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Evansville’s Next Chapter III – Work Part 2

Your work matters. All work matters to God, humanity, and for eternity.

Culture says works is about surviving, status, and significance. Scripture tells us something different.

Your work matters to God.
Work is not a human invention. God worked when He created. Then He called the product of His working good. In Genesis 2:15, God then tells Adam to work. He gives him manual work (cultivating the garden) and intellectual work (naming the animals).

Why did God give Adam work? Because we are made in the image of God, the Creator who works. In Part 1, Meredith Kline, Tim Keller, and Henry Drummond made a strong case that the cultural mandate given to humanity in the beginning of time was the dominion of creation for the purpose of building civilization (Gen. 1:28-30; 2:15, 19-20). That civilization-building activity (work) requires humanity (us) to be both co-creators and co-cultivators in God’s creation.

So, work is the expression and fulfillment of being made in God’s image, and we have the distinct privilege of continuing and completing the work God began.

The bottom line is this: all work is sacred work

The implications of this are huge. First, all work is sacred. There is no sacred/secular divide, especially when it comes to work. Here’s how Dorothy Sayer’s puts it:

“How can any one remain interested in a religion, which seems to have no concern with nine-tenths of his life? The Church’s approach to an intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him not to be drunk and disorderly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sundays. What the Church should be telling him is this: that the very first demand that his religion makes upon him is that he should make good tables. The worst religious films I ever saw were produced by a company, which chose its staff exclusively for their piety. Bad photography, bad acting, and bad dialogue produced a result so grotesquely irreverent that the pictures could not have been shown in churches without bringing Christianity into contempt. God is not served by technical incompetence; and incompetence and untruth always result when the secular vocation is treated as a thing alien to religion.”

Ouch. Does that sound familiar? She wrote that decades ago! This is why work matters.

The second implication is that work creates. The carpenter Sayers spoke of makes good tables, thereby creating value and something useful to society. What that means is we can transform culture through our work. Through your work, you are bringing the Kingdom of God into your specific time and place. You are building into what God originally intended for humanity, whether you are a farmer, plumber, businessman, educator, doctor, or lawyer. Every profession contributes uniquely to a place’s culture.

The key question is what kind of society are we creating through our work?

Work matters to humanity.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-13, the apostle Paul writes to Christians who decided to stop working! They were waiting on Jesus to return instead. He rebukes them and tells them to work because it shows their love for others. They contribute to what is happening in the world, providing for themselves and others. The Reformer, Martin Luther, references Psalm 145 and 147 to demonstrate that God provides food for all living things through work (plowing and planting) and secures cities through good city planning and hard working administrators.

In the 1986 NBA playoffs, Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the mighty Boston Celtics. Marveling at Jordan’s game, Larry Bird said, “I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.” As Christians in the workplace, who are at work on purpose, we are distributing the gifts of God through our work, contributing to the common good of those around us, to our city. May it be said of Christians working everywhere that the level of work they do must mean they are “God in disguise.”

People who love Christ must be people concerned for the common good. Work produces goods and services that enable communities to flourish. This is altogether different from a survival or status understanding of work, and it redefines the significance understanding of work we often adopt.

Lastly, work matters for eternity.

The work you do is part of a grander story. A story where you play a role, but you didn’t write the script. Our work now will be flawed and difficult because of the Fall. But it is still good, and it matters. And it will matter for all time.

At the end of time, the result of the co-laboring between God and humanity is clear: it is a city where God, humanity, and all creation dwell together in union and flourish in justice, fulfillment, and delight.

In Genesis 2, God gives Adam a playground to cultivate, to continue creating. And at the conclusion of Scripture’s narrative, Revelation 21:1-2 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” We have moved from a garden in the beginning to a city in the end.

One of my favorite artists, Shane & Shane, wrote a song called “In A Little While” that expresses the hope and longing we have as we await that Day–when we see how our work matters eternally. Check it out:

Do you have a bigger vision for how your work contributes to this grander story—the story of the Creator inviting the crown of His creation to work alongside Him toward the ultimate completion of His grand vision?

Arts – vision to express God’s creation and heart beautifully
Business – vision to create wealth and prosperity
Education – vision to teach, grow, and pass on knowledge, wisdom, character/values
Government – vision of sound rule and protection
Health Care – vision to relieve suffering and provide care
Media – vision of telling the truth
Lawyer – vision of justice
Social Sector – vision of charity and care

Imagine what kind of city Evansville could be if all those who follow Jesus when about their work with this perspective every day. I believe we would have a transformed city—one that looks more and more like the city God envisions for Evansville.

Evansville’s Next Chapter II – The Church

Trinity United Methodist Church dates from the formation of the first Methodist class in Evansville by Robert and Martha Parrett in 1825.

Have you noticed how the last 15 years have seen a dramatic change in the public’s mind about the value of churches? Some would say churches take up the best property in the city, don’t pay taxes, take money from unassuming members, and constantly judge (or worse, discriminate) others based on their race, sexual identity, or economic status. Have you heard that before?

If not, consider these statistics:

The number of churchless people in America would make the 8th most populous country in the world
There are 156 million people in the U.S. who are churchless compared to 159 million who are churched.
70% of Millennials do not believe the local church is relevant to their lives

Here are three significant reasons why we are seeing more people walk away from church:

They find relatively significant relationships and community outside of church
They perceive their time and investment can make a bigger difference somewhere else
They have experienced real life change outside of the structure of a local church

In other words, they are finding fulfillment in the most important, deep human longings outside the church; so, to them, the local church is not valuable or relevant.

But, listen carefully. We do not have a church problem.

We have a mission problem.

My deep conviction is the attitude and mindset we encounter in our culture today towards church presents an opportunity for missional clarity, personal, spiritual alignment with Christ and His mission, and for unity on a scale we have never seen; it is not time for cultural critique.

Let’s begin with Jesus’ self-identified mission from Luke 4:18-19:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”

Jesus begins his ministry with this statement. It is about mission. And the mission is shalom. His aim is to restore that which was lost in the Fall—to make things the way they are supposed to be. He brings individual transformation through justification and the redemption of persons, and he brings societal transformation through justice and the redemption of all things.

The Kingdom was the central teaching of Jesus’ ministry. He even taught His disciples to begin their prayers asking for the Kingdom to come to earth: “Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.”

Throughout history, we see churches and movements majoring on one type of transformation—individual or societal. Or perhaps both are important, but one is more important. Sometimes we emphasize doing kingdom work as justice and caring for the poor to the neglect of telling people about the King, or the opposite happens. We tell people about the King, but we fail to show them His Kingdom (See Eric Swanson and Sam Williams primer on City Transformation, To Transform a City).

Jesus’ mission should be our starting place when we think about church and our role in city transformation.

If we follow along in the Gospels, we see that Jesus carried out his mission with the fullness of both proclamation (sharing) and demonstration (showing). He was the King who came to reveal and demonstrate His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God, where all that is wrong is made right, had come to earth through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Next, Jesus commissioned all of His followers to continue His mission (Matt. 28:19-20; John 17: 21-23; Acts 1:8).

Now the mission has a community—a church.

After the Gospels, the New Testament writers give us several ways to understand this commissioned community. From metaphors such as the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), the Bride of Christ (Rev. 19:7-8), the family of God (1 Tim. 5:1), the house or Temple of God (Eph. 2:19-22), to descriptions as a community (Acts 2:42-47) and a mission (see above) that grows (Acts 6:7; 9:31; 11:34; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20), God makes it clear why this community exist: to carry on Jesus’ mission.

If you are in Christ, you belong to His Bride, His Body, and you are part of the only organization strategically located in all sectors of society—public, private, and social. He has called and equipped each of us to work in a specific channel of culture—arts, business, education, government, health care, media, non-profits. And it is important to note here that “Church” is not a channel of culture; it is located in every channel.

So, if you’re a businessperson, a medical professional, a journalist, an educator, a creative, a civil servant, working in non-profit, or a volunteer, student or parent, you bring Christ’s mission and His Church into your specific time and place. In other words, you are primed to advance His mission. Can you think of any greater reason to do your work with competence and excellence?

Finally, the most weighty for last. The last point is poignant, timely, and important for us today as we live in an increasingly divided culture. It comes from Jesus’ last words, which He prayed before dying on the cross on behalf of anyone who would hear and believe His disciples’ message (us).

Jesus does not give us specific ways for how the Church should pursue shalom and continue His mission, but He does command us to do one thing particularly well: unity. In John 17:23, He prays, “Let them be one, so that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them even as you loved me.”

He prays for unity (let them be one) for the purpose of mission (so that the world may know). Missional ecumenism. Unity in mission. There may be 250 (or more) local communities called churches in Evansville, but there is one Church from God’s perspective: one group of people who have common union with Christ and who live out a common mission: Christ’s mission.

We are united in Christ with a shared mission. Are you participating? Or are you watching? Or perhaps, are you more inclined to be a referee?

So, what is the Church and her role in city transformation?

The Church is a commissioned community, a group of people in union with Christ and therefore one another who carries on God’s mission to redeem and restore ALL things.

City transformation can happen when the Church in Evansville cares for the orphans, widows, immigrant, prisoners, sick, disabled, poor, and aged physically, spiritually, socially, emotionally, and economically. In many ways, this is happening. But we have a lot more work to do. In order to make that happen, the whole Church must bring the whole Gospel to bear on the whole person and the whole city.

My prayer is that we begin tackling these issues together so that we can be more effective, and so that our city sees the Church as a group of invaluable, irreplaceable people who love them and love this city.

In order to see our city transformed, we may need to change our perspective on some things. Here are some questions to consider:

Are we more concerned about caring for our churches than our community?
Has our understanding of Jesus’ mission missed God’s bigger story of shalom by understanding faith in Jesus as the end of the story rather than the entrance point?
Is the Gospel is limited to conversion in our practice?
Are our churches pursuing a project or dream that cannot be accomplished as a single congregation?
Do you typically think of your church as the church in Evansville?
If you are a pastor, do you think of your pastoral responsibility for the community as well as the church that pays you?
Do we agree or disagree with the idea that the Church is not a channel of culture but manifests in all channels?
Would you be willing to talk with someone from your church staff about this?
Would you be willing to connect me with them so that I can learn from them, encourage them, and share what I learn with other churches and leaders in the city?

Evansville’s Next Chapter

Before I tell you a bit of why I wrote a three post series on city transformation and how I got (back) to Evansville, can we start by taking a minute to recognize our “cultural moment?” We are a city with momentum, entrepreneurial positivity, a robust charitable human service engine, and plans to connect, enliven, and accentuate our most exciting assets: the riverfront, the city core, our green space, complete streets, trails, better transportation, Haynie’s Corner and Franklin Street, a new elementary school, and of course, the development of the remarkably collaborative IU Med School.

The proposed Town Square at 4th and Main.

That’s a lot, and that’s probably not even half of it. Does it surprise you to learn that Evansville is such a progressive place? I learned about all of that and a lot more in just 3 months.

But that’s not the Evansville I had in my mind before I moved our family back.

I love cities. Bigger ones. To say that I didn’t plan to move back to Evansville might be an understatement.

I spent two years at Castle High School after living all of my life in Indianapolis; then, I was off to college (Taylor University) and seminary in Chicago (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). After Candace and I got married, we spent a brief time in Bloomington, then we headed east to booming Charlotte, NC, which is where we lived for over 5 years. Charlotte gave me a dream job in a dream city, so Evansville was not on my list of potential cities to live.

That was until I met a local business owner named Tom Gabe. You may not know Tom, but you probably have heard of I Am Second. Tom’s the reason you have. Tom and I met in 2014 when I shared about a collaborative non-profit ministry I was leading in Charlotte, and 7 months later he called to ask me about moving back to Evansville. No was my first thought. But after months of prayer, soul-searching, and what appeared to us as clear confirmation from God, we moved our two-year-old and two-week-old back to the great Midwest with a confidence that God had work for us to do.

Evansville has a lot of good things going for it, but the thing that Tom and others identified was the reality that no one had much time to think about the big picture of Evansville. People have important and good responsibilities to steward in their careers and volunteer leadership roles. Tom’s ask was about making it possible for someone to have the capacity and opportunity to wake up every day dreaming about collaboration across private, public, and social sectors, with special attention to the unity and mission of the Church, all in an effort to make Evansville a better city—the city God would want it to be. A simpler way to say that might be “city transformation.”

A city is transformed when the whole Church brings the whole Gospel to the whole city. In other words, church leaders and followers of Christ in their cultural channel are working together to ensure the entire city experiences the contextualized proclamation (sharing) and demonstration (showing) of the good news of Jesus Christ. Both spiritual and societal transformation is needed in Evansville (and in every city). Spiritual transformation happens when people love God. Societal transformation happens when people love others.

After a short time here, and as someone who had not lived here for 13 years, I have good news. Evansville is at a crossroads, a precipice. It is as if a tidal wave of forward progress and momentum are about to unleash positive change. A year ago I could not have imagined writing these words: I’m excited about Evansville’s future. Of course, there is a lot of work to do, especially when we think about evangelism, discipleship, and restoring shalom (shä-ˈlōm; see below).

This is Evansville’s next chapter. It’s not if it’s going to happen. It’s about when and how. The how is where the Church has a unique opportunity. That’s the topic of my next post. I hope you’ll follow along.

*This series on city transformation was originally written for Community One, the organization acting as my fiscal agent and making a huge difference in our city by helping people love their neighbors through home improvement and redevelopment.

For the biblical foundation of city transformation, keep reading. I chose to keep this separate so you could choose to dive in a little deeper theologically, or if you’d rather not dive in right now, that’s ok. Come back later. But dive in at some point.

Let’s begin at the beginning. Cornelius Plantinga describes shalom as “the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight.” God is a social Trinity lacking nothing in relational fulfillment. He is the perfect example of shalom, and out of this perfection, He created. When God created, there was shalom. More simply, it is “the way things are supposed to be.”

God’s original intent then was for humanity to experience perfect, harmonious relationships with creation, others, himself, and the Triune God. This creates flourishing for all of creation (Genesis 1-2). But sin destroys shalom early in the biblical story and brokenness enters the world (Genesis. 3). The rest of Scripture is the story of God’s restoration of shalom—what we call the greatest story ever told (Genesis 4 – Revelation 22).

Let’s take a bulleted, chronological look at redemptive history with this idea of shalom in mind:

God creates the world and everything in it
He creates man and woman in His image to be in union with Him, perfectly
Everything was as it should be (shalom)
1. “Shalom is the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight—universal wholeness and flourishing”
2. The way things are supposed to be (how God intended it)
Adam and Eve rebel against God, betraying their relationship with him and all of creation
Because of this, sin infects all aspects of God’s creation
1. All of humanity’s relationships suffer brokenness: with God, each other, self, and creation
2. It’s not the way it’s supposed to be (shalom is broken)
Out of love, God intervenes to restore shalom, to make things right again.
1. He makes a covenant with Abraham to form a people
2. He makes a covenant with Moses and calls a nation to Himself, to live among them
3. That nation, Israel, is to be a light for the world to reflect His character and pursue His mission: justice and mercy, union with His people
4. God shows that He is about grace and redemption as He pursues His shalom
But Israel is unfaithful, disobedient, and turns her back on God and His covenant with them repeatedly
Out of love, God intervenes again:
1. The prophets foretell of a new covenant, a time when God’s people would reflect His character
2. So, God He sends His very own Son, Jesus, who is perfectly one with Him, as a human being, and who is faithful to live out God’s character perfectly
3. He preaches, performs miracles, claims to be ONE with God, dies and is raised from the dead
4. It is through Christ that ALL creation can experience redemption
But, instead of unleashing that redemption completely on humanity and creation, Jesus leaves and sends the Holy Spirit for His followers.
1. And now we come to our role.
2. Before Jesus dies, he spends most of his final three years with 12 disciples, followers, and through those 12 ordinary guys, he inaugurates His Church—a group of people who can reflect God’s character to the world.

From the beginning, God’s plan was to invite His people to fulfill His mission with Him. What began with Jesus and his 12 ordinary disciples was the turning point that became the greatest revolution and upheaval of all time (2.1 billion).

That explains the grand story of redemption and the reason we pursue the individual’s personal transformation out of brokenness and into shalom and union with God through Christ, and it explains the reason we pursue society’s transformation out of injustice, corruption, poverty, and into shalom and flourishing.

But why city transformation?

Did you know the Bible uses the word city 1,250 times? In addition, cities are regularly addressed directly in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. There were two times Jesus wept: once over the death of his close friend, and the other over the city of Jerusalem.

Apart from those uses, if we look at the progressive revelation of Scripture, we begin with a garden in Genesis 1, and we end with a city coming down out of heaven in Revelation 21.

Meredith Kline states in his book Kingdom Prologue: “The city is not to be regarded as an evil invention of ungodly fallen man… The ultimate goal set before humanity at the very beginning was that human-culture should take cityform…there should be an urban structuring of human historical existence… The cultural mandate given at creation was a mandate to build the city.”

Building on this, Tim Keller says, “It is widely understood that when God tells Adam and Eve to ‘have dominion’ and ‘fill the earth’ he is directing them to build a God-honoring civilization. They are to bring forth the riches that God put into creation by developing science, art, architecture, human society. Kline reveals, however, that since Revelation reveals that the ‘end’ of creation (the climax of the work of the ‘Second Adam’ Jesus Christ) is a city – that therefore God was calling Adam and Eve to be city builders. City building is an ordinance of God just like work and marriage. And indeed, cities draw together human talent and resources and tap the human potential for cultural development as nothing else does.”

So, cities are important to God. But they are also important in our world today.

Since 2007, over half the world’s population lives in cities. And it is only going to increase. The nations have come to the cities, to our city, Evansville. Cities shape culture. Regional initiatives work where there is a thriving city.

Evansville’s next chapter can look more like the city God would want it to be, or it can look less like it. That includes morality, of course, but it includes much more: diversity and reconciliation, opportunity to work and make enough money, justice and mercy, servant leadership, love and hope.

The work of people who follow Christ is more than going to church, reading the Bible, and maybe one day sharing your faith with someone. It is also about city building, restoring shalom in the city where God has placed us.

“To make cities—that is what we are here for. To make good cities—that is for the present hour the main work of Christianity. For the city is strategic. It makes the towns; the towns make the villages; the villages make the country. He who makes the city makes the world. After all, though men make cities, it is the cities which make men.” Henry Drummond, Scottish Pastor, 1893.

an accidental meeting

It was random, but it was not an accidental meeting.

On my way to a meeting yesterday morning, I stopped at Barnes & Noble to get some work done since I had some time to spare. Not surprisingly, I didn’t even take my bag off my shoulder to set it on a table because I couldn’t resist the urge of browsing the stacks.

I love books. I had to look. I roamed around a bit through the biographies, and then predictably, I made my way to the Christian book section. Staring at some of the new books, I was interrupted by a guy about 20 years old who told me he thought my bag was nice (I get that a lot…Saddleback Leather…comes with a 100 year warranty).

Then he said my bag matches my shoes (they’re both brown?), and I thought to myself, “Gosh, this is awkward. How many people actually engage other customers in a store these days, let alone a bookstore where people are reading and being quiet?” Hoping he was just being friendly, and deciding to be friendly myself, I asked him if he was looking for a book in this section.

Surprisingly, he said, “Not really.”

Long pause.

I said, “Oh.” Then he added, “I’m not religious.”

Oh great. More thoughts come to mind: “So what are you doing in this section? Stalking my bag?”

Restraining myself, I said, “I’m not either.”

He explained that he likes to learn about religions, especially their origins and historicity (no, he didn’t use that word), but he doesn’t believe in them.

I told him I believe in Jesus.

He said, “I believe he was a real person. He did some great things, right?” I said, “Yeah, he did some really great things.”

What an embarrassing answer! In my mind, I was rattling off things like healing the sick, making the blind see, raising the dead to life, proclaiming a lot of good news to a lot of people who needed it—making what’s wrong in the world right again. But, those words just didn’t come out. Instead, I listened a bit more, both doubting my ability to give good answers and that he really wanted to have this conversation.

I don’t recall exactly how the rest of the conversation went, but I remember he told me he was an atheist, from Russia, and he mentioned a few questions and concerns. Here are the two that stuck out to me:

He was under the impression that the modern translation of the Bible could not be satisfactorily trusted as authentic. He had come to believe the King James Version was especially way off.
He thought believing in Jesus was about obeying commandments—mostly what to do and what not to do.

I did my best to give a brief answer about the amazing and unmatched reliability of the Scriptures compared to any other historical documents. I also explained that the King James Version is indeed based on an inferior historical text, but it is still 99% accurate based on tens of thousands of reliable copies still in existence today. And, I told him that there is even an entire science to studying these texts called textual criticism.

Then, beginning to sense (possibly incorrectly) that he was ready to move on, I inadequately talked about Jesus, fumbling a bit in my head about how to explain it so quickly to someone who had no frame of reference whatsoever about who Jesus really is. My weak attempt isn’t even worth describing to you.

I wrapped up the conversation by asking, “If I bought you a book, would you read it?” He hesitated and then answered, “You don’t have to buy it. I’ve already read ten books just by coming in here.”

More thoughts in my head: “Is your name Will Hunting? You just come in here on your free time (that you have a lot of) and read books for free that people are supposed to buy? Is that what I should be doing? Is that how you got so ‘smart?’”

Anyway, I found C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, and said, “Lewis was an atheist, too. This book is from a radio address he gave, and it is a great, intellectually sound explanation of what Christianity believes.” He seemed intrigued.

As I handed it to him, I introduced myself. He said, “I’m Ivan. Thanks.”

At that point, we parted ways. I bought a book, and Ivan went to read Mere Christianity, I hope…for free.

I went to Barnes & Noble to kill time. God made sure I didn’t waste it.

Two quick lessons I learned today about sharing my faith:

1. Never start with sin
You have to talk about sin and our broken relationship with God at some point (not to mention all the other brokenness in our world), but start with the Creator who made humanity and all the earth out of love. The Gospel starts in Genesis 1 not Genesis 3.

2. Love without an agenda
In my flesh, I wanted to bust out historical, intellectual, and philosophical genius on Ivan so that I could win him over to my side. I had to tend to and weed out my selfish thoughts to discern and listen to both God and Ivan. What were they telling me? I may have fumbled through some answers, but I’m confident Ivan did not leave our conversation thinking he’d met a Bible-thumping Christian.

If you’ve read this far, will you take a minute to pray for Ivan? Pray that God would reveal Himself to him in a powerful way—in a way that is so compelling that He cannot be ignored. Pray that Ivan becomes a part of God’s family, and a valuable citizen of God’s Kingdom. Pray that he will put his hope and foundation in God’s Word—the written Word and the Living Word.

Ten Tips for Surviving Your 20s and 30s

Last night at CHARLOTTE/ONE’s 2^nd Annual Homecoming, we had a blast celebrating what God has done over the last 8.5 years through this collaborative effort of local churches in our city. We’ve had over 200 gatherings, over 60 churches involved, 25,000 who have attended, and ONE vision…

“Let them be ONE, so that the world may know that You sent Me and that You love them even as much as You love Me.” – Jesus’ prayer in John 17:23

Improv Charlotte created some great laughs and helped us have fun, Josh Baldwin from Queen City Church led us in a powerful and honest time of worship through music, and then we cozy-ed up with hot chocolate and posed for the photobooth.

I also had the privilege of sharing ten tips for surviving our 20s and 30s that come from Paul’s first letter to Timothy. We’ve had some people ask for them, so I wanted to share them here.

In 1 Timothy, Paul is writing to his mentee, Timothy, who is taking over the pastoral leadership in Ephesus (modern day Turkey) from him. So, Paul wants to encourage and exhort Timothy by passing on his wisdom and instruction. Like Timothy, our generation has just now or is about to walk into more leadership, more responsibility, more freedom, and more influence. We have studied, worked, and hoped for taking on these positions or spheres of influence, and in 1 Timothy, we find ten tips for living these years as fully as we can.

10. Enjoy your situation and what you have been given (1 Tim. 4:4; 6:17c)

4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
17c God richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

Don’t wait for life to start when you get the position you want, the level of financial security you want, or the relationships you want. Enjoy where you are now. All that God has created is good, and He wants us to enjoy it. Whatever He has given, you can receive it with thanksgiving. Don’t miss out on what is happening now in your life because you’re dreaming and hoping for what will be happening later.

9. Hold yourself accountable by keeping your priorities in order: Jesus, Others, Yourself (1 Tim. 4:16, 1:15-16)

16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
5 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Have you heard the (somewhat cheesy, but helpful) JOY acronym before? If you want to find real joy, keep your priorities straight: Jesus, Others, Yourself. Paul sees his life as an instrument in God’s plan. As the foremost sinner who tracked down and persecuted the earliest Jesus followers, God was able to show the world how gracious He can be. Paul is most concerned about putting Jesus first, then others who might learn more about Jesus through him, and then himself last.

8. Get involved in a cause and use your gifts (1 Tim. 4:14-15)

14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

The community he was about to lead confirmed Timothy’s gifts, and Paul tells him to put those gifts to use now. Don’t wait to do it. We can do the same. What grieves you so much that you have to do something about it? There are injustices all around you: Trafficking; Kids without school supplies, coats, and parents; Homeless men and women sleeping on the streets; Elderly friends waiting for someone to talk with them; refugees who need to learn English and how to apply for jobs. Learn who is doing something about whatever it is that grieves you and help them.

7. Rethink who you allow to influence you (1 Tim. 1:1, 4:6)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.

What kinds of people influence you? Paul was a great leader, but he was primarily a follower of Christ. He states in the very beginning of his letter that He has been commanded by God to be an apostle. He is to deliver the message and instruction God gave him. Do you have friends who make following Jesus their first priority? Do you follow leaders who demonstrate with their words and actions that they are more concerned about being humble followers than they are about being respected (or famous) leaders?

6. Choose 2-3 faithful Bible teachers to learn under (1 Tim. 1:3-4)

Remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

God does not want us to speculate about who He is or what His will is, so he gives us leaders. God’s leaders are grace-filled communicators of truth. They discern, defend, and protect the truth. When Paul says doctrine he means “right thinking about God.” Find a few teachers that you love to learn from and soak up the truth from them.

5. Pursue 1-2 disciplines that place you in a posture to receive God’s grace (1 Tim. 4:7)

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

Spiritual disciplines sound laborious, and sometimes we feel they just make us guilt-ridden for constantly failing at them; but disciplines are not just the ones you think of like prayer and reading the Bible. They can and should be things you enjoy. The purpose is to direct your mind toward God and His Word. It could be exercise, having honest conversations with friends, journaling, simplifying life, hiking, or reading.

4. Give your money away now, not later (1 Tim. 6:17)

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

It’s important to begin kindling a thirst for generosity in your life now. It may not feel like it’s easy, but it never gets easier. Begin now and experience the joy and freedom generosity brings into your own life and the difference it makes in others. According to Scripture, generosity starts after 10% – God has made it clear that He expects us to give 10%. Challenge yourself to meet God’s expectation, and then move toward generosity. It all belongs to Him anyway!

3. Love agenda free (1 Tim. 1:5)

5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Agendas are everywhere. Ads, bosses, employers, co-workers, networking, politicians, even sports teams. They are almost impossible to avoid, especially within yourself. Imagine how refreshing it is to receive anything agenda free. Receiving love agenda free can transform you life. God’s love is agenda-free – He loves you because He made you, unconditionally. In what relationships can you move toward loving people without an agenda?

2. Live in a bigger story than the one you’re telling (1 Tim. 1:16, 2:4-6)

16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

We belong to a bigger story than our own. Yet, we like to focus on our own story, and most of the time, we’re working on making sure our personal story looks good. Everyone’s life looks amazing on Instagram, so we think we have to keep up. But, we have been invited into God’s grand story of redemption—the best possible story we could ever live. Ground yourself in the best story, the only story that really matters, and play your role.

1. Protect unity by committing to a local community (John 17:21-23)

21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

CHARLOTTE/ONE has always been about three things: unity, the local church, and Charlotte 20 & 30 Somethings. We are all in Christ and therefore we all belong to the Father and to Jesus’ Bride, the Church. It is the hoped for mission of CHARLOTTE/ONE for 20 & 30 Somethings to commit to one local church in our city. The two simple and most important reasons are: (1) we need the local church—we need transgenerational community, community-based ways to follow Jesus, leadership opportunities that matter, and faithful Bible teaching. (2) the local church needs us—they need our leadership, the passion we can bring to new initiatives, to hear our perspective, and our help in sharing Jesus with our own generation.

If you’re looking for a great Christmas concert, be sure to join us on December 2nd at First United Methodist Church in Uptown!

friendship

Friend = one attached to another by affection or esteem; a relationship of mutual affection between two or more people; a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an association.

It is a known and common fact that people with friends are happier people.

As I begin my 30-somethings, it is more and more clear to me that friendships come and go. I can remember how important specific friendships were for my own development and health at each stage of life. They helped me learn about building healthy community, asking tough questions, becoming transparent and genuine, and seeing the world through different eyes than my own.

Think back on your own life. Who were your childhood friends? Middle school? High school? College? What about the different places you’ve lived? I’ve lived in Indianapolis, Evansville, Chicago, and Charlotte, and I have friends in all of those places that are important to me.

Relationships change, and the amount of time we spend communicating changes, but we are still friends. Time, distance, career direction, family planning, marital status, hobbies, entertainment proclivities and faith preferences often play a determining factor in the intensity of friendship.

We need friends. I’ve worked with an organization now for four years that specializes in helping people make connections that can lead to lasting, deep friendships. I’ve seen it work, and it’s a joy to commit my working hours to making a connective environment like that possible.

But right now I’m thinking about one of the best friends I’ve ever had because he gets married this weekend.

We became friends by chance, but it was providence more likely. That’s the thing about our best friendships. Rarely do we ever have to seek them out or go looking for them. They just happen. Then they grow.

It may not have been instantaneous, but over 3 years, our friendship grew quickly and deeply. We shared hours together in the “sanctuary” of our home—discussing women, dating, marriage, fatherhood, medicine, church, Charlotte, Charlottesville, theology, politics, sports (lots of sports), and sharing our own struggles, successes, and doubts. Honesty, empathy, compassion, affirmation, challenge, and genuine care and support characterized our mutual understanding of each other.

To say I’m grateful to have a friend like Adam doesn’t say enough. Distance and his soon-to-begin marriage have meant significantly less conversation over the last 11 months, but the lack of time spent together has increased my awareness of the special bond we have as friends.

We were made for friendship like that. Even Jesus, the perfect human being, developed deeper friendships with 3 of his disciples than the other 9.

I’ve been blessed to have great friends throughout my life, and while you might say I’m lucky, I would tell you it has nothing to do with luck.

Be a great friend today. Call. Text. Write. Grab coffee. Watch a game together. And focus more on listening rather than talking.

dead or alive?

This week I’m reading through Colossians, and something Paul writes struck me as odd and confusing. You might even say it is contradictory. Keep reading before you dismiss me as a heretic or something.

Colossians 3 happens to be one of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture. We could sit down over coffee for a month discussing how these few words interact with our own lives. Volumes have been written about its content throughout church history. I even found verses in this chapter that I prayed would describe my wife (check out 3:12-17). For those of you who don’t know her, she is those things and more. Sorry for the tangent. Back to the contradiction.

Below, I have put in bold the two verses that sound contradictory, 3:3 and 3:5a.

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you;

Do you see it? How can we be dead (3:3) and yet still have to put something to death in us (3:5)? Please, let’s discuss, learn, and question together.

Several things are happening in these verses, but let me point out a few so we’re on the same page:

In chapters 1 and 2, Paul is laying down a strong theological foundation for our being “with Christ.” He wants to help the Church in Colossae, which was being led astray by false teachers, do “right thinking.” Verses 3:1-4 serve as a transition into how that theology should be applied in real life, “right living.” So, when we get to verse 3:5, the “therefore” refers back to the right thinking, especially verses 2:20-3:4, that leads to the right living he is about to describe in the rest of the letter.

Paul uses the heavenly and earthly imagery to make a distinction between how his readers used to think and live (earthly) and how, because of their being “with Christ,” they can and must live now (heavenly). Keep in mind though that he is not saying we should be so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good. It is quite the contrary!

Those who follow Christ have been “buried with him” (2:12) and “made alive with him” (2:13); Paul also writes, “with Christ you died” (2:20) and “you have been raised with Christ (3:1).” He says the same thing in Ephesians 2:5-6—that we were made alive with Christ, raised with him, and seated with him.

This is the mystery of the Gospel. We are in Christ and with Christ. We died and were reborn—a rebirth of our spirit. We are a new creation—the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). We are one with Christ; therefore, we are in the Father as Christ is one with the Father (John 17).

But after all of that truth about our spiritual death and subsequent raising and rebirth through Christ, Paul says right after this, “Put to death what is earthly in you.”

I thought I was already dead!

And if you’re like me…a human being…you know that it is incredibly difficult to put to death what is earthly in us. Earthly is a simpler way of saying anything we do that twists, distorts, or deliberately breaks God’s standard of holiness. These things we must put to death

Is this a contradiction?

I’ve been working to post this blog for nearly a week because I wanted to see if God would teach me instead of just trying to force some answer I learned in seminary. Yesterday He did teach me something about this, and I’m excited to share it with you. It’s a simple idea I came across in my reading.

“Let what’s dead be dead.”

If we are dead without Christ, when we are with Christ we have life. The challenge is to live in this truth, this reality, and let what’s dead be dead. I am dead. Christ lives in me. “For I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. For the life I now live in the flesh (this life), I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Paul writes these words in Gal. 2:20. And in Rom. 6:11 Paul tells the Church (all Christ followers): “Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Let what’s dead be dead. And may we now let Christ live His life through us by faith. That is my prayer for us today.

homeless

In the transition from our house in Sedgefield to our apartment in Uptown, we became a bit nomadic. Two weeks of chaos, unsettling displacement, and not having our stuff (spread across six different locations) made us feel uneasy, tense, and uncertain. Is it possible it felt a bit like being homeless?

Homelessness is the word normally used to describe someone who doesn’t have a place to go at night for shelter, a place to go during the day for food, and so they end up living on the streets or in shelters. It’s brokenness. It’s lonely. It’s a place in the world where shalom must be restored, and people across the centuries and all over the world who love Jesus have taken it upon themselves to provide shelter, food, and community to those who are homeless.

Of course, we were not homeless; but we were displaced. And it made us consider that having a home we call ours is not a right or something we’re entitled to have; rather, it is a privilege that brings considerable security, peace, and comfort.

During our two-week transition, we made a trip to Atlanta to visit some friends. I convinced them to go to Passion City Church, which was planted by Passion founder Louie Giglio. I may write another blog post about our good experience with Kristian Stanfill and Christy Knockles leading worship and Giglio preaching, but there was a part of the message that stuck with me. While talking about defeating the goliaths of comfort and complacency (watch here), Giglio said, “If the devil can keep you good and comfortable, he can cause you to waste your short life.”

Sometimes our houses, cars, jobs, relationships, and possessions become the way the devil keeps us good and comfortable. I’m just as susceptible to the devil’s schemes as anyone else. In fact, I could argue that I’m more susceptible than most to feeling, and needing to feel, good and comfortable.

Our transition gave us the opportunity to feel uncomfortable, and to be honest, there are some things about apartment living that just make you feel less comfortable in general than owning a house (however, no yard work, maintenance, or ominous feeling of potential doom any day lurks over my head anymore).

I’m happy to receive those discomforts even though I sometimes complain about them because they are a reminder to me that the good and comfortable aren’t the ones slaying giants.

2812

A little over three years ago, I wrote a blog describing our perspective on buying a house. Our first home purchase taught us many things, but the most important was that we must think of all that we own as a loaner—even our home. God provided us the resources to purchase it, and He created the people who constructed it. It’s His, and He gave it to us to bless others. We bought the house with the full intention of using it in a way that honors God, and I’m happy to say we really gave it our best effort.

That beautiful 1940s house in the heart of Charlotte became more than a building we live in—it is almost like it became part of us. Candace often tells me she thinks the house has feelings. It allowed us to put our roots down in a city we love. It has seen job promotions and a career change, heard the struggles and beauty of a young marriage growing older, cared for four roommates, and tasted several batches of chocolate chip cookies. And most importantly, it proved to be a trusted haven for a growing family by welcoming our first baby home.

But the day has come for us to give up our “loaner.”

And it is quite unbelievable to us. If we weren’t spending all of our free time packing, selling, and giving away our ignored items, it would be difficult to believe it is real.

In early May, we had a request to show our home to an interested buyer. Which is funny because the house wasn’t up for sale.

2812 will have a new manager soon, and we’ll be moving into our next loaner right in the middle of Charlotte’s fast-growing South End and increasingly attractive Uptown. Moving from house to apartment will be a challenge, but it is one we cannot wait to begin. It’s a bold move, and it might be a little crazy with an 8 month old boy. But that little boy has already reminded us that smiling and enjoying life’s simplest things make the challenges adventures.

And our family loves to find new adventures.

about a blog

A little over three years ago, I started a blog. I began with a simple idea: I’m the narrator of my life, but God is the Author. He’s written my story into His Story. The blog was an opportunity to narrate that story, share what God was teaching me in the process, and hopefully be an encouragement to my friends and family. I set out to post once a month for a year. I stayed committed to it (thanks, Candace), and I was grateful for those of you who followed along, encouraged me, and offered your feedback. But, I’m confident I was the person who benefited the most from the narrating. It created an outlet for me to practice communicating my story, work out some thoughts and ideas , and share what God is doing in my life.

After that first year, I stopped narrating through my blog. I’ve missed it, and to be honest, quite a lot has happened in two years. The script God has written for me continues, and He will bring it to completion—no matter how or when I choose to narrate it. Now, it’s time to start again. I’m looking forward to filling you in on those two years, especially becoming a father, turning 30, and leading CHARLOTTE/ONE.

I took some Christmas money and invested it in a blog redesign. A few months of preparations have gone by, but I really like how it turned out. I’m eager to begin narrating through this space in the world I can call my own. And I hope you’ll find hope, joy, love, and truth here. May you narrate your story into His Greater Story with fervor and passion.

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