Your Feelings are an Invitation from God buff.ly/2y0xqY4

Often (not always), when we say “God told me…” it is just a way to do what we want to do and not get any pushback.

Here are some key insights I've gained from my doctoral research on church growth. buff.ly/6ddfLlz

Most of us secretly resent the life and career we’ve so carefully built. -Carey Nieuwhof

If you decide what God is asking you to do with your life is too much for you and just a little too inconvenient, you will never see the miracles he has for you. —Andy Stanley

Recently, we wrapped up a series on one of my favorite books of the Bible, Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah holds a special place for Katie and me because the first time I preached through it back in 2011, we felt God put the vision of adoption on our hearts. In that season, we decided that if we adopted a boy, we’d name him Nehemiah. Lo and behold, that child is now 14! As I think back on this series and all that God has done in our church, I want to share some reflections for followers of Jesus and ideas for pastors on preaching through Nehemiah. Pastors each have their favorite things to preach through. If you don’t know what they are, just look at their sermons. Most pastors will gravitate toward either the Gospels or Paul. And in the Old Testament, you will also notice their favorite by whether it is in the history books, the prophetic books, or the Psalms and Proverbs. I think more pastors should spend more time in the Old Testament in their sermons. This isn’t without its hermeneutical challenges. But most of the people in your church don’t know these stories and will often find the texts confusing. This is a great opportunity to breathe new life into your sermons. Nehemiah isn’t without its challenges, as it is largely a memoir and a story. Nehemiah also has a lot of lists of names, and I can tell you from preaching through it that they are challenging to say! Here are a few reasons I think you should add Nehemiah to your preaching calendar (especially if you are making a name change or a big shift at your church): 1. Nehemiah lends itself to vision and what’s next for your church. One of the greatest things you can teach your church through Nehemiah is the power of vision, helping people to see what God is calling your church to next and what God is calling them into next. The number of stories I have heard from people about what God has laid on their heart in this series, both big and small, has been incredible. We used this series as a springboard into our name change, the new season we are stepping into as Thrive Community Church, and it was an incredible series for that. Now, you must be careful not to place what is happening in your church on top of Nehemiah and make it say something it doesn’t, but it is definitely helpful if you are moving into something new. 2. Nehemiah shows the power of God through ordinary people. Along with number 1, you see how God moves through ordinary people. Nehemiah isn’t a religious leader. He is just an ordinary guy, working a job, whom God calls to do something. And he follows God’s call. Then, throughout Nehemiah, there are lists upon lists of names. There are several hundred names listed of people who served God, worked on the wall, moved into the city, guarded the gates, etc. It is a great example of what God does through his people. 3. Nehemiah shows the importance of prayer and work. We are told 11 times that Nehemiah prays. This is the heartbeat of the book. We see him praying before working, praying while working, and praying after he works and teaches people to celebrate and thank God. People are often pray-ers or workers. People will tend to focus on doing it all or giving it all over to God. Nehemiah shows us that prayer and work are not opposed, but are often how God moves through his people and gets things done. The order is important, though; Nehemiah always starts with prayer but doesn’t just sit there in it. 4. Nehemiah shows how to handle difficulty. One thing the book of Nehemiah doesn’t shy away from is the difficulty Nehemiah and the people face in rebuilding the wall. This is crucial. Some circles see difficulty as “you are on the wrong path.” Others aren’t sure how to handle difficulty. Nehemiah shows us that difficulty will come and how to handle it when it does. Chapter 3 also has an important verse: “the nobles or leaders didn’t put their shoulder to the work.” This reminds a pastor that not everyone will go with you; not everyone will work alongside you. But, by the end of Nehemiah, those same leaders are signing on to the covenant and moving into the city. This also shows us that just because someone isn’t with you on day 1 doesn’t mean they won’t be with you on day 400. buff.ly/LXWgYcq

This is what the church is meant to be: the place where we can honestly talk about the worst things that have happened to us, the worst things that have happened to the world, and even just the worst things to happen in our ordinary week, and together proclaim a greater and enduring hope. -Tish Harrison Warren

4 Things Healthy Leaders Do buff.ly/3PPpcpG

Hard to believe tonight was senior night for Ashton. Watching him start playing his freshman year to who he has become today has been awesome to watch. Tonight they hung with the defending state champs. Being able to have a tons of family & friends to watch him score a TD, get a sack, a whole bunch of tackles and a ton of yards was amazing!

Abiding (John 15) means dwelling, remaining, making your home in Jesus, and being held and kept by Jesus. What do you need to do to dwell, remain, etc in Jesus? What is keeping you from doing that?

Our inability to confess to God keeps us from experiencing God's grace.

A few years ago, Katie and I sat in a conference with a group of pastors led by two counselors, and they were talking about the body and a theology of the body. Fascinating. During the time, though, they said something that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. They said, “When you feel something- discomfort, anger, anxiety, worry, disgust- there is something going on, something you shouldn’t ignore. That something is an invitation from God for you to walk into.” We all have those moments. Moments when we fly off the handle, sulk, pull away, lie awake in bed worrying about our marriage or finances. What if those moments are invitations? Most of the time, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you easily beat yourself up over those feelings. I shouldn’t feel that way. I shouldn’t think that. I shouldn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t. Those feelings are revealing something. Something is going on. It might be revealing a dark heart, a sin you need to confess. It might be revealing something from your past you are running from, pretending it didn’t happen. Often, our feelings remind us of things we’d like to forget. Yet, those are also places God wants to enter and redeem. Those are places and stories that need redemption. That’s the invitation. Don’t run from it.

One decision made ahead of time makes the next hundred for you. buff.ly/gE6XKAt

A vow or covenant is a choice to live intentionally in a direction, no matter what. buff.ly/gE6XKAt

Our habits expose our wounds, our insecurities, our idols, our addictions, our chaos. But they also reveal our hopes, our dreams, our prayers, our steady souls. Our habits are us. -Ann Voskamp

How to Find a Mentor buff.ly/eaftnGw

How to engage your church. buff.ly/3T2r0QM

Almost everything we do every day, often without realizing it, is to be loved and accepted.