Resignation Letter

This is the Letter Read to the Rock Springs Congregation Wednesday Night October 6th.

Dear Church Family,

The time has come for Veronica and I to take the next step of faith to which God has called us. I am stepping down as Student Minister and would like to thank all of you for your support during my 18 years as member and staff member of Rock Springs. There are many uncertainties and obstacles that lay ahead, but we are confident of the work God has called us to and confident in His provision to meet all of our needs.

By God’s grace our goal is to plant a biblically sound, healthy, growing and multiplying church for the yet unreached in Greenville, SC. Greenville’s metro area includes roughly 650,000 people, 80% of which do not attend any religious organization. As the city has become an international market place and people have relocated from all over the US and the World the percent of church attendance in Greenville has steadily declined. On October 25^th we will begin pursuing God’s calling to our part in reversing this trend full time.

It is painful to leave so many friends and partners in the Lords work behind but anytime God calls you to something it also includes the call to leave something behind, often the things we cherish most. I would be a hypocrite to continue to preach a message of exercising audacious faith in order for the world to know Christ and not follow God where he is so clearly leading.

Although I will not be involved in the daily affairs of ministry at Rock Springs anymore we will not be strangers. I thank God for Rock Springs and the way He used the church to radically change my life and grow my faith. My heart for evangelism and foundation in the word of God is a direct result of the teaching I received at Rock Springs. Our relationship with our Pastor, staff, and each of you will continue as it has in the past, as dear friends and partners in ministry.

We desperately need your prayer support as we pursue this calling.  Keep us on your hearts and in your prayers as you will be in ours.

This letter will be posted on my blog for one week for your reference and for those not in attendance.

Grace and Peace,

Jonathan, Veronica, Max and Naomi Day

 

The Gift and The Burden

Being a Father is such a unique and wonderful gift. It’s hard to express that uniqueness in words. I fear the gift of fatherhood is often treated as the possession of property that gives the holder a right to a title. Rather it should be treated as a highly valued right with which all privileges and responsibilities are granted by our Heavenly Father for which we are eternally responsible.  I’ve taken some ridicule over the way I’ve chosen to spent my time over the past year and a half. Nothing major, more like side comments really. What they don’t understand is the burden of shaping the lives of my children is great one.  Anyone can do 99% of the things I do each day, but only I can be their dad. I will not apologize for building my schedule around my family and filling in the rest with other things. Here is a great video a friend of mine sent me.  Every  life creates a ripple. How big of a splash will you make? Matthew 25:14-30

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

 

I’m Tired of Hollow Deceptive Philosophy

I love the apostle Paul, although  sometimes I would like to strangle him. It’s a good thing he was Hebrew. There is no way he would have made it out of Mrs. Hansen’s English Class.  His complex sentences and deep thoughts about God may make him difficult to read, but the passion with which he lived inspires me. If I were going to use one sentence to describe the man it would be this.

He gave his life for the sake of the Gospel.

Every ounce of energy he had he used to promote and defend the true Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Even after winning some to faith in Christ in each city, teaching them how God was working in human history, then organizing the churches, he constantly had to defend the Gospel from those who would co-opt it.

Although there were many False teachers with varying brands of so-called “Christianity” the most common assaults were from those still trying to make new believers adhere to conditions of  Judaism. Laws intended to reveal to us our desperate need for mercy. Laws no human has ever kept. Today there are those who still try as they did to add to the price of my Redemption.

Christ + Right Sabbath Day

Christ + Certain foods

Christ + Certain drink

Christ + Religious festivals

Christ + Circumcision

In Modern Times it looks like this…

Christ + Baptism

Christ + Walking an aisle

Christ + Church Structure

Christ + Rosary’s

The list could go on

One prominent preacher in my denomination once stated a person could not be saved unless he walked an aisle. I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. Surely this man understands the Gospel?!  Should I stand up and walk out? Should I stand up and call Him a Liar?

No sir! 2010 Years ago a great exchange was made on my behalf.  I had not been nor would I ever be able do anything to affect my standing with God. With His death on the cross, Jesus exchanged His inherent goodness, righteousness and perfection for my sin, sin nature, and inherent evilness. HE is my wrath bearer,  my sin bearer, my purchaser.  To add anything to the work that Jesus did as a means of Salvation is to spit in the face of God and scream, “THE BLOOD OF YOUR SON IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” To make it any more difficult for someone to approach Christ for salvation than Paul or Jesus Himself is to scream in the face of the broken “GO TO HELL!”

Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Rest does not come after baptism, rest does not come after walking an aisle, rest does not come after rosary prayer.  Rest comes by looking to Jesus! The real live, historical, crucified, alive forever Jesus!

In His letter to the church in the city of Colosse, Paul  makes it clear.  Our evil(sin) nature which seperates us from God was dealt with through Christ. Adding to the work of Christ with the expectation of receiving salvation is hollow and deceptive philosophy.

Colossians 2:6-17

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.* 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.*

*Emphasis Mine

 

Hilarious and Insightful!

Leadership Lessons from Brett Farve by Mark Batterson

After I got up off the floor from laughing so hard, I was inspired! Check it out

 

What if?

I was a comic book nerd as a middle schooler and one of my favorite lines was “What If”.  Now I’m not sure how it all worked, but I think it was an independent writer who took the characters and made what C.S. Lewis called “Supposals” between comic book worlds. For Example. What if… Kal El (Clark Kent) crashed his space ship in Gotham instead of Smallville. Then according to the author you’d have a Superman type character parading around in a Bat suit with a Batman attitude. I seem to remember it got kind of ugly. (DC’s What if… style comic was actually branded “Elseworlds“, but followed the same premise).

I’ve had this thought on my mind for few weeks now and like all the other post topics I have scheduled, it just hasn’t made it to print until now.

What if …. Jesus was more concerned about the opinion of man than the opinion of God?     or

What if …. Jesus did what those around Him thought he should do?

As I’ve  read through the N30X Challenge this week, two passages with Jesus addressing the very same idea with one of His disciples in both Matthew and Mark intrigued me.

Here’s a short list since there are possibly thousands of conceivable answers. The possibilities in bold are my favorite. (you know, in the rhetorical sense)

* He… never would have had people who needed redemption in his Genealogy  i.e. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the one who was Uriah’s wife.  Matt 1

*Never would have been as helpless as an infant.  Matt 1

*Never would have stepped foot in Egypt. Matt 2

*Never would have submitted Himself to earthly authority called parents. Matt 2

*Never would have let an inferior human baptize him. Matt 3

*Would have done everything Satan said he had to do to prove he was “the man”.  Matt 4

*Never would have begun His ministry in Galilee. After all they weren’t wealthy enough to support Him. Matt 4

* Would have never called and expected common fishermen to change the world.  Matt 4

* Never would have healed anyone, since he was too scared to be like God. Matt 5

* Would Have Never Clarified False Ideas about Church in the Culture promoted by the Supposed Religious Authority.  Matt 5-7 ( this one is my favorite!)

*Would have never even gotten close to the Leper. At least not without Germ-X. Matt 8

*Would have never Healed the Centurions servant. Since outsiders aren’t important. Matt 8

*Would have never called Matthew to leadership because of how everyone else would have perceived the move, after all they knew His past. Matt 9

*Would have never sent out the 12 with authority because after all, No one could do it as good as He could. Matt 10

*Would Have never preached strongly about the need for repentance and faith. Matt 10

*Would have glossed over what becoming a Christian would cost. Matt 10

*Would have never made the gifts of the have-nots equal to the have’s

*Would have never stood up boldly against those in authority. Matt 12

*Would have never used stories to bring the teaching of the kingdom down to human level.  Matt 13

*Would have never planned for the future by  preparing others to be leaders. Matt 16

(BTW: Jesus’ organization exploded, not imploded after He was gone)

* Would not have taught on money because you can lose followers that way Matthew 17.

*Never taught on how to resolve conflict. Since he would have many unspoken resentments himself. Matt 18

*Never would have taught on marriage and sex since those are things you just shouldn’t talk about. Matt 19

*Would have made it easy for the rich to follow Him.  Matt 19

*Never would have confronted the stupid, ungodly things going on in the church and certainly not with that tone of voice. Matt 21

*Never would have deferred glory to His Father , or praised Peter since His life is all about Him. Matt 22

* Would have never cried in front of people. Matt 23

*Would have never told His followers that a tribulation like none other in the world was awaiting them. (not good advertising) Matt 24

*Would never admit that he didn’t know something and tell you to ask the proper person. Matt 24

*Would have made the Christian life about holing-up instead of taking risks. Matt 25

*Would never let a woman worship Him lavishly, too undignified! Matt 26

*Would have never implemented a system of Neuro-Associative Conditioning to recreate the moment of rebirth in our hearts and minds. Matt 26

*Would have charbroiled Judas were he stood, with lightening from the sky (OK that’s probably just what I would have done).  Matt 26

*Would have let the Cup pass from Him. Matt 26

*Would have called Angels to torch the soldiers and heal His wounds. Matt 27

*Would have performed wonders to prove His personality, rather that purchasing our souls to prove his love. Matt 27

*Would have never let women have a place among the church

*Would have never entrusted the Mission that he was just tortured to start to imperfect people.

Matthew 16:23

²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

 

Delegate or Details

Finding your sweet spot and building an organization looks different for

Team

every leader.  Sweet spots being those places where everyone can operate at their highest level and knock it out of the park every time. Some things you delegate because you can’t do them and be still effective.  Some things you delegate because you just straight up can’t do them.  For some folks in leadership positions giving away ministry and empowering others is difficult. They want to see their fingerprint on every aspect of the organization and they can’t sleep at night being out of control. Me on the other hand, I generally have no trouble giving away leadership responsibilities, while coaching and supporting those who are developing.  But when have you given away too much? What are those things in your organization that only you can do? What are those things that need to be really involved in and not depend on  or wait on someone else to do? My buddy Steven had a great post today examining this thought called Coach Your Special Teams.  Very Thought Provoking. Give it a look.

Proverbs 13:20-21

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

 

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

You work so hard. You pour you life in them. You give your time to them. You earn the right to be heard. You devise crucible situations for them. God overwhelms your heart when they triumph over their fears and inadequacies.  But how do you react when God wants to take them and multiply THEIR ministry?

It’s sad to see leaders who are developing talent and other leaders to support their own ministry rather than to support the kingdom of God. This world is so lost and hungry how can I ever have a negative thought about God “taking” one of  “my” leaders.

Yet I used to. Sometimes in a subtle way, that the Holy Spirit quickly checks, I still do. However what gives me joy and fulfillment in ministry has evolved over the past six years as I have understood the biblical role of pastors and the model of selfish leadership that Jesus gives us.

If there is any organization  in the world called to train, empower and launch leaders into the world its the church. If we hold onto resources that God whats to reallocate to another ministry or another church or another continent, then we are not only being disobedient to God, but very practically speaking we are hindering the work of God as he tries to keep real live people out of a real live Hell.

Good leaders don’t devise systems that are unsustainable after they are gone.

Ephesians 4:11-13 And Christ gave gifts to people—he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people. ^12 Christ gave those gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. ^13 This work must continue until we are all joined together in the same faith and in the same knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like Christ and have his perfection.

The Holy Bible : New Century Version , containing the Old and New Testaments. 1991 . Word Bibles: Dallas, TX

 

Guest Blogger: Max Day

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Matthew 21:15-16. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

¹⁶"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,
" 'From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise'^[a]?”

 

7 Posts Every Man Must Read

Counting The Cost of Sexual Immorality by Randy Alcorn of Eternal Perspective Ministries

One by One by Craig Groeshel of Life Church

Disturb Us Lord by Kevin Campbell of  Elevate Church

Prioritize the Presence of Godby Steven Furtick of Elevation Church

Things Leaders Should Never Apologise For by Perry Noble of New Spring Church

The Person God Uses by Clint Freeman of Rock Springs Baptist Church

Difficult vs Simple by Mark Batterson of National Community Church

 

Random Friday

I was privileged to speak at Easley High School  FCA this morning.

Very cool to see Coach Hunters room overflowing with students.

We received a challenge from scripture to step up and lead a school that is desperately looking to follow someone who is the real deal.  God challenged Joshua in this way  in Joshua 1:1-9.

Carolina Creme doughnuts are the best in entire universe. I can say that  because  I’ve  been to each doughnut shop in the entire universe.

I hope Clemson can get this thing turned in the right direction. I don’t think we are far off.  I didn’t think we were very far off for the last nine years either.

I’m almost done with Tom Sawyer. I probably should have read it a long time ago. Although I’m not finished I highly anticipate it will go on my “Favorite Books of All Time” list.  Huck Finn will soon follow.

The First True Love Waits Message went well I thought. I’m always nervous when I preach on Love, Sex and Dating. Not because of the subject matter, but because  misuse of a common phrase can cause riotous laughter among teenagers.

I never worry about keeping a teenagers attention during a message on sex.  There is seldom eye contact, but you know they hear every word.

Godly leaders invest, empower, and launch people out into the ministries and places to which God has called them.  Selfish leaders horde people and resources because they are afraid to lose what they’ve built, instead of trusting God to sustain what He has built.

The student ministry is instituting a “youth worker only” policy for adults during Collide on Wednesday. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s hard to man the 7,000 doors that lead into the High School Worship area.

Parents and other guests will still be welcome on a weekly, call ahead basis.

I love my wife and kids. There are others who can fill  my ministry role, but only I can be their Husband and Daddy. I refuse to be the guy who is married to ministry instead of his family.

The second line of the above paragraph came from Terry Carlton. Check out his blog. He’s a pretty smart kid.

I Cor 3:8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will ^areceive his own ^1reward according to his own labor.

a 1 Cor 3:14; 4:5; 9:17; Gal 6:4

1 Or wages

New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 . The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA