Share this message with anyone who might be interested in doing God’s business!

To become better equipped for God’s redemption business…

1.  Get familiar with Lesslie Newbigin.  Download and read this free book of His missional leadership devotions – here

2.  Read Newbigin’s writings: A Walk Through the Bible, The Open Secret, then The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

3.  Let Newbigin’s macroscopic view of God and His mission free you from the theological reductions.

Sola Missio Dei,

Jim Botts

Question: is it OK to quit being a Christian in the name of following Christ?

Recently, best selling novelist Anne Rice renounced being a Christian via her Facebook page.  She reasoned that she felt like an outsider to the Christian community for the past 10 years, and finally has decided to quit Christianity altogether (except for following Christ, that is).

So here’s what I would say to Anne Rice…

1.  We should all quit being Christians

I totally relate to her sense of feeling like an outsider to organized Christian religion.  I feel the same way (for very different reasons).  I resist applying the “Christian” label to myself, because the early church did not apply it to themselves, outsiders labeled them as “Christians” (see Acts 11:26).  We should all quit acting like Christians, and start living like loyal followers of Jesus.

2.  Jesus is “anti” on some issues

Rice stated her reasons for quitting Christianity as follows…

I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life.

Her reasoning incorrectly assumes that Jesus is not “anti” anything.  Jesus is unabashedly anti-religiosity, anti-greed, anti-sexual-immorality, and anti-human-opinion-over-God’s-Word!  Jesus is “anti” human centered opinions because He’s “pro” God’s intended design for humanity.

3.  Following Jesus has a divisive effect

There’s no way to follow Jesus, and avoid the divisiveness that Jesus brings.  I’m not talking about the divisiveness of personality (like harsh and judgmental Christians).  Nor am I talking about the divisiveness of personal immaturity and insecurity (like President Obama’s us/them, blame other people responses).

Jesus spoke of Himself in terms that could be considered divisive.  He referred to Himself as a Light that reveals people’s darkness (John 3:19-21).  He called Himself the Truth connects people to God (John 14:6).  Light divides the darkness, and truth separates falsehood.

4.  You cannot embrace Jesus and reject His people

If you want to follow Jesus, He will lead you into community with His people.  He commands you to love His followers, to remain connected to His followers, and to participate in His world mission together.

So, yeah!  Let’s totally quit being Christians.  Let’s follow Jesus.

The one who divides the darkness with His light.

Who replaces falsehood with His truth.

Check out this message and tell me your thoughts on how different generations can “come to the table” and become God’s generation.

Our Generation: Generation X (Generational Theft) from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

What makes for a horrible leader?

Most people are admittedly not experts on great leadership.  But I believe that most people are experts on horrible leadership–because most people have lived under it first hand.

So, in order to grow into a better leader, I recently asked a bunch of Facebook friends and Twitter followers to fill in the blank regarding horrible leadership.

Fill in the blank: Horrible leaders_____________!

…are indecisive

…judge

…lead horribly

…are oxymoronic

…abound (they’re everywhere)

…assume

…say they will do something and don’t

…lack clear vision and purpose

…take more than they give

…demand more than they risk

…blame others for their failings

..project their dysfunction throughout the organization

…find themselves leading no one

Ouch!  I found myself guilty of several of these infractions.  This list compels me to re-evaluate a few things in my approach to leadership.

How about you?

Trail Mix = Energy for the Journey

Trail mix is a combination of grains, fruit, and nuts to give you energy while you’re hiking outdoors.

If you’re a leader, here’s some “trail mix” that’ll energize your next steps in your leadership journey…

1.  LISTEN to any or all of the leadership sessions from the 2010 Exponential Conference – click here to listen

2.  WATCH this fascinating video about what really motivates people from Daniel Pink, the author of Drive

3.  READ this an outstanding article about Jesus being inefficient from Pete Greig from the 24/7 Prayer Movement.

4.  REFLECT through this insightful (and free) eBook study on the Holy Spirit – click here to download it!

If you really want to learn about great leadership, just ask everyday people.  Great leadership isn’t found in books as much as it’s found in the eye of the beholder–people who’ve experienced great leadership.

So, I recently asked my Facebook friends and Twitter followers about great leadership.  Here’s what they had to say…

Fill in the blank, “Great leaders_____________!”

…serve others

…walk humbly before God, their maker

…listen

…guide

…are teachable

…(are) trustworthy

…lead; walk with Christ; humbly serve others in their roles

…lead by example, dictate as last resort

…seldom need words

…seek God’s wisdom and stay in prayer

…must first follow

…love their family

…have a sense of humor

…mobilize

…laugh, cry, study, pray, play

…live justly, love mercy, walk humbly

…take on great challenges on behalf of the people

…deny greatness while proclaiming dependence

…listen and cut through red tape to help their “followers” make good ideas happen no matter how small

…inspire & motivate people to be more and see more than they see in themselves!

…call evil…evil and good…good

…consult the wise for counsel

…are the servants of all

Which ones sting you the most?  Comment below – name your stinger and why!  (For me, it was “listen, seldom need words, and serve others.“  I usually default to talking, relying on communication, and focus on tasks rather than how to serve).

Which ones soothe you the most?  Comment below – tell which and why!  (For me, it was, “teachable, have a sense of humor, inspire and motivate people to be more and see more than they see in them themselves.”  These are things that are part of the way I do life, so I felt affirmed).

Which ones stir you the most?  Comment below – what is God calling you to develop?  (For me, it was “lead by example, and seek God’s wisdom and stay in prayer.”  You never arrive in these areas, so I constantly feel like I need to up my game).

Yes, I love my family and strive for humilty, but I only mentioned the ones that jumped out at me.  Please comment below with yours!

Thy Will Be Done – Jim Botts from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

Here’s the message I gave last week at Neighborhood Church.  It was inspired by one of my favorite books from Henri Nouwen, The Life of the Beloved.

Be sure to comment and let me know what you thought about the message – because feedback is the breakfast of champions.

The Jesus Mission: It’s Personal from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

For the last four weeks we’ve encouraged our church to post on the wall of our auditorium, the names of people they are praying will receive Christ at our church this Easter.  During our weekend services each of the last four weeks, we created a space for people to come up and pray for the people posted on the wall.  The message I gave was specifically designed to motivate our folks to take the next step and invite those they’ve been praying for, to come to church this Easter.

Here’s a picture of just one the walls with names posted (pay no attention to our facilities manager George, with the bag over his head).

"The best way to show that a stick is crooked is...to lay a straight stick alongside it." -D. L. Moody

What do you believe about Scripture (aka the Bible)?  Is it merely “a word from God,” or “the Word of God?”  Because I don’t to waste your time, let me cut to the chase: loyalty to Jesus means loyalty to Jesus’ view of Scripture!

Here’s a quick rundown of what Jesus said about Scripture…

1.  We err because we do not know the Scriptures.

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” ~ Matt 22:29, NIV

Many leaders in Christian circles today put the Scriptures in the back seat in the name of “the power of God.”  Words of knowledge, prophetic utterance, or internal-voice-of-God-revelations should never usurp the Scriptures.  For Jesus, the Scriptures are the straight stick by which we evaluate what is called “the power of God.”

2.  We dispel darkness with “it is written!”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone’ ” ~ Luke 4:4, NIV    Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’ ” ~ Luke 4:8, NIV.

Jesus countered the devil’s attack–not with words of knowledge, wisdom, or ecstatic utterance–but with reference to the written Word of God.  The Scriptures shed the authoritative light of God that automatically dispels darkness.  If we do not know, trust, and rely on Scripture…we’ll unwittingly face spiritual conflicts unarmed.

3.  Without the Scriptures, we worship in vain

Jesus ~ They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” ~ Mark 7:7-8, NIV

So much is done in the name of worship that finds little basis in Scripture.  Worship and Scripture are friends, not enemies.  Without the commands of God, we would worship golden calves of our own making (i.e. trendy theologies, fashionable forms, celebrity speakers et al).  Scripture informs, discloses, and exposes us to the reality of a God worthy of worship.

4.  We only understand God’s ways through God’s Word

Jesus ~ It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’ ; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment” ~ Luke 22:37, NIV

Jesus saw the scenes of His life as framed by Scripture (His ministry, His temporal suffering, and His future glory).  Jesus came to understand God’s ways through God’s Word.  As a result, He let God have His way with Him.  Without God’s Word, God’s ways are hidden from us.

Obviously, this short summary barely scratches the surface.  But I reiterate, you should not claim loyalty to Jesus unless you claim loyalty to Jesus’ view of Scripture (the written Word of God in the Old and New Testaments).

According to Jesus, Scripture is THE straight stick by which the crookedness of ALL things is revealed.  Scripture tells us what is true and real, as well exposing what is false and mistaken.

It is written / so, read it / and rely on it / forsaking all others.

A while back my family and I relocated into a different time zone.  We moved from the CST time zone (Central Standard Time) to the PST time zone (Pacific Standard Time).   “What’s the big deal?” you ask.  Well, just a two-hour time difference.  Two hours may seem like a small change, but it created huge upheaval for me.

All of my life rhythms got knocked off balance.  I felt as awkward as a dog in the back seat on a car ride.  My fitness routines were disrupted.  My spiritual disciplines became disheveled.  Every routine in my life got knocked into a state of disequilibrium.  I really could’ve used a time zone converter to help me adjust to living in my time zone.

There are times in life when all of us find it hard to live in our current time zone–not geographically, but existentially.  Past mistakes (or successes) as well as future worries (or expectations) can keep us from peace in the present.  Here are some lessons I learned about living in my current time zone.

1.  Get past the past ~ The biggest obstacle to present-tense-peace was my own desire for things to be the way they were.  I loved the consistency of routines that helped me grow physically, spiritually, and relationally.  However, those days were gone and they weren’t coming back.  Moving to a different place meant moving on to new rhythms.

2.  Build the future today ~ Everyday I preached to myself, “The road to tomorrow runs through today!”  Like a song that makes the day go faster, I kept reminding myself that I was creating tomorrow’s life-rhythms today.  Every awkward action became another stepping stone carrying my feet into the future.

3.  Live in the present ~ Living in the present moment is much harder than it sounds.  Distractions, frustrations, dead lines, and obligations confronted me like a bullies in the lunch line with their hands out.  Present-tense-peace is something I had to fight for; over and over, and moment by moment.

I’ve discovered that God is in-tense.  He is fully present “in” the present “tense.”  And if God is in-tense, I needed to learn how to live in-tense too.  In-tense living has been all about the moment-by-moment realization that I can only experience God’s Presence in my present tense.

I’m really learning how to live in my time zone.  Everyday I fight to be in-tense with God, my wife, my kids, and whoever God puts in front of me.

After all, the past is past.  The future flows through the present.  And I can only experience God in this present moment.  Just like God, I want to live in-tense!