Salt, Pepper, Faith & Repentance

During one of my high school classes, we studied etiquette. My teacher always repeated the phrase “don’t divorce the salt and pepper.” Apparently, when someone asks for the salt, you are supposed to pass the pepper too. To do otherwise is considered rude (who knew?).

It reminds me of what happens simultaneously at conversion: repentance and faith. Repentance means to turn around. Faith means to completely depend upon. At conversion, we repent (turn) from our sin, and at the same time, we turn to Christ in faith.

What if a person repents of sin but does not trust Christ by faith? Remember, the Pharisees detested sin, but did not place faith in Christ. Such repentance without faith could be a form of legalism.

Conversely, faith without repentance also falls short. In fact, one might argue that faith without repentance is not faith at all. Can you imagine someone saying, “Jesus I trust you, but I won’t let go of my self-sufficiency and pride”? I believe that would be a contradictory statement. The rich young ruler was very interested in eternal life until Jesus challenged him to sell everything and give to the poor. Sadly, the young man couldn’t repent of his idol: wealth.

Therefore, when we present the gospel, we must not divorce the repentance and faith! When, you might ask, does this happen?

1)   When a person is caught in their sin and wants to confess. This person is eager to repent. It can be tempting to avoid addressing faith in Christ for fear that it might create a hitch in their desire to repent. However, what good is repentance without faith? To clear the conscience apart from salvation in Christ creates a false hope.

2)   When a person asks how to be saved. In this case it may be tempting to talk only about Christ’s forgiveness and grace while ignoring the topic of repentance for fear of offending the person. However, what good is it to talk about forgiveness if you never address the sin that separates the person from God?

Of course there are more situation that may cause temptation to speak about either faith or repentance exclusively at the expense of the other. We must, however, present the call to faith and repentance together.

Dear Jill

Dear Jill,

It was six years ago today that you arrived in Heaven. There are so many things I want to tell you about, but I’m sure you already know.

Have you seen how big our Bryce is getting? He’s so tall for his age -just like your dad, your brother, and your nephews. He’s got “Jarvis” written all over him! Every time I look into his face, I see you. He’s got your eyes, your lips, your smile, your mannerisms, and your personality. What a blessing!

Does your heart delight with joy when we visit your family? Do you and your dad watch him play with Andy, Leah, Aaron, Adam, Ashton, and Nana? One of my favorite things in the world is to watch him feel at home with them. They always shower him with love and affection.

Have you listened as he reads his Bible every night? I am so amazed at his reading level. It is so sweet to hear God’s Word pass through his lips. My heart always warms up when I hear him read aloud the same verses I have studied and preached.

Did you hear him a few weeks ago ask when he would get a new mommy? Could you sense the hurt in my heart as I tried to answer him?

Do you see me when I hurt the most? I often wonder what you would say to me. Everybody says that you would tell me to move on and find someone else to be happy with. I know that’s true. But, I’m also scared that moving on would mean forgetting you and letting go of the most amazing relationship I have ever known.

I wish we could have this conversation face to face. I would love to hear your heavenly perspective to my earthly issues.

I’m fairly certain that you would tell me that the only way I will find answers to satisfy my questions will be to look to the cross of Christ. There, I am reminded that the hurt and pain of this fallen world are temporary. In the cross, I see that death is defeated. In the resurrection I see the hope and promise of new life. At Calvary I see that Christ’s love is infinite, that His grace is sufficient, that His humility is perfect, and His power is almighty. Looking at the cross, I do not find all the “answers,” but I find more than enough hope!

I don’t know if you celebrate anniversaries in Heaven, but I am celebrating today. Even though my heart is heavy, I rejoice that you are with Christ and that He holds you safely in His arms. Thank you for the most amazing eight years of marriage. Thank you for being a godly wife and for loving me despite my failures. Thank you for leaving an amazing legacy for Bryce -a legacy that points directly to the cross.

Bryce and I love you and miss you,

Scott

 

 

Four Ways to Weaken a Church

I have the opportunity to visit a significant number of churches as I travel. It is always fun to blog about what God is doing in different congregations. Recently, however, I felt a burden for churches that are weakening. Notice I didn’t say “shrinking.” Some of the churches that I have observed weakening actually have strong attendance numbers. The only problem is that spiritual transformation does not seem to be taking place. That is a problem that transcends attendance, budgets, or worship styles. Here are the top four ways (in my opinion) to weaken a church:

1)            Remove meaning from membership. Church membership is a privilege –not a right. The church is Christ’s body, meaning that it manifests Christ to the world. That is a serious task not to be taken lightly.

That is why we require people to profess Christ as Lord and Savior before joining our churches. But is that enough? Just a short verbal ascent to faith?

In days gone by, it was common for churches to require a candidate for membership to sign a church covenant. By doing so, they were recognizing certain qualifications, expectations, commitments, and accountability attached to membership.

I believe that many churches are struggling simply because their membership is half-hearted and uncommitted. Who’s fault is that? Perhaps it is the fault of the church for letting them in without any call to commitment.

That’s why I am a proponent of membership classes in which the church has an opportunity to get to know the candidate and the candidate gets to know the church. A typical membership class will share the gospel, church mission and goals, and membership expectations.

Some may say, “you’ll scare people off that way.” Actually, I’ve found the opposite to be true. People appreciate the fact that your church takes membership seriously and that your church takes the time to explain expectations. And, as a church, it is a blessing to know that when someone joins, they are giving more than verbal ascent to membership –they are giving their commitment. After all, if you have to lower the standards to bring someone into membership; do you really want them to be a member?

2)            Allow pew sitting. One of the expectations that every church should have is for every member to be a minister. That doesn’t mean every member should be preaching or teaching. Instead, each member should be aided in finding a role within the church that fits their gifting.

I have found that most of the time, the people in the pew want to do more than show up and sit –they just don’t know what to do or how to get started. Churches must be focused on creating opportunities and pathways to serve. Further, pastors and other leaders should be proactive in encouraging members to use their gifts. When the churches become comfortable with having pew-sitters, the church is in decline. Incidentally, when pastor’s ask what they can do to attract more young families in their church, my #1 answer is –give them opportunities and encouragement to practice what you preach.

3)            Protect the congregation from the truth. Another factor that weakens churches is preaching and teaching that have been “scaled back” in order not to offend. Many pastors say, “my people aren’t mature enough to handle deeper theological issues” or “I’ll lose the attention of my visitors.” Such ideas are degrading to the Word of God. Pastors are called to preach the Word, not just the “safe” portions. Dumbing down the text is a violation of the charge to preach the whole counsel of truth. To do otherwise is to hide portions of the word in an effort to “protect God” from Himself. That is both arrogance and cowardice. Instead, we must believe that the Word is a double edged sword accomplishing God’s purposes –especially when it challenges minds and causes awkwardness in the hearer.

4)            Build your church. I’m afraid that the reason pastors shy away from meaningful membership, expectations to serve, and bold preaching is because they are trying to build their church. The problem is that the church is not theirs –it is Christ’s church. And whether or not we agree with the ways in which He has chosen to build His church is irrelevant. We are simply stewards of the ministries He has entrusted to us under His lordship.

I’ve heard so many pastors excuse their tactics by stating that it is all about “people” -as if God isn’t interested in people. Of course we ought to pour our energy into reaching people for Christ. The real question is whether or not we will trust God’s standards or our own wisdom.

Once we settle the stewardship/lordship issue, perhaps we will get back to the task at hand. Sure, it might not look as fancy or grab as many headlines, but in the end, all that really matters is that the Head of the Church is pleased with His stewards.

Your Life Is About To Change

It seemed like I was living “the dream” for three months.

From January through April of 2006, I was constantly hungry. I ate everything in sight –pizza, steak, ice cream, candy bars- you name it. Every night, I would wake up 5-6 times and raid the refrigerator. On one occasion I ate an entire chocolate cake in one night!

The best part? During those three months of unprecedented eating, I lost 30 pounds (much to my dieting friend’s chagrin).

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. One night, I remember telling my wife, Jill, how great it was to finally be one of “those people” who could eat all they wanted and not gain a pound. But Jill didn’t share my excitement. As an RN, she knew something wasn’t right. In every sense of the phrase, it was too good to be true.

The next day, Jill came home with a glucometer (a device that measures blood sugar levels). She checked my blood sugar and confirmed what she had suspected: I was diabetic.

We made an appointment with my doctor who officially diagnosed my condition and explained why I had lost all of the weight. My pancreas had quit producing insulin which means I couldn’t process sugar into energy. That’s why all of the sugar was building up in my blood. Basically, my body had put itself on the Atkins diet. No matter what I ate, my body was rejecting sugar and carbohydrates. As a result, my body was burning up fat as a means of energy.

As the doctor finished explaining my weight loss, I asked, “So why should we try to stop it? Why not let it continue burning fat?” My doctor replied, “Because when it finishes burning your fat, it will eat your organs.”

That got my attention.

Then, the doctor told me the words I didn’t want to hear: “Your life is about to change.”

My diet was about to change, my exercise regimen (or lack thereof) was about to change, and my perspective on life was about to change. Oh, and did I mention my medical bills were about to change too?

I can only imagine that my experience in the doctor’s office was a bit like the meeting that took place between God and the first couple (Adam and Eve) in Genesis 3.

Adam and Eve’s sin was motivated by a “too good to be true” sales pitch. Genesis 3:6 explains that Eve saw that the fruit was a “delight to the eyes” and that “the tree was “to be desired to make one wise.” Satan had promised something outside of God’s righteous law. Perhaps, between the moment of her biting the fruit and her offering of the fruit to Adam, Eve experienced the false sensation of “living the dream” -only the “dream,” as it turned out, was a nightmare.

Like the moment Jill helped me realize “something wasn’t quite right” with my health, Adam and Eve realized “something wasn’t quite right” soon after their sin. Genesis 3:7 points out that “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”

Next, they visited the Doctor’s office. More precisely, the Doctor made a house call.

In Genesis 3:8-19, God diagnosesd the first couples’ issue: sin. He told Eve that she would experience pain in child-bearing and Adam would have to labor through thorns and thistles as he worked the land. In other words, God said, “Your life is about to change.”

Fortunately, God offered hope to His patients who were now plagued with sin. In Genesis 3:15, known as the first-giving of the gospel, God promised that a “seed” of Eve (Jesus) would come and “bruise” (or in some versions, “crush”) Satan’s head.

Adam and Eve, in the very same visit, were both diagnosed with a fatal disease and also provided with hope for a cure.

Centuries later, Christ came on the scene. The effects of sin had been manifested greatly in the world’s population. Just as a diabetic’s condition gradually worsens, sinners had become more and more wretched –plagued with pain, hurt, grief, and anger. It is a diagnosis that no man can escape (Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:23). Sin is hereditary -and fatal.

Any attempts to heal man’s condition with man-made remedies fall short. No matter how many good works a person performs, he still has a heart contaminated with sin.

When I asked my doctor how I could be cured of diabetes, he replied (jokingly), “Get a new pancreas!” (The pancreas makes insulin for blood sugar regulation)

Similarly, Christ (the great physician) shared the long-awaited cure for sin –Get a new life. Jesus described this concept with the word-picture of being “born again” (John 3:3).

In John 3:16, Jesus shared that “new life” is given by God the Father through the Son. In other words, Christ performs “life transplants” –His life for your life.

The effects of sin and the wrath of God for our sin were absorbed by Christ on the cross so that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

When we come to Christ by faith –receiving His new life- it’s as if Jesus says, “Your life is about to change.”

Even if I could receive a pancreas transplant and be cured of diabetes, it wouldn’t change the fact that my body will one day stop functioning and die. However, when I received a life transplant from Christ, I received eternal life that extends infinitely beyond the grave!

That’s better than receiving a new pancreas!

If you have never received the new life Christ offers, there is good news –Jesus makes house calls!

His Word diagnoses our condition as sinners (Romans 3:23). But the good news is that God offer a free gift of grace in which Christ redeems our old life for His new life taking our sin and shame upon Himself (Romans 3:24-25). In this way, Christ absorbs the punishment for our sin and at the same time grants us his righteousness. This happens by faith (Romans 3:25) in which we turn away from our sins and turn completely to Christ, trusting Him –and Him alone for new life. Whereas we once followed the desires of sin in our old life, we now follow our Lord in His new life.

Now that’s living “the dream!”

Nothing to Whine About

I make a distinction between whining and crying. Crying is usually legitimate whereas whining is never legitimate. I can be sympathetic to crying, but not to whining.

My son knows that I have a “no whining” policy. I simply won’t tolerate it –no matter what the cause of the whining.

He also knows that when he whines, I will always give him “Whine Talk 1.” I explain that whining indicates that the “whiner” feels unfairly wronged. And, while on the surface of the situation it may seem that an injustice has occurred, whining ignores a deeper issue: that all of life is a gift from God that we don’t deserve. Ultimately, to whine about anything is to ignore God’s goodness. Whining is an indictment against God.

But, there is another, more practical reason I dislike whining. It is very difficult to understand what my son is complaining about when he’s whining. I’m not a speech-path expert, but I’m pretty sure the act of whining interferes with his ability to speak clearly. I get frustrated having to repeatedly ask him, “What is the problem? What was that? I can’t understand you.”

Then, when I finally understand what he is saying, I realize that his “issue” is never the real “issue.” For instance, if he’s crying because he didn’t get a turn on the swing set, the issue is not the other kid on the playground’s rudeness, its really Bryce’s selfishness, jealousy, and lack of generosity.

It’s at that point that I end up giving him “Whine Talk 2.” This talk basically communicates the fact that whining never solves anything and ends with instruction to quit whining so that we can talk it out together.

I’m pretty sure I need the whine talks for myself occasionally. Most of the time, I find myself whining about my issues and God knows (literally) that they aren’t really my issues. Whining is just a guilty pleasure. And, just like any other guilty pleasure, the cumulative effect is always worse than the temporary pleasure.

You see, my whining is also an indictment against God –as if my wife’s death, my parenting difficulties, or my last fender-bender undermine His goodness and mercy in any way.

Really, the issue is not my “issues,” but instead my own lack of thankfulness and adoration toward God.

Mark it down, whining before God is never in order. Instead, I need to learn to “calm down, quit whining, and just talk it out with God.” He has given us the privilege to “Draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). And that’s nothing to whine about!

A New Sword Drill For the Church

Growing up, I remember my Sunday school teachers having periodic “sword drills” where they would call out a verse of scripture and the class would have a race to see who could be the first to find it in their Bible (sword). Although its been quite a few years since my last sword drill, I would like to propose a new kind of sword drill for the church.

Christians in America know that our culture is shifting –rapidly. Almost every day a new ruling from an appellate court, state legislature, voter referendum, US legislature, or supreme court is moving us further and further away from biblical standards. Bottom line: Christianity is becoming marginalized and, in many ways, subtly villainized.

Here’s the question: what does this mean for the future of the church in America?

Pastors and church leaders must realize that in the near future, “cultural Christianity” will most likely be a thing of the past. People will not show up on Sunday mornings because it is “what we do” or “what is expected.” No, soon, the only people showing up for church will be those who are solidly committed. Don’t believe me? Just look to nations who have already blazed this cultural path before us. Consider the churches of Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China.

Recently, we have witnessed the beheading of Americans, on American soil, in the name of Islam. I have a feeling these are only the first few drops in what could become a flood of persecution. Eventually, it will most likely land on the church.

Imagine what a typical Sunday might look like for your church five years from now: You show up early on Sunday morning to remove the political signs in your churches front yard declaring your congregation as “bigots.” You greet members as they come in. Unbelievers rarely visit for fear of being associated with such a controversial group. As the service begins, you look out over the congregation and realize only a small fraction of the people who once packed into your sanctuary are now in attendance. Ever since the Sunday morning beheadings began last year, the uncommitted have stayed far away.

In the past, we have measured church success by who shows up on Sunday mornings. But going forward, perhaps we need to judge success by who is willing to stay.

So I propose a new sword drill for the church. Ask yourself, if the threat of the sword came upon your church, how many would be committed enough to stay?

Pastors, I urge you, start looking for commitment more than crowds.

  • Boldly proclaim truth -whether culturally accepted or not.
  • Train robust disciples who will make more disciples.
  • Promote accountability and commitment in membership.

Road Trip: Bono, Arkansas

Pastor Shawn Brandon is a “people person.” I could tell right away as he and his wife Janee’ greeted my son and me in the church parking lot.

Shawn has pastored Herman Baptist Church for seven years now. He has a vibrant ministry as displayed by the enthusiasm of his people. Before the service, Shawn and I sat in the church office to catch up on the church’s recent history. It was a blessing to hear about the growth Herman Baptist is experiencing, but there was something else that grabbed my attention even more. Shawn is a part of a local association of pastors in Northeast Arkansas who meet quarterly –not to discuss business- but to encourage and equip one another. These pastors view themselves as being on a team doing kingdom work together rather than in competition.

The result? Young pastors in their association are receiving training and mentoring from experienced pastors. Experienced pastors are receiving encouragement and fellowship to help them endure difficulties in life and in ministry.

The best part? Everybody wins! As Shawn and I sat and talked I noticed that there was no sense of competition between bigger/small rural/city traditional/progressive churches. Rather, there is a sweet spirit among their associated work.

As we continued to talk before the service, about a dozen people came in the office just to say “hi” to their pastor. I’ve never seen that listed on a “church health indicators” list, but for me, it says a lot.

Shawn is a “people person,” and in turn, Herman Baptist is a “people church.” Everyone in the congregation was warm and welcoming. The warmth flowed into the worship service where people sang with conviction and received the preaching of God’s word with great anticipation.

Even my son Bryce enjoyed the hospitality. Bryce sat with Shawn’s wife Janee’ while I preached. And, before it was all said and done, he invited her to come visit in our home so that they can play Power Rangers together!

Did I mention my son is a people-person too?

Hot Camping

A few nights ago, I took Bryce camping –in our back yard! He had been asking for a long time, so I finally set up the tent and roasted hotdogs. We had a great time sitting on the back porch laughing together.

The only problem is that the weather didn’t cool off as much as I had hoped. In fact, after we zipped up the tent and lay down, we started sweating.

At first, Bryce acted like the heat didn’t bother him. However, I noticed that he (like me) couldn’t seem to go to sleep.

As we were lying there, drenched in sweat, I thought about how silly we must look. Both of us were trying to outlast the other in the heat while an air-conditioned house waited just a few feet away.

Why would I go through all of that misery? Because I love my son.

As I looked over at my son in that tent, something welled up inside of me. It was like my heart just wanted to pour out love toward my son. I wanted him to know that I would do anything for him –no matter the cost. Sweating in a tent in mid September is nothing compared to what I would suffer for his sake.

I kept thinking about that emotion I was feeling. It was like a gushing river just waiting to overflow. It must be, in such a small way, a reflection of God’s love toward us.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Can you imagine the overwhelming mercy and grace flowing from the Father as He sent His only Son to die for us? As we all reveled in our sinfulness and living in the passions of our flesh (Eph. 2:3), God was already overflowing with love for us!

Ephesians 2:4-5 goes on to explain: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”

The love of God was manifest to us in such a greater way than sweating in a tent. After all, Christ sweat drops of blood in the garden prior to His arrest. He endured scourging and brutal beating. Finally, He was nailed to a cross with a crown of thorns placed upon His head.

There is no greater demonstration of love than that.

So, as my son and I finally decided to go back inside to sleep in the air conditioning that evening (thank goodness), it was so fitting he wanted to quote one of his memory verses before going to sleep: “God loved us and sent His Son for us” (1 John 4:10).

Road Trip: Three First Baptists

The best part of my job is being able to spend time one-on-one with pastors. Pastors are a gift to the church. They provide leadership, nurture, direction, teaching, counsel and care to God’s children.

The Bible refers to pastors as “shepherds” (I Peter 5:2). Interestingly, this is the same terminology Scripture applies to Christ. In other words, pastors have been made stewards over Christ’s body! What a responsibility and privilege.

I recently had the opportunity to spend time with three men who take that stewardship seriously.

I started my strip in Magnolia, Arkansas where I met with Brent Summerhill, pastor of First Baptist Church. Brent is relatively new to the church in Magnolia. As we talked about his move, Brent repeatedly referred to the warm hospitality shown to his family. He shared about several families who have opened their homes to his family and welcomed them with open arms.

My favorite thing about Brent’s leadership is his focus on strong preaching. In fact, when I arrived in his office, he was in the middle of studying for his sermon with several books spread over his desk. If you ask me, I would say that Brent’s leadership at First Baptist has a bright future ahead. Why? Because it is directed by God’s unfailing Word. What a blessing!

Later that day, I had the opportunity to visit with Rusty Schuler, pastor of First Baptist Church in Red Oak, Texas. Rusty has a fascinating background in church planting ranging from Oregon to Atlanta! While touring the First Baptist facilities, he pointed out a group of ladies who were meeting for discipleship under Rusty’s wife’s leadership. He explained that her discipleship ministry is a powerful asset for the church.

Seeing Rusty and his wife together in ministry caused me to reflect back on my late wife, Jill. One of the greatest gifts God gives a pastor is a strong, godly wife! May God bless the Shulers and their ministry in Red Oak.

My final visit took place in Livingston, Texas. Pastor Brett Lester has done a remarkable job leading First Baptist to become a community-minded church. He explained that their church is involved in many community ministries such as feeding all of the school teachers on the first day of school. They also provide chaplain services to the high school football team and lead a ministry in which parents of players pray over their student athlete’s before games.

As Brett and I were talking, he shared one thing that stood out to me above everything else. In the middle of sharing how his church was involved in the community, he explained, “Then, lay people just started coming up with their own ministries!”

What an exciting phenomenon. When the congregation begins to take ownership of the pastor’s vision for reaching the community! I can’t wait to see what God continues to do through the ministry at First Baptist Livingston.

Three First Baptist Churches, in three different cities, with three different pastors all serving ONE God! What a great road trip.

5 Things Your Pastor Would Love To Hear From You

Pastors are people. They are susceptible to the same emotional challenges everyone else faces. From time to time, they question their abilities, skills, direction and effectiveness.

But unlike every other member of the church, most pastors do not have a pastor to counsel them through such challenging times. Life in the pulpit can be very lonely.

For that reason, most pastors are hungry for encouragement from their congregation. Sadly, when pastors hear from their membership, it is anything other than encouraging.

Church members, then, have a major opportunity and responsibility to support their pastor through their words. Whether it is face-to-face, written in a card, typed in an email, or texted to his phone; the timely words of a church member can impact the life of the pastor, and in effect, the life of the church.

Here are five things that your pastor would love to hear from you:

1)   God used your sermon to transform my heart.

2)   I appreciate the way your represent our church with character and integrity.

3)   Would you like to go to lunch? I’ll pay!

4)   I pray for you daily. Please let me know anything specific I can be praying about on your behalf.

5)   Put me on the top of your list of people to call when you need a volunteer to serve.

Those are just a few ideas. I’m sure you can think of better ideas specifically for your pastor. So go ahead, take a moment right now to text, email, call, write, or visit!

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:11).

“A word fitly spoken

is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).