Pastor's blog

Dealing With Depression and Anxiety

Pastor — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:46:35 -0800

Fear. Worry. Anxiety. Depression. Loneliness. Sadness. All human beings experience these kinds of emotions. What does the Bible say about these conditions? Are they spiritual problems, physical problems, or emotional problems? I've compiled some notes on how to deal with anxiety and depression from a Christian perspective. Feel free to use them for yourself or a friend. Most of all, remember you are not alone, and there is hope. Jim

What is Lent?

Pastor — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:31:21 -0800

Yesterday marked the beginning of Lent. “What is Lent?” you might ask. Lent is the period of 40 days leading up to holy week, when we celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Lent is a time for confession, repentance, and fasting. Some churches associate the 40 days with Jesus’ time in the wilderness, when he fasted and was being tempted by Satan. “To confess” in Greek literally means “to say the same thing.” Confession simply means to recognize our sin and tell God what we have done wrong- which God already knows. It is to see our sin as God sees it. Repentance means to turn away from our sin with a sense of sorrow and turn to Christ for forgiveness. Fasting is the practice of abstaining from something (usually food) in order to remind ourselves of our need for God. People can fast from particular foods, television, computer games, or any other activity. Again, the purpose of fasting is to give us a physical reminder of our need for God. Many times in life we do not fully appreciate God’s grace until we see our own sin for what it is- rebellion against God. The Bible says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Cor. 7:10) Sometimes we are sorry for sin just because of the consequences or harm it causes. But godly sorrow is the kind of sorrow that brings repentance. And when we turn to Christ again- that is when we experience his grace in a new and fresh way. Would you join me in making this season of Lent a time of fasting and prayer? I’m going to fast from soda during this next 40 days. (You all can help hold me accountable!) I am sure that during the next 40 days God will bring each one of us to new levels of repentance and trust in him. Let us pray that as we see our sins that Jesus died for on the cross, we drink even more deeply from the fountain of life- the living water that Christ gives to each one of us. Love in Christ, Pastor Jim

Twisting the Truth on "House"

Pastor — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:10:32 -0800

Several of our home fellowships are beginning the study Twisting the Truth. It's about how Satan's lies infiltrate our culture. One such lie is that "the family" should be defined as any unit of persons who wish to be married, instead of the biblical definition of marriage as one man and one woman. I saw an example of how this lie of redefining the family was recently broadcast on the show "House" on Fox network. In the episode, House, the main character, has a desire (rather, a sinful plan) to get a particular woman to sleep with him. In order to do this, he enlists his male friend's help by pretending they are both gay. When House and his male friend are supposedly having "relationship problems", House tries to get the woman's sympathy so that he can stay at her place and pursue sex with her. In a strange twist of events, House's friend (who is tired of pretending he is gay and is by now trying to convince the woman he is not gay) shows up at a restaurant where House and his female friend are having dinner. In comedic form, House's friend announces that he loves House, will do anything to be with him, and drops to one knee to make a marriage proposal. The woman of course, is embarrassed, stunned, and decides to leave the scene---thus foiling House's plan to stay at her place for the night. House and his friend sit down at each side of the table with a glass of wine, and House glares at his friend with a "I can't believe what you just did" look. You see, by presenting this "marriage proposal" in a 'humorous' light, the lie of redefining marriage slips its way into our culture. If we are not careful, we end up scoffing at the way the scene turned out, since House did not get his "wish" to be with this particular woman (an act of sinful pleasure presented in almost every House episode, no less). By presenting sinful behavior in a humorous light, the lies of Satan infiltrate their way into our thinking and reduce our sensitivity to sin. Once we have seen sinful homosexual behavior- or any adulterous relationship for that matter- presented in humorous ways, we unknowingly accept it through pure repetition. Keep your guard up. Be careful that you are not swallowing Satan's lies without realizing it. God made the human race male and female, and there is dignity in each gender being made in his image (Genesis 1:27). God made man and women to unite in marriage and to "become one flesh".

Only one New Year's Resolution

Pastor — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:02:46 -0800

Many of us make resolutions, but in scripture there is only one New Year's resolution that God asks of us. In fact, it is a resolution we must make daily and especially every time we face difficulty. Listen to Paul's words in Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Paul is talking about the one goal of knowing Christ intimately, of walking with him every day. In order to know Christ more deeply we must forget what is behind and press on toward what is ahead. Forgetting what lies behind means leaving at the cross all of our failures, mistakes, sins, pride, idols, self-righteousness, and disappointments. When we linger on our hurts, we are in effect saying, "Jesus what you did for me is not enough." But the cross demonstrates that God is ultimately loving and just. When we think of the past hurts or disappointments, we need to say, "Lord, I know that you have forgiven me, and you can handle whatever happens to me in the future, and that your death on the cross proves your love for me. I give you all of my pain and frustration. Allow me to forget what lies behind in the past because it has already been dealt with at the cross." Straining on toward what lies ahead means focusing our attention on Christ and what he is asking us to do in obedience to him. We do this in faith, knowing that "God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Perhaps God is asking us to try something new this year. Perhaps he is asking us to take a risk for Him. Perhaps he is challenging us to show hospitality to strangers. Perhaps he is asking us to develop better communication within our families. All of this takes sacrifice and faith, but the joy comes in the journey as we act in faith, and God shows himself faithful, because he is calling us to himself. My encouragement to you as we begin this new year is to resolve to live by faith and focus on knowing Christ and living like Jesus. God has called you, and wants you to know him. He is calling you to himself, and he loves you and has forgiven you. Let us resolve to know him more and serve him daily.

Guarding our Hearts

Pastor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:18:50 -0700

For several years, now, we have driven our minivan with the windshield washing fluid indicator light on. I’ve checked the level many times, and it is almost always near full. I’ve concluded that it must be a bad sensor and it is not worth worrying about or bothering to fix. (I don’t find that little yellow light annoying, I’ve just come to expect it.) Our emotions are like sensors on that dashboard display. They are indicators of how we feel. When we are hurt we feel angry; when we are disappointed we feel sad; and when we reach a goal, we feel satisfied. When we respond properly to our emotions, we grow in maturity. If we overreact to our emotions—out of proportion to what they represent—then we suffer anxiety, worry, and resentment. For example, if I were to start the van tomorrow, back out of the driveway, notice that the indicator light was on, and then immediately stop the engine, exit the van, pace around the vehicle and declare it unfit to drive, I would be overreacting and would accomplish nothing (plus I would look extremely silly). The wise reaction—the one has become second nature to me—is to simply check every so often and fill up the fluid, then ignore the light on the dash. When we allow our emotions to provoke an out of proportion, needless reaction, we do spiritual harm to ourselves. God has given us emotions, but we must be careful how we respond to them. God tells us to guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). Part of guarding our hearts means recognizing a negative emotion and then checking under the hood to see what is wrong. If the fluid level is full, then we know we can go on our way without worry.

God's Promises are true, Satans are false

Pastor — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:10:43 -0700

In Matthew 4:1-11, we have the account of Jesus' temptation from Satan in the wilderness. Satan comes to Jesus twice and tempts him to test God's power, asking him essentially "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread." and then, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself off the temple and let the angels rescue you." In the third temptation, Satan moves to a different tactic- not questioning Jesus' power, but his heart. Satan took him to a very high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world saying, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Notice that the false promise was given first. Satan wanted Jesus to turn his heart away from God. Satan's promise was a worldly kingdom- one of temporary riches, influence, status, and power. When Satan tempts us, it is usually with a false promise of pleasure, comfort, power, recognition, or status. God calls us to worship Him because he is eternal, and because nothing can compare to Him. When we worship idols we worship what is temporary: a job, a relationship, an achievement, or simply things we don't have that we wish we did. Satan would have us believe that loving temporary things will give us eternal satisfaction. Nothing could be more of a lie. Jesus' response to Satan was God's word: "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only." The only one who can give eternal joy is God who is himself eternal. Let us turn our eyes toward heaven this week and keep them on eternal things, not on earthly things.

Evidence for the Bible

Pastor — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:26:20 -0700

Last week in the sermon I gave evidence for the reliability of the Bible, focusing mainly on manuscript evidence for the New Testament. Both in the date between the events and when the manuscripts are dated, and in the number of manuscripts we have, the Bible is the most well documented ancient text when compared with other ancient texts from sources our society would deem as historical. Even skeptical and atheist scholars admit this fact.

Another way the Bible is often confirmed as reliable is through archaeology. Here are three finds that confirm evidence for the Bible as both historical and truthful:

1. Discovery of the Pool of Siloam. The Pool of Siloam is mentioned in the book of John and was thought of as a place where healings occurred. Jesus tells a man born blind in John chapter 9 to go wash in the Pool of Siloam and he came back healed. In 2004 archaologists discovered the remains of the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Check out http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-pool-of-siloam.htm for more info.

2. Herod's tomb. Archaeologists had been looking for Herod's tomb for a long time. They found it in 2007. Herod was the Roman ruler at the time of Christ's birth. Herod's death is dated to 4 BC. Check out http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070508102841.htm for more info. on this grave site.

3. At Megiddo, an Israeli city, remains on an ancient church were found with three inscriptions. One of the inscriptions read that a table was donated by a woman named Akeptous with the following words , "In memory of the God Jesus Christ". The remains of the temple are dated to the third century, that is between 200-300 A.D. This discovery disproves the current skeptical view put out in movies such as the DaVinci Code that the early Christians did not worship Jesus as God and that his divinity was "invented" at the council of Nicea in 325 AD. The early Christians worshiped Jesus as God, and that is exactly why they were persecuted by the Romans. You can find pictures of the Megiddo inscription at http://www.armageddonchurch.com/?Translation_of_Megiddo_mosaics

These are just some examples of recent archaeological discoveries that confirm the reliability of the scriptures. Amen.

Does God Grade on a Curve?

Pastor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:17:40 -0700

It always intruiges me when people in education debate the value of curving grades. I recently read a story of a school that proposed giving nothing lower than a 40 percent, to allow students--who would have failed with a few consecutive zeros-- a fighting chance to pass the semester!

As a former high school teacher I used to curve grades a lot- one year I curved an Algebra II exam about 30 points because no one had time to finish the test! I must admit I felt sorry for the students.

Many people think that when it comes to heaven and hell, that God grades on a curve. That is, some people who have good works and are more spiritual are closer to heaven than the rest of us. The "best people" don't need too much help getting into heaven, in fact they are "ahead" of the curve. In this view, the majority of people need some help getting to heaven, in fact they need a lot of help to "pass", but in the end God will grade on a curve. According to curve theology, only those people who are "really bad" like Hitler, Stalin, mass murderers or other violent criminals will be the ones who are destined to hell.

We hear this spiritual mindset all the time when people say things like, "God knows I'm only human." or "I'm trying my best, God will understand." Other people disguise the curve mindset by simply saying, "Well, there are many paths to God, and all of them lead up to the top of the same mountain."

The idea that God grades on a curve could not be further from what the Bible teaches. God saves people by his grace, and completely by grace. This is what Paul talks about in Romans 1:16-17 where he says that the gospel reveals righteousness that is from faith to faith (from first to last). He then goes on to demonstrate that all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, are sinners who stand condemned. All people have broken God moral law and face death, which is the just punishment for sin.

In academics, the idea of grading on a curve assumes that there is a level of inherent goodness or value in the person's effort who took the exam- they just need a "boost" to get a passing grade.

Salvation by God's grace means that there is no eternal value in our efforts to reach God. The Bible says that we are completely dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) That does not mean that human beings cannot do many valuable things- they often can live lives that leave the world a better place--but when it comes to our eternal salvation, we are so far from God in our flesh that he must rmake us alive or born again, in order to rescue us (sinners) from hell. None of our good works merit us any "closer to God" than anyone else, because all of our human actions are tainted with thoughts of self: recognition, ambition, success, etc.

So, God does not grade on a curve, he grades by grace! Paul says in Romans 11:6 that if grace is mixed with any part of our works, then it would no longer be grace!

A parable that Jesus tells has always intruiged me concerning grace. It is the one in Matthew 20 where Jesus tells of a landowner who hires some workers. Some come in the beginning of the day and work all day, others come later and work only a few hours. In the end, the landowner gives each person the same pay! It seems so unfair! They were expecting a grade on a curve- that their efforts would be proportionately counted- that those near the top would remain at the top, and those at the bottom would receive barely enough to get by!

But the catch is where the landowner says, "Don't I have the right to do wht I want with my own money, or are you upset because I am generous?"

You see, God saves us completely by grace. Next time you think God grades on a curve, think again.

On to Paraguay

Pastor — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:34:18 -0700

This week, four people from our local fellowship in Ocala will be traveling to San Estanislao, Paraguay for a short term mission with E3 Partners ministry. We will be assisting local churches in discipleship and evangelism, in order to plant a new church.

So why is it important for Americans to travel all the way to a foreign country and share the gospel in person? Aside from simply being obedient to the Lord's command to go into all the world (Matthew 28:19-20), a couple of ideas come to mind...

First- sharing one's testimony strengthens a person's faith. When we tell others about Jesus, the gospel message is confirmed in our hearts and in our consciences. We are reminded of the truth that God has saved us to live a new life (1 Peter 2:24). As we tell others about God's great love, it reminds us of how much we have been forgiven!

Second- When we walk alongside others to share our faith- there is a mutual learning that takes place. When I hear someone else share their testimony, I find insights and approaches that I would not have thought on my own. Even more so, when sharing bilingually, it is important to make the basic message of the gospel clear: That an all-loving, all perfect God desires fellowship with his creatures. That he sent his only son Jesus to pay the penalty for mankinds sin, and that he raise Jesus from the dead to demonstrate his love and power, and that by believing in what Jesus did is the only way to have a relationship with God. As we work with translators to share the gospel, we will understand how to make things C-L-E-A-R, as one pastor likes to say.

Third- sharing our faith in a different culture requires that we depend completely on the Holy Spirit. In America it is easy to get caught up in the culture wars, battling liberal mindsets or skeptics, and trying to "one-up" someone in an argument. As we share the gospel message to people in a foreign context, we will be reminded that in order for someone to believe, God must-by the power of His Holy Spirit- make them born again. No amount or human argumentation, logic, compelling personal stories, or fancy words will change a person's heart. As Jonah prayed in the belly of the whale, "Salvation is of the Lord." (Jonah 2:9)

As the group is traveling, please pray for the following:

1. Good connections with local Christians and pastors who are planting churches.

2. Safe and efficient travel

3. Sufficient strength and protection from illness

4. An expansion of God's kingdom and the personal horizons of each person who is going- to see that God is at work in many different locales.

5. Boldness to proclaim the gospel and for people to come to faith in Christ for the first time.

As it says in Romans, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

3 Books every Teenager should read going into College

Pastor — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:06:44 -0700

I think it was Mark Twain who said, "When I was 14 I thought my dad was the dumbest man around. When I turned 21 I realized how much he had learned in 7 years."

Well, What I wish I had known entering college! Here are 3 books that I think every Christian teenager should read upon entering any university:

1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. This is one of my personal favorites. It lays out very simply and yet profoundly the intellectual defense behind a Christian worldview. Lewis is a master at taking complex philosophical concepts and using everyday analogies to illustrate the coherence of the Christian view versus the absurdity of an atheistic worldview. My advice- read this book many times!

2. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels by Craig Blomberg. I listened to an interview with Blomberg and he said how dissapointed he was when one of his professors grinned with a sly grin and said how one had to "sacrifice their intellect" in order to accept the 4 Christian gospels. Blomberg's book is the perfect tool for any Christian teenager who walks into an introductory religion class, is greeted by a professor with anti-Christian bias, and is promptly told how we can't trust the four gospels because they contain differing details. (Hello! They are four different eye-witnesses writing to different audiences!) Blomberg's section on the gospels and current scholarship is a bit advanced, but the book is worth having simply to use as a reference when reading the new testament and encountering supposed "contradictions" in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

3. How To stay Christian in College by Jay Budziszewski. This book has a lot of practical advice for teenagers entering the university. Jay tells students who find themselves in front of a professor claiming "We now know that... (followed by some anti-Christian rant)" to stop and ask two questions: 1. Who is "we"? and 2. How do we know that we know? This book has a great chapter on finding Christian fellowship and how to deal with antagonistic professors. It also has a great chapter on staying sexually pure and not giving into to the hedonistic culture of young adulthood.

There's my list, I hope it benefits you or someone you know.

Must we choose between Science and Ideology?

Pastor — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:20:29 -0700

Our president recently reversed the ban on embryonic stem cell research, saying in effect, that we should not be forced to choose between science and ideology. But is this really a helpful or logical distinction? Are scientists collecting stem cells somehow exempt from ideological assumptions and opinions?

The president's false rhetorical disctinction between science and ideology does not erase the moral question of whether or not killing a human embryo is wrong. Scripture teaches that life is sacred from conception until death (Psalm 139), and it is a clear fact that human embryos must be destroyed in order to obtain embryonic stem cells for research purposes. Now don't misread my intent. I have a close family member who has paralysis from a spinal injury almost 30 years ago, and I would like to see him healed more than anyone else. I long and pray for the day when he will receive his glorified body in heaven.

So, under the guise of the "progress of science", the argument to kill human embryos and use their stem cells usually takes two forms:

1. "We are doing this in order to heal others"- This sounds very noble and compassionate, but it is really a utilitarian ethic. How can we do the greatest good for the greatest number of people? Well, one way is to simply use others to obtain healing for some whom we consider more important. The problem is, how are those who are most in need of healing selected? Is it simply the loudest voices and the ones with money who can get the treatment? What criteria do we use to decide who deserves treatment if a potential cure is found? At some point the criteria for who deserves to live at the expense of another person comes down to whoever is in power. The embryo has no voice of its own. The utilitarian ethic is always convenient for those who are in a position to make the decision and benefit from it. But Christ teaches that it is those who have no power or influence to make a decision who are the ones who need to be protected: the poor, the orphan, the widow, the leper. The argument of one elected official who said "my religion teaches me to heal" reveals two things. It reveals that their hope is based only in this life (which is sad), and two, it actually flies in the face of the president's dinstinction between science and ideology. Of course we all want healing! The question is at what cost? The existential question of suffering must be given a theological and ideological grid before we begin manipulating cells in the laboratory. No one begins experimenting with human beings without first in some fashion calcualting the cost on those same human beings. When that cost is the same life we are trying to save, it is too much.

2. The other argument for expanding stem cell research is "these are embryos that would have been destroyed anyway." This argument takes the lesser of two evils approach. This person is admitting that they know destroying embryos is wrong, but they are "making the most of a bad situation" Sort of like, "Well if they were going to be destroyed anyway, why not use some of them for "good" purposes?" You could imagine someone arguing in the same way, "Well, if a person is going to die, we can use their live organs for someone else." But the difference between stem cell research and a deceased organ donor is a huge one. One subject used for healing has already died, (and has consented to donate their organs before their death); the other subject (the embryo) is living, and has not consented. The "some of them would have been destroyed anyway" argument simply admits the value of the embryo in the first place! The person who argues this way would surely say, "Well of course we would not destroy all the embryos!"

So then my next question is, "How do you determine the value of one embryo over another?" The person who implants three embryos and lets three sit in the laboratory for research has already made an ideological choice. Their choice is not absent from ideology simply because they were at a doctor's office or were dressed in a lab coat.

Unfortunately, with the case of embryonic stem cells, the moral and ideological question does not go away simply because one is "conducting scientific research". Portraying people with strong religious convictions as "unscientific" is a stereotype our culture buys into, and which is eaten up by the mainstream media. To top it off, the scientific establishment in this country has simply chosen an atheistic approach.

The danger is that in the end, science and technology become the one's religion. We all end up choosing to worship something. When the "progress of science" becomes your god, it comes down to ideology after all.

Beware of Children's Bibles!

Pastor — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:19:13 -0700

I love reading Bible stoiries to my kids. We have three or four Children's Bibles to choose from. Often the kids ask to read the same stories over and over. One favorite is Jonah- maybe it's something about the ocean and the big fish.

Well, one night we are reading and we come to the end of Jonah's story and the Children's Bible concludes with, "And Jonah went and preached to Nineveh. The Ninevites repented. And God was pleased that Jonah obeyed."

What? God was pleased that Jonah obeyed? This is simplistic moralism! This is a complete misrepresentation of the end of Jonah! In the end, Jonah did obey God and preach to the Ninevites, and they repented. Jonah basically tells God, "I told you so".

But then comes the twist to the story. Jonah is sitting under a vine, getting some nice shade, and then God withers the vine. Jonah complains and God reprimands Jonah. God basically says to Jonah, "Do you just care about getting some shade? Don't you realize that Nineveh has many people and cattle that I care about? Don't you realize the depth of my compassion for others?"

Here's the rub...many Children's Bibles, in an effort to find the "moral of the story", end up missing God's heart. Yes- part of Jonah's lesson is that we need to obey God when he tells us to do something, lest we spend a few days in a stinky belly of a fish. But the larger point here is God's compassion for everyone around Jonah- the sailors are saved, the Ninevites are spared, and God says he is even concerned about the cattle.

This principle is also true of much preaching to adults. Often we teach people to "behave like better Christians" without telling them the reason for why they should obey God. It is God's grace and compassion that motivate us. His Spirit strengthens us so that when we obey it is not merely to do what he says, but it is an expression of love and also part of his bigger kingdom purpose.

Next time you read a bible story to your kids, don't just look for the moral of the story, look for the deeper expression of God's heart. Teach your kids to do the right things for the right reasons.

What's an Ipod emergency?

Pastor — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:11:42 -0800

While shopping recently I came across an "I pod emergency charger". A neat little gizmo that charges your I pod from some batteries, in case you are ever caught in a place where you don't have your AC adapter or your car charger.

This got me thinking..."What exactly qualifies as an Ipod emergency?" I guess the marketers behind this device want you to realize that if you are without your precious music for more than a few minutes, then you won't be able to survive. Now, I must admit, I have an Ipod. I download podcasts (especially sermons), and I like to take the Ipod in the car on trips. But I must draw the line at calling anything an "Ipod emergency"!

Of course, advertisers want to convince you that you have to have your portable music at all times, and that any moment engaged in conversation with another human being is simply not as worthy of your time as listening to your favorite podcast.

It's sad that our culture is so saturated with media and noise that we have drowned out the voice of other people, and most importantly, the voice of God. Most of us, if we had an hour to spare (which we all do), would not know how to spend it in silence or meditation on the scriptures. I hope I can make room in my life for listening to God's voice. Because frankly, the more I fill my life with other voices and noise from the culture, the more cynical I become.

But even more so, the evil one would seek to have us believe our wants are really needs, so we cannot tell the difference between the two- hence calling something "an emergency" when it is simply entertainment.

Of course, my apologies to all of you who use Ipods for legitimate business, educational, or charitable work. And no doubt, some will point out that I am simply using media to make a point about the drawbacks of media. Fair Enough. :)

Eat Bible!

Pastor — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:01:09 -0800

I was recently challenged at a men's retreat to "eat more Bible" for breakfast. Meaning- to read God's word daily to nourish my soul. Satan wants to eat your faith for breakfast- so you have to battle back with the word of God- which is the sword of the Spirit.

So- after surveying different reading plans, I came up with my own- which allows you to read through the whole Bible in a year with no more than 5 chapters per day.

Actually- this program allows you to read through ther gospels four times, the rest of the New Testament twice, Psalms and Proverbs twice, and the rest of the Old Testament once. So- if it is too much for you, just go slow and complete it in two years.

I hope you find this helpful and profitable to your soul.

Can you trust anyone these days?

Pastor — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:11:35 -0700

In this season of financial turmoil and election fever, I'm often wondering, who can I trust? It seems the more I look into who is running for office, the more reason I have to think that no candidate is too high on the "trust" factor. (Although I am going to vote)

I've learned that I can't trust the like of Lehman Brothers, AIG, or other big firms who got greedy and left investors hanging.

These times call for radical trust. As a Christian, I continually realize I have to go back to trusting in God alone- no matter what the circumstances.

Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

The name of the Lord represents his character. He is the "I Am"; The God who created the universe and will exists forever and ever.

Trusting is hard- because we don't want to be hurt or let down by someone we place our trust in. When we trust fully- we abandon all of our own strength and look to someone else for strength. But there's the key. The name of God represents his character: compassionate and Gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love, quick and ready to forgive. God has "unfailing love" the bible says. What reason do I have to doubt his love?

We need to remember where we place our trust and our hope- not in economic firms, not in government officials, not in the strength of an army or the amount of weapons a country has.

God has called each one of us to this place and this time-to display his love and show other that there is nothing better than trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Take Up Your Cross" When it comes to Parenting

Pastor — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:27:16 -0700

In Mark 8:34 Jesus tells his disciples, and anyone else who would follow to "deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." What Jesus is referring to is the path of suffering and crucifixion he would endure.

Self-denial can be a powerful religious discipline. But here Jesus is not talking about self-denial for its own sake. He is talking about making him the center of our lives instead our ourselves. He wants us to put our selfish nature aside and embrace his ways.

One area in which I am constantly reminded to deny myself is in parenting. I have two daughters, and often when I come home from work I'd like to sort the mail, read the newspaper, or just sit down and relax. I would like some "me" time.

But when I come in the door, my kids want my attention. Self denial means putting their needs ahead of my own. Instead of putting in a video and letting them sit (so I can relax), I'm called to interact with them, to talk about their day, to laugh and play with them, and to read and interact.

The great irony of giving away our lives is that along the way we find Jesus. We become more familiar with his ways and how he came to give his life for us. We find what true life is all about. We find the joy or serving others and an appreciation for how Christ came to serve and not to be served.

The next time you're tempted to put others aside and take some "me" time, remember that children are a gift from God and that they are brought into our lives to teach us about ourselves and so that we can learn how to put others first.

What Satisfies My Soul?

Pastor — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:27:47 -0700

When life gets busy, I usually look for ways to relax, slowdown, decompress, veg-out, chill-out, or just sack out on the couch!

Trouble is, whenever I choose an activity to simply "escape" form life, I return with more anxiety and stress than I had before.

The prophet Isaiah asked, "Why spend your money on what does not satisfy?" He called people to look to God, who satisfies his people freely, with abundance, and without conditions.

I find that simply meditating on Christ and reading a Psalm or a passage of Scripture is the best way to calm my mind and relax- and yet I find I resist doing it when life gets busy. Why?

Because Satan- the evil one- is an expert at tricking us into thinking that all of the temporary pleasures of life will give lasting satisfaction. See that difference? Temporary vs. Eternal?

Only things that last can give lasting satisfaction. Jesus is the word made flesh, the true God of the universe- the one who existed before anything else existed. His grace is abundant and free.

As C.S Lewis said, we often settle for making mud pies in the back yard when God really want to give us a holiday at the ocean- we settle for temporary pleasures.

I'm trying to train myself to think about eternal things and focus on Christ as my lasting satisfaction.

Does God Laugh?

Pastor — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:37:00 -0700

I've often wondered if God laughs. I think he does laugh-- especially when we humans assume that he can't do something.

Several months ago when I was thinking about our church's situation of setting up every week and meeting in a school, the pessimistic side of me said, "Well, did I realistically think that our church plant would be in a new building in less than five years?"

Oh, how God must have been chuckling when I was thinking those typically pessimistic thoughts!

God had a building planned for our church. Recently we have purchased a facility on Dogwood Road- and we will have our worship service there this Sunday!

I think God does laugh.

Are you a Consumer or an Investor?

Pastor — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:33:35 -0700

I'm a movie person. I could watch the same movie over and over and be moved by the slight nuances of each viewing. One of my favorite movies is "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

There's one scene in there that really captures the difference between going to church as a consumer versus being part of a church as an investor.

George Bailey and his wife Mary have just gotten married. As they are about to leave on their honeymoon, they see a panicked scene at the entrance to the Bailey Savings & Loan business. Old Man Potter has called in the loan and is trying to put them out of business. People are scrambling for their money.

George lets the people through the gate and tries to calm everyone down. One man bolts in and declares that Potter is offering 50 cents on the dollar for every share. Everyone scrambles for the door- but George stops them. He says, "Don't you see what's going on? Potter wants you to panic. He wants you to pay less for your shares so that he can put us out of business."

Here's where people's true colors come out. One man demands all of his shares: $242. George says, "Look- you can't take all your money out, then we'd be out of business." George explains the situation. In effect he says, "When each of you made an investment in the Savings & Loan- you made an investment in the well-being of others. You put your money in so that others could have money to borrow from and build houses. The health of one person's account depended on the investment of everyone else. By pulling all your money out now, you are risking the health of the entire group."

And so it is with the church. When people come to a church, they either treat it as a consumer- taking what we want and moving on- like the one man who wanted to withdraw all his money. Or we come as investors- people who realize that our spiritual health and well-being is a shared investment with others. If we pull out, it hurts other people as well. But if we keep investing-even in difficult times- then the health of the whole body improves, including ourselves.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about the church being like a body. A healthy body has all the parts working together. When one part of the body hurts, the whole body is affected. One part can't say to another part, "I don't need you" God has designed the church so that healing comes first through Christ, and secondly through other people. God has placed each of us in relationship with him and with one another for our benefit.

When times get tight, people's true attitudes come out. When we feel hurt or abandoned, we tend to isolate ourselves, and treat church as just another obligation. That's the consumer mentality.

But investors know better. When times get tight, we realize we need each other even more, and that when we truly stick by one another and love one another is when the love of Christ is made known. (John 13:34-35)

Are you a consumer or an investor?

Barbara Walters "revelation" and Moral Reasoning

Pastor — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:22:28 -0700

Recently Barbara Walters revealed (on Oprah) that she had an affair with a married man some thirty years ago. Maybe it was just the slant of the news report, but I was disappointed in the way one of her friends advised her at the time:

The news report read something like ,"You've got to end this. It will ruin your career."

Now that all those years have passed, I guess it won't ruin her career if she admits the affair. But is that the best reasoning we can think of? Is the preservation of one's career the right reason to end an adulterous affair? Or is an adulterous affair simply wrong period?

I assume the person who told Barbara Walters this was thinking that news of an affair between a white woman and a African American man who was elected to the Senate would be stigmatized by society at that time, so for the sake of her career she should end the affair.

But isn't the fact that she was having an adulterous relationship be enough of a moral reason to stop, no matter who the affair was with- whether he was White, Asian, Hispanic, or African American?

See, when we start making moral judgments based on the potential harmful consequences to ourselves, then we have already lost our moral footing. In effect, Barbara Walter's friend was advising her: "Stop, because if you don't you may get caught. And if you get caught your career may be over."

It is almost as if the advice came with a tacit approval of her sin- having an adulterous affair- and the only reason to stop was if she felt it could bring harmful consequences to her down the line.

The best moral basis for our decisions is what God has revealed in Scripture- otherwise known as divine command ethics. Judging actions merely by their consequences to ourselves or others is incomplete.