Just A Thought

Leadership Is Relationships

2012-02-05T14:57:00.000-06:00

Good leaders understand that leadership is the ability to influence others. As John Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less.”Bob Burg says, “People will do business and refer others to those they know, like, and trust. ”This is true in the area of leadership. People will follow leaders they know, like, and trust. If leaders will get to know their people, respect their people, and value their people, their people will follow them anywhere. In other words, the deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership.

Six Powerful Relationship (i.e. leadership) Builders

1. Practice the Golden Rule. “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12) In other words, treat others the way you would want them to treat you. Do you want more respect from those with whom you work? Then give them more respect. Do you want more appreciation? Give more appreciation away. Do you want more loyalty? Be exceptionally loyal. The best way to influence other people is through the awesome power of your best example. Give away all that you most wish to receive.

2. Walk Through the Crowd Slowly. Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines said, “The business of business is people.” With the onslaught of new technology, we have more ways than ever to connect with people today, yet at the same time, we’ve never been less emotionally connected with people. We cannot truly connect with people on a more intimate level through texting and Facebook. I’m speaking of real human connections, the kind that cause people to believe in you—and go to the wall to help you win. There is extraordinary power in walking through the crowd slowly and getting to know people by talking to them. Just being out there, having lunch with your teammates and breaking bread with your customers is important. When people get to know you, they’ll be first in line to do some serious business with you.

3. Serve Your People. Jesus, the greatest leader in history said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:25-27). All great leaders understand that real leadership is servant leadership. One way of serving others is to help them reach their maximum potential. The single best move an organization can make is to raise the leadership lid of every single person at every possible level. Remember, anyone can lead, whether they’re the receptionist or the CEO. And one of the defining behaviors of real leadership is leaving everyone you meet better than you found them. Be one of those great leaders who inspire others to step into their best. Treat everyone you know like they are VIP’s.

4. Listen, Listen, Listen. Listening involves more than waiting until the speaker has stopped speaking. Yet, few leaders have dedicated themselves to being a good listener. When you become good at listening, people feel that you care about them. When they feel you care about them, they begin to care about you. And when people care about you, your success becomes a part of how they define their success.

5. Practice Good Manners. “Manners are the lubricating oil of an organization,” said management guru Peter Drucker. “Please” means “I respect you,” and “Thank you” means “I appreciate you.” Leading others requires that you strongly value them.

6. Give Credit. Former President Harry Truman said, “You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.” Leave your ego at home every morning, and just do some truly great work. Few things will make you feel better than a job done with excellence. And the more you focus on adding value to as many people as possible, the more all those ego pursuits, like a bigger title, more money and greater acclaim, will show up for you in the best of ways.

How to Be a REAL Success
In my upcoming ½ day Leadership Workshop on February 25, I will show you how you can become a better leader by strengthening your relationships. Check out my “How to Be a REAL Success” workshop at www.bnleadership.org.

How To Be A REAL Success

2012-01-30T15:16:00.000-06:00

Success is Simply a Matter of Luck. Ask Any Failure!” ~ EARLE WILSON

Everybody wants to be a success. I have not met a person yet who, if asked, “Do you want to be a success in life?” replied with “No, I do not.” Everybody wants to be a success, but I have found that few people even know what success really looks like and how to achieve it.

This is why, on Saturday, February 25, I will be leading a half-day leadership workshop on How to be a REAL Success. The principles I will teach have been tested and proven again and again. In this fun and exciting workshop I will share four elements that are necessary to be a real success. These elements are...

Relationships

In studies of leadership in American business, it has been proven that the average executive spends three quarters of his working day dealing with people. Stanford Research found that success is 87 percent people knowledge and 13 percent product knowledge. To be a real success it is imperative to be able to relate well to others and to understand relational rules.

Equipping

Great leaders grow their vision from “ME” to “WE.” Great leaders understand the importance of bringing a team around them and equipping them that they may reach their maximum potential. A well equipped team enables the whole organization to reach goals and see their vision. In this workshop, I will teach you how to properly train and equip a team that will make a difference for your organization.

Attitude

Our attitude is a choice. It determines our approach to life. It can turn our problems into blessings. Taking inventory of our attitude allows us to grow and foster an environment to lead, empower, and equip those around us while also nurturing our own leadership skills.

Leadership

The Law of the Lid states that leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The Law of the Process states that leaders develop daily and not in a day. Leadership takes time and energy to develop. We overestimate the event and we underestimate the process. The secret to becoming a successful leader is discovered in your daily agenda.

Register for the How to be a REAL Success workshop as soon as possible! Seating is limited. For more information and to register, go to www.bnleadership.org.

See you there!

Leaders Are Learners

2012-01-24T16:05:00.011-06:00

Years ago I learned a significant leadership principle that has helped me grow tremendously as a leader. Not only is this leadership principle significant, it is also simple: Leaders are Learners.

John Maxwell teaches that the moment we stop learning we stop leading; therefore it is essential that we become life-long effective learners if we desire to be life-long effective leaders. I want to grow continually as a leader. Last week I attended Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership Workshop. I came away with pure gold in leadership teaching. The principles and practices he taught will help me to be a better leader to those I lead.

In John Maxwell's 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership he presents the "The Law of Process" This is the excerpt:

"In a study of ninety top leaders from a variety of fields, leadership expert Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery about the relationship between growth and leadership; " It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguish leaders from their followers." Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little better, to build on the previous day's progress."

Simply put... leaders are learners. Leaders NEVER arrive and leaders are always interested in becoming better. Some "leaders" want to become better for themselves...but I will argue that REAL LEADERS seek to become better because they want to impart this information to the people who follow them. Leadership that is all about YOU is not leadership at all! We learn so that we are better stewards of the people we have been given to lead.

If you are leading ANYTHING and you are not doing what it takes to improve, people who are following you will either fall by the wayside or the leaders following you will begin to pass you up!

What leadership lessons have you learned recently? What are your plans to continue to learn? It is true that the best leaders are learners. This is easier when you are "starting out" on your leadership journey. I find, however, that many leaders lose that hunger after a few years. Continuing to learn over time is what separates successful leaders from unsuccessful leaders.

Keep learning so that:

You can be your best in your current leadership role.
You can be ready for your next opportunity.
You can model growth for those that you lead.
Your leadership won't wither and die. We are either growing and wilting.

My Leadership Plan for 2012:

Reading 12 Leadership Related Books
Listening to at least one Leadership Lesson per month
Attending at least one Leadership Conference or Workshop
Participating in at least 4 Mastermind Groups on Leadership
Teaching Leadership

Growth requires intentionality. Take some time and develop a learning plan.

Keys to Excellence

2012-01-18T12:13:00.006-06:00

“Don't strive to be perfect. Strive for excellence.” Victoria Principal - Actress

In history the word excellence has been used as a title of honor. It derives from the word Excel which means to go beyond average.

Eleven Keys to Excellence

1. Value Excellence
Value excellence in everything you do in life and it will begin to show forth in the lives of others.

2. Don’t settle for average
There is an obvious distinction between average and excellence. John Hess said, “A race horse that can run a mile one second faster than others is worth many times more money.” Just become a little bit better and you become distinguished as a winner.When we really begin to rise above average and have a desire to be a little bit better we distinguish ourselves very quickly. Excellence can be attained if you...

Care more than others think wise.

Risk more than others think safe.

Dream more than others think practical.

Expect more than others think possible.

Work more than others think necessary.

John Maxwell said, “People that strive for excellence are people that are committed to a cause. And that cause so grips them that they are determined to reach their potential. They desire more than anything else to be all that they possibly can.”

3. Pay Attention to Detail
People of excellence understand the importance of everything working right. They not only have an appreciation for the big picture but they have an appreciation for the minute details, the small things.

4. Develop a Deep Commitment to Excellence
Stan Leonard, owner of the world’s largest dairy store said, “First we will be the best, then we will be first.” Too many people have a “just enough to get by” attitude. A “just get by” attitude has never landed anyone in first place.

5. Possess Ethics and Integrity
Your personal quest for excellence can be another way of saying, “My character is showing.” “The quest for excellence gives dignity to a person and character to a business. It gives satisfaction to customers. It’s the surest way to greatness, the unfailing road to success.” (unknown)

6. Show Genuine Respect for Others
Excellence becomes a lifestyle only when we practice the Golden Rule without giving it a second thought. That’s possible when we elevate the worth of others to the same level we hold for ourselves. Les Giblin, an authority on human relations, said that our actions must be genuine. “You can’t make the other fellow feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that he is a nobody.”

7. Go the Second Mile
Dale Carngie said, “Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do little jobs well, the big ones tend to take care of themselves.” Zig Ziglar said, “There is no traffic jam on the extra mile.”

8. Be Consistent
“People say what people do. And what they say they do are entirely different things.” Margaret Meade People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it.

9. Never stop improving
"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” (Pat Riley)

10. Always give 110%

11. Make Excellence a life style.

Change Your Thinking – Change Your Life

2012-01-10T21:45:00.000-06:00

If you could change one thing in your life -- right now -- what would you change?

For Tina in New York it was stress at work. In her own words:

One of the habitual thoughts I had was I never had enough time to get any of my paperwork done at work....I gotta tell you that this is the first week in a long time that I actually got everything done and I'm actually ahead of my work schedule so it was fantastic!

What changed in Tina’s life that made her more productive and experience less stress? She changed her thinking. Back to the question; “If you could change one thing in your life – right now – what would you change?” This is probably not the first time you've thought about your own answer. So what's keeping you from making the change?

Have you considered that there's only ONE thing you really need to do and everything else would fall in line and you'd see the change take place.

It sounds too simple, but that one thing you need to change is - your thinking!

As James Allen writes in As A Man Thinketh, "Let a person radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the conditions of his life." The apostle Paul of the Bible said it like this; “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). Paul lists six objects of a wholesome thought life. He then concludes by saying that these six objects of thought are excellent and praiseworthy.

From my experience, I have found that there is a correlation between a person’s level of success and his or her thought-life. In his book Thinking for a Change, John Maxwell writes,

Why are some people successful and others not? You’ll hear many answers. Consider some of the popular ones;

· Successful people get better opportunities.

· People who do not succeed have bad backgrounds.

· Education makes all the difference.

· Failure results from bad breaks.

· Some people are smart; others aren’t.

· Lazy people don’t succeed.

Here’s John’s conclusion: Successful people think differently than unsuccessful people.

So, do you want to change your life? Maybe the first thing you need to change is the way you think.

Do You Have A Plan For Personal Growth?

2012-01-04T21:22:00.000-06:00

I am a high believer in continual learning. Learning equals growth. The day we stop learning is the day we stop growing. One common trait of all successful leaders is that they are continual learners.

Personal growth does not occur by accident. If you want to be sure to grow, you need a personal growth plan. Earl Nightingale said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.” Isn’t that incredible? It shows how far we are able to go when we have the discipline to make growth our daily practice.

A Personal Growth Plan begins with . . .

Identification

Identify two to three areas in which you would like to grow. Obviously this will be different for each person reading this article. I have identified three areas that I want to focus my learning on in 2012; New Testament theology, leadership, and speaking.

Accumulation

Start accumulating useful resources – books, e-books, journals, online articles, videos, CD’s, etc. I purchase books and magazines on theology and leadership regularly. I watch videos of different preachers and speakers.

Schedule

If you don’t schedule time for personal growth, you will allow everything else to get in the way. I recommend that you schedule:

Reading everyday
Listening to one audio or video lesson per week
Participating in 1 Mastermind Group per quarter.
Attending at least 1 conference/workshop per year.

Your goal, therefore, is to schedule learning time every day. Give this the same priority that you would an important appointment. Here is a daily plan that I have found works for me.

Read one book per month. (Here is a tip. When you buy a book, immediately see how many pages it has. Divide the number of pages by 30. This will tell you the minimum number of pages you will need to read each day to complete the book in a month. Set this as a daily reading goal).
An article or audio lesson per week
An online video per day (I do this to study the speaking styles and techniques of preachers and professional speakers).

You can multitask. For example I watch the preaching or speaking video while I am exercising on the elliptical. This not only makes time go by faster but I’m exercising my body and mind.

Here is an example of my weekly learning schedule that I have planned for 2012. I recommend at least 1 hour per day, five days a week (Monday through Friday).

Monday through Friday: Spend 20 to 30 minutes each morning with a devotional to develop my spiritual life.

Four Mornings per week spend at least 45 minutes on the elliptical watching a video of a preacher or speaker.

Monday: Spend one hour reading a book.

Tuesday: Spend one hour listening to an audio lesson.

Wednesday: Spend one hour reading articles from magazines or journals.

Thursday: Spend one hour reading a book.

Friday: Spend half of the hour reading the book and the other half filing and reflecting what I have learned.

Make sure you schedule time during the week for filing quotes and reflecting on the contents of the material you’ve read or heard.

The average American adult watches close to 30 hours of television per week, with little positive return. What do you think would happen if you devoted just five of those hours to personal growth? Here is how I limit my television watching. I determine at the beginning of each new television season which shows interest me. I usually choose about 4 shows. I set my DVR to record those for viewing later. This way I can view the show at my most convenient time, and I can skip the commercials, which saves a significant amount of time.

Do you want to grow? Take a few minutes today to put your personal growth plan together. Plan your growth, then follow your plan.

http://bnleadership.org

Plan Ahead

2011-12-19T14:29:00.001-06:00

In 1997, at Oxford University, they needed to replace the huge wooden beams in the ceiling of one of the old dining halls. The gigantic oak beams had begun to show signs of rotting, so the replacement was a matter of necessity, not just beautification. University officials, however, were concerned that they wouldn't be able to find lumber large enough and strong enough for the project. Then the forester of the university explained that there was no problem. When the dining hall was built five centuries ago, the forward-thinking university administrators of that day had planted a grove of oak trees specifically for the purpose of replacing those beams when the time came. - Now that’s good planning.

The acrostic PLAN AHEAD provides a formula for good planning.

Predetermine your destination.

Good planning requires that you predetermine where you want to be

in the future.

Lay out your goals.

Lay out your goals after determining your destination. Goals are not the final destination. They are the stepping stones to reaching your destination.

Adjust your priorities.

The moment you determine your destination and lay out your goals, you’ll need to adjust your priorities. If your priorities do not help you reach your desired destination, you will never arrive there.

Notify Key Personnel

Bring key people around you. These would be key influencers in your area. Those who support you and can help you.

Allow time for acceptance

Allow time for questions. Allow time for people to ask the needed questions.

Head into Action.

Now you can get moving in the direction to reach your desired destination.

Expect Problems.

Planning does not eliminate problems. Motion causes friction. Planning can help you attack problems effectively but it will not eliminate problems.

Always point to your successes.

There are always those who will point out all your failures. To counter this, point to the success in your life.

Daily review your plan.

Remember: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Making The Effort

2011-12-13T09:46:00.001-06:00

The Atlanta Falcons traded up 21 spots to take wide receiver Julio Jones from the University of Alabama. Why would the Falcons organization make such a daring and controversial move? The Falcons had seen that Julio had consistently made the effort to do what it takes to win. They felt that Jones could make the Falcons’ offense much more explosive.

The one who is considered the wisest man to have ever lived said, “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4). In other words, if you make the effort, you will reap the reward.

I don’t doubt that most of us can recall a time when we failed to receive a desired reward because were not willing to put forth the effort. You probably can remember a time when you could have succeeded in some area if you had only made the effort. Maybe it was to get in shape physically or lose weight. Maybe it was to make an “A” in that class, or become an expert at fishing (I live on the gulf coast). Maybe it was to build a stronger marriage, or move up to that desired position in the company, or even start your own company. Whatever the case, making the effort is all it would have taken for you to succeed.

One commonality among all truly successful people is that they achieved their success by their own hard work. If you want to get to the top in any area of life, making the effort is essential.

In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell talks about The Law of Sacrifice, which says, a leader must give up to go up. In considering where you want to be or what you want to achieve, ask yourself, “Am I willing to pay the price?” In other words, are you willing to sacrifice time, energy, money to achieve your dream or reach your goal?

What is it that you want to achieve? A better marriage? To be a better parent, friend, or team member? To become a better leader? To get in better physical condition? To become more knowledgeable or skilled in a particular field? How bad do you want it? Are you willing to make the effort?

My hope is that this article will help to generate within you a passion to put forth the effort by working smarter, pushing harder, and lasting longer so that you can reach your goals. Don't wait until tomorrow to start making the effort. Start today. You won't regret it.

Leadership Lessons From Jesus - Part 6

2011-12-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

Relaxation: Take Time To Recharge.

(This post is revised from a previous post by Rick Warren. While written for pastors, the principle applies to all leaders.)

Leadership is draining. It’s hard work. We all need time to just relax. Jesus encouraged his very busy disciples to take some time for relaxation. Mark 6:31 says, “Crowds of people were coming and going so that they did not even have time to eat. He [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], ‘Come away by yourselves, and we’ll go to a lonely place to get some rest.’”

Jesus realized th e disciples had been busy serving, and they were tired. They needed a break. So he told them to get away and rest. Rest is so important that God put it in the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment says this: every seventh day you take a day off. Pastor, this applies to you as well. You need a day away from the church.

Years ago I learned a key to lasting in leadership: divert daily, withdraw weekly, and abandon annually.

Divert daily means doing something fun every day. Get a hobby. Do something that relaxes you.

Withdraw weekly means you take a day off every week for relaxation and restoration.

Abandon annually means you get away and forget everything for some time each year.

Your leadership is a key ingredient to helping your organization become all that it can be. In fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 11:14, “Without wise leadership a nation is in trouble.” That’s true of every single area of life. Without wise leadership, your organization is in trouble. If you do not take time to re-energize and refresh, you’ll be making key leadership decisions when you are exhausted. This is an ingredient for disaster. Good leaders know that their best decisions are made when they are mentally, physically, and emotionally refreshed and strong.

Leadership Lessons From Jesus - Part 5

2011-12-01T15:28:00.002-06:00

Priorities

Leaders must focus on what’s important. You have probably heard it said many times, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” This may be an old cliche but it speaks volumes to the leader. Another way of saying this is; “First thing first.” Life is filled with things that will distract you from what’s most important. Sometimes we can be distracted by good things as well. In other words, it’s not so much doing the wrong things that mess up our lives as it is doing too many good things. Sometimes the good things are not necessarily the best things.

In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell says that good leaders understand The Law of Priorities which says, “Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment.” Maxwell went on to say that leaders never advance to a point where they no longer need to prioritize. Nevertheless, many leaders never practice the discipline of prioritizing. He list three reasons for this:

1. When we are busy we believe we are accomplishing something.

2. Prioritizing requires leaders to continually think ahead.

3. Prioritizing causes us to do things that are uncomfortable and sometimes painful.

Jesus was a master of keeping His focus on the main thing. He refused to be distracted. Luke 9:51 says, “When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem.” He headed toward Jerusalem to die on the cross for us. He did it with an iron will. He would not let anything distract him from what was important.

Your life has incredible potential. But that potential won’t be realized until you decide what’s really important and then prioritize your time, talent, money, and energy so that you keep what’s really important the main thing.

What are your top five priorities? What do you need to do today to make sure that you keep focused on those priorities?

Leadership Lessons From Jesus - Part 4

2011-11-22T22:28:00.000-06:00

Team Building

A mark of a great leader is how many people will join his or her team. You never lead by yourself. You always do it in the context of a team. All great leaders are great team builders. In fact, as Rick Warren says, “If you don’t have a team, you’re not a leader. You’re a loner.” The test of leadership is whether anyone is following you. In other words, if no one is following you, you’re not leading, you’re merely taking a walk.

Jesus modeled this kind of ministry. From a large group of disciples who were following Jesus, Jesus chose twelve who would become His inner circle. This was such a significant decision for Him that he stayed up all night praying. The next morning He called together all those who were following Him and chose from that group the twelve disciples. Jesus never did ministry alone. Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.”

Jesus enlisted other people to serve the cause with him. In Luke 10:1 we read “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.”

In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership John Maxwell says “A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him” Leaders understand that their best course of action for achieving their vision and reaching their destination is to build a team to take the journey with them. In a Team Everyone Achieves More.

Leadership Lessons From Jesus - Part 3

2011-11-14T19:40:00.000-06:00

Motivation: Know who you’re trying to please.

Leaders, you need to settle the issue of motivation. You can’t please everybody. Just about the time you get one person happy, you’ll tick someone else off. Jesus lived for an audience of One. His whole purpose was to please his heavenly Father. Jesus says this in John 5 and 6; “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). “I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). In other words, Jesus said, “The only one I am trying to please is the One who sent Me.”

Jesus wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest; he just wanted to please God.

That’s a lesson we have to learn as leaders. You’ve got to learn not to care about the opinions of others. You’ve got to focus on God’s opinion of what you’re doing. As a leader you should not pay attention to those who cheer you, for they will make you think you are better than you really are, or those who jeer you, for they will make you think you are not as good as you really are. Either one will sidetrack you.

A mentor of mine told me one time, “Don’t try to please every one, for the moment you do, you will please no one.” Who are you trying to please? Because I am a man of faith, I believe the first person we should try to please is God. We were created to bring glory to Him. I think secondly, we ought to try to please ourselves, not in a hedonistic way, but in a self-respecting way. At the end of the day, do I respect myself? Have I stood for and lived out the values that I hold true? Have I held fast to the vision that I believe God has given me, though some are questioning?

At the end of the day I am most satisfied when I can honestly say, “Today, I held fast to my faith, to my values, and to my vision.”

Leadership Lessons From Jesus #2

2011-11-07T20:48:00.001-06:00

I’m continuing this series on leadership lessons from the greatest leader of all time, Jesus. Jesus was the perfect leader.

Know Your Purpose.

I have found that the reason most people don’t have passion in life is because they don’t have purpose. Purpose gives passion. Leaders figure out what their purpose in life is. They know why they are here. They understand clearly what God has called them to do with their lives. Leaders have, as Rick Warren states it, “purpose-driven lives.” The direction of your life is your choice. If you don’t like the direction your life is headed right now, change it.

Jesus knew exactly what His purpose on this earth was. He knew why He came. He was a straightforward leader who established clear-cut goals. In John 8 Jesus says, “I know where I came from and I know where I’m going.” Jesus had a clear purpose. Jesus made statements such as:

“Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

“I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

“I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

“I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness.

Jesus not only knew who he was, but what he was trying to do with his life. He so effectively instilled His purpose into His followers that His purpose continues today through His followers. He truly was a purpose-driven leader.

God has a purpose for your life. Purpose gives meaning to your life. Purpose gives passion. If you don’t fulfill it, you have wasted your life. A leader knows for what purpose he/she is here and pursues it with passion.

Leadership Lessons From Jesus

2011-11-02T14:23:00.011-05:00

There are no perfect leaders. I’m not a perfect leader. Neither are you. But Jesus is. There’s no better teacher on leadership than Jesus. What made him such an effective leader? Jesus understood leadership. He taught leadership and He demonstrated leadership.

Jesus lived less than forty years on this earth. He began a movement with a small inner-circle of twelve. The leadership lessons Jesus lived and taught to His disciples enabled them to carry on His mission so that within just five generations, the number of His followers reached into the millions. Today, His followers number more than one billion and the organization He founded – the church – has branches in every country on earth.

The leadership principles Jesus lived and taught are applicable in any area of life today, whether in an office, a school, a small business, a global corporation, or a volunteer organization. In the next several articles I want to examine those leadership principles that made Jesus so incredibly effective.

Know Yourself
To be a leader you’ve got to know who you are. Every leader has strengths and weaknesses and they know the areas of leadership in which they are strong and which areas of leadership they are not. Leaders do an honest self-evaluation. Good leaders don’t try to be something they are not. They are self-aware. They understand their purpose in life. Jesus had no doubt about his identity. He said:

I am the light of the world.

I am the Son of God.

I am the way.

I am the truth.

I am the life.

I am the bread of life.

Jesus defines himself 18 times by saying, “I am…” He didn’t let other people define him. He defined himself. If you’re going to be a leader, you must know who you are. Answer the following questions:

Do you “know yourself”? *

1.   What are my character strengths?
2.   What are my character weaknesses?
3.   What are my strongest skills?
4.   What are my weakest skills?
5.   How well do I relate to others (1 to 10)?
6.   How well do I communicate with others (1 to 10)?
7.   How well do I listen to others (1 to 10)?
8.   How likable am I (1 to 10)?

Now ask three people who know you well to answer the same questions about you. If their answers are different from yours, then you have a self-awareness issue that you need to work on. Find a mentor, business or life coach, or counselor to help you become more self-aware.

*Adapted from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

Leadership Lessons I've Learned - Part 2.

2011-10-10T14:54:00.000-05:00

These are more leadership lessons I’ve learned over the years.

Character is Critical.

Bob Burg says, "All things being equal, people will do business with people they know, like, and trust." Trust is the key word in that statement. Your character determines who you are. Anyone can say that he has integrity, but action is the real indicator of character. That is why you can never separate a leader’s character from his actions. I have found that it takes a long time to earn the respect of people, but it only takes a moment to lose their respect. G. Alan Bernard, president of Mid Park, Inc., stated, “The respect that leadership must have requires that one’s ethics be without question. A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong, he stays well clear of the gray areas.”

Failure is Inevitable

No one's life is an unbroken chain of successes and victories. We all experience setbacks, defeats, and failures. In baseball, not even the Hall of Fame players bat 1,000%. The same is true in leadership - we all make mistakes. Since failure is something every one of us will, at some time, experience, one of the most important skills you can acquire is the ability to take the negative and turn it into a positive. Thomas Edison, commenting on one of his MANY failed experiments, said, "Don't call it a failure. Call it an education!" Successful leaders learn how to get up after they fall; they learn how to fail forward. Remember, things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out. The first thing to do when you're faced with any failure is to analyze why it happened. There may be a variety of reasons of failure, many out of your control.

Common Causes of Failure:

- When you don't plan ahead

As the saying goes, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." Moving your organization towards greater growth and health requires a lot of planning. Noah began building the Ark long before it started to rain!

- When you’re afraid to take risks

The fear of failure can cause failure. We worry about what others will think of us if we fail, so we don't even try. Fran Tarkenton says, "Fear sets you up to be a loser." Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. You can’t win the game if you don’t first take the field.

- When you give up too soon

Look at the life of Abraham Lincoln. At 23 he lost his job and his first election. At 24 he failed at his first business endeavor. At 25 he was elected to state legislature. At 27 he had a nervous breakdown. At 29 he lost another election. At 34 he was defeated for nomination for Congress. At 37 he was elected to Congress. At 39 he lost his re-nomination. At 40 he was rejected for land officer. At 45 he was defeated for US Senate. At 47 he was defeated for nomination for Vice President. At 49 he was defeated again for US Senate. At 51 he was elected as President of the United States. Lincoln never gave up.

Leadership Lessons I’ve Learned - Part 1

2011-10-03T19:02:00.005-05:00

I’ve been doing some reflecting lately on leadership lessons I’ve learned over the years. I’ve been privileged to serve in leadership positions for most of my adult life. I have learned much from mentors and through experience. I will acknowledge that most of what I have learned came from reading and listening to John Maxwell. Over the next few weeks I’ll share these lessons with the hope that they will be of great value to you.

1. Everything rises and falls on leadership

Most successes can be traced back to competent and effective leadership and most problems can be traced to a lack of competent leadership. I believe that one of the greatest problems we have in our nation today, (especially in the political arena) is a significant shortage of men and women who are skilled in leadership.

2. Leadership is influence.

I learned this lesson while reading “Spiritual Leadership” by J. Oswald Sanders. For better or worse, good or bad; leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Put a group five or six children together in a room and within five minutes you will be able to determine which one will be the leader -- for good or for bad. The same is true in a youth group. It doesn’t take long to determine who to whom everyone else looks and listens. In board meetings, there is one person who is in leadership by position, but it doesn’t take long to determine who the real leader is in the room. It’s the person with the most influence.

3. The test of leadership: “Is anyone following?”
If you want to know whether or not you're a leader, simply look over your shoulder. John Maxwell says, "He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk." If you have to remind people that you're the leader, then you're not. Leadership is influence and if you're not influencing anybody, it doesn't matter that you think you're the leader -- you're not.

4. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

I think it is more true to say, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care about him or her as an individual.” People will follow a leader anywhere if they know that he/she cares for them and that he/she truly respects and desires to add value to them. The moment that people sense that the leader does not care, influence and thus leadership have been lost.

5. Leadership can be learned

The question is often asked, “Are leaders born?” Of course they are. All leaders are born, but they do not come out of their mother’s womb a leader. Leadership skills are learned. Leadership experts Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus wrote, “It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers.” The good news is, anybody can learn to be a leader.

Setting Goals

2011-09-27T18:38:00.001-05:00

Someone said, “If you shoot at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” Isn’t that true? If you don't have any goals, you're not going to achieve anything worthwhile.

The first time this lesson really hit home to me was when I was pastor of a church in North Carolina. Our average Sunday morning attendance was 180. I announced to the church that we’re going to have a Friend Day and set a goal to have 400 in attendance on that day. There were several in the church who did not believe we could reach that goal. Every time a person said to me “We can’t do it” I responded with, “That may be true but will you help us try?” I always received an affirmative answer. On Friend Day we had nearly 500 in attendance and the excitement level in the church was astounding.

I believe in goal setting. The practice of setting and working towards goals helps us to achieve more. I have not always seen my goals fulfilled, however. For example, at the church I pastor now, we set a goal of 800 in church on an Easter Sunday some years back. Our average attendance at that time was 450. "Only" 713 showed up, which still made it one of the biggest Sunday’s in our church’s history. Had we not set the goal, however, we would not have come close to seeing that many people in church. As a result, we added families to the membership of our church.

Several years ago, my wife and I set a goal to be debt free within two years (with the exception of our mortgage). I told a number of people what we were trying to achieve. I found that once I had made it known, I held myself more accountable. I did not want to fail. 18 months later we reached our goal. Had we not set the goal, we would probably still be in debt today. Now that I am debt free, I have more options with the money that I have.

I am convinced that our goals, whether we reach them or not, help us achieve more. So I will continue to set goals even at the risk of failing.

Tips for setting SMART goals.

SPECIFIC: The goal must clearly state what is to be achieved and when it is to be achieved.

MEASURABLE: This applies to both the end result and markers along the way to attaining a goal. It answers the questions of how much, how often, how many? When my wife and I set the goal to be debt free, our first marker was to put $1,000.00 in an emergency fund. Each paid off loan (car, credit cards, school, etc) served as a marker that we were on the right track to attaining our goal.

ATTAINABLE: Make sure that the goals you set are achievable. If you set goals that even you believe are unattainable it is very unlikely you will achieve them.

RELEVANT: Your goals must be relevant to what you want to achieve in your life. They must fulfill a purpose and passion in your life or you will not stick with them. My wife and I wanted to become debt free because we knew that it would give us opportunities to give more to what was important to us.

TIME-BASED: Setting a time by which you want to have achieved your goal is highly motivational. As we got closer and closer to being debt free, we would get more excited and became more intense in our desire to achieve that goal.

Sign up for my weekly leadership newsletter here.

911 Remembrance

2011-09-10T19:22:00.000-05:00

John Maxwell Certified Coach, Teacher and Speaker

2011-08-28T16:06:00.004-05:00

Leadership is the difference maker and the deal breaker. It’s how we grow organizations. It’s how we impact lives. But, as you also know, leadership cannot be an idea we simply talk about; leadership is the action we must live out.

As a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Teacher and Speaker, I can offer you workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching, aiding your personal and professional growth through study and practical application of John’s proven leadership methods. Working together, I will move you and/or your team or organization in the desired direction to reach your goals.

I have been teaching these leadership methods to my own staff and leadership teams for 20 years. My passion is to help people reach their maximum God given potential. I believe this is done by teaching people how to make right decisions knowing that “decisions determine your destiny.”

My association with John Maxwell began over 20 years ago. Now, as a founding member of the John Maxwell Team, my goal is to teach and mentor others using John’s proven leadership principles to add value to them and their organizations.

Contact me. I am looking forward to assisting you on your journey to becoming a successful leader.

Together Everyone Achieves More

2011-08-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF PLAYING FOOTBALL? Well, of course, we would say "Winning." But there is a clearer point than winning, it is scoring points. We might score six points in a touchdown, three points in a field goal, two points in a safety, or one point in an extra point kick after the touch down.

But what if there were a player on the team who never scored a point? Wouldn't he be considered of no value? What if he played 15 years in the NFL, four years in college, and four years in high school - 23 years of football - yet never scored a touch down or made a point? This man would have to be a failure, wouldn't he? After all, this man played in 245 games without ever scoring a point for his team.

Why start a man that can’t score? Well, let me list a few reasons.

He made 1,032 tackles,
He blocked 86 passes,
He recovered 19 fumbles,
He made 3 interceptions.

The man's name is Ed "Too Tall" Jones. Ed Jones is in the NFL Football Hall of Fame. The reason he never made a touch down was his position - Ed was an All Pro Defensive End for the Dallas Cowboys. Ed was a TEAM PLAYER. He never played to make touchdowns, he played to help his team win. And win they did. Jones helped lead his team to 16 playoff games and 3 Super Bowls.

TEAM

TOGETHER
EVERYONE
ACHIEVES
MORE

Being part of a team is about working together for a common goal. Teamwork is about commitment, sacrifice, discipline, and unity in vision. This doesn't happen by accident. A team achieves these qualities as it prepares and works together for a common goal. That is what led the Dallas Cowboys to have such a successful run during Ed "Too Tall" Jones' career.

I just believe that all of us can learn a lesson or two from Ed "To Tall" Jones about being a team player.

Just a Thought!

Speak With, Like, Conviction(?)

2011-07-18T04:38:00.000-05:00

Came across this humorous video that speaks, like, the truth.

Integrity: What I Do

2011-06-20T16:52:00.000-05:00

1 Timothy 4:15-16

"Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."

It is quite obvious that a hypocrite is unqualified to guide others toward attaining higher character and integrity. You cannot give what you do not have. No one respects someone who talks a good game but fails to play by the rules. What a leader does will have a greater impact on those he or she leads than what the leader says. A person may forget 90% of what a leader says, but never forgotten is how the leader lives.

The Johnson and Johnson company once had in their mission statement that employees would “operate with honesty and integrity” Several weeks before a major incident involving Tylenol, the president of Johnson and Johnson sent a memo to all the presidents of divisions in the company asking if they believed in and were abiding by the mission statement. All the responses came back affirmative. Shortly thereafter a problem developed with some Tylenol and within an hour of the Tylenol crisis, the president of the company, knowing it was a $100 million decision, ordered all capsules off the shelves. When reporters asked the president how could so easily and rapidly make such a major decision, his reply was, “I was practicing what we agreed on in our mission statement.”

There is simply no substitute for a man or woman of consistent character. This doesn't mean that he or she will be perfect. In fact, the Bible doesn't call for perfection in leadership. It calls for leaders to be seen as consistent in Christlike character. Paul instructed Timothy to be diligent in following biblical teachings. "Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress" (1 Tim. 4:15).

John Piper Interviews Rick Warren

2011-05-29T15:59:00.001-05:00

Fascinating interview! Author and pastor John Piper interviews Rick Warren on the doctrine surrounding his book, “Purpose Driven Life.” Watch as Piper and Warren discuss topics such as the sovereignty of God, the glory of God, sin, the second coming, etc. You will see more of the doctrine and the heart of each man in this interview.

The Lifebuilder's Creed

2011-05-20T21:09:00.002-05:00

Today is the most important day of my life.

Yesterday with its successes and victories, struggles and failures

is gone forever.

The past is past. Done. Finished.

I cannot relive it. I cannot go back and change it.

But I will learn from it and improve my Today.

Today. This moment. NOW.

It is God's gift to me and it is all that I have.

Tomorrow with all its joys and sorrows, triumphs and troubles

isn't here yet.

Indeed tomorrow may never come.

Therefore, I will not worry about tomorrow.

Today is what God has entrusted to me.

It is all that I have. I will do my best in it.

I will demonstrate the best of me in it -

my character, giftedness, and abilities -

to my family and friends, clients and associates,

I will identify those things that are most important

to do Today,

and those things I will do until they are done.

And when this day is done

I will look back with satisfaction at that

which I have accomplished.

Then and only then, will I plan my tomorrow,

Looking to improve upon Today, with God's help.

Then I shall go to sleep in peace . . . content.

by Dale Witherington.

From "Today Matters" by John Maxwell

Japan Disaster Relief Response

2011-03-15T13:43:00.004-05:00

The following is from Dr. Rick Lance, Executive Director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions concerning how Alabama Baptists can initially respond to the devastating disaster in Japan. This is from his blog. http://www.ricklance.com/

All of us are shocked by the enormous impact of the earthquake in Japan. The aftershocks, now in the multiple hundreds, are seismically strong enough to be considered earthquakes in most places. The Japanese people have been hard hit by this history-making disaster.

As if an earthquake of historic proportions is not enough to shake the country, the tsunami adds to the disastrous affects near the coastline of the island nation. Waves, in some places 30 feet high, have made cities and villages into mud piles. The shortage of power and water create an array of other problems that complicate relief efforts.

The aura of a nuclear meltdown is so foreboding. I have trouble digesting the arcane information offered by scientists and other specialists who are seeking to inform the general public. My mind is easily boggled by such discussions and the implications are far reaching in terms of other nations utilizing nuclear power.

People in this country, especially Southern Baptists and Alabama Baptists, want to be of help. As we view the images on the Internet and on television, we feel helpless. That is a natural response to such a huge disaster we experience vicariously through the media. We simply wonder, "What can we do to help?"

My initial reply may sound a bit hollow or trite, but it is heartfelt. We need to pray like never before. The Japanese people need our prayers now more than ever, and we must focus our intentional praying upon them. Prayer, desperate praying, has incalculable power to help people, even in the worst of circumstances. Additionally, praying for the people places us alongside them spiritually.

Pray for the families who have lost loved ones and who now find themselves stunned by unbelievable and unimaginable grief. The thought of parents having children lost in the enormous waves of the tsunami leads us to tears. It also ought to cause us to pray fervently for those so affected by this loss. When we pray, we share their grief and weep for them.

Pray for the Japanese leaders as they seek to make the right decisions for their people in the aftermath of this disaster. We can pray for them to have wisdom in seeking to assist their nation in the long-term recovery period before them. Although Japan is a well developed country, with a sophisticated economy, no nation has faced this kind of situation since World War II. Imagine how we would handle such a disaster.

Pray for the relief workers who are there presently and who will be coming in the future. Among those doing rescue and recovery are our American military personnel. The USS Ronald Reagan and other vessels are there helping with food distribution and medical assistance.

Non-military people are in Japan, and many others will follow, once approval by officials is given. Alabama Baptists, along with numerous other well-trained disaster relief people, stand ready to assist when called upon by those on the ground in Japan. A disaster of this magnitude will mean that the strategy will be different than most situations we have encountered in the past, and it will be difficult, but certainly doable.

The second way we can be of help is to give to disaster relief ministries of Alabama Baptists and Southern Baptists. On our web site at http://www.alsbom.org/japan you can find information which will be helpful in making the right decisions about where to give. Like Hurricane Katrina (August 2005), the tsunami in Indonesia (December 2004) and the earthquake in Haiti (January 2010), we will devote the funds given to support disaster relief needs identified by our partners in this ministry.

Third, we can look forward to potential opportunities to do other kinds of missions work in Japan. The Japanese people need the Gospel like all others in our world. As a history buff, I can remember reading about General Douglas MacArthur's appeal to send missionaries to Japan, following World War II. Interestingly, a high-ranking general was the one who reportedly saw the need then, and it will be a colossal challenge for us in the future. Right now, our Lord may be giving us a second opportunity to be a people of hope. We can offer the good news of Christ to those shaken by an earthquake, washed over by a tsunami and frightened by a nuclear meltdown.

Pray, give and go are the three verbs which describe our missions strategy in so-called normal times. It is certainly the call we have in times of catastrophic circumstances. Pray for the people in Japan. They need it desperately. Give to help them in this time of disaster. If the opportunity permits, go -- or help someone else go -- to be the compassion of Christ in person for the people shaken, frightened and disoriented by this unprecedented disaster.

Sunday, Sports, and the Super Bowl: A Christian's Dilemma

2011-02-04T11:21:00.001-06:00

Something every parent should read. Written by Robert Wayne at CrossWalk.com

This Sunday brings the annual advent of the Super Bowl, when friends and family gather to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers try to prove they deserve to be NFL champions. Sunday also is the day thousands of children involved in youth sports will lace up their basketball shoes, soccer cleats and hockey skates for a day of athletic activity.

Something else happens on Sunday, too. What's it called again? Oh yes, church.

The proliferation of youth and adult sports leagues that play on Sundays creates a conflict of choice between heading to the game and heading to church. Increasingly, sports win that decision.

"It's a big issue, but the problem often is like the frog in the kettle," said John Tolson, a Christian author, speaker and teacher who also serves as the Dallas Cowboys' team chaplain. "You have a cool pot of water on the stove and at first it's fine, but you slowly turn up the heat and the frog gets fried. It's like that with (youth sports). After a while we begin to acquiesce and give in to the culture."

The conflict often leads to cries among secular society that church leaders are simply too legalistic in their approach. Tolson, however, thinks the root of the matter goes deeper than legalism.

Read whole article here.

When a Nation Grieves.

2011-01-15T09:01:00.000-06:00

Came across this blog by Jonathan Falwell speaking to how we as Christians should respond to a crisis such as the shooting in Arizona. He is right on in his thoughts.

Certainly no one in our nation has been left untouched by last week’s dreadful shootings in Tucson that left six dead and 14, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, wounded.

During times such as these, our hearts cry out for those whose lives were cut short, for those whose lives have been forever altered, and for the families affected by the senseless tragedy.

As Christians, we mourn because it is a natural thing to do.

R.C. Sproul, writing in “The Dark Night of the Soul,” stated, “We are told that it is perfectly legitimate for believers to suffer grief. Our Lord Himself was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Though grief may reach to the roots of our souls, it must not result in bitterness. Grief is a legitimate emotion, at times even a virtue, but there must be no place in the soul for bitterness.”

We have seen some bitter words in the media and on the Internet following the Arizona shooting. People tend to want to blame those with whom they disagree politically or socially for being a root cause of the violence. But as R. C. Sproul notes, Christians have no business operating in resentment.

So then, what is to replace any bitter thoughts that may creep into our hearts?

Quite simply: prayer.

But what can we pray for at a time like this?

There are several things on which we can focus our prayers. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Pray for godly comfort to those who have needlessly suffered in Tucson. If anyone knows about suffering, it is Jesus. We need to pray that the comfort of heaven will touch those who continue to hurt.

2. Pray that many people in our nation will see their need for Almighty God in their lives because of this tragedy. During wars, natural disasters and even pointless shootings, people tend to think about their own mortality and what lies beyond this life. Christians should pray that God provides them genuine opportunities to speak for Him to those who have been troubled by the Tucson killing spree.

3. Pray that our nation will collectively see its need for God. During the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and in other historic times of calamity, people in our nation understood the need for America to be on its knees before God. Sadly, our culture has become much more secularized in the past half-century. That’s why it behooves God’s people to be constant adherents of II Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NKJV).

4. Finally, pray for wisdom. With attacks flying left and right, Christians need to reflect the wisdom of their Savior at all times. As I noted, people often seek answers at times like these. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, cannot afford to be immersed in hypocrisy, anger or blame-throwing which leaves a sour taste in people’s mouths. I urge all of my readers to constantly seek God in your life so that you are a walking testament to what God can do in the life of one who follows Him.

Please join me in prayer regarding these four important items. God is perpetually calling out to His people to offer His hope to a hurting world. As we continue to live out the maxim, “Not I, but Christ,” we must be ever vigilant, ever prepared to obediently speak out for Jesus Christ to those who are searching for answers.

10 Spiritual Goals for 2011

2011-01-06T12:22:00.001-06:00

At the beginning of a new year many people make resolutions in hopes to change or improve something about their lives. Most people will make resolutions concerning finances (I want to get out of debt) or health (I want to lose 20 pounds). But what about spiritual goals? How many people take time to think through how they want to grow spiritually in the year? Here are some good spiritual goals to consider for 2011.

1. Desire Christ Above All Else.
1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Psalm 119:2 “Blessed are those who... seek him with their whole heart.”

2. Commitment to Christ Above All Else.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

3. Be a People Person
Matthew 20:28 “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

4. Be a Bible Person.
Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man [whose] ... delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

5. Be a Prayer Person
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

6. Attend Worship Regularly
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.”

Ps 29:2 “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”

Ps 132:7 “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!”

7. Be a Blessing to your Pastor and Church Staff
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

8. Find a Place of Ministry
1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

9. Seek Opportunities to Witness to Others
Acts 1:8 “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

10. Faithfully Tithe Trusting God to Provide for You.
Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Revised from “New Year, New goals: 12 Spiritual Goals to Make 2011 Best Year Yet” by Judy Woodward, The Alabama Baptist, Dec 23, 2010.

Why I Believe the Virgin Birth to be True

2010-12-16T16:01:00.000-06:00

The Virgin birth of Christ has always been fundamental to our Christian faith. It has been foundational that the deity of Jesus Christ rested squarely on the historical fact that a virgin named Mary did conceive and give birth without any contribution on the part of any man.

In 385 A.D. the Apostles Creed took its final shape. Although Baptists do not cite the Apostles Creed because of our own church tradition, most Christians around the world recite the Apostles Creed every Sunday of the Christian year with few exceptions. Millions have stated for 1600 years that Jesus Christ was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. It did not occur to any orthodox Christian to even question that until the mid 19th century when, on the campus of a liberal university, the question was raised, "How can anyone believe that in a modern scientific age?"

It is obvious that the virgin birth can neither be proved nor disproved by normal historical methodology. I mean by that, there is no way to go back and to observe what actually happened. At the bottom line it comes back to the same place that every question of Christian belief ultimately stands or falls: "What do you think of the Bible?" For the Word of God says the conception of Jesus was a supernatural act of God through the Holy Spirit in Mary’s life.

Three reasons why I believe the virgin birth to be a factual historical event.

I. It is the Affirmation of Scripture.
Luke stresses this three times in his gospel. In Luke 1:27 he writes "To a virgin pledged to be married." and "The virgin's name was Mary." In verse 34 Mary says, "I am a virgin." It's the word in Greek which has one explicit meaning; she was one who had never known a man physically.

Luke, in the opening words of the gospel told us how he wrote it; “it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus” (Luke 1:3). How did Luke investigate this? I believe that while Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea, Luke, who was traveling with Paul, took advantage of his presence there to find the aging mother of Jesus to talk with Mary about the birth of her Son. Luke was obviously meticulous in his research for he said, “having followed all things closely for some time past,..” (Luke 1:3).

The virgin birth writes a label over Bethlehem which says, Not made by man. Joseph couldn't have produced it. Mary left to herself could not have produced it. Humankind could not have produced it. There are only three options concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. One is that Joseph is the natural father of Jesus Christ by an act of physical union with Mary. The second is Jesus was the product of a physical union by Mary and another man. That was the Jewish viewpoint. They even gave him a name Panthera, a Roman soldier. The final option is that the birth of Jesus Christ was the coming together of the Holy Spirit upon Mary’s life and that embryo that was formed was a direct miraculous intervention of God.

Consider the options. First, if Jesus Christ was the natural son of Joseph and Mary, then what we hold in Luke 1 and 2 and in Matthew 1 is: a bold faced lie. Therefore, when we gather to worship we worship a lie.

Second, If Jesus was born of Mary and another man, then again, a shadow is cast over the Christian faith. Deuteronomy 22 tells us that one who is betrothed to another, if she were unfaithful, was subject to death by stoning. If this were not an act of God, you can be sure that Joseph, a faithful Jew, would not have married her because she officially belonged to another man. Once again a shadow is cast over the Christian faith.

The only other option is what the Word of God says. By a direct intervention of the Holy Spirit, Mary was with child. That is the witness of Luke's Gospel, which was written by a highly educated practicing physician. It is also complimented by Matthew's witness.

“Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18-20).

Luke was written in one time somewhere in the Roman empire. Matthew was written at another time somewhere else in the Roman empire. Luke was written from Mary's perspective while Matthew was written from Joseph's perspective. Both gospels confirm that Jesus was born of a virgin.

The deity of Jesus Christ rests squarely on the intervention of God in a super-natural way in the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The virgin birth is not only the affirmation of Scripture. It is also...

II. The Expectation of Prophecy.
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:22-23). The prophet Isaiah, 700 years before the coming of Christ, foretold of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There are other prophesies as well that came to pass. Malachi foretold that Jesus would be preceded by a forerunner which is fulfilled by John the Baptist. In Genesis is the prophecy that Jesus would be a descendant of Abraham. He was. In Numbers 24 it was foretold that Jesus would be from the line of Jacob. He was. In Genesis chapter 49 it was foretold that Jesus would be from the tribe of Judah. He was. Micah foretold that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. He was.. The Psalmist said that Jesus would be declared the Son of God. He was.

His Galilean Ministry, that He would speak in Parables, that he would be rejected by His own people, that He would be accused by a false witness, that He would be spat on and struck and hated without reason, crucified, pierced through his hands and feet, no bones would be broken, His side would be pierced, that he would be buried with the rich, the fact of his resurrection, and the fact of His ascension; all of these were prophesied in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. And every one of them occurred in the Life of Jesus Christ just as they were foretold by Old Testament men of God. The virgin birth is the prophecy of Scripture. The virgin birth is also...

III. The Confirmation of Tradition

We read that Mary was betrothed or pledged. That was more than our engagement and less than our marriage. Betrothal took place sometime between the 12th and the 13th year of a Hebrew girls life in first century Palestine. Mary would have been a very young teenage girl according to custom. Betrothal was begun with a contract that was signed by both families. That contract included a dowry given by the young lady and a bond that was posted by her husband to be. It was called the ketuba. The ketuba bond said that if he in any way defaulted, that is, if he died or if he were unfaithful, she would receive the money in order to sustain her in that society.

During that betrothal year the girl lived with friends. Very significant is that unfaithfulness during this period was punishable by death, usually by stoning. The confirmation of tradition is that Mary would have risked a horrible death itself to have been found in the condition which she found herself.

The Baptist Faith and Message states: "Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary." This I believe.

Christmas Songs

2010-12-06T13:56:00.001-06:00

I love to listen to Christmas music. I start listening to Christmas music on Thanksgiving Day and that's pretty much all I listen to through Christmas Day. I thought I would list some of my favorite Christmas songs and albums just for fun. Let me know what some of your favorites are.

Here are my top favorite Christmas albums:

At our house, it just wouldn't seem like Christmas if we didn't hear Neil Diamond singing Christmas songs. My family and I have been listening to this album for many years and it still ranks as one of my favorite Christmas albums. His Christmas Album Volume II is also excellent.

Eric Horner's Christmas album "He Is Born" is excellent. Eric is a friend of mine and has sung at First Baptist a couple of times. He has a special heart for our men and women in service. I really enjoy listening to him sing on this album.

Casting Crowns' "Peace on Earth" is absolutely wonderful. It ranks at the very top of my favorite Christmas albums. The music and the message of this album will bless any one who listens to it.

The Carpenters' "Christmas Portrait" is a Christmas tradition. Karen Carpenter, in my humble opinion, is one of the best female vocalists of all time.

Chicago 25 is one of Chicago's best albums. Chicago has a sound that is unquely theirs. They bring that sound to this Christmas album. I love the harmonies and the sounds of the brass instruments in this album.

I love anything by Kenny G. I sit many hours reading with his music playing in the background. Kenny G "Miracles" and Kenny G "Wishes" are two of my top favorite Christmas albums.

Here's a list of some of my favorite music. Let me know what your favorites are ...

Top Christmas Carols
1) O Holy Night
2) Silent Night
3) Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4) Joy to the Word
5) I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
6) The Birthday of the King
7) O Come All Ye Faithful
8) The First Noel
9) Go, Tell It on the Mountain
10) Angels, from the Realms of Glory

Top Christmas Classics (or soon to become classics)
1) I’ll Be Home for Christmas
2) It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
3) White Christmas
4) Frosty the Snow Man
5) Tennessee Christmas
6) The Christmas Shoes
7) It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
8) Sleigh Ride
9) Silver Bells
10) Do You Hear What I Hear?

Pray for the 2010 Alabama Baptist Convention

2010-11-10T11:46:00.000-06:00

ALABAMA BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION

November 16-17, 2010
Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover, Alabama

THEME: Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

TUESDAY MORNING
8:45 Call to Order Jimmy Jackson
GREETINGS
Birmingham Baptist Association Mike McLemore
Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover Buddy Gray
Congregational Music Joe Hopkins
Invocation Harold Sellers
8:55 Enrollment of Messengers Mary Sue Bennett
9:00 Committee on Order of Business Charles Carter
9:05 Committee Appointments Jimmy Jackson
9:10 Memorial Service Harold Hancock
9:20 Alabama Baptist Ministers Benefit Society Paul Moore
9:25 Introduction of Resolutions Henry Cox
9:30 Congregational Music Joe Hopkins
9:35 Miscellaneous Business
9:50 RECOGNITIONS
Worship
10:05 Across Alabama Testimony Sammy Gilbreath
REPORTS ON CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
10:30 Education Commission Melba Brown
10:40 Board of Aid for Students in Church Related Vocations Raymond Hutchison
10:50 Judson College David Potts
11:00 University of Mobile Mark Foley
11:10 Samford University Andrew Westmoreland
11:20 Presentation of Convention President Rick Lance
11:25 Special Music Joe Hopkins
11:30 President's Address Jimmy Jackson
11:55 Benediction Terry Herald

TUESDAY AFTERNOON
1:30 Presession Music Alabama Singing Women & Alabama Singing Men
1:45 Congregational Music Jeff Stith
Invocation Charles Autery
1:50 Special Music Alabama Singing Women & Alabama Singing Men
1:55 Across Alabama Testimony Sammy Gilbreath
REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF MISSIONS
2:15 Report of Executive Director Rick Lance
2:30 State Board of Missions Travis Coleman
Cooperative Program Recognitions Jim Swedenburg
Report of Inter-Baptist Fellowship Committee Edwin Velez
Recognition of Volunteer of the Year Reggie Quimby
3:30 Miscellaneous Business
3:40 ALCAP Report Joe Godfrey
REPORTS OF CONVENTION COMMITTEES
3:50 Audit Committee Melissa Sahagun
3:55 Insurance Committee Reyn Norman
4:00 Resolutions Committee Henry Cox
4:10 Committee on Boards and Commissions Bill Hart
4:20 Committee on Committees Sammie Reid
4:30 Time, Place, and Preacher Committee Sid Nichols
4:40 Benediction Kevin C. Wilburn

TUESDAY EVENING
6:40 p.m. Presession Music……………………………………Hunter Street Orchestra
6:45 Invocation
Special Music………………………………… Hunter Street Featured Choir
Message………………………………… Rick Lance

WEDNESDAY MORNING
8:30 Presession Music Paula Kornegay-music director, FBC Pelham
8:45 Congregational Music Keith Hibbs
Invocation Carlos Gomez
REPORTS OF CONVENTION ENTITIES – PART I
8:50 Alabama Baptist Christian Life Commission Mitzi Holladay
9:00 Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center Buster Taylor
9:10 Woman’s Missionary Union, Auxiliary Candace McIntosh
9:20 The Baptist Foundation of Alabama Barry Bledsoe
9:30 Election of Officers
REPORTS OF CONVENTION ENTITIES – PART II
9:45 The Alabama Baptist Bob Terry
9:55 Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries Paul Miller
10:05 Alabama Baptist Retirement Centers William H. Austin
10:15 Alabama Baptist Historical Commission Lonette Berg
10:25 Resolutions Committee Report Henry Cox
10:35 Previously Scheduled Business/Election of Officers (if needed)
WORSHIP
10:45 Congregational Music Keith Hibbs
10:50 Introduction of Convention Preacher Jimmy Jackson
Special Music Brent Coleman, member, FBC Prattville
Scripture Mike Shaw
11:05 Convention Sermon Travis Coleman
11:30 Introduction of Convention Officers Rick Lance
11:35 Benediction - Adjournment Dennis Smith

Where Character Begins in Children

2010-11-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

Christ didn't live and die just to offer us salvation. He came to teach us character through demonstrating a lifestyle that pleases God. It is through His example that we can learn how to live, even if we've had really bad parents on this earth. So, there's no excuse for parents not to be a good example of strong character to their children.

Very good thoughts by Mark Gregston. Read the whole article here.

Power of an Encouraging Word

2010-10-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

A study was done by psychologist Henry H. Goddard on energy levels in children. He hooked children up to a device called an ergograph to see how they would respond to the words of others. He found that when tired children were given a word of praise or commendation, the ergograph showed they experienced an immediate surge in energy. But when the children were criticized or discouraged, the device showed their energy took a sudden nosedive.
Never underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

From Encouragement Changes Everything by John Maxwell.

On God and Encouragement

2010-10-20T08:49:00.000-05:00

God's love for us gives us

the reason to encourage others.

God's love in us gives us

the ability to encourage others.

God's love through us gives us

the way to encourage others.

John Maxwell

Six Reasons You Need a Sunday School Class

2010-10-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

The following is a slight revision of an article written by Rick Warren to his church on why they should be involved in Small Groups. The reasons he gives are applicable to why members of First Baptist Church should be in a Sunday School Class (Group).

It’s the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family.
It’s a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love. You learn to care about others and share the experiences of others: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor 12:26). Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the connection God intends for us to have (Eph. 4:16, Rom. 12:4–5, Col. 2:19, 1 Cor. 12:25).

REAL fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 Jn 3:16). This is the kind of sacrificial love God expects you to show other believers—loving them in the same way Jesus loves you.

A Sunday School Group helps me develop spiritual muscle.
You’ll never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator. One of the main tools of spiritual growth is participation in a small group, where your spiritual muscles get a regular workout. “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16).

Over fifty times in the New Testament the phrase “one another” or “each other” is used. We‘re commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other, and many other mutual tasks! These are your “family responsibilities” if you claim to be a part of God’s family.

Who are you doing these with? Isolation breeds self-deception. It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking we’re mature if there is no one to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships. We need more than the Bible in order to grow; we need other believers. When others share what God is teaching them, I learn and grow too!

A Sunday School Group confirms my identity as a genuine believer.
I can’t claim to be following Christ if I’m not committed to any specific group of disciples. Jesus said “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). When we come together in love as a Sunday School group from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social status, it’s a witness to the world (Galatians 3:28, John 17:21).

You’re not the Body of Christ on your own. You need others to express that. Together, not separated, we are His Body (1 Cor. 12:27).

A Sunday School Group is the best way to take my God-given mission in the world.
When Jesus walked the earth, even he had a small group! Today the church is Christ’s Body on earth. We’re not just to love each other; we’re to take that love together to the rest of the world. We’re His hands, His feet, His eyes, and His heart. He works through us in the world. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10).

A Sunday School Group will help keep me from spiritually backsliding.
None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin. God knows this, so He has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track. The Bible says, “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness” (Heb 3:13).

“Mind your own business” is NOT a Christian idea when it comes to helping each other! We’re commanded to be involved in each other’s lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it’s your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship. “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).

Related to this is the benefit that being connected to a Sunday School group provides the spiritual protection of godly leaders. God gives shepherd leaders such as a Sunday School Leader or a pastor, the responsibility to guard, protect, defend, and care for the spiritual welfare of his flock “They keep watch over you as men who must give an account” (Heb 13:17). If you’re detached from the First Baptist Body of believers, I’m not responsible for you. If you are unplugged from the life of the Body and isolated from the fellowship of God’s family, Satan knows you’ll be defenseless and powerless against his tactics.

The Body of Christ needs me!
You have a background and experiences that other people can learn from and draw strength from! God has a unique role for you to play in his family. This is called your “ministry,” and God has gifted you for this assignment. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Cor 12:7). Your Sunday School group is the place God designed for you to discover, develop, and use your spiritual gifts and talents.

Disciple University

2010-10-11T15:12:00.000-05:00

Are you interested in growing deeper, developing your leadership skills and learning more about what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ? Disciple University is for you. Disciple University is a new disciple making strategy that we are currently working on and will be sharing with our church family later this Fall. The kick off for "Disciple U" will be Sunday, January 9, 2011 with a "Disciple U" preview.

The purpose of Disciple U is very simple; to help all members of First Baptist Church to become fruitful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. In "Disciple U" members will learn everything from the basic Christian disciplines to how to share their faith at home and abroad. Disciple U will be divided into four spiritual growth levels.

100 level courses will focus on how to know Christ.
200 level courses will focus on how to grow in Christ.
300 level courses will focus on how to serve Christ.
400 level courses will focus on how to share Christ.

You will be hearing a lot more about "Disciple U" in the months to come. Exciting things are happening at First Baptist Church, Foley. Come check it out.

Encounters with God

2010-09-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

I am really excited about preparing and bringing the messages from my new series entitled "Encounters with God". In the months to come we will look in God's Word at Abraham's, Jacob's, Moses', Gideon's, Isaiah's, Jeremiah's, and others life changing encounters with God. We will see that when each of these had a personal encounter with God, God revealed something of Himself and His plan for them and for those around them.

You may think that only people in the past encountered God; that God met people in the Bible, but He doesn’t do it today. But Jesus told John on the Isle of Patmos, "I am the One Who was, Who is and Who is to come." This means Jesus will live in the future, He lives today! Christ can meet you today; that’s why I am excited about embarking on this study. We will spend the next 6 months in this series and we will learn and grow together as we study these extraordinary encounters with God. Their lives were dramatically changed and so will yours when you have a real and personal encounter with God.

Burning the Koran

2010-09-09T14:10:00.001-05:00

Pastor Terry Jones of Gainsville, FL has set Sunday, Sept 11 aside as "International Burn a Koran Day." He claims that the purpose of this burning is to bring awareness to the dangers of Islam. I firmly hold that the beliefs of Islam will lead those who hold to those beliefs to an eternity in hell cut off from the presence of the one true God in heaven. Yet, I wholeheartedly agree with Chuck Colson that Pastor Jones's plan is irresponsible and dangerous. I also believe it lacks spiritual discernment. He has not thought through the implications of his actions. Moreover, he will forever lose his opportunity to be an effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ to Muslims.

Click the link to read Chuck Colson's article.

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11637686/

How the Church Works Together

2010-08-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

This Sunday I will continue my series on "How the Church Works Together." We will be talking about "Fellowship: How the Body of Christ Relates to One Other."

There is a story I came across from a marvelous Baptist pastor named Ron Dunn. Dunn suggested that once upon a time there was a body where the eyes convinced all of the other parts of the body that the gift of SIGHT was the only important gift. They admitted that there were other gifts, but they ranked all of them below SIGHT and wanted all of those in leadership positions within the church to have SIGHT. What's more, they couldn't admit that SIGHT was only the right gift for those whom God had called to be eyes. They insisted that if all of the other body parts and organs were really, really spiritual enough and beseeched God enough, they could have the gift of SIGHT, too. They scheduled prayer meetings for the other organs and body parts to pray through for SIGHT. They scheduled training courses on "Learning to See."

Now in that same body, there were some toes which had low self-esteem. They didn't understand that God had given them the gift of BALANCE. They didn't understand that even though they were often hidden and were never given any praise, God had called them to the vital ministry of BALANCE. They felt guilty that their gift couldn't do more. They felt like they weren't spiritual enough. So, they prayed and prayed, begging God to give them the gift of SIGHT. And since this is only a story where body parts act like people, I can say that God eventually gave in. Even though God knew the toes didn't need this gift, God gave them the gift of SIGHT. And do you know what they saw? They saw the inside of a sock.

Like the toes, you may not be satisfied with or even recognize the ministry that God has given you, but if you had the same gift as somebody else, you might not like the result. God knows what is best for us and has graciously given us spiritual gifts according to our ministry--what we do, not our title. This is key. It is precisely the variety of gifts that allows the church to function in true fellowship and ministry (I Cor. 12; Eph. 4:12-16).

Worship at the Warf

2010-08-01T16:01:00.002-05:00

Biblical Worship

2010-07-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

I came across this great quote on true worship by Warren Wiersbe.

True biblical worship so satisfies our total personality that we don’t have to shop around for man-made substitutes. William Temple made this clear in his masterful definition of worship: “For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose—and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.”

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p. 119.

Flooding in Galati, Romania

2010-07-04T15:09:00.006-05:00

This is where we will be next week.

Romanian authorities said severe flooding was wreaking havoc across much of the country after rain-swollen rivers burst their banks and killed 22 people this week, destroying crops, bridges and hundreds of homes.

Despite protection dams, more than 2,000 people were evacuated from the eastern village of Saucesti on Friday after the River Siret broke through and inundated a hundred local homes.

In the eastern province of Galati, the Danube River passed record water levels previously attained in 2006.

Visiting one affected region on Friday, Romanian president Traian Basescu assured flood victims that they would be provided with building materials for new homes.

But northern and central parts or Romania will remain on code yellow alert for rain until Monday morning, as the possibility of further flooding continues.

Twenty-two people have died as a result of flooding in the past week.

See more and video here.

Christians Persecuted in Morrocco

2010-06-17T15:12:00.008-05:00

Following the expulsion of more than 40 foreign Christians in March, officials of the majority-Muslim country expelled another 26 foreign Christians in May without due process. The latest incident brings the total number of deportations to 105 since early March 2010. Sources say the deportations are the result of Muslim hardliners pressuring the nation's royalty to show Islamic solidarity.

Christians and expert observers are calling this a calculated effort to purge the historically moderate country of all Christian elements - both foreign and national. Legal sources said that according to Moroccan law, foreigners who have lived in the country for more than 10 years cannot be deported unless they are accused of a crime. They have the right to appeal the deportation order within 48 hours. Still almost none of the recent deportees were able to appeal their deportation as most were forcefully escorted out of the country. (Source: Compass Direct News)

Please Pray!
Please pray for the Christians who have been unjustly deported from Morocco and their families. Many were forced to leave behind their wives, children, communities and businesses without even saying goodbye. Pray also for local Christians who have been experiencing increased persecution in recent days. Ask God to soften the hearts of the Moroccan officials toward Christians and bring them into a saving relationship with Him.

From Voice of the Martyrs.

The Splendor of the Savior

2010-06-03T20:28:00.002-05:00

I came across this old hymn by Josiah Conder that really moved me while I was reading and studying on the Diety of Christ.

THOU art the everlasting Word,
The Father's only Son;
God manifest, God seen and heard,
The heaven's beloved One;
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow!

In Thee, most perfectly expressed,
The Father's self doth shine;
Fulness of Godhead, too: the Blest,
Eternally Divine;
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow!

Image of the Infinite Unseen,
Whose being none can know;
Brightness of light no eye hath seen,
God's love revealed below;
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow!

The higher mysteries of Thy fame
The creature's grasp transcend;
The Father only Thy blest name
Of Son can comprehend.
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow!

Yet loving Thee, on whom His love
Ineffable doth rest,
The worshippers, O Lord, above,
As one with Thee, are blest;
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow!

Of the vast universe of bliss,
The centre Thou, and Sun;
The eternal theme of praise is this,
To Heaven's beloved One,
Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow!

Josiah Conder, 1789-1855

Do You Have Problems Staying Awake in Church?

2010-05-31T17:34:00.003-05:00

Festival of Champions

2010-05-18T15:02:00.002-05:00

This Sunday our church, along with a number of other churchs from central and south Baldwin County, will be hosting the "Festival of Champions." This will be a fun filled event for the whole family. There are activities for all ages. The most important part of this event will be the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to encourage all of our Foley First Baptist members to attend the event, but most importantly bring someone with you. For more information check it out here.

The Gulf of Mexico and the Care of Creation

2010-05-05T10:50:00.003-05:00

I came across the following article concerning the current oil slick crisis in the Gulf. A must read for all Believers but especially those living along the Gulf Coast.

The Gulf of Mexico and the Care of Creation
Russell Moore: Dean of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

As I type this, I am looking out at the Gulf of Mexico. You could have seen a similar sight out the window of the hospital where I was born, just a few miles down the road here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Now, though, those waters I grew up with, gently lapping against the sand, are threatening to bring with them millions of gallons of oil, spewing up from an exploded rig out in the Gulf. Five years after Hurricane Katrina leveled this hometown of mine, it is bracing for the worst environmental disaster in the history of the United States.

Some conservatives, and some conservative evangelicals, act as though "environmentalism" is by definition "liberal" or even just downright silly. Witness a lot of the evangelical rhetoric across social media on Earth Day a while back: mostly Al Gore jokes and wisecracks about cutting down trees or eating endangered species as a means of celebration.

Do some environmentalists reject the dignity of humanity? Yes. Do some replace the reverence for creation with that due the Creator? Of course. This happens in the same way some do the same thing with reverence for economic profit or any other finite thing.

There's nothing conservative though, and nothing "evangelical," about dismissing the conservation of the natural environment. And the accelerating Gulf crisis reminds us something of what's at stake.

The incoming tsunami of oil isn't just about the beaches, although that will be environmentally and economically catastrophic. Just as problematic is the creeping of the oil into the inland estuaries and marshes and waterways. The crisis could potentially destroy the eco-systems of birds, shrimp, oysters, and other lifeforms.

Does God care about baby shrimp? I would argue, yes; God cares for the sparrow that falls to the ground (Matt. 10:29). But, even if you disagree with me on that, consider how God loves those who are "of more value than many sparrows" (Matt. 10:30).

Shrimpers here in Biloxi are mourning the potential loss of more than just an industry but a way of life handed down, at least to some of them, from multiple generations before them. If shrimping collapses, so does tourism, apart from the in and out predation of the casinos dotting the shoreline.

Just as significant, though, are the ways the balance of ecology affects people in ways we never consider or notice, until it's threatened. God gave his image-bearing humanity dominion over the natural creation (Gen. 1:28). But this isn't a pharaoh-like dominion; it's a Christ-like dominion. Humans aren't made of ether; we're made of Spirit-enlivened mud. We come from the earth, and we must receive from the earth what we need to survive, in the form of light from the sun, oxygen from plants, and food from the ground.

God knows that we need the natural creation (what we so reductionistically call an "environment"). He exults in it throughout the Psalms and in his speech to Job about his mysterious ways. Jesus continually retreats into the silent places of the mountains and the hills and the deserts, sometimes in the fellowship of only the wild beasts (Mark 1:13). We are built to recognize God in the creation (Rom. 1:18-21), and we need more than just what we can pave over and build in order to flourish.

This is why the Scriptures speak of eternal life in the metaphor of a river that causes the waters to teem with life, with many kind of fish, and vegetation thriving on the banks (Ezek. 47:9-12). This is why one aspect of Jesus' kingship is to make the waters teem with fish, right in the presence of his commercial fishermen disciples (John 21:3-8), And this is why the Scriptures consider it an apocalypse when the waters are poisoned, and the sea-life is gone (Rev. 8:8-9).

We need the creation around us, including the waters and all they contain, because we are not gods. We are creatures who thrive when we live as we were made to live. We exercise dominion over the creation not only when we use it, but also when we conserve it for the generations who will come after.

So pray for the Gulf Coast, that the oil wouldn't devastate a people and a land already devastated by so much. As you do, remember: real conservatives protect what God loves.

Great Commission Resurgence Report

2010-05-03T16:27:00.001-05:00

GCR Final Report from GCR on Vimeo.

Community Prayer Breakfast

2010-05-03T15:36:00.005-05:00

Join us this Thursday, May 6, for our Community Prayer Breakfast.

Starts at 7:00 AM.

The event is free.

This is another Love LOUD event of First Baptist Church.

The theme for this year's National Day of Prayer is “Prayer for Such a Time as This” and is based on the verse from Nahum 1:7 which states: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”

What an appropriate and timely theme for "such a time as this" in our Gulf Coast Community. Let's join together this Thursday in prayer for our community.

Ages 18-23 Leaving Church at Alarming Rate

2010-04-27T12:35:00.003-05:00

A must read article from USA Today. How are we, as a church, going to address this issue?

By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Protestant churches are losing young adults in "sobering" numbers, a survey finds. Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 — both evangelical and mainline — who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to the survey by LifeWay Research. And 34% of those said they had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30. That means about one in four Protestant young people have left the church.

"This is sobering news that the church needs to change the way it does ministry," says Ed Stetzer, director of Nashville-based LifeWay Research, which is affiliated with the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Read whole article here.

On Scripture

2010-04-05T15:22:00.001-05:00

"We need to repent of the haughty way in which we sometimes stand in judgment upon Scripture and must learn to sit humbly under its judgments instead. If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the thunderclap of God’s, then indeed He will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior." John Stott, Authentic Christianity

Pastors Leading Sunday School

2010-03-30T14:57:00.002-05:00

I need your help. I'm preparing a teaching session on the different ways Pastors lead or visibly support their Sunday Schools or Small Groups. I'm interested in specifics such as:

Do you teach a class?
In what specific ways do you encourage Small Group Bible study attendance?
Do you attend a class?
How do you, as a pastor, encourage your teachers?
Are you involved in teacher recruiting or training?
etc.

Your name and church info would be nice but not necessary.

Thanks for your help.

Has the Resurrection Happened to You?

2010-03-29T13:23:00.001-05:00

Like the first disciples, our greatest need is not just to see or hear about the resurrection, but to have the resurrection happen to us. Lloyd Ogilvie says, “The most powerful historical proof of the resurrection is the ‘resurrected’ disciples. Dull, defeated people became fearless, adventuresome leaders. Cowards became courageous; the timid became triumphant; the inept did the impossible. ‘He is risen!’ became the joyous chant of a new life without limits."

Emerald Coast Sunday School Leadership Conference

2010-03-15T15:12:00.003-05:00

Here is a great leadership conference that I would encourage all of our Sunday School leaders to attend. If you are interested in going, contact the church office (943-8352) or email at office@fbcfoley.com to let us know. The church will pay your registration fee of $15.00. Deadline to register is Monday, April 19.

Location: Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola

Purpose: To Guide Sunday School Leaders to Develop Bible Teaching Knowledge and Skills and to Disciple Believers for Spiritual Transformation and to Connect with Lost and Un-churched People in the Community.

SCHEDULE:
7:30 AM Registration
8:00 - 8:50 AM Bible Conferences

The Holy Spirits Work with the Church in Acts -Tim Coleman
Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die - Ross Lankford
Christs Teachings on the Kingdom - Jeff Howard
Why So Many Bible Translations? - David Spencer
Eight Callings of God - Ted Traylor

9:00 - 9:35 General Session: Transformed Leaders/Transformational Churches - David Francis
9:35 - 9:45 Moving Break

9:45 - 10:50 Leadership Track 1

Reaching and Assimilating Young Adults - Lauren Farmer
Preparing to Teach the Bible for Life Change - David Francis
Creating a Missional Small Groups Strategy - Scott Shoopman
The Pastors Role in Leading for Transformation -Billy Nale
Helping Kids Apply Biblical Truth - Ginger Owens
Connecting with your Community's Families- Brain Nall
10:50-11:00 Moving Break

11:00 - 12:05 Leadership Track 2

Doing Sunday School and Small Group as a Team - Scott Shoopman
Five Steps for Sunday School Growth - David Francis
Teaching Young Adults for Spiritual Transformation - Lauren Farmer
Creating Safe Bible Learning Environments for Kids - Ginger Owens
Motivating Leaders to Serve with Excellence - Billy Nale

12:10 Lunch at church

Register now

Vision

2010-02-25T19:00:00.003-06:00

Today I was asked, "How can your church most impact your community for Jesus Christ?" After thinking a minute I answered with two words, "Love LOUD!" I believe that Bible clearly teaches us that if we will show the love of Christ we will win a hearing to share the love of Christ.

John MacArthur said, "You don't define love, you describe it by action." I believe that's true. People respond when they see love in action.

Scripture puts it like this: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:16).

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 Jn 3:18) for "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26).

Let us Love LOUD!

Love LOUD - 1 Cor 13

2010-02-16T09:09:00.001-06:00

We showed this video during our Love LOUD kick off service.

2010-02-09T14:24:00.002-06:00

This Sunday I will be introducing a new two year emphasis for our church called Love LOUD! This is based on 1 John 3:18: "Let us not love in word or talk but in actions and in truth."

Our church is looking for ways we can practically and visibly show the love of God in our community. In other words, we are looking for ministry ideas.

What ideas do you have? What have you done that worked well? What are some things that your church has done that worked well to show the love of God to those in your community?

I'd like to hear from you.

Sleeping in Church

2010-01-30T10:33:00.005-06:00

Do you have problems staying awake in church? Do you miss hearing a word from God because you're slumbering in the pew? Sleeping in the pew not only keeps you from having a real encounter with God on Sunday morning, it sets a bad example for children sitting around you. Here are some helpful tips.

1. Get more sleep.
The Sunday service is not for sleeping; the night before is. This requires planning, especially for young people, who like to use Saturday night as an opportunity to stay up as late as possible.

2. Sit closer to the front.
Almost without exception, the best listeners are in front. Whenever I am not preaching and I'm sitting in the pew when I visit a church or attending conferences, I make it a point to sit no further back than the second or third pew. Sitting close to the front enables me to listen and to better experience the whole worship service.

3. Minimize distractions.
If you must, find a better place to sit. If your children are the problem, “divide and conquer” by asking a relative or friend to sit with you. And don’t permit the Sunday shuffle to the restroom.

4. Use your Bibles.
I'm amazed at how many Christians show up to church without a Bible. It is difficult to follow the pastor’s line of thought without seeing the Bible text before you.

5. Take Notes.
Taking notes helps to keep your mind on the message as you listen for key words or thoughts to write down. A word of caution here though: Don't spend so much time writing that you miss a portion of the message. Key words or thoughts are enough to help you remember.

6. Discuss the Message with your family after the worship service.
While you are riding home or to your favorite restaurant, or while you are around the dinner table, make it a practice to briefly discuss the message with your spouse and children. Knowing you will be doing this will keep you accountable. Ask questions like, what one point or comment impacted you the most? How can we apply it to our lives this week?

When you sleep through a sermon you miss what may possibly be your best opportunity to hear from God that whole week. Take these steps that you don't miss hearing from God.

Parts of this article came from http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n4/hearing-aids-family.

Help for Haiti

2010-01-25T19:17:00.001-06:00

Since the largest earthquake in more than 200 years rocked Haiti on the evening of Jan. 12, Southern Baptists and many other organizations have been mobilizing to offer disaster relief for the millions of people in need.

Here are ways you can help now:

Pray

Please pray for those who have been affected by the quake – those still trapped or homeless or injured or traumatized.
Pray for Haiti's 9 million people, more than 80 percent of whom live below the poverty line.
Pray for all those who are involved in the relief effort, that the Lord would give them strength.
Pray for those who are trying to organize people and resources to assist with the relief efforts.
Pray that God would stir up His people to respond with the love of Christ to help those in desperate need.
Pray that hope and peace will fill the hearts of Haitians.
Pray for International Mission Board (IMB) personnel in the Dominican Republic who will be training national believers in post-trauma counseling for Haiti earthquake victims.

The International Mission Board office of global prayer strategy is posting prayer needs at Pray for Haiti.

Haiti News Updates

For news updates regarding Haiti from a Christian perspective, please visit Help for Haiti News Updates to read articles from Baptist Press.

Copied from http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169987

2009 Reading List

2010-01-04T20:07:00.015-06:00

These are some of the books I read in 2009 that I highly recommend. Listed in no particular order.

The Attributes of God, A.W. Tozer
The Attributes of God, Arthur Pink
Knowing God, J.I. Packer
God, Bill Bright
The Love of God, John MacArthur
Rediscovering Holiness, J.I. Packer
Spectacular Sins, John Piper
Leadership Gold, John Maxwell
Quiet Strength, Tony Dungy
Washington: The Indispensible Man, James Flexner
Getting the Gospel Right, C. Gordon Olson
Today Matters, John Maxwell
Good to Great in God's Eyes, Chip Ingram

I'm a Christian...I Just Don't Go to Church

2009-12-20T16:27:00.001-06:00

Good blog post from my son. This is his response to those who claim to be a Christian but refuse to go to church. Read it here.

While You Were Sleeping

2009-12-16T21:53:00.002-06:00

A powerful song by Casting Crowns off of their Christmas CD, "Peace on Earth". Can America and Bethlehem be so much alike? Listen.

How to Answer When a Child Asks, "Is Santa Real?"

2009-12-02T16:19:00.006-06:00

Many Christian parents struggle with Santa Clause. Do you know how to answer your child when he or she asks, "Is Santa Clause real?" Here is an excellent article, by Rebecca Powell, to help parents know how to respond and keep the focus on Christ.

Rebecca also has some thought provoking insights and warnings on attempting to motivate your child to good behavior by telling them that Santa will not come if they are not good.

Read the article http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=164392

How Christian Leaders Should Avoid Sexual Sin

2009-11-18T11:27:00.003-06:00

John Piper wrote a paper years ago (1995) on how Christian leaders should avoid sexual sin. Piper lists ten potential pitfalls and proposes ten protections against them:

PITFALL: Falling in love with the present world.

PROTECTION: Think long and hard about the deadly poison of world-love and ponder the never-ending delights of the mountain spring of God’s approval and fellowship and beauty.

PITFALL: Loss of horror at offending the majesty of God’s holiness through sin.

PROTECTION: Meditate on the Biblical truth that all our acts are acts toward God and not just toward man, and that God is so holy and pure that he will not countenace the slightest sin, but hates it with omnipotent hatred, and that the holiness of God is the most valuable treasure in the universe and the very deepest of delights to those whose way is pure.

PITFALL: A sense of immunity from accountability and authority.

PROTECTION: Submit yourself to a council of Biblically minded, spiritually wise advisers.

PITFALL: Succumbing to itching ears as love of truth evaporates.

PROTECTION: Cultivate a love for truth, even in its smallest details, and turn a deaf ear to the desires of men to have their ears scratched with vague moralisms that massage them in their sin.

PITFALL: A vanishing attention to Scripture.

PROTECTION: Give yourself untiringly to the study, meditation and memorization of Holy Scripture.

PITFALL: A growing disregard for the spiritual good of his followers.

PROTECTION: Labor in praying and caring to stir up your heart to love all your people.

PITFALL: Disregard for the Biblical mystery of marriage.

PROTECTION: Remind yourself repeatedly that your marriage is a living drama of Christ’s relationship to the church.

PITFALL: Compartmentalizing of the leader’s life.

PROTECTION: View everything—absolutely everything—as woven together by its relationship to the value of the glory of God.

PITFALL: A sense of being above the necessity of suffering and self-denial.

PROTECTION: Never forget the promise: "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). And never forget that the Son of Man had no place to lay his head (Luke 9:58). And develop a Biblical theology of futility and suffering, especially from Romans 8:17-30.

PITFALL: Giving in to self-pity under the pressures and loneliness of leadership.

PROTECTION: Embrace the essence of the doctrine that no one who suffers the loss of any earthly blessing in the service of Christ will fail to be repaid a hundred-fold now and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).

It's Called Christmas - Fun Song

2009-11-14T13:04:00.002-06:00

Excellent Congregations

2009-10-29T12:37:00.002-05:00

Excellent Protestant Congregations, by Paul Wilkes, identified the following 26 common traits among the "excellent" protestant congregations.

A vibrancy about living a Christian life...living on the creative and holy edge of the New Testament...being a Christian is not a leisure activity but an adventure.
Entrepreneurial...risk-takers, self-starters, use what works and put aside that which does not.
Draws philosophically, rather than geographically or denominationally, by the spirit of a living and present God.
Reach beyond their comfort zone...not afraid of being uncomfortable and ask tough questions of themselves.
Regularly evaluate themselves...for effectiveness.
Have a clear, yet changing, sense of mission...a vision of where they want to be and willingness to redirect energies to be effective in their community and people’s lives.
Willingness to break up and reassemble...put aside old structures and coalitions when necessary to move forward.
Unafraid of being vulnerable and making mistakes.
Laity are integral in leadership...competence and a desire to serve, the ability to learn, the humility to admit mistakes and the courage to continue despite setbacks are more important prerequisites for leadership than formal training and ordination.
Preach and practice forgiveness and acceptance.
Relationship evangelism...personal contact is the key...most new people come to the church through word of mouth...friend, co-worker and neighbor.
See themselves as a unique community...not as a franchise of their denomination or even Christianity.
In transforming the culture, hold government, agencies and institutions accountable...see their work as not only serving their constituency but also transforming the world around them.
Believe in partnerships with other churches, agencies and interest groups.
Offer an ascent to God, a relationship...provide the tools and support to forge a real, living and enduring relationship with God.
Traditional without being traditionalist...their tradition is a beginning, a springboard, not a wall, not a barrier.
The Bible is at their core.
Innovative about different spiritual approaches.
Tailor liturgies and programs to various constituencies...reject one-size-fits-all approach.
Powerful, life-situation preaching...pastors may be biblical scholars, but are everyday-life scholars even more.
Pastors have been in place for years.
Training, training, training...use local possibilities but will create their own if necessary...see church as a seminary...serve the needs of the church and their area.
Bring new members to full membership and participation...just joining is not enough.
Call leaders, don’t fill slots...deliberate about leadership and claim untapped talent for the Lord.
Break out of their walls and into the world...have no walls, property lines...are in the marketplace, civic meetings, the boardroom and around the water cooler.
Utilize media well...aware that glitz is not substance...know there is no substitute for real substance and individual care.

The Discipleship Methods of Jesus

2009-10-23T08:07:00.003-05:00

Rick Warren has a good article on how Jesus discipled His followers from John 17. Read below. This article can also be found on his blog here.

We measure maturity a lot of different ways in our churches. Sometimes it’s measured by church attendance. Other times it’s measured by Bible knowledge. But the biblical evidence of maturity is fruit. In Matthew 7:17-20 Jesus says, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit […], thus by their fruit you will recognize them.” Maturity is all about fruit.

How many times have you heard (or said) that “God doesn’t expect success. He just expects us to be faithful.” Pastor, that’s only half true. The Bible makes it very clear that God expects far more than faithfulness. He also expects fruitfulness. This is taught all throughout the New Testament. Many people will be surprised when they get to heaven and God says, “You didn’t bear any fruit?” Remember, Jesus cursed the fig tree because it didn’t bear fruit!

God expects fruitfulness in our lives as well. And he says it over and over and over again. But how do we help people bear spiritual fruit in their lives? How do we turn them into mature, mission-minded believers who minister to others? Let’s not answer that question with any buzzwords. I’m not interested in the modern way, the postmodern way, the emergent way, the missional way, the seeker way, the charasmatic way – or even the purpose driven way. I’m interested in how Jesus helped people become fruitful.

In Jesus’ prayer in John 17 he says, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” He hasn’t gone to the cross yet, so what work has he completed? It’s the finished work of Christ that most churches never understand – making disciples. How did he finish the task? His prayer in John 17 tells us.

He led them to salvation. Jesus prayed, “For you granted him authority over all men that he might give eternal life to all those you have given to him.” This should be obvious. Discipleship begins with evangelism. Of course, we want to disciple people who are already Christians. But remember, Jesus started with pagans. We’ve got to win people to Christ before we can train them. The spiritual birth always precedes spiritual growth.

He taught them the Word. Jesus taught his disciples the Word of God. There is no spiritual growth that’s not based on God’s Holy Scripture. In verse eight Jesus prays, “For I gave them the words that you gave me and they accepted them.” And in verse 14 he says, “I have given them your word.” The Word of God is the foundation for all discipleship. Want people to grow spiritually and be fruitful? Get them in the Word every day. Just listening to your sermons – no matter how good they are – won’t help your people be as fruitful as getting them into the Word for themselves.

He prayed for them. To see your people grow spiritually, you need to pray for them. That’s part of pastoring. You don’t just pray for your sermons or yourself; you pray for your people as well. Jesus said, “I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9). We need to pray with them and pray for them. Paul followed this example of Christ as well. In fact, he starts almost every letter in the New Testament he wrote with a prayer for the church.

He checked up on them. Jesus says, “While I was with them…” You can’t disciple somebody that you’re not with. Pastor, you’ve got to be with your people if you want them to grow spiritually. You’re not going to be able to personally check up and mentor everyone. But somehow your church needs a system for coaching in your church. You need small group leaders or others who will follow up on your people. Jesus protected his disciples from false teaching and kept them from backsliding. He guarded them. At the end of his ministry on earth, he says I haven’t lost a single one of them – except Judas to fulfill Scripture. If you want your people to grow, you need some sort of accountability in your ministry.

He sent them on mission. Then Jesus says, “As you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world.” Who do you think are the most mature people at our church? The thousands of people who’ve gone overseas on mission. It changes them. When they come back, they’re not thinking about diamond-crusted tennis bracelets anymore. Once you’ve served around the world, it changes your value system. You care more about people overseas, and you care about people in your own community, too. These short-term missionaries have come back and loved the poor, ministered to the addicts, and battled the sex trade right here in Orange County. That’s maturity.The goal of discipleship in any church must be ministry and mission. Maturity is never an end in itself. In fact, you can’t be mature until you’re ministering and living on mission. Jesus said “I didn’t come to be served. I came to serve and to give my life as a ransom.” The words give and serve define the Christian life. You want your people to be like Christ? Teach them to give and serve.

He expected reproduction. We know he expected reproduction because in verse 20 of this priestly prayer he says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” He not only sent the disciples out into the world, but he implied that he’s expecting reproduction. Did it work? Obviously. There are nearly two billion people who claim the name of Christ around the world.

He focused on character. Jesus didn’t simply expand the knowledge, perspective, skills, or conviction of the disciples. He focused on their character. Spiritual maturity is about character and conduct – not just content. We don’t want to just fill up people’s minds with facts and figures. Paul says, “I want to present every man perfect in Christ.” If, in the final analysis, the people I’m training aren’t more like Jesus after we’ve worked together, I’ve missed the point.

He loved them. Jesus said, “You sent me and I have loved them as you have loved me.” This is so typical of Jesus. All that Jesus did for his disciples was in a spirit of love. You must love those you train. If you don’t love them, it doesn’t count. If you don’t have a sincere abiding love for the people in your church, then do you know what discipleship is? It’s manipulation. You’re just manipulating them toward a goal.

Sometimes we forget that Jesus is the best model we have when it comes to ministry. No one in the history of the world discipled people more effectively. Jesus was able to say at the end of his ministry that he had finished his work. Pastor, I hope we can say that as well.

Why Memorize Scripture

2009-10-12T15:22:00.004-05:00

Good thought from pastor Ted Traylor on why we should memorize Scripture.

Recently God called me to memorize the book of Jude. It is work. It takes time and discipline. In this day of quick reference on our computers and easy access to any passage, is it still important to commit the Word to memory? The answer is yes! Defending the faith and witnessing to unbelievers are two main purposes for this. The book of Psalms gives additional reasons why this is crucial in our Christian walk.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word is treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” In times of temptation scriptures will return to our minds. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to defend our hearts and strengthen resistance to sin.

Psalm 18:30 tells us, “As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” His word is proven to be perfect. Our thinking is often full of opinion and flaws. Decision making should be based on His truths. It is imperative to know those words to be wise.

Psalm 56:4 reminds us, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” Ever been in an anxious situation and scripture has brought you comfort? His word acts as a calming force and helps His children focus on Him and not the problem.

I challenge you to ask the Lord what passage of His word you should memorize. It makes a difference!

8 Ways to Improve Your People Skills

2009-09-30T21:32:00.002-05:00

From http://www.lifeway.com/, this article is abridged from Twenty Time-Tested Tactics for Improving Your People Skills by Michael Zigarelli.

Interpersonal skills are critical at work, in your home, at church, and around your neighborhood. Practice these time-honored and battle-tested skills to improve your effectiveness as you relate to people at home, work, and church.

1. Don’t complain

People tend to react negatively to toxic talk. Instead, offer potential solutions when you identify problems. Or, say nothing at all.
"Do everything without grumbling and arguing." Phil 2:14 (HCSB)

2. Smile

Does your expression tell the world to leave you alone or that you’re friendly and approachable? Practice smiling and watch how others respond.
"Render service with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men." Eph. 6:7 (HCSB)

3. Listen closely and actively

Make an effort to listen to everything that’s being said to you. Concentrate on the person’s words rather than your response. If there is the potential for disagreement or misunderstanding, paraphrase what you think was said. Be patient and briefly summarize his or her concerns, points, or ramblings before you share your opinion.
"A wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance." Prov. 1:5 (HCSB)

4. Praise others

Acknowledge when people are working hard, doing a great job, and contributing. Express that who they are and what they do has genuine value. Practice this with your spouse, employees, friends, pastor, and the adults you lead. Be an encourager and an affirmer.
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…" 1 Thess 5:11a (HCSB)

5. Show gratitude

When you benefit from someone’s effort or work let them know that you appreciate it. Make a habit of expressing gratitude to the people around you.
"Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:18 (HCSB)

6. Talk about others’ interests

Rather than hoping for opportunities to tell people how great you are, set yourself aside and become interested in those around you. People love to talk about their interests, so give them the opportunity to do so.
"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth - a stranger, and not your own lips." Prov. 27:2 (HCSB)

7. Remember names

We find creative ways to hide the fact that we’ve forgotten names. Dale Carnegie said, "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Do whatever it takes to make that sweet sound. You will make them feel special and memorable.
"Your name is perfume poured out…" Song 1:3 (HCSB)

8. Make a sacrifice

Words are powerful, but more treasured than words are a sincere sacrifice of time or money on your part. So get in the habit of identifying and meeting people’s needs and putting them ahead of your own.
"No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (HCSB)

Violent Pre-Dawn Attack

2009-09-24T08:54:00.005-05:00

From Voice of the Martyrs

At 3 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13, a mass of 400 people in police suits and red armbands rushed the Good News Cloth Shoes Factory located on the land of the Fushan Church's building in Linfin City, Shanxi Province, China, according to a ChinaAid report.

The power, water and telephone lines to the factory were cut off. Two shovel loaders tore at the factory and new church building foundations while the mob, with bricks and other blunt instruments, beat Fushan church members who were sleeping at the church construction site. Within an hour, more than 10 church members lay bleeding heavily. Some were severely injured and taken to the emergency room. Several people lost consciousness and were hospitalized.According to ChinaAid, anonymous authorities instructed local emergency room personnel to withhold treatment and prohibit blood transfusions for the injured church members. On Sunday night, two seriously injured patients had to be transferred to another hospital.Photo: ChinaAid

Take Action!

The Voice of the Martyrs joins ChinaAid in calling on the international community to voice their protests to the Chinese government against the brutal treatment of Christians, and to pray for justice and healing for the victims of the attack. We further pray for the souls of the participants in the crime, that they will be internally convicted of their inhumane treatment of others and blatant disregard for human life. Go to ChinaAid.org to read more about this story and find out how you can contact Chinese officials to voice your outrage over this brutal attack on the Christians of Fushan Church.

VOM assists Chinese Christians by providing Bibles, Christian literature, scholarships for training and emergency aid to families of prisoners.

Why I am Southern Baptist

2009-09-23T09:49:00.003-05:00

Ed Stetzer posted a great blog at Between the Times, a blog sight of Southeastern Seminary entitled "Why I am Southern Baptist." Here are a couple of quotes from his blog.

"I am proud to stand on a history of cooperating churches that constantly renew their commitment to Christ, the Great Commission, and finding new ways to care for the needy of our world. It is a system where you can find what you need and give as much as you want. Because, the key to cooperation is to both give and take."

"By being in the SBC, I can give away resources to people whom I will never meet to reach places I will never go and give the Gospel to the lost who are beyond my reach. The Cooperative Program is a genius invention."

I encourage you to read the whole article here.

School Officials Cleared of Criminal Contempt Charges in Case Involving Prayer!

2009-09-17T21:07:00.002-05:00

Santa Rosa County, FL – Today Liberty Counsel successfully cleared Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman of criminal contempt charges that arose out of a simple blessing of a meal. The criminal contempt hearing began when the ACLU asked that Lay and Freeman be held in contempt for offering a prayer over a meal at a luncheon where they honored donors to the athletic Field House project.

The federal courtroom in Pensacola, Florida, was packed with people supporting Lay and Freeman. The Pace High School students made T-shirts with the image of a potato chip that read: “Lay’s Supportive Patriots.” Busloads of people jammed the steps of the courthouse to cheer and show their support.

Read whole story here.

Everyday Evangelism

2009-09-17T10:36:00.002-05:00

I came across this article on Lifeway.com written by Dawn Pick Benson on sharing your faith.
Following is an abbreviated version. You can read the whole article here.

When I was growing up, my dad was a farmer, not a Christian. He had little interest in faith, having been told by his father that the Bible was a fairy tale. But then a local pastor took an interest in my dad, asking if he could help plow the fields on the weekend.

That one act of service spoke louder than words ever could to my dad. By his actions, the pastor made my dad feel loved, and that did more than any preaching could have. He didn’t need convincing about the theological correctness of the Bible; he needed to feel God’s love for him. This pastor met that need in a practical way. And that’s evangelism.

It sounds simple enough, but many of us still struggle with how evangelism fits into our everyday lives. Maybe that’s because we think evangelism is something better left to “professionals,” like the preachers and missionaries of the world. Or maybe we cringe at the idea, associating evangelism with hard-sell, high-haired televangelists and want nothing to do with those phonies.

Here are ideas for sharing God’s good news as you go:

1. Spend time deepening your relationship with God, allowing Him to form you into the image of Christ. When we’re walking with God, spending time in prayer and Scripture reading, we have a full well from which we can offer Christ’s living water to others.

2. Become a creature of habit. Frequent the same coffee shop, gas station, restaurant, and so on, and build relationships with people there.

3. Go out of your way to assist a co-worker at your job.

4. Pray for friends who aren’t followers of Christ by name, as a family, asking God to draw them to Himself.

5. Practice intentional acts of kindness. Try returning carts in grocery store parking lots or picking up trash in a community park.

6. Shop at neighborhood garage sales. Get to know your neighbors’ names — and remember them.

7. Join a friend in an activity or hobby.

8. Allow God to use your uniqueness. Be creative and think about how you can use your unique gifts and talents to show His love to others. If you like to cook, deliver meals to those in need; if you like to knit, make scarves to hand out to homeless individuals you meet on the street; and so on.

9. Get to know your neighbors and their needs. Volunteer to help with yard work, childcare, or decorating a home. Helping with small things can help you earn the right to speak with neighbors about more serious issues.

10. Get to know the parents of your children’s friends. Strike up conversations at sporting or school events. This will help you learn more about them and their needs.

11. Form a playgroup for stay-at-home parents.

12. Volunteer with community organizations. You’d be surprised how many non-Christians are serving.

God wants to use us — no matter who we are or what we know — to change lives. He only asks that we open our eyes to everyday opportunities around us and remain faithful to respond with love. For many people, drawing closer to God is a process that takes months, even years. But if we are willing to be used by God, we can take an active role in the ordinary ways He chooses to share good news.

The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview

2009-09-11T16:35:00.002-05:00

Here is a new website I highly recommend. See the video below.

The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview is unique portal that is the first of its kind – a place to reclaim Biblical truth and grow in faith. Use the library to conduct research, join classes to experience soul-stretching education, and subscribe to daily columns for inspiration and spiritual guidance.

Missionary Tim Miller witnesses modern-day martyrdom

2009-09-08T14:25:00.004-05:00

The following story was the front page story of the September 3 edition of The Alabama Baptist. After reading the story, I was moved to invite Tim Miller to speak at First Baptist Church. I have been leading my church on Wednesday evenings to be more deliberate in praying for the persecuted church. Tim is going to be speaking to our congregation on Sunday, October 4 during our morning worship services.

The Cost: Missionary to Philippines witnesses modern-day martyrdom
By Jennifer Davis Rash
The Alabama Baptist

Tim Miller knows the Bible well. He’s spent the majority of his 46 years dissecting, memorizing and sharing it, but he’s not sure he ever thought he would find himself severely beaten and his friend murdered because of its message. But that is now part of his faith journey, and it is this eye-witness account of this modern-day martyrdom that leaves Miller confident in the foundation of his faith.

"We have a foundation with Christ and my little fortress is more secure now. I am more confident in the things I am doing and the ways I am doing those things that need to be done," said Miller, who recently returned to Alabama following the May attack.

While Miller’s experiences teaching in various seminary classrooms, embracing cultures around the world and even working with Britain’s prime minister and wife on medical ethics offer infinite copy for unwritten books, it is his nearly 10 years of work in the Philippines as an educator and missionary that has defined the latest chapters in his life.

Planting a church in a city of 40,000 that grew from zero to 450 in about five years, Miller worked strategically to train and equip Bible study leaders who could disciple new believers and prepare them to do the same.

"God is amazing in that a person like me can take a bunch of people coasting through life and create an evangelism explosion," said Miller, who was holding three worship services at the church every Sunday, each in a different language — Tagalog (most widely spoken Filipino language), German and English.

Originally from Nebraska and the son of well-known preacher and author Calvin Miller, Tim Miller holds degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo.; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; and the University of Oxford in England.

Professing his faith in Jesus Christ at age 7 and growing up in a strong Christian home and church environment, Miller said talking about his faith has always come easily. Combine that with an adventurous spirit, a deep interest in people and a well-traveled resumé and he can typically interact easily with individuals from any part of the world. Christ most certainly comes into the conversation fairly quickly when Miller is involved.

In the Philippines, that was no different. Outside of his classes at Baguio Bible College (associated with the Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary) in Baguio and his eight years of developing a food kitchen that feeds about 1,000 people a week, Miller turned to a kind of fishing.

Fishing for fishermen, that is. He loves a good tuna steak, and what better place to find one than fresh off a boat as a local fisherman comes ashore?

Only a two- to three-mile walk from Miller’s house in the Philippine province of Zambales was a fishing community. He spent many hours there buying fish, sharing stories and building relationships. The fishermen happened to all be Muslim.

Through the years, he led scores of Muslims to Christ, but it was one particular new Christian — Ali Manalo — who would change everything for Miller. Manalo would pay the ultimate sacrifice for his decision. And Miller would find himself under 24-hour police protection — the target of an Islamic militant group — following an intense beating by this group known as the Abu Sayyef.

It was late May and Manalo, just a year into his new faith, was making good progress in Scripture memorization and his understanding of the basic foundational truths, Miller explained.
Distant relatives unhappy with Manalo’s move to Christianity contacted the Abu Sayyef. Representatives from this group and a few others they picked up in the area invited themselves to the next Bible study at Manalo’s house. After being spit on and verbally abused, Miller attempted to calm the men down.

But all he got in return was a barrage of bamboo clubs coming at him as the other Bible study attendees fled.

It was Miller and Manalo against 10 militants in what would be Miller’s first and Manalo’s last
Arnese (Philippine stick fight).

At 6 feet 3 inches and with military defense skills he learned 25 years ago, Miller managed to fend off several men as he ushered Manalo’s wife, Fatema, and two young daughters to safety.
But before he could save Manalo, Miller was struck from behind.

He awoke in the hospital and entered a two-month journey of saying goodbye to close friends and church members. For about two months, he remained homebound, healing and staying clear of the Abu Sayyef, who threatened to take revenge on Miller for the local government’s hanging of the two militants leading the attack. "(Friends) came by every day to cook, clean, do whatever I needed," Miller said. "They were there for me."

Even Fatema.

"She thanked me for getting them out," he said, noting he still thinks about that day and wonders if there had been an option, would he have given his life so Manalo could have lived and taken care of his family? "Yeah, I would have," Miller said, noting Fatema hung a photo of Manalo on her wall with the inscription John 15:13 — "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

"She sees her husband as a martyr, as do I," Miller said. "She is intent that her daughters know that commitment to Christ costs."

At 3 and 4 years old, Manalo’s daughters will carry that fateful day’s events with them throughout their lives, but Miller believes their mother will never let them forget how their father stood for his faith.

Miller — who still favors his right elbow and ribs a little and can finally talk after having his jaw wired shut for six weeks — knows he won’t forget. And for the first time in his theology-filled life, Jesus’ words in Luke 14:26 about "hating" one’s family and oneself finally made sense. "I never quite understood that," he said, "until you see it cost people something."

A member of NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville, in Birmingham Baptist Association, Miller is currently teaching hermeneutics at the Birmingham extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

He is working on securing a new teaching assignment in Central or South America, which should begin in early 2010.

Needed: Men and Women Who Are True to their Families

2009-09-07T09:25:00.003-05:00

Following is an excellent comment by Jonathan Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA concerning the extramarital affair and subsequent murder of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair.

This is everyday life. It happens.

Those of the words of former all-pro NFL running back Eddie George, commenting to NBCs Lester Holt this week on the extramarital affair and subsequent murder of his onetime teammate Steve McNair.
Mr. Holt added that many husbands, seeing the McNair story unfold in the headlines, were surely saying to themselves, There but for the grace of God go I.

I have no doubt that hes right.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us there is nothing new under the sun (NKJV) and certainly people have been falling into the tragic sin of adultery since soon after the original fall. But it seems that there is an increase in this problem in modern times. From politicians to pastors, we have seen a disturbing number of people in the spotlight because they could not stay true to their marital promises. In the aftermath, we see the spouses and children of these individuals left to face the humiliation that these infidelities brought about.

Infidelity is something that can happen to anyone who is not constantly on guard to prevent it from happening. There is no place for carelessness when our marriages, our children and our Christian testimonies are at stake. For the Christian, being on guard also means being constantly attuned to the faultless God who lives within us, allowing Him to be our strength against any temptation we might face.

Further, as Christians, we must allow Gods love to shine in us so that we can effectively love our spouses and families. Jeremiah 31:3 says, The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you. By experiencing the matchless love that God affords us, we can then properly love in return.

In 2005, my father brought a sermon titled, Faith, Family and Traditions, wherein he listed five daily duties of a successful Christian father. They are:

1. He must openly and obviously love his childrens mother;
2. He must have a personal and intimate relationship with his children;
3. He must build self worth in his children;
4. He must encourage vision, hope and purity. He must be verbal and positive;
5. He must guarantee perpetual endowment.

This is such a pertinent inventory for Christian men who desire to be a godly leader at home while remaining true to the promises they made to their wife on their wedding day. Note that these five items should be at the forefront of our efforts on a daily basis; they should be atop our list of priorities without fail. I can personally attestas can my mom, brother and my sisterthat my Dad lived out this list every day of his life and by doing so he inspires all three of us to do the same today.

I fear that too many men, and women, are playing a hope-for-the-best game with their families. There just doesnt seem to be a commitment to their families beyond the superficial. This is a dangerous routine and I see the consequences of this type of lifestyle on a regular basis. I imagine most pastors could bear out this scenario.

Christian husbands, we must be persistently investing ourselves into the lives of our families, while also spending much time in prayer, Bible study and positive Christian fellowship in order to strengthen ourselves in this essential effort. It is the role God intends for us to take on heroically for the sake of our families. Failing to do so should not be an option.

Christian wives, you too must be fully invested in the lives of your family. And, likewise, fully invested in your own spiritual growth. Your commitment of growing closer to God each and every day is vital to the success of your family.

I want to close by pointing out that most people who come to Christ do so before the age of 18, with many of them doing so in the home. Christian fathers (and mothers), honor God in all you do so that your children will see the Spirit of Jesus Christ as a living example through your lives.

Do We Lack Respect for God?

2009-09-02T12:59:00.007-05:00

In his book, Let the Nations Be Glad, John Piper quotes Charles Misner, a scientific specialist in general relativity theory, who expressed Albert Einstein’s skepticism of religion.

"The design of the universe ... is very magnificient and shouldn’t be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little use for organized religion, although he strikes me as a basically very religious man. He must have looked at what the preachers said about God and felt that they were blaspheming. He had seen much more majesty than they had ever imagined, and they were just not talking about the real thing. My guess is that he simply felt that religions he’d run across did not have the proper respect... for the author of the universe."

I highly recommend "Let the Nations Be Glad" by John Piper.

Former NFL coach Tony Dungy to Michael Vick: 'Where was the Lord in all of this?'

2009-08-26T15:53:00.003-05:00

Good interview with Tony Dungee by the Baptist Press. Go here.

Indescribable Conference

2009-08-20T10:25:00.005-05:00

The Indescribable Conference was, well, Indescribable. God moved in a mighty way. Here is a video from youtube of "Who Can Satisfy My Soul" from the final night of the conference.

Rejecting Apathy

2009-08-12T09:36:00.003-05:00

Received the following from a friend by email. Thought provoking comment from Chuck Colson. You can see more from Chuck Colson at http://www.breakpoint.org/

Many Christians, once motivated by protecting the sanctity of life, religious freedom, and traditional marriage, seem inconsolable—as if the fight is over and there’s nothing we can do about it.

But embracing this attitude is a certain prescription for disaster.

I received last month a newsletter by Don Reeverts of the Denver Leadership Foundation. In it he gives the following quote, often attributed to an 18th-century Scottish writer:

The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence...from bondage to spiritual faith...from spiritual faith to courage...from courage to liberty...from liberty to abundance...from abundance to selfishness...from selfishness to complacency…from complacency to apathy...from apathy to dependency...from dependency back to bondage.

These are sobering words. This question of where America is in the cycle should be extremely important for Christians. That’s because I firmly believe that culture is nothing but religion incarnate—that when we see a culture losing its moral footing, it’s because believers have failed to bring Christian truth to bear in society. We haven’t been, as Calvin put it, making the invisible kingdom visible.

So what stage are we in? Reeverts thinks we are entering the stage of apathy. And I hate to say it, but I agree. I am finding growing apathy among believers.

Apathy manifests itself in how people dress, how they talk, how they care for each other—and how concerned they are about the great issues of the day. It resembles what the Greeks called acedia, a languidness, a torpor, in which we stop caring about anything.

Apathy inevitably leads to dependency. And once we become dependent on Big Brother, we are back in bondage. Can anybody really watch the dramatic growth of governmental power and not be alarmed? For the fact of the matter is that the more government acts as God, the less people depend on the one true God.

Your congressmen and senators are home now for summer recess. Have you contacted them?Are you angry about what’s happening in this country today? Things like the elimination of the conscience clause for medical professionals, or embryonic stem cell research, or the advance of gay “marriage,” or threats to religious liberties, or government making life-and-death decisions in health care?If you’re not upset about those things, you’ve succumbed to apathy already.

I can’t imagine anybody sitting at home, comfortably watching us slip into a state of dependency without getting outraged, and then without expressing that outrage.

If we value our liberties, if we believe in the most fundamental principles upon which our civilization is based, then we owe it to our God and to future generations to speak out.
Institutions aren’t going to change the course of America; but great movements have changed the course of the nation and will again. And what better network to fuel a movement than the Church? Rejecting apathy and trusting in God, firm in our belief in human dignity and our God-given liberties, the Church can ignite a fire in this country.

Do we get it? I pray that we do.

Invite

2009-08-10T13:34:00.003-05:00

What We Were Made For

2009-07-29T13:58:00.006-05:00

What were we made for? To know God.

What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God.

What is the "eternal life" that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. "This is etenal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (Jn 17:3).

What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God. "This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast on his wisdom or the stong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me'" (Jer 9:23-24).

What, of all the states God ever sees man in, gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of himself. "I desired . . . the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings," says God (Hos 6:6).

Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord.

Excerpt from a book I highly recommend, Knowing God by J.I. Packer.

It is just a little over two weeks away. The Indescribable: Encounter God conference. Check it out at http://www.indescribableconference.com/

Listen to Advice

2009-07-21T16:26:00.004-05:00

Proverbs 19:20
"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise."

The Knowledge of God - A Tragedy in the Church

2009-07-16T11:05:00.006-05:00

One of the most tragic trends I have noticed in our churches today is the way believers view God. Renowned author A.W. Tozer writes in his book The Knowledge of the Holy:

The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils everywhere among us. With our loss of the sense of the majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and the consciousness of the divine presence ... It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is errouneous or inadequate. If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is.

If the majority of believers do not have the right view of God, how can our society even begin to see Him as He is? Because of the wrong view of God that predominates in all areas of our culture today, our society is in moral turmoil, and we are in danger of losing our moral soul.

Bill Bright, God: Discover His Character

Michael Jackson and Jesus are "about even"

2009-07-07T18:15:00.004-05:00

My son has made a very accurate and excellent assessment of the Michael Jackson memorial on his blog. Read it below.

Michael Jackson and Jesus are "about even"

Wow. In the few minutes I caught of the Michael Jackson memorial, I could not help but notice several things:

1. In our post-modern culture words apparently no longer have meaning, but are spoken for effect. The highly emotional words that appeared to move many were often empty words, contradictory words, or untrue words. That didn't seem to bother anybody.

2. The kind of glory that was being given to the "King of Pop" should only be given to the "King of Kings". To say that Michael Jackson will be remembered and loved forever is probably a bit of a stretch. To say that his life touched every person on earth is just plain false. To say that he will be with us to bring us joy forever is going too far and saying something that is only true of Jesus.

3. The climactic musical finale was a two-song combination: We are the World & Heal the World. These songs were accompanied by images of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other world religions coming together to say that we are all one. The lyrics talked about how we are all a part of God's family. If the theology of that song was true, we should call back every missionary from the mission field immediately - they are wasting their time.

This isn't meant to disrespect MJ (though, didn't MJ used to refer to Michael Jordan? And have we completely forgotten how a young boy was able to stand in court and give an accurate descriptions of splotches on MJ's private parts? Does that not matter now because his music "touched" a lot of people? I think the mass media and the millions paying adulation to Jackson today would do well to remember that other part of his life before lifting him up as a great american hero. [BTW, on the subject of idolatry, this book may be worth your consideration.)

But the point of this post was just to remind ourselves of culture's perspective of truth. Truth simply doesn't exist. Or if it does, it doesn't matter. Words no longer have substance. Its the effect - the way they make us feel - that matters. Hasn't our President proven that again and again already?

As Christians, we certainly know better. Our souls rest on the hope that such ideas are not true. We are resting our very eternities on the belief that words do mean something. If gospel words do not turn out to be true, we are the biggest bunch of fools ever. And of course, that's exactly what some think of us.

Of course, even more than the memorial service, I think this brief CNN video sums up well the state of our culture at this time:

"Amen" to Justin's comments. I want to add that the media's infatuation with and coverage of Michael Jackson's death and funeral is a sad commentary on how far America has sunk into idolatry. Americans give more glory to the emotionally troubled and morally tarnished "king of pop" than we do to the King of kings.

Reflections on the Southern Baptist Convention

2009-06-27T18:41:00.007-05:00

This year’s meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky was one of the most exciting and encouraging meetings I have been to in my 23 years of attending Southern Baptist Conventions. I left Louisville with great optimism for the future of our convention. Let me share some reasons why.

1. The Great Commission Resurgence.
This was one of the leading motivators for my attending the convention. The Great Commission Resurgence is the vision of Dr. Danny Akin (President of Southeastern Seminary) and Dr. Johnny Hunt. The Great Commission Resurgence calls on Southern Baptists to unite around the foundational truths of the gospel for the sake of cooperating together to fulfill the Great Commission. It is a call for the convention to seriously examine itself to make sure that the Great Commission is the driving force behind all that we do. Dr. Al Mohler (President of Southern Seminary) brought the motion to the floor that President Hunt appoint a Great Commission Resurgence task force to study how Southern Baptists can work “more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” While there was some opposition to the motion, it passed with a 95% vote for the measure. To God be the glory.

2. The Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference
I was greatly blessed to hear tremendous preaching from Dr. Johnny Hunt, Dr. David Platt, Mike Huckabee, Ed Stetzer, and others. Their messages were not only well delivered but were challenging and encouraging. One of the best I've attended. I left with a deep conviction that I need to seriously look at my life and ministry to see what more I can do for the glory of God and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

3. Young Pastor's
For years, when one attended the SBC there was something noticably missing - young pastors. I felt young compared to the majority of those in attendance. The SBC was losing the next generation of SBC leaders. This year, the convention was full of young pastors (those in their 20's and 30's). One reason for this is their support of the GCR. Another reason for their attendance was the leadership of President Johnny Hunt. He led the drive to unite Southern Baptists around the Great Commission Resurgence. I also learned that it was he who bought lunch for the hundreds who showed up at the Baptist 21 event. As one young pastor put it, "There is a whole new constituency of younger Southern Baptists who are now looking to Johnny Hunt as one whom they can trust and whose leadership they can follow." This excites me.

4. Auxilliary Events.
Justin and I attended three auxillary events that not only encouraged me but taught me some things as well. The first event was called “9Marks at 9.” There were two of these meetings but the meeting I attended was held Monday evening and didn't start until about 9:15pm. Several hundred young pastors showed up after an already full day. It was led by Dr. Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. and founder of 9Marks Ministries. The second meeting I attended was the Founders Breakfast at 6:30am on Tuesday morning. I was really blessed by Dr. Danny Akin's message. At lunch on Tuesday, I attended the Baptist21 event, mentioned above, that featured a panel discussion with Al Mohler, Danny Akin, Mark Dever, Ed Stetzer, David Platt, and Daniel Montgomery. Finally, I attended the Liberty University alumni meeting. By the way, one of the best things about all of these meetings was the number of free books that were distributed.

5. Resolutions
Two significant resolutions were brought to the floor and passed. The first was Russell Moore’s resolution on adoption and orphan-care. While this resolution was being presented by the Committee on Resolutions Russell Moore stood on the platform with his two adopted sons. The second significant resolution was regarding the presidency of Barack Obama.

6. A Convention with My Son.
My greatest joy of the week was spending this blessed time with Justin. We attended all of the meetings together and had great conversation concerning what God was doing in our lives, our churches, and in the convention. We also spent Wednesday afternoon on the campus of Southern Seminary touring and seeing our convention's oldest seminary. Southern Seminary was celebrating its 150 anniversary on Wednesday. We had the opportunity to tour the library, the chapels, and went to the book store. I really enjoyed attending this convention with my son. I am so proud of Justin and what God is doing in and through his life.

Southern Baptist Convention and Pastor's Conference

2009-06-18T15:54:00.005-05:00

I am really looking forward to the Southern Baptist Convention and Pastor's Conference this year. Here is some of what I am looking forward to.

PASTOR'S CONFERENCE

Sunday Evening, June 21
Message by Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship

Monday Morning, June 22
Message by Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research
Message -- Francis Chan, Pastor of Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, Calif.

Monday Afternoon, June 22
Message by Fred Luter Jr., Pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, La.
Message by Mike Huckabee, host of "Huckabee" on Fox News Channel

Monday Evening, June 22
Message by Alvin Reid, Professor of Evangelism, Southeastern Seminary, Wake Forest, N.C.
Message by Johnny Hunt, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga.
Message by David Platt, Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, Ala.

9 Marks at 9, with Mark Dever (Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC) 9pm

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

Tuesday, June 23
Founders' Breakfast featuring Danny Akin - 6:30 am
President's Address, Johnny Hunt - 10:50am
Panel Discussion w/ Danny Akin, Mark Dever, Al Mohler - Lunch Meeting
Message by Danny Akin - 3:30 pm

Wednesday, June 24
Message by David Platt - 10:00am

I am especially interested in hearing the recommendations and discussion concerning "The Great Commission Resurgence" vision set forth by Johnny Hunt. For more information on "The Great Commission Resurgence" go to http://www.greatcommissionresurgence.com/.

Of course, there will be a lot of other items of business, presentations, and resolutions to be presented as well.

However, what I am most looking forward to this year is spending time with my son.

President on Dangerous Ground

2009-06-08T16:35:00.003-05:00

President Obama proclaimed June as "LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH." You can see his official proclamation here.

While President Obama is not the first to issue such a proclamation, (President Clinton did while he was in the White House), he is the first to include bisexual and transgender in the proclamation.

President Obama is treading on dangerous ground. He claims to be Christian yet has obviously forgotten or is blantantly rejecting God's Word. I would call on him to read Romans 1:24-32. I especially would emphasize verse 32:

"Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

God Is Never Unsure

2009-05-28T19:48:00.004-05:00

Another thought from A. W. Tozer

"All of God’s acts are consistent with all of his attributes. No attribute contradicts any other, but all harmonize and blend into each other in the infinite abyss of the Godhead. All that God does agrees with all that God is, and being and doing are one in him. The familiar picture of God as often torn between his justice and his mercy is altogether false to the facts. To think of God as inclining first toward one and then toward another of his attributes is to imagine a God who is unsure of himself, frustrated and emotionally unstable, which of course is to say that the one of whom we are thinking is not the true God at all but a weak, mental reflection of him badly out of focus."

From The Attributes of God by A.W. Tozer

Is Your Conception of God Right?

2009-05-22T11:33:00.011-05:00

A.W. Tozer rightly said, "What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us?"

Only a correct, biblical perception of God will provide us with the foundation we need to truly worship Him for who He really is. Anything less is idolatry. John MacArthur says in his book, The Love of God, "A proper conception of God provides the foundation of all that is absolutely essential to spiritual life and health."

How Smart Preachers Help Propagate Dumb Ideas

2009-05-13T12:18:00.003-05:00

While I don't whole heartedly agree with everything that Larry Osborne, Pastor of North Coast Church, says in this article, I must admit that he has caused me to rethink my practice of putting Scripture verses up on the screen or even in the sermon outline. While many of First Baptist members tell me how much they appreciate the outline with the Scripture verses in it, I have recognized lately that many members do not bring their Bibles to church. There is much more to the article, however. Although I edited the article for length, it is still rather lengthy but worth taking the time to read. You can read the whole article here.

SOME DUMB THINGS SMART PEOPLE BELIEVE – AND THINK I'VE TAUGHT THEM
Life is nuanced, and so are the scriptures. They can't be reduced to sound bites and tag lines. Yet the sad truth is that many people in our churches base their faith almost entirely upon clichés and sound bites rather than the totality of scripture. In other words, some awfully smart Christians believe some really dumb things.

For instance, in my travels around the country, I've come to believe that a majority of Christians would agree with most, if not all, of the following statements.

Faith Can Fix Anything
Forgiving Means Forgetting
A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids
God Has A Blueprint For My Life
Christians Shouldn't Judge
Everything Happens For A Reason
Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
God Brings Good Luck
A Valley Means A Wrong Turn
Dead People Go To A Better Place

And these are just a few of the clichés, myths, and spiritual urban legends that permeate our churches. They sound plausible. They make for nice tag lines on posters, T-shirts, and Jesus junk. But if depended upon, they ultimately produce disappointment and disillusionment when God fails to come through on a promise he never made.

Frankly, as pastors and preachers, we're partly to blame. We do a number of things in the design of our worship services and the delivery of our sermons that unintentionally give life to these kinds of empty promises and clichés. We don't do it on purpose. But we do it just the same.

HOW DID IT GET THIS WAY?
How do these (and other) spiritual urban legends work their way into our sermons and churches? A variety of things come into play.

First, many of them align with the dominate beliefs and values of our culture. The more widely believed something is, the less likely we are to question it. Just like everyone else, Christians tend to trust the wisdom of the majority – even though the Bible makes a good case for taking a poll and then heading in the opposite direction.

Second, most of these goofy ideas match up with what we'd like to believe. For instance, the confidence that faith can fix anything or the comfort that comes from believing that dead people always go to a better place fits nicely with what we'd all like to believe. So any time a pastor says anything even remotely close, that's what people tend to hear, even if it's not what we said.

Third, these ideas are usually passed on by reputable sources. Christian friends, Sunday school teachers, and Bible study leaders often offer them as well-meaning encouragement or advice. And since the source is reputable, people tend to believe what they say and pass it on in much the same way that computer viruses, Internet rumors, and secular urban legends are passed on. We don't bother to double-check them before hitting the Send button because the source is reputable.

Frankly, there's not much a pastor can do to completely kill off these dumb ideas and happy-talk clichés. But there are some things we can do in our services and preaching to undercut their credibility and to make it less likely that our people will buy into them or pass them on to others.
Here are four of the things that I've found to be most helpful in my own ministry and preaching.

MAKE PEOPLE BRING A BIBLE
Many of us unintentionally designed our worship services and sermons so that no one needs to bring (or even own) a Bible. The biggest culprit is the pattern of putting Bible verses and texts up on a screen.

Admittedly, our intentions are admirable (a desire to make the Bible accessible to those who are unfamiliar with scripture or don't yet have a Bible). But the unintended consequences are not so admirable. Whether it's in a youth group or a church service, once we start putting the text up on a screen or in the bulletin, it won't be long until most people stop bringing a Bible. Why should they? They don't need it.

As a result, it starts a vicious cycle. When new Christians (and lots of other Christians) don't see anyone else carrying a Bible, they don't either. It's not long until the mark of a visitor is someone with a Bible in hand.

But that's nowhere near as harmful as the next result. Newer Christians and immature Christians start to put their trust in the spiritual guru who stands up each weekend and authoritatively unpacks the deep truths and life-wisdom found in an ancient and cryptic book called the Bible. Once that happens, they're wide open to clichés, platitudes, and anything else that has a nice ring to it. They have nothing to test them against.

That's one reason that at North Coast Church, I've refused to put our sermon text or even cross-references up on a screen. I want to literally force people to get and use a Bible if they want to follow along. The result has been lots of people bringing Bibles – and new Christians who quickly assume that they'd better get one to fit in with everyone else.

When it comes to ministry, my goals are simple. They're probably a lot like yours. I want to help non-Christians come to Christ (John 14:6). I want to help new Christians grow to maturity (Colossians 1:28-29). And I want to help all Christians learn to spiritually feed themselves and think Biblically (Acts 17:11). Yet the third step is hard to pull off when no one brings (or even owns) a Bible. It's difficult to move people beyond sound bites and sermon notes if they don't have a Bible to check them against.

TEACH THE CONTEXT – NOT JUST THE PROOF TEXTS
Another way I try to undercut simplistic clichés and half-truths is by making sure my sermons include the context of a passage and not just the proof texts that support whatever points I'm trying to make.

At North Coast Church we use a combination of book studies and topical series in our preaching. We work very hard to be practical and relevant. In so doing, it can be tempting to give people principles and life applications supported by a laundry list of verses – some of which are taken way out of context. (I known none of you have ever done this, but I'll admit I have.)

While supplying verses that support a principle or life application is important, I've found that it's also essential to get people to actually turn to the passages and see them in context. Doing so helps them grasp that the Bible is not just a collection of pithy sayings mined by a clever pastor. It drives home the subtle message that some verses don't mean what they seem to mean in isolation – and this goes a long way toward undercutting the happy-talk and clichés that are so often built upon a favorite text or even a single sentence taken out of context.

As an added benefit, it also pulls the rug out from under the false teaching of many cults. Many of their most bizarre doctrines are built on a phrase or verse taken completely out of context.

ENCOURAGE AND ANSWER THE "YEAH BUTs"
Another thing I try to do when preaching is to make sure that I acknowledge and address as many of the "yeah buts" that I can imagine my listeners asking. For instance if I'm preaching from a passage that deals with God's sovereignty, I know that some folks out there are asking, "Yeah, but does that mean God is responsible for . . .?" or "Yeah, but does that mean God actually caused Adam and Eve to sin?" plus a host of other questions.

Acknowledging the "Yeah buts," and especially questions for which I have no answer, makes a big difference. It doesn't undercut their trust in the Bible, but it does undercut their blind trust in me. And that's a good thing. It helps my congregation understand that the scriptures are nuanced, complex, and don't always hold an easy cliché or simple answer for every situation. It sends a strong message that the Bible is more than a collection of Zen-like sayings to be cataloged and then pulled out and applied when needed.

The fact is, smart people will always believe some dumb things. Blind spots are nothing new; they will always be with us. But the way we structure our sermons, worship services, and ministry can go a long way toward either fostering or exposing these spiritual urban legends and empty clichés for the baloney they are.

God Has Not Called You to Be Tolerant

2009-05-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

Great thought from Jason Cruise at www.bethemanministries.com

It is amazing thing to live in the day in which we do. A truly amazing time period in our nation's history as we live out what looks to be the slippery slope headed toward our becoming a nation that has lost it's ability to possess any level of common sense. We now blame "crime" on guns - which is the equivalent of blaming arson on matches. Our nation is working hard to celebrate same sex marriage - yet if that were God's plan for marriage then the human race would literally self-destruct out of simple inability to procreate.

One issue that so deeply permeates our present culture is the idea of tolerance.

Tolerance, by definition, is that you and I can peacefully coexist though we are two different people with polar opposite value systems. Yet that is not how tolerance is being practiced today.

Tolerance has now shifted in it's practical definition in that it has come to mean that you must fully embrace and totally endorse any form of value system, and if you do not, then you are a hateful, anti-intellect who lives in the squalor of bigotry. We are now raising future generations to believe that they have the right never to be offended. Here's the funny thing about this idea of tolerance ... those who preach it are the most intolerant group walking the planet! Those who preach tolerance demand that you be completely tolerant of their way of life, for if you are not, then you are boycotted and treated as if you are not worthy of the name "human being."

Here's the truth friend: God has never called you to be tolerant.

He has called you to be graceful. He has called you to be patient. He has called you to be loving. He has never, nor will He ever, call you to tolerate any belief system that seeks to destroy the very concepts of His identity and holiness. You do not have to be tolerant of any other "gospel" than that of Jesus Christ. You do not have to be tolerant of any form of alternative lifestyle that feeds on selfish sexual depravity. You do not have to be tolerant of any thing, in any form, that contradicts the absolute holy character of Holy God.

"... be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!" 2 Peter 3:17-18

The Great Commission Resurgence

2009-04-29T13:13:00.005-05:00

Dr. Danny Akin, President of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, North Carolina), recently delivered a powerful and visionary message to Southeastern students during chapel. It is worth your time to listen to this message and consider fervently supporting Dr. Akins vision for a Great Commission Resurgence in the SBC. In his message he presents eleven axioms Southern Baptists need to commit to for such a resurgence.

I believe Dr. Akin’s vision is the right one for our convention for such a time as this. You can read and hear his message and the 11 axioms at http://www.greatcommissionresurgence.com/. You can also add your name to the already more than 900 who signed in support of his vision for the SBC. I have already signed.

I am looking forward to the Great Commission Resurgence report that will be shared at the Southern Baptist Convention in June. I am praying this will be the match that lights a much needed fire under Southern Baptists.

Americans Open to being Invited to Church

2009-04-23T16:47:00.002-05:00

A recent study by the North American Mission Board and LifeWay Research found that 67 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit church. A personal invitation from a friend or neighbor would be effective for 63 percent. In other words, nearly two-thirds of Americans are willing to return an inivitation to church from a family member or friend with a favorable response.

This is great news for Believers because this goes hand in hand with what I believe is the most Biblical method of evangelism - simply inviting family and friends to hear the claims of Jesus and to be touched by Him.

While advertising campaigns and evangelistic events do have their place, these are not the most effective methods for reaching people. Yet far too many churches are relying too much on these non-personal forms of evangelism and neglecting the most of effective method of soul-winning - the personal invitation.

Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, famous evangelist, said that the New Testament records tell of forty people, each suffering from the same disease, who were healed by Jesus. Of this number, thirty-four were either brought to Jesus by friends, or He was taken to them. In only six cases out of forty did the sufferers find the way to Jesus without assistance. Of the vast number of people who find their way to Jesus today, most of them reach Him because the friends of Jesus are concerned about the welfare of their souls.

Since personal invitation is shown to be effective in the Bible and even today, why are we not about the business of inviting people to church? I believe it is because we have become apathetic to the plight of lost people. We have either forgotten or don't care that those who die without Christ are condemned to eternity in hell. What should be our response to the plight of the lost? Charles Spurgeon said it best:

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that…. The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, wil be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others….. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”

Just a Thought!

Break Down This Wall

2009-04-16T17:57:00.002-05:00

Comparing Sin

2009-04-16T17:54:00.001-05:00

"If my sinfulness appears to me to be in any way smaller or less detestable in comparison with the sins of others, I am still not recognizing my sinfulness at all." - - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Happy Easter

2009-04-10T16:08:00.002-05:00

Inside the tomb Christ lay one morn, Defeated seemed salvation’s horn, But God the Father spoke the word, And this He said, tho no man heard, “Come forth!” Inside the tomb of sin I lay, The price of sin I had to pay; But Christ the Raiser of the dead Spoke to my poor, bound soul and said, “Come forth!” And when the great and final sound Shall raise our loved ones from the ground, ‘Twill be the last time we shall hear That glorious sound upon our ear, “Come forth!” *Anon*

Maundy Thursday Lord's Supper

2009-04-09T11:11:00.005-05:00

Tonight we observe the Lord's Supper. "The Lord's Supper" is the title given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:20: "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat."

Paul also referred to it as "the Lord's table" in 1 Corinthians 10:21: "You cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons."

The Bible indicates that the Lord's Supper has its roots in the Old Testament remembrance and celebration of the Passover.

The Lord's Supper is not only historical in significance but theological for it symbolizes the sacrificial death of THE Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. The bread symbolizes the broken body of Jesus while the wine symbolizes His shed blood poured out for the remission of sins.

The Lord's Supper also has about it a significance for the church, the body of Christ today. As believers come together to observe and partake of the Lord's Supper we are spiritually nourished for we are reminded of Christ's love, grace, and mercy.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that The Lord's Supper also carries an eschatalogical significance. For Paul says, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. " The Lord's Supper looks forward to the second coming of Christ in all His glory.

The Lord's Supper is a significant symbol of faith. It looks back to what Christ has done for us in reconciling us to God. It also looks forward to what Christ will do for us when He returns.

Let us come to the table with surrender of will and sincerity of heart. Let us come to remember.

Preach the Cross

2009-03-31T11:05:00.003-05:00

"Although the pulpit is intended to be a pedestal for the cross, even the cross itself is sometimes used as a mere pedestal for the preacher's fame. We may roll the thunders of eloquence, we may scatter the flowers of poetry, we may diffuse the light of science, we may enforce the precepts of morality, from the pulpit. But if we do not make Christ the great subject of our preaching, we have forgotten our errand and shall do no good. Satan trembles at nothing but the cross: at this he does tremble. And if we would destroy his power and extend that holy and benevolent kingdom, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, it must be by means of the cross." - John Angell James

Why I Have Pastors Prayer Partners

2009-03-25T16:01:00.002-05:00

The following is a condensed version of the message I brought to my prayer partners at our annual banquet this week.

Why do we have a Pastors Prayer Partners Ministry at First Baptist Church? It's very simple - because I believe in the power and the necessity of prayer. Let me read some verses from the Apostle Paul and then make some observations.

1 Thes. 5:25 "Brothers, pray for us."

Col. 4:3-4 "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

2 Thes. 3:1-2 "Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith."

At least three times in Scripture Paul asked the churches to pray for him. He said, "Pray for us." "Pray that God may open a door to preach the Gospel." "Pray that we will be delivered from wicked and evil men." Pray that my preaching will be as clear as possible." This tells me that pastors need prayer.

Paul said, "Brothers, pray for us." Paul was addressing churches that he either planted himself or that those whom he led to the Lord started. He asked these churches to pray for his ministry, his deliverance, and his preaching.

As a pastor, I look at this and I see the greatest preacher in church history, the greatest church planter in church history, and the greatest theologian in church history, and he’s saying, "I need my churches to pray for me." That says something to me as a pastor. It tells me that I need my church praying for me. I understand that I cannot do what God has called me to do without the prayers of the people God has called me to pastor.

There is something within the heart of God that when His people call on Him on behalf of their pastor, God responds. There is power in that kind of praying. Paul understood that as well. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Paul said, We’ve had some tough times, even to the point of death, but God delivered us because of your prayers and God will continue to deliver us because of your prayers. There is something powerful in the prayers of God’s people when they pray for their spiritual leaders.

The reason I started the Pastor’s Prayer Partners is because I know that if I’m going to be effective as a pastor, it’s going to take not only my prayers, but the prayers of the people God has called me to lead and shepherd.

Pastors Have Limits
Paul knew that there were areas in his life that if he was going to be effective, it was only going to be because of the filling of the Holy Spirit and the power of God working in him and through him. He asked the church to pray for his limitations and his weaknesses.

Prayer for Preaching
Paul specifically asked for prayer for his preaching. He had a burning desire to preach to as many people as he could. He asked for prayer in three areas concerning his preaching.

1. God would open doors for opportunities to preach.

Col. 4:3 "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."

Paul was under house arrest in Rome when in wrote these words. He wanted to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as he possibly could. He was praying that God would bring many people to him or that he would be released to continue preaching. God did both.
Preaching was Paul’s passion. Preaching is also my passion. I love to preach. My desire is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many unbelievers and believers as I possibly can. I need my church to pray that God would continually open doors for me to preach to lost people here at home and around the world.

2. That his message would be clear.

Col. 4:4 "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

Why? Because if listeners can’t understand what’s being said, they won’t be sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When my prayer partners receive the monthly prayer sheet, always the first thing that I request prayer for is my sermon planning, preparation, and proclamation. I want the messages that I preach to be easily understood. I want people to understand the truth of God’s Word and it’s implication and relevance for their lives.

3. That his message would be proclaimed boldly.

Ephes. 6:19-20 "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

I need that prayer as well. I want to fearlessly and boldly proclaim the Gospel in the face of an increasingly hostile attitude toward the Gospel in our culture. I want to proclaim it boldly in the pulpit and out of the pulpit.

Pastors Need Protection and Delivering
Paul was under house arrest when he asked the church to pray for him. He needed deliverance. Paul faced opposition from outside the church - the Roman authorities, and from inside the church - those who were preaching false doctrine and making accusations against Paul and stirring up problems.

2 Thes. 3:2 "pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith."

Pastors face attack from outside the church.

1 Cor. 4:11-13 "To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world."

2 Cor. 11:24-27 "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."

Pastors face attack from inside the church.

Philip. 1:17 "The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains."

2 Cor. 10:2 "I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world."

When you pray for me, pray that God’s hand of protection will be upon me. Pray that when I am attacked, judged, and criticized that I will have a loving, forgiving spirit along with the wisdom and discernment to know how to handle it. Pray that I will be bold enough to stand up for what is right according to God’s Word and pray that I will not back down from what I know God’s will is because the devil is stirring someone up against it.

Pray that God will keep us united and together as a church and that God will keep Satan from using immature church members to stir up dissension against me, the staff, or anyone else in the church. I ask for this because if the Apostle Paul had to ask for prayers of protection from inside the church, what in the world makes me think I need prayers for this any less than Paul?

Paul told the church at Corinth,

1 Cor. 1:10-12 "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."

One of the biggest problems that a pastor faces in the church is when the church is divided over an issue and people are lining up and picking sides. They did that even in Paul’s churches. This kind of attitude destroys churches. I praise God that we’ve not seen that here at First Baptist Church in my years. But I do know this - it must remain a constant prayer for us that God will keep us united, if we are to stay united.