This was an open letter to my brothers, friends, and comrades in arms known as CrossPoint Location Pastors, but I share it here as my heart for all of you as well.
———————————————
Brothers,

As I have been studying the book of Joshua in my devotional time, I have been gleaning some lessons on leadership. I know the purpose of my study time is to hear from God and submit to Him. But, the side notepad of leadership ideas that stream from this book has caused me to think much about what I, you, and we do here at our church.

I will hopefully put these thoughts all together someday and (even more hopefully) I pray they will be a blessing to us all, but something struck me today that I need to share immediately.

Chapter 12 of Joshua is one of those pass by chapters. It’s just a list of names of conquered kings and geographic designations you can’t even find on the maps in the back of the book.

While I know each name and location are significant, let’s be honest; most of us skip a chapter like this and leave it to the seminary profs.

However, I want you to see the placement.

Joshua is a 24 chapter book, and this ‘pass by’ chapter of names and places divides the book in half. From a leadership perspective, the division is essential.

The book’s first half is about conquest, war, taking the land, fulfilling the promise, and achieving victory. It’s exciting, fast-paced and the stuff found in most pulpit pounding sermons.

The book’s second half is about maintenance, administration, putting out’ fires’ and setting up the systems to inhabit this new promised land. While it has its highlights, the second half of Joshua doesn’t seem to have the same power-punched excitement of the first half.

Despite the difference between the front and the back of this book, both are equally important aspects of leadership.

We all love the passion of the vision, the launching of the new, and the exhilaration of pioneering. And, guiding a church through these waters is most definitely in your wheelhouse… it’s what you do, what you are called to, what you’re gifted in, and the requirement of being ‘the pastor.’

But, in the same breath, the distribution of resources, the placement of people, the mediation of grumbling, and the discussions on the direction and the day to day mechanics of sustainable ministry are also your direct responsibility… it’s what you do, what you’ve been called to, what you’re gifted in, and the requirement of being ‘the pastor.’

I am thankful for your partnership in the Gospel. I am privileged to know and work with you. I am more confident on this day than I have ever been in my professional life that I am surrounded by the finest men I have ever called brothers and pastors.

I offer this letter to you, not as a rebuke… not at all. I send this to you as a reminder to us all (and, now to all the readers outside of our network).

Taking new ground, blazing a trail and pounding out Kingdom victories are what we do. But, JUST AS IMPORTANT are the day to day, grinding it out, working the process and the using what you’ve got moments that God has given you the privilege of getting done.

Be the leader.

Be the pastor.

Much love to you all and blessing on your families.

Seeking more of Him and less of me,
Andy Addis
Lead Teaching and Vision Pastor, CrossPoint Church

As I’m preparing for preaching weekend, I was thinking about my fellow pastors who are doing the same all across the country and around the world. It caused me to want to send them a note, so here it is.

For my personal devotional time, I’ve been cycling through the book of Romans. Many of you in the theological “know” will recognize that portions of this book are a battleground for specific theological camps regarding issues of predestination, free will, determinism, the free agency of man, Calvinism, Arminianism, reformed… if there’s a title to make you pick a side, it can be applied somewhere here in the book of Romans.

I’ve also thought about all the strained friendships I have over these issues. I tried to recount the endless hours lost in friendly (?) debates. And I remembered numerous side conversations where friends drew invisible lines around people and groups saying so-and-so belongs to ‘that’ school of thought and so-and-so was ‘lost’ to that way of thinking.

I was praying through that study while taking a walk around a pond thinking about these things when the Lord put in my mind an image from the not-too-distant past. It was a couple of school-age children at camp who didn’t realize I was overhearing (because eavesdropping sounds too creepy).

They were arguing with one another about God, one struggling to believe and the other confident in his faith. The childhood skeptic had weak arguments that you could tell were repetitious banter heard from some adult he admired. And, the childhood believer offered unsubstantiated proofs that offered no philosophical underpinnings as to why he believed what he believed.

I wanted to jump in and correct them both, show them the error of their ways… but I controlled myself since they were children… and it was Rec time at summer camp.

Again, as I was walking around the pond, this was the image that popped into my mind. I didn’t have to wonder why very long.

The foolishness of their arguments and the silliness of their debate seemed so apparent to me. And, to an infinitely greater degree, so must our tiny theological squabbles appear before the enormity of God.

We argue, brood and fight over a 6-inch gap on a theological spectrum that’s a football field long. In no way, shape or form can I ever think that the God of the universe is pleased with us when we act as such. In fact, we probably look like small children arguing about something they know relatively little about, sitting on a wall looking at a pond eating grape snow cones.

This weekend pastors, as we think about what we’re going to share with those crowds who come filing in for the annual remembrance of Easter Sunday, let me remind you of a tiny verse from Romans that should keep us all in check:

“So do not become proud, but fear.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Ro 11:20.

Paul was speaking of Gentiles grafted into the vine that is the kingdom of God. He warned that instead of thinking much of themselves, they should remember that broken off branches don’t do anything on their own.

Only the Gardener can save them from the brush pile. So, instead of arrogance… tremble.

I would offer us the same advice.

Don’t worry about astounding the crowds with our theological prowess. Don’t determine that this is the weekend we should establish our doctrinal purity. And, whatever we do, let us not think that we have to impress the crowds this weekend. This weekend is just like every other weekend when we only have an audience of One.

Instead, drop the pride and come to the podium with some fear and trembling, working out your own salvation. Share the message of broken humanity rescued from itself by a loving and amazing God.

Reject the urge to “pull off” a service to make them think that you have the best church since the apostle Paul retired, your worship band is the most gifted crew this side of heaven, and that you are the best preacher they’ve ever heard.

Instead, remind them God is great, even if we must play the fool to make sure they see it.

May He increase. May we decrease.