Dave Roberts

Be a Servant

2010-06-11T07:34:00.003-04:00

This morning I was reading John 2, the story of the Wedding at Cana where Jesus turns water into wine, and I was blown away by the role of the servant. Here's Jesus' interaction with the servants...

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." John 2:6-10

Look at what Jesus asked the servants to do.
- Fill the jars with 20-30 gallons of water. This meant carrying these jugs to the well, filling them, and then bringing them back to Jesus. That would have been a lot of work. Have you ever tried to carry 20-30 gallons of water? Those suckers would have been heavy! They might have put them on a cart, but still they had to lift them on the cart. Then they had to take them to the master of the feast. This must have been confusing. Why are we bringing water to the master of the feast? It's the wine that they ran out of? What the heck?

But look at what the servants witnessed.
- They were the first to witness Jesus transform the water into wine. They were the first to realize what had happened.

Here's what hit me...
Serving Jesus is hard work. Carrying the water was hard work. Serving others is hard work. It's not what we naturally want to do. But often Jesus asks us to do that which isn't easy. But unless we are willing to do the hard work, we will not be put in the position to witness Jesus move in power. It was the willingness of the servants that put them in the position to see the transformational power of Jesus. If they didn't carry the water, they would have never seen it turn into wine. Unless we are willing to do the hard work of serving others, forgiving others, having the hard conversations, we will never be in the position to see Jesus transform their lives.

Too often I believe we want the easy way out. We don't want to do the hard work. That has been my attitude. But unless we are willing to serve and do that which is difficult, we will never see Jesus move in a transformational way in people's lives.

Where am I doing the hard work of serving? Am I putting myself in the position to see Jesus move?

Lord, may I be willing to do the hard work, so that I can see you transform lives!

The Lost Art of the Career

2010-06-10T16:19:00.002-04:00

Loved reading this article in the recent Relevant Magazine. It was called "The Lost Art of the Career" and it challenges younger workers and their attitude towards work. Written by David Kinnaman, who works at Barna, he calls young workers out and I love his challenging words. He shares 7 things to consider when building a career.

1. Create a Unique Statement of Your Calling and Vision - this can be a short statement that describes what you feel God is calling you to do with your life.

2. See out People at the Office Who Can Mentor You - Straight forward find a person who you can learn from and ask a ton of questions.

3. Demanding Bosses Are Not Your Enemy - Some of the best bosses are tough ones because they want you to grow. They push you and stretch you because they believe in you.

4. When You Reach Your Breaking Point, Stay Longer - It's during the toughest times that you learn the most. Don't leave and find a new job when things get tough. Wait it out and learn from those moments.

5. Make Sure You Check Your Ego At the Door - be a servant Serve your employer well.

6. Keep the Organizations Goals a Priority - The organizations goals are your priority while you are on the job.

7. Connect Your Work to Your Faith

Seven Mistakes I've Made

2010-06-10T16:00:00.002-04:00

Great blog by Thom Rainer entitled "7 Mistakes I Made in Ministry." Love the 7 that he highlighted. Here's what he said...

1. I would spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I would follow the biblical pattern of the church leaders in Acts 6:4: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry" (HCSB).

2. I would give my family more time. No one remembers the church committee meetings I missed. My family still remembers those times I was too busy for them.

3. I would spend more time sharing my faith. Paul told the young pastor Timothy to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). Those words apply to all pastors today.

4. I would love the community where I lived more. I would try to live more incarnationally. I would prayerfully seek to see how I could serve the community rather than see it as a population pool of prospects for my church.

5. I would lead the church to focus more on the nations. I would lead in helping our church grasp that missions is more than just an annual offering.

6. I would focus on critics less. Most church members have no idea how many criticisms and “suggestions” a pastor gets each week. It can be overwhelming and distracting. Though I would be willing to listen, I would not obsess about every negative comment that was made about me.

7. I would accept the reality that I can’t be omnipresent. So many people and groups want the presence of the pastor. Saying “no” can be difficult, but it can free the pastor to focus on some of the priorities noted above.

Whatever you see in me...

2010-01-25T22:45:00.002-05:00

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. Philippians 4:9

This verse rocked me when I read it while sitting in the corner booth at Russ' last Thursday. The thought that ran through my mind was, "if people copied my life would I like what I see?" Or actually, "would Jesus like what he saw?"

Would I be able to say like Paul, "whatever you see me do... do that. Live that way?" Jesus give me the grace to live that way!

Work on it!

2010-01-25T20:57:00.002-05:00

I absolutely loved this post from Ben Arment. In a recent post he said this...

To get better at what we do, we have to work on it, not just in it.
How many pastors get so lost in message prep that they neglect to work on the structure of the message? They give the audience all of their study... rather than the fruit of it.
How many churches continue to do the same, ineffective things over and over again because they get bogged down in the activities... rather than work on what activities to pursue?

2009... A great year!

2009-12-26T21:27:00.003-05:00

Every year at this time I look through my blog and take a trip down memory lane. Now, this year, I didn't blog as much as I was hoping, but there were still some great memories. Here's what stood out as I looked at 2009...

Convicted by a blog to turn off my TV more often. Didn’t follow through on that on in 2009. Perhaps in 2010.
Responded to Jesus question in Mark 8 – Who do you say I am?
My wife is training up a next generation of creatives… beginning with her own daughters.
My year began with my hand going where no hand should have to go.
Responded to Mr. Anonymous here. Bummed he/she never took me up on my cup of coffee. Guess he doesn’t like free coffee.
Learned a valuable lesson from a guy who was given 3 months to live… 15 years ago. His advice: have something worth living for.
Loved this post from Steven Furtick – Guitar Hero Ministry Mentality. “Everyone wants to be a rock star, but no one wants to learn the chords.” So true.
Admitted I like the smell of new books and puppies. I know it’s weird.
Enjoyed a beautiful vacation in California with my wife.
I hate rumors, but they do make me laugh.
Iwantanewmarriage – great series by Newspring Church. Looking forward to teaching some of the material I learned during this series in 2010.
Fun with fire as we experienced the grace of God.
Definitely – a word I struggle to spell… every time.
Random thoughts from Easter – remember that being a powerful day for many different reasons.
Friendship is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you ca feel it.
One crazy night!
Ceci and I dedicated ourselves to set before Piper a godly example, pray for her, and teach her about Jesus. Great day and a reminder that daily I need to follow thru on that promise.
Tried to teach my girls how to ride their bikes, and FAILED. There’s always next year.
Painted our living room and kitchen in one day. This was a fun day because it was spent with my wife.
Experienced a great mission trip to Calais, Maine. I can honestly say I think about this trip every week.
Was a model for a day – and had a ton of fun. Not the model part though. Met a ton of great people who God is using in phenomenal ways.
These commercials made me cry a lot this summer…
Was able to see a real lumberjack show, and fly over Lake Michigan. Wasn’t a big fan of the flight. I prefer bigger planes.
September 18 – HUGE DAY!!!! This was the day my wife and I became free from credit card debt after working on it for THREE years!
My wife still fits into her prom dress from 93. Amazing.
And I have been blessed with three beautiful daughters.
I didn't blog in October & a good chunk of November.
This was a powerful video from Matt Chandler. What a great picture of Jesus!
I think I have a future drummer!
My arm hurts from playing the Wii all day.
One of the most powerful songs we’ve done at Lakeshore Vineyard since I’ve been there.
My daughters loves shoveling the snow… and I love it too. They actually do a good job.

2009 - a great year. But as good as 2009 was, I'm really looking forward to 2010. 2010 will be an interesting year, and full of excitement. No there is no big news. It's just a feeling I have.

What was your 2009 like?

Christmas Fun

2009-12-26T16:04:00.002-05:00

Yesterday there was one gift the whole family enjoyed playing -- the Wii. We literally played this thing until our arms fell off. The whole day was spent playing golf, tennis, baseball, running, and trying to beat dad in tennis. That's right, no one has beat me in tennis. Everyone has tried, but no one has succeeded - just showing these girls who's in charge here! I don't plan to lose for a while...

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Little Drummer Girl

2009-12-22T15:08:00.003-05:00

Shot this of my daughter last week. She didn't know I was doing it for a while... then she caught on. She really likes to play her new drum. Personally, I loved that she was getting into it. Just perhaps drumming is in her future

Content...

2009-12-16T10:11:00.002-05:00

is not king. I loved this post from Collide Magazine's blog. I agree that content is important and it must be presented clearly, but there are so many other factors that are vital to a local church. Here's an exert from the blog regarding content...

Houston Clark from Clark Pro Media helped me understand this. He pointed out that all the religious media (content) he could ever want — sermons from the best communicators in the world, great worship music, challenging books, articles, and blog posts — travels with him wherever he goes via his iPhone. If fantastic content is always available, there has to be another reason to come to your church.
That’s why I don’t believe content is king in the local church. In fact, the more I think about it, I don’t think any one thing is the most important thing in a local church. Maybe there is a congress of things that are vital to a local church, things like community, mission, and service. Sure, content is in the discussion, but I don’t think it’s the king.

How He Loves

2009-12-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

We did this song after the message on Sunday at Lakeshore Vineyard Church. I absolutely love this song and the team did a phenomenal job. It fit well with the message on the Love of God called "A love that surpasses knowledge." As the worship team sang this song, we had verses up on the screen. Simply but very effective. Sit back and enjoy.

How He Loves - Lakeshore Vineyard Church from Lakeshore Vineyard Church on Vimeo.

Grace Hoarding

2009-12-11T14:11:00.002-05:00

Absolutely loved this post over at People of the Second Chance. Let's not be grace hoarders, but people who are full of grace. Here's what they said;

I’ve been watching a new show called Hoarders on A & E. It is a fascinating look inside the lives of people who can’t part with their belongings. The show demonstrates hoarding that is so out of control that their homes wreak of rotting food, stuffed with junk, and their residences are on the verge of being condemned. It’s sad, tragic and disturbing to watch. When we collect grace in our lives and yet refuse to give it out we become GRACE HOARDERS. And tragically as GRACE HOARDERS we become just as foul as the homes that are on the verge of being condemned. Mercy comes into our lives and then it’s to suppose to generously flow out to others. That is the natural cycle. It’s not meant to be piled up in a box in the corner.
So as PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CHANCE the challenge is to let out mercy. Release grace. Pour out forgiveness. For your ex. For Tiger. Your spouse. That critic. Your failed parents. Stop holding it in.

Snow Shoveling

2009-12-11T08:27:00.004-05:00

I don't mind shoveling my driveway after a snow storm. Perhaps, it's because I didn't grow up shoveling the driveway. But shoveling just got a lot better... because I have helpers. And they actually did help. Last night we cleared the driveway and had a ton of fun doing it. Between tag in the snow and making snow angels, we did get the driveway done. Oh the fun times with kids.

Matt Chandler

2009-12-07T14:07:00.006-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning Matt Chandler, lead pastor at the Village, had a seizure. What was suppose to be a normal day celebrating Thanksgiving, turned into something quite different. Days later he found out he had a 2" tumor in his brain and had to have surgery. He taped the following message before he went into surgery. Take a couple minutes and watch this video. I'm impressed with Matt's faith. I wonder how I would respond if I was going through what he went through.

Shane Claiborne

2009-12-04T21:50:00.002-05:00

Interesting article from Shane Claiborne in Esquire Magazine. He was asked to write to people who do not believe in Jesus, and I like what he has to say. The article begins saying

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.
Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.

To read more click here.

Rick Warren

2009-12-02T12:06:00.003-05:00

Read a great interview with Rick Warren yesterday. You can find the entire article by clicking here. It really was a great interview and worth the time. What impressed me most was his willingness to turn the church over to a group of young leaders, and then mentor them. He is right when he said he doesn't know of another church that has ever done this. If there are more I would really like to hear about them. Any way, here's what he said when talking about having a successful transition at Saddleback Church...

You're right; I did not answer that question. I knew that with me being 10 years out, I wanted a successful transition. So we did at Saddleback Church something that I don't know any other church has ever done, almost a year-and-a-half ago. We lowered the age of the leadership body in our church by 16 years in one week.
We had a group of pastors who have been with me pretty much since the start that we call our elders. Most of us are in our 50s, mid-50s, and we have led the church all these years. All along we've been mentoring the next generation, which is what I'm doing. I'm spending the rest of my life mentoring the next generation.
We had a group of young guys who were in their 30s and a couple reaching 40, and in one week we turned over the leadership. We moved all of the guys out of leadership who were in, including me - I'm just a teaching pastor - and we moved these guys in their 30-somethings into the leadership, which we call the PMT, the Pastor's Management Team, and we turned over the leadership of a megachurch to - how many guys, David? David is on that - how many guys are on it?

My little girl...

2009-12-02T11:58:00.003-05:00

recently turned 1. Amazed by how quickly the year went.

Jesus wants the rose...

2009-11-15T23:03:00.002-05:00

The risk of staying...

2009-11-14T14:37:00.007-05:00

I read this on blainehogan.com and absolutely loved what he had to say. Recently, he and his wife were given the opportunity to consider a job opportunity at another church. As I read the blog entry, I got a sense that Blaine was used to moving around. He left home at age 18 to embark on a sense of adventure. He wanted to live a life of risk, following God. However, as he contemplated this latest move, he realized the riskiest thing was to not leave and pursue this new opportunity, but to stay. Here's what he had to say...

Leaving is no longer the risky thing for me. The risky thing now is staying. It is submitting to the painfully transforming process of community. It is doing a dumb thing at work and then having to show back up the next day to face those you’ve disappointed. It is telling the truth instead of protecting yourself. It is letting people love you in spite of your ugly and broken bits and then letting them gently guide you into the light. It is showing up to dinners instead of going home and feeling sorry for yourself. It is letting yourself go - in a good way.

The risky thing is now staying. It is telling the truth instead of protecting yourself. It is letting people love you in spite of your ugliness and brokenness. It is staying and allowing yourself to be fully known.

It's that last line that scars me - allowing yourself to be fully know. I believe that is the greatest risk anyone can take. It's a risk that I'm not ready to take. I'm afraid of people knowing me completely. I'm afraid that if they know me then they will not like me. It is that fear that prevents me from fully exposing my heart. It is that fear that prevents me from saying some things.

The risk of being known, of allowing yourself to be fully known. It's a risk that I'm want to take baby steps toward. I want to be more real. I want to put my hopes and dreams out there. I want to say what's on my heart. But there's always the fear of what will people do with it.

Don't add or subtract...

2009-11-06T14:42:00.004-05:00

This morning I read these words from Revelation 22

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

What a great reminder to neither add or subtract anything from the word of God. Just share it and let it stand for itself. A good reminder for me heading into the weekend.

Success...

2009-11-06T14:34:00.001-05:00

I saw this over at deadly viper and thought it was great.

We live in a culture obsessed with success.

A CEO of a Fortune 500 company pulled into a service station to get gas. He went inside to pay and when he came out he noticed his wife engaged in a deep discussion with the service attendant. It turned out that she knew him. It fact back in high school before she met her eventual husband, she used to date him. The CEO got in the car and drove off and said, “I bet I know what you were thinking back there. I bet you were thinking you’re glad you married a Fortune 500 CEO and not a service attendant.” “No,” she said, “I was thinking if I’d married him, He’d be a fortune 500 CEO and you’d be a service attendant.” There are lots of opinions on how to be successful.

I don’t know about you … but I don’t know where I’d be without my wife.

Huge day...

2009-09-18T14:06:00.005-04:00

Today was three and half years in the making, and there are times I never thought my wife and I would get see this day. Three and half years ago we were in debt. Big time credit card debt. I'm talking over $20,000 in credit card debt. In fact, I can remember begging a credit card company for a credit limit of $18,400 so we could put most of our debt on one card. In addition to this debt we had another card with a small amount on it - small compared to the other credit card. So around $20k in total. In addition to this credit card debt we owed an additional $20,000 on our car. Needless to say, we were hurting financially and we knew it.

In February of 2006 we decided to do something about it. We stopped using our credit card. We didn't cut it up. Instead, we put it in a block of ice. It was in the freezer for about 6 months before we cut it up entirely. We also got on a budget. We talked with a friend and she put us on a budget. We haven't been the best at sticking to the budget. Finally, we worked hard. I would take an extra gig here and there. My wife really stepped up and started taking every remote she could. She also looked for strategic ways to bring in extra cash or cut spending. This was the thing that helped us out the most.

Well, after three and a half years I can say that we have finally paid off our credit card debt. That's right. We owe nothing on our credit card and it feels AWESOME!!!! (We would have paid it off yesterday, but he credit card company was going to charge us $10 to do that. There was no way I was giving those guys another penny!)

Over the past three years I have learned so much about finances - specifically finances when it comes to marriage. First of all, it is so important for a husband and wife to be on the same page financially. When Ceci and I were on the same page we really started to see some progress in our finances. Secondly, I have learned the value of hard work. There were times when we wanted someone to take care of our debt. We wanted a big check to come in the mail, but it didn't. This debt was whittled away slowly over time. Knowing how long it took to get out of debt will prevent me from ever getting back into debt. Finally, I learned the importance of giving. Yes there was a time when we weren't giving. I thought we couldn't afford to give. But in all honesty, we couldn't afford not to give. In the last year, we really made the biggest headway in our debt. It was also the year, we gave the most away. Interesting.

Well, the day is here. We are officially out of credit card debt. Now, we are not debt free. We still have a ways to go. We owe some cash on our house and $5,000 on our van. But that's it, and it feels so good. So, now we celebrate this huge day, and we get back to work to tackle our remaining debt.

Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-09-09T18:10:00.000-04:00

Well it wasn't exactly a jet plane, but it was a plane. A few weeks ago my daughters and I went on an airplane ride in Manistee. I have to be honest, I would rather be in a big plane. This little plane bounced around a lot, and shortly after take-off I was ready to ask the pilot to turn around and land. But, the girls were having a good time, so I had to man up! Oh, and when I say girls... that includes the pilot. Yes the pilot was a girl.

You can watch our entire flight below. It's only two minutes. It was a quick flight.

Effective...

2009-09-09T15:43:00.002-04:00

Effective in ministry. Effective in life. Effective in my pursuit of Jesus. These are things I want in my life. I want my life to count. I want my life to matter, not for my glory, but for the glory of God.

The other day, I was reading through 2 Peter and I came across these verses;

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self‑control; and to self‑control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It hit me as I read these verses that if I'm going to be effective and productive, I must daily seek to add to my faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Now, I know it's only by the blood of Jesus that a person is saved. However, following Jesus is a daily thing. Daily, I must seek the heart of Jesus, the one who is full of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love.

Too often in my life I have been lackadaisical in my pursuit of Jesus. I haven't spent time reading the Bible or praying, and I wonder if I have been as effective as I could have been. Probably not. In light of this passage, may I daily seek to add to my life the qualities that are talked about in this verse, the qualities that are fully seen in Jesus.

My wife is hot.

2009-09-08T20:34:00.000-04:00

That's right. My wife is hot! After having four kids, and being 16 years removed from her senior prom, she still fits into her prom dress from '93. In fact, she wore it to her sister's wedding and she rocked it. It was so much fun seeing her walk around, strutting her stuff in her prom dress from high school. Most women just want to fit into their wedding dress. My wife, fits into her prom dress! (By the way, we don't know if she still fits into her wedding dress because it's still covered in cake. We never got it clean. Oh well.)

Blessed...

2009-09-07T22:05:00.006-04:00

On Friday my sister-in-law got married to a great dude.

The location was beautiful - an outdoor wedding on the shores of Lake Michigan, and it was a gorgeous summer evening - mid 70's & sunny. The ceremony was beautiful - you could definitely tell they are in love. They were giddy the whole ceremony. The reception was a ton of fun - My kids, my wife and I even performed the hoedown throwdown at the reception. Yes, I know all the moves to the dance. Pretty sad.

Overall, it was a great wedding and a great night.

As I looked through the pictures I took before the wedding though, I was overcome with emotion. I was emotional because I realized again how blessed I am. I have three beautiful daughters who are so different and unique. They each have their own personality and their own gifts. Every day, I'm amazed that I get the wonderful opportunity and privilege to be their dad.

My prayer for them as they grown up is for them to have a heart that loves Jesus. That's it. That's what I want for them. That's what I want to teach them. That's what I want to model for them. So, E, M, and P - may you grow up to have a passion for Jesus, and may you passionately pursue him every day of your life!

Skip1.org

2009-08-31T16:03:00.004-04:00

I absolutely love this simple idea from skip1.org - Take what you would of spent on lunch, a latte, a manicure, anything really and donate instead to skip1.org. All public donations go to the acquisition and distribution of food and water projects worldwide. Simple. Check out their site and take 60 seconds to watch this video. They are kicking skip1.org off tomorrow by challenging everyone to skip one thing and donate the money to skip1.org.

Skip1.org PSA from Skip1 on Vimeo.

What makes a church come alive?

2009-08-17T22:49:00.002-04:00

I loved this post by Perry Noble. In this post he lists things that make a church come alive. I love what he includes in his list. Check it out...

Was thinking the other day about this…what makes a church come alive?

CHANGED LIVES…when dead people are being brought to life a church cannot remain on life support. Changed lives change a community!
THE GOSPEL…when the Gospel is THE agenda instead of some ridiculous issue that happens to be the “fad of the year.”
HIS PRESENCE…when He becomes UNDENIABLE!
WORSHIP…when the goal isn’t to see how little of the song we can sing but rather to sing with everything we’ve got.
GIVING…when God is honored because Christians don’t just trust Him with what they can’t see…but are willing to trust Him with what they can see.
SERVICE…when believers are unleashed to serve Christ by using their spiritual gifts rather than depending on the “paid professionals” to do it all.
DEDICATION…when people in the church are way more passionate about pursuing Christ daily rather than showing up on Sunday and getting their attendance star on their chart.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY…when people in the church begin to accept responsibility for where they are in their spiritual journey…and then are willing to do something about it.
LEADERS WHO FEAR GOD, NOT MAN…leaders who know that God called them and will take care of them…and refuse to let the threat of not getting a paycheck stop them from doing what God has called them to do.
UNITY…when a church can truly celebrate when a church…ANY CHURCH…sees something great happen for the Kingdom.
BAPTISM…it’s NEVER a bad thing to see hundreds of people go public with their faith.
SINCERITY…when people show up with hearts ready to hear, repent and be brough near rather that people checking out the fashions of others.
DESPERATION…for Jesus to show up and make Himself known.
EXCELLENCE…for people to be willing to give their very best effort to honor the God who saved them.
TECHNOLOGY…embracing it and using it rather than fighting it. (Find it funny and sad that there are churches who say that using lights and video is “not in the Bible,” yet those same churches use air conditioner and heaters…which are not in the Bible either!)

Mackinaw City... The Jack Pine Lumberjack Show

2009-08-11T18:52:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago we went up to Mackinaw City. The highlight of the trip was the Jack Pine Lumberjack Show. Below you can watch the highlights from the show.

Watch it! It will be the best 3 minutes of your life.

Hillsong United...

2009-07-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

Love listening to these guys. Great song from their new album.

Hillsong "Hold Me Now" from Ben Arment on Vimeo.

No clue what she's saying

2009-07-13T13:05:00.001-04:00

Spanish Immersion works. Here's my daughter talking with one of her friends in Spanish. I took four years of Spanish and I have no clue what she's saying.

Routine...

2009-07-13T08:45:00.000-04:00

Great video. I don't want to play it safe, but too often I feel like I am. This was a wake up call to me this morning. Wow.

Maine Mission Trip Video

2009-07-12T19:23:00.001-04:00

This is the highlight video from our recent teen mission trip to Maine.

This is how we get going in the morning...

2009-07-03T09:22:00.002-04:00

This is how we get our day started! How do you start your day?

Images from a mission trip...

2009-07-01T15:28:00.003-04:00

These images bring back so many memories from my recent mission trip to Calais, Maine. Still thinking through all that happened on the trip. There were some very powerful moments on that trip. I'll chat more about that in the future, but for now here are some great pictures.

Riding a bike...

2009-06-29T12:44:00.002-04:00

This week I'm trying to teach my daughters how to ride a bike without training wheels. All I can say it's not easy, but I think between the crying, laughter, fear, and moments of success we are making some progress. I think the biggest obstacle we have to overcome is the girls trusting me completely. They need to trust that I won't let them fall. Anyway, it's been a lot of fun. Elliana took a huge step forward today. She rode by herself for ten seconds. Mallory on the other hand, took a little step backward. Oh well. Well, here's a fun little video of our experience.

Painting with my wife...

2009-06-24T12:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I painted. In fact, the past two days have been spent painting. Now, painting is not my favorite thing to do, but the past two days I have enjoyed it. Actually, it's been a great stress reliever - it's mindless work and I see immediate results. As a result of my painting, my house is no longer yellow - it's blue and it looks great. I love the new color! My wife picked it out and she did a great job with the color. In fact, I'm always impressed with Ceci's color choices!

Yesterday we had a ton of fun painting together. Most of the kids were gone, which allowed us to get a lot done. Here's a little video from our day yesterday.

My daughter and her cousin get ready for camp...

2009-06-23T08:32:00.002-04:00

This is what it looks like to get ready for camp in the Roberts' household. The day begins with a little worship while jumping on the bed.

Update four from Calais

2009-06-17T22:58:00.004-04:00

Here I am at the end of another day - tired, soar, but so excited, excited to see what God is doing in these tremendous teenagers. Tonight, we spent over an hour sharing what God is doing our lives, and I was blown away by what was shared. Here's a little bit of what happened tonight...

A group of teenage boys shared about their day visiting with the elderly at the retirement home. They were so excited! They spent hours - yes hours - talking and listening to these individuals share stories about their lives. In addition to talking and listening, these guys also painted the residents fingernails. These guys loved their experience so much that they are stoked to go back tomorrow.

Teens opened up about God's direction for their life. Some of these teenagers came in with big questions about their life, and it's exciting to see some of those questions get answered.

Teens prayed with each other for a long time. In fact, one group was led by one of our high school boys who pulled aside two middle school boys and prayed with them. I love seeing high school guys lead like that!

A young girl shared about how tonight's talk really impacted her. I mean it really broke through to her and brought some clarity to a situation in her life.

A teenager girl shared about spending two hours with a woman, reading the Bible to her, praying with her, and helping her write a letter to her son.

Those were just a few of the highlights from tonight. I would share more but I'm so tired. I just looked at the clock and I can't believe it's midnight. Oh well, it's all worth it.

As I wrap up, I would ask that you would pray for the transition these teenagers will make in the next few days. We will be going home of Friday, and the transition home can be a difficult one. As you get ready to get your child back, be praying about what questions you should ask them. Also, don't expect them to share the day they get back. Over time, they will share about their experience. Just believe me when I say God is working in each person, because he is, and in due time you will hear the great things that happened on this trip.

Well I'm off to bed. Big day tomorrow. We get to eat some lobster tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to that. Keep praying and everyone says hi and they love you!

One more thing...

2009-06-16T23:40:00.002-04:00

One of the highlights of this trip for me has been watching the adult leaders interact with the teenagers. Doug LaCroix, Jeannette Lockard, Peggy Fennema, Victor Perez, and Jordan Siemon are doing a fantastic job! It's fun having great leaders with me.

Update Three from Calais

2009-06-16T23:15:00.002-04:00

Today was another great day. We had a great time at our various work sites - the same as yesterday. There were some wonderful conversations, a little drama, and a ton of fun.

But for this update, instead of sharing what happened today I thought I would write what some teenagers wrote in our "community journal". Here's a little taste of what the teenagers are experiencing.

I feel like the devotions of truly being free really hits down deep. It's been hard to be myself because I've been seeking the approval of others and now, I'm me.

Today, I feel like I got A LOT out of praying with Jeannette, Zoe, and Chay, and I got A LOT off my chest and it feels great to know people care and they'll be there for you and praying for you.

During our group time I was blessed to do some serious prayer for deliverance and inner healing in a couple of people as well as myself.

I long to have such a great relationship with God that I could never go back to the life I was living.

I learned that my anger comes as a choice and that I can choose not to be affected.

I believe I am learning to trust God more. I was at the boys and girls club yesterday and I was having trouble being patient and loving. I thank God that He helped me to get through my time there, but I almost panicked when I heard I'd have to go back to the club today. But I believe God has reminded me that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. And that anything I ask in His name He will give me. I have to trust him that he will give me the strength and kindness I need for today. My God is a big God! Ask and you will receive.

That's all for today. It's late - 11:33pm, but things are going great! (hey that rhymes) Keep praying and check back tomorrow.

Update Two from Calais

2009-06-15T23:24:00.001-04:00

What a great day! The day started early for us - 5:55am and ended late - right now it's 11:23pm! And yes, these teenagers woke up that early. Why did they wake up that early? One word - showers. Today was the first day anyone had a shower since Saturday morning, and boy did they need it. After showers it was time for breakfast, our morning quiet time, and then finally off to our work sites.

Today, our group traveled to four different work sites. One group painted a shed, another group painted some benches, one group put together a trampoline so children at the girls and boys club would have something to play with, and finally another group went and visited with the elderly in a local nursing home. Every group came back with wonderful stories of how God was working in their groups and in the conversations they had with people of the community.

At 3:00, we packed up our "tools" and headed back for dinner. We ate dinner at 4pm, and then it was off to sail in the Atlantic! We cruised for an hour in the open water. We got excited for a while when our "captain" thought he saw a whale. We searched for that whale for a few minutes, but we never saw "that whale" again. The boat ride was a ton of fun and a great group building exercise.

We arrived back at camp around 8pm and spent the rest of the evening debriefing our day. This time was filled with worship, prayer for one another, and some great conversations. So much happened this evening there's no way I can put it into words. All I can say is that tonight was a big night for some of the people on this trip. God is revealing some things in their lives. He is healing things in their lives. He's overwhelming them with his love. And for some he's calling them out in a very loving way. It's cool to see and I can't wait for more conversations to take place tomorrow.

As you pray for us tomorrow, please pray for patience with one another. Pray for the Holy Spirit to direct our debriefing times. And finally pray against "drama" - yes there can be drama on a trip and this can be one of the biggest distractions. (Disclaimer - there's hasn't been drama on this trip yet so don't start worrying! I just don't want it to happen.)

Thanks for checking in and thanks for praying.

By the way, Bettina says hi to her mom.

Update One from Calais

2009-06-14T23:35:00.002-04:00

We made it to Calais this evening around 6pm. The trip was smooth. The group did great. And we are happy to be here. I will update this site throughout the week, and the updates might even include video. It all depends on the Internet connection - I have a good connection, but we are almost in Canada and things don't run as fast up here, which is good.

Until next time, please keep praying. We had a wonderful time of sharing tonight. God is working in the lives of everyone, and my prayer is that each person would be completely open to what God wants to do in their lives.

But for now, everything is great in Calais. Tomorrow is a full day. We are all looking forward to it!

Good night!

Face of Clover... Winner

2009-06-05T22:46:00.003-04:00

A month ago I saw this ad on Clover - a provider of inexpensive, cool looking, and easy to use websites for churches. I've used Clover for over a year and it's been awesome, so I decided to enter the contest. Usually, I don't enter contests like this, but I thought "what the heck" lets give it a try. I shot a video, sent it in, and now it looks like I'll be heading to California for a photo shoot. To read the official announcement, click here.

So, off I go to Cali and who knows you might see my mug in Relevant Magazine.

These commercials move me...

2009-06-05T15:23:00.003-04:00

My wife told me about these commercials a few weeks ago. She was really impressed by them. It took me a while to watch one, but when I did I too was impressed. It makes me love Michigan, especially in the summertime. What do you love about Michigan in the summertime? I love graduation open houses! Mmmm, free food.

Eyeborg

2009-06-05T11:04:00.002-04:00

This is an interesting idea. “Take a one eyed film maker, an unemployed engineer, and a vision for something that’s never been done before and you have yourself the EyeBorg Project. Rob Spence and Kosta Grammatis are trying to make history by embedding a video camera and a transmitter in a prosthetic eye. That eye is going in Robs eye socket, and will record the world from a perspective that’s never been seen before. ”

Eyeborg Phase II from eyeborg on Vimeo.

If a camera was in your eye, and we were able to see what you look at, what would we see? Could be scary.

Need caption...

2009-06-02T07:48:00.002-04:00

Creativity...

2009-05-29T09:21:00.003-04:00

Great quote from Joel Houston from the band "Hillsong United." If you haven't purchased the new album from Hillsong United you should. I can't stop listening to it! Here's the quote from Joel...

“… just a donkey, who’s purpose was to carry the Savior.. The same goes for all our creative expression; our music; our photography; our design; our talents and gifts etc. whatever it is, our challenge above all else is to make sure it carries HIM. That it serves to carry the life giving message of Christ. We get that right, and it’ll do the job…”

My night with my preschool daughter...

2009-05-18T21:39:00.001-04:00

My daughter and I had a great time tonight. I acted like a kid, and she was, well, a kid.

Overall, a fun-filled night! Enjoy.

Other People Matter - Kitchen Makeover

2009-05-15T15:45:00.002-04:00

This is awesome. I'm so proud of Jason & Molly Kehrer, who did a PHENOMENAL job with this project. Watch and enjoy. Seriously, grab a cup of coffee and watch this. It's worth your time.

Kitchen Makeover from siebersvideo on Vimeo.

I am Second

2009-05-15T03:11:00.002-04:00

Stumbled across this website again - I am Second .com.

I absolutely love watching these videos.

Here's one of my favorites.

Dedication...

2009-05-14T13:16:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday I committed to do the following for my daughter Piper. It's something that I've committed to do for my other children. Reading through what I committed to do for Piper, I'm challenged with the thought - am I following through on what I committed to do for Mallory and Elliana? I hope so. Here's what I committed to do...

Do you now without reservation dedicate your children to God, and promise, in humble dependence upon God's grace, that you will endeavor to set before them a godly example, that you will pray for them, that you will pray with them, that you will seek to help them understand the fullness of the Christian faith, and that you will seek, in every way that God provides, to raise them in the teaching and discipline of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Original...

2009-05-13T11:35:00.000-04:00

"Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you."

Oswald Chambers, June 13

Talk to me, Not about me...

2009-05-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

I thought Steven Furtick hit a HOME RUN with this blog entry. I think what Steve addresses below is a HUGE problem with the church today. People are afraid to talk face to face when they have a problem with another person. Read below for Steve's thoughts or visit his blog.

A few months after my dad got saved, he was invited to share his testimony with his church on a Sunday night. He told the 50 or so people gathered that night:
If you see me stumbling in my Christian walk, do me a favor…
Instead of talking about me, come talk to me.

It’s good Biblical protocol. Unfortunately, it’s getting more and more difficult to put into practice every single day.
Thanks to blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and the like (read: blah blah blah), every idiot with an opinion has a printing press. And it is becoming increasingly socially acceptable to talk crap about people you’ve never met as if they were fictional characters.

This is fine for Perez Hilton. But it’s unacceptable behavior for those who name the name of Christ. And it’s downright reprehensible for ministers of the Gospel.

I saw some stuff that some self-important wannabe theologian wrote on his blog about one of my pastor friends the other day. It was nasty and uninformed. The comments were even nastier and less intelligent.
And I was incensed by the realization: These freaking wusses would never say this stuff to my friend’s face. What a pitiful bunch of anonymous cowards.

After I repented of my carnal judgmental attitude, I found myself lamenting that I’m a part of such a spineless, say what you want about who you want whether you know them or not generation.

Just because the expression of your views is accessible and affordable doesn’t mean it’s Biblical. Say it to their face, in love, with wisdom, after prayer.
Or, for the love of the God that you profess to represent, shut up.

Questions...

2009-05-11T23:24:00.003-04:00

Some questions I'm currently pondering...

Q - What am I doing right now that requires faith?
Q - Is this the most loving way to do life?
Q - Am I loving my neighbor and my God by living where I live, by driving what I drive, and by talking how I talk?

All of these questions come from Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" and they are really stretching my mind right now and honestly, I don't like the answers I'm giving to these questions. Yuk!

Media fast...

2009-05-11T09:58:00.001-04:00

I thought this post by Eric Bryant was interesting.

Shannon Meyer, a teacher in Los Angeles, challenged her high school students to fast for seven days from all television, iPods, videos games, cell phones, and computers. During their fast, they wrote in journals about their experience.

To read the article click here.

One thing by Jeremy Riddle

2009-05-11T09:49:00.002-04:00

Love this new song by Jeremy Riddle. This is my prayer today. By the way, Jeremy Riddle's new CD is really good.

One Thing by Jeremy Riddle

This one thing I much desire
And to this end to never part
A devoted and simple life
A focus of mind and heart

On Jesus, On Jesus
I want to know Jesus
I must know Jesus

My request is not naive
Nor made without counting the cost
The whole of my life is Yours
Everything else is lost

You can take this world
All its lust and lies
For I've resolved to know
Nothing by Christ and Him crucified

I've resolved to know Jesus
I want to know Jesus
Oh, I want to know You, Jesus I want
To know You, Jesus
Yes, I want to know

Killing Cockroaches...

2009-05-01T07:02:00.003-04:00

Love this video by author Tony Morgan. I read this section of his book a few weeks ago and it totally changed how I approach life and my position at lvc.

We need eachother...

2009-04-29T07:09:00.003-04:00

That is what I thought when I watched this video. It's a pretty incredible video. Take 5 minutes, crank up your speakers and watch. It's from a pretty cool website called "Playing for Change".

Loved this video...

2009-04-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

Investment vs. impact

2009-04-23T20:52:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love this blog entry by Kurt Johnston. Here's what Kurt said, and I agree with 100% of it.

Ever wonder whether something is worth the time and effort it takes? Is it really worth it to spend a full day making a 5 minute video that your students don't seem to care about? Is it worth it to spend two days making a 3 minute video that they absolutely love? How much time should be spent creating cool graphics? How much money should you spend on your summer calendar?

A few of us on our team recently made a commitment to try to run the vast majority of these types of decisions through this little grid. Basically, I want our team to avoid doing things that are high in investment and low on impact. However, I would love for us to focus on things that are low in investment and high on impact.

A few examples of things that might be high investment/low impact:
- A game that takes an hour ahead of time to set up, 10 minutes to explain but only TWO minutes to play!
- A 5 minute story/illustration that is funny but doesn't tie into lesson well.
- Running every aspect of your own camp instead of letting the camp do the programming (maybe the same impact but much different investment....)

A few examples of things that might be low investment/high impact:
- Borrowing ideas from our ministry friends.
- Repeating really good lessons and series from time to time.
- Buying pre-produced videos instead of creating our own.
- Less time spent creating promo and fliers and more time "talking it up" with students.

Life change...

2009-04-20T20:56:00.003-04:00

Love this quote by Tony Morgan, who works at Newspring Church. In the past four months they have seen 1,124 people give their lives to Jesus. This is what Tony said about the move of God they are seeing at Newspring...

“I know in my life, when I accepted Christ and experienced life change, I didn’t keep that to myself—I wanted to tell others about it. I think that’s what we’re seeing here. People are experiencing life change. We’re seeing practical things like healed marriages, winning freedom from addictions, freedom from financial challenges. Because once God gets hold of your life He brings order to it. When that starts to happen, people tell their friends about it.
“I sometimes get frustrated when people talk about our church being too big. I ask, ‘What do you want us to do? Do you want us to tell people that they can’t tell their friends about us any more?’”

When God gets a hold of your life, you want to tell others about it. So true.

The rest of Tony's thoughts can be read here.

Simple...

2009-04-14T14:48:00.001-04:00

"You can be brilliant but if you can't explain it in simple ways it's not worth much." - Einstein

Good Friday...

2009-04-13T13:55:00.002-04:00

Saw this video on Carlos Whittaker's blog. It's a video from the end of their Good Friday service. Absolutely loved what they did! To read the story behind this uber creative element, click here.

Enjoy the video... it's powerful.

Good Friday 2009 - Ending from buckheadchurch on Vimeo.

Random Thoughts

2009-04-12T22:55:00.002-04:00

Should be in bed, but for some reason I can't sleep. Watching re-runs of "Deadliest Catch." The new season for "Deadliest Catch" begins this week - Tuesday @ 9pm. Looking forward to watching it again.
This past week was one of the weirdest weeks I've experienced in a long time. In many ways it was great, but there were also some weird things that I just can't explain. I believe there are things happening that we just can't see, and I believe I experienced a bit of it this week.
Today was the first time I cried in a long time during worship. I was moved as I again realized God's amazing love for me. The song "Mighty to Save" got me.
I believe I often underestimate the power of God. The same power that raised Christ for the dead is alive in me.
Blown away by all the ties that were at church today. I laughed when I saw it. My thought was, "Jesus is risen, let's wear a tie." Just thought it was funny.
I continue to find myself in a weird spot in my life. My wife and I discussed setting some goals for our lives. I think this will be a good way to set direction for our life.
Spent some time with some good friends this afternoon. It was good to catch up.
My wife is a great cook. I'm still stuffed.
Continue to pray that God would ignite a passion in my heart for Jesus.
Jesus is alive! And by the way, he will be alive tomorrow too! Live like it.
That reminds me of a frustration I have -- people will come out for Easter, be excited to be at church, but then the next week, sometimes the next day, the excitement is gone. Yes, it's good to celebrate Easter, but we should celebrate the empty tomb every day!

What the girls wanted for breakfast today...

2009-04-10T08:41:00.004-04:00

Your wish is my command! Little did they know I was willing to make them french toast with strawberries on top. Oh well, they missed out. But this was a lot easier than french toast.

Good Friday...

2009-04-10T07:09:00.002-04:00

Mocked...

Stripped...

Crucified...

He could have come down from the cross but he didn't. He stayed there. He endured the pain and suffering of the cross for me. All this time he was silent. When they falsely accused him, he said nothing. When they spat on him, he said nothing. When they beat him, he said nothing.

The cross was the very reason Jesus came. "Now this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he first loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for all of our sins."

Jesus, thank-you for the cross. Thank-you for the sacrifice yo paid, so I could be forgiven, so I could be redeemed and given new life. Help me to never forget the cross and the enormous price you paid for me.

Future...

2009-04-08T20:36:00.001-04:00

"Is it true there are certain things I do because of my past? Yes. But there's a lot more that I do because of my future."

Francis Chan

This Sunday...

2009-04-08T20:30:00.002-04:00

It's been a crazy week getting ready for this weekend, but I'm really excited. I just finished talking with 7 people who will be getting baptized. They are excited and it was great to hear how Jesus has changed their lives. As we meet together on Sunday, I'm praying that God would show up in a huge way and change people's lives forever.

The posture of a communicator...

2009-04-02T09:11:00.003-04:00

Recently, I came across this post from Seth Godin called "The Posture of a Communicator." I remember reading it a year ago and being challenged. In this post, Seth challenges communicators to communicate in a way that can be heard, and states if people aren't listening, it's not the people who are the problem, it's the communicator. Here's what Seth says,

If you buy my product but don't read the instructions, that's not your fault, it's mine.
If you read a blog post and misinterpret what I said, that's my choice, not your error.
If you attend my presentation and you're bored, that's my failure.
If you are a student in my class and you don't learn what I'm teaching, I've let you down.
It's really easy to insist that people read the friggin manual. It's really easy to blame the user/student/prospect/customer for not trying hard, for being too stupid to get it or for not caring enough to pay attention. Sometimes (often) that might even be a valid complaint. But it's not helpful.

What's helpful is to realize that you have a choice when you communicate. You can design your products to be easy to use. You can write so your audience hears you. You can present in a place and in a way that guarantees that the people you want to listen will hear you. Most of all, you get to choose who will understand (and who won't).

Am I communicating in a way that people will understand and want to listen?
What can I do to engage the audience I'm trying to communicate with?

As a communicator, I must constantly evaluate if I'm being effective when communicating a message. Too often I hear communicators blame people for not listening, when in reality the communicator is not being effective in what he/she is communicating. We point the finger at others, when the finger should really be pointed at us.

Friends

2009-04-01T12:22:00.000-04:00

Love this picture and quote from on of the girls @ lvc.

Suspicious...

2009-04-01T11:00:00.002-04:00

I going to be very suspicious today. I already fell for an April Fool's Day prank - someone told me they were going to be a dad... and they weren't. So, for the rest of the day, I'm suspicious.

Hooray for a day when it's ok to lie!!! What a weird tradition we have.

Write it down...

2009-03-31T19:44:00.003-04:00

Great advice from Steven Furtick - right every idea you have down - in a notebook, in a journal, on your phone, on a paper towel, wherever. You can read his entire post here.

By the way, last weeks message was put together from things I had entered into my phone, written into my journal, both current and old journals, and had scribbled on a paper towel. And the message for Easter Sunday is currently in the notebook above, on my phone, and in another notebook on my desk at church.

One last thing, my most inspired thoughts come while I run. So, usually after a run my sweaty body is found either typing away on my computer or writing in my journal - my journal has some pretty cool sweat marks.

Good advice Steve - write it down!!!

Have a goal...

2009-03-31T09:38:00.001-04:00

Today I met a guy while working out at the fitness center. I started talking with him in the locker room as I got ready to workout. He was an elderly man, 76 years old, and he made me laugh. Towards the end of our conversation he shared something with me that blew me away. He said, "at one time I was given 3 months to live... that was 15 years ago."

Wow! Fascinated by this statement, I listened intently as he talked about being diagnosed with cancer, how he felt when they diagnosed him, and why the doctors think he's still living. After we talked for a while I proceeded to workout, inspired by what I just heard.

But then, the gentlemen came and found me before he left to share with me one more thing. He said, "I'll tell you why I'm still living, and please pass this along to anyone facing the possibility of death. I'm still living because I had something worth living for. When I was diagnosed with cancer my wife was 5 months pregnant, and I wanted to see my child be born. When he was born, I wanted to see him go to kindergarten. Having those goals got me through the treatments and gave me the strength to live."

I this dude is right on! He had something worth living for. I've been thinking about what this guy said to me today, and the question I keep pondering is "What am I living for?" What is the goal of my life?

As I think about that question I can't help but think of Paul who wrote in Philippians 3. He said,

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul's goal was to know Jesus. That's it. That was his goal. In fact, he said he considered everything rubbish (crap) compared to knowing Jesus. Paul knew what he was living for, and that motivated him through some extremely difficult times.

As I sit and think about what the guy at the gym said to me today and Paul's words, I pray that the goal of my life would be to know Jesus. That's it, and to consider everything crap compared to knowing him. So, what are you living for?

By the way, Tom is the man!

Guitar hero...

2009-03-30T08:05:00.000-04:00

I thought this post was excellent from Steven Furtick. The post is titled "Guitar Hero Ministry Mentality."

If my generation isn’t careful, we may fall into a Guitar Hero mentality toward ministry: Everybody wants to be a rock star, but no one wants to learn the chords.
It’s hard work to study God’s Word. To pray for breakthrough. To do spiritual battle on behalf of those we lead. To charge forward in faith for the cause of Christ. To run a church with the highest standard of excellence.
Aspiring ministers:
Be willing to pay the price. Or please go do something else with your life.

In addition to this, I would add... aspiring ministers, learn how to serve. It's not about the stage!

Random Reflections...

2009-03-29T21:17:00.002-04:00

Heard there were people who accepted Jesus today at lvc. That gets me really excited. I need to remember that's what it's all about - people meeting Jesus and putting their faith in him. Everything else is secondary to that.
Two weeks ago we had a young woman accept Jesus into her life during our "mid-week" teen gatherings. Another teenager led her into a relationship with Jesus. That is just so cool.
I laughed so hard this afternoon playing with my daughter Mallory. She's a nut and I love it.
I also shared another story about Mallory today during my message. It's fun telling stories about her, but most of the stories I share about her are about times when she messes up. The next time I share a story about Mallory it will be a positive one. She really is a good kid.
It was weird to see snow today. I didn't mind it. It gave me an excuse to take a nap.
I learned something about myself today while I was speaking. I'm not going to share what happened yet because I need to spend some time thinking about it. But it was really cool. It has to do with this question, "do I trust the work that God has done in my life?"
Ran 10 miles on Friday and I felt great. Then, I went with Ceci to eat at Fricanos. I ate a whole pizza and Ceci ate a whole pizza. It was a little piece of heaven.
I think you either love Fricanos or hate Fricanos. I've never met a person who was neutral when it came to Fricanos.
Matt did a phenomenal job leading worship today. He's the real deal and I love having him on the team at lvc. I wish he had a blog because I would read it. (C'mon Matt, start a blog! You could fill it with randon rants about junior high kids.)

I Admit...

2009-03-28T16:28:00.002-04:00

I saw this post today and I thought it was interesting. I can't believe the dude likes the smell of skunks though.

I think everyone has a weird smell that they enjoy.

For me, I admit I like the smell of a new book, specifically the glue that holds it together, and gasoline. I also like the smell of puppies.

What's the weird smell that you like?

skunks? baby spit-up? your armpits?

Run...

2009-03-27T10:11:00.003-04:00

I love this passage from Acts 8.

"And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over and join this chariot." So Philip RAN to him..." (8:29-30)

I'm praying that I would have that kind of obedience when God says go. May I be so eager to obey that I run once I hear God telling me to go. AND may I always be listening for God's Spirit to direct me, and may He be the one I desire to please.

Run forest run!!!

Snakes...

2009-03-27T07:27:00.002-04:00

I hate snakes. Even innocent, non-poisonous snakes. One time I saw a little gardener snake, which was no larger than a foot in length, and I freaked out. My reaction was similar to the guy in this video.

What freaks you out?

Unleash, session 2

2009-03-26T19:22:00.000-04:00

Here's the second session from Unleash. This one is geared to leaders in the church, and it's very convicting.

You are the One

2009-03-26T09:25:00.003-04:00

My friend Matt shot me this song on Tuesday. He shared with me that it really moved him while he was driving to work. Since Tuesday I've been listening to this song and it has been moving me. The lyrics are simple, but sometimes it's good to be reminded of the truth over and over again. Here are the lyrics...

You are the One by Lincoln Brewster
You’re the One Who made the Heavens
You’re the One Who shaped the Earth
You’re the One Who formed my heart
Long before my birth
I believe You’ll always lead me
All my days have been ordained
All Your thoughts toward me are holy
Full of love and grace

You are the One You are holy
You are the One You are worthy
You are the One
You are the One everlasting
You are the One I will worship
You are the One I will serve all my days
You are the One

Unleash, session 1

2009-03-26T07:19:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I sat in my office and watched this message from Perry Noble. It was from the one day conference called "Unleash." I watched it live, which was fun, and also an inexpensive way to attend a conference. I'm constantly challenged by Perry's teachings.

Are we relevant enough?

2009-03-25T07:28:00.002-04:00

I loved this post by Carlos Whittaker. You can read his post here. My favorite line from his post is...

Screw relevant.
People are done with relevant.
Seriously.

We need to stop being so focused on being relevant, and instead be so focused on Jesus!

What am I living for?

2009-03-25T07:12:00.003-04:00

Recently, I was struck by Acts 12. In Acts 12:21 it says, "On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, "the voice of god, and not of man!" Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last."

Because he did not give God the glory, he was struck down. Because life was all about him, he was struck down, breathed his last, and was eaten by worms. If life is all about me, it will end in destruction. Life must not be about me, it must be about bringing God glory. I'm reminded of Jesus words in John 17:3, "I brought you glory by completing the work you gave me to do." Jesus lived to bring God glory. How? By doing what God asked him to do.

So, God, what do you want me to do? Show me through your Word how you want me to live for your glory.

The last few weeks...

2009-03-13T09:24:00.004-04:00

The last few weeks have been great! Here's a little update on what has been going on.

Enjoyed some great time away with my wife. We had a blast in California, and it was great not having the kids. Now, I love my kids, but it's necessary to get away without them so I can re-connect with my wife. We enjoyed walks on the beach, a 2 hour dinner, and relaxing by the pools. It's was great!
The one thing I miss about being in California - In N Out burger. I think I should open one in Holland. I know it would be a hit. I had a double double and it was a little piece of heaven.
It was good to go away without my kids, but it was good to see them. I missed them when I was away.
I absolutely LOVE Wednesday nights. God is doing something HUGE in the lives of the teenagers at lvc, and I love watching it. In fact, I've never seen anything like this in the past 10 years of teen ministry. This past Wednesday night was amazing. Teenagers spent an hour worshiping, praying, and praying for each other. There are so many things adults can learn from teenagers. Honestly, I wish Sunday mornings were more like Wednesday nights. (I'll post more about this in the future!)
Captain Sundae opened yesterday. My wife and daugthers went on opening day and got some ice cream. I didn't, but I did get some ice cream from McDonalds, but it's not the same.
Rumors crack me up. Someone told me on Wednesday night four rumors they have been hearing. They were funny! One rumor was "I hear you are leaving LVC." My response - WHAT! No way. I'm having way too much fun, and there is so much more God wants to do! I'm not leaving LVC! The other rumors were funny too, and sad. People need to stop spreading rumors.
I love what's going on with OtherPeopleMatter.org. Go and visit the OPM blog to hear some cool stories.

I want a new marriage...

2009-03-13T09:19:00.004-04:00

I've been loving this teaching series by Newspring Church. It's called "I Want a New Marriage, and it's awesome. To listen to the messages click here.

Fun with fire...

2009-03-12T12:51:00.002-04:00

Today I had a little bon-fire. I love playing with fire, but this time it was really fun.

Last night, during our "Mid-Week" gathering, we had a moment of repentance. I invited teenagers to come forward to the cross that we had on the floor, and write out an area of life where they are struggling or a person they need to forgive. Many teenagers did this and it was awesome to see. I told them I would not read any of the cards, and I kept my promise. Well, today I burned them. It was fun to watch them burn, never to be read, gone forever. And that to me represents the amazing grace of Jesus! We are forgiven. We have been set free because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Watching that flame was an awesome reminder of God's grace. I hope I never take it for granted.

Words I struggle to spell!

2009-03-12T12:50:00.001-04:00

For some reason I have a hard time spelling definately.

I know... I spelled it wrong, but that's usually how I spell it until Microsoft Word corrects me.

For some reason I just can seem to put the second "i" in definitely.

What words do you constantly misspell?

Live

2009-02-21T23:29:00.001-05:00

I was testing something on my blog. Could be really cool and really fun. We'll see what happens.

Wasting time?

2009-02-06T14:46:00.002-05:00

I love this post I read earlier today on Ben Arment's blog. It said,

"There were people who had the potential to [be the voice of this generation], but they went on vacation. So when Justin [Timberlake] went on vacation, I made albums." ~ Kanye West
Okay, Kanye isn't the best guy to emulate. But I do think we throw away a lot of our potential on wasted free time.
When other people are watching football, you could be writing one more chapter of a book. When everyone else is playing XBox, you could be dreaming up a new venture.

"I do think we throw away a lot of our potential on wasted free time." I think that is so true. Don't get me wrong, I like free time. I like to relax. However, do I need to relax for 3 hours in front of the television or looking at random websites when I could be reading, running, playing with my kids, writing or having a conversation with someone?

As I go through 2009, one of my goals is to be more focused and productive with my time. This means turning off the tv more and closing my computer sooner. One thing I've noticed is how hard this can be, and how easy it is to turn the tv on or flip open my computer. It's almost become 2nd nature - just something I do without thinking about it. I hate that about myself. I hate the fact that I love tv. There, it's out in the open.

Is there something about you that you hate and are trying to change?

Piper starts to show...

2009-02-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

a little emotion. I love this picture.

Pretty soon she'll be crawling, walking, talking... I can't wait.

Who am I?

2009-02-03T11:33:00.003-05:00

Last night I received the following comment on this blog,

"How sad you are to radical for the reformed, but far to Baptist-Reformed for the Vineyard compared to John Wimber. No offense but, Who are you Dave?"

I found this comment to be very challenging and also very sad. Challenging because it's a good question, "Who am I?" (Even though if you read through this blog you will get to know who I am. I'm pretty transparent here.) I'll address that question in a bit.

But this question was also very sad. Sad because we like to identify people with labels, and labels do not adequately describe or identify anyone. People are a lot deeper than the label that is often attached to them, and a label can never completely describe a person. (By the way, In the Christian community we really like to throw out labels. We like to categorize people. We like to put them in boxes. Then, once a person is in a box, we get mad at them and tell them they should really be in our box. It's a very lovely experience.)

Well, back to the question, "Who are you Dave?" Here's my response...

Dave is not...

a follower of John Calvin or John Wimber. Last time I checked neither man said, "follow me." I admire what both of them have written, and agree with a lot of what both of them have written.
a Republican or Democrat. I have voted for both in my lifetime.
simply Reformed, Baptist, Vineyard, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian, Methodist, or Catholic.
going to let a simple label fully define who I am. Because I do appreciate parts of the Vineyard Movement AND the Reformed denomination!
in competition with other believers and other churches. Last time I checked we are on the same team.

Dave is...

a follower of Jesus. He is the only one who has died for me so that I can be forgiven, and is the only one I will follow and give my life to.
daily, trying to be obedient to God's word and what it says.
constantly in need of forgiveness because I am a sinner.
trying to listen and follow the Spirit of God on a daily basis.
influenced by gifted teachers in many different denominations. I like listening to people that disagree with each other. (For example, Rob Bell and Mark Driscoll don't really get a long, but I like listening to both and I can learn from both.)
not 100% correct on his theology, and neither are you, and neither are any of the people I listen to. The only person who was 100% correct was Jesus, and that's why I follow him.
passionate about Jesus.
disgusted with religion and hates it when followers of Jesus argue over petty issues. What does this communicate to the world?
deeply saddened when people reject Jesus and the abundant life he offers.
the husband of a beautiful woman named Ceci, and she is my best friend.
the father of three beautiful girls. (No, we are not going to keep trying until we have a boy. I hate it when people ask that question.)
a runner.
in love with God and tries every day to demonstrate that love to others.

So, that is who I am. Honestly, there's even more to me than that. I'm not "reformed." I'm not "vineyard". I'm a follower of Jesus!

By the way Mr Anonymous, you ask, "Who are you Dave?" I think the better question is "Who are you?" I would love to chat with you sometime about your question and would love to get to know you. I'll even buy the cup of coffee. Feel free to e-mail me at daver@lakeshorevineyard.org. Oh, and one more thing, I wasn't offended by your question. I appreciate you asking and wanting to get to know me.

Interesting trend...

2009-01-31T08:09:00.003-05:00

Every week I listen to about 5 messages from pastors around the country. I usually listen to these messages while running, which means I can exercise my body and my mind at the same time. Usually, I listen to one of the following guys while I workout...

Francis Chan - Cornerstone
Mark Driscoll - Mars Hill Church (by the way - he has a researched who helps him with his messages. That is cool. Anyone want to be my researcher?
Perry Noble - Newspring Church
Erwin McManus - Mosaic Church
Scott Hodge - The Orchard
Rob Bell - Mars Hill Church
Steven Furtick - Elevation Church
Jay Pathak - Arvada Vineyard

I know not all of them agree with each other, but it's fun to hear from different perspectives. As I've been listening to them lately though I've noticed an interesting trend. Most of these pastors are really diving into a book of the Bible instead of bouncing around. Some of them have or will spend an entire year in one book of the Bible. I just thought this was interesting and goes with the research Willow Creek did which showed people wanted to understand what the Bible says and crave in depth studies of the Bible. Here are the books of the Bible these pastors have been teaching out of...

Francis Chan - Philippians and 2 Timothy
Rob Bell - Philippians (All last year)
Mark Driscoll - 1 & 2 Peter (First 7 months this year)
Perry Noble - Mathew 5-7 (6 months this year)
Erwin McManus - Psalms

Anyway, I just found that interesting - preachers really diving into a book of the Bible instead of bouncing around all the time.

What pages do you bookmark?

2009-01-30T10:05:00.001-05:00

My wife and I were talking the other day about the pages we bookmark and how we organize these pages on our computers.

I bookmark church websites, blogs, news websites, and sports websites. I also categorize and neatly organize the pages I bookmark.

My wife bookmarks home decorating websites and things she wants to buy. I think my wife surfing on the internet is the modern day version of window shopping. Also, my wife does not categorize the pages she bookmarks. She just makes one big list.

Neither way is wrong, they are just different.

So what pages do you bookmark on your computer?

This is what happens...

2009-01-29T10:01:00.002-05:00

when a church stops focusing on religion and starts focusing on Jesus and seeing lives transformed. I was inspired by this story this morning. Take some time to read what happened. It's inspiring!

Oh God, I want to be a person who is so focused on your son Jesus! I want my life to be all about you and seeing lives transformed!

A few things that hit me lately...

2009-01-29T09:39:00.003-05:00

Here are some things that are spinning around in my mind. By the way, my mind can be a very weird place. Also, these are not in any particular order!

One - Today when I was leaving my daughters school I called my friend Matt. During our conversation he shared a verse that really hit me. It's from Matthew 5:48, "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." I've had conversation with individuals the last few weeks that have left me frustrated. These individuals say they have given their lives to Jesus, but they are NOT living like it. Some have left their wives, others are stuck in habitual sin, and what I want to say to them is exactly what is said in Matthew 5:8, "Grow up!!! Stop acting like a child!" I so want to be a person whose living like a follower of Jesus. At the end of my life I want it to be said of me that I loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul. I want to live a life fully devoted to God!

Two - This week I was told that I could not speak at my high school because I was not a pastor at a Reformed Church. I was invited to speak at my high school in December. At that time I told them where I was working (Lakeshore Vineyard Church). At the time they were fine with that. The principal was fine with it. The man who organizes the chapel experiences was fine with it. However, the board wasn't. The board wasn't cool with it because I was not a reformed pastor. In fact, the president of the board was the one who had the problem. He didn't take into consideration I was there 5 years ago, and the students AND parents responed well to what I had to say. He didn't take into consideration what I was bgoing to be speaking on - yes I did send him the outline of my talks. Instead, he was more concerned about the Reformed tradition than he was about Jesus! Yes, that's right, he was more concerned about religion than he was about Jesus!!!

Honestly, this has made me very upset lately. Why? Because I felt like I was suppose to speak out there. I had some very specific things I wanted to say to the student body. Also, I wanted to speak there because I believe in the week-long event they do. Why? Because I encountered Jesus in 1992 during that event. But I won't be speaking at it this year because of an ugly thing called religion! yuk!

But there is a good side of this -- I will be going out to California for a vacation. The school already bought my ticket, and I'm going to use it. I'm going to lay in the sun, relax, and re-fuel. It's going to be a blast. And the best part of it -- my wife is coming with me!

So, those are a few things I'm thinking about lately. I have some other thoughts, but I'll save those for another time.

Finances Friday... On Monday

2009-01-26T22:06:00.006-05:00

"Finances Friday" is back... because we finally looked at our finances again. Here's the latest installment. Hopefully this becomes a regular thing.

Monday Morning Thoughts...

2009-01-26T16:13:00.002-05:00

Some random thoughts...

I love the conversations I've been having with people lately. It's so encouraging to hear how people are taking steps of obedience in their relationship with God. It's amazing to hear what happens when people do this. I absolutely love it!!! It's made me ask the question, "God what do you want me to be doing?"
On that note, I'm excited to be speaking at my high school in March. I really feel this is what God wants me to do, and he's put some very specific things on my heart to share. However, today I got an e-mail saying there might be a little problem with me going out to speak. Since, I don't work at a "reformed" church they have some concerns. I'm praying it all gets ironed out, and I really believe it will. It's not like what I'm going to say is going to be super controversial. All I want teenagers to do is "follow Jesus." (By the way, mom and dad if you read this, don't worry. It will get worked out!)
I'm amazed at how much free time I have when I turn off the tv. Now, if I could only turn off my computer a little more.
I still love doing teen ministry stuff. I get energized every Wednesday night. Thanks teens of lvc for ministering to me. You guys are awesome!
On that note, I'm really looking forward to sledding. I'm looking forward to laughing and getting a little crazy on the sledding hill.
So far the snow this year hasn't bugged me that much. I have always said, if it's going to be cold, then I want it to snow, and this year it has.
I've really enjoyed running lately. I'm training for the 5/3 river bank run, and so far I've put in 58 miles this month. I really want to do well in this race and beat my previous times.
A question in Luke 8 really messed me up lately. Jesus asked the disciples the question, "Where is your faith?" It's a question I can't get out of my mind.

Convicted...

2009-01-23T11:45:00.002-05:00

There are two things that I can't get out of my head. God is using these things to really convict me. Here are the two things that are really messing me up right now...

1. I was reading a blog from someone at lvc, and they wrote this message to their tv when they said "goodbye" to their tv. That's right, they are not watching tv anymore, and this is what they said,

Don't take it personally. Well, maybe you should take it personally. You've brought some pretty nasty people into our home. And some nasty talk and some nasty images that stayed floating around in our minds. You kept us from serving others when we could have and you've kept us from candelight dinners. You've kept us from reading together and praying together. You've kept us from hikes and visiting nursing homes and knitting hats for preemies and from learning to play guitar. You've kept us from each other and from our kids. Goodbye, tv."

This quote convicted me, because my tv has kept me from conversations with my wife, with my kids, with my friends. TV has kept me from reading books I want to read. TV has kept me from God. TV has kept me from reaching goals that I want to reach. TV has kept me from excercising. TV has messed up my life and it has to go. So, recently I make the decision to only watch 1 hour of tv a day. That's it. I can watch the news, or a interesting program, but only for an hour. Maybe someday I'll throw the tv out entirely, but for now, tv you only get an hour of my time... at the most.

2. I've been reading a great book called "Death by Love" by Mark Driscoll. It's a great book on the cross of Jesus and what it means for our lives. It's a great read and pretty intense. If you're looking for a good book on the cross of Christ I recommend it.

I believe...

2009-01-09T11:48:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday, one of the points of my message came from Mark 8. In that passage, Jesus asks his disciples, "who do you say I am?" When I first read that question, it hit me. This is a question that everyone will have to answer. In my message I shared what my response to that question would be. Here's my response...

- I believe Jesus is the Son of God, sent to save his people from their sins.
- I believe Jesus lived a sinless life but took on my sins, carried them to the cross, dying the death that I deserved. And there on the cross, the punishment for my sins, sins I have committed and sins I will commit, was paid.
- I believe on the cross my sinful life was crucified with Christ, but because God raised Jesus from the dead, I too am now alive in Christ.
- Because of Jesus' work on the cross, I have been forgiven and given new life.
- Because of the work of Jesus, I believe there is noting in all creation that can separate me from the love of God.
- I believe one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.

My question to you is, "Who do you say Jesus is?" What do you believe when it comes to Jesus?

I love this picture...

2009-01-08T11:24:00.002-05:00

This past Christmas Elliana got a sewing machine, and a few weeks ago Ceci sat down with her to teach her a few things and sew a quilt. Elliana was so excited to sew. She talked about it for days, and is still talking about the experience. In fact, this morning she said her favorite memory was sewing with her mom. That is so cool!

This got me thinking. Really what Ceci was doing was discipling Elliana in the area of sewing. She is teaching her what her mom taught her. Ceci is passing along her knowledge to the next generation of sewers, and I love it.

As followers of Jesus, we are instructed to do the same. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28 & Mark 16) We are to teach people everything we know about Jesus.

As I thought about this passage and about Ceci “discipling” Elliana, I was challenged by this question, “who am I discipling?” Am I discipling my children? Am I discipling other people? Am I discipling those who know nothing about Jesus? We are instructed to make disciples and teach people everything we have learned. The question is, are we?