“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NIV).

“Daily.” There’s something about daily habits. What we do every day eventually adds up to weeks, months, years, and even a lifetime. Daily habits, while seemingly small and insignificant, add up. Our daily habits or disciplines tend to have a shaping affect on our character.

All of us have certain daily habits. We shower, brush our teeth, comb our hair, drink a cup of coffee, etc. These are the things we do to get our bodies ready for another day. We recognize the need for having clean, prepared bodies and faces before we “face” the public. We use a lot of products getting ready. One of them is soap. Whether it comes in a bar or a bottle, we use soap to help cleanse the dirt and odors of yesterday’s activity from our bodies.

Most of us learned this habit of daily cleansing from our parents. I still remember my mother saying, “Gary, come here! Let me look behind your ears!”

I always had trouble getting clean behind my ears, at least to my mother’s exacting standards. But after years of daily practice, I finally passed my mother’s scrutiny. I don’t know if all mothers are this strict, but my mother was always concerned that someone would notice her son’s dirty ears (Or underwear. Heaven forbid that you were in an accident and didn’t have on clean underwear.).

I wonder if our spiritual lives deserve the same “daily” attention? Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross daily.” Does taking up our cross, the instrument of dying to the old life, somehow become like the habit of using soap? Having received new life in Christ, how are we to grow up in our salvation? Does this involve certain daily disciplines?

I think it does. While developing spiritual habits or disciplines will not earn grace for us, these disciplines can cause us to grow in our desire and ability to live out of this grace, becoming more mature in our following of Christ.

With this in mind, I offer to you a daily habit of devotion that I learned from Pastor Wayne Cordeiro. He calls it S.O.A.P.

S – Scripture. Read a daily portion of the Bible, listening for God’s voice.

O – Observation. Ask questions like “who, what, where, how, when?”

A – Application. Ask “How does this apply to me?”

P – Prayer. Pray that God would help you apply His Word.

Maybe we could pray, “God, would You look behind my spiritual ears to make sure I haven’t overlooked anything. Reveal any area that I need to bring to the cross in order to find cleansing and transforming life there.”

Using spiritual S.O.A.P. makes for a great daily habit. Who knows what character might be shaped by a lifetime of such daily use?

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’ ”  Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:2-4 NIV).

“The time is now, Lord!”

That’s how our PMT (Pastor’s Management Team) Retreat concluded its prayer time this past week. After spending the morning following the SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) method of devotion through the book of Haggai, our men were stirred up and ready to come back home to lead our church with a sense of urgency and purpose.

I’m so proud to be the pastor of WCC and to have leaders like the men you see above! I want you to know that these men are super FAT (That’s Faithful, Available, and Teachable. Not pounds, except maybe me.)! Each of these men took two days off of work and traveled to Oak Island with me to devote all of their attention to praying and preparing themselves to help lead WCC in 2009. What a privilege to be on a team that loves Jesus and wants to see His Kingdom come in Wilson, NC.

We have organized our leadership around accomplishing three purposes: Celebrating God’s Son, Connecting to God’s People, and Contributing to God’s Kingdom. Stephen Combs is our “celebrate” leader. Jonathan Minter is our “connect” leader. Sonny Allen is our “contribute” leader. We also saw the importance of having a support role to undergird these three purposes, so we have established a “communication” role. George Bryant is our “communicate” leader.

We worked really hard at refining those roles and planning some next steps for each this year. But I guess the big thing was the overall take away that we all left with. And that is this idea that we must not let the lack of owning our own building become an excuse for not “building” God’s church. We also must not let the economy or our own houses become excuses. Saying in essence, “Lord, as soon as I get my stuff in order, then I’ll work for You and Your Kingdom.”

We are convinced that God is clearly calling us to make disciples. This means we must share the gospel with seekers and teach the Word to followers, working to present them all mature in Christ. This is building the church: making disciples.

God will supply our needs for buildings and tools, if we will just focus on being the church. In fact, if we will be the church, Jesus will build the church.

When should we start?

The time is now.

I was up early yesterday, making phone calls and cancelling meetings and appointments. No drive to a morning meeting in Raleigh. No rush back to the office for afternoon appointments. Really, no rushing at all.

I stayed home, drank coffee, watched every detail of the inauguration and enjoyed the visits of my kids (who provided snow ball fights and sledding as entertainment in my front yard). My only real effort was to shovel a path to the garage, load up a wheel barrow of firewood, and keep the fireplace hot all day. This came in handy as our kids hung their wet socks and gloves there to dry, while they warmed up for their return to their own homes.

I guess this has been one of the bigger snows (some years it doesn’t snow at all here) since I’ve lived in Wilson. We used to have some huge ones in the Appalachians of Virginia where I grew up, so this white dusting really made me feel at home.

Perhaps the Lord knew that we needed a day to focus on what matters and a day to celebrate the blessings He has bestowed on us as Americans. Staying at home, watching and listening to the inauguration of our new president, Barack H. Obama, was the right thing to do. I watched and prayed all day as I witnessed this historic event.

I’m glad the snow interrupted my plans for just another busy day.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 KJV).

This past Monday night, on the occasion of the national holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Day, I was privileged to be the featured speaker at the NAACP’s worship service and celebration. Several weeks ago, when the Rev. Alonzo Braggs, pastor of Bethel AME Zion Church and President of the Wilson Chapter of the NAACP asked if I would speak. I replied with a grin,

“Why ask me? You do realize I’m white, don’t you?”

My friend, Pastor Alonzo, just smiled back and said, “Exactly.”

“But I’m not a political man.” I explained. “I’m a simple preacher, interested in seeing people come to Christ through the preaching of the gospel. And I’m not an authority on Dr. King. I really don’t feel at all qualified.” I continued, sure that my friend would see the error of his request.

Undeterred, he asked, “You are the pastor of Wilson’s “Community” church aren’t you?” Emphasizing the word “community.”

“Well, yes.” I said.

“And your church is multiracial isn’t it?”

“Yes, the Lord has gifted us in that way. He has honored us with people of color.” I replied.

“All right then.” He said with a smile. “You seem to be the perfect choice.”

“But listen..” I intoned, seeing that I was losing ground in the conversation. “I won’t forfeit the prophetic voice of the Lord’s pulpit. I’ve chosen not to publically align myself with a particular political party or nominee. Now, I’m quite passionate about being a citizen. I vote in every election. And I’ll gladly share my convictions with you. But I don’t want to say or do anything that would hinder or become a stumbling block to my preaching the cross of Christ, except the cross itself.” I added passionately.

“Now, I’m sure you’re the man for the job.” He exclaimed. “That’s exactly what we want. We want a preacher.”

“OK.” I whispered. “But let me think and pray about it.”

After my friend, Alonzo, left my office, I went out and told my wife, Robin, about our conversation. I always try to run things by her to get her opinion. She often has a sensitivity and discernment about people and issues that I value.

“I definitely think you should do it!” She exclaimed.

I immediately regretted telling her. She always thinks I can do everything. What a burden it is to have a wife that always believes in you, and always thinks you can not only succeed, but be the best at everything.

And so, I contacted Alonzo and accepted his invitation. I’m glad I did. I wouldn’t take anything for the wonderful experience I had at Trinity AME Zion Church this past Monday evening. They treated Robin and I like the president and the first lady.

I preached from Matthew 6:10, a message entitled: “Praying Thy Kingdom Come.” I explained that I was glad to be present as we celebrated Dr. King’s life and ministry. But that the “King” that I wanted to honor above all was King Jesus. I told them that I was sure that Dr. King knew that King Jesus was the true King. And that Dr. King knew that the Kingdom of God was the kingdom that we must seek to find.

After I concluded, the congregation gave God a standing ovation. I was so humbled to be His servant on this evening.

May the friendship that began between two preacher friends spread to become a friendship and unity of the Spirit in all the churches of Wilson County. May we see the Kingdom of God come and revival come to our city!

“The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:8-10 NIV).

This Thursday evening I watched the televised farewell address of our President, George W. Bush. As he talked about his eight years in office, he expressed a great deal of humility and thankfulness. He was especially gracious in his wishes for the President elect, saying that his inauguration would be a “moment of hope and pride” for America. His closing remarks were for God’s blessing on all of us and on America.

Witnessing the smooth transition from one American president to the next, reminds me of just how blessed we truly are. It all started with another George, our first president, George Washington. He could have easily served for life. After serving two terms (at a time before term limits), he willingly retired from office.

Still another George, England’s King George III, said this about our first president, “If he does that [give up power], he will be the greatest man in the world.”

Today, the world is filled with many leaders who are less than great. Consider Russia’s Putin, who created a new role for himself as Prime Minister in order to retain power through his puppet president. Or Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who continues to push for a constitutional reform that would eliminate term limits allowing him life long control.

“I’m ready to be with you until 2021,” Chavez recently told a crowd of red-clad supporters in a televised address.

But not our American President. Bush continues the legacy of willingly stepping down from power and returning to the life of a simple citizen. We have been blessed with a government founded by men who understood what it meant to lead “under authority.”

Tonight, hearing another George offer his farewell address reminded me of the first. It also reminded me of the miraculous gift of freedom and the rule of law that God blessed our forefathers with the wisdom to create.

May we always recognize that we are men and women serving under a Higher authority.

“… this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 KJV).

The apostle Paul said, “This one thing I do.” He didn’t say, “These 100 things I dabble in.”

I think it was Andrew Carnegie who said, “You’ve heard it said, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.’ But I say do put them all in one basket, then watch them until they hatch!”

In this chaotic world I long for something simple, something I can focus on. What I really need is an organizing principle, something that guides my “yes” and “no” responses to all the voices that cry out for my attention.

At the end of every year I try to take a break and check my life alignment. You know, every year you have to get your car inspected, get your front-end realigned. Why shouldn’t your life deserve at least equal consideration?

So, I’ve decided that this year’s motto is: “Get your life in line in 2009.” Or maybe (while humming like Johnny Cash in the background) “Let’s walk the line in 2009.”

How do we do that? Paul says we need to focus on one thing: Jesus. We must look at every aspect of our lives and consider whether it “lines” up with being a disciple of Jesus. Forget the distractions and with laser-like focus make following Jesus in all things the goal.

Focusing on Jesus is the one thing I want to do.

I just finished reading a book entitled, Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D, written by my good friend, Bud Wrenn. Bud is the founding pastor of Integrity Community Church, the Director of the Innovative Church Community and a former corporate executive. His book reflects the wealth of experience that he has gained in all those positions. Whether you work in the sacred or the secular world, If you are a student of leadership, you’ll find this book a must read.

I consider myself a student of leadership truths and principles. And as others have said, “All truth is God’s truth,” so, I believe that the principles taught in Bud’s book are applicable in all types of organizations.

The real help I’ve received from this book is the understanding of how to “land the plane.” This book helps dreamers like myself come down from the clouds, get our bearings, lower the landing gear, and land the plane in the desired destination. For those of us who love having conversations at “35,000 feet,” this book offers us steps to bring our dreams to earth.

After all dreams are only dreams, unless we take steps to accomplish them. Bud Wrenn’s book helps us discover and take those steps.