It is easy during times of trials and difficulty to forget the value of brokenness.  Not many people would choose to be burdened with heartache or disappointment, but few that go through suffering fail to realize some value from those times…after the trial has passed.

As I was recently reflecting on my own times of distress, I discovered 7 values to brokenness:

It makes and keeps one humble. Humility is highly honored by God and is an attractive quality to others.

It teaches valuable life principles. Honestly, I have learned more from the hard times in my life than from the good.

It brings repentance. I often forget how much I need forgiveness.  Brokenness, especially when caused by my own actions, reminds me I am hopeless apart from His grace.

It encourages a fresh start.  Starting over is not always as bad as it seems.  (Read THIS POST for more on this thought process.)

It invites grace. Brokenness brings me to my knees.  That’s never a bad place as long as my heart longs heavenward.

It illustrates humanity. Brokenness reminds me that frail people share the commonality of life struggles.

It welcomes the heart of God. Psalm 34:18 says, “God is close to the broken-hearted.”

Has your story been shaped by brokenness? Allow the molding energies of God’s hand to craft His masterpiece in you as you yield to His ultimate plan for your life.

For more thoughts on God, click HERE.

I continue to talk to people as a follow up to the message I did on surrendering to Christ. Apparently this is an issue that several are working through in their hearts.

Watch the message here. You will need to continue watching after 10 minutes at the Truthcasting site. (The play button is to the far left bottom of the screen. Sometimes you can’t view all of it.)

After you have finished watching the message, read the follow up to the sermon with THIS POST.  My son Nate also offers a great perspective in his most recent post HERE.

I am attempting to lead a church. As a consummate seeker of wisdom, I have dozens of blogs on my Google Reader list, and I could have listed so many more here, but these are the ones I never miss the opportunity to read. I read mostly for purpose. I love fun posts, but because time is precious, I am purposeful in what I read frequently, hoping it will help me in the work I do. Each of these sources is different, but all help shape my current thought process.

Michael Hyatt Michael is one of the best leaders I know and he is so accessible.  I may be stretching here, but think I can even call him a friend.

Catalyst Space Blog Catalyst pulls some of the best of church leadership together for this blog.

Mac Lake Mac is a really nice guy, but he’s hitting home runs in his posts about leadership.

Collide Magazine Collide is a cutting edge Christian publication.  You can frequently bump into the Collide people at conferences too!

Tim Stevens Tim is a great leader and shares candid truth at his blog.  (I hear a new design is coming soon too!)

Stuff Christians Like The writer here is Jon Acuff, but he truly tries to make this less about him and more about his heart for the Kingdom.  He’s also one of the most honest, sincere and humble guys I’ve ever met.

Church Relevance It amazes me the influence Kent Shaffer has.  Everywhere I go people talk about this blog. I know why.

Keven Eikenberry I haven’t been reading this blog long, but it has quickly become a must read for me.  Great content.

Steve Roesler Steve has tremendous leadership insight.  Though written for more secular audiences, I always find practical content for what I do.

Jenni Catron Jenni is one of the sharpest young leaders in the church today.  I continue to hear about the influence she has at Crosspoint and the difference she is making.  I love reading her frankness about struggles to balance work and play.

This is my list for today.  I have others that I also follow closely and may do another list later, but for now, what do you think?

Who is missing from my list?

For some of my thoughts on leadership, click HERE.

(An omer is one tenth of an ephah.) Exodus 16:36 NIV

Understanding this verse will change you life. I guarantee it.

Let me try to explain. Throughout the 16th chapter of Exodus, Moses recounts the story of the Israelites gathering manna, which were thin flakes of bread. Every morning, each person gathered the manna by a measure called an omer. For 35 verses in chapter 16, if you are inquisitive like me, you are wondering, “Moses, what is an omer? How much is that?”

Good ole Moses fills us in: an omer is one tenth of an ephah! Any questions? Thanks Moses, it’s clear in my mind.

Perhaps like me you are still confused, so I did a little research. According to a dictionary search, an omer is defined as “one-tenth of an ephah”. Okay, that didn’t help. Therefore, I looked up ephah. My dictionary says, “A Hebrew measurement”. Okay, that doesn’t help me much either. (I’m sure after this post you can send me a dozen definitions. Go for it…but it won’t change the purpose of this post.)

The fact is I don’t know what an ephah or an omer is exactly; we just don’t use those methods of measurement today. I think though it is almost like when your grandmother gave you the recipe for one of her famous pies and she says, “just add a pinch” of something. As we may know from that experience, the measurement isn’t as important as the person making the pie.

The purpose of the omer of bread was to supply just enough for the day. If they gathered more than an omer, it wouldn’t last beyond the day. If they gathered too little, they would not have enough to meet their physical needs. The omer was the perfect measurement. God was trying to teach His people that if they trusted in Him to provide for them, they would always have enough, but if they took matters into their own hands, the plan would fail to work. The measurement wasn’t he important part of this plan though; trusting in the Provider is what was important.

In John chapter 6, Jesus shares that He is the Bread of Life. The people, who knew the story of omers of manna their ancestors had received, came looking to Jesus to supply their daily bread. They wanted substance. They wanted provisions. They wanted Jesus to feed them. Instead of trusting in Jesus, however, the people wanted to trust in the bread He would provide them.

How many times do we trust based on what we have or do not have, rather than trusting in the One who can provide? When you and I stop looking at the quantity of our provisions and start trusting in the Provider, it will change the way we live our life. Instead of being happy when we have plenty or disappointed when we have less, we will learn the secret of contentment.

Remember, when you and I have Christ, the measurement doesn’t matter, because we have the Provider. Understanding this truth will change your life.

I had a great couple days this week hanging out with Casey Graham of The Change Group as he visited with Kristin Ruther from The Aspen Group and Tim Stevens and Kem Meyer at Granger Church one day and then Scott Hodge from Orchard Community Church the next day. It was challenging, tiring, and personally rewarding.

Casey is a remarkable strategist for churches trying to think through funding their vision. His company also helps churches with basic bookkeeping services, saving them money and allowing them to concentrate on doing ministry and stay legal and accurate with accounting functions. I loved hearing Casey talk with these connections this week. More than learning for my own church, however, I was personally invested in by the professionals in each of these environments.

In all three environments, I received more than the time I gave up for being there. Aspen Group is a true Christian development company; assisting churches in the upper Midwest achieve their building goals. If I was building in that part of the country, I would certainly give them a call. Granger Community church has been a cutting edge, influencing church for years. I was able to see firsthand that they are the “real deal” behind the scenes. Tim and Kem are incredibly sharp leaders and part of a great team. Scott Hodge is truly one of the nicest guys I have ever met. I felt that he genuinely cared for me personally. I could tell that we would be great friends if we lived closer to each other. I identified with much of his work, philosophy and struggles as a pastor.

Thanks Casey for allowing me to tag along. I made great connections and feel even more energized for the work God has called me to do at Grace. I hope we get to hang again soon.

Much of the leadership skills I have today have come through the investment of other people.  These days I am constantly seeking wisdom so I love what guys like Michael Hyatt and others are doing to mentor and coach groups of other leaders.  They challenge me to invest in others.

Have you benefited recently from others investing in you?

For more posts on leadership, click HERE.

Here is a quick Thanksgiving life encouragement…

About this time of year, we reflect on those things for which we are thankful….

That’s a great practice…

We probably should do it more often…

In my time of reflection this morning, I started wondering…

Do my expenditures, time and energy match the items on my list of things I say I am most thankful for?

How would you answer that question?

Today begins a great season of celebration, joy and reflection heading towards a New Year…

This period provides a great opportunity to evaluate our priorities, realign our life direction, and even create new and better paths toward the things we really value in life…

I have some more reflecting to do…

How about you?

For more thoughts on life planning, click HERE.

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. Deuteronomy 12:32 NIV

Mandarin Orange Pie
1 graham cracker crust

1 small container whipped topping (Cool Whip)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can mandarin oranges (11 oz)

1/3 cup “Minute Maid” juice

Heat crust 5 minutes at 325 degrees. Drain, then mash with fork 2/3 of oranges and place in a large bowl. (save remainder whole for garnish) Add whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk and juice. Beat on low until well blended. Pour into graham cracker crust and refrigerate. Garnish with remaining mandarin oranges if desired.

This is a quick, easy holiday treat. It’s delicious. There is only one problem with the above recipe. I didn’t give you the full instructions. This is a recipe given to me by one of my best friends. The pie is delicious. I made it for the first time a few years ago, and it turned out wonderfully. When I tried it another year at Thanksgiving it was a flop. It never got firm enough to eat. My father enjoyed eating it with a spoon.

I gave you the recipe just as I had it written down. Why did the recipe fail? I called my friend’s wife to ask her and she quickly saw my error. You see, I was using 1/3 cup of Minute Maid “orange” juice. I should have been using 1/3 cup of Minute Maid (or any brand) “lemon” juice. It makes all the difference in the world. There must be something about the acid in the lemon juice, which helps in the gelling process.

So why do I share this? Well, it gives you another pie recipe you can try, but really to illustrate that, if you don’t follow the directions carefully, your recipes will fail. So it is in the Christian life, or any life for that matter. God has a plan. He has spelled it out in His Word. If we follow it, we will experience rich reward. His first command is to “love the Lord with all our heart”. Then, we are told to “love your neighbor as yourself”. The rest of the commands are in the Book. We aren’t saved by what we do or don’t do and we don’t remain saved by our works (we are saved by faith), but Jesus said “If you love Me, you will do as I command.” So our proper response to God’s love is obedience. In fact, it’s how life works best.

Is there something God is calling you to do? Why not demonstrate your love for Him through your obedience?

And, feel free to try out the recipe of the day! You can actually substitute other fruits for the mandarin oranges. Just don’t forget the lemon juice!

I preached Sunday at Grace Community Church on the need to surrender everything to Christ.  What a lofty concept.  I realize how ambiguous that statement is.  I explained more, and you can listen to that message HERE (or watch it HERE), but I received additional questions after the message.  Personally, I love when that happens.  To me it means people left thinking.

A typical question went something like this:

What exactly does it mean to “surrender”?  How do you do that?

In an attempt to help continue this thought process, here is an answer I emailed to one questioner:

Dear _________:

You have asked a difficult question to answer.  If you can fully understand surrendering, you can help a whole lot of people…and sell some books.  Surrender is almost as mysterious as when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus in John 3 about being “born again”.  It’s a concept hard to get our minds to comprehend.

I need to start by saying:

Surrender is less about a formula and more about knowing the person of Christ.

Surrender is less about an action plan and more about devoting one’s self to Jesus.

Surrender is less about finding answers and more about obedience to His plan as He reveals it.

Surrender is less about solving a specific problem and more about creating a lifestyle of following Christ.

With those understandings, let me share that one way to understand the concept of surrender may be to compare it to something you do understand.  What does surrender look like in a relationship with Jesus?  Put it in terms of a relationship you have now and understand (at least most days).

The day you first met your husband, you may or may not have liked him at first, but almost certainly, if he had asked you that day to move to strange city with him, you may have looked at him as if he was crazy.  You may have even slapped his face.  As you began to get to know him, you started to trust him increasingly, and at some point, you were more willing to follow him.  Obviously, you moved here to be with him.

It is similar with your surrender to Christ.  While your husband may never be 100% trustworthy, because he’s human…God is!  The more you know Him, the more you will know His voice and the better you will hear His commands…And the more willing you will be to follow Him wherever He leads.

In my understanding, that’s what surrender is all about…

How would you have answered?

For more devotional thoughts, click HERE.

As a leader, I prefer to say yes. I love when our staff comes to me with a proposal for a new ministry or a new expenditure and I can simply say, “Yes, go for it!” I love being the guy who gets to encourage another person’s big dream. I am not a fan of micro managing. Saying yes allows me to empower others to do their work well.

Even so, in my position, I often have to say “No”. I have to consider the amount of money and energy expended as it relates to the entire church organization. Honestly, there are times I feel like the dream killer more than I get to be the dream enhancer, because I often have to be the “No” voice, but the fact is, as with any organization, we operate with limited resources and sometimes saying no is the right decision at the time. In these times, I have to walk the delicate balance between saying yes and saying no.

Some of the questions I try to consider when weighing a decision between yes and no are:

• Does this decision benefit the entire church, or just one ministry? It is okay if it helps only one area, but that has to be a part of the equation in making a decision.
• Is this decision in keeping with the overall vision of the church? Ultimately, it is important that the entire organization is heading in the same direction.
• Has this decision been thought out adequately and any known fatal risks eliminated?
• Does the leader of this area have the experience or expertise to lead a successful venture? If he or she is not qualified for the task, then is he or she willing and able to solicit help from others?
• Are there other areas that have greater needs because of current demand or potential within the organization?
• Will this decision solicit adequate buy-in from the entire staff and organization?
• Is this the best timing for the new venture? Would waiting enhance or inhibit the decision’s success?
• Is the cost reasonable compared to the benefit received for the project?
• Is the volunteer or staff labor adequate to sustain the effort?

In the end, it is often a judgment call of whether to say yes or no, but thinking through the answer is one of the keys to making wise decisions and ultimately to leading well.

How do you balance the difference between saying “yes” and saying “no”?

For more thoughts on leadership, click HERE.

Change is necessary if organizations want to continue to improve and grow, but change instantly raising resistance from some people.  Change requires a certain amount of faith.   Faith is much easier to believe, and even to preach, than it ever is to live by.

In my experience, there are at least 4 major reasons why change is difficult. Understanding them and identifying with the resistance of change can assist leaders in helping other team members adjust to change.

The four reasons are:

It’s unknown –One of life’s greatest fears is the unknown. It causes us to resist those things for which we cannot easily discern an outcome.

It’s challenging – Change stretches us out of our comfort zone.  Some of us like to be stretched more than other people do.

It’s uncertain – When we change, we are often introducing untested waters.  We prefer certainty.

It’s unpopular – The resistance to change is universal.  Change invites animosity and tension.

What changes have you been avoiding that you need to make?

Read some tips on implementing change HERE and HERE.

Read more about innovation HERE.