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