Your Favorite Biblical Passage/Book

What would it take to get you to have a favorite book of the Bible? I know that we are not supposed to have favorites, but humor me on this one. Do you have a favorite book? Your favorite one is the one that you are always running the events of the day through. Your favorite one may be the one that always pops into your mind when you are talking with a friend. You may even have given your children or pets the names of your favorite book's character(s). What is your favorite book?

Sixty six choices-- each one of them a best seller -- and so hard to choose just one. I realized yesterday at church that the ones that are my favorites are the ones that I have spent a lot of time with. Here are the ones in the running for me.

1&2 Samuel -- Before you claim foul for choosing two books here. This was originally part of a larger corpus that included Kings. I am narrowing it to the Samuel volumes of the set. Because there was no study guide available for 2 Samuel, I wrote my own discussion q's. I had to process each piece carefully myself before asking someone else to dive in. The story of David's rise to positional power is fascinating! The story of sin's sapping his energies post 2 Samuel 11 is hard stuff.

Job -- I know not the most happy, joyful, abundant life sort of Monday reading. But I was really stretched in my thinking about Job through a Sunday School class that a friend of mine taught. The commentary book by Mike Mason did not hit the nail on the head in all cases. BUT it did jar some thought provoking ideas about the book of Job. I love the premise for the Mason's book too -- he read, journalled, edited, compiled reflections on the text -- all while going through some difficult times in his life. He said that there were times that he got up in the night to jot an idea down on whatever he could find. That is immersion study!

Mark -- Again, I know that you are not supposed to have favorites, but this is my favorite of the four gospels. Somewhere along the way, I latched on to this shortest of the gospel with its short matter of fact, in your face speech. Probably the influence of Peter the impulsive fisherman.

1 John -- fellowship! This is my favorite topic. It is something that I have a high value for and that I think that our world desires. Pastor Evans gave a great communion message on fellowship with God this past weekend. It is actually what got me thinking about my favorite books. 1 John was my first full NT book series that I preached. The firsts also have a special place in your heart.

Psalm 119 -- I know, technically that this is not a book. But it is long enough to qualify! :) So many intricately crafted, well worded pictures into the beauty of God's Word. 23 windows into the text! I believe that if I ever write a book it will be one on Psalm 119. (again, this pledge came up this week in "normal" conversation)

But the winner is really.....
James -- The reason why I love this book is that I memorized the first chapter as a very young believer. It's words are very familiar. Its words come to mind often. It is easy to apply this little book of NT wisdom literature. Well easy to see the application anyway. I love to share its truths and meditate further on its relevance to my life. Wisdom literature is my favorite type of Biblical literature. I love Proverbs too, especially the My Son speeches in the early chapters (1-7). Pastor Evans brought up the double-minded man image this weekend in his message on Sunday and I thought immediately of James' description of driven with the wind (horizontal) and tossed (vertical).

So what is yours? Post a comment and nominate your favorite. By the way, there is no wrong answer! Its all good. Thanks for being both a hearer/reader and a doer of the word today; remember what manner of man that you are and CHANGE!

Desiring to be a man of the book not just a man of the cloth,
Mike

Chocolate Milk Goggles

Two of my kids with their chocolate milk goggles on! :) Very effective with the bright lights of fame at the AWANA awards dinner. Both kids finished their books! :) They musta got their smarts from their momma! I wonder what she looks like in goggles??

Proud Poppa,
Mike 

Huh? Teen Stunned by Light Flash

Although you may not be able to tell from this picture, Kyle is on target as a teen. Any guy who can find plaid skater pants and a Tony Hawk T-shirt for $3 ea. is at least a good shopper! By the way, I don't think he even owns a stick!
Kyle has recently joined the YG (by graduation) and is beginning to show some signs of leadership. Being a 9th grader means that you have to find your place in the group. With an older brother in the group too, the place is probably off in a corner somewhere. But Kyle has recently taken on an important role. He will be helping me with games for Marshmallow Madness (May 12). It is not that I can't handle it myself, nor is it that Kyle is not competitive, ... he is in training. He will be helping run the games at VBS and probably at the summer missions trip to Springville, NY. I hope to help him develop his gaming skills to the point that he will run the games for youth group as well. The problem now is that he has no creativity; everything ends up being hockey or football with him. Have a little imagination Kyle, and remember to smile! :)

I do like hockey and football,
Mike 

AWANA Awards Night

Last night we had our closing program for the AWANA groups. Pictured here with me is one of the most fun, well-adjusted pre-teens that I have ever seen! Steph has three rough and tumble older brothers. She is a 6 yrs younger than her next oldest brother. Steph's family is one of our farm families here in Wyoming. Yet I may never get to have her in sr hi youth group -- her parents are talking about selling their farm in Wyoming Cty and moving! Uggggh. It seems a lot of that has been going around here lately! We had a great time celebrating with the kids last night. Steph won some awards too. I think she finished her final AWANA TnT book!
Good job Steph! :) I think she has a piece of Mike-n-Ike candy in her mouth!

Loving youth, even the ones that are slipping away,
Mike 

Learning to Read Your Bible All Over Again

I love this section title in chapter 6 of Dr. Gary Meadors book, Decision Making God's Way. It describes again the goal of the author (both Meadors and Paris) -- to challenge the paradigms that we have always used. In order to grow, sometimes we need a fresh, more mature, more complex model. Think of this way; when you develop your skills on wheeled chariots, you move from the tricycle to a two-wheeler with training wheels, to a two-wheeler sans trainers, to a 10-speed bike, to a motor scooter , to a Harley! :) So think of these discussion questions as tools to move you into HOG (Harley Owners Group)! :)

1. When considering Biblical narrative, especially in the OT, what are the dangers in reading these accounts as prescriptive for today? What models of “finding the will of God” can emerge from these accounts? What is the safeguard against such results?

2. What is dispensational premillenialism? Why is it important to the discussion of Biblical study?

3. Where are you on the continuum of Biblical applicability? 1=total continuity (everything applies now as it did then) 10=only Paul’s letters to churches apply now

4. Define the three levels of Biblical teaching and give an example of each. What is the value of going beyond the most basic level one? What is the danger of evaluating Scripture only at level three?

5. Is the practice of reading a certain Bible passage through once, defining what the author is saying and deciding “what the passage means to me” enough to fully understand a Biblical worldview? Why or why not? Does 2 Timothy 2:15 give any insight here? Does 2 Timothy 3:16-17? Are there other passages that help?

6. Are the stories of Isaac’s bride (Genesis 24) and Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6) descriptive or prescriptive will of God narratives? Discuss these stories in terms of Scripture and Meadors’ proposals for knowing God’s will.

7. Describe a “place where God can bless us” (p.115).

8. How do you understand Proverbs 3:5-6 as a will of God text? Is a mental vacuum a mark of spirituality?

9. How do you understand the prayer of Psalm 25:4-14? Is David asking for more “revelation from God about the specifics of his life situation in order to be successful”? Is he “looking for something that he has failed to find in order to live a life pleasing to God”? (p.119) What do you believe about the ministry of direct revelation today?

10. Discuss the life of Christ as an example of doing the will of God. Investigate Meadors’ catalog of Scriptures on pp. 121-122. Are his conclusions correct?

11. Describe Meadors’ “new model for knowing God’s will” based on our classes on chapters 1-6. Is this an accurate subtitle?

There. That ought to keep you chewing on great decision making thoughts for the week!

Sue -- How do these discussions affect how we develop the church model/paradigm? Is there a right way to do church? Is there a biblical model (prescriptive) as well as discussions of a church emerging in Acts (descriptve)? Is inclusion of the arts in worship an acceptable form since there are no paintings or musical scores inspired in the pages of the NT text? Where does this put us on the spiral? :)

Until you blog a response or your head stops hurting, :)
Mike

The Home Depot of Youth Ministry

We went to the Spring Conference at Akron, NY on Monday and Tuesday. Dr. Paul Jackson, president of EBM, gave the key note challenges. They were extremely good. I will no doubt blog more about them in the near future. However, he gave this statement to open his times of speaking.

"We, at EBM, want to be the Home Depot of missions. Do you remember their tag line? You can do it... we can help!"

What a great way to think about our ministry as pastors. We are really only trainers or resources for people. We cannot cause change to occur in the lives of young people. We cannot cause people to choose life over death. BUT we can tell them about the greatest offer ever made by the greatest man who ever lived. AND we can equip them to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11). AND we can help them recognize and avoid some of the pitfalls of "home improvement" (soul edition).

We also must acknowledge that the blessings and success that we get to see in the youth group is all because of God working through us. In fact, we must go to our ultimate source of help frequently. He always assures us, "You CAN do all things through him who strengthens you ..... Your help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth."

Going back to aisle 3 for more stuff,
Mike

I'm Better Now

Have you ever been greeted by the question, "How are you doing today?" and actually thought about the question. Oh that we could push "pause" on life, freezing the frame to take inventory of our life. Could you say that I am not the man that I was only 2 or 3 weeks ago? Is there measurable, observable improvement in your life? Before you dismiss this conversation as psychological mumbo-jumbo, think about these verses from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

We cannot be the same as we were yesterday. There must be progress being made in our spiritual walk. We must be changing and being sanctified. Quite literally, we must be becoming more and more holy, set apart, reserved for God to use, ready for service. We must be "better", stronger, more vibrant, more excited about serving Jesus Christ than we were yesterday. That is the stuff of a daily walk as we ought and a life of excellence for the cause of Christ.

Does this sound like a chance to become proud? A chance to say "see what I have become"? Well consider this antidote: I am doing this because it pleases my Father and this is what he wants me to do. The goal of spiritual discipline is not to earn his favor, it is instead to express the joy that comes with his favor lavished out on us. We are serving him and becoming more holy because we love him! NOT because we want a bragging right or a declaration of worth or even to earn his "favorite son" status.

I want to abstain from anything that would be an impediment to my growth and advancement in sanctity. Anything that may besmirch my chance/opportunity to grow in and to show forth the beauty of my Father MUST go. These impediments may be good things that simply entangle me. I throw them off and give them up to lighten the load and press for growth. I will not put anything in my way -- or rather God's way for me. His will, his way, is the way of growth.

Dear Father,
Thanks for allowing me to be called your child. Thanks for not leaving without any instruction for righteousness. Thanks for giving me your Holy Spirit who coaches me and challenges me every day to grow in my walk of excellence and obedience. Help me today to throw off the junk and to be a better servant, even a slave, doing the work that you have called me to do with joy. Keep my eyes off of myself. Keep me focused on sin eradication. Allow me to have victory in the temptations that you are sure that I can handle! I want to be better tomorrow than I was today.

Wholly your increasingly holy child,
Mike

What is the Will of God for My Life?

I hope that these questions have been helpful to you as you journey through your week. I know that I have heard my self speaking in "worldview" language more and making reference to the process of decision-making frequently. Our Friday morning discussions have been helpful -- I always enjoy a good chat over a cup of coffee! :)

So, why not meet me at Timmy Ho's and we can discuss this week's q's! Or just pour yourself a cup and post a comment!

1. Is “what is the will of God for my life” a legitimate question? Why or why not?
   How would you know if the “Christian consumer” mentality has become a central value in the ministry of ____________ (fill in the name of your church here)? How will it affect Fellowship? Evangelism? Worship? Discipleship?
2. How do we balance culture and Bible with respect to the “will of God for my life” or decision-making? (1 John 2:15-16; 1 Peter 2:11; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, 10:2-6; John 17:6-19)
3. Meadors makes eight categorical statements about the phrase “will of God” from passages containing the same in the NT. (see p. 93) Are any of these new to you? Do any of these seem more important than the others?
4. Does God really care about my life circumstances, down to my vocation? Does “God’s call” to a vocation only apply to “full- time Christian ministers”? How does that affect the way that I make decisions?
5. How can 1 Peter 4:19 be used in counseling/comforting a friend going through a difficult time? How does 1 Peter 3:17 help? Does the ease of the way (“open doors”) or the comfort of the consequence (“I feel good about it”, “I’ve never been happier”) mean anything about the wisdom of the choice?
6. What is the value of obedience to the will of God to determining the spiritual condition of a person? How does obedience match up to salvation?
7. Does God want us to “find his will”? What does this phrase mean? How could we better discuss or define what we really mean when we say this phrase?
8. Discuss Colossians 1:9-12 in terms of chapters 1-5 (Meadors) and your current understanding of the "will of God". Add Philippians 1:10! Discerning what decisions to make in life is not ________________; it is _____________ ____________________________________. (again, fill in the blanks)
9. How do we know what God’s moral will is? What is our responsibility in regard to it? What does fulfillment of our responsibility demonstrate?
10. “Decisions about what house, car or computer to buy and when to spend the money do not require a biblical proof text, although our values will affect these decisions. Neither does the Bible suggest that we appeal to God to reveal his sovereign will or to give us omniscient insight into the future.” (p. 103) So what help is the Bible to decision making? How will I decide which computer to buy?

There. That should keep you busy through the whole pot! :) I look forward to reading your posts.

the coffee pot philosopher, :)

Mike

Bathroom Project

I spent the better part of yesterday morning and early afternoon working with Eric to install new bathroom faucets. Wanna see 'em?
Many thanks to Eric who helped me. The pic is of him and his wife Valerie at the Sr (high youth) to Sr (citizen) luncheon. Eric just squeaked in at 55! :D

That Great Quote from Page 84

To those of you who are wondering, Meadors writes (p.84):

"Like Israel of old, modern Christians waste a lot of time seeking sensational solutions to their quest to know God and his will, solutions that sometimes border on pagan divination, rather than settling down with the Good Book for a nice long read."

Gary Meadors

Friday's Questions of God's Will

Actually, these are not questions about whether or not God has a will. It is also not a question of God's will for my life. These q's are the result of reading Dr. Gary Meadors book, Decision Making God's Way (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0801064295/ref=dp_olp_2/104-3559002-9255954?%5Fencoding=UTF8).

DQ's from Chapter 4
1. What are some of the implications of God’s direct self-revelation to extra-Biblical people?
2. “Love is the essential value of the relationship between God and the world at all levels.” (p. 79) Do you agree or disagree with Meadors’ reduction of the essence of our relationship to God?
3. Should we expect to have direct divine revelation of God’s will in 2006? Why or why not? What are the alternatives to receiving this sort of communication with God?
4. What does Meadors mean when he says: “The wisdom of a parent or teacher often becomes personified into the voice of God.” (p.82) Is he right? How does your answer affect your parenting style?
5. Should we utilize any divination methods (casting lots, astrology, tea leaves, divining rods, etc.) to discern God’s will in 2006? How does Isaiah 8:19-20 suggest that we learn and discern the will of God? (read great quote on p.84!)
6. If someone came to you today and claimed to speak to you on God’s behalf, what would you say or do in response to his claims? Would you follow anything that he said simply because of his declaration of having a “divine message”? [see post "Creative Camping?"]
7. What does it mean to do the will of God? Is it possible to please God? Discuss the continuum of the will of God. (p.87)
8. Does salvation fit under the compulsive subjection to a sovereign or the willful choice to submit? Is salvation a part of the will of God that he will “bring to pass regardless of human involvement or cooperation.” (p.88)
9. Read Daniel 2:20-23. What is Daniel praising God for? If God had not intervened with direct revelation, what would the source be for our worldview?

Thanks for thinking through your worldview and God's self-revelation.

Learning with you,
Mike

Creative Camping?

This post is to note that Todd's email address (creativecamping@att.net) has nothing at all to do with the Scriptural "creativity" that Harold Camping uses on his radio talk show.
:D

Depart Out!
A call for Christians to leave their churches--the End Times may be here.
Opinion Journal (Wall Street Journal), Feb. 1, 2002
http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=95001806

This post is also to warn against a fleeing from the local church to form house fellowships or house churches. Just because the church that you attend may be flawed (it is probably flawed -- it is filled with flawed people), do not abandon it! A Camping radio broadcast that caught my brother Thad's attention challenged me to look at these verses:

10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:23-31, NIV

I also just realized that my blog should also be distanced from Dr. Camping's radio broadcast! This is the Open Mike, not the Open Forum! :D

Open to some things, but not everything,
Mike

A 1928 Truth in a Strange Place

Have you ever had this happen? You are reading through an "okay" book, maybe even laboring to accomplish the completion, when you catach sight of something that is exactly on target with what you are dealing with right then. It doesn't even have to be the main theme of the book. It just leaps off the page; it is so crystal clear that this quote is for you.

I had one of those ah-ha moments while reading a short book about "the Wife of Pilate". It was totally historical fiction, filling in the details of the gospel account. But it was the foreword which captured my attention. It described the types of "ways of thinking" (a euphemism for worldview) in the world. I believe that the author nailed some personality influences on worldview.

"...God has ordained that there should always be in the world two essentially different types of minds. The one looks backward, feeds upon established order, and preserves the sanctities of the past. The other is a restless one, seeking, trying, daring; respecting above everything else its own integrity; following its own leadings unfalteringly, even though they bring pain, if by so doing it may be utterly honest with itself.
Both types of mind are noble and necessary. The first gives the world poise and balance; the second gives it progress and truth. ... [As they meet together], there shirks away from the discussion a third group -- sensitive, trusting souls -- who fear they have lost something precious from the old, who do not quite grasp the new, who are therfore sometimes saddened and sometimes embittered."

Agnes Sligh Turnbull, The Wife of Pontious Pilate, pp. 6-7

And so I ask you, of which mind are you? I find myself decidedly in the "restless" category. I believe that this way of thinking is what gets me in trouble with those of the stayed mindset. :)

Restless for truth applied to life,

Mike

Our Friday Morning Coffee Talk

Charles and I are really enjoying our time on Friday mornings. Although this morning was a bit rough. I only got a few hours of sleep last night (up too late watching a movie!). We have created a number of discussion Q's for the next class that I thought might spark someone else to have a Biblical conversation about the will of God.

1. What are “values”? How are they related to "worldview"? How are they different?
2. Meadors suggests that prayer for discernment without doing one’s homework in the Scriptures is abrogation of our responsibility (p.55). What is our responsibility, as believers, to finding the will of God? What is the role of prayer in that responsibility?
3. Meadors defines three levels of values held by all people; clear biblical commands, community values, personal preference. Discuss a current “gray issue” in terms of this hierarchy of values. When does one allow personal preferences to bear on any given decision? When must personal preference be held in check?
4. “Growth in our understanding of the Bible and God’s ways never ends. … We must assimilate that Word so that we may reflect God in the decisions we make.” What spiritual disciplines then come to bear on this task? How does knowing the goal(s) impact the practice of discipline?
5. Is there a place for “diversity” in the universal church? Is there a place for diversity in the local church? How must diversity be balanced with unity? What would a healthy church look like then?
6. Why has God not chosen to impose His will on us?

and from chapter 3,

1. Review Dr. Meadors’ chart for decision-making on p. 65. How would you expand or refine it? What do you find especially helpful to you? [this one is tough for those of you who do not have a book! :) ]
2. Discuss Romans 14:20-21 with 1 Corinthians 8:11-12. When do non-moral issues become moral issues? What is at stake if we ignore these passages in dealing with the will of God?
3. Can there ever be a day in which we do not use Scripture in everyday living?
4. Discuss what a double-minded man is? What effects does that have on his character and life? (Psalm 119:13-20; Jas. 1:6-8; 4:7-10) Select a Biblical narrative that includes a decision point. Discuss whether the character(s) made their decisions God’s way. (ex. Lot/Abram – Gen. 14; David – 1 Sam. 26; Jonah – Jon. 1-4; Judas – Jn. 13:21-35; 18:2-9)

Thanks for growing in your understanding and discussion of God's Will!
Mike

PS -- I got caught by a teen this week using the term "God said to me...". I was embarassed at first, because I was not practicing what I was teaching. Then I was grateful. The teen had made me clarify and articulate how I know what the will of God is for my life. A good catch! :)

The weaker brother syndrome

Brothers,
Chew on the ramifications of this statement:

"The bowing of rights and liberties of the stronger brother to avoid offending the weaker brother is not intended to be a permanent situation. The goal of all fellowship, interaction and discipleship in the church is to mature believers in their faith and thus move them from "weaker" to "stronger". Therefore, we must train the weaker brother and work with them through the issue (biblically challenge their worldview) so that they can grow and improve and move on in their faith. They need to have help getting to the point that they both, the stronger AND the weaker, can enjoy the liberty that is ours in Christ."

Doug Evans, Sr. Pastor WyBC

Actually this is not really a quote. It is a paraphrase from my notes. But that was the point being made. What do you think? Drop me a post!

Mike

Paying Minister's Salaries

Last night, Doug, our Sr. Pastor was preaching from 1 Corinthians 9 and came into a "sticky" spot for pastors to preach. It seems that there was some comments flying around that Paul was a free-loader or always looking for a hand-out. The total opposite was true! Paul worked to support himself while in ministry. 1 Corinthians 9 gives some insight into his reasoning. He was unwilling to have the gospel hampered by those who were putting bread on his table. He wanted to be able to preach without prejudice or bias or outside influence. I must admit, that there have been some times that I have spoken or been silent because of power or financial brokering. That is an awful way to live life and a worse way to minister!

So is Paul saying that it is best to be a bi-vocational minister or even self-supported minister? NO. He appeals to the laws of the laborer: the soldier, the husbandman, the herdsman, and the ox. So are his statements based on his own rhetoric? (9:8) NO. There is actually an OT precedent for paying the full expenses for the spiritual servants -- the OT priests in the temple/tabernacle. They got the shoulder and the choice parts of the meats that came for sacrifices! They were well cared for; they didn't ever have to go to Wegman's! :) There were abuses (Hophni and Phineas) and times of wanting (when sacrificing fell on hard times) but they were cared for.

Overall, good reminders of God's provisions for ministers through the local assembly. And fairly good defense against the micro-church movement that suggests that the "leaner overhead in the budget" model is better; it may be in accounting terms, but it is certainly no more biblical!

Grateful for my portion,
Mike

Illegal Immigration and the Word of God

As the issues of illegal immigration and border control continues to heat up, is there a conservative voice out their who would dare to engage the issue on the merits of .... (gasp) the Bible? How should this influx of foreigners be handled from a biblical worldview? Charles posed this question to his SS class and to the teen boys as they travelled to Fredonia NY on a "Destination Unknown" April 1 field trip.

The teen boys of course chose a "show them your gun and they'll turn around quick enough" approach. Very macho... but is it biblical?

Does the OT law concerning strangers and "foreigners within your gates" bear on this conversation? Does Paul's discussion of the power of the government to punish wrongdoers carry any weight with you? I await the great convo's from this one! :)

A conservative with a Biblical worldview, too far from the S border and dangerously close to the N'rn one,
Mike

Some More Worldview DQ's

Just when you thought that it was safe to give up the discussion on worldviews and decision making according to God, here come another installment of discussion questions for you to jump in on:

1. Life in the garden (Genesis 1-2) was perfect and without sin. Why would God allow man to have the power to choose, knowing that man would fall? Didn't he know that their perfect knowledge would be marred by this "new" knowledge of evil?
2. How does making daily decisions God’s way glorify God? Can an unsaved person glorify God like this? Can an unsaved person glorify God at all?
3. What is the “take-home” challenge of Romans 12:1-2? What are we to do with our renewed faculties? What are the components of this process?
4. What is the purpose of a transformed mind? What does God intend for us to discover?
5. Dr. Gary Meadors states: “Our behavior is never an accident.” (p. 49) What does this mean for a “temporary insanity” plea? Is there such a thing? Is it a legitimate defense/excuse?
6. What does the “full sufficiency of Scripture for faith and practice” mean? Does it mean that each decision has a proof text? [author's note: I think that Todd and Thad already hashed this one out!]
7. How does a worldview affect us? Is it just a way of thinking or a philosophy? Do emotions affect your worldview or the other way around?
8. Discuss what Meadors means by “our presuppositions give meaning to the data”. Is this a true proposition? Why or why not?

These ought to generate a little conversation. I know that they dod for Charles and me on Friday morning. I will post his DQ in the next post (which will appear above this one!). Drop me a note, bring lots of Scripture to bear on these issues, engage quickly, stay late and post often! :)

Just some stuff to think about,

Mike

How is Grieving/Pain Good?

Do you believe that God works all things together for good? What good can come out of pain? These questions came up twice in the past 24 hours. Once from a teen, trying to understand how God could allow disease/sickness/death to come into a believer's life. Once from my youngest daughter, trying to understand how God could bring good from her painfully hurt toe. How does pain and suffering in my life bring about good? It draws me ever closer to God, leaving me no other choice but to cling interdepently -- even codependently -- to God.

Consider this quote:

ULTIMATELY, lamentation leads to a greater, healing closeness in the divine-human bond. The cause of sorrow may not recede. The trial that evoked the cry may not end. The cry itself may yield no pathway of escape from harsh reality, nor should it be expected to. Lamentations come always from the lips of those who face the harshness, not from those trying to turn away. Still, as the cry pours forth, it opens wide the spirit of the one who issues it. And in this opening the greater closeness grows. -- Stephen Doughty

From pages 89-90 of TO WALK IN INTEGRITY by Stephen Doughty. Copyright (c) 2004 by Stephen Doughty. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.Learn more about or purchase this resource online:http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=56&item_id=203423

Also, consider that the good that is produced may be through the ministry of others to you in your time of need. God has placed helpers in your life to bring about blessings. It may also be a stronger appreciation for a section or character of the Word of God. No one responds more strongly to the story of a prodigal son than one who has "been there".

So Todd, while I removed last week's post of lamentation (bordering on complaint), good did come out of it. You were able to snap me out of my mope with the direct and stinging comment, "Read your own posts". I was forced to do just that. My wife, also wounded me with wisdom. She pointed out that some of the teens could find the blog post and be crushed at my negativity. Again, I was forced to evaluate. Then, God brought the note of encouragement that has assured me that there is impact being made. Not by me -- or even for me -- through me!

God can, and does bring about good from evil. Where have you seen that in your life recently? What is God working on you about right now? Be vulnerable with God and your relationship will be strengthened!

Growing through the wounding of friends,
Mike

The power of encouragement :)

I received a note from one of the teens this past week. It was a great encouragement in more ways than one. Here's a sampling:

Pastor Mike,
I wanted to write and thank you for doing the lesson on Betrayal on wednesday night. It's amazing how God knows what your struggling in and shows u ways to deal with it etc. through other people, messages, etc. Over the youth seminars a past inquire with a certain person made me think about all this stuff again and it became very fresh and clear again in my mind. It really helped when we talked bout it on wed at yg. Also, im reading a devotional book mrs m gave me for christmas and wed night my devo's in that book were all about everything i was struggling with, going through etc. i just think its so amazing how God knows exactly what we are going through and helps us deal with it, (teaches us) through learning in devo's, messages etc. part of the reason i am writing this is cause i wanted to tell you thank you for being my youth pastor and for talking bout that on wed. Even though sometimes it seem like nobodys listening in youth group, I am (was) and continue to grow in my walk with Christ and many of your messages help me in my walk. so Thank you

Man! I can take a whole bunch of junk now! Those words of "hey you made a difference" are to a youth mentor like spinach is Popeye! Power up! :) It is great to hear of a teen really trying to grow spiritually and to develop her ability to handle life God's way! It's great to hear how God is intersecting her life with exactly what she needs for today.

How has God been directing you lately through a variety of circumstances? Who have you been intentionally mentoring with what seems like no effect? Who do you need to write a thank-you note like this one to for their impact on your life? Build someone up today with the power of encouragement!

Thank you for reading,
Mike

1TH 5:12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Team Roles

Dan Woodard met with us (deacons/trustees/wives) for the first time last night. We discussed some team roles. We took a team roles inventory to evaluate how we contributed to the various teams that we are a part of. Here are my strengths:

Resource/Investigator: Stays current with what is happening outside of the team. Creates external contacts. (people/information)
Shaper: Gets things moving (task/control)
Visionary: Challenges established practice. Introduces new ways of viewing things. (people/ideas)

Those of you who know me, do you see these characteristics in my life?

As I went to a camp board meeting today, I was able to see how I could function in "the easy stuff". That is the function of the team that I am most comfortable doing, that require the least amount of stress/strain. My part is on the program team, working to bring in speakers, deans and ministry teams -- which require a contacts list and connections with a variety of people outside of the board. Chip, the camp director, is also a visionary and a coordinator. LD, the chairman of the board, is the shaper and team builder. I score low in the team builder category!

As I began to filter each of the interactions in the board meeting, I began to value the input of those that had different strengths. I began to think about my best way to contribute to maximize the effectiveness of the team! How empowering!

"Team is a group gathered to accomplish a goal, to move forward in a unified direction, towards a common goal, with a common philosophy."

Go team!
Mike

We Need Adversity?

"We do not need success or all the calls going our way to show Christ to those around us. We need adversity and loss."

Dwight Peterson

What do I need today?

Have you ever considered that we are getting from the Father's hand exactly what we need today? This reminder of the greatness of sovereignty as a confidence booster to deal with disappointment came again from Dwight Peterson at the ESF Youth Seminars. God knows exactly what I need today. He sends it to me not to crush me but to build me -- to strengthen my faith and trust in Him or to draw a key area of weakness to the surface so that it can be removed and /or repaired.

As Dwight mentioned this question, it triggered a whole set of emotions tied to a wilderness trip that I took over 5 years ago with Dwight's bosom bud, Dennis Wilhite. Each day Dennis asked us, "So what does this group need today?" I tried to answer Dennis' question with "to get to point B", "to rest", "to stay dry", "to enjoy being fed spiritually", etc. My answers all revolved around my limited understanding of what God had in store for us. We missed destination goals and plans, we were exhausted and often got wet. My goals of spiritual feeding were more along the avenue of sitting around the campfire and chewing on some deeper theological truth, etc. I missed the value of the question. I began to loathe the sounds of the question each morning or at every juncture of the trail. I began to realize that I had no idea what we needed. I think I even blurted that out by the final stretches of trail!

God, looking down through the halls of time, saw that we would be in the Canadian wilderness in May and that we needed to be stretched in some areas of self-reliance and comfort. He stretched us in ways that have caused us discomfort, pain, panic, brokenness, and repentance. We have never regained our original shape -- old things are passed away, behold all things are becoming new! One little question -- one huge impact.

What do you need today? Your answer may sound a lot like more money, or bigger houses, or a more receptive audience, a brighter future, a more comfortable state in life. Yet God knows best when to give you comfort and when to give you discomfort. So Paul came to the conclusion;

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:12-13, NIV

I need the Spirit of God to help me see the things that need to change, to give the power to change, to help me accept the things that are out of my control, to be wise enough to know how to navigate his course set for me and to win. I need a stronger relationship with God through today's turn of events and to respond to them in a way that brings Him glory. I need to bear more of the image of Christ in my life. And again, all I need to do is ask for help.

Begging for help,
Mike

Engaging with an Alternate Worldview

Whenever we live out our worldview (i.e. practice what we preach) we will find two reactions to our actions: conflict or connection. All actions that do not connect with another person's WV (worldview) can create a tension in your relationship with that person. When two WV's collide, there must be evaluation. Either agreement to disagree or resolution and adoption of one of the worldviews must follow.

Dwight Peterson suggested that one of the 2 Cor. 5:17 "new things" that have come at salvation is a different WV. It is now a supernatural (not natural) WV and when we come into conflict with others we have to make a choice. We can choose to be irritated/frustrated by those who hold other worldviews or we can choose to be burdened for them. This means that as we engage with our children (who are still forming their WV), we need to correct the heart issues and not the external actions. (Often easier said than done!)

As much as our politically correct, tolerance-based culture would like to dismiss it, there is a right place for WV (worldview) conflict and resolution. Each time another WV collides with ours, we are forced to evaluate and make adjustments. We either reconstruct or fortify our WV with each new challenge. When I look at it that way, my interactions with unbelieving neighbors, friends, co-workers, convenience store workers, etc. are much more strengthening than a cloistered existence in the church environs. As long as I have committed to studying to show myself approved unto God, (not others) I will not be ashamed for the time/work that I have put into study. As I challenge my way of looking at the world (my Biblical WV) I am growing.

So here are my resolutions from this discussion:

1. I will continue to study God's Word and challenge my worldview in order to grow spiritually
2. I will endeavor to live my life before the world in such a way that the world has to deal with the conflict between my WV and theirs
3. I will engage in the dialogue that comes out of such a conflict with the intention of helping others to become reconciled to God's WV
4. I will be burdened for those who continue to disagree with God's WV rather than be irritated at them

It is great to know that God gives wisdom to every one who asks and that He does not make fun of my constant search for truth and a Godly WV (James 1:5).

Constantly tweaking my WV,

Mike

Another Great Quote

This weekend, at the Youth Seminars, Dwight Peterson was talking about the danger of not living as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). He said "The stakes are incredibly high. There is no danger of not accomplishing the mission. The danger is in missing out on our part of the mission. God is going to accomplish exactly what He sets out to accomplish. It's just that we will get left behind and miss out on the opportunity to be part of the mission."

So spiritual growth has a benefit for me! Clean up the vessel so that God can use you! Watch for opportunities to be part of the mission!

Growing as much as any teen at Youth Sem's, :)
Mike

Building a Community of Believers

What is it that attracted you to the church that you are currently attending? What was it in the sea of options (especially if you live in a "Bible belt" area) that made this church stick out? Why should others come to your church?

This question is being asked, more or less, by the leadership team of Wyoming Baptist Church recently. We have experienced some attrition lately and the leaders are looking for answers. This morning during our "SS council meeting", some suggested that it was a friendly warm greeting while others suggested that it was the solid preaching of God's Word. Some even hinted at the robust or spirit-filled nature of the worship service that acted as the drawing card. Let me know where you stand! I will be blogging a lot this next week about this discussion.

Desiring to see this local church grow,
Mike

The crew walking the pier in Jetty Park.
And working on the seaside fortress.

And Playlanding at McD's.

Day Two Fairly Safely Navigated

Well, I cannot top Todd's story of near death experiences, but we did have to apply evasive maneuvers to miss slamming into the back of the car in front of us. I "lost" a car in the blind spot (or so I thought) and I turned my head to check. The car had exited but the cars in front of me were 55 to zeroing. Sue hollered "stop" and I saw the brakes, I flicked the wheel and moved to the other lane, skillfully and carefully avoiding danger. Actually the reflex was probably my guardian angelworking overtime! Glad he didn't get the union report from Todd's angel and go on strike for higher wages! :)

Day two in Florida was even better than day one! Weather was super -- close to 90 deg! We planned a beach day. We walked the pier, built a sand castle, picked up seas shells, and saw a devil ray! We also got sunburned! :(

Dad and I tripped to Borders and scanned through the books at night. No coffee no bookpurchases but fun none the less. Man, I should write a book -- you could make money at those prices it seems! Are any of you looking for a cartoonist/humorous spot illustrator for your book? Count me in! :)

The sea was our substitute for the hot tub and after the burns, we are not ready to get in right now! Ouch! The kids took in a McDonald's playland for a late lunch with Grandpa and we stopped for twistee cones as dessert. I got a Coffee flavored soft serve. Mmmm. They had 24 flavors in addition to the traditional chocolate/vanilla twist!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a ball game at Spring training -- Phillies! :)

Until then, from the Sunshine State,
Mike

Broken not Crushed; Stirred, Never Shaken

I read a great verse this morning in my devos about Christ.

"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from people and given to people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he whom the stone falls on will be crushed."
Matthew 21:43-44, NIV

Wow! What a watershed person Christ is! He either cause you to be broken up or crushed. Not exactly the tender and compassionate Jesus that we often gravitate towards. The brokenness comes from realizing that we do not have any idea of what we are doing. We literally hit the wall again, and like the crash test dummies are smashed to smithereens. But so totally like Vince and Larry, we are accomplishing much because we are learning and growing. We are making advances spiritually by coming to the end of ourselves and realizing that Jesus is the rock!

Christ is also the "crusher" or the enforcer. He is the judge! He is coming to cruhs the rebellion, to put the antagonist in his place, to quite literally destroy them as their unforgiven sins deserve. Again, not exactly the kind and forgiving tender side of Jesus. But both aspects of "stoning" must be accounted for in a realistic view of who Jesus is. The reason why I can be so confident of this is the real Jesus (whom having not seen I love -- 1 Peter 1:8) is because it is based squarely in Scripture. It's part of that Bib world view thing. (see other posts).

We are stirred in our spirits, roused to a higher appreciation and communion with Christ. We will not be shaken by the troubles of our world. James Bond had it totally backwards -- stirred not shaken! :)

Rock on!
Mike

A Great First Full Day in FL

Well we enjoyed a great first day of vacation here in FL! The day included:

1. great weather! in the 80's and sunny. It is great to wear shorts and play trac ball with Scott in the cul-de-sac at Mom and Dad's.
2. convertible ride! we rode over to Target and Publix in the convertible, top down!
3. walks! Sue and I were able to hike for about an hour this morning in the cooler weather without kids! :) Grandpa took them to the park and had a great time as usual. Scott is looking for some advanced equipment this year, but for now, he is content.
4. hot-tubbing! The kids can barely say hello to Grandma and Grandpa before they head off to the tub (aka the personal pool). Today they had a special treat, two dips in the tub.
5. visits! Grandma/Grandpa Paris and Aunt Connie came over from Homossassa Springs. Good visit, good food (including pecan and strawberry pies!), and good conversations/catch up.
6. blogging! with Dad's DSL link and my wireless card, I was able to sit down tonight and blog some of the details of the day. This is becoming a very relaxing way to unwind for me. However, the computer raises Mom's hackles! She feels very left out when the computers come out. It raises her bood pressure and causes her to fuss about the "stoopid compooters".

Sorry that you weren't here today,

Mike

Our First Session

This morning in our teacher training/discipleship meeting, Charles and I developed a list of discussion questions (affectionately DQ's) for the opening session of "Decision Making God's Way". It is based on a book by the same name written by Dr. Gary Meadors. Here they are; I thought that they might spark some good posts and dicussion here:

DQ’s for teaching DMGW
As always, each of these discussion questions is intended to make you think. There should always be Biblical thought given to each answer and Scriptural support is strongly encouraged!

Intro:

1. What do you understand about God’s will? Is there a general will of God? How is it known? Is there a specific will of God? How is it known?
2. What are your goals for this class? What do you hope to understand better? What area of own personal walk are you hoping to benefit or improve?
3. Why is the purpose-driven life (one lived according to God’s will) so attractive to us? What is so appealing about the statement “God has a wonderful plan for your life”? Is this simply an evangelistic baited hook or can we really deliver on revealing such a plan?
4. What is a biblical world view and values set? How does having these protect a person? (p.13) Have you ever been caught up in this kind of trouble (clarifying life’s questions and challenges)?
5. What are the personal benefits of knowing the will of God? Are there any corporate advantages?

So, engage with one of these (or more) questions. I'd love to move this classroom into cyberspace! :)

Discerning and doing God's Will with you,

Mike

Teacher Training Seminar

I am beginning a new endeavor -- something totally unheard of! Well I think it is new; although we all know that the Preacher declared that there is nothing new under the sun. We (Charles and I) are meeting every Friday morning for coffee and discussion about a book that Charles is teaching for Sundays School at WyBC. It is me teaching the teacher so that he can teach on Sunday. New eh?

Again, think about the great commission.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Christ started this kind of project with his disciples. He taught the next wave of teachers. It was perhaps the first teacher training conference! It lasted for about 3 years! While I do not claim to be Christ, I am a follower. So, am I in good company? I think so. A new idea with a Biblical precedent! Yes!

Father,
Make me a teacher of teachers as You have taught me! Help me to be as patient as You were with Your disciples. Help me to communicate clearly and listen intently. Make my teaching plan be Yours. Allow me to impact people for eternity's good and for Your sake! Help me be a humble learner before I am a bold teacher.
Amen

Your fellow student,
Mike

Drawn Like a Horse to Water

Hey I read a great set of verses this AM. It so described the situation that I am facing with the youth group that I smiled. It was that "That is so true" smile that you get when you hear someone or read something that you have always believed, but had never articulated or never that well. My prof of evangelism at BBS, Lee Wise, used to shout "YYYYYes!" with fist pump whenever we talked about a concept like that. (Just thinking about Lee again makes me smile.)

Listen to these great verses:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will
counsel you with my eye on you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have
no understanding, whose trappings include a bit and bridle to hold them in
check, otherwise they will not come to you. (Psalm 32:8-9, NAS)

Verse 9 is even better in the NIV:

"Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must
be controlled by the bit and bridle or they will not come to you."

We are really struggling as a youth group leadership team to meet the demands of stubborn mules! We instruct, teach, demonstrate, counsel, watch over them. Yet when given free reign they sit down or run off. We often feel like we are dragging them to drink (water). We are hoping that a new horse in the stable, who has a lot of questions (ala coming on his own to the water) will be the spark that motivates thes others to follow. Pray for this new horse!

Lord, help me to be led by the carrot of knowing you better, of being in your will, of communig with you personally. Help me avoid waiting for the tug, the struggle, the bold yanks and spanks of your Spirit. Make me a willing mule! Amen.

Your fellow mule,
Mike

PS - do not substitute the KJV word for mule in this post!

Family Communication via Blog

I am stoked (good '80's word) about the blossoming of blogs in our family. I am not sure that the guys in my family have ever had so much communication in our lives -- and certainly not about such great topics. I especially like my Dad's discussion of his Sunday School topics. It has generated multiple comments from all three of the boys that are online. It even caused Thad to write, "Show Mark what a blog is". I love the fact that Thad is leading the technology charge! You go dude! :)

I have to agree with Thad also about the power of small groups. These powers are especially poignant to discussions of accountability. I just saw a pyramid of relationship today that showed this very phenomenon. At the base of the structure was "High truth" and "High trust". Near the top was "High accountability". The point being that without a high level of honesty and open communication, there really can be no trust developed. Without trust, there is no foundation for accountability.

Can blogging with its omission of body language and non-verbal communication be an accountability platform? Is it possible to truly develop online friendships that will be strong enough to handle genuiness and frank candor? Or is this medium doomed to be a forum for discussions of politics and sports? I think that the "conversations" that 4 grown men named Paris are having are going beyond the light and fluffy and getting to the meat of discussion.

Keep blogging my brothers. Keep blogging Dad. Start blogging Mark. And whatever you do, don't tell the girls! :)

I love the fun and uplifting comm,
Mike

I Love You, Because....

As I challenged our people (and myself) to think about loving God and expressing that to Him, I thought about three main categories of reasons why I love Him;

1. Things that He has done for me -- gifts, protections, salvation, etc.
2. Lessons that He has taught me -- some of them through His Word, through His messengers, through the school of hard knocks, etc.
3. Attributes that He has shown me -- moving theology to real life, etc.

While I do not claim these three categories to be inspired or necessarily inspiring, I believe that they cover a wide spectrum of our expressions of love to God. Also, I do not believe that these are necessarily in order of greatest to least. they may be in the order of easiest to grasp to most difficult or most tangible/touchable to less tangible/abstract. Again, they are suggestions not commandments! :)

I love God. I choose to love Him. My love is not based on what He can do for me or my portfolio. He is my God, that is enough. But, He did not simply call me and draw me to Himself and quit loving me; He has kept up his passionate pursuit of me. Here are some of the items that I put on my Valentine to God last night:

• I love the way that you protect me from getting the lusts of my heart; you keep me from some of the dumb things that I ask for; you always give me the best
• I love the fact that you are so gracious that you did not wait for me to draw near to you to extend salvation to me; You demonstrated your love while I was still unformed, unlovely, a sinner, and an enemy
• I love that you are a shelter, a fortress and a high tower when I am under attack
• I love the fact that you do not deal with me according to my transgressions
• Thank you for not protecting me from danger when that was your divine will for my life; your ways are excellent
• Thank you for not just saying that you love me, but showing me too; Help me to show you how much You mean to me; Help others to catach a glimpse of what a relationship with God through Jesus Christ looks like.

What would you put on your valentine to God? Post some notes (I am not sure that God reads my blog, but He knows what's there and whether it comes form your heart). Some things are better left for the personal devotional space, but some things can be shared among brothers.

Loving God who loved me first,

Mike

Valentines to God

Did you do anything special for your loved ones over the Valnetine's Day holiday? I hope that you did. Did you remember to say "I Love You" to God? We used this Sunday, 2/19, as a celebration of God's love.

I believe that one of the areas that Praise and Worship music has got it right is in the area of expressing love to God. So I used a host of choruses for the two services to "Think About His Love". We sang some great songs of worship that elevated God as the center of loving, not our emotions or our attractions! We responded to God's love by saying/singing that we loved Him too. That is worship in its most basic, yet profound mode.

Here's the play list; if you're reading this list and know some of the songs, why not sing along? Do not worry, I cannot hear if you are in a different key or have an alternate timing! :)

• The Celebration Song
• The Steadfast Love of the Lord
• Think About His Love
• How Deep the Father's Love
• Amazing Love (Graham Kendrick)
• Greater Love
• All That I Need
• O For a Heart to Praise My God
• Jesus, Draw Me Close
• In Moments Like These
• Seekers of Your Heart
• With All My Heart
• Cry of My Heart

We had a great time of reading God's Word (Psalm 136 -- responsively/antiphonally) and writing valentines to God as well as singing and giving and shaking hands, etc. etc. We learned, experienced, and practiced God's love once again (another great worship song!). What is your favorite song about God's love? Do you have a favorite passage about God's love? A great insightful quote? I'd love to hear about your love relationship with God who loves you very much and will not separate Himself from you (Rom. 8:37-39).

I am so in love with Jesus,

Mike

Passion Lives Here

I was thinking about the slogan that has been emblazoned all over everything Olympic, "Passion live here". The Olympic logo is designed after the Mole Antionello (sp?) a Jewish synagogue project, abandoned and converted to a cultural icon. Interesting story, check it out at Wikipedia!

Could that same slogan be written over our lives? Passion lives here! Or, conversely, would our lives be like the Mole, edifices created to placate others with religion, only to be converted to our own desires when trouble comes? Is our religious practice a monument to a quarrel? Hmmm.

Here are some things that we ought to be passionate about:

1. Developing our relationship with God -- by spiritual growth
2. Telling others about our relationship with God -- by spiritual testimony
3. Erasing anything that will destroy our relationship with God -- by spiritual confession and repentance

God has entrusted each of us with our own set of unique passions (gifts, talents, abilities, etc.) that must be employed to accomplish these big three. Even the common or profane items, like golfing, must be used as avenues to accomplish those greater goals. The NT word zeal is one of my favorite words. It embodies the idea of passion. It has the idea of fully engulfed in flames -- burning up for Jesus! That is the kind of passion that ought to live here!

Passionately pursuing God,

Mike

Valentine's Day with Mike and Sue

I love V'day because I love my wife! I must admit after 15 years of marriage and 5 1/2 years of dating, the 20th celebration of Valentines was looking a little flat. I tried to spice it up a little with some Paris magic -- the same stuff that won her heart at the beginning! :)

I had a couple of ideas that didn't materialze, but here is the way the day shook out.

1. I got a card at WalMart -- cute card, the black and white child photo with the colorized rose kind
2. I bought a dozen roses at WalMart -- I know, cheap and WalMart isn't the best choice for florists, but the roses had the desired effect and I didn't have to pay so much :)
3. I secured babysitting with our reduced fee teen babysitter -- Laura and Kristen are homeschooled so they were available mid-day. They will do it for free, but we try to give them something for their ministry.
4. I whisked my bride away for a luncheon at the Olive Garden -- on a gift card from church family for Christmas.
5. I fell asleep on the couch watching Olympics with Sue as she quilted -- free! :)

Total cost of celebrating love was well under $600 (see Thad's entry :) ) but well worth it. I also did pancakes (pink colored heart shaped ones) for the kids in the morning. Was there something in our childhood that has drawn us to celebrated pancakes? I, unlike Thad, do not like them for dinner!

Jack exclaimed at the breakfast table as he opened his valentine from Mommy, "Ahhh, that's so sweet". :) Another Paris man doomed for greatness in the romance department!

Hope you all enjoyed your day celebrating,

Mike

Snow Camp 2006

Just got back from Snow Camp at Bethany Baptist Camp. We had a great time. I have included a pic of the group. Yes, there was snow (about a foot of new snow) thanks to the warm waters of Lake Erie.

Josh Wilhite was the speaker and as expected to did a fine job. I enjoyed Josh more than other speaker in our four seasons at Bethany, b/c I knew him from before. We enjoyed at least three really good personal interactions with him during the weekend.

I had to help jog his memory a little. And then I mentioned that I am Todd Paris' brother. His comment, as I helped him with those connections, was, "Ohhhhh, I love that guy!" So do I! :)

I hope to post more about the things learned through the speaking spots in Colossians 2 and 3 later. Pray for our youth group. I believe that these sermone really nailed some key issues in their lives. They need change. What am I saying? I need change. Maybe you should pray for their leaders too! :)

Praying for good things out of a weekend of snow,
Mike

In Memory of Edith Lightcap

Today is a bittersweet day. Sue's grandmother, Edith Lightcap, affectionately known as (Great)Gran went home to be with her Lord this morning. She has suffered the ravages of alzheimer's and more recently a large tumor which caused hemoraghing. It has been a slow deterioration of a dear saint.

My memories go back to before we were married of Gran and her legendary status in the Richard house. Whenever she would come to visit, the questions would almost always turn to her driving. Had she been safe in her driving? What time had she left? How was it possible to cover so much distance in such a short amount of time? etc. Her little silver Volkswagen Fox seemed to beg her to fly!

Gran has English roots. Granny Harvey (her mum) was a direct immigrant from England. And so the prim and proper, stiff upper lip, these things ought (or ought not) to be done, etc. all came out in her. She had things just so in her apartment and it was always a delight to visit with her. Her English lavendar soap for example was overwhelming at first visit. But after we had visited there a couple of times, that smell became part of the charm of Gran's house.

Sue and I spent our first six months of our marriage attending church with Gran at Spruce Street Bapt (where the funeral will be held on Wed) and dining with her for lunch each Sunday. It was great fun and we looked forward to the weekly excursions down from Lansdale to Newtown Square and over to Lima Estates. We enjoyed visiting and getting to know Gran better. She always made us feel special and loved. I remember her standing at the glass doors from her patio and waving goodbye to as we headed for our apartment in Lansdale. Good times.

I also remember Gran's love for her pastor. She was the secretary for a number of years at Spruce Street and ran the office with great precision and her typical English class. She developed a great respect for a younger pastor as she watched him minster regularly with the people of Spruce Street Bapt. She watched him take the abuse and struggle with ministry insider stuff. She saw his character and guarded his flank loyally. I can remember a time that she actually got a little miffed (an English lady does not get angry) at the pettiness and hurtful conversations that some of her age group of people were having. "He is our pastor -- that's not right!" she said.

As we mourn for the loss of this dear saint of God, we are comforted to know that Gran is now with her Savior and has been reunited with her husband, John and her son Stephen (lost as an infant due to SIDS). Absent from the body (a broken one at that) and present with her Lord. I do not wish her back with us.

Mourning and rejoicing at the same time,
Mike

The ancient art of blogging

I was thinking the other day about blogging. The way that I use the technology is to comment on Scripture or spiritual issues that have been raised in my life. I though it's too bad that they didn't have blogging in the Bible days. Imagine the stoics and philosophers conferring over the issues of the Mars Hill public forums. Think about the volume of research help that Dr. Luke could have had by posting his research for review by his professional peers.

It's too bad they were hampered by not having this kind of technology or were they? The writers of the New Testament letters often quoted OT Scripture or referred to OT characters to make their point. They journalled about life and how to live it Biblically. Their logs were not web logs but were instead Bible logs or 'bleogs! It is great to know that theirs were not human rants against the left wing or right wing government or its policies, nor were they reports of the weekend events. They were divinely inspired notes, commentaries on the previous revelation of the Word. These 'bleogs were infallible discussion of the practical ramifications of the very Words of God.

In case you were wondering, I claim no such inspiration or inerrancy for these posts! I believe that God created the Holy Bible through the right men at the right time for His perfect purpose! What an incredible feat! What a great book!

In love with the Author and Finisher of my faith,
and the perfect exegesis of God,
In His grip,
Mike

Where Do We Go From Here?

Subtitle: God's Prescription for Power in 2006

As I was selecting a text for the message this past week, I began to think about victory and success from God's perspective. The book of Joshua is all about victorious Christian living. (Actually, like all of the Bible, it is about God and His glorification first!) Think about the backdrop of Joshua 1:1-2:

• A major change in leadership is going on through death
• The people are heading into a new phase of their corporate life, out of their comfort zone
• The goals and strategy of a new leader have not been communicated yet (may have not even been formed yet -- Josh sends spies into the land in ch. 2)
• There are reduced numbers (2.5 tribes are leaving some people behind on the far side of the Jordan)
• There is increased workload (now instead of wandering/surviving they will fighting/conquering)
• There has been a recent history of "failure" (40 years of wandering)

Not exactly the stuff that Stephen Covey would write a book about! In fact, this group of rag tag migrants were about the most unlikely bunch of victorious conquerors that ever existed. Their power for living did not come from past work experience, great proven technique or leadership skill sets, or even from weapons of mass destruction (wealth, chariots, horses, swords, etc.).

Invigorating power for living comes from realizing God's promises.

By realizing I mean knowing the promises, believing or trusting in them, and acting on them. There is a progression to living a life of power before God and others. We must live by faith and not by sight! The Israelites had their work cut out for them. By all accounts Canaan possession was a hopeless cause. But consider these three invigorating challenges that God issued to Israel's leader, Joshua.

1. Begin seeing daily struggles as the process whereby God is giving you what he has already promised to you. (1:2-3)
2. Make progress in your spiritual life, leaving footprints of faith everywhere. (1:3)
3. Refuse to let anyone steal the blessing that God has intended for your life. (1:5)

Do you feel invigorated for the challenge of today? Read the great promise of 1:5 and be uplifted and rallied to follow God's cause for your life today!

"No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5, NIV

So power-up my friend fro the day at hand.
Be strong, be courageous, be obedient.
Mike

More Morsels of Truth from ESF Winter Conference

I really enjoyed the conference on church growth at Dryden. It was not your typical Willow Creek or Saddleback church growth conference either! It was guys who are doing ministry in real life small churches throughout NY state. Real ministries of less than 200 members in communities of less than 2000. (Dave Whiting excepted -- Rochester). Each man said it in his own way, but each put a disclaimer on their messages -- "I am not an expert". While I appreciate their humility and sense of perspective, their caveats leave me wondering who will be the model? Who will set the standard or blaze a trail of excellence and say "Thus far hath God brought me -- By His grace I stand". I want to have lots of great men who are serving well surrounding me as a great cloud of witnesses. (ala Hebrews 12:1)

I have tried to boil these seven sessions (each with a man of God who clearly shared his passion in the areas of church growth and health) down to a couple of great thoughts that impacted me or that I want to try and improve in my ministry. What a tough job. But here is the second installment of that attempt:

1. The danger in church growth seminars is that we try to apply someone else’s techniques to our situation. Our standard for leadership is that of Christ. The good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. (not His death on the cross, his daily sacrifice for the good of the disciples) *Even to the point of suffering wrongly. [Paul P]

2. Our contentment must be found in investing your self into someone else. A church exists to build people in Christ. If we strive for bigger/better we are chasing a fleeting dream. It will never big enough or good enough.

3. We may have slipped into “acceptable modes of fleshliness”. Is my sacrifice to be [accepted, noticed, thanked, successful, an authority]? Or is my personal sacrifice to be of service to God? [Paul P]

4. Get rid of fear -- there is no place for it in our ministry! We are not going to do it perfectly, so don't let perfectionistic tendencies stymy action! [Paul P]

5. Have they (the people in the church, YG, SS class, etc.) seen an attitude of self-sacrifice in me? Have I modeled Christ before my flock? Or have I embellished my sacrifice for personal gain (ala Annanias and Sapphira)? The best sacrifice is modeled after the perfect love of 1 Corinthians 13. If I sacrifice my body, but have not love I am like a clanging cymbal! Romans 12:1-2 says that I am committed to sacrifice! [Paul P]

6. We must avoid falling into the trap of giving up on preaching. There are five reasons why we need a healthy diet of expositional preaching in our churches:
a) preaching Scriptures leads people to salvation [1 Timothy 3:15];
b) preaching Scriptures leads people to maturity [3:16-17];
c) God has commanded us to preach! [4:1-2];
d) the Scriptures are a supernatural book [Hebrew 4:12];
e) the Scriptures are exalted by God [Psalm 138:2] [Dave W]

7. Preach truth not preference; do not blur the lines. [Dave W]

8. Being boring is not just sad – it’s sinful. [Dave W]
By the way, Dave was not boring! He mastered the use of Powerpoint in sermon presentation. He did a cool thing with the Scriptures too. He used white letters to singnify the parts that he would read and included phrases of emphasis in yellow for the congregation to read in unison. It worked really well.

9. The goal of great preaching is transformation not just more information. God never says, “I just wanted you to know that”. [Dave W]

10. We must preach Christ, for His glory (not mine). [2 Cor. 4:5] [Dave W]

11. Young people do not have a choice – they grow! Will you direct that growth and steer them toward godliness? Or will you allow someone else to shape them? We can’t sit back and wait for the “worst to happen”. The enemy is busy, so we must be busy! [Russ A]

12. If we help young people grow mentally, physically, and spiritually without helping them grow socially, that growth is useless. [Russ A]
I think that what Russ was getting at was a lack of application in the real world for our young people. We are very good at increasing their Bible aptitude and often not very good at helping them grasp the concept rather than the facts. A favor with God is great and necessary; but a favor with men is critical to ministry. After all, most people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.

13. The goal of youth group is not to give more information; it is to apply the truths. Their midweek sesssion are called “Lab Time”. They discuss the message from Sunday, prayer requests, additional passages that bear on the topic, etc. [Russ A]

14. Using Luke 14:15-35 as a backdrop, are we missing out on the banquet of spiritual harvest? Some of the "banquet stealers" are:
a. The “if only” mindset = if only we had this or that we could do minnistry more effectively
b. Excuses = material goods, work, relationships come first before ministry
c. Overlooked opportunities
d. Unmet expectations = it didn't match what I wanted to see happen, let's quit [LD M]

15. Consider Acts 2:41ff as an outreach text. The communion of the disciples also must have included a common purpose. They pooled their resources to reach their world! They lived consistently before others and attracted others to Christ. [LD M]

16. Two people out of 100 members is not community outreach! Simply throwing open the doors and calling “Y’all come” is not community outreach! Community outreach is going inot the highways and bi-ways and compelling them to come in! [LD M]

Wow! Once again, a full day of thinking about ministry to people. Most of the stuff shared is not rocket science. Most of the stuff is not new. But most of the stuff was helpful. I really wished that the deacons and trustees would have been ther to hear some of it. The tapes will not do justice to the sessions. There is great beauty in iron sharpening iron. May I be sharper now than I ever was before!

Keep your edge,
Mike

ESF Winter Conference -- Dryden, NY

I am writing via my wireless connection in the breakfast area of the Country Inn and Suites in Cortland NY! I have the Praise and Worship Channel playing in the background and I am chewing on some great spiritual food from the conference that we are at! I love technology!

Let me share just a few tidbits of the conference with you. This conference is geared towards church growth. It could not have come at a better time for me personally or for our ministry at Wyoming Baptist. I have really needed a good refocusing and challenge spiritually. Here are just a few of the nuggets that I have mined as I listened to several of my colleagues speak today.

1. An idea for setting community building goals for our youth group: telecare = once every 3 weeks, each person in the D-group will receive a phone call or IM from the leader; once very six months, each person will be visited in his/her home by the leader. That's how we will build a Caring Christian Community! [Matt S]

2. Make every conversation that I start with a person at Wyoming Baptist begin with a positive language statement. Find something to thank the person for, or admire in them, pass on a blessing to them first! [Matt S]

3. Insight: In the pattern of prayer described for the disciples, Jesus prays "let US not fall into temptation", but "deliver US from evil". He was praying community protection and power on the life of the church! [Matt S]

4. Insight: In the translation of James 5:16, the NIV makes the most sense! The prayer's effectiveness and power does not come from the righteousness of the man or the fervency of the prayer! It is the God we pray to that makes it effective! [Charlie C]

5. Insight: In the context the righteousness of the man makes him able to come into the presence of God with prayer. In the preceding verses, it is the confession of sins that makes the man righteous. [Charlie C]

6. "Prayer changes everything. Prayer replaces nothing." [Charlie C]

7. "Pray the vision (for your church) down from heaven, not conjure it up!" [Charlie C]

8. "Shepherd your people like God" -- Oswald Chambers

9. I must be "experiencing pioneer growth in my life" regularly as a leader/pastor. [Don S]

10. Is my ministry marked by "substantive authenticity". Or are they simply smelling a fragrance that is sprayed on out of the can?! [Don S]

11. Effective ministry leadership is measured by how it a) attracts others and b) how it influences them. Who wants to imitate me? Should they? [Don S]

12. God is constantly bringing us up short, allowing us to fall headlong into the pits (mostly of our own making), so that we will learn to cry out to Him. [Don S]

Wow! a dozen jewels and we are not even half way through the conference! I hope that I can apply just a couple of them to my own life. I feel a bit like a hungry man at the buffet!

Father,
Help me to focus on the next thing that you would have me learn and let that be enough -- for now. I need your help to implement change in me first. My number one problem in ministry is not them, it's me! Make me righteous before you, make my ministry effective and prayer-driven. Make me an example of godliness for those that I rub shoulders with every day/week/month/year.
Amen

Feasting in Dryden,
Mike

In Holy Matrimony

We are working through the book of 1 Corinthians in the evening services. We have come to chapter 7 and I saw that there was definitely a marriage focus in these verses. So, without creating a worship service involving the Wedding March, I put these songs together with some comments or "synchro-fill" in between. You may want to use this layout for a worship service at a couples retreat or a celebration of a wedding anniversary (we just celebrated 15 yrs!) or with a sermon on 1 Corinthians 7!

As we have worked through the book of 1 Corinthians, we have seen that the personal relationship was not a strength in Corinth. It was every man out for himself or for his faction. There was contention at every turn and the family and marriage were no exceptions to the rule. The Corinthians had troubles in their marriages. If we want to avoid similar troubles, we must choose daily to make God the center of our universe rather than ourselves! We must choose to be on the same page with God. He must rescue and rebuild and restore our relationships! As the Psalmist said in Ps. 127, "Unless He builds the house, the workman labors in vain".

"As For Me and My House" Elizabeth de Gruvelles/Kurt Kaiser

The ministry of marriage and family is a daily act of service and worship to God. We must therefore follow His rules for them. We cannot simply read a book and form a plan and have success. No it is not a result of trying harder to make it work out. It is the result of obedient pursuit of God's design for the home.
Like any other relationship,unity comes from fellowship with Christ. He is the great unifier! Our unity in the home is a demonstration of Christ-likeness. make this your next song a prayer for your home, our church, the youth group, your office, etc.

"Father Make Us One" Rick Ridings

What should our unified family look like?

1 Peter 5:5b-11

You see it is not a matter of saying to others "I have it all together" or "we have a great marriage" or "I have perfect children". Instead it is saying "I have a great God who has caused me to enjoy some success in this area of my life" and "I owe it all to His influence in my life".

These verses end with a challenge to cast our cares on Him. The ultimate humility is asking Gdo for help! Admit that you can't do it yourself! Peter continued on in this passage to describe our adversary as a roaring lion, prowling about looking for someone to devour. He wants to have your marriage, your family, your relationships for lunch. He wants to see you fail. I must cast all of those cares and potential areas of failure on to God.

"Cares Chorus" Kelly Willard

God cares so much about our moments of weakness and failures. He loves to bring His strength to the situation and bring glory from ruin, beauty from ashes, strength from weakness. He has promised us success when we follow his guidance and patterns. Even when it looks like it is counter-cultural and out of control, He knows what He is talking about. His ways are perfect. His ways are the ways of strength.

"Be Strong In the Lord" Linda Lee Johnson/Tom Fetke

Whenever I am facing a struggle -- a snare -- I can go to Him and His word and find the secret to marital success. The world's ways are fakes, traps, decoys. God's way is truth! He has promised us the victory, let's live in that strength and press on!

He gets all of the credit and honor from our "successful" marriages. He gets the rejoicing praise from the victories that we have. He is worthy of that praise!

"The Worship Song" Celeste Yohai

When we blow it, our Father stands ready, willing and able to forgive, restore and rebuild the mess that we have made of it. What merciful treatment -- we do not deserve it. Yet He loves to be merciful to us.

"You are Merciful to Me" Ian White

Did you hear those great names of God in the bridge? Redeemer, Savior, Healer and Friend are all relationship words/names. He is the healer of broken fellowships. These are great names that express His great part in our lives. Here are some others in a great hymn of the faith.

"Join All the Glorious Names" Isaac Watts/John Darwall

Are you excited about the phrase that you have just sung? "A feeble saint shall win the day" (vs. 5). Even though "death and hell" or sin and self or ________(fill in the blank) obstruct the way, we can have victory through the grace and mercy of our God! Amen!

Writing Team 2006 Finished

I made it safely home from Schroon Lake, NY today. I was part of a writing team there this week. I was able to write with my former teammates Dave Smith and Steve Gledhill again. This is the third year that we have been together. Dave and I have actually been together for four years. We have enjoyed the good chemistry and cooperation between the players. We added another "rookie" this year -- Jordan Wertz.

As always, these weeks are lots of hard work and little sleep. We always work hard and drink lots of caffienated beverages. :) This year I was able to teach a three part series on 1 John and a lesson on Scripture memorization. I am excited to hear about these lessons hitting the churches in Olympian clubs in 2008-09. What an awesome privilege to impact 10,000's of children around the world. The scope is both humbling and challenging!

My favorite lesson was one taught by Dave S on the book of Haggai. Haggai acted as a cheerleader/coach for the children of Israel. At just the right times, God brought them message of hope and encouragement to keep on rebuilding the walls. My favorite verse of encouragement is found in Galatians 6:9

"Do not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we will reap if we do not faint"

Hosea's words are just as uplifting:
Msg 1: Put God's plan first
Msg 2: God is there right beside you
Msg 3: Do not give up on God's plan
Msg 4: God's plan will always be accomplished

One of the best parts of the week was the chapel service on Sunday morning. 30 men singing praises to God is a powerful sound! Praise God!

Proclaiming God's Word to young people,
Mike

Me? Ask for directions?

If you are like me -- an aging red-blooded American male -- the farthest thing from your mind is stopping and asking for directions. You would rather die of exposure to the elements than be forced to ask for help. To ask for directions is by its nature and admission of lostness which is only thinly veiled wrongness. That does not sit well.

But I am teaching a lesson to 5th and 6th graders this week on memorization. Memorizing Scripture is a way of commiting to God's directions for life. Maybe the reason that I do not memorize Scripture more is because I think that I don't need it. Maybe I think that I have made it safely this far, why memorize the directions. After all, I can always consult the map (Bible) right? Maybe not. When the pressure gets turned up, I may not have time to thumb through Strong's Strongest Concordance or phone a friend. I need to pack Scripture away so I know the directions for life!

Would you consider five results of memorization?

1. Memorize so that you can enjoy God's best way of living
2. Memorize so that your mind will be trained to be like God's
3. Memorize so that you may be comforted in hard times
4. Memorize so that you will not be fooled by wrong directions
5. Memorize so that you can give right directions to others

Those five fruits are all great direction finders. I can know the right way of living, when I get off track, how I can get back on track and how I can stay on track.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV

Hopelessly in need of direction,

Mike