The Life Line

Lies Christians Believe

2012-01-09T12:58:00.003-06:00

Wow! I just realized that it has been a really LOOOONG time since I blogged. It is crazy how busy the last few months have been. Crazy in a good way, I mean. We moved into our new building, celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas in our new church home and now it's a new year. Before long we'll be planning our Easter services and getting ready for Memorial Day!

I recently read an article where the author shared "The Top 5 Lies Too Many Christians Believe". I found it an interesting perspective. Though I'm not sure I agree with her list, it got me thinking about the things I would include on such a list. As I try to get back in the swing of things, here's my go at it:

1. Church is unnecessary.
A lot of people who have made professions of faith seem to have little regard for the church of Jesus Christ. They'll use any excuse at their disposal to miss services. Company is coming. Got the sniffles. Kids' extracurricular activities. I even heard one parent say that she "punished" her kids by not letting them come to church.

The Bible calls the church the "body" of Christ and the "bride" of Christ. We're told that Jesus gets glory "through the church". It seems like the church is pretty important to God, so if we love Him and desire to follow Him, it should be pretty important to us, too.

2. A Christian just needs to be "good" and act "nice".
Christians certainly should seek to live moral lives, and we should be nice to others, but that is not the sum total of being a Christian. We'll never please God simply through our external behavior. It is by faith alone in Christ alone that we enter a right relationship with God. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, and as we allow Him to live through us, we will be "good" and "nice" in a way we never could in our own strength alone.

3. We should expect unbelievers to behave like Christians.
Why is it that Christians are often so offended when unbelievers lie, cheat, cuss, lose their tempers and in many other ways act like...unbelievers? Why in the world would we ever expect non-Christians to live like Christians? We need to be much quicker to show grace to those who have never trusted Christ as their Savior. After all, consider how hard it is for us as believers to act righteously, and WE have the Holy Spirit living in us.

4. We should leave the teaching of Scripture to Pastors & Ministers.
I count it a real privilege to preach and teach God's Word to the Life Spring congregation. But it is not my privilege or responsibility to do it alone. God has not entrusted His precious Word to just a few special people. He has made it available to all who will listen with their ears and see with their eyes.

We're really blessed at Life Spring to have a number of gifted teachers, and we should take full advantage of the opportunities to study the Bible with them.

5. My spiritual life has nothing to do with my "real" life.
Maybe this should be the #1 lie, because it is really the root of the others. When we begin to separate our "spiritual life" from our "real life", we make it incredibly easy to live in disobedience and rebellion towards God. When we fail to draw a connection between what we experience on Sunday morning and what happens the rest of the week, we end up living lives of hypocrisy and duplicity.

I'm not sure these are really the "top 5 lies", but they certainly are prevalent among many who claim Christ as their Savior. Let's be quick to look at our own lives and ask God to reveal areas where we might be buying into such lies. After all, there really is no deception as dangerous as self-deception.

The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

2011-11-07T14:18:00.002-06:00

What a weekend!

We had a terrific turnout for our Open House and Dedication Service on Saturday. Many of those who partnered with us in designing and renovating our new facilities joined us to celebrate what God has done in our midst. A number of people from our community came for the Open House tours. To a person, I believe, they were impressed with what God has enabled us to do with an old, run-down grocery store and day care facility.

Sunday’s Grand Opening was fantastic. With 336 folks in attendance, the auditorium was nearly filled to capacity. Great sounds of worship reverberated throughout the room. The response to the message was humbling, with many of our visitors expressing gratitude for our ministry in this community.

God’s goodness and grace was evident throughout the entire weekend. It made every sacrifice of time, energy and finances worth it to see people connect in a real and vibrant way with the God who loves them.

Kim said it on Sunday afternoon, and I’ve thought about it since then: Sunday, November 6 marks the day our church changed forever. I think she’s right. I don’t think we’ll ever be quite the same. She meant it in a good way—that we will move forward and do even greater things for God. For over 5 years, God has been preparing us for this moment, much in the way that a parent prepares a child to enter the world.

But she’s right—we can’t go back. To go “back” would be to surrender, to give up, to fail. To go “back” would be to forfeit the opportunities God has given us—the responsibilities which He has entrusted to us. To go “back” would be to manifest irresponsible faithlessness in the light of His enduring faithfulness.

Of course, we’ll always be the church that is experiencing and expressing the love of God. We’ll do that through Community and Growth and Worship and Impact, just like we always have. We will be a place where people can grow close to one another even as they become more intimate with God. Our commitment to the truth does not waver, and our love for people will not change.

But in a rather significant way, I think this past Sunday marks a milestone in our church life. God has given us the opportunity to join Him in doing marvelous works. And if what I saw from our folks this week is any indication, we’re prepared to do just that.

A Time of Celebration

2011-10-25T10:55:00.005-05:00

This past Sunday, we celebrated the day we had long been praying, planning and pining for--our first service in our newly renovated church home. After 5 years of ministry in Spring Hill, setting up and tearing down each week for church services in the Middle School, we finally have a place to call our own. And it sure felt good.

Of course, first and foremost, the glory and the credit for this great milestone goes to God. To the best of our ability, we have sought His will and followed His leadership as we have ministered in this community for half a decade. He has provided for us beyond our wildest imaginations. He has blessed us far more than we surely deserve.

We are also very grateful to the Board of Elders, men who love God and His church and who seek to be sensitive to the guidance of His Spirit. It is a challenge to find the balance between waiting upon the Lord and moving ahead when prompted by Him. But to a man, our Elders desire to be in the very center of His divine will. Our Elders possess a vision for this church and this community and refuse to allow the blessings of yesterday to suffice for this hour. It is an honor to labor shoulder to shoulder beside them.

And the Life Spring Church family has manifested an amazing degree of faith in God throughout this process. There is no doubt in my mind that many churches would have given up when facing obstacles such as those we faced throughout the process of negotiating, purchasing and renovating the property. But we kept our eyes on Jesus, and He showed His faithfulness through it all.

We have been able to do more with our budgeted construction funds that we anticipated, in large part because of the thousands of man-hours of labor on the part of our volunteers. Men, women and children involved in nearly every aspect of the renovations--from demolition to decorating--and whose sacrifices made possible the beautiful facilities we enjoy today.

The building is not finished (are they ever "finished"?), but it looks great. We've held our first service, and we are eagerly anticipating Grand Opening Weekend, with an Open House and Dedication Service on Saturday, November 5, and the Grand Opening Worship Service on November 6. We expect a large crowd, and this will be a great opportunity for us to share Jesus with our neighbors.

At the same time, we must avoid the temptation to view these events as the "Finish Line". We didn't buy and renovate this property merely to have a place to meet. Our efforts have been undertaken with the desire to see souls saved and lives changed for the glory of our Savior and God.

So let's enjoy the fruit of our labor even as we rededicate ourselves to doing all we can to promote God's Kingdom right here in our own backyard.

Half a Century

2011-10-05T13:34:00.000-05:00

Today is the 50th anniversary of my birth. I appreciate the cards, calls, emails and Facebook posts, but I’ve never really understood what all the fuss is about. After all, I didn’t do anything except be born. But it is nice to hear from friends and family.

I must admit that despite my 50 years upon this planet, I don’t have much profound to share with you. But here are a few random thoughts clanging around in what passes for my mind these days.

1. I go to sleep earlier but don’t sleep as late as I used to.

2. I know more but remember less.

3. I prefer winter over summer, but I’d rather it just stay 70 degrees all the time.

4. I am not embarrassed to get my AARP card in the mail.

5. I have more memories than dreams, but thank God, I still have a few dreams.

6. Coke Zero is my soft drink of choice, even if sugar & calories didn’t matter.

7. I am more deeply in love with Kim today than on the day we married 22 years ago.

8. My faith is stronger and my convictions firmer than ever.

9. I miss old friends more than I used to.

10. I don’t mind Kacie asking me questions as much as I did when she was little, but now I have fewer answers.

I told you, there’s nothing profound here. But these are my thoughts. I figured I’d better share them while I could remember them.

Close Encounters of the Best Kind

2011-09-19T09:34:00.001-05:00

In 1977, Steven Spielberg directed a popular science fiction movie entitled Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This movie starred Richard Dreyfuss as Roy Neary. Neary was an ordinary citizen who, after an encounter with a UFO, feels inexplicably drawn to an isolated area in rural Wyoming where he expects something spectacular to occur. At one point, Neary is questioned by the authorities as to why he has come to this area. Through the course of their conversation, Neary explains he’s seeking answers to some of the deeper mysteries of life.

Seeking answers through a close encounter. It might be crazy if you’re talking about aliens and space ships. But not when you’re seeking answers to life’s toughest questions through an encounter with the Son of God. They’re not close encounters of the third kind, but they are Close Encounters of the Best Kind.

On September 25th, I’ll begin a new series of sermons examining some of these close encounters. Encounters that changed people’s lives forever.

And the best news is that such encounters are not science fiction. They’re not merely entertaining stories. They are accurate accounts of real life events that happened nearly 2000 years ago.

More importantly, they help us to understand that a real, personal God wants to have such encounters with us still today. He wants to meet us where we are. But He doesn’t want to leave us there. He wants us to begin a journey with Him into eternity.

I hope you’ll join us for this new series. Come prepared to experience for yourself a Close Encounter of the Best Kind.

A Cloud of Witnesses

2011-08-24T08:24:00.003-05:00

I have been reminded again recently of how much we are shaped by the people God places in our lives. Whether it is a long-time friend or people whom we know rather casually for a brief period, we are influenced in many ways by those with whom we "do life".

As I look back on my life, I am especially mindful of the people that God has placed there to give me a greater heart for Him. When I was growing up, my Dad wasn't a Christian, and my Mom didn't drive, so if I wanted to go to church, I had to hitch a ride from someone. That "someone" happened to be our Pastor, Bro. Bill "Hi" Johnson.

Every Sunday morning, Bro. Hi (as he was affectionately known) and his wife Janet would come by and pick up my Mom & me. They often picked up a widow lady and a never-married older woman as well, and the six of us would ride to church together. Then, of course, he had to drop us all off again after church. (Except for the time he left me at a church in Leavenworth after a revival service, but that's the subject for another blog.)

Even after Bro. Hi & Janet moved to a parsonage on the grounds of our new church building nearly 10 miles from us, they continued to make that drive, picking us (and anyone else who needed a ride) up on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights and Wednesday nights.

Until I became a pastor, I never truly appreciated the sacrifice that represented. On Sunday mornings, after I preach, I am exhausted. I am usually anxious to return home and crash for a while (or watch the Chiefs' crash, as the case may be). Yet for years, my former Pastor & his wife drove all over Kansas City, Kansas providing personal transportation.

Of course, picking me up for church was just one of many ways in which the Lord used Bro. Hi to shape my heart towards God. But if he hadn't been willing to make such sacrifices, I doubt that I would have been saved as a child, let alone a pastor of one of His churches today.

And there were so many others who spent time and showed interest in me. Sunday School teachers, neighbors, friends and others who in ways big and small have influenced my life in a Godly direction.

As I consider how others have been there for me, it humbles me to wonder whether I have been there for others in the same way. Am I willing to pause for a few minutes on a busy Sunday morning to talk with someone who needs a word of encouragement? Will I pick up the phone and take a few minutes to check on someone going through a rough patch? Will I go out of my way to reach out to those who just need someone to be there for them?

I am grateful to the Lord for those people who have been willing to invest a bit of themselves in me, from childhood through this very day. And I resolve to be more intentional about investing my time and energy in others--to pause from my daily pursuits just long enough that someone, young or old, may know that because God cares for them, I do, too.

Justice For All???

2011-07-09T21:17:00.002-05:00

I need to begin this article with a disclaimer. I think Casey Anthony was guilty of killing her 2 year old daughter; I think the State of Florida presented sufficient evidence to prove it; and I am disgusted by the verdict of “Not Guilty”. I hope that members of the jury will come forward and explain how they could have arrived at their verdict, but I doubt that will make me feel much better.

I have always been intrigued with the practice of law. I worked one summer in the office of the Wyandotte County District Attorney, and found it utterly fascinating. I received my undergraduate degree from Washburn University, attending that particular school because I intended to go on to attend Washburn Law School. The Lord had other plans for me, but I still enjoy following trials like the Casey Anthony case.

I believe in our system of justice. I think trial by a jury of our peers is one of the most outstanding distinctions between American justice and that of most any other nation in the world. I believe that it is proper that the State has to meet a high burden of proof to convict a person of a crime. And I believe that a person found guilty should be punished to the full extent of the law. I wish it had happened in this case.

But it didn’t. For reasons that have yet to be explained and that will probably never be fully understood by most of us, 12 men and women adjudicated Casey Anthony “not guilty”. As is often explained by those in the media, “not guilty” is not the same thing as “innocent”. But it has the same effect, doesn’t it? Casey Anthony will soon be free. She will not pay a penalty imposed by her peers or our judicial system for an offense most of us believe she committed.

In an effort to find solace in the face of this seeming injustice, I have heard variations of this statement: “Well, she may have escaped this judgment, but one day she’ll meet a Judge who won’t let her get away with it.” In fact, some people seem almost gleeful by this prospect.

That troubles me.

I do believe that one day Casey Anthony will meet the Lord. She, like all of us, will one day give an account of her life. But as disappointed as I am in the failure of our system to render justice (or at least, what I perceive to be justice), I cannot take pleasure in the thought that “one day, she’ll get hers”. Because no matter what she has done—no matter the extent of her guilt—she deserves hell no more than I do. I am as sin-ridden and guilt-stained as she is.

When we take pleasure in the thought that one day “sinners” will get what’s coming to them, we show a woeful lack of understanding about our sinfulness. We think that Charles Manson or Ted Bundy or Casey Anthony is somehow more deserving of eternal punishment than we would be.

I believe that when I stand before the True and Living Judge, I will be adjudicated “not guilty”. Not because I haven’t sinned—I surely have—but because Jesus Christ paid my sin debt already, and I have put my faith and trust in Him. I am no more worthy of God’s grace & mercy than anyone else. And Jesus shed His precious blood for Casey’s sins as sure as He shed His blood for mine.

Scripture teaches us that it is not God’s will that any would perish, but that everyone—including people who take innocent lives—would come to repentance. He doesn’t want Casey Anthony to spend eternity separated from Him any more than He wants to be separated from you.

Let us not take pleasure or comfort in the thought that one day she’ll get what she deserves. Instead pray that God would impress upon her heart the need for repentance and forgiveness. That’s what we mean by Amazing Grace!

The Flag Still Waves

2011-07-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 235th birthday, I wanted to share a story with you.

Over the years, I've been privileged to preside at the funerals and memorial services for a number of military veterans. Such services are especially poignant, in my opinion, as we honor the lives of people who were willing to serve their country at great personal risk. Even though many of them lived for decades after their military service had ended, we remain indebted to them for their sacrifice.

One of the most meaningful moments of such services is when the flag which had draped the casket is folded with military precision and presented to the surviving members of the family. While that is a beautiful and touching ceremony, I sometimes wondered why the flag wasn't buried with the deceased. After all, it isn't uncommon to bury our loved ones with items of significance.

Well, recently I read a possible explanation for this. We don't bury the deceased with the flag, one person noted, because while the soldier has fallen, the flag still waves.

I don't know whether that definitively answers the question, but it's a good enough answer for me.

I am grateful for the men and women who give of themselves to keep us safe & free. And I am grateful that 235 years later, the flag still waves.

Harold Camping Was Right

2011-05-24T23:06:00.003-05:00

By now, everyone knows that the heretical prophecy of California radio preacher Harold Camping concerning the rapture did not come true. The world did not end on May 21 as he promised (“The Bible guarantees it”, his billboards blared). This is no surprise to anyone who has even an elementary knowledge of the inspired Scriptures, for Jesus declared No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36). So it would be foolish to believe that Harold Camping had been entrusted with knowledge that Jesus said no one but the Father would possess.

I am not as magnanimous as many of my Christian friends, who have been willing to give Camping a pass when it comes to this doctrinal error. They suggest that he was “mistaken” or “misguided”. In reality, it was far worse than a simple mistake. Camping ignored the clear teachings of Scripture that it is wrong to set dates or times for the return of Christ. Just before Jesus ascended back to Heaven, He told His church, It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. (Acts 1:7) The Apostle Paul encouraged believers at Thessalonica not to buy into the lies of false prophets that the Rapture had already occurred.

So Camping’s teachings do not represent a mere mistake, but he perverts Holy Scripture and corrupts the plain meaning of the text of the Bible. False prophets suffered mightily in Old Testament times, and God is no more tolerant of such blatant efforts to mislead His people today.

Having said all that, however, I must admit that Harold Camping was right about a few things, and we would do well to remember these truths.

First of all, he was right that Jesus is coming again. We do not know the date. We cannot predict the hour. We are not given as much as the year, the decade or the century. But on the authority of God’s precious Word, I know that Jesus will return. He promised, In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:2-3).

Camping was also right that the saved will be raptured. This is how it was explained to those confused believers at Thessalonica: According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will be “caught up” (or “raptured”) to meet Christ in the air.

A third fact that Camping got right was that sin will be judged. In Revelation 20:11-15, we are given a glimpse of that judgment day: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Those who have rejected Christ and have chosen to pay for their own sins will do just that, and sin will be judged once and for all.

Unless he repents, Camping will pay a high price for promoting his heresy and bringing reproach upon the Word of God. But even in the midst of all that he got wrong, he did get a few things right.

God Said "Yes"

2011-04-12T15:58:00.003-05:00

Be careful what you pray for. You may get it.

I couldn't help but think of that old adage after Sunday's announcement that we had raised enough money to finalize the purchase of the Spring Hill Plaza property. Months of planning and praying had resulted in God revealing Himself and His will in a tremendous fashion.

Last fall, Life Spring signed a purchase contract to buy the building that formerly housed a grocery store and a day care, along with the adjacent shopping center with two vacant spaces (which we subsequently renovated into our church office and Youth Center) & spaces leased to a pizza restaurant and an insurance agency. In total, it involved 22,000 square feet sitting on 5 acres of land. We also contracted for options on 3 adjacent lots. Despite our best efforts, that deal fell through at the end of the year.

However, convinced that God was leading us to this property, we resumed negotiations and were able to come to terms with the seller once again. We brought this contract to the Life Spring congregation in February, once the financing package was put together, and they affirmed it with 98% approval of those members who voted.

Once again, however, we were coming down to the wire and it looked like we might not be able to close as scheduled on April 15. When all was said and done, we were $175,000 short of what was needed to purchase and renovate the property. Quite frankly, to some of us, it might as well have been a million dollars. How would our new, small congregation raise that kind of money in just two weeks? Given our average attendance, that represented about $1000 for each man, woman and child who attends services each week.

But we continued to pray. We brought the need to the congregation. We didn't beg. We didn't threaten. We didn't manipulate. We informed the congregation of the need, and we prayed, "Lord, if you want us to own this property, then you must make it happen."

We talked with the sellers about seller financing--a provision they had included in our original deal, but subsequently had pulled off the table. Although they were cool to the idea, they said they would be willing to consider some "small" amount--but they insisted on some concessions on our part.

As this past Sunday dawned, we had commitments for about half of the needed funds. We had a great response to the special offering, with many of our folks making sacrificial gifts. When we left services, we were just $30,000 short.

And then a call came in, then two. By sundown on Sunday evening, the $30,000 shortfall had been met, and we even had people calling on Monday morning willing to make up the difference if needed.

This isn't how the Elder Board envisioned God meeting the need. But meet the need He did. He challenged us to stop thinking of Him as a small, diminutive God, and to start seeing Him as a Great and Awesome God. He wants us to start attempting things that only He can do--we've done what "we" can do long enough.

As of this writing, the Bank and Realtors and insurance people and title company are all doing their thing, frantically working to meet the deadline of our closing on April 15th. And we keep praying, knowing that Satan has not stuck his head in the sand and admitted defeat. We know that if there is a trick up his sleeve, he'll use it. But God speaks to us "Do not fear--be of good courage." We've seen God do a miracle in our midst. And now we just bask in His glory.

Membership Has Its Responsibilities

2011-02-21T10:46:00.003-06:00

Today I received an invitation to join a service organization in our community. This group is well known in Spring Hill, and is very active in doing service projects that benefit our city. I know several of their members, and they are fine, upstanding citizens.

I found myself intrigued by the brochure that accompanied the invitation.

First of all, it talked a lot about the service performed by the organization, but not much about the benefits to its members. It is clear that this organization values service, and it wants men & women who are more interested in what they can give to and through the organization than they are in what they are going to get out of the organization.

It also set out some rather stringent conditions for membership: An annual membership fee; Weekly lunch paid for by each member; An additional expense for a service project; Members are expected to attend at least 60% of the organizations weekly meetings, which are scheduled to last 1 1/2 hours; Every member is expected to serve on a committee or otherwise participate in the leadership of the organization; They also are required to help with fundraising events and/or other activities and programs.

There is a section of their brochure that deals specifically with expectations for new members.

I couldn't help but compare that service organization's approach to membership to that of the church.

Many people exploring membership in a local church start with the question, "What does this church have to offer me?" or "How can this church meet my needs?" It is rare indeed for people to start from the perspective of "How can I help this church accomplish its mission?"

What if we were to impose minimum attendance or giving standards? What if we required each person applying for membership to tell us up front where they were going to serve in the church? I guarantee you, a lot of people would be offended by such an approach.

Yet most organizations (not just the one I mentioned earlier in this post) routinely set such expectations of their members. Why is the church different? Is the church of Jesus Christ not worthy of these more stringent requirements? Is the Body of Christ less deserving of such commitment on our part?

I'm not proposing such changes in our approach to membership at Life Spring, but I hope every member will pause to consider whether we are giving our best in our service to the Lord. If service organizations in the world are worthy of such dedication, is the church of Jesus Christ worth any less?

A MILESTONE

2011-01-28T16:12:00.002-06:00

Today is a bittersweet day in the life of our church family. It was our last day of operating out of the office & meeting space, known as “The Life Center”, out of which we have operated since opening our doors 4 ½ years ago. While we always knew this was going to be temporary space, we still will miss the place.

Since we moved into The Life Center, whenever people would ask me where we were located, I would always say, “We’re just north of the Johnson County library”. That sounded better than “We’re right next door to the liquor store.” Of course, that didn’t work so well one day when I received a call from the pizza delivery driver, who was 15 minutes late delivering a pizza for a luncheon meeting.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “where are you located?”
“Just north of the library,” I responded.
“In Spring Hill?” he questioned me.
“That’s right,” I said, “just north of the Johnson County Library.”
“I don’t know where that is,” he replied.
“Well, we’re just south of the liquor store.”
“Oh, Hometown Liquor? I know right where you are.”
He was there in 3 minutes.

We’ve had a lot of good times in this place. Senior adult fellowships. Youth meetings. Life Group huddles. New members’ classes. Elders’ meetings.

Every week for 4 ½ years, we’ve officed out of here. It started out with just me. Then Joanna Meek came on board as a part time assistant. Pastor Dennis soon joined the staff. When Joanna took on a new assignment (as mother) she also took on a new role (as Financial Assistant), and LeAnn Retherford became our assistant. When LeAnn left last year, a very familiar face replaced her, as my wife Kim took the job.

We’re really excited about our new office space in Spring Hill Plaza. It’s almost double the size of our present office, and it will be nice having space that won’t double as a serving line for luncheons.

The new youth center is also a great space. It’s 3 times larger than the meeting space in the old Life Center, and I think our young people and youth sponsors are really looking forward to putting it to good use.

This, of course, is just a part of what we plan to be our new campus when we convert the old grocery store & day care into a worship center and classroom space.

And all of this will facilitate our ability to minister in a more effective way to our community. These are steps in the right direction for our church family.

But still we’ll miss the old Life Center, our first “home” in Spring Hill.

Are You Ready?

2011-01-05T14:13:00.002-06:00

We were all ready to go. Suitcases were on the bottom. Fragile packages with bows were on the top. The cooler and food boxes were at the back, as far from the heater as possible. There was just enough room for me to see out the back window. GPS was set and the Christmas CDs were in the glove box. I set our departure time for 7:30, and the digital clock read 7:33. Pretty good for the Sterrett Express. We prayed for safe travel, and we were ready to go.

I turned the key, and...nothing. No purring engine. Not even a chug-chug-chug. Dead silence, except for the sound of my rising blood pressure. How can this be? I had planned so meticulously. I had packed so carefully. But if the car battery is dead, there's no backing out of the garage.

I couldn't help but draw a comparison with our spiritual lives. We'll spend hours in Bible study, prayer and worship. We'll dot every "i" and cross every "t". But all of that is wasted effort unless the Spirit of God empowers us to carry out God's work. It's like having a car packed and ready to go with a dead battery.

The Greek word for power is "dunamis" (like "dynamite"). It describes the explosive power of the Spirit to enable the believer to minister on behalf of God. It is a supernatural strength that can not be manufactured or duplicated by man.

As we begin a new year, I hope that we will spend time in God's Word, feasting on the riches of His truth. I hope we will worship with authentic hearts yielded to Him. I hope we will pray earnest, effectual prayers. And through it all, I hope that we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to labor and serve Him by His strength and in His might.

A JURY OF YOUR PEERS

2010-12-06T16:47:00.000-06:00

“You will be judged by a jury of your peers.”

Perhaps there are no more disturbing words to be uttered on the face of the earth. Or so I thought as I sat at the Johnson County Courthouse recently, one of 50 people waiting for the possible privilege of serving as a juror in what was expected to be a six day trial. I couldn’t imagine a more enjoyable way to spend six days at the beginning of one of the busiest months on my calendar.

Think about that phrase, “a jury of your peers”.

Now, if that was me on trial, I’d be worried that I would be judged a dozen men and women who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty. Although the judge sternly warns that they won’t dismiss you merely because it is inconvenient, or because it interferes with your work duties, the fact is that every one of the half dozen folks who said they had child-care issues or work-related conflicts was allowed to leave. Only those of us not inventive enough to come up with an excuse was required to remain.

Then the lawyers start by asking silly questions. “Do you believe you are a fair and objective person?” one asked. “No, sir”, I was tempted to respond, “I consider myself to be a biased, intolerant and inflexible bore”. I would have said it if I thought it would have resulted in my immediate departure, but I didn’t.

When asked if the potential jurors recognized any of the parties to the lawsuit, one young woman pointed to the defense attorney and said, “He looks like the guy on the back of the phone book.” Oh yeah, I’d want THAT girl to decide my fate.

Now, a jury of my peers would have to be Christians. That means different things to different people. To some people, it simply means they’re not Jewish or Muslim or some other religion. Others might think it means that they’re “good” people. But by “Christian”, I mean they are really followers of Jesus Christ.

However, for them to truly be my peers, they must not too good a Christian. I mean, they must be the type of Christian who sometimes misses their quiet time, falls asleep while praying and laughs at Seinfeld. Otherwise, they may be very good Christians, but they’re not my peer.

They must also be Chiefs’ fans. This is essential, because I am convinced that if I ever commit a serious crime, it will likely be a result of going off the deep end after watching the Chiefs play. Only another Chiefs’ fan can truly understand how a missed field goal or a dropped pass can drive you to a life of crime.

Finally, my peers would have to be men who have spent their lives around lots of women. I grew up in a household with four women—my mom and three sisters. Now, the two most important people in my life are my wife and my daughter—wonderful, marvelous people, but of the female persuasion. Again, I believe that only another man who has lived with so many females could possibly begin to understand the reasons for my blank stares and why I always put down the toilet seat.

So, if I go on trial, I’m telling my lawyer to stack the jury with Christian Chiefs’ fans (which are surely easier to come by than Christian Broncos’ fans) who have lived their lives in homes with lots of female influence. Either that, or just take me before Judge Judy.

Merry Christmas to Me

2010-11-23T16:36:00.001-06:00

We are in the midst of my absolute favorite time of year. I typically enjoy the six to eight weeks from the end of November to the beginning of February more than any other time on the calendar.

Of course, there are the Holidays. I love Thanksgiving, and Christmas and New Year’s. I love seeing family and enjoying friends in a festive atmosphere. I enjoy the decorations and the cold nights and the warm fires. I like hot chocolate and days off and Christmas music. I don’t even mind a little snow. These are a few of my favorite things.

Unlike a lot of people, I don’t suffer much from post-Holiday blues, because I enjoy all the football games on TV following Christmas. The Bowl games for college and the playoffs for the NFL keep me engaged through the Super Bowl. It’s only then that I begin suffering symptoms of withdrawal.

Kim is always amazed at my ability to stay awake on Sunday afternoons from September through January, but how essential my Sunday afternoon naps become as soon as football season is over. All I can say is that football is a very physical game and it takes a lot out of me. I have to rest up because the new season will be here before we know it.

Long ago, Solomon said Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19)

So I’m going to enjoy myself for the next several weeks. I still have sermons to prepare, meetings to attend and visits to make. I am blessed to have a job that I enjoy. But in the midst of my labors, I will give special attention to the joys of life that are unique to this time of year. I will view them as another of God’s gifts to me.

How Hungry Are You?

2010-09-29T11:34:00.001-05:00

It was our first Christmas together as husband and wife, and I wanted it to be extra-special for Kim. So I booked a room at the Alameda Plaza, one of the nicest hotels in Kansas City at the Country Club Plaza. We’d start off with a quietly elegant dinner then take in the sights and sounds of the Plaza at Christmas.

The restaurant at the Alameda was considered one of the city’s finest. There are three things that I love: Christmastime in Kansas City, Kim and a good steak (not necessarily in that order!). And here we were, combining all three. I was so excited.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were treated like royalty. Our every wish was their command. This is the type of place where when you take a sip of water, they immediately refill your glass. I think they devoted one server per table.

I ordered a KC Strip, medium well. I had been looking forward to that steak for weeks. This was a few steps up from the Ponderosa Steakhouse I was accustomed to frequenting, so this was going to be a real treat.

But when they brought me the exquisitely prepared steak, I could hardly look at it. The perfect salad and baked potato with all the trimmings (butter, bacon and cheese) sat untouched. You see, I had come down with some type of bug earlier in the day. I didn’t say anything to Kim, because I didn’t want to ruin our perfect evening. But when they sat the food in front of me, I had to excuse myself from the table.

When I returned, I made a feeble attempt at eating the food, but even a few bites was more than I could handle. I took several drinks of water to try to keep the food down. Each time the waiter would quickly refill my water glass. Finally, observing the barely touched steak, he came over and asked if there was a problem with it. He would send it back if it was not prepared to my liking. I had to admit there was nothing wrong with the food—it was me.

I learned that night that if you don’t have an appetite, it doesn’t matter how good the food is. The finest cut of meat prepared by the best chef will remain untouched if you aren’t hungry.

The same is true of the Holy Scriptures. That is why we are frequently admonished to develop a hunger for the Word. Peter says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). To the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it….” (1 Corinthians 3:2) And in Hebrews 5:12 we read “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!”

How hungry for the Word are you? Do you look forward to time spent in Scripture as you would a fine meal? Do you yearn for the Spirit to speak to your heart as you open the bread of life? Are you feasting on the Word as you would Thanksgiving Dinner?

Through daily devotions, Bible studies and sermons, you have an abundance of Spiritual morsels set before you each week. Some are designed to be quietly enjoyed in the privacy of your own home or office. Some are meant to be shared together like a big family meal, such as the Women’s Bible study on Esther or The Connecting Point on Sunday mornings at Life Spring. But one way or the other, the only way you will benefit from these meals is if you have a hunger that will not be satisfied in any other way.

So whether you need the basics (“milk” as it is referred to in Scripture) or a four course meal (“solid food” Paul calls it), come to the table with a hearty appetite for the Holy Word of the Lord.

A Place to Call Home

2010-09-17T12:45:00.002-05:00

These are exciting days for Life Spring Church.

As I write these words, the sales contract for Spring Hill Plaza has just been signed by the seller. We had agreed in principle to the terms of this contract a couple of weeks ago and we had signed the contract, but we were waiting for the seller’s signature in order to make it official.

Actually, the purchase of Spring Hill Plaza is not a “done deal” yet. The signing of the contract gives us a period of time in which to arrange the financing, complete the inspections, finish the design, secure the contractors’ estimates for the renovations of the property and obtain congregational approval for the deal. So there is much to do to make this a reality. Our goal is to close on the property by December 15—which may seem like a long time away, but which will be here before we know it.

Thus far, the unity of the congregation has been phenomenal. We had a great turnout for the recent “open house”, when most of our folks got their first look at the property. Right now, it consists of an old grocery store that has been vacant for years and a former day care space that we will use as a fellowship foyer and children’s ministry area. What excited me most was that our people saw beyond a grocery store and day care. They could envision the stage in the worship center and what the nursery would look like.

In addition, we will be renovating another 2500 square feet for a Youth Center and church offices.

Everyone understands that a lot of work lies ahead. Everyone realizes that this represents a tremendous step of faith for our young, small church. Everyone knows that we’re not contemplating this facility for those who presently attend Life Spring as much as for people who haven’t even walked through the doors yet!

The unanimous vote of the congregation to proceed with design and construction drawings, paid for from Capital Campaign Funds, is an indication of the enthusiasm of our folks. It is evidence of the unity of spirit and purpose that permeates our fellowship.

Our Elders will endeavor to keep the congregation abreast of developments as they occur. As soon as possible, we’ll bring the final contract before the congregation for affirmation. If all goes as planned, we’ll be swinging hammers and sawing boards very soon. In the meantime, let’s pray that God will guide the process and guard our church from the attacks of the enemy.

Unity in the Body

2010-08-23T13:49:00.003-05:00

As a Pastor, it is extremely gratifying to see the Body of Christ work as it is designed to operate. And over the past few days, I’ve been privileged to do just that.

Our annual Congregational Meeting is always more than just a business meeting—it is a celebration of God’s hand of blessing on our church. To look back at this past year is to observe the many ways in which the Spirit of God has moved in our midst. But this year, it was especially exciting to see our church come together in a tremendous sense of unity of spirit and purpose.
The church budget, church officers and the selection of a new deacon were all affirmed unanimously, with nearly 2/3 of our membership casting their ballots.

We also rejoiced in the news that we have reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Spring Hill Plaza shopping center. When finalized, this will give us nearly 20,000 square feet of worship and ministry space to call our own. This will include about 1800 square feet of space dedicated to our Youth Center—a great place for teens to study God’s Word and fellowship together. An additional 4000 square feet will be leased out to others until we need it, and we’ll have an option to purchase additional land adjacent to the shopping center property.

At this time, our Elders view this as an interim step to allow us to grow to a sufficient size to support construction of new facilities on our 35 acres of property on 169 Highway.

Only God knows the future, and we’re trying hard not to get ahead of Him. So we’ll take this step-by-step, sensitive to the leadership of His Holy Spirit. We are at the very early stages of this process, with lots of potential hurdles to overcome to make this a reality. But we’re trusting in Him to open and close doors as He sees fit.

As exciting as all this is, it is only a part of the work of the church. I have also been privileged to see God’s people work in much quieter ways. I arrived at the hospital to pray with a dear church member facing surgery, only to find several members of her Life Group already there, praying for her and lending support to her family. It is further proof that the folks at Life Spring really do understand what the Body of Christ is all about. Ministry is not confined to the pastors or staff—it is the duty and privilege of each person to minister to others.

In so many ways, I am blessed to serve alongside such saints. We are not a perfect church—far from it. But even in our shortcomings and imperfections, we’re in it together.

Thoughts on Pastor Dennis' Ordination

2010-08-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

We celebrated a great day on Sunday as Life Spring ordained Dennis Burd to the office of Pastor. Having faithfully served our congregation for the past four years as a volunteer and as a full time Minister of Worship & Youth, Dennis has yielded to a calling which God has placed on his heart to serve in the office of Pastor.

As we mentioned on Sunday, we don’t anticipate major changes in Dennis’ duties and responsibilities. He’ll still lead us in worship. He’ll still minister to our teens and their families. He will preach for us from time to time and will occasionally administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, but for the most part, he’ll continue to operate in the future as he has in the past.

Dennis will officially be an Associate Pastor at Life Spring. Informally, we’ll undoubtedly refer to him as our Worship Pastor or our Youth Pastor. But he won’t have a big, fancy title, and knowing Dennis as I do, he wouldn’t want one.

If the Lord blesses us with future growth in the congregation, then we’ll add additional staff as well. Not every staff member who leads a ministry will necessarily be a pastor. As we said on Sunday, a man is made a pastor not by man nor ceremony, but by the very will of God (Ephesians 4:11-13). So if God has not placed that calling on a man’s life, we will not assume it for him. He may still lead or direct a ministry, even if he isn’t a pastor, but he won’t carry that title unless he has experienced that calling.

To the extent that we do add pastors to the staff, most of them will come on board as Associate Pastors. Again, we’ll try to stay away from giving people titles that have little meaning. Instead, we envision a staff that consists of a Lead Pastor, an Executive Pastor (a pastor to the pastors, so to speak) and Associate Pastors, who will oversee given areas of ministry such as Worship, Youth, Christian Education, Senior Adults, etc. Some of those ministries may be overseen by non-pastor staff members (e.g. Youth Minister) or by volunteer staff members (e.g. Director of Men’s Ministry). But only men called to Pastor will be recognized as Pastors, regardless of their area of oversight.

Of course, all of this assumes that we continue to experience numerical growth in the future. We’ve grown by a little more than 40% since we were planted 4 years ago. Given our congregation’s commitment to the Word and heart for the community, our leadership certainly believes that we will continue to grow. But whether we grow more or less rapidly over the next four years than in the past, our leaders desire that we plan for growth so that we are prepared for it when it happens.

The Lord is richly blessing Life Spring, and events like Dennis’ ordination help us to recognize the ways in which He is working in our congregation. There are lots of churches out there just going through the motions, limping along from Sunday to Sunday. May we remain submissive to the will of our Lord so that we are never plagued with such complacency and indifference.

Time Moves On

2010-07-08T09:58:00.003-05:00

Do you miss Kacie?

We’ve been asked that question numerous times since Kacie moved to Manhattan (the “Little Apple”, not the big one) last month. And it’s not as easy to answer as you might think.

First, who would ever admit that they don’t miss their only child? It’s cruel. It’s heartless. It’s so rude.

And of course, we do miss her. The house is so much quieter. The rooms are so much cleaner. The refrigerator is so much fuller. Her absence is duly noted.

But we raised Kacie with the idea that one day, she would leave our humble abode for her own digs. It was never intended that she would remain with us forever. Our role from the day we brought her home from the hospital was to work ourselves out of a job.

We’ll always be her parents. She’ll always be Kim’s “Kacie-bug” and my “Pumpkin-head”. We’ll still spend time with her and money on her.

But as she matures, it is only natural that she should spread her wings a bit. We’ve tried to raise her right. We’ve tried to model Godliness (Kim with better success at this than me, to be honest). We’ve tried to instill Godly values.

So now we’re entering this new phase, and it’s not so bad. She calls Kim to ask for decorating advice. She calls me to ask me what that beeping sound is in her apartment (it was the battery in her smoke alarm going out). And she emails us pictures of the cute things the dog does.

So do we miss Kacie? Of course we do. For nearly 20 years she occupied space in our home. She still occupies major space in our hearts.

But we’re glad to see her doing so well on her own. Kim & I are enjoying a renaissance in our relationship. And I moved my study into Kacie’s old bedroom. (She got my old study, so it’s not like we kicked her out or anything.)

And when Kacie comes home, it’s great to see her and do things with her. Like last weekend, when we went to see a movie together. We saw Toy Story 3, and for just a little while, with my Pumpkin-head beside me, it was like she had never left home.

Lessons From LOST

2010-05-24T13:55:00.001-05:00

On Sunday night, May 23rd, my family sat down to watch a television show that had become part of our family routine for six years. It was the season/series finale of LOST, an episode we had been both anticipating and dreading since the producers announced that Season Six would be its last.

There are a lot of reasons people watched this show. Some loved the spiritual overtones. Many were fascinated with the science. A lot of people were intrigued by the mystery of it all (polar bears on a tropical island and a smoke monster). Those things all factored into my appreciation of this show, but I mostly watched it for another very special reason—it was a show that my entire family enjoyed.

Every week since Kacie was 14, we made a point of watching LOST each week. If it didn’t record or the weatherman interrupted to tell us about tornadoes or hail or some other such phenomena, we would be sure to watch it online. Then we’d buy the DVDs and rewatch the old season before the new season began.

We did it as a family. Then we’d ask our questions and discuss our theories among ourselves. I even read a few online sources so I would look especially insightful from time to time.

But it was a family experience. Some families go camping or hiking together. We watch TV. And of all the shows we watch, LOST and Chiefs’ Football hold a special place in our hearts. (I’ll save a commentary on Chiefs’ football for another day.)

It was fitting that the series finale of LOST occurred just a few weeks before Kacie moves out and leaves for college. She has a new job and a new apartment in Manhattan, and soon she’ll be on her own.

As they said in the LOST finale, not really “leaving”, but “moving on”. And like Jack and Locke and all of the rest of the crew, Kim & I are learning some lessons about “letting go”, with lots of good memories to sustain us. LOST is one of them.

Summer is Near

2010-05-20T12:17:00.001-05:00

I just realized that it has been almost 2 months since my last blog. Wow, time does fly, doesn’t it?

Since then we’ve celebrated Palm Sunday & Easter. We honored our moms on Mother’s Day. We’ve recognized our graduating seniors. It’s been a busy two months.

Now we have Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day and Labor Day to look forward to over the next three and a half months. That’s on top of weddings, vacations and weekend get-aways to fit in. It just never seems to slow down.

And yet, if we are going to grow spiritually, we can not ignore our time with the Lord. From personal devotions and quiet time to public worship and service, we need to spend time practicing those spiritual disciplines that make us sensitive to the Lord’s leadership and guidance.

I especially encourage you to be faithful in your participation in our opportunities for corporate worship. Time spent with fellow believers, fellowshipping in prayer & in the Word, is a key component of spiritual formation. We ignore such opportunities at our own peril.

Enjoy the summer. Take time for your family. Get away for a few days if you can. And join with brothers and sisters in Christ every time you can to give praise and honor to the One who is worthy.

Where Has the Passion Gone?

2010-03-23T16:23:00.002-05:00

Passion.

The dictionary defines “passion” as a powerful or compelling emotion. We’ve seen such passion evinced frequently in recent days.

Throughout arenas, restaurants, bars and homes, the past few weekends have been replete with the passion of folks rooting on their favorite basketball teams. They wear their favorite colors. They yell with joy or shed tears of grief. For every winner, there is a loser. But there’s plenty of passion to go around.

In our nation’s capital, people are shouting and waving signs. Not in support of a basketball team, but in reaction to legislation that will have profound effects upon our nation’s healthcare system. Some support the legislation and others oppose it. At the end of the day, only one side went home happy. But both sides show tremendous passion for their cause.

If you read the blogs, Facebook, My Space or Twitter, you’ll find plenty of people expressing their passion. Passion for their teams (or against someone else’s). Passion for or against the healthcare reform bill. People who are otherwise pretty silent in these forums jump into such debates with, well, passion.

And then there’s the Passion. It’s capitalized because it has to do with the Savior, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. It is a term applied to the sufferings of Christ on the cross.

If anything should evoke passion among Christians, it is this time of year. Jesus lived a perfect life and gave Himself for sinners who don’t deserve such grace and mercy. He died to do for us what we can not do for ourselves. He rose again to bring hope to the hopeless.

But where are the cheers? Where are the expressions of emotion?

While the social networks are filled with words of passion about basketball and politics, there is little passion expressed about Christ. In fact, a recent survey revealed that only about 31% of active church-goers have definite plans to invite someone to church on Easter Sunday. Of course, that same survey indicated that only 42% of Americans specifically identify Easter with the resurrection of Christ, so we shouldn’t be surprised that there’s little connection between attending a worship service and Easter.

What was perhaps even more disconcerting was that “…those who articulate a resurrection-related concept of Easter are no more likely than other religiously oriented Americans to indicate that they will invite friends to worship with them on Easter.”

In other words, whether you believe that Easter is associated with the resurrection of Christ or not does not affect the likelihood that you’ll invite someone to church on Easter. Seems to me that Christians lack a bit of…passion.

Oh well, at least we’ll still have basketball and politics.

First Love

2010-03-04T12:12:00.002-06:00

There are not a lot of things that I remember about March 4, 1989.

I do remember that it was cold, and they were predicting a snow storm. I remember thinking how time seemed to drag, as we waited for the 7:00 ceremony to begin. I remember being grateful for a couple of good friends who had agreed to stand with me that day, both of whom had already been through their own wedding days.

I remember after the ceremony, taking pictures in the church auditorium as the congregation sat and observed. This is traditional in Oklahoma, where Kim is from, but in Kansas City we’re accustomed to dismissing the congregation so they don’t have to endure the picture taking. Evidently in Oklahoma, they like to make their guests suffer, too. Misery loves company.

I remember seeing people that I hadn’t seen in several years—people with whom I had gone to church my whole life until I graduated from college. I was surprised—pleased, but surprised—that some of them came.

I remember the wedding cake, made by my mom—her one and only effort at such a massive undertaking. The worry nearly killed her (or maybe it was the thought of her little boy getting married—we’ll never know).

But mostly, I remember her. Kimberly Beth Gammill. Tall and slender, she was always beautiful. But on that day, when I saw the church doors open and she began her walk down the aisle, I thought I’d never seen anyone with such a glow about them (it may have been from the tanning she’d done in preparation for our honeymoon to the Bahamas, but I think not).

Since that day, Kim & I have developed a rich, meaningful and intimate love for one another. She is my best friend. She is my confidante. She is my rock. I love and appreciate her more each day.

Yet it is on this day of our anniversary, as I think back to our courtship and early marriage, that a special sense of love is rekindled. It’s known as “first love”—the type that characterizes young lovers. It reminds me of how I felt 21 years ago. Before surgeries and relocations. Before job and career changes. Before a teenager and a dachshund puppy.

The love we share today is real and deep. But especially on our anniversary, I look back to a time and a feeling that was new and fresh. And it’s good to be reminded what that feels like.

Jesus tells the church at Ephesus to return to her first love. Or perhaps, to return to the type of love she had for Jesus at first. Specifically, Jesus says, “Repent and do the things you did at first.”

Just as I sometimes need to take Kim flowers, open the car door and let her pick the movie (just like 21 years ago), as a Christian I need to be reminded of what it was like when I first met Jesus. When the love was new and fresh. When I basked in Him and His glory just because it was Him.

I’m so glad to have some memories of what it was like when Kim & I first met, and dated, and married. I return to those roots periodically—not as often as I should, but every now and then.

And so I need to rekindle the flame with my Lord and Savior. To be reminded of love that is new and fresh every morning.

New and Improved

2010-02-05T23:30:00.001-06:00

I don't consider myself a big “techno-geek”. Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to technology. I just don’t have an insatiable appetite for the newest and latest technological advances to come along.

Take cell phones, for example. For a long time, I wasn’t all that interested in cell phones that muti-tasked. My attitude was, I don’t need a camera that makes phone calls or a cell phone that takes pictures. In fact, considering some of the poor reception and dropped calls I’ve endured over the years, I’d happily settle for a cell phone that could just make phone calls.

But as they enhanced the features on cell phones, I began to see the wisdom in being able to text, take pictures or video and access the web from my phone. After getting Kacie an iPhone for Christmas, I’m intrigued by the variety and usefulness for over 100,000 apps, at least of few of which would undoubtedly enable me to be a more effective shepherd of the flock (I can just see Moses descending from Mt. Sinai, iPhone in hand, declaring to the Israelites upon seeing the golden calf—“I have an app for that!”). Since I’m due for an upgrade soon (Valentines Day, in case you care, Kim!), maybe an iPhone is in my future.

Of course, if I do get an iPhone soon, then you must realize that means that we are on the verge of some great new technological advance that will leave the iPhone in the dust. Because the moment I purchase some new technology, it automatically becomes obsolete. My purchase of new technology is the death knell for that technology.

Like HD TVs. I really was pretty happy with our old TV. It was a six year old RCA. It worked fine. It was the size of a small mountain, and you needed a frontloader to move it, but other than that, it was great. But then football season started, and Kim & I began wondering whether the Chiefs would look better if we could watch them in High Definition (answer: they didn’t). We decided we’d look for a good deal and buy that as our family Christmas present.

We bought a nice 46 inch Toshiba HDTV, and the picture looks great. But no sooner had we brought it home than I began reading that HDTVs are so yesterday. The wave of the future is in 3D television, glasses and all. You haven’t lived, they say, until you’ve seen Matt Cassel throw an interception in 3D. Alas, I’m late again.

The same thing happened when Kim surprised me at Christmas with a Kindle. This is an electronic book reader. It’s about the size of a paperback, and you download electronic books from Amazon. It will hold about 1500 books. Now for a book-junkie like me, that’s heaven. I can have hundreds of books available at the flip of a switch and take them all with me wherever I go. I love it.

Then last week Steve Jobs announced that Apple was coming out with the iPad (some described it as an iPhone that doesn’t make calls), and I’ve read several articles that say that this revolutionary new device will make the Kindle (you guessed it) obsolete.

Oh well, that’s the story of my life. A day late and a dollar short.

But all of this gives me a new appreciation for the Word of God. Despite the passage of nearly 2000 years since it was completed, it is still as fresh, vibrant and relevant as it was when penned. It is still sharp and powerful. It remains a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

So rest assured, that whatever gadgets, apps or devices come along, God’s Word will never go out of style.

I Don't Love Jesus

2010-01-12T15:44:00.000-06:00

I don’t love Jesus.

I’m sure you’re shocked to read that statement from a conservative, evangelical pastor. Honestly, I’m shocked to have written it. But it must be true, because in the past week, I have repeatedly failed the single most important test of my love for Jesus. I haven’t forwarded several religious emails that I’ve received from others, emails which clearly state that if I love Jesus—if I really love Him—then I need to forward them on to 5, 10 or 20 people.

I know I’m no Bible scholar, but I do consider myself somewhat well versed in Scripture. All week long I’ve been looking for that verse that says, And by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you forward on those catchy emails to others. Someone, please tell me where to find it!

It must be there because these emails are coming in at an ever increasing pace. And according to these emails, not only do I not love Jesus, but evidently, I don’t love the lost either. One email said, If you truly care that your friends don’t burn in hell, send this to them NOW.

If I believed for one second that such an email would cause a lost person to consider their eternal destiny and place their faith in Christ, I’d send the email out to everyone I know. But something tells me if I’m offended by the tone of such emails, the unsaved people I know would be much more offended.

Here’s an idea. Rather than spam our friends and family members, let’s try loving them. Rather than fill their inboxes, let’s fill their hearts. Rather than add to their burdens by giving them one more thing to read and delete, let’s encourage them with a phone call or an act of kindness.

I know that there are a lot of well meaning people who forward those emails, thinking they’re doing something important for the Kingdom of God. But what we say and how we live provides much better evidence of our love for God than what we do with emails.

Well, that’s enough about that. I’ve got to go now. I have a rich Nigerian uncle who died and all I have to do to collect my inheritance is to email them my bank account number…

A Very Special Gift

2009-12-21T12:00:00.003-06:00

Years before Kacie graduated from high school, Kim began planning a very special gift to give to her—a quilt comprised of t-shirts that symbolized various aspects of Kacie’s life over the years: her pre-school dance and gymnastics classes; her grade school softball and soccer teams; special vacations to Disney World and the Grand Canyon; her high school band years; and teen mission trips to Monterrey, Mexico. Kim had been collecting these shirts Kacie’s whole life. Those shirts survived 5 moves in 18 years, but Kim was so excited about this special gift. She selected just the right mix of shirts that she thought would be most meaningful to Kacie.

Early in Kacie’s senior year, Kim took the shirts she had so carefully chosen to the lady who was going to do the quilt. We got the quilt back shortly before Kacie’s graduation party, and we were both so pleased with the way it turned out. Kim could hardly wait to give it to Kacie.

On the day of Kacie’s graduation party, we carefully draped the quilt over the railing in the entryway so that when Kacie came in, it would be the first thing she’d see. Kim was beside herself waiting for Kacie’s reaction.

I’ll never forget it. Kacie came in the door, looked up and saw this quilt made up of all these shirts representing special times in her life over the years. It took several seconds for it to register with her, but as she identified these special images from her childhood, tears welled up in Kacie’s eyes and she cried, “Oh no, what did you do to my shirts?!”

Not quite the Hallmark moment we expected.

Now in all fairness to Kacie, she very quickly came to appreciate and cherish that gift, but her initial reaction made me resent all the time, effort and love that Kim had put into it.

When you think about it, Kacie’s first reaction to her gift is not unlike the reaction of many people to the gift that God has given to us--a gift that He has given out of the overflowing love of His heart. The most special, most precious gift He could give. Yet many people resist it, mock it, ignore it and even reject it.

Yet God doesn’t resent His gift. He doesn’t withdraw it. He doesn’t restrict it. He continues to make it available. Not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.

Putting "Christmas" Back in Christmas

2009-11-30T12:46:00.000-06:00

There are a lot of people upset over various retailers who are using generic phrases like “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” in their stores. Whereas we used to encourage people to “put Christ back in Christmas”, now it seems that we need to encourage people to “put Christmas back in Christmas”.

I understand the angst of those who feel that every year we lose a little ground in the battle to keep the focus on Christ throughout the Christmas season. A lot of schools won’t let their kids have “Christmas programs”, even going so far as to preclude them from playing Christmas music.

However, I must say that I’m not nearly as concerned about how Wal-Mart or The Gap treat Christmas as I am in the way that professing Christians treat it. I really don’t expect the unbelieving, secular world to treat Christmas with respect or reverence. They’re in it for just one thing—the money. If they can improve the bottom line by diminishing the “Christ-aspect” of Christmas, then I’m not surprised that they do it. If they can increase profits by lumping Christmas in with Hanukah, Kwanza and Groundhog Day, then I’m not shocked.

But what about those who say they are Christ-followers? Does saying, “Merry Christmas” while ignoring Jesus make us superior to those we condemn? Does refusing to shop at a store that says “Happy Holidays” really improve our testimony while continuing to pursue all of the materialistic aspects of the Christmas season at other retailers?

I’m sorry, but I think a lot of the protests are just ways of trying to make Christians feel better about ourselves without having to change our ways. We are as responsible for making Christmas a secular day as the unbelieving world. Until we are willing to restore the “Christ-nature” of Christmas—with the emphasis back on Christ instead of Santa, Frosty or Rudolph—we don’t have any legitimate complaints. Until we insist that the birth of Christ will be celebrated in a way that honors and glorifies Him, then let’s not puff out our chests and breathe fire on those who denigrate the Holy Day.

When it comes to putting “Christmas back in Christmas”, let it begin with us.

Getting Rid of Sin Stains

2009-11-11T16:08:00.005-06:00

The look on Greg’s face was priceless. He had been recording our responses to his question on the marker board. He went to erase the writing, but nothing happened. He looked at the eraser, as though perhaps it was defective, but it looked fine. He rubbed a little harder, but the words that he had written minutes earlier were still there. Then his eyes fell upon the marker. In taking a closer look at it, he realized that he had been writing on the board with a permanent marker, not a “dry erase” marker.

He found a bottle of "dry erase board cleaner" and sprayed it on. While some of the ink ran a little, it didn’t make it go away. A few minutes later, Tim approached the board and began writing over the letters that were already there. Then he took the eraser and successfully erased the writing.

Did you know that if you write over permanent marker with a dry erase marker, you can erase it? I sure didn’t know it. Leave it to the guy who takes care of the marker boards in the Spring Hill schools to know it. I’m glad he did. Greg’s glad he did, too!

Tim tried to explain the science to us, but I didn’t really understand. It doesn’t matter—I don’t have to. I just know now how to erase permanent marker from a dry erase board the next time it needs to be done.

As I reflected on this, I couldn’t help but think about how this is kind of like our sins. Our sins leave marks. No amount of scrubbing or scouring or polishing will make them go away. No matter how many good works I do, my sins are still there. No matter how much money I give to the church or how much time I volunteer in the community, the marks of my sin won’t go away.

Then Jesus says, “Let me cover your sins for you.” He knows what to do. He’s covered lots of sins before. And He’s the only One who can do it. When you apply His blood to your sins, it’s like applying dry erase marker ink over permanent ink. It’s the only thing that will wash your sins away.

I don’t understand exactly how He does it. I’ve had people try to explain the theology behind it, but I still don’t quite get it. But I know He does it. He did it for me. In fact, He’ll do it for anyone. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13).

You don’t have to understand it or be able to explain it. But you do have to allow Jesus to do it. He won’t force Himself on you. But if you ask Him to do it, He’ll gladly say yes. This is what David had in mind when he said, Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)

Whiter than snow. Even whiter than a marker board.

Pastor Appreciation Month

2009-10-15T12:54:00.005-05:00

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.

Now, I'm sure it seems self serving for me to mention this, given that I'm a pastor, but I don't mean it to be. Don't get me wrong. I like the cards, emails and tokens of love and encouragement from the Life Spring congregation. It's always nice to receive a pat on the back or a kind word. But at Life Spring, they don't limit their expressions of appreciation to one month of the year. Week in and week out, month after month our folks are faithful to show their love and support to me as their pastor.

But it isn't just the kind words and sweet cards or even the gift certificates to my favorite restaurants that most reveal their appreciation for my service as their pastor (though, in case you wonder, those restaurants include K&M, Chili's and Mi Ranchito). It's in their response to the needs of a young couple bringing home their baby after spending his first five months in the hospital. It's the way they have reached out to the family that lost their home and most of their worldly belongings in a Friday night fire. It's their heartfelt prayers offered on behalf of a dear saint who had symptoms of cancer, and their exuberant joy when the diagnosis came back that all was well.

As a preacher, I love to proclaim the unsearchable riches of God's Holy Word. However, if such preaching is lauded on Sunday morning but ignored during the week, such preaching is in vain. If the fellowship is declared "sweet" in God's House but a fallacy in our homes, then it is meaningless.

So I am grateful that at Life Spring, the appreciation for their pastor is demonstrated in real and concrete ways through the manner in which we do life together. And the occasional card or gift certificate isn't bad, either.

It's Gonna Get Bad...

2009-09-17T11:46:00.003-05:00

Terrible things are about to happen.

I just heard on the news that very soon, all the trees will lose their lush green vegetation and become barren of leaves and fruit. It will get so bad that grass will stop growing and become brown and dull. Even with adequate amounts of sunshine and rain, few crops will survive.

Temperatures will drop precipitously. In fact, things will be so terrible that we are likely to experience days in which travel is difficult, if not impossible. Streets will be effectively closed down. Those who have failed to adequately prepare will find grocery store shelves empty of the most basic supplies of life.

Sounds bad, doesn’t it? Of course, you already have figured out that I’m describing the normal change of the seasons. But if you use the right language, you can make it sound pretty awful. Certain words paint pictures of despair, even horror.

And while some of us may not be excited about the change in seasons (personally, I love fall and winter), few of us would say we “fear” this change. In fact, we expect it. The truth is that we in this part of the country would be far more concerned if we experienced 90 degree days in December or a sudden resurgence of lawn growth in January, because we know that isn’t normal. Whether we like the change in seasons, we know what to expect.

In a similar way, we shouldn’t allow the events of life to unnerve us as much as they do. The truth is, we’re going to experience various “seasons” of life. They change, like the weather. We may not be able to predict what to expect in the next season of life, but neither should we dread it.

As we begin our church-wide Life Group study based on John Ortberg’s book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat, we need to remind ourselves that we are all going to experience events of life that call for courage and faith. And just as we don’t fear the changes from summer to fall or from winter to spring, we should approach the changes in our lives with a resolve to trust God to see us through.

Spring Hill Fall Festival

2009-09-14T20:19:00.003-05:00

Experiencing and Expressing the Love of God…

That’s the Life Spring mission statement.

I think we do a great job at the first part of that statement. Week in and week out, we experience God’s love in a variety of ways. We experience it through some awesome times of worship. We experience it in times of intense study of God’s Word. We experience it in Life Groups, where we do life together.

It’s a little more difficult to measure our success in “expressing the love of God”. Whenever there is a need in our church family, we tend to respond quickly and generously. We usually see a great turnout when a plea for assistance in meeting some need in our community is made known to our congregation. I am sure there are numerous acts of concern for others manifested on the part of Life Spring folks daily.

However, this weekend we have an opportunity to Experience and Express the love of God in very visible ways right here in our own community. We’ll leave the confines of our building and the comfort zones of our routine to engage members of our community where they are.

On Saturday morning, we’ll continue a tradition that began even before our first formal worship service three years ago—participating in the Fall Festival parade. Our Worship team will declare the glory of God as dozens of Life Spring folks walk the parade route, handing out water bottles. This has become our “signature”, and some people in the community have already been asking me if we’re going to do it again this year.

It’s a small thing. Handing a person a water bottle. Saying “hello”. We’re not quoting Bible verses or engaging in theological discussions, but we are letting our community know that Life Spring is here, and that we care about the needs that exist among our citizens. Even if it’s just quenching a thirst in the middle of watching a parade.

We will again set up a booth at the Fall Festival, staffed all day by Life Spring people. We’ll have some information there about our church, but it’s not just a publicity gimmick. We’ll have games for kids. We’ll visit with our neighbors about their tomato crops and the mild summer weather and the Chiefs surprising performance against Baltimore (you knew I’d sneak that in somewhere, didn’t you?). I’d love it if someone accepts Christ as their Savior or decides to attend our church, but we won’t be doing much proselytizing that day, so those things may not happen. But at the end of the day, maybe we’ll have had the opportunity to give people a different impression of Christ and Christians than they may have otherwise had.

Sunday morning will start with a new event—the 5K walk/run. Life Spring is partnering with Grace Community Church to host this event, with proceeds raised going to the Spring Hill Multi-Service Center to help families with financial needs in our own community. Following the 5K, we’ll join other area churches at Spring Hill City Park for a Community Worship Service. What a way to cap a weekend of Experiencing and Expressing the Love of God…

If you attend Life Spring, and especially if you are a member of our congregation, I hope you’ll make an effort to participate with us in this weekend’s activities. No, it’s not the only way we experience and express God’s love. But it’s the best opportunity most of us will have for doing it this weekend!

Ignoring the Hand That Feeds You

2009-08-27T13:35:00.005-05:00

I got up this morning and followed a pretty typical routine. I let Sophie out of her crate, fed her and took her outside. I poured a cup of coffee for me and sat down in my chair to do my devotions. A few minutes later, Sophie jumped up on me, and after wandering around my lap for a few minutes, she settled down and rested peacefully.

After about a half hour, she heard Kacie upstairs. Sophie stirred a little bit. The more she heard Kacie, the more anxious she got. She positioned herself on my lap so that she had a clear view of the staircase behind me. Every time she heard the bathroom door open or the bedroom door close, she got more excited. Then finally, Kacie descended from on high. Sophie jumped off of my lap, scratching my leg in the process. But she didn't care. She was on a mission to see Kacie.

I have to admit, in some ways that irked me. After all, I'm the one who let Sophie out of her crate. I'm the one who fed her. I'm the one who took her outside so she could do her business. And after all that, she abandons me at the drop of a hat in order to embrace Kacie.

I can't help but draw a comparison between Sophie and the Israelites in the Old Testament. God led them out of bondage and slavery. He took care of them. He fed them and protected them from their enemies. He brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey. But at the drop of a hat, they went following after other gods.

Now, I'm not comparing myself to God (or Kacie to false religion), but my point is simply that it is understandable how upset and even angry God got at his chosen people when they refused to acknowledge Him and His provision. But such treachery didn't end with the Israelites. It goes on, even today, among those who claim a relationship with God. We abandon God for fame, fortune and power. We pursue other ambitions while giving lip service to Him.

As God's people, let's be sensitive to those times when we fail to show God the love and respect that is due Him. Let's be less anxious to jump down off His lap to chase the latest fad to come along.

2009-08-14T11:39:00.002-05:00

For those of you who know me, this won't come as a surprise. I hate yard work. The mowing, weed-eating and other essentials of maintaining a yard represent, to me, the very definition of the word "chore". And if you've driven by our house lately, you'd shout a hearty "Amen".

Even though this summer has been relatively cool, the recent hot & dry conditions are really taking their toll on our lawn (I hate having to give water to the dog, so I'm sure not going to waste it on the grass.) So for the past few weeks, our lawn has been turning a strange color, somewhere between yellow and brown.

Except for a few spots here and there, which are a deep shade of green. I mean, those spots are really green. And growing much faster than the rest of the yard. You might say "growing like a weed". Because they are weeds.

I have always marveled at this phenomenon. While the plants and lawn struggle to survive, the weeds thrive. Since I rarely water or fertilize the yard, it is going dormant, but the weeds are doing great.

Which is exactly what it's like in the spiritual realm. If you nurture your spiritual life through Bible study, prayer, worship and service, then it can thrive. But if you ignore it--just do nothing--then the weeds move in and take over. The weed of worry. The weed of anger. The weed of doubt. You don't have to water these weeds for them to do well. You don't have to feed them for them to spread. And before long, all you have is a spiritual yard of weeds.

Getting rid of weeds once they've taken root is much tougher than preventing them in the first place. So if you recognize that your spiritual yard is looking a little rough, take action now to keep it from looking like my front lawn.

American Idols

2009-08-09T18:03:00.003-05:00

In studying 2 Chronicles 34 and the revival that occurred during the days of King Josiah, we observed that in an effort to manifest repentance and experience revival, Josiah destroyed that which hindered revival in his day. In his case, that involved destroying the instruments and symbols of idol worship. So he completely eradicated from the land idols, Asherah poles and incense altars. He knew as long as such things existed in the land of Judah, the people would be tempted to return to idol worship and false gods.

It is apparent that for us to experience spiritual renewal, we, too, must destroy that which hinders revival. In some cases, that means ridding from our lives that which is blatantly sinful and inherently evil. No doubt, we can think of some attitudes and practices that fall into that category. But we also noted in Sunday’s sermon that “destroying that which hinders revival” also encompasses ridding from our lives some otherwise good and decent things that represent competition with God for our attention and our affection.

I hope we’ll seriously consider what those things might be, because until we knock them off of the throne and destroy them completely, they will be a hindrance to our ability to reconnect with God in a vital and vibrant way.

For some of us, it may be a job. Not only is it the source of income and financial security, but it consumes us. We are defined by our work. We live to work, rather than working to live. If we aren’t actually working, then we’re thinking about it. If we’re not “on the job”, it’s at least “on our mind”. If the telephone rings, we’ll answer. If an email comes in, we’ll respond. And if it means that we don’t have time for devotions or worship or service, well, that’s just the price that we are willing to pay. But in the end, the job has become an idol that has dethroned our King, and we need to consider the price we are paying to keep it.

For others, it may be a relationship. Not an inappropriate sexual relationship (that would be blatantly sinful), but a relationship that takes us away from God. Or that causes us to minimize our time with God. Or that causes us to compromise our values and convictions. The relationship itself may not be sinful, but when it diminishes our intimacy with God, it becomes an idol that must be destroyed.

It could be an activity, a hobby or an interest. It could be service in a community organization that takes so much of our time that we can’t serve the Lord through His church or participate in corporate worship. It could be our love of golf if it consumes so much of our time and money that we don’t have either for God. It could be football (as much as it pains me to say it) if our devotion to the game rivals our devotion to our God.

It could be our home, if we devote so many resources to maintaining or improving it that we have fewer resources for the Lord’s work. It could be a boat, a second home or any possession that interferes with our relationship with the Lord.

As I quoted from Chuck Swindoll on Sunday morning: I don’t have many temptations to worship evil things. It’s the good things that plague me. If you can relate to that, understand that unless and until you eradicate those “good” things from your life, you will not experience repentance, and if you don’t experience repentance, then revival will just be the topic of a summer sermon series at the church that meets in a middle school.

The Best Laid Plans

2009-07-21T16:14:00.003-05:00

All we wanted was a place where we could quietly do our devotions. The first day of the retreat had been glorious. Kim and I had hiked (yes, I really hiked) on some of the trails around the beautiful Glen Eyrie campus in Colorado Springs. We had some wonderful fellowship with some of the others attending the Innovo Retreat. And we were enjoying a rare chance to re-connect with each other. But during this stretch of the afternoon, we pursued some quiet time with a determined purpose.

The area around the Prayer Garden was filled with people. While it was largely overcast, there was enough sun poking through from time to time that we were looking for a shaded area. Then we found it. On the corner of the patio at the castle. It was completely empty. No one was nearby, so we picked out a choice spot which was well shaded. We could see all over the lush grounds. Blooming flowers. Green meadows. And of course, the mountains!

We unpacked our Bibles and our books. Kim got all of her colored pencils out, lined them up and was fully prepared to highlight to her heart’s content. It was glorious.

And then they came. Three college-aged girls, talking and laughing and making more noise than three people should. But I wasn’t worried. It was a large patio. They could see we were trying to read. Even if they stayed on the patio, surely they would make their way to the other side.

How foolish of me. They plopped down just a few tables away. And they continued to talk and laugh as though they were the only ones there. I looked at Kim. She looked at me. The best laid plans. After a few minutes, it was obvious they were there to stay. And with the noise they made, I couldn’t concentrate. So we moved to another location.

It was much quieter, with just one young man at a table nearby, and he was reading too. But it wasn’t very scenic. It was inside the courtyard. There wasn’t much to look at (especially for Kim, who only had me). And our view was further compromised because we were sitting in a little alcove, which made it kind of stuffy.

I wasn’t thinking very charitable thoughts at that moment. About the time we got settled, we heard a loud clap of thunder. It suddenly got very dark, and within a few seconds, it was pouring down rain. But it didn’t matter, because we were sitting in this protected alcove. We didn’t get a drop on us.

And then it dawned on me. If we had stayed where we were, we would have been drenched. There wasn’t time between the first clap of thunder and the first drop of rain to have gone anywhere. God used those giggling, loud-talking girls to move us to someplace where we were dry and protected.

How much like life is that? God sometimes has to inconvenience us to get us where He wants us to be? We get irritated, frustrated, even angry at Him when our plans go awry. Why can’t I just sit here and enjoy my book?, we ask. But because He knows when the skies are going to open and the rain is going to fall, He may want to move us someplace where we won’t get wet.

Or sometimes, in His sovereignty and wisdom, He may leave us on the patio to get soaked. But even then, as Christians we know we’re getting soaked for a reason.

We're All Still Here

2009-07-08T15:31:00.002-05:00

The sun came up in the east this morning.

Now, maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, but after all of the mourning, wailing and gnashing of teeth at the funeral of Michael Jackson on Tuesday, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. Surely life can’t just go on, not after the “King of Pop” was buried. Not after MJ was put in the ground. Not after “the greatest performer ever without a doubt” (I actually heard that phrase verbatim twice in the past 24 hours) would never be heard from again.

Why were there no earthquakes?

How can rain still fall from the sky?

I mean no disrespect to the dead. But on Tuesday, you couldn’t log onto the Internet or flip through the channels on TV without running into wall-to-wall coverage of his funeral. An alien visiting from another planet would have thought that we were burying the man who found the cure to cancer, or solved the world’s financial crises or at least had figured out the secret as to why the same number of socks never come out of the dryer that you put in.

Silly alien. No, we were simply engaged in one of our frequent celebrity love-fests. Here’s a guy who’s last record was released in 2001 and his last hit was in 1996. He was frequently the butt of late night comics’ jokes as he demonstrated increasingly bizarre behavior. He looked more like a casualty of some natural disaster than a mega-star. And yet people—including influential, even powerful people—were falling over themselves to shed tears and offer condolences on his behalf.

Again, I don’t want to seem insensitive, but it all seems a little much. I think of some of the dear old saints I’ve known through the years who have made great sacrifices in their service to the Kingdom who left this world with barely a whisper. No TV coverage. No reporters, politicians or athletic stars bid them farewell. No Congressional Resolutions were passed in their honor.

These wonderful folks recorded no number one albums. But some were faithful teachers of the Scripture. Some loved and taught our kids. Some baked pies or drove the church bus or cleaned the restrooms in the church. Some visited the sick in the hospitals or took food to shut-ins.

I don’t know for sure what Michael Jackson’s relationship with the Lord was. I was under the impression that he shared the faith of his parents and was a Jehovah’s Witness, although over the past few years there have been a lot of stories about his interest in Islam or “spirituality” in general. None of that gives me much reason to believe that he knew Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

And if in fact he was not a Christian, then I hope that he enjoyed his crowds, homes, cars, planes and riches (though all the evidence suggests he really didn't). Because, apart from Christ, it’s all downhill from here (literally).

But for those Christ-followers I mentioned earlier, even without the fame and fortune of this world, they can say along with the Psalmist, But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. (Psalm 49:15)

In light of all that, who would you rather be?

Ripped From the Headlines

2009-07-03T11:15:00.002-05:00

I’m sure you’ve heard the story by now.

A powerful government official who openly talks of his faith and his relationship with God commits adultery. For nearly a year, he keeps the transgression under wraps, though there are occasional whispers about the illicit relationship. When he is finally confronted about the affair, he owns up to it. It was wrong he said. It shouldn’t have happened. The damage is done.

King David sure screwed up.

His story is so well known, as are the consequences. Surely no one would ever mess up like that again, right? Oh, that it were so.

Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, is just the latest and most prominent to repeat the mistakes of the former King of Israel. But in the days since the news of his adultery and betrayal became public, Gov. Sanford’s response to the situation has revealed a vast difference between his character and that of the man after God’s own heart.

Both men shared some of their deepest thoughts and feelings in the aftermath of their indiscretion. David wrote two Psalms detailing his emotions. Gov. Sanford granted several interviews. The emotions they expressed in their respective forums reveal the world of distinction between the two.

David writes of his anguish: When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. (Psalm 32:3-4, NLT) He acknowledges his actions as pure sin: …I have done what is evil in your sight… (Psalm 51:4).

Contrast that with the reaction of Gov. Sanford. In interviews conducted recently, he spoke longingly of his mistress, calling her his “soul mate”. While indicating he recognized the inappropriateness of his actions, he expressed surprisingly little remorse. He seemed especially insensitive to his wife and children. He has humiliated his wife, and he has shamed the Sanford name. During a time when should be devoting himself to salvaging what is left of those relationships, he’s making excuses and digging his hole deeper.

It’s not my intent to pile on Gov. Sanford. There’s enough of that happening in the public realm, including the secular media. But these transgressions point out a right way and a wrong way to respond to sin. Gov. Sanford, for all his professed faith and religious beliefs, seems unable to follow clear Scriptural guidance concerning repentance and restoration. And David, despite the heinous nature of his sins (which included not only adultery, but murder!), demonstrated how we can get right with God when we sincerely repent and seek forgiveness.

The proper response for us now is to pray for the Governor’s wife and children. Pray for the woman with whom Sanford had the affair, and for her family. Pray for those who are disillusioned over the fall of this once vocal Christ-follower. Pray for those who will use this occasion as a further opportunity to cast aspersions on all Christians, especially those in the public eye.

And pray for the South Carolina Governor. Pray that he would truly repent of his sins. Pray that he would seek and accept God’s forgiveness. Pray that he will serve as a Godly example for others. And pray that ultimately, he, like King David, will find again the joy of his salvation.

Faith in the KC Star

2009-06-27T11:23:00.005-05:00

I’m one of the rare breed of individuals who have subscribed to the newspaper most of my life, including when I was in college (as a finance major, I even subscribed to the Wall Street Journal until I discovered they didn’t have a “Comics” section). The idea of reading the newspaper every day was ingrained into me by my dad. Although he didn’t even graduate from high school, he was a voracious reader, insisting that we maintain our subscriptions to the Kansas City Times (the morning paper), The Kansas City Star (the evening paper), and The Kansan (the “official” newspaper of Wyandotte County), even when money was tight. My dad would consider me ill-read today if he knew that I only consumed the news of one local daily (even though there is only one local daily left).

A few years ago, in an effort to save money, I decided to take advantage of the “Friday, Saturday, Sunday” offer for the Kansas City Star, figuring that I could keep up with the news pretty well through the Internet. However, I found myself missing the feel of the morning paper, and eventually renewed my daily subscription.

I’ve been rethinking that decision a lot lately. Part of it is the cost relative to the content of the newspaper. Recently, the Star has combined sections and reduced the amount of news content without any corresponding decrease in the cost.

Part of it is the fact that my newspaper carrier in Spring Hill can’t seem to hit the two car-wide driveway to save his life—invariably the paper is at the edge of the driveway in the street. Of course, I don’t complain too much about that, because it’s better than the days I don’t get a paper at all (about twice a month, on average).

Last week, my thoughts returned to cancellation when I read the article asking readers to choose five comics for elimination, including some I’ve read since childhood like Marmaduke, Beetle Bailey and Wizard of Id.

But the one consideration for cancelling my subscription to the local newspaper that ranks above all others is the atrocity they call their Faith section. Every Saturday, they devote a few pages to a section that talks about religion. They ought to call it the Faithless section, for week after week, it is dominated by articles and columns featuring Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and increasingly, by atheists.

Don’t get me wrong—I understand that a secular newspaper is not a forum for the spread of Christianity—let alone my particular brand of Christianity—but in a society in which the vast majority of our citizens define themselves as “Christians”, why does the newspaper insist on featuring nearly every religious system except Christianity? Shouldn’t the ratio really be heavily favored towards articles dealing with the Christian faith? Yet there are times when if it weren’t for the weekly Billy Graham column, there wouldn’t be a single article that touches on anything remotely “Christian”.

I just finished reading their weekly Faith Walk article, which is written on a rotation basis by local folks about their faith experience, except today’s article was written by a women who admitted that she hated church. She didn’t say what her particular brand of theology was, but described herself as a freethinker, who decided to raise her children without religion, presumably with the idea that someday, they could make up their minds for themselves about their faith.

Imagine if she had done that about food. Who am I to tell my children to eat vegetables? They may not like vegetables—I’ll let them decide that for themselves. When they get older, they can decide what they want to eat—or if they want to eat at all.

What if she applies this philosophy to her children’s decisions about drugs or alcohol? Some people abuse drugs and alcohol and some don’t. Whatever my children decide, I’m OK with it as long as they’re happy.

Now, I’m frustrated with all this for two reasons. First of all, and directly related to my introduction to this blog, is that this has nothing to do with faith. It is about the lack of faith. Does The Star put articles on automobiles in their “Food” section, or publish the obituaries in the “Comics”?

But as to the content of her article, my frustration is rooted in the fact that this woman was being disingenuous. It wasn’t that she thought it best for her children to grow up without religion as she initially contended. For she admitted that she found the approach of the Unitarian Universalists quite appealing, for in this church no one would tell [my children] that their mother was evil.

And folks, therein lies the problem. Her children need to hear that their mother is evil. Their father is evil. They are evil. The pastor is evil. Everyone who attends those religious services is evil. And everyone who doesn’t attend their services is evil too. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Because if a person doesn’t understand they are evil in the sight of a holy and righteous God, then they’ll never know the glorious truth that God’s righteousness can be applied to them through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

So when all is said and done, this woman, like so many others, hates church and rejected “religion” for her children because she didn’t like being told the truth. But now that she’s found a “church” (how it pains me to write that, even in quotation marks) that has declared her righteous of her own accord—not in need of Jesus or His shed blood or the cross on which He died—she’s perfectly happy to introduce “religion” to her children.

My prayer is that someday, someone will introduce them to Christ.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

2009-06-18T12:17:00.004-05:00

There's not much that just makes me laugh out loud, but I came across this list of the Top 10 Things You'd Say at Work But Can't on the blog of Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. It is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time, so I share with you in the hopes that it brightens your day.

1. I’ll try being nicer if you try being smarter.
2. I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet its hard to pronounce.
3. I’ll pencil that in for never. Does never work for you?
4. I see you’ve set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. It sounds like English, but I can’t understand a word you’re saying.
6. Ahhh … I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
7. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
8. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don’t give a rip.
9. I will always cherish the positive initial misconceptions I had about you.
10. The fact that no one understands you doesn’t mean you are an artist.

What would you like to say at work, if only you could? Reply in comments (comments are moderated, so let's play nice).

If You Twitter Does That Make You a Twit?

2009-06-08T10:04:00.002-05:00

Again last night someone asked me, "Just what is Twitter?". And once again, I found myself stumbling around for words. Every time I try to explain Twitter to someone, it seems like a remarkably dumb concept.

Twitter is, in its most basic sense, a communications tool. You have up to 140 characters to get your message across. It might be as simple as declaring "Studying for Sunday's sermon." Or it might be a bit more complex, like communicating a prayer request or a special need within the church. In any event, you have 140 characters (that includes letters, spaces, punctuation, etc) to communicate, so it forces you to be conservative in your word choices.

After that explanation, people are still perplexed. "So, it's like texting?" No, not really. If I text someone, I usually have a specific message that I want delivered to a specific person, like "Kacie, what time will you be home?". However, when I tweat, I am just communicating to a larger audience. Such tweats rarely are profound and generally require no action or follow up by those who might read them.

Or people will ask, "So it's like a blog?". Well, in a way--except you only have a limited ability to communicate, so the message must be straightforward and simple.

To read a tweat, one must be a follower. At the present time, I have 51 followers on Twitter, most of whom I do not know personally. (By comparison, actor Ashton Kutchner has over 1 million followers). However, several of my "followers" are friends, mostly from Life Spring. I follow nearly 70 people on Twitter. Again, most of these folks are people I have never met. Some of them are prominent evangelicals in the church & publishing fields--like Pastor Max Lucado or Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

I must admit that I found it particularly interesting when Max Lucado was tweating from his recent mission trip in Africa. But I also find it interesting when Ryan Meek tweats about Lily or Stephanie Kotchavar tweats about Hank. I'd love it if more people from Life Spring were twittering. I think it enhances the sense of community that we are all seeking.

There is a recent trend in Twitter-land that bothers me greatly. The media--including the mainstream media--has recently devoted a lot of attention to people who are twittering during worship services. Since you can post tweats from your cell phone as easily as from a computer, twittering "on the go" is pretty popular. But twittering during a worship service just seems wrong to me.

There are enough distractions to keep us from giving God our full and undivided attention. Our minds naturally wander to our troubles and trials. Or a baby cries. Or we can't take our eyes off of Bro. Jones who keeps nodding off and nearly falls out of his seat each time just before he wake up. The last thing we need is one more distraction.

So add Twitter to the list of things that can be good and useful and beneficial to the Kingdom and to our effort to reach out to one another which Satan has found a way to corrupt and defile. It doesn't make Twitter "bad" any more than television is inherently "bad" or books are innately "evil". But it does require us to think about the ways we use such things and whether ultimately they bring us closer to God or take us farther away.

HYMNS FOR HIM STARTS JUNE 7

2009-05-31T19:10:00.002-05:00

Our new summer sermon series begins on June 7th, and we’re going to spend several weeks focusing on some of the great hymns of faith. I’ve already been challenged greatly as I’ve been preparing the first few messages.

Few things are more controversial in our churches than our music. It seems that everyone has an opinion about what type of music should be performed in a worship service, and we are all eager to share those opinions. In recent years, the controversy has been between those who like the old hymns (preferably straight from a hymnal) and praise music or choruses (generally displayed on a screen or a wall).

I grew up on hymns. Truth be known, I grew weary of them. Too often they were sung like funeral dirges—slow and joyless. We seemed to open every service with Victory in Jesus and close with Just As I Am. I wasn’t disappointed when we started attending a church where hymns were sung infrequently, and when they were sung, it was a much more positive and upbeat experience.

But as time has worn on, I miss some of these great old hymns. While I do enjoy much of the newer praise music that we sing, my heart begins to race when we sing some of those familiar hymns. And with the way that Dennis leads our hearts in worship, these hymns take on a freshness that leads us closer to God’s throne of grace.

One of the things that has long intrigued me about the old hymns is the stories behind them. It seems that so many of those songs were born from difficult circumstances, tragedies or adversities that drove the hymn writers to a deeper place. We’re going to touch on some of these stories as we go through the series.

And there is some strong theology that underlies these hymns. It was not enough for these songs to have catchy tunes or pithy phrases—there is real doctrinal meat on the bones of these ancient songs. Though they may have been written centuries ago, there is a relevance that makes their meaning timeless.

This sermon series is certainly not an attempt to suggest that hymns are better than modern music. But it is an attempt to learn more about these songs and their relationship to the faith of our fathers. It is a way for us to keep the fires of the faith burning strongly for us and for future generations.

Remember Memorial Day

2009-05-23T14:37:00.004-05:00

"What are you doing on Memorial Day weekend?"

I suppose I've been asked that question a dozen times over the past several days. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of Summer, though the calendar says we're still three weeks away from the Summer Equinox (not to be confused with the Chevy Equinox, which seats 8). Pools open. School's out. And Memorial Day is the first of three extra days off between now and the end of August (Independence Day & Labor Day being the other two). So I can see why folks get excited about it.

At the same time, I fear we've lost a sense of what the Holiday is all about. I remember my parents and other older folks who actually referred to it as "Decoration Day"--it was the day to take flowers to the gravesites of loved ones and "decorate" the graves. It was always a big deal to make the trip to TG&Y to pick up the wreaths to lay on the graves of my grandparents and brother. We added my dad's grave to the list in 1976.

And although the tradition for many families was to decorate the gravesites of all family members, the original intent of the day was to memorialize (hence "Memorial" Day) those who had given their lives in service to our nation. It officially became known as Memorial Day in 1967, and in 1968 Congress declared the observance of this day would be on the last Monday of the month of May in order to create a convenient three day weekend.

I wonder how many of our young people even know the reason for Memorial Day. I stopped visiting the cemetery on Memorial Day years ago. Kim, Kacie & I have never done anything special as a family to observe the day. And I don't think it's only us. But in the process, we lose not only some of our history, but some of our character as a nation.

In the midst of writing this, Kacie & I just had a quick conversation about Memorial Day. She had a vague idea of its meaning, but I gave her a more complete recounting of its history. She may not remember it tomorrow. But she can't say she never heard it before.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the day off. I like the grilling and the time with family and friends. I don't think it has to be a somber day void of fun or frivolity. But let's not forget the reason our nation has set aside this day, and let us keep uppermost in our memories those whose sacrifices make the ballgames, picnics and lake outings possible.

Elder Board not Bored

2009-05-19T17:09:00.003-05:00

I'm preparing for our monthly Elder Board meeting tonight. Although it's a relatively light agenda, there are several issues we're dealing with that hold promise of bringing some excitement to the table.

We're going to get a report from two of our men who are senior law enforcement officials who attended a seminar on church security last week. It hasn't been that long ago that we wouldn't even think about such things, but those days are past. My guess is that this issue will take up more of our time in coming months as we try to respond appropriately to potential problems. I appreciate that our Board is so proactive in their thinking.

We have initiated the first steps in the budgeting process for the new ministry year. This would be a lot more fun if we had tons of money to deal with, but this year we're going to have to look long and hard at how ministry money is being spent. Last year we were pretty conservative in our budget estimates, and so far, we're holding our own. A lot of churches are down 20% or more in giving, but our people are quite faithful in spite of the big hits that many families have taken. God is so good. But we know that we need to be careful stewards of these resources.

We are also in the beginning stages of the master plan process for the church property. The Master Plan Vision Team met with the architect last week, and tonight the Board will consider how far to go in the planning process at this time. The cost estimates for construction are sobering, but it will be exciting to see how God accomplishes all of this in His church.

Tonight we will also consider how to proceed in the selection of a new Elder. Several nominations were made by the congregation, and although a few men have removed themselves from consideration, we have a couple of excellent candidates. Our Board has operated so well for the past 2 1/2 years, and adding new Elders is among the most important decisions we make. I know God will lead us if we will be sensitive to His guidance.

There are a few other odds and ends on the agenda, but these are the major issues we're dealing with tonight. We're blessed to have men who are willing to take a night out of their schedule every month to come deal with these matters. And as we grow and mature as a Body of believers, there will continue to be new and exciting issues that keep the Board from getting bored.

Blog, Shmog

2009-05-13T09:45:00.003-05:00

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. My last blog was 17 days ago.

I feared this would happen. I reached a point where I just didn't have anything to blog about. Now, I 'm sure a few of you will say, Well, that hasn't stopped you in the past! But really, I just couldn't think of anything to write.

Even now, I continue to experience writer's block. But I feel guilty for not having blogged for 2 weeks, so I decided to blog about not blogging.

I have to admit that sometimes the same thing happens to me when preparing sermons. That's one of the reasons I like to preach in "series"--it gives me a road map for future messages. It's also why I enjoy preaching through Books of the Bible. I don't have to wonder what passage I'll touch upon next--I just do the next section of the Book we're going through.

Over the next few weeks, I'll begin a new series of sermons based on some of the old hymns. I've often toyed with the idea of preaching on these old songs which are so rich in theology but rooted in practicality. But I've never tried it before. So I've outlined a tentative preaching schedule that will take us through the summer.

Then, unless the Lord changes my mind in the meantime, this fall we're going to go through the life of Joseph of the Old Testament. Again, I've long wanted to do an in-depth study of his life, so I'm really looking forward to getting into that series.

Which all goes to say that I have a lot more ideas for sermons than for blogs. But at least I've bought myself another few weeks with this one.

Milk Carton Theology

2009-04-26T23:08:00.002-05:00

Milk cartons used to be stamped with a “Use by” date. Then they started using a “Sell by” date. Now they just say “Best by” date. What’s up with that? After all, if a milk carton says “Use by” a certain date, and that date has passed, I don’t even open the cap. The milk gets trashed.

The “Sell by” date is a little more difficult. How long do you have to use it after it is sold? When should I start getting nervous?

But the “Best by” date is the most frustrating of all. For whom is it best? Is it best for the store’s profit margin to get rid of it by that date? It doesn’t have to be the “best” for me to use it, but I don’t want it to be the worst either. Just where should I draw the line?

See, this is all very complicated. Now I know some people would just say “drink it, and if it’s bad throw it out.” But I don’t always trust my taste buds. Sometimes I’ll taste the milk, and I’m not quite sure if it’s OK, so I’ll ask Kim to try it.

“Why?”, she’ll ask.

“Because I think it may be going bad”, I’ll respond.

“So you want me to drink sour milk”, she’ll say, and coming from her, it sounds like that much more ridiculous of an idea.

Of course, I have no reasonable response, so I’ll just throw out the milk, because whether it’s really bad or not, I’ve now convinced myself it’s undrinkable.

All this, of course, could have been avoided if they would just put the “Use by” date back on the carton. Not the ambiguous “Sell by” date or the vague “Best by” date, but the clear and unequivocal “USE BY” date.

If we benefit so much from definitive information on a milk carton, how much more do we need indisputable information on the more significant issues of life? And that’s where God’s Word comes in. Trustworthy and reliable, it is the rule of faith and practice for those who desire to honor God by the way they live.

You may not always like what it says. You may not always understand the logic or the reasoning behind its commands and instructions. But it says what it means and it means what it says.

Which is more than you can say for your average carton of milk.

Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer

2009-04-22T14:22:00.003-05:00

We're entering an extremely busy time for most of our families. Weddings, graduations and vacations will fill already crowded calendars over the next few months. It can be difficult to maintain some sense of normalcy in the midst of such crazy schedules.

As a pastor, I am deeply convicted that we in the church do all we can do to help people navigate these crazy times, rather than to add to the burdens of schedules that are overloaded. At Life Spring, we seek to follow the "Simple Church" model that calls for doing a few things with excellence, rather than to do a number of things in mediocrity.

That doesn't mean that we don't do anything in the summer, but we try to be even more intentional about not filling up the calendar any more than necessary. We'll have a church picnic, which is one of the favorite events for a lot of our families. Life Groups will meet, and our Men's & Women's Ministries will have a few events. But overall, we'll do our best not to add to the stress level of our folks by giving them more obligations than they can fulfill.

All of this is a part of our effort to move people away from equating "activity" with "spirituality". Some people seem to think that just because they're busy with church activities, that must mean that they're OK with God. Very often, just the opposite is true. They are so busy doing things, they don't have time to spend with Jesus (think Martha and Mary, Luke 10).

So if you are a part of our family at Life Spring, we hope you'll join us for our worship services each Sunday morning. Stay active in your Life Group. And attend other activities as your schedule permits. But don't fall into the trap of thinking you must be busier in order to be more pleasing to the Lord. Instead, spend more time at the Master's feet, and just enjoy being a child of the King.

It's April 15

2009-04-15T15:18:00.002-05:00

This morning, I went to Post Office before I came to work, and I did my civic duty. I paid my taxes. Of course, I pay taxes nearly every day of the year. Sales tax. Property tax. Twice a month, state and federal taxes come out of my paycheck. But Uncle Sam says they didn’t take enough this year. Sure seemed like enough to me, but in the end, I’ll go with what Uncle Sam tells me.

Like most Americans, I seethe a little when I see waste and fraud in the name of our government. I get more than a little irked when we learn some new detail about how our tax dollars are spent. But I’ve got to tell you, as I drove away from the mailbox, I felt a little sense of pride that I was doing my part as a patriot.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t enjoy paying taxes in the same way that I enjoy two scoops of Rock Chocolate Jayhawk at Sylas & Maddie’s. But as I consider the roads I drive on and the police that patrol our streets and the military that keeps me safe, it hurts a little less to pay those taxes. Just as I walked away from the voting booth last week with a sense of pride that I was contributing to democracy (I was voter #68 in the middle of the afternoon), I drove away from that mailbox knowing that the payment of my taxes was a part of the price of living in the United States of America.

Not only do I feel a little more like a patriot, but I also feel a little more spiritual. After all, Jesus said to render to God what is God’s and to Caesar (or Sam) what is Caesar’s (or Sam’s). So when I pay my taxes, I’m doing what Jesus instructed me to do.

It also gave me pause for a little thanksgiving. Thanks, Lord, that I have a job and a salary on which I am taxed. Thank you for my home and the mortgage interest deduction that it provides. Thanks for my wife and my daughter, or as they’re known in the tax world—my little exemptions. Thank you that my health costs didn’t exceed 2% of my adjusted gross income. Thanks that some of Kacie’s college expenses are tax deductible. We’re told to give God thanks in everything, and I guess that means on tax day, too.

I’ll still gripe about high taxes and waste and fraud. I’ll still prefer lower taxes to higher taxes. I’ll still take every deduction and credit I can. But when all is said and done, I hope I remember that even an unpleasant and mundane task like paying my taxes can be an act of worship if my heart is right.

Happy Easter

2009-04-06T10:52:00.003-05:00

We celebrate Easter, 2009 during a time of great uncertainty.

The world economy teeters on disaster. No one knows how bad things will get before they get better. How many more people will lose their jobs? How many more families will lose their homes? How many more communities will lose all hope?

The moral fabric of our nation is unraveling at breakneck speed. The concept of sin has been lost on an entire generation. If you believe that God abhors homosexuality, then you are a “bigot”. If you think that God holds human life sacred, then you are “intolerant”. If you subscribe to the idea that in the beginning, God created all things, then society holds you in contempt as uneducated and ignorant.

If ever there was a time when we needed the encouragement of a risen Savior, it is now. If ever there was an occasion for hope rooted in unchanging truth, it is today.

When Jesus came into the world the first time, it was into a world of tremendous uncertainty, not unlike today. People were going through the motions of a lifeless religion. They were staking their futures on the hope of greater peace and prosperity, even as the world experienced greater chaos and turmoil.

Many people viewed Jesus’ death as the end of all hope, when in fact it was the root of real hope, for He defeated sin and the grave when He rose from the dead.

Over this next week, let’s take time to consider the sacrifice He made and the price He paid so that no longer would our hope rest on a fickle economy, feckless political leaders or a finicky religion. Our hope is now based on the firm assurance that He is not here; He has risen, just as He said!

Sophie

2009-03-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

She now has a name. We brought her home on Wednesday, but couldn’t decide on a name that was suitable for four days. I liked the name that Kacie gave to her Beagle several years ago, “Hosanna”. It’s original. It’s cute. It’s meaningful. But Kacie said we couldn’t use the same name twice.

There was Abby, but that’s the name of one of Kacie’s friends. We thought of Doxie, Roxie and Lexi, but those are too traditional. I liked Jasmine, but Kacie did not. She liked Rory, but I didn’t care for it. It didn’t matter much to Kim—she just refereed between Kacie and me. I finally reached a point that I didn’t care—I just wanted to know what to call the dog when she started yelping or began chewing on things.

It finally came down to a choice between Sookie/Suki (we couldn’t even agree on the spelling) or Sophie. Sookie/Suki was the name of a character on one of Kacie’s favorite TV shows (if we were going to name her that way, I would have preferred “Mork”). I don’t know where Sophie came from, but Kacie seemed to prefer it. So that’s her name. Sophie. The Dachshund. Miniature Dachshund to be exact.

It’s been five days now, and I still wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into. Naming the dog was the easy part, compared to…well, compared to everything else. Like the housebreaking. Frankly, I’m about ready to just let her turn the living room into one giant potty. It’s tough enough to housebreak puppies, but we had to try to do it in the middle of a snowstorm.

And she does not like to be crated, let me assure you. She yelps and barks until she develops laryngitis. When we go to get her out in the morning, she turns her back on us like we’ve done her wrong.

So, for all the trouble she’s been, why am I anxiously waiting to get this blog finished so I can pack up my laptop and get home to see her? Why can I just picture her tiny little tail wagging when she hears my voice? Why do I envision her thrusting her 2 lb. 11 oz. body on me as soon as I get seated?

Maybe, in some small way, this is how God views me. I know I’m much more trouble than I’m worth (though I am pretty well housebroken). I’m sure I frustrate the fire out of Him from time to time. But maybe He thinks I’m worth it for those few times that I abandon myself to Him and shower Him with unconditional love and affection. I’d like to think that despite all the trouble I cause, He gets pleasure when I just curl up in His lap and go to sleep.

March Madness

2009-03-19T09:52:00.000-05:00

If you’ve ever wondered what a “works-based” religion looks like, just take a glance at the brackets for the NCAA basketball tournament that starts this week. Getting invited to the big dance and staying there is completely based upon what you have done lately.

Just because you’re the reigning national champions, that doesn’t mean you get any preferential treatment. Think you’ll get to stay close to home because you won it all last year? Think again, and wear your long johns because it’s still cold in Minneapolis.

Beating a couple of powerhouse teams during the regular season and winning your conference tournament doesn’t mean you get a favorable seeding or get to open the tournament in your own backyard. Just ask the guys feasting on all things potato this week.

Just getting invited to participate in the tournament is completely based upon recent performance. Started off the season strong, but hit a rough patch late? Say hello to the NIT.

And staying in the tournament—well, it’s one and done for a lot of teams. One missed free throw—One errant pass—One three-point attempt gone awry. It’s the little mistakes that cost a lot of teams the chance to advance.

Now all this is fine in basketball. I have no problem with it. I wish college football would adopt a tournament system as well. Such “works-based” tournaments are fine for sports, but I’m glad it doesn’t work that way in the spiritual realm.

One bad thought? You’re outta here!

One comment you wish you could take back? Pack your bags!

One reckless deed? Well, there’s always next year!

I am grateful that the God who was powerful enough to defeat sin and death is powerful enough to keep me saved. I am glad that it is by grace I have been saved through faith, not from anything that I have done (or not done), it is a gift from God.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give our best. It doesn’t mean that we should slack off or sit on our laurels. But it does mean that we should have a peace of mind that even when the ball falls short of the basket, we’re invited to remain on the court and stay in the game.

All in the Family

2009-03-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

Kim & Kacie are in Oklahoma for a few days this week. They left on Sunday after services. I really enjoy having the house to myself.

It’s kind of nice to be able to leave dishes in the sink, or to not have to throw away my soda can before I go to bed. I can eat out of the same dish I warmed my dinner up in, and if I don’t throw my dirty clothes in the hamper right away, there’s no one to say anything about it.

That freedom is great. Except that it is also pretty lonely. I came home tonight, and there was no one to share the news of my day with. There are a few TV shows that we really enjoy watching & discussing together, but I’ll have to watch “24” on my own tonight. And while Kim always leaves me with plenty of food, it’s not much fun to eat by myself.

I have decided that the few obligations that come with being a part of a family are worth it, given all of the benefits.

The same thing is true about being a part of a church family. Yes, there are obligations. Scripture has a lot to say about the responsibilities we owe one another as a part of being in the family of God. Bearing one another’s burdens can be wearisome. Loving one another is not always easy. But these obligations are well worth it when you consider all of the benefits we enjoy in being a part of a community of believers.

We’re blessed at Life Spring to have a loving and compassionate church family. As a part of that family, I owe certain duties and responsibilities to others in the church. But the benefits I enjoy far outweigh my obligations. And if I wasn’t a part of this fellowship, I’d miss my family—just like I’m missing Kim & Kacie right now.

Happy Birthday, WWW

2009-03-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

I just read that today (March 13) is the 20th anniversary of the World Wide Web. I don’t really understand all this, but evidently the “Internet” was out there already, but it became a more useful tool after someone came along with a way to make it accessible to the masses (ergo, the World Wide Web).

It is pretty amazing to think of the fact that just 9 days after I wedded my blushing bride in 1989, the World Wide Web was born. Now, I admit that in those days immediately following my wedding, I was preoccupied with things other than the news, but I really don’t recall there being a big deal made about the creation of the World Wide Web. No bells and whistles. No paparazzi taking photos of its creator. No big press conferences with the President, foreign leaders or business moguls. It happened rather quietly, with little fanfare.

Which just goes to show that some of the most amazing things happen when no one is watching. Like a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. Like a couple of disciples talking quietly with a stranger as they approach their home in Emmaus. Like a zealous persecutor of the church struck blind on a business trip. Only in the light of history do these events take on significance and meaning.

Yesterday’s big news was the conviction of Bernie Madoff. It was the lead story on all the news shows. It was talked about incessantly, even by late night comedians. But something may have happened yesterday (or last week or last month) that got little attention, but which may have eternal consequences. That’s why believers are constantly admonished to be alert, to be on guard, to watch & pray. You never know when the next big thing will happen, maybe right under your nose.

Catching the Vision

2009-03-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

I think I can safely speak on behalf of our Elders by saying that we were absolutely thrilled by our Dream Day activity last Saturday. Almost 50 Life Springers showed up to offer their thoughts and ideas—their visions and dreams—for the new church campus.

One of the things that I found most gratifying was the degree to which our congregation seems to be catching the vision that our leadership has been laying out for the past two years. Experiencing and Expressing the Love of God is not just a slogan—it is the expression of the vision that our leadership has for Life Spring. And the ideas and suggestions offered on Saturday indicate that this vision is becoming a reality among those who call Life Spring “home”.

There were plenty of ideas offered about how the property and facilities can assist us in Experiencing the Love of God. Novel classroom ideas for children’s ministry, great discussions about worship that is innovative yet respectful and wonderful thoughts about how we can promote fellowship among the saints all lend themselves to our freshly experiencing God’s love.

But as a church, we are not content to be a gathering place for Christians. There were plenty of ideas about how our property and buildings can be used to benefit Spring Hill and surrounding communities. I didn’t write down all the ideas (that was our architect’s job), but here are a few of the creative proposals for Expressing the Love of God to each other and our neighbors.

An outdoor amphitheater that could be used not only for church-related services and productions, but also could be used by the community for plays or performances.

A community garden that people could use to plant vegetables for their own use, or to make donations to the Farmer’s Market.

There were several suggestions about ways to open up our property to the entire community, such as walking trails with exercise stations, playground equipment, a skate park, and a coffee shop that would be open all week to the public.

We talked about ways to meet the needs of the disadvantaged, including a clothes closet, temporary housing and emergency housing.

These are just a few of the many suggestions offered during 4 ½ hours of discussion. I wanted to share this sampling of ideas just so that you can see why our leadership is so proud of our congregation for thinking in broad and visionary ways.

I drove by a church recently that has signs prominently posted in their parking lot, For Church Use Only. I understand where they are coming from, but what message does that send to the community? May our congregation never have the attitude that we have to “protect” our church from the community. In fact, let’s never lose sight of the fact that it’s not “our church” to begin with. May the property and facilities God gives us assist us in more fully Experiencing and Expressing the Love of God.

Dream Day 2009

2009-03-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

This coming Saturday, March 7th, we will have a great opportunity to give input into the development of the church campus on 169 Highway. We are hosting a “Dream Day” with our architect at the Life Center from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. This will be your opportunity to offer your thoughts and ideas as to how our 35 acres should be developed over the next 10-20 years.

As I mentioned on Sunday, we don’t want to get tied up in minutiae—what color the carpeting should be or whether we put a steeple on the roof. But we do want to know your ideas about how the property can be used to serve our church body and reach out to Spring Hill and surrounding communities.

So far, some people have come up with some interesting ideas. It has been suggested that we consider putting in a coffee shop that would be open throughout the week to serve the community. One person had the idea of building an outdoor amphitheater that we could use for outdoor services (like our Easter sunrise service) and which we could make available for community plays or activities. Another individual proposed putting in a community garden that people could maintain for their families. Someone else advocated a picnic area, including a shelter house and volleyball court.

I love these ideas. At this point, I have no idea how many of them are likely to become a reality. But I want us to dream big. I want us to think the unthinkable. And then, we’ll prayerfully consider all our options and see where the Lord leads. We won’t get everything we dream about. But we serve a big God, and there’s no telling what He’ll allow us to do.

We’ll be meeting Saturday morning at the Life Center. You can get a copy of the day’s schedule here. We hope you’ll be able to attend the session that most closely aligns with your ministry passion and interests, but you are welcome to attend any of the 30 to 45 minute length sessions. You can even attend multiple sessions if you’d like.

The last session of the morning, which starts at 11:45, will also include an Open Forum, to which we have invited community and civic leaders. We want to hear their ideas, too, as to how Life Spring can be a valuable and contributing member of our community.

I hope you’ll be able to join us and share your ideas as to how to develop our church property for the benefit our community and for the glory of our God.

The State of the Union

2009-02-23T11:28:00.001-06:00

As I write these words, we are about 36 hours from President Obama’s first State of the Union speech before Congress and the nation. I took some time recently to look over State of the Union speeches dating back to 1790. Typically, Presidents have tended to describe the state of our union as “sound” or “strong”.

Given the tenuous economic condition our country is in, I am curious to see how the President will define our state of the union this year. I wouldn’t think he would want to downplay the current challenges, but at the same time, it probably wouldn’t be good for him to say “The state of our union is in the toilet.” The markets probably wouldn’t react favorably to such candor.

Of course, when Presidents evaluate the state of the Union, the benchmarks they use generally include such things as unemployment, budget deficits, inflation and other key economic factors. I’m sure they also take into consideration our standing on the world stage, including the strength of our military and our diplomatic relationships abroad.

However, I doubt that many of them give serious consideration to the spiritual state of the Union. How much do they factor “leading spiritual indicators” into their evaluation of our nation’s welfare?

I am afraid if they were to take stock of our country’s “state” using God’s standards, we wouldn’t fare well. We would likely be described as “stiff-necked” and “hard-hearted”, as the Israelites were described during the years of the wilderness wanderings. Undoubtedly, the recurring words used to describe God’s people in the days of the Judges could be our mantra as well: “Once again, [they] did evil in the eyes of the LORD.”

Like those in Haggai’s day, we plant much, but harvest little. We eat, but are never satisfied. We drink, but our thirst is not quenched. Despite the abundance of clothing, we are not warm. And we earn money only to put it in purses and wallets with holes.

We are like those whom Jesus condemned for honoring Him with their lips, while their hearts were far from Him.

If we are honest, we would have to admit that spiritually speaking, the state of our Union is fragile. We pursue the things of this world at the expense of seeking the things of God. We are more interested in our economic well-being than in our spiritual welfare. We are blind to the fact that we could gain this whole world, but lose our own soul. And God has declared that’s not a very good trade.

While it’s easy to criticize the spiritual state of our nation as a whole, let’s not lose sight of the need to conduct such an assessment of our personal spiritual condition. It does us no good to condemn those around us while falling short of God’s standards ourselves.

So, if you were standing before the nation to describe the status of your relationship with the Lord, how would you complete this sentence: The state of my spiritual condition is _____.

Once I was "Lost"

2009-02-13T14:57:00.000-06:00

Some of you know that I am a big fan of the ABC TV series “Lost”. Over the past couple of seasons, they’ve gotten into some science fiction and time travelling stuff that I don’t completely understand, but the show still fascinates me.

It’s one of those shows that’s hard to explain. The bottom line is that an airplane crashes on a remote island in the Pacific. Strange things happen on the island. There’s a smoke monster and a polar bear and some wild boars. In addition to the survivors of the crash, there are other people on the island. There was a French lady, and some hostiles and some “others”. Some survivors get rescued. Most don't. If you have never watched the show, then none of this should make sense. If you have never watched the show and this does make sense, please call your doctor right away.

One of the things I find so intriguing about LOST is the spiritual dimension of the show. Certainly, no character is overtly Christian, and there isn’t much talk about God per se, but there are characters who firmly believe that things don’t happen by accident, and that there is a grand design that goes beyond each of us.

This season, the show’s characters are time-travelling. Sometimes they travel ahead in time, and other times they travel back in time. A few times, they’ve even traveled to a period of time which included an earlier time that they were on the island—theoretically, they could encounter an earlier version of themselves, though that hasn’t happened (yet!).

That’s really the point of this whole blog entry (and you didn’t think I had a point, did you?). A couple of episodes ago, one of the survivors (his name is Locke) saw something which he recognized as being a part of an event in which he had previously participated. But rather than walking toward that event, he deliberately took a path away from the event. That led to an exchange with one of the other survivors (Sawyer). Here’s a transcript of their conversation:

SAWYER: Why did you turn us around then? Wouldn’t you want to go back there?
LOCKE: Why would I want to do that?
SAWYER: So you could tell yourself to do things different. Save yourself a world of pain.
LOCKE: No, I needed that pain, to get to where I am now.

When I heard that exchange, I immediately thought, That’ll preach! (That’s the way pastors think, I’m sorry to say). What Locke was saying is that heartache and pain are sometimes part of a process that leads to something greater. Locke’s comments echo those of the Apostle Paul who said, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Think back to some adversities you’ve experienced in your life. While there may be things you would change if you could, do you realize what a different person you’d be without those experiences? Do you see how God has used even those difficult situations to bring you to where He wants you today? Like Locke in “Lost”, sometimes we need the pain to get to where we are—or to take us where God wants us to be.

A Call to Arms

2009-02-09T10:31:00.000-06:00

We are starting a new series of messages on Sunday mornings entitled A Call to Arms. It is a study of the great spiritual battle that is raging all around us, and it is a plea to all believers to become engaged in this battle.

Whenever the term “spiritual warfare” is used, there are two extreme responses that are typical. One is a denial of any type of spiritual warfare. Such ignorance or complacency is common among Christians today, and it is one of the reasons that many believers are living discouraged and defeated lives.

The other extreme is to spiritualize everything. Every disagreement, every difference of opinion, every difficulty is viewed as an “attack” of the enemy. This type of reaction leads many Christians to become overly defensive and often leads us towards isolation and seclusion.

Neither of these extremes is Biblical, and neither leads us to a closer, more intimate walk with God.

So as we go through Ephesians 6:10-20 over the next few weeks, we will try to avoid the extremes, and we will seek to develop a healthy perspective on this topic of spiritual warfare. Primarily, we will be encouraged to take the battle seriously, and to arm ourselves with the spiritual weaponry that God has made available specifically for this purpose.

Our first message this Sunday (February 15) focuses on The Adversaries, and reinforces the reality of the battle as well as to clarify what the battle is really all about. If you are able to join us at Life Spring for this series, I believe you will be encouraged by these messages, and you will be motivated to prepare yourself to respond in a forthright manner to this Scriptural Call to Arms.

Happy Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T10:47:00.000-06:00

Wow, I can’t believe it. Today is Groundhog Day. We’re still eating turkey leftovers from Christmas and picking up pine needles in the carpet. How can it already be Groundhog Day?

I just visited the “Official Site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club” and learned that the rodent in Pennsylvania (no, I don’t mean Ben Roethlisberger) saw his shadow, thus a harbinger of six additional weeks of cold, snow, ice and other assorted elements associated with the season preceding Spring. Don’t put those shovels away yet, boys and girls.

Now, as holidays go, I think Groundhog Day tends to be underappreciated. After all, how much do we have to look forward to in the thick of winter? I mean, especially this year, with football season now behind us (I don’t count the Pro Bowl as real football, so don’t even go there with me), and with Easter still over two months away, what are we going to do with ourselves? Most workers won’t even get another paid Holiday until Memorial Day, which is 16 weeks away!

So I suggest we start treating Groundhog Day with a little more respect. First of all, any Holiday of any significance is marked prominently with lots of sales. I mean, in a few weeks, we’ll be told that the best way to celebrate the birth of Presidents Washington and Lincoln will be to buy a sofa, television or box springs & mattress. It’s what George and Abe would have wanted us to do.

So why not start with a Groundhog Day Sale? We could be encouraged to buy warm, furry coats. Or to “burrow in for winter” by purchasing space heaters and blankets.

Of course, the really great Holidays revolve around food. If Groundhog Day is going to take its rightful place among the major holidays, then we have to have copious amounts of food specifically associated with this momentous occasion. Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks and pasture pigs (I am not making this up) are herbivores, so let’s come up with special dishes to celebrate the day made with vegetables and berries. Or, for those meat lovers out there, we could enjoy “Waco Groundhog in Sour Cream”, “Groundhog Stew” or “Groundhog Meatloaf” (visit http://www.outdoor-michigan.com/Recipes/woodchuck_recipes.htm for these and other fine groundhog recipes).

We could come up with songs to sing around the piano honoring the Groundhog and its great contributions to civilization. We will need decorations especially suited for the day. And no Holiday worth its salt would be complete without a line of Hallmark Cards (with online versions available for those of us too cheap to buy stamps).

Perhaps you doubted my wisdom (or sanity) when you started reading this, but by now I hope I’ve got you thinking. Feel free to contribute your own ideas as to how this momentous holiday can be celebrated. Don’t hold anything back. After all, do you think that those Pilgrims and Indians originally anticipated a two day celebration of giving thanks that would be marked by food, football and sale prices so low they may never be repeated? That holiday revolves around a bird that can’t fly, so don’t sell the beloved groundhog short.

Change is in the Cards

2009-01-26T13:23:00.000-06:00

I love football. I especially love Chiefs football, but given the team’s performance the past few seasons, I have had to change the way I watch the game.

So, I have adopted a couple of other teams as surrogates for which to root during this winter of my discontent (a winter that I trust will soon be over now that we have a new GM and will soon have a new head coach). I have always liked the Green Bay Packers. Those are real football fans up there, and I admire their loyalty to their team through thick and thin. But it was kind of weird watching someone other than Favre at quarterback.

I also like the Chicago Bears and their straight-forward, no holds-barred brand of football. They just line up and hit someone. But as much as I love to see them play defense, their offense has been painful to watch.

Now, if you know anything about football, then you know that rooting for the Packers and the Bears wasn’t much more fun than rooting for the Chiefs this season. So I also found great solace in rooting against a few teams.

For example, I never tire of rooting against the Oakland Raiders, though in recent years they’ve been so bad that it has lost some of its magic. I also love to root against the Denver Broncos, a team that personifies evil, in my humble opinion.

But this coming Sunday, I will find myself rooting for a team that I have never given a second thought to supporting—the Arizona Cardinals. Actually, I have a hard time remembering that they are not the St. Louis Cardinals since that is the name by which I knew them growing up. They didn’t move to Arizona until 1988, and over the past 20 years, their main contribution to the NFL was to look for them on the schedule, assuming that would be counted as a win for whoever the Cardinals played.

But this has been a year of “change”. As if the election of the first African American President wasn’t remarkable enough, along comes the Arizona Cardinals to defy all expectations, beating three other playoff teams, claiming the title of NFC champions and winning the right to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Superbowl.

It’s the story of rags-to-riches. The story of a team that was down-and-out, but which kept working and striving to reach the top. So I’ll be rooting for them and their quarterback, Kurt Warner (who has a great Christian testimony that he’s not shy about sharing). Because such a story gives me hope that a team that has gone 6-26 for the past two seasons might actually compete for more than a high draft pick within the next season or two.

Now that’s change you can believe in.

I'd Rather Be Blogging

2009-01-15T13:37:00.001-06:00

I still remember when I first started using the Internet as a ministry tool in 1995. There were quite a few people in the church I pastored asking me what I was talking about. “Inter-what?”, people would ask.

Over the years, I have been both greatly aided and terribly frustrated by technology. Sermon preparation looks very different for me today than it did 15 years ago, though I can’t say that the sermons have improved much. Email takes up a disproportionate amount of my time each day. While it sometimes makes it easier to conduct business, I’m not at all sure that it helps us to communicate any better.

At the rate that technology is advancing, I can send emails from my phone and show pictures on my computer. I can watch movies without a TV. I can program the DVR in my living room from the desk in my office. But I still can’t find my stapler.

You can “google” me and learn I am the pastor of Life Spring Church. You can keep up with my daily activities on “Twitter”. If I wanted to, I could update you through Facebook or MySpace. But alas, I don’t want to.

However, as a further concession to the 21st century, I am going to try my hand at blogging. At first I was resistant to this idea, mainly because it sounded so much like jogging, which I have managed to avoid for the better part of 47 years. But I was assured that I wouldn’t have to change my clothes or shower afterwards, though no one could promise that I might not get winded (I can type really fast). So here it is. My first official blog.

So here we go. Periodically (I can’t make any promises as to how often) I will share with you my thoughts. Not because they are interesting or meaningful. Not because you need to hear what I have to say. Not because I am profound. But mainly, just because I can. I live, therefore I blog. At least for now.

If I start to bore myself, or if I fail to keep up with it, then I’ll stop. But we’re going to give this blogging thing a try. And the neat thing is, you can share your thoughts as well. (See that button that says “comments”. Click it. No, really, try it. It won’t delete anything–at least not anything important.) We can dialogue this way. It’s called an “online community”. It’s the technological version of Koinonia.

The Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22) I have always believed that Paul would be creative in using various means and methods to lead people to Christ (while never compromising the message one little bit). So I think the great Missionary would have used email and videos and powerpoints to spread the Gospel. And given how Paul loved to write, I think he would have been a blogger too. Especially if he could do it without working up a sweat.