And my shocking statements and illustrations were nothing more than the awkward 8th grader trying to fit in at the cool kids table.
I see this more and more today, and when I do, I want to scream, “It’s not worth it” at the top of my lungs.
I know I did these things in the past, and many church leaders won’t give me the time of day, but I want to let them know that riding onto the stage on a Harley or a unicycle isn’t going to help them reach any more people for Jesus.
Adding more lights, more camera angles, or more reverb isn’t going to impress people in your town. Instead of accentuating the message, it can easily look like you just discovered lights and tried to add every kind of them to your room.
Dressing like a pop star isn’t going to make you any more believable. I used to think that mattered – I’d actually watch some online services to see what people were wearing.
The constant reference to how many campuses you have might impress Outreach magazine, but it will leave you feeling like you’re not good enough.
I want to say these things to you, not in judgment and not because I’ve somehow progressed to more mature thinking, but because I look back on my shenanigans with regret.
Trying to outdo our last effort isn’t the pursuit of excellence for the sake of the gospel. It is trying to gather attention in an ADD world. It’s tiring, and you can’t keep up.
How far is too far?
