New Sermon Series for a New Year

I love a new year! I don't know... there's something about the beginning of a new year that gives me hope. Its like a fresh start, a new beginning, a "do over." It's an opportunity to make new resolutions and to put the old year behind me. Don't we all need new beginnings? Don't we all need to start again sometimes? I'm convinced that God wants to lead our church strongly into a new year. He has got plans and opportunities ahead of us that we haven't even dreamed of yet! Where are we going? Where is God leading us?

Starting on Sunday we are going to begin a new study in Genesis, "In the beginning." In order for us to know where God is leading us, we need to know where it all began. So, we're going to be spending some time in the opening chapters of this wonderful, ancient text over the next few weeks. We'll be exploring its pages to find out what it has to say to us, modern-day Christians living in 21st century America. Do you need a new beginning? Would you like a fresh start? Spend some time this week in Genesis 1 and share with the 'blogosphere' your thoughts on this wonderful and exciting book.

And here's a question... What does Genesis 1:1 have to say to a world adrift in a sea of relativism?

Freedom!

This Sunday at Washington Street I'm going to wrap up our "It's A Wonderful Life" series by looking at the gift of "freedom." Paul wrote in Galatians 5 that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free.... good news indeed! Why would he have to remind the Galatians of that? Hadn't they experienced the freedom and new life in Christ? Well, of course they had.... so what was the problem? Well, many of them were wanting to return to their old habits of observing the law. Was there anything wrong with the law? Well, no. Its just that the law was never going to save them and Paul knew that. They were forgetting that their salvation now rested in turning their lives over to Jesus... and not in their efforts to keep the law.
Go back and re-read Galatians 5:1-6 before Sunday and let me know what you think. Today, as we're anticipating the coming of a new year in a few days and making all kinds of resolutions... let us NOT be tempted to go back to our old lives... but to enjoy FULLY the Wonderful Life that is ours in Christ!
John 10:10

It's A Wonderful Life... Joy!

I'll be back on Sunday and continuing our celebration of the wonderful life that we have in Christ. A great big THANKS to Brad Sullivan for doing an outstanding job with last Sunday's message while I was out! This Sunday we'll be unwrapping the gift of "joy." When Jesus was born the angels headed out to the fields to shout out the good news to the shepherds watching their flocks. "We bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people!" they said. Indeed the coming of the Messiah was a joyous occasion... though his life was certainly not always filled with such joy. Our lives sometimes are anything but 'joyous'... but for those of us in Christ we can still be full of joy. How is this you ask? I am SO glad you asked. Join us on Sunday as we celebrate the JOY that is ours in Christ... even if this is a tough time of year for you. In the meantime, read Luke 2. I'm curious to hear from you. When have you experienced true Christian joy... even when you didn't feel much like smiling? Leave me your comments.

Merry Christmas from the Blacks

The annual taking of the Christmas card picture is always an exciting time at the Black house! It usually starts off amicably enough... full of holiday cheer and optimism. "Maybe THIS will be the year," Celeste and I will think. It usually denigrates rather quickly, however, into what can only be described as "weeping and gnashing of teeth." This year was no exception.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas this holiday season and all of the blessings that a new year holds. Maybe next year will be the year... until then, enjoy these "outtakes" from our attempts at the perfect Christmas picture.

Remembering Pa Pa Forrest

We're all thinking about Pa Pa Forrest this time of year. He left us to be with the Lord a year ago and we're all so grateful for the fond memories and the wonderful legacy he left behind. I am so thankful that my kids had such a fantastic Pa Pa who was not only a lot of fun to be around but was also such a great Christian example. Thanks Pa Pa... we love you!

Its A Wonderful Life! ...Love

I have SO enjoyed hearing the personal stories that Stacy Johnson and Rob Tittle have shared with us the last couple of weeks on Sunday mornings.  It is one thing to talk about the blessings that we have in Christ… peace and hope.  It is quite another thing to see those blessings actually lived out and experienced by our Christian brethren!  I want to thank them for so openly sharing their faith and their struggles with each of us.  This Sunday Celeste and I will be celebrating the holidays with family.  Brad Sullivan will be bringing the message to us… continuing the series “It’s A Wonderful Life” by looking at the blessing of the  LOVE that we have in Christ.  Robert Young will also be sharing some from his personal experience how he has seen love demonstrated through his relationship with Jesus.  How about you?  How have you been blessed by the “fruit of love” because Jesus lived?  I would love to hear from each of you…

The Golden Compass

There's been a lot of buzz lately over "The Golden Compass"... a new sci fi/ fantasy film that was released over the weekend and has gotten a lot of Christians upset about its content. I have to admit I knew nothing about it until a few weeks ago. Apparently it is based on a series of books that has been criticized (by Christians) as "anti-Christian". Whether it is or not, I can't say, since I haven't read them. The author, however, does claim to be an atheist and the organization in the books that all of the bad guys are associated with is said to represent the church. Whether it is meant to represent Catholicism specifically or all of Christendom... I don't know. From all that I have read by way of review, the books from which the movie was made does look to contain content that could be considered "anti-church." I wonder if some of the criticism against Christendom may be deserved at some level? It is no secret that lots of horrible and awful atrocities have been carried out in the name of "the church" over the centuries. I just don't know the story... maybe some of you can help me?
Regardless, the question remains... should Christians go see it? Your kids may have asked you if they can go. Here's what I know. The filmmakers have gone out of their way to portray the movie as a simple fantasy and claim that any anti-religious overtones have been stricken from the film adaptation. I wonder, however, if there isn't a secret aim to slip that back into later sequels. The director recently said that he hoped to be more faithful in the next adaptation to the source material... which I took to mean that he intended to include any anti-religious content later on. That remains to be seen, I suppose. Ultimately it will be up to individual Christians to make the decision whether this is a movie worth watching. No doubt some will be intrigued by all of the fuss and be first in line just to see what all the buzz is about. Some will be standing on the street corner with signs condemning anyone who chooses to view it.
My opinion? I'm probably not going to be in line at the box office or the video counter. Even if it is a good film with a good story, etc.... why would I want to support something that comes with such a potential to do undermine faith? I even wonder if the fantasy element to it doesn't make it more dangerous than if they had just come out with a clear and simple anti-Jesus message? It seems pretty sneaky to me... which I know is something the devil is pretty good at.
Bottom line... I would skip it. Wait till May, then go and see the next installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series... "Prince Caspian." It'll be hard to beat CS Lewis anyway!

... Hope

Man, Stacy Johnson did a wonderful job last Sunday sharing with us his personal story of God’s abiding presence throughout his ordeal recovering from a horseback riding accident last year.  Sorry, Stacy… I understand she didn’t throw you, you exited in a hurry.  Still, the outcome was the same… a broken back that could’ve been a lot worse than it was.  How wonderful it is to share our personal testimonies of how God has helped see us through tough times.  This Sunday Rob Tittle is going to share with us along the theme of HOPE.  The Christian life truly is “A Wonderful Life” and not the least of those blessings is the incredible hope that we have as believers.  Regardless of how the day treats us, we can go to bed at night with the hope… the assurance that this life is NOT all that there is!  God has promised us a home in eternity!  That gives me reason to get out of bed in the morning.  What would we do if Jesus had never been born? 

I’m curious… what are your thoughts?  How has this blessing of ‘hope’ helped you in your Christian walk?

It's A Wonderful Life!

“It’s a Wonderful Life” has got to be one of the all time best movies ever made! It’s one of those movies that I can watch over and over again… and no matter how many times I have seen it, it always catches my attention if I catch it on while flipping channels. You remember the movie. Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey who gets down and out about his life not meaning anything. He buys into the lie that he is worth more dead than alive… until he meets a messenger of God in the form of Clarence, an angel “2^nd class.” Clarence shows him a glimpse of what life would have been like if he had never lived… and George sees exactly what kind of difference his life has made in the lives of others. He learns that it really is a “wonderful life.”

As Christians we truly enjoy a “wonderful life” because of the blessings to be found in Christ. What if Jesus had never lived? Where would we be, then? Oh, he has brought us SO much! It is this wonderful life that we will begin to explore this Sunday as we begin a new mini-series of lessons entitled “It’s a Wonderful Life!” We’ll be sharing and discussing the blessings that are ours through Christ. Jesus has come to bring abundant life (cf. John 10:10)… and the blessings of peace, joy, love, hope and new life are ours in Christ! I’m particularly interested in hearing YOUR stories. How has your faith in Christ brought you peace? Please, leave your thoughts and comments and let’s share these blessings together.

Simple Christianity #4... "What do I do now that I am a Christian?"

A few years ago there was a popular singing group that rose to the charts with their hit song, “The End of the Road.” Oh, how wonderful it is to get to the end of the road! I am thinking that especially this week as I know that my family will be loading up in the ol’ minivan and heading out of town for Thanksgiving (see previous post regarding our van travels.) We always set out with such excitement… and arriving is such a blessing… but the hours on the road are sometimes… uhmmm, difficult. Between “potty breaks” and arguments about what to listen to on the radio, road trips aren’t a lot of fun with our crew. I SO look forward to reaching the end!

As Christians we also ought to look forward to the end… but I am afraid that we sometimes confuse the end with the beginning. We work and pray to lead a person to Christ and then, just when that person has made a commitment to be a Christian, we leave them and move on to someone else, thinking they have reached the end. Becoming a Christian is NOT the end, however, it is just the BEGINNING! Baptism is a new BIRTH… a new beginning… and the start of a wonderful new journey. This Sunday we will be wrapping up our series on Simple Christianity by exploring the thought, “What do I do now that I have become a Christian?” What are my responsibilities? How do I stay strong in the faith? What now? Any thoughts?

Simple Christianity #3... "How do I become a Christian?"

Can you remember the day you decided to become a Christian?  I can still remember the day I did.  It was a sleepy Sunday night in early June.  I was seventeen and had been thinking about it for a long time.  Our church services that night consisted of a long video presentation on “Family” but I don’t remember anything of it.  I wasn’t converted by the sermon or the lesson.  I had already been converted by seeing the example of so many of the Christians I knew in the church.  They had something that I wanted.  I’m not sure I could put my finger on it at the time, but I saw in their lives a sense of peace… of calm… and purpose.  I had none of those things (of course, what teenage boy does?).  But, I knew that I wanted it… and was convinced that Jesus offered it.  I was right, in retrospect.  I look back and know that I made the right decision.  I didn’t fully know then all that meant, and I probably still don’t.  But I remain convinced that the path of Jesus is the right one.  I started it that night by walking that short path down the aisle and confessing my faith.  Our youth minister, whom I had come to love and admire simply because he showed me what an active and vibrant faith looked like, then baptized me into Christ and I was received by my new church family with open arms.  What a great day it was!  I’ve tried to stay on that path ever since.  Some days go better than others.

What’s YOUR story?  How did YOU make the decision to follow Christ?  What do you tell others when they ask you, “Sign me up!  How can I become a Christian?”

 

I’m also interested in hearing your stories about the blessings that you have found through your faith in Christ.  How have you experienced PEACE because of your faith?  What about JOY?  What about HOPE?  Can you think of particular incidences or stories that you might be willing to share with me?

Bible Scholars!

Quite the proud “Poppa” … every quarter at school each teacher selects a student to receive the “Bible Award” for their class. Sometimes it’s the student with the highest average in Bible and sometimes its the student who has shown the most enthusiasm for it from out of the class. I was so proud last week as both Andy AND David got the “Bible Award” from their classes on Awards Day. Congrats, guys!

Simple Christianity #2..."Why Would I Want to be a Christian?"

As a part of our ongoing discussion on simple Christianity, this week I am posing the question to us all, “Why would I want to be a Christian?”  It may be an obvious question in some ways, but maybe it is one that you haven’t thought of in a while.  In Acts 26:24-29 Paul tries to persuade King Agrippa to become one… and Agrippa thinks Paul is out of his mind.  Is that how WE look to the outside… out of our minds?  WHY would anyone want to be a Christian?  I know a lot of Christians who walk around with a frown on their face all day long and I wonder what kind of witness that is to the joy to be found in Christ.  I look around in worship (sometimes at myself!) and hear the voices of half-hearted singing and wonder what kind of message we are sending to the world?  I think about the division and the disagreements that Christians often air over the public airwaves and the local papers, and I wonder what outsiders must think about Christianity.  Why would they WANT to be a Christian if that is all we do?  This is the theme we will explore more fully on Sunday… and I am interested in your thoughts. 

Confessions of a Halloween Grinch

Okay, I'm a Halloween Grinch... I admit it. It certainly is my least favorite holiday and I have struggled all week to find something (anything) redeeming about it. The stores put out their Halloween costumes more than a month ago, which meant that our boys started begging for costumes way too soon. Costumes were bought. Plans were made. Everybody was happy. Then we made the mistake of going to the store again. More costumes were spotted. Minds were changed. Begging commenced. Soon it became pleading and eventually crying. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth (mine) and finally we (meaning Celeste) relented. At least two additional costumes were purchased on this, second occasion. Of course, once the week of Halloween actually arrived you might have guessed... minds changed once again. I have to give credit to Andy... he picked out Boba Fett early on and stuck with it. David only changed his mind once... but Michael is the serial costume changer of the family. I counted three for him this year.

I'm not sure whoever came up with the idea of having children run up and down the streets strong-arming innocent homeowners out of teeth rotting candy and I'm not sure why anyone ever thought this was a good idea. The sugar, of course, just made the kides all that much hyper. THIS year we had the added complication of having Wednesday night Bible class to get to AFTER trick-or-treating. This meant that not only were my kids hyper... they were stuck in a small classroom with other sugar-O.D.'ed kids and an unlucky Bible teacher for an hour! I'm sure much learning took place. Then, just as we're finally breathing a sigh of relief having gotten the goblins tucked into bed way past their bed-time... there's a ring at the door! More trick-or-treaters! It's 9:00 pm. Decent people are in bed!

Well, I hope your "All Hallow's Eve" was fun. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to rant a bit about my Halloween woes... I am certainly glad it is over... at least for another year. Looking forward to the next Pagan holiday...

Simple Christianity... Sunday's message

I don’t know why we preachers and Bible teachers like to throw around big, twenty dollar religious words like “propitiation,” soteriology,” and, my favorite… “dispensational eschatology.” Maybe we like people to think that we’re smarter than we really are? Maybe we want people to think that our education was at least as tough as theirs? Who knows? For whatever reason, I fear that many of us have created a system of religion that is far more complicated than God ever intended for “the faith” to be. I just finished preaching a series on the Bible itself, “Word of God Speak” and I have observed that it isn’t nearly as complex or complicated as some of us have made it. Oh, its deep to be sure! Its riches are endless and the depth of knowledge unfathomable… but the plain and simple gospel isn’t all that complex, is it? God’s intention for mankind is remarkably simple. God’s plan of salvation is remarkably simple. I wonder if I have contributed to mudding the waters with “learned opinions” or if I have concocted a more elaborate religious system than God ever intended.

This Sunday I will be starting a new “mini-series” of lessons around this very premise… the simplicity of the gospel. We’ll look at the following questions and I solicit your input.

“What is a Christian?”

“Why would I want to be a Christian?”

“How do I become a Christian?”

“What do I do now that I am a Christian?”

I invite you to post your thoughts, comments, suggestions and questions through the comments section. Enter into this discussion with us. I look forward to hearing from you.

First off.... what is a Christian? How would YOU define Christianity? Any thoughts?

Truer Words...

Today is Monday, October 22, 2007 and it has begun like most Mondays… with just a few exceptions. It started for me this morning around 5 a.m. as Michael, our youngest son (a boisterous 3 years old) burst into our bedroom singing "Happy Birthday" to me. Yes, today is my birthday and Michael is particularly excited because it means he gets cake… chocolate cake… his favorite. I was less than enthusiastic at 5 a.m. "Happy Birthday to you…" he continued, "You live in a zoo…" (You know how it goes from there.) I thought to myself, though, that truer words have never been spoken. Indeed, sometimes I feel like I live in a zoo! Before long the other boys were up and we were rapidly moving through our morning routine of feeding, getting dressed, brushing teeth, packing our backpacks and heading off to school… a zoo, indeed!

Even though it is a normal Monday in most respects, it somehow feels different. I find myself preoccupied with the haunting questions of life this morning… Am I where I thought I would be at this point in my life? Am I doing what God wants me to be doing? What have I accomplished? Where is God taking me from here? What does he have in store for me next? Of course, I have no idea as to the answer for most of those questions, but the first question… am I where I thought I would be at his point in my life… I know the answer without a doubt. Are you kidding… I NEVER imagined myself as a preacher (you may not have either)! When I was a kid, I never even liked going to church. I thought it was what "old" people did who were just trying to get in to heaven. I'm not sure I ever gave much thought to having a family either. I knew I wanted children, but really had no idea what it would be like. I'm quite sure that I never pictured myself in a mini-van driving to soccer practice (we have a game tonight). What happened, I wonder?

Well, God did. Somewhere along the way God stepped in and changed my life. I'm not sure what path I had been on, but I know now that he radically altered course! He has incredibly blessed me beyond anything I could have ever hoped or imagined. He has given my life purpose and meaning. He has blessed me with the most incredible opportunity (and responsibility) in the world… to preach "good news" and to serve in his kingdom. He has given me the most wonderful family (a.k.a the zoo) and has so fully blessed my life through it. I can't even imagine my life any other way!

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Road Trips

As you might imagine with three boys, road trips are quite an adventure. This year for Fall Break we logged quite a few hours in the ol' minivan trying to catch up on some grandparent time. All the grandparents were making noise about us not having been to see them in a while, so we loaded up the fam and headed out. We managed to see all the grandparents and even made a side trip to catch a glimpse of our newest niece, Sophia. I'm not sure how many hours were spent in the van... but we counted at least ten counties we passed through on Friday alone. I was reminded again that we don't take 'vacations' anymore... we take 'trips.' And now, having this trip under our belt... I am quite ready for a vacation!

The ol' minivan after one of our 'trips.'

The fellas

Andy... age 7

David... age 5

Michael... age 3

What if...?

What if there were no hypothetical questions?