Sometimes life sucks, and there is little you can do to change things, all you can do is accept them! I am not talking about something that I have not experienced myself. The sad truth is that most people know this to be true, but it seems to me that Christians can be so “spiritual” that they can be the last to realize it. I think this creates disillusionment when life does what life does.

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. When my son was born with some major challenges, it shifted things for me. I had numbers of fellow believers telling me that these things would/could not happen to people who loved God as we did. That didn’t seem accurate considering that I had friends, who loved God, who had special needs children. Being a Christian didn’t mean that things would be easy.

Life would become increasingly difficult with each passing day. We had to consider things that other parents wouldn’t have to think about. Most parents don’t have to worry about if their child had a seizure throughout the night and stopped breathing. Most parents don’t wonder if they will have to change the diapers of their preteens. Most parents don’t have to even think about whether or not they will have grandchildren or if their children will ever leave the house and live on their own. These are some of the normal considerations in our world.

I will tell you that there are some amazing benefits to our lives. Children with special needs inspire hope in a way that little else does. To see our son struggle to do something new that others find easy is motivating. It robs us of all of our excuses. If he can, through all of his challenges, then we certainly can get over ours. We live in a beautiful paradox, deeply desiring for him to be 100% capable while not wanting to change a thing about him. That is our world.

You many not have a special needs child, but you may have to take care of an ailing parent. Cancer comes for people indiscriminately. Jobs have layoffs, spouses cheat, cars breakdown, terrorist attack, etc. No amount of prayer, or believing will exempt us from the truth that life happens. Paul taught us to be ready for tough times…

“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.“ 2 Tim 2:3

Too many Christians are trying to deny hardship and difficulty and miss the fact that sometimes God himself ordains difficulty. The hard truth is that we can’t always determine the variables in our lives, but we can determine our attitude and perspective in the midst of challenges. If the goal of God for believers is an easy and carefree life then none of us would have hardships to bare. After all we have a faith based on the brutality of the cross, and are encouraged to take our crosses. It is because of our son’s special needs that we are able to display courage, faith, and hope in the midst of and in spite of difficulty. Our pain produces character in us that little else would or could.

* For more details about my journey as a father of a child who has special needs you can read it in an essay I wrote in a book called - Dads of Disabilities

It might sound crazy what I’m about to say…but happiness is overrated. In our current culture happiness or the state of being happy, is the goal! Pharrell Williams masterfully created a song that captures this mindset perfectly. So catchy and danceable, I love it! But, if one’s personal happiness is the goal, then I am afraid that anarchy, hedonism, and narcissism are our ultimate end.

The problem with happiness is that it can be exceedingly self-serving. I know people who have abandoned their children for it. They walk away from good marriages because they’d be happier with a lover. Some are happiest not working hard, so laziness and total dependence on others is their goal. Sociopaths are most happy when killing, raping, and bringing harm to others.  Is that the ultimate goal?

Happy- is delighted, pleased, or glad over a particular thing. The very nature of happiness is that it is temporary. It is not a continual state of being. Get a car or house with glee and the moment something goes wrong, that temporary feeling disappears. The spouse that made you so happy will eventually, bother, frustrate, and hurt you. That is not a happy moment.

Even the United States Declaration of Independence says that we have a right to the pursuit of happiness, but our country’s founders knew that it was not a guarantee. Too many people believe that happiness is a right. It’s an entitlement that must be allowed, given or taken. So, forget about responsibility and commitment (they say), HAPPINESS is what life is about. It must be the guiding light of our lives, no matter how many people we harm by our selfishness. “As long as you’re happy” seems to be the mantra of our day.

Some would agree that I am right, and anytime you hurt someone else then it’s dirty happiness. But, the moment you are no longer hurting another then you’re good. I would argue that some of the happiest people are the addicted lost in their addiction. They are often not harming anyone else, just themselves. The truth is that our lives are not, solitary; we have a profound affect on others. No one has a life that doesn’t impact someone else. If that were not true, then we would not have suicide hotlines. If a person would be happiest dead, then let them. No, but that is not how we treat those who’d consider suicide. We try to give them enough hope to move forward in spite of their temporary unhappy situation. It’s because we know (if only in the back of our minds) that life can and usually will get better.

So, am I saying that happiness is a wasted pursuit? No. The point is that we have made it the litmus test for what is right and true, and that my friend is incorrect thinking. If life is a marathon, then happiness is not the finish line, but rather the brief water stations throughout the race that refresh us! When we see it as momentary, we can endure the lulls and valleys that will inevitably come, and occasionally remain for a while. Too often we feel like God has abandoned us when we are not in a particularly happy place. When happiness comes, AWESOME! Enjoy the moment, but don’t expect it to last forever, that is unrealistic. The goal should be to have a balanced life with a reasonable amount of happiness to inspire and encourage you along the way. That’s the cool part of being a Jesus follower, heaven is the only place were happiness is eternal, that’s why it’s called Heaven.

Over the past few years there has been a lot said about the multicultural and/or multiethnic church. I will talk to another pastor or leader and the question will arise, “Are you a multicultural church?” This question always gives me pause because depending on how one uses the term will determine how see they answer. Since this has become a pop term in church circles many determine your success and effectiveness based on it.

The reason people care about color and culture in church is because in the American church we have failed horribly. When you look at church history in this country racism is more than present. Christians used race to enslave blacks for hundreds of years. It’s been a regularly discussed topic that Sunday morning at 11 a.m. is the most segregated hour of our entire week. So, yes it’s an important issue that the church should address.

The issue of race and culture is a multifaceted problem. I have found that when many people say they have a multicultural church that means that they have a half white, half black church. That is fine if you have a community that is 50/50 between those to two races. If there are Asians or Latinos in your community then they should be present too. We have a tendency to see things as black and white when there are more ways to celebrate the diversity of people groups in our neighborhoods.

It’s important to identify that we can have many colors in a church, and all of them have the same culture. Culture goes beyond skin complexion. There are other African Americans that have little to no cultural connection to me (Not that they have to for us to worship together). We share a color not a culture. There are whites that grew up in an urban setting, in a similar environment I as I did, who share my culture. An Asian Pastor friend of mine told me that many Asians grow up essentially white. The two issues are not necessarily synonymous.

I have found that some churches are proud of the numbers of varying colors in their congregations, but they have no consideration of culture. They in essence are saying, we want your color, but we don’t value your culture. This “oversight” is evident in music style, preaching, and involvement. A truly diverse church not only acknowledges these differences, it celebrates them. This can be deceptive because a church can have the allusion of multiculturalism, all while saying we don’t value your perspective and background.

I have found that it may be better to simply measure color and culture based on the church’s community dynamics. If the local area has a high Hispanic and Nigerian population, then a truly multicultural church should reflect those numbers in their membership and involvement.  At Vertical Church Atlanta, we see our cultural differences in social economics, age, and educational backgrounds. Yes, the vast majority of our attendees are African American, but 97% of our community is as well. We have other colors and cultures represented in our body, but we represent our community. I would say that we are multicultural. We are not half white or black, but well represented. I think that should be the goal!

I recently had the privilege of speaking at Exponential East (a church planting conference). Not long ago, I wrote recently this is one of the BIG conferences that my wife and I don’t miss. To be able to speak on main stage was incredibly humbling. This year, like always, the conference had the who’s who in Christian circles sharing their vast experience and knowledge about how to maximize your ministry and your life. Wouldn’t you know it, there I shared the story of what God is doing in Vertical Church ATL. I highlighted my life and our church’s foundational scripture Matthew 5:14-16 – You are the light of the world.

There was over five thousand in attendance, but tens of thousands online. I was given a session that was streamed online. I have already heard from family and friends that were watching. That was a really special opportunity.

Now, the challenge I had was to speak in twelve minutes or less. That is tough for a communicator. I wanted to make the most of this opportunity, so I knew I had to go for it. Before I went on stage I leaned over to the Dave Ferguson, president of Exponential, who introduced me, and said, “I don’t have gears 1 through 3.” He said, “Go for it!,” so I did. I dove into the message with my foot on the accelerator and didn’t look back.

A couple really cool things happened. The first was a white gentleman came in with some friends of mine and saw my intensity (which he was not used to) and was about to leave the session. He didn’t feel that the message was for him. To his credit, he stayed, and my message became the pivotal one for him. He left that session purposed to never again judge a book by its cover.

I spoke about our (Vertical Church ATL) “missional” efforts to impact our community through our LOVE. movement. From working with a local school building gardens, painting murals, mentoring students, and caring for the staff. I mentioned our work with local leaders to breathe life into our struggling community. I spoke of the need for churches to be planted in tough communities and the power of God to change things.  Then it was over.

Following me was Alan Hirsch, the guy who coined the term “missional.” He is a brilliant Australian whose research has empowered churches like ours. He said, “How am I supposed to follow the Black Explosion.” Wouldn’t you know it, for the rest of the conference I was being called the “Black Explosion”. Hilarious!

I would encourage you to attend an Exponential Conference. Even if you aren’t able, go back and watch the main stage sessions. They will encourage and inspire you. This conference’s sessions will be ready later this month. http://www.exponential.org/resource-dap/2014-digital-access-pass/

It seems like this year has flown by. April is going to be a big month for Vertical Church ATL and for me, personally. We have been working like crazy people at several community service opportunities. Building gardens, loving on homeless teens, community meetings, etc have been the norm for our small church family. This is quite normal for a spiritual family that believes in making an impact in the world around them.

We are taking more leadership in the 16^th Annual Easter Egg Hunt that feeds close to a thousand people and supplies entertainment for hundreds of children in the “statistically worst” community (we believe that its best days are still to come). To prepare for that, we are working on projects that will prepare the grounds for the hunt as well as cleaning the campus and church where we meet. Visit our website if you want to serve alongside us – www.verticalatl.com

Add to that we are meeting 3 times for worship this month. We have a regular rhythm of twice a moth to force perspective that we (the people) are the church…instead of the common misconception that the church building is the church. This will be our first time having 3 consecutive worship gatherings (13^th, 20^th, & 27^th), as we desire to meet on Easter, which is on the 3rd Sunday.

GREAT NEWS… I am speaking at the Exponential Church Planting Conference! It is held in Orlando, FL from April 28th-May 1st. This is the premiere conference for those starting churches. There are maybe 5 conferences that gain the attention of key Christian leaders from around the world. This is one! I have known for a while that I would be speaking there, but if I am honest, I couldn’t believe it. I was waiting for them to tell me that they change their minds, Ha-ha! I am humbled and amazed that they thought what we were doing in Atlanta was worth acknowledging and elevating.

I will be talking about the work we are doing and my experience as a church planter. This is national exposure for our church and the work we are doing. This is how I have been raising funds for the work we are doing. Because we reach college students and the urban poor, we need to raise support continually. I also gain a national audience as a preacher and communicator of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This allows me to fulfill my call and supplement my income. This is huge!

I am so in awe of the thought that God would want to use me in this way. Some of my favorite speakers are going to be sharing the stage, people like, Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, and Matt Chandler (if you don’t know who these guys are, look them up, they are amazing). If you are interested in listening to my session or some of the others you can visit https://www.exponential.org/2014east/ for the dates. I am speaking on the morning of April 30th. So awesome! So grateful! So humbled! Please keep both Vertical Church ATL and me in your prayers as we follow God into the glorious future.

Here is the promo of the speakers…