Here are the snap shot phrases we landed on and will rally around. They will enable us to keep doing what enhances the vision and stop doing what divides it. I explained what each snap shot reminds us of...
1. Our Unmixed Mission
CLARITY LIVES FOR JESUS AS A COMMUNITY CLEARLY REFLECTING THE GOD OF THE BIBLE
This mission reminds us that Jesus is God, the Bible is all about Jesus, and it's Jesus that we live for. It reminds us that the church is a community that has met in the temple courts and in homes since its birth over 2,000 years ago, and we will do the same. It reminds us that we are the living word of God and the glory of God is to reflect off our faces. It reminds us that our world needs a clear reflection of the God of the Bible for health and life. It reminds us that the God of the Bible is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that there is no other God beside Him. It reminds us that we live by the new and living way found in the Book... no other. It reminds us that we do not trust our own hearts and minds, rather, we look to the plumb line, God's Word.
2. Our Focused Vision
THAT OUR CITY WOULD BE FULL OF LIFE IN CHRIST AND EMANATE THAT LIFE TO ALL
This vision reminds us that it is those who are in our city that we are called to reach. It reminds us that most of those who are here are far from God, and need to be full of life in Christ. It reminds us that ALL we do is centered around a righteousness that is not found through the law, but by faith in Jesus... the Gospel. It reminds us that the early disciples flipped cities upside down, and so will we. It reminds us to attempt such ridiculous things that God has to step in for success. It reminds us that we must disciple those in this city and teach them to do the same. It reminds us that this WILL ultimately go into all the world.
Powerful... I'm so excited to be a part of this!
In 2 Corinthians 1:15-20, Paul writes about how his plans to visit Corinth had to change. He explains this was not his intention and that he did not mean to operate the way "man" typically does by saying "yes" and "no" in the same breath. He then goes on to brag about how consistent the "message of Jesus" is, despite our human inconsistencies and uncertainties.
"But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not 'Yes' and 'No.' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not 'Yes' and 'No,' but in him it has always been 'Yes.' For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."
I love it! In Him, it has ALWAYS been yes. Some imagine Jesus telling us only what not to do. That could not be further from the truth. He tells us what we CAN do, unleashes us from sin, gives us life-saving boundaries, and empowers us to go!
The Kick-Off event on Thursday evening was truly amazing! We had many friends and pastors there (heroes of the faith), lots of excellent volunteers, and 10 visitors... about 45 in all! It was certainly EXACTLY what needed to happen. Below I have listed some highlights, some challenges, some things we learned, and some areas to grow in.
1. The Clarity volunteer staff absolutely killed it! It was like going to war and walking away victorious with a pizza party celebration at the end. We learned what it takes to pull something like this off, and we learned that we can do it. It took hours and hours of prep, focus, and perseverance. We have a mega debrief meeting this Monday that will certainly challenge us and enable us to evaluate and grow.
2. I realized about halfway through the evening that I was literally surrounded by the heroes of the faith that gave time, resource, energy, and encouragement over the past year and enabled this vision to happen. These are the ones God used so profoundly in our lives. God has placed them around us as a shied and a sword. I was very emotional as I pointed out each person and spoke about their impact. I didn't even preach the message that I spent about ten hours preparing.
3. JR Mahon shared for a bit and blew me away. Sarah Kelly sang and lead me to tears. Our team lead some songs and totally rocked it. I spoke about the stories represented in that room, the love of our Father, and shared the vision for the next few months of Clarity.
4. No kids showed up, but we had five extra volunteers from Teen Challenge Ministry Institute who totally got it.... that if we pray for rain we should hold an umbrella. So we spent about $1,000 to create a nursery, a Clarity Kidz room, make materials, and an awesome kids program! It was an act of faith for the kids to come! I'm super proud of Dan and my wife, Jessica for pulling it off.
5. I've already found myself second guessing many things I did and said over the course of the night, but I've realized this habit is VERY unproductive. I'm convinced that EXACTLY what needed to happen did happen and that EXACTLY what needed to be said was said. God is the author of this thing. It belongs to Him. One friend said that we have now waged the war... it was indeed a prophetic act. That is to say that we mean business, and we are prepared to commit and see it through in obedience to God.
We are now just one day away from our Clarity Kick-Off event at the Magicopolis theater on 4th St between Broadway and Santa Monica! The team is ready, the people are coming, the guests are awesome, and God is gonna rock the house with the power of truth, and life change will happen! We even have a man in a banana suit, holding a Clarity sign, dancing on the sidewalk in front of the theater. I don't know about you, but that's all I've ever wanted in a church :)
If you're in the area, come!... this is something you don't want to miss. If you're not in the area, pray!... this is something only God can do.
Wow, I am excited, not afraid. I fear God more than I fear anything else... so that means I honor Him be believing His word when it says not to fear, not to be anxious, that He will speak through me, that He is the author of this, that He is the champion of this, and that He will build this!
For those who check this blog... you'll notice I didn't post for over a month and now just posted several. In December/January, I began blogging on the new www.claritylife.org site instead of here. So I just decided to copy and paste all the recent ones into this blog as an update. From now on, I will update this one whenever I write on the Clarity site. So you can check either or.
1. I have already had several major plans fall through as a pastor and leader for Clarity. And yes, my hopes and dreams seemed to hang on these plans as if they were all I would ever do. Some of these were plans that already had other plans and people built around them, so when they fell through, there were wider ripple effects. My first reaction to the fall through is always like a punch in the gut. Just recently I began to pray after a disappointment. I was actually holding my daughter and speaking out loud to the Lord. Much like the psalmist, I began with honesty, morphed into declaring who God is, and landed with a profound "in the moment" truth that is like an unmovable rock to rest my weight on....
"My plans will not stand. But the plans of the Lord will stand forever and ever and ever. And this work was His idea and will come to fruition according to His plan. He is our life and church planner!"
2. I have also already felt the inclination to blame others for what I thought wasn't getting done. This is something leaders fall into often. We must always remind ourselves not to blame, but to honor God by honoring what He has given us and where He has placed us by beginning with how WE can be the solution. Is it the teams fault or the in-effective leaders fault... usually the in-effective leaders. Pastors, be pro-active not re-active. Ask God how you can pastor, encourage, unleash, and speak into your team. Don't wine and blame.
3. Our marriages have been under more pressure than ever. We are noticing ourselves getting frustrated quicker, reacting more harshly, and blaming. So we just had our first marriage / pre-marriage retreat for all our couples. It was great to let the WORD wash over us again in regards to our roles, what love is, and how marriage needs to be honored (Ephesians 5, 1 Corinthians 13). Difficult truth is always necessary to move forward in health. Cherish it. Repent constantly.
After being here for one week and realizing it was a loooong shot (pretty much an impossibility) to get approved for any housing based on zero proof on income, we began to pray. Not long after that, we met a Christian realtor who loved us and this vision (more importantly, she loved Jesus) and pulled tons of strings for us (the couples) to get approved for a perfect condo based on no bank statements and a simple document showing Clarity support. She prayed over us as we signed the lease! Impossible made possible by God. Jessica and I prayed with tears our first night as we went to bed.
Just two days before the single guys had to be out of the church offices where they had been for three weeks, I met a man for a lunch appointment. This man pursued me for the meeting. I had been praying and burdened for where the guys would stay, because all I had lined up was a place for two of the four all the way out in Long Beach. So we were down to the final hour. Well, I worked up the guts to ask if he knew of a place where the guys could stay. Turns out, he and his wife just became empty nesters, have two open rooms, an open full bath, want to use their house for "Kingdom of God" purposes, and live just two blocks from our new condo in Santa Monica! The guys move in tonight!! I wept over this one. It was so out of left field, just in time, and unexpected. I had nothing to do with this. It was God reminding me that this is His work. Thank you God for doing it and the Randles for being willing and open!
One of the couples we met here bought us a membership to Costcos and hundreds of dollars worth of groceries. A couple weeks after that, a pastor that is supporting us connected us with a food pantry that filled one of our cars with about $1,000 worth of food and toiletries and told us to come back for more.
Just since we've been here (about three weeks)... three churches have picked us up for monthly support and blessed us with prayer, possible missions teams, and one time offerings.
The Teen Challenge Ministry Institute is sending experienced workers to volunteer at our first several Clarity kick off events. They are also sending us missions teams of 25 and of 50 to help with outreaches. Other churches and individuals are coming to our kick off events to help fill our need for volunteers.
I could keep going, but I am tired. I will write more later.
God calls, sends into conflict, ensures victory, and intends possession. The question is how we react.
I'm already here in LA but have a few other lessons from the cross country journey that slapped me across the face... I'm compelled to share. This one will be short, but sweet...
One of the most annoying things that happens on the highway is when you go to pass someone in the right lane and then they start to speed up, right!? Then you proceed to battle it out mph by mph as each driver's pride swells. Maybe it's just me but I tend to speed up even more just to show them I'm committed. But then we're both going too fast and prime for some problems.
Well, thankfully I didn't get any tickets or have any accidents, but I did realize this fact. We usually gage our speed based on the speed of those around us. We may be coasting in the right lane going five under, but when someone flies up behind us and starts to fly by us, we realize we're crawling and need to kick it up a few notches.
Some of you are coasting WAY below your potential and calling, but don't realize it simply because you're comparing yourself to under-achieving and mediocre slackers. It is so important to get around people that are way better than you and more disciplined than you at everything you do. It will be the most uncomfortable, ego-busting thing you ever do, but you will finally grow.
At one point the prophet Jeremiah was complaining to God about how all the wicked people around him were prospering and he and his people weren't. God showed him no pity and answered this... "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" Jeremiah 12:5
God calls you to run with horses, not mere men... supernatural speed. Get around those who are doing it, be humbled, fail, get up, and learn to run with them!
I had a great plan to leave at 5 am on Sunday morning for our cross country trip. This was perfect because the baby and wife could sleep while I drove and made a huge dent in our first days journey of 12 - 14 hours. Well, about 40 minutes into the trip, I had a gasp moment and realized I forgot to leave the signed form that was required for the moving company to pick up our packed trailer on Monday! So with much frustration I exited off Route 80 and made a u-turn to head back home.
After returning home to drop off the document, and after about an extra hour of driving, I noticed for a second time a cross on a hill off the side of the highway. I had seen it the first time, but this time it struck me in a whole new way. It was as if God was saying, “You don’t really get it! Do you understand what the cross really means in your life right now? I paid the full price! By my blood being shed you have all authority in heaven and earth to walk as a righteous man and make a difference wherever you go. Walk in it now! You cannot begin this journey without this power!” I broke down, received it, rose up, wept, and had an incredible time of fellowship with my God!
I have noticed a trend in my walk with God... my greatest revelations almost always come through my greatest frustrations. It’s as if God enjoys getting my attention by me not getting my way... or maybe that is the only way he CAN get my attention. Either way, I end up thanking Him for my difficulties because they lead to triumphs.
If your understanding of the cross of Jesus Christ doesn’t lead you to an admission of desperate need and an empowerment of holiness and authority, than it is crap. You can easily slip into a subconscious mindset that you don’t really need the cross and/or that you don’t really have what the cross gives you. Call on the name of the Lord, confess your need, put your faith in Christ... you have NO condemnation, NO need for the completion of a process for you to talk with God again, NO fear, NO timidity... and you DO have complete purity, you DO have complete power, you DO have a mission from God, and you DO have everything you need to complete it.
This will be a series of posts of the lessons I've learned around this cross country move. God always speaks to me when I feel the most pressure and frustration, and there's a lot of that with a big move, a big step of faith, a lot of people, and a lot of uncertainties. So enjoy.
Two of the side jobs I did when I was on staff at Lighthouse were taking the chairs out and putting the chairs back in the 15 passenger vans and trying to cut hundreds of cd inserts with absolute perfection with a paper cutter. These were not the responsibilities I looked forward to. The chairs would always be put in wrong first, have to be moved, sometimes twice, and seemingly take forever. The cd inserts were tedious and mind numbing. God would always use them to check where my heart was. Was it about being on a stage or serving for the sake of the kingdom?
It is so fitting that today, my last day living in the Poconos, after I've been off staff at Lighthouse for 7 months, and as I depart to LA to launch Clarity and run full into Jesus; I find myself putting chairs back in the van (with several necessary repositions and difficulties) and trying to perfectly cut cd inserts... all after packing and loading everything we own for three days. I had to laugh (after dealing with the frustration) at the thought. I am thankful to serve and practice God's presence in all that I do.
Easily said, not easily done. We're in it together.
Jessica, the baby, and I have been traveling like mad people... whether it's been Clarity stuff or last visits with family before the move, we feel like we live in the car. I am a master at setting up and breaking down Novi's Pack n Play, Jessica is a master of loading dozens of baby outfits and toys into one bag, and now we are about to drive 12 hours a day for four days across the good ol' U.S. of A... beginning at 5 AM this Sunday. Pray for us and the whole team of 11 as we finishing packing, load the big 28 ft trailer, say last goodbyes, and hit the road.
A few days ago Jessica and I we were discussing this new year, new decade, and new job description. Now, our job has been and always will be loving Jesus and making disciples after him, but often we enter into new strategies, challenges, and locations regarding this job. I I also think we grow in the amount of influence God gives us as we go forward with integrity and character, staying focused on the core... His Word, prayer, and loving Jesus numero uno.
In the next decade I will go from 27 years old to 37 years old. Jessica will go from 22 years old to 32 years old. Novi will go from 5 months old to 10 years old. These will be defining years for our individual and family lives and we are holding nothing back. What will this decade be for you...? Go all in this year and this decade for the sake of all the people you can and will influence, and for the sake of Christ!! Be dangerous! Maybe crazy! Maybe audacious! A great idea means nothing without good execution. In other words, your words and dreams mean nothing without an action plan.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. What the world needs is people who have come alive.” H Thurman
“You can’t go wrong going full on into Jesus.” JR Mahon
