Filed under: Christianity, church, conviction, Conviction Hurts, Daily Living, Faith, God, Jesus, Leadership, Learning my trade, Ministry, Prayer, Religion | Tags: James, Proverbs, tongue
When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19
A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue. Proverbs 17:27-28
I am convicted by these words today. God has been dealing with me for the last several weeks about my mouth. I boast too much. I gripe too much. I gossip too much. I just flat out talk too much. I have a hard time controlling my tongue and I want to change that starting today.
I want to be a godly man, husband and leader in my community and church. I have to start with the small things. I must love God and my wife. I have to be faithful with my prayer. I have to read my bible. I have to go to church and I have to tithe. But that isn’t enough. If I do all these things yet cannot control my tongue then I am not godly at all. James asks us in James 3:12, “can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?” Certainly not. Neither can a man leave his tongue unbridled and expect to have influence.
I know I can’t do it on my own; I’ve tried. I am glad I don’t have to.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
Thank God for grace.
Filed under: Christianity, church, conviction, Legacy Fellowship, Prayer, Religion, wisdom, Youth Ministry
I learned a valuable lesson yesterday, which is to say I screwed up. We had our monthly Wednesday night meeting with the youth that we affectionately refer to as Youth on the Loose. Seven kids showed up. Seven. I am not complaining too much as we only had five last month. As a matter of fact, mathematically we had a 40% increase from last month. That looks fantastic mathematically.
It’s not the kids fault really. It’s my fault. I need a promotions director but since we are in no place to hire one I am stuck with, well, me. I need to get the kids pumped up and excited about coming to our monthly meetings. We actually have fun. I even think the kids have fun.
So, why aren’t they inviting kids? Is it the building? Is it the games? Is it the food? No. It’s all me. I am the reason they haven’t invited kids. I haven’t promoted enough. I need to talk to them individually, en masse, via email, via myspace (I hate myspace…but I have two, mine and the youth one), via postcards, text-messages (they love that junk), phone calls and I need to give them cool invitations to give to their friends.
Am I missing anything? Help me out people.
Filed under: church, Conviction Hurts, Faith, God, Leadership, Learning my trade, Legacy Fellowship, Ministry, Relationships, Religion | Tags: commitment, conviction
We had our monthly staff meeting last night and it was pretty good. I normally hate meetings and tend to drift off after a while (kind of like our leader…cough). However, last night was a little different. Tony talked about what we can look forward to in the coming months at Legacy, and it is pretty exciting and scary all at the same time.
The upcoming series is going to be about commitment; our commitment to the church, the churches commitment to the community, Tony’s commitment to us, etc. He is fully committed to God’s purpose and his people and he is going to encourage us to be committed as well. It is going to get really warm and uncomfortable in that building for some. I love it.
Anne wrote earlier this week about church the church and the difference between making people feel welcome and making them feel comfortable. We want to love people and we want them to know it. Love isn’t always comfortable. Jesus certainly didn’t always tell people what they wanted to hear but what they needed to hear. That is our responsibility as well.
Our pastors (and the rest of the body of Christ for that matter) can’t be afraid to call people to commit, even if it scares off a few people in the process.
My wife pointed something out to me this morning and I want to share it with you all in an effort to nip it in the butt. She exclaimed that a lot of people in our church are getting sick a lot, especially the staff. I have had a handful of health issues but lately I have been pretty good. Of course, I haven’t gone to the doctor either. Anyway, our children’s pastor’s wife is sick again and their kids were sick not too long ago. Our worship pastor and his wife get sick more often than they should. I think the only people immune are my wife, Tony and his wife.
Please pray for us. I don’t think we are falling apart at the seams or anything but it is little annoyances like these that can really cause stress on a person and in turn a team. Thanks for your prayers.
Filed under: church, Daily Living, Family, God, Legacy Fellowship, Ministry, Religion | Tags: Chevrolet Silverado SWB, DIY, Landscaping, Rock Solid
So, this weekend was kind of nuts. Saturday was busier than the average week in the Fuller household. We worked outside building raised flowerbeds for Cheri’s landscaping project. I opened my big pie hole a couple of weeks ago and said it would be nice to build them out of the same brick our house is made of. As cheap as I am I have to do it myself. I am a moron sometimes. Oh well, I watched an episode of Rock Solid on DIY so I should be good to go, right?
I also bought a 1985 Chevy Silverado short wheelbase. I am totally geeked. Some people salivate over video games and Steve Jobs. I become a big rubbery one when it comes to cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Later that day we got to pick up our dog, Grissom, from doggy boot camp. He has been gone for one month. It has been refreshing not having to worry about him and just go and blow however we choose but our house just seems different without him. At least for me it does.
To end the day, our neighbors had a block party in our cul-de-sac. It was partially for the kids (Easter egg hunt and a movie projected on the side of a house) and partially for the adults (lots of ribs and some folks partaking of adult beverages). We had a pretty good time until one of the neighbors had a bit too much to drink. Nothing crazy happened but people just get dumb when they are drunk. I don’t miss those days at all.
So, yesterday was Easter, or as some in the business call it, Superbowl Sunday. We set and attendance record at Legacy. There were 1/3 more people there than have ever been for one service. Church isn’t a numbers game…but it is, you know? It started off stressful and tense for some of us but we prayed trough it and God showed up. I knew He would. That’s how He rolls.
I spent the rest of the day trying to relax. I am worn out. I need another weekend for my weekend.
Filed under: church, Faith, God, Jesus, Ministry, Relationships, Religion, worship
I had a conversation with someone at work the other day about church. Since I am part of a church staff I don’t really know what it is like to have the option of not going to church. However, I felt compelled even before I was staff and have attended service regularly for the last four or five years. As much as I need to go to church for my own sake God is also my Lord and He deserves to be worshipped. I love worshipping with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I don’t always want to go. I don’t always want to worship but I do and I know God loves it.
Anyway, my coworker mentioned that he didn’t regularly attend service but he would watch Joel Osteen on Sunday morning and he would pray. I guess that’s good, right? He stated that he didn’t go all the time because “he didn’t need it” every Sunday. He chooses to go when he feels like he needs to be recharged or, as I like to put it, “get some Jesus”.
We all need to be recharged. I am not saying it is wrong to go because you need to be recharged but I don’t think that should be the only reason. I posed the question, “What happens when you miss one Sunday and someone there needs you?” His response was, “I don’t believe God would forsake someone else because I didn’t go to church one day.”
That got me thinking about a lot of things, especially the lordship of God and Christ. He is our lord first and then our savior, no? Our Lord has dominion over all and it is His prerogative to do as He pleases. Not only that, but because He is our Lord and Savior, He should be praised. It is the one gift we can give Him that He can’t give Himself. (Psalm 29:2, Ps. 95:1-2, Ps. 111:1)
I thought about a fire. If you remove a burning coal from a fire it will still burn. It will burn until the elements surrounding it overwhelm it and finally extinguish it. The assembly keeps us on fire for God. The assembly can help keep the world from extinguishing the fire in our hearts. (Hebrews 10:25)
Finally, I believe unequivocally that He uses us to do His will. He is the vine and we are the branches. We are the part of the vine that produces fruit and that reaches outward. I believe we act as the hands and feet of Christ. He works through us. It is our job, dare I say responsibility to love one another. Therefore, I believe it is not an option for me to go to church. Someone is there waiting for me. (John 15:5-8)
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For a related article see what Anne wrote about going to church.
Filed under: church, Faith, Leadership, Legacy Fellowship, men's prayer, Ministry, Religion
Normally, during men’s prayer on Friday morning, I spend most of my time praying for the church body of Legacy Fellowship. That is not to say I don’t pray for other things than that, of course I do, but my focus is usually on the 60-70 members that come through our doors every Sunday and Wednesday.
Today was different. After I spent a few minutes getting myself right before God, I spent the rest of the time praying for the staff of Legacy. I really felt like that is where the prayers were needed today.
I like to think that we have it all down. We are exactly where we need to be with God and in our ministry. I couldn’t be more wrong. We need prayer as much as the next person. I forget that sometimes because we are staff. I forget that because we are SUPPOSED to have it all wired. We don’t; especially me.
I am going to make a point of praying for my fellow staff members more. I am going to spend some serious time in prayer for them and the rest of the church. Heck, I am just going to spend some serious time in prayer.
Filed under: church, Conviction Hurts, Leadership, Learning my trade, Legacy Fellowship, Ministry, Missed Opportunities, Religion, Teenagers, Youth Ministry
If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you probably know that for the past two years I have served as the youth pastor of a smallish growing church plant in Cedar Park (a suburb of Austin), Texas called Legacy Fellowship. I also work full-time since the church is not yet big enough to support staff. It has been a fun and exciting journey and I have learned a lot. I think the journey is about to get really tough. I just feel it in my bones.
Over the last two years the youth ministry I lead has been inconsistent at best and at worst, a complete failure. We have had as few as two kids and as many as twelve in a service depending on what kind of food we serve at the end. (On a positive note, I have learned that food will bring in the kids.) We have had events that were a blast (the lock-in), a success (car wash fundraiser), boring (hanging at my house) and one that never happened (Collide Festival). I pray that all changes with the new year. We definitely have plans to change it.
I have been a pretty rotten leader. It has been over the past few months that I have realized just how bad I have been and how much I want that to change. I can’t use the “I don’t know what I am doing” excuse anymore. I can’t have a victim mentality. I have to move. It’s a lot easier to turn a moving car around than a parked one, right? Even if I go in the wrong direction for a few feet, at least I will be able to get it turned around if we’re moving.
Cheri and I are getting better at meeting to talk about the plans for the youth ministry. We are getting better at executing said plans too. We have gotten better at connecting with the kids outside of church and that is one of the single most important things we needed to change. We are going to get there; we have to.
Our goal: To lead teenagers to Christ and teach them that they are not the FUTURE of the church, they are a vital and functional part of the body of Christ TODAY!
Filed under: church, Daily Living, Leadership, Ministry, Relationships, Religion, Work | Tags: Account Managment
In my job I do a lot of account management. I have several communities for which I am responsible and the best way to stay connected with them is by staying connected with the people in the community every day. I talk to managers, sales people, superintendents, contractors and residents. I can’t be everywhere at one time so they are my eyes and ears when I am not around.
Recently one of my contacts informed me that the company I work for was taking a lot of flack from the residents of their community. Apparently they were not happy with a number of things and they were venting to my contact. A lot. I knew I had to take action so I got to work immediately on a plan to change the perception they had of our company.
I called a meeting with my general manager, the regional marketing manager, the regional MDU (apartment complexes, trailer parks, etc.) manager and myself. We discussed several ways to help but what we all agreed would be most effective would be giving a little personal attention. We decided to sponsor a community event and be there early for a Q&A session. A record number of residents showed up for the event and all were ready to take scalps. However, when all was said and done they were very appreciative that we just showed up and gave them a chance to air their complaints. Some were very legit, others, well not so much. Some things we can fix and some we can’t. But that isn’t the point. The point is we were there. We cared enough to show up and they were happy when we left.
Ministry is not unlike this. People want to know that you care. People want to know that when things go awry they can count on you to listen and pray for them. You can’t fix every problem they may have but you can be there. That is something that we all are commanded to do.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13
Filed under: church, Daily Living, Faith, Family, forgiveness, Friends, God, Life Happens, Prayer, Religion | Tags: 2 Corinthians 12, weddings
My friend Joel is getting married this weekend. He is a great guy and he is marrying a nice girl. I pray for the best for them. I just found out yesterday that the wedding is taking place at my old church and my former pastor is performing the ceremony. I am not real excited about that. The relationship I once had with most of the leadership of that church was unfortunately severed and though I have forgiven them and moved on it is still uncomfortable.
My little brother, Chad, is serving Joel as one of his groom’s men. I know he accepted the honor gladly but I also know he is definitely not looking forward to it. The severance that took place involved my brother, my former pastor and a few other people. I believe Chad has forgiven them (or at least he thinks he has) but I don’t think he has moved on completely. It is going to be really hard for him to do this. The thing is, he is going to do it and he is going to do it gladly. Why? Because this wedding is not about him, it’s about his friend.
Why do I even bring this up? To work out my own junk for one thing, but besides that, I was just thinking about how God puts us in situations that may not be comfortable or easy for us so that we can rely on Him to get us through them. I know Chad is going to have to be prayed up before he can go into that church and humbly serve his friend without making an issue about his issues. He is going to have to rely on God to do that; and that’s partially because my family (excluding me of course) is not exactly known for humility. But when we are weak, He is strong.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
Filter Through Life 