Let's Talk About You

Let’s Talk About You

Give me a moment, seriously, just 325 words and we’ll get to you, but first consider this story.

There was a time when the prophet Samuel was tasked by God to anoint a new king over Israel. Much would ride on the faith, wisdom, grace, and courage of the next appointment because the previous appointment, King Saul, hadn’t work out so well.

Samuel was sent to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem to meet his sons and select one of them at God’s prompting to be Israel’s next leader. Apparently, he would know him when he met him.

Jesse had eight sons, but only brought seven to the selection process. The very first was Eliab. When Samuel saw him, he was impressed and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed, but Eliab, though impressive to the world around him, wasn’t the guy. The Lord said, “Samuel, don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

That, my friends, is a valuable piece of information.

If you know the story you know all seven sons were presented, but none were selected. Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse’s response telegraphed his opinion of the eighth son still out in the fields; “There is still the youngest, but he’s out in the fields watching sheep and goats.” In other words, “You don’t want him. He’s too young. Great with goats and sheep, but hardly ready to become a king.” Samuel insisted on meeting the eighth son of Jesse, a boy named David.

The rest, as they say, is history. David became the greatest king Israel would know. He wasn’t perfect for sure, but God brought him through, and the people were blessed because of his grit and grace in the face of his own failures and overwhelming obstacles.

I was thinking about you. Wherever you woke up this morning, whatever you have been tasked with leading, whatever battle you face, and most important to this writing, however unqualified you may feel, take heart, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.” He saw your heart and chose you to lead where you lead, right where you are, right now.

God could have selected anyone, and I mean ANYONE to lead what you’re leading today, but he didn’t, he chose you. Whether it’s a family situation, a business, or a church, he has chosen you. Mom and Dad, he could have selected anyone to parent your children, but he passed on the rest of the world and chose you. I wonder what it is about you that made you his choice? I wonder what it is about your heart that made you stand out to the One who knows you best and loves you most?

Here is perhaps the most surprising reality of all, he chose you even though he knows you. Every part of you. The good, the bad, and dare I say, “the ugly.” And yet, there you are, chosen by God to lead. There must be something about your heart God knows that maybe you, nor the world around you recognizes because he chose you.

Dr. Crawford Howe, my former District Superintendent, would rarely let a gathering of pastors dismiss without pausing, waiting until he had everyone’s attention, and then saying: “I know things may be tough, but remember: You are where you are by Divine appointment, and I promise you, you’re doing better than you think you are.”

So, take heart my friend. The Lord knows beautiful things about you which you haven’t discovered yet. You may not see much when you look into the mirror, but remember, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.” Your assignment may seem overwhelming but the God who appointed David, appointed you and like David, he will bring you through!

Get up if you’ve fallen. Get help if you’re stuck. Get rest and then get busy if you’ve grown weary and want to give up. Of course, you can do this. You are where you are by Divine appointment and I promise you, you’re doing better than you think you are.

Peace

(1 Samuel 16:1-13)

The Last 20% of the Way

My son Nathan is an animator and creative entrepreneur. He helps people bring ideas to life. We were talking about how difficult the journey is from ideation to creation and he mentioned something that helped me as I consider my own journey.

“What I’ve come to learn,” he said, “is that it takes about 20% of the energy to go 80% of the way on a project.” The early moves are simple and exciting. Who doesn’t want to be part of something new? Sharing ideas, imagining what the project might become fully developed is fun and often full of early wins. The idea is conceived, it’s accepted by what feels like everyone. Graphics are developed, and vision is shared. Designs may appear on t-shirts or coffee cups. Who doesn’t love that? Everybody loves a balloon launch.

These early victories give the impression that ultimate success is a short distance away. You can almost see the finish line and taste victory. Then you face the last 20% of the journey. It’s the part of the journey no one else wants to tread. It’s not uphill, it’s up-cliff. Every step is mired in mud. Relationships are severely tested. Sometimes, even though it’s your idea, you have lived with it so long you hate it. You doubt it. This is the moment we discover why our idea is a new idea; no one else wanted to pay the price to go the last 20% of the way. The final 20% takes longer and costs more than we ever imagined. Our crowd of encouragers thins. Now what? Here is where resilience and grit find their way to the surface of the soul, or the idea dies.

If that’s where you are today, at least be reassured you’re on the right path. It was supposed to get messy. It’s the way the pathway leads. This ground must be covered. In case you’re tempted to quit, consider the following 5 thoughts before you do.

1. Remember your why? How important is this idea? Where did it come from? What is lost if this dies? What will become of the people this would most benefit?

2. Consider your options. Don’t let an idea die from a failure of imagination. The Marine Corp. motto helps me in moments like these: “Adapt, Improvise, Overcome.” Own mistakes and change direction.

3. Check your ego. Reach out for help. Don’t let the current scoreboard make you throw in the towel. Is the mission/idea more important than the beating your ego is taking right now or not? If it is, then find someone who is where you’d like to be, or accomplished something you admire, buy lunch, and ask questions.

4. If you’re a person of faith, check on your faith. Have the demands of a project darkened your heart or dulled your senses to what God might be saying? What or whose narrative is playing in your head?

5. Breathe. There are footprints in front of you of everyone who has ever built anything of value. You don’t have to keep pushing right now, not this minute. Breathe. Rest if you need to. Keep in mind, it’s a tough 20%, but it is only 20% of the way you have left to go.

It’s true, everybody loves a balloon launch, but leadership is required to finish what we start. Strive to be that person.

One more thing. If you ultimately fail, dismount the dead horse and start over. There is always tomorrow. You, nor I, nor anyone else on the planet is too good or too smart to fail. Just don’t dismount too early. It stinks to see someone else ride your horse across the finish line.

Peace.

“A Millimeter of Progress In A Million Directions.”

Advertising executive, Fred R. Barnard is attributed with first speaking the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” If that’s true, and I think it is, this drawing taken from Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism should be “Exhibit A.”

This is not the natural state of things for a leader. It must be chosen. It is not a perfect paradigm. There will be exceptions, but the fewer the exceptions the farther leaders can go in the direction of most importance. Help will be needed. It can’t be done alone. The leader will need to surround themselves with people who can pass energy toward directions parallel to the essential which are essential to the …essential.

A couple of quotes from the book regarding the image for your consideration:

 “The difference between the way of the Essentialist and the way of the Non-essentialist can be seen in the figure opposite. In both images the same amount of effort is exerted. In the image on the left, the energy is divided into many different activities. The result is that we have the unfulfilling experience of making a millimeter of progress in a million directions.”

And…

“The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the nonessentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage. In other words, Essentialism is a disciplined, systematic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, then making execution of those things almost effortless.”  (McKeown, Greg . Essentialism, p. 7. Crown.)

I would love to hear what you think about it.

Peace.

Look For Clues

My friend John Nordstrom Sr., planted a church in 1971 (Christ Community Church, Ottawa, Illinois), which is still strong and healthy to this day. He has retired, sort of. He still disciples believers, prays, and provides any help he can to the church he has loved for so long. He just turned 81 and still gives the devil what-for, every chance he gets. I love him. He’s the picture of what a human being can become when they accept the calling of what Eugene Peterson called, “a long obedience in the same direction.” He’s filled with the Holy Spirit. He’s sweet, funny, full of wisdom - and boy does he love Jesus. What more could you ask for?

Recently, during a day of church meetings I had the opportunity to hang out with him. Anytime I get to spend time with leaders like John, I anticipate the moments and try to find a question for them to mull over and respond to.

When we had a chance to talk, I asked him, “How old were you when you preached your first sermon?”

“Twenty or twenty-five. Hard to say.” He answered with a smile.

Note: I’m still not sure about that answer. Who doesn’t remember the first time they preached? John is Spirit-filled, but still ornery. I think in the moment he just didn’t want to remember that hard. I’ve seen this before. Though he has stepped aside from formal leadership he’s always willing to be present if requested, and he’s often requested. On a completely separate occasion, mid-morning at a meeting, he interrupted the discussion and said something like, “Ladies and gentlemen ... I know the meeting isn’t over, but well, I, uh… well … (pause)… I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m not employed here, and I have grandkids or donuts or something waiting on me. So, I’m leaving.” It was the highlight of my day and one of the funniest things I’ve ever experienced in a meeting.

Back to the story.

So that night I probed him with a second question: “If 81-year-old John could talk to the hard to say twenty or twenty-five-year-old, John, what would you say to him?”

“Oh,” he responded, “I’ll have to think on that a bit.” So, we went on about our socializing. Sometime later in the evening he came back with an answer: “Look for clues.”

I asked for clarification.

He said, “Instead of trying to figure everything out on your own, look for clues to what the Holy Spirit is doing. Look for clues in yourself, your church, your family, everywhere. We say God is at work! Do we believe it? If so, why wouldn’t we be more curious and less frustrated. Just makes sense.” (I’m paraphrasing but remain true to his advice.)

He went on matter-of-factly: “We don’t always have to know, you know? Sometimes, we’re better off saying, ‘I don’t know.’ And then sometimes, we think we know, but don’t. Look for clues, and when you find one follow it and get on board with what God is doing.”

I’ve been thinking about John’s advice:

“Look for clues.”

More curious and less frustrated sounds much better than angry and stubborn.

I like it.

So, what clues are around you right now you might be missing? What is God trying to show you, but you’re looking at his finger instead of where He is pointing? Maybe spend today more curious? Ask more questions. Look for spiritual footprints and fingerprints. Look around. Investigate. Read that verse again. Pray that prayer again… but differently. Ask a different friend. Look at the problem from a different angle. Listen to a different voice. In silence, hear the whisper. Less chaos. Less noise. Who told you, you must know today? Sleep on it.

I think that’s great advice and I’m going to take it.

Thank you, and happy birthday to my friend John Nordstrom Sr.!

Note: I called him a couple days late to wish him happy birthday and ask a few questions about clues. The conversation went like this: “Sorry I’m late.” I told him. His response was genuinely John, “Well I was pretty torn up about it, but since you’re calling now, even though you’re late, I guess I’ll get over it.”

What a guy. What a leader. What a friend.

Peace,

Brian

There's A Lot In A Name

I walked over to the office this morning and was greeted by two gentlemen changing the signs at our church. Over the last few years, we’ve discussed rebranding for the purposes of properly representing who we are and what we’re about. Since we are ministering in multiple locations, it seemed like our name should not be tied as much to the City of Chicago, but adaptable to the neighborhoods and suburbs of Chicago as well. In addition, we wondered if First or for that matter Nazarene were effectively communicating to our local culture.

We asked Emery Agency, a company of professionals who do this kind of thing for a living to help us. They talked to insiders and outsiders, learned our history, and spent hours unpacking our mission, vision, and core values. I am very grateful for their help. What they discovered surprised us.

Legally, for a variety of logistical reasons, we decided to keep First Church of the Nazarene of Lemont Township as our corporate name, along with Chicago First Church of the Nazarene in denominational circles, but the larger question remained as to how we would brand ourselves to the cities and neighborhoods we are currently in and hope to be ministering to in the future.

However, what Emery learned through their exhaustive research surprised all of us.

Essentially, our community had already branded us Nazarene or The Naz. Whatever we did with the name, the word Nazarene had to be included. Their final research proved Nazarene simply didn’t have the negative denominational baggage they anticipated when they began.

So, we kept Nazarene, for two reasons. First, because it’s how our community knows us. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, because of what the word represents in a much larger historical and Biblical sense.

In October of 1895, after a night of prayer, J.P. Widney, physician, and former president of the University of Southern California, proposed the name Church of the Nazarene for our movement. According to the Los Angeles Times, Widney liked the appellation Jesus of Nazareth because it linked Jesus to the “great toiling, suffering, sorrowing heart of the world,” and identified the new movement with “the lowly, toiling, ministry of Jesus the Nazarene.”

The Chicago skyline will be the backdrop for a mural inside our foyer reminding us of our call to represent Jesus of Nazareth to the suffering and sorrowful throughout Chicagoland. In addition, our platform is designed to resemble the first Chicago storefronts we ministered in as a reminder of where God has called us to focus our work.

With Nazarene settled on as part of our brand, we began to wrestle with First. We were originally named First because we were the first Church of the Nazarene in Chicago. One hundred and seventeen years later we decided to retain it for a much different reason.

A few years ago, I was at a church planting meeting where I heard pastor Kevin Jack say, “As church leaders, why don’t we focus on being somebody’s first church instead of trying to be somebody’s next church.”

The thought stuck. When I shared it with leaders they agreed. So, we are First Nazarene Church. Every time we say our name, we are reminded of Who we serve and who we seek. Don’t get us wrong, we love it when believers come to our church, but our purpose here is to so live out our faith we see unbelievers come to Jesus. And they are!

The new branding is different than I imagined. I figured it would be something more artsy or slick or cool. But how much clearer can we be? I am moved every time I see the words First Nazarene Church and consider the legacy, past leadership and sacrifices of laity and clergy over her lifetime. May we be someone’s first church. May we be faithful ambassadors for Jesus of Nazareth.

The Plane Did Not Crash! You don't have to either!

On Saturday, February 20th, 2020, Flight 328 carrying 238 passengers and 10 crew members took off from Denver International Airport headed to Honolulu, Hawaii. Then, an engine caught fire. Just 20 minutes into the flight, a passenger pointed their cell phone out the window and captured the terrifying footage you can see below.

The great new is the plane didn’t crash! The pilot recognized the problem, followed training and protocol, turned the plane around and landed it safely. What a great ending to a horrifying story.

There’s a lesson here. The story can be horrifying, but the ending doesn’t have to be.

The pilot could have said: “I’ve got the talent to fly through this.”

The pilot could have said: “What will people think if we turn around so early in the flight?'“

The pilot could have said: “This is not my fault! I’m moving forward!”

The pilot could have said a lot of things, but what he said was: “Mayday, mayday, we have engine failure.” Then, he listened, then he followed direction, turned the plane around and landed safely where he had begun the journey moments before, at the Denver airport.

As a leader, there has been more than one occasion when I looked around and recognized an engine was on fire. Something was wrong. Not with the environment around me, not with the control tower, not with the folks I was leading, but with me.

One of the differences between a leader who completes the mission they’ve been given and those who crash is the self-awareness to recognize something is wrong, seek direction and follow it.

Let me go a step farther: the difference between those who finish the calling and those who crash is not whether an engine catches fire or some like issue develops, it will! The difference between those who succeed and those who crash is a pilot who recognizes and acknowledges issues, and then seeks and accepts help.

I woke this morning thanking God for the times I’ve been spared when I could have crashed. Times when my attitude, my ego, or my ability to listen was on fire. The individuals who led me and the individuals who I led saw it, so did my friends, and thankfully, consequently, so did I.

As a leader if something is wrong, if an engine is on fire, land the plane and get help! Even if it means you have to start over. Even if it means you have to change direction. Even if you’re only 20 minutes into the flight! No problem is too big unless it is ignored.

Turn around and land the plane! At this point, the question is not whether or not the flight you’re on is going to be diverted, it is. There is no greater diversion than a crash. The question is whether you and the people you lead will able to fly again. There are plenty of people willing to help, but they can’t unless you let them!

There are no problems too big, unless they are ignored!

Again, did I say this already? Land the stinking plane! Get counsel, follow it, and enjoy your next flight!

Peace,

Brian

If You Were The Enemy

For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:11)

I recently had a conversation with a leaders who were bravely and resiliently seeking to plan into the future. They were committed to moving from a defensive position in this pandemic and chaos of the culture to an offensive one. After making a solid evaluation of where they had been and what they had come through, they focused on the Mission of the Moment and charted a course for the next few months.

 They spent time on their knees talking and listening to God. They spent time around the tables talking and listening to each other, and God. We reached the end of the discussion, but before I asked them to consider this question: “If you were the enemy, what trap would you set, what plan would you execute to stop you?”

 It’s an interesting question. Knowing what you know about you, where would you seek to engage? Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, and aware of where previous plans have failed in the past, what trap would you set? What fire would you seek to start? What message would you try to deliver? If you were the enemy how would you disrupt?

They thought for a while and then arrived at three places they might be vulnerable or have been vulnerable at in the past.  Here was their list:

1.     Discouragement.

2.     Disunity.

3.     Fear.

Having identified potentially vulnerable areas they committed to checking the locks on these doors often, and openly engaging any issues around them quickly. They built into their plan a proactivity to dealing with and guarding these areas.

So, what about you? As you think about your call, your hopes, your dreams, your family? If you were the enemy what traps would you set? What fires would you start? Where would you seek to invade and disrupt?

I would encourage you to talk about them, prepare to engage them, and then go change the world! 

Peace!

The WEIGHTIER the matter at hand…

Vice-President Harry Truman walked into First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s private study at about 5:30 pm on April 12, 1945 not knowing why he’d been called. Mrs. Roosevelt rose to greet him with the following words: “Harry, the president is dead.” Truman was too stunned to speak. Finally he managed, “Is there anything I can do for you?” To which Mrs. Roosevelt responded after looking at him for a moment. “Is there anything we can do for you?” She replied. “For you are the one in trouble now.”[1]

 A few things I’ve discovered about leadership.

1. Leadership is not easy at any level. Consider the last time you tried to organize anything involving people. A trip to an amusement park, the family’s order at a fast-food restaurant, or any backyard game become complicated when one person is trying to organize others. 

2. The weightier the matter at hand, the more difficult the leadership journey. It’s why leading a major organization and/or a family is so difficult. Ultimately, decisions about what ride the group is going to go on first at Six Flags doesn’t matter. People can go their own way and still have a great day. Not so when a company, community, family, or church are faced with leadership decisions.

3. If you think a new leadership role means you’ve arrived, you’re correct, but what you’re arriving at may not be what you expected. Think of it as moving a piano up stairs. Don’t rush or get sidetracked plunking out a tune. This is serious business. Be sure you establish why the piano must go upstairs to begin with? 

4. Leadership is both the greatest opportunity and the heaviest weight you will be asked to carry. Avoid it when it calls and you’ll miss your destiny. Underestimate the challenge in front of you and your front teeth will meet piano keys.

5. The weightier the matter at hand, the more it’s not about you. There is a difference between a career and a calling. From the moment you accept a calling you cease to be the focus. It’s about the matter now. You have decided the matter is more important than your comfort and career. This piano is going upstairs even if it kills you, and it might. These are stairs you’re willing to die on, and you might. Anything less is not a calling.

6. When God wants to move a weighty matter he most often chooses to partner with people to do it. Simple, ordinary, people become great movers when they spend time with Jesus. Think about it. God sent angels to announce the birth of Jesus, but he sent a man (JTB) to prepare the way.

7. The weightier the matter at hand, the more important the why of the move becomes. Why this? Why now? Why does the move matter? What will be lost if the move doesn’t happen? What will be gained? 

8. The weightier the matter at hand, the more difficult decisions will be. Gone will be the days when everyone loves you and when you can bring everyone along. According to Dr. Edwin Friedman, one of the prerequisites for a healthy system shutdown is an “unreasonable faith in being reasonable.” [2]

9. The weightier the matter at hand the more numerous the voices demanding your ear. Everyone around you will become experts on moving pianos though few of them have ever actually done it. The issue is which voices should you listen too? Ignore them all and the piano will stay right where it is. Listen to them all and you’ll move the piano all over the room but return it to its original place. 

10. The weightier the matter at hand, the more help you’ll need. You will not have the knowledge, wisdom, courage, or resilience you need to answer a calling. You’ll have the knowledge, wisdom, courage, and resilience you need to arrive at the calling; that’s why you got the gig. But upon arrival you will soon discover those immortal words, “What got you here, won’t get you there.” The wells of knowledge, wisdom, courage, and resilience you have drawn from over the years will likely dry up. When that happens you have two choices.

a. Wait and pray for God to move the piano Himself.

b. Get some help.

Let me encourage the former and insist you plan on the latter. Pray while you read books, listen to experts on piano moving, and build relationships with people already at the top of the stairs. Find people who agree pianos need to be on the second floor and learn.  Don’t think just because you are currently in charge you are actually qualified. It will take time. (Exodus 4:10,

 11. The weightier the matter at hand, the more opposition you will face. You will face it in the very people you’re trying to help. You will face it in the spiritual realm. You will face it within yourself. People who love the piano at ground level will tell fight you. Gravity will fight you. There are a lot of people who would rather gather round the piano and sing instead of move it. Egos will fight you. Especially your own.

 12. The weightier the matter at hand, the more God is involved. God doesn’t tinker. If it matters, it matters to God. His favorite weighty matter is people. For some reason He loves them. All of them. Weird huh? I mean, I understand why He loves me, my family, a few friends, and my dog Tucker, but those folks? Go figure? But it’s true. Just about anything involving helping people step up, stand up, get up, or look up is important to Him and He doesn’t owe any of us an explanation.

13. The One who calls you is faithful. He will provide. Directly, through His Word and His Holy Spirit much of what you need to be faithful will be directly provided. Go there and return there often. This will be more difficult than you think. The voices will call you away. Pray there. Linger there. Occasionally, you will raise your head from lingering in His Presence and discover He has made a new way, but most of the time you will raise your head with a new idea, new courage, renewed resilience or just knowing He loves you. Somehow, that is enough.

Indirectly, through the people He brings around you help will arrive. Some will help lift, some will help understand, some will encourage, some will challenge, some will remind you of the reason you’re moving the piano in the first place, some will suggest, some will listen, and some, who have moved pianos all of their lives, will be a gold mine of wisdom and knowledge.

I know the burden is heavy. I know sometimes it feels like there is no way through, and you are all alone. There really isn’t a much more lonely place than leadership, but don’t give up. There are unseen hands supporting you and a faithful God who has chosen you.

Peace.

Brian

* Special shout-out to wilmingtonpianomovers.com for use of their logo. If you actually need a piano moved these folks seem like pros.

[1] Wallace, Chris. Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World (p. 4). Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

[2] Friedman, Edwin H.. A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix. Church Publishing Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Roosters Crow Every Morning

Bad things happen.

Really bad things happen.

Some of them will be your fault.

It’s part of life.

What happens after the bad will tell the story of our lives. Peter denied the One he loved most. When his friend needed him he wasn’t there. He couldn’t even pray without falling asleep, and when the pressure was on he folded. He quit. He ran. He gave up. He was, in the words of Jesus, “sifted like what.”

The courage he thought he had was an illusion. He was no better than anyone else.

He felt like a total failure so he went back to what he knew: fishing. But even fishing success eluded him on this night. Failure has a tendency to birth failure. While he fished, he must have wondered: What will the rest of my life be? Who would want me as a follower? Who would trust me as a friend? What will life be in the aftermath? Is there life in the aftermath of such a failure?

And then he heard a rooster crow and the aftermath became all too real once again. Think about it. Roosters crow every morning. Peter must have believed that every morning for the rest of his life he would be reminded of his pitiful failure. On that morning I bet he hated roosters. (Look it up. Luke 22:59-62)

But aftermath is the wrong word for friends of Jesus. He doesn’t friend the way other people do. With Jesus, the word is not aftermath, but afterward.

As the sun began to rise on Peter’s failure, he saw a man standing on the shore calling to him.

“Come and have breakfast?”

It’s like waking up the morning after the worst disaster of your life wanting only to stay in bed, curl up in a ball and die. You dread the dawn because it holds not light, just thicker, more obvious darkness. There’s nothing to get up for. What’s the point?

And then Dad comes to the door of your room and says, Hey sleepyhead, get up, let’s have breakfast.” And somehow you think, “Wait…I’m not finished?! There’s life after this? Are you kidding me? Breakfast? I deserve a beating.

And your Heavenly Father smiles and says, Maybe, but I’m hungry. Let’s start with breakfast.

Judas focused on the aftermath and wrote his own ending. Peter hung around and was surprised by the epilogue turned into new story titled; AFTERWARD.

God loves you that much. He’ll turn your aftermath into an afterward and write a whole new story with your life if you let him. Start with breakfast and see.

For Peter, the crow of the rooster every morning was a reminder, we serve a God of afterward.

“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way…” (John 21:12)

INVITATION: FOUR AT FOUR

The 118 words of Psalm 23 have changed the world. This series of videos walks through the Psalm one line at a time unpacking practical help and timeless hope in just 4 minute segments.

You can watch them as they’re released here: Four at Four