Marc Lucenius

Husband to Kathleen, dad to Kelsey, Hannah and Samuel, Lead Pastor for 938 Church, Philadelphia sports fan.

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

Rest for the Restless: Releasing Your Ambition through a Well-Rested Life https://t.co/9CV1dBvnOa #Amazon via @Amazon

This is now available for the first time. I would love for you to hear this message that has impacted my life.

[Jon Acuff @JonAcuff]

Dear Gen Z: Here’s the commencement speech no one has the guts to give.

I’ve never been asked to speak at a high school or college graduation. I’ve been to a few though and boy are those speakers borrrrring.

They usually give the same trite, “If you believe in your wings, the sky is the limit” speech. I wouldn’t. In fact, I’d give a graduation manifesto instead of a commencement, and it would sound exactly like this.

Dear Gen Z,

A few points of consideration before you launch into the rest of your life:

1. Don’t believe anyone who says, “You’ll never be able to afford a house.”

That’s fear-based propaganda designed to turn you into eternal renters and consumers of distractions that will never help you build your future. Will it be easy? Nope, but then nothing truly amazing ever is. Will it be impossible? Also nope. You can do it.

2. Do both.

I get a lot of “or questions” from Gen Z. Should I go to college or get a job? After college, should I get a job or my master’s degree? Should I start a side hustle orwork for someone? Should I volunteer more or get in shape? My answer is always the same, “Do both.” You currently possess the most time, energy, and schedule flexibility you will ever have. It might not seem like it because you feel busy, but it’s true. Make the most of these kid-free, responsibility-free years. Do both. Double down on your life, and don’t spend much time at home on your phone.

3. Build a family before you’re ready.

Speaking of kids, let’s be clear: If you find someone who loves you and you love them, get married. Young even. You won’t ever be “ready” for the most important moments in your life. You won’t be ready for marriage. You won’t be ready for kids. You won’t be ready to write a book. You won’t be ready to start a business. You won’t be ready to move to Colorado and get a master’s in wilderness therapy. You don’t grow perfect before the adventure. The adventure shapes you and changes you and challenges you and blesses you every step of the way. The growing is in the going. Culture tells you to get married later, have kids later, settle down, and work on your dreams later. Don’t listen. Now is a pretty good time.

4. Sports gambling is pocket slavery.

An estate lawyer told me recently that the most devastating issue he helps families deal with is when their young son gets addicted to sports gambling and somehow finds a way to empty the family’s entire savings. Sports gambling is not your friend. It is your foe and is desperate to enslave you as young as possible. It is designed to take all of your money as fast as possible. Play the heck out of fantasy football but treat sports gambling like the cobra it is.

5. Find an exercise you love doing and then do it a few times a week.

Hate running? Awesome. Don’t do it. Love Zumba? Cool, save up for as many classes as you can afford. Feel better after a 15-minute walk on a treadmill? Do that more often. There’s a trillion-dollar sedentary industry (Hulu, Netflix, Instagram, etc.) aimed at keeping you stuck on your couch. Fight it and give yourself one of the best ways to beat depression science has ever found - exercise. Pro tip: Community makes consistency easier.

6. Study old people.

Weird sentence. Awesome advice. Find someone 10-15 years ahead of you who has the kind of life you want and ask them questions. Read the books they suggest. Write them thank you notes after they meet you for coffee. Be hungry and hopeful. People are the best shortcut. Find a few winners and ask how they won.

7. Be an adult

Success is annoyingly simple. Be an adult. Show up on time. Keep your word. Go above and beyond. Don’t gossip. Put others first. Never use the phrase “As my previous email mentioned…” Turn projects in when you said you would, or better yet early. Don’t spend more than you make. Don’t blow your life up with drugs, alcohol or affairs. Apologize quickly. Don’t be a victim. Spend more time building and less time blaming. Respond to text messages. Call your mom once a week. Get enough sleep. Drink water. Eat protein. Learn how to make a few meals at home and then learn how to make a few more. Read books. Start with Your New Playlist (https://t.co/ERcoHhxrIX) and How Teens Win (https://t.co/sCWX9CdmBB)

How can such ordinary advice give you an extraordinary life? Because no one is doing any of that right now. Not just your generation. People of all ages have forgotten how to be adults. What an opportunity for you! Be an adult and you will stand out as a superstar in every room you enter.

I just realized that most of this advice would apply to anyone of any age. Good. That’s the goal of a commencement manifesto. Even Uncle Eddie gets something out of it.

Whether you’re 15, 25 or 75, what a time to be alive!

Thanks for coming to my commencement!

Make sure you buy a book (https://t.co/nm9FQGGPEl) on the way out.

Jon

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@jdgreear @howertonjosh ...For every Jeremiah that weeped over the destruction of the faithful for their idolatry, there was a Daniel, Esther or Joseph, who could retain their faithfulness and express the will of God Almighty and be used to extend and protect the Kingdom that God was building.

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@jdgreear @howertonjosh I I really appreciate the two of you modeling positive dialogue in friendship.

If I may humbly add a thought to add, I think the Jewish people looked at the exilic situations they continually found themselves in with both bold political hope and realistic expectations ...(1/2)

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh Josh, I believe in your ministry and have participated in your network gatherings. I am a fan. From my cheap seat, I am not seeing a lot of fruitful culture war churches.
It seems that the alliance with media makes it difficult for Xians to prioritize ministry over politics

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh Reverse engineering? That's a bit of a leap. just saying...The great com is our focus and its fruit will play itself out in our culture. I find many Xian voices in a culture way, neglecting the gospel.
Josh, I am a huge fan of yours and I respect your ability to hear feedback.

[Jon Acuff @JonAcuff]

If you find someone who loves you and you love them, get married. Young even. You won’t ever be “ready” for the most important moments in your life.

You won’t be ready for marriage.

You won’t be ready for kids.

You won’t be ready to write a book.

You won’t be ready to start a business.

You won’t be ready to move to Colorado and get a master’s in wilderness therapy.

You don’t grow perfect before the adventure. The adventure shapes you and changes you and challenges you and blesses you every step of the way. The growing is in the going.

One day you look up and you’ve been married for 24 years and it’s April 21st all over again. You’re probably not ready to be empty nesters but your youngest kid graduated from high school almost a year ago. You didn’t have time to get ready, but what a year.

We decided not to use the phrase “Empty Nest” because it sounds like you’re 100 years old and buy your sneakers in the back of Reader’s Digest.

We’re calling our new phase of life, “The Road Show” because that’s where you can find the Acuffs.

We weren’t ready for marriage.

We weren’t ready for kids.

We weren’t ready to own a business for a dozen years.

We weren’t ready to have an empty house.

But we did it and so will you!

Start before you’re ready, it’s the only way to go!

[Buitengebieden @buitengebieden]

In Sweden, crowds line up just to watch cows go outside for the first time since winter.. 😊

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh I question whether right-wing commitments in worshippers serves as an ally or adversary to full gospel commitment. I am quite far from a liberal, but the messaging from the right feels quite mixed at best, and deeply syncretic.

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh Ryan Burge also has graphs suggesting conservatism is shrinking church attendance. In the northeast, it is hard to not see the church running down the slippery slope to the right, driven by right-wing atheism, feeling heroic in its battle agains the slippery slope to the left.

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh It surprises me too. It could just be a cultural moment as well. Something that appears causal or even is a causative. I think it is dangerous to assume a cultural moment and make a principal from it. 1/2

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh While ideas from the right and left may at times feel like adversaries or allies, good missiology must build churches based upon gospel-driven culture. 4/4

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh In the 2020's, at least in the northeast, the data fits when political conservatives look for that in their church, they are often unaware of the slippery slope of the right toward right-wing atheism. 2/4

[Marc Lucenius @marclucenius]

@howertonjosh Correlation and causation can be confusing. A snapshot of the church in the 1920s would be similar, I would expect. Political progressives moved towards progressive theologies, unaware of the slippery slope to left-wing atheism. 1/4

[NFL Films @NFLFilms]

We turned the mics way down for this one 🔇

#NFLFilmsPresents: Silent Super Bowl LIX

[Rich Villodas @richvillodas]

The Church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

[West Chester Rustin @RustinBoysHoops]

Senior night didn’t disappoint as Rustin beats Great Valley in a pivotal conference matchup.
Ben Malley led all scores with 20 pts 3 asst 4 rebs
Vince Iacone 18 pts 4 asst 4 rebs
Chris MacNeal 6 pts
#UKnightEd #Rustinhoops #Rustinbasketball

[Noah Filipiak @noahfilipiak]

The overall crime rate and violent crime rate of undocumented immigrants is considerably lower than the rates of US-born citizens.

https://t.co/f20icDxzvz