Inward or outward focused church?

On www.churchleaders.com Thom Rainer has a very insightful article that because of my job as a pastor, the title caught my attention. In case you don’t know Dr. Rainer is President of Lifeway, which among other things is the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is also one of the premier researchers for churches of all denominations as well as prolific author. The article is entitled “10 Warning Signs of an Inwardly Obsessed Church”. So I decided I’d read the article and see where we (Eastwood Baptist in Bowling Green) are in regards to being inwardly or outwardly focused using his criteria. So here are his 10 warning signs with my comments about Eastwood after.

1. Worship wars – The direction of Eastwood worship was set before I arrived. I think maybe there was a good bit of angst as Eastwood transitioned to a more blended toward the contemporary format but our worship pastor is great about trying to blend in hymns and other styles of music.
2. Prolonged Minutia Meetings – Eastwood only has 3 standing committees (a record for Southern Baptists I believe) and 5 minute business meetings so we are doing great here.
3. Facility Focus – Rainer defines this as “One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church’s buildings and grounds.” While Eastwood does not meet this definition I think we need to be careful as think about a building for our Plano Campus; it would be easy to take the focus off of reaching people.
4. Program Driven – No church will ever be completely free of “programming” but the point Dr. Rainer makes is that we can’t let the program be the ends rather than the means. For instance we can’t make Bible Study Fellowship classes just about studying the bible. They have to be a door we use to reach people for Christ. Bible study fellowship classes are the means by which this is done.
5. Inwardly Focused Budget – I think we are doing great here. Eastwood was in the Top 10 Churches in the Kentucky Baptist Convention in both total gifts as well as per-capita gifts to the Co-Operative Program. About 20% of what is received this year will go to missions. I received notice last week that out of 40,000 plus SBC churches, Eastwood was in the top 50 in gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions.
6. Inordinate Demands For Pastoral Care – Rainer defines this as having “unreasonable demands” for pastoral care. I am blessed with a great staff, which loves to minister to the people of the church.
7. Attitudes of Entitlement – From the most active to the least active I simply don’t sense this attitude of “deserving special treatment”. I’m sure not all pastors can say this, but I’m blessed here at EBC.
8. Greater Concern About Change than the Gospel – Eastwood is incredible in adapting to and embracing change. If the membership believes change will possibly produce a more effective way to reach people for Christ and disciple believers, they have willingly embraced changed in my 7 ½ years as their pastor.
9. Anger and Hostility – I told someone last week that after 7 ½ years I honestly don’t know anyone who is angry with me or the church necessarily. Oh, I’m sure there are some out there but I’ve only reached this length tenure one other time, and by then while the mood was still generally sweet, I knew who was throwing rocks and when to duck.
10. Evangelistic Apathy – Uh oh! I think this could be a major issue for Eastwood. We are strong in giving to missions and even going. Where I think we struggle is in inviting our lost, unchurched, or dechurched friends to church or even sharing the gospel with them ourselves. We have loads of guests each week but I’m not sure how many of them have intentionally been reached by our folks and how many of them are without Christ.

All in all I think we are doing great as far as keeping the focus on where it needs to be; on those outside the church. The church is the only organization that I know of that exists to a large part for those outside of the membership. Now I know some of my brothers might take issue with that statement and tell me “No, the primary purpose of the church is to make disciples and give God the glory He is due.” But I believe we have to reach people with the gospel before we can disciple them, and the more people we reach, the more the Father is glorified. Just my thoughts…

Bro Tom

"Normal" pastors

I like to read a blog by a fellow named Ron Edmondson, who Sunday was elected the new senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist church in Lexington. He really has a heart for encouraging pastors and his blog posts often reflect that. I think he uniquely understands some of the as he says “pressures, frustrations, and joys” of serving as a senior pastor because he has walked in those shoes. He recently shared a post entitled “10 ‘secrets’ about many senior pastors” that I wanted to share on my blog. While I don’t know how many pastors read my blogs I know many laymen and women do, and just maybe this will help them understand their pastor a little better. I am putting quotation marks around what he says then adding some comments of my own.

Here are 10 “secrets” about many senior pastors:
1. “Leading from this position is overwhelming at times. We know Christ is ultimately in charge, but we also know it often seems everyone looks to us to have all the answers.” While I’m not sure if this pressure is applied by others, if it’s of pastors own making, or just something inherent in the job, I do think this is very real, at least for the pastors I know.
2. “People tell the senior pastor all kinds of things about what is happening in their life or in the lives of others…many we would rather not know sometimes…and sometimes the weight of others problems we carry is enormous.” There is no way for a pastor to get around this. A large part of ministry is tending the sheep that the Lord allows you to serve. This means knowing when they stray, when they are hurt, when they are absent from the flock, etc…
3. “Most pastors walk with a degree of uncertainty, which keeps us in prayer, but also makes us question our abilities at times. It makes depression common for many senior pastors. (Need a Biblical example…see 1 Kings 19)”. I know firsthand that this is real. There are days that I question, ‘Lord, am I really equipped to do this?’ I usually get the answer that no I am not, but He in me is able to do more than I could think or ask.
4. “Many senior pastors fear the possibility of failing in their role, so they thrive on the encouragement and prayers of others.” This is not unique to pastors as I think we all need encouragement. But the weight of being a spiritual overseer of souls is enormous and encouragement always helps to lighten that load. Just today I received an email letting me know how yesterday’s message spoke to her. Little things like that are such a blessing to pastors.
5. “Sometimes we allow insecurity to cause us to become overprotective of our reputation and our position.” I believe this is tied to #4 above. Because there is this real fear of failure, whether it’s failing God or His people, insecurity has a way of creeping into the man of God’s life. Moses would be a prime example of this. God called him to a task that he didn’t think he could fulfill, and so with a fear of failure he expressed his insecurities to God.
6. “We face the same temptations and occasional spiritual dryness as everyone else. This means we need accountability, but are often afraid to seek it.” The prayers of God’s people help during these times of dryness. I think it often is acutely obvious to both pastor and people when this is going on. And when it is, the people of God praying for the man of God can help overcome this.
7. “Our spouse is sometimes the loneliest person in the church and often feels extreme pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations.” While I can’t speak directly to this having never been the “spouse of a pastor” I do know the pressures are real. I’m grateful to serve a people who have placed no expectations on my wife other than to be my wife and the mother of our kids!
8. “Loneliness can exist for all leaders and many pastors suffer from it.” In my own discussions with other pastors I believe this is true though we seldom own up to it. Many pastors have this real fear of showing any weakness in their spiritual armor. So rather than be transparent about feelings of loneliness, pastors get used to the façade of “I’m okay, thanks for asking.”
9. “We seldom know who we can trust, which is why we become guarded and appear hard to get to know. Most senior pastors have been burned by someone they once trusted.” Man is this ever true. I’m thinking of a time when a staff member (at another church) betrayed my trust just weeks after arriving at our church. This lead to my best friend in the church, a man I’d spent countless hours with at his house, our house, the golf course, etc… leaving the church over this. For several years our friendship was not what it should have been, in fact it never got back to where it was.
10. “We suspect the staff, church leaders and congregation sometimes talks about us behind our back.” This is just human nature I suppose... both to suspect that folks talk about you as well as others. I know “roasted preacher” is served often around Baptist tables on Sunday … but to be honest, when pastors get together we’ve been known to eat a little “roasted layman” on occasion (grin).

Granted, Ron makes the point that not every pastor faces all 10 of these. He also rightfully expresses how we senior pastors find great joy in our work. He makes a point at the end of his post that is worth repeating word for word … here it is: “When I share any post like this, however, I have come to expect a lecture on the need to depend on Christ for these issues, which only further demonstrates my points. Senior pastors are to fully rely on Christ’s strength, as is every other believer. This is just a reminder that we happen to also be like Elijah… ‘a man just like us’.” (James 5:17)

Dealing with doubts

Dear Church Family,

Have you ever heard something that sounded too good to be true? I’ve often responded to such things with “I’ll believe it when I see it”. An example would be these diet programs where somebody lost 200 pounds in 12 months. If you read the fine print it typically says something like “these results are not typical”. We read that stuff and doubt that it’s true. When it comes to faith and doubting in the life of the Christian, I think we all fall into one of three categories.

There are what I call the “casual believers”. They believe there is a God but they have not surrendered their life to Him. They are the Christmas, Easter believers and attenders. Then there are the “convenient believers”. They will follow Christ as long as it’s convenient. But the first time His claims of Lordship interfere with their plans, they are gone. It’s as if they leverage faith to their benefit. Finally, some are among the “committed believers”. They understand what Paul meant in Galatians 2 when He said he’d been “crucified with Christ”; for them it really is all about Him.


In John 20 we find the disciple named Thomas doubting the resurrection of the Lord. It’s not that he didn’t want to believe, he just needed to see proof before he would or could believe. So maybe you are like Thomas and struggling with doubts, what should you do? Before we look at the answer to that question let me differentiate between doubts and unbelief. Doubt literally means to be undecided or wavering between two opinions. But unbelief is a conscious decision I believe to not believe; to stand against the truth.


To deal with our doubts, first, I think we have to acknowledge the fact we have doubts. Some simply try to ignore them or pretend they aren’t there but that usually will not be sufficient for long. There are various causes or reasons we doubt. For some its intellectualism; they intellectually struggle with what they’ve been taught or believe to be true. For others its emotionalism that produces doubt. They base their faith on their feelings and when their mountain top experiences depart, so does their faith.


Secondly, after admitting our struggles with doubts, we need to turn to God for help. Have you ever considered how many “doubters” there are in the bible? Abraham and Sarah doubted the promise of a child. Moses doubted he was the right man for the job of going to Pharaoh. How many times in the gospels do we read of Jesus saying to the disciples, “Oh ye of little faith”? When we doubt the best thing we can do is be honest with God and bring our doubts to Him.


Back to John 20. Jesus could have busted on Thomas for doubting. He could have said, “I spend 3 years with you and at the first sign of real trouble you doubt?” Jesus doesn’t shame him though, He doesn’t condemn him, He simply meets him where he’s at and comforts him. Maybe what you don’t know is “doubting Thomas” became an incredible Christian taking the gospel to India and ultimately dying a martyrs death for the sake of the gospel. I’m not saying that your doubting could end up in your death for the gospel. But what I want you to see is when you give your doubts to the Lord, maybe it’s not dying for the sake of the gospel but rather living for the sake of the gospel that He calls you to. Something to ponder.

It's not over

Easter Sunday is a reminder to us that it’s not “over”. For some of you reading this I know life is difficult and maybe you feel like you have nowhere to turn, but the fact that you are here reading this is proof that it’s “not over” for you.

In January 2010, Jozef Guzy then 76, a Polish beekeeper had an experience where folks wrongly assumed it was “over” for him. It seems as though he was stung multiple times by his bees and his body went into shock. It was then wrongly assumed that had suffered a heart attack and doctor’s pronounced Jozef dead. Imagine the shock he felt when he awoke locked inside a coffin at a funeral home. Undertaker Darius Charon said, “He was shouting and banging on the coffin … he made enough noise to raise the dead so we couldn't miss him.” They wrongly assumed for Josef Guzy that it was over. Now go back 2000 years to another time and place. As Jesus was removed from the cross and placed in the tomb, followers and critics alike wrongly assumed it was over. Yes, Jesus had died, but it was far from over.

How can we know that Jesus really rose from the dead? I think there are three indisputable sources that serve as evidence of His resurrection.
1. The resurrection was communicated by the angels – As the women arrive to “prepare the body” of Jesus they are greeted by angels, God’s messengers, and are asked why they seek the living among the dead.
2. The resurrection was confirmed by His absence – His tomb was sealed with a large stone and Roman guards were put outside to guard the tomb against His disciples stealing the body and then claiming He arose from the dead. One of the greatest proofs of the resurrection is the fact no one ever produced the corpse of Jesus.
3. The resurrection was certified by His appearances – One might argue that an angel appearance or lack of body is not proof that Jesus arose. But the fact that on multiple occasions and to upwards of 500 people Jesus appeared after His resurrection makes for a compelling argument. If it was a hoax, 2-3 people might try and pull it off but 500? And we know many of those 500 died horribly cruel deaths for believing and affirming that Jesus rose from the dead.

So what does the resurrection mean to you and me? I think we learn 2 very important lessons from this.
1. We know Jesus was more than just a man – One Easter the Wizard of Id comic strip had one ant climbing up the cross to read the sign above Jesus head. Another asked him what it said and he responded, “It says ‘to be continued’”. Without an empty tomb, the cross would lose its meaning.
2. We know we can be forgiven – We all face two major problems: sin and death. Jesus dealt with both of those problems so that we wouldn’t have to. The cross pays for our sin (Hebrews 9:27).
3. We know that death is not the end – The resurrection proves there is life after death.

Pilate offered the Jews on that fateful day to either release Jesus or a notorious criminal named Barabbas. Pilate wrongly assumed it was a no brainer and given the choice they’d choose to release Jesus. But the crowd instead told him to crucify Jesus and give them Barabbas. Imagine being Barabbas in the jail cell. He obviously heard a great commotion and then hears the people start to chant his name. He doesn’t know why they are calling his name but thinks they must be calling for his head. Then he hears the keys rattle in the jail cell door and with trembling knees and faint heart he’s told he’s being taken to Pilate. Once before Pilate, Pilate tells him, “You know you deserve death.” Then after a long pause Pilate exclaims, “You are free to go, this man (pointing at Jesus) is taking your place!”

Now substitute your name for Barabbas. One day the keys of death will rattle at your life’s door. Maybe you are at first frightened by the prospect. You know that you have sinned throughout your life and you deserve whatever comes your way. Then you appear for the Lord God the Righteous Judge and with great trepidation you await your just punishment. But then the Father welcomes you to heaven pointing at His Son and exclaiming “He took your place!” That is true when you know Christ as your Savior. It’s not “over” … the fact you are here shows there’s still time for you to come to Christ!

Are you lonely?

I googled the word “lonely” today and it shows 328 million hits. Gallup’s research shows that at any given moment 4 of 10 Americans are suffering from feelings of loneliness. Research shows that feelings of loneliness are not healthy. Loneliness is no respecter of persons and each person processes loneliness differently. Some turn to food or drugs, while others turn to wrong relationships. Some become work-a-holics while others become recluses. I started thinking today of all the songs written about these feelings. Whether it’s Paul McCartney asking “Where do all the lonely people come from?” or Elvis singing about the hotel at the “end of lonely street called Heartbreak Hotel”, it’s obvious these feelings abound. It was Albert Einstein that said “It is strange to be known so universally & yet to be so lonely.”

I think there are 4 types of friends. We all have “contact” friends that we say hello to when we pass in the hallway. We have “casual” friends that we share common interests with and can talk about those interests. We have those we call “close” friends that we feel we can be somewhat open with. But if we are really fortunate we have a few that we can call “committed” friends; those who will stand by your side no matter what.

Committed friendships differ from others because of a willingness to sacrifice. When you love someone this way you will sacrifice for their best interests. Friendship that’s not willing to sacrifice for the other is not much a friendship. I love the story I read a few years ago from just outside St. Louis. In April 2004, 9 year old Mak Shulist battled brain cancer. It was deemed “incurable” and it quickly robbed young Mak of his eyesight. The Make-A-Wish foundation decided they would do something for Mak and asked him what he would like. Typically kids request from them things like meeting their favorite celebrity or a trip to Disney World. But nothing prepared them for Mak’s request.

Mak attended Ellisville Elementary school even after his diagnosis. Despite receiving chemotherapy and radiation, little Mak started the 3rd grade that Fall with his friends. So when his health finally failed and the Make-A-Wish Foundation got involved, they were stunned when all Mak asked for was for them to build a rock-climbing wall at his school for his friends. Will Randall, one of his classmates said, “I thought he was going to wish that there was a medicine or something, and he just wished for that and I was like whoa, he's nice.” As Mak’s condition worsened the Foundation hurried to finish the 7 foot wall. From the time they granted his request to the time kids climbed on the wall, only 2 weeks had passed. Thursday April 9, 2004, Ellisville’s principle videotaped students climbing on the wall. Students described on the video what it was like to climb the wall. The video was rushed to Mak’s house and his parents turned the volume up high so they could be assured Mak heard it. The next day, Friday April 9, 2004 Mak died. Michael Stafford, one of Mak's friends said, “'Every time I get on this wall I will think about him and what he did for us.”

The next time you are feeling lonely, remember there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Remember His friendship is not extended to us because we are worthy of that kind of friendship. In spite of the way we treat Him by our propensity to willingly sin, He loves us and remains committed to His relationship with us. I’m thankful today for the friend I find in Jesus!

Have courage today

Courage is a middle English word dating back to around 1300. It’s French and Latin derivatives are both rooted in the word “heart”. It’s defined on www.dictionary.com as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”.

Courage is a quality normally reserved for soldiers, firefighters, and police officers. From our earliest days, we are often taught, under the very real guise of caution, to not be courageous. We’re told things like “don't take unnecessary risks… Don't draw attention to yourself in public… Don't talk to strangers… Keep an eye out for suspicious people… Stay safe.” Not that any of those are invalid concerns, but they tend to work against the idea of courage. But as I sit here thinking this afternoon I’m confronted with the thought that being a disciple, a Christ-follower, takes courage, especially in the times in which we live.

Everyone wants courage as evidenced by a wikihow article I found entitled “How to have courage: 5 steps”. The article states these 5 principles lead to courage:
1. Do one little thing outside your comfort zone every day
2. Believe in yourself
3. Create some goals for each day
4. Have a good attitude
5. Don’t hesitate

While these are positive steps that might make you a better person, I’m not sure they get at the idea that God had in mind when in Joshua 1 He told Joshua to “be of good courage”. I like John Piper’s definition of Christian courage. He states, “Christian courage is the willingness to say and do the right thing regardless of the earthly cost”. The bible is filled with saints that serve as examples of this type courage.
• Noah – it took courage to build a boat when no one had ever seen rain and he was nowhere near water. It took courage for him to faithfully proclaim God’s coming judgment to a society that mocked him.
• David – it took courage to face a giant named Goliath with no visible weapon save a sling and 5 stones. But knowing that God was with him gave him the courage to do so.
• Gideon – it took courage to face as Judges 7 says an army “as numerous as locusts … as the sand by the seashore in multitude” with only 300 men and no weapons. Gideon did have the knowledge that “If God is for us, who shall be against us.”
• Daniel – it took courage to refuse to eat of the kings table even though “everyone was doing it”.
• Esther – it took courage to go before the king without an invitation. To do so was risking sudden death. But she knew God had raised her up “for such a time as this”

So here’s what I’m getting at for you and me. Like Noah let us faithfully do whatever God has called us to, even if that means being ridiculed by those of the world. Like David, whatever “giant” you are facing today, be of good courage for God has said that He will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Like Gideon some of you face huge odds that seemingly are against you today. Remember that God does His best work when we get to the end of ourselves and simply say “God if this is going to happen, it’s going to take You doing it.” Like Daniel, some of you need to stand strong today against the temptation to give in to societal pressures. Do what is right, not necessarily what is popular. Like Esther, some of you need to have the courage today to come before the “King” … not that it takes courage to come to God as He openly invites us into His presence. But you need the courage to come clean with Him and then accept His making you clean through forgiveness. Be courageous today!

Fear of failure

Most of us are afraid of failure. If I think there’s a chance we might fail at something, I have to fight the temptation to not even try. If I asked you to name a great baseball player who would you name? Many might say Hank Aaron for hitting 755 home runs. But Hank also struck out 1,383 times. What about a great NFL quarterback? Joe Montana played in 8 pro bowls and won 4 Super Bowls. But did you realize he threw 1,982 incomplete passes and 139 interceptions … failure.

In the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-ff we read of three servants entrusted with “talents” from their master. One of the three became so paralyzed by fear, he buried the talent until the master returned. He’d rather return only what he’d been given than run the risk of losing that talent.

Maybe today you are afraid of failing. You watch people around you succeed and yet you are crippled at the thought of failing to the point you don’t even try. If that describes you, I want to share 4 things with you that will hopefully allow you to move forward from fear; to take risks that honor God.

First, you need to discover that everyone fails … yes everyone! James 3:2 says “For we all stumble in many things.” In his book The Incomplete Book of Failures Stephen Pile shares some things that make this point. Michael Jordan was cut from his middle school basketball team for “lacking talent” and when he played in the NBA he missed 51% of his shots. Albert Einstein had a teacher who said about him, “He is mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams.” How many great men of the bible failed? Abraham lied and failed to have faith in God and His Word. David, well we don’t even need to go there other than to say the name Bathsheba. Here’s the point … everyone fails.

Second, we need to recognize that failure is not final. Psalm 24:16 says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” History is filled with people who failed yet got up and kept going. George Washington lost 2/3 of the battles he fought during the Revolutionary War. Billy Graham when asked to preach his first sermon said he actually prepared 4 sermons and preached them all in less than 10 minutes. When it was over he thought “I’m not cut out for this.” Listen, failure is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. In fact God often uses it in our lives to make us more like Him. John Mark who deserted Paul later became useful to Paul in his ministry. How? Because failure was not final.

Third, we should recognize there are some benefits to failure. Romans 8:28 says that “ALL things work together for the good to them that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Peter failed at just about everything he tried, from walking on the water to denying Jesus. But through it all he found there are benefits in failure. Here are the benefits I find: 1. Failure educates us. Thomas Edison had 10,000 failures before inventing the light bulb. 2. Failure develops our skills. How do you learn to ride a bike? You likely fell but you got back up and on that bike. 3. Failure tends to make us less judgmental. Without our own failures, it becomes easy to look down our noses at those who fail.

Finally, in regards to failure we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. Our society has become so competitive. But I believe success can be defined as doing your best. God defines success by obedience. Failure is when you don’t even try.

So what are you “failing” at right now? Your marriage? Your parenting? Some spiritual or moral failure? Whatever it is I don’t believe that it has to be final, or even the 1 thing that defines your life! Friend, there’s only one failure that is final … failing to respond to God’s offer of forgiveness through His Son. So you’ve fallen … get up, bandage the hurts, and go on with your life learning from your mistakes. Walk faithfully with your God!

Faith in the middle of the storm

The 30th President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge was known as a man of few words and when he spoke he was often blunt and to the point. On one occasion a female journalist told the President, "Mr. President, I made a $100 bet with another journalist that I could get you to say more than 3 words. Would you care to comment?" Coolidge smiled at the young lady and coolly said, "You lose". That's how he got the nickname he carried with him to his death ... “Silent Cal”.

I tell you that because there are times in our lives when we think of God as “Silent God”. Amidst painful trials I know I’ve often cried out “Why, God? Why me? Where are you?” and to my dismay heaven often seems to be silent.

If there was ever a poster child for suffering and heartache it would have to be Job in the Old Testament. Job was a healthy wealthy family man with 10 children and a load of livestock. He was also a righteous man; the most righteous on earth. Satan goes to God and accuses Him of buying Job’s worship. Satan says if Job was not blessed so much he’d turn on God. God allows Satan to do anything to Job except take his life. In a short period of time Jobs children all die in a storm, all of his livestock is stolen, his wife tells him to “curse God and die”, and his 3 best friends ask him what great sin is in his life that he hasn’t repented of yet. Through it all Job’s faith BENT but it never BROKE.

I think there are 4 insights that we can learn from the life of Job when our life is in turmoil.

#1 – There’s more going on around us than we can see. Job had no idea of the conversation that took place in heaven but as readers of the scriptures we get the benefit of seeing both scenes unfold. It’s kind of like when we are watching a movie, we are only seeing a small slice of what all is happening. The directors make sure we don’t see things like the lights, assistants holding microphones, the studio. What we are seeing is mere snippets of our life. We see some of the present and remember some of the past but God sees the future and what He’s doing in our life.

#2 – God’s desire is for us to have a personal relationship with Him. I love the fact that in the conversation with Satan it’s God who brings up the name of Job. God loves Job and is proud of His creation. I get the sense it’s almost like a grandparent asking if they’ve showed you a picture recently of their grandchild. God knew not only Job’s name but knew his heart as well. When God looks at you or me he doesn’t see us as a social security number or taxpayer id # … He sees us personally and loves us all the same.

#3 – We need to remember that Satan actively assaults God’s servants. When God asks Satan where he’s been he says he’s been “walking to and fro on the earth.” Peter equated him as a lion seeking those he may devour. Satan actively, aggressively, and continually works to get people to doubt there is a God and that He loves them.

#4 – Genuine faith will sustain you through times of trouble. The bible affirms the fact that our faith is often tested. During these times of trials in our lives the type of faith we have is revealed. I think there are 3 types of faith and I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that at times each type has been found in my life. First there’s what I call “fair weather faith”. This faith functions best when the sun is shining and everything in life is going the way you think it should. Those with fair weather faith typically turn on and question God at the first sign of trouble. The second type of faith is what I call “foul weather faith.” It’s the opposite of fair weather faith. Rather than praise God only when the sun is signing, they only turn to God when things go south. Here we tend to try and bargain with God, “God if you will do ______, then I will serve You.” Then when things start to go better we forget about the Lord until the next time things go bad. After 9/11 we saw a lot of “foul weather faithers”. They were in church for a few weeks and when things settled down they were gone again. Finally there is “all weather faith.” This faith says “I will praise the Lord no matter what comes my way.” That’s not where Job started but it is where he ended up. In Job 13:15 we read, “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

So is the sun shining in your life? Are the storm clouds gathering? What kind of faith do you think you have right now? I wish I could tell you mine was always “all weather faith” but alas my faith is a work in progress.

Craziness and what is Christmas!

Does anyone feel “stressed” because of the pace of Christmas? It seems like I get stuck on “fast forward” every Christmas and the closer I get to “the day” the more hectic things get for me and the more frazzled I get. Also, is it just me or do you find people do the craziest things at this time of year? I was reading about a department store Santa getting fired in Thousand Oaks, California because when an “elf” called him a name (obviously something other than St. Nick) he pulled a handgun and drew down on said elf. Or how’s this one for crazy: there was a Seattle charity event for meat-cutters where a volleyball game was played. They used frozen meats as “volleyballs” (yes, you read that correctly). It seemed as the game was stopped when one of the “players” was hit in the head with an 11 pound frozen turkey. Even churches are not immune to the craziness. In Miami, a woman was arrested for assaulting her husband with an umbrella shaft after church. His crime? It seems he fell asleep during the service.

In trying to get past some of the craziness this Christmas I pondered what Christmas means. Now I realize it means a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some it is a time of shopping and spending. To others it is a time for drinking and parties. For others Christmas involves traveling and entertaining. I’m sure for many it means a combination of these and other things. Today is Sunday and I’m sitting in my office pondering the real meaning of Christmas?

I came up with a short list of what Christmas means to me:
1. Christmas is about love – For God so “loved the world” that He sent us His Son. We should never forget that symbolism of Christmas in seeing how much God loves us. So as I reflect on the meaning of Christmas I realize that it’s about us sharing His love with so many who never open a bible or attend a church service. That leads to the second thing I believe about Christmas …
2. Christmas is about remembering – taking the time to remember those whom we have loved and been loved by through the years. This time of year is often difficult as we are forced to face the holidays without someone we have spent much of our life with. I hope that when I go through a period of great loss God will help me remember not to focus on what I feel I’ve lost but rather what I had in that person in the first place and to celebrate that.
3. Obviously Christmas is a time of giving – “For God so loved the world He gave”. As a child Christmas was always about what am I “getting” this year but the older I have gotten I have found it much more pleasurable to give. I often say it in sermons but I’m convinced of the truth that we are never more like Jesus than when we give.
4. Christmas is a time of forgiving (or at least it should be) – God was willing to forgive us without stipulations. Oh that I were more like Jesus in this regard. Too often I’m quick to be judgmental and look down on others less fortunate or maybe more fortunate and not realizing just how blessed they are. I have been forgiven so much in my life. I also have been had some very difficult experiences in my life. But I’m reminded that no one has ever done anything worse to me than that which I’ve done to Christ. After all, it was my sin that held Him to that cross.
5. Christmas is a time of change – we often set resolutions right after Christmas as we “resolve” to change some things for the better. So I’m pondering what the Lord would have me to change for the better this year.
6. Finally Christmas is a time of rejoicing – We can rejoice in God’s unmerited grace. We can rejoice in the fact we’ve been forgiven. We can rejoice that God has a purpose for our life. We can rejoice that no matter how far we stray, we never get so far that the arm of God cannot bring us back. Know you are loved this Christmas.

3 lessons from Joseph

Are you ready for Christmas? Have all your cards been mailed? Are all your decorations out and up? What about your shopping; finished yet? Many call this part of December the “Christmas rush”. As we hurry trying to get everything “done” we are prone to lose sight of the meaning of Christmas. When I ask the question, “Are you ready for Christmas?” I’m not concerned with all the trappings. I’m asking about your attitudes, because every once in a while I hear someone say, “I just can’t get into the Christmas spirit!” Likely some of you have said it too.

Outside of Jesus, Joseph is one of my favorite characters of the Christmas story yet he often goes unnoticed. He's not in the spotlight very long, and we know little about his life. But Joseph can teach us a lot about attitudes. What we learn from Joseph can change our attitude and make Christmas more meaningful this year.

There are three simple things we learn from Joseph that help us understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Lesson #1 – We need to be ready to accept God’s will no matter what. imagine you are Joseph. He had his life pretty well mapped out. He was pledged to be married, the arrangements had been made, and the wedding would soon be upon them. He and Mary would settle down in Nazareth, he’d run his carpentry business, they'd have some children and live happily ever after. But then Mary dropped a bomb on him with the words, “Joseph, I’m pregnant”. Joseph knew the child was not his and came to the same conclusion we’d have, namely that Mary must have been unfaithful. As Joseph considered his “options”, an angel came to him in a dream and basically told him he needed to “trust God” Even though Joseph got few of his questions answered, he chose to trust God and believe His will to be best.

So that leads me to ask what is it God’s been speaking to your heart about that you are wrestling to understand? What is it that you want answers from Him before you decide to obey? From that first Christmas we learn from Joseph that we need to be ready to accept God’s will with no reservations. It’s okay to ask questions but sometimes God chooses not to answer. And getting no answer is no excuse for disobedience.

Lesson #2 – Joseph teaches us that we need to care for others. When children’s groups put on Christmas plays, kids do not typically line up asking for the role of Joseph. Mary is always front and center portrayed either holding Jesus or looking over and after Him. In the manger scene of our minds we also see some excited shepherds. There are also typically wise men bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (though we know their arrival would have been weeks, even months later). But look closely, there, over in the corner of our manger scene stands Joseph. His role is not that of “star” and at times he’s treated as rather insignificant. But Joseph’s role was actually critical to that first Christmas. God had simply told him to take care of Mary and Jesus. Joseph had the important task of caring for the needs of others.

Maybe this Christmas you are feeling a bit frustrated about spending all of your time and resources meeting the needs of others. Joseph reminds us that Christmas is really not about us; it wasn’t about he and Mary and it’s certainly not about us. The focal point of Christmas is Jesus! And with Jesus serving as the center of this season, Joseph reminds us to care for the needs of others.

Lesson #3 – Joseph reminds us that we need to be willing to give whatever we have. He didn’t know that after Jesus was born that he would have to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect them. Joseph didn’t know that he would be separated from his business, home town, and family for a long period of time. He didn’t know all the demands that would be made on his life because of the birth of Christ. But here’s the key, whatever God asked of him, Joseph freely gave.

Isn’t that really what Christmas is all about? When God chose to give Himself as a gift to mankind, Christmas came. Joseph simply followed the pattern of the Lord when he gave of himself. What are you holding back from God? Is it your resources? Is it your time? Joseph reminds us to be willing to give whatever we have.

So, are you “ready” for Christmas? I don’t know if you will be able to get all your shopping done (if you're like me you probably be numbered among the thousands shopping on the 23rd and 24th). I can't tell you if you will get all your cards mailed or be able to attend all the Christmas functions you want to. But here’s what I do know … God has a will for our lives and we are wise to accept it no matter what. I know God has a desire that we extend to others the care that He first extended to us. I know that we are never more like Jesus than when we give! after all, it was He who said He came to “give his life a ransom for the many” (Mark 10:45).

Satan, temptation, and Pin fish

On our recent Fall Break trip to Florida, one of the things the boys and I like doing the most is going fishing down at one of the piers. We go to this place where all of the deep sea boats are docked for the night. In large trash cans are the remains of the fish they caught that day and we will take one of the carcasses out and use pieces of it for bait. Some nights it seems like every cast we are catching either a salt water catfish, white grunt, or small pinfish. Typically there are some cranes that hang out on the pier with us. Occasionally we will toss them one of these pinfish and they, as quick as lightning, peck the fish with their beak to kill it and then quickly swallow it. This year the cranes were pretty aggressive in coming up to us trying to get us to give them a fish.

So I’m sitting at my desk today thinking about this Sunday’s message and a particular verse caused my mind to drift back to our pier fishing. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. Peter reminds us as Christians we have to keep our “guard” up because there’s an enemy seeking to “devour” us. The open door he’s looking for is our giving in to temptation and sin. Most of our sin is not done alone; there’s someone else who’s either complicit in the sin or a victim of the sin, but sin typically is not a one person thing.

Here’s the point I’m making here. Those pin fish are partially to blame for their own demise. Had they not given in to the temptation of the bait we used they never would have ended up on the pier, a place where they were not created to be, and thus we never would have had opportunity to give them to the cranes to devour. In order for Satan to “devour” us I believe we first let our guard down. Typically this involves a temptation to sin that we give in to, often involving other people (s). Then the next thing we know we are far from the will of God for our life, in a place He never intended us to be, and we are easily devoured by Satan. So what’s the key to not being devoured? Peter answers that in the first part of 1 Peter 5:8 when he says, “Be sober (alert) and be vigilant”. As a child of God the devil has you in his crosshairs and would love nothing more than to take you down. So no matter how alluring the temptation seems today, don’t give in.