Hello, Daily Broadsiders! Thanks to my buddy Dave for the opportunity to jump into the “Daily Ball Pit” and interact with some quality human beings!

I wanted to kick things off by posing three questions which we’ll cover in the course of a three part series.

It’s called, “Three Questions.”

I believe the way you answer these three questions do an excellent job of revealing the “practical reality” of your walk with Christ (Col 3:18). By “practical reality,” I mean either those times when “ministry” includes working alongside dynamics that aren’t agreeable or safe, or those instances that go beyond the boundaries typically established by textbook examples.

Take a look…

1) If you had to create a billboard that promoted a relationship with Jesus Christ and you couldn’t mention anything about heaven or hell or how Christ helps you with your problems, what would your billboard say?

2) You’re the Good Samaritan. But instead of encountering the victim after they’ve been beaten and robbed, you encounter him as he’s being beaten and robbed. What does your ministry look like?

3) Your neighbor’s house is on fire. You’re working alongside several people put out the blaze when all of a sudden you realize that among those you’re working with, there are several whose lifestyles you seriously disagree with. Do you keep working to put out the fire or do you walk away believing that it’s wrong to be a part of any effort involving people who don’t believe as you do?

In this installment, we’ll be looking at Questions #1.

You ready?

It’s one of those questions that can take you by surprise in that conventional church culture puts a lot of emphasis on who we are apart from Christ. Many of the sermons and a lot of the Praise and Worship we sing focus more on the insufficiency of the believer rather than the all sufficiency of God. As a result, the inclination is to process one’s relationship with Jesus as something that comes to bear primarily in the context of a crisis rather than a Resource that’s poised to positively impact every play you deploy on the field rather than something that only applies when you’re on the sidelines.  

You are more than your wounds and better than your sin. Not because of who you are but because of Who Christ is in you. To restrict Christ’s Influence to crisis situations only is to overlook both the Attitude and the Ability He’s given you to excel and not just endure.

Bear in mind, when God says, “excel,” He’s talking about all things at all times (2 Cor 9:8). That includes your performance at work, the way you love the people you care about, the way you work out, even the way you mow your lawn.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17)

Do you smell that that? That’s the aroma of excellence!

Imagine the kind of woodworking Jesus did as a carpenter. Do you think it looked good? Just imagine what your performance at work would look like if it was unhindered by the influence of sin. Have you ever noticed that the people you tend to enjoy hanging out with the most are those that make you feel good about yourself and the world around you? Typically, they’re happy individuals and they’re genuinely interested in your welfare. Those two characteristics are practical manifestations of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Philippians 2:3-4.

Do you see where this is going?

We are here to make a difference and not just an appearance. But we’re not “tending to our Father’s business” if we spend more time rehearsing our mistakes than we do reviewing His Perfection.

And it’s that Perfection that drives the way we think, act and feel IF we’re astute enough to allow Him to work in and through us so we’re putting some points on the board rather than just complaining about how intimidating the defense is.

There is a time to heal and apart from Christ we can do nothing. But we are commanded to be excellent and if you want to take Matthew 5:16 literally, we should be lighting up every room we walk into with a demeanor that makes people look forward to our arrival.

• The Joy of the Lord (Gal 5:22-23)
• The Power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Phil 4:13; Col 1:29)
• The Mind of Christ (Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 2:16; Phil 4:8)

I know, right?

Our relationship with Christ is far more than a Divine Emergency Kit as much as it’s a Divine Tool Kit that we’re given to use in a way where we’re able to reek of excellence in everything we say, think and do so we’re making a difference and not just an appearance (Ps 19:14).

So, how about that Billboard?

Here’s some ideas…

Dream Big, Pray Bigger (Eph 3:20) | Don’t Just Try, Win (Josh 1:8) | Don’t Just Make an Appearance, Make a Difference (Matt 6:19-21; Jn 14:12; 1 Cor 3:12)

Go get ’em!