These good people were celebrating their 126th year of consecutive ministry in the community. The pastor, Keith & Judy Coram, have been there for 35 years.

So…what did I experience in this 75 person church? Here, in no particular order, were some notes I made

-they were using Countryman mics and had PowerPoint with good sound and visuals throughout the service
-Stained Glass from a really old Presbyterian Church that had been beautifully restored
-Children present in the service for the special day
-Talked to each other during the service and made announcements from the congregation
-Music that ranged from the 1950′s to the 1980′s; about 10 songs in total including a children’s song, a women’s trio, and a solo by the pastor (you’ll not hear me doing that!).
-Prayers were shared openly; one particularly painful prayer request about a young high school boy had several people openly responding with weeping and pain
-Birthday song for a 95 year old.

So in the 2 hour service (normally a 1:15 hour service I am told by their pastor), I spoke for about 30 minutes and the rest was above. The services were followed by a Kentucky Fried Chicken and salad lunch, complete with pies from Marie Calendars.

What did I learn from my experience?

-This church has a genuine love and affection for the Lord, for the Word, for each other, and for their community
-This church has an opportunity to be transformational in their community. I am not able to discern how they are doing in this regard, but I sensed their heart to be an agent of transformation for the glory of God.
-The lives of men and women, boys and girls, are being impacted in Willows. I have a theory, as yet unsubstantiated to my knowledge, that more people respond to a calling to vocational ministry from smaller churches (let’s say under 200…which is about 85% of the US church population) than larger churches (where I have spent the majority of my ministry). It’s just a hunch, but I suspect it. Your thoughts?

I have led medium to large churches and organizations my entire professional life. But I grew up in smaller churches. I love both. For both, the issue remains: Are we being who Christ has called us to be and for His glory? When that happens, I celebrate! I celebrated this weekend.

There are at least 4 things that God cannot do:

1) He cannot lie.

2) He cannot change (Micah 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)

3) He cannot fail (Psalm 89:33-34, Philippians 1:6, II Timothy 1:12

4) He cannot do nothing (Luke 1:37, I Kings 18:43)

As Pastor Greg closed, there was a powerful reference to Luke 5…the Night of Empty Nets is About to be Over!  Faith and Obedience have to go together!  We hear and obey.

Great teaching Pastor Greg!

-Approachable and quick to listen

-Sacrificial and willing to be generous

-Willing to let go and is not controlling

-Willing to reconcile and is quick to forgive

-Able to both love me and love others through me

Each of these were characteristics of the Father (God) in the story.  Good stuff Rick!

One major thing had to do with grappling about a mistake I believe I made.  It was a mistake where I thought I had good motives, but later on discovered that my motives were not all right…and the result was that I got on the wrong track.  God worked it all out after a rough season of repentance, confession, and surrender.  But that whole process was what caused me to reflect again this morning on a question I’ve asked and been asked before:

“If I take a wrong turn, ask God’s forgiveness, and get in alignment with Him again…am I actually living a ’2nd best’ life from now on”?

I think this question has many variants.  Fill in the blank:  “Because I _______, I can never experience God’s best for my life.”

I’ve personally dealt with this in my life and in the lives of many of my family and people I’ve known in ministry.  Over time, I’ve come down up with good clarity, which was affirmed again this morning as I was in worship and prayer.  Here is the basic framework of how I see it from God’s perspective:

1) God is a God of healing and redemption(Isaiah 53:4-5, Galatians 3:13-14, I Peter 2:24)

2) God longs to see His kids be in alignment with Him (Amos 3:3, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 1 John 4:4)

3) My (our) whole life is a “2nd best” from the standpoint of perfection, but God specializes in taking our offerings and transforming them into worthy sacrifices (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 12:1-2, Titus 3:5-7)

I personally believe that when I surrender my life to Jesus Christ, and live my life in obedience to Him…allowing the Holy Spirit to regularly “adjust” me back into alignment, that I am NEVER experiencing a “2nd Best” life; I am experiencing the redemption of my life into HIS BEST…and that is everything I need.

You are not living a “2nd best” life if you are walking in surrender to Him.  He is redeeming every part of your life for His glory and honor.  You are living His best life now!

So…I’m in an interesting passage in my life.  In 2 short days I will be officially inaugurated into the Presidency of William Jessup University(WJU), a position I have officially held for six months.  Things are going great and I expect our Board meeting on Thursday and the Inauguration to be fantastic, historic, and celebratory.  All good.

So why am I having so many thoughts about the journey that life has taken Pam and me on for these many years?  Am I just getting old and reflective?  Maybe.  But I suspect it also has to do with this being a milestone moment (one similar to where God instructed the children of Israel to “mark this spot” with a monument of rocks), and the fact that we will be with family and many dear friends and respected colleagues in ministry these next several days.  But I wonder if more is going on here than meets the casual eye.

I wonder if God is challenging me to reflect on the journey of faith.  I am in my office now, having just returned from chapel at WJU (www.jessup.edu) and my heart is full as we have been well led in worship.  God seems to be asking me to remember that all of this journey up to today required all the previous seasons of life.  We do not get to “today” and “tomorrow” (where I always seem to be rushing towards) unless we pass through “yesterday”.   Would I have rushed towards today and tomorrow if I knew yesterday what would come through those doors?  Or does God have us see through a glass darkly so that we must hold His hand more closely as we step through the doors of the present and future?

While in chapel today I saw a mother and father hold their 9 month old baby girl tightly.  She had not a care in the world.  She was warm and safe.  She knows nothing of what lies ahead but she is secure in the one who holds her.

Today as I think about all the joy of the moment, and as I dream about all the potential and possibility of all the Tomorrows yet not experienced, I pause to thank Our Father for all the Yesterdays where He held us tight even though we had no idea what the future would bring.  I’m glad, since we see through a glass darkly, that our Father holds us tight when we walk with Him.

September 15-16, 2001:   It is my heartbeat this weekend to speak to you as a
shepherd.  I will not be teaching you with an outline, nor will I ask you to “fill in the blanks”. I would like to simply share from my heart the result of my prayer and study this week.  I believe that these moments and days can powerfully shape the life of our church, our community, and our country.

It is my hope that I can provide comfort, wisdom, and direction for us here today.  What we need is not, however, my thoughts on the subject.  What we need is a word from God.  If there is a Godly perspective on what we are now experiencing, then we need it.  I
believe God is present during these hours, and I believe there is a word from
Him that we can hear today.

There are 3 specific areas where I think God would like to speak to us this weekend.  The
first is the area of pain.  How can God allow this kind of thing to happen?
Where is He during the crisis?  Are He and our world out of control?
The second area is the area of power.  What is the moral and spiritual responsibility of America as a powerful nation?  Are there any boundaries for our behavior in response to these events?  Should we turn the other cheek?  Thirdly and finally, is there any hope for peace?  Is our world doomed to repeat a cycle of attack and retribution?  Are we headed for war and will we face bloodshed for the next many years?

Pain:  Where is God during a Crisis? We are sometimes prone in America to “foul weather faith”.  When the weather gets foul, we want faith.  When the weather is fair, we forget God.  More typically, we also assume that if we have faith, that our life will be
rosy.  Pain free living is never promised in the Bible and that is not the experience of Christians around the world.  Rather, what the Bible promises is God’s presence and power in the midst of our pain.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” (Matthew 24:6)

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before His eyes.” (Hebrews 4:13)

These Scriptures, along with a host of others, tell us that God is not shocked by
these events.  God is not in heaven wringing His hands saying, “Oh my, I had no idea it would ever come to this”.  God remains sovereign and in control over the universe, even when natural or manmade disasters strike our world.  However, God does not take any
delight in these events.  Using human terms, God’s heart is broken at the presence and consequences of this evil.

Now some have asked the question, “Is this God’s judgment on America”?  While painful, that is a fair question.  I have prayed about that question and don’t feel any sense of peace about it.  I do believe America is worthy of judgment.  We have forgotten God, we have sinned, we have allowed the presence and power of evil to take root in our land.  And yet, it is my sense that this is not God’s direct hand of judgment upon us.  Rather, I think these are the evil acts of evil men.  And God has promised that He will judge the world for the evil that does exist.

“The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:7-10)

While I do not believe God caused these things to occur, God can and will use even the
most tragic of circumstances to call people back to Himself.  The Bible teaches us that God can use these moments to comfort us and so that we can be a comfort to others.

^“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (II Corinthians 1:3-4)

Power: What is our Responsibility? What is the responsibility of the United States, as a strong and powerful nation, towards those who have perpetrated these evil acts?  On the one hand, the Bible teaches us that when someone strikes us, we should “turn the other cheek”.  We also read in Romans 12:19 the following:

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”

So, should America simply turn the other cheek and wait for God to bring His justice to bear upon evil?  I think the Bible gives us an important perspective on that so I want to briefly share 3 principles.

1)  When God gives strength and power to a nation, it has accountability to God for its use.

America is not who or where it is by accident.  God allows this nation to exist to fulfill His purposes on earth.  We are responsible for righteousness and peace in our world.  It is imperative that we act with wisdom and discernment, seeking to both acknowledge God and be obedient to His will in our decision making.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

2)  As a powerful nation, we are accountable to act in a just and righteous fashion in order to protect the weak and the innocent.

“And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’” (Zechariah 7:8-10)

Scripture consistently teaches the responsibility of the strong to protect and care for
the weak and oppressed.  James 1:27 says that true religion in the sight of God is to care for the widows and orphans.  The United States has been given great power and is responsible to our world and to God to use that power for righteous ends.  We are facing an enemy that does not value human life, and has participated in the wholesale
destruction of human life.  While the vast majority of Islamic people are peaceful people, there is a brand of Islamic fundamentalism that is determined to extinguish the United States and other democratically free nations from the face of the planet.  We have not only seen the effects ofterrorism in our land, but have seen it played out across the world stage
against innocent life.

There are serious foreign policy challenges which the United States must wrestle with as
a powerful nation.  It seems clear to me that we cannot be a global policeman.  Yet, I do believe that we have a responsibility to act in a just and righteous fashion.  Events at the end of the Second World War demonstrated the depths of evil to which Hitler’s regime
had sunk.  It was right for us to eliminate that evil from the world.  More recent atrocities in Rwanda and Bosnia/Herzegovina make for more difficult choices, but our power make us accountable to at least ask the question about when we are responsible to act in order to protect the weak and innocent.

3)     We are an agent of justice and therefore must confront evil in our world

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:1,4)

The Bible teaches that government is an agent of justice.  It is my hope that we will confront evil with strength and that we will pursue justice in these matters.  I have
consistently prayed for our president and other leaders that we will discern the right equilibrium between justice and vengeance.  If we allow evil to go unchecked, we will be
held accountable; unchecked evil soon becomes a force of destruction to nations, to families, and to individuals.

The confrontation we are now seeing is, in my view, only just beginning.  A serious wake up call has begun; now we may see a series of events which will lead us to further economic, military, and social consequences.  We may be in or at the brink of a global time of war and difficulty.  We are strong and we are powerful.  But our security does not rest in our strength.  Real peace and lasting peace only come through one pathway.

Peace:  Will we ever see it again?

God wants our world to have peace, doesn’t He?  But  will we see it again any time soon?  What does the Bible have to say about peace in the world in which we live? We’ve already seen that this world will have trouble; the end times will bring wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes. The Bible also teaches that God has a plan for Israel and that we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  But is peace possible anymore?

Peace is possible in the midst of any storm.  We have heard amazing stories of people who
have given their lives to rescue others.  We have seen gripping images of police and firefighters who have worked throughout the night.  Peace can be present even when the world around us is swirling in chaos.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. “(Isaiah 26:3-4)

Peace on the outside may not be possible in our world.  But it is possible for us to experience a peace that is not dependent upon the external world.   War is an opportunity to trust and to radically revisit the very fiber of life.  Much like a death of a loved one; war brings people together and unites our national soul.  I am convinced that one good thing that God may bring out of this evil is the stirring of our nation to call upon Him.  If that occurs, then we may see the stirrings of revival in our country and in our community.

“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)

God does want peace among nations.  But there will be no peace for as long as evil prospers in our world.  God does want His righteousness to reign on the earth; that will not occur if people do not surrender their hearts to Him.  Jesus Himself promised a peace that our world does not understand,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

The Bible tells us that we can have peace with God through Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross when He gave His life for us.  It just might be that one good thing that would come out of these horrible events is that our hearts would be drawn to God and we would seek His peace.

Thousands of Christians in North America sing Don Moen’s praise song, God Will Make a Way, which affirms God’s sovereign involvement in our lives. Most who sing his
lyrics don’t know their origin.  Several years ago, Don was awakened in the middle of the night. His mother-in-law called to tell him of a tragic car accident involving his wife’s sister, Susan. Susan and her husband, Craig, and their four little boys were on a trip when
the tragedy occurred. Jeremy, age eight and the oldest of the four boys, was killed instantly. The others were seriously injured.

As Don and his wife grieved and poured out their hearts to the Lord, they felt helpless at communicating hope and grace to Susan and Craig. Don recalls how God helped him through the tragedy. “It was as if the Lord gave me these words”:

God will make a way when there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide; hold me closely to his side.
With love and strength for each new day, he will make a way.

God will make a way for us.  He will make a way for us to find His comfort in the midst of our pain, to confront evil with justice, and to experience His peace in our world.  This weekend, it is my prayer that we will be a church that shines brightly the love of God in a way that cuts through any measure of darkness that has fallen in our country or community.  The darkness of pain, the darkness of evil, and the darkness of despair, can all be eliminated by the bright light of the love and life of God.  I know that this
church, if resting completely upon the power and promises of God, is a place where His light can shine brightly to the entire world around us.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

I’ve been asking those questions for years to those I lead and work with.  More recently (the last 3-5 years), I’ve been focusing  specifically on what I think is antecedent of those questions:  Why do we do what we do?  What is the “why” of your organization?

Having recently become the President of a Christ Centered University (www.jessup.edu), I have been asking our teams that same question, “Why do we do William Jessup University”?  I’m not completely ‘done” (and my never be!), but here below is my answer today.  Tell me what you think.  Am I on the right track here?

I was doing some musing on “why”.  Why do we do Christ centered Higher Education?  Why do we think that Transformation is even possible? Why do I still tear up every time I tell the story of a human life that is changed by the power of God and the hope of the Gospel?

The more I think and pray about it, the more I believe it is LOVE.  The Love of God first expressed to us (1 John 4:19) makes the Great Commandment compelling (Mark 12:30), the Great Promise understandable (John 1:12),  the Great Commandment necessary (Matthew 28:19-20), and the Great Transformation possible (Romans 12:1-2).

 Why WJU ?  Because God loves us, we love Him, His family, and people yet outside His family.

The Meaning of Courage  A Tribute and Memorial

It was Sir Winston Churchill that said, “Of all virtues, courage is the greatest, because without courage there are no other virtues.” The committed courage of our fallen SF

(Special Forces) warriors leads each and every one of us to examine our lives, to examine our American leadership. The mottos of special forces, particularly the Navy

Seals that speak of leading, following, never quitting, always on time, always on target and so-forth are great lessons to us all in the general public, if we will stop to learn.

Their courage to examine a mission that all too often has been deemed “impossible” by others and simply say, “send me” speaks volumes about our own lives. As a nation

in desperate times, we could learn more than a few lessons on courage from our Special Forces community and from these men whose lives we mourn today. Churchill

was correct, without courage; surely we do lack so many other virtues.

It was courage that founded this nation. It was the courage of belief by a young Thomas Jefferson to pen the words that enflame our hearts to this day that we “are

endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.” And it was resilient courage that brought Lincoln to the point of despair over a divided nation. Standing at

Gettysburg his courageous words “a government of, by, and for the people” still pushes the light of freedom forward to this day. It was the hopeful courage of emigrants

sailing the vast seas, landing in a new America and building Her with their own bare hands. It was courage of resolve that brought us face to face with a Nazi Tyrant and left

him, defeated. And it was the courage of leadership that spoke deep into the hearts of those enslaved by Communist Soviet Union, which truly did leave Communism “on

the ash heap of history.”

And here we are today, a nation of people waiting and wanting for the same courageous leadership of our past. And while we are so often let down by the current elected,

it is the volunteers of the United States Navy Seals that remind us of our brave history fueling our resilience, giving us hope, strengthening our resolve, that courageous

leadership exists, that there are still “a few good men” waiting to “stand in the gap.” For today, this is why we admire these, the fallen and their brotherhood with such

admiration. No, it is not the Hollywood interpretation of their training that dawns our heart to salute. Today, we stand at attention for them, because so many nights while

we were comfortably asleep in our beds, they were standing at attention for us. And make no mistake about it, this courage that the United States Navy Seals hold is not

skin deep or built through rigorous training. This sort of “stand in the gap” courage is that of a moral fabric. This form of courage that moves these, “the best of the best” is

the same virtue of which Churchill spoke. And it is the same virtue-based courage found in the Scripture passage when a young prophet answered the call saying:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’

These are the men of the United States Navy Seals. May God bless the families of the fallen, those still bearing the Trident, and the sacrifice of both. May God grant us

leadership in our nation that understands such raw courage. And May God bless the country that these Seals so deeply love and serve. And finally, as my young daughter

and I so often pray, “may God protect the United States Navy Seals and all our Soldiers, as they protect us.” Amen.

Jeremy Dunlap (Jer) is a national speaker, writer, and trainer. Working with clients across the country, Jeremy Dunlap (Jer) holds no higher honor than his work with the

United States Military and Special Forces Community, both which he dearly loves.

Life on Life.  I know of no other way to sow into a life other than doing life together.  Sharing your life with those you lead will involve formal and informal times together.  The journey is a combination of parenting, dating, marriage, and team sports!  By the way…EVERY time I’ve had a leadership failure on my teams, it is due (at least in part) to the fact that we didn’t stay connected “life on life”

• WE GO OUT FOR COFFEE WITH NO AGENDA.
• WE SPEND TIME IN EACH OTHERS HOMES
• WE SHARE RECREATIONAL PASSIONS (SKIING, FISHING, HIKING, THE GYM, VIDEO GAMES, ETC.)

Training.  One of the meanings of the Hebrew word for training is “to make narrow”.  Specific skill training helps to provide skills and strategic understandings.  Since vision is always more “caught” than “taught”, the process of training often provides great vision refining moments.

• EACH OF OUR STAFF IS EXPECTED AND ENCOURAGED TO SHARPEN THEIR OWN STRENGTH BASED TOOLKIT
• WE ATTEND 1-2 KEY TRAINING EVENTS A YEAR TOGETHER WHERE WE HAVE AN “IRON SHARPENING EXPERIENCE”

Benchmarking.  There is great value in exposing your leadership team to greatness.  Visiting other churches and ministries that are doing a great job in can elevate the thinking of everyone involved.  Other things you can do are:

        * TRACK 10-15 KEY CHURCH/MINISTRY/BUSINESS WEBSITES AND LEARN FROM THEIR COMMUNICATIONS AND STRUCTURES

• WE ALWAYS WATCH CHURCHES (OR MINISTRIES OR BUSINESSES) THAT ARE AT LEAST TWICE THE SIZE WE ARE…THEY’VE BEEN WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND THEY ARE GOING WHERE WE ARE GOING

Leadership Development.  Both Jim Collins and John Maxwell talk about “levels” of leadership.  My experience suggests that we must teach people that leadership is a process, NOT an event.  Helping people to see their leadership potential unfold over time is part of the process of effective equipping.  Your enterpise needs to provide “first serve” opportunities and cultivate “high capacity” leaders who can effectively lead other leaders.

• EACH MINISTRY TRIES TO PROVIDE BOTH KINDS OF SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES(FIRST SERVE AND HIGH CAPACITY)
• WE ARE CONSTANTLY “ON THE PROWL” FOR EMERGING AND DEVELOPING LEADERS; EACH OF OUR KEY LEADERS IS POURING THEIR LIFE INTO OTHERS AND COMITTED TO PERSONAL LIFE LONG LEARNING

Shared Experiences.  Leadership equipping happens best in community.   The longer I serve in leadership, the more I am committed that we have to do our calling together—as teams of people with shared vision and passion.  So, we structure lots of experiences where people can have the shared experience of working together, facing challenges, cultivating vision, and deepening their relationships with Christ and one another.  Leadership equipping is not a solo sport!

Effective leaders equip leaders.  The fruit of that ministry produces a ripple effect that reaches the shores of heaven.  The Apostle Paul was clear about that in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 when he wrote,  “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy”.  Leaders:  Equipping Leaders is a core technology that is at the heart of your business!

God’s calling require that the gifts that God has entrusted to the community of faith be identified and utilized for Kingdom Impact. 

 In our former community, the expressed needs of people relate to wholesome activities for children/youth and a way to connect faith and recreation together.  Though our church was a young church, we saw some exciting vehicles to reach our community mobilizing the gifts of our people:

• A martial arts program where 50% of the participants don’t attend our church;
• A dance ministry led by a woman who has had her life transformed by God’s grace and now uses her skills to the glory of God
• A sports ministry led by a former pro football player that saw tremendous synergy in our local community by connecting children/youth and families in positive recreational environments
• A recovery ministry that became an “Umbrella of Safety” for people in our community
• A marketing ministry that creatively communicated the life changing message of God’s love using contemporary media

 Your life was made to make a difference.  God wants your leadership to facilitate lasting life change for His kingdom glory.  Think different, behave different, and watch the God of heaven and earth use you for His purposes here on earth!