Buddies Make Movie Tickets

13 Jan ’12 By 18 Comments

Buddies do things together.

They make tree forts, play basketball, and go swimming in the river.

Buddies help each other, too.

They pull out splinters, fix bike chains, and make movie tickets for each other when their parents are too busy to take them to the real thing.

But when buddies grow up, they become “friends.”

While the term of endearment may change, the need for their nearness doesn’t. Tree forts become cook outs and bike chains become marriage advice. If anything, we need our buddies even more as adults than we did as children.

God never intended us to be solely self-dependent or self-reliant. Nor was our birth family alone supposed to be the end-all solution for companionship; it’s interesting that Jesus himself is alluded to as a “friend” that’s superior in calibre to that of a birth brother (Prov. 18:24).

While I have positive occasional contact with my childhood buddies, most of the men in my life today are products of providence and of choice cultivated over the last ten years or so.

And I am very blessed indeed. We’ve traded peanut butter and jelly for dinning room entrees, BMX bikes for minivans, and Ataris for iPhones. But the genuine care for one another’s health and wellbeing hasn’t changed at all.

Maybe it’s just stronger.

To all the men close to me today: thanks for being my pals. I couldn’t do this without you. Nor would I want to.

If there are buddies in your world who’ve helped you navigate and enjoy the waters of life, make sure to thank them this week. I’m sure you’ll find they’re just as grateful.

Who knows; maybe they’ll even do a real movie with you just for fun. ch:

20120113-121313.jpg

Filed Under: culture, leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s Your Rewards Program?

14 Nov ’11 By 10 Comments

I got a benefits card from Starbucks in the mail today. I’m now a Gold Card carrier. Nice envelope, nice packaging, and nice things to say about me. (Though automated).

Here’s the crazy part: Starbucks isn’t even close to being my favorite coffee.

Part of the reason I got this status – based on how many times a customer orders – is that a church I ministered at gave me a loaded Starbucks card as a gift. Free coffee. Score. (Thanks Mocha Dragon).

But there was also this idea floating around in the back of my mind that if I order enough, I get benefits for my patronage.

Never underestimate the power of providing benefits. Such a program can attract people to be patrons even if you don’t provide their favorite product. There’s power not only in the type of benefits you provide, but also in the sense of community that you create. Because people want to belong.

The interesting thing is that Starbucks didn’t create the idea of a rewards program. And while some church goers would consider it blaspheme if their church had a benefits program, the simple fact is, God started it.

Psalm 103:2 says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” And Hebrews 11:6 adds to it by saying, “…And He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

God has a rewards program with benefits.

Sounds way too capitalistic for those occupying Wall Street at the moment. But the truth is, while salvation is offered freely, favor is costly. It demands loyalty, patronage, and consistency.

There are even particular rewards and benefits disseminated in direct proportion to our level of patronage. And while the idealist would say, “You should seek God simply because He’s God” – and I would agree – there is the reality that people are human, and sometimes we don’t see the goal, only the benefits. And if that’s what it takes to drive certain people forward, I’m all for it. Because eventually they’ll get the point. Or they’ll run into the Rewarder.

Unless, of course, you offer a terrible product. In which case I may stop using my Gold Card when the free money runs out. ch:

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:

Q: What rewards do your friends get from knowing you? Do certain friends get different benefits? Based on what?

Q: What retailer or business do you frequent because they have a great reward program? Are you willing to pay more, or put up with something you don’t like, because of their program?

 

Filed Under: business, culture, leadership, marketing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Obedience Devoid of Success?

11 Jul ’11 By 1 Comment

I often ask myself, “Am I simply trying to raise obedient children? Or am I trying to raise successful people who can make decisions on their own?”

I also ask this question to friends or people I’m counseling in the form of self-reflection.

Are you simply trying to be obedient for obedience’s sake? Or are you actively thinking through your actions with success as the end goal?

God never intended obedience devoid of success. If God is planning for you to be successful, you should be, too. One good decision at a time. ch:

20110711-091352.jpg

Filed Under: leadership, pictures, The Hopper Kids Tagged With: , , , ,

Your Church Contribution?

30 Mar ’09 By 3 Comments

So after reading some blog stuff, following some Twits, and generally taking the pulse of the universe in my spare time, I’ve been prompted to ask a question, which, of course, in true blogging fashion, I won’t get to until the very end of this post.

When assessing the current “state of the Church” in the world, we often point to the success or failure of her leaders, namely, her Pastors. And while I will be the first one to endorse healthy, visionary, vibrant, mature, pastors for the success of any local church, I think we’ve misplaced a lot of the pressure. There are, of course, four other Biblical seats of office in any local church, which we could put pressure on (but most of those people are operating as pastors because we just don’t pay prophets or teachers the same way we do a pastor…something I hope this generation remedies). But even those four seats aren’t where I’m headed.

If the Church is made up of people, and all the leadership is to equip the saints for works of service, I’m wondering if all our “church development” and her inevitable success falls on our shoulders. The people who make up the church. If she is growing, which I wholeheartedly believe she is, and I’m a part of Her corporately, then I want to make sure I’m a part of the building process, regardless of my title or position.

So with that being said, let me ask a question that might be rather hard to have you post a comment about without sounding proud (or shamed). So consider it a comment-free query, a rhetorical blogging question…

Q: What have you done to advance the success of the Church this week?

ch:

Filed Under: news Tagged With: , , , ,

What’s Your Type of Success?

26 Aug ’08 By 6 Comments

I’m learning a lot about being stretched by God in this season. Between 21 consecutive nights of house guests, writing curriculum and re-structuring leadership for re-launching a youth ministry and a discipleship school, doing my final re-write of Book III, preparing for a West Coast book tour, concerts, youth conferences, a speaking schedule, and helping to oversee a church building project as well as two new pizza business, I’m certainly feeling the affects of fatigue.

But not as much as I was six months ago.

While at a leaders meeting this past Saturday, God really moved during our time of corporate prayer. Not during our brainstorming sessions. Not during coffee and donuts. During prayer. When the dust had settled after our time of seeking God, we all rubbed our eyes and sat back, stunned at how God had met with us. Stunned at how we felt energized. Refreshed. And how many new ideas had come with so much peace accompanying them.

So often it seems we, or at least how I roll, live our lives and try make time for God, when in reality–a truer reality–we should be living our lives for God and trying to make time for everything else.

Granted, my life is pretty full and I’ve seen a lot of success, with more coming, I hope. It’s truly amazing how much we can do and be successful without even bothering to take more than ten minutes with God in a day. Even less. He’s just that gracious. But as we were in prayer, God gave me a little line that has really challenged me to determine which kind of “success” I want. Here’s what I mean…

“A life lived for God is successful, but a prayer-lead life lived with God is divinely successful.”

I’m in a season where I don’t just want to be successful, I want to be divinely successful. Anyone can be successful if they work hard enough, cling to diligence, and embrace a lifestyle of excellence. Shoot. Some people even get lucky! But to be divinely excellent, that is quite another thing. To have God breath on His own ideas for your life, for Him to dictate what and when you do, that is something heavenly. Divine. And though I’ve heard it said a thousand times, preached, taught, and recited, I am recognizing that this kind of success only comes through prayer.

Brad Ringer, one of our amazing staff members here at DIBOR, always challenges me with a question: “Are you replacing prayer with study?” Often we replace reading the Bible or a good spiritual book, or even journaling, with time that we should be in prayer. Why? Because reading my Bible is something I can do, and touch, and measure. But prayer gets no glory. I can’t measure it, save maybe in time. But true prayer is much deeper than a religious exercise or a discipline. It’s communion with the Holy Spirit. And I feel as though I’m rediscovering that.

If I ever needed refreshment in the midst of an onslaught of activities, it’s now. If I ever needed divine inspiration and direction, Holy Ghost prompted initiatives and Godly time-management skills, if I ever needed peace in the midst of the storm, I need it today.

Thanks for reading.

CH

Filed Under: news Tagged With: , , , , , , ,