A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

I spent five years working in the Axis/20-something ministry of Willow Creek Community Church before sensing a call from God to plant River City Community Church, a multiethnic, economically diverse in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Most of my adult life has been spent at the cross section of diverse cultural realities including urban/suburban, Christian/post-Christian, multiethnic/multi-international, various denominational traditions, and a broad socio-economic spectrum. Living on the border of such a diverse landscape has had a tremendous influence on both my theology and practice, and that process continues today.

More than anything, it has ignited a desire within me to understand and live into the promise of Jesus in John 10:10 - to experience life to its fullest. I am convinced that in order to actually experience that promise we need to gain a more complete vision of God. That enables us to then gain a fuller version of faith - a faith that connects the whole of who we are to the whole of who God is.

I consider it an incredible privilege to be able to explore the “10:10 Life” in both a local context as the pastor of a community church, while also remaining engaged with a broader community of over 60,000 followers in the social media world. This is the foundation from which I enjoy speaking.

MY MOST POPULAR TOPICS

My book 10:10-Life to the Fullest is organized around the paradigm of “Faith in 3D.” Here are the three dimensions of faith that I speak on, and some of the most popular topics that fall under each one:

Dimension 1 - Faith & Fear:

> Something’s Missing (Luke 18.18-23): Many of us have an experience similar to the young man often referred to as the “rich young ruler.” We love Jesus, we are sincerely devoted, and yet we still feel that something is missing in our relationship with God. The opportunity is before us to know more of Jesus, but in order to step into the life that God has designed us for we must first learn to master fear.

> The Anatomy of Courage (Matthew 14.22-36): When Jesus walked on the water in the middle of the night, he intentionally crafted an opportunity for his disciples to learn the relationship between fear, faith, and courage. The journey of becoming courageous people requires us regularly traveling through the same intersection of fear and faith.

> The Courageous Life (Joshua 1.1-9): In the most intense faith encounter of Joshua’s life, he was invited by God to experience both deep spiritual intimacy and to embark on a high stakes mission. But in order to step into that opportunity, he needed to first learn how to become “strong and courageous.”

Dimension 2 - Faith & Intimacy:

> 3 Lies & A Truth (Genesis 3.1-15): The Genesis account brings us back to the original story of our genetic spiritual code. God has designed us for spiritual intimacy, and that is what the human heart most longs for. There are three lies that obscured that truth in the Garden though, and they are the same lies that inhibit our spiritual intimacy with God today. Transformation comes only when we are connected by faith to the most transcendent truth in the Bible: God is lovingly and relentlessly pursuing each of us.

> The Voice of the Beloved (Matthew 3.13-4.2): Identity and Intimacy are deeply intertwined when it comes to living a life of vibrant faith. At the baptism of Jesus the voice of the Father affirmed his belovedness, and that was the identity that carried him into the mission that awaited. These were not conditional words based on his good deeds - Jesus had not yet done a single act of public ministry. There is nothing that we need more badly than to hear these same words that affirm our identity in God through Christ.

> Learning Christ (Ephesians 4.17-24): When the Apostle Paul described spiritual transformation, he linked it to “learning Christ” (an unusually intimate idea that goes beyond just learning about Christ). This transformational process involves learning to “put off” our old identity - which is deeply linked to breaking free from the power of outside voices that attempt to define our worth - and instead to “put on” our new identity. It is only when the voice of the Father becomes that which speaks to our identity and value that we are able to pursue the wholeness we were designed for.

Dimension 3 - Faith & Mission:

> Sent as a Witness (Acts 1.8): The word “mission” comes from the Latin missio, which translates as “sent.” At the heart of mission is the idea that Jesus “sends” us into the world to join in God’s redemptive story. This process begins when we realize that Jesus is already shaping us to become a witness to the love and grace of God (this talk can be tailored to address mission at a broad, theological level, but can also focus on detailed approaches for having faith conversations in various cultural contexts)

> Sent as a Neighbor (Luke 10.25-37): Mission requires both proclamation (witness) and demonstration (neighbor). The most vivid description given by Jesus of mission as neighbor is the parable of the Good Samaritan. This incredible story shows us how to develop an integrated view of faith that re-unites spiritual intimacy with social action (because of the multidimensional nature of the parable, this talk can be tailored to emphasize compassion, reconciliation, justice, or community development)

> The Healing King (Ephesians 4.7-16): This is one of the most important passages in the New Testament regarding the identity of the Church. Paul says that in large part, the church exists to equip God’s people for works of service. This is the language of mission, especially when we consider that the passage opens up with the image of a King who has come to heal the land, and who has distributed specifics gifts to each believer for the joining of that mission.

> The Greatest in the Kingdom (Matthew 18.1-14): Some of the harshest words ever uttered by Jesus were directed at those who perpetuated injustice towards children. The most dangerous place for children in today’s day and age is at the intersection of race and poverty. This talk is specifically tailored towards those who are looking for strategies at combatting poverty by focusing on changing the odds for children, youth and families.

START THE CONVERSATION

Thanks again for considering me to speak at your event. I hope this page gives you some helpful background on me as well as some potential speaking ideas. We can also provide you with an audio link to talks on any of these aforementioned topics.

If you would like to explore the possibility further please email [email protected] and someone will respond to you within 24 hours.

Thanks!