Owen, Noah, Aaron, Rylen, Bruce, Holden, Parker, Matthew, Spencer, Dawson, Brandon, Trey, Tucker, Nathan, Kain, Jacob, Alexander, Collin, Benjamin, Nicholas, Austin, Joshua, Evan, Jack, Neco, Cooper, Elijah, Kyle, Oscar, Keegan, Malcolm, Mason, Bregan, Madden, Myles, Caeden, Brenden, Pryor, Maurice, Nicky.

Gabriella, Jillian, Lillian, Audrey, Ruby May, Erin, Bianca, Jade, Rylee, Aili, Trynity, Meghan, Olivia, Elise, Quinn, Ariana, Charlotte, Beatrix, Abigail, Layla, Kenley, Caoimhe, Cailyn, Ava, Carolina, Mia, Ailey, Alena.

I just read a rather amusing article today concerning a History Channel account of Joshua’s battles. The contention of the author was that the History Channel omitted any reference to God as the director of these battles and the subsequent conquest of Canaan. To me, it is more troublesome that we would want to give God the credit.

Here is a very abbreviated account of what happened. Moses had turned over leadership of the Israelites to Joshua, just prior to his death because he was unable to cross into the land of Canaan. Upon entering the promised land (after forty years of waiting due to disobedience) Joshua’s armies proceeded to wipe out all inhabitants of any city that he encountered. He did, however, offer cities that gave in to him, the chance to be ruled by Israel rather than face destruction. It is also important to mention that Joshua not only destroyed the cities he encountered, he murdered every man, woman and child within the city walls. He did this over and over until Canaan was his.

OK, now without the cute songs and folklore that we grew up with, does this sound a little out of character for our God? Only a few short years before entering the promised land, God gave His people the ten commandments. Among these commandments were “thou shall not steal, thou shall not murder and thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house” Does it not seem contrdictory that after such a brief time God now embraces murder (let’s face it, Joshua was using the army of Israel to kill children, women and the elderly, as well as able-bodied men), taking the land , by force, from the rightful owners and the coveting of other’s property. I am only a layman but does God change so easily. Is it not more believable that Joshua misinterpreted God’s plan, struck out on his own and layed waste to the cities in Canaan?

Granted, the people he encountered believed much differently than the Israelites but was that alone justification to kill them and steal their land? I tend to think Joshua blew it and that we are seeing the results of that blunder today. What part of the ten commandments did Joshua not understand? Why do we accept his military campaign as just? What would your or anyone’s response be to a similar attack on your family and country? Would you lay down and submit? Would the middle east be peaceful today if Joshua had adopted Christ’s beattitudes in his negotiations with his new-found neighbors, rather than military force and murder? Why was there no attempt to work together?

I am simply throwing out the notion that Joshua did not follow a path that he knew to be consistent with God’s character and direction (ten commandments) but through fear, greed or who can possibly know what, decided to run a campaign of murder and destruction instead.

I am in no way saying that the current state of Israel should give up any of what they now possess but maybe that it would work towards a more peaceful world if Israel would acknowledge a possible wrong done by past generations and a desire to work together, basing their work on Christ’s principles. Maybe not but it is no way a mystery to me why the middle east is in a state of constant turmoil.

Micah 7:11, “The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries.” Friend, that day is here. We have rejoiced in the many freedoms that have come to the Body of Christ in recent months and years… and rightly so!  The promised land has been given to us to inherit and subdue.  It is not an ethereal or conceptual abode of religious bliss in the great hereafter. That’s heaven.  We have come to discover the Promised Land, however, is a place of exceeding fruitfulness for each saint to occupy and enjoy in this life.  

Our promised land is a vast and varied place.  Just as each of the tribes of Israel had a field of expertise (Genesis 49) and were given a parcel of land to cultivate, so each of us have an assignment.   The church is now empowering the saints to take their mountains, whether they be the mountains of education, arts/entertainment, government, business, family, media, or religion.  There are many mountains to populate in the promised land, including a place for you!

We have not come to this point without travail.  It surely has been four decades in the proverbial wilderness.  The Charismatic awakening of the 60’s and 70’s brought an awareness of spiritual gifts to the body.  Suddenly, believers all around the world were coming alive to the fact that Father supernaturally empowers with graces that make the impossible achievable.  Tongues, interpretation, prophecy, discerning of spirits, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, healing, faith and miracles have now become abundant among laymen and clergy, alike.  Entities like Full Gospel Businessmen and Aglow sprung up wherever people were eager to operate in their gifts.  Glory!

Somewhere along the way, the church failed to recognize the purpose for these giftings.  We became satisfied to use our gifts to edify one another during our gatherings, rather than using our giftings to take the land the Lord had given us.  All along, we should have employed the word of knowledge and wisdom in business affairs, the discerning of spirits in government rule, the prophetic in media, the miraculous in the fields of science and technology, or any other such expression of God’s Kingdom in the world of man.  The previous generation’s refusal to do so led to our 40 year trek in the wilderness.

A new generation is here.  It is not an age-defined generation, but a heart-qualified people.  These are they who are ready to cross the Jordan and take their place in the mountains.   If you have read this far into the post, you are, no doubt, part of this generation who is bursting at the seams with pent-up purpose.  Look across the Jordan, my friend.  You’re this close to a place of Kingdom expression and fulfillment.  

The Jordan

There must be a Jordan Crossing.  The Jordan has been defined as a place of death.  This is perhaps, why the church has taken the Jordan to mean the crossing from this life to the next.  The death that must take place is the affinity for the familiar.  We must say goodbye to our desire to remain transients.  As long as we are content to dwell in tents and be provided for by Father’s heavenly welfare system, we’ll never realize our purpose.

Our Christian way of life is about to change.  The Israelite campsite is about to dissolve and give way to territorial distribution.  Rather than camping in formation or denomination (as was prescribed for the wilderness church), prepare to disperse and possess.  The Lord is ready to receive His inheritance, but the crossing must take place.

Death to wilderness living requires our willingness to be redefined.  The wilderness church divided their time between camp movement, and self-occupation between moves.  Promised Land saints will have no more time to waste.  No longer will we be able to use our Egyptian spoils for self-entertainment during lulls in the action.  The trades we learned in Egypt will now be used to build a Kingdom.  Manna mentality must now give way to purposeful planting.  The very same supernatural enablement that kept a generation alive in the desert will now empower a people to possess their borders.

Our gifts are about to be rediscovered.  Our religious dictionary is on the editor’s desk for redefinition.  Our skills are about to be unleashed.  Joshua is rising, and the Jordan is crossable.  Our land awaits.

“Joshua” is a melodious name; a strong name; a name that in all forms—in its entirety and in abridgements—does not suggest, imply, echo, or rhyme with any colloquial or clinical term for genitalia.  The name’s resultant popularity is evident.  In 2008 alone, 18,924 boys were christened “Joshua.”  In comparison, 22,272 boys were named “Michael”—the year’s most popular name—but only 196 babies were dubbed “Cornelius” (rank: 998th most popular).

Though zero American presidents and only 41 NFL players have borne the name, “Joshua” appears unstoppable.  In the 120 years that the Social Security Administration has tracked the names of infants, “Joshua” has never fallen below the rank of 729th most popular name.  This historic low occurred in 1929, a year in which the otherwise-preoccupied nation fell back on old stand-bys like “John” (4.7033% of births) and lazy descriptors (“Guy”; 0.0740%).  There are “Joshua” trees (Yucca brevifolia), a Dolly Parton album named “Joshua” (RCA, 1971), and even a “Joshua,” Texas (population: 5,574).  “Joshuas” have been Nobel Prize laureates, as well as honorees in People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” competition.  Jesus of Nazareth himself was a “Joshua”—“Jesus” being a transliteration of the Greek, from the Hebrew “Yehoshua.”  Since 1953 the popularity of “Joshua” as a boy’s name has increased exponentially; by mathematical extrapolation, in the year 2547, 78.255% of the male population of the United States will be named “Joshua.”

Perhaps, millennia hence, when every baby, publication, and artificial intelligence created is named “Joshua,” our civilization will gradually forget all other words.  “Joshua” will become our entire vocabulary: both noun and verb, article and preposition, adjective and adverb.  “Joshua” will be the woman we love, the hovercraft we fly to work, and the loneliness we feel, late at night, surrounded by insensate holograms.  We will turn to one another and say, arms outstretched, “Joshua joshuas joshuaed? Joshua?  Joshua.”

-Sara Joy Culver

Covetousness is every attempt to gain by fraud, coercion, or deceit that which belongs to our neighbor, or just doesnt belong to us. In Deuteronomy, the two words are used for the word “covet,” the first translated “desire,” meaning to delight in, and the second word rendered “covet,” which means to lust after. The term in its truest meaning suggests a thought followed by an action. Such action is inevitably destructive to a society. One of the most extreme examples of “covetousness” at work today is through welfarism. The creation of an anti-God society, such as welfarism, communism, or socialism seeks to take from one group and give to another.

Joshua (almost four):  Is that Jesus singing?

Echo High Schoolers have been talking through the book of Joshua this month, centered on the story in Joshua 4 of twelve stones being taken from the center of the Jordan River to serve as a reminder of the miraculous event of their crossing into the Promised Land. The passage commands:

“In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

On a similar theme, this Sunday, Echo Middle Schoolers will hear about the spiritual practice of celebration, and how scripture is filled with feasts and festivals that commemorate the activity of God among His people. God loves a party, and especially a party with a purpose.

This week, we will do what we do as we celebrate our holiday of Thanksgiving. Family will reunite, traditions will be observed, a meal will be shared, and a nap will be had by many. In my house growing up, we would feast with family (TURKEY!), watch the Lions lose at football, and do some more feasting on turkey sandwiches after dessert. What I remember most was when the family would actually take time sharing specifically what we are thankful for. Even my youngest cousins were required to share something. This exercise gave the day meaning.

So, while you carve the Turkey, be sure to carve out a time and a place to some real “thanksgiving.” Practice celebrating each other, remembering what God has done on our behalf, and expressing our thanks for everything. Here is my suggestion, it sounds cheesy, but I think with the Holiday as your excuse, you can get away with it: everyone needs to express what they are thankful for in exactly three sentences. That helps teenagers get past the one word answer and it helps long winded family members to be cut short before the food gets cold.

It’s that time of the year again. Twilight fever has hit our shores as its latest film New Moon hits premieres all across the world. Thousands of screaming 16-year-old girls lock their eyes on “like…the-love-of-my-life” actor Robert Pattison, dreaming of piggy-back rides up pine trees in North America. To be honest I’m not sure what they see in him although I have been corrected that its actually the character of Edward Cullen that sets the hearts of females alight.

“He turned to look at me with a wistful expression. His golden eyes held mine and I lost my train of thought. I stared at him until he looked away…

Edward stood in the halo of the porch light, looking like a male model in an advertisement for raincoats.”

So the conclusion is that Edward Cullen is the epitomy of what women want – charming, attractive, strong, a gentleman in any form of the word, protective and mysterious. But as I was sitting there watching this teenage fantasy, I couldn’t help but think about the flock of men accompanying their vampire-crazed women. Are they feeling insecure from being compared to such a ‘perfect’ man/creature? Do they feel like they ought to aspire to the unattainable Edward? Should they be perfecting the subtleties of etiquette and the eloquent delivery of admiration for their love?

There may be some place for those in some men, but I believe there are other vital attributes we should focus on in the development of ourselves as men. “Think biblically” is what I thought. I decided to compile, using human examples from the Bible, the attributes of the perfect man. Someone whom a Christian man should look up to and what a  Christian women would want. This would be the man I would aspire to become and I’ve based him on the following qualities:

…love & the heart
…wisdom & words of affection
…commitment & trust
…life-standards & forbearance
…loyalty & determination
…strength & courage

It will be interesting to see what women think of this, so here are the details.

…love & the heart – David

Who can really go against the label of King David as the “man after God’s own heart” (1 Saumel 13:14)? Granted, David has his faults with women but I argue that a man after God’s own heart and a passion for his Lord and Saviour, would understand Ephesians 5:25 and its implications. It is one thing to love a woman, it is another thing to love her as Christ would love His people.

David was unrelentless when it came to love. He was steadfast in the position of his heart and immediately turned back to God when he realised his wrongs. He is a great example to follow in terms of passion, love and dedication to the state of his heart toward God and men. Although at times his lust for women got the better of him, his open and honest heart in his relationship with God shone through.

…wisdom & words of affection – Solomon

Find me one woman who does not appreciation the attention of a man who has a way with words. If you have not read Song of Solomon then read it.  (Chapter 4 is a keeper!) There is certainly a place in our lives for the expression of our deep and profound love for that special second-half. I particularly like this one, “You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride. You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace.” Poetic, profound, intense and passionaite.

Consider though, that there is a line between cute words of ill-intentions and exclaimations of love from the depths of the heart. Words of accalaim should not be without wisdom. There is such a display of strength when romance is coupled with wise decision-making and no man should flee from the responsibility that comes with the love of a woman.

That said, I say bring back the days of using our beautiful language to express our overwhelming raw emotion! But let’s not carried away as even the tender affection toward each other should be done in godly wisdom, considering the sanctity of marriage and the appropriateness of the relationship between a brother and sister in Christ.

…commitment & trust – Boaz

Known to many as one of the most romantic short stories of all time, the Book of Ruth describes not just a devoted and loyal woman but the endearing commitment of a man named Boaz. When read in context, Boaz who was not a young man, showered Ruth with countless acts of grace. He did not demean her as a woman or smother her with only wordly gifts. Instead, he served and protected her with a commitment and a trust like no other man. Ruth had other options. She could have turned to younger men and ignored the hand of an age-hardened man. Instead she pursued a man who demonstrated a love that was pure, true and life-long.

Commitment is one trait that Boaz was not found wanting. He was commited to redeeming her as her kinsman and refused to back down unless all avenues were completely exhausted. He not only trusted Ruth with his heart but He trusted God with the provision for both of them to be together. His commitment was unwavering and it was the endearing character of Boaz that earned him a rightful place in the genealogy of Jesus. His name was included even though he had actually sacrificed his own title and recognition to redeem the love of his life.

…faithfulness & forbearance – Job

The days of moral justice and patience have long gone. We live in a society where divorce has run rife perhaps due to the view of marriage as a whirlwind love affair without understanding the need for forbearance and rock-solid life principles based on God’s Word. We meet Job – the man who had everything and lost everything. Tested by Satan to the tenth degree but was unwavering in his attitude with God being his center. Do you want to see a man who is long-suffering and forbearing in the face of terrible circumstances imparted on his familiy, wife and life? Job is the man who has been through it all and survives only by the strength of God.

Faithfulness is another attribute that I admire of Job. You tend to think of faithfulness as this puffy-white-cloud-of-a-boy never taking his eyes off his childhood sweetheart. In reality, faithfulness is an armoury of weapons dispatched to keep selfish desires and temptation at bay. Job took faithfulness to a new level. “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” (Job 31:1) he exclaims. He held his wife in high esteem and his God even higher! Job’s unwavering faithfulness in God extended to his wife. His faithfulness was not one of gentleness. No, it was powerful and active and evident before all men.

…loyalty & determination – Uriah

Uriah is definitely up there as one of my most favourite Old Testament characters. Although not much is said about him, I believe his loyalty and determination is the perfect example for every man to follow. He knew his duty and he loved his wife. He was loyal to his king and even more to his God. Being the husband of Bathsheba must have been a tough ask, as she probably drew the attention of countless men because of her beauty (even King David could not resist). Yet, Uriah was loyalty personified.

I love the fact that Uriah was inserted into the genealogy of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 1:6. I believe this is testament not only of the sins of David and Bathsheba, but as an account of the life of Uriah whose name means “Yahweh is my light”. If you want to talk about determination and loyalty, here is a man who denied himself time with his extraordinarly beautiful wife in order to honour the code of his fellow warriors and the morale of the soldiers in his charge. For a man of such loyalty you would assume that he would expected the same loyalty from Bathsheba. For his determination and loyalty he inadvertantly exposed the sin of the king but the result of his own death. Did Uriah see his death coming? Probably. Did he back down? No. A man who shows loyalty to his brothers and friends would be showing loyalty to his woman and I believe for Uriah, this is the case.

…strength & courage – Joshua

Apparently in New Moon, one of the characters who is a close male friend of the protagonist is actually a werewolf. In a heartbeat, he strips off his shirt to reveal a defined and muscular body and then instantly transforms into a fearless wolf. Whilst it’s a captivating display it does not demonstrate the strength and courage that God loves to see of His faithful men, but Joshua is a perfect example.

I am a strong believer of what God says about man’s role as a leader of the house. It is not chauvinism and it is certainly not meant to be abused. It is a blessing yet a burden of responsibility. It is a charge from God and a hard (not a high) calling. Joshua 24:15 is the account of a man who stayed strong and courageous in the face of adversity. He was being called to the task of filling the huge shoes of Moses, when God gave Him the divine motivational words, “Be strong and very courageous!”. So we read that Joshua stood, in front of a people who were turning against the Word of God. He stood in front of a mass of people who were indignant to his message and the glory of the true and living God. He was talking hearts that could turn against him and men who could attack him. Yet, he spoke truth. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”.

Strength is not measured by muscle, it is measured by our response to the Word. Courage is not measured by our self-reliant fearlessness, it is measured by our trust in God. A strong man responds to His Word and its truth with fervor and passion and will not back down. A courageous man will place faith in the power, hold onto the promises and act on the commands of the True and Living God.

If we had the heart of David – we would love unconditionally.

If we had the wisdom of Solomon – we would act accordingly.

If we had the commitment of Boaz – we would never look back.

If we had the perseverance of Job – we would never falter.

If we had the loyalty of Uriah – we would not back down.

If we had the courage of Joshua – we would never lose sight.

All this only for the glory of our mighty God and Saviour!

If all Christian men were like this the world will change. Families will change, marriages will change, churches will change – all this to the glory of God! I want to be that man.

The book of Joshua gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the Old Testament (O.T).

In this book, we see that the mantle of leadership passes from Moses to Joshua, a mighty warrior. The original name of Joshua was Hosea (Salvation) and Moses changed it to Yehoshua (Yahweh is Salvation). Joshua was a mighty warrior who led 3 military campaigns against 30 or so enemy armies. An interesting incident is recorded in Joshua 5:13-15. Joshua is near Jericho and Joshua looked up and saw a man opposite to him with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua questions him – Are you for us or for our enemies and the response he receive was Nay, but as Captain of the host (army) of the LORD am I (reversal of I AM) come and Joshua falls down and worships Him.

The Captain of the host of the LORD would be akin to the Commander and Chief, the most powerful man in the world.  And no it is not Barack Obama, who is the most powerful man in the world. Mr. President, I’ve got news for you. YOU ARE NOT the most powerful man in the world – Jesus Christ is.

Jesus Christ is the Commander and Chief, captain of the host of the LORD.

Revelation 19:11 reads as “I saw heaven opened in the coming of the Lord, Jesus will come as a conquering King, riding on a white horse who in righteousness (being the King of righteousness – Hebrews 7:2) judged and made war.”  and Revelation 19:15 states “and out of his mouth, goes forth a sharp sword.”

In Joshua, Jesus is the mighty warrior who wins every battle he engages in and the man with his sword drawn.

This post owes a great deal of dependence on chapter three of Francis Schaeffer’s Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History. This is a retelling in my own words from memory along with thoughts of my own.

After the death of Moses, Joshua was left in charge of the Israelites. For forty years he had served as an assistant to Moses and now the entire future of a nation rested on his shoulders: quite a sobering responsibility. Joshua’s leadership would be the deciding factor in Israel’s success or failure. If he was faithful to God’s covenant, Israel would inherit the Promised Land and find rest. If not, they risked the same fate that they experienced forty years earlier during their first attempt: total defeat.

Graciously God readied his servant Joshua, continually encouraging his resolve and reminding him of his covenant promise. God had promised Abraham that his descendants would become a numerous nation and occupy Canaan’s fertile soil, and now was the time for that promise to be realized. This was it: God would be with Joshua just as he had been with Moses.

As Joshua prepared his army to cross the Jordan River into this new land pregnant with possibilities, God speaks in a curious way to his servant. He commands him in Joshua 1:7-8:

Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Now this Book of the Law was brand new. In fact, Joshua had worked side by side for decades with the man who had written it. Shouldn’t a holy book be hundreds of years old at least? What was in this book that made it worthy to be studied day and night, followed to the letter, and carefully memorized?

According to Christians, the books of the Bible are inspired, that is to say written both by a human author and a divine author, God himself. Scripture is not only inspiring, it is inspired to the point of being “God-breathed.” It is divine communication to the human race, revealing God’s cosmic superiority over all things, his perfect holiness and moral requirements, and his unfolding plan for the salvation of a fallen world.

In the case of Joshua, we find a connection between our world and the Biblical world. When Joshua was assisting Moses, God would speak to Moses face to face. Afterward, Moses face shone so brightly from being in the presence of God that he had to wear a veil to keep from blinding the Israelites. Often times, Joshua watched as Moses led the people according the divinely revealed commands of the voice of God. God spoke to Moses, then Moses spoke to the people.

Fast forward a bit: Joshua is about to enter the Promised Land and God has announced that he is with him. God has claimed to be with Joshua in the same way that he is with Moses, but things are not the same. Moses alone, distinct from all other leaders, was allowed to be in God’s presence. How was Joshua supposed to know what to do without this direct access to God’s voice? How was Joshua ever going to lead the people in the right direction without Moses’ special relationship to God?

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Even though Joshua knows that Moses wrote the Book of the Law, he knows there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Although Moses’ hand penned the words, God himself had expressed his divine will and truth through them. Through the collaboration of human and divine authorship emerged an authoritative and trustworthy Word. When Moses lead Israel, God revealed himself personally to the the leader. But now when Joshua leads Israel, God reveals himself personally through his Word. This Book of the Law was now to be recognized to truly be God’s words, revealed through his servant Moses. These words would bring blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience, a completely trustworthy account containing the very will of God. Joshua the new leader, if he remembered and followed this Book, would know what to do.

We face a similar situation today. Just as Joshua had to courageously lead without the audible voice of God to guide him, so we too have to lead and make decisions without an absolute certainty of God’s specific directions. What we do have is the written Word of God, able to penetrate between spirit and soul. It communicates God’s truth to us, not just sufficiently but perfectly. Through the scripture we find Jesus Christ, Lord of creation, Redeemer of our souls, Author and Perfecter of our faith. While we cannot hear the voice of our God audibly, if we patiently cling to the Word he has given us and purposefully carry out its will and submit to its truth, we will hear God.

To the heart humbly open to receive the things of God, scripture provides a lamp to our feet. As we read the Bible, we hear from God and our faith is made more certain. But instead of merely receiving commands and instructions from the Lord, we receive something much better: a new and tranformed heart. This renewed organ leads us in God’s will, attentive to his Holy Spirit, sensitive to the very heart of God. Following Joshua’s example, we can place our trust in God’s revealed words and if we are obedient, experience the profound joy and purpose of following God’s will. And if that weren’t enough, God has given his children a new promise: that if we stay faithful to his covenant, we will inherit an eternal land, better than the fertile soils of Canaan: a heavenly land far greater than we can imagine.

God is not in the business of dropping you in the middle of a project He has given you. God is not in the business of deserting people when we get in trouble, if we are honestly endeavoring to do His will. God does close doors. The promise of His power and presence does not preclude occasional disaster and frequent tribulation. Our faith will be tested and we may go through great suffering. Gods power will be with us through the good times and the bad times. His presence will continually sustain us.

I’ve managed to stick with my finishing streak! After finishing Joshua’s blanket, I cast on for a mini scarf for my step-mother. I cobbled together a couple of patterns and managed to make a “bow scarf” that is almost identical to the ones my great-grandmother used to knit.

I knit this using the Araucania Azapa that I bought almost a year ago to knit her a scarf from. Yay for finally getting around to it! After finishing that, I quickly knit up a potholder for my father to go with his Star Trek DVD.

It’s double-knit and I liked the back side better so now that is the front. I had planned to knit two, but it was a very tedious project and I doubt he’ll actually use it anyway. So then I finally picked up Ms. Squarey again and finished her off!

I really hope that my sister will like her! I’m tempted to knit even more Squareys, but they do get boring! My son was so happy to see Ms. Squarey finished that he asked for me to finish the long-abandoned Kirby I’d started for him.

The face on Kirby leaves much to be desired, but Joshua loves him anyway. My pile of unfinished objects is dwindling! Today I actually get to cast on for something I’ve been eagerly anticipating! I’m going to knit French Press Felted Slippers for my oldest sister! I’ve been dying to try this pattern and I’m super excited about it.

This is part two of my day one blog. Later on in the day, at the Big Room event (the main session where everyone is together), Andy Stanley brought an excellent message about uncertainty that I will not soon forget! Now I know that Andy usually preaches pretty fast, but what he brought was like a machine gun with the trigger held in. It was non-stop goodness. I typed over four pages of notes on my computer and my fingers were aching afterwards.

Andy started off by giving us the following statements: “I may be in charge but I don’t always know what to do. I may be in charge but I don’t have all the answers. If I knew what was going to happen, then I’d know what to do. Every leader to some extent is clueless (we just don’t want the people following us to figure that out). When it comes to leadership, there is so much uncertainty and it never ever ever goes away!” He went on to say that we will always have limited information and we will never know what the future holds. And then he had us repeat the following statement: “I will always be uncertain, I’m certain of it!”

One of Andy’s main points was that we will always face uncertainty as leaders. It is a normal and permanent part of leadership. If everything was predictable then there would be absolutely no need for pastors (leadership). God always got the best mileage out of uncertainty. When God does amazing things, it usually isn’t during a day when nothings is going wrong…it’s usually when there is some degree of uncertainty.

In the midst of uncertainty, Andy said that there are two things we should turn to: clarity and flexibility. In times of uncertainty there is a need for leadership to retreat back to being clear and flexible. Clarity trumps uncertainty in an organization every single time. When times are uncertain in our local church, family, organization, etc…that is the time for the leaders to step up and be absolutely crystal clear about what God has called us to do. Clarity in the time of uncertainty is what positions and surfaces leaders in an organization. An illustration of this comes from the scriptures in the transition between Moses and Joshua. Joshua was good at wondering because his mentor was (Moses). And then God wanted him to lead an army into battle. Talk about uncertainty!

Joshua had no clue what to do so he told the people that there is stuff that he doesn’t know, but in three days they would be crossing the Jordan and taking the land that God has promised them. That’s leadership in uncertain times! It’s the definition of pure leadership! Next, Andy gave us a quote/philosophy/vision from Steve Jobs (former owner of Apple) that said: “We’ve got to focus on what we can be good at and stop everything else…we are going to build easy to use computers.”  Steve Jobs did what every leader has to do in times of uncertainty. He stepped back into what he knew for sure…stepped back from the numbers and chaos of a hurting/dying company and reinvigorated them!

What has God called us to do in our ministries? What has God called our student ministries to do in our communities? What has God called our church to do in our community or our world?

Andy said that clarity in times of uncertainty will move your organization forward. You don’t have to have a cute phrase for your vision, but you also shouldn’t have a huge paragraph. We need to figure out what the one thing that God has called us to do is. For Steve Jobs, it was to build computers that are easy to use! Certainty around the calling of God is extraordinarily powerful, and that’s where we have to retreat. It has to be crystal clear what God has called us to do, in our mind and on our lips!

Next, Andy talked about flexibility. In times of uncertainty, there needs to be incredible flexibility. Plans change, but vision should stay the same. What Andy said next was great. He said: “Fall in love with your vision, but date your plans. Marry your vision and just fool around with your plans. You’ve got to stay extraordinarily committed…plans are going to change!” If we ever confuse our vision with our mission, we are sunk…because plans WILL fail!

Another quote that jumped out at me was: “Fundraising is a plan; church planting is a mission and a vision…if you get them confused, you’re in trouble!” We can’t abandon the mission and vision because of a failed plan.

We must help our leaders, elders, and deacons to understand the difference between vision and approach. Approach may change numerous times…plans change…but vision always remains the same! Andy says we need to be stubborn with our vision and flexible in our plans.

There was so much good content in Andy Stanley’s message to youth workers but one of the most important things that I snagged up from it was what he said about leadership. He said that leadership is not about making decisions on your own, but standing up and owning the decisions as a team. He went on to tell us about the wisest man in the world (Solomon) who had the most to say about seeking counsel from others. Even though he knew the most out of anyone ever, he still saw it wise to seek the teams’ advice on things. Leadership is about owning decisions once you made them with a multitude of wise counselors, not alone!

-          paulg

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Neighborhood Church of Redding – Lead Pastor, Bill Giovannetti.
No. 8 in a series entitled: “Birthright” – It’s Yours, Take It Back
Sermon Title: More Unfinished Business
Notes Reference: BR09-08
From November 22, 2009