Look for the best…

I am troubled by something…

Why do we (Christians) seem to always assume the worst in people?  Where we watch for a person, or church or ministry to seemingly “step out of line” with our beliefs and then we assume the very WORST…

• A preacher teaches something that we don’t like and we ASSUME he is just a fake.
• Someone has a different theology than we do and we ASSUME that they are wrong and probably not even a christian.
• A church uses a method or approach that goes against the norm and we ASSUME that they are “straying from the faith” and just out to entertain.
• A prominent leader messes up and we feel vindicated in our “discerning” judgment.
• We hear a “concern” (polite word for rumor) and ASSUME that it’s true.

I am all for constructive debate and healthy discussion… but it seems that (at least in the church) if someone doesn’t act like us, look like us and believe EXACTLY like us then we  ASSUME the worst… there HAS to be a better way.

Personally, I try to ALWAYS assume the best in people.  If I mess up, I want to err on the side of grace… I am not saying that we shouldn’t hold each other accountable or that we should throw discernment out the window, but lets get the FACTS (crazy idea) BEFORE we cast judgement.

“If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”  Galatians 5:15

Sunday night thoughts…

• Crazy day at Lifesong today…
• We had a good crowd in spite of Spring Break… LOTS of guests this last month!  Very cool!
• Much props to Greg and the production team… they had alot of challenge today with sound issues, but they pushed through them.
• I love the vibe going on at LIfesong right now. If I were you I wouldn’t miss a week 😉 … you just never know what might happen!
• The band ROCKED as usual.  I get fired up just watching Jordan sing… and dance… and yell… and jump 😉  !   VERY COOL!
• I think the message really connected today. I broke plates with a rock… anytime I get to break something its a good day.
• More of you volunteered to help out this Saturday at the Relay For Life event at Truetts.  Its not too late to sign up… email josh@lifesonglive.com and he will get you hooked up.
• Speaking of the RFL event.  This is a community wide yardsale that many of the schools are participating in to raise money for Cancer research… if you want to donate ANY items to the cause bring them to Truetts EARLY.  Anything that you donate is tax deductible.
• We had part of the launch team from Vertical Church visiting with us today.  I love it when other church starts can learn from our mistakes… be praying for them as they get ready to launch soon.
• The Vertical Church folks said over and over at just how impressed they were with the volunteers of Lifesong… your attitudes and the way we have fun together.  They learned what I already know… you guys ROCK!
• Lots of people are hurting right now at Lifesong church… pray for me to have the WISDOM and the GRACE to these folks.
• I LOVE what I get to do… I LOVE Lifesong church and I cant wait to see what’s NEXT!

Make your net bigger…

In Luke chapter five Jesus goes about calling Peter and his brothers to be His disciples.  You are probably familiar with this story, but something jumped out at me the other day as I was reading it…

When Jesus finds them, they were WASHING and REPAIRING their nets.

BEFORE the catch…

BEFORE the miracle…

BEFORE the provision…was PREPARATION.

We can not produce a move of God but we can be prepared for it.  This applies in our personal lives and in the life of Lifesong church.  I wonder how many times we miss on Gods blessing because we haven’t done the hard work of getting our nets ready?  How many times have we LIMITED God because our nets were too small?

Monday morning funny…

Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year’s winners.

• Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

• His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

• He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

• She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

• Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

• He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

• The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

• The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

• McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

• Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

• Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

• They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

• John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

• He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

• The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

• The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

• He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

• The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

• It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

• He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Sunday night thoughts…

• Good day today.  Spring break the next couple of weeks but we still had a decent crowd… pretty cool that a “down” week now would of had us jumping just a few months back.
• The volunteers of Lifesong are FREAKS!  Many of you gave up your Saturday morning to make props and decorations for Lifesong Kidz (and a mural on my garage wall 😉 ) and Billy built a uber sweet cart for the nursery… this is in addition to all the hard work you guys and girls do on Sunday’s!
• The band ROCKED as usual… Jenny’s (Worship Diva) cover of “Bring Me To Life” was incredible.
• I felt like I struggled with the message today and it is a subject that I am passionate about… may we ALWAYS be a MESSY church.
• Several of you stepped up to volunteer at the Relay For Life yard-sale at Truett’s on May 2nd… we still need help for facepaiting, giving away balloons and manning a  giant slide.  Send an email to josh@lifesonglive.com if you can help out.
• I took a little bit of a break from the blog last week but ready to get back to it…

Sunday night thoughts…

• Not sure that words can describe today.  God showed up!
• The prayer, fasting and preparation that went in to today paid off… this was the most POWERFUL service that Lifesong has ever had.
• Four people gave their life to Christ today!  What a way to celebrate Easter!
• Not trying to freak you out, but there was some crazy spiritual warfare that led up to this service… I am pretty sure that satan KNEW he was going to get kicked in the face (AGAIN).
• We DOUBLED in attendance from last Easter.  Even with many families out… VERY COOL!
• I haven’t seen the final numbers yet, but it looks like we had more first time guests than ever today.
• The band was INCREDIBLE… you guys really ministered to me today.  There could be NO DOUBT that Jesus is alive after hearing the band today.
• Much thanks to Christy (artist) for the awesome painting.  Just for the record, she knew what was going to happen to her artwork.
• Hearing the crowds reaction to me spray painting on that beautiful piece of art was priceless… I think it really drove the point home.
• Lifesong Kidz is absolutely going nuts… the volunteers who work with our kids are getting it DONE!
• Jason did another great job making me look good on video… he may have the hardest job EVER 😉
• The production team did a great job with everything today.  They had alot on their plate and they pulled it off perfectly.
• I am so proud of those of you who participated in the fast… I pray that God moved greatly in your life this past week.
• This past week and today was one of the most rewarding and difficult weeks I have had in ministry.  God is stretching me and Lifesong church right now and I can’t wait to see what He is going to do next!

Saturday…

Read Mark 15: 1-15

Think about Barabbas.

A criminal who has been tried and convicted… his death warrant sealed. No acquittal will be given… No reprieve is coming from the government… No hope. This is the last day of his life, the end.

There is nothing more that he could do, but wait.

He sits in his jail cell, his senses tuned to every input. His eyes stare blankly at the door of the cell. The stench of sweat, urine and fear rises to his nostrils. His ears strain to hear the footsteps of his executioners coming to take him to his fate… but he hears something else.

He hears a crowd, chanting his name…

The next thing he knows, he is free. The charges are dropped. His life that was almost over… starts over.

He expected to die… He deserved to die but a sinless man named Jesus literally took his place.

I am Barabbas.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the Easter service and for those who will be there.
• Pray for the other churches in our area. Pray for revival.
• Pray for the guests that will be at Lifesong tomorrow.
• Ask God to begin preparing our hearts NOW for the service tomorrow.
• Pray for Lifesong Kidz.

Good Friday…

Read Matthew 27:11-55

Beaten, battered and bruised.

Taunted and spat upon.

The CREATOR murdered by the CREATION.

Why? The answer is simple… LOVE.

Hebrews 12 tells us that it was because of the “joy set before Him” that Jesus was able to endure the cross. WE were that joy. It was because of US that he bore the shame and pain of the crucifixion… the joy of knowing that through His death our relationship with the Father could be restored.

The old gospel song was right… when He was on the cross; I really was on His mind.

Prayer Points

• Thank God for His sacrifice.
• Continue to pray for the Easter service and for those who will be there.
• Ask God to burden you with ONE person to invite.
• Pray that we all take a step in our relationship with Christ.
• Pray for the 1^st Impressions/Set up teams.
• Pray for me (Mark). Pray that I never lose sight of why God has entrusted me with His vision for Lifesong church. Pray that I stay close in my walk with Him. That my passion for Lifesong church never supersedes my passion to KNOW Him more. Pray that I will always have the wisdom and courage to follow God wherever that may lead.

Thursday…

Thursday

Read Mark 14: 66-72

How could he? He had seen Jesus do the impossible… heal the sick, calm the storms, even raise the dead. Peter had walked with Jesus for three years, if anyone knew who Jesus was and what He was capable of, it was Peter.

He was one of Jesus’ closest friends… yet he still denied Him. Not once… not twice… but three times. Here was Peter; the one Jesus called a “rock”, the guy who said that even if everyone else turned away he would NEVER deny Christ. But he FAILS, in a BIG way. A failure so big that we still talk about it, 2000 years later.

Peter the failure… that’s how many of us would see him, but not Jesus. Jesus is pretty good and turning failure into opportunity. He didn’t give up on Peter, as a matter of fact he chased after him because He saw in Peter what, even Peter himself, couldn’t see… that he was just what Jesus said he was, a ROCK on which Christ would build His Church.

How many times have we failed Him? How many times have we been guilty of denying the very one who gave His life for us? Maybe, even this week, you feel like you have let Him down. There is good news… Jesus doesn’t look at the failure, He sees the person. He doesn’t see the problem, He sees the potential… even when we can’t.

Prayer Points

• Pray for our Easter service… that MANY would attend.
• Pray for people to step of the line of faith and commit their lives to Christ.
• Pray for the Band. For God to bless them as they use their talents for Him.
• Pray for the Production Team. Those who do so much behind the scenes to point people to Jesus.
• Pray for more opportunities to Lifesong to IMPACT our community with the Message of Christ.
• Pray for Greg (Executive Pastor). Pray for wisdom and discernment as he helps lead Lifesong church. Ask God to keep His anointing and protection on him and keep any distractions from allowing him to take his next step with Christ.

Wednesday…

Read Mark 14:32-51

We all want to do something great for God… do the impossible… the spectacular…do something that people will take notice of.

Many times though, God wants us to be faithful in the mundane… like staying awake. Jesus had asked for some company, someone to be by His side as He was facing the most trying time in His earthly life. Yet that task seemed to be too much.

The same guys who just hours before had been fighting amongst themselves over which one would be sitting at his right hand… The guys who said they would be by His side even until death. By verse 50 had “deserted him and fled.”

Jesus never asked anyone to believe in Him… NEVER. He asked people to FOLLOW him and there is ALWAYS a cost in following. Sometimes it is drudging through the mundane… doing the simple… the unseen for Him. Other times it may be putting your life on the line (literally and figuratively) for Him.

The problem that many of us face is that we are willing to follow Jesus… but only so far. Are YOU willing to take up your cross and follow Him? He did for us.

Prayer Points

• Pray for our Easter service… that MANY would attend.
• Pray for people to step of the line of faith and commit their lives to Christ.
• Pray for the postcard mailout… that it would be used by God to lead people on their next step towards Him.
• Pray for Tammy (Director of Lifesong Kidz). Pray that she stays focused and energized as she leads. Ask for wisdom and strength. Beg God to send more workers to volunteer in the Children’s area.