CLUTTER!!!

What can I say? The blog is late this week. And I blame it on the clutter! Seriously. I am not just saying that because it makes for a great tie-in to the topic from last Thursday night. I really did find my weekend cluttered with too much stuff. And as I sifted through the clutter, inevitably, some things suffered the consequences - in this case, the blog going up in a timely manner. My apologies!

I just wanted to share a quick thought that came out of the table discussions last Thursday. We were trying to define clutter - because the first step to eliminating clutter is to recognize what clutter is. And the question asked was, "Is messiness the same as clutter?" Good question! My initial response was, "Of course it is!!" But after some lengthy discussion, I began to change my answer.

Messiness isn't necessarily clutter. Life is messy sometimes. And that messiness cannot be eliminated sometimes. Too often though, I think we, as Christians, treat any and all forms of messiness as clutter. But the truth is, messiness is part of the Christian life. There will be times when life doesn't make sense. Times when there aren't any easy answers. Even times when the right decision is the most frustrating and confusing choice. Or messiness can come when we find ourselves in limbo spiritually - when life feels like a mess - but God has placed us in that position so that we have to trust in him completely. So maybe messiness isn't clutter.

But I do think that messiness, if left unchecked and unchanged, can become clutter. For me personally, it becomes clutter when it begins to have a serious affect on my lifesyle - mainly my relationship with God. If the "mess" is allowed to build until it hinders my ability to see God clearly, it has become clutter. And clutter like that has no place in the Christian life.

Has clutter begun to find residence in your life? Is that clutter hindering God for having the "room" to do the things in you that you desperately seek for God to do? Just like in real life, occasionally we need to take time to assess and eliminate unnecessary clutter in our lives. Is it time to do a little deep cleaning? Or have you decided that your "clutter closet" is off-limits for God? That's not an easy question for us to ask ourselves. But we must ask it if we truly want to see God do all that he has planned for our lives.

Live cluttter-free this week! See you next Thursday!

Expectations of Greatness

I caught myself feeling a little disappointed by the fact that this past Thursday was the conclusion of our series on HOPE . And that's when it hit me: Who said this was the end? Why is this end? Let me immediately reassure all of you reading this, I am not planning on prolonging the series on hope. When it comes to speaking on hope, this series is over. But things shouldn't end just because we aren't talking about it on Thursday nights anymore. Apparently, I had already begun to forget last Thursday's challenge. My expectations had been lowered without even realizing it.

Ever been at that place in your own life? Will you be brave enough (or just honest enough) to admit standing in that spot? It's a little scary. It's also really humbling when you acknowledge being stuck there. No one likes the idea that they don't expect enough from God. We are supposed to believe God can do anything, right? So how is it possible for us to have so much faith in God, but expect so little from God?

But then again, who are we to expect anything from God? How has the church messed this up so badly? If we don't have high enough expectations from God - we are labeled as not having enough faith . But when we admit to having expectations from God . . . when we believe God can do the impossible and start living in expectation that God will do it (being dissatisfied by anything less), we oftentimes find ourselves in danger of being labeled prideful . Is it any wonder that we come across so many people who have become disillusioned and frustrated by the church and turned their back on religion? It shouldn't be that complicated!

Small groups on Thursday nights after I speak have been so awesome! People are beginning to move beyond "church answers" and are starting to be authentic with each other. And as the facades have dropped, some honest revelations have been discovered. One of the biggest being that the struggles we have with faith and hope in God are usually being felt by more people than we realize. We share those frustrations. But we've made it impossible to share our struggles with other Christians for fear of the reaction we'll get. The table discussions have been so helpful! As people took a risk and opened up, I could see people realize that they're not alone. We all struggle. And small groups have enabled us to share our struggles and triumphs - and hopefully build each other up in the process. That's church the way it should be. Not a self-help or self-pity group. But a group that can encourage and bear with one another when we struggle - no weak links!

I want leave you with a quote I heard recently: We are still paddling on the edge of the ocean of the possibilities of grace. Wow! That quote is empowering! When we realize we are covered by grace, the pressure is gone. We don't have to earn God's favor - just accept it! And when we realize we are living under the umbrella of God's favor, how can we NOT expect the impossible from God?

So the questions remain: What do you expect from God? And are your expectations big enough enough for our God, or do we need to expand our expectations? Expect BIG things. Impossible things! God can and will do it! Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or think. See you all next Thursday!

What Do You Want Me to Do?

DISCLAIMER: There was supposed to be a blog last week, but I'll admit that it had been so long that I forgot the password to log in to blog on this site! So if you came expecting, I apologize for leaving you hanging.

"Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself . . . 'How did I get through all of that?'" - Unknown


We've been looking at the concept of hope for the last two weeks now. Last week, we looked at hope defined as faith. And the discussions at the end of service were amazing! It was so good to hear people share their thoughts on faith. But it was even better to sit and hear people be honest and open as they also shared of their struggles and frustrations. I hope (no pun intended) that you were reminded of Job and David this week - and how even these men of God struggled and found it difficult to have faith sometimes. But in the end, they persevered and God showed himself faithful in their lives.

This week, we looked at hope defined as desire. I will admit that I find myself apprehensive whenever I speak about desire. It's such a complicated word. There seems to be a disconnect for most people when it comes to the concept of desire. But why? We can spend hours on end talking to strangers about things we're passionate about (i.e. sports, politics, current events, hobbies, entertainment, etc). But when it comes to verbalizing the desires of our heart , we find ourselves at a loss for words. Something's wrong with this picture. If our earthly passions are able to be shared, why do our spiritual passions get hidden in the darkest recesses of our heart?

I heard a lot of great reasons for why we keep them hidden: We don't open up to people about stuff like that unless we really know them, We are afraid that if we speak them out loud, we risk them never happening. The reactions of people when they hear our desires. Lack of faith that those desires can ever be realized. All understandable reasons. But when you hide your dreams, it becomes easier to ignore them. And if you ignore them long enough, they die.

David wrote that God wants to grant us the desires of our heart. So the question is: What do you want? What do you dream about so intensely that it wakes you up? What keeps you awake at night? Can you answer that question? Do you yearn for something? Do you believe God wants to grant that desire? And are you doing your part to see that desire become a reality?

God wants to see us dream big. Nothing we imagine is going to shock God by its enormity. So dream it. Pray for it. And go for it. And see what God does! You will be able to see the big picture and see God's hand at work in helping you towards that desire. And you won't be like the author of the quote at the beginning of this blog who wondered how he got through it all - you will take joy at the realization of God's involvement from the very beginning!

I am excited about the changes happening in Element right now. Let's continue to dream big and expect the impossible from God for our group. Thanks for being a part of this journey as we grow together in our desire to know God more. Take care. See you next Thursday!

People of Vision

There was a movie made a few years ago called, Failure to Launch. In it, the main character, Tripp (Matthew McConaughey), cannot seem to move out of his parents house. Despite his parents' best efforts, Tripp seems satisfied to remain in the safety and luxury of their house. At one point, Tripp is at a local restaurant with two of his best friends (also living with parents) and he is giving a magnificent speech about why he chooses to live at home still. He concludes his thoughts by saying that it would take a stick of dynamite to make him move out. Turns out, all it would take was a determined blonde played by Sarah Jessica Parker.
In this movie, Tripp didn't want to leave home because he was well taken care of. His mother did his laundry daily, cleaned up after him, and cooked him amazing breakfasts. **Side note: My mom was great - but even she didn't do that kind of stuff for me the last few years I lived at home!** The more you learned about Tripp, the more you came to realize, he wasn't really a self-motivated or driven man. He went with the flow and seemed to make the best of whatever life gave him. Nothing really seemed to faze him.
So what does this have to do with Thursday's message? Maybe nothing. But maybe . . . just maybe . . . there is a lesson there. I hope so because I kept being reminded of this movie all week, and I don't usually think about movies like that very much. I find myself being a spiritual Tripp - far too satisfied with living in the comforts of my parents house (i.e. the church) when God desires for me to realize that the vision for my life (my purpose) doesn't begin until I can move outside the church's walls and begin to understand what it means to "live for Christ." Because what sort of life do I really have if I never leave the four walls of my own home? Can I believe God enough to step outside and see what God has planned on the other side of the door?
People of vision are able to see beyond the physical limitations of what "is," and can look beyond that to what "could be." They are not satisfied to simply exist. They do not take comfort in the safety and security they have in life. No, people of vision actually look forward to the uncertainty that comes from risking it all for their vision. They know that there is no risk to great, no sacrifice too large, when compared to possibility of attaining their vision, their dream, their purpose. And for Christians, that is even more true because nothing, NOTHING, can compare to the plan and purpose God has envisioned for us. The real question is: Are we visionary enough to go for it? Are we willing to risk all we know, all we have, for the things God has planned for us?
The other night, I said that I did not consider myself much of a visionary. But after all of my study this week, I find myself wanting - no needing - to retract that statement. God has called each believer to be a visionary. He wants each one of us to be able to see possibilities "in Christ" that the world says are impossible. He wants us to have a revelation - an understanding - of who he is (in all his greatness, majesty, power, grandness, superiority, etc). When we have a true revelation of God, no vision seems too impossible because we know that "with God all things are possible." He gives us the vision and then becomes the very source by which that vision is made possible. If we only believe.
So what's your vision? What has God shown you? What do you want God to do in you? In Element? Do you have a fresh vision (revelation) of God in your life? And if so, are you living every moment in pursuit of that vision? Or has something sidetracked you?
God wants more for us. Let's not be satisfied with what has already happened - let's look forward to and believe in the BEST things God has yet to do in our lives. Let's be dreamers. Let's be visionaries. Let's trust him to make the impossible a reality in our lives. That's the way I want to live. Join me.
Dream big dreams this week. Remember that service is cancelled next week due to Sonshine. And Sam is speaking the following Thursday. See you in a few weeks!

"The Vision" - Sean's Spoken Word on 6/7/07

Several of you asked about the reading Sean gave at the end of service last week at Element. Here it is:


“The Vision”

The vision?
The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army.
And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday.
They wouldn’t even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the West was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passports. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision?

The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.
This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers
choose to lose
that they might one day win
the great, “Well done” of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night.
They don’t need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards
and hear the crowds chanting again and again: “COME ON!”
And this is the sound of the underground.
The whisper of history in the making.
Foundations shaking.
Revolutionaries dreaming once again.
Mystery is scheming in whispers.
Conspiracy is breathing . . .
This is the sound of the underground.
This is the army of the discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.
The tattoo on their back boasts, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
Winners.
Martyrs.
Who can stop them?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed?
Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation prays
like a dying man
with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and
with great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting. Watching. 24-7-365.
Whatever it takes they will give:
Breaking the rules.
Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide.
Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs.
Laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
The advertisers cannot mold them.
Hollywood cannot hold them.
Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
On the outside? They hardly care.
They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide.
Would the surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives – swap seats with the man on death row – guilty as hell.
A throne for an electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.
Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centers.
Don’t you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdos!
Summon the losers and the freaks.
Hear come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.
They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension.
Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.
And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.
How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
My tomorrow is his today.
My distant hope is his 3-D.
And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great “Amen!” from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ himself. And He is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed.


From Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig & Dave Roberts

Be Transformed

I can't wait for the Transformers movie to come out. Call me a nerd or a geek - I can live with that. But I am excited about seeing how they recreate the AutoBots for the big screen. And to top it off . . . Mute Math scored BIG TIME by getting chosen to create the new version of the Transformers theme song for the movie!

In all seriousness, transformation is a subject that cannot be fully explored in one night. Even after Thursday night, I don't feel like we've even begun to scratch the surface of what it really means to be transformed. And I don't know if we ever completely understand the concept. It's fluid - constantly changing. It's a never-ending, constant, and dynamic process. But even a scratch of the surface can raise an awareness of just how necessary a process it is for a Christian. And a realization (at least for me) of how far short we fall from being truly transformed.

The problem for me is that I have a subdued definition of "transform." Ask me two weeks ago to define "transform,' and I probably would have responded with some intelligent answer like, "to change." And while that's a correct definition, it's also an incomplete definition. The Greek word Paul used is most closely associated with the modern English word "metamorphosis." Think caterpillar to butterfly - that's the type of transformation Paul was talking about.

I define transformation now as, "a catastrophic alteration." Why catastrophic? Does that seem too dramatic and too sensational for a definition? Maybe it does to you. But I think it's fairly accurate when you take a moment to look at it with an open mind. Transformation is catastropic. In a spiritual sense, transformation requires the utter destruction of the "old self." And the most important area where transformation must occur is with our minds.

Do not be conformed . . . but be transformed, by the renewing of your minds. Three mandates. Three important lessons from Paul. Each one is a natural progression from the previous one:

1. Do not be conformed - Take a moment to look at your life. In a world of gray areas, political-correctness, and acceptance, do you (as a Christian) stick out like a sore thumb? Are you different? I'm not saying we cannot be relevant and that we have to come across as out-of-touch-with-reality-religious-nutcases. Quite the opposite! We need to be "in the world." But we CANNOT, we SHOULD NOT, be "of the world." So what do you look like - the world or something better? Do you look like what God intends for you to look like?

2. Be transformed - Be catastrophically altered. Let God transform you in such a way that the "old self" is unrecognizable. It's foreign to you. If any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION, OLD things are PASSED AWAY, all things are BECOME NEW. Transformation. Total and complete. Catastrophic!

3. Renewing of your mind - Ah, this is the silent killer for me! Sounds easy to renew the mind. But it's not. In fact, it's one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian walk. It's both and offensive and defensive discipline that every believer must learn. Offensive in that we are given the mandate to think on certain things. Training the mind to think in a certain manner so that we strengthen our mind to withstand the world's influences. And defensive because it's a reminder to "clean house" periodically to make sure no "barnacles" (the world's values, mindsets, etc) have attached themselves to our lives. It is unbelievable how quickly we pick them up without being aware of it. So we must continually renew our minds to ensure that they are clean - free and clear of the barnacles!

A lack of renewal of the mind can result in a frustrated and ineffective Christian walk. Nothing derails the revelation of the
God's will in our lives like the corrupted mind. Why? Because the corrupted mind cannot begin to make sense of God's will. God uses the weak and simple to confound (confuse) the strong and wise. That is absolute madness to a mind that has not been renewed and come to the realization that man's wisdom and strength is foolishness and weakness in the light of who God is.

A renewed mind is a catalyst for faith-building. And as faith grows, we believe God can and will do greater things in us. And that expectant faith becomes a conduit for God's revelation of his will in our lives. If you want to know God's will for your life, if you are seeking his will and seem to be running into walls instead of locating doors and windows, maybe you need to consider looking to see how "renewed" your mind is. I know that when I did that this week, I found more clutter and baggage than I would care to admit to. I needed to experience some renewal of the mind. And I have made an effort to be more careful about letting things attach themselves when they don't belong. It's a constant process though - and one where complacency is dangerous.

The challenge is this: Are you influencing the world around you or being influenced by it? Are you living life with a renewed mind or with one corrupted and controlled by the old, sinful self? Are you conforming to the world or being transformed by God? Do you more closely resemble the world or out Savior? I hope it's the latter!

I desire greatness for our group - for each one of you Elementals! I see untold potential in our group. The kind of potential that can catastrophically alter the world for Christ! But a transformation, a catastrophic alteration, needs to occur within each of our individual lives if we want to see that potential be realized. Are you willing?

You all continue to challenge and inspire me. Sean - your word at the end was God inspired. I felt all week like there was something separate (not spoken or done by me) that was going to happen in the service. Your word was a confirmation of that. I hope we all take your words as a personal challenge this week. Continue to live loud for God! See you next Thursday!