As I walked into the office last week, I noticed a woman approaching the building.  So I held the doors for her, then when we were in the lobby, asked if I could help her.  She asked me if this was the Post Office.  Suppressing a chuckle, I informed her that she was close, but the Post Office was several buildings further down the road.

As she turned to go, she commented, “my GPS told me this was the place.”  I, too, have been misled by a GPS before.  Maybe you have, too.  And while I marvel at GPS technology, sometimes you have to actually talk to a person to get the right info.  In this particular case, despite the technology involved, I was (temporarily) smarter than the GPS.  I knew what she needed to know.

Have you ever noticed how someone’s relationship with God is determined by the information they believe to be true about God, Jesus, and even the church?  They could have received that signal from their childhood, from the media, or from someone else.  And sometimes those signals are taking them to the wrong place.  It’s as though there’s a GPS-type signal that’s telling them, “God can’t be trusted.  He’s like your father.  The church is really just full of people who are (fill in the blank: hypocritical, self-absorbed, judgmental, etc.); they’re not safe.”  When the wrong message is believed, the person gets disoriented and lost in their spiritual journey.

What I’ve learned is that often, if a real person steps into someone’s life, they can correct some of the crazy ideas and beliefs about God, and about faith, and even about Jesus’ church.  You could be that person.  You probably interact with people every day whose “faith GPS” has been feeding them some less than accurate information.  And your actions, reactions, and conversations have the potential to provide clarity for that person on their spiritual journey.  You could be smarter than the GPS!

It’s as simple as sharing what you know about God.  Sharing the message of grace and hope that you’ve experienced in Jesus.  Sharing the difference that a church like Seneca Creek has made in your life.

Maybe it begins with a simple question: “Why do you believe that to be true about God?”  Then see if you can be smarter than the GPS for someone else.  It could be the most important conversation of their life.

-Pastor Mark

It’s a common practice in the business world.  Miss a meeting, and you’ll discover that you “volunteered” for leading a project that no one else wanted.  Ewwww!  No one likes being “volunteered.”  But that’s exactly what we did at Seneca Creek.

Now before you get upset with us, hear me out.  Last spring our staff worked on some ideas of how we could ignite HOPE in our community during the summer.  We wanted some ways to make a real difference in people’s lives.  And one of the ideas we had was to have a giant block party and provide things that people needed: food, a chance to meet their neighbors, and school supplies for those who are struggling just to put food on the table.

That’s how we ended up with the Back to School Burger Bash!  We thought it would be awesome if we could throw a free picnic, AND provide 500 backpacks filled with supplies!  So we “volunteered” Seneca Creek to do just that.  I know, you didn’t get to vote.  (If it makes you feel better, we’re actively soliciting ideas for our upcoming Ignite Weekend in October…so you can vote with your ideas!)  But we figured that a church with 1600 email recipients, and over 600 people attending each week should be able to reach that goal with enough time.  We rolled this project out about 10 weeks ago.  By last Sunday we had received about 120 backpacks. UPDATE: As of this Wednesday night, we had 187 filled backpacks, plus another 110 backpacks that are about 50% filled!

If you’re like me, you’ve been busy all summer, and fully intended to be part of the 500 goal.  This Sunday, August 19^th, is the LAST DAY to collect supplies.  We’ll be sorting them out next week and distributing them on Saturday the 26^th.  So, I urge you to do what I’ve done this week: Go to the store and buy your supplies.  Then bring them all this Sunday, or drop them off at the office if you’re going to be out of town.

Let’s make an unforgettable statement that Seneca Creek is a church that is radically committed to serving those in need here in our community!

-Pastor Mark

P.S. I picked up 3 backpacks this week and we’ll bring them fully loaded this Sunday.  Only 377 310 left to go.  How many will you bring?

The idea came from a book I’m reading.  The context came from a recent trip to Africa.  And the implications could radically change your life.

It’s a simple list of your blessings.  You know, those little things that make life enjoyable.  If they’re good, they’re ultimately blessings from God, the source of all that is good.  And reminding yourself of the good things God has given you has a powerful effect on the way you live your life today.  Because it’s easy to live focused on the stuff that’s NOT good.  Your job situation, your marriage, your old car that needs major repairs, or your parents ailing health.

I’m reading a book called, The Good and Beautiful God.  And the author suggests a simple exercise of making a list of your blessings.  So I’ve been doing that.  It didn’t hurt that I just returned from a two weeks trip to Africa, where I watched people live without most of the things we think are essential for the good life.  And yet they had joy.  As I make my list each day, it changes something in me.  I think it will do the same for you.

So why not start your list today.  Try listing ten blessings.  If you’re stuck, maybe some of the things from my lists will help you.  Here’s a sample:

• Family and friends
• A comfortable bed
• A reliable car
• Music
• Breakfast
• Bicycles (hey, what did you expect from me!)
• Pizza
• Sunrises
• Rain
• Starbucks
• Antibiotics
• The Psalms
• Clean water
• Freedom to worship
• Wireless internet
• Air conditioning
• The smell of fresh cut grass
• Glasses that correct my vision
• Long summer days

I could go on…but you get the idea.  Grab a pen and paper.  Start your list today.  Change your life forever.  And let me know how it goes.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. Join me this Sunday as we launch a new series, “When You Haven’t Got A Prayer.”

The numbers were too big to believe: well over a million customers in the DC area without power.  Some would not get power back for many days.  The experience has taught us how a sudden storm can cut off the essential power we depend on.  But there are greater perils to living without power.

Power is not just important for A/C, refrigerators, and the internet.  Power is important for our spiritual life.  The power to persevere.  The power to change.  The power to overcome.  The power get out of the rut and into the life we were created for.

Jesus offers power to his followers.  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”  (Acts 1:8)  And Paul reminds Timothy that he hasn’t received a spirit of fear, but “of power, love, and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7)  Sometimes it works well.  But life isn’t always sunshine and calm weather.  When the storms of life come, they can sometimes cut us off from power.  And living without God’s power is full of perils.

• In a storm of confusion we stop seeking God’s power to see what is real and true, and we get more and more lost.
• In a storm of temptation we stop seeking God’s power to overcome, and we continue in an unhealthy cycle.
• In a storm of criticism we stop seeking God’s power to believe what he says about our true value and worth, and we begin to believe that we can never change.
• In a storm of unexpected set-backs we stop seeking God’s power to persevere, and we live with depression and despair.
• In a storm of deadlines, expectations, and demands from others we stop seeking God’s power to choose a different pace and direction for life, and we resign ourselves to a life of simply going through the motions.

It’s not that God’s power is unavailable for us, but that we’re disconnected.  So as you reflect on the perils and problems you faced without electric power last week, consider whether or not your life is filled with God’s power this week.  Maybe it’s time to reconnect with God’s power.  Plug back in with us on a weekend gathering.  Plug back in with a time alone with God.  Plug back in with a dose of God’s truth in the Bible.  Plug back in by converging in community with another follower of Christ.

Paul tells one church to, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”  You can live this way.  Let your first step be to pray the prayer that Paul prayed for his friends,

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.  (Ephesians 3:16)

-Pastor Mark

In most fast food establishments, I feel like an intrusion, or an inconvenience.  I may enjoy the food, but not the experience.  But Diane and I have noticed something when we eat at Chick-fil-A: we actually enjoy the experience!  And it’s because of one huge difference.

The people who work there are ALL there.  At other fast-food (and even some not-so-fast food) establishments the staff seem like they would rather be somewhere else.  Their bodies are present, but their hearts are not.  But at Chick-fil-A, they didn’t just show up with their bodies, but with their hearts.  It’s an example of whole-hearted, vs. half-hearted.

Last Sunday we learned about Caleb, a hero from the pages of the Bible (read about him in Numbers 13-14).  Like all real heroes, he was like us…but different.  And one of his differences was that he followed God “wholeheartedly.”

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.  Numbers 14:24

Just the other day I came across another wholehearted person while reading Mark’s gospel.  It’s the widow with two mites (a mite was a coin worth a fraction of a penny).  She was commended by Jesus because she gave everything she had.

They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.  Mark 12:44

She was wholehearted.  The phrase we use today is, “All in.”  The widow was all in.  Caleb was all in.  Even the employees of Chick-fil-A are all in.

Are you all in when it comes to following Jesus?  If you’re like me, maybe you’ve been there.  And maybe you’ve been distracted by life.  Maybe it feels more like halfhearted at this point.  No one wants to be halfhearted.  It just happens.  And when we see it anywhere else, we don’t like it.  It’s almost a hate.  If it’s happened to you, you can change it.  Today.  Let Caleb be your reminder.  Let the widow be your reminder.  If you have to, go to Chick-fil-A and let THEM be a reminder.  (No, this is not an endorsement of their company…just an observation.)

Go all in.  “Whatever you ask, God, I’m in!”

And people around you will notice.  The light of the world will shine through you.

-Pastor Mark

It was a typical Friday afternoon commute for me.  Same route.  Same lane selections.  Same traffic patterns.  After a busy week I was looking forward to an evening out with my family.  I was not paying attention.

Honestly, I don’t know WHAT I was thinking about.  Maybe I looked in my mirrors.  Maybe a pedestrian or cyclist caught my attention.  But when I looked back at the road in front of me, I knew I was in trouble.  A car was stopped in my lane, less than 30 feet away.  At 50 mph, your car covers that distance in about 4 tenths of a second!  That’s enough time to stomp on the brakes and start to skid.  Then you impact.

In the weeks since then I’ve played the scene over and over in my head.  I doubt I’ll ever know what my mind was doing prior to that moment.  But I do know that I wasn’t paying attention.  And I’ve had to pay dearly for it.  I’ve had to pay for rental cars, deductibles, increased insurance rates, and countless trips to the chiropractor.  And that doesn’t even begin to account for all the lost time and opportunities.  Furthermore, I seriously doubt that the guy whose car I slammed into will have a very good impression of pastors…or even the church.

So where am I going with this?  Good question.  I think that sometimes our life is like a Friday afternoon commute.  We’ve driven the same route, with the same lane selections and the same traffic patterns.  We’ve heard the same questions, gone through the same motions, and seen the same faces over and over.  And we stop seeing.  We stop asking.  We stop listening.

But I believe that God has more for your life than that.  I believe that God is always doing something new, even in the routines of life.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.  (Isaiah 43:18-19)

It’s very easy to slip into inattention and miss what God is doing.  And the cost could be high.  You could miss out on opportunities.  You could miss out on relationships.  You could miss out on a chance to impact the lives of people God has intentionally directed into your path.  You could even miss out on the power of God in your own life, leaving you going in the same circles year after year.

To prevent that, why not make this the summer you refuse to be inattentive?  Begin each morning with a simple conversation with God:

“God, today I want to pay attention to what you’re doing in me, around me, and through me.” 

Then at the end of each day, take five minutes to ask:

“Where did I see God at work today?”  “What did I hear God saying to me today?”

Refuse to pay the high cost of not paying attention.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. – I finally got my truck back from the body shop last weekend.  Thankfully, it’s all put back together!

Do you remember the last time you were terrified?  If you fear flying, it probably involved air travel, some nasty weather, and strange bumps and noise in mid-flight.  If you drive like many of us, it may have been the time you glimpsed a patrol car hiding behind a bridge as you zoomed by at a ridiculous speed, terrified that your speed would be displayed on the radar gun.  Or maybe it was some other situation in which you had no control over what was about to happened to you.  It’s terrifying.

There’s a scene from Jesus life where his closest friends were terrified.  They were on a boat, in a storm, in the middle of the night.  But that’s not the terrifying part.  They thought the boat was going to sink.  But that’s not the terrifying part.  They woke Jesus up and questioned his commitment to their safety.  “Don’t you care if we drown?”  Then Jesus terrified them.

He rebuked the storm.  With a simple command, he overcame the violent forces of the wind and waves.  Then he turned to them and called them out.  “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”  THAT was the terrifying part!  (You can read the whole story in Mark 4:35-41)

Imagine what it would be like.  You think you know someone.  Then they display amazing power that you couldn’t even DREAM about.  Then they turn to you, and look right through you to see the darkest, most secret places in your soul.  And drag those places out into the light.  The person with THAT much power, has THAT much insight into your life.  Is that the Jesus you know?  Does your Jesus have that kind of power?  And does he know that much about your life?  If so, you can appreciate how terrifying that could be.  As the saying goes, if you’re not terrified, you’re not paying attention.

Except that you don’t have to be.  Because that Jesus, with that power, and that knowledge, is FOR you.  He knows everything about you, and still is for you.  In your darkest moments, he’s for you.  And in your biggest storms, he’s with you.  It would be terrifying…if it were anyone but Jesus.

-Pastor Mark

It’s finals week for many students.  And final grades are not far behind.  But have you ever thought about your life as being “school”?  Let’s take the last semester (since January), and ask the following questions:

1. What courses did you attend?  (patience, perseverance, parenting, etc.)
2. What were the key text books you read (your spouse, your kids, your co-worker, a course on Boundaries, etc.)
3. Based on how much you’ve learned (meaning “changed”), how would you grade yourself for the marking period?

A – mastered the life-lessons; ready to teach the material to others

B – learned the important concepts; mastered the basic concepts of this topic

C – Showed up regularly and tried to learn; might need a refresher course next year

D – Spent too little time paying attention to learn much; needs to find a tutor for summer school

E – needs to repeat this class/grade; may need to remove some distractions from schedule

The writer of Proverbs puts it like this:

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. (Proverbs 14:8)

Why not take five minutes today to give thought to your ways.  (I’ll reveal my reflections at a later time.)  Take some time to reflect on the last “semester” of your life.  Then based on that, consider how you may want to use your time over the summer to continue to grow wise.

-Pastor Mark

As the father of two attractive daughters, I’m no stranger to the dynamics of impressions.  We’ve noticed at restaurants and stores that the young men waiting on us are MUCH more helpful when one or both daughters are with us!  They want to make a good impression on my daughter(s).

It’s fun to watch the awkward attempts to impress.  But then I realize that it’s what we all do, right?  We want to impress someone.  We want someone to notice, to approve, to give us the thumbs up.

Who are you trying to impress?  A potential spouse?  Your kids?  Your father?  Your professor?  Your boss?  How would your life change if you KNEW beyond the shadow of a doubt that they already noticed you, approved of you, and gave you a big thumbs up?  What would be different for you?

Sometimes we spend time and energy trying to impress God.  We go to church, we read the Bible, we pray (maybe even aloud), we volunteer for something, we give some money, we put on a smile and pretend everything’s good all the time.  But what if you could KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt that God already notices you?  That he already approves of you?  That he has given you the big thumbs up?  How would that change your relationship with God?  Consider the following:

• Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
• If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)
• For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39

If you are a follower of Christ, then God already notices you.  He already approves of you (in Christ), and he gives you a big thumbs up.  You’re “impressive” enough!  Now, instead of trying to IMPRESS God, you can EXPRESS God.  Your life can be an expression of God and his love to the world around you?  What might that look like for you today?

-Pastor Mark