The Easter Play

I am continually impressed by the people of this church. It amazes me the effort that people put into the play this year...and what a success it was as a result!

A big thank you to everyone involved. From actors, to set crews, to people who prepared food...it was well-done. Thanks!

The Funny Thing About the Easter Play

This year's Easter Play is less than 72 hours away. The set is almost finished. All the props are collected. We have one more rehearsal. It's almost show time!

If you haven't seen the play in rehearsal, I don't want to ruin it for you, so let me say this much: It's realistic.

It is about a pastor who is trying to make the Easter story come to life. I can tell it was written by my wife.

She knows that my heart is to see people experience the radical transforming love of Christ. It's something I struggle to put into words every single week.

So if you see the play, remember: It's real.

Brett Favre's Retirement

Almost everyone who sees me is asking what I think about Brett Favre's retirement. They wonder if I am in mourning, or whether I think that the Packers have a chance next year. Here are my thoughts:

• For the last 5 years Vikings fans have been telling me that Favre is a washed-up has-been. So why do they think the Pack will be worse off without him?
• Was that a collective sigh of relief I heard from the defenses of 29 NFL teams?
• Or was that a gasp...about thinking that they are going to have to trash all of their Packer game films...and that they have no idea what the Packers are going to do next year? It's hard to play defense when you don't have a clue.
  
• Consider this: Brett Favre has started every game for the Packers since my oldest son was born. He is a junior in high school. Brett Favre has been playing quarterback for the Pack since some of his teammates were in kindergarten.
• What do Kurt Warner and Matt Hasselback have in common? Oh, yeah, they were Favre's understudies with the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is going to be just fine. So will the Pack.
• The Packers almost went to the Super Bowl last year because of coaching. That's right, coaching. The Packers looked at what they had and put together a creative and innovative scheme that tore up the NFL. I'm sure that McCarthy and company will do the same this year. In fact, I'm sure they already have a plan in place.
• The Packers are going to be better next year than they were this year. I predict a 1st place finish in the NFC North. After all, look who the other teams in the division are!

Here's an interesting item of trivia for you to research: What is the one NFL team that Brett Farve has never beat?

Leave a comment if you know, otherwise I'll tell you all on Sunday.

Exceling in the Grace of Giving

We've been in the midst of a three week sermon series on the grace of giving from 2nd Corinthians 8-9. As a pastor, I am always a little leery of the issue of money, simply because I know that for many people the church appears to always have its hand out. That's not what church is about. Church is about being transformed into the image of Christ. And that is going affect our lifestyle...and our pocketbook.

That's why during this series I have been talking about the bedrock principle that we are to give ourselves...everything we are and have...to the Lord. Our lifestyles will then reflect our relationship with God. In a very real way we are all called "full-time" into ministry and "full-time" into stewardship. Each of us has a different destiny to fulfill. For some it will be sharing Christ in the workplace. For others it will be focusing on the home. Still others are in the challenging years of attending school. Wherever you are, you are called into full-time ministry.

At the same time, God has entrusted each of us with material possessions. We are all full-time managers of what God's possessions and will be held accountable for how we use them. This week we'll be finishing the series by looking at 5 principles of giving. I'm finding it personally challenging and am having a wonderful time meditating on what God says here in 2nd Corinthians. I'm looking forward to sharing the fruits of that study with you on Sunday. See you there!

Keeping the Morning Watch

Many years ago someone coined the term “Morning Watch” to refer to the practice of spending the first thirty minutes of the day seeking God. While I dislike the idea of legalistically saying, “every ‘real’ Christian keeps the morning watch,” I recommend the practice because spending time with God is an important part of growing in your relationship with Him and doing it first thing in the morning is a great way to orient your entire day towards God’s purposes for you.

There are three main components to the morning watch.

First, take time to focus your thoughts on the Lord. Thank Him for the new day and the joys and challenges that it will bring. Devote yourself to Him and tell Him that you are going to follow Him. Tell Him why you are going to follow Him. Spend time enjoying his presence.

Second, read a portion of the Bible. Ask the Lord to speak to you as you read. It is usually best to read in a systematic fashion, but the goal is not to “finish the Bible in a year” or to “read a chapter a day.” Instead, read until the Holy Spirit begins to show you something in the Word, then stop and listen. What is God saying to you? Is there a promise to claim? A command to obey? An aspect of His character to worship? A sin to confess? Respond to the Lord appropriately.

Third, hold up your concerns for the day to the Lord. Ask him for wisdom and direction as you go about your day. Ask him to provide for your needs. Ask Him to bless friends and family members. Hold up difficult relationships and ask him to help you navigate your way through them.

Finally, thank him again for the wonderful day that he has in store for you, whatever it might bring!

The Lost Coin

Do you remember finding a penny when you were little? Maybe it was on the sidewalk or in the parking lot. It was your lucky day!

Here's a quick question: Do you still stop for pennies? If you were heading into the grocery store and saw a penny on the ground, would you pick it up? If not a penny, how about a nickel? A dime? A quarter?

What is the value of stopping and reaching to the ground to pick something up?

I ask this because yesterday I noticed a penny on the ground and I walked right by. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I was in a hurry. Or maybe it was too much of a bother. Or maybe it was dirty and would make a mess. Or maybe it seemed a little foolish to get excited over a mere penny.

I really didn't think about it until this morning when I had my devotions and read Luke 15. In this chapter Jesus tells several parables about the heart of God. He talks about the shepherd with 100 sheep who discovers one is missing. He sets out on a long search for that sheep and won't rest until he finds it. He tells the story of the woman who lost a coin and turns the house upside down looking for it. He tells the parable of the "Prodigal Son," which is really about the son who stayed home and didn't share the father's joy at the return of the prodigal.

It made me stop to wonder if I treat people like I do the penny in parking lot. Do I realize the value of the people? Do I stop to consider that the person that I am sitting next to at a basketball game is one for whom Christ died? Or that the clerk at the store is precious to Him?

Do I take the time to stop and demonstrate how important each person is?

Or am I in too much of a hurry? Or is it too much of a bother? Or do I think I might get dirty? Or do I think I would appear foolish?

There is greater joy in heaven over one who repents than ninety-nine who need no repentance.

A Fun Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon was a blast! First, we joined almost everyone who was at the Sunday service in taking a tour of the new building. Because of the cold weather, the company's construction crews have been busy working inside in our building. Most of the walls are framed in and it was easy to see what the building was going to look like. I even put a board across the joists of the platform to get a feel for what it is going to be like. People had tons of questions and were looking for things that they could do to help. It's easy to believe that in a few weeks the project will be done to the point of our being able to move in. I'm looking forward to it!

Even more fun was going to the DQ afterwards (could this become a weekly after church event?). I got a chance to talk to the two people who are heading up our youth ministry. All I can say is, "Wow!" We've gone from four or five kids a few years ago to thirty. It was great to hear the stories of God's work in people's lives and to have the chance to have their enthusiasm rub off on me.

After a few minutes at home I went back to church to sit in on our deaconate meeting. This is an incredible group that is trying to figure out how we can do a better job of caring for people. They are so eager to be the hands and feet of Jesus that it really inspires me.

What a great day!