My friend Pastor Steven Furtick wrote an insightful post that I wanted to pass along…

Masquerading Insecurity
March 3rd, 2009

In Mark 9:28, the disciples tried to cast out a demon.  They were unsuccessful, and thoroughly humiliated.

In Mark 9:38, the disciples came to Jesus tattle-tale-ing about a man who was apparently successfully driving out demons.
He was doing good things.  But he wasn’t doing it their way.
This guy wasn’t one of them.
Jesus was quick to correct: Whoever is not against us is for us.

Were the disciples really concerned about correct orthodoxy?
Or were they just jealous because this guy was producing results they were unable to achieve?

Usually, when someone is successfully doing what we’ve unsuccessfully attempted to do, we medicate our failure by complaining to God and others about how they’re not doing it right.
And we sincerely believe our motives are pure.  Usually they aren’t.

“Yeah, that church is growing, but what are they doing about discipleship?”
Often a pastor who makes this subversive snide remark about another church isn’t motivated by a pure desire for discipleship.   There’s a good chance he’s envious of the numerical gains that seem to elude him year after year.

When a mom critiques another mom, it’s often a reflection of her own frustration with her parenting abilities.

When you find yourself spending more time critiquing the methods and motivations of someone who’s doing a good work for God, check yourself.

You might be masquerading your own insecurity.

Someone once said, “When we work, we work.  When we pray, God works.”

Please continue to pray for Eliana. Basically, the way I understand it, one of her lungs has collapsed.  She has had a long road in her short life. Please pray for new strength and peace and rest today for her parents, Chad and Leah.

Over the last several weeks we have had some great communicators at Northway Church. I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you and introduce you to these difference makers for Jesus Christ.

Brian Howe: It’s been an honor to watch Brian grow over the past 5 years into the leader he is today. Brian is our Colonie Campus Pastor and our Global Programming Director. Brian brought a fantastic message on “The Lord Is My Shepherd.”

Mark Batterson: This guy probably needs no introduction; he is as networked as they come.  But in case your living under a rock here, Mark is a Leader, Pastor, Author and Entrepreneur. I’m proud to call Mark my friend!  I am loving his book “Wild Goose Chase.”  If you haven’t picked it up, it’s a must read. I will have Mark on Cremeans Couch very soon…it promises to be very entertaining.

Chad Clem: Chad has been with me since the start of Northway Church. I would have to say Chad has grown more in the past year than any other year. Chad brought one of the most courageous messages I have ever heard on “Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer.” Chad shared how God is healing him as he and his wife await the birth of their third child. Eliana will need heart surgery as soon as she is born. Please pray with me for Eliana’s complete healing. Eliana means “God has Answered.”

John Cremeans: John is a Northway favorite, and he just so happens to be my big bro! John has taught me more about transparency in my relationship with God than any other person. One of the greatest blessings of my life is having John as my brother. I still can’t get over the fact that God chose both of us to Pastor…it’s just the best! John brought a great message on “God our Peace.”

Tim Chambers: Tim is another Northway Favorite. If it wasn’t for Tim, I wouldn’t be in ministry. In other words, there would be no Northway Church. Years ago when I was as far from God as you could be, Tim reached out and befriended me and invited me to camp. The rest is history. Today, Tim pastors Shore Fellowship in Ocean City, New Jersey. Tim’s church has recently been featured in the book, “Pop Goes the Church,” and also in Outreach Magazine for their skate park.

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Jordan Howell is a former student of mine from youth ministry years ago.  He now serves his country proudly in our armed forces over in Iraq.  He sent me this incredible email today…

First off, please let me thank you for the prayers and support your church has given me and the Soldiers of my unit. But this is not the point of writing this email.

I wanted to tell you that I found a service I really enjoy attending, and have been attending for a while. I do believe however that God kept me from finding service right off the bat for a reason.

You sent me your video series when I first got here b/c I could not find a service I enjoyed. Now that I have that, I have given the video series to the Army Chaplain who in turn is playing them to the international service which includes all the local national Iraqis that are allowed on our FOB, Turkish, Phillipino, Indian, and other nationalities that work for KBR.

Northway is (if it hasn’t been already) an international ministry; and you became that way, just by trying to help a Soldier out. Thank you again for your prayers and please keep doing what your doing for God.

Debbie Cremeans

Red hair, pig tails and braces…I met Debbie when she was 16. She was unique! Debbie has the sweetest smile and the best laugh you have ever seen! If Debbie smiles real big, her one eye almost winks at you. I love that! We immediately hit it off, and sparks were flying. Then we parted ways when I went to college. (This is when the underscore of Babe I Love You comes on from Styx).

Fast forward 2 years, and we meet again at Liberty University. Yo! Mamma! This red hair and pig tails had blossomed into a beautiful babe-o-rama! We picked up right where we left off and developed a deep friendship. I didn’t have any money…so we would go the park and walk and talk…and talk and walk. It didn’t take me long to realize I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this woman. (This is where the underscore starts of Chicago’s You Are the Inspiration).
Fast forward almost 20 years, and I have had a ride with my bride of twists and turns, ups and downs. We have been blessed with 2 amazing children…and the church of our dreams, Northway Church. (Underscore of How Great is our God comes on…)

Debbie is the most unselfish person I know.

Debbie is the greatest unsung hero in our family and church.

Debbie is a work horse.

Debbie is a prayer machine.

Debbie has one of the biggest hearts of anyone you will ever meet.

Debbie loves Jesus passionately…she talks to Him more than anyone I know.

Debbie is a wife and a mother…and she is incredible. But she is so much MORE…check out this weekend and hear Confessions of a Pastors Wife. No, I didn’t just share these kind words so she would say kind words about me!

Leadership is lonely. I am frequently asked, “how do you have so many ministry friends?” The reality is that I didn’t have any a couple of years ago. I was so immersed in the work of starting a church that I didn’t think I had time. MAN was I wrong! Scripture tell us that a man that has friends must show himself as friendly. God is a relational God. We were made in His image as relational beings. In fact, the only thing in creation that God created that He said was not good…was for us to be alone.

Friends don’t just happen. Relationships are an accomplishment. God won’t drop one from the sky into your lap. You have to be intentional about friends. Think about it. God initiated the entire relationship with us before we ever gave him a second thought. I don’t know about you, but I have to continue to remind myself to slow down and realize the greatest gifts that God has given me in this life…are relationships. The greatest gift that he has given me is friends.

Who are you being intentional about developing a friendship with?

How are you being intentional about making new friends?

How can you become a better friend?

Enter Preston Mitchell. When I think of loyalty, I think of Preston. Preston has been in the trenches with Ed Young for a while…I think 12 years. He has even seen his close friends turn on Ed and FC. Preston has worn just about every hat you can in ministry and, although he is very talented, his greatest achievement in my opinion is his loyalty.

How do I know this? Starting Northway Church, I discovered the Leadership Uncensored CDs from FC in my second year. They were a God send and a life line to me. I was starving for the 411 on leadership in the church world, and so I gleaned and soaked up everything I could from Ed, his team, and their story. There was one dude that I heard on the CDs that has this low voice and the worst Texas drawl I have ever heard. He said “gosh” a lot…but he said it as a two syllable word…Gaaa…aashh! What struck me was that every time he spoke about Ed, he spoke with such appreciation and admiration.

Now this is easy to do when you first get into ministry, but when you have been in the trenches a while and the bullets are coming from every direction, the veneer of ministry can wear off pretty quickly. Not with Preston. I listened to this dude, who sounded like John Wayne, defer and refer every time to the leader of the church…the Senior Pastor, Ed Young. He would say often that God has called Ed to be our Senior Pastor, and we are here to support him, encourage him, and have his back.

I honestly thought, Dude…they should clone that guy. I also started to reassess my team and ask the question, who are the Preston’s in my life and ministry? There is so much disloyalty to loyalty in today’s world. Buddy, you seem a little sensitive…no. I have just seen first hand how the enemy divides and is divisive in the church. The spiritual carnage is tragic.

Over the last several years I have had the opportunity to get to know Preston and his bride, Dedo, and their wonderful family. Guess what? The dude is in his 50s and is the Student Pastor and loves it! Whether in public or in private, whenever Ed’s name comes up…Preston laughs…walks down memory lane and shows nothing but respect and loyalty to his pastor, his boss, and his friend, Ed Young. This is why I like the dude so much.

God loves loyalty, and so should we. ALL of us could learn a lot from Preston Mitchell. Please pray for Preston, as this past year he has been hit with some health challenges and is awaiting a kidney transplant. I’m confident that God will heal Preston Mitchell and that his best days are ahead.

Who are the Preston Mitchells in your life? Who do you have in the trenches with you? Who do you need to remove from the fox hole with you? Who can you be a Preston Mitchell to?

By the way, Preston will be an upcoming guest on CC where we talk in more detail.

If you were on the front lines…if you were stuck in a fox hole and people were firing at you to kill you…who would you want in the fox hole with you? You can’t be playing games or politics or be worried about people’s feelings when you’re in a fox hole. You need someone that gets it. Someone that understands what the battle is all about…what’s at stake…someone who oozes loyalty. When you’re in a fox hole for the fight of your life, you need someone that, come hell or high water, they have your back.

Period.

The church world is a lot like the front lines. Buddy, you are being a little mellow dramatic…really? Not according to Scripture. Ephesians 6 tells us that we are in a spiritual war that we can’t see, and it’s a nonnegotiable to keep your spiritual armor on at all times. Jesus told us we have an enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy us. Satan hates God…hates what God loves…YOU. He hates what you have. Now consider those who are leading and serving the church to be a voice for those whom God loves…you now have one big stinking target on your back from Lucifer himself.

You remember Lucifer (aka Satan)…don’t you? Lucifer had a cosmic God complex. Lucifer had a pride problem…he was jealous…and he is the father of disloyalty. Lucifer committed high treason on God. Consider the damage of that one act of disloyalty. And that, friends, is why God hates disloyalty. I repeat: God hates disloyalty…and so should we.

Enter Preston Mitchell. When I think of loyalty, I think of Preston. Preston has been in the trenches with Ed Young for a while…I think 12 years. He has even seen his close friends turn on Ed and FC. Preston has worn just about every hat you can in ministry, and although he is very talented, his greatest achievement, in my opinion, is his loyalty.

How do I know this? I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Who do you want in the fox hole with you? Who’s your Preston?

This past weekend I had the privilege of sitting down with Bobby Gruenewald of LifeChurch.tv. Bobby has one of the most interesting titles in the church today…Innovation Pastor. What is a Innovation Pastor? Good question! I hope to have him on Cremeans Couch to unpack that more…but here is what I know…Bobby is one of the most brilliant minds and thinkers in the church today. I think it would be safe to call this dude the Einstein of the church.

Bobby and I have several things in common. Bobby was born in Ballston Spa, New York…that’s where we live! Pretty ironic! Bobby is also very competitive…so am I. Bobby is also a Diet Coke fanatic…so am I. Now, I may not be as bright as Bobby but I am just as competitive. And when he mentioned he has never been beaten in a Diet Coke drink off…it was on!

I don’t want to brag, but I buried the dude! Not even close…and I have about 15 pastors as my witness. No contest. The next day after his Diet Coke hangover, he started to whine about “being sick�? and about being asked too many questions so he couldn’t drink as much. That might hold some carbonation with some…but did I mention that I beat the dude by 4 glasses?!

Bobby 5…Buddy 9

This summer, I was so honored and privileged to have one of my friends and mentors from a far, Ed Young, come to Northway Church! It was one of the highlights of my summer, and let me tell you something…Ed and his bride, Lisa, are the real deal! Ed and Lisa are some of the most gracious people you would ever meet! What you see on stage is what you see off stage with the Youngs. They have a marriage that is inspiring…and their kids are amazing! I don’t think I have met anyone their ages with such people skills!

It was so cool to reconnect with them at C3. Not to get weird…but Debbie and I love these guys. I’m going to do a series of posts on friends that have influenced and impacted me and why I appreciate them.

I appreciate and admire Ed and Lisa because of their love and passion for Jesus Christ!

I appreciate and admire Ed and Lisa because of their love for the Local Church!

I appreciate and admire Ed and Lisa because of their love for the unchurched!

I appreciate Ed and Lisa for pouring their lives into other leaders

I appreciate Ed and Lisa Young for modeling marriage.

Here is the cool thing…leaders mark your calendar for Oct 13th this year as Northway will be hosting C3 on tour. Pastors, pastor’s wives, staff, if you are in leadership in the church or out of the church, don’t miss this day…Oct 13th…it will be a day that inspires you and you will be challenged and encouraged to be the leader God has called you to be. It will also be the kick off of Northway Network…more later on that on Cremeans Couch.

How has Ed Young impacted or influenced your life?