I'm moving my blog site

Change is good, right?  I've known for a long time that I could do more with a blog on a different site.  So as we kick into a new season this fall, I'm taking the plunge.  Please jump over to my new site, and let me know what you think.

http://marktindle.wordpress.com

Voicing your opinions

In the last three weeks we’ve had three different, dynamic people speak on Sunday mornings: Harold Hall, Mark Stephens, and Dr. Wayne Evans.  Three powerful messages from three different voices.  (Click here to listen to any of these messages you may have missed.)  Now, I’d like you to add YOUR voice.  Specifically, I’d like your ideas for future guest speakers.  

Who would you like to hear from in the coming year as we consider our teaching line-up?  Whose voice would help you in your journey of following Christ?  Maybe it’s someone we’ve just recently heard from.  Maybe it’s someone we’ve NEVER heard from.  This is your chance to make your voice heard!  You can hit reply to the email, or you can add your comments (anonymously) in the comment box below. 

Many of you have been spending the month of August in the book of Proverbs with us, reading one chapter each day.  You may want to check out the comments of some of your fellow Seneca Creek family at this site. I know I’ve had some great insights through this powerful book.  For example, Proverbs 19:11.  (You’ll have to look it up!)  And this Sunday we’ll wrap up our teaching series from Proverbs with a message called, “One Simple Step to Becoming Wise.”  I hope can join us then. 

Finally, thanks to the 100 or so people who came out last Friday night for “Pursue: Worship Night.”  It was a rich, powerful time of worshipping together as a church.  There’s more to come in the next year. 

-Pastor Mark

When life starts to shake, rattle and roll

We’re all breathing a sigh of relief after this week’s earthquake.  It rattled our fears as much as it did the crust of the earth.  And you probably did what most of us did here at the office, which was to stand around stunned until it was over.  But one person knew what to do. That person was Dave Hawley, our Creative Arts pastor.  

Dave grew up in California…land of earthquakes.  Every kid there learns early in life to either run outside if you can get there in seconds, or else stand in a doorframe (it’s the strongest part of the house).  Which is where Dave went when the earth started to shake, rattle and roll this week.  He knew exactly what to do when things started getting crazy all around. 

Here’s my point.  Earthquakes might be rare around here, but earthquakes that shake, rattle and roll your life around are all too common.  We experience earthquakes in our finances, our health, our marriages, and our careers.  And when they strike (often with little or no warning), we stand around stunned…unsure of what to do.  We don’t know where the strongest place is.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’ve been reading along with us in the book of Proverbs this month, you would have read the following in Proverbs 18:10:

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

The name of the Lord is his character, his reputation, his very nature.  And if you know God well, you know that he’s the one to run to when the earthquake rolls into your life.  The writer of Proverbs is saying, “This is what wisdom looks like; when trouble hits, you run to God.”  Why?  Because you’ve learned from an early age that this is how to react to earthquakes.

What was the last earthquake to shake, rattle and roll your personal life?  How did you respond?  If it happened again, would you stand there paralyzed?  Or would you run to a strong tower?  Maybe this is a good time to practice

-Pastor Mark

How do you use your super powers?

I used to think it would cool to be one of the Fantastic Four (from the comic books…long before the movie).  They could do almost anything with their incredible power!  To be more specific, I wanted to be Mr. Fantastic, with all those stretching powers.  What about you?  What super powers would YOU like to have?  Do you know what the most desired super powers are?

A recent survey revealed a tie for first place.  The most desired super powers were: Traveling through time, and reading minds.  (Sorry, Mr. Fantastic.)  In next week’s post I’ll give you step by step instructions on how to accomplish both of those!  Or…maybe I won’t. You’ll have to wait and see.  

Turns out, though, you won’t have to wait until next week to discover your super power.  You already have it.  Surprised?  Maybe you’ve been reading along with us this month in the book of Proverbs.  (See this site for the thoughts and insights of many of your fellow Seneca Creek family.)  We’ve encouraged everyone to read one chapter a day, since there are 31 chapters, and 31 days in August. It's a great way to get wisdom.  And if you read chapter 10 yesterday, you’d have seen things like:

• The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life
• Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning
• The mouth of a fool invites ruin
• Whoever spreads slander is a fool
• He who holds his tongue is wise
• The tongue of the righteous is choice silver
• The lips of the righteous nourish many
• The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom

What’s the super power here?  You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to figure this one out.  You could probably do it without your first cup of coffee!  The super power that you and I have is right under our noses.  Literally.  With our mouth we can accomplish wonderful, powerful things.  We can restore life, hope, and wealth.  Or, we can bring ruin, devastation, and poverty.  If that’s not a super power, I’m not sure what is.

So the question is simple.  How do you use your super power?  I know I’m rethinking how I use mine after reading Proverbs 10!

-Pastor Mark

P.S. Would you have picked one of the two super powers that tied for first?  Feel free to list your favorite super power in the comment box below. 

What I SHOULD have said last Sunday

For those of you who were with us last Sunday, we looked at another of Jesus’ hard sayings in John 6:53-54.  I told the true story about a homeless man whose song brought a production company to tears.  And though I told you the lyrics to the song, I didn’t share the song.  That was a mistake.  I should have played it for you, because…it’s a powerful and moving declaration of the message Jesus intended in his remarks in John 6.  See for yourself (be sure to listen past the first 20 seconds).

In reading the comments of others who’ve listened to this, the song is legendary.  And as one Seneca Creek person told me afterwards, “I pulled up Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet on YouTube.  It was great.  Can't get the tune out of my head.  I am holding you responsible.”  And now you know why.

If you missed last Sunday, you can listen online or subscribe to our free podcast on iTunes.

Finally, I encourage you to join us in getting wisdom this month as we read the book of Proverbs together.  And you can join in the conversation here if you'd like.  This goes hand-in-hand with our new series, “Got Wisdom,” that starts this Sunday.  See you then!

-Pastor Mark

Rewriting your future

Want to know what your future will be like?  There may be a way to answer that which doesn’t involve time travel or horoscopes (don’t get me started on that one).  What’s more, there may be a way to actually help determine what your future will look like.

It’s been said, “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you where you’ll be in ten years.”  The assumption is that our future is being written by today’s decisions and actions.  Which is quite true.  Think about your present reality.  How much of that was shaped by your decisions and actions 5, 10, or 20 years ago?  (Scary thought, right?)

As it turns out, there is a powerful tool available to help us live in such a way NOW that we’ll have a preferred FUTURE when we get there.  It’s a collection of the best life-skills ever assembled, and it’s found in the pages of the Bible.  It’s a little book called Proverbs.  And it’s a book we’re going to be exploring during the month of August, in a series called, “Got Wisdom?”  You’d be hard pressed to find a more practical collection of sayings anywhere on the planet!

So to help us get the most out of this book, I’m asking our entire church to join me in reading through the entire book of Proverbs as we go through August.  And the cool part is this: there are 31 days in August, and 31 chapters in Proverbs.  So it’s as simple as opening your Bible (or your Bible app ), checking to see which day it currently is, and reading the 25 or so short proverbs in that chapter.  You can do this.  We can all do this.

When you read, you’ll start to discover some interesting things. 

• You’ll find one or two individual proverbs that jump out at you that day. 
• You’ll find yourself sharing some of these gems of wisdom with others.  (We’ll have a web site where you can do that if you’d like.) 
• And as you apply some of these proverbs, you’ll actually get wisdom.  Which will not only affect your present life, but your future.  You’ll literally start to rewrite your future. 

If you can think of a better way to invest 10 minutes a day for the month of August, I’d like to hear about it.  So will you join us in this journey?  Will you rewrite your future over the next 31 days?  I hope so.  We’ll start on Monday, August 1^st.  

-Pastor Mark 

P.S. Feel free to post your comments and thoughts in the space below as you begin this incredible summer journey.

Tame Jesus?

The picture of Jesus that we often carry around in our head is that of the golden haired, soft-spoken, gentle guy who would never say or do anything to offend anyone.  He’s the Jesus who makes us feel all warm and safe.  He’s the Jesus who leaves us in our comfort zone.  He’s the tame Jesus.

Then there’s the Jesus that actually walked around on the planet.  This is the Jesus who says things like,

• If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. 
• Anyone who doesn’t hate his own father and mother cannot be my disciple.
• The first will be last and the last will be first.
• What good does it do to gain the whole world and lose your soul?
• Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven.

With these kinds of statements, Jesus forced people to sit up, listen, and choose.  He offended their sensitivities and their beliefs.  He messed with their worldview.  He threatened the stability of their religious beliefs.  And he frightened people who thought they knew exactly who God was.  In short, he was about as far from tame as you can get. 

Which Jesus are you familiar with?  The tame, safe Jesus?  Or the real, life-changing Jesus?  I hope you can join us for the continuation of our series, “SERIOUSLY?”  Each Sunday we’re exploring what Jesus meant by his outrageous statements.  And we’re learning what it means to follow the real Jesus.  To borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, where the children asked if Aslan, the lion, was safe: “Safe, of course he’s not safe.  But he’s good.”

Is your God-signal getting faint?

Chances are you’re one of the millions of people who’ve come to use and appreciate the Global Positioning Satellite system, known as GPS.  It’s a wonderful way to determine where you are, and help you get where you’re going.  Who doesn’t love that!  But a recent news story tells of a potentially serious problem with your GPS device. 

 

It seems that a company wants to install a nationwide network of cellular towers that might interfere with the faint radio signals coming from the GPS satellites.  If that happens, your trusty GPS device would be unable to “hear” the faint GPS signal from outer space, because it would be drowned out by the much stronger cellular signal from nearby. 

So why am I telling you this?  Because our lives are also guided by a type of GPS.  It’s the faint signals we receive from God.  Signals that inform us where we are, who we are, and which direction to go next.  But those faint signals can often get drowned out by the strong signals around us.  Signals that tell us we’re only as valuable as our looks, or our friends, or our portfolio.  Signals that tell us that God is distant, or uncaring, or angry.  Signals that tell us we should follow the crowd, and leave our values behind. 

When that happens, we can find ourselves lost, confused, and headed in the wrong direction.  So how do we keep it from happening?  How do we ensure that the signals from God don’t get drowned out?  Here are four suggestions:

1. Move closer to God’s signal.  It’s a simple as ten minutes of solitude spent listening to God.  It’s like prayer without a to-do list for God.  Just listening to him.  Which at first will be hard, but over time will grow easier.  You’ll find yourself moving closer to God.  The closer you get to the source of a signal, the stronger it becomes. 
2. Install a filter.  An electronic device uses a filter to sift through the competing signals and reject the ones you don’t need.  God’s word often works like a filter.  Anything that doesn’t match with what God has said about himself, or about you, gets rejected.  Five minutes a day reading God’s word could be a gigantic step forward in receiving the signals you need from God.
3. Look around.  If you’re driving and you suspect your GPS isn’t doing its job, look at your surroundings.  Sometimes a visual check will do wonders for navigation.  In your spiritual journey, look around.  Is your life where you want it to be?  Do you like the things you see around you?  Is your interior life headed in the right direction? 
4. Ask for directions.  Sometimes the best way to confirm where you are and where you’re headed is to roll down the window and ask for an outside opinion.  Find a spiritual friend (see the podcast from June 19, 2011 for details), and ask them where they think you are.  Or if they see you moving in a healthy direction.  Very often God can speak through spiritual friends…but we have to ask. 

The signals from God are consistent, but rarely overpowering.  They can get lost in the crowded, noisy lives we lead.  So this week, if your signal from God is not clear, try one of the steps above to get back on track, and to reconnect with the God who made you. 

-Pastor Mark

Seven reasons to go to a different church

It’s vacation season.  Since last summer we’ve endured the Redskins season (ugh), the winter of way too much snow, and another pollen-festival, sometimes called spring.  And now we’re ready for summer!  Beaches, mountains, relaxation, and more.  Chances are you’ll be gone for a Sunday or more.  But no matter where you are, here are seven reasons to go to a different church wherever you happened to be:

1. You’ll remember again what it’s like to be the guest, and be thinking about that when you return to Seneca Creek.
2. You’ll witness the variety of ways in which people worship God, and be reminded that we’re just one part of God’s richly diverse family.
3. You might pick up a new idea, song, or inspiration to bring back with you to Seneca Creek.
4. You might meet someone and discover that God brought you together for a divine appointment.
5. You might be able to experience God in a powerful way, especially if you’re busy serving every week at Seneca Creek.
6. You might create some rich family conversations as you talk about what you experienced in a different place.
7. You’ll probably return with a fresh appreciation for the unique church that God has built here at Seneca Creek.

All in all, seven great reasons to seek out a local church wherever your vacation travels take you this summer.  And then please, be sure to share your experience with us when you return.  Bon voyage! 

-Pastor Mark

Four questions that will rock your friendships

The response to the series, “iRelate,” has caught me by surprise.  God is doing some incredible things in peoples’ lives and in their relationships as a result of the tough, painful conversations we’ve been having.  Many of you could probably tell stories similar to the one I shared last week.  This is an area that is so real and so challenging for all of us.  But before we leave this topic and move on, I’d like to invite you to a challenge based on last Sunday.

Just like in every other area of life (career, hobbies, fitness, etc.), our friends can be game-changers in our spiritual health and growth.  If you were with us last Sunday, you know all about being P.E.A.S. in a pod.  Spiritual friends Pray for us, Encourage us, Ask great questions, and Share the journey.  (If you missed last Sunday, check out the podcast here.)  And one way to kick-start your friendships toward becoming life-changing spiritual friendships is with questions like this:

How are you experiencing God?

What is God teaching you?

Where are you stuck in your life?

What are you attempting for God?

So as you launch into summer this week, why not take 10 to 15 minutes and do something radical.  Ask the questions that will rock your friendship.  Your life and your friendships will never be the same!  And when you do, I’d love to hear how it goes…and how your friends are shaping your journey toward God. 

And if possible, join us this Sunday as we revisit some of the questions that you asked during our winter series, “Making Sense of the Bible.”  

- Pastor Mark