Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ is the collaborative effort of authors Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola.

Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, “A mind stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions.”  Thanks to these two authors, the collective mind of the church won’t go back to her original dimensions either.

They both have reputations as being rubber-bands in the Church.  Len Sweet often stretches us forward while Frank Viola often stretches us back. They’ve helped the Church rethink and return to what it means to be the Church and in this latest work, they take us to the one who is the point of it all: Jesus.

The book is radical in the purest sense of the word. Returning us to the author and founder of our faith. There are no new ideas, only fresh expressions of ancient truths.

Their aim is straight-forward:

“So what is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy. Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview. Christianity is the “good news” that beauty, truth, and goodness are found in a person. And true humanity and community are founded on and experienced by connection to that person.”

What I appreciate about this book is that it’s about the Who rather than the what. So many works of theology are filled with propositions (what’s) that fit nicely into spreadsheets and Sweet and Viola paint with an artists’ touch that illuminates the revealed Christ (the Who) while still leaving room for mystery (see Chapter 5).

This book is saturated with scripture. From the get-go, Sweet and Viola invite us to journey with them and see how Christ is the point of both the Old Testament and the New.  They lead us to the cross and remind us that God incarnate loved us enough to “become sin incarnate.” They hold up the victory of the resurrection, the hope of a new humanity, and how to God the Father, our life is wrapped up in Christ.

They challenge readers to not just imitate Christ, but share in his life. To not just fend off idolatry by trying harder, but by grasping the grandeur of Christ. To not ask Jesus to get into our wagon, but for us to hop into his.  To not simply see Jesus as simply another “cause”, but to see Jesus (period).

If there was one minor hiccup in the book it would be the lack of flow. This is bound to happen with two established authors. Sweet and Viola have such distinct writing styles, and sometimes it can be difficult to follow the bouncing back and forth between the authors. They don’t always identify who is writing what section, but readers of their previous works (like me) will identify their voices quickly.  I’d recommend reading a chapter at a time if they want to maximize your experience.

Otherwise, this is a a fantastic book that makes much of Jesus.  It’s clear they want us to know him, not just know about him. They care more about Who you believe in, not just what you believe. They don’t merely present Jesus as a means to an end, but herald him as the means and the end.

All arrows point to Jesus and it’s for this reason that I highly recommend Jesus Manifesto!

Thank you, Len and Frank. You clearly love the Lord and have given the Body of Christ a real gift.

Get your copy

All around us, families are struggling to keep up with the American Dream. Often existing with no sense of purpose other than their own fulfillment resulting in broken hearts, broken homes, broken lives…and that’s just the pastors! It’s no wonder our families, and churches, have been blinded by complacency to the needs of this world.

In fact, one study revealed that the clergy have the second highest divorce rate among all professions. Think about that!  I personally know a number of pastors and church planters who’ve pursued their ministry at the expense of their families.  This is tragic, but there is a better way.

What if families were awakened to join God in his mission in the world? And…
What if we took our families along for the ride and loved them along the way?

How would that impact marriages?
How would that shape children?
How would that heal relationships?
How would that ignite churches?

In 2005, my then eight-year-old son, Reece, said five words that God used to spark a revolution in my soul which eventually compelled our family into the wild adventure of planting a church.

He and I went for a walk at a local park and discussed his desire to be baptized. He loved Jesus and wanted to take his next step in following him. Not being a pastor at the time, I asked him, “Who would you like to baptize you?” Thinking he would name one of the several pastors we knew, he caught me off-guard when he bluntly replied, “But Dad, you’re my pastor.”

I paused for a moment, put my arm around him, and smiled. He was right. Without realizing it, my son had stumbled upon a glorious truth from the scriptures. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul lays down the musts to be a leader in the church. His big qualifier? To lead a church one must lead their family well. As he states in verse five, “If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” One implication of this is that every family is a congregation and the parents are the pastors.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent, that’s quite the responsibility. Parents have the tremendous opportunity to shape the future. Like churches, families can either be internally-focused, seeking the well-being of themselves, or be externally-focused, seeking the well-being of others.

The question is, in what direction are we leading our families?

If we want to live out God’s eternal purpose for our churches, we must return to his original intention for the family. We must love Jesus and be so compelled and saturated by the gospel we can’t help but be good news to this world.

Unfortunately, the church today has bought into two illusions have thrown our trajectory off-course and blinded us to magnificent joy of joining God in his mission in the world.

Illusion #1 – The “safe for the whole family” approach

When Disney released the motion picture, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” it was heralded by Christians everywhere as being safe for the whole family. Based on the classic book by C.S. Lewis, the film portrays the adventures of four children in the magical kingdom of Narnia. Jesus is represented by the mighty lion, Aslan, and in the story, the children meet Mr and Mrs Beaver who describe the regal lion to them.

“Is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr Beaver sternly. Certainly not. I tell you he is King of the wood and the son of the great emperor-beyond- the-sea. Don’t you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake” said Mrs Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Ironically, if you type the words, “safe for the whole family” into Google, the top results are primarily Christian-related. Talk about misleading marketing! We’re encouraged to protect, shelter, and defend our families against this sin of this world forgetting the sin that resides in our own hearts, homes, and (gasp) churches.  We cover their eyes to messy stories, people, and news forgetting the messy stories, people, and news contained in the holy scriptures.

What’s particularly misguided is the notion that following Jesus is harmless. Nothing could be further from the truth! Loving God and our neighbor as ourselves is daring, messy, and wonderful— all at the same time. The one thing it is not, is safe.

As Dorothy Sayers so eloquently put it, “We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him ‘meek and mild,’ and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies. To those who knew him, however, he in no way suggests a milk-and-water person; they objected to him as a dangerous firebrand.”

I want my children to know the real Jesus and follow in his footsteps.  Following Jesus often leads us into places that are uncomfortable or even dangerous, but God promises to be with us and see us through.

Illusion #2 – The “focus on your family” mindset

If the church is like family and the family is like a church, then the focus of our families is not to focus on our family. We have a better reason for existing: God and his mission in the world.

What churches are discovering, or better said, rediscovering, is that we grow as we go. The same is true for families.

As a parent, I take seriously Proverbs 22:6 where we’re instructed to “Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old they won’t be lost.” Together, my wife and I agree that the way we will train our children is to point them to Jesus and his mission in the world.

According to the United Way, families who serve together experience the following benefits:

• Awareness of social issues and a new perspective on the world
• A way to pass on family values to children
• Discovery and development of knowledge, skills, and talents
• Quality time for the family to spend together
• Increase in interpersonal communication and ability to solve problems.
• A habit of service that’s passed on to the next generation

The byproduct of a family on mission is a united family with a sense of purpose. If you feel distant from your spouse, if you want to have a better relationship with your children, be on mission together! A common cause builds a unique bond that can’t be manufactured, only experienced.

I learned this from my parents. They were missional before missional was cool. One tradition they began was to wake up early every Christmas morning to cook and serve breakfast at our local rescue mission. When I had my own family and returned to my hometown, we joined them. Now, when most children wake up on Christmas morning and leap from their beds to open presents, my children think it’s normal to get up really early, sweat it out in a kitchen, and serve others with a cheerful heart before we go home and exchange gifts. I’m thankful for the example my parents gave and it’s being passed on to the next generation.

My family is far from perfect, but we’re learning that our family is more harmonious when we take our focus off of our family and onto something bigger than us—the glory of God and the good of this world. (Here’s a recent example of what this looks like for our family)

In his book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years“, Donald Miller tells a powerful story titled “How Jason Saved His Family” which illustrates the power of this concept.

Donald meets up with his friend, Jason, who was having major problems with his thirteen-year-old daughter. Pot was discovered hidden in her closet and she was dating a real loser of a guy.

Jason and his wife try grounding her, but things spiral. Donald suggests something that gets Jason’s attention. He tells him that his daughter is living a terrible story. He explains that the elements of a story involve a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. He tells Jason, “She’s just not living a very good story.  She’s caught up in a bad one.”

Months later, Donald runs into Jason and asks about his daughter. “’She’s better,’ he says to me, smiling. And when I ask why, he tells me his family is living a better story.”

After Jason and Donald first talk, Jason goes home and thinks about the story his family is living and the role his daughter is playing in that story. He realizes he hasn’t mapped out a story for his family or provided a better role for his daughter. So his daughter chose her own story. A story of rebellion and independence.

Jason decides to stop yelling at his daughter and create a better story to invite her into. After doing some online research he decides his family is going to focus on orphans. He calls a family meeting and springs on his wife and daughter that their family is going to give the $25,000 to build an orphanage in Mexico. And he tells them that he has already committed to building it.

It didn’t go over so well initially.

They had no money and just took out a second mortgage on their home. That evening, Jason and his wife were lying in bed and he begins to explain the story concept. He talks about how they aren’t taking risks, aren’t helping anybody, and how their daughter is wrapped up in the wrong story. The next day Jason’s wife puts her arms around him and says she is proud of him.

Jason’s daughter was also initially upset, but later decides she wants to go to Mexico to meet the kids. She also breaks up with her loser boyfriend.  She gets wrapped up in a better story.

When Don asked what made the differences, Jason replies, “No girl who plays the role of a hero dates a guy who uses her. She knows who she is. She just forgot for a little while.”

If we’re going to shift from a safe for the whole family mindset to a families on mission movement, we need to invite our families into a better story. As a whole, this generation is more passionate about social injustices than any other in recent history. What a prime opportunity! Let’s follow Jesus, take our children along for the ride, and love them along the way.

Imagine the impact. On marriages, children, churches, cities, and the world.

God is renewing all things, and that includes the family. When the family is renewed, so is the Church. When the Church is renewed, so is the world.

And it all begins at home in your mini-church called family.

Lead well.

Last Wednesday evening, we discovered one of our own from our church had gone missing.  Police were notified, friends were called, prayers were prayed, and concern was setting in.

By Thursday, there was still no sign of her, and a number of us began a search party with a mission to find her.

Immediately, my family and I hopped into our mini-van to search or at the very least, get leads.  We went to known hangouts, but our search turned up empty and left us frustrated. We later discovered there was a shooting in one spot we were at just hours before. Searching for someone who’s missing can lead you into dangerous places.

To top it off, my eight-year-old daughter was heartbroken as she was coming to grips with the reality that someone she cares about was missing. We talked and tried to comfort her, but she struggled to understand.  As a dad, sometimes I wonder if I expose my children to too much. Maybe. There’s much they don’t know about, and I want them to enjoy being kids, but for better or worse, moments like this leave a mark. I just pray that they become powerful learning experiences and not indelible scars.

Later, I partnered with someone else and approached a large group of people which turned out to be a hornets nest. They were a gang and they weren’t too thrilled that we were stepping into their zone.  Threats were made, names were called, but in the middle of it all, a handful of tender-hearted members acknowledged that if someone they loved were missing, they would search relentlessly too.  They took the flyer and said they’d keep an eye out.

We drove around some more and found another crew of teens in a random parking lot. They were mostly a party crowd who hid their drinks when they saw my mini-van approach.  As I stepped out of the van and into their conglomerate, the stench of weed was obvious and the group of thirty kids or so were instantly defensive. I reassured them I was not their to bust them but rather, I needed their help finding a missing girl. A few dudes put their hands in their pocket leading me to believe they were ready to pounce if need be, but others seemed concerned when they recognized our missing girl from the photo.

They asked if I was her dad. I replied, “No. I’m her pastor and friend and just want to return her home safely.”  Bewildered, someone piped up, “A pastor? What kind of church goes out looking for someone who’s missing?”Apparently, the notion of a church stepping into the middle of a mess was unusual.  Perhaps they’re right. They were cordial as we departed, and promised to call if they ran into her throughout the evening. They never did. But I can’t help but wonder if some perceptions were changed in the process.

We stepped into other hairy situations that made me feel uncomfortable yet made me think of Jesus. About how he stepped into a mess to rescue me. About how he is a God who pursues- as evidenced in his incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. Jesus said he came “to seek and save that which was lost.”  In Luke 15, we see a God who leaves the found to search for the lost. We see his passion to pursue his people.  This is the beauty of amazing grace.

Late Saturday afternoon, our missing girl was found by the police walking on the side of the road. It turns out she had runaway, but was making her way home.

When we got the news, relief set in, followed by joy.  She was okay.

On Sunday night, my friends threw a BBQ to celebrate her return. They wanted to model God’s grace that’s found in the parable of the Prodigal Son. We’ve always said we wanted to be a church with grace on tap and my friends understood this was a moment to display it.

There’s a long road of healing ahead, but my prayer is that God will use this situation for good.

In fact, he already is.

Gentlemen like John Wooden are rare these days.  As men, I think we’ve lost the art of being gentlemen. Of being courteous, gracious, thoughtful, and romantic.

These love letters from John Wooden not only reveal the love he had for his bride but are an example for us young guns on how to treat our ladies. Enjoy.

Revolutions are sparked in churches with Christ as their Cornerstone, with jacked-up people whose stories are being changed by Jesus, who are in awe of him and can’t help but love Him and others with reckless abandon, who pray to God like it matters, whose lives are guided and grounded by scripture, who are connected to one another in love, sacrifice, and service, and who are joining God in His mission in this world!

The documentary Young @ Heart performs Coldplay’s “Fix You.”  Very powerful. (HT: J.R. Briggs)

Must Read: Writing a Storyline, An Alternative to the Mission Statement by Donald Miller. Someday, I hope to call him Don.

A satirical look at “contemporary” worship services.

Really enjoying, “Untamed” by Alan & Deb Hirsch.

This is Nashville by Shaun Groves. A call to action with perspective.

Garden to City looks like a killer project. (HT: Jon Tyson)

The History of the “Dude.” (HT: Noel Heikkinen)

Comedy Central is developing a Jesus cartoon. I don’t see this going well.

JR “The Dream Awakener” Woodward announced an Unconference in Denver in June. I’ll be there.

If you’re into music, you’ll dig Daytrotter. I always discover something amazing there.

According to my dad, when I was a little toddler I would shake my bootie to the song “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles.

Not much has changed actually. I still dig that song and will occassionally shake it when I listen to it. When I was little, it was the catchy, happy music that hooked me. Now that I’m older, I’ve come to appreciate the message of the song- hope.

Hope is a curious thing.

Hope is about possibility. It’s the sunrise after a dark night. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the belief that things get better. It’s notion that we’re never too far or too late to live the lives we were meant to live. It’s what drives us to press on.

Hope is why we have dreams, finish lines, goals, missions, and purposes. It’s the fuel that propels our lives forward.

Have you ever felt like you lost hope? Have you ever known someone who has? It’s tragic. If we lose our hope we essentially lose our will to live.

If you’re at the end of your rope and feel hopeless, the good news is…there’s still hope.

The key is to place our hope in something real, something true, something certain, something beyond ourselves. You see, it’s not about what we place our hope on- it’s about who we put our hope in.

The truth is this: You’re never too far and it’s never too late. Hope always remains for you.

And his name is Jesus.

Further Reading: Bible Verses on Hope

Several months ago I was on the verge of tapping out on church planting.

This has been my dream and my passion and I was on the edge of ending it.

Between the consumer Christians and their “What can this church do for me?” mentality to the critics from other churches and their gossip and biting words to the discouragement that comes with disappointments and let downs to the physical smackdown I was experiencing as the left side of my upper body progressively lost feeling and led to atrophy. (Note: my recent surgery corrected this)

These factors and more had me clinched in a triangle choke hold.

One evening was particularly bad. At the end of December, I invited a number of people from our community to my home to dream and pray about the upcoming year.  My hopes were high but it turned out to be a disaster.

As people showed up, I got violently ill yet still tried to power through a discussion about where we’ve been and where we’re going.  Frankly, I was in no shape to lead that discussion and it quickly turned tense as heads butted, feelings were hurt, and eventually, I had to cut our time short because of my condition.  People quickly left (because it’s awkward when your host is hurling loudly in the toilet) and I was sitting on the bathroom floor sick, sad, and in tears.

I was at the end of myself.

For the first time since we began this journey, I entertained the thought of calling it quits.

It’s in moments like this where scripture such as, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” become more real than ever.

Sometimes being at the end of yourself isn’t such a bad place to be.

This is what God has been teaching me in the past few months.

Soon after, my wife and I decided to have a date night at Borders where we enjoyed a drink, a book, and sat and read together.  I grabbed a book titled, “Leading on Empty” by Wayne Cordeiro. I devoured it in one sitting.   In the book, Cordeiro shares stories of his struggles and some tips and habits he’s learned along the way.  This book prompted me to make a few changes to increase margin in my life and enlarge my capacity to serve my church.

In February, I went on a planned two-week tour to Washington DC, Atlanta, GA, and Knoxville, TN for conferences, connections, and to speak.  During this time, God used several people to speak into my life. From Dallas Willard’s reminder that, “God is in charge of the outcomes” to Rick Warren’s advice over lunch on how to handle criticism to the encouragement I received at KnoxLife Church, all of it added fuel to my dwindling spark.

Not to mention conversations with many, many friends along the way and reading Donald Miller’s book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” at just the right time.

Ultimately, it was time spent alone with God that prevented me from tapping out and gave me the strength to counter the choke hold I was in.  I began to see four clear reasons to not give up:

Jesus
While praying in the garden before his arrest, Jesus was as close as he had ever been to rock bottom.  So much so he was sweating blood and asking God if it was possible to “let this cup pass” from him. Yet he pressed on knowing it was God’s will. “He who knew no sin, became sin, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.”  Jesus never gave up!  Because he never gave up for me, how could I give up on him?

Calling
I wrestled for several years on my calling to start a church and many times, it’s the only thing that has kept me going. If I was not called, I would have tapped out long ago.  But when you’re called, you press on because you must.  When you’re called, you will do whatever it takes because it’s worth it. The fact is, to not start and lead this church would be disobedient and I can’t live with that. I love that God called me to this!

Friends
I am incredibly blessed to have wonderful friends both near and far.  I often say that our church is where strangers becomes friends and friends become family.  I’m so thankful I’m not some lonely pastor somewhere who has no genuine friendships.  I have that and more.  I have a family.

I’ve made it my goal, my project, to join God in his mission in this world and there are incredible people who are on this journey with me. We spur one another on and make sure we fix our eyes on what matters most. So to my friends at Project Church, thank you and I love you. To my friends around the world who are a source of prayer, encouragement and wisdom, thank you and I love you.

Fruit
Finally, I could not tap out because of what God is doing in and through us.  Too many people have experienced the grace of God through Project Church.  Too many people have taken their first and next steps in following Jesus because of our start-up church. Too many people are a part of genuine community because of what we’re doing. Marriages have been restored, broken hearts are being put back together, complacent lives are being put in motion, Jesus is being made much of, and the enslaved are finding freedom.  When I take a step back and see what God is doing, I’m in awe.  He is renewing all things and letting us be a part of that.  How cool is that? And we’re just getting started.

Why am I sharing this?

Not so you will feel sorry for me. As you can see, I’m blessed beyond measure.

But somewhere, someone is wanting to give up.  On their marriage, their dream, their lives. I believe God has led you to this blog post to tell you, “Don’t Give Up!”

Things are terribly hard but don’t give up!
The mountain looks too big but don’t give up!
You’ve got nothing left to give but don’t give up!

God doesn’t always get us around these times but he has promised to see us through them. It’s by going through these times we become more like him and more like the us we always wanted to be.

Don’t give up my friend.

And should you ever feel like giving up, go here for the inspiration to press on.

World-renowned theologian J.I. Packer gives his brilliant take on hell.

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:24-29

This passage is infamous for revealing Thomas’ turn from doubt to belief.

However, there’s another implication that’s just as significant.

Hidden within this narrative is a profound nugget of truth, that if comprehended, could change the way we think about suffering.

The scene is of a post-crucified, risen Jesus who has returned in his glorified body but it contains something peculiar:

Scars.

This is a mind-blowing notion to entertain in our imaginations.

The victorious Messiah, Jesus, came back with a scar!

What?

Huh?

So?

Jesus was an opened wound on the cross.

He then died and was buried in a tomb.

Three days later, the tomb couldn’t contain him.

He rose again.

Jesus was a healed scar upon his return.

We all have scars, seen and unseen.

Often, we’re ashamed of them and feel disfigured because of them.

But here’s the profound truth:

There’s a big difference between a wound and a scar.

Wounds need healing.

Scars reveal healing.

There was nothing wrong with Jesus’ resurrected body.

Yet he left the scar.

I believe Jesus intentionally left the mark (scar) for our benefit.

His scar was a storybook of his pain…and his healing.

The same is true of us.

Our scars aren’t tales of tragedy; they are tales of triumph.

Because something has been healed.

So don’t waste your scars.

Embrace them.

And when you come across someone who has the wound you once had, show them your scar, and tell your story.

That might be just the thing they need in their story of healing.