The Fallout from Missing Integrity

Integrity still matters a great deal, even in a culture that seems to be saying it does not.

Yesterday the news stations and internet sites (ESPN, CNN) all rushed to report the news of the firing of Jim Tressel, the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I know not all of you are football fans, or sports fans for that matter, but this was a story that made mainstream news because of the gravity of it. Jim Tressel has been one of college football's most winning coaches in his time at OSU. He has dominated his conference and won a National Championship. The reason for Tressel's resignation/firing was because of his lying to his university and NCAA investigators about his knowledge of recent scandals and infractions involving his players. His players had been violating NCAA rules by selling their memorabilia from games and awards. The OSU players were also receiving illegal benefits from businesses and school donors. Tressel was aware of all of this, and had been for some time, but lied about it. He lied to his athletic director, the school president, and NCAA investigators. For months now the facts have been surfacing and Tressel's reputation has been declining. Yesterday it all came to an end and Tressel resigned. The great run of this coach over, his legacy tarnished.

Rather than getting into the details and facts of NCAA rules and the rights of players to collect benefits for their services, I want to ask a simple questions: what did Tressel's lack of integrity cost him?

We know for a fact that his lack of integrity cost him his job. We know for a fact that his lack of integrity cost him a lot of money. These things are evident. But here is a question for you:

What did Tressel's lack of integrity cost him as a father? grandfather? husband? son? role-model? friend?

The fallout from missing integrity goes far beyond what ESPN, CNN, and others will ever report. Eventually the story will die down, but there is still fallout that will take place. Rather than using these opportunities to tear down people, coaches, athletics, or things like these, we should use these opportunities to evaluate our own lives. We may not operate under the bright lights that Tressel lived under, but integrity is no less important.

If you are a father or mother, husband or wife, your integrity matters a great deal because there are people watching and learning from you. If you are a Christian, integrity matters a great deal, because non-believers look at your life and measure it to your words.

I am challenged by the Jim Tressel story to not overlook what takes place when nobody is looking. These moments in secret will eventually be made public. Our integrity is about making sure that what people see on the outside is true of what is going on inside. Our integrity is about making sure that what is seen in public matches what takes place in private. We must be people of integrity.

Why do you believe integrity is so important? What are the biggest struggles you have as a Christian with integrity?

Living Through Gospel-Shaded Glasses

The gospel message is the foundation of the Christian faith. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message that we know the world needs to hear. We know it is a message that served as the catalyst for our conversion and faith. We know the gospel is something that churches, and those who are a part of them, should proclaim with vigor.

With the gospel message serving such a place of importance and primacy in our faith, we must become skilled in it understanding it, seeing it, and explaining it. 

One of the ways that we can begin to grow in our gospel understanding is to live our lives through gospel-shaded glasses. What does that mean? It means that we begin to view all of life and the day-to-day events of our lives through the context of the gospel message. This will help us to see that the gospel message is always being told through the events and people that we encounter on a daily basis.

Let me give some examples of this. Yesterday my family and I flew to Orlando for a week vacation at Disney. We have been looking forward to this trip for months. There are several things just on a trip here that remind me that the gospel is always being proclaimed. First, the complete beauty and awe-inspiring view from thousands of feet above the ground is amazing. Even though flying is not new to me, I never cease to be captivated. The skies were breath-taking and the little white clouds hovered below us like cotton balls. It is in those moments that I am reminded that there is a majestic God whose beauty surpasses even what my eyes behold. I am struck by the fact that this beauty comes from the hand of the Master Artist who designed all the landscapes that I see below. Even in flying to Disney I am reminded that there is a God who is radiant and lovely. 

Second, the rebelliousness of my daughter. For the sake of being a loving father to my little baby girl, I am going to refrain from giving every example of her struggles yesterday. She was not able to get a nap after church because we went straight to the airport. She was incredibly tired and irritable. She did not enjoy taking off, riding in, or landing in the plane. If you're keeping up, that is the whole flight. She cried, even screamed a couple of times. She rolled around the floor and almost got into the next set of seats because she crawled away from us. She finally fell asleep in the rent-a-car in Orlando. I love my sweet girl, but I was reminded of the rebellious nature of man. My daughter may have been tired, but she did not listen and she was not interested in listening. I wish I could use being tired as an excuse for my own rebellious behavior on a daily basis, but I cannot. It was a snapshot of this reality of sin in our lives.

Lastly, once we got to the hotel and got settled, we finally got some peace. It had been a long day, one that caused us to question our method of travel choices. I was reminded that true and lasting peace only comes through Jesus Christ. Showers and beds may give some relaxation, but only Christ gives rest to the weary soul. He is the one we are to turn to in our weariness and unrest. 

Every day offers moments where the gospel is being told. It is learning to see these moments that will help us to become well-versed in the gospel. It is learning to see these moments that will help us to grow in our faith. We must live our lives through gospel-shaded glasses. 

What kind of moments have you had lately that tell the story of the gospel? What kind of reminders can you give yourself for living with this view? What kind of benefits do you think can come from viewing the world through the lenses?

BLOG Relaunch

I am excited to be relaunching the BLOG. The purpose of this BLOG is to be a resource for those seeking to live their lives for the glory of God. With the church growing at the rate that it is, it is impossible to individually pastor everyone; however, with tools like this one, it allows for me to reach out to a lot more people than I could face-to-face on a daily basis. Each day of the week we will look at different aspects of the Christian life. We will look at topics such as:

* The Gospel and its Implications

* World Events/Cultural Issues

* Spiritual Disciplines

* Theology

* Marriage/Relationships

* Book Reviews

* Church Stuff

The BLOG purpose will be to offer practical thoughts for how to live our lives for the glory of God in the midst of a world that does not. The old catechism offers the question: "What is the chief end of man?" The answer is: "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." That is our aim and goal. This BLOG, by God's grace, will serve as a help for doing that in the days ahead.

I pray that this would be a place that you would visit daily and that it truly serves as a help for you on your journey.

*Are there things that would be helpful for you that you would like to read about on the BLOG? Leave your ideas in the comments.

Yearly Spiritual Diagnostic

In life it is good to do annual checkups. We should do them for our physical health. We should do them for your vehicles and homes. We should also do them for our spiritual health. An annual checkup on how you are doing spiritually is vital to ensure you are growing and progressing in your walk with Christ.

In my small group and with other leaders in the church, I'm giving them a spiritual diagnostic tool for them to gauge where they are in their walk right now. When it comes to spiritual growth, you are either progressing or regressing, there is no standing still. So how are you doing spiritually? Are you further in your walk with God right now than you were a year ago? Since we celebrated Easter this past Sunday and the new life we can have in Christ, let's use this as a chance to gauge how that new life is coming along. Take time to prayerfully answer the following questions:

1. What kind of time are you spending in God's Word each week?

none barely any regular daily

2. What kind of time are you spending in prayer each week?

none barely any regular daily

3. How frequently are you sharing your faith and/or inviting people to church?

never rarely sometimes all the time

4. How generous are you with your time, talents, and treasure for God's Kingdom?

none very little fairly good very generous

5. When you evaluate your walk with God over the past year, how would you rate it?

neglected lazy good, but needs improvement strong

6. What actions do you need to take to strengthen your walk with God?

So how are you doing?

Are You Coasting or Sprinting?

God didn't save you so you could coast toward the finish line of life. If you hear nothing else from this post, please hear that. None of us were saved so we can sit comfortably awaiting our ticket to heaven. Just the opposite is true. We are saved for a purpose that goes beyond relationship with God and the promise of heaven. We were saved for good works, which God prepared for us before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 2:10).

Do you understand what this means? If you have been saved by the grace of God, then you realize that this salvation leads to a transformed disposition toward our lives and actions. God wants us to join Him in the salvation of others. Some of us are given gifts that will build up and equip the next Billy Graham. Some are given gifts that make possible the environment for the next Billy Graham to hear the gospel. In other words, we all, if we are followers of Christ, have been given specific gifts for specific purposes. How do you discover them? Not by doing nothing. You must get off the sidelines and into the game. We must begin to serve.

If God were to evaluate your level of service to the Kingdom of God, like a performance review, would you look forward with anticipation or shrivel with dread? Lets get busy. There's work to be done. Coasting is not in the playbook. We must finish the race marked out for us and we are called to run with the intent to win.

What is Church About Really?

I'm glad to be blogging today. I've been on a couple month sabbatical from blogging. I finally feel that I have something to say after taking a break. The question I want to ask and briefly explore is: what is church really about?

This is a question that as a church right now, is vital that we answer. Since we have started utilizing video, there have been some comments from people saying things like, "well, we can just watch a video at home" or "I can watch videos online." While these things are absolutely true, they reveal a much deeper issue. If church is nothing more than going to listen to a preacher talk, then yes, you can absolutely do that at home. HOWEVER, is that all a church is really about? My answer is a big fat NO!

Church is much more than "GOING & GETTING." Church is about "GOING & SERVING," "GOING & CONNECTING," "GOING & GIVING." There is a big difference between the first one and all the ones that came after. Church is not about sitting and listening to a live preacher, it is about much more than that. It is about WORSHIPPING CORPORATELY TOGETHER, it is about BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE TO SHARE LIFE WITH, it is about GIVING YOUR GIFTS TO THE BUILDING OF GOD'S CHURCH. You can't do these things from your computer at home or from your couch.

So let's reevaluate what we are saying when we begin to make comments about what the church is really about. It is much more than watching a live preacher. May God grow us in our understanding of the church, and lets move from being consumers of a service, to people who are consumed with serving.

American Idols

In my reading time this morning I read a passage that I have read many times before, but a particular verse resonated with me and caused me to ask a tough question. The verse is from Acts 17:16 where Paul is in Athens and he is about to give his infamous address to the Areopagus. Scripture says:

"Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols."

When I read this I just paused and thought to myself, "does it bother me the way it bothered Paul that people in my city and culture are immersed in idol worship?" Sure we don't have as many physical idols (images and statues intended to serve as gods), but we have idols everywhere. For some, the big football stadium is an idol. It's where we go worship our heroes. For others, the big house is an idol. Still others are more subtle. There idol is how they look or status at work or a title. An idol is anything that we put before the One true God in our lives.

So back to my original question I asked of myself: does it bother you that idol worship is alive and well around you? My guess is that we have grown so use to it that we don't even recognize it or deem it as a big deal. For Paul, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw the city was full of idols. He understood what they were costing themselves. He understood how desperate they were to worship, but they worshipped things less than God.

Pray today and ask God to open your eyes to the idols around you, maybe even in your life. Pray that God would stir your heart to compassion and mission to those you see entrenched in idol worship. Ask God to reveal Himself and make Himself known to those who are worshipping things less than the Real Thing. Ask Him to break your heart for the same thing that broke Paul's.

The New, but Old Deist

Some Christians are Deists who would claim that they are not. What is a deist? It is a term that started to really gain steam post-Enlightenment period. Deists were people who believed in God, but did not believe that God could play a role in the created order. He was outside of time and did not enter into time. He was much like a clockmaker who creates the clock and then lets it run. God has set the world into motion, now we are left to figure it out and fix it, if it can be fixed. That, in a general explanation, is Deism.

Now how is that still practiced today by Christians? Well, first, the traditional Deism mentioned above is still very alive. Many Christians who are connected to science (not all) still maintain a very deists view of God. But there is a very new type of deists in today's church. It is not that new, but it has a new package. This person is one who cuts out all the passages of Scripture that doesn't match with his/her worldview. This is exactly what Deists of the Enlightenment period did too. Thomas Jefferson created his own Bible (Jeffersonian Bible) that eliminated all the miracles of Jesus and the New Testament because it didn't align with his scientific belief. Why did he believe he had the authority to do this? Because the Bible didn't align with him in certain places, so he just took out those places.

Many are still in the habit of this practice today. Many skip or ignore completely chunks of Scripture, even entire books of the Bible because they don't like what they say. They would rather hang on to one or two verses that affirm their worldview than the entirety of Scripture and full counsel of God. As much as they would deny this charge, they are indeed modern Deists. You simply cannot make the Bible what you want it to be because it doesn't fit your worldview. You must either call it a lie and turn from it or you must heed its words, all of its words, if you indeed intend to call yourself an orthodox Christian.

Do some examination of your own heart in this matter. You may find, as I did, we all have some Deist habits.

What are some ways you have seen this type of Deism displayed? Why do you think we are so willing to ignore passages of Scripture that don't align with our worldview?

Holiness: Possible and the Key to Being Used by God

The Bible tells us in Leviticus 11:44 that God says, "⁴⁴For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy." The command is one that we almost passively read through because at the end of the day we know that we won't be holy as God is holy. We know far to well that we are sinners. We are not just people who sin, we are sinners. It is a part of our nature. Yet, this does not excuse us from God's command to be holy.

R.C. Sproul, a great theologian, lays out in his book Chosen by God that we are born with a sin nature. The reason for this sin nature is that we are under the curse of Original Sin from our first parents Adam and Eve. Before the Fall of Adam and Eve, man was able to sin, but he was also able to not sin. He has the choice between obedience and disobedience. After the Fall of Adam and Eve, the nature of humanity changed. We were now able to sin, and unable not to sin. In other words, we were free to sin with our choices, and at the same time, our freedom is restricted in the sense that we are unable not to sin. We will sin as a result of the Fall of Man. The beauty of the gospel and being a person set free in Christ is that we are no longer obligated to sin. Whoever the Son has set free, he is free indeed. When we are born-again we now go back to our pre-Fall nature: we can sin and we can not sin. The process of holiness is trusting and leaning on Christ more and more to be able to choose not to sin when sin is before us. If we are in Christ, we curse him if we continue to say that you sin because you can't do otherwise. Not so if you are in Christ. Will we still sin? Yes. But make no mistake, we no longer have to sin. Before our rebirth in Christ, we are unable not to sin because of our corrupt hearts, minds, and nature. In heaven, when we finally are glorified and redeemed fully, we will be able not to sin and be unable to sin. So we will not only have the ability to not sin, we will lack the ability to sin. Praise God for that!!

Back to the issue of holiness. Holiness is possible. If you are reborn in Christ, you can be holy, you can choose not to sin. People often talk about how they want God to use them. I hear people ask me all the time, "just pray that God would use me." I don't have a problem praying for that, but here's the deal: God will use you if you are 1. reborn in Christ and 2. living a life of holiness. If you are not doing those things, no need for me to pray. In fact, look at the passage from 2 Timothy 3:20-21

²⁰Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."

The passage shows us that it doesn't matter what kind of vessel it is, as long as the vessel is clean it can be ready for honorable use. If it is clean, it can be set apart, useful to the master, ready for every good work. Paul is saying this: it doesn't matter what your spiritual gift is, your background, your age, etc. what matters in the issue of being used by God is holiness. We must be holy because God is holy. We must quit excusing our sin on our nature when in the rebirth we were given the ability not to sin. We must seek to be holy if we want to be used by God. We should quit praying for God to use us and instead focus on holiness. When we do that, God will wear us out.

Women Submit, Men Check-out

 
I know that the title of my post is exaggerated. I'm very aware that not all women submit and not all men check-out. The husband/wife dynamic is an interesting one to say the least. Throw into the mix the standards by which God expects us to uphold within that relationship according to the Scriptures and you have yourself a mess. The Scriptures in Ephesians 5 lays out the standard by which husbands and wives are to relate to one another. The popular passage from this chapter is tells wives to submit to their husbands. Every man, Christian and non-Christian, has likely quoted that passage to his wife at some point in their relationship, only to have her chirp back with something clever in return, leaving him grasping for a reply.

The Bible does tell women to submit to their husband's leadership in the home. The wife is supposed to respect her husband and fall under his leadership. The problem is: most guys do not lead in such a way that merits their wives to submit to them. Most guys checkout of their role as husbands and leaders of the home. The Bible gives men an even more difficult role than wives. The Bible says for men to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ gave his life for the church, and this is the example given for how husbands should love and honor their wives. 1 Peter 3:7 even tells us that the prayers of the man who doesn't honor his wife will be hindered. In other words, being the man God has called you to be to your wife and children is a HUGE responsibility.

Back to the Garden

I want to wrap up this post with a reminder of the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Who ate from the forbidden tree? Eve. However, Adam, who was checked-out, was there beside her. Eve is having a conversation concerning their obedience with the serpent and Adam is sitting by passively. Eve eats of the forbidden fruit, and gives some to Adam too. Then they recognize their sin, hide from God, and await what they know will be a dreadful encounter. What happens next? God comes and they are hiding. God addresses the issue. Who does God question about the incident? Eve? No. "What have you done?," is asked of Adam, the husband. God went to the leader of the family and made him given an account. Eve was the culprit, and God was fully aware of this, but He went to the man, the husband, and held him responsible.

Men, are you checked-out at home? Step up. Quit playing it safe from the sidelines and be the man your wife wants and needs you to be. Wives, submit to your husbands, even when they fail in their leadership. Don't chastise him or belittle him. Let him lead, be supportive, encourage him to lead as God desires. This is the picture of the marriage God designed to exist. We need to relearn what healthy relationships look like and quit defining the parameters for ourselves.

Haiti Disaster Relief

In response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti last week, The Journey Church will be working in conjunction with several local churches and organizations to collect the following items to send to the people of Haiti:

1. New or used shoes (adults, kids, babies)

2. New clothes (adults & kids)

3. Cases of bottled water

4. Preferably new tents, blankets, and duffel bags

5. Baby food and formula

6. Diapers (mainly sizes 2 & 3)

7. Baby bottles (with nipples) and sippy cups

8. Flashlights and batteries

Note: we will be collecting these items starting this Sunday 1/24 through Sunday 2/21. You can drop the items off at the Pathways table at the campus you attend each Sunday. If you have any questions, please contact the church office at 615-547-7070 or John Griffin atjohn@thejourneytn.org.

Let's try to step up Journey Church to do our part in being the hands and feet of Christ in the world.

Haiti, The Gospel, and God's Sovereignty

The tragic story of what has and is happening in Haiti is astounding. To think of thousands in a matter of moments being killed by such a unsuspecting event is horrifying. Yet in the midst of this tragedy and sorrow, we must be reminded that God is sovereign. Though we wish we could turn away and it disappear, we must be reminded that our world is broken and awaiting the return of its Savior to bring it to final redemption. And though we don't always understand why or how things like this can happen under God's watch, we are reminded that the people of Haiti need the gospel, and this tragedy will and can usher that in.

Unlike crazy Pat Robertson, who I can't believe I have to call a brother in Christ, I do not believe God was acting out some kind of judgment on Haiti. Instead, I believe it is a good reminder from God's Word (Romans 8) that all creation is moaning as in the pains of childbirth, awaiting the redemption of the sons and daughters of God. Awaiting the return of Christ. Awaiting final restoration.

As a church (The Journey), we are looking at ways that we can help bring relief to Haitian people. We will have updates to come soon on how you can get involved. In the mean time, here are several things we should partner together to pray for:

1. That the relief efforts and aid being sent and delivered would help relieve some of the physical suffering going on.

2. That the gospel of Jesus would come in power and that many would find hope and salvation.

3. That parents who lost children and children who lost parents would be comforted by the great Comforter.

4. That as a global community, God could use a tragedy of this nature, to remind us that the "betterment" of earth is not where our hope should lie. It is in Jesus Christ in whom we put our faith. We believe he is going to return to make right the wrongs that have occurred on earth. There will be final restoration. We look to that day.

Take some time today to pray for the country of Haiti. Pray for the people. Pray for the relief workers and missionaries who are hitting the ground. Pray for a mighty move of the Spirit of God there, that Jesus may be made known.

Church Discipline

I was in a class all week last week for my class: History of the Baptist. I know what you're thinking. It was exactly what I was thinking when I realized it was a requirement for my Master's Degree: "great, this sounds like fun!" Note this was said sarcastically. To my surprise, I learned more in that class than I have in many classes. The class was loaded with church history, theology, and the question of how church polity (governing) should be. I know some of you are still thinking, "wow, sounds like fun," but in my own little nerdy way, I really enjoyed the class.

This leads me to what I wanted to bring up in the blog. We learned a lot and studied a lot on the practice of church discipline. Now I know this is not a very familiar term today, but church discipline is something that happened from the New Testament churches all the way to the present, though presently very few churches practice or know church discipline. A definition of church discipline would be: the action taken by church governing bodies against individuals or groups of individuals whose actions, beliefs, or reputation effect the holiness and purity of the church body. It is important to note that this happened within the context of single congregations. Members of the church were held accountable for various types of attitudes, actions, and beliefs both inside and outside the church. The church would regularly conduct "tribunals" to try cases being brought up. Evidence would be presented for the accusation and the church would vote on a verdict, then a proper sentence would be given. Sometimes the sentence involved repentance and reconciliation with members of the church, and in many cases, the sentence was expulsion from the church. There were some who refused to undergo such trials to respond to accusations against them, but for the most part, individuals absolutely went through this process.

You see, in the past, church wasn't viewed as simply a place to show up on Sunday to worship. Churches were families. They were communities of faith. There was much love and affection for each other, but there was accountability. They believed the only two ways to leave a church were 1. death or 2. expulsion. You didn't want the reputation of having been expelled from a church. You would not be quickly received by other churches because they assumed that you had doctrinal or character issues that they didn't want exposed to their churches. Purity in the church was paramount!

When I read of this and reflect on what happens in our society today regarding church, I cringe. Very few people would dare to hear a charge brought against them, more-less publicly repent in order to be restored to the "right hand of fellowship" within the church. Today's churchgoer would simply leave and go somewhere else. The church they would go to would blindly receive them into the fold and more than likely, more issues would arise later.

Here's my questions for you: what are your thoughts on church discipline of the Church of the past (NT - 1800's) vs. the Church of today? Would you undergo church discipline or would you leave? What are your thoughts on how churches can, to some degree, recapture the ability to handle issues of discipline, yet retain the individual within the fold of the church? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Price of Integrity

How much does integrity cost? Well, that depends. It depends on what your willing to do to maintain it or what you are willing to do to lose it. Integrity takes time to build. In order to create a legacy in your life of integrity, you need to demonstrate over time, with big things and small things, that you are willing to do what is right, what is true, what is moral, despite the cost. As long as it takes to build integrity, the sad thing is, it can be lost in an instant. Integrity is only as good as your latest choice.

Let me give you an example of how easy it is to slip in your integrity:

Let's pretend for a moment that a friend was able to get tickets to a game that you really wanted to watch. However, the tickets were not bought or gained honestly, instead, they were bought from a scalper in a place where scalping is illegal. Now, you didn't buy the tickets, but you are using them as a result of an illegal purchase. Are you wrong for doing this or is it only the fault of the person who bought them illegally? The answer: YES, you are at fault. YES, you are sinning. YES, you have comprised your integrity. In this scenario, you sold your integrity for $40 or so, simply because you didn't want to purchase the tickets for full price.

I know for many this sounds extreme, but here's the deal: as followers of Jesus we are called to above reproach, to set the examples in speech and action, to be light in a world of darkness. We are called not to just have a "belief" in God, but to honor Him with all choices. What is the price of integrity? It is a high price to pay if you want it, but it can be lost for the price of nothing.

It All Points to Jesus

I love Christmas. We celebrate the birth of the King of Kings. We are reminded that God initiated a rescue plan to redeem us and reconcile us back to Himself. Where do we get our evidence that the birth of Jesus was the hinge point of history? Where do we learn that Jesus' birth changed everything and was the promised hope we were looking for? The Gospel accounts tell us the story of Jesus and what he accomplished, but it is the Old Testament Scriptures that show us why Jesus' birth is so important. It is the Old Testament that tells us that we should be expecting a king, a messiah, a Savior.

As Christians today we often ignore the Old Testament as if were just a bunch of history. Sometimes we view it as the story of the vengeful and wrathful God, only to give way to the loving God of the New Testament. Not only is this view wrong, it is downright heretical. God is unchanging. The same God who announced judgment and enacted judgment in the Old Testament, is the same God who brought Israel out of exile when they repented, spared the city of Nineveh, and promised to provide redemption through a Savior. When we begin to think about Jesus, we need to understand that he came as a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and promises.

Jesus himself tells us that all of the Old Testament points to him. After Jesus' resurrection he appears to two men on the road. They did not recognize Jesus and were actually telling Jesus about what had happened to Jesus. In the midst of talking with them Jesus had to tell them the meaning of it all because they did not understand: ²⁵He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. - Luke 24:25-27 Jesus says that the Old Testament Scriptures point to him. Notice he even references every section of the Old Testament (Moses and the prophets). Jesus explains to them how the Scriptures (being Old Testament Scriptures at the time) pointed to and spoke of him. After Jesus leaves them they discuss how their hearts burned within them as he opened up the Scriptures.

It all points to Jesus. Remember this season that God communicates with us through His Word. Remember that God fulfills His promises. Remember that there is no difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament...God is not divided, there is but One God, distinctly understood in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Remember that salvation was bought for you at a price. The price was the life of Jesus Christ, who became the sacrificial lamb, and who died a death in our place, that we might live. He who was rich became poor so that we who are poor could become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). That richness is a life lived redeemed and justified before the Living God. Remember in the midst of all your family get-togethers, services, dinners, gifts, and all the festivities: it all points to Jesus.

The Incarnation

This Sunday at the Journey I'm going to be unpacking one of the greatest, most under-appreciated realities of the Christian faith: the Incarnation. Without the Incarnation there is no cross of Calvary. Without the Incarnation, there is no atonement, no resurrection, and no significance to the person of Jesus. The Incarnation marks an amazing period in the history of man, God becomes flesh.

I don't want to go to much into detail about the Incarnation here on the blog because I still want you to come to church :-) but I think this is a misunderstood and rarely celebrated points in our faith. There is a beautiful reminder laced right in the middle of it: the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Why? To save us. To rescue us. To redeem us. To pull us from the dominion of darkness and to bring us into the glorious light of his Kingdom. The Incarnation is a like a Navy Seal parachuting into a war zone to go in and win the victory. The Word became flesh, he parachuted in to rescue us. This should elicit a response of praise and worship.

This Christmas season, be slow to make it about all the other things: trees, lights, Santa, gifts, food, family, programs, shows, etc. and be quick to make it centrally about the radical, saving actions of the God who rescues and became flesh to do it.

What are your biggest questions or confusions about the Incarnation?

Problems with Neighbor breed Problems with God

Let me ask you a question: are there people in your life that you are less than cordial with? Let me ask a better question: are there brothers and sisters in Christ that you would say that you don't like very much? I ask the question rhetorically because I already know what the answer is: YES!!! I know there are people that get on your nerves. I know there are people who's personality gets under your skin. As a pastor I witness this reality between people, but I also fall victim to it as well.

If the Word of God, and not our emotions, opinions, and broken assessments, are to lead and guide us, then we need to take caution to what it says. When our lives don't align to its commands we should repent, meaning, turn from. We must ask the Spirit of God to stir our hearts toward change and we must go to our brothers and sisters in which we are not in right standing and reconcile. Take a look at what the Bible says about this subject:

1 John 2:9 (NIV) Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

1 John 2:11 (NIV) But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

1 John 3:15 (NIV) Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

1 John 4:20 (NIV) If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

These are but a few verses that are contained in one book about this subject. These words are convicting. If you say you love God, but you have problems with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, then the love of God is not in you. No eternal life in he who hates his brother. So at the end of the day, God doesn't care about your excuses or reasons for why you don't like somebody. How do you combat this type of thinking?

Be reminded regularly that while you were still a sinner and enemy of God, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8). If God could love you, in all your sin, in all your rebelliousness, in all your wicked ways, how is it that you, who has been forgiven, cannot seem to find love for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In God's eyes this is unacceptable. Take time today to reflect on what people in your life you have had a hard time loving and repent today. If necessary, talk to this person and reconcile with them. Make a vow to God to love them with the same measure of love in which you were given through His Son.

Why do you think this is such a problem in our churches and lives?

The Death of Orthodoxy Part 2

We are products of our culture. Regardless of how much you would like to think you have escaped the snare of the culture around you, you are immersed in something that has formed you. As Christians we know that our role in the culture is to be counter-culture, and live the ways of Jesus over and above the ways of this world. We are not supposed to be people who disconnect from the culture and try to hide from it in an effort to be holy. The Amish have attempted to do this. They don't live with electricity or phones and many other things we would consider normal because they are trying to live "set apart." The problem is this, the culture is so consuming that even the Amish can't escape it. You see, the Amish often have businesses in which they sell the goods they produce to the world outside of their farms. If you venture into an Amish dairy farm you will notice quickly just how difficult it is to escape culture. They have regulations they have to meet which requires them to conform to the rules. They have a phone located in the facility. They have particular equipment and machines. They follow the rules. Even the Amish, who try to live untainted by the culture, cannot escape the power of the culture around them.

So here's where I'm going with this. In my travels the last three weeks to other churches, I have seen many different styles, sizes, and types of churches. I have seen churches meeting in traditional buildings, warehouses, and schools. The one glaring thing that has stood out to me in my visits to these churches is the overwhelming, undeniable effect that culture has played on what the churches are doing. I'm not talking about the use of video, having heat and air, or sitting in chairs, rather, I'm talking about what seems to be a Bible anemic, commitment lacking, consumer product. At many of my visits I never heard the Bible preached. Often when it was used it was referenced to support the ideas and examples the pastor had mentioned, instead of the text of Scripture providing the points. I witnessed worship time that resembled concert performances more than participational worship. Communion was not served at any of the places that I visited, which has become something in the American church that seems to have been made into an "occasional" ordinance of the church, instead of what it was always viewed as by the apostles and early church: essential.

The culture has played an undeniable role in shaping our churches. Not all of this is bad, but not all of it is good. I believe it is okay to use and redeem some of cultures advancements and technology to allow the gospel message to be further spread; however, there are some things in the church that should be non-negotiable, unchanging, and staples of our gospel communities: participatory worship that brings glory to God through both its content and spirit, preaching of the Bible as the centerpiece of our messages and not man's wisdom or humor as the central component, the practice of taking Communion/Lord's Supper regularly (some churches perform more skits in a year than they take Communion), and a spirit of unity and community, not a feeling of attending a show, performance, or concert. Some of the things that separate churches who demonstrate these and those who don't are small and subtle things. At the end, we should be desirous of seeing our churches glorify our Father and His Son, as we carried by and united by the power of the Spirit. The design of a church is to never glorify a pastor, a worship leader, to impress or satisfy attendees, or to lift technology or creativity over and above Jesus. To bring glory to God and share His gospel is why gather and exist as churches.

These things, things I've mentioned before, and other things not wrote here are why I believe there has been a Death of Orthodoxy. I desire to lead the church I pastor and participate with to honor God in staying true to the things that are not on the table for debate and if needed, stand as a voice crying out in the wilderness for repentance.

Confessions of a Pastor Who's Still Learning

I'm a lousy spiritual leader in my home.

I think I needed to start the post by just getting that out of the way. I'm a pastor who can lead and shepherd and care with the best of them, but I have felt a conviction from God lately that I'm not doing all I should/could be doing to take my home to the next level. Now don't get me wrong. We are not a pagan household. I do regular discipleship with my son. We will pray as a family and we have no problem talking about God. You see my problem is not with the family, it is with my wife. I don't feel that I'm doing enough to help us to grow as ONE spiritually. I don't want to sit down and teach her the Bible like I'm leading a class, because the last thing she wants is to feel like I'm making her go to school. I have had a hard time finding good marriage devotional. So I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to help create and foster that time for us.

There are also fears attached to this. I have never seen this modeled for me in my life, so much of it is going to be starting from scratch. I fear some of the levels of vulnerability that it is going to require. I fear not doing a good job. I simply want to be better, and I know it is going to require some changes of my habits.

I started by confessing and repenting before God, then I sat down and talked to my wife and apologized and told her my conviction. Thankfully she is desirous of a deeper intimacy together as well through our walk with God. Now comes the hard part: doing it. If you have suggestions as to what you do as a husband and wife, I'd love to hear it. If you have a devotional that have seemed to work well, leave a comment and let me know.

Do you find yourself struggling with this? Why do you think this is such a hard thing for us to do in our marriages?

He Is Not Like Us

Forming and shaping God into our image is a very popular thing to do these days. If you want your cause to have more weight, say that God is for it and try to find a verse (though usually out of context) to support it. We forget that we are shaped into God's image and that a major responsibility humans carry is to be image-bearers. This can be tricky to think about because at the end of the day, we know that we often don't do a good job at reflecting God. There are attributes of God, things that are a part of His essence that we share, known as communicable attributes. Things such as: love, kindness, knowledge, etc. These are attributes of God that He shares with us. There are some things about God though that show us that He is not like us. These things teach us a great deal about God's richness. These three things about God, when understood, provoke deeper understanding and worship of Him.

3 Attributes of God that remind us that He is not like us:

1. God is Eternal - God has no beginning and no end. He does not live in successive moments of time, but instead sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees in time and acts in time. God is transcendent in that He is bigger than time and space. No one has given him life, and no one can take away that life. God has life in himself. Before the world was made, God needed nothing to make him happy or to make him God, he is self-existent and self-sufficient. God has it all, without beginning and without ending. (Psalm 90:1-2)

2. God is Holy - The Bible speaks of a lot of God's holiness. To be holy means to be different from all else - to be unique or separate or set apart. An important element of God's holiness is that He is completely separate from all that is wrong or impure or sinful. He has life that cannot be stained by anything bad. Because God is truth He cannot lie or believe a lie. Because God is faithful He cannot go back on His word or break a promise. Because God is righteous, He cannot do what is evil or consider the evil that others do as okay or acceptable. He is holy, and so he is separated from anything that is contrary to his own life as God. (Isaiah 6:3; Exodus 15:11)

3. God is Unchangeable - God is God, and this means He cannot be less than who He is as God, just as He cannot be other than who He is as God. God has every quality within his own life as God, and because of this, He simply cannot change for the better or for the worse. God is the same today as He was yesterday or 5,000 years ago. God is who He ever is, and nothing in the very character of God can change. He can be relied on, trusted, and followed, for He does not sway like the trees with every passing wind. (Psalm 102:25-27)

Considering that God is eternal, holy, and unchangeable should bring us to both praise for God's greatness and trust because of the faithfulness of His character. We can count on Him. He has all power, wisdom, and goodness. Knowing these things lead us to honor Him, worship Him, trust Him, and humble ourselves before Him. He is not like us.

The Death of Orthodoxy Part 1

So much of my story as a follower of Jesus has been trying to understand the way in which my life and walk will reflect and bring honor to the Father. While this is often a challenge and lifelong journey, the one thing in my observations about the church is that there has been a death to orthodoxy. By orthodox I mean: the historical doctrines and creeds established by the apostles and early church fathers, informed by the teaching of Jesus and the words of Scripture.

As I journeyed deeper into trying to be a leader in the Kingdom of God, I soon discovered that there were so many ways of "doing" and "being" the church. Most of my earlier years as a true follower of Jesus were spent critiquing the type of church I grew up in. Most of my reasoning for this was that its methods for sharing the message of Jesus were outdated and irrelevant. Though I still hold to this idea, I'm becoming more aware of a trend: sound doctrine and orthodoxy are a dying breed in the American church, especially the "contemporary" church.

Now, before I explain myself, know that I'm not one of those guys who is cynical and angry at everybody and looking for something to complain about. Also know that I'm on the front-lines of trying to help initiate change both in my church and in the Kingdom at large. That said, I seeing a growing trend of churches becoming schools of morality and self-help instead of gospel centers where Jesus is preached, the Bible guides us, and people are challenged to align their lives to both. In the quest for relevance, and often times as a reaction to EVERYTHING associated with a "traditional" church, the solid, foundational message has been tossed along with the outdated methods. We must never mistake the message from the methods. The methods should always change. The message is unchanging. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a message that is changing or should change, for it contains the power to change and transform lives.

In our quest to be relevant, we must never sacrifice sound doctrine. We are warned repeatedly by the apostle Paul throughout his writings that the day is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine and teaching and will instead find teachers to give them what their itching ears long to ear (2 Timothy 4). I'm afraid to say that I feel I'm living in those times. I also feel an amazing burden to see that challenged and changed. Living here in the buckle of the Bible-belt, it is even more needed. Most who call themselves Christians cannot articulate the gospel, more less live it. I want to work relentlessly to see that changed.

Do you find yourself rejecting orthodoxy for the sake of relevance or even relativism? Why do you think churches are changing the message as they change the methods?

3 Prayer Requests

As a pastor I'm often taking prayer request, but rarely sharing them. The reason I love the social-networking world is that it allows for communication among greater numbers of people during the week than I could ever possibly sit in front of. It also gives me instant communication ability, good or bad, with hundreds and thousands of people. Because of the power of that technology, I want to utilize for my own spiritual growth and encouragement. I need your prayer. There are 3 things that I'm in need of your prayer for.

** in no particular order

Prayer Request #1 - My Health

I have been having back issues from an old Army injury for about 4 months now. The pain has varied throughout this time, but it has been consistent. I'm doing much better lately, thanks to the prayers of others, but would ask for continued prayer. Another big part of my health prayer request is losing some weight. I'm not grossly overweight by any means, but I want to lose about 10lbs at least. I need to do this for several reasons: 1. I don't want to be grossly overweight 2. I think it would help my back 3. I want to feel healthier than what I feel right now. I have lots of little aches and pains (getting older) that I want to ensure are not a lack of exercising. So please pray for me in this area.

Prayer Request #2 - My Prayer Life

I really want to go deeper in my prayer life. I truly want to spend more quality time in God's presence. I don't want to just fill time talking, but I want to cultivate a deeper prayer life than I've ever had. I don't necessarily know how to do this other than pray for it. I would appreciate your joining me in this, as I have many things I'm desiring to hear God clearly on right now in my life and leadership.

Prayer Request #3 - My Heart for the Lost/Unsaved

This last prayer request will hopefully be something that can help be answered by my second prayer request. I want God to help break my heart for the lost and unsaved in our communities. I want to be bothered, even more so, by the numbers of people drifting through life aimlessly without the hope of Christ in their life. I want God to burden my heart so badly that I can't sit idly by and do nothing about it. I challenge you to not only pray this for me, but to add it to your prayer life as well. You cannot divorce being a Christian from being evangelistic.

Wednesday's Four Silly Questions

Our Wednesday tradition continues...

1. Food: Mexican or Chinese food?

2. Alternate Sport: Hockey or Nascar?

3. Your tea: With lemon or without?

4. Sleep Habits: Bundled up or Sprawled out?

Bonus Question: Thermostat: + or - 71 Degrees

MY ANSWERS: Mexican (all-day), Hockey, w/Lemon, Bundled (no skin exposed), definitely 71 or higher

To Care or Not to Care, That is the Question

Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting about the importance of followers of Jesus to be about sharing the gospel message. I know that immediately when I say that it causes anxiety, fear, and worry in some because you seriously doubt your abilities to share the gospel effectively. I too share with you in this personal fear; however, the more I think about this fear, the more I realize how ridiculous it is. I'm really just more concerned with my ego not getting bruised or looking ignorant if they have questions I can't answer. Really and truly my fears are more about me than the people who desperately need to hear the hope of Jesus.

Something that I have come to realize the longer I have been in ministry is that many people believe in the right things, they just don't care about them. We believe in the things, but because we don't care about them we don't act on them. For example: many believe it is important for those who are not Christians to hear the gospel message of Jesus and respond, yet this belief for me is never acted upon because we don't care. Many believe its good to contribute both financially and through service to the church, yet many don't because ultimately they don't care. You will never act on a belief unless you care about it. It is impossible to care about something that you don't believe in, but many of us have learned to believe in things that we don't care about.

So getting back to the issue of reaching out to people. When is the last time you invite someone to church or a small group? How many people in your life are truly unchurched/pre-Christian people? We have a heart issue at hand, myself included. We need to ask God to break our hearts for the things that break His. We need God to disturb us from our complacency so that we wake up and realize that many are living lives of emptiness and attaching meaning to everything but the One thing they need the most. Many will experience the sad words from Jesus at the judgment "depart from me, I never knew you." May these words not be spoken to them simply because I feared to open my mouth. Lord, help me to care more.

One Church?

Is the body of Christ, the Church, really one as Jesus prayed we would be (John 17)? My answer is a resounding no. In fact, one of my greatest frustrations is the constant pissing contests (yes I said that) that go on between churches and even different camps of churches.

You see, if you read my blog as someone who is part of The Journey or someone who is starting to journey back toward Jesus/Church then I want to let you in on a reality happening right now in the American church. A movement away from the traditional style church was launched 20+ years ago. Churches started to reevaluate their effectiveness and ability to reach their communities for Christ. This shift led to changes in style of music, buildings, sermons, and outreach endeavors. This style of church has since become traditional in many ways as well, but there has been another movement. The "emerging" church has become a movement of people who have reinvestigated the entire thing again and are implementing changes once again. Within the emerging church are 3 very different camps.

1. The Relevants - this group is doctrinally and theologically orthodox and seek to find ways to make the message of Christ more relevant for a secular world and society, while seeking to serve the mission of Jesus both personally and communally.

2. The Reconstructionist - this group is usually doctrinally and theologically orthodox, but they spend most of their time critiquing methods and styles. Though they are sound theologically, sometimes they are light on sharing the message because they use most of their time criticizing other churches or camps. Preaching is replaced with conversations. Coffee houses replace buildings or other more traditional gathering spaces. These are not bad changes, though they are often treated as important as the message and ignore that they are simply their chosen methods. This group is often so critical of traditional churches, but can't seem to understand why those traditional churches won't engage in dialogue with them or partner with them in joint endeavors to advance the Kingdom.

3. The Revisionist - this group is not theologically and doctrinally sound. In fact, because of the secularization of our society they have been transformed with it. Methods and Message both have undergone major changes. Core tenants of the Christian faith have been tossed aside as outdated and irrelevant in a 21st century postmodern America. Because of doctrinal wariness this group has often been categorized as the Emergent Church, as opposed to the "emerging" church.

I self-identify in the Relevants camp, if I'm forced to be in one. I don't have a problem with Reconstructionist, but they are often highly critical of anyone not them that they are hard to engage with sometimes. The Revisionist in my opinion is not truly a church. For the church of Jesus is committed to the teaching of sound, biblical doctrine. See any of Paul's letters.

Why do I bring all this up? I'm just so frustrated when I look across the landscape of the church in America and see not only a decline in effectiveness, but fighting between the different camps. Instead of clinging to the message that unites us, we are divided by methods designed by us. I wonder if we really believe Jesus when he said the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another. If we did believe it, would some of this change?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...