Source of My Hope

The New Challenges of Technology for Parents

2009-03-30T10:23:00.004-04:00

Below you will find some articles that deal with an issue I had hoped to write about some time ago. I have been concerned about the issue of entrusting teens with too much access to technology too quickly for some time, but articles like these highlight just how harmful technology can be in the hands of an irresponsible teen. Apparently there is a new phenomena with cell phones called "sexting," where sexually explicit messages and/or pictures/videos are beings sent from one cell phone to another. Sometimes the pictures are of "adult models" but even worse, sometimes the pictures are of teenage girls and guys, often known by the recipient.

I would encourage you to read the articles below and GET INVOLVED IN THE LIFE OF YOUR TEEN! Parenting is not and never has been a spectator sport. Many articles contain lots of wonderful ideas for how parents can manage the new challenges of technology. I believe the key is to know your child - know what technological advances they are mature enough to handle properly and which they are not.

This advice isn't new, in fact it has been a part of God's Word for more than 3,000 years. The book of Song of Songs deals with this topic, as the purpose of the book is to portray God's plan for appropriate intimate love between humans. Toward the end of the book, Solomon provides some advice for parents (or those responsible for a teen - in this case siblings). Thus 8:8-9 read, "We have a young sister, and her breasts are not yet grown.What shall we do for our sister for the day she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar."

The idea behind this passage is that when teens come of age to think about sex (often around or before 10 in our society), those who are responsible for them (parents) must assess their teen. If the teen is open sexually, the parents must do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to barricade this part of his/her life. If the young person is not open sexually, then the parents are to praise him/her, so that they continue to practice purity in their relationships.

The key here is to know your child and to parent your child accordingly, so that they wait to experience God's wonderful gift of sex in its proper context - marriage.

With all that said, please read the following articles. I believe they will help you be a better parent...

The Columbus Dispatch - Teen Girl Cell Phone Invitations to Bare All

Great Falls Tribune - Sending nude, provocative photos more common than you may think among teens

CBS News - "Sexting" Shockingly Common Among Teens

ABC NEWS - "Sexting" Teens Can Go Too Far

Does God Take Vacations?

2009-03-27T10:08:00.003-04:00

Often when we experience difficulties or dryness in our lives, we wonder, "Where are you God?" Why is it that we often feel like he is a million miles away? Why do we feel so alone and without comfort in the midst of suffering? Where is God when the large-scale tragedies or smaller scale personal discomforts occur? Wouldn't an all-knowing, all-powerful, and good God stop some things from happening? These challenges often cause us to doubt the very existence of God or wonder if God turns a blind eye or takes a vacation when we go through difficulties.

One example of this problem can be seen in the life of Simon Wiesenthal. Based upon Mr. Wiesenthal's experiences in WWII, he founded a volunteer organization in 1947 to find and prosecute Nazi war criminals. His experience began with the death of 89 members of his family at the hands of the Nazis and his own personal detention in Nazi work camps. Yet, one story particularly struck out to this man about his experiences.

One day, two Nazi officers rode into the rock quarry where Mr. Wiesenthal and other prisoners were working. One of the officers grabbed a prisoner and made him stand back to back with another. The second officer bound the two men and blind folded them. Just as calmly as one might swat a fly, the first Nazi officer pulled out his gun and shot through the first man's head, into the head of the second man, killing them both. Then the first officer said, "See, I told you we've been wasting half of our bullets." Mr. Wiesenthal's response to this terrible, terrible experience was to claim that "God is on leave."

One item I love about Scripture is that it is honest, particularly the book of Ecclesiastes. In fact, God's Word is brutally honest. At First Baptist, this Sunday morning we will look at Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:16, where Solomon highlights 5 areas of life that cause him to question the notion that we should place our trust in God. I hope that you are able to join us at 10:30am this Sunday, as we together examine this most relevant topic.

Intrigued by the Shack

2009-03-25T11:38:00.008-04:00

Recently I decided to read the book "The Shack" by William Young. This book is very popular, receiving great reviews from prominent Christians, as well as being USA Today and New York Times bestsellers. I have been meaning to create a post about this book for some time, but I wanted to be certain to take the time to fully consider the book first.

This book tells the story of a man (Mack) with a troubled past who travels to an abandoned "Shack," the site of his daughter's brutal murder, to meet with God. Most of the book is written about Mack's dialogue with the three persons of the Trinity. In this story, God the Father ("Papa") is presented as an African American woman, Jesus is presented as a Middle Eastern man, and the Holy Spirit is pictured as an Asian woman.

I started to read this book very skeptically. After hearing about this book in a very negative way (please check out the following from Albert Mohler, Chuck Colson, & Norman Giesler before you read on), I thought I would just find problems with this book that others have noted. I thought that I would be reading the book to simply confirm my suspicions and warn my church about its shortcomings.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by the story of this book (though not necessarily all of its theological nuances). Though I am not a reader of fiction books and would not consider myself to enjoy this type of literature, I was gripped by this book. This book helped me understand the love of God in a fresh and unique way. I often became very emotional (sometimes to the point of tears), and I simply couldn't put this book down. I honestly feel that this book has helped me understand some components of the person of God in a new and better way, such as God's love and care for his children in the midst of difficult circumstances.

As the links above to Albert Mohler, Chuck Colson, and Norman Giesler show, there certainly are times where this book seems to take too much liberty in speaking about theological ideas. At this point, we must ask if this book has any value, especially given some of the theological challenges. I would still say yes, as I believe this book has had value in my spiritual journey.

As far as the books difficulties, I believe that George MacDonald's recent column from Leadership Magazine helps to properly place the theological troubles of this book. It seems that some of the theological watchdogs overlook the challenges of trying to create a fictional story that contains dialogue from God, especially when trying to speak about difficult theological issues using non-technical terms. Let's be honest - would a copy of a Systematic Theology book grip people's hearts in the same way the Shack? Perhaps it would for Mohler, Colson, and Giesler, but not the majority of others.

However, I would encourage you to read this book in a discerning fashion, understanding that some of the author's claims about God are not always (completely?) accurate. As with any book that is not the Bible, it must be read in a discerning fashion. Few if any human books will ever be without error, due to our sinful nature. Thus, we must always read with a discerning mind and heart.

If you have read this book or will read it, feel free to e-mail me with your perspectives about it!!

A Prayer of Repentance

2009-03-16T13:35:00.004-04:00

Though I am not often a fan of "forwarded" e-mails, a local "AWANA" missionary sent this one to me and it is great. This e-mail tells the story of a pastor in Kansas who was asked to pray before the legislature in Kansas. This e-mail says:

Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea.

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'one nation under God.'

If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends. 'If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything.'

While I understand some of the details of this e-mail to be inaccurate, what a call to repentance!! Further, while some may not agree with all of the elements of his prayer, let us consider this prayer a deep challenge to our "modern" perspectives. I hope that as you reflect upon it, you will be challenged by God to confess your own wrong perspectives about our contemporary lives and thought processes. As 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Confessions of a Workaholic

2009-03-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

One of the events that often brings the least amount of happiness in life is attending a funeral. We always get dressed in black, often shed tears in memory of the person we have "lost," and usually struggle to have the right words for those closest to the deceased. Funerals certainly are difficult.

The difficulties that usually accompany these events cause the following verse from Ecclesiastes 7:2 to puzzle me: "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart."

In today's terms, Solomon is telling us that it is better to go to a funeral home than a banquet hall or better to attend a funeral than a wedding. What a challenging thought! Yet, his reasoning helps us understand his point. We all, one day, will be the one lying in the casket and that should make a difference today.

The key question for us is what will people one day say at our funerals, which will occur sometime between a few days and a few decades from this moment. They key being that our funeral will occur. What will people say about you?

As we consider this idea, this Sunday Morning, I will lead First Baptist through Ecclesiastes 2:12-26. We will consider this passage as the "confessions of a workaholic," where Solomon looks back at his hard work and constant labor to create a lasting profit in life. In looking at Solomon's confessions, we will consider what we might confess toward the end of our lives or what others might confess about us. Have we found lasting value and satisfaction in life or is our living in vain? I hope that you are able to join us this Sunday morning at 10:30am as we consider these key ideas.

Fireproof - A Movie for ALL!

2009-03-11T14:54:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago my wife and I rented Fireproof from one of those Redbox machines (a very easy and cheap way to rent movies, especially since Monday is free movie night).

Though this movie will never be one that wins any awards (it was produced by a church in Georgia on a budget of only half a million dollars), it is a very powerful movie that will touch your marriage, no matter its state. Though many have already seen this movie, I believe that it is even worth a second or third look (I'm even considering purchasing this movie). This movie has some special value for anyone whose marriage is struggling, as it shows a method to potentially save the hurting marriage (you can even purchase Love Dare books online).

Some of the key items in this video include:

- Probably the strongest statement I have ever seen concerning internet pornography.
- A portrayal of the idea that no marriage is every too far from saving, when a person commits to rescuing it with God's help.
- A clear & relevant presentation of God's love ("How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?")
- Showing the need for a humble, "see-life-from-your-spouse's" perspective in marriage.
- Portraying the need for having common goals in marriage.

This movie is so wonderful and culture appropriate because of the number of failing marriages in our culture. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the couple was younger, as I personally know (and am providing counseling to some) many younger couples who are potentially facing divorce.

I believe in this movie so much that I am considering having a "movie night" late April or early May to show this film at my church. I would encourage you to purchase this movie or get it from Redbox tonight!!

"Eccles-a-what?"

2009-03-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday morning, I began a new sermon series utilizing the biblical book of Ecclesiastes as the primary text. Over the next weeks, I plan to work through this book from beginning to end, focusing upon the unique message that it brings to us today.

Though Ecclesiastes often seems like a very pessimistic book, I believe that it has a message that is perfect for our postmodern culture. In a world that is searching for meaning and value, Ecclesiastes seeks to answer one key question, found in chapter one verse three. This verse reads, "What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" In essence, this question asks if God is taken out of the equation ("under the sun") can we find lasting profit or value in life?

As Solomon seeks to answer this question, he "shows us his hand," by providing us with an introductory thought. Verse two of chapter one reads, "'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.'" It is important to note that the NIV's translation of the Hebrew term Hebel ("meaningless" ) is unfortunate. While the NIV has rightly understood this term's figurative use, I believe they missed the point, as this word literally means "breath" (see Psalm 39:5 & 144:4). Thus, when this term is used figuratively, it has the idea of being temporary or fleeting. Thus, Solomon tells us that everything is fleeting, and he uses that term five times in verse 2 to tell us that everything is ultimately very, very temporary.

This Sunday morning, we will consider Solomon's "experiment" to find value in the temporary. He will use himself as a "lab rat" to see if intellectualism, hedonism, or materialism/workaholism (and yes, I believe I made that word up) will provide any profit apart from God. While his answer will be obvious to many, we must reflect upon our living to see if we actually are seeking after knowledge, pleasure, or things to fulfill us on a daily basis.

I hope that you all join us this Sunday morning, as we consider Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11.

It's been far too long...

2009-03-04T10:06:00.002-05:00

Allow me to begin by apologizing for my lack of posting recently. While nothing more than excuses, its been a full few weeks for me, complete with a couple of conferences and a cold that has been lingering for more than three weeks. It hasn't just been my blogging that has suffered, until this morning my routine at the gym has been lacking as well. Yet, I plan to post today and Friday, so be watching out later this week.

Imagine walking past a construction site and speaking with three of the workers. You ask the first, "What exactly are you doing?" He responds, "What does it look like I am doing, I am making bricks."

You ask the second, "Well, what are you doing?" She responds, "I'm making a huge wall."

Then, you turn to the third, "What are you doing?" That man responds, "I'm working on a beautiful cathedral, more wonderful than any other in the world."

Though the responses varied, was each person not honest in their response? If they were telling the truth, what caused the difference in their responses? The answer is vision.

The first person had no vision. He was captured by the difficulties of the day and lost sight of the much larger picture. The second person had some limited vision, but did not grasp quite enough. She focused upon a slightly bigger picture, but was still missing that grandiose larger story. The third person understood vision. The grind and challenges of each day had a purpose, as he was working towards something far bigger than himself.

To this end, the FBCA pastoral advisory and vision team continues to work. We are examining how we can fulfill God's Great Commission and live out the Great Commandments in our unique context in Aurora and Streetsboro, Ohio. We're focusing upon the great cathedral that God wants our church to build. Upon which few "best" things should we be focusing? What ways can we use our church's unique makeup and passions of our leaders to reach out to the specific challenges in our coummunity?

Thus, I ask for your prayers for our team. Consider using a prayer penned by the Apostle Paul in chapter one of the book of Philippians as a guide. It reads, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

A 75 Year Old Trapped in a Twenty-Something's Body

2009-02-06T14:30:00.001-05:00

This week I was once again reminded of the fact that I often act in a manner different from my age. My wife (and our volunteer office manager) tell me regularly that I am a 75 year old trapped in a twenty something's body. Though I am not certain about exactly what this designation entails, I have decided to accept it as a compliment.

One such instance of my "older" behavior was during the "Big Game" last weekend. Toward the end of the third quarter, I was starting to get sleepy and I thought the Steelers had control of the game. So, I went to bed. Much to my surprise in the morning, the game had become very interesting in the fourth quarter. I even read some article declaring the game to be the best ever, and I missed it because I was too tired.

However, this old man was able to make it past half-time. During the halftime show, did you see how excited and enthused the people were? At the sight and sounds of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, people were jumping, waving their hands, screaming, and singing with great joy. All this ruckus over... Bruce Springsteen? While I may not be a big fan of The Boss, some people were certainly very excited.

Compare this "worship" of Bruce Springsteen with the way followers of Christ (especially Baptists) approach a "worship service." We claim to be worshiping the One True God, yet we are anything but enthused about it. We are often pretty good at worshiping God in truth, but we certainly lack any sort of response from our hearts. We lack worship from within ourselves; we struggle to worship in spirit.

Perhaps we need to learn to better follow the Psalmist's example, when he said in Psalm 103:1, "Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name."

To this end, please join us for a community worship gathering at First Baptist Church of Aurora at 10:30 this Sunday morning, as we will again look to John 4 to discuss the need to worship in spirit as well as in truth. I hope to see you all!

Is Not Sharing My Faith an Act of Hatred?

2009-02-06T08:40:00.002-05:00

Before I jump into writing my post for today, allow me to apologize for failing to post earlier this week. While my goal is to post each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, this week neither the Monday nor the Wednesday post happened. While there are numerous reasons for the lack of consistency this week, the biggest two were catching up on other matters after being away at a conference last weekend and my computer crashing on Tuesday (as in hard drive reformat). It was just "one of those weeks," as I know many of us regularly experience. However, I hope to post twice today to catch up. First, about a pretty amazing video that was sent to me, and second concerning this weekend's sermon.

Recently I had a friend (actually two) send me this link, which sent me to another person's blog, who had a video from an atheist name Penn Jillette. Though I was not familiar with Mr. Jillette prior to seeing this video, it seems that he is quite the entertainer. While many Christians would find his brand of entertainment to be quite offensive, his fame recently landed him as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

In this video, Jillette, very outspoken about his beliefs, has a very important message for Christians. In this video Jillette speaks favorably of a man who made an attempt to share with him. He instructs believers that if we believe in heaven and hell, we must proselytize others; if we fail to do so, we are actually hating others. While I'm certain that there are few things on which Jillette and I would agree, I think he hit the bulls eye here.

We have so many reasons for failing to share our faith with others. However, most of these "reason" are just excuses because we are so selfish that we do not want to face the possibility of rejection, humiliation, or placing ourselves in socially awkward situations. It most often comes down to placing our own feelings above the eternal destination of others. We love ourselves above others - perhaps a good definition of hatred.

However, where would we be be if no one attempted to proselytize us? Where would you be if no one shared their faith with you? More importantly, what would your eternal destination be? If no one attempted to share their faith with others, Christianity would be dead. Thus Christ gave us the Great Commission, a mission too many of us take far too lightly, "Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age (From The Message)"

While note sharing our faith with others is certainly a rejection of this great commissioning, it is far more than even disobedience. As one of the men who sent me this video asked, "Could [not sharing our faith] be the worst hate crime of all time?"

A Price on Virginity?

2009-01-30T09:00:00.002-05:00

To quote a recent cnn.com report, "There a price on virginity and apparently it is 3.7 million dollars." This story tells of a 22 year old woman, Natalie Dylan, who recently "sold" her virginity online to the highest bidder. She did this, supposedly, to help pay for her education (though she probably earned enough to pay for 10 ivy league educations). This auction was not illegal either, as it was based in Nevada, where prostitution is legal.

While 3.7 million dollars may seem like a lot of money, I personally believe that the price of losing one's virginity illegitimately is far greater than this large sum of cash. Consider the words of Deuteronomy 30:15-16: "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you..."

According to this passage of Scripture, obedience to God has far broader implications than we often consider. Obedience is also about more than 3.7 million dollars, though I believe most (even believers) would do the same if they were promised to gain that huge amount of money. (Perhaps we wouldn't commit a sexual sin such as this one, as prostitution is so looked down upon by our culture, but maybe we might commit another "lesser" sin for a large sum of money.) Obedience to God is a matter of life and death, as Deuteronomy 30 says. We all have the option to accept God's commands and live by them, or we can wrongly assume that we are the final judge of our decisions, living in line with our own desires and culture's expectations.

Romans 6:23 further tells us that the end result of sin is death. We often think that our sins do not matter, but God's Word tells us that they do. In fact, God's actions tell us that sins matter very deeply. It was because of our sin that God sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to die. It was because of many wrong deeds like this one- which is nothing more than desire to earn money illegitimately and an animalistic desire for sex - that Jesus Christ died. He died to pay the price for my sins and for your sins, so that we could have a worshipful fellowship with the father and be complete, as he created us to be.

The choice of losing virginity outside of marriage has nothing to do with 3.7 million dollars. According to God, obedience and disobedience has everything to do with life and death, implications that far exceed any amount of money!

Straight to the Dog's Mouth...

2009-01-28T07:51:00.003-05:00

My wife and I recently purchased a new dog from a local rescue - Roses Rescue in Ravenna. While a bit energetic, Carter is a perfect dog for our family. He is a German Shepherd/Terrier mix. He looks like a German Shepherd puppy with curly tail and floppy ears. His smaller size is perfect for our 11 month old daughter Meredith. His disposition around children is excellent, prior to meeting Carter we were able to view short online video of a 2 year old crawling over him. He is even housebroken and listens to basic commands (for the most part).

One challenge that we have had is clearly identifying his age. While we were told by his foster parent that he was 2, his papers say that he is about 7 months. Our veterinarian told us that he was no more than 18 months old.

Though the manner of their "dating" of Carter was very inexact, I found it to be very interesting. Everyone who gave Carter an age referred to his teeth. He has all of his adult teeth (which means he is hopefully done growing), but his teeth are in nearly perfect condition (meaning that he is still quite young).

The same practice of using teeth to find out about an animals age and wear & tear is why we have the popular saying, "Go straight to the horse's mouth." Prior to a horse race, prospective gamblers would examine the horse to see how the horse might perform. To find the best information, the person considering placing a bet would go to the horses mouth - there they could find the most reliable information. The same idea is also true of the phrase "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." The idea here is that it is quite rude to try to size up a gift's value. We should accept gifts from people, without trying to determine their worth.

This Sunday morning First Baptist Church of Aurora we will continue our study on Worship. This week we will go straight to the horse's mouth to discover what God intends for our worship in the New Covenant. We will go to John 4 - the story of the woman at the well. In this story, the Greek term for worship is used 10 times. Thus, if we desire to learn what God says about worship, this passage would consitute the horse's mouth - the most reliable information.

To this end, I hope that you join us for part one of "Is this the place?" this Sunday Morning at 10:30am!

Let Us Learn from the Credit Crunch

2009-01-26T17:55:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard (and obviously live in a cave), we are in the midst of a global recession and a huge credit crunch. Today has already been nick-named "Bloody Monday," as more than 71,400 job cuts were reported today by seven large US companies. American Express recently reported a 79% loss in income for the last quarter. The dollar continue to tumble and there is even the fear of the nationalization of banks (which certainly didn't work in Iceland). Certainly this hits close to home, as GM is making cuts at the Lordstown, OH assembly plant.

The great news for the Christian is that God's Word contains the solution, as always - biblical management (stewardship) of our belongings, sacrificial giving to God's church and others in need, and the valuing of heavenly rewards above earthly possessions. Even though many churches have been teaching about proper stewardship (and some haven't), we have listened to our culture rather than God's Word and been very busy buying, buying, buying, buying, and buying - and borrowing, borrowing, borrowing, and borrowing - and building, building, building, and building.

Our "me first" attitude with our financial (and time) resources show that humans really haven't "evolved" too far from the Garden of Eden. We still struggle with pride, thinking that we deserve a level and status that is far higher than what we need. In a nutshell, we are very greedy. The past decade and a half have proven this very clearly, and we Christians are not beyond this most horrific sin.

I would invite you to consider the following article from an evangelical Free Methodist Church in the UK. I thought that it was a wonderful response to the credit crisis. Here it is!

Here are some other articles that offer interesting perspectives on our financial state:

Recessions were once upon a time viewed as good things! - Very interesting perspective. We are certainly seeing "high living" stopping.
7 ways to have a recession proof life
Or check out the wealth of financial information at Focus on the Family - I got lost in the articles today. There is so much here of value for the current financial landscape!
The same is true at Crown Financial Ministries.

Christian brothers and sisters - the time is now. I hope that if you failed to examine your financial habits in light of God's Word in the past, that current circumstances will lead to you reconsider them now. Consider Matthew 6:20-21 from the message, "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."

Knowing a God who has already told us about himself

2009-01-21T13:05:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week I was reading a book entitled "Church Unique," which is a marvelous book about church vision, direction, and strategy. In my reading, I came across a wonderful story that applies to the current sermon series at First Baptist Church, especially last week's and this upcoming sermon.

The author of this book, Will Mancini, tells of growing up near the Brandywine River in Southeastern Pennsylvania. He tells of how he loved to spend his summers on the river swimming and fishing. As an adult, Mancini discovered that a world famous artist name Andrew Wyeth (who actually passed away last Friday), who is considered one of America’s most significant artists, lived near this river in Chadds Ford, PA.

What is especially noteworthy about Wyeth is that in more than 50 years of panting, he almost always limited his painting to capturing landscapes in this town or his family’s summerhouse in Maine. This man touched the world with his ability, without leaving his backyard. His creative mind was forever satisfied by merely focusing on what was already there. What others often missed, he observed and found.

Often we have periods of times in our lives where we think that God cannot be known. We think that he is absent, or some even think that God is one who is forever playing hide-n-seek and cannot be found. We think that he is too far removed from our insignificant selves, and lose sight of the reality that he cares for us.

We must understand, however, that the problem isn’t that God cannot be known; the problem is that we have missed knowing him. We are missing what he has revealed about himself in his Word and in his world. We need to be more like Andrew Wyeth - to be forever satisfied by focusing upon what God has already placed in front of us - forever devoted to what God has said about himself.

This week we will continue with the second part of a sermon that focuses upon the attributes or characteristics of God. Our goal is to learn more about the person of God, so that we can worship Him more deeply. We will specifically be looking at the omniscience, omni-presence, and holiness of God. This study, however, will be far more than a theology lesson. I hope that as you learn more about our great God that you will be inspired to understand the many blessings he provides us and love him more deeply.

I hope that if you are reading this you are able to join us this Sunday at 10:30am!

Watching and praying...

2009-01-20T10:01:00.003-05:00

As Barrack Obama takes the oath of office today, I am eagerly watching (like many), but I am also trying to devote as much time as possible to prayer. As I have stated in an earlier blog posting, I believe that praying for our leaders is a vital important to the Christian life. To this end, I want to share Dr. Albert Mohler's prayer that he posted on his webpage today. Dr. Mohler is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, the school where First Baptist's former youth pastor and friend, Jarrett Klingler (as well as Amy & Elizabeth), is attending.

Here is his prayer, followed by some comments, use them as a tool to help pray for soon-to-be President Obama:

Our Father, Lord of all creation, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: We pray today with a sense of special urgency and responsibility. We come before you to pray for our new President, Barack Obama, and for all those in this new administration who now assume roles of such high responsibility.

We know that you and you alone are sovereign; that you rule over all, and that you alone are able to keep and defend us. We know that our times are in your hands, and that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord" [Proverbs 21:1]. Our confidence is in you and in you alone. We come before you as a people who acknowledge our constant need for your provision, wisdom, and protection.

Father, we pray today for Barack Obama as he takes office as President of the United States. We pray that you will show the glory of your name in our times and in these days, confounding the wisdom of the wise, thwarting the plans of the arrogant, and vindicating those who do justice and practice righteousness.

Father, we pray with thanksgiving for the gift of government and the grace of civic order. Thank you for giving us rulers and for knowing our need for laws and ordered life together. Thank you for this nation and the blessings we know as its citizens. Thank you for freedoms unprecedented in human history. We understand that these freedoms come with unprecedented opportunities.

Lord, we pray with thanksgiving for the joy and celebration reflected on millions of faces who never expected to look to the President of the United States and see a person who looks like themselves. Father, thank you for preserving this nation to the moment when an African-American citizen will take the oath of office and become our President. Thank you for the hope this has given to so many, the pride emerging in hearts that had known no such hope, and the pride that comes to a people who have experienced such pain at the hands of fellow citizens, simply because of the color of their skin. Father, we rejoice in every elderly face that reflects such long-sought satisfaction and in every young face that expresses such unrestrained joy. May this become an open door for a vision of race and human dignity that reflects your glory in our differences, and not our corruption of your gift.

Father, protect this president, we pray. We pray that you will surround this president and his family, along with all our leaders, with your protection and sustenance. May he be protected from evil acts and evil intentions, and may his family be protected from all evil and harm.

We pray that the Obama family will be drawn together as they move into the White House, and that they will know great joy in their family life. We are thankful for the example Barack and Michelle Obama have set as parents. Father, protect those precious girls in every way -- including the protection of their hearts as they see their father often criticized and as he is away from them on business of state. May their years in the White House bring them all even closer together.

Father, we pray for the safety and security of this nation, even as our new president settles into his role as Commander in Chief. We know that you and you alone can be our defense. We do not place our trust in horses or chariots, and we pray that you will give this president wisdom as he fulfills this vital responsibility.

Father, grant him wisdom in every dimension of his vast responsibility. Grant him wisdom to deal with a global financial crisis and with the swirling complex of vexing problems and challenges at home and abroad. May he inspire this nation to a higher vision for our common life together, to a higher standard of justice, righteousness, unity, and the tasks of citizenship.

Father, we pray that you will change this president's heart and mind on issues of urgent concern. We are so thankful for his gifts and talents, for his intellect and power of influence. Father, bend his heart to see the dignity and sanctity of every single human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. Father, lead him to see abortion, not as a matter of misconstrued rights, but as a murderous violation of the right to life. May he come to see every aborted life as a violation of human dignity and every abortion as an abhorrent blight upon this nation's moral witness. May he pledge himself to protect every human life at every stage of development. He has declared himself as an energetic defender of abortion rights, and we fear that his election will lead directly to the deaths of countless unborn human beings. Protect us from this unspeakable evil, we pray. Most urgently, we pray that you will bring the reign of abortion to an end, even as you are the defender of the defenseless.

Father, may this new president see that human dignity is undermined when human embryos are destroyed in the name of medical progress, and may he see marriage as an institution that is vital to the very survival of civilization. May he protect all that is right and good. Father, change his heart where it must be changed, and give him resolve where his heart is right before you.

Father, when we face hard days ahead -- when we find ourselves required by conscience to oppose this president within the bounds of our roles as citizens -- may we be granted your guidance to do so with a proper spirit, with a proper demeanor, and with persuasive arguments. May we learn anew how to confront without demonizing, and to oppose without abandoning hope.

Father, we are aware that our future is in your hands, and we are fully aware that you and you alone will judge the nations. Much responsibility is now invested in President Barack Obama, and much will be required. May we, as Christian citizens, also fulfill what you would require of us. Even as we pray for you to protect this president and change his heart, we also pray that your church will be protected and that you will conform our hearts to your perfect will.

Father, we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, the ever-reigning once and future King, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He and he alone can save, and his kingdom is forever. Above all, may your great name be praised. Amen.

_________________________

Christians are, first of all, citizens of a heavenly kingdom. The followers of Christ know no allegiance of ultimate rank to any government or earthly authority. Yet, the Bible clearly teaches that God has given us the gifts of law, government, and ruling authorities for our good. We are instructed to pray for "rulers and all who have authority" and to be faithful in praying "so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God" [1 Timothy 2:2].

As Barack Obama prepares to take the oath of office and become the 44th President of the United States, Christians should be thinking about how to pray for the new President. I offer this prayer as a place to start, as we observe the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States together.

The Main Thing is...

2009-01-19T14:54:00.004-05:00

Being a former multi-sport high school athlete, I became familiar with the following idea - "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." In the case of sports, the "main thing" is pretty clear - winning. Winning is the goal of athletics, as it is a competition. Thus, a win-loss record is kept, and each team develops a unique strategy to win each game. Any other goal simply isn't the "main thing."

This "main thing" idea is also true to our individual lives and the life of the church. We are so good at getting distracted by so many (often good) things. Our ministry can become a distraction, our passions can become a distraction, our jobs can become a distraction, our own selves can become a distraction, and our sin can be a even bigger distraction. We must remember that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. In other words, we must focus primarily upon the Gospel. The Good News is the Main Thing that Christianity is all about. Any other focus simply doesn't cut it for a biblical church.

While certainly the spiritual disciplines, beginning with Bible study & prayer, will help keep the main thing the main thing, I believe that a primary purpose of the biblical ordinance of communion is for us to remember. This practice causes us to remember what we as Christians should be all about - the Gospel of Christ. It causes us to remember our sin and its guilt. It causes us to remember that though we deserve punishment of our sins, God offered His one and only Son to pay the price for our sin. To this end, Jesus said the following about the bread and the cup in Luke 22, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me... In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'"

At First Baptist, we will begin receiving communion once a month (rather than once a quarter), with the goal of it being a regular reminder of the priority of the Gospel in our lives and in our message. On a "normal month (are any of them truly normal?)," we will receive communion on the last Sunday of each month. Thus, this Sunday, January 25th, we will partake in this important ordinance and receive our benevolence offering (which helps both those in our church family and our community who are in need).

I am looking forward to sharing in communion this Sunday morning with our entire church family! See you all then!

Review: "The Next Generation Leader"

2009-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

One increasing challenge in churches today is in both reaching and training the next generation to lead the church. Though I certainly love and appreciate the work and legacy of many of our senior citizens, it saddens me that too many of these older saints are doing all of the leadership work in the church. It is so very scary to see those who comprise the next generation are simply failing to fill leadership positions in the local church (and unfortunately many are leaving the church all together).

Andy Stanley, the pastor of North Point Community Church outside of Atlanta, GA understands the need for training and developing the next generation of Christians, as his church's median age is 30. Being the son of the pastor, author, and christian leader Charles Stanley, he has had the unique privilege (and I'm sure sometimes challenge) of learning from the successes and challenges his Dad face in his leadership role.

In Stanley's book, The Next Generation Leader, he seeks to address 3 questions, which he identifies in the introduction of the book. First, "What are the leadership principals I wish someone had shared with me when I was a young leader?" Second, "What do I know now that I wish I had known then?" Third, "Of all that could be said about leadership, what must be conveyed to the next generation of leadership." His answer, obviously coming from his experiences, to these three questions comes in five parts.

1. Competence - Stanley makes the point that leaders must limit their activities to do the things in which they are most likely to be successful. They must not do everything, but do the right things. Further, good leaders must learn to cut busy-ness from the schedule, so that they can focus on the right things.

2. Courage - Leadership isn't always for the most talented person, but the leader is the one who has courage to move forward and set things in motion. They have the courage to say no to many good opportunities and yes to the right ones. They have the courage to face the current reality, without living in denial. They have the courage to dream big dreams.

3. Clarity - Though uncertainty is sure to come, leaders know how to be clear with their initiatives and directives in the midst of uncertainty. Stanley notes that it is not wrong for a leader to admit not knowing answer, in fact, pretending to know the answers when you don't exposes a lack of character, which is worse than a lack of knowledge.

4. Coaching - The wise leader realizes that without the help and counsel of others he/she will never be as good as he can be. The wise coach must listen to and learn from others. Stanley's noting that the fall of Rehoboam (the son of Solomon) was in part due to lack of listening to counsel really helps under gird his points.

5. Character - Stanley notes that a person can be a leader without character but that person will not be a leader worth following. A leader must do the right thing, even when it is hard because doing the wrong thing catches up with leaders and a leader's character is always on display. Leaders must also never violate the principles of God to gain or maintain the blessing of God.

So many young people have been given by God the natural ability to lead, but they are not putting their leadership to use and they are not developing it. They do not seem to believe Jesus' words that claim to those who have been give a lot, a lot will be expected.

I absolutely recommend Next Generation Leader to any mature teen or 20/30 something. They will find this book to be informing and challenging, as they seek to be the leaders that God expects them to be. I further believe that this book would be of value to the First Baptist Family because we have many 20/30 somethings (and 40 somethings) who could and should step into leadership positions within the local church.

A Desire for Relevancy

2009-01-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

In the month of December, the congregation of First Baptist Church affirmed the creation of a vision team, a team on which I serve, as one of the three members.

Last Sunday, our team had its first meeting since being sanctioned, pondering and discussing many items that concern the First Baptist Church Family. We spent the majority of our time thinking through some of the challenges at First Baptist. Discussing these items will help us to determine a master church plan or vision, as we seek to understand some of our past failings and make sure that history does not repeat itself. While certainly considering our areas for growth was difficult, we will, at our next meeting, discuss the many strengths of First Baptist, so that we can build this master plan upon our strengths.

Back to the challenges, one item that we discussed that was a challenge for our church family was being relevant to our community. While we are busy doing a lot of ministries and other "good" things as a church family, we noted that our community often doesn't see these things as important or meeting the challenges they are facing.

This challenge in our church family reminded me of a recent article I read online at MSNBC, entitled, "Cowboy Churches Rope in New Christians." This AP article seeks to describe the success of "Cowboy Churches" through North America, especially in the Texas area. These churches, supported by the Southern Baptist Convention, are seeking to reach those with Gospel by being relevant to their communities. In order to accomplish this goal, these groups study their unique communities and determine non-traditional methods (like a rodeo) that they believe will reach others for Christ. Their relevancy in appealing to cowboys has lead to touching lives with the Gospel, as evidenced in part by their growth.

While I am certainly not suggesting that First Baptist Church of Aurora start a cowboy worship service or a rodeo outreach program, I am suggesting that we need to rethink what we do and how we do it as we try to reach others for Christ. We must seek to be relevant to the culture and needs of our community, which is exactly what Jesus Christ did while he was on the earth. Some rejected Jesus when he tried to meet their needs (the Pharisees) while some embraced Him wholeheartedly. One thing is for sure, relevancy will require change, for if we believe that we are not completely relevant now, we must change in order to be relevant.

I do believe, however, that a side note is necessary here. We all did agree that we are relevant to our community in some of our ministries, so not all of the news is bad news. The two that we noted (though there are certainly more) would be our Upward Basketball Program and our My First School Preschool, as we understand that many who are involved in these two ministries of our church are not from our church's membership role.

We currently ask that you keep us, the Vision Team, in your prayers, as we continue to meet, with the goal of creating a master plan for First Baptist, giving us a biblical direction. If you have any questions about this team or for this team, please feel free to to e-mail me at pastordrew@fbcaurora.org.

Do you remember when...

2009-01-12T16:02:00.006-05:00

Can you remember back to the time when you first began to date your spouse? Do you remember the love that was in the air? The affection of the first touch and the first kiss? Do you remember how you couldn't ever get enough of one another? Do you remember the joy of finding out everything you could about the person who is now your husband and wife? Wasn't it a joy to find out everything about your spouse: their strengths, growth areas, their cute habits, their not-so-cute habits, their pleasant smells, and their not so pleasant smells?

At First Baptist Church this coming Sunday, we will continue our study on worship by looking at some of God's key attributes or characteristics. The goal of this study is to be certain that our praise of God is acceptable because we know the God to whom we are offering worship. Just as we desire to know everything we can about our spouse, we must know what is revealed to us about the God we love.

The ultimate contrast to worshiping a God who is and can be known can be found in Acts 17, where the people of Athens worshiped an idol that was dedicated to an "unknown God." When the Apostle Paul saw this misdirected worship, I am certain that his heart was broken for the people of Athens, and so he began to tell them about the God of the Bible, the God who they could know intimately and deeply.

Just as your are married to a spouse that you can know, we worship a God who we can know. This Sunday we will look at some of his key attributes: immutability (he never changes), omnipotent (he is all powerful), omnipresence (he is always everywhere), his omniscience (he knows everything), and holiness (he is pure). As we get to know God more, we will discover that there is so very much about our God to worship.

So, please join us for a community worship celebration, this Sunday morning at 10:30am!

Virginity Pledges Found to Not be Effective

2009-01-07T09:47:00.003-05:00

I just love it when our national media gets it right by means of common grace. I love it when they give sound advice, even if they don't know or understand that the advice they give aligns with Scripture.

Recently CNN.com published an article about the finding of a recent study claiming that virginity pledges don't mean much. While I certainly believe that these pledges do mean a lot to some of the individuals who take them (my sister and her now husband both had purity rings, which were very meaningful to them and were a beautiful part of their wedding ceremony), I largely agree with the findings of the article. The article claims that those individuals who take purity pledges typically are more conservative and probably would abstain from sexual relationships until marriage, with or without a pledge. This idea certainly makes sense to me.

However, I believe that the key and most important part to this entire article is found at the very end, the person who conducted the study is quoted as saying, "Parents should talk to their kids about sex. It should not be single conversation, it should be a continued conversation at the moments that are teachable moments...Parents tend to hope that schools [and I would add churches] will take care of it -- they can't, obviously."

What I find so wonderful about this quote is that it sounds just like one of the greatest biblical passages on covenant living, worship, and parenting, Deuteronomy 6. It says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Be sure to note that section I placed in bold. Those who follow Christ and the God of the Bible, should make it a high priority to teach their children His commands. They are to use teachable moments at home & on the road (in other words, whatever the family is doing) and at bedtime & at morning time (in order words, whatever time of day it is).

Parents, the key to having your child live righteously, even in matters of purity, is to teach them and parent them. Don't try to force them to make promises, and don't rely on someone else to teach your children, as this job falls within God's plan to you. Have the often difficult discussions about premarital sex, lust, masturbation, and internet pornography, in addition to talks about other key issues (drugs, alcohol, etc.) and talks of growing in the Lord (bible reading, prayer, etc.).

If ever there was a time in our world where our children needed their parents it is now. So parents, "impress [God's commands] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Waiting (not so patiently) for January 20th

2009-01-05T16:20:00.004-05:00

In fifteen short days, President-Elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the President of the United States. This date seems like a such an important one for our country, as many dividing issues will be placed in the hands of Mr. Obama.

I, for one, am very much looking forward to Barack Obama's speech. It's not that I necessarily support every one of his initiatives because I do not. I am looking forward to this day for two reasons. First, like many, I want to better understand some of Barack Obama's plans and dreams for America when he is president (I assume they will and have changed since he was a candidate). I hope that his inaugration address will clearly speak to these issues. Second, I am really interested in Rick Warren's inauguration prayer.

Rick Warren, the author of the Purpose-Drive books & movement and pastor of Saddleback Church (a Southern Baptist Church) has a very special opportunity with this public prayer. He has the opportunity to pray to God, the Father, in front of our entire nation. Certainly Obama's choice of Warren is causing quite a stir, as Obama merely chose an evangelical pastor (who supported an amendment to California's Constitution that banned gay marriage) and as Warren may use the name of Jesus in his prayer, but I hope that Warren can rise to the occasion.

While I am certainly glad that Obama did reach out to social conservatives with the pick of Warren (I hope this choice means that he will be more balanced with his policies), I certainly am glad that I am not in Warren's shoes, as it seems like he is in a no win situation. It seems like no matter what Warren does with this prayer, he will upset someone.

I believe that if we are truly Christians, we will begin praying for Rick Warren, regularly. He has ascended into the national spotlight again, performing a public prayer that is often reserved for the biggest names in American Christendom (such as Billy Graham, who did not use Jesus' name in his prayer at Bill Clinton's inauguration). Too often Christians "shoot their own," which is what many conservative and ultra conservative Christians do with Rick Warren, being critical of his public appereances and books. While certainly I have not agreed with everything Warren has done and do not consider everything he has written to be Gospel, I believe Rick Warren to be a godly man, who is trying to act in wisdom with his very public role. I think that given Warren's unique position, we all must pray for him, rather than constantly criticize him.

I am really looking forward to January 20th. I really want to hear Obama's speech and Warren's prayer. I, unlike many on both sides of the debate who are and will be overly critical, will be praying for wisdom for Warren. I am praying and hoping that he is able to use his prayer to draw people toward Jesus - the Evangelical, the Athiest, the Muslim, the Agnostic, the Jew, the Catholic, the liberal Christian, and any others.

What a huge, almost impossible job for Rick Warren, especially as Obama's choice of him has caught the eye of the national media! Yet, we must remember that the God of the Bible is the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37).

"Our Ultimate Priority"

2009-01-02T08:14:00.003-05:00

My favorite line of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is the line that answers the question concerning the "chief end of man." This Catechism states, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever."

To this end, I will be leading First Baptist Church through a study on worshiping God beginning Sunday, January 11. I am looking forward to laying out a biblical perspective on true, biblical worship, as I believe that the contemporary America church has little to no understanding of true worship. My goal is to clearly present that true worship of God is not about traditional, blended, or contemporary music. It certainly is not about organs, guitars, drums, pianos, or brass instruments. It is not really even about music. Worship of God is all about the worshiper's heart - a worshiper who is prepared to give (and not just a monetary gift). Thus, I believe that if a believer cannot worship without music, a believe cannot worship with music (whether it be soft, loud, contemporary, or traditional).

We will discuss many practical ideas (How do I prepare for worship? What are some barriers to worship? What are the results of true worship?). We will discuss how worship looks for us under the New Covenant (John 4) and what we can learn about worship from the Old System. We will discuss the Being that we worship and his key attributes.

One key book that I am heavily relying upon for this study is John MacArthur's "The Ultimate Priority." If you click on the link (within the title of the book), you will be sent to Amazon.com, where you can buy this book. It is probably the best book on worship that I have ever read; one that has stood the test of time (more than 25 years old). For those who don't typically enjoy reading, it is only 160 pages, but those 160 pages are packed with very keen observations from MacArthur. I truly hope that anyone who reads this will pick up a copy of this wonderful little book.

If you are unable to make it to First Baptist for this study, please feel free to visit this link, to hear sermons online.

I am looking forward to studying more about "Our Ultimate Priority," "Our Chief End" with you in the coming weeks. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year!

Our Mutual Joy... Kind of?

2008-12-17T15:50:00.011-05:00

In last week's issue of Newsweek magazine, an article entitled "Our Mutual Joy" was published, written by Newsweek editor Lisa Miller. Please click on the link to the article and read it, prior to reading the rest of this blog posting.

This article saddens me very much because it was an example of fairly poor journalism, as it was extremely once sided. Upon reading the article, it seems like the author merely set out to disprove the viewpoint of "religious conservatives" on the issue of gay marriage, rather than report something without passing judgement. The article should have been billed as an opinion piece, but, at least on the Newsweek web page, I find no such designation.

However, prior to going through my negative comments about this article, certainly there are some areas where Ms. Miller is absolutely correct. First, I believe that she rightly espouses a view of the Leviticus passages that speak against homosexual conduct. She is correct to note that the context of these passages deal with many of the Old Covenant regulations which were only applicable to Hebrews living under that system during that period of time.

Second, she rightly notes that many heterosexual Christians deal with a personal discomfort (often reffered to as homophobia) that often drives their view of gay marriage far more than any biblical or theological argument. She says, "to talk turkey for a minute, [there is] a personal discomfort with gay sex [that] transcends theological argument..." I believe that she is absolutely right here, much to the committed biblical Christian's shame. To take it one step further than even Ms. Miller, I believe that few committed biblical Christians who claim the Bible speaks against gay marriage or homosexuality would have the ability to espouse any sort of biblical argument against it. At times we so-called biblical Christians are so afraid of homosexuality and homosexuals, that we might even be willing to overlook any biblical argumentation that might promote such behavior (though I do not believe there is any). If these ideas is true, it is much to our shame.

With these items noted, I believe that Ms. Miller's argument for a Christian's acceptance of a biblical argument for gay marriage fall very, very short.

First, she hinges much of her argument trying to prove that the Bible doesn't paint a picture of one man/one woman marriage.

She begins to prove this point by trying to show how the Bible describes God's people's application of God's prescription for marriage. Thus, Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, etc. all practiced marriage in a non-"one man/one woman" sort of fashion. However, we must remember that often the Bible makes descriptions of God's people not following his prescriptions (i.e. Deuteronomy 17:17 states that kings should not take too many wives, but David and Solomon did). We must remember that God's description of events is not necessarily his prescription for them. Further, she should not have also suggested that the Jonathan/David account may deal with homosexuality and then say that she is not suggesting that it may deal with homosexuality (I would ask, why bring it up then?). Clearly, this passage in no way prescribes homosexuality, and if interpreted in light of the rest David's life, it doesn't describe it either. Once again, her later dealings with the Moses & Ester cases describe God's people not practicing God's prescriptions for marriage (in this case the presecriptions were uniquely intended by God for ancient Hebrews).

Her second attempt to argue against the "religous conservatives" is to look at those Scriptures which prescribe God's plan for marriage. She first tries to deal with the creation account in Genesis (which does, by the way explicitly define marriage as being between one man and one woman, even though she claims it does not). While she correctly records God's Word ("Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh"), she repeats her first argument about the verse being written "by people for whom polygamy was the way of the world." She in no ways deals with this text, but merely continues her first argument, which doesn't apply to this text (to prove my point, can I not rightly tell others it is God's Will that we not lie and then fail that requirement?).

At this point, she goes further down the rabbit hole by blatantly misrepresenting and mocking most "religious conservatives" view of biblical inspiration by saying "if you believe that the Bible was written by men and not handed down in its leather bindings by God." A woman in her position (Newsweek Religion Section Editor) should have a better understanding of the conservative view of inspiration (no conservative I know believes this). Not only does she mock at this point, but later she says, "A mature view of scriptural authority requires us, as we have in the past, to move beyond literalism." The problem here is that many conservatives do hold to a literal interpretation of Scripture. Rather than deal with the issue of proper biblical interpretation, Ms. Miller resorts to name calling (Am I "immature?"). These misrepresentations and mocking attitudes should not be acceptable for a journalist of Ms. Miller's position.

To get back to the point of Ms. Miller's dealing with passages that prescribe God's plan for marriage, her dealing with the passage of Romans 1 is not adequate. She espouses a minority position from a scholar with whom she agrees. One must ask why she does not deal with any biblical conservative scholar anywhere in this article?! The most obvious reading of Romans 1 has nothing to do with the Emperor of Rome, as the Emperor is nowhere discussed. Further, a brief reading of Romans 2 would provide textual clues to suggest that Romans 1 is talking about all non-Jews in the known world.

It seems as if Ms. Miller, in her dealing with all of these Scripture passages, is driving toward one particular mall, carefully following her predetermined route, then trying to convince us how marvelous it was that she arrived at the correct destination. If you begin with a certain belief and approach to Scripture trying to prove that belief, it is no wonder the results wind up being exactly what you hoped. In literature this method of interpretation, where one reads into a literary work, is called eisegesis (the prefix being from the Greek for for "into"). However, most religious conservatives would, based upon our supposed "immature" view of interpretation, try to take out from Scripture (knowing that the text is inspired from God) in a method of interpretation known as exegesis.

The second way that Ms. Miller article falls short of proving the Bible permits gay marriage is that she grants herself the right for a radical reinterpretation of Scripture, based upon the changes of culture. She claims, "the Bible is a living document, powerful for more than 2,000 years because its truths speak to us even as we change through history." She proceeds to say that because of this fact, Scripture gives no reason why gays and lesbians cannot be married. While I absoultely agree that the Bible is a living document whose truths are applicable to people living in different millenniums and cultures, I would not agree that allows us to radically reinterpret Scripture to fit our ever changing viewpoint on exactly what constitutes "justice" (see the Martin Luther King Jr. quotation). Again, her view of inspiration is not true to what God's Word says about itself. To be clear, God's truths apply to us as society and cultures change, but his truths do not change. Her conclusion after dealing with the biblical text is hardly supported in her article, as she claims, "religious objections to gay marriage are rooted not in the Bible at all..." Rather, I believe what she should have said is that religoius objections to gay marraige are rooted not in Ms. Miller's radical re-interpretationon of the Bible at all.

The third way her article falls shy of proving her point is her attempt to espouse (again only dealing with a scholar supporting her position) that Galatians 3:28 provides evidence for gay marriage. It is my belief that this passage clearly does no such thing. It makes the understanding that different genders (an amoral factor), different ethnicities (an amoral factor), different genders (an amoral factor), different financial status (an amoral factor - and yes, slavery in the first century is morally permissible, though it was not as practiced in the early part of America's history - but let's leave that for another day), all approach Christ the same. These potential limiting factors, which were more important in the 1st century than today, did not limit, according to the Apostle Paul, one's standing in Christ. That is why this verse is preceded by, "you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ." Not only does this verse not state anything about gay marriage being permissive for homosexual couples (which isn't even the point), the verse states nothing about the inclusive nature of sexual preference into God's plan. This passage is the only biblical passage that she uses to indicate that God permits homosexuality. It is the only passage that she uses and it does not even talk about homosexuality nor about God claiming that it should be allowed. While she can paint a "straw man" of the arguement made by religious conservatives, this passage, which in no way even speaks about homosexuality, is the only biblical basis that she can find for her viewpoint. I must admit, I am far more impressed by her "straw man" portrait of the religious conservative's argument, let alone their true argument.

The fourth way her article falls short is that she in no way proves this statement, "to deny access to any sacrament based on sexuality is exactly the same thing as denying it based on skin color" (and then proceeds with another shallow, mocking remark about how serious people wouldn't do this). This argument is based at the emotions rather than the intellect. In no way does she prove the point that sexual preference is the same as race, and few, if any, "religious Conservatives" would agree with this point.

A final point to make about this article is that she makes a statement that I consider to be a half truth, but it is a statement that should challenge those who are "religious conservatives" to change their behavior towards those engaged in homosexuality. She quotes a friend who is a priest, "if Jesus were alive today, he would reach out to the gays and lesbians among us." It is my belief that Jesus absolutely would reach out to these people, who are made in God's image and loved by God. He would reach out to them in love, much like he reached out to the disabled, sick, poor, prostitutes, adulterers, and other sinners (of which I am certainly a part). He would have displayed God's love and forgiveness. Jesus would have shown God's mercy and grace. However, he would have done so in a way that didn't excuse that person's sin. Much like we are all called to confession and repentance (1 John 1:9), he would call the man or woman engaged in sinful homosexual behavior to the same action. This response to sin is exactly the way he handled another person involved in sexual sin, as John 8:11 records, "Go and leave your life of sin."

The problem with religious conservatives, probably due towards a Pharisaical attitude, a deep & sinful self absorption, and general homophobia, is that we do not reach out with the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God as Christ did. He may have forgiven our sins (which are not "better sins" than homosexuality), but we hide in our Christian castles (aka church buildings), put up the drawbridge, and launch cannonballs and arrows of condemnations and judgments from afar. I wonder if the shaky biblical argument for gay marriage would even have its half of leg to stand upon if Christians both truly and lovingly expressed God's love, while still not condoning the sin. We certainly have the "not condoning the sin" part down a little too well (often resulting in a judgmental, "better/holier than thou art" attitude), but we haven't even begun to express God's love to those who struggle with the sin of homosexuality.

Perhaps "Our Mutual Joy" is an appropriate title for this subject. Perhaps true joy can be found by both the heterosexual and homosexual as both find forgiveness for their sins (which includes all the sexual and non-sexual sins of the Bible, not just homosexuality) and the ability to have victory over temptation in the person of Jesus Christ.

A Far Cry from Deuteronomy 6

2008-12-15T15:36:00.003-05:00

One important passage in Scripture for all parents can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-8. The first verses of this passage read, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

My last blog posting made reference to a wonderful Andy Stanley book, entitled, Choosing to Cheat, which argues for the idea that since we only have so few hours available to us, we must cheat some things in order to do some better things. Thus, the book is all about balancing the work and home portions of our schedules.

After writing this blog post, I watched the following video on CNN.com, which speaks of the nearly 25% of all working men in Japan who do not see their children at all during the week because of their work commitments. The video makes the case that this situation will only become worse due to the current global recession.

I fear that a similar situation occurs or will occur (due to the economy) in the United States, even in Christian homes. I am especially concerned due to the behavioral problems which we see in many children today. What a far cry from teaching our children God's commands in Deuteronomy 6 - "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up!"

I hope and pray, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that we will be more committed to a proper upbringing of our children than we are to our standard of living. I hope that we are even willing to say "no" to our workplace and even risk losing our jobs, instead of saying "no" to God's command to teach our children His ways.

Please note parents, this command is not made to religious leaders or Sunday School teachers, the command is made to the parents ("your children"). Always remember that it is not the job of the church to teach God's ways to your children; God has given you that job. Don't let work, a struggling economy, or a "required" standard of living take you away from this job.

Am I a cheater?

2008-12-09T09:55:00.004-05:00

Earlier this calendar year, I found myself in a common situation for many of those who work outside the home. Many changes in my place of employment/vocational ministry (First Baptist Church of Aurora) necessitated the addition of many hours working and much stress (most of which I brought home).

To say the least, these sorts of situations can and do cause great discord in our homes. It seems like these are times when the "Peace of God" is certainly absent. My home was no different than most, and I could certainly not blame the issues on anyone other than myself.

Due to my circumstances, I did what most in modern American do - I "cheated." No - I wasn't guilty of infidelity, I was guilty of cheating my wife and daughter of the time they deserved, so that I could devote an additional amount of time to my job. This is the basic premise behind Andy Stanley's book Choosing to Cheat: Who Wins when Family and Work Collide.

This well-written, short & easy read was very, very convicting for me. It allowed me to be reminded of the fact that we only have so many hours in each day, but we have so many things vying for our time. Thus, we often "cheat" home for these other (even lesser) things.

The book speaks of how we play the game of cheating ("My heart is really at home..."), how we typically have a "crisis" moment (often too late), how we wrongly utilize our family's desire to please us enabling our cheating, and how both parties are often unwilling to sacrifice to help the problem.

After working through many of the practical issues, Stanley proceeds to tell us how to manage the balance between home and work ("cheating by the book"). He uses the biblical story of Daniel and his dealing with pleasing the king of the land and the King of the Universe. He tells us to figure out our non-negotiables, develop a plan, and set up a "trial period."

This book is a great read, and I would recommend it to all who are struggling with the careful balance between work and home. Stanley does well to stick with Scripture, but also bringing biblical truth to today with real-life applications.

I guess the question remains: Are you cheating?

Remembering He's the Reason...

2008-12-04T13:24:00.004-05:00

I feel like the Grinch this Christmas season, as I have almost no excitement for the upcoming Christmas holiday. I had to speak for our preschool's chapel service today, retelling the story of Advent, and it was very, very laborious for me. I am yet to even pull out the decorations for my home or begin to shop for my wife (usually I have my Christmas shopping done by the end of October).

While I to hope to catch the joy of the Christmas season (and am sure that I will), my Grinch-like attitude has me wondering about how we can all prepare for this time of year. There is so much going on - cooking, family gatherings, cards, cookies, decorations, trips to see Santa, family photos, parties, gifts, etc. - it seems like we can get so caught up in the to-do's that we miss out on the Real Gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ.

To this end, at First Baptist, we are celebrating the Advent (i.e. "coming") season with an Advent Wreath during our morning worship service. The advent wreath uses the lighting of several candles to show that Christ is the light that has come into our world. Four of the candles that comprise the wreath will be lit each Sunday during worship prior to Christmas, with the middle candle being lit during our Christmas Eve service. The first four candles are arranged in a circle with an evergreen wreath, representing the eternal nature of Christ. We can utilize this as a tool to remember that though his life on earth had a beginning, he is fully God and has always existed in eternity past and eternity future. Three of the candles are purple, representing the fact that Christ is the king, he is royalty. One of the candles is rose colored, symbolizing joy. The final candle is white, representing the sinless nature of Christ. Further, each candle symbolizes a specific element of the story of Christ’s birth. The first week's was the Prophet's Candle, representing the promised hope that Christ has brought into the world. Each week until Christmas, we will light an additional candle, helping our church family remember the Truth behind the Christmas season.

While it may be a bit redundant to do a Advent Wreath at home, you can help your family focus upon the true meaning of Christmas with a Jesse Tree. Though my daughter is too young this year for us to utilize this tree, I am planning to do this next year with my own family. Here is a link to a website that does a wonderful job of explaining what a Jesse Tree is and how to do one.

Another way that you can remember to keep Christ central this Christmas is to purchase an item from this web page. The purpose of this website is to speak out against the retail market's use of "Happy Holidays," "Holiday Lights," and "Holiday Tree," with clothing or bumper stickers that read, "I don't celebrate the Holidays, I celebrate Christmas." Order one for yourself or for a person who your hear complaining about this not-so-subtle move in our culture.

However you choose to do it, it is so very important to be certain to clearly remember yourself and teach your family this Christmas Season that it is all about Jesus Christ. He truly is the only reason for the season!

Freedom in Christ = Turning off the TV?

2008-11-25T10:15:00.004-05:00

Last week I attended one of our church's small groups that I am normally unable to attend. We were talking about how our TVs rob us of so much time and the deep impact they have on our thinking (of which we are mostly unaware).

I was able to tell them about a recent "liberation" my family has experienced. Since my wife works and has about an hour commute each way to work and I put in many, many hours as a pastor, our time has become very scarce and precious. We needed to figure out how to buy back some time, so that we could have time for our nine month daughter and for one another. Thus, we took a look at our time watching TV and became convinced that we needed to do drastic surgery by cutting it out of our lives.

I know what you are probably thinking, "how would I make it without my favorite show(s)?" Trust me, I understand. I have to admit to you that I approached this decision with a lot of skepticism because I love sports! While I struggle finding time to be as actively involved in them as I would like, it doesn't require as much time to sit down and watch a ball game. The decision was especially tough because the we are in the midst of the Cavs season, where they have some addtional and much needed talent, and where they have been playing excellently. However, I knew that my family was a priority far, far above my interest in sports, so I went forward with the decision.

I cannot describe to you how wonderful it has been to not watch as much TV. Yes, I turned on the Browns game last Sunday (I only watched the first half - they are terrible!!), and yes, I watch some movies (which I now only get for free from my local library), but my TV time has probably dropped 80-90%. I now have time for both my daughter and my wife, time to do some hobbies of mine (work on my guitar skills), time to learn to do something new (on a recent vacation, I made pumpkin pie from pie pumpkins), and time to read (I have read probably 6-8 books in the last month, in addition to the ones I read for work).

This is all in addition to the amount that we will save (close to $800 annually - I'm not sure how else I could have saved this much in the budget). Further, I don't have to feel guilty about advertisements telling me what I should be able to afford for my family but often cannot. I also don't have to worry about inappropriate programming (that I always seem to be able to justify). I wish that I would have pulled the plug on the cable or satellite TV a long, long time ago. I've experienced a liberation - maybe you should give it a whirl too! Also, don't worry - I've already ordered my government coupons for the digital converter boxes!!

I know that Paul was speaking of being free from the Old Testament Ceremonial Law (particularly the rite of circumcision) in Galatians 5:1, but I think that his words are appropriate to this circumstance. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Where's MY BAILOUT?

2008-11-19T14:07:00.006-05:00

As GM, Ford, and Chrysler beg their case before Congress, perhaps you are wondering when or if we, "the people," will get our bailout checks from the government. While I've heard some rumors about a 2009 stimulus package, perhaps the jealous desire for a bailout hints at a deeper issue.

As a Christ-follower, I believe that we are primarily responsible for our own actions, even those that hurt us financially (though I also believe that we each have a responsibility to help each other). While I understand (but not sure if I agree) that the government is trying to bailout these corporations due to larger economic issues, we must be willing to take the responsibility for our own financial actions and situations. The Bible clearly speaks to this issue, saying that each one is responsible for their work and financial situation. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 reads, "For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'"

Rather than expecting or hopelessly wishing for a government bailout for your financial situation, you must take personal responsibility. This is why I absolutely love Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. In this book, he outlines a process for those who have racked up too much debt, a chronic problem in our culture. He speaks of issues of denial (90% of solving a problem is realizing that there is one), highlights debt myths (Debt is NOT a tool, etc.), and provides secrets from the successful (don't get whole life insurance, the lotto won't make you rich, don't use debt-management companies, most millionaires drive used cars, etc.). Perhaps the best chapter in the entire book is chapter 5, where he tells us that no one is born financially smart and that we don't have to keep up with the Joneses (because they are most likely broke).

Ramsey continues in this book to give his 7 baby steps for financial success, especially designed for those who currently hold more debt than just a mortgage. They work in this order:

Save $1,000 Cash as a beginning emergency fund.
Start the debt snowball (paying off each debt from the smallest to the largest with "Gazelle Intensity").
Finish the emergency fund (have 3-6 months worth of expenditures readily available).
Save 15% of income for retirement.
Save for college.
Pay off your home mortgage (imagine if you had NO PAYMENTS!).
Build wealth like crazy, as you have fun, invest, and give.

I believe that this is an incredible book on this topic. While some may disagree with a few ideas Ramsey espouses (like, shouldn't I pay off each debt with the largest interest rate to the smallest?), his tactics are proven in the lives of others. I love how he regularly adds success stories of those who have become DEBT FREE! Further, I am glad that Dave Ramsey writes from a Christian perspective (correctly noting that one of the highest purposes for our money is to give it away) and especially glad that he does so in a way that isn't pushy or overbearing.

I would definitely recommend his book to anyone who is struggling with their debt-load, which includes nearly everyone, Christian and non-Christian, in our culture. The book is a very easy read (I read it in two evenings), and it is available at many libraries (I got my copy from inter-library loan at the Ravenna Library). I enjoyed this book so much, I also checked out Ramsey's book Financial Peace.

So, check this book out - trust me, your bailout check isn't coming from the government anytime soon! (And I'm not even sure if we SHOULD get one!!)

Are You "Shopping Around?"

2008-11-11T10:17:00.004-05:00

Even though natural gas rates will be nowhere near the prices projected this summer, you can easily save by shopping around your gas rate.

In our area (the majority of Northeastern Ohio), Dominion East Ohio serves as both our natural gas carrier (they get gas from point A to point B) and as our default natural gas supplier (they provide the gas we purchase). While you are unable to change Dominion East Ohio as your carrier, through the State of Ohio's Energy Choice program, you are able to change your supplier. Many times by changing your supplier, you can save a nice chunk of change. Dominion's current standard rate is $12.65 per mcf of natural gas.

To see what you are currently being charged, just take a look at your gas bill. The 2nd page will have a "Current Charges" heading. Your gas supplier will be listed under this page and you will se you current pricing for gas - "Gas cost ____ MCF @ $____."

If you visit this web page, you will get more information, as well as a current listing of suppliers. If you look at page 1, you will see what I consider to be the best plan available: Commerce Energy's 12 month fixed rate plan of $9.90 per MCF. The only challenge with a fixed rate plan is the possibility of Dominion's rate goes below $9.90. While I don't consider the chance of this rate drop probably, the nice part of Direct Energy's plan is that you can opt out at any time for just $25.00.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Energy Choice program, in Ohio, you can choose from a number of suppliers to buy natural gas for your home or business; the gas is piped to your house just as it is now and you are still billed as you are now by Dominion. However, with several companies seeking your business, you can get a better price! To get more info, visit this web site: www.puco.ohio.gov or visit www.dominiongaschoice.com.

One other important item to check is to see if your city provides an aggregate program. This program is when your city purchases gas in bulk for its residents. Through the City of Ravenna's program, I was able to get a lesser rate than even Commerce energies rate, without a cancelation fee.

Sometimes it really does pay to "shop around!"

Barack Obama - The 44th U.S. President

2008-11-05T09:44:00.011-05:00

Wow, what a long night!! I don't believe I've stayed up until after midnight in a long time - God just didn't build me to be a night person! However, I thought it was good to watch the election results, hear John McCain's concession speech, and listen to President-Elect Barack Obama's victory speech.

We were told prior to this election that it would "make history," and it did. Though I do not typically support the ideals and values of Barack Obama's party, I could not help but be moved as I saw J esse Jackson crying and the celebration of African Americans, at the victory of the first black president. Though I may not have agreed with the entirety of his platform, I am excited to see America take a large step to put unbiblical, racial prejudice behind us!

However, many white, evangelical Christians find themselves disappointed at the results of last night's election. The key issues for this group (who primarily comprise First Baptist Church of Aurora), abortion, improper use of stem cells, and the fundamental definition of marriage, will seemingly head in a direction opposite of their prayers.

Please know, however, that Christians are called to have a deep and abiding respect for their leaders. Keep in mind that God didn't turn a lazy eye to last night's election, as his word is clear; "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed...[give] respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed" (Romans 13:1-2a,7).

We have several moral obligations toward our new president-elect. First, we are to pray for him and our other government officials (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Second, we are to submit to and follow his leadership, as long as he and our government does not try to cause us do something forbidden by God's Word or to not do something we are biblically required to do (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15; Acts 4:13-19; Daniel 1, 6). Please know that this even includes issues of life and death. In Matthew 2:16, we see Herod exercising his God-given authority to massacre babies. Certainly Herod was to answer for these sins, but we see no biblical support for God's people to stand up to him and stop these injustices and sins through illegitimate means. Further, we must willingly pay our taxes, regardless of what happens to them in the future (Mt. 22:21). Also, we are to honor our president-elect with our speech and not speak ill of him (Titus 3:1-2).

Regardless of how you voted yesterday, we must trust in the notion that our God is sovereign. He has a master plan, which allows us to find peace and comfort regardless of our circumstances. Let us pray for our nation and trust in our God, as we live in what seems to be uncertain times.

Voting our Values

2008-10-31T09:12:00.003-04:00

While I typically try to steer clear of the topic of politics, I believe that voting is an issue that must be addressed by those in spiritual leadership. To this end, I would first encourage you to vote your conscience, but also encourage you to vote from a prepared perspective. I am often troubled by how easy it can be to vote and how little preparation is often put into the voting process.

To this end, please visit ivotevalues.com, which will help to inform you of the upcoming election. Please particularly use this resource, which will help you understand the typical differences between the two parties. This resource is designed to be non-partisan and is created by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Please let me coach you on one item when it comes to voting. Please do not base your decisions about who to vote for on your union's beliefs, our culture's perspectives, any emotional advertisements or mailings, a newspaper column or editorial, or poll numbers. We must make all of our decisions, even the decisions on what candidates to support and what issues to approve, using God's Word as a sort of carpenters square. Just like a carpenter uses this tool to determine what is square or what is right, we, as Christians, must use God's Word as our primary reference point in making any and all decisions, including voting! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes it clear that God's Word has all kinds of purposes, resulting in God's people being prepare for any good work (including the work of voting). It reads, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

See you at the polls!

Save a few bucks!!

2008-10-14T11:43:00.002-04:00

Stewardship - a very outdated sounding term that has huge current implications. A more modern term may help you better understand what is being meant - management.

All Christians should understand this key biblical idea (I know this will blow you away) - Everything is Gods. Psalm 24:1 reads, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Since everything is Gods, we must understand that those things we claim to "own," really aren't ours! These things also belong to God! Thus, God has set us up as managers, much like a store owner allows a store manager to deal with the day-to-day operations of his business.

Often, Stewardship is linked to giving or tithing, but biblical Stewardship is about so much more. It means that we should live within our means, maximize our earnings, watch our use of credit, give all that we can, plan for uncertainties of the future, and carefully manage & prioritize (yes, budget!) our expenditures. With biblical management, we learn that money squandered isn't just a paycheck lost or a debit to the account, it is bad use of God's resources.

One topic this blog will regularly discuss is how to save money and reduce our expenditures, with the goal of improving our stewardship. Certainly this idea is one that is so current, with the rising cost of living and the uncertainties (to say the least!!) of the market. One such blog that my wife and I regularly read is entitled the "Simple Dollar." While he sometimes strays from the topic of finances (and I would not recommend any of his spiritual advice), his financial advice is very, very good. This blog includes reviews of current financial books, how to make things yourself and save, how to manage your schedule to reduce spending, and much more. My wife and I are planning to especially try some of his "make things at home" ideas. For instance, we are currently using up our last of our Sam's club purchased laundry soap, and we will try to make our own at home. I'll let you know how it works!

Focus on the Family Magazine

2008-10-08T12:36:00.003-04:00

If you currently do not receive the FREE Focus on the Family magazine, please sign up here, as this is a wonderful resource, with articles for everyone (not just those with children at home). The articles are well thought-out, current, and written from a Christian perspective. One especially great feature to point out is that the articles are very short and can be read by those with even the busiest lifestyles.

This month's magazine speaks to competitive parents, pastor appreciation month, the challenges of a lifestyle that exceeds a family's income, dealing with homosexuality from a Christian perspective, how to teach your children life lessons and money skills, and how to use football to gather your family together. Even the advertisements, of course, are geared toward Christians (i.e. Veggietales, Adventures in Odyssey, Christianbook.com, etc.). The item that I most enjoyed, as a minister and a newer parent, was an article entitled, "So I'm a Pastor's Kid: A Perspective from the Front Pew." The article is written by a Pastor's Daughter with the goal of providing insight to church members about how a minister's job affects his homelife, wife, and children. She hits the nail right on the head!

Focus' website also has so much of value for parents. If you are dealing with a particular issue, then go to their web page and search for your situation. There truly is a wealth of information on this webpage.

I encourage you, sign up today!

Those jeans cost HOW MUCH?

2008-10-07T15:33:00.003-04:00

In a recent issue of Newsweek Magazine, they published a parental "Tip Sheet" on what to do when your kids want to dress just like TV stars, entitled "The Devils Want Prada."

This article does much to try to help inform parents, and a lot of what they do has value. First, they tell you to ask your children why they want designer "duds," trying to get to the heart of the issue (which they assume to be social status or to fit in). They do fail to tell parents to reorient the children toward proper reasons for wanting certain types of clothing. Second, they say to lay out the financial picture, by telling your children you cannot afford those items without sacrificing something else. This idea is very good, as a parental goal should be to teach basic financial principals, like this one, to their kids. Third, they advise to set a budget and allow your children to make decisions within that budget, which is a marvelous idea. It allows children to see the real time consequences of their decisions. Next, they tell you to avoid forcing your children to buy knock-offs, which is definitely an overstatement. We must remember that ulitmately God has given authority in the home to the parents and not the children. This is an idea that is lost in our culture (for a simple test to see who has the authority in your home, take a look at your calendar and your checkbook, where does discretionary time go? If the vast majority goes to your children, you live in a children-ruled home). Then, they say not to diss your kid's taste because what they like is very important to them and it could hurt their self image. I couldn't agree more, making fun of your children shouldn't be your way to tell them no. Then, they say to talk about TV shows and stars - a great idea that they needed to flesh out far more! Finally, they say to try DIY (with caution) - another great idea.

Even though this article does provide some good points (though certainly I do not endorse all ideas contained therein), there are two items with which I struggle:

First, we must steer our children away from dressing like the stars as their number one motivation in clothing choice. Parents must understand that "being like the stars" has many, many pitfalls. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to "be like the stars" because they are the driving force in culture. We are told, however, to "Be holy as [God is] holy" in 1 Peter 1. Paul also, using himself as the model, tells us to follow people who follow after Christ. As Christian parents, our job is to ensure that our children will place their trust in Christ, namely that he alone has the best set of plans to follow in our lives. The biggest concern for me is not that their "duds" will be too expensive and hurt our famlies financially, but that our children will also follow the stars in the areas of morality and spirituality. Should teaching the notion of following the stars so that your child fits in or acquires a higher social status be the goal of Christian parenting, or is it to teach our children this principal from Matthew 6:33: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."

Second, we must guide our children away from dressing like the stars becuase we need to teach our children modesty in a world that doesn't embrace this virtue. 2 Timothy 2:8-10 tells women to "adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation..." The goal of a Christian woman (or man) shouldn't be to point others to themselves or their "sex appeal," it should be to point them to Christ through virtuous living. I am particularly saddened at both pictures of females which appear in this article, as one shows a woman with a low cut top and the other with too short of a dress. I would hope that those two pictures would turn parents away from wanting their kids to dress like the stars, but I believe my desires do not match reality. Be careful where your kids learn their values - perhaps Gossip Girl and My Super Sweet Sixteen aren't the best places for your child to learn values.

Aside from these two false assumptions, there is some value to this article. I believe that the number one item to learn is to teach your children how to manage money, so that they understand how financial management works. Consider taking a look at Dave Ramsey's webpage for ways to teach children of all ages about financial management! Or, consider items from Crown Financial Ministries, as they have items geared toward children and those focused on teens. However, start taaching your children NOW!! Take a look at all of the financial mistakes you have made to this point in your life and know that you cannot start too early!

Tithing v. Foreclosure

2008-10-06T06:03:00.002-04:00

We know that we are in the midst of some very difficult financial times, and we are not sure how bad things will get before they start to improve. The current state of affairs, of course, will affect giving levels toward churches in a very major way. Recently, I came across an article from USA Today, about how some Christians continued to tithe, even though they face foreclosure on their home.

I am sure this scenario has played itself out many, many times in the church. Some Christians probably choose their home payment, car payment, and water bill over their regular contributions to the church, and certainly others (though probably the minority) do not. With our current financial crisis, more Christians will have to make this difficult choice than ever before.

Let me first begin by saying that in order to get oneself to the point where you are having to make the decision to give to the Lord or go into foreclosure or repossession, you have probably made several bad financial decisions that led to that point. Despite warnings from many financial gurus, you have probably decided not not carry a 6 month emergency fund, not to purchase a house/car within your means (for autos, preferable something 2-3 years used), not to live a lifestyle that is at or below your means, and not to carry balances on high rate credit cards. You have probably done something like determine at some point that a cell phone (perhaps even an expensive smartphone or blackberry) outranks the need to give. I have heard David Ramsey at some point say, "If you cannot live on 90% of your income, you cannot live on 100% of your income," and I totally agree. Thus, it is not God's fault that you are faced with your financial difficulties, it is the result of a poor decision making and/or an unfortunate set of circumstances (for which you probably should have prepared).

One item mentioned at the close of this article is also helpful. If you find or have found yourself in this situation, you need to get some help from others. As Albert Einstein has said that the definition of insanity is, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This USA article speaks of a "... very prevalent attitude among conservative Christians that their personal finances are an intensely private matter... this gets in the way of what the church could do to help them when they are in trouble." Allow other Christians to help you and seek financial advice. One book I hope to review by the end of the month will be Dave Ramsey's, "Total Money Makeover," which contains his seven baby steps to getting out of debt and having financial freedom.

However, getting back to the issue at hand, namely allowing a home to go into foreclosure v. giving to God. We know that we have two priorities before God in this situation. First, we must provide for our family's basic needs, including modest housing, basic food, modest clothing, and inexpensive transportation to and from necessary engagements (work, church, etc.). Second, we also have a requirement to give before God. 1 Corinthians 16:2 says, "On every Lord's Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn." In that church, prior to the completion of the New Testament, there would have been the assumption that the basis for the amount was the Old Testament tithe. Malachi 3:8ff says, ""Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me."But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse..."

In our current dilemma, we must ask two key questions: 1) Am I providing for more than my family's basic needs and could/should cut back and 2) Am I giving to God as he requires?

Even at this point, the words of Christ ring very clear to us. Follow this link and head to Luke 12, reading verses 22 through 34. What advice does this have to say about our dilemma?

I think that this entire circumstance boils down to this - American Christians need to practice better stewardship (or management), in all areas of their life. We must understand that everything on the earth, including those things that we "own," ultimately belongs to God. He has entrusted us with them, much like a store owner entrusts that store to a manager. We must prove to be faithful to Him in this regard.

With that said, if you find yourself in this situation - GET HELP! GET HELP YESTERDAY! Talk to a pastor or another Christian, and either he/she can counsel you, provide some resources, or refer you to someone else who can help. Let them help you by bearing your burden! Last, it is time to change your behavior in a very drastic way - you probably didn't get yourself into this situation overnight, and you won't get out of it if you do not change your actions and persevere through the difficulties ahead of getting out of debt.

How do we respond?

2008-10-01T13:23:00.004-04:00

How should a Christian respond when a person, perhaps a family member, friend, or acquaintance, speaks negatively about Christianity or the Christian group with whom we affiliate? Do we dismiss that person (after all, what do they really know?), passionately attack them (in the name of defending God or the truth?), or do something else?

Recently CNN.com featured a column on their homepage by Roland S. Martin, a nationally syndicated columnist and author of at least two books. This particular column was a criticism of Lifeway Christian Stores decision to forgo the sales of a fairly popular Christian magazine Gospel Today. According to Martin, Lifeway decided not to sell her magazine because it featured five female pastors on the front cover. His article continues as a sort of rant against Lifeway and the Southern Baptist Convention, speaking from his wife's experience with Lifeway teaching curriculum, a very incomplete argumentation for women filling the Biblical Office of Pastor, and a complaint that Lifeway has violated freedom of the press, together culminating with his final statement, "I say, give them a lot of hell for this, because they deserve it for actions [sic]."

I believe that our first response should be to check the facts on this statement. From a brief Google search and a cursory look at Lifeway's web page, I was unable to find any information about this issue.

I believe that our second response should be a thoughtful review of his content. Proverbs 18:2 tells us, "Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions." To this end, I believe that his wife's experience with Lifeway is unfortunate, but that it is merely an organization following their beliefs. However, please also realize that this past event in the life of his family also results in an emotional bias that can serve as fodder for a fire. Second, his argument against a male-only pastorate is very emotional ("I love it how these same Bible thumpers ignore the biblical story of Deborah...") and incomplete. I am not sure if any of those who accept a male and female pastorate would agree with his presentation. Next, we must ask ourselves if Lifeway violated the freedom of the press. I believe the answer to be no; as Lifeway did not interfere with the publication of this material in any way, they simply decided not to sell it in the stores they own. Should Lifeway sell materials with which they do not agree? Should they sell items which directly contradict their statement of beliefs, regardless of how unpopular these beliefs happen to be? Last, his final statement ("give them a lot of hell") and tone throughout the column merely show me how emotional this man is about Lifeway, seemingly due to his wife's past experience.

Before we likewise place our blame on Martin, let's also consider what Lifeway may have done wrong. First, if Lifeway did not notify the publication Gospel Today about pulling their magazines, that action was very cowardly. Lifeway has "profited" (yes, I realize that they are a non-profit organization) from the sale of their magazine in the past, and they owe them courtesy in this regard. Second, one must wonder if Lifeway has been consistent in their pulling of items that aren't in line with their statement of faith. He mentions one such inconsistency, but a quick look at the Lifeway web page would demonstrate potential inconsistencies. For instance, Lifeway sells items by T.D. Jakes, who has views on the Trinity that do not match their statement of faith.

Another item we must consider is to whether we should respond to Martin. Proverbs 26:4-5 tells us how to respond to someone who acted and spoke from folly (I believe foolishness to be a good word for his article, especially given its tone). It reads, " Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes." While these statements seem to be contradictory, they tell us that there may be times where it is appropriate to answer a foolish person and times where it is not. Due to his negative and aggressive tone, I believe that this is a time to NOT answer the person. However, if I were to write to him, I would be sure to follow the advice of Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

With all of this said, I believe that we should check the facts, carefully review a person's argument, consider how we (as the broader body of Christ) have acted, and then decide if and how to respond. Perhaps doing so will help you deal in a godly manner with these types of issues at work, with your family, and with your friends.

Welcome!

2008-10-01T10:10:00.011-04:00

Welcome to the new "Source of My Hope" blog. I am glad that you have joined me.

The purpose of this blog to help bring hope into your life and my life, as we live in a world that is filled with uncertainty, questions, and challenges. In short, we live in a world that is often hopeless. This Source of Hope is founded in Jesus Christ and a belief in his death and resurrection as the payment for the guilt of our sin.

However, sometimes Christians (even church leaders) struggle to fully understand how this new abundant life (Jn. 10:10) translates into a hopeful existence, as we still live in a difficult world. Thus, my web blog will seek to give helpful, practical tips on hopeful living, and it will help you engage our world as a thinking Christian. I will interact with Christian books, non-Christian books, web pages, news articles, and other blogs. I will primarily focus upon those items that I believe would be helpful for participants of First Baptist Church of Aurora, but most of the items on this web blog will a benefit to most evangelical Christians and even those who would not consider themselves to be evangelicals. I will focus upon resources that deal with real-life issues: finances, time management, leadership, current news, parenting advice, and more. Most of what I will do is point you to another resource and help you interact with it as a thinking Christian. I will also regularly answer any questions you may have, and I will do so from a biblical perspective. A "mailbag" may even be featured as a regular part of this blog. Thus, feel free to e-mail me any questions you may have: pastordrew@fbcaurora.org.

Just so you know who I am - my name is Drew Carroll, and I serve as the Interim Pastor of First Baptist Church of Aurora. I grew up in northeastern Ohio, completing both Junior High and High School in Aurora's School District (where I met my wife in the sixth grade). I grew up in a wonderful Christian home, attending church 9 months prior to birth. I accepted Christ as my personal Savior when I was 5 years old and was later baptized at Faith Baptist Church of Streetsboro. While in the youth program at Faith, God began to call me into full-time vocational ministry. Thus, I decided to attend Cedarville University, earning a degree with highest honors in the biblical field in 2004. After college I began a volunteer internship at my home church and later began vocational minstry at First Baptist, serving as the Associate Pastor. I am currently enrolled at Southern Seminary, with the dream of one day earning a Master of Divinity degree.

Finally, if you live in Northeastern Ohio and do not have a home church, please consider the church where I currently serve as the Interim Pastor - First Baptist Church of Aurora. First Baptist is an evangelical church, serving in cooperation with other churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, as we support the SBC's Cooperative Program giving program for missions. We are a smaller, family oriented church seeking to develop meaningful relationships with God, other Christians, and those who are non-Christians. We have numerous ministries, including AWANA, Upward Basketball, a growing preschool, Bible studies, an ongoing missions partnership in Mali, West Africa, a youth program, and much more. You can also hear my (and other guest) Sunday morning messages here. Last, we have a wonderful 22,000 sq. ft. facility completed in 2002. This amazing building has far more potential than our current needs, and we look forward to maximizing its potential for God's glory in the months and years to come.

Thanks so much for checking out this blog! I hope that you come back often and even subscribe!