Tag Archives: church

What We Could Never Build

Here in North Austin, near the Domain, we are surrounded by things people have built. It is easy to see new apartments, businesses, technology, and opportunity going up around us. Much of it is genuinely good. But a good life can quietly train us to believe that we don’t really need God. Maybe we can create a good marriage, healthy children, growing career, and a little financial breathing room on our own? Doing life on our own is part of the discomfort in Genesis 4:17–26.

Cain’s family is not portrayed as sitting around doing nothing. They build a city, develop agriculture, create music, forge tools from bronze and iron. It’s impressive. There is real ingenuity, beauty, production, and progress taking place. On the surface, it can look like humanity is doing just fine apart from the Lord. And that raises an honest question: if people can build meaningful, successful lives without following Jesus, why do we need Him?

Success Cannot Hold Us Together

The answer is not that every person who does not know God will immediately fall apart. Genesis will not let us say that. God is too gracious. He is too patient. He still gives gifts, sustains life, and allows people to make beautiful things, even when they ignore Him. But the passage also shows us that human achievement can’t heal the human heart.

After all the building, creating, and advancing, we meet Lamech. Lamech turns violence into a song. He shows us what accomplishment can’t fix: the pride, fear, anger, and desire for control that lives beneath the surface. We may not write songs about revenge, but we know the impulse. Someone wounds us, and something in us wants to make them pay. We may not say it out loud. We may simply replay the conversation in our head, but deep down we start to keep a record or pull away, so that a life can look impressive externally and still feel unsettled internally.

Jesus Offers a Different Way

Genesis 4 gives us a sharp contrast. Lamech responds to a wound with limitless vengeance. Later, Peter asks Jesus how often he should forgive someone who sins against him. Peter suggests seven times. Jesus answers with language that intentionally turns Lamech’s words upside down: not retaliation without limit, but forgiveness without limit.

Jesus isn’t simply telling us to try harder and be better people than Lamech. We can’t! It’s why in Matthew 18 Jesus follows up those words with a parable about a servant and a king. The servant is in great debt to the king and the king forgives the servant! Therefore, the gospel begins when we realize that we have our own debts before God, things we have done, things we have said, and ways we have put ourselves at the center. It is at the cross, Jesus absorbs our debt. He cancels the debt we could never repay, and when we begin to understand how much we have been forgiven, we are slowly freed from living as debt collectors with everyone else. It’s why Jesus says, “Come to Me.”

What Is at the Center?

Genesis 4 ends with a different family line and a simple, hopeful phrase: people began to call on the name of the Lord. The passage begins with the names of Cain’s descendants. It ends with the name of the Lord. That does not mean careers, families, technology, art, or ambition are wrong. They are gifts. We can build good things, we just don’t want those things to become the center of our lives.

When Jesus is at the center, our accomplishments no longer have to sustain us. And, our relationships no longer have to hold us together. Our children no longer have to define us. Even a church doesn’t have to become impressive for our lives to matter. It’s because in Jesus, we already have what we could never build for ourselves: His name, His family, His presence, and a home that lasts.

Here is a question worth sitting with this week:

If this disappeared tomorrow, would I lose something I enjoy—or would I lose who I am?

Whatever comes to mind may be a good gift. But it may also be asking to sit in a place only Jesus can hold. Let us receive God’s gifts with open hands. And let us keep calling on the name of the Lord!

The Longing to be Known

There is something in us that wants to be seen, known and understood. We want someone who notices when something is wrong before we have to explain it. The comfortable feeling of not having to try to impress others. And, the longing for someone to understand our quirks. A person who has seen our worst, and somehow still wants to be around us.

Isn’t that one of the things we love about a great friendship or marriage? And yet, at the same time, we spend an incredible amount of energy making sure people don’t know too much about us.

We tend to tell the parts of our story that make us look the way we want others to see us. When people ask, “How are you doing?” We give generic answers like, “Great!” Honestly, who knows if we’re great. It doesn’t matter. It’s just this tension inside of us wanting to be known and at the same time keeping people at a distance.

WE WERE CREATED TO BE KNOWN

The opening chapters of Genesis describe something that is almost difficult for us to imagine. Genesis 2:25 says:

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

Obviously, the verse is describing physical nakedness, but there’s something bigger happening. It’s a relationship where there is nothing to hide. A relationship without shame or pretending. No wondering, “If you knew this about me, would you still love me?” They are completely exposed and completely safe.

That’s the kind of relationship humanity was created to experience, one with God and with others. But then Genesis 3 enters into the story. Humanity decides we want God’s creation without God’s authority. Adam and Eve reject God, and sin fractures everything God created to be good.

AND THEN WE START HIDING

Immediately after Adam and Eve eat the fruit, Genesis says: “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” And what do they do? They cover themselves with fig leaves. Then when they hear God walking in the garden, they hide.

Before sin, naked and unashamed. After sin, cover and hide. Nothing about the human body changed between Genesis 2 and Genesis 3, but something changed inside of them. For the first time, humanity experiences shame and fear, and we’ve been covering ourselves ever since.

Today, we just have better fig leaves. We can cover ourselves with success, romance, money, accomplishment, or even the image we present to other people. Shopping and entertainment can become ways to distract ourselves from things we’d rather not face.

Even religion can become a modern-day fig leaf. We can learn to say the right things, make the right choices, and present ourselves in a way that keeps anyone from looking too closely. The fig leaves have changed, but the instinct hasn’t. We still want to cover the parts of ourselves we’re afraid for others to see.

AND THEN GOD SHOWS UP

One of my favorite moments in Genesis 3 happens immediately after Adam and Eve hide. God calls out to Adam: “Where are you?” Obviously, God isn’t wandering around the garden wondering where Adam went. He knows. That’s what makes the question so powerful. Adam is hiding from Someone who already knows where he is, and God still moves toward him.

This is why Jesus is so important. When Jesus arrives, He knows our souls are longing to be known. In John 4, Jesus meets a woman at a well. She has a complicated story. Jesus knows it. He knows about her past. He knows the parts of her story she probably wouldn’t lead with when meeting someone new. And yet Jesus sits down and talks with her.

That’s what makes Jesus so different. Most of us think: If you really knew me, you might not love me. Jesus reverses that fear. He already knows us, and He moves toward us anyway. There is nothing we’re going to confess that causes Jesus to say: “Wait. You did what?” Jesus knows the parts of our story we’ve worked really hard to keep hidden. And He still went to the cross for us.

TO BE FULLY KNOWN

Maybe that’s why we want someone to really know us? We were created for a kind of relationship where we could be completely known without hiding. Sin made us afraid of that.

So, now we spend our lives looking for people who will know us while simultaneously making sure they don’t know too much. But Jesus offers something different. He doesn’t ask us to convince Him that we’re doing great. He already knows how we’re doing! He knows when we’re afraid. He knows we’re faking and really ashamed. He knows when we are trying to keep areas of our life covered up. And He hasn’t moved away.

In fact, He’s moving toward us right now. It’s because the thing we’ve been looking for all along isn’t someone who thinks we’re impressive. It’s someone who knows exactly who we are and still says: “Come to Me.”

What’s Crouching at Your Door?

Most of us don’t wake up one morning and decide to blow up our lives. We don’t suddenly decide to destroy a friendship, become bitter toward our spouse, compromise our integrity, or walk away from God.

Usually, it happens slowly. Someone from work doesn’t something to hurt us. We replay the events in our head over and over. Then, we interpret motives and characterize the person based on those interpretations.

Eventually, hurt becomes resentment. Resentment begins to feel justified. And before long, we find ourselves saying or doing things we never imagined we would do. This patterns is consistent throughout all of humanity.

Something Is Crouching at the Door

We see this progression in one of the earliest stories in the Bible. In Genesis 4, Cain and his brother Abel both bring offerings to God. God regards Abel and his offering, but He doesn’t regard Cain and his offering.

Cain becomes angry and discouraged, but what happens next is fascinating. God moves toward Cain. He asks: “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?” God already knows the answer. He’s inviting Cain to look below the surface at his emotions and motivations.

“Why are you angry?

And why has your countenance fallen?”

Then God warns him: “Sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” That’s a disturbing picture. Sin isn’t presented as an innocent object sitting beside the road waiting for Cain to stumble across it. It’s pictured like a predator crouching at the door.

“Sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Cain has a decision to make. And tragically, Cain doesn’t listen. His anger progresses into murder and he kills his brother Abel.

The Progression Usually Starts Small

Cain’s story is extreme, but the progression is painfully familiar. Maybe someone really did hurt you? The hurt itself isn’t imaginary, but then you start dwelling on it. You replay the conversation while you’re driving. Or, you imagine what you should have said? it all starts with –

HURT
DESIRE
PASSION
DEATH

It is at the passion layer of our soul that we begin to justify and dehumanize a person so that we feel our action of withdrawal, gossip, slander, or violence is justified. This is how sin crouches at our door and masters us!

That’s why one of the most courageous prayers we can pray is the prayer of Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Not just, “God, show me what they’re doing wrong.” “God, show me what’s happening inside me.”

God Keeps Moving Toward Cain

But there’s another pattern in Cain’s story that is easy to miss. Cain keeps moving away from God, but God keeps moving toward Cain. In Genesis 4 we see the Lord asking questions, following up, pressing in, and every time Cain pushes Him away. Even when Cain is facing the consequences of what he’s done, God still extends mercy toward him.

Cain’s tragedy isn’t that nobody warned him. Cain’s tragedy is that he wouldn’t listen. And that’s where Cain’s story becomes our story. We like to imagine ourselves as Abel, the innocent person being hurt by all the Cains of the world.

But if we’re honest, we are more familiar with Cain. We know what it’s like to hold onto bitterness. We know what it’s like to use words to hurt someone. And, we know what it’s like to justify what’s happening inside us. It’s because sin has crouched at all of our doors!

Jesus Comes Toward People Like Cain

That’s why Jesus is such good news. God didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up and find our way back to Him. He came to us. Jesus took on flesh and drew near to people who were far from God. At the cross, He took our sin upon Himself.

Genesis says Abel’s blood cried out from the ground for justice. But Hebrews 12:24 says the blood of Jesus “speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” It’s because Jesus blood cries out for mercy. At the cross, we see both: God’s justice against sin and God’s mercy toward sinners.

Jesus stood in our place and took the judgment we deserved so that people like Cain, and people like us, could receive forgiveness and life. That means we don’t have to hide what’s going on below the surface. We don’t have to pretend we’re not bitter, or pretend we’re not angry. Jesus already knows, and He came toward us anyway.

It’s because of Jesus, we don’t have to sit in the betrayal of the friend who hurt us and pretend what happened was okay. We can trust God with justice and know there is forgiveness available to all who call on His name!

Don’t Make Cain’s Mistake

Genesis 4 eventually tells us that Cain “went out from the presence of the LORD.” That’s the tragedy. God moved toward Cain and Cain moved away from the Lord. So when God begins exposing something crouching at our door, let’s not make Cain’s mistake. Let’s turn to Him. Let’s invite Him into the darkest parts of our soul, because we know He isn’t coming for condemnation. He’s coming for freedom!

Why Do We Keep Thinking Life Should Be Easier?

There is something strange about the way human beings think about challenges in life. We know life is hard. We have experienced difficult relationships, financial pressure, health problems, disappointing careers, aging parents, challenging children, and circumstances that didn’t work out the way we hoped.

And yet, somewhere in the back of our minds, we keep thinking: eventually life is going to get easier. As a student we think, “I just need to make it through this semester.” When we are parents we think, “I just need to make it through this stage.” And, in all of life we think, “I just need to make it to the weekend or my next vacation.”

But have you noticed that we never seem to arrive? There is always something else that is going to create challenges and yet we have this quirky part of our personality that keeps expecting life to be easy.

LIFE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS HARD

The opening chapters of Genesis give us an interesting picture of life. Genesis 1–2 describes a world created by God where everything is perfect. There is work, but work isn’t frustrating. Somehow relationships and responsibilities are easy and seamlessly flow from one thought to the next.

Adam is placed in the garden to work and care for it. But then Genesis 3 happens. In that moment, humanity decides we want God’s creation without God’s authority, and sin fractures everything God created to be good.

God tells Adam: “Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” And then: “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you.” Something has changed. Adam will still work. But now his work will fight back.

He will plant something he wants and something he doesn’t want will grow alongside it. Have you noticed we don’t have to fertilize weeds? They just grow! They thrive! Nobody walks into the backyard and says, “Come look at all my crabgrass!” That’s still our experience today with every part of life!

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THORNS

There are going to be seasons we work really hard on our marriage and conflict still shows up. Raising children can be a blast, but there’s no secret method. It’s going to be hard! Eating healthy and working out is always good for our bodies, but it can all be wiped out in a few weeks the moment we stop. It’s because thorns and thistles in life are going to show up!

We know this is a part of life, and yet we keep believing we’re one change away from finally escaping them. There is this sneaky thought in our head that the next job or next relationship is going to make it all better.

There’s nothing wrong with improving our circumstances in life. Sometimes we really do need to make changes. But eventually the new circumstances develop their own thorns, and that’s the tension in life.

WE KEEP TRYING TO FIND EDEN

Think about how much of life is organized around the pursuit of comfort. We genuinely believe if we made more money life would be easier. The allure of the next phase of technology is always giving us this illusion that our life could be easier.

How many mattress commercials have we seen where they prey upon our fatigue, exhaustion, and restlessness of our soul, and then say, “You need the next great mattress that will fix everything?”

Again, none of those things are necessarily bad. The problem is what we expect from them. We keep thinking: maybe this will finally give me rest. And sometimes it does. For a while that vacation can be just what we needed. The new house will give us the space we have been wanting for our family. But, then something happens! Another thorn pops up that ruins it all and it feels like we have to start all over.

AND THEN JESUS SHOWS UP

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus enters a world full of exhausted people and says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” It’s almost as though Jesus is speaking directly into this ancient longing humanity has carried since Genesis 3.

We say, “I’m tired.” Jesus says, “Come to Me.” We say, “I just need life to settle down.” Jesus says, “Come to Me.” We say, “I just want some rest.” Jesus says, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest. Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “Come to Me and I’ll make your life easy, remove difficulty, never get sick, and remove all those thorns from our life.” Jesus offers rest without promising ease, which is an important distinction. The rest Jesus offers isn’t the absence of difficult circumstances. It’s life with Him in the middle of those circumstances.

LIFE IS STILL GOING TO BE HARD

Following Jesus doesn’t take us out of Genesis 3. There are still thorns and thistles with Jesus. There are still nights when we wake up at 3 a.m. and suddenly our brain decides this is the perfect time to solve every problem in our life.

But the gospel changes how we walk through those moments. In Christ, we don’t have to know how everything is going to turn out and know the answer to fix every person. Sometimes we are going to cry out in bold prayers and sometimes it will feel like nothing is changing.

But, because we are with Jesus we can walk through those circumstances and we can wait on Him and His will to be accomplished in our life, because we’re with Jesus. The follower of Jesus is only going to find so much rest in the comforts that this world has to offer. Our ultimate rest comes through faith in Jesus as we rest in Him.

MAYBE COMFORT ISN’T WHAT WE’RE REALLY LOOKING FOR

So why do we keep thinking life should eventually get easier? Maybe because we were made for something this world, in its present condition, cannot give us. We were made for life with God without thorns.

Genesis tells us why the thorns came. And Jesus shows up offering the thing we’ve been trying to manufacture ever since. One day, Jesus will remove the thorns completely. The curse will be gone and all things will be made new.

But until then, maybe we can stop being surprised that life is difficult? Maybe we can stop believing we’re one circumstance away from finally arriving at comfort. And maybe the next time life gets difficult, instead of immediately asking, “How do I make this go away?” We can also ask, “How do I walk through this with Jesus and wait on Him?”

Everything We Really Want is Also Really Hard

Most people want meaningful relationships, but relationships take work. Many of us want children, but parenting can bring some of the deepest joy and deepest pain of our lives. We want meaningful work, but work can exhaust us. We want community, but then we discover community involves people…and people are messy! Why is that?

Genesis 3 Gives Us the Answer

In Genesis 1–2, God creates the world and calls it good. Adam and Eve are created in His image, brought together as husband and wife, and given meaningful work. Everything is as it should be.

Then sin enters the story. By Genesis 3:16, God tells the woman: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Suddenly the very things God created as good become difficult.

Something Isn’t Right

Pain in childbirth isn’t God randomly deciding to make life miserable. It’s His judgment and our sin has consequences. But it isn’t final judgment. Adam and Eve are still alive. God is still speaking to them. Children will still be born. Marriage still exists. God’s purposes for humanity haven’t disappeared. Even in judgment, there is grace.

But, the difficulty in humanity becomes an alarm ringing through creation: Something isn’t right. We weren’t created to live apart from God. That’s one reason the things we love can sometimes become the places of our greatest frustration. We keep discovering that we can’t make life work exactly the way we want it to. And sometimes that difficulty is the very thing God uses to draw us back to Himself.

Even Our Pain Can Point Us Home

One verse earlier, in Genesis 3:15, God had promised that the woman’s offspring would eventually defeat the serpent. Then, thousands of years later, the Apostle Paul writes:

“God sent His Son, born of a woman.” (Galatians 4:4)

Do you see it? The very place where we see the consequences of sin becomes the place through which God brings forth the One who becomes the answer to our sin. His name is Jesus!

Finding Community in a City Full of People

If you live around The Domain, you probably don’t have to go very far to be around people. You can walk through The Domain on a Saturday night and pass hundreds of people between restaurants, apartments, coffee shops, stores, and sidewalks.

You can live in an apartment building with people above you, below you, and across the hall, and still not know their names, so that Austin is full of people. But being around people isn’t the same thing as being known by people.

The Local Church

The same thing can happen at a local church. You can show up on Sunday, worship, listen to a message, grab some coffee, and head home without ever really finding your place. That’s one of the reasons serving on a Sunday morning can be so important.

It might look like you’re giving up precious hours that can be used for other areas of your life that need attention, but something else happens when you start showing up for other people: you start becoming part of a community.

Sometimes taking steps to grow spiritually starts with saying yes to a serving opportunity. It is taking a step of ownership in your faith that says, “This isn’t an observational experience. This is a personal investment in an area of my life that is important.”

Most people don’t start serving because they feel passionate about a specific area. In fact, one volunteer described being intimidated when she first started working with children because she was afraid she might say the wrong thing. But then she discovered something freeing: it’s okay not to know everything. She didn’t have to be an expert. She simply needed to be willing to show up, learn, and care about the kids in front of her.

Over time, something started to change. The children began recognizing her with smiles in the hallways. Parents began to engage her more naturally. She shared common experiences with other volunteers. Faces she might have passed with a polite “Good morning” on Sunday mornings became people she knew.

Serving once a month in a particular area didn’t just give her something to do. It gave her people to know, so that there is a difference between attending a worship service on a Sunday morning and being known.

That’s especially meaningful in a city like Austin. People move here for work. Young adults relocate for jobs with companies around The Domain and North Austin. Families arrive without extended family nearby, so that it’s easy for people to build a life here surprisingly quickly while taking much longer to build meaningful relationships.

Church can accidentally become another place we consume as another task to accomplish throughout the week. We find a service we like. We sit in a familiar section. We listen to a message we enjoy. And, we leave, only to get discouraged over time because we don’t feel like we are growing. But the church was never intended to simply be a crowd of people attending the same location at the same time. The local church at her heart is a family. And families know one another.

One technical volunteer described how serving changed his experience of worship: it wasn’t just about what he got out of Sunday morning but what he was able to offer on Sunday morning.

Counting the Cost

Of course, serving costs something. There will be Sundays when you’d rather sleep longer. Sundays when brunch sounds better. Sundays when you arrive at church and think, I really don’t want to do this today. That’s natural!

But serving others doesn’t something to our soul. It reminds us, even briefly, about the needs of others. In that moment, we stop thinking only about what we need and start noticing the people God has placed around us.

And in a city that constantly invites us to ask, “What do I want to do today?”, following Jesus invites us to ask a different question: “Who can I serve today?” We don’t have to serve the whole city. We don’t have to know everyone at church. We don’t even have to feel particularly gifted. Maybe we just start with one yes? Maybe it starts with learning someone’s name? Maybe it starts with sharing a little of your story? And somewhere along the way, you may discover that you didn’t just find a place to serve. You found a place to belong.

How Is Preparing For A Comedy Set Different than Preparing for a Sermon?

People often ask me which is harder: preaching a sermon or performing stand-up comedy. The answer depends on the week. Both involve standing in front of people with a microphone. Both require preparation. Both involve reading a room. Both involve ideas bring presented to an audience. But they are still both very different. Here’s what preparation looks like for each.

Preparing A Sermon: Start With The Text

When I prepare a sermon, I don’t begin with what I want to say. I begin with what God has already said. I’ll spend hours reading a passage over and over, looking for repeated themes, structure, historical background, theological connections, and how the passage fits into the larger story of Scripture.

Then, I ask, “What’s the main idea of the passage?” This main idea becomes the thread of the sermon that I want to pull throughout the sermon as I go verse by verse through the passage. Now, every story, application, and transition needs to serve the thread of the passage. After I identify the thread to pull throughout the sermon I generally use these 4-parts in every sermon:

What is the hook of the passage? Why should someone listen? What difference does the passage make in our lives practically?
Where is the tension of the passage? Where will people object? Why will they object? When will they push back?
Where is the gospel in the passage? The goal isn’t to leave with a moral code to accomplish. The goal is to see how Jesus rescues us from the weight of the passage so that He is our hope.
How does the passage lift our eyes to a greater vision? It might be the vision of our church family or our personal lives but I want to draw out the vision of the passage?

Preparing Comedy: I Still Start With A Biblical Idea.

My comedy doesn’t start with a passage in God’s Word, but it does start with biblical ideas. They are just packaged differently. In a sermon, the idea is front and center, but in comedy the idea is smuggled in so the audience never sees it. In fact, my main goal is for the audience to feel like they discovered the biblical ideas on their own. I am not sure I am always able to accomplish this goal in comedy, but that is my end goal.

It doesn’t mean my jokes are “Christian jokes.” It means the moment I let the audience know I am a pastor I am shaping the lens by which they hear everything. It means there is a biblical layer running quietly beneath the entire set.

First, I identify a biblical idea like marriage, money, faith, parenting, etc. Then, I look for inconsistencies in those areas in my life or in our culture. What’s bothersome? What’s frustrating? What’s discouraging?

After that, I want to look for the tension, so that I can create tension for the audience on some level, because laughter comes out of tension. Telling the audience at a comedy club that I am a pastor in the first 10 seconds of being on the stage creates tension.

Next, I start writing out those ideas to create a surprise or a turn for the audience. They know the idea. They are a little uncomfortable with the tension. Then you try to release the tension with a surprise. It’s really hard!

Most of the time I can write all I want but at some point I have to get up at an open mic and see how those words land on an audience. I will show up with 3-minutes of ideas and it’s a success if I can leave with 30 seconds of something that might be funny.

That’s one of the humbling parts of comedy. I may spend an hour writing three minutes, only to discover the audience liked one sentence. Then I go back, rewrite, perform it again, and hopefully build something worth keeping.

The Biggest Difference

In a sermon, I deliver one time. In comedy I will deliver an idea 30 times and maybe on the 50th time I start to see the timing that will make it funny. In a sermon, I don’t always know what lands, but in comedy I know immediately. When I preach, my responsibility is faithfulness to the passage. When I do comedy, my responsibility is to connect with the audience. Those are very different scorecards.

The Biggest Similarity

Oddly enough, both require a deep love for people. If I don’t understand what people fear…What they’re hoping for…What they’re frustrated by…What they’re ashamed of…I’ll struggle in both worlds.

Good preaching applies timeless truth to real people. Good comedy exposes real people to timeless truths about themselves. Both begin with careful observation.

Why I Love Doing Both

Well, sometimes I hate both of them. It can be agonizing to work on something over and over, and then not have the satisfaction of those ideas connecting. But, on Sunday mornings I hope people leave seeing Jesus more clearly. In a comedy show, I hope people leave laughing a little harder at life, and maybe the ideas in the comedy will linger a little longer. Because both remind me that people are searching for hope.

Sometimes hope comes through hearing God’s Word. Sometimes it begins with laughing at ourselves. And every once in a while, those two worlds unexpectedly meet. Those are my favorite moments.

Are You a Christian… or a Disciple? What’s the Difference?

Seems like a lot of people in the United States and parts of the world would identify themselves as “Christians.” But when we read throughout Scripture we don’t see Jesus calling us to be Christians. He calls us to be His disciples. At first glance those sound like the same thing. Biblically, they are. Every Christian is a disciple. Every disciple is a Christian. But I don’t find it helpful to tell people I am a Christian. Instead I tend to tell people I am a follower of Jesus.

The word Christian only appears three times in the New Testament. It was originally used by outsiders to identify the followers of Jesus.The word disciple appears over and over again. It was Jesus’ favorite description of those who followed Him. Today, “Christian” can mean almost anything. Someone might say they’re Christian because they grew up in church. Others because they vote a certain way. And, others because they believe in God or try to be a good person. The label has become so broad that it often tells us very little, because a disciple of Jesus carries specific characteristics.

Am I actually following Jesus?

That’s the invitation Jesus gave from the very beginning, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Everything we need to know about discipleship is wrapped up in that invitation, “Follow Me.” A disciple of Jesus is intentionally looking to follow Jesus with the whole of their life; financially, sexually, relationally, emotionally, mentally, physically, It doesn’t mean you are 100% following Jesus in those areas but you are intentionally looking for ways you can grow and get stronger at following Jesus in those areas, so that following Jesus isn’t adding Him to our lives. It’s making Him Lord of our lives.

Then Jesus says something else in that invitation, “And I will make you.” That’s encouraging because discipleship isn’t ultimately about self-improvement. Jesus never says, “Go fix yourself.” He says, “Follow Me, and I will transform you.” Our responsibility isn’t the transformation. Our responsibility is the faithfulness. That’s good news because all of us have areas where we still need to grow. None of us graduate from becoming more like Christ.

Then Jesus finishes off the statement, “Fishers of men.” In other words, disciples don’t stop with themselves. As Jesus changes us, He sends us, so that every disciple has been entrusted with receiving His grace and extending His grace toward others to help them follow Jesus. The only reason there are followers of Jesus today is because someone was following Jesus then! That’s always been the mission.

There’s one other piece we often overlook.

Jesus rarely discipled people one at a time. He called a group of friends. It might start with one, but it will typically involve a group coming together. They learned to follow Jesus together. That matters because we weren’t designed to grow alone. Following Jesus in isolation almost always leads to spiritual stagnation.

We need people who know us well enough to encourage us, challenge us, pray for us, and remind us of the gospel when we forget it ourselves. I experienced this personally in my twenties. I ended up at a university with a church that took the call of discipling others who disciple others who disciple others seriously. I read the book “Master Plan of Evangelism” by Robert Coleman and was hooked! Looking back, it changed the direction of my life.

Men and women in the church started to teach me and model to me what it looked like for the whole of someone’s life to come under the leadership of Jesus. They helped me learn how to study God’s Word. They helped me find words to talk to others about Jesus. I work as a pastor now, but that wasn’t the goal at the time. It was just the men and women living out what Jesus has taught us to do from the very beginning.

So let me ask you a question, “Do you see yourself as a Christian or a disciple?” Because those two words may sound similar, but they often produce very different ways of living. A disciple wakes up asking, “How do I follow Jesus today?”

How can Jesus keep changing them?
Who are others I can encourage to follow Jesus?
Where can I surround myself with others who are following Jesus?

That’s the life Jesus invited ordinary men and women into two thousand years ago. And it’s still the invitation He extends today. So ask yourself: Have I actually committed myself to following Jesus? Who is helping me grow? Am I allowing Jesus to change me, or am I simply trying to become a better version of myself? Who am I helping take one step closer to Christ? Because, Jesus never invited people to admire Him from a distance. He invited them to follow Him. And that invitation is still drawing people to Himself today!

Praying for the Decision and to Become Someone Who Makes Wise Decisions.

Austin is full of people trying to optimize their lives. Which neighborhood should we move to? Should I leave my startup? Should we have another child? Should I buy the house or keep renting? Should I stay in Texas?

I think we should pray about every one of those decisions. Scripture tells us to bring everything before God in prayer. Our decisions matter to Him because our lives matter to Him. But over the years, I’ve realized there’s another prayer that is just as important.

“Lord, make me into the kind of man who makes wise decisions.”

Those two prayers belong together. One seeks God’s guidance. The other seeks God’s transformation. I think God delights in answering both. Here are some guiding points to consider:

1. Pray for wisdom.

When God invited Solomon to ask for anything, Solomon didn’t ask for success, security, or certainty. He asked for wisdom. That wasn’t an accident. Life is full of decisions where the answer isn’t immediately obvious. Parenting, marriage, work, finances, friendships, ministry, and leadership all require wisdom. James tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God because He gives generously. Before asking God to remove every difficult decision, ask Him to make you wiser.

2. Pray for humility.

One of the greatest obstacles to wise decisions isn’t a lack of information. It’s pride. Pride convinces us we’ve already thought through every angle. Pride dismisses the people God has placed around us. Pride hears advice but rarely listens. Proverbs reminds us that wise people receive instruction. As you pray about a decision, ask God to give you the humility to hear what you may not want to hear.

3. Pray for a clean heart.

It’s amazing how quickly sin can distort our judgment. Unforgiveness, jealousy, selfish ambition, fear, and hidden pride all have a way of making bad ideas sound reasonable. David prayed, “Search me, O God.” That’s a dangerous prayer. But it’s also a necessary one. Before asking God which path to take, ask Him if there’s anything in your heart that’s preventing you from seeing clearly.

4. Pray for a renewed mind.

Every decision begins with the way we think. Romans 12 says we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can discern God’s will. The more our minds are shaped by Scripture, the better equipped we are to recognize what is wise, loving, and honoring to Christ. God doesn’t simply want to change our circumstances. He wants to change the way we think.

5. Pray for discernment.

Many of life’s hardest decisions aren’t between right and wrong. They’re between two good options. That’s why Paul prayed that believers would “discern what is best.” Discernment is the ability to recognize not only what is permissible, but what is most helpful, most loving, and most faithful. It’s a gift worth praying for.

6. Pray about the decision itself.

After all of that, don’t stop praying about the decision. Tell God exactly what’s on your mind. Ask Him for clarity. Ask Him to open and close doors. Ask Him for peace. Ask Him to direct your steps. Our Heavenly Father invites us to bring every concern to Him, including the decisions that keep us awake at night.

Prayer isn’t about informing God. It’s about walking with Him. The older I get, the more I believe every decision is accomplishing two things at once. It’s shaping my future. But it’s also shaping me. That’s why I never want my prayers to stop with, “Lord, what should I do?” I also want to pray, “Lord, who am I becoming?”

Conclusion

Because one day this decision will be behind me. But the kind of man I’m becoming will remain, so pray about the decision and then pray that God would make you into the kind of person who consistently makes wise decisions.

Anyone who has driven MoPac or I-35 during rush hour knows there isn’t always a perfect route Sometimes Waze sends you through neighborhoods you’ve never heard of. Sometimes you stay on the Lamar. Sometimes every option is slow.

Life feels like that, too. God doesn’t promise to remove every difficult decision. But He does promise wisdom for those who ask, peace for those who trust Him, and His presence wherever the road leads. So pray about the decision. But don’t stop there. Pray that, wherever you end up, you’ll become the kind of man or woman who reflects Jesus a little more than you did before the journey began.

Leading Through Uncertainty

There are moments when leadership isn’t about having the answers. It’s about creating space for people to hear from God. A few months ago, our church found ourselves in one of those moments.

Our lease was ending. The rent on our building was increasing from $13,000 a month to $17,000. We knew we weren’t going to sign another long term lease. That meant we had a decision to make: Was North Village Church coming to an end, or was God inviting us into a new season?

On a personal level, there was a temptation to answer that question for everyone else. Instead, our elders decided to do something different. We asked our church family not to decide immediately. We asked them to pray.

Rather than holding one emotional meeting, we created a month long discernment guide. Each day people reflected on a different question. Not logistical questions. Heart questions.

Do you still resonate with our mission?
Do you still believe in the values that have shaped this church?
Would you follow Jesus into an uncertain future even if it meant setting up chairs every Sunday in a temporary location?
Would saying “no” bring relief… or would it feel like you were walking away from something God was inviting you into?

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By the end of the month we asked everyone to honestly land in one of three places:

“I’m in.”
“I’m exploring.”
“I’m out.”

Notice what we weren’t asking. We weren’t asking people to stay because of friendships. We weren’t asking them to stay because they felt guilty. We weren’t asking them to stay because they liked me as their pastor. We wanted them to follow Jesus, wherever He was leading.

Freedom Is Better Than Pressure

One sentence from the guide became especially important to me. We told people that if God was leading them elsewhere, we wanted them to feel completely free to go. That sounds simple. It’s surprisingly difficult.

Leaders can often feel pressure to retain people. Attendance becomes a scorecard. Every family that leaves feels personal. But churches aren’t built through pressure. They’re built through conviction. I’d rather have someone joyfully say “yes” because they believe God called them than reluctantly stay because they felt obligated.

The Response

On June 1, after a month of prayer and reflection, 40 men and women committed to moving forward into the next season of North Village Church. Not because we had all the answers. Not because everything was settled. Because they believed God was leading them.

For me, that number represented far more than attendance. It represented ownership. Shared conviction. People choosing mission over comfort. As a pastor, I don’t know exactly what the next chapter will look like. But I know this: I’d rather lead forty people who have prayerfully discerned God’s direction than a larger crowd that simply drifted into the future.

Personal Application

This experience reminded me that leadership isn’t always about persuading people. Sometimes it’s about slowing everyone down long enough to listen. In a culture that rewards quick decisions and confident predictions, leaders have an opportunity to model something different.

And perhaps that’s true far beyond church leadership. Whether you’re leading a business, a family, or simply trying to discern your own next step, the question isn’t first, “What should I do?” It’s:

“Lord, where are You already at work, and how are You inviting me to join You?”

Sometimes that question changes everything.

Following Jesus Should Feel Uncomfortable

I recently started doing stand-up comedy in Austin, TX. And I am a pastor. Which means most nights I am standing in a bar talking about my life, and at some point, people realize, “Wait… this guy is a pastor.” It creates a moment. You might be asking, “Why would a pastor do this?” You can read about it HERE and HERE.

Austin has become a major hub for comedy, with names like Shane Gillis, Joe Rogan, and Tony Hinchcliffe shaping the scene. The rooms are full, the crowds are sharp, and the conversations are often as unfiltered as you can imagine. So why step into that as a pastor? At some point, I had to decide whether following Jesus meant staying in environments where I naturally fit, or stepping into ones where I did not. Stand-up comedy made that decision unavoidable.

There is constant pressure in those rooms to blend in, to match the tone, to say what works, and to avoid being the one who shifts the atmosphere. But following Jesus has given me a different option. Instead of trying to manage perception, I can simply be honest. There have been plenty of moments where I have said something, or chosen not to say something, and it creates a pause. Not hostile, just noticeable. And in that space, there is nothing to fix. Just a quiet recognition that I am different.

That is not always persuasive, and it does not guarantee agreement, but it is clear. And clarity matters. Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel,” not because it always lands well, but because it is worth being known for. Jesus lived this way. He did not isolate Himself from the world, and He did not mirror it either. He entered into real places, real conversations, and real tension, while remaining anchored in who He was. He asked questions people were not asking, said things people were not expecting, and stayed present in environments where others might have pulled back.

Following Him means we will feel that same tension. Not because we are trying to stand out, but because we already do. What has been surprising to me is how often this creates opportunity. I have had conversations about a biblical view of marriage and sexuality, finances, some political conversations, and caring for those in need. It’s not because I am actively trying to drive conversations toward those topics, but that, at least in Austin, TX, there are people who are wondering and thinking about those topics today, and then out of a nowhere a follower of Jesus is dropped into their life.

In a few cases, other comedians have quietly shared that they follow Jesus too. Not on stage, not publicly, but they are there. And sometimes just being present and clear has caused them to reconsider what that actually means for their life and their work. That has been the unexpected part. Not influence through volume, but through presence.

So maybe the question is not whether you feel comfortable identifying as a follower of Jesus in your environment. Maybe the better question is where God has already placed you where that clarity would actually matter. Your workplace, your friendships, your neighborhood, or conversations you did not plan. People do not just need content about Jesus. They need to encounter people who actually follow Him. And that will almost always feel a little uncomfortable.

What does Jesus mean when politicians quote “least of these?”

If you live in Texas then I am sure you have heard about James Talarico running for U.S. Senate in 2026. Talarico has been a little unique as a politician because he has been front and center with his faith in Jesus, and how it has shaped his view toward policy in the state of Texas.

One particular reference Talarico has made about Scripture is from Matthew 25 when Jesus references the “least of these.” Talarico isn’t the first to reference this passage. In many settings the passage is presented as a simple moral message: followers of Jesus should help people in need.

⁴⁴Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ ⁴⁵Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

When we read Matthew 25 within the flow of Matthew’s Gospel, another possibility becomes visible. The scene is less about general humanitarian care and more about how people respond to Jesus by the way they treat His followers.

The Context: Jesus Is Being Rejected

The later chapters of Matthew are dominated by a growing conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel. By the time we reach chapters 21 to 23, the conflict is no longer subtle. Jesus openly rebukes religious leaders for rejecting Jesus as God in the flesh who has come to fulfill the promises of Messiah. So the storyline of Matthew becomes a question of recognition and allegiance. Will people recognize the King, or will they reject Him?

Establishing the Principle

Earlier in the Gospel Jesus explains something that becomes crucial for interpreting Matthew 25. When He sends out His disciples, He tells them: Whoever receives you receives me. That teaching appears in the Gospel of Matthew 10:40-42.

⁴⁰“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴²And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Jesus goes even further. He says that even giving a cup of water to one of His “little ones” will be remembered. In other words, how someone treats the messenger reveals how they respond to the One who sent the messenger. This idea is central to Matthew’s writing. Jesus’ followers represent Him in the world.

Key Phrase: “The Least of These My Brothers”

The entire passage hinges on one phrase, “The least of these my brothers.” How we interpret that phrase determines what the passage means. Many readers assume it refers to the poor or marginalized in general. But Matthew’s Gospel consistently uses “brothers” to refer to Jesus’ disciples.

For example, In Gospel of Matthew 12:49-50, Jesus calls His followers His brothers. In Matthew 28:10, after the resurrection, Jesus again refers to the disciples as His brothers. Within Matthew’s own language, the phrase most naturally refers to those who belong to Jesus.

Overview

If “my brothers” refers to Jesus’ followers, then the judgment scene takes on a different emphasis. The nations are not being evaluated primarily on general humanitarian activity. They are being evaluated on how they responded to Jesus by how they treated His people.

This fits the larger storyline of the Gospel. The religious leaders reject Jesus. They persecute His followers. They refuse to recognize the King, therefore, in the final judgment, the King exposes what their actions revealed all along. Those who welcomed His followers demonstrated openness to Him. Those who rejected or ignored them revealed their rejection of the King.

Compassion Still Matters

Recognizing this interpretation doesn’t mean compassion toward the poor is unimportant. Scripture consistently calls believers to care for those in need. But Matthew 25 isn’t about establishing a social ethic. Instead, it’s revealing something deeper about the identity of Jesus and the loyalty He demands. The King identifies Himself with His people so closely that caring for them is counted as caring for Him, and rejecting them is counted as rejecting Him.

Doing stand up comedy as a follower of Jesus in Austin, TX

Followers of Jesus often face a tension when working in environments that are not shaped by Christian values. Comedy clubs, music venues, corporate settings, universities, and many other spaces raise the same question: How can someone be present in a culture without simply becoming a participant in it?

This question is especially important to me, because I work as a pastor in Austin, TX. My wife and I started the church in 2009, and at the time we had two little children, so it was easy to connect with young families in our neighborhood. By God’s grace we were able to enter into spiritual conversations with those families and for a season it resulted in men and women coming to faith and pop up bible studies. Sometimes we would have 12-15 adults in a living room looking at God’s Word with 30 kids running outside. It was wild!

Fast forward to 2024 and I did an open mic near our house at Cap City Comedy Club as a bucket list type of challenge. The experience went horrible. But for some reason, I wanted to keep trying. Eventually I started talking about being a pastor in a 3-minute comedy set, and 2 years later here I am. Usually 2-3 nights a week I will meet up with comedians and we will try to do our best at making people laugh.

But Austin, TX isn’t known for clean comedy. Austin actually has some nationally known comics in our city like Joe Rogan, Shane Gillis, Tony Hinchcliffe, and more. It isn’t exactly Nate Bargatze material on 6th on a weekend night, so what does that look like for me as a follower of Jesus?

The New Testament doesn’t call followers of Jesus to isolation, but it also doesn’t call them to blend into culture. Instead, it presents a third option known as “Faithful Presence.” Jesus entered ordinary public spaces. He ate with tax collectors, attended gatherings, and spent time with people who lived far from the religious center of society. Yet those around him consistently noticed something different about Him. His presence influenced the room rather than the room defining him.

The challenge for believers today is learning to discern whether they are participating in culture or bringing a distinct presence into culture. Several patterns can help make that distinction clearer.

1. Direction of Influence: Who’s influencing who?

A participant in culture gradually absorbs the values of the environment. Language, priorities, and assumptions begin to mirror the surrounding world. A presence in culture moves in the opposite direction. While remaining fully engaged, their posture, tone, and character introduce something different into the environment.

This doesn’t mean constant confrontation or overt religious messaging. Often it simply means that over time people notice a steadiness, humility, or integrity that stands apart from the surrounding culture. Jesus was often accused of spending time with sinners, yet the stories repeatedly show people being drawn toward change rather than Jesus being drawn into their patterns.

2. The Trajectory of One’s Work: What’s the tone of the work?

For anyone whose work involves creative expression, the work itself becomes revealing. In comedy, writing, music, or storytelling, the deeper worldview underneath the material eventually becomes visible.

When someone is a presence in culture, their work tends to humanize people. Humor exposes human weakness without celebrating cruelty. The tone may include honesty, self awareness, and humility.

When someone becomes a participant in culture, the work often begins drifting toward whatever the surrounding environment rewards most. Cynicism, degradation, or shock value can slowly become the easiest path to approval. Over time, the trajectory of the work often reveals the deeper direction of influence.

3. How Others Perceive You: Are you experiencing favor from others?

Another helpful indicator is how people within the culture describe you. A person functioning as a presence is often respected even by those who disagree with them. Others notice reliability, honesty, or a different moral center. They may not share the same beliefs, but they sense a consistency.

By contrast, someone who has become a participant in culture becomes indistinguishable from the surrounding environment. Their identity is primarily defined by the culture they inhabit rather than the deeper convictions that guide them.

4. Private Spiritual Vitality: Are you still growing in your faith?

Perhaps the clearest indicator is what happens privately. Scripture describes the life of the Spirit producing qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. When someone remains rooted in these realities, their internal life continues to deepen even while they live and work in challenging environments.

5. The Role of Community: Is there willingness to receive feedback?

The New Testament consistently places believers within community. Spiritual formation rarely happens in isolation. A presence in culture remains connected to people who can ask honest questions and offer perspective. Spiritual conversations continue. Others are able to speak into both life and work.

A participant in culture gradually shifts their primary feedback loop toward the surrounding environment. Career success, audience approval, or cultural status become the dominant voices shaping decisions.

6. The Question of Motivation: Does it become a distraction?

Motivation also reveals direction. A presence in culture is often driven by a desire to understand people and serve them well. There is curiosity about the human condition and a sense of stewardship for whatever platform or opportunity exists.

A participant in culture is often driven by a desire for belonging, approval, or recognition within the environment itself. Identity becomes increasingly tied to acceptance by the culture rather than faithfulness within it. Both motivations can coexist at times, but the direction that grows stronger over time becomes revealing.

7. Long Term Fruit: Is there spiritual curiosity from others?

Jesus frequently spoke about fruit as the ultimate measure of a life. Faithful presence often produces meaningful relationships and deeper conversations over time. People come to trust the person because they experience integrity and care.

Participation without discernment tends to produce deeper immersion in the same cultural patterns. The individual may achieve success within the environment but gradually lose spiritual clarity and distinctiveness.

Longterm Goal

For me, my work as a pastor hasn’t changed. I still want to gain trust and credibility to speak into the lives of the people in my life. I pray for those people. I look for ways to encourage them and support them in their pursuits. I look for opportunities to challenge them in ways they would be receptive. I consider it a privilege to be in their life, and I want to point them to Jesus in everything.

The “sermon” isn’t that different either. On Sunday morning it is more clear that I am taking God’s Word and going verse by verse to point people to the hope we have in Jesus, but in comedy my goal is still the same. I am trying to take biblical and cultural values and package them in a way that are hopefully comedic or at least insightful, so that the people who are listening might think more deeply about those areas of life. I can’t say I have mastered this, but I am continually trying to grow in this area.

In the end, pursuing this area of life has been a lot of fun. Our church family has been really supportive. Once a quarter we have been hosting Clean Comedy Shows for our community and partnering with a local non-profit where all the donations are given to them. Our next one will be in May. You should come!

Where “The Phantom Tollbooth” Trips Over Its Own Story

Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth is a classic. It’s whimsical, sharp, and dripping with creative brilliance. But if you’re the kind of person who likes to dig deeper, theologically or philosophically, you start to notice that there are a few places where the story doesn’t quite hold together. Here are three big incongruences that stand out, and what they reveal.

Wonder Without a Foundation

At the beginning of the story, Milo is bored and disinterested. By the end, everything is magical and full of purpose. On the surface, it’s a beautiful arc, but here’s the problem: nothing external actually changes. Milo’s “new world” is just a shift in perspective, and while that’s inspiring, it’s also hollow. If wonder is only based on a feeling, what happens the next time Milo wakes up bored?

Feelings are great, but feelings also change, therefore, the reader has to ask the question, “Without an anchor for meaning, something outside of herself or himself, where does a person find something more stable than feelings?” I love “wonder” but “wonder” alone is temporary at best.

The Rhyme and Reason Dilemma

The whole plot revolves around restoring Rhyme and Reason to the kingdom, which I appreciated. Once they’re back from their journey, everything is balanced again. But pause for a second: why were they exiled in the first place? And why does their mere return magically fix a broken kingdom?

The story never digs into those questions. It wants the satisfaction of resolution without the complexity of wrestling with why wisdom was lost, or what sustains it in the long run. It’s like patching a leaky roof with duct tape: it works for now, but it won’t hold when the next storm of life rolls in on someone.

In short, you could make the argument that this book could do spiritual harm to someone, which is what the authors are trying to avoid. It’s great to ask questions but simply fanning the flame of deconstruction could lead a person to a place of confusion. How’s that helpful?

Growth Without Real Community

Milo matures throughout his journey, no doubt about it. He goes from apathetic to engaged, passive to proactive, which is great! But he mostly does this alone as an individual. Sure, there’s Tock and the Humbug tagging along, but the story doesn’t show deep, transformative community shaping Milo.

In real life, and certainly in a biblical framework, real transformation usually happens with people, in relationship, through accountability and shared experience. Milo grows in isolation, which makes for a clean narrative but a shallow reality.

Why These Gaps Matter

None of these incongruences ruin the book, far from it. In fact, they make it a great conversation starter. They reveal that while The Phantom Tollbooth offers brilliant observations about curiosity, courage, and wonder, it struggles to ground those truths in something unchanging. That’s where a biblical worldview shines: it takes the good questions the story raises and points to a better answer — one rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

What do you think? Where have you noticed moments in The Phantom Tollbooth that feel a little thin? Or are these the very things that make the book such a timeless read?

Embrace Ownership at North Village Church: A Guide

Owning the vision of North Village Church makes all the difference! Owning the vision means every person sees the church’s purpose as their personal responsibility, not just a support system for someone else’s vision.

What does it look like to develop an “owners’ mindset?”

What’s the Difference?

Helper Mindset	Owner Mindset
“Let me know what you need.”	“Here’s something I can do to move us forward.”
“That’s pastor’s / staff’s job.”	“This is our mission—and I’ve got a role in it.”
“I help when it works for me.”	“I show up with consistency and commitment.”
“I’m here to receive.”	“I’m here to invest—my time, energy, and heart.”
“I notice problems.”	“I bring solutions with grace and initiative.”
“This is a church.”	“This is my church.”

How to Live as an Owner

1. Show Up Like It’s Your Living Room

Welcome others like you’re hosting them in your own space. Look for the new. Smile. Initiate.

2. Speak Life and Vision

Talk about the church like it’s yours. Encourage others. Protect the unity. Avoid gossip.

3. Take Ownership of Your Spiritual Growth

Don’t wait to be spoon-fed. Dig into Scripture. Ask questions. Be discipled, and disciple others.

4. Pitch In Without Needing a Title

See a problem? Fix a problem. Owners take initiative, whether it’s picking up trash or praying for someone.

5. Pray Boldly for the Vision

Learn the vision. Own the vision. Pray as someone who’s locked in, not locked out. Ask God to move through us, not just some people.

Reflection Questions

What would change if I saw this church as my responsibility?
Where am I waiting for permission instead of walking in purpose?
Who am I intentionally building up here?
What do I bring to the mission God has given us?