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RoyGLRetrSep2010dMaybe it is part mid-life crisis and part empty nest but I have been under a sense of deep conviction in recent weeks. The only way I know to say it is, ” I am aware that I will answer to God for what he has given me.

Am I being a faithful steward?

Where is the balance between ego driven marketing of one’s “products & services” and humbly letting people know of the assignment I sense God has given to me?

I am not sure I manage this tension well.  But I have been spending time with God seeking to get my motives right and to hear in a fresh way His assignment for me.  HERE IS MY LATEST VERSION OF MY CALLING STATEMENT

My contribution:
I assist and encourage Christ followers, and especially ministry leaders, to live vibrantly and effectively for the long haul.

HOW do I invest in this contribution: 3 PRIMARY WAYS - 

  • TEACHING is a grace gift entrusted by Jesus Spirit to me so I may contribute to Christ followers being transformed by his grace and truth.
  • COACHING is a set of skills I employ to help people get clarity and make progress in facilitating change.
  • WRITING is a discipline to grow me as a communicator and a means for sowing in other hearts what God has made alive and fruitful in me.

BEING A MAN WITH A LIFESTYLE OF:

  • TURNING to God in faith
  • REJOICING  in my Lord in hope
  • and loving God and others through HONORING and GIVING

One of the places I come alive is when I am sitting with leaders over coffee or tea!

This document overviews my ministry and should answer most questions a leader or group might have if they are seeing how I might contribute
(Click to Download)

Robertson McQuilkin has two new small group studies that are some of his best writing yet!
Living the Life 1: God’s Standard For Christian Living
Living the Life 2: God’s Provision For Christian Living


Go on a eye opening journey over 6 weeks through the 10 Commandments and how they summarize in our daily life how God defines loving Him with our whole heart and loving others as our self.

In Living the Life 2 be caught up in a fresh experience of your love life with Jesus through the inside partner, the Holy Spirit.

Each week study is divided up into five daily studies. At the end of each week are questions to guide a small group discussion.

These studies are the core of the most valuable seminary course I received from Robertson in 1980. They are now filled with authentic personal illustrations, challenging questions that get all the way to our heart motives, and eye opening insight into the Bible.

Do Not miss these! Roy King www.royking.org

Order today by calling 800.458.2772 or online at www.lifeway.com or at a local LifeWay Christian Store.

A study was done of American Pastors asking them to list the top issues or problems facing the church today. Every black pastor placed racial reconciliation near the top of their list. None of the white pastors even put it on their list. When I start sharing about what God is teaching me about reconciliation my fellow white Christians sometimes say, “Why are you living in the past?” “Civil Rights was fixed in the 60s.” The majority ethnic group in America (for just a few more years) just cannot seem to enter into the shoes of an African American brother or sister in Christ and even begin to see America through their eyes.

Pastor John Piper’s new book BLOODLINES: RACE, CROSS AND THE CHRISTIAN has been the study of our Wednesday 7 AM at Bojangle’s group of 2 white guys and 2 black guys for several months. We have laughed together, “Amened” (is that a word) together, and teared up together. God is doing some special stuff in our hearts.

Ask Jesus to give you eyes to see and ears to hear and then read this book.

To Buy BLOODLINES in book or Kindle Click Here

This summer I started putting together messages to capture the lessons God has been teaching me over the past year. Click below to download a note taking outline for the three messages. The audio from the chapel talks at Columbia International University www.ciu.edu are also provided here. Please give me your feedback as I continue to refine and add other messages to this series.

Click Here for Note Taking Outline for the Three Messages

Message 1 – A lifestyle of Turning To

Message 2 – A lifestyle of Rejoicing & Thanking

Message 3 – A lifestyle of Honoring & Giving

This was my first time preaching in a church since my medical experience of November. It was delivered at Sandhills Community Church www.sandhillschurch.org where Pandora and I worship with Christ followers. Sandhills is a modern style, ethnically diverse congregation in North East Columbia, SC.

Wed Feb 8 – I am in the middle of my second week of working full time again. My schedule is about 40 hours a week for CIU and 16 hours of therapy and exercises spread over (Mon – Sat). I told Pandora yesterday that I felt very busy and was very tired by 8 PM each day but recovered well overnight and the pace seems sustainable. What is missing is my travel… Normal for several years has been at least 2 trips a month usually 3 to 4 days each and often over weekends. Add to that one or two International trips of 2+ weeks each and you add in quite a bit of planning travel, preparing messages and training, Skype and Phone calls to get to know the church, ministry or leader I was coaching, and it added several hours to every week. For 2012, because of blood clots and thinners to deal with them my travel is very limited. I have not been out of Columbia since the end of October — a record for nights home for the past 15 years.

But God surely knows what is good… because right now the work at CIU and therapy seems a full plate. HERE IS HOW YOU CAN PRAY FOR ME OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS!
Thurs Feb 23 – Speak in CIU chapel www.ciu.edu – Title – WHISPERS OF THE SPIRIT IN THE I.C.U. (10:50 to 11:40) open to everyone!
Sunday Feb 26 – Preach both services at Sandhills Community Church www.sandhillschurch.org (services: 9 and 10:45 AM) Title – LIVING THE LIFE GOD INTENDED FOR US! Both will be recorded and the audio will be available a few days after I speak for free download.

I continue to get calls or people coming by who have just heard that I had a serious medical stop out and they had missed it. They are very apologetic and want to know what has happened. So — here is my word to those folks AND just below you will find links in chronological order to the posts that will catch you up.

FIRST — let go of any guilt or disappointment that you missed out on this chapter of my journey. It is a very busy world and we all are living in our own story with the Father, Son and Spirit. We can simply not absorb everyone’s story that we may know or have served with at some point. My family and I were MORE than well cared for by God’s church. I am thankful there are ripples of some influence that have been granted by God’s grace to flow out through students, alumni and churches I have been privileged to give to of what God has given to me. But I don’t expect everyone to keep up with my rather fast changing complicated scene that the Father assigned to me. SO — relax..chill…and be blessed!

Here is the journey that started November 4 and will probably continue to influence my time and energy for most of 2012 — as predicted by my care providers.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three (includes a pdf you can download of Scripture that has encouraged me)
Part Four (includes a devotional by Henri Nouwen)
Part Five (I received more comments and calls from this post than any I have made in the past year!)
Part Six (includes two photos taken by my son during my time in ICU)

I welcome any comments and advise!

Published in 2003 by IVP New Studies in Biblical Theology (series editor D.A. Carson)

This book explores a tension between blacks and whites in American in their perception of race problems. Dr. Isaac Mwase, a Black professor and pastor says the race problem is THE most important issue facing the Church today. In contrast Daniel summarizes the view of race by most white evangelicals (of which I am one) as 1) Still entrenched in inherited racism and only interested in the Bible if it reinforces their prejudiced views. 2) Many people assume the Bible simply does not speak to the race issue or 3) Many other whites are simply indifferent to the problem assuming the status quo is acceptable and the Bible supports their current practices. I was probably between descriptions two and three just 10 years ago. Reading this book is another step in seeking to bring racial issues under the authority of Scripture. I am seeking to answer the question, “How should a white man in the early 21st century express being a Christ follower?” Daniel Hays research helped me in my journey.

He confirms some things I had suspected in going back through Bible commentaries and surveys (written by white authors) that I had studied over the past 40 years..there were not only blind spots there was poor scholarship and errors being perpetuated. He also challenged me to read the Scripture with a more accurate perception of race and ethnic diversity that I had for the most part read over. His book follows a biblical flow with chapters covering sections of the Old Testament and then the New — ending with God’s vision of the kingdom found in John’s Revelation.

In his FINAL THOUGHTS he captures well what is becoming a frequent theme in my prayers:
“Most of us know the theological truth of racial equality, yet we waver and remain tentative. . . we still have strong ties to the old ways of our culture and we are reluctant to venture out in trust into new sociological areas, where all races are equal in practice and not just in theory. . . My hope lies in the next generation of Christians, aptly called ‘Generation X’. . . I am optimistic that they can sever the ties with the ‘old man’ from our culture and make some real progress toward the vision of Christian unity that the Scriptures present. . . What it needs is leadership: pastors, teachers, parents, and peers; people who will teach, challenge, rebuke, encourage, dream and weep until the church actualizes the unity that lies on the heart of our Lord.”

WILL YOU AND I BE SOME OF THOSE LEADERS?

CLICK HERE TO BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON

Medical Update as of Jan 23, 2012

rking —  January 24, 2012 — 3 Comments
Monday Jan 23 marked exactly 2 months since I came home from the hospital.  

Here a couple of photos from my time there.  
One is me on the ventilator and the other is first evening out of ICU and in a chair with my son Mark helping me with my breathing therapy.

On Jan 23 – my allergist said all tests have been negative and there is no need to follow-up.  I am to stay away from Benicar and all ACE inhibitors and ARB medications.

I have set some goals you can join me in prayer for:
Going to the beach in mid-Feb for a weekend.  (First time out of town)
Going on a backpacking trip with Mark and some guys in April.
Increasing to a full-time employee w/ CIU in February
Doing my therapy exercises 6x a week (75 minutes each) and 3x week cardio (at least 30 minutes)

My granddaughter and I would like to suggest you make Reggie’s new book MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES a read for this coming year.

BIG IDEA: From page 13 “A post-congreational culture requires a strategy of engaging people right where they already live, work, play, go to school, and pursue their hobbies and passions. It’s incarnational. It lets them live more intentionally, learning to love God and their neighbors more, making a contribution to their community, all with people they know and are known by. This is the recipe for a new church life form — missional communities.”

ONE FAVORITE QUOTE: What is the missional concept of church? From page 17 “the people of God partnering with him in his redemptive mission in the world.” He then goes on to unpack each phrase.

The majority of the book looks at various missional communities around the world in a case study style. 1) European missional communities, 2) Soma communities (primarily in NW USA but spreading, 3) UT Austin campus, 4) Future Travelers Cohort (two communities were the focus: Austin Stone Church, Austin Tx, and Community Christian Church Naperville, IL), 5) Mission Huston.

RELATED RESOURCES:
Leadership Network www.leadnet.org

OneHundredX (a global ministry with initiatives around the world www.100x.org

For Britain and missional communities check out FRESH EXPRESSIONS by Church of England and Methodists in cooperation

For churches networking to work at being missional communities see THE EXPONENTIAL NETWORK and NEW THING NETWORK

TO PURCHASE MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES FROM AMAZ0N CLICK HERE!

I continue in the medical journey you can find in earlier posts.  It seems my week's schedule is filled with doctor visits, therapy sessions, exercises at home and exercises at the gym.  And last week and this week I started adding in office time at CIU.  I worked about five hours a day for two days each week.  I plan to continue that pattern for the remainder of January.

I have been challenged by this quote.  WHAT IF YOU ONLY HAD TODAY WHAT YOU GAVE THANKS FOR YESTERDAY!
HERE ARE SOME OF WHAT I LIFT UP IN THANKS.

  I AM THANKFUL FOR BEING ABLE TO GO TO APPOINTMENTS; INCLUDING MY EXERCISE TIMES.  IT REMINDS ME OF WHAT A GIFT IT IS TO HAVE A BODY IN MOTION!
  I love moist heating pads and extra pillows.
  I love cream of wheat and oatmeal.
  I love the new salt substitute.
  I love a good cup of Dunkin Doughnuts coffee that I can brew at home!
  I love blue sky and bare tree limbs I see as I lay on the floor exercising in our sun room
  I love all of the chances to witness to the love, mercy and grace of Jesus that a walking stick and moving slower open up.
  I am rediscovering how much I love music.  I am enjoying Aaron Copeland's APPALACHIAN SPRING as I write this update.
  I am loving using a digital Bible and Note taking Apps on my phone and Kindle Fire (both recent gifts) to capture what God is teaching me.
  I love feeding our two dogs and laughing at how glad they are for my attention.  (God, is my tail wagging for you?)

  Today I am enjoying working on the first sermon outline since this medical experience started Nov 4.(And yes it is being done in Evernote)

   I am enjoying learning to lay down on the sofa and close my eyes for 15 minutes and just rest… while my mind runs through prayers and praises.
   I am thankful for blood thinners and dorky compression stockings ( I mean socks!) to protect me from blood clots.
   I am thankful for sweat, being thirsty and wanting to eat.
   I am overjoyed with a wife, daughter, son, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter who bring me gifts of love, laughter and a sense of God's goodness.

Speaking of my granddaughter — some of my deep joy has been holding her, giving her a bottle,having her look me in the eyes, put up with me singing softly, and watch her go off to sleep for her nap.  O that I could throw myself into the arms of God continually aware of his nourishing, tender, protective heart — giving me a safe place nothing, or no one can touch.

A moment I will treasure -  My first lunch back at CIU all of the faculty and staff and several students who know me applauded as I walked in and across the room.  It was somewhat embarrassing, very humbling, and hard to hold back tears.I pray it was one way God was getting thanked and praised for the healing mercy he has shown me.  (I think Larry & Jane Huss started it!!!)  Rob McDole was my lunch partner and he leaned over and whispered, "I don't think they are clapping for me."

People who know what I have been through, and seeing me for the first time in several weeks, often comment that I look very good; 'almost normal', or 'better than they expected me to look'.  I know what they mean and give God the glory for the renewed strength.  Living inside this body — I tend to see how much further I still need to go.  I guess I need both views — You are looking good…AND… Keep showing up every morning and putting extra effort in the exercises and pushing with the therapy.  That is just like most aspects of my life… Because of God's grace and redeeming truth I am surely not what I was  AND with him going with me as I give full intention to showing up with what I have to contribute — we take the next step.

God has made us to receive and then give LOVE.  Yet to love you have to possess something to give.  You have to have a way to contribute, offer up, make your vow count — and He gives us words (like the ones I am attempting to arrange on this screen) and everything else we possess SO THAT we can choose to GIVE/LOVE!  

What has God given to you today so that you can make love gifts to Him and those he brings across your path and into your thoughts?