Coffee Latte Art – Art is everywhere. And there are a lot of people who make art where they are. This guy, for example, uses coffee as his canvas. It’s pretty cool. His website is listed at the end of the video if you’re interested in seeing more of his work.

Native American Stylized Superheroes – Native American artist Jeffrey Veregge has developed some fun images combining superheroes with traditional Native American art. There are a couple here that I wouldn’t mind hanging in my house…

9 Questions To Ask About Your Social Media Addiction – This is an excerpt from Manage Your Day-To Day, the new book from 99U, that asks some pointed questions about the time we spend in social media. These questions could actually apply in several more areas of our life as well.

The Four Magical Steps To Making Your Child A Winner In Life – This article on the National Fatherhood Initiative website has some great ideas, but I think it stops short. There’s an element of faith that has to be present for a dad to be a great dad. These four steps are important (although I disagree with the second point somewhat), but they aren’t enough for a dad to reach his full potential.

7 Directives For Meditating On Scripture – Developing and implementing lifelong spiritual habits is crucial in order for our walk with Christ to grow. This short list from the Puritans has some great points to consider.

The Top Mistakes I Make In Preaching – With my transition from youth ministry to senior ministry approaching quickly, articles like this are very helpful.  As I begin to develop new habits and schedules, I know there are several things I must take into consideration, such as the items on this list.

We know how God would act if he were in our place — he has been in our place. – A.W. Tozer

See it for yourself in 1 Timothy 3:4-5:

In the previous three verses, Paul breezed through almost a dozen qualities. But in these two verses, he covers only one quality. This suggests the importance Paul placed on this particular item, although it doesn’t have any other indicators of primacy.

The passage here is simple to understand. Those who lead the church need to demonstrate that they can lead their families well. The way in which a man controls his home will reveal his leadership abilities for the church as well.

In the time when Paul wrote these verses, most churches met in houses, and the most likely leader for the church would have been the head of the household in which the church met, indicating a strong connection between a man’s home management and church management.

But in today’s society, this qualification is just as valid as ever. Any man who aspires to lead the church should demonstrate his ability to lead by the way he leads his family. Paul’s suggestion is that he lead with dignity. The NIV uses the phrase “with proper respect”, indicating the manner in which the children should obey. But the Greek connects the idea of respect or dignity to how the father should be leading instead, and without being overly stern in the process.

Paul’s statement here is clear: A lack of leadership in the home is a disqualification for leadership in the church.

In modern American society, this has huge implications. Too many families are missing a strong father role. The dad may be in the family and yet still not be present in the lives of his children, taking the responsibility as the spiritual leader in his home. This is all too common in our society. Paul’s admonition here is clear. If a man desires to be a leader in the church, his home and family life must display those same leadership qualities.

Does this indicate that he must have children? Not necessarily. But if he does, they must be managed well. That shows that he is able to manages the church well, also. The emphasis here is not on the elder’s ability to dominate as a leader, but on his willingness to take care of the needs of his flock, just as he takes care of the needs of his family.

This is a hard qualification to apply, especially when your children are of the age where they begin to test the boundaries their parents has established. But a father’s role in the family, and his role as a leader of the church, depend upon him displaying God-honoring characteristics, in leading his family, and in leading the church.

Paul’s description of a godly leader concludes in next week’s passage, before he starts describing the similar qualities of the deacon.

Looking at these lists, the possibility of meeting Paul’s expectations can seem overwhelming. But take heart. God will provide the resources and strength for those who are committed to following his guidance, and committed to following him.

If you are a leader in your church, how is your family leadership? What do you do to lead your family well? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

One of those organizations is Master Books. I have several of their books on my shelves, and am always excited to receive another. And I was pretty excited when I opened the mail and saw On The Seventh Day, edited by John F. Ashton, PhD. Aston has compiled short testimonies from over forty different scientists describing why they believe in God.

Certainly, these men and women go against the flow, at least the flow as described by the popular media and the atheistic element in the science community. However, I’m beginning to suspect that those elements might actually be in the minority, or at least much less of a majority than they seem to present. I suspect that there are multitudes more in the scientific community who keep their lives focused on the Creator as they strive to understand his creation.

Aston has organized more than forty short chapters from believing scientists from all over the world. These scientists come from all sorts of fields, including physics, aerospace engineering, psychology, biology, chemistry, linguistics, information science, math, medicine and more. They come from all over the world, from places such as Australia, Europe, the UK, America, and others. The people and places, and the sciences they represent are as varied as can be, yet all are believers in the same Creator God.

Ashton has divided On The Seventh Day into two different categories.

The first is Reason and Faith. In this section, Ashton has placed the essays that focus on giving the reasons the authors believe in God. These chapters tell of the thought process the authors went through, discovering the overwhelming design by a Creator in their fields. These chapters describe the “why” behind these authors’ decisions to follow God.

The second section is Faith and Experience. In this section, Ashton collected the essays that deal more with a personal experience based upon the author’s faith. This section is full of stories of men and women seeing God act in their day to day lives, from resolving job situations to financial crises to rescuing one even from the occult and satanic activity.

To be honest, this wasn’t really what I expected On The Seventh Day to be. I wasn’t familiar with the book, and wasn’t sure what it was like. But I was highly encouraged by reading many of these stories. I sat down and read it straight through in a couple of evenings. I’m not sure that’s the best method though. I would recommend that you read no more than a chapter or two each day, maybe as devotional material, or along with your normal daily devotional reading. I think you’ll be greatly encouraged as well.

Do you know of any scientists who are firm believers in God, despite the “trend” among scientists to not believe? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading On The Seventh Day: Forty Scientists And Academics Explain Why They Believe In God, edited by John F. Ashton, PhD, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle, or directly from Master Books.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

While 7 Men isn’t blatantly about reestablishing the role of man in modern America, this is a theme that underpins the entire book.

Author Eric Metaxas has identified seven men who’s stories define greatness: George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson. Some of those names may be familiar. Some may not. But all of them did what it took to live lives of greatness during their times. Whether that was abolishing slavery or leading a new nation to freedom, or being faithful on the mission field or establishing a prison ministry, each of these seven men displayed greatness in their lives.

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space to go into much depth in any of these lives. However, Metaxas has written extensive biographies of two of these men; Wilberforce and Bonhoeffer. Instead, 7 Men is more a series of snapshots, showing how these men stood for their convictions, stood for their faith, and stood for God in spite of the public and popular opinion of the times.

There is much we can learn from these seven men, among others. I hope this becomes a series of books written about some of the greatest men the world has known.

I definitely encourage you to grab a copy today. But be warned; once you start reading it, you may not be able to put it down…

Who do you think exhibits (or exhibited) greatness? In other words, who needs to be added to this list? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading 7 Men And The Secret Of Their Greatness, by Eric Metaxas, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

Show Us Your Coffee Mug – As a result of my love for coffee, I’ve collected quite a few cool coffee mugs. However, this list has a few that I officially added to my wish list. There are some cool mugs here, especially the one that is handmade. Which is your favorite?

100 History-Making Cameras – While this poster has images that are all digitally created, and it would be cooler if these were actual images of the history-making cameras, it’s still a pretty cool concept. There are a few here that I’ve seen, used, and owned over the years.

How Animals Eat Their Food – These are some of the questions you’ve always never wanted to ask about animals and their eating habits. It’s worth a laugh. Now get back to work.

Debt Limit: How To Increase Yours – This is a humorous look at the state of our nation’s debt. But it’s also a very revealing, though tongue in cheek, example of how many people seem to approach their own personal finances.

5 Things Every Daughter Needs To Hear From Her Dad – My oldest daughter celebrated her birthday over the weekend. As she grows up, I am continually amazed at just how incredible a young woman she’s turning out to be. In order to help her continue to grow into who God created her to be, here are five statements that she needs to hear from me, and hear them consistently.

Leading Church While Leading Your Family – “Leading a church well and leading a family well are not mutually exclusive: ‘[An elder] must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive’ (1 Timothy 3:4). However, Paul is not only saying that an elder can lead both family and church well, but that he must. But how?” This article provides a great start to finding the answer.

The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray. – George Mueller

Take a look at this week’s passage, the beginning of this section, in 1 Timothy 3:1-3:

Paul begins with the phrase, “Here is a trustworthy saying.” This is the second of four uses of this phrase in 1 Timothy alone, and even more in 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul is using this as a statement indicating emphasis. In effect, Paul is saying, “Listen up. This is important.”

Paul begins his description of the overseers or the elders of the church. Timothy probably didn’t need to appoint elders, like Titus had on the isle of Crete. The church in Ephesus was already established and had leaders. Paul is giving Timothy a picture of what those leaders should look like, especially in light of the false teachings he’s already addressed earlier in the letter.

Paul tells Timothy that the task of being an elder is a very noble thing. But just what is an elder or overseer? Paul uses a word that means “to look after the needs of another.” This is a position that involves ministry and leadership. Paul gives several qualities describing this noble task. Let’s take a look at each one.

Above reproach

Since this is such a noble task, there are certain qualities that are required in order to fill this role. The first is to be above reproach. In fact, this is an umbrella for all the qualities that follow. This are not optional. This is essential. And everything that follows gives us an ideas of what it looks like to be “above reproach.”

The husband of but one wife

This phrase has been the victim of much misunderstanding through the years. Some suggest that Paul is prohibiting polygamy, others think that he’s saying second marriages are out of the question. But these don’t make sense. Polygamy wasn’t widespread in Ephesus, so that’s unlikely. And if a man’s wife dies, that doesn’t make him unfit for service in the church. More likely, Paul is referring to marital integrity here. The phrase could be translated as “a one woman man.” Activities such as sexual unfaithfulness, adultery, and fornication are forbidden for all believers, and leaders are being watch even closer. It was important that they remain faithful.

Divorce and remarriage further complicate the issue. An elder must reinforce Jesus’ teaching that a husband and wife were to be committed to one another for life. Flagrant divorce would not serve to communicate this teaching well, and the character of such wouldn’t be classified as above reproach. But there are circumstances where this isn’t the case. I’m not confident that Paul is disqualifying all divorced men here. A man must display that he is a “one woman man,” and be an example for the church to imitate.

Temperate, self-controlled

Paul uses two word here to convey the same idea. And that idea is that church leaders need to be clear headed, thoughtful, prudent, and use good judgment. Rash behavior is the opposite of what Paul is describing here.

Respectable

This word is very similar to the two Paul just listed, but carries enough difference to be noted. While the temperate and self-controlled may or may not be noticed in the public forum, being respectable is a very public characteristic. If a leader of the church isn’t held in high esteem in his community, the question why must be asked. The elder should be virtuous enough to be respected by others, especially non-believers.

Hospitable

The word Paul uses here is literally a “lover of strangers.” This is especially necessary in order to reach out to those who don’t know Christ and bring them into the family of God.

Able to teach

If a man desires to be an elder, he must be able to teach the truths and doctrines of the Christian faith to others. It is necessary to correctly present the Word of God, just as it is necessary to refute false teaching.

Not given to drunkenness

Drunkenness was a very common sight in the Greco-Roman world. And drunkenness does not lend itself well to being self-controlled. While wine was a common drink in the first century for almost everyone, it could still be a problem. That has only intensified in twenty-first century culture, and most alcoholic beverages lend themselves to drunkenness too easily. In my own opinion, even the appearance could be detrimental to a leader’s credibility.

Not violent but gentle

While the word literally implies a physical strike, Paul’s uses of “violent” here more likely means that the leader refuses to lash our irrationally.

Not quarrelsome

Similar to the last phrase, Paul expects the leader to not be contentious. He must instead be peaceable and gentle.

Not a lover of money

A materialistic nature has no place in the life of a church leader. Greed and avarice frequently lead to further sins, and it often doesn’t take long. This warning against greed appears in every list of qualifications for leadership in the New Testament. It’s that important.

Though the description of a godly leader continues through the next several verses, this is where we will stop for this week. And, looking back on the list, it’s a lot to take in.

I don’t know about you, but just reviewing this list has renewed conviction in some of these areas for my life. Because I want to be the best possible leader I can be for God, both so I will please him, and so that I will be an example for others to see.

My prayer is the same for you.

This is a pretty big list already, and there are several more verses to go. Do you see anything in this list that speaks to you and your life? If so, what are you going to do about it? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Needless to say, our days are increasingly filled with packing and wrapping up the details of our ministry here in Florida.

That means that the next few weeks will be a little sporadic for my writing schedule. We still have a long way to go to be ready to load the trucks in less than three weeks, and then the move, and then the unloading and unpacking.

Like I said, craziness.

In case you missed them, here are my top seven posts for the month of April:

1. When God Shifts Your Focus
2. The Difference Between Purpose, Vision, and Mission
3. Why You Need To Develop A Philosophy Of Ministry
4. Trying A New Bible Reading System
5. My Current Philosophy Of Ministry
6. 7 Steps To Defining A Purpose And Vision For Youth Ministry
7. Floating The Upper Jack’s Fork River

I was very surprised to see that this list is exactly the same as last month, with the exception of the post about our coming change in ministry. My series dealing with developing a vision for youth ministry continues to attract readers, and I’m considering updating it to reflect more than just youth ministry.

April kept us pretty busy. Producing a podcast twice a month for DeliberateDads, our trip to Missouri and the interview there, and finalizing things here has managed to fill our time pretty effectively. The next several weeks will be just as full, including the birthday on one of my kids. We are looking forward to what God has in store for us in the coming days.

My favorite post written in April was a book review of Bodie Hodge’s book, Tower Of Babel. This was an extremely fascinating book, detailing the history of man’s spread over the face of the earth after Noah’s flood. Of course, the post with the most view was When God Shifts Your Focus, announcing our new ministry and upcoming move. While May will probably have fewer posts, at least until we get settled in Cabool, it promises to be just as productive!

Have a great month!

If you are a blogger, leave a comment with your top post for the month. If you don’t blog, leave a comment with a favorite post or blog that you read this month.