Fairview Baptist Rev.

Commencement at Southern Seminary

2010-05-14T18:05:00.004-04:00

I received my Doctor of Ministry from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, today.

Dr. Mohler's message is worth reading and remembering.

A Prayer for Awakening

2010-05-03T10:51:00.003-04:00

Credit is due to Trevin Wax, Justin Taylor, and John Piper for these words:

O Lord, as you are often accustomed to do, show your great power. Send a remarkable awakening that results in…

hundreds of people coming to Christ,
old animosities being removed,
marriages being reconciled and renewed,
wayward children coming home,
long-standing slavery to sin being conquered,
spiritual dullness being replaced by vibrant joy,
weak faith being replaced by bold witness,
disinterest in prayer being replaced by fervent intercession,
boring Bible reading being replaced by passion for the Word,
disinterest in global missions being replaced by energy for Christ’s name among the nations, and
lukewarm worship being replaced by zeal for the greatness of God’s glory.

Lord, when Gideon had thousands of men you said, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’” (Judges 7:2). You stripped his army to 300, and with that you conquered the peoples of the East who covered the ground like locusts and whose camels were like the sand of sea (Judges 7:12).

O Lord, take the mighty 300 of this church and bless it beyond anything we have ever dreamed.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

A Tribute to Les Puryear

2010-02-24T14:59:00.004-05:00

I first met Les and Debbie Puryear at Henry Blackaby's Spiritual Leadership Conference at First Baptist Church Forest Park, GA, back in 2002. It was great to get to know this wonderful couple and see Les' heart for the church.

Fast-forward to a few years ago when I discovered that Les was serving Lewisville Baptist Church, only about thirty miles from Dobson. It was great to re-connect with him and to begin following his blog.

I've been reading the debate over tithing in Les' recent articles, and it reminded me of an old vinyl album my parents had while I was growing up. I don't know if you've ever heard of Dan McBride, but his tongue-in-cheek assessment of denominational life, especially Southern Baptist denominational life still leaves me laughing. I've embedded one of Dan's songs about stewardship in this post.

This one's for you, Les!

I Like Spring!

2010-02-05T20:21:00.004-05:00

I never thought I would say it, but I like spring! I'm quickly coming to like my pesky pollen allergies with the constant scratchy throat, stuffy nose, and itchy, watery eyes better than these dreary, snowy, rainy winter days. We're quickly approaching the thirty-inch total mark when it comes to snow (13" - 12/18, 9" - 1/29, and 6" - 2/5). In fact, some of the December snow was still piled up in parking lots aroung Mount Airy last week before the snow started falling.

Don't get me wrong! I'm still a winter kind of guy. My motto is, "You can always add a layer (in winter), but there's only so much you can take off (in summer)." I used to sleep on the second floor of our house in Jonesville. The nearest heat vent for our oil furnace was at the bottom of the stairs. When we heated with a wood stove, I would stand in front of the stove until it felt like my polyester pajamas were about to melt and then dash upstairs and bury myself under the covers. I still like to burrow down in the bed, but Tracy makes me turn the comforter down when we sleep together (she works three or four nights each week).

Anyway, someone said on Facebook this past week that although Pawxatawney Phil (sp?) saw his shadow and ran for cover, General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta didn't see his shadow and stayed out to sun himself for a while, meaning the end of winter is in sight. Now, I ask you, would any self-respecting Southerner take the prognostication of a Yankee groundhog over his Southern counterpart? Absolutely not! To be honest, I'll take anything I can get to put away my snow shovels and hang the sled back on the wall.

Of course, the current storm hasn't run its full course yet. The power may go out again before I finish this post, and we're supposed to have snow showers through tomorrow afternoon.

And there's another storm on the radar for Tuesday.

I LIKE SPRING!!

What Does Light Look Like?

2009-12-13T20:50:00.002-05:00

Sermon from December 13, 2009. Isaiah 9:1 - 7

My Son's First Solo in Church

2009-12-07T14:40:00.004-05:00

Daniel had a (three-bar) solo in our Christmas cantata yesterday. Hope you in enjoy it (It's at the end).

Whom Do You Trust?

2009-11-29T21:20:00.004-05:00

Here's my sermon from Sunday, November 29. The text is Isaiah 7:1 - 17. You probably haven't heard it done quite this way before.

Productive Monday Musings

2009-11-02T10:53:00.005-05:00

I feel the need to record for posterity a series of events that happened to me last Tuesday. It may be the kind of story my grandchildren will get a kick out of one day. It's aggravating, quietly amusing, and oddly humiliating all at the same time. Here goes:

At 3:15pm last Tuesday (October 27, 2009), I left our house in my truck to pick up my oldest daughter from school (and to pick up the school's popcorn machine for a fundraiser at another school). As I was backing out of the driveway, I noticed a gray GMC Jimmy parked under the carport at church. I didn't recognize the vehicle, so I decided just to circle through and see what was happening.

I should add at this point that normally, when I do the "circle-through", people who are up to no good immediately crank up and leave. After all, it was pouring rain and the middle of the afternoon--not a good time for illegal activity.

I stopped at the back of the church and took a closer look at the Jimmy. Definitely not one of ours (Tracy is amazed that I know what vehicle most people in our church drive. I guess it's a man thing). When I saw no one in the front, I put my truck in park and went to see if they were inside the building (fearing a burglary in progress).

About the time I got to the door, I realized that the Jimmy was running. Upon looking closer, I also noticed that the Jimmy was rocking in a strange way. My fear and curiosity immediately switched to anger as I grabbed my cell phone and got back in my truck.

I dialed 911 and explained to the dispatcher that I was the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church and that I had just caught a couple having sex in a vehicle in our parking lot. The dispatcher didn't quite get it.

At that moment, the "driver" and his "passenger" jumped into the front seat of the Jimmy and raced away. I, still trying to explain myself to the dispatcher, dropped my truck into gear and headed up the other side of the church building in order to see which way they would go.

Upon reaching the road, the Jimmy failed to stop and pulled right into the path of an oncoming pickup and an older mini-van. The crash sent the Jimmy into a spin where it stopped facing the church with its front end mashed up and the hood standing straight in the air. The pickup, a full-size Chevy was facing away from the church with its front end mostly crushed. The mini-van was in the middle of the road with a pretty good dent in its right front fender. And I was on the phone with the dispatcher trying to calm down enough to say "FAIRVIEW" and "HIGHWAY 268" so that the dispatcher could understand me.

What happened next defies common sense. The men in the truck were climbing out, bleeding and complaining of soreness. The lady in the mini-van was banging on the window of her vehicle and calling for help because she was having chest pains. Her chihuahua dog was barking madly all the while. AND THE COUPLE IN THE JIMMY WERE WALKING AWAY FROM THE SCENE!!!!!

A young man who had just pulled up to the stop sign beside my house had parked and was coming toward the accident. I yelled at him, "TELL THEM NOT TO LEAVE! DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!" He turned and ran after them, only to see a mini-van stop and pick them up. Fortunately, he got the tag number on the mini-van and was able to give it to the authorities.

In the end, all three of the victims were transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. I have not heard from any of them since the accident. The young lady in the Jimmy (a sixteen year-old) had a gash on her forehead. She told the authorities that she and her partner (a seventeen year-old) were working on homework behind the church when I caught them. And to top it all off, the lady who was having the chest pains is the young lady's next-door neighbor!

So there you have it. I've said too much. I was simply afraid I might forget.

Four in a Row!

2009-10-11T21:13:00.001-04:00

Can't We All Just Get Along?

2009-08-31T16:13:00.004-04:00

I had a phone conversation a little while ago with a member of the GCR Task Force. It was a profitable time, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

I (like many others) was not necessarily happy after reading the write-up of last week's GCR Task Force listening session in Arkansas. The article published on the Southern Baptist Texan website seemed to cover the meeting well, and it presented most of the questions and answers fairly accurately.

Fortunately, the GCR Task Force posted the complete video of the meeting on the group's website over the weekend. I watched it (the second half TWICE). Just as I always say that the best way to study Scripture is in its context, I will say here that it is equally important to set the discussion from last Thursday in its context, too.

I still believe that the Cooperative Program is the best way for Southern Baptists to do missions, but I came away from my phone conversation this afternoon with some serious matters that I'll be chewing on in the days ahead. For example:

1. Most state conventions keep the lion's share of Cooperative Program gifts (Isn't NC a 67% / 33% split now?). However, because of state convention partnerships at NAMB, a hefty chunk of the pittance that goes to the SBC comes right back to those state conventions each year. It makes me see why so many of the GCR Task Force's member churches give nothing to Annie Armstrong each year.

2. I've been in a Southern Baptist church all but two years of my entire life. I'm under 40, but I'm a denominational loyalist. I lived through the Conservative Resurgence (my dad was a student at Southeastern in 1987 when things melted down), and I really don't want to endure that level of ugliness again. How can I support a Great Commission Resurgence in the SBC while at the same time leaving an exclusively denominational approach to missions?

3. I love my state convention and our Executive Director, but I'm ready to see us streamline our state structures in order to achieve maximum effectiveness for the Great Commission. They're already making staff cuts at the state level, but I think we're going to have to make more radical organizational changes in order to see a Great Commission Resurgence.

4. I've been re-reading Breakout Churches by Thom Rainer in preparation for Sunday. One of the worst things members of an organization can do in order to ensure the failure of their organization is to refuse to confront the facts. Right on the heels of that sin is the refusal to adjust to the facts. Southern Baptists are not helpless, but we do need to be realistic right now about the Great Commission and our role in fulfilling it.

BOTTOM LINE: I'm still not crazy about the responses of the Task Force members to questions about CP giving and missions support, but I've been challenged in my traditional denominational loyalism as a result of their statements. State conventions (in general) are pocketing too much of our churches' CP money and are usually the most bloated bureaucracies in Southern Baptist life. I still fear that a lot of small churches will follow the lead of these megachurches and stop giving to Southern Baptist missions, but I fear worse that they will stop giving to missions altogether.

And that point of concern is where I stand when I call on my fellow pastors and Southern Baptists to really pray for the GCR Task Force as they work to develop a method to call us back to the task of the Great Commission. They need us. We cannot criticize their answers to the questions if we have not been faithful in praying.

A Must-Read for Southern Baptists

2009-08-26T13:55:00.003-04:00

Les Puryear has been profiling representation on Southern Baptist trustee boards and committees for several weeks. In this post, he profiles the makeup of the new Great Commission Resurgence Task Force. It's the best post I've read all week. If you're a Southern Baptist, read it.

New Post (Yes, I Know It's Un-Original . . .)

2009-08-21T09:48:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I want to comment on a couple of matters of interest.

First, I participated in an online meeting with Les Puryear (and others) earlier this week regarding a potential move to improve representation of smaller churches on Southern Baptist boards and committees. I want to recommend that anyone who reads my blog (both of you ;-) )should read ALL of Les' recent posts, especially those regarding representation on the trustee boards of various Southern Baptist agencies and institutions. It's time that the convention serve the churches and not the other way round.

Second, I want to make something VERY clear to those of you who know me. I love the Southern Baptist Convention, but it ranks a little low on my list of loves. Jesus is number one, my wife is number two, my kids are collectively number three, my sweet church family is number four, and so forth. I will step up and speak up for the SBC when needed, but never at the expense of my relationship with those first four I mentioned above.

Third, my doctoral project (Improving Evangelism through the Discovery and Use of Spiritual Gifts) is about to get underway. Graduation is within reach! I started work in March 2006, so May 2010 can't get here fast enough.

Oh, and fourth, I am SOOOO looking forward to my twenty-year class reunion with all my friends from J.F. Webb! October 3rd, baby!

Anyway, thanks for reading. Later!

Why I Like Thom Rainer

2009-07-13T09:16:00.003-04:00

I first came in contact with Thom Rainer when I was a student at Southeastern Seminary eleven years ago. Rainer was the dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Seminary at the time. He also happened to be the author of a textbook for a class on church growth.

Here's where I first came to respect Rainer: he made an assertion in his Book of Church Growth which he later refuted in his own Effective Evangelistic Churches. It takes a big man to admit his own error in print. But that was only the beginning of my appreciation for Dr. Rainer.

A couple of years later, he came to Rocky Mount, NC, where I was serving in ministry. By that time, I had completed my Master's work at Southeastern and was toying with the idea of pursuing doctoral work. I went to hear Dr. Rainer's presentation that night and wound up spending almost twenty minutes talking with him about the Doctor of Ministry in Evangelism and Church Growth. I was hooked.

My greatest appreciation for Dr. Rainer, though, is his research-based approach to writing. A lot of church growth writers seem to base their assertions on limited research at best. To be honest, several of them have set forth a single church's success as the model for all others. Rainer, though, usually makes his assertions only after evaluating several hundred churches in a variety of areas. When he speaks, you can believe that I'm paying attention.

I was disappointed that Dr. Rainer's departure to LifeWay came at almost the same time I finally enrolled at Southern, but I've seen his influence throughout the program. His replacement, Dr. Charles Lawless, has an equal level of passion and integrity to Dr. Rainer's. Both these men have played a pivotal role in shaping my understanding of and attitude toward church growth.

If you're not familiar with Thom Rainer, let me encourage you to follow his blog or buy one of his books (Sorry, Doc. LifeWay's page didn't show up on the first Google page). It'll give you a new appreciation for LifeWay stores and products. I think you'll come to appreciate him, too.

If we can just get him in Sunday School . . .

2009-07-06T17:48:00.003-04:00

TIME is reporting that President Obama's chaplain at Camp David is a Southern Baptist, or that said chaplain is a graduate of a Southern Baptist seminary (You'll have to jump to the second page to read the facts).

While I've had my disagreements with the President on a lot of issues, I'm kinda glad that he chooses to worship out of the limelight at Camp David. It's icing on the cake that his preacher of choice happens to be a graduate of one of our seminaries.

Now if we could just get him in a Sunday School class . . .

Day Two: SBC Louisville

2009-06-24T22:19:00.004-04:00

Sorry I'm late posting tonight. Today at the SBC Louisville was definitely BETTER than yesterday. I know we're a democratic body, but I've grown weary of the same people riding the same pet ponies every year during our meetings.

Today's meeting had two interesting moments:

1) T.C. Pinckney attempted to amend the Resolution on President Obama in order to focus on education, particularly a move toward removing the children of Southern Baptists from public schools. His amendment was defeated, and the resolution passed with little discussion.

2) A pastor from South Carolina asked some very pointed questions of Dr. Danny Akin regarding his participation in Acts 29 Network events and Mark Driscoll's appearance at Southeastern Seminary. Dr. Akin was so gracious in his response. He never mentioned Roger Moran or the Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association by name, but he told his questioner (and by proxy all of us) that he would be happy to address questions regarding his actions in person or through private correspondence. I don't think he could have handled it any better.

Kudos to Bro. Jeff Crook on his theme interpretation at the evening session tonight. I like it when a brother gets fired up on the subject of evangelism.

I also want to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the music and worship time during this convention. Scott White and the good folks at Woodstock were wonderful. The groups from Second Springfield, Highview, and Hunter Street were great, too. Newsong and Paul Baloche were equally great. And don't let me omit Mandisa's performance tonight during the North American Mission Board report.

I'm encouraged. My attitude tonight is definitely better than it was last night. If you didn't come to Louisville this week and you're a Southern Baptist, I hope you'll come to Orlando next year. We are endeavoring to get back to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, and I believe it starts with individual believers in local churches like us. I hope you'll join us!

Day One: SBC Louisville

2009-06-23T19:42:00.002-04:00

I wrote the following earlier today. It's still true tonight:

I’m writing this afternoon as I’m sitting at the SBC meeting in Louisville. This (for me) has been one of the most highly anticipated meetings I’ve attended in recent years. Why? Because there has been such a push to get younger leaders to attend this meeting. Johnny Hunt and others have gone out on a limb to get us here through the publication of the Great Commission Resurgence document. We know that our denomination is at a crisis point. We see it clearly. We are losing generations for the Gospel. It’s obvious.

And yet, the bulk of the motions that have come from the floor today have done nothing but infuriate me. We heard from a messenger who was upset that a color guard didn’t present the flags at the beginning of the meeting this morning. Another messenger asked us to reconsider a motion requiring candidates for convention office to be on the platform and have their pictures on the screens during elections. A third messenger offered a motion that our SBC entities itemize their expenditures involving Mark Driscoll and the Acts 29 Network. A messenger just moments ago asked us to stop using the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) or any translation that “calls into question the inerrancy of Scripture.” Another messenger followed by asking us not to have anyone at any convention function or entity function that has ever used profanity or vulgar speech or who does not endorse total abstinence from alcohol (namely Mark Driscoll).

ENOUGH!!!!!!!!

Don’t you get it??!!! Our churches are dying for lack of younger members and true Gospel conversions, and all you can think about is this? I said out loud, “If this is the way this convention is going, I’m not coming back!” Then I apologized under my breath to my former classmate Clay Stevens (seated in front of me).

Stick a fork in the SBC. We’re done. It breaks my heart, but it’s true.

P. S. Morris Chapman, President of the SBC Executive Committee used almost a third of his presentation this morning trying to find a middle ground on the Doctrines of Grace. I never did quite figure out what he was saying. Maybe they’ll print it in the next issue of SBC Life so I can decode it. I just kept sitting there thinking, “What a waste!”

-------------------------------------------

Now I'm in my hotel room watching the streaming video from the evening session. They're debating the motion to appoint a Great Commission Task Force. I won't even comment on the debate.

Last comment of the day: Jarrett Stephens just blessed my heart. There may be hope for us, I believe. PRAISE THE LORD! THE GCR TASK FORCE MOTION PASSES!

More Sermons and a Selection by the Choir

2009-06-22T21:05:00.003-04:00

Here are two more recent sermons and a selection by our choir:

I Am Redeemed - The Fairview Choir (Soloist: Dale Poindexter)

Sermon: "Our Ascended Lord" (Final message in Mark)

Sermon: "WE BELIEVE: The Bible" (New Series on the Baptist Faith & Message)

Recent Sermons

2009-06-15T19:49:00.004-04:00

Here are four recent sermons I preached in our study of Mark.

Alabaster Box

Judas

The Arrest and Trial of Jesus

The Death and Burial of Jesus

Spiritual Gifts Update

2009-06-02T20:06:00.005-04:00

I was writing the third chapter of my doctoral project today when I came to a powerful conclusion. Before I get to the conclusion, though, let me build up to it.

My project is entitled, "Improving Evangelism at Fairview Baptist Church Through the Discovery and Use of Spiritual Gifts."

I know. It's long. Welcome to the doctor of ministry program.

Chapter Three is entitled, "Developing a Theology of Spiritual Gifts."

Shorter, yes. Interesting? Believe it.

Here's the deal: I've discovered two schools of thought on the subject.

The first (majority) position is what I call the "special abilities" position. Basically, this position says that spiritual gifts are special abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers at conversion for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ, the local church. In some cases, the gifts are offices or positions (e.g., apostles, evangelists, pastor-teachers).

The second (minority) position is what I call the "ministry" position. I've only found two major proponents of this position: Experiencing God author Henry Blackaby and Kenneth Berding. This position basically says that the Holy Spirit is the gift and that he equips believers for ministry in the church. The responsibility of believers in this position is to develop a dynamic relationship with God in which he calls them to places of ministry and they function in that ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now to get to my conclusion.

How do you delineate between natural talent and a spiritual gift? Better yet, when does a talent become a spiritual gift? Come on. Think about it. It's the $64,000 question.

Okay, let's bring it home. I'm a pianist. Let's suppose I sit down and play the piano for you. When is my playing exercising a spiritual gift, and when is my playing a demonstration of my talent? And here's the rule: both are exclusive. Neither one can be the other. What's your answer?

Here's my conclusion: The outcome is based on your response. If my playing makes you say, "Wow, Andy. That was nice," then my talent was at work. But if my playing says, "Wow, God. Thank you for that," then it was a spiritual gift.

The difference between a natural talent and a spiritual gift is in the response of the recipient. Think about it. If the goal of spiritual gifts is to edify the body and glorify God (Read 1 Peter 4:10, 11), then that has to be the secret.

So how do talented people sanctify their talents? I'm not sure they're able to, but if I were going to try, I think I'd do my level best to keep from drawing any attention to myself and do everything possible to point to God (Again, 1 Peter 4:10, 11).

I've called one of my cohort buddies. He likes this. My wife buys it (and she's a hard sell). Now give me your feedback!

GCR Axiom #4: A Commitment to Biblical Inerrancy and Sufficiency

2009-05-29T08:31:00.003-04:00

I'm feeling especially lazy this week. I have simply copied and pasted my notes from this week into the blog. Feel free to ask any questions via the comment section.

We call upon all Southern Baptists to unite around a firm conviction in the full truthfulness and complete sufficiency of Christian Scripture in all matters of faith and practice.

Matthew 5:17 – 18 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

John 10:35 - If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

John 17:17 - Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Peter 1:20 – 21 - Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Key Points:

- The challenge to inerrancy is as old as the Bible. Satan said to Eve, “Has God said?”

- Belief in the divine inspiration of Scripture is key to our understanding of Christ, who believed and taught that the Scriptures were completely true and trustworthy.

- It is not enough to believe that the Bible is inerrant; we must also be willing to submit to all of its teachings, even if that means we must relinquish our own preferences or human traditions.

What does a commitment to biblical inerrancy and sufficiency look like in the local church?

1. A commitment to biblical inerrancy and sufficiency means that we must avoid at all costs the tendency to place popular opinion or practical concerns ahead of the clear teaching of Scripture (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 7:24 – 27; 2 Timothy 4:2 – 4).

2. A commitment to biblical inerrancy and sufficiency means that we must train up a generation of discerning, eager students of Scripture (Acts 17:10 – 12; 2 Timothy 2:15).

3. A commitment to biblical inerrancy and sufficiency means that we must not limit our study of Scripture to only the parts we like or understand (2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 21:42; 22:40; Acts 20:27).

GCR Axiom #3: A Commitment to the Great Commandments

2009-05-25T07:54:00.005-04:00

Now, if you're like me, you probably think I made a typo on the title of this axiom. I consider the Great Commandment (no "s" on the end) a singular matter, but the authors of our GCR Axioms have made it plural. I have to admit that I like it.

Here's the idea for Axiom #3: As we love God and love our neighbors (both believers and non- believers), it impacts our effectiveness in carrying out the Great Commission. Bear in mind that the thrust of the Great Commission is making disciples.

Here are my notes from our discussion (bear in mind that I am basing my observations on both the GCR website document and Danny Akin's message):

Key Points:

Our neighbors are both fellow believers and non-believers.

“The ultimate motivation for the Great Commission is love of God and a passion to be on mission with Him.”

“Governmental legislation will not stop the moral plunge of our nation and the world, but the gospel will!”

“The silence of our gospel witness may be an evidence of the coldness and hardness of our hearts.”

“The Southern Baptist Convention remains a mostly middle-class, mostly white network of mostly declining churches.”

“We must accept our constant need to humble ourselves and repent of pride, arrogance, jealousy, hatred, contentions, lying, selfish ambitions, laziness, complacency, idolatries, and every other sin of the flesh that leads to broken relationships and harms our witness before the watching world.”

What does a commitment to the Great Commandments look like in the local church?

1. A commitment to the Great Commandments calls believers to sincerely love and seek to share the gospel with all sinners while at the same time hating their sins (Romans 3:23; 12:9; 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 11; Jude 23).

2. A commitment to the Great Commandments requires a renewed commitment to the pursuit of racial and ethnic diversity in the local church (Matthew 24:14; 28:19; Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28).

3. A commitment to the Great Commandments hinges on a genuine attitude of humility on the part of the believer and the local church (Romans 12:3 – 5; 1 Corinthians 11:31 – 32; Ephesians 4:1 – 3; James 4:7 – 10).

GCR Axiom 2: A Commitment to Gospel-Centeredness

2009-05-18T17:26:00.008-04:00

A few weeks back, I started a midweek series on the Axioms of a Great Commission Resurgence based on the document released in advance of this summer's SBC annual meeting in Louisville, KY, and Danny Akin's message preached last month at Southeastern Seminary. In my earlier post, I discussed Axiom #1: A Commitment to the Lordship of Christ. Today I want to share with you highlights of our discussion of Axiom #2: A Commitment to Gospel-Centeredness.

Several Scriptures are used to support this axiom, including Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1 - 4; and 2 Corinthians 5:17 - 21.

Dr. Akin makes several points regarding this axiom that I will summarize here:

- Gospel-centered living requires a grace-filled salvation.

- "We do not obey in order to be accepted. Rather, we obey because
we are accepted by God in Christ."

- Let the cross be the offense to non-believers; not our styles,
traditions, legalisms, moralisms, personal preferences, or
unhelpful attitudes.

- Preaching must directly present the gospel.

- Ministry must be gospel-oriented from beginning to end and
at all points in between.

At Fairview, we see this axiom being applied in the following ways:

1. A commitment to gospel-centeredness sets the cross of Christ
above all else in the presentation of the gospel
(1 Corinthians 1:18; Galatians 6:14).

2. A commitment to gospel-centeredness lets no manmade
tradition, personal preference, or unhealthy attitude take
precedence over reaching lost people with the gospel
(1 Corinthians 10:32 - 33; Galatians 5:1; Colossians 2:8).

3. A commitment to gospel-centeredness means that every
program, ministry, or event is geared toward seeking lost
people, presenting the gospel, and inviting them to
surrender to Christ (Luke 14:23; Acts 2:37 - 38; 2 Peter 3:9;
Revelation 7:9 - 10).

I know that a lot of these things sound like no-brainers, but the bottom line is that they're getting lost in the shuffle in most of our churches. If your church hasn't reached a crisis point yet, I have a strong feeling that it's coming. What is the crisis point? It's when you realize that your congregation is getting grayer and that you're going to have to do more than preach without wearing a necktie or throw in a praise song once in a while in order to reach the missing generations.

O,Oprah!

2009-05-06T09:48:00.003-04:00

I am posting this article in its entirety. The post title above is a link to the original article from Just Between Us magazine.

by Stuart Briscoe

Atlantic Monthly in a recent article asked today's "20-somethings" questions about the Ten Commandments. On average they didn't know more than two of them, but they didn't like "Honor Thy Father and Mother" or "Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy," and they said they preferred "Thou Shalt Not Drink and Drive" and "Thou Shalt Love the Environment." When asked if they thought a revision would be a good idea and, if so, who should oversee the revision, the resounding answer was—Oprah Winfrey.

Now if you have spent the last 20 years in hiding somewhere you may not be familiar with Oprah, so let me bring you up to date. She was born a little more than fifty years ago to unmarried teenage parents in a poverty stricken part of Mississippi. Poor, black, and female, her opportunities in life were limited. Raised by her grandmother, she attended church regularly and participated in church activities with great poise and ability. Uponreturning to live with her mother in Milwaukee, Wis., however, her teenage years were wild and full of abuse. Her father, who lived elsewhere, stepped in, imposed a rigid discipline including schoolwork and regular reading, and Oprah began to blossom.

At 19, she burst into the media world. In a remarkably short time, The Oprah Winfrey Show was breaking records in the tough Chicago market. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, she is probably the highest paid entertainer in the business; her abilities as producer, performer, writer, promoter, and philanthropist are legendary. TIME magazine listed her in 2006 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Her television program, voted the number one talk show for more than 20 consecutive seasons, reaches 46 million people weekly and is released in 134 foreign countries, while her magazine, XM Radio show, and website reach millions more, not to mention her book club that only has to mention a book to send sales rocketing over one million. Oprah is a huge success in her wide and varied fields of endeavor!

But a strange thing has been happening to Oprah. Over a period of years, she has developed a warm friendship with Marianne Williamson, author of a book called A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles." This "course" was purportedly scribed years previously by Dr. Helen Schucman through a process of inner dictation by a "voice" she identified as coming from Jesus. Williamson became a regular on Oprah's show and gradually the talk turned more and more to the material contained in the Course in Miracles until it was recently announced that the course would be taught on the Oprah & Friends XM Radio Channel in daily segments for 365 days throughout 2008. This course being made available to millions of people in the U.S. and around the world announces clearly on its web page, "Even though the language of the course is that of traditional Christianity, it expresses a non-sectarian, non-denominational spirituality. A Course in Miracles therefore is a universal spiritual teaching, not a religion." Non-sectarian and non-denominational it certainly is, but is it non-Christian too? Judge for yourself. The course literature states, "The course can be summed up this way: Nothing real can be threatened, Nothing unreal exists, Herein lies the peace of God. Among other things, the course teaches that "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself," "God's Name is holy, but no holier than yours. To call upon His Name is to call upon your own," and "There is no sin."

If that leaves you a little mystified, you're not alone, but a quick perusal of the 365 lessons reveals that the object of the course is mind training leading to thought reversal, which means unthinking everything you've thought and believed thus far, and embracing what the course teaches. And what does it teach as it uses biblical terminology and totally reinterprets the terms to mean on occasion the opposite to the original biblical meaning? It rehashes elements of first and second century Gnosticism, teaches New Age emphases, overtly rejects the fundamentals of the Christian faith concerning Christ as Savior and Lord and the meaning and means of salvation, redefines the work of the Holy Spirit, and remains ominously silent on fundamental subjects like sin and repentance. Oprah seems to have embraced all of this and is now actively propagating it. Capitalizing on her enviable reputation, marshalling her vast resources, and mobilizing her undeniable communication skills, she has enthusiastically committed herself to an endeavor that Williamson claims is not only the key "to changing one's personal life" but is the "key to changing the world."

Should there be any remaining doubt about what has happened to Oprah, an incident on A New Earth web seminar on March 3, 2008 sheds interesting light. A caller, noting Oprah's emphasis on New Age teaching, asked her why she has departed from the Christianity of her Mississippi youth. Oprah candidly answered that she began to get out of the box of biblical doctrine in her late twenties when her pastor was preaching the characteristics of God. When he said that "The Lord, thy God is a jealous God," she turned away from Him, thinking that if He was jealous of her (a total misunderstanding!) she had no desire to follow Him. Tragic as this misunderstanding and its aftermath for Oprah undoubtedly are, the fallout from her missionary zeal to take her new message (she calls it "my greatest purpose and calling") to the world cannot be measured.

Why am I bringing this to your attention? Because at the same time I was becoming aware of this dramatically significant event taking place under our very noses, I met some women who were Oprah fans and who clearly had no understanding of what she was teaching. At that time I was teaching from Paul's second letter to Timothy, a letter containing the warnings of an aged apostle to a young pastor concerning dangerous trends he should expect in his day. It is clear the apostle was addressing following generations, such as ours, too.

One of the trends he talked about focused on the work of false teachers who, coming from a Christian background and claiming to have received special enlightenment, "worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women," (now don't jump ship yet, we all struggle with having the strength and will to make right choices) "who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth" (2 Tim. 3: 6-7). OUCH!! We need to be aware of those around us who are confused yet hungering to know, but are unwilling to call truth, truth. All of the adjectives describing women in this passage—in other versions "gullible women" is used—are very displeasing to our intellectual palates. Paul actually used the term "little women" which probably meant women who were vulnerable because of moral and intellectual shortcomings. Another unflattering label, but the point is that deception abounds and many women were the targets of the teachers and their attractive but dangerously wrong message in the first century and they are the ones who in my view are vulnerable today.

We should ask ourselves some pertinent questions here. Are there any women watching television each afternoon who are so inadequately versed in biblical truth that they are very vulnerable to well-produced expertly presented alternative views? Yes! Are many of them "loaded down" with depression and guilt even if they do not relate their problems to sin, either theirs or someone else's? Do they know they're burdened? Yes! Are they being fed a regular diet of moral relativity on the soaps that confuses them about desire and longing and its satisfaction? Yes! Are they eager to learn about spirituality that doesn't lead to the truth of life in the Spirit, the essence of biblical spirituality? Yes!

Here's the crux of the issue. Millions of women (the vast majority of Oprah's listeners are women) are being introduced to a spirituality that uses the language of Christianity but intentionally neuters the truth of that language—a spirituality that is at fundamental odds with the historic biblical faith. The gospel of our Lord Jesus is being misrepresented and women are being misinformed and misled. And the women of the church need to be aware and concerned. So what can they do? First, Christian women should pray for Oprah. Sadly, I have never met Oprah, but one can only admire what she has achieved and applaud many aspects of her life. However, we must fear for her spiritual well-being and be concerned about her vast influence.
Secondly, the women of the church should acquaint themselves with the mind altering that is taking place in the lives of many of their relatives, associates, and friends and redouble their efforts to provide loving, caring, informed, neighborly ministry to many of their gender who are eagerly learning without acknowledging the truth.

Oprah's magazine is called O. Its title reminds me to say "O Oprah!" with a genuine heartfelt concern for her and the women she is influencing.

Stuart Briscoe is a minister-at-large at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wis., serving ministry couples and missionaries around the world. He and his wife, Jill, have three grown children and 13 grandchildren.

GCR Axiom 1: A Commitment to the Lordship of Christ

2009-04-30T11:16:00.004-04:00

I decided that since the Great Commission Resurgence is going to be a major focus of the SBC Annual Meeting in Louisville this summer, I'm going to address it with our Wednesday night crowd over the next couple of months.

Here's the plan: I've downloaded Danny Akin's message video from the Southeastern Seminary website. Each week, I plan to show Akin's explanation of each axiom and then discuss it with a goal of developing specific, biblical application points for our church.

Last night was our first night. The video clip lasted about 2 1/2 minutes. Our discussion brought out several points, but the most important to us was in reference to Rev. 2:4. There was a clear consensus that a commitment to the lordship of Christ must include a "first love" attitude toward Christ.

Here are the application points from our discussion. They are our church's answer to what a Great Commission Resurgence will look like in our church:

1. A commitment to the lordship of Christ begins with acknowledging his ownership of the church and her ministries, activities, and endeavors (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18; 3:16 - 17, 24).

2. A commitment to the lordship of Christ hinges on developing and maintaining a "first love" relationship in the lives of believers and the church as a whole (John 13:34 - 35; 1 John 4:19; Rev. 2:4).

3. A commitment to the lordship of Christ depends on submitting to one another at all levels of life in the church (Eph. 5:21; Heb. 13:17; James 5:16; 1 Pet. 5:1 - 5).

We'll be tackling gospel-centeredness next week. How will a commitment to the lordship of Christ look in your church?

Autonomy, Soul Competency, and the Great Commission Resurgence

2009-04-29T01:29:00.003-04:00

A page has recently appeared that gives individuals an opportunity to attach their names to the principles of the Great Commission Resurgence as outlined by Danny Akin recently. While many have signed the document (albeit electronically), at least one has stated his reason for not signing it.

Rather than take up space on Les' blog, I'd like to weigh in here with my own response to his post. Let me say up front that I have few friends greater than Les Puryear. I think he knows that, and I hope you will check back to see what kind of dialogue my post creates between us.

Les' argument against signing onto the GCR document as I understand him hinges mainly on the following statement:

"Our churches must remain committed to the Baptist distinctives of a regenerate church membership, believer’s baptism by immersion, the priesthood of all believers, congregational church polity, local church autonomy, and liberty of conscience for all people."

He goes on to state that congregational church polity is often stretched or ignored outright in many SBC churches, particularly those that are pastor-led. A primary example of such leadership is the mega-church model. Les notes that many of the signatories for the GCR document are mega-church pastors who very often do not practice congregational church polity. I don't deny Les' assertion in this area.

Where I do part ways with Les on this matter is in his decision not to sign based on what I understand to be perceived hypocrisy on the part of those mega-church pastors who apparently do not practice congregational church polity. Let me enumerate my reasons for disagreeing:

1. The final sentence in the above-referenced paragraph states, "We must be willing to alter our practices to better accord with a robust Baptist identity, including in many churches a more responsible baptismal policy, a recovery of redemptive church discipline, a healthier balance between pastoral leadership and congregational authority, and a commitment to an every-member ministry." While it is obvious that several of the signatories are currently in violation of the requirements outlined in the document, I believe their decision to sign represents at least a goodwill pledge to adjust to the standards set forth in the document.

2. Almost every Baptist I have ever encountered has at some point demonstrated a rugged individualism generally equated with soul competency. This term, first laid out by E.Y. Mullins almost ninety years ago, implies that each individual can approach God without the direction or supervision of another. As I see it, each person who signs the GCR document signs as a fully competent individual (and everyone who doesn't sign is equally competent in not signing it). I still take umbrage with Les for refusing to sign because of the perceived hypocrisy of other leaders.

3. Perhaps of equal importance is the concept of autonomy that so heavily permeates Baptist life. On the church level, we are fond of saying that no Baptist church can tell another Baptist church what to do. In the same way, autonomy at the individual level says that no Baptist can tell another Baptist what to do or not to do. When it comes to the GCR document, every Baptist is free to sign (or not to sign) purely as a matter of conscience. I'm not telling Les to sign by publishing the post. I'm simply disagreeing with his assessment of the situation.

The GCR document is ultimately a work in progress. It will require some tweaking over the days and months ahead. The language will require some serious refining, too. I believe, though, that the concepts laid out and the overarching themes of the message are clear and necessary in order to begin to bring about much-needed changes in the SBC.

I look forward to the dialogue. If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to go and sign on the GCR document. Just remember, don't sign because I or someone else said to.

On a final note, my family and I are planning to attend the SBC Annual Meeting being held in Louisville, KY on June 23 & 24. We'll be staying at the Galt House downtown, so look us up if you're there.

The Message Every Southern Baptist Needs to Hear

2009-04-20T11:40:00.008-04:00

After several failed attempts to embed the video of this message on my blog, I finally decided to give you the link. Press the play (arrow) button after the page loads.

This message is historical. Every Southern Baptist needs to sit down, be quiet, and listen.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

2009-04-14T21:43:00.004-04:00

Okay, so Carowinds was AWESOME! The weather was cool with light rain early on, so the crowd was off. That meant that on most rides, the staff told us that we could stay on if no one was waiting. And we stayed!

Samantha rode the Afterburn (formerly Top Gun) coaster with me IN THE FRONT ROW! That was so cool! Lydia rode my old favorite, the Carolina Cyclone, with me in the front row. All three of the kids rode the Ricochet with me TWICE, and I think they liked it better than I. Now some of you are asking where Tracy was during all this. Quick answer: she has made it clear that she is not the coaster fanatic in our family, and she seems to be okay with that.

The last thing we did was ride the Nighthawk (formerly the Borg). This coaster straps you in and then lays you on your back as it proceeds to fly you over one of the wildest tracks I've ever seen. For me, the scream moment came when we flew face down over water with only a plastic harness and a molded plastic brace holding me in the car. Did I mention that there are no bars or handles on this train? I'll ride it again, but I'm not sure that Lydia will be joining me next time.

ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOTE, I saw the new commercial for Healthy Choice featuring Julia-Louis Dreyfus (Seinfeld's "Elaine" and star of The New Adventures of Old Christine) tonight. I've watched it three times since then, and I laugh every time. I hope you enjoy it, too.

BTW, we hope to go back to Carowinds April 25, if possible.

Have I Gone Crazy??!!??

2009-04-12T21:15:00.004-04:00

I talked Tracy into buying season passes for Carowinds last week. Season passes run about $75 per person, and one-day admission is $46 per person, so we'll have the passes paid for in two trips.

Our first trip is tomorrow (Monday, April 13)!

I used to be a big coaster rider. When I was a youth minister, I rode everything my kids rode. It's been a few years since I was in that scene, but I hope I haven't lost my edge.

Our oldest is eleven now, so I'm a little behind the eight ball. I hope I can get all three of our kids fired up about coasters this summer. Although the youngest is still five, I believe he's got a little bit of daredevil in him. The middle one never says anything about it, but I can't help but think she'll race me to the front of the line.

We're hitting the road a little after eight tomorrow. We have to come home early so that Tracy can go to work. I know it's going to be a short day, but hey! We've got all summer to do it all!

Post for Good Friday

2009-04-10T11:58:00.007-04:00

John 19 (The Message)

John 19

The Thorn Crown of the King

1-3 So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him with slaps in the face.

4-5Pilate went back out again and said to them, "I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime." Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe.

Pilate announced, "Here he is: the Man."

6When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, "Crucify! Crucify!"

Pilate told them, "You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him."

7The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God."

8-9When Pilate heard this, he became even more scared. He went back into the palace and said to Jesus, "Where did you come from?"

Jesus gave no answer.

10Pilate said, "You won't talk? Don't you know that I have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to—crucify you?"

11Jesus said, "You haven't a shred of authority over me except what has been given you from heaven. That's why the one who betrayed me to you has committed a far greater fault."

12At this, Pilate tried his best to pardon him, but the Jews shouted him down: "If you pardon this man, you're no friend of Caesar's. Anyone setting himself up as 'king' defies Caesar."

13-14When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king."

15They shouted back, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!"

Pilate said, "I am to crucify your king?"

The high priests answered, "We have no king except Caesar."

16-19Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

They took Jesus away. Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read: jesus the nazarene the king of the jews.

20-21Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish high priests objected. "Don't write," they said to Pilate, "'The King of the Jews.' Make it, 'This man said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"

22Pilate said, "What I've written, I've written."

23-24When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, so they said to each other, "Let's not tear it up. Let's throw dice to see who gets it." This confirmed the Scripture that said, "They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat." (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!)

24-27While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus' mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.

28Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, "I'm thirsty."

29-30A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, "It's done . . . complete." Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

31-34Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn't stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn't break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.

35The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe.

36-37These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, "Not a bone in his body was broken," and the other Scripture that reads, "They will stare at the one they pierced."

38After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.

39-42Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.

Source: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019;&version=65;

Post for the Beginning of Holy Week

2009-04-06T09:56:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I never posted in the month of March. What a slacker! Of course, that also means that now is a good time to tell you about what God has been doing in my life during March.

We hosted a one-day revival on March 22. If you are a Christian, I hope you realize that revival is a sovereign act of God. It cannot be manufactured by human beings. I also hope you realize that no living thing can be re-vived until it has first been made alive ("vived"). In other words, church revivals should be intended for Christians, not non-Christians. That being said, I believe that Christians can prepare for revival by taking time to examine themselves and seek a renewed relationship with God.

That's exactly what I started doing early in the month of March. To be honest, my private devotional life ("quiet time") was practically non-existent before last month. I hadn't stopped praying! I had just stopped setting aside a regular time to pause and meet with God. The only time I had really extended, deep prayer times was on Sunday mornings. The rest of the time I prayed whenever I had a moment, which was not very often.

Two tools really helped get me back on track last month. The first was a handout I received about 23 years ago at a revival at my grandparents' church. It is simply called, "The Sin Sheet" prepared by Dr. Eddie Greene. I have a similar handout prepared by Jack Taylor and included in The Prayer Seminar Workbook published by J. Gordon Henry. What these handouts basically do is provide a guide to personal examination and confession of sin. The second tool is Returning to Holiness by Dr. Gregory Frizzell. He actually provides seven chapters or categories of sin that are common among believers. I usually worked through one category each day. It's that detailed.

Let me put a disclaimer out right away: I understand that, as a believer who has repented of sin and surrendered to Jesus Christ by faith, my sins are forgiven. These confession guides help me re-establish my dependence upon Christ alone for my salvation. They do not make me neurotic about sin! They simply magnify the great transaction that took place at the cross. And that has made all the difference in the world.

I have only missed two or three days of focused personal devotions in the last month, and I have "made up" those times later in the day. I've also been candid with our church family about the change that has taken place in me. I hope it will lead my brothers and sister to help hold me accountable for my walk with Christ. I also hope it will help others break out of their spiritual ruts and walk more closely with Christ.

By the way, do you know what a rut is? It's a grave with both ends knocked out.

FBC Jax Watchdog FOLLOW-UP

2009-02-27T01:36:00.002-05:00

Well, Amen.

Does a Decent Church Website Have to Be Expensive?

2009-02-10T11:51:00.004-05:00

I just finished updating the Fairview website. I think I did a fair job of the whole process. It doesn't look like FBC Jacksonville or Saddleback, but I think it will work for us.

What does your church spend on a website?

Do you think the expense is justifiable?

I'd like to have a nice, clean design that's easy to update, but I don't want to spend a fortune.

After all, the purpose of a church website (in my opinion) is to inform and entice. We want to give you enough information to make you want to come to church. Everything else is just fluff.

I'd love to get your take on the subject.

Signs of Church Health

2009-02-05T07:51:00.004-05:00

So last night, I was chatting with my buddy Bobby Lewis over on Facebook about what we did at church last night. Our church has its regular monthly business meeting on the Wednesday following the first Sunday of each month. If you didn't grow up in a Baptist church, this issue probably doesn't affect you at all. For those of you who grew up in Baptist churches, though, your stomach may well be tied in knots at the mere mention of the words "business meeting."

I remember in my childhood church just how boring the business meetings were. Ours were always held on Sunday night, and they took up the whole service! The treasurer presented a printed report (mimeographed then - if you don't know what this is, please don't make me feel old by telling me) detailing every deposit and every expenditure for the previous month, and a sort of tally sheet to show if we were meeting or missing the budget. We would hear the secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting, the deacons would bring their building and grounds / financial recommendations (paint the education wing, replace the locks on the west doors, increase the youth budget, etc.), and listen to debate over the virtues of the motions before our pastor/moderator asked for a motion to adjourn (the only motion ever to be voted unanimously, it seemed) before going home.

That is not how we do it at Fairview!

For starters, the pastor (me) is not the moderator of the Church Conference (Hallelujah!). The deacon body chairman has that honor. He opens the conference with a time of intercessory prayer, taking requests from the congregation before leading us all in prayer. The secretary still reads the minutes, but our secretary is a sweet lady who reads them with a pleasant disposition (and occasionally interjects a personal observation). The treasurer's report is NOT printed and only lets us know totals for the month and if we met or missed the budget (which we actually EXCEED in most months). The moderator will re-visit old business if there is any, and then he asks for new business from the floor. Sometimes the members will bring recommendations, and sometimes they won't. Either way, it's okay.

Next, the moderator brings recommendations from the deacons. Last night, the recommendation was to agree collectively to support a one-day revival coming up in March. I guess the prevailing mindset is that if anyone shows up later questioning our decision to have a one-day revival, we can say, "But the church voted in conference to have this revival at the February conference!" Anyway . . .

HERE'S THE KICKER! After the business session concludes, the moderator calls for a report from each ministry of the church BY NAME, and they are expected to give a report. Our women's ministry reports on their activities, along with the men's ministry, the youth and children, the building and grounds committee, the missions coordinator, Sunday School, the music ministry, and finally, THE PASTOR. This is always my favorite time in the conference. It keeps the whole church abreast of the ministries that we are involved in, and it gives us a chance to celebrate what God is doing in us and through us. It also reminds us that church is not just about nickels and door knobs.

When it finally comes time to call for the motion to adjourn, we wind up feeling like it's time to get up from the table and go back to work. The conference is a feast of love and affirmation.

So how's your church's business meeting? I can tell you that it takes time to cultivate the church conference concept, but it's definitely not something I want to sweep under the rug or phase out. I think it's a clear indication of the health of the church. And today, I think our church is pretty healthy.

So It's the Last Sunday in January . . .

2009-01-25T14:24:00.006-05:00

And I was thinking back over the month. A lot of cool stuff has happened around here in that time. Let me tell you about some of it.

1. My parents joined Fairview Baptist on the first Sunday in January. We haven't been in church together much since the beginning of my junior year of high school (1987). It was at that time that I began playing the piano in a different church, and I've been serving churches in various capacities ever since. Dad retired from ministry at the end of December, and he and Mom joined us on January 4th. I can't describe for you the sense of joy and satisfaction I have right now.

2. We had a pleasant surprise on the second Sunday in January when a man named Tim gave his life to Christ. His aunt nearly shouted, and his wife and daughter were beside themselves with excitement. The evidence of change in Tim's life is awesome. He's reading books about faith and really asking a lot of questions. I like that! We're planning his baptism for the end of February, because we're hoping some other folks will step out between now and then.

3. A father and son joined the church on the third Sunday in January. The father had been a member of Fairview growing up, but he moved his membership to a sister church when he and his wife were married. The son had been a member of the church up until he and his wife had divorced, but he moved his membership soon afterward. They both "came home" last Sunday, and it was an awesome time in the life of the church. Welcome home, Hobert and Willie!

4. Today was Baptist Men's Day at Fairview. It was awesome to hear Thomas Hill share from God's Word about the challenges we face as we serve the Lord. His study of the gates of Jerusalem and their functions was awesome! Then I had the privilege of singing in a quartet put together by Bobby Stanley. I can't adequately describe the feeling of being a part of such a musical group. When singers produce a chord where every note is in tune and the words are clearly understood, it's a divine moment. That's what it felt like today when we sang. The icing on the cake, though, was the presence of a couple who were visiting for the first time today. I had been made aware of them a couple years ago, but had never seen them in church. It thrilled me to see them there.

Now, I know that no one joined the church on this last Sunday in January, but I want to offer a thought or two on that subject. Here goes: 150 people attend Fairview every Sunday ON AVERAGE. If just 15 of those people would endeavor to witness to unchurched people every week, I have no doubt that we could see a new believer joining our church every Sunday. That doesn't include people who move their membership from other churches or other changes. I can't imagine what church would look like if we added that many people in a year.

Any way, just thought I'd fill you in on this month. And by the way, if you're ever in Dobson, swing by and check us out. I think you'll be glad you did!

Correct Exposition and Understanding

2008-12-22T00:04:00.004-05:00

I am changing the rules for commenting on my blog because I am unable to converse with those who comment regarding our personal disagreements, and I often have to choose whether to allow a comment or reject it and wind up looking like a tyrant.

Since this change was not in effect for the comment I just received, I'm going to address it here.

Gordon says that I have missed the point in my comments on Luke 6:38. Gordon, since I couldn't respond to you directly, may I ask you a question? Isn't giving to meet the physical needs of others an act of mercy? My point in the post is that too often we Christians are hearers of the word but not doers. Consider the words of James:

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (James 2:15, 16 KJV).

Those who know me are well aware that I am not a prosperity preacher or a proponent of "name it and claim it." My post was intended as a testimony of what God is doing in my life. I wish that every Christian would be more generous with the resources God has entrusted to him or her. Our family is experiencing something wonderful, whether you agree with my interpretation of Scripture or not.

Merry Christmas?

A Promise of Jesus for Christmas

2008-12-15T07:42:00.005-05:00

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

-Luke 6:38 (KJV)

I've really been thinking a lot about this verse in the last few weeks. As we've come to the close of the year, we've had a lot of requests for help at the church and here at home. Plus, the Atkins children are getting to the age where Christmas presents are becoming, ahem, pricey. It's not that we didn't plan ahead (Thank you, Dave Ramsey ). It's just that there are so many needs.

God has really impressed on us to give, and we have tried to follow His lead at every turn. You know what? He put more into our hands every time. I can honestly write this and say that our resources have not run out or become empty yet! I told the church last Wednesday night that for everything we have given, God has put more into our hands to give.

Why does it take an economic crisis to teach us the truth about generosity?

I don't know the answer to this question, but I can tell you that I have come to know God in a new and different way these last few weeks. Let me also say that if God has entrusted the resources to you, don't hesitate to give them away. The world says horde all you can, but God says give it away.

He'll take care of you.

Merry Christmas.

For All the Daddies (and Mommies) with Little Girls

2008-12-02T17:20:00.003-05:00

This picture was taken during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade last week. If you don't know who this is, just find a little girl. And by the way, the trip was awesome!

Start Spreading the News!

2008-11-25T09:54:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday morning, November 26, 2008, our family is setting out for New York, New York! Here's a sketch of our itinerary:

Wednesday:

6:15 am - Depart for Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

8:00 am - Arrive at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

9:55 am - Depart via US Airways for New York-LaGuardia International Airport

11:40 am - Arrive at New York-LaGuardia International Airport

1:00 pm - Arrive at Novotel Times Square (226 W. 52nd Street and Broadway)

Afternoon: Walking Tour of Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, Saint Patrick's Cathedral,

American Girl, F.A.O. Schwartz, etc.

Evening: Central Park, Balloon Inflating, Supper Out

Thursday:

Morning - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade passes by our hotel

Afternoon - Ground Zero, Battery City Park, Times Square

6:00 pm - Thanksgiving Dinner at Virgil's Real Barbecue on W. 44th Street

Friday:

Morning - NBC TODAY Show at Rockefeller Center. Featured Performance : Mr. Barry Manilow

(Tracy is really excited about Barry . . .)

Rest of the Day - TBD

Saturday:

Morning - Last-minute fun; Check-out

2:40 pm - Depart via US Airways for Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

4:30 pm - Arrive at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

6:30 pm - HOME!

What I've Been Up to the Since Last Summer

2008-11-17T12:36:00.004-05:00

My Saturdays have been somewhat busy since the end of August. Samantha has been cheering with the Dobson Eagles Varsity Squad. Everything wrapped up yesterday with the league cheerleading competition. The Eagles won both the Varsity and Junior Varsity divisions. Check it out:

And yes, that is yours truly yelling and screaming. I got a little excited.

Mixed Emotions

2008-11-13T11:02:00.009-05:00

I've been at the annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina the last few days. I always enjoy going because I get to see a lot of friends and meet new people. I've only missed one meeting in the last thirteen years.

Overall, it was a pretty quiet event. The speakers were good, the sessions were enlightening, the exhibits were nice, and the business was peaceful. Until yesterday. I expected us to re-visit the issue of Woman's Missionary Union (WMU), and we did. A motion to restore funding to our state WMU was debated and defeated. It was an interesting shift in an otherwise boring meeting. I won't get into the details of the whole WMU thing in this post.

During the report of the Giving Plans Study Committee, a young messenger came to the microphone to offer an amendment to the committee's recommendations. He asked that the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF)be deleted completely from the contribution form. Now, I had watched the votes on the WMU motions and could guess that the messengers in the room would lean toward this motion.

The debate that followed was interesting, if not overly intelligent. Members of the committee stood up to oppose the amendment (which you ought to do if you helped prepare the report). To be honest, I started having mixed feelings. I knew that I had spoken and voted in favor of the very thing we were considering almost every year I had attended the convention. But now, we were actually in the position to see it happen.

The first things that came to my mind were the two brother-pastors I am friends with who serve CBF churches. These guys see eye-to-eye with me on a lot of things. We laugh together and pray together. Our churches do things differently, but we are generally friends. The decision we were considering would essentially tell them that their money was no longer welcome in the coffers of the Baptist State Convention.

As the debate wound down and the decision drew closer, I had to make a decision. For the first time in my life, I felt like the dog who caught the car:

What do you do with this kind of power? We messengers literally held the ability to help or hurt in our hands. We also had the responsibility to correct mistakes (we believed) made fifteen years ago.

Sure, a vote to delete CBF as a giving option would result in hardship for these pastors and churches. At the same time, they can do what many conservative Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches used to do: write a check directly to the national denomination. On a positive note, I think that the outcome will pull some churches who have been sitting on the fence back into the convention fold.

I voted in favor of deleting CBF from the contribution form, albeit remorsefully. It sort of reminds me of the ending of my favorite cartoon.If you don't have time to watch it, I can hear Elmer Fudd in the back of my mind saying, "What have I done?! I killed the wabbit! Poor wittle bunny! Poor wittle wabbit!"

It's a bittersweet ending to a lengthy struggle. The future will definitely be different.

Thoughts for a Thursday Night

2008-11-06T22:29:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to tell you a few things:

1. I wimped out on Election Day. I watched the returns from 9 pm until 2 am.

2. I can't lie: I was disappointed with the outcome of the election on most levels.

3. Barack Obama is president-elect. I am praying for him as I have President Bush. I encourage you to do the same.

4. We have had great cottage prayer meetings over the last month. If you've never been to one, you need to do it.

5. I had a great time in Whitakers last Sunday. I love the Church, wherever it meets and serves Christ. My brothers and sisters in Whitakers are still precious to me. My brothers and sisters in Dobson are my joy.

6. If you live near me, I want to invite you to check out the Lay Ministry Weekend at Fairview November 21, 22, and 23. If you can only attend part of the weekend, come on out. I think every church ought to participate in a Lay Revival. Come to ours and see why.

Tomorrow is Friday! I hope you have a great weekend.

Election Day 2008

2008-11-04T00:07:00.004-05:00

It is now officially November 4, 2008. After I post, I am going on a media fast for 24 hours. Tracy and I will load up the family and go to the polls after breakfast to vote. The kids are out of school for the day, so after she goes to bed, we are going to work on artwork for our Christmas cards. I have to mail Chapter Two of my doctoral project, and I'll probably make a few visits. Tracy has to work again tonight, and I plan on playing with the kids during the evening. We may watch a movie on DVD, but no broadcast television.

No radio. No television news. No Internet websites.

I'm tired of the whole political machine. I've looked at polls and pundits until I'm sick of it. I intend to wake up on Wednesday morning and see what happens.

But on this Election Day, I'm turning it all off.

Join me, if you dare.

Blast from the Past!

2008-11-01T16:40:00.003-04:00

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Rocky Mount, NC as I type this. Tomorrow morning I'll be preaching at Hickory Baptist Church in Whitakers. Hickory was the first church I served as pastor from 1998 - 2003. It's where I conducted my first baptism, my first funeral, my first baby dedication, and my first deacon ordination.

Talk about some patient folks!

We never planned to leave Hickory, but God saw otherwise. I realize now that our departure was hasty and painful in a lot of ways. It makes me appreciate the opportunity I have on tomorrow morning that much more.

The church will be marking 175 years tomorrow (they were founded in 1833). The new pastor, Stanley Brown, has only been there a month. I know that Hickory has struggled to exist at times. I hope that another generation will embrace the ministry God has given this great church and continue the ministry here until Jesus comes. That's really what I want to say to them tomorrow morning.

Take a Good Look Around

2008-10-19T01:51:00.004-04:00

I just rejected an inane comment on a recent posting. The person, who chose to remain anonymous (the ULTIMATE reason for my rejection), stated that I have no substance in my life and that the post was unbelievable (a word which, Anonymous, I have enough intelligence to spell CORRECTLY, unlike yourself).

So to all the Anonymous people in the world, let me say a few things:

1. If you will take the time to read the subheading of MY blog, you will note that the content of this site can and does often include WHATEVER IS ON MY MIND, even if you think I have no substance in my life.

2. Your ability to read the content of my blog does NOT entitle you to ASSUME that you know me or the intricacies of my life.

3. Posting unfounded and critical comments anonymously on a personal blog is cowardly, stupid, and impolite. If you want me to take you seriously, SIGN YOUR NAME!

I can't believe I've wasted this much time on such a trivial matter. The Internet (which I have been surfing since 1994) is fast becoming a crude reflection of society in general. I've been spammed, scammed, phished, and hacked to the point I'm getting fed up.

Later!

Where's the Beef? - FINAL POST

2008-10-07T21:42:00.005-04:00

We went to McDonald's of Dobson again on Sunday, October 5. What a difference! I hardly know where to begin the compliments, but here goes:

1. The whole crew (minus one) was wearing blue uniform shirts and black pants. And they were clean!

2. The service was polite and prompt. Add to this the fact that the place was packed!

3. The French fries were golden, hot, and GOOD!

4. Things were generally clean throughout the restaurant.

5. I did not recognize ANY of the staff from my previous visit.

And so, dear reader, I went home and fired off a second e-mail to McDonald's corporate office. This e-mail was EXTREMELY positive, and I have received two follow-ups from the McDonald's office. I hope that all those who were working on Sunday night hear what I had to say.

Just a reminder: my first post under this heading wound up dealing with excellence. I have to say that our McDonald's crew on Sunday night understand it!

Where's the Beef? - FOLLOW-UP

2008-09-25T18:32:00.003-04:00

My cell phone rang yesterday morning (Wednesday, 9/24/08). On the line was the manager of our Dobson McDonald's, Sean Floyd. He had been forwarded a complaint I made on the McDonald's website regarding our recent experiences at the Dobson McDonald's. It was a great conversation.

Sean began by apologizing for the experience we had on Sunday night. He went on to offer to replace the meal we ate on Sunday night. He also told me that he had posted a note on all the registers in his restaurant telling his staff that Happy Meals are served with a kids cup and Mighty Kids Meals are served with a small cup. And to top it all off, he told me that he had dealt with the manager on duty on Sunday night.

I thanked him for calling, declined his offer to replace my food, and explained everything I said in my previous post here. When I went by McDonald's later in the day (for PTO business), I also noticed that several staff members were wearing new t-shirts (or at least very clean ones). To top it all off, Sean's district manager was in the back of the restaurant on a visit.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the future. Sean Floyd is a good manager. I hope his team will step up to the plate.

Where's the Beef?

2008-09-22T10:27:00.004-04:00

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Okay, so I've been thinking about something this morning that I'd like to share with you:

It all started last night when I took the kids to supper at McDonald's after church. We do this two or three times a month. The restaurant is the closest fast-food place to our home, and we generally have a good time with friends from our church and others when we go there.

Recently, though, I've been increasingly disappointed by the food and the service at our Dobson McDonald's. The French fries are almost always dark in color and stale. I know from my own experience in fast food that the color is the result of old grease in the deep fryer. My sandwiches have been poorly prepared each of the last two Sunday nights. The manager on duty has been sitting in a booth out in the restaurant doing paperwork on more than one occasion while her staff tried to serve a restaurant full of customers. I've noticed a decrease in the sizes and quantities of food being served. It's just an overall disappointment.

We could go somewhere else, but it's really the best we have to choose from on a Sunday night.

Which leads me to the point I've been pondering all morning: whatever happened to excellence?

There are actually three or four restaurants to choose from in Dobson on a Sunday night, but McDonald's is the best. That means that the other restaurants are worse. Burger King in Dobson is usually worse. Their food is usually worse than McDonald's. Sue's is a locally owned restaurant, but they are usually understaffed and the cigarette smoke from other patrons really bothers me. The Dairy Queen at Shelton Vineyards is not bad, but they are not really equipped to serve fast food. It's really disheartening.

The cynics would say that you shouldn't expect excellence from people who may not have a high school diploma and work for minimum wage, but I beg to differ. A job is a job no matter what it pays or where it is!

One of our church members used to work for Wayne Farms, a poultry-processing operation here in Dobson. He said that Latino workers were the only ones he could keep, because most Anglo, native-born employees wouldn't last a day in the demanding environment of that facility. The plain truth is that most American citizens are too lazy to do a hard day's work, at least in that environment.

What has happened to our American work ethic? Could one of the reasons that we have quality-control issues in our products be that we no longer take pride in our work? I think so.

We (Tracy and I) constantly tell our children that "anything worth doing is worth doing well." I've chided our oldest daughter that "only the best will do", whether in academics, piano, or athletics. Let's be honest: when you've done your best, the outcome is secondary to the satisfaction.

The same is true for the church. We live in an era where, instead of sacrifice and obedience, most Christians offer God leftovers and lip service. The only logical response a Holy God can give to such behavior is swift, impartial judgment. Our Jewish forebears came to understand this truth all to well. I fear that we as a whole may experience a similar fate.

It's time for the laziness to end. Rather than just accept the status quo and join the camp of the cynics, I intend to recognize and encourage excellence wherever I find it. Excellence ought to be the norm, not the exception.

So what do you think?

GOULASH!

2008-09-09T10:09:00.006-04:00

According to dictionary.com, goulash is "a stew of beef or veal and vegetables, with paprika and other seasoning." Outside the culinary realm, it is "a heterogeneous mixture; hodgepodge; jumble."

Since this post is so long delayed, it's going to be goulash. I hope you can handle it.

1. School is underway! Tracy and I are having to reverse the morning carpool this year since Samantha is in middle school, and she has to be in class by 7:55. We are also leaving twenty minutes earlier in order to complete our deliveries on time.

Which means I have to get up twenty minutes earlier. Ugh.

Daniel is doing well in kindergarten. He reads his take-home book every afternoon, spelling the words as he goes. I am so proud!

Lydia loves her teacher. She is such an intelligent child! I am constantly afraid that she is missing something because she finishes her assignments so much faster than her sister.

Samantha loves middle school. She has complained a couple of times about a lack of time. She is cheering for Dobson Eagles, playing clarinet in band, and taking piano lessons. She's also in honors classes. It just amazes me at how mature and responsible she has become.

2. We've been here five years! I told our church family on Sunday that we are now in uncharted territory, since we've never stayed anywhere more than five years. I am pleased with the overall direction of our church: we're going to be ordaining a new deacon later this month, our budget has topped $200,000 for the first time in our history, there are so many of our people engaged in incarnational ministry every week, and we are seeing new families visiting all the time.

We're also making a greater commitment to missions than we've ever made before. Our third World Missions Conference is coming up in just over a month. I am convinced that we will exceed $6,000 for Lottie Moon this year. The church can never go wrong when the emphasis is missions.

Tracy is also marking five years at Forsyth Medical Center. She brought home her citation and gift material just this morning. She is an incredible professional, and I am proud to be her husband. I believe they deliver right around 7,000 babies each year.

3. Fireproof is coming to Mount Airy! After a half-dozen calls to Frank Theatres' home office in New Jersey, we have been guaranteed that Sherwood Pictures' new movie, Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron will open here on September 26, 2008. Don't miss it!

4. I am a part of the energized Republican base. I can't say this from the pulpit, but I can say it here: I support John McCain and Sarah Palin. I wish you would vote for them in November.

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Vote McCain - Palin on November 04, 2008

HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE: If you are an American citizen over the age of 18, exercise your greatest right this November and VOTE!

So that's the goulash. I'll try not to wait so long before posting again. Hope you're well!

TOTAL PRAISE

2008-08-20T22:58:00.009-04:00

The Fairview Baptist Church Choir recently recorded a CD of some of our favorite selections. It was a daunting task, given that we have learned and performed over 360 pieces in the last several years. The choir members selected the pieces, determined the order for the CD, and even voted for the title, "Total Praise."

Earl Howard has been directing the choir since 2001. He does a great job, as I think you'll hear. I count myself blessed to have him at my right hand every week.

We're going to give copies of the CD to our congregation this Sunday. We encourage everyone to share the CD's as much as possible. We hope you'll hear why.

1. The Unseen Hand
2. God's Amazing Grace
3. Who Will Be the Clay?
4. Worship Medley
5. Love Lifted Me

I'll post more later.

Rockin' Sunday Night - Kid Style

2008-07-28T13:03:00.004-04:00

I was blithely brushing my teeth yesterday morning when I heard a resounding scream followed by two pairs of feet stomping through the house toward me. When I asked the girls what was wrong, they quickly informed me that we had (GASP!) missed the premiere of the Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus "Best of Both Worlds" concert video on Saturday night. I had been cooking food for Homecoming, and they were watching a marathon (Help Me!) of ICarly on Nickelodeon.

Not to be outdone, we found out that the inevitable encore presentation was taking place last night at 6:35 pm. I decided to make it special, so we set up the portable projector and big screen in the basement, complete with the 150 watt amplifier and speakers. Add in the pod chairs and my leisure chair, and we were set.

Please don't shoot me. I liked the movie.

Miley Cyrus is a remarkable young lady. She is also fortunate enough to have the backing of the Disney production machine and Kenny Ortega, choreographer of the High School Musical films. The band was very talented, and the dancers were not bad. Miley does not impress me as a singer, but I enjoyed the song she wrote in memory of her grandfather. Overall, the movie was a fast-paced, exciting musical experience.

The girls sang almost every song with Miley / Hannah.

They also screamed when the Jonas Brothers came on stage.

And the big screen was a big hit.

I think I'm back in the good graces of my daughters now.

Behold the Faux-Hawk!

2008-07-20T16:27:00.007-04:00

Tracy took Daniel and Samantha to the beauty shop on Friday with the stated intention of getting her hair and Daniel's hair cut. What she came home with can only be described as, well, interesting.

Daniel told me that this is a faux-hawk (for all my redneck readers, "faux" is pronounced like "foe", so it sounds like mohawk with an "f."). Whatever it is, it was gone as soon as he jumped in the pool.

The boy is growing up! Kindergarten is just over a month away . . . I feel so old.

Mark Your Calendar

2008-07-09T23:01:00.005-04:00

Bored on a Monday Night

2008-07-07T22:57:00.003-04:00

We've done it! The kids and I are proud to present our first video, "Bored on a Monday Night." Hope you enjoy it!

Murphy's Law and Life

2008-07-06T13:03:00.006-04:00

This has been a Murphy's Law weekend thus far (Murphy's Law = Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.).

1. Our July 4th fishing trip was very enjoyable, even though Lydia managed to get a fish hook stuck in my leg. We've all seen those freak accidents where people get stabbed or injured and they walk around perfectly calm with an object sticking out of their bodies. Yep, I was that guy for a few seconds on Friday. I know it was a superficial injury, but hey. It was my first (and hopefully last) time. After all, it's not every day you have a fish hook sticking out of your leg!

2. We had a terrific thunderstorm right after supper that night. No problem, right? Wrong. I had set up our new picnic canopy on the deck, complete with tiki lights, fans, and the karaoke machine blasting our custom "July 4th Soundtrack." Not to mention the table full of food we had just left.

In a matter of minutes, we broke camp and half the troops moved inside the house. But I knew that my canopy would not survive storm winds, so our neighbor Greg, Samantha, and I lowered the canopy down and got under it in order to prevent any damage. I hope you can imagine the three of us holding the metal canopy frame, getting soaked from the waist down by blowing rain, getting soaked from the waist up by rain dripping in through the canopy roof, and all the while praying that we wouldn't get struck by lightning.

I am happy to report that the canopy survived unscathed.

3. Last night (Saturday) we had a heavy rain. One of our church members who lives about a half mile away said that her rain gauge showed 2.6 inches. I believe it, because our basement flooded. We had to bail water on one end of the house to keep it from flooding Samantha's room. We had to sweep water on the other end. Our ordeal began at 10 pm, and we finally got it under control at about 11:30 pm. By the time I got my preparations made for this morning, it was 1:15 am. I was up again at 5:45 am.

4. This morning started off uneventful. Then I looked out the window as we were getting ready to eat breakfast and saw our dog coming under the fence in her pen. I thought that she was upset because her pen was dirty and the rain water had made it worse, so I went and got my shovel and a pair of pliers.

I shoveled out her pen and proceeded to repair the damage to the chain link (she had actually pulled the fence loose with her teeth!). Then I called for her to come. She let me know quickly that she was not going back in. She retreated under the deck. I got angry and began to jump up and down on the deck (thank the Lord our men built it STRONG!).

I looked again, and she was gone. Then I remembered that the basement door was open. I asked Tracy to see if she was in the basement. A few seconds later, Tracy emerged from the basement leading Daisy by the collar. She brought her to me, and fortunately, I was able to get her back in the pen.

Tracy informed me after church that while she was working in the nursery this morning, she saw a couple of dogs sniffing around Daisy, so my guess is that she's in heat. I hope we can keep her in until this passes, because the last thing I want is a litter of puppies. One is enough.

NOW I COULD SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN A HARD WEEKEND, but it wouldn't be true. I really enjoyed watching my kids catch fish. It was a thrill to see our neighbors' autistic son have so much fun fishing and watching fireworks. We really needed the rain that fell on Friday and Saturday. My canopy is really cool, and I hope we get a lot of use out of it. We were able to contain the water in the basement. In fact, you almost can't tell where it was. Daisy has settled down in her pen.

To top it all off, we had a new member join the church this morning. We sang my favorite song (Total Praise) in choir this morning. The atmosphere was uplifting and encouraging. And now, I'm getting ready to take my Sunday afternoon nap. God is so much bigger and better than Murphy's Law. And that's reason enough to be happy.

A Night at the Drive-In

2008-07-02T08:59:00.008-04:00

The kids announced to me yesterday that we were going to go see my grandmother and then go to the drive-in. Now, I suppose a few explanations are in order, so here goes:

1. My parents have gone to New Bern to visit my sister.

2. My grandmother (84 years old) lives in an assisted living home in Mount Airy.

3. Whenever my parents go out of town, I visit or call my grandmother daily (in keeping with the practice of my mother).

4. Mount Airy is home to one of only four drive-in theaters in North Carolina.

So we did it. Only one problem: It's July, so drive-in movies don't start until around 9:30 pm.

Tracy left for work at 5:45, giving us an hour to fool around (Samantha washed the supper dishes. Smart girl!). We stopped by my parents' house and picked up Grandma's clean laundry before heading to Mount Airy around 7 pm. Once we got to Mount Airy, we visited for about an hour. The kids sang ALL the Vacation Bible School songs. We watched a few minutes of a DVD of my niece at an awards ceremony. Then we kissed and hugged Grandma and cut a trail for Wal-Mart.

We know the signs at movie theaters say, "NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK," but I just can't help myself when I'm in the comfort of my own vehicle. We loaded up with M&M's, Skittles, Sweet Tarts, soft drinks, Pringles, Chicken-in-a-Biskit crackers, bananas (yes, bananas!), and honey-roasted peanuts. It was junk-food heaven!

We got to the drive-in at about 9:15. I have to admit that it's a tightwad's paradise. They charge $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 4 - 10. My bill came to $15. Better yet, once you're in the gate, you can stay until closing. Yep, that's a double feature in the summer or a TRIPLE feature in the winter. Last night's movies were Wall-E and Get Smart.

Once we were parked, I set up camp. We laid the back seat of my Explorer Sport-Trac down and made a pallet for the two younger kids. They had blankets and pillows complete with a sheet for cover. Samantha and I reclined the front bucket seats so that they could see over and around us. Lydia was our stewardess, doling out the junk food and drinks with finesse. We were set.

The movies were pretty good, although I could have skipped Get Smart (I actually asked to leave three times, but I got out-voted each time). We got home at 1:45am.

I'm glad the drive-in is still in business. It's pretty cool to watch the movie on the big screen. By the way, there are no little hanging speakers to put in your car for sound nowadays. The theater broadcasts over a low-power FM frequency. If your car stereo has surround sound (which mine has), the move audio is in surround, too. It's an awesome experience.

I'm not moving very fast today, but last night was a lot of fun.

I AM A SINNER!

2008-06-27T02:03:00.003-04:00

I know it's after 2 am as I write this. I just finished compiling our VBS slide show. Our final enrollment was 155 with an average attendance of 105. Isn't that typical Southern Baptist? Anyway, Tracy is sleeping away on the couch here beside me, and I'm about to fall over.

I just wanted to say one more time, "Thank you, Father!" as we near the end of this whirlwind week. It has been amazing to see new kids every night, to see my little girl give her life to Jesus, to watch our church work together to share the gospel, and to do it all WITHOUT FIGHTING!

I'm just reminded again of how unworthy I am of all the goodness God shows me. I've never done anything to deserve these blessings, but he's faithful time after time.

Tracy's stirring. We're going to go get in the bed.

Much love to all of you. I'll try to post again before Sunday.

Vacation Bible School

2008-06-25T09:14:00.006-04:00

I still believe in Vacation Bible School. To be sure, it's not about popsicle-stick art, cookies, and Kool-Aid any more. Today's VBS is more about theme decor, the ABC's of Becoming a Christian (thank you, LifeWay), and PowerPoint. The goal, however, is the same: introducing children to a relationship with Jesus.

As of last night, our VBS had enrolled 141. Attendance has averaged right around 105. For those of you familiar with this year's "Outrigger Island" theme, we have all been singing "Wiki Wiki" in our sleep (Thank you, Jeff Slaughter). Our meals before VBS each night have been a HUGE success.

Tonight promises to be the most challenging lesson for our teachers to this point. They will be teaching about Jeremiah, Baruch, and the scroll that King Jehoiakim cut to pieces with a penknife and burned. A key part of the emphasis on truth this week has been the value of Scripture. I pray that our teachers will be able to communicate clearly with the kids tonight.

I said at the beginning of this post that I still believe in Vacation Bible School. The greatest event this week happened about 10:30 last night. Lydia, our middle child, prayed and gave her life to Jesus. If Samantha, our oldest, is our emotional/feeling child, Lydia is definitely our thinker (It's still too soon to tell about our youngest, Daniel). Lydia walked step by step through the problem of sin, God's remedy for sin in Jesus' death and resurrection, and our need for repentance and faith. Not bad for an eight-year-old. I don't expect her to be a spiritual giant right away, but I can tell you she knows what happened to her last night.

We have two more nights of class before our Family Night on Friday. I know we'll all be exhausted when it's over, but I'll be able to count some new brothers and sisters in Christ when it's all said and done. And that rings my bell . . .

Father's Day

2008-06-15T22:47:00.007-04:00

There's still an hour left on this Father's Day, so let me say a brief word.

This is my dad (and two of my kids, taken last week at Stone Mountain State Park in Wilkes County). He turned 62 last month.

He taught school for seventeen years before he was called to preach in 1985.

He has pastored three churches over the last 23 years. He is currently pastor at Holly Springs Baptist Church in Mount Airy.

He and my mom raised two children. My sister and I are both married and we each have three children. Our families are active in local churches. We value the upbringing we were given.

My appreciation for Dad has changed in the last ten years. First, I came to appreciate him as a colleague when I was called to preach in 1996. Then I came to appreciate him in a new light when he had a heart attack about seven years ago. I realized then that my invincible daddy was not immortal.

When my family lived four hours away, I often called and talked to Dad for advice and encouragement. My wife referred to it as "getting my dose of Daddy." I can't tell you how grateful I was to come home almost five years ago. Now Dad and I meet occasionally for lunch or I can stop by the house for a visit. Trust me when I say that I do NOT take these opportunities for granted.

Some people have said that I went into the "family business" when I answered God's call. They imply that I was following in Dad's footsteps. I can honestly say that both Dad and I have a unique relationship with God and an equally unique call to ministry. So while we are both pastors, we have travelled different roads and had markedly different experiences in ministry.

I thank God for Dad. We ate hot dogs and hung out at my house for a while tonight. He's thinking about retirement now. He and Mom just bought a motor home a couple weeks ago. I have a feeling they'll be loading up to go to New Bern in the next few weeks. As long as they go and come home again safely, I'll be happy. But when the time comes, I want to have no regrets about my relationship with Dad. I've been blessed.

I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day.

SBC Indianapolis: Day Two

2008-06-11T22:35:00.008-04:00

I almost overslept this morning. Needless to say I was moving rather quickly to get into the meeting hall at 8 am. It was a great day, with several important highlights:

Dr. John Newland was elected second vice president.

I was very impressed with the debate over the Resolutions Committee report. I had NEVER seen a committee actually receive an amendment to a resolution on the floor of the convention. In all, we adopted nine resolutions today. My compliments to Dr. Darrell Orman and his committee on their tremendous work.

I got to hear and sing with Keith and Kristyn Getty today. People, these are two of God's choicest servants. Click the link and enjoy the music!

My dear brother Al Gilbert brought the convention message this morning. What a tremendous challenge! My heart still stirs when I think back to his closing illustration.

With your permission, let me attempt to re-tell it: While in seminary, Miss Bertha Smith visited in Al and his wife KK's home. Al was not at home at the time. Miss Bertha placed her hands on each of the Gilberts' three children and the unborn child in KK's womb and prayed for them individually. Her prayer was that God would use each child for his purposes. Al related that it was at about that time that KK began to pray that God would "send us anywhere at any cost, or send our children." When he found out about her prayer, he said he was upset at first, but soon after he joined her. He related that the two oldest children have answered a call to missions.

"Lord, send us anywhere at any cost, or send our children." I resonate with that.

I won a book at the Ethics & Religious Liberties Commission's booth today! Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while . . .

I saw Fireproof this afternoon. People, this movie is great!!! It's not an Oscar-winner, but it's awesome. I already told Tracy to buy a case of Kleenex. By the way, the movie opens SEPTEMBER 26, 2008. If you don't go and lay down the cash to see it, it won't get the distribution it needs to succeed. PLEASE join me in supporting our brothers and sisters at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia in this incredible evangelistic endeavor.

The evening session was wonderful. We heard from Charles Billingsley ( I actually stopped and talked to him before the evening session) and the International Mission Board tonight. And to top it all off, Travis Cottrell closed out the meeting.

After the session, I ran into Terry Smoak and Travis Hilton in the lobby. We all attended Southeastern Seminary together in the late 1990's. By the way, I also enjoyed President Danny Akin's report on the seminary this evening.

Last stop for the night, I visited with Milton and Gloria Hollifield for a while. I genuinely love this couple. Milton is taking a lot of heat right now in North Carolina. I thank God for his integrity and his leadership.

I'm heading home in the morning. It's time to get some sleep.

SBC - Indianapolis: Day One

2008-06-10T21:42:00.004-04:00

I can honestly say I've not enjoyed a past SBC annual meeting as much as I have enjoyed today. There were quirks, to be sure, but the meeting was good. Here's a list of some of the people I saw and talked to:

Les & Debbie Puryear

Martin Pitcher

Rod Elliott

Chad Fugitt (Second Vice President of the Kentucky Baptist Convention)

Dave Beauchamp

Bryan Sheehan

Howard Harden

Scott & Becca Gleason

Royce Williams

Allan Blume

Brian Davis

Darrel Davis

Tony Kummer

I also met and sat beside Chris & Lee Brammer

The meeting was pretty good. I admire Frank Page, our president. I greatly admire Barry McCarty, the convention parliamentarian. Kudos to our worship leader, Lavon Gray. It was a good day.

Johnny Hunt was elected president of the convention.

Bill Henard was elected first vice president of the convention.

Tomorrow promises to be an interesting day. I pray God's people will represent him well throughout the day.

I'm Heeeere!

2008-06-09T20:08:00.002-04:00

I had never been to Indiana before today. Given the flooding that took place here over the weekend, I was quite anxious about driving in today.

The evidence of flooding was still easily visible in many places. There are many people here who have been displaced by the water. Most news agencies are saying this is the worst flood in Indiana since 1913.

Fortunately, I was able to drive all the way here without incident.

I am very pleased with my hotel. Here's the best reason: I realized about the time I got to Louisville that I had left the key to my truck bed cover in Dobson. This would not be a problem except for the fact that my suitcase was locked in there. When I arrived at the hotel (at 5:30 pm on a Monday evening), I asked the desk manager - Kathy - to find me a locksmith. She searched the yellow pages and called a locksmith who was here within thirty minutes. I was very impressed, to say the least. My room is very nice, and I am close to several restaurants and stores. The neighborhood leaves a little bit to be desired (somewhat run down), but I feel safe here.

I'm lying here in the bed with my laptop and watching television, but my mind is thinking ahead to tomorrow and the first day of the convention. I can't escape the fact that many people will be watching us as we meet this week. I pray that our words and our actions will glorify God and draw people to a relationship with Christ. Everywhere I have gone this evening, I've tried my best to be kind to the people of Indianapolis. I want them to know that Southern Baptists are people who care about them and want them to know Jesus. This is my chief concern as we gather this week. I pray it will come true.

Praise to a Great God

2008-06-08T16:17:00.005-04:00

Just a few words on a Sunday afternoon:

I praise God for his blessings in worship this morning. I sense that the Holy Spirit is leading us in worship more and more each week. Today, I felt great liberty in preaching the Word. God saw fit to add a precious brother to our congregation. Although the numbers are down, the hour flies by.

But why praise God only today? Has he not been with us in the past? Was he not present in the times when I could not sense the leadership of the Holy Spirit? Where was God when I did not have liberty to preach the Word? Is God not with us when no new souls are added to the congregation? Are larger numbers an indication of God's presence? If the hour drags by, does it signify God's absence?

I confess my sin of emotionalism and inconsistency. I confess my tendency to base my praise on fleeting, shallow conditions that please men more than God. I confess my weakness and my pride.

Why, you ask?

Because God is great.

Because God is constant and unchanging.

Because God is not concerned with circumstances.

Because God is committed to his will.

Because God is faithful always.

Because God is good.

And so, I praise him.

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I plan to be in Indianapolis by 7 pm on June 9. I'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express, 3514 South Keystone Avenue. My friends may contact my cellphone. If you'd like to get together during the Southern Baptist Convention, e-mail me. I hope to be online daily during the trip, posting here as opportunity permits.

When We Come to the End of Ourselves

2008-06-02T08:50:00.006-04:00

I was sick last week. It was my annual "sinus fit." I laid around all day on Wednesday, blowing my nose, sipping fluids, and sleeping. I reluctantly led our Wednesday evening service before coming home and going to bed. It was a rough day.

To be honest, I'm still not back to 100%. Sunday morning was no exception.

We had a great service.

I think most of us know that God works most powerfully when his servants get out of the way. It's just a shame that it takes things like tragedy or illness to remind us of this truth.

Just a thought . . .

Mini-Rant for a Friday Morning

2008-05-30T11:03:00.003-04:00

I am tired of all the whining about gas prices. Call me a stoic, or an ostrich with my head in the sand, or whatever you like. Gas is expensive. It's more expensive than it's ever been before. I know.

Just stop telling me about it. Stop telling me how miserable you are because of high gas prices.

I buy gas, too. A year ago, I stopped using my credit card to buy gas and started paying cash. Everytime my Ford Explorer Sport-Trac stops in front of a pump, it's a $70 - 80 fill-up. So how do I handle it?

1. Tracy and I have a budget. You can learn how to have a budget here.

2. We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to, and our menu at home is a little more streamlined. Less steak, more beans and rice . . .

3. We are consolidating trips. There's no more running to the grocery store five miles up the road every day to pick up an item or two. Next school year, the kids may ride the bus instead of having Mom and Dad take them and pick them up.

4. I'm driving slower and not running the air conditioner as often. And forget leaving the engine running for extended periods of time.

I know that a lot of people are having a hard time with this, but there is a generation of people out there who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, and they would tell us that quite frankly, we ain't seen nothing yet!

The Next Step

2008-05-19T17:31:00.004-04:00

Many of you recall the Lay Renewal Weekend our church had last year. God worked in incredible ways leading up to the weekend and even in the months since then. Well, we voted in conference on May 7 to take the next step in the Lay Renewal Journey: Lay Ministry Weekend. Our goal is to hold the weekend some time in November.

The design of Lay Ministry Weekend is based loosely on Rick Warren's S.H.A.P.E. model from The Purpose-Driven Church. The goal of the weekend is to mobilize church members for ministry. S stands for Spiritual Gifts, H stands for Heart, A stands for Abilities, P stands for Personality, and E stands for Experiences. As church members consider how God has SHAPED them for ministry, they are challenged to seek God's leadership as they engage in ministry.

We are excited about the prospect of the Lay Ministry Weekend. I'll be posting testimonies here in the coming months as I see God at work. Let me encourage those of you in congregational leadership to consider the possibility of beginning the Lay Renewal Journey in your local church. You can find out more here and here.

Don't Drop Your Teeth!

2008-05-17T20:24:00.004-04:00

I know it's unusual for me to post twice in one day, even twice in one week. Tonight I have something to say that won't wait until tomorrow, though.

I intend to vote for Avery Willis for president of the SBC next month. I did not arrive at this decision quickly, especially since I count Les Puryear as one of my best friends in the ministry and a dear brother in Christ. I should also say that Johnny Hunt has been a hero of mine for twelve-plus years. I have no issues with either Bill Wagner or Frank Cox. To be honest, Wiley Drake is the only current candidate for president that I have a hard time taking seriously, but I don't have any reason to oppose him either.

Let me state here for our mutual benefit (both yours and mine) why I intend to support Avery:

1. My father's call to ministry twenty-three years ago was crystallized through the MasterLife curriculum written by Dr. Willis. As a fourteen year-old at the time, I was impressed with his demeanor and deep spiritual insight then and I am still impressed with him today.

2. I resonate with Avery's agenda for the convention. If anyone can speak prophetically about the spiritual needs of our denomination, he is qualified for the assignment. We are in decline, and the real need of the hour is repentance and humility before God. Avery is God's man for this assignment.

3. I appreciate Avery's candor in stating his decision-making process. We need more such humility in our leaders.

DISCLAIMER: Avery Willis is a man. He is prone to sin. I'm sure that there are things about him that would lessen my opinion of him if they were pointed out, but I've made up my mind.

See you in Indy, Lord-Willing!

If You Could Choose . . .

2008-05-17T13:30:00.004-04:00

The father of one of our members went home to be with the Lord early this morning. He had a massive stroke almost six weeks ago and had not really had conscious contact with the family since. When I visited with him and his family on Wednesday at the hospital, he looked up at me when I entered the room, but he was unable to do anything else.

Another church member and I were visiting this morning, and we talked briefly about sickness and death. Is it easier for your family to die suddenly or to die over a period of time? We both felt that each scenario has particular strengths and weaknesses. In the end, though, death is not really our call.

I've thought several times about the manner of my death. I considered the possibility of a lengthy illness with an extended time of being bedridden. I also tried to imagine a sudden heart attack or accident. In each scenario, I tried to picture the effect of my death on my wife and children. Which would be more difficult for them to handle? What would happen to them in the months following my death, since we live in a church-owned house? Would my life insurance be enough to provide them a place to live and money for a college education? The whole thing becomes somewhat disturbing after a while.

I feel for my church family members who have lost a father, a father-in-law, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather today. They have watched helplessly over the last month and prayed for God to intervene in the life of their loved one. I believe that God answered their prayers this morning. I also believe that the same God who brought his child home will be here to comfort those whom he left behind.

We don't get to choose our death, but I do believe we can choose how we live our lives. The answer is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When Jesus was talking to Mary and Martha about their brother Lazarus (who was dead and buried at the time), he said, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:25, 26).

What Are We Doing?!?!

2008-05-08T12:35:00.005-04:00

I had a brief conversation with a lady at the LifeWay Christian Store in Winston-Salem, this morning. We both arrived a few minutes before the store opened, so we chatted on the sidewalk while we waited.

She attends the First Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, a good-sized congregation with beautiful facilities in the heart of downtown. I had seen an article about the church recently on an organ builder's website regarding some renovations that had been done at the church. As we began to talk, she shared some information with me that I've heard all too much lately.

She is unhappy with the changes that are taking place with the music and worship in her church. The church started an early contemporary worship service a few years ago. They even constructed a new "worship center" recently to house the contemporary service, complete with screens and electronic equipment to accommodate the service's needs. I suppose the organ renovations and other updates to the main sanctuary were conducted simultaneously. She told me that now the contemporary service is held at 11, and the traditional service is held at 9:30. Her concern is that Sunday School is also held at 9:30, which means that the only way she can attend Sunday School is to switch to the contemporary service. However, she prefers the traditional worship service. She left me by saying that she is praying that the governing session and ministers will realize the negative aspects of these changes and adjust accordingly.

This is not the first such conversation like this I've had in recent months. In fact, I'm hearing it more and more. People in the pews are VERY unhappy with contemporary worship services, especially with the divisions they are creating in our churches. It's almost like the contemporary service is creating a second church that apparently gets preferential treatment from the pastor and the leadership. It goes without saying that the people at the traditional service are probably older or at least more set in their ways.

LET ME SAY A FEW THINGS CLEARLY:

1. I am not opposed to contemporary worship. I like all styles of music, even bluegrass. The issue for me is never style, only excellence.

2. There are some churches that are adopting contemporary elements in worship beautifully. My hat is off to you.

3. I am not unintelligent enough not to realize that many traditional worship elements are a hindrance to the unchurched or unevangelized people living around us today.

BACK TO THE POST:

I question the logic of a second contemporary service in many of the congregations that are using them today. Many of the churches conducting a second contemporary worship service have ample space for a single service. I don't believe that the majority of these services are attracting unchurched or unevangelized people, but instead they provide a shallow watering hole for the laziest and most carnal of our church members to hang out, sip coffee, and eat a doughnut while singing theologically deficient songs and listening to a watered-down sermonette (Before you call down fire from heaven, look back at the word majority above.).

I know that many of you who read my posts are thoughtful. Some of you (God bless you, Les) are doing a contemporary service, and doing it well. But aren't you hearing the same rumblings? I told this dear lady that I was of the opinion that, for the sake of our church's unity, I would only consider a second service under two conditions: 1) we needed the space, and 2) the second service would be a copy of the first with only a variation between the special music (choir vs. soloist/small ensemble). On a third point, I would only pursue it if the congregation agreed that God was leading us to do it. Interestingly enough, I had been thinking about the logistics of just such an idea earlier this morning as I was making the commute to Winston-Salem.

Let me close by saying two things:

1. There are three churches in our association that I know have an early contemporary service and a standard traditional service. I have spoken with at least one person from each of those churches who dislikes the contemporary service, usually for the reasons I have already stated.

2. Almost every time I enter a conversation with a person who favors the early contemporary service, they bring up the fact that the early service frees them up to do other things on Sunday. As crowded as our lives are already, this is the last thing I want to hear when it comes to worship in the body of Christ. God, deliver us from our self-centered, carnal, un-holy narcissism!

Okay, friends. Let me have it. I'm sure you have an opinion on this matter.

Primary Day Ramblings

2008-05-06T20:47:00.004-04:00

I voted for Mike Huckabee this morning. Never mind that John McCain has the nomination "locked up." I decided several months ago that I like Mike Huckabee, and he got my vote today. I think it would be interesting to see how the Republican presidential primary pans out tonight.

I'm going to Indianapolis for the SBC in June. I don't know who I'll vote for in the presidential race. I've never actually thought of it as a "race." I'll be driving up on Monday, June 9. My room is at the Holiday Inn Express at I-65 and Keystone Avenue. I look forward to seeing some of you there.

I haven't forgotten my retreat suggestion in my last post. Thanks to those of you who responded. We may be a year from implementing the plan. I welcome your input.

Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm celebrating by going to the Grand Opening at our new Elkin Wal-Mart. The manager is a good friend and brother in Christ. Several of the employees are godly folks, too. If you're not a Wal-Mart fan, just pretend you didn't read this paragraph.

Hope all is well with you. I always appreciate your visits and feedback.

Latest Thoughts

2008-04-15T22:46:00.003-04:00

Okay, so it's been eleven days since my last post, and I fired off quite a few in a short period leading up to that. Obviously, I posted faster than some of you had time to read.

This truth became painfully clear on Sunday when someone asked if I had recovered from my Buffalo Chicken binge. The answer was yes, although I will hopefully never have to resign from my penchant for the fiery stuff.

I've been entertaining a thought I'd like to share with you. Last year, I did a biographical sketch of D.L. Moody for my doctoral work. One of the intriguing ventures in Moody's life was a series of impromptu conferences held near his home in Massachusetts over several years. Essentially, Moody would select a date and write letters inviting his friends to join him for a time of prayer, worship, and study in the Scripture for a few days at the end of the summer. He would arrange housing and meals for his guests, and then everyone just showed up. Over the course of their time together, the agenda was usually quite relaxed but spiritually invigorating. Now, we all know that morning devotions could be incredible if R.A. Torrey was the speaker, but my point is that Moody's friends basically came to East Northfield to let their hair down and spend some time with each other and the Lord.

So here's my thought: I wonder how many folks would want to get together here in the North Carolina mountains (or anywhere else for that matter) and retreat together? I really don't want to pick speakers or set an agenda. I just want to worship, share, and hear what God is doing in everyone's life. I'm tired of being programmed, of watching my watch, of rushing from one appointment to the next. I'd like to spend just 72 hours or so enjoying the company of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I don't want to put on a show. I want to sit around in rocking chairs, singing a capella, listening to somebody like Tim Rogers or Les Puryear share what they've been reading in their personal devotions. I want to eat watermelon and spend an uninterrupted hour in intercessory prayer with my co-laborers in the gospel. I want to wake up in to morning and eat a breakfast that includes a conversation over coffee that lasts more than thirty minutes.

I know I don't have a lot of readers, but does anybody else feel the same way? Is this a thought worth pursuing, or should I put it away for later?

Don't Forget . . .

2008-04-04T14:22:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my monthly "nursing home" day. I travel to four nursing homes on the first Thursday of each month. At three of them, I play the piano and sing hymns for about thirty minutes. We have church members at all four nursing homes.

The rounds take about five hours to complete, and, to be honest, I feel like I shortchange the residents every time I go. However, it's the best way for me to be sure that I see ALL our nursing home folks every month.

Which brings me to the purpose for this post: these people need us. For starters, many nursing home residents are lonely and in desperate need of companionship. It would be easy for us to brush them aside and forget about them. After all, they have family, don't they?

My own grandmother has been a nursing home resident for the last seven years. My grandfather passed away at her side just six years ago. My mother calls or visits Grandma every day, but it's still lonely for her.

Nursing home staff is often overworked and underpayed. No Certified Nursing Assistant or Activity Director can spend adequate amounts of time with every resident in the facility. Someone has to step up to the plate.

The thought crossed my mind as I sat at the piano yesterday: what will happen when I come here? Will there be a young pastor to come and sing the old songs for me? Will I sit for hours praying for an opportunity to converse with someone? Will anyone remember me?

I'm not trying to be morbid, but I do want to challenge others to make this a priority. Last week, my girls made the rounds with me on one of their Easter vacation days. I hope it's something they'll never forget.

What Is History?

2008-04-02T16:38:00.003-04:00

I'll never forget the first day in Advanced Placement U.S. History, now almost twenty years in the past. Joe Mitchell, our teacher, introduced us to the course by stating that history "is the recorded memory of those present to witness it." Let's be honest: if Joe was right, then history is a pretty subjective thing.

I just finished reading "The Changing Face of the Baptist State Convention," part two of an analysis of the recent history of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina by former Biblical Recorder editor Tony Cartledge. The article appears in the April 2008 edition of Baptists Today. I'd gladly give you a link to the article, but you have to be a subscriber to access the online edition.

My issue is simple: I lived through most of the events that Tony describes as a church staff member, seminarian, and North Carolina Baptist. I wasn't always privy to the inside stories of life, but what I witnessed certainly produced some differing memories along the way.

One item that Tony describes in his article that I will share with you here concerns the failed "Shared Leadership" plan presented at the 1999 meeting of the Baptist State Convention. That convention was the ONLY one I have missed in the last twelve years for two simple reasons: 1) I was busy helping rebuild our community after the devastation of Hurricane Floyd, and 2) Greg Mathis and Mike Queen said I'd be a fool to vote against the "Shared Leadership" plan. Since I intended to vote against the plan, I figured there was no need to go and show off my foolishness in Winston-Salem.

That was what I remembered about that one particular incident. There is no telling how much Cooperative Program money went into developing and promoting the Shared Leadership plan. I wish I still had that VHS tape with Greg and Mike snuggled together and telling me to come to Winston-Salem and vote for the plan. It was the spiritual equivalent of syrup of Ipecac.

Now, I know this sounds extreme, but let me cut to the chase.

My wife is our church's Woman's Missionary Union president. The Baptists Today subscription is addressed to her. What worries me is that WMU presidents across North Carolina may be taking Tony's account of recent history as their primary source on the matter. It is not unbiased or completely objective (and I know that such is humanly impossible), and I believe it is intended to sway the opinions of those who read it.

I may choose to further expand my critique in future posts, but I thought you might like to know a little bit about it.

Ahh, the Delicious Buffalo Chicken

2008-04-02T09:24:00.004-04:00

For the last few days, I've been craving Buffalo Chicken.

On Monday, I sampled Bojangle's "Buffalo Bites" served with their delicious seasoned fries. I have to admit that I threw half of the chicken away because it was simply terrible. The chicken turned out to be some sort of grilled breast fillet soaked in a pseudo-Buffalo sauce. I was really disappointed.

On Tuesday, I sampled Zaxby's "Kickin' Chicken" served with some rather average crinkle-cut fries seasoned with (apparently) Lowry's seasoning salt. This sandwich was rather messy, but reasonably good. It was made with three breaded breast tenders marinated in a standard Buffalo-style sauce with ranch dressing. The bread was actually Texas Toast, nicely browned.

Today, I think I'll hit my standard favorite, Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous "Buffalo Snacker." These little treats usually feature a single breaded breast tender generously coated with a thick Buffalo-style sauce and served with shredded lettuce on what looks like an oversized dinner roll. My issue with KFC is that they normally offer potato wedges with this sandwich, and they can sometimes be a little overwhelming.

None of these options compares to Ham's "Kickin' Chicken." Their sandwich is a boneless breaded breast fillet marinated in Buffalo sauce and served on a kaiser roll with ranch dressing and cucumber slices. I usually get carrots and celery on the side with this sandwich. The only problem here is that Ham's does not offer drive-through service. Oh, and by the way, if you're a real lover of the hot stuff, Ham's will make the Kickin' Chicken "ATOMIC" if you ask your server.

Now, I'm not opposed to Buffalo Wings, and I'm not overly picky about them, either. One of our deacons has promised to take me to Waldo's sometime. I used to eat at Ronni's, too. Buffalo Wild Wings has a good variety, but I'm not a sports bar nut. Someone recommended East Coast Wings as well. I just hate to fight with bones and skin.

Can you tell that I've been on the road a lot this week? Gotta go now. Someone's having surgery . . .

Jesus Is Lord!

2008-03-31T08:10:00.004-04:00

Les Puryear said I needed to post more often, so here goes . . .

I preached yesterday from Mark 2:23 - 28. If you've studied Mark's gospel, you see the progression of conflict between Jesus and the religious people of his day. I made the comment to someone at the Small Church Conference over the weekend that, sadly enough, religious people do more to hinder new believers than help them when they are taking their first steps in Christianity.

The second chapter of Mark proves this. In the opening story, where Jesus says to the paralytic "Your sins are forgiven" instead of simply healing him, the response of the religious people is outrage. The second account relates Levi's call and the subsequent dinner party with the publicans and sinners, which draws their wrath again. The greatest challenge, in my opinion, comes when John the Baptist's disciples question the fact that his disciples are not fasting. I guess my disappointment comes from the fact that it's John's disciples, not the scribes or the Pharisees. Anyway, the final challenge comes when Jesus' disciples pick grain on the sabbath.

In every case, Jesus asserts his authority over against the traditions of men and even the Law of Moses. The real clincher for me is Jesus' assertion, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." I interpret this statement as a shot across the bow of religious legalism. At stake, at least in my context, is the whole WASP-iness of our Southern Baptist, Bible-Belt mindset.

I'm talking about Blue Laws, polyester suits, 9:45 Sunday School and 11:00 Preaching, Fried Chicken, and songbooks.

At the heart of what Jesus was addressing is what we find in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council. They opted not to require Gentile converts to submit to the Law, but instead to simply avoid meat sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. How much has been added to Gentile Christianity since that time? I don't want to sound like a de-constructionist, but I'm really starting to feel like one.

Which leads me to the question for today: what does it really mean to say that Jesus is Lord?

Lord of my thoughts?
Lord of my speech?
Lord of my remote control?
Lord of my music library?
Lord of my feet?
Lord of my wardrobe?
Lord of my planner?
Lord of my eyes?

HERE'S THE CATCH: Is Jesus as Lord of my life necessarily the same as Lord of your life?

If you know me very well, you know that I'm okay with leaving loose ends. But I'd love to hear what you think.

Small Church Conference

2008-03-29T19:49:00.007-04:00

I've spent the last few days down the road in Lewisville (not Louisville) at the Small Church Conference. It's not every day you get to hang out with the likes of Les Puryear, Micah Fries, Kevin Bussey, C.B. Scott, and Tim Rogers. And that doesn't include guys like Alvin Reid, Greg Lawson, Chris Schofield, David McEachern, Frank Page, Tom Elliff, Brad Waggoner, Dick Church, and Chris Hauser. Plus worship with Matthew Smith To say I enjoyed myself is an understatement.

The great praise for this conference goes to our God.

The great gratitude, however, goes to the people of Lewisville Baptist Church. These wonderful folks served us meals and snacks, manned the entrances of the church, mixed the audio, handled the music table, ran the video cameras, and generally welcomed us to their church home. They were absolutely wonderful.

One event from the conference should probably be unmentioned, but I just can't let it go. My good friend Tom McLean had a little mishap on Thursday evening--he drove his car off a retaining wall. After an hour and a half, thanks to a VERY CAREFUL tow-truck operator, Tom's car was pulled off the wall and he was able to drive it home. The funniest moment of the evening had to be when a Forsyth County Sheriff's Deputy pulled up and began to take pictures with his digital camera because "nobody will ever believe this!" Take a look for yourself:

It wasn't very funny at the time, but I'm fighting back a laugh as I type this. Tom, if you're reading this, you are a true friend. I hope you can still say the same for me.

Anyway, thank you, Les and Micah.

Thank you, my Lewisville friends.

Thanks to all the brothers and sisters who were a part of this conference. It's been great!

Known by Heart

2008-03-17T21:20:00.004-04:00

I never really liked the phrase "learn by heart" when it came to music, because all that most people expected me to do was to memorize the piece. To be honest, you can know a piece "by heart" without memorizing it at all. To know a piece "by heart" is to be able to perform it with emotion and a depth of feeling that resonates with the hearer and produces a response, both psychological and emotional. It's more than technical precision. Honestly, it's interpretative artistry.

I think that knowing something by heart brings an element of the divine to bear on human effort.

Here's part of my justification:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

"I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." (Jeremiah 17:9, 10) (ESV)

Or consider this bit of wisdom:

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) (ESV)

When we communicate from the heart, we expose a part of our deeper selves that often remains hidden from view. That's why we often say that a person who shares "from the heart" is exposing his or her deepest spiritual and emotional thoughts and feelings, in fact being truly vulnerable. It's exposing the work of God in us to those around us.

I suppose that what bothers me, what really led to this post was the superficiality I am experiencing so much right now in my faith and the ministry.

First, there are the people who assume they know how I feel about certain things when in fact they have no idea of my feelings. Some of them say things like, "I know you were disappointed" or "You must think I'm terrible." Honestly, I am not a judgmental person. I learned a long time ago not to allow people to disappoint me. I understand that people make mistakes. We all do some pretty dumb things.

If you miss church, that's too bad. I don't take it personally unless you tell me to take it personally.

If you've sinned against God, I'm really sorry. However, I do NOT think you are a terrible person. We are all born in sin, but we are precious to God.

My role is not to sit in judgment over people. I am experiencing God's grace, and my desire is to mirror his grace to the people I meet every day. He will judge all people. I just want you to know him and love him as much as he loves you.

Second, there are the people who want church to be Heaven on earth RIGHT NOW. They tend to get upset easily over things that, in all honesty, are not of major importance. It could be as simple as a missed greeting or an omission on the church prayer list. Sometimes major crises in churches erupt over the choice of menu at a meal. A lot of the fires I have to put out as a pastor start because of what really boils down to unrealistic expectations.

Let me quickly say that these concerns are NOT unimportant. Christianity is a journey to maturity that by necessity passes through these stages of high (and often unmet) expectations. However, our assignment in the church is to minister through these crises in order to produce wiser, NOT cynical disciples.

All this being said, let me offer a few resolutions to strengthen believers and the church:

1. Only God knows my heart. If I tell you that I love you and value you as a brother or sister in Christ, please take my statement at face value. In all likelihood, I will fail you in some way at some point in the future. Please have the grace to let me know what I have done and the mercy to allow me to seek your forgiveness.

2. We are not perfect yet. God is working daily in the lives of believers to shape us for the glories of Heaven, but that task will not be completed until we arrive there. There will be a lot of moments where we disagree and hurt each other in the body of Christ, but we are all "works in progress." Sometimes it is essential to look beyond who we are right now and to see where God, by his grace, is taking us.

3. Lost people need to connect with the divine, and the best way for that to happen is for Christians to live "by heart." It's when we show the work of God in our hearts that we demonstrate his love. Take a look at what Paul writes in Romans: "and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5) (ESV). All our human efforts fall by the wayside when we allow people to know us "by heart."

I'd love to know if anyone else feels this way.

PET PEEVE

2008-02-12T22:36:00.002-05:00

I was never an English major. I never played one on television, either.

I am, however, bothered by the grammatical and spelling errors I read daily on the Internet. These are not simply colloquialisms or conversational informalities. They are brazen abuses of the English language.

Many good posts and comments have been ruined by poor spelling and grammar. To be honest, a quick save and an editorial review before posting would have alleviated most of these errors. A keen eye will probably find errors in this post. I welcome your corrections.

Delores Wilkinson was my English teacher at J.F. Webb High School from 1987 - 1989. My favorite advice from Mrs. Wilkinson was, "Always let a paper cool off. After it's cool, go back and check it for errors. Papers that are 'hot off the press' usually have more errors." I think that her advice was appropriate then and needed now.

The Internet offers a wealth of information, news, and opinions. One may achieve celebrity status without the benefit of education or experience. The only requirements for success are somewhat interesting content and mildly exciting tag words or phrases. Everything else rides on search engines.

Fellow bloggers, let's raise the bar. If improving grammar implies fewer posts, then I think the change would be worthwhile.

What do you think?

FBC Jax Watchdog: Are You Buying It?

2008-02-09T12:05:00.000-05:00

I recently came across a new megachurch pastor-bashing blog, the FBC Jax Watchdog. This anonymous writer has apparently decided that Mac Brunson and his family are the great plague now descended on First Baptist, Jacksonville, Florida. With your kind permission, I'd like to weigh in on my findings after reading EVERY POST at the Watchdog blog.

1. Much of the content at the Watchdog winds up sounding like a broken record. How many times do we need to hear about Mac's salary, his family, and the home they have built in Jacksonville? The critiques of Mac's sermons are apparently designed to prop up the Watchdog's position. You can only say the same thing so many times before it becomes obvious that the dog just won't hunt.

2. I've noticed a lot of common ground between the Watchdog and the Saving Bellevue crowd. For example, there seems to be a preoccupation with having open business meetings and increased accountability in both groups. There also seems to be an almost neurotic interest in the personal habits and behavior of both Mac Brunson and Steve Gaines. Last time I checked, neither Adrian Rogers nor Jerry Vines (not to mention Homer Lindsay or R.G. Lee) had any experience walking on water. Let me be clear: ONLY JESUS LIVED A SINLESS LIFE. However, these groups have lost sight of the imperfections of the past in their quest to impose their ideals on the men of the present.

3. The Watchdog appears to be totally opposed to change. No contemporary music, no pants for women, no changes in Bible translation, etc. Anytime something new comes along, it's automatically declared to be from "Rick Warren, the Purpose-Driven Antichrist." I don't always agree with Rick, but there are more committed followers of Jesus in Orange County, California today than there were thirty years ago.

Now let me qualify my concerns with the Watchdog:

1. I have been familiar with the goings on at Jacksonville First for over twenty years. My aunt and uncle are members of the church. They are also employees of the church. While they are at times uncomfortable with the changes taking place right now, they are also more excited about their jobs and their church involvement than I have ever seen them before. I think they know that another name for their discomfort with change is "growing pains." I have also attended three Pastor's Conferences and several other "regular" services at Jacksonville. I've absorbed every piece of printed or audio-visual material I could get my hands on during the whole time my aunt and uncle have been members there. I was heavily influenced in my approach to music ministry by Camp Kirkland, Denny Dawson, and Rodney Brooks. I was also heavily influenced in my approach to preaching by the men I heard preach at Jacksonville.

2. People who are pre-occupied with accountability and openness in the church have trust issues and probably have no business in a large congregation. People who quibble over every penny the church spends tend to be the stingiest givers, and those who want to micromanage the ministry tend to be poor managers themselves. I cannot say that either is true of the Watchdog, but the blog hints at it.

3. One of my passions in ministry has been listening to other ministers. If you do this long enough, a series of stereotypes begins to emerge. I've been in the company of megachurch pastors and bi-vocational pastor-mechanics, and they will all tell you that the Watchdog can be a church's worst nightmare. A small congregation with a Watchdog-type person will never experience lasting growth or extended pastoral tenure, because the Watchdog will not allow it. Fortunately, the Watchdog's biggest bully pulpit at Jacksonville happens to be the blog.

IN CLOSING:

Mac Brunson is not perfect. Neither am I.

When I listen to Mac preach, though, I hear expository preaching par excellence. I'm willing to forgive his mistakes because I believe he is sincerely seeking to please God. I pray in two ways: 1) that God will humble Mac and keep him in the center of His will, and 2) that God will continue to use the good people of Jacksonville First to draw people to Himself in the days ahead.

What do you think?

Young Leader Casualties

2008-01-29T16:47:00.000-05:00

I have been covered up with the whole "Young Leader" phenomenon in the last month. First there was the LifeWay study on young leaders attending the SBC annual meeting. Then there was the panel discussion during my doctoral seminar at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I've heard folks discussing this subject in their blogs.

And then I went to my own association's quarterly meeting last night.

This probably sounds like a no-brainer. I'm the parliamentarian for the association. The meeting usually lasts for an hour-and-a-half. We're in, we're out, and no one gets hurt. Right?

Wrong.

Last night was a work night for my wife, the registered nurse. The grandparents are out of town for a few days. Quite frankly, I didn't feel like enlisting a babysitter. So off we went, with a promise of milkshakes from CookOut. The troops (ages 10, 7-almost 8, and 4) were on their best behavior.

We did well through the various reports, hymns, and PowerPoint presentations. However (with kind apologies, Brothers Victor & Billy), our energies waned when the last few personalities on the program went a little long. Our 8:30 meeting suddenly was pushing past 8:45 and headed for 8:55. Add to that a stop for shakes and a fifteen-minute drive home, and we were looking at ingesting chocolate dairy treats and going straight to bed at 9:30, which (in case you didn't know) is a bad eating choice made at way past bedtime on a school night.

I managed to economize by practically running out the door to the truck (without politicking or speaking much) and stopping for McDonald's shakes instead of the much-coveted CookOuts. The kids were truly golden, but I couldn't help feeling like the bad guy for preparing them for one thing and then pulling back the curtain to reveal something less than I'd promised.

Which leads me to the point of this entire post: My kids were the only ones in that room of 200-plus people last night. And is it any wonder?

I heard a story earlier this month from one of my classmates who grew up in a pastor's home. He told me that his family always attended the SBC annual meetings when he was growing up. Basically, he said his dad would go to the meeting while his mom babysat the kids at the hotel and swimming pool. Pardon me, but that's not the way my wife and I want to raise my kids.

When my oldest was barely a month old, my wife and I went to our state meeting. I wish you could have seen the looks from folks when we sat with our stroller in the mobility-impaired areas or my daughter announced her need for a bottle by crying (even though we were a football field's-length from the platform).

I know there has been a push in recent years to make annual meetings more "family friendly," but I don't think it really matters. The real question we need to answer is why should young families attend? We don't really feel wanted. Have you seen the looks when Little Man (or Princess) has to go potty right in the middle of an hour-and-a-half-long session? Or what about the folks who say "You are so brave" when you walk in with your children? They might as well be saying, "What are they doing here?"

Am I off, folks? I'd love for some denominational leaders to read this post and weigh in. Dr. Mohler, if you're reading this, I haven't shirked my ministry or family responsibilities. In fact, I have already prepared and served dinner to my family, my wife is resting before returning to work in a few minutes, two of my children are playing while the oldest finishes her chores, and I am getting ready to take my daughter to cheerleading practice. All this after a day of prayer, phone calls, study, and visits.

Just Back from Kentucky!

2008-01-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone!

I just got home last night from my FINAL doctoral seminar, and it was GREAT! Dr. Chuck Lawless was our lead professor this week (by the way, the seminar was entitled "Leadership and Contemporary Issues in Evangelism and Church Growth"). I've mentioned before how much I have enjoyed the cohort experience in my degree program. If you are considering pursuing an advanced degree, I highly recommend the program at Southern Seminary.

The highlight of the week was panel discussion with Dr. Adam Greenway, Dr. Bill Henard, Dr. Lawless, Dr. Timothy Beougher, Dr. Paul Chitwood, and President Al Mohler. Much of the conversation (which was intended to focus on the future of the Southern Baptist Convention) dealt with reaction to the recent LifeWay study on SBC Annual Meeting attendance. I appreciated Dr. Mohler's candor in the discussion. Bottom line: Messengers to the SBC Annual Meeting are generally older!

First, let me see if I qualify as a young leader: I am 36 years old. I have attended two SBC Annual Meetings in my nine years as a pastor. One was in Atlanta, and the other was in Greensboro, NC. I have a master of divinity degree from Southeastern Seminary, and I am pursuing a doctor of ministry degree from Southern Seminary.

Here are my suggestions to improve attendance: 1) SHOW ME what I'm missing! Produce a highlight DVD and mail it to all the churches in the convention. Keep it short and focused. 2) Keep the meetings close to the constituency. My family has not attended the annual meetings with me, but I would consider making the meeting a family vacation if the location was within driving distance (Have you ever flown a family of five anywhere?).

I'd like to hear why you DON'T go to the convention. I'll be glad to pass on any comments to those who asked me this question.

By the way, the rest of the week was good, too. Everybody ought to read Membership Matters by Chuck Lawless. It will give you an idea about why I like this guy so much.

Hope you're all doing well.

BIG NEWS: Graduation is set for December 2009 (If the Lord wills!!!!!)

Back After Two Months!

2007-12-31T22:02:00.000-05:00

I've been on hiatus for two months now, and unfortunately, I haven't gone on to Glory.

I've just been running my legs off.

My final doctoral seminar begins on January 7, and to be honest, it's a little saddening. My cohort is a great group of guys. We have two South Carolinians, a Georgian, a Tennessean, two Kentuckians, a Michiganer (?), and yours truly (from North Carolina!). Two of us have master's degrees from Southeastern, one from Master's Seminary (John MacArthur's school), one from Liberty, and the rest from Southern. I've had the privilege of learning from Chuck Lawless, Tim Beougher, Robert Coleman, Russ Moore, Tom Schreiner, and others. If you are considering furthering your education, I highly recommend the professional doctoral program at Southern.

Anyway, I'm getting ready to start on my doctoral project, and I have a question for you:

Could the majority position on spiritual gifts (i.e., the Holy Spirit gives gifts, mainly those listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4) be WRONG?!

I am quickly coming to a place of disagreement with this position. I've read Henry & Mel Blackaby's What's So Spiritual About Your Gifts? and (better yet) Kenneth Berding's What Are Spiritual Gifts? Rethinking the Conventional View. I agree with these guys: the Holy Spirit IS the gift. He supernaturally equips believers to perform the ministry assignment to which God calls them.

I'll go on further in later posts, but what do you think?

By the way, Les Puryear deserves credit for stretching my thinking on this subject, too. His post earlier in 2007 started me on this trek.

A Favor, Please?

2007-11-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

Dear Reader,

I have a prayer request. Beginning on Sunday evening, I will be the guest preacher for two nights at Siloam Baptist Church for their fall revival. My father will be the guest preacher on the two nights following me. Will you pray for us? I just imagine that God can do something powerful in those four nights, especially if the people who read this little post pause and ask him to do it.

Here's my promise to you: I will post the results here on Monday and Tuesday, for everything I see and hear.

Thank you.

By the way, if I can pray for you, just post a comment to this post. I read 'em all.

- A

Just a Quickie

2007-10-07T06:55:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello, hello! I'm still floating after Lay Renewal. Our family went to Homecoming at Appalachian yesterday. Ran into several friends. Got to talk to Travis Cottrell for a few minutes. Our boys defeated Gardner-Webb by a score of 45-7. Defining moment for me: ASU's Corey Lynch knocked Gardner-Webb's receiver on his back immediately after he caught a pass. Then he reached down and picked him up, patted him on the shoulder, and trotted back to the huddle. It's great to be a Mountaineer.

I still owe you a recap of last Sunday night. I'll try to get it up this week.

The Post of the Year

2007-10-02T20:19:00.000-04:00

Friends, Trevin Wax is my hero. You need to read this post.

Lay Renewal, Day Three

2007-10-01T14:22:00.001-04:00

Sunday was the last day of our Lay Renewal weekend.

The day began with a final visiting team meeting. Everyone agreed that the weekend had been a huge success, due in large part to the heavy emphasis on prayer and the careful preparations that involved so many of the church members. There was an atmosphere of mixed emotions, combining joy and sorrow in a powerful way.

Visiting team members led in Sunday School, essentially conducting a final small group session designed to strengthen the commitments of those who had attended earlier sessions and to include those who had not attended until Sunday. These times were simply a continuation of the spirit of the weekend.

The worship service was the high point of the weekend. There was an atmosphere of excitement that literally tangible to everyone there. The visiting team led the second half of the service (the first half was conducted by our ministers and musicians) all the way through to the invitation. The two girls who had made professions of faith on Friday evening came presenting themselves as candidates for baptism, and the altar was full of people praying and seeking God.

Testimonies at the conclusion of the service included one from a young man, the brother of one of our members. He said, "I was that guy who walked in here today, having not been here on Friday or Saturday, and I knew that something was going on here." He went on to talk about the sense of God's presence he felt in the room. The closing prayer by one of our deacons was filled with passion and emotion.

After I finished speaking to worshipers in front of the church, I noticed a man lingering inside the church. He was waiting to speak to me. As I sat down with him, he began to tell me his story and weep. I can't lay it all out here, but I knew one thing for certain: he had not come our way by accident. We talked, shared Scripture, and prayed together. He told me about his conversion and the journey his life had taken over the years. I don't know how he's doing today, but I hope to get in touch with him and follow up. It was, in my opinion, a "God" moment.

I joined the visiting team for lunch before their departure, and then went home for a much-needed NAP!

The evening session was awesome. In fact, it deserves a separate post. For now, let me just say that the evening service began at 6 pm and ended at 9 pm. God is so good!

Second Day of Lay Renewal

2007-09-30T07:40:00.001-04:00

Saturday began with eight coffees around the community. Each was led by a visiting team member. All eight of our coffees had anywhere from eight to fifteen people in attendance. The discussion was encouraging and punctuated with prayer. Preschoolers, children, and teenagers met at the church during this time.

Bag lunches were served at the church at noon. Once again, our food committee outdid themselves.

After lunch, the younger set continued their activities while men met in the fellowship hall and ladies met in the sanctuary. This time was led by team members as a challenge to lead godly lives as Christian men and women. Special attention was given to family relations (husband/wife, mother/father) during this time.

The afternoon break was a time to rest and prepare for the evening session. I personally took time to watch/listen to college football (Appalachian defeated Elon 49 - 32), begin preparing for baptism on Sunday, and work through a spiritual inventory for confessing sin. It seemed short, but it was enough.

We reconvened at 6 pm with supper, this time a Port-a-Pit barbecue chicken meal complete with pound cake or coconut cake for dessert. It was wonderful!

Attendance was a little lower at the evening session than at the night before, but there were still several people who were attending for the first time. We still estimated that about 95 people ate supper.

The evening session was great, with two couples' testimonies and a solo by one of the visiting team members. The best part of this session was probably the lack of apprehension on the part of our church family. What a difference a day makes!

Small groups focused on a spiritual graph, marking times of spiritual growth and decline in group members' lives. As group members shared their graphs, there were opportunities for praise and prayer. Visiting team members did a fantastic job facilitating this time.

The evening concluded with a family prayer time in the sanctuary. Children and youth joined with their parents for this time of sharing and intercession. It was powerful to hear all the voices lifted up in prayer as families prayed together for God's will to be done in our families and in His church. Several families moved to the altar toward the end as they cried out to God.

I personally was blessed as one of the couples on the visiting team (members of my grandmother's church in State Road) came to me and asked to pray for me. I can't tell you how humbling it was as this dear brother and sister called out to God on my behalf. Their own pastor was badly hurt this summer in a bicycle accident and has only recently come back to church. I am so thankful for their prayers.

As we stood around the walls for the closing chorus and prayer, the presence of God was so real. In fact, it took nearly twenty minutes for people to begin to leave at the conclusion of the evening.

One last thing: the youth leader on our visiting team shared something with us about the "Lay Renewal Way" of holding hands. She pointed out that our fingers are the strong part of our hands, while the web between our fingers is the weakest part of our hands. She instructed us to interweave our fingers when holding hands, thereby covering each other's "weaknesses" with our "strengths". Just thought that was worth sharing.

First Night of Lay Renewal

2007-09-28T23:00:00.000-04:00

Well, friends, the day has finally come . . . and gone. We had our first session of Lay Renewal tonight, and it was GREAT!

The evening began with a team meeting including our local chairman, the visiting team, and myself. The meeting was punctuated with seasons of prayer. The team includes retirees, a young mother, businessmen, secretaries, and retired missionaries. They have come to us from as far away as Lancaster, South Carolina (120 miles away) and as nearby as Elkin (10 miles away).

The opening meal was AWESOME! Our cooks outdid themselves preparing and serving everyone quickly and efficiently. We estimate that around 110 people ate supper, which is not bad when you consider that our Sunday morning worship attendance averages 150!

Our general session featured good, energetic congregational singing and an overview by Coordinator George Slaughter. Then the children and youth were excused to go to their age-group sessions while the adults were divided into eight small groups for a period of discussion.

Small groups focused on introductions and expectations. Amazingly, several members of our church actually met each other personally for the first time. The real heart of the discussion was what each member hoped to see happen during the Lay Renewal Weekend. Following the small group time, we returned to the sanctuary for report time.

Report time was powerful, as each group shared their expectations with the congregation as a whole. The children and youth also shared from their sessions with the church. I was so impressed with the reports talking about the people's desire to experience God's work in such a way that it would have an impact on the community. There was also a strong emphasis on developing intimacy in the congregation.

The session ended at 9:15 pm, much later than we've ever gotten out of a revival meeting, but WOW! It was worth it!

As I was talking to a team member, one of our members, a school teacher, came to me and shared that her teacher assistant's father had been killed in an automobile accident. Immediately about five of us gathered to pray for the family. It was a God moment.

After leaving the prayer group, my daughters came to me and told me that two of their friends needed to speak to me in the back. Once there, the girls shared with me their desire to give their lives to Christ. They each prayed separately in front of their friends and leaders, an awesome testimony to what God has done in their lives. They plan to present themselves for baptism on Sunday morning.

One more thing:

Remember Odell? He had his follow-up CAT scan for cancer last week, and the doctor told him there is no sign of cancer anywhere in his body. He was so excited that he wanted to call me on Monday night, but his wife made him wait until Tuesday morning. We praise the Lord for this news.

Okay, so this is enough for tonight. I could tell you a half-dozen more stories, but there are still two days left. It's past my bedtime.

Last Post Before Lay Renewal

2007-09-27T11:24:00.001-04:00

Okay, so you've been hearing about Lay Renewal for months now, and you're probably tired of it. To be honest, I have a knot in my stomach as we approach the weekend.

Our 24-Hour Prayer Vigil begins at 5 pm today. There are still several open hours, but a lot of people will be coming to pray.

The last Cottage Prayer Meeting was last Monday evening with about twenty people in attendance. These have been awesome times of intercession and supplication for everyone who has attended.

Many people are using Spiritual Inventories to prepare for the weekend. I know that some of you do not appreciate these "Sin Sheets," but I've found that as I deal with areas of my life that are not fully surrendered to God, I draw nearer to Him and experience a closer relationship with Him. Everyone in the church who has used one has had a similar experience.

The weekend is going to be busy, but I believe that it is going to be beneficial.

Here's where I'm concerned: a lot of our members have made no attempt to get ready for this weekend, and they're going to miss the work of God. Others will probably catch it, though entirely by accident. Tell me: how do you deal with this?

I am grateful to God for His work. I will do everything I can to keep my attention focused on Him.

But it grieves this pastor's heart to think about the scores of people who will not benefit from it.

Blessings to you, dear reader. If you are nearby, please join us. The complete schedule is here.

Monday, Monday . . .

2007-09-17T07:54:00.000-04:00

Good News! I received my project proposal back in the mail on Saturday, and it's NOT BAD! I had a reasonable number of style errors, but the project as a whole seems to have been preserved (Thank you, Lord!). I still have to arrange a phone chat with the dean (Dr. Chuck Lawless), but I can't tell you the love and respect I have for the man. If he says it, you can rest assured I'll listen. I am sooo relieved.

Yesterday was an awesome day in church. I preached in the morning on Philippians 2:1 - 11. I've never treated the "Kenosis" passage before, and I can't claim to have done anything spectacular, but it was simply powerful to deal with Christ as an example of humility for his followers. Yesterday evening's message was Daniel 9:20 - 27, the "Seventy Weeks" passage. The prophetic record is so amazingly precise and accurate! It's just another wonderful truth about God that amazes me.

Lay Renewal is less than two weeks away now. Our fourth cottage prayer meeting is tonight at 7 pm. There is already a commitment to continuing the meetings after our weekend, even if only once a month. Our church is experiencing real spiritual renewal, and you know where the glory for that goes!

I'm getting ready to be a Sunday School teacher again in a few weeks. I'll be joining the team in our Young Married Couples class. This group has been struggling to get off the ground for the last year. I keep telling my co-teacher that I am not the "Great White Hope," but I refuse to fail. Anybody have any suggestions for reaching unchurched young couples? PLEASE COMMENT BACK ON THIS ONE. I have a great burden for this age group, and I'm open to suggestions.

Hey, gang! I went to our state convention's Intentionally Evangelistic Church Strategy seminar last week at Caraway. I got loaded down with ideas and inspiration, and I have to give kudos to our evangelism director, Dr. Don McCutcheon. He has done his homework, and he lives out what he teaches in class. If you are a North Carolina Baptist and have not taken advantage of this seminar yet, by all means go to the one at Fruitland in October. It's good stuff.

While I was at the seminar last week, I got to hang with Les Puryear. If you haven't already done so, go read Les' blog, and while you're there, register for Impact 2008, the small church conference at his church. I found out that I am conference attendee #1! There's only room for 300, so you'll want to register soon.

Okay, gotta go shower and hit the road. There are hospital visits to make, phone calls to return, books to read, and other pastorly duties to perform. Most of all, I get to spend a day walking with the Lord. Ain't that great?!

Assorted Ramblings

2007-09-09T16:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, friends. I am guilty of dereliction of blogging duty. But I've been doing a few things in the last month that I think merited my attention more. Let me tell you about a few of them.

1. I've submitted my Project Proposal to the Doctor of Ministry office at Southern Seminary. In a nutshell, it's a 25-page paper outlining my plan to help the key leaders at Fairview Baptist to understand their spiritual gifts and use them to engage in personal evangelism. There is a high probability that I will have to make a plethora of style changes, and a possibility that I will have to change the project altogether. It's a little bit stressful.

2. Our children have gone back to school. We now have a fifth-grader, a second-grader, and a Pre-K-er. I have to give God praise that this transition has been relatively painless.

3. FANTASY FOOTBALL IS HERE AGAIN! This is my third season managing a fantasy team, and my second year as a league commissioner. Our first games started last Thursday night (Peyton Manning is my starting quarterback), and I am loving it.

4. I am so proud to be an alumnus of Appalachian State University. The football victory over Michigan was just awesome. The boys were equally impressive against Lenoir-Rhyne yesterday. It has been almost surreal around here, with the Sports Illustrated cover, the national attention, the press coverage. If you're not from North Carolina and read this blog, you have to understand that this is really a BIG DEAL.

5. We are getting close to the Lay Renewal Weekend here at Fairview. Activity is increasing, and it seems that more and more of the congregation is getting on board. We are still seeing God's activity in the lives of members, although not as dramatically as in my earlier reports. There are several challenges our congregation has faced along the way, but I have to brag on the way God's people have handled them. If your church has never participated in Lay Renewal, I would strongly encourage you to prayerfully consider it.

So, there is my list of excuses. I want you to know that I am looking forward to posting more in the future. For now, I'm reading the blogs listed to the right and commenting whenever I have anything intelligent to say (and sometimes when I don't). I'm also still trying to be a husband to Tracy and a dad for Samantha, Lydia, and Daniel. I still love football. And I really appreciate you taking the time to read this little journal of my life. I'll catch ya later!

The Greatness of God

2007-08-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

This week has been marked by challenges and blessings. I continue to see the skirmishes of spiritual warfare in my personal life and in the life of the church, but these have been overshadowed by the awesome work of God on a daily basis.

I have seen conflicts resolved, relationships restored, miscommunications cleared, and numerous prayers answered.

If you are a part of our church family, I confess to you that I have said too much about some things and not enough about others. God has dealt with me in this area, and He has blessed me to be able to obtain mercy and forgiveness from those against whom I have sinned.

Our deacons are godly men. They love me and care deeply for me. I confess that I have not given the same love and care to them. They deserve better, and I intend to do all in my power to give it to them.

Friend, if you are reading this post and wondering what on earth is going on, let me simply say that God has shown up at Fairview Baptist Church in the last two months, and He is more real to me than He has ever been before. He is turning our congregation upside down, breaking down strongholds and filling His people with the Holy Spirit. He has brought about changes that we never would have dreamed possible even three months ago. We are praising His Name, we are seeing the attacks of the enemy thwarted, and we are growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not everyone in our church is experiencing God's greatness firsthand yet, but I believe they will in the days and weeks ahead. I don't fully know all that will take place yet, but I have prayed from my heart that God will help me do whatever it takes on my part to see genuine revival in our midst.

I pray He will send it to you, too. Thanks for reading.

Evidence of Revival Today

2007-08-12T16:06:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I took a week off without a post. I beg your pardon.

This past week felt "dry," with no testimonies and just a generally "blah" feeling. To tell you the truth, I was worried. Maybe it was the physical heat (100+ degree days around here!), or maybe it was satanic opposition. I don't know.

As I lay down to sleep last night, though, I began to sense that this was the time of answered prayer. It struck me that I had literally looked heavenward and asked for rain yesterday afternoon. It rained (a little) at about 8:30 last night. I shared this with my wife and kids at bedtime, and I silently asked for more rain before I fell asleep. At 1:30 am, I was awakened by a DOWNPOUR. I heard reports ranging from 1/2 inch to well over an inch in the shower. I got up and went to the basement (because it frequently leaks during heavy rain), praising the Lord and thanking Him the whole time. By the way, the basement did not leak!

This morning, one of our older prayer warriors and I were talking about a house-painting project our men conducted yesterday. She told me that she had prayed for a cloud to block the hot morning sun yesterday, and she felt her prayer was answered. I have to admit, yesterday was the coolest day we've had here all week.

I know what you're thinking: this HAS to be bogus. Keep reading.

One of our choir members asked the choir to pray for her husband two weeks ago. I could count on one hand the number of times he had been in church during my almost four years as pastor. She said she was tired of asking him and that she wanted us to ask the Lord to get him here.

He was at church this morning. And he looked glad to be here.

A few more things:

Response to the invitation was good this morning. People are beginning to give God their burdens and cares. I challenged our members to seek reconciliation with those whom they had wronged or who had wronged them. I believe God will bring it to pass.

Another young couple visited our church this morning. God has been sending young couples to see us lately. What is he up to?

Training for the Lay Renewal Weekend last Sunday was good. We are getting ready for a great time of revival. Check out their website or ours.

ONE LAST THOUGHT: I'd love to know if God is blessing you through these posts. Feel free to comment!

God's Work Today

2007-08-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

I have three more stories to tell in this revival update.

1. Odell is a member of our church who had bladder cancer last year. He had a difficult recovery from surgery, and he just finished treatments a couple of months ago. He shared with the church just last month that his cancer is in remission.

Last week, he went in the hospital again for a hernia repair. Although he was slated to come home over the weekend, complications prevented Odell from being discharged from the hospital.

When I went to visit with Odell and his wife on Tuesday at the hospital, I came home encouraged. He is determined to get well, and he maintains an optimism unlike any I have seen lately. Odell is a survivor, a testimony to the powerful hand of God on his life. He is doing well, and I believe he will be home by this weekend.

2. Betty called today to tell me that Kevin is out of solitary confinement (see my earlier post). She told me that he said he had read nine books over the seventeen days he was in solitary. The pastor who had been teaching a Bible course in which he was enrolled had sent the lessons he was missing to him in the mail so that he could complete the course. All in all, Kevin is having a powerful time with God.

3. Another member experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit last week. Let me relate his story:

Dale grew up in our church but moved to his wife's church when he got married several years ago. He and his wife Linda have come back into our church family in the last several months. They are very faithful in attendance, and they are very involved in ministry (a pastor's dream!).

Last Wednesday, Dale was out walking for exercise as he often does early in the morning. His normal distance is four miles, but something happened that day.

As Dale describes it, he sensed God's presence with him as he was walking. He says the Holy Spirit took him "to the woodshed," dealing with sins and failures in his life. But Dale says he was filled with the Holy Spirit, so much so that, before he knew it, he had gone SIX miles instead of four. When the experience was over, he says he was almost too weak to walk to his truck.

On Sunday morning, he felt he needed to share several things with the church, but he resisted the urge. He now sees this as a mistake not likely to be repeated. When he told me this tonight, I told him that I hoped he would not miss another opportunity. He said, "It will probably make some people mad," but I told him that was not a problem.

All in all, Dale says his experience last Wednesday was like a dream. "It just almost doesn't seem real," he said tonight as we talked.

God continues to do things only he can do. Praise His Name!

Revival Update, 7/29

2007-07-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

God continues to work in our church.

Today's service seemed anti-climactic after last Sunday. The attendance was down, and, to be honest, we were somewhat subdued. I felt hindered in preaching. Sounds like the perfect time for God to do something surprising, doesn't it?

I gave the invitation and stood back to see what God would do, and He did it.

Two ladies came to the altar for prayer, and then Holly came forward. I met her and simply asked, "What is God saying to you today?"

She answered, "I need to be a part of this church."

My jaw dropped. I know she thought I looked funny. "Praise the Lord!" I said. She went on to tell me that she had never been baptized by immersion, but she knew that was what she needed to do.

I had always ASSUMED that Holly was a member of our church.

Apparently, so had most of our church.

God continues to blow us away. Praise His Name!

Latest Revival Stirrings

2007-07-23T07:28:00.000-04:00

The last few posts have dealt with evidences of revival in our church.

Yesterday was our homecoming. Our church has been existence for 95 years now, pretty impressive in my opinion. The building was full, and the covered dish lunch was out of this world!

Laura shared her testimony (see two posts back), and people were genuinely moved. I also showed a video of one of our 90 year-old members which touched a lot of people. My message was the completion of "Restored Relationships" based on Genesis 42 - 45.

This revival update has to do with a young man whose mother is our church treasurer. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to twelve months in prison for probation violations. His conviction was based on drug use. Right now, he is in a state facility in Newton, North Carolina.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago this young man was "busted" by prison officials for violations in the prison. Apparently, he had an extra set of batteries for his walkman and a plastic water bottle, two things that inmates are not allowed. His punishment is forty days in solitary confinement and a revocation of visitation rights for sixty days. His mother was crushed.

She received a letter last week from him, which she allowed me to read yesterday morning. Two things stand out to me from his letter. He wrote, "I'm spending a lot of time alone right now, but He is with me. I have time to read my Bible and pray." And then in another part of his letter, he writes, "I may be behind bars, but for the first time in my life, I'm truly free."

WOW! I can't help but praise the Lord for a testimony like that. He is due to be out of prison next April, but I pray this young man will continue to experience God's presence even after this time is over.

Will you pray for Kevin? And remember his mom, Betty, too.

More Signs of Revival

2007-07-20T00:09:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I shared about the work of God in the life of a young lady in our church.

Let me tell you about what happened last night. The uncle of one of our members has been very ill for several weeks. I should also add that he had never given his life to Christ. Many people in our church have prayed for years for his salvation, and they have been faithful to share with him as opportunities arose. Most of us had finally put him squarely in God's hands.

The man's nephew met me at church last night, and the first words out of his mouth were, "Davis got saved on Monday." My chin hit the floor. "He said that he had 'burned' twice, and then he had been saved." Apparently, near-death experiences had brought him to the point of salvation.

He sent for the pastor from a sister church to come and counsel him on Monday. Following the pastor's visit, the decision was confirmed.

I'm sorry that it took a lifetime for Davis to give his life to Christ, but I'm thrilled that it happened when it did, because at 2 am this morning, Davis met Jesus face to face.

Will you pray that his son will give his life to Christ too?

It's Beginning!

2007-07-18T13:25:00.001-04:00

I've been sensing a change coming to our church over the last month or so. I said earlier that our preparations for the Lay Renewal Weekend coming in September are making an impact on the church, especially as we consider the prayers being lifted to the Father by our visiting team on behalf of our church. Our church's general chairman, Rickey Dobbins, has joined me in praising the Lord as all but one of the thirteen people he has asked to lead a volunteer team for the weekend has said yes on the spot. Testimonies of God's work are abounding.

Sunday's message was from Genesis 42, entitled "Restored Relationships." With great gratitude to James Montgomery Boice, I began to outline the steps through which God takes his people to bring them to brokenness and repentance. I concluded my message with the story of how God brought me to a place of repentance as a nineteen year-old college student, and how he called me to serve him during that time of brokenness. I was unable to finish my message due to time constraints, so "Restored Relationships, Part Two" will be on the agenda for July 29.

Two women responded to the invitation at the conclusion of service. I did not speak to either of them personally, but they were joined by other women from our church at the altar during the invitation. One of them called and left a message for me yesterday, requesting a time to talk. I received the message this morning, and I quickly called her to arrange a time.

She came to the office a little after 10 am today, excited and emotional. You should know that she came to us from a Church of Christ, where she was taught that baptism was essential to salvation and that many of the practices of other denominations were unbiblical because they were not done in the same way that the early church did them. She had accepted our views cautiously when she joined our church just before being married a couple of years ago, but she was never totally convinced that we do things the right way.

She shared with me this morning that, in the last few weeks, she had really been fighting to defend her points of view. She had made lists of verses, had argued with friends and family, and had really struggled with finding solid answers. At times, she confessed, she was downright angry with them.

In the midst of that, she said, she was struggling with uncertainty about her own conversion experience. She joined the church at age nine and was baptized. She was faithful to church and settled in her beliefs, but she was challenged by the experiences of others, particularly those who had a dramatic conversion experience or a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit. In time, this challenge led her to doubt her own conversion.

On Sunday, she said that she was overwhelmed with the burden of her doubts and her search for answers. She wept so hard during the sermon that the pew where she was sitting was shaking. Even in her time of prayer during the invitation, she said the only words she could say were "God, help me!" She told me, "Everything that you preached about God bringing us to brokenness and repentance was happening to me. I was just so sad."

After the service, as she got in the car with her husband to go home, the truth hit her. She came to the realization that her salvation was not hers to earn. It was accomplished by Christ on the cross. All that she could do was receive what he had already done. She realized that it wasn't her job to answer all the questions about beliefs and practice, but instead to trust Christ and allow him to teach her the answers. She admitted that she had tried to maintain control of everything, and God's desire was for her to let go of it all and trust him. Her sadness was replaced with an overwhelming, unspeakable joy. Her husband could see the change in her right away, and he told her about it.

She called me because she wanted to understand what was happening. She didn't know if it was a conversion experience or something else.

Now, good reader, consider my answer and advise:

I told her that, based on her testimony, I believed that she had experienced an in-filling of the Holy Spirit. Now I am not a second blessing advocate, but I also do not believe that every person has a cookie-cutter salvation experience. Her profession as a child was sincere, I believe, and this divine encounter on Sunday was a powerful manifestation of the Divine Comforter at work in her life.

Further, I believe that this is a mark of the beginning of revival, and I have asked her to pray and share her experience on this coming Sunday morning. I anticipate God's work in a special way on Sunday, July 22. If you believe in intercession and agree with me, please lift her to the Father, too.

Ever since God called me to serve him, I have longed to see a mighty move of God in our generation. I studied the revivals and awakenings in history, particularly the Asbury (1970) and Brownwood (1995) revivals of recent times. I have read the works of Jonathan Edwards. My heart cries out to God with the psalmist, "Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you?" (Psalm 85:6).

I believe that it IS beginning.

The Value of Humility

2007-06-26T22:09:00.000-04:00

Being at seminary this week is a refresher course in humility, for a variety of reasons.

1. I am humbled because the guys here with me are all "called" men. There's no pecking order in God's eyes. We all have that moment when the Almighty said, "I want you." I think we sometimes get on a kick back home. You know, "I'm 'God's man' here at Fairview. What does she/he know?" It's humbling to be in the company of God's servants.

2. I am humbled by the sincerity of my professors. These men are so unassuming and Christ-like. Any person who says that seminary professors are out of touch with the real world needs to come and sit in on our seminar. It's just not true.

3. I am humbled by the love and respect of my cohort. The faculty encouraged us to bond with each other last year at our first seminar, and we took them seriously. I am saddened by the thought that we only have one more seminar together after this week.

4. I am humbled by the atmosphere of seminary. I have such a tendency to be on the offensive that it's disarming to meet so many people who serve Jesus, no matter what they're doing. It has taught me to be a little kinder.

5. I am humbled by the realization that I am not as important as I like to think I am. I believe that God has a sense of humor, and I think that he chuckles to himself when I strut around and try to act important. But he also wraps his arms around me when I make a fool of myself (which is often), and there are no words I could type here to describe that.

6. I am humbled by my own shortsightedness and lack of insight. I'm not going to be commenting or posting in the blogosphere as much from now on, because there are plenty of folks who do a much better job at that. Dad always said, "Better to keep your mouth shut and let people question your intelligence than open it and remove all doubt." Thanks, Dad. Lesson learned.

I'm looking forward to going home in a few days. I REALLY miss my family.

While at School . . .

2007-06-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

Trevin Wax and I finally met this morning during a break in our classes. What a gracious brother! We chatted for a while about various things for a few minutes and then returned to class. I encourage you to make a habit of reading Trevin's blog. His book reviews are always good, and his posts reflect a spiritual commitment I think we can all appreciate.

My cohort and I are in the middle of our Project Methdology Seminar. Our goal is to have the first chapter of our Doctor of Ministry projects completed before we leave Louisville next week. Our professor is Dr. John Dever, and the discussion is very helpful. We have enjoyed the class, but I believe that we have enjoyed getting together again more than anything.

Nine of us started the program last summer. One withdrew last semester, but the rest of us are committed to finishing. We come from churches in Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, and (my home state) North Carolina. Our congregations are a mixture of traditional, blended, and contemporary in worship style. One of us has elders, but the rest of us have deacons. Some of us came to ministry by way of a secular vocation, and some of us have been in ministry all our adult lives. The oldest is fifty, and the youngest is twenty-eight. We were told when we arrived last summer to get to know each other, and I believe we have done that well. I count these brothers as good friends.

This post is just my way of thanking and praising God for this day and for the privilege of being here. I don't want to take this blessing for granted.

Soli Deo Gloria!

School Time, AGAIN!

2007-06-18T13:14:00.001-04:00

It's time to pack up my books and head to Louisville, KY for my third doctoral seminar in the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary. This seminar deals with Historical Issues in Evangelism and Church Growth. I've written a biographical sketch on Dwight Moody, read works by Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, and Charles Haddon Spurgeon; and written a few other short papers. I'm a little proud to report that my reading for school has totalled 3,300 pages this semester. The next day or so will find me tying up loose ends and loving on my wife and children.

To all my brothers who have not continued their education, let me be the first to tell you how much I have enjoyed this work. I am a better pastor for having started this degree. Fairview church is better off for the training I am receiving in this program. My family has grown spiritually during my time at school. God has become more real to me during this time of training.

I say all of this to invite you to consider going back to school. It's not about having another degree after your name. Honestly, I would rather be just "Andy" than "Dr. Atkins." After all, the other "Dr. Atkins" seems like a quack to me. Education is about sharpening our skills and expanding our points of view. Who knows what I'll do after this program is over. I just want to keep learning and growing.

I'm not going to try to post next week. I'm going to fellowship with my cohort, relax, and, of course, enjoy the seminar. And if I've piqued your interest, check out the professional doctoral programs at Southern. I've been to Southeastern, too. Both schools are top-notch.

Blessings on you, gentle reader.

- Andy Atkins