Karooso

New Sermon Series

2010-10-26T15:06:00.008-05:00

The story of Jesus could be told in many different ways. The Bible uses four writers to give us a multi-dimensional feel for the life and times of Jesus. Every moment of the story counts for something. John tells us that he had to pick and choose which moments to tell us about because if everything that Jesus did were written down, "even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25). The Gospel writers may have had their reasons for including parts of the Jesus story and leaving other parts out. Matthew, Mark and Luke include a lot of the same scenes. John approaches it from a completely different perspective. For this reason the first three gospels have been labeled the synoptic gospels (the word synoptic means, "to see together"). But even these three writers who seem to be somewhat interdependent, diverge and converge in ways that are not always easy to understand. They don't contradict each other ... they simply refuse to be pasted into the same mold. Like four witnesses standing at four corners of an intersection watching an automobile accident -- their stories diverge and converge because they saw it from different angles.

We recognize that every moment of Jesus' life was an act of love for his Heavenly Father. At one point toward the end Jesus prayed, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began" (John 17:4-5). Jesus lived every moment of his life for God and was the perfect reflection of God. He said, "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world ... Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you" (John 17:6-7). Jesus lived a life of perfect worship.

In this sermon series we will examine four critical moments in Jesus' life -- four moments so intense they reveal the eternal relationship between Father and Son. In these four moments Jesus teaches us what it means to worship an all powerful God. Jesus teaches us about the depth of God's love.
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TEAMWORK

2010-09-30T20:15:00.004-05:00

Lou Holtz, former Head Football coach for the University of Notre Dame, once said, “All winning teams are goal-oriented. Teams … win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims.” Lou Holtz is right, and he has the record to prove it.

Jesus gave us one very specific goal: make disciples. Jesus’ singular mandate to his church is to turn other people into highly devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Our Vision as a church is to MAKE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST. Our strategy for accomplishing that vision is to inspire others to CONNECT, LEARN, WORSHIP AND SERVE.

In this sermon series I will unpack what OUR VISION means, and how it impacts our daily lives.

NEW SERMON SERIES

2010-09-07T11:33:00.004-05:00

This Sunday I begin a new series of sermons devoted to helping people in tough times. Whether it's the economy, or the marriage, or the kids, or nothing specific at all that is attacking you these days, God's Word has some answers. Sometimes God is hard to understand. His way doesn't always make sense to us. At least, not at first. And when tough times hit it is easy to get discouraged and want to give up. God understands.

The Bible tells us that Jesus has experienced everything you have ever experienced. Can you imagine living several life times? What would it be like to live 300 years? 500 years? How many wars would you have experienced? How many highs and lows? Can you imagine what kind of insight you would have today, if you had been alive for the last 500 years? You would be considered the wisest person on earth and with 500 years to figure things out, you would probably be a genius. Well ... Jesus has been around a lot longer than that. The Bible tells us that he was there at the beginning of time. Certainly, he would have incredible insight into life. And trouble? Well ... he's seen it all.

So, in this sermon series, we will go to Jesus and ask him four simple questions about our trials and storms. If there's no way around my storm ... How do I find peace in the midst of it? How can I be sure I will make it through the storm? The storm has hurt me badly ... how do I find healing? The storm has me turned around and I've lost confidence in my judgement ... how do I find direction in the storm?

This is a great sermon series to invite your friends to. We all know people who have been affected by a tough ecomony. Financial struggles have an impact on all our relationships and all of life. Reach out to those who are hurting. Bring them to church and help them experience the warmth of God's love ... even in the midst of the storm. Together we can practice Weathering the Perfect Storm!

Giving Matters

2010-09-02T17:31:00.004-05:00

Money is important. There. I said it. It's the elephant in the spiritual room. Somewhere along the way I was taught to feel bad about my love for money. Something about Jesus saying that the love of money was the root of all evil. Then I discovered that to be the most misquoted verse in the Bible. What Jesus actually said is that "mammon is the root of all kinds of evil." Big Difference. For one thing, "mammon," means a lot of things, including money. And secondly, there's a grand canyon difference between being "the root of ALL evil," and being "the root of all KINDS OF evil." Two words (kinds of) changes everything. Those two extra words signify that money is not the main problem. We are.

Back to my original point. Money is important. And I finally don't feel bad about saying that. No sir, no more feeling guilty about it. Money IS important because of what it represents. It represents my life energy and my life's work. Therefore, it should be important. And because God is the one who gives me my life energy and the one who has called me (and all of us) to our life's work, it stands to reason that all of it is HIS.

My family is in the process of looking for a house. Our children are now at the age where they are a lot more involved in the decision. We have had discussions, in the process, about what we can and cannot afford. There are two lessons they have learned as we approach this important decision:

1. We could buy a lot more house if we weren't giving God 10% of everything.
2. Financial issues are a very private matter.

We have had to say, "no" to a lot of houses because we refuse to use God's money to buy them. And we have had to remind our children that our family's finances are a private matter. In other words, don't go around telling everyone how much money we do or don't have. I think they understand. We'll see (holding my breath). Well ... money is a very sensitive and private matter. Paul said, "God loves a cheerful giver." Therefore, it can never be given under compulsion. What you do with the money God gives you to work with is none of my business. Nor is it the business of the church. It's between you and God.

But the Biblical principle that governs how you take care of your money IS the business of the church. It is the spiritual mandate of the leadership of the church to teach its members the Biblical principles of giving to God. If we didn't do that we would be negligent in our spiritual duties, and we would be doing you a disservice. I believe that no church membership can experience the fullness of the glory of God if its members are not taught the Biblical princples of giving to God. In fact, I believe that a body of Christ that is not practicing those principles is on the way to death. And I pledge to never let us forget it.
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Radical Prayer

2010-08-27T12:01:00.002-05:00

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray it was the kind of prayer that could get you killed. Jesus starts by calling God, "Da-Da." This was practically unheard of in first century Judaism. It was much too familiar for a Hebrew faith that saw God as wholly other-than. The most amazing thing about that opening line to the prayer is that Jesus is teaching US to call God, "Da-Da."

And just in case, that isn't radical enough, Jesus then instructs us to pray to God, "YOUR name be hallowed (on earth as it is in heaven), and YOUR Kingdom come (on earth as it is in heaven), and YOUR will be done (on earth as it is in heaven).

Jesus was teaching us to ask three things of God:
1. For HIM to show up in OUR world.
2. For HIM to bring HIS rule to OUR world.
3. For HIM to always win in OUR world.

Jesus teaches us to implore God to vindicate his holy name on this earth. To show everyone who he really is. To make his holiness evident every day.

When he taught his disciples to call upon God for HIS rule on this earth, it was a dangerous and seditious petition. Who was the ruler in Jesus' world? It was Rome. And Caesar was the Ruler. Jesus tells his disciples, Ask God every day to overthrow Caesar, and bring HIS rule to this earth. And ask God every day to over-rule Caesar's will, and to bring HIS will to this earth. Jesus, it seems, was calling for a divine war against the systemic evil of the powers of his day. We cannot defeat the power of evil on this earth. Therefore, ask God, every day, to show HIMSELF for who he really is (holy), and to bring HIS rule and HIS will OVER and AGAINST that of evil.

Wow. Try praying that ... and then stand back and watch what God might do.
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Elevate Your Game

2010-08-20T12:37:00.002-05:00

I start a new series of sermons this Sunday that focuses on three vital spiritual disciplines. Faith is a lot like a muscle. Use it and it grows stronger. Ignore it and it grows weaker. With enough neglect a muscle will become useless. Faith is the muscular system of the Christian life. Exercise is essential in order to grow stronger and more flexible. The spiritual disciplines are the exercise routines that strengthen and harden your spiritual muscles (your faith). A consistent regiment of exercise (practicing the spiritual disciplines) will ELEVATE YOUR (spiritual) GAME.

Richard Foster in his classic work, "Celebration of Discipline," divides the spiritual disciplines into three categories consisting of Inward, Outward, and Corporate disciplines. He then focuses on four spiritual disciplines within each category. The Inward Disciplines include: meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. The Outward Disciplines include: simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. The corporate disciplines include: confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. Practice these twelve consistently and there is little doubt that it will revolutionize your life.

Twelve can be overwhelming. What I want to suggest is that you start with three: Pray, Give, and Serve. All three are foundational disciplines of the Christian life and will strengthen your faith muscles. Over the next three weeks we will be looking at each one in more detail as God helps you to ELEVATE YOUR GAME.
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The Power of First Things First

2010-08-12T23:33:00.001-05:00

Not long before his death, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the congregation at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church:

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize; that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards; that's not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.

Martin Luther King put it in perspective. In the end, the awards, accolades, and achievments mean far less than the thing that should have been first all along -- tell them I tried to love somebody. Can it be true that life comes down to something that simple. I believe it can ... and does.

If you can't recite your life mission in one sentence then you're making it too complicated. Figure it out. Sweat over the details of who God created you to be. If you're still breathing HE has something for you to do. Find that something ... and then cling to it for dear life. Don't let anything deter you from it. Hold on to it. Like Jacob with the angel -- wrestle it down and don't let go -- eventually, it will bless you.

There is an accumulative power when you find the one thing God created you for and then order your life according to that one thing. When you place the competing values of your life in the right order they begin to feed each other and grow into a power that cannot be stopped.

The secret to Nehemiah's success was just this: He knew the ONE THING God called him to do. And he never let anyone or anything take it away from him. Powerful. Simple. But never easy.

A lot of people have asked me for the commitment we read aloud last Sunday.
So here it is ... enjoy:

I will do more than belong – I will participate.
I will do more than care – I will help.
I will do more believe – I will participate.
I will do more than be fair – I will be kind.
I will do more than forgive – I will forget.
I will do more than dream – I will work.
I will do more than teach – I will inspire.
I will do more than earn – I will enrich.
I will do more than give – I will serve.
I will do more than live – I will grow.
I will do more than suffer – I will triumph.
(source: unknown)
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The WORD is My Song

2010-08-06T11:22:00.005-05:00

In July of 2004, the Arizona Game and Fish Department began nursing more than 30 emaciated, dehydrated, banged-up pelicans. During the previous two weeks, the injured pelicans had been found from Yuma to Phoenix.

The brown pelicans were injured when they descended from the sky, sailed low over sidewalks and asphalt highways, stretched out their feet as though to make a perfect splash landing in water, and then tumbled end over end when they instead hit the pavement.

The pelicans, apparently suffering a food shortage in California, flew to Arizona looking for fish. From the sky, the shimmering hot air over the black asphalt appeared to the Pelicans like water. Down they flew for fish and a refreshing dip in a lake. What they found instead was solid pavement, dehydration, hunger, and near death. Reality hits hard.

Reality has a way of doing that. You need something buried deep inside that gives you strength and direction. You need a compass and a constant source of nourishment. For Nehemiah and the people of Israel, God's word became just that. It was a song buried in their hearts for moments when nothing else could help. Just read the Bible and you'll see ... Moses, Miriam, David, Mary ... they all sang the song. The Word of God became a song embedded in their hearts … a song that played over and over again in every moment of their lives … it never really left them …

Remember this about the Word of God …
1. It is life-saving.
2. It is life-giving.
3. It is life-transforming.

The Word of God penetrates deep into your life and becomes the song that guides every move you make … the sway and beat of your life moves to the rhythms of His Word.
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Living by the Book

2010-07-29T12:20:00.000-05:00

A recent study of teenagers who attended church during their childhood found that for most of them their church experience was a positive part of their lives. Nearly 9 out of 10 churched teenagers said their church experience exposed them to Bible stories (95 percent), taught them about the lives of great people in the Bible (92 percent), and gave them fun experiences related to religion (89 percent). But only half (53 percent) said their church experience helped them understand the Bible enough to help them make decisions based on biblical principles. Citation: "Real Religion," Christian Parenting Today (Winter 2003)

Nehemiah and his team of builders have finished the wall. You would think the first thing they would do would be to celebrate. After all, others have tried to build this wall for the previous 100 years and have failed. They did it in less than two months! They deserve to celebrate. And they will celebrate ... in chapter 12 ... but there are a few things they have to do first.

The first thing Nehemiah does once the wall is completed is to reorganize the city of Jerusalem for increased defense. He knows that their success will be short lived if they do not stay vigilent. He does not want to lose the ground they have gained and nothing will kill you faster than thinking you have finished before you have finished. Many an army has been defeated while they were counting their chickens. So, Nehemiah keeps working. There will be plenty of time for celebrating later.

The second thing Nehemiah does is to restablish the Law. He has Ezra read the book of the Law. Most scholars agree that this was the Torah (the first five books of our Bible). Nehemiah wants to get the Good Book down into the DNA of the community. He realizes that it is more than just a Good Book to read, but rather a Living Word with which to build a community. Building the wall would be meaningless if those living inside the wall were lost without God. The wall protects lives. The Bible animates lives.

Reading the Bible and remembering its stories is a good thing ... but it's not enough. The deep life principles of the Bible need to get down deep into the cellular makeup of your soul. The Word will become your breath. The stories will become your life-path. The Word will whisper to you when you sleep and will animate you when you wake. The Word will speak to your past and will color your future. It's all or nothing with the Word.
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Finishing Strong

2010-07-20T16:40:00.004-05:00

I grew up eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. Original recipe, extra-crispy, with 11 Herbs and Spices – it’s still the best in the world, in my humble, but accurate opinion. Colonel Harlan Sanders was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the inventor of that recipe that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Sanders’ father, Wilbur David Sanders, died when Harland was five years old, and—since his mother worked—he was required to cook for his family. He dropped out of school in seventh grade. When his mother remarried he ran away from home because his stepfather beat him. During his early years, Sanders worked many jobs, including steamboat pilot, insurance salesman, railroad fireman, farmer, and enlisted in the Army as a private when he was only 16 years old (by lying about his age).

At the age of 40, Sanders cooked chicken dishes and other meals for people who stopped at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky. Since he did not have a restaurant, he served customers in his living quarters in the service station. His local popularity grew, and Sanders moved to a motel and restaurant that seated 142 people and worked as the chef. Over the next nine years, he developed his method of cooking chicken with his famous 11 herbs and spices (still a closely guarded secret).

Sanders was sixty-five years old when he franchised his first restaurant. He used $105 from his first Social Security check to start the franchising business. Sanders is a perfect example of the power of finishing strong.

Paul puts it this way, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize …” (1 Cor. 9:24) and “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

In other words – Run the race to win … and the race is often won in the final few strides.

Some tips on Finishing Strong (a.k.a., How to Stay Young):
1. Stay Patient.
2. Stay Humble.
3. Stay Creative.
4. Stay Connected.
5. Stay Open.

Paul said that this is the way he ran the race: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Here’s to Col. Sanders, God bless him (his funeral was attended by thousands and was held in the chapel of Southern Baptist Seminary in Kentucky) … here's to the best chicken in the world … and, here's to finishing strong!

Perseverance

2010-07-16T10:53:00.002-05:00

Nehemiah finds himself in a familiar place: surrounded by the enemy. The wall is basically completed. All that is needed are a few finsishing touches. When Nehemiah's enemies hear about this, they organize a series of desperate last attempts to destroy his work. They come at him with everything they have. They use every weapon in their arsenal. They attack him verbally, physically, and psychologically. Nehemiah has every reason to fight back. But he doesn't.

I think that the secret to perseverance in the midst of trials is something as simple as how you respond to the trials. Attitude makes all the difference. Small companies outsell giant companies. Smaller armies outfight larger armies. Weaker teams outscore stronger teams. I could give you case study after case study where the one who shouldn't win, wins. The one picked to lose, triumphs. The underdog pulls off the miracle.

Alexander the Great, vastly outnumbered, defeats Darius I. The Parthians, outnumbered 4 to 1, defeat the Romans. Robert the Bruce defeats Edward II, The Knights Hospitaller triumph over the Ottoman forces, and Ghengis Khan beats ... well ... everybody -- All of them outnumbered.

James J. Braddock (Cinderalla Man) defeats Max Baer; Joe Namath and the New York Jets win Super Bowl III; the '69 miracle Mets beat the Orioles; the 1980 U.S. Hockey team wins gold over the vastly superior Russian team -- Underdogs, all of them.

What makes the difference. Attitude. How you respond to the challenges you face, no matter how large and seemingly invincible. Do you hide? Do you fight back? Do you run away? The answer is: it depends. Nehemiah actually does all three, at one time or another. But even when he is hiding or running or fighting back he is always advancing towards the goal; he is always wiggling his way toward victory. You just have to know how to respond. As Kenny Rogers would say, "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run ..."

Sometimes you fight and sometimes you walk away from the fight. Sometimes you defend and sometimes you stall. Sometimes you charge and sometimes you wait. Sometimes God wants to fight the battle for you. Nehemiah's genius was knowing when to do what. That takes three things: Prayer, Patience, and Practice.

David puts it this way: I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it (Psalm 18:1-8).

Enough said.
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PRIORITIES

2010-07-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

Nehemiah faces his toughest challenge so far in chapter 5 of his memoir. So far all of his enemies have been external. Now he finds that the enemy is also within. The people who are sacrificing everthing to do the work of rebuilding the wall are in financial ruin. There was a famine in the land (most likely before Nehemiah arrived) and in order to survive the famine, the common people had to borrow money from the wealthy. There's nothing wrong with that. Nehemiah himself admits that a few people had borrowed money from him. The wealthy were providing a much needed service to the poor in allowing them to borrow money. The problem was in the lending practices of the wealthy. They were charging the poor as much as 60 and 70 percent interest on the loans.

To put this in perspective that would mean that if you bought a house today for $100,000 (a very modest house in Richardson, Texas) and you were charged 60% interest -- you would pay $5000 per month for the rest of your life and you would still owe the original $100,000. The poor would never be able to pay it back. And the wealthy knew it -- in fact, that's the way they wanted it. A general populace that owed them. Nehemiah discovers this and is very angry.

Nehemiah is working with the common people to rebuild Jerusalem and he discovers that the wealthy Jerusalemites are cheating their own people. They are taxing their dreams. They are abusing their hopes. They are charging them for their desperation. And it is all threatening to destroy the work of God in a way that even the external enemies could not accomplish. Nehemiah comes unglued.

At the heart of the matter is a set of mixed up priorities. It is power without principle. It is old-fashioned, unadulterated greed. It is the most base of human instict gone wild. The power of self-preservation taken to the nth degree. Nehemiah calls it what it is and offers the wealthy Jerusalemites another path. He gives them an alternate vision and a nobler dream.

In the movie Emperor's Club Kevin Cline portrays an instructor of Western civilization in a prestigious private school. It is the first day of class, and about 30 high school boys, dressed in matching red jackets, settle into a room adorned with maps and busts of Caesar, Plato, and Socrates.

The professor asks one student to read a plaque above the door. The student is clearly nervous as he leaves his seat and walks to the door. The plaque itself appears to be an ancient artifact.

The student delivers an uncertain reading of an inscription that makes little sense to him:

I am Shutruk Nahunte, King of Ashand and Susa, Sovereign of the Land of Elam. By the Command of Inshushinak, I destroyed Sippar, took the Stele of Nirah-Sin, and brought it back to Elam, where I erected it as an offering to my God, Inshushinak. Shutruk Nahunte 1158 B.C.

The teacher then asks the class, "Is anyone familiar with this fellow? Texts are permissible, but you won't find him there. Shutruk Nahunte. King. Sovereign of Elam. Destroyer of Sippar. But behold his accomplishments cannot be found in any history book. Why? Because great ambition and conquest without contribution are without significance." He ends by posing this question: "What will your contribution be?"

Good question.
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When Trouble Comes

2010-07-01T14:44:00.005-05:00

In chapter 4 of his memoir Nehemiah finds himself surrounded by the enemy. He is under attack from all sides. At that point, he and those who are helping him experience four losses: 1) a loss of strength; 2) a loss of vision; 3) a loss of confidence; 4) a loss of security. These are the four leading causes of discouragement; so it should not be a surprise to discover that discouragement attacks those who are helping Nehemiah build the wall in Jerusalem. After all, they experience all four of the leading causes of discouragement.

Have your ever felt that way? You are so tired that you cannot think straight. It is the kind of emotional and spiritual exhaustion that cannot be prayed away or vacationed away. You are suffering from major burnout and only divine intervention will help. (A loss of strength.) When that happens it is easy to "take your eyes off the ball." You lose sight of the big picture and the details frustrate you to no end. Bogged down with the minutia of life you quickly lose speed because the finish line is so fuzzy. (A loss of vision.) And then there are the voices. A million subtle messages that bombard you and tell you that everything is wrong with your life. Listen to closely to the wrong voices and you find yourself in emotional and psychological quicksand. (A loss of confidence). Finally, you no longer feel safe. Any major change in your external circumstances will send you into a downward spiral of self-pity and discourage-ment. (A loss of security.) You have expereinced the four leading causes of discoragement: A loss of strength, vision, confidence, and security. Now What?

There is a way back. Nehemiah shows us that it is possible to break through the four leading causes of discouragement. The key is to act fast and confront the problem as soon as it hits. Nehemiah does just that.
How does he do it? Four things he does consistently over time:

1. He talks to God about it (4:4,9) -- The power of prayer is not what it does for you, but rather what it does in you.

2. He talked to his supporters about it (4:14, 19-20) -- Don't do it alone.

3. He developed a plan (4:13-14; 16-18) -- Developing a plan takes the emotion out of it and keeps the main thing the main thing.

4. He stayed the course (4:6, 21) -- Don't underestimate the power of tenacity. He just kept showing up for work and before long the wall was built. Just show up.

In his book, The Dip, Seth Godin attempts to describe the slumps in life that keep us from success. Godin describes the typical experience after a new project or career or business venture is started and the "newness" wears off. There is a period of let down after the initial excitement of startup. That let down can cause discouragement and a quick slide into a deep slump. According to Godin, there are times when the slump is a cul-de-sac (no way out). Other times the slump is just a dip in the road. The problem is two-fold: those who hang on too long and never realize that they are in a cul-de-sac; those who quit to quickly and never realize that they were simply experiencing a dip in the road.

Bottom Line: If you have the strenght to push through the slumps of life (discourage-ment) you will almost always find a measure of success on the other side. Nehemiah certainly did. And he gave us the tools we need to get through the dips in the road. He gave us all we need to confront the problems when they come.
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Be Prepared for Life

2010-06-24T08:16:00.001-05:00

I was a Boy Scout. Our motto was "Be Prepared." A good Boy Scout is always prepared for whatever circumstances may come. I remember taking a college Calculus exam for which I was ill prepared. I remember looking at the first problem on the exam and thinking, "I haven't the slightest idea how to solve this." Not only did I not know how to solve the problem ... I didn't even know how to start. I turned the page and looked at the next problem. It looked like Chinese to me (I'd say Greek, except that I can read Greek ... I don't read or speak Chinese). That's when beads of sweat started forming on my forehad and I knew that I was in BIG trouble. I failed that test. I failed because I wasn't prepared. I never said I was a good Boy Scout.

The Bible is filled with exhortations to be prepared. From the time that Noah was called to prepare an ark, God has been calling men and women to prepare. Life goes smoother when you are prepared. The flip side is that life can turn ugly (even tragic) when you are not prepared. This is a hard and true lesson that I have to keep learning every day of my life.

Nehemiah enters Jerusalem, possibly for the first time in his life. He is in the city of his forefathers. He is there to rebuild and repopulate the city. He is on a mission for God. He is also entering a political nightmare. He has been appointed Govenor of an area that is filled with political landmines. He has to build a walled city with a group of people who have already failed countless times over a 100 year period. That means that they have failed, their fathers failed, and their grandfathers failed. Failure is built into their DNA. He has to take this motley crew and inspire them to success in the face of harsh and sometimes violent opposition. Add to that a King who is ready to execute him at any hint of disloyalty. There are plenty who want Nehemiah to fail.

The book of Nehemiah is the account of how Nehemiah succeeded where everyone before him had failed. It is the story of what God can do with someone who doesn't care who gets the credit. It is a tale of a life. Life lived to the fullest with a God who is in control. It is about being more prepared than your enemies, and outrunning, outlasting, and outliving your adversity.

The characteristics we see in Nehemiah are critical:
1. He is strategic.
2. He is brutallly honest.
3. He is empowering.
4. He is highly commited.

These are foundational to living the prepared life. At the heart of it is a person who sees his life as an offering to God. Nehemiah sees himself as being on mission for God. The King sent Nehemiah to build another Persian fortified city. Nehemiah went to build the city of God. God will use whom he will use. Our work is to be prepared.
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Courage for Living

2010-06-17T10:23:00.003-05:00

The Cowardly Lion in the children's classic, The Wizard of Oz, wants courage. He wants the Mythical Wizard of Oz to wave his wand and instill lion-like courage into his heart. What he doesn't know is that it's not that easy -- Never has been ... Never will be. Actually, what the lion really wants the Wizard to do is to take away the fear. He doesn't realize that courage is already inside of him ... if he can overcome the fear. He learns that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather, the ability to move forward in the face of fear.

Nehemiah goes before King Artaxerxes I in order to ask him to reverse the King's previous order to stop the re-building process in Jerusalem. King's don't like to reverse their own orders. You have to know something about King Artaxerxes I. He came into power when his father, Xerxes, was assasinated. The leader of the coup attempt was murdered by his own co-horts and there was a power grab for the throne. After Artaxerxes gets the upper hand in the political battle, he has all of his brothers executed so that there will be no pretenders to the throne. This is the man that Nehemiah is dealing with. Artaxerxes will not hesitate to kill Nehemiah if he thinks, even for one second, that Nehemiah is working against him. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to Artaxerxes. It was the position given to the King's most trusted servant. That is true. But in Nehemiah's day, Kings could trust no one, completely. Just ask Julius Caesar (et tu, Brute?). And the trust of a King could change in a split second. Just ask Haman (Esther 7:10).

These are some of the things that fuel Nehemiah's courage:

1. He prays. He prays for two months before approaching the King. He prays while he is talking to the King. He prays after it is all over. Nehemiah never stops praying.

2. He fasts. He combines prayer with fasting. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that paints a portrait of commitment and devotion. Nehemiah wants God to know that he is serious in his love for him.

3. He acts. Sometimes courage means closing your eyes and taking the leap. The leap takes faith. The courage doesn't come before the leap, but on the way down.

4. He confesses. He confesses his sins. That's good. But he also confesses his fear. That's even better. In confessing the sin he names the symptom. In confessing his fear, he names the virus. Fear is essential to courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to move forward in the face of fear.

5. He leans on his community. He is not alone. He want to go to the city where his "fathers are buried." He is standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before. He is drawing courage from a heritage of faith that has been instilled in him by his ancestors.

The courage for living comes in many shapes and sizes because the battles are not always the same. But the courage to fight them always comes from within. God wants to help you fight the battles of life. Prayer, Devotion, Action, Confession, and Community all play a part. In the end, your faith in God allows you to move forward as HE give you the courage for the journey.
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Nehemiah Weeps

2010-06-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

Nehemiah was born in Babylon. He was raised in Babylon. He had no reason to go to Jerusalem. When Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonians he issued a decree that allowed the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem. A few did so. Most stayed in Babylon. It was their home. How could Nehemiah return to Jerusalem when he had never lived there to begin with? It had been about eighty years since the Babylonians first laid seige to Jerusalem. Nehemiah gets the word: Things are not going well in Jersualem. Every plan to rebuild failed. King Artaxerxes was listening to the wrong voices and stopped the rebuilding efforts. All hope was lost.

Nehemiah weeps.

He is not alone. The people of Israel wept collectively so often I gave up counting somewhere in the middle of 1 Samuel. Abraham wept. Isaace wept. Jacob wept. Joseph wept. Moses wept. Ruth, Hannah, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Solomon, Jonathan, Hezekiah, Ezra, Job, Hosea, Micah, Peter, John, Paul, and of course, Jesus -- they all wept. There is a lot of weeping going on in the Bible. The list of those who weep is a veritable Who's Who of Scripture.

What does that tell you? Weeping is good for the soul? Yes. But more than that -- this is where it starts for the faithful -- A heart that weeps over the things that break the heart of God. Why does Nehemiah weep? As far as we know, he has never been to Jerusalem. He has friends and relatives in Jerusalem, but they are hundreds of miles away. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? Wrong. Nehemiah weeps because the good guys are losing. He weeps because that which is right has been called wrong. He weeps because justice has died in Jerusalem. He weeps because he feels helpless.

The prophet Micah gives us our Syllabus for life in Micah 6:8: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. There is it: Nehemiah weeps because he has the ethos of the prophet deep down in his soul. DO JUSTICE. LOVE MERCY. WALK HUMBLY. Practice those three and you too will weep.
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Starting at the End

2010-06-01T22:22:00.002-05:00

I love my iphone for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is the GPS function. As a pastor and a new Richardsonian it sure helps to have a tool like iphone GPS. If I have your address my phone will lead me right to your doorstep. I just follow the little blue light till it hits the little red flag -- and I'm there! No more need for directions. I've found that there are two types when it comes to giving directions: Those who give succinct, pertinent and accurate information; and those who don't. There are more of the latter than the former. So my GPS is great. If you start to give me directions I'll just say, "The address please. All I need is the address."

This is a bigger deal than you might first imagine. Just think about it. No more pannicky phone calls to your friends saying, "How do you get there, again?" No more scribbled napkin directions. No more riding around in circles while your wife says, "I told you we were lost an hour ago. Stop and ask directions!" That alone is worth the price of the phone. I love the GPS function on my iphone for a number of reasons. But most of all I love it because if you know exactly where you are going it makes the "getting there" a lot easier.

It's the same with life. If you start at the end, it makes the "getting there" a lot easier. Start at the end. Where do you want to end up? What do you want people to say about you when they are standing by your casket? What do you love to do so much that you never want to stop doing it? What makes your heart beat a little faster? Make a list of the things you want to do before you die. You may not do them all. That's O.K. ... half the fun is making the list. One thing is for sure: If you don't make the list you'll never get there.

In Genesis, chapter 50, Joseph is at the end of his life. He makes one last request. The request is centered on a promise that God made generations before Joseph. A promise that he would bless them and their descendents, and that through them the world would be blessed. That promise had been the little red flag on Joseph's iphone GPS screen. He ends his life aiming at that little red flag. Like a lot of things on your bucket list, he never saw the promise fulfilled. But no matter. His living for it was not in vain.

Joseph saved his people from famine ... and eventually they gave birth to the Savior. Start at the end and it will make the "getting there" a lot easier.
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The Right Time

2010-05-27T20:45:00.001-05:00

We've made a lot about Joseph's character. Joseph said no to temptation at the most critical moment of his life. He said no the easy way out. He said no to a life of sensory fulfillment. And in so doing, he set himself on a life trajectory that he couldn't have predicted ... not in his wildest dreams. Well ... let me take that back ... I guess he did predict it his wildest dreams. You remember his dreams, don't you? Joseph is standing in the center and everyone in his family, including his mother and father, are bowing down to him. They were pretty heady dreams. But while he was subexisting in a dark and damp Egyptian prison cell he must have second-guessed the dreams. Surely, this was not the road to the lap of luxury and royal power.

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise when Joseph is able to stand against temptation. Joseph's ability to say no -- to wait for the appropriate time -- was something that could be found in him pretty early on. He has the dreams. He foolishly, almost naively announces the content of the dreams (it almost gets him killed). But right after the dream is announced, his father sends him on an errand, and he obeys. No questions asked. No smart retort. No complaining. Just simple obedience. The dreams tell him that he will rule over his father. But Joseph knows inherently that the dream's time has not yet come. For the moment, the father still rules over the son. So Joseph obeys. The future ruler is first a dutiful son.

Many years later, after Joseph comes into power in Egypt, his brothers come to him for help. He recognizes them. They do not recognize him. They bow before him. Joseph has a flashback to the dream. He now has the power to do unto them as they did unto him. But Jospeh doesn't do that. Instead, overwrought with emotion, with a big group hug, he forgives them.

The day that he shared the dreams as a young boy was not the right time to make them come true. The sexual advances of Potiphar's wife was not the right time or the right way to grab for power. The moment that his brothers bowed before him begging for mercy was not the right time to avenge the past. Here is another secret to Joseph's success: He has the ability to wait for the right time.
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Belonging to God

2010-05-25T22:29:00.003-05:00

Joseph had the midas touch because God had a plan for his life. After Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the Egyptian captain of the guard, the Scripture says "... the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field" (39:5). And later while Joseph was in prison, the Scripture says, "The (prison) warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did" (39:23). The Biblical writer clearly gives God primary credit for Joseph's success.

The Biblical writers loved to jusxtapose characters for the purpose of emphasizing some good quality in one character, as compared to the dispicable behavior of another. So, Cain and Abel are compared; as are Moses and Pharoah, David and Nabal, Ahab and Elijah, and Joseph and Judah (see Gen. 38). But there is this moment of striking comparison in the story of Joseph, where the wife of Potiphar demands an explanation for Joseph's daily rejection of her sexual advances. Joseph explains: "'With me in charge ... my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?'"

Joseph recognizes that his master has given him access to everything in the household, except one thing. Now he was being tempted to take the one piece of forbidden fruit. All of his master's garden was at his disposal, except for one little tree ... Adam took a bite ... Joseph didn't ... and that makes all the difference in the world.

Joseph refuses for two reasons: 1. He refuses to violate his Master's trust; 2. He refuses to violate God's love. And because he refuses to do those things, God gives him success no matter what the world throws at him. It's not a matter of being born to win. It's a matter of belonging fully to God.
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Born to Win

2010-05-24T21:18:00.001-05:00

Joseph's star is rising. His father favors him and is grooming him to take over the family business. He sends Joseph to the fields to supervise his brothers and report back on their work. Joseph is at the top of his game. And then fate steps in. His brothers, in a moment of temporary insanity, sell him to a band of travelling salesmen on their way to Egypt. Apparently, Joseph never saw it coming. No strike hurts worse than the one delivered by the ones you love. Joseph trusted his brothers. They violated that trust.

In Egypt Joseph's star begins to rise again. This time in the house of a powerful Egyptian military commander named Potiphar. Potiphar buys Joseph from the travelling salesmen, and before long Joseph is running the Potiphar household. Fate steps in again. This time in the form of Potiphar's wife, who has way too much time on her wandering hands. Joseph rejects her sexual advances. Her lust turns to anger and she lies about Joseph. It's a lie that will send him to prison.

In prison Joseph's star begins to rise again (are you noticing a pattern here?). The prison warden soon puts Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. It seems like no matter what life throws at him, Joseph rises to the top. He has an uncanny way of bouncing back. In fact, before the last pages of Genesis are turned Joseph will be in charge of the administration of the entire Egyptian Empire, second only to Pharoah. Joseph, it seems, was born to win.

Or was it something else? The short answer: It was something else. We'll talk about it ... tomorrow ...
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The Blessing

2010-05-21T16:47:00.001-05:00

Jacob finally blesses his sons right before he dies (Genesis 49). Better late than never. Jacob tried to love his sons, I'm sure. He did the best he could. Jacob had received the blessing from his father through deception. The two boys, Jacob and Esau, were twins but they were as different as night and day. Esau, tall and strong, was a hunter and an outdoorsman. He watched ESPN Sports on TV and went to all the NASCAR Races and his favorite magazine was Field and Stream. Jacob, on the the other hand, was softer and more subtle in his manliness. He liked to watch The Food NetWork and Rachel Ray on TV and his favorite magazine was GQ.

Not surprisingly, Isaac, favored the elder twin, Esau. And their mother, Rebecca, favored Jacob. It was no secret who Isaac wanted to bless -- It was Esau all the way. But in stepped fate ... or the sovereignty of God ... or whatever you want to call it ... and Jacob manipulates the blessing to go his way instead.

What do you think that did to the family? Isaac was crushed. Esau was more devastated at losing the blessing than he was at losing the birthright (in fact, there is indication he never really wanted the birthright to begin with -- but he desperately wanted the blessing). Rebecca was living in fear, knowing that one of her sons, Esau wanted to kill her favorite son, Jacob. And Jacob was running for his life. He left town under the cover of night ... and would never see his mother again. Tragic.

There was, it seems, a curse on this family. They will be reconciled years later. Although Rebecca will not live to see it. But there was a lot of pain before they ever got to the joy. I guess one lesson that could be learned is that each of your children is very different and needs your blessing.

Fast forward almost 2000 years: There is another Son who is being blessed. He is being baptized and when he comes up, out of the water, his Father speaks and says, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God the Father blesses his Son. A very important moment in Jesus' life ... and in history. I want you to notice a couple of things about the blessing.

1. It is unconditional. God, the Father, blesses His Son at the beginning of his ministry. Jesus hasn't done anything yet ... and God is already blessing him. Blessing your children does not depend on how good they are or what they have accomplished.

2. It is personal. God the Father speaks a personal word about his Son. He says three things: This is MY Son; I love him; and I'm proud of him. Start there. Say those three things to your children every day and you will bless them.

3. It is public. God says good things about his Son in front of the entire world. God wants everyone to know how much he loves his Son.

The world will try to drag your children down. Look at what the world did to God's Son. You bless them. If you don't ... there's no guarantee that anyone else ever will.
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Real People and Real Families

2010-05-20T10:45:00.003-05:00

The Biblical Characters typically have a lot of depth (compared to other literature of antiquity). One of the reasons for this depth of Character is that the Bible doesn't keep many secrets. Characters are revealed in all of their complex splendor. No one is all good -- Except Jesus, and even Jesus struggled. Although a few are portrayed as being all bad (for contrast purposes), even they have a human side. So Pharoah is affected when the first born of Egypt dies rather than the first born of the Hebrew people. And the Pharisees don't all wear black hats. They have one among their number like Nicodemus who comes to Jesus wrestling with honest questions, genuinely wanting to understand.

Joseph and his brothers are a good example. Joseph will prove himself to be a man of honor and a great leader. But he was once a snotty, arrogant, little brat. Judah will become a great tribe that produces the Messiah. But he once was part of a plot to kill his own brother. Reuben is the only brother who steps up to try and do the right thing. When his brothers unanimously vote to kill their young sibling, Reuben steps in to say, "Let's be rational." Later, however, he will vote to execute his own daughter-in-law for a crime that he helped her to commit. Once his hypocrisy is exposed he admits, "She is more honorable than I."

These patriarchs are real people. Like all of us, they are a mixture of good intentions and bad judgment, loving action and angry thoughts, kind regards and bitter resentment. Real life is rarely like your fantasies. That can be quite disappointing. There is often an expectation of the home as a haven of love and good feelings. So it comes as a great disappointment to many when it proves not to be so for them. For the home is also a place where the ugliest and most destructive emotions are experienced, where there is disturbing interpersonal conflict, which can fuel a raging angst. Families are formed of people and people are not perfect. If the Bible teaches us anything, it teaches us this: No one is perfect.

So what do we do about it? I'll write a little about that and what I mean by giving your children "The Blessing" ... tomorrow ...
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Mimesis

2010-05-18T14:54:00.004-05:00

Mimesis is often used as a literary term to signify the ability to mimic real life. The narrative is not the real thing. It is the record of what happened. As accurate and clear as it might be ... it is never the thing itself ... only a faint image of the thing. A story is a photograph of reality, and the storyteller is the photographer. However, the photographs created by the storyteller are not static. Like the framed pictures in Harry Potter, they are three-dimensional and have the ability to move, showing us various facets of the reality they portray. They don't fade or turn yellow with time because they are dymanic. The places in the narrative that make the story move (make it feel real) are the points of mimesis.

For instance, in the story of Joseph and his brothers, there is a place in the narrative where Jacob sends Joseph to check up on his brothers who are grazing cattle in the area of Shechem. Joseph goes to Shechem but does not find them. The Bible says that a man found Joseph wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" Joseph answers, "My brothers." The man says, "Oh ... I overheard them say that they were moving on to Dothan." So Joseph makes his way to Dothan, where he finds his brothers ... and then wishes he hadn't (but that's another story).

This little scene where Joseph can't find his brothers and is helped by the nameless man is a perfect example of mimesis at work. The episode serves no purpose in the story. Why does the storyteller include it? It serves to prolong the story a bit, building tension to the dramatic and inevitable climax of attempted murder. Perhaps. It may be that's it's included simply because that's the way it happened (hello???). Joseph didn't go straight to Dothan to find his brothers. He went to Shechem first because that's where he thought they were working, and was then directed to Dothan. There is no deep spiritual lesson to be learned from this ... it's just the way it happened (or at least the way the storyteller heard it). So it was passed on, exactly as heard, down the ages. And it has the ring of real life to it, doesn't it? That's mimesis, and you find it everywhere in the Bible.

More on Joseph, his brothers, and three-dimensional characters ... tomorrow ...
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Jacob and His Sons

2010-05-17T07:52:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we studied the scene where the sons of Jacob (Israel) turned on each other. I wish I could remember a few things from my Psych 101 class because it would be interesting to do an in depth character study on everyone involved in this sorted episode in the life of the patriarchs. Afterall, these are the fathers of our faith. That's a scary thought.

Jacob, for instance. When they bring the bloody robe to him (don't read that with a British accent, I mean literally, a robe covered with blood), don't you think he suspected foul play? I think so. You know your children better than anyone on the planet. He knows his boys. He knows what they're capable of doing ... and he knows the bitter rivalry between them. In fact, he also knows that what has likely happened is, to some degree, his fault ... he fueled the rage in his sons by playing favorites, and then he sent the favored son to "check up on" his brothers (i.e. supervise them). I think Jacob knows, down deep, exactly what has happened and doesn't want to deal with it. Before there was Valium there were defense mechanisms.

And then there's Reuben, who wants to do the right thing but is too weak to pull it off. He tries to trick his brothers into sparing Joseph so that he can save Joseph and deliver him back to his father. It's hard to tell whether Reuben wants to score some points with the old man or is just genuinely adverse to violence. The tone of the story when it comes to Reuben seems to indicate the latter. He really feels uncomfortable with what they are plotting to do, but he doesn't have the moral strength to stand against them ... instead he tries to trick them. I wonder where he got that idea from (tongue firmly planted in cheek)?

I could go on and on ... but you get the point. One of the many things that sets the Bible apart from all other literature of antiquity is that it doesn't pull any punches. If you study the ancient historical records of other cultures you will find obviously sanitized stories where the kings never do anything wrong and the one-dimensional heroes all wear white hats. Not the Bible. It always tells it like it is ... and every hero has a dark side ... more on that tomorrow.
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Rain, Rain (don't) Go Away ...

2010-05-14T14:11:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting at my favorite corner booth at Panera Bread, working on my sermon and a Turkey Sandwich, potato chips, and cheddar soup (not necessarily in that order) ... and watching the rain. Actually, I've taken a break from the sermon and am mostly watching the rain. I love the rain (when I'm not stuck in it). People with colorful umbrellas are darting to and fro ... leaping over puddles and fumbling with their keys. Inside a few are whistfully staring at the light May shower, probably wishing they could be at home in bed (or maybe that's just me).

The rain has a calming effect. It makes me feel at peace. Like God knows what we need and is always ready to provide it. I lived for 10 years in McAllen which is still, to some degree, a farming community. I learned from the farmers in the church that the rain is important ... vitally so ... but it's not enough for it to simply rain. It has to be the right amount of rain, in the right places, at the right time. Silly me. I was just praying for rain. I had no idea I needed to be praying more specifically for a particular kind of rain!

And yet ... even with my woefully inadequate prayers ... God provides the rain. The right kind at the right time in the right place. He never ceases to amaze me ... NOW ... if he would just give me the rest of this sermon ...
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YOUR CIRCLES

2010-05-12T15:11:00.001-05:00

How many people pass in and out of your life every day? Every week? Most of the time you barely see them -- the waitress who brings you your coffee; the dry cleaner who hands you your starched shirts; the woman at the ticket counter on the last trip you took. These are people who are just outside your circle of relationships. They are countless individuals who rub up against your life in some small way and then are gone. What can you do to bring Jesus to them? Well ... you could be Jesus to them. It doesn't take long. You can be Jesus to them in about 2 nano-seconds. It doesn't take long to smile or to say thank you with gusto or to tell them they are doing a good job. People come in and out of our lives all the time. Often we are too busy to see them, much less make a difference in their lives.

We were rushing through the airport in Helsinki trying to get to Riga. There were sixteen of us on the mission trip. Our flight from JFK to Finland had been delayed so when we arrived in Helsinki we were informed of what we already knew: we missed our connection. It would take an extra four hours to get there. We were tired and disappointed but our leaders had forged in our brains through several hours of orientation meetings the need to be flexible. We even had a sign for it (index finger extended in a loose fashion and then nodding up and down ... flexibility) -- a silent reminder for those who might forget ... flexibility is king on a mission trip. So we made our way to a special ticket counter for those who needed to be rescheduled. The lady at the counter had waited on several of our folks before she got to me. When I approached her with a tired smile, slid my paperwork to her, and asked her how her day was going, she looked up at me with and incredulous look and asked, "Who are you people?"

Her sole job is to issue new tickets to those who have missed their connection. Bless her heart. Our team members who had gone before me were equally kind to her and she was a little confused. Apparently, she is not accustomed to customers who are happy. I had the chance to tell her who we were and why we were there. She smiled and thanked me for being so understanding with the situation. I gave her a big, "No problem," and an even bigger, "God bless you." I'll never see that lady again. She is one of the faceless masses that have come into and out of my life. But, with the help of the missions team, I was able to speak gospel into her life. It didn't take long.

We made her job a little easier that day. You may think that is a small thing, but Jesus said that it's the small things that make the biggest difference ... like the faith of a mustard seed ... the small things can move mountains. Slow down ... look at the people that God brings into your life (I mean really look at them) ... and find a way to be Jesus to them. It doesn't take long ... and it lasts an eternity.
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NEVER TOO LATE

2010-05-11T15:10:00.002-05:00

I had a great time on my mission trip to Latvia. A big part of what it made it great was the company I kept -- the great people who formed the mission team. They were all an inspiration to me. They are (each one of them) very talented in their own way. Some sing, some speak, some play instruments ... a few are electronics whizzes and kept us connected the entire time ... several have the gift of service and were at our beck and call with anything that was needed. And if you don't think that is a gift and a talent ... then you've never been on a mission trip half-way around the world where you finish 14 hours of airplanes and uncomfortable airport chairs to find one of your team members begging you to let him carry your bags up three flights of stairs -- I'm telling you, it's a gift. So everyone had something to contribute, and were always more than willing to make the contribution. You see, that's the key: We ALL have something to contribute, but only those who are willing to MAKE the contribution change the world.

Now remember: this was a Senior Adult Mission trip. So if you don't count the two of us that were under 50 the team's age ran from 60-80. Add to that the fact that cobblestone roads and hilly countryside villages are not easy walking material, it's a miracle that we all made it back in one piece. These retirees are an inspiration to me. They retired from the workforce ... but they didn't retire from work. They are tribute to what God can do through those who refuse to retire from God's work. And they are a testimony to what God can do when you offer him everything you have. When you love God ... It's never too late ...

The latest star in the Britain's Got Talent competition is Janey Cutler. She is an 80 years old great-grandmother who sings with all her heart. The fact that she walked onto the stage (albeit with a little help from the showhost) is a beautiful testimony to her courage and strength. She walked onto the stage and sang her song ... and brought the house down. Her voice is strong and sure ... but I don't think that's what brought the house down. The standing ovation was more for her life than for her voice. It was a celebration of the human will to keep singing ... the wonderful and joyous and life-giving message that IT'S NEVER TOO LATE ...

Click to watch JANEY CUTLER on Britain's Got Talent
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LATVIA IN RETROSPECT

2010-05-09T22:26:00.001-05:00

The mission trip to Latvia was a great experience. We had a great team of "on mission" FBCRers. Let me see if I can name them from memory -- They were Tommy, Margie, Clara, Susie, Betty, Stan, Beth, Skip, Francene, James, Nancy, Pete, Jerri, Delores, and Gerald. Everyone had a great attitude and was always willing to do whatever was necesasry to get the job done. A lot of talent in the group. They were an inspiration to me. The primary purpose of this mission trip was to encourage the Senior Adult Christians of Latvia and, hopefully, inspire them to be a productive part of their churches. God still has a lot to do through Senior Adults. Unfortunately, in Latvia, the Senior Adults are the ones who suffered under Communist rule. The psychological and sociological affects of that time period are still very much with them. Alcoholism is rampant among the elderly. The suicide rate is also quite high. Unemployment, in general, hovers around 20%.

Our work is to rally those seniors and give them a vision for what God can still do through them. It is inspiring to see the fruit of past FBCR mission groups. The Villandes Church has a senior choir that stell wears the vests that we donated to them. That choir was formed as a direct result of our work in Riga. The chimes choir is spectacular playing the chimes that FBCR donated to the cause. The wood floor of Villandes is beautiful and it was installed by one of our construction teams. There is so much FBCR has done to motivate, inspire, and help the churches in Latvia that I could go on for hours (but I won't).
There are a few things I think we accomplished:
1. We deepened our relationship with our Latvian brothers and sisters.
2. We equipped a large group of Senior Adults, making them even more effective church members.
3. We made some new connections in new cities and will see how those develop.
4. We identified ways that we can minister even more effectively in the future.
5. We inspired a few to a more intential service to the Lord.

Overall ... it was definitely worth the trip ...

Blessings,
Ellis
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LEAVING LATVIA

2010-05-07T00:55:00.001-05:00

Goodbyes are always hard. People handle them in different ways. I prefer a quick hug and a confident, I'll see you again. It's true ... we will. We are saying goodbye to our Latvian brothers and sisters ... and we will see them again ... either in a year or two on another mission trip ... or in heaven ... we will see them again.

It's been a good trip. We've accomplished a lot. Tomorrow I'll blog on what I think we accomplished with this trip. Right now I need to get a quick breakfast and catch a shuttle to the Riga airport. By the time you read this I'll probably be half-way across the Atlantic (assuming volcano-what's-his-name cooperates).

I loved my time in Latvia. I loved everything about it. But I'm ready to be back home with my family and with my church. The sermon for Sunday is finished. I'll use the plane ride back to internalize it. I'll spend Saturday catching up with my family. I'll be with you on Sunday.

Goodbyes are always hard ... but they are always followed by, It's good to see you again. When ever we leave one group of friends we are greeted by another. I'm looking forward to seeing you again!
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THE LATVIAN PASTORS

2010-05-06T03:43:00.004-05:00

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the pastors who came to the conference. We spent almost two hours talking about being a pastor. I enjoyed the convers-ation so much I could have talked all day. I love everything about being a pastor. When you love something ... it's easy to share it with others.

Being a pastor is not easy in Latvia. Being a Baptist Pastor is even more difficult. Unfortunately, Baptists have a bad reputation in Latvia (some thigns don't change across the cutlures). The more affluent and traditional churches (mostly Russian Orthodox and Lutheran) seem to propagate some ugly misunderstandings about Baptists. Such as calling Baptists a "cult," and telling people that Baptists sacrifice babies, and telling their members that if they join a Baptist church they will automatically go to hell (little things like that). Some will try anything to keep the sheep locked up in one particular pen. I suppose Baptists have been guilty of doing the same thing at one point or another in our checkered history.

Anyway ... it makes it difficult for the pastors. Pastor Olegs in Cesis is a young and energetic pastor who has a great vision for his church. Pastor Girts in Riga is a kind and thoughtful pastor who wants to see his city come to Christ. Pastor Yanis in Jekabpils is an experienced pastor who genuinely loves the people. All of these pastors effectively take a vow of poverty when they surrender to the call ... because they will never make enough money to support a family. Most of them are bi-vocational pastors and their wives have to work as well. They will devote 30-40 hours per week to their churches in addition to the 40 house per week in their paying jobs. Even then ... they barely "make ends meet," financially. I stand amazed at their sacrificial service.

There were several young student pastors at the conference. They study at the Baltic Pastoral Institute and are just getting started in ministry. It was fun to feel their excitement and experience their creative thinking. I know that they will make a great impact wherever God leads them. Martis, the young pastor speaking in the picture above was an architect. He gave it all up to enter the poverty-stricken world of pastoring in Latvia. He is starting a church in a small town closer to the Russian border. He is an amazing young man.

I talked to these pastors about the three circles of pastoring: Proclamation, Pastoral Care, and Leadership. They asked a lot of good questions. I hope my ignorance of their culture did not offend them. I pray that something I said may have helped in some small way. I pray that nothing I said was discouraging to them. It is hard to be a pastor in any culture ... but harder in some than in others.

I pastor one of the greatest church on the face of the earth. They love me and take good care of me and my family. That has been true in every church I have pastored. I am blessed. I don't know why ... but I am.
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MARK AND LAURA WIMBERLEY

2010-05-05T13:05:00.002-05:00

I met Mark and Laura my first day in Cesis. They took us to one of the best restaurants in Latvia (my opinion) for dinner. Mark was a high school basketball coach and Laura a school teacher in Athens, Texas. God called them to take a year off to do mission work in Latvia. That was almost four years ago and they are still here. Mark and Laura are doing incredible things for the Lord in a very difficult place to work. God wants to do something in this little town and Mark and Laura are a big part of his plans. Even if they left tomorrow (which I seriously doubt), they have already done enough to make a difference.

Mark and Laura are just regular folks. Four years ago they were going to church at First Baptist Church, Athens, taking their annual mission trip with the church, and minding their own business. And then God got a hold of them. They have no special traits or talents that would set them apart. Mark knows basketball ... and Laura knows teaching. That's it. How many people could say that? I know how to do this one thing. That's all you need to serve God. Mark and Laura are making a HUGE difference in God's Kingdom work for one and only one reason (and it has nothing to do with talent or abilities): they are obedient. That's it.

I know Mark and Laura's pastor, Kyle. He's a great guy. He's been at First Baptist Athens for about seventeen years. For seventeen years he's been preaching that God calls people. For seventeen years he's been telling folks that God wants to use them all over the world. Mark and Laura got the message. First Athens is one of the greatest "on-fire-for-missions" churches in Texas. Mark and Laura are proof of that.

I don't think there are any other Americans in Cesis. Mark and Laura left their four sons, two of them in College, in America. Laura cries every time she has to say goodbye. And yet, there they are ... working tirelessly for God in a far away place. We need to pray for them.

God doesn't call everyone to cross the ocean. Although, I imagine he calls a lot of people who say "no." For that reason alone we should applaud Mark and Laura (even though they would "turn red" if they read this) ... and pray for them. And in the spirit of their sacrifice ... go across the street and help someone in Jesus' name ... that would be a good start.

You can read more about Mark and Laura here -- http://fbcrlatvia.banes.name/?page_id=1035
You can read Mark and Laura's Blog here -- http://www.cesislatvia.blogspot.com/
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LATVIAN SENIOR CONFERENCE

2010-05-05T01:24:00.001-05:00

The second day of our Senior Adult Conference in Cesis, Latvia went well. We were honored by those who came and I think they enjoyed the time of learning. It is very difficult for Senior Adults in Latvia. Unemployment is somewhere close to 30%. There is little place for anyone over sixty. They are often viewed as being from another era ... an era they would really like to forget. And they carry the psychological weight of everything they experienced under the fifty-year totalitarian rule of the Soviets. Alchoholism is rampant ... especially among the old. Suicide is common. There is little to live for.

I met a man who told me the story of his family. When he was eight years old his father was a poor farmer. His family was eating dinner one night when the KGB barged into their home. They rounded up the entire family, marched them into a train boxcar and 2 days later dumped them in a Siberian concentration camp. It took them eight years to get back to Latvia. I was speechless. What do you say to him? We talk so glibly of suffering ... but we don't know suffering.

One lady at the conference took the train from Riga to be here. The train station is a one hour walk from the conference center. She was on a crowded train for three hours and then walked one hour to get to the conference. She's eighty years old. Think about that the next time you complain about church going a little too long ;)

I hope we were an encouragement to these wonderful people. I hope we were able to teach them something ... I know that they taught me a lot.

Great Day in Cesis

2010-05-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

Had a great day in Cesis as we opened up the Senior Adult Conference. I had a chance to speak twice today. The work in this area of Latvia is very difficult. The Senior Adults are especially difficult to reach. You have to remember that until 1991 the Soviets controlled this country. Although the Soviets allowed the people to go to church, they didn't want them to like it. There were Soviet informants in every church. If a person was caught smiling in church they could lose their job the next day. If a person sang with too much gusto they could have their drivers liscence taken away.

Those days are still with them in their minds ... It is hard here ...

Worshipping Latvian Style

2010-05-03T08:06:00.004-05:00

Today I preached in Latvian ... well, not really ... I preached in English and Carliss (the young translator) translated it into Latvian. But I felt like I was preaching in Latvian. I told a lot of stories in my sermon and I felt the connection. As I concluded the sermon with a gripping tale of a young girl whose little brother was very sick I saw many in the congregation wiping away the tears. That particular story has always made me cry. I guess we are not that different, after all.

After the sermon we celebrated Communion together. The pastor and I and two of his deacons sat at the table on the platform and served from there. While the people sang we washed our hands and then literally broke the bread into pieces. The people lined up to come receive the bread and the cup. We used real wine. I think I saw several of our church members come back for seconds. It is awesome to fly half way around the world and find people who are a lot like you. They love God. They love their family. They love their church. They love their Lord. Of course, there are cultural differences -- language, food, housing, transportation, dress -- but those are cosmetics. When you get to the things that are most important we are not that different, after all.

After lunch we travelled two hours north to Cesis, the second oldest town in Latvia (I was told by the pastor), and we worshipped in an historic Lutheran church. It was built 800 years ago by the Catholics. About 500 years ago the Lutherans took over the building. This country is filled with old, historic cathedrals. Many of them are now museums. A few, like this one, still serve as places of worship. It was a moving time of worship. A lot of music. I was charged with giving a greeting and brief word of encouragement. I was going over (in my mind) what I was going to say by way of greeting and encouragement. I was wearing a suit and tie, which was no match for how cold it was getting in that old cathedral. The longer the service went, the colder it grew and the colder it grew the shorter my greeting got (in my mind). By the time my turn came I was freezing to death. I don't remember what I said. I hope they didn't hear my teeth chattering. Whatever I said ... it didn't go very long.

I had a great time ... and eventually thawed out ...
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LATVIAN PRISON

2010-05-02T00:27:00.002-05:00

Saturday morning the real mission trip began. We went to one of Latvia's maximum security prisons. It houses about 600 inmates, most of whom are serving sentences of 30 years to life and only allowed out of their tiny prison cells for one hour a day. Yanis is the chaplain and has been serving as a spiritual shepherd in that prison for 21 years (the first ten years on a volutnary basis). Yanis is also a pastor of a local Pentecostal Church. He is a humble servant who is an inspiration to me and has impacted thousands of lives.

I preached to about 50 inmates who had gathered in the makeshift worship hall. The conditions are bleak, to say the least. I cannot even begin to imagine the horror of living in such a place. There is no color -- everything is a dull gray or a dingy, dirty white. The living conditions are difficult to describe. There is little hope for most in this place ... none for some. I felt like I had nothing to say to these men. I couldn't possibly relate to their pain. Words failed me (and I'm usually pretty good with words). I stumbled through an evangelistic sermon on John 3:16. But everywhere I turned I felt like my words rang hollow. In the end, all I could offer them was Jesus ... but Jesus isn't going to get them out of prison (at least not this prison).

After the worship service one of the inmates grabbed the young man who had interpreted my sermon and dragged him my way to ask me a question. He said that he was at the end of a 35 year sentence for double homicide. The man was now 61 years old (each inmate had a name tag with their name and date of birth, clearly printed). It's hard to tell age in this place. The man leading the music was born in 1963 (which makes him two years my junior) and he looked to be at least sixty. Anyway, the man wanted to know if God could really forgive him as I claimed in the sermon. "I have killed two peope," he said. "I have done something terrible," he reiterated. "Can God really forgive me for that?" I assured him that God could forgive any sin, and that, in fact, he already had." The man gave me an incredulous look as he slowly pondered my claim. "But my sin is a big one," he held up two fingers, "I killed two people," he repeated thinking perhaps that I had not heard correctly through the translator. I shook my head, "It doesn't matter ... if God cannot forgive you then he cannot forgive me, either. There is no little sin or big sin in God's eyes -- God forgives you." He wanted to believe it but it's not easy to believe. It's hard for me to believe too. I can't imagine what he must be going through. After a long pause a broad smile came across his face. He shook my hand vigorously, said, "thank you," several times, and then slipped away into the bleak gray of his prison walls.

As the last prison door slammed behind me and I found myself outside, once again, under a dreary Latvian sky, I was still thinking about that man. I threw up a quick prayer for him and couldn't help wondering if at least one prison door had opened for him. I hope so.
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LATVIAN CULTURE

2010-04-30T16:36:00.003-05:00

There are two things that the Latvian people seem to love: Flowers and Music. The flower shops are everywhere and people will greet you with flowers. One particular city square block is filled with flower vendors. It is a beautiful sight to behold -- These people so in love with the beauty of flowers. And then there's music. As you can see from the pictures music is a daily part of life. From the old -- don't laugh, he's just trying to make a living in a horrible economy and he was really very good -- to the young (I saw one little boy playing the flute) -- From the amatauer to the professional (we went to the Latvian Symphony tonight and they were magnificent) -- music filled the air.

The other sight I experienced today is inherently related to the first two. I visited the "Latvian Museum of Occupation," a visual and oral Chronicle of the horror the Latvian people experienced through some sixty years of oppressive foreign occupation -- first by the Soviets then by the Germans then by the Soviets again. Under the Soviets they were brutalized and thousands deported to the famous Russian Gulag. When the Germans marched into Riga in 1940 the Latvians actually cheered because they felt liberated from Russian rule. Little did they know that their nightmare was just beginning.

Going through the museum and reading about the thousands who perished and the millions who suffered unspeakable hardship, the thing that srikes me is the amazing human spirit and the will to live. One display at the museum showed the things that people made as they lived in caves, and cellars, and in the trees of the forrests, hiding from their oppresors. The plauqe read, The heart and hands can create something from almost nothing: From wood -- a needle and a piano without a voice; From hospital gauze -- fine embroidery; From birch bark -- stationary; From the will to survive and perhaps even to once again go on living -- self-portraits, the portraits of one's fellow sufferers; and drawings of the places of suffering.

It's as if they were leaving a "bread crumb trail" for those who would come after; as if to say, we were here -- never forget us -- and if we can do it and keep our dignity then so can you.

They love flowers and music because when there is nothing to smile about ... when everything has been stripped from you and everyone you love has been killed and you have nothing left to live for ... you look around to find something and you see the flowers in the field and you hear the music in your heart and you know that there is a God and He will see you through. Amazing.

Rested and Ready

2010-04-30T00:34:00.001-05:00

O soft embalmer of the still midnight,
Shutting, with careful fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas'd eyes, embower'd from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine:
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close
In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes ...

The poetry of John Keats has never meant more to me! I finally got some sleep (8 wonderful hours of it). Now I'm ready for the day. We start today with a walking tour of Riga. We are staying in an enchanting, old hotel called The Loraine. It is located in downtown Riga. Half the population of Latvia lives in Riga, which boasts close to a million residents. I'm especially looking forward to the "Occupation Museum," a record of the living nightmare this country experienced under Communist rule. I'm sure it will give me a deeper appreciation for the people God has called me to preach to over the next nine days. It is impossible to imagine what they have been through. The human spirit is an amazing creation.

Good News and Bad News from Latvia

2010-04-28T15:30:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting at JFK airport in New York City waiting for my flight to Helsinki. The good news is that I get to Helsinki at 1:30am. The bad news is that it will be 7:30am in Helsinki. The good news is that it is only a one hour flight across the Baltic Sea from Helsinki to Riga, Latvia. The bad news is that, once in Riga, I don't get to sleep. The good news is that we immediately start a walking tour of Riga so that I get a total immersion experience with the people of that wonderful city. The bad news is that I forgot my sneakers. The good news is that I will eventually get to sleep. The bad news is that it won't be for another 24 hours. I guess life is full of good news and bad news.

The Latvian people sure have experienced their fair share. They are a people who have endured hardships that I can only experience in my worse nightmares (if I ever get to sleep again). Oppressive rule after oppresive rule have left them in a state of national shock. Forty years of forced communism (Russian rule) has left them economically bankrupt. They made great strides in the 90's, but even under a fairly new democracy (since 1991, unitary parliamentary rule) they have struggled economically. Through it all the people press on. Inspiring, to say the least.

The good news is that I will learn a lot from them. The bad news is ... well ... I think I've run out of bad news. The best news is that we are going there to share Good News ... and, hopefully, to get a little sleep.

GOING TOO FAST ...

2010-03-12T20:34:00.002-06:00

A mass pileup of cars on the Autobahn 93 freeway near Schwandorf, Germany on March 6th saw more than 40 cars and trucks crashing into each other on the icy roads. Can you count the exact number of vehicles involved?

It takes a lot of discipline to slow down. Especially on a freeway like the German Autobahn where there is no speed limit. A good reminder to us all that setting limits has its advantages.

Jesus said, "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving ... Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes" (Matt. 6:31, 34, The Message). In other words, the wrecks usually happen when you're going too fast or looking at something other than the road that is ahead.

The Christ Power of the Church

2010-03-09T21:19:00.003-06:00

The church is the creation of Jesus Christ. As such, it is the most powerful force on the face of the earth. Jesus said, "... I will build my church and the forces of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Jesus promised his disciples that he would give them divine power to accomplish his will when he said, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

When I'm tired or lonely or scared I try to remember that I can't change the world; only Jesus can do that. He will do it. In his time at his pace and in his own way ... he will change the world. But for some reason, he has chosen to do it through us, collectively ... His church.

When Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:21), he was speaking in the plural. You (plural) are the light of the world. He was pointing his finger at the collection of very ordinary human beings that were standing before him (fishermen, and tax collectors, and prostitutes), and was declaring something special about them. Not that they were special, but that God was giving them something special. He was giving them himself. And that was all they needed to turn the world upside down.

The 24-Month Agenda

2010-03-05T13:58:00.024-06:00

A 24-month agenda for our church has been completed. This agenda is the culmination of eight months of work by more than 300 members of our church. The deacon body, committees, ministry teams, and Bible Fellowship leadership teams have all acted as consultants and have contributed immeasurably to this agenda. We are thankful for their dedicated commitment to see God's work flourish in Richardson, and to the ends of the earth.

Please take time to study the 24-month agenda. Feel free to email any comments or thoughts to: Email Pastor Ellis.

Another way to learn more about the agenda or just ask questions is to attend one of four "town hall meetings" planned to discuss the agenda. Those meetings will be held in the Fellowship Hall on the following dates and times:

TUESDAY, MARCH 9 at 10:30am
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 at 7pm
SUNDAY, MARCH 14 at 4pm
MONDAY, MARCH 15 at 6pm

We hope that you can make one of these meetings.

This 24-month agenda has been designed to support the VISION of the church and lead us to fulfill all that God is calling us to do. Please make plans to attend the next church business meeting to be held on March 21 at 6:00pm. The church will be asked to affirm the 24-month agenda at that meeting.

You can download the 24-month agenda to your own computer (pdf file) by clicking on this link ...

THE 24-MONTH AGENDA

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support ...

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 44 -- FBCR STAFF

2009-07-28T23:25:00.003-05:00

I spent time today talking to all the administrative and support staff at FBC Richardson. What a great group of servants! We have a very capable and caring group of people working quietly behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly at our church. I want them and you to know how much I appreciate everything they do. Our Ministerial staff works hard ... but they couldn't do what they do without an extremely competent staff to back them up.

I shared with them all that I am hoping to accomplish in my first 100 days as pastor. They were able to share their thoughts and concerns. I greatly appreciate their honesty and insights. They have already given me some important things to think about.

I hope that if you ever find yourself at the church office during the week you will let them know how much you appreciate what they do.

Tonight I was able to take my kids to the Rangers game (thanks to a very generous church member who let me have her season ticket seats for the night!). It was a great game and I had a wonderful time with my children. Thanks go out to Karen for the tickets! The Rangers beating the Tigers 7-3 was just icing on the cake.

I continue to conduct interviews with the "smart observers" in our church and am beginning to get a better picture of where we are as a church, what some of our obstacles might be ... and where we need to go over the next two years. I still have a lot more interviews to conduct, but I'm on target to meeting my goals. I plan on sharing my findings with all the church leadership in the Fall and then we'll be ready to present something to the church body.

I'm closing in on the first half of my 100 days and feel good about where we are so far ... PLEASE KEEP PRAYING!!!! Wherever God is working ... Satan is usually not far off trying to destroy ... DON'T FORGET OUR 100 DAY COMMITTMENT TO PRAYER! It is critically important that we bathe everything in prayer. Thanks for being a great body of believers!

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 41 -- Reflections on 40 Days at FBC

2009-07-24T16:30:00.003-05:00

The number forty was very important in ancient Hebrew thought. It rained on Noah for forty days and forty nights. Moses went up the mountain of God to receive the Law and he stayed there for forty days and forty nights. The children of God wandered around in the wilderness for forty years before entering the "Promised Land." And, of course, Jesus was in the wilderness without water or food for forty days. The number forty seems to be Hebrew for "a really, really long time."

Well ... I've been the pastor at FBC Richardson for forty days and forty nights but it doesn't seem like a long time at all. Everyone has been wonderful to me and my family and we have thoroughly enjoyed ever day so far. I am learning a lot about our church. God is confirming what I already suspected: this is a great church made up of wonderful people who love Jesus. You can't ask for much more than that!

I spent a day with the kids at Camp Gap and discovered an incredible team of adult volunteers who have a passion for helping kids know God. The leadership team in our children's area is doing a phenomenal job!

I spent two days with our teenagers at Youth Camp in Brownwood. We have an over-abundance of talent in our youth group, and a real hunger to know God. It was exciting to be around another large group of adult volunteers who had given up a week of vacation to invest in the lives of our kids. As a parent, I know that I owe a lot to them. Our church is blessed with people who care about each other.

I have preached six sermons as your pastor and am feeling more and more comfortable in that role. It is quite an adjustment to preach in a larger sanctuary ... and to a larger congregation, but I believe I am starting to make the necessary adjustments and within a few more months will really begin to "hit my stride." Thank you for your patience and all your wonderful words of encouragement during this period of adustments.

I have listened "face to face" to 64 key leaders so far, and will continue to listen throughout the next 60 days (not that I'm going to stop listening after that!) in order to gain a deeper understanding of where we are, how we got here, and where we need to go next. I am learning what our strengths are as a church. I am learning what our weaknesses are as well. Paul reminds us that Jesus said, "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Cor.12:9)." We should never be afraid to name our weaknesses. It's the only way to learn and grow.

I am also starting to identify the obstacles that could get in our way, and the issues we may need to deal with in order to move forward. None of it is insurmountable or even unique to our church. Obstacles are placed before us so that we can overcome them, and in so doing, can feel the strength of Christ in us. Remember what Paul said in Phil.4:13 -- "(We) can do everything through him who gives (us) strength (Jesus Christ)!"

My first 40 days are up. But that's a good thing ... because something good always happens after forty days. After forty days of rain God brought the rainbow. After forty days on the Mountain God gave Moses the Law. After forty days of wilderness wandering the Hebrew people entered the Promised Land. After forty days of temptation Jesus began the ministry that would bring salvation to the world. I'm not promising that kind of drama ... but you never know what God is going to do after forty days ...

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 31-33 -- The Church, Pt. 7

2009-07-19T21:13:00.002-05:00

Thanks for thinking with me on a governing metaphor for the life and work of the church. We have looked very carefully at the metaphor of a battleship or aircraft carrier. Jesus used metaphors that were a common experience in his culture. That's why he spoke in terms of agro-business, family, athletics, and the military. These were the most common experiences of his listeners. They were the pillars of the Graeco-Roman culture (especially athletics and military). For our day, however, we must find a governing metaphor that is true to the essence of the 16 principles that Jesus delineated, and, at the same time, srikes a resonant chord for our specific culture.

Before we leave the idea of the sea ... I would suggest one more possible metaphor: That of a lighthouse OR a life-saving station. Perhaps the COAST GUARD would be a better military metaphor for our day and age.

In the next few days we will take a closer look at some TEAM SPORTS type metahpors combined with the idea of family and personal growth. Until then please take a look at the NEW VIDEO posted in the right hand column of this BLOG. It is a metaphor of what happens to a church that loses sight of its original mission. This is what we are trying to understand about the work and nature of the church. A metahpor is just a picture, and even the best ones will fall apart at some point. Tell me what you think about the parable told in the video ...

And pray for me as I go to Youth Camp to teach a seminar ...

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 29-30 -- The Church, Pt.6

2009-07-15T23:10:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone for their input … it is always most appreciated. We have had several excellent discussions on the church as an army or battleship. However, the battleship/military image as a governing metaphor has some major weaknesses. Namely, the image of violence associated with war and the machinations of war. For that reason alone, it is better left as a secondary image, simply acknowledging that the Bible does use military language to describe the work of the church.

By the way … someone suggested an aircraft carrier as a more apt description of the church. The analogy is actually better than mine (battleship).

I quote:

I believe the military vessel that would best represent the church for our metaphor would be an aircraft carrier. They are the lead ship (central focus, much like the church) in an fleet of support vessels (the community). They inspire one to search the skies (heavens) with an almost limitless reach/influence (missionaries heading to/in the field).

The give and take relationship of this vessel and its accompanying fleet would easily encompass more of the points we are working to understand. It is very much a symbiotic relationship. It provides the fleet with purpose, guidance, support and defense; all of which it receives from its fleet in return. For without the fleet (us), there is no need for the aircraft carrier (the church); likewise, without the aircraft carrier (the church) there would be no purpose or direction for the fleet (us, or would there be an "us" at all... without the church?).

Anyway … whichever you prefer, the battleship or the aircraft carrier (or none of the above) … the heart of the analogy is really a comparison. The larger point I want to make is that of a compare and contrast between the Military Unit (Aircraft Carrier), and the Civilian Unit (Cruise Ship). And here’s the question for the church: Which one better describes the work of the church?

Do we want to be on the Cruise Ship (a Caribbean Cruise) OR on the Aircraft Carrier? I have to admit the Cruise Ship is tempting. Look at it. It's beautiful and you can tell it belongs in clear aqua-blue waters and white sandy beaches. It has all the latest technology so that it can steer away from storms and promise you waters like glass all the way to your destination. Your cabin comes equipped with a king sized bed and a Jacuzzi tub. It's a place of comfort and fellowship and fun. It's a ship built to cater to your every whim. You don't have to bring much on board because everything is provided. All you can eat at every meal. The best entertainment every night. Organized fun on the Lido deck.

Everyone once in awhile you stop at a beautiful port and rub shoulders with the natives. But not for too long. As soon as you tire of that you can get back on the ship where you are protected from the rest of the world. It's a great place to be. There's no real mission except your comfort and relaxation ... but, hey ... what's wrong with that?

Now look at the Aircraft Carrier. Yuck. It's an ugly gray and it has all those bulky guns that just get in the way making things too crowded. There are no cabins. Only row after row of bunk beds where you sleep with dozens of others who are on the same journey. You eat mass-production food that is served on long, crowded tables. No private bathrooms. No organized fun. No Lido deck parties. When you stop at a port it is to resupply the ship for the journey. You are not there to have fun. You are there to accomplish a mission.

You become family with the several thousand others on the ship. Even though you may not know everyone on the ship, they are your brother or sister because they may save your life. You are there to get a job done. There is something that needs to be done and it is your job to do it and if you don't do it -- if you are not at your station at the right time -- people die. Sometimes you save lives. Sometimes you rescue the helpless. Other times you are called to fight. If there is a battle to be fought ... you are ready to fight ... if necessary ... even die for the cause of the whole.
Now, which metaphor sounds more like the church?

Whatever metaphor we decide on … it must contain this idea of selfless, sacrificial dying to self for the greater cause (which, of course, in our case, is Jesus Christ). The governing metaphor must contain this idea: It’s NOT all about YOU.

Let’s chew on that for awhile …

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 28 -- The Church, Pt.5

2009-07-13T22:09:00.004-05:00

We're getting closer and closer to an overarching metaphor for the church. Please understand that whatever we end up with it will not be comprehensive. Any metaphor begins to fall apart at a certain point. That's because no matter how accurate a metaphor it may be, it is NOT the real thing. For instance, Jesus calls us sheep. He is the shepherd. There are many ways in which that metaphor works. But, according to what the experts tell me, sheep are basically dumb, smelly animals. I don't think that Jesus meant to say that we are dumb and smelly. Just one example of how a metaphor always has limits. Please keep that in mind.

We know that our metaphor must encompass the ideas of FAMILY, ARMY, and TEAM. Also the ideas of growth (AGRICULTURE) and connectedness -- an ORGANISM -- are very important. I can't help but keep coming back to the MILITARY motif. It was such a strong comparison with at least ten points of commonality. Overwhelmingly more than any other. The ATHLETICS motif had seven points of commonality with the church, but all of them were also found in the MILITARY motif in that an ARMY is very much like a team. The only problem with the MILIATRY motif is the violence often associated with military activity ... but remember ... no analogy will take us all the way.

Let's think for a moment on this analogy: Two ships at sea. One is a Cruise ship, the other a battleship. The Cruise ship has many of the characteristics of the church. There is a warm sense of family. There is a closeness and a spirit of cooperation. There is a feeling of belonging and fulfillment. But there are some very important characteristics missing. Primarily the sense of being on a MISSION, that is critical to any understanding of the church.

The Battleship, on the other hand, will contain all of the characteristics of the Army because it operates on the same MILITARY motif. But I think it gives us an overarching picture of how all of those characteristics work together to keep the battleship moving, working and on mission. The military uses the Biblical language of Mission and Spirit and Corps. I'm told that the control center of the ship is even called "the Pulpit." It may be that we have found a great word picture of the church and our place in the world. It is the picture of a BATTLESHIP cruising at sea, guided by the PULPIT, in sync with the SPIRIT of the corps (from the latin, CORPUS or BODY), in order to complete its MISSION.

Pray and reflect on that ... and we'll talk more about it next time. Stay tuned ...

Ask God to reveal his will for your life and your place in his body, the church.

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 20-27 -- The 100 Days' Five Goals, Five Actions, and Five Questions

2009-07-07T09:40:00.007-05:00

I want to take a small break from our discussion on the work and nature of the church. We'll take some time to meditate on what we have learned so far and ask God to reveal to us the ideal metaphor or combination of metaphors to describe the church.

I wanted to take some time to bring you up to speed on how my first 100 days is going. So far ... In short ... I think it's going great. But I want you to know what I am doing and how I plan on doing it.

There are FIVE GOALS I want to accomplish in my first 100 days.
1. I want to get to know as many people as possible.
2. I want to understand the history of our church (especially the recent history).
3. I want to understand the stated vision of our church.
4. I want to structure our staff and programming in a way that moves us toward that vision.
5. I want to create a 2-year plan that will give our church movement and direction.

In order to accomplish these goals in 100 days, I am taking FIVE ACTIONS:
1. I am attending every church event humanly possible.
2. I am reading everything available to me on the history of our church.
3. I am going to meet with the original Vison Task Force to talk about our stated vision.
4. I am spending time with staff evaluating the work we do.
5. I am interviewing at least 100 key church leaders and asking them the same five questions.

These questions are designed to help me understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the work of our church.

Here are the FIVE QUESTIONS:
1. What about FBC Richardson should we preserve, and why?
2. What about FBC Richardson should we change, and why?
3. What do you most hope I do?
4. What are you most afraid I might do?
5. What advice do you have for me?

I may or may not get to talk to you one on one ... so please take time to reflect on these questions and feel free to comment. If you don't want your comments to be public, feel free to email me at ellisorozco@fbcr.org.

I am going to leave this post open for the next few days because I want as many people as possible to have a chance to read it ... and to respond.

Ask God to give us wisdom and discernment as we look to a brilliant future together!

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 19 -- The Church, Pt.4

2009-07-06T16:22:00.002-05:00

We have looked at several possible metaphors for the church in search of an overarching metaphor. Let's take a look at another: The TEAM. We live in a world where athletics is huge. Those who can excel in the arena of sports become millionaires and are worshipped by multitudes (sometimes on Sunday). But that's not the correlation I want to make. Let's look at some of the more positive aspects to being a part of a team.

1. A team can become a lot like a family.

2. A team has to work together.

3. A team has many members each doing their part.

4. A team has one primary goal: winning.

5. A team is often in some kind of struggle against an "enemy."

6. A team must be disciplined in order to win.

7. A team must equip itself for the contest.

8. A team has to understand leadership and be willing to follow the leaders (coach, quarterback, etc.)

As you can see the TEAM as metaphor has a lot of the same characteristics as the ARMY metaphor. That's probably because an ARMY is, in many ways, a TEAM. The idea of team dynamics and teamwork must somehow be incorporated into any thorough understanding of the church.

Next time we will take a closer look at trying to synthesize the idea of TEAM, ARMY, and FAMILY. I believe we can come up with a picture that will encompass all of these and incorporate the 16 Biblical principles. Stay tuned ...

Ask God to help you to be an effective part of HIS team. Thank him for giving you a role in HIS Kingdom work on this earth. Reflect on the privilege of serving God, and making a difference in people's lives.

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 18 -- Happy Birthday America

2009-07-04T10:35:00.003-05:00

Today marks the 233rd anniversary of the birth of our nation,the day when brave and dedicated patriots founded a nation based on freedom. And from that day to this, the world has never been the same. As Lafayette put it, "Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country." Indeed it does. For more than 200 years, America has stood for freedom.

On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Two days afterward, July 4, the early draft of the Declaration of Independence was signed, albeit by only two individuals: John Hancock, president of Congress, and Charles Thompson, secretary of Congress. Four days later, on July 8, members of Congress took that document and read it aloud from the steps of Independence Hall, proclaiming it to the city of Philadelphia, after which the Liberty Bell was rung. The inscription around the top of that bell, Leviticus 25:10, was most appropriate for the occasion: "Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof."

Perhaps the clearest identification of the spirit of the American Revolution was given by John Adams in a letter to Abigail the day after Congress approved the Declaration. He wrote her two letters that day; the first was short and concise, jubilant that The Declaration had been approved. The second was much longer and more pensive, giving serious consideration to what had been done that day. Adams cautiously noted: "This day will be the most memorable epic in the history of the America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival."

It is amazing that on the very day they approved The Declaration, Adams was already foreseeing that their actions would be celebrated by future generations. Adams contemplated whether it would be proper to hold such celebrations, but then concluded that the day should be commemorated, but in a particular manner and with a specific spirit. He told Abigail: "It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."

So, on the Fourth of July we mark more than a birthday. We celebrate our God-given rights to liberty and life, and we honor all those who, over the centuries, have been willing to fight and die to keep our country free. Most of all, we honor our God who has given us our freedom.

The right to religious freedom (or even, the right to have no religion at all) is basic to the human condition. God could have created us as puppets with no choice but to bend to his will. However, in his infinite wisdom, he created us with a choice. In other words, he created us for freedom. Religous freedom is one of the most precious legacies our Baptist forefathers fought to preserve. Today, that freedom is threatened abroad by acts of terror ... and it is threatened from within by an erosion between the separation of church and state. Let us pray for wisdom during these critical days.

Today, the words of James Stewart writing in the 1940's in The Strong Name, ring true ... just as true as the day he wrote them -- "We are standing helpless before the towering mystery of evil's tragic dominions as we face the grim fact of sin and chaos and man's inhumanity to man." So what do we do? We remember the words of J.W. Nowling -- "In the midst of this turbulent, often chaotic life we are called upon to look with courageous honesty within our innermost self and relentless care toward our fellow human beings and increasing prayer to God."

And then we thank God for our freedom and those who gave, and those who are still giving, their lives for it.

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 17 -- Youth Choir Concert Mission Trip

2009-07-03T10:34:00.009-05:00

I want to take a break from our discussions about the work and nature of the church to share a few thoughts about the work and nature of OUR church.

I was privileged to have the chance to spend one day with our youth choir as they are on a summer tour of Illinois. I caught up with them in Chicago where they are conducting Vacation Bible Schools, feeding the poor in a homeless shelter, and painting Salvation Army pots red. In short, they are sweating and toiling for the cause of Christ in inner city Chicago and beyond. Oh ... by the way ... after all that work ... they also put on an incredibly good concert. Every performance has been met with a standing ovation by appreciative audiences.

What a joy it is to be pastor to such an awesome group of young people. I just wanted you to know that we have every reason to be proud of them. They have represented us and Christ well. I enjoyed every minute of my time with them ... I only wish it could have been longer. That Chicago Pizza was pretty good too!

Tomorrow, I will say a word about our freedom and what the 4th of July weekend means to us as Christians. Until then ...

Thank God for loving you and giving you a country where you are free to worship Him!

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

P.S. Click on the picture to see more pictures from Chicago and a full schedule of the Youth Choir Concert Mission Trip!

Day 16 -- The Church, Pt.3

2009-07-02T18:36:00.003-05:00

Another metaphor that is often used for the church is that of an army. I have to admit a biased against this metaphor. I'm not anti-military. Not at all. I thank God for all those who have served their country through the armed forces. I believe that we still have the freedoms we have because of those who have been willing to sacrifice their lives in military conflict. I am proud to live in a country that values freedom and am proud of those (some of my own family) who have served our country in the armed forces. The military is a vital necessity of our freedom.

I'm just a person of peace and believe that we should exhaust all avenues of peace before choosing war. However, I would also note that many who are career military and who have served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, or Iraq -- those who have seen actual combat -- would be the first to tell you that as much as they love the military, they hate war. Those who have fought in war are some of the strongest advocates of peace. I applaud that.

Having said all that (and admitting my biased ahead of time) I would also say that the metaphor of the church being an ARMY involved in a spiritual conflict is certainly a strong biblical truth. And if you think about it, the ARMY is a place that has a lot of the biblical characteristics of the church. Let me list a few.

1. The army is involved in a battle against a very real enemy -- so is the church. The enemy is NOT the world or other people. The enemy is evil and injustice, wherever it is found. The enemy is a spiritual enemy.

2. The army operates as one unit with many members, each member doing his/her job, and each job is very important to the whole. It is vital for every member to carry his/her weight for the army to be victorious. So it is with the Church.

3. The army becomes a family. There are very few things that will make you "closer than a brother" than being in a foxhole with someone. When you depend on each other for your very lives, you become, sometimes, closer than family. So it should be with the church.

4. The army has a mission to complete. There are objectives, goals, and tasks that must be completed when you are a part of an army. It becomes imperative that everyone do whatever it takes to win the battle and defeat the enemy. Every member of the army understands that they exist to make a contribution for the fulfillment of the mission. So it should be with the church.

5. The army preaches discipline. If there is one thing you learn in the army it is discipline. When the nation is at war and you are going through "boot camp," you know that everything you are learning could save your life. In that setting, the army is hard work. The old army slogan says it all: "In the army we accomplish more before 8am, than most people do all day." The army is the symbol of hard work and discipline. So it should be with the church.

6. The army is not a place of descrimination. Now I know that there are those in the U.S. Army who are racist and those who would descriminate. You find folks like that in all walks of life. But when you are in the heat of battle you don't care the color of skin, or the background of the person who is watching your back. And when he/she saves your life, you go completely color-blind. Also, when the country is at war the army will take anyone who loves this country and is willing and able to fight. So it should be with the church.

7. The army understands hiearchy. The army understands authority and command. The army understands who is at the head. When the Commander-and-Chief (President) gives a command, everyone listens and obeys. Jesus is the head of the church. He is our Commander-and-Chief. The church must understand the authority of Christ and be prepared to hear his voice and obey.

8. The good army is well equipped for battle. It makes sure it has every tool it needs to win the war. So it should be with the church.

9. The army has a tremendous responsiblity. In times like WWI and WWII, the fate of the entire free world rested on the armies of the allied forces. The church also carries the immense weight of responsibility. The eternal future of the entire world rests on the work God will do through HIS Church.

10. An army must be fed. Wars have been lost and armies defeated for lack of food and water. Armies can lose a war, not on the battlefield, but in the mess tent for lack of food and water. So it is with the church.

WOW! I have to admit that the ancient metaphor of an ARMY for the church is powerful. It seems apparant that any overarching metaphor for the church will need to somehow incorporate the idea of an army. We'll talk more about it next time ... stay tuned ...

Ask God to help you fight the good fight!

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 15 -- The Church, Pt.2

2009-07-01T09:48:00.002-05:00

Pray for me ... for safe travel. I'm about to board a plane to Chicago. I'm going to catch up with our youth choir as they minister in that great city. They are being used by God in terrific ways this summer and I want to be a small part of it. I'll get to do some ministry with them ... and hear them in concert at a Salvation Army event. I'll get to have dinner with the group and spend some time hearing personal testimonies of what God is doing in their lives. I'll catch a plane back home early tomorrow morning. I'm really looking forward to it.

NOW ... back to the topic of the church.

The church is a living, breathing thing made up of many people who are mysteriously connected to each other through Christ. In this connection alone they have everything they need to live, grow, and accomplish all that God created them to do.

This is our working definition of the church. Behind it and foundational to it are the 16 principles we extracted from the four biblical motifs (for a review of those go to the June 29 blog).

Now let's begin to talk about the possible metaphors for the church that encompass this definition and the 16 principles. One metaphor that is particularly popular is that of a FAMILY. This is certainly a biblical metaphor and contains many of the principles discovered in Scripture. With FAMILY we find a certain connection that the Scripture identifies with the church as well. There is a biological connection with family which encompasses the idea of being an organism. There is a sense in which we do not choose our family but are "born into" the family God that prepares for us. There is a love, care, nurture, loyalty and intimacy in the family that is virtually unparalleled in other human relationships. A family is most healthy when it operates in unity, each member doing its part ... so it is with the church. All of these aspects to family life satisfy many of the characteristics of the church.

But the FAMILY motif is not enough to cover all the biblical principles learned from Scripture. The idea of being engaged in a battle against evil is difficult to completely incorporate into the FAMILY motif. The idea of marching into a dangerous battle armed for eternal conflict is missing in the FAMILY metaphor. FAMILY brings feelings of warmth and love and nurture and care. These are all a wonderful part of family life, but if all we ever accomplish are "warm fuzzies" and personal spiritual growth, then we will miss an important part of who we are in Christ.

Another area of concern is that of the discipline of preparation for the Christian life. The language of athletics that we found in Scripture is not usually found in the metaphor of FAMILY. The idea of running in a race (and it's a marathon, not a sprint), excercising, and disciplining your body for the battle is not immediately found in the FAMILY metaphor. It could be argued that there is a type of discipline involved in family life, and that's true. But it's not the image that immediately comes to mind. There are other metaphors that better serve this aspect to the Church.

No, the metaphor of FAMILY, alone, is not enough to emcompass the sixteen characterstics of the church. Although, any accurate metaphor MUST contain within it a sense of being FAMILY. In the end, whatever metaphor we choose to use must portray a feeling of family.

Next time, we'll take a look at some other potential metaphors. Stay tuned ...

Ask God to cover you with his love today. Pray for our young people in Chicago and another great group of young people who are ministering today in downtown Dallas at the Cornerstone Church. Thank God for all he is doing with our young people!

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 14 -- The Church, pt.1

2009-06-30T09:54:00.002-05:00

Pray for me ... tomorrow I fly to Chicago to spend some time with our youth choir. They are serving God in wonderful ways as they tour Illinois caring and sharing as they go. It is going to be a privilege to serve along side them and all the adult sponsors who are with them. We have a strong and dedicated Church!

We have looked at the Church from several Biblical perspectives. From those viewpoints we have learned a number of things about the church. Let's begin an attempt to synthesis and summarize what we have learned. We can divide what we learn into two basic areas:

1. The Nature of the Church. In other words, what is the church made of, what does it look like, and how does it work?

2. The Work of the Church. In other words, what was the church made to do, what is its purpose, and why does it exist?

Once we answer these questions based on the sixteen principles we have gleaned from Scripture then we can begin to develop an overarching metaphor for the church.

There are a number of things we have learned about the NATURE of the church. We have learned that the church is is a living, breathing organism with a life of its own. That life is connected to God through Jesus' life. It is made up of ANYONE and EVERYONE who calls Jesus Savior, and each member is vital to the healthy functioning of the organism. As an organism, the church needs to be fed, nurtured and encouraged. It needs love. God has given the church everything it needs to survive, grow and fulfill its mission in life. Christ is both the head and heart of the church and without Him, the church dies.

O.K., I think we can see some overarching principles developing from our understanding of the nature of the church. The church is a living, breathing thing made up of many people who are mysteriously connected to each other through Christ. In this connection alone they have everything they need to live, grow, and accomplish all that God created them to do. That is a simple summary of the nature of the church. I didn't read it in a Theology book. I didn't make it up out of thin air. It's just what I think describes everything we've been learning from Scripture about the nature of the church.

IF I'VE LEFT SOMETHING OUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I want us to use this working definition of the nature of the church as we move forward in search of an overarching metaphor. It's not written in stone. We can tweak it later if we find we have forgotten something or left something out.

Next time we talk about the WORK of the church. Stay tuned ...

Oh, Father, let me be a vital and healthy part of your body. Help me to see your church ALIVE and WELL. Help me to be one who feeds and nurtures the Church so that we can accomplish all you want us to do!

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 13 -- Athletics, pt.2

2009-06-29T09:21:00.003-05:00

I must apologize ... I'm a little behind in my blogging. I WILL catch up over the next few days. Today is actually Day 15 (out of the 100 Days), but we'll keep them in order ... so here are my thoughts for Day 13 ...

Let's talk about what we have learned from the Athletics motif for the church (from Day 12):

1. The church experiences spiritual growth (success) when operating in unity, like a team.

2. Christ is the head of the Church. He alone is the captain of the team.

3. The life of the Church is like a race that requires discipline and training to gain victory.

4. The common goal of the team is to run a good race, cross the finish line, and gain the reward.

Well, there it is. We have seen the church described in terms of agriculture, organics/family, the military, and athletics. From each motif we have extracted certain timeless principles. These principles will form the basis of our understanding of the nature and work of the church. The next task is to attempt a synthesis of the 16 principles we have learned (4 from each of the 4 metaphors), and then see if we can find an overarching metaphor that will effectively describe and encompass all 16 principles.

For the record let me state all 16 principles again:

1. The church has some very hard work to do. Fields don’t plant themselves and the harvest doesn’t happen without some hard work. The church has been given the specific spiritual task of sowing, planting, and harvesting.

2. The church has the immense responsibility of preparing the soil, planting the seed, watering the plants, and harvesting the fruit at the appropriate time.

3. The church can only function when it is connected to Jesus. Without Him we can do nothing. When we take our focus away from Jesus we begin to wither and die.

4. The church must understand its relationship to Jesus and learn to recognize His voice. Ultimately, the church is charged with hearing and obeying Jesus.

5. The church is to exhibit the love, care, honor, loyalty, and intimacy that are found in healthy family relationships. We are to take care of each other.

6. The church is to fully accept anyone that God calls family. We don’t choose our brothers or sisters or parents … we are simply called to love and honor them.

7. The church, as a living organism, needs to be fed, nurtured and encouraged in its quest to fulfill its reason for existence.

8. The church, as a living organism, has a reason for living and a mission to fulfill.
9. The church is in a global and epic battle against Satan and his reign of evil.

10. The church is under constant and aggressive attack from Satan and his powerful allies.

11. The church was created and equipped for this battle.

12. Ultimately, the battle will be won by the power of God.

13. The church experiences spiritual growth (success) when operating in unity, like a team.

14. Christ is the head of the Church. He alone is the captain of the team.

15. The life of the Church is like a race that requires discipline and training to gain victory.

16. The common goal of the team is to run a good race, cross the finish line, and gain the reward.

There they are. You can probably see some repetition and potential synthesis in these principles. Look over them. Pray over them. Next time we'll begin to attempt a synthesis. Stay tuned ...

Ask God to give you insight into the life-plans he has for you, your family, and your church. Ask God to help you submit to whatever his plans may be. Thank God for everything good he has given you so far and rest in the peace of knowing that he will continue to give you good things.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 12 -- Athletics

2009-06-27T17:50:00.003-05:00

Well, we’re almost there. I hope you have been able to follow my sometimes rambling thoughts on the nature and work of the church. We have seen the church from three Biblical metaphors: Organism/Family, Agriculture, and Military. Now we turn to one that is used to a lesser degree but is still prevalent enough to consider: Athletics/Team.

Jesus did not speak directly to this metaphor but we do see the idea of working as a team in his ministry. He sends his disciples out “two-by-two” to do ministry in the villages (Mark 6:7-13). When they return, he calls them “together” so that they can debrief and spend time with the father (Luke 9:10). He speaks repeatedly to the importance of unity within the group and, in the end, he prays most earnestly for this unity (John 17:23).

The concept of athletics is developed in more detail by the apostle Paul. The most common form of athletics was track and field … it was the race. Paul talks about the Christian life in the church as the running and finishing of a race (Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2; Galatians 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7). Paul compares the Christian life to a boxing match (or more likely a gladiator battle), when he speaks to the strategic nature of the work (1 Corinthians 9:26). There is a discipline (1 Corinthians 9:27) and a persistence (Philippians 3:14) necessary to finishing the race or winning the fight. Ultimately, Paul is satisfied to have finished the race and the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).

Paul uses the language of the gymnasium when he exhorts the church to train themselves to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8), and to follow the rules so as to not be disqualified after having run (2 Timothy 2:5). Paul emphasizes the importance of the unity of teamwork (Ephesians 4:16-17) so that the church will reach her potential and fulfill her mission. John echoes Paul’s words (3 John 1:3-8), as does the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1).

Paul tells us that Christ is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18) and if we lose touch with Him we cease to grow (Colossians 2:19). This is reminiscent of the words of Jesus when he said that he was the vine and we are the branches. Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:7). Jesus tells his disciples that they are no longer his students, but have become his friends (John 15:17). Paul confirms this when he calls us co-heirs with Jesus in all the God owns (Romans 8:17) – We are on the same team and share in the rewards of the victory!

Next time we’ll draw some conclusions and begin the process of synthesizing the motifs we have examined over the last week. Stay tuned …

Pray that God will keep a strong team spirit in our church. With God on our team there is nothing we can’t accomplish. Ask God to make you an integral part of his team!

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 11 -- The Church as Army, Part 2

2009-06-25T12:03:00.000-05:00

Jesus told us that we were in a battle against the darkness of this world. We are the light that fights against the darkness (Matthew 5:14-16). The world will hate us because of our affiliation with Jesus and the army of the light (Mark 13:13). Paul picks up on this motif and calls us to ready ourselves for the battle we face (Ephesians 6:11). John tells us that we wage a war against the evil in this world and if the world hated Jesus then surely it will hate us (1 John 3:13).

“The World” in these passages does not seem to be the people in the world (Jesus calls us to love them), but rather, some dark hold that evil has over the world. Over and over again, the New Testament writers refer to the spiritual battle that the church must fight … and that fight is NEVER against other people, but rather, against dark spiritual forces. Keep in mind that Jesus had the most compassion for those who were most possessed by evil (most in the grip of the world), and little patience with those who self-righteously judged them. That being said … the Scripture undoubtedly calls us into a spiritual battle. Nowhere is that call to spiritual arms more evident than in John’s Revelation.

I’ll begin by saying that this is not meant to be an exposition or explanation of the End Times. I am not trying to set down a rigid interpretation of the book of Revelation. I simply want to examine how John obviously saw the church as an army fighting against Satan and his evil grip on the world. John tells us, for instance, that the Dragon (Satan) makes war against the inhabitants of the earth. Most succumb to his power without a fight. However, he intensifies his attack on those who remain faithful to Jesus (Revelation 12:12-17). This remnant that remains loyal to God is the true Church and she is vividly portrayed as an army in a great battle against evil.

The Anti-Christ and his followers will make war against the Lamb (Jesus) and his followers (the Church). This war will be horrific and violent, but Jesus and the Church will prevail (Revelation 17:14-18). John portrays the final battle between good and evil. Satan and his army of millions stand ready to destroy the Saints (the Church). The battle lines are drawn and the battle is about to commence when God intervenes and casts Satan and his followers into the fire of eternal torment (Revelation 20:1-10).

I could go on, but you get the point – We are an army fighting a battle against evil. Let’s pause here to list some basic principles about the church that we have learned from the military motif.

1. The church is in a global and epic battle against Satan and his reign of evil.

2. The church is under constant and aggressive attack from Satan and his powerful allies.

3. The church was created and equipped for this battle.

4. Ultimately, the battle will be won by the power of God.

That’s a lot to chew on … next time we’ll look at the metaphor of athletics and teamwork … stay tuned …

Until then … keep on praying for me and for FBC Richardson …

Ask God to give you spiritual eyes to see when you are coming under attack by the enemy. Ask God to show you his way. Ask God to forgive you where you have strayed from his will, and ask him to heal you of any battle scars. Thank God for being the one who will win all your battles.

Blessings,

Pastor Ellis

Day 10 -- The Church as An Army

2009-06-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

The military motif is one that is difficult for me to understand but it is undeniably present, both in the life and teachings of Jesus and in the writings of the apostles. In fact, in one of his earliest sermons Jesus says that he did not come to bring peace to the earth, but rather to bring the sword (Matthew 10:34). This is most likely due to the fact that the military was an ever-present reality to Jesus’ audience.

Since the Roman General Pompey marched into Jerusalem in 60 BC, the Roman military presence had been a depressing reality for all Jews living in Palestine. The days of the Maccabees and freedom from oppression were a quickly fading memory, and the looming madness that would destroy Jerusalem (in 70 AD) was on the horizon. It was difficult to find any corner of first century Mediterranean life that was not impacted by the military might of the Roman Empire. In fact, the idea of God’s world being a Kingdom, the image of God sitting on a throne, and the concept of the church as an army were all pictures derived from a culture steeped in military life.

On one occasion Jesus drove out a demon from a man and the religious leaders accused him of working with Satan. Jesus was perplexed. How could he be working with Satan and at the same time be active in the work of driving Satan out of people? He responded that any Kingdom divided against itself would come to ruin. It was a very well-known military concept – any army divided against itself would come to ruin. He then gives the analogy of a man who has armed himself against attack. But when someone stronger comes along he overpowers the man and takes away the armor and divides the spoils. Here he uses the imagery of battle to show that whoever is not with him, is against him. It’s a page right out of military law (Luke 11:14-26).

A Roman Centurion came to Jesus asking him to heal his servant who was sick. This man of authority seemed to understand the power that Jesus had. He understood how it worked in the Kingdom of God. He told Jesus that he was not worthy to have him come to his house, but that if he would give the command he knew that his servant would be healed on the spot. This Centurion understood what it was to have authority, and knew that Jesus had it. (Luke 7:1-10)

Paul describes the battle that the church faces when he calls on each Christian to put on the “full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11). He goes on to describe this armor as the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Each of the most important elements of the Christian life (and life as the church) are listed in terms of military paraphernalia (Ephesians 6:13-17).

In addition, Paul reminds us that the church’s battle is not against other human beings (flesh and blood), but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world and against the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). At the end of his life Paul comments that he has “fought the good fight,” and that he is now ready for his reward (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).

The return of Christ is described in military terms as an approaching victorious army. It was a trumpet call that announced the victorious army’s approach followed by the glad shout of the soldiers who had fought the battle (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Nowhere is the military motif for the church more prominent than in the book of Revelation. There John describes both Christ and the Church in stark military terms. We’ll take a look at that … next time … stay tuned …

Ask God to give you a peace knowing that He is sovereign and will always take care of you. Ask Him to be with you in the difficult battles of your life. Ask Him to give you the Spirit of King David who always asked God to fight his battles for him.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 9 -- The Church as Family

2009-06-22T22:24:00.002-05:00

Jesus establishes the church (his followers) as family when he says, “Whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). This leaves little doubt that Jesus saw his disciples as family, on the same level as his biological family. It’s not that he disowned his own family. Even on the cross he was caring for his mother (John 19:26-27). It’s just that he saw his spiritual family as taking the highest priority. In the end, the two were indistinguishable. He leaves his mother in the hands of one of his closest disciples and makes them like mother and son (John 19:25-27).

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a family when he tells the story of a father who had two sons. The older son serves the father faithfully, but the younger son insults the father and turns away from him, living his life in a reckless orgy of self-indulgence. In the end, the younger son comes back to the father and the father forgives him and welcomes him back into the family with a great banquet. The older son is confused and angry because the father is willing to forgive and forget so quickly. The father tells his older son that he loves him and would do anything for him, but that they had to celebrate and be glad because the younger son was dead, but now is alive again. This is what it means to be a family (Luke 15:11-32).

Again, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a family when he says that it is like a father asking two sons to do a task. One answers “no,” but does it anyway. The other agrees to obey, but never gets around to it. Which one was the obedient son (Matthew 21:28-32)? Jesus uses other such examples to illustrate the Kingdom of God in familial terms.

Jesus also alludes to the family motif for the church when he commands us to love and serve each other. His teachings are full of exhortations to the kind of relationships that are found in healthy family life. When we love others the way we wish to be loved and treat others the way we wish to be treated and serve others the way we wish to be served, we establish healthy personal relationships. This is true with any relationship, but is vitally important in the intimate relationships that form our family life.

The other New Testament writers pick up on this motif. Paul encourages us to carry each others burdens the way you would in a family. He tells us to do good to all people, but “especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Ephesians 6:10). He acknowledges that we derive our name from God and are, therefore, his family (Ephesians 3:14-15).

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the one who makes us Holy (God) and the ones who are made holy (the church), are of the same family. For that reason Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers (Hebrews 2:10-13). Peter tells us that we are not to be ashamed to bear the name of Jesus. It is because of his name that we are part of the family of God (1 Peter 4:16-17). John refers to the church as a “chosen sister” (2 John 1:13).

Obviously, the Scriptures are replete with comparisons of the church to organisms and familial relationships. What conclusions can we draw from this motif about the nature and work of the church?

1. The church is to exhibit the love, care, honor, loyalty, and intimacy that are found in healthy family relationships. We are to take care of each other.

2. The church is to fully accept anyone that God calls family. We don’t choose our brothers or sisters or parents … we are simply called to love and honor them.

3. The church, as a living organism, needs to be fed, nurtured and encouraged in its quest to fulfill its reason for existence.

4. The church, as a living organism, has a reason for living and a mission to fulfill.

So far we have uncovered 8 principles on the nature and work of the church – Four from the Agricultural motif, and four from the family motif. Tomorrow we will begin to study the church as an army … the military motif. Stay tuned …

Don’t forget the two questions I asked you to ponder about our church:

1. What about FBC Richardson would you want to preserve?

2. What about FBC Richardson would you want to change?

Ask God to help you do your part in creating a healthy family at FBC Richardson. Ask the Father to take away all bitterness and rage and anger and rancor that might be in your heart. Ask him to create in you a new heart … a fresh heart of love.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 8 -- The Church as Organism

2009-06-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

The Church is an organism, not an organization. The Biblical writers’ favorite metaphor for the church is that of a body – a living, breathing creation. Closely related to this metaphor is that of the church as a Family. Both metaphors are organic in nature and should be studied together. The motif of church as organism or family is found over and over again in the teachings of Jesus as well as the writings of the Apostles.

Jesus teaches us that we are connected to him and each other in an organic way. When his mother and brothers and sisters couldn’t get into the house to see him because of the crowd, someone said to Jesus, “Your family is here.” Jesus responded, “Who is my mother? Who is my sister or brother?” Pointing to his disciples (his church) he said, “Here is my mother, brothers, and sisters, for whoever does the will of God is my family” (Matthew 12:46-50). We are connected to each other because we have the same spiritual DNA.

Paul picks up on this idea when he says that when we are in Christ we have become “new creations.” The old has passed away and the new has come into being. We are not made of the same spiritual matter as before. With Christ we are a new spiritual being and we are related to every other person who has that same Christ-DNA (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus confirms this when he says that we are one with him as he is one with the Father (John 17:21). This connectedness is not a purely metaphorical connection. We are tied to Jesus in his physical death and resurrection. When Saul was persecuting the Church Jesus stopped him and asked, “Why do you persecute ME?” When Saul persecuted the church he was, literally, persecuting Christ (Acts 9:1-9).

Paul also teaches us that our organic connection to Christ and to each other impacts us in different ways. Your body, for instance, is the temple of the Holy Spirit which means that you are no longer your own. You have a larger responsibility both to God and your community of faith (1 Corinthians 6:19). Christ, living in our bodies, is strong in our weakness and we are, therefore, able to overcome the adversities of life (2 Corinthians 4:8-18).

Jesus chooses the organic metaphor when he institutes the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26ff). The wine is a symbol of his blood. The bread is a symbol of his body. His body living in us connects us to the Spirit of God and eternal life. We are, therefore, the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22). When it comes to the church, there is only one body and one spirit (Ephesians 3:6; 4:4; 5:30). Jesus holds the body together (Ephesians 4:16), leads the body through life (Colossians 1:8), and makes the body grow (Colossians 2:19). The church is made alive (1 Corinthians 15:20-34) through the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:15-22).

This means that the Christian Church (all over the world) is made of many members, each with their own gifts. These diverse members work together and form one body. Some of the “body parts” may be more prominent, but each part is equally important to the overall work of the body.

The church, therefore, is a body – a living, breathing, thinking, active organism – with many parts (or members) working in unison to be the presence of Christ in the world (Romans 12:4-10). When one part rejoices, all the parts rejoice, and when one part suffers, all the parts suffer (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). This is the very nature of the church!

Next time we look closer to the metaphor of the church as Family … stay tuned …

Ask God to reveal to you how you fit into his body (the church). Ask him to give you a hunger to be a part of that body. Ask him to love you just the way you are and then transform you into whatever he wants you to be. Give thanks to God for creating his church in such a wonderful way as to include you.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 7 -- Agriculture, Part 2

2009-06-20T20:57:00.004-05:00

Paul picks up where Jesus left off with the agricultural motif when he tells the Roman Christians that he will come to them in God’s timing because God is planning a great harvest in Rome, just as he has done in other places (Romans 1:13). Paul encourages the church to not grow weary in their good work because in time they will reap a harvest (Galatians 6:9). Afterall, we reap in direct correlation and proportion to what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8).

In describing the work that he and Apollos nurtured in Corinth, he comments that it was he who planted the seed and Apollos who watered it, but it is ultimately God who makes it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6). This is an important theological passage because it teaches us how the church is founded and edified.

When comparing the Gentile Christians to the Jews (the chosen people of God), Paul uses the analogy of a tree with roots and many branches. Some of the branches have been cut off and have died, but others are growing. There are new shoots sprouting off the tree all the time, but they all depend on the same root. No one branch is to feel superior to another (Romans 11:1-32).

John, in his Revelation, describes the ultimate rewards for the church as fruit that flows from the Tree of Life and provides eternal happiness for every believer. The source of its life comes from the throne of God and the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:1-5).

This is a rudimentary overview of the agricultural motif as it is found in the New Testament. I could go on and on. I haven’t even touched on another aspect of the agricultural motif know as “animal husbandry.” Jesus calls himself the shepherd and we are the sheep of his pasture. He knows and loves the sheep and the sheep recognize is voice (John 10:11-5). He tells his disciples that he is sending them out to preach and they will be like “sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16). On judgment day Jesus will separate us like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32-33). Jesus looks at the world and he sees them as a scattered flock, like “sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). These comparisons give us a deeper understanding of the nature of the church.

We could go on. However, let’s stop here and formulate some basic principles about the church that we have learned from the agricultural motif.

1.The church has some very hard work to do. Fields don’t plant themselves and the harvest doesn’t happen without some hard work. The church has been given the specific spiritual task of sowing, planting, and harvesting.

2.The church has the immense responsibility of preparing the soil, planting the seed, watering the plants, and harvesting the fruit at the appropriate time.

3.The church can only function when it is connected to Jesus. Without Him we can do nothing. When we take our focus away from Jesus we begin to wither and die.

4.The church must understand its relationship to Jesus and learn to recognize His voice. Ultimately, the church is charged with hearing and obeying Jesus.

So ... the agricultural motif teaches us something about the work of the church (what the church is created to do, points 1 and 2), and the nature of the church (what the church is created to be, points 3 and 4).

Next time we will look at the Organic/Familial motif found in Scripture.

Ask God to give you the strenght to work for him with your whole heart. The fields are white unto harvest. God is the Lord of the Harvest. Ask him to send workers to harvest the field. Ask him to send you.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 6 -- Agriculture, Part 1

2009-06-20T13:54:00.001-05:00

It is imperative that we come to a solid and common understanding of the work and nature of the Church. Only then will we find common ground to move forward with God’s vision for our church. Let's look at the four major motifs that the Biblical writers use to define the Church: Agriculture, Organics/Family, Military, Athletics. We begin with the biblical motif of agriculture.

It was natural for the biblical writers to make comparisons to sowing, planting and harvesting because their entire world revolved around these activities. Plowing, planting, sowing, pruning and harvesting were very familiar terms. Their calendars were marked by the seasons and by the times of planting and harvesting. Even today, those who work in agriculture live by these seasons.

Jesus, for instance, described the Kingdom of God like a man sowing a field. The seed falls on all kinds of ground. Only the seed that falls on good soil takes root and becomes productive (Matthew 13:1-23). He describes the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed that is planted and even though it is a tiny seed, through the mysterious workings of God it becomes a large plant (Matthew 13:31-32).

Jesus, talking to his disciples, looks out at the world and tells them that the “harvest is plentiful” and that we are to pray to the Lord of the harvest for workers to pick the crop (Luke 10:2). He indicates that there are those who sow and those who reap but when the eternal harvest comes those who sow and those who reap rejoice together for the lives that have been saved (John 4:36).

Again, Jesus compares our relationship to Him and to the heavenly Father as the relationship between a vine and its branches. He is the vine and we are the branches, apart from Him we wither and die (John 15:5). He and John the Baptist indicate that there is a pruning that God does when we are disobedient to him (Matthew 3:10). Jesus even curses the fig tree that refuses to bear fruit (Matthew 21:19). The fig tree is an obvious allusion to the people of Israel, but the same fate can befall any group, including the church, that refuses to bear fruit.

Obviously, there is much to learn in studying the relationship of creator to his creation. Paul tells us that we plant and water the crops, but only God can make them grow (1 Corinthians 3:6). So it is with the Church.

Tomorrow we will take a look at how Paul and others picked up on this motif. Then we will draw some general conclusions about the church derived from the agricultural motif. Stay tuned ...

Ask God to help you rely on HIM for spiritual growth. Ask him to remind you every time you start to take matter into your own hands. Ask him to gently rebuke you whenever you make your opinion more important than HIS!
Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 5 -- The Church, Part 2

2009-06-18T22:30:00.004-05:00

Why do we have weekly worship services at FBC Richardson? Why do we take mission trips to Latvia and England and Africa? Why don’t we do more for the needy in our own town? Why do we still have Sunday School on Sunday mornings? Why do we go to church on Wednesday nights? Why do we have all those Children's progams? Why do we have Church Business Meetings and what do we do at these meetings? Why, why, why ...

The answers to these questions (and others) are important and key to the direction of any church. Change for the sake of change is not healthy. We want to be purposeful and strategic in all we do. Most of all, we want to follow God. I am convinced that the heart of the answer to these questions (and any others that might be swimming around in your brain) is found in an understanding of the nature and purpose of the church. Until we have a fixed and common image in our minds of what the church is (nature) and what the church does (purpose) we will always be in confusion as to why we do the things we do, the way we do them. And we will never have a clear and unified understanding of any changes that need to be made in order to accomplish God's will. Everything depends on our understanding of who we are as God's Church.

So, in order to answer all these "whys" I feel that we need to spend a considerable amount of time discussing the nature and work of the church. Once we have a solid and common understanding of that, all the other questions will be answered rather naturally and, hopefully, with one voice.

There are four major motifs that the Biblical writers use when describing the church. In no particular order they are: Agriculture, Organics/Familial, Military, and Athletics. The theme of construction (or a building) is used to a lesser degree. In order to understand the nature and role of the church we must examine each of these motifs in their context and then attempt to synthesize them into one overarching concept of the church. This may take a while, but be patient and stay with me. Anything worthwhile takes time and work.

In my next BLOG I will begin with the biblical motif of "agriculture." Stay tuned ...

Ask God to give you a bigger vision of what the Church can be. You have your favorite image of the church (probably the family image), and there's nothing wrong with that ... as long as you understand that the church is much bigger and its work much larger than just YOUR image of what it is to be. Ask God to increase you peripheal vision, and to soften your heart to EVERYTHING He wants HIS Church to be.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 4 -- The Church

2009-06-17T22:45:00.002-05:00

For the record and your review let me state the 16 principles I have gleaned from Scripture on the nature and work of the church. Here they are:

1. The church has some very hard work to do. Fields don’t plant themselves and the harvest doesn’t happen without some hard work. The church has been given the specific spiritual task of sowing, planting, and harvesting.
2. The church has the immense responsibility of preparing the soil, planting the seed, watering the plants, and harvesting the fruit at the appropriate time.
3. The church can only function when it is connected to Jesus. Without Him we can do nothing. When we take our focus away from Jesus we begin to wither and die.
4. The church must understand its relationship to Jesus and learn to recognize His voice. Ultimately, the church is charged with hearing and obeying Jesus.
5. The church is to exhibit the love, care, honor, loyalty, and intimacy that are found in healthy family relationships. We are to take care of each other.
6. The church is to fully accept anyone that God calls family. We don’t choose our brothers or sisters or parents … we are simply called to love and honor them.
7. The church, as a living organism, needs to be fed, nurtured and encouraged in its quest to fulfill its reason for existence.
8. The church, as a living organism, has a reason for living and a mission to fulfill.
9. The church is in a global and epic battle against Satan and his reign of evil.
10. The church is under constant and aggressive attack from Satan and his powerful allies.
11. The church was created and equipped for this battle.
12. Ultimately, the battle will be won by the power of God.
13. The church experiences spiritual growth (success) when operating in unity, like a team.
14. Christ is the head of the Church. He alone is the captain of the team.
15. The life of the Church is like a race that requires discipline and training to gain victory.
16. The common goal of the team is to run a good race, cross the finish line, and gain the reward.

Study them. Pray over them. Can you add others? It's important for us to know who we are, collectively, in Christ.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 3 -- Faith and Fear

2009-06-16T23:55:00.002-05:00

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" -- Mark 4:37-38

Haven't you ever felt that way when life's furious squalls come your way? The waves begin to break over your boat and you realize that you're probably not going to make it out of this one without some major damage. Do you every wonder, "Jesus, don't you care if I drown?"

Jesus is in the boat with his disciples. It's been a long day of teaching, preaching and healing, so he's catching a few winks before they get to the other side of the lake. Galilee was famous for it's sudden squalls. The sky would go from bright blue to gray to black in a matter of minutes and before you could do anything about it the wind and the rain were beating down. That's what happens to the disciples and it must have been pretty bad for these experienced fishermen to feel afraid.

That's what happens to us in life. We're experienced with stress. So when trials come we think we can handle it. Until it's a little too late. The thing is overwhelming us and we're about to drown before we admit fear and are willing to concede that we CAN'T handle it.

The thing about the disciples (an us) is that they had Jesus in the boat with them. Mark has worked his first three chapters to brilliantly establish the identity and authority of Jesus. Now he'll place the exclamation point on his work. Jesus wakes up and yells at the wind and the waves, and in an istant the lake is like glass. He looks at the disciples, and rolls his eyes as he says, "Where's your faith?"

The other day when we had a thundestorm, the lights in our house went out for about an hour. We scrambled for candles and flashlights. We have an entire collection of flashlights, but no batteries. I finally found one flash light that had tired, but working batteries. The light was strong ... at first. But as time went on its ray weakened and towards the end of the hour of darkenss it was flickering, sometimes on, sometimes off.

My faith tends to be like that flashlight. Sometimes piercing the darkness with a light whose strength surprsises even me. Other times weaker, but still working. And sometimes, when the darkness lingers as black as a starless, moonless night in the country, I find my faith flickering, sometimes on, sometimes off.

But here's the thing: No matter how weak (or strong) my faith shines, Jesus is always in the boat with me. The one who has power over the wind and the waves (and the darkness) is in my boat. And even when my faith is too weak, he will arise and act.

That's all I really needed to know ...

Ask God to give you a sense of HIS light shining in you even when your own faith is running out of batteries.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 2 -- No Moving Targets

2009-06-15T22:02:00.010-05:00

There are several things I want to accomplish in my first 100 days as your pastor. One of the most important is to clarify our expectations. If you ask 1000 Baptists what they expect their pastor to accomplish you'll get about 1500 different answers (some Baptist are a little schizophrenic). Add to that the human tendency to change our minds ... and the end result is alot of moving targets. I'm pretty good at hitting targets. I think I hit them about 90% of the time. But when the targets start moving my accuracy plummets to 40% or less. Put 1000 moving targets in front of me and I go a little insane. Believe me ... you don't want an insane man preaching to you every Sunday (I've heard a few of them on TV and it's not pretty).

Hitting 40% of the targets may be good enough for some endeavors, but it's unacceptable when eternal lives are at stake. I want us to be able to hit the target atleast 90% of the time. In order to do that we need to nail down those targets. By the end of my first 100 days I want us to be clear on what targets (goals, initiatives, and expectations) we are going to hit in my first two years at FBC Richardson. I have a very specific method for discerning what those should be. I'll be sharing more about that over the next few weeks ... so keep in touch.

Until then ... reflect on these two questions:
1. What one thing would you want to preserve about FBC Richardson?
2. What one thing would you want to change about FBC Richardson?

You can answer in the comment section of this blog ... or, if you prefer privacy, you can email me your answers. Just click on the CONTACT button on the menu bar above for my email address.

Ask God to give you a heart that daily turns to Him and is able to discern the moving of His Spirit. Ask God to cover you with his Spirit of love and give you a hunger to be a part of what HE is doing in HIS Church.

Blessings,
Pastor Ellis

Day 1 -- First Impressions

2009-06-14T21:44:00.007-05:00

I want to thank everyone for a fantastic first Sunday. Firsts are important because you never get another one. First steps, first words, first birthdays ... we celebrate them because we know they are special. Here's another one ... first impressions. Jesus made quite a first impression on Nathaniel (John 1:45-49), as well as a number of those on the recieving end of his miraculous touch. Well ... first impressions are important.

Allow me a moment to reflect on my first day as your pastor and give you my first impressions of the First Baptist Church of Richardson, Texas.

I see a church that is excited about the future. It is refreshing to see a church full of people who believe in the power of God and know that God has something special for their future. I want us to ride that wave of excitement into this New Beginning God has set before us. A few might say that the excitement will die down after awhile. Some would reason that everyone is just excited to have a new pastor. My first impression from most of the people I have met is that, although they are excited to have a new pastor ... more than that ... they are excited that God is doing a new thing in the life of their church. The excitement seems to be centered on the fact that God has brought me here, and that God is doing something new. If that is true ... if the excitement is centered on what God is doing (and not on Ellis) ... then it will not die down ... in fact, it will only grow stonger as we allow God to have his way with us.

I also see a church that is highly committed to the Lord and ready to love each other. This is the most powerful force on the face of the earth ... a body of Christ that knows how to love God and love each other. It is absolutely unstoppable. I believe that we are on the brink of something very special. Nothing I will do can make this happen. Only God can do something this special. It is an honor to be a small part of it. It is a glorious thing to stand in the shadow of the almighty and watch him move mountains.

Finally, I see a church that desperately wants to be a part of what God is doing to save a lost world. We may not always know exactly how to help. We may make a few mistakes and take a few missteps, but I believe that, in the end, God will honor our hearts as much as our feeble attempts and we will see Him do great things in our midst. I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that will all my heart.

Just a few first impressions ...

Pray today that God would show you the marvelous things he is doing all around you and what part you might play, if you would just join him.

Blessings!
Pastor Ellis

The First 100 Days

2009-06-13T22:50:00.003-05:00

Since the days of the Great Depression and the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt presidents have reflected on how well they have done in their first 100 days in office. Some historians claim that this tradition goes back as far as Teddy Roosevelt. Whatever the case, most presidents since Roosevelt have carefully planned their first 100 days in office, knowing that thousands of Americans have always been more than happy to assist them in the evaluation.

I have no desire to be the President of anything, but I do agree that the first few months of a new leaders tenure are extremely important. Most will be listening very carefully and first impressions are always difficult to erase.

In light of that, I want to call upon all of us to work diligently for a great first 100 days together. Transitions are rarely easy, but with our eyes fixed on God, we will find pure joy in any and every situation.

To that end, I make the following commitments:

1. I commit to listen to the hearts of people.

2. I commit to 100 days of focused prayer.

3. I commit to work diligently alongside you to expand God's Kingdom.

4. I commit to blog every day for 100 days so that you will know what God is doing in my life.

The church at Corinth was in a leadership transition. Paul started the Church and left it in the hands of several leaders. At some point Apollos became the pastor, but some folks didn't want to let go of the past. They were still clinging to the days when Paul was their pastor. Paul warned them, What, after all, is Appollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe -- as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. Leadership is important, but inconsequential when standing next to the Sovereign God who wields all power and all glory and all majesty, and who alone is worthy of our complete devotion.

With that in mind ... let us commit ourselves to planting and sowing and watering. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the only One worthy of our adoration and the only One able to make anything grow. Let us commit ourselves to 100 days of prayer ... 100 days of getting to know each other ... and 100 days of loving God. After all ... it is all for the honor of HIS name!

Pastor Ellis

Scripture Reading

2009-06-13T22:48:00.002-05:00

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commmanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20

Scripture Reading

2009-06-13T22:45:00.003-05:00

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does propsers."

Psalm 1:1-3

Scripture Reading

2009-06-13T22:42:00.003-05:00

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

-- Joshua 1:9