So this past Sunday was the last Sunday at BrookRidge Community Church.  I have served faithfully there for the past twelve years.  The church was also faithful in taking care of me and my family every step of the way.  We were and are a successful ministry story!   I think we were all blessed to have each other as we ministered together.

On June 28th I'll begin my tenure as senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dekalb, Il.  It's a great church that has a heart for discipleship and reaching out to the college community that surrounds it.  Our family is excited about what God is going to do there and howe He will use us.

Leaving BRCC has afforded me the opportunity to reflect on my time there and what I have learned, experience, etc.  Time away can be a great gift to get perspective on a given situation.  More will come to me over time, but this is what I have found so far:

1.  Little things matter in ministry; people remember - Numerous times over the past month people have come up to me to thank me for interaction they had with me, prayer we shared, etc.  These were little things, not a program, an initiative, or leadership development.  These things are important and I'm passionate about them, but not one person has mentioned a program that inspired them.  The point is that little interactions were the ones that seemed to matter the most.

2. Being faithful matters - being at a church for 12 years has its ups and downs (like anything right?).  I'd like to say that it was easy the whole way, but it wasn't: for me or the church.  The key wasn't ease, but faithfulness; being faithful to each other and the vision for the church that is provided by Scripture.  It is a lot like a marriage: despite difficulties, no one bails, you push through the tough times.  I am so appreciative of BRCC and the elders for their years of faithfulness to me.  Because of faithfulness we have been able to see people grow in Christ, see the church grow and expand, and reach out to people in the community.  We could have quit, but no one did.

3. The Bible matters - the spiritually correct thing to say is that the Bible matters and it's the most important book in your life if you are a Christian.  We hear it all the time and I hope that it is true for people.  The truth is that working in and leading a church the Scriptures are essential.  Seems like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised how many pastors and churches value conferences, summits, retreats, advances, webinars, etc over the guidance of Scripture.  It's not that there is anything wrong with those - I try to attend several a year.  It becomes a problem when those supercede the importance and direction of Scripture.  There were numerous cases in my time at BRCC that Scripture guided our ship, both by just providing us with a right approach to our situation as well direct direction on what to do (spiritual and pragmatic); especially in the area of discipline.

4. Time off matters - It took me a long time to balance out my passion for the church and personal time.  At first it really didn't matter a lot (or so I thought).  We didn't have kids, my wife worked full time, so we had more than enough time to give to our respective jobs; working 70 hours a week wasn't a big deal and I felt like it was necessary (at times it was).  As we had kids, finished school, etc.  I found that needed to get better at balancing my time.  When I did this I discovered I was more valuable and could set a better tone at the church.  I could show that it was important to trust God more and obsess less; I could show that it was not my church, but God's; I could show how to work smarter and not harder; I could show that my family was a priority as well as my own development.  

So, yeah, I think that is it for now.  Since I've got time off the next two weeks I'm sure I'll post some more of my reflections.

This is Jeremiah's cry to God concerning the rebellion of Judah and Jerusalem.  God has the same concern for the nations today.

My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart!
My heart is pounding in me;
I cannot be silent,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 Disaster on disaster is proclaimed,
For the whole land is devastated;
Suddenly my tents are devastated,
My curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the standard
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For My people are foolish,
They know Me not;
They are stupid children
And have no understanding.
They are shrewd to do evil,
But to do good they do not know.”

This past month we have been in a sermon series called "Honoring God's House."  We've been talking about the need for disciples to honor God's house through giving to the church.  

This past week we talked about the practical and spiritual benefits of giving.  I taught that giving is not just about giving, it's about receiving as well. Here is what I gleaned from Scripture:

1. Giving is in antidote for fear - when we trust God through giving to the church we defeat the fear that we have as we misplace our trust in our bank account.  Our bank account may go up and down, but God's love for us remains constant (1 Timothy 6:17).

2. Giving strengthens our faith - When we give and trust that we will have enough our faith is strengthened.  When God is faithful one time, we can trust that He will be faithful again (Malachi 3:10).

3.  Giving is an investment - when we invest in the church we invest in the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God is expanding with the work of the Holy Spirit and our investment allows us to partner with the Spirit and be a part of the Kingdom; it is an investment with great returns.  We are commanded to invest in the Kingdom of God (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

4. Giving draws me closer to God - When we give we are exercising a communicable attribute of God - generosity.  We are more like God when we act like God; when we allow the fruits of the Spirit to act in our lives (Matthew 19:24-27).

So as we give to God through the church we receive these things along the way!

I drive to work everyday from Hampstead on rt. 121.  When you drive a road as often as I do you learn all of the curves and bumps - I'm sure you've had the same experience.  Another thing I learn is where the sun will be relative to the direction of my car.  In other words, I learn the spots on my journey where I will be blinded by the light as a drive.

Tonight Brookridge is having a concert - No Greater Love. The concert is focused on how great God's love is for us. Here is a pic of one of the songs we did. If you like what you see you can go to www.brookridge.org to get more info about the Brookridge community.

Also check us out at 10:30am on Sunday morning.

No greater love - God's love is furious for you!

Most of us are on social media in one way or another - if your reading this it means that you are socially "connected!"  There are a lot of resources and fun things for you to take advantage of - especially to keep up with the life of the church.

One thing that you may not know is that BRCC has an INSTAGRAM page.  There are a ton of pictures there that really help to give the flavor of the church.  Have you been there yet?  If not click HERE and cruise on over there!

Also, don't forget about our Facebook group page, click HERE to join if you haven't already!

BRCC is preparing for a fall mission trip to Costa Rica where we will be working alongside our missionaries there.  I believe right now we have between 14-20 people going - it's going to be exciting!

In order to raise money for the trip we are having a community-wide spaghetti dinner followed by a concert featuring our worship team.  There is a suggested donation of $5/person or $10/family.  The meal is going to be great and the music is going to inspiring.  

I'm asking all of my friends on Twitter and Facebook to help support our trip by buying tickets to the spaghetti dinner.  If you want to buy tickets, you can click     
                                                                              HERE.  

                                                                               I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

Hey everyone - 

Over the past ten years we have been blessed to have a top-notch worship team.  Our team leads us to worship and prepares our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.  They are a huge part of our Sunday celebrations.

Erin, our worship leader, just created a page on our web site that allows you to hear our music!  Click HERE to go to the page and click "launch media player."

Feel free to share this link with friends as it is a great way to share what our worship service is like on a Sunday morning.  

SHARE AWAY!!

What makes you do something?  What forces a reaction out of you?  

Let me ask you a more pointed question - what makes you passionate?

In our lives as Christians (I'm generally speaking to one who has Christ as their Lord and Savior) we are motivated and passionate about something, but I'm wondering how many of us are passionate and motivated by what Christ has done in our lives! The below incident of Jesus' healing addresses the question:



Luke 17:11-19    11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”


When Christ heals you, shows up big in your life, and/or answers a prayer do you figuratively thank Him and allow that healing to stoke your passion for what He is doing in the world.  Alternatively, is thanking Christ and being passionate about what He has done in your life the last thing you think about; you are one of the nine who turned away and never said "thank you."

My challenge to you is to let what God has done in your life turn into passion for Christ and for His church.  What Christ has done in your life should put the focus back on Him and give Him glory! 

Be passionate about what He has done and let it motivate your to change a life!

Luke 7:40-50New International Version (NIV)


40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a]and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”