Core Values #4

EXCELLENCE: We strive for excellence in all we do.  Philippians 4:8 lists things that we should think about. If anything is "excellent or praiseworthy," think on these things. Ecclesiastes 10:10 is one of my favorite passages of the Bible. "If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." In Psalm 78:72 David is commended for leading the people with "skillful hands."

When we work for God, the work must be done with excellence. But, what is the definition of excellence? In our culture, excellence is often promoted in a prideful and competitive way that honors money, building, and position rather than the things that God is more concerned with. Here is how we define excellence:

1. We must be excellent in relationships. First with God, then with others. If our steps toward excellence put relationships second then we are out of balance.

2. We must be excellent in purity. If our culture defines the terms excellent, modern, contemporary or beautiful in any way that is opposed to the holy nature and decrees of God in his word, then we will not conform to that standard of excellence. We desire a Biblical holy excellence.

3. We must be excellent at what we do. Nobody is perfect, but if we follow the direction of the Bible to, "strive for perfection," then we will get to excellence. In the church, we too often resort to "good enough." We fall into the small-minded trap of being a non-profit organization rather than the family of the almighty, ever-living, providing Heavenly Father.

4. If we cannot do something with excellence, then we are stepping into it prematurely. It is better to do small things extremely well, before we do a big thing poorly and sloppily. If we can't do something well, then we won't do it. We will only begin doing what we know we can do well. There is no need to embarrass the name of Jesus with sloppy and disorganized service.

I encourage you to be excellent in your service as a greeter, usher, worship team member, nursery worker. Show up early for your time of service. Clean up extra when you are done. Bring a smile and kindness to your work. Take the extra steps to be beyond good and be excellent.

I urge you to be excellent in your ministry as a Small Group Leader, Elder, Teller or ministry leader. Schedule events properly on the church calender so we can promote it. Don't schedule and then create a failure that we have to cancel. Don't make excuses for why we failed, start winning. Be so excellent at your ministry task that you are naturally creating another minister to take your place and be fully capable of leading in your absence. Excellence draws appropriate attention. Excellence multiplies. Excellence inspires.

Core Values #3

Our third core value is MISSIONS: We are passionate about telling people about Jesus all over the planet.  Mark 16:15 says, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."  We believe that every church, regardless of size, can have a global reach.  For believers to be healthy, they have to have a love for the world (John 3:16) like the Father has a love for the world.  Our love for the world is put into practical action in four ways.

1.  Pray: We pray for people to find salvation in Jesus and we pray for missionaries who we help to send out.

2.  Give: We encourage every Christian to give to missions and missionary work.  This must be responsible, accountable and as personal as possible.  We host 12 to 13 missionary guests through the year so that our church can meet personally the missionaries we are helping to send out.

3.  Go: We encourage every believer to go on at least one mission trip in their life.  It can be a trip that is relatively local or it can be international.  We send disaster relief teams to regional disasters.  We also send youth and adults on overseas missionary jobs.

4.  Serve: We encourage every believer to serve the lost in love.  We are continually striving to improve ways to serve our community.  Our goal in loving acts of service is to simply show the love of Jesus.  The love of Jesus is powerful and makes people think about their creator, their life, and the state of their relationship with God.

Core Values: Innovation

Our second core value that drives how we do what we do, is INNOVATION.  If we are full of the Holy Spirit of God, then the Church should be the most creative people on the planet.  If we are full of the Holy Spirit, empowered to be witnesses (Acts 1:8), then we must be creative in reaching the lost.  If we value the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, then we will be creative in our worship.  If we are full of the Holy Spirit, then we will be walking innovatively toward new thoughts and ideas from God in our discipleship, not just rehearsing the same truths with the same terms, but growing in understanding, beauty and definition.

I have felt this core value for a long time, but feel very poor at accomplishing it!  Being innovative and creative means that we should have the best looking materials, the most inspiring music of all kinds, and the most appealing outreach methods in our region.  How are we doing with that?  Not so good.  But this value still burns in my heart!

If you ever wonder why I am frustrated, it is not because we are failing to do something, but because we are failing to do it with the innovation and creativity with which I want to do it.  I know that I drive some of you crazy, but I really think that some of our worship should have some other styles thrown in, like techno, hip-hop, jazz, classical and folk.  Yes, I am eager to be far more creative than most people are likely to be comfortable with.  Perhaps we may create our own new genre!  I get frustrated when I don't have the resources to be as creative as my mind is dreaming.  I get frustrated with, "Good enough."  Honestly, I wish I was the pastor of a church with a research university churning out the greatest ideas on the planet!

I so long for creativity.  I want to create this value in every person in our church.  We are Spirit filled, Spirit led people.  That means that we are crazy spontaneous in a perfect and holy way that makes our spontaneity, not immature and foolish, but beautiful, amazing, alluring and inspiring to the entire world.

Core Values: Love

It is essential that we continually restate our mission and core values.  I will continue to do so until we all can recite them by heart.  Our core values drive the quality and the nature of the work that we do to complete our mission as a church.  Our mission is to reach those without a church, build believers, and worship together in the Washington region.

The first core value that drives how we complete our mission is the value of LOVE, we share God's love with all people.  We desire to love people who feel left out in the community.  We desire to love every age of person that God sends our way.  We desire to show the greatest love when it is least deserved.

Because this is our first core value, our church is VERY friendly.  As I look forward to our future there are three things that absolutely can never be lost.  One, our faithfulness to the Word of God and Spirit of God, being Scriptural and spontaneous at the same time.  Two, our friendliness and kindness in our worship and large group gatherings.  Three, our deep love for one another that is built in small group gatherings.

Biblically, our love is an outflow of God's love for us.  It is commanded that we as individuals in the family of God love each other like family members.  Biblically, our love for each other is the mark of real love for Jesus.  And finally, our love and care is the relational component that makes any opportunity to share Jesus with others meaningful.

As I walk with you through our core values, take time to pray about them.  Make them a part of anything that God is directing you to do.  Keep them in mind at all times.  Today I encourage you to take some time to pray about your love for others.  Are you lacking grace for difficult people?  Ask God to give you love for them.  Ask God to give you love for those who don't agree with you about God.  Ask God to give you more love for your church and your small group.  Pray about love and God will answer.

Royal Ranger Camping

Tonight is the Royal Ranger camping trip.  Going with Gabe and Ben and the rest of the boys.  Should be fun!  It is always great to hang with the dads who go along.  The girls in our family have their plans for the night too.

Prayer For Leaders

I want to encourage you to begin praying about the election in the fall.  I believe that Bible beliving born again Christians have a very unusual situation in front of them in the election.  In my theological oppinion, the two candidates that are set before us neither follow a Biblical form of Christianity.  Both are people who claim Jesus, but inside the religious camps that they come from there are views about Jesus, humanity and God that are not Biblical.

That being said, here is my encouragement.
1.  Don't you dare fail to vote.  Stay in the fray and be involved.
2.  Study hard.  Know who you are voting for and what they say they will be doing.
3.  Compare their policy plans to the standards of the Scriptures.
4.  Pray for our nation, our presidnet and our leaders, even if you disagree with them.

This year, Bible believeing Christians will need to do what they should have been doing for decades and have been lazy to do, study the possibilities, pray and make sure to vote.  If you find yourself complaining about the government and some policy that is on its way, I have a challenge.  Spend an equal amount of time that day praying for our nation.  Be the solution.

Nothing Deep Today

OK, let's be honest.  I have no deep thoughts today.  This week has been extremely busy with two out of town trips and being out of the office for several things like National Day of Prayer and visitation.  Some weeks produce many great and deep thoughts for the blog.  Other weeks are all running and there is precious little time to think and study.  All that is available is consumed in preparation for sermons, not the blog.