Thursday, February 25, 2010
Read My Story
What do you value in life? Cars, houses, friends and family are all good responses, but if you want to know what I value most, read my story at http://www.whativaluemost.com/.
Thoughts from the First Day of the 2009 Southern Baptist Convention
I know my last email started with the word wow, but it seems appropriate again, so:
Wow, God is alive and moving in the midst of Southern Baptists! In times of economic uncertainty; when hope is fleeting if not lost; when values are turned inside out, upside down and twisted to fit a depraved culture; when it seems that the devil is having a heyday defeating those who stand against him; when it seems easy to focus on differences that divide instead of common ground that unites us; it is in these times that I see God moving again.
He is moving in a fresh way. His movement is not crouched in a theological debate - though some would say the convention has centered on a theological theme. His movement is not covered by a blanket of methodological programming - though some would say the convention has covered a problematic, programmatic misalignment. His movement is based in a humble and holy desperation to see God move in our lifetimes.
Desperation can be the doomsday prophet's message, or the divine prophet's motive. This week - and we are not through yet - God is moving among leaders in Southern Baptist life to call us to love one another, work with one another, support each other, serve each other and minister with and to each other.
As one young pastor said, "I want to be a part of something that is bigger than the Southern Baptist Convention; I want to be a part of the Great Commission."
The theme repeated throughout today's meeting has been that we need to refocus ourselves on the heart of God for a lost and dying world. Our preference of worship shouldn't be preeminent. Our preference of style should not be paramount. Our preferences should fall far behind and below our desire to see someone who does not know Jesus come to know Him; to see the sinner condemned to Hell, forgiven.
Now, I wish I could say that there is no dissention, but we are Baptist. The call has not been for uniformity, but for unity - these are not synonymous. Uniformity means we are all the same in action and appearance - our message and mission are expressed in the same way. Unity means despite our differences in actions and appearance, we are one in our mission and message. With the adoption of the motion to form a Great Commission Task Force, headed by Dr. Johnny Hunt, we, as Southern Baptists, are on the way to unity around the cross of Christ.
Praise God! Thank God for Southern Baptist men and women who unite around the gospel message of hope for a sinner through the love of a Savior!
Wow, God is alive and moving in the midst of Southern Baptists! In times of economic uncertainty; when hope is fleeting if not lost; when values are turned inside out, upside down and twisted to fit a depraved culture; when it seems that the devil is having a heyday defeating those who stand against him; when it seems easy to focus on differences that divide instead of common ground that unites us; it is in these times that I see God moving again.
He is moving in a fresh way. His movement is not crouched in a theological debate - though some would say the convention has centered on a theological theme. His movement is not covered by a blanket of methodological programming - though some would say the convention has covered a problematic, programmatic misalignment. His movement is based in a humble and holy desperation to see God move in our lifetimes.
Desperation can be the doomsday prophet's message, or the divine prophet's motive. This week - and we are not through yet - God is moving among leaders in Southern Baptist life to call us to love one another, work with one another, support each other, serve each other and minister with and to each other.
As one young pastor said, "I want to be a part of something that is bigger than the Southern Baptist Convention; I want to be a part of the Great Commission."
The theme repeated throughout today's meeting has been that we need to refocus ourselves on the heart of God for a lost and dying world. Our preference of worship shouldn't be preeminent. Our preference of style should not be paramount. Our preferences should fall far behind and below our desire to see someone who does not know Jesus come to know Him; to see the sinner condemned to Hell, forgiven.
Now, I wish I could say that there is no dissention, but we are Baptist. The call has not been for uniformity, but for unity - these are not synonymous. Uniformity means we are all the same in action and appearance - our message and mission are expressed in the same way. Unity means despite our differences in actions and appearance, we are one in our mission and message. With the adoption of the motion to form a Great Commission Task Force, headed by Dr. Johnny Hunt, we, as Southern Baptists, are on the way to unity around the cross of Christ.
Praise God! Thank God for Southern Baptist men and women who unite around the gospel message of hope for a sinner through the love of a Savior!
Thoughts from the Pastor's Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention
Wow, what a day! I count myself blessed to be among the pastors at this year's Pastor's Conference and Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, where our leaders are calling us to personal repentance and corporate renewal. On Monday, I had the opportunity to be challenged by men from a variety of church settings, differing generations and opposite ends of culture - united around the singular, unifying cross of Jesus Christ.
To say that any one of these impassioned sermons was better than the last would be a disservice to God who spoke through each of these men, but I do want to share with you some of the insights I gleaned:
Powered by the Holy Spirit, and driven by a passion to see us as a denomination make an impact on our world, Ed Stetzer used his exhaustive research to remind us that we must engage the lost and dying world around us to be found faithful to God's call on our lives. He spoke of the differences within or convention, but spoke of them in terms of allowing each difference to focus each church and individual on a different aspect of those who are lost - unified around Christ.
A Few of his sound bites include "the nations need our witness, not our conflict" and "we argue about tertiary issues while the world waits on the Gospel."
He was followed by Frances Chan of Simi Valley California, who opened with the comment "every time I opened the book, and then looked at my church, I saw two different things." This set the tone for his impassioned plea for us to evaluate our motives as well as our methods. Challenging us to recall how powerful God is, he told of what stated has become our unspoken belief "God moved in mighty ways [in Acts], but don't get used to it, that was then."
Probably one of the most indicting statements came when he took the antithesis of Southern Baptist life and used it as an analogy of what we have become when he said we have "Blackjack Christianity." Informing the audience comprising the same convention that has repeatedly repudiated all forms of gambling, he said that in the game of blackjack, the player is concerned only with the dealer and himself with no concern for anyone else at the table. The player doesn't care if the guy next to him hits 21 or busts. Could it be that we are concerned only with our life and God and could care less about the others at the table of life?
Former pastor, presidential candidate, and governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee spoke about the direction of our country as a whole and the need for genuine leaders in all aspects, but got good laughs from his quip, "What a shame that Barak Obama didn't listen to Fred Luter for 20 years instead of Jeremiah Wright," and his confession that one of the major changes in his life over the past 20 years was the change from a PC to a Macbook. He explained the change was because a file on his PC became "corrupt" and the whole computer crashed. If we let leadership become corrupt, we are destined for a crash - in the family, the convention, the nation.
After a long day of challenges, the evening culminated in an appeal from Johnny Hunt, president of the SBC for us to focus on our own spiritual renewal, for as the pastor goes, so goes the church. If the pastor is concerned for the lost, the church will be evangelical; if the pastor has a heart for missions, the church will have a heart for missions; if the pastor serves, the church will serve. He challenged us to search our hearts and make a renewed acceptance of our call to follow God and lead His people.
Wow, to give just these insights seems an injustice to all that God is doing in the SBC this week. Please pray that God is glorified in all that takes place and that we leave Louisville as a convention keenly focused on living out God's call of love to a lost and dying word, with an eagerness to serve them and share with them the joy of His salvation!
To say that any one of these impassioned sermons was better than the last would be a disservice to God who spoke through each of these men, but I do want to share with you some of the insights I gleaned:
Powered by the Holy Spirit, and driven by a passion to see us as a denomination make an impact on our world, Ed Stetzer used his exhaustive research to remind us that we must engage the lost and dying world around us to be found faithful to God's call on our lives. He spoke of the differences within or convention, but spoke of them in terms of allowing each difference to focus each church and individual on a different aspect of those who are lost - unified around Christ.
A Few of his sound bites include "the nations need our witness, not our conflict" and "we argue about tertiary issues while the world waits on the Gospel."
He was followed by Frances Chan of Simi Valley California, who opened with the comment "every time I opened the book, and then looked at my church, I saw two different things." This set the tone for his impassioned plea for us to evaluate our motives as well as our methods. Challenging us to recall how powerful God is, he told of what stated has become our unspoken belief "God moved in mighty ways [in Acts], but don't get used to it, that was then."
Probably one of the most indicting statements came when he took the antithesis of Southern Baptist life and used it as an analogy of what we have become when he said we have "Blackjack Christianity." Informing the audience comprising the same convention that has repeatedly repudiated all forms of gambling, he said that in the game of blackjack, the player is concerned only with the dealer and himself with no concern for anyone else at the table. The player doesn't care if the guy next to him hits 21 or busts. Could it be that we are concerned only with our life and God and could care less about the others at the table of life?
Former pastor, presidential candidate, and governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee spoke about the direction of our country as a whole and the need for genuine leaders in all aspects, but got good laughs from his quip, "What a shame that Barak Obama didn't listen to Fred Luter for 20 years instead of Jeremiah Wright," and his confession that one of the major changes in his life over the past 20 years was the change from a PC to a Macbook. He explained the change was because a file on his PC became "corrupt" and the whole computer crashed. If we let leadership become corrupt, we are destined for a crash - in the family, the convention, the nation.
After a long day of challenges, the evening culminated in an appeal from Johnny Hunt, president of the SBC for us to focus on our own spiritual renewal, for as the pastor goes, so goes the church. If the pastor is concerned for the lost, the church will be evangelical; if the pastor has a heart for missions, the church will have a heart for missions; if the pastor serves, the church will serve. He challenged us to search our hearts and make a renewed acceptance of our call to follow God and lead His people.
Wow, to give just these insights seems an injustice to all that God is doing in the SBC this week. Please pray that God is glorified in all that takes place and that we leave Louisville as a convention keenly focused on living out God's call of love to a lost and dying word, with an eagerness to serve them and share with them the joy of His salvation!
Why is Church Important?
In the Old Testament, the people of God gathered in the tabernacle, and later, in the temple because it was seen as the dwelling place of God. But for those of us living under the influence of the New Testament, we recall that our body is the temple, and we recite phrases like I have Jesus in my heart. It seems, then, that the New Testament down plays the role of the church. In fact it does, if you think only of the church as the place to find or meet with God. For the New Testament theology broadens our understanding of the omnipresent, omniscient God who is everywhere and anywhere at any and all times.
So, then, why do we need a church building and a religious organization? I think we all agree it is obvious that we gather in a church building, with other believers, to worship God. For example, I need to gather with others for worship because I cannot play the piano, nor read music, so my worship is limited without the help and expertise of others. But there are some other reasons as well. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews wrote to those who knew full well the tradition of the tabernacle and temple worship:
Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God.
But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception (Hebrews 3:12-13, HCSB).
And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works,
not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near(Hebrews 10:24-25, HCSB).
We are to gather to worship God in the church so that we can encourage one another and hold each other accountable to living the life God has called us to. First, we are to watch out for each other and encourage one another so that our hearts are not deceived or hardened. Do you agree that when we encounter a lost and dying world on a daily basis, our hearts can become callous to the desperation of those caught in the death spiral of life and death without Christ? We gather as a church so that we can peel back the callous and let God soften our hearts to see them as He does. But we also gather as a church to be held to the high standard of righteousness so that we will not live a watered down, sin filled life that does not reflect the Savior we seek to follow.
Second, as the second coming of Christ draws closer and closer (for each moment that He tarries moves us another moment closer to His coming), we meet together to encourage one another to do good works and to love one another. Notice the emphasis on "not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do." We need to be in the habit of coming to church so we can encourage and be encouraged.
It is important that we gather together to worship, not just so we do not sin, but more importantly, so we look like our Savior. Let's gather together and worship our Lord as we seek to encourage one another in the things of God.
So, then, why do we need a church building and a religious organization? I think we all agree it is obvious that we gather in a church building, with other believers, to worship God. For example, I need to gather with others for worship because I cannot play the piano, nor read music, so my worship is limited without the help and expertise of others. But there are some other reasons as well. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews wrote to those who knew full well the tradition of the tabernacle and temple worship:
Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God.
But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception (Hebrews 3:12-13, HCSB).
And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works,
not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near(Hebrews 10:24-25, HCSB).
We are to gather to worship God in the church so that we can encourage one another and hold each other accountable to living the life God has called us to. First, we are to watch out for each other and encourage one another so that our hearts are not deceived or hardened. Do you agree that when we encounter a lost and dying world on a daily basis, our hearts can become callous to the desperation of those caught in the death spiral of life and death without Christ? We gather as a church so that we can peel back the callous and let God soften our hearts to see them as He does. But we also gather as a church to be held to the high standard of righteousness so that we will not live a watered down, sin filled life that does not reflect the Savior we seek to follow.
Second, as the second coming of Christ draws closer and closer (for each moment that He tarries moves us another moment closer to His coming), we meet together to encourage one another to do good works and to love one another. Notice the emphasis on "not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do." We need to be in the habit of coming to church so we can encourage and be encouraged.
It is important that we gather together to worship, not just so we do not sin, but more importantly, so we look like our Savior. Let's gather together and worship our Lord as we seek to encourage one another in the things of God.
Teach Me to Pray
I had a unique opportunity recently. I had the joy of taking my daughter to the orthodontist. Now, I know what you are thinking, orthodontist appointments aren't the most joyful thing in life. I agree. My daughter very loudly (with a beautiful smile) agrees. My wallet agrees. In fact, I think in most situations, the only one who enjoys the orthodontist visit is the orthodontist and his accountant!
However, it was enjoyable because of the time I got to spend with her one on one, mano-a-mano, dad and daughter. For the hour drive to the orthodontist of our insurance carrier's choice, I got to talk with her and her with me. Once the visit was over, we went to get ice cream. Then, back in the car for another hour of tunes and talk, just the two of us.
She spoke with me in ways that never find a voice in the crowd of children clamoring for attention when I come home from the office. I heard her heart in ways that seem to get lost in the busyness and the bustle of everyday life. This particular orthodontist appointment will forever stand as a great day in our lives (I truly pray it meant as much to her).
At the same time, I heard my Heavenly Father's voice calling my name in an unusual way. I found myself hearing Him ask me if I valued my time with Him in the same way as I value the time with my daughter. Am I content with a quick "Good Morning" prayer followed by a haphazard handful of hurried and hushed prayers throughout the day concluded by a quick "Good Night" prayer as 'I lay me down to sleep'? This caused me to stop and evaluate my prayer life. As a quick side note, I believe everyone should stop and evaluate everything in life to prevent stagnation, so now became the time to evaluate how I pray. I came to a phrase I first remember hearing about 15 years ago. It comes from Luke chapter 11:
"One of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray...'" (Luke 11:1, HCSB)
I have books on prayer in my library. I have books on how to pray, what to pray, why we pray, even a great exposition on the Lord's Prayer, but these topics don't necessarily teach us to pray. For the request to "teach us to pray" goes beyond the ritual to the relationship. It looks through the list to the link between me and my God. It bridges my pattern with my passion. Maybe this is the key, for my next question of self -examination became "am I passionate about prayer?" It is easy to go through the motions with a mechanical precision, but passion involves my heart, mind and soul. It is taking time out of the busy day to concentrate on the Savior that concentrated on me when He was on the cross.
Lord, give me passion in prayer.
Lord, teach me to pray.
Take time to pray today. Start now with a quick prayer asking God to clear the schedule and allow you to spend time with Him. Then, look for the opportunities that He gives you to spend time with Him and use that time to talk with your Savior. I hope you take Him up on it before He decides you need braces just to get time alone with you!
However, it was enjoyable because of the time I got to spend with her one on one, mano-a-mano, dad and daughter. For the hour drive to the orthodontist of our insurance carrier's choice, I got to talk with her and her with me. Once the visit was over, we went to get ice cream. Then, back in the car for another hour of tunes and talk, just the two of us.
She spoke with me in ways that never find a voice in the crowd of children clamoring for attention when I come home from the office. I heard her heart in ways that seem to get lost in the busyness and the bustle of everyday life. This particular orthodontist appointment will forever stand as a great day in our lives (I truly pray it meant as much to her).
At the same time, I heard my Heavenly Father's voice calling my name in an unusual way. I found myself hearing Him ask me if I valued my time with Him in the same way as I value the time with my daughter. Am I content with a quick "Good Morning" prayer followed by a haphazard handful of hurried and hushed prayers throughout the day concluded by a quick "Good Night" prayer as 'I lay me down to sleep'? This caused me to stop and evaluate my prayer life. As a quick side note, I believe everyone should stop and evaluate everything in life to prevent stagnation, so now became the time to evaluate how I pray. I came to a phrase I first remember hearing about 15 years ago. It comes from Luke chapter 11:
"One of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray...'" (Luke 11:1, HCSB)
I have books on prayer in my library. I have books on how to pray, what to pray, why we pray, even a great exposition on the Lord's Prayer, but these topics don't necessarily teach us to pray. For the request to "teach us to pray" goes beyond the ritual to the relationship. It looks through the list to the link between me and my God. It bridges my pattern with my passion. Maybe this is the key, for my next question of self -examination became "am I passionate about prayer?" It is easy to go through the motions with a mechanical precision, but passion involves my heart, mind and soul. It is taking time out of the busy day to concentrate on the Savior that concentrated on me when He was on the cross.
Lord, give me passion in prayer.
Lord, teach me to pray.
Take time to pray today. Start now with a quick prayer asking God to clear the schedule and allow you to spend time with Him. Then, look for the opportunities that He gives you to spend time with Him and use that time to talk with your Savior. I hope you take Him up on it before He decides you need braces just to get time alone with you!
Gov. Bobby Jindal's Visit to Our Church
What a joy it was to be in church on Sunday, February 15, 2009. I pray you were blessed by Gov. Bobby Jindal's testimony. If you were unable to attend, you missed a true blessing as he shared his testimony of how many people had planted the seeds of the gospel in his life until he found Christ - or as he said, "Christ found me. He wasn't lost, I was." Gov. Jindal also stated that his favorite verse is Matt 10:32-33: "Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven" (HCSB). If you were unable to be with us, you can download the entire service from our podcasting page on our church website and even view a few pictures. If you had your picture made with the Governor and would like to post it on the church website, send it to me and we will post them all on the website for our church family to view.
Sweet Speech - Human PEZ Dispensers
I have a friend in Dallas named Grant who loves PEZ Candy - or at least the containers that the candy comes in. He had a very large collection of the containers and often ate the candy just to prepare the container for storage! Often for gifts, he would receive a new item for his ever-growing collection.
I don't know if you are familiar with PEZ, but according to their website they have been around for more than 70 years and began as a condensed peppermint candy. All of that is interesting, but not the point of this story.
You see, the interesting thing about the PEZ dispenser is that it is a plastic box with a special lid that is made to look like a head (of an animal, movie character, etc.). When you press on the back of the head, it tilts back and opens around where the mouth should be and out comes a sweet little piece of candy.
This past week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend our state evangelism conference and heard Michael Kelley of LifeWay Christian Resources describe the Christian's speech using the analogy that Christians ought to be like human PEZ dispensers spitting out the sweet words of encouragement and love for the fellowship of believers like the dispenser opens up to reveal a sweet confection for the taste buds! As I dwelled on this analogy he gave in passing, I came to this nugget of wisdom in Proverbs:
Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body. (Proverbs 16:24, HCSB)
Did you catch what our pleasant words are? They are two things. First, they are sweet to the taste. Sweet to the taste implies that the initial impression and use of the words is something pleasant and enjoyable. Pause just for a moment, think of the words you spoke to your coworker standing by the coffee pot this morning, or your spouse as you clamored around the sink brushing your teeth. What about the words spoken to the child running late for school or even the words to the dog demanding more food before you left the house this morning? Were your words sweet to the ears of the hearer? Were they enjoyable and pleasant?
The second aspect is a little more long term. Pleasant words are health to the body. Recent studies make us weary of the long term effects of too much sugar, but let's run with the illustration provided in the context in which excess wasn't known in the way we know it today. Honey, and the sugar in it, would have been a building block of the ancient diet providing necessary energy and strength and overall health to the body. Look again at the words you have spoken today. Will they linger long in the palate of the soul and bring health to the recipient? They are to build them up, leave the recipient stronger than when you were silent. They are to give energy, not leave them languished in the lost luster of spoiled speech.
Regardless of your self-examination of the words already spoken, you have the blessing in front of you to speak the sweet words of a human PEZ dispenser. Go ahead, try it. Imagine what the world would look like if our churches were filled with a life-size collection of sweet speaking saved saints! That would truly be the Collectors dream!
I don't know if you are familiar with PEZ, but according to their website they have been around for more than 70 years and began as a condensed peppermint candy. All of that is interesting, but not the point of this story.
You see, the interesting thing about the PEZ dispenser is that it is a plastic box with a special lid that is made to look like a head (of an animal, movie character, etc.). When you press on the back of the head, it tilts back and opens around where the mouth should be and out comes a sweet little piece of candy.
This past week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend our state evangelism conference and heard Michael Kelley of LifeWay Christian Resources describe the Christian's speech using the analogy that Christians ought to be like human PEZ dispensers spitting out the sweet words of encouragement and love for the fellowship of believers like the dispenser opens up to reveal a sweet confection for the taste buds! As I dwelled on this analogy he gave in passing, I came to this nugget of wisdom in Proverbs:
Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body. (Proverbs 16:24, HCSB)
Did you catch what our pleasant words are? They are two things. First, they are sweet to the taste. Sweet to the taste implies that the initial impression and use of the words is something pleasant and enjoyable. Pause just for a moment, think of the words you spoke to your coworker standing by the coffee pot this morning, or your spouse as you clamored around the sink brushing your teeth. What about the words spoken to the child running late for school or even the words to the dog demanding more food before you left the house this morning? Were your words sweet to the ears of the hearer? Were they enjoyable and pleasant?
The second aspect is a little more long term. Pleasant words are health to the body. Recent studies make us weary of the long term effects of too much sugar, but let's run with the illustration provided in the context in which excess wasn't known in the way we know it today. Honey, and the sugar in it, would have been a building block of the ancient diet providing necessary energy and strength and overall health to the body. Look again at the words you have spoken today. Will they linger long in the palate of the soul and bring health to the recipient? They are to build them up, leave the recipient stronger than when you were silent. They are to give energy, not leave them languished in the lost luster of spoiled speech.
Regardless of your self-examination of the words already spoken, you have the blessing in front of you to speak the sweet words of a human PEZ dispenser. Go ahead, try it. Imagine what the world would look like if our churches were filled with a life-size collection of sweet speaking saved saints! That would truly be the Collectors dream!
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