David Whiting Live

A Team I Love to Work With

A photographer in our church (Michele Doerr - www.doerrphoto.com) took some new pictures for our church website. And looking through just a few of them - I was reminded of what a great team I get to serve with.

Courtney is one of the most gifted people I've ever worked with. She has great people skills, an eye for and standard of excellence, AND incredible organizational abilities. And our children's ministry shows it!

Dave came into my office yesterday and we talked about the first nine years together. What a journey! I wouldn't have wanted to or been able to do this nine-year journey without him.  Here's to NINE more!! I've probably never worked with someone so universally loved as Dave. And I'm in the fan club.

Our great intern, Jason! (Or if Mark is making a video, it may be "Scott") Jason is great with children, is incredibly teachable and will make a great husband and father one day... If you were ten years younger - I'd make you wait for one of my daughters.

Jud - the man God used to turn around a school and make it an effective ministry tool of our church. I'm proud to call you my friend. So if the school board refuses to follow your request to begin the process of looking for a new administrator, will you put in ten more years? :)

Mark has been here for 15 months and has made a major impact on two of my daughters in youth group and my last one begins in a couple more months... Three Whitings in your youth group... you need a raise!!  Thanks for being a hero and example to my children... (and your wife is awesome too - even though she mocks me)... congrats on the house!!

Could there be a better "wordless" description of Scott's personality than this photo?  Not the black and white part... he's very colorful... I mean the smile and attitude that just "shows in his face." I think his picture is shown next to "ideal ministry partner" in some ministry encyclopedia somewhere... or at least it ought to be. Thanks for pushing us to be a PI² church!

And here is the most blessed lead pastor in America... Thanks team!

Chuck Swindoll on Retirement

Last week I posted a video by John Piper about retirement. Twice in the last two weeks, I've come across a quote by Chuck Swindoll that I thought was great. See if you agree.

In the article, Swindoll was asked how he intended to spend the remainder of his years (he is 75 years old). Here is his response:

"I want to preach till the last breath in my lungs runs out. Nothing is more bothersome to me than retiring. Weird things happen when you disengage; first you get negative, then you start telling people about your latest surgeries, and eventually you lose touch. I want to stay in touch." 

My wife knows - if and when I retire - if I become negative, she should kill me. When is the age when Philippians 2:14 no longer applies? ("Do everything without complaining or arguing.")

Why I Read Books to My Daughters

I like to read books to my girls. During the building project, I didn't read very much to them, so it is nice to begin to get back in the habit.

On Saturday night I finished reading a biography of George Mueller to them. It wasn't the best written book, but the life of George Mueller is such an amazing example that I decided to read it anyway. I read it when I was 14 or 15 and it influenced me in a big way. So a year ago or so I dug through a box and was able to find my high school copy of the book. 

When we finished the book Saturday night - the first comment came from our youngest, Emily (11 years old). She said something like this, "That's a great book for people to read because they will KNOW that God is real. That guy [George Mueller] never asked people for money, but God always gave it to him."

We then spent some time searching online for pictures of Mueller's Orphanages. I love those important family moments. And hearing Emily's unprovoked thoughts on the book make reading to them SO worth it!

I'm excited to begin a new book on Sunday night. I'm choosing between two books - a missionary biography called "To the Golden Shore" (Adoniram Judson) or "The Princess Bride." One very spiritually oriented - the other one is just fun... I'm leaning toward "The Princess Bride." It's a great movie, a great book, and just plain fun!

Sue and I were in a MOPS group on Friday answering questions about parenting young children, and at one point I talked about how I miss changing our daughter's diapers and giving them baths. I suspect that in a few years I will miss reading to them. I need to remember that NOW so I take advantage of the few years I have left with them in the house.

John Piper - Bad Link...

Earlier I posted about a John Piper video and told people to click HERE to go to the video. The link didn't work.  Sorry about that.

So this is only for those who get my blog by email.  The link works now. Click HERE.

Why I Love John Piper (and Why Others Don't)

This video is a perfect example of why I really admire and appreciate John Piper. It also is a great illustration of why those of my generation and younger love and admire him. It (perhaps) is also why many older generations feel threatened by him.

Although my dad never said it this way, it was the way he has lived, worked, and talked all his life. So - if you watch this video - be prepared to be offended.

Please watch this video, and if and when you retire - retire like some of my heroes: Jeff Mapes, Jud Stuart, Steve Powell, and many others...

If you receive this by email - click HERE to see video.

Questions Church Leaders Should Ask

On Tuesday, I met with over 20 pastors to talk about momentum... how to get it and how to keep it. Later in the day, I remembered some questions that I heard Perry Noble ask (a pastor in South Carolina). I'm not sure if any of those 20 pastors read my blog, but the questions are a good reminder for me...

#1 – What do we need to stop doing?

Leadership teams are often obsessed with new things they need to do…but what about things that need to STOP being done?

• Is there ANYTHING in our church that we have to manufacture energy for?
• Is there anything that we attend ONLY because we are on staff…and not because we are genuinely excited about it?
• Why do we do the things we do…because we’ve always done them, or because we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we must do them to follow the mission God has given us?

#2 – What bothers us about our church?

What bothers us about OUR church. (Unfortunately most of us are REALLY awesome and saying what bothers us about other churches…only because looking at our own church would force us to handle our own dysfunctional leadership issues!)

So...what about our church drives us up the wall? 

(By the way…if the thing that bothers us is, “these people just don’t get it”... then that problem isn’t THEIR problem…it’s OUR problem because they are following OUR leadership!)

#3 – What bothers us about our community?

What is the biggest need in the community where our church is?  Where can the biggest difference than can be made?  What bothers/burdens us about our city?  God didn’t place us where we are so we can just pray about it…He has called us to take action.

#4 – How can we do things better?

One of the biggest pitfalls of a church is when they believe they have discovered the best way of doing something…thus causing them to switch into cruise control. We must continue to have a holy discontent.

#5 – Who do we need to be talking to?

Churches should learn from one another.  I’ve said it before…our job should be to complete one another, not compete with one another.  Saying that…who are the churches we need to learn from?  (I didn’t say imitate…I said learn from!)  By the way…learning from other churches doesn't happen by chance/accident…it must be an intentional effort.

#6 – What’s next?

When a church becomes content with the way things are…it’s over!!!  Leaders should NEVER apologize for getting in a room and asking “what if” questions in regards to vision.

Counseling Resources - Short Videos

I'm a big fan of CCEF (a biblical counseling center in Philadelphia). They recently began posting weekly, brief videos about counseling issues.

I think they are great. I thought some of you might want to check one out and perhaps bookmark it to return on a weekly basis.

You can go HERE to see the videos (http://www.ccef.org/atc)

Do You Have a Rebellious Child? READ THIS!

I am often asked about what a parent should do about a rebellious child. Although I have some recommendations - I feel very ill-equipped to give much practical advice. My children are 15,13, and 11... those things aren't on our radar yet. We are thinking about PREVENTING rebellion not "fixing" it.

It was kind of like when I was asked parenting advice when I was a youth pastor, but before I was a parent. I had some biblical understanding and some advice, but not much practical help. That is how I often feel about helping parents of rebellious children.

But today I came across this article and found myself talking out loud in my empty office... "YES!" "That's right!" "I love it!" So - this is an article I'm sure I will pass on dozens of times to heart-broken parents in the years ahead, but maybe you need it now, or you know someone who might.

Please take the five minutes it would take to read THIS article.  CLICK HERE for the article. It is written by John Piper's son, Abraham, who had some very rebellious years.

Lowest Attended Sunday of the Year

Do you realize that this coming Sunday is the lowest attended Sunday of the year? The day of "Daylight Savings Time" is the worst attended Sunday of the year.

And that stinks because this Sunday you will hear a story before a baptism that is amazing! If you LOVE to hear stories of radical change in people's lives - you won't want to miss Sunday!

Don't forget to change your clocks on Saturday night, get to bed early, and help us by showing up at the 8:30 service!

I like to change the clocks very EARLY in the evening on Saturday in our house. That helps us get to bed at a wise time. Maybe you should do the same.

Reaching Those Far From God - part 2

We recently had an amazing experience at Northridge Church (I'll share the video soon) of people sharing what their life was like before and after following Christ. It was the most moving thing I've ever experienced in church. It was the only time I've been in church where a group of people got a standing ovation in the middle of the sermon. It was unbelievable, and was SO glorifying to God.

Later, someone said something like this to me: "That was great, but we are going to have to work hard to keep them away from those old habits and lifestyles." The more I thought about it - the more that bothered me. It didn't bother me enough to say anything (yet), but here is what I'm thinking.

I think there are two concerns that we ought to equally have.  First, is from the parable of the sower:

• Matthew 13:5-6 - Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
  
  This is a valid concern. We long to have someone's growth be genuine - NOT quick growth with no root.

But there is a second equally valid concern:

• Matthew 23:15 - Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
  
  Creating a legalist who follows all the rules without a heart for God is NO BETTER (and is arguably worse) than one whose conversion is fake and they return to their old ways of life.

My fear is that many would be "comfortable" with Matthew 23:15 because they wouldn't be able to recognize a legalistic hypocrite because they look SO GOOD on the outside. I'm not sure how to verbalize it, but I wonder how we guard against a new believer becoming a legalist that looks "right" but doesn't have a heart for God.

Am I the only one who wonders if we'd be a lot more "comfortable" with Matthew 23:15 than we would with Matthew 13:5-6?