Game Day for the Glory of God...Next Week

I finally got my copy of Game Day for the Glory of God by Stephen Altrogge. I mentioned doing a book review in an earlier post, Is God a Big Fan? dated February 2nd. Next week is the week. I plan to review chapter by chapter, so check in regularly.

Precious Memories...How They Linger

We're heading to the DFW Metroplex today, where I'll have the rare privilege of coaching in an alumni basketball game at my Alma mater. Scheduled tip off time is 7 pm. I will, of course, be coaching the alumni team, made up mostly of guys who played back in the 90's when I was the head basketball coach at the school. I'm having some difficulty with the thought that most of these guys are in their 30's now and many of them have children. Makes me feel old!

I realize that a fading memory is part of the aging process, but wouldn't life be pretty boring if we only had short-term memory. Can you imagine if we could only remember as far back as yesterday? Granted, there are things that all of us would like to forget - past failures, heartaches, and disappointments. We learn from these. It's the good memories that we cling to like a baby blanket. I plan to spend valuable time this weekend with some old friends talking about old times and laughing until my side hurts! Here's my point...memories are a gift from God - the good, the bad, and the ugly. One other note of eternal significance: Old School Patriots rock the house!

Chunks of Chocolate

Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

What a great verse to consider when your country is in the middle of a greed-induced economic meltdown. People are naturally wondering what's going on. What's going to happen next? Why do I feel this way? The whole situation seems impossibly complex.
This verse says worry, or an anxious heart, will weigh you down while good words will cheer you up. Down with anxiety. Up with encouragement. Pretty simple, huh? Don't miss the subtle challenge of this verse, however. We are supposed to distribute kind words like chunks of chocolate to our friends. Here's my point...Your friends have hearts that are bringing them down. And you have just what they need to bring them up - a good word.

Sleep on This

I love the fact that God never sleeps or slumbers - even when I do:

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep: for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
Psalms 4:8

The rich promises of God and a clear conscience make for a very soft pillow, and that's something to sleep on.

The Three Amigos

While reading through the Old Testament book of II Samuel recently, my attention was arrested by the valor of David's mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. These guys apparently stood head and shoulders above the rest in the bravery department. The headlines of their day may have read like this: "Chief Josheb-basshebeth Spears 800 Philistines", "Eleazar's Battle-Weary Hand Pried from Sword", "Shammah Stands at Lehi When All Others Flee", or "Brave Trio Fetches Bethlehem Water for King David". This is the kind of stuff they make into movies! It's the kind of bravery that young boys dream of having when they "get big".

We desperately need some mighty men of valor in the 21st century! We need some guys who will rise up on the battlefield of life and take a stand; some guys who will be there when everyone else runs and hides. I'm praying for some real men who will make Heavenly headlines: "Band of Brothers Whips Pornography", "A Few Good Men Remain Faithful til 'Death Do Us Part'", or "Three Amigos Conquer Mt. Compromise".

I've Had This Day Circled on My Calendar

I've known this day would eventually get here. I've thought about it many times over the past several years, I just didn't think it would come so quickly! Our daughter - the baby of the family - celebrated her 13th birthday yesterday. That means I woke up this morning the father of three teenagers. Yep, three teenagers in one house. Depending on your perspective, it can strike fear in your heart. I can't begin to tell you the joy that our children have brought to our lives. Kristie and I thank God for Matt, Tim, and Ashley every day. They are truly a gift from God! Sometimes parenting can be quite an adventure, but it is so awesome to see God working in the lives of our kids. It's on the parenting adventure that God has taught me some of life's most important lessons and I suspect I've got a lot more learning to do!

The Circle of Love

Happy Valentines Day! I hope that you will take the time to express your affection to those in your circle of love today. It's really pretty easy to do. Let's face it, there are reasons these folks are in the circle to begin with - your spouse, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your children, your extended family, your bff. You have some sort of established relationship with these individuals. Time and energy have been invested into maintaining the relationship. These people have, or still are, adding value to your life. But what about all those people outside your circle of love? You know, the ones who are difficult to love. The obnoxious co-worker. The neighbor who isn't so neighborly. The small- group member who dominates the conversation with personal issues. Anyone who drives you CRAZY. Do we have any obligation to love the not-so-lovable, or can we just push them outside our circle of love?

I John 4:11 says, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another".

God's Word makes it clear that God loved us before we were lovable or deserving of His love. There was no way that we could earn His love, no way that we could impress God enough to love us. He just loved us! Why not take the opportunity to spread a little love outside your circle today? It has the potential to change your life.

What I'm Reading

I am often asked the question, "What are you reading?". So....here ya go:

Criswell Theological Review - The Fall 2008 Edition cannot be found at a bookstore near you. I picked it up at our Association office. I have found Ronald Sider's article, "Thinking Biblically about Politics", especially helpful.

Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson is an excellent book that I am reading for the second time. I rarely read a book two times within a 3-4 week period, but Mark is on to something about reclaiming the adventure of pursuing God. It has arrested my attention, and will likely lead to a sermon series in the future.

Do the Right Thing by Mike Huckabee is a run-down of Huckabee's political platform. Aside from being a behind-the-scenes look at his recent presidential bid, Mike has me doing some serious thinking about the "Fair Tax", and what it really means.

Cut It Up and Throw It In The Fire?

In our Midweek Bible Study I have been teaching a series titled "Who Are You?" The focus of the series has been getting to know some little-known characters in Scripture. Ahithophel, Hobab, and Hephzibah are some of the folks we've gotten better acquainted with. Last night, we looked at Jehoiakim. Jeremiah 36:23 tells us, "As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot." If we had been there, our first response might have been disbelief and outrage! Someone actually cutting up God's Word and throwing it into the fire is hard to imagine...or is it? Many people mistakenly think of God's Word as a collection of "nice sayings" or "tidbits for successful living". While God's Word certainly contains some nice sayings and is a collection of wisdom for successful living, it is self-described as "powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword". The Apostle Paul describes it as "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction." The message that God had given to the prophet Jeremiah, and was delivered to Jehoiakim, was one of impending judgment. I suspect Jehoiakim didn't especially like what he heard, which led to his chop-and-burn course of action.

Here's my point...Sometimes we find God's Word offensive. It has a way of "calling us out" on our sin. It smashes our pride, laziness, lust, greed, anger, and the list goes on. If we aren't careful, our response can be the same as Jehoiakim. No, we may not physically cut up God's Word and throw it in the fire. But we can choose to ignore its message or scorn its truths. Either way, the result is the same.

A Little Food for Thought

Here's something for you to chew on:

"If you are correcting someone else to prove yourself the smartest guy in the room, that automatically disqualifies you from the contest." - Erin McKean

Warning: this quote may stick to the roof of your mouth, but if you think about it long enough, you'll digest the wisdom that's there.

A Bold Step of Faith

FBCQC is taking a bold step forward. In spite of tough economic times, we are moving ahead with our Master Plan. Overcrowding in our 11:00 am Sunday morning worship service has made it necessary for us to move to our Family Life Center. This will require some remodeling, which means spending money. I prefer to think of it as an investment. The move will allow us to accommodate more people to hear the gospel and be changed by the awesome power of the Word of God. It will undoubtedly be a little inconvenient while the work is being completed, but we can look forward to a new worship environment, hopefully in time for Easter. Here's my point...I am so grateful to pastor a group of people who have a vision to step out by faith for the glory of God!

A Bit of Angst

News reports abound of an increasingly vocal nonreligious movement that appears to be gaining popularity. According to the Washington Post Foreign Service:

"Thousands of people in Britain recently raised $200,000 to place an ad on 800 London buses that reads: 'There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.'"

This seems to be the theme of many such campaigns that are spreading world-wide. I have a few questions: Why would these athiest groups choose to use the word "probably" in their statement, and if there is no God, then what is it that these athiests believe people are worried about? Could it be their God-implanted conscience that causes them a bit of angst?
Here's my point...according to Psalm 51:3, it's merely a fool who says in his heart there is no God.

Spinning Out of Control? Really?

I've been reading Mark Batterson's Wild Goose Chase, a work that has caused me to look at the adventure of pursuing God in a whole new way. In the third chapter titled "Dictatorship of the Ordinary", Batterson does a great job of challenging his readers to take a look at those things that we often consider routine.

"When was the last time you thanked God for keeping us in orbit? I'm guessing never. Lord, thanks for keeping us in orbit. And I was a little nervous about making the full rotation around our axis today, but You did it again. Most of us don't pray that way. But isn't it a little ironic that we have a hard time believing God for the little stuff while we take the big stuff for granted. Come on, if God can keep the planets in orbit, don't you think He can reorder your life when you feel like it's spinning out of control?"

Here's my point...I'm gonna work at thanking God for those things that I often take for granted. I suspect that if God can keep the universe together, He can handle an economy that seems to be spinning out of control.

Is God a Big Fan?

Athletics has played a significant role in my life. Some of my earliest memories include playing flag football as a 7 or 8 year-old kid. My Dad was our coach. I have learned some of life's most important lessons on the field (or court) of play. Discipline, teamwork, self-control, and the importance of hard work are just a few of the principles that I picked up while playing sports. But, then God called me to ministry and I found myself wondering, "Does God really care about sports?" "Does He approve of sports?" After some serious soul-searching and careful study of God's Word, I came to the conclusion that the answer to both of those questions is YES. Certainly sports can assume an unhealthy place in our lives, but sports can also provide a platform for Christians to grow in godliness and glorify the Lord. Stephen Altrogge has written a book, Game Day for the Glory of God . I plan to read it and do my first book review on Here's My Point. Look for it.