Six Years Later...

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the day that changed America forever. I remember vividly where I was when I first heard of the World Trade Center attacks. I was driving north on I-65 (from Franklin to Brentwood) on my way to work when I heard on the radio that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I called my wife, Beth, and I told her that I didn’t understand how, with all the air traffic control measures in place, that a plane could just fly into a New York City skyscraper. Keep in mind that at this point the thought of terrorism had not entered my mind.

While Beth and I were talking, she turned on the television to catch the live coverage of the first tower burning. Suddenly, Beth screamed out, “Another plane just flew into the other tower! I just saw another plane fly into the other tower!” I knew at that precise moment that something was wrong…something was terribly wrong.

That day was one of the most somber days as the attacks in Lower Manhattan, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and on the Pentagon in Washington were the topic of every discussion…everywhere you went. Still, though, we didn’t know of the origin of the attacks at that time. I preached that evening in a revival in Columbia, Tennessee, and I couldn’t help but address the issue. I remember preaching from Amos 4:12—“Prepare to meet your God.”

According to George Barna’s research, only 12% of Americans admitted that 9/11 had any impact on their faith. One reason why this may have been true was that barely half of the nation's churches acknowledged or addressed the attacks in any way during the following year, according to church attendees. I’m not sure how a pastor could remain silent in light of 9/11, but…

Let me encourage you to see these days of uncertainty…these days in which our security blankets have been ripped away forever by Boeing bullets piloted by self-proclaimed martyrs…these days in which even children are conversant with the word “terrorism”…I want to encourage you to see these days as great opportunities to share hope in Christ. Hope doesn’t come from the White House or the Pentagon or the United States Capitol. Only God can make sense out of nonsense, and only He can bring hope out of hopelessness. Share Jesus with someone today!

How Will They Know...?

I just began teaching a discipleship class at my church on witnessing, and I’m using a book to which I contributed a chapter—The Complete Evangelism Guidebook, edited by Scott Dawson. One of the great values of this book is that the reader discovers how to define, demonstrate, declare, and defend faith with almost anyone from virtually any background.

I’m convinced that we can weave the essence of the gospel into practically any conversation. That’s why we need a variety of tools in our tool box. But I must confess to you that I’m not one of those loquacious people who finds it easy to talk to anyone anywhere. By nature, I’m an introvert. Most people laugh when I tell them that because the only time they see me I’m talking in front of lots of people.

Evangelism has never come easy for me, though. Yet I’ve known clearly for the last twenty-five years that I have a story to tell. I came across a definition of witnessing a number of years ago that set me free: “Witnessing is being faithful to share Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”

For the first time, I discovered that my job in evangelism is to be faithful to share Jesus Christ…and that my introverted personality is a non-issue since I am to rely upon the Holy Spirit’s power…and that I’m not responsible for what people do with the gospel once I’ve given it to them.

We sometimes use a term that I understand and even use, but I’m afraid it leads to confusion more than clarity. The term? “Soul-winner.” By that term, obviously, we mean someone who shares the gospel and leads people to faith in Christ. But what happens when the lost person says “No” to the gospel? Does that make the witness a “soul-loser”? Of course not. Yet I’ve seen far more than my share of witnesses who hold to an “ends-justify-the-means” mentality in evangelism…which leads to tactics that might lead to decisions but not necessarily disciples! Perhaps I’ll write about that more at a later time…

I’ve read that at the end of World War 1, there were many French soldiers who were shell-shocked to the degree that they didn’t know who they were. The French responded by hosting what was called an “Identification Rally” in Paris. Multiplied thousands of people gathered in the designated area, and one-by-one each of the soldiers mounted a platform, looked out at the crowd, and said: “Please someone tell me who I am.”

What a privilege we have to tell people in our circles of influence who they are. They are people created in the image of God and loved beyond degree by Him. But how will they know that if we don’t tell them…?

“I’m walking in your shadow, Daddy!”

I missed my first day yesterday since beginning my blog. Just couldn’t get to it…sometimes life’s just that way.

I just returned to my office after addressing our church’s first official MOPS meeting. MOPS—Mothers of Preschoolers—is an international ministry of encouragement and equipping for, as you might guess, mothers of preschoolers. I love one tagline that I found on the MOPS website: “MOPS keeps building on 34 years of gathering moms to become better moms…for our families, communities, and the world…because better moms (really do) make a better world.”

In my words to these precious mothers, I shared a story that I’ve rarely ever told (I think because it’s so personal). You see, I used to pastor in South Mississippi in a place called Poplarville. Beth and I had both of our children while I was pastoring Steep Hollow Baptist Church; so you can only imagine the feelings I have for that church. We lived in the church parsonage within spittin’ distance of the church (not that I ever spit on the church, you understand. That’s just a country form of measurement!). In the yard/parking lot between our home and the church was a street light. Considering how far out of town we lived, that light was a welcomed sight every night.

One night after church…I was walking home…and Morgan was with me. She’s now my 13 year old, but she couldn’t have been more than 2 or 3 when this happened. I was walking and she was walking right behind me. I turned around to grab her hand and I said, “Come on baby.” And she said—remember it’s night and there’s a street light in the yard/parking lot between our home and the church—she said, “I’m walking in your shadow, Daddy!” She was playing a game…but those words penetrated my heart as I considered what she said. “I’m walking in your shadow, Daddy!”

That’s a thought that’ll keep a dad up at night…“I’m walking in your shadow, Daddy!” Am I living my life in such a way as to lead my children in the ways of righteousness? If my daughters practice their faith like I do…view the world through similar eyes to mine…grow up to be like me…will I be pleased with who they've become? Wow! That makes me want to be a better dad. It also makes me want to be a better husband…a better Christian.

“Lord, help me to be that man.”

So, I was in Starbucks this morning...

Some of you have joked about my affection for Starbucks, and it’s true…I do love Starbucks. But I’m afraid many folk have a misconception about my favorite coffee house. I’ve even heard it called “Six-bucks” (although it doesn’t really cost that much). The misconception, I think, is in the idea that Starbucks sells coffee.

Now it’s true; they do sell coffee (my favorite is a Triple Venti Soy Latté). But they sell more than coffee; they sell community.

I’ve stated on several occasions that the days of Mayberry are long-gone. Many of us remember growing up sitting on front porches sipping sweet tea or coffee and chatting with our friends and family. But the urbanization of our society has robbed us of those “good ole days.” Yet our need for community remains the same. We need relationships; God made us that way.

Starbucks has touched a delicate part of the American life—the need for community. I’ve often thought how the church ought to be more like Starbucks. Not that I want us to sell coffee, but we certainly should be a place where people (lives) connect. I can’t tell you how many times Beth and I have sat at a Starbucks by ourselves or with friends and just talked…sometimes for 3-4 hours. My girls even love to hang out with us.

Shouldn’t church be that way? Shouldn’t church be a place where friends meet and community (koinonia fellowship) happens? I don’t necessarily mean hanging out in the church foyer that long but connecting with people and building friendships that will literally last a lifetime.

Why don’t you give these ideas some thought…perhaps over a cup of coffee at Starbucks? :-) See you there!

"Would Jesus Be a Republican or a Democrat?"

Well, it's already started.

You see, I had our church sign updated this morning to announce the next and final sermon in my "Hot Potatoes" sermon series. This Sunday, Lord-willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be preaching a message entitled "Would Jesus Be a Republican or a Democrat?" Someone called our church office within a few hours of the announcement to express her extreme displeasure with my sermon title.

I find that rather interesting..."that" meaning her extreme displeasure at a title...expecially when I haven't even answered the question yet! :-) Nevertheless, the title's doing what I hoped it would. It's piquing interest.

Some may say, "But, Pastor, are you sure you want to deal with that question?" Let me tell you what's on my mind without stealing the thunder from Sunday's sermon. I recall reading in my studies in the history of evangelism that chaplains on both sides of the Civil War--Union and Confederate--preached of God's favor for their respective causes. In other words, God was on their side. I'm not weighing in one way or the other on the Civil War; I'm just pointing out that everyone seems to think God's on their side...and not on the side of those who have differing opinions. Republicans demonize Democrats and deify their own party, and vice versa.

I understand the necessity of politics, and I am personally involved in the political process by voting. However, the hope for America doesn't lie in politics. I grow weary with people, even many preachers, who believe blessing or judgment falls on our nation exclusively based on who gets in the White House...and it all depends on who's talking as to what the future holds.

It reminds me of living in Alabama. People would ask if you were an Alabama or Auburn fan before they asked your name! It was like your eternal destiny depended on your favorite football team, and where you would spend eternity always depended on who you were talking to!

"Would Jesus Be a Republican or a Democrat?" I think that's a question worth asking...and a question worth answering. May He be glorified with the results!

Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Laughing Out Loud!

It’s Labor Day and I don’t plan on being on the computer much today…but I want to tell you about a movie my daughter Morgan and I saw on Friday night--"Mr. Bean's Holiday"!I realize that you have to appreciate the comedy of Mr. Bean, in general, if you’re going to enjoy the movie…but I laughed so loudly in the theater that I embarrassed my daughter.

I’ve been a fan of Mr. Bean since my college days, or at least that’s when I remember discovering him. It’s so refreshing to see comedy that is truly funny and that doesn’t have to resort to profanity and crudeness in order to get a laugh. I highly recommend "Mr. Bean's Holiday."

On another yet related note, the funniest Mr. Bean skit that I ever saw was “Mr. Bean Goes to Church.” It can reveal a lot about when newcomers visit our churches. Check it out, but be careful. You might blow coffee out your nose while you watch it, so take small sips.

Proverbs 17:22
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Guarding Against "Koinonitis"

God is so good, isn’t He? As that great hymn goes, “There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place; and I know that it’s the spirit of the Lord.” I was so blessed by worship this morning, and the sermon I dreaded preaching went okay...at least I didn't get punched in the face! Ha! (If you haven't read Friday's blog, I preached on divorce). Seriously, I have the wonderful privilege of pastoring the greatest church in the world--Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville, Tennessee. We're not perfect because we're made up of imperfect people...but we worship and serve a perfect God!

I've been thinking. We have lots of responsibilities as Christian congregations, one of which is biblical fellowship or koinonia. True Christian fellowship is based upon and built around Jesus Christ. Because our lives are connected to Him, we should be connected to each other. We love one another, help one another, and encourage one another. Koinonia in Christ’s church is a non-negotiable if we’re going to honor Christ in our fellowships. But, as with so much in growing churches, we must be intentional about koinonia if it’s going to happen.

We must also guard ourselves, however, against Koinonitis—the disease of becoming too inwardly focused as a church and getting out of balance in the area of fellowship. The church is called to nurture those within the Body of Christ and reach those outside the Body.

Beth and I have a couple of Blue Mountain College friends—Jeff and Nell Ginn—who were missionaries in Columbia for a number of years. While they were on the mission field, their daughter coined a phrase that may help us fight off the tendency toward Koinonitis. One morning Jeff entered his home study to find his world map had fallen off the wall. In the process of falling, it became torn. His then-two-year-old daughter, Anna, assisted Jeff in the repair of the map.

Nell noticed the unusual quietness of her daughter, so she called out from another room, “Honey, what are you doing?” Quickly and matter-of-factly, Anna answered her mother, “We’re fixin’ the world, Mommy.”

I think that if we will stay busy “fixin’ the world,” then our church will enjoy rich and healthy koinonia while staying immunized against Koinonitis. Nothing brings a church together like working together to make Christ known in their community and within their culture.

"Salt of the Earth" and "Light of the World"

What do you think Jesus meant when he said that we’re “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14)? I’ve been pondering that question lately as I consider the state of our contemporary culture.

George Barna observed a few years ago from his extensive research: “Less than half of the people who describe themselves as Christian also described themselves as ‘absolutely committed to the Christian faith.’ Less than one out of every ten regular attenders of Christian churches give 10% or more of their income—a ‘tithe’—to their church. A majority of teenagers attend a Christian church today, but only one-third is likely to do so once they reach adulthood. The persecution delivered by the terrorist attacks has produced no increase in spiritual practices, such as attending worship services, reading the Bible, praying, or serving the needy. Giving levels have actually decreased this year. In fact, not even half of Americans indicated that their faith had been an important factor in helping them process the effects of the terrorist attacks.”

What’s happened to the church’s impact on its culture? Barna has also observed that “the Church in America is losing influence and adherents faster than any other major institution in the nation.” Have we become irrelevant? Is our message ineffective? Are we just wandering aimlessly trying to find our place and purpose in the world?

Unfortunately, I fear that perhaps Chuck Colson had it right in his book How Now Shall We Live? when he wrote: “We live in a culture that is at best morally indifferent. A culture in which Judeo-Christian values are mocked and where immorality in high places is not only ignored but even rewarded in the voting booth. A culture in which violence, banality, meanness, and disintegrating personal behavior are destroying civility and endangering the very life of our communities. . . . Small wonder that many people have concluded that the 'Culture war' is over and we (the church) have lost. Battle weary, we are tempted to withdraw into the safety of our sanctuaries, to keep busy by plugging into every program offered by our mega churches, hoping to keep ourselves and our children safe from the coming desolation.”

Want to hear some scary questions? “What are we doing that’s changing the world?” “How are we infiltrating and impacting our culture for Christ?” “In what ways have we been ‘salt’ and ‘light’ in our society?” I realize that I’ve asked more questions than I’ve given answers, but may they serve as food for thought as we pray for and interact with our present culture that desperately needs Jesus . . .

It's Friday but Sunday's coming!

I'm struggling as I prepare for Sunday...I don't really want to preach the sermon I'm preparing. Yet I feel compelled to do so. I've been preaching a sermon series entitled "Hot Potatoes" in which I'm bringing a biblical perspective to some of the more controversial issues Christians face. I've preached "Should a Christian Use Alcohol or Drugs," "What's the Harm in Gambling," and "The Christian Guide to Sex" thus far. This weekend I'm preaching on the divisive issue of divorce.

Maybe you heard about the billboard that went up in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood this spring that read “Life's short. Get a divorce.” On either side of the words were sexually-charged images of a man and a woman. The advertisement for the law firm Fetman, Garland & Associates targeted the young, wealthy, married couples who populate and frequent that area.

The flippancy with which such a billboard could be erected is symptomatic of much larger problems in our nation. The sanctity of marriage is under attack from every direction. I know that I'm going to be misunderstood and misrepresented as I seek to address this hot topic from a Scriptural viewpoint, but I think people may well be surprised at what the Bible actually says about divorce.

Malachi 2:16 (NASB)
"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously."

Matthew 5:31-32 (NASB)
It was said, "WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE"; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Luke 16:18 (NASB)
Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

When most Christians read verses like these (especially Jesus' words on the subject), they're reading them as if they're legal codes on divorce and adultery. In otherwords, Christians often prooftext such verses to "prove" their divorces have God's blessing.

I think they're missing the point of Jesus' words. They're reading them in order to find the loopholes allowing divorce (as if marriage were some kind of contract) instead of hearing Jesus' emphasis upon the principle of marriage, namely that God intends it to be a lifetime commitment and covenant.

My goal for Sunday is to lift high the wonderful gift of marriage and its sanctity, not to beat up anybody who's been divorced. In fact, I can't think of any Christian who can legitimately recommend divorce as smooth-sailing and pain-free. Divorced individuals usually bear the most effective testimonies of the pain and devastation of divorce. So with all this being said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

My All for God's All

I've been influenced by some of Christianity's greatest thinkers--C.S. Lewis, John Bunyan, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Richard Foster, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, Dallas Willard, Brother Lawrence...just to name a few. You might say that I'm DUI...Developing Under their Influence. Obviously, there's no substitution for the perfect Word of God, but I'm so grateful for the impact godly men and women have had in my life...even those who went to heaven long before I was ever born.

I've chosen to call my blog "My All for God's All," based on a statement Brother Lawrence made, as recorded in the Christian classic The Practice of the Presence of God. That book records the thoughts and habits of Nicholas Herman (later known as Brother Lawrence), who determined in his own life to be an experiment of living every moment in "an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God." In other words, Brother Lawrence desired to remain always in the "actual presence of God." That desire has captured my heart, too...

I hope for my blog to challenge readers to connect real faith to real life in the real world. I expect that I'll write about most anything (well...not anything, but you get the idea) and seek to find some spiritual truth along the way.

Let me leave you today with this parting thought from Brother Lawrence:

I imagine myself as the most wretched of all, full of sores and sins, and one who has committed all sorts of crimes against his king. Feeling a deep sorrow, I confess to him all of my sins, I ask his forgiveness, and I abandon myself into his hands so that he may do with me what he pleases.

This king, full of mercy and goodness, very far from chastening me, embraces me with love, invites me to feast at his table, serves me with his own hands, and gives me the key to his treasures. He converses with me, and takes delight in me, and treats me as if I were his favorite. This is how I imagine myself from time to time in his holy presence.

I'm seeking to give "my all for God's all"...