Peter and the Power of Forgiveness

I understand betraying a hated enemy, buy how did I betray my friend? Not once, but three times! We were in ministry together to change the world. Where did I go wrong? He acts as if all is forgiven but am I really? There is something in the pit of my stomach reminding me of my fear filled cowardice. Maybe I need to walk away. I can quit. I’ll go back to doing what I do best.

Have you ever felt like a complete and utter failure? Have you ever said something to betray a dear trusted friend? If your answer is “yes,” then you need to take a fresh look at Peter and what happened to him in chapter 21 of John. “Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’” (John 21:3)

This was no casual sport or getaway time. Peter once gave up his career as a professional fisherman to be a disciple of Jesus. Now, Peter saw himself as a coward who betrayed his Master and dearest friend. It was time for a change. At least he could do one thing well! So he took some of the disciples and headed out in a nearby boat to spend the night catching a fish.

“So they went out on the boat and caught nothing all night.” (21:3) Nothing? Hour after hour of throwing heavy nets into the water and zippo! What a blow to Peter’s self-esteem! Can you imagine what went through his mind? “First I deny my Lord and friend and now I can’t even catch fish. I must be good for absolutely nothing!” Are you beginning to understand Peter’s dilemma?   

It was near dawn and they were about ready to give up when a voice called in the darkness. “Try throwing your nets on the other side of the boat.” (21:6)

What? A typical fishing boat was only five or six feet wide. Why would someone suggest something so strange? Would throwing the net on the other side of the boat accomplish anything? Absolutely not! Preposterous!

But, Peter threw the net on the other side of the boat. What happened next is astonishing! The nets became so full of fish the disciples had to call for help pulling them in. At this point, Peter realized the voice on the beach was Jesus. Quickly, he put on his tunic, jumped into the water and swam to his Master. (21:7)

Wait a minute! Peter put on his tunic? In modern language, he was putting on an overcoat and jumping into the water. Why would he do that? Did Peter suddenly become modest? Of course not! But after betraying his master he was embarrassed and ashamed. Peter needed help.

It was dawn on the beach and as the smoke drifted lazily from the campfire you could smell the aroma of freshly caught fish. There was probably laughter and small talk just like the old days as the disciples, united again, enjoyed a delicious meal. Suddenly, Jesus turned to Peter and said: "Peter, do you love me more than these?"

“These? These?” Jesus was obviously referring to something. What? Maybe he was pointing at the fishing boats which symbolize Peter’s past life. Jesus was asking for a commitment.

"Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you."

"Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question twice more. Peter was upset that Jesus asked the question again. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you."

"Then feed my sheep.” Jesus then went on to describe how Peter would struggle as a church leader. Then He gave Peter a simple but profound command: "Follow me." (John 21:15-19)

Three times Peter utterly betrayed Jesus. Three times, Jesus offered complete and total forgiveness. In one very special moment, Jesus forgave Peter’s past and restored his future.

Wow! Stop reading for a moment and think about what it means to receive God’s amazing grace!

If Jesus could do that for Peter; just think what He can do for you! Maybe Jesus is looking at you right now at this very moment. He’s looking deeply into your eyes as only Jesus can. “Do you love me more than these?” He says waving his hand toward everything you hold dear.

“Yes, Lord,” you hear yourself saying. “You know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus tells you. He then goes on to warn you that struggle will always be a part of your life. In one very special moment Jesus has forgiven your past and restored your future. But then Jesus gives you a simple but profound command: “Follow Me.” 

Peter was offered a gift. Now, you have been offered the same precious gift of God’s amazing grace; what will you do next? How will you respond? What are you waiting for: A net? 

Take the Name of Jesus With You

“Take the Name of Jesus With You” was written by Lydia Baxter on her sick bed in 1874. Throughout her life she was known as an avid student of the Bible who loved to discuss the significance of Scriptural names with her friends. Of course no name was more important than the name of Jesus.

The name of Jesus can bring comfort and cheer to someone suffering and it can bring hope to the fearful or depressed. “I have a very special armor,” Lydia would often tell her friends. “I have the name of Jesus. When I am blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus.”

This hymn was used often during the Moody-Sankey evangelistic campaigns.

n  From Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories by Kenneth Osbeck

I wanted to add my own comments but these words don’t need my comments. They stand on their own. Enjoy…

1.    “Take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe;

It will joy and comfort give you – take it, then where’er you go.”

Chorus: “Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav’n. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.”

2.    “Take the name of Jesus ever, as a shield from ev’ry snare;

If temptations round you gather, breathe that holy name in prayer.

3.    O the precious name of Jesus! How it thrills our souls with joy,

When His loving arms receive us and His songs our tongues employ!

4.    Take the name of Jesus bowing, falling prostrate at His feet,

King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him when our journey is complete.

Chorus: “Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav’n. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.”

So, today… “Take the name of Jesus with you. Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.”

Cure for Identity Crisis -- Psalm 139

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.”

Do you feel insignificant occasionally? Other athletes run faster: Another business person is more successful. Other ministers preach more effectively: Another writer has a more creative grasp of words. No matter how talented and gifted you may be, there is usually someone who is better, faster or more creative.

At times, it may seem that anyone can do anything better than you.

“You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away.”

Modern science doesn’t help much. The universe is ever expanding while our planet in comparison seems just an inconsequential speck. Computers do our work and do it faster and more efficiently.

It’s easy to look around and feel – well, insignificant.

Are you having an identity crisis? You are not alone and God has a cure called Psalm 139.

 

Would it surprise you to find that the author of Psalm 139 was having his own identity crisis? David, the slayer of giants, gifted poet and powerful king actually doubted himself? It’s true and those doubts make Psalm 139 one of his best. If you divide the Psalm into four equal parts you will discover David asking and answering important questions about his struggle for self-identity.

Does God really know me? I’m confused!  

“You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am.” (v3)

This is an active sentence for an involved God who cares about every moment of your life. Matthew 10:30 adds, “the very hairs of your head are numbered.”

God really does know you: Intimately!

God seems so far away? I’m lonely!

“I can never escape from your spirit! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.” (v7)

The promise is pretty clear that wherever you go, God is always there. Are you feeling abandoned? God is in the midst of those feelings.

God is close to you: Close enough to really care! 

Did God really make me? I’m worthless!

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous --” (v13)

Here is a beautiful image of God carefully working within your mother’s womb to create the miracle that will soon be born: you.

God really made you: God carefully and deliberately shaped you and you are precious in His sight!  

Will God really protect me from evil? I am so afraid!

“If only you will slay the wicked, O God!”

At first, David expresses righteous indignation towards those who hate God. After all, evil still exists. But then in horror, David realizes evil is not just in others but is also deeply rooted within.

In a more humble tone, David concludes: “Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Instead of looking to God to protect him from others, David begins to look deep within and asks God to thoroughly examine him and remove the offenses.

God protects you from evil: From without and from within!

Are you having an identity crisis?

In Psalm 139 God knows you intimately and promises to remain close.

God carefully made you and will protect you by removing the evil from within.

The proof is in the Psalmist’s own life as God transforms a lowly shepherd boy into a mighty king.

Ray Boltz sings about God’s cure for identity crisis in, “Shepherd Boy.” 

But when others see a shepherd boy, God sees a king. Even though your life seems filled with ordinary things -- In just a moment, He can touch you and everything will change. When others see a shepherd boy, God sees a king.”

May God’s touch transform you from shepherd boy to king.

Dreaming Big and the Prayer of Jabez

Diane Sawyer, co-anchor for the television program, “Good Morning America” gave an interview for the 60^th anniversary Guidepost issue and talked about a Junior Miss Competition and meeting Catherine Marshall, the famous author.

Expecting just a last minute pep talk, Diane was not prepared for what Catherine had to say: “You have set goals for yourselves but I don’t think you have set them high enough. I think you should take those goals and expand them. Think of the most you could do with your lives. Make what you do matter. Above all, dream big.” (Mar 2005)

Diane took her message to heart and has learned to dream big but what about the rest of us? Will God help us set higher goals and learn to dream big? Has your church learned to dream big?

“Larry, I have a stressful schedule and work too hard already? What more can God expect?”

Dreaming big has nothing to do with stress or work habits. Here is the question: “Do you believe God can do big things through you and your church? Are you seeking to fulfill God’s purpose?”

Several years ago, our church studied “Prayer of Jabez” a book by Bruce Wilkinson about a virtually unknown Bible character named Jabez. Bruce found these verses in 1 Chronicles of the Bible:

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory that Your hand would be with me and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

Many lives were changed as our church took the “Prayer of Jabez” challenge asking God to “enlarge our territory.” One example of God’s answer came within a few months when we found ourselves sharing facilities with a church destroyed by a tornado. The unique relationship forged between our two congregations, white, black, Baptist and Methodist created many unique ministry experiences and resulted in our community building Lawyers Road Missionary Baptist Church.

I didn’t know the Prayer of Jabez but I’ve prayed many times for God to enlarge my territory:

1. Years ago while in business, I wanted to do more: I meant owning my own company but God had other ideas. Within months I left the business world to become a minister.
2. While going through a divorce, I asked God: Why did you call me into the ministry only to lose my marriage? God then led me to form a divorce recovery and singles ministry.
3. When serving three small churches: I asked God for help reaching more people. Within weeks, I was writing a weekly column now published in newspapers and the internet.
4. When bombarded with hundreds of prayer needs on our website, far more than I could handle, I asked for God’s help and formed a prayer ministry with over 6,000 partners.
5. When praying for a Christmas project, a family called asking for help providing Christmas for their family. The next year, “Christmas Parents” provided gifts for over 500 children.
6. One year I prayed for another major project for our church and within weeks I was offered the opportunity to fly to Sri Lanka and help the town of Kalmunai rebuild.

Catherine Marshall said to Diane Sawyer: “Think of the most you could do with your lives. Make what you do matter. Above all, dream big.” God can do big things through you and your church.

For thirty days, I challenge you to join me in dreaming big and ask God to enlarge your territory: "Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory that Your hand would be with me and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” Here is what I predict:

1. You will have your life and purpose stretched far beyond what you ever imagined.
2. Some of you will make radical life changing decisions over the next few months.
3. Most of you will see a clear example of God working within your daily life.
4. Your church will become more of a leader and an example within your community.
5. Your church will take on at least one new special project through God’s leading.
6. Your church will also begin to grow as you continue to make a difference for God.

Will you join me in “dreaming big” and take the “Prayer of Jabez” thirty day challenge?

A Basketball Goal, A Curse and Psalm 51

Do you want to discover my worst flaws? Just ask my daughter. She will happily tell all.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2)

For months, I promised to put up a basketball goal behind our house. The equipment was in the shed, so one windy, fall afternoon, under my daughter’s watchful eye, I began assembling the goal. The directions said: first, dig a hole and second, attach the goal to the pole then finally, place the entire assembly into the hole. “Sounds simple enough,” I thought.

For I recognize my shameful deeds – they haunt me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. (v.3-4)

Everything went fine. The hole was dug. The assembly was attached. All I needed to do was pick up the basketball goal and place it into the hole. Oops! Did I mention that it was extremely windy?

Just as I stood the pole upright, the wind literally ripped the entire assembly out of my hands, carrying everything several yards before crashing to the ground and smashing the backboard into several pieces. My pastoral dignity was completely forgotten as the curses began to flow. Fortunately, we lived in an isolated area and only one person heard me! Unfortunately, that one person was my daughter and I was about to learn a hard lesson.

You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. But you desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being. (v.4 & 6)

Not much was said until Sunday. During worship, I asked for prayer requests in the congregation. I noticed several youth giggling on the back row while my daughter raised her hand. “I would like the church to pray for my Dad and his temper!” she said with a sly smile.

I was caught foul mouthed and red-handed. I had to tell the church how their pastor blew it. Interestingly enough, after my confession, we were able to laugh and feel better about ourselves and our relationship with God, knowing that we are human and constantly in need of forgiveness.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Oh give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice. (v. 7-8)

We make mistakes but we need to humbly ask for forgiveness and be willing to forgive.

Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. (V. 9-10)

Everyone at times has the equivalent of basketball goals ripped out of their grasp:

¨       A businessman loses his temper over a misunderstanding and insults a close friend.

¨       A wife feels betrayed over her husband’s crude comments about her in front of friends.

¨       A father angrily confronts his son’s coach during practice and curses.

In the heat of passion, tragic errors of judgment occur. The lesson of Psalm 51 is difficult but clear. We must ask for and freely offer forgiveness. Once the stain of guilt is removed, we feel better about ourselves and our relationship with God. With a clean heart, our spirit is renewed.

Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you. You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them. The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. (V 13,17)

Psalm 19 and Sunday Prayer before Worship

My devotional reading this morning included Psalm 19, a Psalm that always helps me put my troubles in better perspective as I read of glory of God.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

This is a powerful reminder that God is in control. At times I may feel helpless but God displays his craftsmanship day after day and night after night. The message is heard throughout the earth.

Here is my favorite part:

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.

It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.

The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.

Nothing can hide from its heat.

I have seen many radiant brides and bridegrooms after a wedding. It’s a look that confidently anticipates the future. And there is the image of a great athlete eager to run the race full of confidence in what the future holds.

In other words, be strong, be confident… not in yourself but in the God who created you and called you.

Do you need proof? Look at the sun rising in the heavens and follow its course. Nothing can hide from its heat.

The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul.

The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.

The instructions of the Lord are perfect… reviving the soul, making wise the simple, bringing joy to the heart and giving insight for the living. The instructions we receive from God matter just as much in the digital age as they did thousands of years ago.

Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever.

The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.

They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.

They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.

Reverence for the Lord and the Laws of the Lord are pure, true, fair and last forever. This is the grounding we need to know that what we do is right, more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. What we teach, how we act, what we do still matters and still makes a difference whether in our church or in the community.

They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.

Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

We are hearing of a warning and a reward. We recognize and name our sins so they can be cleansed. We recognize sin in the same way doctors diagnose a disease in order to offer a cure. Only then, can we serve God with grace, knowing we are free of guilt and sin.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

These are words often said before beginning a devotional message but after reading the rest of the Psalm, we can say them again with greater confidence.

These are God’s words, not mine. This meditation is from God, not me. For God is my rock and my redeemer.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Amen.

May you feel God’s presence within you today.

"Ten Books for 2011" Part 2

Last time: I recommended five books, I found particularly helpful. Here are five more. They are not all religious books but I found them particularly interesting and unique. With each book I’ll enclose information provided by the publisher followed by my comments: “Why I recommend this book.”

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith by Diana Butler Bass. Most pundits will tell you that the mainline churches—Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Congregationalists and Disciples of Christ—are in decline: it is now commonplace to assume that liberal churches are doomed and only evangelical churches are growing. Think again, says Butler Bass in this challenging and hopeful book, which summarizes the findings of a three-year study funded by the Lilly Endowment. Yes, many mainline churches are struggling, but not because liberal Christianity is a contradiction in terms. Rather, the old neighborhood Protestant church has fallen on hard times because the old neighborhood has been replaced by a strip mall. And many mainline churches are thriving. Butler Bass showcases 10 of them, including Redeemer UCC in New Haven, Conn., and Saint Mark (Lutheran) in Yorktown, Va. She then examines 10 practices, from hospitality to worship to vigorous theological discussion, and posits that these practices are the heartbeat of vital mainline churches.

Why I recommend this book. There are a lot of books pointing out what we do wrong as churches but this one highlights real congregations doing church right. You may not always agree but hopefully you will be inspired and encouraged. Chapter 15 shares the story of Bernard, a life transformed by a local church. The way this church treated him and his family is a lesson for us all.

Power Friending: Demystifying Social Media to Grow Your Business by Amber Mac. Amber Mac wants to be your friend. She may be a tech-savvy webpreneur, the popular host of TV shows and video podcasts, and an in-demand consultant and speaker, but if you ask Amber Mac about her strategy for success, she'll tell you she's just trying to be a good friend. When it comes to social media-whether it's Facebook or Twitter or the latest video blog-the tools evolve quickly, the rules change rapidly, and the technology feels more and more complex. But making social media work for your company doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. In this compact yet thorough guide, Mac shows you how to effectively harness the online world to grow your business. The secret: think of your audience as your friends and then treat them that way. The Power Friending approach is all about developing real relationships based on mutual respect and support. While you may never meet some of your online friends face-to-face, they still expect you to follow the established norms of friendship: be authentic, reach out, listen. And don't lie to your friends. 

Why I recommend this book. Facebook alone has over 500 Million followers. The ruler of Tunisia was recently overthrown by crowds relying on Twitter to communicate to each other. The Social Media is here to stay. What does that mean for those of us in the church? Just like the telephone, television and the internet; Social Media is a powerful communications tool. How you use that tool will impact ministry now and far into the future.

Linking Arms, Linking Lives: How Urban-Suburban Partnerships Can Transform Communities by Ronald J. Sider, John M. Perkins, Wayne L. Gordon and F. Albert Tizon. Among the various lines drawn between people in the church--male and female, young and old, black and white, rich and poor, Republican and Democrat--there is the line between the urban and the suburban. The stereotypes of the edgy, socially active, multicultural urban Christian and the middle-class, comfortable, upwardly mobile suburban Christian mix fact and fiction. Linking Arms, Linking Lives looks beyond stereotypes and makes a compelling case for partnership that crosses urban and suburban for effective ministry among the poor. Drawing from a growing network of development practitioners, pastors, and theologians, this book focuses on the experiences of partnership between urban and suburban entities to provide both theological foundations and practical guidelines for those who desire to partner effectively. All who want to find viable ways to help the poor will welcome this thoughtful and hope-filled book.

Why I recommend this book. For several years, I have worked to link churches, especially those churches in the suburbs which those churches downtown who play such a vital role in ministry to the poor. Linking Arms, Linking Lives gives real life examples of how to make these partnerships work.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. The brothers Heath—Chip a professor at Stanford's business school, Dan a teacher and textbook publisher—offer an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of "stickiness"—that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable. They start by relating the gruesome urban legend about a man who succumbs to a barroom flirtation only to wake up in a tub of ice, victim of an organ-harvesting ring. What makes such stories memorable and ensures their spread around the globe? The authors credit six key principles: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. They illustrate these principles with a host of stories, some familiar (Kennedy's stirring call to "land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth" within a decade) and others very funny (Nora Ephron's anecdote of how her high school journalism teacher used a simple, embarrassing trick to teach her how not to "bury the lead"). Throughout the book, sidebars show how bland messages can be made intriguing. Fun to read and solidly researched, this book deserves a wide readership.

Why I recommend this book. In the last column I recommended Chip and Dan’s latest book: Switch. I was so impressed that I looked up others by the same authors. This is an outstanding book on the communication of ideas. Whether you are a pastor or leader of a business, you will receive excellent tips on how to make a good idea stick. For example, everyone by now has heard of Jared the pitch man for Subway and how he lost weight eating Subway sandwiches but what you may not know is the story behind the commercials. That story alone is worth the price of this book.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. From the 1936 Olympics to WWII Japan's most brutal POW camps, Hillenbrand's heart-wrenching new book is thousands of miles and a world away from the racing circuit of her bestselling Seabiscuit. But it's just as much a page-turner, and its hero, Louie Zamperini, is just as loveable: a disciplined champion racer who ran in the Berlin Olympics, he's a wit, a prankster, and a reformed juvenile delinquent who put his thieving skills to good use in the POW camps. After an astonishing but losing race at the 1936 Olympics, Louie was hoping for gold in the 1940 games. But war ended those dreams forever. In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. After a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft. They were captured by the Japanese and put in a POW camp. In the "theater of cruelty" that was the Japanese POW camp network, Louie landed in the cruelest theaters of all… Laura Hillenbrand's triumph is that in telling Louie's story (he's now in his 90s), she tells the stories of thousands whose suffering has been mostly forgotten. She restores to our collective memory this tale of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption.

Why I recommend this book. This is one of the few books that I simply could not stop reading. Not only is it a great story of unbelievable courage in the midst of unimaginable cruelty but you also learn about the life of a long distance runner, a World War II bomber crew, surviving on a raft in the open sea, life in a Japanese POW camp and best of all you will learn about the power of forgiveness.

My Ten Favorite Books for 2011 - Part 1

I may not always know the answer you need but I will often give you a book to read.

I do read a lot and love to recommend books to others. Part of my giving to the church is to provide a table full of free books. So, why not share with you the books I found particularly helpful? Here are my top ten books for 2011. They are not always religious books but these ten were interesting. They are listed in no particular order. With each book I’ll enclose information provided by the publisher or Amazon.com followed by my comments: “Why I recommend this book.”

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. “Change is hard." "People hate change." It puzzled us -- why do some huge changes, like marriage, come joyously, while some trivial changes, like submitting an expense report on time, meet fierce resistance? In our research, we studied people trying to make difficult changes: People fighting to lose weight and keep it off. Managers trying to overhaul an entrenched bureaucracy. Activists combatting seemingly intractable problems such as child malnutrition. They succeeded--and, to our surprise, we found striking similarities in the strategies they used. They seemed to share a similar game plan. We wanted, in Switch, to make that game plan available to everyone, in hopes that we could show people how to make the hard changes in life a little bit easier. --Chip and Dan Heath

Why I recommend this book. I confess -- this is my favorite book of all the ones I read over the past 12 months. There are plenty of books stressing the need for change, in the church, in the marketplace, in our personal lives but very few books show you how to change. You will learn three basic concepts: Direct the rider. Motivate the elephant. Shape the path. Within these three concepts are ideas and real life examples that will help you – lead others toward change.

ReChurch: Healing Your Way Back to the People of God by Stephen Mansfield. “It seems that everyone who has ever been part of a church has suffered a “church hurt.” The pastor had an affair or the congregation fought over money or the leaders were disguising gossip as “prayer.” Stephen Mansfield has been there. Though he is now a New York Times best-selling author, he was a pastor for over 20 years, and he loved it—until he learned how much a church can hurt. Yet he also learned how to dig out of that hurt, break through the bitterness and anger, stop making excuses, and get back to where he ought to be with God and his people. If you’re ready to take the tough path to healing, Mansfield will walk you through it with brotherly love, showing you how you can be better than ever on the other side of this mess - if you’re willing to ReChurch.

Why I recommend this book. So many people have left the church because of hurts or perceived hurts. How do we heal? How do we come back? How can the church be a part of the healing process? Every church leader should read this book to learn how we hurt others. Everyone else should read this book to understand what the church should and could be.

Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus by Michael Slaughter. Something is not working. Despite the church's place of prominence in American culture and the ubiquity of the church in every American town, misconceptions about the faith of Jesus Christ run rampant today. Christians are known more for exclusivity than for love, more for potlucks than for solving world hunger. It's time for churches to get over the cruise-ship mentality of being a program provider, and reconnect with the true message and mission of Jesus: to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and freedom to the oppressed. Pastor Mike Slaughter challenges church leaders to look at the future of their congregations and make tough but necessary choices. 

• Will you send the church out into the world?
• Will you focus on building disciples or tallying decisions?
• Will you multiply your impact or expand your facilities?
• Will you step out in courage or comply with the status quo?

The answers to these and other questions determine how your church will focus its time, its energy, and its budget to work for real change in a hurting world.

Why I recommend this book. If you are looking for specifics on how the church can be in mission within the community and throughout the world; if you are looking for hands on examples that will challenge every one of us to move from the pew to the streets then this is a book for you.

They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations by Dan Kimball. Dan Kimball points out the convicting and humbling truth that the longer one is a Christian, the less likely one is to have significant friendships with those who are not Christian. Instead, most Christians today find their lives consumed with church-related activities - and those whose primary jobs are ministry-related are often the worst offenders. How can anyone know what the needs of the unchurched are unless they are involved in trusting relationships with them? The church in America has become nearly irrelevant to most 20- and 30-somethings. Yet those who follow Jesus rarely venture outside our cozy Christian comfort zones to learn why.

Why I recommend this book. If you or your church want to reach out to those who choose not to attend church then you must understand who they are, what they believe and why they are not interested in the church? The biggest strength of this book is the many voices of people who willingly share where they are coming from when they talk about Jesus and the church.

Working in the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs (Most) Americans Won't Do by Gabriel Thompson. In a yearlong investigation, journalist Thompson lived among and worked side by side with undocumented workers in the hardest, lowest-paying jobs offered by the U.S. economy. He went west to pick lettuce, south to work in a chicken-processing factory, and back home to New York to work in a restaurant kitchen. Along the way, he shared the low wages, backbreaking work, ill treatment, and camaraderie of people who work in the shadows. In Arizona, he recalls desperately trying to make the five-day rule: if you can survive the first five days as a farmworker, you will be fine, meaning you will get used to swollen hands and all-over aches and pains for $8 an hour. In Alabama, he finds the local white supremacists have updated their targets to Hispanic workers and documented workers beginning to challenge exploitive labor practices. In New York, he chronicles workers with so few prospects that they work multiple jobs with no benefits.

Why I recommend this book. This is investigative journalism at its best. What is it like to work hard at a minimum wage job and live on those wages? Yet in the midst of these painful situations you also meet people who live out their faith through acts of kindness. Unfortunately you also see the very worst in people who claim to be leaders within their community. This is not a religious book but you will learn a lot about relating to our fellow human beings.

Next: Five more books for 2011.

"Tweet, Tweet, Tweet?"

A few years ago, on a Monday morning, I woke up early to spend quiet time with God. Remembering the events of Sunday and the spirit of enthusiasm blowing through our growing church, I was feeling good about myself – maybe a little too good. I was getting cocky.

Lord, here I am; use me! Use me to be just the leader our church needs. Help me become an example of Godly commitment and love for our community. Let me serve you in some special way today! I am so eager to serve you that I cannot wait to see what will happen next!

What great service would I accomplish today? Write a stimulating devotion that would inspire thousands of lost souls? Maybe I could teach the Bible to a spiritually hungry group of disciples? 

A look at my schedule would reveal my first task for God. Surely there would be a special job befitting the role of spiritual leader. First appointment: “Take the dog to be clipped and dipped.”

“There must be some mistake, God. This is no job for an ordained minister! Where are the crowds? Where is my ministry?””

But Jesus said to someone else who was getting cocky: “For everyone who tries to honor himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be honored.” (Luke 14:11)

So, I took my dog to be clipped and dipped.

On the way back, my thoughts returned to the morning prayer. “The day is young. I can still do something special to serve God.”

However, when I returned, my wife and my daughter were on their knees in the back yard. They were watching over a baby bird fallen from the nest. They both looked at me with relief in their eyes and immediately asked: “What can we do?”

“Nothing!” I too quickly replied. “If you do anything, the mother will abandon it.”

For me, that settled the matter, but as we sat around the table eating lunch, there was a distinct sound: tweet, tweet, tweet just outside our window. Did I mention that it was raining?

My wife said: “Larry, you cannot leave that helpless baby bird out in the pouring rain with no food.”

I wanted to ask about other wild animals caught in the rain but seeing the hurt look on their faces I did what any spiritual leader would have done. We spent the rest of the afternoon putting the bird in a comfortable box and digging in the pouring rain for worms the little fellow refused to eat.

When I called to ask for help: The SPCA recommended I call the local veterinarian who gave me the phone number of the state wildlife service. In other words, I was going to get no outside help. The bird was now my responsibility: Tweet, tweet, tweet for me!

At the end of the day, frustrated and confused, I cried out to God. “I was supposed to serve You, not spend the day, clipping and dipping and listening to the tweet, tweet, tweet of a little bird!”

The words of Jesus struck me: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of God.” (Matt 10:29) I remembered an earlier prayer.

Lord, here I am; use me! Use me to be just the leader our church needs. Help me become an example of Godly commitment and love for our community. Let me serve you in some special way today! I am so eager to serve you that I cannot wait to see what will happen next!

This was a necessary experience for me. Sometimes, serving God means being willing to accomplish little chores as if they were big events.

Tomorrow, I will be more humble and say: “God use me any way You can!”

Now, will someone tell me how to make this bird eat?