My son wants to be a rock star, although I’m not sure he knows what that means. He really likes music a lot and sincerely loves singing in church and home. I’ve taken him with me on some youth events and he has seen people like Chris Tomlin, Hawk Nelson, and others perform. His grandfather and uncle purchased him an electric guitar and amp for his birthday, so hopefully we’ll get him started in lessons some time this fall. To go along with the image, he has been growing his hair long and has even developed a cool head flip to keep his hair out of his face. We knew we had to trim it up the other day when the bank teller at the drive thru apologized for not having suckers “for the girls in the backseat.” We laughed with and at him. He said a couple of kids at school were giving him a hard time about the hair flip, so I told him I’d beat them up. I was just kidding. I really would not beat up any little kids, but my wife probably would!

As a parent of two kids, I can tell you that I would go to great lengths to defend my children. More than anything, I want to shield them from any harm which would come their way. On the other hand, I realize there is a balance in defending them. Bailing them out of every hardship and delivering them from every difficulty is not beneficial for them in the future. However, when it really counts, I know that I would do anything to defend them. Being a parent has taught me a little about how God must think about His children. Since we are created in the image of God, I suppose He placed in parents some of the same feelings He has about us. In reading the Scriptures I am very confident God will defend those who are His against the attacks of evil. I am certainly not saying that He always shields us from harm, but when it counts He steps in and comes to our defense (see Psalm 59). When our back is against the wall or when there seems to be no way of escape, God will be our defender. God loves His children and will do anything to keep them away from those who seek their harm.

You will hardly ever find me dressed up. While I was in college, I feel that I served my time wearing suits, ties, and uncomfortable dress shoes. Way back in 1992 as a college freshmen, I was required to wear a tie every morning as well as a suit jacket each night to dinner (which was mandatory). Prior to college life, I attended a Christian school where a relatively strict dress code was enforced…tuck in your shirt, wear a belt, no hair over the ears, yada, yada, yada. I am certainly not complaining about the rules because I was aware of them before I attended both institutions. However, now that I am on my own I have a hard time dressing up. I have ebayed most of my ties and only invest in a new suit every decade or so.

This morning was one of those times I was dressed up. I attended a memorial service early and then had to run to the store. As I was entering, an employee stopped me and asked if I was the new store manager. “Excuse me,” I said. She replied, “Oh, I guess you are not him. I had the wrong person.” For a brief second, I felt important. I cannot explain why, but I did. I continued to think about this throughout the morning and afternoon…what is it that makes us feel important? For some it is their appearance. For others worth is determined by a job title, a relationship, a car, a neighborhood, a group of friends, a big paycheck, a degree, or notoriety. There are even some who think more knowledge, better morals, or superior giftedness establishes importance. According to Paul in Ephesians 2, our identity should only be found in Jesus Christ because it is through Him we have life. Here is a simple outline of our identity in Christ: once a sinner, now a saint (2:1-10); once far from God, now near to Him (2:11-13); once fighting with others, now family (2:14-18); and once void of God, now filled with His presence (2:19-22). Don’t make the mistake of finding value in the things you can do or obtain, but rather find worth in the person of Jesus Christ.

For my birthday this year my wife bought me a GPS. I’m not sure if she was trying to tell me something or not, but I have really enjoyed owning it; in fact, I would say that it brings me much comfort when I am in an unfamiliar place. Very rarely do I ever feel lost without it. Recently we took a trip to Columbus, Ohio and the GPS helped us find places we didn’t even know existed. I cannot recall getting lost one time while there, but even if we did the GPS automatically recalculates our position and redirects our route. What did people do before these things were invented? Read maps? So old-fashioned!

I have got to be honest…I need a GPS system for my life right now. I know where I am going, but uncertain of how to get there. The last eight months of my life have been what I call a “transition period.” For the last decade, I have been involved in youth ministry working with some of the greatest students in the world. But now I am stepping out into the church planting world. It is a scary, but exciting place…if that makes sense. I have never been a lead pastor before. I have never been to a church’s first Sunday. I have never led a volunteer team of thirty people. I have never had to pay the rent (for a church, that is). Should I keep going? I keep asking myself, “And why are you making this transition?” I just know that God put a restlessness in my heart about a year ago and when this opportunity came my way, I knew it was right. Logic cannot explain why a person would leave that which is familiar for that which is unexplored.

I guess when I read about some of the people in the Bible, I also see a lot of uncertainty in their hearts. God usually unveiled a plan, but failed to reveal all the details in between. Maybe God should invest in a GPS system for His followers. Maybe not. If I really believe He knows what is ahead, I’m sure He’ll let me know when I need to turn right, exit, or turn around.

Yesterday was an extremely long day for our entire family. Following church and lunch with some band members performing at our church’s community festival later that day, we had a very brief stint at home. I decided to use these few minutes to sit in front of the television, which I do not get to do that much. I quickly landed on the Univision channel where they were airing a live soccer game and there is no other sport I love more than the real football, soccer – it’s the world’s sport! Since Univision is a Spanish speaking network I could not understand one thing the commentators were saying, except maybe gooooooooooal. There was something in the voice of those two announcers which caused me to get into the game, even though I did not follow either team or know any players on the field. I could tell that these guys loved the game and wanted everyone to feel the same way they felt. In my opinion, if someone can give me a desire to watch something I do not fully understand, they are pretty amazing.

I have often wondered what people who do not fully understand God, the church, or Christianity thinks when they listen to me talk. Are they curious about my faith by listening to me speak? Or, do people detect more passion in my voice when I talk about sports, politics, the latest flavor at Starbucks, and who Dwight Schrute is dating on The Office? I like sports, hate politics, enjoy good coffee, and occasionally indulge myself in television drama; however, do these things deserve more passion than my Creator? I must be honest…I struggle with this in my own life. I am never at a loss to discuss the latest music, the newest trend, the weekend blockbuster, a book I just finished, and the final score. Don’t get me wrong…I am not proposing that we abandon anything connected with current culture, but I am challenging all of us to give God His rightful place in our hearts. We must be a people who are passionate about God and His life-changing work in our lives. When we are convinced about His work in our world and in the hearts of people, we will develop a passion which is contagious, even when others don’t understand all the facts.

Shopping is something I used to enjoy doing, but over the last few years it has not seemed as thrilling. Maybe it is because I no longer desire to shop the, what I call, teeny bop stores. I am getting older and probably past the prime of spending any amount of time perusing Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch, even though they use my body for the models. Instead, I now resort to combining clothes and grocery shopping, which means some type of superstore like Wal-mart. I desperately needed new jeans so this afternoon I made my way to Super Wal-mart. I quickly located the men’s section and picked out a couple pair of jeans to try on. Next, I made my way to the fitting room where I checked in with a friendly lady who then showed me to the room. Before following her to the fitting room, I left my empty cart right outside the fitting area so I could retrieve it after trying on my clothes. Upon exiting the room, I became aware that someone had moved my cart to the other side of the aisle. No problem. I threw my jeans in what I thought was my cart and began to push. Curses! Some loser had abandoned their cart with a bum wheel and stole my perfectly healthy one! Wal-Mart should have gone into lockdown so I could have found this inconsiderate person who is now dancing hand in hand with my shopping cart! In my opinion, there are very few things more annoying than pushing a cart which does not function properly.

In reality, I should be all to familiar with pushing something which does not function properly - me. Each day I am reminded that I do not function the way God originally intended. I am selfish, insensitive, dishonest, and the list could go on. I am broken. What is the solution? I’m not sure there is an easy answer or a quick-fix formula to this age-old dilemma, but there is one thing I know God appreciates – a heart which is humbled before Him. I think God opens His ears to the person who gets up every morning and acknowledges his weaknesses, inabilities, and sin. I believe God provides mercy to the individual whose prayer is “I need Your help” or “I can’t make it today without You.” Ultimately, “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

On Thursday I received one of the coolest gifts in the world; in fact, I really didn’t know I wanted it until after I had experienced the joy it brought to my soul. It made me feel like a kid again! I know what you are thinking…he went to see the Jonas Brothers in Cleveland tonight. Good guess but…no. This past week someone sent me an electric scooter. As soon as I opened the package I knew Christmas had come early. Lucky me, I don’t even exceed the weight limit! The box carrying my new ride came late in the afternoon to the church. With the help of some curious onlookers, we quickly put the scooter together. After allowing it to charge for an hour (the directions suggest 6-8 hours before first use), myself and our middle school pastor were blazing the halls on the second level of our church. It was awesome. However, after several hours of use, the brakes are starting to fail. I tried to fix them, but I have had no luck. Needless to say, I am a little disappointed right now. There is nothing like having a gift but not using it.

In the Christian life, every believer is endowed with a spiritual gift (see Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:6-10; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 12:29-30; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11 for a list). In brief, these gifts are given to believers for the sole purpose of causing the church to work together and ultimately bring glory to God (see 1 Corinthians 12). Although all followers of Christ have been given gifts from God, many are not using them for His benefit. Think of the church’s potential if everyone was contributing. Sometimes I believe that the reason the church is not accomplishing more is not because of all the evil in the world, but the lack of commitment by those who claim the name of Christ. If you are connected with a church family, you should be contributing. Don’t be a freeloader! Lose the excuses and commit to help bring those far from God near through Jesus Christ.

If you know how to fix brakes, let me know. In the meantime, check out the spiritual gift test for help in discovering your spiritual gift. Share your gift by leaving a comment.

High school was an overall good experience for me. I have many wonderful memories and made some incredible friends; however, there are other parts of that time in my life I’d rather forget. One of those experiences better forgotten is playing the awful game of truth or dare. Those of you wholesome enough to make it out of high school without participating in this armpit sweating competition should thank your lucky stars (whatever that means). Truth or dare is basically a game of chance where you are placing your life or reputation into the hands of a group of people who expect a cheap laugh at your expense. It is a schoolgirl version of Fear Factor. In this game, each individual must choose between telling the truth or performing a dare. Most of the time telling the truth involves questions such as “Are you in love with Matilda Johnson?” or “Have you ever kissed that girl with the mustache?” You were expected to tell the truth about their question no matter what. Choosing dare meant that your cruel “friends” could challenge you to do things such as eat something disgusting or kiss the girl with the mustache. I usually opted for truth since my life was pretty dull and I didn’t have much to hide, except I was jealous of the girl with the mustache. This game has everything to do with being out of control and placing your fate into the hands of others.

On Sunday, September 7 we will be launching our first service at The Summit and also begin a four-week series called “Truth or Dare.” Using each of the Gospels, we will examine the truth about Jesus Christ and dare people to place their lives into His hands. This is a series for the skeptical, the broken, the insecure, and the rebellious. I hope you will join us for this life-changing series! Weekly gatherings will be held at the Regal Interstate Park Cinema 18 in Green, Ohio. We will begin at 10:15am with a time of worship lead by The Summit Band. You can find out more information by visiting www.greenmoviechurch.com.

For the last several weeks there has been a Frisbee on the roof of my house. My son, Ty, and his friend from down the street accidentally threw it up there while playing some type of game. I believe it was called “Watch Daddy Kill Himself While Climbing on the Roof.” Since we live in a two-story house, I am always hesitant of going onto the roof especially since I only have a six-foot step ladder. In order to get on the roof, I would practically have to make a small jump from the top step of the ladder onto the roof…not a risk I am willing to take!

Come to think of it, I have never really been the person standing in the risk line. Sure, there have been a couple of occasions where I have found myself in risky situations….I just cannot remember what they are. Lately, I have been contemplating risk, which has been defined as the possibility of loss or injury. Specifically, is there such a thing as risk in the Christian life? I’m sure there are differing opinions on that subject, but I tend to think that risk is only a human term, not a divine one. Risk implies being unsure of the outcome and since God knows all things, He never takes a risk. I have concluded that I am not taking a risk when I have a relationship with the One who knows the beginning from the end. Whenever I place my faith in Him, I am not risking a thing.

The other day we were watching a kid’s movie with our two children, Ty and Lexi. They actually had lost interest in the storyline and I think my wife, Leah, was the only one still paying attention to it. Out of nowhere, someone in the movie said, “What the h***?” Without missing a beat, Lexi repeated this phrase very loudly for the entire family to hear. At first, I didn’t know what to do. We are usually very careful about what we watch on TV or in movies, so I’m pretty sure she had never heard this phrase before, unless Leah says it secretly when I am not at home. Our kids are still in the innocent age and think bad words are stupid or anything added to the word stupid such as head or face. Probably the only reason she repeated it was because it was said with such emphasis. Likewise, whatever is emphasized in my life will certainly be repeated in theirs. As a parent, I have a huge responsibility to guard what I say and do around my kids. In fact, as a Christian I have an incredible obligation to protect my words and actions so that I am not fearful if others repeat what they have seen in me.

There are too many times I have made decisions without taking into consideration how it will affect others. I realize that there is also an extreme to this and I cannot live my whole life in response to what others may do; however, I do believe we must consider how our lifestyle can influence others. On the positive side, our words and actions can influence others to walk in the right way - God’s way. When others see you forgiving, accepting, serving, and encouraging maybe they will follow your example. As you follow Christ, may others follow you.

I love traveling. I’m not sure what it is in me, but experiencing new places and observing people from different cultures brings satisfaction to my heart. This past week we took a group of 30 people on a mission trip to Boston where we were helping a friend who has recently moved to Quincy to plant a church. Several times we rode the T (the local subway system) and as I looked around, I was struck by the diversity. I heard many languages being spoken. I saw people of every color…and I loved it. I had some nice conversations with people from Africa, Israel, and other exciting locations. Each one had their own story and I also had the chance to share my life with them. At lunch yesterday I conversed with a couple guys who moved to the United States from Africa about ten years ago. They expressed their love for America and how it has presented them with so many opportunities. One thing they repeated over and over was that Americans do not know how good they really have it. I agreed because I’m pretty sure I am one of those people.

One of the biggest things I am guilty of is appreciating what America can do for me rather than what I can do to make it a better place. This trip to Boston reminded me that we have a wonderfully diverse country with people from all walks of life. Instead of pursuing more stuff, I need to contribute more to people. In less than four weeks, we will be launching The Summit. My desire is that it would become a place where people can share life together and pursue things which matter. I do not want The Summit to be defined by what they have, but by what they contribute to the lives of others. I believe all of us must stop our selfish pursuits and take the time to be with people. Talk to your neighbors. Speak first even when someone is not looking your way. Involve yourself in good conversations. Have dinner with someone from work. Most of all, do not forget to share what Jesus Christ did for you and how He changed your life. You do not have to travel across the country to learn the lesson I learned this week. Walk across the yard…strike up a random conversation with someone you do not know…contribute to the good of your community.

Over the last few days I have been on a trip to Boston, MA helping a friend who is launching a church in September 2008. Along with me are thirty people from our church who have given up five days of their summer to pass out 10,000 brochures throughout the city of Quincy, which is a suburb of Boston. Today we estimate that we were able to hit about 6,000 homes in approximately 5 hours and tomorrow our goal is to finish up the remaining 4,000 homes. It has been a real privilege to work together with others for a common purpose - to spread the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. When we learned that the New England area was the fourth largest un-churched area in the world and the largest in the United States, we knew we must respond. We are only playing a small part in what needs to be done in this region, but every effort is important. Cooperation is so important if we are going to accomplish the mission given to us by God.

Cooperation is defined as working together for a common goal. As Christians, we are called to work together to bring the attention of others to God so that those far from Him can be brought near through Jesus Christ. This is a huge task so it takes everyone doing their part to accomplish the goal. In my opinion, one of the major problems in the modern church is that there is too little cooperation taking place. Instead of fighting the works of evil, we are fighting amongst ourselves. What do we fight over…secondary issues which do not compromise the foundation of our faith. It is pretty sad that Christians have opted to divide over trivial matters while the outside world looks on and wants nothing to do with what we have. Everyone has their preferences, including me; however, we must grow up and learn to cooperate with others for the greater good. I really do not believe God wants us all to be the same and that diversity should be welcomed in the body of Christ. Yes, I desire my generation to defend the sacred doctrines of the Scriptures, but I also expect them to evidence a spirit of unity in matters which are preferential. The furtherance of the gospel somewhat hinges on our ability to work together and quit competing with the church down the street. They are not the enemy, Satan is. Who are you fighting?

Our garage has two windows similar to the ones in our home. The only difference is that they are much cheaper because they do not need to be double-paned or anything too fancy. Unlike the windows inside, the garage windows also get very dirty because they are exposed to the “elements.” Flies, bee, and other winged creatures often leave their mark or find their death on the sills of those windows. When I came home from work the other day, I heard this horrifyingly loud sound as well as the buzzing of wings. The sound was coming from one of those windows in the garage. Upon further examination I saw this huge bug-like thing continually banging its head on the window in an effort to fly himself (or herself) to freedom. As a human being I understand that a window is see-through and cannot be penetrated. Before you think you are superior to the insect world, I’m sure some of you reading have face planted into a screen door. You know who you are. I had to wonder what was going through the mind of that flying bug. For three days he was at my garage window. Freedom was right in front of his face, but he could never seem to experience it. He kept banging his head against the window in hopes that this time would be different than the last time.

It is very frustrating when you can see freedom, but not experience it. It is very painful to keep ramming your head into the same old thing time and time again, but not be any closer than before. Have you ever felt like this? I have. This feeling usually comes when I am angry with myself for continuing to do that which I should not or ignoring my responsibility for doing what is right. The Apostle Paul felt the same way when writing to the Christians at Rome, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:19). Paul was not making excuses for his sin, but expressing frustration with his own inconsistency in choosing right. At times, I’m sure he felt as if he was returning to the patterns of his old life while at the same time desiring to receive freedom from the bondage of sin. This is where I live everyday. I know what God expects, but I struggle to free myself from the grips of sin. I’m not sure that there is an easy answer for this life. We will always struggle with sin in this life. True freedom will not be realized until Christ returns in the clouds to take those who are His. Until then we must rely on God’s forgiveness. John writes, “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The good news is that the mammoth, flying insect finally made it out of my garage (after 3 days) and flew to freedom. If he ever gets caught at the window again, I hope he remembers how he escaped.

My daughter’s keen eye caught a moving object in our back yard last night. Upon closer examination we saw that the very small object was, in fact, a small bird. It appeared that it had either fallen from the nest or the parents had pushed it out. At first we thought its’ wing was broken because there was not much movement…only loud chirping. But without warning it began jumping and flapping as if it would soon be in flight. I decided to venture outside to take a closer look. Just call me “Steve Irwin.” As I made my way outside, my earlier thoughts of abandonment were squelched as angry family members began swooping at me from all sides. Luckily I thwarted the situation without injury or a splat on my head. The little bird continued to exercise it’s wings and legs but for some reason could not fly. Over the next few minutes, I observed something pretty amazing. The other birds began flying at the baby bird and pecking it on the backside. Initially I thought this was mean but then I understood what they were doing. They were attempting to help this helpless bird fly. As each bird came down from the air, the baby would try to take flight. After 15-20 minutes I gave up hope and went back in the house. I wondered what ever happened to the baby bird until I was walking in the yard the following day. In almost the exact spot where I first saw the bird were its remains. I felt bad for the tiny, helpless bird. It was trying its hardest, but never had what it took to actually fly. Something was missing.

While spending most of my life growing up in the church, I have seen this scenario repeated over and over - professing Christians never taking flight. There is some jumping, some flapping, but ultimately there is no long-term commitment to following Christ. Don’t get me wrong. No one is perfect. There are times when all of us jump, flap, and fall flat on our face; however, genuine believers seek forward progress in their relationship with Jesus Christ. By forward progress I mean that there is a constant desire to follow God’s ways. Again, there will be times when we will sin and even attempt to run from God, but He will finally get our attention and we’ll submit to His will. When God’s Spirit lives in us and we surrender our will, He is faithful to continue making us more like Him in our attitudes, actions, and desires. When Paul writes to the church of Philippi, he says that they can be confident “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). In the past, God has given us salvation through His Son (regeneration - new birth). In the present, God continues making us more like Him (process of sanctification). In the future, our full salvation will be realized when we spend eternity in His presence (glorification).

Is there forward progress in your life? If not, stop where you are and start heading the other way. Allow God to have His way. How can this be done? Pick up God’s word again. Spend time talking with Him in prayer. Connect at a deeper level with people at church. Get accountable with a mature Christian friend. Don’t waste your life on the ground. Take flight.