PINK

Please be encouraged to take the poll at right under our pic - based on Friday's blog.

If our expectation as church leaders is rooted in church growth strategies and good management principles, then we are operating in the domain of what the Bible calls 'the flesh.'

Now, as soon as someone says those two dreaded words, 'the flesh,' everyone starts repenting and crucifying things and kneeling at altars and such. But just because we say it's 'the flesh,' doesn't automatically make it evil. That's a routine mistake we make. 'The flesh' is just our natural abilities.

And if we operate from our 'flesh,' our natural abilities, then that determines the results we get. So if you're smart and good-looking and well-connected and use all the latest and proven strategies, you'll have a hummin' church. You'll be successful. Congratulations.

And that's probably a terrible thing to say because don't most of us want a church that's successful? I think so. Sometimes I'm told by people that that's my job - to lead a successful church. But am I going to do it by trusting my own 'flesh' or by trusting an omnipotent, faithful God?

D. Willard tells about the Southern Baptist Convention years ago discovering that if you use large pink envelopes in your church auditorium, you get 11% more money in the offering than if you use those little white ones (we use the little white ones at KFA).

But the question is: what are you going to put your confidence in? Pink envelopes? Is that it?

Of course we should do our best, plan our best, strategize our best - and then never trust our best. Every weekend that I speak I end up preparing mega-hard, but I never trust my preparation. This is God's operation, not mine. It is God's church, not mine. Jesus is Lord of the church, not I. When we take control with our best 'flesh', we get our best fleshly results. When we let God take control, we get His results.

Please don't tell me it depends on pink envelopes.

And be blessed.