Recent Blog Posts from Pursuit NYC
Oct 20, 2016
I absolutely love this generation! This generation is full of so many people who are called, gifted, and anointed by the Lord. They are passionate and dream big dreams. They want to be used by God. They also have access to more resources than any other previous generation. Thanks to social media and technology, we can find out what God is doing all over the world. We know what sermons are being preached, what songs are being sung, and what books are being read in an instant. There is something to be said when there are countless videos of worship songs getting millions of views online! So many people, including myself, get inspired and encouraged by these things. Yet the temptation is to just mimic what others are doing expecting the same results. While what God is doing in building a worship culture around the world is both inspiring and powerful, let us not become a generation that is governed by what is trendy rather than what is true. I believe that God is wanting to disciple a generation in authentic worship rather than a generation that’s discipled by just worship culture. Here are some values of what authentic worship looks like. OBEDIENCE OVER SACRIFICE True worship is about obedience unto the Lord. Obedience in even the smallest of things is greater in the sight of the Lord than extravagant expressions of sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). We see this in the life of King Saul. Instead of obeying God, King Saul does what he thinks is best in his own eyes and understanding. He covers up his own pride by spiritualizing... read more
Mar 7, 2016
I think most of us, including me, summarize perseverance by the simple mantra: “Don’t give up!” Perseverance is often measured by years, the amount of time invested, the number of sick days not taken. But I think “not-giving-up” can become an easy front. Plenty of people show up to work for years, to their churches and marriages and children for decades, and can look like they’re reliable. Except inside, they’re not there. Plenty of us can quit without physically quitting. We can live this way for years, thinking that “showing up” is enough and we can skate by on the bare minimum. In other words, perseverance is not just staying in, but being in. It’s being present and engaged. It’s not that we don’t have it in us to persevere. It’s that all of us wasn’t in the task at hand. Even a person who gets to the finish-line, who didn’t put their all into it, hasn’t really persevered. I do this, too. I can be there but not there. And I’m learning that being disengaged begins with my expectations. When our plans don’t turn out the way we want to, we tend to check out. Disengagement is a way of protecting ourselves from disappointment. This isn’t to judge anyone, because perseverance is hard. But I think it’s made harder because of the way we’ve been trained. Some of us have bought into an overly romanticized narrative. We get excited and inspired to do stuff, but the second we do stuff, it’s nothing like those first emotions that got us there. Here’s what I mean. I get really inspired... read more
Jan 14, 2016
Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” – Luke 9:46-48 In the book of Proverbs, the importance of wisdom is highlighted over and over again. There are those who embrace it and become wise, and then there are those who spurn it and become fools. Proverbs then goes ahead and paints a picture of what makes them different. One key difference that is repeated throughout the book is in how they receive correction. Simply put, a wise person will love you if you rebuke him, whereas a foolish person will hate you. Throughout the years of ministry, I have met tremendously talented and gifted leaders, yet what set the good leaders apart from the great ones had little to do with their ability, but their teachability. They are teachable and humble enough to receive. One way character is revealed is how you handle discipline and rebuke… even if it seems unwarranted! Character will take you further than your potential. A generation rescued from suffering and spared from discipline becomes entitled rather than empowered. We actually endanger them rather than encourage them if we do that. Your teachability will take you further than your ability. Click To Tweet In the passage above from Luke, the disciples are arguing on which of them is the greatest. By... read more
