Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

This Stopped Me Cold

A picture is worth a thousand words…only this one should have the opposite effect. It should cause us to really limit our words.

I saw the aforementioned picture on Brian's blog. Then I looked up the verse.

Wow.

See for yourself.

Matthew 12:36 – Brian Morrissey

Love U Review

Who knew that a short little two-part series would rock so hard?!?

The buzz from Love U is still palpable. I thought that the first week (Love God) would be the most powerful of the two. Not so sure I was right about that.

In part two of the series, we talked about loving others. We radically rearranged our auditorium. Instead of all the chairs pointing toward the stage, we pointed the chairs toward the middle of the auditorium. Everyone could see everyone else. Most of the band played from the floor instead of the stage. I preached from the floor as well.

The point of it all is simple. There seems to be a misconception in the American church. People seem to believe that you go to church to watch and listen to whatever is happening onstage. There is a lot of spectatorship in the church today.

That's why we rearranged our seating. That's why our band wasn't onstage. That's why I preached off-stage. Because, like I said Sunday, the church isn't about showmanship. It's about service. It's not about listening to somebody. It's about loving everybody.

Instead of a group of spectators, the church is a community of servants who are there to love God and love each other. Really felt like that simple truth took hold on Sunday.

I loved Love U!

Lincoln on Criticism

Since today is President's Day, I thought I would share this little gem from Abraham Lincoln.

"If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

Great quote. Great application to anyone's life…especially a pastor or someone else in church leadership.

Todd Rhoades had some great thoughts on this quote from Lincoln. Check it out here.

Valentine's Day

Interested in how this day came to be? Mark Driscoll has a great post on his blog outlining the history of the day that we refer to as Valentine's Day.

A word of warning…the history of this day is anything but romantic. Sorry ladies.

Valentine's Day – Mark Driscoll

Love U – Part Deux

Time for me to sound like a broken record.

Do NOT miss this Sunday!

I'm not sure how many times I've said that, but I mean it every single time! And this is no exception.

We're wrapping up our Love U series this Sunday with something that we've never done before. Never even thought about trying this before. It's going to be Different with a capital "D."

But I promise that you won't soon forget it. God is going to encourage and convict every one of us to love others like he loves them.

Can't wait to get back to class at Love U!

A Study in Contrast

Today is the 200th birthday for both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. While they shared the same birth date, their worldviews were miles apart.

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day." (Abraham Lincoln)

“The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.” (Charles Darwin)

Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman

I admit that there is no point to this post except to make you say, "Wow."

I hardly ever watch Letterman, but I kept reading about the bizarre interview with Joaquin Phoenix last night. So I found the video.

Bizarre indeed.

Best line from Letterman: "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight."

Phelps, A-Rod, and the Church

Seems like I've had several conversations with people about Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriguez lately. Both are superstar athletes who, we have recently discovered, have used drugs.

A-Rod admitted to using performing enhancing drugs after he has denied the allegation multiple times.

Phelps was caught using drugs at a party. It cost him some very lucrative endorsements.

So what is the point of telling you what you probably already know? Well, my point is not to beat these two guys into the ground. I've already heard people referring to Alex Rodriguez as A-Roid and A-Fraud. No need to add to that.

Am I disappointed in these athletes? Yeah, I am. Has their fall been astounding? Definitely. (See my previous post.) But I don't see a need to pile on to the grief that they're already receiving. Instead, it seems like a good opportunity for us all to remember that appearances can be deceiving.

Just because someone appears to have their stuff together doesn't mean that it's true. Many people use the outer facade to hide inner turmoil.

What if the church took a decidedly different approach?

What if, instead of keeping up appearances, we dropped the mask and openly owned up to our sins and struggles?

What if we stopped viewing life as one big masquerade party and instead began to value sincerity and authenticity?

What if the church was a safe place to confess your sin and find help for your struggles?

What if, instead of immediately passing judgment when someone owned up to a failure, we gave them compassion and grace?

What if…?

A Sober Warning

The blogging gurus would say that this post is too long…and it probably is. But it's burning inside me and it's going to take a longer post to get it all out.

I was reading the Old Testament book of Lamentations this morning and there was one verse that grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.

This book is a series of laments (hence the name Lamentations) after the destruction of Jerusalem. This city had become so wicked that God allowed it to be destroyed and his people to be taken captive. Lamentations is a very honest, gut-level book chronicling the suffering and anguish of God's people.

But before you think this book has no contemporary significance, check out this verse.

"…she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her." (Lamentations 1:9, NIV)

The "she" in this verse is the city of Jerusalem. The Jewish people had allowed sin to overtake their lives, to the point where God allowed his people to be decimated. They didn't see it coming. All they saw was the pleasure of their own sinfulness. The Israelites didn't consider their future…they only focused on the pleasure found in the moment.

And the result was an astounding fall. The fall of Jerusalem was nothing short of amazing. These were God's people. His chosen ones. Full of the blessings and promises of God. And yet they threw it all away. It was absolutely astounding.

And after their fall, there was no one to comfort them. They were alone. Punished by God. Abandoned by everyone.

This verse nailed me this morning because it is such a serious, sober warning to God's people. Especially those in a leadership role.

How many Christian leaders have not considered their future, but instead indulged in sin for a moment's pleasure?

How many leaders have experienced an astounding fall?

How many leaders, after the fall, feel completely alone and abandoned…all because of their own sinful choices?

This obviously applies to anyone who is a Christ-follower, but the implications for those in leadership are especially poignant.

I know that I can't afford a moral failure. The stakes are too high. I can't lose my family. My ministry. My reputation. My influence.

Most of all, I can't bring reproach on the name of Christ.

If you lead in God's church in any capacity…don't click away from this post until you have fully considered where you are right now. Are you considering your future, or are you caught up in the moment?

Sin will feel good for a short time (Hebrews 11:25). But it will obliterate your future. And if you're absolutely convinced that you'll never be found out…you're wrong. Your sin will be brought to the light (Luke 12:2-3).

And once it is brought to the light, your fall will be amazing. Spectacular. Astounding.

Don't get me wrong. I believe wholeheartedly in grace. But grace means forgiveness. It doesn't necessarily mean restoration. If you are a leader who falls, you may never regain all of what you have lost.

Listen up, leaders. If you are struggling, get help. If you are experiencing incredible temptation, tell someone. Don't stay quiet. Don't keep your mouth shut to preserve your pride. Don't wait until it's too late.

Consider your future. The stakes couldn't be higher.

A Great Question

What if everyone in your church shared your attitude?

That question has been rattling around inside me for a long time. It's a great question that every single believer should ask themselves.

What if everyone in your church shared your attitude…

…about service? Would anything get done? Or would everyone be serving like there was no tomorrow?

…about giving? Would the church go bankrupt? Or would the church's ministry explode?

…about change? Would the church stagnate because change would be disallowed? Or would the church take new challenges and explore new avenues to share the message of Christ?

…about others? Would people be drawn to your church because of the love and compassion they receive? Or would they run because of the judgment and criticism that abounds?

One reason that some believers can get away with junk attitudes is because everyone doesn't share their attitude. They can afford to be selfish and self-centered . They can afford to be critical and judgmental. They can afford to do that because not everyone shares their attitude. But what if they did? It's a question we all need to ask ourselves.

What if everyone in your church shared your attitude?