Just A Seeker

Sing it for me!

2012-01-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

This coming Sunday, right after our assembly time, I will be sharing with all those interested what this year's Bible Action Musical will be. I'll be revealing this year's logo, which I am particularly excited about. This year we are back in the Old Testament doing a musical about a well known Bible character and how he/she carried out the work God gave them. While it is about a Bible story, the major theme of the play will actually be about a biblical subject that is all through the Bible, and the OT story will be told as an illustration. Lord willing, I will blog about it after my church family gets to hear about it first.

I finished the script in December and the music was all picked out back in the early Fall. The last thing I did was the rewriting of some lyrics in some of the songs. That's always one of my favorite things to do when I'm writing the play. Anyway, it was the putting together of the Cast Application form where I ask people to tell me how they fit into the SATB categories that made me think of cat picture above. I think I saved it from some pictures my brother sent me a while back. I love the look of devotion and drama on the face of the above cat.

To all my church family folks, you'll find out on Sunday, and for everyone else - click on to this blog Monday or Tuesday for a revealing of the logo and play plans. The dates are always the first full weekend in June, but this year, the first performance will actually be in May. The four performances will be May 31, June 1, 2, & 3. Put it on your calender - we'd love to have you see it. This will be our seventh musical presentation of a Bible story and we're averaging around twenty-two hundred attendees each year.

Help For Men?

2012-01-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share and elaborate something I used as a side point in Sunday's lesson. I was talking about what an "Extreme Privilege" it is for us to have Jesus, our "great high priest," representing us to God when they clearly have the best communication any relationship could possibly have. After making some comments about the importance of communication (you know: "There is no relationship without communication" and my all-time-favorite "If you don't communicate, you speculate."), I did point out that most men are not as good at communicating as we need to be. I offered what I call The Total Communication Package for Men. With tongue-in-cheek, here are the only three phrases any man needs to know to respond to any communication demand.
1. "Whatever": I know, we thought it could only be used by teenagers, but it works well for any ocassion when a man can or doesn't want to make a decision or commitment. Like when your wife asks for your opinion, but you know she's not going to pay any attention to it, or when you are reminded, while watching the football game, that the yard still hasn't been mowed. It is truly an amazing all-purpose response that will gradually lessen the need for communication in the future.
2. "It is what it is": The closest thing to saying nothing while still seeming to talk. It's the perfect explanation for world events, politics, empy checking accounts, and why you haven't shaved. If you can wrinkle your forehead and gently rub your chin as you say it, you can even come across as Confucius - or Archie Bunker.
3. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" : The ultimate explanation for anything and everything that one can't put into words. Just think of Vinnie Barbarino as a Jedi warrior - or Meathead using the "ter-let" and you can see its universal appeal. It's the language of Mars (where men are from - remember?) and the only quote you know fits John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck, George Clooney, and Frankenstein. It sings and has an element of drama, and it's a lot more colorful than saying "I have no idea!"
Yes, there's no need in complicating life by being open and honest with those you love. Being vulnerable is asking for trouble! It takes time! Time away from hunting, fishing, watching football with the guys, and eating hot wings. There is, however, one other response - but it's hard to write about due to the many variations there are of it.
Grunt!

Finding what you're looking for!

2012-01-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

One of these days I"m going to have to go into my blog bio and change or add something to my "Favorite Movie" list. I really enjoy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and have watched it multiple times. At least a couple times a year I will watch all three over a slow weekend, and I am always amazed that I like it more each time. The truth is, it took about three viewings for me to fully understand all the names, places, and plot twists. I'm not good at remembering all the names in movies or books with a lot of characters. The Lord of the Rings is classic, and for me, it's up there in my top five all time favorite movies.
Did you know that there is a huge amount of information out there just about the mistakes in all three movies? If you Google search Lord of the Rings movie mistakes, you can read and watch more material than would be in a fourth movie. According to those who researched it, and care, in The Fellowship of the Rings there are 263 mistakes, in The Two Towers there are 257 mistakes, and in the Return of the King there are 225 mistakes. Most of them have to do with inconsistencies of small things as the movie changed scenes or camera angles, and many of them are extremely picky and insignificant. The one thing they all have in common is that if you didn't know to look for them - you'd never see them.
When I think about that, I can't help but wonder if we'd see the things in the Word of God differently if we didn't know what to look for. I have mentioned several times that the first casualty of biblical interpretation is objectivity, because we carry everything we've been taught into our interpretation of scripture. We don't have open hearts and minds when we read it, because we've already been told what we should learn from it.
If we could erase all the preconceived conclusions, doctrinal divisiveness, and proof-texting of verses, and somehow turn our hearts to blank slates again - would we understand it differently? Would we read about church leaders as simply spiritual shepherds and servants, who are mature enough in the Lord to mentor others, in stead of seeing Church Office holders in an organizational chart of Elders - then Deacons - then just members? If we didn't know that Matthew 28:19 & 20 was The Great Commission, which it is never called by anyone in the Bible, would we continue to infer that Jesus was talking to every Christian rather than his apostles? If we didn't know that Eph.5:19 and Col.3:16 were proof-texts for singing without instrumental music, would we just be encouraged by verses that give us a tool for lifting one another up, and has nothing to do with a "formal worship service"? If we hadn't been taught about, and had so many battles about baptism, and if it hadn't been transliterated from Greek to English by the Church of England scholars who feared "rocking the doctrinal boat", as opposed to really being translated as "immersion" or "burial," would we still think of it as only a physical act we perform to receive the forgiveness of sins? It might not change our conclusions, but it might change our understanding of "taking up our cross" to think of being "immersed in Christ". It's not just a ritual, but a description of totality. We're in all the way!
These are just a few examples of things that we need to look at with fresh - more objective - eyes if we care about really understanding God's plan. Again, it's not about changing conclusions, though we shouldn't be afraid of that either, but about being honest, open, and humble enough to learn and grow.
And just for the record, I haven't found any mistakes in it - only interpreter errors.

Grumbling & Grace

2012-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Every time I read the story of the Exodus, I am astonished by the tendency of the Hebrew people to continue to grumble in spite of what God does for them. And it's not little stuff that He does! We're talking miraculously saving them from Pharaoh's army with a pillar of fire; the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground with walls of water on either side of them; the destruction of aforementioned army; and the providing of water, Manna, and quail - just to name a few. Still, over and over again, they grumble to and about Moses. What happened to being impressed with the goodness of God? What happened to the spirit of gratitude that should have dominated their hearts as they enjoyed real freedom for the first time in their lives? What happened to the concept of trusting God?
I think we all read that story and can't imagine that we would ever act that way. Unfortunately, grumbling is more a signature identifier of the church than the love that Jesus wanted us to have and be known for. We grumble constantly - mostly about what we want, don't like, and prefer in our Sunday morning assembly. How did we ever allow a tool for edification to become the focal point of what it means to be "simply and only New Testament Christians"? How did the pep rally become the game? Grumbling robs us of focus, giving to others, gratitude, sharing, shepherding, unity, and love - just to name a few.
Here is a premise that I shared in my lesson Sunday. I believe it explains why every church and every child of God struggles with the ability to truly "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice." Think about this:
Whatever negative feelings we have about our beliefs, our commitment, and our church family, all come from our failure to recognize what an extreme privilege it is to have Jesus as our Lord.
Even if the grumbling is true and justified, it's not the attitude of a heart that has been changed by grace. That IS Paul's argument in Romans 6 when Christians thought that grace was permission to sin! When you understand grace - what it means and does for us - you don't want to have anything to do with sin! Grace produces gratitude not grumbling!

Outsiders?

2012-01-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday's lesson actually came from a question a friend asked me to deal with. Since it caught me at a good time - between sermon series, I decided to put my thoughts together and share with the whole family. The question was: How do you want the members of your church to view outsiders?
It was intriguing on a couple of levels. First, how do we define insiders and outsiders? And secondly, as children of God, do we or should we treat one different than the other? The first challenge I saw was the problem of our biblical mandate to draw closer together in a loving, intimate family support group. That is what the church (local and gathered) exists to do. The nature of a family is that some are in it an some aren't. We are part of our physical family by birth, by choice, and/or by invitation. Our spiritual family is the same. God invited us, He chose us and we chose Him, and we were added to His family at our new birth. BUT - more than anything else - we are family by the grace of God! If we are insiders - it's about His grace not our worthiness. That means that others/outsiders are not "less important" or "worthless"! That must never be the way we think of them. The bottom line is that we must think of outsiders the way Jesus would think of outsiders.
How did Jesus view outsiders? A quick look at the Prodigal son (Lk.15), the parable of the feast (Lk.14), and remembering His encounter with the woman at the well (Jn.4) gives us a very clear picture. It's a picture of loving, longing for, and reaching out to everyone. In fact, these examples from the Gospels teach us that many who saw themselves as insiders really weren't!
There are a least three things that we should consider when we ask ourselves how we should look at outsiders:
1. We must look at them as people who need compassion not judgment!
2. We must look at them as people who need a witness not an arm twisting!
3. We must look at them as people who need to see Jesus not religion!
The word "outsider" only appears three times in the New Testament NIV and they all deal with being a good influence on them and representing God appropriately. Remember, Jesus was the ultimate insider and the religious world declared him and outsider!

A Sick Blog

2012-01-11T13:45:00.001-08:00

I have so rarely been sick in my life that I almost feel guilty about even writing about it. I'm just recovering from some kind of bug that had my body competing against itself to see which part could expel the most. Not a nice mental picture - I know, but then it wasn't nice to experience it first hand. I am so thankful for the great health God has given me for sixty years. Yes, today I just had another botox shot for my spasmodic dysphonia, and yes, my stomach is gurgling a little with the Arby's Roast Beef Sub I had for lunch, my knee aches, but hey, you can't be around this many years and not have something fall apart.
Here are some random, and not-so-profound, thoughts I've had about being sick over the weekend. (Not for the faint of heart!)

* It feels good to feel good. Duh - but Donna says that after every headache, and it's true.
* I wonder how much of "being hungry" is all mental. My stomach was totally empty, yet every commercial about food on TV made me gag. Usually I want it - even if I'm not hungry.
* You don't appreciate really clean commodes until you see them up close and personal.
* Toilet paper can't be TOO soft when you are using it every fifteen minutes.
* Chicken Noodle Soup - I've decided it must have been Manna.
* A stomach virus doesn't need a medical name. Yuck works just fine.
* Classy is leaving the church office, jumping in the car to get home quickly, and just as I pulled onto the main street I had to pull over in front of the church building - throw open the door and projectile vomit in view of every car on New Halls Ferry Road. At least it wasn't the church van. (And... I didn't quite get the car door open in time.)
* While it may be a fact of life that you know you're getting old when you spend more time talking about a good BM rather than a good GM, it's also a fact that you're a true lover of puns when you can talk about going to the bathroom and refer to the results as, "Man that's solid!"
* The up side of my "yuck" is that I've lost the weight I gained over the holidays, and I've got three weeks to get my appetite completely back before we leave on our two week Caribbean cruise vacation. Boy, wouldn't that be a terrible time to have a stomach virus. I don't EVEN want to go there with a mental picture.

The Holy Spirit: Unseen but active

2012-01-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

I meant to write a blog on Thursday or Friday, but a stomach bug changed my plans dramatically. I'm still a little groggy and light-headed, but some might think that was normal. At our monthly ministers meeting on Thursday morning (pre-bug), we had a presentation and discussion about the work of the Holy Spirit in evangelism. It's a heavy subject for any group to talk about, but put a bunch of preachers together and you get all kinds of ideas - mostly good. Personally, I think the Holy Spirit is active in helping people find Jesus, but only if that person is first seeking Jesus. That help is not some kind of miraculous sign or whispers in the dark, but providing opportunities to hear and learn about God's will. For those seeking to share the gospel, I also believe the Holy Spirit is active, as God's agent to carry out His will, in giving us opportunities to talk to others. The key is our being sensitive enough to see the opportunity when the Holy Spirit gives it to us.
One of the guys in our group asked a question as we were finishing up that we didn't have a chance to discuss. He asked why the Holy Spirit has always been such a controversial subject in the church of Christ? I have always believed that there are two reasons for that. First, is the simple fact that our heritage is based on a rational approach to interpreting and understanding scripture, and trying to fit the work of the Holy Spirit into a rationally explainable category is impossible. There is a reason why God didn't give us all the facts and information about how the Holy Spirit works, but we still seek to package it into a logical - and usually limiting - comfortable doctrine. The other reason it has always been a controversial subject for us is our fear of emotionalism, which is just another way of looking at the first reason. We have always had a fear of Pentecostalism that, like many doctrines, causes us to go to the other extreme and, in my opinion, "quench the Holy Spirit".
One of the things that my study of Galatians has taught me, is that the Holy Spirit will only work in us to the extent that we allow the fruit of the Spirit to be a natural part of our life. The more we exemplify the fruit of the Spirit, the more we are freeing the Spirit to work in us. It's not frightening, illogical, or out of control. It's simply the same thing as "For me to live is Christ." They're not interested in who gets the attention!

Growing God's Fruit

2012-01-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

I try not to re-preach my Sunday morning lesson on my blog the week after I share it with my church family, but last week I offered some suggestions for deepening our relationship with God in the coming year. Of course, it is only useful if having a deeper relationship with God is something we really want. That is why I specifically pointed out that these are not about New Year's Resolutions but all about New Year honesty.

Every growing relationship will only continue to grow if it includes increased communication, thoughtfulness, and acts of devotion. The same is true for our relationship with God. So, here are my suggestions:

1. Communication = prayer (talking w/ God) Phil.4:4-7

Suggestion: Begin each day with a prayer that includes:

a. Thank you for today

b. Give me people to talk to (so I can be Your witness)

c. Help me to glorify you today

2. Thoughtfulness = Study & Equipping 1 Peter 3:15-16

Suggestion: Read the New Testament three times this year

a. Average person can read it in 14 hours

b. 3 times 14 = 42 hours x 60 min. = 2520 divided by 365

c. Just under 7 minutes a day listening to God

3. Acts of Devotion = Service in God's Name Gal.6:2 & 10

a. Help a ministry of this church family

b. Help w/ the special Service Day

c. Help someone else grow

If we are honestly seeking a closer walk with God, can we enter another new year with no plans to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"?

Seventeen, but who's counting!

2011-12-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been a family picture taken in a lot of years so it was nice to finally get one done. This is the whole gang, including the newest addition in Deborah's arms and Great Grandma Curtis (or Mither to some) right in the middle. We've had a great week of eating too much, saying up playing games too late, and getting up way too early with all the little ones who got up with the sun. God has truly blessed us. And of course, it was super wonderful to have Jonathan and Holly with us for the first Christmas together since we left TN seven Christmas's ago. Even as nice as today was (mid 50's) they aren't sad about heading back to the mid 70's in LA.

Just for fun? What a mean looking group. It's really hard to tell who's who with all that fancy disguise!

And of course, here are all the "bad" girls in the family. I especially like the model-like pose of our only grand daughter. Deborah was busy with grand kiddo #8 and had to miss this classic picture opportunity.

It's has been a great week and we are very thankful for every minute of it.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

Just for the fun of it - I introduced a "Florissant Version" of The 12 Days of Christmas. I thought I'd share it on my blog for anyone who might enjoy it and for any Florissant folks who wanted a copy of it. Enjoy! Hope you had a great Christmas! We're having ours this afternoon when the rest of the family gets here.

The 12 Days of Christmas at Florissant

On the first day of Christmas our church rejoiced to see:

1. The temperature was perfect as can be

2. Second day...: Two songs they love (and)

3. Third day...: Three close friends

4. Fourth day...: Four old Greek words

5. Fifth day...: Five - phones - that - ring

6. Sixth day...: Six guests a praying

7. Seventh day...: Seven Shepherds snoring

8. Eighth day...: Eight teens a texting

9. Nineth day...: Nine holes a leaking

10. Tenth day...: Ten buckets filling

11. Eleventh day...: Eleven minute sermons

12. Twelfth day...: Twelve stomachs growling

(It works better if you sing it backwards from the 12th day)

Deer Sign Tutorial

2011-12-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

When you are searching the woods for signs of deer travel, you look for specific signs. All of these pictures are deer signs and they are all within about 8 to 10 feet of each other. These are incredible signs. They are both fresh and made by at least one large buck. The above rub could have been made by a small buck, but the general rule is, small rubs are made by any buck, but only big rubs are made by big bucks.

This rub is a little bit bigger - probably a three in thick sapling, but again, it's only feet away from all the others.

This is a fresh scrape. If you look close or enlarge the pic, you will see the hoof lines in the dirt. They scape the dirt to break it up and then leave their scent there to let the other guys know it's their territory and let the gals know they are available. It's easier than dating.

This is a huge rub on a 8 to 10 inch cedar tree, which the big bucks like to rub their antlers on. I'd love to have a picture of the buck that did this. ANY hunter who comes across this size of a rub will get excited. It means HE'S there!

Just steps away was an even BIGGER rub, probably made by the same buck and clearly shows that he passed that way regularly. If I hadn't arrowed my buck the day before I would have been putting up a tree stand close by in a heart beat.

And of course, nothing says fresh deer sign like these nice wet fresh deer droppings. They say "You just missed him!" (or from the size of these dropping - missed her)

Any one of these signs are an indication that it's a good area to hunt. With all of these being so close together and on a main trail through the woods - can you say "Next year's stand placement"?

Free to Be Naughty or Nice!

2011-12-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wrap up my series on Freedom In Christ, by trying to pull several things together from this study of Galatians into a one-lesson-definition of what freedom in Christ really means. Whether or not I accomplished that goal will be left up the the listeners (you can hear it on the church web page). One of the most challenging questions I tossed out, after struggling with it myself all week, came after quoting John 8:32 &36. We all know these verses even if we can't always remember where they are. Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Then in vs.36 he amps things up a notch with, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
We love these verses and can't even hear them without shouting "Amen!" But, here is the question: If it is so wonderful to be free in Christ, why do so many of us think of being a Christian as restrictive? Why do we tend to think about all the things that our faith doesn't "allow" us to do anymore? Why is our walk with God so often defined by what we can't do, better not do, and "shame on you" if we do?
Obviously, Satan doesn't want us to think about sin as enslavement. That takes away it's appeal. But Jesus was clear, "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin." (vs.34) His appeal is that in Him we become sons and sons aren't slaves anymore. That is the exact same argument Paul made in Galatians 5 and Romans 6. When you are not in bondage to sin, you are free in Christ! But that's the answer to our Challenge Question isn't it? Paul said that in Christ we have "crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires," but maybe we haven't really done that. When our passions and desires are still in control, freedom in Christ looks like Stop signs rather than an open road.
Here is the key: Freedom in Christ is only real freedom if we truly have a relationship with Jesus. Without that honest and seeking relationship, we're just church goers, image builders, and unhappy hypocrites! We have just enough church and worldliness to be miserable in both. Freedom comes from truly understanding grace and being drawn to a loving God and Savior.

Da Group!

2011-12-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

This is most of our One Another Group that met tonight at our house for discussion time and fellowship. We've had a great time discussing themes from The Andy Griffith Show. Most of them have been two minute clips from the show, and they just provide an introduction to a theme that we enjoy talking about. It's been a lot of fun having this group in our home. I just wanted to take a picture of the group tonight since it will be a month before we meet again. It's a fun group and a close group -as you can see with ten people sitting around a six seat dinner table. We've been blessed to have them in our home, and hopefully, we've learned a little something a long the way too. Since Donna fixes a meal every Sunday evening for our group - I know the food had been great and probably what pulls everyone back week after week. Lord willing, next month we will begin a study of Romans - so no more lessons from Barney.

A Couple of Thirty-Niners!

2011-12-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Thirty-nine years ago last night, at the College Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, I began a life long journey with a cute young thing who went from being Donna Sue Curtis to being Donna Sue Root. Next year she will have been a Root for twice the number of years she was a Curtis. Where does the time go?
Over the last thirty-nine years, when our anniversary has come around, I have written lots of church bulletin articles, and lately, some blogs, about that decision I made way back then to wrangle her into marrying me. I just can't think of a better way to say it than the way I've said it so many times before. That decision to marriage Donna, is far and away the best, the smartest, and the most blessed decision I have made in my entire life, second ONLY to my decision to live for Jesus. If I were putting together a Dictionary, I'd just put her picture under the words wife, friend, mother, grandmother, and Christian. I would also have to put it under cook, teacher, example, and child-friendly. Even more than that, I couldn't find a better definition for kind, thoughtful, caring, unselfish, respectful, encouraging, positive, and sweet. The older I get and the more time God gives us to be together, the more she becomes my biggest hero in life. After thirty-nine years you learn one-another's faults, weakness, and struggles. I don't know anyone, who by their very nature, is more Christ-like than she is. No one is perfect, but her spirit is more consistently like Jesus than anyone I've ever known. She won't like that I've said that, but that is all the more a reason why it's true.
I'm blessed and thankful for every day God has given us to be together. Thirty-nine years is more than I deserve, but I don't hesitate to ask God to let me have a few more.

Tis the season...

2011-12-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it again yesterday. I was at Lowe's looking for some indoor spotlights for our basement, but I found myself drawn to the huge Christmas yard decoration aisle and all the possibilities for adding to our already decorated house. I've never really been much into decorating the outside of our house for Christmas. I like it, just not enough to put the work or the money into turning our house into a drive-by Christmas show. Our neighbors are hugely into it. I've had pictures of their house on my blog in the past. Last year, I used a picture of their house in my Sunday morning power point presentation, and compared it our house, which last year had zero decorations. I think I made a joke about people thinking we were the only Jewish family on the block.
So what was I doing looking at expensive yard decorations of angels and snowmen and Christmas trees - all built out of lights? I wanted just a little something to "cap-off" the already well lighted front of our house - for our grand kids. That's why we didn't decorate at all last year - no one was coming to our house for Christmas - so why do it? I can live with the knowledge that people who drive or walk by looking at all the other decorated houses might think I'm related to The Grinch. I don't care, but with the grand kids coming to our house for Christmas this year - the lights were up two weeks ago!
So, did I buy another Christmas decoration yesterday? I thought long and hard about it, but -hey - they were all $80 to $100, and since I haven't finished Christmas shopping for the grand kids, the "common sense" part of my brain said, "Save it for gifts!" After all, I have stocked our coffee K-cup selections to mammoth proportions, but what can I say, that's for all the "Big kids". Wait - I'm seeing a theme here! Oh yeah, I'm excited that our whole family will be here for Christmas for the first time since we moved to Missouri seven years ago, and that our newest grand baby will spend his first Christmas with us!
Maybe I will go back and look at those decorations just one more time...

Bears & Angels?

2011-12-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

Can you be a fan of bears without being an idiot?

My good buddy JV sent this picture to me the other day. While there are a lot of ways to apply the picture and the caption, it kinda reminds me of some Cardinal fans (?) who are are slamming Albert Pujols for leaving and going to LA. While I hate to see him leave, there is something rather crazy about thinking that because I'm willing to buy a $50 ticket to watch the Cardinals, he should be willing to give up about five million a year to entertain me. I also see it as a classic example of how most people view life. Rather than being thankful for over a decade of historical baseball, including two World Series Championships, all they can think about is what we're not going to have anymore. I will miss him and I truly wish he could have finished out his career in baseball with St. Louis, but I'm certainly not going to judge his heart or diminish his character by accusing him of greed and selfishness. Pro baseball isn't a "Be true to your school" proposition. It's a business, and I'm sure he did what he felt was best for himself and his family. I also have always respected his spiritual convictions, so I know he prayed a lot about this decision, and who am I to question what he felt he was guided to do?

Albert! Good luck, God bless, and thanks for the memories!

What Does It Mean to be Spiritual?

2011-12-06T07:01:00.001-08:00

One of the things I enjoy about doing this blog is the opportunity it gives me to add on to, or embellish, or finish up - things I talked about in my lesson the previous Sunday. Yes, it probably means fewer people are exposed to it, but I like blogging about what is fresh on my mind.
Just to give you the flow of thought, the lesson was about defining spiritual maturity. What does it mean to be spiritual? Spiritual living is maturing in Christ. I believe this is Paul's message in Galatians 5 & 6. Here are the bullet points: (they'll make sense if you read the passage in 6:1-10)

1. It is Restorative, vs.1
2. It Reaches out, vs.2-3
3. It is Responsible, vs.4-5
4. It is Reciprocal, vs.6
5. It is Responsive, vs.7-8
6. it is Resolute, vs.9-10

It'll preach!
The last point about being resolute, is a profound and powerful concept that I wish I'd had time to develop more. It is about who you are as a child of God. It's about keeping things in balance and having the right perspective. It's about the heart and soul of what a church family is all about. We read him saying, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
When you consider that this is his wrap-up after his tough talk about love and grace over law and works, and his call to walk by the Spirit and not by our sinful nature, these are some of the most practical, love oriented, family building, and Christ centered guidelines Paul ever writes. I see three resolute declarations every child of God could/should make.
1. I will never get tired of doing good!
2. I will not give up!
3. I will be Christ-like to everyone, but especially to my spiritual family.

What I didn't have time to point out on Sunday was that these are not just doctrinal statements but way of life statements. When you come from a religious tradition that focuses on being doctrinally correct, sometimes that religions is more talk than walk. A church family that is not committed to helping each other grow in Christ is not really a family of God. It's a theological social club. Doctrine is not unimportant, but it's love that covers a multitude of sin, not having all the answers to all the questions most people never ask. Paul was talking to people who were struggling with legalism. If we focus on being right, we create a new legalism that forgets to do what's right.
Paul says we walk by the Spirit in response to God's grace, and that walk is only defined by the fruit of the Spirit, which is revealed in how we treat others.

Welcome Dandy Andy!

2011-12-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

God is good - always! We thank Him this morning for bringing our eighth grand-baby in the world. Andrew Kyle Bills arrived late Wednesday night, and - Praise the Lord - both Momma and baby are doing great. We would both love to rush down to Dallas and see him, but it will have to wait for a little while. Nana is flying down on Tuesday, and she is anxious to hold little Andrew, but I'll have to wait about three weeks before I get to hold our best Christmas present.

The Nasty Nine

2011-11-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

For those who aren't members at Florissant, I wanted to share with you what I preached on this past Sunday morning - just because I think it is an interesting perspective. I wanted to do a lesson about Thankfulness Robbers, and after some prayer and meditation, I hit on this list. I call them The Nasty Nine. Like The Dirty Dozen, there's not a good guy in the bunch. These are robbers of happiness, joy, relationships, and spirits. Sometimes they are people, but most of the time they are attitudes - attitudes we all have to watch out for. These destroy my four principles of thankfulness, which are:
* Thankfulness is the foundation of all spiritual growth.
* Thankfulness is prayerfulness (building a relationship w/ God)
* Thankfulness is a choice
* You can't be thankful for only the big things that happen to you and believe that means you have a thankful spirit. A thankful spirit is being thankful for the little things - daily.

Now - here is The Nasty Nine:
1. Hateful
2. Dejection
3. Contention
4. Discontent
5. Mean
6. Valueless
7. Dishonest
8. Hurtful
9. Self-indulgent

What Bible illustrations would you put with each of these?
Can you tell where these all came from?
They are antonyms for the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23

What Color Is Your Stripe?

2011-11-24T05:34:00.000-08:00

The old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words can clearly be applied to the above. My buddy, who sent it to me, said it was a good pictorial definition of wisdom. I can see that. It might also be a good picture of patience, or sharing, or maybe - as you look at the dogs face - a good illustration of "counting the cost." I also thought of the caption "OK, I'm at the limits of being Mr. Nice Guy!" Or what about "Where did you get that funky fur coat?" Or what about the caption "Keep it a face-to-face encounter!" I also like "You don't have to raise a big stink about everything!"
Got any ideas?

The Touch Down Club

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait to play high school football. In the seventh grade I bugged the high school football coach so much that he let me be an assitant manager for the team. I actually was awarded a high school football letter while in the seventh grade! The next year, I bugged the coach so much about wanting to play, that he, after getting signed permission from my mother, let me dress out and practice with the team. That was when the whole concept of "being small in a game for big guys" finally - and literally - hit me. I was the target of many "average sized" football players who wanted to feel the joy of finally dominating somebody - even if it was a five foot five inch 8th grader who weighed in at 145 lbs when wet. It was rough and I was very intimidated, but I refused to quit.
In the ninth grade, it was a little different. I was still short, but I did put on another ten pounds, and since we were a very small school with very few players (everyone played both ways), I actually became a starting guard. Everyone I matched up against in every game - even practice - was bigger than me. I was still very intimidated and I stayed worried and scared most of the time. Oddly enough, I got to occasionally play fullback on the Junior High team a few times, when we played a school whose team was made up of 7th through 9th graders. It was fun. I was one of the big guys and I loved running over all those little guys who only knew how to arm tackle. But the next day, it was back to being the runt guard against Hulk Hogan. Still, I'd made a decision, and I was not going to back down even if I didn't enjoy it.
Prior to the start of football camp that next year - my 10th grade year - something amazing happened. I loved football! Once we started those three-a-day practices that week before school began, I was loving it, and I could not wait to get my pads on and do some hitting. When we finally did get our pads on and started scrimmaging, I was a monster. I was playing quarterback on offense and center linebacker on defense and I really don't know which one I enjoyed the most, but I think it was defense. I wanted in on every tackle. I wanted to hit anyone and everyone on every single play. I loved it.
What happened? I grew six inches between the end of the previous season and the start of football camp in August. I was 5' 11" and 160 lbs. and, while I wasn't a Bubba Smith, I was big enough for high school football at a very small school. I was changed and my attitude about playing the game changed. I remember it well - even though it was many decades ago.
It is the difference between a decision and a conversion. In those early years, I made a decision that I wanted to play football, but it wasn't until the beginning of that sophomore year that I was really converted to playing football. The decision was about acceptance, appearances, and image management. The conversion was about throwing myself into it with every ounce of my body because I was loving it.
After years of reading Galatians 5, it finally dawned on me that this is the same principle Paul is challenging the Galatians, and us, with. When you make a decision to be a follower of Jesus it must be a conversion and not just an intellectual choice. When it's just a decision, you can easily be pulled into giving up your freedom in Christ and "let yourselves be burden again by a yoke of slavery." A decision only can mean that we "use our freedom to indulge in the sinful nature" and remain in a state of conflict "so that you do not do what you want." A conversion is living by the Spirit which means we "will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." The whole "works of the flesh" verses "fruit of the Spirit" is about more than a decision. It's a walk, a way of life, and a conversion to "keep in step with the Spirit."
Paul's challenge is to end the misery of mediocrity by giving ourselves over to a relationship with God. It's where love and grace motivate us, and it's where we find the peace that only comes from having "crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."
Turn the decision into a real conversion. That's a real touch down!

Rules to Hunt By!

2011-11-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

On NCIS Jethro Gibbs has a list of rules that all the members of his investigative team must learn. They are all rules about investigating a crime, dealing with people, and what he expects - and some are generic rules for life. I think the number of "Gibbs Rules" is up in the fifties and maybe higher.
We all have rules of living. We may not have formalized them or put them down on paper, but there are rules - i.e. principles, beliefs, guidelines, and truths - that drive how and why we do the things we do. After nearly four decades of preaching, writing articles, doing bulletins, writing books, and - the last six years - writing blogs, I have a long list of Rootisms that I live by and share when I teach or preach. Many of them have appeared in this blog over the last 66o plus blogs.
It's hunting season - in case you haven't noticed the trail camera pictures I've shared and the picture of the nice buck I got last week. I mentioned in that blog that my good hunting buddy and brother-in-law Kevin was in town last week to hunt with me in IL. We have a lot of hunting trips in our memory scrapbook, not the least of which is twenty something trips to Colorado to chase mulie deer and elk all over the mountains. Notice I said "chase" not "kill".
Here are a few of our spoken and unspoken rules about bowhunting.
1. On a hunting trip there are two things you never count or worry about - cost & calories.
2. When it stops being fun, I stop doing it. (I have nothing to prove to anyone about my dedication to hunt in the cold, wet, and nasty.)
3. If it is followed by a good breakfast, there is no such thing as an unsuccessful morning of hunting.
4. It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. (It's all about the equipment)
5. A trophy is something in the freezer as the result of a good bow kill.
6. "Be still and know that I am God" was written for tree stand hunters.
7. Harvesting is for vegetarians. Bowhunters kill deer for dinner.
8. No, I don't hunt Bambi, but I am after his great, great, great, ........great grand-dad. (By the way, they don't talk and play games with rabbits.)
9. It's never about the kind of weapon you use, but about spending time in God's creation and enjoying the fruits of being a good steward.
10. While you're at breakfast, after a morning hunt, the deer are doing a Conga Line dance under your tree stand. It's still a good day.

"Sort of" Free in Christ?

2011-11-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

I got to preach on one of my favorite verses this past Sunday. Because it was part of a larger passage I was wanting to expose, I had to "hit it and move on" rather than dwell on it alone for a while. If I had been a little smarter or more alert, I would have notice a long time ago how supremely relevant Paul's letter to the Galatians is. I guess it was aways just hard enough to understand that I tended to use verses and sections without noticing the over all purpose of his letter. Legalism, whether it's found in Moses or man made laws, robs people of their freedom in Christ. That freedom is an inseparable part of the gift of grace, and grace is a very expensive gift from God. So it is no wonder that Paul pulls no punches in warning and condemning anyone who would elevate law over love. (see 5:4-6)
His point is summed up powerfully in that favorite verse I referred to at the beginning. It is verse one of chapter five, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
It gives me chills to read it. For many people, freedom in Christ means you are free to believe and agree with everything they believe, it means you are free to have fellowship with them as long as you obey and follow their traditions, and you must see their opinions as equal to God's truth rather than something to "agree to disagree" about.
It gives me chills because Paul is so clear that freedom in Christ isn't just a great spiritual slogan. We have been set free, and that is what it means! No one has any right or power to change my relationship with Jesus or to place any burden on me that Jesus hasn't placed on me. That is true whether it is a person, an organization, a church, or even family. If I let them, I'm choosing a yoke of slavery that Jesus never intended for me to carry.
It gives me chills because Paul declared "stand firm" and don't let it happen! Those early brethren where having a hard time letting go of their works and performance geared approach religion. Today we don't struggle with people requiring obedience to the Old Law, but we do struggle with people binding rituals, rules, guilt, external acts of righteousness, dishonest and inconsistent interpretations of scripture, institutional expectations, Lording leaders, sacred traditions, uniformity, and beam-eyed judgmentalism - just to name a few. I can hear Paul screaming off the pages of my Bible saying, "STAND FIRM - DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE BURDENED AGAIN BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY!"
How can that not give you chills? Grace means freedom in Christ!

Make some room in the freezer...

2011-11-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

Here is something you won't see very often. This is the buck I shot yesterday, coming in to a buck scrape just to the left of the picture. My trail camera took this picture just seconds before I sent an arrow through him. My tree stand is off to the right of the picture and (obviously) up about twenty feet. It ended up being about a ten yard shot. I was actually packing up my stuff to leave because it had been about three hours of hunting, I was cold, and ready for a big breakfast at Mel's Riverdock Restaurant. The clock on the pic is an hour off because of the change from DST. It's really about 9:15. He ran about 60 or 70 yards before he dropped, and it was three hours later before we made it to Mel's - for lunch.

He's not a monster buck, but he's a nice mature buck. The guy at the processors est. it was a 185 to a 190 pound deer. All I know is that dragging a deer uphill for about 80 yards is a lot harder than it was thirty years ago. The best part was having my brother-in-law Kevin with me for the whole thing. We had a great week of hunting (and still trying to get some work done). He didn't tag one, but it was great to spend the time together.

I SEE YOU!!!!!!

2011-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

I am taking a few days off this week to bowhunt over in IL with my brother-in-law Kevin. So far the weather has been terrible - either too wet or too windy. But - tomorrow is another day. Haven't seen many deer and there haven't been many even on my trail camera. The above doe performed in front of my camera for about five minutes and had about fifteen pictures taken of her. She was truly interested in the little IR light that came on every time it took a picture. I have several of her sniffing it out and providing some REAL close-ups.
I thought a good caption for this picture might be WHO IS WATCHING WHOM?

The Gospel of Chuch Growth

2011-11-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am more convinced than ever that most of us have been raised on the "gospel of church growth" so thoroughly that we can't bring ourselves to see the simplicity of what God really wanted the church to be. The church is a family not a corporation that judges itself by a growth chart and a data base. Many church families have many amazing people doing all kinds of amazing acts of service, sacrifice, and sharing. People who are quietly glorifying God and causing others to think positively about His church family. BUT, we still find ourselves moaning and groaning because our church family is not generating more visitors, baptizing more people, and causing an electrical stream of excitement to be shooting through every member. We still want something new, something innovative, or something magical that will cause our family membership to explode and do amazing things as we impress the religious world with our success!
I love excitement. I love new people, new things, and new ideas. BUT, we are in the "maturing in Christ" business not the worldly success business. God placed shepherds, evangelists, and teachers in his family to guide every single member of His body to a deeper relationship with Him! His plan, which is usually ignored and/or forgotten in the pursuit of church growth, is for each member to grow in Him and help each other grow in Him. When that happens, people WANT to serve others, they WANT to share His Good News, and they WANT to be involved in whatever they can to help others grow! When that happens - how can a church family not grow?!!!
There is no magic bullet, special program, or dynamic ministry that will make that happen. It can only happen when spiritual leaders learn the old old story from Jesus about the value of one wandering sheep. Most leaders would rather meet and have discussions about how to get the ninety and nine more involved. Spiritual formation in Christ is the only goal, and that is a one-on-one mentoring proposition.
You want to see some excitement in a church family? You want to see some spiritual electricity shoot through every member? Forget the program, the ministry, and the new idea. Follow Jesus' lead and personally guide the weak, the marginal, and the wandering back into His family and a closer walk with Him.

Animal Revenge

2011-11-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

My good buddy JV sent me this pic. The man who wouldn't kill a rabbit - I suspect - is on the animals side of hunting. I love it.

DW Review

2011-11-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Disney World is an amazing place. Duh - that's why people flock there by the thousands pretty much 365 days a year. My wife thinks it's the best place in the world. If you catch her at any given time or place and ask her where she'd rather be at that moment, she'll say "Disney World!" She loves it. I enjoy it. There is a difference. A trip there once every four or five years is plenty for me, but she could do it annually - okay, maybe monthly. I'm not a crowd person, rides don't just compel me, and long lines don't thrill me. Still, DW just amazes me with it's attention to detail, it's total customer orientation, and it's ability to give everyone an incredible, memorable experience. I love the friendliness of everyone who works there, I love the cleanliness, and I love the total-kid-friendly-atmosphere, professionalism, and high moral standards that are part of everything they have. More than anything else, I love watching kids (especially my grand kids) see everything and be totally wowed at every turn!
Of all the times that I have been there (and there have been many since my first visit in 1972), I was really aware of how nice and polite nearly every one in the park was - and I'm talking about the visitors - parents, kids, and families of all kinds and sizes. I saw more smiles, less stress, and more acts of consideration and friendliness than I ever have before. Not that it was THAT bad before, but it just seemed to be more obvious and prevalent. As an official "stroller watcher" a couple times, I got to just watch people/families - especially at the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween night when we were there until 11:30 P.M.. Good people having a good time. I liked seeing that. I loved seeing my family love it. I loved seeing my beautiful wife love it. So I suspect, Lord willing of course, this won't be the last visit we make to DW. Maybe my wife's right. Maybe it is a special place. Where else can you spend so much money and yet find yourself saying, "I don't care"?
Cabela's?

From Mickey Land

2011-10-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of our vacation with family at Disney World. I brought my iPad thinking I could do anything with it that I could do with my lap top, but I was wrong. I posted the previous pics yesterday, but my iPad wouldn't let me do any typing on it. Those pics are from my trail cams from last Friday. You really have to click on them and enlarge them to see the deer clearly. Especially the first one because my camera is angled up too much, so I only got the top of his head and it's a little dark. And the last one is a true monster. I heard one was shot by a bowhunter that was a real trophy class animal and I assumed it was this one, but I found out later that it had been shot before this pic was taken. So it's still out there. ALRIGHT!
Anyway, we are having fun and staying busy. Don't know when the next blog will be posted. We'll be home Friday night, so not too far away. Now it's on to the next Mickey sighting. Boy, talk about new and exciting pics...

Exciting New Trail Pics

2011-10-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Cat's Meow?

2011-10-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

My brother sent me a bunch of these funny animal pictures, but I especially like this one. I think it brought back memories of our last cat EE, who died about nine or ten years ago. He sang a lot, and he was black, but I'd say he was a baritone not a soprano.

Sleepless In Suburbia

2011-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Something I used just briefly in the Introduction to last Sunday's lesson was the question, "What keeps you awake at night?" I called it a Focus Question because I wanted us to focus on our passions, concerns, or drives, and I feel that this is a question that causes us to honestly see what really goes on in our hearts. Most people lay awake at night worrying about one or more of the Big Three - money, family, & health. In past years I have done my share of staring at the ceiling as it if were the "mirror, mirror on the wall." For the record, it has never given me an answer or helped out in any way, shape, or fashion.
A lot of sleepless ceiling watching comes with life's changes and varies with where we are at that time of life. Like when you're young and you discover for the first time that credit cards are a two edged sword, or when your children are sick or struggling or going through a life change of their own. And then there are those years when your teenage kids want to be with people you don't know, go places you're not sure about, and stay out later than you want them to. No one knows the anxiety of laying in bed late at night waiting to hear them come in the front door unless they've been a parent. Their time will come - and then they'll "get it".
The bottom line for asking the question is to simply challenge us all to ask, "When was the last time I laid awake at night because of concerns about spiritual matters?" When do you worry about your walk with God? Do you have worries about the souls of your loved ones? Have you ever lost sleep thinking about your church family? Remember Paul's list of experiences and sufferings as an apostle and a missionary in 2 Corinthians 11? Wow! Beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and near-death experiences galore - and on top of that, he added his constant concern for all the churches! I think many would consider that unnecessary baggage. He didn't. Jesus didn't, when he paid for his church with his blood and called it his body.
Maybe it's a sign of getting old, but I don't lay awake a night worrying about the "Big Three." Reflux - yes, but money, family, and health - no. I do worry about whether or not I am doing all I can to help people grow in Christ. Even then, what is different from years past is that I'm not ruminating in the darkness buying guilt that Jesus already paid for. I'm talking about it with God. I found that when I do that, I not only tend to find some answers, but I find peace, and perspective, and often...sleep.

Trail Cam Wild Life

2011-10-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Nice buck. You may have to click on the pic to get a close up of his rack. This is a new (and cheaper) trail camera, so the pics aren't as clear. This is in the newly cut corn field at the stand where I got a nice ten pointer a few years ago and where Chad shot his first deer w/ a bow. I now have my two person stand there just waiting for a grand-kiddo to go hunting w/ me. Notice what time of day it is at the bottom of the pic. That's another reason it's not easy to get one of these big boys.

Nice little buck - just before shooting light - of course.

It is almost thanksgiving - and me w/ no IL tag.

Masked bandit?

Now we're talking REAL wildlife!

Go Cards!

2011-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not exactly a fanatical fan of the Cards, but we have gone to several games and we watch most of the rest of them on TV. We've watched enough games - and seen them in person - that we feel like we know most of the players personally - which of course, we don't. Nevertheless, we are excited about the play-offs. It has be great watching them come back from being so far out that all the news people had written them off - and of course the are all now saying they never did that. Well, we're cheering for our team and hoping they will make it to the World Series - hopefully against the Texas Rangers.

Albert is a neat guy. He's one of those players you nearly find yourself praying for just because you want a good guy to do a good job. I appreciate his spiritual convictions and the great job he does of being a role model. We don't see a lot of today's professions doing a very good job of that.

Communioin for kids?

2011-10-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

When Paul told us that the law was "a tutor to bring us unto Christ" he was not only talking about the temporary nature of the law, but the teaching purpose of the law. The law was pointing to and showing the need for Jesus. The law could only reveal sin. It never was intended to save anyone, but rather to show the need for Jesus and the grace that comes through him.
The law, which was the Jewish way to think of the entire Old Testament, also teaches us about God, his nature, and how he makes his will known to us. One of the many things we learn about God in the OT is his understanding of mankind's weaknesses and limitations. I am especially amazed with how often God commands his people to do things so that they won't forget what he has done. Whether it's stone pillars & altars, or special feasts, or even physical signs like circumcision, he knows how easy it is for us to let time and distance cause us to forget things we really need to remember. I especially like those many times he specifically says, "When your children ask you....". He wanted his people to have a means and an opportunity to explain, tell the story, and make sure it was passed on to the next generation.
Knowing that part of God's nature, it makes me wonder if we've missed something very important about communion. In the culture where Jesus first gave it to his disciples, did he think he was giving them a sacred ceremony for insiders, or did he think he was giving his followers a simple symbolic tool to remember, to share, and to teach the next generation. Have we let our traditions, and the Catholic sacramental thinking it comes from, rob us of a wonderful tool to teach and share with our children?
I've been asked a few times by parents if they should let their children take communion. There was a time when I discouraged it, thinking it should only be for those who are obedient believers of Christ. Children can't get all the "deep meaning" behind the Lord's Supper - or at least that was our argument. But what was so deep about using two things that were on every table at every meal, and Jesus saying "Think about me" some of the time when you share it?
Again, was communion a "religious hoop to jump through" to show our obedience, or was it a tool to use to help us draw closer to God? In my opinion, using it to teach our children is probably a lot closer to the original intent than letting it become some private ritual to get checked off the Sunday morning list. Remember, in every mention of it in the New Testament, the Lord's Supper was part of a regular meal. Use it for the tool God intended - share & teach!

Liar, Liar!

2011-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've started compiling a list of Things That Make a Liar Out of Me. Ouch! Yes, I know that's kind of harsh, but I'm amazing at the things in life that remind us of our inconsistencies. Here are a few that I already have on the list. What would you add?

1. Children - especially when they share "special" things about Mom & Dad with their school teacher or Sunday school teacher. (None of ours ever did that - of course!)
2. A mirror - I'm always ten years younger, twenty pounds lighter, and have hair three shades darker - before I look!
3. My doctor - enough said!
4. Our digital ultra modern bathroom scale - don't ask!
5. Driving - I always think of myself as patient, kind, non-aggressive, and considerate - and then I get into the car.
6. Sexy, attractive women on TV - I'm getting old enough that I don't notice them any more - and then I turn on the TV.
7. Motel clerks who ask if I have an AARP card
8. Watching "Surviving The Cut" (Special Forces Training) and thinking, "I could do that!"
9. Going to bed at 10:30 and planning to read for an hour - can you say "snore"?
10. Seeing Albert strike out and saying, "I coulda done better than that!"

Parenting & Churching

2011-10-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

What would you say to parents who want to have a large family - they want lots of kids - but they don't want to raise them? They just want the excitement and recognition from being large, noticed, and maybe even envied. I know what you'd say, or what you should say, "You people have no business having children!" Then once you got over your shock and anger with such an irrational perception of parenting, you might back off and say, "You should only have children you are willing to parent and raise with all the love and guidance they deserve."
It is my observation that many of us think just like those "irrational" parents when it comes to "doing church." The worldly church says successful churches must be driven by "Church Growth" principles, and those principles are all about becoming large. Everyone wants to be part of an exciting, growing church, that is the envy of all other churches. And we cover ourselves by saying something like, "Well, we're only interested in numbers because that means more souls." Why do I hear the above parents saying, "We want a lot of children because of all the tax deductions we'll get." Parenting is about growing children into maturity, not about how many children you can have. Parenting is living for the joy of seeing your child grow in "the training and instruction of the Lord." There is no greater sense of thanksgiving and godly pride than "to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 Jn.4)
Paul was clear that church leaders have one primary purpose and that is to grow His people to "become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph.4:11-13) There is, or should be, nothing more fulfilling and satisfying than seeing souls that God put into your guiding hands become mature Christ-like servants of God.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a large church, or being part of a large church, but we MUST NOT LOSE THE PRIMACY AND JOY OF GUIDING MEMBERS TO MATURITY IN CHRIST! Since God is the One who gives the increase, and we are only planters and stewards of the Word, the real secret to "church growth" might be following His plan! Guide, mentor, shepherd, and love members - one at a time - into a deeper walk with God. What might THEY do when you've helped them develop a passion for Jesus! And maybe, just maybe, God is waiting for me, for us, to do the job He's given us before He adds to the work load. And maybe that's why the New Testament talks in terms of Christians coming together for spiritual growth, not "Church Growth."

It's Safe to Assume - Is it?

2011-09-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a while back that the first casualty of biblical interpretation is objectivity. As I reflect on that, I realize how much I have been driven over the last few years by the desire to do just that - understand God's Word free from the baggage of pre-taught and predetermined conclusions. Like many things in life, it's easier said than done. I had many years of being taught what the Bible said, long before I was filled with a passion to truly know what God was saying. So for many years, passages of scripture that "I knew," because they were regularly used to prove a doctrinal position I'd been taught, became sections of scripture to skim, sometimes ignore, and often never study in the larger context of what the Holy Spirit was saying. Some of those same passages, now don't say what I'd always "known" they said. Some of them are NOW far more exciting, challenging, and full of grace then they were when I used them as proof-texts to support my positions.
I am also discovering how many conclusions I have be taught, and taught to others, are conclusions I/we infer from passages that support what we have already concluded. If you study the New Testament with the predetermined mindset that there is a formal time, place, and way that Christians worship God - I'm talking about a Temple worship mindset - you will find passages that support that belief, even if you have to infer that was what the Holy Spirit was talking about and there are zero commands to base it on.
We read the Old Testament because it tells us about God, how He works, and how He tells His people what He wants. The one thing that is absolutely clear from any study of the OT is that God is very clear about what He wants. When did He ever expect His followers to do anything with eternal consequences based solely on figuring it out from and example or from an inference? What God wants, God commands. An example or an inference is only valid if it supports a direct command from God. And yet, we have no problem developing major doctrinal positions based totally on what we infer from examples or biblical witnessing. It doesn't mean they don't count, but it does mean they are not a primary source of determining obedience.
Does it matter? Yes is does. Do we really think that God's will is a jigsaw puzzle to be pieced together? Does it make sense that God's plan for redeeming man, which was in place pre-Creation, and cost His only Son's death on a Cross, and is totally built on love, is dependent on our ability to infer what He wants us to do?
Commands are always a primary source. It's how God works. Whatever your personal passion is as far as your journey to know God, or whatever you believe the church should have a passion about - does it come from a command or did you start with a conclusion and then find verses that infer that your conclusion is correct? Again, it's not always about something being wrong, but about honestly interpreting, and being a person "who correctly handles the word of truth."

The Slap Heard Around the Church!

2011-09-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I've always focused a lot more on the last half of Galatians than I have on the first half. If it wasn't for Gal.2:20 ("I've been crucified with Christ...") I'd say nearly all my memory work in Galatians comes from chapters 3-6. I mention that to simply point out that Paul's confrontation with Peter in chapter 2, has mostly been "interesting" and in the category of "a novelty" for me, because I just didn't quite see the relevance and the application for me. My bad. If someone like Peter can get so distracted and out of focus that it takes Paul opposing "him to his face" because "he was clearly wrong," I need to sit up and take notice! After a couple decades of being an apostle, an elder, a missionary, a preacher of the gospel, and a "pillar in the church," he allowed peer pressure to pull him into ignoring his non-Jewish brethren and hobnobbing with the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem, forgetting everything he personally heard from God about not showing preferences (see Acts 10). Paul said he was being a hypocrite! This was more than just switching dinner partners one night. It hurt those brethren who had been slighted, it seriously damaged his influence as a leader in the church, and - maybe worst of all - he dragged others into the same hypocrisy. Paul said that even Barnabas was pulled into following Peter. Paul was shocked, and I think, hurt by that. Here's the Son of Encouragement being discouraging to all the Gentile Christians!
Clearly the biggest thing that disturbed Paul - and you must remember that he's the new guy with lots of folks questioning whether or not he was legitimate - was that Peter's decision to associate with the "circumcision" group, meant that he was promoting (probably not intentionally) the law over grace and faith in Jesus Christ. Paul screams - you can't have both! Only one brings justification (i.e. salvation) and it isn't the law! The only thing that counts is being "in Christ" - this is where you can quote or sing Galatians 2:20.
It's frightening to think that any of us could so cavalierly do something that could do that much damage! Just because we want to be accepted by some group of people who intimidate us or might not include us? As much as I love vs.20, I must say that it's vs.21 that probably hit Peter between the eyes like a sledge hammer, and took him back to a morning breakfast on the beach with Jesus.
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

A Special Hunting Buddy

2011-09-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

One of our grandsons sent us his class project, Flat Stanley, so we could introduce him to St. Louis and put together some pictures for him to use when he has to share this with his class. So, Caleb, I decided that Flat Stanley needed to go with me on my first hunting trip of the year. He seemed to enjoy the drive down to my hunting spot just outside of Sullivan, MO.

FS was a little nervous about being in a tree stand twenty feet off the ground, especially since I didn't have a safety belt for him. So he held on a little tight. Just as well, he was lacking some decent camo.

He tried to pull my bow back, but he couldn't quite do it. Still, I could tell he was ready to see something for me to shoot at. He's a born hunter. You can see it in his eyes.

FS hung on pretty tightly. He was my official bino-man, but he never saw anything.

Since the hunting wasn't exciting enough for FS, he decided to take my ATV out for a spin. He's a real speed maniac.

I finally found something that gave FS a real thrill. He's still picking bugs out of his teeth. What a wild man!

We didn't see many deer or come home with anything for the freezer. It was just a bunch of guys sharing an experience in the wild. Hope FS can come back for a visit some time.

First Trail Camera Pictures

2011-09-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Missouri bow hunting opened last week, so we just got back from a short two day hunting trip to my hunting spot outside of Sullivan, MO. I had gone down a couple weeks ago and repositioned mine and Danny's stands and put up my trail camera. These are my first trail camera pictures of the year. That nice little 8 pointer above came past my stand the day before we got there. Unfortunately, while the camera showed deer movement every day, nothing came by my stand Sunday evening, Monday, or this morning (Tuesday). Oh well, that's why they call it hunting and not killing. I was pleased with all the nice pictures I got. I had 150 on the camera, fifty were of my arm or hand putting up or taking down the camera. Another 50 were empty - probably a squirrel running by faster than the camera could catch it, and about 50 with some form of deer on it.

You might have to click on this picture to enlarge it and see it clearer. It's a momma doe and her little fawn - still with spots. Must have been a late season birth.

This is a nice buck, and I think it's still in velvet. Hard to tell with a night picture. Wish he'd come past my stand. Still plenty of time left in the season.

Again, you might have to click to enlarge this, but it's a really nice buck with nice tall tines and big body. I will definitely be looking for him later in the season. My tree stand is actually just behind the deer to the left of the picture. The camera is ten yards from my stand. Hope to have some better pictures soon, especially when I set up my cameras (three now - how did that happen?) in IL.

"I'm happy today, oh yes I'm..."

2011-09-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

John Steinbeck once said, "A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ." What grabs me most about his quote is the idea of a sad soul. That is a deep sadness that goes beyond having an unhappy day, or being temporarily depressed about things in life. A sad soul is a mind-set, an outlook on life, or maybe a permanent habit of looking at the world through a glass that's always half empty. It's seeing the ray of darkness in a field of light. It's seeing a world of people with specks in their eye, and assuming it's just camouflage for the planks that must be there.
A sad soul is sitting in the critics seat and never feeling any responsibility to commend others, be constructive, or contribute to any one's joy. A sad soul is basically a selfish soul. Yes, there are exceptions, but we've all known the secret to happiness most our lives. Happiness comes from making others happy. The sad soul is sitting back waiting for someone to do that for them, but it won't be enough, and it won't change a thing. The more we focus on ourselves and dwell on what we need or what we don't have, the more we wallow in self pity and sorrow.
When those thousands of people journeyed out from their towns and cities to listen to the new prophet from Nazareth, they were poor people. They had no transportation, no food, and time from work was time not making a living. But they were seekers, and they hoped the new prophet named Jesus would show them how to draw closer to God. What he gave them - right out of the bag - was what we call the Beatitudes. A really strange way to begin a lesson. And contrary to what we've always said about "blessed" being another word for happy, and that they would be happy if they had these spiritual attitudes, he was telling them that God understood their hearts and their deep desire to seek Him. Each Beatitudes was a promise that God knows and would bless everything they were doing to seek him. They were poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted on their journey, but they should "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." Jesus was telling them that their souls where in good hands and that is a reason to smile from the heart!
Often, a sad soul is not a victim of hardships or tragic circumstances, but someone who has never discovered that real living is found in unselfish giving and, more than anything else, being at peace with our God and Father.

Are You Smarter Than An Eighth Grader?

2011-09-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

When I was preaching in Nashville, there was a young brother who became a pretty close friend. Ocassionally he would come by my office and we'd study and pray together, and spend a good bit of time sharing some very personal things in our journey to know God better. At that time, I was really discovering, or maybe rediscovering, the primacy of thankfulness if we truly wanted to draw closer to God. In private discussion I said to him what I later used as a permanent prayer on this blog, "God has been so good to me, and I am so thankful for the wonderful life he has given me, that anything that comes from this day on is truly gravy." That was said as a profession of thanksgiving, but later, when for reasons still unknown today, he became dissatisfied with our church family, he put that quote from me in a letter of complaint to the elders to point out that I was "burned out" in my ministry.
How could something that was being said as a praise of thankfulness to God be interpreted as the words of a burned out preacher? I don't know, but I do know that communication - that is, being understood - is always a complicated process.
Many times we assume someone understands what we are talking about, or at least our perspective, and we don't explain things as completely as we should. That's a real problem in marriage, because after so many years together, we assume our spouse knows what we are thinking so we don't have to explain things. Wrong.
I have often mentioned to people that I preach on an about an 8th grade level. It's not just me, any and all public speakers, even if they don't know it, nearly always speak on a Junior High level to be understood by the greatest number of people. NO, that doesn't mean that you prepare your lesson and then go over it to "dumb down" your message for the "lowly masses" of people you have to talk down to. Most of us, yes even with multiple graduate degrees, speak to one another on about an 8th grade level. That has nothing to do with conceptual understanding or intellect, but has everything to do with vocabulary. I could throw in all kinds of theological terms that I've learned from scholarly volumes or papers, but why? To impress others? To sound erudite and superior? The goal is communication not personal grandeur.
I am profoundly convicted by Paul's declaration to the Corinthians, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." It was essential to him that they understand, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Cor.2:1-5) There were some at Corinth that evidently thought Paul's message was too common, too basic, and lacking eloquence. They didn't want to be challenged by a crucified Jesus, they wanted to be impressed by a polished public speaker.
No, an eighth grade vocabulary is all you need to share Jesus, confront sin, and show the way to find hope. Everything else is fluff, fizzle, and fake. If you don't know what those words mean, ask an eighth grader.

A Weekend With Good Friends

2011-09-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to have our good friends Don and Kathy Rose with us for all of the Labor Day Weekend. We spent a lot of time talking, eating good food, going to some neat places, and playing lots of Fargle and Hand & Foot. It was essentially a cruise vacation w/o the cruise. Saturday was the last of the triple digit summer heat wave, but we still managed a great trip down to Union Station. Sunday was full of church activities and having a reunion of some of our Panama Canal trip people. Fun evening. Then on Monday, with wonderful cool temperatures and deep blue sky, we took them to Eckerts in Grafton to pick peaches and apples. It was a lot of fun. The above trailer is waiting for us to board to take us to the apple orchard.

This is the peach orchard we walked to first. It was late season and a little hard to find a bunch of nice looking and ripe peaches, but as you can see, we did ok.

This is Kathy, Donna, and me waiting for the aforementioned trailer.

We drafted a nice guy to take our picture after we'd paid for our peaches and apples and taken them back to the car. He was such a nice guy and did a pretty good job - considering the subjects.
From Eckerts, we drove over to Hardin, IL and had a great lunch at Mel's Riverdock restaurant on the IL river. It's where I eat breakfast after a morning hunt. Good stuff! Then we drove down to the Mississippi River and took the Golden Eagle ferry across to St. Charles. It's a really fun trip that we have done with several folks who visited us.

Don & Kathy are dear friends and we truly treasure getting to spend four days together. Can't wait for our winter vacation cruise this February when we get to do even more of everything we did last weekend but in a warm Caribbean location - and on the Grand Princess! Yeah!

Things that make me smile

2011-09-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of weeks I have been making a list of little things that make me smile. Of course, some things on the list aren't so small, but they are all things that, when I see them or think about them, they make me smile. As I say regularly, we can grow no higher spiritually than our level of thankfulness. These are just some things I am thankful for - and they are in no particular order - just what I happen to add to the list on any given day. Maybe they will make you think of things you are thankful for.

Quiet moments on my back porch
Watching humming birds come to our feeder
My iPad (where this list was developed)
Wild flowers
Turtle concretes at Fritz's
Seeing kindness
Baby giggles
Loyal friends
Sitting next to my wife
Short dental check ups
Remembering God before getting out of bed
Everything Sunday
Mimosa blossoms
A good book
Chips and Ranch Dressing
Amens
My daughter's blogs
Skipping shaving
Being finished w/ my sit-ups & push-ups
People passionate about anything
AC (it's 104 today)
Hearing anything from my son
Fargle w/ friends (called Farkle by some)
People who are truly thankful
Sam carrying Frodo
Vacation with family or friends
First cup of coffee in the morning
Seeing loved ones reunited
NCIS
Las Fuentes
Have I mentioned my back porch....

Additional Thoughts

2011-09-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a new list of "Things that make me smile" for the last couple of weeks. I add one or two to my iPad each day as I think of things. I'll put them on a blog next week, Lord willing. In the meantime, I want to add to a blog I wrote last week about being a people pleaser. First, when I referred to elders being a good example of people pleasers, I was talking elders in general, though I suspect my fellow leaders here are driven by that same need too. I would just remind you that the whole blog was about me being a people pleaser, so I certainly wasn't picking on or condemning anyone. I was just pointing out the impossibility of living with the misguided feelings that you must, or can, please everyone.
So - have you ever noticed when you spend time reflecting and praying about something, God has a way of helping you out? Part of my text for this weeks lesson is a verse that seemed to jump off the page and slap me around. So, for all my fellow people pleaser family and friends, I share it with you so you can be part of the slapping - if you need it.
Paul said, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please mean, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal.1:10)
Ouch! And what does that do to our feelings that being a people pleaser means we are servants of Christ?

Years Left?

2011-08-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the challenging question I tossed out Sunday morning. If life was measured by the number of years remaining rather than the number of years lived, how would it change the way we think and live? That would obviously requiring knowing the exact date of our death, but would it make a difference in the way we live. What if rather than being sixty, I was minus ten (and counting), or minus one? Some of us would become instantly uninsurable! All of us would probably drastically change our future plans.
As I reflected on that challenge, the one thing that really jumped out at me was "There would be some serious changes in how people thought about church." For one thing, we'd quit gambling with our souls by falling back on Satan's best excuse, "I've got plenty of time to do that!" On the practical side, here are the things that rose to the top of my list in terms of what would probably change. (See Hebrews 11:13-16 on how we should think)
1. We wouldn't define our walk with God by what does or doesn't happen in the Sunday morning assembly. We'd truly understand the difference between a pep rally and THE game, and turn our togetherness time into a giving, helping, and encouraging opportunity.
2. We would see the importance of loving relationships. Life is about who you love and who loves you back! So is the church! The purpose of the collective church is growing in Christ through loving relationships. We'd stop looking for the "wow" and start building genuine love that would allow us to be a supportive community through tragedy and triumphs.
3. We would seek to serve rather than be served! "One of these days" has limits and now it's time to be what we know Jesus called us to be.
4. We would want our children to know God more than anything else! School, sports, and entertainment would take second place to securing the souls of our kids! Having an iPhone would not be more important than having the great I AM!
5. We would not sweat the small stuff! Dwelling on irks, perks, and jerks is a waste of time! Remember what Jesus said was a waste of time? Worrying about food, drink, clothes, self worth, and tomorrow! (Mt.6:25ff) We'd do what he said and seek God's kingdom first. We'd also stop seeing the speck in others eyes, and stop being fearful about being a witness for God.
We would probably treasure every day as a gift from God, and if we understood his grace like we should, we'd live expectantly and not fearfully.

Real Friends?

2011-08-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

My brother sent me this cartoon. The caption of the email was "There's friendship, and there's friendship." Not only did it make me laugh, but it made me thankful for good friends and good teeth.

Forget about it?

2011-08-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article in USA Today (on my iPad) about Glen Campbell's struggle with Alzheimer's at the age of 75. The article was about how he stills records and tours even though he occasionally just forgets the lyrics of a song. He just laughs and asks the audience what the next words are. The article points out that one of the reasons for his optimism is that the disease itself causes him to forget that he has it. I can think of some other diseases that it would be nice for the one who has it to be able to forget they have it.
I like to think I have a good memory for things, though I must confess that my life-long struggle with remembering names seems to be getting worse. I really don't have OCD, but if I did, it would include an obsession with not forgetting things. It's a regular source of stress for me when I am working on something that is important to me. I truly can't stand finding out that I have forgotten to do something I wasn't going to forget to do. Even little things.
But what about the BIG things? You know - the really big things - things that really count? Like remembering to be thankful, remembering that many people in the world have no idea what it's like to struggle with WHICH food to have for breakfast, or remembering that tens of thousands of American men and women would love to be waking up in their home bed in their own house with AC, hot showers, and loved ones all around them?
Why is it so easy to forget how many good things so many people are doing because of their faith and love for God? How many acts of service are performed by godly people, in the name of Jesus Christ, and to the glory of God - but we don't know about it? And then we look around at what we don't see, can't see, and never will see, and conclude "We need to do more" because it's not being done in the name of THE CHURCH! Since when is an act of service or love done by a Christian, who is the church even when alone, not a work of the church? We forget that the very nature of being "light" and "salt" is an individual responsibility more than it is a collective responsibility.
I need to remember that good, godly people, are doing wonderful acts of service for others every day. I need to remember that my brethren are sharing their faith, speaking about God, and encouraging people every day. I need to remember that they not only don't need "The church's" permission, but they don't even need the church to organize and define when and where it happens. Before I start declaring "what this church needs" I need to remember that every cup of water given in the name of Jesus by his people every hour of every day, will not be ignored by God and will be rewarded. That's what Jesus said - I just need to remember it.
Now - what was this blog about? I forgot.

A New and Exciting Book!

2011-08-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I made the statement that the Bible as the newest book of all. Sure, if you date it from the time it was written, it is one of the oldest books of all, but the unique message of the Bible makes it new every time you read it. It doesn't matter how much of a scholar you are, how many degrees in Bible and biblical languages you have, or how many passages of Scripture you can quote - it's new every time we read it because we are not the same person we were the last time we read it. That is why we constantly find ourselves "discovering" a new truth from a verse we have read - literally - thousands of times. There is no other book in existence that becomes deeper and more precious as our hearts draw closer to the author!

I also made the statement that there is nothing more interesting, exciting, and enlightening to me now than the Bible. Of course, I had to point out that I haven't always felt that way. Why? Because of the two principles that determine when a new subject becomes exciting. First, the principle of being Age Appropriate. We must be mature enough to understand it and see all or most of the possibilities it holds for us. Secondly, the principle of Prerequisites - those things we must know before hand that lay the foundation for understanding the new subject.

There have been many time in the past when I was not "age appropriate" to understand the power and thrill of what God was sharing with me. Remember, I'm not referring to a matter of years, but of spiritual maturity. When we are ready and wanting to see the things God has for us in his word, things start hitting us like proverbial "ton of bricks" on a regular basis. And the prerequisites are not Introduction to the New Testament 101 or Church work 201, but love, grace, and a seeking after the mind of Christ. That is why, before I shared my four rules for understanding the Word of God, I offered the suggestion "Communicate don't study." Think of it as talking to God. Hear him talking to you, and as you seek him, talk to him. Communication is an essential part of relationship building, so think about listening to God not just studying him.

For those who wonder what the four rule were:
1. Read it objectively: try to ignore all preconceived conclusions others taught you.
2. Read it consistently: see God's consistence message and let the Bible explain the Bible. Always understand and address the context.
3. Read it historically: consider the culture and the occasion.
4. Read it lovingly: look at it through the eyes of God and Jesus.

Please! Please! Please?

2011-08-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

In my family we laugh about our personal obsessions. What else can you do? When something is important to you, even if it is driven more by your personality than objectivity, "you gotta do what you gotta do." If there was one personality obsession that pretty much captures every adult member of my clan it's being a people pleaser. Intellectually you know you can't please everyone all the time, but emotionally you expect to. I have learned to develop a little bit of a thicker skin than I used to have, but I still have to fight the tendency to be disappointed and depressed when I find out just one person doesn't like me or agree with something I have said - and I say a lot to a lot of people. The older I get (I guess I'll never stop saying that) the more I find myself getting angry with myself for being that way. Again, it's an emotional thing verses an intellectual thing, and sometimes balance just isn't possible.
What makes me angry with myself is that I allow one disgruntled or negative person to dwarf the scores of people who love, appreciate, and support me as their friend and their minister. Since perfect pleasing is a perfect impossibility, why be surprised when imperfect people point out your imperfections? (Don't say that in front of a microphone!)
I guess we all do that some. We let the "squeaky wheel" run over us, or dominate our attention too much. It happens all the time in every church family. I few people complain to some elders, and all of a sudden "the whole church is upset, inactive, unfaithful, uninvolved, un-enthused, and/or leaving in droves!" A classic case of going from specific to generic, making mountains out of mole hills, and not seeing the forest for the trees - or any number of saying and cliche's we could apply to this. Shepherds are probably be best example there is of a group of people pleasers. How many decisions are made based on who and how many will be displeased? A happy church is a growing church right? Right - and since it is an impossibility to keep everyone happy, what does that say about us? The faith that is pleasing to God is not always a faith that will please people. If the purpose is clear and biblical, you will not please everyone. We need to keep our focus, please.
So here is the new Rootism I want to keep in front of my eyes and also share with my fellow church leaders. Don't let the squeaking wheel cause you to forget how full the wagon is!

Advice to Young Ministers

2011-08-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

A lot of years ago, my buddy Jim Mankin had me down to Abilene Christian University to speak to the Bible Majors about what full time ministry is like. I spoke to them about what I called Ministry Mountains, and after pointing out the abundance of "mole hills", I shared with them what I thought the three greatest challenges of being a full time preacher are. They are the Three Big "E's" of preaching: Ego, Elders, and Economics. These are not bad thing at all, but they are things that every minister must get a handle on or they will destroy your effectiveness and cause grief on every level of your life.
I could write volumes about my mistakes and life lessons with each of these, but that isn't why I share them in this article. I'm sharing them (again) to simply make the point that ministry is first, last, and always about glorifying God. I don't care how amazingly talented a minister may be, if they are not in an honest relationship with God, they will not deal with the Three Big "E's" in a godly way. Only a humble heart that is genuinely seeking to please God can stay focused on His plan and His mission for your life. It's a difficult job to be a dynamic and forceful leader and at the same time be humble and meek. Even the most humble leader will have people who misjudge their actions and motives, but God knows the truth. If unqualified men are given the title of Elder and in their need for control they make ungodly decisions - hurtful and destructive decisions - a minister who is walking with God must show what Jesus would do and not let that other "E" (ego) be their guide.
And in a day when churches are not expecting their ministers to take the Catholic "Vow of Poverty," and salaries are much more in line with qualifications and abilities, ministry can't be about "the money" or ever appear to be a driving force. At the same time, you can't control how people want to think. You can only choose to be at peace with God.
It will aways come back to integrity. There will aways be people who second guess, judge, and criticize, but when your conscience is clear and you know God is please - it becomes their mountain not yours.

Reflections on Teachers

2011-08-11T11:23:00.001-07:00

This coming Sunday I am beginning a new and short series of lessons called Back To School. I'm basically planning on using this time of "beginnings" to challenge everyone to refocus and reconnect with God. This Sunday I am discussing A Fresh Start, which is what the first days of a new School year are all about. As a result, I have really been doing a lot of reflecting and remembering as I try to deal accurately with what all our young people are heading into in the next couple weeks. I always loved the beginning of a new school year. I mention in this weeks bulletin article about my memories of seeing old friend, finding some new ones, wondering what kind of teacher I had, getting new books, new supplies, and, on a good year, some new clothes to wear for the first time. Looking good and feeling good! I was never afraid of going to school. I always looked forward to finishing up, what was by then, a long boring summer.
In the midst of all my reflecting, a couple things jumped out at me. First, what I'm talking about this Sunday, how important fresh starts are. We have so many throughout our lives and they are so pivotal for getting us back on track or reminding us of our priorities. Often those times of renewal are because of stressful changes in life - some by choice and some by circumstances, but they change us. As we grow older, we learn the importance of choosing renewal - of putting ourselves in a place we need to be to jump start our commitment. If we don't choose it, life will choose it for us - eventually.
The second thing that my reflecting did was remind me how important teachers have been in my life. I turned sixty last month, but I can tell you the name of every teacher I had since the first grade. I can see them in my mind, and I can remember things they taught me. That's saying a lot for a guy who can't remember the name of someone I shook hands with five minutes ago. It just reminds my that our culture has a truly twisted sense of who our heroes are. Those football, baseball, and basketball stars that we worshipped as we grew up are long forgotten. I lived through every Super Bowl Game ever played and I only remember a hand full. And those movie stars that we idolized over they years never did a single thing to improve the quality of our lives, and now they're just trivia questions every now and then on Jeopardy. But those teachers - men and women who never knew whether or not they made a difference, but who taught, encouraged, praise, and pushed all of us into another school year and into a better life - they are the real heroes of this world.
I wonder when we will start treating them with the recognition and reward they deserve? Could that be a better way to make sure "no child is left behind"?

Life is full of it...

2011-08-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

As we were walking this morning, I told my wife that I was that I was probably 85% following our South Beach Diet, and 15 % cheating, but for me, just not over-eating is doing more to help me lose weight than just sticking to the items on the diet. Then I said something I find myself saying regularly. "Isn't it amazing how much of life is a matter of balance?" We so quickly label things as "bad for us" when in reality, they aren't bad at all - unless we do too much of them. Chocolate is good. In certain amounts and at certain times, it can even be healthy. But if I choose to eat a sixteen ounce giant Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar, and do it enough, I shouldn't be surprised to see my spare tire turn into a Mac Truck sized inner tube, and find out that my arteries are clogged up worse than Granny's field lines. When I talked with my Doctor about possibly training to run a half marathon, he didn't say "Don't do it," but he did say he'd rather see me stay on a good regimented daily exercise program than overdue it, and spend months recuperating. I heard him say, "balance" even though he never used the word.
I was talking with one of my daughters about children today being so drawn to technological things, like Wi games, cell phones, Ipads, computers, and all the other devices available for today's kids. She was concerned about her children spending too much time connected to technological devices and not learning to socialize and use their minds for creative things. All those gadgets are for entertainment. Yes, there are some that are educational, but it has multiplied the number of electronic baby sitters that used to be just limited to TV. Any parent that allows their child or children to use technological devices and doesn't have guidelines and restrictions as to when, where, and how long they can be used, is a parent who is not parenting.
Again, it's a matter of balance. Those games, computers, and electronic toys are entertainment, but life isn't just about entertainment. Remember, proper parental control exists to guide children to proper self-control. If they don't learn the principle of balance in life, their life will be out of balance. Just think about the level of balance that is required to "love your neighbor as you love yourself." When things get out of balance, someone is going to have problems. That's what happens to children who never learn to balance things in life.
Now, were is my Ipad?

Another Happy Birthday!

2011-08-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

I borrowed these pictures from my daughter Elizabeth's blog because we didn't have any. The first day of our family vacation in Branson, we celebrated my birthday (just six days late) at the house we were renting for the week. I received two really neat gifts. Above is a custom made Cardinals shirt with my name and new age on it. I love it. Can't wait to wear it to a Cardinals game and have people wonder "Was there a player named Root? When did he play?" Thanks to everyone for a neat gift.

The BIG gift was this album that Deborah & Pat, Elizabeth & Chad, and Jonathan & Holly worked on as a joint gift for me. It's awesome. I knew they were putting a picture album together for me because I had to go through all my hunting pictures for them when they were here for the play in June. I had no idea they got most of my hunting buddies to write articles about a special memory or hunt with me.

What a thoughtful and super special gift that I will treasure for years. Thanks to Kev, Brian, Danny, Rob, Steve, Jonathan, and grandsons, Joshua and Carter for contributing to this special book of memories.

FYI family - I did put this shirt on last Sunday at the beginning of my lesson to show everyone. The pictures that were taken didn't come out very clear.

The Perfect Marriage?

2011-08-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

It only took a short amount of time to put together my notes for last Sunday evenings presentation on The Perfect Marriage. That is because I had spent many hours reflecting and building the lesson in my head over the last week - or should I say, sixty years. The process is not the point. The points are the point, and I thought I'd share a few of those with anyone who reads this blog. Here are some bullet points from the lesson.
1. There is no such thing as a perfect marriage. I have no knowledge of one in my life experiences from my parents, to people who have influenced me, to all the spiritual leaders I've ever know, and including the almost thirty-nine years that I've been in one.
2. All marriages involve imperfect people, and every one has problems and struggles. Even in the best marriages, there are times when you don't even like each other - for a while - but, like the song says, "Love will keep us together."
3. They really aren't marriage problems, they are character problems. Working through and resolving those problems builds stronger marriages and stronger character.
4. All marriages involve making the right choices. Paul gave us Jesus and the church as an example of a perfect marriage (Eph.5:21-33) because he couldn't find any on earth. His challenge is for us to choose submission, love, caring, oneness, and respect..
5. The key to making the right choice is thoughtfulness. It is thinking of others because you want what is best for them!
6. Thoughtfulness is looking to the needs of you spouse and recognizing they are different. Here is the Root List: Everyone married person needs...(both want the same but w/ a different focus)
A. Companionship: Women = sharing; Men = presence
B. Admiration & Respect: Women = self worth; men = achievements
C. Intimacy: Women = touch, hold, cuddle; men = sex
D. Trust: both want security, honesty, & commitment
7. All of these are only as strong as your ability to communicate. Remember, if you don't communicate you speculate!
8. The key to thoughtfulness is thankfulness. Thankfulness is what you tell yourself and thus what determines your values.
9. All marriages are learning and growing relationships as we learn to adjust to meet one another's needs through the years.
10. Just look at God dealing w/ the Israelites right after they miraculously crossed the Red Sea. They complained a lot, but surprisingly He listened! Water! Manna! Quail! Yes He was forced to punish there infidelity, but it's really a story of how deeply He loved his people and took care of their every need.

Summer Vacation

2011-07-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

I'm two weeks into being sixty and I hadn't felt old until we went to a water park in Branson yesterday. We are on vacation, it's terribly hot, we have seven small children from one year old to ten, and it seemed like the thing to do. First of all, it was fun. I went down every slide, including the huge vertical drop slide where they made me take off my old guy hat, old guy white shirt, sun glasses, and water shoes. Hey, it was fun, even with my hands full of stuff. I went on several rides with the sons-in-laws and older grandkids, but the one time I took a long hike to a ride without my shoes I got huge blisters on the balls of both feet. Yes, we're talking old guy limping all through the park. The last hour and a half, after several hours in the park participating, I rested on our loungers in the Kiddie Park area while the guys did a last few rides.
So what did I do? I people watched! Usually that's fun - like at the airport or in a store. This was a water park with mostly naked people. I say "mostly" because it's been a long time since I was in a water park and I saw more flesh than I ever wanted to see. Some, because they were way too revealing and appealing. One cute lifeguard walked back and forth in front of me - guarding of course - and I found myself thinking, "She is a really good looking gal!" Then it dawned on me that she was half the age of my daughters and I felt like a dirty old man.
Then there were the Michelin Man Mammoths in rubber bands! Ugh! Why reveal SO much to SO many and risk sun burning so many thousands of square inches of unprotected skin? I know - don't look. That's like attending a Macy's parade and focusing on the sidewalk. I'm thankful for sun glasses and beautiful little children splashing in the water, who were much more enjoyable to people watch.
Yes, maybe I am getting old. Skimpy swim suits, tattoos, and skin piercings galore make people watching a lot different than it used to be. Oh well, the things you do for grand kids.
Bye for now. I've got to go put something on my foot blisters.

Looking With New Eyes

2011-07-26T05:11:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning, on vacation, finding myself thinking about some things that we talked about last week while at a retreat. We had some good classes and discussions about how to interpret the Bible and I found myself coming back to the same problem that I believe most of us have as we try to understand God's written Word. The simplest way to put it is, we don't seek objectivity. Most of us approach reading the Bible with several preconceived conclusions that make getting the real meaning difficult if not impossible. I've written about this before, but it just seems to be more obvious as I hear people preach and teach things that are not contextually honest with the passage they are dealing with.
For instance, if you begin your study of the Bible with a basic belief that Christians must meet together on Sunday morning for a formal time of worship, with prescribed directions from God about what He wants done there - you will find passages that you will apply to that belief. Your "pre-taught" conclusions about what church is supposed to be and do will effect how you read the Bible. If you come from an evangelical background, you will take passages about evangelists and apostles and infer conclusions to support what you already believe. Not because you discovered those truths from an objective search of scripture, but because someone else taught you and convinced you that those passages were talking about the conclusions you expected to reach. That doesn't mean that the conclusions are ALL WRONG! I'm talking about honest interpretation of God's Word. The point may be taught in scripture, but that doesn't justify taking any verse out of context.
What are some other preconceived conclusions that effect our objectivity? The list is probably as long as any and all topics we are taught before we can read it for ourselves. Things like looking for laws, fear of the Holy Spirit, institutionalizing the church, belief in ceremonial acts, and maybe more than any other, the belief in salvation by works, which we reject intellectually, but practice religiously. Another huge attitude that impacts what you find when you study God's word is when you are reading it for ammunition to prove a point you want to argue. I was trained and educated using scripture (selected scripture) as proof-texts so I could win any debate. Talk about something that will rob you of the Spirit!
Just think about it and ask yourself what kind of preconceived conclusions you have when you read God's Word. Can you truly be objective and see what God wants you see.

Hi! Bye!

2011-07-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

We have been out of town attending a retreat in Tennessee this week. I had hoped to do a blog while at the retreat, but between being busy and not getting good wireless reception there, it was impossible to do. This was our eighth year to attend this retreat and we had a wonderful time of seeing some great friends and enjoying some neat spiritual encouragement. It's always interesting that each year, as we make the drive to TN, I find myself thinking that I had too much stuff to do at home and the office to be taking time for this trip, but as soon as I started seeing old friends and having some great shared experiences, I remembered why to do it. There is a reason it's called a "retreat" and it truly is a great "get-a-way" time for us each year. Unlike other years, we have a family vacation trip planned for tomorrow, so we are going from one trip right into the next. We are all ( minus the NY branch) meeting at a really nice and large rental house just outside of Branson, right on Table Rock Lake. We will get to be together all week and enjoy some great family time. I can't wait to see everyone and do some things together in a place I've only been to once before.
So, there may not be many new blogs this next week either. There might be, if the wireless reception there is good. I still have to finish up a sermon for the Sunday we come back, so I will need some quiet alone time, but I usually get that early in the morning. So there may be a blog after all. Thanks for checking either way! Hope your week has been as good as ours has. God is good.

Showers of Blessings!

2011-07-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures I took Saturday at the shower Donna and several helpers had at our house for Ashley and Caleb. For some reason my camera isn't focusing as well as it should, but these will give you the gist of what happened. Donna and the ladies did a super job of preparing everything and hosting a great shower for the young couple.

This was just before the start of opening all the gifts. They really got some nice stuff. There really are some guys present. About four are in the basement with me watching the Outdoor Channel. (Did you see those deer on the wall? Awesome!)

There was "food, glorious food" in every room. Good stuff!

This was at the very start of the shower. Before I sampled several of the above.

This is for family. Please notice: The DESK! It really does have a top.

When You're Hot You're Hot!

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are half way through our seventh year in north St. Louis, and it has been the craziest year yet weather wise. A long bitter winter was followed by bipolar spring, and now we have been setting summer heat records every other day. Hey - I'm thankful - at least it's not Texas, where the standard for HOT SUMMERS was seared into my body back in the '90's. Still, it's hot, and that effects the way we do church. How hot is it at church? Glad you asked.
It's so hot that...
1. We used the baptistry for a lobster fellowship!
2. We've replaced the word "brimstone" with "Coldstone" (as in ice cream)!
3. We don't let the "lower lights" keep burning! (Know your hymns?)
4. We call sweat - "showers of blessings"!
5. Hell really is everything outside our church doors!
6. Visitors are glad to not get "a warm welcome"!
7. We changed our "Coffee House Fellowship" to Pooped Popsicle People!
8. The elders announced that Air Conditioning was exempt from the "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" principle!
9. Three people who were "slain in the spirit" really just had heat stroke. (We knew all along they were mistaken!)
10. Wearing out a funeral fan is considered being "on fire for the Lord"!
11. We've cancelled all excitement until mid-September!
12. The biggest doubters in the church are asking if heaven will be air conditioned!

Doubts-A-Million?

2011-07-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

There is nothing unhealthy about honest doubts. For example, I know I'm saved. I spent my entire lesson last Sunday explaining why I know that. Yet, in my 46 years of being a Christian, I spent more of those years doubting my salvation than I have feeling secure about my salvation. As part of the introduction of my lesson, I made five statements about what it doesn't mean.
1. It's not about me being so righteous or good - I'm not!
2. It's not a matter of deserving it - I can't!
3. It's not about me figuring it all out - I haven't!
4. It's not about me having joined the right church - I was added!
5. I would be saved even if I didn't know it! Most of the time I haven't!
That last point is the one I want to emphasize. Most of my insecurities of the past, regarding my salvation, have come from the full awareness of sin in my life, and my sense of total unworthiness. My doubts, however, never kept me from searching and growing. I have said for many years that doubts are healthy if they are part of the growing process. They are unhealty if they are simply excuses to stop seeking or to make us feel better about our sins.
How can we think any other way? The very nature of seeking is asking questions, having doubts to remove, and searching for understanding. God is pleased and rewards the seeker (Heb.11:6), and that transcends our doubts and our ability to "figure it all out." Until I understood that what God wants to see in my heart was a desire to be going in the right direction (walking in the light - 1 Jn.1:7), I saw my journey as trying to do more good works and less sinful acts. Once I understood that going in the right direction meant my constant cleasing by the blood of Jesus - again, in spite of my sins which I'd be lying if I said I didn't have - I realized that salvation is HIS work not mine! (1 John 1:5-10)
What's the bottom line? I don't understand a lot of things in the Bible or in the mind of God. I don't think we were ever meant to in this life. And doubts? Yes I have some. Not about God and ANY promise he has made, but about many traditional teachings and conclusions that man has proclaimed. Our challenge isn't to know EVERYTHING, but to TRUST HIM! I believe that our level of doubting is directly related to our understanding of God's grace. What I have learned is that the more I come to know that his "grace is sufficent" for me, and that his power is made "perfect" or made complete when I am weak and absolutely MUST trust him - what is there to doubt? His grace is greater than my doubts, and I have no doubts about that!
His grace gives liberty and security. That may sound frightening to some, but his grace - when we really get it - makes us feel totally unworthy, and fills us with the motivation to please the One who could love us so much!

Is "Educated" past tense?

2011-07-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

I like to learn new things and learn more about old things. When family and friends tease me about my favorite TV channel being the History Channel, I like to remind them that if I can learn something and have fun doing it, it's the best of worlds. Actually, the one program I watch daily - and have for many years - is Jeopardy. I enjoy the challenge of trying to see how many questions I can get right - in response to their answers. I do pretty well - as long as it's a category that covers my short range of knowledge. Please, no opera or poetry! I prefer history, news, and even geography, and of course, any Bible categories. I have to admit that I have missed several Bible related answers through the years. Usually it was some obscure name or thing that would never appear in a class or sermon. Still, you can't know it all, and I was really glad that millions of viewers weren't laughing at "The Preacher" who blew it on national TV!
I watch it for the fun of it, and not because I want to impress anyone, or even be impressed with myself. If I don't know something - big deal - who cares! No one knows everything, right? Well, excuse me - Who is God?
As I study God's Word and move from book to book and testament to testament, I am constantly struck with how much I don't know, and - more distressing - how much I've forgotten. How many times while preparing for my Wednesday class on Genesis have I found myself saying, "Wow! I never noticed that!" or "Oh man - I forgot all about that!"? And then I'll be skipping through multiple books of the Bible as I prepare my sermon, and find myself reading something that totally grabs my heart and causes me to feel like it has been way too long since I've been in that book!
I don't know - is God's Word just so big and so full that a lifetime of studying it will just make you hungry for more? Am I that forgetful, or are there just so many great treasures to be discovered in its pages that refreshing the mind is as much a part of growing as discovering it the first time? Jesus did say that the Word was a seed. I guess - how the seed grows is totally dependent on how good the soil is. If the soil is good and the seed germinates and grows, doesn't that mean it will never be the same any two days in a row? Both the soil and the seed?

Who Loves Ya Baby?

2011-07-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I was dealing with the reason I believe God loves me. What would you say if you were asked that as a question? Certainly John 3:16 gives us all the answers we need, but what is so simple is also amazingly complex. For this lesson I defined love a little differently than I have in the past, especially since I was talking about being loved. After working through some possibilities from others, I said, "You know you are loved when someone wants what is good for you. The bottom line? Love is honest unselfishness." No one does it better than God.
It seems to me that God's love for us is seen in three somewhat synonymous, mostly overlapping, and yet distinctive characteristic. I know God loves me because I know God's goodness, God's giving, and God's grace. Again, they are inseparable and, depending on what you are looking at, separate as each tell us something different about God's love.
God's goodness is his holiness. He always wants what is best for us, and that means he is good even when good things, from our perspective, don't happen to us. He is interested in our character not our comfort, and the truth is, our faith grows the most during times of trials and suffering. It all depends on our ability to have his spiritual perspective on life. (2 Cor.5:1-10 & James 1:2-4) The most difficult part of understanding God's goodness is understanding how a good God can allow pain and suffering. It's the most often heard argument from those who doubt. I compared God to a parent who lets their child join the basketball team even though there will be mistakes, failures, losses, benchings, and potential injury. How could you do something like that to one you love so much? You know why.
God's giving is part of his goodness, (i.e Jn.3:16) but love is also a matter of what you don't give. Why hasn't God made me rich? He has, it's just a matter of who you want to compare yourself to. Even if it's not what you think it should be, why would God give you something that Jesus said would make it so much harder for you to enter the Kingdom of God? He is interested in our spiritual growth not our material ownership. Sometimes a loving God loves us so much that He has to say no to what we think we need. Hey - remember what he had to say to his only Son when he asked, "Let this cup pass from me."
His grace is his giving from his goodness, but there is nothing like it. Grace is God's love applied to my sinfulness. It is a holy God making a way for an unholy person to be declared holy. We keep wanting to limit it and qualify it, as we seek to judge who gets it and when it's applied, but his grace is greater than our arrogance. All other doctrines rest on it, (see Romans 5:1-5) and it is given in spite of us, not because of us (see Eph.2:1-10). Once we begin to grasp what it is and does for us, it becomes our power to deal with life. (see 2 Cor.12:7-10) Not only is it all we need, it means he dearly loves me.
God is so good!

Holy Sarcasm?

2011-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I struggle constantly with what constitutes appropriate sarcasm. I have always used sarcasm as a way to express humor, but also as a way to voice opinions and judgements in a way that is socially less offensive than the usual criticisms and personal digs that are clearly confrontational and hurtful. Several years ago it dawned on me that most sarcasm is just sugar coated negativity and semantically batter dipped barbs that, while witty and often cute, would never come from the lips of Jesus. Yes, I know that sarcasm has a place. It can emphasize a point, capture attentions, and cause a smile, but often it's a license to kill spirits, ridicule accomplishments, and vent poisonous gas from selfish gray matter. It is one of those things that you have to ask yourself why you are using it. Is it really the best way to show how quick and witty you are? Is it grabbing for attention at the cost of wounding others? Is it building up or tearing down?
Paul's words have haunted me for a lot of years now. Remember his challenge to "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph.4:29) Once you get past the occasional laugh that funny sarcasm my cause, at those rare times it isn't at the expense of hurting or humiliating someone else, it's hard to see when or how it helps, builds, or benefits anyone. Talk about a fascination with words, how does "wholesome" and "sarcasm" go together? It's not impossible, just not likely.
I shared a quote with our small group a while back that a friend shared with me. I really like it, especially as it is so appropriate to the times we live it. It's from Eric Hoffer, who said, "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." I thought of it the other day when a new potential presidential candidate was declaring how he wasn't afraid to be rude to get his message across. Well it makes me think! I wonder if sarcasm could be defined as a selfish person's impersonation of being kind? Does that sound sarcastic?

The Bible Is God's Word!

2011-06-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

I have never had a problem with the reliability of the Bible. I know it contains God's message of Good News to man. As I mentioned Sunday, if you believe there is a God, it's reasonable to expect him to communicate both his will for us - as the only part of his creation made in his image, and his directions for how to have a relationship with him. When we understand that he created us to be in a relationship with him, the meaning and purpose of the Bible is clear, and it changes the way we interpret every word of it. His Spirit inspired or guided the writers, and protected it from destruction or alteration through the centuries.
I have never really had any problems with the canonicity of the Bible - that is, are the right books in there or did something get left out that should have been in there. One of my standard "religious jokes" through the years has been, "We don't agree with the Catholics on hardly anything, yet we believe they did a perfect job of deciding which books belong in the Bible." I called it "selective trust" or maybe "grudging admiration" since we traditionally believe we have "all the pieces of the puzzle." The truth is, nearly the entire list of books that made the final cut had been considered "canonical" decades, even a couple centuries, before the formalization of it around 400 AD, and it involved a lot more scholars and theologians than a council of Catholic leaders.
What I have had problems with for several decades, is the assumption that God intended for his church to have access to all the pieces of the puzzle before we can know the truth. Because - as our traditional interpretive methodology has declared - you need all the parts to put together all the doctrinal patterns that complete the picture of what it means to truly be Christians like they were in the New Testament (aka - Restoration Theology). If that was the plan, it was poorly executed - especially when you consider how few people over the last two thousand years have had access to all the pieces (i.e. all twenty-seven NT books). How long has it been available to anyone who wanted to see it? Maybe the last two to three centuries? And how many of those first or second century brethren had access to all the parts.
I believe THE Gospel - the good news of Jesus - saves. Jesus is the truth. The truth is not having all the pieces of the doctrinal puzzle figured out. Consider this, if you only had a copy of one of the Gospels, would you have enough to become a child of God and be pleasing to God? I think you would. Everything else is great, but it's the tool box to help, not the law book to make us righteous.

Play Pics

2011-06-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

FYI for those who are interested, there are two hundred and something pictures from our play that have been posted on our webpage. They are really good, with lots of close-ups, and in no particular order. Go to the web page, click on Photo Gallery then on The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, in blue at the bottom of the window. Our good friend Ben took the pictures. I think he has done our pictures, especially our cast pictures, every year. He has a great zoom lens that caught some great facial expressions from several cast members. http://www.florissantchurchofchrist.org/

"Go thou and do likewise"

2011-06-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I started a list of passages of scripture that - in my opinion - have been sadly abused and misused through the years. Unfortunately, for some of these I have been just a guilty as he next guy. Just because something can be applied, doesn't mean it should - especially if you are trying to represent the author correctly.

Ten of the Most Abused Passages in the New Testament
1. Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." This is all about resolving problems with a brother and has NOTHING to do with the assembly of the saints. I still remember a preacher using this verse to say that if you miss church, you're missing a chance to be with Jesus!
2. John 9:31 "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will." There is a principle of answered prayer there, but this is an uninspired healed man, who is being questioned by the Pharisees. To use this verse to teach that God only listens to Christians is to ignore the whole principle of seeking him. He was only trying to say that God was clearly listening to Jesus.
3. 1 Corinthians 14:32 "For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace." This admonishment to inconsiderate tongues speakers and prophets has nothing to do with whether or not it's okay to sing during the passing of communion. Don't say "Duh!" I've heard it used that way.
4. 1 Corinthians 14:40 "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." This is not a defense of tradition or the standard order of worship.
5. Philippians 2:12 "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling." It is not a call for involvement but a call to continue on a journey to know God better. "...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (vs.13)
6. Matthew 28:19-20 The Great Commission - you know it. Jesus never called all of his followers to be missionaries spreading his Gospel. He did call on all of us to be his witnesses wherever we are. There is a reason why "apostle" means "one sent".
7. Hebrews 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." This never was about attendance, but about missing an opportunity to encourage others. The whole point was looking for ways to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds." If the assembly stops being an opportunity to encourage others, and all about "getting" encouraged - it stops being what God wanted it to be.
8. Titus 1:5-9 & 1 Timothy 3:1-7 You know it - the elder stuff. I don't believe Paul ever intended this to be a list of the qualifications of an elder. He was simply describing what a mature, godly leader might look like.
9. Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." The concept of faith in this passage is not doctrinal correctness. Faith is the earnest seeking after God, who "we do not see" (vs.1). This isn't about the right conclusions but the right journey.
10. 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Paul was talking about the Old Testament "holy Scriptures" Timothy had been studying since his infancy, not the 27 books, including his thirteen letters, that would centuries later be known a the New Testament. It might apply, but he certainly wasn't thinking of that when he wrote to Timothy.

I Believe Jesus Is the Son of God!

2011-06-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

Faith is what you tell yourself - primarily about things you can't see. When you think about it, the vast major of what we know is knowledge by faith. We haven't been to all the places we know about, or seen very many of the things we've heard about, but we trust the witnesses and evidence we've been presented and we have little problem accepting things as fact. An old Roy Rogers and Dale Evans song said, "Have faith, hope, and charity. That's the way to live sincerely. How do I know? The Bible tells me so."
When you are answering the question "Why do you believe Jesus is God's Son?" your answers - your faith - will rest on whether or not you believe the Bible is true and from God. That is my lesson for this coming Sunday, but for now, the Bible is my primary source of evidence. Here is a brief overview of how I answered that question last Sunday.
I believe Jesus is God's Son...
1. Because God says he is! (And I believe God - see last weeks lesson) We all remember what God said at the baptism of Jesus, and again at his Transfiguration. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Can you accept or believe only SOME of what God says? Look at some of Jesus' declarations in John 5, 8, and 14.
2. Because his life says he is! (This needs to be a separate sermon on its own.)
A. Look at what he left! Philippians 2:6
B. Look at what he became! vs.7
C. Look at what he sacrificed! vs.8
D. There is no other explanation for who is was/is!
3. Because his signs say he is! (Who else could do these things?)
A. His signs show that he is Lord of creation. (Jn.1:1; 8:58)
B. His signs show that he was a compassionate teacher
C. His signs show that he was a purpose driven Son
4. Because his teachings say he is! (Not just claims!)
A. His total focus on his father (at 12; in his ministry)
B. His total focus on his priorities (Plan! Timing! Place!)
C. His total focus on love (His obedience, journey, goal = God)
5. Because witnesses say he is! Witnesses who died for their faith!
A. Peter: Matt.16:18 then in Acts 2:36
B. Thomas: Jn.20:28
C. Paul: Phil.2:9-11
6. Because his resurrection says he is!
A. His resurrection was the Good News (check out Acts preaching)
B. His resurrection confirms our resurrection. Rom.6:4-5
C. There is no explanation for why God raised him from the dead other than he was his Son - the Messiah.
7. Because my heart says he is! Like the woman at the well in Jn.4, the more I'm with him the more he confirms who he is. God's promise of seeking & finding is true with Jesus! No one who ever lived is like him, is as one with God, and willing to die for me to pay my debt!
Conclusion: "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird? It's a plane? It's Superman!" One of my favorite childhood TV shows. You see observation! Options! Reaching the only reasonable conclusion. When you look at Jesus - check the options - there is only one reasonable conclusion.

Where's The Ark?

2011-06-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

We had a huge storm come through early this morning, just as I was getting up at 5:45, and at 6:30 I stepped out on our porch and noticed how "out of the banks" our little pond was. The above picture may not seem too unusual to you, especially if you haven't seen it at normal times, but there are weeds on the edge of the pond that are three feet tall, and they are under water. It's almost into our actual back yard property.

For family and friends, this picture probably show better how high the pond got. Notice how close it is to our neighbor's porch, which is a good bit closer to the pond than we are. Then look at the spill-way in the upper right, and the usually high embankment. Our oldest grand kids like to play in that area when they visit. At the time of this picture, it's several feet higher than normal. In fact, I've never seen it this high in our six and a half years of living here. It probably has been this high, but it was at night and we couldn't see it. I know it had to get up about this high to wash away the goose nest, eggs and all, that was just below our house back in the early Spring. This is really just a holding pond, but it's been here for around twenty-five years, so it has a lot of wildlife and fish in it, and has very little human interference. We've been entertained the last week by a momma duck with about eight little fluffy ducklings swimming behind her. Hope they made it through the flood.

"Out of the mouth of...smart kids!"

2011-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

After the Sunday morning assembly time, I came back into my office to put my Bible (and glasses) up, and found a red-smiley-face balloon in my chair. I could tell it had something rattling around in it, but I had no idea why it was there or what it was for, so I set it on my desk and rushed on to "meet & greet". At our Tuesday morning staff meeting, Donna told me it was from the 3rd an 4th grade Bible class, and the things inside it were messages to me. Well, it was Wednesday before I had a chance to slice it open and see what the messages were. Here they are - as they appeared on the tiny rolled up pieces of paper.
"Your the Preacher ever" w/ smiley face. I'm not sure if a word is missing or if it's a "styling" compliment, with a strong emphasis on "the". I still like it.
"thank you for teaching my parents about God - Sens they know about God they can tell me now." I love it that they are thinking about their parents.
"kind hearted, good Preacher, good singer, funny, cool, love u" You can't tell me that kids have no taste!
"funny, nice, cool, awesome, a good actor" I hope that last one is a reference to the play and not my preaching. Love it!
"You are awsomely awsome" Can it get any better than that?
"Pastor Mike: You are a wonderful man of God You have such a Gift from God." Wow! That is so encouraging and humbling because either this kiddo it way older than their years, or they have been hearing some wonderful things from their parents. Maybe both.
Thank you to the teachers who had their kids do this, and thank you to some great kids who made my day - maybe my week - hey, maybe my month!

Here's What My Heart Tells Me

2011-06-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

In the last blog I offered the challenge to list the reasons why you believe in God. This is a brief overview of what I presented Sunday.

I introduced the subject by talking about those who deny the reality of the Holocaust in the face of so much evidence. My two transition sentences were: "Because of what my heart tells me about the evidence I've heard and seen - I believe, and therefore know, there was a Holocaust. Because of what my heart tells me about the evidence I've heard and seen, I believe and therefore know, there is a God." My points are not as much about scientific and/or logical arguments as they are about what my heart tells me. Here are the top reasons I believe in God.

1. Because I can't ignore my heart! The reality of God is innate. We are born knowing there is a superior being who is in charge. Every culture in every era everywhere knows it. We are more than instincts and needs, we know we have a soul. The very fact that we have to work to reject that shows we are more than just the top of the food chain.
2. Because I can't ignore order, design, and beauty! Who or what, in all of creation cares besides us? We know there is a "who" behind such a clear sense of purpose for everything. That is what Paul was refering to in Romans 1:19-20. "He is clearly seen in the things he has made."
3. Because I can't ignore my inner spirit that says "there is more" to life and living! I have a moral consciousness - a sense of right or wrong - a sense of "ought" that is more than education. I know there is something more - to come!
4. Because I can't ignore the testimony of others past and present! People I love and respect. People wise and educated, who did not see knowledge as ego. People who drove our history. People who were called by God, obeyed, and gave their lives in service to God. They are either a testimony of reality or they are all crazy.
5. Because I can't ignore that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Ps.139:14) More than design and spirit - a matter of "awe". Our bodies are more complex and amazing than any computer. Hundreds of systems performing thousands of tasks every second of every day. I also know it was never meant to last, and that's okay - there's more.
6. Because I hear God say "yes" when my heart asks him "Do you love me?" I know he does. He created me for relationship with him. He planned everything to make it happen. He paid the price and declared his love for me!
Conclusion: BUT what if I'm wrong? Have I really missed out on anything important? Love? Relationships? Quality of life? Character of heart?
BUT - if you ignore and reject God - what if you're wrong? You have to ignore your heart, the evidence, and your own common sense, just to feel better about your sinful living.
Didn't Jesus tell a story about a man who was surprised to wake up in torment?

How Do You Know?

2011-06-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Do you know someone who isn't a Christian, who isn't a believer? What would you say if that person asked you, "Why do you believe in God?" Do you have some ready-made answers in your brain pocket to given them? Have you studied apologetics enough that you're ready and able to debate the existence of God? I have, but I'm not - ready or willing. I don't believe you ever change or win anything with an atheist, especially one who wants to argue their case. But what about that honest seeker who just wonders why you believe there is a God? What would you say? Have you even thought about it?
I am beginning a new series of lessons this coming Sunday on "The Reason I Believe" and the first lesson is "The Reason I Believe In God." I really didn't want to pull out my Christian evidence books and review all the scientific and logical arguments. I just want to answer it from my heart. Sure, part of what my heart says is based on some proofs and some logic, but it's a heart that has been seeking for over forty-five years. What's in it? Why do I know that God is there, involved, caring, listening, answering, and waiting? How do you know - or do you?
Take out some paper and a pen and write down your list. Not from someone elses book, but from the pages of your heart.
I'll share my reasons next week, after I present it to my church family on Sunday. Let's see if we match, or if you came up with something I should have.

Is life a "pair of bulls"?

2011-06-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Life is full of weird feelings. Some of them seem down-right contradictory - like crying with joy or laughing at sadness. That's a little bit what it's like to feel a "good tired." I mean, when you're tired - you're tired, and it usually isn't something to cheer about. This year's Bible Action musical took a lot of work. Everything from dress rehearsal through the four performances that ended Sunday night was fun and excited, but it really wore me out. Sunday usually does that when there's not a play. BUT, it feels good to be tired doing something that is worthwhile. It feels good to be worn out and sharing it with people you love to be with - and who are equally worn out. I've shared it multiple times, but our purpose or motto in the play, is "Have fun, do your best, and glorify God." It's truly a good formula for life, but it truly expresses what I feel like we all did with our play this year. It's thrilling to see a plan come together! It's exhilarating to see everyone stay focused and committed, and working like a well-oiled machine! It's uplifting to see extra chairs being put out during the performance as the overflow crowd continued to come in after the start of the play! It's wonderful to have such great shared memories that included family and friends and stories that we'll be talking about for years to come.

There are tons of spiritual lessons it makes me think about, as well as loads of scriptures that come to mind. But, the thing that echos in my heart more than anything else is - God is good! He answers prayers that we began praying many months ago. What really blows my mind is wondering how much he guided what we did? Did he put the people in place to pull this off? Did he put the ideas in my head? Did he use us to speak to someone who attended, who he wanted to hear the message we presented? Was it all part of an answer to a prayer someone besides us prayed? Who did he lead to be in our auditorium one or more of those four shows?

I guess it really isn't about what "we pulled off" but about what he did to accomplish his will!

Another reason for the tired feeling to be called good!

What a great cast & crew!

2011-06-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the last night of this year's musical. It has really gone well and I am so proud of the job that every cast and crew member has done. This is the cast picture that our good friend Ben took for us last Wednesday after the dress rehearsal. Click on it and enlarge it if you want to see faces a little better. We've had excellent crowds each night, and like usual, we've gotten better each night. It has truly been a lot of fun. It's just so nice to have people walk out after the show and tell us how much they enjoyed it, but also how they "got" the lessons from each of the three parables we retell as westerns. And of course, it's wonderful to see some old friends who came to see the show. It has truly been a blessing in every way and makes all the hard work more than worth it.
We've got a lot of family visiting with us. Some of the grand kids have seen the show every night. This week I'm hoping we can relax and just spend some fun time together. I'll try do a blog on Tuesday, and it might even be about something other than the play.

Dress Rehearsal

2011-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

You'll have to come to the play to figure out what this is. It's safe to say it's something you may never have seen in a church building before.

This is the narrator's stage with me and Steve Bechtel (sitting) as the narrator's. The other two fellows are helping me sing my song about The Rich Man & Lazarus.

Dress rehearsal went well. It's a great play. We'd all love to have more rehearsals, but we'd feel that way no matter how many we had. I'm very proud of the great job everyone as done. Time to leave for tonight's first performance. I'll try to put some more pictures in a couple days.

God's Incredible Children

2011-05-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have truly enjoyed, and been inspired by, my own personal study and preparation for the series of lessons I've done in May called God's Incredible Family. I did one lesson on what it means to be the family of God, and then I did lessons on Moms, Budgets, Dads, and last Sunday, Children. This last one was the only one I had a little trouble with. I didn't want to just do an old rehash of Jesus with the children in Matthew 18 - but then - I really looked at. You can listen to it on the church web page, but I wanted to share what I called Three Challenging Principles from Matthew 18:1-14.
1. A child was Jesus' best illustration of greatness in God's kingdom. (vs.1-4) Wow! Just think about what that means! Of all the things he could have chosen - he picked children as a powerful example of what God is looking for! What is greatness in God's eyes? A humble seeking heart! But here is the point from this that grabbed me - it's not just an illustration but a declaration! Children are in the kingdom of God and HE dearly loves them. It's not just a symbol but real! Everything else he says is supporting that fact!
2. Jesus clearly proclaims God's love for children! (vs.5-9) He warns anyone who would mislead them: 1) To welcome them is to welcome him; 2) If you cause them to sin - it's better to die! 3) If you are a Sin Carrier = cause others to sin = you need radical surgery! Then he warns anyone against minimizing their importance. 1) They have angels watching over them w/ direct access to God (vs.10), and they are individually more important than the whole. (vs.12-14)
3. Jesus presents one of the most challenging demands of His ministry! (vs.3) He declares it a truth = fact, indisputable, that gives us insight to God. He demands that we "change and become like little children." Spiritually speaking, the older you get in Christ, the more child-like you become. That's not what we see in many "older" Christians today! He wants to see humility (Importance comes from God); seeking (a heart wanting to know God), and the rejection of worldly greatness (what makes someone great and what makes a church great). He is clear about the failure to follow his challenge. "You will never enter the kingdom of heaven!" That's more than eternity with God in heaven - it is the spiritual world of God now!
With all the things we fuss and fume and divide over, there is nothing about what Jesus wants here that is hard to understand. He and His Father are always clear about what they really want! Maybe we're too grown up to "get it"!

The Real Outback

2011-05-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile, so I thought I'd say it again. I love our back porch. Here we are in the last days of May, and we're finally getting some nice days of consistent warm Spring weather. Our back porch is so peaceful that I love to sit out there and enjoy the flowers and the wildlife, and just relax for a while. If you look really hard (or click on the picture and zoom in) you'll see the Humming bird feeder at the far end of the porch. I love watching them. They're pretty and they are amazing. They come in so quickly and zoom away so fast that it's really difficult to even see them, let alone get a picture.

These are some of the flowers we got this Spring just to add some color to the view on the porch. Before I put the feeder up, the Humming birds would feed straight from the flowers. Neat to watch!

I did manage to get this picture of a Humming bird coming in to feed. I really was only about eight feet away and I had my zoom on full. If your computer will let you, click on the picture and zoom it in for a great up close look at a very beautiful part of God's creation. Hopefully they'll keep showing up when all the grand kids are here next week.

God's Incredible Dads

2011-05-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

FYI: Just wanted to share my points from last Sunday's lesson on God's Incredible Dads. I know it's a month until Father's Day, but, like I said about Moms, any and every day can and should be Father's Day. To any of my young preaching buddies - feel free to use any or all of the following if you're looking for a good Father's Day sermon. As I say often, "That'll preach!"

Ten Traits of Real Dads
1. Real Dads should be grown-ups! (Mature, priorities straight, & unselfish - Heb.5:11 - 6:3)
2. Real Dads want to be real men not peer wimps! (Stop trying to impress guys who haven't learned point #1)
3. Real Dads are heroes at home - first!
4. Real Dads value trust and integrity! (Small compromises for you become life changing rationale for your child later!)
5. Real Dads love and honor their wife! (Best thing you can do for your children! Say it, show it, make it clear!))
6. Real Dads respect their wife and demand the same from everyone in the family!
* Respect her work, her opinions, and her needs. Eph.5:25-33
* Defend her to kids, relatives, and everyone else!
7. Real Dads are thoughtful!
8. Real Dads are thankful! (Secret to a successful marriage & to being thoughtful)
9. Real Dads are developing a deeper relationship with Jesus! (Not arrived, but journey. Talk to Him = being thankful)
10. Real Dads see souls not just kids! (Priorities: "What does it profit a man..." and peace. The only way to live in a real life and death world.)
Conclusion: Notice I said very little about what to teach your children. Why? What they see is more important!

The $500 Cake

2011-05-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wondered what a $500 cake looks like, take a close look at the one in the picture. It's a German Chocolate Cake, lovingly named five years ago as The Cootie Cake, because of the chocolate candy swirls on top. You've got to be old to remember The Cootie Game. Anyway, Donna made this for our annual Dessert Auction last night. It is a fund raiser for our Teen Mission trip this year to Mexico. I was planning to bring it back home - cause it's a great cake - for $100, but the opening bid was $200. The bidding was hot & heavy between a group who pooled their money together and a good friend who LOVES Donna Root's cakes. He won the bidding with $500 and had to run home to get his check book. Wow! Donna has made this cake every year and the highest it's brought in was $300. She wasn't even going to make it this year, but one of the organizers called her and asked her to make it - since it always made so much money.
It was a fun time together. I haven't heard what the total amount raised was, but I'm sure it was a lot. I hope my good buddy Steve Smith enjoys every slice of that cake. I know he enjoys knowing he helped a worthy mission effort.
Just a family note! Just for future references - when you make food requests for Nana, remember which one is NOW the MOST VALUABLE! Isn't that like $50 a slice?

Sharing With The Family

2011-05-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

This morning the cast sang one of the praise songs from this year's play. It's something we've done every years since we starting doing the annual musicals six years ago. Not only does it give us a chance to show off a little of what is in the play, but it allows us to get the rest of the church family excited about what the play will be like. We need members to help us hand out advertisements and personally invite people to come to the play. This helps get them motivated.

We had a few cast members out of town today, but the group did a great job. They sang one of our Southern Gospel songs from one of the Gaither Homecomings. They did Shouting Time In Heaven and did a little "rockin' out" as you can see in the above picture. They're clapping - just in case you were wondering why their hands where up. It will be interesting to see how "involved" the audience gets this year. You can also see some of the set that is partially constructed.

I mentioned this morning that starting today (Sunday) we can start saying that the play is next week. We've still got a lot to do, but it will be great. Hope you can see it.

Reading Material?

2011-05-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this picture the other day. It had the caption "Volume One, On Understanding Women". I was going to use it my lesson this Sunday about "God's Incredible Dads" with a point about "Real Dad's recognize that they will never totally understand their wife." I decided it wasn't worth the effort for a brief laugh. I am intrigued by the picture above. It seems to me that there are many other potential captions that would fit. Here are my Top Dozen ideas.

1. "This is the latest commentary on the Silence of Scriptures"
2. "A few wise saying for my kids"
3. "Some Random Additions to my books on Worship"
4. "Things I don't like about other drivers"
5. "I'm tolerant, but these are a few opinions I have about bowhunting"
6. "Vol. One: Things I Shouldn't Have Said"
7. "So, you wanted to see how much a Flash Drive really holds?"
8. "A Short List of the Only Candy I Can Eat"
9. "600 Blogs - Now available for purchase!"
10. "An outline of Sunday's Lesson on 'The Pragmatic and Utilitarian Aspects of the Documentary Hypothesis' with discussion questions"
11. "Our Tax records so far in 2011 of our trips to Fritz's for Frozen Custard"
12. "Things in the Cabela's catalog I've highlighted for Christmas"

Any ideas?

One Blog At A Time...

2011-05-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

My previous post was my 600th post on this blog. Wow. I know it's an overused cliche' but it really does seem like just a short time ago I began this adventure. At the time, all three of our kids (yes, they're all thirty-something) had blogs and it seemed like a great way to share pictures, thoughts, and inspiration with them and anyone else who cared about us. I have tried to do two or three blogs a week and I try to keep it a mixture of personal/family stuff and devotional/inspirational stuff - and of course, sometimes it's a mixture of both. A lot of other peoples blogs have come and gone over the last five years that I've been doing this one, and frankly, I'm still a little surprised that I enjoy it and still do it. It's very difficult to "have" to write something, but most of the time I have so many things running through my mind that it's more a matter of "which" than "what"? I have been surprised to hear from people from all over the country who say they read it regularly so comments, or lack thereof, isn't a good measure of its reach. I'm surprised that there are nearly a thousand hits a month, but then, a hit doesn't always mean a reading. And one of the more interesting things I've had to teach myself about writing a blog is to not let it be a measure of love and friendship. Sometimes, the people you love the most and want to stay in touch with the most, don't see reading my blog as a test of their loyalty and love. I know that. In fact, I learned that a long time ago when I'd give copies of one of my books to family or friends - assuming they would devour it with as much passion as if it had been written by Swindoll, Lucado, or even the Holy Spirit - only to find out mouths later that it went straight to the shelf, just under the unread Reader's Digest. We must be careful about personal tests of love, just as the church should about tests of faithfulness.
Anyway, after rattling on for so long with this present "masterpiece"(?), I do want to thank any and every person who has checked in on my weekly compositions of family memories, pet peeves, wild theology, and occasional wisdom. Hopefully something in one of these 600, I mean 601, blogs has blessed you in some way. If it is the Lord's will, I plan on doing a few more.

Paul's Rights?

2011-05-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

I can't remember a time when I complained about my salary as a minister of the Gospel. My brethren have always taken great care of me and my family. I haven't asked for a raise since our second child was born in the late seventies, and I've never moved to another church family for a salary increase. It was always a lateral or less financial move. I am thankful that the "vow of poverty" is not one of the Catholic traditions we still keep today (among others that we do).
So, with the disclaimer out of the way, as I was preparing this week's lesson on God's Incredible Budget (every family has to deal with finances), I was completely surprised to notice some very interesting things the New Testament teaches about every member's financial responsibilities to the family. There really are only two reasons why God commanded His children to give money to a general fund. The only times members contributed in the New Testament was out of compassion for those in need, and to support those who teach the Gospel. To use familiar institutional language, it was for Missions and/or Benevolence. Christians gave to help family members in their congregation or other congregations who were in need, and to support those spiritual leaders who worked locally or were spreading the Gospel somewhere else. (Acts 2:42-46; 4:32; 1 Cor.16:1-2; 2 Cor.8-9) Everything else is a matter of expediency.
That is probably not such a new revelation to most students of the Bible, but what I found truly interesting was how much New Testament scripture was devoted to paying ministers. Read 1 Corinthians 9 again. Paul devoted more space to his "right" to receive financial support than most of the doctrines we call "essential" and "correct." He gives multiple illustrations of the principle of paying, sharing, or rewarding those who serve, and where else does Paul talk so much about his "rights" as a minister and an apostle? He is very clear: "...the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel." But, after making all those arguments, he then explains "But we did not use this right".
I know it's semantics to most people, but I have argued for decades that ministers are not employees of the church or the elders, we are ministers of God who are supported by the church. That probably doesn't mean much to most people until you realize that ministers were never meant to be treated like employees by the church or by elders - even if that is what the government says we are. It's a relationship of partners in the gospel, not the "power of the purse."
Just a few sentences after deferring his rights, Paul declared, "...I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." If getting paid ever becomes more important than that passion and commitment - well, that person is in the wrong line of work. Still, I'm thankful that I don't have to learn how to make tents.

Mom's & Mantras

2011-05-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

In my nearly four decades of preaching, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I actually preacher a sermon about mothers on Mother's Day. I have never liked letting the world determine which days are special, which by it's very nature is an admission that some days aren't. Hence, my hesitation to feel pressure to focus one day on things that should be every day (i.e. Day of Prayer, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. etc.) Nevertheless (don't you love that word?), last Sunday, as part of a month long series on God's Incredible Family, I talked about God's Incredible Moms. She is a woman of "noble character" (Prov.31:10-31), a woman of "great worth to God" (1 Peter 3:1-6), and my last point was "She must be aware of Satan's successes." The three sub-points for this, were originally the main points, but I decided it was too negative for a Mother's Day lesson. I won't elaborate on them, but I did want to share them on my blog. (The whole lesson is on the church web page)
1. What is sad is to see women who have to be the spiritual head of the family.
2. What is sad is to see women who have learned to be as big of a jerk as men are - sometimes.
3. What is sad is to see women who don't understand the importance and joy of being spiritual Moms.
I suspect you can do your own "explain, illustrate, & apply" to each point, and yes I know there is a lot to say about Dad's, but his is about Moms. Dads are week after next.
One of the toughest things anyone has to deal with as a parent is remembering what REALLY MATTERS. Keeping priorities straight! Keeping the main thing the main thing! Basically remembering that you only have one chance to do it right and then you spend the rest of your life reliving your mistakes, your immaturity, and your regrets. It doesn't have to be that way if you stay focused on what REALLY MATTERS.
I believe the other side of the coin is just as important. A Rootism that I have written about before is this: Real wisdom is knowing when something "Just really doesn't matter." If you are uptight and stressed out about all of life's responsibilities and the need to "do it all perfectly," - learn to say that phrase as a mantra for life's "mole hills". Take a deep breath - think about what you are uptight about - it's not life or death, and it's not about eternal matters, and it's not about self-worth! Repeat it over and over several times - IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER.
I use it often - sometimes several times a day. It works for self imposed deadlines and for people who treat you by their own mantra of "What have you done for me lately." What does matter is being at peace with God.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here are my two favorite Mothers helping each other pin their flowers on before we left for church this morning.

And this is the finished product with the roses from the Bills and the pretty card from the Miloms. I wonder whose Diet Coke that is? Duh. They clean up pretty nice don't they?

Cool Cards Game

2011-05-05T04:58:00.000-07:00

If you are a Cards fan, you can tell by his stance that this is Albert at bat. Unfortunately, he didn't do much to help them win the game on Tuesday night. We took Donna's Mom to the game after visiting Union Station and then catching a great dinner at TGI Friday's. We had a lot of fun. It was a beautiful day except for being unusually cool for the first week of May.

I did say "unusually cool" right? Well, how about cold? This is a picture from early in the game and you can see that Donna and her Mom are already bundled up. I was too. It was only about 49 degrees, but the wind was blowing and with only jackets and light clothing on, it got pretty cold. We actually left after the sixth inning and listened to the rest of the game on the radio as we drove home - with the heater on. I was still a lot of fun and great to have the best Mother-in-law in the world visiting us.

"Ding dong, the witch is dead!"?

2011-05-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

We've all been reminded, and consequently rethinking, about the events of 9/11 almost ten years ago. In my nearly six decades of breathing, it is the only national tragedy that surpasses that November day in Dallas when we lost our President to a crazy man with a gun. The images of those airplanes slamming into those towers and knowing that hundreds just died right before my eyes, and the horrible sight of those giant buildings collapsing down, one floor at a time, taking the lives of WTC employees and hundreds of rescue workers, are burned into our minds as permanently as that iconic picture of the USS Arizona exploding on December 7, 1941.
Many of us have another image burned into our heads. One that many have forgotten about and I haven't seen replayed on the News yet. It is the video clips of people who hate America celebrating and cheering after hearing the news about the 9/11 attack. To them, it was a great victory. To them, the 19 Muslims who hijacked the four planes and turned them into suicide bombs were martyrs and heroes. To them, the man identified as the leader and architect behind the attack was idolized as a champion and super hero. I remember my anger building up as I watched them cheer and dance and thinking to myself, "Where's 'The Bomb" when you truly need it?" I'm glad I didn't let the sun go down on that anger, but the mental pictures are still there.
And now Osama bin Laden is dead. After nine and a half years of hiding and mocking our military and intelligence people, his body has found a cold grave in the depth of the sea. I am glad that justice was served, and that the world is a better and safer place. I deeply admire the soldiers who went in there and got it done, and all the support people who helped pull it all together. I am proud of our soldiers and the success of our country.
Please excuse me if I don't feel the call to dance and cheer. I don't want to look like those people who danced and cheered in 2001 when my country was attacked and my fellow country-men where massacred. I don't want to look anything like them. I don't want to criticize any American who has been cheering and dancing, but it makes me uncomfortable. This isn't a football game. This is life and death. This is about people who are walking and breathing one second and the next standing before God to give account of themselves. I can't see Jesus celebrating over someone being killed, even if it was justified - even if it fits the biblical definition of "Be sure your sins will find you out."
Thanks to a well known movie, and a vivid imagination, I also have a mental picture of people cheering the order "Crucify Him!" Of course, there is no comparison, but there is a principle of propriety, seriousness, and eternity that makes any death nothing like a college pep rally.
Can you imagine Osama explaining himself to God? That's heavy stuff! But then, each of us will do the same thing.

God's Incredible Family!

2011-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

For the month of May I will be presenting a short series of lessons on God's Incredible Family. It is my belief that much of what we struggle with as a church (everywhere) can be traced back to its transformation from a simple family to an institution. Along with becoming an institution the church then became a place, a time, a keeper of orthodoxy and traditions, and the definer of faithfulness, evangelism, giving, and worship. Those were never part of the intended purpose of of God's people getting together. In today's culture of individualism, anti-institutionalism, and consumerism, the more the church protects and pushes that agenda the more the unchurched and marginal members are turned off to "church".
We must recapture the biblical concept of God's family! There is a reason God used the family image to define, describe, and direct his people. It is the natural conclusion of love. It is the the only group identity where people are, and stay, bound to one another, because love is what you are not just what you feel. Families thrive and remain committed to one another even when they get angry, strongly disagree, get irked with one another, and can't agree on what TV shows to watch. They don't split and start the Eastside Smith Family verses the Westside Smith Family. Because they are family they love each other even when it doesn't feel good. They support each other even when they really don't care much about watching soccer, dance recitals, or graduations. It's what families do. They each have responsibilities and they all do their part to take care of family treasures, property, and the family image in the neighborhood. Everyone helps to pay for what the family does. The older or more mature the young ones get, the more they contribute. It's what family do. Rules are sometimes needed and understood, guilt rarely works, pulling together in hard times is a no-brainer, and love is always the tie that binds.
If you want to see what a church family looks like, read Acts 2:47 and remember how those early Christians just wanted to be together and use every tool God gave them to help each other grow spiritually. Instead of trying to come up with a new set of goals, vision statements, and borrowed Church Growth ideas, why not ask the simple question, How can our church be more of a family? How can we be defined by our love for one another rather than a one hour program on Sunday morning that we can't all agree on anyway?
Maybe those people we are trying to reach with the Good News of Jesus are really looking for a family and not a religious corporation. God is "our Father" not our CEO. The Bible, especially the New Testament, makes a lot more sense when we hear the Holy Spirit talking to a family rather than an exclusive Sunday morning club.

Building Integrity

2011-04-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is the final lesson in this series. This one is already on our web page - I listened to part of it yesterday mainly because I'm getting my next voice treatment this Friday and I wanted to hear how my voice was sounding. I was a little surprised at how much time I spent using Daniel as my example of integrity. Good stuff, but it really is just the intro. I feel very blessed and humbled about this series. I am thankful for the years of experience that God gave me in order to share things I never could have earlier in my live. I would love to share these with any church that might like to have some kind of family seminar, retreat, or workshop.

Building Integrity
Introduction:
A. Examples of "little" things we do that compromise our integrity with our children
B. Read about Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego in Dan. 1-6
C. Integrity is like trust - fragile and hard to repair
D. Integrity or lack of it, reveals the real us
E. How can you teach what you don't have? Yet we all want our children to have it.
F. Where does it come from?
1. Integrity comes from a deep desire for honesty. (Genuine & total!)
A. Integrity is what you are when no one is looking
B. What is your integrity worth to you? An overpayment? An IRS refund? Etc.
C. Keep your word at all cost! Be obsessive about being honest!
2. Integrity comes from a deep desire for consistency.
A. The misery of inconsistency, yet we learn to live with it?
B. Who would question your integrity? Why? Are you okay with that?
C. Integrity should drive you - not anonymity!
D. Build it intentionally! Use opportunities - discuss what is right & why? Pray.
3. Integrity comes from a deep desire for peace.
A. Integrity is the gift you give yourself.
B. There will always be misunderstandings, but there doesn't have to be guilt! Look at the charges against Jesus - misread & misunderstood, but all wrong.
C. Phil.4:4-7 God wants us to be at peace - with Him!
*The best way to teach the value of integrity is to be at peace with God and your kids see it.
4. Integrity comes from a deep desire to please God.
A. The deception of pleasing self:
B. The pressure to please others:
C. The peace of pleasing God first:
Conclusion: Integrity is what happens when we fully embrace the presence of God

A Different Kind of Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

It is still amazing that a tornado swept through north St. Louis County, just a few mile south of us, damaging over twenty-five hundred homes - several hundred totally destroyed - and there where no fatalities. The pictures that they are showing on the local TV news look like a war zone. The tornado hit the airport closing it down for Sunday and causing Donna to reschedule her return flight until Tuesday. Another "ripple effect" of the storm was that it turned our Saturday morning Easter Egg Hunt into an indoor activity - without the hunt. It was way too wet, and it did cut the usual number of children who attend by half. It was still a great event with lots of wonderful sharing, teaching, and connecting with scores of families from our community. I took some pictures, many of which ended up being out of focus and had to be deleted. You can see the decent ones on our church web page at http://www.florissantchurchofchrist.org/ and click on Church Photo Gallery and then on the blue "Easter Egg Hunt". I am so thankful and appreciative of all the folks who put so much work into making this great annual event so wonderful. It is one of the best planned and executed events that we do all year, and we did touch the lives of a lot of our community friends.

Another "ripple" in the storm involved our friendly goose who has been sitting her nest in our back yard for the last three weeks. We've been checking on her several times a day and were looking forward to seeing her little babies swimming behind her in our pond. Not gonna happen. Saturday, I noticed she was gone - for more than just a break - and walked out to find her eggs out of her nest and just on the edge of the pond.

The nest was just off this picture at the lower left corner.

I remembered waking up in the early morning darkness to a lot of honking from multiple geese - or at least it seemed like a lot of geese. It may have just been a very upset mom. I assumed it was another animal that knocked the eggs out of the nest, because we've seen that happen before, but then I noticed that the nest was washed clean without any feathers or nesting material at all. After the worst of the storm Friday night, I stepped out on the back porch and I could hear the pond's overflow spill-way roaring with flooding water. I think the nest just got flooded and washed away. Mom and Dad were gone and they have not returned. I guess we were a lot closer to the storm damage then we thought.

Why Are Churches Declining?

2011-04-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure which is more discouraging; hearing folks complain about the widespread decrease in church attendance, or hearing what some think is needed to reverse the trend. I believe that part of what most churches are experiencing has it's roots in the turmoil of the sixties (decade not age group). That was when, I believe, church members first started wanting and asking for changes in the assembly. Words like "relevant" and "contemporary" started being used to defining what people were seeking. And that, for churches that blur the distinction between God's commands and man's comfortable traditions, set the stage for decades of arguing, struggling, dividing, and polarizing as churches gradually began to define themselves by their worship styles, preferences, and purposes. I repeat it regularly every time the subject comes up, but as long as you define yourself by your style of worship on Sunday morning, the less you look like Jesus and represent the Body of Christ.
The second, and bigger element in the "why are things changing" department, goes back several centuries. Even as a historian I don't dare venture a guess as to the date. But somewhere, Christians getting together to grow in love for one another and to help each other grow in Christ was replaced by a passive, non-participatory, one-dimensional, formal worship service, with times, places, and specified rituals to perform. Attendance not only became the definition of faithfulness, the assembly of the saints became a receiving experience and not a giving opportunity. It stopped being about helping others grow, and became the single most important part of our religious experience - and "IT BETTER MEET OUR NEEDS OR WE WILL TAKE OUR BODIES AND OUR BOUNTY TO A CHURCH THAT DOES."
Now we have workshops, retreats, books, seminars, degrees, and experts to tell us how to "meet needs" on Sunday morning and attract larger numbers to our "sacrifice of praise to God." I believe with all my heart that one of Satan's greatest victories was not having so many bars, brothels, and bad people, but simply turning the words of Jesus up-side-down. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than it is to receive." Satan got us all to believe that didn't apply to our assembly time.
Today we are seeing, I believe, the natural evolution of "what's in it for me" as people simply say, "I don't need it." In their minds, if it was all about attracting them, meeting their needs, and entertaining them for an hour or so - it's not working any more. Remember, we are the ones that said it's all about the Sunday worship, and we are the ones who grew up believing it's supposed to do things for ME, and we're the ones who expected that worship service to be all things to all people thus making it a perfect prescription for judging, for church-hopping, and for failure.
A simple tool for building love for one another and for God should only be judged by how well it helps people develop a deeper relationship with Jesus. Yes, I know there are mega-churches with tens of thousand of members. I praise God for anything that glorifies Him. But are they mega-churches because they are attracting people to Jesus, or because they've got the "best game in town"? I don't know - I'm just asking.
The Hebrew writer said that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." If the church is the body of Christ, shouldn't we "really" look just like His body looked in the beginning? Back when Christians getting together was all about giving instead of receiving? We might be surprised to discover how attractive that is to a world with "needs."

The Missing Point?

2011-04-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning is my usual sermon preparation day. I like to think that my gradual transition over the years, from finishing my sermons on Saturday night to actually having them done four days early, is sign of maturity and being more conscientious, but it's actually more about my shear love of what God has called me to do. This week, since we were in Arkansas the first part of the week, I actually spent part of Tuesday afternoon preparing this week's lesson on Building Integrity. It is the final lesson in my eight part series on Extreme Makeover: Building Better Homes. I knew I'd be on the road Wednesday morning, (again, my usual sermon prep time) and I wanted it done so I could stay on my usual track and routine of weekly tasks.
I've said all that so I could make this point - the down side of finishing early is all the additional ideas that come to me over the next four days. I plan on that, and most of the time I jot them down in my sermon notes and use them on Sunday - unless they are too big and I know I don't have time to include them. Printing a final draft of a sermon, is like sending a manuscript off to a printer. The moment you say it's finished, you find things you wish you could add. Or to put it another way, it's like buying a dozen Krispi Kream doughnuts and telling yourself you're only going to eat one. Later you add the forgotten clarification of - I meant one - at a time.
I don't know if this will make it into Sunday's lesson on integrity, but here is a "Rootism" that has been on my heart today. Our integrity is defined and diminished by what we don't care about. That may not seem incredibly profound - until you start realizing what you DON'T DO THAT YOU SHOULD. If integrity is what you are when no one is looking, what does that say about us when we don't do things we should, because we don't care about them. We do the BIG STUFF - the SEEN stuff, but what about doing what is right when no one sees us? Picking up trash, rather than disgustedly thinking, "Someone needs to pick that up!" What about helping someone who dropped something, or who is having a hard time getting into their car with children and groceries? What about using that turn signal to let others know what you are planning to do? What about wiping off the sink in the public bathroom after you wash your hands?
The list is endless. It's all the little things we see, or choose to ignore, and - without saying it - we just don't care enough about it to do what's right! Doesn't that speak to the very essence of integrity? It's not just about telling the truth and not cheating on your taxes. It's being driven by a heart that is at peace with God. A heart that doesn't see burdens and guilt avoidance, but just consideration and compassion. A heart that truly wants to be like Jesus.
God tells us "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." (Prov.27:19) Head integrity is image management. Integrity in the heart, is instinctive thoughtfulness.

Building Faith

2011-04-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

(I am out of town today, so I don't have access to my usual picture file. If you've forgotten what the Extreme Makeover logo looks like, just scroll down a couple blogs and you'll see it.)

Extreme Makeover - Building Faith (The lesson is on our web page)
My Top Five passages in the Bible about family: Joshua 24:15; Eph.6:4; Prov.31:10-31; 3 John 4; and the one I want to emphasis for this lesson, Matthew 16:24(...gain the whole world, but lose your soul) Building faith in our family is the most important thing we will do as a family. Move it to the top of your list before it's too late. Make it important!
Four Principles To Remember About Building Faith In Our Families:
1. Faith building means you are on a journey together!
A. At first, we are kids raising kids - learning and growing ourselves.
B. Recognize it as a process we all must go through on our own. John Westerhoff's, Will Our Children Have Faith, talked about the four levels of faith: Experiential Level, which is faith through your parents our someone who mentors you; Affiliative Level, which is being part of a groups, so it's really a group belief; the Searching Level, which is testing and doubting parents beliefs; and the Owned Level, where we seek God ourselves and know what and why be believe. Unfortunately, in some families, Jesus never left the church building.
C. Keep it a sense of growing together - I'm not perfect, I make mistakes and apologize, and to make it clear it is worth it.
2. Faith building is learning by observation not obligation!
A. There is a danger in fundamentalism, institutionalism, and legalism when they define "church" for young people. Lose respect for externals, rebel & reject meaningless acts or rituals, and they heat the inconsistency of church parents vs. at home parents.
B. Dolores Curran, "Faith is rarely passed on because of nuances in doctrine and theology. It is passed on because of the difference it makes in daily life."
C. Our goal is to guide them from us to Jesus.
3. Faith building comes from a positive and meaningful joy parents have about their faith!
A. What makes you happy makes your kids happy - they adopts our joys
B. Negative beliefs, critical opinions, unhappy & selfish members, and un-Christ-like comments bombard our kids = why they aren't going to church as adults!
C. Meaningful? Do they see me drawing closer to God? Do they see - Col.3:8-17?
4. Faith building supports family bonds, but it is not a prerequisite!
A. Love, support, & inclusion are what families do! Even if they don't share the same beliefs. Even if one or more loses their faith!
B. Open doors bring healing and hope - closed ones don't!
C. Jesus shows us how to deal w/ faith building in his disciples. Patience, love, & forgiveness w/ Peter! Available & understanding w/ Thomas. Grace is who we are, not just what we have!
Conclusion: No parent wants their child to fail. What about lose their soul? Matt.16:26? Move faith to the top of the list of family priorities. Who will pay for your attempt to "gain the whole world" for yourself or for your children?

When Will I Get It Right?

2011-04-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

When I comes to understanding God's will, as it's recording in the Bible, everything depends on interpretation - the way you choose to see it. Unfortunately, very few people ever read God's Word with completely objective eyes. Most of us had a great deal of "prerequisite" ground work done to our brains, long before we started reading just for ourselves. And, depending on what kind of ground work it was, you may see or interpret scripture completely different from many others - even whole huge populations of people. (PB = Pragraph Break) If you believe it's a book of laws, rules, and binding patterns, you read it that way - looking for new laws, rules, and patterns that you might have missed, and to reinforce the ones you've always known were there. If you were taught that Christians have an official and formal worship, you will interpret many verses of scripture to be referring to that event, and you will have a basic assumption that there must be acts or prescribed rituals that must take place and must conform to what God expects. Because you started out with those basic assumptions, which you were raised to accept, you will interpret lots of scriptures to be referring to that formal worship rather than just Christian interaction in general. (PB) Others read the same passages and see God simply wanting his people to be together and support each other in their commitment to have a deeper relationship with Jesus. One person sees principles of love building, and other sees binding patterns that can not and must not be changed or omitted if one is to be doctrinally correct, which to many, is the same things as being saved. (PB) It sure does seem that everything depends on interpretation. What if I pick the wrong one? Since I have changed or modified my interpretations many times through the years, how many other, or more, changes do I need to make to get it right? With so many different interpretive approaches to understanding God's Word, which one is right? Are any of them completely right? (PB) Maybe everything doesn't depend on interpretation. Could it be that more than anything else God just wants people to seek him as best they can, with what they have, and with all their heart? No, everything doesn't depend on interpretation. Everything depends on the grace of God.

Building Traditions

2011-04-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

It is understandable that folks who have read any one of my three books on worship might conclude that I am anti-traditions. I'm not. In fact, I love traditions! I love family traditions, AND, I even love church family traditions, but what I don't like are traditions that become law and/or are elevated to a position higher than God's will (or made synonymous with God's will). In the family, they can and should be valuable tools to help build family togetherness. Traditions can be a wonderful tool for good or a selfish tool for destruction. A good contrast is Matthew 15:3-9, where Jesus condemns the traditions replacing God's will, and Luke 2:41-42 where Jesus' family honors the customs of God's people.

Here are some thoughts to remember about traditions in the family.

1. Traditions are for bonding not binding! (A good way to determine when a church traditions is good or bad too)

A. This is why some children grow up and limit family ties while others deepen them.

B. The difference between burden and bonding - duty vs. belonging?

C. Bonding is a sense of belonging and closeness.

D. Problem: the potential conflict between "freedom" and "belonging" since they are both powerful emotions that are also direct opposites.

E. Balance: keep it fun, meaningful, and loving (not laws).

2. Traditions should foster family values!

A. Togetherness - enjoy it, plan it, anticipate it!

B. Thankfulness - for each other, for memories, and every day together.

C. Christ Centered - Jesus is an official member of our family. (Eph.6:1-4)

3. Traditions are to be cherished not worshipped!

A. Cherish your uniqueness - our family chooses to do it this way!

B. Use the tool, don't let the tool use you! Focus on the principle or value you want to foster in your family.

C. Keep it simple, memorable, flexible, and doable! Things change, so must our traditions. Remember, it's the little things that count the most, and they will change with age and needs.

D. Warning: age appropriate traditions may not have anything to do with the number of years a child has lived. Their heart decides when they are "too old" for something that means a lot. Try having a Family Trivia Night where children can show how much they know about you and your family history. It's also a great way to teach it. Remember, some traditions are ageless and timeless - if they still bond the family together.

Conclusion: Don't just choose to get married and choose to have children. Choose what kind of family you will have. Use traditions to help build it.

Spring Sprang

2011-04-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

This may be more for family than anyone else, but this is our cherry tree nearly in full bloom. It doesn't last long, but when it does, it's a beautiful sight. Clearly Spring is upon us - finally. We had a big thunder storm early this morning that turned the pond brown, and I'm trying to decide if the grass is too wet to mow for the first time this Spring. Decisions, decisions? Anyway, the white blossoms of our cherry tree are always gone by the time any family comes to visit us. Every year, during the week of our musical, the cherries are ripe and ready to be picked. We usually let the birds do it. They love us for that.

Our front yard azaleas only last a short while too, but they are pretty.

These are the three trees on our side yard with the pond in the back. It's hard to tell, but the first one is red, the second pink, and the cherry tree is white.

Here is the real Spring story. This goose has made a nest right at the boarder of our yard and the common property around the pond. She has been sitting on her eggs for a least a week now. She rarely leaves the nest, but when she does, she and her mate will come charging back to protect it if you try to get close to it. So far, no one has messed with her. Not even some people who have walked their dogs back there, but they've all been on leashes so far. (See the white crane on the other side?)

This is as close as she will let me get. A zoom picture from our porch. (Can you see the turtle just to her right?) What worries me the most is what the HOA lawn care workers are going to do when they come to mow around the pond, which they will either today or next couple of days. I thought about putting up some kind of markers or signs, but she won't let anyone get close. I don't think she'll be as courageous with the big riding lawn mower when it arrives. I don't know what to do. I guess it's true, I'm not my goose's keeper.

The One Left Out

2011-04-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

I put together my lesson for Sunday yesterday. My plan is to share the main points on my blog next week, as I have been doing since the series began. This topic is very different from the other seven on the Extreme Makeover list. All the other topics are qualities or virtues what we all need to care about and grow in, but this one is - well, a concept or an idea that can be either good or bad, depending on how we use it. I'm talking about traditions. Traditions are a tool to use that can support all the other qualities on my list. In the family, traditions are a very important part of building togetherness and closeness, and give us warm memories that we cherish and want to pass on to the next generation. I had a lot of notes of things I wanted to be sure and cover in this lesson. I was able to include most of them in the outline, and as usual, it's probably way more than I need to be covering in one lesson, but that's the nature of dealing with huge subjects in just one lesson. The one "note" on my list that I didn't put into the lesson was the importance of respecting the traditions of others. It's just too big a point to make as just a passing sub point in one sermon. Still, I think it's very important. I especially think it's important because I've already made the point in the lesson on Respect that you don't have to agree with someone to respect their opinions and view points. I spent too many years being judgemental, critical, and smug about people who practiced traditions that I didn't subscribe to or doctrinally agree with. I don't have to agree with it, and I have no business assuming that because I don't participate or agree, the ones who do must be ignorant, insincere, or shallow. Gut check! Is it really about the tradition or the heart? Because something looks strange or doesn't make sense to me, does that mean it's not honoring God when it's coming from a sincere heart? Many scream, "It's has to have biblical authority!" Would you like to dissect a Sunday morning communion and find out how much of what we do comes from our traditions and not the Bible? The heart is the most important report card to God. I believe He respects any attempt to seek Him, glorify Him, and become more like Him. As long as the tradition isn't made law and elevated above God's will, I should respect it. Paul did that on several occasions, and no one was tougher on legalism than he was. Maybe I can find space in my lesson after all. (Sorry - blogger's still not accepting any Return/Enter Breaks - hope that's not a new tradition!)

Blog Smog

2011-04-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, before I start getting TOO impatient, for the last two weeks my blog has not allowed me to use any line breaks/returns. It's in the blog, but when I hit publish it takes out all Returns. I've pulled up the Edit screen and re-did the returns multiple times, but it always takes them out when I hit publish. I've tried everything I can think of and could play with, including all the recommendations in the HELP emails section. Any ideas? It's hard for someone who thinks in outlines to see them destroyed by a computer glitch. Hope it doesn't bother your reading of the blogs. Sorry. PS. Just for fun, I have a Break/Return after every sentence in this blog! I'm not laughing.

Building Responsibility

2011-04-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

The lesson should be on our web page, but for those who might be interested in a "bare bones" overview of my lesson on Building Responsibility this past Sunday, I offer the following. The Rich Man and Lazarus, in Luke 16, gives us an excellent example of how responsibilities, or lack of being responsible, has consequences. My bud and co-worker Jerry, pointed out to me that if we didn't know the whole story, all of us would have labeled the Rich Man as "responsible". Great point. I did address that, without referring to the story, in Main Point #3 below. What is so important about being responsible? At the very least it includes... 1. Survival = even the world expects it 2. Self-respect = we all know we need it 3. Character = be a person of convictions 4. Maturity = it's value increases as we grow 5. Accountability = there will be consequences My premise is: Healthy parents train and teach their children the joy and self-respect that comes from developing a sense of responsibility. They must see it in their parents. Things to remember about building responsibility: (a primary source was Dolores Curran's, Traits of a Healthy Family) 1. There is a direct connection between being responsible and having good self-esteem. 2. Being responsible is more than doing chores. 3. Being responsible doesn't always mean being neat and tidy. * Typical definition from parents: neat room, done homework, compliant * A responsible child is one who is trying * Do not equate success & achievement w/ being responsible! (i.e. Rich Man) 4. Responsibility must be matched to capabilities. 5. Responsibility must be enveloped by affirmation. 6. Responsibility can't be learned without experiencing the consequences of irresponsibility. * Over-protective parents who accept or cover the cost of their child's irresponsibility are picking the temporarily easy way, the temporarily guilt-free way, the always wrong way. * Mistakes, failures, & poor choices are learning experiences - never made better by more bad decisions. * Be their parent now so they won't need a parole officer later! * Learn soon, save long-term! * Irresponsible children become irresponsible adults * One counselor said, "Either you raise your children full-time for twenty years, or else you end up raising them part-time forever."