From My Overly Cluttered Desk

It's not fair...

2012-02-10T10:40:00.000-06:00

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the word "fair" and how much we talk about it. Being a father of four children under 13, I am accused a lot of not being fair. I really don't worry about it much because I have come to the conclusion that life is not a matter of fair and the sooner my kids learn that truth, the better they will function in life. The dictionary defines fair as "free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice". That would be a great understanding of fair. I would agree that we should all strive for freedom from dishonesty and injustice in our dealings with everyone. I don't know that we can accurately be without bias. I have beliefs and those beliefs create "biases" in me that shape my decision. It's the bias that causes us to feel and scream "unfair", especially when the bias goes against us. But isn't that the way life is? Isn't it unrealistic to believe that I can live without bias? Shouldn't I naturally be more biased with my sexual inclinations towards my wife than other women? Shouldn't I naturally be "biased" that my children should seek for excellence in their lives and expect them to rise above the standards of this world? If I really believe what Christ says in the Bible is true and that the gospel is the only hope of salvation for mankind, shouldn't I be biased towards that opinion and shouldn't it influence my relationships with other people?

Here's another problem I have with "fair." Fair "dumbs" everything down to the "lowest common denominator." This is what is happening in our culture in America right now. We used to believe in a society where people had a strong work ethic - where we rewarded hard work and applauded the financial success that followed. Now we gripe that the rich "should pay more taxes than me because they have more money than me." We've created government programs that either foster a mindset that people should expect something for nothing or that creates a system that even if they wanted to rise above their circumstances, they can't afford to. A couple of years ago our church was doing mission work in the Appalachian area of Kentucky. One of the missionaries there told us that they had a program to train some of the women in the area to clean houses for income. One young lady went through the program and began to get some income. Then, she suddenly quit. Why? She told the missionary that when her income increased, she lost all her government benefits and free childcare and it cost her more to work than it did to stay home and let the government take care of her. She wanted to work, but she couldn't afford to. That's what a system that caters to the "lowest common denominator" creates. Fair; whether in a society, a business, or a church, has a tendency to reward mediocrity and stifle creativity and excellence. Ironically another definition of fair in the dictionary is "neither excellent or poor, moderately or tolerably good." THERE IT IS! That's fair in our society. Fair breeds mediocrity. Take one look at where we are right now and tell me that we are not just a mediocre group of people. No one wants a steak that is "neither excellent or poor". A mediocre steak might fill your stomach, but it doesn't make you want to come back for more. Nobody goes out and rents a "mediocre" movie that they've seen before.

Spiritually, fair brings condemnation and means that we all go to hell because that is what we deserve. This is the problem when fair is brought into the church. When we deal with God, we don't want fair - we want mercy and grace. Fair cheapens grace. Fair attempts to paint God as some sort of socialist grandfather rather than a holy God who in an outstanding act of grace takes upon himself the sins of the very people he forgives. Fair doesn't adequately explain the existence of evil and its consequences. Fair doesn't motivate me to worship. Fair doesn't create in me awe and majesty.

Ultimately, the essence of leadership is the art of learning how to rise above "fair". Instead of asking what is fair, here are a couple of other questions to ask instead:

Is there a "right" thing to do in this situation? If so, do it no matter the cost. Sometimes there is no definitive "right". Right is not based on your opinions, but God's standards.
What is the "wise" decision? In the lack of a right, the best question to ask is about wisdom. I owe a great deal to Andy Stanley and his book "The Best Question Ever" on this one.
Instead of asking what is the "fair" thing, ask "What is the "just" thing to do?"
What decision will lead the organization best to accomplish its mission and lead towards a culture of excellence?
Even if this decision doesn't seem "fair", what will be the cost of inaction?

I've come to the conclusion that the only thing "fair" is good for is to be a place where we get to go to get some cotton candy and ride the Tilt-a-whirl. Fair is good for cattle auctions and car shows. Otherwise, let's stop spending so much time on trying to find "fair" and instead be people of grace who strive for excellence and expect others to do so as well. Let's quit dumbing ourselves down and through the grace of God start rising up. This doesn't mean that there isn't a time and place to make a "fair" decision when we are referring to justice. God always expects us to be just because he is just. But let's allow our vision of fair to be colored by the justice of God and not the opinions of men.

Just A Little Laugh...

2012-02-04T10:11:00.000-06:00

Josh Hamilton and Public Failure

2012-02-04T09:15:00.000-06:00

News came out late Thursday that this past Monday Josh Hamilton had a relapse in his ongoing battle against drug and alcohol addiction. Yesterday he had a press conference to explain his side of the story. I can't find the video to post here yet. However, Josh did an excellent job at public contrition and repentance. As a matter of fact, the media wasn't sure how to react at the sight of real biblical repentance. We are so used to a blame-shifitng, vicitimization society that when someone publically admits personal responsibility, the wrongness of the action, and the need for accountability we as a society don't know what to do. However, Josh Hamilton is a real man. He did everything a real man is supposed to do. He rejected passivity over his actions. He accepted responsibility for both the choices and the consequences. He owned up to his leadership over his family, his team, and his public ministry. Bravo Josh, Bravo.

Here is a video of Josh from "I am Second". This is the key for Josh to remember now in his repentance and recovery. This is the real Josh Hamilton, not the guy who childishly ran away from a fight and decided to drown his problems in a bottle.

The Lure of Conformity

2012-02-03T19:42:00.001-06:00

I always feel this need to conform to expectations around me. I think all of us do. Let me illustrate. The other day I came across a fellow pastor in my city. He's a new guy in the area and he had that look of a pastor: dress pants, shined shoes, pressed blue shirt, yellow tie, distinguished glasses, and closely cropped hair. Me? I had on blue jeans, polo shirt, tennis shoes, and a three-day growth of stubble on my face. He looked like a pastor. I looked like one of those guys who sits around playing video games and eating oreos. I began to think to myself, "You need to do a better job looking like a pastor when you go out." There is a group of pastors that meet on Monday in my town and when I go to their meetings I usually put on khakis and a golf shirt or something business casual. When I went to the Dominican I brought all athletic pants and Under Armor shirts because I knew all the guys were baseball guys and coaches. I wanted to look the part even if I wasn't the part. When I go to a gospel conference in April, everyone will be dressed in the standard YRR attire (except for Al Mohler who will still be sporting the suit and tie seminary president look).

The lure of conformity is a powerful thing. It doesn't go away when we graduate from high school. Peer pressure isn't just something teenagers face. We all face it everyday. There's pressure to conform to the fashion trends of our tribe. There's the pressure to conform to the large-scale SUV when you have two kids and live in suburbia. There's pressure to preach like Andy Stanley, have music like Louie Giglio and Passion, and have a church big enough to transport people in golf carts across the parking lot. There's pressure to get your son or daughter lessons so he or she can be as good or better than all the other kids at baseball or soccer. There's pressure to be on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and every other social site to be relevant.

Even those who say they are non-conformists have their pressures to conform. Ever seen a skinhead with long blonde locks? If you want to be a "non-conformist" you need to have multiple piercings, a long goatee, like wearing black, and have an angry demeanor most of the time.

The issue really isn't whether it's wrong to feel the pressure to conform, but what you are being conformed too. The things we conform to can often times reveal to us what our functional idols really are. My need to dress more like a pastor can possibly be signaling a need to be validated by external measurements rather than spiritual ones. My desire for new golf clubs might be a sign that I want people to be impressed with the "Callaway" on my 9-iron. (However, I really think it's because my current clubs stink.) When my need to conform is driven by other people's expectations or acceptance rather than my personal convictions, it will usually lead me down the path of idolatry and be less fulfilling.

The real question is "Why do I feel so strongly the pull to conform to those around me, but don't always feel the need to conform to Christ-likeness as strong?" It's not my desire to conform that bothers me but the things I desire to conform to and my struggle to conform to Christ-likeness. The Bible says I am "predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." It will happen eventually. That's the plan of God for me. The word also says "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance." It's my choice what I conform to. When I allow myself to be conformed to the pattern of this world, I show my ignorance of the gospel and all the things that God has done for me already in Christ. I think that word "ignorant" best describes much of the conformity I see in my life and in the lives of those around me. That's what I think bothers me the most.

Anyway, let's all conform (which is a statement asking you to conform) to the things that really matter in this world or the next. And let's pay careful attention to the lure of conformity and ask ourselves why we feel so drawn to what we are.

Now I got to go press my slacks. I have a pastor's meeting to go to...

Just A Little Laugh...

2012-02-02T10:14:00.000-06:00

I loved Gary Larson's humor in The Far Side. From time to time, I'll post one of them here.

Go Bowlin

2012-01-25T22:35:00.002-06:00

These guys are funny and super creative. An ode to one of the greatest haircuts of all time.

T4G - A Conference for Gospel Faithfulness

2012-01-19T15:53:00.000-06:00

I am excited about attending this conference in Louisville, KY in April. Looking forward to catching up with some old friends and hearing some gospel-centered preaching.

T4G 2012 Trailer from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Something to Cook - Beef Tips and Rice

2012-01-13T17:35:00.000-06:00

I like to cook. My wife hates it. So, I get to cook a lot. Now, I don't "LOVE" to cook. I don't sit around conjuring up dishes in my kitchen in my spare time. However, I do like the art of cooking. And my wife is not a bad cook. She's actually gotten pretty good lately. She just doesn't like cooking and has no patience in the process. So from time to time I thought I might give you some things I have tried that my family seems to enjoy.

Tonight, we're having beef tips and rice. I realized about 4 months ago that I really liked beef tips but had no idea how to make them. I also wanted to find a recipe I could cook in a crock-pot because I didn't want to have to tackle it when I came home. So I researched the internet and read through about a dozen recipes on beef tips in a crock pot. I combined what looked good for me and this is what I came up with.

3-4 pounds of beef tips or stew meat (They are usually cut pretty big so I cut them in half)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Golden Mushroom or Beefy Mushroom soup (depends on what your grocery store carries)
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
3 cans of beef broth
Salt and Pepper

Season the beef tips with salt and pepper (and maybe some Cajun Seasoning) and dredge in some flour. Lightly brown the tips in a skillet in some vegetable oil. Put the dry onion soup mix, Golden Mushroom soup, and Cream of Mushroom soup in the crock-pot and mix in one can of beef broth. Add the browned beef tips and cover with remaining beef broth. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

This is one of my kids favorites. Now I'm hungry and going to eat some!

Around the Internet

2012-01-13T10:18:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of the best blogs and articles I have come across the internet the last week.

Jared Wilson's Response to Jesus>Religion - There's a new video circulating around Facebook and the internet by an artist named Jefferson Bethke where he conveys why being in love with Jesus is better than just being religious. It's very creative and thought-provoking. It also can be misconstrued to advocate an alarming trend that we can love Jesus and live the Christian life outside of the church. While many American churches have become self-serving institutions and guardians of the moral police, it is also the institution that Christ created and that he died for. Wilson does a great job looking at some of the deeper issues raised by this popular video.

10 Thoughts on Tim Tebow mania - I love Tim Tebow. My wife absolutely loves Tim Tebow! She has become an NFL and Bronco fan just because of Tim Tebow. He has become a polarizing figure in our society that reflects a larger reality of the divide between those who follow Christ and those who follow the philosophies of this world. Nathan Busenitz wrote a very good article on 5 positive things about Tebow-mania and 5 concerns. Very much worth a look.

If Jesus Tweeted - My friend Chad Gibbs is one of the most creative and humorous guys I know. He has a great blog and put together a funny look at what Jesus' Twitter profile might look like.

Mark Driscoll on Rick and Bubba -Mark Driscoll has a new book on marriage and a conference tour. I have a copy of the book I hope to read and review later. He appeared on a radio interview with Rick and Bubba. Here is the interview and gives you a good idea of the contents of the book. Sounds like it's definitely worth a read.

Loving Movies (or anything else) more than Jesus - I saw this link on someone's facebook this week. It's a blog post from John Piper on our tendency to elevate our love and affections for created things over the Creator. It's not overly critical, but a very positive and encouraging article.

The Jesus Mission (Book Review)

2012-01-11T09:27:00.000-06:00

Last month I received a copy of the book The Jesus Mission by Steven Scott to read and review. Personally, I was a little skeptical before I read it. I had never heard of Steven Scott before. His bio in the dust jacket talks about how he "learned the laws of success by studying the book of Proverbs" and lists his successful business ventures. The book says that Jesus has "4 missions He assigned you." At first glance, I thought this was going to be another Joel Osteen or Prayer of Jabez "secret to personal success" type book. I was wrong.

Steven Scott writes from a very strong theological and biblical background. His writing reflects someone who has deeply studied Scripture and has invested a lot of time in personal study of God's word. This is no "pull out a verse and then show how God has promised to bless you" type book. The author makes no apologies for the power of God's word and its necessity in the life of a follower of Jesus. He does a solid treatment of describing salvation and what it truly means to be "born again". He challenges modern-day Christianity that teaches people to rely on past experience, walking an aisle, being baptized, etc. as the basis for proof of salvation. He does and excellent job of challenging readers to "count the cost" of following Jesus.

Every chapter in this book is loaded with advice that is directly from the pages of Scripture and a solid exegesis of those passages. By his own admission, the author spent two years reading and organizing all of Jesus' statements in Scripture into 1900 commands and teachings. He then categorized them into 225 topics and wrote a book about it. He uses those Scriptures that he has immersed himself in as a spiritual compass. The reader is invited in to discover what God wants and in doing so finds himself challenged to reject easy, passive religion and embrace the cost of following Jesus and being obedient to his teachings and commands.

I would highly recommend this book for personal study, for a Sunday School class, for new Christians, and for those who are looking for something with some substance in a Christian book marketplace that is full of self-help pablum. Put this book on your reading list this year!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Students "Do Something Now"

2012-01-09T19:18:00.000-06:00

I got to go to Passion 2012 last week. It was my 9th or 10th time to take students to a Passion event. It always inspires with awesome music and the power of God's word. This year the students were challenged to unite to bring awareness to modern slavery and human trafficking. This was a feature that CNN did about the movement. The goal was $1,000,000. By Thursday, over $3,000,000 had been raised!

Read through the Word in 2012

2012-01-02T09:53:00.000-06:00

Since it's the beginning of the new year, many of us commit to read the Bible more intentionally. There are lots of great Bible reading plans out there. I have tried several of them. This year I am going to read through the Discipleship Journal plan. One reason I like this plan is that the readings are broken down into 25 readings a month so it gives you some extra days to catch up if you fall behind. If you aren't behind, you can spend the extra days studying some of the passages you read that are meaningful to you.

I am using a paper copy in my Bible and also YouVersion to track my progress. If you are signed up on YouVersion, then look me up and be a friend so we can encourage one another and share any notes or insights. YouVersion also has some great apps that you can use on your smart phone to help you keep up.

Are you reading the word more intentionally this year.

Best Books of 2011

2011-12-27T11:11:00.002-06:00

I love to read whenever I can. Unfortunately, with the noise and chaos at my house, my reading is usually limited to late at night when everyone is in bed. I tried to keep up with all the books I read this year and balance out my reading selections to have a very broad base. Here are a few of my favorite books I read this year.

Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
I loved Keller's book! It was the first book by Keller that I have read all the way through. It is one of the most important books I have read and exposes one of the major problems in the contemporary church. Tim Keller's insight into idolatry is profound. This book went a long way to exposing my own idols and has caused me to be more profoundly dependent upon Christ and not my idols.

Decision Points by George Bush
I got this book last year for Christmas and dug into it this Spring. I love biographies. I have not been much for presidential memoirs before, but Bush's presidential span was during a large part of my young adult life. I think Bush served in one of the most critical times in the life of our country and his impact will not be fully measured or appreciated for many years to come. It was fascinating to look at decisions that he made behind the scenes that the media has wrongly portrayed consistently. I believe Bush to be a brother in Christ with a deep faith that was placed in a role where biblical values are not embraced or tolerated. This book is a must read for history and presidential buffs.

Gospel by JD Greear
Greear hit a home run with this book. The word "gospel" has become a buzzword in the contemporary church and much is being preached about it, especially among the young and reformed evangelical types. As much as it's being talked about, it is also being highly misunderstood. Greear does a great job showing that gospel centrality has a massive impact on our daily lives. He shows that the gospel is not just theological language, but the power for personal transformation. Great book I wish everyone in my church would read!

Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson
I am still reading this book. I had seen much tweeted and written on it recently. Wilson's book is also a beautiful work on the majesty and power of the gospel to transform our personal lives. I am only halfway through and have already worn a highlighter dry. I will hopefully post some of my favorite quotes from this book later. However, if I recommend one book for you to read in the next 2 months, this would be the one!

Onward by Howard Schultz
I love business books and behind the scenes looks at great companies. This is one of those. It is written by the CEO of Starbucks and chronicles the turnaround that Starbucks did several years ago as he saw some dangerous trends in his company. Since I love coffee and Starbucks, much of what he wrote about I saw and remembered.

Radical Together by David Platt
This is Platt's follow-up to his first book Radical. It is written to show more of the corporate implications of a church that commits to radical obedience to the word and the gospel. It's a small but powerful book. I believe that church leaders and pastors should pay careful attention to the words of Platt in a day and time where we are losing influence and impact for the gospel in our culture. I believe David Platt is a prophet for our time and is being used of God in mighty ways. His writings and sermons have had an impact on several in our church.

Other books I read this year and really enjoyed were: Don't Call it a Comeback by Kevin DeYoung, Slave by John MacArthur, Pujols by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth, Erasing Hell by Francis Chan, John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock by Iain Murray, Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley, The Jesus Mission by Steven Scott, I, Alex Cross by James Patterson, Great by Choice by Jim Collins, and Where Has Oprah Taken Us? by Steven Masfield, and Mint Condition by Dave Jamieson.

A Calvin Christmas

2011-12-22T21:33:00.001-06:00

I loved Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. This is one of the Christmas strips. Having 4 boys of my own, this one hits close to home.

Around the Internet

2011-12-21T14:20:00.000-06:00

Here are a few links to some website articles and blogs I have recently found of interest.

What's the perception of Southern Baptists? This is some vitally important information about the perception of many of the unchurched about the denomination I belong to and deeply love. I am so thankful for Ed's research eye and the important questions he asks. These are prophetic words that need to be heeded.

The Year in Pictures (Part 1 and Part 2) - These are fascinating pictures of events that happened this year in the world. A very powerful way to look back at the year 2011.

Who Was Saint Nicholas? This is a good post on the real Saint Nick by Mark Driscoll. This will help you to better understand the man behind the myth and what to tell your kids about Santa Claus.

Journey of the Wests - This is a blog started by my friend and church member Myron West about his family's recent journey to Uganda and God's calling of them to serve in missions on a full-time basis. Myron is a deacon in my church and God has used him and his family to ignite a missions movement in our church. Pray for them as they continue being obedient to God.

Don't give to the Cooperative Program - This is a great blog article by Micah Fries about the difference between giving "to" the Cooperative Program and "through" the CP. I think it's a good word for SBC leaders to hear and for members of SBC churches to read and understand how the Cooperative Program works and why it's vitally important. I agree with Micah's assessment that we need to be very careful about projecting an image that appears we are holding up an organizational structure more than advancing a heavenly kingdom.

Return to Middle Earth

2011-12-21T09:10:00.000-06:00

I never read the books, but I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the work that Peter Jackson did with those movies. Now, he's doing The Hobbit, the prequel to the LOTR. It looks to be pretty good. The announcement trailer recently came out. Enjoy. Let the countdown to December 14th begin...

Hello Again...

2011-12-19T22:41:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been a month since I posted anything. It's not because there hasn't been anything on my mind. Too much happening to have any productive time to blog. In the last month, Nathan and I got back from our mission trip to the Dominican Republic; we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family in Mississippi; my church has hired a new staff member to do youth ministry and discipleship; we had a party for my music minister who is retiring; I've had several surgeries and a couple of funerals; I've read a couple of really good books; and we've got a cat. Never a dull moment.

Hope to have some things to put up here in the next few days. Until then, I thought I would give you a little video to humor you.

More from Juan Dolio

2011-11-16T20:30:00.003-06:00

We've wrapped up our last full day here at the Dominican Republic. It's been a great day of ministry and encouragement. The morning started with our devotional time at 7:30 AM. We were led in worship by Jeremy Camp. He was here last night to lead in the crusade we went to in San Pedro de Marcoris. It was a refreshing time of worship by one of Christian music's most talented artists.

Our team went to do a clinic this morning at a Marine base in Santo Domingo. We had about 150 kids that we sent through four stations. Nathan and I moved from infield to work in the hitting clinic today with former major league player and collegiate All-American Chris Burke. He's been on our squad all week. It's been fun listening to him share his baseball stories and also about living his faith in the big leagues. Steven Welcher spent time leading the pitching clinic today and had kids all over him all afternoon. Our squad leader is Kevin Malone. Kevin is the former General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has spent many years on the West Coast. I have enjoyed getting to know this brother in Christ and hear about the transformation that Christ has done in his heart in the last few years. He is now working in ministry for the Dream Center in Los Angeles and has has a great joy in his heart.

After the clinic, we shared the gospel and I gave an invitation to the kids and adults there. Many publically indicated that they had trusted Christ as Savior. It was a good morning. Then we returned to the hotel for lunch and the afternoon. Steven went out to an orphanage while Nathan and I stayed at the hotel to rest. I did some sermon work and Nathan swam in the pool. Then we spent some time playing catch by the pool before dinner and the evening worship.

Our evening worship started with a special blessing of being led in music by a group of Dominican teenagers with a local ministry. This ministry takes mostly teens who come in off the street to hear about the love of Christ and learn music and praise songs. They rocked the house! We heard some great testimonies and had another awesome message by Pastor Ken Whitten.

Many of our team are leaving out early in the morning to fly home. The rest of us are going to lead a final clinic at the Rawlings baseball complex outside Santo Domingo tomorrow morning before heading to the airport to fly home. It's been a great week. We have made some good friends here. We have been touched by the opportunity to minister to the Dominican people. God is doing some great things on this island. However, as we drove to the crusade last night, I watched out the window at thousands of people who were walking the streets and lined up in bars. Although we have touched many here for Christ, there are multitudes more here that live in spiritual darkness. We have barely made a drop in the bucket of the spiritual needs that exist here. Pray for SCORE International and for the other strong Christian ministries that are trying to reach this island for Christ.

Looking forward to getting back on U.S. soil!

Greetings from Juan Dolio and more...

2011-11-15T11:06:00.000-06:00

As I type this, I am in a hotel lobby during day 2 of our Dominican Baseball Outreach. I am here with my oldest son, Nathan, and one of our high school students, Steven Welcher, doing baseball clinics and ministry projects to the children of the Dominican Republic. We are here with an organization called SCORE International which does this outreach each November. This week is designed to give guys who love baseball, high school coaches, college coaches, major league scouts, and professional players a chance to do ministry together using the vehicle of baseball. We do baseball clinics each day in the mornings. We have about 7 squads that go out each day to a different town and do a clinic with anywhere between 150-300 kids. We split them up into squads and teach fundamentals of infield, outfield, hitting, and pitching. At the end, we gather everyone up and one of the players will share his testimony. Then one of the team members will present the gospel and ask kids to surrender to Christ as Savior and Lord.

Yesterday we did a clinic at the Air Force Base in Santo Domingo and then went to a village called Ramon Santana to hand out bags of groceries. For about $10 each, we bought rice, beans, oil, salt, tuna, and spaghetti that will feed a family for about a week. It was a funny sight seeing 22 white gringo's in the local supermarket buying groceries together.

This morning we went to San Pedro de Marcoris to do a baseball clinic. San Pedro has produced many professional baseball players like Sammy Sosa, Alfonso Soriano, and others. Every kid in San Pedro believes that baseball is their ticket off the island and the way to provide for their family. It was a fun day of clinics. Our team has two former major leaguers - Andy Pettite and Chris Burke. Pettite was swarmed afterwards for autographs and was gracious to sign hundreds.

Keep praying for us while we are hear to show and speak the love of Christ to the children of this island. SCORE has a great ministry and is doing many very effective things for the kingdom here.

On a separate note, I got word on Facebook yesterday that our two-man team that is in Guinea is having some inroads with the Kakabe people. Evidently, many of the Kakabe religious leaders have engaged them with questions and they are open to hearing more about Jesus. The Kakabe are a small unreached people group of about 4,000 people in a country of millions. Their tribal identity has been swallowed up by the Fulbe in the region. This is the second team from our church that has gone. Prayers are being answered and we may see some Kakabe turn to Christ. When they do, they face large amounts of persecution and possible isolation from their family. We will have to send teams to continue to share the stories and to disciple any new believers. Keep praying saints.

Glory to God!

Redeeming Halloween, Osteen Does It Again, and more links...

2011-10-26T15:48:00.001-05:00

Here are some interesting links you might want to read.

Halloween on Mission - Awesome post by David Mathis from Desiring God on redeeming Halloween for the gospel. Too often we live in hiding and seclusion instead of living boldly on mission. The effect of this is that we create an isolationist mentality which makes us inaccessible to the lost and ineffective in evangelism. You don't have to agree with this post, but it does make some great points.

Does Joel Osteen not know, or does he not care? -Smiling Joel was asked once again to make a stand on a controversial topic and once again he chose the path of popular opinion than that of biblical authority. By his own admission, he "hasn't studied" the issues of Momonism and Christianity. My advice: Don't make a statement then Joel.

Reformation Day: What in the world happened? - Great post by my friend and seminary classmate Dr. Jason Lee about the impact of Martin Luther and the Reformation started by his 95 theses. Great information that most lay people in the church have no knowledge of.

How to articulate a Christian worldview in four easy steps - Kevin DeYoung is a very smart young pastor who does a great job keeping people grounded in biblical theology and practical living. Every Christian should be able to articulate a Christian worldview, but so often cannot. This post will help.

Seven reasons Halloween Judgment Houses often miss the mark - I have been on record before that I am not a big fan of the Judgment House mentality in churches. I think the motives are pure and the churches that do them really do want to see people come to faith in Christ. I also think that some people are genuinely saved in them. However, I don't think they accurately convey the gospel and are just a 21st century answer to hellfire and brimstone revivalism.

Be gospel-centered and don't neglect...

2011-10-21T09:27:00.001-05:00

Great video featuring three young gospel saturated pastors - Trevin Wax, J.D. Greear, and Greg Gilbert. Good words that we need to hear.

Don't Be More Gospel-Centered Than Jesus from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Where Has Oprah Taken Us? - A Book Review

2011-10-19T13:45:00.001-05:00

Recently I received a copy of Stephen Mansfield's new book "Where Has Oprah Taken Us? The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous Woman." I was excited about the opportunity to read this book. For a long time, I have been very concerned about the deep influence that Oprah has had in our culture and her dangerous spiritual beliefs. I was not a regular watcher of Oprah's show. However, the few times I did watch it, I could see why she was so popular. She has an engaging personality that draws you in. She is a rags-to-riches story. She is not afraid to tell you about her baggage and how she's working through it. At the same time, she has made no apologies for her religious beliefs. She has stated more than once that she thinks it's arrogant for Christians to believe that Jesus is the only way to God. She has held some very troubling New Age religious beliefs under a veil of the appearance of Christianity.

Mansfield's book is a timely read. It will probably trouble many who call themselves Christians who have given Oprah a pass for a long time. However, Mansfield is very fair in his portrayal and crituque of Oprah and her religious beliefs. He praises her for her benevolent work around the world. He vividly paints a good picture of the painful situation that Oprah was raised in. He has done his homework both on Oprah's biographical past and on the troubling religious transformation she went through before her audience's eyes. He has shown how, through shifting cultural influences and timing, Oprah rose from media personnel to someone who has had religious influence in our culture that closely resembles that of Billy Graham, the Pope, and Rick Warren. It's a telling and troubling fact that someone who holds no formal religious study has in many ways become a religious guru for millions of people, especially women.

While painting a detailed expression of Oprah's widely diverse religious influences, Mansfield also does a good job bringing solid, biblical truth to counteract those beliefs. He leads the reader to understand the implications of Oprah's beliefs on society and how those same beliefs diverge from Scripture and orthodox Christian teaching. He also asks serious questions that force the reader to see beyond the surface of Oprah's beliefs into the deeper ramifications. In each chapter he also has an aside where he interjects his own personal beliefs and critique. In doing so, he keeps most of his opinions out of the regular material and maintains the fair, impartial, and helpful reporting of an author of his stature.

I would highly recommend this read to most Christians, especially laypeople. There are millions of people in the church who have been poisoned by Oprah's deadly religious mix and need to step back and see through a biblical lens what she really believes. This is not a character assassination on Oprah - far from it. It is a book that shows the powerful and helpful influence she has had while questioning the religious dogma she has espoused for the last two decades. If you're an Oprah fan, give this book a fair reading and see where you may have been influenced. If you are not an Oprah fan, read it and equip yourself to have an honest, helpful dialogue with those who are.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Power of an Unexpected Blessing

2011-10-18T19:19:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the unique privilege of being invited to take part in a small pastor's retreat with Bob Russell. Bob (we're on a first name basis now) was the pastor of Southeast Christian Church for over 40 years. When he went there as a young man in his 20's the church was just a few hundred. When he retired a few years ago, it was one of the largest churches in America, averaging over 18,000 people each weekend. When Bob retired, he had some people who wanted to fund his ministry dreams and goals. One of those was to hold private retreats for pastors where he could minister and pour into a small group of pastors at a time.

I had applied over a year ago and was extremely excited when I got the invitation to go. What an honor and privilege to be invited to spend three days with a faithful servant of the Lord who did it the right way for over 40 years. God used Bob's ministry and preaching to literally change the lives of thousands of people. However, he was an extremely humble and joyful man who seemed to be loving getting to spend time with 8 pastors that for the most part no one has ever heard of. He shared some painful moments in his ministry and valuable lessons he learned. It was truly a once-in-a lifetime experience. Here are a few takeaways I had from the week:

1. When you cultivate a generous heart you are able to be a blessing and be blessed at the same time. Bob Russell gave us dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, set up a private time with the CEO of Louisville Slugger, and even gave our wives a generous gift. What a refreshment to see someone who wants to give away to make others feel appreciated and valuable.
2. There is no substitute for cultivating a servant spirit in your church. Southeast Christian Church is a very unique place. My sanctuary can fit under their driveway. The lobby is big enough to play a football game in. The worship center can seat 9,000 people. However, all of their landscaping is done by volunteers in the church. Much of their setup for events is handled by volunteers. The people of the church who helped Bob with the retreat were some of the most gracious servants I have ever encountered. They really thought it a blessing to be able to serve pastors by carrying our luggage or by driving us to events.
3. There is no substitute for godly lay leadership. We had the opportunity to spend time with three elders of Southeast who talked about pastor/elder relationships. These three men have been elders at Southeast for a long time. Each of them were very successful businessmen and entreprenuers. However, they also were men of great spiritual wisdom and the Word. They showed the power that can happen in a church where men step up to be students of the word and lead the church spiritually. This is no doubt one of the biggest reasons for the success that Southeast Christian has had in reaching people.
4. Preach the Bible and let God do the work. This was one of the statements that Bob Russell made and perfectly sums up his preaching and ministry philosophy. Russell's ministry shows the lasting impact that can be made when a preacher believes in the authority and sufficiency of God's word and chooses to rely on the power of the word preached over slick ministry strategies. It was a great encouragement to me. There is no guarantee of large numerical success in preaching biblically, but there is assurance of its power to change lives and build a healthy foundation for a church.
5. Multiply your ministry effectiveness by investing in future ministers. This is where Bob Russell is now. As a faithful pastor for decades, he's earned the right to spend his days playing golf, going on occasional mission trips, speaking at conferences, and writing books. However, Bob has chosen to spend some of that time pouring into guys that are in the trenches. It doesn't matter where at or what size church. In our group, we had churches ranging from 200 to 3500. We had pastors from the Christian Church movement, a Wesleyan, Church of Christ, and one SBC (me). A couple of guys were in their 50's, a couple in their 40's, and a couple in their 30's. We were all much the richer for spending time with Bob and with each other.

All in all, my heart was blessed and I was impacted beyond measure for my time with Bob Russell. It gave me a renewed vision for what could be possible at my church and a renewed passion to preach God's word with passion and application oto God's people.

Why God Won't Go Away - Book Review

2011-09-21T08:39:00.001-05:00

The "New Atheism" characterized by the writings of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens has put the debate about God in a new arena during the last decade. Men such as Dawkins have taken the dialogue to a much more aggressive level by comparing Christianity with radical Islam. Into this mix, theologian and preacher Alister McGrath launches the book, "Why God Won't Go Away". McGrath is a former athiest who now holds the chair of theology at King's College in London. He occasionally holds debates with Hitchens, Dawkins, and Daniel Dennett about atheism and the existence of God. If you have ever had the privilege of hearing McGrath speak, you are struck by both his incredible intellect as well as his ability to make complicated truths more easily understandable.

Overall, I was impressed with McGrath's book. I have not read much of Dawkins or Hitchens. In my current ministry context, I am not actively dialoging with people who have been influenced by the new athiests. However, I have been watching these issues gaining more attention in the media. Dawkins and Hitchens books have been phenominal best-sellers. They take the attack on belief in God to a whole new level. They are extremely intellectual and their ideas are progressing rapidly in the academic world. McGrath's background and careful analysis of the issues make him a great ally for the Christian side of the debate. This book is a great introduction to the personalities, history, and overview of some of the issues that the New Atheism brings to the table. McGrath does and excellent job of pointing out some of the flaws in the arguements of the New Atheists without being offensive or demeaning. He also does an excellent job showing that a belief in faith and deity does not mean that someone has to commit intellectual suicide with regard to reason and science. This book packs a lot into a smaller, easy-to-read format. Do not pick up this book thinking that it will provide a comprehensive answer that will equip you to win a debate with an atheist. However, for the pastor and normal church member who wants to see what New Atheism is and how to deal with it, this book is a great start.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Left Everything

2011-09-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

I was enjoying some time in God's word this morning with a cup of coffee on my front porch. Reading through my Bible plan, I journeyed through Luke 5 this morning. This is Luke's account of Jesus' early ministry. It includes the calling of his first disciples. It was a powerful reminder of Jesus' authority and his transformative power. In both the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John in verse 11 and the calling of Levi in verse 28 the common denominator is that they "left everything and followed him." That's just amazing! These men saw something in Jesus so awesome that they turned their backs on what they had devoted their whole life to and walked with him into an uncertain future. Peter and the boys had just experienced a haul of fish like no other. They had been doing this for years, and had never had a day like this. It was so miraculous that Peter trembled in fear before the Lord and asked him to leave because he was scared of his own sinfulness before the Messiah. At the moment of their greatest prosperity, they left it all and walked away. They left the secure and familiar for the unknown. They decided that they would rather be with Jesus than have a secure future. Jesus would make it very clear soon that there would be no personal gain. When Jesus would turn away the Rich Young Ruler because of his unwillingness to do the same, Peter would remind Jesus that "we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?"

How different is this call from Jesus for immediate and costly obedience than the attitude of most in the church today that want Jesus AND everything else? How different is this from the promise that you can have "your best life now"? How do we reconcile this call with the fact that the average church goer gives less than 3% of his income to kingdom related causes? How do we reconcile this call for costly abandonment with church-goers who are over-mortgaged and parking $40,000 vehicles in church parking lot? I am not advocating that having resources is an evil or sinful thing. I know that God does allow for financial prosperity in some of his children. However, he does this so that after we have abandoned their hold on us we can use them to multiply his kingdom. This fact that the majority of disciples will not leave everything to only have Jesus is shown in my own denomination where we are bringing missionaries home and cannot send people ready to go because churches and members are not giving enough to meet budgetary needs. However, just last week, I took myself and my oldest three boys to a college football game. I was in a stadium with 87,000 people where the average ticket was at least $70 face value and the average person probably spent close to $40 or more on concessions. All this for a three-hour game. Is it a sin to enjoy football and go experience it? No. I had a great time! It was a much needed break for me and a memory for my children. However, I also know that I need to do a much better job of modeling for them the "abandonment attitude" of the gospel. My heart and theirs are battling the idol of materialism way too much.

I wonder if Jesus walked into our worship service tomorrow and said to the assembled worshipers, "Follow Me" if we would have the same response Peter, James, Andrew, John, and Levi did? Or, would we go consult our financial advisor to make sure we had enough already stored in our 401k first? Would we model "immediate abandonment" or would we be like the man in Luke 9 who said "First, let me go and bury my father." What do you think?

Courageous

2011-09-14T22:19:00.000-05:00

I will admit that most of the time "Christian" movies are known for cheesy acting and predictable story lines. However, the guys at Sherwood Church know how to do it. They did a really good job showing the difficulties of marriage in Fireproof. Now, they are releasing "Courageous" in a couple of weeks. This trailer is awesome! I believe this movie will have a huge impact on men and families. Much needed in this culture. Guys, get some male friends together and get them to this movie!

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Are "Near-Death" and "Post-Death" Experiences Really Necessary?

2011-09-13T15:33:00.000-05:00

Time to get something that's bothering me a little bit off my chest. I was at home today for lunch and my wife was watching Pat Robertson's 700 Club. I am not really a big fan of Robertson or his ministry. I think he sticks his foot in his mouth way too much, but I have had that said about me more than once. 700 Club does have some very inspiring stories, they pray for people, and overall I think his ministry is much more harmless than Paul Crouch, Benny Hinn, and many others. Anyway, towards the end of the program they did their usual appeal to "become a member of the 700 Club" for a monthly donation. As a "thank-you gift" they would send to me "this powerful video full of stories of people who have experienced near-death experiences - some to heaven and some to hell." This really is beginning to bother me some.

This video is the latest in the line of many resources that are now beginning to proliferate the church market about people who claim to have died and what they saw and experienced right after. The market is currently flooded with these types of books and videos - (Heaven is for Real, 90 Minutes in Heaven, 23 Minutes in Hell, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, My Time in Heaven, and several more). These type resources are creating a frenzy among people who want to hear these "amazing stories" of what life is like "on the other side." I think this is mostly due to our innate fear of dying and many people's uncertainty of whether there is something else or what it's like. I think it's also because in our media-driven age we are drawn into fascinating stories. I personally met and heard Don Piper share his experience of Heaven and listened with rapt attention. I believe Piper to be a very humble, sincere, and fascinating brother-in-Christ. As far as I can discern, his story seems very real and his accounts of Heaven didn't appear to contradict what I have studied personally from God's word.

I will admit that I have personally never read any of these books and really don't feel the need to. I do not know any of the other people, other than Don Piper, that have written these books or told their stories. I am not so cynical as to think that these people had to have made these stories up and are doing so for personal gain. I don't think they are greedy. I also admit that in most of the cases that I have heard of there is medical evidence that these people died and later came back to life. I don't even question that. I am not questioning whether these "experiences" are real. I cannot know, prove, or disprove that at all. My question is "Are these stories and experiences necessary?" I am not questioning the validity of these stories, just their necessity. Are we now to assume that we are living in an age where God, because of the technology and interconnectedness of the world, has now chosen to reveal truths about heaven, hell, and the afterlife through new stories? Are we to assume just because some of these people claim personal faith in Jesus Christ that these are experiences sent by God to tell us something? There are other questions I think these books raise as well:

If God really is behind these experiences and revelations, why is he choosing to do this now and seemingly so often? These are not the first people to have near-death experiences and talk about them. However, is it just because we have more media that we are aware of them or is God up to something.
If God is not really behind these experiences, then where are they generating from and could some of them possibly have a demonic origin designed to confuse and distract Christ-followers? Scripture says that Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light. I am not suggesting these this is the case, just asking the question.
Does the Bible not provide enough sufficient explanation about Heaven and Hell? I think one of the tragedies of these resources is that we are relying on these accounts to "understand what Heaven and Hell are like" instead of the sufficiency of what God has already said about them in the Bible. The result of this is people propagating ideas about heaven that have no scriptural basis. I know several good books about Heaven that have been written that are completely based on Scriptural revelation and not second-hand sources. (Heaven by Randy Alcorn, The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur, One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer) I would recommend reading these as a substitute or at worse as a supplement for these other books.
If there are things in these books that contradict or confuse what is revealed in Scripture, how do we handle that? The problem for most people who buy these books is that they haven't carefully evaluated everything that is revealed in God's word about these subjects, so they don't know error when they read it.
Can these type resources eventually become a substitute for Scripture? I have seen people who will voraciously read these books but if you ask them about their personal time in God's word they will say that they find it hard to "make time for the Bible". What does that say about us?
How do we discern "legitimate" experiences from "illegitimate" ones? By what standard do we have to decide which stories are real and which are not? Are we to assume all of them are real? Are we to assume all of them are false?
? The rich man in hell pleaded with Abraham to let him or someone else go back and warn his family. And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" Did Jesus change his mind now from that story and now think that people rising from the dead is a legitimate way to evangelize?

I don't want in any way to stir up emotions and controversy with these thoughts and questions. Again, in this post, I don't question whether any of these were valid experiences or not. I don't know if I have researched the subject or these books enough to make a declaration of their validity or not. I just question whether they are necessary for us at this time to advance the truth of the gospel or not. Or, are they just some kind of TMZ for Christians?

If you want to read one of these books and find them to be inspirational and informative, I am glad. I hope they can be a true blessing and hope they verify what is revealed in Scripture. Maybe after reading them you can help me answer the question of this post more clearly. I would like to know if these are necessary and why. I would simply request that you at least take time beforehand to research carefully all the richness that Scripture already reveals about this subject so that you can be better armed to see truth from error. If you can, pick up one of the other books on the subject I recommended earlier to help. Not everyone will agree with my thoughts and I do not mean to offend. I am just questioning and am concerned how many more of these we will have to see before we drive ourselves back to the already sufficient revelation of God given to us in the word.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-12T16:14:00.000-05:00

Like many of you, I spent a lot of time this weekend watching 9/11 memorials and tributes. Auburn University and the band did a fantastic job yesterday morning honoring the victims of 9/11 in it's pregame program. It has been difficult to see the images and hear some of the stories. It's also been refreshing to hear some of the stories of heroism at Ground Zero and the Pentagon again that remind us that as Americans we have a kindred spirit to help our neighbors. That's one of the beautiful thing about being an American. Most of us are very patriotic and when you hurt one of us, all are affected.

9/11 will probably go down as the major defining moment of my generation. My grandfather's generation had Pearl Harbor that ushered in a patriotic fervor and involved them in a global war against tyranny. This will be our "Pearl Harbor" with a few major exceptions. For one, the technology and media coverage that ensued immediately following the first attack will preserve forever the images of people jumping to their death, of the gaping holes in the tower, and of the horrors of watching them fall floor by floor in front of our eyes. Just like Pearl Harbor in my grandparent's generation, everyone in this generation will remember vividly where they were and how they felt on September 11th. My family and I were in Hilton Head, South Carolina on a beach vacation. Our oldest son was just shy of 2 years old and our second son was seven months old. My wife and Nathan were in the pool for an early morning swim and I was surfing the Internet for information about MSU football when someone posted on a message board that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center. I turned on the TV and became entranced by the moment.

9/11 is a moment that still invokes fear. It is a moment that brings us face-to-face with our own frailty. It is a reminder that as much as we like to believe we have sovereignty of our lives, we are ultimately in the hands of someone else. Here are some other lessons I have learned in the wake of 9/11.

1. This world and the United States of America is not my "home" - Don't mistake this for anti-patriotism. I am as proud to be an American as Lee Greenwood. I cry every time I hear that song played at the laser show at Stone Mountain. However, earth and the US are just a temporary residence for me while inhabiting an earthly body. Scripture says that the believer is an "alien and stranger" here on earth. While I love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Ford (ok, I know it's supposed to be Chevrolet, but I'm a Ford man), I also hold loosely to my allegiance to any earthly kingdom. For me, there is one "king" and he is "King of Kings". I enjoy the earthly benefits of a democracy while I live in the reality of a theocracy. One day I will enjoy for eternity the benefits of my heavenly citizenship. In the meantime, I had the privilege of living in a great country and enjoying the benefits of religious freedom.

2. Our fears and vulnerabilities are not enough to motivate us towards true repentance - Think about the weeks after September 11. Every church was filled with people looking for answers. I don't think most churches were ready to deal from a biblical standpoint with what was happening. Most churches I know of were still very much entrenched in the "felt-needs" and "seeker-sensitive" models that tried to comfort fears, but didn't hold out the hope of the gospel and how 9/11 should drive us to our need and dependency on the gospel. Most of us saw the numerical influx as great for business, but it didn't last. Why? Because fear is a bad motivator for true repentance. This is why I don't believe the Judgment House mentality works all that well. I understand and embrace showing people the realities of sin and judgment, but scare tactics into heaven, in my experience, don't last. True repentance has to start with the gospel by showing that our sin is a violation of God's character and not just a ticket into hell. When people are afraid, that is a great time to take them not to the realities of hell, but to the sufficiency of God our refuge.

3. Despite our attempts in America at pluralism, 9/11 is a sure indicator that all religious faiths are not equally valid - I have no beef with Muslims except that I think their faith claim is false. It breaks my heart that millions of people around the world believe a religious ideology that claims an exclusive path into Paradise apart from Jesus Christ. I certainly don't think all or most Muslims are terrorist extremists who want to kill Americans. I think the terrorists that planned and executed the 9/11 attacks were motivated more by political ideology than true religious ideology. I also don't even come close to thinking that America is a "Christian nation" and that makes us a target for religious extremists. However, at it's core, the September 11 attacks come from centuries of conflict that date back to a very unwise move by Abraham thousands of years ago. The disaster of 9/11 should show us that while we may try to build a more loving, unified world, opposing truth claims will eventually come into conflict, sometimes with violent ends.

In closing, as an American, my heart breaks and righteous indignation wells up inside me every time I see the images of 9/11. I am proud and grateful for the thousands of men and women who have fought for our independence and freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last ten years. I know many who have paid a heavy price to ensure that we are a free nation, that freedom is extended to others, and that crimes like those of 9/11 will be justly punished. I am so grateful for the men who risked their lives to take down Osama Bin Laden and am glad that his regime is over. I am thankful that the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein has ended. However, I know that my ultimate aim is not to see America as the worldwide great hope, but to see Jesus Christ rightly enthroned on this earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When he returns, all justice will be meted out and the righteous will finally proper.

Laughter Is Good Medicine

2011-08-29T13:43:00.003-05:00

This one hits really close to home - both in the way I was raised and some of the things I do with my kids.

Laughter Is Good Medicine

2011-08-22T13:47:00.003-05:00

Bill Cosby's stand-up routine in "Himself" is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Now that I have kids, it's even funnier and more truthful than when I first saw it. If you want proof of this, come to my house anytime. Enjoy!

Connecting to the Gospel

2011-08-18T21:45:00.002-05:00

I'm really excited about this book coming out this fall by J. D. Greear. I heard J. D. talk about it at an Advance the Church Conference this past spring. It sounds like a much needed clarification about not just defining the gospel, but what it means to live the gospel. I believe most of the members of my church would benefit from this book.

Adrian Rogers Tribute

2011-08-02T15:26:00.003-05:00

One of my heroes of preaching and ministry was the late Adrian Rogers. I have often said he had the best preaching voice I ever heard. He also preached with an authority and a compassion I pray that God will birth in me someday. I found this today on Twitter and wanted to post it here for you. It's a video tribute from his 2005 memorial service.

I pray that God will bring up in this generation men who preach and lead like this:

Enemies of the Heart - A Book Review

2011-07-26T09:12:00.001-05:00

Recently I received a copy of Andy Stanley's new book Enemies of the Heart to review. This is an updated release of a previous book by Stanley called "It Came From Within". While I had never read the previous release, I had used the DVD of Andy's sermons on this subject in my small group a couple of years ago. This was one of the most helpful series of sermons I had ever seen. Stanley's premise of the book is helping Christians to break free from four deadly emotions that we can inadvertently give control to our lives over. These four emotions are guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy. Stanley does an awesome job in this book showing the dangerous effects of these four emotions on the human heart and how destructive they can be to our relationships.

Andy Stanley is a masterful communicator and it shows in this book. It was developed from a power series of sermons he did on these topics several years ago. He writes with the heart of a pastor and the wisdom of someone who has walked through these four emotions with a lot of people. As you read through this book, you can relate to the stories that Stanley shows about the deadly effects of harboring these four emotions. Stanley also provides very solid, practical advice on a cure. He shows how each of these emotions can be cured by intentional decisions on our part to release ourselves from their power. The book is supported throughout by a smattering of Scriptures. One of the weaknesses of the book is that it is not strong in biblical exposition. I wish that Andy would do a better job of pointing readers to the sufficiency of God's word and the wealth of wisdom it provides for each of these areas. There are times where the book reads a little too much like a Christian "self-help" book, something that there is far too much of in the Christian retailing market. However, while the book has some Scriptural weakness, none of the principles that Stanley suggests are unbiblical. He draws much of his information from Scriptural principles and years of experience walking through these subjects as a pastor. As I read this book I found myself several times wishing I had this advice much earlier in my life. I also had a mental list of at least a dozen people I know that would benefit from reading this book right now. At the end of the day, Enemies of the Heart is a great book of practical advice that should be followed up by a diet of God's word to help solidify its principles into the new heart of salvation.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Thoughts from Staycation

2011-07-18T14:33:00.001-05:00

Most every year my family joins my in-laws for a vacation. Our destination of choice has usually been Panama City Beach, FL. This year however, we decided to do a "Stay-cation" at my in-laws house in the metropolis of Decatur, AL. It's free lodging and they have a pool! We spent most everyday swimming, hanging around watching TV, and interspersed some shopping trips and movie trips in between. Basically it was everything we would do at the beach minus the hot sand that sticks to your feet. We saved lots of money and still had some great memories. Here were a few pluses from staycation.

Money - It was a lot less expensive and we used some of the money we saved to eat good and go to the movies. It was nice not having to shell out $1500 for a condo. It was also nice not to have to constantly say "Do we have enough money for that?"
Memories - We built some great memories that didn't revolve around the same tourist hype we usually have to deal with. We also made time each day for a family devotion where each member had the opportunity to share their testimony.
Less Hassle - We didn't have to deal with beach road traffic, long waits at the restaurant, trying to scope out a lounge chair at the pool, or crowding 8 people in a condo. We didn't have to worry about swimming in a pool with other people we didn't know doing things we didn't know.

Overall, it was a great deal and one we will probably do again. (Did I mention my in-laws have a pool?)

What's on my reading list...

2011-07-08T20:51:00.001-05:00

I'm headed out Sunday for a week of vacation with the family. We're going to see my in-laws in Decatur, AL - basically because we have no money and going to Gran-Gran and Papa's means free lodging and a pool! I hope to get some serious reading in this week. Here is a list of the books I am taking with me. I won't finish all of them, but I don't know which ones I will read first.

John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock by Iain Murray - John MacArthur is one of my ministry heroes. I actually started this book last week and hope to have it finished soon.

Why God Won't Go Away by Alister McGrath - An answer to some of the "new athiests." I got this book free to review for my blog.

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley - another book I got free to review for my blog. I love Andy Stanley's teaching. I actually used the small group DVD for this book with my home group in Birmingham when it was called "It Came From Within."

Erasing Hell by Francis Chan - This is Chan's much-awaited response to some of the controversy stirred up by Rob Bell's book "Love Wins".

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz - This one was recommended to me by my friend Jason. Fascinating story about some changes Starbucks made a few years ago.

The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation by Jay Elliott - a behind the scenes look at the leadership of Steve Jobs by a guy who worked beside him for many years.

These are a few of the books I hope to get read soon. What's on your current reading list?

C J Mahaney is taking a "leave of absence"

2011-07-07T13:35:00.000-05:00

One of the men that I have had the privilege of connecting to his ministry in the last 5 years or so is C. J. Mahaney. C.J. is one of the founding pastors of Covenant Life Church outside Washington, D.C. He led that fellowship for 27 years before handing the reigns to Joshua Harris. C.J. also helped to start Sovereign Grace Ministries which is a network of like-minded leaders who are committed to establishing gospel-centered churches.

I have heard C.J. speak personally on a couple of occasions and listened to him online speak at several conferences with godly, gospel-centered men such as Al Mohler, John MacArthur, John Piper, and Mark Dever. He has shown a strong commitment to biblical exposition and sound theology. C.J. has written some excellent books including The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing and Humility: True Greatness. Every time I have read C.J. or heard him speak I am impressed with his graciousness and humility.

Below is a post from C.J. about his recent decision to take a leave of absence from Sovereign Grace. As you read this, you will get a sense of the humility and godliness that mark this servant of God. Be praying for C.J. as he walks this journey over the next few months.

C.J. Mahaney "Why I Am Taking a Leave of Absence"

My apologies for my absence...

2011-07-07T11:15:00.000-05:00

Ok. Let me first admit that my blogging in the last few months has been weak at best. I have had several blog topics in mind, but ministry responsibilities and the distractions from other things on the internet have often caused me to neglect any writing. Nevertheless, I am going to try to post more often and post things that are pertinent to my life, my leadership, and my developing theology and missiology. I am not ruling out the occasional gloat about MS State football or Red Sox baseball or the occasional "I hate the Yankees" post.

I know that this attention to my blog will be good news to the 8 or so of you who most often read my blog. I hope that my neglect hasn't caused you severe discomfort and if it has, please accept my apology. My hope is that posting more often might actually increase my readership. At any rate, it will give me an outlet to express my thoughts and hopefully keep me better connected to my friends who are interested in what I have to say. If you get a chance, post a comment every once in a while to let me know you are reading and what you think.

A Few Links to Click

2011-06-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

I like to read other blogs because they help me to think more deeply about my own life and theology. Here are a few that I have read the past week that would be worth your time to read:

The Enemy Next Door by Tim Challies - Challies has become one of the preeminent bloggers in the evangelical world. This post about our attitude towards unbelievers rings too true in most churches. God have mercy on us!

The Missional Idea in Scripture by Ed Stetzer - Great post by Ed. He's really on track in helping churches to understand our missional mandate. I love the reminder that God has always been a "sending" God and that if we are to be faithful to him, we must be on mission as well.

Vocation: Discerning Your Calling by Tim Keller - I love anything that comes from Keller's pen. This guy is on target and in the trenches. He is leading a great church in the heart of the mission field of New York. Great post on being a steward of your job. This is what missional living is about.

Do You Teach Your Kids the Gospel or the Law? by Elyse Fitzpatrick - another good post related to the messages we send our kids about the gospel. An important question for every Christian parent that we must constantly return to.

Immigration and the Gospel by Russell Moore - a very important post about a very timely issue. A few weeks ago this topic was a heated conversation on the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention. It concerns me that many times we let our earthly allegiance to the United States blind us to our heavenly allegiance to the kingdom of God and the advancement of the gospel. If you are concerned about immigration issues, read this first before you chime in with your opinion.

"Don't Call It a Comeback" - A Book Review

2011-06-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

Ever since the birth of our newest addition Josh 5 months ago, my energy level and reading have been limited. I still have way too many books that I want to read than I have time for, but I am really feeling the pinch now. One of the authors I have enjoyed reading recently is Kevin DeYoung, senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan. Kevin is a sharp young leader with a deep theological base. Last year, I was browsing the racks at Lifeway and saw the book "Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day". I was intrigued by the title and saw that Kevin had served as the editor. I bought it and added it to my "Hope to read one day" list. A few months ago, I threw it in the bag and started reading it one night at my son's baseball practice. I quickly found it to be one of the most helpful and necessary books I have read in a while.

Here is the premise of the book. Kevin and a 17 other pastors and church leaders each contribute a chapter to the book. Each of these guys are young evangelicals who are solidly committed to sound theology, biblical exposition, and helping transform churches into relevant missional communities. The idea that birthed the book was an attempt by younger evangelicals to understand and define what the evangelical community looks like historically and what they believe about important topics like the person of Christ, Scripture, the gospel, justification, sanctification, the kingdom of God, social justice, homosexuality, and gender confusion. The authors identify and admit that there is much confusion in the church today about what constitutes the "evangelical" movement. The term has become a political identification that has lost grips with the theological roots that bonded the movement together for many years.

I am 42 years old and have been a Christ-follower for almost 25 years. I am a graduate of a conservative Baptist seminary. I have almost 20 years of ministry in church-related vocation. However, I admit that before reading this book, I had a very blurred picture whenever I heard the term "evangelical". I believe that my generation and the ones succeeding it have lost all identification with the evangelical movement. As a matter of fact, in some younger circles the term is avoided for fear that you will have to cover your face and shout "Unclean! Unclean!" As I read each of these chapters I was encouraged greatly that the theological truths that I hold so dearly are affirmed in a larger circle and are being embraced by men much younger than I. I am extremely pleased to see a return to biblical fidelity, theological accuracy, and missional relevance in the "younger evangelicals" today. I am excited that the prophecies a few years ago that spelled "doom" for this next generation have not come to pass. I believe that God is raising a generation of God-glorifying, gospel-saturated, and missionally-focused leaders that will change the course of much of the evangelical landscape in the next 20 years.

If you are under 40, I believe this book is a must-read. If you are a 20-something who has come out of your "youth group" mentality and are now looking for some substance to believe in regarding God, the Bible, and contemporary issues, you need this book!

"Let's embrace the ends of the earth 'till the end of the age"

2011-06-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

I didn't make it to Phoenix last week for the SBC Pastor's Conference or Convention. However, I watched much of it online. I am excited about the opportunities facing us as Southern Baptists and especially the focus on much of the convention about engaging unreached people groups. Here is an excellent message from Ken Whitten that I hope inspires you and I to do more.

ASPIRE Msg: Ken Whitten from Hope Baptist Church, Las Vegas on Vimeo.

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

2011-06-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

This is a powerful and painful video I saw years ago by Casting Crowns. It's a wake-up call for many that we need to be careful of even seemingly insignificant choices.

Matt Chandler Update

2011-06-13T15:19:00.000-05:00

If you have read my blog in the past, you have seen me post prayer requests and updates for Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Dallas. God has anointed this man and gifted him to be a leader for this generation. He was diagnosed in December 2009 with a brain tumor and has chronicled his journey on his church's website. Here is a link to latest video blog he put up a few days ago. Great news!

Also be praying for Jonathan Bean, one of the pastors at The Church of Brook Hills. He was also diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year. He had some setbacks last week. Here is a blog where they post updates about him. Jonathan Bean

I Wish I Was In Phoenix...

2011-06-13T11:41:00.001-05:00

Right now I am sitting in my office with a cup of coffee and a messy desk from two busy weeks of ministry. I am critiquing my sermons from yesterday (not feeling real good about them) and preparing a sermon plan for the next few months. I have a Doctor of Ministry proposal that is way too far overdue and I have little motivation right now to get it done. My wife's car is in the shop with an electrical problem and I am dreading the final bill.

At the same time, the Southern Baptist Convention is taking place in Phoenix, AZ. I had planned to go this year, but several circumstances have kept me from doing so. I attended my first SBC since becoming a pastor last year in Orlando. It was my first time attending since 1996. As a pastor now, I definitely had a different perspective. I also was interested to see first-hand the discussion and debate surround the Great Commission Resurgence. It was a large topic of conversation in my local association and in my State Convention in the days leading up to the '09 SBC. I enjoyed the whole process and felt like while the SBC has a number of issues that we need to address, it is nice to know that I can be a part of the process and hopefully part of the solution.

There has been a trend for a long time of many younger Southern Baptist leaders to ignore and avoid the convention politics. I am 42. Most of my friends and colleagues my age and younger have been frustrated over the convention and have viewed it as a bunch of power-hungry pastors fighting over crumbs instead of aligning the convention for the future. I don't think that it's coincidence that the issues of declining baptisms convention-wide, detachment of younger SBC leaders, turnover in the convention entities, and the call for a refocus on the Great Commission are all aligning at the same time. I am happy to see from social media that a growing number of younger SBC evangelicals are starting to check back in. The rise of groups like Baptist21 and Advance the Church show some promise that positive change is attainable in the near future for our SBC family.

From my observation, most of the people in our churches have no idea what the SBC is, what it does, how it operates, and why it may be the last hope for conservative evangelicalism on a denominational level. We know the names of Lottie and Annie and pass the plates to support them. We have been a convention of churches with pastors who have a hard time cooperating with anybody or anything other than the Cooperative Program. We have created a false sense of health in our churches by using a methodology that inflates our numbers so we can answer that question "How many are you running?" while filling our pews with unconverted believers who have never been told that following Jesus will cost them everything. As a result we have a large State and National bureaucracy that is hard to define and harder to unite.

Do I know all the answers? Certainly not. I do have some opinions. Do I accurately understand all the issues? Not really, but I am trying to learn. Nevertheless, I wish I was in Phoenix so that I can remind myself that my church in rural Alabama is part of a wonderful family of churches that have the potential significantly impact the Great Commission. I want to be there to be part of the process instead of sitting in my office critiquing things without being part of the solution. I want to be part of a generation that takes the baton from a faithful generation that has run the race before me and hand it off to a powerful generation that is coming behind me. I want to be part of the generation that can stand soon and report that baptisms on a national level are increasing. I want to be a part of a generation that can report hundreds of new church plants in pioneering areas and list unreached people groups that now have disciples of Jesus and access to the gospel message. This is why I wish I was in Phoenix.

Here are some helpful links I have read today and recently by some much smarter bloggers than me about the SBC and the future:
Ten Thoughts About the SBC - A very helpful post from Timmy Brister about some of our issues.
Again. From Decline to Decision - An appropriate post by Ed Stetzer who is a gift to Southern Baptists. We need to heed some of his warnings.

Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

2011-05-25T13:20:00.001-05:00

I love these words by John Piper about the dangerous prosperity gospel that has been a staple of American Christianity for some time.

Book Review - Max on Life

2011-04-25T13:29:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite Christian writers is Max Lucado. As a new Christian, my life and walk with Jesus was significantly impacted by the book Six Hours, One Friday. For many years I have gobbled up Max's new books and read through them. Max's writing is devotional in nature. He has taught me how to see and appreciate the grace and love of God on a much deeper level. Max is a pastor and writes profound truths in a simple, poetic style.

His new book, Max on Life, is a much different read from his previous ones. In this book, Max answers 172 questions from the thousands that have been posed to him by readers and church members in the last 25+ years. These are real questions from real people who have real struggles with life and faith. Max opens the book by helping the reader to understand that life is full of questions - real, important, and challenging questions. These questions radically impact our theology of God and our pursuit of Him. This may Max's most pastoral book so far. He shows the tenderness of a pastor and the craft of a theologian to provide honest, readable answers to real struggles. As you read this book, you are hit with the subject of the depth of God's forgiveness, the reality of pain and God's purpose in it, the reliability of Scripture, the personal struggle of prayer, reconciling the pain of broken relationships, balancing work, money, and the church, assurance of life after death, and how to grieve lost loved ones.

Overall, Max on Life is a very good book. It's written in such a way that someone can search through the questions to find one that they have been dealing with very easily. In most situations, Max provides very biblical and helpful advice. One of the strengths of the book is that it is extremely practical and deals with many of the questions that people are asking. The book's weakness is that it doesn't go into detail to really deal with some of the theological issues regarding sin, salvation, evil, suffering, etc. In an attempt to deal with questions in a timely way and within the space of one page Lucado skims the surface without providing a theological bedrock from which to make sense of these real-life issues. It may have been helpful if he would have offered some "For Extra Reading" recommendations for people interested in studying deeper. However, anyone familiar with Max's books will know that he writes from a devotional, pastoral style. He stays true to form in this book. That is what makes his books so endearing and helpful to so many people. I think Max on Life is a welcomed addition to most any layperson's library. Almost anyone would resonate with several questions and find themselves saying "That's a question I have had." It reads like having a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop and asking one of the most influential pastors some of life's most pressing questions.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What Front Porches Are For

2011-04-13T10:47:00.001-05:00

Right now I am hanging out at my mom's house on her front porch. We've been here in Mississippi for about 4 days visiting family while my kids are on Spring Break. Whenever we are here, the central meeting point is the front porch. It's been that way for years. My mom's house is almost 40 years old. It's what I called "home" from 4th grade until I married and established my own home at age 28. It's a unique house in that there is a long front porch that runs most of the length of the front of the house with five columns that support it. For dozens of years it has been the central meeting point for the family. It's adorned with all kinds of plants in front, planter boxes, wind chimes, hummingbird feeders, two porch swings and three rockers. They don't make houses with porches like this anymore. Now, houses are made with large "great rooms" where the television set is the central point for the family.

The porch and front yard are one of the things that make visits home so special. This front yard has witnessed dozens of football games, times playing catch, and wrestling matches. From this porch my stepdad and my sons look for planes that we hear flying overhead. My mom and I had dozens of conversations about life, faith, and the future in these rockers. It's a place that makes you face your neighbors when they drive up and down the road. Now, we don't even know what our neighbors look like, much less their names.

Perhaps one of the reasons we have so many problems in families today can be traced to a lack of front porches. Perhaps one of the reasons why teens struggle so much with the issues they face can be the fact that their parents were more concerned with the "man-cave" than the front porch. I have read dozens of studies about the fact that children and teens who engage in weekly conversations about life are much less likely to engage in destructive behaviors. Maybe they should do a survey about the lifestyle choices of teens who grew up in a home with a front porch and how much time they spent on it with their parents.

I know my theory isn't full-proof. I know that a front porch doesn't insure good choices. I am fully aware that my brother and I made plenty of bad decisions and suffered the consequences for it. I just wonder how many more we would have made if we'd have spent more time in the den and not on the porch. Just a thought.

"Children Of God" by Third Day

2011-04-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

I have always loved Third Day. It's probably the Southern boy in me that resonates with the music. Here is one of their new songs that I think is awesome and also promotes the cause of adoption.

"What Bible Should I Use?"

2011-04-07T14:37:00.000-05:00

As a pastor, this is one of the questions I get asked a lot over the years. It usually comes up when someone is looking to buy a Bible for someone in their family or when someone who's been using King James since childhood finally decides to try something else. Honestly, it was not a question I gave a lot of thought to for the first 10+ years of my ministry. I would usually answer with "New International Version" because it was the most popular and every preacher I knew used it. However, sometime around 2004 I picked up a copy of Leland Ryken's The Word of God in English from a recommendation at John MacArthur's Shepherd's Conference. It was the first time I began to seriously investigate the issue of Bible translation and why it's so important.

First, you need to know that the leading factor driving most of the Bible translation market is "what sells." Most (not all) Bible publishers only want to produce what they can sell. Marketing is the master. This is why you see versions like the New International Version and the New Living Translation advertised so much. It's not because they are better translations. It's because they sell well, the publishers can put slick covers on them, and those names are familiar. Most publishers are not primarily concerned with delivering a faithful and true text of Scripture. What good does it do to have an accurate translation if you can't sell it? This is why the New American Standard Bible (probably the most accurate) still only encompases about 2% of Bible sales every year. John MacArthur tried to publish his first edition of the MacArthur Study Bible in NASB because that is what he preaches out of. His publisher denied it because NASB doesn't sell. It was only after he sold hundreds of thousands of NKJV editions that they agreed to release it in NASB.

The issue of Bible translation really comes down to understanding what drives translators. Basically there are two historic schools of Bible translation. One is the "formal equivalent" (FE) crowd which tries to be more "word-for-word" when translating. The other is the "dynamic equivalent" (DE) crowd which tries to be more "thought-for-thought." The FE crowd desires to get the most accurate translation to what the author says as possible. The DE crowd desires to interpret what the author was saying and then put it in more modern, understandable terms. Both of these ideas are difficult because of the syntax of the Greek language. Greek sentence structure makes a "word-for-word" translation difficult to read. However, trying to alter the text to fit a nice English structure can lose much of the author's meaning. The basic historical formal equivalent translations are King James Version, New King James, Revised Standard Version, and New American Standard. The basic dynamic equivalents are Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version, The Message, and the New Living Translation. The New International Version claims to be an balance between the two, but leans heavily towards dynamic equivalence in my opinion.

I have come to the conclusion that I want to have as accurate a translation as possible for both my personal study and for my preaching. I do have several versions that would be dynamic equivalence that I look at sometimes to see an alternative way to say a text. However, I think not having an accurate translation hinders people from being grounded in the sufficiency of God's word. There are deep theological truths buried deep within the greek words and structure. I don't think that a group of translators can accurately understand or convey what Paul or Peter were thinking enough to put it in modern terms. I think that DE translations have helped foster the rampant biblical illiteracy we have in the American church. We have more Bible translations than any culture at any time in history. At the same time, we have more ignorance to what God's word says and alignment with it than at any time.

A few years ago a group of scholars released a new FE translation called the English Standard Version. Crossway, a major publisher, has put a lot of money into marketing this very good text of Scripture. Several well-known scholars were brought in to work on the project and many strong expositors and preachers have endorsed it. Their website, esv.org, is an excellent one. You can read the Bible on there. You can work through a Bible reading plan. This is the Bible I preach from every week and will continue to do so for a long time. Here are some reasons why:

It's extremely accurate to the Greek text. I don't know Hebrew, so I can't comment on that. However, when I have translated and compared to ESV, I find it to be strong.
It's very readable. Although it is a FE text, it is not as difficult to read as KJV or NASB. It reads a lot like the more popular New International Version but stays much more true to the text.
It's affordable. Crossway has done a good job of keeping these translations where people can buy them. The Bible I preach from each week is a thinline version that can be bought on Amazon for about $20. The ESV Study Bible is one of the best I have ever seen and can be bought in hardback for about $30.
It's popular. Most of the guys I like to listen to preach are now using ESV. Men like Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, Mark Driscoll, David Platt, John Piper, and James MacDonald use it. These men are diligent, faithful theologians and scholars with a deep pastoral heart.

Here is a great video to watch with some endorsements:

ESV Trusted By Leaders from Crossway on Vimeo.

I would recommend to every one of my church members to get a copy of the ESV and dive deep into it. Memorize Scripture from it. Rest in the fact that you can read it and know that you are reading a faithful text written much like the Apostles wrote. The issue of Bible translation is not a matter of taste. Not every version of the Bible says the same thing. It does matter what you read and what version shapes your theology and ultimately your obedience.

Here is a vimeo website by Crossway with other important videos on the ESV and Bible translations. There are some great interviews on there.

Book Review - Radical Together by David Platt

2011-04-06T15:53:00.002-05:00

I was extremely excited a few weeks ago to receive an invitation to review David Platt's new book Radical Together. I was profoundly challenged by his first book Radical and the challenges it presented. I recommended Radical to several people in my church who were deeply moved by it. Four families were so moved by it that the men helped form our first mission team to an unreached people group in West Africa.

Platt's new book is taking the message of Radical to a new level. He says that his purpose for writing this edition is "to consider what happens-or what can happen-when we apply the revolutionary claims and commands of Christ to our communities of faith." This book may actually be more important than its predecessor. One or two radical believers in a church are not much of a danger to the kingdom of darkness. An entire church of believers that are centered around joining together to take the word of God and the glory of God to every person on the planet is a serious threat. Platt's book inspires church leaders and radical Christians to do just that.

This book may be one of the most important books written and will hopefully shape the landscape of church culture. In previous years, much of what was written on church leadership focused on how to develop and prepare your church for growth. Success was measured by attendance figures and auditoriums. It played right into the hands of a baby-boomer culture where "bigger is better" and marginal Christians wanted a church with all the bells and whistles. Platt is tapping into the heart of the next generation. No longer is the measure of success for a church going to be its seating capacity, but its sending capacity. While Platt pastors a mega-church, he appears genuine that he is more concerned with his members being obedient to the Great Commission in his local context and globally to unreached people groups than he is that they enjoy the perks of a large auditorium and the latest high-tech audio/visual gadgetry.

Radical Together is deeply theological while at the same time very readable. Platt is a master of biblical exposition and drawing its implications into understandable principles. He also shows his mastery of language by creating dozens of memorable statements that sound much like what he shares in his sermons. The reader is drawn into a biblical gospel that measured more by self-denial than self-fulfillment. He is inspired to become a devoted student of God's word and a disciple-maker in his culture. Platt also makes no bones that building a biblical church is hard work that requires us to be radically faithful to God's commands in Scripture. This book will shape the ecclesiology of hundreds of thousands of average church members for the better in the months and years to come. I hope and pray that every member of my church will pick up and read Radical Together this year and begin a dialogue of what we are going to do to make disciples wherever we are and wherever God calls us to go.

This book was provided for review free of charge by Waterbrook Multinomah Publishers.

Must Hear Sermon - Voddie Baucham on "The Centrality of the Home"

2011-04-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

I downloaded a copy of this message last year and was instantly pierced by it. Dr. Voddie Baucham is a much needed voice in our time for the gospel and families. I believe every parent and every pastor and minister of the gospel should hear this message and evaluate our ministry structures to make sure that we are working to enable and equip parents to be the spiritual force for the gospel in their children's lives. Buckle up and make sure you are ready for this one. The implications for church youth ministry and homes is tremendous.

Listen to the sermon here.

Opening Day Is Coming!

2011-03-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

About time for one of my favorite days of the year - Opening Day of Red Sox baseball. Please excuse this little selfish indulgence.

Mom Scares Baby

2011-03-23T18:27:00.002-05:00

You may have already seen this. It's gone viral on the internet this week. There are few things funnier than watching a baby's expressions. This one will make you laugh.

Rob Bell Reveals His True Colors

2011-03-16T14:09:00.000-05:00

If you have been connected to social networks like Facebook or Twitter or watch trendy news programs like "Good Morning America", you have probably heard a brouhaha that has arisen in the evangelical world over the release of Rob Bell's new book "Love Wins". (I would link to it, but I don't want to encourage anyone right now to actually read it." A few weeks ago the buzz started on Twitter as several popular pastors and bloggers like John Piper, Justin Taylor, and Denny Burk began to react to the release statement and video that Bell shared about his new book. In the video, Bell hinted at questions that suggest that he doesn't believe in the existence of a literal hell where God's wrath of sin will be poured out for eternity and that he rejects the idea that the vast majority of humanity will spend eternity there for rejecting God. While I don't have time or space in this post to share some of my reactions (I hope to do so later), I did want to help those who follow me to know a little about it. Let me be clear and fair, I have not read Bell's book yet. I cannot post a critical review of it here and do not intend to. However, I value men like Kevin DeYoung and Denny Burk and their reviews give me a good idea of the content of the book.

Up until last month, most church members in the traditional evangelical world had probably never heard of Rob Bell. I bet there were less than 10 members of my small church that have heard of him. Rob is a gifted and passionate communicator who leads a church called Mars Hill Bible Church near Grand Rapids, MI. From the beginning, Rob's primary associations were with leaders of the Emerging Church (like Brian McClaren and Tony Jones) and he became one of their rising stars. He has in recent years tried to distance himself from that moniker. However, it is apparent that he is closely identified with the liberal, neo-orthodox steam of that movement. I first saw Rob at a Catalyst Conference years ago. He spoke very eloquently on the Jews and prayer and intimacy. It was obvious that he was a creative communicator. It was also obvious that he was more interested in the mystical elements of the faith and not too concerned with exegetical accuracy. One of the tenents of the emerging church is a rejection of foundationalism and the authority of Scripture. They reject the idea of preaching and prefer to talk about "conversation". Rob's style fits this very well. He loves to preach from the standpoint of "questions" and painting in theological abstracts. This is classic post-modernism.

Rob's youth, artistic eye, and passion helped him secure a video deal with Zondervan to produce a series of videos called "Nooma" which are short films where Rob tries to deal with theological streams and abstract Christian ideas. The acting, music, and camera work in the videos appeal to older teenagers and young adults. Their lack of theological certainties are very appealing to a generation of 20-somethings whose nature is to reject heritage and try to forge their own paths. I saw Rob preach again at Catalyst 2 years ago and was disappointed in his message. His recent revelation about his views on hell and salvation are really not a surprise to those of us in the evangelical world who have watched him for the last 4 years. I think Rob has a good deal of narcissism and enjoys the controversy because it sells books and attracts people who want little theological certainty to his church. He's in an area of the country that has long lacked in strong evangelical churches. Rob is building his movement on the backs of people that want benefits of heaven without the personal accountability for their sin.

I have longs said that just because you can amass a crowd doesn't mean that you have a church. Bell is the latest person to validate that belief. I really do like Bell and his personality. I think as a communicator I can learn a lot from Bell's ability to connect with an audience. I admire his compassion for people. He has a very attractive sense of humor and uses wit and sarcasm very effectively. However, his theological beliefs scare me. They scare me because he has gathered an audience because of his trendy books so far (Velvet Elvis, Sex God, and Jesus Wants to Save Christians). I give "kudos" to Zondervan for dropping him as a publisher. However, there will always be publishers that are far more concerned with book sales than theological accuracy. He rebounded to find Harper Collins quickly and found someone who values currency more than heresy.

Last night, I saw a post to this interview that MSNBC's Martin Bashir did with Bell. I think even though Bashir is a secular journalist, he does a great job pressing Bell on his theological ideology. As you watch the video, notice how Bell seems to squirm when pressed and never really gives clear answers to the questions. This is classic Emerging Church uncertainty.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here are some thoughts:
1. Bell never really answers the question about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. His theological foundation doesn't allow him to choose between whether God is "all-powerful" or "all-loving" - which he is both.
2. "When we shed a tear, God sheds a tear." - Is Bell suggesting that God's compassion is ruled by our human emotions? Can he reconcile this God with Jesus lament over Jerusalem's unrepentance when they didn't seem to shed any tears over their condition?
3. Is salvation and "the dominant story of the Bible" really wrapped up in that God "is going to fix this place"?
4. I absolutely love how Bashir exposes Bell's ultimate theological flaw about the relevance of choosing Christ in this life. While Bell may want to espouse the pollyanna belief that talking about God's love will win over people, he doesn't seem to grasp that the foundational problem of humanity is "idolatry" and the rejection of God's love in favor of the loves of 1000 lesser lovers. The problem with Adam and Eve wasn't that they didn't experience God's love. They experienced to a level that nobody on earth since has. Their problem was that in their hearts, they exchanged God's love for the fruit that would make them "like God."
5. I love Bashir's comment that "you are asking for it both ways." He also has a great comment when Bell says he doesn't want to speculate about what happens after death by showing that Bell's whole book is founded on that premise. He says "you're the one who is speculating about the afterlife."
6. Bell says he believes our decision to trust Jesus in this life has "tremendous bearing", but never explains it and then tries to shift to question to a woman's inability to trust Jesus because she was abused by a pastor. If he really knew theology, he would be able to point that woman to the fact that no matter how strong the love of God, there are people (including pastors) who choose to follow sin and flesh that end up causing tremendous pain for others. God has to pour wrath on that sin in order to be just. The question is: who bears God's wrath - you or Jesus?

I hope to one day read the book. I think that Bell's book will not open up a new door to Universalism. It will actually force many of us pastors who are more concerned with preaching shallow sermons in order to keep the numbers up to have to pull out the Bible and deal with some difficult texts.

Rahab: Grace turns a harlot into a hero

2011-03-07T15:43:00.001-06:00

eYesterday I preached on the story of Rahab in Joshua. It was subtitled "The Transforming Power of Grace." Rahab's story is a often overlooked one in the Bible. She was a woman born in the wrong place and had the wrong lifestyle but crossed paths with the glory of the God of Israel and decided to place faith in a God who can part the seas instead of the gods of her people. Rahab found herself at a crossroad of life. Surely "prostitute" wasn't what she wrote in the ten-year plan of her senior memories book. She probably opened up an inn hoping to start a reputable business but found out that she had to make compromises in order to make ends meet. In the process, she became the town slut. She was nothing more than a commodity to the people of Ninevah - a means to an end. However, through the stories of the men who frequented her house she heard about a God who delivered a nation of slaves from the most powerful country on the planet, who sent plagues of frogs and locusts, and who parted the Red Sea to let them cross before drowning Pharoah's army.

These stories were nothing new. However, while most people in Ninevah heard the stories and began to make contingency plans on how to encounter this nation in the wilderness, Rahab began to believe that if there was a God that powerful then he was the one, true God. One wonders how the encounter began with the two spies that night. Was there something noticeably different about them when they came in? Did she offer her usual services only to be surprised when they said all they wanted was a bed? Did she notice that their dress or skin tone showed them to be foreigners? What is certain is that she decided her fear of their God was greater than her fear of her king. So she lied to the king in order to save their lives. She is never condemned nor commended for her lie. Her faith in this God was infantile and not yet established enough to believe that if she had given up the spies that they would still be spared. There had been no Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego yet. There was no Daniel in the lion's den yet. However, her testimony "for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath" and her actions to save the spies revealed the repentance of her heart. Consequently, she and her family were all saved.

In the end, Rahab and her family integrate into the nation of Israel. She meets a man named Salmon and bears a son named Boaz who becomes the kinsman redeemer for Ruth. From her line come Jesse and eventually King David. From David comes the Messiah. Only God's grace can take a prostitute and from her body bring forth the lineage that would usher in the Messiah. That is grace.

Like Rahab, we all have baggage. We may not have stooped to selling our bodies, but we have all exchanged our love for God for 1000 other lovers much less glorious. But God's grace is sufficient to redeem and restore. Good news that we all need.

Book Review - Pujols: More Than the Game

2011-03-01T14:30:00.002-06:00

I was given a copy of Thomas Nelson's new book on Albert Pujols to review for this blog. Baseball is one of my life-long earthly passions. I am especially excited whenever I see an authentic believer in Jesus Christ have success and use that success to truly point people to Christ, not just give a verbal tag-line of thanks to "God". Pujols is the real deal. He is the best player in the game today, a future Hall-of-Famer, and a bona-fide, sold-out follower of Jesus. This book is another example of how he uses his platform not to broadcast himself, but his Savior.

This biography on Pujols is specifically written for the purpose of helping the reader to see the authenticity of Pujols faith. The writers of the book, Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth, are Christ-followers who write with a good understanding of theology and mission. They tell the story of Pujols success through the prism of his Christian faith. They trace his troubled upbringing in the Dominican Republic that led to his pilgrimage to the United States. They show how Pujols journey brought him in touch with his future wife, Dee Dee, who led Pujols to faith in Christ. They show how Albert grew deeper as a young Christian about the same time he broke into the majors and how Dee Dee plays a big part in grounding him. They also show Pujols commitment to being a man whose commitment to his family, to Down Syndrome children, and to relief work in the Dominican Republic flow from his belief that God has given him this platform as a stewardship to show Christ.

The book leads the reader through each of Pujols seasons in the majors up to the 2010 season. Significant highlights of each season are spread throughout the chapters. If you love baseball, you will love reading these. You may even remember some of the games like the home run off Brad Lidge in the NLCS. This book is a great recommendation if you know a man who loves baseball and could use a positive role-model to challenge them to a deeper faith. Most men who "don't read a lot" will stick with this book. It's also an excellent for older children and teenagers who love sports too.

Albert Pujols is a winner. Not because he will go down at the end of his career as possibly one of the top 10 ball players of all time. He's a winner because he has found out that life is about more than the glory of himself. It's about submission to Christ and exalting him to all people. He does that very well. He's also learned that God will not judge him by how many home runs he hit or how many times he struck out, but by what he did to glorify the Lord and what he did to expand His glory everywhere he can. For this reason, get this book. You will be glad you did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Wrap It In Maroon and White"...Thank You Jack

2011-02-24T12:34:00.001-06:00

I woke up this morning and started my usual routine of sorting through early morning "tweets". Immediately I found several posts referring to legendary broadcaster Jack Cristil announcing his immediate retirement at the end of Mississippi State's basketball game on Saturday. Like most of Bulldog Nation, I was immediately stricken with a great sense of grief as I began to picture the future of Mississippi State sports without the voice of Cristil. When legendary Georgia broadcaster Larry Munson announced his retirement, many of us in Bulldog Nation began to see the light at the end of the tunnel for our own beloved Cristil. It was apparent from listening to him on the drive home or watching him on the weekly coach's show that his 85 years on this earth were beginning to show. For many it was like watching a beloved family member age and knowing that your time with them was limited. None of us wanted to face the reality of Bulldog life without Jack.

Everyone who has spent anytime as a member of Bulldog Nation has many fond memories of Jack. I can remember going to football games with my dad and his friend Billy Jean Nation. Billy Jean would bring a radio with him to the game so that he could listen to Cristil's play-by-play. He would tell us some of the funny quotes that Jack would give. Cristil was never shy in showing his love for the Dawgs and his opinion when a call didn't go State's way. However, he was also regarded in the broadcasting world as one of the least-biased announcers in the SEC. He was always good about giving praise and recognition to opponents when it was deserved. (That was probably because he suffered through 58 years of Bulldog sports when most of it wasn't very good.) All State fans have funny memories of hearing Cristil mispronouncing names of the opponents or interjecting his opinion on the bad calls or no-calls by referees. Jack would give us the "Sonic Drive of the Game" that many times would include his disgust at MSU's inability to do anything worthwhile.

I grew up in New Hope, Mississippi from 1968-1990. During the 70's and 80's there were no super television contracts that broadcast every SEC football and basketball game. Since TV was limited and MSU was usually not very good, I had the privilege of seeing Bulldog sports through the eyes and voice of Jack Cristil. I remember and still treasure the 1980 call of MSU's win over #1 Alabama. I love Cristil's call as Scott Westerfield's kicks went through the uprights against Kentucky and Ole Miss. I remember Cristil's excitement as Wayne Madkin hit C.J. Sirmones in the 1999 Egg Bowl. One of my favorite parts about going to MSU games was listening to the post-game show as they broadcast the highlight calls of the game. Jack Cristil is MSU sports.

Through 42 years of being a passionate MSU fan, Jack Cristil has been the one constant. Jim Ellis is a close second. In my life as a MSU fan, we have had 7 different football coaches and 7 different basketball coaches. Most of my 42 years have seen as many or more losses as wins. One thing that kept me passionate and listening was hearing Jack Cristil say "Good afternoon from beautiful Scott Field at historic Davis Wade Stadium." Like every other MSU fan I love to hear Jack's classic line at the end of a win - "Wrap It in Maroon and White!" This beloved phrase has now become a tag-line for all State fans. When the game is about over you can see fans turn to one another and say "Wrap It!" I have to admit that as I drove in to work today and listened as the Rick and Bubba show played the clip of Jack announcing his retirement last night that a tear welled up in my eye. The Saturday drive home will never be the same.

Bravo Jack Cristil. Thanks for making me a more passionate MSU fan because of your love for the Dawgs. Your 58 years of serving Bulldog football and 54 years of serving Bulldog basketball are an example to all of us of the power of longevity and excellence. I echo many in the Bulldog Nation that will be praying for you as you face the immediate health challenges. You will always have a special place in the heart of thousands of Bulldog fans. I lift up my cowbell for you.

Some great sound clips of Jack's classic calls can be found here on Sixpackspeak.com' website. Enjoy them.

On Being A Dad

2011-02-16T14:06:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks I have been preaching on topics related to family and marriage. I really enjoy the process of trying to equip God's people to be better parents and spouses. Maybe it's because of my 12+ years in student ministry. During that time, I had the opportunity to see some really great and godly parents who modeled Jesus for their kids. I also saw a large dose of parents that were practically disengaged altogether from the spiritual discipling of their children.

On January 20th, Alison and I welcomed our fourth son, Joshua Lee, into our home. Needless to say, the last four weeks have been quite a ride. Sleep is sporadic. I've consumed an inordinate amount of coffee lately. However, I know God has provided a tremendous blessing. I can't think of a better word in the English language than "Dad". I often forget the blessing of that name when it has been called out 2,678 times over the course of the day. Oftentimes, it is accompanied by a complaint about one of the other "stooges" in the house. Scripture says "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth." (Psalm 127:4) God has placed within my charge four men who have the potential to change the world for the glory and gospel of Jesus Christ. Right now, I would just like to get them to put their clothes IN the clothes basket or stop peeing on the side of the toilet. It's hard to see gospel potential when you are staring at a yellow ooze on the floor.

I also feel privileged to be a Dad because for many years I didn't think it was going to happen. In my 20's, I witnessed many of my friends fall in love and get married. Life didn't seem to hold that in the cards for me. My dating prospects after college were slim. I did meet someone special while serving my first church. We got engaged and planned on being married, but it didn't work out. I spent several frustrating and disillusioned years pouring into serving the church. I tried to fill the relational void by being the best youth pastor I could be. Everyone said that one day I would find the right one, but by age 27, I had honestly begun to doubt completely. I was ok if God wanted me to be single. (but not really)

I moved to the Birmingham area in the fall of 1996 and immediately was captured by a knock-out red-head who happened to be my boss' daughter. We were married a year later. I was 29. Two years after that our first son Nathan was born. I must admit that in Nathan's first couple of years, I was a pitiful father. I had no idea what to do with a baby. I didn't even like being around them. 18 months later, we had our first "surprise" child in Drew. Having 2 children under the age of 2 was even more daunting. However, my wife was patient with me and the Lord was gracious.

In my ministry I have seen firsthand that we have a "dad crisis" in the church. We have millions of children, especially sons, who are growing up with Dads who felt just as ill-equipped as I did. Most of us want to be "better dads" than most in the culture. The current culture has domesticated men some into being more active at home, helping with homework, teaching your son to throw a ball or catch fish. However, I agree with Robert Lewis that in the areas that are most needed - the spiritual and social engagements of the home - most men are too passive. We haven't been equipped in how to engage our children in spiritual conversations. We still blindly think that quantity time is more important that quality time. I am convinced that the church ministry models of the last 50 years have failed to adequately disciple and challenge men. We have filled stadiums of men singing praise to God. However, we haven't taught them how to walk with Christ and how to translate that walk everyday to their children - especially sons.

Dads, your son needs you to teach him how to throw a baseball. He also needs you to teach him how to pray to the Father. Dads, you are the closest thing to the physical representation of Jesus Christ to your sons. They already hold you as close to deity as any person on the earth. We must learn to take great care of the arrows that God has entrusted to us. We may only get one shot of sending them out into the great cosmic battle for God's glory. We cannot haphazardly aim our arrows to the sky hoping it hits something. We must take careful aim to insure that our arrows hit their intended target. The scary truth is that my children and your children will most emulate the form of Christianity modeled by you - their dad. They will in all likelihood learn from you, good or bad, their spiritual priorities.

Dads, let's raise our children as spiritual champions. Let's take up our spiritual sword of God's word and the grace of the Lord Jesus and not cower any longer to fulfilling our calling as spiritual leaders. Let's be more concerned with their grasp of spiritual truth than we are with how far they hit the baseball. And in the process, let's teach them to hit the baseball, and shoot the gun, and climb the trail, and cast the line, and all the other things that we have the honor of doing because we are the ones called - DAD.

Pray for these men: Missions to the glory of God

2011-02-03T16:18:00.000-06:00

This afternoon at about 2:15 PM Central Time, four men from Sixth Street Baptist Church left on a journey that will take them to Guinea, West Africa in search of the Kakabe people. This is the latest installment of a vision that began last summer when several of us starting conversing about the possibility of sending a team to West Africa. These men are submitting to a radical obedience to Jesus Christ that has had a profound impact on them, their families, and our church. We are also praying it has a profound gospel effect on the Kakabe people who have never been engaged at any time with the story of Jesus Christ.

This team is (from left to right) Gary Hines, Myron West, Adam Long, and Eric Miller. There is nothing overtly spectacular or different about them. None of them have a seminary degree. None of them are exceedingly great orators. (Eric is our youth pastor and loves to preach to kids.) As a matter of fact, three of them get very nervous about speaking in front of our church about anything. They are not independently wealthy. Twelve months ago none of them really had any idea that they would be traveling to a predominately Muslim country to travel into the African rainforest in an attempt to locate and engage of group of people who have never heard of the name Jesus.

These four guys are a testimony to our church that God wants to use all of us to expand his glory and his fame to every corner of our city and every continent on our planet. They are beginning what we hope will be a partnership between Sixth Street and the International Mission Board of the SBC to send teams several times a year until the Kakabe people embrace the gospel, are discipled, and churches are planted. It's hard to imagine how a church of 200 people in rural Alabama are going to accomplish this task. We are in the midst of a city that is experiencing tremendous difficulty economically. We are a church that is still trying to break out of the rut of mediocrity and apathy. We are a church who, until the last 14 months, mostly did missions by giving money. However, we believe that God will give us the Kakabe people for his glory.

These men have all left wives and young children to be obedient to God. They have sold possessions in order to finance the trip. They have prayed fervently and repeatedly over the last three months. Now, they are about to step out on a plane and into the spiritual warfare of missions. Here are some things we are committing to pray about as a church:

That the team would be able to physically locate and establish contact with the Kakabe people group.
That the team would find favor with the Kakabe tribal elders.
For a safe flight to Conakry, Guinea and safe land travel to the Timbo and KanKalabe areas.
For the physical and spiritual strength of the team members as they take the gospel to one of the darkest spiritual places on the planet.
For the wives and children of the men as they deal with the pain of physical separation and limited communication.
That God would remove any communication and language barriers.
That God will bind any evil spirits and remove spiritual barriers that have blinded the Kakabe people to the gospel.
That God will prepare the way by speaking to the Kakabe people in dreams and visions.
That the team would be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and that His presence will flow through them.
That the light of Christ will penetrate the darkness of West Africa.
That God will break the hearts of the team as well as the entire church over the lostness of the Kakabe.

Till the Kakabe see the glory of Christ!

Happy Birthday Andrew Scott Haines

2011-02-02T20:01:00.001-06:00

10 years ago today, our 2nd born son came into the world. We've always called Drew our surprise child since the announcement of his arrival was a little bit of a shock. When we found out we were pregnant, we still had a 8-month old in the house and weren't planning any more for a couple of years. Drew has been full of surprises and excitement ever since.

The first sign that life with Drew would not be dull came on the day of his birth. We checked into the hospital the night before to prepare for his arrival. As they began to prep Alison to give birth the next morning, it looked like it would be several hours before he arrived. My mother was in town taking care of Nathan. We decided that I should go home to get a shower and help my mom get Nathan to his Mother's Day Out program since she didn't know where to go. On the way to the church to drop off Nathan, I got a call from my wife. She said in a crying voice "Matt, Hurry!" I immediately sped to the hospital with my mom in the car behind me wondering why we were going to the hospital instead of the church. I ran up to the second floor of the hospital to be greeted by nurses putting a gown, hospital mask, hood, and booties on me. I saw them wheeling my wife into the operating room. The nurse explained to me that the baby's heart rate had dropped and it appeared that while he was moving, he collapsed on his cord. They were rushing my wife for an emergency C-section! A few moments later they came and got me and told me to come see my son. I walked by my wife who was now under sedation and the doctors working on putting her back together. That's when I first saw the face of Andrew.

As already stated, life with Drew is never dull. For the first couple of years, Drew had acid reflux. He would randomly be looking at you and then he would hiccup and spit up all his formula on you. We always knew who the nursery workers were in Drew's class at church by the white stains on their shoulders. We call Drew our carnivore because he loves meat. I mean loves meat. He recently ate a 16-ounce sirloin. I could barely finish it. He often walks through the house gnawing on a piece of steak or bacon left over. Drew also loves pictures. He loves to take pictures and he loves to have his picture taken. At our Disney trip, he wanted his picture made separate with every character. We had about 600 pictures and about 200 of them were of him or made by him.

Drew is many times the most headstrong of our kids. We have had some historic battles of the will with him. For a while, Drew was obsessive that his clothes always matched. Battles would be fought each morning about whether his pants and shirt were acceptable. He also was obsessive about his hair at one time and wouldn't let us cut it. Eventually it looked like a frayed, industrial-size mop. Drew once got in a argument with another kid about a video game and the kid hit him in the mouth with a controller. This resulted in partially knocking his tooth loose. Eventually, he hit the same tooth on the faucet in the tub so that it stuck out his mouth in a 90-degree angle. Another evidence of Drew's strong will is that he always has some kind of verbal outburst whenever corrected. I have told Drew often that what gets him in trouble is usually not his action, but his reaction to us whenever we corrected him.

At the same time, Drew often shows us some of the most tender moments of love. He will often come and lay his head on my shoulder. Every night we have the same routine. I tuck him in and say a prayer. As I am walking out Drew will say "I love you" and I will answer "I love you, too." Then he will say "Goodnight" and I will say "Goodnight." Every night. He never goes to sleep without that routine. He will call me when I am out of town at bedtime because the routine is broken. Drew has taught Alison and me a lot about patience and love without conditions. I feel extremely blessed to be his dad. I am overwhelmed to know that the next 10 years will go by as quick as the last 10. There will be many more prayers and opportunities to see what God is going to do with Drew next. All I can say is "Buckle Up".

Happy Birthday Drew! I love you, I believe in you, and I am proud of you.

RESOLVED: To be a steward of God's resources

2011-01-26T20:57:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago I blogged that we have started a new sermon series at Sixth Street called "RESOLVED" in which we are looking at 4 resolutions that we as Christ-followers can make that will have a significant impact on our spiritual lives as well as our church and our families. The second resolution that we looked at was resolving to be a steward of the resources that God has provided us. We talked about the need to flip the lens by which we look at our money and possessions.

The problem is that from an early age we have been programmed to look at our world from the lens of consumers and consumption. We also see things through a scarcity mentality that says there is only so much available and we need to get all we can right now. We learn this as infants. We learn there are only so many cookies so we better eat them now. As we grow up, our desires get bigger. We begin to measure our lives by our consumption and our value is measured by the size of our flat screen or the cost of our SUV. We want the Super-Size meal and the 20" laptop. To top it off, we see the things in other people's houses add to our discontent. We also talked about the fact that the gravitational pull of our flesh is not towards godliness, but towards selfish fulfillment.

The answer to this is that we need to change from being consumers to being stewards. We need to see our resources the way that God does. We need to understand that all our resources have their beginning and belonging with God. He has placed us as managers over them and made us accountable to him for our management. This is why stewardship is such an important topic in the church. Without a biblical understanding of stewardship, our resources will eventually become idols that rob us of truly worshiping God.

We saw that our lives are to be marked by four significant changes:

They should be marked by contentment over consumption
They should be marked by righteousness over resources.
They should be marked by purity over possessions.
They should be marked by generosity over greed.

We closed with the following resolution:
WHEREAS, life and everything that accompianies it is a gift from the Heavenly Father; and
WHEREAS, every resource in the life of an individual has its ultimate origin from the hand of Almighty God; and
WHEREAS, God has graciously provided from His sovereign hand every resource in the life of a believer including but not limited to financial resources, life and breath, the dawning of each day, and all the possessions accumulated in life; and
WHEREAS, the life and attitude of the Christian is to be marked by responsibility and thanksgiving to God Almighty; and
WHEREAS, the Christians is accountable to God for not only the accumulation of these resources, but also their management; be it now
RESOLVED, that as a Christian I will be a steward of God's resources; and
RESOLVED, that I will measure the value of my resources by my accountability to God and not by my personal consumption; and
RESOLVED, that whether I eat or whether I drink or whatever I do I will do it all to the glory of God; and
RESOLVED, that I will generously and gladly support the ministry of my local church and the kingdom of God as a first priority; and
RESOLVED, that I will live a life marked by contentment, responsibility, generosity, righteousness, and purity with the resources God has given me.

Welcome to the world Joshua Lee

2011-01-21T09:29:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a historic day in the Haines' household. We were honored and excited about the birth of our fourth son - Joshua Lee Haines. To God's glory, he is healthy and measures in at 8 lbs, 8 oz. He was born at 7:56 am. This was Alison's third c-section so his arrival was a little better scheduled. We were surrounded by our family. Josh had lots of arms to hold him throughout the day. We were especially surprised by how excited and helpful Josh's oldest brother Nathan has been. Nathan spent all day watching over him, changed a diaper, and held him a lot. Drew and John David are also very excited that their little brother is here.

We believe that Josh is going to be a special baby in a lot of ways. First of all, his announcement was certainly a surprise. Alison and I had finally gotten into the routine of having all our kids in public school. Our days were to be filled with baseball and legos and not diapers and poop. Our house is usually very loud, but now that volume will be filled with the cries of an infant. Alison and I talked the other day that beginning with my first-born until my third, John David, was finally potty-trained, we had over 8 years where we had diaper duties. Our monthly budget had some freedom without the added $40/month expense for diapers. Not so now.

We also find humor in the age difference now in the kids in the house. Our other kids are 11, 10, and 6. When this son graduates from high school, his dad will be 60 years old. My friend Jason said yesterday that is classmates will say, "Why is your grandad always bringing you here?" When Josh is my oldest son's age (11), Nathan will be graduated from college. Our hopes for an empty nest with some personal time have been delayed for some time. However, we also know and affirm that our first calling here as parents is not to get the kids out of the house ASAP, but to raise our sons as ambassadors of the gospel. God has given us another chance to model the gospel through our words and actions.

Joshua is also a reminder to us that our sovereign God gives us the gift of children. While we do a lot with family planning, God is the one who provides for us. Psalm 127 reads, "Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." We know that the immediate future will be filled with sleep-deprived nights, diaper duties, and the constant question "Who missed the toilet when they were peeing?" We also know that God has rewarded us with great opportunities. There are great challenges every day to parenting 4 boys. Their rooms are never clean. They crunch chips all over the couch.

Psalm 127 also reads, "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them." God has given me another arrow in the arsenal of the gospel. I am humbled that he considers me a warrior trustworthy enough for another arrow. There were many days of my youth where I wondered if I would have a family or sons as my heritage. God has provided to his glory! One of my goals and challenges as a pastor and Christ-follower is to help men to understand the weight and privilege of their gospel responsibility as dads. The epidemic of detached dads in the church has weakened our effectiveness. I love throwing catch or shooting hoops with my boys. However, my first responsibility is not to make sure they bat .400 or can throw a perfect spiral. My first priority is not teaching them how to land a trophy buck. My first priority is to nurture these arrows until they are ready to fight in the battle and then carefully aim and release them into the world as agents of the gospel. It is a heavy task and one that almost every man feels inadequate at. However, an arrow that misses its target and lies shattered on the battlefield has missed it's purpose. I take pride in the fact that the heavenly Father has now handed me another arrow. It will take some time to nurture Josh. I have to remember these facts when I reach down for another diaper. I have to constantly quote these verses when I am cleaning food off the floor. But, I am grateful...

Slave by John MacArthur: A Book Review

2011-01-17T15:50:00.000-06:00

I was excited to get my hands on John MacArthur's new book "Slave" to review. Dr. MacArthur and his writings have had a profound effect on my Christian walk as well as my ministry. I have been privileged to receive dozens of books from his ministry, Grace to You, that have shaped much of my theology and ministry practice. This book quickly went into the top three that I have read by him and will effect me much like The Gospel According to Jesus did.

The premise of the book is that for many centuries Bible translators have often translated the greek word "doulos" as servant or bond-servant instead of the more accurate translation "slave". This has been primarily to the negative reaction in the western world to the atrocities that occurred in both the English and the American slave trades. In the process of translating such, a major theological flaw has occurred. We have created a system of Christianity that places a lot of sovereignty in the life of the believer. We have looked at the relationship of Christ-follower and Jesus as a partnership. "Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life", "Jesus is for you", and "Jesus wants to do abundant things in your life" are some of the popular notions in today's church. They all miss the point that what Christ calls us too in the gospel is complete allegiance, total surrender, and abandonment of self in order to find the treasure of the gospel - Christ himself. MacArthur does a masterful job of taking the reader back to understanding the Roman system of slavery against the more modern understandings of it. He shows the reader that to accurately understand "doulos" we must look at the perspective of the culture in which the New Testament was written. He explains that while slaves had no inherent rights, many of them also benefited greatly from benevolent masters who took care of them.

While some might think on the surface that the ideas that MacArthur expounds sound restrictive, a closer examination shows that they are the pathway to true biblical freedom. No longer do we need to be bound to a system where Jesus is our "friend" and we "try our best to be like him." Instead, through complete submission to Christ, we discover greater intimacy with him, a pathway to obedience, and release from the systems of this world. I would highly recommend every pastor, church leader, and most Christians to pick up a copy of Slave. Find the freedom of slavery to Christ.

What if there's a bigger picture?

2011-01-07T17:15:00.001-06:00

I love this video I just saw this week from Matthew West. Great song, great message.

RESOLVED: To Be a Student of God's Word

2011-01-03T15:07:00.001-06:00

I started a new sermon series at Sixth Street yesterday called "Resolved: Commitments that Count". In this 4 week series we will be looking at 4 key resolutions that if we undertake them will have dramatic effects on our lives, families, and church in 2011. I talked about how most of us have become disillusioned with making New Year's resolutions because we confuse resolutions with goals. A goal is a preferred outcome. However, if we don't make it, no big deal because it was a goal. Resolutions require resolve. "Resolve" is defined as "to come to a definite or earnest decision about; a determination to do something." Resolve requires determination. Determined to not be content any longer and determined to do whatever it takes to make necessary changes. For instance, I may have a goal to lose weight and eat better. However, when my doctor tells me that if I don't exercise and lose weight that I may have a heart-attack and leave my wife a widow and my kids fatherless, now I have determination.

With that in mind, as Christians we usually make a new year's goal to "read the Bible more." However, the weakness of that statement is what usually leads to our failure. If you only read the Bible 10-12 times last year outside of attending a worship service or small group, then if you read it 20-25 times this year you would technically accomplish the goal, but still fall far short of your intention. Instead, we should me a "resolution" to become a student of God's word. That statement carries with it greater weight, accountability, and action. When I phrase it in that manner, then I must make some hard changes in my life and time management to accomplish it.

We looked at Hebrews 4:12 and the Prosperous, Powerful, Piercing, Probing, and Productive word of God. We saw that God uses Scripture to transform our desires, attitudes, thoughts, values, and priorities. Here is the resolution I have adopted and gave our church as a challenge yesterday:

WHEREAS, the natural course of our personal human nature is to trust in our own wisdom in all matters of life; and
WHEREAS, the wisdom of the world is foolishness in the sight of the living God; and
WHEREAS, the life of the believer is to be one of deep devotion to God and personal transformation by the renewing of one's mind; and
WHEREAS, the Bible is the authoritative, life-giving, inspired, inerrant word of the living God; and
WHEREAS, the mind of the believer is transformed through devotion to and interaction with Scripture; be it now
RESOLVED, that as a follower of Jesus Christ that I will become a student of God's word; and
RESOLVED, that I will no longer be content with a shallow relationship with holy Scripture; and
RESOLVED, that I will intentionally and purposefully manage my time to create opportunities to regularly read and study; and
RESOLVED, that whenever I find something in my life that is incompatible with God's word that I am to change and not it.

I also gave some suggestions for Bible reading plans for 2011. Here are some of them:
The ESV Bible Plan
The One Year Bible Chronological Plan - read the events of the Bible in the timeline as they happened.
Discipleship Journal plans - The 5x5x5 plan and the regular through the Bible plan.
Youversion.com

My 2011 Reading Plan

2011-01-02T21:10:00.000-06:00

I love books. Sometimes I think I love collecting books more than I love reading books. Usually Christmas is a time for my family to get me books that I really want but haven't broken down and bought yet. Whenever I get the latest copy of Christian Book Distributors catalog my fingers begin to shake and my breathing gets erratic. I find myself browsing Amazon.com several times a day doing random searches. My wish list and shopping cart are full of books that I think would be neat to own, but I don't feel compelled to spend money on right now. It's a sickness that usually is only reserved for those of us in ministry who spend our lives in the arena of words and ideas. The end of the year is usually reserved to spend the last few hundreds of dollars of unclaimed business expense money on all kinds of commentaries and books that we saw in someone else's library.

All that being said, I do try to be intentional about what I read. I try to vary the offerings in areas covering ministry, leadership, preaching, biographies, sports, and popular fiction. I will be doing a lot of doctoral work in the first three months of the year. Much of my reading will be confined to research in the area of servant leadership. However, here is a list of the books I plan to read this year.

Must-Do's
Slave by John MacArthur
The Confession by John Grisham
Decision Points by George W. Bush
Generous Justice by Tim Keller
Text Driven Preaching by Danny Akin
Spiritual Warfare and Missions by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer
The Grace of God by Andy Stanley
Mint Condition by Dave Jamieson
The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons
Beyond Belief by Josh Hamilton

Like-to's
The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin
For the Fame of God's Name by Sam Storms and Justin Taylor
Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
The Millenials by Thom and Jess Rainer
Don't Call It a Comeback by Kevin DeYoung

Might-do's
The God Who Is There by D.A. Carson
Why I Am Not an Arminian by Robert Peterson and Michael Williams
Church + Home by Mark Holmen

I know there will be lots of books that will come out this year I do not know about and others that are already out that will cross my path sometime soon. These will be added to the plan when possible.

Thoughts on new year and 2010 memories

2011-01-01T22:54:00.000-06:00

2011 has arrived. Seems like 2010 went by much faster than usual. However, I think that is what everyone says when they get older to avoid the reality that time on this earth is getting shorter. My Bulldogs gave me a great start to 2011 by putting a beat-down on the Michigan Wolverines in the Gator Bowl. Michigan is actually my second favorite team so it was a bittersweet win, but still pretty sweet. Like most of the MSU family, I am proud of the accomplishments of this team this year. Going into the season most of my friends asked me what I thought the Dawgs would do. I said I believed it was going to be much better than most thought. I believed a 6-6 season was within reach, 7-5 even possible. It's nice to have an offseason to be excited and ponder what awaits in September.

2011 also will begin with a new arrival soon in the Haines house. We have a tentative date of January 20th to welcome son #4 - Joshua Lee Haines. However, Alison wouldn't mind if Josh sped things up a bit. I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to father 4 boys. I deeply desire to be a good dad. I think I do well some days, but have a lot of room to improve. I feel the deep weight of modeling the Father in heaven and showing them the gospel each day.

I usually post an end-of-the-year post on December 31. However, things were a little hectic to give me ample time to reflect and write. This past year was my first full year as pastor at Sixth Street. We have seen some progress as a church, but it has been much slower than I would have liked. I am blessed to serve the Lord amongst a body of great believers. Many of my church members want to bless their pastor and do so in many ways. We saw our church take some great steps in missions this year with people attending mission trips to Kentucky, Swaziland, Nigeria, and Dominican Republic. We have seen several new families join this year.

I also jumped back into my doctoral work this year. I attended a workshop in September and subsequently spent 3 months doing little work on it. However, I hope to have a proposal to turn in by mid-late January. My postings may continue to be sporadic until I finish my writing and research.

2010 was a pretty good year for my family. The boys made a couple of new friends in our new neighborhood this year. They like occasionally walking around in the woods behind the house exploring trails and inventing games. All three of them had a good year in school and are excellent students. Nathan played baseball again this year, but had some early struggles in a new league with all new kids. Their team didn't do very well, but Nathan improved throughout the year and finished as one of the leaders on the team. John David played t-ball for the first time. His team lost only 1 game all year. He really seemed to like wearing the uniform and mostly the snacks afterwards. He was a target for the ball sometimes and got knocked down a couple of times by line drives or by colliding with kids at the base. There were some tears, but usually after a powerade he was all good.

In October we went with my brother's family to DisneyWorld for a week. It was an awesome vacation! (Except that Mom was pregnant, couldn't ride anything, and had a hard time walking around) Mom was a trooper though. Disney is one of our favorite things. The boys loved riding the coasters and eating the big meals. It was special to spend time with my brother, sister-in-law and niece. The boys love their cousin Marlee and had a great time walking around with her. We also went to Orlando in June for the Southern Baptist Convention and an extended vacation. We went to Wet-n-Wild one afternoon and took in a day at Universal Studios.

Another thing I like to do at year end is reflect on all the people who left this world. Each year has its own unique collection of deaths. Here are some of this year's:
Sports
Sparky Anderson - My childhood was spent rooting for the Cincinnatti Reds and the Detroit Tigers. One thing they had in common was Sparky. He was the greatest manager I had the privilege of following.
George Steinbrenner - even as a lifelong Yankee hater, I regreted the Boss' passing.
Nick Bell - defensive lineman from MS State who died of cancer. Gator Bowl was for you Nick!
Bob Feller - legendary pitcher for Cleveland Indians
John Wooden - greatest basketball coach ever
Ernie Harwell - legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers
Others: Don Merideth, Merlin Olsen, Ron Santo, Bobby Thomson, Manute Bol, Jose Lima

Celebrities
Barbara Billingsley - June Cleaver, Mom of the Beav (watched this show a lot as a kid)
Dennis Hopper - great actor, especially in Hoosiers and Speed (Pop Quiz Jack)
Gary Coleman - What'cha talkin about Willis?
Leslie Neilsen - Airplane and Naked Gun movies
Captain Phil Harris from Deadliest Catch
Corey Haim - 80's teen movie star
Dixie Carter - great Southern actress
John Forsythe - Voice of Charlie from Charlie's Angels
Tom Bosley - Mr. Cunningham on Happy Days
Other Celebs: Peter Graves, Rue McClannahan, Tony Curtis, Blake Edwards, Fess Parker (Davy Crockett), Karl Malden,

Others of Note
Elizabeth Edwards - wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards
Robert Byrd - U.S. Senator
J.D. Salinger - author of Catcher in the Rye
Jimmy Dean - country singer and maker of great sausage
Ted Stephens - U.S. Senator

All in all, I feel blessed by all the Lord has done in 2010. God is faithful and true. His gospel is still the greatest story ever and his glory is still worth pursuing. Hope you and yours have a wonderful year in 2011.

Best Commercial of 2010

2010-12-30T20:04:00.002-06:00

This is the one commercial that always gets me and the family to stop and watch. Always funny when I see it.

Worship from the silent monks

2010-12-29T08:57:00.000-06:00

I saw this yesterday on Kevin DeYoung's blog. This is creative and very funny - a reminder that everyone can praise the Lord, even if they have taken a vow of silence.

Why one "Mac" guy is very disappointed in Apple...

2010-12-08T14:48:00.000-06:00

In this "politically correct" and "tolerant" society, it's not surprising but certainly is disappointing that Apple last week decided to pull the app for the Manhattan Declaration from it's store. It's another sign in the continuing saga that holding to a gospel-centered, Christian worldview is viewed as "intolerant" and "bigoted" in today's society. Our culture has shifted rapidly over the last 40 years away from centrally help objective standard. This is another example of the radical depravity of sin that pervades not just every person, but ultimately can pervade society. Our culture, while trying to exalt human dignity and value, exalts humanistic value above all else. While cloaking itself as upholding the value of individuals, it has created a society where the free exchange of competing ideas is squashed. As we continue to slide toward Gomorrah, Romans 1:18-32 continues to be a picture not just of our future, but of our present as well. The gospel presented in Romans is not about being "anti-gay" but instead is summed up in phrase "who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (18)."

We see that part of the judgment of God is that He gives them over to a "debased mind" that no longer has any ability to determine righteousness or unrighteousness. This is the natural course of sin. This is the passive judgment of God where He allows people (and a culture) to see and feel the full effects of their depravity. This is why it is of paramount importance that we build our churches and ministry upon a strong foundation of the gospel. This is why we must preach and teach the gospel to ourselves every day. This is why we must take people away from the issue of homosexuality and back to Genesis 3 where we show them how "original sin" causes us to reject God's word and become our own idols.

Bottom line, Apple is a "for-profit" company that is more afraid of the backlash and political implications of offending a minority than the implications of offending Christians. Why? Because as Christians we will meekly step aside like many times before. In the meantime, I don't see Apple pulling off podcasts from it's Apple store that bash Christianity, openly call the church "anti-gay", or promote ideas that Christians would find offensive. Why not? They would want to promote free and open dialogue of course - except in the case of the Manhattan Declaration app.

Here is a great video done by Chuck Colson about the implications of this decision on our political culture. There is much more here at stake than just "some Christians being offended."

Christmas According to Ipad

2010-12-08T10:31:00.001-06:00

This was from North Point Community Church this past weekend. What an extremely creative use of technology. I wish I were this creative.

North Point's iBand from North Point Web on Vimeo.

MSU Dawgs - Egg Bowl Highlights

2010-12-07T11:30:00.002-06:00

Another great video by Derek Cody highlighting the Bulldogs Egg Bowl victory. It's been an awesome and memorable season so far. Looking forward to the Gator Bowl (even though it matches up my two favorite teams in college football). Go Dawgs!

Don't just get people "saved"...give them the gospel

2010-12-01T21:34:00.000-06:00

Ok. Time to get something off my chest. The longer I am in ministry and the more I look at the state of the church in America, the more concerned I am about some of the tactics and methods we use to help people understand salvation and what it means. I believe that there are several well-intentioned, but sometimes misleading things that we do in churches today that actually go against helping people to find a true personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let me illustrate first from personal experience. I have been a "Christian" (I prefer to say a disciple of Jesus) for about 20+ years. However, I have been a Baptist for 42 years. I spent my Sundays as a child growing up in an SBC church - attending Sunday School and VBS, going to "big worship", and hearing all the Bible stories. My church heritage laid a spiritual foundation for me at an early age. As a child, I deeply believed there was a God. Not only that, I knew that he had "a wonderful plan for my life." I knew that Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sin. However, like most children, my young age prevented me from really understanding the true implications of the gospel facts that my church gave me. I did know enough though to know that I wasn't the kind of person that God wanted me to be. I knew that I did things that displeased him and I was ashamed of them.

In seventh grade, an FCA group came to my school for an assembly. They asked us to come back that night for a big gathering in the gym. What 7th grader doesn't want to go hang out with friends and hear ex-jocks tell their stories? Besides, I think there was free pizza. (isn't there always? I don't think most churches can share the gospel with students without pizza.) I heard athletes share about how they lived their lives in drugs and sports. I heard them share about how they trusted Jesus to forgive them of their sins. I heard them tell us that if we didn't trust Jesus as our Savior that we would spend eternity in hell. (I knew I didn't want that. My dad often referenced hell, but I don't think he understood it biblically either.) Then some guy gave an altar call. I watched as dozens of kids came down out of the gym bleachers to get "saved". My friend Darren who was next to me said "Do you want to go down?" (Darren wasn't a Christian. He was just a guy with a mullet who liked heavy metal music like me.) I said "Yeah, do you." We both went down and had some guy on a stage say "If you want to get saved, pray this prayer." We did. Then we were given some cards to fill out. That was pretty much it. The only problem was, nothing really changed. I still liked heavy metal music, thought cursing was cool, and was tempted to look at dirty pictures of women. However, I was "saved".

Several years later, I was at a student night revival at my church. I was a junior in high school. I just had 5 pieces of pepperoni pizza (see, gospel and pizza). I heard the revival speaker tell stories about kids who went out and got drunk and died and were spending eternity in hell. He talked about how Jesus wanted me to get saved. I knew that I was in need of something. When the invitation was given, I went forward. I was sent to a room with a counselor who shared the gospel with me and prayed with me. However the doubts about my salvation remained for two more years until I fully surrendered to Christ at age 20.

The point of my story is that I wasn't ignorant about my need to get "saved". I knew that Jesus died on the cross and that he rose again. I knew he loved me. Some would say I had a head knowledge of Christ, but not a heart knowledge. I don't think that was the case. I did want to love God. I loved what I knew of him. I meant it when I sang the youth choir songs. What was missing was a continual planting in me of the gospel.

Let me clarify a couple of things: 1.) I believe that everyone along my spiritual journey (SS teachers, youth ministers, evangelists) genuinely wanted me to know about the love of God and Christ's sacrifice on my behalf. 2.) I know that my capacity to have a saving knowledge of Christ, implications of my sin, etc. was limited along my journey by my age and personal knowledge and experience of sin. 3.) I don't think that someone must have a complete understanding about all the gospel facts in order to experience real salvation. Jesus himself said we must come like little children. Romans 10 says that what is needed is confession of Jesus as Lord and belief in his resurrection.

Here's the point of all this. I want to plead with my brothers in ministry to hold true to the gospel. Sometimes in the simplicity of the gospel, we try to make it too simple. In ministry we often judge success by spiritual identification and not spiritual transformation. So, we give stories about hell, give powerful pleas to "accept Christ", get people down the aisle and into the baptistery, and consider ourselves success. We use the scorecards of church attendance and baptisms instead of saved marriages and changed lives. We need to help people see that they need the gospel as much to be saved as they do to become saved. We need to remember our end goal is not getting people down the aisle. We need to remember as Dallas Willard says that "our end goal is not to get people into Heaven, but to get Heaven into people." This week, I had the privilege to talk with a 48-year old guy who is trusting the gospel for the first time. He's been "saved" and "rededicated" several times. He knew many facts about the gospel. He just didn't know the gospel. I explained that following Jesus meant the death of him. I explained that in order to follow Jesus he had to give up everything he was for everything Christ is. His eyes lit up. For the first time, he was experiencing the gospel. He went from spiritual jargon to spiritual reality. It was a beautiful site. The sad thing is that 28 years ago, this guy walked an aisle. He was probably very emotional. He was told how to be saved. He prayed the prayer. He was baptized. However, by his own words he admitted that nothing changed. He said it felt like the door was shut on him. Frustrated, he decided that since heaven was secure then God wanted him to just do his own thing. He lived 28 years with just enough facts about the gospel to reserve an eternity in hell. I do not fault him. I don't know who to fault. I fault a system that takes a simple, yet beautiful message and boils it down to a simplistic jargon and recitation of facts. We must do better.

Brothers. If we are going to get people saved, let's make sure that we make the gospel; it's facts and implications, the starting point. Let's not be afraid to take some time and carefully explain it. Let's be more afraid of false conversions than gospel rejection. Let's not measure success by getting them down the aisle and instead measure it by their progression towards Christlikeness. And, let's make sure that we understand and preach the gospel as larger than "getting saved."

The Walk by Shaun Alexander - A Book Review

2010-11-30T16:53:00.000-06:00

I recently was given a copy of a new book by former Alabama and NFL star running back Shaun Alexander called "The Walk: Clear Direction and Spiritual Power for Your Life." I had the privilege of watching Shaun's career at the University of Alabama and his strong testimony of his faith while a youth pastor in the Birmingham area. I also had him speak to my students in 2002. He has always been a solid example for both young people and men of a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

"The Walk" is a good read, especially in the generic "Christian Living" market. This book is the author's attempt to try and explain a basic concept of discipleship and following Jesus. Like the title suggests, Alexander utilizes the biblical illustration of "walking" from both the Old and New Testament to define how God intends the Christian life to be lived. He has tried to write this book to be relevant to people on several places on the Christian journey. In his words, he defines five stages of this pilgrimage - the Unbeliever, the Believer, the Example, the Teacher, and the Imparter. Each of these stages shows the need for progressive sanctification. He also identifies in each stage what he calls the "Trials, Traps, and Victories" of each stage. This structure helps the reader to easily identify whatever stage he may be in and struggles he may be currently facing. He also uses the example of Peter in each of the stages to show a biblical example of someone who progressed in his walk with Jesus.

Don't read this book if you are looking for a theological dialogue on progressive sanctification. There were some points where I felt like the theological foundations for the author's statements were a little shaky. I felt at times that passages were used as a proof-text and weren't given careful enough exegesis. This however is a common trend in most popular Christian living books. Another concern was possibly an unintended implication that Alexander's athletic success was a result of his obedience to Jesus. At points the reader might get a taste of a prosperity gospel that suggests that if you "give God all the glory" that God will bless you. This is indicative of the "Prayer of Jabez" church culture that many times fails to see that sometimes God may bring prosperity and sometimes he may give you a cross. At times I wish he would have dealt a little more fully with some of the tougher issues of being obedient when God doesn't come through like you suggested.

I don't believe that Alexander is attempting to declare a prosperity gospel - quite the opposite. I think he has tried to write a very encouraging book to the vast majority of Christians that struggle with everyday obedience to Christ. For this reason, I think the book is an encouraging read. I believe that Shaun Alexander has done a great job of leveraging the gifts God has given him to glorify God. This book is another attempt to do that. I think many people will be helped and strengthened by reading it. If you have a football fan in the family, especially in the Southeastern Conference, pick up a copy of this book for him/her.

Greatest Egg Bowl Ever!

2010-11-27T11:58:00.000-06:00

In honor of tonight's game, here was one of the greatest moments in MSU Egg Bowl history. My wife, brother, dad, and I were at the game. It was an awesome moment!

(The quality isn't great, but the energy translates nonetheless)

Things I Am Thankful For...

2010-11-25T19:47:00.000-06:00

Sons That Love Me In Spite of My Flaws

Today, as I spend time with my family, I am especially grateful that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with the honor of bring an earthly father. I didn't get married until I was 29 years old. I wondered for many years whether it was part of God's plan that I would be married and have children. God blessed me with the most beautiful redhead I have ever seen. In our first year of marriage, we were excited to find out that we were pregnant. We hoped for a boy and even named him "Noah". However, Noah never made it into this world because of a miscarriage. Through the pain and sorrow these questions still remained.

We welcomed Nathan Thomas Haines into this world in October 7, 1999. From the beginning, Nathan has shown exceptional intelligence, a caring heart for people, and a desire to excel. He has a very active imagination, usually starting sentences with the words "What if...?" He has an artistic and creative mind. He can usually be found drawing something or creating a new ship out of Legos. He loves to play baseball and go places with his Dad - especially sporting events.

Andrew Scott Haines joined our family on February 2, 2001. Drew has always marched to his own drumbeat from the beginning. As a baby, Drew had a horrible case of reflux and would randomly spit-up on you. He is by far our most emotional child, vacillating between emotions very quickly. Drew also is an extremely intelligent child. He usually brings home very good grades from school. All of his teachers have remarked about his intelligence. He also loves to read and sometimes likes to create his own stories.

John David Haines became son #3 on April 5, 2004. He's always been the baby of the family. He loves to be right in the middle of anything his big brothers are doing. He is the most physical and touch oriented of our children. His favorite thing to do is to "wrestle" with his dad. (I love it too.) He loves to snuggle at night with mom watching TV. He's in the first grade and has shown a lot of the academic potential of his brothers.

We are waiting on son #4, Joshua Lee Haines, to join us. Anticipated arrival is January 20, 2011. The announcement of his arrival was quite shocking to say the least.

As I was in the Dominican Republic last week, I had a lot of time to think about how blessed I am to be a dad and how much I take it for granted. You can imagine that with three boys under 11 that our house is filled with energy and noise. It can also be filled with a lot of drama -"Dad! They're bothering me!", "Dad! He hit me!", etc. Many days the tyranny of the moment and the need to bring calm to the situation leads me to forget just how blessed I really am. I have the unique opportunity to take three guys (soon to be four) and shape them into young men who love the Lord Jesus Christ. I get to model the gospel in a real and tangible way to my sons. I don't do a very good job of it. I am afraid that many days they get an angry tyrant instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. I sometimes sacrifice relationship for peace and quiet. I think that sometimes I treat them as burdens rather than blessings. However, most every day I have at least one moment where God uses them to show me just how blessed I really am. I am thankful that while I am, like everyone else, an imperfect earthly father that I know (and prayerfully they do too) a Heavenly Father that treats us as sons and not slaves, gives us grace in our failures.

Last week in the DR, I was confronted with two stories about how fragile life is as a dad. In one case we heard about a 14-year old kid who was fighting a very deadly form of cancer. In another we heard a pastor tell about losing his 19-year old son in a car accident. It was a not-so-gentle reprimand from my Heavenly Father about my attitude towards the boys he's blessed me with. On this day, I am grateful that my sons look past my faults and still love me as dad. I am blessed more than I deserve.

(Now I have to go. Someone's hitting someone. Someone's told me for the ninth time they are bored. Someone's asking when the turkey's going to be ready...)

Things I Am Thankful For...

2010-11-23T14:52:00.000-06:00

This being Thanksgiving week, I thought I would put up a few posts about some things that I am extremely thankful for this year. First up...

People Who Sacrifice to Obey the Great Commission

Wrapping up my first full year as a pastor, this is one that has been heavy on my heart recently. In the past year, I have been able to witness God putting a heart for missions into the people of Sixth Street. This has always been a good SBC church - giving to and promoting missions. However, in the past 12 months God has given us a heart to go. I just returned from a baseball outreach to the Dominican Republic with three guys who, to my knowledge, have never been on a mission trip before. It has been exciting to see the fire in their eyes as they see the great spiritual need both at home and abroad.

In addition to these guys, in January one of our ladies went to Africa with a local church. In June we sent a team of 24 to McDowell, Kentucky to do construction and benevolence work. In August, my wife and a college student from the church spent 2 weeks in Africa ministering and sharing Christ's love with orphans in Swaziland, one of the most destitute countries in the world. We have a team of four guys that are preparing to go in early 2011 on a vision trip to begin a partnership with the International Mission Board to reach an unengaged people group somewhere in West Africa. These men are selling cars, boats, and sacrificing greatly to obey God's call on them. We have another young lady in the church that is preparing to leave in January for "The World Race" - a 12-month journey to 11 countries. The spreading of this fire for missions has created some great conversations in our church and is helping us to turn our attention away from the struggles of the past.

By far, though, the greatest sacrifice I have seen this year is my friends Mark and Alyson Clyburn and Steve and Amy McAdams. These two couples are friends of our from our former church in Birmingham. Four years ago, these couples were average families who attended church each week and enjoyed good Christian fellowship. However, they attended a mission trip to Swaziland several years ago and God redirected their lives in a massive way. I witnessed as they sacrificed jobs, houses, cars, and much more to prepare themselves to pick up their children and their lives and move around the globe to love on and share the gospel with orphans. The journey was a difficult one. Many days we wondered how they would get the finances to go. They are still in need of a lot of prayer and financial support. If you are looking for a way to bless someone this holiday season, please consider giving them a financial gift. You can do so here: Steve McAdams or Mark Clyburn.

The task before us is great, but the Savior we serve is greater still. He has promised that the gospel will go into all the world. He has promised that every people group will have access to hear the gospel. All he needs from us is open hands and surrendered hearts. My prayer for my church, my family, and the Southern Baptist Convention is that we - like these families - will sacrifice whatever Christ asks to fulfill the Great Commission.

Dominican Republic Mission Trip - Final Update

2010-11-19T21:31:00.000-06:00

It's good to be back home on U.S. soil. Yesterday was a long day of finishing up in the DR and traveling home. On our last night in the DR, we had a great worship service. Andy Pettite shared his testimony of coming to faith in Christ as a teenager and his career in MLB as a Christ-follower. He also shared his regret for the incident where it was discovered that he had taken Human Growth Hormone and the damage it did to his reputation as a player and Christian. Ken Whitten brought us another strong message from Psalm 37. He is a gifted communicator and encourager. After worship, we spent some time with some of the pro players we had become close to and did a video interview with them to show to our church. We also stayed up late talking until past midnight about our experience and the challenges we had received in our walk with Christ.

Thursday morning began our last day of clinics. We had the privilege of going to a complex that was built by the Rawlings Foundation to support the work of SCORE International and their vision of reaching children with baseball. They had three wonderful fields and a housing complex that can house 1000 kids. We split up and did a clinic. Our group had to leave before the clinic was over to get to the airport for our flight home. We left the DR with hearts that were full and broken for the kids of the DR. All our teams had ministered to about 6,000 kids during the week and saw close to 4,000 indicate some decision for Christ. We were able to pass our food to many people. We also developed some great bonds with brothers-in-Christ from around the country.

When we arrived in the country, the first thing we did after passing through customs...Whoppers from Burger King.

Dominican Republic Mission Trip - Day 4 (Mid-day Update)

2010-11-17T13:24:00.000-06:00

We are on day 4 and our last full day here in the DR. Last night was an awesome evening. However, the hotel internet was down after our evening session preventing us from posting updates or calling our families. That was a bummer.

Our evening session last night first consisted of a testimony time from Yankee great Mariano Rivera. He shared about growing up in Panama and never imagining being given the chance to play in the major leagues. He also shared about how he was discovered and how his coming to Major League Baseball opened up the chance for him to find Jesus Christ and lead his whole family to Christ. SCORE had another group that was in a different part of the DR that joined us last night. In that group were Kevin Malone, former GM of the LA Dodgers and several former and current Dominican players. One was Melky Mesa, a current Yankee prospect. We were also joined in the evening by Nelson Cruz who drove 7 hours from his hometown to join us. We were challenged from the word by Ken Whitten, pastor at Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa. He gave an awesome challenge about having hope and resolve in tough times. The evening session was closed out by a lady who is here with her husband who did a wonderful painting of Jesus on the cross in front of us. One of the highlights of the evening was an unexpected update from the dad in NC that we had talked with the day before whose 14-year old son has cancer. They were told by the doctors last night after the latest scan that the tumors had shrunk and there appeared to be no sign of cancer! It was an emotional moment for everyone and an affirmation of the healing power of God.

After the evening session, we were given a chance to talk with and get autographs from Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera, Nelson Cruz, Melky Mesa, Chris Coughlin, and Mark Melancon. We were also given a chance to shop for some local items being sold by local SCORE missionaries. It was a late bedtime last night.

This morning's devotional was led by Pastor Steve Berger from Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN. Fourteen months ago Steve's son Josiah was killed in a one-car accident. He shared the painful story and how it led he and his wife on a journey to help people better understand what the Bible has to say about heaven. It was a stirring time. Steve and his wife have written a book and have a website to help with their story. The website is HaveHeart.net. After the devotional, our team loaded for about an hour bus ride to Medina for a clinic. We were joined in our clinic today by Andy Pettite who led a pitching clinic and Nelson Cruz who worked with hitters. Because we had some MLB stars, there was a huge crowd and a lot of media. We kept having to back the media away because they interfered with the clinics. Andy Pettite shared his testimony, John Zeller shared the gospel. We had about 115 decisions and got follow-up cards on them afterwards.

We came back to the hotel for lunch. I am staying at the hotel to do some sermon work and update the blog. The other guys from Sixth Street went out today for another clinic and pick-up game. Thanks for praying for us. We are seeing God do some awesome things both in the Dominican people at the clinics and in our evening sessions with us.

Dominican Republic Mission Trip - Day 3

2010-11-16T17:02:00.000-06:00

Greetings (or Hola!) from the DR. We are wrapping up an extremely busy day three here. It's been jam-packed today. Our morning devotional consisted of a very touching testimony by Sam Marcinick. He played several years in the Rangers and Yankees organizations. He shared how five years ago he came on this trip to teach baseball and found Christ. We also had a devotional by Ron Bishop.

Our group headed out for our first clinic of the day. We were greeted in a village by about 250 kids. We shared clinics on hitting, outfield, infield, and pitching. We wrapped the clinic up with a couple of testimonies and a gospel presentation. Hundreds responded to the gospel invitation and filled out response cards. After lunch, we headed out to the city of Boca Chica for another clinic. The locals had heard that Andy Pettite was coming so a large crowd from the city gathered. We had over 300 kids for the clinics. After the clinic, Andy Pettite came onto the field and shared his testimony. Sam Marcinick shared the gospel and another large crowd responded. After the clinic, we were swarmed by Dominican kids who were trying to get gloves, bats, balls, or anything else they could from us. We had a hard time getting off the field and onto the bus. Now, we just got cleaned up and are eating dinner. We have a long worship session tonight and autograph session with Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera. Although I am a Red Sox fan, I am looking forward to meeting these two baseball greats.

More to come tomorrow...

Dominican Republic Mission Trip - Day 2

2010-11-15T15:35:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Quick update...today we had our first day of baseball clinics here in the DR. After a long day traveling and long night meeting, we got to bed about 11:00 last night and woke at 6:00 this morning. (Actually, my phone went off about 5:00 in my room b/c I forgot to disarm it. So Bryan Riddle and I had a hard wake-up followed by another hard wake-up call an hour later).

We had a great breakfast followed by a morning devotional time. During our devotion, we called a guy in High Point, NC who has been on these trips before. However, his family recently found out that their 14-year old son has an aggressive form of cancer. He was diagnosed last year, underwent treatment, was declared clean this Spring, but the cancer has come back and is stronger. Doctors have given him 6-12 months. For that reason, he couldn't come this year. We prayed with him and each of us felt the overwhelming weight imagining having to go through that with our sons.

After devotion, we loaded up in the buses. All of the guys from Sixth Street are on the same squad. We went to a field in San Pedro de Marcoris that was at one time the Dominican home of the Houston Astros. This village once heavily relied on a sugar cane plantation that has been closed for 25 years. Most of the people are out of work and look around town for work. San Pedro is the home for many Major League players, most famously Sammy Sosa. The field was invaded by probably 200 kids. Baseball is their only way out of poverty and their great passion. One kid who was out there had only one arm. He was deformed from birth. He would field the ball, pop it up in the air, take off his glove, catch the ball and throw. Most of the kids didn't have gloves and many didn't have shoes. However, they all were thrilled to be playing baseball and showing off for us "gringos". After the clinic, one of the guys shared his testimony and John Zeller shared the gospel. Several students indicated a desire to ask Christ to be their Savior. That's what it's all about!

After coming back to the hotel for lunch, the other guys headed out to another clinic. I stayed in the hotel trying to shake off a sinus infection. Thanks for all your prayers. Each of us have been greatly impacted today and it's only the first day. More updates to come...

Hello from the Dominican Republic

2010-11-14T20:54:00.000-06:00

It's 10:30 on the close of our first day here in the DR. Today was mostly a traveling day. We met at the church this morning at 3:15 AM to head to Atlanta for our flight to Miami and then to Santo Domingo. The flights went well and we had a great time of laughs and cutting up together. We are pretty tired and tomorrow starts early at 6:00 AM.

We have a team of 4 guys from Sixth Street here in the DR to do baseball clinics with SCORE International. We are excited but unsure about what is in store for us during the week. Most of the kids here in the DR believe that baseball is their ticket to a better life. We are here to work with them on their passion and also to share with them the love and story of Jesus. Tonight we had an opening worship service and heard a testimony of a young man playing AA ball and an inspirational message from SCORE's founder, Ron Bishop. We also broke into our groups to talk about our work tomorrow. There are several minor and a couple of major league players here in addition to some high school and college coaches. I am excited to see three of my guys who get to mesh their passion and talent for baseball with the mission of Jesus.

Another highlight tonight was getting to see and talk with one of my baseball heroes, Ron Polk. As a lifelong MS State fan, I grew up watching Coach Polk in the third base coaches box. He is a true ambassador of the game. It was great to see him singing worship songs tonight and sharing with his unique brand of humor.

That's about all for now. Time to go to bed. Hope to update tomorrow afternoon or evening.

Playing this one for Nick!

2010-11-11T13:35:00.000-06:00

Getting ready for what I hope will be a great game in Tuscaloosa Saturday. It's been a tough week in Starkville with the loss of Nick Bell and the media distractions surrounding Cam Newton's recruitment. However, this video gets me jacked up for Saturday's game. There are two teams that MSU fans are absolutely rabid about beating - Ole Miss and Alabama.

This video shows there is definitely a new attitude in Starkville. Great job Derek Cody!

R.I.P. Sparky Anderson

2010-11-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

I grew up not only a baseball fan, but a huge fan of two teams - the Cincinatti Reds and the Detroit Tigers. One thing they had in common is that they both won World Series under the same manager, Sparky Anderson. My earliest memories of baseball are filled with Pete Rose's line drives, Joe Morgan's arm twitch, and Sparky Anderson's white hair and great smile. Baseball has lost a legend today and one of the greatest managers of all time.

True Maroon...New Maroon!

2010-10-28T15:04:00.000-05:00

Pardon the personal selfish indulgence, but I just saw this from someone's Twitter and it was too good to not post.

This is the kind of counseling I wish I could do...

2010-10-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

As a pastor, I have found myself doing a lot of counseling over the years. While most of the situations that people come to me with our legitimate personal and spiritual issues, there are occasionally the ones that make you want to be like Bob Newhart below. As a pastor, I have to be much more diplomatic. However, sometimes this accurately reflects what needs to be said.

Josh Hamilton - Story of Grace and Redemption

2010-10-25T10:40:00.001-05:00

I have always been a huge baseball fan. If you read this blog, you know I am a rabid Red Sox fan. I have also been a closet Texas Rangers fan for about 15 years. While my loyalties are still at Fenway Park, my baseball hero now resides in Arlington. By now, many of you know the story of Josh Hamilton. You probably know that this guy was the "can't miss" draft pick of 1999. He had all the talent that every young man dreams of. He was also the object of his own idolatry. You probably have heard about the accident that sidelined him and his subsequent slide into tattoo parlors, alcohol, and drugs. You have probably heard about his banishment from baseball and how he hit rock bottom. You have probably heard about how he turned to Jesus Christ, cleaned up, and began to play some baseball again - eventually getting a second chance to return to baseball. You know about the other-worldly performance in the 2008 Home Run Derby launching rockets into the stands at old Yankee Stadium. You probably also know that Josh led his Rangers to defeat the "evil empire" this last week to advance for the first time to the World Series. For all these reasons, Josh Hamilton is my hero.

I sill think it's ok for a 42-year old guy to have sports heroes. I certainly love the fact that as a father of 3 (soon to be 4), I have someone for my boys to look up to. I love the fact that, despite the pit he had to go through, I have someone I can talk to my sons about not only the consequences of their choices but also that true repentance is answered by grace and redemption. I love the look in my oldest sons eyes when I presented him an "autographed" copy of Josh's book "Beyond Belief" last Christmas.

Josh Hamilton is not my hero because he can smash a baseball further than I ever dreamed. Or because he can throw a rope from center field to home plate. Or because he destroyed my most hated team on the planet. Those all help. Josh is my hero because he faced his past like a true man of God, repented of his sin, fell upon the grace of God, and has spent his subsequent life exalting Jesus Christ. When I met Josh last year, I said to him, "You have a lot of dads that are praying for you because of the example you are to our sons." He said "Thanks. Please keep praying."

To see more of how Josh Hamilton is the real deal, check out this video: Josh Hamilton "I Am Second"

Johnny Hunt on Learning From Others

2010-10-20T09:46:00.001-05:00

The more I hear from Dr. Johnny Hunt, the more I wish I and many others I know were more like him. In this video from last year, Pastor Johnny talks about how he came to learn and appreciate those with whom he held different theological views. I have tried as much as possible not to let theological difference be too divisive or keep me from appreciating and finding common ground. I pray that no matter our theological or methodological convictions that we can learn better to separate issues of primary importance from secondary or tertiary issues. I also pray that, like Dr. Hunt, our methods will be characterized more by humility and cooperation than belligerence.

David Crowder Band - SMS(Shine)

2010-10-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is an incredible video from David Crowder Band using a Lite-Brite and thousands of pegs. This is by far one of the most creative things I have ever seen and proof of why I and so many others are fans of DC*B. Enjoy.

MSU Dawgs back in the Top 25

2010-10-19T14:25:00.002-05:00

It's cool to be a Bulldog!

As a die-hard MSU sports fan since I was 6 years old, it's always nice when we break into the top 25 and begin to get some recognition. When I looked at the schedule this year and how we finished last year, I predicted to many that we would go 6-6, maybe 7-4. I thought we could steal either Auburn or Georgia (we almost did both). I never thought we would beat Florida (always a nice win). Even in my best imagination I didn't foresee 5-2 with our only losses being the #6 and #7 teams in the country. I didn't expect a top 25 placement 7 games into the season with a legitimate shot of going 8-4 or better. It's a nice time to be a Bulldog and I hope we see continued success and are able to extend Mullen's contract such as fitting to keep him a Bulldog for a while. Many kudos to Coach Mullen, the other FB coaches, AD Scott Stricklin, and former AD Greg Byrne for establishing a winning and celebrative atmosphere after a decade of futility and mediocrity.

GO DAWGS!

A Fitting Tribute for a Faithful Servant

2010-10-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

I have been profoundly influenced by the writings and preaching of John Piper. I was just reading through some blogs from my internet absence and saw this video from the Desiring God Conference last week. I certainly plan to get this book as soon as I can. I only hope to be able to finish doctoral research in order to be able to actually read it.

Transforming Church in Rural America (Book Review)

2010-10-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

I recently received a copy of this book by Shannon O'Dell for review. Since I am a new pastor in a rural community, I was very interested to see what the author had to say. I had heard of O'Dell and his Brand New Church a couple of years ago from a link at WiredChurches.com. O'Dell is doing a phenomenal work transitioning a small, dying church in rural Arkansas into a relevant model that can bring hope to any and all pastors of small, rural churches.

O'Dell's book is an attempt to write the "Purpose-Driven Church" for small town church leadership. It is mostly autobiographical in nature. The author shares a lot of stories about his struggles and successes in transitioning a difficult church. His story is a familiar refrain - a pastor looking for a change gets a call from the one place he really doesn't want to go but can't escape the fact that it is the one place where God wants him to go. When he gets there, he realizes his fears have come true - he has inherited a dysfunctional church with dysfunctional systems that have made them irrelevant. However, O'Dell was surrounded by a group of people that realized their dysfunction and really wanted to make a change. The journey was not without hardship or opposition. However, Brand New Church has become a multi-site church in an area that no one would have predicted this level of ministry success and a model to follow.

O'Dell's book is very practical. It provides a lot of great ideas and inspiration. It is certainly a departure from many of the church growth/church health books that focus on suburban churches in the thousands. O'Dell's writing style is easy to read. The book relies heavily on stories and the author's humor. I would have liked to see more thought put into more biblical and theological foundations. Little attention is paid to making changes in a dying church without compromising Scripture or theological foundations. I am not suggesting that O'Dell has done this at his church. However, it is easy for the reader to get caught up in ministry paradigms and practices without giving careful attention to the fact that most dying churches has very poor biblical and theological foundational systems. The book also gets very repetitive at times. After the first 3-4 chapters, I found myself not as engaged as I did at first. However, the inspiration alone of how this leader showed a dying, rural church how to be a missional, evangelistic force is work

Back from Blogging Hiatus

2010-10-11T13:06:00.000-05:00

I apologize for my recent unexpected hiatus from blogging. I know that many of you have been fasting and sitting in sackcloth and ashes eagerly awaiting your RSS feed to update. No good excuse for my absence. Got real busy with church stuff. Then went for a week to New Orleans for a doctoral seminar (no time to blog there). Then went to Disney with the family for a week (Pics to follow soon).

I will be posting a book review soon...

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

2010-09-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

I was recently given the chance to preview Max Lucado's new book Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference. I was first introduced to Lucado's inspirational writings as a 20-year old reading Six Hours One Friday: Anchoring to the Power of the Cross (Chronicles of the Cross). Max's new book takes his writing to a new level. Lucado's goal in this book is to help the reader to see that God has created and saved us not just to exist and do our best on our way to heaven, but to use our moment in God's story to make a impact for eternity. Lucado draws from the inspirational accounts of the explosion of the early church in Acts to inspire the church to "make a big difference during a difficult time."

Like most everything else I have read from Lucado, this book was a refreshing fountain of encouragement. In his unique style, Max makes many of the stories from the first twelve chapters of Acts come alive. You are literally drawn into the stories as participants given an opportunity to see God take ordinary people and do extraordinary things. He shares one question he pondered that rocked his world: "When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in which 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response?" It's a fair and poignant question that the church in America should be shaken to answer. Throughout the book, I was encouraged and challenged that God has created me and called me to do more than the life I have crafted. Just like he took nobodies, average Joe's, and outcasts in the first century, he wants to use us today to advance the gospel and expand his glory in ways never before imagined.

I would highly recommend Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference to any Christian who would dare to believe that there is more to Christianity than a comfortable life. Lucado's writing style has a way of engaging even those who don't regularly read books. You just might find yourself challenged to dream in ways you never have before.

Sterling Davis Update

2010-08-24T08:59:00.002-05:00

I asked yesterday that you intercede today for Sterling Davis. Here is a blog on his progress and some things specifically you can intercede in his behalf today.

http://sterlingdavis.wordpress.com/

Lift up prayers for Sterling Davis

2010-08-23T14:05:00.000-05:00

Saints of God, please lift up prayers of intercession for a great young kid named Sterling Davis. Sterling will be having brain surgery tomorrow, August 24th for a tumor in his brain. This will be Sterling's second such surgery in the last few years. He is the son of Roger and Becca Davis. I have had the awesome privilege of knowing Roger for many years now. He is the guru behind the success of Student Life summer camps. I am grateful to be able to call Roger my friend. I have known and watched Roger as he and Becca began to date, get married, and eventually started having a boatload of kids. Like Alison and me, the Lord has given them many blessings. They are awesome parents. More importantly, they are awesome servants of the Lord Jesus. As long as I have known Roger, he has been a man who brings encouragement to others, especially those who are suffering. In their first episode with Sterling, Roger often let us know of other families they had met with similar suffering and asking his friends on Twitter and Facebook to pray for these families. It's amazing that in the midst of watching your child suffering and recovering to see someone who still minister to others. That is the peace and comfort that God's sovereignty can bring.

Sterling has a tumor that causes him to frequently have difficult seizures. I know as a parent that this has to tear at their hearts. However, Roger and Becca continue to walk through these events with Sterling and still say "Blessed be the name of the Lord." Tomorrow's surgery will be a difficult one. Pray for the doctors to have clarity, accuracy, and success in removing the tumor. Pray that God will strengthen Sterling's body to handle the trauma of surgery. Pray for God to hold Roger and Becca in his righteous right hand as they trust Sterling to God's sovereignty and the surgeon's skill. Pray for the recovery. Above all, pray that God will continue to glorify himself in his servants and in Sterling's body.

The Dad Life

2010-08-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

Someone showed me this funny video today that was produced by Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is so close to accurate that it hurts. Hope you enjoy...

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Coach Mullen on ESPN

2010-08-19T10:06:00.000-05:00

It's nice to see so much excitement building for a team that went 5-7 last season and plays one of the toughest schedules in the toughest conference in college football, but that is Dan Mullen brings to the table. Here is the video from his appearance on College Football Live yesterday.

Go DAWGS!

Beyond Opinion - A Book Review

2010-08-18T14:50:00.001-05:00

Recently I received a copy of "Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend" from Thomas Nelson Publishers to review. This is a weighty volume of essays designed to equip Christians to understand the biggest objections to the Christian faith and equip them to accurately defend and live our faith and apologetic in Jesus Christ. Zacharias possesses one of the greatest minds in the Christian faith. He is the main author and editor of this volume of essays. He has also compiled some of the most brilliant scholars to contribute to this volume including Alister McGrath, John Lennox, and Sam Solomon.
If you are looking for light, easy reading about how faith is like a butterfly or how to have "your best life now", stay away from this book. This is a book about apologetics. It is a book designed to address the real and hard issues about Christianity in the current culture. The first section of the book is designed to give the reader and in-depth perspective of the challenges presented by postmodernism, Atheism, Islam, Science, the growth in Eastern Religions, and the cultural divide with today's younger generation. Issues such as the authority and accuracy of Scripture, the Bible and naturalism, and the rise in atheism since 9/11 are tackled on deeper levels. The second section seeks to address "the questions behind the questions" which are the real issues that underlay many objections to the Christian faith. Zacharias does an excellent job of addressing the age-old issue of the gospel and evil and suffering. Michael Ramsden does a thorough job of addressing the objection that personal faith has nothing to do with truth or reality. His chapter equips the reader to engage in "conversational apologetics" by presenting some of the often asked questions about faith and Christian experience.

As I wrote earlier, this is not light Christian reading. However, it may well be one of the most important books in print. History will eventually record the impact that Ravi Zacharias and his ministry have had on expanding the gospel into the difficult areas of the world and culture. Many Christians will never read a book like this because "It's too hard to read" and that is to our shame. Ultimately, we must be able to articulate a faith to the culture around us that is "beyond" our opinions and personal experiences and actually addresses the intellectual concerns that philosophy, atheism, and pain have actually brought. I believe that if more Christians were to pick up this book and push through the challenges addressed that we would see more opportunities for the gospel around us. Apologetics is not an issue that we as Christians should push to the periphery to be addressed by scholars and philosophers only. It is being obedient to Peter's admonition to "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." How can we defend with respect if we don't know the real questions people are asking? Pick up a copy of Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend, find a quiet place to read it, and buckle your seat-belt.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thoughts from a younger SBC pastor (part 1)

2010-08-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

I just got through reading two great posts by Ed Stetzer over at Between the Times. His two articles were about his reflections on the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando. I would highly encourage you to read them here and here. I think Stetzer is right on target with his observations about the growing loss of presence at the SBC among younger leaders. His points accurately reflect much of what I have felt and have observed talking to other young leaders I know, some of whom have come through my ministry or I have met in my doctoral work at NOBTS.

I attended this year's SBC in Orlando. It was my first time at the SBC since 1996 when it was in Atlanta. I have watched with interest some the past years to the online streams, but until I became a senior pastor last summer, I had no real compelling interest in going. I think that statement describes a lot of the people my age and younger - no compelling interest. This year's compelling interest that motivated my attendance and many others was the debate over the Great Commission Resurgence. I had my own feelings about the GCR and had trusted leaders on both sides of the debate. Many of the pastors in my own state and association were not in favor of it. There were many reasons given, much of which I thought sounded like "old school politics" rather than New Testament practices. I was torn even on my way to Orlando because I saw the pros and cons on both sides of the aisle. In the weeks leading up to the SBC, I told many of my friends and mentors that one of my biggest concerns if the GCR didn't pass was that we would lose many of the rising young leaders in the SBC. As I attended the convention, that concern was even more validated.

I have been a Southern Baptist since I was saved at age 17. I have attended a SBC church since I was in cradle roll. I listened to my pastor growing up inform me about the conservative resurgence and the battles that were being fought to get liberalism out of the SBC. I attended an SBC seminary and benefited from the support of the Cooperative Program. I have a strong personal fondness for men like Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley, Jerry Vines, and many others who have handed me a conservatively sound SBC.

However, the more I grew, the more I became concerned that much of the denomination I love seemed out of touch with what I saw being the relevant issues of the day. I was tired of seeing the SBC known only as the "cranky people who are boycotting Disney" even if the reason for the Disney boycott was a valid one. In recent years, it seemed like the SBC was becoming more known for self-preserving the "good ol' boys club" than really listening to the young leaders that were coming up. I have also been concerned because of the divide over the "Young, Restless, and Reformed" crowd. It seemed like those who had been a part of the SBC for so many years were so quick to dismiss this growing group of young leaders like they were over-caffeinated teenagers "who will learn someday." I was troubled that some of those who had gained power seemed to be using that power to quell tertiary issues instead of listening to some of these young leaders passion for real missional change. I am saddened when someone from the floor of the SBC will make a recommendation to ban Mark Dricoll's books from Lifeway as though he were Richard Dawkins or Madelyn Murray O'Hair. I understand that you may not agree with some of his theology, his occasional tendency to push the envelope of crassness, or the fact that he's become the poster-child for the young, reformed, missional movement. The fact is - ACTS 29 has done as much if not more to be a church planting machine in the last decade than the politically engorged machine of the North American Mission Board. That statement is not meant to denigrate NAMB, but to point out that while our mission agency has been mired in leadership turmoil, others have found successful ways to plant New Testament churches. Stetzer and many others have said often the last few years how many times they have seen sharp, young pastors with a heart to plant a church who have tried to work with NAMB and the State Associations only to be bogged down and turned away. As a result, they have turned to or founded other organizations that are now setting the trends in church planting while the SBC is now "resurging" to focus more on it.

These are just a few of my thoughts about the SBC I love and the time it is in. I don't believe that all the younger pastors are right. I think many of the younger pastors would do well to remember that we do stand on some significant shoulders. I heard someone I admire say recently "all the heroes of the younger pastors are themselves" meaning that maybe we don't have the affinity or have taken to time to show the respect for those who have gone before us. The impulsiveness of youth always makes us think we can do it better. Right now, I am in a transitional phase. I am about to turn 42. I am no longer a younger evangelical. I am not in the old guard yet. But, I will be closely watching both groups and trying to be a bridge-builder as much as possible.

Pray for Dr. Johnny Hunt

2010-08-11T13:52:00.000-05:00

As a young pastor, I have several men in ministry who have gone before me who are "ministry heroes" of mine. I believe it's vitally important for young pastors to have an affinity and connection to men who have gone before us. We need to devoted to the "old dead guys" like Calvin, Luther, Spurgeon, Edwards, Whitfield, and many others who have left such a strong theological heritage. Many of my young pastors love to read and quote these guys. However, we also need to build on the firm ministry foundation and legacy that has been handed off to us by more modern "heroes" whose impact cannot be fully measured yet. Some of my the men in modern time who have had a spiritual and ministry impact on me include men like Adrian Rogers, John MacArthur, John Piper, John Stott, Charles Swindoll, and more recently, Johnny Hunt.

Many of you know about Dr. Johnny Hunt. He has a powerful testimony of being radically saved from a life of deep depravity. During my early years, he was a bright, rising star in Southern Baptist life. Many looked to First Baptist, Woodstock, GA because of it's explosive numerical growth in the 1990's and because of it's energetic and fiery pastor in the pulpit. Dr. Hunt has been a regular speaker at Pastor's Conferences and the SBC platform for many year. In more recent years, Dr. Hunt has led FBC Woodstock to have one of the largest missional impact on global missions of any church in our convention. FBC Woodstock regularly sends mission teams to every continent on the globe. Many innovative mission organizations have been started from members of that church and hundreds of people from Woodstock have left full-time vocations to go "make disciples of all nations." That missional vision modeled and led by Dr. Hunt has been an inspiration to me and many young pastors who are fanning missional flames in their churches.

Dr. Hunt has been a fiery leader in the Southern Baptist Convention culminated by his last two years of service as SBC president. He poured all his energy into leading our convention to the Great Commission Resurgence. No matter what your feeling was about the GCR, no one can challenge that Dr. Hunt has a huge vision for Southern Baptists to do more.

In addition, Johnny Hunt has always been about pouring out of himself into the lives of others. He and FBC Woodstock host a phenomenal men's conference every year. Our church this past February took 20+ of our guys who came back fired up. For almost 20 years now, Johnny Hunt has set aside time through his "Timothy Barnabas" conferences to personally mentor young pastors and spend significant time with them and their wives. I went to one of these about 8 years ago and was tremendously blessed. I was scheduled to go to my first one since coming to Sixth Street on September 22-24.

However, today I received a call from the conference letting me know that it had been postponed until March. The reason is that his leadership as SBC president and full-time pastor of one of the largest churches in the convention has left him spiritually and physically drained. Earlier this year, Dr. Hunt underwent successful prostate cancer surgery and recovery. However, it didn't keep him from fulfilling his commitment to the men's conference or to his leadership of the SBC. When he finished his service in June, he and his wife prepared for their sabbatical in July. That leave of absence has been extended. It appears that the hectic schedule and burden that he has carried for the SBC and for global evangelization combined with the physical toll of cancer surgery and radiation has drained this powerful man of God. My heart is burdened for Dr. Hunt. I certainly understand the postponing of the Timothy Barnabas Conference. More so, I think this great man of God deserves the proper "well done" from his SBC counterparts and for all of us who are so indebted to his leadership to take a few moments to hit our knees and intercede on behalf of him and Janet. Study the heroes of the Bible and you will see how great service was often coupled with deep need for refreshing and encouragement.

I have no doubt he will be back and as fiery as ever. The church announced Sunday that he is scheduled to come back in mid-late September. Please pray for God to strengthen him, encourage him, empower him, and refresh him. Pray also that the time he and Janet are spending alone will draw them closer than they have ever been. I pray that when my service to the church is evaluated, that my wife and I can still have the same love and devotion to one another that Dr. Johnny and Janet hunt display.

For more info on Dr. Hunt, you can see the Baptist Press article here.