See What's Not There

When I read about Abraham, I am always taken back by his OBEDIENCE. Throughout his life, the faith-tests were dramatic, and he passed them with flying colors:

(ch.12) "Leave and go to a land I will show you"
(ch.21) The birth of Isaac, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90
(ch.22) The sacrifice of Isaac, the son of promise

He met every challenge, it seems, with simple yet strong faith:

"Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised." (Romans 4:20-21)

In the same passage (v.17), "...the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."

So I ask myself, Do I see the same "obey-first-and-ask-questions-later" kind of faith in my own life? All too often, the answer is no. But the Bible unwaveringly says that obedience is better than sacrifice. So, Lord, help me to trust in you more, "being fully persuaded that You have the power to do what you've promised!"

...and to remember, that YOU see what's NOT there...and say that it IS!

Dig New Wells

Sometimes my spiritual life loses its sizzle. It goes flat. Becomes predictable. Routine. It dries up, like a well that's empty. Remember the story in Genesis 26, where Isaac re-dug the wells of his father Abraham (the ones that had been stopped up by the Philistines), and then went on to dig new wells? A few observations come to mind...

1. Abraham's wells were clogged because of an enemy attack. Often the Bible uses water to symbolize the presence of the Spirit of God. So, by putting dirt in the wells, the enemy tries to cut off, or dry up the flow of God's Spirit in our lives. What can we do? Start cleaning out our hearts, and prepare to re-dig those wells!

2. If we want God to expand our territory, or enlarge our effectiveness, we need to search for NEW places to dig wells. Where is God leading you? What people or community might he want you to reach into?

3. The hard work of digging wells turns to CELEBRATION when the water springs up! (Gen. 26:32 -- "We have found water!!!")

Ideas for digging new wells:

- Take a closer look at my personal prayer time (both quality and quantity)

- Find a "deeper" book to read, that will challenge me at the soul-level, not
just sharpen my skills as a leader (ie, C.S. Lewis over John Maxwell, or Watchman Nee over Rick Warren, Dietrich Bonhoeffer over Andy Stanley)

- Rediscover personal WORSHIP, not just the Sunday morning kind, by choosing a CD over talk radio while driving.

- Take a 3-day fast (not enough to kill me, but enough to get my attention!)

What new wells are you digging?

Marketing "Evangelists"

Had an interesting meeting with Paul Ebisch (of AG Credit Union) on Thursday. We spent about as much time discussing the mission of the Church, as we did "money talk" for our future building program. In addition to his banking experience, Paul runs a marketing firm...so he shared a lot of wisdom about attracting people to use/purchase yoru "product." (At BCC, Jesus is the product, right?)

It's a well-known fact that the best form of advertising is word-of-mouth. Every other marketing strategy pales in comparison. Satisfied customers are gold! What's fascinating is that the term "evangelist" is commonly used in marketing circles. It describes customers/clients who enthusiastically share their story.

* The businessman who gets "the regular" at Starbucks.
* The college student who buys Tom's Shoes.
* The dedicated grocery shopper who goes all-organic @ Whole Foods Marketplace
* The movie-goer who tells you about the latest "must-see"

These people are true EVANGELISTS. They are sharing their own GOOD NEWS...and we listen, don't we? Sometimes, we'll even try a new drink, eat at a new restaurant, or go to that movie -- just because they say so.

Kind of makes me wonder what I am truly an evangelist of...

Facts about our Community

Recently, I received demographic information about the community where our 73 acres are located, in Hutto. As most of you know, the land is located near the intersection of 130 Tollway and Gattis School Rd/C.R. 138. The actual address is 747 County Road 138, Hutto, TX 78634.

The following facts are reflective of a 10-mile radius from our property:

• Population: 277,214 people. This represents and increase of 190,987 (or 221%) since 1990. Wow!
• Projected growth between 2009 and 2014: increase by 23% (64,597 additional persons). During teh same time period, the US population is projected to grow by 4.9%.
• The racial/ethnic diversity in the area is considered extremely high.
• Major generational groups: Survivors (age 28 to 48) make up 36% of the population.
• Family structures: Can be described as somewhat traditional, due to the above average presence of married persons and two-parent families.
• Faith receptivity: is decribed as somewhat high when compared to national averages.

There is too much data to share in this posting, but I want to give you one last category. The question was, "Which household concerns are unusually high in this area?" The answer:

• Achieving a Fulfilling Marriage (30.7%)
• Developing Parenting Skills (20.1%)
• Finding a Good Church (18.4%)
• Time for Recreation/Leisure (29.2%)

Let's begin praying for God to show us how to address these needs, and share the love of Christ in a tangible way. In other words, what "BRIDGES" can we build to reach the people in our community?

Community Matters!

Challenging quote from The Connecting Church, by Randy Frazee:

Community matters. That's about like saying that oxygen matters. As our lungs need air, so our souls require what only community provides. We were designed by our Trinitarian God (who himself is a group of three persons in profound relationship with each other) to live in relationship. Without it, we die. It's that simple. Without community where we know, explore, discover, and touch one another, we experience isolation and despair that drive us in wrong directions, that corrupt our efforts to live meaningfully and love well.

The future of the church depends on whether it develops true community. We can get by for a while on size, skilled communication, and programs to meet every need, but unless we sense we blong to each other, with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow. Stale, irrelevant, a place of pretense where sufferers suffer alone, where pressure generates conformity rather than the Spirit creating life -- that's where the church is headed unless it focuses on community.

What does "Community" mean?

The Bridge COMMUNITY Church.

OK, so we all know what a "church" is. And we've unpacked the concept of a "bridge" as a metaphor for the Gospel. So, let's take a closer look at what "community" means...

First, The Bridge Church is a community of faith. When it's working as it should, the Church is better than the tightest family, the closest friendship, the strongest partnership. Is it just having common values? Is it just enjoying fellowship together? Is it just uniting around a common goal? In some way, it's all of these...but more. The Church is not just a club, or social gathering-- it is a group of people who share a sense of LIFE PURPOSE, which inherently, cannot be accomplished alone.

In other words, we need each other (corporately) to accomplish what God intended for us to do (individually). As believers in Jesus Christ, MY life's purpose and YOUR life's purpose are the same: to share the message of the Gospel with as many as possible. So, since we share the same purpose, live in the same town, attend the same church...we ought to be working together to accomplish this God-given mandate.

But let's go one step further.

How can we "work together" if we aren't "living together?" (...and no, I'm not suggesting we all sell our homes and move to our 73 acres in Hutto...although, that might be really fun!) Acts 2:42-26 offers a vivid description of both the means and the end of biblical community:

The "MEANS" was pretty straightforward:

• They devoted themselves to apostles' teaching
• and fellowship
• and breaking of bread (this is both potluck dinners and Lord's Supper)
• and prayer
• many wonders and miracles were done
• they were together and have everything in common
• they had garage sales and gave the money to the poor
• they met in temple courts AND in homes

The "END" was also obvious: "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

This is COMMUNITY. A group that's living life together...so we can work together...to share the love of Jesus Christ in a tangible way with as many as possible.

So, here's the real question: What would that look like at The Bridge Church?

What's in a Name?

It's a simple name: "Bridge Community Church."

But when you think about each word individually, our name says a lot about who we are, and what God has called us to do.

Let's begin with the last word first: CHURCH. We are a church. That's a no brainer, right? Other descriptions might be: a church family, a local church body, a congregation, or a fellowship of believers. Whatever it's called, I think we all get the idea...

Next, the first word in our name: BRIDGE. Let's take a little time with this one. Perhaps you've seen an illustration of something like this: Imagine a great chasm (like the Grand Canyon) between Holy GOD and Fallen MAN. This great divide is caused by SIN, and the only thing that connects the two sides is the CROSS. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). In a sense, through the cross, Jesus “bridged the gap,” making a way for man to come to God, or be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5).

Simply put, our church wants to "bridge the gap" between God and the world He loves, by sharing the love of Jesus Christ in a tangible way. We do this through servanthood, acts of kindness, compassion, outreach, etc.

Notice the urgency in this quote from The Church of Irrestible Influence, by Robert Lewis:

As the church engages in a third millennium, it looks across a terrifying, and ever-widening, chasm between itself and the world it is trying to reach. Six out of ten Americans believe the church is irrelevant. As it stares across that chasm, much of the church no longer believes it can influence the world. The question is simple: What impact is the church having on the community?

And another one:

Without its own bridges to the world, church life—in time—fades into isolation, self-congratulation, and finally, irrelevance.

Ouch! With God's help, we must guard our purpose with diligence. We cannot afford to turn inward, and neglect the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. We must "build a bridge" to a lost and hurting world, both around the world...and around the corner.

That brings us to the middle word in our name: COMMUNITY.

I'll discuss that more in the next blog posting...

EMPTY -- New Series in April

EMPTY: Living a Life of True Abundance

If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Corinthians 15:14)

This past Sunday was Easter. For those who may not know, Easter Sunday to a pastor is like Super Bowl Sunday to an NFL quarterback. (...not that I am the Peyton Manning of preachers or anything! I digress...) Simply put, this is the biggest day of the year for churches. Big attendance. Lots of new faces. Pastel-colored dresses. White shoes making their springtime debut. Pictures in bluebonnets after church. Lunch with Grandma. It's quite the celebration...

And along with the excitement comes the annual question of what to preach. The basics are obvious: the Messiah riding through Jerusalem on a donkey. The last supper. The betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane. The ridiculous trial. The mockery, beating, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus. All hope is lost. End of story. Right?

(Insert Carman's 80's classic here, "It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday's on the way!")

So then what? On the morning of third day, some of Jesus' followers go to anoint his body with spices, but make an inbelievable discovery: his tomb is EMPTY! An angel is standing there, instead, and tells them that Jesus is risen. In amazement, they run to tell the others. Over the next 40 days, Jesus makes multiple appearances in both public and private settings. He talks with some. He eats with others. He even lets them touch his hands and side. He does all of this for one very specific purpose: to prove He was ALIVE!

So, back to the pastor's challenge. How do you tell this timeless story in a "fresh" way? How can you hope to "out-do" last year's Easter celebration? You may only get some of these listeners once a year, so you'd better make it a good one! Right? Wrong. This year, I just didn't want to "hype" the Resurrection.

Not because I don't think it's important. Quite the contrary. In fact, I am convinced that the Resurrection is the most significant event in human history. But I just wanted to keep it simple this year: Jesus' birth was unique. His life was extraordinary. His death was necessary. But it's his Resurrection that closed the deal. He is ALIVE! He is risen! His tomb is EMPTY!

And because of this truth, the enemy is defeated, my sin is forgiven, my hope is secure, and my life has meaning. I guess you could put it this way:

Because the tomb is EMPTY, my life is FULL. (John 10:10)

Thank you Jesus!