role models

I had a great week last week with BCC hosting two absolute hero’s in the faith for me, As a young man Clyde Sundry and Mal Fletcher had an immense impact on my life even though neither would probably know it.

Clyde Sandry was one of the generation of leaders that run the national youth council of AOG when I was a teenager, Mal Fletcher was one of the founding members of Youth Alive Australia which not only impacted down under but had a massive impact in the UK as well.

I was Blessed to hear these two guys speak on several occasions as a young man and still to this day remember the effect it had on my life.

What really blesses me is that both these guys are still going strong today, they are still relevant, still have a fire and a passion for what they are doing.

A young man at BCC asked me yesterday if he could meet me for a coffee one day, no problem I replied and then enquired why, “no reason really” was his answer, “I just need a spiritual grandfather type figure” not being funny here guys I am 41 for goodness sake, a grandfather type figure!! I ask you

Anyway back to role models, it is easy to throw out words like broken Britain etc and paint a bleak picture, I happen to think we live in a great place, I happen to like people and think we are OK, but one thing I would point out is the lack of great role models, English football as once again been dragged into the proverbial gutter by the press with revelations that the Captain of the UK soccer team has been cheating on his wife with his team mates girlfriend, add to the squad a guy that visits prostitutes, a guy who may or may not have forgotten a drugs test, one who also cheated on his wife then been booked for speeding over 100 MPH it’s not a good picture.

We don’t escape in the church either, several of my role models from when I was young, Mal & Clyde’s contemporaries have also fallen by the wayside, now I have to be careful neither to judge or condemn but the fact remains they are no longer valid role models.

And we cannot just say , Oh well no good looking at man, because we need great men and woman as role models, Paul says follow me as I follow Christ. I, we, your city, your country needs great role models.

I don’t want my role models to be perfect, but I do want them to have integrity, some may even fall but they get up again and not only learn from mistakes but pass on that knowledge and experience with humility and grace.

And that is why I am so grateful to guys like Mal and Clyde and that’s why I am happy to be a spiritual grandfather to that young guy!

Thank you

Got to say thank you to a real hero of the faith for me yesterday, Clyde Sandry along people like Ian Green ran the AOG national Youth Council when I was growing up, they were responsible for encouraging and shaping the person I turned out to be. I sort of didn’t know what Clyde would say when I thanked him for the investment he made into not only my life but countless others of my generation.

I shouldn’t have worried, he just grabbed hold of me and hugged me, I am glad I thanked Clyde now, But even more delighted that this man of God spoke into my life many years ago.

Stripped

I have just got hold of a copy of Mark Batterson’s new book Primal, I love Mark’s books and still rate “in a pit with a lion” as my favourite book.

Love the fact it starts with his romantic trip to Rome as it brought back memories of my trip to Rome with Deb last year. In fact the whole introduction has me gripped as Mark talks about stripping back the layers that we have put onto Christianity over the years to get to the heart.

I have I only got this far at the moment so will do a full book review when I finish it but this reminded me of when you strip back the wallpaper in an old house, each new layer reflects the era it was put up, it reflects the time and the fashion of the time.

I visited one Stately home once where they had stripped back the layers of wallpaper to reveal a stunning design built into the plaster of the wall itself.

So it leaves me to two conclusions, firstly each generation needs to have it’s expression of faith. It is no good complaining if it doesn’t resemble the wallpaper that you have. Secondly lets not forget that what keeps the roof from coming in is not the wall paper but the walls, firm foundations, strong support not built on our or previous generations preferences but on the unquestionable truths and pillars our faith is built on.

Runs on pixie dust

I saw a car this morning, on the back windscreen was a slogan, “powered by pixie dust” imagine my shock and surprise when this car pulled into the petrol station before me and started filling up with gas, I couldn’t believe my eyes. This car was not driven by pixie dust at all the audacity of it all, so what can we learn from this.

1. don’t always believe what you see

It is easy to be taken in by claims or by the external things, A pastor said to me recently he had been on our website and was impressed by what he has seen. I am very happy about this as we have a great website but that is not what makes BCC so special. Neither is it the great welcome or the fantastic musicians or the stage and projectors and lights. They are all the product of our heart, our essence our DNA.

What makes BCC so successful is the things no one sees, the united leadership, guys turning up every Sunday at 6am to seek Gods favour, Ministry Directors and pastors who are passionate and work tirelessly. There are no shortcuts on this and yes it is possible to look great on the outside yet be empty on the inside. It’s one thing to say you have pixie dust but the proof is in the engine.

Read Jeremiah 10 about guys who cut down trees and dressed then up to look great, the problem was when the storms came they had no roots and simply blew over.

2. perception is influenced by preference

what makes someone make such an outlandish claim as to have a car that runs on pixie dust, I don’t know but would hazard a guess that this person is influenced by Disney, it’s sort of a informed guess as she also had Disney characters all over her car as well. It would be safe to say that that this person gravitates towards all things Disney. That she sees the world through Disney glasses. Question what glasses do you see the world through?

3. there is no such thing as pixie dust

Sorry to be the barer of bad news so before you run out to order a pixie dust engine be warned, it does not exist. In the same way that too many people expect God to come through like some sort of top trump card. We use prayer like some heavenly credit card to fulfil our desires.

I was reading a report from a church in cite Soleil in Haiti today. This is the area where all the gang members’ escaped from the prison have returned to and are spreading terror and menace to the neighbourhood. It made me think of the things I pray for when they are praying to stay alive for another night.

We need to realise that no only do we serve a great God but we have been given a great commission on our lives to go, to do something to take steps. We have been promised if we do that he will help us and power us. There is no pixie dust, the lady in the car needs to fill up with fuel, when she does the power comes, it is the same in Church life, can I encourage you to fill up on the spirit of God. After all to whom much has been given it says in Luke 12 much has been demanded.

Pixie dust I ask you

choice cuts

Just had lunch with a beautiful woman, My wife to be precise, we went to a café in the City Centre. Very nice but I had one problem, there was so much on the menu to choose

I love choices, the more the better but I am useless at choosing things, any roads it got me thinking of some of the choices I do make.

1. I choose to see the best in people and to believe in people even if sometimes it causes me to get hurt, I am not naïve or soft and I am no pushover but I refuse to be scared of trusting people. If this gets me burned once in a while so what I heal real quick
2. I choose not to be a victim in life, to rise above situations and circumstances, I choose to see beyond my feelings and not be a captive to them.
3. I choose not to be narrow minded, I will look at all the evidence, I read Christian and non Christian books to improve my knowledge, You know what I even have friends that are atheists and I enjoy their company and the discussion between us. I am confident in both my faith and my walk with God to treasure both the conversations and the questions.
4. I choose to be faithful to my wife. I understand the need to be careful, that in the position I am in it is easy to be tempted by the Gold, Glory and the girls but I am resolute to love my wife and kids more every day. I have seen too many good men hurt and sometimes destroyed when they have taken their eyes off the ball, I refuse to add to that number. Besides my wife is a babe and my kids are the greatest on the planet.
5. I choose to serve wherever I am called to serve and whatever I am called to do I will do all to the best of my ability. I may not be the best at everything but I can give my best for everything. When all is said and done it’s easy to be great, just serve
6. I choose to forgive, because if others hadn’t forgiven me all the times when I messed up I would be pretty much hosed by now.
7. I choose to speak life, I have seen too much harm done by people who slander and belittle, not only that it’s ugly it makes the people doing it look ugly. Honestly I cannot stomach preachers who peddle hate or use the pulpit to condemn others. It never fails to amaze me how some preachers think it is right behaviour to attack fellow preachers. If you dedicate your lives to finding fault in others, grow up and take the plank out of your eyes
8. I choose to believe everyone was fearfully and wonderfully made and I am convinced more that ever that people have the potential for great good and great evil, if I can play any part whatsoever in helping people do and achieve great things then I am in. I want to be part of the answer to the cry of distress in my city. I want to see people loved for who they are and inspired to become all that they can be.
9. I choose to believe that God has not finished with me yet. That I have been called for such a time as this, I also believe this for you
10. Finally as for me and my household, we choose to follow God. period

I love choices

Junk Culture

There was a song played on the radio this morning and one line in it really made me sit up and take notice. The female singer uses the line “boys trying to touch my junk”

My first thought was obviously well clear your junk away then but of course I jest, I am quite aware that she wasn’t on about the stuff in her attic, the junk in the trunk her was something entirely different, now you can argue that it is youth culture and slang and of course I get that but

Junk?

The dictionary defines junk as “the remains of something that has been broken”

Words are important; they express outwardly how we see things inside, our perceptions, our viewpoint our vista on life.

And often our words betray us, it is one thing to give youth their head, I remember my youth (so fleeting and als so long ago yet) I loved the recklessness of it , the adventure the feeling of invincibility, I also remember the feeling of inadequacy and awkwardness we have in our youth.

But

Junk ?

We are Blessed beyond measure at BCC to have what I believe are the best team of youth pastors in the country, we have a fantastic venue in the heart of the city called the Stand.

The Stand

Words are important

Stand means to be tall, to hold ones ground, to withstand the force of something a support or foundation

I believe in generational thinking, I am so please that my daughters belong to the stand, that with all the difficulties and trials of growing up that they have positive role models who install value and integrity into them. That allows the truth of Psalm 139 to permeate their being, fearfully and wonderfully made.

Our generation owe it to the generation below to allow them to find their feet, to have their day

But

We also owe it to them to champion their value and worth

Bring it on

I was asked a question this weekend, what did I think I had to offer our Denomination (AOG) I surprised myself by not having to think about the answer at all.

What I want is quite simple, I want the generations coming up after me to go higher, faster greater than we have ever gone.

I want some of the battles I have fought in getting rid of a religious mindsets to mean they don’t need to fight the battles I have fought because believe me they will have their own battles to fight.

I want to be an encouragement, a Barnabus to the next generation. I want as get holder to be someone people can come to and go away feeling encouraged and built up.

I am part of a denomination that have achieved some great things, has some great churches and great leaders as part of it, but I area I feel we need to improve is in encouraging and thinking generational, and that is where I honestly believe I can make a difference.

Bring it on.

green light red light

Woke up this morning to find that the Sentinel Newspaper has run a fantastic report on our 4th Congregational which we launched last weekend.

When we took on a dilapidated building at an unfashionable part of the city people asked us what the call was in doing this, people only seem to operate if God sends a big plane in the sky to write the words in BIG LETTERS and does it every day for three weeks. Mind you some people apply the same principle to what colour socks they wear.

Funny that the same people are often the ones who complain that nothing happens, and look back with rose coloured glasses to halcyon days that probably never happened or if they did happen it was despite and not because of them.

I remember hearing Bill Wilson the incredible Kids worker from New York speaking once and the interviewer asked him what the call was to work in the ghettos, easy he said the call was the need.

We have purposely decided at BCC to operate with a green light mindset, our mandate is simply this, in Matthew 28 God said Go, so there it is we are trying to do what we are told, we have decided to go.

“But what if you are wrong?” people ask and here is the great thing, if you get up close and personal with Jesus he is very good at telling you to stop. There were various times on the journey to getting Meir off the ground that we had to stop, God gave the red light.

Now I don’t know about you but I get frustrated at the red lights, you think you have waited ages and you think they will never change but ultimately you realise that the red lights are there to stop you heading straight on into a car crash.

We were frustrated when those red lights came but looking back if God had not said stop at certain times we would not have the firm foundations we have now, A quality new building and resource for Meir and fantastic Community Pastors in Gary and Cath Morris. We have been able to navigate through some tricky traffic to get to that wide open space we are now in.

In Proverbs 20 God says he will direct a mans steps in order for this to happen you need to be moving , operate on a green light, you already have a mandate but be alert for God to direct even stop you and you will not go far wrong.

Hitchicking on the technological highway

Today I have decided to recommit to my blog, I realised that I have taken something of a sabbatical from blogging over the last few months.

Not only that, this is my first blog post directly from my iPhone, i love how I am even more connected now, these are times of great opportunity to get messages delivered , we must seize and enbrace these things.

Therefore I am back and promise to be more disaplined with my blogging in 2010

Men of Issachar

“And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their brethren [were] at their commandment.” 1 Chronicles 12:32
The men of Issachar really intrigue me, I mean what is not really explained is how exactly they knew and understood the times, only that they did.

Perhaps this is the point, there is no formula, no magic answer or self help program to understand the times.

Perhaps the answer is to rely on God

To prayerfully ask him to reveal what we are to do