Dog Tired

The events of the last few weeks have suddenly caught up to me. I am dog tired. Not just sleepy, but tired to the point of not really wanting to do much of anything. Mentally drained.

Unfortunately, it is Wednesday night, and we have worship team practice and then small group prayer and Bible study. After last week's effort, there's a baseline below which no one can fall. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I tried to drop back into time and dust off something I had used 8 years ago.

Perhaps that was a clue that I was tired then too.

So pray that I will (even more than usual) be sustained and carried by the Holy Spirit's power and wisdom tonight. Because I'm running on fumes here.

Good Advice From Someone Who Knows the Score

Lifeway research has an interview with Perry Noble (pastor at Newspring Church in South Carolina) out today, in which Noble is asked this question:

What advice would you give to churches in America? What elements would you say are a must in any church?

Noble: I would say two things.

Number one, you must keep your focus on Jesus.

Don't lose sight of the gospel. Don't lose sight of the fact that people are dying and going to go to hell unless they know Jesus. If the church loses the centrality and the urgency of that message, I think the church dies.

And I think the reason that churches all over America today are closing their doors and shutting down is because they forget the gospel. They have forgotten that Jesus Christ died on a cross not so we could have a holy huddle or a stained glass fortress or us four and no more. He died on a cross so that we could reach the world. They have got sin in their lives. And because of that they are separated from God. They go to hell. That is not necessary. Jesus died on the cross to make forgiveness and redemption completely possible.

Number two, don't try to be anything except who God called you to be.

Maybe God didn't call you to go multi-site. Maybe God called you to one location. You need to be completely content with that. Maybe God called you to go plant churches instead of doing video venues. You need to do that. Maybe God told you to do video venues and plant churches. You need to do that.

You don't ever, ever need to feel pressure because another church somewhere else in America or somewhere else in the world is doing something to think, "Oh, wow, we have got do that." Our call as a church is to do exactly what God called us to do.

In the book of Revelation chapter two and chapter three Jesus gives seven different messages to seven different churches. If he wanted every church to be the same he would have just said, "All right. Here is my message to every church and it is just the same." But he addressed seven churches specifically and said, "Here is what is going on with you. Here is what is going on with you. Here is what is going on with you." I just think that each church has a unique DNA that it needs to focus on. The gospel should be central, but the strategy and the structure of the church should be completely open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Churches who get those two principles are on track. That doesn't mean they are guaranteed to grow, but it does mean that they are honoring Jesus and living out their unique reason for being where they are. Not every church in every area, at every time is going to show the kind of numerical growth that Newspring has. God has His reasons for blessing in one way or choosing another. But if our focus is on Jesus and His heart for people far from God, we are walking with Him.

There's not one church in this area I'd want New Hope to turn into. We're a unique collection of people placed here on this corner to do the works God prepared in advance for us. Can we learn from Saddleback, Willow Creek, Granger, even Newspring? Absolutely. And we should.

However we need to be the local experts on our culture and the needs of the people here. The expression of Church here then will reflect that culture as we seek to bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

So hats off to Perry Noble and may his tribe increase.

Okay, I'm Officially Creeped Out Now

This is so far over the top I can't begin to comment.

Yes, a rare moment in time.

And the Cure For Apathy

We Have Met the Enemy, And He Is Us

When I was entering into this calling as a pastor, one of my pastors told me that one of the main maxims he had always heard about that role was this:

"A Pastor's job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

Opportunities to comfort seem to abound. People in the hospital, teens going through something, people who just need to talk to someone always seem to be coming along one behind the other. In those times the pastor can not only exercise the ministry of presence - just being there, but we get the opportunity to encourage people with the Word and with prayer. In today's world, we get even more opportunities to do that through technology. I'll send out requests for prayer almost every day, and receive a couple a week from someone he just dashes off a note that says "please pray for me or for us."

The chances to "afflict the comfortable" are fewer and farther between.

And yet, pastor/preachers probably get more of those than most other professions do. The person sitting out in front of us on Sunday has made a choice to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit and under the ministry of the Word of God. So they really shouldn't be surprised when God uses that Word to bring the light of conviction on them.

I've lost track of how many times someone told me after a sermon "I felt like you were preaching just for me." Every preacher hears that. People wonder if we've listened at their window, or been a fly on the wall in their home. No, we've prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to use our pitiful words for His glory. People's lives can be changed in an instant and stay changed forever as the Lord moves into their heart and makes them a new creation.

But apathy... sigh


It is like nailing jello to the wall.

Personally, I'd much rather deal with someone who denies God, who lives as if there is no God than face off against an apathetic Christian. A functional atheist, the apathetic Christian carries their "faith" like a woman might wear a charm bracelet. It's an ornament to be "worn" at certain times and at certain places. This type of Christianity is cultural at best. And the epicenter of it seems to be in the South.

I remember years ago talking to a man on a search team from California. He had called out of the blue and wanted to talk to me about becoming their pastor. In his explanation about the church, he told me about their prison ministry, about their community ministry, and then said "You know pastor, we're all first generation Christians. Every single one of us needed saving bad."

If we're not careful, we can allow the churches we love to become centers of apathy. It's easy. In those cases, it is definitely the pastor's role to upset the status quo and break the church out of its rut. Maybe that means beginning the worship gathering with the sermon instead of with music, or being more interactive in the way you preach. Maybe it is working through a series directly tied to areas in people's lives that they struggle with. Maybe if you are a topical preacher, it might mean preaching expository sermons through a book.

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES

The first sign of leprosy is the absence of pain.

The first sign a dying church presents is apathy.

Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray for the FIRE to be a part of regeneration.

And don't let them...

change you.

Yeah, I Have Flying Monkey Phobia

But Kristen Morton gave me a McDonald's Happy Meal toy version tonight for my birthday, and I barely shivered. So I'm making progress. :)

Seriously though - how many hours of therapy must have been generated over the years from those airborne simians?

Hard Pressed

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
2 Cor 4:7-10 (NLT)

There's a tendency in many of us to maintain the idea that we can handle life on our own. For some, it comes out of a prideful spirit that doesn't let anyone else within the small circle of people we trust. For others, it might be a sense of responsibility - that this is my role, my job, my place to handle this, and I don't need to burden others with it.

Neither has any place within the life of a Christian. For we are never alone and our lives are connected with God's purposes through the Holy Spirit Who dwells within. That same Spirit leads us into community with other "called out" ones and into a group called the church.

Paul makes it clear in the passage of Scripture where his power comes from. He does not minimize his frailty as so many of us do when hard pressed "I can handle it. I don't need anyone's help."

Instead, he admitted he was in trouble and that he didn't understand fully the reasons for that trouble.

And he counted on God. God's presence. God's power. God's purpose and plan.

That's where we need to be found.

Hard pressed? Sure.

But dearly loved.

It's Really Important To Remember Your Part

From Steve Brown's blog today:

I have a friend (you would know his name…he's a famous Bible teacher) who was introduced at a Bible convention this way:

You're very fortunate to be here. I've been asked to give an introduction and the man I'm introducing to you has spoken to audiences the world over. His message has changed millions of lives and his presence has brought peace, repentance and love to very difficult situations throughout the church. He is profound, wise and compassionate, touching people everywhere with his message.

His name is Jesus.

And here is _______________ to tell you about him.

That's my job.

That's your job if you are a follower of Jesus.

We do our part by living the love of Jesus out loud through our lives - our words, our actions, and what we value.

The Best Malted Milk Balls On Earth

Fresh Market has the best malted milk balls. Sean went out and picked up a pound of them for my birthday present. I think we shall have to make this a family tradition. Anytime anyone has a birthday, they should bring me a pound of malted milk balls. :)

Ya Think?

We've had some intense weeks lately around here.




They are normally pretty full anyway, with a pastor's job being "on call" 24/7 and Bunny's piano teaching keeping her hopping.

But throw in her mother's illness and it really ratcheted up the pressure.

Bunny's been up to Macon twice in the last month, camping out in the hospital and doing whatever it took to get her mother well. Her Mom was able to leave the hospital at the end of last week and was placed in a nursing home for a rehab stay. Then Saturday morning, when Bunny went to surprise her with a visit - the surprise was that Dot was very ill and had to be sent to the ER, into ICU, and back into the hospital again.

Just this morning, news from Macon had Bunny in tears at 8:30 AM and thanking God after talking to her Mom on the phone at 11 AM.

Pressure? Yeah, you could say that. And yet, as I tried to take today as the gift that it is from God, I read this.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5 If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. 6 Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.
James 1:2-6 (MSG)

What I want "out in the open" is that I rely on God. Yes, I have some experience as a disciples after 35 years of following Jesus. And it is true that I have gained some insight as a pastor in helping others through their trials.

But I'm a human being. There are times when I want life to be easy. My preference would be for everyone to be healthy, money to never be an issue, and everything in every area of my life to be incredibly blessed.

So the idea of not trying to get out of anything prematurely is not natural. It's like running into the wind, or swimming against the current. And yet that "resistance training" is exactly what develops a faith that will last.

Look what I found :)

Bunny asked me to scan a picture while we were up here of her Mom. Well look what else I found. Now that's a girl you can just look at and know she's only going to get more beautiful. And she did. :)

You Know I Had To Post This - Go Tech!

It's about time GT fans had something to get excited about. Yeah, the guys doing it aren't exactly rapper material, but new coach Paul Johnson has brought hope back to Grant Field.

Go Tech - Beat UGA!

In Macon GA

Well, we arrived in Macon in the wee hours of the morning and crashed at Bunny's parent's house. Nothing like an iron double bed frame designed for people 100 years ago to provide a satisfying rest for two people accustomed to a California King sized bed.

Henley was great on the trip up, which was mostly uneventful except for observing a fight that broke out at a gas station we had stopped at in Albany, which turned out not to have any regular gasoline anyway. The stretch of roads between Valparaiso and here travels through a very rural area for the most part. It was Friday evening, and there was very little activity at all, even in the little towns we pass through.

Bunny and Sean are headed over this morning to visit Bunny's mom (Dot), and I am in high hopes I will have Nu-Way's for lunch. The picture is of the window of the Mecca for Nu-Way's on Cotton Avenue. I'll probably get some from the Zebulon Road location, but's that's okay too.

Waiting on the world to change

It's not the book of "let's pray about it."

It's the book of ACTS.

War Is Where You Find It

So we're at Target today and I wandered back to the electronics section like a moth wanders to a flame. Perched on an end cap there was a device I had heard of but never seen before - the Sony Digital Book Reader.

Like the Amazon Kindle, the Sony unit is designed to replace the printed book. There are a lot of things that I like about that idea, particularly when you combine it with the ability to keep texts like translations up to date. For example the New Living Translation, which is my favorite, is on its fourth round of changes. Yes there have only been two editions, but during the interim period, changes have been made. All those changes presumably make it better, but the "real book" buyer will not see them unless he purchases a later printing. Apparently this happens all the time, but publishers don't let anyone know.

If you're digital, you can just synch the book with the newer version and you're up to date. So it interests me, this new device, because I can see the uses in ministry. But there are other uses too. In fact the book the display device was showing when I walked up was "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. That author along with other militant atheists like Sam Harris, are attacking Christianity and ridiculing Christians and their beliefs.So I changed the book it was displaying to another work of fiction. :)

If you are interested in reading a great exegesis and apologetic response to Dawkins and particularly Harris, then pick up this book from Ravi Zacharias. It is an excellent help in answering the attacks, as Zacharias leads his readers through the arguments , and then with the help of Dallas Willard, makes a case for God.

Warning: A Waste of Time

I could survive for 1 minute, 22 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds Pedia

And this is what the Internet can do to you boys and girls. Fortunately, I had finished my work when this crossed my desktop

I did not mention that I killed the lizard but bled out from my injuries. :)

A Long Obedience In Mostly the Same Direction

This Sunday was special at New Hope. We saw a glimpse of what God is doing through us as we baptized five new believers into the fellowship. Some we've known for a long time, and some for less, but they all are beginners on the long journey of following Jesus.

On the same Sunday 35 years ago, I made a profession of faith in Jesus when the invitation was given at the close of the Sunday night worship service at Bethesda Baptist Church. So as I looked into the eyes of those I baptized "in obedience to His command", I heard echoes of Brother James Herndon doing the same for me.

I don't think anyone who has seriously tried to follow Jesus' call to "come, follow Me" would fail to identify with me when I confess that my fidelity to His commands has been filled with ups and downs. Especially in the earlier years, I operated mostly out of a cultural relationship with Jesus - I went to church and hung around with people who went to church. Life was pretty darn good - even easy most of the time, and so there were very few instances where I realized the import of my decision to become a follower of Jesus. Since I was a pretty moral person, living with other moral people, it was no big deal to stay the course.

Then years later, at the height of what success I had in the corporate world, after getting the boys into good schools, the family into a good house, and seeing only an upside to life, two things happened in succession. The first was that through no fault of my own, (or significant gifts) I was singled out by God for special service as a pastor. I can confidently tell you with no worries of being contradicted that I had never considered that career field once in my entire life. But there I was, and there He was. How would that work? Hadn't the foggiest notion.

Six months later the plan unfolded. The company I worked for was shrinking itself and I was low man on the totem pole. If I didn't take the buy-out, I would be transferred far away. So I made plans. Then God unveiled part two. My Mother was stricken with terminal cancer. My plans got ditched. When the dust settled, we had laid her to rest, and I was back into the workforce. It left me grieving and relying more on God than I ever had before.

This time I wasn't around moral people. On one job, the first day of training ended with my boss showing me how to cheat on expense reports. On another, I was shown how to make numbers that meant one thing seem to mean another. Through that experience, I understood what lots of other people had faced outside the Christian bubble. I finally found a job in sales where I could live out my faith again alongside other believers.

I was first called as a youth pastor in a semi-dysfunctional church, then as a pastor in what I thought was a great place to live out my calling and help people come to know Jesus and grow in their faith. The baptistery was used to store Christmas decorations and the pipes that filled it required a blowtorch to unseize, but at the beginning God was alive there and we grew. Chick Swindoll nailed it when he said that small rural churches were possibly the most difficult and had ended many a pastor's ministry prematurely. I was nearly such a victim. There is no doubt that a portion of the blame has to fall on my inexperienced shoulders. But as I later found out, the church ate preachers for breakfast and lunch.

Lurching from there into a church splant, I delayed the agony of leaving behind the people who had given the church life. But our attempts to plant a church in that area suffered from a lack of a place to meet and a total "shunning" by the power brokers in the old church. So it eventually ended, leaving me in sales management but not much closer to service in God's church.

Then a little church, reeling from pastoral failure, spotted a resume I had posted a year before, and called. New Hope Baptist in some unknown town called Valparaiso Florida was trying to hold on and reach the future God had promised.

I've been here nine years now. We've seen God work miracles, and we've been hard pressed at times. There's no doubt that some of the bruises were self-inflicted. My friend Arnold and I were comparing notes a few weeks back about what has happened over the last few years. He even remembered things that I had mercifully forgotten. I really can laugh at some of them. However, at the time they really hurt.

But there's never been a doubt that God sent us here.

When God Asks the Questions

God asked Jonah two questions in the fourth chapter.

“Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
Jonah 4:4 (NLT)

and then after a plant God provided to shade Jonah was then killed by a worm God appointed to that task, God asked Jonah...

“Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”
Jonah 4:9 (NLT)

God uses questions all throughout the Scriptures to try and make us stop and think. Here's a list I found of just a few.

·Where are you? Who told you that you were naked? What is this you have done? (Genesis 3)
·Where is your brother Abel? What have you done? (Genesis 4)
·What have you done? (1 Samuel 13:11)
·Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? (2 Samuel 12)
·Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? (Isaiah 6)
·Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16)
·What do you want Me to do for you? (Matthew 20)
·Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? (Luke 22)
·Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? (Acts 9)

We're so prone to ask God questions, but how uncomfortable they seem when He is the One asking.

The one question written in the Scriptures that sticks in my head?

It's at the close of the book of John. Peter has been restored by the grace of Jesus into fellowship and ministry. It would seem that Peter would be only focused on following the One who has just shown him the most incredible mercy and grace - right?

Nope.

Peter asks Jesus about His plans for the apostle John. Jesus replies, "What is that to you? You follow me."

It's so easy to start looking at what other people are doing. So tempting to worry about how a decision you might have to make would affect the lives of others. But Christ calls us forward - with Him.

When God asks, answer in obedience, not just words.

New Hope @ Worship 14 Sept 2008

It was the last week of the series covering the Book of Jonah. The idea was to explore Jonah's attitude and open that to our attitudes and notions about God. Then to look at how to handle our anger with God - what to do and what not to do. There were some reasons that this was a timely message for some in the congregation, so it was God's providence that delivered it on time for them.

To reinforce the positive about God's love for us, we crafted the music accordingly.

Arise
Your Grace Is Enough
Blessed Be Your Name
Forever
Grace Flows Down

It didn't fit anywhere, but we also had "I Love To Tell the Story" done as a duet by Craig Bryan and Brittany Edwards. They did a great job on a song that probably means a great deal to many in the congregation. I know it does to me.

So here's the ppt for the message. You might note that the Scripture is on there. I'm always torn on that, because as a teacher, I want the students to use their own Bibles and follow along. This week I put them on there, next week probably not. My goal is to use a few memorable images as opposed to a lecture/presentation. This week was mostly text, though. Hmmm...

Craig Groeshel - On "It"

The leader must care more about what God thinks than what people think.(emphasis mine) That sounds basic—and it is, but it is not always easy to do. For me, I have to be obedient to all that I feel God is showing me—even in the very small things. When my other people’s opinions become too important to me, I find myself delaying obedience to God or even disobeying. - Craig Groeshel in an interview about his new book "It"

Sounds like a good and needed book for pastors to read and think through. It is so easy to go with the flow - so easy to do something that you know a certain person or persons will like.

"Going along to get along" never grew people or through them a church.

Think back. How hard was it for Elijah to stand in front of Ahab and tell him the heavens were going to slam shut - there'd be no rain or even dew until Israel repented.

What about Stephen, or Peter calling out the people for their sins.

God's man is only a man. But he has to find the strength in his relationship to God to resist the siren's call to acquiesce to less than God's best.