Forgetting Grace?

We live in a world full of victims. Often we have churches full of victims. Where has the doctrine of Total Depravity gone in the modern church? Have we lost it? Are we hearing but never understanding?

"Man is nothing but a subject so naturally full of error that it can only be eradicated through grace. There is nothing to show him the truth, for everything deceives him. The two so-called principles of truth--reason and the senses--are not only not genuine but are engaged in mutual deception. Through false appearances the senses deceive reason. And just as they trick the soul, they are in turn tricked by it. It takes it revenge. The senses are influenced by the passions which produce false impressions." Pascal

Do we really believe that this is the natural condition of out hearts? This is contrary to the world's way of thinking. The latest pop psychology tells us that we have been wronged and we should demand something better. Why are Christians believing this lie?

In our flesh, it is so easy to make all of life about us. We can point to this or that and claim that our needs aren't being met. But what are our needs? And who can meet them? We often think of the Gospel as something we accepted to grant us a ticket into heaven, but it is so much more. It is our guidance for holy living now. IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT CAN MEET OUR NEEDS!The gospel is powerful and it is for the believer as well as the unbeliever. The more we meditate on and study the work of Christ, the more we see our sinfulness and need for grace EVERYDAY. A man once asked Martin Luther why all his sermons are about the gospel and why they couldn't move on to something new. Luther Responded, "because week after week you come in here looking like a people who have forgotten it from last week. There is nothing deeper."

As we begin to understand the Gospel, it changes our lives. The way we see ourselves and others will radically change. When we really understand that "our righteousness are but filthy rags" we begin to be less judgemental and finger pointing begins to cease. Understanding our sin is key to understanding the Gospel. If we remind ourselves each day of the power of gospel and how we so don't deserve the grace that is lavished on us sinners, then we begin to see life in a different manner. It's not all about us, but about God and giving Him glory.

Let's take the words of Matthew to heart next time we seem to dwell on the sins of others instead of searching our own hearts:
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

I'll leave you with a token of wisdom from Derek Webb: (WOW! Being honest and transparent really hurts)

I Repent, By Derek Webb

I repent of my pursuit of America’s dream
I repent, I repent of living like I deserve anything
Of my house, my fence, my kids, my wife
In our suburb where we’re safe and white
I am wrong and of these things I repent

I repent, I repent of parading my liberty
I repent, I repent of paying for what I get for free
And for the way I believe that I am living right
By trading sins for others that are easier to hide
I am wrong and of these things I repent

I repent of judging by a law that even I can’t keep
Of wearing righteousness like a disguise
To see through the planks of my own eyes

I repent, I repent of trading truth for false unity
I repent, I repent of confusing peace and idolatry
By caring more of what they think than what I know of what we need
By domesticating you until you look just like me
I am wrong and of these things
I am wrong and of these things
Oh I am wrong and of these things I repent

(-Amanda)

Happy Birthday Susannah!

We love you!

A Challenge to Women

I(Amanda) love to find great resources for women's ministry and pass them along. This article by John Piper is such a wonderful list of challenges for women. I challenge you to read this and really think about our God given call as women, no matter what your current state may be.

A Challenge to Women

By John Piper January 1, 1995

1. That all of your life—in whatever calling—be devoted to the glory of God.
2. That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing.
3. That this fullness of God overflow in daily acts of love so that people might see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.
4. That you be women of the Book, who love and study and obey the Bible in every area of its teaching. That meditation on Biblical truth be the source of hope and faith. And that you continue to grow in understanding through all the chapters of your life, never thinking that study and growth are only for others.
5. That you be women of prayer, so that the Word of God would open to you; and the power of faith and holiness would descend upon you; and your spiritual influence would increase at home and at church and in the world.
6. That you be women who have a deep grasp of the sovereign grace of God undergirding all these spiritual processes, that you be deep thinkers about the doctrines of grace, and even deeper lovers and believers of these things.
7. That you be totally committed to ministry, whatever your specific role, that you not fritter your time away on soaps or ladies magazines or aimless hobbies, any more than men should fritter theirs away on excessive sports or aimless diddling in the garage. That you redeem the time for Christ and his Kingdom.
8. That, if you are single, you exploit your singleness to the full in devotion to Christ and not be paralyzed by the desire to be married.
9. That, if you are married, you creatively and intelligently and sincerely support the leadership of your husband as deeply as obedience to Christ will allow; that you encourage him in his God-appointed role as head; that you influence him spiritually primarily through your fearless tranquility and holiness and prayer.
10. That, if you have children, you accept responsibility with your husband (or alone if necessary) to raise up children who hope in the triumph of God, sharing with him the teaching and discipline of the children, and giving to the children that special nurturing touch and care that you are uniquely fitted to give.
11. That you not assume that secular employment is a greater challenge or a better use of your life than the countless opportunities of service and witness in the home the neighborhood, the community, the church, and the world. That you not only pose the question: Career vs. full time mom? But that you ask as seriously: Full time career vs. freedom for ministry? That you ask: Which would be greater for the Kingdom— to be in the employ of someone telling you what to do to make his business prosper, or to be God's free agent dreaming your own dream about how your time and your home and your creativity could make God's business prosper? And that in all this you make your choices not on the basis of secular trends or yuppie lifestyle expectations, but on the basis of what
will strengthen the family and advance the cause of Christ.
12. That you step back and (with your husband, if you are married) plan the various forms of your life's ministry in chapters. Chapters are divided by various things—age, strength, singleness, marriage, employment choices, children at home, children in college, grandchildren, retirement, etc. No chapter has all the joys. Finite life is a series of tradeoffs. Finding God's will, and living for the glory of Christ to the full in every chapter is what makes it a success, not whether it reads like somebody else's chapter or whether it has in it what chapter five will have.
13. That you develop a wartime mentality and lifestyle; that you never forget that life is short, that billions of people hang in the balance of heaven and hell every day, that the love of money is spiritual suicide, that the goals of upward mobility (nicer clothes, cars, houses, vacations, food, hobbies) are a poor and dangerous substitute for the goals of living for Christ with all your might, and maximizing your joy in ministry to people's needs.
14. That in all your relationships with men you seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in applying the Biblical vision of manhood and womanhood; that you develop a style and demeanor that does justice to the unique role God has given to man to feel responsible for gracious leadership in relation to women—a leadership which involves elements of protection and care and initiative. That you think creatively and with cultural sensitivity (just as he must do) in shaping the style and setting the tone of your interaction with men.
15. That you see Biblical guidelines for what is appropriate and inappropriate for men and women in relation to each other not as arbitrary constraints on freedom but as wise and gracious prescriptions for how to discover the true freedom of God's ideal of complementarity. That you not measure your potential by the few roles withheld but by the countless roles offered. That you turn off the TV and Radio and think about...

The awesome significance of motherhood

Complementing a man's life as his wife

Ministries to the handicapped
hearing impaired
blind
lame
retarded

Ministries to the sick:
nursing
physician
hospice care—cancer, AIDS, etc.
community health

Ministries to the socially estranged:
emotionally
impaired
recovering
alcoholics
recovering drug users
escaping
prostitutes
abused
children, women
runaways, problem children
orphans

Prison ministries:
women's prisons!
families of
prisoners
rehabilitation to
society

Ministries to youth:
teaching
sponsoring
open houses and
recreation
outings and trips
counseling
academic assistance

Sports ministries: neighborhood teams
church teams

Therapeutic counseling:
independent
church
based
institutional

Audio visual ministries:
composition
design
production
distribution

Writing ministries:
free lance
curriculum development
fiction
non-fiction
editing
institutional communications
journalistic
skills for publications

Teaching ministries:
Sunday school: children,
youth, students, women
grade school
high school
college

Music ministries:
composition
training
performance
voice
choir
instrumentalist

Evangelistic ministries:
personal witnessing
Inter Varsity
Campus Crusade
Navigators
Home Bible Studies
outreach to children
Visitation teams
Counseling at meetings
Billy Graham phone bank

Radio and TV ministries:
technical assistance
writing
announcing
producing
Theater and drama
ministries:
acting
directing
writing
scheduling

Social ministries:
literacy
pro-life
pro-decency
housing
safety
beautification

Pastoral care assistance:
visitation
newcomer
welcoming and assistance
hospitality
food and clothing and
transportation

Prayer ministries:
praying!!!
mobilizing for major
Concerts of Prayer
helping with small groups of prayer
coordinating
prayer chains
promoting prayer days and weeks and vigils

Missions:
all of the above across cultures
Support
ministries:
countless jobs that undergird major
ministries

Something For the Season...

As we approach the holiday season in New England the leaves are turning, it is getting much cooler, and the smell of Fall fragrances are in the air. Boston is a beautiful place to be this time of year. It is my family's first Holiday Season in New England. Nick and I are so excited to experience a Thanksgiving and Christmas like the ones we see on Christmas cards. As I was planning the various festive things we will participate in this year, I ran across one of my favorite books on this subject, Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper. This book is such a treasure to have on my shelf. It gives us practical ideas and theological basis for the traditions that we are teaching to our children. I highly recommend grabbing a copy at Desiring God Resources to read and reflect on your family's traditions this Holiday Season.

May the ceremonies of our homes be true ceremony-from Him, because of Him, pointing toward Him, honoring Him, and thanking Him -Noel Piper

love is not against the law

Colossians 3:12-15
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

The words of Paul always have a way of catching your attention and bringing one to humility. Epistle after epistle he says amazing things. I used to really cling to the book of Romans as one of my favorites and the hardest understand. However, I came across this passage (Col. 3:12-15) and I cannot tell you how hard this is for me. I have heard lecture after lecture on behavior modification and character education. I even know “theologically” the principle of love, but as I found myself meditating on my actions and thoughts, I have begun to see how much I am lacking love.
Everybody thinks they are loving. We tell our children how important it is. We even talk among ourselves about how so-in-so needs to be more loving. But do we really love?? This is a question I am wrestling with. Why is it so hard for the Christians to love one another? I have been in church all my life and I know this is a struggle for many. It seems as soon as we don’t get things done our way, then we are harboring anger and hate in our hearts. Our sweet façade fades as soon as someone pushes one of our buttons or changes something that we are grasping onto.
As I look back on my Christian walk, I can think of times that I was hateful to others because I didn’t agree with something. WOW! What a humbling reflection. My pride was more important to me than the love of my brothers. It is often so easy to lose the battle to my flesh. I felt like I was justified for my feelings, the heart is so deceitful! LOVE is what binds us together in unity. If I can’t love others Christians, I won’t be in unity with them. This is a huge truth that I have been processing and learning over the last few years. I need to pray more “Lord, teach me to love others more than myself.”
As I learn to depend more on Christ and grow, I hope that the peace of Christ will rule in my heart and I will clothe myself in love. God calls us to this. I hope the next time that our feelings are hurt or the pastor does things differently than we would have that we would remember that love binds us together. This is a challenge for all sinners. If you are reading this and think that you have no problem loving others, why don’t you ask someone around you what they think? We often forget how depraved we are and sometimes its good to have a reminder! :)

and it’s giving up your life
for the ones you hate the most
it’s giving them your gown
when they’ve taken your clothes
-Derek Webb

Notes from Parents' Meeting (Part I)

Our church recently had a Parents’ meeting for the youth ministry. The purpose of the meeting was to lay out the new philosophy/direction of the youth ministry and to answer any questions the parents or their teenagers might have had. Some of the parents and students, however, were not able to attend and I have therefore decided to post my notes from the meeting here. Many of the statistics, ideas and some of my main points were taken or adopted from Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham.

I want to begin our meeting with a question, what is your plan for the spiritual training of your child? Or even more challenging, do you have a plan? Of course, we have plans for everything, don’t we? In getting ready for church this morning, you had a plan. In order to be here by 9:30 am, you had to leave your house by a certain time, which meant you had to get the family ready by a certain time, which meant you had to wake up at a certain time, and all of this was planned out before hand. When we go on vacation we do the same thing. Working out our kids’ extra-curricular schedules…same thing What’s for dinner? Same thing. We plan out almost every aspect of our lives, yet when it comes to the spiritual raising of our children, we usually have no plan or our plan is simply to take them to church. But this is not the way God intended it to be.

Listen to some alarming statistics.

“The overwhelming majority of the people who make professions of faith and are baptized do so before age 18. Thus, youth ministry is the force that fills the pool. Never mind the fact that the overwhelming majority of those whom we have baptized know neither the gospel, nor the Christ of the Scriptures, and have a worldview that is more closely aligned with Marxist Socialism than it is with Christian Theism…(Baucham, http://www.voddiebaucham.org/Blog/A7079AA4-3391-4820-9A22-D957B055C852.html).

A recent poll shows that between seventy and eighty-eight percent of “Christian” teens stop attending church by their second year in college (Baucham, Family Driven Faith, pg 10).

In one Barna poll, eighty-five percent of “Christian” teens do not believe in absolute truth, and over half believe that Jesus sinned during his earthly life.

So the majority of people who make professions of faith and are baptized do so before age eighteen, yet (using optimistic numbers) seven out of every ten stop attending church within a few years of leaving the youth ministry. Eight out of ten don’t believe in absolute truth, and half don’t have a foundational understanding of who Jesus is. They’re making professions of faith. They’re getting baptized. But they don’t know biblical truth and they abandon it a few years later.

Why is this? Why is there such a catastrophic failure when it comes to youth ministries? I say ‘catastrophic’ intentionally, by the way. An eighty percent failure rate is a catastrophe. But why is this happening? A very brief look at the history of youth ministry is somewhat beneficial here. Youth ministries are relatively new to the church (within the past one hundred years), and their practices, at least for the past forty or fifty years or so have mainly been trying to answer these questions:

What can we do to get kids to be excited and want to come to church?

What can we do to keep them here?

How can we make them act like a Christian is supposed to act?

A look at the current state of things and we can see that something is clearly amiss. “Could it be that we have established systems designed to meet the wrong needs and attack the wrong problems (Baucham 176)?” Youth ministries, trying to answer these questions, in their current context, simply does not and will not work. They may get a hundred kids to come on a Wednesday night, but these kids are not learning biblical truth and are abandoning the faith when they graduate high school.

So, in working out what our youth ministry is going to be and do, I did not simply want to do what has always been done, and I didn’t want to follow the popular trends of the day. I didn’t want to take what we have and improve upon it. I instead wanted to break everything down to it’s beginning and ask, “what does scripture say.” Here are a couple of main things that I found.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25 1"Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
20 "When your son asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?' 21then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. 25And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.' (emphasis added by me)

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (emphasis added by me)

What does scripture say about the spiritual raising of children? It’s the parents’ responsibility. The church has a role, yes, but it is different than we think. The church’s job, when it comes to the spiritual raising of kids, is to equip parents to be the main teachers, disciplers, and instructors. You see, most people think of the church as a hospital. My kid is spiritually sick or malnourished, so we go to the spiritual hospital – the church. In actuality, the church is more of a medical school, where parents come to be trained so that they can take care of their patients (kids) on their own turf.

So, if the parents have the main responsibility of spiritually training their kids, and the church has the responsibility of training the parents, then what role does the youth ministry play? We are here to assist the parents. And we will do this in two main ways. First, we will teach and preach the word of God, reinforcing (not replacing) what you, as parents, are already doing on a regular basis at home. Second, we are here to provide you with resources, helps, and aids to assist you. Whether it be daily devotionals for your family, thoughts and ideas to help with family worship, or outlines of what Pastor Matt and the other teachers are going through in weekly Bible Study, we want to make sure you are physically equipped to do what needs to be done.

Notes from Parents' Meeting (Part II)

I know that this is new to many of us. We have lived under a different understanding of youth ministry for so long and have so many misconceptions on what it is supposed to do, that we’ve never stopped and asked what the Bible calls us as parents to be and do. But in light of this, we must begin anew. Before we do that, however, I want to take a quick look at two of these misconceptions that have dominated the youth ministry at First Baptist for so long. The first is the Entertainment Issue, and the second is the Safety issue.

The Entertainment Issue is built upon two main ideas: 1) students will not want to come to church if it’s boring and 2) lost people will not want to come to a “serious Bible study.” These ideas are very predominate in today’s Christian society, but are they true? Again we are forced to ask, what does scripture say?

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Romans 10:14,15,17 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

How will people know about us? By the love we show one another. Why will people want to be a part of what we’re doing? By seeing our good works. How will lost people come to know Jesus? By the preaching of God’s word. We are to love one another, do good works, and preach. Entertaining people does nothing but, well…entertain them. The biblical model is not one of “Come and Experience” or “Come and See”, the biblical model, from Jesus’ mouth is, “Go and make” or “Go and tell.”

Have people been affected by an entertaining ministry? Again with Baucham, “of course there are anecdotal stories of young people whose lives were changed,” by using these unbiblical methods, “we will always have those stories. The fact of the matter is that God can hit a straight lick with a crooked stick. He can use our feeble efforts and still get His job done. However, the end does not justify the means (Baucham 182).”

God can use anything he wants to accomplish his purposes, but the question for us is, “what is he calling us to do?” Do we want to see results? Yes, of course, but God is in charge of those. We plant and we water, but God does the growing. We do not base our ministry on possible results, we base it on what God calls us to be.

The question therefore is, do we trust God’s word? When scripture says we will be known by our love, do we trust God’s word? When scripture says that people will see our good works and glorify God in heaven, do we think that God is lying? When scripture says that faith comes from hearing the word of God, do we think that God is not powerful enough to use his word to save sinners and therefore need to find something more effective? No. We will do what scripture commands. We will trust God’s word.

Now to The Safety Issue. We live in a dangerous world and we want our children to be safe. I know I don’t want anything bad to happen to Susannah. But are we correct when we say, “I want my child to be safe, so I will send them to a church event,” or “I want my kid off the street away from the evil things of the world, so I’ll send them to church”? I think that society and scripture say a resounding “no.”

You see, the church cannot guarantee safety. Studies show that drug use, profanity, bullying, and violence is just as high in the church as out. And one recent study showed that sexual promiscuity is higher among churched teens than unchurched (http://psalm8611.blogspot.com/). Simply put, the church building and programs are not as safe as we think they are. But are they supposed to be?

Scripture shows again and again that trouble and persecution often follow the church around. Not only are we sinning sinners who are preaching and ministering to sinning sinners, but these sinning sinners often don’t want to preached and ministered to. Why in the world would we think the church is going to be safe? We are torch bearers in a darkened place. We are ambassadors in a hostile, foreign land, working for the release of the prisoners. This is not a safe work. The church is not a safe-haven. If parents want their children to be safe, then they must keep them at home where they control (or at least should) what their kids watch, hear, see, and are influenced by.

With all of this said, let’s now move to what we are going to do. As we said earlier, we are here to assist and help parents. If this is truly our intention, then we will not want to keep you away from your students on a regular basis, we will instead want to put you together as much as possible. Therefore, I am issuing an open invitation: anything the ministry does, whether regular Bible studies or extra events, parents are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

[Editor’s note: during the meeting, I went through a detailed schedule, but I am not going to post that here. Once can be found at the church or by emailing me.]

Notes from Parents' Meeting (Part III)

[Editor's note: please read Parts I and II above before proceeding to this section. Much of what is said here is built upon things laid forth earlier and will make much more sense in light of those.]

One of the most glaring questions that faces us now is, why no more TGIF? [Editors note: For over twenty years, TGIF was a weekly youth group meeting on Friday nights at First Baptist Church. The night usually consisted of an hour of game-time, an hour of small group study, and an hour of worship music and preaching.] I know many of you have heard rumors and whisperings about this over the last few months and it is time to put them to rest. We have ceased doing TGIF for two main reasons: 1) a muddled schedule and 2) a muddled purpose.

A muddled schedule. If you were to add up all the Wednesdays, Fridays, monthly events and extra events that the youth group regularly hosted, you would end up with roughly fifteen days. That’s roughly one-half of the nights of the month that would be spent away from parents with just regular youth ministry activities. If you add school activities, sports, extra-curricular activities, and other activities for the parents, families may spend only two or three nights together each week. It is almost impossible for parents to be the main spiritual influences and teachers if they are only spending one-third of the month together. If we truly believe that this is the parents’ responsibility, then we will no longer take their kids away from them fifteen nights a month.

A muddled purpose. Listen to this quote from another youth pastor, “If I become too pastoral, the kids won’t be entertained, and they will go down the street to the guy with all the bells and whistles. If I become too evangelistic, I get complaints about the shallowness of the group and post-youth ministry dropout rate. I can’t win (Baucham 181).” I can relate to this youth pastor. In my dealings with Friday nights over the past six months, I have had these same problems. I was either preaching too long or too short. The small groups were either not serious enough or too serious. The game time was either too long or too short. Everybody had their own opinion. In talking with many parents and leaders over the purpose of TGIF I encountered two main responses. The first was that TGIF was supposed to be an evangelistic event in which kids could invite their lost friends. The second was that it was supposed to be a safe place, off of the streets, away from the evil things of the world that my kids could come and hang out and relax. Unfortunately we were doing neither of these well.

As stated earlier, if we are truly going to do an evangelistic event, then we need to go where the lost people are and minister to them there. But this will not be in the form of games or entertainment; we have already seen that they are not effective and we will not be a part of them. We have also already seen that the church is not a safe place to hang out, especially when it is evangelizing. In light of both of these things, a muddled schedule and a muddled purpose, we are no longer doing TGIF and are doubling or efforts in training and assisting parents.

Upon hearing this, many people have said to me, “but what about the fun?” or “isn’t this too scholastic?” and I usually have two responses for them. First, we must get away from the idea that there can be no “fun” or fellowship at Bible study. We cannot compartmentalize that way. While Bible study is a serious time, there is joy and we do usually have a good time because we are brought together by the common bond of the gospel and common blood of Jesus Christ. So we must get away from this idea. Second, in response, I say, look at the calendar. We usually have at least two events every four to six weeks that are “fellowship” times. But either way, we are serious about church. We are assisting parents and equipping saints for work that involves life and death for all of eternity; this is important work we’re doing.

I know that not having TGIF will create a void in some of the students. Some parents were raised participating in Friday nights, and many students have been a part of it or seen their older siblings go through it, and I know that they are going to be missing out. I do understand this, but I also know of another void that needs to be filled. And that void is family time. I encourage families to not waste Friday nights; make it an intentional family time. If your kid really wants to hang out with friends, then have your family hang out with their family. If your student has a desire to go evangelize, that’s great! Go do it as a family. And if your student really wants to be with other Christians in a safe environment, then keep them home, it’s safer than anywhere else.

I want to now focus our attention on one last thing. It is the subject of servant-leadership. Not only do we assist you the parents in the discipling of your students, but we also equip them for the work of the ministry. We have a very high view of leadership here in the church. Did you know that we will be held accountable, to God, for the leaders we put in place? From every senior citizen to every Jr. High kid, we will answer to God for whom we have set in different positions. Because of this, we want to make sure that every person who is put in a position of leadership is equipped and able to handle the work involved.

We are, therefore, putting something new in place. From now on, if your student wishes to serve in the church in a leadership position, whether it be Children’s Church, Sunday School teacher or assistant, or worship ministry, they will be required to attend The Academy. What is The Academy? Good question. This “Student Ministries Seminary” is a training and discipleship time where we teach theology, doctrine, historic creeds of the faith, practical ministry, and personal holiness. We will meet every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. Parents are, of course, invited and encouraged to come as well. The Academy is open to all, but again, is a requirement for all student leaders (the only exceptions are nursery, preschool, and VBS helpers).

So that’s pretty much everything. We believe these are the first steps in moving toward where God would have us go. We are very excited, but very serious about the work ahead, and look forward to see what God has in store for us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

we forgot something...

I (Nick) remember the first time the truth of scripture hit me. I had been a believer for a few months, and I had been reading a ton, but on this particular night, scripture whacked me in the back of the head It was the story of Lot leaving Sodom. It suddenly made sense. Something clicked that told me not only were these things true, but they spurred me to action. My response shocked me. I couldn't wait to tell everyone about it. It changed me.

Fast-forward a few years.

It was my second semester of college. I was starting to serve heavily at my church, I was growing immensely, and then I got whacked again. This time it was the story of Peter and John in Acts 5. A phrase that I had read at least a hundred times before suddenly confronted me. "So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name." That didn't make sense to me. They had just been in prison. They had just been beaten and flogged. They were just threatened not to talk about Jesus. And their response was...rejoicing? Not only rejoicing because they had been beaten and flogged but because they were considered worthy to suffer? Something was off.

I had to know more so I started studying. The results again were staggering. Jesus said that if we did not take up our cross and follow Him, then we were not worthy of Him (Matt. 10:38). He went further, as we see in Matthew 16, and said that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. The thing that struck me was that the cross was an execution device. It caused suffering. And we're supposed to do that daily (Luke 9:23)? I thought Christianity was about going to church, and singing songs, and loving people. I thought following Jesus lead to sitting in the front pews, and then in the choir loft, and then eventually to Heaven; I had never heard that following Jesus lead to death. But something still wasn't right. I decided to go back to the scriptures.

Peter's a bit of a mystery to me. He was at times bold, but when it really mattered he split. He failed. He did seemingly the ultimate wrong thing in my mind, he denied Christ. But there he was just a few months later getting flogged for the sake of Christ. And not only that, but he was rejoicing over it. Seeing the resurrected Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit changed him. I wondered if he had anything to say.

"...but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing...If you are reviled for the name of Christ you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:12-14)

This turned my world upside down. If we suffer for Christ, we are blessed? If God's spirit is on us, then we suffer? This is exactly the opposite of what I had seen and been taught. I had always heard that if the spirit of God were on you then you were successful and had a nice house and a good family. I had always been taught that God blessed you by building you up. But Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and to die daily. Peter tells us to rejoice and embrace suffering because it is a sign that God is blessing us.

It finally made sense. I had to abandon the world's idea that good = success, and that bad = failure. I realized that I had been lied to when people said that godliness = material gain, and evil = material loss. But it also got me thinking about something else.

What if this idea was truly embraced by the church? We wouldn't come in on Sundays down and depressed when we had a bad week; we would come in excited. When things were going bad we would rejoice together. Worship would be radically different. Evangelism would completely change. We would see the world as dying sinners who need the love of Christ and we would suffer in order for them to see it, instead of merely saying that they're pagans who are going to hell. Life would radically change.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master." Matthew 10:24-25

"For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." Philippians 1:29-30

Family Driven Faith

Amanda and I just finished reading Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham. We'll post a book review in the coming days, but wanted to go ahead and make everyone aware. It's very thought-provoking and a great read. Pick it up and take a look.

[The following is a wonderful post by the internet monk, Michael Spencer. I liked it so much I copied it here. You can check him out at http://www.internetmonk.com/.]

nick

I just spent ten minutes reading something I’ve read/heard hundreds of times before: an established, traditional church, experiencing some signs of aging, goes through a process diagnosing its problems, developing/selling a plan for the future and asking the congregation to work with the leadership to bring the church through a period of decline into a future of growth and prosperity.

In those plans are predictable words: Plans. Consultants. Marketing. Children. New Staff. New facilities. New families. Communication. Outreach. Programs. Growth.

There’s the necessary optimism. (”Our best days are ahead of us.”) The ever present affirmation (”We’re a great church.”) The spiritual assurances. (”God is at work here.”)

Under the words, you can feel the tension. Generational worship styles have collided. The noise of Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven revolution has been heard by members of the congregation, and there is a bit of unrest in the formerly passive pews. Young people want to know why their church isn’t doing what the other churches are doing. How long are we going to stick with the suits, the choir and the organ? Where’s the band? The projection? The CCM praise choruses? The cool stuff?

The good days of the denominational past are a powerful memory, but the raw competitiveness of evangelicalism’s present is a current reality. People with families are going elsewhere. Young people are shopping around, and what do we have to offer? What if we keep declining? Does our leadership get it? Does our leadership know what “it” is? Can we change if we wanted to? Do we want to? Can we start enough alternative services to make everyone happy?

There is the confidence of previous denominational wisdom in the voice of the pastor. With new staff, a good plan, better facilities, more marketing, we will prosper. We need to work harder and do more. We need programs and outreaches and visibility. It’s always worked. It will work again.

Many of you know this song before I sing it. You could write several more verses.

Many of you know what you won’t hear in this recitation of plans and programs. You won’t hear anything about the Gospel. At all.

The Gospel? We’ve got that down. We preach it. (Don’t we?) We teach it. (Of course we teach it. We baptized 15 last year.) If we don’t have the Gospel right, what are we doing anyway?

Now there’s a question.

Tom Ascol, Director of Founder’s Ministries, has repeatedly said that the challenge facing Southern Baptists and other evangelicals is the Gospel itself. Not numbers or how to grow bigger churches, but the Gospel.

The Gospel is rarely heard in many churches. Whole movements have moved past the Gospel into “felt needs” and “what people want to hear.” Pastor-theologians are rare; perhaps officially qualifying as an endangered species. Any survey or question and answer on the gospel in the midst of our Sunday morning congregations will yield results not much different than what one might hear in France or secular Europe. Oh there will be a LOT more God talk and religious chatter, but the Gospel? The core? The heart? You will be surprised. You ought to be broken.

Tom needs to write the book. (Write the book, Tom.) Our churches, our pastors, our leaders— they need to admit we’ve lost the Gospel, and what version of it we retain we’ve Americanized, diluted, perverted, spun, castrated and/or ignored. The Gospel’s transforming power is largely untapped among the majority of professing Christians. We are not counter cultural. Our first century ancestors wouldn’t recognize most of us as family unless they happened to catch us in church.

We’re about as much of a revolution as the latest sale at the Lexus dealership.

We want Christianity to be like a club the whole family enjoys. (Family values is one of the new code words for “What Gospel?”) We want our version of the gospel to protect us and our kind in the cultural collapse, even as we swim in the cultural sewer and buy into its idolatries. We want Christianity to keep our kids interested in morality and church, but we also want them to wear Hollister, and drive new cars, and go to prom. We don’t want them pregnant or in jail, and even an occasional mission trip would be good. In the end, we want successful Americans producing our beautiful grandchildren. God forbid they take off for Yemen or U.A.E. or Africa.

The Gospel? We want to finance it. We want to build buildings and talk about it. We want to hear beautiful music about it. We want the success of our church and the success of our pastor’s book and the cool songs on the Christian station to represent our Christianity. We’ll study the Bible and say “What it means to me is….” Good choice.

We want to be a Christian niche market. We want to have enough Christian friends for Dinner 8 and for our children to have good friends. We want a gospel that keeps the marriage going and our prayers answered.

Yes Tom, write the book. Please. We need the Gospel of Jesus in America. We need it to be the kind of message that divides the world, stakes claims in the enemy’s territory, overturns the idols in our houses and sends our children into inner cities instead of to the suburbs. We need a gospel that addresses racism, abuse, excess, narcissism, corruption, sexual sin and the passive acceptance of poverty.

We need a gospel that makes us so hungry for reformation that we can’t stand ourselves and our churches to be the same. We need a gospel that makes a preacher a joke if he doesn’t preach it. We need a gospel that plants questions right where we aren’t used to asking them and breaks us on the rocks of integrity and holiness. We need a Gospel that will save us, and that we will will savor.

Write the book and sound the alarm. Zion isn’t quite sleeping anymore, but it doesn’t know that the Lord has left his temple and all we’re left with is the beginnings of judgement in his wake.

deep in the heart of Texas...

Amanda, Susannah, [unborn baby], and I have been in the great state of Texas for the past week or so and we're coming back in a few days. In my time here I've been working on a couple of articles/posts that I look forward to flushing out and putting up sometime after I get back.

In the mean time, pray for us.

a non-rhyming poem from last year...

Thoughts on the sunlit room

The sunlight coming in my window bathes the room in warmth.
Everything is now contrasted either as a shadow or light.
Texas on the door.
TV on the table.
Idols everywhere.
Me on the couch with my sword.
It is still sharp despite being unused.
The handle has grown dull with inactivity and neglect.
It can now barely reflect the light shining through the window.
I gaze at screaming voices calling for my offering.
Time!
Attention!
Energy!
Thought!
Joy!
From pictures on the shelf to games on the floor – I hear them quite easily.
Brighter by far, but to deaf ears is the persistent sunlight.
Will I again neglect the sun to play with controlled electricity?
Will I again forego the moon to gaze at the light beaconing from my television?
There is a man on first.
There is a bug on the porch.
There’s a puzzle to solve.
There are mysteries to discover.
There’s relaxation waiting in my chair.
There’s heaven waiting in eternity.
What I do shows myself as either a shadow or light.
I sink into the shadow.
I strive for the light.
I sit on my couch watching the sunset.

Making Much of God

I (Amanda) have been learning that God really is totally sovereign. I have always believed this theologically, but lately I am beginning to realize how practically I sometimes doubt it. My lips often speak the right words but in my heart I am harboring doubt. I think this because I hear stories about how God is working in someones life and they are struggling with horrible things such as the death of a child, terminal illness or a spouse leaving them. I wonder why these things happen. But I know that scripture teaches that all things work for the good (Rom 8:28). But, do I really know how to deal with these things? Do I really know that God is working this for the good in our lives?
He really is! I have been thinking for weeks about a phrase that we use so much in Christendom: "giving God glory." We want to do this in every area of our lives. But what does it mean? As I was reading a book by Dr. Jay Adams, Back to the Blackboard, he defines giving God glory as "making much of God." I was pondering if I really make much of God in all I do or do I just use the phrase casually. If we think about every facet of life and really test and see, are we making much of God when we do this, say this or participate in this? I come away surprised by how much I don't give God glory. Often I watch a TV show, have a conversation or participate in things that do not make much of God. Sometimes they even mock or go against his very character. This is heartbreaking.
This weekend I had the privilege of going to a ladies retreat in the mountains of New York to hear Martha Peace speak. It was a great time of relaxation for me and my friend, but also we heard over and over again that God must be given glory. Martha reminded us that no matter what we are going through, we must strive to glorify God in it. She brought up an example of just about every horrible thing we could think of that could happen to us and kept encouraging us that if you are going through this or if you do go through it, we must give God glory in it and rest in his sovereignty. She told the story of Joesph and how what his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. Sometimes God uses the bad for His good. But she brought a passage of Scripture to my mind that really stuck with me from 1 Peter 6-7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
I have read this passage before but this time the meaning really took root. Our trials and grief come to us as a test. Through each trial, if we give God praise and glory, our faith will prove to be genuine. WOW! what a truth. They way we act during our trials speaks volumes about our spiritual life. It easy to quote a theological principle but much harder to live it out.
As we were driving home, my friend and I were both thinking, "this weekend was great but I cant help thinking that maybe God brought us here for a reason. I hope nothing horrible is coming our way." And we don't know if it is. It is scary to think about, but nevertheless, if some trial comes our way, we pray that our faith would be found genuine.
So, the next time we say we are striving at "giving God glory" in a church ministry or our homes or at work, or with our kids, etc. Ask yourself, is what I am doing there "making much of God or man?
True glory always makes God bigger and us smaller!

Relient K

Make sure you check out the blog of Jon Schneck, bandmember of Relient K. Look under the "Luck of the K" posting and see some of the youth from our church. It can be found here. http://jonschneck.blogspot.com/2007/05/luck-of-k.html

Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother

OK Ladies, this is a must read for all trying to understand the biblical calling for women. Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney takes a deeper look at Titus 2 and biblical womanhood. If you don't have this book order it now. I have read this book twice and each time it has drastically helped me understand God's design for women a little better. It is an easy read and I promise it will be very fruitful for you.

Noah...

Ninety-three years to go
If the tradition's correct
The work appears so slow
They don’t seem to expect

Perhaps I am building salvation
Perhaps I am making a fire
Will the end bring celebration
Or will I be found a liar

It seems I am missing the party
Though my drinks come after the rain
So I’ll work on for something hearty
The work will not be in vain

So as my hammer pounds
And as the gopher falls
The mighty thunder sounds
Get the donkeys in the stalls

Then my God will decide
Whether eight was truly enough
When He assigned my life deride
And the people to rebuff



As you can see, I've been thinking about Noah lately. Tradition says it took him 120 years to build the ark, and here I am only 27. Of course, He didn't start until after he was 500, but you get the point.

The people were busy with their lives. Eating, drinking, getting married...the good life. And there was Noah in the midst of them, doing what God commanded. I wonder what the people thought? There were some, of course, who didn't notice at all. There were others, I'm sure, who noticed, but laughed and then went on with their merry lives. But what I really wonder is, were there other ship-makers?

Were there some who came to Noah and started giving instructions? You can hear them now:

"Noah, you know, as much time and energy as you're putting into this thing, you could just buy a boat and not have to deal with all this headache."

Or maybe, "No, no, no, these plans won't work at all. Too big. And the proportions are all wrong. This will never stay afloat."

Or maybe even, "Hey Noah, if you want a kick-butt ship, you need to attract people to it. So start by putting down the hammer and grabbing a drink. Loosen up! Now, people don't like gopher wood, so let's look at some alternatives. And the petting zoo theme? Well, that looks nice on paper, but I really think we need to go with more of a contemplative, yet playful atmosphere. And whatever you do, don't forget to..."

Now, I don't know if Noah ever really heard any of these things. But I hear them. Everyday. And it's a constant struggle between what God is calling me to do and what everyone else thinks.

[I guess a few disclaimers are in order before I go further. First, God never, let me repeat never, calls you to do something contrary to His will, as displayed in scripture. Adultery, divorce (in most cases), racism, the love of money, greed, gossip, and so many others, are not God's will. Scripture makes that plain. So don't say that God is calling you to do something if it is directly spoken against in scripture. Second, you are not a church unto yourself. It is God's will for us, as believers, to be a part of a local church. If you can't find a godly church around you, then move. Find a biblical church (none are perfect, but find one that preaches scripture and strives for holiness) and submit to it. I assure you, you are not the lone voice of reason and the only one in America getting it right. This article is about working in ministry - not merely being a part of the church. So please don't use anything here as an excuse to not be faithful to a church because people aren't doing things the way you think they should be done.]

Now, with all of that said, think back at Noah. God called him, and he obeyed. People thought he was dead wrong or just plain stupid, but he stood firm. Why? Because the Word of God commanded. Now we are pressed with very similar circumstances. God has commanded in His Word. Will we obey?

Let's make it even tougher. After one year of obeying, and not one single person is convinced, will we still obey? Does God's word change? What about after five years? Ten? What if we were to give our entire lives to obeying what God has called us to do, yet not one single person has believed. Not one single person has been convinced. Not one changed heart. Not one transformed mind. Will we still be faithful? Despite the outcries, in the face of opposition, in the midst of persecution - will we still be faithful?

God will not judge the outcome of our ministry - He provides that and His work is good. No, God will judge the ministry itself. Were we faithful with what He gave? Did we do what He commanded? Did we plant? Did we water? He is in charge of the growth, but we are in charge of the tools He gave us. Did we use them well?

Noah did. Faithfully.

But only eight people were saved: he and his family.

And here we are thousands of years later looking back at the success of Noah. His success wasn't in numbers. It wasn't based on his clout and his desirability. It was solely on His faith. Faith not in himself, or his work, but in God alone. And we are no different than he. Will we be faithful to God and what He has called us to do?

That is the question for our times and ministries. Unfortunately so many ministers get caught up in fruitless suggestions while ignoring the word of God. They hear the multitudes shout, but neglect the voice of God. There is a way that seems right to man, but it's end is destruction. We must not go down that way.

Build what God has called you to build; the clouds are starting to gather.


[Another disclaimer. Please do not, after reading this, get that I am unconcerned with reaching the lost. In no way, shape, or form, do I want to go "93" more years without a convert. I am grieved when people do not respond to the call of Christ - especially the ones I'm around all the time. Oh, I pray that God would have mercy on them and save them. But I also understand that it is totally God's mercy and grace that saves people, on his timetable, and the only thing I can do about it is to preach His word (because that's His chosen way to offer salvation...see below). So this article is not a call to ignore the lost, it is rather a plea for faithfulness to God.]

And you will have dung on your faces!

I (nick) am a pastor. Okay, an assistant pastor. But my primary occupation is to preach and teach to the youth each week. This is not a calling I take lightly. It is a constant weight on my heart and mind. With that said, most churches in America probably wouldn’t hire me, at least not as a youth pastor. The primary reason is that I’m not a games guy. I play sports. I like to fellowship. I love having fun. But on the whole, I’m not that into games. I’m not really an atmosphere guy either. I like candle-lit rooms. I think thought can to go into how to set up a room for worship. But I’m too moody to worry about what kind of mood we’re setting. I’m not really about entertaining people either. Sure I want to be engaging and I want people to pay attention to me, but I’m not a television. I’m not here for people to tune and change me until they see something they want to watch.

No, teachers are supposed to teach. Pastors are supposed to pastor. Nowhere in my job description (i.e. the Bible) does it say that I am supposed to lead games, create a mood, or entertain people. I am called to preach.

But I guess the question then becomes what to preach. The answer to that lies in your desire. Do you desire to equip the people of God for the work of ministry? Then we are to speak the truth in love. Is your desire to see God’s children grow more and more like Christ? Then they are to be sanctified in truth, His Word is truth. Is your desire for the lost to be saved? Then faith comes from hearing and that by the Word of God.

It seems like no matter what our desire is we are to preach the Word of God. Of course our problem is that we think God’s Word isn’t good enough to get the stuff of ministry done. Oh what a travesty. Let us all, as pastors and parishioners solemnly remember the words of Romans 9:6, “it is not as though the word of God has failed.”

(But people don’t want to be preached at) The Word of God does not fail.

(But people will get bored) The Word of God does not fail.

(But we’re not entertaining enough) The Word of God does not fail.

(But our attendance is going down) The Word of God does not fail.

The Word of God is so much more, infinitely more powerful than you or I could ever dream. It’s living. It’s breathing. It’s Jesus! Which is why we, as pastors, preachers, and teachers are to be focused with one thing: proclaiming His name, giving honor to His name, lifting high His name. If anything else occupies our hearts then we are in grave danger. Listen to Malachi (chapter 2):

1"And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. 4So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. 5My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction."

The priests did not care about the name of Jesus, and did not offer their best. Then it all blew up in their faces. Let us not fall into this same sin. Let us pursue, with everything we have, lifting high the name of Jesus. Not just in theory. Not just on paper. But in our preaching. In our teaching. In everything.

Ask yourself this question: what does God want from me? People to like you? People to clap when you sing and nod in approval when you preach?

No.

He wants you to have godly offspring.

After rebuking the priests in the above passage, Malachi goes on to say that when we do not lift up God’s name, when we don’t stand in awe of Him, when we don’t preach and instruct as He has told us to, we have left God to marry “the daughter of a foreign god.” And then Malachi says this:

13And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16"For the man who hates and divorces, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."

God has united us with Him in a covenant. A marriage. Not only that, He has infused this relationship, sealed this relationship, fueled this relationship with His Spirit. Why? So that through you, godly offspring would be born. And the way to produce godly offspring is to honor your Husband! Stand in awe of Him. Let His Name be on your lips, preacher. Let His Name flow from your tongue, teacher. Let His Name be the sole desire of your heart, pastor. Don’t leave your first love for the trappings of the world. If you use the world’s means, you will produce worldly offspring. Preach His Word. Proclaim His Name. Then and only then will we be faithful to what He has called us to. Then and only then will our churches stop looking like the world. Then and only then will our people grow in Christ. And then we will find ourselves to be the priests of God instead of friends of the world.

don't check your brains at the kitchen?!?!

Lately, I have been reading and studying Titus 2, mostly the six things that Paul asks the older women to teach the younger: to love their husband and children, to be self controlled, pure, kind, working at home, and submissive to their husbands. I am attempting to write a Bible study on these things to teach to the youth-aged girls. I have been thinking about older women in the church and why we rarely see them discipling the younger. I came to the realization that many of them have nothing to teach. Why? They either have a life that disqualifies them or they have a neatly decorated home but don't know enough scripture to teach it to another girl. This is SO sad!

So, I began to think about why women can be the best keepers at home (which is totally biblical) but they can't teach a bible study to children or younger women? While we should and are commanded to care for our home FIRST; I believe that we should be encouraged to study theology. Let me clarify here, theology is the "study of God." I don't mean that all women should read commentaries and read a bunch of old dead theologians (i do and find it exciting and helpful), I mean that they should continually read their Bible and grow in the knowledge of the Lord. Too many times we can teach the kids the facts of a Bible story out of the LifeWay curriculum or whatever, but we are scared to lead young women who are wanting to grow deeper in knowledge of the Lord. If you think I am making this up, next time your church needs a women speaker for the ladies retreat or leading a woman's study, try and find one!!

I am often encouraged by "spiritual mothers" such as Susannah Spurgeon, Noel Piper, Sarah Edwards, Carolyn Mahaney and Elisabeth Elliot who have such a radical passion for ministry and theology. These ladies seem to be or haven been a huge helpmate for their husband's ministry. Yes, they kept the home in order (read any of their writings) but also they had a love for God that couldn't keep them from teaching it to other ladies. They are smart in the things of God and foolish in the eyes of the world. They contributed much to their husbands career and/or calling. In fact, that was their life's work. Yes, men are the authority in the church, but reading, studying and equipping with the Word of God is not just for the men. As Christians, we are called to give an account; we are to answer in and out of season. I have been doing a study lately on the life of Susannah Spurgeon and I was amazed at how much she helped her husband, Charles, with his ministry. Oh Yes, she raised his kids and kept up with the home, but she also helped him with a book ministry and sermon ideas. Wow! He credits her for much of his encouragement and support. Here is a quote from an article I found:

"On Saturdays, here, as in their other homes, husband and wife would work together in the preparation of the sermon which the former was to deliver on the coming morning, and happy indeed were the times thus spent. Sometimes when the preacher had been unable to settle upon a text, he would say, “Wifey, what shall I do? God has not given me a text yet,” and Mrs. Spurgeon would comfort him as well as she could. Perhaps she would be able to suggest a suitable passage, in which case her husband, after preaching, would give her due credit in referring to the sermon by saying: “You gave me that text.” When the lady was called into the study on these Saturday evenings by her husband there was always an easy chair, she tells us, drawn up to the table by Mr. Spurgeon’s side, and a number of open books piled one upon another from which she used to read as directed by her husband. “‘With these old volumes around him he was like a honey-bee amid the flowers; he seemed to know how to extract and carry off the sweet spoils from the most unpromising-looking tome among them. His acquaintance with them was so familiar and complete that he could at once place his hand on any author who had written upon the portion of Scripture which was engaging his attention; and I was, in this pleasant fashion, introduced to many of the Puritan and other divines, whom otherwise I might not have known.” (http://www.biblebb.com/files/SPURGEON/mrsspur.htm)

She was involved: she read with him, studied, and took book recommendations for her private reading. What an example ministry team! Oh how I value and appreciate this. This can strengthen our marriages and ministries.

Please don't label me a feminist or unsubmissive. I cook, clean, stay at home, and support Christian schooling. I am not trying to say Christianity has made us "Stepford Wives" as Hollywood does. I would just love to see God raise up more women who have a passion to study His Word and teach it among other ladies, and even use it to assist their husbands in ministry.

Recently, I have become very appreciative of my own pastor's wife (shout out to Ruthie), who in NO way would be considered unsubmissive or worldly, but she can teach the women of God and she can give answer when asked the hard questions. She does not merely say to each hard question, "ooh, go ask my husband. "She knows her Word. She studies it! Praise be to God that she can assist and help our pastor but still knows her place under him.

May our husbands be able to say of us as Charles did of Susannah:
"My Own Dear one--None know how grateful I am to God for you. In all I have ever done for Him, you have a large share. For in making me so happy you have fitted me for service. Not an ounce of power has ever been lost to the good cause through you. I have served the Lord far more, and never less, for your sweet companionship. The Lord God Almighty bless you now and forever!" (http://chi.gospelcom.net/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps103.shtml)

- Amanda

what's behind a name?

Theological and Practical? In modern Evangelicalism, is it even possible to be described as both? After some observations of our theological brothers and sisters in the "reformed" camp of theology, we began to ponder why so many of us are not living out the doctrines we hold to?

Historically when we look at our heroes of the faith, their minds were entrenched with the study of who God was, but they also sought to know Him personally, and their fingers were busy with the work of God. But so many brothers and sisters hide their lack of commitment to a local church and dislike for people behind the veil of seeking the "right doctrine" and the church that perfectly fits into that doctrine. This usually shows itself mainly in two ways.

First, there are many pastors who stand up in the pulpit every Sunday, and boast about their theology and how the "other guys" aren't getting it right. They then proudly show off their "Badge of Reformation," or their "Badge of Emergence," or their "Badge of Relevance," and think that they've done God a service. The Bible then becomes merely a book to affirm a certain set of principles and doctrines which then becomes a banner they raise proudly over the whole church. Rather, we need to see scripture as His word and a way of knowing and being known by Christ and raising His banner and His banner alone to be seen by all.

We walk in these unfortunate churches and can see what they believe because they are sure to tell you, or they have it plastered on their walls, or it's even in the name of their church. Or worse, a church or pastor will brag about it's doctrine, but that's all they do. There is no love amongst themselves, no outreach, no evangelism, and discipleship excludes personal holiness. These churches are dying because they're having a heart attack, but by golly they're "believing" the right things. And then they brag that their church doesn't need to grow as long as they're "preaching the Word." But can they say, like Paul to the Thessalonians, that the Gospel not only came in word, but in power, with the Holy Spirit, with full conviction? Unfortunately not. In our experience, the churches that struggle with this have only the powers of their minds, squelch the spirit, and can't, beyond a general recognition, point to a single sin in their lives.

Don't get us wrong; we're not knocking reformed churches. We are reformed. But if your reformation becomes an excuse to judge or condemn, then we have lost love. We must remember that they are the Doctrines of Grace. How in the world can someone who has been overcome and saved by the grace of God look down their noses at anyone? God's grace is given to us when we don't deserve it, and we treat others like they're less than us? This is the exact opposite of what scripture tells us to be. God's grace has been given to us to to share, and sharing comes in sacrifice. In humility. In love.


On the other side, however, are those who strive to have the right theology and doctrine, but are not plugged into a church at all. They're quick to argue and fight for their respective theological camp, but turn tail and run from a church the second they're asked to give something. They will labor to spread a correct theological worldview, but not work with God's people in the church. They have a commitment to Calvin, but not to Christ's body. At some point, as Derek Webb says, their theology must become their ethics. What they believe must impact what they do. To have such an insatiable hunger to know Jesus, but to totally neglect His body makes no sense. The desire to know God perfectly will drive you further into the church not father away from it.

Should we desire to know God truly and rightly? Of course. Should we stand up for what's right and correct those who believe wrongly. Of course. But this is to happen, with love, in the context of the church. No church is perfect. Which is exactly why we need these men who are so passionate about theology to decide to fight for the church instead of their particular theology. We need them to grow in love, patience, and service. We need them to not pick and prod the church from the outside, but lead it humbly from the inside. Unfortunately they abandon the church so that the only men who are left to be pastors and elders are those who don't have a love for theology or simply don't care.

This long rant is the reason behind the name of our blog. Does the Amercian church need to be reformed? Goodness yes. But the reformers must remember that they are to be transformed by the renewing of their mind. A mind that is reformed, without a heart that is transformed, is wasted.

Book Review: Successful Christian Parenting

I (Amanda) just finished reading through John MacAthur's book Successful Christian Parenting, which I borrowed from my pastor's library (thanks Pastor Matt), and I thought I should post something helpful I learned from the book. The book was somewhat interesting and used tons of biblical support for each point on parenting. However, the chapter I found most insightful was the appendix in the back titled "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" by Phil Johnson. He prefaces with the biblical principle found in Deut. 6:6-7 and offers five practical principles to remember as you teach your children spiritual truth. Here they are:

1) Understand that children can grasp the essence of almost any truth.
He urges us to not hold back on teaching children all scripture. While they may not get some concepts or terminology, we should still teach them the biblical truth taught in any passage.
2) Avoid figurative language and unexplained symbolism
Children think literally and often we try to evangelize them by metaphors. Instead, we should try to be more precise in explaining faith as complete trust and unconditional surrender.
3) Clearly separate reality from fantasy.
Children are often overexposed to cartoons and fairy tales. Make sure they know the difference between make believe and the truth and miracles of the Bible.
4) Find out what your children are thinking.
Debrief your child after Sunday school or church. Find out what they are learning and their thoughts on it.
5) Don't expect them to get the lesson the first time.
Children need repetition and review. Go over biblical truth with your children.

Family Worship

Lately we have been thinking and forming our thoughts on student ministry. After hours of talking and planning, we kept returning to the philosophy of family ministry. What is our role in the training of children? We have come to a conviction that home is the BEST place for training. Programs can only take any church so far. We are just assisting the parents in the training of the children. In a world of extreme busyness, we must be teaching our church that the Christian family unit is precious and should be tended to. Here is a great article from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: http://www.cbmw.org/resources/articles/family_worship.php

a night with a theologian

We were blessed to have Dr. Steve Lawson come and speak at our church tonight. He spoke on Nehemiah 8 and made a passionate plea for a reformation among Evangelicals by returning to the centrality of the Word. We agree wholeheartedly. We hope and pray to find more preachers like Dr. Lawson who will be unapologetic and unwavering in their convictions.

It is especially poignant given our current surroundings. We moved to the metro-Boston area and are surrounded by the legacy of the Great Awakening. But sadly, a drive through our surrounding area will reveal a beautiful skyline of steeples and crosses that today are nothing more than white-washed tombs where death reigns inside. These churches have some of the best architecture and history, but their pulpits are bland and distasteful. We do not need beautiful buildings; we need the Word of God alive in his believers.

We are thankful that there is still a remnant in New England who are faithful to preaching the Word of God. However, we do not want to be satisfied with this alone, we want to see more rise up and cry, "Bring the Book!" As Dr. Lawson so accurately pointed out, we do not need preachers that sound perfect and seem "relevant," but instead we need preachers that bring the Word SO THAT conviction will fall on the people. This is what American churches really need. Dr. Lawson said " the Word of God is a mirror." This mirror shows us our depravity and exalts God. As conviction happens in our hearts, we will see a passion for God spread among our congregations, and to our nation and eventually to the ends of the earth.

We want to end here the same way Dr. Lawson did. This not merely a good theological idea or doctrinal distinctive, but this is something that must be put into practice. We are so thankful to be a part of a church that faithfully preaches the Word without compromise. Will you stand up in the midst of your church and cry, with those of Nehemiah's day, "Bring the Book?"

For more info on Dr. Steve Lawson check out http://www.cfbcmobile.org

Top 10 Most Influential Christians (to us)

Lately we have been reading various articles on the most influential Christian leaders in America. These lists have included an assortment of personalities ranging from mega-church pastors, charismatic women, best-selling authors and even congressman. We feel these lists, and most of the people on them, focus mainly on worldly numbers and the wisdom of man, but sadly they lack a solid Biblical foundation or conviction. We feel these lists and many of the "leaders" are actually harmful to the Christian church no matter how influential they are.
So, we decided to make our own list of leaders that have impacted our lives and ministry. The main criteria is that they are faithful to the Word of God without compromise.

1. John Piper: he has had the greatest impact on our lives and ministry. http://www.desiringgod.org/

2. Derek Webb: his music is not only great art but biblical, convicting and thought provoking. http://www.derekwebb.com/

3. Elisabeth Elliot: she has modeled and promoted what a biblical woman is supposed to be. http://www.elisabethelliot.org/

4. Wayne Grudem: he has challenged us theologically with his unparalleled work Systematic Theology.

5. Louie Giglio: through Passion Ministries he has brought an entire generation to buck the American Dream and embrace biblical suffering. http://www.268generation.com/

6. Mark Dever: his thoughts on church philosophy have made us reexamine our own philosophy. www.9marks.org

7. C.J. Mahaney: reformed and charismatic, what's not to love! http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/

8. Voddie Baucham: he's biblical, passionate and calling for reform in the American church. http://www.voddiebaucham.org/

9. John Macarthur: he has promoted expository biblical preaching worldwide and has been one of the only ones to stand strong against the secular media. www.gracetoyou.org

10. Nancy Leigh Demoss: has led a biblical women's ministry and impacted women nationwide. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/