Running from pigs

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Running from pigs

benlreed — December 13, 2012 — 2 Comments

Why is it that when you place a seemingly innocuous quote on top of a cool picture, the quote instantly becomes cooler? Deeper? Moving?

I don’t know, but I’m willing to give it a try.

But I don’t want to take this too seriously. Unless, of course, you mean going over-the-top serious. In which case…yes, please!

Let’s do this together. I’ll prime the pump. You fill in what you think could be the stirring quote on top of this photo. Even if the quote doesn’t exactly match the tone of the photo. Make it a good one!

I’ll pick a winner, and post it to Pinterest. Because that’s where the majority of these kinds of pictures end up, right?

Here’s the pic, by itself:

Here it is, with a couple of different “sayings.”

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In Uncategorized pinterest, quote

Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God

benlreed — December 4, 2012 — 2 Comments

My friend, Margaret Feinberg [www.margaretfeinberg.com], has a new book and 7-session DVD Bible study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God [www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck] (releasing Christmas Day). She describes it as “a personal invitation for you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life.” I say that as long as that drink is coffee, we’re good.

I’ve enjoyed Margaret’s stuff. She has a way of writing that captures my head and my heart. That stirs me to love God, and the beauty He possesses, unlike most present-day writers. Margaret has a way of crafting language that can help you fall in love with your King all over again. In this book, she succeeds at helping you see the wonder of God in your own story.

I recently received the insider’s scoop about Margaret’s new book. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Where did the inspiration for the Wonderstruck book and Bible study come from?

Have you ever had one of those seasons where everything goes wrong, and when you think it can’t get worse, it somehow finds a way? My husband, Leif, and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. In the aftermath, as we processed the pain and loss, I had an unexplainable desire in my heart. I began praying for the wonder of God. In essence, I said, “God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you as Wonderful. I want to know you as I’ve never known you before and see you in places I’ve never recognized you before.” God did not disappoint.

What do you mean by “the wonder of God”?

Sometimes talking or writing about wonder feels like tying kite strings to clouds. It’s ethereal, and you can never quite get a grip on it. But if you look in the dictionary, the two main definitions of wonder are: “being filled with admiration, amazement, or awe” and “to think or speculate curiously.”

Those definitions come together beautifully in our relationship with God. That’s why I define the wonder of God as those moments of spiritual awakening that create a desire to know God more.

In other words, the wonder of God isn’t about an emotional experience or having some cool story to tell your friends, but the wonder of God makes us want more of God—to go deeper and further than we’ve ever been before.

Why do you think we so easily lose the wonder?

It’s amazing how quickly we can grow numb to the wonder of God in our lives. I think there are a variety of reasons. Paying bills. Getting that degree. Providing for a family. Raising kids. Caring for aging parents. The list goes on.

All too often we find ourselves head down, pushing ahead, just trying to get through. Somewhere along the way, a gap begins to develop between God and us. A drifting takes place. We’re not only less aware of God’s presence in our lives, we’re less expectant. And so even when God does show up, we miss him. We pass by unaware. We’re spiritually asleep and we don’t even know it.

Yet I believe that as followers of Jesus we’re meant to live wonderstruck. We’re invited to live on the edge of our seats in wild expectation of what God might do next. I want to live with this kind of divine expectation, that wide awake spiritual hunger, searching for God in how ever he may want to reveal himself.

Why you do you encourage people to pray for wonder?

This is an incredibly powerful prayer, because praying for wonder invites us to change the posture with which we live our lives. When we pray for wonder, we’re asking God to expand our capacity to see and savor the divine gifts all around and take us deeper in our journey with Christ and in the Scripture than we’ve ever been. A prayer for wonder essentially says, “God, I want more of you! Take my breath away!” And leaves us living expectant for how God will answer.

What do you hope people will gain from the Wonderstruck book and Bible study?

My hope is that you will be awakened to the imminent presence of God in your life. We do not serve a God who is far off, but One who is near, ever present, and intimately involved in the most minute details of our lives. I think we can so easily forget this.

So my prayer has been that you will begin seeing God in unexpected ways right in the midst of your routine, that your passion for God will be reignited, and you’ll find the Scripture coming alive in a whole new way.

Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter [www.twitter.com/mafeinberg], Facebook [www.facebook.com/margaretfeinberg], or her blog [www.margaretfeinberg.com]. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff.You can snag it for $7.95 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble [http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wonder-struck-margaret-feinberg/1110904808?ean=9781617950889] if you like to get good things on the cheap. If you don’t, go ahead and buy it for full price at your local bookstore.

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In Uncategorized author, book, God, margaret feinberg, wonderstruck

10 meeting rules every pastor should live by

benlreed — November 2, 2012 — 6 Comments

We pastors have a lot of meetings. A lot.

image credit: flickr user universityymca

I should’ve included “How to lead meetings” in my list of things I wish seminary had taught me. Meetings end up eating the majority of many of my ministry days. Whether I’m meeting with current small group leaders, potential coaches, ministry team members, or random church members, I’m in meetings hours and hours each week.

I love people, which means that I don’t hate meetings. But I also value my time and theirs, and don’t want to waste my days and my life in pointless meetings. Throughout the 7 years or so I’ve been a pastor, I’ve learned a few things about meetings that may help save you some headaches.

10 Meeting Rules Every Pastor Should Live By

1. Always bring a notepad.

If you come without something to write on, it shows that you don’t really care about that meeting. If it were more important, you’d have something to jot notes down on.

2. Buying someone a cup of coffee makes them more likely to agree to lead a small group.

Call this a bit of manipulation if you want, but it works.

3. Always be on time.

I used to try to be early to every meeting, but I found that 10 extra minutes here or there was adding up. And that 10 extra minutes here or there that I recaptured helped me get caught up on email, make that phone call I hadn’t yet, or put the finishing touches on a project made those few minutes valuable to me. Be on time, and don’t shoot to be super early.

4. Make the sale in person.

If you’re going to recruit someone to lead a small group, or some key role, don’t do it over email. Don’t do it over the phone, or by text message. Make the ask in person.

5. Make meetings count.

People’s time is valuable…yours included. If you’re going to meet with someone, plan on recruiting them for something. Or pitching an idea their way. Or invest in them spiritually. Or something. Make a decision at every meeting you lead. Never walk out of a meeting with your only takeaway being “let’s meet again and decide ____.”

6. Don’t go in to a meeting blindly.

If you can help it, always know what you’re walking in to. Get a general understanding before you meet with someone.

7. Never meet alone.

Either bring along a leader you’re investing in and/or meet with multiple leaders at once. Relationships are key to leadership, and when you have more than one person at the table, relationships can be fostered.

8. Keep a to-do list handy at all times.

Don’t use napkins or the backs of receipts. You’ll lose them. Use a to-do list on your phone. I like Wunderlist and Things.

9. Check your email before you leave the house in the morning.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shown up for an 8:00 meeting, only to realize that they emailed me the night before to tell me they couldn’t meet.

10. Shut it down.

I’ve got to shut things down when I get home. When I began in ministry, it consumed my life and my family. I’m getting better at shutting off, but I’m still a work-in-progress. Meetings and people are important, but so is your family. And so is your personal time. If you don’t recharge, you’ll have nothing to give in meetings.

Question:

Do you ever feel like your life is just one meeting after another?

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In Uncategorized meeting, pastor

7 reasons why nobody really likes cats

benlreed — October 12, 2012 — 21 Comments

Kittens are cute and cuddly and fluffy, aren’t they? They look innocent playing with a ball of yarn, or when they curl up next to you and purr.

You know the only problems with kittens, though? They become cats. If there was a way to keep kittens in the “kitten” stage, every house would be full of them.

The “cat” stage of being a cat dominates a cat’s life, which is why you’ll never find one in my house.

I had a cat growing up. His name was “Punchy.” Don’t ask me why. It was probably because he tried to punch my little brother. We ended up giving him away to my uncle, who lived on a farm. Punchy hunted mice and rodents to his heart’s content…which is the life cat’s should lead.

~~Everybody knows…~~

~~I’ve heard it said…~~

~~Someone wise once said…~~

I made this up, and I like it:

The only good cat is a dead cat.*

I’m convinced that nobody really likes cats. Some people claim that they like cats, but the reality is that they only like their cat. And even that’s a stretch.

I think I’ve figured out why nobody really likes them.

7 Reasons Nobody Really Likes Cats

1. They don’t come when you call.

Not that I need a creature to be at my beckon call, but seriously, if I communicate with something, and it doesn’t respond, I call that thing inanimate.

2. Kitty litter is nasty.

You’ve got an animal that you trained to go to the bathroom in your house, not outside? In some strange-smelling rocks that you keep in a plastic box? And you don’t find this odd?

3. Nobody likes “cat naps.”

If people truly liked cats, they’d not name the worst variation of naps after cats. Ever take a “cat nap”? A “cat nap” is what happens when you really wanted a “dog nap.” Nobody really sets out to take a cat nap. When you wake up from one, you’re just mad that one of the following happened:

your phone rang
someone rang your doorbell
your cat jumped on you and woke you up

4. They’ll purr one second and bite you the next.

You never can tell where you really stand with a cat. Are we best friends? Or worst enemies? I’m not convinced that a cat ever really likes a person. They could take you or leave you. So why do you like them?

5. I’m allergic.

I know, that one’s a bit personal and may not apply to you. But it’s a big deal to me. If there’s something that causes me to sneeze, cough and itch, you can guarantee I’m not going to have that thing in my house.

6. 1 word: claws.

Ever been scratched by a cat? Trust me…you’ll want to scratch that cat right back.

7. They’re never mentioned in the Bible.

Which means I can assume they’re a post-Fall product of this fallen world. There you go…I just dropped the God card on you. Come back from that!

Question:

What do you think? Are you a “cat” person?

*this is a joke post. I honestly don’t love cats, but I don’t actually want them all dead. If you’re a cat lover, I don’t think less of you. WE won’t be friends, though. (kidding!)

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In Uncategorized cats, nobody likes cats

Creature of the Word…a giveaway

benlreed — October 10, 2012 — 19 Comments

Matt Chandler (Explicit Gospel), Josh Patterson and Eric Geiger (Simple Church) just released a new book this month with B&H Publishing called Creature of the Word. Here’s the trailer.

The book looks at the scripture-based beauty of a church that makes everything they do about Jesus and outlines practical steps that church leaders can take to help form a gospel-centered ministry.

On Tuesday, Oct. 23rd, Chandler, Geiger and Patterson will host a three-hour interactive simulcast about the book. They will each teach on a different topic from Creature of the Word and then answer viewer questions at the end.

So how about a giveaway?!

I am going to give away three copies of the new book, each that come with an individual simulcast registration to watch the event on the 23rd.

If you do at least 1 of the 3 options below, you’ll be entered:

1. Comment and tell me something that your church is doing to make everything it does about Jesus.

2. RT this post. Make sure to tag me, @benreed.

3. Share this post on Facebook. Make sure to tag me, /benlreed, or /LifeAndTheology.

Deadline to comment, RT, or FB share is Friday, October 12.

And.. go!

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In Uncategorized creature of the word, eric geiger, josh patterson, matt chandler

Leadership, Weaknesses, and Snap-Hooks

benlreed — August 8, 2012 — 1 Comment

Running down the left rough, a lake crept into the 2nd cut of rough at the 270 yard mark. Sand traps dotted the right side all of the way to the green like miniature beaches that drew straying tee shots. The fairway was perfectly manicured, as tight as freshly stretched carpet. But it was narrow.

image credit: Flickr user RAK39

So I eased off. I have a tendency to get a little quick with my hands and over-cook a drive, turning a would-be soft draw (a right-to-left shot) into a nasty snap-hook (a right to LEFT shot). And because that’s my tendency, especially in pressure situations, I’ll overcompensate and leave my hands open, blocking that would-be snap-hook from ever happening and watching my tee shot float 30 yards right of my intended target into said mini-beach.

“Oh, just hit it!” I told myself. “You’re a decent golfer. Trust your swing,” I said in my head. So I did. Twice. And twice I failed.

Side note: maybe I’m merely “decent” because I don’t trust my swing. Maybe it’s because I don’t practice much…

For the rest of the round, on holes where the landing area off of the tee box was tight, I dropped down and played an iron off of the tee. I played a safer shot with a higher percentage of probability I’d hit the fairway and be able to keep playing the hole. And it worked. I split the rough every time and was able to walk my way right up to the green with relative ease.

I know my weaknesses and limitations on the golf course.

Leadership weaknesses

I also know my weaknesses and limitations in leadership. So should you.

If you’re going to be a good leader, you’ve got to understand where you’re weak. Where your leadership, gifts, and talents can’t cut the mustard. But let’s take it a step further. You’ve got to identify your weaknesses, then do something about it.

Take out a shorter iron that you’re good at hitting.

To identify that you’ve got a weakness but do nothing about it is absolute foolishness. The best leaders identify their weaknesses and compensate, surrounding themselves with people who are strong where they’re weak, freeing them up to maximize their strengths. You’ll find much more fulfillment and joy when you operate out of your strengths rather than beating yourself over the head trying to shore up your weaknesses.

In the moment on the golf course, I asses the situation, remind myself where I’m weak, pick an iron that represents my strength, and trust the hard work and practice (and God-given ability) that I bring to the box. I don’t try to press through my weaknesses and act like they’re not real. I don’t try to tweak my driver there on the fly, even though that would be tempting. (Ever wish you possessed someone else’s gifts?)

The reality is that God hasn’t gifted you with every gift possible or every strength and every good idea. God hasn’t created you to do everything well. So do that thing that He has designed you for. Do it with all of your strength, with great joy and conviction.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters – Colossians 3:23

And your weaknesses? Put the driver back in the bag. Let someone else hit that one.

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In Uncategorized Leadership, strength, weaknesses

Summer Reading List

benlreed — June 14, 2012 — 14 Comments

I love summers. For me, they feel much more relaxed than the frenetic pace of normal life.

image credit: Creation Swap user http://creationswap.com/tgitt

They offer time to slow down, plan, dream, and…read.

For me, reading over the summer involves more fiction reading. Since it’s a season of relaxing and dreaming, fiction gives me a chance to think outside of my normal box and think creatively.

Not to mention that I love getting lost in a good story.

With that said, here’s my list.

Insider’s lingo: a quiz

benlreed — June 9, 2012 — 4 Comments

With nearly every post I write on this blog, I try to push people to think more deeply, take a step of faith, and find Jesus more captivating.

Not this post, though. This is just pure randomness. Enjoy.

image credit: Creative Commons user Turbo Toddi

I played golf yesterday with a good buddy of mine. He’s the best golfer I know. He played on the European tour for a decade, and if he hadn’t injured himself in 2010, he would’ve been on the senior PGA Tour right now.

He’s an instructor, a master club fitter (1 of only 20 certified in the world), and has worked with countless guys on Tour.

To top all of that off, he talks a big talk. (don’t most golfers?!?)

Throughout the round, there are phrases that Larry says. I call them “Larry-isms.” Little goofy sayings that he drops that have me in stitches throughout the round. Growing up playing golf, I can piece together what he’s meaning. But I wonder if you can decipher any of these phrases.

If you think you know, leave your answer in the comments section. I’ll report back in and let you know if you got it.

Golf Lingo

1. “It doesn’t take a Lamborghini long to warm up. It may cough at little at first…but then it purrs.”

2. “That’s right in the honey hole.”

3. “Oooh…that’s downtown Joey Brown.”

4. “I’ll buy you a cold drink at the turn if you hit that.” Followed immediately by “The water fountain is on the left.”

5. “Be the number!”

6. “That a 9? Don’t be afraid of it.”

7. “You’re dialed in right now.”

8. “Ride!!”

9. “It wouldn’t have looked better if you’d painted it.”

10. “I want you to start it at that brown pine and let the baby’s breath float it.”

11. “You had that read, you just didn’t get it to the depot.”

Any guesses? Leave a comment!

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In Uncategorized golf, lingo, phrases, sayings

Be the expert

benlreed — June 1, 2012 — 8 Comments

If you’re the leader, be the expert.

image credit: Creation Swap user Gabriel Smith

Too many times, I hear leaders bemoaning a lack of knowledge, a lack of skill, and a lack of certainty. Living in and operating out of the weaknesses and insecurities, not out of the grace, strength, and knowledge God has blessed them with. They rest in the expertise of others instead of growing in to the expertise that’s needed of them.

God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.

But not if you resist the equipping.

Leaders:

Quit it with the insecurities.
Quit it with the ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’
Quit it with the focus on your weaknesses.
Quit it with the, “I’m just not sure…”
Quit it with the shirking of vision to others.

Time to own up to your title. Time to grow in to your shoes.

This is not about acting like a pompous know-it-all.

It’s all about being the expert that those you lead expect you to be. Your calling is too important to sit on the sidelines.

Accept your gifts.

Let your passions drive you.

Learn. Experiment. Take risks. Fail.

Repeat.

If you’re the leader, be the expert.

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In Uncategorized experiment, expert, grow, Leadership, risk

The #1 way to fight insecurity

benlreed — May 25, 2012 — 1 Comment

Moses is one of my favorite heroes in the Bible. Partly because of the danger surrounding the time of his birth. Partly because he was an amazing leader. Partly because he got to part an entire sea.

The Delivery of Israel & the Red Sea, 1825, Francis Danby

But mainly because I love how real Moses appears. You get to see Moses’ humanity throughout his story. The fact that he’s weak, doubts his call, and still messes up gives me loads of hope that God could use me despite my weaknesses, doubts, and failures.

God called Moses to lead the oppressed Israelites to freedom from their bondage to Egypt, and Moses doubted whether this would work. After all, he was just Moses. And Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world.

In Exodus 4, so God could prove to Moses that He is who He says He is, God asks Moses to throw his shepherd’s staff on the ground. When he does, it turns into a snake. He then asks Moses to pick it up by the tail. Not the head. The tail. (For the record, I have some level of faith…but if you ask me to pick up a snake by the tail, I’m out. Call someone else.)

Moses picks it up, then God tells him to put his hand into his cloak. When Moses pulls his hand out, it’s leprous. God instructs Moses to put his hand back in his cloak, and when Moses pulls it out, his hand has returned to normal.

Cool story, no? Crazy miracles, no? Moses had seen two miracles, right before his eyes, but still responded with this:

“O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” – Exodus 4:10

Sticks turning to snakes. Hands being turned all crazy. And Moses still doubted? Doubted that God could use his bumbling mouth to lead a people to freedom? Doubted that God could do what He said He’d do? Doubted God would come through for him?

Yep. Moses listened to the voice of insecurity.

Because Moses thought he was still operating in his own power.

Insecurity does a great job highlighting weaknesses and isolating you from Truth. Moses was weak, and on his own, he would surely fail. Before the most powerful man in the world, Moses would just curl up into the corner and cry, being constantly reminded of how weak and “unusable” he was.

Good thing for Moses, though, he wasn’t going alone. He was simply a mouthpiece for the living God.

We are Moses

We’re no different than Moses.

We see miracles all around us. We see God healing people (often through medicine). We see God reconciling marriages. We see addictions broken. Hearts far from God turning back to Him. Sons returning home. Fathers owning their responsibilities. Mothers selflessly giving of themselves. Walls coming down.

We even see God using us to bring about change in others. We see God working miracles in our own lives.

Great miracles.

But we doubt. We wonder how God could ever use us. Just like Moses did. We feed our insecurities and doubts, relying on our own strengths. We remind ourselves that we’re

weak
scared
busy
tired
funny looking
dumb
failure
wounded
ugly
hopeless
addicted
lazy
bitter
worn out
shameful
too messy
still in process

So how could God ever use us?

Because God says to you:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

It’s not about your strength and your gifts and your ability to lead. It’s about you trusting God to do what only He can do.

Your insecurities are a chance for God to show off through you. To remind you that it’s not about you.

Ready to fight doubt? Ready to defeat insecurity?

Take a step of risky faith.

And listen to the voice of God, not men.

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In Uncategorized doubt, faith, God, insecurity, moses, risk

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10 Meeting Rules Every Pastor Should Live By

1. Always bring a notepad.

2. Buying someone a cup of coffee makes them more likely to agree to lead a small group.

3. Always be on time.

4. Make the sale in person.

5. Make meetings count.

6. Don’t go in to a meeting blindly.

7. Never meet alone.

8. Keep a to-do list handy at all times.

9. Check your email before you leave the house in the morning.

10. Shut it down.

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7 Reasons Nobody Really Likes Cats

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Leadership weaknesses

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Fiction

Non-Fiction

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Golf Lingo

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Leaders:

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We are Moses

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