Getting Your Feet Hot by Brandon Cox

Early in my adult life, I endured a particularly trying time in ministry leadership. I was 19 and serving as the Pastor of a church - way too young, probably, for the task at hand. I was also naive to the relational issues that sometimes exist in churches and I walked into the middle of a difficult set of circumstances. A few months later, when it was all said and done, way too much had been said, and very little done.

I walked away from that experience feeling like a failure and so discouraged that I privately vowed to give up on being a Pastor. I was determined to stay out of any primary leadership roles and passively coast. But God, as He often does, had His own viewpoint on my experience.

Instead of sitting out on the sidelines, my new Pastor left for another ministry opportunity just three months into my staff role, and the church approached me about becoming their Pastor. Reluctantly, but knowing fully that God was calling, I accepted the position. Instead of certain disaster, I experienced seven and a half years of healing, fulfilling ministry to a wonderful group of people whom I love to this day. 

While talking to one of my mentors about my experience, he offered a piece of wisdom that I’ve passed on to young leaders many times since... “If you’re going to be something great, God will have to put you through a fire, and if you won’t walk through that fire in one place, you’ll have to face it in the next.” How true!

If you want all that God has for you, if you want to be used greatly in His hands, you’re going to have to walk through a fire of refinement. There are traits and characteristics left over from our sinful nature that prevent us from reaching the full potential for which God created us as leaders, and the only way to be freed and refined enough to rise to that potential is to walk through the fire God has in mind for us. Sometimes we need to be willing to get our feet hot. 

Brandon Cox is the Lead Pastor and church planter of Grace Hills Church in Bentonville, Arkansas. He served for a time on staff at Saddleback Church, and continues to serve as the editor and online community director of Pastors.com and Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox. Brandon is married to his high school sweetheart, Angie and they have two awesome kids, Ella and Sam. More at BrandonACox.com, and you can also connect with Brandon on facebook and twitter.

Who Do You Think You Are?

There's a great new TV show on lately called "Who Do You Think You Are?" that follows celebrities as they discover their geneology and ancestry roots.

There is something so powerful for all of us about learning about our ancestors. 

I have known a few different interesting facts about various ancestors, but this weekend I learned some exciting and surprising new facts about a distant relative.

My dad has been reading a book by a former missionary to China who was my great-great-great Uncle. His name was Henry Brown.

Henry Brown travelled as an evangelist across the US and Canada for several years before going as the very first missionary to China for the General Conference Mennonite Church, a group of Anabaptist Mennonites. He spent much of his life as a missionary there. He actually went without formal support in 1909, and it wasn't until 1914 that he was officially endorsed by the denomination. He wrote and self published 3 books of his travels, which my dad is reading now, and I look forward to reading after he's done. My dad shared that they are pretty riveting, and filled with stories of God coming through and doing miracles to sustain his missionary endeavors. 

And, get this ... he even spent several years in prison for spreading the Gospel. Wow. After some time back in the US, they even returned to China where they had previously been imprisoned to continue on the work. They were part of the generation of missionaries responsible for the underground Church and staggering growth of Christianity across the nation today. 

It seems that he was a godly, effective leader. According to their denomnational records, "he proposed a plan to share leadership of the church and mission with the Chinese Christians." His third book seems to deal with this transfer of authority as well.

So absolutely grateful for the godly heritage we appreciate today, and yearning to leave the same kind of legacy for generations yet to come.

Would love to hear from you - do you know of any interesting stories about your ancestors? Share in the comments!

Whitney Houston: Love vs. Hate by Terry Weaver

Today in Newark, New Jersey, Whitney Houston will be laid to rest in her church that seats 1,500 with her family, friends, and lots of famous people paying their respects to her and celebrating her life. Sadly like so many funerals of the famous and the infamous,  Westboro Baptist "Church" will be there to protest her death and life. They will be there with their message of hate. They will probably have signs that read "God Hates Whitney Houston".  They have even gone so far as to post a parody of one of her most popular songs, "I WIll Always Love You,"changing it to "God Will Always Hate You."   

I don't know where Whitney will spend eternity, but I do know this: God Saves Sinners! God did not hate Whitney, he loved her enough to send his only Son to die the worst death possible for Whitney. I hope its true that she believed what she sang when she moved a nation singing... "Jesus Loves Me this I know, for the Bible tells me so". The great news of the Gospel is that the relentless love God has for us does not fade or change. None of us are too far gone to be redeemed. I know that her life was full of bad decisions, but if we are honest so are each of ours. Most of us are blessed to not have our sins broadcast on the evening news. 

Late night talk show host Jon Stewart said it best, “The Westboro Baptist Church is no more a church than Church’s Fried Chicken is a church.” It does not seem that they are going anywhere anytime soon. They are passionate about spreading a message of hate. Westboro is not a church, but neither are we if we just stand idly by and not respond with love to hurting people. Our churches have become safe country clubs for the forgiven rather than rescue stations for the hurting.

What if every church in America had the same passion and fervor to spread a message of love and the hope of the Gospel? What if every time a soldier was buried, the church was there to love them? What if every single Mother had the church's help and support? What if we actually clothed the naked and fed the hungry like we have been commanded to? Could you imagine what would really happen if the Body of Christ actually loved people without an agenda?

People are not listening to the message of Westboro because whatever their message is can't be heard over the hate.  Love speaks louder than hate. I hope someone loved Whitney enough not just to tell her that God loved her, but that the Creator of the universe died so that she can live. Let's not let our message be silenced because we hated instead of loved. 

Today, silence hate with love. Reach out to someone that is hurting. Don't just settle for going to church. Be the church.  

What if...

John 13:34-35 NLT  "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Terry Weaver has been traveling extensively for over 15 years taking the message of the cross and the purpose God has to tHIS generation. This journey has taken him across the country and to several foreign countries, including Texas. Terry and his wife, Leslie currently reside outside of Nashville, Tennessee with their feisty miniature schnauzer, Gibson. More at TerryWeaver.org and you can also connect with Terry on facebook and twitter.