Tuesday Thought

GREAT QUOTE from Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan... from his latest book, The Prodigal God:

"Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did."

What's your thoughts on this... do you agree? Disagree?

What churches are "nailing" it, and are drawing the kinds of people that were following Jesus?

When It Creates Buzz...

I was at Border's studying the other night. I arrived there kinda late, a little after 8, I think... and there were a a bunch of kids hanging around an open area with mics/speakers/etc. I thought it was some kind of "Open Mic Nite". But as time went on, and it was getting later, instead of the young crowd thinning out, more and more kids were arriving! They were excited, LOUD, and the air had a sense of "electricity" to it. As closing time came and went, I relished in the fact that I could continue reading without anyone kicking me out... but I was intrigued... "What has these kids (and their parents) out this late (it was now after 11pm)? And why isn't the store closing?"

Well, instead of asking someone, I just kept reading (had a lot to do)... and finally I decided to go purchase the book I had been reading. But when I got to the line... GOOD GRACIOUS MODACIOUS! There were about 200 teens and young adults in line ahead of me! (the pictures don't do the line justice) So, finally I ask what the deal is... and apparently it's the night of the release of Stephenie Meyer's new book, Breaking Dawn... and these young people are determined to get a copy! I'd never heard of Stephenie Meyer... but I've since learned that she is the author of the very popular Twilight series, a teen/young adult book series about vampires. Whoa. I'm impressed. Not so much of the books' content, but that it could generate this type of buzz with these young people!

I drove home thinking, "Wow... the church has the greatest message in the world, but most of us (churches) aren't generating that kind of buzz!" We can do better... we must do better! We have to compel them to come in... it's Jesus' mandate!

So, this Saturday, from 1-3pm...at Rita's in College Park (for directions, click HERE)... we'll be creating buzz by giving away free Rita's gift certificates to the first 150 customers who show up! And somebody will win A FREE iPOD! Has it been done before? Probably. But not here in College Park... and not with our church! Will some blast us for "using shenanigans"? Maybe. Will we be called "gimmicky"? No doubt. Do we care? Not really... because it'll create buzz, and that's what we're looking for! I hope to heaven that word gets out about "some crazy church" that is giving away hundreds of dollars worth of gift certificates AND free iPods! And if that leads ONE PERSON to our church who hears the Good News of Jesus Christ and eventually becomes a passionate and growing Christ follower, it will have been well worth it.

We're not the only ones creating buzz... some of you are doing it in much better and more creative ways than us! What are you doing out there to create buzz? Please share! :-)

Sunday Nite Speak!

* Tonight was awesome... light crowd, but awesome, nonetheless! Music and message flowed, our 1st Impressions Team was on point... things seemed to click well tonight! We looked at Matthew 4:18-22... one of my very favorite passages, when Jesus called the first four disciples... and we talked about how all followers fish... period. No if's, and's, or but's about it... it's what we do, it's who we are, it's essential to our being. If you're really a follower of Jesus, you just can't help but to fish!

* Brian did an excellent job leading worship... really cranked tonight!

* I spoke at The Bridge in the morning... they're poised to do great things over there! I love the environment of the community they're in... you leave the theatre, and there are people walking around, everywhere! Silver Spring won't even know what hit 'em soon!

* We had a couple of visitors yesterday... friends of Justin. The dude is a MONSTER inviter! If you're connected to him, just know you'll end up at Mosaic soon! ;-)

* Speaking of inviting... one of our attenders, who came out for the first time a couple of weeks ago, has been inviting her friends to join our Facebook group... at least fifteen of them have joined so far, and she's praying that many of them will visit Mosaic soon! The cool thing about it is that this was natural for her... it's not like she was prompted or asked to do it... and she started inviting them before she heard the message yesterday on being "fishers of men." Just an example that all followers fish... period.

* Okay... I'm outta here... headed to Ocean City for a couple of days with the fam. Will still blog, though... you guys can't get rid of me that easily! Haha...

Peace!

New Year's REVOLUTION!

My good friend, Aaron Proffitt, did a post on New Year's resolutions... and how we never keep them! He proposed something different this year to Aletheia Church (where he and his dad, Dave, serve as pastors): he challenged them to make an "eternally consequential" resolution in 2008 to share Christ with 50 people... that's 1 person a week... doable, right? I think so!

So, guess what? I'm proposing this same resolution to my Mosaic Church family... as well as my blog family, and anyone who may happen to be visiting the blog. Don't freak out... you don't have to get "worked up" or pumped up to share your faith! Every week, simply ask God to lead you to one person who might need to hear the good news of Jesus. Start with people in your own sphere of influence... family, friends, co-workers, etc... but also be open to Him leading you to people you don't know.

Here's the deal... we've already got at least two things going for us: 1) In Acts 1, Jesus said that we will become witnesses (not just do witnessing) when we receive His Spirit (which happens at the point of salvation); and 2) that if we follow Him, He will make us fishers of men (Mt. 4:19; Mk. 1:17). In other words, as Christ-followers, sharing our faith is something that is innate to us. When we are obedient in following Him, sharing our faith becomes more and more natural... because it's at the core of who we are as Christ-followers. And you know what? If we're serious about this, we'll see our resolution become a REVOLUTION ... as countless people commit themselves to following the One who died for them!

Will you join us in this New Year's Revolution? 50 people over 365 days... 1 person a week...

"God... reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the message of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, not counting men's sins against them." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Meter, Meter On the Mall...

I was at Starbucks today (the one with the metered parking lot), and decided to feed the meters for people who'd let theirs expire... and leave our church's small invite card on their windshield. I fed about 8-10 meters, left some cards on the cars, and then left.

A few hours later, I got this REALLY IRATE call from a lady who was ticked off because she "got this card" on her windshield. She went on and on about how her "space was violated" and how she "doesn't want to EVER see another one" of our cards on her car.

I listened intently... and then politely responded, "Ma'am, I am so sorry. Your meter had expired, and we wanted to show the love of God in a very practical way... so we put a couple of quarters in your meter and left our card. However, I am very, very sorry, because I can tell how distraught you are about not having the opportunity to have received a parking ticket for letting your meter expire."

Silence.

Finally, she said, "Someone from your church fed my meter? That was very nice of you. I'm sorry I called in such an angry manner... thanks alot, and have a very Merry Christmas!"

Glad she responded that way...

Cuz I almost cussed.

JUST KIDDING!!!! :-)

Seriously, though... random acts of kindness can have a profound effect on the recipient... because sharing God's love in radical and practical ways can soften even the hardest of hearts.

Random Acts of Kindness... have you performed one today? :-)

More Breakfast Bars!

Ok... I was out at the metro station again today... almost 400 bars and impact cards passed out today! Hopefully, people will start to recognize my face and associate it with getting a breakfast bar... it's all about creating a buzz for Jesus (Lk. 14:23)! :-)

Pray for fruit from these servant evangelism outings... almost 750 tuched in 3 days!

Do You Wanna Be Healed??

I went to the metro station this morning, and passed out over 100 Mosaic promo cards and breakfast bars... after 40 minutes, the bars were all gone! At first, I was asking if people wanted the breakfast bars... I'd say, "Breakfast bar?" and hold out the bar with a promo card... some took them; alot didn't. So, I decided to change my strategy... instead of asking them if they wanted a breakfast bar, I just started saying, "Happy Thanksgiving!" and hold out the goods... now, most took them! So, I'll be back at the station next week, but from now on with no fewer than 200 bars!

A couple of hours later, I got a call from a man with a high voice and an accent... asking about our worship gatherings. This is how the conversation went:

Caller: "What time are your services?"

(Let me pause here and say that I was VERY EXCITED, because I'm figuring that this caller had received a promo card just a couple hours earlier!)

Me: "Our services are on Sundays, in the evenings, at 5:30."

Caller: "Do you have healing and the impartation of the Holy Ghost?"

Me: (WHAT?!?!) "Umm... can you repeat that?"

Caller: "Do you have healing services and miracles and the impartation of the Holy Ghost? I'm very sick and my doctor told me to go to church and get healing, and the sickness would be gone!"

Me: "Well, sir, we believe that the Holy Spirit is given at the time of salvation to those who put their faith in Christ... and we believe that God does heal and perform miracles. However, He does so as He pleases. And if you were to come to Mosaic this Sunday and ask for healing, I would most definitely lay hands on you and ask God to heal your body! But I can't promise anything... when God heals is up to Him. But we'll definitely believe Him together for your healing."

Caller: (voice lowers) "Hey, D... what's up, man!!"

Me: "Wha---??"

Man, it was THIS DUDE, playing a joke! Some people are just wrong... :-)

Not About Me!

Still not feeling well, and not up to thinking about what to write... so I thought I'd re-publish one of my earliest posts that might have missed alot of you guys. Hopefully, it will stir up some dialogue (it did before... haha). Here goes:

THE CHURCH EXISTS FOR NON-CHRISTIANS! There... I've said it. It's out! Hang me for heresy! Or... is it? Although it is true that the Church is the body of Christ, made up of those who have accepted His free gift of salvation, the church's mission is to be about making disciples! The Church doesn't exist for the "already convinced"; it exists for those who are far from God.

Now, when I say that the Church "exists for" non-Christians, what I mean is that our primary target is them... we exist to - first and foremost - do ministry in their direction. Isn't that what Jesus said His mission was? "Healthy people do not need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent" (Lk. 5:31-32). "There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away" (Lk. 15:7). "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost" (Lk. 19:10).

Our Master models the way for us... we are to GO AFTER those who are far from Him, and to make them disciples who follow hard after Him. The Church exists for non-Christians... not for us to cater to ourselves.

Takin' It To the Streets

On the 10th and 17th of this month, we're saturating the community with our new promo cards (which I wanted to show you a picture of... they're great... but Blogger doesn't upload PDF files). I'm hoping to have 50 people (at least) on each of those Saturdays! We'll be getting some help from some other churches and friends, so we should get a HUGE number of cards distributed. If you're free, and want to help out, shoot me an email...

We're taking College Park by storm, baby!

Also... this Sunday at MOSAIC, we're starting a new message series on prayer... Vertical... can't wait... God's gonna blow some minds! See you Sunday!

Helping Them Cross Over

I promised to introduce you to some of my "peeps" who have influenced me in ministry in a major way over the last several years... and I will keep that promise. However, instead of doing it daily, I will do it weekly. So, if you enjoyed the Influences, Part 1 post, you'll look forward to getting Part 2... next Monday. :-)

Today, though, I want to just share some things that are on my heart from the Book of Joshua, where I've been meeting the Lord regularly...

In Joshua 1:12-18, Joshua reminds the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh about a command given to them from Moses, who has since died (read the entire dialogue between them and Moses here). Joshua says to these leaders, "Hey, God's given you YOUR land, but your brothers - the other nine and a half tribes - haven't reached that point for themselves yet... don't forget that it's your responsibility to help them!"

In essence, what Joshua was saying to then was, "Okay, God's given you rest... He's given you a nice, spacious land that will serve you well... a place where you can stretch out and do your thing. But guys... REST COMES LATER!! There is so much at stake, so much left to do so that your brothers will be able to gain their rest, as well! Right now, we need you to help them get to their place of rest!"

Wow... that's some pretty powerful stuff!! Here's my application for today from that passage:

We don't get to focus on ourselves! Just because we're "saved and going to heaven" doesn't mean we get to settle down and only think about ourselves...

Our problems...

Our families...

Our own forgiveness through Christ.

We have an OBLIGATION to help those who haven't "crossed over" to their place of "salvation rest" yet. We have a duty to fight for those who haven't experienced peace with God yet... so that they can enjoy the same kind of blessing and spiritual rest that God has given us.

That's why I'm so passionate about Mosaic reaching unchurched people... we're not called to focus on ourselves! We have to be about the business of helping people to find new life in Christ... to experience the same kind of life and freedom anf joy that He's given us.

We've gotta help others cross over...

... and we shouldn't even THINK of resting... eternity is at stake.

People Matter to God

Spent a good part of the day today with Ben, Alan, and Lindsey from the college ministry of Calvary Baptist in Tuscaloosa, AL... and Mark Lydecker, the North American Mission Board Collegiate Ministry Director. AWESOME TIME! Just hearing the vision and passion of Ben, Alan, and Lindsey for college students... what they're doing to reach them... and how they might be able to partner with us to reach students at Univ. of MD, prayerfully starting in January 2008... just got my ministry mojo's going, baby! THIS IS GOING TO WORK!! It seems like a total God-thing, and we're just riding the wave as He provides it!

I asked myself this question: "What would make a college ministry... down in ALABAMA no less... exert their energy to send good people who they've trained... to come over 800 miles to do college ministry alongside of a new church?" BECAUSE PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD!!! And these guys are committed to reaching people fwho are far from Him. SO committed to that end, that even if it means sending quality people... who could no doubt be put to good use there in AL... miles away from home to lead college students in College Park, MD to become growing and passionate followers of Jesus... then that's what they're willing to do!

And that's what it takes... a heart commitment to do whatever is necessary to reach people far from God. And these guys understand that.

People matter to God...

We need to do whatever is necessary to reach them...

... even if it means giving up what's most valuable to us in order to do so.

peppermint-filled pinatas!

Okay... GREAT BOOK!!! My friend Eric Bryant hit it out the park with this! Personally, it was right on time for me... and, practically, he nailed it: you cannot read this book and come away without understanding the importance of "loving your neighbor"... a must-read for all Christ-followers!

(For those who aren't familiar with Eric, he's one of the pastors... his official title is "Navigator"... at Mosaic Church in L.A.)

The book is an easy read... it's humorous, engaging, and - most of all - convicting. If you read it with a heart to learn, you will definitely come away assessing your own commitment to seeing people the way Jesus did (does), and have a greater desire to - not simply tolerate those who are different from us - but love them and serve them in the midst of relationship.

And if the book title doesn't grip you, check out some of these chapter titles:

• "The Art of Woo"
• "White Men Can Jump (Just Not As High)"
• "Lots of Sex in the City"

Again... great book... a must-read... be prepared to be both CHALLENGED and CHANGED!!

Water Give-Away

We had a great outreach on Saturday afternoon! Fourteen of us went out to the main strip in College Park (Route 1), right down the street from the Univ. of MD... and we passed out 200 free ice cold bottles of water, and 200+ invite cards... in about a half hour! Hey, don't miss that... that's 200 touches!!!!! That's a lotta seeds, baby!

We had a great time... we had a diverse team... and we met a need. AWESOME time!!

Being that it was our first attempt at servant evangelism, I knew we'd have some takeaways... here are a few:

1. Make sure the "FREE" on your signage is large enough for people to see from a good distance.

2. People are pleasantly surprised at the "giveaway", because most people out on the street waving bottles of water are asking for donations! ("Wow... you're a church, and you want to give us something freely??")

3. We need to at least triple the amount of water and invite cards next time.

4. Most people will take the water... it's hot outside!!!!

5. You have to be careful, because the traffic light doesn't stay red forever! Yes, I learned this the hard way... no, I did NOT get hit. :-)

Hey, this is a great way to get people serving! It's a low-risk (for those who aren't used to evangelism), high-visibility way to create a little "buzz" for your church. One young lady said she was "really nervous" as we were getting ready to start... but by the end of our time, she was AMPED!! Btw, she found out about Mosaic from a doorhanger we put out for our launch service... and she's been there ever since! In fact, she brought a friend with her to church a couple of weeks ago... and brought out another friend to do the outreach with us!

Okay... that's it for now... I'll be back later to give an update from our service!!

Monday Ramblings...

Had a great service yesterday... numbers are still pretty low... but excitement is high! we're still getting out first-timers... and people are returning, and bringing their friends!

I preached long yesterday... 45 minutes... wow. Not sure if that's too long for our church, but we're trying to keep the messages to around 30-35 minutes...

Brian and the band did an incredible job yesterday! They rocked Bebo Norman's Nothing Without You and Casting Crowns' Voice of Truth, along with some other songs. It was great... and the Casting Crowns song went perfectly with the message (FACING YOUR GIANTS:Turning Obstacles into Opportunties).

BIG UPS: Okay... MUST give props to Bernard Greene...who handled guitar duties, powerpoint, AND sound (don't even ask...) Thanks, B, for stretching out and helping wherever needed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A couple of things I am learning: 1) it is HARD to build teams... 2) we need to be more intentional with building relationships/doing evangelism. Churches grow from the "buzz" in the community that's created by the church itself! And the buzz comes from being "salt and light" to the people in the community!

GREAT QUOTE!

"The early church may have met in homes and hung out near the temple, but they also lived in the community and shared their lives with others who were not yet part of the Way. Too often we require others to come to us to find God rather than allowing what God does among us to spill over into the lives of those who have not been with us in that "one place."

-- Eric Michael Bryant, Peppermint-Filled Pinatas

Hmmm...

Well, well...

I seem to have ruffled a few feathers with Tuesday's post...

EVIDENTLY, some have a problem with the fact that I said that it was "evident" that the young man who killed all those people at VA Tech had never met Jesus.

Okay... one the one hand, you're correct: I didn't know the young man... and can't know for sure whether or not he was a believer. Someone even made the inference in their comment that because he was Korean, there was a good chance he was Christian (I tweaked that a bit, but read it for yourself...)

Now, I mean no disrespect - especially to any who may have known the young man personally - but the Bible has A WHOLE LOT to say about what constitutes what a Christ-follower does and does not look like. Here's a sampling:

Look here...

... and here...

Check this out...

... and finally...

Now, I could go on... but I won't... so, that's just a SNIPPET of what the Bible says about the matter. So, if you're upset, don't get mad at me - I didn't write the letter; I'm just carrying the mail...

Now, I will say this to all of you who ARE Christ-followers (I shared this with a friend earlier today): If you and I will get serious about being salty and well-lit Christ-followers (see this passage), we would do the kingdom of darkness some serious damage, and have more of an impact in the world...

And no one will have to WONDER whether or not we know Jesus...

A Nation Mourns

By now, everyone has heard about the VA Tech shooting... it is so sad, and so unbelievable. I can't imagine how all those parents are feeling as they mourn the loss of their child or children....

On this past Sunday, I was speaking at a church... and, afterwards when we went to pick up our boys from the Children's Ministry, my 10 year old son Darren was nowhere to be found. We searched all over that church for at least 20 minutes... and, finally, he appeared (he had been in the bathroom for awhile... lol) The thoughts that ran through my mind as I, along with the church's Children's Pastor, looked for DJ were hauntingly eerie... where could he be? I confess that for much of those 20 minutes, I was a wreck inside... this couldn't be happening!

But Darren did show up... and there were many parents of students at VA Tech who finally received word or heard from their children that they were safe. But for a few dozen parents and families, their world was totally rocked, never to be the same again...

Many are saying, "This should never have happened!" "How could so much evil be resident in such a young man?"

Well, it doesn't take much. These are terrible times.

Our hearts should be broken not only for the victims, but also for the young man who held the gun and took the lives... because, evidently, his was a life that had never encountered the living Christ...

He either rejected the message...
Or it wasn't explained well enough to him...

Or, worse still... somebody hid it from him.

I don't even want to stop and think about the possible number of believers that came across that young gunman's paths... from the time he was a young boy until his sad demise yesterday as a young adult.

If you're reading this, think of those one or two or three family members, fellow students, neighbors who you know well... of whom you're not sure whether or not they have a relationship with Jesus... and share the Good News of Jesus Christ - that God is, in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself!

And He has given US this message of reconciliation...

Don't hide the message... nothing good will ever come of it.

Not A Cakewalk...

People often think of security officers as kicking back, reading the newspaper, drinking coffee... not doing their job. That is definitely not the case with CNN Security! I was a CNN Security Officer in Atlanta, as well as here in DC. The training of CNN officers is rigorous, and they are very well-prepared to handle crazy situations that may arise (like today's shooting).

Please pray for Ozell Adams and his family, as they will be hounded by the media in the next several days... some will rightly celebrate him as a hero; others will no doubt say he acted presumptuously. Pray also for the family of the young lady who was killed... What a crazy, sin-sick world we live in... one that JESUS loves and gave His life for!

This event today is another reason why we cannot be silent about the truth of the Gospel. Jesus died to save sinners... including the gunman who killed the young lady!

Mosaic Connection BLAST!!

Aw, man... we had a blast tonight! 5 unchurched people showed up for our Mosaic Connection! Now, that may not sound like alot, but - if they get connected - multiply that times the number of people they will influence... and you've got a whole load of people! And they totally fit the demographic we're trying to reach: late teens/early 20's (we're shooting for 18-40)... multiracial... unchurched.

We did Dave & Buster's and Friday's... loved it! And the questions and comments that were flowing were just off the chain! Things like:

"So, how do you know your religion is the right one?"

"Some Christians judge me because I have tattoos!"

"I've always been afraid of going to church, because I know that... if I start going... I can't keep doing some of the stuff I'm doing now."

"One thing that scares me about some Christians is that they don't seem to have anything else to talk about besides God!"

Aren't those awesome questions and observations? They talked... and they listened... intently. They listened to the Gospel, they asked questions... they didn't make any professions of faith... but they'll be out for our next service! They're seeking... and we've got what they're looking for! ;-)

So, pray for Nina, Gavin, Eric, Jackie, and Natasha. We'll be hooking up again soon... walking with them on this journey! Pray that we're able to deepen the connections made, and that they'll be influenced towards becoming radical Christ-followers!!

Like Minds...

Met up with a guy named Jeff Warner today who planted and pastors a church that shares similar vision to Mosaic... and they meet on the campus of UMD! He said he came by our Preview Service this past Sunday, and really liked what he saw! I'm looking forward to seeing how God will deepen this friendship and what might be in store for the future...

Many possibilities there to reach College Park for Christ!