Restoring Hope: Why Being Heavenly Minded is not a Bad Thing

You've probably heard the phrase, "Don't be so Heavenly-minded that you are no Earthly good." It's a philosophy that my generation has fully embraced. To talk to a 20 or 30-something year old Christian is to learn that Heaven is great, we look forward to getting there someday, but our lives are to be about the hear-and-now!

It's not that we are trying to live worldly, it's just that we see it as our responsibility to make the biggest impact we can on this world for Christ. That is why foster care and adoption are becoming more popular among young Christians... why seminary students dream of planting churches in large cities as opposed to accepting the pastorate at a rural church. It's why the younger generation's worst nightmare is settling into a middle-class job for 20 years, and living in a mid-sized town somewhere in the Midwest. We have dreams, we want to leave our mark, and young Christians want to make sure they have done something extraordinary to impact the world for Christ.

Lost in all this is our hope for where we will be in eternity. We believe we are going to Heaven, we just don't think about it that much. This lost hope can result in discouragement when the ventures and efforts of the superChristian aren't panning out.

So, there I am... a foster parent, and a father to three of my own children... working to plant a church in Brownwood, Texas (not exactly the big city, but I love it anyway), and doing everything I can to preach the Gospel publicly, and to support my community through the local chamber of commerce.

How's it going? The church's finances are in the red. My personal finances are tight. I can't remember the last real date I had with my wife (actually, I can. We ate out and spent time together during a Weekend To Remember Retreat in the Woodlands). Still, if My wife and I suddenly had a night alone together, I'm not sure I'd know what to do. So, all this stuff has been weighing on my mind. What am I doing wrong? Why won't God bless my efforts?

Then, my beautiful daughter jumps in my car, and rides shotgun on the way home from an outing in Abilene. She pops in my Brad Paisley "5th Gear" CD, and his rendition of "When We All Get To Heaven" comes on. That peaceful, reassuring hymn reminded me that God has it all in the palm of His hand. Sunday night, on the way home from church, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" came on KHBW (KHCB) radio. These two experiences reminded me that, despite all the battles of the day, and despite all the challenges I face, God is still on His throne. He will return. He will establish His Kingdom on Earth, and He will receive me into that Kindgom, and not because of anything I have done. My entry into that Kingdom is not contingent on my success. My entry into that Kingdom is due to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and He rose again to give me eternal life.

After this "Revelation," my heart rate slowed a bit, and my blood pressure dropped. God has it all in His hands, I need only be obedient during my time here on Earth. Following my time here on Earth, I will be received into His Kingdom, where He will wipe away my every tear and give me an eternal home.

So, the next time you visit a church, and they get out the "Heavenly Highway Hymns," don't roll your eyes. Use that time as an opportunity to remember your hope, your confident expectation that God has already secured the victory, and you will be received into Heaven. Knowing that should remind you that He is in control of all things, and thus will conquer whatever you face on your behalf.

I'll close with a quote from a famous philosopher who has recently passed away, "Keep looking up, because that's where it all is."

Roll Me Away!

"Took a look down a west-bound road,
and right away I made my choice,
Headed out to my big two-wheeler, 
I was tired of my own voice,
took a bead on those Northern Plains 
and just rolled that power on." 

- Bob Seger, "Roll Me Away"

Okay, I admit it. Over the past two months, I have come to understand the fascination with motorcycles that so many of my friends and family members have... freedom! Maybe it's the amount of time I spend at work, maybe it's summer and I have a house full of kids, or maybe I just need a real vacation... whatever the reason, I have found myself in a never ending Southwest Airlines commercial... "Wanna get away?"

I have friends who have itinerant ministries... they travel from place to place, from church to church, holding revival meetings, VBS events, camps, etc. What a life, huh? Be able to travel the U.S., or even the world, working for the Lord and having one big adventure. (Truth be told, they'd probably tell you it's not all it's cracked up to be.)

Meanwhile, every scripture I read, every radio sermon I hear, every conversation I have, seems to remind me of one fundamental fact... God is not finished with me in Brownwood... I am to stay right here, and honor my commitment to Him, and allow Him to work through me and Grace Pointe to minister to the people of Brownwood... oh, look at how pretty that sun looks setting behind Bangs Hill... maybe I'll just take a drive...

Basically, I just need to get my mind back on my business.

Romans 14:23 says "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Anything you do that is in disobedience to God, or that even disregards God, is a sin.

In this case, my sin is not being thankful for the blessings God has given me, and not being thankful for the things that He has done in Brownwood. Further, my sin is not completely trusting Him to bring Grace Pointe to a point where she is self-supporting... not trusting Him with the results... not trusting Him to bless His own work. There have also been times I have failed to recognize His hand in Grace Pointe's successes. I could confess more, but my father once told me that inner-most thoughts are called that for a reason, and many times, it's best that they stay that way. (Not exactly canonized scripture, but Dad does have a point every now and then).

I share this to warn you. Temptation doesn't always come in the form of an enticement to commit an act of immorality... it's not always an enticement toward sexual sin, greed, anger, theft or even murder. Sometimes, Satan tempts us by luring us into disobeying what God has called us to do with our lives.

When Satan tempted Jesus, he tempted the Lord to do three things. (1) Make the stones into bread. (2) Jump off the pinnacle of the temple to see if the angels would catch Him, and (3) to bow down and worship Satan. Each of these three temptations would have derailed God's plan of Salvation through the Gospel. Nevertheless, in Christ was no sin, and the Lord stayed obedient to the plan.

In the same way, Satan often tempts us to stray from what God wants us to do. If we fall for that temptation, we can derail our lives and miss God's blessings. To fall for this temptation is just as much of a sin as if you had fallen into immorality. Remember, after you are saved, the most Satan can do is destroy your testimony and render you useless in this life. If he can't get you to fall into immorality, he'll get you to do something that will silence your voice for the Lord. Be on guard.

Christianity is all about Healing

Folks, let's be honest. Sin is destructive. Despite the fact that our culture looks to excuse and legitimize sin, the harsh reality is that sin will destroy your life.

God does not define sin in the Bible with the intent to restrict you to a boring, miserable, self-less life. He defines sin in the Bible to instruct you to turn away from the things that will destroy your life. The Ten Commandments instruct us not to worship other gods, not to worship idols, not to take the Lord's name in vain, and not to profane the Sabbath. Why? Because rejecting God for more worldly things will eventually lead to eternal damnation.

The Ten Commandments also instruct us to honor our parents, not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to lie, and not to covet. Why? Because doing these things (or not honoring your parents) will lead to destruction. God gave us His commandments, and His word (which includes the Gospel) to warn us against the destruction of sin, and to teach us to receive eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior. God defined sin, and forbid it in His word for the same reasons a parent forbids certain behaviors (like playing in the street) for their children. The rules are meant to keep us safe.

I speak out against sin, not because I want everyone to conform to my lifestyle, and not because I want to force my beliefs on others. I speak out against sin because I have seen first hand the devastation caused by a sinful lifestyle.

During a recent conversation on Facebook, friends of mine were complaining about strict drug laws in the state of Texas, lamenting how it is unfair for certain possession charges to be labelled "felonies," which hurts a person's chances of finding gainful employment and recovering their lives in the future. To my friends, the cure (drug laws) was more devastating than the disease (drug addiction.) I disagreed, arguing that drug laws give local law enforcement the tools needed to intervene in a drug addict's life, to protect both the addict and his family.

The truth is, anytime there is drug addiction, there are victims beyond the addict himself. His children often endure neglect and abuse. His parents are often swindled out of cash, or bear the financial burden of paying for his mistakes. His wife has to endure a lot. Legal, or illegal, drug abuse is a sin that destroys a person's life. I have seen this first hand, so I am in favor of strong drug laws.

Nevertheless, whatever laws may be passed, sermons preached, and personal discipleship that takes place, eventually someone will make the mistake of sinning. Let's use drug abuse as an example. Despite the strong drug laws in Texas, where even the presence of methamphetamine residue results in a felony conviction, someone will become addicted today.

When that happens, their lives will begin to unravel. The drug will take over, and the addict eventually loses everything as he seeks to support his habit. In looking at situations like this, or a situation where one has wrecked his marriage with adultery, or a situation where a person is being sentenced to prison time over a burglary, it is easy to look down your nose and write the person off as a lost cause. However, to do that is to ignore the example Jesus gave us in the New Testament.

Throughout the four Gospels, you see Jesus healing various health conditions... leprosy, blindness, paralysis, coma, and He even brought Lazarus back from the grave. There have been many charlatans who have tried to recreate these miracles, and perform healing services by telling crippled people to "rise and walk," and declaring cancer patients to be "cured." Some of these snake-oil salesmen even have national TV shows, but I digress. Physical healing services miss the point altogether.

The healings Jesus performed (as well as those by His disciples in the Book of Acts) carried with them a Spiritual meaning, as well as a physical meaning. In other words, the physical healing was a picture of the Spiritual healing Christ performed in their lives.

A prime example of this is the healing of the man with palsy in Luke 5. Here, you have a man who is completely paralyzed, to the point that it took several of his friends to get him to Jesus (by cutting a hole in the roof and lowering him down, no less.) Jesus told that man that his sins were forgiven before healing him of his palsy.

In many ways, sin does to us spiritually what the palsy did to that man physically. It debilitates us and renders us helpless. We wind up stuck in a life where we are without hope, discouraged, and in pain. In those situations, if we repent and believe in the Lord, He heals us of the spiritual devastation caused by our sin.

Our goal as Christians is not to sit back and lament the fallen condition of our world, or those around us. Our goal is to see them healed. This comes in sharing the truth of God's word with them, and being willing to help them along as they rebuild their lives from the ashes left behind by their sin.

If you are reading this, and your life has been destroyed by sin, I am praying for you. My prayer for you is that you turn from your sin, and you trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. He will heal you from your sin. After that, go find a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching church, follow the Lord in Baptism, and lean on the encouragement and help from your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. May God bless you.

Invested Time is not Wasted Time

You should really thank Miss Brinkman, She's spent so much extra time,
It's like she sees the diamond underneath, and she's polishing you till you shine...

-Brad Paisley, in Letter to Me 

Photo: Alexander T. Carroll

Throughout the course of my life, I have been blessed with people who invested extra time and energy into me. From the youth director at my childhood church who actually spent time with me outside of class, to the high school teacher who also invested non-school hours into my personal growth and development. Both of these individuals invested hours and in some cases, days into helping me grow to be the person that I am today. Neither were able to see immediate results in my personal growth and development, but they spent that extra time on me anyway.

As I look at our immediate-results-driven culture, I wonder if we are missing the value of investing time. In politics, few will invest time toward building a long-term trend in their direction. Few show the patience Ronald Reagan showed in his political career. In his Goldwater speech in 1964, Ronald Reagan set forth the principles that would propel him into the White House some 16 years later. Having laid out his thesis for America, Reagan spent the next 16 years working to influence his political party into adopting his ideals, until in 1980, he finally won the party's nomination for President, and then the Presidency itself. 1964 was a bad year for Republicans. They lost the Presidential election, and lost most other races so badly that NBC's "Meet the Press" even wondered if Republicans were becoming extinct. Still, Reagan invested the time to communicate and advance his principles, until he was finally able to successfully influence the entire country.

This year has been a bad year for Christianity in the culture war. American society is rapidly accepting same-sex marriage as normal, is becoming more accepting of abortion, and is making the decision that it does not like Christianity. 2013 will go down in history as Conservative Christianity's 1964. Many of our prominent leaders and voices will fade away, discouraged that the country has rejected their message... our message.

However, our message is still true. Our hearts and arms are still open, and our truth is still reality. As long as God still has us on this Earth, we are still responsible for proclaiming that truth. In the coming months and years, we will still need to proclaim that truth, even though we will see more ferocious opposition. We must become comfortable in speaking our views, which are not going to be popular. We need to learn to take criticism, insults, and even hate. Still, we need to speak. The time is worth the investment.

Why is it important to continue to invest the time in proclaiming the truth, even as society fights against us? Because there are still people to be reached with the Gospel, and people to be reached with God's Word. That brings me to my next point...

Time is well invested in church work. Despite the cultural trends in our society, we still have good, strong churches ministering in their communities, changing lives, and reaching people with the Gospel. Those strong churches did not pop up overnight. Years went into their forming, growth, and influence. Adrian Rogers did not just wake up one morning and pull Bellevue Baptist Church out of his hat. Bellevue had been established, and had been growing and developing years before Rogers became their pastor. When Rogers became the pastor in 1972, Bellevue was already 9,000 members strong. It grew to 29,000, under Rogers' three-decade tenure as their pastor.

Recently, Jonathan Falwell spoke to the First Baptist Church in San Saba, some 45 minutes from where I live. When asked if he would follow in his father's (the late Jerry Falwell's) footsteps as a culture warrior, Falwell said that level of influence is not something that can be inherited. He noted his father's 55-year ministry in the building of his cultural influence. Jerry Falwell had invested time.

Many churches today seek immediate results in a culture that is unwilling to respond to them. If attendance drops, change everything. If this idea doesn't result in a sudden rise in attendance, discard it and try something else. In reality, all churches really need to do is be committed to their mission, and invest time into reaching people with the Gospel. This time is invested not only in personal evangelism, church volunteer work, or visitation ministry. This time is invested in the members of the church forging authentic relationships. Further, the longer a church is active, and the more time a church invests in its mission, the more influence that church will have in its community. Invested time is not wasted time.

This process also applies to missions. The American Baptist Association recently passed a new mission policy that, to my understanding, reduces the association's support to a salaried missionary by 5 percent every year after his 5th year. While the policy is not entirely bad (at some point, the newly planted church should take on responsibility for its own expenses, including pastor's salary), a lot of the debate stems from a frustration that it takes so long for newly planted churches (or missions) to become self-supporting. I understand the frustration. I wish the process moved more quickly as well.

In a true missions setting, where a missionary has moved to a place where he knew no one, and had no connections, and had to start from scratch to evangelize the lost and start a congregation, it takes a significant investment of time (years) for that missionary to build the inroads, and gain the trust and influence it takes to be able to build a solid congregation. This time needs to be invested, and that invested time is not wasted time. While I recognize that the Apostle Paul was able to plant churches in as little as four weeks, it should be noted that Paul was often dealing with Christians who had already been converted and baptized on the day of Pentecost.

Basically, whatever you have been called to do, whether it is preach the Gospel, stand up for what is right in your culture, or volunteer in your local church,  realize that if you are to see any significant progress, you will have to be willing to invest time. Invested time is not wasted time.

God is bigger than our doctrinal divisions...

You can tell what is really important to a person by what they talk about. If a coworker routinely talks about sports, you can pretty well assume that he spends a lot of his time following, or playing sports. If your friend spends a lot of time talking about their kids, then their kids probably occupy a lot of their time, and their mind. We all have that friend who is obsessed with politics.

God has spoken to us through His written word, the Bible. (I use the King James Version.) If you read through the Bible, you will find that the scriptures go into great detail about God's plan with man, His salvation, His selection of Israel as His chosen people, their rejection of Him, the rebellion of God's people, and the destruction that comes with rebelling against God.

You can take all of those subjects, and consolidate them into one central theme... that God loves us, but our sin separated us from Him and doomed us to destruction. Therefore, He gave Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son to die on the cross, taking the punishment for our sin, so we could be reconciled to Him. The scriptures go into great detail, and give many examples of the proper response to that Gospel... which is repenting from Sin and Believing on Christ. That is what God spent most of His time telling us as the Bible was being inspired. If the Gospel is what God talks about the most, wouldn't it follow that it is what is most important to Him?

In my preaching at Grace Pointe Missionary Baptist Church, I tend to preach through books of the Bible. Once, I was confronted by a church member who complained that I was preaching on the Gospel and plan of Salvation too much. I was, in her opinion, failing to "move beyond the milk" of the word and "get into the meat." The truth is, I was preaching through the book of Luke, and the topic Jesus most commonly addressed in that book was repentance and faith. That's what the Lord wanted us to learn from the book of Luke.

Bible doctrines are important. Doctrines such as the security of the believer (once saved, always saved), sanctification (being set apart for the Lord), the nature of the church (local, visible body of believers), communion (restricted to the members of the church), baptism (by immersion as an act of obedience, not a work for salvation) are all important, and separate the true teachers from the false teachers. These are some of the doctrines on which it is appropriate to draw the lines of fellowship.

However, I am noticing that there are some lines in the sand that God did not draw, and some doctrines that many emphasize, that the Bible actually says very little about. For the followers of these doctrines, these doctrines are front and center, and determine whether they will fellowship with other believers. (Since many of these doctrines are foreign to the scriptures, these followers tend to be isolated.)

These doctrines include, but are not limited to, NewLightism (the belief that one does not get the Holy Spirit until one has been baptized and joined a church, a doctrine clearly debunked by example in the book of Acts), doctrines on the Bride of Christ (universal, or limited to the best faithful Christians), the rapture (pre-, mid-, or post-tribulation), and though it may cost me some friends, the doctrines of Grace (more widely known as the doctrine of Calvinism.)

I have spend the past nine years in deep study of the scriptures, and I have strong opinions of the aforementioned doctrines. I recognize that there will be differences. I also recognize that when I get to Heaven, I will find that I was right about some things, and wrong about others.While I understand that two cannot walk together unless they be agreed, I take issue with the fact that so many people take a second, or a third-tier doctrine, and elevate it to the status of Gospel.

The Gospel that Paul first delivered to the churches, the most important doctrine that he preached, is how Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). As I read that passage, and as I see it illustrated, shadowed, typed, and presented throughout the entire Bible, I have come to the conclusion that everything we do and believe should revolve around that Gospel.

If you feel that the Gospel is an elementary, entry-level teaching beyond which the believer must quickly mature, you have a skewed understanding of the Christian faith. The Gospel is the foundation of the Christian faith, upon which all true Bible doctrines are based. The deeper into the scriptures you dig, the more Gospel you find.

We violate the true meaning of the scriptures when we place improper priority on certain doctrines. Further, we do churches a disservice when we try to reconstruct them around our second and third-tier doctrines. Believe it or not, there are actually people who travel the country, visiting churches, with the intent to get them to convert to the NewLight doctrine, or to some sort of bride doctrine, or even the timing of the rapture. Some people even try to plant churches based solely on those doctrines. This is a practice in idolatry.

Our God is big. His love for us is beyond anything we can truly comprehend. His power and authority are without equal, and cannot be successfully challenged. God made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave His only begotten Son as a payment for the sin that separates us from Him, so that we could be with Him in eternity. His power, grace, love, righteousness and holiness are far greater than our understanding, and definitely bigger than our failures. Believe it or not, He is also bigger than this hidden nugget of a doctrine you've found that makes you think you are smarter than the rest of us.

God is bigger than these petty doctrinal differences. Get back to the Bible. Read the word, in context (which means you are staying true to the author's intent), and learn about our great and awesome Lord. You may just be blown away by how awesome God truly is.

False Profits: Tearing Down the Righteous, and Lifting up the Wicked Since 600 BC

The blogosphere (at least in my circle) has slowed down considerably over the past few years, but four or five years ago, several of my fellow preachers, friends and acquaintances routinely took to our blogs to debate theological concepts and worship practices. During this time, the words "seeker friendly" were popularly used, and many criticized traditional churches.

Modern churches and preachers seem to face a new set of challenges... from our culture openly embracing homosexuality, to increasing poverty and drug use, to our culture turning its back on the churches in general.Churches face the challenge of reaching people in this culture, sharing the truth in love, without coming across like the Westboro group.

In facing this challenge, some have chosen to lash out at traditional churches, and to criticize pastors, preachers and teachers who dare to stand on truth, and call sin for what it is... sin. What the "seeker friendly" movement has done for us is that is has basically criminalized speech against sin in our churches. Teach against a sin, and you will be scolded, and admonished to "love the sinner, not the sin." You will also be told that you, too are a sinner, and there is no difference between you and the sinner out there on the street.

I once read the words of one preacher, who claimed to have told his congregation that he'd "rather offend 100 church members than one first-time visitor." That statement has bothered me for years. I understand wanting a visitor to feel welcome, and wanting to gently guide a new believer, or one who is on the verge of making a decision for Christ, to come to a knowledge of the truth, but why the animosity toward existing believers? You know, the people God refers to as "His children," who have received the "Spirit of Adoption whereby they cry 'Abba,' 'Father?'" You know, the people who have tirelessly worked for years to support the Lord's church and its ministries, whose faithful service God has blessed in a way that has resulted in there being a church there for you to teach and preach at in the first place? Why the animosity?

In many of today's churches, people expect their pastors to preach good, encouraging messages. And if he preaches a message against sin (especially if he addresses a specific sin like adultery, fornication, drug abuse, etc), he is criticized and told that we "should love the sinner and not the sin." He is also reminded that "he is a sinner, too," and the only difference between us and them is that we are "sinners under grace." In today's society, people get more offended by a man who goes to the scriptures and says "X is a sin," than they do about the fact that "X" is going on in the first place, or that "X" destroys lives, or that "X" has become a problem in the church. I can think of one church where the pastor had to leave because the congregation made him so uncomfortable because he dared confront adultery going on among its members.

This mentality boils down to the following mission statement: Encourage the Sinners, and remind the Saints of their Place. During my study of the book of Ezekiel (I am currently preparing a sermon series from that book), I found that the same mentality existed in Jerusalem, and all of Judea and Israel before the captivity. Wickedness had permeated throughout all of Judea and Israel, to the point that even the neighboring heathen nations were taken aback. Ezekiel was taken into captivity, where God called him to be a prophet... and Ezekiel's prophecies (words he received from the LORD) called out the sin of Jerusalem, and Judea and Israel in general.

In Ezekiel 13, God turned his ire on to the false prophets that had propagated the sinful activity that led to Jerusalem's downfall. In Ezekiel 13:22, God says, "Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:"

Those false prophets had lied to the people. They blasted the righteous, those who were right with God, and made their hearts sad. They criticized them, and then promised the wicked (those actively engaged in sinful, unGodly conduct) that God would deliver them. They claimed God's authority in saying these things, but God never said them.

As I read those words in my study, I couldn't help but think of all the things I have heard written and said, that were disparaging toward God's people. I couldn't help but think of the preacher who ripped his congregation on facebook because they wouldn't embrace contemporary worship, or the man who would rather run off the faithful so his church can be more appealing to non-church members. It made me think of the man who would tolerate openly sinful behavior from a non-believer, while blasting an older church member "for just not getting it." If the attitude described in Ezekiel 13:22 is prevalent in our churches today, its no wonder why more are closing than opening, and why the percentage of the unchurched continues to grow. God will not bless that environment.

If we condemn and preach against the members of the church, when God has not led us to confront their sin, or when we promise the wicked eternal life when he has not repented and believed, we are lying! And at that point, we have become false prophets.

Brethren, I propose we lay aside the church growth/planting books, and we get back to what made the Christian movement so powerful in the first place. I propose we get back into the Word, the Bible, and learn what God wants, how He sees things, and apply the things we learn to our lives. I propose that, instead of trying to manipulate decisions for Christ based on chords in an invitation song, that we actually go about making disciples, working with people one-on-one, teaching them the truth and exhorting them to turn from sin and trust the Lord... and that involves calling sin, sin.Finally, I propose we get back to what church is all about. It's not about modernizing, crowds, change, or presentation. It's about honoring God, worshiping Him in our gatherings, teaching His Word, and carrying out His mission of making disciples in our communities. Besides, if we can not love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, with whom we share the common background of the Gospel, how can we claim to love sinners? It's time to turn our hearts back to the Lord.

Baseball and the Game of Life: Fun vs. Torture

I have enjoyed an amazing transformation this Spring. No, I haven't had an out-of-this world Spiritual experience, I haven't started a new diet plan, and I haven't had a near-death experience. Nope. My transformation has come in the form of a white ball, a 26" aluminum bat, four bases, and a field. Yep, baseball is changing my life. (I am an assistant coach on my son's Little League team.)

You see, for once, I am involved with baseball, and I am enjoying it. This is something that has never happened before. Yes, I was a student trainer on my high school baseball team. My job was to prep the field, and watch the game, and tend to any minor injuries. (The EMT's had the big ones). The coaches liked me, the players liked me, and I got to go watch baseball and get free hamburgers after school. What wasn't to like?

During my radio career, I have had the opportunity to broadcast high school baseball, which has been a pleasure. Once again, go, set up, watch the game, and relax. (Had to buy my own burger, though.)

However, up until now, if I ever had to take a hands-on role in baseball practice, or a game, the experience has been horrifying. I go back to when I was six years old. I played "slow pitch" baseball, which is where your coach throws you a soft, underhanded pitch, and you hit it. I stunk at it. I couldn't hit. I couldn't throw. I couldn't catch. Thus, I was relegated to right field, where nothing ever happened. And, if it did happen, I had usually zoned out due to sheer boredom, and missed the play. I can still hear the other parents yelling at me, telling me I throw like a girl, I swing like a girl, etc etc. (On a side note, I had the opportunity to broadcast high school softball playoffs during 2006-2007, swinging and throwing like a girl is not necessarily a bad thing.)

When I was a student trainer on my high school team, if I ever took part in a drill, I messed it up. Couldn't catch, couldn't throw. The team (and coaches) laughed at me, but were sympathetic when I told them I gave up baseball after being called a girl when I was six.

Then, there was that city-league softball team I coached. Good bunch of girls, but I couldn't teach them to throw and catch, and there were a few parents who hated me. Oh well.

So, when it comes to baseball, it's something I've always enjoyed watching, but until now, something I really didn't like doing.

However, this year, I made the mistake of telling my son's coach that I'd help him this season. He got me a coach's shirt, and put me at 3rd base. He's a good coach, wants everyone to have fun, and we celebrate the positives. Suddenly, I am not the black sheep of baseball anymore. Baseball has become something that is fun and relaxing, just the way it was meant to be. Though I may be behind schedule on my projects, I take that hour and a half off to go coach my son's game. We get a father-son moment, we get out in the sun for a while, and we enjoy a good afternoon. Life is good. Life is simple. Life slows down. We can enjoy the moment. Plus, we are surrounded by positive people who lift us up. It's a good thing.

I say all that to say this... baseball is a lot like the game of life. Take that kid who makes a bad throw, or misses the catch, or strikes out after swinging at a pitch that was a mile and a half outside the strike zone. He feels bad at that moment... but that bad feeling is compounded by the criticisms (and often insults) that come from the stands, and from overzealous coaches. When such constructive phrases such as "Catch the ball, genius," "Throw like a man," and "What are we doing? Golfing?" pierce that kid's ears, he wishes he wasn't there. That robs the joy from that kid's baseball experience, and he may decide to give up on something that could become very enjoyable.

Likewise in life, we have our good moments, and our bad moments. Regardless of whether we are in a good moment, or a bad moment, negative comments from our friends and family can rob us of the joy of life. Negativity from overzealous bosses at work can make you wish you weren't there. It can rob you of the satisfaction of a job well done. (By the way, bosses, your job as a leader in the company is to inspire and encourage good production, not intimidate your staff into submissive obedience. The best leaders in the business world are those that have their staffs believing in themselves, their companies, and their products. The worst leaders in business are the ones who feel like they have to prove they are the boss.) Bad bosses result in employee turnover, which hurts the company, which often results in new bosses, but I digress.

Negativity from friends can rob you of the joy of your accomplishments. Negativity from family can destroy your self-confidence and self-esteem.

So, what's the point to all this? (A) Surround yourself with positive people. Don't hang around those who feel they have to be criticizing someone at all times. The Bible says "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm 1:1)" If you hang around negative people, they will influence your mood toward the negative, and the next thing you know, you are the chronic complainer and critic. Plus, their disdain will eventually turn toward you. (B) When criticized, take stock in what is said, learn from it, but don't take it to heart. (C) Don't be the the one spewing negative criticisms. God wants us to have joy in life, and we can not have that joy if we forfeit it to insults, knocks and relentless criticism.

Follow God, and surround yourself with good people, suit up, and enjoy the game.

Modern Youth Ministry: This Ain't Your Father's Potato Sack Race!

I feel like an old geezer when I say this, but kids today face a completely different set of challenges than I did when I was a kid. When I was in high school, we had drugs, there was violence, and we faced issues of abuse and abandonment... but when I was in school, our society still had a moral compass. Churches were still strong, and grounded in the word, and things were more real.

Today, we live in a virtual world. Churches are trying everything they can to get peoples' attention, to the point that the Word of God is being drowned out in all the noise and confusion. Meanwhile, our society continues to struggle. Families are falling apart, opportunity and hope is dwindling, and caught in the middle of all this are the youth of our communities.

Kids today face challenges unlike anything the current adult generation has ever seen. First, they are being told there is no hope. America is in decline, our economy is in decline, and our global influence is in decline. Therefore, the job opportunities and upward mobility that has been afforded to previous generations is not being afforded to the up-and-coming generation. (Now, we know that in America, a person creates his own opportunity, but I don't believe our youth are being taught this on a wide scale.)

Furthermore, our kids are being told to accept activities that are abominations to God as normal, and in some cases, are even being encouraged to experiment. Compound this with the ever-spreading availability of pornography and sexual degradation, and you wind up with an environment where kids are more susceptible to sexual abuse than ever before.

As if all this wasn't enough, drugs have become more of an epidemic today than they ever have. Eradicating methamphetamine from our communities today is about as practical as eradicating fire ants. Kids are either being raised in homes where drug use is rampant, or in neighborhoods where drug use is rampant. They are being exposed to drugs at a younger age, and more people are pushing for drugs to be legalized.

On top of that, an extraordinarily high number of kids today have parents who are no longer together. The norm is for the kids' parents to be divorced, if they were ever married in the first place.

All this creates an environment where kids are having to learn to cope. How do you deal with things if you haven't see your mom in over 6 months? Or if your father is incarcerated? Or if your best friend is pregnant? Or if your boyfriend/girlfriend just broke up with you following your first sexual experience? Or if you have been abused and you feel like you have had your soul ripped out of you? How do you cope?

Now I know I have painted a pretty bleak picture here, and I don't want to make it look like ALL kids have these problems, but a significant number do. There are still many good parents out there raising their kids. As churches, we need to come along side these parents and back them up, and help them. However, even kids who come from good homes are surrounded by kids who struggle, and the church needs to learn how to minister to youth in these circumstances.

Youth ministry used to be so simple. You'd have a Bible lesson, then go outside and have potato sack races, or that silly relay thing where you would run around the cone, and pass the egg to one another using only kitchen spoons. However, today, we have to consider who the kid is, what their needs are, and share God's word with them in a way that it helps them. We have to share with them Who God is, and how He loves them and is concerned for them, even with everything going on in their lives. That is the challenge, and the mission of modern youth ministry... and we need to figure it out, or we won't be able to minister to the next generation of adults, or the next generation of kids.

My solution is to be more personal... and be more real. We have to take a more personal interest in the kids who come to church, encourage them, disciple them, and actually let them know we care. This means more than counting heads, it means to actually take stock in who is there during youth events. This also means to be more proactive. Know what is going on in your youth group, and try to help guide your kids through the challenges they face.

It all goes back to love. We have to operate out of a genuine love (agape) and concern for the well being of our church kids. Anything less will be ineffectual.

Youth ministry isn't about grooming the next generation of church people, having a young and vibrant church, and it definitely isn't about being cool. It's about making disciples, and that is a very personal process, an involved process, and it involves a lot of time and sacrifice on the part of the one making disciples.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment.

Empathy for Sinners

While out on visitation one day, I found myself taken aback by the appearance, demeanor, language, and overall condition of a woman who actually took the time to sit and talk with me. She smoked like a freight-train, and had visible signs that go along with long-term drug abuse. The house was in horrible disarray, and she acted as if she didn't really care to get any better.

While the temptation during visitation is always to steer the conversation toward the church, how great the church is, why the person should come to church, etc etc, I have learned to allow people to talk about themselves. (A) It makes them feel better. (B) It allows me to learn more about them, so I can learn how better to minister to them.

As the woman spoke, I learned a lot. She was basically abandoned by her parents, abused, and endured unspeakable horrors. As a means to escape that situation, she turned to drugs at a young age, and wound up in a bad way. As I learned more about her experience, I came to understand that this present situation which repulsed me was actually an improvement for her. She was making progress in her life.

She still needed the Lord, I believe she still needed salvation. She needed God's guidance in her life, and she needed the healing only He could provide.

When confronted by the devastation sin has left on the life of one who has been in a bad way for a long time, a Christian can be repulsed, jump to conclusions, and even be tempted to write off the one that has had their lives basically destroyed. What we need to do in these situations is try to gain some insight into what happened. No one wakes up and decides, "I am going to trash my life with drugs, and crime, obtain a criminal record, lose my job and home, and alienate my family." No one says, "I am going to trash my body today," or, as the old commercial says, "No one ever says, I want to be a junkie when I grow up."

The dilapidation in which a sinner finds himself is the result of years of sinful choices, bad decisions piled upon each other, each with a seemingly manageable consequence... but once all those consequences have been added up, total destruction is all that is left.

Often times, these decisions are made because of the sinner's background. In John 8:38, Jesus said "I speak that which I have seen with My Father; and ye do that which ye have seen with your father." From those words, we learn that Jesus is righteous, holy and all-powerful, just like His (and our) Heavenly Father. We also learn that we tend to mimic the activities of our earthly fathers.

Remember the Drug-Free America commercial, "Parents who use drugs, have children who use drugs?" Many people today grew up in dysfunctional situations. Having never seen good decisions modeled for them, they grew up making the same dysfunctional decisions, and life seems normal to them.

Others endured abuse. Abuse toward children has devastating effects. As the child fears for his safety, his brain function shuts down the higher-level thinking, and goes into survival mode. If the child remains in this condition long enough, his higher-level thinking never develops, meaning he never learns how to think through situations, make good decisions, and link causes to effects. Further, he becomes stuck in survival mode, meaning he becomes more volatile, develops a quick temper and takes rash courses of action. (Those are all self-defense mechanisms.)

The child who grows up in that environment will eventually become an adult, still incapable of hgher-level thinking. He will still be unable to think through situations, make good decisions, and link causes and effects. Of course, he will marry, or have romantic relationships, and father children, who will then be raised in the same environment that he knew as a child. The process repeats itself.

I tell you all this, not to excuse sinful behavior, bad decisions, or to blame the parents, but to explain why people often make the decisions they do. I am not out to justify Godless living, but it is well worth the investment to get to know people, and to love them on a personal level.

To disciple someone out of a sin-devastated life takes time, patience, energy, and lots of love. There will be setbacks, and there will be times when you wonder if you are really doing any good. However, if you are willing to invest in people, you will see fruit. You will see God work miracles, and you will see lives changed for the better. When that happens, there is no greater feeling on earth. May God bless you as you minister to those around you.

Some People Change

I was fairly useless when I was younger.

When I was about 12 years old, the pastor of the church I attended preached a sermon on Hell, which scared me. I was nervous, restless, and couldn't get any peace. So, I approached this pastor, asking how to be saved. He explained salvation to me the best he could, and I went through the motions of asking Jesus into my heart.

For a while, I did alright. I became the president of the Galileans club at the church, even holding statewide office in that organization (I was state historian), but as high school came along, my interest in the Lord, and the church quickly faded. By the time I graduated high school, I had already amassed a collection of memories I now wish I could forget. I was drawn to rebellion, bad decisions, and things that would freak people out.

Then, I moved off to college. Going to college meant no more parental presence... no one to make sure I was in by curfew, no one to check on where I was, no one to hold me accountable. As you can imagine, I began to make worse choices.

Senior year at Stephen F. Austin, I met Jessica. I instantly knew I liked her, and I also knew she was way out of my league. So, with those two things in mind, I took a different approach with her than I did other girls I chased. First, I cleaned up my act a little. Second, I didn't try to put up a front when I was around her. I would just be myself. After all, I really didn't stand a chance.

Except I did. I am not sure why, but she liked me, too. In the early years of our marriage, I was still incapable of making a good decision. I wrecked my radio career, trashed our finances, and totally neglected my family's needs.

All the while this is happening, all throughout my teenage rebellion and sin, people were there for me. They were teachers, coaches, youth ministers and volunteers, college professors (believe it or not), team mates, room mates, and friends. Then, there was Jessica. Each of these people ministered to me, were patient with me, forgiving toward me, and I believe praying for me.

I really had no excuse. I was raised in a Godly home, was taught the Bible at a young age, and taught to worship the Lord. I rejected that. This cycle continued until one night, November 2002, I broke. The Godly raising of my childhood came back to me, and the fact that I had spent the first 24 years of my life as useless sludge just sort of hit me in the face. This is what preachers refer to as "conviction." I was hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt over my sin, and a sorrow for the things that I had done, especially to my young family. It was that night, I asked God to forgive me of my sins, and I turned to Jesus Christ as my Savior.

I announced my salvation to my church the following morning, where Bro. Jim Slocumb informed me that my life would be forever changed. I didn't know how right he was. In the years that followed, the bad habits that I had embraced as an adolescent faded away, one by one. I struggled with some, and I lost my desire for others. In the years following my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior, God reformed my life. He changed me, from the inside out.

Psalm 51:10 says "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." I was changed, my life was changed, and things were getting better... and it was God that was doing the changing. Today, I am a completely different person than I was then... and those who knew me then, or who have even seen pictures of me then, know that is the truth.

I can't help but wonder if those people who were there for me all those years know the positive impact they have had on my life, or how much I appreciate the fact, that, while I was bent on self-destruction, they never let me cross that line. They were there for me, they prayed for me, and they allowed God to change me.

Perhaps there is someone you know that is making bad choices, that is in rebellion against God, that is bent on self-destruction. Be there for them, minister to them, pray for them, and trust God to change them. God works in people's lives. He changes them, in their hearts and in all facets of their lives.

So, have a little faith, and don't be afraid to invest in someone you care about, even if it seems futile at the time. Who knows? Maybe one day, a preacher will be writing a blog about how you played a big part in turning his life around.

He Began a Good Work

Our little red brick building on West Commerce may not
look like much, but God has done amazing things to bring
us this far, and He has far greater things in store
for our future

Everyday I wake up thinking the same thing... "We have to reach more people."

In 2007, God called me to uproot my family from East Texas, and move to the West Central Texas town of Brownwood to start a new church. I felt funny explaining my calling to potential employers and contacts in Brownwood, because anyone who has been there knows there is a Baptist church on just about every corner. Still, God compelled my wife and I to move to Brownwood and begin ministering to the community.

What we learned upon arriving in Brownwood is that, despite the best efforts of some of the best churches around, there are still lost people in Brownwood who need the Lord, who are receptive to His word.

From the moment we moved to town, God has guided every step. He led us to our first visitors (our neighbors). He led us to the first place we held worship services (Brownwood Apartments Phase II Community Room). He led us to our first members. He guided my secular employment in ways that have raised Grace Pointe's visibility in Brownwood. Every step of the way, God has been there.

So here we are, 4 1/2 years after arriving in Brownwood. I've gone from just a new resident, to news director for the #1 radio station in town (KOXE 101.3 FM), where I also get to host a Sunday morning program about Jesus. Furthermore, Grace Pointe has a solid group of core members. Our youth ministry is going strong, and there is a good spirit among the members.

The Brownwood Apts. Phase II community room,
Where it all started

Yet, everyday, I wake up concerned... I am concerned about the health of the church, and I am concerned that we are not reaching enough people. Then, the other day, while reading my Bible at Riverside Park, it hit me. I didn't wake up one morning in East Texas and decide to move to Brownwood to start a church. God called me to Brownwood, shortly after Sunday morning services at Denson Springs MBC in Slocum, Texas. Not only did He call me, he confirmed that calling through things that happened with some of our ministries there, and through conversations with church members. And just to let me know that Denson Springs would be okay after I resigned the pastorate there, God added many people to that church right after I left. Once in Brownwood, He took over, and made things happen.

God is in control of things, and He reminded me of that this week. He has great things in store for Grace Pointe, and He is bringing those things about right now. All we have to do is keep moving forward, trusting Him, and following His lead.

Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Format Change!

Over the past year, I have tried to use this blog as a Bible study blog, but with the ongoing maintenance of Grace Pointe's site, social media, work, etc, I am finding little time to prepare regulary Bible studies and devotionals for this blog.

Therefore, I am returning this blog back to its roots. Five years ago, I began this blog to chronicle my experiences in life and ministry, and to share lessons I have learned. I think it's time to pick that theme back up. Hopefully, someone will have learned from my mistakes.

Thanks for visiting.