Thinking Disciples

The Importance of Presence

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:03:09 +0000

The Question: Are you a "watcher" or an "experiencer" of God's presence?

You can see it throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites had a tendency to watch their leaders experience God's presence while they stood at a distance and watched. (Exodus 33:8) Do you watch or are you passionately pursuing God's presence in your life?

The Problem: We have plenty of things that fill our lives.

The average American spends 2 hours a week on facebook and nearly 30 hours watching TV. That leaves _________ time in God's presence. Without time with the Father how will we be changed, transformed, and molded into the image of Christ? God's presence is the difference maker.

The Only Solution: Time with Jesus.

There are no substitutes. You want to go deeper, spend time with Jesus. You want to live a life that matters, spend time with Jesus. You want to experience life to the fullest, spend time with Jesus. You want to know where you'll be or what you should be doing, spend time with Jesus.

Our Prayer: Learning from Moses.

In Exodus 33 you see Moses in one of his greatest leadership moves of all time. He's asking all the right questions: God, will you teach me your ways so I can lead these people? God, will your presence go with us and distinguish us from all other nations? God, will you reveal yourself (your presence) to me on a completely new level? Those are the prayers of a leader who understands the importance of God's presence.

The Land of Obscurity: Part II

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:03:18 +0000

5 things to do in the Land of Obscurity....

(a continuation from "The Land of Obscurity Part I")

So, what's your back story? Every so-called "success" in life has one of these. It's not always sexy and rarely is it front page material. In fact, it's usually defined by words such as perseverance, development, and process. I know, words we all love.

Welcome to the "land of obscurity." The place void of all spotlights. It tests your motives, your character, and your perseverance. So what will you do in the land of obscurity?

5. Learn to listen.

Ever wonder why you have two ears and only one mouth? Figure it out. Learn to be a good listener and subsequently a good learner.

4. Wholeheartedly serve people right where you're at.

Don't live so consumed in the "land of tomorrow" that you don't serve, love, give 100% today. You can't just flip that switch on one day.

3. Attach yourself to great people.

You never outgrow needing mentors. Find (hunt down, pursue, stalk, hound) people who are going where you want to go and become a follower.

2. Do the little things with excellence.

It's pretty simple. Doing the little things with excellence trickles into every other area (i.e. follow through, be on time, go above and beyond, be accountable, finances, etc.)

1. Develop your core values.

These values shape your life and your future. Either figure out what you value or life/others will shape them for you.

The Land of Obscurity: Part I

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:59:02 +0000

When all the spotlights are off…

Nobody dreams of obscurity. Ask a child, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Rarely will you ever hear them say, "I want to be unknown, unimportant, and inconspicuous." Talk to a kid on the high school football team and not too often will he say, "I hope to ride the bench my entire career if at all possible."

Quite the contrary, most people want to do something great, something noteworthy, something that others will look and say, "that person is a success." Whether you have a personal drive to succeed or expectations placed on you by others, most of us would agree that we have a deep inward desire to achieve.

When success is the end result most people will do whatever it takes to get there. They look for the next job opening, internship, degree, business partnership, shortcut, etc. Whatever it takes to catapult them to that next place in life.

Success, however, is an elusive term. It's elusive in that there is no benchmark to adequately define it and it when it is defined it's usually done by others around you. Not only is success elusive it's also extremely addictive. When you crave it, it can easily become the center of your entire existence. It becomes an endless, uncelebrated pursuit of something that was elusive and indefinable from the beginning.

Although I'm sure you could find a few examples somewhere out there, the majority of true success stories have a back-story that very few ever know. Why? We rarely celebrate the season of obscurity in people's lives. Nobody wants to recall the period of life when you were unknown, unimportant, and inconspicuous. If we do recall those moments it's only briefly and usually in an attempt to make us feel better about our own personal plight. Instead, we focus on the successes.

When we talk about the great inventor Thomas Edison nobody opens with his first few years of futility and thousands upon thousands of failed experiments. When we speak of Steve Jobs very few recall the early and mid 80's when Jobs not only failed but was let go by Apple. Henry Ford went broke five times before successfully starting Ford Motor Company. Walt Disney was fired from one of his first newspaper jobs because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas."

To every great story of success there is usually a story of obscurity. A back-story that is marred in blunders, failed attempts, and most of all perseverance.

So, you want to be a success? My first question would then be, "What does your back-story look like?" Have you entered into the land of obscurity without ever truly knowing who you are, what you value, or what you're willing to sacrifice for this success?

There's a story in the Bible that most people are familiar with; it's the story of David and Goliath. Although King David achieved more in his lifetime than most could ever dream, King David is most notably recognized for slaying the giant Goliath. It's a classic success story. An overnight rags to riches, Rudy-esque (for all you football fans), against all odds kind of story.

But you guessed it. There is a long backstory. The land of obscurity started way before David walked onto the battlefield and stood before Goliath with stone and slingshot in hand. In fact, when David tells King Saul that he will go out to fight the giant Goliath, Saul immediately points out that David is only a boy. Saul wasn't aware of the back-story, but David was about to enlighten him.

"But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”' (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

David was doing some incredible things in the land of obscurity. First of all, David spent many days and nights developing a deep, intimate relationship with God. It was a relationship that defined his life and that ultimately defined him as "a man after God's heart." (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22) It was a relationship that dictated his decisions and kept him from selling out to others or shortcutting God's divine plan for his life.

Secondly, David worked his tail off in the land of obscurity. Although known as a lowly shepherd boy, David had developed into a fierce warrior fighting off lions and bears when they came to attack the flock. I can only imagine the multiple thousands of times that David spent in the pasture with his slingshot, perfecting his shot. For David, the land of obscurity was not lost time or wasted time, it was character-building time.

The result. Much like many of the success stories that we hear today, David's success was the inevitable result of a long and arduous back-story played out in the land of obscurity. Goliath was simply a formality. While many would say that the battle against Goliath was won in the Valley of Elah that day, David would probably tell you that the battle was won on the backside of a pasture a few miles away in the town of Bethlehem while he watched his Father's sheep.

It’s easy to get focused on success and our life becomes more about what we’re doing rather than who we’re becoming. We get focused on success thinking that if we achieve enough then eventually it will bring what we’re looking for. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t.

Take a lesson from on one of the greatest kings and men of God who ever lived. Embrace the land of obscurity. Work your tail off when all the spotlights are off. Become a person of character and integrity. Pursue a deep relationship with God first and foremost. Follow David’s example and you may just find out that one day when Goliath does stand before you it will be nothing more than a formality.

Dream Assassins: 4 quick ways to kill a dream

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:37:20 +0000

“You can be whatever you want to be. Dream big.” When is the last time you heard those words? The chances are you were a kid. We don’t say that to adults.

People who believe that are naive and just downright unrealistic. I mean, not everyone can be the President of the United States. Not just anyone can find the cure to cancer, right?

In fact, if we’re honest most people don’t like other people who are dreamers. We don’t always like people who combat the status quo or infringe on our comfort zones. Why? Because quite honestly we probably have dreams that we’ve already given up on and we feel guilty.

We live in a world where people start out with big dreams but they’re soon derailed by problems, pain, broken relationships, life, etc. Our dreams turn into unrealistic fantasies and the pursuit of what can be is traded for the reality of the “right now.” Our dreams get shelved for another time, another day, and another place never to be picked up again.

For most of us there is something deep in our heart that pulls at us. If you don’t know what those things are then ask yourself these questions: What would you do if money were not a factor? What would you pursue if you knew you couldn’t fail? What is that cause, people group, or idea that you always think, “Why hasn’t anyone done something about that?” More than likely what emerges is a God-given dream.

How many people today get the opportunity to see even a glimpse of their dream become a reality? I would argue very few, but why?

Maybe because our dreams get killed along the way by one of these assassins...

Dream Assassin #1: Tell your dream to whoever will listen.

I learned this the hard way. I grew up loving to write. Eventually I thought I might even pursue this writing gig one day. I had written something I was particularly proud of and decided to give it to an acquaintance who was both an editor and well-respected writer. She read it and returned it to me with corrections and comments that might have well said, “Just stop writing and wasting your time.” It was neither constructive nor beneficial criticism

I learned my lesson. Don’t just share your dream with anyone and especially with someone who doesn’t truly care about your growth and development. I probably questioned my abilities for at least a year after than encounter. If you share it too early or with the wrong person it could potentially sabotage or derail your dream forever.

Dream Assassin #2: Wait until everything is perfect.

Guess what? If you’re waiting around for the stars align before pursuing your dream then you better get comfortable. So many people fail to step out and begin the pursuit because they need one more degree, they need to get past a certain stage in life, or all the pieces aren’t in the perfect order. More than likely even if your dream is years from reality there is something you can pursue or prepare for today.

Dream Assassin #3: Pursue your dream alone.

Maybe it’s possible but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done. When I think back to the greatest innovators and leaders of our era there were always key individuals that surrounded them. The late Steve Jobs, who will go down as one of the greatest innovators of our time, may have actually been best at getting the right people around the table than he was at actually developing amazing products.

Who will partner with you to see your dream become a reality? In the trials and opposition that you will inevitably face who will be a source of strength and encouragement in your life? Seek out individuals, partners, mentors, colleagues who are committed to you and your dream.

Dream Assassin #4: Interpret roadblocks as a sign.

This sounds pretty simple but it’s by far the number one reason why dreams are never realized. We face roadblocks or a series of obstacles and think to ourselves, “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.” Quite the contrary, instead, you should think to yourself “this dream must be something special.”

We know obstacles will come but for some reason we don’t prepare ourselves to persevere through them. Any runner in a marathon knows that the dreaded “runner’s wall” will hit them at some time during the race. It may be mile 19 or 20 but regardless it is downright agonizing. You have to grit your teeth, endure the pain, and just persevere. Our dreams are no different.

I have no idea what you’re dream may be. It may be for your family, your career, for a non-profit, or to tackle a social justice issue. Regardless, it will take you navigating these assassins and developing a personal resolve to persevere regardless of the circumstances. I pray that you dream big and that you never settle.

What is Love Tulsa Sunday?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:51:19 +0000

Over the past 2 years CityChurch has been a part of planting seeds of the gospel throughout our city. We've partnered with organizations, churches, and businesses for projects such as...

Crisis Pregnancy Outreach
Tulsa Boys Home
Filling the Void - feeding the homeless
Wright Elementary (events & mentoring)
Brookside Events (clean up, parades, kids events)
Mowing yards
Projects for widows & the elderly
111 Project (foster care initiative)
Tulsa Hope Academy
Laura Dester Emergency Children's Shelter
Etc, etc.

On Sunday, October 2nd we won't have service, at least not service as usual. Our entire church will gather at 9:30am and then disperse throughout our city to work on 13 different projects. It's our hope and desire that through these acts of love and service doors will be opened to share the love of Christ and that our city will never be the same.

WE ARE GOING TO BE THE CHURCH, NOT JUST GO TO CHURCH.

We've got 13 different projects happening that day. We could use your help. To sign up click on the link below and let us know which project you want to be a part of. Let's continue to see a city transformed by Christ by continuing to plant seeds of the gospel in our city!

Childcare provided that day at the Tulsa Ballet from 9am-1pm.

Love Tulsa Sunday ends with a party in downtown Tulsa that evening at 4:30pm with live music, food, and stories of what God is doing in our city.

http://citychurchtulsa.com/love-tulsa/serve

Mission Partnership....

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:46:02 +0000

This past Sunday night at BIGteam we unveiled the concept of "Mission Partnership" to our people for the very first time.

I can vividly remember sitting in a living room 2 years ago looking around at the 15-20 people in the room and asking for them to partner with us to start CityChurch. Last night I sat in a room of about 120 people committed to CityChurch and helping us take that next step.

We handed a "Mission Guide" to every person in the room. It's a small booklet that describes who we are and what we're about as a church. It also talks about where we're going & the future vision. Just like any great football team has a playbook and strategy on how to accomplish the goal, we as the church, must develop a plan in order to see the mission accomplished. In this case, the mission is seeing more lives changed by Jesus Christ.

After explaining the mission and how we're planning on getting there I asked everyone to prayerfully consider committing to the following:

Faithfully attend Sunday gatherings
Be part of a Community Group committed to experiencing biblical community with others
Use your time and abilities by serving on Sundays or as a part of our Love Tulsa initiative
Become a financial contributor that works toward a minimum of a 10% tithe
Create an environment of life change and discipleship by continually inviting others to church and helping others take the next step on their walk with Christ

If I'm honest, the response so far has been greater than I even anticipated. It's going to be incredible to see what God can do through a church that is wholeheartedly committed to living out the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

To download the complete Mission Guide click here.

Summer CityChurch Update

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:51:15 +0000

There have been some great things happening this summer at CityChurch. I wanted to share with you a few of those things.

1. LOVE TULSA - Our Love Tulsa initiative is taking off. In fact, it's beginning to take us places we never dreamed. We have began the process of partnering with churches from all over the city to make LOVE TULSA a citywide initiative of churches working together on common issues (i.e. addiction recovery, foster family care, public education, social justice issues, etc.) This has been spearheaded by a new addition to the CityChurch team, our new Love Tulsa director Mollie Myers. She's a superstar & we're blessed to have her.

2. New Believer Coaches - Several months ago we began to evaluate how well we were following up with new believers and we weren't satisfied at all. In fact, the national average for most churches in the US is that 1 out of 10 new believers continues in the discipleship process and gets plugged into the church. That is an absolutely horrendous stat! We've taken a big step recently and began a process of training 25-30 new believer coaches. When an individual now commits or recommits their life to Christ they will now receive a trained life coach who will walk with them on a 4-week journey where they will explore their story, God's story, and how to begin an authentic walk with Christ. So far, it's been amazing. We'll see how it goes.

3. The Future: This summer has been a season of refining the processes and structures at CityChurch. We've tried to take every ministry to the next level. This includes increased security in cityKIDS, a new process for volunteers, restructuring our entire Connect Team, more Community Groups, etc, etc. We're preparing for big things coming up. This fall we are gearing up for some game changers like unveiling our new Mission Partners initiative & our first ever LOVE TULSA Sunday on October 2nd that's going to be absolutely HUGE!

Please pray for us that God will continue to lead and that we will continue to take the gospel to our city!

Also, if you missed this last week of our new series, Confessions of a Pastor, Pastor Jim shared his story over the past year. It was incredible! The Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way in peoples lives as they were healed of some very deep pains. Click here to watch the video!

Time to Recalibrate...

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:42:50 +0000

It’s important to stop and recalibrate some things in your life every now and then. Things that somehow got a little off track and needs some tweaking. Do you just let it continue or do you stop and make some tweaks?

Here’s a few of the things I’m learning to recalibrate in my life….

Speak less and listen more. People have always said there’s a reason you’re given 2 ears and 1 mouth. Try to use them accordingly.
Don’t let text messages run your life. I’ve developed a nasty habit lately of looking at my phone the second I get a text message. I realize I’m spending half my day just trying to respond. I’m learning (again) that my phone is a tool and not my master. Maybe for you it's email, twitter, facebook, etc.
Spend time with God before you jump into work. For some reason I started looking at my emails or making a list of to do’s before having my time with God in the morning. I just can’t do that. My new rule is no looking at emails before spending time with God because my mind will be on what I need to accomplish not what God wants to do in me.
Don’t waste your down time. Lately I’ve been neglecting my down time and using it for pretty foolish things rather than things that actually renew me. I’m not saying all your down time must be productive but real SABBATH is about refreshment and renewal not laziness.
It’s good to break up the routine sometimes. I’m a creature of habit and I like (love) my routines. Many times to the point where it’s a little unhealthy. Lately I’ve really worked hard to create opportunities that stretch me out of my comfort zone and cause me to be spontaneous. You may not have this problem but I do.

What in your life needs to be recalibrated?

Mother's Day Ideas...

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:52:13 +0000

Ok Dads! Let's make this Mother's Day special. Don't wait til Saturday night and get the last card they have left. Join forces with your kids and make it special for Mom, she deserves it! Here's a few ideas - You've got 1 week...

Have your kids make something special for mom (card, sign, breakfast etc.) It's hard to beat something homemade.
A good way to get her out of the house (for you to make something for her) is to give her a few hours to do something for herself (shop, massage/spa, lunch w/ friends, etc.) You set it up and make it happen.
If you're looking for a gift the Vintage Pearl has some cool stuff and there's a Groupon discount (via Misty McCaslin) The Vintage Pearl & Groupon
Maybe you can do a project around the house that you know your wife has wanted you to do for awhile now.
Keepsake box: Fill it with cards, letters, poems, pictures, and special stuff she will love for years to come
You can make really great & cheap photo album books online (www.shutterfly.com)
Surprises: Clean the house for her, plan a special lunch or dinner
Things not to get her: cooking/cleaning supplies, household appliances, NOTHING

Any other good ideas?

Faith & the Tsunami in Japan

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:20:49 +0000

I’m a thinker. I enjoy analyzing things. Sometimes it gets so bad that I just lay in bed at night trying to turn it off.

This week as I watched the images from the tsunami in Japan play out on my TV screen, I sat with the rest of the world in shock. As a thinker, your mind can’t help but begin to formulate questions when you see such tragedy.

Earlier in the week I sat down with two individuals who were deep thinkers and still processing what their faith was going to look like. They hear the messages about God being good, they see the suffering of innocent people, and they have questions; valid questions at that.

As human beings, we want answers. Something we can comprehend that will put our minds at rest. Something that’s black and white. Something concrete.

We crave clarity and we pride ourselves on being able to formulate solutions and certainties to life’s most complex issues.

After eight years of formal bible and theology training I’ve discussed about every issue imaginable. I’ve spent countless hours scouring the depths of issues from predestination, to the reality of heaven/hell, to the issue of theodicy (the problem with evil).

At times these discussions led me to truth. At times scripture and the use of reason (in that order) led me to conclusions that somewhat appeased my curiosities. At times, most of the time, I had to settle for uncertainty.

I can vividly remember a time in my theological pursuits sitting in a dorm room.... with a young man I had become quite familiar with through various classes. This dude was brilliant. He had just been accepted into the most prestigious divinity school in the country and rightfully so.

Years of theological pursuits, asking questions, seeking answers, and delving into studies had led him to a “crisis of faith” moment. That time when knowledge becomes an inevitable roadblock and the path becomes either faith or unbelief.

There are discrepancies. There are complexities in life and faith that we must be willing to wrestle with.

In essence, all the questions inevitably come back to one very important question, “Can I believe? Can I have faith?” The problem with faith is that it takes just that, faith!

A type of faith that is not contingent on circumstances, tragedies, or uncertainties. The type of faith that supersedes our ability to fully comprehend the complexities of the world we live in and our faith in God. Not a faith void of real questions, but a faith that understands our limited nature as humans.

Psalm 139 may be one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. As I read it, I listen to the Psalmist express prayers to God that comfortably embrace his role as a limited human before a limitless God.

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (139:6) and “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” (139:17)

Hidden behind these words and phrases in Psalm 139 is a resolute faith, a peaceful assurance that rests in God’s omniscience. It’s almost as though you can hear the relief in the writer’s words: “I will never fully understand these complexities and I’m okay with that.”

Do you remember the story of Job, a righteous man who walked in the ways of the Lord and yet faced unspeakable tragedy. Put yourself in Job’s shoes.

Job had questions and even decides to put God on trial. God shows up and responds in a way that is truly incredible.

God responds to Job by asking, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?” (Job 38:4-5)

Don’t misunderstand me. Our minds are an incredible gift of God that should and must be used. The difficulty lies when that pursuit of knowledge and understanding becomes the very thing that keeps us from true relationship with Him.

Paul understood this tension when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 8:1 “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

As a follower of Jesus Christ we can NEVER, NEVER separate our thinking, our pursuit of knowledge, and our myriad of questions from a personal relationship with Christ. If we do, we will inevitably come to our own “crisis of faith” moment because uncertainties are inevitable.