You better think twice

As my little girl continues to blossom into the amazing young women that God created her to be I wanted to extend a “pre-emptive strike” so to say. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELmJHrmtCcU&feature=player_embedded]

Change

** Sorry this post may be a bit long**

The only thing constant in my family’s life is change. Over the last 3 years of my life my family and I have experienced immense change in our life.

So what’s involved in changing something up?

C = Calculation

If a change is going to be made I believe some time must be spent investigating the possible outcomes that will be associated with it. Some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a leader have been changing something without thinking it through.

H = Hesitation

When it comes to changing something that we’ve established…we always hesitate. Don’t get me wrong, I think pausing before making the change is healthy…however, when hesitation turns into an excuse to delay the obvious…problems WILL occur.

A = Anticipate Resistance

The very first reaction to change will always be some sort of resistance. As I leader I am coming more and more to understand that the first question a person runs through their mind when change is introduced is, “How is thing going to impact me?” And…if they detect that it may impact them in any negative sort of way…their natural tendency is to resist.

N = Necessary

Change is SO necessary! That statement was EASY to accept when we first began because we were changing the ways that other people did things; however, in the past couple of years or so it has become a sobering reality that the changes that are necessary are things we once thought of as edgy and innovative…which ISN’T easy…but, like I said…is necessary.

G = God Factor

What changes are God telling you to make? This could be personal…or even church wide. I know that He’s been speaking into me very directly lately and telling me some personal changes that I need to make in regards to the ways I lead myself and His church. God isn’t a dull God…and so following Him should never be either. He isn’t telling me the “why’s” right now…just the “what’s”…and getting comfortable with that has been an adjustment…but a good one!

E = Expectation

Whenever God leads us to change–we can expect fruit to come out of it. (See John 15:4-5) I have found myself getting way to nervous in the past when God leads me to change something when, in reality, I have NEVER screwed anything up by simply being completely obedient to Him–even when that includes MAJOR change.

That being said, I wanted to tell you of the upcoming changes in the Nelson family. I so am happy and overwhelmed to inform you all that I have accepted the 2 year Residency/ Internship at Concord Baptist Church (CBC) in Jefferson City, MO. This will be an amazing opportunity for me as I will have the opportunity to learn from someone who has been in a Senior Leadership position for over 20 years and is willing to train me along with Concord’s wonderful staff. I will also begin working toward my 1st Masters degree while we are there. This all begins at the beginning of June, which means that our family will be moving in a very short 7 weeks (or so). Though I will miss the restaurant life I am really looking forward to a new rhythm for our family, like being home at least some nights of the week. Furthermore, it will difficult to leave our church family at Blue Valley Baptist Church, family, and friends that have held us up in SO many ways the last 3 years including praying with us as we sought a position like this one. Almost 3 years ago I left Westside Family Church (WFC) as a pastor on staff. The was one of the most difficult transitions that I have ever made as WFC was where I came to Christ, the only church that my wife and I had attended at the time together, had our 1st child, my 1st Pastoral position and much more. I left WFC with the intend of completing my education and while serving at local church, yet our Father has had markedly different plans. Over the last 3 years God has shown Himself to me and my family in ways that I would not have fathomed before this. He has continually proven time and again that He is a God of details and He has proven to be alive and well in our life each step of the way and I pray that this blog has reflected this reality. I will look back on this time as opportunity that God has used to grow me, shape me, and clarify the vision He has for our life. Thank you each so much for caring about us and praying for us. This is not the end of this blog but the beginning of a new chapter. As we work out all the details of a move, please pray (especially for my wife) in this transition as she can take a long time to feel settle into new surroundings.

Finally, I wanted to provide you with some audio from my sermon at CBC’s Sunday night service back on March 25th. The sermon is entitled: “The offer on the table” and I pray you are as blessed in hearing it as I was in preaching it.

Here is what I know…

… I am NOT the smartest man on the planet. In fact, 32 year old Jon looks back at 22 year old Jon and thinks, “that guy was a moron!”

But, I know some things then that I still know now and I want to take some time to share them with you, and though structures and strategies will change over the course of my life these things will never change, it’s what I go back to every time I am tempted to throw in the towel. I know…

About 10 years ago I was lost as the day is long.
Someone invited me to church.
I [clearly] heard the Gospel there.
It changed my heart,
and, until this day it continues to change my thinking!
I want everyone on the planet to have this experience!!!
The majority of the planet is NOT having this experience, including some of the people we are in relationship with, and this bothers me daily
I believe the local church has been commissioned to IMPACT, not ISOLATE from, the world!!! (Acts 1:8)
I believe if “Christians” would shut the heck up about the HOW (the methods) and focus on the PERSON who needs Christ and be willing to do WHATEVER it takes to reach them then we would accomplish so much more than we could ever imagine. Please stop trying to clean the fish before they get into the boat.
I believe (as Charles Spurgeon said) that the local church IS the hope of the world. Jesus established her, died for her and spent a lot of time in the Bible speaking to her. If Jesus says the church is important, then it’s important (regardless of what Andrew Sullivan says in Newsweek).

I don’t know what our church I will look like in 5-10 years from now, I have no idea what will change; however, I do know that the 10 convictions I have listed above WILL be the same and we will still be doing everything we can to reach as many people as we can for Christ!

What about you?

the Black Man Code

Over the last few weeks I have been listening to the out of control coverage and reaction to the tragic killing of a Florida teenager named Trayvon Martin. Honestly, this whole situation reminds me of a similar tragic situation that happened when I was younger in my home town. I remember my father sitting me down and telling me “the Black Man code”, though he didn’t frame it as such. In that conversation I remember my parents reminding me about Emmett Till, a young black male who was murdered (to put it lightly) for “whistling at a white woman” while visiting relatives in 1955. All of these memories and more were triggered while reading an article by Jesse Washington on Yahoo news.

I knew I that our family was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week, many parents of minority children will be having this talk with their children, especially their black sons, about “the Code”. This talk is as important if not more so than the sex talk. It’s a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life. Now that I have a son, I have admittedly wished that the world head progressed to the point of not having to given this talk, all the while knowing that in reality I will.

Please read the excerpt or click through and read the whole article and think about what’s written. I am not looking to ‘pull out the race card’ but I am wanting to give you, my readers, some insight into mindset that so shapes apart of the culture I came from.

Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes.

Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up.

Please don’t assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat. America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are….

I am 6-4 and more than 200 pounds, son. You probably will be too. Depending on how we dress, act and speak, people might make negative assumptions about us. That doesn’t mean they must be racist; it means they must be human.

Let me tell you a story, son, about a time when I forgot about the Black Male Code.

One morning I left our car at the shop for repairs. I was walking home through our quiet suburban neighborhood, in a cold drizzle, wearing an all-black sweatsuit with the hood pulled over my head.

From two blocks away, I saw your mother pull out of our driveway and roll towards me. When she stopped next to me and rolled down the window, her brown face was full of laughter.

“When I saw you from up the street,” your mother told me, “I said to myself, what is that guy doing in our neighborhood?”

HT: Yahoo News – Jesse Washington

Thoughts?

wrongful birth?

When I first stepped into ministry many years ago there was much I did not know. Honestly, one of my biggest fears falls into the category of what most people would see as my strength, managing people. Within my first month I made the decision to take a trip to a Passion conference in Chicago with some of the students. I have to admit that one of the students was a high functioning autistic and I was terrified to take him with us but he ended up riding with me. After 8 hours in a car with him, I realized that he was a gift from God and not to be scared of. Over my time at WFC I learned more about him and became more enamored by the way God had made him. This is why when I came across this statement in our local newspaper I was completely taken off guard.

A jury this afternoon awarded nearly $3 million to a Portland-area couple whose daughter was born with Down syndrome even though a prenatal test found she didn’t have the chromosomal abnormality….The couple contend that they would have aborted their daughter had they known the facts and now face the financial burden of raising her.

It took me a few minutes to process what I read, I found myself at a loss for a response. until I found a blog from Deanna J. Smith entitled “Perhaps you should sue God” and it was in excellent. Here is a snippet:

I’m not sure how you look into those almond shaped eyes-grasp that warm hand smaller than most-hold close the body vibrating with life and say “We wish we could have aborted you”.But since you have, there are a couple of things I would like to say- some things that clearly you haven’t already thought through. Sometimes unexpected things happen to us in life. Bad things that we didn’t ask for. Some of us would call them blessings in disguise-the gifts that we didn’t even realize that we needed- while others label MISTAKE and WORTHLESS all over the unexpected.

The truth is, I can see why you’re angry. You have a baby that you didn’t want. A diagnosis that you feared is now a very real part of your life without your permission. Since I have been there myself, I understand the hurt and anger. But what I don’t understand is, why did you sue the DOCTOR?

Didn’t you mean to sue GOD?

Please check out the rest of the article and I would love to know your thoughts below.

When life is not fair

A few weeks ago I once again received a call to come back to Park Hill Baptist Church. This church asked me to fill in the pulpit again as they continued the search for an Interim Pastor and eventually a new Senior Pastor. Much like last time I found myself not feeling comfortable with any of the subjects that came to mind for to preach. You see, for me, if I am going into an environment I have never been to before, and possibly will not return to, I try to prayerfully seek a subject that the Spirit leads me to say, and this time it was a doozy. Once again, I traveled back to my pastoral study (aka BlackDog Coffeehouse) and prayed until the Father answered. This sermon was for me and as I soon found out for many people in the attending audience. I pray that it is half of the blessing it was to me in preparing it. Maybe this will give you an idea of where I am going with this sermon:

“Life is not fair. Good people have to die early. There are people that waste money like water, and there are other people who struggle to pay for their parents hospital bills. There are people that spend thousands of dollars on a vacation, and there are other people working three jobs to make ends meet. The funny part is people that spent thousands of dollars on vacation wouldn’t pay for their children’s tuition, and people that working three jobs wants to pay for their children’s tuition. How sad…Life is not fair. And it never will be. What’s the point of life anyway? See the injustice and then you die, painfully.”

Below you will find both audio and video versions of the sermon “Patience in the fires of life” (Malachi 2:17 – 3:7a). Please enjoy!

Audio:

[audio https://somajc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/patience-in-the-fires-of-life-malachi-2_17-3_7a.mp3]

Video:

Video: Poor audio quality

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/38177824]