Being a Successful People Developer

We have been working through the whole gamut of leadership issues here at WyBC. Thanks to a series of leadership seminars given in the nick of time by our missionary Dan Woodard, we have been talking with a new set of vocabulary. We have begun to discuss team roles, effectiveness, goals, and project ownership. We regularly confront each other on "fog" -- phrases, statements, words that cloud the real meaning of communication.

We are endeavoring to reknit our leadership teams and restore their level 5 (personhood) leadership in the eyes of the congregation. (the five levels from John Maxwell's, Developing the leader Within You: 1. position/rights; 2. permission/relationships; 3. production/results; 4. people development/reproduction; 5. personhood/respect) I have been realizing that in order to get the men up to level five, I need to be striving for level five! Level four means that I need to be helping to reproduce and mature the men. Here are some great statements about people on that level of leadership:

A successful people developer:

1. Realizes that people are his most valuable asset. Not buildings, bucks, brooches or books!
2. Places a priority on developing people. Not programs or documents!
3. Becomes a model for others to follow. Not just in public or official life!
4. Pours leadership into the top 20 percent of his people. Not waiting for them to come to me and ask for help!
5. Exposes key leaders to growth opportunities. Not doing it, learning it, keeping it all to myself!
6. Is able to attract other winners/producers to the common goal. Not allowing people to be consumers or dependent on me!
7. Surrounds himself with an inner core that complements his leadership. Not just people who think and act like I do!

The list above is taken from Maxwell's book. I have added the italicized personalizations on the end. They are my weaknesses. These are the things that I tend to substitute for good ministry or people development. I believe that my "job" as a pastor is described quite well in Ephesians 4:11-13:

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

So, I continue to press on, trying to improve my leadership. Actually this blogsite is one of those ways taht I can share at level 5. Thanks for engaging in careful thought and reflection on the life of excellenec that God has called us to live! Thanks for sharpening my iron with yours. I appreciate you!

I would love to hear about your leadership growth. Everyone has both leadership and followership opportunities -- think beyond official positions. Will you share some key thoughts taht have helped you grow this week? Looking forward to hearing from you!

Mike

Going out in High Summer Style

Someone asked the question, why does it seem like the really hot weather hits during VBS week? Answer: so that we can play great water games outside! Heather (orange shirt) is waitiing her turn in the bucket brigade relay race. She is behind her leader, Jacquelyn. J'lyn is one of the teens going with us this summer to Lamoka. This will be her third season. She wants to be a missionary! :) Yes!
Here we are at the end of the week. Yes and still smiling. Sue made it through the week after having to threaten Jack -- " If you don't behave better tomorrow you will have to leave Silly Chilies (preschool goup) and go up with Daddy." Enough said; Jack made it through the rest of the week! The Faith Factor T-shirt os from last year's Youth Seminars. It generated some discussion with adults and kids alike. Most thought I had been on the TV show -- hah! My challenge would have been to lock me in a hot 4x4 cell with one of the trustees! :D Very scary stuff! Yet there is no place for fear in ministry, so push on!
Here is the parting shot of the Friday group. We averaged in the mid 50's, with high 30's of helpers and staff. I just talked with another sister church member in the area and she said that they had to cancel their VBS due to a lack of help. Praise God for all of the great workers that we have! Guide to the Paris people; Mike = upper left corner, Sue = kneeling, third row left side, Jack = fourth from left front row (striped shirt), Scott = just left of middle, 2nd row of standers, navy shirt, mouth open (yelling queso!), Heather = 6th in from right in first row of standers, orange shirt, Lauren = first on the right, front row of sitters, pink shirt.

We all survived and had a great time. We had an ice cream social to wrap the whole thing up on Friday night and invited parents and families. It went really well. We even got a jump start on the cleanup before we headed home. Saturday I even got to go golfing! (1st of the season)

Many thanks to all who helped and especially to my organized director, Ginny! I just got to do what I do best -- ham it up in the opening and closing! We had two salvation decisions that I know of for the week and both of them were followed by significant spiritual interest and questions. I see that interest as the first fruits of genuine decisions! Praise the Lord! (please pray for Kohl and Kara).

Serving in Summer,
Mike 

Winding Down -- Day 4

The Silly Chilies (preschoolers) taking a break on Day 4 to review their lessons and talk with their leaders. Yes, that is Jack and Sue in the lower right hand corner. Sue has decided that she is much more comfortable playing the piano than teaching the pequitos (little ones).
Another shot of me leading the closing program for the day. Notice that I have shed that really neat, but really hot poncho! The kids are singing great -- sorry no audio on this post!
Another one of great groups. This one has 3:10 ratio, still really great! They look like their having fun! They range in ages from 1st grade to 5th grade. Ryan (front row right) lost his front tooth on Wednesday at VBS! How much more fiesta can we stand? One more day!

Adios,
Pastor Miguel 

Rain, Rain, ... Who Cares

Record rainfall amounts in Wyoming Cty, NY did not dampen spirits for day three of VBS Fiesta! A couple of scooters, a giant tactile ball and a dry gym was just what the game director ordered.
In the Hot Bible Adventures, Laurie (aka Levi) is looking for a few good fishermen to follow instructions. Each day the children are engaged in an interactive and exciting Bible story highlighting the Bible idea. Today's was "Jesus is our leader".
These kids are part of the preschool program. They make a group called Pablo's Silly Chilies. They are excited, no fired up about Jesus. Everyday as the teachers say the Bible idea, the kids respond with Viva! (Life!). Yes that is Jack's bottom in the left of the picture -- he didn't want to cooperate with the photographer!

Buenos Noche,
Hasta la manana,
Pastor Miguel 

VBS Day 2 -- The Fiesta in Full Swing

Oh look an associate pastor in authentic mexican garb! Leading singing, challenging young people, acting a little loco on stage and trying to reach the lost with the gospel. The poncho is an original wool one from Madrid Spain -- compliments of my Dad who stopped there on a Med cruise with the Navy (30+ yrs ago). It is extremely warm -- good for picking coffee beans with Juan Valdez, bad for VBS opening sessions!
One of our groups -- called families. The four tall people in the back are leaders. On Tues, their family was 5 kids. 4:5 are great ratios! The lady at the left, Valerie, is the adult or team leader. Laura and Brad are teens involved in the VBS program. The young lady in the pink hoody is Shelby -- a sixth grader who has been put in a jr. ledaer postion. The remainder of the group is 1st through 5th graders all mixed together. The crossection of gender/age makes for good learning!
Our opening and closing sessions are held in the auditorium. The banners above are from a Spanish Cinco de Mayo celebration in a NC public school. Thank goodness that we don't take this separation of church and state rabidly! 57 kids on Day 2!

Adios ala manana,
Pastor Miguel 

VBS Fiesta! at Wyoming Baptist

If you have been wondering where I have been, I have been partying -- mexican style! We are almost through the week of VBS at WyBC and I thought you might like to see what has been happening here -- north of the border! Abuela Kemp is our director for VBS. She and I have worked together for at leats three VBS's. She has taken the charge and has run all of the administration of this year's program. It has been good for me to delegate it away and keep my mitts off of it! :) It's a leadership trait that I need to work on. This pic was snapped up on day one on a status check-up during one of our "pathways cross" in the gym.
You can see that the theme is a mexican Fiesta! Our snacks coordinator/director is getting into the theme with a little authentic mexican garb. Everyone has had a blast throwing around all of our spanish vocab (mine learned over 20 years ago) and wearing some elaborate sombreros.
Kristen, one of our teens who is involved in the VBS, led this little girl to a decision for Christ on Wed. using her EvangeCube! It all begins with buidling a relationship of caring on Monday and Tuesday! This little one continued to ask questions during the closing session that day. The spiritual sensitivity is super encouraging.

We are using Fiesta! by Group Publishing. They have several unique features which we have found useful -- even though it is not exclusively Baptist. We have added a stronger gospel presentation emphasis and used the creativity resources in the Group Pub material.

Check out the next post for more,
Adios,
Pastor Miguel 

Character Matters

Joe Stowell rightly observes that there is a societal bent away from leaders of strong (moral) character. There is, as he puts it, a societal bent towards disconnecting lifestyle and leadership. This is simply not true. Stowell spends a whole section (Part Two) of his book (Shepherding the Church) on personhood -- the being, rather than doing of leadership.

I thought that you might enjoy some of the quotes/statements made about character in ch.6 alone:

"Character is about what and who I am at the very core of my being." p. 148
"Character is the critical mass of ministry." p. 148
"Character-- either good or bad -- impacts the life and legacy of the church." p.151
"Character is infinitely more startegic to effectiveness than credentials." p. 151
"Character is a means to glorify Christ through our lives, since it is His character -- the expression of our belief in Him -- that is reflected in our lives. Character makes a point about Him." p.151
"Character is what we will be held accountable for." p. 151
"Character is only forged through a growing, sincere relationship with Christ." p. 151-2
"Character is deepened and developed in crises. Character has value in a crisis." p. 152

Well said Joe, well said.

My goal is that Christ be seen through me. I must admit or confess that this has not always been the case. My children may not want to be involved with Christ if my discipline techniques are anything like Christ's. My wife might not have a growth spurt spiritually if she has to rely on my direct and intentional leadership in this area. But my goal is to become stronger and grow myself! Then I can transfer that character to my children and my wife.

Dear Father,
I have not caught all of the transfer of your character. I blow it often. You are the best example and mentor that a man could ever have, yet I have squandered much of the time that I should have been growing. Please forgive me for the times that you cringed ta the rot that I was spewing. I know that this saddens your heart. Help me to be more like you and demonstrate my faith and personal relationshipwith you. Make me the man that you want me to be. Help me to grow through the adversity instead of slump into my natural bents of self-preservation and self-protection.
I thank you,
Amen

Keep growing in character,
Mike

God Honors His Servants

"[Personal] exaltation is not grabbed. It is given by the Father, in His time and in His way."

Shepherding, p. 141

A Great Leadership Quote .. or Two

I tried to do something productive tonight as the Paris kids rotted their minds on more TV (at least it was a "wholesome" show -- Sue Thomas FBI). So I picked up Joe Stowell's book, Shepherding the Church. Actually I have/had already started it, but I needed to pick it up again. There are some amazing quotes that really related to the messages that I have been preaching lately from Ecclesiastes 1-2, 12.

"We are built for significance. ... A satisfying significance can never be gained in and of ourselves. It i sonly realized in our relationship to the One who is fully and suprememly significant, our Father in heaven. Our sense of significance is not a search, but something that is secured in our relationship to Him."

Shepherding, p.140

"...it is liberating to remember that all of this significance is not based on my performance but on the completed performance of Jesus Christ on the cross. I am not called to perform in order to gain significance; but rather, since my significance has been secured, I am called to gratefully serve the One who has made me fully significant in Him. "

Shepherding, p.142

Liberated! Free to be who God made me to be, free to live for Him everyday, free to say "no" to sin, free to ask forgiveness when I blow it! If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!

Your freed friend,
Mike

Did I Forget to Mention It?

Hey thanks for waiting so patiently. Did I forget to hang up the BRB sign on the door? Did I move the little hands on the clock to give you a hint when I might arrive back here? Ooops, sorry! :)

The quick rundown is that we have had a vacation to OH, PA and back again. I have spoken at two places on Saturdays (Henrietta Regular and Cornerstone). I have "worked" every Wednesday and Saturday in between, even during vacation weeks. I strung three "11:30 pm to beds" together last week, including a deacons meeting interrupted by Pastor Evans leaving for the hospital with chest pains.

Mrs. P and I worked on yard work during our vacation (mowing, mulching, weeding), tried to patch the ceiling (not quite 100% yet), tried to fix the towel bar, cleaned the garage and messed it up again.

So dr., why do I feel so tired all of the time? Glad to be back to posting, glad to see that you all have been busy too. Just generally glad! :)

Hoping to post something more meaningful later,
Mike

Quotable Golf

Hey! Ever wonder what to get the golfer who won't get any better even if you bought him everything he ever wanted for his birthday? My sister-in-law found it. It is a book called, The Quotable Golfer. It contains a number of humorous quotes including this one by Mark Twain,

"Golf is a good walk spoiled."

Apparently nobody listened to Mr. Clemens' wisdom either -- they built him a golf course!
I am enjoying the book (a birthday present) and looking forward to a first round of golf (maybe next week??).

In the Home Stretch

It is hard to believe but we are nearing the end of this quarter's Sunday School experiment. I have totally enjoyed the weekly meetings and the challenge of molding and shaping my own worldview! We (Charles and I at least) have added a whole new dimension to our vocabulary!

This however is the last set of discussion questions. That is sad. But all good things must come to an end. Dig in and enjoy!

DQ’s for Chapter 11

1. What is your current most pressing “What is God will for …?” question? Work this issue through the decision-making chart in chapter 3. Fine tune your answer in light of chapters 4-11!
2. "There is no one answer for everyone about how we deal with singleness, adoption, models of parenting, educational choices, church selection, use of time and money, and many other issues.” p.200 Has Meadors included something in this list that he shouldn’t have? Has he left anything off? How can he make this statement?
3. Who are we ultimately responsible to for our decisions? What role, then, do our Christian brothers and sisters have in the decision-making process? How should you then respond to a request for advice in these situations?
4. How should prayer and reason (ability to think things through) work together? Are they in separate categories?
5. Meadors destroys the romance in the thought “God has ordained one special person to be my life partner”. Do you agree or disagree with him? Why? (Remember to support your answer Biblically without prooftexting.)
6. Discuss the good and the bad decisions that seemed to steer your life and personality to the point at which you find yourself today. How does this “life mapping” influence your relationship with God? Do you understand that “[you are] the person that [you are] today because of that journey.” p.212
7. Discuss several good reasons for leaving a church family to go somewhere else. Where does loyalty fit in your answer? Do you hold this value as tightly as Meadors does? What is the most important value in church selection?
8. T or F: “The Bible is sufficient for everything we need for life and godliness.” If true, discuss how this will change the way that we engage the “gray” areas. If false, what do we need in addition to the Word to make it through life successfully?
9. What role does the church play in the decision-making process?
10. What should you look for in a pastor of your church? How will you know if you have called the right one?
    
    Charles and I have already discussed continuing our morning visits into the next quarter. Perhaps even adding another younger mind to mold and shape! Look for more posts to come. Thanks for journeying through Meadors' book with us.
    
    Knowing and doing the will of God,
    Mike

Prayer Changes Things ... or Does It?

Prayer is a great treat for the believer. It is an opprotunity to talk, converse, listen, communicate with our heavenly Father. It is the highpoint of our fellowship relationship with him through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. How does it affect our understanding or doing the will of the Father? Dig into these questions for the week from Meadors' book on the subject of finding and doing the will of God in daily decision-making.

DQ’s for Chapter 10

1. “Skilled and hardworking persons always have more opportunities than they can fulfill.” (p.187) Are “open doors” always indicators of God’s will?
2. What is the role of prayer in the decision making process? What part do values play in prayer? What is the faith of our prayers in?
3. Should we expect that God will reveal his will to us because of our prayers?
4. Is the popular expression “prayer changes things” a truism to live by? If it is true, how will it affect your prayer life? What types of things will we pray for? If it is not true, how can it be rewritten to be true?
5. Talk your way through 1 Thes. 5:16-18 in light of God’s will.
6. “Prayer recognizes God’s sovereign will.” How then do we deal with God’s “no” answers to our prayers? How can we get excited about a “no” answer?
7. If God cannot be manipulated by our prayers, why is it that we must pray? What does prayer reflect about our relationship with God? Discuss several times when God did and when He did not intervene in your life’s events as a result of your prayers. How should you process the days of disappointment with prayer’s power?

How should I pray for you? Drop me a note and keep me updated!

Striving to exercise fervent prayer that is effectual,

Mike

What's the point?

Warning! to those who are in youth ministry; your teenagers want to know "what's the point?" We had a lively discussion last night in YG that centered around this question in the debriefing session after a game involving multiple bodies (10) and a 4'x8' entryway carpet.

I spent an hour asking questions and chasing down bold statements of defiance and frustration. I jotted notables on the whiteboard and looked for ways to help the teens discover the answers rather than give them the answers. As a closing exercise, I gave them paper and asked them to evaluate the evening. "What was the point?", etc.

I was blown away by the responses. Most of them didn't get the answer(s). Most of them didn't like being stretched by the conversation and questions. This book has got to be one of the best spent $10 for this group.
(Experiential Youth Ministry Handbook, John Losey)

My initial temptation is to write a 101 things that you should have learned from this "pointless" activity. I have mellowed out some. I believe I will call it 101 things that I learned from this activity. :)

Still loving teens (even the ones that don't get it at first),
Mike

Breaking the Addictive Behavior Cycle

As I was dealing with the topic of sin in a youth group meeting a while ago, I said, without thinking, "Let's choose a sin that's easy to agree on -- smoking..." Bob (not his real name) spoke right up and said, "My Dad is a smoker is he a sinner?" Now I was in it up to my neck. :)

I tried a dodge at this point, "Bob, each of us is a sinner".

But my Dad can't stop, it wouldn't be healthy for him to quit. He's tried in the past."

I was sucking in water. I had no dodge, no safe non-answer, and no place to hide. "Bob, we each are addicted to our own sins," I replied calmly. "We need to weigh the costs of quitting sin against the costs of not quitting. The costs of not quitting sin is too high."

Now this is the right answer. I believe that Bob wanted to believe it too. There was no wiggle room with this statement. It was stark. It was definitive. I had forgotten that conversation until today. I read this quote in Every Man's Battle:

"Sexually speaking, you have a low-grade sexual fever. It doesn’t disable you, but you aren’t healthy either. You sort of function normally, but you can’t really push hard. Basically, you just get by. And if this fever doesn’t break, you’ll never fully function as a believer." p.87

and a few pages later, this one:
"Regarding sexual purity, God knows the provision He’s made for us. We aren’t short on power or authority, but what we lack is urgency." p. 91

We can easily replace the sexual language with any other language that describes your addiction to sin. Fill it in with lying or cheating. Fill it in with the word SIN! Then I recalled these great verses from 2Peter 1:3-4:

"His divine power has given us everything that we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that you may particpate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires."

We can win over sin. It is more unhealthy to stay ensnared in it than to break out of it! We have all of the resources that we need in Christ. We can win over sin! It has no more power over me!

Praising my God of very great and precious promises,
Mike

Reading Report

Just wanted to blog a note and report that I resisted the urge to flop down and pop on the tube last night. I finished reading Dr. Meadors' book, Decision Making God's Way! He did a great job and gave me some very good thought provoking ideas about how I pursue "God's will" for my life. I especially apprecaited his discussion of marriage/mate selection! Not very romantic, but very practical.

I am also reading Every Man's Battle. It is an interesting read. The three co-authors have given me some great things to think about as well. It is a good book for in your face discussion of the issues of sexual purity. Here's just one of the quotes that I think is excellent from the first 50 pages.

"Sexual impurity has become rampant in the church because we’ve ignored the costly work of obedience to God’s standards as individuals, asking too often, ‘How far can I go and still be called a Christian?’" p. 58

So what are you reading? Send me a title, an author, and a quote! Remember to follow MLA footnote format. :)

Leaders are readers,
Mike

The Thirteenth Donut

Need a conversational donut to dunk with your coffee at Timmy Ho's this morning? Here's a quote to discuss from Dr. Meadors' book, Decision Making God's Way.

“The problem is that we do not have a means to detect when an internal conviction is from conscience, the Spirit, or our own desires. That is why we need an objective procedure to make decisions that are based on the validation of our understanding of the Bible and the worldview and values set we claim. This is not as comfortable or as safe as having a direct revelatory process, but it is a process that God has designed to develop us as persons created in his image.” p. 184

Dunkin' donuts like these,
Mike

Holy Spirit Led Searchers

Jesus' final comments to his discisples in John 14-17 include the description of the other comforter who was coming. This comforter was/is the Holy Spirit. Every believer (not just the original 12) has been given the same Spirit. But how does he direct us? Is there any new disclosure as he moves us along? Meadors' chapter 9 deals with the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer as he/she seeks to know and do the will of God.

Here are the questions for further discussion and study for this week:

1. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life with regard to “will of God”? Has this always been the modus operandi for the Spirit with believers of all times?
2. What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the creation of the Scriptures? What does 2 Peter 1:21 say about this role? What does it not say? Why is it important that this primary document be Spiritually crafted?
3. Does God speak to believers today in the same way that he did to the prophets and the apostles? Discuss John 16:3 in immediate and larger contexts.
4. In what three areas does the “conviction of the Holy Spirit” work today? Should we expect any convictions outside of these three realms?
5. What is the common word used to describe the Spirit’s work in the life of a believer in connection with the Word of God? Why does Meadors balk at the use of this word? Is he right? What is actually happening in this Spiritual process? Can you think of a better term?
6. Define “an anointing of the Holy Spirit” biblically. (ref. 1 John 2:18-27) Discuss the scope (what does this anointing cover) and limitations (what does this anointing not cover) of anointing. How does the Spirit affect epistemology?
7. Are the Word of God and the Spirit ever in conflict? If so when?
8. What do the terms “filled” and “led” mean? Are they biblical terms? According to Meadors, how can the Holy Spirit be robbed of the opportunity to convict believers?
9. Describe the difference between the status and process of sanctification. What part does the Holy Spirit play in each of these areas?
10. What are the three ingredients to interpret the subjective domain of life? What is the outcome if these three (any of them) are violated?
11. How do I discover my spiritual gifts? What is the best context for determining giftedness? How is it connected to the will of God? According to Meadors, do we get spiritual giftedness before, during or after salvation?
12. There are four major lists of spiritual giftedness (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10,12, 28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:7-11). Compare and contrast these lists. Why are these lists different?

Thanks for thinking through this [Charles] Baker's dozen of questions. The final piece (#13) is in the post above! :)

Spirit-led, Spirit-filled, and Spirit-anointed,

Mike

Life-Draining Pursuits

This is the title block for a message that I am teaching to our ministry team. It will probably take two weeks to complete. The four pursuits that drain the life right out of life do the same to ministry. Solomon tried to pursue a negative quartet of things in life and recorded the draining conclusion in Ecclesiastes. Try your hand at guessing the four leaches (pursuits that drain the life out of ministry). This is open book, so go look in Ecclesaistes 1, 2. :)

Interested in getting the answers and/or the .ppt? Email me or post your guesses with a request and I'll send it to you!

Please pray for the training that will occur in the next 5 weeks (Wed's) as we prep for deploying two summer ministry teams; one in Springville, NY, and one in Tyrone, NY.

Heading on out of the comfort zone, pursuing vital ministry,
Mike 

860 Kelly Hill Rd in Bloom

I can't even spell forsythia! This one in bloom in front of "the farm". 

Marshmallow Madness

Extreme Madness as Pastor Ron and a teen from South Warsaw attempt the Marshmallow Swing game. We did not add chocolate syrup as a game modification... maybe next time! See/read the brief update in the comments section of the original post. 

Tonight's Anything Goes Game Night

Tonight, we will be holding our annual spring outreach event at WyBC. Please pray for teens that are inviting teens, for teens to accept the invitation to come and to respond and for the speaker, Daryn Duff. I will be working with Kyle to run the games. 

DQ's for Chapter 8

This Sunday school class has opened up all sorts of conversations for Charles and for others in the class. It is great to hear them share during the prayer and share time on Sunday nights about the joy of being stretched by God's Word and Dr. Meadors. These testimonies are so much better than "Great Aunt Myrtle's bunion problems"! :)

Here is the next wave of questions to help you engage with us!

1. Define conscience; think about its formation, development and role in a person’s life. Is your definition a psychological, philosophical or Biblical one? (ref. Meadors p. 155)
2. Discuss the ramifications of Jiminy Cricket’s advice, “Always let your conscience be your guide.” What worldview does Walt Disney’s cartoon portray by using this character? Is it “just cartoons”?
3. How reliable or limited is your conscience? What are its limitations? How can these limitations be overcome? What is the role of good or bad feelings to decision making? (c. Meadors, pp.157, 164)
4. Read Romans 2:12-15. Who has the “advantage” with regard to conscience? What does an increased understanding do to their hearts? How then should this affect our reading of pharaoh’s response in Exodus 7-9?
5. Why can our consciences not be trusted as the final judge for making decisions? Why do people try to silence their consciences?
6. Consider the stronger/weaker brother conversation in 1 Corinthians 8:7-13. Why was the stronger brother strong? How could he be wrong too?
7. “The function of conscience always lags behind [conviction], because a change of mind takes time.” (Meadors, p.161) Share a personal illustration of this principle from your own life.
8. In the cartoons, how is the conversation of conscience depicted? Who are those little voices in our heads? How does the “conscience conversation” change when making decisions in areas of clear commandments, community standards, or personal standards?
9. What is the secret to maximizing the helpfulness of the assistance given by conscience?

Why not start a conversation of your own today about conscience, worldviews, or values sets? I look forward to hearing how it turns out!

Molding and shaping young people into a focused worldview,

Mike

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