It was a cold and dreary Sunday morning – but the Son was about to shine! Our second annual “Sunday of Service” joined us with churches around the nation to break out of the walls and take the church to the streets. We were hit hard by sickness and the cold weather didn’t help – but an amazing number of folks showed up in work clothes to labor for our neighbors:

• A big “KUDOS” to the Friction youth group, who braved the elements to do another free carwash along the main highway through town.
• Another crew collected bags of food for the local food pantry.
• The “Trash Collectors” picked up litter along the highway, Main St., and in the downtown area.
• One of our “skill teams” finished some plumbing work for an older couple in a neighboring town.
• The “Paint Crew” worked on painting two senior citizens apartments.
• The “Running Rakers” roamed the town looking for yards to rake.
• A group of our younger children and adults visited the nursing homes, taking flowers and visiting with residents.

And let me tell you a little more about one of our projects… Bill is in his eighties, lives in assisted living. His wife is in a nursing home. Due to health issues and some other factors, Bill’s property had fallen into disrepair, particularly the yard. The situation came to our attention because Bill’s insurance agent is a member of our church – the insurance company was threatening to cancel the coverage on Bill’s property if something was not done. We agreed to take the project on. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a true “before” picture – but I’m a witness that it was pretty unbelievable. Picture #1 below is AFTER about 20 hours of work had already been done prior to this morning.

#1

12 of our folks worked on the property today and about 20 people total have put some time in there.

A few blessings of the day: The lady whose yard was raked, who with tears in her eyes (and after being told that she could not pay for the work), exclaimed, “There are still good people in this world!” The lady at the nursing home who was so overcome with joy by the visit that she began to weep, and another who gave away some of her stuffed animals to the children. The opportunity to invite dozens of people to church.

We do this – not because we want to be a “cool” church, or get our names in the paper – but because the church has developed a reputation of being “takers” rather than givers. We want to help change that in our community. The effects and benefits go far beyond a single Sunday – our folks now actively look for ways to help people year round. We are creating a culture of servanthood that will do more to spread the good news of Jesus than anything else.

Praise be to God for letting us be part of it!

(My friend Greg Lane posted the following on Facebook yesterday.  I found it so moving and thought provoking, I immediately asked him for permission to post it here.  He graciously agreed, and here it is.  Enjoy, be challenged, or both…)

In the late 1950’s a young married couple with two young children got some really bad news. The wife had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. In those days Hodgkin’s Disease was not as “treatable” as it is today. Although the young mother held up well under treatments she was concerned about trying to raise a family while dealing with this disease.

Being a devout Catholic, she went to her priest to request a special permission. Since Catholics do not believe in contraception or abortion, her request would be considered unscriptural and impermissible…she asked if she could go on contraceptives to avoid having any more children as she battled with her sickness. The prospects of bringing more children into the world with her uncertain life expectancy seemed to be a sufficient excuse for her request. The response of the priest seemed almost cold and callous as he denied her plea for exemption.

She and her husband submitted to the church’s decision and continued on raising a family. They had two more children as a result of this decision. She was undergoing Mustard Therapy and some Radiation Therapy as part of her treatments when she discovered that she was pregnant with her fourth child. Many may have considered abortion as an option in this situation since the baby could have been adversely affected from these treatments. But, once again, her devout Catholic beliefs restrained her from such a decision. Her fourth child was born without problems or defects.

The mother died three years later after fighting the dread disease for well over 5 years. She left behind a grieving husband and 4 young children.

Perhaps you think that the Catholic Church was too stringent and rigid in this case…but, not me. I was that fourth child!

Mom, I never got a chance to say THANK YOU… Thank you for listening to the priest. Thank you for choosing life! We didn’t get a chance to know each other like a mother and son should…but, thank you for giving me a chance to know my children! I LOVE YOU!

Yesterday, I preached about being a church for everybody and anybody, and afterwards a guy told me an interesting story.

The guy telling the story has a friend, female, who is a member of another church in our area. One Sunday afternoon, they had planned to hang after church.  He wanted to do some outdoor kind of stuff, and she was wearing a dress, so he said, “You probably want to change clothes – you can wear some of my sister’s jeans if you need to.” From there, the conversation went something like this:

She: “Oh no, I always bring a change of clothes with me on Sunday’s – in case the ushers at our church tell me I need to change clothes…”

He: “Do what now?”

She: “Well, like if they think my skirt is too short, or if I have on shorts – you can’t wear those at all… And the ushers are not supposed to let you in if you’re not dressed ‘appropriately’.”

He: “Are you serious? You mean they would keep people out if they’re wearing certain clothes?”

She: “Well… no… I’m mean, they wouldn’t really…”

He: “But you just said they would!”

She: “I know… but no… I mean…”

And we’ll let her off the hook here – and let me say that I trust the guy who told me this, and I also know the young lady, and I’m familiar with the church… If she is correctly describing the policy and practice of that church – well, I could be amazed or amused or angry about it, but mostly I’m ashamed of what that church is communicating to people who are far from God…

The fact that such things still happen today tells me that Jubilee is doing exactly what God wants us to do in our community – building a church where ANYBODY can come, no matter how they’re dressed and without regard to their life circumstances, find love and acceptance.

One of the earliest “church fights” was over some people who were trying to make folks jump through some hoops to get to God that He never intended for people to have to jump through. James – Jesus’ half-brother, and the leader of the church at Jerusalem – made this incredible statement to settle the dispute:

“It’s my judgement that we should not make it difficult for people to come to God…”

That’s the kind of pastor I want to be, and the kind of church I want Jubilee to be – but much more important than that, I believe that’s the kind of church God wants us to be.

So, don’t bring a change of clothes when you come to Jubilee – we make it easier than that to find out more about the God who loves you so much He’d rather die than live without you.

A changed life is better than changing clothes…

Thoughts bounce like tiny, flat pebbles across the pond in my head…

What an amazing Sunday!  We are still positively GLOWING!

• The worship team was outstanding as usual – I  hope we NEVER take for granted the fact that they routinely do such a good job “setting the table” and preparing us to worship the Lord.
• The house was full – lots of friends and family came out to see loved ones baptized – with TONS of first-time guests.
• I preached a message called, “Baptism – What’s the Big Deal?” from the account of Philip and the Ethiopian in Acts 8.  Sermon audio here: Jubilee Messages Online.
• At the conclusion of the service, we baptized 16 people! It was such a blessing to see these folks make a public declaration of their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Baptism video HERE!
• I got my first assignments for my coaching network.  First up, reading “Spiritual Leadership” by Oswald Sanders – a book I have had in my library for nearly 30 years.  I dug out my highlighted, underlined, dog-eared copy and realize it had been a few years since I’d last read it.  I’ll share one of the many “keepers” to be found on almost every page:

“Spiritual leadership requires superior spiritual power, which can never be generated by the self.   There is no such thing as a self-made spiritual leader.   A true leader influences others spiritually only because the Spirit works in and through him to a greater degree than in those he leads.

“We can lead others only as far along the road as we ourselves have traveled. Merely pointing the way is not enough.  If we are not walking, then no one can be following, and we are not leading anyone.”

• We will be taking the leadership team – and anyone else who is interested –  to Granger Community Church near South Bend for “Innovate ‘09″ in September – I’m super excited about getting to hear Pastor Mark Beeson and his team and getting to hear Shannon O’Dell again.  Don’t forget the deadline to let us know if you’re going is this Sunday, August 16th.
• Exciting times ahead – School starts back this week!  All Church Picnic this Sunday, with Men’s Dessert Cookoff!  The New Testament Challenge coming in September.  ”Sunday of Service” in October.  Seriously folks, we will blink our eyes a couple of times and CHRISTMAS will be on us!  Heads up!

That’s all for now.  Have a great day!

Thoughts bounce like tiny, flat pebbles across the pond in my head…

Haven’t done one of these in a while – but it feels good getting back in the saddle…

• Sunday was a near perfect Indiana summer day – low 80’s, and just a few puffy white clouds dotting a brilliant blue sky.
• Our worship team always handles any curveball that gets thrown at them – you all did a great job yesterday!
• We’ve had such strong attendance all summer, no slump!  It was great to see some folks who’d been away awhile, and to have some returning guests.
• We finished out the “Operating System – How the Christian Life is Supposed to Work” message series talking about the Spirit’s work in our lives: He works best in our areas of weakness; He works by rooting out the lies we believe and replacing them with God’s Truth; and his final product is us looking like Jesus.  The boxed sets will be available next week, and you can always listen online – click the link: Jubilee Messages Online
• New message series begins August 16th – “Universal – the Gospel for Everybody”
• This Sunday is Baptism Sunday – we currently have 12 baptismal candidates.  If you are one of those folks: remember to get your information sheets turned in, and be here at 9:30 AM next Sunday.  It’s going to be an AMAZING day!
• This month I will begin a year long coaching network with Nelson Searcy, pastor of The Journey in New York City.  I’m very excited to have this chance to “sharpen the saw” and be better equipped as a leader as our church moves into the future.  We continue to gain momentum, and I don’t want my weak spots and areas of inexperience to get in the way of what could be accomplished in this community.  I truly believe God is going to take us places we’ve never been before – add to that the fact that we have to “re-build the boat while we’re on the water,” and leadership development becomes critical.  Many thanks to the elders for approving my participation in this network.
• Sunday, August 16th is “100% Sunday.” I hope you’re inviting everyone you know with a Jubilee connection – former members, attendees, children of members, ANYBODY who’s ever driven by the building… We’re looking for this to be a time of re-connecting and renewing.
• Exiting things coming up soon: The New Testament Challenge, our 2nd annual Sunday of Service… By God’s grace, and by His power, we ARE changing the world from this cornfield!

That’s all for now.  Have a great day!

I had blood drawn last week for routine testing, got the results back yesterday – and surprising everyone but me, I did great!  Everything checked out fine – sugar, sodium levels, kidney function, triglycerides, all good…  My LDL was a little above where “they” like to see it – but all the nurse practitioner said was, “Wow – I really can’t fuss at you or scold you – just try to cut back on fried foods.”

(In my defense, the test was done right after our county fair ended – so the fish fry and fried bread sticks might have skewed things a little… I’m just sayin’.)

Vic and I had an interesting conversation, one that I have been thinking about.  She asked me if I had been expecting a bad report,  for the doctor to orders some drastic diet and lifestyle changes.  At the time, I said “no,” but as I’ve thought about it, I think maybe I was – somewhere deep and sub-consciously – hoping the doctor would say, “Here’s what you have to do…”

See, I know I’m overweight and out of shape.  I have high blood pressure.  I have family history working against me.  I’m definitely not getting any younger.  So, even though the blood work came in good this time – if I don’t make some changes, I can expect health issues to dog me in the future.

And honestly, some third party forcing me to do what I need to do is what I probably need to see it through.

I see some parallels in the spiritual life – as long as we’re not experiencing a crisis, most of us just coast along, letting issues slide, not dealing with stuff that needs to be resolved… And maybe, secretly, hoping for something to force us to take action.

At church, we’ve been learning to walk in the Spirit – living every moment of every day totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead us to do what He wants us to do AND to empower us to do what we cannot do in our own strength…  We’ve learned to say, “Lord, I can’t – but You can!” and to make it our standard operating procedure to continually surrender to the Life of Christ in us to be lived through us.

What if, instead of waiting for something to force us to take action ourselves, the key turns out to be relying on God, through His Holy Spirit manifesting the Life of Christ in us, to do what He wants to do to us and through us?  And what if the best time to sharpen that skill is when the test comes back good – everything is “OK”?

Dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  Romans 8:12-13 (NLT)

Tony is a former college classmate of ours, serving today as a missionary in Matamoros, Mexico.  He recently wrote this thought provoking piece:

I had an interesting conversation with a young guy last night about the difference between faith in the USA and faith in other countries – primarily third world, communist, or poor countries.  My wise young friend commented that in our country faith does not mean so much, specifically because we don’t have to exercise our faith very often.  I agree.  Why pray for daily bread when the fridge is full and the pantry too?  Why ask the Lord to bless you when you have so many blessings you are not sure which car to drive today?

Some time ago in Mexico, we were delivering food boxes to families in an area near the city dump.  At one particular house a young teenage girl named Lupita came out as we drove up.  She was smiling big time.  She kept saying, “This is a blessing from God. This is a blessing from God!”  Why?  It was just a box of food, a carton of eggs, some oranges, coffee, flour and corn meal to make tortillas, some toilet paper, etc.  What was the big deal?

Lupita told us the deal, “Last night we sat at the table and mother had us pray.  You see, we had no food at all, nothing.  She said we should pray for food to eat.  And then God sent you.  This is a blessing from God.”

Wow! I was almost in tears that day. I will never forget Lupita’s words that morning.   When you have to beg or plead for daily bread, then, yes, then faith means something more.

I have said for a long time that what passes for “faith teaching” in the U.S. is nothing more that sanctified and slightly sanitized materialistic humanism.  How hollow “Believing God for Your Prosperity Miracle” must sound to the Christ follower in sub-Saharan Africa who lives in a slum with no clean water, no sanitation, and no food.   In that case, the “prayer of faith” is not for a bigger house, nicer clothes, or a private jet – it is prayed for survival.

So I agree with you, Tony, there’s a difference between faith in this country and in other countries – ours looks crass and cheap and self-centered. And the rest of the world’s faith looks like their very lives depend on it.

(If you would be interested in learning more about or supporting Ninos de Christo, Tony’s mission in Mexico, leave your email address in a comment, and I’ll connect you.)

Thoughts bounce like tiny, flat pebbles across the pond in my head…

• We had a nice day weather-wise – it’s going to get hot, y’all!  You can feel the temps starting to creep up.
• We’ve had such strong attendance – I’m not even going to say the “S” words ( they rhyme with “bummer jump”).  Always good to have first time and returning guests.
• Worship band did a good job, even with some schedule challenges they had to overcome.  I appreciate those guys and their dedication and hard work.  They are not performers – they are “lead worshippers” and for that we’re thankful!
• I’m loving “One Prayer”!  We had a great start last week with Steven Furtick, and this week Francis Chan hit a homer with his message, “God is… Strength.” I’ve been excited about it for a couple of weeks – this truth that our God is supremely strong, and that His strength (not ours) should be reflected in what we do and how we do ministry – and it was great to see other people “get it” too.
• Quote of the day for me was Francis Chan quoting J. Vernon McGee: “God created the universe, and He does things His way.  You may have a better way, but you don’t have a universe.”
• We were excited and encouraged to see 9 people step forward to “officially” become members of Jubilee!
• Bible Beach Club is just a week away!  We’re excited about this outreach to our community and the children.  Yes, “The Challenge” still stands: If we get 100 kids here on a single day, I will kiss a pig on Friday. Click HERE to register your child.
• We’ll also be back at the 4-H Fair in July, passing out ice cold bottled water.  Watch for more details.
• This week I’m re-reading an old favorite, Grace Walk by Steve McVey, as part of my preparation for an upcoming message series.  God used that book 15 years ago to drive me deeper into grace and to produce in me a commitment to preach and teach the grace message for as long as I have the privilege of being in ministry.  Grace Walk still resonates with me in a major way, and I’m enjoying the heck out of it.
• Our “One Prayer” message this Father’s Day Sunday is Craig Groeschel  preaching, “God is… Father.”
• Speaking of Father’s Day, you don’t want to miss our worship service!  We’ve got some special surprises in store for our dads that day.

That’s it for now.  Have a great day!

Can church really be “come as you are?”

One of the favorite questions I am asked is “Can I wear jeans to your church?”  Even though I think that’s like asking “Can I breathe air at your church?”, I try to remember to be gracious enough to just say, “Sure you can!”

The “how-do-I-dress-for-church” issue points to a divide between what the church is really like and what people think it’s like.  I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe that most, and I’m thinking a majority here, of churches today would welcome a person no matter what they’re wearing.

So yeah, at Jubilee our dress code is “Please do. Wear clothes.”  On a typical Sunday at Jubilee, a wide variety of styles can be found: people dressed in jeans and t-shirts, khakis and button-downs, shorts and flip-flops, dresses and ties (one recent Sunday, THREE men had on ties – sure it was 3 out of about 120, but still…).  Here’s the deal for us, we care more about people than what they’re wearing.  So come as you are, wear what you have, and don’t give it a second thought.

But “come as you are” also means more than how you’re dressed… 

Somehow the idea has gotten around that church is for “good people,” people who have their lives together, who don’t have any real problems, or who aren’t facing any real issues.  Some people think they can’t go to church because they’re just not good enough.  With all respect to those who think that way, the good news is that nothing could be further from the truth!

The church is THE place for hurting people, needy people, people who have dug themselves into a deep hole, and people who are facing scary, messed up situations!  At Jubilee we offer love, acceptance, and forgiveness to EVERYONE, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. 

We want to be the place people turn to when they need help and hope for their life circumstances.  We won’t judge you, embarrass you, or make an example of you.  We WILL share the truth with you – The truth about a God who feels your pain and longs to bridge the gap between you and Him… The truth about a God who really does want to walk with you through the storms you face… The truth about a God who is bigger and better and closer than we dare to believe… the truth about a God who loves you so much, He would send His only Son to die for you.

At Jubilee, you’re welcome “just as you are” – jeans, junk, and all.