Gearing up 4 Fall

I think that one of the most exciting, yet - challenging times for a church is the fall season. Lately, I've noticed that even television stations are pumping up their "new fall lineup" in hopes to gather a crowd and to boost their ratings. Fall is a great time to offer up new ideas, new training, and a new perspective on how to do life together as a church. In fact, most research suggests that the fall season records the highest rate of turnout among new church goers. In other words, more people are willing to try something new in the fall, including church - more than any other time of the year.

So, I want to pray for our churches this fall. I want to pray that we all take advantage of this "new' season to impact our community for Christ. May this be the harvest season!

Revolution takes just ONE

Our newest member on our staff at WCC pointed out this pretty cool video that demonstrates that it only takes one to start a revolution. Question: Can you be that one for Jesus - no matter where God has you positioned in His plan? Go for it! Start dancing today ~

The Challenge of Being Plastic

"Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely."
P. J. O'Rourke

Each of us face the daily challenge of living our lives to please Jesus. John explains it this way, "Those who claim to follow Jesus must walk as Jesus walked" (1 John 2:6). You talk about a tall order. Even Apostle Paul, in Romans 7, admitted that the day to day challenge of walking in Christ's steps can be overwhelming to his human nature. He's left to wonder, "who can save me?"

Yogi Berra once said, "When confronted with a fork in the road, take it!" Obviously, this tends to be our dilemma when trying to please the Lord and also trying to satisfy our human nature. How most Christians resolve this issue is by turning plastic. In other words, since godliness may not work out for my convenience, at least I can look clean on the outside and fool a few people along the way. It's going plastic. Apostle Paul resisted this by openly writing about his shortfalls. The Bible says that we are to avoid going plastic by confessing our sins to "each other." This type of transparency restores our relationship with the Father and with each other.

So, next time I'm confronted with a fork in the road, I want to choose either right or left. Going down the middle is not the right decision, moreover, it leads to becoming a plastic person.

Let's stay real everyone! Pray for me.

Newest Staff Member @ WCC - Joel Nelson

I am so amped to have another member on our great staff at WCC. Joel Nelson and I have a bit of history together. Years ago we were neighbors together at Bethel Seminary (let me stress... years ago). Later in life (years after seminary) we both went on to start new churches - in separate parts of the Twin Cities. After this, our paths crossed again on a Leadership event in Ukraine. We were roommates for a full week while in Ukraine. Oh ya...I have some stories to tell you. And now, nearly 15 years later, we will be serving side by side at an awesome church together. Today is Joel's first staff meeting with us. It will be great having his presence in our "locker room."

Let's face it. Those lines do not look straight do they? Be honest. You're eyes are being fooled.

I'm really jazzed about our new series at Willowbrook called, iLLUSION. A while back I started having some thoughts about the art of deception and how so many of us can be fooled or tricked by enticing scams in magazines or on television. It's as if our hearts has this special place in it that truly wants to believe in the unbelievable. And although this might noble, it does open us up to the power of deception.

I've been teaching from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 4, and the parable of the sower/soil. In my study of this particular parable I've noticed that Jesus is truly teaching about the art of deception in which we can be so easily tricked to stray off course. Although God sends out the sower and although the seeds are released from His hand, the world deceives us with competitive tricks or gimmicks to steal our hearts away from God. But to the one who remains focused and avoids being fooled or deceived by the pull of the enemy's schemes, this person will produce a crop/life that will grow and multiply with blessings.

I believe that this series has the potential to expose some of these dangerous schemes and to bring about God's clarifying principles to the truth.

Would love to see you join us for this intriguing series.