I have continued my 40 minute 3 mile workout ever since. After a year and half, I would have thought that the routine would become much easier. But that’s not the case. The workout is still as hard as it was after only 3 months.

Why?

I’m sure there’s a physiological reason for this, but my thought is that it’s really hard to maintain the status quo. The only way that the 3 mile run is going to get easier is to push myself to run 4 then 5 miles. Or challenge myself with a different workout that forces me to use different muscle groups.

There’s a spiritual lesson here. Paul said to “run (the race) in such a way as to get the prize”. Whenever we decide to coast spiritually, to be satisfied with where we are, we will begin to slip. The only way to keep our faith growing is to accept greater challenges, to trust God more, to become more like Christ. 

Becoming satisfied with our spiritual maturity only proves our spiritual immaturity.

Here are two recurring questions I’ve gotten today following last night’s session (copied and pasted from emails)…

What about introverts?  All of the presenters were extroverted people so relationships will come more naturally to them.  Can an introvert enter into a relationship that “deep”?

Introverts, let me encourage you.  YOU, not the extroverts, have the best personalities suited for personal discipleship.  While someone who leads larger group discipleship (a church, a ministry, a House Group) needs to be able to maintain relational quantity by having lots of relationships, someone who’s investing in someone for personal discipleship needs to be able to maintain relational quality by having a few deep, meaningful relationships with the people they’re investing in.

This is where most introverts I’ve known thrive.  They’re not going to walk into a party and “own the room”, but they’re going to find someone in the room and own their heart.  THAT is the foundation for personal discipleship.  I know initiating the relationship at the beginning will be more intimidating for introverts, but in the long haul they’re built for the deeper relationships of personal discipleship.  Introverts, God created your personality for a reason.  The Kingdom needs you!

I’m afraid if I ask someone if I can disciple them they’ll jump to a defensive stance – “So you think YOU can disciple ME?!”  How can I avoid that?

Here’s why this is tough: the less spiritually mature someone is, the easier it is to offend them and your probably going to be looking for newer Christians to disciple.  A few things…

• Rule 1: PRAY.  Seriously, pray that God will move someone to ask you to disciple them.  You already know that this prayer is in line with God’s will so He’s going to answer eventually.
• The people you should consider discipling need to be people who respect you tremendously.  If you’re afraid someone will respond like this, you probably haven’t paid the relational rent necessary to earn their trust and respect yet.  Focus on relationship building right now.
• Look for God to open the door for discipleship by someone coming to you with their problems.  I’ve only asked someone one time if I could disciple them.  What usually happens is a friend comes to me with their problems and I’ll say, “Hey man, I’ve struggled through this before too.  You want to meet before work on Tuesdays for the next few weeks to talk about what you’re going through?”  Then we’ll start reading or memorizing portions of Scripture together and it turns into a discipleship relationship without them even knowing!

Hope this is helpful.  Keep the questions coming!  If anyone wants to get in touch with any of the presenters from last night here’s some contact info…

Josh Howerton – josh.howerton@bridgesh.com

Rick Howerton – rick.howerton@lifeway.com

John Howard – john.howard@bridgesh.com

Eva Howard – johnevahoward@bellsouth.net

First, WOW!!! The presenters/teachers did a fabulous job with the VERY short time frame they were asked to work within. For a 2 hour “class” the time seemed more like 45 minutes at the most. The material was packed full of great advice and practical insights as well and challenging us to a higher level. Christopher Stedman said that one of the greatest things about tonight was the amount of material we were able to take with us to continue to unpack after the class – Great insight and so very true!

Thank you to Josh Howerton, Rick Howerton, John Howard and Eva Howard for investing in The Bridge family.

One insight that I had personally reinforced this evening for me personally has been on my mind for a couple of weeks. I need more personal time with Jesus.

My work is virtually all within a ministry context. Connections Pastor, Warehouse Manager for World Vision, Trainer for LifeWay and Real Estate. Well, not as much in the RE world, but you get my drift. It is WAAAAYYYYY too easy for me to let my personal relationship with Jesus slip into a “trellis” type of relationship instead of tending the “vine” as Jesus has explained in John 15:5; “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

All the “stuff” I do is great for the Kingdom and probably counts as “good works” for me. BUT – the works do not improve my relationship with Jesus anymore than mowing the grass helps my relationship with Marianne. It is a “good work”, but if all I did toward our relationship was do “stuff”, our marriage would suffer greatly. Conversely, if I did not do any “stuff” I don’t think Marianne would fall deeply in love with me as everything around us continued to decay. As Josh often says, the answer is often in the middle…

Balance = continue the “good works” but  spend more time with just the two of us, Jesus and me, heart to heart.

Things that are awesome about this picture…

• The “Kids are dismissed to Kids’ Ministry” sign complete with an accurately drawn Bridge logo
• Jimi Williams is here represented by a guitar-carrying penguin
• The furry monkey on the right is using what appears to be a spoon for a drumstick
• I choose to believe that monkey is representing Jeff Hollandsworth
• The teddy bear on the left reminds me so much of Scott Shoopman doing the announcements that it makes me wanna slap my mama
• If you’re going by seating position, I’m being represented by a horse wearing a pink and blue blouse

First, our family watched the movie “The Blind Side”, which is about an affluent white family who adopts a teenage black boy.  The unconditional love and provision provided by the family altered the course of the young man’s life and quite possibly the course of many lives as their story is retold.

Secondly, I committed Christian (my son) and I to a Guatemala mission trip next June. While reading up on Guatemala, I found that the average income per year is around $2,500 and the illiteracy rate is the highest in central America.

As Christians, we tend to error in one of two ways regarding wealth:

1. By believing it is wrong for any Christian to accumulate wealth and that we should take a vow of poverty. We cite Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 where he tells the rich guy to “go sell all that you have and give to the poor”. Yet, Jesus had no beef with Zacchaeus who voluntarily vowed to give away only half of his net worth. Seems that Jesus is more concerned with the state of our hearts instead of the state of our bank accounts.

2. By believing that we are “off the hook” if we tithe (10%) to our church and give other money away on occasion. We cite passages in the Old Testament of Abraham, King Solomon and Lot who were blessed by God with great wealth. We also cite passages in Proverbs saying it’s wise to save for unexpected circumstances. Yet, Jesus says that if we see someone in need and have the resources to meet that need, we should.  

At the root of both of these extremes is a wrong heart attitude. We must recognize that all we have belongs to God. We are wealth managers, not wealth owners. When we separate ourselves emotionally from our wealth, it’s easier to make good spending decisions.

The family who took Michael Orr into their home decided to use their wealth for good. Choosing to go on a mission trip to serve the poor is a good use of wealth.

God is not anti-wealth. If fact, the ability to make wealth is a gift from God. But he does want us to remember that it’s all His, not ours. And when he says “give”, our obedience will result in great joy.

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.

Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” (Ps 97:1). “Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!” (Ps 67:3-4).

But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can’t commend what you don’t cherish. Missionaries will never call out, “Let the nations be glad!” who cannot say from the heart, “I rejoice in the Lord…I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High” (Ps 104:34, 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.

– John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad

Rich Stearns, the CEO of World Vision, has written a book called, “The Hole in Our Gospel”. In this book, he details the events leading up to his acceptance of the position at World Vision. Reading this book, I cannot help but think of Susan Howerton (Our Missions Minister), her gift of Mercy and her “heart for missions”. I have known Susan for 7 years – since I started at The Bridge. Immediately, I knew that Susan’s heart was Missionally minded and throughout the years, I have often commented how I just didn’t SEE the needs like Susan. Susan is simply “gifted” in this area. My level of Mercy is on the low end of the scale… True, she is Missionally minded, but this week I read a passage quite differently than I have ever  read.

Yesterday I read a viewpoint from Rich Stearns about the “Good Samaritan” (click here) that really took me out at the knees. The way the Priest and Levite acted toward the wounded man, is too much like the way I have viewed the “needy” in my world. Have I walked to the opposite side of the road so I wouldn’t have to see the need? Is the simple fact of being intentional of extending mercy to our “neighbor” so hard to adopt?

World Vision does great work around the world caring for the poor and marginalized. Susan Howerton has the heart of World Vision and lives a life worthy of the “Good Samaritan”.

Thank you Susan for your example of missional living and self-less devotion to Jesus.

1. On the “New Here?” tab of the website we removed a section called “A note about guests and tithing” that discouraged guests and non-members from giving.
2. During our worship gatherings we’ve stopped giving that same disclaimer before our offerings and started communicating that the offering is a continuation of the worship we’ve already begun through singing.

It’s a really high value to our church leadership that we never try and do something “under the radar” and are forthright with the church body at all times so I wanted to take a post to explain this.  Now before you get all “SEE, HE’S JUST ANOTHER MONEY-HUNGRY PASTOR” on me, let me say a couple things…

• Though we’re still a fairly small church The Bridge has grown dramatically this year and isn’t remotely close to a financial emergency.
• I think my track record will show that I’m anything but a money-pastor (Can I get an “amen” from a Finance Team Member… or my wife?)
• I cut my own hair, don’t have cable, and drive an ‘02 Sentra with the paint chipping off. I’m not climbing into a church-funded G5 at the end of the day.
• These two changes literally had nothing to do with our financial status as a church… because we’re doing well!

We made these changes because we were convicted about portraying generosity for Jesus’ mission as an unfortunate obligation rather than the source of worshipful joy the Bible describes.  Consider this statement from 2 Corinthians 8…

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

These people were in “extreme poverty” and literally BEGGED to give because they saw it as an act of worship and knew it came with blessing.  Listen, this will probably make some people nervous but The Bridge doesn’t need your money.  God has provided for us in silly awesome ways in the past and will do so again.  We wanted to change how we talked about giving because giving is Biblical worship and if you’re not giving you’re missing out both on the deep joy of sacrificial worship and on God’s provision in response.  I know many people will read this post and roll their eyes… I just don’t know how to say it any other way that “Biblically, you’re missing out!”

Bottom line:  we’re not making these changes because we want more of your money.  We’re making these changes because we want to be a church that richly worships and want you to experience the joy of generosity.  We want our communication about giving to be an extension of Scripture’s communication about giving.

Love you, Bridge Family… now I’m off to the Lamborghini dealership

From Luke 12:42-43 and 48…

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Jesus is speaking to Peter, the future leader of his church. And his words are a challenge to us as church leaders today – that God will expect us to be “faithful and wise managers” that are ”in charge of his servants”. We will be held accountable for how we applied the abundant blessings God has lavished upon us.

Let us live and serve with urgency and dedication to the Gospel.