One Good Thing
This week, I gathered with ministry leaders from across the country at the Fatherhood Commission in Rome, Georgia. Hosted by the Cathy family [Chick-fil-A], we stayed at Winshape, Chick-fil-A’s retreat and training center. It was incredible. And though the hospitality, food, and setting were remarkable, the company of like-hearted brothers and sisters made it wonderful.

At these events, ministry leaders typically feel the need to posture and 'politely' brag about their accomplishments. The gathering at Winshpae was void of any humble boasting. The vibe at Winshape was less fame and more faithfulness. The only bragging I heard was leaders bragging about other leaders and, more so, the people of God bragging about their God. It was refreshing.

Sitting in the chapel late one night, I reflected on Bonhoeffer’s book Ethics. In it, Bonhoeffer writes,

"In a world where success is the measure and justification of all things the figure of Him who was sentenced and crucified remains a stranger and is at best the object of pity. . . . The figure of the Crucified invalidates all thought that takes success for its standard."

In other words, if success is power, fame, or wealth, then Jesus Christ is a failure. If success is chasing happiness, seeking comfort, running after numerical growth [in our churches/ministries], or the endless pursuit of personal flourishing, then Christ is a most unfortunate man. After all, His life ended in humiliation and crucifixion.

I’ve come to believe that faithfulness is a key aspect of what we should aim for as Christians, even more important than flourishing. At the end of our lives, we can hope for many good things. But it is important to remember that in the parable of the Talents, the master praises two of the servants for being faithful in a few things. Then, due to that faithfulness, they are invited to share in their master’s happiness (Matthew 25:14-30).

I am becoming less and less impressed with the size, stature, and impact of 'your ministry'. More and more, I want to know, are you faithful?

I spent the week with some incredibly faithful men and women. It was a good week…

Something Beautiful 
The view as you walk up to the main building at Winshape. Standing beside me, Matt Hanson, a like-hearted brother, said, "This is what you get when you do one thing with excellence and execute it well…"

Well said, Matt. The chicken sandwich for the win.

FYI, Winshape is 14,000 acres (previously owned by Berry College). The buildings on the property were built in 1930, each brick hand-carved and placed by Berry students. Every building has a spiral(s) on it, as a sign that everything should point upwards, or "heavenly," as the staff would say. Chick-fil-A has done an incredible job restoring, maintaining, and repurposing the property.

One Concerning Thing 
I gave a talk at the Fatherhood Commission that began with this pericope:

"When a thing is not properly understood or rightly defined, the abuse of that thing is inevitable…"

Let that sink in… Words matter. Clarity is important.

Use a saw to hammer a nail, and someone gets hurt. Use a hammer to cut a board, and something will break.

When you do not know how a thing properly functions, its design, or what it is used for or meant to do, the abuse of that thing is inevitable. It does not matter if that thing is a saw, the Church, marriage, or manhood. "When a thing is not properly understood or rightly defined, the abuse of that thing is inevitable…"

I contend there is so much abuse going on in our culture, abuse of and abuse by because we have failed to understand and define things properly. For two generations now, we have lived in moral and ethical confusion. Like wayward Israel, because we do not know God, we do what is right in our own eyes. We are no longer a post-Christian nation. I argue we are pre-Christian.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are so far removed from religious traditions and rituals that they no longer 'know' God, Jesus, or what it means to be Christian. There are no lingering notions, no preconceived conceptions, no historical images about the Church, discipleship, or God's Word. A Judges 2 world, the faith traditions of one generation did not get passed down to the next.

But here is the good news. This new generation, much like the pre-Christian world, is curious. They are looking for answers. They are not asking if Christianity is true—they are asking if it works. We have a golden opportunity to SHOW a hungry generation of young men and women that our faith isn't only true; it works. As a matter of fact, it is THE only thing that works. And we do not have to undo decades of lousy doctrine and poor theology because they don't have any.

The fields are white for harvest.