What about Fake Miracles and Urban Legends?

If you’ve heard me preach, you’ll know that I love to share modern miracle stories. I’m kind of a skeptic at heart; yet, I’ve seen some undeniable miracles over the years. This tension between faith and skepticism is a pretty common one – especially in a day and age when urban legends can be created over-night on the internet. So let’s talk about this.

Keep in mind: the very foundation of Biblical Christianity is built upon a miracle. And God constantly used them to influence people to consider the scriptures. For example, in John 9, Jesus famously works up a holy loogie, combines it with a little mud, and applies it liberally to a blind man’s eyes to yield healing (v. 6). Putting aside obvious questions about the surprising healing qualities of a saliva-mud salve, this case is pretty interesting. Keep in mind, Jesus performed this miracle in front of a community that was hostile to the notion that He could do so. The Pharisees had branded Jesus a sinner (v. 16) and thus their assumptions about reality hindered their ability to accept the supernatural storm brooding right in front of them. I like this story for two reasons: First off, Jesus challenges our culture’s mistrust of bodily fluids… (Besides… I think I might have a spitting ministry myself). But secondly, this miracle forces us to consider that God can do things that are contrary to the natural course of science.

Recently, on Easter Sunday I shared a series of modern miracle stories – people who’ve claimed to have encountered Christ and his healing power. One dramatic story (which came from Egypt) got quite a response from some of our attendees. It reads as follows:

“An Egyptian Muslim murdered his wife, then buried his 8-year-old daughter and baby,” reports a Californian ministry. The man claimed that an uncle had killed the children. 15 days later, another family member died. When the family buried the deceased, they found the two girls – still alive! When asked how they survived, the 8-year-old girl answered “A man in shining white clothes, with bleeding wounds in his hands, brought us food every day. He even revived our mother to breast-feed my sister.” In an interview with a Muslim journalist on Egyptian national television, she said “It was no one other than Jesus, because nobody else could have done anything like that!” The crime caused a national outcry, with many demanding the death sentence for the father. “It seems clear, though, that the child did not invent the story, and they could not have survived without a miracle,” says the source.

Afterwards, a number of parishioners understandably googled this event and responded with skepticism. After all, there are several websites that discredit the event as a lie. As the skeptical sites argue, “if this was a nationally aired newscast there should be some pretty substantial evidence.”

To their point, you won’t find a transcript on-line or a video of the interview on youtube. And for web-sites dedicated to disproving miracles, this is enough to label the story a sure fraud. Of course, the discrediting site never bothered to mentioned the fact that the story was run in a nation openly and often violently hostile toward Christianity before and after the Egyptian revolution. More than this, Egyptian media is aggressively controlled. The Egyptian State runs much of the media directly and heavily sensors independent outlets. This is why the use of free-flowing information via twitter and facebook played such a major role in President Hosni Mubarak’s recent overthrow. Contemporary Egyptian media is tightly controlled by threats and outright punishment. Just today, Reuters reports that the Arab world’s most famous comedian, Adel Imam, is facing a 3 month prison sentence for “Insulting Islam.”[1] Beyond the media climate, self proclaimed Christians in Egypt make up only about 10% of the population. By in-large they are lower on the socio-economic totem pole. As such, it is doubtful they would even have the means to record a news station much less post it online (especially in 2004 when the story broke). And as we have seen, no media outlet will have an incentive to propagate a story that does not expressly support Islamic thought.

Yet, because of people’s concerns about the story, I had my staff contact the California based ministry and the Pastor and his wife who reported the story. The ministry is a reputable group known to do evangelism in dangerous areas. The Pastor linked to this story’s name is Victor Khalil. He and some of the Substance staff have had correspondence about the story. Rev. Khalil was born in Egypt and moved to the United States more than 40 years ago. He received his PhD in the United States and is involved in several ministries in the Arab world. Rev. Khalil now desires desperately to reach the land of his birth with the message of spiritual liberation through Christ. Much of the reporting his ministry puts out has nothing to do with miracles, but rather socio-political realities that shape the lives of millions of people in some of the most politically oppressive places in the world. Rev. Khalil and his wife affirm that they personally spoke with people who watched the newscast, and one family sent a write-up about it as soon as it aired. Victor is hesitant to share names because of the volatility of the area, but he stands by the story.

Of course, it’s possible that Dr. Khalil could be a liar. Many liars do, in fact, exist; and, as such, false miracles stories abound. But given the context, a lack of media transcript or footage does not disprove the event as websites claim. Small changes over time to the story do not suggest false pretense either. I have personally heard stories change about legitimate miracles that I have seen. Anyone who has played a game of phone knows the humans are fallible at best in their story telling. At the end of the day, with this story, as with so many, we must decide simply whether we accept the possibility of miracles. If so, accounts from reasonable people should be taken seriously.

I won’t draw this out, but interestingly enough, on the same day I preached that sermon, a leader in our prayer ministry felt that God told him to pray for his mother in-law. She had been diagnosed with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) a year and a half ago. After that diagnosis, doctors recommended she have an oxygen tank with her everywhere to help her breathe. She hated taking oxygen with her so wore it at night only, functioning during the day with chronic shortness of breath. Two weeks before Easter it had gotten as bad as it’s been and she could barely make it 20 yards. She needed Oxygen during the day and struggled to do every-day affairs. She rarely went to church, but her family insisted she make an exception for Easter. That morning she reports that she had such shortness of breath she could hardly dress or make it through the foyer into the sanctuary. After the service she received prayer, felt something pushing her down and was completely emotionally overwhelmed. She values the stoicism typical of the Greatest Generation, but when she recounts that day tears come to her eyes and her voice breaks. After prayer, she could walk freely back to the car. Today, in her words when asked about the event she says, “what more can I say, I can breathe.” Since her healing encounter, she’s been enjoying increased strength, freedom and breathing capacity, and there are times when she feels she’s regained everything she felt she lost a year and a half ago.

The story of this family is ongoing. She has not yet gone to the doctor for a follow-up visit to confirm a diagnosis, but she is confident in her heart that her life is changed and she can still feel the presence of the healing. As in the case with Jesus’ miracle in John 9, when looking at this sort of story, it matters more what our presuppositions are about the reality of God working supernaturally than the never-ending sleuthing for data. In the case of our prayer leader, I know the family well. I’ve seen the results from before and after. But even in THIS firsthand story, I am relying predominantly on testimony! If we believe that God is actively moving in unpredictable and often seemingly unacceptable ways, eye witness reports from a largely repressed world may be all the credibility we need, and indeed all that we could expect given the context.

Now I want to be very clear here. I believe healthy skepticism is good and a lot of time we as Christians could use more of it. I myself am a skeptic. Most of my sermons involve statistics, studies, and the latest research on any given topic. But when speaking about the very personal, very active power of God moving to transform one’s outer and inner self, sometimes we cannot expect more than the testimony, “I was blind and now I see” (John 9.25).

[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/entertainment-us-egypt-actor-court-idUSBRE83O0MO20120425

May 14, 2012 /

Ahh, Mentoring You Seek? – Practical Advice for Spiritual Padawans

Almost every month, people come up to me and ask the common question: “What do I need to do to find a mentor?” As I look back at many of the successes in my life, it’s become clear that most of them were due to great mentors.

Many of you have recently heard me teach on mentoring in the second week of our series, Search. [Click here to View]. But, there were a few other things that are essential for finding mentors.

Recently, my 6 year old son has been obsessed with pretending to be Yoda from Star Wars. (He was Yoda this last Halloween). In fact, my son will literally go weeks without responding to his real name – (which get’s awkward when you’re forced to call him Yoda in public). But naturally I’ve been forced to play the role of Luke Skywalker — seeking the advice of Yoda for everything I do. But, the reason I bring up Yoda is because… many people seem to have a “Yoda Mentality” when it comes to mentoring… the idea that there’s only ONE person who can train you in the way of the force… a mentor who will ride on your back… go camping with you…and give you pearls of wisdom whenever you face your Darth Vader. But real-life mentoring works much differently.

Some times, the people we want to mentor us are a bit out of our league. As a young pastor, I remember being snubbed by a well-known pastor when I reached out for help. Truth was, he didn’t actually snub me. I was clearly oversensitive. And looking back, I was like a 4^th grade math student who thought I needed a Physicist to help me with my problem. In the same way, many people get their emotions tangled up in a weird concept of mentoring. That’s why, below, I listed a few things to keep in mind. More specifically, I give advice for three phases of mentoring: Before, During and After finding a mentor.

Before the First Meeting:

– Don’t be looking for a singular Mom/Dad figure who will rub your back and snuggle you throughout all your problems. If a person like this exists, great. But instead, think of yourself as assembling a team of mentoring specialists – not a singular person like Yoda. Besides, we need mentors for a variety of topics (financial, marital, parenting, etc.). Also, don’t expect a mentor to fill the gaps if what you really need is professional help (aka., a professional counselor, lawyer or financial advisor.)
– Outline exactly what do you want out of this mentoring relationship: What do you need to be mentored in? Professional mentor? Marriage, Prayer-mentor, or are you looking for a sponsor (as in Alcoholics Anonymous.) The topic may require varying levels of commitment. This needs to be clear up front.

– Save up money and/or margin in your time to be mentored (in case you need to travel for it… or will need to pay for access; e.g., conferences, coaching groups, etc.)
– Start mentoring someone else: (You reap what you sow)
– Answer the following 3 Questions:

(1). What is your dilemma? – Outline the specific areas you want to be mentored in?

(2). Who has successfully navigated your dilemma?

(3). What am I doing to get around this person to serve them?

Once you Meet:

– Don’t gush about how you want them to be your mentor: You wouldn’t scream, “Let’s get married and have children together” on your first date, would you? (I say this because, some of you would : ). So take it slowly. You don’t blow into a good mentoring relationship, you grow into it. Start with a low-commitment coffee appointment. If there’s chemistry, build from there.
– If you’re meeting with a busy person, cut to the chase and be specific about what you’re wanting advice on. Not everyone is looking to forge deep new relationships. (& inevitably, you’ll need mentoring from people like this). Thus, railing on about your life-story can be off-putting. You might object, “but if a mentor doesn’t have interest in knowing me, then, why should I want them to be my mentor.” And my response is simple: Most mentors worth having are usually too busy to mentor. If you’re looking for someone to twiddle your thumbs with, then yes: Pick any old person who wants to listen to your sob stories. But if you want your life to be like an “arrow in the hands of a mighty warrior” then you have to earn the right to be mentored. If you want a mighty warrior to do this for free, then you probably have some pride or entitlement issues you need to deal with. Many people look for mentoring to fulfill mother/father wounds. And yes, there are some mentors who specialize in that. But as any good mother or father knows, to have a healthy child, rule number one is this: the home cannot revolve around them. So get thick skin. Respect their time & listen intently.

If you Both have Chemistry and Desire for a Deeper Relationship:

– Learn how to Initiate: You are responsible to initiate with your Mentor. And the meeting times and spaces should be the burden of the one seeking mentoring. Indeed, good mentors usually set up intentional hurdles to guarantee that a person is willing to put effort into the relationship. If a person can’t handle initiating meetings or meeting at times that are convenient for the mentor, then they are generally a person who won’t apply the advice given anyway. So if you value your mentor’s time, you are responsible for this.
– Go over the following 4 Questions with Mentor:

What’s going well in your life?

What’s going badly in your life?

What do you feel is missing in your life?

What’s confusing right now?

April 30, 2012 /

Crazy Research on How to Fall Back in Love (Or stop hating someone)

The Bible says that the “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov. 18:21). Interestingly, certain studies have proved this to be true when it comes to love and romance.

In the October 2011 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, it explained a fascinating phenomenon regarding human emotions. The small act of saying “I like you” actually causes human beings to increase their affection towards a person. To be statistically precise, test subjects were 17% more likely to declare a person as likeable if, on an earlier occasion, they were forced to make the declaration over a specific person.

The study used some clever techniques to arrive at this scientific conclusion (the details of which are a bit too boring for here); but, it suffices to say that a mere declaration of affection has a subtle but substantial affect on the speaker’s emotions.

Quite often, it’s easy for long-term friends or marriage partners to speak disparagingly about their significant others. And although some of us might deserve it, research shows that it may do some damage in the person speaking it forth.

Should the research surprise us? Not if we hold to the Bible’s advice. James 3 teaches that our tongues are like the rudder of a ship (vs.4). It’s small but it gives direction to everything else. Or, when God spoke in Genesis 1, it created things that didn’t previously exist. Similarly, Jesus taught that our faith proclamations have a dramatic affect on reality (see Mk 11:14 as an example).

I’m not saying that you should state bald-face lies: “Sure, your butt looks great in those jeans!” (although this is always true when it comes to my wife). But it’s a scientific fact that our emotions tend to follow our declarations – even when it’s not exactly logical to feel a certain way.

So the next time you see your spouse, (or someone who irritates you), give ’em a loud and proud: “I…LIKE…YOU!” (and when you do it, try to avoid being sarcastic). Hopefully, if it’s your spouse, you’ll say something with deeper commitment. But chances are your emotions will soon get in sync with your declaration.

I’m sure that some of you are thinking: “It’s gonna take more than that to start liking [so & so].” And perhaps there’s a little forgiveness that needs to happen first. But God has a fancy way of giving us an emotional makeover when we’re willing to cooperate.

So whether we’re talking about the bad driver in front of us or the coworker across the hall, lets get our mouths in sync with God’s heart. It just might be the boost that keeps God’s life flowing out of us into a dying world.

February 27, 2012 /

How to Get Ahead Financially despite the Economy

Financial Peace University Starting

At Substance, we’re constantly thinking of ways to empower people to experience success. And we have a crazy ministry launching at our Operating Center this coming week called Financial Peace University (FPU).

Of course, our goal as Christians isn’t to store up treasure on earth. Some people believe in a “prosperity gospel” which is basically an excuse to live a self-centered American life that sugar-coated in Christianity. However, the Bible teaches that if we can be a conduit of life to those in need (emotionally and financially) only then can we experience God’s best (Prov. 11:25-26). And that’s really our heart behind these amazing and fun financial classes at Substance.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the FPU class is that you have to be poor, broke or financially crushed to consider attending. Of course, that’s not the case at all. Some of you might be unemployed or underemployed and at the end of your rope with interest rates and debt collectors; yet others of you might earn a HUGE income and can afford to maintain a debt load. But here’s the deal: Just because someone can maintain a huge debt load doesn’t mean that they aren’t living outside of their means. (Can we all agree that our country and our government has struggled with financial management?) We’ve been bombarded with partisan politics about our National Debt, extending credit limits, downgrades in credit ratings, and the government shutdown.

This isn’t just a government problem; our society has followed the government’s lead. Did you know that within the first 7 years of marriage the typical newly married couple attempts to obtain the same standard of living as their parents, when it took their parents 30 or more years to obtain their standard of living? We’re all pushed by society to “keep up with the Joneses,” as if our society has forgotten how to save up to buy things, having been caught up in the idea that happiness comes from “stuff”. In fact, check out these statistics:

The average credit card debt per household with credit card debt is $15,799.00!
There are 609.8 million credit cards held by U.S. consumers.
·The average number of credit cards held by cardholders is 3.5.
·The average APR on a new credit card offer is 14.89 percent.
·The average APR on a credit card with a balance on it is 13.10 percent.
·The total U.S. revolving debt (98 percent of which is made up of credit card debt) is $793.1 billion, as of May 2011.
·The total U.S. consumer debt is $2.43 trillion, as of May 2011.

If we aren’t intentional about managing our finances, no matter where we are in our finances, we build financial pressure, increase our stress, and decrease the margin in our lives for doing things like ministry, and building community with close Christian friends.

Do you realize that about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the U.S. end up in divorce – and one of the leading causes of divorce is financial stress? Remember, it’s not how much you make, it’s how much you spend. Financial pressure and stress will steal your joy and your margin in life whether you are broke or earning a significant income. FPU is as much about managing your life, happiness, finances and spending habits once you are out of debt, as it is about getting your life in order and climbing out of debt.

So if you sign up, here’s what you’ll learn: You’ll learn how to beat debt, build wealth, find bargains, invest for the future, give like never before, and much more! Seriously: It’ll change your life. You can check out the full lesson plan here: http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/preview/.

And in case you’re wondering if it works: More than one million families nationwide have attended Financial Peace University with amazing results. On average, these families paid off $5,300 in debt and saved $2,700 in just the first 90 days. That’s crazy! In end, we could do so much more for our families, community and for the kingdom if we could get our financial house in order and stop worrying about money.

Classes start at the OC on October 4 at 7pm. Pre-registration for FPU is required, so check out the Substance Magazine or http://www.substancechurch.com/ministries/subgroups for more details on how to sign up.

I love you guys. We have limited slots so start your journey to Financial Peace today!

September 27, 2011 / No Comments /

Is the Rapture Coming this Saturday?

Mt.of Olives - Where Christ will Return (but not rapture : )

When Rob Bell’s Love Wins hit the shelves, I thought that there would never be an end to the questions: “Pastor, what do you think? What are your thoughts?” (And by the way, if you really want to know my thoughts on hell, check out the four-part series: “Hell, Fuzzy bunnies and Brimstone” from Easter 2010). But finally, (and thankfully) another topic has eclipsed this… specifically, the rapture that’s supposedly coming this Saturday!

If you haven’t heard, there are thousands of people who are prepping for the Rapture to happen this Saturday. Yes. Tomorrow. Harold Camping has been announcing for months that the rapture is happening on May 21^st and the end of the world on Oct 21^st. Keep in mind, Camping says all sorts of crazy stuff that is both ridiculous and unsubstantiated in scripture. He also got it wrong the last time he did this regarding Sept. 6th, 1994; yet, you just never know. I mean, why not Saturday? (In fact, I told Pastor Mark Mellen that, if it happens, he can have my iPad for preaching at Substance : ) …(Sorry Mark! I couldn’t resist.)

But seriously: I realize that many of our people at Substance don’t know anything about Eschatology (the study of the end-times). So, I thought I’d give you a quick “End-Times-For-Dummies” summary of all the diverse interpretations of scriptures (not that any of you are dummies). In some ways, people keep asking me for this – as if they’re cramming for a test this Saturday. So, to satisfy everyone’s End-times fervor, here’s a short and grotesque oversimplification of the three major theological schools – each of which have an extremely different interpretation of end-times scriptures:

(1). Pre-millennialism, is the most popular right now – thanks to the “Left Behind” series. It’s the oldest interpretation from a historical standpoint. And it’s the only one that talks of “raptures” and tribulations. In short: It’s the “World is getting worse & worse” Interpretation. And right near the worst part (the tribulation) God is going to “rapture” his faithful followers into the sky (either before the tribulation, during, or after)… and the only one left will be… Kirk Cameron!? After this Seven-year Tribulation, it gets a bit confusing because: Christ returns again (& this time it’s the official “Second Coming”) in which he re-establishes a 1000 year utopian reign. And then, Satan gets released again. (I realize it sounds redundant). But after Satan’s second little rebellion gets crushed, then the judgement happens and eternity ensues. (And Keep in mind: I’m not making fun of this complexity… I’m just trying to keep it light-hearted).

(2). A-millennialism, has been the most popular since 200 A.D. up through the 1800’s. Although I’m oversimplifying — it’s a pretty simple and linear concept – especially compared to Pre-millennialism. There are no dramatic raptures. There are no complexities with Israel or temporary utopian “reigns with Christ” (most of which come out of Pre-millennialism above). Rather, God just shows up (the second-coming) and we all face judgement. Then: Eternity, here we come!

(3). Post-millennialism is often called the “positive” approach to end-times. It’s the belief that things get “better and better” as the power of the Holy Spirit slowly takes over the earth as a fulfillment of Acts 2. And after the unstoppable wind of the Spirit prepares the bride of Christ, Christ comes for his bride and ushers-in eternity. Of course, the “pessimistic” (Pre-millennial) interpretation is so popular right now that most Christians have never even heard a whole lot of the Biblical arguments for Post-millennialism. This was the most popular interpretation throughout the 1800’s. But after the two World Wars most Christians concluded that the world is more screwed up than ever. (Hence Pre-millennialism was revived). Of course, due to the massive growth of the Christian church globally, many have started subscribing to this approach again. In fact, based on Christian conversion growth in the past two decades, Christians could overtake the entire population of earth by 2030. When missiologists started reporting this, many Christians thought: “perhaps our eschatology is a bit too attached to headlines rather than hermeneutics (a.k.a. a fair interpretation of scriptures). However, Post-millenialism is a rather “new interpretation” compared to the other two. (I.e., it’s hard to find much historical support for this in the first century). Yet many Christians still feel it’s the Biblical interpretation that gives the least amount of glory to the devil.

“But Peter: What do YOU think? And more specifically, do YOU think the rapture is this Saturday?“ Truth be told, I’ve done a lot of pendulum swinging between each of these theological approaches. Honestly there are a lot of really smart people who’ve written some pretty incredible treatises on this. I’m a church-growth expert not a theologian. Yet, the historical foundation of pre-millenialism is pretty solid. And it’s hard to think about the modern state of Israel without getting a few “Premillenial Goosebumps” on your arms.

But seriously… I honestly still don’t know. Don’t get me wrong: I have a detailed opinion. However: We prepare for all three of these the same – by repenting and looking forward to Christ’s return. And no matter which you subscribe to, all three believe in the immanent return of Christ and the Judgment to come. So in some ways… who cares!? Get busy living for God. And keep preparing Christ’s bride for His return!

Honestly, when I read much of Camping’s literature on a 5-21-11 rapture, I thought he was making some pretty huge assumptions. And more: I still think “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen” (Mt. 24:36). But I sensed the Holy Spirit impress upon my heart: “Peter, live as though it could happen this soon.” And honestly it’s been an overwhelming couple of days. I think it’d be pretty awesome if Christ did come. And if you don’t feel excitement about an imminent rapture this Saturday, it’s probably a sign that you have a few issues that you need to get straight with God.

I’ve had an amazing number of God-discussions with my kids the last few days. And honestly my walk with God has never felt richer. And if there was a Saturday rapture my only regret would be that I haven’t lived my entire life with such an imminent vigilance.

Besides: What if the rapture didn’t happen this Saturday… then suddenly, God came on Monday? Or what if it was one year out? Either way: God is giving each of us the same word: “Be careful how you live! Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do” (Eph. 5:15-18). And Why? “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words” (1 Thess. 4:16-18).

May 20, 2011 / No Comments /

Becoming an Israelite – Reflections on a Life-changing Trip

My Wife & I kickin' it Holy Land style.

A trip to Israel wasn’t very high on my “bucket list;” but, after going there this last week, I honestly can’t believe I’ve waited this long. Seriously: I will never be the same. It sounds so sensational but it’s true. “And Why” you ask? I’ll tell you!

First off: I finally got to use all of the Hebrew I learned at the U of M. My team kept asking me to translate everything for them. (Of course, I haven’t spoken a word of it in 16 years). But, it’s all good. (After all, I could make up just about anything and my team-mates believed me.)

Of course getting there was a nightmare! I’ve never had more flight delays and cancellations in my life. There’s actually a law stating that people cannot be stuck on an airplane tarmac for longer than 3 hours. If a plane is waiting to take off yet cannot, after three hours, they must return to the boarding gate. This happened over 3 times to my wife and me in a single day! (I.e., Nine hours on a non-moving plane). Amazingly this happened again the next day! (I.e., One short domestic flight took us 48 hours of airport travel – with no end in sight). We knew we were going to get stranded in Pittsburgh for a 2^nd night so we rented a car and instead drove 8 hours to NYC just to hopefully fly standby on a 12 hr flight to Israel!

As we drove across the Pennsylvania mountains we kept seeing signs for Scranton PA “The electric city”. I kept doing Michael Scott impersonations. And as we whistled the theme song to the t.v. show “the Office,” we starting getting high spirits again. Then BLAM! My wife gets pulled over! (Whistling stopped). So, after $600 of unexpected travel costs + 1 speeding ticket later, we stood at JFK airport at 1am. We waited in a two hour line with the hopes of merely flying stand-by. Of course, the story gets incredibly worse… (and the story home is equally outrageous.) But it suffices to say that: All of this trauma was worth it! And Why?

I will never read my Bible the same. I had no idea how small the holy land really is. The Bible is constantly referring to cities in the land… and why? Because the land matters! When people read these references it dramatizes the plotline. Suddenly every Biblical battle becomes even more engrossing.

For example, the Garden of Gethsemene is only minutes away from a desert escape. King David would escape this way whenever the heat was on. Of course, this path was certainly a massive temptation for Christ when he prayed “not my will but yours be done.” He was literally only minutes away from total escape. Yet we would never know this until you’ve been there and understood how the terrain thickens the plot.

"The 1 place in Israel archaeologists can guarantee Jesus stood"

For example, I got to stand where the sermon of Pentecost was preached. I got baptized in the Jordan river. I got to boat over the sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed storms and walked on the water. I got to sit near Peter’s house in Capernaum where the paralytic’s friend’s ripped through his rooftop. I was able to hike in the very places that Psalms where written… where David slayed Goliath. I mean, seriously: That’s priceless! I will never read these stories the same. So ever since I’ve had this insatiable desire to read my Bible for a good hour each day.

So, here’s the deal church: I want to birth some of this passion into your heart as well. For starters… I want to lead a Substance trip to Israel (so start saving your cash). Secondarily: You don’t need to travel to Israel to get a deeper passion for God’s Word. Sometimes we simply need to start a new discipline.

If you’ve ever had the flu before, there’s a point at which you need to start eating again – even though you have absolutely no appetite. It’s a hard place to be in; yet, if you don’t start eating again, you’ll starve. I.e., Sometimes you’ve got to force-feed. And over time, your appetite will not only return but, you’ll actually start to hunger for the very things you’re feeding on. And the same is true with God’s word.

If you force-feed yourself God’s Word for at least ten minutes a day… within a month, reading the Bible will become a pleasure. It’s kind of like working out. When you do it for longer than 3 months you become addicted to it. Pretty soon you won’t truly feel alive unless you do it. But, this only happens to people who truly give themselves to it. And unfortunately, many people quit before they’ve “broken through.”

So don’t let this summer slide by. When you grill out at a nearby lake… or starting hiking around the northwoods again, make sure you take your Bible with you. It’s time to form a new habit. Not every book of the Bible is easy to read. But believe me: Getting addicted to God’s Word is amazing – even if it takes a speeding ticket and a long flight to get there : )

P.s., I was sitting in a Beduin tent in the southern desert of Israel… and guess who I ran into? …A high-school student who attends Fridley High School! Seriously, what are the odds?

May 10, 2011 / No Comments /

Top 5 Must-Read Parenting Books

The last couple weeks I’ve been hitting many of the top statistical predictors of healthy kids and marriages. And in case you missed a few weeks due to all of these naughty snowstorms, make certain you don’t miss “Awkward Family” Parts 3 & 5! They are critical for any younger family (click here to see videos). But my wife and I want to give you some more information that you can explore on your own.

Of course, if you know my wife at all, you’d know that she’s obsessive about being a great parent. In fact, I call her the “Mommy-ologist” because she’s always got at least 2 parenting books on her at any given moment. (I’m not kidding. It’s almost ridiculous). In fact, I don’t think we’ve gone on a vacation in eight years where she wasn’t reading another parenting book. So, when it comes to parenting advice, what are the books that stand out amidst the clutter? Below, my lovely lady, (a.k.a., “Dr. Mom”) gives us a few of her favorites – and why!

“As many of you know, Peter & I were already senior pastoring a church of middle aged families before we had any kids. So, as you would imagine, our first child was quite the ordeal. (She was the church baby). For better and for worse, all eyes were on us as we entered this new adventure of parenthood. Too add pressure, our firstborn was off-the-charts “spirited” (it’s the nice way of saying ‘obnoxiously strong-willed’). In fact, the expert that made this assessment even recommended that I find a support group! But, don’t worry: everything worked out fine. In fact, all of those humbling parenting moments caused me to seek out all the books, mentors, and wisdom I could find. Unfortunately, many parents don’t do this until it’s too late.

Obviously, the Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom (Jer 33:3, Jms 1:5, Psm 32:8); so, don’t forget this when you read my list below. Also, contrary to folk-wisdom, good parenting is NOT an innate skill. If anything, we all have a fantastic ability to screw up our kids. That’s why we need to treat parenting as a skill that needs constant sharpening. Isolating yourself from advice is one of the worst things you could do (as irritating as opinions can be). But, if you have the right mentors and parenting books, God can make parenting a joy – which is how it should be. So out of my journey of seeking wisdom over the last decade, here are a few of my favorite parenting books!

Of course, there are hundreds of “good” books. Naturally, it’s hard to narrow things down to a top 4 or 5. But, I tried to pick books that are fun, practical, and easy to read. Thus, my truest test: Which books do I tend to recommend the most? Well, here’s a few you should read (In no Particular Order).

1. Creative Correction, by Lisa Welchel. This is the most life-giving parenting book I’ve ever read! If you have a toddler or older, this is a MUST READ. It is well written, funny and filled with scriptures. (In fact, when you read it, you’re actually encouraged rather than overwhelmed… which, sad to say, is a common occurrence with many books.) But, Creative Correction is full of tools & tips for every age & season your kids go through. So just buy it: You’ll want to read it over and over as your children grow.

2. Nurture by Nature, Understanding Your Child’s Personality Type – and Become a Better Parent, by Paul D. Tieger & Barbara Barron-Tieger Details: For help with kids of all ages. Most parent / child conflict is due to personality conflict. So this book gives you fascinating insights into your kid’s incredibly specific personality type (one of 16!) This book will eerily describe each of your kids (from toddler to teenager) and how you can best parent them in each season.

(3). Seven Habits of Happy Kids & 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (by Sean Covey) Details: These are two different books… (each designed for the appropriate age). These are great tools for teaching the principals of the “7 Habits” to your children and teens. The children’s book version has great illustrations that teach children to be proactive, to begin with the end in mind etc… and the book for teens has incredible illustrations and homework assignments that make it a must read for EVERY teen. (Note: I will be personally forcing my kids to go through this book over and over again!)

(4) Revolutionary Parenting, by George Barna — Details: A perfect book to educate parents on statistical causes of success. Barna surveyed over 10,000 young adults who are thriving in their faith and life. He then interviewed their parents and came up with some incredible insights on what we can do as parents to be intentional in our parenting. So get ready to produce spiritual champions!

(5) Boundaries with Kids, by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend — Details: For penetrating insights about kids of all ages. This book does a great job outlining the building blocks that create healthy adults. But get ready, you’re going to learn a lot about yourself when you read this. It’s hard to see the strengths and weaknesses of your own upbringing until you’ve read a book like this. Again, this is a must-read.

But here’s the bottom line: The average parent only spends 15 minutes a day interacting with their kids. And no matter how smart you are, this type of apathy will never produce healthy results. For some of us, this means we need to take a serious look at how much we work (or perhaps a deeper question, how much do we really need?) But if you’re willing to educate yourself — and if you’re willing to put in a little time — your children will be a treasure both to you and to the kingdom of God.

December 11, 2010 / No Comments /

Ever Done a Dorky Mission Trip?

Substance Think Tank for Missions

Have you ever been on a dorky missions trip where you didn’t really do anything? I have a friend on the mission field who used to host various mission teams. And over time he started calling them “vacationaries” rather than missionaries. Like many other Christians, he knew that there had to be a better way of doing short-term missions. And over the years, I’m starting to agree.

To make matters worse, there’s such a dizzying array of mission organizations vying for our attention. I’ve been on many great trips with organizations like Operation Serve. But I’ve also been with a few other organizations that were mediocre…at best. Of course, every other week, we’re approached by a different organization wanting us to send a team somewhere. Certainly, I’m excited that everyone is passionate about bringing Christ to the nations; yet, I’m also deeply concerned that our lack of strategy is becoming quite wasteful. That’s why, just recently, we called up our friend Rob Hoskins and One Hope organization to do some strategic consulting.

For those of you unfamiliar with OneHope.net, they are one of the most thoughtful mission organizations on the earth. With hundreds of employees around the globe, they’ve engaged over 600 million youth with the scriptures in 125 countries. In fact, they’ve done some of the best missiological research I’ve ever seen (see www.SpiritualStateOfTheChildren.com …it will blow your mind). You simply name the country, these guys have a pretty well-informed strategy and network to reach it. So, who better to help develop Substance’s very own missions strategy!?

One Hope was generous enough to fly up five of their brightest minds from their headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. (Of course, the thought crossed my mind that we should have reversed the location : ) To be honest, our executive team was a bit nervous hosting such a brilliant crew. I felt like the dorky 7th grader asking the popular girl to dance. But all is well. The One Hope crew is a riot. (I think we’re even “going steady” now : ) But seriously: These guys rocked my world. I’ve never in my life heard such a fantastic and strategic approach towards global missions.

For example… most people think of “missions” as merely a budget of the church, not an extension of the churches’ greater calling. In other words: Every church has a strategic “missional gift-mix.” For example, some churches have a large quantity of construction workers, videographers, or medical practioners. Yet, very few churches develop their missions strategy in light of this gift-mix. Even worse: Church mission trips become nothing more than wasteful vacations that put a huge burden on the foreign mission base – yet do little to actually grow the churches in those countries. Even worse: Some countries are far more strategic to reach than others. Yet, many churches mindlessly take trips to countries that are already over-saturated with aid. And just as bad: Many mission trips aren’t even connected to thriving indigenous churches. And if they are connected to churches, they rarely serve the strategic needs of those churches. In the end, there’s very little thought given to “What are the most strategic churches to be serving.” And the reason is usually because, very few missionary organizations are as well connected as One Hope. Thus, everyone seems to go with their aunt’s cousin’s mom & pop missionary church. Yet, just down the road, there may be a wildly more fruitful church to be serving.

But at Substance: When we spend our missions dollars, I want it to be on the most effective kingdom efforts on earth. And if we take short-term mission teams, I want to use Substance’s strengths and go to strategic nations and then work with carefully selected churches who are fully capable of fully utilizing our short term efforts for long-term gain. Even more, I want to send teams to foreign churches that are fully capable of healthily converting our short-term missionaries into one or two year missionaries. But many churches are incapable of healthily absorbing westerners without harming the church or the well-intended missionary. Yet none of these things will ever happen if American churches are constantly distracted with mediocre mission-trips to mediocre countries doing mediocre things with mediocre foreign-churches with out any long-term measurable goals.

Of course, many church strategies work through one or two of these things; but, I’ve never met an organization like One Hope who can create an elaborate missiological business plan that factors in all of these things. (Can you feel my excitement!!!!) DUDE! I am so pumped!

Perhaps it’s because, I believe that we are designing far more than just a church missions strategy. I feel like we’re designing an entirely new way for American churches to do missions. Every ten years, there’s a new “missions bandwagon.” There are a lot of mission projects that “preach well”… like disaster relief or trafficking. (Both of which I whole-heartedly support). But I sense God’s heart is crying out for more from us! We need “God-ideas” not “good ideas.” And the only way we’re gonna discover this is if we do our homework and then bathe all of it in a good amount of prayer. Make sense?

But one thing is for sure: I believe God wants Substance to be a model of thoughtful missional outreach. So keep praying Substance! We’ll be unveiling our new strategies over this next year. But remember: this is just the beginning.

P.S., Get your passports ready! We’re going to the ends of the earth! : )

August 31, 2010 / No Comments /

Peter Vs. The Volcano … and I lost!

Can they really cancel your flight while you’re ½ way across the north Atlantic Ocean? Apparently so!

As many of you know, I was off to South Africa via Amsterdam to preach at a pastor’s conference north of Johannesburg. And all of a sudden, that naughty little volcano in Iceland (who’s name no one can even pronounce) came along & coughed up a good amount of ash into the air. Of course ½ of the airports in Europe were suddenly shut down. So, what does one do? Apparently, one turns the plane around and goes all the way back to Minneapolis.

Of course, every subsequent flight was instantly booked throughout most of the week… unless I wanted to spend $5 grand routing myself through China. By the time I would arrive, I’d have to jump right back on an 20 hr flight just to make it back in time for Substance. I mean: Come On! At the very least, this stupid volcano should have a pronounce-able name. At least, that way, I could hurl insults at it. (I suddenly understand how Clark Griswald felt when Wally World was closed.) It had felt like such an epic journey… & yet now I’m back home for the week.

I thought about that Proverb that says: “Hopes deferred make the heart sick.” Have you ever experienced that before? Life has its share of twists and turns. But, as I grow older, I’m starting to see the silver linings more quickly. Romans 8:28 says that “God causes all things to work together for good for those that love him.” So, I’ve been trusting God that He is having his way even when it’s different than I expect.

Interestingly, on my North-Atlantic “site-seeing tour”, I got to sit next to a believer who helps lead at a great church that Substance is friends with. (Seriously…What are the odds?) We had some fantastic leadership discussions. And I can’t help but to suspect that God was simply planning a very unique and extravagant fellowship moment.

It also hard to feel bad when it’s 80 degrees outside. I immediately bought tickets to a Twins game this week. And I’m still hoping to see a lion… even if I have to go to the Como zoo to do it.

Of course, I realize that many of you are having tough times…. perhaps in your finances, emotions, your marriage or job. And you may not have naughty volcanoes causing the problems; but, no matter what the cause of your burdens, remember this: “[God] will never let the righteous fall.” Psm 55:22. He has a fantastic way of turning tests into testimonies.

So, don’t let your emotions take you down. Let your faith build you up… even if you’re forced to have a South African BBQ in Minneapolis! All right?

I love you guys! Thanks for all of your prayers!

May 18, 2010 / No Comments /

Confessions of a Traveling Pastor

Even though I’m in Minneapolis & preaching most Sundays, if you follow me on facebook or twitter, you’ll see that between Monday-Sat, I’m all over the U.S. A few months ago, it was Australia & Switzerland. This May it’s South Africa. Of course, I’m also finishing up a particularly crazy stretch of domestic events… (In fact, as I write this, I’m flying to my 7^th mid-week conference speaking engagement in 6 weeks.) Whew! I feel tired just saying that! (But thankfully, I’ll be home watching my grass grow for much of the summer.)

“So, then: How do you travel and stay fresh?” Well, I’d be lying if I said I’m “fresh” right now (& I usually blog when I’m procrastinating sermon writing : ) But, truth be told, I usually know in advance when I have a busy stretch; so, it’s not uncommon for me to get my sermons done five weeks in advance. So, I always make sure that the Lord and my family are still my priority.

Ironically, I don’t really like travelling. Once you get to know me, I’m somewhat of an introverted home-body (I realize that most of you think I’m lying!) But seriously, I’m quite content hanging out with my wife and kids all the time. To boot, I have a never-ending to-do list of fun Substance people I want to be with. “So, then Pastor Peter, why in the world do you travel so much?” Well, let me give you two huge reasons:

(1). I need Rare Mentors: As many of you know, Substance is not a typical church. Our growth rate puts us in a .01% of all churches in the U.S. And it’s hard to find accessible leaders who are pastoring Substance-styled churches. And more than this: I need mentors who are a phase or two ahead. So, one of the great serendipities of preaching at great conferences is being able to hang out with brilliant pastors. (In fact, I actually preach at many of these conferences as a favor to various mentors.)

For example, one of our biggest dilemmas at Substance is: “How do we afford a basic building project, when ½ of our members are college students?” Up till now, we’ve cut costs by being a portable multi-site church. Yet, at this size, portability is now costing us as much as the would-be mortgage of a permanent worship center.

But how do we raise a down-payment? And how do we keep our core values intact while we do this? Thankfully, I’ve got dozens of mentors who’ve navigated this without becoming like those facility-obsessed corporate churches that we’ve all been scared of. And, every time I hang with them, they give me organizational insights which have already saved Substance hundreds of thousands of dollars.

(2). But the Second reason I travel is this: God is wanting to speak to the American church through Substance.

Recently, I was sharing about how much I hate travelling. And truth be told: I enjoy speaking to new audiences; but, I don’t have any deep ego needs to stroke by doing it. In fact, sometimes, speaking out is nothing more than a burden to me… because it often simply means that there will be hundreds of new people vying for my time, money and resources. Yet, recently, a Substance member told me: “Pastor, I’m praying that you start loving to travel… after all, you’ve got a message for the body of Christ at large that needs to be shared.” And, God must be answering her prayers because, the desire in finally increasing.

Honestly, it totally bugs me that the body of Christ at large in the U.S. is dying. 17% of Americans claim to attend church; but, only 9.1% actually do. Of that 9.1%, the vast majority are senior citizens. (And this 9.1% merely counts those who attend church 3 out of 8 Sundays!)

To make matters worse, misguided Christian leaders everywhere spend all their time bickering about complicated theology and church methods. It’s like we’re standing on a sinking ship debating about it’s engine. Yes. Engines are important; but, not when it’s sinking!

What many Evangelical leaders fail to realize is that: If we can’t even get unchurched people to even step foot in ANY Bible believing church of any kind… then all of our silly “Christian debates” are all for nothing. The best mid-week discipleship program in the world is useless if we can’t even bridge the massive chasm between our Christian sub-culture and the vast majority of Americans. And, dog-gonit… I would rather rip the skin off of my body than watch Evangelicals and Charismatics stay on the same silly course (O.k… so, perhaps that was a bit dramatic).

But, God is fast-forwarding our church for a reason. He’s giving us credibility out of nowhere. So church: “To whom much is given, much is required.” And for me, a part of that cost is travel. And for you guys, the cost is: giving up your senior pastors a few more weeks of the year (which, is probably a healthy thing for Substance anyway : )

Besides: I’m going be taking many of you with me on these trips in the future. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if, in a few years down the road, we’ll have a few Substance campuses across state lines! …(somewhere tropical perhaps?)

And that’s the last reason I travel. Right now, I’m looking out my airplane window and it’s amazing how far I can see. I get perspective. And the same is true as I work with the body of Christ at large. I don’t want Substance to become some cloistered group of myopic Christians with no “Big picture” of the body of Christ. God wants us to become a movement. And to do this, I must move with the movers. I.e., I must travel.

But the result: More mentoring. More clarity. More opportunity for Substance to hold a torch for the American church. So get ready Substance: our best days are yet to come.

May 6, 2010 / No Comments /