. Jenn and I had a great day, and I can't wait to plan the next one!

Ugh.

2009-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd want the holidays and snow to go away, but this is getting ridiculous. Every Sunday night Jenn and I meet with the students of Family Bible Church, but for the last three weeks we've either had bad weather or a holiday break to keep us from meeting. So, I was all pumped up to see everyone again tonight, but JUST NOW THE SNOW STARTED FALLING...AGAIN...and in Camas it's supposed to be ice and snow up in the hills, so service got canceled again. So, in my state of depression, I've created a video blog song...feel free to comment on my amazing SKILZ...

My Official Goals for 2009

2008-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

I'm working on my New Year Goals. The question of "what needs changed or attacked the most" fuels my focus. I've broken the targets into categories...I may add or subtract in the next 24 hours, but here's what I've got so far after a day of contemplation.

Intellectual:

1. Read at least one book* a month. I read so many blogs and internet stuff, I need to actually set goals to deeply read books. My current list (in no particular order):

Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
In a Pit with A Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
IT by Craig Groschel
From Hope To Higher Ground by Mike Huckabee
Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley
The Fine Line: Re-envisioning the Gap between Christ and Culture by Cary Oberbrunner
Tribes by Seth Godin
Death By Love by Mark Driscoll
A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years With Ronald Regan by Michael K. Deaver
Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll
Passion For Jesus by Mike Bickle
Crazy Love by Francis Chan

2. Plan, record, and track weekly planning each week and keep logged in binder.

Physical:

1. Run in the following races:

May 3rd: Bloomsday 12k (trying to break P.R. of 57:21 / 7:41pace)
June 13th: Helvetia Half Marathon (trying to break P.R. of 1:48:05 / 8:15 pace)
June 27th: Seattle Rock & Roll Half Marathon (running with newbie runners for fun)
October 4th: Portland Marathon (trying to break P.R. of 04:04:06 / 9:19 pace)

2. Weigh no more than 185 pounds from Feb 1 - Dec 31
3. Run 1200 miles (100 miles a month/25 miles a week) in 2009

Relational:

1. Plan, experience, and record 52 dates with Jenn in 2009.* I'm hoping to take 52 pictures and write about 52 experiences. A quick coffee, or dinner in the Taco Bell drive-thru don't count! Even though she'll be giving birth to our first child, I'm going to work on creative ways to take her on one planned date each week.

2. Plan, experience, and record one date a week with my new baby girl Elliana.* Honestly, I'm not sure what this will look like, but I want to be able to identify something I took time to plan with my baby girl.

3. Hand-write one letter each week to people who matter to me. Email, text, facebook, and blogging are great - but I think there is something powerful in the hand-written letter.

Spiritual***:

1. Participate in the Global Bridegroom Fast the first Monday - Wednesday of each month, with intensity.
2. Read through the Bible.
3. Pray very specifically, on my knees, every day.
3. Give away more money than ever before.
4. Personally introduce someone to Jesus and the Salvation He offers (outside of church services).

------------------------
*this does not include the bazillion books I'll probably be reading on FATHERHOOD!!!
**For the record, I plan on spending bazillion moments with both, but I want to take time to think and plan for each of them in a special way
***I don't really like a category like "spiritual" because a life following Christ involves the entire life and every decision - but this serves the purpose of specific targets to aim for in 2009.

New Year: Increase the Expectations of Your Potential

2008-12-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year, and I've been reading about the 2008 accomplishments and experiences of some people that I admire - and their stories are amazing.

Sometimes when you hear other people's stories, it can cause you to shrink in confidence because your experiences aren't at the same level. But I was reminded by the Holy Spirit this morning as I was reading Proverbs 30. It says this:

24 Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings' palaces

Feel the size of an ant? So what!
Have the personality of a rock badger? So what!
Feel like a locust sometimes? So what!
Find yourself green like a lizard? So what!

We can be mighty through God's grace, regardless of our appearance or where we find ourselves in life. Take time in the next two days to increase the expectations of your potential and possibilities. Dream big this year!

1. Determine your Role (Husband, Father, Pastor, etc.)
2. Establish your Goal (Big, Crazy, & Wonderful)
3. Blend it into your weekly Schedule (Make time to accomplish it each week)

Happy New Year you stinkin' awesome ants, rock badgers, locusts, and lizards! The future is bright!

Brian

The Consequences of Viewing "Marley and Me"

2008-12-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

This was the scene at my house after I got back from watching "Marley and Me". They rarely get to be on the couch with us, so when I let them come up, Loomis took full advantage...and I loved every minute of it...of course, Gabby looks a little left out, but deep inside I think she was just happy Loomis wasn't terrorizing her.

Snow has us homebound...Services canceled...what's a pastor to do?

2008-12-22T09:37:00.001-08:00

Here in Portland OR we view snow a bit differently than most, because it rarely falls over here over an inch. One inch will give us 24 hour news coverage...6 inches will give us weather identities such as "ARTIC BLAST 2008" (say that in a Monster Truck commercial voice...now you know what I mean)...and anything over a foot of snow will give us a State of Emergency address by the Mayor. Now that snow levels are reaching 14" the city has shut down...highways are being closed, and people are asked to stay in their homes.

This greatly affected area churches over the weekend including ours. Services were canceled, Christmas programs were put on hold, and ministries, outreaches, and operational costs that needed funding were left empty since no one could give.

Yikes! So here I am on a Monday morning, and I can't get out of my house. I live on a dead end street, which has acted more like a wind tunnel, funneling all the snow to the end...and since our house is the last one on the street we have been forced to welcome the drifts to park in our yard...and they're not even paying us rent!

So, I have a couple options...bust out the movie collection and sit on my blessed assurance all day, or be productive and connect with as many people as possible - pastoring from home. I'm going to choose the latter - although the accountability of posting it in a blog helps me get motivated!

One day of chillin' is cool...but we're going onwards of a week now. Gotta make my day count! Peace out everyone. Stay warm!

Brian

God wants to rock your world(view). Jesus vs. Santa

2008-12-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

You once believed in Santa right? I sure did. But then I grew up. I realized that Santa was just a fun, comforting, made-up character that fulfilled childish fun. He served his purpose (and still does), but it's not like I still believe...I'm smarter than that.

You once believed in Jesus right? Maybe. Maybe not. I sure did. But then I grew up...And I still believe...even though I have grown up. Even though it's no longer popular...I'm smarter than that. It's easier in our culture to have a popular humanistic worldview that promotes a view of , "to each his own", "what's right for me may or may not be right for you".

So...what's more childish...to believe in Jesus and hold steadfast to faith in the Bible and God's plans for our lives, or to do whatever you want to do because you don't want anyone telling you what to do with your life. Hmmm...

I know that "religion" has screwed up a lot and distorted the reality of Jesus - but regardless of what others have done, you get to choose who and what you follow. And I choose Jesus, not because I "feel" like it. But because He is the Son of God. He is truth. Truth is not truth because I believe it. (I can "believe" that a million dollars is in my wallet, but that doesn't mean it's truth - it's just what I believe). Truth is truth because it's truth - and it's my responsibility to follow truth regardless of my preferences, because in the end Truth prevails.

Let God rock your world(view) this Christmas season. Because Jesus isn't like Santa.

Don't you owe it to your (responsible, mature) self to investigate the answer? Wouldn't it be a thoughtful and reasonable act to figure out if your life is on the right path? Here are a couple non-invasive books that I'd recommend anyone to read - especially mature, reasonable, adults - that don't believe in santa. I really like this one, and this one.

Merry Christmas,
Brian

Well the weather outside is frightful...

2008-12-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...nothing like snow in Portland! It rarely snows here, but we've got a blanket of snow and it's not going anywhere! A couple inches today, and then sub 30 degree days all week and snow showers in the forecast means we get to enjoy a winter wonderland here for the whole week! The fingers are crossed for a white Christmas, but for now we'll enjoy what we have! Loomis (my boxer) got his first taste of snow today and had some fun.

...Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

The Wonderful Weight of Responsibility: For Christians

2008-12-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

How easy it is for Christians to hold to a belief system, yet neglect the responsibility to pray and expect miraculous signs and wonders to take place in their lives and churches. I'm certainly guilty of that and not following the pattern of prayer and expectancy we find in the book of Acts:

"And now, O Lord...give your servants great boldness in their preaching. Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Acts 4:30

These people were absolutely passionate about God showing up and doing incredible things in the lives of people. They didn't pray out of duty or routine, but because they held the responsibility to seek God and turn their world upside down. Look at the results:

"After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they preached God's message with boldness. " Acts 4:31

I'm being revived by this Scripture. It's been too long...Lives must be changed. I can't handle nice services and people that don't really experience the true power of God. I must accept this responsibility.

How can we as Christians explain away that kind of passion and expectancy? What if we admitted that our services were doing nice and good things, but not truly powerful things!?! As for me, I want to purpose in my heart to expect nothing less than the truly transformational and miraculous power of God to be displayed each and every time we gather, and each and every time I preach God's message with boldness.

We have a responsibility to not just believe in the power of God, but to pursue it and expect it to be displayed in the lives of people. What a wonderful responsibility that need not be avoided!

Any thoughts on this today?

The Wonderful Weight of Responsibility

2008-12-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Today I begin a series of posts on RESPONSIBILITY

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30 (ESV)

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?" Luke 16:10-11 (ESV)

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6 (NIV)

Here is a thought that is just rocking me right now. Life can only be embraced and enjoyed when embracing the responsibility that has been given to you.

No one likes a dead-beat dad, who ditches his family and then won't even pay child support.
No one likes a co-worker who is a slacker - always cutting corners.

No one is happy and excited about life when they aren't fulfilling their responsibility. I don't need to be rich, I don't need notoriety, and I certainly don't need a new life. I simply need to clarify the responsibilities that God has given me with my life involving my family, relationships, job, city, and world, and then live to fulfill my responsibility.

In ministry people often think of success in terms of numbers and who you know, but God is simply asking me to fulfill the responsibilities He has given me whether or not promotion comes in terms of people's viewpoint is up to God.

What is God asking you to do with your life?
What do you need to do each day to fulfill your responsibility?
Why run from certain responsibilities when fulfilling them will truly give you energy and excitement?

Don't run from the wonderful weight of responsibility...It's where life, purpose and a sense of accomplishment can be found.

peace out
B.

Fatbusters Update: Week Three

2008-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well, this week was certainly better than Thanksgiving week that is for sure! I didn't run at all except for 8 miles last Monday - but I was non-stop busy with house projects with all of my free time and that probably burned some calories. I put trim in the babies room, helped paint the baby's room, rearranged the family room, installed a new cable box from the attic in the family room, filled in the trenches of our sprinkler system in the front yard, got a wild Christmas tree up on Mt. Hood, a u-cut tree from Marten's Tree Farm, put Christmas lights on the house and have the first 500 lights on the mountain tree in the living room. Whew!

Bottom Line: Weigh in on Monday morning: 190 pounds. I lost a few pounds this week...pretty good...I'll take it - but I've got to keep pushing it a bit, since I wanted to be at 188 this week.

I ran four miles this morning, and plan on running again tonight - and hopefully will get 25-30 miles in this week.

Lessons learned (again)...

be accountable to yourself by tracking what you eat
learn what foods do the most damage so you can avoid them
talk to people about it (like blogging) or like the conversation I had with Bob Bennett this week (Hey bob!). Talking about it always keeps you motivated and on track!
avoid diets if you can like Atkins, South Beach, etc...do you really think you'll do that for the rest of your life....nope. Just change your lifestyle and let the weight come off slowly but healthily!

Peace out
B.

Fatbusters Update: The Curse of Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

"You can fool yourself, but you can't fool the scale."

Those were my thoughts as I stood on the scale today after a week of eating just about anything and everything at my parent's house last week for Thanksgiving vacation. My mom loves to cook, and I love to eat - a pretty bad combination when you want to lose 10 by Christmas!

The results? I gained 1.5 pounds from last Monday, putting me at -0.5 after two weeks.

Lesson learned (again): Despite the fact that I ran 7 miles Tuesday, 8 miles, and 6 miles on Friday (about 2100 calories burned), it just doesn't come close for making up for the food I ate here and there and everywhere....like the multiple dinner rolls, or the cheese and cracker tray during the Hawks loss to the Cowboys, or the pumpkin pie and cheesecake, and pecan pies, or the big breakfasts every morning, or the 5 pieces of pizza Saturday night....(you get the point).

In other words - your aerobic activity MUST be accompanied by healthy eating or you are fooling yourself into thinking you are losing weight from all that running!

Ok...back at it this week. I'm not too bummed about last week - it was a great time with the family, and it was Thanksgiving for pete's sake!

Fatbusters Week One Results

2008-11-25T10:17:00.001-08:00

Week One - Mission Accomplished. Lost two pounds. Down to 192. Hoping to be down 10 pounds by Christmas.

Mon - Thurs were super easy, very disciplined. Ran 18 miles and tracked all my food.
Fri - Sun were super hard, very undisciplined. Didn't run at all, and didn't track any food.

For this to work, there has to be SUPER intentional tracking of food. If you run a lot you can get away with it, but I got lucky with my two pounds lost. I'll have to try harder to make this work.

To really lose weight (my way) live by this rule: You bite it - you write it.

As long as you track what you eat, you can eat whatever you want - as long as you stay in the goal range. I use www.sparkpeople.com to track everything.

Gonna run at least 6 miles today. Peace out from Walla Walla.

b.

Part 5: "Simple Church" Book Review and App

2008-11-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing the review and application from the book Simple Church. So far I've covered the "CLARITY" portion of the book, and now we're on part 2 of "MOVEMENT"

Simple Church
A simple church is a congregation designed around a straight-forward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth.
Clarity ⇒ Movement ⇒ Alignment ⇒ Focus

Movement.clear next step

Unfortunately, many churches treat new believers like neglected orphan children. There is little attention and nurture. New believers are tossed aside. There is typically no follow-up. The person is unsure what to do next. This situation is tragic. Just as children need nurture and attention during their formative years, so do new believers.
i. There must be a clear next step for them
ii. They must be moved into the life of the church.
iii. They must be nurtured toward spiritual growth.

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “After someone becomes a believer, the next step for them in the spiritual transformation process is clear."

New Christians who immediately became active in a small group are five times more likely to remain in the church five years later than those who were active in worship services alone.”

Movement.new members class

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “We have a class or group to move new people into the life of the church.”
i. Teach the simple process
ii. Ask for commitment to the process

Fatbusters Update (Day 4)

2008-11-20T08:07:00.001-08:00

Over the years I've lost about 110 pounds...I gained a few back this fall, so I'm trying to knock off 10 before Christmas to get back in shape....

I ran 6 miles yesterday giving me 18 miles in three days, now that the rain is back I hope I don't wuss out today and tomorrow. My goal is to run five days a week.

Eating wise, I was on the high end yesterday, but my targets for calories, carbs, fat, and protein don't take into consideration the fact that I'm burning about 100 calories per mile....so if you take off 600 calories, I did fine.

For all you dieters out there - notice that I'm not dieting...I'm drinking latte's, eating bagels, etc. - I'm just tracking what I eat, and making wise decisions. It's so much better that way!

Here is yesterday's report:

Fatbusters Update (Day 3)

2008-11-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

background...I've gained some weight since running my marathon, so I'm kicking my body back in gear...gonna go for 10 pounds by Christmas.

Well, yesterday was pretty good. I ran FOUR miles which gives me 12 in two days. I went a bit over in carbs and calories, but since I'm burning about 100 calories per mile (sidenote: don't believe the treadmills and machines...it's about 100-120 calories per mile) I was ok. By the end of our youth service last night I was weak and soooo hungry, so I devoured some cereal and a big bowl of popcorn before bed last night. Here are the results:

Part 4: "Simple Church" Book Review and App

2008-11-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing the review and application from the book Simple Church. So far I've covered the "CLARITY" portion of the book, and now we move to "MOVEMENT"

Movement.strategic programming

The whole idea of movement in Simple Church is the sequential steps in the process that causes people to move to greater areas of commitment. In other words, there must be movement from "loving God" to "loving people" in terms of the discipleship process...rather than stagnation of people just "loving God" and just coming to Sunday morning services.

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “We have placed our programs along our strategic process.”

Begin with your clearly defined process. You must begin with the process, not the programs. ii. Choose one program for each phase of your process iii. Design each program for a specific aspect of the process iv. Place the programs in sequential order
Followers of Christ: Sunday morning services (starting point: Sunday)
Connected to people: Small groups (weekly)
Rooted in truth: online community of deeper Bible study (monthly)
Immersed in culture: ministry teams/outreaches (monthly)

Movement.sequential programming

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “Our programs are sequential, based on our process”
By placing the programs in sequence along the process, the programs truly become tools to facilitate the process of transformation. Congestion in conquered
i. Designate a clear entry point to your process
ii. Identify the next levels of programming

Movement.intentional movement

In so many churches people remain in the same place spiritually for years. And sometimes they remain in the same groups. They are kept in some type of spiritual holding tank. They rarely move to greater levels of commitment.

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “We are intentional about moving people from one program to another.”

Remember, simple church leaders are designers. They design opportunities for people to be transformed. Complex church leaders are programmers. Programmers focus on one program at a time. Designers focus on the movement between the programs.
How to create intentional movement

1. Create short-term steps.
The steps should NOT be new programs. They should be short-term opportunities that expose people to an aspect of the process that they have not yet experienced.
2. Capitalize on Relationships
People DO NOT progress through the simple process because they hear it from the pulpit. People do not move through the process because they see a purpose statement on the wall. As helpful as these things can be, people move because someone else brings them through the process. Relationships bridge the process.
3. Consider the “Now What”
Do not let the present program be the end. Seek to move people farther along.
4. Connect People to Groups
The picture is clear: people stick to a church when they get involved in a small group.

Fatbusters Update

2008-11-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well, day one went ok. I ran EIGHT miles, which is cool (so I probably burned around 800 calories) - but I had an unplanned meeting at Wild Buffalo Wings and tried to be good...ate a side salad but snacked on some fries and chips...on my tracker I just put whatever I could find that may be similar. Here are the results:

Uh-Oh call Fatbusters - I gotta lose a few!

2008-11-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's been over a month since my marathon, and I haven't ran much and today I got on the scale and it blew my brain a bit...the reading: 194! Ouch! My normal weight is around 185 - preferably closer to 183. So...unless I want to go back to my old self of 293.5 I better get back in the game! So, for accountability sake, I'm going to post every day about what I did the previous day in terms of health. So check back for a slimmer, trimmer, me!

Ten pounds by Christmas? Yeah, I'll bust that out no prob....

Part 3: "Simple Church" Book Review & App

2008-11-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing the review and application from the book Simple Church. For a few days we'll be in the "CLARITY" portion. So far we talked about Clarity it terms of defining, illustrating and measuring the process.

CLARITY.discuss

For the simple process to become woven into the identity of the church, it must be discussed. Frequently. Not just during the launch. Clarity is not realized without consistency. It is not enough to unveil a vision for the how and then bury it among other things. It is insufficient to preach a series on the discipleship process and then file the messages. Consistent discussion is a must.

The discussion must begin with the leadership of the church. The simple process must become part of their vocabulary. It must roll off their tongues with ease.

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “We frequently discuss our process as a leadership team.”

CLARITY: increase understanding

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “Our church members have a clear understanding of our process.”

Understanding does not come easily. It does not occur with a one-time magical act of communication. Increasing understanding is hard work, and it must be continually monitored.

When people understand the process, they are also able to bring others though it. People are always the church’s greatest resource. And when someone really gets it, the person becomes a missionary and an advocate. So, as a leader, you must increase the level of process understanding in your church.

To do so, you must do three things. While all three are critical, they are in reverse order of importance.
1. Articulate the process corporately.
2. Share the process interpersonally. The process must not only be heard through monologue. Dialogue gives people a chance to interact. And this dialogue has a tendency to spread. When people see that it is not just a “sermon thing”, it means more.
3. Live the process personally. Be a tour guide not a travel agent.

Part 2: "Simple Church" Book Review & App

2008-11-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing the review and application from the book Simple Church. For a few days we'll be in the "CLARITY" portion. Last time we talked about defining the process. Today is all about illustrating and measuring the process.

CLARITY.illustrate

a. Get Visual
i. The simple process is more likely to resonate with each person if it is visual. Recollection increases movement. Vision is always visual.
ii. Get some wise and creative people around a table and come up with one. Be sure your visual illustration has the following components:
1. The illustration should be reflective of your process
2. The illustration should show progression.
3. The illustration should help simplify.
a. If you have to explain a lot of symbols and hidden meanings in your illustration, it is too complicated.

CLARITY.measure

a. For people to take your ministry process seriously, it has to be measured. For people to internalize the simple how in your church, you have to evaluate it. The cliché is true: what gets evaluated, gets done.
b. We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “We have a system to measure how people progress through the process.”
c. Process must be measured. If there is no measurement, the people within the organization will not internalize the severity and urgency of it.
d. Churches that measure their process prove its value.
e. To measure your process effectively, you must think differently in two critical ways:
i. Learn to view your members horizontally and not vertically.
In this realm we need to see what percentage of people are in each stage. For instance it's a bad sign if 80% are in small groups, but only 5% are in ministry teams, even if your Sunday worship attendance is strong and even growing - because there is a blockage in the discipleship process.
ii. Measure attendance at each level/stage in your process.
In this realm we are taking regular attendance at all stages of the process, not just Sunday mornings. We want to know how all the programs are doing that represent a step in the discipleship process.

"Simple Church" Book Review & App (Part 1)

2008-11-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Today I begin reviewing the book Simple Church and applying the process to my life and ministry. You should know ahead of time that this book absolutely rocked me to the core, and I can't wait to apply it.

CLARITY.define

We must be able to “strongly agree” with the following statement: “We have a clearly defined process for moving a person from salvation to spiritual maturity to significant ministry.”

How is your how? Do you have a process that is clearly defined? Following are three concepts to wrestle with as you begin to define a ministry process:

1. Determine what kind of disciple you wish to produce in your church. What do you want the people to be.
I'm starting NON-SIMPLE on purpose, so I can narrow it down, but here are words and phrases that I associate with disciples: lovers of God, committed, courageous, filled with Holy Spirit power, filled with compassion and love for people, deep rooted in truth, active in ministry, wise and creative in reaching and serving the world.

2. Describe your purpose as a process. After you conclude what you desire people in your church or ministry to be, describe this in process terms. In other words, describe your purpose in sequential order.
Hmmm...how about: Followers of Christ, Connected to People, Rooted in Truth, Immersed in Culture
The greatest two commandments are to love God and love people. I added "rooted in truth" because we live in a humanistic/hedonistic culture that believes you can do those two things any way you like - there must be deep rooted truth associated with HOW we love God and love people. "Immersed in Culture" is an expression of movement and involvement with those around us...with an end goal of making disciples. Maybe it goes without saying that if you truly love someone you are active in their lives, but I think too many people say they love people, but refuse get close to them, serve them, and actually get involved with them. And then there are people who "serve the world", but never share Jesus or make disciples, so verbally communicating this seems difficult for me in one phrase.

3. Decide how each weekly program is part of the process. The programs must specifically be defined how they will be used to move people through the process of spiritual transformation.
Followers of Christ: Sunday Worship Experience
Connected to People: Small Groups
Rooted in Truth: An online Community of Deeper Bible Study
Immersed in Culture: Ministry Teams

that's it for today...this is all very rough draft-ish, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Remember "DO-OVERs" Back In The Day

2008-11-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

The setting was usually middle school P.E. class, and we were forced to play sports like volleyball (for a short, fat boy with no vertical...yes it was forced). Instead of playing by the rules, some of the girls got to serve the ball five feet in front of the service line, and if it didn't go over the net, the P.E. teacher would yell out "DO OVER!"

Don't you wish you could pull the "Do Over" card at will? There are a lot of things I'd like to "Do Over".

Fortunately, we can in some ways. As a youth pastor I have been challenged by a recent talk given by Andy Stanley at the Catalyst Conference where he commented on the quote:

“If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves?” – Only the Paranoid Survive, Andy Grove

The first thing an outsider might say about your organization is “Why in the world are you doing that?” We fall in love with the way we do things and forget to constantly reevaluate. The fact of life is that usually without pain, there is no pain. And usually that pain is financial.
Where are we manufacturing energy? These are the programs that we do because we do. We aren’t all that excited about them, but it is what we do. We just manufacture energy. Get rid of them.
It is painful to change. Yes, your context makes it difficult to get rid of this program, or that. It is difficult everywhere. It always hurts.

So, this week I'm firing and re-hiring myself. I'm throwing everything out and calling a "DO-OVER". I can't erase the past, but I can enhance the future.

Holy Spirit, be my guide. Jesus, I want to follow your voice. Give me wisdom I pray, to lead how you would lead. Thank you for your favor and forgiveness.

Brian

My Wife is Now a Chic Blogger!

2008-11-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

Yay! My wife is entering the wonderful world of blogging! Subscribe to her blog if you want to take a few steps forward on the pathway to coolness!

Weekend Rewind

2008-11-10T08:17:00.001-08:00

Wow, what an amazing week and weekend. It's so hard to fathom that our baby was so close to being born (four months early) this week. The neo-natologist gave our baby a 45% chance of surviving and even if she did survive he said she had a 75% of having moderate to extreme neurological damage, which basically means everything from deaf, blind, unable to breathe on her own, etc. And would have had to stay in the hospital for four more months before coming home.

And then, 48 hours after all that - Jenn and I are at home watching a movie practically like nothing ever happened. God is so good, and we are so thankful. Of course God is so good regardless of our circumstances, but we feel so blessed for everything to have gone so well with Jenn's surgery.

Here are some other great things that happened this weekend:

a bunch of girls came over and cleaned our house....TWICE, so that we wouldn't have to.
three families brought us dinner Fri-Sun nights....mmmm.....
a friend came over and primered the door jams in our house so that the trim project could finally be finished.
I found a great new cafe called Delirium in Gresham, and studied there (and blogged) for 3 hours on Saturday
Preached my third straight Sunday...this time as a guest speaker at Family Bible Church. They were very loving and accepting. We all believe it's time to get Dangerous!
Hung out at friends' house to watch football after the service and let Jenn rest.
Went back to Camas to cast some vision for the youth of Family Bible Church. Had a great time with them.
Got home at 9:30pm - making it a 13 hour day. Whew!
Went straight to bed!

I was able to apply every verse of Matt Redman's song "Blessed Be Your Name" this past week. Am so thankful that our baby is safe!

Post, post, post, post marathon run

2008-11-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

What a crazy month it was in October. Some of it is top-secret, but most of you know that...

I ran the Portland marathon the first Sunday in October, finished around 4:04 (PR by 5 min)
I started helping out a church in Camas WA make some leadership transitions and will do so for the next six months
My father-in-law's dad died after a long bout with kidney failure - we were gone last weekend
Besides our youth services, I'm preaching three straight Sunday mornings and led a couple Wednesday night prayer services, to fill in for Pastor Steve
Jennifer went into emergency surgery this week to prevent pre-term birth of our baby girl who should be born in late Feb.

So...that means that I didn't run much...as in...three times in the last month! After averaging about 30-50 miles a week, I ran 17 miles total in the last 30 days! The problem is that I've been eating like a marathon runner, so let's just say it's been baggy jean month as well...ugh!

Well, I got out today and ran 6.5 miles in the rain with Dusty and it was great (except for the side ache, and the running part). Anyways, I'm excited to get back into the healthy groove BEFORE the holidays get here! I'm not going back to the 293.5 pound guy I used to be 8 years ago, that's for sure!!!

Health is a huge thing - and a biblical thing as well. God designed you to be healthy - it affects your confidence, your energy, your ability, and your stability in life. If you need a boost, go check out www.sparkpeople.com and start living healthy again. You'll never regret it!

P.S. Have you seen the videoshoot I did with Brooks Running Co. yet? Hopefully this isn't my 15 minutes of fame, but it was fun. You can check it here!

Peace and love
B.

My Favorite Blogs: Without Wax by Pete Wilson

2008-11-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I'm going to start highlighting some of my favorite blogs that I read daily. I have about 30 or so blogs that I use in Google Reader, but there are about 5 that I make sure to read everyday. Here is Pete Wilson who has a great family and great church, and he blogs regularly about both. You gotta start reading his stuff!

Going Home Today!

2008-11-06T09:03:00.001-08:00

Good news all around! Jenn's surgery went great yesterday - she hasn't had any bad reactions, and the baby seems to be staying put! All the vitals are great on both her and the baby, so the doctor will be here in an hour or so, give us the low-down and get us out of here! Thank you Jesus!

We're not sure how much bed rest Jenn will be on for the final four months of the pregnancy, but let's just say I better get used to doing some extra chores! After waiting 8 years to have a baby, I'm game for whatever it takes!

Cheers

Jenn being transported to St. Vincent Hospital

2008-11-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

We found out some good and bad news...I don't have time to get into it, but Kaiser decided to transport Jenn to St. Vincent Hospital where they are specialists in pre-term delivery. Hopefully it won't come to that, but please pray for supernatural intervention from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

No "Go Vote" Post today - my wife needs prayer

2008-11-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Almost all the blogs will be dealing with the Presidential Campaign today, and unfortunately I won't be one of them.

Yesterday my wife went in for a routine ultrasound for our baby that is 26 weeks along, and they found out Jenn's cervix may be opening which means the baby could possibly be trying to come out way too soon. The good news is that Jenn has no bleeding or pain - she feels absolutely normal which is important because it means she's not in pre-term labor.

They have admitted her to the hospital for three days so they can simply monitor everything. If all goes well, they will send her home and put her on bed rest - where she'll only be allowed to get out of bed to take a shower.

We've been trying to have a baby for 8 years, and have never been even close to this far along in a pregnancy. Please pray for Gods supernatural power to do what we cannot do, and to heal her body and keep it safe.

Thank a bunch (now go vote!)

A new adventure in Camas

2008-11-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I've added another adventure to our lives! For the next six months Jenn and I are going to work with a church in Camas on Sunday nights to stabilize and build their youth ministry. Their youth pastor did some really stupid horrible stuff, and because we have a relationship with that church, Jenn and I agreed to come in and work with them. So tonight I took some pics with the guys and it was a great time. So for six months I'll have three jobs - full time at PHC, working in High Schools with the Student Leaders & Mentors Program, and Interim Youth Pastor in Camas. I sure am glad I love my calling!!! Here are some pics using the Mac's Photobooth program.

Church Website Update: Thanks "Simple Church"

2008-11-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal. Unfortunately, I am the only one in our church with any web design (if you call it that) capability, and because I have a Mac and because I have iWeb, I'm in charge of our website. It's not professional, and I wish we could outsource it, and I wish I had the time/ability to learn how to do it better, but in the meantime, I do what I can. here is our new, updated, simple look.

Halloween = Jimmy Swaggart Mini Me

2008-10-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

What you are about to hear is true.

Growing up as a Christian kid in a Christian Elementary School, Halloween always meant "Harvest Party", which is pretty funny (and horrible) because we did everything everyone else did on Halloween, except that it was basically for Christians only.

At our harvest party, we were only allowed to dress up as either 1) a Farmer, 2) a Bible character, or 3) a Christian role model. Well, preaching must have run in my veins, and somehow I caught wind of Jimmy Swaggart on the boob tube, and decided I wanted to be him for Halloween....er....Harvest Party, and so my mom put me in my little three piece suit and clip on tie, slicked my hair over, opened up my Bible to John 3:16, placed in my hand, and Wah-La! Jimmy goes to school!

Well, I did that for two years straight - loved every minute of it, and saw no reason to not do it a third year in a row, when my parents approached me and let me know that I should be someone different that year. I just couldn't figure out why! And the rest is history.

Happy Halloween everyone - if you have kids - use this as an opportunity to introduce yourself to your neighbors and begin relationships with them...after all when else is it "normal" these days to knock on a door, and be greeted with a smile!

Hey Beth Moore: Get INTO That Pit!

2008-10-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

ok, ok we're talking about different "Pits", so go ahead and keep getting OUT of the "pits" that Beth Moore speaks of in her book such as the pits mentioned here:

Job 33:28 “He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.’
Psalm 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit (pit of despair), out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

But this Sunday, I'll be preaching for the second week on getting INTO certain pits such as the one mentioned here:

2 Samuel 23: "Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion."

My user-friendly definition of these pits: The pit is where the action is, and if you embrace it – your life won’t be boring and lame like so many religious people.

The pits must not be avoided, but rather seeked out. Benaiah didn't find himself in a pit, he saw a pit, altered the course of his journey so he could jump in and make something happen. As Christians there are "pits of destiny" we must pursue with faith, courage and risk, and there are "everyday pits" waiting to be encountered to bring the light and love of God to those who are in the dark and wounded.

It's time to get INTO that pit!

When God Says "Nevermind, Just Kidding"

2008-10-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that this blog is public, I don't have the liberty to go into details, but let's just say that in the past month I truly, honestly, and passionately felt God speaking to me as if I had been standing in a dark room, and BAM the lights were turned on and I could see everything so clearly...

and now - due to a strange and unexpected turn of events - all that passion, vision, understanding, and clarity seem to be for not. It's as if God is saying, "Hey Brian - you know all that stuff I downloaded in your spirit with passion and fire...nevermind, I was just kidding."

Of course, I'm mature enough to know that God has everything planned out, and that I will look back some day and understand the reasoning behind everything, but in the meantime it sure seems weird.

In this time of wondering, I'm reminded that things like "vision, passion, dreams, movement, Kingdom advancement, and other cool stuff are not to be the things pursued. Ever. The pursuit must be Christ and Him alone. To be closer to Him, to understand Him, to die to self that I might more like Him. God doesn't promise cool stuff - he promises Himself...and if we think that's not good enough, then we don't understand the power and fullness of his suffering, death, and resurrection.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
- Lamentations 3:24
amen.

Got My Sunday Preach On: Get INTO That Pit!

2008-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm up to bat for two straight Sundays, so I'm continuing a series I started this Summer called "Lord, Make Us Dangerous" (with props to the peeps that did the "ONE PRAYER" series...I believe Perry Noble preached with that theme, and I turned it into a five week series).

This week the sub-title was "GET INTO THAT PIT", using the story from 2 Samuel 23:20:
"Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion."

Benaiah not only lived dangerously, he altered his path in order to find danger. We must follow his example and be dangerous people who live to bring light to darkness in very intentional ways.

You can here the message here. Next week I'm going to talk about the types of pits we should get into: Destiny Pits and Everyday Pits, and communicate the missional lifestyle. Can't wait!

I'm a bachelor tonight...what a LIFE

2008-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

So...the wife's out of town, so I got crazy...and am going to bed at 10pm. My day without the wife consisted of...

1. reading
2. eating
3. planning
4. eating
5. working on the trim in our house (only 8 months overdue)
6. eating
7. digging in the yard for our sprinkler system (only 18 months overdue)
8. eating
9. planning
10. in bed

Yeah, I'm a wild and crazy guy without my wife...I ate everything in our house...not good...but I gotta go LIFE is on!

Crisis Control: Will you please shut up?

2008-10-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

What is your first reaction to overwhelming news? What do you do when something happens that could be disastrous? After reading 2 Chronicles 20 I'm reminded that I need to shut up and follow this guide, rather than my own. This has an amazing story describing how God wants us to respond when we are hit with terrible news.

First Reaction:
"Jehoshaphat was alarmed by this news and sought the Lord for guidance." (v.3a)

How many times is my first reaction to bad news to grab my cell phone, or shut down and just think, or scream "are you freaking kidding me?". The first thing that Jeho did was seek the Lord for guidance.

Second Reaction:
"He also gave orders that everyone throughout Judah should observe a fast." (v. 3b)

I think when things go bad I do the opposite...eat, eat, eat...which could also be described as...escape, escape, escape... Jeho grabbed godly people and said, we're going to attack this thing head on in the spiritual realm first, and fast before God.

Third Reaction:
"He prayed, 'O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven...You are powerful and mighty; no once can stand against you!'" (v. 6)

His prayer began with exaltation and magnification of who God truly is: ALL POWERFUL. He didn't cry out some "woah is me" prayer - he declared the greatness of God.

Fourth Reaction:
"And now see what the [enemy armies] are doing...Now see how...they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us an inheritance...O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." (v.10-12)

How often have I tried to figure out how to fix the problem using my giftings, personality, and strategies, when God is looking to show HIMSELF strong by acting on our behalf, rather than me looking to show MYSELF strong, as if I have the ability on my own to control a crisis.

The results:
read it for yourself...it's amazing.

The results of doing it with your strategy instead:
read it for yourself...it's horrible.

so, how will I respond next time a crisis occurs? It's up to me to follow the pattern of God.

Newsflash: We're not on a mission for Jesus

2008-10-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

"We are not on a mission for Jesus, we are on a mission with Jesus." I heard that quote today listening to the Lead Conference online which is for church planters.

We are not on a mission FOR Jesus... In other words - if we live our lives doing stuff, and working on strategy, and outreaches, and counseling, etc. with the perspective that "we've got a job to do" we're going to live in disconnect from the very source of purpose and power - Jesus Christ.

We are on a mission WITH Jesus... If you miss having a personal, devoted time to simply be with Jesus do you apologize to God and say sorry for missing that important component to your mission, or do you apologize to God and say sorry for hurting your relationship with Him?

We're supposed to be connected and partnered with Christ. We must not rob ourselves of the purpose and closeness of being in relationship WHILE we're on a mission for Him!

For more on getting our priorities straight you can read Vince Antonucci's blog which is just tearing me up right now! Enjoy!

Defeating a Million Man March with Prayer

2008-10-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know there was a million man march in the Bible? One of the greatest stories of victory in the face of overwhelming odds is found in 2 Chronicles 14:

"9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you. 12 So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil."

Wow. A million man march was defeated by the prayer of a godly man. There's a bit of background in chapter 14, that needs to be understood that went into this prayer:

1. He ditched, burned, and destroyed all forms of ungodliness in his life and in his areas of responsibility (v.3)
2. He encouraged everyone to seek the Lord. (v.4)
3. Instead of being lazy, he utilized the time he had to do what he could (vv. 6,7)
4. When the attacks came he relied on God, not his own wisdom, power, or strategy.

So when he lifted his voice, God was attentive to his prayer.

You may be in a crisis. You may not be. But we must all live our lives holy and unto the Lord if we want to see our miraculous God act on our behalf when crisis comes.

What does this mean for me?

Well, my life is about as uncertain as it's been in a decade. I need wisdom, provision, and guidance. So I will lift my voice with faith that my God cares about me and is anxious to come to my rescue...not because I deserve it, but because God's grace (his favor) is on me thanks to Jesus who died on the cross to get me that favor with my Creator. I love you Jesus.

Baptisms on the Beach

2008-10-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, yesterday we had a blast down off of Marine Drive as we baptized some students in the Columbia River! It was cold, but a great fall day as Kevin, Sam, and Chelsea proclaimed their faith in Jesus and got dunked! You can check out the slideshow here!

Miracles Shmiracles...

2008-10-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is not a normal thought for me because I fully believe in the supernatural power of God. I believe in miracles. I believe we should lay hands on people and pray for their healing. I believe if God can supernaturally save your soul from an eternity in hell, he certainly can give you a supernatural spiritual prayer language. God is invisible - it's not hard for me to hold fast a theology of live, current, active miracles on both the inside and outside of our lives.

That said, I think sometimes we put the cart before the horse. One of our favorite verses about the miraculous is found in John 14:12-14:

"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"

Many times I have found myself preaching this verse as a faith builder..."God wants to do greater things in you than Jesus did!" Kind of a Carpe Diem message. Yet when I look at the context, I find that this conversation was found in the upper room, where Jesus had just washed the feet of his disciples. Jesus begins talking while at the feet of Peter, and continues the conversation quite possibly while he was still on his knees looking up at the disciples.

So, picture Him on his knees looking up at his disciples, with a dirty, smelly towel in his hands, his knees are red from the grimy pressure of being on the floor...and he says "anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, even greater..."

I believe in miracles. But maybe, just maybe we should focus on washing the feet of those around us - and "even greater" serving than that...THEN we can ask for anything in Jesus' name - and as he sees us following his example of "embracing the towel" he freely gives to us whatever we ask.

Thoughts?

The Vitals Are In

2008-10-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that after 8 years of infertility issues, Jennifer and I are finally having our first baby...a baby girl! So, life is changing around the Becker household as is our budget, as we prepare for our princess to join us in February. One thing that we realized was the need for Life Insurance, so today Portamedic came to take our vitals and fill out some forms.

My Blood Pressure: 112/64 (pretty darn good)
My Resting Heart Rate: 48 beats per minute (really darn good)

It sure beats the old me that weighed 295 pounds, and couldn't run a mile! Now that I've lost 110 pounds and just ran my fourth marathon (26.2 miles), I'm seeing the "fruit of my labor".

When it comes to ministry, what are the vital signs of health...

Attendance?
Posture of people during corporate worship?
Number of Water Baptisms this month?

I'd love to hear some thoughts on how you know that you've got some great vital signs as a ministry.

P.S. For those who haven't seen the "old Brian"...enjoy the pic below!

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

2008-10-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

"Only a fool despises a parent's discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise."
"Whoever abandons the right path will be severely punished; whoever hates correction will die."
"If you listen to constructive criticism you will be at home among the wise."
"If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding."

- Proverbs 15:5,10,31,32

A couple things here...first of all we need to be hungry for correction and teaching. I certainly hate the idea of spending time doing the wrong things and wasting my life.

Correction is not always going to come from your best friend - it's going to come from people that make you squirm - like family, bosses, and spouses - because they actually know you.

Don't just be an encourager to someone that is under you - tell them the truth - what they're missing. I've had way too many people pat me on the back and say "great job bro, keep it up!" when I really needed their wisdom to fix some long standing issues that were keeping me from some victory.

And finally, let God bring his grace and mercy into your life by getting serious with him about your life. The last thing you need is a token Bible reading and wussy prayer time...make it count...let God form you with his hands and transform you by changing the way you think. Correction could never be so good!

What correction has saved you?
What do you wish people would tell you?
What are some wrong ways to correct?

My Daily Disciplines

2008-09-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

What did I do today to build the Kingdom:

Prayed a bit
Met with Pastor Steve about Youth Ministry Models for the future (3 small groups, and 1 large meeting a month)
Contacted by phone: Jeff, Jmac
Contacted by myspace to set up meetings: Chelsea, Aly, (to get the inside scoop on their lives and plug them into Switch ideas) Leah, (to encourage and talk about worship team) Sarah M., (to finally set a meeting to meet) Jessica, (to encourage and set up a meeting with her and Jenn with a couple of her friends to talk about Switch stuff) John (to rescue)
Contacted by myspace to encourage: Austin, Melissa, Amy, Dennis, and a bunch more about Tatango
Complied list of attendance to send to youth staff with action steps of

Pursue those who need to be pursued...
let be those who need to be...
Pray for influencers...
Pray Ephesians 4:13-21 over your students with the same passion that Paul prayed with.
I'd like to meet with each of you before next Tuesday...give me a call and let's set it up!
I'm going to talk to Leah and Sam A about being on the worship team...how crazy is that!?!!

7. Looked at some info on a website app that will connect the students together as seen on absolutepunk.net

God will say "well done" not "well thought"

2008-08-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a relaxing day. After spending all week at our Summer Camp (btw...waiting to update that when I get more pics), I drove straight to Madison High School from Camp and did a three hour Leadership Training Session for our Ignite Program.

Today I got up early and ran 20 miles at Forest Park as a Pace Leader for the Portland Marathon Clinic and then came home and relaxed all afternoon and just got done watching the Olympic Marathon Race featuring the US runners Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Brian Sell. I was really hoping that Hall would get a medal but he ended up finishing 10th overall.

Despite missing the medals, as he finished he had a huge smile on his face and put his finger in the air pointing to the sky. Hall is a big-time Christ follower and is very public about his faith. His reaction to his 10th place finish is a great lesson for the rest of us - that as long as we give our very best, and live to please God - we should be very happy about our lives and the results we get. Life isn't fair, and things rarely go the way we want them to, but the key is to give everything we have, so that one day we'll hear "well done" from God.

...so that leaves the questions

1. are you giving your very best to God?
2. are you content with the results or over-stressing about things out of your control?
3. are you full of great ideas or great action?

God's looking for movement!

Camp 08: CHANGE (Monday Night)

2008-08-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

We just wrapped up the first night of camp which was amazing. Banning Liebscher spoke about receiving the love of God. Too often we know in our heads that God loves us, but it's not until we regularly experience God's love in a overwhelmingly clear way that we can truly be passionate for Him. Here are a few notes I wrote down:

There is a passion being released that overrides personality

Steve Erwin (Crocodile Hunter)...we could care less about the crocs and snakes - it's his passion that made us want to watch.

To have a sustained & increasing passion for God requires us to stay in a place of fresh revelation of the love of God

We must make a decision to not be distracted from the millions of options we have in this culture and stop and say "God come love on me" otherwise our passion will dwindle.

There is something powerful about choosing God in the midst of many options.

Our life should be lived by saying a HUGE "YES" for Jesus...not CONSTANT "NO's" to the devil.
When I have a Huge "Yes" in my heart for my wife, I don't have to go around screaming "NO" to every woman that passes by because my YES has settled the controversy.

----

Can't wait for tomorrow...I'm speaking to the college age students, and then we're going to have a blast in the afternoon and more Banning tomorrow night!

SUMMER CAMP IS HERE

2008-08-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'll be posting updates and pics each day, so check back later tonight or tomorrow for updates!

08-08-08 Things are clickin'

2008-08-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I didn't just get back from a month long vacation/sabbatical, despite the fact that I haven't blogged during that time frame. But I figured since it was 08-08-08, it was a cool time to start again...even cooler had I posted this 20 minutes earlier at 8:08am!

I'm taking a few first steps in the next three weeks beginning today as I speak at The Country Church's youth camp in Sisters Oregon. I'm excited to see what God is going to do this weekend in the lives of some hungry students.

That's only the beginning! I'll be speaking 10 times in the the next 9 days! After this camp, I'll drive home just in time for our Sunday service, preach Tuesday night at Switch, and then head to my next camp for New Life Church in Walla Walla WA. I'll drive home Sunday morning at 5am, go to our church, and then load up the car to go to our camp in Auburn WA, where we are anticipating a miraculous week with Banning Liebscher from Bethel Church in Redding California.

My mouth won't be the only thing running in the next 10 days...my legs are going to join the party as well! I have three 20 mile runs to do on back-to-back-to-back Saturdays, and in the next 10 days I'll log about 100 or so miles as I continue to prepare for the Portland Marathon!

Whew! But you know what? I wouldn't want it any other way - I love being active and being involved in The Kingdom! Pray for me when you think of me!

Moving towards the light,
Brian