At Catalyst Dallas, David Kinnaman of The Barna Group discussed if the United States is a post-Christian nation.

When you look at the different responses from hundreds of surveys, you begin to have a good picture of things.

83% of Americans identify as Christians.
75% says have made a personal commitment to Christ that is still important in their life.
75% approximately believe the story of Christ’s resurrection is literally true.
66% approximately believe the story of Sampson and Delilah is literally true.
Only 8% of Americans are Evangelicals.

There is a gap between who people say they are and the quality of their faith. What you have to realize is just how Christianized this nation is. The point is we are not Christ following. We have an incredible opportunity in U.S. culture to introduce people to the God they think they know.

It is important to look at the trends affecting the U.S.

• Access
  Access to technology and information is changing people. The church needs to be at the center of the new ways that people are accessing information.
• Alienation
  There are new levels of isolation from family, from community, and from each other despite our connection to technology. Young people are waiting longer to reach major life transitions (i.e., leaving home, finishing school, financially independent, getting married, & having a child). If a church is waiting to reach young people until they have kids, those young people will be alienated from the church as well.
• Authority
  There are new questions about authority. Anti-Christian perspectives are much more accessible. Young adults now have a more favorable perspective of Paris Hilton than they do of Billy Graham.

The central challenge for the church, particularly for young people, is to be in but not of the culture.

If you think about authority and the role of Scripture, it is really a question of revelation. Do we have God’s word speaking to us?

If you think about access, it is really a question about vocation. How does the Bible apply to your career and cultural setting?

If you think about alienation, it is really a question about presence. We need to be in people’s lives.

At Catalyst Dallas, Scot McKnight discussed dreams, parables, and loving our enemies.

What we do now is a glimpse of what we will do in the Kingdom. We are now just touching on what the Kingdom will be like.

I believe in dreams. I believe in imagination. They motivate us.

I believe in dreams, so did Jesus. Jesus called his dreams parables. Parables are meant to excite the imagination. They are portals into another world. Let’s look at Jesus’ parables as opportunities to be sucked into the world that Jesus wants us to see. They subvert our dreams like a good infection.

Read scripture aloud. It is meant to be heard.

Matthew 13
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Jesus talked about the significance of the insignificant. Jesus will subvert our forest because he wants us to focus on the little leaves that are insignificant now, but so important in the Kingdom.

Matthew 13
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Jesus imagined a world where his followers will give up everything to follow him. Jesus wants you and me to be willing to give up everything no matter what it means, no matter what it costs.

Jesus hung on a tree in total surrender. And he wants us to give ourselves in total surrender.

Matthew 13
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

Jesus calls us as Kingdom people to dwell with non-Kingdom people. We are called to peaceful coexistence. We are called to turn our enemies into neighbors.

We love to love others until we meet the others. We are called to dwell with enemies lovingly, not just tolerantly.

Who are your enemies? Who do you need to invite to dinner?

Four Enemies of Evangelicals That Must Be Loved

1. Muslims
2. Homosexuals
3. People with Political Differences
4. Homeless & Poor

And we are not doing well in making our enemies our neighbors, except maybe with the fourth one.

The tree of your life is fun to envision, isn’t it? Someday I’ll write that book! Someday I will introduce that new paradigm. But we are called to concentrate everyday on the leaf.

UPDATE: Do not use my coupon code. Use “LC” instead for your special discounted rate of $199 per person (regularly $319). It is good through March.

In a couple of months, Catalyst Conference is coming to Dallas, TX at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship for several days from May 11-13, 2011. I will be live blogging the sessions. If you are attending, let’s try to meetup during the event (leave a comment).

Main speakers include Andy Stanley, Donald Miller, Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons, Christine Caine, Matt Chandler, John Perkins, Gary Haugen, Craig Groeschel, Scott Belsky, Scotty Smiley, David Platt, and Scott Harrison. Musicians and performers include Michael Jr. Aaron Keyes, Gungor, Amena Brown, and Lecrae Moore.

If you have not registered yet, you can save an extra 15% by using the promo code: FOB
Use “LC” for your special discounted rate of $199 per person (regularly $319). It is good through March.

I hope to see you there.

During Catalyst Conference, Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) discussed generational tension.

We have a spiritual enemy that wants to divide us by denominations, so that we don’t work together. And I also have a hunch he wants to divide us generationally, so that we don’t work together.

When it comes to generations in the church, division is bad, but the tension can be good because we need each other.

I am able to do so much of what I do today because of the wisdom of those who have come before me.

TO THE OLDER GENERATION

Do not resent, fear, or judge the next generation of ministers but believe in them and invest in them. They are not the church of tomorrow. They are the church of today. They are different just like you were different.

One of the reasons the older generation finds it difficult to invest in the younger generation is because of insecurity. When you lead from insecurity, nothing works well.

Delegate authority not tasks. Tasks create followers. Authority creates leaders.

The younger generation wants authenticity and someone who believes in them.

If you are not dead, you are not done. Your age and experience is not a liability. It is an asset. Embrace the season you are in.

One of the greatest honors I can have at this age to to become as a spiritual dad to the younger generation.

Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me
- Psalm 71:18

TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION

You need those who have come before you.

Business leaders describe the younger generation as entitled. You have been protected and encouraged, so you feel very entitled.

You tend to overestimate what God wants to do through you in the short run. This disillusions you and then causes you to underestimate what God will do through you in the long run.

Because the younger generation feels entitled so much, it is a generation that does not show honor well. Andy Stanley says, “Honor publicly leads to influence privately.” If you want to lead up, show honor.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”
- Mark 6:4

One of the reason God is not doing more in churches today is because there is not a culture of honor. Jesus is not your homeboy. He is the King of Kings.

If you want to be over someone, learn to serve under people well. Honor values, respects, and highly esteems. Honor lifts up. Dishonor tears down.

There is a big difference between respect and honor. Respect is earned, but honor is given.

Some of you need to repent because you have dishonored those above you, and that dishonor is hindering you from being able to achieve what you need to do.

Be teachable.

You don’t need to have the same standard of living at age 25 as mom and dad. Don’t be entitled.

You are the most cause driven, mission minded generation in modern history. If you will come under authority and be teachable, you will be the greatest generation of our time.

God believes in you. You didn’t choose Him. He chose you.

Do not underestimate your future.

Give God glory by taking the the best of those who have come before us. Quit messing around in pride and arrogance and do something that glorifies the cause of Christ.

During Catalyst Conference, Perry Noble of NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC) discussed perseverance.

If you’ve followed God long enough, you have thought, “Should I be following you? Because I am not sure this is this place I should go.”

God often leads us to places we think we shouldn’t go but then later realize it is the best thing for us.

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord , the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
- 1 Kings 17: 1-7

God tells Elijah to go by the brook and He will feed him by bringing food via birds. So Elijah did what the Lord told him (best ministry advice: do what God tells you). But then in verse 7, the brook dries up.

Elijah thought that brook was his supply. But God brought Elijah by the brook to learn that you don’t depend on brooks or big donors. You depend on God alone.

Have you ever been to a place where the brook was dry. God did not bring Elijah to the brook to punish him. God brought Elijah to the brook to prepare him for something bigger in 1 Kings 18 when Elijah is on top of a mountain calling fire down from heaven. Don’t give up when you are by the brook.

More time on your face and less time on Facebook will help your church.

The greatest thing that has ever happened in our ministry is unexplainable. And if it is explainable then God didn’t do it.

Don’t run from the brook. You are a follower of Jesus, and Jesus is not a quitter.

Don’t you dare give up on a God that has never given up on you.

During Catalyst Conference, Francis Chan discussed following Biblical simplicity.

This is what the Lord  says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord , have spoken!
- Jeremiah 9:23-24

You should brag about the fact that you know God.

God answers prayer. But he doesn’t always answer prayer. The Bible says if you treat your wife with disrespect, He doesn’t hear your prayer. If you doubt, it is like you are being tossed by the waves of the sea.

A lot of times we just assume things are good. But there are plenty of times that God says, “Just stop it because I am looking at your life.”

Sometimes we need simplicity.

I know God, and He listens to me.

Think about that.

Is it weird to go about ministry and life and say God will take care of it? The world thinks it is.

The church looks back and is embarrassed about the Crusades and about encouraging slavery, but what will future generations look back on and think is weird about the way we do church?

What are we doing that is weird? If you read the Bible, would it be weird if it said the early church goers switched churches because of a better speaker or a better worship service or service times or whatever?

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sisters in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
- 1 John 3:16-18

It looks to me like we should lay down our lives for other people just like Jesus did. It seems like it is normal to sacrifice.

Then they will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, `I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
- Matthew 25:44-46

“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.
- Luke 12:33

And you don’t need to break that down in the Greek.

Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
- Luke 14:13-14

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
- Romans 12:13

Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
- Psalm 37:25-26

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord — and he will repay you!
- Proverbs 19:17

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.
- Proverbs 28:27

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.
- Proverbs 21:13

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
-  James 1:27

All I know is that the more I pursue that, the better it is.

During Catalyst Conference, Beth Moore of Living Proof Ministries discussed insecurity.

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord  is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
- Proverbs 23:21-26

Insecurity is inordinate self-consciousness. It is just as prideful and self-centered as just the opposite. Insecurity is focusing on yourself.

Our culture preys on our insecurity. Technology allows for instant scrutiny.

If pride is the graveyard for good leaders, then insecurity is the psych ward. If we don’t deal with insecurity, it can turn us into full blown narcissists (i.e., obsessed with ourselves and unaware of others).

The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate. Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web.
- Job 8:13-14

When we forget God and rely on ourselves, it is about as secure as a spider’s web.

We better know who we are. We better know who we are not. We better know how we want this thing to turn out and point it in the right direction.

The question today is not, “Do you have what it takes to start?” but “Do you have what it takes to stay?”

During Catalyst Conference, Seth Godin discussed resisting compliance.

The masses couldn’t know what time it was until 200 years ago. We didn’t get time zones until 150 years ago.

Our economy drives our culture. When the Roman empire showed up, it demanded a different way of living. The economy changes the way we see things.

School was created by Andrew Carnegie and other industrialists to train kids to do what we want. Doing what you are told was invented to feed the factory system. Our systems have been built to run on interchangeable people that can be replaced.

Do you know why the factory wants you to fit in? So they can ignore you.

The fact is that in the world of Google, competence is no longer a commodity. When based on competency, I can always find someone to do your job cheaper.

The problem with factories is they will die because they are racing to the bottom. Stores are racing towards the lowest price. Churches are racing towards the nearest building. But often there is someone cheaper or closer.

What we can count on now is because we are more connected than ever before… because we can make more than ever before… all that is left is doing work that matters. So what is left is:

1. Are you going to be more obedient than everyone else?
2. Are you going to be more graceful than everyone else? (that is doing work that matters)

What we have created at work, at school, at church is a mindset that we must be more compliant than everyone else. But reality is we need to be more connected. Because in a world where people have choices, people will leave if they don’t want to do something.

The more change we can make, the more likely the tribe will join us. If you were gone, would people miss you?

Change is made by individuals who stop seeking deniability (proof it wasn’t your fault). Change is made by people who can accept responsibility.

When we think about what art is, is it really important that we prove we are better than everyone, or is it more important to just be on the winning side?