Converted Believer's Ramblings

Shane and Shane Concert

2009-09-08T11:49:00.005-04:00

This Friday, September 11th, at 7:00pm Shane and Shane along with Phillip Larue will be in concert at Lee University. Tickets are $10 in advance and for all students with college I.D, and $15 at the door. All proceeds go to benefit Contact Helpline. I hope to see everyone there! If you would like more information on tickets or directions, please email me at spackett@yahoo.com.

New Arrival

2009-08-04T01:24:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, August 1, 2009, at 11:30pm, Allyssa and welcomed Ayden Tayte into our lives. Allyssa was in labor for 24 hours, but her hard work and patience payed off. God has been very kind to our family by giving us such a precious gift. I was very nervous about becoming a father, because I was fearful about not being adequate. However, I needed not to lean on my own understanding, but have faith that God would grant me the mercies needed to do the task for today. Well, today I can assure that I am overwhelmed with joy and excitement that I have never experienced before, and have faith that God will equip me to be the father he has called me to be.

I am so proud of and overjoyed for Allyssa. She has waited patiently for 6 years, for me to decide I was ready for what God had laid so heavy upon her heart. She is a great mom and wife, and I am so blessed to be allowed to be her husband and Ayden's father. It is certain that there will be some trying times ahead, but I have faith that God will continue the good work that he has began in our lives. Praise be to God for the wonderful things he is doing, and may he be glorified with our marriage and parenting in the days ahead.

Mark Batterson: The Best Decision I Made...

2009-07-15T15:59:00.003-04:00

I have been following Mark Batterson's blog for some time. Although, we would disagree on a number of levels theologically, I have been encouraged and challenged by much of his writing. His new article for Catalyst serves as a great reminder to all of us on the importance of a daily intake of God's Word.

He says,

If you want to grow spiritually, you need a consistent diet of Scripture. In fact, you will never outgrow your consumption of Scripture. There is no substitute. There is no supplement. The poet, T.S. Eliot, once observed: “Everything we eat has some effect upon us. It affects us during the process of assimilation and digestion; and I believe exactly the same is true of anything we read.” In other words, you are what you read.

I have a saying that I repeat to our congregation frequently: reading without meditating is like eating without digesting. If you want to absorb the nutrients, you can’t just read it. You’ve got to chew on it. You’ve got to digest it. Meditation is the way we metabolize Scripture.

I find this very encouraging and challenging, and I would encourage you to go read his article here.

Sunday Reflections: Church On Mission First Step

2009-07-13T22:10:00.003-04:00

A couple of Wednesday nights ago, I challenged our church to begin thinking outside the box of our church, and to realize what it actually means to follow Christ. The challenge was, "are we as a church willing to do whatever it takes to spread the gospel to the nations?" I left that night highly encouraged by the movement of the Spirit among our congregation. That night I saw people begin to really think about where their focus was in relation to how we approach "doing church" or "being the church."

Yesterday morning, we looked at 1 Peter 3:18-22 and our call to suffer and persevere with hope. We saw that the call to follow Jesus was a call to risk and endure ridicule and other types of suffering. We saw how Peter was encouraging followers of Christ, who were enduring suffering for that cause, in three ways:

Be Encouraged By The Sufficiency of Christ's Suffering
Be Encouraged By The Victorious Resurrection of Christ
Be Encouraged To Persevere With Good Conscience

We asked the question: "Am I suffering for the cause of Christ?" If the answer to that question is "No", then we must ask a follow-up question, "Why Not?" The whole idea of asking this series of questions is that if the call to follow Christ was a call to suffer for that cause, then why do we not hear or see anyone suffering for that cause? We concluded that if we are not suffering to any degree, then we most likely are not living for the cause of Christ.

On Sunday Night we stuck with the topic of "suffering." We took a break from our study in James, and looked at Hebrews 13:12-16. In this passage the writer (who remains unknown) challenges the reader to go outside the camp and join in Christ's suffering. We realized that the real mission is not what we do "in" the church, but what we are going to do "outside" the church. We realized that in Amercian Church Culture, instead of seeking the Kindgom of God, we generally seek comfort, safety, and security, especially in our churches. Again, it is a call to risk and live in the following two ways:

To let the fruit of our lips be that of praising God and proclaiming his goodness to the nations, beginning here at home in our realms of influence
To continuously do good to others, even if it means that we have to sacrifice our earthly comfort, safety and security.

All in all, according to what we studied yesterday and read throughout Scripture, that the call to follow Christ is a call to love and suffer for that cause. After the worship service last night an incredible thing happened...we took up an offering for local mission (even though there is a great need to reach the nations, we realize that in order to accomplish that mission, we must first start here at home). I was totally amazed at how our small gathering responded, and for me it was the first step for Idlewild to be a church on mission.

Thank you Idlewild for being an incredibily giving church, and for being so open to hear from the Lord and to catch the vision that Christ has left for His church. Let this be our first step to many more to come. Keep living for the cause of Christ, and know that I, as your pastor, am here walking alongside of you, willing to love and suffer with you. Let us go to him outside the camp and bear his reproach as we reach the nations for his glory.

Sunday Reflections

2009-07-06T14:40:00.003-04:00

Before I get to Sunday, I would like to tell you about our 4th. Saturday, Allyssa and I were trying to decide what we would do to celebrate the holiday. As many of you know, I served 7 years (4 active duty & 3 guard) in the Air Force, and the 4th is one of those holidays that I really enjoy. We had been invited to join some friends from church out at their lake house for an evening of fellowship, food, and fireworks. However, Allyssa who is ready to deliver our son at any time, was not comfortable going too far from the house. So we decided we would go to the local fireworks show, which was great...30 minutes straight, and get there about an hour early to do some "servant evangelism." We were joined by some friends, and we passed out around 100 bottles of water to spectators. It was interesting, because many people wanted to pay us for them, and were taken back at times because we were giving them away for free. This gave us a chance to share the love of Christ with them and the gospel. I tell you, even though I missed playing with my own fireworks, missed the cookouts and fun, this was by far the best 4th yet. I pray that God was glorified in our efforts, and that maybe we will see some of these people come to one of our services at Idlewild.

Now, time for Sunday:

The question for Sunday was: "Is there an age of accountability? If so what is it? If not where do infants and small children go when they die?
Look for more on this topic in the posts to come....
It was the longest sermon that I have preached yet (1 hour), but it was needed in order to present the answer to the question in a faithful way.
In our small group on Sunday mornings we have been going through the book of Galatians. Todd is doing a really great job expounding the truths from the text and bringing application to our lives. We had a great discussion yesterday on how we are to walk in the spirit.
After church, I was able to have a great conversation with a gentleman from the church, with whom always has words of encouragement and helpful critique. I love people's honesty.
Allyssa and I joined my parents and sister for lunch at their home. It was a great time to eat some really good food, and healthy discussion.
Allyssa then went to a baby shower that the ladies at Idlewild put on for her. We have some of the sweetest ladies in all the world, and the kindness that they have shown Allyssa and I is incredible.
I played golf with my minister of music and friend, John. We needed to get away and discuss how God had been working in our lives, and seek guidance from one another on some things we are now facing. The golf was fun, but the time of true fellowship - exhorting, encouraging, confession, forgiving - was so awesome. I look forward to the day when all God's people can move beyond superficial "fellowship" and begin to enter into true biblical fellowship. I find it very difficult to be fake and superficial, but I guess there is a time and place for everything. I just love true biblical community.
Finished reading the best book on the church yet, The Living Church by John Stott. I will post a book review on it in days to come, but if you haven't read it (especially church leaders), it should definitely be on your list of must reads.

As I experience God's grace and mercy in my life, I am realizing that I am so blessed. I love my church family and am grateful that God has allowed me to be their pastor. I love my family. I have seen such growth in my parents & sisters over the past couple of years in the midst of trials, that I am very encouraged. I love my friends, especially the Wed morning guys. God has surrounded me with a great cloud of witnesses, and I am convinced, had he not, I would not be where I am today. I love my wife Allyssa. She is a gift straight from God. Not only is she beautiful, but she has put on display for me what it means to forgive, to love, to be tenderhearted and caring, and how to truly be oneself. There is not a clearer picture in this world of authenticity than Allyssa Packett. I thank God for her. I love my son, Ayden. Even though I haven't met him yet (hopefully soon), God has been kind enough to give me a deep conviction to love him and shepherd him. Finally, most importantly I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I am reminded daily that I don't deserve his love, but in his goodness and grace he loves me anyway. It is only because of his love for me, that I am able to love him and those around me. Praise be to God!

Sunday Reflections

2009-06-29T10:08:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, one of our members passed away at the age of 63. It happened right as we were beginning church, but we didn't get final word until halfway into our service. We had a great service, even though most of us were distracted by the loss, and the sight of people leaving the church to go and be with the family.

John was out of town this week, so we had another friend of ours come in and lead us in praise and hymns. Wood did a terrific job, and man can he sing. It was a great time of praise.

The question of the day was, "Does God answer the prayers of the nonbeliever?" I will probably begin doing a series of posts on this series that we are doing at church, so I will refrain from gong into too much details. Basically, we concluded that, "God in his goodness and common grace may choose to answer a nonbelievers prayer (though not likely), but it is always for the purpose to bring himself glory and to lead people to his saving grace."

Due to the distractions in the morning service, we revisited this message and took some time to examine how it could apply to the Christians life. We spent most of the evening in Luke 18:1-14.

Overall, it was a wonderful day of worship, and my prayer is that God was glorified and his people were edified. My heart goes out to the family that suffered this lost, and it is my prayer that they find comfort and peace in the arms of Jesus, not anything else this world has to offer.

A Church On Mission: The Beginning

2009-06-25T23:56:00.003-04:00

For the past year and half I have had the awesome opportunity to be the pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church. The best way that I can describe this period of time is by way of growth. When I use this word, I am not speaking specifically of 'numerical' growth, which we have experienced, but of 'spiritual' growth. When I received the call to their pastor, I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and still know very little. This has truly been a season of learning and growing. With growth and learning comes successes and failures.

First, I would like to commend the members of the church for their patience with my failures and time of growth. I am a young man who at one point in my life I despised the church as a whole, and decided to never return to church, none-the-less become a pastor. My life was a picture of the biblical parable of the prodigal son. I am amazed at the sovereignty of God and the sense of humor he must have, by calling me back to the church and calling me to the office of pastor. In my time away from the church, I like the prodigal spent my time in the pig pen of the world, diving head first into a wicked lifestyle. During this time, I experienced what it was like being hopeless and totally depraved. Due to this life experience, when I became pastor I was full zeal and passion for the gospel of Christ and mission of reaching those that I met out in the world. This passion was not bridled, nor was it clothed in humility. I had no idea what it meant to shepherd, I came in ready to drive the flock, not ready to meet them where they were. The gifts of the spirit - kindness, gentleness, humility, and love - did not characterize my beginning. So I want you who are members of the church to know that I am deeply sorry for my attitude, and greatly appreciative of your patience in enduring my unbridled passion.

Second, I do not apologize for the heart behind this passion. I am deeply overwhelmed by the gospel and filled with conviction of my lack of pursuing the mission of living out the gospel. Last night I stood before you, a broken man, a man that realizes how prideful and ineffective my unbridled passion has been. I stood before as a broken soul who longs to see our community, both Christian and non-Christian changed by the gospel of Jesus. I so desire to see individuals ruined and freed by the same gospel that did the same in my own life. The challenge that we were confronted with last evening was that of the mission that Christ left for his disciples (which includes those of us today who call ourselves Christ followers). We were challenged to ask ourselves the following question: Are we willing to do whatever it takes to proclaim the gospel in order to see the lost saved and the saved disciples? It is my deepest desire that we all can say with all confidence...YES!

What I saw last night, left me very humbled and encouraged. I saw a group of people gather together in corporate prayer bowing before the cross of Jesus, broken. I saw individuals truly broken over our lack of pursuing this mission. I also saw broken individuals overwhelmed by the Spirit of God, overwhelmed with passion and zeal. I was humbled at this sight, and greatly encouraged at the potential that lies ahead. I pray that this is the beginning of a church that is going to live on mission, no matter how uncomfortable we become and no matter what it costs us.

If you are reading this blog, and you are Christian, I pray that you ask yourself this question. Many of us think that salvation is just a means to an end, namely heaven. Although heaven is a place we get to go when we die, the real gift of salvation is life, eternal life that begins now, living in the presence of God for his glory alone, getting to enjoy him forever. I pray that you are pursuing this mission and that you are truly enjoying this great and holy God we get to call our Father. I pray that you are so overwhelmed by the truth of the gospel that you stand before God and tremble, and that you are so free that you spend your lives proclaiming the gospel with your words and your lives. This is just the beginning, but I hope it is the beginning of us living as a church on mission. May God be glorified and may we be satisfied in him. Praise be to God, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What I Am Learning...

2009-06-18T12:31:00.004-04:00

I have always been one who has to learn most things the hard way. I have a tendency to expect from others what I expect of myself. While I can find a million reasons why this is a right methodology, I am realizing that not everyone is in a place where these expectations are attainable. I realize that I am not even in a place to live up to the expectations that I put on myself. As I read Scripture, a shepherd leads and cares for his sheep, even when they try to run away, even when they disappoint. As I reflect on my life, man, have I been a disappointment to my family, friends, and I even to God.

As I let that realization permeate in my mind, I am convicted of the times that I have written people off, rejected people, showed bitterness and hatred towards people, because they did not live up to my expectation of them. I have to admit that I am just a walking contradiction. I need to seek repentance of this sin in my life, and learn from the example that Jesus demonstrated on how to love people, exhort people, and hold people accountable, but as he said, "I did not come to condemn the world but to save it." WOW!

As a Christ-follower, I need to love others, even when they are unlovable, even when they disappoint. I need to realize that I am to love, not because the person deserves it, but because God first loved me and sent his son to be my propitiation for my sins. As a friend of mine said to one of his employees when they were complaining to him about a student, "Have you ever been shown mercy?" WOW!

I am starting to see this journey as a Christ-follower (especially as a pastor) much like the experience that I had in boot camp for the Air Force. God is like my drill instructor, he doesn't hate me, he doesn't want me to fail, but the reason that he allows these trials and struggles to come into my life is because he wants us to learn to succeed in every circumstance. It is a journey of being broken down, so that Jesus can be built up, just like I was being broken down as an airman, so that the Air Force could be bettered. I am so grateful that God is allowing my eyes to be opened, and my heart softened so that I can understand these things and learn for the future. I am reminded of what one of my friends told me recently, "Don't let this be about you, but let it help you keep your eyes and heart on the gospel and the spread of it, bro."

Walking In The Light

2009-06-15T14:03:00.002-04:00

This morning I continued my study in the gospel of John. Today's passage was John 11:1-16, but the part that caught my curiosity was verses 9 &10:

"Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in them.'"

As I read this, I became curious as to what Jesus was trying to teach. Here is what came from my further digging, and I pray that it ministers to you as it has me.

Jesus claims in John 8:12 to be the light of the world.
If He is the light of the world, then to walk in the day (which means light) means to walk in the light that Jesus gives.
What is meant then by walking in the light? 1.) Walking in the light is walking in fellowship with Jesus; 2.) Walking in the light is following or obeying His Word.
It is obvious then with this understanding, that to walk in the night means simply to walk apart from Jesus.
What is meant then by walking in the night? 1.) Walking in the night is not believing in Jesus; 2.) It is not obeying His Word.

Central Theme: The evidence that an individual who claims to follow Christ is actually following Him, is whether or not he/she lives their lives in fellowship and obedience to Christ. In this passage the Pharisees wanted to stone Jesus for His claim to be God. These religious people thought they were righteous because of their heritage and knowledge of the law, but Jesus was saying that they were not righteous, because the light is not in them.

The application that I take away is, just because I do "spiritual things" and know a lot about "spiritual things", does not mean that I righteous. I am can only claim myself righteous, not by the works I do, but through the person (Jesus) that I know and who knows me. The result of this relationship is that I will live a life that is obedient to His Word.

Thoughts?

"He Justifieth The Ungodly"

2009-06-15T10:43:00.002-04:00

"Therefore, in the infinite sovereignty of His divine nature and in the splendor of His ineffable love, He undertakes the task, not so much of justifying the just as of justifying the ungodly. God has devised ways and means of making the ungodly man to stand justly accepted before Him. He has set up a system by which with perfect justice He can treat the guilty as if he had been free from offense; yes, can treat him as if he were wholly free from sin. He justifieth the ungodly.

I know that it is to me, even this day, the greatest wonder that I ever heard of that God should ever justify me. I feel myself to be a lump of unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin apart from His almighty love. I know and am fully assured that I am justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus, and I am treated as if I had been perfectly just and made an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. And yet by nature I mut take my place among the sinful. I, who am altogether undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving...Who can help being astonished at this?

If God justifieth the ungodly, then he can justify you."

-C.H. Spurgeon, All of Grace, pg 11-10

Sunday Reflections

2009-06-14T23:58:00.002-04:00

The following are just some highlights of the worship service today @ Idlewild:

So grateful for my friend and worship leader, John, for his kindness in praying over me and the church before the service this morning. Prayer, especially intercessory prayer, is greatly underestimated in most of our lives.
Enjoyed our study through Galatians in our Sunday School class this morning. It is a little disheartening that the writer of our literature sometimes runs through the text, missing so much of the truths that are found. However, Todd does a great job of studying and teaching the material, always encouraging discussion amongst the group.
Looking out across the crowd today, I couldn't help but notice a 'liveliness' in the faces of each attendee. Each Sunday it appears that each person is coming to glorify and worship God, and expecting to enjoy him more and more. This is exciting!
John and Kelley surprised me by singing the old hymn, "There Is A Fountain" sung to a different tune. I have been worshiping to this song each day for about three weeks now, via Red Mountain Church. As John stated this morning, "Putting these old hymns to slower tunes, allows us to hear the words and come to appreciate them once again."
Today, we continued our series on tough questions. Today's questions: "The Baptist's Say, 'Once Saved Always Saved.' What Does The Bible Say?" The passage of scripture that we looked at today as our primary text was John 10:27-30. We learned that the power and authority of the Godhead gives each follower of Christ assurance and security in our hope of eternal life. It is not our ability by our power to obtain and keep our salvation, but the power of Jesus (because he is God) enabling him to save and keep those whom his father chooses to follow him.
Although my ecclesiology is being challenged in my pastorate, I am still operating according to the baptist tradition of congregationalism. So we still have business meetings, which is what we had tonight. I am always weary of these times, but tonight was good. We are going to make some purchases that are going to enable us to continue the mission that God has laid out for our church. I pray that we continue to live by faith, and follow God's Word and will in all we do.
Finally, I am always encouraged when people who are older and wiser come into your life and speak truth into it. This happened to me from an individual that God is using to challenge me, and at the same time encourage me. I pray that people who are older, would not use their wisdom to judge and condemn those of us who are young and passionate, but to use it to encourage and exhort us. Thanks to this individual for challenging me to pause and reflect on where I am spiritually.

I am humbled that God is allowing me to be a part of this revitalization of His church. Idlewild is far from being the church that God wants it to be, but I can rest assured that we are on the path of pursuing that destination. The gospel is our fuel, and the glory of God and enjoying him forever is our cheif end. Praise be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Quote of the Day

2009-06-05T11:37:00.004-04:00

"Remember that the man who truly repents is never
satisfied with his own repentance. We can no more repent perfectly than we can live perfectly. However pure our tears, there will always be some dirt in them; there will be something to be repented of even in our best repentance. But Listen! To repent is to change your mind about sin, and Christ, and all the great things of God. There is sorrow implied in this; but the main point is the turning of the heart from sin to Christ. If there be this turning, you have the essence of true repentance, even though no alarm and no despair should ever cast their shadow upon your mind."

-Charles H. Spurgeon
What is it that you need to repent of today?

Sunday Reflections...Late

2009-06-02T15:56:00.003-04:00

Well, again I am late posting on this past Sunday's worship services, and I am regretting that it is going to be a short post.

Sunday morning we continued our "Tough Questions" series. This weeks question was, "What is meant by the fear of the Lord?" We went on a journey through Scripture to find the answer. We came to this conclusion as a result of our study, "the fear of the Lord is not a constant being afraid of God, but being in a constant state of awe and wonder of who God is (Holy) and what He has done (adopted enemies as children through Jesus work on Calvary)."

Sunday night we continue our study of the book of James. We covered James 1:13-16, which I entitled "Two Paths: Every Temptation A Blessing and Temptation." We learned that, "we do not sin as a result of being lured and enticed by outside forces, but by the evil desires within our own hearts." There is no one to blame for our sinfulness except for ourselves. Satan is not my biggest enemy, but Scott is my biggest enemy.

Through my time of study on these two sermons, I experienced a tremendous amount of conviction for sin in my life, and God was merciful to grant me repentance for these sins. This past Sunday was a transformational Sunday for this young pastor, and my prayer is that those who heard the message and saw their pastor wrestling with these tremendous truths, were encouraged and challenged to go home and wrestle with them in their own lives. As a result, I pray that each person experiences the mercy of God through the power of these truths in the spiritual journey.

Does God Desire That All Should Be Saved?

2009-05-28T13:29:00.004-04:00

Paul, when speaking about praying for leaders and rulers, says in 1 Timothy 2:3-4 -

"This is Good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth."

The question that came to mind as I read this is: Is it God's desire that all people (everyone who has ever lived or will ever live) to be saved?

If this portion of Scripture means that God's desire is that all people get saved, then doesn't that notion imply then that God's desired plan has failed when people reject him and are sent to hell? Can sin and creation somehow have power over the will of God? Can man's "free will" somehow overpower the will of God? If so, then we are serving a God who we can control and whom we can manipulate. What kind of God is that?

As we read this passage of Scripture, it is important for us to look at the context with which the writer is writing. Since he is exhorting the people to pray for their leaders and their salvation, instead of worshiping them, we can conclude then that what is meant by "all people" should be understood as "all kinds of people." This means that God is not a respecter of persons. In God's eyes, kings and servants are the same. It is God's desire to see a diversity of people come to know him.

Calvin says that God's desire for the salvation of all "means there is no people and no rank in the world that is excluded from salvation." However this doesn't somehow imply a universalism of salvation, but says that salvation is for all types of people: any race, any economic status, any denomination, etc.

Above all this, there remains one thing that God desires more than people's salvation, that being His Own Glory (Is. 48:11). R.C. Sproul says,

"The Lord is glorified when sin is punished in hell and so God's supreme desire is met even when people are not redeemed."

What is the application here for our lives? We must understand our role in this. We are not God, but are called to imitate Christ. We are to be very careful in this imitation, because we don't know the hearts of people. We are commanded to spread the message of the gospel with words, and show how those who have been transformed by such message, by our actions.

Belief in the sovereignty of God is not meat to stifle evangelism, but meant to fuel it. Meaning, when we understand that we are not in control of the "results" of evangelism, and will not be judged on results, it allows us freedom to proclaim the gospel to all, while trusting that God is in control of the transformation of the hearts.

In what ways are you/or are you not fulfilling the call to spread the message of the gospel? When you do share the gospel with others, are you trying to manipulate them to get the result that you want, or are you relying on the God to do what he does in the hearts of people?

Thoughts?

Late Sunday Reflections

2009-05-19T14:50:00.004-04:00

This Sunday was a great worship experience at Idlewild! We continued our series - Tough Questions: The Believers Guide To The Christian Life. This weeks question was, in my opinion one that is foundational to a person's growth in their sanctification. The question is: Did God know, before he created the "perfect" world, that sin would enter it and ruin it? If so, why did he go ahead and create in the first place?

How you answer this question really depends on your theological perspective. The following was the answer that I gave to my congregation on Sunday:

"In God's sovereignty and holy wisdom, God permitted (ordained) sin to enter the world with the purpose of magnifying the glory of himself through Jesus Christ."

This does not imply that we glorify God when we sin. However, due to our sin, we are in desperate need of the grace and mercy of God, that comes from the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and his resurrection from the dead. When we are called out to his salvation, we, who were once enemies of God, are now adopted into his family. As his adopted children we now bring glory to him, by pursuing to live a godly life and growing in our knowledge of God.

At the end of the service, I had the awesome and humbling opportunity to baptize for the first time. I had the privilege of baptizing a young man who came to know the Lord this Easter.

Over all, it was an incredible Sunday! John and Kelley did a wonderful job leading us in worship via praise, and Sunday night it was great to continue our walk through the book of James. I am looking forward to next Sunday as we go ahead with yet another question. Praise God for what he is doing in the lives of individuals in our church, and I am humbled and grateful for God allowing me to be a part of the journey.

Quote of the Day: The Peace of Knowing God

2009-05-14T14:37:00.003-04:00

"There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that this relationship guarantees God's favor to them in life, through death, and forever."

-J.I. Packer, Knowing God, pp.31

Eternal Life and Knowing God

2009-05-14T14:01:00.003-04:00

I recently finished studying Hebrews during my personal study time, and began my journey through the book John. During this time, I also read the TableTalk for the day, and I began reading two books: Knowing God by J.I. Packer & Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul. I have to say that I am most excited about this time, and am learning a great deal through it.

I am a firm believer, but at times not a great practitioner, that pastors need to have a time in which they are pursuing communion with God and seeking to grow in holiness. I feel deeply that this time needs to be separate from their sermon preparation time, not because we don't grow as we wrestle with and sweat out the text because we do. However, I spend at least 20 hours a weak in sermon preparation just for our Sunday morning service. Yet, we still have Sunday night services and mid-week services at our church, and I have found that I can preach these services from the overflow of my personal time with God. This is not the purpose of my personal time, but is an outcome, along with growing in holiness and knowledge of God, of that time.

All this said, here is what I have been learning, and presented to my church last night.

We are told in John 3:16 that "whoever believes in him (the only Son of God) should not perish by have eternal life." If the gift of faith in Jesus is eternal life, then what is eternal life? We find from Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, that eternal life is "that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3)."

We can conclude then that eternal life is: A lifelong, both present life & eternity, journey of getting to know the One True God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

What then is meant by the word know? Is this implying that we know a bunch a facts about God? Is this speaking of knowing God in that we are saved?

I don't think that is all it means. I believe that to know God means: that we are pursuing to know God and to be known by God in an intimate relational way, that actually involves knowing God as you do a person.

J.I. Packer lists the following evidences that one knows God:

Those who know God have a great passion for God.
Those who know God have great thoughts of God.
Those who know God show great boldness for God.
Those who know God have great satisfaction in God.

We cannot know God apart from the study of Scripture. However, as we study Scripture, we are not merely seeking to learn a bunch of facts about a higher being, but we are so desperately seeking to touch and taste this glorious God, and be affected by the truths that we do learn. How are we affected by them? The Bible tells in Hebrews 4:12, us that the Word of God is active and living, and it's purpose is to transform the hearts and minds of the reader.

We can be assured that if we are pursuing this intimate relationship with God, we are encountering eternal life, not in its totality but we are getting a taste of greater things to come. We are experiencing the gift that is knowing God.

False Teachers and the Power of the Gospel

2009-05-11T15:18:00.004-04:00

I read the following in this months Tabletalk by Ligonier Ministries:

"In Ephesus, the false teachers used the law neither to restrain sin nor to provoke repentance. They failed to focus on the law's opposition to ungodliness, keeping the church from seeing its need for the life-giving gospel, instead using it in a way God never intended.
-R.C. Sproul

After reading this I began to think a lot about my experience with the church, and the majority of "techniques", if you will, of today's great innovative leaders. Just as a prelude, this post is not condemning in nature, and is not meant to be handled as such. It is only an observation and an invitation to join an ongoing conversation.

My experience with the church, either the church I was a part of or what I read in books or heard in the media, was quite like the church of Ephesus. The handling of the gospel was never about the life-giving power that can be found in it's message, other than that of eternal life (and I am not certain that was well explained either). Pastors and teachers did not want to call sin, sin because they were fearful that they may offend and the people may leave, hurting their growing numbers. Then you have those who have taken the "gospel" to the other extreme, and used it as a weapon to carry on a tradition or specific agenda.

Then in the middle you have those like those in Ephesus. They, trying to be relevant, have chosen not to teach a gospel that encourages repentance of sin, because they want to effect people's lives by giving them what they want to hear. We do not focus on ungodliness, except those sins that we don't deal with. You will never hear sermons about pride, gossip, busybodies, and such, even though the church is full of these personalities. You will hear only messages about how to handle your finances, how much God loves everyone (never discussing God's wrath), how to have a great sex life with your spouse, and so forth. It's about enjoying the life you have now, but never focusing on the life-giving gospel that allows you to enjoy total satisfaction in Christ.

I wonder just how many of our churches are being led by false teachers? As a pastor, I wonder how many times I may have taught a false gospel, even though I may not have realized it? Because any teaching that focuses on one part of the gospel and refuses the other aspects, is a false teaching.

We as pastors, and us as Christ followers, must at all times be sure that we are seeking this life-giving gospel, and sharing that same gospel to others. Sometimes such living can cause others to be uncomfortable, at times people may become angry with you, and you may not be the most popular person, but God will be glorified with your life, and lives will be eternally effected not by you, but by the gospel.

As I continue my journey as a pastor, I am reminded just how true this realization is. I am noticing that individuals that hear the gospel, do not know how to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I am noticing that people really don't understand how the Scriptures apply to their everyday life. I am also noticing that people don't realize that to be a Christian is supposed to be about an ongoing, growing, and healthy relationship with Jesus our Savior. It is not about doing more, it is about being focused on Him more and less on ourselves. We don't get, that we can find total satisfaction and rest in our Heavenly Father. I pray that we will return to our first love, and proclaim from the rooftops of our lives, the life-giving power of the gospel. May we continue to pursue godliness, not because we are somehow trying to earn God's love, but because he loves us and we love him. May we be very careful as pastors and Christ followers not to present a false gospel, but the whole of the gospel to everyone around us. May we not use God's Word in a way that He never intended it to be used.

Sunday Reflections

2009-05-11T09:37:00.002-04:00

I am going to keep this short. Yesterday was obviously a great day for the following reasons:

The people of Idlewild gathered together and worshiped God (a wonderful service: Sunday School, music was great, and the presentation of honoring the mothers was beautiful)
It was Mother's Day (shame on you if you forgot)
We began our Tough Questions series, addressing the first question: What Is Church Discipline, and What Is It's Role In The Church Today?
It was mine & Allyssa's 6th year wedding anniversary
As a result of a young man getting saved on Easter, I am going to be baptizing him next Sunday (I warned him it was my first, so he should bring his flippers)
Ate a delicious meal prepared by my sisters for our mother
Allyssa was so kind to spend the afternoon watching me play golf (I shot my all time best...85. Allyssa, being the honest person she is, would not allow me to cheat, so it is an honest score)

Overall, it was a fantastic Sunday. It was a tough sermon, but I pray that God continues to work in the hearts of the hearers and their pastor. Most importantly, my hope is that God was glorified in our lives yesterday.

Scripture Memory Tools (via Media)

2009-05-04T11:40:00.004-04:00

This post from Bob Kauflin is a fantastic idea about memorizing scripture through music. He offers those passages of scripture that their church put to music for download in this same post. I encourage you to go and check out this great tool.

Another tool for this, specifically with children is Seeds Family Worship. Click on both, and I highly encourage you to seriously consider purchasing these CD's. I want to personally thank one of my friends and accountability partners, Micah, for introducing me to these cd's, but also to Tim Challies for drawing my name from his virtual hat, leading to my winning the whole package of these cd's for my family.

(HT: Worship Matters)

Sunday Reflections

2009-05-03T22:20:00.002-04:00

Even though the rain was coming down, and people were working tirelessly on preparing for the days events, this mornings' service was great. I really sensed the presence of God in a whole new way this morning, even though we covered a very sensitive subject.

The text for the day was 1Peter 3:1-7, and the sermon was entitled, "Christ-Centered Marriages". Most people who have sat in traditional baptist churches and heard sermons on this topic, have heard that the husband is to rule the family (in a dictatorship kind of way), and the wife is to obey him (in a slave to a slave-master kind of way). Because of this I chose to be very direct, thorough, and somewhat non-politically correct in my language. I am quite sure that people felt a little uncomfortable with my use of certain words like (if you are seeking your future wife or your wife for physical pleasure only and treating her like crap the rest of time, you are treating her like a whore). I say this as one who has treated his past girlfriends and wife in that way. What is a prostitutes purpose? For men to use them for their own pleasure, never thinking about the pain and trauma that the woman is going through. I hate to say it, we men have treated women like this, in and outside of marriage, for far too long. Someone needs to say it, and I guess I am just dumb enough to say it.

I chose to be very gentle in my delivery to the ladies, but was still intentional in all that I said to them. I tried to encourage the ladies to pursue a Christ-Centered life (personal pursuit of Christ in their personal life), while submitting (honoring, respecting, and trusting God without fear) to their husbands role as head of the marriage relationship.

With the men, I chose to not be so gentle. For far too long we have treated men as though they are delicate and not men. I told the church, specifically the men, that if they were not leading their families well, then they would fall into one of two categories: cowards or chauvinists. Cowards are those guys who say yes all the time (and say yes mam to their wives all the time) and who are so afraid to offend anyone that they fail to lead. The Chauvinists are those guys who overpower their wives and treat them like slaves and doormats. Neither lead their families well, but look out for themselves.

The point is this: that if we are going have Christ-Centered, God-Glorying marriages, both husbands and wives each need to pursue their own individual relationships with Jesus. I tried to give illustrations from our marriage, not as one's who have it all figured out, but as a couple who is being challenged by this passage and whose marriage is being transformed by the Word of God. My wife was so generous and kind as to allow me to use these illustrations, which were very personal to her.

Overall, I hope people were able to look beyond the language and hear the message that Peter is presenting. I personally think that the language used was needed for an element of shock factor, as well as to get people out of their comfort zone and really evaluate their own marriages. My desire this morning was to help stir husbands and wives to evaluate where their marriages and personal relationships with Jesus are. Judging by the response I received from many of the visitors and members, I feel like it was a success. As one lady put it, "I'm not used to this kind of preaching, because I actually learned something today." That statement alone both scares me for the congregation that she is apart of, and encourages me that God is using a young punk kid like me to bring glory to his name, and facilitating change in the hearts of his people.

Thank you God for giving me the mercy needed to pursue you and shepherd the flock you have entrusted to me. Help me not to treat this role of pastor as a hired hand, but as a shepherd who is willing to lay down his life and reputation for his sheep. I pray that you will continue give me wisdom in all aspects of my life, and help me to never cower due to my desire to please man. Help me be strong and courageous, while standing firm on the power of the Word of God and it's sufficiency in my life. Thanking you for loving a sinner like me.

Spiderwebs Along The Narrow Path

2009-05-02T10:46:00.005-04:00

Jesus says in his teachings in Matthew 7:13-14,

"Enter by the the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

This past week, a friend of mine introduced me to a hiking trail that we have in our community that I had no idea was there. I love to be out in the woods, and I especially love hiking. There is just something peaceful about being in creation in it's original context that makes you feel alive and somewhat closer to the Creator.

On Wednesday morning after my men's accountability group, I decided to take my quiet time outdoors. So I packed up my ESV Journaling Bible into my CamelPak, and set out on the trail. I soon realized that I was the first and only person to take this trail on this day. How, you my ask. Well, when you are 6'1" and you are the first hiker out on a specific trail, you realize quickly that you are either the first person to take the trail today, or the tallest. The reason is very simple: You get caught up in all the spiderwebs. This trail is already very narrow and windy, but when you add the element of annoying spiderwebs, it makes the seemingly easy trail a little more difficult.

In the same way, the narrow path, that is the one that follows the Way (Jesus), seems seemingly easy, until you set out on it. For those who think that following Jesus is easy, and who say that the Christian life is so much fun, I would say back, "I don't think your on the same path as me." Like being on that trail this week, it seemed easy until I started getting caught in all the spiderwebs and then realized this path is really narrow. Why? On a narrow path it is imposible to avoid the spiderwebs. In the same sense, on the path that leads to Jesus, it is a given there will be trials and situations that are unavoidable, but they are profitable for your maturity and sanctification process.

Yesterday was one of those days. There has been a person who has really been a thorn in my flesh since I began the journey that I am on. I pray daily for this person, I am always friendly with this person, I try and encourage this person, I attempt to go out of my way to show this person love, but in the end, this person always has a complaint and/or a criticism. It is difficult in these times, because you want it to be easy. You want the person to see your love for them and Christ's love for them, but they are not looking for that. They become the equivalent to an annoying spiderweb that one runs into on the perverbial narrow way. You can't avoid them. You can't retaliate. You can only press forward and continue the journey, and pray that God will transform them from a spiderweb into a sojourner with you on the way. That is my prayer.

If you want any easy life. If you are looking for a "spider-web free" path, then the way of following after Jesus is not the path for you. This pathway is narrow, it is full of trials, struggles and suffering, but it is the path that leads to life everlasting. It is the path that leads to satisfaction. It is not the way for the faint of heart, but is the way for those who are willing to die to self and persevere.

Sunday Reflections

2009-04-27T10:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was yet another great day of worship at Idlewild. It is so amazing to see God at work in the lives of his people, and as a pastor it is very humbling to think that God is using me in such a way that is effecting many lives. I grew up hearing pastors talk about the highs and lows of being in ministry, but never really understood until this past year sitting in that seat. One thing that I have figured out is it was so easy sitting in the pew watching a particular pastor and thinking to myself what I would do different. It was so easy sitting their critiquing him and pointing out his weaknesses, without really knowing what he is going through. Being a pastor is tough, and if it wasn't I don't think that it would be worth pursuing. It is in the tough times, that we learn how to endure in our faith, that we learn to trust God more, and our hope in Christ is strengthened. I just pray that as I continue this journey, I would consistently seek "true wisdom", wisdom that comes from a generous God, to help me persevere (James 1:1-8, Romans 5:1-5, Proverbs 2:6-7, Matthew 7:7-8).

Last week we finished our series on the book of Ruth. It was an amazing journey, and such an awesome book that reveals our relationship with Jesus and the providence of God in our lives. Next week we are starting our new series, "Tough Questions: The Believers Guide To The Christian Life." I am totally excited about this, because I have gotten some good questions, which means I had better get to praying, planning, and preparing. This week though, was one of those Sundays that was a freebe, meaning there was no planned series or book to go through. I have been going through the book of Hebrews in my quiet time, and chapter 4 has really impacted my life.

I decided that we would focus in on Hebrews 4:11-13, and entitled the sermon "Dissection Leads to Satisfaction." The premise of the entire chapter is finding rest (satisfaction) in God's Rest. In reading the chapter, one sees that the children of Israel did not seek to find rest in God, and thus spent 40 years in the wilderness for their disobedience. The writer of Hebrews is warning his readers not to make the same choice. In his wisdom, he points out that if one is to truly find this rest or satisfaction, they must be impacted by the Word of God. He says that the Word of God is to dissect your inner being, so it can expose to you the motivations and attitudes of your heart. God's Word moves beyond the tough exterior (joints and marrow illutration) to the interior where our lives take place. There is no fooling or manipulating God. He sees all and knows all, and yet in his kindness and mercy still grants us grace and forgiveness.

I really have been challenged by these verses, because many of times when I sit before the Scriptures, it is not much different than sitting before another book. Sometimes, I do not see the Bible as "active" and as "living", meaning that it has a purpose, and that purpose is to pierce the hearts and souls of those who read, to bring change. So we conclude then that the only way a believer can find rest or satisfaction in God, is through the power of the Word of God, whether read or heard, dissecting our hearts and exposing the "real us" to ourselves.

My prayer for us all is that we will seek to find rest in God's rest. I challenge you to open up the Word of God, not out of obligation or guilt, but out of a deep desire to know God, to know the real you, and to be changed. There is no rest like God's rest!

(We read Psalm 95 in our Scripture Reading, which sets a great foundation for these verses in Hebrews 4...check it out if you get a chance.)

The Purpose of the Bible

2009-04-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

"The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.”

- Timothy Keller

(via Of First Importance)

Reminder For Men: Love & Lead Your Wives

2009-04-16T10:36:00.003-04:00

I meet with a group of men for accountability and Bible study on Wednesday mornings ever week. Yesterday morning, Mike brought up a passage of Scripture that really kicked me in the backside, and continued to do so all day. It effected me so much that I had no other choice but to respond in repentance to God, to my wife, and to the men of my church. I want to share with you this verse in hopes that it will kick you in the backside as well.

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
-1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)

Did you notice the last sentence? The whole of our lives will be effected and will suffer, if we do not lead our wives according to Scripture and if we do not love our wives as Christ loves the church. As a pastor, this means that I am praying in vain, if I am not leading and loving my wife correctly. This means that my church suffers due to my lack of fellowship with my wife and God. Imagine the implications here....Men we are in real trouble!

I would commend you all (me included) to grab your Bible and meditate and memorize this verse. Allow it to kick your butt, and respond in obedience...confess your sin to your wife and God. We must stop being cowards, passive, and/or control freaks, and start loving and honoring our wives. Why? The reason is simple, we as believers are here to bring glory to God, and to know Him. If we do not obey, we are not living in fellowship with Him, nor are we living for His glory. In other words, we are living in sin. Think about it...Repent!

"Easter" Sunday Reflections

2009-04-12T21:29:00.002-04:00

Amazing!! That is the only word that comes to mind as I think about this morning's services. Allyssa and I arrived at the church around 6:30am, along with few other people and we made our way to the graveyard, yes our church still has a graveyard and it is pretty cool if you ask me. Anyways, we sang a couple of songs, read Isaiah 53 and S.M. Lockridge's "That's My King." After this we spent time together around some biscuits and gravy and tenderloin.

To be honest, I have been tremendously burdened for my church and my community lately. I always have a burden, but it has been a little more intense as of late. I have been at Idlewild for a little over a year, and we have seen one person give their life to the Lord. Not to take anything from that person at all, but I was beginning to question God's timing in the life of our church. I, along with others, have spent more time interceding for those in our church community.

So why do I tell you all this? Well today, our choir rocked! John and Kelley did a fantastic job putting together our Easter program together this year. Then I spoke on the Victory of the Resurrection, from 1 Corinthians 15. I attempted to lay out the gospel of Jesus, challenge those who call themselves Christians to be about the Father's work (that being preaching the power of the gospel to ourselves and to others), and invited nonbelievers to consider the sinful state and their need for a Savior.

Now what you may not know about me is, even though I am a Southern Baptist minister, I am not a huge fan of guilt ridden alter calls. I would rather expound the text (hopefully presenting clearly the power of the gospel in the text), and invite people to reflect on what was heard, examine their hearts, and discern how they should respond. Today, we did that, and a little girl came forward with her mother, and she said that she was a sinner in need of a Savior, and wanted to be saved. Again, I told her that God was calling her out to be His child, and that she just needed to tell him what she told me, and then claim Jesus as her Savior. So I prayed for her, and allowed her to talk to Jesus as only a 6 year old girl can.

I was so excited that I forgot everything I was 'supposed' to be doing. However, through God's mercy, I was able to collect myself long enough to serve communion. After the service as I was greeting people, a young man came up to me and said I need to be saved. We went into my office and talked, and he gave his life to Lord.

The miracle of Easter is this, that sinful man can come to faith in Jesus. Today that miracle took place in two individuals lives. Nothing I did, nor anything those two individuals did brought to them salvation. God granted them grace and mercy by offering them the gift of himself. I praise God that his is still the greatest phenomenon in all of history. I am still amazed at how glorious he is and how powerful the gospel is. May the praise and glory be given to God alone!

Good Friday And Listening Ears

2009-04-11T12:51:00.003-04:00

Last night we had our first Good Friday service at Idlewild. Over the past month, I have wondered why it seems as though the only churches that have these services are the Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. Why does it seem like Baptist churches only have "Easter Programs" or plays, instead of an organized observing and celebrating of the Friday our Lord Jesus took the Wrath of God for us? In an attempt to evangelize, I think we sometimes miss Jesus, even though our plays and programs are about him. It appears as though our programs play to an emotional experience, instead of a balanced experience. What happens is it becomes about what we can do, instead of celebrating what He has done.

Well last night, we observed and celebrated why we celebrate Good Friday. We sang songs and read Puritan prayers based upon the "precious blood". The text for the sermon was Matthew 27:45-54. With the help of James Montgomery Boice, I spoke on "The Miracle of Calvary". We seem to forget that the greatest miracle of all is that sinful man has the opportuniy to come to faith in Christ. That's why Friday is so Good.

Speaking of this, last night we didn't have a large crowd due to the vicious storms and Easter plays in the surrounding churches. However, even though I may have been frustrated with the crowd, God used the message to begin working on a 6 year old girl. It's funny, most adults sit back and because they already know the story they don't seem to realize that it still applies. On the other hand, there was this sweet child, who during the whole sermon took notes, without the help of mommy or daddy. After the service she came running up to me and says "look I took notes." As I read the notes, my heart began to break. She was really listening, and even though people have told me time and time again that children don't need to be in "big church" because they will not understand, this little girl did. In those notes was every point that I made, but what got me was she put it in first person:

1.) I am nothing but sin
2.) They nailed him to a cross
3.) Jesus is my everything

That was on a piece of paper from a six year old. God is beginning, in my opinion, to call her out to his kingdom. She is beginning to understand. She doesn't know how church "should be" nor does she know all the proper churchy lingo, and I hope she never does. What she is beginning to understand is that she needs Jesus, and I pray that during this Easter season that we realize that we are nothing more than sinful creatures, and without Jesus we are nothing. I pray that we get over our religious pride, and fall facedown at the cross and worship our Savior for taking the wrath of God for us.

God, give us all ears that hear, and hearts that obey. Have mercy on us, for we do not know what we are doing. Lead us to repentance and humility. May you be glorified with our broken lives.

Christ-centered Music: Red Mountain Music

2009-04-07T12:34:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know, due to a couple of my friends introducing me to them, Red Mountain Music is my new favorite worship band. They take old hymns, that did not have music to the lyrics originally and put music to it. They are awesome...my personal favorite is the Gadsby Project, specifically "Dearly We're Bought" & "Christ, Or Else I Die". Go to Amazon or iTunes and download it like your life depends on it! Because your personal worship time will be enriched with this music playing in the background.

Tough Questions Series

2009-03-29T23:22:00.002-04:00

This morning at church I announced our upcoming sermon series after we finish the book of Ruth. I have placed a box in our entrance, with blank 5x7 cards, and have asked the entire congregation to write down any question that they may have and place it in the box. We are calling the series: "Tough Questions: The Believers Guide To The Christian Life".

Everyone has questions, but very few ever find answers. I am not pretending to have all the answers, but what I am trying to do is to create an atmosphere that people feel comfortable asking the tough questions of life. I am highly encouraging everyone to be involved, and I pray that anyone who has questions will feel safe to write it down and put it in the box.

After four weeks of taking questions, I am going to pick 12, and as a church we are going on a 12 week journey into God's Word to seek answers to these questions. I would like to invite any of you who read this blog to drop questions that you may have in the comments section that I may use as well. I am very excited about this series and pray that each person in our church finds answers to the questions that they have.

Sunday Reflections

2009-03-29T22:23:00.003-04:00

It was a great day at Idlewild today. It was great to see many of our members back in the swing of things, after dealing with this sickness that has been floating around. I have really been enjoying this series on Ruth. The title of the series is "The Providence of God In the Lives of His People." Today we covered probably the most peculiar passage of the book, Chapter 3. We looked at "The Providence of God In Our Plans." We saw how Naomi tried to rush God's plan to redeem Ruth, by devising a plan that was quite risky for Ruth.

The author of Ruth is quite meticulous in his form. It is almost as if he wants you to ask questions of the text, like "what was the motivation?" or "was Ruth seeking to seduce Boaz?" Obviously due to the fact that Boaz was a "worthy man" and Ruth was a "worthy woman", we realize that this act, however risky and questionable it may be, is innocent and not sexual in nature. What we learn from this passage is God is both sovereign and good, and he does have plans for each of his children. However, his plans work out according to his timing, and most of the time that is not acceptable to us, because we like Naomi, want God to show up according to our will and our timing. What we learn is that we must wait patiently and trust in the faithfulness and timing of our soveriegn and good God.

Tonight we focused our attention on Luke 10:38-42. This is the story of when Jesus visits with Mary and Martha, and while Martha is busy working hard, Mary is sitting at Jesus feet. Martha tries to get Jesus to reprimand her sister, but Jesus instead teaches Martha a little about how being follower of him works. He told her that she was focused and worried about many things, good things, but Mary had focused her attention on the one thing that was most important, Him.

I think we can all learn a lot from this story. Most of our Christian lives, especially with in the church, is wrapped up in being active in service, good things, but I fear that while we are busy we tend to miss out on the most important thing, Jesus. Jesus was in the living room of Martha's house, and yet she was so busy trying to please him, that she missed him. Sound familiar?

Overall, it was a great weekend. I am stoked about our Easter plans. We are doing our church's first Good Friday service which I am so excited about. Then on Sunday we have a wonderful service planned and I just pray that God will be glorified with all that takes place.

Humility

2009-03-24T18:03:00.005-04:00

I have noticed over the past few months that one of my greatest, if not the greatest struggles is with the sin of pride. I find myself spending much time in thought and speech, focused on the wrongs and sins of others, and why they should think and be like me. Even as I type this, it is so difficult for me not to hit the backspace and not post on this topic. However, I truly believe that we need to pursue humility in all we do, because the opposite of of humility is pride. I read a book a year ago that was very effective in kicking my rear end, and now I thought I should revisit and share with you guys. The book is entitled, Humility: True Greatness, authored by C.J. Mahaney. The following are passages of Scripture and quotes found in the book. I hope that you gain some insight through these, as did I.

"This is the one to whom I will look; he who is humble and contrite in Spirit." -Isaiah 66:2

"The real issue here is not if pride exists in your heart; it's where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life." -C.J. Mahaney

"At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend." -John Stott

"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." -Proverbs 8:13

Why does God hate pride?

"Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence." -C.J. Mahaney

"Pride is more than the first of the seven deadly sins; it is itself the essence of all sin." -John Stott

"Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: Self-Glorification!" -C.J. Mahaney

"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." -James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5

"We cannot free ourselves from pride and selfish ambition; a divine rescue is absolutely necessary."
-C.J. Mahaney

I am so thankful for the rescue that is provided in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now we are in desperate need of His grace daily, because we cannot daily rescue ourselves from the sin of pride. God help us to fear you and express this in all humility.

Ben Finch Photography

2009-03-17T16:24:00.003-04:00

I would like to encourage all of you who happen to read my blog, to check out my good friend Ben Finch's photography website. Ben is a godly man, and a wonderful photographer. He also has a graphic design company, the visible group, which you can find out more info here.

You should really check out his published book of photos from Israel, as well as his book on leadership entitled, A Remarkable Practice. If you are in leadership of any kind, you would benefit greatly from this book.

I just wanted to give him a shout out here on the blog on this great St. Patrick's Day of 2009.

Can't Afford To Be An Avid Reader...

2009-03-17T15:56:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for ways to be an avid reader, but you can't afford to go and purchase the books worth reading, Trevin Wax has posted some great ideas here.

I especially liked his second point:

2. Read your favorite books again.

That’s right. Take the books you already have and give them a second go. Not all of them, of course. But the good ones… the ones you remember well.

Reading the same book twice is never the same experience. I remember reading a book when it first came out and liking it a lot. Then, I remember reading it again a couple of years later and being horrified at the lack of discernment I’d had the first time.

Some books that you love the first time will leave you dry the second time. Other books that seemed too deep or uninviting the first time may be just what you need the second time. So be a good steward of the books you already have. Read them again!

I have found this to be so true in my life. Hope this is helpful, and please be encouraged to make time to read good books. It is so worth it.

(via Kingdom People)

Sunday Reflections

2009-03-15T21:31:00.004-04:00

This morning at church taught on the difference between a life lived according to religion and one that is lived according to the gospel. I used the following series of comparisons originally written by Mark Driscoll:

-Religion says, if I obey, God will love me.
Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.
-Religion has good and bad people.
Gospel has repentant and unrepentant people.
-Religion values the birth family.
Gospel values the new birth.
-Religion depends on what I do.
Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.
-Religion has the goal to get from God.
Gospel has the goal to get God.
-Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin.
Gospel sees hardships as sanctified afflictions.
-Religion is about me.
Gospel is about Jesus.
-Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key.
Gospel believes being honest is key.
-Religion has uncertainty about standing before God.
Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus’ work.
-Religion sees Jesus as the means to an end.
Gospel sees Jesus as the end.
-RELIGION ENDS IN PRIDE AND DESPAIR.
THE GOSPEL ENDS IN HUMBLE JOY.

The service went extremely well. I really felt that God was making his presence known to people this morning, and I truly believe that there was a movement of repentance of the sin of self and religion amongst our congregants and our pastor (me). I am amazed by the mercy and grace that our Heavenly Father shows us. I desire to remain desperate for the Spirit of God, and to realize that Jesus is the greatest treasure of my life.

I would like to leave you with a quote by Tim Keller on the gospel:

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”
-Tim Keller

It's My B-day & Guess What?

2009-03-06T18:05:00.002-05:00

Today I am celebrating my 28th year on planet earth. I am so grateful for the life experiences that God has allowed me to experience thus far, and I look forward to the ones he has in store for me in the future.

Speaking of life experiences and birthdays....today I found out that our baby is definitely going to be a BOY! We had our 20 week ultrasound, and there was no question for anyone looking at the screen what the baby was. It made say under my breathe, and to a few of my buddies via text message, "That's my boy!!"

In all seriousness, I thank God for the gift of life. There is nothing like looking at that screen and seeing that little 11 oz baby kicking and turning. I am so excited and so grateful. I pray that God will prepare me to be a good and most importantly, godly father to my son.

It's Been A While....

2009-03-06T17:58:00.003-05:00

Hey all, sorry that I haven't posted in a while. Life has been going 100 miles an hour and I just had to stop a few things to focus on what is most pressing. I hope to be back to a regular blogging routine within the next week, after Allyssa and I take a much needed break from every day life. We are heading back to the great land of Disney on Sunday and will be there until Friday. A couple in our church, who happen to love Disney more than my wife, was so gracious to give us a trip back before our baby comes this summer.

I am sorry to those who were reading my blog on a regular basis. God has really been teaching me a lot over the past three months, and I have a lot to share in the near future. Please standby for more on that. In the mean time continue to pray for us, we are seeking God's guidance and providence in a couple of areas right now, and need some prayer from others. Thanks for your patience during this time of transition.

Best Christmas Present Ever!

2008-12-06T10:54:00.002-05:00

I am sorry for being absent from the blogging scene, but life has just been crazy. I will definitely be back in action after the holidays, but hope to post a couple of more things over the next couple of weeks.

One of the reasons I have been out of pocket is that Allyssa and I found out that we are 9 weeks pregnant!! Well she is. So I have been totally excited about this, plus the holiday season is very hectic at church, as well as at my non-profit.

Please keep us in your prayers, and know that we are going to start a baby (family) blog soon. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and hope that the upcoming holidays find you well.

Three Marks Of A Thankful Heart

2008-11-27T22:28:00.002-05:00

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

1.) Rejoice always: Joy is an outward result of firm hope of the Christian.

"Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2)

2.) Pray without ceasing: This is a continual personal fellowship with a Holy God.

3.) Give thanks in all circumstances: A follower of Christ should in all circumstances, good or bad, give thanks.

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)

"How far less are the greatest afflictions that we meet with in this world...than we have deserved."
-Jonathan Edwards

Catching Up

2008-11-19T14:47:00.002-05:00

To those who follow this blog, I just wanted to apologize for not posting as often as I would like. Time has been crazy this past couple of months, but I am beginning to see relief in my schedule for the coming days. Be on the lookout for some upcoming posts that will be thought provoking and challenging. Please be in prayer for me and my church. Thanks to you who have contacted me concerned about me.

Sunday Reflections

2008-11-16T21:16:00.002-05:00

I love Sundays! Today was a great service at our church. We had a great crowd, wonderful Christ-centered music, and very challenging message from the Word of God. This morning we covered that in the story of Jonah, that God was determined that the Ninevites would be evangelized to. Also we saw that God takes moments in which we are disobedient, and uses them to mold and equip for his sovereign plan for our lives. The primary challenge was that if we want to see people come to know the Lord through the power and working of the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to die to our selves. Out of death, comes life.

Tonight, we continued our study on worship. The topic tonight was 'A Lifestyle of Worship.' We discovered through Scriptures, that God is not only interested in our words and attitudes, but also our actions. Like the morning service, the theme of total surrender (death to self) to God is way by which we are able to worship God the way He desires. Worship is not about us, it is always about Him. The question that we asked was 'What does your reflection look like?' Basically this refers to are we reflecting God's glory and the cross of Calvary, or are we reflecting with our lives our own personal desires, comforts, and opinions. May we die to self, so that God is glorified, and others are drawn to the saving grace of God.

Spiritual Growth Is Tough

2008-11-14T22:23:00.003-05:00

This has been a week full of challenges, to say the least. I now realize just how miserable being in ministry can be if you are not really called to it. I say this as one who is finding out that what my wife's grandfather told me at my ordination service is so true, 'If you can do anything else, son, you had better go and do it. You had better make sure that this is what God has called you to do.' In response I must say that this is exactly what I was born to do.

This life that God has called not only me to but many others, is a tough road. However, we must remember that our Lord and Savior suffered much more than we could ever imagine. In the moments that I was experiencing criticism and condemnation, the only thing that I could think of is 'Scott, these people need the grace and mercy that Jesus has granted you.' Six months ago, I believe that I would have responded in a much different way. I would have been enraged that someone would speak to me in this manner and would have the gumption to cast stones at me, a righteous man. I would have returned evil for evil, stone for stone.

It is amazing how God works in the heart of His children. I mean, I was hurt and offended, but this time it was not for myself, but for the gospel. When it was all said and done, I walked away thinking to myself, how could people miss all that Scriptures say about self-control and loving kindness? How could people be so blind to the gospel's message? How could they mock at the death of Christ in such a way that it doesn't even faze them?

I now understand what Jesus must have felt when interacting with the Pharisees. I never would have imagined that people in the church could be so cruel and so condemning. However, as I read through the gospels, those are the people that Jesus faced everyday and who ultimately killed Him.

In all of this, I am humbled. I am broken. I am more sure now than ever, that God is sovereign and working out His plan in my life. I must remain faithful to my call, to my Father, and to my church. I must be steadfast and self-controlled, while responding with loving kindness, mercy and grace, and continue to preach Christ and Him crucified, even if it cost me my life. Isn't that what Jesus did? Isn't that what all the apostles did? Why should I be any different?

In God We Do Not Trust: Mark Driscoll's Take On The Election

2008-11-04T15:33:00.004-05:00

Over at Mark Driscoll's blog at the Resurgence, he has some very thoughtful insights on how Christians view and should view the election. This post was very convicting to me, and has really put some direction in my life. I hope you will check it out, and leave your thoughts here. May we put our total trust in God and in the atonement of Jesus Christ, and stop being as the Israelites looking for an earthly king to save us. He is the King, and is ruler of all and will one day take His rightful place on His throne.

Sunday Reflections

2008-11-03T15:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday at church, we had a wonderful service. Our attendance was up 50% from last week, and everything was God-centered worship. John did an excellent job choosing songs that led up to the proclamation part of the service. I have to admit, during the song 'Here I Am To Worship', I broke down. This was not a result of an emotional experience, but one of realization of that which I was singing. In the song there is this phrase that is repeated: 'I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross.' As I sang this I tried to imagine standing there as Jesus drank the cup that bore the wrath of God. As I did this, I saw myself, my sinful nature. This led to a desperation that I can't explain. It was like I finally realized, Scott you are unworthy, you are sinful, it is because of you that he is hanging there. In that moment I had no other option than to be broken and confess my need of God's grace and mercy. It was a very humbling moment, one that is needed daily.

We continued our study on Jonah. Yesterday we covered, Jonah 1:7-16. We focused on two things: God's sovereignty (He is in control of the good times as well as the bad times of life) and on Jonah as a symbol of the scapegoat used on the Day of Atonement. With this contrast, I was able to then show the congregation that even though Jonah was able to save the men from death of drowning, these sailors were still in need of something or someone to offer them hope for the salvation of their souls. This was a great lead into presenting the gospel of Jesus as that hope. The sailors made the statement that God does as he pleases, and I ended with the statement, 'It pleased God to provide a way for us to be atoned for, through the death and resurrection of His Son. Jesus was the final sacrificial lamb and scapegoat needed.'

It was an amazing service. My prayer is that God was glorified and not the church nor the pastor. I pray that I directed people's attention to their own sinfulness and upon the hope and beauty of the Cross of Calvary.

Happy Reformation Day!

2008-10-31T16:50:00.002-04:00

Today is the anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his theses to the door at the Wittenburg door. On October 31, 1517, it began, the great reformation.

'God may you bring a new reformation to the hearts and souls of your people today as you did almost 500 years ago. May we declare the truths of your gospel, without any hesitation. May we realize just how desperate we are for your Word and your Spirit, and may you create in us a hunger and thirst that can only be satisfied at your table. May all this happen as we declare that it is all for your glory, alone. '

Take time today to think about the great importance of this event in human history, but do not worship this event. Allow this event in human history to cause you pause, and may you meditate and rejoice in worship of the greatest event in human history, that of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. Soli Deo Gloria!

John Piper's Heart On The Election

2008-10-31T16:44:00.002-04:00

Here is an excellent way to view our country and this election. We are God's people whose allegiance is to the Kingdom of Heaven and not to the kingdom on earth.

(via youtube...by way of Desiring God)

Three Standards Of Evangelism

2008-10-30T21:08:00.004-04:00

I have been reading a book entitled, Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community, written by Tim Chester and Steven Timmis. In Chapter 3, the authors lay out the process of evangelism in the context of community. For many this will be a drastic change of thought, and will challenge how they think about evangelism. However, I totally agree with their conclusions on the topic and wanted to share with you the three standards in which I (as well as the authors) believe will be most effective in carrying out the Great Commission, while obeying the Great Commandment.

1. Building Relationships: We should develop relationships with those who are not Christians. We should seek to love our neighbors (those around us) by inviting them into our lives in order to live life together.

2. Sharing The Gospel: We should love our neighbors, but with gospel intentionality. We should live life together with the desire and purpose to present them the gospel, not just with our actions but with our words as well.

3. Introduce People To The Church Community: This is not simply inviting them to our church gatherings. This is part of it, but not exactly what this is intended to mean. Within the church community we have people with different gifting. Maybe one is good at hospitality (cooking, entertaining, etc) and another is good at communicating clearly the goals and beliefs of the community. We come together over a meal at someone's house, and we begin talking about life and the one who is good at communicating the gospel can present the core beliefs of the community. This can be done in homes, restaurants, gatherings, small groups, etc.

Understand that this is not a specific formula but a lifestyle to be lived by the church. We have to move beyond our understanding the church to be a building, to a community living life together. Within this context trust is built, love is shown, needs are met, and the gospel is presented. This is the standard by which evangelism is to be most effective in our present world. This is precisely the way Jesus lived out his life, and how the early church lived out their mission in their context.

What are your thoughts? Is this helpful? How does your church perceive evangelism? How well do they live life with those around them?

Quote Of The Day

2008-10-30T21:01:00.004-04:00

"The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world...The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us."
-G.K. Chesterton

Formula: How To Know Right From Wrong

2008-10-18T20:43:00.002-04:00

I am not usually much on 'Christian Formula's', but while reading Jerry Bridges book, The Pursuit of Holiness, I came across this formula and it seems as though it could be helpful for us, especially in those gray areas in life. The following formula is biblical and very applicable to our lives:

1. "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial." (1 Cor. 6:12)
Question 1: Is it helpful - physically, spiritually, and mentally?

2. "Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." (1 Cor 6:12)
Question 2: Does it bring me under its power?

3. "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall." (1 Cor. 8:13)
Question 3: Does it hurt others or cause them to fall in their spiritual journey?

4. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31)
Question 4: Does it glorify God?

"Am I willing to develop convictions from the Scriptures and live by those convictions?"
-Jerry Bridges

Pursuing Holiness: God's Provision and Our Responsibility

2008-10-18T20:31:00.003-04:00

I am almost finished reading Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness. It is a great read, and packed with very convicting and applicable insights from an author who has definitely done is research on the topic and has obviously experience this pursuit in his own journey as a Christ follower. In His book he states the following about God's provision and our responsibility in our pursuit of holiness:

"God has made provisions for our holiness and he has also given us a responsibility for it. God's provision for us consists in delivering us from the reign of sin, uniting us with Christ, and giveing us the indwelling Holy Spirit to reveal sin, to create a desire for holiness, and to strengthen us in our pursuit of holiness."

"If we sin, it is because we choose to sin, not because we lack the ability to say no to temptation."

These two statements have great implications in my present experience on my journey. Many of times I am tempted and try my darnedest not to give in, but eventually fall. Almost immediately, I turn and fall on my knees and ask for forgiveness, and ask God to give me the strength to resist temptation. What I read in the above is that the crying out needs to happen in the midst of the temptation, if I am to overcome it. In my pursuit of holiness I need to realize that I have all I need to be obedient to God, and grow in holiness. The key for me is to not wait until after I fall to cry out to God for more strength, but instead cry out to him during my temptation, realizing that I have His strength within me through the Holy Spirit, and plead for mercy during this time.

It is inevitable that this process will take time, and I am sure to fail, but this is new and fresh way, for me at least, to look at this awesome pursuit. What are your thoughts? Are you in full pursuit of holiness in your everyday journey? May God grant us the grace and mercy needed to pursue him and his holiness.

Don't Waste Your Pulpit: A Cry To Biblical Saturation In Preaching

2008-10-15T16:28:00.004-04:00

This is a must see video for all pastors. Please take the five minutes it takes to watch this and be convicted.

(via www.dontwasteyourlife.com)

Sunday Reflections

2008-10-13T20:09:00.002-04:00

In our morning service, I felt like John did a tremendous job reflecting the glory of God as he led us in our time of praise. I know there has been talk as of late around the blogosphere about singing songs that go along with the sermon as a negative thing. However, I really feel as though it enriches the worship service and helps get everyone, including myself, prepared to hear what God wants us to hear. We finished our series on the Sermon on the Mount, in which we focused our attention on the two types of foundations that Jesus describes in Matthew 7:24-27. I stressed that a life that is built upon anything other than the truths of the gospel, mainly Jesus, are not lives that are bringing glory to God. I compared the rock and sand to either building your life on Jesus or on church tradition. This is precisely what Jesus was teaching here in this passage. He was addressing those who were grounded in a particular religious establishment, but were unwilling to obediently follow Christ and His teachings. All in all I felt like it was an eye-opening experience for many and spiritual reality check for us all. My prayer is that many repented of their religiousity and turned to obediently follow Christ.

Last night was a great time of intimate worship. Again, I really felt the presence of God in our midst. We began our journey studying Psalm 51, a prayer of repentance, which has a played a huge role in my life pursuing Christ and His glory. We just covered the first verse, which was an appeal to the mercy of God, which is our only hope in seeking forgiveness. We talked about how we usually come to God like little children come to their parents when they have done something wrong, full of excuses and defenses. We learned that the only appeal we had was to appeal to His mercy.

It was a great weekend, except for the fact that Allyssa was sick. The past few weeks I have really felt myself in full pursuit of God's glory. For the first time in my life, I am feeling a genuine clossness with God, which is a very humbling expereince. My only appeal is for Him to grant me the grace and mercy that is needed for Him to be glorified in my life.

James 3: A Story

2008-10-13T18:43:00.002-04:00

Every Christian should watch this video, and will probably need to repent when it is over.

(via Desiring God)

Seeking Our Glory Instead Of God's Glory

2008-10-09T23:18:00.002-04:00

Over the past couple of years, I have seen a trend in Christians and churches: seeking their own glory, instead of God's. An example of this can be seen in many churches mission statements and how they approach ministry. They say look at us, look at what we are doing over here...leave your church and join ours, because we are most effective. Churches are measuring their effectiveness on growth, not spiritual growth but numerical growth. It seems as though busyness equates to holiness now. What is the deal with this self-centered, self-glorifying method to ministry and the Christian life?

I heard someone today say that their church is effective because they are the only church in their area that has a billboard and ministries for each age group. Is this really what we have come to in measuring the effectiveness of our church...a billboard? This is very disturbing to say the least. Where does God fit into all this busyness? Are we calling people to Jesus as the treasure of their life, or are we calling them to Jesus to buy into another product? The question I have and continue to ask is, 'Is there room for Jesus in our Christianity anymore?'

The Bible tells us that everything was made by Him and for Him...for His Glory, not ours. It seems as though the Western church has bought into this idea of consumerism and have adopted a business ideology for how we do church. Jesus has now become a product that we sell to people, instead of being the Lord and Savior of their lives. We sell them the idea of Heaven as the goal of salvation, instead of God Himself. We don't ask people to come and follow Christ, and follow through with the discipleship process. We instead ask them to accept Jesus and get heaven. We create a church environment that is comfortable for Christians and is effective on giving them a false sense of holiness.

In the end, we have failed to seek God's glory in how we live our lives and conduct our corporate worship services. In essence we are saying to Jesus, 'You are not enough, what you did on the cross wasn't worth it, we need something more.' This is devastating to the church and more importantly robbing God of what is rightfully His, all the glory and honor. How do we move away from this self-serving, self-righteous, self-centered ideology? How do we reclaim lives that long to seek to be satisfied with who God is and has done through Jesus, and seek to bring Him the most glory in how we live our lives? How do we stop calling people to come and look at our churches, and point to the cross and say 'Look at my awesome, mighty, and holy Savior'? It is in the best interest of followers of Christ and the church to turn back to the cross and repent of our religiosity and gain back our total focus on the glory of God. It is rightfully His, and He will pour out His judgment on those who try to take it away from Him.

Sunday Reflections

2008-10-06T10:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning's service was incredible. We changed some things up a bit, which made some uncomfortable, but it was well worth it. It was 'Communion Sunday' and so everything that we did was centered around the observing of the elements. The atmosphere just seemed different in the church, and yet different in a wonderful sense. After the service was over, I was speaking with several people and surprisingly they were very excited about the direction the service went. Many of times as a pastor, it is probable that you will get negative feedback, and if you are not careful, you can come to expect it. However, when the feedback is positive, you can sometimes be blown away. It was great to hear many say that they felt the Spirit of God during the service.

Over all, I feel that God was definitely honored and glorified with what took place in the morning service, and I really sense that God is doing a great work in our church. This is very encouraging and I am excited about the direction God is taking our church. I am just happy to be a part of the journey, and look forward to the ups and downs that follow.

I had prepared so much for the morning service during the week, that I didn't really get the chance to prepare much for the evening service. I decided to speak from 1 John 4, on the amazing love of God and how that is played out in our lives. To be totally honest here, I felt like I was grasping for words at times and rambling at others. It was such an important topic, that I wished that I had spent more time studying and preparing for speaking on it. So after the service was over Allyssa and I came home and were winding down from a busy day. We were just sitting around watching the Steelers beat the Jaguars, and I get a couple of messages on my BlackBerry. They were from a couple of people at the church, expressing that the message tonight was really touching to them, and led them to call people that they had been angry at for some time, and ask for forgiveness and tell them they love them.

Wow! I didn't expect that one...but why? I guess because I figured that since I didn't do a good job in the delivery of the message, that people wouldn't get anything from the service. Apparently God's delivery counts much more than mine. He is always faithful, even when we are not. I am just truly in awe of how great our God is and how He can use us despite our weaknesses and flawes. I am grateful for Him allowing me to be used as a vessel for His Spirit and work, and hope and pray that I continue to seek His glory and honor and not my own. To God be the glory for the great things he has done.

Book Review: Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a relentless God

2008-10-02T01:01:00.003-04:00

In a world where everyone is expressing a dissatisfaction with the state of the church (including myself), there is one pastor from Southern California who has spoken truth in love, to the subject. In a very humble, yet direct way, Francis Chan in his book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a relentless God, has spoken out about the state of the church and the Christians who fill the seats every week.

I began reading this book a couple of days ago, and have not been able to put it down. This is probably in the top 5 books I have read on God's love and how it should move us to pursue Him, not out of fear or duty, but out of our total love for him. I found this book to be an easy read (in style), and yet very challenging (spiritually) because I found myself in a state of pause several times throughout it, reflecting on my view of God and how it effects my relationship with Jesus and with those around me.

There are so many things I would love to share with you that I learned from this book, however it would probably make you frustrated with me for writing so much. So I will leave it to you, to purchase the book and see for yourself. I would highly encourage you to have a pen and journal in hand, because I found myself writing as much as I was reading, which made it so much more fun. I would also encourage you to check out his website for the book, and watch the two to three minute videos that correspond with the chapters in the book. I found them very helpful in understanding more completely the author's perspective in his writing.

If you find yourself feeling as though you are working your backside off trying to be "good enough", or you find yourself discouraged because there is no such thing, you will find encouragement in this book. If you want to learn how to pursue God in a more fruitful way, read this book. This is by no means a self-help book; it is in fact a book that takes the focus off of self and encourages you to put the focus back on the one who created you for Himself.

I will end this post with one of the many challenging questions from the book in hopes that it not only spikes your interest in the book, but also causes you to reflect on the state of your heart as well:

"Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words half-hearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?"

Quote of the Day

2008-10-01T14:38:00.003-04:00

"If life is a river, then following Christ requires swimming upstream."
-Francis Chan, Crazy Love

Quote of the Day

2008-09-30T16:05:00.002-04:00

"Our union with Christ, if we are truly 'in Him', cannot be broken. But our communion with Christ will be dimmed and weakened if we do not carefully attend to the duty of a full-souled and full-hearted obedience to the revealed will of God in Scripture."
-Maurice Roberts

(via firstimportance.org)

Sunday Reflections

2008-09-29T16:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a great day of worship and fellowship at our church. Although, John and I were supposed to be gone to a conference, I feel as though it went well. John and Kelley did a terrific job leading us in worship and allowing the Spirit to guide them while leading. I was very anxious about delivering the message, because normally I spend at least 20 hours in study for a sermon, I only had Saturday to prepare. Thanks to my life experiences and interactions with people over the span of Friday and Saturday, the Lord allowed me the opportunity to speak of those. I spoke on the topic of "The Discipline of a Loving Heavenly Father". It was freeing to me to be totally transparent before my congregation on why I felt that I was unable to attend the conference. I spoke to how although we(Christ Followers) are not to be fearful of the wrath of God, due to Jesus taking that upon himself, we did need to realize that God, like our earthly fathers, will discipline us when needed out of love.

It answered many of questions that people had, and I think clarified some concerns that others had about the topic of discipline. For me, it was a great learning experience, in which I learned that although God is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9), he still has every right to discipline us when we have strayed off the beaten path. The thing to remember was, he does this to those in whom he loves.

Last night we had a special guest with us, who taught on the crucifixion from a doctors and historians perspective. It was an eye-opening experience and really painted a very vivid picture of the crucifixion for us. Thanks Ric for coming and teaching. The whole night service was great. John chose appropriate songs for the topic on hand, and at the end of the service I read a quote that spoke of the offensive/attraction of the cross.

All in all, I feel as though God was glorified in all that took place, and I prayerful that people's hearts were challenged and possibly in the process of being renewed and transformed. I know that is the case in my heart. God has really been at work in my life lately, and has challenged me in many ways. My inclination is to continue pursuing him with all that is in me and as James says, he will draw nearer to me.

Not A Good Day To Be A Calvinist

2008-09-26T21:23:00.003-04:00

Well, John and I are back at home, and obviously we didn't make it to the Desiring God Conference. We sat at the airport for almost 9 hours, and found out to our surprise that all the flights we could take were canceled and the others were full. So the only other option we had was to take an 8:30 am flight out of Atlanta (2 hours drive from our houses) and we wouldn't get to Minneapolis until approximately 1pm. Well the unfortunate thing is the conference will be over half over. So we decided to cut our loses, suck it up and come home.

This is not a good day to be a Calvinist for the simple fact, as a Calvinist I believe that God is in control of everything, the good and the bad. Through His ultimate sovereignty, there is a reason for us not being able to make this conference. That is hard to swallow, because I wanted to ask Him why He wouldn't want us to go, because it was a great opportunity for growth for John and I. However, I couldn't do that, because of my theological foundation. I am not saying I wasn't angry and disappointed, because I was and I am still very disappointed.

In the end, God is in control and is always good and profitable for His kingdom. May He be glorified in all that took place today and takes place in the future in my life. I am excited though, to get to preach on Sunday and serve with John on Sunday.

2009 Desiring God Conference

2008-09-25T15:23:00.003-04:00

Well it is finally here. Tomorrow, John and I will be flying out of Chattanooga to go the Desiring God conference. We are so excited about the potential growth that we may experience at this conference. This will be our first time going to this kind of conference, but we are very excited, because the line-up of speakers is incredible. Some of my spiritual heroes will be there, and I am looking forward to hearing them in person, especially Piper, Driscoll, Ferguson, and Tripp.

I am most looking forward to the opportunity to purchase a load of books. I have already planned it out: I am going to take a bigger suitcase than I need for the little clothing that I will be taking, so that I will have room for all the books that I am planning to purchase. However, the only thing that worries me is the weight limit for the airline, but I figure it will be worth the extra expense if it turns out to be a problem.

Please keep us in your prayers. We are anticipating a time of renewal and fellowship. I am experiencing what many pastors have talked about for years, that being as a pastor I prepare for sermons week in and week out to help disciple my congregation, however I am finding that I am not receiving the same in return. What I mean is, I am not being pastored to in my life, aside from the occasional podcast that I may listen to, in my on life. I see this as a great opportunity for this happen. So please pray that we will leave refreshed and filled, so that we will be able to come home and minister to our flock in the most effective way. I will be updating the conference here on my blog some over the weekend.

Quote of the Day: An Ambition We Should All Strive For

2008-09-25T15:15:00.002-04:00

"I am persuaded that I shall obtain the highest amount of present happiness, I shall do most for God's glory and the good of man, and I shall have the fullest reward in eternity, by maintaining a conscience always washed in Christ's blood, by being filled with the Holy Spirit at all times, and by attaining the most entire likeness to Christ in mind, will, and heart, that it is possible for a redeemed sinner to attain in this world."
-Robert Murray M'Cheyne

(via www.firstimportance.org)

Quote of the Day

2008-09-22T14:26:00.002-04:00

"Focus on Christ will always result in focus on the Cross. You cannot be Christ-centered without becoming Cross-centered. The crucified Christ is to be the center of everything I know about myself and my world. You cannot have any real hope for flawed people in a fallen world unless there is a Redeemer to rescue us from the evil that resides both inside and outside of us. Real restoration to God's created design requires the cross. It is the cross of Christ that alone will restore my allegiance to Christ and His rightful place at the center of everything in my life."
-Paul David Tripp

(via www.firstimportance.org)

Sunday Reflections

2008-09-22T13:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a great day of worship at Idlewild. John did a great job preparing our hearts for the message through music, and directing our attention to the one with whom we come to worship. The sermon was on Matthew 7:1-5, I talked about the difference between righteous judgment and self-righteous judgment. It was a text that many have heard taught, but not in the detail that we covered it yesterday. I received a lot of positive feedback concerning the message, consisting of people saying that this was something that they had a hard time with, but now understand Jesus' teaching on the subject. I was real encouraged that God used a message that he laid on my heart to help people understand that not only was this a commandment from Jesus (something that they should do or shouldn't do) but also is something that they could personally apply in their lives.

Last night we dove into the next verse, Matthew 7:6, which was a pretty hard text to understand. I relied heavily on commentaries and books from D.A. Carson, Sinclair Furgeson, and James Montgomery Boice to help me understand the meaning of this passage on 'not throwing the treasures of the gospel to the dogs and pigs in our lives'. It was an interesting time, but a time of learning about seeking discernment in our dealings with our witness.

Overall, it was a great Sunday of worship. I have had a very challenging week, dealing with guilt over my past, almost to the point of depression. However, God is showing me that He is in control, and that I needed to turn over my sin and baggage to Him and seek forgiveness and sanctification, and He would take care of the rest. I am learning more and more that this process of being a disciple of Jesus and sanctification is a long process and doesn't happen in the time frame that I would like for it too. God is sovereign and has a plan for our lives, and that gives me hope and comfort at the same time.

J.I. Packer on the ESV Study Bible

2008-09-18T12:47:00.002-04:00

If you haven't pre-ordered your copy of the ESV Study Bible, you really should go and do so. It is due out October 15th. I have had mine on order now for about a month, and I am anticipating its arrival on my front step soon.

The following is a video of J.I. Packer discussing his thoughts on the Bible:

(For more videos go here.)

Mark Driscoll on Christian Meditation

2008-09-16T17:14:00.003-04:00

Here is an excerpt from Driscoll's most recent post over at theResurgence on what 'Christian Meditation' is:

"Christian meditation is actively filling one's mind with scripture to hear from God and subsequently being transformed by God to effectively serve Him in the world.

Christian meditation is prolonged, focused, thoughtful, and prayerful deep thinking on the truths of who God is and what God has said and done according to Scripture."

I really needed this in my life today (and everday for that matter). So I highly encourage you to go over to his blog, and check it out for yourself.

Quote of the Day: God As Judge

2008-09-16T17:11:00.002-04:00

"An awarenes of God as Judge teaches us to be merciful, and gentle with others. For in the discovery of our own hearts, we learn to have compassion on others in their weakenss. The knowledge of God's judgment clarifies and sanctifies our attitudes toward ourselves and others, as well as toward the Lord."
-Sinclair Ferguson,
(The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World)

Mark Dever & John Piper: What Is The Gospel?

2008-09-15T22:22:00.002-04:00

(via thegospelcoalition.org)

Quote of the Day

2008-09-15T22:13:00.002-04:00

"Jesus has walked ahead of us to clear the way. He has blazed the trail of victory through perfect obedience for our salvation. Though we often fail, he did not. Through faith in Christ our failures are hidden in his victory; our faithlessness is garbed in his obedience. His righteousness is presented on our behalf, and now his power is made available to us in the Holy Spirit."
-Richard D. Phillips

(via firstimportance.org)

Sunday Reflections

2008-09-15T21:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a great time of worship. I was a little 'anxious' about preaching a sermon on 'anxiety'. Kind of ironic, huh? I spent more time than usual studying and praying for this sermon, but still on Sunday morning, I felt really unprepared. I find it really difficult to preach and/or teach on passages of Scripture that I, myself have a hard time wrapping my heart and mind around, and this one was one of those.

One thing that I told the congregation was just what I stated, that this was going to be a difficult sermon for me, due to my struggles with anxiety. My struggles with anxiety have always haunted me, and now are a major contributor to my daily stomach problems. I would have to say that this is a sin that I struggle with the most.

In the end, I feel like it was one of the best sermons that I preached, to date. I know that sounds conceited, but the reason I can say that and not feel bad is two fold. First, I was able to stand before my congregation and let them know just how difficult the week was, and also to let them know that their pastor understands the struggle of worrying. Second, it allowed me the opportunity to use personal examples of how real this struggle is, and really make a connection with the people. What I didn't want to do was just stand before them as someone who seems to have it all together and proclaim that victory over anxiety was plainly just belief in Jesus and everything else will be alright.

I know that this is a true statement, but it doesn't help them that much in their current reality. I was able to expositionally go through each of the 10 verses and explain the arguments that Jesus gives for not worrying. Then take those arguments and apply them to our everyday lives.

All in all it was a terrific service, and thanks to my worship leader, John, for following the leading of the Spirit and helping prepare us for the sermon through music and reflection. I saw people really engaged with the sermon, and I hope that others, like me, were confronted with the danger of spending our day worrying about tomorrow. The central truth was that God gives us the mercy and grace and strength to get through today, but the reason we fill overwhelmed at times, is mostly due to our anxiety about tomorrow. The Bible tells us that tomorrow will worry about itself, but since today has enough troubles for today, we need to focus on seeking the kingdom first and all these things (basic needs, mercy, strength and grace) will be added to us, daily for that day.

Anxiety

2008-09-11T23:41:00.004-04:00

I am really looking forward to this Sunday's service. I am going to be speaking on a topic that we all struggle with. We are continuing our study of the Sermon on the Mount, and we are at Matthew 6:25-34, which has to do with not being anxious and seeking first God's will. It is tempting to just speak on the topic, but due to my theological background, I am going to do my best to stay true to the text. My job as a pastor is to do so, and I will expositionally preach from this text. We will look at the ways that anxiety hinders our spiritual growth, due to the fact that to be a worrier is a clear sign that you are of "little faith".

So anxiety is a faith problem, not just a medical problem. Being a social scientist in the making, this is hard for my educational background to accept, but excites my theological background to the fullest, which in the end always out-weighs the education. I hope to see people comforted in the fact that God is faithful to supply our every need, just as he does birds and lilies. With this knowledge I hope that they, as will I, will begin to put our total faith and trust in our Heavenly Father, and live today for Him, by the mercies he pours out on us to do so on a daily basis, without worrying about tomorrow's troubles.

So how about you? Do you struggle with anxiety? If so, do you see it as a faith problem or a personal problem? Look forward to the feedback.

The Truth Behind Those Annoying Political Emails

2008-09-11T23:28:00.004-04:00

My blog friend Jared Wilson over at The Gospel-Driven Church has written an article for SearchWarp that sheds light on those annoying political emails that we all get from friends and family. These emails are supposedly true and tell you if you are a 'true' believer and stand firm on your faith, you will forward them to all the people you know. To be honest, I usually just delete them on the spot, because I know generally what they are going to say.

Please check it out, it is really eye-opening and for some it will be very convicting.

Quote of the Day: A Dissatisfied Messiah

2008-09-11T23:18:00.003-04:00

"The One on whome we wait is a dissatisfied Messiah. He will not relent, he will not quit, he will not rest until every promise he has made been fully delivered. He will not turn from his work until every one of his children has been totally transformed. He will continue to fight until the last enemy is under his feet. He will reign until his kingdom has fully come. As long as sin exists, he will shower us with forgiving, empowering, and delivering grace.

He will defend us against attack and attack the enemy on our behalf. He will be faithful to convict, rebuke, encourage, and comfort. He will continue to open the warehouse of his wisdom and unfold for us the glorious mysteries of his truth. He will stand with us through the darkness and light. He will guide us on a path we could never have discovered or never would have been wise enough to choose. He will supply for us every good thing that we need to be what he's called us to be and what he's called us to do in the place where he's put us.

And he will not rest from his work until every last microbe of sin has been completely eradicated from every heart of each of his children."
-Paul David Tripp

(via www.firstimportance.org)

Quote of the Day: Spurgeon On Salvation

2008-09-10T22:40:00.002-04:00

"Dear friend, salvation would be a sadly incomplete affair, if it did not deal with the whole part of our ruined estate. We want to be purified as well as pardoned. Justification without sanctification would not be salvation at all. It would call the leper clean, and leave him to die of his disease; it would forgive the rebellion, and allow the rebel to remain an enemy of his King. It would remove the consequence but overlook the cause, and this would leave an endless and hopeless task before us. It would stop the stream for a time, but leave an open fountain of defilement which would sooner or later break forth with increased power."
-Charles H. Spurgeon

When Music Is No Longer About Music But Sex

2008-09-09T23:17:00.003-04:00

My wife and I just got through watching 'Fashion Rocks', and I am just speechless. We are music lovers. My wife is very musically inclined, but I am not, I just know how to download tunes off of Itunes onto my Ipod. But we love music. So any time there is anything on television that has to do with music, we make it a point to watch.

So we happened to be flipping through the channels and came across 'Fashion Rocks' on CBS. We thought that this would be something that we would be interested in watching. Well, were we wrong. There was hardly any act that I would consider good music. The only artist we really enjoy, OneRepublic, didn't even get to do their whole song. They were the only true 'musicians' on the show.

There was only one theme that we noticed throughout the whole show, and it was the same theme that we noticed the other night as we watched the VMA's. That being the theme of sex. As a man, who struggles with lust (as do all men), it is difficult to watch these things. During both shows I leaned over to my wife and said, "When did it become so fashionable and cool to wear clothing that shows more skin on the front of the body than on the back?"

It seemed that all the artists', if you can even call them that, music was about sex and their showing was about encouraging sexual activity. Now I want to remind you that I am not a legalist. I enjoy good music, which means that I do not enjoy most 'Christian Music". I am finding more and more that the music I enjoy the most is performed by artist that are not very popular. Those who hold true to real music and real messages.

I guess I am just having a hard time understanding why there is such a huge market for 'music' that encourages sexual activity. Especially since most of the consumers of this music are teens. We complain about teen pregnancy and about kids dressing inappropriately, and yet we allow our children to be exposed not only to music that encourages these behaviors but also, let them watch the videos and movies that encourage this kind of behavior. I just wonder if parents would start monitoring what their kids are watching and listening to, would we see a change in behavior? Not only see a change in behavior, but also would we start to see the music industry begin to get back to music that encourages real talent and positive messages? I don't know the answer to this, but I do know that if you are a parent, instead of ignoring what your kids are exposed to, you should start listening and watching what they are.

As pastors and youth leaders, we should be educating ourselves on these things as well. For far too long, we have ignored these things and preached against them. This is a huge failure on our part, leading us to be totally ignorant in our speaking and leading on the topic of culture. Even Paul was educated on the culture of his time. At times he was even able to use figures and music of his culture to help reach people for Christ. People don't need to hear us preach against somethig, and yet seem totally out of touch with what we are speaking about. It is very apparent to me that we need to become more educated on our culture, so we can relate and speak in such a way that allows people to know be confident that we know what we are talking about.

So what do you think? How do you feel your knowledge of the current culture is? What can we do differently in order to be able to counsel and teach people in such a way that they know that we truely understand what we are talking about?

Sin According To Keller

2008-09-09T20:36:00.002-04:00

"Sin is not only doing bad things, it is more fundementally making good things into ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry."
-Tim Keller

(via www.joethorn.net)

Quote of the Day

2008-09-09T18:03:00.002-04:00

"Within this narrow house of my body, this tennant of clay, if I be a true believer, there dwells the Holy Ghost, and when I desire to pray I may ask Him what I should pray for as I ought, and He will help me. He will write the prayers which I ought to offer on the tablets of my heart, and I shall see them there, and so I shall be taught how plead. It will be the Spirit's own self pleading in me and by me, and through me, before the throne of grace."
-Charles Spurgeon

(via www.firstimportance.org)

Quote of the Day

2008-09-08T23:39:00.002-04:00

"As a tempted brother, He feels for us; as a sinless brother He can save us."
-Sinclair Ferguson

(via www.firstimportance.org)

Sunday Reflections

2008-09-08T23:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a great time of worship. It was evident that the Holy Spirit was really working in the life of our worship leader yesterday as he led the music portion of our service. The choice of music helped us reflect upon what God had been doing in our lives over the past week, as well as helping prepare our hearts for what God was going to do during the preaching of the Word. I know in my own life, I was moved to repent of sins and ask God to empty me of myself and to fill me with His Spirit, so that I would speak exactly what God wanted His church to hear.

The sermon was on Matthew 6:19-24, where Jesus teaches His disciples that they cannot serve both God and wealth. He instructed them to lay up their treasure in Heaven, and not spend so much time and effort laying up treasure here on this earth. The title of my message was 'Choose Your Master: God or Wealth'. I really feel that God spoke to His people in a way that both challenged them and convicted them of their neglect of seeking God. We have to understand that our treasure is Jesus, and that we are not called to seek the gifts that come from God, but to seek God Himself. He is the ultimate gift, and one day we will get to experience Him for all eternity. The important part for us to remember is, as His children we get to experience Him now. However, many believe that we pray a prayer and then wait till we die before we can experience God in all His glory. I tend to disagree. Salvation is the beginning of an awesome journey here on this earth, with Heaven being our final destination. The good news is that we can experience Him now.

I am really challenged by this message, because I spend so much of my week seeking the treasure that comes from this earth, that will one day be destroyed. I focus most of my attention on my job and how I am going to pay the bills, and seem to spend so little time seeking the one treasure that lasts for all eternity, Jesus. Man, how convicting this is!!! It moves me to almost tears even admitting this. Why do I focus my entire life on things that will pass, but spend so little time seeking the treasure that never fails and never dies? The answer is simple: It is more important to me to seek my kingdom, than to seek the Kingdom of God.

How about you? Is this something that you struggle with? Is this even something that you consider a problem?

Quote of the Day

2008-09-06T22:02:00.001-04:00

"Our thinking about who we are as Christians should not begin with what we can discover about ourselves by self-analysis. Rather, it begins with what God says about those who trust in Christ."
-Sinclair Ferguson

(via, firstimportance.org)

Quote of the Day

2008-09-05T00:46:00.002-04:00

"Christ died, not that we may be able to form a holy nature in ourselves, but that we might receive one already prepared and formed in Christ for us, by union and fellowship with him."
-Walter Marshall

(via firstimportance.org)

John Piper On Influences And Family

2008-09-05T00:31:00.005-04:00

Mark Driscoll interviews John Piper on those who have influenced him in life, and he gets really transparent and personal about his relationship with his wife. This is truly an inspiring and touching interview. Hope you enjoy it.

(via theResurgence.com)

Heavy Burden

2008-09-04T02:28:00.002-04:00

It is very late in the night and I have a really busy day ahead of me tomorrow, but I can't sleep. All I can do is lay in my bed and think about my community, the city I live in. One question that keeps haunting me is, 'How can a person reach a community for Jesus that appears to have already been reached?' I know, not everyone has been, but what about those who appear to have been? Are they truly in love with and following Christ, or have they just bought into a religious tradition?

I just can't seem to come up with a plan or a 'strategy' if you will, on the right approach to reach this area. The seeker/100 program churches are getting a lot of people busy in the church, but I am thinking about something that is much deeper than busyness. I am talking about getting people to see their need for Jesus at the core of who they are. Something that is not just getting people involved in an activity or even an age appropriate program, but something that becomes who they are, the source of their life not just another item on their to-do list.

I don't know, I am just not buying into this business as usual, going through the motions ordeal. I want to experience and lead people to experience a community that centered on Jesus. One where we focus on seeking the face of God, searching out the Word of God, getting involved in people's lives without the agenda of getting them to buy into a tradition of rituals, but just genuinely wanting to get to know them and build lasting relationships with them.

I just have a burden for all those laboring and trying to find fulfillment in going to church and being busy doing 'God's Work', and yet still find themselves lacking. It is my dream to see a group of people come together in community to seek God for the sake of knowing Him and feeding on Him and relying on Him for our satisfaction. I just don't see a hunger in people's eyes for something more. I don't see that longing in church goers eyes that says 'I want more'. People get to church three times a week and then look miserable while they are there and then leave as quickly as they come when it is over. Why?

As a leader how do I take this burden and make it into a reality? I spoke to a college class recently. I was asked questions about my job and then when I told them I was a pastor the good questions came. "How do you deal with those who have different views than you?"; "As a Christian how do you set your agenda aside and begin to help those who maybe aren't Christians?". These are excellent questions, and ones that I feel deserve answers. These are the people that I see that are searching for something deeper, something more. Where is the hunger, where is the thirst for the truth?

How do you proclaim the truth in a believable way to people who are convinced that they are the only ones right? I don't want to have an agenda, except to love people the way Jesus has loved me, and through those relationships point them to Jesus by showing them the truths found in the Gospel. I just find myself battling church traditions and religious rituals more and more, and I just want to see less fighting and more desiring of God. More desperation for the Spirit of Truth. Less agendas and more love.

This may be a terrible post to even publish, but this is killing me tonight for some reason. Like Paul, I am burdened for my city. I am tired of feeling as though I am in competition with other churches, and tired of hearing who is right and who is wrong. Who cares? People are desperate all around us for the truth. They are desperate to be a part of a community of people who are honest and humble about their faults, doubts, and questions. We need to be seeking to build relationships with these people, not for the sake of filling the pews on Sunday, but for the sake of letting them know someone loves them regardless if we agree with them or not on every issue.

How do we do this? And no, I am not asking for another book referral, I have read plenty, but none of them suggest to me how to reach the so called reached. How do we in the 'Bible-belt', get to the people and show them that the Christian life is not about being faithful to a denomination or a church, but faithful to the God of the church and his Son who provides the way for us to even have contact with this God, Jesus Christ?

We need to see our desperation for Jesus, in our lives, in our homes, in our relationships, in our churches...I need Him more than ever. I know this seems like a bunch of rambling nonsense, but it is three o'clock in the morning and I am carrying a heavy burden and I need to hash out my thoughts. Sorry if this offends you, and just to set the record straight, this does not stem from any specific interaction with any specific person or person's. These are my observations of my city and the surrounding areas as a whole. I love my church and the people who are members of it. I care deeply for them as individuals and their souls. They are growing spiritually and asking tough questions. However, this has been a burden of mine since I moved back to this area, and believe that is the reason God has placed me and my wife back in this area. I just want to figure out a way to get through, connect, and get people moving towards the cross of Calvary where we are on level ground, where we are all equals. I just want to see a burning desire in peoples lives for God, and who are willing to seek Him no matter the costs.

Uncomfortable Message

2008-09-02T22:46:00.003-04:00

I live and serve in the heart of the Bible-belt. I grew up here in a conservative God-fearing home for most of my life. I grew up in a very legalistic independent baptist church, where everything was wrong, except for what the pastor said was right. He was our moral authority, because he was the only one who could hear from God. This led to me being very closed minded and unaware of the deep truths found in God's Word, and the ability for me to experience this God firsthand. I was never aware that there was the capability to have a real, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. The only thing I could do was to quote certain scriptures that would defend the personal beliefs of a pastor that I knew very little about, but was told that he was following God's leadership. On a side note, I am not attacking the character or beliefs of one particular individual. I am attempting to attack something that is reigning so high in the Bible-belt at this time. This being modern day Pharisaic living.

Coming back to my home town after serving in the military and seeing my need for a deeper understanding of what living a life for Christ really looks like, I am deeply concerned for my community, because there doesn't seem to be this same concern in the lives of many of the churches and Christians around me. People are willing to fight to the stake over church tradition and personal preferences, but a lack of fight for sound biblical truths and doctrine. This reminds me of what we see in the Gospels that Jesus was facing when he was speaking to the Pharisees. He spoke to them with the prophetic words of Isaiah, "You honor me with your lips, but your hearts are far from me."

I see this being played out inside the churches of our community and in the lives of many good-intentioned Christians. People are capable of quoting Scripture to defend their traditions and personal preferences, but due to being uninformed they are unable to express what they believe and why they believe according to Scripture. In all fairness, this is not their faults, because this is what I was taught as well. Many just need to be given the permission to study and think freely for themselves. Many people need to be taught how to study Scripture and find out what the Bible really says about the Christian life.

It seems as though we are good and content with following laws (just as the Pharisees), but not so comfortable with actually being responsible for our own Christian lives and how we live them in accordance to Biblical truths. What I fear this leads to is what Jesus expresses in Matthew 7:22-23 "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and cast out demons in your name; and do many mighty works in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"

This is my fear because I believe that many have bought into a religious ideology, but haven't actually given their lives Jesus and made Him the treasure of their lives. I know this is not a popular topic and one that I could potentially receive a lot of ridicule for, but I have placed myself in this same post. It wasn't until recently (the past 3 years) that I have understood this more clearly. Being a Christian is not about me, but it is all about Jesus. Quite frankly, I don't believe that there is enough room for Jesus in many of our churches and our Christianity today. We need to to do as Paul says in Philippians 2:12, "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." I don't say this to cause fear, but to awake us from our slumber and begin following Christ and run quickly from religious stagnation. When Christ becomes the center of our lives, our churches, our religions, other things become more important. We start paying closer attention to our hearts and their motivations, and pay less attention to how we look and appear to others. I believe this is what is needed in order for a modern day reformation to break loose and our world to experience a great revival of the heart and spirit.

I humbly invite any thoughts on this subject. I truly believe this is something that not only pastors need to be discussing with each other and their congregations, but also this needs to be the topic of discussion between husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends. So feel free to add to this discussion, even if we disagree.

Strep Throat

2008-09-02T00:05:00.003-04:00

I haven't had strep throat since I was in high school, but low and behold Friday evening I started getting a sore throat and chilling. It got even worse on Saturday, but I kept telling myself, 'You'll be ready to preach on Sunday'. Well I woke up on Sunday morning, and then came the dreaded telephone call. I had to find someone, with two hours notice, to fill in for me. Luckily one of my deacons was able to help me find someone to fill in.

I am feeling a lot better today, but still have a sore throat. I owe a lot to my wife who has put up with my whining and complaining for the past three days. I feel so sorry for her, because I can be a huge baby when it comes to being sick. God has really blessed me with a wonderful wife, and I am so very thankful for Allyssa.

I'll be back to blogging on Tuesday or Wednesday. Please pray for my mom at this time also, because she has been in the hospital since Thursday and the doctors don't know what is causing her illness.

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-28T23:22:00.002-04:00

"Let nothing disturb you, nothing dismay you; all things are passing; God never changes. Patient endurance attains all that it strives for; those who have God find they lack nothing. God alone suffices."
-St. Teresa of Avila

Desiring God Conference 2008

2008-08-27T00:09:00.003-04:00

I am so excited that I can't possibly wait until September 26th. Along with my worship leader, John Burroughs, I am going to be getting on a plane and heading to Minneapolis, MN to a conference that I have always wished to go to. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God Conference is one of the many annual conferences that John Piper's ministry, Desiring God puts on.

I am excited to get to hear from many ministers and Christian leaders that I have long looked up to and have gleaned so much wisdom from. The line-up for this years conference is: John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Bob Kauflin, Sinclair Ferguson, Paul David Tripp, and Daniel Taylor. I am getting excited as I write this. I am not that familiar with Daniel Taylor, but it appears that he is the master of storytelling.

If you have the opportunity go over to the Desiring God website and check it out. It is going to be such a great time, and I am sure that I will be confronted with sin in my life and areas in my ministry where I need to improve. I am looking forward to both, due to the deep desire I have for personal growth as the pastor of a church, as a husband, and as a child of God. This is sure to be a time of great fellowship for John and I, but also a time for great spiritual growth in my own Christian life. Please be in prayer for our safety, as well as that we will be alert to the Savior's voice calling out to our souls for a closer relationship with the Father. May I become more satisfied with God, so that in turn, He will be most glorified with me.

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-27T00:07:00.002-04:00

"The notion that we are children of God, His own sons and daughters, lies at the heart of all Christian theology, and is the mainspring of all Christian living.
-Sinclair Ferguson

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-25T22:36:00.002-04:00

"On the most basic levels, I desire fullness, and fleshly lusts seduce me by attaching themselves to the basic desire. They exploit the empty spaces in me, and they promise that fullness will be mine if I give in to their demands. When my soul sits empty and is aching for something to fill it, such deceptive promises are extremely difficult to resist.

Consequently, the key to mortifying fleshly lusts is to eliminate the emptiness within me and replace it with the fullness; and I accomplish this by feasting on the gospel. Indeed, it is in the gospel that I experience a God who glorifies Himself by filling me with His fullness. ...This is the God of the gospel, a God who is satisfied with nothing less than my experience of fullness in Him!...

Indeed, as I perpetually feast on Christ and all His blessings found in the gospel, I find that my hunger for sin diminishes and the lies of lust simply loose their appeal. Hence, to the degree that I am full, I am free. Eyes to not rove, nor do fleshly lusts rule, when the heart is fat with the love of Jesus."

-Milton Vincent

Sunday Reflections

2008-08-25T00:20:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, our church joined together with about six other churches to put on an event for outdoors enthusiast. My dad has been putting this event on now for six years, and this years was the best. There were about 900 people who came out to join in on the festivities, as well as to hear the gospel. The cool thing was that 80% of these guys would never step foot inside of a church, so we bring the church to them. At the end of the event before the door prizes are given out, there is a service where the gospel is presented by a well-known sportsman who happens to be a Christian. At the end of the event 54 people decided to follow Christ, and 20 0thers felt the need to recommit their lives to following Christ. It was awesome to see the power of God at work in our community. This was an awesome way to begin the weekend.

Today was an awesome day at church. We had a wonderful time of worship in the morning service. Johnny B did a tremendous job leading us in praise and worship, in preparation for what God was going to reveal to us through the teaching of His Word. We finished our study on the Lord's Prayer, ending with learning how to defeat temptation and the importance of submitting our lives totally to God. Then we ended with exalting God who is powerful and deserves all the glory forever and ever. It was a great service and I really felt like God was at work in everything that took place.

Tonight I was involved in my first church budget meeting. We have been praying that God would direct us according to His will for our church in regards to how we will spend the money that has been given to accomplish the mission He has called us to. Much to my surprise it was a pleasant and encouraging experience. I have heard a lot of stories from other pastors that had different outcomes, but I am so proud of my congregation for having proposed a budget that is definitely based upon faith and not on what we think we can accomplish. I am looking forward to see how God blesses the obedience of our church, and seeing Him glorified in our obedience to His mission for our church. We are going to be pursuing more opportunities to reach out into our community and serve those around us. I am absolutely excited about what God has in store for our church in this upcoming year.

All in all this has been an absolutely wonderful weekend. I can say that even though I personally struggled with having faith in what God can do through His people, I am absolutely in awe of how faithful He is. I pray that He has been glorified with all that has taken place in my life this weekend, and He deserves the honor for it all.

Stagnation and Complacency

2008-08-21T23:18:00.003-04:00

It astounds me as I look around at the world and see so much evil, see so many hurting and crying out for help. Then I take a look at the 'inside' of our churches and see people who appear to be so happy and satisfied in their lives. I begin to wonder just where the gap is. Are we missing something, or have we found something that takes away our desperation and needs, and offers us hope that those on the outside seem to be lacking?

I know that the Sunday School Answer to that question is: Those people within the church have found their hope and happiness in the only One who can provide it, Jesus Christ. This would be an acceptable answer, however, if this is true then shouldn't those who have hope, the key to all their problems, share the 'Good News' with those on the outside? Aren't they called by the One who provides this 'New Element' in life to go and share this hope?

The answer is, yes they should! The question still remains then: Why does it seem as though this is not happening in most places? Why do we not see people desperate to share this hope? Why does it seem like there is so much indifference in the body of believers? Where does God and His will and word fit into this picture?

The truth of the matter so it seems, is that there really isn't much room for Jesus in our Christianity. How can this be? Well, how much of what we do in our lives and in the life of our churches really has do with Christ? How many of us can say that Jesus is truly the Lord of and over our lives and our churches?

Stagnation seems to be spreading in the lives of our churches and those 'Christians' who fill them. We have adopted what seems to be a consumeristic approach to how we do church. We work on providing what people want. We try to offer 'programs' for every age group in our churches. We have changed or transitioned from presenting an uncomfortable and offensive gospel, to presenting a more comfortable and non-offensive tips to living life. This is tragic! We seem to tell people what we perceive to be what they want to hear. What we fail to do as pastors and leaders is to teach them what they need to hear. We fear that if we tell them the truth, they will be offended and leave. So we tend to cater to what they want instead of what they need.

What we then develop is a safe and comfortable place for 'Christians' to settle in and feel at home. In doing this, we are sending the message that life and church is about us, and begin to develop a complacent attitude about our current situation.

(Side Note: Church is not only about non-believers. Church is also a place where Christians are discipled as well. This was not the point I was trying to make, but I feel as though I need to clarify my stance.)

The problem with this is that life and church is all about God and His glory. The church should be a place where those who do not know Christ should feel comfortable and welcomed. However, when we create an atmosphere just for Christians, those who are not feel like outsiders instead of welcomed and wanted guests.

It is of utmost importance that we stop creating comfortable places for Christians and begin to allow Christ to be the Lord of our churches and our lives. We need to create an environment that says, 'Come as you are, filth and all, and meet our Lord Jesus Christ.' Instead of being complacent and indifferent, we need to be desperate. People all around us need a Lord who is much bigger than them and their current circumstances. The only way they will be introduced to this Lord, is if we Christians begin to invest in peoples lives, and offer them the hope that we have found in Christ.

We should move back to proclaiming the uncomfortable and offensive gospel in love, and challenge one another to not be discouraged but begin to follow Christ and go where He went. It is certain that others will come to know Him and in the process we will see spiritual growth in our own lives and the Kingdom of God will grow numerically. Most important is that if we were to approach life like this, God will be glorified and honored. That is our ultimate goal as followers of Christ.

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-21T17:05:00.002-04:00

"Jesus shocked the established authorities by being a friend to - not only to the destitute and hungry, but also to those rich extortioners, the tax-collectors, whom all decent people ostracized... The shocking thing was not that He sided with the poor against the rich but that He met everyone equally with the same unlimited mercy and the same demand for total loyalty.

If we look at the end of His earthly ministry, at the cross, it is clear that Jesus was rejected by all - rich and poor, rulers and people - alike. Before the Cross of Jesus there are no innocent parties. The cross is not for some and against others. It is the place where all are guilty and all are forgiven."
-Leslie Newbigin

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-20T16:19:00.002-04:00

"Any step that is taken in any way, by strength not immediately from Christ, is one step towards hell. He first takes us by the arm and teaches us to go, until he leads us on to perfection. He hath milk and strong meat to feed us; he strengthens us with all might, and is with us in our running the race that is set before us."
-John Owen

Three Things A Speaker Must Do

2008-08-20T12:59:00.002-04:00

Perry Noble has posted some great thoughts on the role of the pastor over at his blog. He has listed three things that we need to do and think about as we prepare to speak and as we speak. This has really touched me in a special way in the season I find myself, and I think they would be helpful to you all as well. Please take some time to read through his blog, and know a head of time that you will be challenged in a big way.

Defeating Temptation

2008-08-19T15:50:00.003-04:00

I am really excited about this upcoming Sunday. I am going to be finishing up our study on the Lord's Prayer. We will be looking at how we need to pray and ask for protection from the evil one, and we will be turning to James to find out how the Bible explains how we are to defeat the temptation that comes from Satan. We will be addressing two important questions:

1.) Why do we often find ourselves giving into temptation and committing sin?
2.) What is the secret to defeating temptation?

James 4:6-8 says:

"But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

There are two actions that a follower of Christ must commit to doing in their everyday lives in order to defeat temptation.

1.) Submit: We must totally surrender our will and life to God. This cannot be accomplished apart from a personal relationship with Christ. This simply means that it is imperative that we spend time conversing with God in prayer and through reading scripture.

2.) Resist: In our own power this is impossible. Since we are sinful by nature and do not have the power to resist Satan on our own, we must rely totally on the power of God living in and through us. Jesus resisted Satan's temptation was by quoting passages of Scripture. We must not miss this point and must apply this discipline to our own lives.

We must conclude then, that the only way one can and will defeat the temptation that comes from the evil one, is by submitting to the One who has the power to defeat Satan, and resist the evil one by using the Word of God as our weapon of choice. The only way one can do this is by maintaining a personal relationship with Christ and putting to memory those things written in His Word.

D.A. Carson says about the petition found in Matthew 6:13: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.":

"This petition is a hefty reminder that, just as we ought to consciously depend on God for physical sustenance, so we ought to sense our dependence on Him for our moral triumph and spiritual victory."

I am excited about this message because there are so many who are so discouraged about their inability to defeat the temptation that comes into their lives. I know that I am at times. I pray that by revealing this simple truth, that others will find hope and realize that they are incapable of defeating Satan in their own power. We must realize just how desperate we are for the power of God in our lives. This is the hope of the Gospel and I am excited about proclaiming this to others.

The Stockdale Paradox

2008-08-18T17:02:00.002-04:00

I am currently reading a great book by Jim Collins entitled, Good to Great. In the first chapter the author discusses the different levels of leadership. Level 5 leadership is the the one that we all should aim to achieve in our lives as leaders. Under this heading he says that those who posses this level will confront the brutal facts, but will never lose faith. He makes reference to this concept entitled the Stockdale Paradox. The following is the definition that he gives of what this concepts entails:

"Stockdale Paradox: You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."

As a leader this is a difficult thing to do, but is an attribute that I hope to master. How well do you as a leader confront the brutal facts of your current situation? Do you find it hard to do so and at the same time keep the faith? I look forward to hearing some feedback on this one.

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-18T17:00:00.001-04:00

"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not
mind who gets the credit."
-Harry S. Truman

Sunday Reflections

2008-08-17T23:52:00.002-04:00

I have to tell you, it was great getting back and serving in my church today. I was encouraged greatly today by all those who told me they had missed my teaching the past week. Thank you to those of you who prayed for Allyssa and I as we were on vacation and all you who have been so encouraging to us as we minister to you.

This morning was phenomenal! We were privileged to have with us a local folk/bluegrass band leading our worship service. I am not the biggest bluegrass fan, but their music was tremendous and their music was so God-centered. The members of the band presented the church with a couple of challenges, and encouraged the church to be obedient to what God has asked of them. Thanks to the guys of "Just Us", and I hope to have you guys back soon.

Tonight, I got the opportunity to finally get to preach again. God has really been working in my life over the past week and I was able to express those things to the church. I spoke about the Rich Young Ruler's encounter with Jesus. Many people use this passage in Matthew 19, to tell people that Jesus requires you to sell all your belongings and give it to the poor. This ideology and understanding really misses the point. Jesus here calls the guy out on his sin, which is the fact that things and doing good has become his false god. Jesus calls him to get rid of his false god, and come and follow the one true God. I challenged the church to rid themselves of the false gods that have taken the role of GOD in their life, and begin to follow Christ. Even though in the world's eyes we may be last, we will be considered first in the Kingdom of God. We are to live our lives with the motivation not to gain rewards and recognition, but to bring glory and honor to God and obey Christ commands just because we desire that His name be lifted high and exalted. There is nothing we can do in our own merit to earn God's favor, but with God working in and through my life anything is possible.

This passage has really challenged and convicted me about letting things, people, and thoughts take the place of God in my life. I need to rid my life of these false gods and begin to follow Christ. I want my life to show that what Jesus did on the cross was not meaningless but in fact was totally necessary. May God be glorified because I am most satisfied in Him (John Piper).

Quote Of The Day

2008-08-16T22:02:00.002-04:00

"Imagine you are on a high cliff and you lose your footing and begin to fall. Just beside you is a branch sticking out of the edge of the cliff. It is your only hope and seems more than strong enough. How can it save you?

If you're certain the branch can support you, but don't actually reach out and grab it, you are lost. If instead your mind is filled with doubts and uncertainty that the branch can hold you, but you reach out and grab it anyway, you will be saved. How?

It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is totally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch."
-Tim Keller

Final Day of Vacation: Animal Kingdom

2008-08-15T22:35:00.007-04:00

Here are a few of our pics from the last day of our vacation at Disney. Animal Kingdom was one of the coolest places I have ever visited. The safari was incredible, and Expedition Everest was an interesting ride.

To end the day, I took my wife to her favorite restaurant, Rainforest Cafe. This was my first time eating there, and it was amazing. I had the 'pot roast', and it was (sorry mom) the best pot roast I have ever eaten. It was a great way to end the vacation. So I suggest you go to the nearest Rainforest Cafe as soon as possible, but watch out for the thunderstorm and the wild monkeys.