Month: February 2013

What To Look For In A Mentor?

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I get asked this one a lot.  So many young adults want a mentor in life – someone to point the way, speak into the person they are becoming and encourage them to live for Jesus in every aspect of life.  But when it comes to actually finding a mentor, people tend to freeze up largely because we’re not sure what to look for in a mentor.  Does it need to be someone older?  Should they be professionally successful?  How do I know they would be interested?  How do I know they are qualified?

There are so many ways to answer those questions but one of the simplest and most helpful comes from the book of Hebrews.  Here’s what the authors writes, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”(Heb.13:7)

Consider the outcome of their way of life.  In other words, do you want to become like this person?  Do you want to lead like they do?  Manage conflict like they do?  Serve like they do?  Give like they do?  If the answer is yes, go for it.  If the answer is no, wave off!

It’s a simple test I know but the best ones usually are!

The Songs We Sing

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We’re starting a new series at Frontline this weekend called, “The Songs We Sing.”  It’s a four week conversation about worship and I can’t wait to see everything God is going to do in each of us during this series.

Maybe you think worship is a strange thing to talk about.  Maybe you think it’s just something we do at church.  Maybe you think it’s just the theological term for the songs we sing.

Whatever you think, come ready for God to deepen your understanding and increase your passion.

Thanks For A Great Two Weeks

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These past two weeks have been some of the best in my life.  Laura and I have both said these weeks around Jack’s birth are in the same category as the two weeks around our wedding.  Both were life shaping, filled with more blessings than we ever dared pray for and better than we ever imagined.

So, I’m grateful this morning.  I’m in awe of God, His kindness and His grace.  I’m so aware of just how amazing my wife is.  I’m so grateful the beautiful little boy napping by the fire while I write this is my son.

And I’m grateful for the staff team at Frontline and The Gathering, especially our campus pastors.  Will, Nate and Mike have stepped up in huge ways to preach, to lead and to keep everything moving while I’ve taken a step back these past two weeks.  They are three of the best guys I know and I’m blessed to serve with them.  Yes, they’re friends and I’m biased but, Frontliners, you should know you have some of the best campus pastors imaginable.

When you pray for your campus pastor, I hope you are filled with the same sense of gratitude for them that I am.

Simple Prayers

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There are good prayers and there are bad prayers.  The problem is we often use the wrong criteria to tell the difference.  Somewhere along the line we become convinced that good prayers are complicated prayers – long, elaborate, hard to follow and filled with theological jargon.  We become convinced that if we impress God enough, He’ll reward us more.  And it’s just not true.

God is moved by faith not rhetoric.

Having an infant in the house is helping me understand this more and more.  I’ve been trying to teach Jack one simple prayer, “Help me, Jesus.  I don’t want to be afraid.”  The world is apparently pretty stressful when you are two weeks old and Jack gets worked up pretty easily.  I love holding him and reminding him of his little prayer, “Help me, Jesus.  I don’t want to be afraid.”  But when I do, I can’t help but wonder how different my life would be if I prayed that simple prayer more in my life and prayed it with childlike faith.

You don’t need to impress God.  He already loves you.  Pray simply, powerfully and with faith and watch what He does.