The World Starts Them Young

The other day I turned on the TV and it was set to a channel my boys were watching before they left for school. The show that happened to be on was a cartoon they watch called Teen Titans Go! This is a comic book cartoon based off Robin, of Batman and Robin fame, and his friends. It's a funny cartoon that kids, my boys included, enjoy watching. As I scanned through the DVR to find what I wanted to watch, I heard Robin make a comment that surprised me. Robin was talking about what he wanted to happen between him and the girl he has a crush on. He said they would do this and that as they started dating but then he said "And after a few years we will move in together." He proceeded to quickly tell all the things they would do as a "couple." It caused me to wonder what other comments are made, in that show and others, that blatantly contradict what we are teaching our kids to be true from the Word of God.

It shouldn't be surprising that our children are bombarded by the world with images and words that are contrary to what Christian parents should be teaching them as truth. If you hear cursing in Disney Movies (How to Train your Dragon), do you really expect the rest of the world to be any different? What parents need to realize is that the world starts early teaching your children things that are contrary to God's Word. It may be a curse word, a suggestive image, or an attempt to normalize actions that God says is sin. Regardless of what it is the world starts early and doesn't let up when it comes to pushing sin as normal or okay.

Knowing that the world starts young means we need to make sure that we start young as well. You can't start early enough in training your child in sound biblical disciplines that will firmly ground them in their faith. Teach them early to spend time in prayer. Teach them to read their Bible so they know the truths of God's Word. Show them what it means to serve God through the local church. Teach them to worship God in their daily life and in the church. When we do they will be one saying "I don't know if I should be watching this because..." When you hear comments like that from your kids, then you'll know you've grounded them in a way that will stay with them as they grow into adulthood.

I realize it is impossible to weed out every last comment or image in the world that goes against God's Word and still keep your TV on. But we can take a stand against it by taking the opportunity to refute the comment or the image with the truth. When we do we will live out Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and show our kids that we take our faith seriously and that they should too.

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Get the hard stuff because it's better!

Last week I helped get hay up out of a field that we had cut earlier in the week. But this isn't just any field. This particular part of our hay fields is the most challenging to harvest. The reason it is so challenging is because it is in a holler (that is Southern American for a "hollow" or place between two hills). This particular holler is steep on both sides and has a drainage ditch in the bottom. There are holes along that ditch that will ruin the front end of a tractor. Needless to say, but one would question why a farmer would go after such challenging hay. The answer is simple, the hay is better than any other we grow. In that holler that measures about 1.3 acres we rolled up 6 bales of hay. That is huge compared to 1 bale per acre that we harvested from other fields that suffered from the same lack of rain. As I rode around holes and ditches I couldn't help but see how this difficult-to-harvest field reflects both the challenge and the reward of growing in our faith.

If a believer in Christ wants to grow in their faith it requires real work. I mean it takes real effort if you want to see real results. If a believer is content to limit their only interaction with God to Sunday mornings for one hour, then there is no effort being put forth and therefore no real results will be seen. They may feel better after a church service, but let's get serious, that won't grow your faith like it needs to grow.

If you want to grow your faith and live the victorious life that Jesus promises (John 10:10), then you are going to have to work hard to harvest it. That means putting in the time it takes to deepen your relationship with God. That means reading God's Word and tackling the difficult and deep truths, not just the feel good verses. That means spending time in prayer where you do more than just ask for stuff, instead praising God, thanking Him, and confessing your sins. That means doing all you can to avoid the holes and ditches that can so easily ensnare you and keep you from focusing on God. That means finding a place of service in your church where you can serve God and serve others.

If you want to see real results in your spiritual life, then you have to put in real work. You have to go into the difficult-to-harvest areas of faith and work to bring out those beneficial truths and disciplines. When you do, your harvest will be noticeable to God, to others, and especially to you. Get started today and watch how God will bless your hard work as you seek to grow in your faith and your relationship with Him.


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Don't always go for the flash.

Back at Christmas my wife bought me an iPad as a gift. For the first few months all I used it for was to display my sermon notes while preaching and to play a Marvel video game called Contest of Champions. The video game advances through levels as you assemble a team that takes turns in a one-on-one match up between Marvel superheroes like Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, and Ironman. The video game is addictive and my boys have played it whenever they've had the chance. Recently I picked up my iPad after one of my boys had played the game. I couldn't figure out why they had picked Ironman and a few other players for a particular level that would have called for different superheroes. Once I realized what they had done I couldn't help but notice the problem. They had gone for Ironman and some of the more well known superheroes that had a lot of flash. Instead they should have selected less flashy heroes and put the right pieces in place regardless of how popular or flashy they were.

This same principle translates over to the spiritual development of a Christian. Some times Christians sacrifice sound, biblical growth for something much less enduring. Rather than practicing solid disciplines, such as prayer, bible study, etc., they will settle for the flash of a Sunday morning worship service. They believe that they can grow into spiritual maturity by living off the spiritual snacks gleaned from an hour long service that generally requires no effort on their part. This idea is the equivalent of feeding a child nothing but chicken nuggets for every meal, every day of their life. No one in their right mind would expect that child to grow up to be a healthy teen or adult. Then why in the world would a Christian expect to grow into spiritual adulthood by living off nothing but the chicken nuggets they get from a one hour service on Sundays? Don't think this issue is new to the world of faith because it's not. The writer of Hebrews addressed the same exact issue 2,000 years ago in Hebrews 5:11-14. He wrote, "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (NIV). The writer describes people who ought to have matured to the point of being teachers, but instead are still infants in their faith. And here we are, 2,000 years later with the same problem affecting Christians. 

So how does one fix this problem in their own life? First they have to be committed to growing in their faith or else they won't put in the necessary work. Commit to making prayer, bible study, and other biblical disciplines a part of your daily life. Then schedule the time to practice them. Find a regular time in your routine where you have time to practice these disciplines. If it means getting up earlier, get up earlier. If it means not watching as much TV of an evening, then turn the TV off. Each person is different, so don't think you and your spouse or friend have to have the same prayer time or bible reading habits. The important thing is to make the commitment, make it a part of your daily routine, and watch God grow you spiritually.


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Fussing like Job

Recently I've had a few opportunities in my ministry to provide pastoral care to some families going through very difficult situations. Some have experienced loss, others have had major health issues, and others are facing difficult end of life experiences. By all accounts the people I've ministered to have had every right to complain and fuss about their situations. We're not talking a bad day at work here. We're talking about major life change. Some have asked why God would allow this situation to come into their life. As a pastor you want to have the answers your congregation needs, but sometimes you're left at a loss with no answers and unable to do anything other than pray for them.

My personal daily Bible reading has been progressing through the Book of Job during the same time I've been ministering to these families. I would say it was ironic but I feel like it was God working through my own spiritual development while ministering in those

situations. One thing I always find interesting when reading the Book of Job is that Job did not hold back when it came to his complaints or arguments with God. Job, in our country vernacular, "laid into" God and fussed with Him about the raw deal he'd been dealt. Job felt like the terrible things that happened to him (death of children, loss of wealth, loss of health) were all unjustifiable because of his pious life. There is something to be said for the boldness to call God out on the things He allows to come into our life when we feel like it is completely unjustifiable. I think that Job was a spiritually mature person who understood his relationship with God and felt vindicated by his "arguments" against his raw deal. But the reality of the fact is that Job was just like us. He knew God had a hand in what had occurred. Not that God did it but that God allowed it. Still, Job knew who to fuss at. 

In life when you face a situation that you feel is like that of Job, a loss of a child or a spouse, a loss of worldly possessions, or even the deterioration of your health, know that it is okay to fuss at God for what He's allowed to occur in your life. Relationships are opportunities for two parties to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the actions of the other. Our relationship with God is no different. We are able to intimately tell Him about our dissatisfaction with the situations He has allowed into our life that has seemingly devastated our life. But remember, once we voice our issues with the way God has done things, God will most likely deal with us like He did with Job. After Job finished ranting at God, we read about how God puts Job in His place. God reminds Job of His sovereignty, His power, and ultimately His love. God shows us in the life of Job, and His response to Job, the truth we read in Romans 8:28. Paul writes, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (NIV). Notice that God uses "all things," not just the things we think are good but all things for the good. It is hard to hang on to the promises of God when you feel like your world is falling apart, but that is when you need to cling all the more tightly to the God who loves you and allowed His Son to die for you.

When those difficult times in life arrive, be sure not to push God away. Draw close to Him, have very candid conversations with Him, and then allow Him to speak to you. When you do you'll find that God is there ready to help you out just like He did Job.


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Life is short. Have an affair.

There are those times in your life when you hear something or read something and it sticks with you. The phrase or tone may shock, inspire, or motivate you to action. Last week I had one of those moments. I will admit that in some ways I am naive to the ways of the world. So my shock at finding out about a particular website shouldn't come as a surprise to you (or me). Last week I read about how Josh Duggar, one of the people from TLC's show 19 Kids and Counting, had publicly admitted to an affair. He admitted to the affair after the online service he used was hacked and he was one of those outed by the hackers. When I read the article it had an image in it, like the one to the right, of a screenshot from the website used by Duggar. The website is called Ashley Madison and it is an online service that helps individuals make a connection with someone so they can have an affair. When I looked at the image I noticed two shocking things. One shocking aspect of this site is the fact it has over 20 million members. Maybe the more shocking aspect is their slogan which reads "Life is short. Have an affair." As I said earlier, when you read a statement like this it should shock you at it's audacity and then motivate you to action.

It's no secret that Satan is tearing away at the fabric of our society. The easiest way for him to do that is to start in the home. By destroying marriages, Satan is winning the battle against the holiness God desires for His people. Satan is leading men and women out of a holy union designed by God and into a sinful relationship that feeds on the lusts of the flesh. It's easy to be shocked when you hear of a moral failure by a celebrity or even a friend down the road. But that shock ought to motivate you to action. It ought to remind you of the need to strengthen your own marriage, not out of fear, but out of a desire to have a strong marriage that can withstand anything Satan throws at it. 

One of the ways to strengthen your marriage is to remind yourself that your responsibility is to build up your spouse. It's your responsibility to help your spouse reach what God has designed them to be. That also means making your focus, not on what you get out of the relationship, but what you can give to the relationship to meet your spouse's needs. 

Another way to strengthen your relationship is to communicate. The quickest way for a relationship to deteriorate is for the lines of communication to break down. Put the phone, tablet, or laptop down and actually talk to each other. You will find that as you spend time together and engage each other that your bond will be strengthened. 

Finally, pray for your spouse. God can do infinitely more in a second for your spouse than you can do in a lifetime. Seek His plan for your spouse. Ask Him to strengthen your marriage. If you aren't daily praying for your spouse then you need to start today! 

Also, I'm not under any illusion that one spouse working to make a relationship work will be able to sustain a marriage very long. This counsel above is intended for both spouses. If both spouses are not willing to work to make the marriage strong and healthy, then it will end up being weak and open to outside influences. If you and your spouse are at the point of needing some major work on your marriage seek out a Christian marriage counselor or speak to your pastor.

Marriage is not easy. But it is even more difficult when you allow it to slowly crumble due to a lack of preventative maintenance. Do what you know you need to do to strengthen your marriage. When you do, then you'll be able to withstand all the damage Satan tries to cause.


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Real mementos can't be put on a shelf.

This past weekend I had the privilege of leading our church's mission team to Bluefield, WV to put on a one day VBS event at Meet Us At The Cross Church. As always the trip made an impact on me, our team, the church we served, and the kids we ministered to at VBS. Since 2008 I've had the privilege of leading 98 different people on short-term mission trips to Canada, Pennsylvania, Vermont (twice), Wyoming, Honduras, and West Virginia. Each and every time I led a mission team, God used it to impact the lives of those on the mission trip in some way. I started a tradition on my first mission trip that has stuck with me since. When I return home from a mission trip I bring home a memento from the trip and put it on a shelf in my office. I keep them as a reminder of the trip and as a reminder to me of how God used me and how God worked through that trip. I have the M&M Minis container full of Canadian quarters that a disabled man in Canada gave us to encourage us to do more missions. I have a DVD of a NC Baptist Men's interview for Mandate from our trip to Pennsylvania. I have a Vermont wood cutting guide and a picture one of my sons colored in Mission Kids for our two trips to Vermont. I have a picture given to me by our mission team in Wyoming. I have a rock sifted out of river sand used to help build a house in Honduras, as well as the bracelet I wore when sharing the gospel there. This time I added the salvation bracelet we had the kids make in crafts at VBS in West Virginia. Those are all nice things to look at and keep but the real mementos can't be put on a shelf.

If you were to ask me what impacted me the most from each of those mission trips, I could tell you. I could tell you of an instance on each trip where God moved powerfully and impacted me, my team or the people we served. I could tell you how God accomplished God-sized tasks to clear huge areas of land in Canada and Wyoming with teams of 26 and 28 so that more ministry could be done. I can tell you how God taught me what it meant to truly serve others in Pennsylvania and Vermont. I can tell you how I saw God immediately answer a desperate prayer and part clouds like He parted the Red Sea so our team could get a church painted in Vermont. I can tell you how I saw Honduran Christians who literally had nothing sacrifice what they did have to say 'Thank You' to our team. I could tell you about a quiet little girl in West Virginia that God used to teach me more lessons about my faith than I ever learned in seminary. Those are the types of things that God does in and through your life when you allow Him to use you. It doesn't take a trip half-way across the country or half-way around the world for God to impact you through missions. All it takes is your willingness to be used by Him. If you are a willing vessel, then God will use you. My encouragement to you today is that if your church is not currently active in doing some form of local, state, national, or international missions, then speak with your pastor about mobilizing your congregation. If your church is active and you've been sitting on the sidelines, then start getting active. Find ways that God can use your gifts and abilities to minister through the missions of your church. And finally, if you want to be involved in a church that has many opportunities to get involved in missions, join us at North Catawba Baptist Church (www.northcatawbabaptist.com). We have plenty of ways to get involved in missions and we'd love for you to be a part of what God is doing through our church. The key thing is to find a way to serve God through missions and then do it. So how will you get involved?


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How much do you give...and we're not talking money

Yesterday's morning worship was an awesome service at our church. Please don't hear the preacher bragging on the preaching. Honestly, I didn't think it was the right direction to go with the message and I really struggled with it but as always God led us in a direction that we needed to go. The focus of the message was on putting Jesus at the forefront of what God is doing in our church. God has been adding families of different ages to our church and we've experienced some rapid growth. With that growth we needed to have a preemptive strike against taking credit for the growth and instead giving the glory to God. At the end of the service yesterday, instead of doing a traditional invitation, we allowed church members to give God glory for what He is doing in our church. We had about 8 or so people stand up and give God glory for what He is doing in our church. I had several people mention after the service how powerful a service it was to them. I truly believe the impact of the service was due to the glory God was given.

As believers in Christ, Christians are taught to praise God and give Him glory for what He does in their lives. We don't give God glory just to say "Praise God." We give Him glory because He is the only one worthy of praise. We also give Him glory in the hopes that others will see how desirable it is to be in a relationship with God and then want to start a relationship with Him. It is vitally important that we understand that God deserves all the credit for what happens in our lives. He deserves praise when things are good and we are on top of the mountain. He also deserves glory when He walks us through those difficult valleys of life. When it comes to your own personal worship of God through praise, how much glory do you give Him? Do you take the credit for what He's doing in your life? Is it an after thought to give Him praise for His blessings? Or are you putting Him at the forefront of what He is doing in your life? Do others regularly hear you talking about how God has blessed you?

My encouragement to you today is to start making it a habit to give God the glory for what He's doing in your life. Work to make it a part of your daily speech. By doing so you'll bring glory to God and He will be able to work all the more through your life. In the end it will help to bring all the more glory to Him.


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Taste and See

This morning my wife was making some lemonade before leaving for work, which is really ironic since she is allergic to it. When she had poured in the mix and stirred it up she needed someone to test it out. I was thirsty so I was ready to be at the front of the line. Our oldest son Dru edged his way in front of me and said he'd test it out even though he didn't really like lemonade. As Misty handed the glass to Dru she said a phrase that we've all heard or said about testing the quality of some drink or food. She told Dru, "Taste and see if this is..." I've always found that phrase to be odd because you're talking about two different senses, taste and sight. But when someone tells you "Taste and see if this is good," we know what they mean. They wants us to try something and then respond as to what we think about the drink, food, or dessert.

In Psalm 34 David wrote about his time in the court of the Philistine King Achish while on the run from King Saul. While there David pretended to be insane and was able to leave Philistine lands to hide else where. But in this psalm David wrote a phrase that many Christians have either heard or said. He writes in verse 8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (NIV). In this particular psalm David speaks of how God was his refuge and protection during a difficult time in his life. But we don't have to wait until we see our world falling down around us to give God a try to see if He is as good as people say He is. We need to give God a try everyday and we will find that He truly is good. We'll see Him working in our lives, growing us spiritually, and using us to further His kingdom. One of the core characteristics of God is His goodness. He is the definition of good. All we have to do is give Him a try and we will be able to tell others "taste and see that the Lord is good." 

So how have you seen God to be good in your life? Take a moment to post or tweet about it to encourage others. Start it off by saying, "God is good because..." You're post may be the very thing that causes someone to "taste and see that the Lord is good." If you aren't on social media, text or call someone and let them know what good things God has done in your life.

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Not in a place to grow

There is a bridge that crosses the Catawba River called Castle Bridge. Just beside the bridge are the supports for the previous bridge that crossed the river at that spot. All that's left of the old bridge is a few supports. I have driven across the current bridge more times than I can count when going to the hospital for a visit or to Myra's for ice cream. Nearly every time I drive across the bridge I look at one of the center supports for the old bridge. On top of the support is a scraggly little tree. The tree isn't all that tall, maybe 3-4 feet high at most. There isn't much to the tree in the way of limbs or even a thick trunk. It's really reminiscent of the scraggly trees you see hanging off of cliffs and barren mountainsides. I have noticed this tree for years and I truly think it's the same size today as it was when I took my wife on our first date to Myra's over 18 years ago. So why is it stunted? Why hasn't it grown into a much larger tree? What has limited it from growing? The answer is simple. The tree hasn't grown because it isn't in a place where it can grow. There was just barely enough soil, water, and sunlight for a seed to germinate on that bridge support many years ago. But eventually the tree used up all the dirt it's roots had access to. Without a proper place to grow the tree was stunted and didn't grow to it's full potential.

Many times Christians will find themselves in the same type of place as this tree. The only difference is the tree didn't have a say in where it's seed took root. We as Christians have to guard ourselves from places of spiritual isolation that will stunt our spiritual growth. It's easy to find ourselves in a rut lacking in prayer, daily bible reading, service in the church, or even church attendance. We can find ourselves to be slowly isolating ourselves from God and eventually we'll find ourselves high on this isolated point, far from God, and in a place that isn't fit for us to grow in our faith. As hard as it is when we find ourselves in this position, we need to take the leap and head back to Him. The first step is always the most difficult to take, but once you do you won't regret it. As you start to grow in your faith again you will wonder why you wandered in the first place. As you grow in your faith you'll be able to live up to the full potential of what God designed you to be, rather than settling for a scraggly, gnarled, and growth-deprived version of your self. My encouragement to you today is to take the first step back towards a place where you can grow spiritually. If for you that means getting back in church this Sunday, then get there! If that means picking up your bible on your lunch break today, do so. If that means finding time this evening to spend some time in prayer with God, then do it! I can guarantee you that you won't regret growing spiritually and growing closer to God.


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Time to Clean Up Your Act

There are a few things you can usually find people doing when it's 95 degrees and sunny outside. Swimming. Sunbathing. Washing a car. This past Saturday I took the time to wash my truck and my wife's car. While I was washing Misty's car one of our teenagers from church walked up to talk to me. We chatted for a few minutes and towards the end of our conversation he made a comment that caught my attention. He said, "I guess I need to go home and wash my 4Runner." Now this mundane comment probably could have gone unnoticed in a conversation but I realized something in that moment that relates so well to our spiritual life. Whether we like it or not our actions have a direct impact on those around us.

The only reason this young man thought about washing his own vehicle was because he saw me washing mine. Whether I realized it at the time or not, my actions were having a direct impact on this young man. We've all seen this happen in life where people are encouraged to do good and bad based on the actions they see in others. Call it peer pressure. Call it influence. Call it what you will, but in the end our actions impact others.

When it comes to the way we live out our faith in front of others, our actions can have an impact, good or bad, on those around us. Ephesians 5:15-16 says “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” We have one shot at this life and it's important, when it comes to matters of faith, that we make the most of every opportunity. Especially when we realize how our witness and actions impact others. When others see us cleaning up our life, they will want to do the same. When others see us praying over our meal, it will encourage them to do the same. When others see us making God a priority, they will look to do so as well.

Our actions leave a lasting impression on those around us. Our kids. Our friends. Our family. Our co-workers. It's vitally important that we take every opportunity we can to leave a positive and faith-filled impact in the lives of those individuals. Look for an opportunity today to live out a great Christians example in the lives of those around you.


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