soulvenue with Gordon Dabbs

Epic Fail - Their Loss, Your Gain

2012-01-12T16:49:00.003-06:00

Here's the new "Epic Fail" series I'll be working through at Prestoncrst for the next few months at Prestoncrest . . .

Jezebel. . .Judas Iscariot. . .Pontius Pilate. . .Pharoah. . .Simon the Sorcerer. . .Saphira . . . These are real men and women who were given remarkable resources. They enjoyed connections, positions, opportunities, and wealth that few of us will ever experience, but they still managed to blow it through catastrophically poor decisions.

The Urban Dictionary defines Epic Fail this way: Complete and total failure when success should have been reasonably easy to attain.

Yep, that pretty much sums up the lives of these people.

In the pages of the Bible, God chose to forever record their failure. Why? Why does God’s Word tell us their stories? Because, quite simply, their loss can be your gain.

Our loving Father God longs for each of us to live in such a way that we experience the blessings of living under the cover of time tested principles that produce balanced, healthy, and impactful lives. Their Epic Fail stories reveal practical principles for a happy life and also illustrate in full color what happens when those principles are ignored.

We're all a little nuts

2011-12-18T17:33:00.001-06:00

This is one of those "probably shouldn't laugh at, but I did" kinds of things. Enjoy.

"Welcome to the psychiatric hot line."

IF you are obsessive-compulsive, please press l repeatedly.

IF you are codependent, please ask someone to press 2.

IF you have multiple personalities, please press 3,4,5 and 1.

IF you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just stay on the line, and we will trace your call.

IF you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and the little voice will tell you what number to press.
IF you are manic-depressive, it doesn't matter what number you press, no one will answer.

--Anonymous pamphlet.

Project Samaria: Prestoncrest Serves Burmese Refugees

2011-11-29T16:47:00.005-06:00

This morning, forty Prestoncrest members distributed shoes to children who are Burmese refugees. The 98 kids study at Wallace Elementary in Dallas (Richardson School District).

What an amazing morning of loving and serving our neighbors!

These children belong to families evacuated from the refugee camps and placed in Dallas. Their families have virtually nothing. They live far below the poverty line. The need was placed before us by Kris Oliver, a PC member who is on the school board and by Debby Yarger, the principal at Wallace.

My prayer is that this project is just the beginning step in a long-term relationship between our church family and the families at Wallace. This is one initiative in Prestoncrest's "Project Samaria." In the bigger picture, the hope is that Prestoncrest will follow Jesus into our "Samaria," into places and neighborhoods around us that we wouldn't engage if not for the love of Christ that has captivated us and overwhelmed us. Because of the calling Jesus has put on our lives, we simply MUST serve the broken world that surrounds us.

Thanks to all who bought the shoes. Thanks to the teachers and administration at Wallace who see their work as more a ministry than a job. Also, thanks to the volunteers from Prestoncrest who served the children face-to-face this morning.

(Penn) State of Moral Collapse

2011-11-14T16:22:00.009-06:00

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmond Burke

With most observers of the Penn State scandal, I've gone through a wide range of emotions as news comes out. Shock. . .disgust. . .sadness. . .

If you haven't kept up with it, here's what has come out. Jerry Sandusky, former PSU Defensive Coordinator for the football program, has been molesting boys. Eight victims have come forward at last count. Not only that, but he set up a charity called the "Second Mile" which was supposed to help underpriviledged youth, but may have been a sort of perverted talent search for Sandusky to find new boys to prey on. One afternoon, he was busted. A PSU grad assistant caught him in the football team's shower with a boy. This assistant reported the incident up to legendary coach Joe Paterno who reported up the administrative chain at Penn State. No one intervened to stop Sandusky. At one point, the university told Sandusky not to bring boys on campus anymore. He was allowed, however, to continue his abuse of boys.

Most of the attention in the media of late has NOT been on Sandusky, but been on the people in the PSU system that allowed the abuse to continue unabated. Everyone understands that there are sick-os out there. But what about the "good" people who know or suspect that evil is occuring and choose to remain silent or pass the buck up the administrative ladder? The media has rightly zeroed in on this phenomenon incredible moral cowardice.

Men otherwise known as men of character, as good guys, essentially did nothing to stop Sandusky. Why? The reputation of the legendary football program would be tarnished. The university would get a black eye. Coach Joe deserved to go out as an icon of the game, not being soiled by the longterm assistant and friend he kept around.

Look, it's easy for folks to condemn what happened, to ask for prayers for the victims, etc. The real test of moral courage is not what people blog about, write about, or say at press conferences now that the truth about Sandusky is out. The test of moral courage is certainly not whether or not Joe Paterno met his legal requirement to inform a superior. The real test is what people do about evil when the cost of confronting it may be your job, your reputation, or even a life long friendship.

There is a time and a place to speak out against evil. By the way, it is always that time and place when innocents are being harmed or are in danger.

Those who have been blessed with positions of power and authority must be willing to call a spade a spade, to label evil for what it is and to take action to protect those who are being harmed by it. This didn't happen at Penn State. Children were attacked. Lives were ruined.

The challenge for me is not to feel high and mighty, not to feel better about myself, because I am now joining in the chorus of those who are shocked and appalled by what happened at PSU, but rather, when called upon, to use my voice to protect those who don't have a voice. And the real test for me is to be willing to use my voice to speak out even when it will likely involve some personal cost.

James Hunter wrote a piece a while back called the Death of Character. His words capture the dilemma in which we find ourselves as we live in a society in which moral lines have become increasingly blurry.

"We say we want a renewal of character in our day but we don't really know what we ask for. . . We want character, but without unyielding conviction; we want strong morality, but without the emotional burden of guilt or shame; we want good without having to name evil; we want decency without the authority to insist upon it; we want moral community without any limitations to personal freedom. In short, we want what we cannot possibly have on the terms that we want it."

Worship: Reflections on theology and doctrine

2011-10-26T10:46:00.002-05:00

My sense is that there has been a shift away from "dogma." The average worshipper seeks less, in my opinion, a deep understanding of theology and doctrine and seeks, instead, an experience. Worship gatherings, public or private, are gaged based on the effect they produce on the worshipper. Unfortunately, when good theology takes a back seat to shock and awe, are stripped of the beauty and wonder that come from a biblical understanding of what it means to encountner God in the first place. I believe that good theology, biblically grounded doctrine, and a healthy view of who I am and more importantly who God is, provide the framework for a range of healthy worship experiences - awe, reverance, exuberance, conviction, humility, joy, etc. For me, I want it all when it comes to worship. I want for my experience of God to be dictated by his agenda for our meeting. I believe that good theology opens me up to the full spectrum of complex possibilities of what his agenda may be when he and I get together. Jesus embraced a holistic worship when he told the Samaritan woman ". . .a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4.23-24

As Alan Jones put it in his book Soul Making: "The question is, do I worship God or do I worship my experience of God? Do I worship God or do I worship my idea of him? If I am to avoid a narcotic approach to religion that forces me to stagger from experience to experience hoping for bigger and better things, I must know what I believe apart from the nice or nasty feelings that may or may not accompany such a belief."

The cost of faith

2011-09-29T09:58:00.007-05:00

I've been preaching through the book of Revelation on Sunday evenings at Prestoncrest. It is a book that was written to Christian communities facing persecution by the Roman imperial authorities. The brothers and sisters who were facing legal, economic, and social sanctions by Rome could have so easily appeased the government. They didn't have to renounce their faith in Christ, but only acknowledge that Caesar is a god as well. It may have seemed like a simple thing to Rome and to non-Christians of that ear, but it wasn't an option for the disciples. Jesus alone was their Lord. Because of their faith and conviction in the lordship of Christ, many early Christians would face punishment and death.

One of the reasons that the book of Revelation is so mysterious to 21st century American Christians is that we, in no way, can appreciate what it was like to live under such persecution. Our pews are cushioned, our buildings air-conditioned, our faith protected by the Constitution, and our contributions tax deductible. I thank God for the freedom to worship in the USA. I thank God that as a Christian, I can worship Jesus and live under his lordship without facing criminal sanctions. I also thank God that Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others are protected under the US constitution.

This week, I've been reminded of the blessing that it is to live here. It's simply not safe to be a disciple of Christ in much of the world.

In China, where Ila and I traveled and spoke to Christians last week, the church operates outside the law. It's not exactly criminal to worship Christ, it's just that there are absolutely no legal protections unless one chooses to become part of the state sponsored 3 Self Church. This past Easter, a number of Christians were detained to prevent them from gathering to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Last week, I met a woman who desires to place her faith in Christ, but her husband, whose job depends on being on good standing with the Communist Party, has forbidden her from converting. To protect his excellent and high-paying job, he allows her to attend any and all gatherings of the church, but she can not be baptized into Christ.

The Supreme Court of Iran just upheld the conviction of apostasy for Yousef Nadarkani (photo above). Yousef is a thirty-something Christian pastor. He is married and has two young sons. Last week, his conviction was upheld and he is expected to be executed within the next 24 hours. He has been given four opportunities to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ, but he refuses. Iran wants him to "repent" of his faith in Jesus and return to Islam.

"Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?" Nadarkhani reportedly said at his trial. "To the religion of your ancestors, Islam," the judge replied, according to the American Center for Law & Justice. "I cannot," Nadarkhani concluded.

What is most troubling is that the death penalty for Christians in Iran is normally reserved for Muslims who convert to Christianity, but in Yousef's case, he has never been a Muslim. The Supreme Court has ruled that since he comes from a Muslim family, he is nonetheless guilty of death.

I believe that the Iranian government is going all-in on Pastor Youcef's case because they believe that he will change his mind and renounce his faith. I pray that the government of Iran will repent. I pray that they will realize the injustice they are about to commit, humble themselves, and save Youcef's life. Most of all, I pray that the Lord will strengthen Youcef's faith and use whatever happens to his glory!

Rev 7:14-17 "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

The local church

2011-09-07T16:50:00.003-05:00

"We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world." —G. K. Chesterton

I'm working today on Sunday's lesson. This Sunday, Matt Coats and I will get before Prestoncrest and launch a new Leadership Support Ministry. I'm thrilled about the possibilities of this new ministry and with the team that Matt has put together to help lead this ministry. The goal will be to prepare,equip and affirm men and women who lead at Prestoncrest.

I believe more than ever that the local church is the greatest tool that God has put on the planet to impact the world for good. Also, I believe that the local church won't outgrow its leaders. So, we need to constantly empower new leaders and help them have the tools and preparation to grow to their full potential. Only then will we have a Spirit-guided church which is ready to move the world.

NBC 5 reports on Prestoncrest's Packs and Pencils 2011

2011-08-22T16:03:00.003-05:00

A big thanks to Jennifer Pool and dozens of volunteers who made this year's Packs and Pencils event a success. To God be the glory as we reach out to our neighbors in love and service. Several local TV stations ran reports on the event.

The simple choice to make a difference

2011-08-17T09:38:00.004-05:00

I was inspired by his story. I hope you are too! Click on the link below to hear it.

http://storycorps.org/listen/stories/julio-diaz/

God's job approval drops

2011-07-27T17:42:00.003-05:00

The Almighty's new polling numbers are in. Good thing this isn't an election year for the King of Universe because only 52% of Americans approve of his job performance. On the brighter side, only 9% say they disapprove. Hey, at least he's doing a bit better than Obama (45%)!

Public Policy Polling used automated telephone interviews to poll 928 American voters. The institution tried to get an equal sample of liberals and conservatives.

The question that was asked was: "If God exists, do you approve or disapprove of its performance?"

Honestly, I think the real numbers should be lower, but folks are just a little fearful of giving him bad reviews. I mean, with all the miscarriages, cancer, disasters, and the overall decline of the economy, it's a wonder God did better than 30%!

But here's the thing, God has never ran for election and has never asked people to "approve" of how he handles things. And, some of the greatest men and women of faith have had issues with some of God's plans. Right? Abram, Habakkuk, Peter. . .

Perhaps a good working definition of what faith in action looks like is this: Trusting in God even when you don't agree with the way he's handling your life.

The truth is, what people want and what God want are often quite divergent. Paul seems to hint at this when he asks, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1.10 Yes Paul, God's ways and people's ways aren't always all that compatible.

So. . . . do I approve of God's job performance? Better question: Does it matter?

Lord, help me to trust in your love, your mercy, and your power, NO MATTER WHAT. Amen.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/27/poll-52-percent-approve-of-gods-job-performance/?hpt=hp_c2

Moving from law to grace

2011-07-19T15:52:00.001-05:00

"A New Law", a song by Derek Webb, confronts the thirst that many of us have for legalism.

http://grooveshark.com/s/New+Law/32JAGa?src=5

A Journey into Grace: George and Carolyn Miller

2011-07-17T16:50:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: David's Recovery

2011-07-12T14:58:00.003-05:00

Here's a little update on our son, David.

A couple of hours ago, we left the Scottish Rite Hospital in downtown Dallas and transported him home. That's a small, but sweet, victory on the way to a full and complete recovery. Upon arriving at our house Jane, our German Shepherd, spent about 5 minutes licking him from head to toe. Good thing since he hasn't gotten a bath in some time. ;)

Less than a week ago, Dr. Steve Richards (Orthopedic Surgeon) operating on David's back for nearly 7 hours. He went in from the front (lower stomach) to remove a mal-formed vertebrae in David's back. Then they flipped him over and went in through the back to pull together the vertebra above and below the removed piece. Screws and a rod are holding this in place. Then, in order to keep his back properly aligned with his hips, he was placed in a cast from his chest to his waist and then down the left leg. He will be in the cast from 6-8 weeks.

He has had some back and leg pain, some nausea, and a LOT of frustration about being stuck in the cast. He will remain horizontal until the cast is removed. He will either be in his bed, or in a very reclined wheel chair. Given how hard it is to get him in and out of our car, I doubt that he'll be leaving the house much, if at all.

Current prayer needs. . .

First, we thank God for his faithfulness and tender mercies. He has been with David up to this point and we rejoice in that!

Next, pray for relief from pain in his back and left leg.

Also, pray for his young faith. He is really facing a time of trial and questioning right now as he passes through the fires of pain.

Finally, pray that the Holy Spirit blesses our 11 year old boy with supernatural patience over the long process of recovery.

2 Cor 4:7-10 (NLT) We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

David's Baptism in the Jordan River

2011-06-27T21:22:00.002-05:00

Our son David has been thinking about committing his life to Jesus for some time. This year, he and I went through some directed Bible study and prayer together to help him with his decision. During our recent trip to Israel, he decided to be baptized in the river Jordan. It was a highlight for our family. . .and for the angels in Heaven. Together, we rejoice that he has decided to live as a Christ-follower and pray for his spiritual growth as a child of God.

Suffering and Hope in Joplin

2011-05-24T17:41:00.005-05:00

Tuesday, May 24

Woke up yesterday (Monday) morning and couldn't stop thinking about the natural disaster that happened in my home stomping grounds. I just felt like I had to load up supplies in the car and head east for Joplin. Really wish I could have found some guys to come with me (and I did make a few phone calls) but in the end, I just needed to get here as fast as I could.

Today I started my day at the Mount Hope Church of Christ. It's located just north of Joplin in Webb City, MO and is running point for relief efforts by churches of Christ. This group at Mount Hope is the real deal. They built their facility a few years back with this kind of situation in mind. They have a disaster relief building, keep supplies stocked and have a plan of action ready for this kind of situation. This morning, Andy Wilson (an elder) and Nancy (don't know her last name) oriented the 40 or so volunteers that showed up from all over southwest Missouri.

Today, a good portion of the part of town that was leveled by the tornado were cordoned off by authorities as search and rescue work continues. A lot of the day at Mount Hope was spent by volunteers unloading truckloads of supplies that came in from places near and far. Some of the supplies were handed out to community members who came in for help.

About noon, I met a man named John Volcker who lost his home (in the picture) and slept at the church building last night. He's a sixty-something hippieish sort of guy. He had a number of injuries on his arms and legs from his Sunday evening bout with the tornado. Anyway, a fellow named Cliff (a Presbyterian from OKC) and I took off with John in my car to do some work at his home. John had us thinking that his house was in good shape except for glass out of the windows. John was wrong. His house is in shambles. The parts that are standing will surely be torn down in the weeks to come. Very unstable. Roof is pretty much gone. Walls bowing out. All windows blown out. Garage completely collapsed. I will say this, compared to his neighbors homes, his was in much better shape. . .but that's not saying much!

Across the street from John's home is are several apartment buildings (lying in heaps) that housed older folks. Many of those neighbors were seriously injured and one didn't make it out.
This afternoon, we helped John collect possessions that were of value. He didn't have much before the tornado and has very little salvagable at this point. We were able to dig his car (believe it or not, a Porsche) out from under his garage. It still ran! Badly damaged, but driveable. No doubt his insurance company will total it as well as the home.

John was sad, disoriented, and not really able to make decisions about very basic needs, so he needed quite a bit of help. After we got back to Mount Hope, I talked with a nurse from a large disaster headquarters and she promised to stop by, change his bandages and check on him tonight.

Late afternoon was all about unloading truckloads of water. Honestly, Mount Hope is swimming in the stuff. No need for any more water at this point.

Highlights. . .

1. Seeing a church like Mount Hope that cares about its community enough to prepare to deal with a worst case scenario. The Joplin area is blessed to have this group of committed disciples living among them. True salt and light folks.

2. Realizing that there was no distinction as we worked as volunteers between Church of Christ, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists or Christian Church folks. The group was just a big hodge podge of Christians from different protestant traditions.

3. Learned that you can't do everything, but you can focus on the opportunity to serve that is presented to you. In other words, do what you can. Just because you can't do EVERYTHING doesn't mean that you should do NOTHING. As we drove to John's house, we drove by block after block of dazed people who were digging through the rubble of collapsed homes, crushed cars, etc. We had to stay focused on what we could do (help a few) instead of withering under the crushing needs of the thousands of displaced people. The God who knows all and loves all will work through lots of different people to show his love and compassion to those in need.

Honestly, as I look back on the day, I feel like I accomplished very little, but I'm hoping that the little made a big difference for the few I helped. Also, I was so encouraged to see men and women giving their 100% to serve.

Tomorrow, I'll head back up to Mount Hope. Depending on if I feel needed there, I may choose to drive back into the destroyed part of Joplin and just start seeing who I can help.

Grace and Peace.

Connecting with God

2011-04-17T07:20:00.002-05:00

After struggling through a dry period in my personaly spiritual life, I've come to a new place of joy in my relationship with God. . .but connecting with God brings challenges.

The life that bursts out of Scripture

2011-04-11T18:46:00.003-05:00

When it comes to the men and women I enjoy listening to as talk about Scripture or teach from it, the thing that draws me in most to their words is the PASSION that I hear in their voices, that I see in their eyes, that I sense in the energy that radiates from their whole bodies as they speak and teach the Word of truth. A monotonous or indifferent presentation of God's Word is sinful. . . .or, at the very least, it reveals something of the stony heart of the one doing the presenting. The Bible has the overwhelming power of truth and Spirit working through its pages. I love to see and hear its life-giving fruits released as it's energetically taught. In the end, the power isn't in the messenger (no matter how eloquent or charming), it's in the MESSAGE. From R. C. Sproul in Knowing Scripture. . . The president of an institution phoned me and said, "We need someone young and exciting, someone with a dynamic method who will be able to make the Bible come alive." I had to force myself to swallow my words. I wanted to say, "You want me to make the Bible come alive? I didn't know that it had died. In fact, I never heard that it was ill. Who was the attending physician at the Bible's demise?" No, I can't make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive. It makes ME come alive. . .Biblical characters are full of life. . .there is rebuke, remorse, contrition, consolation, practical wisdom, philosophical reflection and, most of all, truth.

Doubting Thomas? Hardly. . .

2011-03-01T16:53:00.003-06:00

He was a skeptic, but in the end, he was a convicted believer. Thomas, out of all the people who encountered Jesus had the most dramatic confession about the identity of the one known as Jesus.

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" John 20.28

Great quote from Dorothy Sayers on Thomas . . .

It is unexpected, but extraordinarily convincing, that the one absolutely unequivocal statement in the whole gospel of the Divinity of Jesus should come from Doubting Thomas. It is the only place where the word God is used ... without qualification of any kind, and in the most unambiguous form of words .... And this must be said -- not ecstatically, or with a cry of astonishment -- but with flat conviction, as of one acknowledging irrefragable evidence: '2 + 2 = 4,' 'That is the sun in the sky,' 'You are my Lord and my God!'

Love your neighbor

2011-02-27T06:55:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful to an anonymous couple who have taken away any excuse I might have to not help those I come across who are in need. A couple of weeks back in Tucumcari, NM, I ran across John, a homeless fellow who was hungry. Here's what happened. . .

Letting go

2011-02-17T11:05:00.001-06:00

From a great little piece by Rabbi Will Berkovitz. . .

Full piece: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-will-berkovitz/complete-control-matters_b_823844.html

Anyone who has ever been in love has learned that the only way to fall in love is to surrender and relinquish control to another. To step, maybe tentatively at first, maybe courageously, from behind our walls and into love's insecurity. One of the lessons I learned in falling in love was that the cave I built and used to retreat to when feeling vulnerable or fearful suddenly had my wife in it. And that when our children were born the entire cave was torn away and I had to get used to my heart and soul walking around outside my body in the form of a four-year old and seven-year old. And the four-year old seems to have no fear, and does things that give him big scars and scares the hell out of me -- watching my son racing down the sidewalk behind his brother and stumbling grips my heart. But I know it is his job to fall and my job to help him back up again, so he can fall again. And I can pick him up again. It is our job as well -- to fall and help each other up.

And often late at night when I can't sleep, I find myself thinking of all the things that are going wrong in the world. The wars, the horrible things we do to each other. The mistakes I have made, the bad decisions. That's when, completely awake now, I usually crawl out of bed, look in at my sleeping children, and hope to God they can hold on to their innocence. And then I start responding to work emails because I want an empty in-box -- something I still believe I can control.

Many of us still haven't learned that we can't have an empty in-box and that we need to give up control to fall in love. By surrendering to another our lives can expand. By letting go we may feel free. On the seventh day, our Creator did not just rest, the Holy One let go. "And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God stopped from all the work of creation." It was God's final and perhaps most important lesson to us. There is a time to let go. With the Sabbath this idea was embedded into the very fabric of Jewish existence. Stop trying to control everything and make it perfect. Even God never said things were perfect. All God said was, it is very good -- there is a difference. We are obsessive perfectionists, maybe God isn't. Consider the platypus.

Taking another look at troubling passages

2011-01-18T09:51:00.003-06:00

I enjoyed these thoughts from Tim Keller and thought you might as well. . .

Many years ago, when I first started reading the Book of Genesis, it was very upsetting to me. Here are all these spiritual heroes—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—and look at how they treat women. They engage in polygamy, and they buy and sell their wives. It was awful to read their stories at times. But then I read Robert Alter's The Art of Biblical Narrative. Alter is a Jewish scholar at Berkeley whose expertise is ancient Jewish literature. In his book he says there are two institutions present in the Book of Genesis that were universal in ancient cultures: polygamy and primogeniture. Polygamy said a husband could have multiple wives, and primogeniture said the oldest son got everything—all the power, all the money. In other words, the oldest son basically ruled over everyone else in the family. Alter points out that when you read the Book of Genesis, you'll see two things. First of all, in every generation polygamy wreaks havoc. Having multiple wives is an absolute disaster—socially, culturally, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and relationally. Second, when it comes to primogeniture, in every generation God favors the younger son over the older. He favors Abel, not Cain; Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau. Alter says that you begin to realize what the Book of Genesis is doing—it is subverting, not supporting, those ancient institutions at every turn.

When I read Alter's book, I then reread the Book of Genesis and loved it. And then it hit me: What if when I was younger, I had abandoned my trust in the Bible because of these accounts in Genesis? What if I had drop-kicked the Bible and the Christian faith, missing out on a personal relationship with Christ—all because I couldn't understand the behavior of the patriarchs? The lesson is simple: Be patient with the text. Consider the possibility that it might not be teaching what you think it's teaching.

Dorwan Stoddard's sacrifice of love

2011-01-17T11:19:00.013-06:00

Tucson shooting victim, Dorwan Stoddard, gave up his life for his best friend and wife Mavy.

The Church: A place to humble myself and learn

2011-01-04T10:52:00.003-06:00

For all of us who have thought at some point or another something like. . .

The Church is too old-fashioned for me.

The project of growing spiritually is an individual undertaking.

I know I've fallen into the arrogance of such thinking at times. Now I know that I need the Church. . .the children. . .the elderly. . .the cool and the geeky. . .the "old fashioned" and the cutting edge. . . I need to be surrounded with God's people on a regular basis. My spiritual walk is like a seed that's been planted. It doesn't matter how healthy the seed is if it's not surrounded by good soil. My brothers and sisters in Christ, with all their strenghts and weaknesses, are the soil that nourishes me.

C.S. Lewis in taking about the early days of his Christian faith shares:

"I thought I could do it on my own, by retiring to my rooms and reading theology, and I wouldn't go to churches and gospel halls. I disliked very much their hymns, which I considered bo be fith-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the great merit of it. I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off.

I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren't fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit."

The "need" to get my way. . . The feeling that "they", whoever "they" may be, are holding the Chruch back. . . The notion that the church must serve me and meet my expectations. . . LORD JESUS, HELP ME TO PUT THESE SINFUL, PRIDEFUL, SELFISH IDEAS TO DEATH. May God help me to humble myself, serve His Church, and submit to my Christian family. There is great beauty in a group of imperfect saints struggling to walk faithfully with Jesus and with each other.

Books on Heaven

2010-12-02T11:56:00.002-06:00

As I prepare for this series on Heaven, I've found some books to be helpful in trying to put together a comprehensive look at what Scripture teaches.

N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope. Honestly, anything by N.T. Wright is excellent. This book is no exception. He looks at both Scripture, early church Fathers, and contemporary conceptions in presenting his view of the afterlife.

Randy Alcorn, Heaven. Alcorn has some pretty novel ideas on Heaven (tends toward more literal interpretations of biblical images), but his positions are well documented from Scripture.

Erwin Lutzer, One Minute after You Die. Good mix of interpreting difficult texts and providing practical inspiration.

Steve Hemphill, My Search for the Real Heaven. Steve is a Church of Christ member who shares his personal journey after his father's death.

Anne Graham Lotz, Heaven: My Father's Home. A light devotional book.

Ministry of Prayer

2010-11-29T16:20:00.003-06:00

Tonight, I'll be sharing a thought with the Prestoncrest shepherds on the importance of prayer in their ministry to the flock. The good news is that I'm not focusing on this because it's a weak area with this group of men, I'm merely reminding them of the centrality of prayer for leaders in the church.

In the early church, the apostles delegated ministry to servants SO THAT they would be able to focus more on prayer. Obviously the 12 saw PRAYER as a first priority in their leadership of the flock. (2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." Acts 6.2-4)

The shepherds I serve with at Prestoncrest are men of prayer. Every Monday night, they spend about an hour working through specific prayer concerns as a group. Then, they stop to pray over items that arise as they work through the agenda for the meeting. The shepherds at Prestoncrest aren't perfect, but they are prayerful. Just the kind of men I want to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with in Christ's Church.

Anyway, what I really wanted to share was a quote from Phillip Yancey on prayer that I think really gets to the crux of the matter. Enjoy!

If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn't act the way we want God to, and why I don't act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.

Parents: Raise Them Without Razing Them

2010-11-10T11:35:00.003-06:00

Anyone can manage the behavior of someone by using physical force, using punishment and reward, by using fear. If someone points a gun at someone else, they can get them to do just about anything. But what happens when parents are use excessive control over their children instead of influencing them with love, instruction, training and wisdom, is that they can wound or even close their child’s heart. They stop shaping the child’s heart and start breaking the child’s heart. So, maybe they are successful at managing junior’s behavior, but they have failed at helping junior grow into a mature person capable of making strong decisions.

It’s very important, with any training or instruction I give to my kids, that I make sure that what I’m doing isn’t hardening their heart.

So, Paul is calling us to shepherd the hearts of our children. It’s a powerful phrase in Ephesians 6.4: “bringing them up”. Bringing up, ektrepho, is about cultivating. In agriculture, you can’t force a plant to grow a certain way. You can’t force your tomato plant to grow on your time frame or produce an exact number of tomatoes, but a good gardener knows that what you CAN do is to meticulously create the right environment for the little plant. The plant is watered, the soul is prepared with fertilizer, some pruning of branches may be needed, weeds around it may need to be pulled. . .The gardener doesn’t force the plant to grow, but instead creates the right environment around the plant for it to be healthy.

So parents, in our efforts to manage their behavior, let's not forget that at the heart of good parenting is the child's heart. Let's invest ourselves in creating the right environment for those little hearts to grow into selfless, faithful, God-loving men and women.

Spiritual Waterboarding

2010-10-13T09:45:00.005-05:00

Some Christians sing worship songs together as a reminder of the grace and love that has been heaped on them by Jesus. Others magnify the greatness of God through hymns of adoration. Some groups of believers use songs to strengthen their convictions in God's providence and goodness. Then, there are the songs that just. . .well. . . kind of scare folks.

From my earlier years in church, there was the song "Did you repent, fully repent?". In this song written by Robert Sterling Arnold, the salvation by grace preached by Paul is sidelined to make room for a new theology - the theology of utter terror. What if my belief, repentance or obedience is only 99%? This song leads one to think that God has my salvation on a hair trigger. He's just waiting for ONE doubt. . .slip up. . .or moment of weakness. That's when He will pounce!

Here's the chorus. . .

Did you repent, fully repent of your past sins, friend

When you confessed His name on high?

Did you believe, fully believe on His great name then

Or was a doubt, treacherous doubt, lingering nigh?

Did you obey all of the way what He commanded

Things in His word we're told to do?

Did you confess, fully confess Jesus the Savior

Did you repent, did you believe all the way through?

This song feels like spiritual waterboarding. It's like, "I thought I was a Christian. . .but, you know, maybe I'm not. I believe. . .but do I FULLY believe. Was there, in fact, a 'treacherous doubt'? Oh no, I'm toast!" This song turns on the glaring white light, straps you to a chair and interrogates you.

And then, right above the song, they printed the Scripture that inspired the lyrics of the song. In the words, I saw the veiled threat of potential catastrophe if I couldn't eliminate every doubt. . .if I couldn't fully repent. . .if I couldn't fully believe.

"Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.'" Luke 13:2-5

Don't get me wrong. Questioning myself about my sincerity and commitment is something I need to do now and again. Then again, if ONE doubt or moment of less than full obedience dooms me, then I'm a gonner. And, I suspect, so are all of us.

The Good News is that I'm not counting on my own goodness or merit to get me into good standing with God. The lyrics of another song ("The Solid Rock") sum up where I'm at. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly leand on Jesus' name."

Yes, I think that's where I'll pitch my tent. Not in my work, but in His. Instead of doubt and fear, I find confidence and hope in that place. 2 Cor 3:4-6 4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

"Daily Bread"

2010-09-23T11:03:00.003-05:00

This week, I'm working on the Sunday morning message and the text is "give us this day our daily bread." I know that I'll be speaking to people who have lost their jobs recently and some who have been looking for work for quite a while now. For many, the savings is running out, the hope of finding a good job is also getting dimmer. I believe that Christ's prayer for daily bread is a recognition that we NEED God when it comes to paying bills, buying groceries, and taking care of the needs that all of us have. While the rich may feel like they don't need outside help, the truth is that all of us rely on God's providence.

Last week, I heard on the news that official government sources have decided that the recession ended sometime during the summer. Not sure what recession they're talking about because it seems to be in full swing around here!

Well, when the economy crashed back in 08, a lot of hysteria broke out. During the crisis, a couple of prayers caught my attention.

One was by the Rev. Don Roberts at the opening of a Florida Senate meeting on the budget. Here's how his prayer started: “Our economy sucks, if you will excuse the expression Lord, and like all the families in Florida we are trying to figure out how to pay the bills. "

The other prayer was one by Max Lucado. I found it helpful and hope you do to.

"You Have Our Attention, Lord"
A prayer by Max Lucado - October 2008

Our friends lost their house
The co-worker lost her job
The couple next door lost their retirement
It seems that everyone is losing their footing

This scares us. This bailout with billions.
These rumblings of depression.
These headlines: ominous, thunderous -
“Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What's Next?”

What is next?

We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right.

You told us this would happen.
You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money.
Greed will break your heart, You warned.
Money will love you and leave you.
Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain.

You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.

We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have.
Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor.
Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are You taking it?

We’re listening. And we’re praying.
Could you make something good out of this mess?

Of course You can. You always have.
You led slaves out of slavery,
Built temples out of ruins,
Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine.
This disorder awaits your order. So do we.

Through Christ,
Amen

This Sunday at Prestoncrest, I'll be sharing my conviction that God cares and that he can be trusted to meet our needs. May we pray Jesus' prayer for "daily bread" with faith that he hears and answers.

Fringe Pastor. . .Fringe Story

2010-09-11T15:45:00.003-05:00

What does it take to dominate news coverage, both nationally and internationally, for an entire week? A significant achievement like a man walking on the moon? How about a scientific breakthrough like a vaccine for small pox? Nah. In 2010, all it takes is a publicity stunt.

For the last week, Terry Jones, a pastor from a "tiny florida church" called Dove World Outreach, has been all over the news. Why? He had a completely insane idea! "Hey Christians, let's gather up all our Korans, since we all have a bunch lying around, and put them on a bonfire!" Result, muslims the world over are outraged! Our troops abroad are threatened. Another terrorist strike on our soil is more likely. All this because of Jones' publicity stunt.

Thankfully, Jones has cancelled his plans. Koran burning is officially cancelled.

It would be easy to lay all the blame for the past week's craziness on Jones, but that would be missing the really telling part of the story. What bugs me is that our media dignified Jones' cookiness by giving it 24/7 play as a major news event. Look, this guy wasn't influencial, didn't have a bunch of followers, and wasn't viewed as any sort of Christian leader UNTIL the news media made him one.

So, essentially we ended up with a "story" that was manufactured by the media. One nut case off in la-la land can become the biggest thing on cable-news without doing anything newsworthy except making a threat to burn books.

Fringe pastor+crazy threat+24 hour news coverage=huge story. Voola! Lots of controversy, lots of viewers, lots of money for the news channels.

Not an innocent way to make a buck if you ask me. Terry Jones has just multiplied his following by 1000. Non-Christians have one more reason to think all of us Jesus-followers are nuts. Al Queda has a new poster boy for its recruiting videos.

Two thoughts. . .

News organizations have a responsibility to REPORT the news, not MAKE the news.

America needs to enter a 12 Step Program to combat its addiction to controversy and scandal. The media plays to the extremes, the fringe, because we Americans are drawn to those kinds of stories. Keep watching the news, but when a media outlet tries to lure you in to a fringe story like this, turn the channel.

Update on David (8.29.2010)

2010-08-29T07:01:00.002-05:00

Finally we have some news about David. At this time he will NOT need surgery. That's good news! We thank our faithful God for continuing to watch over our son.

Background. He's had some symptoms the last few months that could indicate that the spinal cord has retethered. To find out more, we visited with his urologist, did a battery of urological tests, did an MRI, and visited with David's neurosurgeon.

Here's how things came down. The neurosurgeon's hunch, based on the MRI and the symptoms, is that David's spinal cord is retethered. (For more info, see link: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tethered_cord/tethered_cord.htm). However, the urologist thinks that the current issues are "mechanical" and be dealt with without major surgery.

So, after speaking the neurosurgeon yesterday, we won't be having major surgery right now, but we'll meet with him again after observing David for the next six weeks.

NOTE: We honestly get tired/stressed by having to talk about David's stuff all the time, so please refer to the blog for updates on him INSTEAD OF asking us about him. Thanks for your concern and support!

More info on Israel 2011

2010-08-05T10:41:00.003-05:00

Here's the plan for the trip to Israel in 2011. We've added another night in Jerusalem! This is going to be a fantastic journey through the land where Abraham settled, the Jewish nation developed, and Jesus ministered. I can't wait!

June 15-16 Seasons Hotel in Netanya
June 16-19 Caesar Hotel in Tiberias
June 19-20 Daniel Hotel at the Dead Sea
June 20-24 Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem

The trip will cost $3795 and will include air from DFW (including baggage), accomodations, breakfast and dinner each day, and a full program of sightseeing with excellent English-speaking guides.

For more information, contact Barbara Cooper: bcooper@prestoncrest.org
972.628.4992

Taking another look, giving a second chance

2010-07-22T07:50:00.003-05:00

Shirley Miller Sherrod was fired just a couple of days ago by the US Department of Agriculture. Yesterday, she was being offered a promotion by the USDA!

After a video surfaced which showed her making overtly racist comments. Sherrod, an african-american, was promptly fired. The video surfaced on a conservative website and then on Fox News which showed Sherrod speaking to an NAACP group and making claims to have unjustly treated a white farmer when she was working with Georgia's agriculture department.

But wait there's more!

Upon further review, the speech she made to the NAACP group was actually AGAINST racsism. The exerpt which was spilled over the internet and cable-TV news stations was taken out of context. She was actually humbling herself and confessing her own history of prejudices and her journey to move out of those and seek racial reconciliation. Since her own father was murdered by a white farmer, she had to work against some intense hatred and resentment. So, there she was, in front of a crowded room opening her heart and doing what she always does these days, fighting against injustice and prejudice.

Sherrod's heart was revealed in the midst of her personal crisis yesterday: "Even with this, I'm not angry. I'm not angry. I'm out of a job today, but I'm not angry. I will survive. I have. I can't dwell on that. I just feel there's a need to go forward."

A couple of thoughts. First, how messed up is Washington?! The political environment is so charged at the highest levels of our government that common sense and charitable attitudes have been suspended in order to do "damage control." And so, an innocent woman was summarily fired. And all of this happened to her in front of millions on TV sets across our land.

Second, charitable attitudes are at the core of what it means to follow Jesus. It was the Lord who said in Matt 7:1-2 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

How many times have I judged a situation without getting to know what really happened?

How many times have I LABLED a person instead of LOVING a person?

Lord Jesus, let your wisdom and love prevail in our nation's capitol. Lord Jesus, let your wisdom and love prevail in my heart.

More info. on the story. . .

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/21/sherrod.profile/index.html?hpt=C1

Israel 2011 Update (7/2010)

2010-07-16T08:10:00.005-05:00

Brand new Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem, one of the places we'll be staying.

As many of you know, Ila and I are hosting a trip to the Holy Land in June of next year. It's open for anyone! Just thought I'd post a short update on plans for Israel 2011.

First, let me say that I'm more excited than ever after the return of Bob Chisholm (Prestoncrest's Spiritual Formation Minister) from his journey to the Holy Land. He came back with great pictures and even better stories of the amazing trip that he took to Israel. His enthusiasm after the trip just added fuel to the fire of my own excitement!

We already have 23 rooms booked at four beautiful hotels in Israel. Obviously, the main point of the trip isn't to hang out at hotels all-day, but it's nice to know that we'll have some nice places to unwind at the end of our busy tour days.

I also want to remind those interested in the trip that we will only have 40 spots available and we have already had 8 people confirm their presence on the tour by making their deposits. There is still plenty of time to make your decision to go, but don't wait too long!

Here are the dates and hotels where we'll be staying while in Israel. . .

June 15-16 Seasons Hotel in Netanya

June 16-19 Caesar Hotel in Tiberias, Galilee

June 19-20 Daniel Hotel at the Dead Sea

June 20-23 Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem

Want more info on the trip? Contact my secretary Barbara Cooper! bcooper@prestoncrest.org

(972) 233-2392

Parenting: Some resources

2010-06-09T09:30:00.007-05:00

Connecting with the the message I'll preach this Sunday at Prestoncrest, I want to recommend three books to couples who are looking for help with parenting their kids. All of these books are best for those who are starting with smaller kids. Honestly, it's pretty hard to change your parenting style once the kids are teens. But for those who have smaller kids (1-6 yrs old), these books will get you on the right track!

Believe me when I say, parents can make radical changes in the behavior of their kids over a relatively short period of time (a week or two) if they are ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED to a few bedrock child-rearing principles.

First, let me STRONGLY RECOMMEND "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp. This is the best book that I've ever read on parenting and helped shape the way that Ila and I have brought up Claudia and David. Great, great, stuff.

Second, "Heart of Anger" by Lou Priolo. Many parents deal with kids who can't control their tempers. This book helps not only corral bad behavior, but really gets to the core (heart) of what is making the child angry. Again, this is a great book.

Third, the classic book on Christian child-rearing is worth mentioning. "The New Dare to Discipline" by James Dobson is a good resource.

Finally, let me recommend a non-Christian source that may be helpful. Set your DVR to record "Supernanny." There are a lot of good principles for parents and kids in this show. It's entertaining and very instructional. Most of all, the program teaches that the solution rests in the hands of the parents. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you just have "bad kids." 99.9999% of a child's behavior is a direct response to the way that they are being parented.

Blessings to all who take seriously and prayerfully the most important role on the planet, that of raising godly children.

Gordon

Raising kids

2010-06-07T09:34:00.004-05:00

Well, this coming Sunday I'll be talking about raising kids as part of our Home Team series at Prestoncrest. It is a topic that I can't claim to be an "expert" on since I am constantly reminded of my inadequacies as a father. . .thankfully I married a woman who is a fantastic mom!

Some parenting observations about what I see going on around me . . .

1. Abdication of the parental role. I see sooooooo many moms and dads that have traded in their parent card for a buddy card. They want to be their son or dauther's friend. . .their buddy. Hey, there's nothing wrong with being friends with your children, it's just that they will have a lot of friends in life but they will only have ONE father and ONE mother. My number one responsibility with my kids is to be their DAD, not their pal. In the long run, they will respect me more if I do a good job at parenting.

2. Discipline and punishment are two different things. As a parent, I want to LOVINGLY and CONSISTENTLY provide discipline for my kids. Discipline is focused on shaping their character and helping them to make better decisions. Punishment is, by nature, vindictive and justice-oriented. With my children: Discipline, yes. Punishment, no. I'm convicted that any discipline that a parent administers out of anger is dangerous. Short and long term psychological and spiritual trauma can result for the children. I never, never, never, want to break my child's heart or spirit when I administer discipline. If the way I administer discipline causes them to close their heart to me, then I have diminished my ability to shape them into mature, godly, people. (Hebrews 12)

3. Spiritual upbringing is the parent's responsibility, not the local church's job. If they only spiritual instruction and worship experiences that your kids have is once or twice a week at church, they will be spiritually malnourished. Churches can and should HELP parents grow their children into mature God-loving people, but the primary responsibility for this growth lies on the shoulders of dads and moms. (Deut. 6)

At this point in our culture, it looks like a lot of parents have abdicated their God-ordained role of raising children and turned it over to the Wii, or the TV. But, I'm praying that we will see a correction of this trend and that more marriages will stay together and more dads and moms will step up to the plate and take their role as parents seriously. If a new wave of good parenting sweeps our nation, it will result in a huge harvest of benefits for society on down the road.

The Rubiks Cube

2010-06-01T08:52:00.001-05:00

ISRAEL TRIP 2011

2010-05-11T12:13:00.005-05:00

Ila and I, along with our kids, will serve as Tour Hosts for a ten day trip to Israel in June 2011 (June 14-June 24). We're sooooooooo excited!!! This is going to be the trip of a lifetime to places where many of the Bible's most significant events happened. We'll have a chance to walk where Jesus walked, pray on the Mount of Olives, etc. Everywhere we go, we will have experienced and knowledgable English-speaking guides. Fowler Tours will be handling the logistics for the trip. http://www.fowlertours.com/

Space is limited and I'm positive that we will sell out this trip well before the departure date. If you'd like to get your name on the list to receive information about the trip, please contact Barbara Cooper (my secretary) at bcooper@prestoncrest.org. A deposit of $400 per person is required to secure a place on the Tour.

We'll be visiting over 20 historical locations all over Israel during the Tour.

My Official Week 10 American Idol Power Rankings

2010-04-22T09:28:00.004-05:00

Because the world needs to hear the opinions of an out-of-touch geeky preacher guy from Dallas, Texas, here's what I think is going to happen. The higher the "power rating" the better their chance of winning. You may scoff at my rankings now now, but I'll get the last laugh when all of this plays out! Ha!

1. Lee DeWyze - Crystal is MORE talented and will have a HUGE career, but this reincarnation of Danny Gokey will be your winner this time around. He's got the whole package (looks, cool voice, humble, non-yellow teeth).

2. Crystal Bowersox - She definitely has a shot. The most talented in the group who has never had a terrible week. Lee started off pretty rough the first couple of weeks. Her emotional performance was great last week. Whatever happens, I'll be buying her CD.

3. Casey James - Judges complain that he does the same thing every week. Audience is so glad he does! The guy has a rock-country vibe that will sell a lot of records. Amazing guitarist, but too reliant on guitar (looks at it constantly instead of at the camera).

4. Siobhan Magnus - You either think she's the second coming of Whitney H. or you think her voice is annoying. I fall in the latter category. The "high notes" that the judges rave about make my lower left bicuspid hurt. Painful. Of course, she IS the most attractive contestant and that's worth something. . . with the mute on, she's my favorite. I would recommend that the US military consider blasting Siobhan songs 24 hrs straight at Guantanamo Bay as a form of psychological torture. Better than water-boarding. Loads of information could be garnered from the bad guys.

5. Aaron Kelly - This guy is the almost-idol. He's almost a good enough singer. He's almost good looking. He's almost old enough. The good news is that he generally picks the right songs, has great pitch, and has a lot of soul in his voice. Geeky. . . but not in the geeky/quirky way that made Andrew Garcia so likeable.

6. Michael Lynche - U R Toast next week. Great personality and poise. Biggest biceps in AI history. Can sing. Unfortunately, stylistically not current. Picks songs that mainstream America doesn't love, or takes songs mainstream America DOES love and turns them into a R&B style that doesn't connect.

Sex Ed: Resources for Christian Parents

2010-04-15T13:55:00.004-05:00

I've been getting a lot of questions from parents about what materials are available to either share with their kids about sex, or to prepare them as parents to have conversations with their kids.

First of all, I know that there are resources available for parents to talk to younger children (6-9) about sex, but I haven't read them so I don't feel like I can "vouch" for them.

Here's what I will recommend for parents to use with their 10+ children . . .

NOTE: ALL OF THESE BOOKS ARE WRITTEN BY EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS AND USE THE BIBLE AS THEIR STARTING POINT.

Jim Burns, Ph.D, The Purity Code: God's Plan for Sex and Your Body. Nice book that covers everything from physiological body changes that happen with pre-teen and teenage kids, to pornography, dress, healthy self-image, and how to control you mind and body when it comes to sexuality. THIS IS A BOOK WRITTEN FOR KIDS 10-14 YEARS OLD.

Chip Ingram and Tim Walker, Sex 180: There's More than "Just Wait." Good book for teenagers and parents. . .so good, in fact, that you will be hearing me use some of their ideas in my sermon series. ;) Chip and Tim include lots and lots of personal testimonies from teenagers.

Shannon Ethridge and Stephen Arterburn, Every Young Woman's Battle: Guarding Your Mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World. This book is a great one for teen-aged girls and their parents! The authors talk through dress, eating issues, "technical virginity," and a couple of dozen other topics. One of the best things about this book is the Workbook at the end. Good stuff for teens to think through, or good conversation starters for adolescent girls and their parents to go through.

Greg Speck, Sex: It's Worth Waiting For. This is a book for young men and women, teen-aged through early 20s. No topic is taboo as Greg works through porn, masturbation, homosexuality, etc.

Good luck, parents! Don't wait too long to start a years-long conversation with your kids about their sexuality. Sex is a beautiful gift from God. When it is taken out of the parameters laid out in God's Word, it's power and beauty become addictive and destructive. Start talking to your kids well before they get to Jr. High!

Ila and Claudia spent an evening in a hotel a couple of years back to really talk about sex. That evening opened up a healthy dialogue that continues to unfold.

My advice to parents on the upcoming "Sexual Revolution" series

2010-04-15T11:13:00.001-05:00

HERE'S THE MESSAGE I'M EMAILING OUT TO PRESTONCREST PARENTS TO GIVE ORIENTATION REGARDING THE "SEXUAL REVOLUTION" SERIES I'M STARTING THIS SUNDAY MORNING.

Dear parents,

This Sunday, I will begin a two week sermon series called “Sexual Revolution.” I will be teaching from the Bible about God’s plan for sex within marriage. No topic could be more relevant and vital to the sex-obsessed culture we live in.

I would strongly recommend that kids 12 and over be in the auditorium along with the adults. If you haven’t had a conversation about sexuality with your pre-teen, this would be an excellent opportunity! If you haven’t had a conversation about sexuality with your pre-teen, you really need to!

At the same time, I understand that those who have smaller children may not be ready to have conversations about sex with their little ones and I want to respect that.During our two A.M. services, we will have the normal “Children’s Church” available for small children (up to age 6). If you have kids 7 and up who you don’t want to be in the auditorium for these messages, they can go up to “The Place” (Room 200).

Having said this, my messages won’t deal with the “mechanics” of sex or be sexually explicit (beyond what Scripture itself says), so I don’t think the material would be objectionable for smaller children. If you choose to have smaller kids with you in the auditorium, you could say something like “Mr. Dabbs is talking about the romantic love between mommies and daddies. You know, like hugging and kissing. This is important for mommies and daddies.”

I would appreciate your prayers for me as I prepare for and deliver these messages. We so desperately need to teach and honor God’s Word with respect to the beautiful gift of sexuality that He has given us.

Gordon

Undercover Boss

2010-04-04T07:06:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, Barbara Cooper, recommended that I check out the new CBS show "Undercover Boss." I did, and Ila and I enjoyed it. The basic idea of the show is that a CEO of a major corporation goes undercover into the business and works at entry-level jobs to get a feel of how the business is doing at the ground floor. They can see the weaknesses and strengths of the company (employees, policies, etc.). At the end of the program, they go back to their corporate headquarters and host a "reveal" - the part of the show where they invite some of the employees they worked with to discover their true identity. At this point, people get promoted, fired, or demoted based on the boss's observations of their work.

I thought this would be a cool set up for my Easter message since Jesus was a sort of undercover boss. He was God wrapped up in human flesh living among us regular Joes and Joans. Since the world around him didn't recognize him (John 1.10), it seemed like a good match. Since I was planning to use the story of Jesus, undercover and unrecognized, talking to a couple of disciples on the road to the village of Emmaus, the undercover boss idea seemed great.

There are a few obvious parallels between what goes on with Jesus and the show Undercover Boss, but there are some BIG differences as well. Right? I mean, Jesus didn’t just leave paradise to check into Motel Earth for a couple of weeks. . .he lived an entire lifetime here... with us. He didn’t just glance at our situation, come in and brew a few pots of coffee, sweep the floor, and head back to the corner office! For years and years, he experienced all the ups and downs of human life. He knew every kind of physical pain, and every kind of emotional pain. He was tempted to sin, just like you and I. And his Undercover Boss experience didn’t wrap up with a limo ride back to headquarters, but with a military escort to the wooden cross where he was executed.

In fact, if you get right down to it, Jesus didn’t act much like a boss at all. He loved those who were around him, served the real needs of other people, and in the end, gave up his own life to save those who believed in him.

Then there's the huge surprise ending at the end of Jesus’ reality show. He didn’t stay dead!

The "reveal" in Luke 24 (THE MESSAGE)

30 And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. 31 At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.

32 Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"

Where do I find solid ground?

2010-03-23T16:51:00.003-05:00

I heard Brad McCoy (Colt's dad) speak at the Dallas Leadership Prayer Breakfast this morning. He tearfully spoke of Colt's interview on national television just after his Longhorns had lost the National Championship.

The Texas QB had shared that no matter what happened, he believed that God was in control. He was secure because his "feet were on the rock." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVsSvx3UQOY

Brad's pride in his boy came through as he shared how Colt's faith in God had touched millions in a way that, perhaps, it wouldn't have had the Longhorns been victorious. Finally, in front of two thousand Dallas business and religious leaders, Brad began to sing. . .

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand."

It was a powerful morning of encouragement. I may be a Sooner fan, but I'm also a big fan of Colt McCoy. His story is a powerful reminder that our true, unshakeable security comes from God, not from our own success.

When I worship God, I feel an abiding sense of security. No matter what is happening around me or in the life of my family, God is still on the throne. He is still good. He is still loving. No matter what the circumstances of life try to convince me of. . .I know that He is still sovereign and that he is working through the details of my life to bring glory to his name.

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18.1-6

New PM Series will Launch this Sunday

2010-03-11T14:31:00.002-06:00

So, here comes my new Sunday evening sermon series and it's been a loooong time since I've started one. The David series went for 24 weeks.

The new series: “Listen – How to hear God’s voice through the Scriptures.”

This is essentially an easy guide to biblical interpretation (hermeneutics). My plan is to do an introduction to the need for a good hermeneutic the first week and then teach some really practical stuff that will help folks read the Bible and get a good grip on how to do healthy interpretation of Biblical texts.

Anyway, the book that I'm recommending for folks at Prestoncrest to buy and read during the series is called "How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth" and it's by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stewart. On amazon.com, I found new copies from $11.55, and used copies for under $5. You don't HAVE to have a copy of the book to gain from the Sunday night series, but it would be a blessing if you would read it as we go.

The Man who Revolutionalized our Worship

2010-03-01T11:27:00.006-06:00

Months ago, I had the opportunity of purchasing an original Isaac Watts 1720 hymnal. I have fallen in love with it. It has become a very special part of my weekly devotional times. I can't bring my self to just shelve the book and "preserve" it. It's too wonderful. I may feel the need to give it away at some point, but right now, I'm just soaking in his wonderful praise lyrics.

Watts lived from 1674 to 1748. He was the Dennis Journigan/Chris Tomlin/Matt Redman of his age. Actually, he was more than that. He was a worship revolutionary. He was a pioneer in writing songs and melodies that were not merely quotations from the Bible (which church music almost exclusively was before Watts), but were poetic renditions of Scriptural truths. Many of his songs are still part of our worship services today (Joy to the World, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross). The man wrote over hundreds and hundreds of songs of worship!

Here's the song I meditated on this morning; may you be blessed by it. . .

Title: Hosanna to the Royal Son

Hosanna to the Son,

of David and of God,

Who brought the News of Pardon down,

And bought it with his Blood.

To Christ the annointed King,

Be endless Blessings giv'n;

Let the whole earth his Glory sing,

Who made our Peace with Heaven.

Love it

2010-02-22T10:54:00.004-06:00

David picked out this picture (not sure why) to go along with a timeline he's making of his life thusfar. When I saw it, the first thing that came to mind was "What you talkin' about, Willis?!"

Legalism in worship

2010-02-08T17:17:00.002-06:00

Someone who views worship legalistically is like the tourist who goes to the Grand Canyon and spends their vacation in the souvenir shop, admiring the protective railing around the canyon, all the while missing out on the center of the whole experience, the Grand Canyon.

Legalism is flawed at its core because it focuses on MY part, MY performance, MY ability to pull the right levers in worship. The legalist can spend two hours in a "worship" service and never meet God. The legalist manages to take a trip to the Grand Canyon and never check out the view, namely the beauty of Almighty God.

Sacred Space

2010-01-27T11:43:00.003-06:00

This Sunday, I'll begin a series that will run for 5-6 weeks on worship. My hope is that I won't only be teaching about worship but helping tear down walls of "self" so that more authentic/biblical/experiential worship can flourish. In a large congregation with the mix of folks that we have at Prestoncrest, the sacred task that I have is to STRETCH the congregation, but not break it. Yes, I know that all of us need to be broken before God, but you can't lead and shepherd a body of believers if you don't know where they are at and are lovingly willing to speak to them at that place. I am not ONLY the preacher, but also a co-worshipper with the brothers and sisters at PC, so I plan to be stretched as well.

Any time you genuinely invite God in, you must be prepared for him to surprise and stretch you.

OK, here's what's going to be different for the next few weeks. . .

1) Ambiance. In the auditorium, we are tinkering with the lighting and the background slides for the music to create a much darker, less distracting space. We'll have some candles up front as well. I'm praying that people will sense that we are in a sacred place on Sunday mornings as we gather together to adore God, learn from the ancient Scriptures, and intercede for one-another.

When anything changes at a church, especially when it involves tinkering with the worship time, folks can get upset, so I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will calm anxieties and that I will be wise in handling those who are distracted rather than helped by the changes to the worship atmosphere.

2) My message. While I plan to still have a primary teaching/preaching time, it will be shorter. I will use, to different extents, some shorter reflection and teaching elements throughout the worship experiences. For a guy like me who prefers to use a pretty extensive manuscript, this should be interesting (o.k., I'm a bit nervous about it). I'll be using less notes. Instead of reducing my prep time, I'm pretty sure it's going to up it quite a bit each week. Fewer notes means more work as I will need to memorize more.

3) Prayer time. There won't be changes every week during the series, but we will have several extended times where members group together for prayer after my messages. I'll call on some mature couples to position themselves around the auditorium where those who need prayer for different things can easily get to them. Not gonna do this the first week.

A great temptation for preachers and worship leaders is to make the main Sunday assembly about themselves. The hunger for accolades and applause is dangerous for me and others. Whatever happens, my prayer is that Christ will be glorified and worshipped. John 3.30-31 "He must become greater; I must become less. "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all."

Haiti

2010-01-17T15:12:00.003-06:00

Horrific human catastrophe in Haiti. My heart has been broken several times during the past week as I've seen images of lives that have been torn apart by the earthquake in Haiti. There are no easy answers. All I know is that the people of God must respond in compassion at a moment like this.

FYI, last week, Prestoncrest helped out a couple of Christian agencies that have "boots on the ground" in Haiti. We got 10K to each of these agencies as quickly as we could. Additionally, we helped Rapha Int'l (another group that is helping in Haiti). Certainly I don't feel like we've done enough. Honestly, I don't know that there is an "enough" in the face of this kind of disaster. However, I'm glad that we responded promptly and generously to the crisis. I can only hope that God's people in other cities, states and nations have also responded to the disaster.

http://www.hopeforhaitischildren.org/

http://disasterrelief.mohhaiti.org/

http://www.raphainternational.org/

Our church family will have a special day of prayer and fasting on Saturday, January 30 for the people of Haiti. On the 31st, we will have a collection to help Haiti as part of our World Care offering.

Keep praying for those who are working to help in Haiti and for the men, women and children who are suffering who have lost homes and loved ones in the crisis and are in a battle for survival right now.

American Idol Prediction: "Ben will win!"

2010-01-07T10:24:00.002-06:00

As things ramp up for another season of American Idol, I'm boldly predicting that the reigning idol will continue on for another year.

Money's a good thing. Love of money has turned it into THE American Idol.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY. Colossians 3.5

"Lord, help me tear down any idol in my life that competes with you for my love and devotion."

What about me?

2010-01-06T13:40:00.002-06:00

Jesus met a young man (Mark 10) who the Bible describes as being "rich." I have no good reason to doubt that he was a wealthy guy, but it makes you think. . .

No matter how much money he had, he could not --

ride in a car,
have any surgery,
turn on a light,
buy penicillin,
hear a pipe organ,
watch TV,
wash dishes in running water,
type a letter,
mow a lawn,
fly in an airplane,
sleep on an innerspring mattress,
or, talk on a phone.

If he was rich, then what am I?

Leadership Magazine, Fall 1983

Danger - Worship Zone

2010-01-04T13:53:00.002-06:00

I'm praying, thinking and reading to get ready for the next a.m. series at Prestoncrest (February 2010) where I'll present a series of lessons/encounters from Scripture on Worship. I'm giddy with excitement! . . . if I can even use the word "giddy" when it comes to worship.

WORSHIP is what we are, at our core, all about. We were made to worship. More than anything, our God desires our hearts. We offer our hearts to him as we lose ourselves (sideline our dreams, desires and preferences) and move into God's space.

I'll be preaching and John Scott and I will be planning how to make the worship assemblies different/fresh/powerful. Get ready!

One observation is that I don't think that Biblical worship (i.e. "real worship") is safe. I think that it really is a danger zone where the mortal and the immortal touch (picture the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel).

Burning bushes. . .sounds of rushing waters. . .angelic beings laying face down. . .transfiguration glory. . . the veiled face of Moses. . .

Fundamentally, worship is not, can not, and should not ever be about me.

RECOMMENDED READING. . .

Here are some books that I'm working through. If you're interested and want to join me in preparing for our fresh study of Worship, pick 'em up on Amazon and read along.

Matt Redman, Unquenchable Worshipper. Great devotional style book, quite short, from one of the most gifted worship leaders in the west.

James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful God - Falling in love with the God Jesus knows.

Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters - Leading others to encounter the greatness of God.

Tiger going to Rehab?

2009-12-18T12:13:00.002-06:00

So, Tiger Woods is a sinner. So am I. But he tried to cover everything up. I've done that too. No, I haven't cheated on my wife. . .but as Jesus said in Matthew 5.28, if anyone has looked at a woman lustfully, they have already committed adultery in their heart. Guilty.

Now they're talking about Tiger needing to go to Rehab to work on his issues. May I recommend a clinic? Christ's Church. It is the only place for sinners to rehab. Grace, forgiveness, truth telling, and the transformational power of the Holy Spirit to change lives.

Who are those people?

2009-12-15T16:32:00.001-06:00

Perhaps the best looking Santa and Mrs. Claus I've ever seen. . .at least Mrs. Claus!

The best advertising: The human billboard

2009-12-07T10:19:00.003-06:00

Looking forward to meeting with Stuart Hayashi today. Stu is a high-powered marketing guy who works for The Richards Group. He is a great friend of Prestoncrest and knows about everything there is to know about advertising. I'm really looking forward to hearing from him about what's going on in the ad world and what he thinks about how we can get the word out about this amazing congregation in north Dallas.

At the same time, I must confess, I am somewhat of a skeptic about "marketing" and churches. It's not that I'm opposed to using billboards, TV spots, radio commercials, etc., to promote events at Prestoncrest and try to connect the work of God at PC with the community, it's just that the real power of the message of Christ and of this congregation is one-on-one conversations with friends, neighbors and co-workers. Slick and expensive ad campaigns when promoting churches can smell a bit fishy.

What I pray is that God will use our members to make thousands of little "Jesus connections" with people and that those will leaven our community and, to steal an internet term, cause our message to "go viral."

I'm all in favor of anything that spreads the message of Jesus, but I'm convicted that it is most powerful when it's on the human billboard of a changed life, not on a slick $10,000 billboard on I-635. Stu gets this because, not only is he an ad-wiz, he's also a believer. So, I can't wait to get his perspective on creatively getting the message out without losing our identity.

Human billboards. . .church growth. . .this is the story of the New Testament church.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2.44-47

Unusual honesty

2009-11-30T17:27:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite faith encounters of the New Testament is between a father with a demon-ravaged son and Jesus (Mark 9.14-29).

The son has a wrecked life. The demon has left him unable to speak and given to periodic violent seizures. This is a boy who has lost his childhood. This is father who lives in misery because of his son's tormented life.

There is no one in the world that I respect more than a parent who lovingly serves a special needs child. No one. Mark 9 isn't just a story about demon possession, it's the story of an amazing daddy who constantly protects and serves his special boy.

A lot goes on in the encounter (I'll talk about it all on Sunday), but the part of this faith encounter that resonates so deeply with my own flaws is the father's honestly about his brokenness and unbelief. . .

After Jesus tells the father that anything is possible for those who believe, the man humbly and courageously offers this reply: "I do believe; help me with my unbelief." He openly shares his inner battle between belief and doubt. Most Christian folks are liars when it comes to faith. . . or at least, they only some of the truth about what they feel. It's common to hear Christians proclaim their faith, especially when surrounded by other believers. It's rare to hear the sort of honesty that comes from this father's lips. ". . .help me with my unbelief." An honest confession spoken in front of a crowd, spoken in front of the Christ.

To the amazement of the gathering crowd, Jesus completely heals the boy.

Lord Jesus, today I borrow this father's prayer to you. I really do believe. . .help me with my unbelief. The honest truth is, I live with a divided heart. Make my fragmented heart unite around faith in You. May my belief overwhelm my unbelief. May I experience first-hand the truth of your words, "Everything is possible for the one who believes." Amen.

God's business partner

2009-11-23T12:48:00.002-06:00

For we are God's fellow workers. . . 1 Cor. 3.9

Yesterday, I shared with Prestoncrest the Biblical fact that the sovereign God of the universe chooses to work in partnership with us. Incredible. I can't imagine anything more humbling. . .and more THRILLING than this single truth. God chooses to work through us inspite of, perhaps BECAUSE OF, our limitations.

The biblical accounts of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes are a great visual demonstration of God taking the little that we have and multiplying it. So long as you and I are willing to open our hands and let the Lord use the little that we have, he can work through us with his mighty power.

I know that this is true because I see it throughout the ministry of Jesus. Why else would he work through imperfect people like Peter, Paul, Martha, etc.? I just pray for the faith to live in rhythm with this truth. I pray that I can believe the truth revealed to me in Scripture.

Let some love 'leak out' this holiday season

2009-11-11T08:54:00.005-06:00

A woman at Prestoncrest asked me to pray with her a while back. Her request was that she could save up enough money to buy a "food basket" for a needy family as part of the church's holiday outreach to people in need. She doesn't make a lot of money, so I was impressed that she would have this beautiful desire on her heart.

Well, she came to me grinning last week. She had done it! She got enough money saved and was able to go to the store and put together a food basket as part of our drive to help hungry families. Amen!

If you feel like you have been blessed this year, let some of that blessing "leak out" and do something for someone in need this holiday season. If you are a member at Prestoncrest, one thing you can do is to give to the Food Basket Drive. Every bit of the food will go to a needy family from our community.

http://www.prestoncrest.org/documents/ThanksFoodDrive.pdf

If you live in Dallas, but aren't part of our church family, consider helping Central Dallas Ministries. This is a large ministry based in downtown Dallas that helps the homeless, the destitute, and families trying to make ends meet with food, housing and counseling.

http://www.centraldallasministries.org/donate/index.htm

Jesus said:

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25.35-40

My best and worst country music song titles

2009-11-05T09:01:00.004-06:00

10. Her Teeth Were Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure

9. If The Phone Don't Ring, Baby, You'll Know It's Me

8. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly

7. Mama Get The Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)

6. Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye

5. I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dawg Fight, Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win

4. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly

3. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, And I Sure Do Miss Him

2. She Got the Gold Mine And I Got The Shaft; She Got The Ring And I Got The Finger

1. If You Don't Leave Me Alone, I'll Go And Find Someone Else Who Will

Working with Shabbat. . .not on it

2009-11-03T16:13:00.006-06:00

OK, I enjoyed the Thinktank last week and really loved getting to talk with Rabbi Hirshfield. He and I are chatting about, believe it or not, him doing something with me at Prestoncrest on a Sunday morning. Some Bible narrative where his perspective would be insightful/inspiring. I think it would be really cool and that the congregation would respond well to him.

Problem. As an orthodox Jew, he can't travel on a Saturday. Since he has a family, he doesn't want to come on Friday and spend more time away from his wife and kids. Since the Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) ends at sundown on Saturday, he could catch the AA flight out of NYC that departs Laguardia at 7.50pm, but he can only do that before the next time change in March, because then, sundown encroaches on the departure time. Since I wanted to bring him in at the end of April, I'm up a creek.

Anyway. . .still working on the possibilities.

Check out a PBS interview with Rabbi Hirshfield on his visit to Ground Zero. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/faith/interviews/hirschfield.html

Interfaith Dialogue on Bipartisanship

2009-10-27T12:48:00.005-05:00

I just got back from an invigorating discussion with a very diverse group of religious and political thinkers. We had political scientists, a politician, and representatives from diverse Abrahamic religious traditions (Muslim, Christian, Jewish). Let me just share what we did and the outcome of our conversations.

First, we met in Norman (the event was sponsored by OU). The event was called the "Heartland Institute on the role of Faith in Bipartisan Politics." At 5pm on Monday evening, we gave our opening statements about our individual positions on bipartisanship in politics and the role of religion. Folks shared their dissatisfaction with the way policy is being "discussed" in the national scene and the role they think their faith perspective should interact with the political mess. I was sitting between two Muslims and sitting directly across the table from two Jews (one practicing, the other a non-practicing Jew). During this opening session, folks were a little nervous and not sure quite what to expect from our evening together.

We then shared a meal together. Given the dietary restrictions of some Thinktank members, some of us had salmon, and some had a vegetarian meal. Good conversation around the table. Sheryl Siddiqui (an islamic activist from Boston) and I, along with Tom Boyd from the religious studies dept. at OU, had a conversation about helping people who are in grief. I also learned about the best place to get coffee in Istanbul from Saet, the muslim to my right who now lives in Houston.

After dinner, Barbara Boyd (prof. of religious studies at OU) and orthodox Rabbi Bradley Hirschfield from NYC stirred the pot and started asking questions to get some dialogue going and encourage us to move beyond our idealistic opening statement into the real world of politics and faith. A Jewish woman shared the struggle of her community being persecuted by an ultra-fanatic Baptist Church (e.g., rallies featuring, "Go to hell, evildoers!"). Rabbi Brad asked her, "OK, I get that you are pretty miffed about the way you guys were treated, but what did you do about it? Did you try to do anything positive to get to know those folks?" He talked about trying to identify and understand those who are radically different, even though you fundamentally and stridently disagree with them.

One of the major problems that we discussed with the help of our poli sci professors and the mayor of Norman was one of language. Language has gotten loose. It's hard to tell in a political discussion if honesty is happening, or just word games designed to bolster one's "side" and gently put down the other's point of view. Games of "gotcha" in politics have created an adversarial relationship where people of different parties or interests have difficulty working together in an honest way. It was noted that Orrin Hatch (conservative senator from Utah) and Ted Kennedy (now deceased) were close friends. One time after Kennedy gave an impassioned and leftward leaning speech, he went over and privately and honestly asked Hatch, "How did I do?"

An interesting idea came from Saet when he spoke about "ethical partisanship." Instead of looking for a concession-driven bipartisonship where two parties compromise and give in until they come to a solution, the group saw much value in partisanship, at least when it comes to faith. That is, we have strong views based on our religious heritages and we have an obligation to share and defend those views in the public sphere. Causes like Women's Suffrage, Abolition of Slavery, and Civil Rights were all, at least in the beginning, highly partisan issues which divided the nation. Yet, religious figures refused to give in on those issues and kept bringing them to the forefront of the political scene until a moral evil or injustice was solved.

Partisanship can be a good thing, as long as it is an "ethical" partisanship. In other words, there need to be rules that govern how one engages those who are of a different political view. Unfortunately, this is where things are really breaking down right now in politcal discourse. The other guy is the enemy, my view is the only correct view, everything's a battle of good v. evil and I must do anything in order to advance my cause, even if that means using half-truths, name calling, and gotcha politics.

Anyway, we didn't get into any specific issues but hope to dive into one or two in our next meeting. Things like health care refor, abortion, gay rights, etc., are real topics where our group will have strong and very different positions. That's when things will REALLY get interesting.

In the next few weeks, we will produce a "position paper" laying our conclusions from our initial meeting.

Since the event was filmed, I will soon have a copy and may use some of it for instructional purposes at Prestoncrest.

From left: Sheryl Siddiqui (Islamic Society), Rabbi Brad Hirshfield (according to Newsweek, Brad is one of America's "50 Most Influential Rabbis), at the end of the table in the green jacket is Cyndy Rosenthal (mayor of Norman).

What I plan to preach next year

2009-10-19T15:31:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the message series that I plan to preach through in 2010.

Money Matters
Passion: Lost in worship.
Compassion: Sharing God’s love through service.
Amped up! Get plugged in to God’s purpose for your life.
Where is God when it hurts?
Home Team: Building strong families.
Sacred Moments: Baptism and Communion
God’s Community: Ephesians
Stressbusters: From burnout to balance
You. A blueprint for significance.
A Glimpse of Glory: What does the Bible say about Heaven?

This is my plan. . .but I can say from past experience that I may not do all of it. Sometimes the Holy Spirit shows me another direction he wants me to go and I try to be open to that.

A couple of these will be "outreach campaigns" where we will use some TV/radio/mailouts to try to connect with our community.

Any thoughts????

Judging others

2009-10-15T09:16:00.003-05:00

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." John 7.24

Shepherds

2009-10-13T15:50:00.003-05:00

The last few days, and really the last few months, I've been thinking about what makes a good Shepherd (elder). What does it take for a man to fit well into the role of Church leadership that is referred to either as Shepherd/Pastor/Elder/Overseer/Bishop. A lot of material has been written on the subject including. Jesus, Paul and Peter had plenty to say about it.

While there are plenty of qualities that form a good Shepherd, the kind of man that makes a good leader for the local church is one who DEEPLY LOVES the church. Translated: A man who deeply loves the imperfect men and women, teens, and children who compose the local church.

The shepherds and their wives at Prestoncrest have just that kind of love. I see this love in the way they pray for the flock. . . .individually. . .by name. Every Monday evening, they devote time to pray for specific members of the Prestoncrest congregation. I feel this love when I see them weep over the sheep who are hurting. I am drawn to this love when I see their deep and genuine concern for the flock under their care. I am inspired by this love when I hear them pray for the wonderful future that God has planned for the Prestoncrest congregation.

This Sunday I'll be launching into a short series on The Flock and her Shepherds. May God give me the words to say as we prepare ourselves to call out new Shepherds to serve alongside the wonderful men we have at Prestoncrest.

Pray for my messages over the next couple of weeks. . .more importantly, PRAY for our church family as we walk together through the Spirit-led process of calling out Shepherds from among the flock.

When it comes to government, less is more

2009-10-06T10:18:00.002-05:00

"What more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow-citizens --a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government." Thomas Jefferson, March 4, 1801, inaugural address

Right on!

Antagonism toward religion

2009-09-25T08:11:00.003-05:00

Christians believe that Jesus is the great hope of humankind. We share the Good News about Jesus with the world because of this conviction.

A new kind of "missionary" has arisen, the athiest who hopes to see religion go by the wayside. With strong conviction and good intentions, the militant athiest hopes to see religion die off as they believe that it is doing horrific damage to civilization. People like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are at the forefront of this movement. Given their belief that faith is destructive to human progress, they have built careers out of bashing religion and faith.

A couple of years back, Steven Weinberg, Nobel Laureate and world renown scientist, shared openly his goal of putting religion in the grave. Ending religion would be the greatest contribution that science could make to the future of the world.

This kind of thinking permeates deep into the scientific community. My prayer is that God will rise up talented physicists, biologists, etc., who are people of faith. May they make contributions to their fields of study and to the conversation between religion and science.

Weinberg speaks at the "Beyond Belief" conference.

Salvation from an unexpected place

2009-09-12T20:57:00.005-05:00

In the 1870s, the vineyards of Europe were threatened by a deadly fungus (phylloxera louse) that threatened the future of wine making. Connoisseurs of fine wine the world over were terrified over the potential destruction of the French vineyards. Could anything be more important to the French culture and contribution to the world than her fine wines? Would anyone be able to come up with a solution to the crisis?

Swiss born Herman Jaeger was a student of the vine (viticulture) and a scientist. He had moved to the United States where he began studying different hybrids of vines to develop more disease resistent methods of producing wine. On Jaeger's farm, he was able to produce strands of grapes that were, indeed, resistent to the deadly disease. He shipped cuttings from his vineyards to replace those destroyed by the plague and the new plantings proved to be completely resistent to the disease. His cuttings represented the rebirth of the wine industry. So grateful were the people of France to his contribution that he was awarded the highest honor that can be bestowed on a citizen by the French government, the French Legion of Honor.

So, where was it that Herman Jaeger developed the cure to France's wine cancer? Where was this farm that produced the hearty new vines? Believe it or not, France owes the salvation of its wine industry to a small town in the heart of the Ozarks. It was Neosho, Missouri that served as the wine-making world's Bethlehem from whence salvation was to come.

So, it's not just my kids

2009-09-09T16:13:00.002-05:00

Just reading rabbi Brad Hirschfield's book and had to crack up at this. . .

"I am amazed at my children's ability ot behave perfectly with ohter people, but to make me nuts when it's just our family."

Then, he says that Becky, a school administrator friend of his says that this is normal. "Kids should feel safe to blow off steam at home, with those upon whom they can rely most."

I've often marveled at how well David and Claudia do at restaurants, or how well behaved that other people who have hosted them have said that they are. At home, it's a different story.

The kids who behave at home but don't at school, maybe that's the red flag!

Test

2009-09-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

Gee, I wonder which one of these guys is the cooky dictator. . .

The power of those stories

2009-08-27T12:34:00.002-05:00

Working this week on the story of David and Goliath. I'll be preaching from it for the second straight week this coming Sunday evneing. THE story of David and Goliath. It is one of those great narratives that we've heard over and over and over again since our flannelgraph days until now.

When I was a young preacher/missionary, this was the kind of story I tried to avoid. I took a weird pleasure (pride) in choosing obscure stories or texts from the Bible and preaching on them. Now, I migrate toward the familiar texts. . .

Today as I worked through the text, I was reminded of just how amazing and powerful this battle between boy and human tank is. There is a reason why it's told over and over again. It's kind of like the story of Jesus on the Cross and of his triumphant resurrection, there's a reason we celebrate that story every Sunday at Prestoncrest through the Lord's Supper. It is central to who we are. It speaks to us. . .even the 1000th time.

Sure, I'll wade in the waters of Marah occasionally and I'll, ever once in a while, consider the Priests of Nob, but some of the Bible's stories are classics for a reason.

The familiar, if brought through careful preparation, strong preaching, and the annointing of the Spirit, can both confront and comfort.

Give me some Philistines and some Israelites at the valley of Elah, throw in a young shepherd named David and a human tank, Goliath! I never get tired of the great stories from God's Word.

Future of Christianity

2009-08-24T10:55:00.002-05:00

One of the books I'm reading at the moment is "What's so Great about Christianity" by Dinesh D'Souza. His first chapter is entitled "The Twilight of Atheism: The Global Triumph of Christianity." Certainly an attention getter at a time when we are bombarded with thinkers telling us about how faith is in decline.

D'Souza calls Christianity ". . .the biggest comeback story of the twenty-first century." Secularism and modernity were supposed to quash the Christian faith, yet, around the world Christianity is growing rapidly (Europe, Canada and Australia are exceptions).

"We often read that Islam is the fastest-growing religion. Not true. Christianity is the fastest-growing religon in the world today. Islam is second. While Islam grows mainly through reproduction--which is to say by Muslims having large families--Christianity spreads through rapid conversion as well as natural increase. Islam has become the fastest-growing religion in Europe. . ."

". . .the Christian religion has been expanding its influence in Central and South America, in Africa, and in Asia. For the first time in history, Christianity has become a universal religion."

"David Aikman observes in his book Jesus in Beijing, China will in a few decades become the largest Christian country in the world."

I sometimes wondered when I was working as a Church-planter in Brazil how long it would take before Brazil was sending missionaries to the USA. . .

In my opinion, if vocal atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens carry the day, it will only be among a small group because atheism offers no tangible way to satisfy the genuine human need for significance and meaning.

Educational priorities

2009-08-22T09:13:00.002-05:00

Thinking about the Thinktank

2009-08-17T09:36:00.002-05:00

I received a unique invitation a few months ago to be a part of a religious "thinktank." The group that I will be a part of is composed of Muslim/Christian/Jewish men and women who are both clerics, academics and activists. One thinktank member is a former high-profile politician. We will be talking about how different religious traditions can work together in a pluralistic democracy. We will be meeting for our conversations at the University of Oklahoma on October 26. Last year the event was hosted by the McCormick Seminary in Chicago. Next year it will be at the Union Theological Seminary in New York.

Here's our topic: The Role and Impact of Religion on Bipartisanship

I'm not exactly sure what a thinktank does or what our goals are, but it will be interesting interacting with such a diverse group. More details to follow. . .

Words to a dying believer

2009-08-10T18:13:00.004-05:00

When I got into the office this morning after a week of vacation, I had a package on my desk waiting to be opened. I was so happy to find that it had a book that I purchased on ebay a few weeks back. The book was written by John Willison and is entitled "Comforting Texts for Dying Believers" and my copy was published in 1741 (268 years ago!). The decayed binding and brittle yellowed pages only add to the preciousness of the book for me.

Shortly after opening the package, I called to check on Sheryl Colburn. Sheryl has been a regular Prestoncrest visitor who has many friends in the congregation. She is in her thirties, married to Mark (a supportive husband). Sheryl is also dying of cancer. A few days ago, her doctor informed her and Mark that there was no point in continuing her chemo-therapy. She was released from the hospital to go into hospice care at her home. The doctor gave her two weeks to live.

Anyway, I called hoping to talk to Sheryl, but ended up driving up to be with her since Mark expressed concerns that she might not make it through the morning. Thankfully she made it and is still going. While her body is incredibly weak, her soul is strong. Her spirit and smile were inspirations to me and her husband Mark's support is an example of what it means to love your wife. Her faith in Christ stirs my heart.

As I got back to the office and picked up the book published in 1741, my interest was peaked by the last section entitled "dying words." This part, published posthumously, contains the author's final writings before his death. I was moved. Here are a few of his closing remarks before going to meet the Lord face-to-face.

"O let me believe and feel the sweetness of that word of Christ, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.'

. . .O that when the time of my last combat comes with my last enemy death, I may be helped above all to take the shield of faith, whereby I may be relieved from the sting of death, and may quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Now the prince of darkness will study to raise tempests of temptations to shipwreck the poor weather-beaten vessel of my soul, when it would enter into the harbor of rest above: may Christ come to be pilot; take thou the help, and all shall be safe.

O for more faith; may my faith ripen to a full assurance, that I may go off the stage rejoicing, and that an abundant entrance may be ministered to me into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

O for more faith; that I may die like Simeon when he had Christ in his arms, saying, Now let thy servant depart in peace; mine eyes have seen thy salvation.

Lord, one smile of thy countenance would banish away all my doubts and fears, and make me sing in pain.

Is my Redeemer gone to prepare a place for me? Why should I be slothful to follow his steps, when he is saying, Come up hither; come up, dwell here; come up, reign here, come up, sing here?

I pray that the Lord will extend Sheryl's life, I ask that she may have more days to be with Mark, her friends and her family. Above all I ask that the Lord will give her faith and total assurance of the wonderful things he has planned for her in Paradise.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Cor. 2.9

Faith

2009-07-28T16:56:00.003-05:00

"When faith simplifies things that need to remain complex, instead of giving us strength to live with complexity. . .then there is a problem with that faith." Rabbi Brad Hirschfield

I just started reading his book You Don't Have to be Wrong for me to be Right. I'm looking forward to hearing another perspective and thinking about how people with radically different world views can and should live together.

What society is looking for when it comes to relationships

2009-07-27T15:21:00.003-05:00

It's Monday and I'm praying and planning for my next big Sunday morning series. I'm calling it Face to Face and it will be all about building strong relationships with those around us based on timeless Biblical principles.

One of my usual early planning strategies is to get on Barnes and Noble and see what books (secular and Christian) are selling related to my topic. So, I just checked out their "bestsellers" in the area of relationships and basically got convicted that this upcoming series is something people NEED. Real Biblical teaching on building authentic, Christ-honoring relationships is pretty hard to find out there.

Check out these book titles from the best sellers on relationships . . .

#2 My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands, by Chelsea Handler

#3 The Cosmo Kama Sutra: 77 Mind-Blowing Sex Techniques

#6 The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, by Neil Strauss

#12 Tickle His Pickle, by Sadie Allison (sorry, I can't bring myself to put the whole title on my blog!!!)

#15 The Art of Seduction, by Robert Greene

#19 The Vixen Manual: How to Find, Seduce and Keep the Man you Want, by Karrine Steffans

#25 How to Set His Thighs on Fire, by Kate White

Carol Dixon, woman of faith and courage

2009-07-20T12:57:00.003-05:00

What would Carol Dixon say to Jesus if he was sitting right in front of her? To find out, you'll need to be at Prestoncrest this Sunday morning!

Carol Dixon was born and raised in communist Yugoslavia (Croatia). One of her early memories was the painful loss of her mother, killed by the Nazis during WWII. Carol's childhood years are a chronicle of tragedy, pain and humiliation. She told me a couple of weeks ago that, as a girl, she would "practice" smiling and laughing into the mirror just to see what it would look like if she ever had cause to do either.

As a teenager, she finally saw her big chance to excape from misery. She married a young American G.I. in Europe and moved to California (Edwards AFB) with him. Their marriage didn't last long and soon she headed off to the unknown city of Dallas, Texas, where she would spent her adult life working long hours as a seamstress. After getting off work at midnight one evening, she walked to a south Dallas bus stop where she was brutally assaulted and raped by four men. With her head busted open, she would spend the next six months in the hospital. After being released, she spent years unable to work due to seizures brought on by the attack.

Growing up in communism, she had very little knowledge of the Bible or of organized religion. However, being stuck in mud at the bottom of an emotional pit opens you up to try just about anything! One morning, she got on her knees and formed a crude prayer to Jesus as best she could. From that time on, she would never again suffer from seizures and was able to go back to work.

Then, around a decade ago, members of the Prestoncrest singles ministry were told of an older woman living in south Dallas who needed help so that she could eat and so that she could fix her broken furnace. Several young ladies from the upwardly mobile north Dallas congregation reached out to Carol. Over time, she began attending Prestoncrest. There, she met Jesus, she experienced his love through this church family and eventually she was baptized into Christ.

Every Sunday, she catches three busses as she makes her way to worship with her brothers and sisters in Christ. Now, she smiles and laughes enough to make up for the deficit of her early years. She is one of the biggest huggers/kissers at Prestoncrest and loves to share God's love with anyone in her thick accent.

Thus Sunday morning during my message, I'll share a video interview that I conducted with Carol a couple of weeks ago. Trust me, YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!!!

This will be part of my closing sermon in the "Amazing Grace" series.

Shining moment of Fame: "Best Hair"

2009-07-18T20:05:00.002-05:00

Yep. While my friends were awarded honores like "Most Likely to Succeed," "Most Talented," etc., the Neosho High School class of 1987 lavished the honor of "Best Hair" on myself and Roberta Hill. I'll treasure the award forever.

Kings

2009-07-13T11:14:00.002-05:00

I've been enjoying the NBC program "Kings" lately. It's a modern day version of the story of David and Saul. Don't watch it expecting too much fidelity to the Bible account. It's worth checking out. Unfortunately, I've heard that it's on the chopping block and is likely to be cancelled.

Power of the internet!

2009-07-09T16:04:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Brad! That's much better.

Nice work, Brad!

2009-07-09T10:03:00.001-05:00

Brad Weldon, PC Minister of Administration, gets the award for being overly paranoid that someone might dent his clunker. Well done, my friend.

Success. . .

2009-07-07T08:35:00.001-05:00

So, I’m going home from work the other day and moving slowly north with the crowd of cars and I see it. A gargantuan shiny yellow Hummer. Everything is chromed out and the windows are dark. The license plate said “SUCCE55.” I guess someone else got “SUCCESS” so they had to settle for 5’s at the end. Yep, welcome to north Dallas. What really counts around here is SHOUTING to everyone around you that you are a high-achiever (hugest car, newest phone, being seen at the right places, etc.).

According to Jesus, success is defined by two things. . .

Do I love God fully, totally, passionately?
Do I love those around me?

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20.7

I strongly disagree!

2009-07-04T20:27:00.000-05:00

Heritage Cafeteria

2009-06-30T10:24:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago my family had the opportunity of taking a real summer vacation. Since we hadn’t been back from Brazil during the summer months, this was going to be special. It was! We got to spend time with my parents and sister in southwest Missouri and we enjoyed time on Elk River (canoeing, swimming, catching tadpoles, etc.). Great time!

On our way with mom and dad for a day in Branson, we ate at one of their favorite restaurants in Springfield, MO, the Heritage Cafeteria. This place has been around forever! It is your typical cafeteria: elderly clientele, bland and generally mushy food and Perry Como-ish music piped in over the speakers.

The food wasn’t terrible, but it is certainly not a place that I would want to go regularly. The meal was enjoyable because of the company. It was terrific for our family to be able to share a meal with my parents. Don't get me wrong, there were other younger folks at the Heritage Cafeteria, but they weren’t eating alone, they were always with aging family members who, no doubt, enjoyed the cuisine and ambiance of the place. Any younger folks at the cafeteria were there ONLY TO ACCOMPANY their beloved older family members who would not have enjoyed the loud music and spicy foods at other places.

A couple of observations:

1) Without question, the Heritage Cafeteria’s clientele has an average age of 70+.

2) Younger folks who go there aren’t there for the food, music or décor.

3) Heritage Cafeteria likely won’t be around in ten years. The clientele won’t be around anymore if there are no drastic changes to the menu or décor which cater to a younger crowd.

Today as I fondly remember our meal, I wonder if my Heritage Cafeteria experience has anything to say about churches.

Your thoughts?

Thought you might enjoy the first two reviews I pulled off of Gusto.com! (http://www.gusto.com/missouri/springfield/restaurants/heritagecafeteria-R373780.html)

Denture friendly food
Reviewed by TheRobin on June 22, 2006

"This is a great place to see and be seen (if you are 80 or more years old). The vibe is “Dinner with Grandparents” plus 100 of their friends. I for one love my grandparents dearly, so this was awesome. The food was good and hardy, but the “place” is the real reason to go. The art is unforgettable. They have a 60ft long mural that shows the 4 seasons of Springfield, superb! I love old people, really old people, and I love this place."

Betty, grab my walker. We're going to the Heritage!
Reviewed by ajones on June 22, 2006

"Chitchat with Helen and Blanch while you anxiously wait in line for some home-style cafeteria goodness. The wait is long around lunch and dinner (10:30 and 4:30) but the festive holiday-of-the-season decorations will keep you amused. Once you step in front, tray in hand, a world of Jell-O mold and ambrosia salad greet you. Save room though because this place has some sweet fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Peps rave about the chicken fried steak but personally the grayish meat slathered in white gravy is less than appealing (is it chicken or is it steak?) Great pies, cobblers and cake but the custard is always my choice (perfectly burnt on top). If you don’t hold an AARP card you’ll feel like a schoolgirl."

Campaign safe as Honduras Coup Unfolds

2009-06-29T09:15:00.002-05:00

SOME OF OUR PRESTONCREST SINGLES ARE ON A MISSION CAMPAIGN TO TEGUCIGALPA HONDURAS. THE COUNTRY'S MILITARY HAS OVERTHROWN THE PRESIDENT. HERE'S A REPORT FROM GARY COCHRAN (PC SINGLES MINISTER).

Betty, hope you're doing well. We arrived just fine in Honduras. Not sure if you've heard reports. The president was arrested and removed by the military. This is good. He was violating several laws. The issue leading to his removal from office was his challenging and insisting on remaining in office and challenging term limits. You can read more on internet if you choose.

I wanted to send this to you in order to assure that we are fine. We are safe at Baxter Institute. We will get reports about the political climate tomorrow. If ok, we'll go out to do the originally planned work projects. Please pass this along to Gary Brantley and the elders. I'll get in touch with others.

Again, I emphasize, we are doing fine. We are safe. We have remained at Baxter today and will continue with plans as reports from Baxter administration and Honduran government indicate. Please let me know if you have questions. God bless. Gary

David plans for the future

2009-06-27T22:36:00.001-05:00

Glad to know my son David (just turned 9) is preparing for the future. Last week we were talking about work and jobs and he told me that when he grows up he is going to "be a video game tester." I told him that I wasn't sure that was a real job. He said that his back-up plan is to "win American idol." I didn't have the heart to tell him that, given his inherited DNA, the odds of being a professional singer are not too good.

Giving

2009-06-24T15:48:00.002-05:00

Just finished teaching the Cuzco, Peru mission team about "Teaching your mission church about giving." One of the main things that I shared with them was my conviction that tithing is a sure-fire biblical way for the new Christians in Peru to 1) place God at the center of their finances, 2) bless their own money situation and 3) insure the long-term financial solidity of the congregation in Cuzco.

My convictions grow out of Bible teaching about this eternal principle as well as Ila and my personal experiences of being blessed by God through tithing.

Just after spending three hours talking with them about how God cares of tithers, they took me out for lunch at Texas de Brazil! Coincidence?

Blessings on you Cuzco missionaries!

Justice served (self-service, actually)

2009-06-20T14:58:00.003-05:00

Yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, Everton Vasconcelos held up a van load of people at gun point. He took valuables and money from everyone on the public transport before fleeing the scene. To Everton, it seemed like a flawless heist. . .until. . . the 21 year old realized that he had left a folder that he had with him on the van. What was in the folder? A resumé which contained his full name and his home address. Ouch.

Within the hour, Rio police officers arrested Everton at his home.

Among other things, the resumé described him as "Polite, easy to get along with, and looking to move forward in his career."

Well my friend, looks like you can add "felon" on the life experience part of the resumé.

What's so Amazing about Grace?

2009-06-15T10:13:00.003-05:00

I’m a recovering legalist. I guess I’ll always be in recovery. Raised in a congregation that was a bizarre mixture of wonderful people and deep legalistic tendencies, I grew up seeing God as difficult to please, scary, capricious and distant. While I heard the words “grace,” “faith,” and “forgiveness” I didn’t feel the weight of any of them. My salvation depended on me.

Our church’s favorite verse: “. . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” Phil 2:12. So for 18 years, I was fed a constant diet of fear and trembling. Then, several things happened as I went off to college at Oklahoma Christian University.

1) I started listening to Christian music. The music of Christian artists (Rich Mullins, Cheri Keaggy, Amy Grant, etc.) ministered to my dry soul in fresh and life-giving ways.

2) I started reading the Bible for myself. Instead of being spoon-fed verses that supported one doctrinal position, I read and meditated on large chunks of text.

3) I met and befriended Christians who were joyful. Being a follower of Jesus wasn’t a drudgery for these Christians, it was a privilege. Love and happiness exuded from their lives.

This Sunday, I’ll be starting a 5 week preaching series called “What’s so Amazing about Grace?”. There are so many wounded Christians who haven’t allowed themselves to be loved, fully loved, by our generous Father and I can’t wait to share the message of GRACE that is at the very center of our faith.

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33

Recommended reading. . .

What's so Amazing about Grace by Phillip Yancey (great images of grace)

Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges (a good summary of the biblical theology of grace)

Galatians (a congregation that struggled to live fully in the grace and freedom of Christ)

Help: What makes a church vibrant?

2009-05-31T17:29:00.002-05:00

At OC's annual Quest leadership event, I'll be part of a three person panel discussing "vibrant churches." It's a compliment to Prestoncrest since they chose three leaders from churches that OC views as vibrant. My question is this: "What makes a church vibrant?" Please share your thoughts. . .

I'll post some of my thoughts as comments come in.

Her day was transformed in the Starbuck's drive-thru

2009-05-28T08:57:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Becky was having a rotten morning. The kicker was when, on the way to work, she went through the drive-thru at Starbuck's and they were out of low-fat blueberry muffins. She did, however, order her usual latte. Anyway, she knew it was going to be one of those days.

Grumpy, she eased forward to the window. Shen she pulled out her money to pay, the clerk at the window informed her that the car in front of her had paid for her coffee. She looked up, but that person was already gone. Game changer.

She shared the story with a grin last night and said that her whole day turned around with that one simple act of kindness from a stranger. Of course, she couldn't wait to get back to Starbuck's to do the same thing for the person behind her. She did, and it made her feel even better!

Small acts of kindness do more good than we know. Do some random, secret act of kindness for someone today!

Mark 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water (or latte) in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. NIV

Battletoads, prepare for combat!

2009-05-25T16:16:00.001-05:00

Give to Rio Orphans

2009-05-25T16:13:00.002-05:00

This coming Sunday at Prestoncrest is one of our "Worldcare" Sundays. One of the projects that PC members will be helping is the AMAI home for children in Rio de Janeiro. AMAI has a special, special, special, place in my heart and I'm hoping for a huge contribution.

Other important works will also be supported by the donation.

If you want to give to the AMAI orphanage and won't be at Prestoncrest this Sunday, send tax-deductable checks to. . .

Rio Orphans
c/o Alameda Church of Christ
801 East Alameda
Norman, OK 73071

A simple prayer

2009-05-18T09:14:00.002-05:00

On Sunday evenings at Prestoncrest, the kids are doing “Boy’s Club” and “Girl’s Club.” Last night, Hal Magee was working with David on a prayer that David will give at a worship service on a Sunday evening. Hal thought it was hilarious that David was insistent on one part of his prayer: “God, thank you for free refills.” I filled Hal in by letting him know that at Brazilian restaurants, there are no “free refills” so David now feels especially blessed to be in a land where Dr. Pepper flows freely.

The critical spirit

2009-05-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

I saw this poster and couldn't resist posting it. Tomorrow I'll be preaching from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount about "judge not" and pervailing spirit of judgmentalism and condemnation that seem to flow out of a lot of "Christians." More than anything, in my opinion, it is this critical spirit that causes unbelievers to keep Christians at arms length.

To torture or not to torture

2009-05-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

24 is one of my favorite TV shows. Last night as I was watching, Jack Bauer used torture to gain valuable information. . .as usual. His torture inevitably works and while it is an ugly thing, it seems to always save lives. So, while I’m an being entertained by the program, I’m thinking about the persistent debate in the USA these days: Is it O.K. to torture? Under what criteria should torture be used? How many lives have to hang in the balance for torture to be justified?

I understand the arguments in favor of torture. They make sense. Causing intense pain in one individual with the aim of saving many lives has a certain rationale for sure. At the same time, I am compelled by my conscience and Biblical study to reject it as wrong. Categorically wrong.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but here goes the way I think: My utmost commitment in life is to Jesus Christ and I can’t envision him torturing anyone or endorsing it. For me, that pretty much settles it. I don’t defend my position as being right according to a “Cost Benefit Analysis,” but I can not believe that it is right given radical claims of the gospel.

So I don’t really get much out of the debates by experts about whether or not torture is effective, or whether it actually gives more energy to America’s enemies. If it’s wrong to torture a human being, questions of its efficacy are secondary at best.

Yoda, I think I love you.

2009-05-06T16:55:00.000-05:00

Complete Idiots: Nadab and Abihu

2009-05-06T09:37:00.003-05:00

I'm working this week on two brothers who really define idiocy when it comes to worship: Nadab and Abihu. The Bible doesn't give us a lot of biographical information about them, but let's us know that they fit the Idiot profile.

Their dad, Aaron, was the High Priest. So, I suppose that one of them would have been in line for that important job. They worked as dad's helpers in the tabernacle.

Here are a couple of things I'm noticing from their story. . .

1) Aaron did some good things but also had some big mess-ups. For example, when big brother Moses disappeared for a while (extended stay on Mount Sinai), Aaron was pressured by the people to provide something visible/physical for them to worship. He caved in to popular demand and let the folks worship a golden calf. Bad idea. When Moses showed up, the gig was up. A lot of people died. No doubt Moses' nephews took all of this in. . .but it doesn't seem like they learned a lot from what happened.

2) In their cerimonial function as assistants to the High Priest (i.e., dad), Nadab and Abihu offered up "strange fire" before the Lord. No one really knows exactly what this means (theories abound), but it was enough for God to strike them dead. Ouch.

3) One of their likely "crimes" was coming into the Holy of Holies at their own discretion. (Lev. 16.1-2)

4) Apparently the brothers were "party boys" who liked the hooch a little too much. Right after God strikes them down, the Lord warns Aaron not to enter into his presence drunk (see Lev. 10). Likely, the "strange fire" and drunkkenness were connected. Coming into the presence of God while drunk WAS NOT a good idea!

There are probably a number of lessons to be learned from their story but the most obvious one to me is that those who are called to serve as spiritual leaders of God's people need to have a deep respect for the Lord and not take their calling lightly. God deserves to be treated seriously by those who are called to serve his people.

Side note: When I was younger, the story of Nadab and Abihu was always used as an argument against introducing innovations into worship (i.e., instrumental music). I think an argument against instrumental music in worship based on the Nadab and Abihu story requires more exegetical creativity than I'm comfortable with. We need to be careful to take biblical narratives as they are and not try to use them to promote our own agenda.

Books I'm reading right now

2009-05-06T09:35:00.003-05:00

The Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Rich Towards God, by Kregg Hood

Pray Always, by Tony Ash

A lot of catching up to do on the reading front!

Texas bluebonnets

2009-05-04T13:31:00.003-05:00

We went with Ila's sisters to take photos of the bluebonnets a couple of weeks back. We shot these on an enbankment by the side of I-635 in Dallas.

Progress as a religion

2009-05-04T13:23:00.002-05:00

For those who want an intellectual answer to the criticisms of faith raised by the likes of Dawkins and Hitchens, this NYT book review on a Terry Eagleton's book is worth reading.

http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/god-talk/?emc=eta1

(Thanks to David Sowell for sending this my way!)