The Draft

Just returned from riding my bike with some good friends. I've always enjoyed group rides. Group rides give the riders a chance to mix it up a little, ride at faster speeds and talk trash to one another. It really is a good time! The group rides I really enjoy are the ones where we slow down and enjoy each others company. Not worrying about the pace or how far we have ridden. We will stop at a local eatery and get a snack, take a much needed break, visit the potty and we are off again. Nobody is trying to "crush the soul" of another rider by riding to fast, or pulling out of a stop light in a full sprint. Those are the rides I enjoy. Riders who aren't feeling it for that particular day and be assured that they will not be left behind if they slow down a little bit. Riders who encounter mechanical difficulty can rest assured that one of us has a tool to fix their problem and get them back on the road as the group waits for them as the repairs are completed. Group rides build confidence in ones ability to ride as one unit. Maintaining a certain speed and when fatigue starts to rear it's ugly head, one just moves over and the next guy or gal in line resumes the wind breaking duties that enables the rest of us to ride the "draft" as they call it. The draft is a beautiful thing. It's a place where you can relax, rest and get a much needed drink from your water bottle. The draft affords one the opportunity to ride the jet stream of the person in front of you. The more riders you have the better the draft can be. I've heard it said that riding the draft enables a rider to ride 1-2 mph faster that he would normally ride by himself. Over the course of a long ride this is a big advantage if you are one of those who worry about average speed. Riders who have experienced the "draft" get quickly addicted to it and don't like it when they see it's about to end as the line is getting shorter up front. You are fast approaching your place in line when you will not be able to take advantage of someone breaking the wind for you. You are now in a place of pain and suffering. Leading the group you are now the "lead sled dog", breaking the wind for everyone else. Looking back behind you a long line of riders are depending on you to stay the course. Keep the pace, don't accelerate up the hills, maintain a constant cadence so your speed remains the same. Stronger riders can stay up front for several minutes, weaker riders bail pretty quickly as their heart rates rise and their lungs begin to scream for more oxygen. They feel the lactic acid begin to build in their thighs to the point they can't go any further and suddenly it happens. You swallow your pride, move over and let the next rider assume the duties of breaking wind. But it's not over yet, you see you've stayed out front too long. You thought you could endure just as long as that club rider was pulling earlier. He made it look so easy. Now you find yourself in no mans land. It's a place of utter despair. Everyone is moving up on your right as they pass you by, you keep looking for a spot to get back in line but nobody is giving you that opportunity, the line seems endless. Meanwhile your legs are still screaming "I can't go on" and then you hear those magic words, "last man." The last man is the end of the line, all you have to do is get behind them and the pain and suffering you've endured for the last few miles will come to an end. However, the last man goes by you and you start to see the riders ahead begin to move away from you. Your heart quickly sinks as you realize whats is about to happen. Your mind is telling your legs peddle faster but they have quickly lost interest. Your lungs are screaming for more air but you can't take in anymore. You are spent. I've been dropped! The group begins to pull ahead as you begin your descent into the lower gears. Cadence drops, your speed has dropped like the temperature on a cold winter night. The group is getting smaller in your sights, but as soon as you think all is lost you hear that familiar voice, "hey get on my wheel let's catch the group they are slowing for us." Your hero has returned to bring you back to the pack where you belong. After all a group is a group. If one member is missing you no longer have a group, but a pack who leaves those behind who don't measure up. I've experienced being dropped on a group ride. It's not a pleasant feeling, because you feel you've let the group down. You couldn't hang as long as everyone else but you felt it your duty to contribute to the duties of breaking the wind. You didn't want to let anyone in the group down. You wanted to do your share. You just tried to do too much. The draft is the sweet spot of a group ride. Don't be so quick to leave the nest and try to fly on your own. Staying in the draft is an art form. It's an experience to remember and your time will come when you return to someone who has lost the draft and encourage them "to get back on your wheel."

Staying Pure in an Unclean World

I am who I am

As a new believer one of the first verses I was encouraged to memorize was out of the Psalms that dealt with sin. David writes "How can a young man keep his way pure, by keeping it according to thy Word. Thy Word I have treasured in my heart so that I might not sin against Thee (Psalms 119: 9;11). Staying pure in an unclean world is tough. Staying pure is sometimes just associated with infidelity or sex outside of marriage, looking at naked images on the internet, or some other immoral behavior that goes against the principles that are outlined in our Bible. But staying pure goes way beyond those immoral behaviors. Christ commands us to be special, He calls it a Royal Priesthood. Paul further states that we are to set ourselves apart; be different. Today I was driving and a thought occurred to me about pleasing God. Can I please God? Does that go against the principles outlined in Ephesians 2:8,9? Do my works of service please God? Certainly! But, do I try to please God for the wrong reasons or selfish motives?. Will doing works of service put me in a better position with Christ? May it never be as Paul proclaims. Today as I was driving down Lejeune Blvd, I was really struggling with this idea. Why do anything that goes against the idea of grace? Can I do anything that will help me make God smile upon my life? I think the answer is no. God loves me for who I am, not who I am trying to be. No matter how many visits I make, people I witness too, or acts of service I perform. Nothing can put me in a better standing with Christ. It's the trap that all the Pharisees fell into to. How righteous can I make myself? Zero is the answer, nothing I can do will put me in a better standing with Christ. If I truly believe and accept Christ for who He is, nothing else matters. Really? Yes! I am who I am because of what Christ did on the cross. I am righteous because of his pain and suffering on the cross. The blood He shed, the body that was broken is all that needs to be done. He paid it all. Pressure off, serve because of what He did for me. Nothing earned, nothing gained, it is only by His grace I'm saved and redeemed.

My Personal Ministry Plan

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Introduction

A plan cannot be developed to counter a problem unless the problem can be identified and defined. Ministry culture is the expectation of what is expected of one who is involved in ministry. These are preconceived non-biblical expectations placed on those in leadership positions either by themselves or by those who have been appointed in oversight leadership positions or a preconceived identity achieved through higher education or personal experience. Typically those in leadership positions who let their lives be deceived by these preconceived ideas let their ministry define their identity, they preach a gospel that is not relevant to their own lives, they forget who God is, and they settle for a level of mediocrity that significantly brings down the body of Christ by not letting others mature in their spiritual giftedness. To remedy this problem, I think one would have a plan to counter these pre-conceived ideas (Prov. 16:9)

Bare Necessities

            The bare necessities of obedient Christian living, is having a relationship that is centered on Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal 2:20). We continue to build upon the foundation that we were created on (Lk. 6:47-48). When the storms of life come, or the challenges of daily living seem to overcome us we can rest upon this foundation that was built upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Constantly being reminded of that foundation in Christ is a key ingredient to living a life of obedience even in the midst of ministry overload.

            Another key to living in a ministry culture that seems to siphon the life out of Pastor is that of accountability. Sharing life with someone you can trust and have confidence in this side of heaven is important. Just as important as being accountable to someone else, is sharing life with someone you can mentor and bring a long (Col 1:28). I call this one up and one down accountability (2 Tim. 2:2).

            The last ingredient to living an obedient Christian lifestyle is doing life in community. Sharing life with another group of like-minded individuals (Gal 1:7; Heb 10:24-25). A place that you aren’t looked to for leadership. A place where you can let your hair down and be one of “the guys.” You let people see the real me even if it is ugly at times.

Self- Assessment

            Familiarity can be a bad thing. Am I so familiar with God and His message that I’ve lost that excitement of ministry? I couldn’t wait to become a full time staff minister. I would not have all the distractions of bi-vocational ministry. Boy was I ever wrong. Being on full-time I lost the excitement of ministry because it became mundane. Self-assessment includes “time off” to regroup and rethink what you are doing. Taking time off each year is critical to my life as a Christian leader so I can regroup and retool the things in me that are so important to stay focused on Christ instead of myself (Gal. 6:1).

Separation from the World

            Do I preach a gospel that is different from the one I’m hearing each week? Do I practice what I preach or do I keep pumping out sermons that have no relevance in my own life because they have become routine and second natured. Asking those who are closest to me for their opinion and critique is important to counteract this. Not to achieve any glory from man (Gal. 1:10), but to get an honest assessment of how I’m doing. Do they see Christ in me, or an impostor? Is there enough evidence in me to see the love of Christ daily? Not looking for the platitudes of men, but just looking for an honest appraisal of how I’m doing and areas that need improvement. Do I recognize the grace of God and accept my limitations? I’m I handling the Word of God correctly, is it more about me than He? Am I following the worldly culture that I’m immersed in each week and still desire the things of this world (1John 2:15-16), or do I recognize that I’m called to a higher standard (Phil 3:13-16). In my own life, with the help of the Holy Spirit working in me, if I can stick to the bare necessities, routinely conduct a self-assessment, and stay focused that I am not of this world, my plan to counteract the ministry culture of today will keep me in His will for the rest of my life so that I can finish the race set before me 2 Tim. 4:7-8).