Money Part 1

There is no question in my mind that money is THE most difficult part of our lives to re-prioritize (for most of us). We spend SO much of our time working, balancing, investing, planning, bill paying, check writing, and negotiating, it's no wonder that we think a lot about it.

There is nothing sinful in thinking about money. As I said today (and have said many times), Jesus spoke more about this subject than heaven and hell. He knows it's important.

But it should NOT be the most important. Jesus was crystal clear about this: Seek the Kingdom of God and His right way of living FIRST.

If you are interested in not settling for a lesser life, you have to come to grips with this. Before we can talk about less debt, living more simply, giving/tithing, etc., we have to first understand what Seeking the Kingdom of God is all about. Here are three questions you might reflect on and pray about this week. Ask God to show you some of the changes you need to make:

1) Are you setting aside some time every day to read the Bible and talk with God. There are many tools to help you with this - Daily reading plans, One-year Bibles, Three-year Bibles, and countless devotional books that combine stories, scriptures and prayers. This habit will help you re-order your life. It's an important change you may need to make.

2) Am I seeking God when I do the 'other' things? Even if you DO spend some time reading the Bible and praying every day, that doesn't mean that you leave God on a shelf and check Him off of your list. Being true to the Spirit in Matthew 6:33 means engaging with God - seeking out His purposes - in everything else on our agenda every day. During this meeting, over this lunch, at this game, while I'm driving, as I'm relaxing...in all of these things, how am I seeking the Kingdom of God? You CAN answer this question. Asking it is the first step.

3) What would my closest friends and family say about my Kingdom-Seeking? Ask them. If they say your life is a 'Seek-the-Kingdom-First' kind of life, that's an indication of perception, and likely is grounded in reality. The opposite is true, too.

I hope you will do some evaluating on Matthew 6:33 and your life. This is the best way to begin a re-ordering of your finances. You don't have to settle for being broke. Start here. This week, on this blog, I'll point you to some practical ways to continue the journey.

The Focus of a Church

One thing about PCC is that we're a church who knows why we exist. At PCC101 last Sunday, I heard several people say that one thing that they noticed was our sense of purpose.

However, I DO get some flack occasionally by well meaning folks who say we're too narrow in our focus. They say we don't look at important ministries equally. To that point, I confess. They're right. At PCC, there is one thing that's at the top of the list, and we consider it more important not because of it's inherent value, but because God called us to do this above all else:

The Mission of PCC is to reach those who've been untouched or unaffected by traditional churches and guide them to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Yes, efforts to help the homeless are important. Yes, we should feed the poor. Yes, we need to care about people all over the world. Yes, we should build bridges with other churches, support freedom, be a voice for fair wages in developing countries, champion environmental responsibility...yes, yes, yes. And we do these things. We spend lots of energy and money in missions and other areas of helping people.

But at PCC, the last thing to go would be this cause: We Reach People Who Wouldn't Go To Other Churches. It IS why we exist. It IS our primary calling.

What made me think about this today was an article I read that you might find interesting. Especially if you are a pastor or leader in a church that's been around for a while, you know that over time we tend to accumulate more and more ministries. They might all be good, but if we're not careful, they can also dilute the unique focus God wants for each church. If you have 90 seconds, you might want to read this article about Why Your Organization is Struggling.

Friends

We could do an entire series on Friends - there are so many examples in the Bible of functional and dysfunctional friendships. And there are a lot of straight teachings about what it means to be in real, authentic community and healthy friendships. I think about David and Jonathan, Paul and Silas, Barnabas and John Mark. I'm also reminded of this quote from Relationships by the Parrotts':

"Actually, what many people call their 'circle of friends' more closely resembles a triangle. Many people have contact with between 500 and 2,500 acquaintances each year, representing the base of the triangle. Then there are the 20 to 100 'core friends' in the middle. These we know by first name, and we see them somewhat regularly. At the top of the triangle are one to seven intimate friends. These people are closely involved in our lives, and their names are likely engraved on our hearts."

Yesterday, I shared my 4 litmus tests for friendship yesterday, saying friends are:

1) Mobile. They show up when you need them in spite of cost or inconvenience or danger.

2) Loyal. They believe the best about you.

3) Truthful. Because they are mobile and loyal, they earn the right to tell you the truth about...you.

4) Spiritual. A real friend always points my life towards God.

If you think about it, you don't really have time or emotional space in your life for more than a handful of people in the top of your triangle - to use the Parrotts' analogy. So, among the people you call friends, do they pass these tests? Are there other criteria you would apply? What other Biblical principles or examples are important to you? How would you go about finding great friends? Is it appropriate to let a 'friendship' go if it's not a real friendship? How would you go about doing that? What's the most healthy way to do that?

These are worthwhile questions to consider for all of us.

Thoughts on today...

Today's service was 'Don't Settle for Bad Relationships'. It was a fantastic day that really put on display the very wide span of talent that God has assembled at PCC. Several of these are areas where you can get involved with what He is up to at our church:

1) Drama. Matt Morin and Chad Milburn have worked very hard to establish a top-notch drama ministry at PCC. I think we're there, and these two guys just keep getting better. Their appreciation for dramatic humor and understanding of stage presence gets more intuitive every time they are there. I'm very grateful for their effort and dedication. Today was one of the best skits they've ever done.

2) Dance. Mandy James is so skilled at dance itself, and her willingness to teach, coach and mentor others makes her able to create powerful moments on stage. Today's dance was another example of her skill at choreography and technique.

3) Music. No question about it, God has assembled one of the finest groups of musicians and singers around at PCC. Today, the stylistic variety alone was mindblowing. And did you notice the wide age ranges on stage? This is how we reach all kinds of people - by being relevant with our music to a wide range of styles and demographics.

4) Technical. Our tech team spent scores of hours this week pulling the big room at the Powhatan Campus apart and re-working and tuning the room. Also, we completely set up the Westchester equipment on Saturday and did a day of training and re-tooling. At both campuses, the hard work showed today, and the technical, behind-the-scenes side of PCC was really shining. Way to go, team!

5) Online. Every week, we get better and better at many aspects of our Online Campus. The potential there to reach people is phenomenal, not to mention the benefits to our own folks who are out of town temporarily...or permanently. (You can watch live on Sundays or recorded services at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pccwired)

There are lots of other areas that I could mention here, but these are the 5 that are really on my mind this evening as I look back on our services today.

The truth is that PCC has a LOT of momentum right now, and there are a lot of ways that you can plug in. Together, we can do all that God wants us to do.

Why don't you plan to come to the CORE meeting this coming Friday at 6:30? There will be a lot of helpful information there about where we're headed, and we'll have communion together, too. Whether you're still checking out PCC or you're absolutely committed, this will be a great investment of time for you. See you Friday!

PCC CORE Meeting January 28

THE PCC CORE

January 28, 6:30 pm

There is a LOT happening at PCC! At this meeting, we'll give you the latest info, talk about the excitement of where we're headed, a few stories about changed lives, and discussion about some coming changes, and we'll do a little Q&A. Anyone interested in PCC is welcome to come.

Topics include changes in our staff and structure, updates on our Westchester and Online campuses, building and facilities, growth in attendance, 3rd service, assimilation, communications and our thematic goal. This night, we'll also share in some great worship and we'll share communion together. You don't want to miss it! Don't wonder what's happening, come and be a part of it!

It’s Friday January 28th from 6:30-8:30 at the PCC Powhatan Campus.

Some responsible PCC Teenagers are going to make childcare for this event possible. So, we ARE offering childcare for this event for infants through kindergarten. Please make a reservation for childcare at children@pccwired.net so that we can be sure to have enough caregivers.

4 Books on Marriage, Distractions, and Relationships

I referred to some books last Sunday. I list them here in order of their importance (in my opinion):

1. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman. I was totally impressed not only with the book itself, but with the amazing exercises in it. One of the most practical and useful books on marriage I've ever read, and I think every couple should have it and do the work. It would help any marriage in any condition. Gottman, by the way, is one of the leading authorities on marriage today. Click here to get a copy.

2. Married to Distraction by Ed and Sue Hallowell. The first few chapters make this book worth the buy, though the authors overdo their point after a while. Still, its was transforming for me and gave me licence and instruction for eliminating some distractions in my marriage. Click here to get it.

3. Relationships by Les and Leslie Parrott. A very well done manual for improving relationships. This one particularly is helpful for the person who is NOT married, but is also a great resource for married folks and those wanting deeper friendships. Click here for a copy.

4. Your Time Starved Marriage by Les and Leslie Parrott. This book was relatively good. Brings a simple awareness of the consequences of time starvation for your marriage and some helpful tools to change the situation. The Parrott's write from a distinctly Christian perspective and are renowned in the church world as marriage experts. I've read much of their stuff and often use it in marriage retreats and on Sundays at PCC. Click here for this book.

A Valuable Speaking Lesson

This post could be slightly gross. Not trying to make anyone nauseous, but I learned a valuable lesson Sunday. I've been speaking publicly now for over ten years, I never learned this. Guess it's one of those lessons they don't teach in class and you just kind of have to find out the hard way. If you were in the first service Sunday, you got to experience the consequences! I thought it might be valuable to a few folks.

When I walked out onto the stage, my voice was strong. I had many years of training in projection, diction, etc., so I know how to make my voice get where it needs to go. But a couple of minutes into the message, while I was talking, I swallowed - which we all do naturally from time to time, even when we're not drinking anything. In this case, not all of it (the saliva - just to be explicit) went down the right tube. A miniscule drop of spit got slightly hung up. No big deal. In any normal setting, I would have just swallowed again, cleared my throat and it would have been fine. But I was in the middle of speaking and I thought, "well, you don't want to seem rude or gross anyone out by hocking up right here on stage. Just let it work itself out."

It didn't.

The more I talked, the worse it got. It was like putting a lid on my voice and screwing it tighter and tighter. The longer I talked, the more faint my voice was...every minute it was harder and harder to talk. Of course, at some point, I decided that I had to clear my throat, but by that time it was too far gone. Two different people brought bottles of water to the stage, and - THANKFULLY - there was a video in the middle of my message. I took the opportunity to suck down all the water I could and hack up all the junk I could and regain some composure.

I don't get distracted by much, but this really threw me. It was hard to focus on the message - I was so worried I would lose my voice altogether.

So, it was a lesson well learned. You could say it was a tough pill to swallow :-) Next time, I'll just clear my throat!