A week like this (8/7-12/11) may make you wonder what the world is coming to. The horrible drop in the stock market caused many to become anxious and fearful. Various economic doomsday scenarios have been forecast for the United States as a result.
Then there were the riots in England that fostered a sense of instability even in many Americans. It is one thing to see riots and revolt in North Africa or the Middle East, but when it happens in a place like England you begin to wonder if it couldn’t also happen in your country.
Further, there was the saddening loss of those 30 soldiers in Afghanistan. This was the largest single loss of life there by our forces and for those who appreciate these life-risking soldiers it was a grievous blow. Additionally, various sources are informing us about the aggressive and continual advances of Islam on the world stage. Many are finding this to be new, alarming information.
Then there are friends and loved ones around us who are being given a bleak prognosis. Currently, in our church family we have multiple people with cancer; in some cases it is inoperable and terminal. Other church members are dealing with life-altering conditions. Since we love these people we do not want to part with them, we fell anguish over their physical suffering and we enter into the emotions they are experiencing with them.
All of these experiences can be overwhelming! Yet amidst all of this the Lord has directed me to a verse that has ministered to me. Romans 15:4 states:
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,
so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
This verse reminds me that when life gets tough or I feel fearful that there remains a God-given resource that can produce endurance, courage, and hope within me. For that is what His Holy Scriptures can do within me. God made sure the Scriptures were written long ago so I, and other believers, could be taught. Everything in the Scriptures is in there to teach me. There is none wasted or without teaching value.
And what does it teach me? What is the purpose of its instruction? It is so that I would have hope. As I learn from the Scriptures they produce endurance within me for the hard and oppressive circumstances of life. They put courage within me when I might become fearful, anxious or weary. This God-imparted encouragement and endurance then fill me with hope as I look to the future. I don’t have to bolt the doors and crawl under my bed! Instead, I can drink in the truth of Scripture and have my faith and hope revitalized.
So, my friends, when you feel overwhelmed and fearful I urge you to spend some time in the Scriptures. Read, listen, study, meditate on, and memorize the precious words of God.For through them God can fill you with endurance and encouragement so your hope in Him remains fixed and sure no matter what is happening in the world around you.
Living in & living out His Scriptures!
Pastor Scott
Friday, August 12, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
GRATEFUL FOR GODLY LEADERSHIP
Yesterday (7/28/11) I had my first opportunity to meet with and hear Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. Sheriff Judd was speaking to pastors in our area at a local gathering. I came away impressed with the commitments and viewpoints of this man. He was obviously committed to securing safety and justice for all the citizens of Polk County. He seemed to be sincerely committed to following the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Christian Scriptures in his personal life. Sheriff Judd also impressed me because he knew that the solution to the problem of crime and societal sins go beyond what the government can offer. They are ordained by God to be a part of to solution (Romans 13:1-7), but as Sheriff Judd noted so are churches. I came away grateful for such apparent godly leadership in our Sheriff’s Office during these challenging times.
Yet as I reflected upon this meeting I was reminded of other godly leaders in our Police and Fire Rescue Departments at the county and city levels. Earlier this summer our church had the privilege of hosting a service and luncheon for new Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez. The service including words of tribute and challenge and then the new chief was sworn in. I had heard from some officers that they appreciated the character and work of Chief Velasquez as he worked his way up the ranks. They were hopeful about the direction of the police force on his respectable leadership. As I have come to know more about Chief Velasquez I understand he also shares a faith commitment to Christ. For his new leadership in Lake Wales we should be grateful.
Then, of course, there are the dear brothers in our church who offer leadership at the highest levels of Fire Rescue in our city and county. Jerry Brown is our Lake Wales Fire Chief and David Cash is the Chief of Fire Rescue for Polk County. Both are godly laymen who actively serve in our church. David has a reputation at the county level for quiet efficiency and selfless leadership. Another county official told me of how David inspires confidence of those under his leadership by his calm demeanor, clear thinking, and attention to detail. They told of how he’s been seen on days off sprucing up flower beds at a county fire station with other volunteers. Now that is servant leadership.
Lake Wales Fire Rescue Chief Brown also has a sterling reputation for his character and leadership. Jerry gladly tells of how he reluctantly ended up as fire chief in Lake Wales. He did not want the position, yet the Lord overruled Jerry years ago and thrust him into his position. As Chief he has earned the respect of his personnel and other city officials by being approachable, wise, and thorough. Perhaps you saw the article in the Lake Wales News this summer that told of a leadership group that Jerry convened. Jerry coordinated with Chief Velasquez to take all their upper leadership through a book on leadership written by Pastor Andy Stanley. Jerry had become familiar with that resource through some mentoring breakfast meetings we had with some of the young men of First Baptist Church. Jerry became convinced by the Spirit of God that the book could inspire the leaders of these departments to better leadership. So after much prayer Jerry shared his plan with the others and all bought into it. They all read and discussed the leadership concepts and supporting Biblical material over five meetings. Of course, seeing such leadership was great source of encouragement to me. For while many of you may have seen Jerry lead in our church as a deacon, you may not know how he also seeks to live out his faith in the workplace. I am so honored that Chief Brown and Chief Cash call First Baptist their church home and that it is evident to those who work around them that their faith in Jesus is real.
So I am filled with gratitude for the leadership God has put in these positions at our city and county levels. We are uniquely blessed! As a small way of recognized the blessing these men and all those that serve beside them in their forces are to our community we will be having a special service at First Baptist Church to acknowledge them on September 11, 2011. Yes, that day also marks the 10 year anniversary of the heroic efforts Fire Rescue, Police officers, and ordinary citizens made in response to the terrorist attacks of that day. We will be calling that day–A Day To Remember. We’ve invited leadership and all personnel from these four forces mentioned to be with us at FBC for that 10:30 AM Worship Service. We will honor them and pray for them. Some of them may address our congregation. Through it all we will express gratitude to God for these public servants who risk their lives for our safety day after day. Plan now to join us that day and invite and police of fire rescue personnel you know of to be our honored guest that day. Of course, you don’t need to wait until then to be grateful to God for them and for the godly leadership He’s uniquely place within their ranks in our community.
Grateful for ALL God’s blessings!
Pastor Scott
Yet as I reflected upon this meeting I was reminded of other godly leaders in our Police and Fire Rescue Departments at the county and city levels. Earlier this summer our church had the privilege of hosting a service and luncheon for new Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez. The service including words of tribute and challenge and then the new chief was sworn in. I had heard from some officers that they appreciated the character and work of Chief Velasquez as he worked his way up the ranks. They were hopeful about the direction of the police force on his respectable leadership. As I have come to know more about Chief Velasquez I understand he also shares a faith commitment to Christ. For his new leadership in Lake Wales we should be grateful.
Then, of course, there are the dear brothers in our church who offer leadership at the highest levels of Fire Rescue in our city and county. Jerry Brown is our Lake Wales Fire Chief and David Cash is the Chief of Fire Rescue for Polk County. Both are godly laymen who actively serve in our church. David has a reputation at the county level for quiet efficiency and selfless leadership. Another county official told me of how David inspires confidence of those under his leadership by his calm demeanor, clear thinking, and attention to detail. They told of how he’s been seen on days off sprucing up flower beds at a county fire station with other volunteers. Now that is servant leadership.
Lake Wales Fire Rescue Chief Brown also has a sterling reputation for his character and leadership. Jerry gladly tells of how he reluctantly ended up as fire chief in Lake Wales. He did not want the position, yet the Lord overruled Jerry years ago and thrust him into his position. As Chief he has earned the respect of his personnel and other city officials by being approachable, wise, and thorough. Perhaps you saw the article in the Lake Wales News this summer that told of a leadership group that Jerry convened. Jerry coordinated with Chief Velasquez to take all their upper leadership through a book on leadership written by Pastor Andy Stanley. Jerry had become familiar with that resource through some mentoring breakfast meetings we had with some of the young men of First Baptist Church. Jerry became convinced by the Spirit of God that the book could inspire the leaders of these departments to better leadership. So after much prayer Jerry shared his plan with the others and all bought into it. They all read and discussed the leadership concepts and supporting Biblical material over five meetings. Of course, seeing such leadership was great source of encouragement to me. For while many of you may have seen Jerry lead in our church as a deacon, you may not know how he also seeks to live out his faith in the workplace. I am so honored that Chief Brown and Chief Cash call First Baptist their church home and that it is evident to those who work around them that their faith in Jesus is real.
So I am filled with gratitude for the leadership God has put in these positions at our city and county levels. We are uniquely blessed! As a small way of recognized the blessing these men and all those that serve beside them in their forces are to our community we will be having a special service at First Baptist Church to acknowledge them on September 11, 2011. Yes, that day also marks the 10 year anniversary of the heroic efforts Fire Rescue, Police officers, and ordinary citizens made in response to the terrorist attacks of that day. We will be calling that day–A Day To Remember. We’ve invited leadership and all personnel from these four forces mentioned to be with us at FBC for that 10:30 AM Worship Service. We will honor them and pray for them. Some of them may address our congregation. Through it all we will express gratitude to God for these public servants who risk their lives for our safety day after day. Plan now to join us that day and invite and police of fire rescue personnel you know of to be our honored guest that day. Of course, you don’t need to wait until then to be grateful to God for them and for the godly leadership He’s uniquely place within their ranks in our community.
Grateful for ALL God’s blessings!
Pastor Scott
Friday, July 15, 2011
ANT OR SLUG?
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.” Proverbs 6:6
I have always loved this verse. I think it is a great one to quote your teenage children when they prefer to stay in an air-conditioned house playing or reading when there is yard-work to be done. Hey, it is a great verse to quote to myself when I feel unmotivated to do that yard-work. However, it is probably not a good one to quote your spouse to stir them toward yard-work or house-work!
The verse is addressed to a sluggard, which is a word to describe a habitually lazy person. Webster’s dictionary would offer as synonyms words like deadbeat, idler, loafer, slouch, lazybones, couch potato, or slug. You get the picture don’t you?
Now that last synonym is interesting because most often a slug refers to long worm-like creature closely related to a snail, without the evident shell. Slugs are technically gastropods and are found in most parts of the world where there is a reasonable supply of moisture. They are certainly slow-moving creatures.
Now I am not entirely sure which term developed first, the sluggard or the slug, but you can see how the terms are closely related. My hunch is the term sluggard was developed after the word slug in order to refer to humans who were slow-moving. These were people who seemed to move nowhere and do nothing. Obviously, it was not a kind comparison.
In contrast to the sluggard, or slug, we find Proverbs 6 offer up the ant as an example of hard-working industriousness. Now some would likely consider the comparison of a human to an ant to also be insulting. After all, ants are so small, they serve as food for other insects, and their lives seem meaningless as they are so easily trampled underfoot.
However, through Proverbs 6:6-11 God wisely reminds us of the great example of hard work ants really are. The verses tell of how the ant plans ahead by storing up food. Ants are also notable for their strength, with an individual ant carrying from up to 5 to 25 times its bodyweight depending on the species. Of course, there are many other amazing attributes ants have that are worth imitating, such as their cooperative efforts. These ways of the ant are worthy of consideration for sluggards and all of us. It is even suggested to the sluggard that wisdom could be the result of considering the hard-working ways of the ant. So in the end it seems that being compared to an ant may not be so bad after all. It certainly would beat being called a slug or a sluggard.
This coming Wednesday, July 20, you can come to First Baptist at 6:00 p.m. and hear some of our high school students share about the mission trip they recently went on to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. The one thing I have heard the adults who went on that trip say was how hard our students worked. They will share with you on Wednesday all the physical labor they did, how they led a Vacation Bible School there for 40-some children they loved on, and how they cooked all their own meals. Pastor Matt, Pastor Charles, and Cindy Polston have raved on how this was the most unified, well-behaved, loving, and hard-working team of students they have ever seen. Cindy said they even worked through their break times to get projects done, pausing only to get some fluids in them. Clearly, this team was made up of ants, not slugs!
So come on out this Wednesday as some of them and a couple who went to Brazil all share about what God in their lives as they served the Lord with all their might. I think you will be encouraged to hear of the faith and character of these students. Perhaps as we consider their ways all present will be inspired to work like ants for the kingdom of God!
Working toward wisdom!
Pastor Scott
I have always loved this verse. I think it is a great one to quote your teenage children when they prefer to stay in an air-conditioned house playing or reading when there is yard-work to be done. Hey, it is a great verse to quote to myself when I feel unmotivated to do that yard-work. However, it is probably not a good one to quote your spouse to stir them toward yard-work or house-work!
The verse is addressed to a sluggard, which is a word to describe a habitually lazy person. Webster’s dictionary would offer as synonyms words like deadbeat, idler, loafer, slouch, lazybones, couch potato, or slug. You get the picture don’t you?
Now that last synonym is interesting because most often a slug refers to long worm-like creature closely related to a snail, without the evident shell. Slugs are technically gastropods and are found in most parts of the world where there is a reasonable supply of moisture. They are certainly slow-moving creatures.
Now I am not entirely sure which term developed first, the sluggard or the slug, but you can see how the terms are closely related. My hunch is the term sluggard was developed after the word slug in order to refer to humans who were slow-moving. These were people who seemed to move nowhere and do nothing. Obviously, it was not a kind comparison.
In contrast to the sluggard, or slug, we find Proverbs 6 offer up the ant as an example of hard-working industriousness. Now some would likely consider the comparison of a human to an ant to also be insulting. After all, ants are so small, they serve as food for other insects, and their lives seem meaningless as they are so easily trampled underfoot.
However, through Proverbs 6:6-11 God wisely reminds us of the great example of hard work ants really are. The verses tell of how the ant plans ahead by storing up food. Ants are also notable for their strength, with an individual ant carrying from up to 5 to 25 times its bodyweight depending on the species. Of course, there are many other amazing attributes ants have that are worth imitating, such as their cooperative efforts. These ways of the ant are worthy of consideration for sluggards and all of us. It is even suggested to the sluggard that wisdom could be the result of considering the hard-working ways of the ant. So in the end it seems that being compared to an ant may not be so bad after all. It certainly would beat being called a slug or a sluggard.
This coming Wednesday, July 20, you can come to First Baptist at 6:00 p.m. and hear some of our high school students share about the mission trip they recently went on to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. The one thing I have heard the adults who went on that trip say was how hard our students worked. They will share with you on Wednesday all the physical labor they did, how they led a Vacation Bible School there for 40-some children they loved on, and how they cooked all their own meals. Pastor Matt, Pastor Charles, and Cindy Polston have raved on how this was the most unified, well-behaved, loving, and hard-working team of students they have ever seen. Cindy said they even worked through their break times to get projects done, pausing only to get some fluids in them. Clearly, this team was made up of ants, not slugs!
So come on out this Wednesday as some of them and a couple who went to Brazil all share about what God in their lives as they served the Lord with all their might. I think you will be encouraged to hear of the faith and character of these students. Perhaps as we consider their ways all present will be inspired to work like ants for the kingdom of God!
Working toward wisdom!
Pastor Scott
Thursday, July 7, 2011
VALUING TRUTH & CHILDREN
It has been somewhat surprising for me to see how upset and outraged people have been at the Casey Anthony verdict. It surprises me not because I believe that the reaction of the American public is inappropriate. Rather, it surprisingly encourages me because this reaction shows that the American public still seems to value the truth and children.
Before you chastise be for becoming cynical about the state of our nation consider this. First, we have had recent scandals at two of our nation’s premier universities, the University of Southern California and The Ohio State University. Central to these disturbing scandals is that they involved lying and deceit by football players, reputable coaches, school officials, and others. Second, there has been a variety of business scandals involving deception and fraud, as in the case with Bernie Madoff. Current labor disputes in various industries include posturing and misrepresentation designed to dictate the impressions of the public. Third, perjury, in courts of law, is becoming commonplace. There is an increasing back-log of perjury cases that threaten to clog up the legal system. Then in the backdrop there is the deceit involved in political campaigns, the steroid scandal in sports, or even within the religious realm. While preparing for my message this week I have been reading about a lecture given by Dr. James Stewart this spring entitled The Epidemic of Lying in America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff. Dr. Stewart, who is a Pulitzer Prize winner and professor of Journalism at Columbia University, paints a bleak picture of truth-telling in America.
For this reason I was actually heartened by the American public’s reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict. People were upset because they felt the TRUTH did not come out. They felt all the evidence pointed toward a guilty verdict, though the jury did not find it to do so beyond a reasonable doubt. They were upset with the prosecution and with the judicial process because they felt the truth did not win out in this case. Of course, I think they were most upset because this mother got away with lying and the murder of her own precious child.
Perhaps I am misreading the reaction, but mixed in there I hope I also see compassion toward the victim in this case—two year-old Caylee Anthony. It seems many feel her life was unjustly and violently taken from her by the one who should be caring for her most dearly. It seems this violent perversion of the maternal role is offensive to even the hard-hearted. Yes, Americans still value children. We believe they should be loved and cared for by their parents. Their lives are precious and inviolable. Thus, the murder of a child seems to be as heinous a crime as there is. So though this case that has not had any redeeming features to it at all, I can at least take something positive from America’s reaction to the verdict.
This Sunday I will share from Matthew 5 about Broken Vows and Truthfulness. During this message you will hear how Jesus was emphasizing how much he valued truth. Also on Monday we begin our 2011 Vacation Bible School. VBS is one way we, as a church, show we love and value children. It is also a way some children come to know Jesus by faith nearly every year. Our workers have been going all out preparing the lessons and learning environments for this week the children of our community enjoy so much. If you are serving in it I want to say how I appreciate your labor and that of our directors, Jennifer Simpson and Missy Boyte. If you are not serving, I invite you to pray for VBS every day this week. Further, I hope you will join us on Thursday (no regular Wednesday activities!) for the VBS Musical at 6 pm in our Worship Center. Let’s continue to value the children we do have in our church and community by offering them a wonderful VBS this year!
Striving to value what the Lord values!
Pastor Scott
P.S. June was a very difficult month for our church financially. We barely were able to “make our payroll” and are now behind in some of our financial commitments. We know our seasonal guests are gone and also many of our year-round members vacationed. May I please urge you to continue to give to the Lord your tithes and offerings, as able, even when vacationing this summer. If God has especially blessed you in the financial realm would you prayerfully consider a special gift in July so we can not make our budget and bills in July and possibly even catch-up for what happened in June. If you are unable to give additionally, please pray fervently that God provides for the church during these lean summer months.
Before you chastise be for becoming cynical about the state of our nation consider this. First, we have had recent scandals at two of our nation’s premier universities, the University of Southern California and The Ohio State University. Central to these disturbing scandals is that they involved lying and deceit by football players, reputable coaches, school officials, and others. Second, there has been a variety of business scandals involving deception and fraud, as in the case with Bernie Madoff. Current labor disputes in various industries include posturing and misrepresentation designed to dictate the impressions of the public. Third, perjury, in courts of law, is becoming commonplace. There is an increasing back-log of perjury cases that threaten to clog up the legal system. Then in the backdrop there is the deceit involved in political campaigns, the steroid scandal in sports, or even within the religious realm. While preparing for my message this week I have been reading about a lecture given by Dr. James Stewart this spring entitled The Epidemic of Lying in America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff. Dr. Stewart, who is a Pulitzer Prize winner and professor of Journalism at Columbia University, paints a bleak picture of truth-telling in America.
For this reason I was actually heartened by the American public’s reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict. People were upset because they felt the TRUTH did not come out. They felt all the evidence pointed toward a guilty verdict, though the jury did not find it to do so beyond a reasonable doubt. They were upset with the prosecution and with the judicial process because they felt the truth did not win out in this case. Of course, I think they were most upset because this mother got away with lying and the murder of her own precious child.
Perhaps I am misreading the reaction, but mixed in there I hope I also see compassion toward the victim in this case—two year-old Caylee Anthony. It seems many feel her life was unjustly and violently taken from her by the one who should be caring for her most dearly. It seems this violent perversion of the maternal role is offensive to even the hard-hearted. Yes, Americans still value children. We believe they should be loved and cared for by their parents. Their lives are precious and inviolable. Thus, the murder of a child seems to be as heinous a crime as there is. So though this case that has not had any redeeming features to it at all, I can at least take something positive from America’s reaction to the verdict.
This Sunday I will share from Matthew 5 about Broken Vows and Truthfulness. During this message you will hear how Jesus was emphasizing how much he valued truth. Also on Monday we begin our 2011 Vacation Bible School. VBS is one way we, as a church, show we love and value children. It is also a way some children come to know Jesus by faith nearly every year. Our workers have been going all out preparing the lessons and learning environments for this week the children of our community enjoy so much. If you are serving in it I want to say how I appreciate your labor and that of our directors, Jennifer Simpson and Missy Boyte. If you are not serving, I invite you to pray for VBS every day this week. Further, I hope you will join us on Thursday (no regular Wednesday activities!) for the VBS Musical at 6 pm in our Worship Center. Let’s continue to value the children we do have in our church and community by offering them a wonderful VBS this year!
Striving to value what the Lord values!
Pastor Scott
P.S. June was a very difficult month for our church financially. We barely were able to “make our payroll” and are now behind in some of our financial commitments. We know our seasonal guests are gone and also many of our year-round members vacationed. May I please urge you to continue to give to the Lord your tithes and offerings, as able, even when vacationing this summer. If God has especially blessed you in the financial realm would you prayerfully consider a special gift in July so we can not make our budget and bills in July and possibly even catch-up for what happened in June. If you are unable to give additionally, please pray fervently that God provides for the church during these lean summer months.
Friday, July 1, 2011
FREELY OPEN DOORS
Brazil, like America, is a land of many freedoms. This thought came to me as I returned from Brazil earlier this week as we approached Independence Day in the USA. We had total freedom to proclaim Christ in Casa Branca, Brazil. There was no fear of police, governmental authorities, spies, or of members of a certain political party, as I have experienced elsewhere in the world. We could freely come and go into homes of people who gladly welcomed us in to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We were able to gather together dozens of youth after one of our sports clinics and openly speak of salvation through Jesus Christ to them. During each half-time of a youth soccer tournament we co-sponsored with a government entity we were invited to share personal testimonies about our faith in Christ. Coaches gathered both teams to listen attentively. Additionally, the mission team members from our church were able to spontaneously engage in evangelistic conversations with Brazilians who were standing alongside the soccer field during the tournament. We found these parents, relatives, friends, and players willing and eager to direct their attention away from the soccer and onto the good news of Jesus, which we presented through a booklet proven to be effective in Brazil.
While in America we share the same legal freedom to proclaim the gospel as we had in Brazil, our mission team commented that evening that very rarely would anyone ever exercise that freedom. We discussed how you could never do what we did among the crowd at the soccer tournament. Factors inhibiting that free expression included our fears and the expectation of indifference or even irritation at what would be perceived as an intrusive interruption. So ironically, while we are as legally free to talk about Jesus here in America as we are in Brazil we find ourselves not sharing as freely of Christ as we could be. I guess partly because people also feel free to tell us to “get lost” or “I’m not interested in hearing that” or “I already know that stuff, so please….” But is that response by some an adequate reason to forfeit our freedom to speak about the difference Christ makes in our lives?
I wonder if we cannot find more culturally appropriate ways to share the gospel here in America with greater freedom than we do currently. I wonder if we could not sponsor a soccer tournament here in Lake Wales where we could then freely share personal testimonies at half-time. I wonder if parents and children in our community might not come out for a free sports clinic where coaches could share of their faith in Jesus. Maybe Americans would not respond with immediate faith in Christ as so many Brazilians do. Maybe Americans won’t invite us into their homes to spend 30 minutes talking about gospel of Jesus Christ. But, maybe there are unexplored avenues of gospel-sowing and sharing than we are not freely pursuing. Maybe we have more freedoms than we walk in by faith.
This 4th of July weekend let us thank God for the freedoms we continue to enjoy in America, and as believers for the freedom that is ours in Christ. This will be a featured theme in our worship at FBCLW this Sunday. But also, let us also prayerfully think about, discuss and act upon ways we may better utilize the freedom we have in our town and nation to share the good news of Jesus.
In Colossians 4:3 Paul asked the believers in Collosae to pray for him. He wrote: “…Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison….” Ironically, none of us are in prison. We are free men and women! So in a very real sense the doors are open for us to share the Word. We have what Paul prayed for! Therefore, may we freely walk through each open door in Brazil, America, and wherever the Lord sets our feet.
Glad to be wholly free!
Pastor Scott
While in America we share the same legal freedom to proclaim the gospel as we had in Brazil, our mission team commented that evening that very rarely would anyone ever exercise that freedom. We discussed how you could never do what we did among the crowd at the soccer tournament. Factors inhibiting that free expression included our fears and the expectation of indifference or even irritation at what would be perceived as an intrusive interruption. So ironically, while we are as legally free to talk about Jesus here in America as we are in Brazil we find ourselves not sharing as freely of Christ as we could be. I guess partly because people also feel free to tell us to “get lost” or “I’m not interested in hearing that” or “I already know that stuff, so please….” But is that response by some an adequate reason to forfeit our freedom to speak about the difference Christ makes in our lives?
I wonder if we cannot find more culturally appropriate ways to share the gospel here in America with greater freedom than we do currently. I wonder if we could not sponsor a soccer tournament here in Lake Wales where we could then freely share personal testimonies at half-time. I wonder if parents and children in our community might not come out for a free sports clinic where coaches could share of their faith in Jesus. Maybe Americans would not respond with immediate faith in Christ as so many Brazilians do. Maybe Americans won’t invite us into their homes to spend 30 minutes talking about gospel of Jesus Christ. But, maybe there are unexplored avenues of gospel-sowing and sharing than we are not freely pursuing. Maybe we have more freedoms than we walk in by faith.
This 4th of July weekend let us thank God for the freedoms we continue to enjoy in America, and as believers for the freedom that is ours in Christ. This will be a featured theme in our worship at FBCLW this Sunday. But also, let us also prayerfully think about, discuss and act upon ways we may better utilize the freedom we have in our town and nation to share the good news of Jesus.
In Colossians 4:3 Paul asked the believers in Collosae to pray for him. He wrote: “…Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison….” Ironically, none of us are in prison. We are free men and women! So in a very real sense the doors are open for us to share the Word. We have what Paul prayed for! Therefore, may we freely walk through each open door in Brazil, America, and wherever the Lord sets our feet.
Glad to be wholly free!
Pastor Scott
Thursday, June 16, 2011
SPORTS AS A GLOBAL BRIDGE TO THE GOSPEL
A mission team of ten will leave from Lake Wales, Florida tomorrow, June 17, for the city of Casa Branca, Brazil. This team from First Baptist will lead home Bible studies, do evangelistic home visits by appointment, and conduct multiple sports clinics. The first two activities sound like what mission teams would be expected to do. It is what teams from our church have done there before. But some are wondering why we are now doing sports clinics.
The answer is the sports clinics are an intersection of the vision of the church in Casa Branca for reaching youth and the interests and abilities of the 2011 FBCLW team members. Now that this fledgling mission church is starting to grow they are looking around to their community seeking to know from the Lord how they might meet the needs of the residents of their town. One whole population group they see teeming with potential and yet aimlessly drifting are the youth of Casa Branca. They know these teenagers are the future of their town, yet so many lack purpose and meaning in their lives. It seems this group is primed to hear the good news of Jesus which provides one with an overarching purpose to life. Yet how do you gain a hearing for the gospel with young people? Most are not at all interested in going to church which they see as boring or irrelevant. The answer in many places around the world is sports.
By the Providence of God the team He has assembled to go to Casa Branca has a number of notable athletes and coaches on it. Jim Taubert played football at Michigan State and has coached at the high school and pro levels. Jake Pavy is a new assistant football coach at Lake Wales High School. Jeff Sikes was a collegiate baseball player and is currently a successful veteran baseball coach at Warner University. David Russell won a national championship in volleyball while playing for UCLA not so long ago and has coached the sport. All four of these men are capable teachers of their respective sports and each has a passion for Jesus Christ their Lord. Additionally, the other six members of our mission team (Lynn Hooten, Hayden Hooten, Layne Lightsey, Cassie Pavy, Matt Smith and me) are eager to assist these four and to share what a difference Jesus has made in their lives.
Interestingly, as we began speaking with our Brazilian partners it became evident God was directing us toward a sports emphasis with this 2011 Brazil Team. As Pastor Jose of Casa Branca began to dialogue with government and school officials in his town he saw God open door after door. They were eager to support the clinics Jose was proposing. They have helped with fields, equipment, publicity, and will even let the team use a van free of charge while there. With the city promoting our clinics hundreds of youth have signed up for clinics that will teach American football, volleyball, and baseball. Additionally, our team and the church will “host” a soccer tournament. So now Pastor Jose and the fledgling Baptist church he leads have become known to all the city officials, including the mayor who our team is to meet with. The knowledge of the presence of this little congregation has been spread all over town. Truly, God has orchestrated something beyond what any of us could have envisioned.
Of course, while there are many values to athletics, as Christ-followers we see one of them being that sports can be a bridge to sharing the gospel. Like the Apostle Paul we want to adapt to the values and culture of those we are trying to reach with the good news (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Sports will enable us to gain a hearing for the gospel among the sports-oriented youth. During each clinic there will be a significant portion of time set aside to share the gospel and for testimonies to be shared. Each of these coaches will have instant credibility among these Brazilian youth who love Americans and sports. I imagine they will listen to them more carefully than they would Pastor Jose or me. During the half-time of every soccer game that is a part of the tournament a testimony will be given. Registration cards will be filled out by every player with the opportunity for them to indicate interest in knowing Jesus. Our Brazilian partners have ordered 5000 copies of a booklet they have found to communicate the gospel well in that culture. These booklets will be share during the clinics and given to each soccer player. All of this is with the full knowledge and support of the government officials. Friends, can you imagine this? While in the past we have had the chance to share with a few hundred people on trips to Brazil this time we could be sharing with a few thousand people—many young people; many because of the bridge of sports.
Sure, sports can become a god. I see how people in our own culture give more time, energy and devotion to sports than they do to Jesus Christ and his church. I see them prioritize their lives around sports as participants or fans. Indeed, in some ways sports is a barrier to the gospel. Yet, also I have seen in China and South Africa sports used as a cross-cultural bridge to the gospel as I assisted with basketball clinics among youth in both of those nations. Now, once more, I am eager to see how God might use four other sports as a global bridge for the gospel—and all on one trip (June 17-27). Oh my Father God, I am so eager to go see the out-working what you have divinely arranged to reach the youth and the total city of Casa Branca with the message of life found in Jesus Christ!
On Mission with Christ!
Scott
The answer is the sports clinics are an intersection of the vision of the church in Casa Branca for reaching youth and the interests and abilities of the 2011 FBCLW team members. Now that this fledgling mission church is starting to grow they are looking around to their community seeking to know from the Lord how they might meet the needs of the residents of their town. One whole population group they see teeming with potential and yet aimlessly drifting are the youth of Casa Branca. They know these teenagers are the future of their town, yet so many lack purpose and meaning in their lives. It seems this group is primed to hear the good news of Jesus which provides one with an overarching purpose to life. Yet how do you gain a hearing for the gospel with young people? Most are not at all interested in going to church which they see as boring or irrelevant. The answer in many places around the world is sports.
By the Providence of God the team He has assembled to go to Casa Branca has a number of notable athletes and coaches on it. Jim Taubert played football at Michigan State and has coached at the high school and pro levels. Jake Pavy is a new assistant football coach at Lake Wales High School. Jeff Sikes was a collegiate baseball player and is currently a successful veteran baseball coach at Warner University. David Russell won a national championship in volleyball while playing for UCLA not so long ago and has coached the sport. All four of these men are capable teachers of their respective sports and each has a passion for Jesus Christ their Lord. Additionally, the other six members of our mission team (Lynn Hooten, Hayden Hooten, Layne Lightsey, Cassie Pavy, Matt Smith and me) are eager to assist these four and to share what a difference Jesus has made in their lives.
Interestingly, as we began speaking with our Brazilian partners it became evident God was directing us toward a sports emphasis with this 2011 Brazil Team. As Pastor Jose of Casa Branca began to dialogue with government and school officials in his town he saw God open door after door. They were eager to support the clinics Jose was proposing. They have helped with fields, equipment, publicity, and will even let the team use a van free of charge while there. With the city promoting our clinics hundreds of youth have signed up for clinics that will teach American football, volleyball, and baseball. Additionally, our team and the church will “host” a soccer tournament. So now Pastor Jose and the fledgling Baptist church he leads have become known to all the city officials, including the mayor who our team is to meet with. The knowledge of the presence of this little congregation has been spread all over town. Truly, God has orchestrated something beyond what any of us could have envisioned.
Of course, while there are many values to athletics, as Christ-followers we see one of them being that sports can be a bridge to sharing the gospel. Like the Apostle Paul we want to adapt to the values and culture of those we are trying to reach with the good news (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Sports will enable us to gain a hearing for the gospel among the sports-oriented youth. During each clinic there will be a significant portion of time set aside to share the gospel and for testimonies to be shared. Each of these coaches will have instant credibility among these Brazilian youth who love Americans and sports. I imagine they will listen to them more carefully than they would Pastor Jose or me. During the half-time of every soccer game that is a part of the tournament a testimony will be given. Registration cards will be filled out by every player with the opportunity for them to indicate interest in knowing Jesus. Our Brazilian partners have ordered 5000 copies of a booklet they have found to communicate the gospel well in that culture. These booklets will be share during the clinics and given to each soccer player. All of this is with the full knowledge and support of the government officials. Friends, can you imagine this? While in the past we have had the chance to share with a few hundred people on trips to Brazil this time we could be sharing with a few thousand people—many young people; many because of the bridge of sports.
Sure, sports can become a god. I see how people in our own culture give more time, energy and devotion to sports than they do to Jesus Christ and his church. I see them prioritize their lives around sports as participants or fans. Indeed, in some ways sports is a barrier to the gospel. Yet, also I have seen in China and South Africa sports used as a cross-cultural bridge to the gospel as I assisted with basketball clinics among youth in both of those nations. Now, once more, I am eager to see how God might use four other sports as a global bridge for the gospel—and all on one trip (June 17-27). Oh my Father God, I am so eager to go see the out-working what you have divinely arranged to reach the youth and the total city of Casa Branca with the message of life found in Jesus Christ!
On Mission with Christ!
Scott
Friday, June 3, 2011
Angry Heart Journaling
The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Proverbs 20:5
Do you understand your own heart–the desires, longings and idols that may reside there? Do you understand what is stirring in there that causes you to get angry? This Sunday as I speak about anger I will suggest the practice of “Anger Journaling” or “Heart Journaling.” Actually, both of these forms of journaling are very similar. They are written of in Lou Priolo’s book The Heart of Anger. While the book is particularly written to help prevent and cure anger within children I have found much of the counsel within the book applies to adults as well. The advice to journal is one such example. Journaling enables a person to understand those things that trigger their anger, as well as gain insight to the “deep waters” of their own heart.
Priolo sets before the reader four basic questions in the “Heart Journal”. They are:
1. What happened that provoked me to anger? (What are the circumstances that led to my becoming angry?)
2. What did I say to myself (in my heart) when I became angry? (What did I want, desire or long for when I became angry?)
3. What does the Bible say about what I said to myself when I became angry? (What does the Bible say about what I wanted?)
4. What should I have said to myself when I became angry? (What should I have wanted more than my own selfish and idolatrous desire?)
Yes, it takes courage to ask those hard questions if you are a person who struggles with anger. Oh, and please understand when I speak of anger I do not merely mean explosive anger. The Bible speaks of the brooding, smoldering internal anger as well as the explosive, external anger. The freezing-out anger is not more healthy or honorable than the shouting-out anger. Followers of Jesus are told to rid themselves of both of these forms of anger (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:7).
However, ridding your life of anger is not easy, particularly if you’re developed life-long patterns of expressing anger. It takes the courage to look within your heart. It may require the discipline to journal like Priolo suggests. Above all, it takes continually yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit in all of this. This is why I think it is so difficult for a person who does not have the indwelling Christ to overcome anger. Yet, Jesus came to transform our lives from the inside out. He came to change our hearts so we can think, desire, speak, and act like those who belong to Him. And at the moment of salvation Jesus gives His followers the Spirit of God to empower them for all of life—including overcoming our anger. May you and I take whatever steps are needed to allow Christ to be Lord of our anger and “the purposes of our heart.”
Striving to be “pure of heart,”
Pastor Scott
Do you understand your own heart–the desires, longings and idols that may reside there? Do you understand what is stirring in there that causes you to get angry? This Sunday as I speak about anger I will suggest the practice of “Anger Journaling” or “Heart Journaling.” Actually, both of these forms of journaling are very similar. They are written of in Lou Priolo’s book The Heart of Anger. While the book is particularly written to help prevent and cure anger within children I have found much of the counsel within the book applies to adults as well. The advice to journal is one such example. Journaling enables a person to understand those things that trigger their anger, as well as gain insight to the “deep waters” of their own heart.
Priolo sets before the reader four basic questions in the “Heart Journal”. They are:
1. What happened that provoked me to anger? (What are the circumstances that led to my becoming angry?)
2. What did I say to myself (in my heart) when I became angry? (What did I want, desire or long for when I became angry?)
3. What does the Bible say about what I said to myself when I became angry? (What does the Bible say about what I wanted?)
4. What should I have said to myself when I became angry? (What should I have wanted more than my own selfish and idolatrous desire?)
Yes, it takes courage to ask those hard questions if you are a person who struggles with anger. Oh, and please understand when I speak of anger I do not merely mean explosive anger. The Bible speaks of the brooding, smoldering internal anger as well as the explosive, external anger. The freezing-out anger is not more healthy or honorable than the shouting-out anger. Followers of Jesus are told to rid themselves of both of these forms of anger (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:7).
However, ridding your life of anger is not easy, particularly if you’re developed life-long patterns of expressing anger. It takes the courage to look within your heart. It may require the discipline to journal like Priolo suggests. Above all, it takes continually yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit in all of this. This is why I think it is so difficult for a person who does not have the indwelling Christ to overcome anger. Yet, Jesus came to transform our lives from the inside out. He came to change our hearts so we can think, desire, speak, and act like those who belong to Him. And at the moment of salvation Jesus gives His followers the Spirit of God to empower them for all of life—including overcoming our anger. May you and I take whatever steps are needed to allow Christ to be Lord of our anger and “the purposes of our heart.”
Striving to be “pure of heart,”
Pastor Scott
Friday, April 29, 2011
AMERICA’S CHANGING RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE
“Men of Athens! I see that you are religious in every respect.” Acts 17:22
As I looked over a website about the “Things to Do” at New Smyrna Beach I was stunned to see rated number one was “Bikram’s Yoga College of India”. Now I know your immediate thought might be like mine, “Boy, there must not be much to do in New Smyrna!” However, below the number one rated yoga college were charter fishing outfits, golf courses, a marine science center, Smyrna Dunes, and even the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse, which you can climb up and is the tallest lighthouse in Florida. Yet all of these attractions were rated behind the yoga college on the “Things to Do” list. Wow!
Now I’m not sure how this site gave out their rankings, but the rating system seems a little odd to me. Still it is very intriguing to me that in a small beachfront community in America that there would even be a yoga college, much less that it be considered a top “thing to do”. Yoga in New York City might be expected, but in New Smyrna Beach—not so much!
Now I am not ranting about yoga here. And I know this is simply an anecdotal piece of information. Nevertheless, this oddity served to remind me of the ever-increasing presence of religions like Buddhism on United States soil.
While yoga has long been a practice of Buddhists in Asia, now some form of it is a regular exercise offering at gyms and exercise centers across America. Karma is a specific doctrinal belief within Hinduism that motivates the actions of most Hindu’s throughout the world. Yet now that concept has worked its way into the everyday conversations of many Americans, even if in a joking way. Of course, I don’t need to tell you about the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City or the rapid rate of Islamic mosques appearing in urban areas all over America.
Clearly, the religious make-up of America is changing. Our nation has become more pluralistic in every way than ever before in history. For followers of Jesus this is not a cause for alarm or fear. Yet neitehr is it a time for passivity and ignorance! Sadly, many Americans and many Christ-followers remain uninformed about the basic beliefs of these ever-growing world religions. This makes dialogue with their adherent’s difficult, mutual understanding problematic and redemptive witness toward them near impossible.
However, at FBC, Lake Wales we are working to change that. We want to equip you to dialogue with and lovingly minister to those from these varying belief systems and their worldviews. We want to inform you of their basic beliefs and how they differ from what the Bible teaches is the truth. Therefore, this coming Wednesday, May 4, I will begin a series for the summer months entitled “What’s the Difference?” It will be a study of world religions and a couple major cults. I will present much of the material and utilize various resources including multi-media. Additionally, others will present on some of the religions and cults we will study. I hope whether you are a young adult, a median adult or older adult you will want to learn of these faith systems so you might be better prepared to listen, understand, and maybe eventually share about your faith in the Risen Christ to someone who believes differently than you. Our hope is that you may be as confident and conversant as the Apostle Paul was at Athens!
Friend, the religious landscape of America is changing. And you can either bury your head in the sand or you can be equipped to live for Christ in the new, more pluralistic America. I hope you will choose the latter, even if that means changing your schedule to somehow make it to FBC on a Wednesday night by 6:15 pm. It will be exciting to learn many of these fascinating beliefs and become more strongly anchored to the distinctive beliefs of the Christian faith. I hope you will join me!
Loving & equipping you for Christ,
Pastor Scott
As I looked over a website about the “Things to Do” at New Smyrna Beach I was stunned to see rated number one was “Bikram’s Yoga College of India”. Now I know your immediate thought might be like mine, “Boy, there must not be much to do in New Smyrna!” However, below the number one rated yoga college were charter fishing outfits, golf courses, a marine science center, Smyrna Dunes, and even the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse, which you can climb up and is the tallest lighthouse in Florida. Yet all of these attractions were rated behind the yoga college on the “Things to Do” list. Wow!
Now I’m not sure how this site gave out their rankings, but the rating system seems a little odd to me. Still it is very intriguing to me that in a small beachfront community in America that there would even be a yoga college, much less that it be considered a top “thing to do”. Yoga in New York City might be expected, but in New Smyrna Beach—not so much!
Now I am not ranting about yoga here. And I know this is simply an anecdotal piece of information. Nevertheless, this oddity served to remind me of the ever-increasing presence of religions like Buddhism on United States soil.
While yoga has long been a practice of Buddhists in Asia, now some form of it is a regular exercise offering at gyms and exercise centers across America. Karma is a specific doctrinal belief within Hinduism that motivates the actions of most Hindu’s throughout the world. Yet now that concept has worked its way into the everyday conversations of many Americans, even if in a joking way. Of course, I don’t need to tell you about the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City or the rapid rate of Islamic mosques appearing in urban areas all over America.
Clearly, the religious make-up of America is changing. Our nation has become more pluralistic in every way than ever before in history. For followers of Jesus this is not a cause for alarm or fear. Yet neitehr is it a time for passivity and ignorance! Sadly, many Americans and many Christ-followers remain uninformed about the basic beliefs of these ever-growing world religions. This makes dialogue with their adherent’s difficult, mutual understanding problematic and redemptive witness toward them near impossible.
However, at FBC, Lake Wales we are working to change that. We want to equip you to dialogue with and lovingly minister to those from these varying belief systems and their worldviews. We want to inform you of their basic beliefs and how they differ from what the Bible teaches is the truth. Therefore, this coming Wednesday, May 4, I will begin a series for the summer months entitled “What’s the Difference?” It will be a study of world religions and a couple major cults. I will present much of the material and utilize various resources including multi-media. Additionally, others will present on some of the religions and cults we will study. I hope whether you are a young adult, a median adult or older adult you will want to learn of these faith systems so you might be better prepared to listen, understand, and maybe eventually share about your faith in the Risen Christ to someone who believes differently than you. Our hope is that you may be as confident and conversant as the Apostle Paul was at Athens!
Friend, the religious landscape of America is changing. And you can either bury your head in the sand or you can be equipped to live for Christ in the new, more pluralistic America. I hope you will choose the latter, even if that means changing your schedule to somehow make it to FBC on a Wednesday night by 6:15 pm. It will be exciting to learn many of these fascinating beliefs and become more strongly anchored to the distinctive beliefs of the Christian faith. I hope you will join me!
Loving & equipping you for Christ,
Pastor Scott
Who Knows What a Day May Bring Forth? (4/21/11)
By now most all of you know of the terrible attack by a stray pit bull on Monday morning. I was on my way to the office after dropping my youngest son at school when Charles Little called me. He began, “We have an emergency.” Charles then began to relay some of the events of the recent minutes to me. I was stunned. Since Charles insisted he did not need a ride to the hospital in Lakeland I told him I would drive to try to see Tammy and pray with her before the Life Flight arrived.
I made my way to the rescue vehicle where Tammy was being cared for until the helicopter arrived. Obviously, she was still shaken after such a violent attack. I could see the puncture wounds from the teeth of the dog in one leg. After prayer with Tammy I left her. As firefighter Brittany Sweeney said, “She is doing amazingly well after something like that.” Brittany went on to inform me, as Charles had, that her right arm was the area of greatest concern.
Within an hour or two numerable people from First Baptist Church had trekked to Lakeland Regional Medical Center to be with Charles and his three daughters, while Tammy endured three and one-half hours of surgery. Fourteen people from FBC came over that day to show their love and concern. Countless more of our church family rallied around the Little family in prayers given once news of the attack spread via our email, facebook, and phone calls. Hopefully, soon Tammy will rejoin us at FBC (plan is to go home Friday 4/21) and you can express your loving support directly. Also in due time I am sure the Little’s will share their own appreciation for the support we have given them amidst this sudden crisis. However, for now let me say how grateful I am as the pastor to once more see the love you have for one another. I marveled at how many people stayed all day with the Little’s at the hospital. Others were constantly praying while working and keeping an eye out for any update. Such loving concern within the body is part of what it means to live in community with each other as the church. I find it beautiful to behold!
One other thought comes to me about what happened on Monday, April 18. The thought struck me as I arrived home at 5:30 pm from Lakeland. Though I arrived home around the typical time I do, my day was far from typical. It was no ordinary day. The events of that day were absolutely stunning and unexpected! How much more is that true for the Little family. As I arrived home I thought, “Who knows what a day may bring?” I was reminded of the words of James 4: 13-15 which read,
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
The events of Monday reminded me that we have no guarantees about tomorrow. God can interrupt our plans and schedules with unexpected events at any moment. Do we live with that awareness, with that openness to adjust to whatever change he calls for from us on a given day? And do we humbly live knowing that what happens in our future is not ultimately determined by us, but by the will of God?
Of course, at this time of year I also think of those women who went to the tomb of Jesus that Easter morning expecting to anoint his dead body (Mark 16:1). Yet instead something absolutely stunning and unexpected happened. Their agenda and their world were turned upside down with the stunning revelation from the angelic messenger, “Don’t be alarmed, he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here” (Mark 16:6).
The “interruptions” God brings to our lives may be tragic or adverse circumstances. However, sometimes his “interruptions” are miracles and joyous life-changing events. For those ladies on Easter morn the resurrection of Jesus was even more than that. It was an eternity-changing miracle that has altered history and offered life and hope for all who would believe in the Risen Christ. So I hope this Easter the resurrection of Jesus is no surprise to you, but rather is the cornerstone event your personal history has been altered by. Yet I hope the empty tomb and the events of this past Monday remind us that God alone knows what a day may bring forth.
Living TODAY for the Risen Christ!
Pastor Scott
I made my way to the rescue vehicle where Tammy was being cared for until the helicopter arrived. Obviously, she was still shaken after such a violent attack. I could see the puncture wounds from the teeth of the dog in one leg. After prayer with Tammy I left her. As firefighter Brittany Sweeney said, “She is doing amazingly well after something like that.” Brittany went on to inform me, as Charles had, that her right arm was the area of greatest concern.
Within an hour or two numerable people from First Baptist Church had trekked to Lakeland Regional Medical Center to be with Charles and his three daughters, while Tammy endured three and one-half hours of surgery. Fourteen people from FBC came over that day to show their love and concern. Countless more of our church family rallied around the Little family in prayers given once news of the attack spread via our email, facebook, and phone calls. Hopefully, soon Tammy will rejoin us at FBC (plan is to go home Friday 4/21) and you can express your loving support directly. Also in due time I am sure the Little’s will share their own appreciation for the support we have given them amidst this sudden crisis. However, for now let me say how grateful I am as the pastor to once more see the love you have for one another. I marveled at how many people stayed all day with the Little’s at the hospital. Others were constantly praying while working and keeping an eye out for any update. Such loving concern within the body is part of what it means to live in community with each other as the church. I find it beautiful to behold!
One other thought comes to me about what happened on Monday, April 18. The thought struck me as I arrived home at 5:30 pm from Lakeland. Though I arrived home around the typical time I do, my day was far from typical. It was no ordinary day. The events of that day were absolutely stunning and unexpected! How much more is that true for the Little family. As I arrived home I thought, “Who knows what a day may bring?” I was reminded of the words of James 4: 13-15 which read,
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
The events of Monday reminded me that we have no guarantees about tomorrow. God can interrupt our plans and schedules with unexpected events at any moment. Do we live with that awareness, with that openness to adjust to whatever change he calls for from us on a given day? And do we humbly live knowing that what happens in our future is not ultimately determined by us, but by the will of God?
Of course, at this time of year I also think of those women who went to the tomb of Jesus that Easter morning expecting to anoint his dead body (Mark 16:1). Yet instead something absolutely stunning and unexpected happened. Their agenda and their world were turned upside down with the stunning revelation from the angelic messenger, “Don’t be alarmed, he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here” (Mark 16:6).
The “interruptions” God brings to our lives may be tragic or adverse circumstances. However, sometimes his “interruptions” are miracles and joyous life-changing events. For those ladies on Easter morn the resurrection of Jesus was even more than that. It was an eternity-changing miracle that has altered history and offered life and hope for all who would believe in the Risen Christ. So I hope this Easter the resurrection of Jesus is no surprise to you, but rather is the cornerstone event your personal history has been altered by. Yet I hope the empty tomb and the events of this past Monday remind us that God alone knows what a day may bring forth.
Living TODAY for the Risen Christ!
Pastor Scott
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Do You Believe in Easter?
“Do you believe in Easter?” That question has stuck in my mind. I heard it as part of story being told by the Orlando-area Christian illusionist Don Townsend a few years ago. Don was doing a presentation near the Easter Holiday at Prime-timers, our monthly meeting for senior adults at FBC. Don shared some of his illusions that day and brought his presentation toward a close with the story that contained this question about Easter. As I recall it, he told of a lady who lived in an assisted-living facility. This vivacious Christian lady was always looking for ways to brighten the lives of other residents there. I believe Don said she would wheel around the facility in her wheel-chair attempting to cheer up residents by engaging them in conversations. As a follower of Jesus she also was continuously looking for opportunities to tell others about her Lord Jesus in a non-offensive way.
As the time of year for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus approached one year she found a very simple way to get people to dialogue about this event. She simply asked, “Do you believe in Easter?” She asked it of her fellow residents. She asked it of workers. “Do you believe in Easter?” It was an easy question to ask. It required only a yes or no answer. Yet if the person was willing it could open wide a whole discussion about Jesus, the resurrection, faith, living, dying, and eternity. You can imagine how such a discussion would be relevant and personal in a place occupied by the elderly!
As Don told the story about this woman I recall that he told of a female staff worker at the facility who was initially annoyed by this question. She refused to talk about it with the questioning resident. While the details elude me, I believe Don concluded the story by telling of how this worker eventually became a Christ-follower after the death of the Easter-loving resident. He wrapped up by saying how that worker now went around each year at Easter asking others that very same question that troubled her and eventually directed her toward faith in the Risen Christ. The staff worker now asked, “Do you believe in Easter?”
I have not forgotten that simple question. This time of year I think about that non-offensive, conversational approach that allows followers of the Risen Lord to talk about faith issues with the people all around them. Now this year I need to start asking it! Maybe you could join me in doing so. Will you ask people around you over the next week that question and hear what they say? “Do you believe in Easter?” I think the replies might be fascinating for you to hear. I imagine the conversations that ensue might be life-altering too.
Asking & Conversing about the Risen Son!
Pastor Scott
P.S. An easy follow-up in such a conversation is to invite those you dialogue with to learn more about the biblical meaning of Easter by attending the FBC Easter Musical Presentation coming next Saturday evening or Easter Sunday Morning. Or, for a lighter approach to a young family invite them to the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 23.
As the time of year for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus approached one year she found a very simple way to get people to dialogue about this event. She simply asked, “Do you believe in Easter?” She asked it of her fellow residents. She asked it of workers. “Do you believe in Easter?” It was an easy question to ask. It required only a yes or no answer. Yet if the person was willing it could open wide a whole discussion about Jesus, the resurrection, faith, living, dying, and eternity. You can imagine how such a discussion would be relevant and personal in a place occupied by the elderly!
As Don told the story about this woman I recall that he told of a female staff worker at the facility who was initially annoyed by this question. She refused to talk about it with the questioning resident. While the details elude me, I believe Don concluded the story by telling of how this worker eventually became a Christ-follower after the death of the Easter-loving resident. He wrapped up by saying how that worker now went around each year at Easter asking others that very same question that troubled her and eventually directed her toward faith in the Risen Christ. The staff worker now asked, “Do you believe in Easter?”
I have not forgotten that simple question. This time of year I think about that non-offensive, conversational approach that allows followers of the Risen Lord to talk about faith issues with the people all around them. Now this year I need to start asking it! Maybe you could join me in doing so. Will you ask people around you over the next week that question and hear what they say? “Do you believe in Easter?” I think the replies might be fascinating for you to hear. I imagine the conversations that ensue might be life-altering too.
Asking & Conversing about the Risen Son!
Pastor Scott
P.S. An easy follow-up in such a conversation is to invite those you dialogue with to learn more about the biblical meaning of Easter by attending the FBC Easter Musical Presentation coming next Saturday evening or Easter Sunday Morning. Or, for a lighter approach to a young family invite them to the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 23.
Friday, March 4, 2011
BYU & Winning Respect
The sports world is all abuzz with the stand Brigham Young University took in dismissing a player from the men's basketball team for a violation of the school honor code this Monday. The student-athlete dismissed was the center, Brandon Davies. The team was ranked in the Top-10 nationally with a 27-2 record. This was probably the greatest basketball team in BYU history. Davies was the best big man on the team and the third-leading scorer. He was critical to the realistic aspirations of a national championship for BYU. Now all those dreams seem dashed as Davies has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of the honor code for an undisclosed reason. However, a swarming media has uncovered that the violation of the honor code was that Davies and his girlfriend engaged in premarital sex. Davies is on record admitting to this and accepting his dismissal as appropriate, while apologizing to his coaches and teammates for this transgression. The revelation of Davies specific “wrong” sparked even more debate.
As you may know there is a large segment of society that view the college years as a time to “sow your wild oats”. Thus, they are aghast at the honor code that BYU maintains and that all students commit to when enrolling there. The BYU honor code calls for students to “live a chaste and virtuous life, to use clean language, to abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse and to observe dress and grooming standards.” Furthermore, the code calls for honesty, respecting others, participation in church services and encouraging others to keep the honor code. Clearly, some of these standards reflect the particular beliefs of the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Now due to Davies’ dismissal the BYU honor code has come under heavy scrutiny by a populace that finds it prudish and restrictive. Many collegians hear of these standards and say that it forbids some of the very things they were looking forward to. The mocking and laughter at the honor code has provided a sad commentary about the moral slide we have experienced in America over the past 60 years.
Yet at the same time others have expressed profound respect for students who would commit to such an honor code and for a school that would enforce that code at great cost. Articles such as the one by Pat Forde on ESPN.com entitled BYU Puts Principle Over Performance express this sentiment. It seems that even when people do not understand why a university or a person would choose to live by such standards the people respect a stand for what they deem to be right. It seems God knows that people of all ages would do that. Therefore, he led the Apostle Paul to write to the Christ-followers in first-century Thessalonica that they should live “so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders... (1 Thessalonians 4:12).” That’s quite a win!
What kind of daily life was talking about? The verses preceding these in Chapter 4 inform us. They include words like these: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thess. 4:3, 7). Is everything that is in the BYU honor code found in Scripture? Certainly not. The Bible says nothing against facial hair or caffeine, for example. Surely, such codes run the risk of going beyond Scripture and becoming legalistic. Furthermore, keeping an honor code or being moral will not grant one entry into heaven. However, it is a curious thing to see a university trying to have moral standards for students in a culture that appears to be in moral decline.
Let me be clear, I do not agree with the Mormon doctrine that BYU students are exposed to. For example, Mormonism teaches that God the Father is an exalted Man, that Jesus, angels, and human beings were all the literal spirit offspring of our "heavenly Father and Mother," and that the ultimate goal of the Christian life is to become exalted to Godhood ourselves. The Mormon Church has their own "scripture" that includes alleged modern revelations given to Joseph Smith. The Bible teaches that God is not a man (Num. 23:19) but is transcendent, omnipresent Spirit (1 Kings 8:27; Is. 31:3; John 4:24), that there are no other Gods alongside him, and that there will be no Gods formed in the future (Is. 43:10; 44:6-8). In fact, I would ardently disagree with the attempt of the Mormon Church to portray itself as a “Christian” group. In reality, they are a cult and their teachings lead people away from the saving gospel of the Christian Scriptures (see www.4thruth.net).
Nevertheless, that does not limit my respect for the stand BYU has taken in this case involving Brandon Davies. While they may win less basketball games due to their stand, they may win something greater in the long run—respect. I would even pray that the stand BYU has made would awaken believers in Jesus to be encouraged in their own attempts to live a life or purity and holiness. For this incident has shown us that though some may tease or mock a lifestyle of purity, in the end, they respect it.
Respectable only by the grace of Jesus,
Pastor Scott
As you may know there is a large segment of society that view the college years as a time to “sow your wild oats”. Thus, they are aghast at the honor code that BYU maintains and that all students commit to when enrolling there. The BYU honor code calls for students to “live a chaste and virtuous life, to use clean language, to abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse and to observe dress and grooming standards.” Furthermore, the code calls for honesty, respecting others, participation in church services and encouraging others to keep the honor code. Clearly, some of these standards reflect the particular beliefs of the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Now due to Davies’ dismissal the BYU honor code has come under heavy scrutiny by a populace that finds it prudish and restrictive. Many collegians hear of these standards and say that it forbids some of the very things they were looking forward to. The mocking and laughter at the honor code has provided a sad commentary about the moral slide we have experienced in America over the past 60 years.
Yet at the same time others have expressed profound respect for students who would commit to such an honor code and for a school that would enforce that code at great cost. Articles such as the one by Pat Forde on ESPN.com entitled BYU Puts Principle Over Performance express this sentiment. It seems that even when people do not understand why a university or a person would choose to live by such standards the people respect a stand for what they deem to be right. It seems God knows that people of all ages would do that. Therefore, he led the Apostle Paul to write to the Christ-followers in first-century Thessalonica that they should live “so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders... (1 Thessalonians 4:12).” That’s quite a win!
What kind of daily life was talking about? The verses preceding these in Chapter 4 inform us. They include words like these: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thess. 4:3, 7). Is everything that is in the BYU honor code found in Scripture? Certainly not. The Bible says nothing against facial hair or caffeine, for example. Surely, such codes run the risk of going beyond Scripture and becoming legalistic. Furthermore, keeping an honor code or being moral will not grant one entry into heaven. However, it is a curious thing to see a university trying to have moral standards for students in a culture that appears to be in moral decline.
Let me be clear, I do not agree with the Mormon doctrine that BYU students are exposed to. For example, Mormonism teaches that God the Father is an exalted Man, that Jesus, angels, and human beings were all the literal spirit offspring of our "heavenly Father and Mother," and that the ultimate goal of the Christian life is to become exalted to Godhood ourselves. The Mormon Church has their own "scripture" that includes alleged modern revelations given to Joseph Smith. The Bible teaches that God is not a man (Num. 23:19) but is transcendent, omnipresent Spirit (1 Kings 8:27; Is. 31:3; John 4:24), that there are no other Gods alongside him, and that there will be no Gods formed in the future (Is. 43:10; 44:6-8). In fact, I would ardently disagree with the attempt of the Mormon Church to portray itself as a “Christian” group. In reality, they are a cult and their teachings lead people away from the saving gospel of the Christian Scriptures (see www.4thruth.net).
Nevertheless, that does not limit my respect for the stand BYU has taken in this case involving Brandon Davies. While they may win less basketball games due to their stand, they may win something greater in the long run—respect. I would even pray that the stand BYU has made would awaken believers in Jesus to be encouraged in their own attempts to live a life or purity and holiness. For this incident has shown us that though some may tease or mock a lifestyle of purity, in the end, they respect it.
Respectable only by the grace of Jesus,
Pastor Scott
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Persecuted Christians in Egypt
As events have unfolded in Egypt in recent weeks I have continually prayed for the Lord to bring about that which would most effectively advance His kingdom in that part of the world. Additionally, I have prayed for the safety of believers there, understanding persecution may intensify without the restraining force of a structured government and law enforcement. Concerns over persecution were elevated within me after reading an article posted by Greg Burke of Fox News. His article about the conditions in Egypt was entitled Christians Should Be Worried.
In this article Burke quoted a Christ-following young adult named Maged who regularly tweets on Twitter about the situation in Egypt. Burke quotes Maged expressing fears over the Muslim Brotherhood ascending to power in Egypt. Maged called the Muslim Brotherhood as “the mother of all fears.”
Such a characterization may seem alarmist given recent news reports from our media outlets. However, one simply needs to remember that Al-Qaeda’s number two leader, Egyptian doctor Ayman al-Zawahiri, was a member of this group. This group also birthed Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement, groups that have promoted violence toward Israel. These are commonly known truths. “The Muslim Brotherhood has a long-term commitment to establishing an Islamic state under sharia rule in Egypt,” Nina Shea, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, told FoxNews.Com.
Tom Doyle, Middle East director for E3 Partners, has said, “With the Muslim Brotherhood rising up, Christians are very nervous about who might be next in line to take over for Mubarak.” Doyle also recently reported the murder of 15 Christians outside Al-Minya, Egypt. Sadly, the U.S. government and media leave these acts of persecution largely unreported.
Egypt does have the largest Christian population of any Middle East nation, with many of these being members of the Coptic Church. Up to 10 percent of the population in Egypt claim to be Christian. Alexandria, Egypt was an early center for Christianity from the first century onward. Yet the Islamic conquest of Egypt in the seventh century reduced the Christian population as many fled or were killed. Nina Shea envisions such a possible exodus of the remaining Christians again if the Muslim Brotherhood has a candidate ascend to power. She has told Foxnews.com “The Copts and other Christians should be worried.”
While perhaps she might say they should worry from a political point of view I will be praying they do not. Rather, I will be praying all true Christ-followers in Egypt will be strengthened in their faith. I will continue to pray for the God’s will to be done in Egypt and throughout the Middle East. I will pray for the advance of the gospel through these events for I believe in a God who is Sovereign. Finally, I will give thanks to God for the perseverance and courage of my brothers and sisters in Christ in Egypt as they endure the political turmoil of these tense times. I think the words of the Apostle Paul express what I feel about the persecuted church in Egypt and elsewhere:
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Praying for the persecuted!
Pastor Scott
In this article Burke quoted a Christ-following young adult named Maged who regularly tweets on Twitter about the situation in Egypt. Burke quotes Maged expressing fears over the Muslim Brotherhood ascending to power in Egypt. Maged called the Muslim Brotherhood as “the mother of all fears.”
Such a characterization may seem alarmist given recent news reports from our media outlets. However, one simply needs to remember that Al-Qaeda’s number two leader, Egyptian doctor Ayman al-Zawahiri, was a member of this group. This group also birthed Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement, groups that have promoted violence toward Israel. These are commonly known truths. “The Muslim Brotherhood has a long-term commitment to establishing an Islamic state under sharia rule in Egypt,” Nina Shea, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, told FoxNews.Com.
Tom Doyle, Middle East director for E3 Partners, has said, “With the Muslim Brotherhood rising up, Christians are very nervous about who might be next in line to take over for Mubarak.” Doyle also recently reported the murder of 15 Christians outside Al-Minya, Egypt. Sadly, the U.S. government and media leave these acts of persecution largely unreported.
Egypt does have the largest Christian population of any Middle East nation, with many of these being members of the Coptic Church. Up to 10 percent of the population in Egypt claim to be Christian. Alexandria, Egypt was an early center for Christianity from the first century onward. Yet the Islamic conquest of Egypt in the seventh century reduced the Christian population as many fled or were killed. Nina Shea envisions such a possible exodus of the remaining Christians again if the Muslim Brotherhood has a candidate ascend to power. She has told Foxnews.com “The Copts and other Christians should be worried.”
While perhaps she might say they should worry from a political point of view I will be praying they do not. Rather, I will be praying all true Christ-followers in Egypt will be strengthened in their faith. I will continue to pray for the God’s will to be done in Egypt and throughout the Middle East. I will pray for the advance of the gospel through these events for I believe in a God who is Sovereign. Finally, I will give thanks to God for the perseverance and courage of my brothers and sisters in Christ in Egypt as they endure the political turmoil of these tense times. I think the words of the Apostle Paul express what I feel about the persecuted church in Egypt and elsewhere:
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Praying for the persecuted!
Pastor Scott
Communicating for a Change
A recent Gallup Poll Report stated, “In an era of increasingly fragile marriages, a couple’s ability to communicate is the single most important contributor to a stable and satisfying marriage.” Wow, did you read that? The “single most important contributor”…is communication?
Wayne Mack, teachers and author, has written in Strengthening Your Marriage, “Deep oneness can be achieved only where good communication exists.” Mack leaves no wiggle room. Good communication is required to deep marital oneness.
Christian Counseling pioneer Jay Adams has written, “A sound husband and wife relationship is impossible without good communication.” Impossible? Again, not very favorable odds being given there for a strong marriage without good communication.
Obviously, I could likely cite a hundred more sources like these. Nearly every person who has written anything on marriage will stress the need for quality communication within marriage. Good communication is needed in the early years of marriage as the two adjust to becoming one through the marriage covenant. It is needed in the child-rearing years as children need to hear the same message from both parents and young parents strain to find time for dialogue together. Communication is indispensible when it comes to the inevitable conflict resolution with each other or with children as the move toward independence. Pursuing meaningful communication allows a couple to re-discover each other in new and fresh ways during the empty nest years when time for each other is more plentiful. Finally, open and honest communication is vital as a married couple ages and enters into retirement, face health issues, endure life-changing limitations, and make big decisions in their golden years. Thus, communication between a husband and wife is crucial for every stage of marriage.
1 Peter 3:10 beckons couple of all ages toward rewarding communication. It read, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” What is the result of honest and wholesome speech? An enjoyable life and good days are ahead for those who speak to one another as God prescribes. This is the kind of rewarding communication we want to encourage all the couples in FBC toward.
Therefore, the focal teaching element of our Spring MarriageBuilder Event is on the theme of communication. The event is on Saturday, March 5. It will include a Shrimp Boil as your meal, or as an alternative grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and corn. So the meal and evening will be relaxed and informal (guests welcome!). There will be some fun games as we start the evening and a little music too. The teaching time I will lead will include interactive exercises between spouses, fiancés, those dating or friends. Obviously, the communication principles have application beyond marriage. However, that will be the primary relational context we will be focusing on.
So I invite you to join me for this wonderful evening of fellowship and encouragement! I am praying each couple who comes will leave communicating better than when they arrived so our marriages will bring us all the joy and oneness that God desires.
Loving the Bridegroom, my bride, & the Bride of Christ!
Pastor Scott
Wayne Mack, teachers and author, has written in Strengthening Your Marriage, “Deep oneness can be achieved only where good communication exists.” Mack leaves no wiggle room. Good communication is required to deep marital oneness.
Christian Counseling pioneer Jay Adams has written, “A sound husband and wife relationship is impossible without good communication.” Impossible? Again, not very favorable odds being given there for a strong marriage without good communication.
Obviously, I could likely cite a hundred more sources like these. Nearly every person who has written anything on marriage will stress the need for quality communication within marriage. Good communication is needed in the early years of marriage as the two adjust to becoming one through the marriage covenant. It is needed in the child-rearing years as children need to hear the same message from both parents and young parents strain to find time for dialogue together. Communication is indispensible when it comes to the inevitable conflict resolution with each other or with children as the move toward independence. Pursuing meaningful communication allows a couple to re-discover each other in new and fresh ways during the empty nest years when time for each other is more plentiful. Finally, open and honest communication is vital as a married couple ages and enters into retirement, face health issues, endure life-changing limitations, and make big decisions in their golden years. Thus, communication between a husband and wife is crucial for every stage of marriage.
1 Peter 3:10 beckons couple of all ages toward rewarding communication. It read, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” What is the result of honest and wholesome speech? An enjoyable life and good days are ahead for those who speak to one another as God prescribes. This is the kind of rewarding communication we want to encourage all the couples in FBC toward.
Therefore, the focal teaching element of our Spring MarriageBuilder Event is on the theme of communication. The event is on Saturday, March 5. It will include a Shrimp Boil as your meal, or as an alternative grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and corn. So the meal and evening will be relaxed and informal (guests welcome!). There will be some fun games as we start the evening and a little music too. The teaching time I will lead will include interactive exercises between spouses, fiancés, those dating or friends. Obviously, the communication principles have application beyond marriage. However, that will be the primary relational context we will be focusing on.
So I invite you to join me for this wonderful evening of fellowship and encouragement! I am praying each couple who comes will leave communicating better than when they arrived so our marriages will bring us all the joy and oneness that God desires.
Loving the Bridegroom, my bride, & the Bride of Christ!
Pastor Scott
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Power of a Story
Those unfamiliar with the Christian Scriptures often think the Bible is full of rules and regulations. They expect to find in it a series of propositions and imperatives. However, the truth is the most common type of literature in the Bible is narrative. As Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart write, "Narratives are stories--purposeful stories retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present" (How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 90). As stories the narrative type of biblical text can capture the imagination as the plot unfolds. Readers can identify with characters. Indeed, like all stories biblical narratives have the same features of a narrator, scenes, characters, a plot, and dialogue. However as Fee and Stuart note, "A crucial difference between biblical narratives and all others...[is they are] inspired by the Holy Spirit...[and] the story they tell is not so much our story as it is God's story–and it becomes ours as he 'writes' us into it (90)."
Narratives are particularly common in the Old Testament. In fact, over 40 percent of the Old Testament is narrative. Numerous Old Testament books are largely or completely narrative. Among them is the compelling book of Ruth. Ruth is a wonderfully crafted narrative that is full of irony, realistic characters, a dramatic act of redemption, and a surprise ending. I am excited about presenting Ruth as a message series to our church (FBC, Lake Wales) in February. I will present a chapter each week since each chapter is essentially a scene unto itself. I will read it with comments of application along the way to make this ancient story relevant to your life. There are many life-changing truths to highlight as we follow the engaging narrative. I hope you will come eager to learn from the Spirit and Living Word of God. You might even consider inviting someone you know who enjoys a good story. For Ruth is that--and so much more!
Loving the Lord & His written revelation!
Pastor Scott
Narratives are particularly common in the Old Testament. In fact, over 40 percent of the Old Testament is narrative. Numerous Old Testament books are largely or completely narrative. Among them is the compelling book of Ruth. Ruth is a wonderfully crafted narrative that is full of irony, realistic characters, a dramatic act of redemption, and a surprise ending. I am excited about presenting Ruth as a message series to our church (FBC, Lake Wales) in February. I will present a chapter each week since each chapter is essentially a scene unto itself. I will read it with comments of application along the way to make this ancient story relevant to your life. There are many life-changing truths to highlight as we follow the engaging narrative. I hope you will come eager to learn from the Spirit and Living Word of God. You might even consider inviting someone you know who enjoys a good story. For Ruth is that--and so much more!
Loving the Lord & His written revelation!
Pastor Scott
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Rethinking Retirement
Economics, a longer life span, and the enjoyment of work are keeping more senior adults in the work force than there has been in decades. Earlier this month Laura Vanderkam wrote an article for USA Today discussing the changing views of retirement in America. She reported:
After decades of decline, the labor force participation rate among people older than 65 rose from a low of 10.7% in 1987 to more than 17% now. Nearly a third of those ages 65-69 are working or looking for work, up from less than 20% in the 1980s, and surveys of Baby Boomers find that many don't intend to retire immediately either.
This reality has potential benefits and challenges for the individual senior adult and for American society as a whole. Yet what many of this generation forget is that the concept of retirement is of rather recent origins. Most historians trace it back to Otto von Bismarck’s social changes in Germany during the late 19th Century. When President Franklin Roosevelt introduced Social Security to this country in the 1930s, life expectancy (at birth) was 58 for men and 62 for women. Now more men and women live to age 65 and many live to 85. This means retirement will last for decades for some. While that may sound pleasurable, with continual cost of living increases and increasing medical expenses it can make living 20 years without a paycheck a frightening prospect. At the national level the increased life expectancy of Americans is straining the Social Security System in ways unforeseen by Roosevelt or others.
Of course, another reason more senior adults are delaying retirement is because they simply enjoy their job and are under no pressure to retire. Still others are now re-entering the work force in what some are referring to as ‘encore careers’—work that is less demanding, flexible in hours, and directly adds value to the lives of others. Such careers are said to offer a little needed income and can add purpose to life.
Well, as a pastor I read this and I recognize that this is a scenario that has remarkable redemptive potential for the kingdom of God. What better way to add value to the lives of others than to serve them in Jesus’ Name? I think of all the untapped ministry potential that exists within the current generation of senior adults and of the Baby Boomers right on their heels. Imagine if those able to retire did so only to engage in an ‘encore career’ through the local church. Yes, some might invest their time to keep up the facilities, assist in office work, and staff existing church activities–all as volunteers! Others can organize ministry to church members that are now homebound or in healthcare facilities. Yet others could offer leadership and service in new ministry initiatives that would take the church into the community. They could start tutoring programs, read Christian children’s books in elementary schools, lead food pantries and clothing closets, or lead ministries to internationals who tend to more highly regard older adults than most Americans do. The list of possibilities seems limited only by the vision and passion of the retiree’s. I thank God that quite a few in our church are already investing their retirement years in some of these ministries. I pray that God would continue to give our retiring adults a vision for and commitment to kingdom work during their retirement years.
It all makes sense doesn’t it? Clearly, the Scriptures dignify work as being of the Lord. Since Adam worked before the sinful Fall of humanity we cannot claim work is an accursed result of the Fall. Genesis 2:15 states, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Likewise the Scriptures speak well of being “full of years”. A long life is seen as a blessing from the biblical point of view. Nowhere does Scripture suggest our latter years be used for leisure as the modern American view of retirement does. Rather, useful service to the Lord until we are physically unable or the Lord calls us home seems to be the biblical picture given.
So whether you are in retirement or looking forward to it I urge you to re-think how you might spend those years. As Al Mohler has written on this subject, “There is room in the Christian life for leisure, but not for a life devoted to leisure.” May your view of retirement and mine be more shaped by Scripture than culture! May we not spend those last years on trivialities, but invest them in lasting kingdom work!
Seeking first His Kingdom!
Pastor Scott
After decades of decline, the labor force participation rate among people older than 65 rose from a low of 10.7% in 1987 to more than 17% now. Nearly a third of those ages 65-69 are working or looking for work, up from less than 20% in the 1980s, and surveys of Baby Boomers find that many don't intend to retire immediately either.
This reality has potential benefits and challenges for the individual senior adult and for American society as a whole. Yet what many of this generation forget is that the concept of retirement is of rather recent origins. Most historians trace it back to Otto von Bismarck’s social changes in Germany during the late 19th Century. When President Franklin Roosevelt introduced Social Security to this country in the 1930s, life expectancy (at birth) was 58 for men and 62 for women. Now more men and women live to age 65 and many live to 85. This means retirement will last for decades for some. While that may sound pleasurable, with continual cost of living increases and increasing medical expenses it can make living 20 years without a paycheck a frightening prospect. At the national level the increased life expectancy of Americans is straining the Social Security System in ways unforeseen by Roosevelt or others.
Of course, another reason more senior adults are delaying retirement is because they simply enjoy their job and are under no pressure to retire. Still others are now re-entering the work force in what some are referring to as ‘encore careers’—work that is less demanding, flexible in hours, and directly adds value to the lives of others. Such careers are said to offer a little needed income and can add purpose to life.
Well, as a pastor I read this and I recognize that this is a scenario that has remarkable redemptive potential for the kingdom of God. What better way to add value to the lives of others than to serve them in Jesus’ Name? I think of all the untapped ministry potential that exists within the current generation of senior adults and of the Baby Boomers right on their heels. Imagine if those able to retire did so only to engage in an ‘encore career’ through the local church. Yes, some might invest their time to keep up the facilities, assist in office work, and staff existing church activities–all as volunteers! Others can organize ministry to church members that are now homebound or in healthcare facilities. Yet others could offer leadership and service in new ministry initiatives that would take the church into the community. They could start tutoring programs, read Christian children’s books in elementary schools, lead food pantries and clothing closets, or lead ministries to internationals who tend to more highly regard older adults than most Americans do. The list of possibilities seems limited only by the vision and passion of the retiree’s. I thank God that quite a few in our church are already investing their retirement years in some of these ministries. I pray that God would continue to give our retiring adults a vision for and commitment to kingdom work during their retirement years.
It all makes sense doesn’t it? Clearly, the Scriptures dignify work as being of the Lord. Since Adam worked before the sinful Fall of humanity we cannot claim work is an accursed result of the Fall. Genesis 2:15 states, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Likewise the Scriptures speak well of being “full of years”. A long life is seen as a blessing from the biblical point of view. Nowhere does Scripture suggest our latter years be used for leisure as the modern American view of retirement does. Rather, useful service to the Lord until we are physically unable or the Lord calls us home seems to be the biblical picture given.
So whether you are in retirement or looking forward to it I urge you to re-think how you might spend those years. As Al Mohler has written on this subject, “There is room in the Christian life for leisure, but not for a life devoted to leisure.” May your view of retirement and mine be more shaped by Scripture than culture! May we not spend those last years on trivialities, but invest them in lasting kingdom work!
Seeking first His Kingdom!
Pastor Scott
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
