The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

This Blog Has Moved

2011-01-25T14:37:00.010-06:00

To continue following this blog, please update your Bookmark and RSS feed to: http://www.JeffCraw4d.wordpress.com.

You can always access the latest blog posts via: www.JeffCrawford.me

Thanks for reading!

Why We Don't Invite

2011-01-24T16:00:00.001-06:00

Tonight, our president will deliver his State of the Union Address. The Constitution of the United States mandates such an address in Article 2, Section 3:

“He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

A few weeks ago I delivered my annual State of the Church Address here at Grand. This is something I have done each year in my role as the lead pastor. The goal is very similar to the State of the Union Address to our nation, to provide information on how our church is doing and to make recommendations that I see as necessary and expedient for the future growth and health of the church.

This year at Grand we are focusing with laser-like intensity on developing a culture of “invite” among our friends and family, our co-workers and colleagues. We are calling this emphasis for 2011, My Jerusalem. Jesus said we should be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. We do a pretty good job with the national and global emphases at Grand but we can do better with the local emphasis, our Jerusalem.

In this vain, I wanted to get our people think about why “we” don’t invite others to church. By the way, I don’t think this is an issue isolated to my church, I think many, many churches fail when it comes to “invite.” There will be hundreds of churches that die this year in our country. There may be many reasons for their deaths but I can promise you that somewhere buried in the list will be a failure to invite.

Here is the list of reasons why we don’t invite:

1. Because that is what we pay the staff to do.

2. Because my church is embarrassing. This is the idea that I like my church for me but I don’t think my friends would like it.

3. Because we don’t care (apathy). If people go to hell. If people are blessed by God.

4. Because we are selfish. We don’t want new people because they will “mess” my church up.

5. Because we are afraid they will say “no.” The coward’s answer.

6. “I don’t want to go. So why would I invite anyone else?”

7. Because we just don’t think about it. We ASSUME the church will just grow.

What are others reasons that you can think of for why we don’t invite?

Evaluation Time

2011-01-15T14:35:00.005-06:00

The New Year is just over two weeks old. So how are you doing with your "resolutions?" So much of knowing where to go is tied into knowing where you have been. The Bible provides a wealth of principles to guide us in evaluating our lives and setting new directions for our future. With that in mind let me share with you just four of these principles that I recently shared with a group of men in our church.

Biblical Life Evaluation

1. Measure the times.

1 Chronicles 12:32 (ESV)

Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.

2. Measure your friends.

Proverbs 19:20 (ESV)

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

3. Measure the cost.

Luke 14:28–29 (ESV)

²⁸ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,

4. Measure your devotion.

Jeremiah 17:7–8 (ESV)

⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

I would note that principle 4, Measure Your Devotion, is the heart of the matter. Do you trust in God? About everything? All the time? The picture is of a person who is like a lush growing tree. When the heat of summer comes and everything turns brown, this person remains green. I promise that at some point in 2011 you will feel the heat. And you'll either wither or thrive and it will all be based on your devotion to God. And here's the cool part. When you bear fruit, you're not the only one that benefits. Fruit is for the enjoyment of others. When you trust in God, others will be blessed because of you. Your spouse will thrive, your kids will be blessed. See how it works?

So two plus weeks in to 2011, it's not too late to plant yourself next to the River.

The "Gus Bus"

2011-01-11T10:22:00.004-06:00

I first met Gus Malzahn in the fall of 1996. He was in his second year as the head football coach of Shiloh Christian School and I had just joined the staff as the school’s Campus Pastor and head Bible teacher. Gus and I are both from Fort Smith but he’s a few years older than I am and we didn’t really run in the same circles growing up. He did, however, go on to marry Kristi Otwell who was in my youth group and who I did run around with, so there was an informal connection, although distant. Kristi’s parents, and Gus’ in-laws, are in my church today and so I am able to keep up with all things Gus on a pretty close level.

Gus and I became good friends over the course of the next three years. Being around Gus as a colleague on a day-to-day basis, I can say that I got to know the man better than most. In short, Gus is a devout believer in Christ and a consummate professional. If you know anything about Christian school education you know that the pay is not the greatest (compared to the public system) and everyone on staff ends up doing a host of other things besides what they were “hired” to do. In addition to coaching Shiloh to state runner-ups and then to back-to-back championships, he also served as the school’s Dean of Students. That means he was in charge of discipline. Not exactly the most “fun” job on the planet for sure, dealing with dress code violation, truancy, disrespect to teachers, etc. Gus was also the number one cafeteria monitor. Each and every day, he would stand watch, making sure food fights didn’t break out, seeing that kids threw their trash away etc. And…Gus was also the transportation coordinator for the school. He made sure buses were gassed up and ready to go. He coordinated travel plans for students and teachers grades K -12.

Most people know Gus as a coach. I know Gus as a professional. In everything he does, he does it with precision, expertise, class, and godliness.

Gus Malzahn is a man who loves the Lord, prays and seeks God’s wisdom, and is unashamed of his faith with his players and media alike. He is a rare breed today. You could even say he is unique.

So I watched with great pride and joy last night as the Gus Bus rode all the way to a National Championship. Congratulations Gus (and Kristi), you deserve it!

I also had the distinct feeling that this may only be the first stop on the “Bus” tour.

New Logo

2011-01-10T11:11:00.004-06:00

We rolled out a new logo for Grand yesterday, all part of a rebranding of our church graphically. We will use the new logo on everything – letterhead, hoodies, website, coffee mugs, mouse pads, posters, etc. I’m even considering getting the new logo tattooed on my chest. As we had our discussions about what the new logo for our church should look like we soon discovered that it would be no easy task. In fact, something so simple as a logo is really hard to decide upon. There’s just a lot to consider. And when you talk about church logos the stakes it seems are even higher. Scott Ward, our mission and media pastor, ran across a church logo guide from StuffChristiansLike.net that was a huge help to us all. I wanted to share it with you here for your own edification.

Stuff Christians Like Church Logo Holiness Guide:

1. You have a sun rising over a horizon, possibly spreading light through the “O” in the name of your church = + 3 points

2. A dove is flying gracefully through your logo = +1 point

3. A dove is flying gracefully through your logo with an olive branch in its mouth = +2 points

4. A dove is flying gracefully through your logo with an olive branch in its mouth and a “Jesus loves you” tattoo on one of its wings = +3 points

5. A swirl of flame is erupting somewhere on your logo = +1 point

6. There is an open Bible in your logo = +1 point

7. There is an open Bible in your logo and in tiny print you can actually see the words to John 3:16 on the page. = +2 points

8. A lion and a lamb are hanging out together on your logo = +1 point

9. A lion and a lamb are playing Frisbee golf together on your logo = +2 points

10. Crown of thorns = +2 points

11. Bedazzled crown befitting the King of Kings = +2 points

12. A worship eagle is high fiving a dove mid air = +5 points

13. There is a cluster of grapes or collection of wheat = +3 points

14. There is a chalice on the logo = +1 point

15. The chalice is encrusted with bling better suited to lil Jon, not Sweet Baby Jesus = – 3 points

16. A big blue globe is floating somewhere in the background = +1 point

17. The scene were Elisha calls the bears down on some teenagers is somehow worked into your logo = +10 points

18. Ichthus or Jesus Fish is present = + 2 points for each

19. Instead of the letter A, you used an Icthus that kind of looks like it is walking on its tail in your church name = +3 points

So how do you think we scored with our new logo? What about your church’s logo?

2011 - The Undiscovered Country

2011-01-02T14:18:00.003-06:00

I’m a Star Trek fan, have been ever since I was a kid. I loved the original series, the Next Generation, all the movies, etc. The sixth Star Trek feature film was called The Undiscovered Country. It was an intriguing title. We find out toward the end of the film, in a heart wrenching speech given by Captain Kirk, that the Undiscovered Country is the future. Many people don’t like the future, it scares them. Others embrace the future and the change it promises as an adventurer setting sail for, well…an undiscovered country.

In many ways, 2011 is an undiscovered country. I have no idea what the next 12 months will bring. There are certain things I am looking forward to and certain things I am not. My wife and I are planning on attending another NASCAR race in the spring and maybe an NFL game in the fall. We are making family vacation plans for the summer because we need to get things booked. My two teenagers are going on mission to the metroplex over Spring Break and I am excited for them. And our church is just five months away from a major renovation of our worship center. I am so excited about all of these things.

But then there are the things I am not looking forward to in 2011. I am not looking forward to the radiation and chemotherapy that my dad will begin tomorrow for his cancer. 2011 will be the biggest challenge of his life and none of us know for sure how things will ultimately go. I am not looking forward to my kids getting older and a year closer to leaving home. There are so many things that are uncertain as I look at the undiscovered country called 2011, but I am certain of two things: 1) there will be surprises, and 2) God is in control.

Surprises equal the joys, sorrows, fears, laughs, pain, and spice of life. God equals hope, comfort, and salvation in all circumstances. I rest knowing that God is out in front of me. He has arrived in the undiscovered country before I have even left the harbor…

So with that knowledge, I am ready to set sail. How about you?

Last Minute Christmas Shopping Ideas: My Favorite Bible Study Tools

2010-12-19T16:46:00.012-06:00

If your looking for some last minute Christmas gifts for yourself, a friend, or even your pastor, consider this short list of my own favorite Bible study tools. There’s nothing like giving the gift of a better understanding of God’s Word, especially with the New Year upon us!

1. Favorite Study Bible: A tie between the HCSB Study Bible and ESV Study Bible. Both are excellent and comprehensive tools. One stop shopping for the serious Bible student.

2. Favorite Bible Software: Logos 4 for Mac. This more than anything has revolutionized my own Bible study the past 6 months. There is a PC version as well. SO glad I found Logos!

3. Favorite Bible Encyclopedia: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. The four volume ISBE is beyond compare to any other Bible study tool.

4. Favorite Commentary: The New American Commentary. Still not complete, this commentary set is great for both laypeople and scholars.

5. Favorite Theology Text: Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson. This is the standard in seminary. What once was the bane of my existence is now one of my best friends.

6. Favorite Bible Overview: Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the OT / NT. You cannot beat anything written by Wiersbe.

7. Favorite Concordance: The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. This is a staple for every Bible study student.

8. Favorite Miscellaneous Bible Aide: Everyone in the Bible by William P. Barker. I cannot count the number of times I have turned to this quick reference for bio information on anybody and everybody listed in the Bible.

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!

When Sacred Meet Secular

2010-12-15T16:30:00.003-06:00

On November 17th, I posted to this blog a video of a secular opera company in Philadelphia singing the Hallelujah Chorus in Macy's. The event, which caught shoppers off guard, was dubbed A Random Act of Culture. I was more interested in the event as an example of what can happen when the sacred invades the secular. I also suggested that this is the kind of stuff the church ought to be involved in, not just secular organizations.

Well, I have run across another example of sacred meeting secular, and once again outside the influence of the church. This is a video of comedian Steve Harvey performing before a huge secular audience. He is not a preacher and this is not a church. But if you close your eyes you would never know it.

Enjoy... and once again, the church is challenged...

The Real Rambo

2010-12-12T15:49:00.002-06:00

My brother, who is a local social studies teacher, sent me this clip last week. Apparently the Real Rambo was from Alabama. Thank God for Robert Howard and those others cut from this same cloth.

Foul

2010-12-05T21:29:00.003-06:00

Check out this story of a high school football player flagged for pointing to heaven after scoring a touchdown. No doubt we've come a LONG way in our country from the days of pre-game prayers.

What do you think? Did this student athlete deserve the flag for calling attention to himself (or to God)?

The Problem with Benevolence

2010-11-28T20:18:00.004-06:00

Each year our church sponsors a major community benevolence event called Thanksgiving Blessings. Our goal is to give away 1,200 full bird turkey dinners, enough food to feed 5,000 people. Sort of biblical in its connotation, if you know what I mean…. The good people of Grand Avenue Baptist Church donate the money to sponsor these dinners. It costs $25 to sponsor one dinner. Do the math and that’s a giving goal of $30,000 and each year we have met that goal without a problem. Grand is a giving church. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, our guests show up for one of two celebration services where I clearly present the gospel, which this is the real goal of the event. We want to earn the right to speak to our neighbors about the gospel of Jesus. We want to use a human need to open the door to meeting their spiritual need, there need for Jesus.

Thanksgiving Blessings is one of the greatest evangelistic events of the calendar year. I absolutely love it. People are so grateful and are not afraid to let you know it. The two celebration services are full of energy and life that I can only wish we had on a Sunday morning. And there is nothing like watching people give their life to Jesus. This year 38 people accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord and 11 of them were baptized.

But Thanksgiving Blessings always creates a problem. While on the one hand the best of humanity is on display, on the other hand so is the worst. This year the following stories made their way back to my ears. In one instance one of our church members helped a family carry their turkey and box of food out to their vehicle…their brand new Hummer. Yep, that’s what I thought too. In another instance, two of our deacons walked several blocks with an elderly woman back to her apartment with her food. When they arrived they set the box and turkey on the kitchen table…along with three other boxes and turkeys, obviously from our early afternoon give away. But the one story that sticks out most to me this year involves a phone call we received Tuesday afternoon after our 1:00 pm service and give-away. A tenant in an apartment complex wanted us to know that one of our guests made it back to their apartment with their food and promptly sold it for $30. I suppose that’s smart business in a way, but then they turned around and used the $30 to buy pot. So did our church just aid in the purchase of drugs? The tenant then told us that this person’s mother was coming to our evening service for her food and had already pre-sold her box for $30. Wow…

This is the kind of stuff that can really taint your opinion of needy people and benevolence in ministry. Jesus told us that we would always have poor people among us (Matt. 26:11, Mark 14:7). That was true in his day and is certainly true in ours. Jesus also took time to meet many, many human needs such as hunger. In one instance Jesus fed 5,000 people (Matt. 14) and in another he fed 4,000 people (Matt. 15). I wonder about those mass feedings. In my way of thinking people are people no matter what time or era they live. I can very easily see people taking fish and loaves and shoving them under their robes and going back for seconds. Can’t you? And is it crazy to think that some didn’t run off to sell their bounty for profit or for something more? Yes, I think that the problems with benevolence have always been with us. In fact all social justice is wrought with examples of abuse. And that is ultimately why Jesus came, not to save us from hunger but to save us from ourselves. Any church that endeavors to simply feed people without presenting the gospel is falling short of why it exists as the Body of Christ in the first place.

We cannot become jaded by the never-ending stories of those who take our charity and use it for profit. We must instead remember the faces and names of those who came for food but left with so much more, they left with Jesus.

Random Act of Culture? Or Something More?

2010-11-17T19:02:00.002-06:00

My worship pastor, Keith Clutts, sent me this video yesterday. I had heard about the Hallelujah Chorus being performed at Macy’s in Philadelphia but had not seen it myself. The event happened on Saturday, October 30^th, and to date over 3 million people have viewed the video on YouTube.

The whole thing was secretly put together by the Knight Foundation in conjunction with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Honestly, this is one of the more amazing displays of the coming together of the secular and the sacred I have ever seen. Just watch the video…you will see hundreds of people join with the incognito choir to sing “Hallelujah!” Total strangers, most of them non-Christians, singing loudly and boldly that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Simply Amazing.

The Knight Foundation called the event a Random Act of Culture. I could not help but think that this is what the Church is called to do. Taking the sacred into the secular. Shaping the culture instead of bending to it. Getting outside the walls of the church building and lifting up Jesus in places that are culturally “off-limits” for Him to go.

In our country today, where attempts are made to push Christ out of Christmas and where we cower to Islamic intimidation and political correctness, to see how this Random Act of Culture was received is moving and should be motivating for us Christians.

This is what we need more of, not Random Acts of Culture, but Intentional Acts of Christianity.

Review: The Twelfth Imam

2010-11-14T16:05:00.003-06:00

I downloaded a copy of Joel C. Rosenberg’s latest thriller onto my Kindle last week and was instantly drawn in. The Twelfth Imam is one of the best books I have read in a long, long time and one that I would highly recommend to the folks in my church. I am not one to recommend books lightly but this newest offering from Rosenberg is exceptional. Rosenberg has a knack for educating while he entertains. His previous works delve into fleshing out biblical prophecy in real world scenarios. This time Rosenberg fleshes out Muslim eschatology within the context of modern day Iran, which really is on the verge of obtaining nuclear power. Prepare yourself because while this book teaches the reader the ins and outs of what Muslims believe regarding the end of the world, Rosenberg does so in a way that feels eerily plausible. Remember this is the guy that gave us The Last Jihad, a book released right after 9/11 but written before it, that describes a radical Muslim flying a plane into the presidential motorcade.

Joel Rosenberg is a Christian whose father was a Jew and whose mother was a Christian. He has friends in “high” places and has enjoyed audiences with members of Congress and the current Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Twelfth Imam. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanksgiving Blessings 2010

2010-11-07T20:21:00.004-06:00

For a fifth year our church is hosting Thanksgiving Blessings, an event that will distribute 1,200 full bird, turkey dinners on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. While benevolence is the heart of Jesus Christ it is also a challenge. You see, Jesus ultimately did not come to feed hungry stomachs but to save empty souls. But during his earthly ministry Jesus did amazing things, acts of benevolence to prove that he was the Christ.

The New Testament also speaks of the compassion of Jesus on those who had little and were suffering. Our goal with Thanksgiving Blessings is to meet a human need in order to earn the right to preach Jesus and meet an eternal need. For five years now Thanksgiving Blessings has been the most significant evangelistic event our church conducts all year long. I also like Thanksgiving Blessings for another reason: it restores human dignity. Coming to ask for help is hard enough as it is. But we felt very strongly that there was something special about enabling people to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner in their own kitchen rather than stand in line for a meal with a bunch of strangers. I am not criticizing soup kitchens, they are the ER of benevolence ministry to those who actually have no family. What we do is a different benevolent touch all together. In a land of plenty we believe everyone ought to have the dignity of cooking their own Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. So that is what we give away, no strings attached. A full bird turkey and a box of everything someone needs to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal: sweet potatoes, corn, bread, dessert, eggs, cranberry sauce, and much more.

It costs $25 for a family in our church to sponsor a Thanksgiving Blessing for another family and our folks embrace the challenge with enthusiasm, many people donating multiple dinners. And then it takes over 300 volunteers on the day of the event to register people, counsel those who accept Christ, baptize them, and distribute food to the whole group. It’s an amazing coming together of humanity in our city. And when it’s all over with, I always feel like I am the one that has been blessed.

As you prepare for your own Thanksgiving traditions, let me encourage you to consider how you can be a blessing to someone else.

The Theology of Big-Eared Bats

2010-11-01T09:27:00.003-05:00

Each day, USAToday highlights a top news event from each of the 50 states in our union. A couple of weeks ago, this was the “top” news event in the State of Arkansas:

Fayetteville – Invenergy told Washington County residents that it must halt development of wind farms because of the presence of the endangered Ozark big-eared bat. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said changes in air compression from the turning of the wind turbine blades can cause the bats’ organs and lungs to implode. There are about 1,700 living Ozark big-eared bats.

When I first read this several things went through my mind:

I laughed. The thought of bats’ internal organs imploding was something that I found humorous and I wondered what sort of tests had been run on the bats to determine that this would, in fact, happen.

I got mad. What is the purpose of having a wind farm in the first place? Isn’t it to “save the planet”? Isn’t this a part of the clean energy initiative to keep the planet pure? But here we have an instance where attempts to save the planet are “killing” another part of creation, the Ozark big-eared bat. So what are we to do now? It seems like all things being equal, Man is the one stuck with the short end of the environmental stick. We can’t create “dirty” fuel because it hurts the planet, and we can’t create clean fuel because it hurts the bats.

I got sad. There is a theology that drives this way of thinking. It is a theology that says that Man is the great evil of the environment. It is a theology that says that animal life and the environment take priority over the life of Man. And this is wrong. Man is God’s highest, most valued form of His Creation. And the Earth, in fact all of Creation, is God’s gift to Man. God even went as far as to declare that Man is to have “dominion” over all of Creation, this includes the animals (Genesis 1:26).

The Bible does not advocate abuse of Creation and if that is what you are hearing me say, then you are wrong. But it also says that given a choice between Man’s well-being and Creation, Man wins. When Creation has dominion Man, our theology suffers and so does human life.

Islam, Juan Williams, and Geert Wilders

2010-10-24T14:10:00.002-05:00

Below is the transcript of a speech that Geert Wilders delivered at the Four Seasons, New York in 2008. Wilders is chairman for the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands. You may have never heard of Geert Wilders, but if you lived in Europe you would definitely know who he is. Wilders is currently on trial for inciting hatred toward Muslims. The lingo in his New York speech is common among the speeches he gives in Europe. And his voice is not tolerated. In fact, it may cost him his freedom.

The reason the Geert Wilders speech and trial caught my attention last week, was due to the firing of Juan Williams from NPR. Williams was fired for comments made on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News Channel show, The O’Reilly Factor. Williams said that he “get’s nervous” when getting on planes with Muslims in full garb.

It appears that in America we are inching ever closer to the day when critical comments towards Islam will do more than lead to the loss of one’s job but perhaps the loss of one’s freedom. Of course, I am ever amazed that it is always politically correct to bash, make fun of, denigrate, profane, etc. Jesus and Christianity.

Excerpts from Geert Wilders speech delivered in New York on September 25^th, 2008:

Dear friends,  Thank you very much for inviting me. I come to America with a mission.  All is not well in the old world.    There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic.    We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.  First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem.  The Europe you know is changing.  You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.  All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.  There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe. With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.  Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam, Marseille and Malmo in Sweden. In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.  In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.  Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.  In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin. The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.  In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the Ramadan.  Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel. I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.  A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.  Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.  The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey.  Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.  Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.  The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.  Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.  Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel. First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.  This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia. Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.  The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel, Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.  Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem...  Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe, American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe’s children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.  

A Brief Commentary on the Problem of Evil and Suffering

2010-10-19T10:13:00.003-05:00

1 Peter 4:12, 16, 19 (ESV)
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

The Problem of Evil and Suffering
The Problem of Evil and suffering has been a thorn in the side of Christianity since the beginning. If God loves us so much and we are His children, then why does He allow us to suffer? If God is sovereign and in control of the universe, why doesn’t He stop evil and the suffering it brings?

Where was God on 9/11?
Why does God not stop the pedophile who rapes a child?
Why doesn’t God heal my husband like He has healed others?
Why does God let a plane crash?

These are the questions that people ask. And they are good questions that deserve good answers.

The Bible is clear that we will suffer. Even Christians. It’s just the way it is.

The Three Types of Suffering
There are three ways in which we all suffer. If you live long enough you will experience all the various ways of suffering. It’s not a question of IF but rather WHEN the suffering will come. How you deal with your suffering is up to you.

Self-Inflicted Suffering - based on the choices you make.
Evil Based Suffering - based on the choices others make.
Natural Suffering - based on the chaos of Creation - tornadoes, etc.

Suffering and the Spiritual Dimension
No one in the whole Bible suffered more than Job. Read Job 1 and you will get a new perspective on what is really going on “behind-the-scenes” when it comes to suffering.

Let me share with you the following six truths from Job 1 regarding spiritual warfare and the role it plays in the problem of evil and suffering.

Satan has access to heaven. Even though Satan has been kicked out of heaven in terms of it being his residence, he still has access.
Satan has access to Earth. It is clear that Satan is free to roam the planet and that he is active in doing this and in meddling in the matters of human life.
God controls what Satan does. Satan has to get permission to go after Job. Don’t miss this. While Satan has an agenda of destruction God also has an agenda for Job.
God will not give you anything you can’t handle. God knew Job’s limits. Those limits were beyond what even Job thought he could handle but God knew Job better than Job knew Job. God knows you and your limits too.
Satan doesn’t care about you, he hates God. You may be the target but you are not the focus. Satan went after Job in order to embarrass God. Of course, Job had no idea regarding this cosmic struggle going on. All he knew was that he was suffering. But there was so much more going on behind the scenes. And there is in your life too.
God is counting on you. God was counting on Job to hang tough. To gut it out. God knew that the season of suffering would pass and God had a blessing waiting on Job. Skip to the end of the book and Job received back twice what he lost. God has a blessing waiting at the end of your storm of suffering too. Remember, God is counting on you!

The HCSB Study Bible

2010-10-10T21:14:00.006-05:00

I’m a Bible nut. I have a collection of Bibles in my office that represents numerous translations. Some of the Bibles are family heirlooms that have been passed down to me. Whenever I travel to another country I always try to obtain a Bible in the native language to add to my collection. Over the years people have given me unique Bibles as well. The collection also includes several copies of various study Bibles.

My love for different kinds of Bibles is one reason I’ve been looking forward to the publication of the Holman Christian Standard Study Bible for quite a while. The HCSB is a fine translation. I would rank it very close to the ESV, which is my preferred study and preaching translation. The HCSB Study Bible was released last week so I swung by our Lifeway Christian Bookstore on Thursday and picked up a copy and have been using it all weekend.

When I first opened the Bible to “break it in” I was “wowed.” The HCSB Study Bible is hands down the most visually beautiful Bible I have ever seen. I am talking about the physical layout of the text along with the smart use of color throughout. Most Bibles are just black with perhaps shades of gray. The HCSB uses full color throughout. There are stunning full color maps and photos, yes photos, liberally woven throughout the text. Light brown and blue are used as complementary colors to the traditional black text. It may sound unusual, but it works. Parchment look-a-like pages are used for the intro pages to each chapter. The in-text notes are very, very good. Included throughout are doctrinal articles, word studies, charts, timelines, and some other goodies I won’t mention. You really have to see this Bible to appreciate it. Holman has figured out how to visually present biblical material so that you naturally absorb the text and commentary. I am impressed.

I have only two criticisms. One, they chose not to include red-letter text for the words of Christ. I don’t understand why, especially considering the use of color everywhere else. Two, (and this is big) they chose to include only a topical concordance instead of an abridged traditional concordance. I view this as a MAJOR mistake. I cannot understand why they would leave this critical feature out.

Overall, this is one of the best study Bibles I have ever seen, and the HCSB translation is a plus as well.

The Bible and Religion in School – 3 Years Later

2010-10-04T15:58:00.002-05:00

A little over three and a half years ago on this blog, a firestorm of sorts erupted when I called the Fort Smith School Board to task for blatantly ignoring the will of the citizens of Fort Smith by voting down the inclusion of a course on Bible as an elective on the high school level. Over 200 people attended the monthly School Board meeting in February of 2007 to voice support for the elective class. To date, nothing has happened to provide such a course for our students in Fort Smith even though one board member that night “promised” to pursuer the issue. I said then that not only is an elective Bible class appropriate for our students BUT that our curriculum ought to also include a course on comparative religions. I made the point that we live in a “religious” world. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, students in our public schools graduate high school each year and step into a multi-religious world of which they are woefully uneducated and thus unprepared.

Last week the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released the results of a U.S. religious literacy survey they conducted on 3,412 adults. Thirty-two questions were asked about the Bible and world religions. The survey revealed that we are a very religiously illiterate nation. The average score on the survey was a 50%. Using the public school grading scale, that is an F.

We are just now beginning to reap the results of a generation who knows little to nothing about the religions of the world. “What does it matter?” one may say. Well, when you consider that radical Muslims are willing to kill Americans in the name of their religion, when Israel is in continual conflict with its neighbors because of religion, when more and more students of other religions live in our neighborhoods and attend our schools, it seems to only make sense that there would be great benefit from learning about what motivates and informs the various religions of the world…no, our community.

We seem to be operating under a false belief that the Constitution prohibits Bible elective classes or comparative religion classes. This notion, I believe, lends itself to a false fear of legal reprisal. What happens if the school system gets sued? Three and a half years ago when the Fort Smith School Board voted down the Bible elective course, fear of a lawsuit, was the number one reason given by the school board’s attorney and Fort Smith’s superintendent (this even though the attorneys for the particular Bible curriculum being proposed had promised to defend pro bono any school system sued because of its curriculum).

By way of education, let me quote the words of the Supreme Court in the infamous Abington v. Schempp case of 1963 that “eliminated” Bible reading from our public schools.

United States Supreme Court - 1963

It might be well said that one's education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its relationship to the advancement of civilization. It certainly may be said that the Bible is worthy of study for its literacy and historic qualities. Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.

School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203,225 (1963)

Let’s insist on the best education for our kids. An education that prepares them for the real world where religions abound and knowledge of such will only help them succeed.

For another opinion regarding teaching religion in school, read Stephen Prothero’s column in USAToday.

Nick Floyd at Grand

2010-09-29T09:46:00.004-05:00

I am so excited that Dr. Nick Floyd will be preaching at Grand this coming Sunday morning. Nick is the son of Dr. Ronnie Floyd and he currently serves with his father as assistant pastor and teaching assistant at Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas. Nick is married to his beautiful wife, Meredith, and they have two wonderful children, Reese (2) and Beckham (newborn). They are also in the process of adopting two children from Ethiopia. Nick is a former student of mine back from my teaching days at Shiloh Christian School. It has been a pleasure to watch Nick grow and mature in Christ and to accept his call to ministry. He has worked hard and excelled in his preparation for ministry earning a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, all by the age of 26! Nick is truly one of the great young communicators of God’s Word in our country. His most recent endeavor is the launching of a new church campus for Cross Church in the city of Fayetteville where Nick will be the lead teaching and preaching pastor. That church campus is set to go online in January of 2011. You will be hearing a lot about Dr. Nick Floyd in the future but you have the opportunity to hear from him live this Sunday, only at Grand Avenue Baptist Church. Don’t miss church this Sunday and invite a friend to come with you to hear Dr. Nick Floyd.

Family Time

2010-09-27T13:01:00.003-05:00

USAToday had a graphic in their paper a couple of weeks ago that represents a cultural gauge to which the church needs to pay attention. In a survey of over 1000 adults, the question was asked about which day of the week was the best for “family-time.”

Monday – 2%

Tuesday – 1%

Wednesday 2%

Thursday – 1%

Friday – 4%

Saturday – 38%

Sunday – 52%

For families that value “family-time” clearly Sunday is the target day. This has implications, I think, for how churches approach outreach and programming. The church, of all places, should be a place where the family can be together as the family. At the same time, the church needs to be offering spiritual growth and discipleship targeted for the whole family. The church needs to be strong from birth through senior adults. Churches also need to be very careful that they do not “steal” the whole day from families by programming away the entire day. Perhaps this partially explains the massive decline in Sunday night worship attendance…for churches that still endeavor to offer Sunday night church.

Much food for thought here in these numbers…

An Atheist Prepares to Meet God

2010-09-22T09:23:00.005-05:00

Christopher Hitchens has been dubbed one of the “new” atheists along with the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. These three have become the new face of atheism in recent years all authoring various books. Hitchens is most notable for his 2009 work, God is Not Dead: How Religion Poisons Everything.

A year and a half later, Hitchens is preparing to meet the God he does not believe in because his body is poisoned by cancer. The effects of esophageal cancer and chemotherapy have ravaged his body. Weak and frail, Hitchens is still resolute, "'Thanks but no thanks' is the reply to those who want me to convert and recognize a divinity or deity." No death bed conversions here. He has resigned himself to his coming death it seems.

Monday, was informally proclaimed “Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day.” I did. Hitchens, himself, did not. He chose not to participate by bowing his head on the day set aside for him. Nevertheless, he seemed to be genuinely touched by those who did. "I say it's fine by me, I think of it as a nice gesture. And it may well make them feel better, which is a good thing in itself," says Hitchens. This is actually a startling statement from the man who claims in the subtitle of his own book that Religion Poisons Everything. Actually, sin is what has poisoned everything. I think that most people completely miss the level to which sin has altered our existence on this planet. The very presence of a lock on your door, something that we view as “normal”, is evidence of sin’s impact globally. The Bible tells us that the natural world itself has been impacted by our sin. And that means that ultimately sin is behind the very cancer from which Hitchens is suffering. Oh, I’m not saying that if a person sins they will get cancer. I am talking about something much more foundational, that sin has so disrupted the order of creation that diseases like cancer are now among us when, in a sinless world, a world that God intended for us, there would be no sin. This is the world, a sinless world, that God promises for those who trust in Christ. We Christians call this eternal life. The concept of eternity is something that Christopher Hitchens is also about to become intimately acquainted with as well. Not only will he be convinced that there is a God, but he will have an eternity to contemplate his separation from that God. I do not revel in this nor wish it upon Hitchens. And as long as he breathes it is still not too late for him. But the clock is ticking and time is running out.

The Power of Thank You

2010-09-20T09:33:00.001-05:00

One of our staff pastors, Steve Moore, caught me last week and shared the story of a GPS home visit that was made by one of our members to a lady who had visited our church. This lady had come to our church for the first time and ended up in one of our senior adult Bible study classes. When the home visiting team went to her house she was so excited to see them and told them how welcome our church made her feel. People took time to shake her hand, introduce themselves and ask her what her name was. And then just a day or two later, she received a card in the mail from this class just saying “Thank You” for coming to visit our church. This lady could not believe the sentiment. She lives in a small home and her television is broken. But she took the Thank You note and placed it on top of her TV so that she can see it every time she sits on the sofa. She said it makes her feel happy and special.

The power of Thank You and the power of Small Group. Churches always have a goal of growth, we want to get bigger because that means more people are coming to know Christ and growing as disciples. But the larger a church becomes the smaller it must become as well. Small groups are where the action really takes place in a church. It’s where friendships are made, it’s where people don’t just hear that they are special but where they experience it.

If you’re not in a church, find one. If you have a church family, but are not connected to a small group of some kind, find one. And no matter where you are on your journey towards or with Christ, remember the importance of gratitude and the power of a simple Thank You.

Aaron Rodgers Versus Aaron Rodgers

2010-09-15T08:27:00.002-05:00

Will the real Aaron Rodgers please stand up?? Okay, this is just too good to not pass on. I am not sure if it fits into the category of good, bad, or ugly, but it is definitely funny.

Our student pastor at Grand is Aaron Rodgers. NOT to be confused with the other Aaron Rodgers, who is the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. But apparently it is confusing for many people. Our Aaron Rodgers (the student pastor) is an active user of Twitter. His Twitter name is @AaronRodgers. Since his name is spelled exactly the same as the other Aaron Rodgers (the Green Bay Packers football player), our Aaron (the student pastor) gets some pretty interesting @ replies from people who think he is the football Aaron Rodgers. Sundays during the Packers games are the most interesting times as people think they are Tweeting to the football Aaron Rodgers but they are really sending their Tweets to the student pastor Aaron Rodgers. Here is a censored sample. Needless to say we had a great time with all this in our staff meeting this week.

#AaronRodgers is gonna be my babydaddy

#$&^*@! Aaron Rodgers can SO hit it. :-X #AaronRodgers @AaronRodgers

#MikeVick can %^&**#! #AaronRodgers all the way baby!!!

@AaronRodgers is fast becoming a football god!

Fantasy draft is done. Time to bring it @aaronrodgers mama needs a new purse

hahaha @Aaronrodgers has a twitter account!!!! and its approved!!!!! following- check

I knew the time would come when we had to lose our QB..I'm just so friggen happy he was replaced with @aaronrodgers

@AaronRodgers Your swag rating on Madden is 83, 5th highest on the team. Thoughts?

Atonement, Jesus, and You

2010-09-12T20:23:00.004-05:00

1 Peter 1:18 (ESV)
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

The doctrine of atonement is crucial to Christian theology. It marks a shift from previous doctrines such as the doctrine of the Trinity, Christ, sin, etc. These doctrines involve knowledge about God. But the doctrine of atonement speaks to what God does. Specifically, what He does for you. So the doctrine of atonement is intensely personal.

When we talk about the Atonement of Christ we are talking about what exactly took place when Jesus hung on the cross and what it means for you. Obviously MUCH more was going on than simply a man being executed.

Theories of Atonement

The Ransom Theory of Atonement. 1 Peter 1:18 speaks about you and I being ransomed by Christ. This theory explains that sin has held us all captive. We are slaves. We are hostages. The wages of our sin is death. The ransom note requires blood. Jesus Christ came and he paid the ransom so that you and I can be set free.
The Socinian Theory: Atonement as Example. This theory came from Faustus and Laelius Socinus in the 16th century. This theory explains that the death of Jesus serves as an “example” of the way we should live our lives, as unselfish, willing to give of ourselves for others. This theory is wrought with numerous theological flaws. It denies that sin needs to be dealt with. It denies that God is a God of justice. It denies that Jesus is anything other than human. In short, it reduces the death of Jesus to an example of mere inspiration for the rest of us.
The Moral Influence Theory of Atonement. First put forth by Peter Abelard in response to Anselm (who viewed our sin as an offense against God), this theory focuses on the death of Jesus on the cross as a supreme act of love. God loved us so much, He was willing to die for us via His son Jesus. This theory focuses on the divinity of Christ, however, it denies that God requires satisfaction for sin. Instead, the atonement of Christ is once again an example. We should love one another because God has loved us in such an extreme way.
The Governmental Theory of Atonement. This theory came about as a response to the Socinians. It was believed that their view was too human-centered. Heavily supported by Hugo Grotius, a lawyer and pastor, this theory focuses on the order and justice of God. God must have satisfaction for the offense to Him and His creation. Thus Christ died in our place to preserve and protect the integrity of God’s character.
The Satisfaction Theory of Atonement. This theory came about as response to the ransom theory. It was believed by some that the atonement was not about paying some debt to Satan who holds us captive. In this way it was seen that Satan somehow “wins” just as a kidnapper would benefit should his ransom demand be met. The Satisfaction Theory, instead, focuses on the satisfaction that God requires in order for Him to forgive sin and let us enter into His holy presence and heaven. This theory strikes a balance between God’s requirements and Man’s helpless condition.
Penal Substitution Theory of Atonement. This theory attempts to define the death of Jesus on the cross as involving: sacrifice, propitiation, substitution, and reconciliation to God. Sin brings with it a penalty. Death. Jesus has stepped in as our substitute. God is satisfied, we are forgiven, death is defeated, and relationship to God is restored.

Does it matter?

Does your doctrine of atonement matter? Yes! Recently, our worship pastor ran across a great new worship song called, Jesus Dropped the Charges. Man, it is a fun, exciting and kickin’ worship song. Perfect for our church. But it has one major problem. It is theologically wrong. It pushes a theory of atonement that Jesus dropped the charges that had been filed against us by God. But that is NOT what happened when Jesus died on the cross. He didn’t drop the charges, he PAID the penalty for the guilty verdict that came from the charges. And yes, there is a big difference, and yes theology matters.

Why I Am Not A Committed Christian

2010-09-08T09:37:00.008-05:00

One of my staff pastors forwarded me an online article by Bob Butler writing for Discipleship Journal. The title was Why I am Not a Committed Christian. Butler recalls a meeting between the late Adrian Rogers (the great former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church) and Josef Tson. Dr.Tson is a former Romanian pastor who endured years of persecution and exile under a Communist regime. He went on to become the President of the Romanian Missionary Society. In their meeting, Dr. Rogers asked Dr. Tson what was his impression of American Christianity. His response was both telling and convicting. As I read Butler’s retelling of Tson’s response, I thought, “YES, that’s it. He nailed it.” Tson was so on target I wanted to share his words again here on this blog.

Said Josef Tson on American Christianity, “Well, Adrian, since you have asked me, I’ll tell you. The key word in American Christianity is commitment.”

Tson believed that the word commitment was an inferior concept compared to an earlier Christian teaching of another concept, surrender.

Continued Tson, “When you make a commitment, you are still in control, no matter how noble the thing you commit to. One can commit to pray, to study the Bible, to give his money, or to commit to automobile payments, or to lose weight. Whatever he chooses to do, he commits to. But surrender is different. If someone holds a gun and asks you to lift your hands in the air as a token of surrender, you don’t tell that person what you are committed to. You simply surrender and do as you are told. . . . Americans love commitment because they are still in control. But the key word is surrender. We are to be slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And that is what separates Christianity from all other religions. Consider that the word Islam literally means “submission to Allah.” A Muslim is one who adheres to Islam, or in other words, one who submits to Allah. In America, where the term Christian has lost virtually all meaning in terms of orthodox theology and praxology, we need something more. We need a qualifier. And a great option, I think, is the word surrender. The Bible calls for something that goes further than commitment or even submission, it calls for surrender, surrender to Jesus. Why stop at being a committed Christian when you can be a surrendered Christian?

In Defense of the Faith

2010-09-06T12:20:00.008-05:00

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Peter makes a strong statement for the need for strong apologetics in the church and in the life of the Christian. Apologetics is the art of defending the faith against those who question and attack it. The word apologetics comes from the word apology. This can be somewhat confusing because we should never have to apologize for our faith in the popular sense of the word. Instead, think of the word apology, as used in apologetics, to mean “an explanation.” Isn’t that what we do when we apologize to someone? Don’t we try to offer an explanation for our behavior? In the same way, Christian apologetics seeks to offer a reasonable explanation for our belief in God and Christ and the Bible.

Apologetics

Apologetics has been a love of mine going back to my teenage years. I grew up around all things church. In fact, there has never been a time in my life when I was not associated with God’s people. But as I moved through my teenage years I began to ask a lot of questions. No one wants to be fooled and I didn’t want to believe everything I’d always been taught just because it was “passed down” to me. I think most people go through a phase like this. So I began to ask questions and seek out the answers. I did not know it at the time but I was embarking upon an apologetic journey. I was looking for answers as to why I believed what I believed. In the end I came back to where I had started, but the difference was that I became convinced because I had sought the answers out for myself.

A famous preacher once said, “There comes a time in a man’s life when his religion must become his own.” This is the journey of apologetics.

So much of what we do in church is communicate content. We focus on the “what” of faith and belief. Too little do we concentrate on the “why.” But Peter is clear, we must be ready at all times to give a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for why we believe what we believe.

People today are asking a lot of great questions

• Did Jesus really die and come back to life? Why would you believe such an outrageous thing?

• Why do you trust the Bible? There are so many religious books out there. What makes the Bible better than the Koran?

• How do you know there is an afterlife?

• Do you really believe Jesus is the only way to heaven? How can so many other people be wrong?

• What kind of God would send the majority of people to hell?

• Do you really believe Jesus was born of a virgin?

Excellent Answers

These are all excellent questions. And they deserve excellent answers. Are you ready to give those answers? This is the call of apologetics, the call to be ready to give an answer. Apologetics will begin with you becoming a student. You have to know what you believe about all of these things. And you have to know why you believe it. You also will need to have a basic understanding of what others believe so that you can speak with confidence to the superior belief system that we call Christianity. I think too many Christians live in fear of stepping out there into the world of apologetics. What if someone asks me a question that I can’t answer? What if I end up looking silly? Listen, do not allow yourself to be ruled by fear. Christianity is a reasonable faith. The Truth is on our side. And when we encounter others they may not always be looking for an answer, they may be looking to just pick a fight. You must be discerning here. Don’t ever be drawn into a war of words. As Peter says, always give your answer with “gentleness and respect.” As Christians, we should never be rude or ugly or disrespectful to anyone who may engage us about our faith.

Consider this list of excellent apologetic resources that every Christian should have in their library.

Apologetic Resources

A Ready Defense by Josh McDowell

The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell

More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel

The Concise Guide to Today’s Religions and Spirituality by James Walker

The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics by Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner

Watchman Fellowship website: www.watchman.org

Hell on Earth

2010-08-30T09:42:00.002-05:00

My heart has been wrenched by the stories and video images of the 33 trapped Chilean miners. Seventeen days after their August 5^th mine collapsed sealing the men 2300+ feet under the earth, the jubilant news reached families waiting for word that contact had been made and that the men were alive. But then the reality of the rescue effort began to set in. As if 17 days were not enough to be trapped beneath the earth, the word is that it may take another four months, until Christmas, to free the men.

Can you imagine being trapped underground for 4+ months in darkness? And it gets worse. The temperatures reach 95 degrees with a humidity level as high as 85%. There is no toilet and only one cot. Threat of further collapse is possible and the only truly secure place is a fortified room the size of a living room in a home…for 33 men. If there was ever a picture of hell on earth, this must be it.

Efforts have begun in earnest to keep the men sane. The eyes of their country and the world are upon them. Our hearts go out to them. As you are sitting reading this in comfort, they are sweating, and hungry, and bored, and scared, and tired, and lonely…they are in hell.

But it’s not hell. Hell is actually much worse. I cannot escape the desperation of the Chilean government as they use every resource available to comfort these men as they work to free them. They are even consulting with the likes of NASA regarding survival in isolation. And all of this is as it should be. The hell on earth these men are enduring is real and it is awful.

But my greater concern is that too many Christians, way too many of us, ignore the reality of a hell that is much worse than anything these men are enduring. The temperatures are higher, the sanitary conditions are infinitely worse. There is no access to food or water. There is no cot to sleep on. The isolation is suffocating. There is no relief. And this condition of existence is not for four months or four years or even four centuries…but for eternity. And while people around us are drilling their way toward entrapment in this forever hell, too many of us do not seem to care. And we use our resources more on making our personal temporal life on earth more comfortable rather than on efforts to rescue those that are doomed.

So as you follow this story about these men. Say a prayer for them. And then consider your neighbor, or the lady at Walmart, or the person that sits in class with you. And say a prayer for them as well…or maybe do something more.

High School Wrestling and Football: Christianity versus Islam in Michgan

2010-08-23T10:17:00.004-05:00

Last year I posted a blog about Gerald Marszalek, the 35 year veteran wrestling coach of Fordson High School, in Dearborn, Michigan, who was fired by his Muslim principal over a religious intolerance issue. Marszalek is a Christian and one of his volunteer coaches was a Christian. During the summer at a private wresting camp, this volunteer coach led a Muslim student to Christ. The Muslim principal told Coach Marszalek to ban this volunteer coach from his wrestling program. But this was impossible (as well as unlawful in a public school) because the volunteer coach’s son was a star on the wrestling team. So the Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame coach was fired.

This “old” story took on new significance last week when Fordson High School made pretty much all of the national news media outlets. I first saw the story in USAToday. Why? Because the school made the decision to move all of its football practices to run from 11:00 pm – 4:00 am. And why on earth would they do this? Because it is the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims are required to fast during the daylight hours. Since Dearborn, Michigan is 30% Muslim (which was still a minority number the last time I checked), this public school has chosen to accommodate this particular religion.

I wonder if public schools would consider accommodating Christian sentiments during our holy week leading up to Easter, or if that would be considered unconstitutional and a violation of the separation of church and state. I wouldn’t count on it, but don’t worry, watchdog groups like the ACLU are in Dearborn ready to challenge the new football practice schedule…actually, I’m still looking for that newspaper article. I won’t hold my breath…

Logos for Mac!

2010-08-21T20:01:00.001-05:00

Logos Bible Software is giving away thousands of dollars of prizes to celebrate the launch of Logos Bible Software 4 Mac on October 1. Prizes include an iMac, a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPod Touch, and more than 100 other prizes!

They’re also having a special limited-time sale on their Mac and PC base packages and upgrades. Check it out!

My Friend the Witch Doctor

2010-08-19T10:07:00.014-05:00

When I was a kid,we had an old Looney Tunes Record in our house that I used to absolutely love. It was full of crazy songs like Rubber Duckie, Little Red Riding Hood, Transfusion, My Boomerang Won’t Come Back, etc. One of my favorite songs on the album was Ross Bagdasarian’s, My Friend the Witch Doctor, which he originally recorded in 1958. I never knew for sure if witch doctors were real and I certainly never dreamed I’d actually meet one. But after my latest trip to Tanzania I can say with certainty that not only did I meet a real witch doctor but I even made friends with him.

This is a pic of “my friend the witch doctor.” All kidding aside, our team’s encounter with the witch doctor drove home that even in the midst of God doing amazing things among the Pare people, spiritual warfare is real and tribal superstitions run deep.

I met the witch doctor on a Thursday. We had just finished lunch at the new church in Chome and were waiting for our afternoon worship service and teaching time to begin. Pastor Fanuel and a couple of men from the church got together and said they wanted to “show us something.” “Just there,” is what they said pointing towards a trail. As it turned out, “just there” was over a mile away out into “no-man’s land" from our perspective.

It was cloudy and misting rain as we hiked into the jungle. Clearly we were going somewhere that only the locals knew about. After about 30 minutes, we crested on top of a stunning overlook, a huge table rock to stand on, and a breathtaking view. It was awesome. And then the witch doctor showed up. He lived up there and saw us hiking in. He was extremely friendly and began to point out features of the area. Far down in a valley he pointed to a large rock outcrop where he said was a tribal temple. We asked if we could hike down there and look but he refused us. It was too sacred we were told. Pastor Fanuel explained. Traditional Pare burial called for the following - When someone died, their body would be mummified except for the head. The body would then be placed sitting in a chair and positioned in the person's home. For four days people could come and mourn. At the end of four days, the head would be cut off, the body buried behind the house, and the head would then be placed in this temple. Late at night, people from the village would trek out to the temple and worship their ancestors via the human skulls. I will admit that the whole thing felt very “Indiana Jone-ish.” Although the witch doctor refused to show us this temple, he did agree to show us a smaller “temple” that used to be used in the same way. Our team hiked to this area and we entered to find broken pottery that he said used to contain human skulls (see pics below).

I say that the witch doctor became my friend because he smiled a lot when I was around him and he was eager for me to take his picture. Two days later I ran into the witch doctor again in the village proper and he came to me and wanted me to take another picture of him. As I said, he was very friendly.

Witch doctors, remote mountain temples, and human skulls that are worshipped - it all sounds like a movie, but it is all very real and very serious. This is the tribal religion that permeates the Pare mountains. On Friday morning, as part of our door-to-door visiting efforts, we encountered a home with a demon-possessed girl (see pic below). Pastor Fanuel had spent six hours at the home the night before working to exercise the demon but was unsuccessful. Apparently the demon had been moving from one family member to another. We met a son (a young man really) who had been possessed by the demon previously. The source of the problem appears to have come from the mother of the house who actively practices witchcraft. She unknowingly opened her family to demon possession. They were at a point of desperation and we spoke with them about Jesus and deliverance. They would not allow our team to see the girl that morning because “she was not doing well.” So we prayed for her, and the whole family and moved on.

Spiritual warfare is very real. But Jesus is the Light in a world that is very dark. Please say a prayer today for my friend the witch doctor.

Tanzanian Reflections

2010-08-16T15:10:00.002-05:00

Today I am back in my office for the first time in two weeks. I am still in “recovery mode” from the 44 hour return trip from Tanzania. For some reason I keep waking up at 4:30 in the morning! To say the mission trip was an amazing experience is an understatement. You can backtrack my Twitter posts to get a glimpse of exactly all that God did. I have some specific thoughts as it relates to spiritual warfare that I will be posting later in the week. I witnessed some things first hand that I had only read about until this trip.

The most memorable part of this mission trip was experiencing the whole thing with my son, Garrett. In fact, Garrett turned 16 while we were on our way home. Garrett and I have been spending a lot of time this past year talking about the transition from boyhood to manhood. Every culture has its point where it recognizes manhood. For the Jews it is 13 and the Bar Mitzvah. In our culture today you could argue that 16 is that age. At 16 Garrett will be entering high school, that final push towards graduation and college. At 16 he begins to drive. That means he’s “out there” on the road with all the other adults. That’s a lot of responsibility. At 16 he is becoming engaged politically and looking forward to voting in the next presidential election. At 16 he is finishing up his first summer job earning a real paycheck for the first time in his life. So...this mission trip, where my son turned 16, became somewhat more than just a trip to Africa. I watched as my son shared his faith with total strangers. I watched as he stood in front of a newly planted church and taught them from the biblical narrative. I watched as he ate (without hesitation) all the strange food that was offered to us. I watched my son becoming a man. I don’t think either one of us will ever forget our 12 day trip to Tanzania. And what other 16 year old can say they spent their birthday on three continents?!

I very special moment was a manhood ceremony that our team (of men) held for Garrett. I won’t share the details in this post but perhaps I will in the future. But suffice it to say that it was a special and holy moment for all of us. I am thankful for the men who shared the whole Tanzanian experience with us, Joey Cornell, Scott Ward, Jeff Carnell, and Mike Cauthron. These men are true champions for Christ and it was an honor to serve the King and His Kingdom with them.

Mission Tanzania Update

2010-07-31T11:27:00.003-05:00

For the next two weeks my son and I will be with a team from our church to plant a new church among the Pare people of Tanzania. Last year I had access each evening to a computer and was able to blog about daily events of the mission trip. This year we will be higher up in the Pare Mountains and in a more remote location. Amazingly, Tanzania has pretty good cell service, even when you appear to be in the “middle of nowhere.” So…I am going to attempt to upload real time Twitter updates so that those of you back home can follow our mission trip more closely. Remember that Tanzania is 8 hours ahead of CST here in the U.S.

So check back here and always look to the far right column and you will see the most recent Tweets. Some of them may have (hopefully) pics attached and to view them properly you will need to click the “Follow Me On Twitter” link. Of course this is Africa we are talking about and there is no guarantee this little experiment will work but I will do my best. If nothing posts just keep us in your prayers and we will look forward to being back in the U.S. on August 12.

(Above pic from left to right: Scott Ward, Mike Cauthron, Joey Cornell, Jeff Carnell, Garrett Crawford, Jeff Crawford)

Back to Africa

2010-07-29T09:56:00.007-05:00

On Sunday, after I preach, I will be boarding a plane to head back to Africa - Tanzania to be specific. Last summer I led a team from our church to Tanzania to work a partnership we have with the IMB among an unreached people group known as the Pare. The first ever church among the Pare had been planted two months prior to our visit. Our trip laid the foundation for the planting of a second church. Since then, two more churches have been planted. Our goal is to plant the fifth church on Sunday, August 8^th, AND two more churches are set to be planted by Christmas. Each of these churches is (will be) strategically located in villages throughout the Southern Pare mountains.

It is hard to express in words how tremendously exciting it has been to watch God do all of this in such a small window of time and to actually be a part of it. Our IMB missionary among the Pare, Scott Ward, has moved back to the U.S. since our time with him last year, BUT we have hired him at Grand to be our Missions Pastor. Scott will be taking a team of four with him tomorrow and I will be following the group 48 hours later. This year I am taking my son, Garrett, with us. He will be turning 16 while we are on the mission trip.

So this trip is shaping up to be special on many levels. I had to wait until I was 39 to have an experience like Tanzania and the Lord has opened a door for my son to experience this part of the world at 16. And I can’t even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to this trip just from a Father/Son perspective.

So this is a significant trip on a Kingdom, local church, and personal level.

If you are so inclined, we would appreciate your sincere prayers for logistics (many miles, four planes, and 36+ hours of travel), safety, health, and the work of the Kingdom in planting this church. Also pray for Pastor Fanuel Kiroka, the “Paul” of the Pares who is the one master minding the strategy in the Pare Mountains.

Keith Green - Altar Call (Live)

2010-07-27T20:41:00.000-05:00

Keith Green - The Easter Song

2010-07-26T20:59:00.002-05:00

Keith Green 28|28|28

2010-07-25T20:11:00.007-05:00

I become a Christian in 1984. Shortly after making Jesus the center of my life I was moved to make Jesus music the center of what I listened to on my cassette player:) There weren’t a lot of Christian music choices in 1984 but I quickly found the music of Keith Green and was moved to a deeper level of worship because of his talent and ministry. Keith was way, way, way ahead of the curve in terms of contemporary Christian music in the late 70s and early 80s. Unfortunately, by the time I found Keith Green he was already gone, having died in a plane crash two years earlier with two of his children. Keith’s death was such a tragedy and in some ways amplifies the music he left behind. Even today I listen to my itunes playlist of Keith and am still moved in ways that other music on flirts with. Keith left behind his wife, Melody, and two other children, one of whom was still in the womb at the time of his death. I imagine that perhaps Keith was so utterly good, and pure, and gifted that God wanted him in heaven writing and performing before the throne of the King in person.

On Wednesday a very special musical tribute to Keith’s life, ministry and music will be held via live web cast. July 28, 2010 will mark the 28^th anniversary of Keith Green’s death. He was 28.

If you were born in the 80s or later there is a good chance you’ve never even heard of Keith Green. That is a shame. I encourage you to take time this week to find and listen to some of his music. It will bless you. I will be posting on this blog various musical and video clips.

Lost Christians

2010-07-21T10:50:00.003-05:00

How do you define the word Christian? What words or images pop into your head? In the nation of France 80% of its citizens claim to be Christian. But only 20% acknowledge a belief in God. How can this be? Very simple. The word Christian has become a meaningless term in France to describe someone who truly follows Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior.

I am not so sure that we have not lost the meaning of the term Christian in this country as well. In fact, within “Christian” circles we sub-divide ourselves from one another with additional descriptive language. We use terms like evangelical Christian to differentiate ourselves from mainline Christians. The word Christian by itself, I believe, has become meaningless. John Shelby Spong is a retired liberal Christian theologian and bishop of the Episcopal church (notice my use of the qualifying word “liberal” to go with the word “Christian). Spong, as a bishop within the church does not believe the virgin birth of Christ or his bodily resurrection. In short, Spong may be a “Christian” but he is not going to heaven because he does not believe in the Jesus of the Bible.

I think we may have reached a point where any attempt to recover an accurate definition of the word Christian may be futile. Sure, we may know what and who we are talking about within our evangelical, Bible believing Christian circle of our local church, but the culture applies a completely different meaning to the same word. In truth, the Bible only uses the word Christian two times. That’s right just two times, once in Acts 26 and the other in 1 Peter 4. In the rest of the New Testament other terminology is used to describe those who follow Jesus. And isn’t that really what we are getting at? Don’t we want people to give up following their sin and following their own will and following celebrities and following other desires and instead sell out to following Jesus? I guess what I am saying is that the goal of the church is to not to turn people into Christians but to turn them into followers of Jesus Christ.

I think that most people in America, when asked, will affirm that they are Christians. Even in the midst of Muslim immigration the Judeo-Christian foundation of this country still wins out in the public square (for now). But the problem is that affirming one’s Christianity just does not mean much of anything anymore just like it doesn’t mean anything in France. President Barack Obama has said he is a Christian but it seems very clear that he is not a follower of the biblical Jesus. Therefore we have a president leading our country who is not saved even though he is a Christian. Lest you think I am being partisan, I am not so convinced based on “fruit” that President Bush is a follower of Jesus either even though he calls himself a Christian. Or for that matter that Rush Limbaugh is a follower of Jesus, or that Glenn Beck is a follower of Jesus. You see, anybody can call himself a Christian but that is a long way from following Jesus and turning the Lordship of your life (and eternal life) over to him.

In order for the church to be Great Commission affective in our “Jerusalem” we must understand the culture. And in America we are a nation full of Christians who are lost and still need Jesus.

Book Review: Mission Shift

2010-07-19T16:40:00.003-05:00

I’m back in the office today after a great time of vacation with my family. One of the things I love to do when I get away is read. I read tons of material all the time anyway but my focus is usually split. It’s nice to get away from it all and to just lose myself in a book.

The best book I read while I was a way was Mission Shift. This book, edited by Ed Stetzer and David Hesselgrave, is a compilation of essays and responses. It’s a pretty academic book on missions. The book is hot off the press and, in fact, I was able to get my hands on an early release copy to take with me. Power house theologians in the area of missions such as Paul Hiebert (deceased), Charles Van Engen, and Ralph Winter provide three foundational essays with other greats such as Norman Geisler and Avery Willis responding.

The focus of the three foundational essays is - Missions: Past, Missions: Present, and Missions: Future. This was an incredibly stimulating book intellectually and in light of the emphasis in the SBC on the Great Commission Resurgence I thought the book was timely as well. We are putting a lot of emphasis in our church on the Great Commission and on being a missional church. If missions is your thing or if you are a pastor this is a must read.

The book will help you understand the history of missions and mission movements, consider the role of contextualization of the gospel within culture, and to anticipate the coming place of missions within the future of our churches.

America...in the beginning...

2010-07-03T16:58:00.004-05:00

The following quote does not appear in any textbook. I am confident that it never will. And it is a shame. For all that we teach our children in this country about the man who found this country, we will never be able to teach them this…in the public school system. But I thought that it would be appropriate to share it here, on the eve of July 4^th.

As we celebrate our Independence as a nation, I can’t help but be impressed with the Dependence upon God found in one Christopher Columbus.

“It was the Lord who put it into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) that fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures…

I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous presence. For the execution of the journey to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied…

No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to His sovereign will… Day and night, moment by moment, everyone should express their most devoted gratitude to Him.”

Christopher Columbus on the discovery of the Americas

Floyd, Funds, and the Future

2010-06-30T17:37:00.004-05:00

During the summer of 1989 I had the privilege to serve as a youth intern for the First Baptist Church of Springdale, Arkansas. That summer was the first exposure I had to big time ministry and to a pastor who would go on to have a major impact on my spiritual DNA, Dr. Ronnie Floyd. As part of my internship, I was allowed to sit in on various staff meetings. It was in one of those meetings, in the summer of 1989, that I witnessed Dr. Floyd unveil a campaign for the church called Vision 2000. It laid out a strategy and vision to put the gospel and preaching ministry of Dr. Floyd and FBC on national television. It was a big and bold move for a church tucked away in “nowhere” Arkansas. Since that summer God has blessed FBC Springdale mightily. They have become an internationally impactful church as the vision of not only a national but global television broadcast ministry came to fruition. There is virtually no city that you can travel to in the U.S. and not run across Dr. Floyd preaching. In fact, just this Monday I was in Oklahoma City and the first thing I saw on the TV in my hotel room was Dr. Floyd. Amazing.

But this past Sunday something even more amazing was announced at FBC Springdale. Dr. Floyd announced to both campuses of the church, that under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, FBC Springdale would be ending its national and international television ministry. They are doing this for one reason: to allocate more money to missions via the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is a bold move. It is a Great Commission move. It is a move that smacks of “he must increase and I must decrease.” In the world of “celebrity” evangelism, you rarely see TV preachers bowing out and saying good-bye to the fame. But this is not a move about individual fame, it is a move about the Gospel’s fame. FBC Springdale will be in a position to make some bold moves with the funds previously allocated for television.

When I came to Grand as its pastor I was asked by numerous people if I had ambitions to launch a television ministry at our church. I think some of what drove those inquiries was the knowledge of where I’d come from. You see, years after the summer of 1989, I returned to FBC Springdale to serve under Dr. Floyd through Shiloh Christian School. I also served a brief stint on the original launch staff of the Church at Pinnacle Hills, the second campus of FBC Springdale. My response to the television inquiries was “No way!” I was adamant about saying “no” to TV for several reasons:

1. TV costs BIG bucks. And you can spend a LOT of money on TV and still look bad. Much of what I see on TV in terms of “church” services looks really cheesy. It takes BIG, BIG bucks to look good on TV. I'm talking about lighting, audio quality, staging, camera angles, etc. FBC Springdale is on the short lists of those who do it right but they also have to pay to do it right.

2. In my opinion, the vast majority of people who watch Christian programming are already Christians. I cannot justify the expense to preach to someone who’s already saved. Most non-believers dismiss and/or make fun of religious broadcast television. Yes, there are the individual stories of people who flip on the TV in a moment of crisis and are changed by a TV preacher’s sermon. But that is not the norm.

3. The “TV preacher” market is saturated. I have to ask the question: Do I want to be on TV because there is a need, or do I want to be on TV because I WANT TO BE ON TV?

4. Given the incredible options with media and technology today, I’d rather spend money on something other than television to spread the Gospel: webcasting, iPhone apps, web apps, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

So kudos to Dr. Floyd and kudos to the great people of FBC Springdale. May God continue to use them in mighty ways to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Northwest Arkansas, America, and the World.

Proof that the SBC is Changing

2010-06-23T11:55:00.004-05:00

Need proof that it’s a new day in the Southern Baptist Convention? Check out this motion offered by Joshua Shank affirming the work of Acts 29 in helping Southern Baptists plant churches. This is probably the most unique motion ever offered at the SBC and certainly the first time a motion has been offered in the form of a rap.

Don’t be fooled by the form of the motion, Shank is a church planter in Youngstown, Ohio, and a serious follower of Christ. He has also done some great graphic work for Baptist21 through Plant Boxx.

Kudos to Shank for the motion. Kudos to Acts 29 and their work with church planting. And kudos to the SBC for a platform where the likes of both can be recognized. This ain’t your mama’s SBC anymore!

Transformational Church

2010-06-20T20:52:00.002-05:00

I was introduced to a mammoth study on the potential future of the church last week at the Southern Baptist Convention. Transformational Church is perhaps the largest study of its kind looking at over 7000 churches and identifying the top 10% as transformational churches based on certain criteria. The study conducted by Lifeway Research has produced a book, a DVD/CDROM leadership pack, an assessment tool, and the option for consultation. The book is jointly written by Thom Rainer (president of Lifeway Church Services) and Ed Stetzer (president of Lifeway Ressearch). I picked up a copy of the book last week at the convention and read through it, finishing it today. I think it is an excellent addition to any pastor’s library. In fact, I have purchased copies for my whole staff along with the DVD/CDROM pack and have made the decision to begin working through this material next week on our annual staff retreat. Based on their exhaustive research, Rainer and Stetzer have identified a framework that identifies Transformational Churches. This is not a methodology book. It is not a cookie-cutter book. Every church is unique and lives within a unique context. The framework that identifies a Transformational Church is a framework that can be found in all types and styles of church. I found that the church I pastor in many ways is on our way to being a Transformational Church. It was very exciting to read the study, look at the framework, and place Grand with its context. It also helped me to see in a quantitative way where we need to keep working. I believe that the Transformational Church study can be very helpful for us and I look forward to guiding our staff through the material.

Courageous Fatherhood

2010-06-18T11:10:00.004-05:00

The boys from Sherwood Baptist Church are at it again. You may not recognize the name of Sherwood Baptist Church, but you’ve probably heard of at least one of the movies they’ve made, Flywheel, Facing the Giants, or Fireproof. As part of the Southern Baptist Convention that I attended this week, we were treated to a first look at their next movie, Courageous. Check out the website here for details. With Courageous, the folks at Sherwood shift their (and our) attention to the important topic of fatherhood.

We are a facing a “man” crisis in our churches. Our culture does not value manhood. It mocks it, criticizes it, mis-defines it, and even dismisses it. But the very specific and unique role of men in our world is not just important but critical. The Bible gives great guidance into all things “man.” So file away this tidbit of info on Courageous, which will be released in theaters in 2011.

This Sunday is Father’s Day and I will be preaching a very special message for men called, God’s Secret to Success. Yes, I believe that God wants men to be successful. I don’t think that “success” and “spirituality” are exclusive of one another. And so I will be defining success for men and sharing a clear word from God’s Word on how to get there. If you live in the River Valley area join me on Sunday at 10:30.

My First Trip to the SBC: Day 3 // Final Thoughts

2010-06-16T22:45:00.003-05:00

Well, I am back home in Arkansas. Today I spent the morning back and forth between the convention hall and the exhibit hall buying resources to ship back home and listening to the business of the convention. I was most interested in observing the approval of resolutions for this SBC. Resolutions are statements of affirmation about anything that the convention wants to speak to. This year seven resolutions were offered and all passed.

1. Resolution on the centrality of Gospel.

2. Resolution on family worship.

3. Resolution on the scandal of Southern Baptist divorce.

4. Resolution on the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe.

5. Resolution on homosexuality and the United States military.

6. Resolution on the employment non-discrimination act.

7. Resolution of appreciation.

I cut out early and missed the final session of the convention this evening because of a major evangelistic event our church was helping host this evening. And so, thus came to an end my first trip to the SBC.

Summary thoughts:

I have not been shy about my lack of enthusiasm for attending a Southern Baptist Convention. There’s a reason I have been a Southern Baptist my whole life, am now 40 years old, but have not taken the time or money to attend a convention of our network of Southern Baptist churches. I’ve just seen it as a waste of time and of no real benefit to what I do as a local church pastor. But I made the decision to attend this year because of what was front-and-center at this convention…the Great Commission. So here are my final thoughts. They are still pretty fresh as I’ve been off the plane only 3 hours.

1. I am glad I went. The Great Commission Resurgence made it worth it. I felt like I had done my homework ahead of time and that I made a real contribution. I feel like I am coming home with something to offer my church for our own future.

2. The convention is boring about 70% of the time. Now this is me talking. I am sure others find it highly stimulating. But I will note again that LOTS of people come and go for only the reports that are of interest to them. I think, that were it not for a superb exhibit hall, we would all pull our hair out (those of us who have hair). The other 30% of the convention stands the chance of being highly important, as it was this year.

3. The Pastor’s Conference is awesome. Great preaching geared specifically towards pastors and very encouraging. If I go back to the convention it will be a must to go to the pastor’s conference to offset the negatives of the convention experience.

4. I walked away with an appreciation of how this network of 44,000+ churches conducts business. There is a real sense that anybody can make a contribution, no matter what size church they may be a member of. This is not a pastor’s only event. I do not know of any other network that has the grass roots potential as this one.

5. There were MANY younger pastors at the convention. This encourages me greatly. I saw so many people that I knew. Many of them former students from Shiloh who are now in the ministry. I was encouraged by seeing them and I felt that I could still play a role of encouragement in their life, thus my own presence at this SBC may have been beneficial for them. I know it was for me.

6. The SBC needs to take a quantum leap into the here and now in terms of relevance to the average church member in the average church in America. This can be accomplished by internet based voting. Right now, the only way to participate in the convention with a voice is to actually attend the convention in person. The cost of doing so is prohibitive for MOST people. There were roughly 10,800 registered messengers at this convention. And it was one of the larger attendances. BUT we have 44,000+ churches! We didn’t even have an average of one person per church represented. Since many churches bring more than one messenger, the reality is that the vast majority of our network of churches are unrepresented. If they cannot afford to be there EVER, then what is the motivation to be engaged in the network? Now the SBC made a big leap forward in recent years when they began broadcasting the convention on the internet. Now anyone can watch live. This is huge. I know that I had folks at home telling me this year that so many people were watching at one point that there were transmission problems. So the interest is there. Now just imagine how exciting and engaging it would be if every messenger from every church in our convention could actually cast an electronic vote. My question is why can’t this happen? I can renew my car tags online. I can pay bills online. I can pay taxes online. I can pay my tithe online. I can pre-register for the convention online. I can vote for American Idol online. Why can’t I vote at the SBC online? Why? Online voting would literally revolutionize the SBC. It would pull in a whole new and younger generation of Christians in our churches. Imagine pastors educating their churches each year on what is at stake. Imagine the churches gathering to watch the events of the SBC live. Imagine the elected messengers casting their vote, exercising the voice of their church, live via the internet. Just imagine what this would do for our network of churches. Once again I ask why would we not do this?

7. For those who believe that attending the SBC is just a vacation for the pastor, I can assure you that it is NOT. Yes we were in Orlando, but honestly, the convention could have been anywhere. The planned events kept me very, very busy. We started early, went all day, and went late. Finding time to eat was difficult. There was no time at all to “enjoy Orlando.” I did not hang out by the pool. I did not go to Disney World. I did not sleep in every day and lounge around. I was up early, constantly moving back and forth between venues and meetings, and in the hotel room late. Was the convention fun? No. It was work. I am glad I am home so I can relax and “go to work” tomorrow.

Will I go back? Probably. I can’t say right now if I will be in Phoenix next year. But I did feel that it was worth my time and the expense to attend the SBC this year. Thanks for following along.

All for Christ’s Great Commission.

My First Trip to the SBC: Day 2

2010-06-15T22:00:00.003-05:00

Today the Southern Baptist Convention formally began. And what a day it was. Since this is my first convention I wanted to be there right on time at 8:00 am to see it all. I learned quickly that not everyone approaches the convention the same way. In fact, most people only show up for certain parts of the convention, such as the proposal of motions and the presentation of business. These are the times when anybody (and I mean ANYbody) can speak from a mic. The rest of the SBC is organized around various reports from Southern Baptist entities (the seminaries, the mission boards, etc.). The “feel” of today is completely different than the Pastor’s Conference yesterday. Once everyone showed up the crowd was twice as big and it was a much older looking crowd. The onstage activity was much more formal. It was all business and everyone was in a suit and tie. To be honest much of the business portion of the convention is boring. I apparently am not the only one that feels this way because people are constantly walking in and out of the convention hall no matter what is going on. At one point when I had all I could stand, I walked over to the exhibit hall and it was packed with hundreds and hundreds of people. The food courts are crawling with people as well. I found myself wondering if all that was going on in the convention hall proper was really necessary. It seemed to me that the hundreds of people not in the convention hall itself (some of whom were SBC leaders doing “other” things) didn’t think so. This is not a criticism as much as an observation and question.

The time for motions was somewhat entertaining. One man moved that all Southern Baptists should fly a Christian flag from our homes (I found out later that he does this each year). A motion was made that parking passes to the convention be made available for pre-purchase. One man made a motion that called for all leaders in the SBC to come from churches that give 10% or more to the Cooperative Program. Several motions were made related to the GCR Task Force report. One of these motions (which I predicted earlier on this blog) was to unseal the recordings of the GCRTF sessions.

The real action today began after lunch. Morris Chapman is the outgoing president of the Executive Committee of the SBC. He has held this post for 18 years. Dr. Chapman is a wonderful man of God. I met him once when I was on staff at FBC Springdale and he is a gracious and warm man. Dr. Chapman was given time to deliver his report to the convention on the work of Executive Committee. The timing of Dr. Chapman’s report was about half an hour before the GCRTF report was to be presented. Sadly, Dr. Chapman chose to use his time (the last time he would address the convention) not to give a report on the Executive Committee, but to instead attack the GCR Task Force report. I must say I was stunned at what I heard. I really could not believe what I was hearing and I was so disappointed in this man of God. I saw this as an abuse of his position and a mismanagement of what this time was set aside for. By contrast, Dr. Al Mohler delivered his report on the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary right afterwards and just before the GCRTF report, and he did not mention the GCRTF report (and Mohler is on the Task Force.) Mohler’s comments were about the seminary. I so wish Dr. Chapman had not used his position to attack the GCRTF report before it was even presented to the floor for discussion. While it made me mad in the heat of the moment, in retrospect I am sad. I am sad that this undignified way was how Dr. Chapman chose to end his career, a wonderful career, as the president of the EC.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd presented the GCR Task Force’s report and moved for its adoption. It was a powerful and compelling presentation. During the time for discussion, several attempts were made to derail the report. As I predicted, a motion was made to postpone action on the report indefinitely. This motion failed. Another motion was made to send the report to the Executive Committee for review. This motion failed. Both motions were attempts to kill the report before a vote could be taken. Another motion was made to change the wording of the third recommendation (the recommendation dealing with the new terminology of Great Commission Giving). The amended language would have effectively killed this recommendation. After working through parliamentary matters on the floor, a compromise was struck that added wording but retained the goal of the recommendation. I had predicted that someone would offer a motion to divide the report into each of the seven recommendations. This (thankfully) did not happen. When time finally expired, there were several people still in line to offer motions so this still could have possibly happened.

Then it was time to vote. By my visual guesstimate, the GCR Task Force report PASSED with around 70% affirmative vote. It was overwhelming and did not even come close to requiring a ballot vote.

So let me say that I am thrilled. THIS is exactly what this network of 44,000+ churches needs. A new wind is blowing and it is clear that change is on the horizon. There is no turning back now. This report’s recommendations will now be remanded to the appropriate agencies and entities of our network of Southern Baptists churches for study and hopefully implementation. We will receive reports from all of them next year at the SBC in Phoenix. Today is just the first step BUT it is a HUGE step. I want to say that I am grateful to all the members of the GCRTF for their work this past year. What they have done will have a multi-generational impact. For a guy like me, it gives me hope that we Southern Baptists might actually be on a path to cultural relevance with the Gospel.

One other encouraging highlight today. I attended a luncheon and GCR panel discussion today held by a group called Baptist21. This is a group of younger pastors in their 20s and 30s who are seeking to be faithful and relevant with the Gospel in the 21st century. As I was sitting in this excellent event (which was a sellout of 1100 people!) I thought to myself that THIS is the future. And it’s a bright future. Kudos to the Baptist21 crowd.

In other news, Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, in Marietta, Georgia, was elected as the next president of our convention. I do not know Bryant but from everything I hear he will do a wonderful job serving as our next president.

That’s about it for today. I will attend tomorrow morning’s session and then get on a plane to fly home in time for the World Changers / Charlie Hall / Ken Freeman / 1500 hotdog event and concert our church is hosting in the park tomorrow night.

I will post final comments and my overall impressions of my first trip to the SBC tomorrow.

My First Trip to the SBC: End of Day 1

2010-06-14T22:09:00.002-05:00

Today was a great day. The Pastor’s Conference always precedes the beginning of the Southern Baptist Convention. Although this is my first convention I heard from several people that this was one of the best Pastor’s Conferences ever held. Today saw nine men preach to pastors. It was excellent all the way around. From the passion and emotion of a Francis Chan to the intellectual fervor of an Al Mohler, it was a diverse group of preachers. The overall theme was unmistakable. The Great Commission. It permeates everything here. You can “feel” that tomorrow is going to be huge. Throughout the day various others gave short charges to the conference related to the Great Commission Resurgence, the most powerful of all coming from Ronnie Floyd. The man was on fire and on target. This is a watershed moment. It’s not about saving our convention, it’s not about personalities on the task force, it’s not about ego, or any other thing that is man-made. It is about Jesus and his Great Commission. Period.

As I walked around today I did a lot of watching and listening. Everybody is definitely focused on what will happen tomorrow. You can watch the “fireworks” live yourself at 2:45 EST at www.sbc.net and I will be tweeting throughout. No one wants to make a prediction about the GCR task force report in terms of it passing or not. “It will be close,” is all anyone will admit to. While I am praying that God’s will be done, I KNOW what will happen with the church I pastor. We will passionately pursue the fulfillment of the Great Commission, which was given to every believer and every church.

Overall it was a wonderful day. I was shocked at how many people I ran into that I knew and have not seen in years. Church planting friends, pastors, former students from Shiloh now in ministry, Lifeway employees, State Convention folks. I thought I might see a few people but it was crazy….and pretty cool. There is a real sense that I am among friends, even with those who may not see eye-to-eye with me regarding the whole GCR issue.

One other insight: I saw a much younger crowd demographically than I was expecting. I think this is a great, great thing. Lots of young pastors in their 20s and 30s. Lots of families and kids walking around. Lots of jeans and casual wear. In fact, the number of men who preached without a tie today outnumbered those who did. This was not a stuffy, suit and tie affair with a bunch of gray hairs today. All generations were represented and the atmosphere was vibrant.

The highlight of the day was when thousands of pastors all got on our knees to pray for a Great Commission Resurgence. Wow. A real holy moment. May we stay on our knees.

My First Trip to the SBC: Day 1

2010-06-14T07:57:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it to Orlando last night around midnight. It was a tough day of travel involving late flights, missed connections, a cancelled follow-up flight, rerouting to a “close” city, and driving into Orlando in a rental car. And yes…lost luggage. BUT we are here!

We are staying in the Rosen Centre hotel which is the official convention hotel of the SBC. Right now we are sort of trapped in our room waiting on our luggage to arrive so we can clean up and change. We are told it should be here within the hour.

Today is the Pastor’s Conference. Julie and I plan to spend the morning getting our bearings. This area is HUGE. Even though we are located “next door” to the Orange Country Convention Center, the buildings are sprawling and at first appearance maze like. We will check in and get our messenger credentials and then attend part of the Pastor’s Conference. I’m looking forward to hearing the preaching of Danny Akin, Francis Chan, Al Mohler, Andy Stanley, and David Platt. Should be awesome!

Tomorrow is the official beginning of the Convention. The real action for this Convention involves the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report. This report is scheduled for action at 2:45 pm EST. You can watch any part of the convention on the internet at SBC.net. The report contains seven recommendations regarding changes to the way we do business as Southern Baptists. The recommendations are bold and courageous. Since this is my first Convention I don’t know exactly what to expect but here are some predictions as to what I think might happen tomorrow:

1. Someone will propose a motion that we table any action on the GCR task force report until next year in order to more fully study the report. This motion will either be ruled out of order or it will fail to pass.

2. Someone will propose a motion that the report be divided into each of the seven recommendations and each voted on separately. This one’s tricky. I think that this will not pass or it too may be ruled out of order. Last year, the messengers asked for “a” report. Not several reports. I personally believe this should be honored. I believe each of the recommendations is interwoven and designed to interact with the others. The report should get a thumbs up or a thumbs down as one whole report.

3. The tape recordings of the GCR task force sessions have been sealed for 15 years. After which they will be opened by Baptist historians and their contents made public. I expect at some point for someone to make a motion that this not happen. They will call for the recordings be made public immediately. Not sure what to expect if this happens. Baptists traditionally don’t like secrets. But I view this whole matter regarding the recordings as petty and NOT why I came to Orlando. I know many of the people on the Task Force personally and I trust their heart. I don’t need to or have the time to listen to all their recorded sessions.

That’s enough for now. My bags JUST arrived so I am going to change clothes!

Blessings to all.

PS – to read the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report or to view a video of the report go to: www.pray4gcr.com.

Why I Am Going To Attend My First Southern Baptist Convention

2010-06-12T16:01:00.002-05:00

I’ve been a Southern Baptist my whole life. I was educated in Southern Baptist seminaries and I now pastor a Southern Baptist church. To be honest, my opinion of much of what denominations do has not always been overly positive. Nevertheless, I have stuck with my denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention.

Southern Baptists are truly unique in the world of denominations. There is no other beast out there like us. We are really more of a voluntary “network” of churches than a denomination in the strictest sense. No one in the denomination “office” tells any SBC church how to do business. We don’t move clergy around and assign them to parishes or churches. Each and every SBC church is completely autonomous, much like non-denominational churches which are so “hot” these days. But what makes SBC churches special and I suppose a “denomination” is the network we have created. We are 45,000+ churches strong. Over 16 million members. In our past we have cooperated and networked for the cause of the Great Commission. There are many who think that focus has been lost and I suppose that is why some have chosen to abandon the network. But I think something new is on the horizon…

I have never been to one of the annual meetings of my convention but that is about to change. In fact, I think (and hope) that a lot is about to change. I will preach tomorrow morning at 10:30 am and then I will get on a plane and travel to Orlando, Florida to attend my first annual meeting of this network of churches called the Southern Baptist Convention. I have not attended in the past because, frankly, I don’t have much time in my life to waste and I don’t want to waste it on petty denominational politics. But I believe in my heart of hearts that this annual meeting of the SBC is going to be different. The focus is on a call to a Great Commission Resurgence. The winds of change are blowing, and they are blowing hard. I am excited about the future because as a pastor of one church I am excited about anything that focuses on the Great Commission.

If you are a member of an SBC church, watch and pray. If you used to be a member of an SBC church or if you are a Christian and have a negative opinion of denominations, please, pray for us. There is really only one Church. As the SBC we have an incredible network of churches. We have deep pockets of resources. Therefore we have enormous accountability. It’s time to quit focusing on internal politics and time to focus our internal resources on an external world that is lost.

I will tweeting and blogging from the convention all week and giving you my honest assessment as a first time attendee. Know that you are welcome to follow along.

Spiritual But Not Religious

2010-06-06T16:22:00.003-05:00

I read an article recently from CNN.com about a growing segment of people called the “I’m spiritual but not religious” crowd. These people have shunned organized religion and instead have opted for a do-it-yourself approach to faith. In a 2009 survey by the research firm LifeWay Christian Resources, 72 percent of millennials (18- to 29-year-olds) said they're "more spiritual than religious." The phrase is now so commonplace that it's spawned its own acronym ("I'm SBNR") and Facebook page: SBNR.org. Some have even called SBNR a movement.

Heather Cariou of New York sums up her beliefs this way, "I don't need to define myself to any community by putting myself in a box labeled Baptist, or Catholic, or Muslim," she says. "When I die, I believe all my accounting will be done to God, and that when I enter the eternal realm, I will not walk though a door with a label on it."

But is there a danger in all of the SBNR talk? I would say, YES. As human beings, there are two basic needs we have when it comes to “spirituality”: 1) The Truth, 2) Accountability to the Truth. All paths are not equal. There is Truth. Spirituality is not like ordering it your way from Burger King. And once we know the Truth, we tend to stray (like sheep) so we need accountability to the Truth.

And this is why the Church is so important. It’s not about “organized religion” or the “institution.” No, it’s about Jesus. It’s about knowing him, loving him, believing in him and being his disciple. To accomplish this, Jesus gave us the Church. We must remember that the Church was his idea not ours. The Church is the bearer of Truth (Jesus) and the system of accountability to him (discipleship).

Let me point out, too, that the Church was Jesus’ idea. You simply cannot love Jesus and hate the Church. Jesus loves the Church. Jesus died for the Church. If you follow Jesus, by definition, you love the Church.

We should not be ashamed of the way we “organize” ourselves “religiously.” We should embrace it and share it as a superior way of “spiritually” connecting to Jesus.

Do you know someone in the SBNR crowd? Maybe someone who says, “I don’t have to go to church to love God.” Why don’t you invite them to church with you? Why don’t you invite them to experience Jesus in a whole new and fresh way?

Israel, Korea, and You

2010-06-01T16:19:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend, Israel came under worldwide fire for protecting its borders. A flotilla of six boats attempted to run a blockade to deliver what was said to be humanitarian aide to the people living in the Gaza strip, a swath of land controlled by the militant group, Hamas. Israel’s navy warned the flotilla to turn back multiple times. It attempted to direct the boats into a neutral harbor and offered to deliver the humanitarian aide items to the Gaza strip for the Turkish based flotilla. These offers and warnings were ignored leaving Israel no choice but to take action against the blockade runners. Five boats were boarded without incident. It was the sixth boat where deadly violence broke out. Live fire, metal pipes, and knives met the Israeli military that bordered the illegal vessel. Video clearly shows all of this including one Israeli soldier being tossed overboard. The Israeli soldiers had no choice but to defend themselves. The result was 9 dead crew members on the boat. And the world is outraged at Israel. World leaders are calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Israel is being universally condemned. Once again, Israel finds itself with no friends it seems.

But let’s ask the most important question of all here. WHY was this blockade in place? The blockade exists because of repeated attempts (many successful) to smuggle weapons into the Gaza strip for Hamas to use against Israel. So Israel is left with little choice. It is desperate to defend itself from those living within its borders that seek its destruction.

But consider for a moment the virtually immediate and universal condemnation of Israel (in spite of the numerous mitigating circumstances) versus the limited and neutered reaction of the world to North Korea’s unprovoked sinking of a South Korean ship killing 46 people. That attack occurred on March 26^th. To date little to nothing has happened in terms of worldwide response. No special UN council meetings, nothing. The attack on the South Korean warship was unprovoked. There were no warnings. The boat was simply torpedoed. Israel was protecting its sovereignty and its citizenry. Israel issued numerous warnings. Israel sought to peacefully turn back the flotilla. Only after being attacked by those seeking to illegally defy Israel’s blockade, a blockade designed to prevent the smuggling of weapons, did Israel respond with deadly force.

And so Israel once again faces a double standard. What does all this have to do with you? Very simply, what happens to Israel affects all of us. Israel is THE major piece of God’s prophetic puzzle. God’s end game on earth involves Israel. Anytime I see a world event involving Israel, I am reminded that we are on a clock. Jesus gave us the Great Commission. To behave as if we have an unlimited amount of time to accomplish this Great Commission is ignorance. Four billion people on this planet do not know Jesus. The clock is ticking, time is running out. Keep your eye on Israel, keep your eye on the clock.

Note: If you’d like to go with my wife and me to Israel in the summer of 2011, check out this link.

GCR Update: "Sharper Focus" from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette

2010-05-26T09:44:00.003-05:00

The following is an excerpt from an excellent article by Christie Storm of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on the Great Commission Resurgence within the SBC.

Sharper Focus
In June, Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting will concentrate on a disputed report urging rededication to evangelism.
By Christie Storm

LITTLE ROCK — A report urging Southern Baptists to re-energize efforts to spread the Gospel and plant churches will top the agenda at the denomination’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., next month.

The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report not only presses for a revival of evangelism in the face of declining baptisms but also outlines new responsibilities for the denomination’s missions organizations - the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. It also calls for increased giving by all Southern Baptists.

Ronnie Floyd, pastor of First Baptist Church of Springdale and The Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, is the task force chairman.

He said he believes the recommendations, crafted after a year of discussion across the country, reflect the wishes of Southern Baptists.

“We believe we have our finger on the pulse beat of the vast majority of leaders and people in the Southern Baptist Convention,” he said. “But June will tell.”

With 16.1 million members, the Southern Baptist Convention is the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. But membership has dropped in recent years.The number of Baptisms climbed slightly from 2008 to 2009, but have dropped sharply in recent decades.

Bloggers and commentators have dissected the report and many have voiced opposition to the changes online and in Baptist publications across the country. Even leaders within the denomination, including Mor-ris Chapman, president of the powerful executive committee, have expressed concern with portions of the report.

Others, however, support the recommendations and think the changes will streamline the denomination’s efforts to reach the world for Christ.

“I think the report is crucial and essential to the future of our denomination, because the structure our convention is operating under is a model that is antiquated,” said Jeff Crawford, pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith. “This report refocuses who we are and what the No. 1 focus of the church needs to be and that’s the Great Commission, taking the Gospel around the entire world.”

Crawford, 40, will attend his first convention annual meeting this year. In the past he hasn’t felt compelled to make the journey. This yearis different.

“I find the Great Commission relevant,” he said. “I can get excited about the Great Commission and I think it will strike a chord with many other pastors as well.

“I think there’s a general consensus that we need to do something different. People can get nervous about what that means but I think everybody realizes we can do better and we need to do better.”

Crawford’s hope is that the report will unite convention members under one common goal - sharing the Gospel. He said the very relevance of the denomination is at stake.

“We can’t afford to be irrelevant,” he said. “We need to send a message that the denomination can be relevant and the right way is to make sure we are centered on the Great Commission.”

Thousands of delegates, called messengers, will gather June 15-16 in Orlando to consider numerous resolutions, elect a president and other officers and hear from the task force.

To read the whole article, click here.

Pastoral Reflections on LOST

2010-05-24T12:26:00.003-05:00

Spoiler Alert: Do not read until you watch the series finale of LOST.

My son’s first words after the Lost finale “event” last night were, “I don’t really get it…” I told him I’d explain it to him in the morning. Truth was I needed time to “process” what I had experienced too! And so off we were to bed to think about and contemplate the final installment of the last six years of one of THE best series to ever air on television. Yes, Lost was not just good, it was great…fiction. That’s right, let’s all take a deep breath and remember that what we have been watching, what has captivated us, was a fine work of fictional story telling.

For those looking (and yes, there were many people looking) for some revelation of deep truth or some secret new knowledge about life, then you are sadly disappointed today. In the arena of Truth, Lost falls short. But then again, I am not sure it was ever aiming for Truth. I think it reveled in the unanswered question and in the end, there are still many unanswered questions. And I think that’s okay. I think had they tried to answer all the questions that we would have been disappointed.

For those seeking metaphysical truth, what we got was a story about a quasi-purgatory (not a flash sideways after all) where each member of the Lost Clan ended up after they died. Not until they “found” each other were there eyes opened and their memories restored of their lives together on the very real Lost island. Once reunited in the after-life, they were then ready to “move” to the next phase of the after-life. Still not sure what that big light was at the end…heaven? Once again, questions. New questions to go along with other lingering questions. Where did the island come from? Exactly what is it? Is the “light” good? Is the red glowing that replaced the light hell? Why are memories erased in “purgatory”? What other adventures did Hurley and Ben face as the new keepers of the island? What happened to the group that finally escaped the island on the plane?

Questions, questions, questions. And lots of fun. But only if you do not take it as anything other than fiction. Remember that Lost did not come from the mind of God. It came from the mind of men. To be precise the minds of J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse, and Damon Lindelof. I don’t even know if these guys are Christians but I suspect not. They did get one thing glaringly correct. As Jack’s father gently says to him, “Everyone dies sometime, kiddo.” Yes, everyone does die sometime. But there is no purgatory and not everyone goes to heaven. In the end, we are all truly Lost. And some of us are saved. It’s offered to all because of Jesus. But many walk away from him and instead look for Truth from those whose job it is to give us good fiction. And they did their job well. But let us pray we can tell the difference.

Beer and Bible

2010-05-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

Okay, here’s one to make you think…

The Back-story:

Charles Hill is a church planter. He moved from a growing church that he planted in Ohio to South Jordan, Utah (part of the Salt Lake City Valley) to plant a new church in one of the most unchurched states in the country. Charles had landed a support commitment of $280,000 for his new church plant, but now, just five months from the launch of his new church, his support has been cut.

The reason: Beer and Bible.

You’ll have to view the video to get the gist of what the controversy is all about.

In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that Charles knew the Beer and Bible idea could be a problem. So he actually secured permission first from his supervisor. But once this video hit the WORLD WIDE WEB and Beer and Bible began...the support ended. He was told that he was cut because he drank half a beer in public during a Beer and Bible gathering. (Uhhh…what did “they” think was going to happen at a Beer and Bible gathering?)

Anyway, Charles is stranded with his wife and three kids in Utah, trying to plant a church with no support.

Of course I have all kinds of thoughts bouncing around in my head about this whole deal. What about you??

Preaching on Preaching

2010-05-17T11:00:00.003-05:00

I spent some time yesterday talking about the “primacy of preaching” in the life of the church. Preaching gets a bad wrap these days. It’s not uncommon to hear people say things like, “I don’t want to be preached to…,” or “Don’t preach to me…,” etc. Even within Christian circles, the art of preaching has been accused by some of being an outdated form. “Preaching had its day, but today there are better ways to communicate truth to God’s people,” is the way it is usually presented. We are told that people have short attention spans today and that we just don’t want to sit and listen to somebody talk to us for 30+ minutes.

Then you have others such as George Barna and Frank Viola in their book, Pagan Christianity, that claim that the role of “professional” preacher is pagan in its origins and that the early church never had such a role in its structure. They, instead, would advocate for a home church model where everyone sits around taking turns speaking or “preaching” as they feel led.

Let me say as a “preacher” that preaching truly is an art. Bad preaching is always outdated. And nobody wants to sit for any length of time and listen to bad preacher. That said, the art of preaching is biblical in its origin. As part of my current preaching series on 1 and 2 Peter, we looked yesterday at 1 Peter 1:12 which speaks specifically about the primacy of preaching in the church. I have gleaned the following thoughts about preaching’s role and what makes for good preaching:

1. Preaching is Holy Spirit led. It is a divine activity. Annual minister manuals that include 52 weeks of sermons (yes, there are such things) fly in the face of biblical preaching. Every church is different and every church requires the Holy Spirit to guide the preacher towards the content for that particular church.

2. Preaching involves the Good News. The “Good News” is a term of victory after battle. Every sermon ought to proclaim the Good News or it is not preaching. The Good News is THE central component of biblical preaching.

3. Preaching always comes from God’s Word (Bible), not man’s word. Sermons that do not use the Bible or that only give minor usage to 1 or 2 verses slip away from being sermons delivered by a preacher and become speeches delivered by an orator.

4. Preaching is something that happens uniquely in a church. When God’s people come together corporately, preaching ought to occur. Preaching should define the church. Just as the Good News ought to define the preaching.

5. Preaching is the envy of the angels. It is interesting that we tend to take for granted what angels LONG to sit under. Preaching should be longed for, not loathed. When was the last time you changed your weekend plans because you had to make it for the sermon?

Once again, let me say that bad preaching is always out of style. But great preaching draws people, it captivates people, it changes people. You should insist on great preaching! And as a “preacher” I’m allowed to say that:)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a sermon to go prepare…