Church Blog
Seeing Jesus in Others
A simple, “good job!” is such a powerful tool especially with toddlers. When they do something praiseworthy, or helpful and you say, “good job!” the child lights up and tries to do it again and again. Why? Because they got something they want which is attention and affirmation.
On some level, the lie that we tell ourselves is that we are no longer like that toddler, craving encouragement that can motivate us toward godliness. But adults are not as complex as we may think. A simple ‘good job’ can get a lot of people to persevere in their work. The sad part is that it seems like the older we get, the less affirmation we receive…
The Right Questions to Ask When
I didn’t have to take a test to find out my primary love language is words of affirmation. Words have always been my go-to when encouraging others—even as early as first grade. During the infamous 1978 Indiana blizzard, I was stuck in my first-grade classroom with my classmates. Because the snow came so fast, the buses couldn’t make it to the school in time to pick up the children and take them home. Most of the kids ended up staying overnight at the school.
Now this is the part I don’t remember. According to my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Weekly, I had given this word of encouragement to my classmates: “Mrs. Weekly’s a mom. She’ll know what to do.”
Clearly, in my young mind, I had a high view of motherhood. As I’ve since learned, being a mom for 25 years, moms don’t always know what to do. But there was something in me as a child that wanted to comfort. Inconsequently, and I’m sure not on purpose, I was also affirming my teacher as a mom. But then again, she could’ve been thinking, “I have no idea what to do!” Which is exactly why asking the right questions is so important…
How Affirmation Can Go Wrong
I recently bought a box of riddles to ask my girls. One of the riddles asked, “What is something we all need, often share, love to give, but rarely receive?” the answer—advice! In the Christian life, and when it comes to affirmation, it may sound more like: “What is something we all need and want but rarely give to others? The answer: Affirmation! This book is intended to help us solve this riddle. In the sense that it isn’t just about finding the correct answer but taking the right actions after knowing the answer…
Why Affirmation is so Important
When I was a kid, I remember thinking I never wanted to be exactly like my parents; I wanted to be my own person. Now that I am older, I recognize all the ways I did, in fact, become a lot like my parents, especially my mother. Particularly when it comes to losing my keys. Growing up, my mother was always losing her keys. I even recall a time when we were late for school and frantically searching for the car keys, and I ended up finding them in the refrigerator! This is why I laughed a little at Crabtree’s opening illustration of a key. He describes how this small tool is both simple and complex. Affirmation is simple in concept, but difficult in its application because relationships are complex, messy, and are affected by many factors…
How Affirmation Refreshes Relationships
I discovered the power of affirmation while enduring my first year as a public school teacher. I had the great pleasure of teaching rowdy, pubescent 7th and 8th graders in a low-income area of Southern California, and it was nearly impossible to get through to many of my students. I taught three periods of remedial writing, which really meant that I was tasked with keeping order in a classroom filled with students who scored very low on tests–mostly because they had unstable homes, no educational support, and/or spoke English as a second language. There are many students that come to mind from that time, but one young lady in particular faced serious difficulties. During the school year her older sister committed suicide and her parents divorced, so turmoil abounded in her life. She spent much of her class time trying to distract other students, and finding ways to avoid her assignments…
God Centered Affirmation for those who are not God
My wife, Emily, periodically recalls the story of our first Member's Meeting at Canby Christian Church. She remembers it so well because Pastor Aaron made her cry during it. It was the second time he had made her cry in the short time we had known him. The first was during one of my interviews before coming on staff at the church, when Aaron asked her, "How are you feeling?" That was all it took.
We were coming off of years and of stress-filled ministries where I either didn't have the skills required for the position, or I was simply underappreciated for what I was contributing—and sometimes both. She had seen me several times seriously question whether I should be doing ministry at all. I don't think I fully understood how difficult it was for her to see me like that….
5th Sunday Family Service
We are starting a new initiative this June, encouraging parents to bring their children into the adult gathering on those months with 5 Sunday’s. CCKids will not be closed, but we are encouraging our elementary-age children to check out the ‘big church service’ with their parents. Fifth Sundays only occur around four to five times a year, which is why we’ve thought they could be utilized to help further our goal as a ministry. Of course, our worship gathering is always open to people of all ages so some may already have their children with them, but for those families who generally have their children in CCKids, now we are creating this pathway toward a gradual integration. Why encourage your elementary-age child to join our main Sunday gathering? …
“Gospel Integrity”
“Are we there yet?” This is the question your kids ask when they are anxious to arrive at their destination. Well, I am happy to say, “We’ve arrived!” We are at the end of this helpful little book on what it means to be a Gospel People—thank you for reading and following along. This last chapter is called Gospel Integrity. Which is what the purpose of this book is all about, A Call for Evangelical Integrity…
“The Importance of Being Gospel People”
In my fifty-one years of attending church, I have seen many differences of opinion, some resulting in a mere exchange of words, some resulting in people leaving churches. Well-meaning Christians have disagreed over almost everything—from church décor or whether it’s wrong to celebrate Halloween to the more serious matters of how church should be governed or what roles the ordinances of baptism and communion play in the believer’s life.
We could all make a list of the many differences leading to disagreements we’ve seen in the church. And, if we’re honest, most of the items on that list would fit into one main category: nonessential…
“Regeneration through the Spirit”
In many ways this week’s chapter echoes some of the conversation we had on this week’s “ON SUNDAY” episode of the Canby Christian Church podcast. In that discussion, we ruminated on how our participation in the Great Commission demonstrates belief and faith. In chapter 4 of “Gospel People – Regeneration by the Spirit” Michael Reeves urges us to consider a third perspective of our salvation. The Father plans or salvation, the Son accomplishes our salvation, and finally, the Spirit applies our salvation by giving us life anew…
“Redemption by the Son”
At my last church, evangelism was at the heart of its culture. The pastors regularly preached that our encounters with non-Christians were an open door or a divine appointment. The church provided evangelism resources, hosted evangelism-focused conferences, offered apologetics classes, organized weekly street witnessing ministries, and even held large-scale events with the sole purpose of extending an altar call to a stadium full of lost people. Evangelism was the vibe, as the young kids might say…
“Revelation of the Father”
My introduction to Christianity was an interesting experience. I spent my early years in a Word of Faith, Prosperity-Gospel influenced, pentecostal church that was full of passionate people who seemed to find their foundation on experience rather than biblical truth. I can’t remember how many times as a child I found myself lying on the ground in front of the stage in this church covered by a thin maroon blanket having just been “slain in the spirit.” I can still recall peeking under the coverings to my younger brother, giggling, as we tried to stay quiet and pretend to be in a spiritually induced comatose state. While I really don’t want to belittle anyone who practiced these types of activities, it was experiences like this and others that led me to question Christianity as a young person. It became clear to me later, as I studied the scriptures for myself, that there was not a biblical basis for this kind of thing. So how important is adhering to the clear teaching of the bible? …
“What are Gospel People?”
I don’t like coffee. And before you completely judge me and everything else I write, I have good reason. One reason is that It’s bitter and makes you run for the bathroom. But, the biggest reason I don’t like it is because it leaves a bad taste in your mouth for a while. It lingers and not in a good way. I don’t like coffee, but at least I can just not drink it. Life is too short. Tea is better anyway. But, in our society, ‘Christians’ are known as evangelicals. The unbelieving world and the media throw this word around so much like evangelicals are another group of people for their statistics. And it leaves a bad taste in my mouth….
“Death by Minutiae”
“The age of connectedness is the age of loneliness. The age of productivity is the age of burnout.” The author James makes this seemingly absurd statement in the 8th chapter of his book. These statements about the internet are seemingly contradictory in their nature. How can we have a time of being the most connected to others, and yet people are feeling the most alone? How can we have a time where we can have so much power and ability to get things done, and yet people are falling and failing even faster and getting less done. How can the internet promise so much, and yet produce such tragic results? …
“The Dark Side of the Web”
I found out recently that I belong to a micro-generation known as Xenials. Which means I had the good fortune of wrestling with my adolescence in a time when pornography was not very accessible. It was out there of course, and I was exposed to some of it in my youth, but it had not saturated my cultural experience the way it has for many born after me. Now, the internet, and for that reason, explicit images and videos, are nearly omnipresent. In this chapter of Samuel James’ book, he turns his attentions to one of the great social & spiritual problems of our time: pornography…
“Shame on You”
We’re talking about cancel culture. Make no mistake, cancel culture is not a phenomenon of any specific demographic of our society. You can find it among liberals and conservatives, religious people and atheists, young and old, sports fans, music fans, and any other subculture you could possibly think of. Surely, there is a stamp collector somewhere who regrets the off-handed comment he made about the 1918 Inverted Jenny because it cost him all of his friends. The Christian internet sub-culture is exactly the same with people waiting to find any hint of scandal so they can post it online and watch the entire world pile on…
“The Abolition of Thought”
The focus of this chapter can be summarized in one word: Outrage. People can say things online that you would never consider saying to someone in person. James demonstrates this with a personal anecdote about getting into a Twitter fued with someone, to the point that they blocked his account, but then when he saw this man in person, he acted like it had never happened. And this is not a unique experience, as many others have observed or experienced themselves (in fact, I have on many occasions)…
“My Story, My Truth”
“Don’t sit so close to the TV! You’ll hurt your eyes!” Uttered nearly a million times from my mom from 1973 until about 1994 when I finally left home.
I’m not sure how many feet away from the screen my mom considered “safe” for our vision, but certainly, in the 1980s, I used to sit farther away from my family TV than the few inches I hold my iPhone away from my face in this present age. And I guarantee you I’m looking at my iPhone way more than I ever looked at my TV growing up.
“Drowning in the Shallows”
I remember opening and closing the Facebook app for the third time in a row as I sat on my couch a month or so ago. I didn’t consciously open the app. My thumb, seemingly with a mind of its own, set on the finger print ID to open my phone and then clicked the exact location of the app. The whole process being about a second. It was a habit, and a habit that I was trying to break. A few students and people in the church did a challenge to set new rhythms in our lives. And not using social media or screens for more than 90 minutes a week, was one of the challenges. Maybe you have tried to delete an app for a while, or caught yourself using an app way too much. We all know that these apps are not the best for us to some extent. But, why is that? ...
“How Technology Shapes Us”
"I can remember when my household first got a family computer. As I look back now, this addition significantly changed our home life, particularly among sibling relationships. We went from socializing with one another to competing over screen time to “socialize” with our school friends...