Persistence

I just got home from my last Elders Meeting of 2010.  Tomorrow, weather permitting, Sandy, Tricia and I will get on a plane for Dallas and we’ll spend Christmas with Andrew, Kara and Grace.  While we’re in Dallas we’ll get to see my mom, my sister Candy, and my Uncle Mike Nuthman and his family.  I’m really looking forward to our time away.

I’m also looking forward to what God is going to do both in and through Mount Pleasant Christian Church in 2011.  At our Elders meeting we went through our monthly “Ministry Report” where we were able to see some of the highlights of the past month.  The truth is there have been many highlights in 2010.  Throughout the year we spent our time in studies like Contagious Generosity, A New Command, Where is the Hope (a verse-by-verse look at I Peter), Let’s Pray, and The Joshua Project.  On the weekend after Easter (April 10/11) we had the incredible experience of baptizing 114 people in our four services.  Our Easter weekend, Patriotic weekend and special Christmas weekend were all outstanding.  This year’s Christmas services saw a record attendance of 4,930.  In 2010 we saw the completion of a massive re-model of our facilities that included Bibleopolis, an interactive children’s ministry space that is absolutely incredible.  There were Mission trips, VBS, Sports camps, a Blue Bell ice cream truck at our Volunteer Appreciation picnic- I could go on and on. 

As I think about 2011 I understand the importance of things like vision and strategic planning.  But I’m also convinced that one of the most important elements of continued growth and ministry will be persistence.  To that end let me share a series of inspirational quotes and truths about persistence.

If Columbus had turned back, no one would have blamed him. No one would have remembered him either. --Unknown

Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. –Unknown

There is nothing so fatal to character than half-finished tasks. -- David Lloyd George

We can do anything we want to as long as we stick to it long enough. --Helen Keller

The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. --David Sarnoff

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. -- Theodore Roosevelt

Failure is our teacher, not our under-taker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It's a temporary detour, not a dead-end street. --William Ward

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. --Calvin Coolidge

It is never too late to be what you might have been. --George Eliot

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success: if I persist long enough I will win. --Og Mandino

Genius, that power that dazzles mortal eyes, is oft but perseverance in disguise.
--Henry W. Austin

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. --Dale Carnegie

Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance. --Samuel Johnson

As inspirational and challenging as these words are they pale in comparison to what Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  (NIV)

Here’s to continuing to discover the power of persistence.  I love you all and I’ll see you next year,

Pastor Chris

Dreams

One of the interesting things about the Bible, the Old Testament in particular, is that God often chose to speak to people through dreams.  Personally, I don’t believe God speaks to us through dreams today in the sense of revealing things.  Revelatory dreams in the Bible took place as God’s Word was unfolding.  Now we have it as a finished product, and it’s all we need.  And while I’m no expert on dreams, I believe they are, for the most part, subconscious thoughts that reach the conscious level when we are asleep.  I’ve read that dreams are usually a projection of fears, anxieties, tensions, hopes, ambitions, etc.  One of my favorite authors and preachers, John MacArthur, has written that it may be possible that you have a dream connected to a specific passage of scripture because that’s what you’re studying.  He goes on to say, “The Spirit of God might even prompt you to think a certain way in a dream.  I know some people have had very fearful dreams and it has driven them to know Christ.”  I guess the bottom line is that God may use something like a dream to accomplish His purpose but not as vehicles for some new revelation.    

Some people wake up with a vivid memory of their dreams.  That’s the way my daughter Tricia is.  When she has a dream she can (and will) tell you all the details.  Me, on the other hand, I have dreams, but I have a hard time remembering more than bits and pieces.  But here’s something interesting.  Recently I have had several dreams in which my children (26 and 22) are young again.  I don’t really remember anything significant about the dreams but my children are there, and  it’s like I’ve stepped back into time. 

Now, I like seeing them that way.  Andrew has a little round face, and Tricia has that curly blond hair.  But I’m not sure what, if anything, this means.  Maybe it’s because we’re about to get a new baby in our family and that has been a big part of my thoughts and prayers.  And while I have had many questions about her as we anticipate her arrival there are, I know two things for sure.  First, she will never be wanting for love.  Second, she will be special.    

When my children were young, I chose a special Psalm for each of them, and I read those Psalms as a prayer for their lives.  For my son, I chose Psalm 112.  It begins like this: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.  His children will be mighty in the land…”  That word “mighty” in the Hebrew language basically means “honored” and “distinguished.”  The idea is honored and distinguished for their virtue, their influence, and their success in life.  Those are some big words and big thoughts for such a little baby and while I don’t know exactly how those things will unfold for little Grace, I genuinely believe God will make them true.   

Maybe I’ve been seeing/remembering my children when they were very small in my dreams as a way to be reminded that God holds little lives in the palm of His hand.  I see their tiny faces then, think about them now, and know that God has always been in charge of their lives just like He will be in charge of Grace’s life.  In the end I’m thankful for those dreams, those memories and that reminder. 

When Andrew and Tricia were young, people would always say, “Enjoy every minute, because they grow up too fast.”  They were right.  Now that baby Grace is on the way, people always say, “There’s nothing like being a grandparent.”  I’m very confident that they’ll be right once again. 

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

One of the best books I’ve read in recent years is 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life[ELaC1] .  The book was written by Dr. Henry Cloud (you can buy the complete book or a condensed version).  The basic premise of the book is identifying the difference between people who win at love and life and those who fail.  Dr. Cloud said that when he carefully observed successful people, they gave him a certain “déjà vu” feeling.  It wasn’t that he had met them before, but he had met people like them.  The result was nine different “practices” that set them apart. 

One of the practices identified in the book was that Déjà vu people (his name for successful people) “play the movie.”  Now, I know that sounds a little crazy, but keep reading. His point was that Déjà vu people…successful people rarely take any action without considering its future implications.  Another way to say that is that they never see any individual action as a singular thing in and of itself; they “play the movie.” And by playing the movie, they see how actions and choices today can impact tomorrow.  This is how Dr. Cloud describes it in the book: “Any one thing you do is only a scene in a larger movie.  To understand that action, you have to play it out all the way to the end of the movie.”   

One of the difficulties of being a leader is that you not only have to give your best to each and every moment or day, you also have the responsibilities of thinking about and planning for tomorrow.  That means you’ve got to spend time “playing the movie.”  This isn’t one of my favorite things about being a leader, but I certainly understand the importance. 

Life will always be filled with difficult choices.  Oftentimes we choose the immediate comfort that comes from doing nothing.  The problem with that, though, is that while it will bring immediate comfort, the comfort will be short-lived.  The third servant in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) who received only one “talent” from his master chose the immediate comfort of doing nothing (remember he buried his talent in the ground).  However, when the master returned (the future will always come), he paid for his choice (vs. 24-30).

Most people don’t live the individual scenes of their lives today with the end in mind.  Most people aren’t interested in “the big picture” or “the final scene.”  But while the Bible gives us clear instruction about not worrying about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34), it also shows us the value of living in a way that allows you the privilege of one day hearing the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  When you’re faced with a difficult decision…when you hear about difficult decisions that have been made by others…play the movie.  There’s more going on in the story of your life and my life than what happens in each day (scene).  At least there should be…

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

If you asked my wife, she would tell you that I have a great memory.  She might go on to say something like, “Don’t tell him something you don’t want to ever hear about again because he won’t ever forget.”  Now she has good reason to say that.  I have a knack for remembering things.  I can remember things about the Bible I memorized when I was a kid at church camp.  I can remember the entire starting lineup for The Big Red Machine (Cincinnati Reds in the 70’s).  I can remember trivia, names, golf courses (every hole and what I shot), etc.  I am noticing that my memory is slipping a little with age, but I have a good memory.

That said I find myself wishing I had a better memory today.  I say that because last night (November 4^th) one of my lifelong friends in Oklahoma suffered his second heart attack in four days and died. Duane was 53-years-old. We became friends when I was in the eighth grade, and we shared a lot of great times growing up together.  He had one of those “larger than life” personalities.  He was friendly, he was funny, and he had one of the best tenor voices I’ve ever heard.  I could listen to him sing for hours. Sometimes we sang for hours.  We were very close as classmates and remained close even though life brought all the natural changes that getting older can bring.  One thing that helped is that we were both pastors so we shared not only the bond of friendship but the bond of living out a calling.  And even though I’ve spent the last few days remembering him and our time together, I really wish I could remember more.

I’m mindful today that the Bible has a lot to say about “remembering.”  Most of it is a reminder to us to remember the presence of God, the promises of God and the way God has provided for us in the past.  No doubt God knows that remembering is not something we do well which brings me back to wishing I had a better memory today. 

There are certain things I don’t ever want to forget.  Here are a few in no particular order.  I don’t ever want to forget the sorrow I feel when I am confronted with the reality of my sin because that feeling helps me to avoid sin in the future.  I don’t ever want to forget that God has forgiven my sin and that once it has been forgiven; He has chosen to remember it no more.  I don’t ever want to forget how I feel each time I hear Tricia sing.  I don’t ever want to forget how Sandy looked on the day Andrew got married.  I don’t ever want to forget how I feel when my son asks me for advice about ministry.  I don’t ever want to forget all the ordinary people in the church I grew up in who loved and encouraged me.  I don’t ever want to forget wanting to be exactly like my Uncle Mike when I was growing up.  I don’t ever want to forget the unique bond I have with my brothers and sisters because no one else will ever know what it’s like to grow up together.  I don’t ever want to forget that my mom and dad did not grow up in perfect homes.  I don’t ever want to forget how much I love the local church.  I don’t ever want to forget to be thankful for everything I have and thankful I don’t get what I deserve.

That’s just a very partial list.  I don’t have enough room for everything I’m thinking.  But if I were going to add just one more, it would be that I don’t ever want to forget the blessing of having some special and unconditional friendships when I was very young.  And I don’t want to forget to look for my good friend Duane when it’s my time to walk on streets of gold.  I don’t think he’ll be hard to find. I’ll just listen for his voice and follow the applause.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Never Alone

We’re just a couple of weeks from beginning a new weekend series called, The Joshua Project. What we will be doing is looking at selected passages (stories) in the first six chapters of Joshua to see what lessons we can learn about Promised Land living.  It should be a great study.

One of the things that I have noticed over the years is the tendency that we all sometimes have to make excuses for our lives rather than take responsibility for our lives.  A classic example of this can be found in the familiar parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30.  In this parable Jesus talked about a man who went on a journey but left three different servants with varying amounts of talents (5 -2 -1).  The first two servants put their talents to work and doubled them so that when the man returned, he was able to celebrate their efforts.  The third servant, I’m sure you remember, simply buried his talent in the ground.  When the man returned, he presented him with what he had been given along with an excuse (I know you are a hard man so I was afraid of losing your talent).  As a result, the talent was taken from the third servant, and he was thrown “into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  (Matthew 25:30).

How many of us live our lives with no results but plenty of excuses?  Part of the good news of God’s Word is that we don’t have to live this way, in part, because we are not alone.  When God gives us a responsibility or a challenge, He also gives us Himself as our number one resource.  When Moses died and God gave Joshua the responsibility of leading His people into The Promised Land, He said to him in Joshua 1:5, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.” (NIV) Now that promise wasn’t exclusive to Joshua and the challenge before him.  This is a promise that God gives to all believers. 

You can take ownership and responsibility for your life and leave all of your excuses behind today.  You can face the giant or mountain or whatever it is in your life that’s keeping you from experiencing God’s best today.  You can be a leader today.  You can accomplish whatever goal and realize whatever dream you have today.  You can do it if you remember that God will be with you, the same God who parted the Red Sea and multiplied a handful of fish and loaves to feed thousands.  But you also need to remember that God expects you to do your part.  Here’s a simple truth to remember about your relationship with God.  God will do the God things, and we have to do the people things.

Identify the challenge(s) in your life today, take the first step, and remember that you are never alone.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Certain Truth's for Uncertain Times

As we look back on the last ten years, one thing that seems to be consistent in our world is some level of economic uncertainty.  Just consider the following:

2000 – Tech bubble bursts in March 2000

2001 – Terrorist attack of 9/11

2002 – Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, Qwest, Global Crossing, ImClone, and Adelphia – hiding debt and misrepresenting earnings

2003 – War waged by the U.S. and Britain against Iraq begins; North Korea withdraws from the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons

2004 – Spain rocked by terrorist attacks; UN Atomic Energy Agency tells Iran to stop enriching uranium.

2005 – Hurricane Katrina; Rising interest rates

2006 – Political corruptions scandals; Interest rates rise; Housing markets begin to slump.

2007 - Housing markets melt down.

2008 – Credit crisis hits financial sector.

The truth is you can go even further back in time and find some event or threat that has created uncertainty in the economy.  The question isn’t, “Will there be economic uncertainty?” The question is “How will we handle economic uncertainty when it comes?”  There’s no better resource than God’s Word when it comes to answering this question.  Here are some biblical instructions that will never let you down:

1.     Keep Track

Proverbs 13:16 says, Every prudent man acts out of knowledge but a fool exposes his folly.  (NIV)  The first step to handling economic uncertainty is to know your own economic condition.  Ron Blue, founder of Ron Blue and Company (a firm that provides financial services from a Christian perspective), says that every person or family should take a financial physical.  This involves answering four questions: What do I have?  What do I owe?  How much am I spending?  How strong are my safety nets (insurance/savings accounts/etc.)?  Once you do that, you simply need to begin to keep track of your finances. 

2.     Plan Ahead

This means make a budget (Call it a “spending plan” if you hate the word budget).  Rick Warren says, “A budget is telling your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went.”  Proverbs 21:5 says, The plans of the diligent leads to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.  (NIV)  A budget is critical to personal economic health because financial freedom is not based on how much you make. It’s based on how much you spend. 

3.     Save Consistently

Proverbs 13:11 says, Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers little by little makes it grow.  (NIV)  The Bible says that it is a mark of wisdom to save for the future.  Proverbs 21:20 says, In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.  (NIV)  American Demographics magazine shows that the majority of baby boomers (those born between 1946-1964) will be broke at retirement age.  What’s the problem?  The problem is materialism funded by debt.  I know that in our current economy many people are showing more of a willingness to save, but materialism has already done its damage.  And if we were completely honest, we’d have to admit that we got into debt before the economy began to struggle.  When times are good, we buy, and then we pay for it by signing away our future.  When times are bad, we struggle.  Proverbs 22:7 says, The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.  (NIV)  When debt keeps us from being good stewards (saving – giving - etc.), then debt is a big problem.

4.     Give Habitually

Proverbs 3:9-10 says, Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.  (NIV)  Giving is an act of gratitude.  When we give, we acknowledge that everything comes from God.  Giving is an act of priority in the present.  When we give, we demonstrate that God has first place in our lives.  Giving is a statement of faith.  When we give, we put ourselves in a position to allow God to fulfill His promise of blessing in whatever way He chooses to bring that blessing. 

Economic uncertainty won’t steal your happiness and peace if you live prepared. In the end, it’s just a matter of obeying God’s Word.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris 

The Future

Recently I read an article on crosswalk.com by Ed Stetzer called “Future Trends in Evangelicalism.”  The article began by talking about how for the first ten years of this new millennium churches have been finding new and successful ways to communicate the gospel.  Stetzer went on to say, “For that to continue in the next decade, several issues will need to be discussed and resolved.”  Here are four specific issues he highlighted:

1.     Evangelicals must learn to navigate what I call a “post-seeker context.”  In the past churches have targeted “seekers” from the Baby Boomer generation who, for the most part, have some kind of religious or spiritual memory or knowledge.  In the future we will need to develop new models of outreach that recognize people who don’t have that same memory or knowledge.

2.     Evangelicals need to regain confidence in the gospel.  In the past several years many churches have experienced numerical growth by catering to the superficial needs of people rather than the one great need of all men everywhere, a need that can only be met with a clear proclamation and acceptance of the gospel.  In the past decade the emerging church (however you want to define “emergin” because everyone seems to define it differently) has sought a broader and more “holistic” gospel that was less authoritative and more inclusive.  That’s a false gospel.  We need to get back to the pure gospel of the Bible.

3.     Evangelicals will need to address the definition of evangelicalism.  Stetzer writes, “Right now, people often define evangelicals as anyone from Joel Osteen to John MacArthur” (If you’re familiar with those two men, you know they could not be more different in their approach to the Scriptures, to preaching, and to the stewardship of their influence).  If you apply the term evangelicalism to everyone and everything, it will end up meaning nothing.

4.     Evangelicals must address our shallow definition of discipleship.  Stetzer reveals that Life Way Research has published a book called The Shape of Faith to Come by Brad Waggoner.  Based on a study of 2,500 regular Protestant church-goers, he found statistics revealing that only 16% of participants say that they read their Bible daily, and another 20% say they read the Bible a few times a week.  Only 23% agreed strongly with the statement, “When I come to realize that an aspect of my life is not right in God’s eyes, I make necessary changes.”  In the past six months, only 29% said that they had shared with someone how to become a Christian twice or more, and 57% said they had not done so at all.  Perhaps the most disappointing, however, was what had happened when they were surveyed again a year later.  There was very little change in the actual data, but over 55% indicated that they had grown spiritually in the past year. 

It’s this last observation that troubles me the most.  James 1:22 says, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  (NIV)  Jesus says, in Matthew 7:24, Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man. . .(NIV)  The key to discipleship is not just “hearing” God’s Word; it’s putting it into practice. 

I’ve got some very real concerns about what the future holds when it comes to the local church.  One of my biggest is what kind of influence will the church have on the world when it’s filled with people whose lives are indistinguishable from the world?  It’s time for Christians to recognize and embrace the call to be different.  Not odd. . .different.  When Peter wrote his first epistle to encourage suffering Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, he wrote, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  (I Peter 2:9 – NIV)  That’s a great description of what it means to be different.  We need to be people marked by different priorities, different passions, different parenting, and different pursuits; different. . .you get the idea.  But this only happens when we make knowing and obeying God’s Word the foundation of our lives. 

My prayer for Mount Pleasant Christian Church is that we would be a people who love God’s Word, know God’s Word, and live God’s Word so that we can be a church that presents a clear reality of who Jesus really is and how He wants to heal and change broken lives.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

It's Not Rocket Science

One of my favorite biblical characters is Joseph (His story is told in Genesis 37-50).  If you grew up in Sunday school, then you know that as a very young man he was sold into slavery by his brothers who were filled with jealousy because Joseph was their father’s obvious favorite.  Joseph ultimately wound up in Egypt, the slave of Potiphar, who had such confidence in him he put him in charge of everything he owned.  While in this position, Joseph was sexually propositioned by Mrs. Potiphar, who falsely accused him of rape when he emphatically told her “no.”  As a result Joseph wound up in prison where he developed a reputation as an interpreter of dreams.  When this talent (gift from God) came to Pharaoh’s attention, he called on Joseph to explain two very disturbing dreams.  After listening to Pharaoh’s account of the dreams, Joseph interpreted them by saying Egypt was headed for seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.  That was the economic forecast of the day.  Joseph then recommended a plan for storing food during the good years so Egypt could survive the bad ones.  Pharaoh liked the suggestion, so he made Joseph his Chief Operating Officer and gave him the authority to make it happen—which is exactly what Joseph did. 
There is a lot we can learn from Joseph when it comes to the reality of our current economic forecast.  I, like all of you, grow concerned when I hear and read the negative economic forecasts that dominate our news.  At the same time, all of us, like Joseph, need to understand and embrace a common sense approach to the future.  In his book, Surviving Financial Meltdown, Ron Blue identifies that like this:



Take a financial physical. The beginning point to a proactive approach toward money management will always be determining the actual state of your finances (something most people aren’t realistic about). 

2.)   Establish a finish line.  Decide where you want to go (Set some goals).  What’s important to you when it comes  to your finances?

3.)   Plan how to get from here to there.

This is basically what Joseph did when he was given the responsibility of preparing Egypt for the seven years of famine that would follow the seven years of plenty.  And, if you know the story, you know that Joseph was quite successful.  The best thing about this kind of plan is that it’s not “rocket science.” It’s just common sense.

One more thing, that famine in Joseph’s day spread beyond Egypt.  As a result, people came to Egypt from all over the world to buy food (Genesis 41:57).  That meant that Joseph was able to be a witness to the rest of the world about the power of common sense and stewardship.

That same opportunity is available to each of us today.  Will you be like Joseph or will you be like the rest of the world?  God’s will is for each of us to practice good stewardship in our lives so that we can live without fear and anxiety.  And in times like these, that kind of life provides a powerful witness. 

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

P.S. Don’t forget that during tough economic times, the number one commitment we need as believers is a commitment to giving.  When we give we acknowledge that God has first place in our lives and that we trust Him to provide for all of our needs.  This kind of commitment brings blessing and peace.  This may not make sense by the world’s standards, but I’ll take God’s standards any day. 

Recently, as part of a college speech class my daughter took this summer, she was required to give a seven-minute “persuasive” speech. This wasn’t the first speech she had to give, but it was the last one and by virtue of that, it was important to her grade. In preparation for the speech, the professor gave the class a list labeled “Restricted Topics,” which included date rape, drinking and driving, going Greek, euthanasia, AIDS, teen pregnancy, smoking, physical fitness, marijuana, drinking age limits, alcoholism, teen suicide, eating disorders, recycling, child abuse, procrastination, washing your hands, seatbelt usage, abortion, safe sex, STD’s, organ donation, and global warming. These restrictions were based on not wanting to offend someone in the class.

In one class leading up to the speeches, the professor went around the room to get an idea of what each student was thinking about with regard to the speech. Tricia said she was leaning toward “volunteerism.” He didn’t seem too excited about that topic. Another man said he was considering a speech focused on how foolish the Christian faith was, which emphasized the ridiculousness of believing in the supernatural or miraculous stories of the Bible.

In the end Tricia spoke on volunteerism and got a very good grade. The man I mentioned above did his speech on the foolishness of faith. He began his speech by saying, “What would you think if I told you that 92% of all the people in the U.S. believed in unicorns? He went on to liken that to a belief in the literal interpretation of the Bible citing a Fox News survey that indicated 92% of Americans say they believe in the Bible. You can just imagine the rest of his speech’s content.

Here’s my question. When did we get to the place where we won’t talk about something like physical fitness because we don’t want to offend someone who is overweight or out of shape, but it’s okay to completely trash and dismiss someone’s personal faith in God with ridicule and a condescending attitude? That, friends, is an up close and personal illustration of the state of our culture. At first it makes you angry. Then it just makes you sad.

The way Tricia described this man in her class made it clear he was pretty impressed with himself. How do you respond to someone like this? Proverbs 26:4 says, Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself (NIV). In the end all we can do is pray for someone who openly mocks God because the Bible makes it clear the day will come when that will no longer be an option.
Pastor Chris

This past week we enjoyed a great Father’s Day celebration in all of our weekend services. I appreciate the great work that Brian Tabor and Joey Santos do in our worship and arts ministry. I hope you know how blessed we are to have them both. And I hope you know how blessed we are to have so many talented singers and musicians right here in our church.

I was surprised and deeply moved by the video element of my son sharing a Father’s Day blessing to me from his church in Grand Prairie, TX, (Brian and Joey managed to keep that part of the service hidden from me). Sandy and I haven’t seen Andrew and Kara in a while, and we really miss them. The news that they are expecting their first child in December makes us even more anxious to see them.

I can’t think of anything that makes you more conscious of your role as a father than learning that your son is going to become a father because, as we learned this past weekend from a brief look at the lives of Abraham and Isaac, a father passes on the reality of who he is to his children. I’m praying that my son will have the wisdom and discernment to follow the example, not just of his earthly father, but of his Heavenly Father as he prepares to face the challenge of being a dad. It’s a great blessing and a great responsibility.

While studying for last week’s message, I ran across a story of how when John Wooden graduated from grammar school, his father gave him a card. On one side, it read: “Four things a man must learn to do if he would make his life more true: To think without confusion clearly; to love his fellow-man sincerely; to act from honest motives purely; to trust in God and heaven securely.”
On the other side of the card was this Seven Point Creed:

1. Be true to yourself.
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

When Wooden told the story of receiving this card, he said that his dad gave it to him with these words, “Son, try to live up to these things.”

I encourage every dad who reads this blog to find the time to share a personal moment with each of your children. It may be a moment they remember for the rest of their lives.

Jesus cares,

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what the future can look like for Mount Pleasant Christian Church. In the local church, just like in so many other areas of life, there is always a need for strategic planning. At the present time our church is experiencing God’s blessing in some very tangible ways. The completion of our Community Life Center/Student Ministry Center almost a little over a year-and-a-half ago has been a great blessing. And I hope that you would agree with me that the discomfort of re-modeling and re-purposing almost all of our main campus was well worth it. This week our staff is moving into the new Administrative space and the only two items left on the agenda are converting the Y.A.C. to a Chapel and re-modeling the Music Suite.

But the blessings we are experiencing go well beyond buildings and construction. We are also welcoming a lot of new people to our services each week and, better still, we are seeing many new people become a part of God’s eternal family. And virtually every week someone takes the time to tell me about the great things that God is teaching them or that God is doing in their life or family. Does that mean everything’s perfect, no, but it does mean that things are moving in the right direction.

That brings me back to strategic planning. Every leader knows that success (blessing) today does not guarantee success (blessing) tomorrow. And every leader knows how important it is to look down the road and try to be prepared for what tomorrow brings remembering that ultimately God is in control. Proverbs 16:9 says, In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. (NIV) I believe those words…I’ve lived those words. So it’s important to plan for the future but to do it with an eternal perspective.

This is something I’ve been doing as a pastor for the past 30 years. But I’m going to be honest and tell you that it’s not my favorite part of being a pastor…it’s not my favorite part of being a leader. I believe in strategic planning. What we’ve seen happening on our campus for the past three-and-a-half years has been a part of a strategic plan. I’m excited about what God has in store for Mount Pleasant. But let me tell you what I like the most. I like the challenge of making each and every weekend something special. I understand the importance of planning for three years, five years, ten years down the road. But I love planning for Saturday and Sunday.

This might sound a little benign to someone who gets captivated by long-term vision, but I have always wanted the church I serve to be a place where people are moved and blessed and…happy. A few weeks ago we had a baby dedication ceremony. We do these on Saturday nights so we don’t have as many time constraints. On this particular Saturday we had seventeen babies and it was exciting. In fact you could feel the excitement in the building. A few minutes before the service started I was walking off the stage and saw as woman who is a pretty new member. She asked me, “What’s happening tonight?” I told her it was a baby dedication and I said, “You’re going to love it.” This was her reply. “I love everything this church does.” And that friends, made my day because that’s the way I want people to feel. That’s a strategic plan that’s been in my heart in every church I’ve every served.”

We’ve got some big plans for the future. But even better than that, we’ve got some big plans for this weekend. I hope I see you there.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

This past weekend, as most of you know, we experienced 114 baptisms in our weekend services. I’ve got to tell you that in 30 years of full-time Christian ministry, I have never been a part of something like this. I have never seen God move in so many people so spontaneously to respond to the call of faith expressed in baptism. Months ago I made the decision to preach about baptism on this particular weekend. But apart from praying diligently, making sure we had extra towels and baptismal “clothes,” and letting people who had gone through our Membership Inquiry process know that I was going to be sharing a message about baptism, we didn’t do anything on our own to create this response. It’s Wednesday morning as I write this blog entry, and I’ve got to tell you I’m still feeling very overwhelmed by what God did. Here are some of my reflections and thoughts from the weekend in no particular order.

After you’ve baptized your first 22 people, don’t change back into your street clothes because there just might be two more people who come. After you’ve baptized your first 24 people, don’t change back into your street clothes because there just might be three more people who come. After you’ve baptized your first 27 people, just wear your wet clothes home because, who knows, you might meet an Ethiopian man in a chariot somewhere along Bluff Road, and you’ll need to be prepared.

While the Bible makes it clear God moves and works in response to our faith, I’m so thankful there are times when God also chooses to move and work in spite of a lack of faith, or, at the very least, uncertain faith. I’ve never been as bold in my call for people to come and be baptized as I was this past weekend. But after the message in each service I changed into my baptismal clothes, came out of Joey Santos’ office and asked someone on staff, “Did anyone come?” I even did that at the 10:45 service when I had already baptized 64 people. Thank You, God, for all the patience You have shown to me over the past 30 years. Help my faith to grow.

As strong as my conviction is about New Testament baptism (all the things I shared with you this past weekend), driving home after the 10:45 service my heart felt a little heavy because I know there were people in each service who do not understand or share that same conviction. And my prayer was that our relationships will still be strong and open, and that, together, we will trust God to guide and direct our lives.


I can’t even imagine what it must have been like on the Day of Pentecost when about 3,000 people accepted the message of Christ and were baptized.

I’m thankful to be the Senior Pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church. I’m thankful to lead a staff who is willing to say, “What can I do to help/serve?” I’m thankful to be a part of a Brotherhood of Churches who has a common goal of restoring the biblical pattern of the church for the ultimate purpose of uniting all Christians as one.

Jesus cares,
Pastor Chris

I wanted to take a minute to write and say what a blessing this past Easter weekend was for me, and I hope and pray it was for you as well. I’ll be honest and tell you I didn’t quite know what to expect in terms of the crowd because Easter fell on one of the two weekends that bookended Spring Break. I’ve never seen anything like Spring Break in Central Indiana (I hope many of you were able to get away and experience a time of refreshment and renewal). But the end result was an attendance of 4,385, which is the second highest weekend attendance in the history of the church. What makes that even more amazing was that Saturday night’s service was far from full (not sure why…maybe it had something to do with the 6pm tip-off of the National Semi-Final game involving a certain Indianapolis area team). If you were at one of our Sunday morning services, you know that the Worship Center was packed. And each Sunday service included more than 100 people in the overflow area. Our Video Venue also had a record crowd of 125. In the end it was simply a powerful weekend. I’m very thankful for all the efforts from our Worship and Arts staff as well as the entire church staff who demonstrated a willingness to serve in whatever capacity they were needed.

On April 17-18 we’ll begin a new verse-by-verse study of the Book of I Peter entitled, “Where is the Hope?” The apostle Peter wrote this letter to believers scattered throughout the regions of Asia Minor because of increasing hardship and persecution that was causing some of them to wonder if God had abandoned them. He wrote to let them know it was possible to find hope and meaning in the midst of their suffering. This series (with a few breaks for holiday weekends) will take us through the summer and provide a great opportunity for growth for all of us. I hope you will pray for me in my preparation, and then plan on being present for each study.

Finally, on a lighter note, I can’t tell you how blessed I feel to have a freezer full of Blue Bell ice cream. I hope you did not miss the April 5th introduction of Blue Bell into the Indianapolis market. I also hope you are doing your part to make sure Blue Bell stays around. Let your local Meijer store know how much you appreciate them for carrying Blue Bell, and fill out a product request form at your local Kroger or Marsh or wherever you shop. There’s an important reason for this that will become clear when I get to share my latest Blue Bell story with you at church. I’m hoping that will be soon. In the meantime, keep buying. My newest recommendation is a flavor called “Butter Crunch.” It’s vanilla ice cream with chunks of Butterfinger candy bars. (I know…I know…this is a little over the top).

Jesus cares,
Pastor Chris

A Blue Bell Prayer

In my last blog entry I shared some thoughts about friendship based on a recent trip Sandy and I took to Houston. I have to be honest, though, and tell you that one of the things I miss the most about living in Houston (and Broken Arrow), is Blue Bell Ice Cream. Now if you've been a part of the Mount Pleasant family for any length of time, you know that I have a slight addiction to Blue Bell. My recent trip to Houston didn't help this addiction as I discovered a new flavor called "Candy Jar." Listen to how Blue Bell describes "Candy Jar" ice cream on their web site. "Rich caramel ice cream containing all of your favorite candy pieces - peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, peanut brittle, chunks of caramel, and chocolate crisp pieces." Who could say "no" to that?

The original Blue Bell creamery is located in Brenham, Texas, located just outside of Houston so there was never any problem getting the ice cream there. The second creamery Blue Bell opened just happened to be in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and its opening just happened to coincide with my family moving to Broken Arrow. But, alas, there is no Blue Bell joy in Greenwood, Indiana. So for the past eight years I've had to be satisfied with occasional splurges of three gallon containers of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla purchased from Carrabbas restaurant or a few days of Blue Bell gluttony when I'm on vacation. But the winds of change just might be blowing through Central Indiana.

According to INDYSTAR.COM Blue Bell has plans to break into the Indianapolis market with the construction of a cold storage warehouse on the northwest side. The article says, "Plans for an Indianapolis distribution facility appear to signal a major move into Northern markets."

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100215/BUSINESS/2130332/Blue-Bell-ice-cream-hopes-to-build-here?GID=3eT7/UFIjiUdALQLCWsKAq3l4Ku0KQflkgsHVWyLF0M%3D

Suffice it to say that we've all got something new to add to our prayer lists. If Blue Bell does make its way to Indianapolis, I'm going to be modest and only claim somewhere between 75% to 90% responsibility.

You can thank me later,

Pastor Chris

Friendship

This weekend begins a new six-week sermon series called, "A New Command" based on Jesus' words in John 13:34-35, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (NIV) More than anything else, this series will be about how to build genuine caring relationships with one another which is something that is relevant to each of us.

There's no question that one of the greatest gifts God has given to us is the gift of friendship. I was reminded of that this past week as Sandy and I traveled to Houston for a week of vacation. Houston holds a special place in our hearts because it was where we met, where our kids were born, and where we had our first ministry. Houston is also home to some very special friends.

One of the unique things about friendship is that it is something that can bring great joy and great heartache. No doubt that's why Paul instructs us to "rejoice with those who rejoice" and "mourn with those who mourn" in Romans 12. We did both of those things while in Houston. I have two close friends named Darrel and David who I lived with before any of us were married. Sandy and I married first and then I had the privilege of marrying Darrel and Kathie and then David and Suzanne. Kathie and Suzanne stood with Sandy and Darrel and David stood with me when we were married. Suzanne is Sandy's long-time best friend who lived down the street from her while she was growing up. I don't have enough room in this blog to describe the depth of our friendship. So when we travel to Houston it's like we travel back in time and experience life the way it was over twenty-five years ago. We eat together, we go to movies together, we shop together, we play golf together, we stay up late together, but mostly we laugh together.

Houston is also the home of the best mentors Sandy and I have ever had. Two couples in particular are Jack and Charlotte Tipton (both from Oklahoma) and Rusty and Linda Wilfong (both from Illinois). We got to worship and have lunch with Jack and Charlotte on Sunday. On Saturday we got to see two of Rusty and Linda's kids and their families as we celebrated one of their granddaughter's birthdays at their new home in Fulshear, Texas. It was a beautiful, warm, blue-sky day with a light breeze...just the escape you're looking for in February. The only problem was that Linda wasn't there. The last time we were in Houston (February 2008) we were there so I could preach her funeral. The day after Valentine's Day that year Linda suffered a heart-attack, fought for her life in the hospital, but never made it home. It won't be a surprise to any of you that I didn't make it very long before I broke down and cried. That happened when I was praying for our lunch. A little later in the day, when everyone was gathered around the table singing "Happy Birthday" to three-year-old Addison, it was just too much for Sandy to take as she thought about how much Linda loved moments like that. I told her that she was supposed to be the strong one in our family. Later, as Sandy and I sat with Rusty on the back patio we talked about Linda and everyone cried.

I love the fun that friendship brings. I love the laughter and the celebration...I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I feel the same way about the sadness and the pain that friendship can sometimes bring. It was a different kind of joy that Sandy and I felt as we sat there on the patio with Rusty, but it was still joy. Proverbs 17:17 says, A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (NIV)

Do you have a friend that you haven't laughed or cried with in a while? Life gets busy with work and grocery shopping and paying bills and Super Bowls and meetings and shoveling driveways and time spent worrying and sitting in front of a computer screen like I'm doing right now. Don't miss out on friendship. Don't miss out on the full experience of friendship. Whether you're laughing or crying, there's no question it's one of God's greatest gifts.

Pastor Chris

There was a time when I was a big baseball fan. When I was a boy, I loved the Cincinnati Reds (The Big Red Machine) because I liked Johnny Bench who was from Oklahoma. I suffered through their World Series losses to the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A's in 1970 and 1972. But back-to-back World Series Championships over the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in 1975 and 1976 made it all worthwhile. When The Big Red Machine broke up, my support of the Reds went away, but that's when I became a Reggie Jackson fan. I loved the drama he brought to the Yankees and later to the Angels (in the end I guess I'm more a fan of specific players than I am of teams).

I don't follow baseball as much as I used to (although I was pulling for the Yankees over the Phillies in the latest World Series), but I was interested when the latest Hall of Fame vote was released. I was happy go see Andre Dawson elected. I used to watch him when he played for the Cubs, and I loved the way he looked so menacing at the plate. But the thing that stood out the most to me was the fact that Mark McGwire came up weak on the balloting. A player needs to receive 75% of the votes to be inducted, and McGwire received 23.7% of the votes in his fourth appearance on the ballot.

Any confusion about the McGwire vote was removed this past week when he finally admitted to using steroids during his career. That means his prolific home run totals, including 1998, the year he captured the attention of the entire country as he broke Roger Maris' long standing record of 61 home runs in a season (McGwire finished with 70), were all aided by performance-enhancing drugs. Now, to be honest, I like Mark McGwire. I always have. I've always liked the home run hitters. And I'm not interested in being overly critical. There is a part of me that feels bad for him. But in the end, all of this just reinforces something I've believed for a long time. There are no short-cuts to success.

Have you ever noticed how often someone who desperately wants to succeed never does? Oftentimes that's because in their desperation they're willing to try every short cut that comes along. And those shortcuts are the very things that sabotage their efforts. From a purely statistical standpoint Mark McGwire's career was a huge success. But do you ever think anyone will ever look at those statistics as being legitimate?

There are a lot of things that contribute to success in our personal lives, our families, our careers, our finances, etc, but there is never any substitute for things like hard work, honesty, and perseverance. I think that principle is found throughout the Scriptures. Proverbs 13:11 says, Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. (NIV) Galatians 6:9 says, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV)

This past Wednesday at our monthly all-staff luncheon, I spent some time challenging and encouraging our staff to embrace this truth about hard work and perseverance. I told them that one of the most important ministry principles they can ever learn is that leaders can accomplish big goals one step at a time. That's not what most people want to hear, that's not even something you find in a lot of leadership books and articles, but it is absolutely true. In a world where everyone wants instant gratification and instant success, perseverance isn't something that's talked about a lot. But there's no substitute. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a “one step at a time” kind of guy because I know that God rewards faithfulness. I hope that's something that you know as well.

Jesus cares,
Pastor Chris