True Riches: What the Poor Can Teach the Church About Real Wealth

What does “being poor” really mean? Who really has “true” riches?
We know Jesus addressed these questions in the Scriptures and we know the Church today is challenged with varying definitions of these terms. The way we, and by we I mean the Church, view true wealth or true poverty has a direct and vital impact on the way we approach impacting and developing the communities where are churches are based. In my opinion, if we miss this, we miss the true heartbeat of what it really means to restore people to who God originally designed them to be, what it means to be the Church. In my opinion, we can’t afford to miss this at all.

I was reminded of this when I met a homeless guy in Fort Worth named Michael. In the 30 seconds I spent with my new friend, his sheer presence shook me to the core and I felt like I had just talked with God. Above is Michael’s picture and below is a quick video capturing a tiny glimpse of who he really is. He gave me permission to take his picture and share his images and the this 9 second video.

I was only with him for a moment, but I was deeply moved by Michael’s deep sense of a joy that was so obviously rooted in his eternal assurance and earthly sense of spiritual identity. He may have been physically hungry, physically poor and currently homeless (so I gave some sunflower seeds to eat and a couple of bucks), but every breath he breathed and each word he spoke showed me that he was likely more spiritually rich than I will ever be. By that I mean that I could tell initially that he knew Jesus, which was indicated by his sign. When he walked up to me, his relationship with Christ was quickly validated by his radiant presence and the way he carried himself. His sun-scorched smile may have just as well been the smile of Jesus, and I felt like I had encountered the very presence of God, dressed in sweat-stained clothes and a body that had been through it all.

I realize that my story may sound fabricated, like when a movie that you see is pretty average and later you tell people that it changed your life, or when a pastor that you don’t trust tells a story that you can’t believe. Nonetheless, this 30 second encounter rocked my world to the core. It validated something I’ve been thinking about in regards to true riches and true wealth. It reminded me how those who are experiencing physical poverty, yet are spiritually wealthy beyond belief have much to teach the rest of us about true riches. Perhaps God was trying to show us to look around and help those in need with what we have, and to acknowledge that those we are helping have much to give in return. Maybe he was trying to teach us to lead our churches to places and people that can give us more than we can ever give them- the real meaning of true riches.

So what are your thoughts? Why do you think we get true wealth so mixed up? What can or should the church do to acknowledge what the “poor” have to teach those of us who are so “rich” in this world?

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.

Re-post: We hear a lot of talk in our culture about the Church being irrelevant today. A modern society of yesterday with the Church and its values at the center has evolved. We now live in a postmodern society with the Church placed (in the eyes of the world) in a different position in society. I posted a question recently asking the following: “Why is the Church still relevant to the world?” There are many great responses below. My favorite was this one from Suzie Wood on Twitter:

eizusdoow The church is relevant when meeting needs. Here is a modern day relevant thought: when we think church, we think large institution all over the world. But, the Bible teaches us that individuals make up the body, the church. When, I, as an individual, bring food to a family in need, then since I am so relevant to that person, and I do this in the name of Christ, in turn, the church becomes relevant.

Love it.  The Church is relevant when the Church lets down its walls and helps the world in the name of Jesus, both collectively and individually. God remains the same and we, the Church, adjust to the ebbs and flows of culture and our methods shift (When Church and Culture Collide).  Our message stays the same- hope for a broken world.  Here are 20 Reasons the Church is Still Relevant:

iElisabeth The church is the light/example in a dark world. If the CHURCH cant live like Christ then why would the unsaved follow God?
CrankyToddler The Church is charged with serving the world. For some, that’s the first glimpse they get of God.
duane_scott there is no such thing as an invisible church. Every Christian is visible, thus the church is visible.
jvance325 Because we are the ones that God loves through. We are His hands!
webmonkeydc Its focus is outward & upward while the world’s focus is inward.
dprince2345 because We(The Church) aren’t relevant to the Christ.
revcoldfire the church done right transforms it.
padreallenp Because Jesus is the same yesterday, today & forever!
kellyclinger most of them aren’t relevant at all (I invited Kelly to check out mine)
markbahr she is the bride of Christ.
dustinuga broken people need broken people.  congrats on tweet #5000 btw
Rodney Thompson I would answer that by asking if there is still sin in the world? Yes. Is sin still destroying lives? Yes. Is there an answer for dealing with sin aside from the gospel? No.
Shelley R. Smith the church IS the world;therefore relevancy is inherent.
Greg Melton It should be Jesus in action.
Douglas Lee Families and lives are being changed!
Paige Thomas DeHart There has to be some true standard of measurement – true white as Pastor Craig called it – or there would be nothing but relativetruth.
eizusdoow The church is relevant when meeting needs. Here is a modern day relevant thought: when we think church, we think large institution all over the world. But, the Bible teaches us that individuals make up the body, the church. When, I, as an individual, bring food to a family in need, then since I am so relevant to that person, and I do this in the name of Christ, in turn, the church becomes relevant.

What about you?  Do you believe the Church is still relevant?  Why or why not?  You have permission to be honest!  We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Here at TheWayItCouldBe.com, we like to throw out a t-shirt image from time to time and hear your response. Here is last month’s shirt. Here is a picture of a t-shirt add for Dallas Maverick’s Dirk Nowitzki. So… Heresy or Hilarity??

In case you aren’t a Mavs fan, here is the real life Dirk…

Ok, your vote. Heresy or Hilarity on the t-shirt?? Offensive or not? Ready, set, vote!

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.

We all get lulled into what I call “easy chair” living. Little risk. Lots of blending in. Safe living.  When I was a home builder, I took BIG risks and reaped both reward and loss. What about you? Do you struggle with going for it, pursuing that dream of yours? If so, here are

4 Reasons You Should Take a Risk Today:

1. You should take risks because life is short. You have one life. One shot. You can’t crawl back into diapers and start over. We have one life here on earth. Life Is short. Don’t wait.  Take a risk today!

2. You should take risks because you can’t steal second with your foot on first base. You’ve heard the saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Significant gain requires significant risk. Go for it.  Win big.  Take a risk today!

3. You should take risks because doing so will help you overcome your fears. Once you jump out of your comfort zone, you may find out that your comfort zone was overrated! You may find that you were afraid of something or someone that truly deserves no fear in the end.  Overcome your fears.  Take a risk today!

4. You should take risks because often times it just the right thing to do. We weren’t created for “easy chair” living!  Stepping out and helping that stranger is the right thing to do.  Reaching out to that friend or family member is the right thing to do.  Sacrificing something for someone that means a lot to you is the right thing to do.  Take a risk today!

Why is it so easy for us to get lulled into “easy chair” living?  Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.

Sometimes I go to McDonald’s. Not because I really want to. Only because it makes the most sense at the moment and it won’t kill me, at least immediately. There is one by my house and by default I’ll go there sometimes with my little girl. She calls it Old McDonald’s and sings the song.

When the box of whatever comes out, I pretty much know exactly what it is going to be. I could drive across the ocean to China and order the same thing and it would likely look and taste the same. I think McDonald’s thinks it is a lot safer this way, a lot safer than surprising people all the time.

I put God in this place from time to time. I create a box for him with my preferences and my order of things. My limited experience and my limited brain and my limited imagination all contribute to this tiny little view of God, based on what I’ve seen before.

Sometimes, I deal with a pain from the past, and so I make God into a box that looks through that pain and hurt. By that I mean that I could easily blame him for what people have done and actually create a god in my head that hurts people. I think some people have this god in their head too.

Other times, I wish for things and don’t get them exactly the way I want, and so I make God into a box that is like Santa Clause. By that I mean that I ask him for stuff like at Christmas time and then get sad when the pony turns out to be a book with pictures. I create a god in my head that grants wishes like a genie or doesn’t grant wishes like a cantankerous genie who isn’t cooperating the way I would hope.

And sometimes my god in a box is like a mediocre, cold hamburger. My expectations can be low, and honestly when I don’t want to contribute or participate much in spiritual things, invariably my god lives up to the low expectations I place around him. By this I mean that I am not willing to change much or do anything I am not comfortable doing, therefore the resulting god I create has to work within the confines of my lame attitude and such. This is my lazy, cold hamburger god.

I also have the god in a box that can only work in certain situations, locations, with certain people, and only in ways I can understand or explain, which is pretty sad considering how not smart I am and small my little part of the world is. I see a lot of these types of gods around too.

What is your god in a box? How do you think this is different from the real God? Love to hear your thoughts…

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We all know someone that will suck the wind right out of our
sails…even on the perfect day for sailing! If you don’t know someone like this, go look in the mirror, it may be you!  Negative Nancy’s show up everywhere we go. Here are a few scenarios in How to Spot a Negative Nancy:

In General- Negative Nancy always brings up the one negative thing when their were a dozen positive things. Nancy’s half empty glass will usually dump itself out on you and leave the whole party wet (Leadership Ain’t Always Sexy)!

In Social Media- Negative Nancy isn’t a contributor to others.  Instead, Nancy’s words are like the scratch on your favorite record, killing that sweet music!

In Leadership- Negative Nancy brings distraction when vision is what is truly needed. Nancy is always focused on the wrong things and rarely focused on the right things. Leadership Ain’t A Title!

In Relationships- Negative Nancy typically bad mouths other people or gripes about things that are annoying. The basis of Nancy’s relationships is simply the critique of others. This is the mask Nancy wears.

Internally- Negative Nancy’s actions are largely rooted in personal insecurities. Being the “buzz kill” is Nancy’s way of looking outward to fill the inner void that is an eventual black hole.

Negative Nancy always brings negative feedback and sometimes brings positive, vision-oriented feedback. The one thing you can depend on from Nancy is a consistent negative drain.

In response- Seriously, don’t be a Negative Nancy! The power of positive affirmation can’t be overlooked!  Rewarding desired behaviors causes others to want to reproduce that same behavior. Focusing strictly on the negatives will do nothing for encouraging desired outcomes for those in your circle of influence.  Don’t forget The Power of the A-Word.

Do you know a Negative Nancy? How do you deal with this type of person? Do you ever find yourself caught up in the negative? Why do you think you have this tendency? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

A reader recently asked me how to avoid sounding too ego-centric online through writing.  Great question!  I certainly don’t have all the answers (an important attitude to remember with your readers), but I do have some thoughts that can be applied to a variety of social media settings like Facebook, Twitter and blogs like this one.  Hope you enjoy 5 Ways to Avoid Being An Online Know-it-all:

Great questions!  I certainly don’t have all the answers (an important attitude to remember with your readers), but I do have some thoughts:

1. Don’t claim to have all the answers. You can do this with language (ex. Saying things like, “While I don’t have all the answers, here are a few thoughts…”)

2. Encourage participation from readers and feedback. This is your way of saying, “I don’t own the market on this topic, but am simply a part of a larger conversation.”

3. Balance confidence with humility. This is easier said than done. Writers have to write with confidence. Otherwise, you can come across as insecure about what you are saying. Humility, however, says, “I am confidence, but not perfect. I think this balance is an art more than it is a science, leading me to another tip….

4. Be you. Don’t try to be someone you are not. Just be you. If you are educated or experienced in an area, share what you know. People sniff out posers.

5. Lastly, mix in posts about your mistakes, what you are learning, what you are thinking. Even the word “learning” indicates that you didn’t know it all to begin with.

Bonus…. Ask yourself the question, what value am I adding to my readers’ life? Unless you are a celebrity that people will follow regardless of authorial content, you have to earn your way into trust and authority with them by adding value to their lives.

How else can we avoid being an Online Know-it-all? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments…

Does it make you mad when someone hands you something like this? What are your thoughts? Thanks to Adam Smith for sharing the video.

Personally, its pretty annoying to me. Nonetheless, a small part of me respects the person for getting off their couch and doing something with their faith, even if I don’t agree with their approach. How about you? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments…

I’ve loved spending time lately with some friends that aren’t Christians. HERE is what I am learning. Love for you to check it out and share your thoughts.

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.

Hell. Is it real? What do we do with what the Bible says about the reality of Hell? Francis Chan reflects on the dangers of claiming to be experts on God. He talks about how careful we should be when talking about real people as they contemplate eternity. Check it out…

One quote made me think a lot- “Have you considered the possibility that maybe the Creator’s sense of judgment is actually more developed than yours, that maybe his love and his mercy are perfect and that you are the one that is flawed?” – Chan Thoughts?

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.

Collision (This is a re-post from January 2010 that has had a great response…)- when two or more bodies come together, “the collision of the particles resulted in an exchange of energy and a change…” When Church and culture collide, energy is exchanged, walls are broken down and a change occurs. In this case, local cultures are changed because of a group of people’s willingness to be used for good. Church becomes the people, not the building, and a significant change is made.

So Church and culture collide: culture is met on culture’s terms and the love of Christ is shown in the midst of hurt, deception, injustice and pain.  Here are a few ways the LifeChurch.tv Fort Worth campus has collided with culture, followed by a list of ways LifeChurch.tv has collided with Culture around the world.

Collision in Fort Worth (through LifeChurch.tv volunteers, not staff)
200 coats were given for local refugee families through World Relief.
40-50 different volunteers worked w/ Neighborhood Needs to help serve 25,000 families food.
300 families donated over $6,000 worth of basic need items for neighborhood families.
Over 25 volunteers helped 50 people identify health goals & provided walking & running groups, accountability groups, Taebo & aerobics classes for the entire community.
Partnered with 3 hospitals, 3 government agencies and signed families up for health & dental care for their kids (that otherwise wouldn’t have it).
Small groups moved 2 struggling single moms in need with trucks and trailers.
Witnessed over 600 people give their life to Jesus in 2009 (went through 4 Baptism pools).
Helped dozens of struggling families with food or clothing during the holiday season.
Partnered w/ FWISD & 15 teachers to train volunteers for mentoring at risk kids & parents.
Developed 25 volunteers to mentor kids & parents, w/ 400 volunteer hours logged to date.
Developed a team of 12 volunteers to connect with new believers and visitors.
Released over 20 new small group leaders to help build biblical community in the area.
Released 2 nurses and health professionals to make crisis calls and hospital visits.
Put on Financial Peace classes to help 40 people overcome debt.
Offered leadership courses to help over 35 people in their families and workplace.
Mobilized a team of 12 local volunteers to facilitate a global church experience through Church Online.
Released a volunteer to serve as the Church Online LifeGroup support for leaders worldwide.
Took a local prison support ministry online to reach those affected by prison worldwide.
Released hundreds of individuals into the community to make an impact in their families, neighborhoods and workplace.

Collision Around the World Through LifeChurch.tv
Launched LifeKids.tv, increasing visibility of spiritual conversations between kids & parents.
Thousands of LifeKids.tv downloads weekly around the world.
Through YouVersion- 3.6 million users on cell phones.
In Jan 2010, 120,000 Bible reading plans downloaded.
Coming up on 2 Billion minutes of reading Scripture through YouVersion mobile.
Church Online added 31 new worship experiences in 2009.
1 million unique users at Church Online in 2009. 8611 Recorded salvations.
1600 New believer Bibles mailed to 49 different countries around the world.
Biggest audience for Church Online became India.
$135k was donated for Haiti in one weekend.
500k was given to Digital missions to reach people around the world.
In 2009, added 60 network churches, for a total of 96 churches using free messages weekly.
In 2010, network church attendance will likely surpass LifeChurch.tv campus attendence.
Through Open- 35,000 churches downloaded materials in 2009.
Global Translation for messages beginning because of new production studio.
1600 churches started in the last 2 years because of the One Prayer initiative.

What role can you play this year?  What could happen if your church collided with culture? What would happen if you allowed God to use you in simple, yet tangible ways to transform lives in your corner of the world?