Oh Grow Up!

Are you getting as tired for all the political hoopla as I am? Please don’t think that I am saying that this is not important it is, but that is for another letter. What I am talking about is the rhetoric that we are hearing and the plays of positioning that we have to deal with. Just this morning as I was watching a famous news show, that should go unnamed (but it initials are GMA) the host were discussing such meaningless arguments that our political leaders are fussing about. Things like, I’m not getting enough attention” “your being mean to me on the news,” I’m just waiting for one of them to scream our “You hurt my feelings”. You know what that sounds like? It sounds just like my children as they argue over toys. What have we become? Are we all really that petty over stuff?


We may laugh about this, and many of us do, but consider this. Is the church any different? The more I observe the Christian church today, the more I have noticed that we are no different. One of the big issues in politics today is change, we need to change the way we do things, we need change our healthcare or we need to change our policies. I am hearing a whole lot of talk, but will there really be any action? Does our nation really want to do what it will take to implement those changes? What about us? What about the way we do ministry? Are we really willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill the great commission and reach the world for Jesus? How much do you think we could make an impact on our city and world for Jesus if we quit acting like children? We have a message to deliver, and that is the message “Jesus loves the you and died on the cross for you”, but we, just like the politicians of our day, get so caught up in position jockeying, “I want more attention”, and our ritualistic ideas of what we think church should be like that we are letting millions of people died and spend eternity in Hell. So what about us, are we really willing to do whatever it takes or are we going to stay in our little comfortable building, in our cushy seats, and play church or get serious about the work at hand. People are hurting, sick and need a savior. Are we going to be the church or not? I guess when it comes down to it the question is one that each one of us have to answer, Will I be the Christian God called me to be?

Are we going to continue to let the world tell us what we are supposed to do? “You can’t say that,” “you have to be more tolerant of my beliefs”, and “you don’t have a relevant message”, these are a few of the lies that we are being feed by the world and the sad thing is we believe them. This is not what the Bible says. We do have a message for the world, we must call sin what it is sin, and the gospel message is the most tolerant of all it is for anyone who calls on the name of the Lord. The world needs the gospel now more than ever before. Church, Christian, we must get back to being the church on the move. We have a job to do. Will you join me as we share the message?

Looking Forward in 2010

Happy New Year!


You know one of my favorite parts about the New Year Holiday is the opportunity to start over. For many people 2009 was a hard time. There may have been sickness; death, job loss, and many other hard event s have taken place over the past year. Yet for many a new year brings the opportunity to start fresh. One of my favorite New Year passages of scripture is Philippians 3:13b “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” So many times I find myself letting yesterday keep me from reaching forward to tomorrow. It has taken me a long time learn that if I really want to live a calm fruitful life, then I must let yesterday go. I know it sounds a lot easier that it really is, but if we will trust God and be obedient to His Word, then we can experience the “Prince of Peace” the way God intends us to.

While learning this lesson, I find myself asking “where do I start?” I guess I need paid attention to what I have been reading for a long time to see the answer. Phil. 3:16 “In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.” Or simply stated I should live like God has taught me to. I have discovered that too many times I limit what God wants to do in my life because I do not allow Him to do what I know He wants to with me. I find myself worried about making the same old mistakes or experiencing the same failures again, stop me from reaching forward to what God has for me. When all that God wants me to do is stay focused on knowing Him more, and being obedient to His call on my life.

For me I guess you could say if there is one thing that I desire for this New Year, it would be to know God more, I know that is not original, but that is real, I do simply want God to show me more of Himself. As for how I will learn, I guess I will just have to start where I am and do what I know to do.

Trust Issues

Here we go again, the kids are all off to school and summer vacation is over, if you are anything like me, it is a time to regain some since of normalcy to my days. But at the same time it seems also to get really hectic. I never realized that starting back to school was so expense. (Mom and Dad thank you).It seems like every time our boys come home from school we being asked to pay another fee or for another donation of some kind. I often find myself wondering where is the money going to come from. But God (two of my favorite words) provides every time a need arises.

I guess I just have to take God at His word and trust Him. Because He has told us what to do.

Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I don't understand some times why I struggle so much with this, because He has never failed to do what He has told me He will do. His Word has told me that when we trust God with all our lives, He as promised that He will provide. Why then is it so hard for me to trust? Pride? Because I think I am self sufficient and the "i can do it" takes over. When will I ever learn this lesson, I don't know, but I do know this He will be patient with me until I do.

So I guess I just have to trust Jesus and do what He says do and He will provide.

Staying Healthy is Hard work

The older I get the more I realize the harder it is for me to stay in good health. I guess all the warnings that I received from my parents and others were true after all. It seems as though every time I go to the doctor's office I here the words "You need to watch your diet and exercise more, or..." To that statement I often have responded "when I get the time." Just recently it has been revealed to me that if I do not make the time I will never have the time and therefore my health will only get worse. To be honest about it what this whole thing comes down to is actually one question. Am I discipline enough to do what it takes to get into and stay healthy?

What is really concerning to me is that this is not only with my physical health, but also my spiritual health. To be spiritually healthy takes discipline as well. Just as I have to develop the discipline to do what must be done to be physically healthy, I also must develop the discipline to do what must be done to be spiritually as well. I truly believe that as Christ followers, we are responsible for our own spiritual health. I know that today in our society, many people want to blame someone else for their problems, but just as though we cannot expect our doctors to be solely responsible for our physical health, we cannot expect our church to be solely responsible for our spiritual health either. For an individual to be spiritually healthy, he or she must take the responsibility for themselves.

What does that mean? What am I supposed to do you may ask. Start by searching the Word of God for what Jesus did to maintain His spiritual well being. What is it that He says we are expected to do so that we can grow in our faith, and maintain a healthy spiritual life. Everything that we need to do can be found in the Bible. If you are looking for a good place to start, simply study God's Word and pray. Once you begin to seek Him, Jesus tells us that we will find what we are looking for, and the more we find Him the more we will want Him. It is kind of like taking a drink of ice cold what on a hot Alabama day in the middle of August, you can never get enough to quench your thirst, the more you drink the more you want. What is really great is that Jesus' well never runs dry, there is always more just waiting for us to take a drink.

But it is up to you, are you disciplined enough to do it. Besides I heard someone say one time as they started a new exercise routine, "it is not about starting fast and burning out, it is about doing your best and forgetting the rest." Start somewhere! the more you discipline yourself for spiritual growth, the more you will be able to accomplish. Jesus never said it would be easy, but He did say He would always be there. Are you doing your best for Jesus?

God Bless.

Never Alone

So many time we all go through circumstances where we ask "God where are you?" It many be during a time of grief over a loved one, lost of a job, or maybe a series of unfortunate events that happen to many of us in our lives. As I go about my daily work as a pastor I often have the opportunity to speak with people as they face these difficult circumstances. All to often I hear the statement "I feel so alone."

As I was studying this past week, God has revealed to me that even though I may think I am alone, He never does leave me. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus promise "I am with you always" (HCSB). Why don't I feel that? So many times my problem is that I get so busy looking at my situation or task at hand that I forget to look for God.

Have you ever noticed that when a person purchase a new or "new to you" car, that out of the blue they begin to see that make or model much more on the road. Why? Because we begin to look for them, or we pay more attention to that style because it is what we drive. The same concept works when we daily ask God to show us what He is doing. When we begin to focus on looking for God we will begin to see more clearly what He is doing around us.

I know it is hard, but the next time you are feeling all alone. Try it, ask God to show you what He is doing and look for Him. It is amazing that the feeling of loneliness seems to disappear when we read His Word and seek Him everyday. You see we're not alone! God is there, we just have to look harder sometimes.

Freedom isn't free

As my wife and I try to explain what the 4th of July means to our boys, I began to realize that it is more than just words when we say "freedom isn't free". We explained to them that for us to have the freedoms that we have there were hundreds of thousands of men and women who have died for our country, not only to stay free, but to establish the freedom we all enjoy. Those that to often we forget.

Actually most of my day was spent watching the History channel. They had a great series on today about "The Revolution" which helped me to remember the sacrifice that our founding fathers made. The sacrifice they thought of as their duty to give for us to have the freedoms we have today. What amazed me the number of unsung heros that gave all they had, their homes, money, and lives for the cause.

Then I also began to think about another person that sacrificed all to give us freedom that we do not deserve, that being Jesus, God Son, who gave up heaven to come to earth, to live a sinless life, to be persecuted, and then to give His life for our sins so that we could be forgiven. All this just so that God could have a relationship us, because He loved us. If that is not freedom at a great cost I don't know what is.

So as you celebrate our nations freedom and the significance of this day, don't forget to say thank you to the Son of God for giving His life for our ultimate freedom from the bonds of sin.

To all of those who have faught for our freedoms and their families THANK YOU!

Decisons, Decisions, Decisions

A day does not go by that I have to make some decision of some kind. We all have to. What makes me more frustrated than anything is my inconsistency and struggle in how to make a good one. I have heard all kinds of people tell me to "just trust your self" or "Make the decision that is best for you." I'm sorry, but there has to be a better way for me to make the decisions that will shape the rest of my life. So what do I and those of us in this situation everyday do to help make our decisions.

Well, what if we had someone to consult that is much wiser, knows what really is best for us, or even really does want us to succeed in everything we do. No, I'm not talking about my mother, even though Mother you do fit the bill, but I am talking about a readily available resource that I can go to anytime. What if I simply consulted the Bible for my answers?

The more I read the Bible, the more I understand that it really is God's Handbook for Life. Jesus tells us in His teachings that if we want wisdom just ask Him and He will give it to us. There are even practical concepts that really don't take to much thinking about on our part to do that will make our decision making process much simpler. Several years ago there was a fad (or at least that is what I call it) around the acronym WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). There is some great value in that thought, however, I prefer to ask that question this way when I am looking to make a choice concerning an action or topic, "What does the Bible say about...?" you fill in the dots.

Does this really work? I have never had it fail me. Remember when we are seeking to make decisions in our lives that are not just good decisions but glorify God, what better to consult than God's Word for the answer.