Admiration

There are many people that I admire. Each of those people have had a tremendous impact on my life. Some of those folks have had a personal impact on my, challenging me to better myself personally. There are others who have challenged me to be a better minister. My father-in-law, Dan Wooldridge, is the pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in Georgetown, Texas. I admire Dan for many reasons. He was my pastor for 10 years in Kingsville. He has been a spiritual and ministry mentor. Not to mention, he is the father of my wonderful wife of the past 12 years. I say all of this to say that he has never stopped learning. Dan has been a pastor since he was 19 years old (today is his birthday by the way). In all of that time of studying and preaching the Bible, he has never lost his love for learning. Over the weekend, he told me of an upcoming sermon series that he was preaching from the Song of Solomon. He confessed that he had never preached through the book (not a surprise considering the content). What he said next did not so much shock or surprise me, but revealed to me the freshness of God's Word. He was excited to preach from this seldom preached from book. When I saw him later in the day, there was a commentary on the Song of Solomon in his hand. Here is a man that I thought knew everything there was to know about the Bible who was still studying more. I admire that. It has challenged me to bring my very best every time I speak the Word. It has challenged me to spend ample time not just adequate time in preparation. It reminds me that no matter how many times I have read or studied a passage, there is always something new to learn. We can never know it all. When we become life long students of God's word we are truly crashing into life. Dan Wooldridge is a life crasher. Crash On!

The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns

The Hole in our Gospel is a book about the need for the church in America to wake up to the needs of people who are suffering around the world. As much as I tried to like this book, I found that it just fell short. This is another in a line of books that has come out trying to enliven the church to taking on social issues around the world. Honestly, I had read David Platt's book Radical just before this. With that said, I think Platt said the same thing Stearns was trying to in a more succinct, direct and effective way. I was more captivated by Stearns rise to World Vision than what he had to say about social ills in the world and how the American church can serve them. I understand this is an award-winning book, and I applaud Mr. Stearns for his work at World Vision and the completion of this book. I just never connected to the book or the what the author wrote. I did connect to the author and would like to hear more about his journey.

*Disclaimer -- I received this free book for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Neighborhood Missionaries

My two sons are like most 8 and 6 year olds. They love to play outside. The game they love to play most is Army. A couple of years ago, the befriended a couple of boys from down the street. One of those boys is a year older than my oldest, one is a year younger than my oldest and one is a year younger than my 6 year old. These boys gather together regularly to mount an offensive against the common enemy of the day. Over time, I've noticed that a few other boys have been added to the mix. Honestly, at times, I am not overly excited about some of the boys that wander in and out of our yard. This weekend as this motley crew gathered again to complete a new objective, I thought about something deeper. My two sons are neighborhood missionaries. They have engaged in the lives of those other ragamuffin boys from the block. My oldest surrendered his life to Christ a couple of years back. He is the representation of Jesus to these boys every time they get together. That is not to say that he gathers them together and the stands upon the perch of his fort and preach the gospel to them. But he does represent Jesus to them. Those boys act differently when they play with my sons. The mark of Christ is upon my oldest. He has set himself apart to be used by God. The amazing thing is that he does not even realize what he is doing. My youngest has not surrendered his life to Christ yet. He has begun to ask questions about salvation but has not come to that decision for himself yet. I pray often for his salvation. Even so, his behavior is such that it affects the lives of his friends. I am so proud of my sons. They are making an impact for Jesus in the lives of boys who need Jesus. They have invited these boys on numerous occasions to come to church. A few of them has responded a few times and come with them. Not only am I proud of my sons, but challenged by them. My sons are impacting their neighborhood, but what about me? Though I know the people who live around me, how am I impacting them for the gospel? God has called me to love those around me and that proves that I am one of His disciples (John 13:34-35).

Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

Most of us are confronted with homeless people and "vagrants" on a daily basis. Mike Yankoski was called to be such a person. He and his friend Sam spent 5 months traveling to Denver, Washington DC, Portland, San Francisco Phoenix and San Diego living on the streets. Each day was a struggle to find food, make cash, and find a place to sleep. They were confronted with the harsh underbelly of the American Church. In reading Mike's gritty account of his time on the streets is very eye opening. This is one of those books that should come with a warning label: THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE HOW YOU SEE THINGS! Mike shares his first hand account of a daily reliance upon God for everything that He had. I was personally challenged, and as I ventured out into the public, I became acutely aware of my lifestyle and those who do without every day. A challenging book to say the least that will awaken your heart to the immediate physical, emotional and spiritual needs in your community. One of the great things about this book is that it offers suggestions for the reader to become part of the solution. These practical helps offers ways to become involved with local rescue works and practical and tangible ways to serve the homeless in Jesus name. What was most revealing to me is how these men were treated by those who claimed to be Christ followers. They were turned away by many churches, but it was refreshing to see the body of Christ be the body of Christ in many others. Matthew 25 comes alive as Mike and Sam travel across the country and bring the needs of the homeless to the forefront of the American Church. This is a must read for every Christ follower.

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

If you are a man and you grew up in the 80's, then you know these words made famous by Hannibal on the A-Team. I stand amazed at all of the things God is doing in the lives of people. what amazes me more is that He is allowing me to see them. I spoke with a friend this morning who told me of the blessing that God is pouring out in his life because of his obedience and surrender to God. It is amazing to see and hear the freedom in the voice of a friend who has surrendered everything to God. There is a release like none other. Galatians 5:1 tells us that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. There is true freedom in the life of the disciple, in fact, it is only in the life of the disciple that freedom can be found. Freedom is not guaranteed by a document. Freedom is guaranteed only through the cross. I rejoice to see all that God is doing in me and the lives of those around me. In the words of the Doxology -- Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The Power of But

This year, I've challenged the church where I pastor to read through the Bible with me. So far, so good, 25 days in. This mornings reading came from Genesis 38-40. We are entering the life of Joseph, an amazing man who was used by God to do amazing things. Genesis 39:21 reads,"But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Here Joseph finds himself at the wrong end of a false accusation, BUT God is still in control. Joseph could have easily tried to dissuade his accuser, BUT he knew that God had a purpose. Joseph could have grown angry with God over the whole situation, BUT he knew that God's hand was still on him. You see, so often we get consumed by the consequence as opposed to being consumed with the Creator. Joseph never lost focus in spite of the place that he found himself in. Regardless of the situation, we need to remember these simple but power words...BUT GOD. I know there have been numerous times those words have leaped off the pages of Scripture an into my mind. BUT, it wasn't until today that I saw just how powerful those words can be. BUT may just be a conjunction that brings two thoughts or ideas together, BUT in the life of the believer it is where the flesh of humanity comes in contact with the Spirit of Deity. BUT GOD is still at work around you. Though you may not be able to see it because you are blinded by circumstance, never lose faith that you God is at work. Nearly 170 times in Scripture do we see the phrase BUT GOD or some relation to it. We see that God works in the midst of human circumstance. How often do we see that though? I pray that your eyes would be open to the BUT GOD moments, to see His activity that you may give Him glory.

Living a Worthy Life

"[1] I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit inthe bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [7] But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift." Ephesians 4:1-7 (ESV)

Worthy is defined as having adequate or great merit, character, or value. We are called to live a life that is worthy of Christ. That is, to live a life that has merit as it relates to representing Jesus to the world. So, the question is, how do we go about living a life worthy of Christ. Paul gives us a guideline to follow in Ephesians 4. Paul gives us 6 building blocks or benchmarks with which to judge a worthy life.

Be Completely Humble
Very simply, humility is not being proud or arrogant. Humility is the result of our personal submission to God through Jesus Christ. When we are humble, we no longer seek glory for ourselves, rather, we seek to bring glory to God. Humility is the first step of becoming a follower of Christ just as brining glory to God is the first part of God's will for the life of the follower. We are to humble ourselves in every area of our lives. We must come to the realization that there is nothing I can take credit for. Everything that I have and am comes from God. It is all directly attributable to God's grace and mercy. We must change the way we view things. Apart from God, I am nothing. It was not until He came into my life that I can be used for His glory.

Be Completely Gentle

It here that we are called to kindness. Kindness goes a long way in the world in which we live today. It has been my experience that most people may reject our kindness, but they can't reject it until it has been extended to them. Gentleness is the result of humility. When we submit ourselves to God, we find that we desire the best for others. Up unto this point we have only been concerned for ourselves. When Christ enters our lives, our perspective on ourself and others changes drastically. Our charge for live is to serve and not be served. Our kindness is the result of Christ's work in our life and has a magnetic pull on the lives of others. Our expressions of kindness draw others to Christ. We msut also understand that gentleness is not a sign of weakness. Jesus was gently but you would be hard pressed to call Him weak. There are times that the most gentle thing we can do is speak the honest truth to someone.

Be Patient

Patience is an expression of calm without complaint. Patience results from humility and gentleness. We are so time-bound. Stepen Covey talks about us being "slaves to the tyranny of the urgent." What we must understand is that when we surrender our lives to Christ, we have not timetable. It ceases to be about us and becomes about others. We seek God's best in God's time. That may come in minutes or it may take months, either way we are content (Phil. 4:11). Here is what we need to get: The circumstances may not be ideal, but we know tht God is in control and has a plan. We must NEVER FORGET this!

Be Forbearing

Notice this says forbearing and not overbearing. We are to bear up with others. A better way of looking at this is to bear up with difficult people or circumstances. This the personal side of patience. This is being patient with other people. It also is being calm in the midst of the storms of life. Remember what God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient." When we rest in the sufficiency of God's grace we discover patience. What makes patience so difficult is our clash of personality with people. God has uniquely made each one of us with a unique personality that may not always mesh well with others, in the flesh. God has also put His Spirit within us to bear up with people. We find patience when we rely on the Spirit of God within us.

Loving Others

Love is the glue that holds these things together and moves them forward. I Corinthians 13 gives a description of love but also speaks to its attributes. If we have not love then we are nothing and can truly accomplish nothing. If we are going to walk in the Spirit, it is because of love. If we are going to live in obedience to God, it is because of God. It is impossible for us to do anything in the Spirit apartfrom a love for the Father and His people.

Be Unifiers not Dividers

Paul exhorts us to make every effort to build and maintain unity among the body. If we are united as a body under the banner of Christ, how much can we accomplish for the Kingdom? So often we are united so long as it lines up with our own personal agendas. When we have a personal agenda, we can be sure that we are not on God's agenda. We have become too focused on our part of the body as opposed to the Body as a whole. We must remember that we are ONE. Unity is the culmination of all of these things mentioned thus far working together.

Grace that is Given

It is love that binds us together but it is grace that draws us together. We it not for the grace of God, we would never acheive anything for His Kingdom. The reason is that apart from God's grace we would be too busy building our own kingdoms instead of His. Grace is completely undeserved but absolutely needed. Man longs for grace, for it it there that he truly finds his purpose and belonging.