Dear Church Hopper,

Stop! You’ll never find what you are looking for. There is not a church that can measure up to the standards by which you are judging them. Quit making decisions about the churches you are visiting based on how the people look, how the music sounds, or whether or not they “met your needs.”

How would you feel if the churches you have left judged YOU by the same standards you have judged them?

You are only hurting yourself. You are like a plant being pulled out of the ground and replanted somewhere else. If this happens over and over again, eventually the plant dies.

There is a problem with your “church search.”  You think church is about you. Your comfort. Your family. Your skills. Your experiences. Etc.

You’ll never find the right church until you learn that church is NOT ABOUT YOU.

It’s about JESUS.

So stop the search. Plant roots in an imperfect place, with imperfect people. And somehow you will find Jesus amongst all the imperfection.

“I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.“

Colossians 2:2

Since God is ALL-KNOWING, ALL-POWERFUL, and he LOVES us, then why do bad things happen to people? If he is so loving, then why doesn’t he put an end to the suffering in the world? If he loves me, then why is life so painful sometimes?

This question is often utilized as a tool to argue against or “disprove” God’s existence and/or to question his benevolent (loving) nature.

There are 2 assumptions built into this question that are naive and unfair.

Assumption #1. God doesn’t want us to suffer.

Who ever said that God doesn’t want us to suffer? God didn’t. He never said it. What if suffering is actually good? Maybe it is actually preparing us for something. Or leading us somewhere greater. What if there was a purpose to our suffering that we can’t see? It is unfair to assume that suffering is bad. Of course, in the moment, it feels terrible. But just because it is momentarily painful doesn’t mean it is ultimately bad.

Assumption #2. God himself has never suffered.

Do you think God doesn’t feel pain? Do you think that sending Jesus to die wasn’t painful? Throughout the Bible God is clearly trying to illustrate to humanity how painful it is to lose an only child. He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Then he asked Jephthah to sacrifice his only daughter. (of course, neither of these actually happened.) But God was trying to reveal how difficult and painful it will be to send Jesus. Also, multiple times throughout the OT, God suffers rejection from his bride, Israel (the church). He is deeply hurt by our unfaithfulness.

I don’t believe God wants to eliminate suffering. I believe he wants us to become more like him in our suffering. When we suffer, we are like Christ. Additionally, like Christ, we can have JOY in our suffering.

“I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.” Colossians 1:24

There is no such thing as “good” people. If there was, how would you define them? How would you differentiate between the “good” and the “bad”? Who would be the judge? What would be the purpose for Jesus’ death?

I recently heard someone pray that God would help them to be a “better version of themselves.”

There is no room in heaven for a “better version” of us. The best version of YOU is NOT good enough. It never will be. Jesus didn’t die on the cross to make us better.  He died on the cross to purchase us, and rescue us from evil.

There are no good people. There are only evil people, and saved people.

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

-Colossians 1:13-14

Your worst enemy is actually your biggest opportunity. Think about it.

If it weren’t for Pharoah, then Moses would have never parted the Red Sea. The deceitful Gibeonites put Joshua in position to pray for the Sun to Stand Still. Killing Goliath was David’s gateway to becoming a King. And Judas’ kiss of betrayal is what led to Jesus’ RESURRECTION!

So, do you have an enemy? The mockery from your enemy is a miracle in the making. Your biggest obstacle is the pathway to your biggest opportunity. And if YOU remain faithful to YOUR calling, then GOD will remain faithful to HIS plan.

It seems like I am regularly noticing areas of my leadership that are born out of insecurity. One thing I have learned about insecure leadership:

1. Insecure leaders cannot handle criticism well.

We [insecure leaders] think ALL critics are bad critics. We believe  they must have an agenda. We think they are opposed to us, assume they are better than us or that they want our jobs. We think they want to change us, make us into something we are not, derail everything we have worked for, etc.

Nothing can be further from the truth. A critical email is one thing…(those people ARE annoying and deserve to be ignored.) But someone who is willing to sit down one-on-one and talk to me is NOT a bad critic. I’ve learned not to jump to conclusions about people’s motives because of my insecurity. What they are telling me comes from a real place, and God has called me to confidently decipher what a critic is saying and LEARN FROM IT.

As leaders, we MUST view criticism as an opportunity for growth.  Let’s read between the lines when someone is critical and find some truth to receive. And remember, it’s not a big deal when someone has a different opinion than us!

You are hurt. Not physically hurt, emotionally hurt. Maybe it’s because of a decision YOU made. Or maybe you are the victim of someone else’s bad decisions. Unfaithfulness. Neglect. Careless living. Verbal abuse. The list goes on.

Regardless of how you ended up this way, you have a choice.

1. You can keep re-living the experience that caused your pain.

Or,

2. You can make the decision to PURSUE healing.

The first is the easiest. The second takes more effort.

In the first scenario, you live in the past. You remain angry. Upset. Hurt. Bitter.

Unfortunately, too many people choose this option. They pick and pull at their emotional scabs, keeping their wounds fresh and open for everyone to see.  Some people actually enjoy having wounds. They like to talk about their never-ending problems constantly. You’ll see it on their twitter account, facebook statuses, and it even comes right out of their mouth regularly!

In the second scenario, you turn from the past and look toward a healed future in Christ.

Learn from your mistakes, OWN your pain, and keep your head up because healing is in sight. Hope is on the horizon. Don’t wrap your identity around your brokenness or pain. Be careful not to become emotionally attached to the attention you receive when you tell others about your pain. Even if it’s not your fault.

It may not be your fault that you were hurt, but it IS YOUR FAULT if you never heal.

If you are not dead, then there is still an opportunity for healing. You must persistently seek it. You have to WANT to be free from your pain. Emotional healing is within your reach. It’s closer than you know.

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

-Psalm 34:18

Hang 5 is our way of asking you to give Generation 1:9 a try for 5 weeks. It’s difficult to feel comfortable in a new environment unless you’ve experienced it for a little while. Hanging with us for 5 weeks will give you the chance to to meet some new friends, experience who we are, and to decide whether or not Generation 1:9 is right for you.

Anyone who participates in Hang 5 will receive 5 FREE “meals” from the 1:9 cafe, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win prizes and we’ll be capturing your Hang 5 stories on video!

So, what are you waiting for??

Come check us out on Sunday nights at 6pm. 6175 Old Jenks Rd, Apex, NC…

…And don’t forget to HANG 5!

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh EACH MORNING.”  -Lamentations 3:22-23

Yesterday is OVER. Last night is BEHIND you. You keep thinking about it, replaying it over and over in your mind like a highlight reel on repeat. You can’t stomach it anymore. The emotional pain is too much to bear. You can’t believe this happened to YOU.

You are plagued with thoughts. Why was I so careless? Why wasn’t I ready for this? What was I thinking? I NEVER thought I’d be in this much turmoil. I am disgusted. Hurt. Confused. Angry. You can barely describe your feelings about the situation.

Regardless of yesterday, God’s mercy is FRESH. It doesn’t grow stale like old bread. His mercy doesn’t spoil like milk left out on the counter. He gives FRESH mercy every day.

Especially today. Especially for YOU.

“…What you say flows from what is in your heart.” -Luke 6:45

“I love you.” “I am thankful for you.” “You inspire me.” “I am honored to participate with you.” etc. etc. etc

If you don’t TELL people how you feel about them, they will never KNOW how you feel about them. Don’t leave them hanging. Tell your friends what they mean to you. Tell your teachers how much they’ve impacted you. Tell your coaches how much you’ve learned from them. Tell your family you love them. Tell your pastor when he has inspired you. Tell. Tell. Tell.

People don’t automatically know your heart, you have to SAY what you feel in your heart. I am making a habit of telling others how I feel. If you do this with me, we can shift the way our families, friends, churches, and communities interact with one another.

Luke 4:42: “Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them.”

There was a time in my life when I was NEVER alone.  I made every excuse in the book to justify it. “I’m too busy,” “people need me,” “I love others,” “people energize me,” etc. I was the king of excuses.

Truth is, I was scared of being alone.  I confused being alone with being lonely. I found my value and significance in what others thought of me instead of what God had already said about me. I was insecure, doubtful, needy, and clingy.

I recently learned there is value in being alone. Now (nearly everyday) I make time to put down the ipod, the computer, the phone, the books, the Bible, etc, and I disappear. I get ALONE. All by myself.

You should try it.

Jesus did it, and it’s worth it!