Random Thoughts on Halloween

Like it or not, October 31st comes around every year. For many Christians, it is a day they dread. They can’t wait to go home, turn off their porch light, lock up their doors, revel in their personal holiness while watching an unchurched world walk past our doors. They get some sort of satisfaction believing they are standing strong in their faith while criticizing three year olds dressed up like Willie on “Duck Dynasty.” But are they really missing one of the best opportunities to show a lost world the love of our Savior? How can a Christian redeem the holiday? Halloween has become big business. I heard this week Halloween is the second largest holiday behind Christmas. The candy sales on Halloween are second only to Easter and quickly catching up. The church has an amazing opportunity to be a light in a lost world. We must remember going door-to-door with our children dressed in a costume asking for candy doesn’t cause us to worship Satan any more than when a family opens Christmas presents, attends church for the only time of the year, and eats too much for lunch worships Christ. Worship is a matter of the heart. Remember, “this is the day (yes even October 31) the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). How can a Christian redeem the day for the glory of God? The world is coming to you. Be missional!! For 364 days you have been thinking of how you can reach your neighbors with the love of Jesus. Tonight your neighbors come to you! Halloween is the one day of the year the world comes to you. Welcome them. Be inviting. Be positive. Smile!! By all means don’t be cheap. Give quality candy (and you know if you hand out cheap candy). If you hand out a tract, please give them candy too. Create an environment where the children want to come back. Don’t criticize the young boy dressed as a zombie. Instead, have fun with him. Enjoy seeing his smile. Step back as if you were scared and help make a memory for the little child. Too often, Christians spend Halloween shouting to a lost world the 101 things we hate about Halloween. It is a little ironic, Christians talk more about Satan and bring more attention to him, than the average American celebrating Halloween. Allow Halloween to be a day we let people know what we are for. We are for families. We are for moms and dads spending quality time with their children. We are for families creating life-long memories. We love families and love seeing families laughing and playing together. For 99% of the people who take part in Halloween, the night means nothing more than an evening of family fun, fellowship, tons of candy, and a few upset stomachs. Redeem the day. Be prayerful. As families come to your home, pray for them. Ask the Spirit of God to work in them and love on them. Pray for God’s blessing upon their family and home. Ask God to open a door of opportunity. Ask Him for a chance to tell someone about the supremacy of the gospel. Once again, they are coming to you. Why in the world would we not take advantage of this opportunity? What would happen if you made some hot cider and/or coffee and offered it to the parents? What would happen if they would stay and talk with you for even a few seconds? Be kind tonight. Use Halloween as an opportunity to enjoy your family, spread the light of Christ, and impact and influence a very dark world. Have fun and be a blessing tonight to someone. Get creative. Be prayerful and missional! For the glory of God!

It's time for me to begin to update and actually write on this blog. Here is my beautiful and amazing family. I am so proud of Kaitlyn, our daughter-in-law. She graduated from Kansas State in May. If all goes well, my oldest son, Brennan, will graduate in December. My middle son, Austin (the one with the beard), will be a senior this year. He will be playing football in a couple of days. I have already started praying for his safety. Hannah, my beautiful, 16 year old daughter is a complete joy. She is in pretty great "like" with a young man. I am still trying to get used to that fact. My wife, Heidi (thankfully she does not have a beard), is one of the most amazing people I know. She is a beautiful and godly wife and mother. God blessed me beyond anything I can imagine with my family. I'm going to try and write at least once a week. Some will just be random thoughts I have about my faith, my church, and my family. My hope is to point you to the joy of the Lord. Keep looking back.

Blizzard of 2013 and Church Growth

As I am sitting here and contemplating the blizzard of 2013, I can’t help but think about how much like church growth a blizzard is. I am thinking about all the driveways and sidewalks I hope to dig out for people. For many months, we have prayed earnestly for snow. We know the harvest in June is dependent about the winter snow. It is always interesting to hear people complain about how God answers our prayers. I hope most of my church genuinely desires church growth. If it comes like a blizzard, are we willing to work through the inconvenience and headaches growth will, not might, cause our church. Is the promise of a future harvest worth the pain and hassle today? • We pray for snow but don’t like a blizzard. We pray for our church to grow but don’t like a lot of growth. • We like snow in amounts that are helpful for our farmers but do not inconvenience us too much. We honestly desire our church to grow. We just want the growth to be at a pace that doesn’t inconvenience us. Blizzards are amazingly inconvenient. Church growth is amazingly inconvenient. • Many of those who pray for snow are the first and loudest to complain about a blizzard. Many of those who pray for the church to grow are the first to complain about not having their “reserved” pew on Sunday morning. • At the harvest, some will rejoice and remember the blizzard with fondness and gratefulness to our God. Some will think they are amazing farmers because of the huge harvest. Most won’t think about the harvest at all. When our church sees a great harvest, some will look back on fondness and gratefulness at how great God’s grace is. Some will think about how special they are and how great our church has become to see such amazing growth. Most won’t consider the spiritual harvest at all. • In a blizzard, we see the family work together to dig out, to get through, and enjoy the inconvenience of the blizzard. In church growth, we will see the family of God come together to dig out, get through and enjoy the inconvenience of church growth. It will be different in a larger church, but you don’t have to get lost in a larger church (if we do things well, your needs will be met. We will use our deacon ministry, small groups, fellowship, discipleship classes etc to make sure you are not lost in our church) • As you dig out of the blizzard, don’t focus on the snow, but rejoice in the coming harvest. When our church explodes in growth, don’t focus on the growth, focus on the coming harvest. • During a blizzard, though it only affects my life in physical ways, I know the farmer is rejoicing in ways I can’t even imagine. As I dig out today, tomorrow, and Saturday, I will be thinking and rejoicing with the farmer. The blizzard of 2013 is not about me. As our church grows, it will affect most of you in physical ways. But the lost that are found, the blind that will see, the prodigal who comes home, the husband and wife who recommit their marriage to God will be rejoicing in ways you can’t even imagine. Church growth is not about you and me and it about “them.” I could go on and on. Needless to say, the blizzard of 2013 changes everything for a season. The pain and mess will be worth it in June. As our church grows, I can assure everyone it will get messy and will change everything. But if God is faithful to His Word, it will also mean an amazing harvest will be realized. Doesn’t that sound exciting and fun? It will be the most amazing adventure you have ever been on. Focus on the harvest! Focus on the people we will reach. Focus on our Savior saying to us, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” May our church grow for His glory not our comfort; for His Kingdom to advance not for our agenda to prosper; for heaven to be populated with souls God used us to reach. Dig out… the harvest is coming! 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.(John 4:35).