1,400 Miles Later

1,400 miles later, we are back home in Atlanta. We had a great time seeing friends and family during our Mississippi Edition of the Caston World (Support Raising) Tour. Thanks to all of our praying friends!

Mississippi Road Trip '09, Part 3: Tupelo

Yesterday, we attended Lawndale and had lunch with a group of friends at the home of Whitney and Marcus Ueltschey. Great time! In the evening, we enjoyed a dinner hosted for us by Lawndale, and then I had the huge privilege to share a mini-version of our church planting vision as well as to preach. Today I am meeting folks all day at the Atlanta Bread Company in Tupelo.

Our over-the-top hospitalble hosts for the weekend have been Julie and Steve Brister, close friends from back in Kristy's high school days. Yes, it's a small world... especically in Mississippi. : )

Mississippi Road Trip '09, Part 2

Tonight we had a really great meeting with friends in Jackson at the home of Libby and Jack Crawford, some of our closest friends. Libby made a wonderful dinner (and way to go Amanda on the desert- wow!), and allowed us to go way over in our church plant presentation. It was like a college reunion. Thanks, Jack and Libby! You served us so well. And thanks to those who made the sacrifice to be with us. We appreciate y'all so very much.

I'm Not Done Yet

I'm not done yet. That thought struck me as we drove from Atlanta to Benton, Mississippi, the other day. What I mean is that sanctification (the practical holiness that the Spirit works in my life as I believe the gospel) is progressive. Like a chicken that takes time to bake, my growth in grace in ongoing, and will not be complete until Jesus takes me home or comes back. In fact, if that chicken takes an hour to cook, it feels like I only have been in the oven for a few minutes. I'm not done yet. And the minute I think that I am done, I'm really cooked! But even that happens all the time. When I condescend, hold grudges, and condemn others I am acting as if I am done and they are not. That is the essence of self-righteous Phariseeism. Yes, I am a recovering Pharisee whose sin of self-centered, sinful pride runs so deep, which is why I am growing in thankfulness to God that his grace runs deeper still. That is my hope when I see the raw, unfinished me. It is then that I remember that sanctification is also positional (I have been declared justified by the Father based on the perfect gift-righteousness of Jesus), which is the promise that "he who began a good work in me will complete it" and will "present me before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy." Because of the cross, I have the hope of glory and glorification, which is a huge encouragement for folks like me who are not done yet.

Mississippi Road Trip '09, Part 1

Tonight we had the privilege to share about the church plant to a group of friends in Greenwood, MS, at the home of our great friends, Amy and Lee Coleman. Super good food (including some unreal deer sausage and mustard dip!) added to a special evening.

Tomorrow it is off to Jackson... more to come. Thanks for praying as we seek to raise up a support team for the Dahlonega Church Plant.

Latest E-Newsletter

The latest Dahlonega Church Plant e-newsletter was published today. To view it, click here.

Road Trip

The Dahlonega Church Plant is going on a road trip to Mississippi this week to see friends and family, and to raise up ministry partners who will support the new church through prayer and with funding. Would like to pray for us? Here's how you can... right now!

"Father, I do pray that you would give the Castons a safe trip to Mississippi this week, and that they would be encouraged by seeing friends and family. I desire with them that you would raise up many people who would share their vision and would partner with them in prayer and with funding."

"Father, although funding is a critical aspect of beginning a new church, I primarily pray for the Caston's hearts. I pray that they would be freshly convicted of their sin and need for a Savior. And I pray that they would believe deeply that they have such a Savior in Jesus, who stands as their righteousness—and that this grace-saturated gospel would provide fuel for their lives and ministry."

"Also, Father, I pray that You would keep the Castons free from worry and fear. Give them gospel peace, joy and hope as they share the vision, not only for a church, but for a life of living out of weakness and need as the chief of sinners so that they might be living examples for others who are in need of the same grace. May they truly live as if the ground really is level at the foot of the cross."

Christian Socialism?

Acts 4:32-35 is a remarkable picture of unity and generosity in the lives of the early Christians in Jerusalem. Everyone shared their possessions, and sometimes sold what they had to supply the material needs of other believers. On the surface, it looks a lot like socialism... but it wasn't. Socialism is an imposed, or forced redistribution of wealth. However, no one was forcing these believers to share. Instead, something was compelling them to live in such an unusually generous, counter-cultural way. I think the key is found in verse 33, "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all." They had believed the testimony about the resurrection of Jesus, an event that confirmed in bold the message of the cross. Jesus had done much more than sell a field, or share a plow. He gave up his life. And in dying as a propitiation for the sins of his people, he delivered them from hell, gave them his very own record of righteousness, provided eternal life and secured for them "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven..." (1 Peter 1:4) For these early Christians, a living faith in the resurrection gave them a grace-permeated world view that changed everything about what people "naturally" do. Indeed, the reason they lived the way they did was because much grace was upon them all. And that life-transforming, God-glorifying grace was not just for them, but is for all who will believe. Even me.

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Church Planting is Gospel Planting

I am not called to plant a church, but to plant the gospel and pray that a church begins to grow. I am to live, preach, and offer the gospel in such a way that, as I water those seeds of grace, God enables them to penetrate hearts, take root and grow. Then a group of "gospel saplings" gathers together and becomes a church, which as the Spirit enables, produces fruit, thus testifying to the greatness of God and blessing the wider community. Yes, there are aspects of the church that are institutional (budgets, facilities, etc.). But an institution without life is useless. The former serves the latter. And so, I am coming to realize that church planting is necessarily and primarily gospel planting.

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Unschooled, Ordinary Men

God chooses and uses the weak things of this world to accomplish supernatural results in ministry. I think we need to emphasize "supernatural," because there can also be "worldly" results in the church. Numbers. Programs. Energy. Fame. And so we look for leaders like Saul. Big. Impressive. Powerful. But God's model for a leader would be a young shepherd boy. Strength vs. weakness. God choose to use weakness... which is why a phrase jumped out at me this morning in Acts 4, where Peter and John had been arrested for preaching about the death and resurrection of Jesus after healing a crippled man. Verse 13 says that the high priest and his crew were amazed by Peter and John, especially the fact that they were "unschooled, ordinary men." However, they "took note that they had been with Jesus." Ah ha! That is the key. Their usefulness was not tied to their intellect, skill set or conference notebook collection. The results of their ministry were not natural, they were supernatural, and dependent upon the power of God to work in and through them. So may I, as a church planter, seek to live as an ultimately unschooled (especially in the context of God's cosmic knowledge, providence and wisdom), ordinary man... who has been with Jesus. Let me not lift up my degrees, but rather, the cross.

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The Good Shepherd

This morning I was reading in John 10 when a phrase caught my attention. It is the passage when Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, who calls his sheep by name and "leads them out" of the sheep pen through the gate. My mind went immediately to Israel in Egypt, and how Moses, as a shepherd of his people, led them out of bondage and slavery toward the land of promise. For Moses, the enemy was a Pharaoh of Egypt. In Jesus' word picture, it is a thief, who enters the pen to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus is no thief. He enters the pen to set his sheep free—free from the bondage of fear, sin and death. But Jesus knew that setting me free would require him to take my place in the pen. On the cross, he laid down his life and satisfied justice for my sheepishness (for we know that sheep are dumb, disobedient, and smell!). And now the resurrected Jesus, through his Spirit, he calls to his sheep to hear his voice, come out of the pen and follow him. He calls me to believe the gospel— to "have life and have it to the full," because "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," because he was condemned in their place. "Father, give me ears to hear."

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Keller's Preaching Model

Here is a simple version of what I perceive to be Tim Keller's "structural method" of preaching the gospel, where he is able to build "narrative tension" that longs for the story to reveal God's saving, liberating and transforming grace.

I. Introduction. He introduces the topic/life issue that is raised in the Bible passage.

II. Law. He reveals our problems related to the issue by describing what should be done/thought/etc. vs. what we actually do/think. This "creates the need/longing" for the gospel.

III. Gospel. This is where Jesus comes to the rescue as the hero through identification, substitution, mediation, etc. He is the greater Moses, the greater Joseph, the ultimate Daniel, the ultimate Esther, etc. For example, she said "if I perish, I perish," but Jesus said, "When I perish..." So Jesus is not merely a moralistic example, but is a redemptive Savior from both worldly irreligion and worldly religion.

IV. Application. This is the redemptive application part. If the gospel begins to define my identity, this is what can happen by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. What I could not do before, or did with wrong motives, now I can do because of the life of Jesus in me (Gal. 2:20). The gospel provides the new motivation and new power for change.

For application Keller tends to use a tri-perspectival approach, which keeps the gospel touching all of life, rather than merely one sector. The three perspectives are (truth) theological applications (truth), personal/devotional applications (life), and cultural renewal applications (kingdom).

If you'll notice, Keller often outlines his messages along the lines of this narrative tension.
1. the life issue
2. the law problem
3. the gospel solution
4. the redemptive applicaition

Paradoxical Leadership

Dan Allender, in his book, Leading with a Limp, asks a question,

"Is living out the gospel in this world meant to be marked by an inverted, paradoxical, mysterious twist on what most people expect of a leader?"

He answers with a resounding "yes," saying that the paradox of biblical leadership is that the chief leader must be the chief sinner, just like Paul. Allender says, "You must choose to adopt that identity for yourself." Hmmm... Two things come to mind.

One, leading out of weakness and need is counter-intuitive and, therefore, must be a chosen path. It is not natural. Being strong, able, powerful and influential is natural. Today, as I lead, I must choose to know myself as a sheep among sheep, and an under-shepherd of the Ultimate Shepherd.

Two, the only way to make this choice to consciously lead as a needy sinner is to have an even greater Savior. He is the strong, able and powerful one whom I am to follow as a leader. When Jesus, rather than my status as a leader, is my righteousness, then I am able to be a paradoxical leader. I am able to admit when I am wrong, give credit to others, show appreciation for the contributions of potential rivals, and wash the feet of my critics. I suppose, in a nutshell, biblical leadership is about living out the implications of the gospel in a way that moves others to consider the power and glory of God's grace.

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Gospel-Consciousness

Why am I so self-conscious? Why am I so concerned what others think about me? Why do I let the opinions of others so profoundly influence my words and actions. Why am I a different person around different people? Why can't I be real?These questions help me realize that I understand what it would have been like to have been a Pharisee in the first century, for whom image was everything.

In Matthew 23:5, Jesus says something about the heart of a Pharisee that I find deeply convicting.

"Everything they do is done for men to see."

It is sickening (but liberating, too!) to admit it, but I am a praise monger, wanting people to bask in the glory of my (imagined) greatness. Of course, that is the flesh at work. But the Spirit is creating a hunger in my heart—a longing to be real.

And so the Holy Spirit graciously invites me to trade my self-consciousness in for a gospel-consciousness. Yes, in myself, I am an insecure orphan. But in Jesus, I am a dearly loved son. In myself, I am weak. But in Jesus, I am strong. In myself, I am a condemned sinner who wears masks attempting to cover up the ugliness of my inner sin (including the insecurity and pride). But in Jesus, I am declared righteous, and now it is safe to be real. As Tim Keller, says, "I am more sinful than I would ever be able to admit, but at the same time, in Jesus, I am more forgiven, more loved, and more accepted than I could ever dare to dream!" Yes, it is that kind of gospel-consciousness that will dispel my self-consciousness by enabling me to be real by (1) taking off my mask and (2) basking in the glory of God's grace to me in Jesus.

So What?

A revolutionary thought struck me while playing H-O-R-S-E with my eleven-year-old son. "So what?" Okay, here's the context. He is just like me. Hyper competitive. Loves to win. Must win. Although he is a gifted athlete and basketball player, he lost his rhythm and began to miss shots that he normally makes. Because he is like me, he began to get angry and show frustration. So we stopped the game to talk about it.

As I put myself in his shoes, I realized how easy it is to find my identity in my own performance and ability: like shooting a basketball, knowing the capitol of Vermont, having obedient children in public, succeeding in planting a new church, or even preaching a good sermon. Then it hit me: so what? So what if I miss the shot and lose the game? So what if I don't know the capitol of Vermont? So what if my children make me look like a dufus parent in public? So what if the church plant fails or if someone criticizes my sermon? God is still God. I am still his crazily loved son with a imputed heavenly record of utter perfection! His decretive will has not been thwarted. God's glory will not be diminished. In fact, if I find my life in my success and ability, then, on an earthly level, His glory will not be as clearly seen, for the self-righteousness that I pursue through accomplishement will seek to eclipse the righteousness that God gives through Jesus.

This means that if I can learn to live by a "sanctified" so what, then I will be free from the bondage of me. I am free to shoot the rock and miss. I am free to say "I don't know." I am free to focus on my children's hearts and not just their behavior. I am free to fail as a pastor and preacher. I'm free now to live by grace to the glory of God by boasting in and resting in the success, ability, glory and righteousness of Jesus.

The Cost of Busyness

Well, I'm still in Leading with a Limp, and just got to the section where Dan Allender talks about busyness. In most professional vocations, being "busy" is a badge of honor—a virtue that says I am not lazy. However, and surprisingly, Allender says,

"A lazy person does little to nothing while a busy person dos almost everything, but the similarity is that both refuse to be intentional. Busyness is the equivalent to moral laziness... because it involves refusing to live with courage and intentionality."

He then addresses the "real cost" of busyness, saying that it contributes to "the loss of our spiritual vitality." Maybe that is why Jesus never seemed hurried or busy. He was focused and intentional about what he was called to do, and even took regular times away from people to spend focused time connecting with the Father. And I think we can agree that Jesus was spiritually vital—so vital that he was willing to fulfill the Father's will of going to the cross. That was his focus. He was vital unto suffering.

It makes me wonder, in all of my busyness, am I spiritually vital? In reflection, it may be that allowing myself to get so busy reveals a deep seated, stubborn, and arrogant heart that insists on doing more than resting, believing, praying and yielding. And so I am faced with another opportunity to be still, joyfully repent, and be thankful that my life is not to be defined by my work, but His.

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The Gift of Brokenness

I don't like broken stuff. I want it either fixed or thrown out. But God loves broken stuff. King David knew this when he wrote, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." And the way we get "broken" usually hurts.

Applying this concept to leadership in Leading with a Limp, Dan Allender says,

"For most leaders, humility comes only by wounds suffered from foolish falls... We achieve brokenness by falling off of our throne. To be broken is not a choice; it is a gift."

Hmmm... I suppose it is only when I am conscious of my brokenness as a leader that I am genuinely equipped to lead as an ambassador of Jesus. Paul led as the chief repenter in his day—as a big sinner who had an even bigger Savior. He refused to be the hero, because that role was reserved for Jesus. So that's what I want today: a consciousness of my cracks that, although I would not have chosen them, are present as gifts. Wounds through which humility and wisdom are created and through which grace can now flow.

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The Disappointing Leader

I am re-reading Dan Allender's fairly recent book on leadership, Leading with a Limp. As the leader of a church plant in its most fledgling stages (support raising), I need all the help in that area that I can get. And while many books on leadership talk about being effective, Allender takes a counter-intuitive approach—more of a gospel approach, I think. He says, "A good leader will, in time, disappoint everyone." Notice that he said a "good" leader, not a bad leader. Why is this? Because, to the degree that a leader acknowledges his inability, personal weakness and need for the grace of the Great Leader, the better a leader he will be. If I were to become a Jesus-substitute for those in the church (and I've already tried that before- ugh!), they would be disappoited and possibly become disillusioned. Thankfully, my job is not to be a savior—that job is for Jesus only. And so, I am learning that the ultimate goal for the pastor-leader is not so much to lead, but to follow. And in following the Great Leader, who laid down his life for the sheep, the lesser leader learns what it means to lead as a wounded healer in need of the same grace that the rest of the sheep need. In this next leadership gig, I plan to tell the folks up front, "I will, in time (and it will not take long!), disappoint you. So do not put your hope in me. Put your hope in Jesus."

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Moment by Moment

The Bible talks about "walking with God." I suppose this means that as I live each day, I am to be in conscious fellowship with him who is with me—really with me, as if we were walking down the road together. It's better than a "Quite Time" (as profitable as focused time with God is).  However, the essence of the Christian life is not checking in with Jesus, but is walking with him, as my friend, Francis Schaeffer, says in True Spirituality, "moment by moment." 

"I became a Christian once for all upon the basis of the finished work of Christ through faith; that is justification. The Christian life, sanctification, operates on the same basis, but moment by moment. There is the same base (Christ's work) and the same instrument (faith); the only difference is that one is once for all and the other is moment by moment... If we try to live the Christian life in our own strength we will have sorrow, but if we live in this way, we will not only serve the Lord, but in place of sorrow, He will be our song. That is the difference. The 'how' of the Christian life is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith moment by moment."

As one who tries so often to live in my own strength (ugh!), I want desperately to abide in Jesus today as my perfect righteousness. I want to experience not only his justifying grace, but also his sustaining, enabling grace as I walk with him by faith, moment by moment, knowing that even if I fail or fall, he is still with me.

As the hymn says, 

"Hallelujah! what a Savior!
 Hallelujah! what a Friend!
 Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
 He is with me to the end."

The Disciple Jesus Loves

In the gospel he authored, John calls himself, "the disciple Jesus loves." Interesting. Did he mean that Jesus did not love the others? Not at all. He knew better. However, his own self-perception was wrapped up in being loved by Jesus. And so rather than mention himself by name, he uses that rather stunning description to identify himself—a description that could be used of any of Jesus' disciples, then or today. The challenge is for me to see myself this way. Rather than see myself as the one whom Jesus tolerates... or the one with whom Jesus is disappointed... or even disgusted... What if I were to see myself as "the disciple Jesus... loves?"  That dream is made reality when I come face to face with the message of the cross—a message that tells me via loudspeaker that he cannot love me more (even on what I think is a "good" day), and that he will not love me less (even on what I think is a "bad" day), because his love is not dependent on me, but on him. 

Losing My Religion

In his book, Soul Talk, Larry Crabb says,

"Religion is the invention of the Devil."

Steve Brown agrees, saying, "I hate religion." That was the discussion for last week's Caston Family Discipleship gathering after dinner. I asked my kids what makes the Gospel different from all other religions. I was delighted when they answered, "Grace!" Of course, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and every other religious ism says, "If I obey and sacrifice, then I will be accepted and blessed." To the contrary, the gospel says, "I am accepted and blessed not because of my obedience and sacrifice, but on the basis of the obedience and sacrifice of Jesus." However, there is a religious virus in the church, because there is a religious virus in people like me. It is so easy for me to take the gospel and moralize it. To make the gospel a religion. That is why Jesus called the Pharisees children of the Devil." They were rule-keepers, not grace-lovers. They demanded to stand before God on their own works. And so it appears as if Larry Crabb is right. Religion is the invention of the Devil. And I have been duped plenty. So my prayer is that I would cast off religion, and embrace the gospel afresh today. If I must live by works, let them be the works of Jesus.

And that's it?

I am a recovering Pharisee who falls off of the wagon all of the time, slipping back into a mode of self-righteous pride (when I think I do well) and insecurity (when I fail, or if someone else does well).  So what I need is radically grace-centered preaching to keep my heart in line with the gospel. 

That is why I was so grieved today to read a quote from one of the most influential pastor/preachers in the country, and maybe the world. I respect him so much and have been helped by him in many ways, and when it comes to communication, he is gifted with a big G. Nevertheless, speaking about his preaching philosophy, he says,

"Here is the model: Make people feel like they need an answer to a question. Then take them to God's Word to answer the question. And tell them why it is important to do what we just talked about. And then you close by saying, 'Wouldn't it be great if everybody did that?' And that's it."

And that's it? 

Now, I am not a great preacher, and I've preached self-help, man-centered moralism more times than I want to admit. But I crave for experienced leaders to preach the gospel to me.  I desperately need help seeing the cross, the blood, and the glory of God's propitiatory grace.

And since he is such a great leader/preacher, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, assuming that if he had the chance to say it again, he would replace "and that's it" with how our failure to keep the law and practice wisdom leads us to Jesus and the cross. At that point redemptively motivated and empowered application could flow from what then would be a gospel-centered sermon rather than a moralistic sermon.  And so when I hear someone get to the part when he asks, "'Wouldn't it be great if everybody did that," I hope that he will point me to the only one who did. The One who is my only hope and my complete salvation. His name is Jesus.

Lent and Sacrifice

I came across a genius quote the other day by Scott Lees that has made me want to practice Lent. I have never been into the "church calendar," but thinking about how Lent can help me grow in grace in appealing. Now, the typical angle on Lent is that we give up something, sacrifice something for God in preparation for Easter. From what I understand, Lent is a way of taking up my cross and following Jesus. However, Scott's blog post said, and I paraphrase: "Lent is not about what I give up and sacrifice for God, but is about embracing what God has given up and sacrificed for me." When I read that my mind went straight to Philippians 2, where Paul says,

Jesus... made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus didn't just give up french fries, Facebook, or carbonated beverages. He gave up his life. And so I need to be reminded that the gospel majors not on some puny, legalistic sacrifice that I might make, but on the eternity-shaking, incalculably loving, life-transforming sacrifice that Jesus made for me.  If Lent can help get me there, I'm in. Thanks, Scott.