Scott Cheatham’s Weblog

This video is quite powerful.  Given the success this weekend of the new movie “Fireproof” (It finished #4 overall this weekend despite playing on only 1/3 of the screens of its competitors), the imagery here gives you further reason to think.  The song was featured briefly during a time when the wife (Erin Bethea) was being pursued by another man while she was still married to Caleb (Kirk Cameron).

It’s a slow fade, when you give yourself away.  How true that is.  People think their relationship just crumbled in a month or two but it’s a slow, gradual, slide that takes you into a place where you can make some bad choices.  Enjoy the video and if you have someone who’s struggling in a relationship today, please pray for them.

I’m sure other bloggers will be writing about this but I was blown away by the power and professionalism of Sherwood Baptist Church’s second movie “Fireproof”.  The same group who produced “Facing the Giants” took the profits from the movie and produced “Fireproof”, a movie that takes a serious Christian view of marriage.

By now, most Christians have heard that Kirk Cameron plays the leading male role of Caleb Holt, a firefighter whose marriage is in deep trouble.  Without giving too much of the movie away, Caleb is challenged by his father who is relatively new believer in Christ, to take the Love Dare.  The Love Dare is a 40 day challenge to make small changes that make a big impact on your marriage.  Complicating matters is the fact that Caleb’s wife, Catherine, is being wooed by another man in the midst of her trial.

The movie features some amazing action shots, a realistic portrayal of the problems in marriage, a clear gospel presentation, and a great ending.  Not too many dry eyes left the theater where our church families went to view the film.  I commented to my wife how great it was to see couples holding hands and looking at each other like lovestruck teens as we left.

I believe the “Love Dare” book will be a good seller at the bookstores after seeing this.  Many couples my wife and I know are in crisis in their marriages.  My only regret was that we couldn’t get some lost couples to go with us to see this.  It was tremendous. 

Already, I’ve seen negative reviews from secular media who are passing off the first weekend’s success to churches proselytizing movie goers by giving them tickets.  No credit for the professional production of the film is given nor are they kind about the gospel presentation which they feel is too “preachy”.  I can tell you, I didn’t think it was preachy at all and given the point at the movie that it occurs, it was totally appropriate.

If this film is still playing in your area, go see it.  Better yet, find a couple to go with you and enjoy it with them.  Afterwards, grab some coffee and share thoughts.  This film has the ability to be a conversation starter for evangelism, and a perfect film to put in the hands of couples who need to reconsider their marriage vows and the power they hold.

There were several great posts this week.  Hard for me to pick just a few but here goes for your weekend enjoyment…

Matt Mehaffey points to a great new networking site for youth called “Just 1 Word”.  I haven’t had time to extensively get into this, but it looks great!

Guest writer Chuck Frey discusses Mind Mapping Software on the LifeDev blog.  I use mind mapping extensively in outlining various projects and even books of the bible when I’m studying for a message.  This post makes some great points.  Heads Up.  I’ll be guest writing on the LifeDev site soon.  Stay tuned for details.

Thursday Bram is fast becoming one of my favorite reads on the internet.  Her post on getting answers online points to some great sites I wasn’t even aware of.  Thursday’s practical, doable, posts are fun to read.  Check them out!

Wanting to jump start your blog writing?  Looking for ways to get noticed?  Leo Babauta writes about this topic is his “Write to Done” blog.  Leo’s known for his Zen Habits blog but launched this one to aid writers (like me) in becoming more internet saavy.  He’s done it so I listen.

Linda Formicelli has a nice post on her Renegade Writers Blog on using “LinkedIn” more effectively.  I think you’ll enjoy this post if you’re wanting to improve your networking.  NOTE: Linda reminded me that it was actually guest writer Michelle Rafter who wrote this piece.  So noted!  Thanks Linda.

Michael Quicke has been writing a series of posts on “Preaching Abraham”.  If you’re in ministry and are looking for some sound scholarship and interesting reading on this great biblical character, you might want to drop by his blog and read the entire series of posts.

That’s it for this week.  Over the weekend, I’ll be seeing the new movie “Fireproof” with some families from our church.  I can’t wait.  I’ll blog my thoughts on the movie Monday morning.  Until then, be blessed and have a great weekend!

As I sit and write this, I am people watching.  At a favorite coffee shop enjoying some Kenyan coffee and taking in the sights around me I realize just how busy we make life.  Cars dart in and out of traffic as they fight for position on the highway entrance ramp, the people waiting in line for their beverage are fidgeting as if they are in some big hurry to get somewhere else.  Parking spaces here are at a premium as people take open spaces right as others are exiting them.  The classic Christian rocker Mylon LeFevre sang a song many years ago that lamented the plight of the “harried” and said “it’s almost over”.  It was one of my favorite songs because the overarching message is that all of this will one day be replaced by an existence where we will be able to praise God and spend time with Him forever.  I think back to Jesus’ ministry and how we read of him retreating to a quiet place to pray.  Our Lord modeled the quiet for us so that we had an example.  It’s not laziness we’re talking about here.  I believe you should work, and work hard while you’re working.  God deserves our best no matter our trade and we are called to honor His work in our lives by the example we set to our employers and those around us by being the best we can at working.  What I think happens though is that we get busy in “busyness”.  We forget to manage the clock and leave a few minutes early for that coffee or to give ourselves a sliver of peace to beat the traffic jams.  I’d be lying if I said I’ve never been there.  Of course I have done the very same things I’m writing against. I’m doing so because we both know it’s not a good thing. 

I’ve learned that managing my days better and also learning when I’m at my best physically and mentally gives me a way to plan ahead for maximum accomplishment.  I use a Trapper Woods 24/7 Work/Life planner to put together my days.  It gives me a visual representation of every hour of every day.  For me, it works better than traditional planners because my work and family lives intermingle so much, it’s better for me to plan out my days and my nights.  For me, it seems I work best in the early mornings and early to mid evenings.  Knowing this, I plan my days so much of my busy work is accomplished during those times and other tasks are scheduled at differing times so I get maximum impact from every hour.  It also helps to give me that down time I spoke of that we all need.  By late morning, my rhythms are starting to peak and I need a bit of a break.  It’s a perfect time for me to slow down a bit, grab a notepad, and write down my thoughts as I depressurize.  Later, when I’m feeling more energetic, I process those notes into appropriate tasks and actions.  I feel more creative and better able to manage the lists during these times and almost always think of things that never crossed my mind at my lower peak times.

As technology brings our work and family lives more and more together, it might be worth the effort to consider planning your days in twenty-four hour formats.  Consider your energy levels and plan appropriately.  You might find yourself more relaxed and accomplished than ever before.

..and look me up for a cup of coffee the next time you’re in town!

What's Your "Mantra"?

Do our ministry or business endeavors have a “mantra” like focus?  I was challenged to think about this today as I was reading this post.  Guy Kawasaki mentioned that it was pointless to have a mission statement and advocated a “mantra” that could be broken down into one sentence and constantly repeated.  Something that could be put on your computer’s screen saver.  Something to write on an index card and keep with you to remind you of your goal.  For me in the ministry context that would mean to summarize our church’s main goal into one line.  Repeat it over and over again and focus with laser like precision to get the job done.  After writing Monday about my new disdain for the repetitive church growth books that line my personal library shelves, I felt I needed to clarify that I’m not against having a purpose per se.  I think it’s obvious that any organization needs direction and a goal to do what it was designed to do.  That culture is created from the leadership and washes down to each person who invests in that venture.  For a church, those people invest sacrificially, giving their money, time, and their talent to help grow that ministry.  What I’ve been challenged in of late is what that looks like to MY church specifically.  That’s a difficult question in some respects because there is no book written about my church and its special ministry context.  The chapters of that guide are being written as we speak.  God knows what they say but we as leaders must give ourselves to Him to put it together.  Which gets me back to Kawasaki’s “mantra” comment.  Do you have one?  Do you think the idea has merit?  Would it guide you in your work?

When I worked in the broadcasting business, our “mantra” was easy to remember.  I still have it memorized: “Advertising is our ONLY business!”  In short, we weren’t knocking the hard work of the on-air staff that put together a superior product.  The engineering crew wasn’t being downgraded for their outstanding effort to make our signal as strong and clear as possible.  BUT our company focus was that all of that work led to advertisers purchasing commercials and providing us with income.  If that didn’t happen, we did not get paid.  Every time I received a check from the station, It proudly stated on the front: “Radio advertising makes this check good”.  We never forgot what the main purpose of all this good work was; to increase commercial sales and the money we were paid for doing so.

I like the idea of a “mantra”.  It’s a concept I think I’ll take to my church leaders and see what they say.  What should our mantra be?  What is yours?  Are you in business, a church pastor, or lay leader?  What is your main goal?  Can you state it in “mantra” form?  ”To win the lost at all cost” sounds too contrived to me.  “To love the hurting and bring them home.”  That has a good sound to it.  What are some others?  In an era where media screams at us at every turn.  When our cellphones keep us connected every minute of every day.  When pastors are being asked to be more and more of a CEO every day perhaps it’s time to consider the “mantra” concept.  If your business is struggling in the sluggish economy, perhaps your sales numbers are lagging for the third quarter in a row and you need to regain focus.  Maybe now is a good time to consider the “mantra”.

I will spend some time discussing this with our folks as we prepare to move into a new location later this year.  Like my broadcasting companions, all areas of our church are important and all should focus on our “mantra” so that we never lose focus of why we’re meeting each week in the first place!

I’ve been chewing on the words of Alistair Begg these past few days since hearing him address preachers at a local breakfast.  I wrote about his words in this post and have been praying over much of what he said that day.  As I mentioned before, Begg is one of my modern day heroes in the faith and I always learn from his expository efforts.  I’m a bit busy today so I thought I would share a video I found (brief) on YouTube with Begg and Todd Friel of “Way of the Master Radio”

This is some good, thought provoking material.  I hope those of you who are preachers will consider this as you prepare this week to feed the flock.  

I’m praying for you and I ask that you please pray for me if you are so inclined!

I’ve been clearning out my bookshelves lately.  I’ve decided on a long range plan for paring down my library for the eventual day my wife and I will downsize our living quarters.  Gradually, I’ve sold a few sets of my older bible study materials (most I’ve since purchased on CD) and I’m getting more and more audio and ebooks to replace paper (and it’s related space).  I’ve really had to think hard before clearing out some of my books but among the first to go in my Christian library is the plethora of church growth books I’ve amassed over the years.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with growth but I’ve come to appreciate that most church growth folks don’t have a clue what they are talking about.  I’m not going to single anyone out because that would be in poor taste but it seems to me that all of the “Do-It-Yourself” church growth manuals are quite repetitive in their instruction.  The great preacher Richard Baxter said this about repetition in books:

It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good, but the well-reading of a few, could he be sure to have the best. And it is not possible to read over many on the same subject without a great deal of loss of precious time.

As I was putting some books in a box to give to my pastor friends here in Denver, that thought crossed my mind as I began thumbing through the many texts on church growth I have and I began looking at the process prescribed in each.  For the most part, the process is the same:

• Identify your Mission
• Make a vision statement
• Prepare core values from the above
• Simplify
• Outreach
• Assimilate

I speak for many preachers I know here in Colorado.  We’ve tried all the methods prescribed.  We’ve done the mailouts, handed out enough bottled water to fill one of our state’s resevoirs, did the kindness evangelism until we didn’t feel so kindly anymore, and have seen very little results from it.  Those tricks can get people in the door but they won’t keep them.  To be fair, the ideas shared above have some merit.  Having a clear vision of what you feel God has led you to for your church is crucial.  Cutting through the red tape to simplify the process of people getting to know the Lord while not compromising on the essential doctrines of the faith is great.  But after that, I’ve found that all the “methods” outlined in the various books have one thing in common.  It worked for THAT church.  Too many men have tried to duplicate the process elsewhere and have failed miserably.  Why?  Because they didn’t give themselves to the Lord to find out his process for THEIR church.  Here’s a quick illustration to highlight this point…

I absolutely hate receiving direct mail from churches in my mailbox.  Not because I’m a church planter myself but because they all say the same thing:

• Wear comfortable clothes
• Contemporary music
• Relevant teaching (what does THAT mean)
• Wonderful kids ministry
• Not your Mom and Dad’s church (As if THAT was so bad)

I wonder…If I am a pastor and this stuff sickens me, does it sicken those who don’t have a connection to the church?  I would be amazed if I received a piece in the mail that said something to the affect of: “We’re all on a journey trying to figure this out.  We have our handbook for living and we’ll do our best to give you principles to live by but most of all, we just care about you and your family and want you to know we’d love to have you join us.”  Please, no more statements of why your church is so great.  Believe me, someone else is doing those “things” better than you.  It may not all be at one place, but somewhere else, specific areas areas are better.  What is going to keep people?  Richard Baxter speaks again…

If they can see you love them, you can say anything to them.

So there you have it.  That’s why I no longer ask about what a person’s running anymore.  It’s important as a church planter for me to be adding families, increasing tithes to pay the bills, and stablizing the church for future growth.  I DO understand the reasons behind the question.  But what’s more important is “How is your church health?”  Are your people learning how to BE a church instead of just focusing on how many fannies are in your seats?  In my experience, I’ve found if I focus on the former, the latter takes care of itself.

Now back to sorting my books…

Well today’s my birthday.  I now officially have to change my age on my “About Me” section of this blog!  I’m headed out with my family for a bit but here’s some good stuff for you to check out this weekend.

What if you could set up Twitter to work as a private communication tool?  Hello “Yammer”.  A new networking service for business.  Bob Hyatt discusses this on his Pastor’s Hacks blog.  For now, I’ll stick with texts on my cell phones for such communication but if your circle is larger, you might want to check it out.

Leo Babauta at Zen Habits writes about finding quiet time in your life.  Good stuff!

Fans of the book “Simple Church” will be glad to know “Simple Student Ministry” is coming out sometime next year.  Author Eric Geiger broke the news this week.

More and more, I’ve become a big fan of brevity with my communication (where appropriate of course).  Dustin Wax over at Lifehack writes a nice piece about “Mastering the Short Email”.  I’m going to write about this issue myself sometime soon but this is a great ’short’ article on communicating better.

…and finally

My friend Ron Hunter at “Write Idea on Leadership” put a nice primer on the author/publisher relationship on his blog this week.  He even includes a submission guideline PDF for the publishing company he oversees.  It’s good to have that type of information as I’m beginning the process of writing my first book.  

Be blessed and have a great weekend.

Alistair Begg

Today was the day for the annual KRKS Pastor’s appreciation breakfast in Denver.  Each year, the local Christian station hosts pastors for a breakfast complete with prize giveaways and complimentary gifts for each attendee.  My worship pastor and I made the trek to south Denver for this event largely to hear the featured speaker, Alistair Begg.  For those who don’t know him, Alistair hosts “Truth for Life” which is heard on many Christian radio stations but is also available as a podcast.  Alistair is one of the few teachers I still download to my MP3 player because he always seems to touch my heart.  Speaking specifically to pastors today, his message was even more pointed.

He began by speaking from Acts 8 and the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunich.  He spoke about the truth being revealed and then, through a six point outline, he challenged us to encourage a new generation of preachers that would herald the Word of God and not just entertain the masses.  He encouraged biblical exposition.  He spoke of taking the time to engrave the message on our hearts before we preach.  He quoted from the great preachers Richard Baxter, John Owen, and theologian John Calvin.  He challenged us as his “colleagues” to prepare a “banquet feast” each Sunday for our congregation to dine on.  He used our breakfast as the metaphor talking about how carefully each part of the meal was prepared and served and how it was NOT all thrown together like slop you feed to the dogs.  He opined that many preachers today rush the message and serve up slop rather than a carefully planned meal.  He also spoke to our hearts of making the message palatable to each congregation that we each serve and not settle for a one size fits all message.

Due to time contraints, Begg was only given a scant 15 minutes to speak but in that time, he addressed 45 minutes of issues!  My only wish was that he would have talked longer.

I’ve been challenged.  I’ve been refreshed.  I’ve heard one of my modern day heroes of the faith and I left with a copy of his book “On Being a Pastor” that he gave away to each pastor in attendance.  My worship pastor and I left happy.

If you are a pastor, I pray you are encouraged by someone today as well.  We all need that from time to time.  Ours is a calling that calls imperfect people like you and I to a task only God can accomplish.  May he strengthen you as has me on this day!

Blessings

I love fall weather.  Here in Denver, the mornings are finally starting to be chilly.  I actually like it because the bite in the air wakes me easier and it energizes my senses.  

For me, early fall mornings are made for a hot cup of coffee, a long sleeve shirt, and my dog going with me for a walk.  The feel of the cold morning air against my face is refreshing.  I can open up my mind to spend some time with God as I walk.

The Lord and I share some good times here.  As I approach a nature trail close to my house, Buddy (My Catahoula dog) wants to romp a bit and explore the terrain as rabbits, prarie dogs, foxes, and other wildlife scurry to avoid his advancing gallop.  I can stop at a slow moving stream of water nestled in this collection of homes near my residence.  There, as the dog plays, I pray through my thoughts for the day.  There’s so much to do.  So many things to accomplish.  As a church planter, there’s pressures to raise more money, get more people in the door, and prepare fresh sermons each week.  For now, I give those to God and ask his hand on each.  I thank him for my wife of nearly 21 years.  For my children.  Each unique and different.  None perfect.  Each with a special call on their lives.  I ask God to watch them.  To give them strength.  I thank Him for my health.  I’m overweight and am trying to lose but I’m thankful for another day to get up and walk.  I thank him for all the supporters I have across the country and in my great home state of Missouri.  

Before my Amens, I sit quietly and hear the birds stir.  The rustling of the branches overhead brings a few leaves gently into the water. The effect slighly ripples the water as insects nearby scatter to avoid capture by the birds watching closely.  The wind carries with it a somber mood this day.  I have some families battling some spiritual issues and it weighs on me.  God allows me peace in the sighs of the breeze.  All too soon, I notice my dog has cornered a prarie dog in its hole.  Just as quickly, another pops up a few yards away and he chases it down.  Just as he does, the one he cornered previously pops his head up to check to see if all is clear.  My dog is frustrated now, his paw too big to drop into the small hole.  He whines, barks, and then decides to relieve himself on the plant next to it.  As I laugh, I feel God put his arm around me and I can almost hear a heartier laugh than mine as we consider the plight of my pet.  ”All is well son,” He says.  ”I am in control.  Just enjoy these days because all too soon, they will be gone.”  I hand my thoughts and fears to Him and He graciously takes them under His arm.  He gives me a good hard hug and then, I’m on my way back again.  

With coffee cup in hand, I make my way back up the street and into my home where the silence is just being broken by the kids’ awakening for school.  I have just enough time to shower and get dressed before I drop them off and start another day.  I can’t imagine what others who have no relationship with God do to jump start their days.  Without this little bit of time, I’m spent by mid-morning.  But just this little investment pays big dividends because I know in a little while, I get to hear from Him again when I study His word for my daily devotions.

Perhaps for some, (like my wife) this time comes at night when the kids are in bed and your spouse is fast asleep.  What great priviledge we are given by being able to meet with God day or night, to be strengthened by His hand, and to be equipped to do whatever it is he’s called us to.
It’s times like these that I reflect and thank God for saving me.  He’s a wonderful counselor, mighty God, and a great walking companion!

Have a great day today and thanks for stopping by!