Sep 25, 2024 

Alan

 I’m getting to work! That’s what I just told Linda, and it wasn’t a complaint. I’m privileged to enjoy the gift of both high energy and significant opportunities. In one sense, my responsibilities are the blessing of God. And so are yours.

You and I were made for more than merely getting things done, we were made to make a difference. We were made to live in partnership with God and others in the pursuit of meaning and purpose. Without purpose nothing matters.
 
It’s all grace. Speaking of grace – our friend and neighbor by the name of “Grace” just stopped me with an update on her 84-year-old mother. While she enjoys reasonably good health, her mother is a bit dissatisfied. That’s why she’s just enrolled in a class at the senior center labeled: “Pursuit of Purpose in Life.”  Grace said, “Guess what? My mother is not even the oldest one in her class – the oldest is 92!”

We never outgrow our need for purpose. We’re all born with a need to work at things that matter and make a difference. There’s a nagging hunger within every one of us to find meaning in life.
 
Even those fully dedicated to God often feel unfulfilled in their calling. I just talked with one young leader who admitted that at the age of 43 he’s been struggling with the question of how he might accomplish more with his life in honor of Christ. He and his wife have recently been praying the prayer of Jabez recorded in I Chronicles 4:10.

“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory!’”
 
Just after Alex had been fervently praying, we then met on a Zoom call. I was facing a deadline finalizing the Spanish translation of Soul Strength – Rhythms for Thriving. As it so happens, Alex was trained as a lawyer in Venezuela and is now serving as a pastor in Indianapolis. While he is highly fulfilled, he still feels as if God may have more in store for him, especially in his passion to help leaders, including those outside his personal circle and throughout Latin America. Well, that has suddenly changed in a matter of days.
Alex Diaz has just agreed to partner with me as one of our Hispanic ambassadors in the ministry of Covenant Connections. While he will continue his full-time role with his strong church, his leaders have just blessed him to leverage his influence internationally. His fervent prayer was answered quickly and so was mine.

Quite frankly, because of capacity and time, I was frustrated and wondered how the Spanish translation deadline would be met. I had been working with a highly gifted team of translators, all of whom are in the category of Hispanic ambassadors: Catherine/Columbia, Ely/Chile, Gaby/Mexico and Sara/Ecuador. They have labored with me for several months, and we were 95% finished. When I was discussing this challenge with Alex he immediately wanted to help. That’s when everything suddenly came together
 
Alex was quickly gripped. He said: “While working on the translation I both laughed and cried. This is what I needed and so do countless other Hispanic leaders!”
 
I love it when a plan comes together.

I’m getting to work today, how about you? The work I do is almost all relational, and I suspect that the most important work you get to do probably is too. It doesn’t matter so much what you do but for whom and with whom you get to do it! So, ponder these verses.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).
 
“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (I Corinthians 15:58 NLT).

So, what good work are you getting to do today?
 
Grace and Peace,


Alan

September 10, 2024

It’s been said that Glory goes to God, but honor goes to people. This past weekend it was my privilege to gather with nearly 10,000 others in Savannah to honor Cam and Sarah Huxford, a couple who have made us all proud to partner with them! 
I believe in Divine Appointments … it’s just that I rarely recognize them in the moment. It usually takes some time to discern that, often a lot of time. That’s certainly the case in my relationship with Cam. We first met at a church camp when he was 15 and I was 25.
As with David and Jonathan, God knit our hearts together over a period of time. Strong friendships don’t develop over night, but over time. As the esteemed sociologist Kenny Rogers once said, “You can’t just go out and make old friends, you either have them or you don’t.”

Suffice it say there’s no leader I’ve invested in more over the last 50 years than Cam … and there’s no leader I know better or respect more. Most people come into our lives and quickly go, others linger longer and leave footprints on our soul, and we’re never ever the same.

The mentoring is mutual…. Iron sharpens iron. On countless occasions his words have sharpened, strengthened and challenged me. It’s been a mutually beneficial partnership to say the least; in fact, Cam always groans when I say it, but I’ve loved him longer than his wife Sarah has.

It’s been said that one of the benefits of a long-term marriage is having one special person to annoy for the rest of your life! Well, in some ways the same is true for a strong friendship, which can on occasion be a little frustrating. Frankly, for me those occasions have been few and far between.

We have taken turns sanding each other’s rough edges. We’ve taken turns stretching and challenging each other for decades, but even more we have taken turns sharpening, encouraging and blessing one another… and Cam sets the standard for that.
Several years ago, my fifty-year friend in ministry was introducing me at The Next Level Conference in Savannah. Just that morning I was gripped again with Psalm 138:3, “In the day when I cried out, you answered me; and made me bold with strength in my soul.”  When I went to the stage I shared that verse and asked, “How does God do that?” He does it through the only two things that are eternal: His Word and His People.

Your closest friends have the most influence on you, for either good or ill. Friendship can be a life-giving gift. Sadly, too many leaders have precious few life-giving friends. Some have none. Your best friends are the ones who make you better … these are the ones who are FOR you … speaking the truth to you, even the hard truth. These are the ones who have been granted inner access to your heart and who are allowed to be intentionally intrusive.
Long-term, life giving, in-depth friendships are vital to the strength of your soul. As I like to say, your life and mine will never be any richer than our relationships! The Christian life is never a solo affair. Our enemy wants to isolate us so that he can destroy us. God wants to connect us; so that He can enrich us! This I know: Soul strength is contagious; we catch it from those we choose to be in deep community with us.

Some time back I was minding my own business reading the Bible when I bumped into a surprising line in Psalm 16:3 (NLT). “The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!” I immediately paused to write a list of people who were on that list for me, which of course included Cam & Sarah. Then as I reflected on the qualities of these true heroes of four things came to mind.

•  Long Obedience
• Strong Generosity
• Deep Joy
• Proven Loyalty

 Cam & Sarah are a remarkably gifted pair, everyone who knows them, or has heard anything about them, knows that. What not everyone properly appreciates is the depth of their true devotion … to Christ, to each other, to their family, to their friends and to their church. The Scripture says that, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity … Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?” (Proverbs 17:17; 20:6) Well, by God’s grace I have found a true friend in Cam, and as Paul said of Timothy: “I have no one else quite like him.”

 Few will ever know Cam at the depth that I do. However, everyone who has ever served alongside of him, knows he has put on a clinic in how to finish well. Finishing well means to love Jesus more at the end than at the beginning … and to love the people Jesus has assigned to you more at the end than at the beginning.
Once again, Glory goes to God, but honor goes to people.

Grace and Peace,


Alan

Jesus wept!

I didn’t cry publicly but I definitely had several very long public pauses! It was a most difficult honor when when asked to speak at the memorial service for a young woman I’ve know since she was seven years old.

The day Betsy passed got a whole lot worse for all who loved her, but because of her fervent faith in Jesus it got a whole lot better for her! As the Scriptures say, “To live is Christ and to die is gain!” (Phil. 1:21). Betsy is now with the Lord, and who could possibly wish anything more for Betsy than that!

J.I. Packer suggested we start each day rehearsing several truths:
1) God is my Father; 
2) Heaven is my home;  
3) Every day I'm one day nearer.

Betsy’s seven year struggle was at times an exceedingly painful one but for the most part an exceedingly private one. She didn’t want others to be distracted by her suffering so she determined to live joyfully every day. Betsy was a determined disciple of Christ, she did not have an easy end, but she did have a devoted one. Betsy finished her journey well, she finished it more in love with Jesus and her family at the end than at the beginning!
So, in our grief, we honored her; however, we did not wish her back only to die again. For as the apostle Paul said, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.”

I once talked with a friend after the death of his wife, and he told me something stunning. He shared how he was team teaching a SS class in his California church and shortly after his wife passed it was his turn to teach again. His friends offered to teach for him but he insisted he needed to do it, only to discover that the lesson was based on the shortest text in the English Bible from John 11:35: “Jesus wept.”
 
You may recall the context of that verse is the death of Lazarus and the reaction of Jesus just before Jesus raised him from the dead. The traditional interpretations of the verse are usually about how the humanity of Jesus made Him, even with His Divinity, familiar with the deep human emotion of grief, and to be sure He was. However, my friend saw something else, my friend who dearly loved his wife said, “Now I see that story differently. As much as I miss her, I would never wish her back only to have to die all over again!”

Well, right after Betsy passed I happened to read the words of C.S. Lewis after the loss of his beloved wife, Joy. They were powerful and pertinent. Lewis said, “Having got once through death, to come back and then, at some later date, have all her dying to do over again … could I have wished her anything worse?”

One thing for sure, unless Christ returns first, none of us are going to get out of this world alive, that’s true for you and for the person living right beside you. None of us are going to get out of this world without going through the door of death. Sooner or later we will all pass on, for we are not right now in the land of the living, going to the land of the dying. Rather, for all who have placed their trust in Christ, we can do so with the confidence that we have left the land of the dying and entered the land of the living.

When it’s my time to die I hope to be missed, but I don’t want anyone to wish me back to die all over again!,

I’m finally free to share the news, RMCC is debt free!
 
Matt Cote looked like he had just swallowed a banana sideways. One month ago, when we met for lunch, he wanted me to be among the very first to hear anonymous donors had just paid off the entire building debt of the church.

All 13.5 million dollars of our building debt has now been paid in full! This is certainly one of the largest gifts ever given to a local church. But then, radical generosity has always marked this ministry. In fact, when decades ago we celebrated a cash offering of over one million dollars, it made national news. The NY Times even reported it as the largest one-day offering ever known at the time.
 
With this latest illustration of extreme generosity, I was not only speechless but so deeply moved I lost my appetite. Matt knew that this heavy debt weighed especially heavy on my heart for many years. Truthfully, I had at points wondered whether I had over inspired the church. As you may recall, in the midst of a multimillion-dollar legal battle with Boulder County, we also dared to launch a 20-million-dollar expansion campus in Weld County.
In the dark of the night, I wondered how we could have missed the memo that the economy was about to crash in September of 2008. The ministry was in jeopardy. We were forced to lay off 40% of our staff in 2009. Then in 2010 we needed to lay off another 25%. My faith was tested, and my confidence was shaken.

I’ll never forget the moment when one key leader came to me privately with sobering news. He said, “I would be remiss in my fiduciary responsibility if I didn’t tell you that within six months the church could be defunct.”

Gulp!

Well, by God’s grace, we survived. We never missed a single loan payment, and the ministry endured.
 
Endurance is way underrated. We all love the stories of victory; we just forget that they rarely happen without also going through some awful times of misery. Now, only those closest can truly understand the “Awe-Full” time of celebration.

During the deep valley times God brought many to hold up my arms. I remember receiving a message from someone I didn’t know saying: “Tell Alan he should trust God and have the faith he is telling us to have.” How did she know?

Well, that was then, and this is now. Forty years after we launched the church in faith, we are finally free of building debt. But guess what? This isn’t the first time.

Linda just pointed out, “We were free of building debt when we began, so now we’re beginning again.” She’s right . . . again. Many times, she quietly reminded me that we just had to endure. Now, she has reminded me to anticipate what is yet to come.
I keep quoting the wisdom of one of our elders who said, “God must have greater plans for us than we can now envision.” John is now in heaven, but his wise words continue to reverberate in my heart. Whenever amazing resources arrive, we must always give God the praise and then ask, “Why?”

In the early days of our ministry, we repeatedly challenged the church to generosity. During one of those campaigns, a well-resourced man met with me. He said he would participate if I agreed to only move forward debt-free.
 
I couldn’t do that. I said, “The purpose of our ministry has never been to be debt free. Our purpose is to bring people to Christ . . . build them up in the faith . . . and send them out to make a difference in their world.”

It’s still the same. I can hardly wait to see what God will do as the leaders of this generation, and the generations to come, continue to trust and to endure through the unknown.
We all live in uncertain times. We live between the now and the not yet; therefore, everyone spends time in God’s waiting room. Everyone is tested. That’s why everyone needs heartfelt encouragement during especially difficult and daunting times. We take turns being strong.
 
I don’t know where I would have been without the elders and others who helped carry the weight of leadership challenges with me. If you have any kind of leadership role, I’m sure you understand.
 
Feeling alone is a very dangerous place to be.  Isolation is the devil’s playground.  We all need to be alert to the allies God has surrounded us with.

I am exceedingly grateful for the allies God gifted me with in the past, as I’m now exceedingly grateful for those of the present. The elders and staff of RMCC are a great encouragement to me and to many as they continue to lean into the future with great confidence that some of our best days are yet to come.

In 2008 the elders all affirmed this plea from Psalm 90:17. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.”
 
By God’s grace His provision continues to be our reality. This is not the time to shrink back or stay stuck in our giving. Instead, may we all step up.

May we all be inspired by the generosity of those who desire that the church will thrive into the future. May we all keep on moving forward with faith and not with fear, believing that by God’s grace the best is yet to be!

Grace and Peace,

Alan

Wanted!
True confession, I want to be wanted. And so do you. We never outgrow our desire to be desired. Linda just learned of a 90-year-old widow in a beautiful senior living center near us. She’s always been very active and socially engaged, but now in her new residence she not only typically feels alone, but unwanted. She said that when she goes to the dining room for meals, seeking friendly conversation, she is often told that a particular seat is being saved for someone else.

Everyone wants to be wanted. It’s not just true of middle school kids, it’s even true of seasoned saints whether single or married. Several of my tough guy buddies have been almost embarrassed to admit that they don’t always feel wanted by their wives.
It’s been observed that in every relationship one party desires the other more. Even after a half century of marriage my wife and I still want each other. I’ll admit that most days I want her a little more than she wants me. I often quip, “My wife loves our little get-aways, every time I get away, she loves it!”

The poet Kahlil Gibran once wrote: “Let there be spaces in your togetherness.” It’s true. As much as I appreciate my wife’s presence, I appreciate her partnership even more. Even when she is off doing her thing, and I’m off doing mine, in the deepest sense we are still partners in life for life.
 
Solitude is a gift to us both; it’s really a yearning for God. While conversation and community are life giving, so are quiet spaces. We need them. We need to be embraced by the Lover of our soul. Our deepest desire is for the Divine.

Linda and I just shared a four-hour flight together, and we never said a word. She sat across the aisle from me lost in an enjoyable book, and I did the same. While air travel isn’t the ideal way for either of us to spend a few hours, it can have its benefits. Reading and reflecting can soar together as they both restore us and prepare us for what is to come.
Where and how do you soar? I begin every day quietly. I want to be alone. I want to gather my gratitude’s from the day before and ponder my plans for the coming day. I guess you might say I want to be wanted … by God.

Recently I was reminded again in Mark 3:13 that Jesus first called those He wanted to be with Him. I find it intriguing that Jesus retreated to enjoy solitude with His Father before He invited others to be with Him. Jesus wanted both retreat and relationship. It wasn’t either/or for Him, and it shouldn’t be for us.

As our flight landed our quiet retreat also came to a close. That was more than okay. We longed to see our youngest daughter and her family for the first time in nearly a year. We were ready. In fact, just to be sure our 9 and 11-year-old grandsons could pick us out of the crowd we were wearing name tags to identify us as “Grandma” and “Grandpa!”

We wanted to see them, and we wanted to be wanted! However, there are exceptions. As I’m now finishing this little piece, Suki, their little labradoodle just won’t leave me alone. Evidently, she thinks I came all the way to Maine just because I wanted to see her again!

Grace and Peace,

Alan

My Uncle Bob and I went bowling together and we both won … we each scored more than our age! Uncle Bob is now 92 and amazingly spry without any notable aches or pains. He and his son just drove out from Chicago for a brief visit, and we treated them to our favorite thin crust pizza, juicy burgers on pretzel buns and of course my world-famous lime chicken from the grill. And as you would expect, we offered a variety of ice cream flavors each night. It was a memory maker of a visit.

Seldom have I seen someone in as good of shape at his age; however, my uncle’s age is showing. What was so sobering to me is that he just 15 years older than I am! As we all know life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer we get to the end, the faster it goes. The poet Robert Southey wrote: “Live as long as you may, the first twenty years are the longest half of your life.”

They say that age is just a number. This I know, as the number goes up at some point the counting will stop. However, whatever the final number every life counts. And considering eternity every life on earth is incredibly short.
 
I sometimes like to quiz my pastor friends on how long some of our favorite authors and heroes lived. Here’s a list of just ten in order of the age they died.

•  Age 39 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Author of “The Cost of Discipleship” - hung by the Nazi’s.
•  Age 43 - Oswald Chambers - Author “My Utmost for His Highest” and Scottish evangelist aligned with the Holiness Movement.
•  Age 59 - King Solomon - Renowned for wisdom and author of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.
•  Age 64 - C.S. Lewis - Oxford professor and reluctant convert of Christ, author of “Mere Christianity” and the “Chronicles of Narnia.”
•  Age 67 - George Washington - Hero of the Revolutionary War, an American Founding Father and our first President.
•  Age 70 - King David - Author of most of the Psalms and “a man after God’s own heart.”
•  Age 72 - Tim Keller - esteemed New York pastor and author of many enriching books.
•  Age 78 - Dallas Willard - much honored philosophy professor from UCLA, author of “Hearing God” and many other books on spiritual formation.
•  Age 92 - George Mueller - an English evangelist who founded an orphanage solely on faith ultimately serving thousands of children.
  •  Age 99 - Billy Graham - the leading evangelist of the last century and friend of presidents and author of “Just as I Am.”

Question: why would some die so young and others die so old? No one knows, but as King David wrote in Psalm 39: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” We don’t get to determine the number of our days, but we do get to choose how we will live them and invest them.
 
I just spoke with a good friend a few years younger than me who is courageously battling two types of cancer. He is soon facing major surgery but still hopes to enjoy a number of years with his wife and family. He is not naive, but he is determined to live well and to finish well.

I love how Rick Warren summarized it: “Life is test, a trust and a temporary assignment.” As we read in James 4:14, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
 
I am treasuring each vanishing day more and more, as the apostle Paul said: “That I may finish my race with joy.” (Acts 20:24 NKJV).

Grace and Peace,

Alan

Easy Does it!
It was so easy. After years of frustration, it only took two hours and less than $300 to finally get it done. I’m talking about improving my lousy TV reception. How did it happen? I finally bought a new roof top antenna. Not only that, but I also asked a skilled handyman to install it, and … wonder of wonders, it works great! I only wish all my technological and life frustrations would be cured so quickly and inexpensively.

 “What’s hard for you is easy for someone else.” Those were the wise words of someone I’ve mentored for years. David now sometimes turns the tables on me and offers me timely counsel as well. Awhile back I was lamenting some of my frustrations when he reminded me that just because I struggle with certain things everyone else doesn’t. I just need to ask.
No one is good at everything; we all need help with something. I’ve got several surgeon friends who have privately shared the secret that most surgeries are very easy for them. Easy for them though not necessarily easy for their patients. I just had one of those myself recently. From what he said, my surgeon didn’t struggle with doing my appendectomy, but I can assure you that I struggled enough for us both!

We all know that life is hard at times. But everything that’s hard for me isn’t always hard for someone else.

•    Doing yoga is hard for me but not for my wife.
•    Doing my taxes is hard for me but not for my accountant.
•    Doing repairs on my irrigation system is hard for me but not for my handyman.

What do you need help with and from whom? I don’t always like to ask for help, it’s humbling. Recently I was taking another personality profile and was challenged to daily ask others for help. That’s hard. Typically, I’d much rather be of help than to bother somebody else. Not only that, but I also often assume that they wouldn’t have the time or interest in helping me, even if I was willing and able to pay them.
 
I learned a lesson with my antenna challenge. Not only was it relatively inexpensive, but it was also actually relatively easy for the right person. He had the knowledge, the tools and even a good ladder. In addition, as it turns out he was interested in doing the same thing at his own house, so my little project inspired his own. He went to school on me and got paid for it - it was a win/win! He blessed me, and in helping me it blessed him.

One of the leaders I sometimes mentor just sent me a complimentary text celebrating an insight I had easily shared with him. In preparation for a major speaking assignment, I mentioned something that helped to shape what he said and how he said it. One simple comment from me was insightful for him and beneficial for those who heard from him. It was easy for me to be of help, and I didn’t even have to get on a plane or even leave my zip code to do it.

What do you need help with today? This I know, what’s a burden to you just might become a blessing to the person gifted and willing to help you. We all take turns giving help and needing it, and that’s the way God intended life to be. By God’s grand design, we are all inextricably intertwined. We are not independent; we are all inter-dependent.

Here again are the big questions staring at me, and maybe even you, today.
·      Why am I often reticent to ask for help?
·      What do I most need help with right now?
·      What will I ask for today and from whom?

Sometimes asking someone for help, or even a favor of some sort, is a favor to them. Everyone needs to be needed. Everyone wants to be of value. Everyone is superior in some way. That’s why the scripture reminds us to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

I’m not much of a cry baby, and you’re probably not either. Last week another of our good neighbors just moved away. I warmly shook Larry’s hand, but I shed no tears. Come to think of it, the same was true for every one of our neighbors that have moved away over the last twenty years. Even though I liked them (at least most of them) I shed no tears when they left.

It’s sobering to me that over the last two decades 80% of our little neighborhood has turned over. Yet I have never cried over any of those departing. By contrast, when the apostle Paul left Ephesus, it was a far different story as recorded in Acts 20:36-38.
When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. Most of all, they were sad because he had said that they would never see him again.

With few exceptions, I never expect to see any of the fifty neighbor families that have moved away. Yet even so, I haven’t shed a tear. Not one. By contrast I was arrested by a question that I read again in The Soul Strength Discovery Journal. “Who would weep if they knew they were talking to you for the last time?”

A few years ago, I wrote that question myself and this morning it finally hit home for me. The question prompted me to write a few names. While a few of my neighbors might shed a tear (very few!) the rest who came to mind are almost all guys I have long invested in, some over decades!

Growing older inevitably means losing loved ones. I’ve already lost grandparents, parents, a sister and most all my aunts and uncles. Sooner or later the ones who remain will lose me. Hopefully a few tears will be shed. But apart from family, most of us rarely shed tears over the deaths of those we have known and admired. It’s just a fact. While we may be sobered and saddened by their passing, we’re not likely to break down with actual tears.

So, who will cry for you?  I understand that some Native Americans have a saying: “When you were born you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice!”

A couple of buddies of mine are both brothers and pastors. One served a church of less than a thousand and the other a congregation of over 15,000. The one who served the far larger church said that when he died more people would attend his funeral than would attend the funeral of his brother. However, Bob said that far more people would be crying when his brother John died, than would be crying when he died!
 
“Jesus wept.” That’s the shortest verse in the Bible but one of the most profound. When Jesus arrived at the tomb of his good friend Lazarus, Jesus broke down and cried. Why? I can think of three reasons.
 
·      First, Jesus loved him deeply. The two of them were very close; therefore, Jesus was moved with deep grief.
·      Secondly, Jesus was also greatly grieved because He cared about the sisters of Lazarus who were overwhelmed with grief, and who no doubt were struggling with some potential insecurity as a result of their loss.
·      Thirdly, Jesus knew that after He raised Lazarus from the dead His good friend would be removed from the place of glory only to one day face the death experience all over again!

It takes a man to cry! Certainly losing good friends leads to deep grief. I’ve cried over the loss of many, and here’s what they have in common:

·      I’ve known them, or their families deeply for a long time.
·      They died unexpectedly or tragically.
·      We’ve shared consequential life shaping experiences.

Who might weep over the loss of you? When the day comes for my final departure, I expect increasingly few to be teary. As I soon celebrate my 77thbirthday the actuarial tables indicate I likely have ten years yet to go. If that’s true, by the time I reach the age of 87 I expect that far more left here will be celebrating with me rather than grieving for me. That’s the way I want it to be and why I’ve asked that quality ice cream be served. I hope that any sadness will be overwhelmed by celebration!

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16: 8-11
 
Grace and Peace,

The latest church news shook me and saddened me.  The ministry of yet another highly influential Christian leader suddenly ended in disgrace. The topic was current events as I spoke with several dozen pastors last week. We all grieved together.

The latest leader ending in disgrace has had immense international influence. At the age of 68 he now leaves his ministry in crisis. While his sin was far from the worst we have seen illustrated in recent years, it was more than a mere embarrassment, it was inexcusable.
Everyone fears being accused of the inexcusable. I was reminded of that while re-reading a powerful book. Gordon MacDonald is a masterful writer and the author of many books, including Ordering Your Private World. That’s the first book of his I ever read back in 1985, so two years later when I heard the news that he had been forced to resign his ministry in disgrace I was stunned. 

Here’s his confession that’s included in the introduction of his book, Rebuilding Your Broken World, from 1988.

I am a broken-world person because a few years ago I betrayed the covenants of my marriage. For the rest of my life I will have to live with the knowledge that I brought deep sorrow to my wife, to my children, and to friends and others who have trusted me for many years.

Most pastors live with the realization that they too are vulnerable to a fall. One friend just told me that he has told the Lord he would rather die than suffer a disgrace that would shatter his family. I resonate! What we all know is, “…if you think you are standing firm, be careful you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.”

This is common knowledge within the fraternity of Christian leaders. Another good pastor friend told me that after wrapping up a 17-year ministry he surprised his wife and even himself on the final Sunday. After it was all over he went home, crawled into bed, and wept with relief.

I’ve never forgotten his vivid testimony. What he said humbly documented both his heart and his humanity. This good man experienced a catharsis as he was finally freed from a long-term burden. The release of tears was a letting go of heavy responsibility and from the fear of not finishing well. He said, “I knew that while many things about my ministry were disappointing, I also knew that by God’s grace I never brought shame to the church!” This man finished his local church ministry well - more in love with his Lord and his family at the end than at the beginning!

It doesn’t always happen that way. While King David finished his days still as a devoted servant of The Most High God, he was mostly estranged from his family. In fact, at the end of his days his family was in disarray, and it wasn’t even his wife at his side. You may remember that at the very end of his life David’s staff recruited a young virgin to sleep by his side to keep him warm. Think about it. King David died in the arms of a stranger. No leader wants to finish like that!

How do you want to finish, while falling or while rebounding and rebuilding? Here’s an interesting insight from Rebuilding Your Broken World:

Studies suggest that more than half of American mid-life males live with at least one secret in the past of their personal lives, and these men believe its revelation would bring about catastrophic consequences for them and those close to them. If this is true, a lot of people are living unhealthy lives today. We need to look hard at the nature of of our relationships to see if we encourage carrying secrets by making it difficult for people to come to the truth about themselves.

Here’s the truth, we all fall short of the glory of God! Falling is something we all have in common. What we don’t all have in common is rebounding and rebuilding. That is, after the awareness of our sin, do we confess and turn from it, or do we hide it or deny it? 

This I often remember from Proverbs 28:13, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” Let’s face it, we’re only as sick as our secrets. The fear of discovery is deadly. That’s another reason why we all need robust relationships of depth. We need safe people who allow us to be open and who encourage us to walk in the light.

Do you have any active friendships of depth? By God’s grace I can still say, “I have no secrets and it is well with my soul.” How about you?

Grace and Peace,
Alan Ahlgrim, CSO (Chief Soul Care Officer)
covenantconnections.life

Are you living in the flow? We all have times when we’re not. We may be active, but we’re not in sync. A few years ago, “flow” was my word for the year. It was prompted by John 7:38 where Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.”

The King James Bible phrases it this way: “Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” I appreciate how John Ortberg summarized this.
 
The belly is the deepest place inside you - the place where you get anxious or afraid, where you feel hollow or empty when you are disappointed. The Greek word is koilia, and we speak of getting colitis when rivers of stress run in our belly. Scientists say we have a reptile brain - “a brain in the gut” - that is, neurons in the digestive system that produce feelings of well-being or threat deeper than we can put into words. It is in that very deepest place Jesus said that he will produce vitality.

People talk about experiencing both belly laughs or a kick in the gut. We’ve all experienced both, I certainly have, sometimes within mere days. We just returned from an amazing adventure-filled week in Costa Rica with our son and his family. It couldn’t have been better! Then, because I always need something to look forward to, two days later, I had a planned appendectomy. While everything came out okay, my belly full of fun activities turned into a belly full of agony.

Our physician son said that my planned appendectomy was no big deal. I told him that’s because it wasn’t on him! As for me, my appendix and I have been happily attached for 76 years. Now, several days post-surgery, I have had no “separation anxiety,” but I do have many “separation limitations” of a significant sort. You don’t want to know; I’ll just say I found something to rival kidney stones. I’m sure you can agree that having a body can be humbling!

Life is full of sudden twists and turns, triumphs and traumas. We can quickly move from hilarity to misery. We all get a turn with both, but the Lord is with us through them all. As for me, I’m slowly getting back “in the flow” of things after my surgery. Very slowly. Linda has long joked that she runs an assisted living center with one challenging resident! I’ve certainly brought her some extra challenges of late, and all the time she has excelled with thoughtful assistance. Even though we’ve had our struggles with this, we’re in sync.
While many things are swirling for me and for you, we all especially need to stay in sync with the Lover of our soul. I like how George MacDonald put it, “Certainly work is not always required of a man. There is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.”

“Sacred idleness” is living in the awareness that the divine moment is the present moment. We have never seen or experienced this particular moment before, and we never will again. May you join me in living and relaxing in the sovereignty of God. He is here and now, or He is nowhere to be found.
 
Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”
 
Let’s go with the flow!

Would the people closest to you say that you were usually “fully in” with them? Let’s face it, we all drift at times. I sometimes find myself a little distracted or even a little sleepy when Linda is trying to update me on something, especially in the evening. Recently she asked, “Did you hear what I just said?”

I’m not always hard hearted or hard of hearing. Sometimes I’m just a little tired. It’s the “Eutychus” thing. Remember the account of the young boy who fell asleep during one of the apostle Paul’s sermons? Maybe you can relate. Unfortunately, he was sitting in an open window on the third floor of a house and fell to his death! Paul intervened and the boy miraculously recovered. We can only assume that since Paul continued speaking through the night, Eutychus managed to remain awake! 

This is a humorous story that many kids have learned in Sunday School. I just never imagined it making the news for so many football fans! Stay tuned and I’ll explain.
I’ve been a fan of the NFL for years, especially the Denver Broncos; even though we haven’t had much to cheer about of late!  I’m particularly intrigued with the exceptionally gifted quarterbacks. That’s why the recent Netflix series caught my eye and gripped me through all eight episodes featuring Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons and now Philadelphia Eagles).
I heard Kirk speak a few years ago at a generosity conference and was inspired again by the depth of his Christian convictions. He and his wife are fully devoted Christ followers and people of exemplary character.  

Patrick Mahomes is another fan favorite and declared follower of Christ. He is often seen kneeling in prayer at the other teams goal posts prior to every game. His language before, during and after the games is more than disappointing; however, his passionate devotion to family and football is inspiring. After I finished the series I did a little more digging to understand more about his personal faith.

Here’s a piece I just found via the Sports Spectrum website.
“I feel like I’ve grown in my faith these last few years and I think that’s given me more sense of who I am and why I play the game,” he said, adding, “It just kind of relieves the pressure of playing a football game because I know that I’m on that football field to glorify Him before everything. So it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about going out there and being the best that I can in His name.”

Mahomes said that a passage in Acts 20 has impacted him recently, so much so that he got a tattoo about it. It’s the story of Eutychus in Acts 20:7-12:
“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive! Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”

“It’s about being half in and half out on God. That’s the interpretation I took from it, and how you can’t be half in and half out,” Mahomes said. “So that was the Bible verse that kind of stuck with me, that told me that I needed to be fully in.”

When I told Linda about that she laughed and said: “Well, you’re always talking about being ‘all in’ with your groups, and now you have another illustration!” Until she said that I hadn’t made the connection. I just thought it odd that Patrick Mahomes had been so inspired by the story that he actually got a massive tattoo on his leg to highlight the importance of being “fully in!”

I’m not planning to get a massive tattoo on one of my skinny legs. What I do plan to do is to remind everyone of the importance of being passionately and personally engaged in the hard work of heart work.
 
Let’s face it, soulful stuff requires commitment. That’s why we often encourage everyone to declare themselves to be “all in” or “fully in.”

• Engaging without self-promotion or self-protection. 
• Listening with attentiveness and thoughtfulness.
• Speaking with honesty, transparency and even humbling vulnerability.

None of us can always be “all in” at all times.  The question of note is this: would the people closest to you say that you were usually “fully in” with them? That’s love! As David Augsburger once said, “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.”

The next time you want to get someone’s attention for an in-depth conversation tell them you plan to be “all in” with them and ask them to be “all in” with you. Who knows, it just might help you to be more attentive and “fully in. ” It will also  keep you from sleepily falling out!

Grace & Peace,

Alan

Who Cares 
Are you known as a care-full person? I don’t just mean someone attentive to details, but someone who is attentive to those close to you. Are you someone who exudes genuine care and is seen as one full of care? Not everyone is seen that way nor even sees themselves that way.
David Brooks was academically gifted but relationally stunted. In his profound new book, How to Know a Person, this best-selling author humbly describes his journey to learn more about relationships of care. It was a long struggle. He called himself a practiced escape artist. When others chose to be vulnerable, he would often excuse himself to tend to something urgent, like visiting the dry cleaner. 
At times all relationships are inconvenient. We all struggle with relationships at times; not one of us is perfect with them. If you should ever doubt that, just try getting married, or remaining happily married. The same is true for any in-depth friendship. Life giving friendships don’t come without a few challenges and significant investment. 
I’m looking forward to connecting with a few long-term friends next week; one has been my friend over fifty years. Every time I head out for a trip like this my wife says, “Enjoy your buds,” and I always do. While I always whine about the hassles of travel, she knows I always celebrate the results of connecting with close friends. 
Who are your close friends now? I am indebted to my mentor Bob Shank for helping me expand my appreciation for the various types of relationships in my life. He especially alerted me to the people who have invested in me. Bob recently cited a Wall Street Journal piece confirming that time is required for friendships to form and to flourish. Sadly, we all tend to be somewhat selfish with our time. Is it any wonder that we’re dealing with greater relational poverty than ever before? These days it seems that we’re increasingly impoverished, as evidenced by the lack of both spontaneous laughter and heart-felt tears.
Strong emotion is key to strong heart connection.  I’ve led several hundred funerals over the years and shared thousands of messages near and far. I have no doubt that well-crafted words make an impact. But what seems to mean the most are the unplanned displays of emotion. A spontaneous joke, or especially the occasions of tearfully choking up, were always the most impactful.  
What has recently made you burst out in laugher or in tears? To get very personal, who have you ever cried with or cried over? I’ve cried over the loss of my parents, a few close friends and even a family dog. One common factor was the many years we enjoyed together. Quantity of time is important; however, so is the quality of time. The losses I’m thinking about really hit my heart because I really cared about each of these individuals, and each one really cared about me. These are all illustrations of care-full connections.
In a recent covenant group one man said that what surprised him most was that someone cared about him and his story. We all long to be seen and to be heard at a soul level. As hard as it is, we all know that we need that. Unfortunately, it’s rare for us all to experience that. 
In David Brooks’ book he referenced the common human fear of being invisible. He quoted George Bernard Shaw, “The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.”
We were once in a couple’s group where one of our friends shared a stunning observation. After her gastric bypass surgery, and the resulting radical weight loss, she said that others noticed her, especially men. For years prior to that she felt ignored, overlooked, and undervalued by most people. Only after her significant weight loss did she feel significant to others.
We all have a need to feel that we’re significant, that we matter. My mission is to help others feel the way I want to feel. I don’t want to be dismissed because of my age or appearance, my insecurities, or my embarrassing humanity. For example, I recently had another opportunity of humility called a colonoscopy. If you ever find yourself pridefully gloating over your personal cleanliness and control, and all-around wonderfulness, I recommend having a colonoscopy. It’s a very effective clarifier and cleanser of both body and soul. 
The morning of the procedure I read an encouraging line from Sarah Young in her book: Jesus Calling. She wrote, “It’s okay to be human.” That was more than timely after the repeated explosions of my pre-exam prep the night prior. While my colon cleanse was surprisingly unpleasant and humbling, the way I was treated by the entire gastroenterology staff was surprisingly wonderful and strangely life enhancing. Frankly, I never remember a time when I experienced such grace and good humor from a medical team. I felt seen…in every way imaginable.
A colonoscopy is not a requirement for a humble human connection, but a humble heart really is. Unless we are willing to truly see others and to be truly seen by others, we can never experience life as God intended. No, we don’t have to get naked physically, but we do need to shed some of our well-crafted protections and reveal our inner emotional world.
I just came across some sad journal entries from years ago. At the time, some of the leaders in my circle were very critical of what they perceived to be flaws in my management of others. During their sincere efforts to help me by their frequent critiques, I grew increasingly defensive. In my hurt I began to close down emotionally and withdraw from them. What I realize now is that our team would have been far healthier if instead of closing my heart I had opened more of my heart to them. If I had given my advisors a more honest glimpse into my inner world, I believe they might have been supportive allies for me instead of insensitive critics. What I was lacking is what Pat Lencioni calls “interpersonal courage.” This is the failure to speak all your mind with all your heart. 
So, who might benefit from seeing and hearing more of the real you? And how might you make a more serious effort of really seeing and hearing others as well? This I know: to see and to hear, to be seen and to be heard is God’s call to us all. I, for one, seek to be a more care-full friend in the coming days. 
Grace and Peace,
Alan

Setting Your Affairs In Order!
“…Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’” Isaiah 38:1 (NLT)

A good friend just gave me a tearful update prior to major surgery. His doctor let him know that he likely faces a series of serious challenges ahead even after the operation. My friend isn’t naive, he knows that his end could be sooner than he and his family had ever imagined. He’s not afraid, but he is alert to his need to keep his affairs tidied up. Are you?
I’ve been putting my affairs in order lately. Truth be told, I’ve never been this old before. So, I’ve been on mission to tidy my files, lists and records up for quite some time. I never cease to be amazed how much time and effort is involved in the on-going chores of running a little organization and the business side of our simple two-person household. The challenge of just keeping up with various financial accounts, email requests and password changes is never ending.
 
On my best days I just consider it helpful “brain work” to keep my rusty mental machinery in reasonable working order. Unfortunately, every day is not my best attitude day. However, whenever I get to feeling a little sorry for myself, someone else usually reminds me that I’m not alone. In fact, we recently needed The Geek Squad gurus to fix a problem with our TV and remote. The tech guy said that was no problem for him. But while he is an expert when it comes to TVs and audio systems, he confessed that his own kids have to help him with his home computer!
 
The challenge of keeping everything and every account in operational order is unrelenting. It’s the sort of “home work” that seems to have no end. No matter who you are or how much you have to manage, it all requires diligence to keep your affairs in order.
“… The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty…” Proverbs 14:25. Tim Keller made this observation: “Finally, organizing is a matter of … being organized. Disorganization is selfishness, a lack of love in little things.” When I shared that a few times, several found it to be soul piercing. They were convicted of their need to be more organized for the sake of those they love and lead. How about you?
 
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
    give careful attention to your herds;
for riches do not endure forever,
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
Proverbs 27:34-35

What if we applied these verses to our resources and our relationships? What if we kept better records of both for the good of those who work with us, live with us or who might one day follow us? Personally, I regularly give Linda a technological tour of where to find various accounts and contacts. She has easy access to everything. This I know, any thing that your spouse has no access to is not a good thing!
 
Love is practical. It means taking time to regularly tidy up your affairs. That means your passwords, your calendar, your financial accounts, your legal will. You may want to ask:
How should I be more organized?

What simple things can I do now for the good of my family later?
After I’m gone will I leave a mess to be cleaned up or a message of care-fullness?
Here’s how Andy Stanley asks it: “What does love require of me?” “Those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22b

Happy Tidy New Year,


Alan
Grace & Peace

Surprise!
I’m looking forward to surprising my wife for Christmas! I just went shopping for her and found a great gift, and I think it’s really cute. That’s not just my opinion; the two young sales gals immediately agreed with me. In fact, they enthusiastically said they’d love to have it themselves!

I can hardly wait for Linda to see her surprise, but she’s not the only one. I’m on mission right now to surprise a few other people as well; in fact, that’s my daily prayer: “Lord, help me to live on high alert to Advent surprises and to be an agent of them!

Surprises don’t have to be expensive; by definition, they just have to be unexpected. Surprise and Christmas go hand in glove. The first Christmas came as a surprise to everyone. Certainly, the shepherds were stunned with the angelic news that changed the world forever.

Most surprises aren’t world-changing; however, they can be atmosphere-changing.  Don’t you love it when Amazon or anyone drops something unexpected off at your door? I just got that notice, and I can hardly wait to open it! Well, our friend Oswald Chambers says, “Always be in a state of expectancy … be ready for the surprise visits of God.”  

Expectancy is good, expectation can be dangerous.  Too often in life, we are victimized by our own unrealistic or at least unrealized expectations.  When I was eight years old, I only wanted one present for Christmas: a punching bag. When my dream gift wasn’t under the Christmas tree, I was devastated and almost felt like punching a wall out of frustration. There was no way for me to hide my disappointment. I acted like a little jerk. I wish that was the last time.
 
Expectations can ruin a lot - even relationships. It’s been said that the typical man expects too much from his wife. He is seeking a composite of Mother Teresa, Madonna, and Martha Stewart. Then, when she falls short of his expectations, either in the kitchen or the bedroom, he struggles to find joy in her character and commitment. It’s just a matter of time before our expectations collide with reality. By contrast, when we lighten up on specifics, it’s easier to appreciate the simple surprises of life and the God-kissed moments that happen every day.

I regularly ask all the leaders I mentor the same question: “What are you discovering?”  I never cease to be delighted with the simple insights they are receiving and the life lessons they are learning or relearning. Rarely do they see it coming; it’s typically unexpected. That’s part of the joy.
 
Here’s how Mark Buchanan puts it in his book Your God Is Too Safe. “Our lives should be lived with expectancy. Not necessarily with expectation because expectation tends to dictate terms. The Pharisees lived with expectation and rejected Christ when He did not fit the rigid narrowness of their expectations. Often, I wonder if we, waiting for Christ’s return, do it more with expectation than expectancy. Expectancy is the belief that God will do something. Expectation insists He does it just this way. Sometimes expectation blinds us more to the God who is here right now than outright disbelief does.”
 
I’m trying to live more on alert to the surprises of God - especially this month. In addition, I’m praying that God will use me to surprise a few others, and I’m confident that my wife is going to be among them. However, not all good things arrive when we’d like them to.
Some of the best gifts don’t arrive until AFTER Christmas day! Did you know that the same was true on the first Christmas? As I write this, I see a small set of figurines that Linda placed on my desk. They’re just one of many in our house inaccurately depicting the wise men, or magi, celebrating the arrival of Jesus right along with the shepherds and animals. I say inaccurately because the only place in Scripture where the three magi are noted comes in Matthew 2:11. By the time they finally arrived with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, Jesus and his parents were then settled in a house!

That may encourage you if you’ve yet to receive all of your anticipated gifts! Did you hear about the lady who, in the rush of last-minute Christmas shopping, bought a box of 50 identical greeting cards? Without bothering to read the verse, she hastily signed and addressed all but one of the cards. Then, several days later, after mailing all of the rest, she came across the extra one and was horrified to read, “This Christmas card is just to say, a little gift is on the way!”

The truth is that some of God’s good gifts are still to arrive in the future. And that’s okay. We all need something to look forward to. I have numerous things still to anticipate, and I trust that the same is true for you. I just hope you won’t be disappointed if one of those things yet to arrive isn’t actually an extravagant gift such as gold, frankincense, or myrrh… or even a little gift from me!

May you enjoy this Christmas by living with a special sense of expectancy that God is doing something around you and that He is even seeking to do the surprising through you!

Merry Expectancy,


Alan Ahlgrim
Chief Soul Care Officer
Covenant Connections
Grace & Peace,

I’m Just asking…

“Grandpa, may I ask you some questions?” That’s how my seventeen-year-old grandson recently began an hour long phone call. Andrew was loaded with a series of thoughtful theological questions. He’s been struggling to help a good friend come to understand the faith and decided to ask me for insight and counsel.

I was honored and inspired by Andrew’s questions, so at the end of the call I asked him one: “Is it well with your soul?”

Many have given me permission to enter into their private world, just as I have given them permission to enter into mine. We have the mutual freedom to ask anything, and we do. While some resist probing questions, the wise embrace them. We know we need others to illuminate our blindspots and prompt us to see what we may be missing.

I’m on assignment. In this season of my life God has called me to strengthen others by serving as a sort of soul-full physician. I’ve been commissioned, and at times even compensated, to do precisely this. Asking thoughtful questions is essential to insight.
As with you, I actually pay others to ask me questions!

My doctor just asked what supplements I was taking.
 
My attorney asked how I wanted my estate to be distributed.

My financial advisors asked me what important values drive my investments.

Questions are good for me and good for us all. Here’s the most important one of all: Jesus once asked, “Is anything more important than your soul?”
 
Your soul is the essence of you. It’s the place where you most authentically connect with God. So, who have you given permission to ask the important questions about your inner world? Questions like:

• “Are you increasing in humility, kindness and gentleness?”
• “Are you patiently listening to those closest to you?”
• “Are you frequently engaging in unhurried and unhindered soul enriching conversations?”
• “Are you daily quietly seeking to hear the still small voice of God?"

In his wonderful book, New Morning Mercies, Paul David Tripp really nailed it for me a few years ago. He repeatedly warned against the trend of our culture to be contented with what he calls “terminally casual relationships.” That is, we’ll talk endlessly about surface stuff, but we rarely talk about soul-full stuff. Here is the keeper line for me…
 
“We each need to live in intentionally intrusive, Christ-centered, grace-driven redemptive community.” I’ve been especially gripped with his words: “intentionally intrusive.” Those words are both sobering and inspiring. This is next level stuff.  While I don’t expect just anybody to challenge me like that, I do want some to do that. Certainly my wife and closest allies frequently do that for me, often because I ask them to do it!

I often seek feedback, saying: “What free advice might you have for me?” Frankly, people are usually surprised and some are even shocked by the question. Why? Seldom does anyone humbly ask others for wisdom. For years I sought that when leading a large staff; however, I came to note a pattern.
 
While I frequently asked others for advice and insight, only rarely did others ask for the same from me. Perhaps it was because they assumed I would eventually tell them what I thought they should know or do, and indeed I often did. However, it would have been far better, both for them and for me, if they had humbly, or at least curiously asked me first!
So, whom have you given permission to ask you anything?

Here are a few more insights on this from Paul David Tripp.

“This community is meant to enlighten and protect. It is meant to motivate and encourage. It is meant to rescue and restore. It is meant to instill hope and courage. It is meant to confront and rebuke. It is meant to guide and protect. It is meant to give vision and warning. It is meant to incarnate the love and grace of Jesus when you feel discouraged and alone. It is meant to be a visible representation of the grace of Jesus that is your hope. It is not a luxury. It is a spiritual necessity. The question is, ‘Are you webbed in?’”

I’m on mission to help “web others in” by connecting with both head and heart. I have no desire or capacity to be close to everyone; however, I do desire to see everyone become close to someone, preferably to several. It’s not enough for us to simply share sermons, lessons or inspiring stories. We need to ask each other serious soul-full questions; however, we have to earn the right to do that.

I have at least earned that right with the forty or so who have been in covenant groups with me. None of them are surprised when I circle back to check on them. They welcome it. They know my intention is not to put them down but to lift them up. And I know the same is true when they check in on me.

So, who checks in on you? Many years ago the followers of John Wesley were gathered in small bands that met weekly. In those regular gatherings they typically asked each other one question: “How is it with your soul?”
 
Those small “soul full bands” resulted in a movement that shaped Christianity in America for decades. By contrast, the electrifying evangelist George Whitfield drew massive crowds, far larger than Wesley’s. But at the end of his ministry, Whitfield lamented that he hadn’t done what his friend Wesley did. He sadly observed that his followers were now merely “a rope of sand!”

I don’t want to leave “a rope of sand” when I leave this world. I want to leave a growing network of thriving leaders committed to helping each other live well, serve well and finish well. I want to leave a multiplying ministry of soul-full initiators who dare to regularly ask one another, “Is it well with your soul?”

Are you willing to ask that question of others this week and then to ask others to ask you that question as well?

I’m just asking.

Grace and Peace,


Alan



P.S. Speaking of “asking” - for the first time ever we’re asking those blessed by the ministry of Covenant Connections to “pay it forward.” If you’d like to partner with us this Christmas time would be a great time!
Click HERE to give!

The 10X Request

Wow! I just finished another strategy retreat with some of my “all in” soul allies. The guys in this photo are far from the only inspiring partners I have; however, these are the ones who just made another exceptional impact.

Last night they “floored me” with their whole-hearted investment. To my surprise they asked me to lie down on a small carpet for prayer. They then read the account from Mark 2 of the paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by his friends. That’s what they sought to do. Then as they gathered around me, they read the account of the blind beggar recorded in Mark 10, who was asked a stirring question by Jesus: “What do you want me to do for you?”

They said, “Alan, what do you want Jesus to do for you?” I wasn’t prepared for that. At first, I had no clue what to request. I was stuck, so I asked for the space to just be quiet for a moment. Then something occurred to me.

As you may know we’ve just celebrated reaching the 100 mark in our ministry. It’s taken ten years, but we now have 100 in the fraternity . . . including those who have completed a three-year soul care covenant group, as well as those currently participating in one. That’s a big deal to us.

It’s not just a nice round number—it’s a transformational one. We know that lives have been profoundly changed. We know that marriages and ministries have been saved. We know that the ripple effects of soul health are reverberating in congregations numbering tens of thousands of people!  

I surprised myself with the request to 10X Covenant Connections — growing from 100 to 1,000 leaders in our network! Everyone resonated and that became the focus of heart-felt prayers as they “lifted me up” before the Lord. These guys were serious as they prayed for even more than we could ask or imagine!
 
Have you ever boldly asked Jesus for something? We all want blessings for our churches, for our families and for ourselves. That’s not automatically a selfish thing; it can be a good, noble and God-honoring thing. We all have needs. Just like in the two stories from the Gospel of Mark, we all live with limitations of various sorts. While none of us are paralyzed or blind in the physical sense, we have certainly at times all been paralyzed and blind in the spiritual sense.

When you’re stuck, it’s always a good thing to look up! As we gathered in the high county of Colorado, we were all looking up, seeking the blessing of God — and we got it! As Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity . . . For there the Lord has commanded the blessing . . .”

What meaningful and measurable blessing are you seeking? One of the guys told us that his mother used to say, “If you’re going to dare to ask God for a new bicycle you might as well ask for a red one!” He went on to talk about “red bike prayers.” Those prayers aren’t just vague ones . . .  they’re bold, specific and measurable ones.

So, will you join with us in the “red bike” prayer to 10X the impact of Covenant Connections? One more thing, let us know if you’d like to become a financial partner in this!

Grace and Peace,


Alan

“I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands…” Psalm 31:14-15 NIV

It’s been ten years since my retirement as lead pastor, and what a difference a decade makes! Ten years ago it was my intention to bless the socks off of my successor! I’ve always tried to do that for Shan Moyers, and he has definitely more than returned the favor for me! His whole hearted partnership in soul care nationally has been a source of deep joy for me and great blessing to others. I only wish that our determination to honor the other was the standard for all transitions and not the rare exception!

“Those who are wise will take all this to heart. They will see in  our history the faithful love of the Lord.” Psalm 107:43

Review
I’ve enjoyed leading several soul enriching men’s groups at RMCC.
I have been privileged to serve on The Generosity Council for the National Christian Foundation, and Linda and I have hosted six inspiring JOG Retreats (Journeys of Generosity) with friends from RMCC.
I’ve was privileged to return twice more to teach doctoral classes with Emmanuel Christian Seminary.
I partnered with both Blessing Ranch Ministries and The Center for Church Leadership, leading soul care groups.
In 2020 I launched Covenant Connections for Pastors, connecting 100 leaders in soul care groups nationally.
I’ve led 40 pastors in different Covenant Groups in 52 retreats.
We now have dozens more leaders in groups facilitated by others, and the number is multiplying rapidly!
In 2022, Soul Strength - Rhythms for Thriving was published. Five thousand are now in circulation, and another one thousand have been purchased on-line.
2,500 copies of The Discovery Journal are also in circulation.
In 2023 I recorded the audio version of Soul Strength, which has just now been launched on Audible.
Our grandboys arrived - Awesome Ethan and Super Silas have brought us immense joy!

We’ve hiked and camped in Colorado multiple times and also traveled the world!

2013 - Journeys of Paul with Educational Opportunities Cruise
2014 - Indonesia with Christian Missionary Fellowship Board
2014 - Disney Caribbean Cruise with Joel’s family
2015 - Maui at the blessing of dear friends
2016 - Holy Land with Mark & Carla Scott
2017 - Alaska Cruise
2018 - Kenya, Africa - Missions of Hope
2019 - Okinawa to visit our son Joel and his family
2019 - Grand New England Cruise
2021 - Lewis & Clark Expedition cruise -Snake and Columbia Rivers
2022 - Revolutionary War history cruise - Chesapeake Bay  
2023 - Civil War History cruise -Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis
 
Analysis
I’ve traded unrelenting responsibility for soul enriching opportunity as I now strengthen leaders… because so much that matters happens through them.
God has rewired me from an addiction to performance and production to a celebration of acceptance and unexpected influence.

I was told that the launching of the new entity of Covenant Connections (a “Charitable C Corporation”) would be similar to birthing a baby. I’ve discovered that my “geriatric pregnancy” did indeed take a considerable amount of energy. While I wondered at times if the efforts would be worth the result, I am now deeply encouraged by the fruit that is coming as groups are now multiplying.

Plan
Our application has been completed for Covenant Connections to become an official 501c3 tax exempt organization in 2024!
As the core of soul strength facilitators continues to grow, I look forward to blessing the next generation of leadership who will expand the soul enriching ministry of Covenant Connections, helping hundreds of other leaders thrive to the finish!

My focus now is on mentoring multipliers in soul care…those facilitators who assist me in spreading the word about Covenant Connections.

Soul Strength - Rhythms for Thriving will soon be available in Spanish. In addition, a special African edit is now being completed, and another version is being customized for women.
By God’s grace I’ll complete another shorter book for a more general audience this spring, Soul Strength for Life!

This I know, I don’t deserve my life, I am disproportionately blessed! Be assured that I am immensely and intensely grateful and that it is well with my soul!

Grace and Peace,


Alan
“I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands…” Psalm 31:14-15 NIV.
“Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.” Psalm 119:175

We just met with our attorney to update our will. We’ve known and trusted him for decades, John even remembers when we arrived in Colorado to launch our church 40 years ago!
We have now simplified our will putting everything in “four buckets” to be distributed upon our demise. Here’s the plan. Should Linda and I be trampled by a “moose on the loose” while hiking together, we’ve made things simple for our three kids. Obviously each will of course get a bucket full of blessing. In addition, a fourth bucket will be added to our Giving Fund with Christian Financial Resources. Those funds will then be distributed to the light shining kingdom causes that we and our kids are most inspired to partner with already.
We of course hope that our kids will join us in this journey of generosity. It’s our hope they will be inspired by our example and at least double tithe on whatever they inherit from us; however, that will be their choice.

I just shared this idea with a buddy who also needs to update his own will. Like us, he also has three grown kids and loved the idea of dividing all of his estate both among their children and their charities.  

Everyone needs to have an “end of life plan” because no one knows how soon the end will come. That was brought home to me this week while attending a funeral for a 68 year old friend. Bill quickly passed away after a routine surgery just four months ago. Just after the service I talked with a much younger friend who was reeling over the sudden death of his best friend at the age of just 39!

Lest you wonder, I’m feeling great; in fact, I can’t ever remember feeling better! Evidently my healthy lifestyle, including extra ice cream almost every night, is paying off! But just in case my end comes before I enter my eighties, I want to put my affairs in order.

When I asked our attorney for his advise, he surprised me. John said, “There’s one more thing. Write your own obituary.” Wow, that caught me! I hope it won’t be needed any time soon; however, no one knows. In fact, our attorney, who is younger than I am…as most people these days seem to be… just fell off a ladder while changing the time on his clock. His wife watched him land flat on his back and thought he had died!
 
The end could come at any time for anyone. I just googled the average age of death for a 77 year old American male. If I actually make it to that mark on my next birthday, the actuarial tables indicate I should have another ten years left. Then again, all the ice cream I’ve been eating just might clog up all my arteries far sooner.

So, just in case, I’m taking my attorney’s advice and drafting my own obituary. If you’re wondering what that might include you’ll have to wait. Hopefully for another ten or twenty years, but then again, no one knows.
 
Hopefully this may inspire you to do the same!

Grace and Peace,


Alan

The Power of Place
On our first date, Linda shared her dream of living and teaching in Colorado. We still chuckle about the memorable moment we shared while eating strawberry pie. At the time, Linda didn’t know that I already had high hopes of influencing her future plans. Little did either of us know that God would entwine our dreams and give each of us the desires of our hearts.

It’s always easier to see God’s plan in retrospect than in prospect! For years, we joked that if we ever got a call to come to Colorado, we’d know it was from God! Well, when the call eventually came, it took us five months to understand that it really was a call from God. We didn’t immediately jump into acceptance of the invitation; we struggled with it.
It was exactly 40 years ago that God led us to Colorado to plant a church, and we never cease to thank Him for the fulfillment of our dreams.

Just this morning, I was once again reminded that God always has a plan. “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” Acts 17:24
It has often both sobered and inspired me to consider that wherever I am, God is with me. “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’” Acts 17:27-28.

Have you ever considered that wherever you are, God is at work? As Oswald Chambers reminds us, “Live in a constant state of expectancy and leave room for God to come in as He decides….Be ready for the surprise visits of God.”
 
While we love and enjoy the beauty of Colorado, we most of all love living in an awareness of God. Looking back, we know that God has been with us in every place we’ve ever lived and served. He’s been with us from the hills of East Tennessee to a tiny church in southern Indiana, to the sandy soil of South Carolina, to the big city of Cincinnati, and now to the beautiful place we’ve called home for the last four decades.

The presence of God is evident everywhere for those who have eyes to see, even in remote or difficult places. This was Jacob’s experience when he encountered the all-powerful God in a remote desert. Jacob was so impressed with his encounter that he actually piled up a bunch of stones to mark the exact spot. Then he changed the name of that spot from Luz to Bethel, which literally means House of God. As the Psalmist said: “We give thanks to you, O God; for your Name is near”… Psalm 75:1

 Since God is omnipresent, there is nowhere that He is not!

Sometimes that is stunningly obvious. Many times it is not immediately clear, or it is at least easily overlooked. I know that sometimes I still do that. I must remind myself daily that He is with me in the exact spot where I am at the moment.

• He was with me as I awoke again, with my wife snuggling up beside me.
• He was with me earlier as I knelt in my sacred space, asking for His blessing.
• He is with me right now as I once again enjoy the early morning hours reflecting in my study.
• He will be with me later as I walk Molly Brown and then enjoy an hour-long bike ride in the sun.
• He will be with me as I meet a special friend for lunch and enjoy an in-depth phone conversation with yet another of my true soul allies.
• He will be with us as we share a dinner with a couple we once supported on the mission field that suddenly surprised us with a request to reconnect.
• He will be with me as I kneel at the end of the day, thanking Him for His direction and protection.
• He will be with us as by God’s grace, Linda and I finish the day as we began it, happily together.

Places are important, but awareness of God’s presence is what brings importance to the place. 

• Every moment is sacred when we see it as a precious, never-to-be-repeated moment.
• Every day is a gift to be invested and enjoyed with God and for God.
• Every task is made holy when we embrace it as an opportunity to live in partnership with God.

I am delighted to be living on assignment in the exact place where God has placed me.
How about you?

Grace and Peace,


Alan

Christian Standard
How Are Our Churches—and Our Movement—Doing Today? An Honest Evaluation
By Alan Ahlgrim

My friend Adam Turner recently said to me, “There’s not a day that goes by I don’t find both reasons to mope and reasons to hope!”  

This I know: The more time I spend immersed in the chaos of our culture, the more I mope. By contrast, the more time I spend pondering the promises of God and luxuriating in the presence of Christ and his people, the more I hope!
 
Negativity and positivity are both emotionally contagious. We are each profoundly affected by the attitudes and outlooks of those things we ponder and the people with whom we spend the most time.  

When asked to write this article I sought the insights of several dozen leaders I am connected with via head and heart. These well-informed and influential leaders are scattered throughout the country, so their thoughts represent a national perspective.
I asked them for an honest evaluation of how our churches, institutions, and movement in general are doing. Where are we strong, and where might we need to get stronger still?  
Their input, and related information I’ve seen or gleaned from other resources, provide us with reasons to mope . . . or to hope.  

Reasons to Mope  

• Most of our strongest churches are now, at best, averaging only about 80 percent of their pre-COVID in-person attendance. 
• Church attendance is less regular than in the past; the average regular attendee is present only 1.5 times a month. 
• Recruiting and retaining faithfully committed volunteers has become more difficult, with few even willing to devote more than an hour or so to Sunday engagement. 
• While the online church option is benefiting some who are struggling or traveling, it has led to further normalization of disengagement from face-to-face community. 
• Churches that are attracting greater online viewership wrestle with how to meaningfully measure true participation and struggle even more with how to assimilate viewers into true community. 
• Leaders’ hearts are weary, not so much from overwork but from excessive worry that their messages will be heard as too challenging in an increasingly hypersensitive and critical culture. 
• The fear of criticism has led many to give up on consistently balancing messages with both grace and truth; instead, many have resorted to shouting acceptance and, at best, whispering repentance. 
• The corruption of the culture and the growing acceptance of deviant sexual behaviors are affecting and infecting many families even in the core of the Christian community, especially those fearful of losing their own children from the church and the faith. 
• A recent Barna report indicated that an astonishing 40 percent of pastors now show a high risk of burnout, and that with younger pastors—those under 45—it’s at 50 percent. 
• The stress at all levels of leadership has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and its aftershocks, with one high-ranking Army chaplain observing that pastors now have more PTSD issues than soldiers!  

Reasons to Hope

• The lost have lost hope that the things of the world—whether education, government, or business—will bring them a sense of security, comfort, and personal peace. Desperation is a wonderful motivation for a glorious pursuit! 
• Spiritual curiosity and hunger are increasing among the younger generation; many are searching for meaning for their lives. This is documented by the ongoing success in attracting young people to both Christ In Youth gatherings and The International Conference on Missions. 
• The recent awakening at Asbury University and the popularity of the recent movie The Jesus Revolution and streaming series The Chosen indicate a longing for in-depth encounters with the living God. 
• Christians have an avalanche of high-quality resources, including countless encouraging podcasts, conferences, and connection opportunities available at minimal cost. 
• Professional counseling for leaders has become more common and is no longer a cause for embarrassment; instead, it is now considered a notable credential confirming a desire for personal health and growth. 
• Skill-sharpening cohorts and soul-enriching covenant groups are becoming a new standard of ministry excellence for many leaders. 
• Discipleship is now measured not merely by the transfer of information, but also by spiritual transformation in life-giving community. 
• Overall church attendance is down, but not church giving. In fact, charitable giving increased nearly 5 percent during 2022’s record inflation. 
• Our movement has several organizations that specialize in providing financial assistance for building and ministry expansion with virtually no problematic loans on their books. Churches, it seems, are the most reliable borrowers! 
• Many congregations have dynamic, flourishing, exuberant intergenerational worship celebrations featuring energetic contemporary music. 
• Baptisms of people of all ages at worship gatherings are increasingly common, with periodic mass celebrations of dozens of baptisms on special days. 
• More of our churches and parachurch organizations are demonstrating compassion through creative pace-setting approaches in church planting, world evangelization, child sponsorships, and church-based foster care efforts. 
• Elders are focusing less on church management and more on church health by working with and encouraging staff leaders. 
• Amid vitriolic culture wars, church health is prized more than ever and healthy church relationships are being pursued through authentic life-on-life, small group connections. 
• Our churches are typically islands of joy, peace, and civility in a world filled with discord. They reflect confident hope in the One who promises to redeem all things! 

Reasons to Rejoice!  
I recently saw someone wearing a T-shirt with the slogan, “Eternal Optimist!” I want that description to be true of me. Years ago, noted British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge made some pessimistic comments about world affairs while visiting Washington, D.C. When asked if he saw any reason for optimism, he said, “My friend, I could not be more optimistic, because my hope is in Jesus Christ alone.”
 
That’s how I see it, and that’s why I’m hooked on hope . . . because my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness! As I approach the eighth decade of my life, I am more devoted to Christ and his community than ever, and I’m not alone! Cam Huxford, my closest friend in ministry, recently said to me, “I believe the best days are still ahead. The challenges are making us stronger and more grateful. I’m confident God is raising up leaders to move his church down the field. . . . What a great time to be a Christian leader!”
 
In summary, as the culture grows darker, the light of the gospel is shining brighter through countless life-giving communities of faith! The movement of which I have been a part has great work yet to do, especially in discipleship; but there is great reason to rejoice that God is at work among us and that he isn’t finished with us yet!
“But as for me, I will always have hope” (Psalm 71:14).

Alan Ahlgrim is author of Soul Strength: Rhythms for Thriving. He served as the founding pastor of Rocky Mountain Christian Church for 29 years and now serves as chief soul care officer of Covenant Connections for Pastors.  

I’ve been whacked with an evil virus for 10 days. I had to cancel out on The Spire Conference in Nashville and here’s the irony. Before I got so sick I had already recruited eight guys to assist me in a 2.5 hour Huddle session entitled: “Soul Strength is Contagious - Friends Required!”

My absence in Nashville proves the point! It’s now day ten, and I’m working on my back deck while still struggling with fatigue. My next-door neighbor just walked over and asked how I was doing. Evidently, he heard I was not well. After I told him of my unrelenting fatigue, I added: “Here’s the good news: I’ve got some really good guys covering for me. It’s not all about me.” To which he said, “It’s never about us; it’s about all of us.”

Well, I’ve been saying: “My get up and go, got up and went!” If that should ever happen to you, who will get up and go for you? By God’s grace, throughout this week, I will have a dozen guys or more stepping up for me in Nashville. While I think I may have been some help, had I been able, this I know: These guys will be more than able to take things to the next level (and beyond) without me!

In my weariness each evening, I’ve been watching the HBO special, A Band of Brothers. It’s been humbling and eye-opening to see the sacrifices of some in “The Greatest Generation.” These young men, all from common, ordinary backgrounds, volunteered to serve as paratroopers in WW. II.
 
They were typically outnumbered, under-resourced, and overwhelmed by enemy fire. That was their reality; however, they were never alone. Each man counted on his buddy to back him up. Many times, they had to drag a fallen man back to a foxhole until a medic could arrive in hopes of stopping the bleeding. I just found this succinct summary from Michael Walther.

The television series Band of Brothers follows the experiences of a company of paratroopers as they participate in the invasion of Europe. In one scene, Lt. Richard Winters is leading his men into the heart of the Battle of the Bulge. Another lieutenant is pulling back from the front line, and he gives Winters a dismal report, "Looks like you're going to be surrounded." Winters replied briefly and confidently. "We're paratroopers. We're supposed to be surrounded.”

Have you ever felt surrounded by unrelenting forces or even an unrelenting fatigue that you could not control? Well, take heart, you’re not the only one! When those times come, stand firm and trust that in His time, God will send His resources to your side. As we read in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:

Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor:
 If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up.
The growing ministry of Covenant Connections doesn’t depend just on me, but on all of us. Whenever we feel surrounded we must remind ourselves and one another that we are all in very good company after all!

Grace and Peace,


Alan

P.S. The best time to build a Band of Brothers is before you need one!

I’ve known Betsy since she was seven years old, that’s why when her husband Derek asked if I would share in her memorial service this week I told him that it would be a “difficult honor” for me! Well, it’s been said that we all ought to live our lives so that the preacher won’t have to make good things up at our funeral. My problem was not coming up with enough good and even wonderful things to say and to share about Betsy, but rather in knowing what to leave out!

Well, the things most profound for me have been the two experiences that she has shared with me about hearing from God. The first of the remarkable experiences happened some years ago in the stairwell of our church building when she was struggling with her health and anxious over her husband losing his job.

Betsy was alone in the stairwell, or so she thought, when she was surprised by a voice and the clear words: “Why do you think I won’t take care of you?”When she turned and looked around no one was there, and yet she suddenly realized that Someone was there. The same One who, ever since she was a little girl, had promised never to fail or forsake her.
The second experience is the one she shared with me and that I wrote about in chapter ten of the Discovery Journal. It’s the introduction on: “Live Gratefully.” I just happened to walk by her office a couple of years ago and once again was remembering how God had spoken clearly, and audibly in the stairwell nearby. We celebrated that several times over the years as a marker moment. That’s when she told me of a second time that God spoke.

This time God spoke not audibly but no less personally and powerfully. Betsy had been hospitalized for a week when doctors, unable to identify the cause of her symptoms, transferred her to a larger hospital. She was deeply discouraged the day she arrived there by ambulance. Betsy’s new nurse, a young believer from Kenya, introduced herself as “Olive.” She explained she’d chosen her American name because she felt her African name was too difficult for Americans to pronounce. Realizing how discouraged Betsy was, Olive said something surprising. “You know, there are many people in my country who would happily trade places with you!”

That stunning statement instantly shifted Betsy’s perspective. She immediately started seeing the blessings that surrounded her even in the hospital: A loving husband. A gifted medical staff. A private room, air conditioning, a clean bathroom, even hot water!
Betsy’s attitude of intentional, determined gratitude was accelerated that day. Betsy said that the Olive branch was a gift from God and an agent of peace. Betsy later reflected that just as an olive branch is a symbol of peace, a nurse named Olive provided Betsy with a clear sign that God was with her. And curiously, they never saw nurse Olive again. They considered her a messenger from God - an angelic presence!

Henry Blackaby once said: “The Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church to reveal God’s purposes and His ways.” Betsy knew, as most of us are learning, that God is incessantly speaking to us all, reminding us all that this life is going somewhere, we are not alone and He is not silent.

He is always with us and He is always speaking to us! He is always present whether it’s in a season of fear or a situation of pain, whether in an empty stairwell or hospital bed - there is nowhere He is not. And there is no time that He is not speaking.

What might He be saying to you?


Grace & Peace,


Alan

I recently read a convicting statement by Curry Blake that said, “If your gospel isn’t touching others, it hasn’t touched you.”

Ouch.

I’ll be honest. Over the years, I have gotten into a rhythm of life and ministry that at times looks a lot like a rut. Rhythm or rut? I’m all for healthy rhythms, but there can be a grey line between healthy rhythms and dangerous ruts.

One of the staff values we hold at the church I serve is “Create healthy rhythms.” Our commitment is “to spend time with Jesus regularly and pursue balanced work-life rhythms to care for ourselves spiritually, physically, and emotionally.”

Much has been written lately about the myth of work-life balance (e.g., David McNeff, 2021), indicating that an either-or approach tends to damage, rather than enhance, both. And so the pontificators of emotional health describe a “seven-slice approach” of family, professional, personal, physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. Okay. So now we have seven slices to balance instead of two. However you want to slice it, the end goal is the same: healthy rhythms lead to a healthy life.

So, what does all this have to do with the convicting statement of the lack of a gospel touch? I have discovered that in my rhythm of life and ministry, a rut begins to form, and the gospel becomes more of a distant echo than the imminent sound of the Spirit. This leads to a mechanical rhythm devoid of the Spirit blowing where it wishes (John 3:8). As the heart grows cold, there is no heat to assuage the cold of others.
 
What I am discovering is that in my daily and weekly rhythms, I need to create space for the Spirit to move, to breathe, to radiate, to blow the cool embers of my heart in order to rekindle the fire that once burned bright.

In other words, I need the gospel to touch my life again and again for the gospel I preach and live to touch the lives of others.

Do you have a rhythm of renewal built into the rhythms of your life? If not, your rhythms can turn into ruts, and the gospel is left on the coffee table of your heart collecting dust.
Create a daily and weekly rhythm of renewal and allow the gospel to keep touching your heart so that, in turn, it will touch the hearts of those around you.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, CSB).
“Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5, CSB)

Rick Grover,  minister at East 91st Street Christian in Indianapolis.

Never underestimate the influence of a trusted mentor. Just because you are well-advised now, just because you are living with wisdom now, that is no guarantee for tomorrow.
We are all susceptible to our sin nature; therefore, we all have the capacity to make ill-advised and unwise decisions. We even have the capacity to make really stupid and sinful mistakes that can lead to devastating consequences for us, our families and our churches.
Sometimes God brings someone into our life that changes us for good. Unfortunately, even good men and great mentors die. What then?
 
One exceptional mentor was an exceedingly catalytic influence for good! Even though he lived far beyond the typical lifetime, he died. I’m talking about Jehoiada, mentor of King Joash.
 
“Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.” 2 Chronicles 24:2 NLT

“As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord” 2 Chronicles 24:14

Jehoiada was key to the king’s coronation and kingdom success. He was actually catalytic to the installation of King Joash at the age of seven! In short, Joash was a great leader as long as his great mentor was alive. Unfortunately, when his best mentor died it marked a devastating downturn for the king and his entire kingdom. That’s when the vulnerable king was persuaded by other mentors to return to idolatry. (vv 17-18)

So, who are your wise advisors right now? If you need daily wisdom, where do your turn? As for me, I first turn everyday to God’s Word. I do that without exception. In addition, without exception I also “break bread with the dead” every day! I read from wise advisors such as:

• Oswald Chambers
• Tim & Kathy Keller
• C.S. Lewis
• Dallas Willard

In addition to those who have died, I also consult regularly with those who still live! Not surprisingly, my wisest advisor is also my wife for life. She rarely initiates a lot of advise, but she typically provides it readily upon request. And she’s not the only one. Almost daily I ask for wise counsel from one or more of my trusted allies. Rarely am I disappointed. How about you?

Here are some of the markers of those who serve in my cadre of kingdom counselors and mentors.

• Long obedience. They’re neither newbies to the Christian life or to leadership. I have documented proof of both their faith and their fruitfulness.
• Deep joy. They’re neither naive nor negative. They understand the challenges of our time; however, they have fervent confidence in the One who is promising to redeem all things.
• Strong generosity. They’re neither stingy nor calculating. That is, they don’t need a calculator to determine a tithe. They consider investing ten percent of their income in kingdom work to be the beginning and not the ceiling of their generosity.
• Proven loyalty. They’re neither hyper-critical nor excessively complimentary of me. They know my limitations and flaws, but they are unceasingly for me. They make it no secret that they want the best for me by faithfully speaking the truth in love to me.

I am surrounded by reliable relational resources. I don’t have just one, I have an abundance of them because I have cultivated them. Furthermore, the Bible repeatedly affirms the importance of a multiplicity of insightful allies. “… there is safety in having many advisors.” (Proverbs 11:14b NLT).

I know I need all the good counsel that I can get and I hope the same is true for you. If you haven’t yet found several wise ones to lean on, begin with just one. That one may even be the one most influential in bringing you to faith or maturing you in the faith.
 
Sometimes these key contributors are referred to as spiritual fathers or mothers. In my mind, that title is not so much a factor of age but of influence. This paragraph written by the apostle Paul to the young church in Corinth may be worth pondering.

“I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.” Corinthians 4:14-16 NLT

Whether you know it or, whether you want to admit it or not, you are probably imitating someone else. So, who is it?

• Who is inspiring you to live more boldly?
• Who is challenging you to live more selflessly?
• Who is encouraging you to move to the next level of influence?
• Who is calling you to press pause and listen to God’s still small voice?

Make no mistake, mentors really matter. Just consider King Joash. His best mentor was catalytic to his kingly success. The others brought him to a kingly collapse! The same could be true for you and for me. Your mentors will help to shape you and your legacy for good and for God, or for the absolute opposite.
 
Whose words are carrying the most weight for you?
 
Grace and Peace,



Alan