Ramblings from a Hoodlum Pastor

Thankful for Lifer's

Our economy has been in a recession since December of 2007 & no one has been insulated from the effects of this financially down period.  Many business's have felt the stress of making hard decisions to cut thier work force back, affecting many people & their families.  Every family has felt the sting of rising gas prices &  falling discretionary income.  It has been a tense 16-18 months.  Hopefully, we're beginning to see some postive signs of recovery.  But, no matter how good or bad things may be, always remember that our God is in total control.

I wanted to write a blog post to let you know how thankful & amazed I am by the people who call LifePoint home.  You have remained faithful & obedient even in a financial recession.  We are currently at approxoamtely 99% of our budget because of the faithful obedience of our members & regular attendees.  PRAISE JESUS!

I also wanted to let you know that we take stewardship of the finances God entrusts into our care very seriously.  During an all day planning session the second week of January, I challenged our staff to be like the sons of Issachar spoken of in 1 Chronicles 12:32 who "Understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do." 

I asked our team to understand the economic times we're facing & plan accordingly.  We came out of that meeting by putting together a three part plan.  Part one was implimented immediatly, which entailed freezing roughly $250,000 of budgetary spending to be prepared for wahtever came our way.  Part two & three were to be implimented if & when out stewardship team deemed neccesary.  Prayefully, we would never progress to that level, but we wanted to be prepared just in case. 

We took the plan to our stewardship for approval & our board for communication.  It was approved wholeheartedly & our staff, especially Nathanial, our Business Administrator, has done an excellent job cutting back to live according to these freezes.  We have a great team.

I just wanted to let you know how gratefull I am for this church & your faitfulness.  Thank God, because of your giving, our budget is as strong as ever & many people are entering the Kingdom of God because of your faithfulness.  I also wanted to communicate to you the sacrifices & cuts we've made to be good & responsible stewards of the money God has given this church through you.  May God continue to bless you as you honor Him with your whole life, including your money.  Keep investing in eternity.              

Dare You to Move...

We had an amazing trip to Belgium, but it was so good to be back at LifePoint yesterday.  Every time I go away, I'm reminded of how incredibly blessed I am that God allows me to lead His church in Smyrna, Tennessee called LifePoint. 

I've read much about the spiritual decline in Europe, but to experience it first hand was staggering.  The apostle Paul started many churches on this continent & we read about the spread of the gospel through many European cities in the pages of the New Testament.  This is the continent that produced the Protestant Reformation & some of the most renown & respected theologians & preachers in history.  Hero's by the name of Spurgeon & Luther called this continent home.  Yet, today, only about 1% of it's inhabitants are true followers of Christ.  Many of it's churches have been sold as prime real estate & now serve as hostels, bars theaters, etc.  This continent were Christianity once thrived is now almost void of anyone who claims Christ as Lord. 

Europe awaits someone to step up to the plate & take the gospel back to this spiritually starved land.  Last week, we were motivated to lead LifePoint Church to step into the batters box & begin taking swings at starting churches in this part of the world.  In a couple of months, I'll be laying out our plan & vision to begin sending teams to live as missional communities in countries all over the world.  I ask you to pray if God may be calling you to do something radical & adventurous for the Kingdom of God.  I Dare You to Move.                

Last Day In Belgium

This is our last day in Belgium.  I'm sad to leave this place, but I'm so excited to see my wife & kids.  Seth Left for India a week before I left for Belgium, so I haven't seen him in two weeks.  Our flight leaves Brussels tomorrow morning at 8:50 am.  I think we arrive back in Nashville around 4:40 pm on Saturday afternoon, which is 7 hours behind Belgium time.   

Pray for me as I attempt to preach on Sunday morning with a lot of Jet lag.  Pray that I'm able to stay awake on the plane long enough to wrap my mind around Song of Solomon 6:1-10.    Sunday could be very interesting as my mind will be fried.  I might even break out in a little french, which would be totally appropriate for Song of Solomon. Wee Wee :)  (Oui Oui)

Our need to send people to this country has been confirmed over & over.  There is a deep spiritual hunger everywhere.  The wonderful people of Belgium haven't rejected Jesus; they've really rejected religion.  I have no doubt that if they heard about the real Jesus, they'd want to become followers of His way of living. 

I will share our vision & plan to send teams to live in different countries very soon.  So, pray that God will begin to reveal Himself loud & clear to those whom He has called.  It might even be you.  See ya Sunday.   

Elisabeth & Krisstel & all my other new friends in Belgium.  I hope to see you again very soon.  Thanks for making our time in Namur incredible. 

Our Week in Belgium

What an amazing adventure we've had in Belgium.  We arrived early Sunday morning & hit the ground running.  After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we walked around Brussels for an hour or so & then headed to an international church, Vineyard's Brussels.  It was an amazing experience.  We actually celebrated a baptism with the church, which is rare in Western Europe.  One missionary has been here 8 months & that was his first baptismal celebration.  Another had been here two years & has witnessed 3 baptisms.  So, we were greatly blessed.  I have to admit, the rest of the service was sort of a blur because I had missed an entire night's sleep.  So, I can sympathize with those who fall asleep during church...IF YOU'VE BEEN FLYING ALL NIGHT.

One cool thing...they took a coffee break between singing & preaching.  I like this a lot, but I wondered if I would get anyone back after the break.  It became clear why they took a caffeine break after we went well into the second hour.  Before this trip, I was beginning to worry we might be going to long in our service, but now I'm inspired that we can go longer.  (JUST KIDDING).

We had an amazing time in Antwerpe on Monday.  We walked into the student center at the University & spent time talking with college students.  This is the group of people we need to focus on because they're very open & really don't have the baggage of religion because they haven't been involved in church at all.  At this point, we feel this is one of the places on the table ripe for a new church.    

You can read my blog post from yesterday about Tuesday in Namur.  Elisabeth, my new friend in Namur, has already left a comment.  Thank you Elisabeth, for your hospitality & kindness.  I'm so thankful for you & can't wait to get to know you better. 

Yesterday was spent in Leuven, a college town with about 35,000 students.  We met a missionary named Horace with Christian Associates.  Horace is an incredible leader & has made major inroads in just a year.  I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time with Horace as we prepare our team to move here. 

We have a busy day today in Brussels & then debriefing with all the missionaries here tomorrow before leaving on Saturday.  I can't wait to get home to my incredible wife & amazing kids, but I really hate to leave this place.  There is so much work to be don & I really think that people are ready to be engaged with the gospel.  So, pray for the people God will lead to this country to build His kingdom.  

Persons of Peace and a Rock & Roll Church

One of the most important strategies in missions is finding persons of peace among the people group you’re trying to engage.  A person of peace is not necessarily a believer, but someone who will receive you as a friend & be your connection, helping you gain friends & influence among the people.  Today, I met a person of peace in Namur, Belgium, a French speaking city about an hour South of Brussels. 

 We traveled to Namur on a recon trip to prayer walk & seek out persons of peace.  We broke into three teams & took off in different directions around the city.  My partner, Tim Kendrick, & I walked in front of an OLD Catholic church & saw 7-8 older teenagers (college students) sitting on the steps having a smoke & a good time.  I said, “How Yall doin’?”  Not exactly like that, but I approached them & explained that I only spoke English & asked if any of them speak English.  One young man came over & spoke very little & very broken English.  We told them we were studying the culture & would love to ask them some questions. 

We asked about Music; they liked Deep Purple, Gun’s & Rose & Kiss.  We had a major breakthrough when I stuck out my tongue like Gene Simmons.  They had a belly roll laugh & I smiled as we watched the walls begin to fall. 

 We asked about movies & sports & other things.  Finally, I brought up religion.  They said religion was dead in Belgium. (By the way, I’ve asked several college students this question & received the same answer).  They said it was old, cold, boring & not relevant.  It’s non-existent.  They only people who even attempt church are their grandparents who go to Catholic churches. 

About this time, a girl approached who spoke really good English.  She was a British girl named Elisabeth.  They all gathered around closely & I asked what if there was a different kind of church, a church that played Rock & Roll music (they have no clue about contemporary or traditional lingo), a church where the pastor wore jeans & they could come dressed as they were.  Their eye’s got big & their mouths flew open & they said, REALLY!  I said YES!  They said that would be great. 

 They then asked me what we were doing in Belgium.  I told them I was a pastor who was looking at starting a “Rock & Roll” Church in Belgium.  They said, “YOU’RE A PASTOR??”  (I get that a lot, by the way)  What happened next was amazing.  They asked us to go to school with them (they’re in college) & meet their friends.  We said, “OH YEAH!”  So, we went to their class & had a great time.  I’ve got to be honest; I didn’t want to leave there today because God was obviously working.

Elisabeth is an incredible person of peace who has already emailed me & we’ve connected on Facebook.  Later in the day, before we left to return to Brussels, I took one of the missionaries, who’s moving to Namur this summer, back to the school to meet Elisabeth.  She was excited & said she’d meet John & his wife & show them around town.  I can’t wait to get to know this young lady more & see what God does in & through her to build His kingdom in this country.  I believe God is up to something in Belgium and the harvest is further along than I originally thought. I believe that it's is getting ripe.  So, pray for Elisabeth & the young men & women of this country.  “Pray for harvesters to go into the harvest field.”  And, pray that God makes clear the team He wants to send from LifePoint church to live here & start that “Rock & Roll” church.           

My Sex & Church Soapbox

I've had several people forward me the link to this article in the Tennessean today about how "Sex-y Sermons are Causing a Stir in Rural Alabama."  I always shake my head in disbelief & bewilderment, no matter how many times I read about people getting upset over preachers & churches talking about sex.  The really sad thing is, the people who get upset are Christians who claim to love God's Word.  Here are some quotes from the article...

"Sex just isn't an appropriate topic for church, some say..." 

So, let me get this straight, people would rather for preachers to skip over all the verses in the Bible that speak about healthy sex between a husband & wife.  These kinds of Christians love for preachers to call out the fornicators (in O Brother, Where Art Thou style, of course) & adulterers, but they don't like preachers talking about "Great Sex; God's Way." 

My question is, what is an appropriate topic for church?  My answer would be, anything the Bible speaks about.  Can anyone tell me anything the Bible doesn't speak about?  Do people realize that churches are dying & the growth of Christianity is lagging so far behind the growth of the population that we're just a few short years away from being a post Christian society?  Has anybody took their head out of the sand long enough to think that maybe, just maybe, one huge factor in the decline of churches is the fact that they don't give answers to the problems of life from God's Word.  Could it be that maybe, just maybe, the world thinks Christianity & church is irrelevant because all they know is what the church is against & nothing about what it stands for.  Just sayin'...

Here's another good quote from a good ol' boy evangelist.  "Talking about sex ain't gonna get nobody to heaven..." 

I'm so glad the Bible tells us how to get to heaven & I put the gospel in every message I preach.  But, I'm also glad it tells me how to live on this planet to make Him famous so more people will bow to Him as we represent Him by living His way.  Only a fundamentalist would think "talking about sex ain't gonna get nobody to heaven."  Maybe if we talk about "Great Sex; God Way" people will actually be challenged to live different lives that represent God & draw people to the cross.  Just a thought... 

Oh, and the 22 year old mayor of the town says he's afraid it will force parents to talk about sex with their children before they're ready.  Really... So when are kids ready?  Listen to these stats complied by Mark Driscol... 90% of children between 8-16 have viewed porn on-line.  The average age for a child viewing porn on-line is 11.  The number one consumer of porn on the Internet is boys aged 12-17.  The USA Today had feature story about how Middle School boys are almost expected to have a naked picture of their girlfriend on their phone. 

So, just how young is too young?  My answer is, you better start talking about it early in an age appropriate way.  Many people ask, "When should I have THE talk with my kids?"  There shouldn't be THE talk; there should be MANY talks.  But, maybe a 22 year old mayor knows best. 

Another quote from the fundamentalist evangelist:  "Preach the Word of God & the people will live right & get right."  Oh... for some reason I thought the Song of Solomon was The Word of God.  It's in my Bible anyway, but I'm sure I'm using one of those new fangled translations. 

Liberals pervert the Word of God by rewriting it & taking stuff away.  The fundamentals jump up & crow about the liberals while they do the exact same thing.  The extreme fundamentalists who make it their life mission to expose & fight liberals over the inerrancy of the Word are the very one's who have Bibles filled with holes because they leave so much of it out.  They fight for the purity of the Word...but only the parts they like. 

Call me crazy, but I happen to believe the Bible is totally inerrant.  I believe it has no errors nor mistakes.  I believe that all of the Bible is God's literal words, not just the parts I like.  So, I have to actually talk about all of it.  Like I said, call me crazy...

Pastors, preach the word with boldness.  Don't be afraid of the Politically Correct liberals whom you might offend.   And, for goodness sake, don't be afraid of the narrow minded fundamentalist who want us all to live on a compound somewhere & throw rocks at the world rather than living pure lives that attract people to the gospel.

I'm climbing down off of my soapbox now...   

"Sex is Fun..."

Today, during the 10:45 service, I was reading 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 which says, "Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and it's for the purpose...  But, rather than saying, "And it's for..."  I said, "And it's FUN..." (Long pause..some snickers & the place breaks out in laughter)  Obviously, I made a Freudian slip because, hey, I admit it, I think sex is F.U.N.

That's the message we need to be sharing with the world.  God created sex for more than procreation; He also created it for pleasure or FUN between a husband & wife.  The problem is, when taken out of context it's only fun for a moment & then people get badly hurt. 

It's sort of like riding my Harley.  It was made to be a touring bike, to be ridden for many hours on the paved trails we call roads.  Take the bike onto a mountain trail of road or onto a motocross track & the fun only lasts for seconds before disaster strikes & you get badly hurt.  But, the damage goes beyond you; it'll also take a lot of time & work & money to get your bike ready to be ridden again. 

Sex is crazy fun between a husband & wife.  But, when taken off the road of marriage, the fun only lasts for seconds before disaster strikes & you crash & hurt yourself (and others) badly.  But, not only do you get hurt emotionally, your whole attitude & thoughts about sex gets badly damaged until it's completely restored by the forgiving & renewing grace of God.  So, if you've taken sex off road, I encourage you to seek & embrace the grace of God who will forgive & restore you, no mater who you are or where you've been. 

I challenge you to keep sex in it's proper context & enjoy it's incredible rewards because sex is definitely FUN when done God's way.           

Sex Is... Video

Great Video about the importance of the church dealing with sex. I found it on Jason Stewart's blog. Thought you might like it.

MAY 22

 

This past Friday, our social worker called with good news.  She informed us that Alyza Kate's court date has been set for May 22.  That's really quick according to the average.  It's been taking from 1-3 months after referral to receive a court date & then you travel to Ethiopia about 2-3 weeks after court.  So, if everything goes as planned, we should travel to Ethiopia to pick up our new daughter around the second week of June. 

We're so pumped to finally have a time frame, but it's still tough to know you have a daughter in an orphanage in a third world country & it'll be about 3 months before you can go get her.  But, we know God will give us & her the patience to wait & make the time go fast.