When God's People Pray

This past week I heard one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. It was not the first time I had ever heard this sound, but the first time that I recognized it anew. It was the sound of God's people praying. It was like a concert for the soul. To hear people expressing their faith in God and trusting Him for healing is an amazing and challenging thing. To hear this concert of prayer was like hearing the most talented symphony in concert. It was truly the sound of Heaven on earth. It is amazing what we can hear when we slow down to listen.

"I Will Be Your Server Today"

If you've been to a restaurant anytime in the past decade, this is how your server (formerly known as your waiter/waitress) addresses you. It is their job to make sure that you are served the things you order and make sure that your needs and wants are taken care of. They are in the "service" industry. Service is something that I take a hard look at, mostly because I come into contact with the service industry quite a bit. There is this elusive thing called "Customer Service". It is like the Loch Ness Monster of the service world. You are usually met on the customer service hot line with a recorded voice that instructs you to choose from several options. When you finally reach a "real" person, though, there is not much service of the customer going on. I usually hear nothing but the company line. The customer service person is not really there to help me but to help their company. This frustrates me a little. Can you tell? Jesus says in Matthew 20:28 that He came to serve and not be served. Now that's a novel concept and one that I thing the church would do well in adopting. This past Saturday, our church had 26 people doing community service projects around our town. We also had some folks from the Methodist church and another Baptist church helping too. You know, I never once heard someone complain about having to paint something, wash something, clean something or pick up something. There was a common goal to serve the people of our community in a visible and viable way. Most people of the community did not know who was doing the work, just that the work was getting done. Isn't that the true heart of service. Service is meeting the needs of people in a joyful way so as to improve and impact their lives. It is putting the needs of others above your own needs. It is helping others without the need of recognition. That is at the heart of service. So...whom will you serve today?

Everyone Communicates Few Connect by John Maxwell

John Maxwell’s book “Everyone Communicated Few Connect” focuses on the importance of communicators making connections with their audiences. His approach is applicable for one-on-one communication, small group communication or large audience communication. Maxwell gives very practical information on the importance and necessity of connecting with the audience. For me, the principles that he presented were things that I already know and practice. As a pastor, I speak to people all of the time and know and understand the importance of connection. This book would be really good for someone who is just getting into speaking or needs to build upon their speaking ability. One of the things that I found was that John has a tendency to share lots of personal experience. This is good, but there are times that it comes off a little arrogant and self-centered. Case in point is the book jacket. The largest print on the cover is his name. This is a little off-putting for me. There is also a bubble just off from his name that says, “The world’s most respected leadership expert.” Granted, Maxwell is very well known for his leadership abilities, but saying he is the “most respected” is a bit of a stretch for me. In the prologue he promises five principles and five practices. In true Maxwell style though, each of the principles and practices have anywhere from four to seven other things that you must do. So instead of ten simple principles and practices it’s more like 50. All of this is not to say that I did not gain any new knowledge, I did. More importantly, it reaffirmed the things I already knew.

The Map: The Way of All Great Men by David Murrow

David Murrow follows up Why Men Hate Going to Church with The Map: The Way of All Great Men. The Map answers all of the questions that were left in the minds of readers after reading Why Men Hate Going to Church. Murrow sucks you in with the “story” of how he discovered the map that leads to manhood. Globetrotting and adventure lead to the secret of what it means to be a great man. The answer lies in Matthew’s gospel and the account that he gives on the life of Jesus. Matthew writes and Murrow “discovers” the three journeys that are apparent from Jesus life. Consequently, these are the same three journeys that are necessary for men to take to achieve not only godliness but manliness as well. I have found myself seeing the three journeys as I read the Bible. It has also become a major theme of my teaching and preaching. The key is for men to see that you can be a man and a Christ follower at the same time. There is no need to check your “man card” at the front door of the church. Murrow hits on very practical applications not just for men but for churches as well. The challenge is to help men see that it’s okay for them to be men and have a heart for Christ. Churches must also see that they are to lead men on these three journeys. The problem is that most churches are stuck on the first journey and; therefore, men check out. I have found many applications for the principles that Murrow teaches. The Map has also given me a fresh look at how to reach men and what is necessary to keep them and grow them within the church. I highly recommend this book and strongly encourage you to put it into practice before it is too late.

A Snow Day Reflection

I've been able to sit and watch the snow fall all day, so far, through by office window. It's been relaxing to say the least. As the minutes have passed by, I've seen the snow get deeper and deeper in my backyard (which is right outside of my office window). There was a magnificient white blanket spread over our yard. It was perfect, undisturbed, flawless, even picturesque. After lunch, the three little boys from down the street came over since they got out of school early for the snow day. Needless to say...when five little boys start playing with their toys the picturesque, flawless blanket of snow goes away...and fast. They run and scream, throw snowballs, make snow angels all in the name of fun. Some would make them go somewhere else to have their fun so that the beauty is undisturbed. Not so with me. I love to hear them as they play outside, not a care in the world. They are enjoying themselves. When did we get so old that we don't enjoy ourselves anymore? How often does it do this in here, snow that is. I had a blast over the lunch hour building a snowman with my boys in the front yard. Fun! Say it with me...FUN! It is probably the one thing that lacks in many of our lives. Are we so dignified that we can no longer enjoy ourselves? Are we so mature that we can't go out and make snow angels too? This is the only today that we have. A couple of years ago I made this statement: Today's a new day, make the most of it. I'm not sure if I came up with that or if I heard it somewhere, but I'm taking credit for it. How are you going to make the most of today? Is it enough to just enjoy the picturesque scenery of a fresh snow? For some of you the answer is yes, and that's okay. But what does your inner child say? SNOW!! It's time to start enjoying life and living it to the fullest. Isnt' that what Jesus said when He said He gives us life abundantly? The short answer is YES! Get out there and play in the snow. Enjoy it! You never know when it's gonna snow this way again.

A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears by William J. Bennet

William Bennett takes a look at the past 20 years of history form 1988-2008. He contends that this is a vital part of American history and one that saw some of the greatest changes in our history. The sub title, new hopes and new fears, captures that sentiment. While some would not consider this a complete or exhaustive history of the past 20 years, Bennett captures the events that most greatly affected the U. S. From the end of the Reagan era, the fall of Bush I, the Clinton years, Rodney King, even OJ and the election of Barack Obama, Bennett looks at the ins and outs of these significant historical events. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even more than I first thought. It was during these years that I came of age. I remember where I was when some of the events were detailed. Bennett’s writing style is more than just sharing information and is more of storytelling. Of course, Bennett found himself in the middle of some of these historical events as well. While he has a tendency to lean to the right, Bennett shoots the history pretty much down the middle. I appreciated that he did not editorialize in the main text and left that mostly for the foot notes. This could almost read as Bennett’s memoirs. After reading this work, I am intrigued to read his previous two works on American history as well. A very well written book and quick read. I highly recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Where is God? by Dr. John Townsend

I just finished Dr. John Townsend's new book Where is God? This book asks the questions that so many people ask when they are going trough times of difficulty, struggle or personal tragedy. It is written to those who are hurting or struggling. It is also a great read for those who have a desire to help others overcome their hurt and find God in the midst of the pain. For me, the book was worth Chapter 5, entitled: The God You Must Not Seek. In this chapter alone, Dr. Townsend frankly discusses the four "Gods" that many people encounter in the midst of their struggle. What I found is that regardless if you are in a difficult time or not, we find that we are trying to serve these other "Gods" and not the one true God of Scripture. There is also one of the greatest definitions and discussions of God's love that I have every read. I also think that this book is a great resource because it does not just talk about theory, but also practicality. Dr. Townsend give practical exercises for the reader to go through to evaluate themselves as well as practical suggestions on what to do next. This is definitely not a book just for those that are suffering. In reality it is a book for those who have suffered, which encompasses all of us. While I didn't think I would benefit much from it when I started reading it, I have found it to become a wonderful resource when counseling and comforting the hurting. It is a must read to gain a better understanding of where God is in the midst of suffering.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://booksneeze.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”