How You Argue Shows Your Maturity
One of the things that we all can agree on (which is not much) is that there is a lot of arguing going on
in our world today. Everyone has an opinion on everything and then there are people with the opposite opinion on everything. Which means people argue. Especially when it comes to our online world. There are even memes now online that show how people are willing to say things to people online that they would never say to someone face to face (I like the Mike Tyson one personally).
The sad thing for me is that I see followers of Jesus treating other followers of Jesus in the exact same way. Truth be told in some cases even worse. Then we see men and women in church leadership that are treating
each other this way. Church leaders that have read about biblical conflict resolution from Matthew 18 where we are told to go one to another and talk with each other. But yet they are sharing their arguments with everyone willing to read in 140 characters or less.
But, then I read in the book of Romans where Paul is talking to the church in Rome about how followers of Jesus are to treat each other with differing thoughts and opinions.
Romans 14: 1 (NLT) 1Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
Paul even goes on to write don’t argue about what food you eat and don’t argue about what day is holy or not. I
am sure that we all can make some similar associations with current areas of argument in our word today especially between followers of Jesus. Did I mask that one good enough? Or did I get my one shot at the conversation? (See what I did there.) But then Paul brings it back around to how we are to be living our lives
when it comes to each other and our arguments.
Romans 14: 10 – 13 (NLT) 10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” 12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
As I read these verses it leads me to understand that how we argue as followers of Jesus shows our spiritual maturity it shows me how we treat each other is more about the other follower of Jesus than ourselves and our own opinions. My hope is that if you are reading this, that both you and I will take some time to think about how we respond to other followers of Jesus, and when we do respond, what are we showing when it comes to our spiritual maturity.
What if Prayers and Thoughts are all we have?
Over the last twenty years, we have walked through shootings in many different ways. I was sitting in my office in Montana when the Columbine Shooting occurred. It was my mother that called and let me know what was happening because I had a cousin that was attending Columbine at the time of the shooting. We were fortunate that she was able to get away without being hurt. Then there was the Aurora Theater shooting that happened just down the road from where I live. We had friends of our kids that were in the theater that were able to get out uninjured but we did have a young man that we were friends with that lost his life. We spent a lot of time with family and community walking through this together. Now we are dealing with the shooting at the school in Highlands Ranch. Where a young man that we just baptized two weeks ago had his sister attending STEM. She was unharmed in the shooting and is with her family thankfully. But in each of those shootings, there has been loss of life, hurt, anger, and doubt. So people that automatically respond by sharing, “OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT”.
But then there are people that respond back by saying, “BUT YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AREN’T ENOUGH.” To which I want to share, “But what if that is all you feel that you can do?” When there is so much pain and confusion at a time like this for many people being able to pray and think about those in the midst of the struggle is all they feel that they can do. I know that for me as a person of faith it is the first thing that I do. It is something that I have been doing since Columbine. But then I also know that right now I feel that is all I can do! I feel like we are in a current climate where no matter what side of the aisle you stand politically there is going to be more yelling then listening. There is going to be more posturing and politics then there are possibilities. (Not here to debate politics, just sharing my feelings) I feel like in our current climate we are going to have people that are going to yell keep religion out of this and there are going to be people yelling that is the problem there is no religion. I feel like in our current climate there are going to be people that blame the school system, people that are going to blame parenting, people that are going to blame the police, (sad but true) and there are going to be people that just want to yell and be angry. (I get that.) When you feel like that there is no other option then why not pray?
When I am at a loss of what to do I seek the words of Jesus.
Luke 6:28 (NLT) 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
Maybe just maybe, if we took some time to pray it would enable us to see things differently. Maybe even enable us to think of the pain and hurt that is involved with this shooting. And wait to start yelling. I know this is just to simple for some. But as a father, a husband, an uncle, and a friend I am just in the place where all I feel I can do is pray. It is my hope that as I do pray that things can and will change.
If you are in the area of Highlands Ranch I know that Mountainview Christian Church is having a time of prayer tonight. Maybe today that is the best place to be.
Powerful Life Change Happens When You Have A Life-Lifting Partner
I have been involved in lifting weights since I was a teenager and I love it. But one of the very first things I was taught was when you are working out never lift heavy weights on your own. If you are going to shoot for a heavier weight or you are going to lift your max weight then you need someone there just in case you get stuck or can’t lift it. There has been time and time again where I have needed a lifting partner to help me. Just that little nudge, a yell of encouragement, or even the ability to grab the weight and rack it before I crushed my chest or blew out a knee. Everything that a lifting partner is taught to do when helping someone lift. Usually, when I was getting ready to lift the heavy weight I would find a good friend or a team-mate that I trusted and knew had the strength to lift what I was lifting. (I would pick a lineman who looked at what I was lifting and would laugh and say, “puny defensive back”.) Then I would get on the bench or I would get under the bar in the squat rack, get in position and begin lifting.
I tell you about this not because I am huge and all muscle but because I think we could use lifting partners every day of our life. Each and every one of us could experience powerful life change when we have life lifting partners. Just think about it your getting ready to make a big decision, call your lifting partner. You are getting ready to start a new job, call your lifting partner. You are struggling with an addiction, call your lifting partner. You are struggling in your marriage, call your lifting partner. Here is the problem most of us wouldn’t do that because we believe that we can handle the heavy lifting all on our own. We have been taught that we don’t need anyone else when things get tough. Except for when we are lifting heavy weights. (Why?) Here is a verse in the bible that I think sets the tone for what we need to do:
Galatians 6:2 (NLT) 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Why is that we can lay down on a bench and try to lift heavy weight and then realize it is too much and then go ask someone for help, but we won’t do it when our marriage is struggling. (Pride) We can step under a bar that has 45 lbs plate after 45 lbs plate on it straining against a squat rack barely lift it and say I can’t handle this at all, then go a lifting partner. But when our kids are having a really hard time we won’t say a thing. (E.G.O. – Edging out God)
Here is what I am suggesting today start to develop a relationship with some LIFE lifting partners. I guarantee that there are other guys just like you trying to lift and then carry some heavy burdens that could use your help. You see that is what is so amazing about when you get LIFE lifting partners it doesn’t become a one-sided relationship. There is give and take, there is the encouragement in the form of a pat on the back along with maybe a kick in the butt. You have another person or persons that you can call when the weight of the burden is just getting to be too much, so the can step in and help you lift and carry that burden.
So start by thinking about at least two or three other guys that you like to hang out with in your relationship circles. Then take a couple of weeks to pray about asking those guys to think about being lifting partners after you have explained to them what lifting partners could be for each other. Once you have asked them then take a couple of weeks for each of them to pray about the opportunity of being lifting partners. Then come together and talk some more about who is in and who is out, then plan the next time you are going to meet as LIFE lifting partners.
Now that you have some guys that are willing to be LIFE lifting partners just meet and talk about what you all hope to get out of being lifting partners. Then establish what will be your natural rhythms for when and where you are going to meet. You also want to let each other know that as you begin to share and pray for each other that whatever is shared with lifting partners stays with lifting partners. (Unless someone is at risk of hurting themselves or someone else.) Then ask each other how you can pray for each other, pray and enjoy the rest of your coffee, beer, or soda just hanging out. Then just continue to meet, talk, pray and hang out just a little reminder to take your time and not feel as if you have to go deep right away. Let the Holy Spirit guide your moments and let the time you spend together lead the conversations.
(This was written for men but it can very easily be used for women as well. The truth is that in my experience is that women already do this kind of relationship way better then we men do. But if this is something you can use by all means go for it. Too many people are spending their lives trying to carry their burdens all on their own.)
Decide to be Disciplined (Part Two)
At the beginning of this year I made the decision to be disciplined when it comes to the important areas of my life. I made the decision to be disciplined when it comes to my health, my life with Jesus, my wife, my leadership and my writing. (at least this writing) I had come to the realization that over the last couple of years that I had allowed stress, laziness, and other people’s priorities to take over how I was living life. It is amazing how easy this can happen, especially when you have not decided to be disciplined with your life.
So when it comes to the area of my life with Jesus I have decided to make journaling, prayer, and reading disciplined. The goal that I have set is to make sure that I do this at least 5 times a week. My health and my ability to grow in my relationship with Jesus have been connected for me when it comes to being disciplined. Once I have completed my workout in the morning I immediately get out my journal and my bible with a cup of coffee (we call it Christian Crack) then take a seat at the dinner table at my house. Sometime it is alone, but most of the time it is with people walking around me. So I will either put in my ear buds or just gently remind people at what I am trying to do. Maybe for you having your time with Jesus needs to be ultimate quiet I get that, but the more that you can show and share what you are doing is a good thing. (set the pace for the family)
What I then do is write about the previous day and how I was able to see God at work in me and around me. After that I write out my prayers. I know that for some people that this would be really strange, but for me it keeps me focused (I also like to go back and read them to see how God is at work). I make it at least two pages in my journal, why I don’t know I just liked it. Then I take the next page and write out things that jump out at me while I am reading the bible. Many of those things I read that day I then write out so that I can read them over and over through out the day. This is the way that I do it, it is a way not the way. Maybe for you reading off your phone is good for you. Maybe for you journalling online is good for you. Maybe for you praying away for minutes maybe hours is good for you. No matter what way you do it you need to make the decision to be disciplined.
What are the ways that you can make your life with Jesus lived out? What are the ways that you are making this time with Jesus a discipline?
Change the Voice
Over the weekend I had the amazing opportunity to spend some time with a group of amazing people that are working towards not going back to where they had come from. You see each of the individuals that were sitting in the room had all in the recent days, weeks, and months had been released from prison. These were men, women, young, old, and of ever different ethnic origin. As I sat there among them and heard the organizations leader speak to them about next steps and what they needed to do to stay out of prison and experience a changed life I was deeply moved. It was when I heard many of them share about the voices in their lives that they needed to stop listening too if they were going to stay out of prison that I became emotional. I heard them talk about their own voices, they talked about family voices, and they even talked about voices from being in prison. But each one had a voice that they needed to leave behind so that they could move forward in a life that was to be changed and headed towards healing.
I was then reading the book of the Acts and reading the story of the healing of the beggar at Solomon’s Colonnade in chapter 3 and 4. The story of the beggar took my mind back to the room of people that I was with this weekend. Here is why, the story of the man who spent most of his life lying in front of the colonnade must have heard the voices of the people walking by call him all sorts of names like beggar, cripple, worthless, and many others. But then came two men that would turn things upside down by asking him if he would want to be healed? The hurting and disabled men responded by saying yes. Then the lame beggar that could not walk began to run, dance, and leap because of the healing power of the name of Jesus Christ. His life was changed in a moment.
But what about those voices, what about the names that were still possibly ringing in his head? They were all replaced with one name, Jesus. You see that man had his life changed by Jesus, the names that he be called most of his life were replaced with Jesus, the voices that had called him lame and beggar were replaced with the name Jesus. Even the religious leaders that were trying to stop the name of Jesus couldn’t stop that;
14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. Acts 4:14 (NLT)
Because of what Jesus had done in the life of this man there was really nothing they could say. That is why I was so moved this weekend. I know that for those that were sitting in that room there is a voice that will and can change the lives of those people there, and it is Jesus. So on that day I was able to stand in front of those people and tell them about Jesus and that there is a family of people that love them and care for them even if they don’t know them yet and it is Jesus bride, the church. I pray that the voice of the people that are following Jesus called His church will be so loud that those that are coming out of prison can’t only here the voice of Jesus.
What are the voices in your life that are challenging you from hearing Jesus? How are you being the voice of Jesus to the people around you that are struggling?
Living Terricited!
What if I told you that every day should be a little terrifying. What if I told you that if you aren’t walking through your life of faith a little nervous then you aren’t living at all. The problem with both of those statements is that they make us UNCOMFORTABLE. Something that most people in the western community of faith don’t like to hear. I mean we want to be comfortable in our chairs, we want to be comfortable with our coffee, we want to be comfortable in our groups, we just plain want to be comfortable.
Well when my family and I felt that God was leading us to start a church in Colorado we all came up with our own word, “Terricited”. Because every day we were terrified and we were excited at the same time. We were terrified that we were to move back to Colorado a place where I grew up and not as a follower of Jesus. (Dealing with your Past) But excited to be able to share with those same people about how my life has been drastically changed because of Jesus. We were terrified that we didn’t have a place to live and we were struggling to find a place. But we were excited about getting a place that would be a home base for raising our kids as the graduated from high school. We were terrified because I had never been the lead pastor of a church, but I was excited because I had never been the lead pastor of a church. In the New Testament you can read:
Mark 10:32a (NLT) 32 They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear.
The people that were walking with Jesus the son of God in flesh, were in awe of what was going on were also overwhelmed with fear. What does that mean? They were “terricited”! So let me ask you this, where in your life are you terricited? Where are you experiencing the awe of Jesus and the overwhelming fear where you need to see him show up? Where are you terricited? Because honestly I think that more and more of us need to be less comfortable and more terricited. Let’s take some time this week to start getting a little TERRICITED.
Write yourself a letter?
This week my brother Casey sent me an amazing article about Ryan Leaf and his life experiences. What was so amazing about the article is that it was Ryan Leaf writing a letter to his younger self. If you want to read it just click here you won’t be disappointed. But it made me think about what if I were to write a letter to my younger self and what would be the things that I would want to share. Here are just a few of the highlights that I would share with my younger self:
- Don’t let what people say about you or to you determine what you see in yourself.
- Just because they are people that go to church doesn’t mean that they represent Jesus.
- Know that when you experience heart break that it is leading you to the woman that you will spend the rest of your life with.
- Just because there is a job that you want doesn’t necessarily mean that is that job that you need. God’s vision for you is bigger then your vision for you.
- Enjoy the process and don’t always look for the next step.
- Remember that your accomplishments are not in what you do but who you do them with in life. There are three kids in your life that will change you and grow you more then you will ever know.
This is just a little of what I think that I would write to a younger Scott Bloyer. What are some things that you would write down and tell your younger self if you could? Looking back is always a good thing, just remember to not stay there. (Share one of your bullet points here.)
Crossroads at Kiowa,CO
Ever have one of those weeks when you are just not sure about where you are going or what you are doing? Am I the only one who has ever felt this way? Well a week ago I just felt overwhelmed and unsure of what I needed to do next. So I got up and worked out, finished reading a book on leadership, and then I went for a ride. I didn’t know where I was going I just pointed the bike east and rode.
I was riding east on E. Qunicy Rd and I went until I ran out of pavement. Then I took a right and just went south not knowing where I was going to end up. It was a perfect day, there was a cool breeze the sun wasn’t to hot and I was able to just soak in the rolling view. For me this was an amazing time where I was truly seeking God and having a great conversation with him as I rode along. I was really seeking to know and hear what God wanted for me at this time in my life. What I didn’t know was that I was on the Kiowa Bennett Road and I was about to be smack dab in the middle of Kiowa population 723 as of the last census. Now I am not proud to say this but as a Colorado Native I didn’t have a clue about Kiowa. When I entered into the town there was not a city sign in site, so literally I had no clue where I was.
So I pulled into the first gas station I could find. My legs were a little stiff from the being on the bike for awhile and I needed to take care of some business and it was exactly what you think. So I struggled into the Sinclair Gas station to find out where I was and to go to the bathroom. As I entered I was greeted by Nasime the man that was running the station. I asked him where was I? “To which he responded well sir you are here.” I said, “I know that but what town is this?” To which he responded, “You are in Kiowa and Jesus will always help you.” I said, “Great thanks!” as I stepped into the bathroom. But my mind was still processing what he had said to me. So when I was done I stepped out and asked him what he had just said to me. With a big smile, Nasime said again; “Jesus will help you all you have to remember is to trust Jesus.”
Now I was so taken back to what he had said that I thanked him handed him my card and walked out the front door with my mouth wide open. I had been praying that God would let me know what I needed to do and from the mouth of Nasime it came. TRUST JESUS! Don’t do anything, don’t go anywhere, don’t try to figure it out, just TRUST JESUS.
Maybe this week you need to hear this, TRUST JESUS. I don’t know what you are going through I don’t know what you are struggling with, I don’t know what burden you are carrying. But I want to encourage you to TRUST JESUS.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.6 Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take.
What do you need to trust him with today?
Generosity is who we are . . .
One of the things that I have come to realize is that when it comes to being a generous person its not about what we do it is about who we are. For me I was raised in home where being generous to people around you was just who you were. It wasn’t something you had to think about, or guess about, you just did it. So when I got married I just started doing what I thought was the natural thing to do. Well my wife had grown up differently then me and it was a point of great conversation for us. (That’s called an argument.) So we both had to come to a mutual understanding of what we were going to do when it came to being generous. Which honestly was a really good thing for both of us to come to as a couple. I would really say it was a great chance for me to grow as a husband, father, and as person that works in the faith community. (church)
You see because of that difference between my wife and I it enabled me to see how and why people struggle when it comes to being generous in and with their faith community. For us at Elevation we talk a lot about being generous in fact we want to be known for our “Insane Generosity” to the community around us. But for a community of faith (church) to be generous that means the people of the church need to be generous with what they give to that church. If you are a part of a faith community then you will have heard this is about offerings and about tithing. (We are not going to argue Old Testament vs New Testament giving.) So we want people to see that for us to be generous as a church community then the people need to be a part of that through their generosity through their tithes and offerings.
But most people honestly struggle here because of the different ways that they were raised. Some were raised that all you had was yours and that you take care of your own. Some were raised without anything so you had to keep whatever you had to be able to make it. Others were raised where you were just generous enough to make sure you looked good. While as others were raised with the idea that helping someone in need is just what you did that you were generous.
So it is my hope that I can encourage people to live out a generous life. Whether it is by caring for your neighbor. (Hopefully you know who they are.) By providing some food for another student at your school. (Had one of my kids do this.) Or through the tithes and offerings you share with your community of faith. (My wife does this for us now.) Because as you begin to do this you will be amazed that the words of the New Testament begin to be lived out your life in an amazing way.
Acts 20:35b “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
How are you living out a life of insane generosity in your life? How are you being generous with your faith community so that they can be generous with the community around it?
Look in the parking lot?
So this weekend I had someone invite me to come and see a car that was in our parking lot. We walked out the front door and the person pointed out the car in the parking lot. My first thought was ok nice car but that is not the make or model that I get all fired up about, I let them know that I am a mustang kind of guy. But then the person drew my attention to the license plate that was on the car. There I saw what had got the attention of the individual.
This is the actual license plate that was on the car. This is not fabricated or changed in any way to make this an interesting picture. For those of you that don’t know we are a church that is in the great state of Colorado where I am a native. A place where it is currently to legally purchase marijuana. Now I don’t intend for this to be a place where we argue about what should be or not be legal. We live in a state where it is legal and I have to live in that reality as a leader. So the person that pointed out the license plate then asked me this question, “What should we do about this?”
My answer to this question was simple, “Make sure they have a great parking spot and they have a good time.” With that answer I saw a look of confusion for a minute. But then I went on to explain what I meant. My answer and my prayer was that this person felt comfortable enough to come and be a part of our church so I wanted us to live out, “It’s ok to not be ok, but God doesn’t want you to stay that way.” I wanted the person that came in this car to understand that they can come here and be cared for and encouraged in their faith journey. Then I wanted the person to know that pointed out the license plate that God is going to be the one that is going to change a life. So we should be excited that this person was with us and hearing about the radical grace of Jesus.
We were not going to run them off because of their license plate because just down the row was another car that I knew the owner was dealing with porn, I knew that there was another car on the next row where the owner was dealing with mental illness, and I knew that there was another car on the other end of the lot that was in legal trouble. The only thing different about this car was that their license plate was letting us know what was going on in their life. So we were going to simply pray for this person, pray that Jesus was going to impress upon their heart about a relationship with Him, pray that this person would experience life change because of who he is and not because we pointed out their license plate. So my encouragement to you is to look in the parking lot, look and see not the license plates but who are the people that are there to be cared for and reached with the radical grace of Jesus? Who knows maybe you need to start with your car.
Christmas Eve Hurt
Last week we celebrated Christmas all over the world and for many people that meant going to Christmas Eve church services. As a pastor of a church I often think about how important that these services can be for people that during the season will come and check out church. I mean if you are involved with volunteering at a church or on staff you have probably seen the investment that comes with getting ready for Christmas Eve. There are decorations, there is lighting, there is sound, the right songs, cookies, people dressed up for Christmas, and stuff for the kids. All of these things are not bad and they can be important for what you are doing at Christmas time. But this year I saw something that has challenged and changed my heart.
You see this year as we were all getting ready that night for Christmas Eve services at our church in Aurora. There were things that really caught my attention you see we had some places that didn’t have enough volunteers, there were some places that didn’t have the right volunteers, heck can I be honest there were places that didn’t have any volunteers. So as I was trying to figure out how to handle the volunteer issue I do what so many other pastors do in this case, I voluntold my son to help me out. Which he did with out a question, ok maybe with one question. Why? I told him that he is in the best place to make a difference during our Christmas Eve services. These words were so true, more than I would have ever known.
You see we had a man show up right about the time I was getting ready to go on stage to speak that was high and very drunk. We do live in CO so the high part is never a shock but the drunk part well that was hard for us all to see. So I as walked on stage I saw one of our elders, my son along and his college friend start to deal with this man. At least that is what I thought.
The truth of the matter is that they took some amazing time to care for this man. What my son shared with me was that this man had just walked in because he saw all the people walking in and heard the music. He told my son that he was feeling lost and so lonely that he thought I might as well walk in there. My son, his friend, and our elder gave him something to eat (cookies are important), then gave him a cup of coffee, and talked with him. Even helped him walk into the auditorium for a chance to hear silent night and watch the candles being lit, after he had fallen twice just trying to sit in a chair in our lobby area.
So when the service was over I came out to meet people and make sure everything was going ok. Well the man had wanted to go have a smoke in the parking lot (nothing new at this church), so my son and his friend went with him. Out there he shared with my son that he had been smoking weed all day and had been drinking with different people he knew all day. That he was lonely and just hurting. Then my son told me the man then proceeded to vomit up the cookies and the coffee. All the while my son stood with him and made sure that he was ok, even patting him on the back as he got sick. The man being very embarrassed, put out his smoke, hugged my son said thank you for listening and caring then walked away towards the street. My son and his friend followed the man to the street making sure that he was safe as he disappeared up the street into the darkness.
My son came back and told me how bad he felt for that man and that he was sorry that they couldn’t have done more.
To be honest as a father and pastor I have never been more proud of my son, our elder, and his friend. Because the truth of the matter is that in many other places and yes churches this man would have been seen as a problem and a nuisance. But on this Christmas Eve he was cared for he was fed and he was invited in to see and hear about the birth of Jesus. So what challenged and changed for me this Christmas Eve? I have always thought about making sure that we are prepared for the people that are coming to check out church. But in all honesty I have never thought about the people that might literally stumble into our church. So it challenged me to start thinking about the people that stumble in that are in need for something other then a church service, especially on Christmas Eve. It has changed me because as I stood on the stage and talked about how the shepherds that came and found Jesus were the outsiders in the community. We had the exact same thing going on right in our lobby. It has changed me because I want us to think about how we can have Christmas Eve services for those that are high, stumbling drunk, and lonely this next year. It changed me because of what an amazing man my son has become and how he cares for the people that no one else wants to care for in this world. It changed me because the elder of our church could have really been more worried about getting the guy out of the building instead of caring for him. He cared for him. It changed me because my sons friend who I know is struggling with the question of faith watched faith in action.
If this would have happened at your church how do you think people would have responded? What can you do next Christmas Eve to make sure that your community of faith is ready for the high, the stumbling drunk, and the lonely that might show up?
Baptism Celebration
Baptism is a celebration and it is amazing.
So yesterday at Elevation we had a baptism celebration at Elevation. It is one of the things that we do that amazes me that I get to be a part of. As a church family and team over the last four and a half years we have celebrated 194 people getting baptized. The baptisms are amazing as we see husbands, wives, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and friends baptize the people that they know have taken the step of saying yes to a relationship with Jesus. There is nothing more amazing then watching a little boys face as he looks up at his dad after he comes out of the water. I get emotional when I see a spouse that is getting the chance to baptize the person that they are staying with for the rest of their life and eternity.
But then you get to hear the stories of how and why they said yes to a relationship with Jesus. You get to hear about the struggle, the mess, and many times the hurt that lead them to realize their need for Jesus. But then you also get to hear the stories of how families lead in the area of faith, about how students knew that it was what the knew they needed to do, and amazing stories of a life of faith and growth. No story is ever the same and no baptism is every the same because of what is happening in that persons life.
What I am excited to think about though is the stories that I have yet to hear. I am excited about the faces, the families, and the friends that we get to take pictures of baptizing those that are making their life with Jesus public. Who knows maybe you are one of the stories that we are going to get to share.
Leadership Development
Developing leaders that will make an eternal impact.
This year part of my hope as a leader is to help the other leaders around me develop as well. So one of the things that we have done as a team is to make sure that we are developing ourselves. We have taken the challenge to read 15 books in the next year. (I am a book-aholic) These are books that we want to help us make an impact in how we lead now. They are also books that we want to help us continue to grow spiritually healthy. The other part of our challenge is to view or listen to 52 videos or podcasts in the year. Each one of us made a list of some books to read and shared it with each other. We also then created a list that where we are going to keep track of the videos and podcasts that we are using. We don’t want to ask people to go where we are not willing to go ourselves. We want to make sure that we are becoming the best leaders that we possibly can be for the people that we are leading.
If you would like to learn more about developing the people around you then read the book, “Ready, Set, Grow” by Scott Wilson.
What are some ways that you are challenging yourself to grow in this year?
“Empowering people”
We are working to Serve One
As we go through the “I Love My Church” series at Elevation this month we are going through the different areas that we believe are important for the people that make up this church. One of those areas is “Empowering people to serve with passion and focus.” We know that as followers of Jesus and the people of his church we are called and directed to serve those that are around us. We don’t because we have to but because we want too, especially because Jesus set the example.
Mark 10:45 (NLT) 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So what does it look like to Serve ONE:
- Serve One is Relationship – we serve because of our relationship with Jesus, ultimately its about serving him. Its also because of the relationships that we have with people in our lives.
- Serve One is about Health & Hard work – we serve because it enables us to become healthy spiritually, physically, and relationally. We also know that serving is hard work and it is something that is going to challenge us. When you serve people the hard work comes from serving the people around you the way that they need to be served not necessarily the way you want too.
- Serve One is Focus – we want to be a church team that serves because we have focus together and individually. We focus our efforts together in what we do as a church every week. We also want people to focus on the way that they are created, gifted, and passionate.
We are excited as a church team and family to “Empower people so they can serve with passion and focus.” We are going to be continuing the conversation about “Why should I love the church today?” this week at Elevation. If you want to find out more about Elevation just click here to go to our website.
What are some ways that you are serving the people around you?
“Come & See”
Its about engaging people in a relationship
“Engaging people with experiences that lead to life change.”
When we moved to Colorado to start Elevation it was a passion and desire in us to reach people that didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. Michelle and I had come back to a place where family, friends, classmates, and work friends were living a part from a relationship with Jesus. So from day one we knew that we had to think of how we were going to engage people with experience that lead to life change. One of the things that I have enjoyed is to see how we can follow Jesus lead in this area of our life and our church team. In the New Testament in John there is an amazing interaction with Jesus and some disciple of John the Baptist and then those disciples who began to follow Jesus and their family and friends. But here is the conversation that Jesus has at first:
39 “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
Jesus invites these men to come and see. Come and see what? His home, his new sandals, or maybe to see his new X-Box (ok not that)? The invitation was to come and see his life. It was an engaging statement to say come and follow me personally. So many people that are followers of Jesus want to have a process or a mandate on how to reach people for Jesus. The problem with that is in the New Testament we are commissioned to go but it doesn’t necessarily say how to go or exactly what to say or even do. So what I have done is spent my time going and hanging out with people and when they ask me how my life is different or has changed then when we were in high school or college I invite them to come and see. I invite them to spend time together and walk through life together so that they can see who Jesus is in my life and how he has changed me.
I also invite them to join me at the church where I belong. Now I know there are some people that are thinking why would you do that? Church why church? For me it is to get them to see that there are other people like me that have a relationship with Jesus. It also creates the opportunity where they might see or find someone that is dealing with stuff that they are dealing with in their life. That they will get inspired by what they here and experience. It is a “Come and See” about doing life where we accept you warts and all. I am only going to be able to connect with so many people and so are you. So why not create opportunities with a church team where someone that you are in a relationship with just might connect with someone else on the church team that will take them further in their faith journey with Jesus. The goal is that people will experience life change in Jesus. Not that I have all the notches on my bible where people said a statement or made a prayer about Jesus. It is about being involved in a life long spiritual fitness plan that leads to health in a relationship with Jesus and others.
I know that there are going to be people that disagree with this idea. I know that there are going to be people that think we should be running down every street with people yelling about Jesus. That is great and it awesome that you disagree because it still doesn’t change who Jesus is and it doesn’t change that we are called to tell people about Jesus. We all have been gifted and challenged to do it differently because of who we are as a follower of Jesus. Let’s just make sure that we spend more time telling people about Jesus then telling other followers of Jesus that they are not doing it right. Because if that were the case even Phillip who after he was invited to follow Jesus would have been in trouble,
John 1:45 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” (my emphasis)
He said, “Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth” he didn’t say Jesus the Son of God. What he did is he took what he knew at the moment and he shared it with a friend because he wanted to share with his friend how Jesus had changed his life. He then says,
John 1:46b 46 . . . “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
What are you doing this week to engage people where you have the opportunity to say, “Come & See”?
If you would like to see more about “Come and See” feel free to watch a talk that Scott gave at Elevation this last week. (Click Here)
Why do I love my church?
Find out what I Love My Church.
When I was in high school I have to be honest, I did not love my church I didn’t love any church. I was at a place in my life where it was not a place where I felt I was welcome or even wanted. Not because of all the people but some of the people. But when you are in high school you make some generalized assumptions about people and places. (Not that adults do that at all. SARCASM) It took some very tough situations and some very caring people to get me to the place where I realized not only that I needed the church. But, that the church actually had a need for me. That through time I realized that “I Loved The Church.”
Now for some of us I may need to make a clarification. The church is not the building and it is not about religion. It is about Jesus and the people that come together that become the church through a relationship with him and others. It is a place where imperfect people come together to follow a perfect savior, Jesus. The church is not perfect because people are involved. But it will be some day when we all get together as a huge church and stand before Jesus.
But “I Love My Church”! Not because I am a pastor and not because I am a church starter. But because I am a follower of Jesus and I love to watch the church be the church. I love to watch people receive Jesus radical grace! I love to hear about how the church is serving people not because they have to but because they want! I love to see the church love on people even when it gets messy! I love to watch the church become a group of people that are willing to lead and multiply! I love when Jesus takes a hold and does what he loves to do through imperfect people to engage people so they experience life change.
I Love My Church, because Jesus loves his church.
New Car Smell
Why is it that we love the new car smell? Why do people think that they can even reproduce the new car smell? I know why, because it means that you have a new car. There is nothing greater than sitting in a new car, feeling the new seats, exploring all the new capabilities, and then driving away with a new car. (But not obviously not the new car cost.)
So when we can’t get the new car what do we do? We buy an air freshener that supposedly smells like new car. We try to take a new smell and cover up the old one that is left behind. My question is, why do we do the same thing when it comes our lives in Jesus?
We don’t take the new life in Jesus. We just take the new life smell. Instead of taking the new life in Jesus we just take little bits and pieces of the new life and we try to cover up the old life. So we continue to say, I am an addict, or I am abused, or I am a loser but I go to church.
2 Corinthians 5:16&17 16 “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
When we say, “Yes to Jesus” we don’t just get the smell, we get the new life. So I want to encourage you today to know that when you have a relationship with Jesus you have a new life, so start living it. I know it’s not that simple but I pray that you will start taking the steps today to live new, not just live a new smell, but live a new life.
How can you start living new today?
Why should followers of Jesus be healthy?
We are created for more then we are doing now.
Over the last couple of weekends we have been going through a series called “Built 4 Life”. We are going through the different areas of the bible that talk about living a healthy lifestyle. So as we talked about health we came upon the idea that as followers of Jesus our health is an act of respect to God himself. So the statement that we are thinking ont this week is:
“Respect the building, respect the builder.”
So what does that look like for us and everyday living:
- Excercise: Take some small steps this week to get in the discipline of exercise. Start small and work up to something that will continue to encourage health.
- Experience God With a Healthy Life: For people who are called followers of Jesus this means that you are to worship God with a healthy lifestyle. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 6:19. Remember you are not your own.
- Extend Life’s Opportunities: This is where our health and the way we live can put us in a position to do great things with opportunities that God places in our life. We are built for so much more than we are doing now.
So what are some things that you can do this week to start living a healthier lifestyle? List something here in the comments section.
If you would like to see the message from this last weekend then just click here. (Built 4 Life)
Why should healthy living be important?
A great book on your health and being a follower of Jesus.
For the next couple of the weeks at Elevation we are going to be doing a series called, “Built 4 Life”. Where we are going to be focusing on how God has giving us the direction about living a healthy life. So the focus verse for this series is:
John 10:10 (NLT) 10 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
We are hoping and praying that people will be able to see that it is important to tie our physical being with the spiritual. That as a person of faith I should see the need to be healthy and that God has created me to have a rich life. But I need to see the why in my life whether it is personal or as a mission in my life. In fact that is how we created the statement for this weekend; “The why leads me try.” The why in my life should lead me to try and live a healthier life. So here are some of my personal whys:
- I hope to live a long life with her.
- I hope to be able to walk my girls down the isle.
- I hope to be able to play catch with my grandkids.
But then there is the mission whys in my life:
- I hope to see all the people in Aurora know Jesus.
- I hope to be able to travel around the world and share about Jesus.
- I hope to be able to lead other groups in planting churches.
What are the whys in your life? How are those whys going to lead you to try and live a healthier life?
In the book “Winning My Race: Discovering the energy, time and discipline to fulfill your destiny.” By Dr. Ben Lerner & Dr. Chris Zaino there is a quote that challenges us to know our whys.
“The two most important days in someone’s life are the day you are born and the day you discover why.” Anonymous
What are your whys and how will you start to take some steps to lead a healthier life?
Quit listening to other voices! (part 5 finally)
The time that I was able to spend at the Preaching and Teaching conference was great. I was so glad that I was able to spend some time with a great friend named Arron Chambers. He is the lead pastor at The Journey Church in Greeley, CO and is also the author of one of my favorite books called “Eats with Sinners“. Arron has a great passion and great ability to communicate to people the importance of spending time with people who are far from Jesus. I get excited every time I hear him give his talk about it. In fact the main reason that I get excited about it is because he is always saying that we need to listen to the voice of Jesus talk about meeting and caring for people who are far from a relationship with Jesus.
That is the last thing that I shared with the college students that were a part of the talk that I gave at Ozark Christian College. If we as church leaders and church planters are to “Quit to continue and continue to Quit” then are last thing is to “quit listening to other voices then the voice of Jesus.”
There are so many people who are going to be telling you as a church planter and church leader what is important for you to be doing. That there is the need for a woman’s ministry, that there is a need for a men’s ministry, and that there is a need for the under water basket weaving for Jesus ministry. (Not real, but if you have this ministry stop. People might drowned.)
We need to as leaders and church planters to focus on what God is telling us. Here again is a place where I believe that Saul can give us some insight in what not to do in 1 Samuel 15:24:
24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. ” (My emphasis)
Saul as a leader was more worried about what the people wanted that what God had commanded. There are certain times that as a follower of Jesus, leader in a church, or church planter that we just need to quit listening to everyone else and focus on what Jesus is calling us too.
For me that means that we need to make sure that we are seeking to reach people who are far away from Jesus. At Elevation we put it this way; “Engage jacked up people so that they can become followers of Jesus.” This is something that we are always going to do in our church. Why? Because that is what God has called us to do as church in Aurora, CO and that is not up for debate. Not because I want to be a jerk but because at the end of my life I want to be able to stand before Jesus and know that I listened to his voice and his voice alone. “Quit to continue and continue to quit.” Let’s be quitters and not get caught quitting.
What is a voice that you need to stop listening too?
Quit waiting to move! (part 3)
I don’t know how many times that as a pastor or a pastor to students that I have heard people make this statement:
“God is calling me too, (fill in the blank) and I was hoping that you would pray with me about it.”
Most of the time my answer to them is “NO, I won’t pray with you about it.” Which really usually brings faces of shock and the question of “WHY?” Here is my response to that. “Because if God has called you to do it, then DO IT! Don’t pray about if you should do it. DO IT!” Again when it comes to the area of “Church Planters being Quitters” I believe that is where church planters have seen that God has called them to do something so they have quit waiting to move. I love the verse where Jonathan and his armor bearer have taken a step of faith and are now about to step into the battle. As I read 1 Samuel 14:6 I was able to see the area of church planting and the need to move:
6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” (Emphasis mine)
The more and more that I read through the bible and the more and more I talk with church planters and church leaders I believe that God has called us to live in the “Perhaps“. We are as followers of Jesus first and foremost to rely on God and see the obstacles more as opportunities to see Him show up and do something amazing.
When we were preparing to launch Elevation Christian Church in Aurora, CO. I kept putting off the date that we were going to launch. I was worried about money, I was worried about people, I was worried about the place, and I was worried if I was ready. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to have dinner with Pastor Perry Noble. (Twitter is awesome when you are able to find out people are in your area and you beg for dinner.) We were sitting there eating and he began to ask questions about what we were doing then he asked when we were going to launch. The question that I had been dealing with. When I gave him my answer of not being sure he made a statement that rocked me. “If God has called you to do this then do it, if it is God’s will then he will flip the bill.” It was exactly what I needed to hear at that time. To me it was the Jonathan moment where I need to hear that we need to live in the “Perhaps” of following God.
Where are you hearing God call you to move? Is it a life style move, is it a vocational move, or is it a spiritual move?
Dealing with Insecurity
Over the last couple of years as we have walked through planting a church in Aurora, CO. I have had to deal with many areas of growth. Developing leaders, doing long range planning, and knowing what to do when to do it. (Still working on that one.) But most of all I have had to deal with my insecurity.
I had a person that I have in my life that is able to speak into those areas of my life and a couple of weeks ago he just said, “Scott you are a very insecure person.” At first it really kind of ticked me off. But the more I have thought about it the more it has really been a freeing moment for me. I am insecure.
I am insecure about:
- my marriage
- my parenting
- my ability
- my leadership
- my . . . .
But the one thing that I gain strength from as the insecure person is my true security coming from my identity in Jesus. I am a follower of the risen Savior Jesus. I am a jacked up, insecure person, that only can live life because of the radical grace of Jesus Christ.
John 1:12 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
Sounds simple doesn’t it. Well it is! Every day since that conversation I have woke up with the this statement. “I am a child of the risen and conquering Savior, my life only comes from Him. I am secure because of what he has done, not me!” Take some time to say this statement each day and see what it does for you.
Hi, my name is Scott Bloyer and I am secure with being insecure. Who is with me?
The Battle is ON!
One of the things that we have learned over the last two years of being a part of a church plant is the battle that comes after we see God show up and do something amazing. This last weekend at Elevation we were priviledged to share the gospel message then see the Holy Spirit move in the lives of 10 people. We have already heard from some of the people that responded to the gospel and there has been freedom in their lives when it comes to addiction, brokeness, and loss. I love being able to be a part of a church where people see it is a place for the “jacked up” and that they can encounter the radical grace of Jesus Christ. But then we also were able to celebrate with five men as they were baptized. Five men that are going to be leaders in their homes, five men that are going to be fighters for the gospel, and five men that are chasing after Jesus. We can claim that at Elevation we are living out Matthew 11:21 where we see the Kingdom of Heaven is advancing.
But then comes the Monday and Tuesday after an amazing weekend. These are the days that we have learned that there is an enemy that does not want us to be able to celebrate what is going on in Elevation. So we have things that happen that will discourage and divide the team. People get upset about things, people don’t like how things were done, or people well they are just people. But we know it is just the enemy that is trying to get us to lose focus. Maybe to even get us to hate or be bitter or even give up. These are the verses that came to me this afternoon while I was praying:
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
The fight is never with a person or even with the problem. The fight is with the enemy and you can choose to either allow the enemy to take you down or you can by the power of Jesus Christ put a double leg take down on the whole situation. The way that you do this is by getting down in the bottom position (if you wrestled you know what I mean). From this position you just pray. Anytime that you get on your knees and pray is the best way to fight. Then you you use the stand-up (basic wrestling escape) and stand on the power of the bible. That is the only way that you are going to be able to make it through the battle. If you are going through what you feel is a battle then please let me know how can I be praying for you. Fight the good fight!
"Psycho for Jesus" Scott Bloyer 