Wondered what Jack Bauer has been doing since he walked away at the end of season 8?
Sep 26, 2012
Sep 25, 2012
When Leaders Blow the Call
Last night an epically bad call by replacement officials cost the Green Bay Packers a football game. I didn't see the end of the game live, but I saw a sudden barrage of tweets as I was going to bed all lamenting the call and calling on Roger Goodell to end the referee holdout. I saw the play repeated numerous times this morning on several morning shows. It brought to mind several thoughts. What do we do when those we trust in leadership let us down? What are we supposed to think and feel when someone blows a call, not just in a football game, but in a strategic business or church decision? In reality, this was a football game. It did cost a team a victory, but lives aren't at stake and financial resources aren't at risk. Here are some thoughts off the top of my head. These are questions I think we can learn from moments like this.
1. Are the right people in place to make the right call? - The first thing we notice from this situation is that the men that were on the field last night in the striped shirts really didn't belong on that field to begin with. These men love football. They obviously love to officiate football. They were hired into this toxic environment because other men are fighting over money and benefits. But, they are not the right people to be on the field at this time. They are in this position as a substitute for the right people.
In the church world, we often have the right people in the wrong places or the wrong people in critical places in the organization. We place people on leadership teams because they are nice people. Or they are long-time members. Or they make the most noise. However, when it comes time to make a decision, they make the wrong decision because they weren't supposed to be in that position to begin with. I have also seen this dynamic at work in professional ministry. I am growing increasingly convinced that one of the reasons for high turnover and burnout in the church world is that many who are working in full-time ministry aren't supposed to be there to begin with. They may love God. They may love the church. But passion isn't the sole quality of a leader. Passion without competency is a naive attempt destined to fail.
2. Have the people on the field been trained to do their job properly? The officials that were in the game last night have been trained to officiate football. However, their training was in a different environment - perhaps high school football, perhaps lower collegiate ranks. These men were not trained to officiate the complex rules of the NFL at the speed at which this game is played. In the last few weeks we have seen officials out of position to make calls. Last night as the play finished, one official signaled one thing and the second signaled the opposite. One of them look dumfounded at what call to make and was obviously just guessing - and he was the one who guessed right!
It's easy to see these guys weren't trained. However, in the church world, we are guilty of this all the time. We ask for people to volunteer to teach a class and then we give them a book and a roll and say "Good luck!" We don't think through all the complexities of volunteering for a job. We take for granted that they know many of the same things about the job that we do. And when they do a poor job, we criticize the leader instead of evaluate the process. I have been guilty of this far too often. I have written off some very dedicated leaders early in my ministry because I was pitiful at training volunteers. We often throw volunteers into the fray without thinking through our policies and training them on how to make critical calls regarding parents, security, answering tough theological questions, etc. It's so easy to see in other organizations, but often so hard to see in ours because we think we've done all we can do.
On a personal note, let me speak to my pastor friends as well. If you are in ministry, you need training. You are not an expert just because you have the title of pastor and the biggest office. Your calling and gifts are not enough. There is a dangerous trend emerging in ministry where I see a lot of young ministers who are "foregoing" seminary in order to attach themselves to a gifted leader or church and learn from them. I have heard too many successful pastors belittle the seminary and education process. It is true that a lot of the practical things I learned in ministry, I learned outside of the seminary classroom. There were many areas of working in the church I felt very unprepared for. I am grateful that God placed some gifted and seasoned leaders in my life that gave me practical advice and examples. However, there is also a price that needs to be paid in learning to be a leader. In older days when a young man apprenticed himself to a tradesman, he spent many hours learning valuable lessons. He paid his dues. I am afraid that a lot of young leaders are so frustrated with the ineffectiveness of many churches that they impatiently jump over some hoops in the process that will make them better equipped. If you are called to pastor a church, you are accountable for the theological depth of that congregation. That will not come from just reading John Piper books. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) I am not suggesting that seminary is a "must" for everyone. However, don't put off seminary just because you are trying to do "real ministry." And don't put off stretching yourself with hard training because of fear or laziness. If you have been to seminary, don't think that your degree is the end of your training. Be a student of leadership. Find ways to improve your skills. Create for yourself a personal improvement plan.
3. What do you do when a obvious mistake is made? It will be interesting in the next few days to see where this goes. Fans, players, and coaches are frustrated. Ultimately, the buck stops in the NFL commissioner's office to get the problem resolved and get the best men in place to call the game. How will leader's react to such a volatile situation?
I believe one of the critical moments for us as leaders is not how we handle success, but how we handle failure. What will we do when we make a decision and it backfires? How will we handle accountability for our decision? Will we try to spin the issue by saying "We did the best we could with the information at the time"? Will we stubbornly dig our heels in and insist that the right call was made even when it's obvious to everyone else? We don't usually have the luxury (or tyranny) of instant replay. When we as a leader make a mistake, it is often what happens in the next few moments that will define our leadership in the organization. And, we as leaders make a lot more mistakes than we like to admit.
What other questions come to mind for you about bad leadership decisions at critical times?
1. Are the right people in place to make the right call? - The first thing we notice from this situation is that the men that were on the field last night in the striped shirts really didn't belong on that field to begin with. These men love football. They obviously love to officiate football. They were hired into this toxic environment because other men are fighting over money and benefits. But, they are not the right people to be on the field at this time. They are in this position as a substitute for the right people.
In the church world, we often have the right people in the wrong places or the wrong people in critical places in the organization. We place people on leadership teams because they are nice people. Or they are long-time members. Or they make the most noise. However, when it comes time to make a decision, they make the wrong decision because they weren't supposed to be in that position to begin with. I have also seen this dynamic at work in professional ministry. I am growing increasingly convinced that one of the reasons for high turnover and burnout in the church world is that many who are working in full-time ministry aren't supposed to be there to begin with. They may love God. They may love the church. But passion isn't the sole quality of a leader. Passion without competency is a naive attempt destined to fail.
2. Have the people on the field been trained to do their job properly? The officials that were in the game last night have been trained to officiate football. However, their training was in a different environment - perhaps high school football, perhaps lower collegiate ranks. These men were not trained to officiate the complex rules of the NFL at the speed at which this game is played. In the last few weeks we have seen officials out of position to make calls. Last night as the play finished, one official signaled one thing and the second signaled the opposite. One of them look dumfounded at what call to make and was obviously just guessing - and he was the one who guessed right!
It's easy to see these guys weren't trained. However, in the church world, we are guilty of this all the time. We ask for people to volunteer to teach a class and then we give them a book and a roll and say "Good luck!" We don't think through all the complexities of volunteering for a job. We take for granted that they know many of the same things about the job that we do. And when they do a poor job, we criticize the leader instead of evaluate the process. I have been guilty of this far too often. I have written off some very dedicated leaders early in my ministry because I was pitiful at training volunteers. We often throw volunteers into the fray without thinking through our policies and training them on how to make critical calls regarding parents, security, answering tough theological questions, etc. It's so easy to see in other organizations, but often so hard to see in ours because we think we've done all we can do.
On a personal note, let me speak to my pastor friends as well. If you are in ministry, you need training. You are not an expert just because you have the title of pastor and the biggest office. Your calling and gifts are not enough. There is a dangerous trend emerging in ministry where I see a lot of young ministers who are "foregoing" seminary in order to attach themselves to a gifted leader or church and learn from them. I have heard too many successful pastors belittle the seminary and education process. It is true that a lot of the practical things I learned in ministry, I learned outside of the seminary classroom. There were many areas of working in the church I felt very unprepared for. I am grateful that God placed some gifted and seasoned leaders in my life that gave me practical advice and examples. However, there is also a price that needs to be paid in learning to be a leader. In older days when a young man apprenticed himself to a tradesman, he spent many hours learning valuable lessons. He paid his dues. I am afraid that a lot of young leaders are so frustrated with the ineffectiveness of many churches that they impatiently jump over some hoops in the process that will make them better equipped. If you are called to pastor a church, you are accountable for the theological depth of that congregation. That will not come from just reading John Piper books. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) I am not suggesting that seminary is a "must" for everyone. However, don't put off seminary just because you are trying to do "real ministry." And don't put off stretching yourself with hard training because of fear or laziness. If you have been to seminary, don't think that your degree is the end of your training. Be a student of leadership. Find ways to improve your skills. Create for yourself a personal improvement plan.
3. What do you do when a obvious mistake is made? It will be interesting in the next few days to see where this goes. Fans, players, and coaches are frustrated. Ultimately, the buck stops in the NFL commissioner's office to get the problem resolved and get the best men in place to call the game. How will leader's react to such a volatile situation?
I believe one of the critical moments for us as leaders is not how we handle success, but how we handle failure. What will we do when we make a decision and it backfires? How will we handle accountability for our decision? Will we try to spin the issue by saying "We did the best we could with the information at the time"? Will we stubbornly dig our heels in and insist that the right call was made even when it's obvious to everyone else? We don't usually have the luxury (or tyranny) of instant replay. When we as a leader make a mistake, it is often what happens in the next few moments that will define our leadership in the organization. And, we as leaders make a lot more mistakes than we like to admit.
What other questions come to mind for you about bad leadership decisions at critical times?
Sep 20, 2012
New Trailer for "The Hobbit"
A new trailer was released this week for the new Peter Jackson film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey". This looks impressive and should be a great flick.
"Refined" Sins
I am leading a Wednesday night class at my church through Jerry Bridges book The Discipline of Grace. I read this book about five years ago for the first time. It had a huge impact on helping me rediscover the gospel and the power of grace. Last night we were discussing chapter 2 in the book "The Pharisee and the Tax Collector". As the title suggests, it is about Jesus parable in Luke 18. It is easy on this side of the cross and the New Testament to see the obvious judgmentalism and hypocrisy of the Pharisee. It's always easier to see Pharisaism in others, but it's often impossible to see in ourselves.
Also in this chapter, Bridges has a very good section on what he calls "refined sins" that we don't often talk about in church. Here is an excerpt:
Bridges also identifies other "refined" sins that are not always frowned on as much in the church. Some of these include resentment, bitterness, an unforgiving spirit towards others, impatience, and irritability. Bridges does a masterful job reminding us that while some sins have greater degrees of consequence or horror in our eyes, all sin grieves God. The sin of gossip grieves God as much as the sin of murder. The sin of bitterness grieves God as much as the sin of sexual abuse. We must never make lighter of our sin just because we have done a good job avoiding the "biggies".
Can you think of some other "refined" sins that you can think of that we often tolerate, excuse, or turn a blind eye to in the church?
Also in this chapter, Bridges has a very good section on what he calls "refined sins" that we don't often talk about in church. Here is an excerpt:
"A large part of our problem as evangelical believers is that we have defined sin in its more obvious forms-forms of which we are not guilty. We think of sin in terms of sexual immorality, drunkenness, lying, cheating, stealing, and murder...Most often our sin problem is in the area I call "refined" sins. These are the sins of nice people, sins that we can regularly commit and still retain our positions as elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and yes even full-time Christian workers."Bridges then goes on to identify some of these more insipid sins that many of us as Christian believers will commit and then quickly excuse or ignore. One of these is a critical and judgmental spirit. Bridges talks about how so often we don't take seriously Christ's warning to remove our log before we try to examine the speck in another person's eye. Many in the Christian church make it a continual part of their character to criticize and put down others, especially other Christians with whom they may have theological differences. Often I picture the world looking at us like the two curmudgeons from the Muppet Show who never have a kind word to say. Another refined sin identified by Bridges is gossip, "the endless recounting and passing on of the sins and misfortunes of others. We seem to get a perverse delight out of being the bearer of bad news about other people." Bridges reminds us of Paul's admonishment in Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." If we really take that Scripture seriously, then we are not to use the words of our mouth to ever speak to or about someone unless we are doing it for their benefit and building them up in the faith. In my opinion, that would solve many of the conflicts we have in churches today.
Bridges also identifies other "refined" sins that are not always frowned on as much in the church. Some of these include resentment, bitterness, an unforgiving spirit towards others, impatience, and irritability. Bridges does a masterful job reminding us that while some sins have greater degrees of consequence or horror in our eyes, all sin grieves God. The sin of gossip grieves God as much as the sin of murder. The sin of bitterness grieves God as much as the sin of sexual abuse. We must never make lighter of our sin just because we have done a good job avoiding the "biggies".
Can you think of some other "refined" sins that you can think of that we often tolerate, excuse, or turn a blind eye to in the church?
Sep 14, 2012
Around the Internet
Here are some great posts and articles I think would be well worth the read.
Life: A Fabulous Choice - This is a great post by my friend Jenny Funderburke. I worked with Jenny for many years and didn't know this part of her story. This is a great post to remind us when demagogues stand up and cheer the ending of life in the name of a "woman's right" that there are much larger things at stake than "rights".
Why Little Kids Need Big Bible Words - I appreciate this post by Trevin Wax. Trevin is one of the editors for The Gospel Project from Lifeway. We are using this new curriculum with our kids and youth ministry here at SSBC. I am glad to know these guys believe that even if the kids can't understand the word now, we are planting seeds for gospel growth later.
I'm Christian...Can I Vote for a Mormon? This post by Denny Burk has a great video panel discussion from Southern Seminary to help people really understand the foundations of Mormonism and our political tensions as Christ-followers. This is a vitally important topic that is causing a lot of tension for many in the church. This video is a must watch. These guys say it much better than I can.
Last Ounce of Courage - There is a new movie coming out this weekend that you may not have heard about yet. It's called "Last Ounce of Courage" and it looks pretty good. There was a free preview here in Alex City last night for pastors, but I couldn't go. However, I have heard from some of the pastors that went and they highly encouraged us to let people know this is a great movie to see. If you are looking for a movie to watch this weekend, I would suggest this instead of some junk about demon possession.
I just saw on some other's blog today that a trailer has just been released for the new movie on Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg coming out this fall. This looks pretty good.
Life: A Fabulous Choice - This is a great post by my friend Jenny Funderburke. I worked with Jenny for many years and didn't know this part of her story. This is a great post to remind us when demagogues stand up and cheer the ending of life in the name of a "woman's right" that there are much larger things at stake than "rights".
Why Little Kids Need Big Bible Words - I appreciate this post by Trevin Wax. Trevin is one of the editors for The Gospel Project from Lifeway. We are using this new curriculum with our kids and youth ministry here at SSBC. I am glad to know these guys believe that even if the kids can't understand the word now, we are planting seeds for gospel growth later.
I'm Christian...Can I Vote for a Mormon? This post by Denny Burk has a great video panel discussion from Southern Seminary to help people really understand the foundations of Mormonism and our political tensions as Christ-followers. This is a vitally important topic that is causing a lot of tension for many in the church. This video is a must watch. These guys say it much better than I can.
Last Ounce of Courage - There is a new movie coming out this weekend that you may not have heard about yet. It's called "Last Ounce of Courage" and it looks pretty good. There was a free preview here in Alex City last night for pastors, but I couldn't go. However, I have heard from some of the pastors that went and they highly encouraged us to let people know this is a great movie to see. If you are looking for a movie to watch this weekend, I would suggest this instead of some junk about demon possession.
I just saw on some other's blog today that a trailer has just been released for the new movie on Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg coming out this fall. This looks pretty good.
3-2-1 The Gospel
This is an excellent video I found online that explains the gospel in a powerful way. Use this to remind yourself of the gospel truth and also to share with a friend and co-worker for discussion.
321 from Jeremy Poyner on Vimeo.
321 from Jeremy Poyner on Vimeo.
Aug 29, 2012
Thoughts from Boston
Last week, my wife and I got to take a little "pre-anniversary" trip to Boston, MA. 2012 marks 15 years of marriage for Alison and me. Our actual anniversary isn't until November, but we booked a couple of smaller trips this year instead of one big expensive trip. It was a very refreshing time for both of us. This is one of the few times since my oldest son Nathan was born that we both got away without kids and without an agenda. Earlier this year, we talked and decided to go to Boston for several reasons. One, my wife had never been to Fenway Park and by hanging out with me, she has become a pretty good Red Sox fan. She has mentioned a couple of times the last 2-3 years that she wanted me one day to take her to a game there. We also selected Boston because Alison had never been to it and I had only been once. Alison loves to visit bigger cities that have lots of shopping and historical stuff. So the combination of the city and the game made this a good choice for us. Although the Red Sox are playing very bad baseball, this is a great time of year to visit Boston. The weather was very nice. The universities are starting back, so there is a lot of bustle near Fenway. We stayed at the Hotel Buckminster which is across the Mass Turnpike from Fenway Park. (The picture is actually the view from my hotel room.) This is an old, historic hotel in downtown Boston. This gave our visit a very historical feel. There is a room in this hotel which is the room where the conversation began that resulted in the 1918 Black Sox scandal where the World Series was fixed.
Boston is a city with a tremendous historical and cultural heritage. The streets of Boston are the site where much of the unrest developed and boiled over that resulted eventually in the American Revolution. One day, Alison and I walked the "Freedom Trial" which is a 2.5 mile walk through the old parts of town where much of American history was made. We visited the Old North Church where Paul Revere saw the lanterns that warned of British troop movements. We visited the Boston Harbor, the Old State House, the sight of the Boston Massacre, Park Street Church, and a cemetery where Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock are buried. We also saw a tremendous amount of cultural diversity in the city. Boston is a blend of many culture compacted in a small space. There are areas where every restaurant is Italian and others that are dominated by Irish pubs. There were several Muslims we passed tons of different cultural backgrounds that we rode with on the subway. Here are a few of my observations from our trip around this city.
1. Boston and New England are spiritually dark places - I have grown up and spent most of my ministry in the cultural "Bible belt" of the Southeast. In this part of the country, there are churches on every corner and almost everyone you talk to is "a member" of a church somewhere and "believes" in Jesus. Most of the time, we spend most of our ministry as church leaders trying to keep church members happy. Most of our membership change is sheep from other pastures who decided that their former church isn't for them anymore. In many ways, church members in the South treat church like they do restaurants they frequent. If the service is good and the meal meets their needs, they will tip the church and come back later. However, as soon as the service or food gets bad, they decide to search for somewhere else to dine. In the area where I minister, we have access to thousands of people who, in reality, have no saving relationship with Christ. We pass by them, but don't really see them because we are trying to "feed the flock." If a church in my association has 15-20 baptisms in a year, that is mega-growth.
However, in Boston, things are much different. In my four days there, I probably passed by three to four times more people than live in my county. I would venture that 98% of them have no knowledge of Jesus or the gospel. Jesus Christ is, for many of them, a punctuation to a sentence. As I walked around the city, I could sense the spiritual oppression and the hopelessness that comes when all our hope is built in the things of this world. The New England prides itself on being a place of cultural and religious diversity and of educational elitism. Unfortunately, this has also created a culture that is very intolerant of the biblical message of the gospel. The answer for the spiritual darkness Boston is finding a generation of genuine disciples of Jesus Christ that live and vocalize their faith one at a time.
2. There is hope in the midst of the darkness - One of the ironies that hit me is that this spiritual darkness hasn't always been the case here. Boston and New England were once key hubs for the gospel in America. Much of the First Great Awakening took place here. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield preached and led many in this area to Christ. Many of the colleges that are in Boston were started as institutions for religious instruction. Many of the framers of the early American country were men of deep faith. We can't forget the place that Christian faith had in this area for many years. There is hope that Christ can reign again here. I still believe that Christ is "God of this City". During my visit, I met with a church planter named Juan Maclean. He and 6 others planted Redemption City Church in Boston a couple of years ago. They are living out their faith publicly and holding out the hope of the gospel. It is slow work, but they are being faithful to the cause and God is using them. Pray for them and for God to send more church planters to this area. Pray for God to raise up a generation of leaders that will not measure the success of their ministry by the size of their congregation, but by their impact on a city with the gospel.
3. The Great Commission in America necessitates that we create strategies that focus on pioneering missions and redeeming our great cities - I have been a Christian for a long time and a minister for 20 years. During that time, I have been way too content with crumbs when I should be leading my people to fresh bread. I have measured my success too much on creating "programs" that people like to attend instead of building "disciples" who impact my city and the world for the gospel. Our churches spend too much money on internal programs designed to entertain and inform our people. We have failed to call our people to sacrifice greatly to make sure that cities like Boston are being reached for the gospel. We have churches filled with people who call themselves Christians, but have a tremendous heart problem. Our people spend too much time and money on self-serving interests and want churches that "meet their needs". My church has a responsibility to reach our city for Christ. We have thousands of people in our city that are just as lost as the people of Boston. We need to identify them, pray for them, and engage them with the gospel. Then, we need to be sure to let everyone in our churches know that the gospel doesn't exist just for them. It is not a self-serving venture, but a self-sacrificing one. If we really believe that Jesus has changed us, then let's live like it.
We have way too much money spent on churches and ministries that have kept us inoculated in the South. I am not saying that these aren't good ministries. The problem is not the ministries our state conventions and associations have created. The problem is that the average Christian gives less than 3% to gospel related causes. This creates an issue where there is a huge limit on funds and everyone is fighting over the crumbs of pie left in the pan. We should have enough money in our churches to reach our communities with the gospel AND to plant thriving gospel-centered churches in Boston, New York, Chicago, Montana, and Oregon. We should have enough money and missional fortitude that every church in my Southern Baptist Convention should adopt and engage with one of the 6,000+ unreached people groups on our planet. The gospel we say we believe is powerful enough that all of our churches should have water in the baptistery and people being baptized every Sunday. We are called to "make disciples" and I think we can do much better.
I am thankful that God has graced me on a trip where I went thinking I would just watch a couple of baseball games, but instead I got a peek into a very different world. I am grateful that God has given me the honor of being a pastor and hope that I can be faithful to his call to make disciples in my local context while leading us to engage the world for Christ. Friends, the reality of lostness is all around us. If you live like I do in the cultural Christianity of the South, pray for God to open your heart to the reality of lostness and to shatter the safe castles that we have created that have kept us from engaging the world with the gospel. I believe that the Father's table still has plenty of open seats available for those who are hungry. Let's go tell them where they can find the true and lasting satisfaction for their soul.
Aug 25, 2012
Men of Sunday - A Book Review
Many of the names in this book will be very familiar to most sports fans - Tim Tebow, Tony Dungy, Ray Lewis, Trent Dilfer, LaDanian Tomlinson, Aaron Rodgers, and Mike Singletary. The author, Curtis Eichelberger, describes at the beginning of the book how the National Football league has become a place where the Christian faith is much more accepted and prevalent than in years past. He shows how a large number of the NFL's most successful athletes are men who are strong in the Christian faith. However, he also avoids the campy suggestion that these men are successful because they are Christians and that somehow God gives Christian players more success than non-Christians. Instead, he shows how the Christian faith drives many players to excel at the sport, to work hard to the glory of God, and to stay humble in spite of their success or failures. He also shows how these Christian players handle many tough topics such as being a husband and father, overcoming injury and adversity, dealing with the violent nature of the game, avoiding the multitude of temptations they face, and dealing with the nature of sudden transitions.
This book is a quick read which makes it a very good book for most men. It deals with subjects that are very relevant to all men, whether they are athletes or not. Most men will receive a great deal of encouragement from reading about how some of these men that they admire for their great athletic ability deal with issues that are common to all men. At times is reads like a manhood manual. It is filled with great advice and brings many practical scriptures to light. I have already thought of about 5 men I can pass this book onto that would benefit greatly from it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Aug 16, 2012
Five Books I Will Be Reading Soon
If you know me, you know that I read a lot. I am an crazy book collector and try to read most of them. I am constantly having to redo my bookshelves because of the new books I just bought or the ones I get free from conference. I collect more books than I read, but I still read a lot. I think reading is the key to learning and growing. One of my new fascinations is that I have found several web sites that allow you to get books for free from them if you agree to read them and write a blog about them. This is dangerous for me because giving me websites for free books is like giving me a box of hot Krispy Kremes and telling me to hold them till you get back. Here are five books I have picked up recently that are on my most immediate "to-read" list.
1. The President's Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy - I love biographies and learning fascinating trivia about presidents. I ordered this book before my vacation and started reading it in July. It's 600+ pages! It traces the relationships of sitting presidents with some of their living predecessors. Great background into this unique fraternity of great leaders.
2. Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley - This book is coming out in a couple of months for national release. Andy is a great leader and teacher on leadership. He is one of the clearest and best communicators I have ever heard. While there are times that I wish Andy would go deeper into some of the richness of gospel truths in his sermons, there is still much I learn from his leadership example. This book is the story of how Andy and his team started North Point and what are the guiding principles that helped them to reach so many people. Andy has taken a lot of criticism from some in the "gospel" camp, but whether you agree with him and the ministry of North Point or not, I believe there is a lot we can learn and take away from his story.
3. Gospel Deeps by Jared Wilson - I have recently become a big Jared Wilson fan. This is my book to counter the Andy Stanley reading. Jared has a vision and passion for the gospel that is infectious. He is a very talented writer who inspires me to know God better and to know his word deeper. Jared is the antithesis of the "big-church" pastor. He is content to live and preach the gospel in a small community church in rural New England where the work is hard but rewarding. If you haven't read Jared's book Gospel Wakefulness, you must put it in your query right now.
4. Men of Sunday by Curtis Eichelberger - This is one of the books I ordered from one of the book blogger websites. I chose this one because I am a huge sports fan and love to read the stories of athletes who love Christ. This book will help give me some stories to share with men about jocks who love Jesus.
5. Killing Calvinism by Greg Dutcher - Calvinism is the hot topic today, especially in the SBC. It's vastly caricatured by those on the non-Calvinist side and hotly embraced by those on the Calvinist side. I have very good friends and mentors on both sides of the debate. I avoid the labels because of the divisiveness it causes. However, as I read some people's online endorsement of this book and the description of it in Amazon, it sounded like a book that needed to be published a long time ago. I think many in the Calvinist movement turn people off their theology not because of the truth of it, but because of their approach and presentation of it. There are a small minority that feed the caricature of the non-Calvinists while many Bible-believing, gospel-centered, missionally-driven adherents are ignored or marginalized. I hope that reading this book will help me to be able to continue to build bridges between both parties.
1. The President's Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy - I love biographies and learning fascinating trivia about presidents. I ordered this book before my vacation and started reading it in July. It's 600+ pages! It traces the relationships of sitting presidents with some of their living predecessors. Great background into this unique fraternity of great leaders.
2. Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley - This book is coming out in a couple of months for national release. Andy is a great leader and teacher on leadership. He is one of the clearest and best communicators I have ever heard. While there are times that I wish Andy would go deeper into some of the richness of gospel truths in his sermons, there is still much I learn from his leadership example. This book is the story of how Andy and his team started North Point and what are the guiding principles that helped them to reach so many people. Andy has taken a lot of criticism from some in the "gospel" camp, but whether you agree with him and the ministry of North Point or not, I believe there is a lot we can learn and take away from his story.
3. Gospel Deeps by Jared Wilson - I have recently become a big Jared Wilson fan. This is my book to counter the Andy Stanley reading. Jared has a vision and passion for the gospel that is infectious. He is a very talented writer who inspires me to know God better and to know his word deeper. Jared is the antithesis of the "big-church" pastor. He is content to live and preach the gospel in a small community church in rural New England where the work is hard but rewarding. If you haven't read Jared's book Gospel Wakefulness, you must put it in your query right now.
4. Men of Sunday by Curtis Eichelberger - This is one of the books I ordered from one of the book blogger websites. I chose this one because I am a huge sports fan and love to read the stories of athletes who love Christ. This book will help give me some stories to share with men about jocks who love Jesus.
5. Killing Calvinism by Greg Dutcher - Calvinism is the hot topic today, especially in the SBC. It's vastly caricatured by those on the non-Calvinist side and hotly embraced by those on the Calvinist side. I have very good friends and mentors on both sides of the debate. I avoid the labels because of the divisiveness it causes. However, as I read some people's online endorsement of this book and the description of it in Amazon, it sounded like a book that needed to be published a long time ago. I think many in the Calvinist movement turn people off their theology not because of the truth of it, but because of their approach and presentation of it. There are a small minority that feed the caricature of the non-Calvinists while many Bible-believing, gospel-centered, missionally-driven adherents are ignored or marginalized. I hope that reading this book will help me to be able to continue to build bridges between both parties.
Aug 15, 2012
The Ring Makes All the Difference - A Book Review
Into this picture, enter the book The Ring Makes All the Difference by Glenn Stanton. Stanton makes a strong and compelling case, based on years of sociological data compiled at many of our countries leading schools, that there is a strong difference between the relational quality of people who are married and those who choose to live together. The statistics and data given in this book are deep and hard to ignore. This is not a "religious" book based on "religious" statistics. Much of Stanton's data come from secular sociologists who have compiled data for over 20 years about relational quality, lifestyle practices, and relational satisfaction between those who have chosen the path of cohabitation versus those who have chosen marriage. Not all marriages studied were necessarily those of Christians. The results are not surprising, but overwhelming support that the marriage commitment makes a considerable difference for the better over cohabitation.
This book is a must read for pastors. This book is a must read for older teenagers and college students. This book is a must read if you have a person in your life that is either in a situation of cohabitation or is considering it. While some might think that the book has an overly "Christian" slant, it does not. While Stanton is a believer and does work for Focus on the Family, he saves his biblical argument until the end of the book after presenting a virtual mountain of secular data that support his thesis. It's time for the church to awaken and address this issue, and this book is a great way to do it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Moody Publishers, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Aug 13, 2012
You Really Want to Follow Jesus?
I have been preaching for almost a year now through the Gospel of Luke. We have been going walking through this gospel asking the question "What is the good news (gospel) that Luke is trying to tell us and how does that affect our lives?" The past 2 Sundays we have been in one of the most pivotal moments in the gospel in Luke 9:18-27. At this point in his ministry, Jesus takes his mentorship of the disciples and his requirements for following him to a different level. He asks the disciples the most important question that everyone has to face in life, "Who do you say that I am?" Everything in life revolves around getting that answer right. It's the final exam question that determines whether we pass or fail. If you get the wrong answer to that question, the rest of your life will be off course with God.
Peter boldly gives the correct answer, "You are the Christ of God." That answer has multiple layers of implications to it. If Jesus is not the Christ, the Son of God, then following him is useless. He was either extremely delusional or deceptive. However, if Jesus really is the Christ, and you truly believe that, then there are dramatic implications on our lives that follow. That is why Jesus then gives them the first proclamation of the gospel in verse 22 and then gives them very costly consequences of obedience and following him in verse 23.
Based on this text, I saw three essential elements of true salvation and three essential elements of true discipleship that I preached these past two weeks.
2. True Salvation Requires a Deep Conviction in the Gospel of Christ (verse 21-22) - After Peter correctly answered the question about Jesus' personhood, Jesus then gave them a clear proclamation about his work. We have to fully understand both Jesus person and his work for the gospel to make sense to us. Jesus tells his disciples that he will be handed over to the religious leaders and killed and rise again three days later. In Matthew's gospel, he records that at this point Peter tries to interrupt Jesus and tell him that cannot happen. This is not the "Christ" or "Messiah" that Peter and the others had in mind. It's a reminder that we can know the truth about who Jesus is, but completely miss the truth of what he came to do. Being truly saved means that we feel a deep conviction in our life about the gospel, that we trust in Christ's payment for our sin, that we by faith fully rely on his work on the cross and trust him as Savior and Lord.
3. True Salvation Requires a Radical Commitment to Follow After Christ (verse 23-26) - Jesus then ties into the statement about the gospel the radical consequences of those who want to follow him. He says in essence, "I am going to Jerusalem where they are going to kill me, but I will rise again. Now, if you want to follow me, forget about yourself, take up your cross, and come on." This is radical obedience. And, this is the radical obedience that has been missing for the most part in churches in the American culture for a long time. I will break these down a little further below in the sermon I preached yesterday.
1. True Discipleship Requires a Determined Submission to Follow After Christ (verse 23) - Jesus has already said that the path of following him ends in death and resurrection. If we want salvation, we have to be willing to die to self and be born again in new life. Jesus makes this clear when he says if we follow him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Self-denial means saying "good-bye" to your former life before meeting Christ. It means putting your agenda in submission to him. Taking up your cross is not just having to deal with the troubles of this world, but a complete and daily dying to self. It means daily confessing that "I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live." Following him means that we go where Jesus goes. We don't determine the direction of our lives.
2. True Discipleship Requires a Complete Surrender to the Cause of Christ (verse 24-25) - Jesus says that we cannot try to live our lives in such a way to accumulate things for our own significance. If we try to "save" our lives by our own effort, we will lose them. But if we "lose" our life in complete surrender to Christ, we find true salvation and purpose as God designed us. He further illustrates this question with a tragic picture of a man who achieves all the earthly success that he is longing for, but has to give up his eternal soul in the process. We cannot be surrendered to Jesus and sold out to the things of this world at the same time.
3. True Discipleship Requires a Courageous Identification with the Person of Christ (verse 26) - Finally, Jesus says that we cannot live our lives ashamed to be associated with him. We must boldly wear the name of Jesus and bear all the consequences of that. We must face ridicule, rejection, scorn, criticism, slander, imprisonment, persecution, and even death if necessary because Jesus Christ faced all that for us. We must passionately reject the cultural Christianity of our day that makes Jesus look like a peace-loving hippie and requires nothing to follow him.
What say you? Have you thought through the dramatic consequences and costs that Jesus gives to follow him? Or, have you been the victim of a pasteurized Christianity that has been conveniently sanitized of all the demands on our lives? Truth is, because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, I really see no other way to respond other than full allegiance and submission to go wherever he goes, to pay whatever it costs to follow him.
Peter boldly gives the correct answer, "You are the Christ of God." That answer has multiple layers of implications to it. If Jesus is not the Christ, the Son of God, then following him is useless. He was either extremely delusional or deceptive. However, if Jesus really is the Christ, and you truly believe that, then there are dramatic implications on our lives that follow. That is why Jesus then gives them the first proclamation of the gospel in verse 22 and then gives them very costly consequences of obedience and following him in verse 23.
Based on this text, I saw three essential elements of true salvation and three essential elements of true discipleship that I preached these past two weeks.
The Essential Elements of True Salvation
1. True Salvation Requires a Bold Confession of the Person of Christ (verse 18-20) - Just like Peter, we must boldly confess that we too believe that Jesus is the "Christ" of God. He is the Anointed One. He is the only begotten Son of God sent from heaven. He is the sinless Son who came in full obedience to his Father to meet all the righteous requirements of the law and to die in full payment for the sins of man. We cannot just say that we like Jesus. We cannot just stop at saying "Yes, Jesus is God's Son", because there are a million other follow-up questions that must be asked.2. True Salvation Requires a Deep Conviction in the Gospel of Christ (verse 21-22) - After Peter correctly answered the question about Jesus' personhood, Jesus then gave them a clear proclamation about his work. We have to fully understand both Jesus person and his work for the gospel to make sense to us. Jesus tells his disciples that he will be handed over to the religious leaders and killed and rise again three days later. In Matthew's gospel, he records that at this point Peter tries to interrupt Jesus and tell him that cannot happen. This is not the "Christ" or "Messiah" that Peter and the others had in mind. It's a reminder that we can know the truth about who Jesus is, but completely miss the truth of what he came to do. Being truly saved means that we feel a deep conviction in our life about the gospel, that we trust in Christ's payment for our sin, that we by faith fully rely on his work on the cross and trust him as Savior and Lord.
3. True Salvation Requires a Radical Commitment to Follow After Christ (verse 23-26) - Jesus then ties into the statement about the gospel the radical consequences of those who want to follow him. He says in essence, "I am going to Jerusalem where they are going to kill me, but I will rise again. Now, if you want to follow me, forget about yourself, take up your cross, and come on." This is radical obedience. And, this is the radical obedience that has been missing for the most part in churches in the American culture for a long time. I will break these down a little further below in the sermon I preached yesterday.
The Essential Elements of True Discipleship
There are lots of people that like to identify with Jesus somehow. There are millions in our country that claim allegiance to Christ. However, it is clear that not all who claim to be "Christians" are truly converted or following him. Unfortunately,deeply embedded in our American consciousness is the desire to be sovereign over our own lives. The result is that many try to follow Jesus on their own terms and many churches have become safe havens for the falsely converted and comfortably religious, but lost. Jesus makes very hefty demands in verses 23-26 on what it truly means to follow him.1. True Discipleship Requires a Determined Submission to Follow After Christ (verse 23) - Jesus has already said that the path of following him ends in death and resurrection. If we want salvation, we have to be willing to die to self and be born again in new life. Jesus makes this clear when he says if we follow him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Self-denial means saying "good-bye" to your former life before meeting Christ. It means putting your agenda in submission to him. Taking up your cross is not just having to deal with the troubles of this world, but a complete and daily dying to self. It means daily confessing that "I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live." Following him means that we go where Jesus goes. We don't determine the direction of our lives.
2. True Discipleship Requires a Complete Surrender to the Cause of Christ (verse 24-25) - Jesus says that we cannot try to live our lives in such a way to accumulate things for our own significance. If we try to "save" our lives by our own effort, we will lose them. But if we "lose" our life in complete surrender to Christ, we find true salvation and purpose as God designed us. He further illustrates this question with a tragic picture of a man who achieves all the earthly success that he is longing for, but has to give up his eternal soul in the process. We cannot be surrendered to Jesus and sold out to the things of this world at the same time.
3. True Discipleship Requires a Courageous Identification with the Person of Christ (verse 26) - Finally, Jesus says that we cannot live our lives ashamed to be associated with him. We must boldly wear the name of Jesus and bear all the consequences of that. We must face ridicule, rejection, scorn, criticism, slander, imprisonment, persecution, and even death if necessary because Jesus Christ faced all that for us. We must passionately reject the cultural Christianity of our day that makes Jesus look like a peace-loving hippie and requires nothing to follow him.
What say you? Have you thought through the dramatic consequences and costs that Jesus gives to follow him? Or, have you been the victim of a pasteurized Christianity that has been conveniently sanitized of all the demands on our lives? Truth is, because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, I really see no other way to respond other than full allegiance and submission to go wherever he goes, to pay whatever it costs to follow him.
Jul 31, 2012
This is the Gospel Project
I am excited about the release of a new curriculum by Lifeway called "The Gospel Project". There has been a lot of buzz being generated for this release for several months now. From what I have seen, it may be the best small group curriculum Lifeway has produced in a long time. Our children's and youth ministry at SSBC is using it this fall. A couple of our adult classes will be as well. I would highly encourage all of our Sunday School classes and small groups to give it a try.
They showed this video at the SBC last month that gives an overview of it.
They showed this video at the SBC last month that gives an overview of it.
Jul 24, 2012
Why I Still Love Summer Camp
Last week I had a very cathartic experience. Since 1994, I have been taking groups to summer camp almost every summer. Sometimes they were camps that I planned. Often they were camps that other organizations planned that I signed my group up for. In 1998, I developed a long-standing relationship with the guys at Student Life and began sending groups to those camps. The Student Life offices were just a few miles from my church in the Birmingham area. I spent many days stopping by to see these guys and gals. I made friends that I am still connected to today through social networks even though we are all scattered miles apart.
I have lost count on how many times I attended a summer camp with a group. For a stretch, our church was sending three groups each summer; a middle school group, a high school group, and a group of leaders to help staff another camp. When I left student ministry a few years ago, I had my first camp withdrawal as we sent off students to camp and I wasn't on the bus. That lasted about three summers until I came to Sixth Street as pastor.
In the summer of 2010, I went as pastor, chaperon, and parent to our kids camp with Student Life. I had the pleasure of now attending as a dad with my two oldest kids, Nathan and Drew. It was their first summer camp as well. They had a blast and had huge spiritual lessons implanted. I went with the kids last summer as well. However, this summer, I retired my camp pillow and the late night ushering of kids into their rooms and let some other adults help. However, I did sneak away from the office one afternoon to drive to camp and check in on the boys (especially son #3 "Pete"; it was his first summer camp). I got to sing the silly songs and hang out in the cafeteria for the camp food. It was a great time.
I reflected a lot last week driving home as to why I love and still believe in the power of summer camp. After being at probably more than 25-30 camps, I have heard most of the same sermons, sung hundreds of songs, and seen dozens of camp drama skits. Here are a few reasons I still send kids to camp:
1. I want to put as many gospel hooks in the water as I possibly can. I don't think you can overemphasize the gospel or the word of God in children and student's lives. But I certainly think you can underemphasize it. I think as parents we take too much for granted that because our kids attend church and Sunday School that "they are learning about God." Spiritual lessons need to be reinforced constantly and from multiple sources and angles. I heard a lot of "God-stuff" growing up as a kid, but it wasn't until I was 17 that I truly understood my sin and need for the gospel.
2. I want my kids to understand that their spiritual development is my first priority as a parent. I love that my oldest son Nathan is talented and likes sports. However, I want him to love Jesus more than I want him to be an all-star. I want him to be more excited about going to summer camp where he can learn valuable spiritual lessons than he is about going to a baseball camp or hanging at a friends house playing video games all summer.
3. I want to give my kids some tools in their belt now to prepare them for the war their are about to wage as teenagers. Parents, our kids are in a battle zone. In their preteen and teenage years, they will do heavy battle with cultural and spiritual forces that we cannot comprehend. What are we giving them to prepare them to deal with the peer pressure, the ungodly cultural standards and norms they will face, and the mounting pressure to conform to something very unbiblical? It saddens me every year to see parents weeping over the choices that their teenage and young adult children are making. Often when I talk to them about how they prepared themselves and their kids spiritually when they were younger, I get blank stares and religious cliches. Good intentions will not prepare our kids, godly gospel centered dependency will.
4. I want my kids to see that there is a place they can be free and have fun that isn't connected to an ipod, a video game, or Disney channel. I want them to see that the body of Christ should be a fun place defined by grace, freedom, and seeking the glory of God and not just a boring place with people older than them.
I have lost count on how many times I attended a summer camp with a group. For a stretch, our church was sending three groups each summer; a middle school group, a high school group, and a group of leaders to help staff another camp. When I left student ministry a few years ago, I had my first camp withdrawal as we sent off students to camp and I wasn't on the bus. That lasted about three summers until I came to Sixth Street as pastor.
In the summer of 2010, I went as pastor, chaperon, and parent to our kids camp with Student Life. I had the pleasure of now attending as a dad with my two oldest kids, Nathan and Drew. It was their first summer camp as well. They had a blast and had huge spiritual lessons implanted. I went with the kids last summer as well. However, this summer, I retired my camp pillow and the late night ushering of kids into their rooms and let some other adults help. However, I did sneak away from the office one afternoon to drive to camp and check in on the boys (especially son #3 "Pete"; it was his first summer camp). I got to sing the silly songs and hang out in the cafeteria for the camp food. It was a great time.
I reflected a lot last week driving home as to why I love and still believe in the power of summer camp. After being at probably more than 25-30 camps, I have heard most of the same sermons, sung hundreds of songs, and seen dozens of camp drama skits. Here are a few reasons I still send kids to camp:
1. I want to put as many gospel hooks in the water as I possibly can. I don't think you can overemphasize the gospel or the word of God in children and student's lives. But I certainly think you can underemphasize it. I think as parents we take too much for granted that because our kids attend church and Sunday School that "they are learning about God." Spiritual lessons need to be reinforced constantly and from multiple sources and angles. I heard a lot of "God-stuff" growing up as a kid, but it wasn't until I was 17 that I truly understood my sin and need for the gospel.
2. I want my kids to understand that their spiritual development is my first priority as a parent. I love that my oldest son Nathan is talented and likes sports. However, I want him to love Jesus more than I want him to be an all-star. I want him to be more excited about going to summer camp where he can learn valuable spiritual lessons than he is about going to a baseball camp or hanging at a friends house playing video games all summer.
3. I want to give my kids some tools in their belt now to prepare them for the war their are about to wage as teenagers. Parents, our kids are in a battle zone. In their preteen and teenage years, they will do heavy battle with cultural and spiritual forces that we cannot comprehend. What are we giving them to prepare them to deal with the peer pressure, the ungodly cultural standards and norms they will face, and the mounting pressure to conform to something very unbiblical? It saddens me every year to see parents weeping over the choices that their teenage and young adult children are making. Often when I talk to them about how they prepared themselves and their kids spiritually when they were younger, I get blank stares and religious cliches. Good intentions will not prepare our kids, godly gospel centered dependency will.
4. I want my kids to see that there is a place they can be free and have fun that isn't connected to an ipod, a video game, or Disney channel. I want them to see that the body of Christ should be a fun place defined by grace, freedom, and seeking the glory of God and not just a boring place with people older than them.
These are just a few of my thoughts about why our family sacrificed hundreds of dollars to make sure our kids went to camp. What thoughts can you add?
Jul 4, 2012
A Birthday Worth Celebrating
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Matthew Thornton
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
Jul 3, 2012
Jul 2, 2012
Why My Kids Aren't On Facebook
Social media has revolutionized much of our communication in the last 7-8 years. I remember when I first started hearing about "Facebook" from my college students several years ago. Although I wasn't in college at the time, I received an invite from one of them when it was opened to non-college students and have been on ever since. I joined Twitter in 2008 after reading about it on a blog. For the first few months, I tweeted although everyone reading my tweets I knew absolutely nothing about. I love to surf through my "tweeps" each day. I get links to great blogs and articles. I have met some new friends through Twitter. I use Facebook each day to connect to family members, church members, and many old friends through the years.
However, right now my sons are not allowed on Facebook. My oldest 2 have Twitter accounts, but they haven't really become addicted to them yet. Now if you keep up with me on Facebook, you know that my oldest son Nathan has a FB account. However, you will also notice that he hasn't posted anything on it for over a year. Let me explain why?
A few years ago, my son Nathan asked me if he could get a Facebook account. Some of his friends from the church and school were on FB and talked about it. I talked it over with Alison and we decided that we would monitor his friends list and what he was posting. So we signed him up for an account. Then I had to face a decision that I later regretted. The Facebook policies state that authorized users must at least 13 years old. In order to enforce this policy, I had to enter in my son's birthday. However, in order to make it work, I had to lie about my son's birthday so that Facebook would think he was at least 13. He was 10 at the time. Like many parents, I want my son to have the same things all his friends have. I justified my action by the usual "all the other parents are doing the same thing" excuse.
So, we signed him up and he began connecting online. But I spent the next few months mulling through the actions I just committed and the lessons I was teaching my sons. Soon after, son #2 began to ask when he could have a Facebook. Then #3. Every time I looked at my son's profile page, I had to live with the decision that I lied in order to let him have access. What was I teaching my kids?
I want my life and my parenting to be modeled by God's word. Proverbs 10:9 says "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." Proverbs 20:7 says "The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!" I want my kids to walk in that blessing of my integrity. Even if they don't understand it right now. Even if most of their other friends are doing something different. So, we deactivated Nathan's Facebook. We had a talk with him about why he couldn't have a Facebook yet. I told him I didn't agree with the policy, but it wasn't my policy. I also asked him to forgive me for modeling for him a life characterized by lying. He reluctantly agreed and we deactivated it. (Now, one day I accidentally signed on as him and reactivated it. I can't remember his password, so it stayed activated, but he's not allowed on it.)
Parents, I write these things not to say that I am a better parent or that parents who let their kids get a Facebook are bad parents. I don't think you have necessarily led your child down a road to hell just because you let your 9 year old get a Facebook. However, I just ask you to think through what lessons you are teaching your kids and what they may retain. How will this action affect your parenting in the future? What grounds do you have to tell your kids not to lie if you lie for them to get a Facebook account? Every week I get another friend invite from an under-age kid. I know that Facebook knows it's going on and that policing age policies is not high on their priority list Personally, I wish they would change the policy so that I can let my kids get on. But until the policy changes, I must abide by it because in some ways, my children's integrity is at stake.
However, right now my sons are not allowed on Facebook. My oldest 2 have Twitter accounts, but they haven't really become addicted to them yet. Now if you keep up with me on Facebook, you know that my oldest son Nathan has a FB account. However, you will also notice that he hasn't posted anything on it for over a year. Let me explain why?
A few years ago, my son Nathan asked me if he could get a Facebook account. Some of his friends from the church and school were on FB and talked about it. I talked it over with Alison and we decided that we would monitor his friends list and what he was posting. So we signed him up for an account. Then I had to face a decision that I later regretted. The Facebook policies state that authorized users must at least 13 years old. In order to enforce this policy, I had to enter in my son's birthday. However, in order to make it work, I had to lie about my son's birthday so that Facebook would think he was at least 13. He was 10 at the time. Like many parents, I want my son to have the same things all his friends have. I justified my action by the usual "all the other parents are doing the same thing" excuse.
So, we signed him up and he began connecting online. But I spent the next few months mulling through the actions I just committed and the lessons I was teaching my sons. Soon after, son #2 began to ask when he could have a Facebook. Then #3. Every time I looked at my son's profile page, I had to live with the decision that I lied in order to let him have access. What was I teaching my kids?
- That it's ok to lie about some things as long as it doesn't harm anyone.
- That it's ok to conform to peer pressure in some situations.
- That abiding by policies is conditional upon whether you agree with them or not.
- That if you can get away with something without getting caught it may be worth trying.
I want my life and my parenting to be modeled by God's word. Proverbs 10:9 says "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." Proverbs 20:7 says "The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!" I want my kids to walk in that blessing of my integrity. Even if they don't understand it right now. Even if most of their other friends are doing something different. So, we deactivated Nathan's Facebook. We had a talk with him about why he couldn't have a Facebook yet. I told him I didn't agree with the policy, but it wasn't my policy. I also asked him to forgive me for modeling for him a life characterized by lying. He reluctantly agreed and we deactivated it. (Now, one day I accidentally signed on as him and reactivated it. I can't remember his password, so it stayed activated, but he's not allowed on it.)
Parents, I write these things not to say that I am a better parent or that parents who let their kids get a Facebook are bad parents. I don't think you have necessarily led your child down a road to hell just because you let your 9 year old get a Facebook. However, I just ask you to think through what lessons you are teaching your kids and what they may retain. How will this action affect your parenting in the future? What grounds do you have to tell your kids not to lie if you lie for them to get a Facebook account? Every week I get another friend invite from an under-age kid. I know that Facebook knows it's going on and that policing age policies is not high on their priority list Personally, I wish they would change the policy so that I can let my kids get on. But until the policy changes, I must abide by it because in some ways, my children's integrity is at stake.
Jun 27, 2012
The Fine Art of Ministry Leadership
As I now get deeper into my 40's, I find myself more and more on the teaching end of ministry to younger ministers that God has entrusted to my care. One of the things I see in many of them that I recognized in myself many years ago is the tension to get frustrated with the process of doing ministry, especially ministry in long-established churches like the one I currently serve in. Oftentimes when we are young we forget about taking the time to remember that while we may have all the right theology and all the right methodology, we also have to work through deeply established patterns and procedures. In some cases, attitudes, values, and behaviors have been ingrained for decades and across many generations. Somewhere in my 20 year ministry pilgrimage, God began to reveal to me the fine art of leading through some of these difficult waters. Here are a few lessons about being a leader I find myself passing along often:
1. Being the leader often means that you see most matters long before everyone else. That's part of being the leader. You are in a leadership position probably because you have an ability to see things long before most others do. It may be that you have a hightened sense of discernment. It may be because you are much more well-read on the topic than everyone else. Whatever the case, leadership is about getting everyone else to see the same thing you saw a long time ago.
2. Being the leader often means that you see things clearer than most everyone else. Not only can you see long before, but you often have a clearer sense of how things should go and how everything should function. I often have said, "I always think I am right, and most of the time I am." That's because I have found that God has given me strong leadership gifts. Some of this giftedness is the ability to see the big picture of something God has birthed in me much clearer than everyone else. Leadership is about helping to sketch out the picture for everyone and then begin to color in the lines. Many times young leaders get so frustrated because the people around them can't see everything like they do. However, have you taken the time to color in the picture for them? Work to bring color and clarity before you ask for buy-in.
3. Being the leader often means that you see things with greater urgency than most everyone else. This is especially true in the church world. We are often dealing with matters of eternal consequence. We often deal with matters of deep doctrinal conviction. In a business world if a bad decision is made, it could cost the company a lot of dollars. In the church world if a bad decision is made, it could cost someone eternity with God. This urgency creates in most leaders a great deal of impatience with people who don't get it. This impatience can cost us trust and leverage with the very people we are trying to lead. It's important to learn to distinguish between what is urgent and what is critical.
Learning the fine art of ministry leadership takes time and trial and error. It requires growing in the area of wisdom which often occurs the longer we work in ministry. It requires a teachable spirit and praying for God to lead you as you lead others. However, I have found that this type of leadership is a learned art. It's not something that you are either born with or not. Oftentimes it is an acquired skill. The sooner you put these lessons to memory, hopefully, the better your ministry leadership will be.
1. Being the leader often means that you see most matters long before everyone else. That's part of being the leader. You are in a leadership position probably because you have an ability to see things long before most others do. It may be that you have a hightened sense of discernment. It may be because you are much more well-read on the topic than everyone else. Whatever the case, leadership is about getting everyone else to see the same thing you saw a long time ago.
2. Being the leader often means that you see things clearer than most everyone else. Not only can you see long before, but you often have a clearer sense of how things should go and how everything should function. I often have said, "I always think I am right, and most of the time I am." That's because I have found that God has given me strong leadership gifts. Some of this giftedness is the ability to see the big picture of something God has birthed in me much clearer than everyone else. Leadership is about helping to sketch out the picture for everyone and then begin to color in the lines. Many times young leaders get so frustrated because the people around them can't see everything like they do. However, have you taken the time to color in the picture for them? Work to bring color and clarity before you ask for buy-in.
3. Being the leader often means that you see things with greater urgency than most everyone else. This is especially true in the church world. We are often dealing with matters of eternal consequence. We often deal with matters of deep doctrinal conviction. In a business world if a bad decision is made, it could cost the company a lot of dollars. In the church world if a bad decision is made, it could cost someone eternity with God. This urgency creates in most leaders a great deal of impatience with people who don't get it. This impatience can cost us trust and leverage with the very people we are trying to lead. It's important to learn to distinguish between what is urgent and what is critical.
Learning the fine art of ministry leadership takes time and trial and error. It requires growing in the area of wisdom which often occurs the longer we work in ministry. It requires a teachable spirit and praying for God to lead you as you lead others. However, I have found that this type of leadership is a learned art. It's not something that you are either born with or not. Oftentimes it is an acquired skill. The sooner you put these lessons to memory, hopefully, the better your ministry leadership will be.
Jun 25, 2012
"Viral" by Leonard Sweet - A Book Review
Sweet is notorious in his books for basing the themes of the materials around acronyms and this book is no different. The entire book is a discussion of what Sweet calls the "TGIF" world, which stands for Twitter, Google, iPhone, and Facebook. This is because these are the major cultural forces in today's social network culture. Sweet does a masterful job in the opening pages showing how "the times are a' changing". He does so by describing that currently we are in the merging of two different cultures - what he calls the Guttenbergers and the Googlers. The Guttenburgers are those who have grown up in an era that was more modern and heavily influenced by words - the printing press era of Johanes Guttenberg. The Googlers, on the other hand, have grown up primarily in the internet age and the information revolution. It is really a fascinating read.
Then, in the successive chapters, Sweet describes how each of these four entities are shaping the world we live in. More importantly, he describes how church leaders and Christians should interpret these events and use them to engage the culture better and spark a real spiritual revival. Far from seeing "the days gone by" as the best days, Sweet shows how the church is poised to step in and offer the gospel in new and powerful ways. While I don't agree with much of Sweet's underlying theological positions, I do appreciate his optimism regarding the power of social media.
This book has many strengths. For people like me who have one foot in both worlds, we can better appreciate many of the cultural changes going on around us through reading Viral. It helps to shed a great deal of light on sociological areas that many in the church never take the time to research and understand. This book is written with a great deal of optimism which is a refreshment in a church culture that spends most of our time bemoaning the times and wishing we could go back to the good ol' days. Theologically, the book is very weak. Sweet has very little use for traditional methods of preaching and doctrinal silos. There is an amorphous understanding of salvation and the gospel in his writings. There are few answers given on a practical level as to how established churches can better use social networking to advance the gospel. Overall, however, the book is an enjoyable and informative read. It would benefit a lot of pastors who are functionally illiterate about the power of social networking to reach a world that embraced these entities many years ago. Like many things in the Christian world, we came to the social networking party a few years too late.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Jun 20, 2012
A great day for Baptists
Yesterday, the Southern Baptist Convention had one of it's finest hours. It has been a much anticipated and hyped up buildup to the election of Fred Luter as our next president. Luter is being celebrated mostly because he is the first African-American to be elected president of the SBC. This is a denomination which stated over division among Baptists in colonies whether slave owners could play a significant role in missions efforts. The issue of slavery led us to withdraw from our Baptist brethren and form a new organization that would become one of the largest denominations and one of the greatest missionary forces on the planet. The SBC publicly repented years of that poor decision years ago, but still has had a hard time overcoming the stereotype and bringing predominantly Black churches into the SBC.
Luter is the right man for the job, and not just because of the color of his skin. Fred Luter has been a shining star in the SBC for many years. He has led a church that has baptized thousands and is a major force in the city of New Orleans. He has traveled for years preaching on the SBC Evangelism Conference and Annual Meetings circuit. He is a faithful teacher of God's word and a gracious, humble leader. Now he will lead our Convention of churches - no small task for such a divided group.
Congratulations Fred Luter and Southern Baptists! For one brief moment, we stopped our squabbling and posturing and did something right. (Then we started arguing about changing the name)
Luter is the right man for the job, and not just because of the color of his skin. Fred Luter has been a shining star in the SBC for many years. He has led a church that has baptized thousands and is a major force in the city of New Orleans. He has traveled for years preaching on the SBC Evangelism Conference and Annual Meetings circuit. He is a faithful teacher of God's word and a gracious, humble leader. Now he will lead our Convention of churches - no small task for such a divided group.
Congratulations Fred Luter and Southern Baptists! For one brief moment, we stopped our squabbling and posturing and did something right. (Then we started arguing about changing the name)
Jun 19, 2012
Thoughts about my Dad
Yesterday was Father's Day - one of the most underwhelming holidays on our national scene. As I said in my sermon yesterday, most of the time when it's Mother's Day the pastor preaches on the virtues of godly mothers. However, on Father's Day, he berates the few dads that actually showed up at church with their families for not doing enough. Being a father of 4, I am extremely honored to be called "Dad". As I reflected on Father's Day, I had some thoughts about my Dad I wanted to put on my blog. However, since I spent all day either at church or traveling on the road to New Orleans, I didn't get the chance. And since my dad doesn't own a computer and has never been on the Internet in his life and has no idea what a blog is, putting them up a couple of days late won't hurt.
I love my dad. In many ways, he has become a very good friend. He was for the most part a fun dad and is a fun grandad to my kids. He has always had an amazing sense of humor and the ability to make friends with almost anyone anywhere he finds himself. The older I get, the more I turn into my dad. My wife laughs all the time when we stand next to each other with the same pot bellies. I say the same statements to my kids that my dad said to me all the time. I find myself rolling my eyes and sighing just like he used to do whenever my kids or wife are taking too long.
Here are a few things where my dad's influence shows up the most:
I got my passionate love for Mississippi State sports from him. Although he grew up in Michigan and moved here in his 20's, my dad quickly adopted the Bulldogs as his favorite team south of the Mason-Dixon. I remember spending many days with my dad going to Bulldog double headers at Dudy Noble Field. I remember when MSU defeated then #1 Alabama in 1980 and my dad went screeching down the road blaring the horn. It isn't often that we talk that something related to sports in Starkville isn't brought up.
I got my love for the game of baseball and all the intricacies of the game from him. My dad is a baseball trivia junkie. He loved the Detroit Tigers growing up and still does. His hero was Al Kaline. Mine was Pete Rose. My dad was an umpire for about 20 years because he loved the game. One of my vivid memories was that my dad subscribed to Baseball Digest all my younger years. When he would finish with it, he would give it to me. I would read through the profiles on players, but my favorite was reading the "You Make the Call" section and listening to my dad explain the rules of the game to me.
I got my fascination with the mail and the postal service from him. For most of my life, my dad was a postman in Columbus, MS. He delivered routes all over my hometown and everyone knew "Ol' Blue". When I was a kid and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered "a postman" because that's what my dad was. Even to this day, I eagerly go out to the mail box to see what awaits me in there. When I moved away to seminary, I received a card almost every week from my dad in my post office box.
I learned to love fishing from my dad. When I was a kid, we would pack up the fishing poles and a bucket of crickets and go fishing for bream and crappie. We would catch dozens of them and then deliver them to the widowed, African-American ladies on his postal route.
For many years, I was concerned about where my dad stood with Jesus. I came to faith in God in my later teenage years and would often hear from people in my church how much they were praying for my dad. He didn't go to church often, but he did come to hear me preach my first sermon. A few years ago, my dad was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It was a very big awakening for him. God used this to draw my dad unto himself. He found the grace of Christ in his late 50's. One of my greatest memories in ministry is baptizing my dad and step-mom.
I know you won't read this dad, but I hope you had a great Father's Day and I hope you know how proud I am to be called your son.
I love my dad. In many ways, he has become a very good friend. He was for the most part a fun dad and is a fun grandad to my kids. He has always had an amazing sense of humor and the ability to make friends with almost anyone anywhere he finds himself. The older I get, the more I turn into my dad. My wife laughs all the time when we stand next to each other with the same pot bellies. I say the same statements to my kids that my dad said to me all the time. I find myself rolling my eyes and sighing just like he used to do whenever my kids or wife are taking too long.
Here are a few things where my dad's influence shows up the most:
I got my passionate love for Mississippi State sports from him. Although he grew up in Michigan and moved here in his 20's, my dad quickly adopted the Bulldogs as his favorite team south of the Mason-Dixon. I remember spending many days with my dad going to Bulldog double headers at Dudy Noble Field. I remember when MSU defeated then #1 Alabama in 1980 and my dad went screeching down the road blaring the horn. It isn't often that we talk that something related to sports in Starkville isn't brought up.
I got my love for the game of baseball and all the intricacies of the game from him. My dad is a baseball trivia junkie. He loved the Detroit Tigers growing up and still does. His hero was Al Kaline. Mine was Pete Rose. My dad was an umpire for about 20 years because he loved the game. One of my vivid memories was that my dad subscribed to Baseball Digest all my younger years. When he would finish with it, he would give it to me. I would read through the profiles on players, but my favorite was reading the "You Make the Call" section and listening to my dad explain the rules of the game to me.
I got my fascination with the mail and the postal service from him. For most of my life, my dad was a postman in Columbus, MS. He delivered routes all over my hometown and everyone knew "Ol' Blue". When I was a kid and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered "a postman" because that's what my dad was. Even to this day, I eagerly go out to the mail box to see what awaits me in there. When I moved away to seminary, I received a card almost every week from my dad in my post office box.
I learned to love fishing from my dad. When I was a kid, we would pack up the fishing poles and a bucket of crickets and go fishing for bream and crappie. We would catch dozens of them and then deliver them to the widowed, African-American ladies on his postal route.
For many years, I was concerned about where my dad stood with Jesus. I came to faith in God in my later teenage years and would often hear from people in my church how much they were praying for my dad. He didn't go to church often, but he did come to hear me preach my first sermon. A few years ago, my dad was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It was a very big awakening for him. God used this to draw my dad unto himself. He found the grace of Christ in his late 50's. One of my greatest memories in ministry is baptizing my dad and step-mom.
I know you won't read this dad, but I hope you had a great Father's Day and I hope you know how proud I am to be called your son.
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