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You would expect everything on a church's web site to be by, for and about it, right? We don't think we are THAT important. So we bring you articles and news from others from time to time.  It may be from Gman, Gerrard Fess, from Hagerston, Maryland; Paul Williams who is in Christian Standard each week: Jim Dahlman from Johnson City, Tennessee; or Royce Ogle from Monroe, Louisiana; John Murphy from Long Island, New York; or many other people with something to say we need to hear.

Those articles used to be on the home page.  They are VERY good and deserve to be there.  But it cluttered things up too much so we moved them here and then added back some previous ones.  Read and enjoy ... but sometimes you want to read with steel toes boots on because they stomp all over our toes once in a while.

We may not always agree with them, but if we don't we need to ponder on why and make sure our differences are important and not just opinion.


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Story of Two Checks!

Gerrard Fess (whose writings we have visited before) turned me on to Neal Alligood, a minister at Christ's Church at Cobb, Kennesaw, Georgia.  Hope Neal doesn't mind.  This was too good not to pass it on. This is from http://servinghimwithshakyhands.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/story-of-two-checks/

An envelope arrived in the mail at our office yesterday.  Going to the mailbox at the office is an anxious adventure for me each day.  It is always filled with some excitement and anticipation at what may be in store for me through God’s provisions.  You see as someone who is “fundraising” to support themselves in a ministry role – you just NEVER KNOW FOR SURE – but what I do know for sure is that God WILL PROVIDE – just not always sure the method & the timing.

blank-check

The exciting thing about this particular envelope is that I could tell it was from a banking institution – so you can pretty much assume it is a check.  

Now here is a lil side note for everyone – maybe you are OR maybe you are not aware but people can use their Bank’s Billpay program to do support checks and giving checks for anything down these lines – a lot of people are unaware of this.  I just found this out over the last couple years.  SO ANY OF YOU OUT THERE TRYING TO RAISE FUNDS for an internship, mission trip, new church work etc – this could be HUGE FOR YOU TO CHECK INTO.  People can set up your “ministry opportunity” as a regular billpay and then each month (or however often they choose – can even be a one-time deal) the BANK will cut a check, AND MAIL IT to the person or organization.  This is GREAT since so much of fundraising is just keeping people aware of the need and a reminder to think about it each month.  This saves the donor the trouble of remembering to cut the check and having an envelope and then also saving the cost of the postage – the bank does it ALL for you!  What a great deal!

Now back to our story - so I get an envelope with 2 checks in it – which I just saw happen a couple of months ago for the first time.  You see if you have multiple donors that use the same bank, and their checks get cut at the same time, the billpay program can understand that it is going to the same address and instead of doing 2 separate mailings will just put the multiple checks in the same envelope (ain’t technology grand!!!).  This is cool to me cause it is interesting to see where the checks came from and from whom did they come.

So the 2 checks in this envelope painted a pretty cool & encouraging story that I decided to share with you.  These 2 checks were from 2 separate people, 2 wonderful women of God, who have chosen to bless me through their encouragement, prayers, and support.  They live in VASTLY different places and are in VASTLY different stages of life.  One is younger and still setting the course for her life and the plans for her future, the other is an older woman who has experienced and dealt with so many things in her own faith journey.  They both are very committed to the Lord and give in SO MANY ways to their own churches and to other extremely beneficial organizations and people that also desire to serve the Lord.  They both have also chosen to be a partner with me in this journey I am on.  

One of them sent a check that is not “huge” by the worlds standards, but with knowing how much she gives to other people & places and to another setting of a young church in which she is involved – I know for SURE that this is over and above and a total sacrifice to give and thus I am CERTAIN of the HUGE nature of effect that it has on the Kingdom.  The “smaller” check is also a regular monthly gift and thus also ends up adding up to a lot more by year’s end – but is a great monthly reminder of this person thinking of me and the work I am doing here.  

The other check was a “special gift” – it was of considerable more in actual amount than the first check, but that was because it was part of the profits from the recent sale of a house, in which this person felt the desire to give out of the blessing that God gave her.  This episode is EXACTLY what God’s word shares was going on in the book of ACTS when people were selling their possessions and giving to others as they had need – WOW – I am so excited to be a part of such an awesome adventure!

So I share the story of 2 checks – 2 checks with so much difference all the while sharing SO MUCH IN COMMON – not the least of these being how they impact my life directly!  I am truly encouraged, challenged, and humbled by the commitment to the Kingdom of these 2 wonderful servants of the Lord.  I simply desired to share with all of you how it is not about an amount or a frequency or what we, individually, determine as the “goal” – it is about simply and fully surrendering our WHOLE selves – our time, talents, and treasures to be given to our Heavenly Father to do “immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine”  (Ephesians 3:20)

Thank you SO MUCH to these 2 fine examples of sacrifice and giving – along with the approximately 40 some others who have been so generous during this challenging and wonderful time in my life!


The Mission Field Is Closer Than You Think

Posted by Royce Ogle on January 10, 2012

One of my favorite preachers is Matt Chandler. Matt is a young man who is Senior Pastor of a mega church north of Dallas. The Village Church has grown wildly since Matt became pastor in April of 2002. Each Sunday he preaches to thousands.

What I love about Matt is his absolute resolve to stay Christ/gospel centered. And, because he faithfully does that he regularly tells his affluent congregants that he believes most of them are lost (they appear to love him anyway..). Why would a pastor tell his people that?

Most of them (the members of the Village Church) grew up in homes that were considered “Christian homes” and moms and dads were members of the local Baptist church just like their parents and grand parents. What Matt Chandler knows is that many 30 somethings feel secure in their standing with God based on their family history, church attendance and membership, and good clean living, none of which qualifies one for eternal life or heaven.

So, Matt continually pounds the gospel into those good, moral church members and many of them are in fact being born again. Is there a slight possibility that in your church or mine there could be some faithful members who are leaning heavily upon church tradition, family history, and morality to get them to heaven? The answer seems obvious to me.

There is no doubt. In our fellowship, (churches of Christ), people routinely will refer to an acquaintance or family member with the qualifier “he is a member of the church”. Or, they might ask of someone they don’t know well, “has he been baptized?” Of course we expect that sincere Christian believers will be members of a church and will have been baptized. What we must know and admit is that neither is a substitute for having an ongoing, personal, trust in Jesus Christ.

I have always been struck by how gospel focused the Apostle Paul was. Remember in Romans chapter 2 he told the Christians at Rome that he desired to preach the gospel to them? It seems odd at first glance because he said of them:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. Romans 1:8

Wow! What exemplary Christians! They were known all around the world for their faith. But even to these wonderful Christians Paul said:

I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Romans 1:13-15

The great Apostle was keenly aware of his obligation to preach Christ to everyone (Greeks, barbarians, etc.) but he also intended to preach the gospel of Jesus to these fine Christians too. Why Paul? Why do you want to preach the gospel, preach evangelistic sermons to Christians? I think there are at least two very good reasons why.

Christians need the gospel message to sustain and encourage them.

Many of you who read this is not old enough to remember the deeper life movement of the 1970′s. Preachers were all the buzz if they were deeper life preachers. And those with English, Scottish, or Irish accents were the most popular. Somehow it was assumed (and still is) that people with those accents are much more intelligent than say American southerners. It was expected that these men could lead people to a deeper walk with God. Well, it was yet another Christian hula hoop, a fad that came and went.

There is nothing deeper than what Christ accomplished for ungodly sinners by his life and death and resurrection. Christians who want to please God and have a close walk with him must never be far from the simple gospel of Christ. The good news about the worth and work of Jesus must be a constant theme in our own personal study and our preachers and teachers need to preach the gospel all the time. It is knowing the gospel story that instills hope, makes joy fill the heart, and gives compassion for others. There is nothing more important!

There are likely some members of almost every church who are lost.

Paul told the Roman Christians that he desired “to reap a harvest among them“. Some people are offended by such an idea. But, Jesus taught about weeds growing among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). And, about people who do all sorts of good things that he will declare has never known (Matthew 7:22-23) and they will be condemned. I can’t think of a more sad end than for a person to be a member of a church and attend for years, teach classes and do all sorts of good things, and in the end be rejected by Jesus because he was not a true Christian.

So it is imperative that we preach the good news both to those in the church and out of the church, to the down and out and the up and out because everyone needs the gospel and no one can be finally saved who is not actively trusting Christ the best they can. God doesn’t grade on the curve. A person is either in God’s family or out, there is no in between.

Some years ago I became friends with a woman who had been raised in church. From the time she could remember there were few Sundays when she didn’t go to Sunday school and church. She was taught to live a moral life, to be kind, to give to those less fortunate, etc. As I got to know her better it became clear to me that she was not a Christian. After our bowling league we would have a sandwich each week at a local McDonald’s. I started teaching her about what Christ accomplished for sinners and how God loves sinners so much that Jesus died in our place, for our sins, so we could be made righteous in his sight based wholly upon his worth and work. After perhaps two or three months of our weekly talks she walked up to me one day with a broad smile saying that she had trusted Christ as her Savior and on the next Sunday she would be baptized and wanted me to be there.

This church member had no inkling of an idea she was headed for destruction. She thought she had done and was doing all the right things. She lived a very good life. It was only after understanding the gospel, (something by her own admission they never taught in her church) that she repented and turned her heart toward Christ and started living for him.

The mission field is closer than you think. As God opens doors and gives opportunity we must be faithful to teach people the very good news about Jesus and his work for ungodly sinners. Those who need him are everywhere, even in our churches.

Royce


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Meeting a Confrontational Jesus

FROM http://ponderingpreacher.com/2012/01/06/meeting-a-confrontational-jesus/

Jesus Cleansing the Temple by Bernardino Mei, ca. 1655

Ask someone to describe Jesus in one word and you may get responses like:

  • Merciful
  • Loving
  • Compassionate
  • Righteous
  • Kind
  • Caring

Okay, you get the picture.  Our overall perception of Jesus is that of a ‘nice’ guy.  A man everyone wants to like.  But that’s not the picture that I get when I read the Gospel accounts.  I’m not saying I don’t see the qualities listed above, I do, but that’s not the total picture of Jesus.  There is one word I would add to the list.  It’s a descriptor that is seldom attached to Jesus’ persona.  In fact, it’s a quality that some of us might not even like in a person, but time and time again I see Jesus displaying it.  The word is confrontational.

Now before you dismiss me, or say that Jesus was only confrontational with the Pharisees, let’s look at a few examples of Jesus stepping into confrontation rather than avoiding it.

Example #1: The Cleansing of the Temple

Imagine that spring day in Jerusalem.  The city is bustling during one of it’s busiest times of year.  Jews from all over the world are visiting on this Passover week.  The city’s population doubles during these feast days, and as is the case with most holidays the atmosphere is both festive and chaotic.  The Temple is easily the busiest part of town.  Not only was it the center of worship, it was also a banking center and marketplace.  At these times of year the outer courts could easily be packed with thousands, if not tens of thousands of people.

Peter and the guys are excited.  A trip to Jerusalem was a big deal for these fishermen from Galilee, but Jesus has a determined look on His face.  As they enter the outer court Jesus walks up to the nearest table, the moneychangers, and grabs it with both hands and flips it over.  The moneychangers were thieves, exchanging Roman currency for Temple currency and charging a whopping exchange fee, bleeding the thousands who passed through those gates.  Jesus moves to the next booth: the animals pens.  He sets the sheep and goats free driving them out with a homemade whip.  The priests had a nice racket going with the animals.  Bring in your own sheep, the best of your flock, and it wasn’t good enough for these guys.  No.  You had to buy one of their sheep to sacrifice to God, but not to worry, they would ‘dispose’ of your sheep for you, only to put him in the for sale pen when you weren’t looking so they could sell it too.  It’s little wonder why Jesus is upset.  The religious elite preying on the devout and taking advantage of even the poorest worshiper was more than enough to get the God-man upset.

Jesus doesn’t resort to negotiating.  He doesn’t teach us any conflict resolution skills.  He doesn’t shrug and say ‘Dem’s da breaks.’  Jesus confronts the issue head on.  There is no mistaking where He stands and there is no room for compromise.  In fact, a couple of years later Jesus would offer up an encore performance as He clears the Temple during His final week.  When it came to worship, Jesus was serious about having the right heart.

Example 2: Healing on the Sabbath

Here is where Jesus and the Pharisees constantly butted heads.  John 5 records the story of the lame man by the pool of Bethesda.   The pool was by the sheep gate, a gate so named because this was where the sheep were brought by worshipers who wanted to be declared ‘clean’ from some sort of ailment.  It was also near the stalls where the Temple kept there own stock of sheep.  The barnyard smell would have permeated the air around the pool.  Under normal circumstances the ‘unclean’ visitors and foul smelling atmosphere would have been enough to make this part of Jerusalem unsavory to visit.  Now add the pool fed by an underground spring that would occasionally bubble giving credence to the story that an angel stirred the water and the first one in the pool would be healed and what you get is an overcrowded sick ward.

Bethesda. Unclean. Rotten Air.  Sickly.  I doubt it was on any of the tour maps of Jerusalem, but when Jesus comes to town He heads straight for it.  Instead of coming through the main gate of the Temple to make a grand entrance as Messiah, Jesus anonymously visits the forgotten hospital.  He makes his way to an elderly fellow.  A man who has laid on his mat for 38 years.  A man who has no friends to get him to the pool when it bubbles.  A man whose last hope is a legend about a water-stirring angel from a God whom he cannot properly worship because he is too sick to be allowed in the Temple.  The man doesn’t know who this stranger is who sits by his mat.  He doesn’t know that the friendly fellow with the Galilean twang in His voice is the maker of the universe.  He doesn’t realize that this bearded fellow sits in the shadow of the very Temple built to honor Him.  All He knows is that this is someone who has decided to treat him like a human today, so when Jesus requests the ridiculous, to rise up, take up his mat and walk (did He really just say walk?!) the old man gives it a try.  At first the man is shocked.  Then he celebrates.  As he turns to thank the mysterious stranger, he finds that he has disappeared into the crowd.  But the stranger healed him, and he is walking.  Walking!  He does as he was told, he rolls up his mat and starts to go along his way.  He doesn’t get far when the joy killers, AKA Pharisees, show up.  They want to know why he dares to carry his mat on the Sabbath.  Doesn’t he know that constitutes work in their book?  His only explanation is a simple one, ‘the one who healed me told me to!’

It’s easy to get lost in Jesus’ compassion in this story, but remember, He is also God.  He can see ahead.  When Jesus went to Bethesda’s pool He knew who He would find there.  He knew He would heal the man.  He knew the man had a mat and He knew that carrying a bedroll on the Sabbath violated the Pharisee’s laws concerning the Sabbath.  Make no mistake, Jesus healed this man to show compassion, but He commanded Him to carry His mat to pick a fight.  Jesus is looking to confront the misconceptions the Pharisees have about God and who He is and how He operates.  The last half of John 5 is Jesus defending His identity and confronting the Pharisees with their own legalistic religion.

Example 3: Get behind me!

Peter is my favorite apostle.  Not because he is perfect, but because he is so raw and rough around the edges.  I see myself in Peter.  The quick to speak slow to think mentality  is something I can relate to.  In Matthew 16 there are two prime examples of Peter’s mouth both serving him well and getting him into trouble.  The first is a well-known statement that most of us can quote.  Jesus asks what the world thinks of Him.  The disciples answers vary. ‘A prophet.’ ‘A teacher.’  ‘Elijah returned to us.’  Then Jesus gets personal.  ‘Who do YOU say I am?’  It is Peter who responds with his typical boldness, ‘You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.’

The implications of such a confession are staggering.  To say that Jesus is the Christ; to say that  He is the Son of God means that you are acknowledging His Lordship.  Whatever He says goes because of who He is.  Jesus then reveals that He must go to Jerusalem and die.  Now Peter, the same man who acknowledged Jesus’ authority only moments before decides that Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, needs some advice.  I can see Peter taking Jesus aside and putting his arm around him.  I can hear the concern in his voice as he tells Jesus, ‘Surely you don’t have to die.  I mean, really?  C’mon Jesus!’  Jesus’ response is abrupt and immediate, “Get Behind me Satan!”  Jesus is not joking.  Nor is He overreacting. The temptation to avoid Golgotha was real and it was great.  Jesus is confronting Peter with the fact of his own confession.  It’s as if Jesus is saying. ‘If I am the Christ as you say I am and you are advising me to abandon my mission, then you are not on God’s side, but Satan’s.’  Jesus isn’t being mean.  He is forcing Peter to come to grips with his confession and with what he claims to believe.

Example 4:  Woe to the Hypocrites

I think of Matthew 23 as a forgotten chapter in the gospels.  You won’t hear many sermons on it.  There aren’t any DVD studies built around it.  It’s not a reference you are going to find on a flowery bookmark or on the side of your favorite coffee mug.  Matthew 23 is confrontational Jesus in full swing.  He’s come to Jerusalem to die, and if He is to get people to take His life He has to get them angry.  Fighting angry.  Murderously angry. Go ahead and read Matthew 23.  It will make your hair stand on end.  This is not the Jesus we are used to seeing.  He pronounces some serious woes on the Pharisees.  Multiple times He calls them hypocrites, but He doesn’t stop there.  This Messianic tongue-lashing also includes some more serious names.  Brood of vipers.  Sons of Hell.  The Pharisees are put on a public trial, and are found lacking.  Lacking in mercy.  Lacking in love.  Lacking in integrity.  In short, they are humiliated by a backwoods rabbi from Nazareth.  Jesus confronts them now, because during His trial He will be silent.  Jesus judges them now because later He will offer no defense.  No explanations of His words or actions.  We focus on the silence of Jesus during His trials and forget that He was brash and outspoken a day before.  Nothing has changed.  He is still Jesus, and His words are just as powerful as His silence.  He came to die, but before He does He sets the record straight: Hypocrisy will not be tolerated.  Loveless religion will not be accepted.  Just being good isn’t good enough.  In Matthew 23 Jesus confronts all the dangers of organized religion head on and we would do well to remember His words.

So What?

The above are just a few examples of Jesus’ confrontational style.  There are times where He gently, but firmly confronts His parents with who He is (when He was left at the Temple is a prime example of this.  Two distraught parents find a 12-year-old boy who reminds them both of who He is with a simple question, ‘Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?’)  He confronts sinners with their sin, but offers grace as well.  He confronts His disciples constantly with their lack of understanding.  Even His revelation at the last supper that He knew who would betray Him was a confrontation to Judas’ guilty conscience.

But what does this mean for us?  Why should we rejoice in the fact that Jesus is confrontational?  Simply put, we rejoice because we would never repent of our sins if we weren’t brought face to face with them.  We need a savior who is willing to make us uncomfortable.  We need a redeemer who is willing to remind us of what we were redeemed from.  We need a master who is willing to discipline us to keep us on His path lest we wander.

I hear too many believers say things like, ‘That’s not the Jesus I believe in.’ or, ‘My Jesus would never do that.’  Please allow me to confront you with one final truth:  The only time the Jesus you believe in matters is when He lines up with the real Jesus we find in the Bible.  The real Jesus is returning for one final confrontation.  Will you be ready when He comes?  Better to be confronted now while grace is abundant than later when the time for judgment has come.

Dave is a husband, father, brother and son.  He is also a minister.  When he’s not preaching you can find him enjoying a book, cheering for the Yankees or sipping a good cup of coffee.

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It's been a while since we heard from Dell Kimbelry in Payson, Arizona.  Here is a recent post from http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

God Will Deliver

It is often necessary to decide the following question.  Do I obey my heart or do I trust God? The temptation is always present to push for what the heart wants without really trusting God’s direction.  Most of us have been in a situation where we were up for a promotion or perhaps in the running for a job. We knew we could perform better than the one who eventually got the job or promotion. Maybe they got the position because they knew someone or maybe a third-party with some pull recommended them. Initially we may have been disappointed.  In time we realize  that God had something better in mind for us. What we often forget is this, God will deliver for His children. God will put us in a position to accomplish great things if we will place our trust in Him.

In Judges 7 the story of how God dealt with Gideon unfolds.  The army of the children of Israel prepares for battle with 22,000 men.  God tells Gideon that there are too many men.  Eventually God trims this group to a mere 300 soldiers. The rest of the story describes in detail how God delivers for Israel.  The success the men of God enjoyed did not rest in their ability as soldiers.  Their success was found in their trust of God.  They trusted-God delivered.

What God did for Gideon He will do for His children today.  God can and will deliver!  If God’s promises are real and they are.  Why do we often find ourselves in the grips of failure?  The following thoughts may give us some insight:

  • We are selfish. Often instead of allowing God to give us what He wants us to have, we push in our own directions.  Little children are never in a position to make important decisions without help.  Neither are we.  We need to ask God for direction in our lives.
  • We lack faith. We may ask God for direction.  Yet so often we fail to listen.  We don’t really believe God will deliver.  If we ask for direction we must trust God to deliver.
  • We don’t follow God’s timing.  A mighty oak doesn’t grow in a month.  Neither does God prepare us to do what He wants from us on our time frame.  We are often impatient and miss great blessings as a result.
  • We don’t allow God to provide. We ask God to show us the way. Often instead of allowing Him to show the way we push in the direction we want without allowing God opportunity to open the necessary doors to accomplish His will.
  • We only see the short-term. God has the ability to see our lives from beginning to end. We are often disappointed because something we want doesn’t happen.  It may be that God has something better in mind.  By waiting God may have a better job or a better opportunity for us.

Rest assured of this fact.  God will deliver more than we can imagine or even dream if we will put our lives in His hand.  Trust God for He will deliver!


A few weeks ago we had a guest writer, Gerrard Fess, a minister at the Church of Christ in Hagerstown, Maryland.  Fess is Canadian born and bred.  He just LOVED the Olympic Ice hockey games.  But the question is asked of him from time to time how a Canadian preacher ended up in Hagerstown.  Here is his response.  It is a reminder to us that often God has a place we need to be that is not where we expected:


I get this question a lot.

Long Story short: God. I grew up in Canada, went to a church as a young man and was thinking ministry (Due to the influence of the godly men and women from my home church included several families like the Hoovers, Donovons, Kindys, Sevenpipers, Mrs.C, The Ladies Group, and of course Terry Tanner). I was looking at several different schools - then this one from NC came. I didn't have any $$$. They just said - come, God would provide. (And HE did). So I ended up on a campus I didn't even see, and going to school with people I hardly knew except by this Choir Tour.(The school originally was called Roanoke Bible College now Mid Atlantic Christian University)

Originally my plans was to be a youth minister - and go back to Canada. But God had other plans. When I was at school, I was probably the class clown ... but also wanting to do what was right. In my Junior Year, I met my future Bride. We married 4 years later.

I had my first ministry in Ohio and went from student to youth minister and Religious Worker. (According to the then INS) then I went back to school and took some seminary classes at Anderson University's School of Theology. From there I ended up in Virginia as a Associate/Youth Minister with a Christian School ... and then my last youth ministry as the Youth and Family Minister at Cary Christian in Cary, NC.

Several times I had tried and applied to positions in Canada but God had shut those doors. Including contacting Canada Church Growth, Impact Canada, Maritimes Church planting, our 2 Bible Colleges there etc. This last time, God shut the door Big time. I wanted to try to minister in Ontario, but was told the timing was not right.

Somehow God lead me to the ministry I'm currently in. I can't picture myself anywhere else. It truly has been a God thing. I've been married almost 13 years and 3 kids later. The Church I serve now is where God wants me to be.

I get asked a lot ...so what is your current status? I came here legally, I have some final paperwork to do ... (after consulting a lawyer) and going through the final hoops after some work for years. My children can be dual citizens.

Sometimes I joke about being a Canadian missionary to the States. Ultimately my citizenship is in heaven.

So in answer to the question "How does a Canadian end up in the States ministering?" Only by the Grace of God. I'm still amazed He allows such a messy disciple and jerk like me to be serving. Thanks for His indescribable gift.

Here is a post from "G-man",
My PhotoGerrard Fess, a minister at the Church of Christ in Hagerstown, Maryland
Originally posted on http://fess2.blogspot.com/

  • The Theology of McDonalds.

    Posted: Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:02:00 +0000


    "Good Time Great Taste"

    "I'm loving it!"

    "You Deserve a break today"

    So yesterday we went to the Fancy Golden Arches Restaurant for my son's birthday.

    What if church were more like McDonalds?

    Treating people like they were First?

    The problem with Church, is we do a lot of comparisons to it being a Business.

    We, (Myself included), treat church as Consumers, rather than Contributers.

    We want it our way, right away rather than viewing church as something we give ourselves to.

    The congregation I serve is currently "Too big to be small, but too small to be big." We're at the point where we can't do everything (Nor should we) yet people complain and compare us to MR.MEGA Walmart Church. (I tend to and am hard on myself and sometimes my own strongest critic)

    Back to McDonalds, It seems to me that this restaurant puts on a good front. A good face, and sometimes a good product. The problem is it isn't really of substance. It gets old fast. People goto McDonalds because they want fast food. (Notice I didn't say good food) It lacks sometimes in the overall. People go to McDonalds because they want that type of food (which isn't bad but have it everyday and it gets old fast).

    I, almost, see this with churches too. They may serve a good front. Put on a good product. But ultimately lack in the quality. They may do everything. But in order to do everything they forget the main thing. Sometimes I think the better churches don't do so many programs but focus on what they do well .... to do that better. Having Vision. Having Focus.

    McDonalds tends to do that. They need to get back to that. They serve hamburger and fries and a coke well. These other items get them "Beyond" what they do well.

    We, as the church, need to be in Discipleship making. Focusing on loving God and loving others. All the other stuff is just fluff.

What Can We Do To Best Serve God?

One of the things we fail to understand is the basic premise that all was created for God’s pleasure.  From the beginning of creation this has been true.  Even the creation of man was for God’s pleasure.  Man was created in the image of God in order that relationship could exist between God and man.

Satan’s intent was to change God’s original creation.  Satan appeared in the garden for this purpose.  Satan convinced Eve it was more important she please herself than please God.  This basic thought started in the garden, continued through the prophets, and continues even in the church today.  This thought has become so ingrained into our culture that man tends to abuse religion.  The question has become, “What can God do for me?” 

Let me demonstrate what I mean.  If a couple with children move to a new city, they begin to look for a congregation which has  a strong “youth program.”  I dare not condemn the concern for the children.  We need to be concerned for our children, but is this the proper trait we look for in a church?  A second couple moves to the same city.  They have no children so instead of looking for a strong “youth program” they seek a church with a strong group of young professionals.  A third family moves to this city.  They are a mature couple.  They seek a “sound church” with traditional values and direction.  This couple seeks a congregation that has a preacher presenting the same type sermons and values to which they have grown accustomed.  In similar circumstances we might make some of these same choices.  On the surface none of these choices are bad within themselves.  The problem lies with the reason we make these choices.

Initially Satan convinced Eve that it was more important that she be pleased that she please God.  This same thought has adapted with time but continues to be supplanted in the thoughts of man even today.  The prominent question shouldn’t be, “Which church meets my needs?”  The most important question ought to be, “Where can I best serve God?

When our president took office earlier this year he stated that he wanted to fundamentally change America.  If I may adapt the thought to religious matters, we must fundamentally change the way we view religion.  It isn’t what can this church or that church do for me.  The fundamental thought needs to be, “Where can I best serve the Lord.”

Friends it isn’t about what I want nor if I get my way.  We aren’t looking for churches that give us what we want.  We are looking for opportunities to bring praise and glory to God.  We are looking for a place we can best serve our Lord.  Please hear these words,  It isn’t my church it is His.  It isn’t about what meets my desire it is about what service I can offer to God.  It isn’t about getting my way, it is about finding a way to connect those who are lost with the saving grace of the saviour.  Satan fundamentally changed our views in the garden.  It is time that we allow the gospel to funamentally change things back to the way God intended.  The most important question a believer can ask is this, “What can we do to best serve God?

December 29, 2009 Posted by Dell Kimberly

My Photo Steve Bowen has been around the block, learned some lessons, still believing, a plodder, a thinker, a ponderer who thinks often about how to encourage others to look outward...travels when invited to encourage outwardness, coach, speak and train. 18 years in missions in Scotland, 2 years in Pensacola, 3 years at Cincy Vineyard, 6 years at The Dayton Vineyard

The Noise
by Steve Bowen

Originally online at http://www.serve-others.com/issue40

The reality, the noise our lives emit, speak louder than the good news we proclaim. When reaching out to your family it is important to know that the messenger is the message. Your life-style reveals the message you seek to tell. Living an inconsistent life is one of the main barriers that keep your family members coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, how we put our faith into practice is vital.
 
Above everything else, our family members are looking for a life that is authentic, a life that is changing for the better, and a lifestyle that corresponds with what we say. Our families understand we are not perfect, but they do desire to see us living a life that indicates an authentic journey of faith.

If you are really brave here are some questions to ask your family.
 
Hey guys what is the background noise of my life? My life is speaking, what’s the noise I am emitting?  What does my life say to you? What do you hear me say? How am I doing? You may be surprised by the answer.

One day I apologized to my oldest son. In my ramblings I mentioned that I realized I had not been the example I had desired to be and had regretted not training him in some basic life-skills. I mentioned that I had failed many times living my faith before him. He stopped me in my tracks and began to tell me what I had done for him. I had encouraged him to be consistent, hard working, caring for others and respectful of the opposite sex. He mentioned that he and his friends talked about life, faith and following Jesus. He said that he told them if they wanted to see people living out a true faith to visit his house and observe his mom and dad.
 
Mark Twain was right when he stated, ‘Always do right; it will gratify some and amaze the rest.’  At the end of this conversation, I was the one who was amazed.

As you are living the life before them, here are some tips to help you begin to share your faith with your family.

S.H.A.R.E.


Serve them.


Actions speak louder than words.


1 Pet 4:10 NLT: 

"God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you."

Matt 5:16 NAS:

 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

As a new believer I pretty much preached mini sermons, pointed out my family members faults, and warned them of the punishment to come. I left Bibles and badly written gospel tracks all over their homes. My zealous attempt to tell the good news was perceived as the bad news. Even though they saw a genuine life change, my over zealous attempt to win them for Jesus Christ failed. I actually drove them away from Jesus, instead of drawing them near.

A few years later, and with a bit more wisdom, I began to seek to consistently serve my family members in practical ways. I realized my actions did speak much louder than my words.

One summer I visited my dad for a couple of weeks. I noticed his home needed painting. I responded and spent hours each day painting the house. On the last day of the project my dad came home with a six-pack of Coors beer. Even though I was a non-drinker I chose to have one beer to honor my dad’s attempt to say thanks. We sat down, sipped our suds, and had one of our most meaningful conversations. We spoke of forgiveness, his history, how he was raised as a boy preacher, the church, about Jesus, the issue of salvation, God’s plan for man and my journey of faith.
 
 At the end of our conversation we embraced, hugged each other, forgave each other and reaffirmed our love as dad and son. I can still remember the elated feeling as I boarded a plane a few days later and flew to my mom’s house in Florida. I thought, ‘I could die now. I’m a peace with my dad.’ Serving opened the door to share my faith.

"Consistently serving your family opens the door for dialogue." 

--Steve Bowen


"Preach the Gospel all the time, and if necessary, use words."

--St. Francis

Hear them.
Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak.  James

The goal is to keep the communication lines open to ensure you stay connected to your family. Part of the process is really listening, not just with your head, but your heart. What are the members of your family saying? Are you listening actively without attempting to fix or change them? If you are wired as a fixer or a changer this will be difficult for you. Do you hear their pain? Do you hear the needs of their lives? Do you hear their dreams, or their disappointments?

In my family we have good cop, and bad cop. I’m the bad cop. Pattie, my wife is the good cop. All of my children want to please us. When they do a dumb thing, I often fail to understand that they bear the weight of their own disappointment. It’s a weight they alone carry. I tend to be the one who takes things too personal, react to quickly and who fails to really listen with my heart. Pattie, on the other hand, understands the process of maturity, takes things in stride and responds with love and measure. Guess which one of us deepens our relationship with our children more consistently? Guess which one is able to share our faith most effectively? Yep, my wife.

Whenever we attempt to persuade a person by manipulating them, inducing fear, shame, or guilt, it’s wrong.
 
Even though we may have to establish boundaries, and speak the truth in love, we need to understand no matter how much we love our family, their choices… are their choices. They alone are responsible and accountable to God. Our job is to be consistently open, caring, and honest.

The greatest revelation I ever received about my sister was that she was not just my sister, but a woman who was loved by God and who was accountable to God. It totally changed how I spoke to her and how I responded when my buttons were pushed. I learned to zip my lips, refused to argue, to actively listen and sought to respond in a positive manner. Arguing about faith doesn’t usually produce fruit, but listening opens hearts. My sister was won by my consistent love, shown by my attentive listening, not by my persuasive arguments.


Ask questions.

Asking questions and listening helps us to cultivate our relationship and helps us to develop on going dialogue.

One day I asked my dad a few questions. ‘Doc, I was wondering, what’s keeping you from giving your heart to Jesus? Is it because your parents persuaded you to be child preacher? Are you mad at God? Are you disappointed about your long-term illness? What’s up? What’s keeping you back from following Jesus Christ?’

His honest answer surprised me, “Nope I’m not mad at God, mad at my family or disappointed by my illness.’ I reckon it’s just my pride, my ego.’ I was stunned. He was further along in his journey toward the Kingdom of God than I imagined. My desire to know what made him tick opened the door for honest dialogue.



Some questions to ask:

If you could ask God any question what would it be?

What do you find the most difficult concerning belief in God?

Would it be fair to say that your disbelief in God is due more to your experience with Christians or with God himself?

Why do you think people are turned off and have tuned out to church? Are you turned off? Why?

What’s keeping you from following Christ?


Rescue them. 

Jude 22-23 NLT:

"Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment."


Patties dad was a bartender, he smoked and eventually was diagnosed with cancer. His wife had been a believer for 15 years; her efforts to lead him to Christ until this time had some, but little effect. As the cancer spread she became very concerned about his eternal state. Finally, she courageously said, you are dying. Where do you want to spend eternity? His response, ‘What do I need to do?’ She replied, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Invite Him into your life by turning from your sins.’ He replied, ‘I’m willing.’ They then got down on their knees and prayed together. When they got up he was a changed man. A few weeks later, he was baptized. Two weeks later he died. He was rescued.

Sometimes you just have to go for it. Sometimes it means throwing caution to the wind and speaking the truth in love. Sometimes it’s reminding our families that there is an eternity to face and they have a choice to make. These special times are usually presented during a crisis, when our family members are obviously at a crossroad. They plainly have life changing or life threatening decisions to make or pressures to face. The Titanic has hit an iceberg. Its end is inevitable. One passageway clearly leads toward life, the other away from life, health and peace. They need to choose now. We need to be courageous, lovingly throw the life rope and beckon them to respond.


Encourage them.


2 Cor 6:1NLT :

"As God's partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God's great kindness. 2 For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation. 3 We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act."

Lastly, how do we encourage our family members to move toward belief. Here are a few quick tips:Tell the story. Speak about the life of Jesus and what he came to do often.

Tell your story. Give living illustrations from your journey with Jesus. How he has answered prayer, changed your life, influenced your decisions, provided for you.

Offer good books to read. The key word…good. Books that can connect with their personality, their needs, books that beckon them to a higher plane or connect with their aspirations.

Invite them to good a church. Invite them to a special event or to a Christmas, or Easter celebration. Most people will go to church if they are invited to a special service, or event.

Offer prayer. If they mention a need offer to pray for them.

Keep the relationship open. As far as it depends on you keep the relationship current through a caring phone call, a written note or a verbal affirmation. Keep short accounts and forgive them when you are offended by their behavior.

Don’t turn off just because you are home. Live the life before them. Be the good news. Remember your actions speak louder than words.

God is faithful. He loves our families much more than we could ever imagine. Salvation is a process. It takes an unique amount of time for each person to come to faith. Our role in the nurturing their faith is to s.h.a.r.e. His role is to draw them to Himself.




This week we have more from Del Kimberly of Payson, Arizona.  Originally posted on http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

Connecting With The Cross

It isn’t unusual to long for the “good ole days”.  There is a certain nostalgia associated with the past.  Usually the “good ole days” are not as good as we remember them.

 

Occasionally they are.  There was a time in this nation when religion was center stage in the life of all of us.  It wasn’t a matter of choosing between Christianity or Muslim.  It wasn’t even a decision of believing in God or being an atheist.  Our biggest question in those days was, “Where are you going to worship?”  We argued doctrine.  Each religious group competed for members because it was pre-determined that everyone would worship somewhere.

Today is not the same.  We aren’t competing with other religious groups for members.  Today we are doing battle with Satan for the souls of mankind.  It isn’t the same world and it isn’t the same culture.  It is no longer a foregone conclusion  that God will be the center in the lives of all men.  This being said the cross of Christ is still the hope of man.

In my fellowship we have placed our stress in the need for restoration.  I have used the illustration of a recipe many times to describe what we needed to  stress.  My idea went something like this, if you wanted to bake a dish you could do so if you would only follow the recipe.  It didn’t matter how old the recipe or what you knew about the recipe  so long as  you followed the recipe exactly as written.   The recipe would always produce the proper dish.  I would further teach that our recipe book is the Bible.  If you follow the Bible exactly you will alway produce the church of the New Testament.  Following this recipe required preaching on subjects like:  the church, baptism, proper terminology, proper worship, proper patterns and the like.  Stressing restoration is fine so long as God is the center of man’s life.  Restorationism works under the assumption that all men see the need for God.  What if all men don’t see the need to make God the center of their lives, what then?

Our need in today’s culture is similar to the need in the first century.  We need to find  ways to make sure our community connects with the cross of Christ.  The power of the cross changes lives.  No sin is to great for the blood of the cross to cover.  We can never travel so far in sin that we can’t come back to God.  No sin is so deep that the cross won’t cover that sin. 

How do we make sure that our communities connect with the preaching of the cross?  I don’t know all the answers but let me offer a few suggestions:

  • We must go to the world with the cross.  It isn’t about how dynamic our worship is.  It doesn’t matter the type songs we sing.  The message has to get out the doors.  Rather than bringing them in we must take the message out.
  • We must share the Cross and not our version of church.  Those outside Christ don’t care what you teach.  These people care what you are.  Rather than placing all our emphasis on what happens in our assembly we must place emphasis in how we live.  Sound doctrine isn’t limited to what you teach in reality sound doctrine is about how you live.  You can’t fool those in your community.
  • Those in our community must see the value of Christ living in you.  How you do worship will not have effect within your community unless Christ lives in you.
  • Those in our community must see the value of Christ in them.  It isn’t enough for them to see how Christ is of value to us.  They must also see how Christ in their lives would help them.  This means preaching the Cross!  It means sharing Jesus with them in a very practical way.
  • We show those in our communities the value of Jesus by making the world and our communities better.  James tells us that it takes more that saying be warmed and filled.  It takes meeting the physical as well as the spiritual needs.  We may get all doctrine right but unless we make our communities better by connecting them with the preaching of the cross we have failed. 

The things we have stressed in the past remain a necessary part of our preaching, but unless we find a way to connect our communities to the message of the cross we are failing to accomplish the will of the Father and nothing we teach will make a difference.

Posted by Dell Kimberly November 29, 2009  

This week we welcome back Del Kimberly from Payson, Arizona.  Originally posted on http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

I insist on it in the Lord

Paul makes this statement in Ephesians 4:17.  Paul says, “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in their futility of their thinking.”  By the inspiration of God Paul is telling the Christians in Ephesus that they must no longer live like the rest of the world.  In fact he says they must give up even thinking like the world thinks.  This was a great teaching moment for the Ephesian church.  These were words they needed to hear.  The message is just as valuable for us today as it was for the Ephesian church in Paul’s day.  Instead of the world determining standards God sets the standard.  Our direction in life is determined by who gets our attention God or the world.

Paul gives five points of advise we would do well to heed.  Consider the things outlined in the remainder of Ephesians chapter 4.

  1. Don’t speak evil of one another.   v. 25-27   Wouldn’t it be a great life if we never spoke evil of one another?  Paul says you are members of one body.  He went on to say if you get angry don’t let the sun set on that anger.  When we let anger dwell in our hearts we give the devil a foothold.  All Satan needs is a place to get a start.  Just think how much trouble could be averted if we made it our practice to never speak evil of one another!
  2. Steal no more but rather work.  v 28.  There was a purpose in their work.  The Ephesian Christians were to work so that they would have something to give to  those in need.  Is it possible that much of the world’s problems are centered around the concept of trying to get something for nothing?  I fear that in today’s world the concept of an honest days pay for an honest days work is being lost.  This country did not invent the concept of work God did.  We would do well to heed God’s law!
  3. Control your tongue.  v 29-30.  This is a difficult command to implement in our life.  Paul said there was to be no bad out of the mouth.  Instead we speak only that which builds up.  Wouldn’t it be awesome to be around people who only spoke words that built us up?  If I want to be torn down I can get that anywhere.  It is only under the influence of God I can receive words that build up my soul.
  4. Do away with bitterness, rage and anger. v 31  It is hard to lay these things down.  Sometimes we pride ourselves in holding to the anger.  God is telling us that the world holds on to these things.  We don’t need to go there.  Lay this down at the feet of Jesus.
  5. Replace the bad with the good.  v 32  When you lay the anger and bitterness down you must replace it with good.  Instead of being angry and bitter replace it with kindness and compassion.  Just as the Lord has forgiven you, forgive others.  I remember an experiment that was done in a third grade science class many years ago.  My teacher in that class was Barbara White.  In the class she took a metal can.  Mrs. White put a rubber stopper in the can.  With a hand pump she removed the air from the can.  As the air was removed the can crumpled due to the pressure from the outside.  This is how we will be if we attempt to remove the bad without replacing it with the good.  We can’t take Satan out unless we let Christ in.

God intends churches and Christians stand out like a light on a hill.  We stand out because we are different from the world.  The drawing power of the Gospel is not found in dynamic worship or even magnificent buildings.  The power that draws is through individual Christians as they walk in the footsteps of Christ.  Actions will always speak louder than words.  Paul has told us this, no, he has insisted on it in the Lord.


The Bait and Switch of Contemporary Christianity

The following post by Richard Beck (Dr. Richard Beck is Associate Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University) continues to rattle around on the internet with lots of discussion.  it was originally posted at http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2009/08/bait-and-switch-of-contemporary.html  I hope he doesn't mind my using it here:

To start, a story.

A few years ago a female student wanted to visit with me about some difficulties she was having, mainly with her family life. As is my practice, we walked around campus as we talked.

After talking for some time about her family situation we turned to other areas of her life. When she reached spiritual matters we had the following exchange:

“I need to spend more time working on my relationship with God.”
I responded, “Why would you want to do that?”
Startled she says, “What do you mean?”
“Well, why would you want to spend any time at all on working on your relationship with God?”
“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
“Let me answer by asking you a question. Can you think of anyone, right now, to whom you need to apologize? Anyone you’ve wronged?”
She thinks and answers, “Yes.”
“Well, why don’t you give them a call today and ask for their forgiveness. That might be a better use of your time than working on your relationship with God.”

Obviously, I was being a bit provocative with the student. And I did go on to clarify. But I was trying to push back on a strain of Christianity I see in both my students and the larger Christian culture. Specifically, when the student said “I need to work on my relationship with God” I knew exactly what she meant. It meant praying more, getting up early to study the bible, to start going back to church. Things along those lines. The goal of these activities is to get “closer” to God. To “waste time with Jesus.” Of course, please hear me on this point, nothing is wrong with those activities. Personal acts of piety and devotion are vital to a vibrant spiritual life and continued spiritual formation. But all too often “working on my relationship with God” has almost nothing to do with trying to become a more decent human being.

The trouble with contemporary Christianity is that a massive bait and switch is going on. “Christianity” has essentially become a mechanism for allowing millions of people to replace being a decent human being with something else, an endorsed “spiritual” substitute. For example, rather than being a decent human being the following is a list of some commonly acceptable substitutes:

Going to church
Worship
Praying
Spiritual disciplines (e.g., fasting)
Bible study
Voting Republican
Going on spiritual retreats
Reading religious books
Arguing with evolutionists
Sending your child to a Christian school or providing education at home
Using religious language
Avoiding R-rated movies
Not reading Harry Potter.

The point is that one can fill a life full of spiritual activities without ever, actually, trying to become a more decent human being. Much of this activity can actually distract one from becoming a more decent human being. In fact, some of these activities make you worse, interpersonally speaking. Many churches are jerk factories.

Take, for example, how Christians tip and behave in restaurants. If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you know the reputation of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Millions of Christians go to lunch after church on Sundays and their behavior is abysmal. The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth.

I exaggerate of course. But I hope you see my point. Rather than pouring our efforts into two hours of worship, bible study and Christian fellowship on Sunday why don’t we just take a moment and a few extra bucks to act like a decent human being when we go to lunch afterwards? Just think about it. What if the entire restaurant industry actually began to look forward to working Sunday lunch? If they said amongst themselves, “I love the church crowd. They are kind, patient and very generous. It’s my favorite part of the week waiting on Christians.” How might such a change affect the way the world sees us? Think about it. Just being a decent human being for one hour each Sunday and the world sees us in a whole new way.

But it’s not going to happen. Because behavior at lunch isn’t considered to be “working on your relationship with God.” Behavior at lunch isn’t spiritual. Going to church, well, that is working on your relationship with God. But, as we all know, any jerk can sit in a pew. But you can’t be a jerk if you take the time to treat your waitress as if she were a friend, daughter or mother.

My point in all this is that contemporary Christianity has lost its way. Christians don’t wake up every morning thinking about how to become a more decent human being. Instead, they wake up trying to “work on their relationship with God” which very often has nothing to do with treating people better. How could such a confusion have occurred? How did we end up going so wrong? I’m sure there are lots of answers, but at the end of the day we need to face up to our collective failure. I’m not saying we need to do anything dramatic. A baby step would do to start. Waking up trying to be a little more kind, more generous, more interruptible, more forgiving, more humble, more civil, more tolerant. Do these things and prayer and worship will come alongside to support us.

I truly want people to spend time working on their relationship with God. I just want them to do it by taking the time to care about the person standing right in front of them.


More from Dell Kimberly - see his blog at http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

The Other Son

November 1, 2009 — Dell Kimberly

We are familiar with the story shared by our Lord of what we  have come to know as the story of the prodigal son.  The part of the story we don’t talk about often has to do with the other son.  We don’t discuss this son as much.  Truth is this son is very similar to many of us today.

When the prodigal son returns we find the other son in the field working.  It is largely because of the other son’s efforts that the farm remains. The other son is the brother we would most want our daughters to marry.  We could count on the other son to take care of all obligations including our daughter.  This is just the way he was.  In spite of the good qualities of the other brother there were still problems in his life.  The primary problem was much like many in the religious world today.  This son was depending on his goodness to justify him in the father’s eyes.  He demanded justice instead of grace.  He believed he had lived good enough to count on justice. Notice his reaction when he learns of his brother’s return.  He tells the father, “I have been here slaving for you.  I have never disobeyed and you never killed the fatted calf for me or my friends.”  He didn’t want grace for the returning brother, he wanted justice.

Lets look at some things we learn from the other son:

  • Being good doesn’t make the bad go away.  The other son had a bad attitude and all the good works in the world would not solve this.  Bad attitudes and bad deeds cannot be cancelled by good works.
  • The lifestyle of the other son tends to demand justice.  The last thing we need is justice.  More than anything else in the world we need grace from the Father.
  • The life of the other son leaves no room for those who are different.  The lost do not concern those like the other son because they see them as less than they really are.  Since they can’t match the goodness of the other son they aren’t  viewed as being worth our efforts. If they want what we have let them do as we do and work to get what they need.
  • The life of the other son tends to build a separate standard of acceptability.  This was the problem with the Pharisees.  They were trusting in their own abilities to understand scripture.  Their idea was that in order to be accepted by God you must see all exactly like they saw Scripture.  Their view of Scripture had become the standard instead of Scripture being the standard.  After all they held the “correct view”.
  • The life of the other son allowed no room for humility.  His whole life was built around the concept of complete and perfect understanding and actions.  He would never been able to get his head around the concepts taught in James 4:10.
  • The other son’s lifestyle developed a different attitude from the attitude of the father.  The father was looking to restore fellowship with His son.  He wants to bring everyone under His roof.  The other son was looking for a reason to exclude the returning brother.  The father wanted to draw as many as possible into His circle while the son who was seeking to be justified by works was looking for a reason to keep those who were different out of his circle.  The father and the other son held a very different attitude about who belonged in the circle of fellowship.

There are many other conclusions that could be drawn from this story.  These are enough for us to understand that we don’t talk so much about the other son because he makes us uncomfortable.  This other son often times is much like those of us who seek God today.  Think on these things.


For a change of pace here is the latest post by Dell Kimberly from Payson, Arizona.  This it part 8 in an ongoing series posted at http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/  Deep thoughts, but also something we need to ponder on:

The Holy Spirit (Part Eight)

October 18, 2009 — Dell Kimberly

1 Corinthians 14:26 specifically tells us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to build up the church.  Different groups emphasize different gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Our fellowship emphasizes the gift of Scripture.  In the mind of some the role of Scripture has replaced the Holy Spirit as God’s mode of operation.  A primary source of this confusion is the result of a mistaken view of 1 Corinthians chapter 13.  I grew up being taught in the past that the gist of this chapter concerns the idea that most spiritual gifts ended with the  assimilation of the written Word.  We have developed doctrine and an entire direction around this view of 1 Corinthians 13.  If you grew up as I did you were taught that gifts of the Holy Spirit could only be given by the laying on of the apostles hands.  When the apostles died and all those they had laid their hands on died most gifts of the Spirit ceased to exist.  This would have been a few years after the last New Testament book was written.  Thus the idea that when the perfect (Scripture) came the gifts of the Holy Spirit were no longer available.  This was necessarily inferred by our excellent line of human reasoning.

There are more than a few problems with the doctrine we have built around this view of 1 Corinthians 13.  The primary thrust of 1 Corinthians 12-14 deals with the misunderstanding  the Corinthian church had with the gifts of the Spirit.  The Corinthians mistakenly believed that the gifts made you a superior Christian.  The gifts of the Spirit did not show the superiority of individual Christians but rather show the goodness of God.  The gifts given to the Corinthian Christian were not for the benefit of the individual but the benefit of the church.  It is in this context that Paul discusses the gifts of the Spirit.  Paul ends chapter 12 by telling them to eagerly desire the greater gifts but he continues by telling them that he would show them a more excellent way.

Scripture is a tremendously important gift given to man by the Holy Spirit.  However, that described in chapter 13 as the perfect is not the written word.  Allow me to outline just a few of the difficulties this interpretation poses.  Initially,  if the written word is what has previously been described we have a time problem.  By conservative estimates all apostles and those with whom they had personal contact had died by 160 AD.  New Testament Scripture  wasn’t assembled as we know it until the late 4th or early 5th century.  This would mean for a space of several hundred years God could not have operated in the lives of men by means of the Holy Spirit or by Scripture.  If the previously mentioned doctrinal view is correct there would have been a disconnect in the operation of God in the lives of men for several hundred years.  I do not believe this happened and neither do most you.

Paul says chapter 13 we can now only see a poor reflection as in a mirror  but when the perfect comes we will see face to face. He continues by stating that now we know in part:  but then we shall know fully even as we are fully known.  If the perfect refers to the written word  Paul saw a poor reflection but we see face to face.  If the perfect refers to the written word Paul knew in part but today we know fully even as we are fully known.  If that which is perfect is the written word then our knowledge of God is superior to that of Paul.  I am not willing to claim knowledge of God that is greater and deeper than the knowledge of God held by Paul!

A more reasonable definition of the perfect would be the Christ.  Consider these Scriptures:  Revelation 1:7 says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.”  When will we see perfection face to face.  Is it remotely possible that it will be when every eye sees him?  1 John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”  Where have we heard this thought?  When I was a child I acted like a child when I became a man I put away these childish things.  When will we be mature enough to put away the incomplete?  The answer is when we become like Him!  When He appears!  At the appearing of Christ we shall know as we are fully known because we will be like Him.

Why does this matter?  The very heart of much of the direction of our fellowship is built on the idea that since we have the written word God  operates only through this word implying  other Spiritual gifts have ceased.  We have made this an either/or argument.  The correct argument is both.  God operates through Scripture but He continues to operate through other gifts of the Spirit as well.

Let me pose these questions for your consideration:

  • Has God limited His role in the lives of mankind to one gift of the Holy Spirit, that being the gift of the written word?
  • When we pray what role does the gift of the written word have in bringing about the answer to our prayers? Is written Scripture the power that brings about our answer?
  • God said that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were to build up the church.  Does the church still need to be built up today?
  • Does the Holy Spirit still occupy His role as the earnest and deposit of our salvation?
  • If God has limited the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the written word, how does He fulfill His role as earnest and deposit of our salvation?

Thanks for your interest and thoughts, there will be more to come.


I said for the next few weeks I'll be posting some writings from various guest authors. John Murphy, known by many of us online as "Elder John", had a very thought provoking post on his blog this week.  If you recall, his church doesn't have a preacher.  The 4 elders take turns preaching and all do the "pastoral stuff".  Don't try arguing with him, because you'll walk away talking to yourself.  This week's post is not directed at anyone.  It is however very thought provoking and brings up an uncomfortable subject we may need to ponder on from time to time.
The following was recently posted at http://eldersthought.blogspot.com/

Preaching and the Pastor/Elder

I once heard someone say, "Our pastor’s (elders) are great shepherds but they really are not good preacher’s". I really did not know how to contain myself (those that know me will understand that statement). That’s like saying he’s a good shepherd but when it comes time to feed the sheep he either feeds them junk or he disappears. The pastor, the shepherd is to preach (feed) his flock with the most nourishing of God’s word.

John MacArthur said this: "the God-ordained means of saving, sanctifying and strengthening His church is preaching. The proclamation of the gospel is what elicts saving faith in those whom God has chosen (Rom 10:14). Through the preaching of the word comes the knowledge of the truth that results in godliness (John 17:17; Rom 16:25; Eph 5:26). Preaching also encourages believers to live in the hope of eternal life, enabling them to endure suffering (Acts 14:21-22). The faithful preaching of Gods word is the most important element of pastoral ministry.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy: 2 Timothy 4:1-4 (NASB)
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Those may have been the last words Timothy ever heard from his mentor and Spiritual father. In this Paul set forth the Pastors highest priority. But Paul had instructed Timothy in this earlier as well: 1 Timothy 4:13-14, 16 (NASB) 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery…. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

Paul made it clear that the "elder who rules well is to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching" (1 Tim 5:17). After giving Timothy instructions about relationships between Christians masters and slaves, Paul told Timothy to "teach and preach these principles" (1 Tim 6:2). What Timothy had "heard from [Paul] in the presence of many witnesses, he was to entrust to faithful men who would be able to teach others also" (2 Tim 2:2). So important was this that the Holy Spirit through Paul made sure one qualification of the Pastor/Elder was that he be "able to teach".

Sadly many elders have surrendered this part of their ministry to paid professionals we call ministers or preachers (not found in Gods word). People have come to expect their elders to be a sort of corporate board under the CEO (Minister or Preacher). And since we pay him this is what he is expected to do while the Pastor/Elders do what? Well if it is not feeding the sheep of Christs flock He purchased with His blood, they had better re-examine just what they are doing.

What do you think?

Since we are in the middle of a pulpit search, perhaps we should ask ourselves what the role of the preacher is?  He is a recent blog from Dell Kimberly asking that from the preacher's side of the pulpit.  From http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

What Is my Job as the Preacher?

February 15, 2009 — Dell Kimberly

In the past 30 years I have experienced much in my work as a preacher. I have been a problem solver, a counselor, a teacher, a social worker, and shared in a thousand more responsibilities.  What is my job as a preacher? 

Never forget our first responsibility is to preach the message of Jesus to those who  need to hear.  When working with the multiple personalities that exist in any local church it is easy to lose sight of this area of primary emphasis.  There is no excuse if we fail to preach Jesus.  Fellow preachers, the most important thing we do is share the message of the Christ.  Our initial responsibility is to share the good news of the Christ and the path that takes man from bondage in sin to freedom in Jesus. We must then provide instruction allowing Christians to lead a lifestyle that is in the likeness of Jesus. We do this from the pulpit, we do this in our daily lives.  We must be like Paul willing to preach “in season and out.”

Second, as a minister I must be willing to serve.  We must be willing to give of ourselves.  If our brothers and sisters in Christ are in need we as ministers must be willing meet their need.  This means we are on call 24/7.  In a perfect church the congregation would call the shepherds when they have a problem.  Unfortunately there aren’t many perfect churches.  As a result, when problems rear their ugly head preachers usually get the call.  Faithful preachers must be willing to serve the church, especially when the church  is in need.  This is the time we can make lasting differences in lives.

Third,  continue to study and grow.   It is easy to fall back on things we have already learned.  Preachers cannot allow themselves to stop growing.  Read widely, and read often. Read outside your area of comfort.   We must be willing to consider thoughts that are new to us.  When we reach the point we think we have it all figured out we are in deep trouble. Never allow your study to be done to defend doctrine.  Always study to seek truth.  We can’t allow ourselves to fall into this trap.  Never stop growing or studying.  The church deserves our best study scholarship.

Be willing to provide necessary leadership in the local church.  There will be times when the local preacher may find himself standing alone.  Don’t be afraid to stand when leadership is needed.  There are too many “yes men” in the church already.  You weren’t called so that you could “go along to get along.”  As preachers we represent the things of God.  This job isn’t a popularity contest.  There will be times when we must stand for right regardless of who stands against us. 

Never forget who you are.  You are God’s man in the community, let God use you.  We are here to preach the gospel.  Never allow yourself to become so timid about the things you say that you become afraid to preach truth.  It is true that  we owe a degree of allegiance to the brethren.  This doesn’t change the fact that we owe our lives and souls to God.  Guard against the temptation to hold the party line in order to please brethren.  You belong to the Lord. You are God’s man in the community.  Let God use you and never forget the one you have been called to serve.  Fellow servants, we are preachers of the gospel.  Never forget God only had one Son and He chose that He should be a preacher.  If this is your call, do it and do it well!


Grace

by Edward Fudge

“Grace” is not just a theory, a concept or a doctrine. It is God-in-Christ -for-sinners. Nothing we do can earn it, create it, or make it happen. We can only receive it with the empty hands of faith, trusting God and relying on his promise that he has forgiven our sins and has accepted us for Jesus’ sake. Until we do that, all our rules, requirements, conditions and obligations only miss the point and waste our time. But when we do trust the gospel promise that God receives sinners, we may happily entrust ourselves to such a God — eager to seek and to know what pleases him, confident of his goodness and of his love.” 

Copied from an Edward Fudge column.  Please go to http://www.edwardfudge.com/gracemails/grace_personal.html to read the rest of his article.  It is really good material.  This is  the link:


This almost sounds like something I read someplace.  Something a Jewish carpenter was saying about a cloak or something ...

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"  ...

See the entire story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89164759



What Is Mission of the Church?

January 31, 2009 — Dell Kimberly
from http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  As His body the mission of the church is the same.  Our purpose is to do all we can to preach Jesus.  If we follow Jesus we will take the message of salvation to the lost.  Our mission ought to be the element that drives our direction.  It should be the most important part of who we are and why we are here.  How easy it becomes to lose our direction!

As Christians we allow many things to get in the way of the important.  Often the directions we take on are important on the surface.  These may appear to be good and worthwhile.  The problem is we allow them to take us away from Jesus.  If we are in the business of being religious most churches do quite well,  but if we are in the business of seeking and saving the lost we are quite inept.  In reality, what things keep us from preaching Jesus?

First, we have trouble understanding the difference in following Jesus and being religious.  The pharisees were quite religious.  In fact their understanding of  law had in their eyes become the measure of correctness of doctrine.  They believed their understanding of Scripture contained eternal life.  Jesus told them Scripture testified that He was the Christ.  If they had really understood they would have recognized Jesus as the Christ.  The importance of this is found in the fact that we must place our trust in the Christ and not in our understanding of Scripture.  If we trust our understanding of Scripture rather than  Jesus we become like the Pharisees.

Second, we stress the wrong things.  We aren’t policemen or lawyers.  We are teachers sharing the good news of Jesus.  So often we allow our zeal for knowledge to overide the need to share the message.  Is it important that we teach the truth?  Absolutely!  If we teach something other than the truth of Jesus we have shared nothing of value.  At the same time let’s not become like the Pharasees in our approach.  Our understanding of the covenant can’t become the standard.  When we stress our understanding instead of the good news we have misplaced our identity.

If we major in the minor we might get the minor right but the important is left undone.  Doctrine is important.  Sunday morning worship matters as does faith in Jesus Christ and the grace of God.  We may have perfect knowledge (which I doubt) but if we keep that knowledge within our specially prepared box it is of no value.  We have to make a difference outside the walls of our buildings.  Communities need to be changed by the preaching of Jesus.  We need to turn cities upside down again.  We aren’t here to convert people to a religious system.  We are here to convert them to Christ.

The mission of the church is to preach Jesus, sharing the good news to a world lost in sin.  This is the message pure and simple.  Our mission isn’t to police, restore, or even guard.  Our mission is to preach Jesus.


Personal note from the editor:  I am not a political person and do not want or advocate the church taking political positions.  This issue is not one of politics.  It is one of right and wrong.  If it is ever wrong to stand up for the unborn I will be the first in line to be wrong.  Today's guest writer is Del Kimberly, Church of Christ Preacher from Payson, Arizona

With Your Tax Dollars!

January 23, 2009 — Dell Kimberly

03newbornh2January 23, 2009, in his second full day in office, President Obama lifted the ban on oversees abortion funding.  This ban has been batted back and forth like a ping pong ball.  Initially this ban was put in place by President Ronald Reagan.  It remained in force until it was lifted by President Bill Clinton.  President George W Bush reinstated the ban and that ban remained in force for the eight years of his presidency.  With the removal of the ban  high on his list of priorities, President Barrack Hussein Obama has once again lifted the ban on taxpayer funding for companies who supply and encourage abortions in countries outside our borders.  Tod Preston,  spokesman for Population Action International said, “Women’s health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance.  President Obama’s actions will help reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.”  Mr. Preston it may well reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies but at what cost?

Let me state the actions that have been taken just so we understand what is being done.  President Obama’s action makes it legal in the United States of America to fund organizations who will not only encourage but make available abortions outside the borders of our country.  Here is the kicker,  our lawmakers will be funding these organizations with funds made available by our tax dollars. 

Isn’t the youngster pictured here adorable?  As a result of President Obama’s actions millions will possibly never know what life is like outside their mother’s womb.  Life is precious with every human being  created in the image of God.  Each of these children who die at the hand of the abortionist is an individual with a soul.  We may never know these children but God does.  He knows the lives they would have lived if they had not been killed.  Not only does God know these murdered children, but God knows even the names of their grandchildren.

It is essential that this issue remain ever before us.  We have now legalized the funding of organizations who encourage and make available the murder of children both inside and outside the borders of our nation.  Our elected officials are making this possible with taxpayer funding from hardworking individuals who vehemently oppose  this action.  Don’t stand by and do nothing.  Write to your officials letting them know how you feel.  Most of all pray!  Pray that President Obama and those who hold similar views would grow in their knowledge and trust of God.  We can’t remain silent.  Lives of precious children are at stake!


Normally this area has excerpts from interesting articles online elsewhere, with a link to the entire article.  Today we have an entire blog entry from Dell Kimberly, a Church of Christ preacher in Arizona.  See his blog at http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/  It's excellent reading, but he does tend to scuff your shoe toes from time to time.

We Must Get it Right!

January 18, 2009 — dellkimberly

     Do you really believe the mission of the church is the same as that of Jesus?  In our heads we know that according to Luke 19:10 the mission of the Christ was to “seek and save the lost.”  If in our hearts we believe that His mission is our mission we know we aren’t doing a good job of imitating our Lord.

     From 1980 until today the United States has grown in population by more than 30 percent.  During that time the growth of Churches of Christ in this country has been basically none existent.  Everyday we are falling farther behind in fulfilling the great commission in this country much less throughout the world. 

     We see many congregations in a long-term spiral of non-growth.  Even worse we may see them actually declining in number.  One study I read recently stated that only 1 out of 20 or 5 percent of the churches that decline for an extended period ever regain growth and vitality. 

     Let me share another disturbing fact.  From 1994-2004 established churches contributed 0 % to growth of churches in this nation!  When you continue to do what you are doing you will continue to get what you have gotten!  It is absolutely essential we rethink the direction, focus, and culture of our brotherhood. 

     Those who have taken the time to research have found there is an exception to the stagnation problem prevalent in so many of our churches.  Church plants continue to grow and do well.  In church plants each year on average 1 person is converted for every 32 members.  In established churches that ratio is an abysmal 1 for every 82 members.  It is firmly proven that church planting is a great way to build up the cause of Christ today. 

     While Churches of Christ have maintained the status quo or declined in the last 20 years the Conservative Christian Church has maintained a steady growth pattern.  Aside from the obvious difference of instrumental music, if you examine the two fellowships you will find the primary differences are culture and direction.  One group has nurtured a culture built on the idea of “fighting against change.”  The other has promoted a culture of “preaching Jesus” through the planting of churches.

     It is obvious that planting churches produces essential growth.  Yet, not all churches or Christians can be involved in planting churches.  Do we simply forget about these established churches?  Do we allow them to die a slow death as life slowly seeps from them?  Is it possible to transpose the same values, direction, and culture that exist in a church plant into our established churches?  Is it possible for a church to regain the vitality of its youth?  I think that it is not only possible but very necessary.  Imagine what we could accomplish if we could transpose into our established churches the same vitality and zeal that exists in church plants!  I fear in our present day churches we have built something that may not please God.  We need to rethink our values and direction.  With God’s help we can do this!


Preaching for Total Commitment

by Bill Hybels


What does it take to convince people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ?
Preaching for Total Commitment
  
ChristianBibleStudies.com

Recently a man commented on the "tough topics" I'd taught on over the years—hell, money, sex, relational confrontation, self-discipline. He asked, "Of all the topics you've preached on, which has been the hardest to get across?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Becoming totally devoted to Christ." My greatest teaching challenge is to convey what Paul was driving at in Acts 20:24 and elsewhere: "I no longer count my life as dear unto myself; I have abandoned my personal aspirations and ambitions; I have offered myself as a living sacrifice to Christ." When I teach that to secularly minded people, they think I'm from Mars. The thought of living according to someone else's agenda is ludicrous.

To many people, living for Christ is a kind of fanaticism the world could do without. Who, they wonder, would be foolish enough voluntarily to suffer loss, refrain from pleasure, or impinge on the comfort level of his life? They think total devotion to Christ means squandering the only life they have.

See the entire article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/currenttrendscolumns/leadershipweekly/cln81229.html

You should take a look at a blog by Dell Kimberly, preacher at a Church of Christ (NI I think) in Payson, Arizona. It is at http://dellkimberly.wordpress.com/

He says a lot of things that stomp hard on toes, not just his church, but most of us. Here is a paragraph just to whet your appetite:

Initially, we need to understand we produce the things most important to us. Some churches pride themselves in pure doctrine. Others may place emphasis on a strong youth program or dynamic worship. A third group may understand restoration as the most important aspect of their work. Honestly, we are often a combination of things we hold as important. It is seldom we take time to determine our direction. Often we do what we do because this is all we know. This becomes our religious culture. As we discuss these concepts in the near future we will attempt to determine two things. First, what should be the culture in a local church? Second, how do we build the proper culture in our brotherhood?

OK, one more bite:

A preacher friend of mine once said, “It is a good thing that many of those who are members of the church were brought up in the church because otherwise they would have never studied their way to truth.” This is a very scary thought. It would be inappropriate to blame this on the masses. All groups are similar in this respect. We tend to accept the ideas of those we consider to be the experts. If we don’t like the results we have no one to blame but ourselves. For more than 100 years we have heard a distinct sound coming from our pulpits. That sound did not include a passion for preaching Christ. The sound we have heard is very heavy in the areas of patterns, restoration, blueprints, and self-reliance. That same sound has been shallow in areas such as grace, faith, and trust in God. There has been far too little preaching on what God has done for us. Instead we have stressed man’s obedience to forms and patterns.




What Do I Say Now? What Do I Say Now?
Responding to the slogans of critics.
by Rick Wade

True for You, But Not For Me
Since the church began, objections have been raised to the faith. They have varied according to the beliefs and mindset of the day. To be effective in taking a stand for the truth, Christians have had to know the current questions and objections. Maybe you've heard some of the more common objections today such as "Jesus never claimed to be God," or, "What gives you the right to say other people's morals are wrong?" Or how about, "That might be true for you, but it's not true for me." Sometimes these objections are well thought out, but often they sound more like slogans, catch-phrases the non-believer has heard but to which he or she probably hasn't given much thought.

(and from the end of the article:)

Although Christians can't be expected to have satisfactory answers to all the possible objections people can throw our way, with a little study we can learn some sound responses to some of the clichéd objections of our day. Phrases little understood and tossed out in a knee-jerk fashion can still have a profound influence upon us. We need to recognize them and defuse them.

See entire article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/areas/biblestudies/articles/081210.html



Mike writes:

I was linked to a blog the other day that has some very interesting things to say.  I don't know anything about Amanda beyond what she has on her blog.  I don't think she is a "church scholar" or such.  But in reading her entry for Dec 19 "Jesus Behind the Couch" I thought "This has some very good points we need to ponder on."  View Amanda's blog at http://fardaraismai.blogspot.com/

Here are a couple excerpts

I realize that I don't have to agree with people 100% to love, and support them, and to really see them for the treasure that they are.
Unfortunately, the church, so often, (and I am not talking about one denomination here) is the voice of God's judgement. You can't do this, you can't do that. ...

Jesus really saw the person, and his first reaction was always love. He just loved people. The modern church is so AFRAID of people sinning..so afraid of SIN, of screwing up, of doing the wrong thing, whatever. This is the foundation for how they see the world. But if you are a christian, then "perfect love casts out fear". Some of the dialogue, or commentary that is going on, I honestly don't know why it even has to go on. I don't go around preaching to all my friends, "this is the way, walk in it or die."

View Amanda's blog at http://fardaraismai.blogspot.com/

Frank Viola writes:
 
 

...the Bible never defines the church. Instead, it presents it through a number of different metaphors. One of the reasons why the New Testament gives us numerous metaphors to depict the church is because the church is too comprehensive and rich to be captured by a single definition or metaphor. Unfortunately, our tendency is to latch on to one particular metaphor and understand the ekklesia through it alone. But by latching on to just one metaphor—whether it be the body, the army, the temple, the bride, the vineyard, or the city—we lose the message that the other metaphors convey. The result: Our view of the church will become limited at best or lopsided at worst.


Read the entire article "Church as Family" by Frank Viola at  http://www.the-next-wave-ezine.info/bin/_print.cfm?id=42&ref=COVERSTORY

On another web site someone quoted an old Amy Grant song.  Excuse me, I have to go polish the toes of my shoes.

Oh, you can hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3M6AZeQvVM

I know a man, maybe you know him, too.
You never can tell; he might even be you.
He knelt at the altar, and that was the end.
He's saved, and that's all that matters to him.

His spiritual tummy, it can't take too much.
One day a week, he gets a spiritual lunch.
On sunday, he puts on his spiritual best,
And gives his language a spiritual rest.

He's just a faaa...
He's just a fat little baby!
Wa, wa, waaaaa....
He wants his bottle, and he don't mean maybe.
He sampled solid foods once or twice,
But he says doctrine leaves him cold as ice.
Ba, ba, ba, ba...ba, ba...ba, ba!

He's been baptized, sanctified, redeemed by the blood,
But his daily devotions are stuck in the mud.
He knows the books of the Bible and john 3:16.
He's got the biggest king james you've ever seen!

I've always wondered if he'll grow up someday.
He's momma's boy, and he likes it that way.
If you happen to see him, tell him I said,
"he'll never grow, if he never gets fed"

He's just a fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fa-at, fat...
Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fa-at, fat...
Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, faaaaat...
...baby...

Dr Charles Arn asks:  Are we "Senior Sensitive"?

The graying of America provides an enormous opportunity for the church; perhaps unique in this century. But without a major retooling of strategy and tactics, the church will be left behind. To restate: the approach most churches presently have for ministry to the aging adult population is woefully inadequate, if not entirely irrelevant.

See the whole article at http://blog.christianitytoday.com/buildingadultministries/2008/11/is_your_church_senior_sensitiv_1.html

Driving to work one morning, Pastor Mark Acuff was surprised to find the parking lot almost full. "I had a panicky feeling that perhaps I was supposed to be doing someone's memorial service or something," Acuff recalled.

As he hurried into the building, Acuff, pastor of Chapel Hill Bible Church in North Carolina, discovered to his relief that the gathering in the auditorium was not a funeral, but an all-day training event for a group of county service workers.

Indeed, on any given day, Chapel Hill Bible Church's seven-year-old facility might host a blood drive, a gathering of mental health professionals, local and national election polls, a home school co-op, a meeting for a teen pregnancy support center, a concert by the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, or a parachurch leadership training event. Its parking lot is a regular Park and Ride lot for a University of North Carolina campus shuttle.

Some pastors consider having a permanent facility a hindrance to missional ministry—the overhead of a building and its maintenance burdens a budget and limits creativity, they say.

Other congregations, however, recognize that church buildings are desirable meeting spaces. They are well cared for, situated in familiar and often easily accessible locations, and are regarded as neutral, non-hostile environments in which to host an event. Many churches have attractive meeting spaces that cannot be rivaled for seating capacity elsewhere in the community.

In other words, instead of a hindrance, a facility can be a missional asset.

Chapel Hill Bible Church, for instance, considers its on-campus activities a significant means of fulfilling its mission of being "a community that expresses and experiences the love of God." And this congregation is not alone. Many churches view their facilities as an extension of their mission.

View the entire article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/fall/15.48.html



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