Advent: The Light is Coming

Starting this morning at Sixth Street, we are doing two emphases to celebrate the Christmas season. First of all, we will be lighting an advent wreath and observing Advent moments with families from Sixth Street in our worship service. "Advent" simply means coming and is the time liturgically when the church as recognized a time of expectant waiting in preparation for the coming of Jesus on Christmas. My hope and prayer is that we will create a holy sense of expectation about Christmas that will cut through the commercialism and consumerism that bombards us. I hope that we will be more expectant of the celebration of the Messiah as we are about Black Friday deals.

We will also be starting a new series called "Characters of Christmas" where we will look at 4 of the characters of the holiday season and what their lives teach us about God's plans and purposes for our lives. Today we will look at Simeon and "When You Finally See God's Promises". I hope it will be a special holiday time for us as a church.

Book Review - The Well-Behaved Child

Well, I am finally able to catch up some on my much neglected blog and get some things I have been trying to get to finally done. Several weeks ago, I received a copy of John Rosemond's book "The Well-Behaved Child: Discipline that Really Works" to review for my blog. I was especially interested in this book because I have three boys at my house that we affectionately call "Hurricane Haines". Since our move to our new home, we have seen more discipline challenges with our boys and many days we have wanted to pull our hair out. My 10-year old is quickly developing selective hearing and a pre-teen attitude. My 8-year old is quite the dramatic one. Even my 5-year old has begun to lie more than usual when he does something wrong.

Rosemond's book was a very easy and encouraging read. It's obvious that he has been working through his techniques for many years. By his own admission, this book is a compilation of his parenting seminars that he has been giving. It's called a "workshop in a book." Rosemond's advice is full of very practical, helpful advice. It's obvious from his stories and the opening chapter that we have an entire generation of parents that have no idea how to parent or discipline because they never had positive, corrective discipline modeled for them by their parents. One doesn't have to look far to see the disastrous situation that our children are growing up in today's society. Rosemond sets down the tone and direction of the book in the first chapter when he answers the question "Why do children misbehave?" Pulling no punches and trying not to be politically correct, Rosemond answers "Because children are bad." He convincingly shows us that it is our job as parents to take these bad children and teach them what is expected of them in life. Rosemond shows a great deal of understanding about sin and its nature in children. Without being too preachy, he shows how children are living out their sin nature and it's consequences. It's a refreshing voice that immediately put me on his side and ready to hear his answers.

Rosemond's book is divided into 5 sections, each offering seven topics. These include "Seven Fundamentals of Effective Discipline," "Seven Essential Tools," "Top Seven Behavior Problems of all Time...Solved," and "Seven Tales of the Strange and Unexpected." Rosemond's advice is biblically sound, honest, and drawn from real-life, pragmatic examples of families he has used these techniques in, including his own. His seven tools are very practical and doable. They also help put the authority back into the hands of the parents instead on in the children. I have tried to institute some of the techniques with my kids and seem some success. Alison and I will be going through this book together to put many of these plans in place.

I highly recommend "The Well-Behaved Child" to any and all parents in my church as well as my friends and family. Read it before it's too late!

This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers

Monday Morning Clarity

After being out with a busy week at the Alabama Baptist Convention last week in Huntsville, it made for a short week. However, we had another great Sunday at Sixth Street yesterday. The crowd seemed a little smaller than the last few weeks. I wondered if the weather had something to do with that. I felt like there was a great spirit among everyone that was there. Here are some of my thoughts about the day and the upcoming holiday season.

• We finished our series on "The Walk" yesterday by looking at Ephesians 5 and how to imitate God. Paul made "Walk this Way" cool long before Aerosmith when he said for us to walk in love, walk as children of light, and walk wisely. I heard several positive comments about the practical application of the message. That always means a lot.
• Had a great lunch with our friends Byron and Christy Meadows and their family yesterday at Mama Ella's. This has become our most popular choice for Sunday lunch. Great food and lots of it.
• Speaking of food, we had another great time at the SSBC Thanksgiving Meal last night in the gym. The turnout was awesome and the food was even better. It's always good to fellowship around the table with other Christians. One thing that Baptists do real well is eat. I was also encouraged to see such a great spirit among our people. It was difficult to interrupt them to do the devotional because everyone was so engaged with each other. That's the power of biblical community.
• Speaking of community, I am hoping that one of our major areas of focus for 2010 is to develop a healthy, spiritually sound groups system that allows everyone in our church to have a place to live the Christian life in community with other Christians and not just attend a class to hear someone teach. People in the church today are starving for real, genuine, deep, and Spirit-filled relationships with other believers.
• This is Thanksgiving week which means I am going to my Mama's house for the holidays. We are excited. Thankgiving is a special time for us, but it will be more so this year because this will be the first Thankgiving without the family matriarch - my grandmother Mama Alice. We are doing Thanksgiving at her house this year in honor of her. In addition, we are celebrating with both my mom and my dad's family and their spouses. I'm looking forward to a great day. I have a lot to be thankful for.
• Sunday morning will start our Christmas series called "Characters of Christmas". We will be looking this week at Simeon and "When You Finally See God's Promise." Hope you will be there.

A Monday Morning Clarity on Thursday

Greetings everyone. I am sorry that I didn't get an update in the first of this week. I went to the Alabama Baptist State Convention in Huntsville and Pastor's Conference on Monday. Unfortunately, I packed up my computer and stuff and left it on the coffee table when I left, so I was "unplugged" for the week. It was a great time though and my first convention as a senior pastor. I had the privilege to sit with and speak some to Dr. Rick Lance, our State Board of Missions President. He is a godly man and great leader and we are blessed to have him leading the Baptist cause in Alabama.

• It was another great day at Sixth Street. The music was inspiring and the seats were packed. I was especially moved by the response of our men during our prayer time. It was awesome to see men on their knees interceding for themselves and their families. I want out children to see our men as godly men of prayer and the word. Expect more of this in the future.
• I had to suck up some pride and preach despite the tail-whooping that the Crimson Tide put on my Bulldogs last Saturday. However, I made my way through it. We looked at "The Walk" and Paul's command in Ephesians 4 to "put off" the old nature and "put on" the new nature. I have loved preaching this series.
• Mrs. Anna Middlebrooks did a great job Sunday night leading our missions study of the Berber people of North Africa. I pray that we will be a church with a heart for the nations and especially for the unreached people groups around the world. Thanks Mrs. Anna for your hard work on this.
• I have picked up and started reading this week Mark Driscoll's book "Death by Love". It's a great look at the substitutionary atonement of Jesus. Hope to finish it soon.
• Look for a big push next Spring called "Across Alabama" that we will take part in. I am working with some of the other SBC churches in Alex City to go "Across Alex City" in prayer walking and gospel distribution next March. It should be an awesome time.
• Take some time this week to begin to prepare your heart for the upcoming holiday season. We have much to be thankful for and a great Savior to celebrate.

Quick Update

It's been a couple of weeks since I was able to do a Monday Morning Clarity update. The days have been filled with moving trucks, packing boxes, unpacking boxes, "Where does this go", and the business of church. It's been a fast and furious couple of weeks.

• First, we closed on our house here in Alex City and the moving truck delivered our things last Thursday, November 5th. We are so excited to be in our new house. As you probably know though, it is a little overwhelming. We've seen how much we accumulated that we really didn't need. I see a Yard Sale in our immediate future.
• Two great weeks at Sixth Street. We closed out our series on "Amazed by Grace" on November 1 by looking at Titus 2 and Motivating Grace that helps us to live properly. It was probably one of the times I felt the most freedom of the Spirit to preach. This past Sunday we started a three week series called "The Walk" by looking at Galatians 5 and being led by the Spirit. I have received a lot of positive feedback from these messages. Praying God uses it to really help some people.
• The crowds have appeared larger the last couple of weeks and a good energy has been circulating prior to worship. I hope this is a sign of greater things to come.
• We have a lot of families that are having marriage difficulties lately in our church. The family is so critical to the culture and the church. I believe that this is a sign of the potential that is here at Sixth Street. We need men who will stand on the wall to fight and drop on their knees to pray for their families. Stay strong Sixth Street!
• Steve Norris did a great job leading our series off with the Steven Curtis Chapman song "The Walk" this last week with accompaniment from Eric and Justin. What's more impressive is that they learned it and pulled it off in about 6 days. Great job guys!
• We got a new addition to the Haines household last week. It's a Maltepoo named Papi. He's seven weeks old and is getting spoiled. We should be getting our lab Maggie back in a couple of weeks and we'll see how well they get along.
• Nathan and Drew both had their names in the local paper recently for Honor Roll. Nathan made A/B honor roll and Drew made A honor roll. I like the fact that in small towns they still print those in the local paper. Made us proud!
• I've been reading a lot more lately. I have 2 new book reviews to put up soon. I am also about to finish Tony Dungy's book "Quiet Strength". I have always like Coach Dungy and got to hear him speak at Catalyst.

Verse of the week: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Eph 5:1-2

Need some of this Saturday...

Let's go State! Maroon! White! Fight, Fight, Fight!

Sermons Online

I don't really know how many of you actually read and follow my blog outside of my mother (Hi Mom!). However, thanks to the incredibly gracious and hard work of the tech team at Sixth Street, especially Angela Mullins, you can now listen to my Sunday morning sermons online. That's right! I now at least online like many of the great communicators I enjoy listening to like John MacArthur, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, Andy Stanley. While I don't pretend to hold a candle to the oratory abilities of those guys, it is at least cool to know that I can pretend to be important because we are accessible online.

If you would like to listen to my sermons, they are available on iTunes under "Sixth Street Baptist Church" as well as off the Sixth Street Baptist Church website here. Listen to them if you have a chance and let me know what you think.

Happy Anniversary Baby, I Got You On My Mind

Twelve years ago today I finally found a mate and took the plunge with my life-partner Alison. She was an answer to many years of prayer and searching. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her that she was for me. She has been a faithful wife, partner in ministry, and keeps me grounded and balanced. She has been a major part of my new ministry in Alexander City and has seemed to have a lot more joy being a pastor's wife here. This last year has seen a major move for our family, a trip to Disneyworld, the loss of my grandmother, and our youngest son John David starting public school. We've also had Drew's Upward basketball and Nathan's great baseball season. It's been a good year though. Happy Anniversary Alison. I love you.

We celebrated our anniversary by closing on our new home in Alex City on Friday. We're having it painted and cleaned up this week and hope to move in Thursday.

Happy Reformation Day!

While most of America will dress up in costumes and seek out candy, few of us really understand the significance of October 31. On this date in 1517, a monk named Martin Luther took 95 theses named "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences" that he drafted in response to the selling of indulgences by Johann Tetzel to fund the St. Peter's Basilica. Although Luther probably didn't mean to start a revolution, his courage helped to fire the first shot in what would become known as the Protestant Reformation. It was a group of men who protested errors of the Roman Catholic Church and opened the true gospel to the world. If you have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, it is most likely a direct result of the stand made this day by Martin Luther.

Here is a Wikipedia article on Luther

Here is a Wikipedia article on the 95 Theses and an actual list of what they said.

Thank you Lord for the courage and power of men like Luther. May we have men with that kind of dedication in our day.

An Awesome Moment from Catalyst '09

Catalyst was once again one of the best experiences I have ever been a part of. By far though, this was the highlight of the conference. Jimmy Wambua was a child who was sponsored in a Compassion International project who shares his story and meets his sponsor for the first time. This was incredible. Jimmy begins to share his story about the 3:45 mark.

Monday Morning Clarity

We had another great day yesterday at Sixth Street. I preached the 4th sermon in our "Amazed by Grace" series entitled "Sufficient Grace". We looked at Paul's reminder from God that "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Doing this series has really given me a greater appreciation for God's grace and its power in our lives. I believe that most Christ-followers miss out on seeing the power of God displayed in their lives because of a misunderstanding of the grace of God. It's been refreshing for me and I think the church has really enjoyed it.

• We had another great partnership yesterday with the children's choir and the adult choir. They did "Your Love is Amazing" and Davey and Shelley Macon led in a solo. It's always great to see our children's choir on stage and the parents really show up so the crowd's better. I appreciate Carrie Keel and all her choir workers for their hard work.
• I looked out over our parking lot yesterday before the service and we have some real parking issues. If we increase our average attendance at all, we are really going to have trouble parking the cars, especially when it rains. I hope to get our frontline teams on board by the first of the year helping to solve these issues.
• I have noticed several new people each week, or at least new faces to me. I need to do a better job of encouraging them to fill out a connection card. I think we need to redo the connection card and find another way to disperse it to get information from everyone.
• One of the major tasks for 2010 for Sixth Street is to start talking about developing Biblical community and small groups. I think we have some great couples that are not connected in any way to a small group and that disconnection is showing in the congregation. We are made by God to live life in community with other believers. Expect a major emphasis on this soon.
• We are going to be having some hard talks about finances and budget planning the next few weeks. We need to find a way to balance proper stewardship of God's resources with our plans. I fully expect that the finances will get better, but we need to do a better job all around with teaching stewardship both as families and as a church family.
• We are supposed to close on our new house here soon. My lender tells me we are scheduled for this Friday which would be great! We are really ready to get settled down and get in our own place and establish roots. The move to Alex City has been good for Alison and myself to spend more time together. It's also given us more time with the kids. However, they've gotten stir-crazy without their own house. Pray that all continues to work out.
• Alison started her orientation at Russell Medical Center this week. She's excited and nervous about starting a new job.

Great Prank

This was so funny I wanted to share it with you. Imagine you went to a port-a-potty and then this happened:

10 Books Men Need to Read

As most of you know, I am an avid reader. I am also passionate about men getting the kahunas enough to grow up and start being the men that God has wired them and called them to be - men who passionately lead their family to love Christ and his bride. There are some great books out there to help with this quest. Now I know that most men say "I'm not much of a reader." That's a cop-out though. It's baloney. That's nothing more than an attempt by most men to give an excuse why they prefer to sit in front of a television set in their boxers and with their shirt off watching senseless hours of garbage. God made you with a brain and the ability to absorb great amounts of information. He's also called you to be the leader of your home. So, if you really want to be a godly man or you want to help a guy find his shirt and turn off the tube, here are 10 great books I think every guy should pick up.

1. Every Man's Battle by Steven Arterburn and Fred Stoeker - This book is the quintessential resource for men who are secretly battling sexual addictions. It's a great, practical help that I have recommended to dozens of guys. It's about time that men and the church own up to and get honest about this problem. Statistics indicate that about 6-8 out of every 10 guys in your church are battling some sort of sexual addiction. It's destroying marriages, castrating the spiritual masculinity from most men in the church and rendering the church void of true manhood, and leaving a generation of boys without godly men to help them become true men of God. Men, don't pretend you don't have a problem with this. I struggled with this addiction since childhood and know full well the power it has over a man. Get honest with yourself and find help and accountability. If you suspect a guy has a problem in this area, confront him and give him this book. Some other great titles that deal with this are "Out of the Shadows" by Patrick Carnes and "At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry" by Steve Gallagher.
2. The Samson Syndrome by Mark Atteberry - This little book was a hidden treasure I found one day on a bookshelf. In it, Atteberry does a great job of looking at the character of Samson and the struggles he faced that are common to most men today. All our lives we are told to be "strong men". However, there are some pitfalls to strong men that we need to be aware of. This book would be a great read for a small group of guys to discuss.
3. Point Man by Steve Farrar - I first read this book before I became a husband and father and was radically convicted even then. It's a great book on designed to encourage men to take the front lines in the battle for their families. Farrar knows how to speak and write to men. Other great titles by Farrar are "Finishing Strong," "King Me," and "Anchor Man".
4. The Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley - Morley leads probably the best para-church ministry designed to disciple men I have ever seen. This book has been around for about 20 years. It's filled with practical and spiritual help on facing the 24 most common challenges that men face.
5. The Secrets Men Keep by Steven Arterburn - Men are great at keeping secrets - not just from their wives, but from each other as well. Most men don't know how to be good stewards of money, be a spiritual leader, how to really love a woman, bond with other men, or measure success. This book addresses those challenges and more. Arterburn is a great leader in the men's ministry movement.
6. Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes - Kent Hughes is a pastor and one of the most gifted biblical expositors of the last 50 years. He's also great at helping provide strong biblical counsel to the issue of spiritual discipline and godly leadership. This book has also been around for almost 20 years, but is not well known in today's modern men's movement.
7. Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis - Lewis has started one of the most successful men's movements of the past 20 years in Men's Fraternity. However, before that, he wrote this book to help men know how to craft and imprint a definition of manhood to their sons. This book is more than just theory. It's the testimony of Lewis and his two friends who took the challenge to impart a biblical manhood to their sons and create ceremonies to celebrate. I have taken lots of guys through this book and it's phenomenal.
8. Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley - Everybody cheats somewhere. You either cheat your family or you cheat your work or you cheat your church. However, each and every day we make choices of what's going to take priority in our lives. However, not only do you make choices to borrow time and energy from one place and give it to another, but someone along the way is going to feel cheated. The reality is that you choose who feels cheated. That's the theme of this small, practical book. I would suggest this book for every guy who's running the rat race, having to be away from the family for days throughout the week, or who is so consumed in work that he's distant even when he's home.
9. The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges - Bridges is one of my favorite authors. He brings a lot of Scripture and hope to the task of following Jesus. I have read this book about 3 times. It's awesome. The truth is that holiness is not only possible for us, it's commanded of us. Therefore, we should not make it secondary. This book will provide a lot of help for the task.
10. The Silence of Adam by Larry Crabb - This is another book that's been around for a few years but that most men have never heard of. The reality is that just like Adam, most men are passive at the task of spiritual leadership. They remain silent and unable to adequately define what it really means to be a man. In the process, most men are guessing at manhood, and guessing extremely badly. Adam's silence was deadly and caused an infection to the whole human race. However, men, you can break free from the silence and discover a true biblical manhood. This book will help you.

Of course, on top of all of these books, the greatest men's manual of all is God's word. It is full of stories of true men. Men who led they family well and those who failed and turned it around. It shows us the warrior spirits of men like Joshua and Gideon. It shows us the godly leadership of Nehemiah and Moses. It shows us the missionary spirit of Paul and the wisdom of Solomon. I would suggest a healthy digestion of God's word in addition to any of the books recommended above. Get one of them today for yourself of someone you know.

Monday Morning Clarity (Two Weeks Worth)

Well it's been about two weeks since I was able to post anything to the blog. Mostly because I have been on the road the past two weeks. I spent three days at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. (I hope to post some of the insights I gained there soon). Then, my wife and I had the opportunity to get away without the kids to the beach for 4 days last week. I spent a lot of time reading, thinking, and shopping and eating. It was a great and refreshing time. Because of the vacation, I couldn't get the Monday Morning Clarity last week, so I will give 2 weeks worth today.

• We are going strong in our series "Amazed By Grace". I am having a lot of fun preaching on the grace of God. Last week we looked at "Costly Grace" and the atonement. It's nothing less than amazing to see the depths that God was willing to go to secure our salvation. This week we looked at Romans 8 and the wonderful message that "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." It was a message of hope and freedom.
• Lea Odom and our choir knocked one out of the park yesterday with "Revelation Song". It was an awesome and powerful reminder of the holiness of God. Thanks choir for showing us a glimpse of God's glory.
• We are having a kickoff this Wednesday for our AWANA ministry. There is a lot of excitement about bringing this program back and putting it on Wednesday nights. It will hopefully make us a lot more "family-friendly" on Wednesdays and open the door for us to minister to more families.
• As I am typing, we have Children's Choir going on. Since we moved it to Monday we have seen a good growth and have had new kids almost every week. What a blessing to see a team of workers committed to teaching our kids to sing and providing a quality program.
• I had a great meeting with our deacons last night. What a fantastic group of men who have a heart to be godly leaders. I believe that exciting days are ahead for Sixth Street and this group of men will have a big part to play in it. Thanks to Melvin Smith for his leadership during the transition and to Jim Thomas for taking the reigns as Deacon Chairman.
• October is Pastor Appreciation Month and the church gave me a check yesterday morning. It was certainly undeserved since I've only been here three months. It's a lot of fun to be in the lead chair and see so much potential for the kingdom. In some ways, I feel like I have been on one long Pastor Appreciation since I got here. So many have been generous to buy my family lunch on Sundays, to bring cakes by, to offer such kind words. It verifies to me what a quality group of people call Sixth Street home.
• After being at Catalyst, I have a greater burden for Sixth Street and for myself to make a bigger impact on social issues globally. The church took up the World Hunger banks from SBC and have already collected over $1000 in lose change for the World Hunger Fund. Alison and I have also been convicted recently to sponsor a child through Compassion International. We have done so in the past but haven't renewed it recently. We, as Christ-followers, have such an opportunity to help a child in another country with basic necessities and the opportunity to hear the gospel. If you would like more info, check out the Compassion website.

I'll leave you today with this one great quote from Charles Swindoll at Catalyst:

"Tradition is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of those now living."

A Grace-filled Reminder

I just returned last night from a great week at Catalyst in Atlanta. This was my third time going and by far was the best one I've been to yet. I have lots to dump out later on, but I wanted to let you know one of the most impactful moments was the Thursday night session with Francis Chan and a guy named Aaron Keyes. I had not had the privilege of hearing and worshipping with Aaron, but what an anointed, Scripture-filled worship leader - a fresh face on the horizon. Keyes shared a song called "Not Guilty Anymore" that floored me. I want to leave you with the lyrics:

Not Guilty Anymore by Aaron Keyes
It doesn't matter what you've done;
It doesn't matter where you're coming from
Doesn't matter where you've been
Hear me tell you I forgive

You're not guilty anymore,
You're not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You're not broken anymore,
You're not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

Can you believe that this is true,
Grace abundant I am giving you
Cleansing deeper than you know
All was paid for long ago

You're not guilty anymore,
You're not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You're not broken anymore,
You're not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

There is now therefore no condemnation
For those who are in him

You are spotless, You are holy
You are faultess, You are whole
You are righteous, You are blameless
You are pardoned, You are mine

You're not guilty anymore,
You're not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You're not broken anymore,
You're not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

What a powerful reminder of the beauty of grace and forgiveness. Get this CD and saturate yourself in the grace of Christ.

Most Memorable Sports Moment #1

I realized the other day as I scrolled down my blog that I hadn't finished this series I started and in the process, left out the most important sports moment. With no further delay here it is:

Red Sox Defeat Yankees in the 2004 ALCS
That's right. No doubt the biggest moment I have experienced as a sports fan was the improbable comeback in the 2004 ALCS. One year earlier, I was in a hotel in Atlanta when Aaron Boone become infamous and put the Red Sox out of the playoffs. I watched anxiously most of the 2004 season believing that with the addition of Curt Schilling, the Red Sox could finally do it. I suffered through the predictable summer swoon that hits the Sox every year. I saw them fight back from behind the Yankees to secure the Wild Card. I watched the Division series with the Angels and saw Schilling's injury. I saw Big Papi begin his incredible Red Sox run with the game winning shot over the Green Monster securing their place in the ALCS.

Then, here came the Yankees. Every Red Sox fan believed that the Sox would have deliverance from the curse of the Bambino and revenge for the Boone hr a year before. However, those hopes were dashed and talk of the curse began again as the Yankees dominated the Red Sox in the first three games. Schilling looked hurt in game 1 and got shelled. The Sox lost 10-7. Game 2 was a pitcher's duel that Sox ace Pedro Martinez eventually lost. Game 3 was a humiliating loss of 19-8 in which the Yankees looked like the Bronx Bombers of old. It was official. The Yankees were going to win and go to the World Series. No team in history had ever come back from 3 games down in a best-of-seven series. I remember talking with my brother after game 3 and both of us couldn't believe it. We talked about how the Sox couldn't catch a break and how the Yankees got them all. We thought maybe the Sox would win game 4, but surely would lose game 5 or 6. The Yankees were just too good.

Then, the impossible became possible. Game 4 saw the Yankees in command throughout. The Sox took a 3-2 lead in the 5th, but lost it when the Yankees scored 2 in the 6th. Nothing happened until the ninth and the Yankees brought in the most dominant closer in playoff history - Mariano Rivera. Rivera walked Kevin Millar to start the inning and Dave Roberts was brought in to run for Millar. The biggest moment of the series was when Roberts stole second. Bill Mueller drove in Roberts to tie the game and Big Papi hit another walk-off, two-run home run in the 11th. Sox fans were excited, but still realistic that they were down 3-1.

Game 5 was another classic with the Yankees taking a 4-2 lead on a bases loaded hit by Jeter. Big Papi did it again with a single in the 10th and the Sox won again. Momentum was starting to shift and everyone began to believe. My brother and I were on the phone all night asking "Can they really do this?" Game 6 was one of the most incredible pitching performances ever with Curt Schilling pitching with a torn tendon sheath that was sewn to his right ankle to prevent it from moving but caused tremendous pain. On sheer will and adrenaline, he shut down the Yankees and the Sox won 4-2 to tie the series.

Game 7 in the Bronx was supposed to be a classic dramtic game, but the Sox struck early with hr's by Ortiz and Johnny Damon. The Sox cruised and won 10-3 never really being challenged. It was the most incredible feeling and event I had ever witnessed. The Red Sox had done the impossible, and done it against the Yankees - the evil empire. It ushered in the Red Sox as the most dominant team of the decade, reversed the curse of the Bambino, and propelled the Red Sox to the first World Series in 86 years. No matter what, this will probably be the greatest moment as a baseball fan I will ever experience. I know I have not been a lifer Sox fan. I had not endured personally all those years of frustration. However, on a cold night in October, I saw the impossible happen. Greatest Sports Moment #1 - Red Sox Comeback Against Yankees.

Monday Morning Clarity

Well, it feels like I have finally caught up and for the first time in weeks, I had the chance to be somewhat productive on Monday. Didn't have to deal with houses or feeling sick. We're still looking for a house here in Alex City, but hopefully we'll have something in the next couple of weeks.

• I started a new series yesterday at Sixth Street called "Amazed by Grace". I felt like it got off to a good start. We looked at what grace is and looked in depth at Ephesians 2:1-10. I was especially impacted by the depth that God had to go to secure my salvation. It wasn't just a matter of making me a better person or make what was deficient in my righteousness. I had no righteousness. He had to make my dead spirit alive by the work of Christ.
• Yesterday was Homecoming at Sixth Street and we celebrated our 59th anniversary. Looked like a great crowd with some new faces and some old members that choose to return. Lots of energy. However, we need to do a much better job at reaching and being ready for new people. We've got a great team of guys who serve as ushers and greeters. Need to do a better job as church members inviting and doing whatever it takes to get people there.
• We also celebrated Homecoming yesterday with the great Baptist tradition of the "Covered Dish Meal." One of my favorites. One thing I know is that Baptists can eat. That's one reason I couldn't see myself being anything else. What a great spirit among the people of Sixth Street celebrating around a meal. I couldn't help but think that on a larger scale, this was what the early church looked like, minus the fried chicken though.
• I can't wait to get to Catalyst Conference this week. My other two ministerial staff are joining me on the trip. I have been excited about this for months. I have been 2 other times and this is always one of the most creative and transforming times for me as a leader. Gonna have a chance to see some great old friends that are also going to be there.
• I am reading a couple of great books right now. One of them is "Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religions" by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. These guys are young and spot on with their theology and their ecclesiology. Very fresh young minds that aren't sold out to the emerging church and believe that sound doctrine and a love for the church are still important. I'll post a review of it with some highlights when I finish.
  

A Midweek Update

Still lots of crazy things happening around here that are keeping me from being consistent with my Monday morning updates. Some Mondays are so filled with catching up that I find myself late Monday night trying to come up with something. Anyway, here is a midweek update on life and ministry.

• Great Sunday this past weekend at Sixth Street. However, attendance continues to be sporadic and less than what I anticipated. We have been getting several visitor cards the last few weeks though. I hope that we can develop an attitude of anticipation that motivates our church members to be more faithful.
• My youth minister, Eric, preached for me Sunday night and did a pretty good job. He's young and eager to serve the kingdom and has a great future ahead of him. I know that one of the reasons I am where I am is because men like Mickey Dalrymple, Wes Cantrell, John Gibson, Scotty Hogan, and Les Hughes believed in me and nurtured in me ministry and opportunities to preach. I hope I can be as good at mentoring the next generation as those guys were to me.
• Sunday was my birthday. It was a great one. I turned 41. Lots of great well-wishes from the congregation and someone even bought our lunch at Pizza Hut. Then, Wednesday night, one of my church members brought me a pound cake! It was still warm when I cut into it. Mmmmmmmm!
• I am starting a new series this coming Sunday called "Amazed by Grace." I have been doing a lot of reading in the Scripture and in some great books on grace. It has been a wonderful and enriching time. I don't do it enough, but this kind of saturating in God's Word is great.
• One of the main reasons for the lack of postings has been our housing situations here and in Alabaster. This past Tuesday, we drove back to Alabaster and signed the paperwork to sell our house. It was a huge blessing. Our house sold in 2 months from putting it on the market to pocketing the money! (And this in a down house market) Many thanks to our realtor Tim Mitchell. He did a great job! Check out his website at timmitchellsells.com. Now we have to find a house here. We are back to square one in our search, but I hope we will put a contact down on something in the next week.
• I am challenged each and every day by my need to be a more effective father. God has blessed me with three incredible gifts and I am way too passive in their spiritual development. They have been very challenging lately. I know this is in part to the chaos of moving, new schools, and an uncertain housing situation. Alison and I are starting a new book from Kevin Leman that looks great. It's called "Have a New Kid by Friday." I also have to start being much more proactive with starting and being consistent with family devotions. I want them to be students of God's Word and they need to get that from me. Much prayer is appreciated on this.
• I am trying to be more active in getting out of the office and visiting some of our dear saints that can no longer attend church. I got out to three of them yesterday afternoon and it was a major blessing for me.
• It's a great time of the year sports-wise. The Red Sox clinched the wild-card berth this week and start the playoffs next Wednesday. I got to go to the MSU/LSU game for my birthday. So close! It was a great rocking environment. Good days are ahead in Starkville!

That's about all so far for this week. Lots of stuff on my mind and I hope to have some time to do a mind-dump later on this week.

A Review of If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn

My latest book to read and review was If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn. I was really looking forward to this book because I have always admired Alcorn's work. He's always biblically and theologically sound while at the same time dealing with real questions that real people ask. This book was no exception.

This is a summary of the book from the publisher:

"Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?
These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all."

This book is a huge volume - 494 pages. However, the chapters are short enough to be read and digested in one sitting. They are also comprehensive, covering just about any topic or question someone might raise about the questions of evil and suffering. Alcorn has done his homework on this topic. The reader can tell that these are questions that are important to the author. He wants to present a biblically sound answer to the questions that rock the faith of believers and present real challenges to the faith of unbelievers. Alcorn is also honest enough in his presentation to show that the lack of real faith in unbelievers actually helps to increase their frustration with God on this topic. His purpose in this book is not only to show what Scripture has to say about evil and suffering, but to show that the Christian faith presents the best defense of these issues and the only real basis for hope in the midst of the pain. He does not try to be a public defender for God. He allows God's word to speak for itself.

Alcorn's book is the best I have ever seen on this sticky subject. Most of the books I have seen either present a mushy defense that is heavily weighted on a loving God or read like theological defense with about as much readability as a the congressional tax code with little compassion for the deep questions and pain that people experience. Alcorn uses a lot of relevant stories of suffering and how those who experienced them found real hope in the Christian faith. This book should be on every pastor's shelf and should be the basis for a relevant sermon series on this topic for his flock.

You can see the book here: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421326

Monday Morning Clarity

Seems like the Monday morning clarity is hard to get going on Monday recently. Yesterday (Monday) I spent all day in Alabaster packing up stuff to prepare for the movers that will come soon and take it all away. So, no blogging yesterday, but a lot of time for personal thought as I was driving.

Housing Update: We have a contract on our house in Alabaster and were supposed to close this Friday, Sept 25. However, their is a delay and it looks like closing is pushed back to next week. Which...affects the closing on the house we are trying to buy here. We have not been able to set a firm closing date b/c of the uncertainty on our house in Alabaster. All said, hopefully we will close on both houses next week and can begin moving into our new house in early October.

Now on to other thoughts:

• Great Sunday morning at Sixth Street. The crowd was still a little smaller than I had hoped. I think some of the college football games are affecting attendance - especially the late night Auburn games. However, the atmosphere of those here was great. Good job by the praise team and choir. I appreciated Adam's lead-in to "From the Inside Out" and Whitney Patterson did an awesome job on the vocals.
• I preached Sunday morning on the Parable of the Ten Virgins and being prepared for the coming Kingdom. The main takeaway was "What gets me into church isn't what necessarily gets me into the kingdom." Felt a lot of freedom in the message.
• We'll be wrapping up the "Kindoms Collide" series this weekend and I am working on the next sermon series. Hope to have it mapped out by the end of the week, but with all the closing stuff on the houses, no promises.
• Sunday night was a great time of fellowship and food at the Family Life Meeting. Baptists and covered dishes go hand-in-hand. I also told everyone that I am convinced that the Greek word for "chicken" is somewhere in the Acts 2 passage on the church. I've never seen so many combinations of chicken dishes.
• At the Family Life Meeting, I introduced to the church what I felt like should be our Core Values for Sixth Street. I have received good reviews so far and lots of positive comments about the future. I am convinced as we focus on the Word and develop a missional strategy to make disciples, God will bless Sixth Street. Lots of work to do between now and the end of the year.
• I'm really looking forward to the church's kickoff of AWANA beginning Oct 21. Our church needs to have a program to help disciple children and reach families. I am glad for the volunteers that have stepped up to the plate.
• I am digging my weekly disciple group with two guys from the church. It's great to meet with other guys to talk about being better followers of Jesus. The success or failure of the church will be how well we can reach men and disciple them.

Gonna put a post up tomorrow about a review of If God is Good by Randy Alcorn. It's a great read.