Jesus Fame

I was converted at a Baptist church located just down the street from my parents home in Olympia, WA. I was 15 and at that time my single pursuit in life was success — I really didn’t care the medium by which the success came just wanted it more than anything else. But something changed after my conversion…no longer was money or fame the driving passion of my life. I wanted to help people realize the transforming power of the gospel the way this Baptist youth pastor had helped me. This desire has never waned.

Not long after our conversion my parents started attending another church — I continued attending the Baptist church because of my close relationship with the youth pastor. But most of the adults in this congregation were twice my parents age and they didn’t quite fit in. Their new church was Calvary Chapel Olympia – a church that at that time was about 5 years old and had about 150 adult members. I attended CCO with my parents on a fairly regular basis throughout High School; even had the opportunity to go to Russia with them in 1993. I appreciated their simplicity…I enjoyed their excitement about Jesus…their style seemed to resonate with this aspiring pastor.

During my Senior year I began seriously contemplating where I was going to attend college. My plan was to attend Multnomah Bible College in Portland and then pursue a seminary degree at Western. Then I heard about this small Bible college that was affiliated with my parents church, Calvary Chapel Bible College in Southern California. It was much cheaper than Multnomah and with my meager budget this was good news.

I headed to CCBC in the fall of ’94. My time there was life changing. The Bible was opened to me in fresh and powerful ways, but something else happened. I got the itch. The church planting itch.

I took a class on church planting where various CC pastors would come in and teach about different aspects of pastoring and church planting — I was hooked. This is what I wanted to do with my life. Like the Apostle Paul I wanted to dedicate my life to establishing and pastoring healthy Jesus focused churches.

It was there that I met my amazing wife Andrea and in 1997 the two of us set out on an adventure that has taken us to Washington, Oregon and Colorado. We’ve helped plant two churches and we’ve planted two others along the way.

In 2009 my family and I moved to Fort Collins to plant a church that would be very different from anything we’d ever done. It was outside my experience and training. In fact  this new plant would be outside the movement that we’d both called home for 15 years.

I had grown a bit frustrated with some of the overall direction of the movement (Calvary Chapel) that I loved. In my estimation there had been a subtle drifting away from attacking the gates of hell with the gospel toward attacking other streams of Christianity. It seemed we were beginning to define ourselves by what we were against instead of those amazing things we were for.

This frustration caused me to start looking elsewhere for inspiration and encouragement. I landed on this up and coming network of churches called Acts 29. They were young…they were confident…they knew what they were for…and they wanted the whole world to hear about Jesus. I began to feast upon their resources, like the Resurgence , with renewed vigor and excitement.

This epiphany occurred in conjunction with a stirring I felt to plant again — as I mentioned earlier we made the transition in 2009. At the time I was the lead pastor of a Calvary Chapel in Prineville, OR. As we headed to Colorado to plant a new church from the ground up my plan was to affiliate with both Calvary Chapel and Acts 29. After a few months on the ground we gathered a solid core of people who were interested in what we’re doing, but it became obvious that being a member of both CC and A29 may have been more of a pipe dream than something I could actually pull off. I chose Acts 29.

My three years in Acts 29 have been fantastic, nothing short of revolutionary. I have rediscovered my passion for the gospel, the church, and Jesus’ mission. But I’ve never felt quite at home. It’s been like a foreign exchange program. I have learned a new language, experienced a new culture, and been a part of a wonderful new family. But it’s time to come home. Calvary Chapel is my family, and like any family we aren’t perfect. We have crazy uncles and annoying cousins but it’s a family and as much as I tried to fully integrate into a new family it was never the right fit.

My family and I are in the process of another transition. It’s a season where we have no idea what’s ahead. I’ve been broken and humbled in ways that I’ve never experienced. It seems I’ve learned more in the last 3 years than in all my other years combined. Our time in Colorado has been one of much difficulty and yet tremendous fruit, both in the lives of those we’ve had the privilege of leading and in our own personal lives. I’m not the same man that moved to Fort Collins — I feel like Jacob after he wrestled with God, He’s put a limp in my step, a constant reminder of my brokenness and helplessness.

I don’t know what this next season holds but I know that I want my next venture to be done alongside my family. I love Calvary Chapel and while I’ve learned much in my travels abroad it’s time to come home and share my photos.

This morning I was thinking about Acts 9:31 and how it relates to pastoring and church planting.

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

There are a host of books written and seminars hosted on the subject of church health and multiplication, two things mentioned here.

How was this early church in Jerusalem being “built up” and “multiplied”? Continue reading

The following post is in celebration of Francis Schaeffer, the great Christian pastor, writer, and apologist. Schaeffer rather indirectly has had a tremendous impact upon my life and I hope that you discover his genius as well.

This article can be found here as well. Continue reading

This past Sunday we appointed two of our men as elders at Missio Dei Church. In light of that I preached a sermon from Acts 20 on the characteristics of a biblical elder that I wanted to pass along here.

10 Characteristics of a Biblical Elder (Acts 20:17-38) -

1. An Example (vs. 18)

Paul was confident that they could examine how he lived and pattern their life after that…he would later tell the Corinthians to follow him as he followed Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). The qualifications for an elder that Paul lays out in 1 Timothy and Titus are not meant to set elders apart as the elite (like the Seal Team 6 of Christians), but to put them before the people as an example of what it means to walk with Jesus in holiness and gospel transformation.

2. Humble Servant (vs. 19)

Jesus said that he didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Being an elder is about being a servant because a servant is not greater than his master and Jesus our master was the Ultimate Servant.

3. Bold (vs. 20a)

Paul said that he didn’t shrink from declaring anything that was profitable…this means that Paul was willing to say the difficult things when he believed that it was helpful and beneficial to the listener. A good elder is not a hot head or a loose canon, saying everything that comes to his head. Rather a biblical elder is one who is confident in the gospel and is willing to say the hard things because he cares more about the person’s soul than he does what that person thinks of them in the moment. A biblical elder is not getting his approval or worth from what people say or think of him so he has the boldness to confront people even if it means they might get angry or trash him to others. A good rule of thumb that has served me well…”if you really want to say something to someone, you probably shouldn’t, and if you are really dreading saying something you probably should.”

4. Faithful Teacher (vs. 20b, 27)

In vs. 27 Paul says that he did not shrink from teaching them the whole counsel of God. This means that in the 3 years he spent with the Ephesians he took them through the whole Bible (primarily the OT) showing them how it all pointed to Jesus and his gospel. Much like Jesus did with the two disciples on the road to Emaus in Luke 24. This does not mean that every elder needs to be an amazing public speaker but it does mean that every elder understands the story of Scripture and can point people to Jesus throughout Scripture. At the end of vs. 20 Paul says he did this both in “public” and from “house to house”, I love this because it’s exactly the model we’re trying to follow here at Missio Dei…we want to faithfully teach you the whole counsel both in public (here on Sunday mornings) and from house to house through our Mission Groups.

5. Gospel Focused (vs. 21)

Paul’s focus in teaching was the gospel…”repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ”. This is the gospel, the good news that despite the brokenness of our world and the rebellion of our hearts, God has not given up on us. In fact he loves us so much that he came to us in the man Jesus Christ and lived the perfect life we could never live and died the death we deserved to die so that we could be given citizenship into His kingdom. But this citizenship requires a renouncing of all rival thrones (repentance) a turning from those lesser kings, that compete for King Jesus’ rightful place in our life. This is the focus of our teaching and preaching at Missio Dei, because it’s the story of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. God has invited us into his story, to enjoy his creation and become fully human by submitting ourselves to his rule and reign in our life, and in this world. As your elders we are committed to the gospel as foundation of all we do here at Missio Dei.

6. Living Sacrifice (vv. 22-25)

Paul, uncertain of his ultimate fate, knew that whatever was coming was not going to be pretty. He knew his future included imprisonment and afflictions and yet he wasn’t throwing a pity party or attempting to run from it. He knew his life belonged to Jesus and therefore he didn’t see his life as having any value or worth apart from completing the work that Jesus had given him. What a remarkable perspective, and one that while we are imperfect at carrying out, is nevertheless our aim as your elders. Our lives are not our own, and we do not count our life to have any value apart from carrying out Jesus’ will to make disciples and bring him glory. As your elders its our role to model this to you, but the reality is, that this is your calling as well. That in light of the grace of God you would present yourselves to Jesus as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable act of worship (Romans 12:1-2).

7. Overseer of Self (vs. 28a)

One of the primary functions of an elder is the role of an overseer. But in order to faithfully oversee the church, a biblical elder must first pay careful attention to his own life and the life of his family. I could go into great detail about what this means, but suffice it to say we must be preaching and applying the gospel to ourselves in order that we might preach it to you with any conviction or power. As your elders we cannot take you any further than we are willing to go personally. It’s very easy to tell you to go to Jesus but be far from him ourselves. As a church member you however do have a role in this, you must allow your elders time alone and time with their families so that we can follow Jesus personally and lead our families well.

8. Overseer of the Church (vs. 28b-32)

What does this mean? Of course it involves strategy, planning, and dealing with financial matters. But more importantly I think it means that we carry you on our hearts. We are pouring ourselves into the care, protection, and oversight of the people of Missio Dei. When you hurt, we hurt, when you rejoice, we rejoice. When wolves come in to attempt to lead you away from the truth of the gospel, its our job to see that those wolves are dealt with appropriately. In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Paul compares his oversight of the people like that of a mother with a nursing infant or a father with his children. “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (2:8)

9. Generous (vv. 33-35)

Christianity at it’s core is about giving, “for God so loved the world that he gave…” As your elders it is our responsibility to model this core value of our faith by giving of our gifts, time, and treasures to this church and the kingdom. Biblical elders do not pursue ministry out of greed or a desire to take advantage of people for their own personal gain (1 Peter 5:1-4).

10. Lover of People (vv. 36-38)

If you’ve read Paul’s writings you know that he was a scholar, an intellectual, a very focused man that probably wasn’t the life of the party. Yet there was something about Paul that endeared him to people; these grown men are weeping, embracing and kissing Paul, completely broken up over the fact that they will not see him again. Why? Well the text doesn’t tell us, but I think it’s implicit. Paul loved them, and they knew it. He had sacrificed much for them and they recognized that this man loved them more than life itself. My heart for our elder team is that in spite of our brokenness, limitations, and personality quirks you will know one thing for certain…that we love you. That as his love penetrates and permeates our lives that it spills over into your life, so that this church would be known for it’s love for one another.

Simply put, a disciple of Jesus is a follower of Jesus. Jesus told his 12 disciples, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24)

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

1. Live as a Worshiper – as image bearers of God, we are created as worshipers. The question is not “will” we worship, but “what” will we worship? Our worship is like a fire hose that can’t be turned off, so the question is where will we point our worship proclivity? A follower of Jesus worships their Creator and repents of any false worship, including good things like family, work, or recreation.

2. Gospel Identity – a follower of Jesus recognizes the sinful tendency to find their identity in their money, intelligence, career, education, children, human relationships, or any number of created things. Therefore a disciple turns from finding ultimate identity in these empty idols (1 Thess. 1:9), to King Jesus and His kingdom of perfect hope, peace, joy, and love.

3. Committed to Community – a disciple of Jesus has a Spirit inspired desire to live life with other Jesus followers, the church. They recognize their membership in the body of Christ and understand the weight of that responsibility by giving of their gifts, time, and money to serve others.

4. Sent on Mission – Jesus said he was sending his church in the same way in which he was sent (John 20:21). A follower of Jesus sees themselves as a missionary sent on Jesus’ mission, in their everyday lives, to restore a broken world through gospel living and proclamation.