Here Is A Good One

In Sunday School Mr. Jimmy Lockerman, my teacher, mentioned some quotes I used in a sermon that he heard me preach when he was on the pastor search committee for Byromville Baptist. The quotes came from S.M. Lockridge in a sermon entitled "My King". This stuff is so good that if it doesn't bless your socks off you may not be saved. So give this video time to load and for the next 5 minutes enjoy!!!

Church People

Church people amaze me at times; amaze in that they act like pagans at times and try to hide it with spiritual statements. Today I managed to speak with a few guys in ministry that I know. The hot topic of conversation is the new church that my former pastor and another good friend of mine are starting in the Americus area. This church is going to be a "Family Integrated Church". Now let me honest for just a moment. If this was going to be the typical church plant pastors and leaders would be excited and behind it all the way. But this church model is not only different but it is the furthest thing from Baptist. This obviously causes some people pain I guess because there are pastors and leaders that are talking about this thing behind my friends backs; making statements of their disapproval and apparent disdain for what is being done. Just because it is different people feel threatened. The whole thing just amazes me!

Why are people so afraid of being challenged on the way we do things in church? These guys are not hurting anybody. They are not saying they are the best church or the only church in the area. They are simply offering something different. Do they personally think its the best? Of course! Why else would they be doing it? But don't most people attend a local church that lines up with what they believe? Again all these attitudes and statements coming from pastors just amazes me. Now before I get all self-righteous I will admit that I don't like to be challenged but at this point in my life I am open to it. I think that is the point here. You and I must be open to being challenged and we shouldn't be angry or threatened by those who think we are wrong or we think they are wrong.

Rhyme and Reason

If you get to know me you will find out that I am a talker. I can't keep my mouth shut for I have an opinion about everything; just ask me. In order to get things out I blog (obviously), email, and I am a member of several Internet debate forums. Through these outlets I hear the opinions and thoughts of many people and I am frustrated at the current approach that many "Christians" take in debate.

I want to know when feeling and experience and personal reflection took the place of the Bible!!! Seriously if one more person tells me they are correct because they "feel" I'm going to scream! If feeling or simple belief made anything true then everything would be true. Now I don't want to sound all self-righteous and pretend that I don't struggle with trying to justify my beliefs based on my emotions because sometimes I do. But I tell you the truth...I want to be biblical. I want to read the bible, take it at face value, and do what the bible says. No more emotions and feelings. No singing and dancing like a little worldly puppet. I want to be man of God and if I want to be a man of God then I better hid his word in my heart and speak it and preach whenever I get the chance.

My Mentor

I called my mentor in ministry today to see how things were going. He was the pastor of my home church when I first received a call to ministry. He was the one that pushed to church to licenced me into the gospel ministry because he saw a calling of God in my life. He encouraged me and counseled me through some difficult times in my life and I will always be grateful. I have always viewed him as my Apostle Paul and me as his Timothy.

After spending some time on the phone he confessed to what I already knew. He was depressed; down and out about the difficulty he has been going through over the past few years. I understand that sometimes Christian people struggle but its hard to see your mentor that way. I guess I always thought of this guy as superman. I'm just praying for his strength today.It's hard to see the people you love when they are down.

American Idol

There is a gigantic idol in America today. It's not a statue or image. A.W. Tozer said, "Let us beware lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized peoples are therefore free from it." Some of the most civilized and "christian" people you know are flaming idolaters and they may not even realize it.

If America could change its national anthem I believe it should be the tag line to a song that you have heard in several movies and television shows. The lyrics simply read, "money, money, money, money.....money". If you know the tune then you obviously now the 80s. We are so stinkin greedy and money driven in our culture. We value possessions and investments over the two most important institutions God ever created; marriage and family.

Although I was on vacation last week and not in study and sermon prep God still showed me quite a few things. First He showed me the sad state of our nation in the area of marriage. Now we all know the statistics that a little over half of the marriages in this country end in divorce. The Southern Baptist Convention is not immune to that statement. However, as I was watching a local news channel in Florida I heard some shocking news. It seems that the divorce rate in the southern part of Florida is on the decline. Before you shout amen listen to the reason given for the decline. Apparently, due to the economic hardship that many people would face on their own they are deciding to stay together. Basically their financial situation is the driving force for their marriages. Secondly God revealed to me a truth I have been reading about and meditating on for a few weeks now. People love prosperity more than children. As Mary Kathryn and I were sharing the wonderful news that baby #2 was on the way I had 3 people make statements or ask questions that showed that money was a higher priority to them than kids. The whole thing just makes me sick to be honest. Money over marriage. Cars and houses over children....what have we been reduced to in this world. I'll tell you; a bunch of moeny hungry, selfish, maniacs that are missing the blessings of God in our spouces and children.

Great News!!!

God continues to be so good to me and my family. On July 8th, while we were on family vacation, Mary Kathryn and I found out that baby #2 is on the way. We are so incredibly happy and excited! I don't think it will really start to settle in until Mary Kathryn starts to get big. We are enjoying the process of coming up with names (we have plenty of girl names but no boy names at this point).

All I know Is that I can't wait to to meet my son or daughter. Cooper is so amazing I can't imagine all the joy that two children will bring. God is just so good!

As You Are Going

As I talk with many pastors I have noticed that one of their struggles is discipleship. They struggle with effective ways and or methods of growing people into mature believers. We will try all the latest or fanciest programs and bible studies to try to draw better discipleship training numbers on Sunday nights yet it just seems like nothing changes.

Over the past few weeks as I have been meditating of the scriptures, praying and talking with some friends of mine I have come to a conclusion. We are not effective in discipleship because we have place too many time restraints on it. You can't adequately disciple a person in a one hour class on a Sunday evening. In the Great Commission Jesus tells us to "Go" and this word in its original language means "as you are going." Discipleship happens as we are going. I have found some of the best and most spiritually beneficial encounters have happened when I wasn't even looking for them; when I met a guy from my church at the gas station and we talked about the things of God.

I must admitt that this has taken much pressure of me and my ministry. Now I just look forward to the opportunities to disciple outside of the four walls of my church because those moments are the ones that really matter.