Marc Estes

I am often asked by young leaders, “What book would you recommend?”   Although, I am encouraged with their desire to expand their knowledge base with something more than an evening of Facebook conversations, I am reluctant to just give them a few hot titles.

What encouraged and strengthened me, may not have the same benefit to another person based on their season of life.  I am a firm believer that if you are going to invest 5-10 hours of your time to read a book, it should be a book that will have a lasting impact on your life.  Therefore,  you might consider a few questions before choosing a book to read:

1. Choose books that focus on an area of your life that needs improvement and development - A few questions you might ask are,  ”What areas of my life need the most attention?”  “What area of my life needs the most improvement?” “What skills should I develop to better myself, my ministry or my career?”

2. Once a subject is determined, take the time to research books on that subject. Ask those that excel in the area you looking at.  Conduct a search on a few book sites.

3. Once a book is chosen, research the author and investigate their background and education. Make sure they have the authority to be speaking about the subject they are writing about.

4. Go to www.amazon.com and read the reviews and comments on the book.

5. Read the table of contents and sample chapters offered on Amazon as well.

6. If you are an avid reader, you might consider purchasing a Kindle. This great new device allows you to search through over 300,000 books and download your choice within a few seconds. You can download sample chapters, read them and determine if the book catches your attention before purchasing, all in your recliner. The cost of books are also about 40-60% cheaper than the bookstore price.

During 2009, I have spent a great deal of time ingesting books that deal with our culture and their perception with the church today. As an executive pastor at a large church in Portland I feel the responsibility to understand those we are trying to reach and how we might position ourselves to be more effective in reaching people for Christ. Although these books may not fit the season you are in personally, these would be my top picks for 2009:

Understanding those we are attempting to reach recommendations:

• Preaching to a Post Modern World               By Graham Johnston
• UnChristian                                                By David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
• The Shape of Faith to Come                        By Brad Waggoner
• The Seven Faith Tribes                                By George Barna
• Lost and Found                                           By Ed Stetzer
• The Quitting Church                                     By Julia Duin

Connecting to those we are reaching recommendations:

• First Impressions                                         By Mark Waltz
• Lasting Impressions                                    By Mark Waltz
• Fusion                                                         By Nelson Searcy
• No Perfect People Allowed                             By John Burke
• Multi Site Churches                                      By Scott McConnell           

Before we even start our post discussion today,  pause for a moment and ask yourself these questions: “Do I love my local church?” “How passionately involved am I in both serving and supporting my local church?” Hopefully, these questions are more of an encouragement than an exhortation.

What if we were to ask Jesus the same questions today? “Jesus, do you love the Church?” Scripture answers that one quickly, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25, TNIV). Next question: ”Jesus, how passionately are you involved in serving and supporting the local church?” Again, Scripture answers, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25, TNIV).

It seems pretty clear. Jesus died for the church, and He also lives, always interceding, for her. Jesus loves the Church. As a young boy at the age of twelve, Jesus’ parents thought He was lost, so they went on a massive search to find him. Three days later they found Him. Where? In the Jewish Temple! He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49, TNIV). His answer states the obvious. Why would you even consider looking anywhere else but in the Temple?

On many occasions Jesus referred to the Church as His bride. I have been to many weddings in my life, perhaps hundreds. While the crowd stares at the beautiful bride walking down the aisle, my eyes are set on the groom. Oftentimes he is crying, overwhelmed with emotion, as the love of his life walks down the aisle to be presented to him. As an illustration to help us attempt to comprehend Christ’s love for the Church, God compares it to a man’s love for his bride. In his book, Stop Dating the Church, Joshua Harris says, “Is it possible that God didn’t get His inspiration for loving the church from marriage, but the one reason He created marriage was to illustrate His love for the church? God invented romance and pursuit and the promise of undying love between man and woman so that throughout our lives we could catch a faint glimmer of the intense love Christ has for those He died to save. What a passion He has for His church. The strongest argument I know for why you and I should love and care about the church is that Jesus does.”

Many interpret the passage of scripture in Ephesians 5:22–33 to be Jesus speaking about the Church (big ‘C’ Universal), and I would agree with them. But this must also be interpreted in context to the components that make up the big ‘C’ Church, which is the small ‘c’ local church. Jesus loves His Church, and He loves every local church. We are to love it the same!

Reasons Why We Need the Church

We are not only to love the church, but we really need the church! Rick Warren says, “A Christian without a church home is like an organ without a body, a sheep without a flock, or a child without a family. It is an unnatural state.”  Without a local church, our lives are incomplete. You may have needs that aren’t being met through your local church, but God intends for it to provide the following needs:

• An environment of spiritual growth.
• An atmosphere of God’s presence.
• A place to belong to a genuine community.
• A family to help meet your needs.
• A place of covering and protection.
• A place for accountability and safety.
• A place for wisdom, direction, and counsel.
• A place to make a difference.
• An opportunity to pour your life into others.
• A safe atmosphere to raise families.
• A place to give of finances, time, and energy.

I was reminising about our last trip to Kona, Hawaii and came across a picture of a plant growing up through the volcano lava field. I thought it was a great analogy of how God can bring new life out of trials and tragedies that come our way. We all have faced, or will face trials. God can use everyone of them for our good.  

There is purpose to our lives, greater purpose than happiness alone. Throughout our lifetime, God will allow or divinely place circumstances along our journey that will put us face to face with certain issues we are to resolve. How we respond to these trials is of the utmost importance. Charles Swindoll says, “I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.”

The Bible substantiates this point in 1 Peter 4:12: “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner” (MSG).

Not all life experiences are meant to be bad. There are times (hopefully many) when God allows us to experience His goodness through His favor and blessings. Maybe you were mentored by a great man or woman of God, and that experience played a role in shaping you. Or you might have attended a great college or university, and that experience helped shape you into who you are today. Maybe you were raised in a wonderful family environment, founded upon a solid foundation of biblical morals and values. These are some of life’s most positive experiences. The bottom line is that God intends to use every life experience, whether good or bad, to shape you into a person that is fully able and prepared to fulfill their purpose. Over the years, I’ve developed a working definition of what I believe a life experience is:

“Life experiences are certain events or seasons that God directs or allows for you to acquire knowledge, character, and understanding that can be used to benefit you and others in future situations and ministry opportunities.

Day after day, we will face trials, tragedies, and triumphs that we can’t control. We can allow these circumstances to bury us or choose to step up and shake it off. The choice is ours for the taking.  I suggest we allow these life experiences to help us make sense of who we are and where we’re going.

These life experiences are only a part of our entire design and are intended to be the refining and strengthening agent of our other components. The previous four chapters have defined the four major components that are placed in our lives by our Creator. Passions, spiritual gifts, talent and abilities, and personal makeup are woven into the fabric of our lives. Life experiences are different in the sense that they are external factors that are placed in our lives by God to refine us. This refining process works to develop godly character in our lives as well as to place us in certain experiences that further shape us into a God-shaped vessel, perfectly crafted for our purpose. After a while, we begin to see that easy isn’t necessarily synonymous with good and difficult isn’t necessarily synonymous with bad. Sometimes the tough experiences have the greatest refining effect in our lives.

Here are a few benefits to consider next time you are going through a difficult Life Experience:

                • Make you more like Jesus (1 Pet. 4:12–13).

                • Give you compassion to minister to others (2 Cor. 1:4).

                • Draw you closer to Jesus (Ps. 34:18).

                • Create a greater dependence on God (2 Cor. 1:9).

                • Make you a stronger person (Rom. 5:3–4)

                • Are tools used in fulfilling your purpose (Gen. 50:20).

                • Promise you a better life (Heb. 12:11).

                • Give you a better perspective on life (Duet. 8:4-5)

                • Make you more humble (Heb. 12:10).

                • Achieve eternal glory (2 Cor. 4:17).

How refreshing to know that God has taken great interest in our lives! We haven’t been left alone, but have been set on a course to accomplish great things during our lifetime. He guides us, directs us, disciplines us, challenges us … all because He loves us. Our responsibility is to set our sights on our purpose, to not lose heart, and to never give up.

As I sat down early this morning in my office, I couldn’t help but to take some time to think about what I am thankful for. Afterall, it is Thanksgiving morning and it is a day where we all stop, eat food, watch football (go Cowboys), take some naps, and oh by the way, reflect on all the things we should be thankful for.  If you are anything like me, it is easy to allow life’s problems, pressures and enticements to illuminate the things I DON’T have instead of being thankful the things I DO have.

Yet, like most every other early morning in my office, I must stop again, put my attention on God and His goodness and thank him for all He has done for me over the years. In a matter of seconds, the thought of what I have become and what I deserved floods every pore of my being with gratefulness toward Him. If I had never received anything else, but Jesus Christ as my Lord, I would die a happy man. But in addtion to that incredible gift, I have been given the most wonderful wife, godly children and precious grandkids which all are overwhelming gifts from God.  I am thankful for my pastor, my church and the wonderful privilege to serve as a leader in building His kingdom; a calling far beyond what I deserve.  I am thankful for my health, I am thankful for my finances, I am thankful for food in my refrigerator, and the roof over my head. I am even thankful  for my Ford Explorer (or ”Exlploder”)  with cloth interior, nineteen dollar rims and vinyl bumpers in the garage.

It is amazing that when you dwell on what you DO have and begin to thank God for all He has done,  it makes all those things that you DON’T have grow strangely dim.  Maybe that is why Paul shared this secret from his life, so that we too wouldn’t live a life of sorrow, but one of great joy. He said, “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18) He was a guy that definitely knew how to give thanks in everything, regardless of his circumstances.  

I read a quote early this morning from a man named Matthew Henry (1662-1714) who is remembered today for his commentary. During his lifetime he was known for his gratitude. Once, while walking down a street, he was robbed. The thieves took everything of value. Later that night, Matthew Henry wrote the following in his diary: “I am thankful that during these years I have never been robbed until now. Also, even though they took my money, they did not take my life. And although they took all I had, it was not much. Finally, I am grateful that it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” True gratitude can be found in more places than we often look. (By the way, cool hairdo! We will leave the outfit alone.)

As you face this day, stop for a few minutes, get alone in a quiet place and begin to thank God for everything you DO have. You just might be surprised and have a better day.  If you are interested in learning more about what Thanksgiving Day really is all about you will want to check out a cool site on Thanksgiving.

Discipline is doing that you don’t want to do so that you can do what you want to do. It is paying the price on the smaller things so that you can reap the benefits of the bigger things. If you want to succeed in life and reach the full potential for your life, you will need to work hard at being disciplined in three core areas:

1. Disciplined Thoughts – You won’t make far in anything if you don’t use the six inches between your ears. You don’t have to be a genuis to succeed, but you do need to be disciplined in your thoughts. How you think about your life, your relationships, your career, your finances will have a great bearing on ultimately who you become.

2. Discipline Emotions - If you can get the right thoughts perculating in your mind, you are well on your way to have a better chance with your emotions. Regardless of what comes your way, you will need to know how to control your emotions. You really only have two choices when it comes to your emotions; let them control you, or you control them. For the most part, the emotions you experience were the emotions you chose.

3. Disciplined Actions - Most of what you do in life will be determined by your actions. You may have the greatest intentions but they won’t get you far. You must act upon what you are supposed to do and put into practice those elements that move you forward in following your dreams and visions. Champions aren’t built in a day, but built daily through the every day right decisions they make.

If you want to become all you are to become, discipline will be one of the primary vehicles to get you there.

The concept of being individually created and chosen by God is a basic biblical concept. We learned it as children in Sunday school—“red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight”—and we solidly believed it because, at that point, we hadn’t learned the perceived “value” of being the same as everyone else. As children not yet influenced by commercialism or the status quo, we accepted our uniqueness.
And then we grew up.
As adults, it’s easy to take the devil’s bait, comparing ourselves to what we see in popular culture, trying to become something else and therefore attaching value to an identity that was never meant to be ours in the first place. And when we learn that we can’t adequately imitate that identity, our self-worth plunges and the things that stood in the way of achieving that identity become perceived faults to overcome. But God never intended for us to feel that way.
Embracing the fact that God, the Creator of the universe, had you mapped out on the drawing board before time began can be a hard pill to swallow in light of how we often view ourselves. Lucky you … despite your faults (the perceived ones and the real ones), the idea that God chose you and created you for His purpose may be beyond your human comprehension, but it’s entirely true!
How do you really feel about yourself? How do you think God feels about you? At your core, do you really believe that God cares for you? Do you really embrace the fact that you are important to Him and His purpose?

Let’s begin by asking some questions, which may take some real soul-searching. When it comes to devoting your life to Christ, His Cause, and His Church, where are you on the spiritual scale? Are you on a rugged path, single-focused on the goal of reaching the next campsite, or are you casually strolling through the valley picking flowers, forgetting that you’re on an Ultimate Adventure? Beyond looking at your time and resources (as discussed in chapter 11), what do you dream about? What do you spend your time thinking about? What really excites you? How passionate are you about giving your purpose all you’ve got?

Many people approach their spiritual destiny with a laissez-faire attitude, casually drifting through life, giving minimal attention to those things that matter most. This isn’t something that most of us do intentionally, but we easily become bombarded with the cares and challenges of life. But if we aren’t careful, we may actually become derailed by life. Its pleasures and challenges (along with a little assistance from the devil) can keep us from ever accomplishing the reason we were created. The promise to make the change tomorrow is always pushed off for another day, creating a numbing effect to the true reality of what matters most … your purpose! This approach could cost you your life! Proverbs 29:18 says, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves” (MSG). That is why Jesus reminded us, “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God provisions … Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now” (MSG). Let me emphasize two key points: “your entire attention” and “right now.” They speak of giving God your entire focus with every moment you have. He has promised to take care of you and help you figure out the details of life. Your job is to give Him all you’ve got.

I recently had a few ask me to post the story about the paper clip study. You will find this amusing. The scary part of this story is that many live their lives like the paper clip; never fulfilling their intended purpose. Enjoy!

Lloyd’s Bank of London undertook a study to find out what happens to a typical batch of paper clips as they are released throughout the workforce. Out of their original batch of 100,000 paper clips they found that 3,916 were used to unplug tobacco pipes; 5,308 were used to clean under fingernails; 5,423 were used to pick teeth or scratch ears; 7,200 were used as hooks for belts, suspenders, or bras; 14,163 were snapped, broken, or otherwise twisted during phone conversations; 19,143 became mock card game chips; and approximately 25,000 became lost, swept up off the floor or thrown away. Only 20,000 of the original batch of paper clips were actually used to clip papers together. (1)
Interesting. Only a minority of these paper clips, each one created for a specific function, were ever used for their intended design! The overwhelming majority was used to fulfill some other false purpose. Such is the tragedy today with many who claim to follow Christ; attempts at fulfilling their intended purpose go awry. This is neither God’s will, nor His desire.

Throughout history, mankind has left their mark on humanity. History books are filled with stories regarding leaders, politicians, generals, entertainers and musicians that have left an imprint on history and have greatly affected the outcome of humanity.

God built into the heart of every person the passion to make a mark on history. There is this inner drive in all of us to make our life count, to make a difference, and to feel significant. When we aren’t doing this we feel empty and unfulfilled. We have an internal mechanism that compels us.

Unfortunately, many today don’t understand the impact they really do make. They don’t consider where to direct their energies and spend most of their lives chasing their tails, filling their world with meaningless activities that bring no real personal fulfillment or eternal value. They end up living empty, meaningless lives.

God’s Word give us two incredible truths that if applied to our lives will assist us in making our lives count. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

You are God’s Masterpiece – There is no one like you. You are His prized possession. You are custom made and priceless. There is no one like you and never will be. You are special in His eyes. This is one of the greatest revelations you can possess.

You Were Created to do Good Works – God has a plan for your life. You have purpose. There are things God wants to do in you and through you. Don’t waste another day. Make your life count, get involved in the lives of those around you. Afterall, you are God’s Masterpiece

Well it is the morning of the ‘big’ surgery; my knee will face the knife. I know you are already thinking, “What happened?” I would love to tell you that I was saving the life of an orphan who was about to be ran over by a passing car and I dove for the child and barrel-rolled into the curb; yet the reality is I twisted my knee while washing my hands at the sink in Indonesia. Not to glamorous, but at least painfully honest.

Even though the surgery is a fairly minor surgery, the mind still wanders to all of the “what if” questions. What if I die? Would I have been content with the way I lived? Is there anything I regret? It is a great excercise in reality.

Am I really happy with the way I have lived? Have I really devoted my life to things that important to both God and people. Have I invested my resources in things that really matter. Will I feel a sense of peace or regret on the fateful day of passing from this life to the next.

It is the most comforting feeling to know that I am at peace with the way I live and the way I have lived. Don’t get me wrong, I have made mistakes along the way and by no means think I deserve a tombstone that reads, “He was Perfect.” Yet I do know that I have tried my best, gave my all and to the best of my ability.

The formula is simple; Give God your all, He returns your gestures with an abundance of peace. Look to him for direction and wisdom, and peace comes with your decisions. Lean on him when you are facing the trial of your life, or even a wimpy knee surgery and peace will flow through you like a river.

He is the dispenser of peace and peace itself. It is available for you regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, regardless of what trials you face or mistakes you have made. He is peace.

Take a moment to just stop what you are doing, close your eyes and just let His peace fill your heart and mind. It might be the best few minutes you will spend all day. You won’t regret it, either did I… now off to the table I go.