Do Not Commit Adultery

As we continue our series looking at the Ten Commandments, it is interesting to notice that nowhere in the Ten Commandments does God give a commandment about worshipping Him in a particular building. The reason for this is that God intended to be worshipped by His people in the temple that He constructed: our bodies. There is nothing inherently wrong with a building, but Jesus didn’t lay down His life for buildings.

Do not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:14 (CSB)

The topic of infidelity in marriage is a sensitive subject, but it is sadly too present in our society. One study showed that over 90% of Americans consider infidelity immoral. That same study also showed that 30%-40% of Americans cheated on their partners. This travesty is not something that is linked to just one generation either. It was reported that of those polled, the same number of 18-29-year-olds were unfaithful to their partner as were those over the age of 65.^[1] https://comparecamp.com/cheating-statistics/

While God was looking to preserve and show the blessing of marriage in the 7th Commandment, He was also concerned in making sure that we had a temple that was prepared and ready to worship Him at any given moment.

What the Bible says about our body

When we look through the pages of the Bible, we will recognize some interesting words shared about our bodies.

Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CSB)

When we were created, God had in mind for each one of us to be a temple in which He would dwell and we could worship Him from. Though sin has defiled our temples, God has offered us His grace through Jesus Christ. Anyone who hears the gospel and responds to it can have their sin forgiven and be made a new creation.

But to all who did receive [Jesus], he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name

John 1:12 (CSB)

Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and that is what you are.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (CSB)

This means that our bodies are the place that we meet and worship God. We must keep this temple that God has given to us for worship clean.

God takes our bodies very seriously. We should also take our bodies seriously. We would like to think that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want. The truth is, if we have given our lives to Christ, then it belongs to Him and He gets to call the shots.

How does marriage play into this?

The marriage relationship is a very special one that God has given to mankind. This relationship was given to us for several reasons.

Partnership

When God created man, He recognized that it was not good for him to be alone.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.”

Genesis 2:18 (CSB)

The marriage relationship is one like none other. Both husband and wife play an important role in the life of each other: one that completes the equation. It is no wonder the Bible tells us, “A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD”(Proverbs 18:22).

Intimacy

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 (CSB)

This is talking about the intimacy that is between a husband and wife. It is not just physical but involves the whole person. It has to do with the emotional and spiritual aspects of the couple’s lives as well.

Safe place for children

The family is the first institution that God created. The family illustrates our relationship with God like no other. God wanted to create a safe environment where generations could be raised knowing His truth and following Him.

The Damage of Adultery

Sadly, God had to include in His list of commandments a warning against adultery that seeks to destroy what He is trying to do. Adultery is an ugly and harmful thing. It is like a vicious tornado leaving destruction in its wake. The problem with adultery is that those who partake do not realize all that it will affect.

The relationship with one’s spouse is based on one’s relationship with God

Since marriage is an institution created by God, it should not be a surprise that when the marriage relationship is hurt so is our relationship with God. We are to worship God with our whole being. When adultery takes place, there is a tear in the relationship, and you are not able to worship God with all that you are.

Your character is tarnished

Traditional marriage vows between a husband and wife contain a promise to be true to one another as long as you both shall live. When that promise is broken, the character of the person is tarnished. Trust in that person is broken, and trust is one thing that takes an extremely long time to build and an even longer time to regain.

The safe haven for children is fractured

Children are delicate creations. They require not just physical nourishment, but spiritual and emotional nourishment as well. When adultery takes place and the division happens between husband and wife, the safe haven that God intends for children is fractured, and they are left to look for that needed nourishment elsewhere.

Jesus’ Commentary

You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go to hell.

Matthew 5:27-30 (CSB)

Jesus shows us that adultery is a matter that begins in our hearts. We may think that there’s nothing wrong with glances and all as long as we do not act, but the truth is that what we allow to fill our hearts will be what directs our actions.

Jesus also uses the tool of hyperbole in stating that we should gouge out our eyes or cut off our hands if they lead us to sin. It is not that Jesus wants us to harm ourselves but to recognize the severity of sin. What a waste it would be to go through life with our bodies intact but then spend eternity in hell because we allowed our hearts to belong to someone other than our Savior.

Conclusion

The 7th Commandment is not just about keeping marriages together (though that is important); it deals with keeping the sanctuary as it should be. It is about being faithful to one’s spouse, children, and most importantly God.

When God told the Israelites in the Old Testament how to consecrate the Tabernacle and the Temple, He showed them that it must be set apart for Him. This was done by applying the blood of a sacrifice to it.

For our lives, we may recognize that our temples are not as they should be. It might be that we have allowed sin to enter in and defile our temple. We need to allow the Lamb of God, Jesus, to apply His cleansing blood to our lives. This blood can bring healing to the deepest wounds.

References[+]

References

↑1	https://comparecamp.com/cheating-statistics/

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Honor Your Parents

Honor your father and mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12 CSB

When it comes to the Ten Commandments, a picture of two tablets often comes to mind for many. We can see Moses holding these two tablets of stone as he comes down Mount Sinai. On these two tablets are the Ten Commandments having been handwritten by God Himself. It is thought that one tablet had the first four commandments (those that deal with our relationship with God), and the other tablet contained the last six commandments (those that deal with our relationships with other people).

As we examine the 5th Commandment found in Exodus 20:12, we see that one thing is very clear: God high values the home.

God values the home

The first institution that God created was the family. Long before governments or even the church came about, God created the family. It is the family that best shows the picture of God’s relationship with us.

In the 5th Commandment, we see two parts. The first part is about how children are to honor their parents. The second part is more insinuated. It is the importance that parents should be honorable. It is these two parts that we will focus on during our time today.

What is honor?

The Hebrew term that is translated as “honor” is one that means “to be heavy or give weight to.” This has nothing to do with putting a lot of food in front of your parents and watching them scales spin. In Bible times, if something had great weight, it was seen as having great value. When we honor someone or something, we are making them more valuable in the eyes of other people. It is like when a soldier or sailor is recognized and honored for his/her service to our country on Veteran’s Day.

When we honor our parents, we do things so that when people look at us they say, “They must have had some great parents!” One of the top responsibilities that God has given to children is that they make their parents look good.

How we honor our parents

When we think about honoring our parents, I believe that there are three important tools that the LORD has given us for the task. These are not like the instructions that may come in an “Assembly Required” purchase that we have gotten. The instructions that come with share the tools that are needed, but it is more that one person who has found out that many times there are other tools that are needed. These tools that God has given to us will do the job.

Obedience

If there is one verse that parents commit to memory and share with their children, it is Ephesians 6:1.

Children, obey your parents in the LORD, because this is right.

Ephesians 6:1 CSB

I know that I have used this verse in my house many times. Let’s be honest… so have you. This is another way of saying what the 5th Commandment is about.

The phrase “in the Lord” is an important one. Sadly, there are too many cases of parents asking their children to do things that are wrong. Does a child have to obey their parents if they are asking them to sin? In no way! The Lord does not want any of us to sin. But as long as what our parents are not asking us to do anything that goes against God’s word, we should obey.

Attitude

In Philippians 2:5, we are told that we should have the same attitude that Christ had. When we look at Jesus’ life, we see that time and time again He honored his earthly parents.

• Luke 2 – Jesus was 12 years old. His parents realized that He was not with them as they were leaving Jerusalem. Mary is worried as any good parent would be. When they find Him, they let Him know how worried they had been. In verse 49, Jesus tells them that He must be doing His Heavenly Father’s will. In verse 51 though, we see Jesus being obedient to His earthly parents and following them.
  
• John 2 – Jesus was at a wedding feast. The wedding party had run out of wine. Mary comes to Jesus and asks Him to help. He says that the time for everyone knowing that He was the Messiah had not come yet. But what do we see? He does what His mother asks of Him.
  
• John 19:25-27 – While Jesus hung on the cross, He made sure that His widowed mother would be cared for by placing her in the care of His disciple, John.

What is our attitude towards our parents? Our attitude determines the direction of our actions. We are called to honor our parents and by having the right attitude towards them, we can do that well.

Notice that Jesus didn’t just honor His parents as a child. He even did so as an adult. For many of us, we have been out of our parents’ houses for some time. This does not give us a pass on honoring them. As long as our parents are our parents, we are to honor them.

Language

A third way that we can honor our parents is with our language. Words are very powerful. You may have heard the little saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That is a lie. Just ask the person who is being called names by their peers at school or work. Words have the ability to make or break a person.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

Colossians 4:6 CSB

Sometimes our speech isn’t seasoned with salt. Sometimes it is seasoned with hot sauce. Sometimes it is seasoned with vinegar. We would do well to remember that according to Matthew 12:36, we will have to give an account for every word that we speak.

Parents: Be honorable

Now that we have talked about honoring our parents, we need to examine the other side of this coin. When parents choose to live a life that is less than honorable, then the children are put into a difficult place.

Paul reiterated this commandment in Ephesians 6 when he talked about the family:

Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the LORD.

Ephesians 6:4 CSB

As parents, are we bringing the children that God places in our lives up in a way that will produce honor, or are we bringing them up to be filled with bitterness, anger, and rebellion? Just as children have a part to play in this commandment, so do we as parents.

God has placed a great responsibility on parents. A parent is the first picture that a child has of what God is like. Because of this, we must make sure that we are exercising our given authority in responsible ways and not in emotional ways. We do this by basing our authority not on personal desires but on the principles that come from the Word of God. For that to happen, we must spend time in the Word and applying it to our daily lives.

Conclusion

The fifth of the Ten Commandments is one that is far more valuable than most people give it credit. It is so much more than just treating parents right. It is about honoring them. When we bring honor to our parents, we also bring honor to our Heavenly Father.

How are you doing in honoring your parents? We want to experience the greatness of God in our lives, but it will not happen if we do not truly honor our parents. We may have not done a great job of this in the past. We have an opportunity to do what we are supposed to now.

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The Power of Prayer

This summer at the church where I serve as pastor, we are having some special nights of corporate prayer on specific Wednesday nights. We have invited all of our church – youngest to the oldest – to come together for a time of prayer. We believe that prayer is essential to the life and ministry of the local church.

This past Wednesday was our first ‘Summer Prayer Night,’ and it was truly great. I couldn’t tell you about all of the “ministry” that was taking place in our worship center that night. I was reminded of when I read Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala about how times of corporate prayer are powerful and seeing God move in big ways.

I thought that I might just share with you a couple of ways in which I was ministered to in our first Summer Prayer Night.

• Praying with my child at the altar. It was special to watch one of my sons come down in front of everyone that night and bow down on the steps leading to the platform. As I watched him fold his little hands and began to pray, I was just drawn to him to join. I asked him if I could pray with him, and he said, “Sure, Daddy!”
  
• Families praying together. It was a sweet sight to look around and watch families gather together and pray together. I believe that ‘the family who prays together, stays together’ is much more than a sweet little saying.
  
• Encouragement Overflowing. I had a dear, sweet lady approach me after our time of prayer and express her thankfulness that God had led our family here. I told her that we share in that feeling as well.
  
• The sound of children praying out loud. There was one amazing little boy in the room that just prayed as best as his little heart and mind knew how to for “Mommy and Daddy… and thank you, Jesus!” I just thought about how Jesus said that God has put praise in the mouths of little ones for times such as this. I enjoyed sharing with the parents how they didn’t need to feel embarrassed, but rather that they should continue to disciple their children as they are doing… because it is working well!

I cannot wait to see what all the Lord has in store for our church through these times of prayer. I would encourage all pastors/churches, make sure that you are purposefully planning some times of corporate prayer and see what God does!

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The Power of VBS

As the summer begins, it is the season of VBS for many churches. This has been a program that many churches have used over the years to reach out to and minister to children. Memories of songs, Bible stories, games, and (of course) snacks – especially the red Kool-aid and animal crackers flood people’s minds when they hear those three letters.

I have thought that VBS is a good thing in and for the local church for a long time. I will have to be honest that at times it has been a little redundant. It seems like for the most part it is the same thing over and over again… the same Bible stories… the same crafts… the same snacks…

One thing that has made me scratch my head at times with VBS is how different churches in the same community would use the exact same format and materials, but just at different times throughout the summer. I always wondered why these churches couldn’t team together and do it at one time, but I’ll leave that for another post sometime.

This week is VBS week at the local church where I have the privilege of serving as Lead Pastor. I was eager to see how this congregation did things with this event. Would it be the same as so many that I’ve seen before? Would it be completely different? Would it be something that was enjoyed or dreaded?

The joy of the children

The first thing that I noticed was that the children were really excited about VBS. We had 90 children show up the first night, and each one of them seemed to be ready to go on the adventure that is VBS. It was apparent to me that there is an expectation that has been set that this is one event that the children want to be part of in this area. I believe that speaks to the hard work that the church has put into it. You could see smiles and hear laughter all over our facilities as the children went through the various stations.

The clarity of the gospel

I do not know of another “event” in the life of the church where the gospel of Jesus Christ is put on display at the level of a child than VBS. Every little detail is about pointing children to Jesus and the wonderful gift that He has for them. Our church’s mission statement is “Pointing People to Jesus”, and that is the sole purpose of VBS at our church – pointing children to Jesus.

The church stepping up

This is the first year in a LONG time where I did not have a specific role to play in VBS. I am able to visit around with each of the groups in various stations as they do their thing. The reason for this is that men and women (older and younger) have stepped up and taken the reins to lead this ministry. All of the pastoral staff at our church have been freed up to be available for whatever is needed.

When I think about the role that is given to the pastors of a local church, it can be hard at times. Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us that the job of the pastors of a church is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” not do it all for them. Each Christian has a part to play in the ministry of a local church. It is easy to fall into the trap and follow the world’s idea of “let the professionals handle it.”

VBS is an opportunity to see Ephesians 4:11-13 put into play. At our local church, the leaders are members of our congregation stepping up and using their gifts, talents, and abilities to make sure that the work of the ministry that we have been entrusted with gets done. It is a beautiful sight. If you are looking for a starting point on getting the congregation of your church busy doing the work of ministry, VBS could be one of the best ways of seeing that come about.

VBS can (and should be) a vital ministry of the local church. It can easily become just “another thing that we do” if we let it. I would encourage you to take a fresh, new look at VBS and the opportunity that God has given you to point children and families towards Jesus.

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Book Review: Growing Down

Title: Growing Down: Unlearning the Patterns of Adulthood that Keep Us from Jesus

Author: Michael Kelley

Publisher:  B & H Publishing Group

Overview

The thought of growing up is something that intrigues every child.  They cannot wait until they become “older” and put away many of the restraints that hold on to our lives.  What if in growing older, we actually lose some of the things that are essential to us as followers of Jesus?

In Growing Down, Michael Kelley brings out some of the things that we might have to “unlearn” to be all that we are supposed to be as Christians.  As the back cover says, “Kelley wrestles with Jesus’ words that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the likes of little children.”

Thoughts

I have to admit that when I saw the title of this book, I was intrigued.  I have always been one that said that I would grow older, but I would never grow up.  I still like to do pranks.  I still like to goof off.

I have been confronted with the words of Paul in the New Testament though: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11 CSB).  There comes a time when you do have to grow up in life.  We cannot continue to operate in life as we did when we were young children.  There are responsibilities and other things that call for us to behave as adults.

Some have taken this verse to mean that we need to put away all things of our childhood years and just be adults.  This becomes a problem when we run into the words of  Jesus in Mark 10:15 = “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Michael Kelley has put together a wonderful book that talks about what does childlike faith look like.  While there are some things that we need to leave behind as we grow older, there are some essentials that our culture will try to drive out as the years pass by.  Kelley shares eight areas where some “growing down” needs to take place if a person wants to experience a powerful relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Recommendation

I found Growing Down to be a very thought-provoking read.  It was not overbearing, but it addressed some major issues that people face in their walk with the Lord.  I would highly encourage any adult that is serious about having a vibrant relationship with Jesus to check out Growing Down by Michael Kelley.

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How important is VBS?

This week has been a wild one at our church. It has been VBS week. We have partnered with two other churches in our area to reach out and provide this great ministry to children in our community. We have seen some really good things happening. I thought that I would pose the question and give my answers to it.  The questions: “How important is VBS?”

For those that may not be familiar with the terminology, VBS stands for Vacation Bible School. This is typically a week-long event that includes singing, Bible studies, games, crafts, and more. I know that some churches have gotten away from the name “VBS.” That is okay. I don’t see the name “VBS” anywhere in the Bible, so you can call it whatever you like. I have been a part of churches that called it various things but the overall goal was the same.

I raise the question of how important is this type of ministry is from the direction of evaluation. I believe that it is important to constantly check and see if what we are doing is the most effective way to accomplish the goal. I know that there are those who think that because something was done 50 years ago then it needs to be chunked. I do not believe that to be true. It may need to be tweaked and updated some, but just because it was used by our grandparents does not mean that it should be thrown by the wayside.

Here are some valuable things that I have seen from VBS this year:

• Teamwork. There is no way that VBS could happen with just one or two people involved. It takes the work of many people to come together to make this happen. In our situation, we live in a rural area of north Mississippi. We had three churches in our area come together and pool our resources to make this happen. It was a beautiful picture of cooperation in a time when (sadly) we see many congregations “competing with one another.”
• Freshness. This might be my favorite point in this list. VBS is a chance to make the timeless message come to life in a brand new way. Our VBS has been telling the story of Joseph from Genesis. We have seen the children respond to seeing pyramids, palace guards, and the Nile River in a great way. It is not just reading it to them while they sit in seats. The message of the gospel must never change but the methods of sharing it have to as Ed Stetzer shares in an article. 
• Recruiting. In church work, we are always looking to recruit new people to join the team. Most churches run on the work of volunteers. It is important for believers to find their gifting and jump in where God is leading them. When churches have people that refuse to be their part of the team, the mission suffers greatly. VBS has proven to be a great way to let people get their feet wet with serving. It gives a leader the opportunity to see where some people can serve even when you never thought they would do it.
• Reality-Check. I have found that VBS can be a great reality check for churches. With so many things pulling our attention in various directions, it is easy to let some things slip from where they should be. It may not be intentional, but it happens. VBS can remind a church that the younger generations are important. If we do not pour into them when they are younger, then the possibility and opportunities to do it decrease with every passing year.

With all of that said, I believe that is clear of what my views are on VBS. I’m so thankful to the countless people who made VBS possible at our church for the first time in over a decade. May it bring a new day and new focus.

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A Child's Prayer

Last night was one of those special moments as a parent and a Christian. As we were getting our three boys ready for bed, the oldest said that it was time for everyone to get together for prayer. I thought to myself that was pretty cool. I didn't know just how cool it was going to be.

We got somewhat settled and shared prayer requests with one another. My wife then asked our oldest son (almost 6 yrs old) to voice our prayer for the night. As my son closed his eyes, it began: the lesson.

The first thing that he prayed for was the child we sponsor through Compassion International, George. Our son prayed and asked God to make sure they had everything they needed, especially a Bible. "Why a Bible" you may ask? My son would answer by saying, "because they need to know about You (God) and that You love them."

I'll be honest, I didn't hear much more of my son's prayer last night. After he had prayed for this other boy and his family to have the best tool for knowing who God is and what His plans are, I was just like "Wow." The first thing that I thought about was when Jesus said,

"I assure you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child - this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4 HCSB)

I believe that I got a front row seat to see what childlike faith looks like. It looks like a 6 year old pleading with God to make Himself known to someone he cares about... and believing and knowing that God is going to do it. May my prayers be soaked with that kind of faith.

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Prayers For Sam

This morning we are sitting here in the MS Surgical Center in Jackson MS. We are waiting to be called back for Sam's second procedure here. Today, he is having another set of ear tubes put in and also have his adenoids removed.

I know it's a very common surgery, and these guys do great work. But as a parent, there is still that tension that this is one of my children.

Please pray for the drs, Sam, and us (the parents) that all goes well and he has a quick recovery.

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Insights From An Impromptu Playdate

Yesterday, as I was getting ready for what I knew would be a very long day, my 5 year old comes up to me, grabs my hand and leads me to his bedroom without saying a word. When we get to his bedroom, he stops, turns around, looks up at me and says, "Daddy, will you play with me?"

What do you say to that??? Those blue eyes just looking and waiting for an answer. I will tell you what you do: you play!

I knew that there were many things that I needed to do yesterday, but none of them were so important that I had to let my boy down. As we played with Batman action figures, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking some insights to my heart.

Don't get too busy to play with your boys. I shared recently in a sermon with the church I serve that the greatest way to spell love is T-I-M-E. Sure there are things that need to be done and responsibilities to take care of, but if you have so many that you can't play with your children then you have too many!

Now you're feeling a little of God's heart. For some reason, those Batman figures that would have held my attention for hours on end many moons ago were not so special. What was special was that my boy took me by the hand, pulled me aside and wanted to spend time just with me. For a moment, I shared the heart of God when His children take Him by the hand and say, "how about some just You and me time?" How it thrills His heart when we give Him undivided attention. He doesn't need it but still is blessed by it.

Be alert and ready for the lessons that may come your way today in the most casual and ordinary ways. The God who adores you is trying to speak to you. Will you hear him?

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Rock the Block Recap

It is times like these that I realize that while I'm not old, I'm definitely not as young as I used to be.  I am in recoup mode from our church's "Rock the Block" this past weekend.  It was amazing time as our fellowship partnered with another one to reach out to this community with the Gospel of Jesus.  This was the first time our fellowship had done an event like this (similar to VBS or a backyard Bible club).  I believe that things went really well and many children (and their parents) heard the Gospel.

We had around 25 children of various ages on our campus Friday - Sunday.  We had music, Bible stories, crafts, games, and more.  The theme of the weekend was "Our Great B.I.G. God" based off of Ephesians 5:1.  Four main points were covered...

• A great big God who created a great big universe.


• There was a great big problem.


• In spite of our great big problem, God showed a great big love.


• God has a great big plan for our lives.

I was so encouraged as our people from New Life Fellowship, though they had not done an event like this, stepped up to serve and love on the families that God sent our way.  I can honestly say that I am honored to be the pastor at such a loving and serving fellowship.  We closed the weekend with our worship services on Sunday morning letting the children help in leading worship.  You can hear the message from that service by clicking here.

A big thanks to the crew from The Church at Brook Hills who gave up a weekend to serve alongside of us.  Three families came down and helped us pull this event off.

Now comes the hard part of the event: the follow-up.  We all are tired. We all are dragging.  God has sent these children and families our way to love on them and continue the process of sharing Jesus and discipling them.  I ask for your prayers as we continue to do the good work that God has called us to do in our community.

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Pray for Rock the Block

This coming weekend, our church fellowship will be teaming with a group for The Church at Brook Hills to conduct a backyard Bible club event that we are calling "Rock the Block".  This is the VBS format that The Church at Brook Hills has used for the past few years with great success.

This is very encouraging to me on a couple of different fronts.  First, it is a beautiful picture when the body of Christ can come and do things together.  Too often churches are "competing" with one another over the same few people instead of trying to work together and reach the entire world.  Any time that fellowships can lock arms and work together, we give the world a glimpse of what heaven will look like.  If we are all going to worship and live together in eternity, then why can't the church get along here?

Another reason I am excited is that this is the first major event that our church fellowship is doing since I have been here as Pastor.  We have had a couple of little things, but nothing on the scale of this.  It is calling for all people to roll up their sleeves and pour into what God is doing.  It has been encouraging to watch and listen to people talk, discuss, plan and more about this event.

I would ask you to join us in prayer on a few things:

1. Pray that children may come.  We are the new church in the area.  We have a small children's ministry compared to some.  We are trying to get the word out about Rock the Block and hoping to see our campus flooded with children who need to hear about the Lord.


2. Pray for safety and health among the workers.  If you are in ministry, you know that during these times sickness creeps in and tries to knock people out.  We have already had some of our people hit with sicknesses of different kinds.


3. Pray for Jesus to be lifted high. When Jesus is lifted high and clearly shown to people, He will draw them to Himself (John 12:32).


4. Pray that our fellowship might be strengthened. I am looking at this event to be a shot in the arm for our people.  This is something, as a fellowship, they have never done before.  This is stretching the faith of many... and that's always a good thing.

Thank you in advance for the prayers.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for our community this weekend.  I'll try to post pictures and comments as I can.

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We Are Smoke

"You don't even know what tomorrow will bring - what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes." James 4:14 HCSB

I thought about this verse this afternoon. I found myself working putting together the toddler bed for our middle son, Sam. Yep, our little curly-headed mischief-maker is moving to a "big boy bed."



I have been told too many times to count by people who have already raised their children to cherish these times because they'll be gone before you know it. It is times like today that I see a glimpse of just how true that statement is.

For all the parents of young children reading this, don't forget that these precious treasures that God has entrusted us with are only with us a relatively short time. Let's make the most of each moment with them and store up some memories for the day when they head off to college or to start their own family.

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I'm Thankful: Day 3

Day 3: My Children

As I continue to think about the blessings that I am thankful for in my life, I'm drawn to thinking about the 4 children that God has blessed our family with. God continues to use each of them to teach me about my relationship with God. Let me tell you about them...

"Peanut" - "Peanut" was our first child. We were looking to start a family and Peanut came along. When we went to hear the heartbeat, that's when we realized that we had lost Peanut. This little one has taught me that God truly is sovereign. Also, Peanut has taught me to not be afraid of being real with God about my feelings (even when I'm angry with Him).

Andrew - Andrew is our 4-year-old. He is one of the most compassionate people that I know. He has such a tender heart and cannot stand to see people hurt. He is also very loving and affectionate. My wife started a notebook to write down some of what we call "Drewisms". These are some of the sayings that Drew comes up with that are just priceless. We gave our first born the name Andrew Thomas after the two apostles of Jesus. It is our prayer that our Drew would be one who brings people to Jesus (Andrew - John 1:40-42) and one that would not just take people's word for it, but look for evidence (Thomas - John 20:24-25)

Samuel - Samuel is our year and a half old. He is also going to be our strong-willed child. He is so mischievous. He is also a "Daddy's boy". Sure, he wants his mommy when he's sick, but if he doesn't get some time with Daddy on a consistent basis, he gets all out of whack. Sam has taught me dependence upon God. Sometimes it's depending on God for patience to deal with him. Sometimes it's a reminder that if I don't spend time with my Heavenly Father regularly then I won't be right.

Nicolas - Nicolas (Cole) is our baby boy. At the time of this post, he is almost 4 months old. He was our "surprise baby." God showed us that His plans are sometimes not ours with Cole. Though Cole was not "planned" by us, he is such a blessing. He teaches me about how a child's laughter/smiles can warm a father's heart. There have been many times when God has spoken to my heart as I look at Cole smiling at me. God has told me that His heart warms in that way when His children find their joy in Him.

You can see that I'm very blessed with the children God's graciously granted to us.

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Lessons From Parenthood

The past couple of days have been really cool as God has reminded me just how much He is using my children to teach me about my relationship with Him.  Two instances from the past day or so really stand out.

1. I was helping Sam (our 10 month old) with his walking by holding his hands while he made his way across the room.  He would take a couple of steps and then stop and look up at me.  He would wait for me to acknowledge him and tell him that he was doing good.  He would just smile and continue on.  It was at that moment that God reminded me that's how I should be.  Take a couple of steps all the while holding onto to my Father's hand and taking the time to stop and make sure that I'm doing it right and going in the right direction (Exodus 33:14-16).


2. As I was sitting in my office this morning, I heard the sounds of children playing outside my window (my office overlooks our church's playground).  Through all of the noise, I heard one distinct voice: my oldest son, Drew.  It wasn't because he was being rowdy or overly loud, but rather I just knew that voice.  I could pick it out of a crowd and zone in to where he was.  I watched as my 3 year old was playing something (who knows what his imagination had come up with), and I found myself just smiling.  I could hear the whisper of God in my ears saying, "You know, I hear you out of the crowd, too.  I also take joy in seeing you use the gifts that I've given you to the fullest."  (Exodus 33:16-18)

It is amazing sometimes the avenues and different things that God will use to teach His children about Himself.  Keep your eyes and ears open and hear the words of God.

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Book Review: "It's Better To Build Boys Than Mend Men"

This was a book that I found in a closet at our church.  The title intrigued me so I decided to pick it up and take a look at it.  It was written by S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-fil-a.  Being a big fan of Chik-fil-a and having heard Mr. Cathy speak at a mayor's prayer breakfast one time, I was interested to hear what he had to say.

This is a great book for people that are working with teenagers.  Mr. Cathy has been very active in teaching a 13 year old boys Sunday School class at his local church.  The book is just some thoughts that he's had from his experience.  This book was written to feel like you and sitting down somewhere and Mr. Cathy is just sharing some of his thoughts with you.  You could tell that his love for young people and the burden that he has for seeing them become all that God created them to be was very inspiring.

If you work with teenagers or know someone who does (especially males), I would highly recommend this book for them to give them some encouragement.  It is a great read from someone who has been in the trenches with young men for many years.

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