“If I were his/her parent…” Have you ever heard someone say this?  You may have heard it from seasoned grandparent or a couple that doesn’t have kids.  Often this is a phrase that comes out in the midst of a tough parenting moment.  It comes out in the grocery store, over coffee with friends, even in the church building. There is an idea behind this phrase that the person saying it would do better; or at least do differently, and often it is complete bologna. Last week, as I was doing my personal Bible reading I came across the story of Absalom.  Absalom was the son of King David and his story is found in 2 Samuel 13 and carries all the way to chapter 19.  By the end of the story, I found myself uttering that same phrase, “If Absalom had been my child, I would have…”  Needless to say, I would not have been very gracious.  See, Absalom’s story began with the assault of his sister by his half-brother.  When his father refused to administer justice, he took matters into his own hands.  He killed his brother and for that he was banished.  Eventually, David began to miss Absalom and he was convinced to bring him back to Jerusalem, but Absalom returned a different man.  He returned arrogant, unrepentant, entitled, and feeling justified.  It did not take long for him to begin to think that he would be a better king than his father.  After some time, he chose to act on that thought and began a coup. David was forced to flee Jerusalem and only by the grace of God was he able to escape, regroup, and reclaim his throne. 2 Samuel 18:5 says, “The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.”  Wait… what?  Did I miss something?  This spoiled little punk committed a crime.  David showed him mercy, and he repaid him with an insurrection.  Now David wants his commanders to show him more mercy?  As we continue to read, we learn that Joab did not follow David’s orders and kills him despite the fact that he did not have to. Picking up in verse 33 after David hears the news, “The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!’”  Why is David acting this way?  Why if he were my son, I would have…. Oh… My problem is that I put myself in the shoes of the wrong person.  In this story, I am NOT David…  I am ABSALOM. Think about it for a moment….

I could say the same thing about myself as it relates to my Heavenly Father as well.  All too often I am unwilling to wait on God’s timing.  I am unrepentant even when I know I am wrong.  I would rather be around people that support my sinful actions than godly people who might confront me.  I often think I know what is best over God’s Word. Ultimately, my sin proves that I am a rebel, hostile towards God, deserving judgment. But David’s heart reflects that of our God.  He loves us despite our rebellion. And What David could not do (taking the place of Absalom), God did when he sent his only Son to die in our place. Every.  Single.  One of us is a rebel deserving the same fate of Absalom, but God in his tremendous love for us took that punishment on himself in order to restore us as His Sons & Daughters. So praise the Lord that I am not David, because I would have done it wrong.  May I never forget that I am a sinner saved by grace, and may I share that grace with all who might receive it!

This is the one that got me. All too often we talk to people on the phone, see what they post of social media, and we think that they live these care-free lives where nothing bad ever happens.  We begin to think that all of our problems are unique to us and no one could possibly understand what we are going through.  These thoughts lead us to bury our problems and pretend like they are not there.  We will wallow in our own self-pity and ultimately destroy ourselves.

This is a lie straight from Satan!!!  You are not alone!!!  The Bible clear says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13a) This statement should remind us that we are all going through life in the same fallen world, dealing with the same problems.  You are not perfect, I am not perfect, and we don’t have to pretend that we are.  If you begin to think that someone has the perfect situation somewhere else, rest assured that they are dealing with their own set of hardships.  Trust that God is working in your life just like He is working in theirs. Ultimately, God is calling us to trust Him, trust His provision, and be content.  Yes, your life may not look like your neighbors, but God never intended it to do so.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.(Proverbs 3:5) And enjoy some ice cream along the way!

  If I were to ask you what is something you do on Christmas Day?  You might have one of several answers.  Most would say exchange gifts.  Other would say that they eat a bunch including cookies and other sweets.  Still more would say that they really cut loose, have a “good time”, and just celebrate all day. Ironically, the very activity that seemed to set the tone of the first Christmas Day falls all the way to fourth on most surveys about Christmas Day.  What activity is that?  WORSHIP!!!!  And Evangelicals are probably the worst culprits when it comes to making Christmas Day about everything but worshiping the Christ who has arrived! You may ask, “I know about the angels and all that, but did worship really play that big of a role in the first Christmas?”  The simple answer is YES!!!  Just read through Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 will show you!

One last thing to do is watch a movie as a family that shows the birth of Christ.  Sometimes the most powerful way to communicate the message of Christmas is to see it!  You can just watch the beginning of “Jesus of Nazareth” or pick up “The Nativity Story.”  If you have little children, you may find a cartoon for it.  You may check what options come from VeggieTales or check our Superbook on Amazon Video.

From my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful season of worship as we celebrate the birth of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!!!! God Bless!!!

“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.”

Acts 17:17

How can God use me?  What am I supposed to be doing?  Where do I serve in the church?

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?  Often when we get involved in church, we struggle with not being sure where exactly we fit in.  We see people public speaking, but that makes us nervous.  We see people singing & playing instruments, but only a few think they are talented enough for that.  Sure there is giving, helping set up, and being on committees, but we want to be doing ministry even beyond these things!!!  So what do we do?

Take a moment to consider this:  What if your calling is not in the church?  What if your calling is to serve the church in the marketplace?

We see in the passage that heads this post that Paul’s ministry consisted of two components.  First, he would speak in the synagogue and then he would go to marketplace and talk with people there.  Let us take a moment to consider if God is possibly sending you to a marketplace of your own!!

At the very end of the chapter, Luke writes this, “But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.” (v. 34) This is why we have to go to the marketplace!!!  There are people right here in Hardin County that have never heard the Gospel and they probably will never voluntarily darken the door of a church building.

Think about it this way:  Would you ever just walk into the local mosque?  Or the synagogue?  Or even attend a Catholic mass?  Why not?  Probably because it would be intimidating!!!  You don’t know their customs or expectations.  You might be afraid that you would accidentally offend someone.  Or you just don’t believe that they would have anything to offer you at their services.  THAT IS HOW THE LOST SEE US!!!!

IF we have been called to make disciples of all nations, and IF the nations are not going to just magically waltz through our doors, THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO THEM!!!!

I know this may feel horribly uncomfortable.  Sharing Jesus without the pastor nearby may feel like walking a tightrope without a net, but you can do it.  You have to do it.  There is no plan B.

“You gotta get off the fence!” I cannot hear these words without hearing the voice of Dave Marcum, my Sunday School teacher and friend. It is an exhortation to believe in God with all your heart.  Dave calls those who shy away from fully committing to Christ as “Fence-riders”, people who sit on the fence by refusing to commit to a position until they are sure they are on the right side.  These are people so concerned about being wrong or looking foolish that they remain silent.  Yes, they may identify as a Christian, but they would not tell another person about Jesus.  They may call themselves Baptist, but it is doubtful that they would take a hard stand on any doctrine.  They are just there… unless they are somewhere else! Unfortunately, we live in a climate where Christians can no longer “ride the fence”.  Even in the last few months, groups have entered Hardin County and demanded that schools and churches have no interaction.  Prayer has been challenged, Christian groups like Fellowship of Christian Athletes are being discouraged, and ministers are not allowed to be present on school campuses. While we do want to honor the separation of church & state, we must also make it clear that we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing is going to prevent us from praying, worshiping, and living out our faith in public! Ironically, this is not a new problem.  Even in Jesus time there were those who wanted to follow Jesus, but they were not sure if they wanted to give up everything.  Let’s look how Jesus handled them.  (Luke 9:57-62)

The last reasonable request from the fence-riders is to be able to say good-bye.  Many of us would hope that we would be given the opportunity to tell our families good-bye if we were leaving for a long time.  Again, Jesus sees into the heart of the individual and calls them to truly follow.  In this case, Jesus responds by saying, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

People ride the fence for many reasons.  Some ride the fence until they know Jesus will take care of them.  Others ride the fence until they can take care of themselves.  Still others ride the fence in hopes that following Jesus will not cost them anything important.  Whatever the reason, those who ride the fence are not doing anyone any favors.  The last thing the world needs is more nominal Christians.  Whatever may have you on the fence, I challenge you to take that leap.  Trust in the Lord; trust in his provision, timing, and promises.  Yes, it will cost you something; it may cost you everything. But it is always worth it. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

(Mark 8:34-35)

A couple weeks ago I got a call on Saturday from one of our church members, John.

“Hey man, do you want to go floating on Monday?”

John had a couple kayaks that he had bought several years ago, but never had gotten them out on the water.  He brought them to church one summer as props for VBS and after ogling over them for a while, he said that we would go one day.  Monday was finally going to be that day.

“Sure!  Let’s do it!!”

A couple days later John and I found ourselves on the Nolin river right by Gilead Baptist Church floating on one of the nicest mornings I had seen in quite a while. 

As we followed the river through many dips and turns, we saw some wildlife, marveled at rock formations and notice the many beautiful trees that hung over the river, providing us shade.

John said, “Isn’t it amazing how some of these trees can have some of the root structure washed out and yet they still grow and hold tight to the bank?”

“I think it is probably a testament to how strong their roots really are.”

As we continued our float, I began to ponder what the Bible says about trees like these and how they related to the life of a believer.

Psalm 1 says:

¹How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The trees that we passed were a reminder that those cling to the Word of God will continue to grow no matter what the world may throw at them.

We are the same way.  God is feeding you and growing you through His Word for a reason.  I can tell you what the reason is too!!!  You are here to make disciples.  Jesus said these words, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20) Now, I cannot tell you how you’ll do that or what it will look like; you will have to discover that for yourself!  But I can tell you that it will not happen if you don’t stay rooted in God and His Word!

The trees on the river remind us of our need for God and our mission for God, but it also reminds us that with God we will endure until the end.  I am praying that you will “dig deep” into the Word with us at THBC!!!  God bless!

The other day I am home from the office and while I was changing clothes, I turned to charge my phone.  As I did so, I discovered that the plug for my charger was missing.   Well, anyone who has children understands that this meant that my daughter had stolen my plug in order to charge her IPod. 

No sooner had I made this discovery when I heard shouting from my kids.

“You stole it!!!” 

“No, I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did!  You knew I was using that!!!”

I rushed down the steps to intervene before this shouting match turned into a fight.  There in my home office were my two daughters shouting at each other as loud as they could.  My oldest daughter, the one with an IPod, was accusing her little sister of stealing something that wasn’t really hers to begin with.

“What is going on here?”

“SHE stole my…!!!”

“Just like you stole my charger?”

(silence)

It is never fun to be reminded that we are just as guilty of sin. 

In Jesus day, He told the story of a salve who owed his master a large sum of money.  He was unable to pay the large sum at the time in which it was due.  He knew that the normal consequence for failing to pay a debt was the selling of his family and property and possibly prison.  Therefore, he fell at the feet of his master and begged that he would be given more time.

His master felt compassion for the slave and did not just give him an extension, but forgave his debt completely!  The slave did not walk out of that court a man with more time, but a man who had been set free from his debt and the fear of all punishment!!!

However as he left the court that day, the salve saw another slave who owed him a much smaller sum of money.  He grabbed the man and began to choke him, demanding his money!  The other slave begged him for more time in order to pay back the debt, but he would not have it.  He had the other slave thrown into prison for failing to pay the debt.

The slaves deeds eventually made their way to the master’s ears.  When he heard of the incident, his face became twisted with anger and he called the slave back into his presence.  The master confronted him for his wickedness and his lack of mercy and then sent him away to be tortured for the debt that had been forgiven him!  (Matthew 18:23-35)

Through this parable, Jesus reminded Peter that those who have been shown mercy ought to be merciful as well.  On other words, be gracious for you have received grace yourself!

This is something that should be true of all Christians as well!!!  We need to be quick to show grace and quick to forgive.  Here a some quick reminders that may help you do so.

“I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:11) These are the words of Jesus to the woman caught in sin.  He had every right to condemn her.  In fact, He was the only one with a right to condemn her.  Yet he chose to forgive her!

Go, and do likewise.

Last night something fantastic happened.

Last night a small group of people gathered together, reached out into the heavens, and spoke with God.

In other words, last night a group of people gathered to pray.

It seems like the significance and the majesty of prayer has become somewhat lost in the church today.  We cannot help but view prayer as something passive; something you do when you can’t do anything else.  I often find myself saying, “What can I do for you… besides just pray?”  It is as if I am saying that prayer is insignificant or that it doesn’t really matter.

But this is clearly not the case; prayer is by far and away THE most powerful tool that the Christian has today.  It should be our “go to” weapon against the world and the evil one, and it should saturate every move the church makes.  Prayer should be central to the life of the Christian and the life of the Church.  We should above all else be a praying people.

So what happens when God’s people pray?

If you are a member of my church (or any church) and you skip those prayer meetings because you have other more important things to do, please reconsider!!!  Every powerful movement of God throughout history began with a small group of people praying, and that is exactly what we want God to do now!  To Him be the glory, amen!

“and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” – Romans 1:32

Believe it or not, I like to be liked.  It feels good when people agree with what I am saying, and I often crave that feeling of acceptance that comes with positive feedback, whether it be to my face or through social media.

There is just one problem:  sometimes I do not need approval; I need rebuke.  I do not always have the right heart or the right mindset when I speak and when I post on social media.  I have been surprised recently at how quickly people applaud opinions that can be hurtful or even destructive.  Paul reminds us in Romans chapter 1 that those who are perishing (i.e. the lost) are quick to commit sin and to give their approval to the sin of others; even Christians.  This verse should serve as a warning to Christ followers who crave approval.  Not all approval is good, and we must be cautious when we receive it!

If you are like me, I bet you like approval too.  But let’s take a few minutes and ask ourselves if the approval we are getting is actually the approval that we need.

Here are some questions to consider when people are giving us “hearty approval”.

This is undoubtedly the hardest part.  When we think or feel a certain way, it is very difficult to hold those ideas up to the light of Scripture.  However, we simply must do this in order to really understand why our opinions are being positively received.  Are they approving your right understanding of Scripture and how it applies to the times? (1 Chronicles 12:32) Or are they encouraging you to pursue sinful actions and thus rebel against God and his Word?  If you are not sure, seek wise counsel from godly people whom you respect!

Please understand that not all positive feedback is bad.  Jesus himself said that people will observe what we do and, “glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16) Sometimes what you do and what you say will point lost people to Christ; that is a wonderful thing!!!

But be cautious and let all that we do point others to Christ!