Signing off

It's been a blast. I'm signing off blogger. You can go to my new blog . . drumroll please . . .

geekpastor.net ha! Sometimes you need to be able to laugh at yourself.

Anyways it has been a blast.

Weekend in Review

Our God is an awesome God. We sang this in worship this morning. As we did the rain poured down, the lightning flashed, and the thunder sounded. Talk about theophany!

Lights went out during the middle of worship. But there is a greater power at work in us. It is the power of God and we had worship in spite of all that. God's power trumped Satan's power this morning. Our God is an awesome God.

I should show you a picture of my forehead. I got knocked in the head by a box spring as I helped my brother and sister-in-law move this weekend. I told everyone at church this morning that they should have seen the other guy =).

Mowed lawn for the first time this year on Friday. It will be the first of many throughout the summer. I enjoy it however, because it is an excuse to be outside in God's creation.

Looking forward to the week ahead. Going to a leadership seminar called Zero-to-Sixty by Bob Franquiz. Always looking for ways to learn and grow as a leader.

One Month to Live Testimony 3

Ed and Carolyn share about their son Nick.

The New lolchurch.net is launched

We have launched a new version of lolchurch.net. There are still a few things to be added and we are working out a few more bugs. But we are off and running.

No one knows the day nor the hour

But I will say that the days of this blog are numbered . . . 

All the top Church news

Wow! In my last post I talked about too much info. Check out this site: church.alltop.com . It is enough to make your head spin. You could not begin to read all that.

I wonder who determined that this was the the top news? I wonder where the Good News fits in?

Too Much Information

God has put a dream on your heart. But one thing that will rob you of that dream is distraction. Life is filled with choices. Too often from this myriad of choices, we choose priorities other than the priorities God has chosen for us and it leads us away from his dream for us.

God's Word says: "Be careful how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16 We need to heed this verse more than ever before.

These are complex times. In the information age we have so much thrown at us. We have all these gadgets and gizmos that supposedly make our lives easier, but the reality is that they often make our lives more complicated.

Here is an interesting video on the subject:http://pastorpr.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-does-it-mean.html

It goes to show how much more we have to process today than ever before. There are 540,000 words in the English language today which is 5 times more than Shakespeare had. Every day the number of text messages sent by cell phone users exceeds the population of the planet. The amount of information we have doubles every two years. These are incredible statistics.

All this leads to overload. We overload our brains. We overload our schedules. We overload our limits. We try to do it all. We try to learn it all. But it is all too much. Too much to process.

It's time to go back to the Word! It's time to focus! Live as wise! If you had only one month to live, the distractions would fall away so much easier. You would not try to do it all, but only that which is most important.

We don't need to wait. We can start today. Don't let the distractions rob you of the dream God has put upon your heart. It may take a little bit of effort, but in the end it will be all worth it.

Have a great week pursuing the dream!

What does it mean?

This is an interesting video that was shared with me on youtube:

42nd Anniversary of Belvidere Tornado

Today is the 42nd Anniversary of the Belvidere tornado. Even though I would not be born until 7 years later, it was always something that was there. My parents were students at Belvidere High School at the time. It is one of the deadliest tornadoes to ever hit a school.

Here is an interesting article: http://www.e-rockford.com/special_sections/deploy/index.html

One Month to Live Testimony 2

Weekend in Review

One big principle of church growth is that not everyone who shows up for Easter comes back the next week. This is true in every church. It was true in our church this morning. But it seemed we had good attendance in spite of the fact that it was the week after Easter.

I was glad I had two videos to share for my sermon today as I was not up to speaking much. (I included the interview with Jarret in a different post). I am a bit under the weather. Caught the flu or something. Haven't really done much all weekend but do some reading and play around on the computer. By the time worship was over, I was drained. Came home and crashed on the couch. Abby had bronchitis to start the weekend off. My mother-in-law is also sick. So something is going around.

The brownie bake off was a hit this morning. I expected to have a bunch of left over brownies, but there were few to be had. The raspberry flavored ones were my favorite. My vote is that the more gooey they are the better.

On a side note - I am going to be discontinuing this blog soon and moving to a new platform. So keep an eye out for the change. I will let you know when the change takes place and will provide a link to the new platform. The new platform will give me a few more options and a few more features that I am excited about.

Twitter Not for Me

Twitter has experienced incredible growth as of late. The big news story is that Ashton Kuchar recently surpassed 1,000,000 followers, beating CNN to the mark. 

For some time now I have resisted the urge to Twitter. And I contine to resist the urge. It is just one more thing. I am on Facebook and I think that is good - I think. I don't obsess about Facebook. I check in every couple of days.

Twitter sounds interesting, but we all are busy enough and this just adds one more thing to our busy schedules. On top of that I am more intersted to hear what God has to say than some overhyped celebrity. 

So for now, I am saying no to twitter. Plus, I don't think it has infiltrated our area like it has other areas of the country. But we will see. If it could be used as an effective tool for outreach, I might consider. I am just not sure of the value twitter adds to what we've already got. 

We'll see. Web 2.0 is here to stay. It will be interesting to see if twitter is a fad or if it is here to stay. Twitter has come a long way from when I first heard about it, but it still has a long way to go to reach the status of say a facebook - nor do I think it will. But what do I know - I thought text messaging was stupid. 

Our Mission Field

This video was forwarded to me this morning. It helped to confirm somethings in my mind about the use of media in the church.


Our Mission Field from City on a Hill Productions on Vimeo.

What would you do?

We asked the question last Sunday: "what would you do if you had one month to live?" Here are some of the responses we received:

• Surround myself with family
• Praise God!
• Spread the Lord’s words to as many as possible
• Live each day to the fullest, but for real this time
• Proclaim Christ’s name until He comes for me
• Take my 4 year old daughter to places that are the most beautiful to me, so that she would remember that those special places were important and share in the beauty of the universe!
• Enrich family relationships and all relationships
• Grow my faith each day I have left on earth
• Be a missionary and spread the Word of God
• Spend, spend, spend!
• Learn to ride a motorcycle
• Move to Hawaii
• Boldly proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers in the family
• Ask for forgiveness and love my family and others
• Luther said, “I would plant an apple tree today.”
• Give many more hugs
• Thank Jesus for the gracious time he gave me on this earth and for giving His life for me to live eternally.
• Witness to the ends of the earth God is in love with us and Jesus is the only way to Him!
• I would write, and I would love
• Inspire achievers to thrive with integrity
• Laugh with my family every day and serve as much as I can
• Devote each day to glorify the Lord in all I do
• Love one another and praise God
• Quit work, run every day, write a book and worship life with my family every day
• Spend all my time with my family
• Spend every minute with my children
• Love, love, love!
• I would win a hockey game and leave school
• I would not change a thing. Praise God!
• Spend more time with family and in God’s word.
• We would live the way we are doing.
• Live life with more passion and closer to God.
• Read more Bible and pray more
• I would buy an Alpaca farm
• Talk with all my unsaved family and friends about Jesus
• Prepare my family and spend time with my family
• Go on a trip with my family
• Help friends who don’t know God
• Live each day closer to Jesus and love others like He loves me
• Show my love and respect to everyone—a reflection of God’s love to me!
• More time in the Word, more time with family
• Live for God, mend fences
• Rededicate my life to God and my spouse
• Get married!
• Go deeper with Jesus!
• Laugh, love and embrace those close to me
• Pray
• Let my family know how important they are in my life and that I love them
• Live every day fully and travel to LA to meet Zac Efron
• Pull the kids out of school and travel as a family
• Prepare what I have not yet in order to die—I am speaking in reference to love and spirituality
• Be with the ones I love and spread the Word of God
• Have more faith and trust in God
• Write a letter to all my loved ones, showing my love
• Return home and spend time with my family and God
• Get all my friends and family together and tell them how much I love them
• To always trust, pray, praise, and be even more joyful in thanks!
• Do devotions
• Say “hi” to random people
• Go to the mountains with my family
• Read the Bible with my spouse
• Live as much as I can

Finding Hope When All is Lost

Hope! Spring is the in the air. The winter is behind us. The flowers are budding. Trees are turning green. Soon the fields around the church will be filled with activity as farmers begin plant their crops.

Hope! Politicians promise hope to win elections. Cubs fans hope that this year will be the year. Many of us hope for the best, but plan for the worse.

Hope! No doubt this has been a difficult year for many. You may be reading this having recently lost a job. Your finances might be in disarray. Maybe as you read this as you are going through a difficult divorce or separation. Maybe you are hung up on an addiction that you just cannot overcome. Maybe you are trying to reach out to your children, but they keep going down a difficult, dead end road.

Hope! Jesus Christ is risen! Jesus lives! By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 1 Corinthians 6:14 There is hope in Christ. And this hope is not just wishful thinking. It is certain hope. It is confident hope. God’s promises are as sure and as certain as we will ever find.

Hope!
But those who hope in the LORD 

will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; 

they will run and not grow weary, 

they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Hope! Are you looking for hope? At the end of May we will begin a brand new message series: Finding Hope when all is Lost. We invite you to join us on this journey. Discover the miracle that God desires to work in your life. You are never too far from the reach of his grace!

Easter Recap

I want to start off by saying thank you to our Lord for a wonderful Easter celebration at Lord of Life. I also want to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Most of all thank you for your sacrificial service. I am amazed at all the people who had some part (big or small) in the events of Holy Week. Everything from the Palm Sunday, the Seder Dinner, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Egg Hunt, and Easter Sunday. So many people served in so many ways. It is really what the Church is all about. It is not the pastor doing all the work, but it is the people of God who are equipped, eager, and ready to serve. This Easter was a testimony of how we can do so much more together with God's power than we could ever do alone.

A great start to the One Month to Live Challenge! Some of you have asked about seeing the Sharon and Bob's testimony again. I have posted it on my blog, pastorpr.blogspot.com. You can view it there. We will also be sharing a few other testimonies over the next couple of weeks on Sunday morning. You will not want to miss.

We will still have a few copies of the One Month to Live books available for the next couple of weeks. So if you did not get a copy last week, you can still get one this next Sunday. The books are also easily available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Borders as well. Also, know that it is not too late to get into a Challenge Group. I will make a little plug for my own group. We meet at 6:45am every Thursday at Papa G's restuarant in Elburn. There is an open invitation to any men who would be interested in attending. We will be starting tomorrow with session #1 of the One Month to Live Study. I will have extra copies of the study guide available. Hope to see you there!

It has been great to see a bunch of new faces at Lord of Life over the last few weeks. I have met so many new people I am having trouble remembering all the names. Contrary to popular belief, remembering names is not a class they teach in seminary. I would encourage you that if you see a new face you don't recognize it, make sure to take the time to introduce yourself. It is a good challenge. In fact, I will challenge you to introduce yourself next Sunday to three people you don't know. I am sure you will have no problem finding three people. God's word tell us in Romans 12:13 to share with those who are in need and to practice hospitality.

Keep inviting those friends and family members. It doesn't stop with the the three people you invited to attend Easter worship. It's great to make that special effort on that special day. But the hope we share does not end on Easter Sunday. God's hope is for everyday.

One Month to Live Testimony

This is a testimony we shared on Easter Sunday at Lord of Life to begin the One Month to Live Challenge.

Staff Bowling

We started the One Month to Live Challenge at Lord of Life this week. Our staff kicked it off in style by going bowling today. Bob Fredericksen is retiring from our staff and we wanted to do something fun.

We were a sad bunch (that is all except Billy Croft who showed up with his own ball and rolled a 230), but we had a good time. And it was a great way to celebrate after a busy few weeks leading up to Easter. Everyone had been working hard, and it was good to take a little break.

Barbara and I also brought Abby. It was her first time bowling.

Weekend in Review

I'm tired! But it is a good tired. We participated in three Easter Egg Hunts. One at church, one at home, and one at Grandma's and Grandpa's. Abby has enough candy to last her for some time.

We hosted Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday worship at Lord of Life. All the services were very moving. We had a full house this morning. Set up every single chair that we possibly could in the Family Life Center. Started the One Month to Live Challenge.

I have put so much energy over the last few weeks getting ready for Easter, I am going to need to take some pray and access where to divert my energy the next couple of weeks.

God is so good. His love is amazing. Thank you, thank you! Jesus is Risen.

The Cross

I write to you this weekly email as I scurry about making preparations for our upcoming Holy Week services. Just a reminder - Maundy Thursday and Friday Worships are at 7pm on their respective nights. And Easter Sunday is at 8:30 and 10am. We are encouraging as many members as able to attend the 8:30am worship as we are expecting a full house at 10am and want to make sure to have enough room for our guests. I am looking forward to seeing God at work in wondrous ways this week.

Throughout the week, we remember Jesus' sacrifice upon the cross. The cross is a common symbol of our faith. We display it prominently in our church. Many of us adorn ourselves with it as jewelry. We wear it on t-shirts. We proudly display it on our Bibles and in our homes. There are very few places we can go and not be confronted with this symbol of life. We see it in the sacred and the secular. We see in nature and creation.

We see it so often, that sometimes it is easy to forget what the cross was all about. The cross for Jesus was much more than logo used to identify the organization he would start called the Church. The cross for Jesus would be the ultimate sacrifice he would make for those he loves.

Crucifixion was used by the Roman Empire and was reserved for non-citizens and violent offenders. Crucifixion would be used against a Roman citizen only in cases of high treason and desertion during times of war. It was largely recognized as the most painful and disgraceful form of capital punishment in a time when no form of capital punishment was not designed to be quick or humane. Crucifixions were public events to serve as a deterrent for others. They would often take place outside the city walls along a well traveled road for all to see. It would have been common for the charge against the guilty party to be written out and nailed to the cross above their head.

Victims would often be scourged and tortured prior to the crucifixion. The crucifixion could take place on a single vertical stake or on a vertical stake with a crossbeam near or on its top. Blocks where sometimes attached to serve as a seat or as a footrest to draw out the torturous pain for up to three days. Without the rests underneath, the victim would be held up solely by their arms which would be attached by nails or rope. This could prohibit the victim from breathing and would block circulation. Victims would die from a combination of suffocation and heart failure. This was why the soldiers intended to break Jesus' legs, to hasten death, before the onset of the Sabbath.

After a victim had died, their bodies would often remain on the cross for days as they rotted away and became food for scavenger birds. Eventually the body would be taken down and thrown in the garbage dump. In Jerusalem, this would have been the Hinom Valley, also know as "Ghenna." It was the valley of fire where the garbage was burned. Jesus used this imagery to describe hell.

In Deuteronomy 21:23 we are told that "anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse." Jesus became cursed by God so that we could be blessed by God. It is the great exchange. In it we discover the forgiveness of sins. It is our ticket out of hell to heaven. The cross is no small thing and for that we worship him and give him our thanks and praise.

Weekend in Review

Tomorrow is opening day for baseball and it is snowing outside. This is two Sundays in a row that it has snowed. I'm not liking this. We are in April, it is time for some warmer weather.

Fortunately, I did get to play a little baseball with Abby this weekend. She can really hit the ball. Check out the picture. The ball went flying over my head and hit the fence. Almost a home run.

Saturday was Men of God. Good discussion on the body of Christ and it's significance for us today. It is amazing when you just read the text of the Passion and just write down all that Jesus endured beyond the crucifixion. You think about the insults. You think about him being slapped. You think about the sleep deprivation. You think about the scourging. You think about the thirst. You think about the crown of thorns. How can we be so indifferent in light of all that he did.

This morning at Lord of Life we celebrated Palm Sunday. Dr. Harry Wendt of Crossways International shared the message. We had our children singing to open the worship. It was a great way to enter into Holy Week.

Then, tonight was probably the most powerful part of the weekend. We hosted a Seder Dinner at Lord of Life. In one word: Incredible! It was so fascinating to take part in this meal similar to the last supper Jesus shared with his disciples. I imagine that almost every person who attended this evening will experience the Lord's Supper in a whole new way the next time that they receive it.

This coming week is Holy Week. I am looking forward to this time of reflection, repentance, worship, and ultimately - Celebration!

Audible, Amazon, Ipod, and the US Postal Service

A few years back I had an account with audible.com. If you are not familiar with audible, it is a great thing. It is an online audio book store. Their prices are typically cheaper than traditional audio books. When used audible before, I would download the books to my Palm Pilot and would listen to them while I worked out at the gym.

Well, I no longer have a device that plays audible books (other than my computer). I no longer have a gym membership either. We have an elliptical trainer in our basement that I use three times a week. I usually watch TV while using it.

But this last week, I saw a great deal on Amazon: sign up for an audible.com membership and get $100 off of an Mp3 player. It was too good of a deal to pass up. Being the Mac fanboy that I am, I ordered my first Ipod. A Yellow Ipod Nano to be exact. Final cost $33. Not bad!

Yesterday, I went online to see when the package would be here. The tracking identified that the package started on March 30 in Kentucky. It then arrived at Forest Park, IL on April 1. As of last night it then arrived in Memphis, TN.

Ok, something doesn't make sense here. Now, I don't work for the post office, but that seems like an inefficient route to use to deliver the package considering Forest Park is maybe 40 miles or so from here if even that. Whereas Memphis, TN is hundreds of miles.

Hope in the present time

Easter is just over one week away. I am joyfully anticipating this time of celebration. I am looking forward to the party. It's going to be a great time. God's Word tell us: For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4

Because he lives we have eternal life and we have hope. Yet, many of us are not as hopeful as we were last Easter. It has been a difficult year and many of us may be looking towards the future with doom and gloom. Maybe you are feeling like the resurrection is not enough. Maybe you are thinking: "Sure the resurrection is great. I am glad I have the promise of eternal life, but what about the here and the now."

Here are some thoughts from the Scriptures about building hope in the present time:

1) Put God first, above every other priority. When we put him first, he will take care of the rest. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

2) Ask him. He is in the business of answering our prayers. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-8

3) Believe in Him. Believe that in Jesus we have more than enough. Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

4) Know that there is scarcity when it comes to the treasures of this this world, but there is an abundance when it comes to the treasures of heaven. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 and "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

5) Learn from others. The Bible shares many stories of people who in difficult situations put their trust in God and saw him come through. Think about David (going up against Goliath), Elijah (faced persecution and famine), Daniel (feed to the lions), the Apostle Paul (arrested and shipwrecked).

6) Be in the business of giving hope. Turn the table on the devil. Don't let him get a foothold. Even if you are personally feeling down, commit to bringing a little bit of light into someone else's life. When you do so, you will discover that God will work in amazing ways to provide the hope and everything else you need. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Dr. Harry Wendt to Preach at LoL

Dr. Harry Wendt of Crossways International will be at Lord of Life next Sunday, April 5th. In 1979, the Rev. Dr. Harry Wendt established Crossways International (CI), an organization which has become a leading transdenominational, non-profit ministry promoting Bible study worldwide. CI's materials incorporate visually-based study methods developed and field tested by Dr. Wendt during 24 years while serving as a pastor in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

CI's materials are highly regarded around the world. Our courses are widely acclaimed because they are theologically sound, clearly written and incorporate illustrations that make the biblical narrative come alive! More than 35,000 clergy, teachers and lay leaders from all major denominations in over 60 countries, with translations into over 35 languages, have been trained by CI to use our materials to teach others in their congregations and communities. Each year over 100,000 people (50,000 in the U.S.) undertake a study using one of our courses.

We look forward the message Dr. Wendt will share with us.

Weekend in Review

The weekend usually starts on Friday for me. Friday is my day off. It started off well, when I got a free gift $5 gift card for Starbucks from the dealership we bought our van from. Yeah!

Barbara and I had a night on the town. We put Abby to bed Friday night and it was off to Walmart to go grocery shopping. My we are getting old.

Saturday we enjoyed a fun night with some other families at LoL with fondue. It seemed like every child that was there (probably 10 or so) cried at some point in time during the night. Too much stimulation!

The big news for the weekend was the snow Saturday night into Sunday morning. It was probably the most treacherous drive I have ever had on Rt 38 since we moved to Maple Park. When I started out I counted four cars in the ditch before I counted one on the road. Needless to say our Sunday morning attendance took a little hit, especially at our 8:30 service.

But worship was great. I spoke this weekend about prayer. Ephesians 3:20 says God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us. The reality is that we do not ask enough of God in prayer. He is able to do more than we can dream about in even our wildest dreams. The best thing is that power is not removed from us, but it resides in us.

The snow made for a fun afternoon. We made a snow man in our front yard. But with the warm temperatures it did not even make it to dinner time.

Bunch of Stuff

I am going to give you a few bullet points in my weekly email, as there are a good number of things I wanted to share. I apologize if my email is more informational than inspirational this week.

• First, thank you for your prayers on Tuesday. It was a wonderful experience and a great honor to pray for the work of our State Senate. I understand that the online video was not working very well. It might have been related to the fact that they started a half hour late.
  

• Have you got your tickets for the Seder Dinner yet? This Sunday, March 28, will be your last opportunity. The dinner will be on April 5 (Palm Sunday) at 5pm. The Seder Dinner is the traditional dinner Jesus shared with his disciples the night he was betrayed. It is a great worship and learning experience filled with insight on the Lord's Supper.

• We are now a little over two weeks away from Easter. Do you know who you are planning on inviting yet? People are more receptive to an invitation to come to Easter services than at any other time of year. Consider three people to invite who might actually say yes. You will not know unless you take the chance.
  

• I want to invite you again to join me and our Lord of Life staff for fasting and prayer on Wednesdays at noon. We meet in the Fellowship Center. We will be there the next two Wednesdays leading up to Easter. The next two weeks we want to pray for the preparation for Easter that it will be an incredible celebration and we will see many people come to faith in Christ.

• The One Month to Live Campaign will kick off on Easter Sunday. You can participate in this challenge in two different ways besides attending the Sunday morning worship. One is by participating in a One Month to Live Group. We currently have 7 groups (we are praying for more) that are participating in this church wide campaign. If you would like to participate in a OMTL group, we will be hosting sign ups for the groups on the connection cards on Sunday morning starting April 5. So make sure to keep an eye out for that. (If your group would be interested in participating or if you would be interested in leading a group, just reply back to this email and we will get you set up.) Finally, you will be able to purchase the book One Month to Live on either Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday at Lord of Life. The book is divided into 30 short daily readings for you to work through on your own or with a partner.

• On Palm Sunday Dr. Harry Wendt of Crossways International will be our guest speaker. We look forward to hosting him at Lord of Life and anticipate with great excitement the message he will bring.

• Finally, we will wrap up our current message series - Holy Habits, Wholly Living - this weekend. We will be discussing the Holy Habit of Prayer. Come discover the key to effective prayer.

Have a great end of the work week. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, the Lord's Day!

True Worshiper

I picked up this book a two weeks ago. It took me about a day to read it. It is a short read, but it is filled with insight. I think that we will make this to be required reading for worship team members at Lord of Life.

It is not going to teach you how to play an instrument or how to sing, but it will teach you what the Bible says about worship. Worship has very little to do with music. It is more about the heart and the attitude that we approach our day with.

This is not just a book for a praise team member, but a book for any Christian. In America we sometimes like to complain about worship. But after reading this book, you will learn not to complain because you will realize that the true measure of worship is not what we get out of it, but it is what we gave. Worship is not about what I get out of it, but about what I give to him.

For more information on Tom Kraeuter, his books, and his seminars visit: www.training-resources.org.

Prayer before the Senate

We made it back safely home, in spite of all the wind today. It was enough to blow you over in Springfield.

I arrived about 45 minutes early at the capital. When I pulled in they had me park right up next to the front of the capitol building. Too cool.

Barbara and I were escorted into the Senate Chambers as the senators began to come in. Unfortunately, there was a delay so the session did not begin until a half hour late. In the meantime I was able to wander around a bit on the floor.

I gave the prayer. I prayed for wisdom for our officials. I prayed that they would govern our State with integrity. I prayed that they would be good stewards of what they had been entrusted with. I prayed for the families in our communities who are going through crisis. And I prayed for unity among our leaders. I concluded all that in the name of Jesus my Savior. That's the short version! Although I only had one minute so it wasn't much more.

Afterwards, I spent some time with Senator Lauzen and was able to meet a few other senators as well. I enjoyed the insight that he shared about the Senate and some of the things he was trying to put through in legislation.

Another interesting thing was the Hinkley girls basketball team was there, who had won state. They are just down the road from us.

We very much enjoyed the day.

Information about the Illinois General Assembly

I will be sending out my weekly email later this week, but I wanted to give you an update on my appearance before the Illinois General Assembly tomorrow (March 24). I will be giving the Prayer of Invocation at noon in Springfield.

If you are interested you can watch it at www.ilga.gov. One thing I learned while testing it out is that you will need a PC to watch. It will not work on a Mac.

They told me I have one minute. So you will not want to tune in late or you will miss it.

I thank Senator Chris Lauzen for this opportunity. Please pray for the Lord to give me the right words.

Weekend Recap

We celebrated the 4th birthday of a very special girl this weekend. We started with a pizza party on Friday night at church. This was an Awana party. Lots of fun and kids running wild (KRW).

On Saturday we had a birthday at Chuck E. Cheese with some kiddie friends. The pizza at CC is incredible (incredibly bad). But who goes there for the pizza.

Today, we had a party with the family. I love this picture. Looks like she is going to kiss the candle. Don't want to burn those lips.


Great worship this morning. Billy is doing a great job as our new worship leader. I had our chair set up crew set up two extra rows of chairs this weekend. I am glad they did, because we had a full house at 10am.



We've got one more week left in our message series - Holy Habits, Wholly Living. We conclude next week with the Holy Habit of prayer.

On Palm Sunday, Dr. Harry Wendt will be preaching at Lord of Life. I look forward to the message he will bring.

This week I will be opening the Illinois State General Assembly with prayer on Tuesday. We all know our State needs a lot of prayer with the events of the past few months. Pray for me at noon, for the right words.

Looking forward to a great week ahead.

This is what it is about

This story was shared with me by Brian LeFevre, a member at LOL. It is a story written about his grandmother by his niece.

Bent over a copy of Guideposts, Joe read slowly and carefully while Eleanor, sitting upright in her bed, listened thoughtfully. This scene was a familiar one, part of Eleanor’s daily routine of rising early, followed by Folgers coffee and quiet time with the Lord. Joe knew that when he was finished reading, Eleanor would ask him questions to see if he was paying attention and to ascertain how the reading made him feel. They would share their thoughts and memories with one another, often trading stories about their families. It was in those conversations that their friendship developed, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, Joe came to know God more fully and deeply.

My great grandmother Eleanor Mueller was ninety-nine years old when Joe began caring for her at Lutheran Hillside Village in Peoria, Illinois. The widow of a pastor, mother of three and grandmother of many, Eleanor had lived a rich and faithful life. At ninety-nine she still had the same bright eyes, brilliant smile, sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude she possessed in her earlier years. She was devastated when my great grandfather passed away at the age of ninety-seven in 2002, and in the days following his death, Eleanor often said how much she wished God would take her home to be with Alvin in heaven.

Yet God often surprises us with his plans, and as it turned out, Eleanor had more to do in this world before her time would come.

When Joe Newcomb met Eleanor in March 2006, he was a new employee at the assisted living center. He had taken the position shortly after his mother’s death. It was a difficult time for Joe, and caring for Eleanor was no easy task—she always wanted everything just so. In the beginning, Joe worried Eleanor didn’t like him. Looking back, Joe says, “[Our story] reminds me a little bit of Driving Miss Daisy. [Eleanor] thought I didn’t like her because I used to call her ‘Sunshine.’ She straightened that out right away. . . . I felt a little bit like she didn’t like me. I was totally new at this.” Eleanor confided in her daughter Alice that she felt uncomfortable with the idea of having a male caretaker, but Alice encouraged her to keep an open mind. Yet it took Eleanor some time to warm up to Joe.

And so, time passed. As it did, Joe grew accustomed to Eleanor’s routine, and she began to trust him. Once they began reading and talking with one another, the wall that had formed between them began to dissolve. Eleanor opened up to Joe about her past: she talked about her love for her parents, siblings, husband and daughters and Joe listened intently. In the same way, Joe told Eleanor about his mother’s life and the impact of her death, and Eleanor offered support and guidance. Today Joe says that Eleanor is the one who helped him in his grieving stage.

As they spent more time with one another, Eleanor began to talk with Joe about her faith. “She knew he didn’t really go to church and that really bothered her,” said her daughter Alice. Although Joe believed in God, he did not attend worship services and was wary of returning to the church. Concerned for Joe’s spiritual well-being, Eleanor often told him, “You need a church family.” Sometimes Joe would agree, but he did not act on her advice. Eleanor confided in her daughter that she felt discouraged at Joe’s reluctance, but Alice would remind her, “Mom, you gotta let the Holy Spirit work now.”

Advent came and went, and during that season of anticipation and new birth, something miraculous happened. Early on Christmas Eve, Joe asked Eleanor what her plans were for Christmas Day, expecting to hear about a family celebration. Instead, Eleanor informed him she planned to stay in her room. Joe looked at her in disbelief: he knew how much Eleanor’s family meant to her, and he urged her to reconsider. It was no use; she did not want to go, and it seemed to Joe that there was nothing he could say to change her mind. Except . . . there was one thing he knew might make a difference—but it would mean Joe would have to overcome his own adamant resistance.

After taking a deep breath, Joe said, “Eleanor, I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll go to church tonight if you go your daughter’s house on Christmas Day.” Eleanor’s eyes grew wide and she turned her head, deep in thought. She sat for a moment, reveling in what Joe had just agreed to. Sure enough, she accepted his deal, eyes twinkling with a secret grin.

That evening, Joe worshiped at Trinity Lutheran for the first time. Joe felt ineffable warmth in the room that night—a feeling he’d never experienced before. “I knew this was where I was supposed to be,” he said. On Christmas Day Eleanor held up her end of the deal and joined her family for their holiday gathering.

Over the next year, Eleanor’s health deteriorated, and she increasingly relied on Joe for support. He was there for her when she was having a “down day,” and she was there for him when he was feeling sad. They continued to read and share and connect, but Eleanor’s condition continued to worsen. As her family members came to visit, it seemed that she was saying good-bye to some of them for the last time.

Soon it was Christmas Eve again. When Joe asked Eleanor what her plans were for that evening, she remarked that she would be staying in her room. Joe knew Eleanor was feeling very weak, but he felt she needed to spend one last Christmas praising God in the nurturing environment she loved. This time Joe was the persistent one, and he urged Eleanor to attend the service: “Don’t you think it’s time for you to say good-bye to the church?” he asked. Eleanor’s eyes sparkled, and, realizing the significance of Joe’s words, she replied, “You know, I think I can do that.”

That Christmas Eve, Joe again worshiped at Trinity Lutheran, this time alongside Eleanor, who was beaming with joy. She was simply radiant as she stood in church that evening, dressed in a crimson-colored jacket that once belonged to Joe’s mother. Later on that evening, as Joe readied Eleanor for bed, he noticed that she seemed completely at peace. Three days later she went home to her Father in heaven. She was one-hundred and one years old.

It is always bittersweet when a loved one who has lived a long and faithful life passes away. Our family was happy that my great grandmother had joined great grandpa in heaven, but we will always miss her gentle heart and strong faith that continued to shine until death.

While she was alive on earth, Eleanor did not see Joe become a church member (as she had hoped), but Joe says that after that Christmas, he knew he needed to be a church member for his life to be complete. A few months after Eleanor’s funeral, Joe went to the new member information class at Trinity Lutheran and made a commitment to the church. That year Joe was baptized and became a church member. Joe is very active at Trinity today: he attends regularly, serves as an usher, and now thinks of the church as his family. Looking back, Joe says his relationship with Eleanor left a lasting impact on his life—her friendship and guidance was an unexpected gift from God. “There was a reason why we got put together. When I was with Eleanor it gave me a doorway to make more of a commitment [to God]. She helped me grow in my faith, and she led me to where I am today.”

Now and again, it’s easy to forget how powerful it is to simply invite others in our immediate circle to partake in the simple act of devotion or worship. Perhaps it is because we worry about rejection; we are afraid of going outside of our comfort zone or appearing too evangelistic. Maybe it’s because an invitation implies a sort of commitment on our part to hold up “our end of the deal” and follow through in answering questions and making a guest feel comfortable.

But the truth is, oftentimes we make sharing the good news harder than it needs to be. It’s a simple conversation, “full of grace” (Col 4:6) that can plant a seed; a prayer that can ignite the Holy Spirit; an invitation, a special deal that can initiate growth. If we, like Eleanor, “go and tell them how much the Lord has done for [us]” (Mark 5:19), wonderful, everyday miracles can happen.

E. Dalpini

A Verse for Today

"You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! 

I sing for joy because of what you have done!"  Psalm 92:4 NLT

This verse is a key to our worship.  Any passion, any enthusiasm, any praise for the Lord starts with what he has done for us.  Isn't it thrilling?

It's not about doing more

One of the things I have thought about during this message series (Wholly Habits, Wholly Living) is that each time we add a habit we are adding one more thing to do to our already busy schedules. However, that is not really the intent. It is not so much about doing more, but transforming the ways we do what we do. If anything, one of the goals of this message series would be for us to simplify our lives.

This is especially true when it comes to the discipline of worship. Worship is not intended to be one more thing we do on Sunday morning. Rather worship is everything we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God."

This past week I have been reading a book entitled "Becoming a True Worshipper" by Tom Kraeuter. In this book he relates the following story:

A professor was flying home after an exhausting weekend. He was tired and just wanted to be left alone. However, the flight attendant was so polite and helpful he finally said to here, "Delta Airlines is fortunate to have you working for them."

Her response stunned him. "Sir, my real employer is not Delta Airlines. I work for Jesus Christ. He is the greatest of all bosses."

Hmm. Sounds like doing all for the glory of God.

Worship is not an activity we do for just one hour on a Sunday morning. It is everything we do. If there is not a song for the Lord upon our hearts for 6 six days of the week, there will not be one on the seventh either. You can't just turn it on Sunday morning and then turn it off the rest of the week. God is all seeing and all knowing and we are only fooling ourselves if we think we can convince him of our adoration by a one hour charade on Sunday morning. We are called to a lifestyle of worship.

This is a mindset that will transform our worship. We will measure our worship in a whole new way. The measure of our worship will not what we get out of it. It will not be how in sync the praise team was on Sunday morning. It will not be how much we learned from the pastor's message. Rather it will be about the measure of the sacrifice of praise we brought to him. The question will be, "Did I worship the Lord with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul, all my strength, or did I leave something behind, that I could have given more?"

To worship in such a way that I have nothing more to give! That there would be no other gift I could bring, because I have given everything I could give - it still falls short of what God deserves.

I leave you with these words that I love from the old Lutheran hymn - Oh, That I had a Thousand Voices:

       1. Oh that I had a thousand voices
      To praise my God with thousand tongues!
      My heart, which in the Lord rejoices,
      Would then proclaim in grateful songs
      To all, wherever I might be,
      What great things God hath done for me.

      2. O all ye powers that He implanted,
      Arise, and silence keep no more;
      Put forth the strength that He hath granted,
      Your noblest work is to adore.
      O soul and body, be ye meet
      With heartfelt praise your Lord to greet!

What if you had one month to live?

What if you were told that you had one month to live? How would it affect you? How would you change what you are doing today? What regrets would you work to resolve?

The reality is that most of us will live past the next 30 days. However, our time on this earth is limited. We get one life to live and one opportunity to make the most of it.

I believe that by embracing our mortality and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, we can live this life to the fullest. We are able to embrace the time we have on this earth. Rather than postponing and putting off our dreams for which God created us for, we will strive with all we have to complete the race. Too many of us live with a "someday" mentality, but that "someday" is "today."

For he (God) says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

On Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the same time we will celebrate the life we are given through his resurrection. I am talking not just about the difference for eternal life in heaven, but the difference the resurrection makes to allow us to live a no-regrets lifestyle while we are still on this earth. Because Jesus lives we too can live full and complete lives.

Today, I want to challenge you to consider taking the One Month to Live Challenge. 30 Days to a no-regrets lifestyle starting on Easter Sunday. You can take part in this challenge in one of two ways. The first will be reading the book "One Month to Live" by Kerry and Chris Shook. This book contains 30 daily readings to guide you through the One Month to Live Challenge. The second opportunity is to join one of our study groups that will be working through the One Month to Live study guides. These groups will meet for 6 weeks and sign ups for these groups will be available over the next couple of Sundays leading up to Easter.

The biggest regrets we will have when we get to heaven, will not so much be the things that we did. Our biggest regrets will be the things that we failed to do. By taking the One Month to Live Challenge we will be empowered to live to embrace every opportunity before us that when we look back we will do so with no regrets.

A Weekend in Review

This was a good weekend in more ways than one.

Yesterday, I took some members of our praise team at Lord of Life to a worship seminar in Rockford (www.worshipseminar.com). The seminar was led by Tom Kraeuter. Enjoyed it much and was able to take away a few things to use in the near future.

Today, I preached on the importance of God's Word. My main emphasis is that the Bible is not something we worship. We worship God and the Bible is a tool that God gives to us to show us how to worship him. Let's open it up!

We also had a blood drive at Lord of Life. This was the third time I have given blood. The previous two I had practically passed out. But not this time. I passed with flying colors.

Enjoyed a beautiful day outside with the family. Abby was showing off riding her tricycle and we took some time to fly a kite. It takes a lot longer to bring the kite back in than it does to get it flying.

Grilled out for the first time this year! That was exciting.

We also got notification tonight that Barbara's student loans from Virginia Tech are now officially paid off. We are out from under that debt. Hooray!

Looking for an exciting week ahead.

Stop reading your Bible

Thought that headline might catch you off guard!

We are a few weeks into our current Lenten message series entitled "Holy Habits, Wholly Living." We have studied the habits of fasting, quiet, and personal growth. This week we come to the Holy Habit of God's Word.

Maybe you have heard this story before. It is about a new pastor who arrived at a new church. On the second Sunday after he arrived he preached the same sermon as he preached on the first Sunday. The members of the congregation thought it was a bit strange, but they didn't say anything. However, when he preached the same sermon for a third Sunday in a row, the Elders asked to see him after the service. They said, "Pastor we really love that sermon, but you have preached it three times now. You really need to preach a different sermon." To that the pastor replied, "I will preach a different sermon when you start living the first one."

When it comes to God's Word, it is not how much we know of it, but how much we live it. For some of us, the last thing we need is another Bible class. The last thing we need is to read another chapter of Scripture. Rather we need to start living and applying that which we have already read and heard and know. It is easy to fall into the trap of learning the Bible for the sake of learning the Bible.

What is a tool that is not used? Useless! We can know everything there is to know about God's Word, but if we don't put it into practice we will miss out on the power of the Word. Jesus says, "blessed are those who hear the Word AND OBEY!" (Luke 11:28) God does not call us to be Bible scholars, but Bible practitioners. The Word is not given to us for our information but for transformation.

Now don't go out there telling people that the pastor told you not to read your Bible. I'm not saying don't read your Bible. What I am saying is don't make reading your goal, make believing to be your goal.

Here is a challenge for you. Instead of making it a goal to read you Bible each day, make it a goal to write out one application each day from the Word that you can personally accomplish. The reality is you are going to need you Bible to do that. The reality is that if you start living it out and you start experiencing the power of the Word, you are going to be drawn back again and again and again and again and . . .

They are not idle Words, they are your life. (Deuteronomy 32:47) God's Word is living and active and we just can't leave these words on the pages book, but to write them on our hearts!

Dinner Auction

We had a lot of fun last night. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this event possible. Especially you Lori!

How is God speaking to You?

We have come to the second week of our fasting challenge. I pray that you have been encouraged as you have practiced this discipline. No one said it would be easy. It is hard. Real hard! No doubt you have been hungry. No doubt you have wanted something to eat. If we only hungered as much for Jesus and His Word!

When we put it into perspective, it is not nearly as hard as what Jesus willingly endured upon the cross for us. He gave up his life. Not only did he give up his life, but it was an agonizing death he suffered. When we fast, it helps us to put into perspective the depth of his love and the great lengths he went to save us from our sin.

Last Sunday, I added quiet solitude to go along with fasting. We live such fast paced busy lives. We have so much to get done. We often feel as if there are not enough minutes in a day.

But the reality is that God gave us just enough time to accomplish the significant purpose for which we were created. If you have more to do than you have time to get it done. Then you are doing too much. You are doing more than God intended for you to do. God in his infinite wisdom created 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 365 days in a year. He has numbered your days, so that you can complete all that you were made to do.

If you are doing so much that you don't have time to stop, that is precisely the reason you need to stop. It is time to be quiet and to listen to the voice of God. When we take the time to listen to God, he speaks to us to give us a higher perspective, to sort out his priorities, to build our faith, to renew our strength, and to grow us to spiritual maturity. In other words, it is in the quiet that we discover God's effectiveness and efficiency to accomplish all that he has called us to accomplish.

So make sure to take that time this week. Spend some quiet time with him. Listen to hear what he has to say to you. The quiet may not be something you are comfortable with. All I can say is try it. Discover the blessing!

I leave you this week the 23rd Psalm redo that I shared on Sunday. Some of you had requested a copy of this. So I am glad to share:

The Lord is my strength, I shall not panic;
He helps me relax and rest in quiet trust.
He reminds me that I belong to Him and restores my serenity;
He leads me in my decisions and gives me calmness of mind.
His presence is peace.
Even though I walk through the valley of the fear of failure,
I will not worry, for He will be with me.
His truth, grace, and lovingkindness will stabilize me.
He prepares release and renewal in the midst of my stress.
He anoints my mind with wisdom;
My cup overflows with fresh energy.
Surely goodness and mercy will be communicated through me,
For I shall walk in the strength of my Lord,
And dwell in His presence forever. Amen.

Axiom

One book I especially enjoy in the Bible is Proverbs. The reason that I like Proverbs is that it is filled with nuggets of wisdom. You can spend a couple of minutes or hours pondering the truths in this book.

The book Axiom is much like the book of Proverbs. It is a quick read. I breezed through this book in less than a week. It is filled with insights from Bill Hybel's experiences as the leader of Willow Creek Community Church.

There are many different opinions about Willow Creek, but there is no denying that they have accomplished much for the kingdom. One would be foolish to think that there is nothing to be learned from Bill Hybels.

Whether you have 5 minutes or 5 hours, you can walk away with new and profound insights. I found that the best way to take this book was one chapter at a time and then to ponder and reflect that truths of God's Word as they related.

I have learned so much in my 9 years of being a pastor. Seminary training is good. I learned a lot about being a pastor and a theologian. But I did not learn much about being a leader. Rick Warren has a quote that goes along the line of "you want to lead a church of 125 you can go to seminary, but if you want to lead a church that is any larger you need to go to seminars." I can relate to this.

I think this will be keeping Axiom close at hand for reference.

Hello March

How does the saying go? In like a lion and out like a lamb. March is here. The promise of warmer weather. We are about one month from opening day of baseball. Days are getting longer. I noticed I am occasionally driving home while it is still light out.

Yeah!

Opening the Illinois General Assembly

I will have the honor of leading the opening invocation of the Illinois General Assembly on March 24 in Springfield, IL. I am looking forward to this opportunity as the Illinois State Government has often been in the news recently. Unfortunately, the news has not been the most positive. I ask for your prayers as I prepare for this event. If you are interested in attending the session with me on that day, let me know.

Here is an interesting note I received today from our LCMS president about representation in the US government:

Speaking of Washington, D.C., I note that two new members of Congress are members of LCMS congregations as well. They are U.S. Reps. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Erik Paulsen, R-Minn. They join two incumbent congressmen who also are Missouri Synod Lutherans: Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., and Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.

A total of 23 Lutherans-14 Democrats and nine Republicans-currently are serving in the 111th Congress. In addition to the four LCMS members in the House of Representatives, there are 13 representatives and four senators who are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and two representatives who are Wisconsin Synod Lutherans.

According to a study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 30 percent of those in the Congress are Roman Catholic, followed by Baptists (12 percent), Methodists (11 percent), Presbyterians (8 percent), Episcopalians (7 percent), and Lutherans (4.5 percent).

Please keep these and all our legislators and other government leaders in your prayers and encourage your members to do the same.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. We begin the Holy Season of Lent as we count 40 days till Easter (excluding Sundays). We are less then seven weeks away.

A couple of things in regards to today. First, just a reminder that Ash Wednesday worship is tonight at Lord of Life at 7pm. Second, today we begin our church wide Lenten fasting challenge. Many of you committed to taking this fast and I pray it will be a blessing for you to grow in your faith.

Some of you have come and asked me specific questions about the fast. My first response to most of these questions has been to remember that the fast is done in Christian freedom and is not out of obligation. In other words, we should not fast because we have to, but because we want to. Second, it is not about the details, but about the spirit of the fast. That was a problem with the Pharisees in Jesus day. They got so wrapped up in the details of their spiritual practices that they missed out on what it was all about.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1) The challenge is to fast for 24 hours from dinner on Tuesday, till dinner time on Wednesday. So have dinner on Tuesday night, but avoid that midnight snack. Then hold back from breakfast and lunch on Wednesday, breaking the fast with dinner that evening. What it boils down to is essentially a 24 hour fast.

2) Take your vitamins. Feel free to take in juice or water. Limit your activities for the day. Don't go off an run a marathon. Pace yourself.

3) Use the time you would have devoted to eating for spiritual exercise be it prayer, the study of God's Word, or just quiet time with the Father. You might consider joining me at noon at Lord of Life in the Fellowship Center for about a half hour for prayer.

4) Consider using the $5-$10 you might have spent on lunch and consider how you can use that money you would have spent on yourself and use it as a blessing for someone else.

5) Know you are going to be hungry. That's ok. When you are hungry, turn your thoughts to your need for the Lord. Call out to him. Cry out to him. Ask him to be your bread of life. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

We know that fasting is not a magic wand. Fasting is not to convince God to do what we want him to do. But it puts us in a place to better hear God and listen. It helps us tune in and connect with him on a much deeper level.

Here are some final parting words to ponder from an old Lenten Hymn titled: "O Lord, Throughout These 40 Days":

O Lord, through-out these 40 days
You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
An free us from our past

You strove with Satan, and you won;
Your faithfulness endured;
Lend us your nerve, your skill, and trust
In God's eternal Word.

Though parched and hungry, yet you prayed
And fixed your mind above;
So teach us to deny ourselves
Since we have known God's love.

Be with us through this season, Lord,
And all our earthly days,
That when the final Easter dawns,
We join in heaven's praise.

Challenges

This was a really good weekend.  We had 200 some people attend our Fireproof Movie Event at Lord of Life.  As part of the movie event, many of the couples committed to taking the 40 Day Love Dare Challenge.  Barbara and I are going to be doing this ourselves for the next couple of weeks.  All the couples who participate in the challenge will have the opportunity to renew their vows on April 5, which is Palm Sunday.

Kicked off our new message series today - Holy Habits, Wholly Living.  I issued a church wide challenge to commit to a 24 hour fast each Wednesday during the season of Lent.

This week Lent begins.  Ash Wednesday service will be at 7pm at Lord of Life.  I am excited for the celebration of Easter this year.  Lent is an important time of preparation for the celebration of the resurrection.  On Easter we will be doing the One Month to Live Challenge.  I am going to lead the staff through that challenge starting tomorrow during our staff meeting.

So I have got a lot of challenges going on now.  I've got the Love Dare, the Fasting Challenge, and starting tomorrow the One Month to Live Challenge.  

So thanks for your prayers to stay faithful to these challenges.

Made to Stick

This is a book I would highly recommend to any preacher or teacher. It is about why there are some messages or ideas that you heard even 10 years ago that are fresh in your mind, but other messages even yesterday that you cannot recall a thing.

The authors of this book establish six characteristics of messages or ideas that "stick". They use a simple acrostic SUCCES. SUCCES stands for Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotional, and Stories. Using these concepts effectively will dramatically improve the ability to drive your idea home.

One concept I was able to identify with was what the authors termed "the curse of knowledge." The curse of knowledge is when you are knowledge in a certain field you begin to talk shop. The problem is that most people are not able to talk shop with you. And you forget they cannot talk shop and don't have the knowledge you have. So you end up talking over their head.

A concrete example of this is tapping out the beat of a song like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It would seem obvious that as you tap out the song, that another person would be able to identify it. But the reality is it would be practically impossible except for a miraculous guess. It would seem easy for the other person to identify the song because it is so clear in your head. But the other person does not have in their head what you have in your head.

What I took away from this book was a new way to evaluate the sermons I prepare. Making sure as best as I am able that each sermon I prepare has at least one sticky characteristic. The more the better!

The Discipline of Reading

As I begin a new message series tomorrow about spiritual disciplines - I have been thinking really hard about the disciplines I practice.  Beyond the spiritual disciplines of studying God's Word, prayer, quiet time, worship, etc - there are some disciplines outside that realm that are important.  We might even call them spiritual disciplines, because at the heart every discipline is spiritual in some way.  These other disciplines might include excercise, flossing your teeth, or making sure to spend quality time with the family every day.

One discipline I have taken a harder look at recently is reading.  Two of the most well known pastors in America are very high on reading.  In a podcast I was recently listening to of Rick Warren, he shared that he read his way out of every slump in ministry that he had ever been in.  Bill Hybels says, "Great leaders read frequently.  They read voraciously. They read classics and new releases. They soak up lessons from the military, from academia, from politics, from nongovernmental organizations, and from church leaders who are leading well.  They refuse to let themselves off the hook in this regard, because they now all great leaders read."

As part of a senior pastors' network and trying to learn as much as I can about leading the church, I have been doing a lot of reading lately.  It has been a blessing to me.  There are so many good books out there.  I wish I had more time to devote to reading them.

I am going to try something new on this blog.  I have made it a goal to read two books a month and then write a review of each one.  I often find that I will read a book and then put it on the bookshelf and there it will stay.  In an effort to help me better apply what I learn in these books, I want to take a few moments and to write some of the insights I was able to gain from reading the books.  Maybe it will give you a few ideas as well.

Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough

This Sunday we kick off a brand new message called Holy Habits, Wholly Living. It is about the spiritual habits (disciplines) that help us listen to God and connect with him in a deeper way. In one week, we will be entering into the holy season of Lent. Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. It is a time for us to listen to the voice of God. So it is an appropriate time to begin this new message series. (Ash Wednesday Worship will be hosted at Lord of Life on Wednesday, February 25)

The first message in this series will be a message on fasting. Fasting is not a discipline that we often talk about or practice. We live in a culture that encourages us to indulge ourselves and to never deprive ourselves of anything our heart desires. So fasting is incredibly counter-culture experience that many of us have failed to practice.

But Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:16, "When you fast . . ." He didn't say if you fast. He said when you fast. Jesus expected his followers to engage in this practice of fasting. It was not optional. He knew that it is as important for the spiritual growth of his followers as prayer, worship, and Bible study.

So I want to invite you to come on Sunday and learn about this ancient discipline of fasting. During this time, I will also challenge us as a church to engage in a Lenten fast in anticipation of spiritual breakthrough and revival.

It may be something new to many of you that you have never done before. But I am confident you will discover a blessing. I pray you will discover fasting is not so much about what you give up, but about what you gain and are able to give to God. You will be surprised.

Warm Sunny Florida

Could not have picked a more perfect week to come to Florida. It is cold, rainy, and icky back in Illinois. We've had beautiful weather, plus lots of fun.

Politics and Church

Note: I will be on vacation next week. There will be no “Weekly Email” until I return the following week.

Politics are difficult to talk about in Church. Politics are something that often divide us, yet when we come together as a Church we seek to be united. Politics are not the only thing - there are many forces in this world that seek to tear us apart. That is why it is so important for us to follow Jesus’ example to practice grace and forgiveness and that we seek to listen and understand one another more than we seek to preach to each other.

There is no doubt with the transition in the Presidency of the United States, there has been a change in regards to many controversial policies. As a church we must affirm the truth, but speak it in love. We must affirm our creator God as the author and sustainer of life and that he alone holds the right to give it and take it away. We affirm that he is the author and creator of marriage and that his design in Genesis was for marriage to be between one man and one woman.

In a recent statement, Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, the President of our Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, stated on abortion:

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), since its inception, has steadfastly proclaimed the miracle of human life from conception until natural death. As we march with other concerned Americans, we underscore our belief that Christ Jesus sanctified all human life by His birth, life, death, and resurrection for all mankind.

In regards to same sex marriage:

We pray that all people, especially men and women properly united as husbands and wives, will honor God's divinely ordained relationship of marriage. We do so with the deep conviction that God intends marriage to be a picture of the relationship that exists between Christ and His bride, the Church. And we pray that all husbands and wives will give thanks to God for the blessings of marriage—loving, honoring, and cherishing one another, even as Christ does the Church.

Regardless if you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, or whatever – we are blessed to live in a nation that offers the privilege of freedom of speech. We are blessed to be able to have a voice that can be heard.

It is important that as a church we use that voice to speak in behalf the 50 million children that have been aborted since Roe vs. Wade, who had no voice. It is important to speak in behalf of the many women who hide their voice in guilt and regret after having an abortion. It is important we speak in behalf of God’s design and plan for life and marriage. But we always do so with love!


There will be times when we disagree with our leaders and their policies. There will be times when we will grievously disagree with them. But no matter who holds “office” we pray for them as one whom God has established as an authority (Romans 13:1-2). There is not a politician on either side of the aisle who is perfectly free of blemish (whether is name is George W. Bush, John McCain, Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich). It is sometimes easy to see the speck in the eyes of the other side without seeing the plank in our own.

In the end, we recognize our mission is to go and make disciples of all nations. Our mission is not to change politics, but to bring transformation to hearts and lives for Jesus Christ. When lives are changed, everything else will follow. We pray for REVIVAL in our nation and that we would truly be a nation that could say, “In GOD we trust!”

Who are you going to invite?

We are a go and tell church, not a wait and see church. Remember! We heard last Sunday that Jesus went into Galilee to preach the good news. He didn't wait for people to come to him. He did not take the passive approach, but took the initiative to go to them. This took boldness and courage, but he was going to live out loud the purpose and the mission that he came to this earth for.

The story in first chapter of Mark goes on to say that he invited Simon Peter and Andrew to come and follow him. A bit later he does the same with James and John. He extended the invitation to them to come and experience something more than fishing for fish, but to follow him and become fishers of men. Talk about going from the mediocre to something that was meaningful!

In the next couple of months, we want to give you the opportunity to go and invite. We have some exciting things on the horizon at Lord of Life. The first opportunity to extend an invitation will be on Saturday, February 21 when will be showing "Fireproof" the movie at Lord of Life. It is an excellent movie about "fireproofing" your marriage. This is an event for couples. The cost for Lord of Life couples is $20 and includes the movie, popcorn, drinks, and the Love Dare 40 Day Devotional Challenge Guide. However, the event is free to any friends you might invite.

Beyond that, not too far around the corner, is Easter. I want to encourage you today to start considering and praying for 3 other people to invite to Easter services. Start praying now for the opportunity you to ask them and for God to open their hearts to be open to the invitation.

I know we all have three people who we can invite. If you don't know who they are, ask that God will reveal them to you. I am sure that he will.

On Easter Sunday this year we will be extending a One Month to Live Challenge to everyone. We will challenge everyone in attendance on that day to live the next month as if it were their last. It is sure to transform the way we live an the way we gather as a church.

Whether it is extending an invitation, sharing the gospel, offering to pray for someone, extending an act of generosity or kindness to another person - ask yourself: "how can I go and tell?"

New License Plate

I need to get my driver's license renewed next week. I wonder if it will match our new license plates?

For Such a Time as This

I hope that you were encouraged this last weekend as much as I was. What a wonderful celebration. It was great to bring together the past, the present, and the future as we continue to look forever forward to Jesus.

In my weekly email this week, I wanted to affirm Pastor Rische’s message from last Sunday. I must say that I am honored, proud, and overwhelmed to build this church upon the foundation that was laid some 20 years ago.

Three important keys from Pastor Riche’s message (To Be a Congregation that is “Forever Forward” Takes Three Key Connections) for us to remember as we continue to move forever forward are that:

1) No one is going to be reached until God shows up. Jesus must be a part of everything we do. Fervent and persistent prayer are critical. We must first talk to God about the lost before we talk to the lost about God.

2) It’s “go and see” instead of “wait and see.” The people living in the Fox Valley do not exist to fill Lord of Life Church. Instead, the people of Lord of Life exist to fill the Fox Valley with Jesus Christ. Reaching others requires sacrifice, but the greater the sacrifice the greater the impact.

3) We need to work together as a team. We are not always going to agree with each other. Sometimes we might say or do something to offend one another. But we are the Church! God has forgiven us in an incredible way and so we practice forgiveness with each other. Our differences + unity = addition and multiplication. The opposite is that our differences + disunity = subtraction and division.

Time is precious and limited. And I believe that God has brought us to this place and this congregation for such a time as this. Today, I am more proud and excited to be the Pastor of Lord of Life than I have ever been.

If you would like to listen again to the message from last Sunday you can listen here:
http://www.lolchurch.net/tp40/page.asp?ID=64011