To Save a Life Movie and the next Sherwood movie project

Last Thursday I was able to see a prescreening of an upcoming movie called To Save A Life. Here is my honest critique of the film...

I believe the movie has a fantastic message for a limited audience. The movie gives a very honest, abrasive and brutal look at the realities of teen suicide, teen drug use, teen alcohol use, teen "cutting" and teen sexuality. While spending time in all of these teen problems there are three cuss words thrown in for good measure (the "A" word once and the "H" word twice).

The following text is from the movie's website:

Jake Taylor has it all: friends, fame, a basketball scholarship and the hottest girl in school. What could be better?

Enter Roger Dawson. Roger has nothing. No friends. No hope. Nothing but putdowns and getting pushed aside. Things couldn't get worse...could they?

Jake and Roger were best friends when they were kids. But the politics of high school quickly pulled them apart. Now Roger doesn't fit in Jake's—or anyone's circle—and he's had enough. He walks onto campus with a gun in his pocket and pain in his heart and makes a tragic move.

Jake's last-ditch effort can't stop Roger, and the sudden tragedy rocks Jake's world. Something breaks loose inside and sends him questioning everything. Most of all, he can't shake the question Could I have saved Roger? In a quest for answers, Jake finds himself looking for the next Roger and reaching out to the outcasts and lonely. But he quickly finds that crossing class castes threatens all his world is built on. And it could cost him his own friends, his girl, his dreams and even his reputation. Is it worth the price to find the answer to his ultimate question: What do I want my life to be about?


The movie falls short I believe at doing what it wants to do. It does have a great message. We see the main character become a Christ follower and when he does his world gets worse, not better. Which I believe is very true-to-life. Just because you follow Christ it doesn't mean you won't ever experience hardship again.

But the in-your-face approach to the issues teens face may be closer to glorifying it than warning against it. Just from a technical stand-point, the movie was slow in spots. I found myself looking at my watch more than once. Also, it was way too long.

All in all I believe this movie gets a "B-". It shouldn't be seen by anyone under the age of 15.

But there is ANOTHER movie that I am absolutely stoked about seeing...the announcement of this project just happened yesterday (November 15th). The creators of Fireproof the movie announced their next new film Courageous. This is going to be a film about fatherhood! I cannot wait! These guys know how to do movies! This is definitely a movie you are going to want to see.

UPDATE:

The Christian Post published an ARTICLE about the Courageous Movie. It says that filming is set to begin next year with a tentative release date for early 2011. Bummer we will have to wait that long!

Veteran's Day 2009

Every year I get the privilege of participating in the Memorial Day and Veteran's Day service held on the south side of the Iowa State Capital Grounds between the Korean and the Vietnam Monuments. It is a simple service that can draw a pretty sizable crowd (if the weather cooperates). I usually perform the invocation and the benediction.

Before I offered my closing prayer, I shared a few remarks with the crowd. Here is what I shared:

How do you honor someone who risks their life to defend your freedom?
How do you remember the thousand upon thousands who gave their lives fighting for our independence?
How do you remember those whose blood was spilled in foreign lands...kids who had their whole lives in front of them?
And how do we pay tribute to the soldiers who defend us today, right now?


Maybe we start by just saying, "Thanks." Today we celebrate and honor those brave men and women for their service to this great country that we call America.

THANK YOU! Thank you for my way of life. Thank you for my ability to raise my family in this land. Thank you for the privilege I have of worshiping my Savior each and every week without threat or fear.

Thank you for showing me what the greatest love looks like. Jesus said that there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friend. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We will never forget your sacrifice!

Winning the debate on the "terms"

The debate for same-sex marriage is not going to go away anytime soon. In Iowa, if everything works according to plan, the issue won't be up for vote with the people before 2012. And once the people of Iowa get the opportunity to vote, same-sex marriage will be handily defeated in our state. Same-sex marriage has now lost in every single state -- 31 in all -- in which it has been put to a popular vote.

Recently I attended an event sponsored by the Iowa Family Policy Center called, "Handling the second-hand effects of same-sex marriage." It was very informative. The keynote address was from Jan Mickelson, radio talk show host for WHO Radio. He spoke directly to a room filled with ministers and told them that we have to deal with this debate using the right terms.

He said, "The reason the abortion debate has been controlled by those in support of abortion is because they controlled the language of the debate." Don't use terms like "unborn baby." Instead use the term "fetus." Don't speak about life or death, speak about liberty and choice.

The moment a person in support of abortion has to get technical in describing what it is that they actually do, they lose the debate every single time. A prime example of this playing out in real life is the very recent story of Abby Johnson, a director at a local Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who quit after viewing an ultrasound of an abortion procedure. Here's the point...when those on the other side, have to face the ugly facts of the debate...they lose.

The debate for same-sex marriage is no different. If we truly press those who are homosexual to describe what it is that they do that makes them homosexual, they lose every time. The "Ick" factor is too high.

The realities are that if we "drink the kool-aid" and adopt the thinking of this age then we will assume all the lines we hear all too often. Lines such as this: It is very discriminatory to not allow two people in love to have the same benefits of marriage that you enjoy. When the fact is, it is very proper for society to discriminate against this for its very propogation. Civilization cannot be advanced by homosexual couples.

Another line is to compare very real civil rights struggles of blacks in American society with that of the same-sex marriage movement today. Here's the deal, I have met many people who used to be "gay" but I have never met anyone who used to be black (except possibly Michael Jackson). Those that faced having to stand at Colored Water Fountains are deeply offended by this notion that the push of the homosexual movement is the same as their own very real struggles with equality.

Having someone try to have their identity and class status be defined by what they do with certain body parts is absolutely laughable. And the only way we are going to make head-way in this debate is to not budge one inch on the terms of this debate. We must not let the homosexual movement set the terms.

We can win this battle, but it is a marathon, not a sprint. We must be diligent and unwavering in our beliefs. One day, the people of this state will be given the opportunity to vote on this issue, and once that happens, those who stand for marriage will see their 32nd victory in popular vote.

Purity Celebration

This video is a special animation we created for part of our purity series we put on DVD.

Back in late September, we began a four-part series with the youth of The Fort where we taught them all about Biblical Purity. Each week had a special focus. We put all of these lessons together on DVD and presented it in a fast-paced style that was engaging and well-produced (if we do say so ourselves).

Week one's focus was purity in definition. We taught that youth what the Bible really says that purity is.

Week two's focus was purity in thought. This is where the real battle for purity is waged...in our thought life. We taught them how to take their thought life captive for Jesus.

Week three's focus was purity in dress. This is where the rubber begins to meet the road in the issue of purity. We tried to give practical steps for the youth in this issue without coming across like a Puritan. It is possible to be fashionable and still maintain purity of dress.

Week four's focus was purity in life. This was the culmination of all that we had learned and we tried to help the youth see how to practically take steps to live a life of purity. We also challenged them to be pure in all arenas of their life...even the virtual arenas of Facebook and Myspace and email and texts. Purity is for every aspect of our life.

Then after these four weeks of lessons, we held a special banquet that the ladies of the church prepared. And the leaders of the church, along with their wives, helped serve to the youth.

We had twenty-one participants in all. We had the young people dress up. And after the fancy meal (also had a few folks who spent a lot of time making the place we ate at and where we worshiped look fantastic) we then went into our auditorium for a special ceremony.

At this ceremony, each young person came forward and made a vow to live a life of purity. Here is the vow each young person took:

Acknowledging that God has made me in His image and made my body to be His temple and has graciously saved me from my sin, it is my desire to please Him.

From this day forward, I, ___________, vow before God and witnesses, in obedience to God’s Word, to keep myself chaste and pure, to give myself totally and only to the mate God is preparing for me.

May this pledge I made today, October 24, 2009, honor you, O God and bring glory to your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

After this, the parent's of the young person placed a purity ring on their finger. And then they signed a document that had the words of their vow on it (that had also been signed by me, the pastor, and the youth pastor).

I have to tell you, in all of the things I have done in ministry, this ranks in the top five coolest things I have ever done. It was truly a very special evening. Here are some pictures to enjoy:

Local Elections and Rod Roberts Press Release...

This morning I attended a local preacher's meeting that was also attended by gubernatorial-hopeful, Rod Roberts. He handed me a press release that went out just this morning entitled, "Roberts Announces He Will Vote Not To Retain Three Iowa Supreme Court Justices." In this press release Roberts said, "We need to send a message to the Iowa Supreme Court that they are accountable to the people of Iowa. The problem with judicial activism is that it thwarts the will of the legislature and of the people of Iowa."

I'm proud of Rod for taking this stand. I believe him that he will do this. And I think it is in stark contrast to the front-runner, Branstad, who won't dare publicly come out against these justices because two of them he appointed to their positions on the court.

Also, tomorrow is election day for Mayoral races and city councils. Here is Des Moines, I took time to call every single person running for City Council...even for those running in Ward 1 where I can't vote for them. In every single case (except for Skip Moore), I asked the new candidates the same two questions. 1)If you had been on the council a few years back when the council voted to extend special protections for homosexuals, lesbians and transgendered individuals in the work place (even though there are already laws on the books protecting individuals from discrimination) how would you have voted? 2)What is your position on the issue of abortion?

Unfortunately, all the candidates, except for one, Halley Griess, all of the other candidates would have voted in favor of the ruling by the council AND were pro-death. Halley Griess though, stands out. He is a Christian man who seeks to do right. He believes strongly in the need for new leadership on the council.

He isn't of the same cut cloth like Christine Hensley (who should not even be called a Republican). He is willing to do what is right even when it is unpopular. If you are in Ward 1, get out tomorrow and vote for Halley Griess! He's someone we need to help get the Des Moines City Council back on track!

Appearance on Deace in the afternoon

Today I had the opportunity to appear on WHO Radio for Steve Deace's show: Deace in the afternoon. I was on from 5:00PM to 6:00PM. We discussed my meeting with former Governor Terry Branstad and my Blog Post about that meeting. HERE is a link to the Podcast of the show. Hopefully I didn't sound too dumb!

Meeting with former Governor Terry Branstad

This morning I had the opportunity to sit in a room with former Governor Terry Branstad along with about a half dozen others and learn his positions on issues. In the room with me were a couple of other pastors as well as Chuck Hurley with the Iowa Family Policy Center, Kim Lehman with the Iowa Right to Life, Jonathan Narcisse, Steve Scheffler with the Iowa Christian Alliance,and my buddy Shane Vanderhart who maintains the blog Caffeinated Thoughts.

What occurred at this meeting is exactly what I thought would occur. Terry Branstad said things we wanted to hear. He made some things clear to us. He is NOT running a campaign on social moral issues. His campaign is going to have one primary focus. Here's the focus: Culver is doing a lousy job, I can do better.

What Branstad hopes to accomplish in these back-room meetings with pastors and other socially conservative Iowans is to appease us in some way by saying something like this: "We're on the same team. I think the same way you do about these issues. Even if you don't hear me talk about them, they are important to me privately."

But that is NOT leadership. Definitely not the leadership we need. Here's Branstad's track record in Iowa with conservatives:

Under his leadership gambling became legal in this state. There really isn't a need to hold him accountable for the havoc this has reaked on the people of Iowa because as he said to us in that room, "What was I supposed to do? Over 70% of the people wanted it even though I was personally opposed to it."

Under his leadership the DHS allowed homosexual couples to adopt and provide foster care for children. He said he simply wasn't aware of that. Kind of like the Griswold's driving to Wally World in the movie Vacation when they fell asleep at the wheel.

Under his leadership he appointed two of the Iowa Supreme Court Justices who voted to redefine marriage in this state...an act of judicial tyranny.

I asked him if he would openly campaign against retaining those justices and speak out against their decision. He bristled at the thought. He said that privately he feels that way but he can not publicly do something like that. WEAK!

I told him that I was concerned about Doug Gross' influence in the campaign and his potential future administration. Doug Gross, in case you aren't aware, spent lots of money polling people in the state to try to prove that social issues need to be put on the back burner if Republicans are going to win elections. You can see an article about that Here.

Branstad just ignored my concerns and didn't even respond to them. All in all, if Branstad wins reelection, he will simply be a Republican version of Culver. He is a politician through and through.

The people in this state need to take a stand and not keep getting force-fed candidates who don't have a backbone. We need leadership. We need someone who will be a true champion of conservative values.

We need a strong stand on moral issues (not back-room meetings)! We need someone to fight those who have brought same-sex marriage to this state. Someone who will not be afraid to speak out against rogue justices who have ignored our state's constitution!

Basically what we need in gubernatorial leadership in Iowa is something that Terry Branstad is not able to deliver.

Ministry has changed...

Ministry has undergone lots of change in recent years. Some things are never going to change. Like helping people learn to love and live for God. That is at the heart and core of ministry.

But how that gets accomplished has changed. It used to be that a minister would simply be able to go to someone's home, knock on the door, be invited in and be able to talk to that person (or people) about the Lord. Nowadays, if you tried that, you are most likely a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon and you aren't received too kindly.

We live in the era of Facebook, Twitter and emails. Life seems more techno-centric than it was 30 years ago. People have come to rely on computers and mobile devices.

I have found that ministering in this era can be a challenge but you can still accomplish the same goal of helping people learn to love and live for God but you have to embrace new methods.

Using my account on Facebook I have been able to keep up with those that I minister to as well as encourage them in their walk with the Lord. On Facebook, I created a group on Facebook for our church members who are on Facebook to have another place of connection. Click HERE to see our church's Facebook Group Page.

From that group page, I have created special "events" that help promote and advertise various activities and sermon series we have at The Fort. I have also incorporated Twitter into this at another level of fostering more communication and connection with our church body online. We have a Twitter feed on the home page of our web site that we update to broadcast special announcements or updates.

All of these are tools. Some might argue that it contributes to the increasing isolationist direction of our culture, but I would say that we are building community on many levels. Not everyone is online. But many are.

We want to be a church that embraces all the methods we can to help people become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. We want to help people get into the Word of God.

Recently a woman was publicly executed in North Korea. Her crime? Distributing Bibles. It is noteworthy that a book most Americans take for granted and rarely read was worthy of death in a far corner of the world.

Anything I can do to get people more invested in reading the Word of God I will do!

Smallville and the coolest video ever...

A friend gave me the first two seasons of Smallville on DVD. I really haven't seen the show, to be honest, but we watched the first episode. The first of the first season ends with the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. That triggered my remembering this video. I don't think I have ever seen a more powerful skit than this one, honestly. Enjoy!

First Baptist Church

I performed a wedding the other day. It was a nice ceremony for a neat young couple. But I didn't perform the wedding ceremony in our church building. It was held at the First Baptist Church in Johnston, IA.

The church is pastored by Tim Bonney, a very nice man who has served in ministry in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. He has been at First Baptist in Johnston for approximately five years.

The reason I am blogging about First Baptist is because they are a very interesting church. They used to be located downtown in Des Moines, but they moved in 2002 to their current location. Their facility is breathtaking.

It has a strain-your-neck-high vaulted wood ceiling which is amazing. The stone walls are gorgeous. The open airy feel of the facility leaves you feeling like you are in a house of worship.

But here was the odd thing for me...they are overtly traditional. In every way they pride themselves in not being a contemporary congregation. There is a grand piano and a pipe organ on the stage and behind their baptistry there is a beautiful wooden cross and above that a fabulous round stained-glass window.

But there is no projection system. The audio set up is only average. There is nothing in the facility that says "2002!" Other than it looks new.

They do currently have a contemporary service that meets at the church. I was told by their sound man that it is a smaller gathering and they do not meet in their sanctuary, the contemporary service meets out off of the foyer area.

This church of approximately 200 people like the way they do church. They are proud of their style and that is who they are. And hear me clearly, there is nothing wrong with that.

In fact, too many churches spend their time with a psychological disorder always trying to be the mega-church that they aren't. So it is okay, in my book, to embrace who it is that you really are as a church.

But, having said all of that, I do know that I dream about who The Fort is all the time! I want us to be different than we are. I believe that we are capable of being so much more. I have begged God, I have shed tears before the Lord over showing me what it is to do so that we can grow as a church. I desire for us to reach as many people on the South Side of Des Moines as we can for Jesus Christ.

I do not desire to uphold traditions. I do not desire to build beautiful buildings. I do not desire to have any of that. What I desire is for one more opportunity to preach about Jesus Christ to another lost man or woman. That is my heart.

I know God's Word is true. I know it can change lives forever. I desire to see that life change happen at The Fort! One of the only ways it can happen is when our people begin to invite their family, friends, neighbors and co-workers with them to church.

A great opportunity to do that will be our upcoming Warrior series that starts on September 20th. This will be a sermon series directed at the men. Far too long men have settled for less than God's best in their life because they believe that deep spirituality is too feminine. It isn't. It is actually brutal and bloody. And we want to show the men in our church that being a man of God is a call to the heart of a Warrior!

So do your part, invite someone to join you. Beg someone to come. Barter with them. Bribe them. I don't care but do something. Because people's eternities are at stake!

When you lose your best friend...

Yesterday, August 7th, 2009 was a very crappy day in the Demastus home. Our family's best friend, Bessie Anabelle Demastus, went to heaven. Even though I honestly have struggled with feeling like a murderer for having her put down, I know the decision was the best one for my girl, Bessie. Her problems were chronic and in the end she was very bad, and even though we didn't want to deal with it, we had to. The Bible says that it is important to care for the needs of your animal, in fact it is a righteous act (Proverbs 12:10). And sometimes the best decision is to grant a painless and peaceful passing.

We buried Bessie in our backyard, her backyard. That's where she played with her two favorite boys. She was buried in her favorite blanket with one of her favorite "bunnies" and she wore her pretty pink bandana. We all are going to miss her very much. But, if my wife's theology is correct, then I'll get to see her again one day!

To video or not to video...that is the question!

My mother-in-law has talked with me about her disapproval of her new minister's frequent usage of video clips in his preaching (and by frequent I mean every single Sunday). Even though the frequency is an issue, it isn't the main issue with her. Her main problem is the content. Apparently he uses clips from TV shows such as "The Office" or "Family Guy" a lot.

Now I have seen snippets of both shows and know just enough to know that they aren't exactly family friendly entertainment. Although the clips he chooses to show do not have questionable content per se, the issue is the directing someone to a show that isn't necessarily helpful to one's spiritual maturation process.

I am as techy as the next guy (I maintain a blog for crying out loud!) but I don't see a need to have video medium in every single sermon. I feel to do that would be first of all, lazy on my part because I can just find a nice 6 or 7 minute clip and then fill in the rest with Bible stuff and, "Viola!" I have a sermon!

No. I think video is a compliment. Using it so frequently can be dangerous. The church (little "c") is already biblically stupid enough. We don't challenge the mind anymore, it seems. We rely on technology and media to continue the media-induced stupor. Our job it seems has become wiping drool off the chins of our crowds we have gathered so that they are coherent long enough to continue to help us build monumental Super-Churches.

But that is not what God has called us to do. It was through the non-powerpoint, non-video-projected medium of preaching that God chose to save men's souls (1 Corinthians 1:21).

Our over-reliance on video has added to our dumbing down.

Now, that said, I don't necessarily swing the pendulum all the way over and see no value in it whatsoever. In a recent interview John Piper stated that, "the use of video and drama largely is a token of unbelief in the power of preaching." You can read the whole interview HERE.

I do see the value of video...just not every Sunday. One can have incredible impact with the right complimenting video to drive home a point that has been preached! Using tact and decorum, videos are awesome and add an amazing dynamic to worship and preaching.

But let's choose the right video and let's show it at the right time.

The Church in decline

We have so many "Pottery Barn" churches (as I have heard them described) that in an effort to "evangelize" have given credence to the critic of the mega-church movement who would say that all mega-churches water down the truth in an effort to attract a crowd.

While I disagree with such broad strokes of a brush (HERE is one prime example of a mega church doing it right...even though I don't agree with all the theology, it is definitely not watered down!) But there are plenty of examples where the critics are given plenty of ammo to shoot at the mega church movement.

Personally, I was blown away by a local pastor's suggestion (via Twitter) that we the church shouldn't teach "No Sex Before Marriage." He points out in his blog post that if we teach such a hard line that we run the risk of "alienating people from the church for the rest of their lives."

I have looked, but to no avail, to find where Jesus decided to back off of a teaching topic for fear of "alienating" one of his hearers. In fact, after teaching some very hard truths, we see in John 6:66 that many of his followers turned and left him.

What you don't see is Jesus concerned about their leaving. Jesus doesn't run after them hoping to win them back. Maybe if he invited them over for a cookout on the deck, or maybe if he could change up his teaching style and wear the latest GQ fashions, maybe he could win them back. No. Jesus taught the truth. Some didn't like it and they left. But some stayed!

The church is in decline, not because of our inherently offensive message. And, you need to know that the truth is inherently offensive to those outside of the truth. The church is in decline because of pastors who won't teach God's truth. The church is in decline because we have left the truth in order to grow the church.

What is it that we want? A crowd? Or a committed core of fully devoted (and equipped) Christ followers? I choose the latter.

Where is the bachelor's wife?

We have a young boy that has been coming over to our home recently wanting to hang out with my youngest son, Jacob. This young boy comes from a troubled background and is several years younger than Jacob. So it is kind of a chore for Jacob to hang out with him. But he does, honestly, because he feels pity for him.

One of the days he was over at our home, he asked me a question as we were outside shooting some hoops in the driveway. He asked me this (knowing that I am a pastor), "Who made God?"

That isn't a new question. So many young children have asked it. And honestly, it is one we need to be prepared to answer (1 Peter 3:15).

So who did make God?

The answer is no one did. He was not made. He has always existed. Only things that had a beginning - like the world need a maker. God had no beginning, so God did not need to be made.

For those of us a little older, a little more can be said. Traditionally, most atheists who deny the existence of God believe that the universe was not made; it was just "there" forever. They appeal to the first law of thermodynamics for support: "Energy can neither be created nor destroyed," they insist.

Well, if that is so, then that is not science...that's philosophy. Science is based on observation, and there is no observational evidence that can support the dogmatic "can" and "cannot" implicit in this statement. It should read, "{As far as we have observed,} the amount of actual energy in the universe remains constant."

That is, no one has observed any actual new energy either coming into existence or going out of existence. Once the first law is understood properly, it says nothing about the universe being eternal or having no beginning. As far as the first law is concerned, energy may or may not have been created. It simply asserts that if energy was created, then as far as we can tell, the actual amount of energy that was created has remained constant since.

If the universe is not eternal, it needs a cause. On the other hand, if it has no beginning, it does not need a cause of its beginning. Likewise, if a god exists who has no beginning, it is absurd to ask, "Who made God?" It is a category mistake to ask, "Who made the unmade?" or "Who created the Uncreated?"

It is the same as asking, "Where is the bachelor's wife?"

(For support on this, I consulted the works of Norman Geisler and Josh McDowell.)

Two deaths...

I am writing this on July 7, 2009. The day the earth stopped (or so it seemed) to watch Michael Jackson's funeral. A sad, untimely death for one so talented and still young.

As I watched a little bit of the coverage (a little bit is honestly all I could stand) I couldn't help but think of another death just as tragic and just as untimely and sad as Jackson's. But in the case of the latter, there is no round-the-clock coverage. There is no one that even knows really except for a very small amount of people.

In the case of the latter, this one's demise did not come because of shady medical practices or a longing to stay addicted to medications. The death of this other unknown person came about very intentionally when a young woman entered a clinic labeled "Planned Parenthood" on the outside and she willingly, knowingly ended the life of her own child.

There are no tributes. In fact, this child isn't even named (by the mother, at least, but the child has been named by Father God). This child is not given a funeral. The "body" (it isn't even allowed to be called that) is simply discarded as garbage.

No one speaks about the life lost. No one even dares mention it.

But here's the thing this unknown baby and Michael Jackson have in common. They both went to Jesus. The king of pop met the King of Kings. And this unnamed infant found itself in a very sure and certain future in heaven with Jesus. And Michael Jackson found himself standing before the Righteous Judge having to give an account for his life.

On this day, where so many are so focused on the death of one. I can't help but think about the death of so many and no one seems to care.

Rescue!

Yesterday an amazing rescue took place on the river downtown here in Des Moines. You can read about it HERE. This amazing image was taken during that rescue when an ordinary citizen (in fact he was a construction worker) used his buddies who operated a crane to do what the trained rescue professionals could not...he rescued her from certain death.

That is what evangelism is all about folks! Rescuing those we know are dying. You don't need to be a professional (a pastor)...you just need to be an ordinary citizen who uses whatever resources available to get to that lost person! In Colossians 4:2-6 Paul tells us to make the most of every opportunity. Always be ready for rescue!

What kind of person would you be if your neighbor's house was on fire and you didn't want to interfere because you might upset them? That is precisely why we Christians can come across so obnoxious sometimes. We look at people who don't know Jesus like they are in a burning house! So we are a little pushy...even desperate at times to get people safely rescued from their own impending doom. Jesus is the only answer for that kind of rescue!

Wow! What transpired on the river in downtown Des Moines yesterday afternoon should be a wake up call for all of us! God bless that brave construction worker for doing what he did.

I'm Back!

I have been on a self-imposed hiatus from blogging. I want to get back into the swing of things with the blog again. I have just had a hard time slotting out a time to sit down and write on the blog.

While I was away I had something interesting occur to me. I had received some criticism about my preaching (not all that uncommon a thing to be honest). The criticism wasn't focused on my ability to preach or even my handling of Scripture per se (although there was some disagreement about a particular verse) but the focus was on my TONE.

Now the problem I had was that I didn't get to talk to the individual. The individual chose to not come directly to me (even though that is the clear directive of Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20). I would still urge the individual to come to me personally (I don't bite!)

But this person's view of the local church's pastor is that he is the "hired hand" (their words) and the eldership are the ones who "run the church" (again, their words). I would have you read John 10:11-13 to get a good perspective on how a "hired hand" operates.

I still wish I could have a discussion with the person that got upset about the tone of my preaching, but I think that will probably never happen. That bums me out. But from this experience, my elders affirmed me big time and stood behind me (that really means more than you know).

I wish with all my heart that people would just simply do what Scripture says. Talk to the person you have something against...not about the person!

I know I have been called by my Master to preach the truth. I am not called to make people happy. I must preach God's Word with conviction and passion and clarity. Everything else is up to God.

Something else I have been struggling with lately is attendance slumps at The Fort. We are definitely in the summer slump. But last week God's Word really spoke to me on this. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul says "we do not lose heart." That has been difficult when you focus on dwindling numbers during the summer months. It is discouraging, to be honest. But he continues and says that we need to focus "not on what is seen" (like attendance patterns) "but on what is unseen" (like how God's Word is changing the hearts of those who are hearing it!)

Man, did I need that encouragement! And it came straight from God's Word. So don't lose heart! Even if you are criticized, even if the amount of people you were hoping for doesn't come...don't lose heart. Focus on the unseen work of your heavenly Father! That's what I need to do!

10 Principles for Church Growth (Pt. 2)

Principle #2: WORSHIP

For starters, it really needs to be something that the church truly understands and that is that worship is not something that only occurs on Sunday mornings. Sunday morning is only a culmination of a week long, 24/7 experience of worship.

Worship is our life. It is all that we are offered to our heavenly Father every day we are alive. What happens on Sunday morning is different in that it is a celebration experience. It is the time that we all gather together to celebrate who God is and what He has done in our lives and to remember the sacrifice of His Son and His death on a cross. Worship on Sunday differs only in that it is no longer an individual experience but a corporate one.

And a growing church understands this basic principle of worship in a corporate environment: That we gather to celebrate and NOT to fellowship. Smaller, unhealthy churches try to replace worship celebrations with fellowship. The corporate worship experience is Not a fellowship experience. It isn't about US...it is about HIM, our heavenly Father.

When a church tries to accomplish fellowship when we are supposed to be focused on God, we lose out and a church that does this will NOT grow. Some of the most intense battles I have faced have not been about different musical styles, they have been about taking away a fellowship focus on Sunday morning and replacing with a celebration experience.

When we moved to two services, some of the arguments I heard were: I don't see anyone I know anymore. Well, as long as you see Jesus...does it really matter. Besides, if you want to see those people, then give them a flipping phone call and don't wait till Sunday morning to do what you probably should have done beforehand.

Fellowship is supposed to take place in small groups or in Sunday School or on your own in individual relationships throughout the church. But if you think the only place it should be done is on Sunday morning (and a lot of people do) then you have missed the point of the corporate worship experience.

Another note about worship being a reason that a church will grow is this...when we gather and celebrate Jesus as One Body, we better worship God with our very best efforts together. And if we offer lousy singing, lousy services, lousy preaching then we will never grow. God deserves our VERY BEST. Anything less means we do not take our faith very seriously. God is worth the best that we can offer in singing, preaching, and even ambiance when it comes to our corporate experience.

Choices 2

A little Photoshop Americana Tribute:

I did this in Photoshop yesterday as I am thinking ahead about Memorial Day and also will do a two-part series in July on "God and Country."

10 Principles for Growing a Church (Pt. 1)

Years ago I read Bob Russell's book When God Builds A Church. I remember being really motivated by this book to implement all that I learned. In the book he shares 10 principles that I want to outline over the next few weeks that I believe are critical to the process of building a church as well. I am only sharing his principles but I will share how I see it working out in a real world scenario.

Principle #1: TRUTH

It may seem like a funny place to start but I know more and more that you can't do anything with God unless this is the first step in the process. We live in a day and age when people in the culture no longer fear God. That is solely because churches and pastors have stopped proclaiming the truth of God's Word.

Bob Russell wrote: Truth without love is dogmatism. Love with truth is sentimentality. Speaking the truth in love is Christianity. How true!

We need to balance our approach. We need to speak clearly on issues that our culture would rather us not even speak on at all but we need to do it in a way that earns our hearing. So we need to do it in love. That is hard.

What the church needs now more than ever are not the latest three point steps in living a fulfilled life. We need more than veiled pop-psychology, we need God's sometimes offensive, even abrasive but always relevant truth spoken from our pulpits. We need to use a lot of Scripture when we teach and help people to crave God's Word. We need to instill a desire amongst our people to want more from God's Word.

We need to clearly proclaim that man's ultimate problem is sin. And without Jesus Christ's transformational grace applied to his life then man will spend eternity in a very real place called Hell. We need to have the same mindset as Paul did about preaching in 1 Corinthians 9:16.

What we need right now in the church, now more than ever, is churches that have preachers who will believe the truth, teach the truth and apply the truth. There is no possible way for a church to grow without this element. It is the foundational step to growing.

And it is something that I see as the MOST important step in the process of growing a church.

Shire Syndrome

In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings he describes a beautiful homey place that is green and safe for small people known as hobbits. The shire is simple. The shire is far away from the cares of a bigger, busier world.

I think one of the problems in the church today is that many have what I call "Shire Syndrome." Shire Syndrome comes from a particular scene in Peter Jackson's movie of Tolkien's classic where there are hobbits gathered at the local pub in the shire discussing world events over some ale. And one of the older wiser hobbits speaks up about all the "strange goings on" and says that it isn't any concern of a hobbits about what goes on in middle earth. Hobbits need to simply care about what happens in the shire.

That is Shire Syndrome. People in the church quit really caring about the subtle inroads that the homosexual community had been making in the political sphere and in the cultural sphere. They hadn't made any inroads in the church, that's all that matters.

Well, now they are in the shire. We cannot stay silent and dumb any longer. The homosexual agenda is not satisfied with mere acceptance and tolerance any longer, the end goal is silence and a complete dismantling of the Christian religion. And if the church doesn't wake up, get up and speak up we are going to be replaced by God with those who will.

Who would have ever thought that marriage could have a new definition in the culture? No one really. But it does now. The culture views marriage as a simple civil act affording anyone who wants it legal rights and privileges. But marriage is not a simple civil act. Marriage is a SACRED act.

Marriage is one man and one woman making a covenantal commitment that lasts a lifetime before a Holy God ( Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6 ). There is NO OTHER definition. Not one. And culture, courts and popular opinion do not get the privilege to rewrite, redefine or revise it.

Common Objections and Answers to Same Sex Marriage

The following list comes from an internet resource:

1. Are you a bigot? “Why do you want to take away people’s rights?”
“Isn’t it wrong to write discrimination into the constitution?”

A: “Do you really believe people like me who believe mothers and fathers both matter to kids are like bigots and racists? I think that’s pretty offensive, don’t you? Particularly to the 60 percent of African-Americans who oppose same-sex marriage. Marriage as the union of husband and wife isn’t new; it’s not taking away anyone’s rights. It’s common sense.”

2. Isn’t the ban on gay marriage like bans on interracial marriage?

A: “Bans on interracial marriage were about keeping two races apart so that one race could oppress the other. Marriage is about bringing two sexes together, so that children get the love of their own mom and a dad, and women don’t get stuck with the enormous disadvantages of parenting alone.” “Having a parent of two different races is just not the same as being deprived of your mother—or your father.”

3. Why do we need a constitutional amendment? “Isn’t DOMA enough?”

A: “Lawsuits like the one that imposed gay marriage in Massachusetts now threaten marriage in at least 12 other states so far. We need a marriage amendment to settle the issue once and for all, so we don’t have this debate in our face every day. The people get to decide what marriage means. No-end run around the rules by activist judges or grandstanding San-Francisco-style politicians.”

4. What’s the harm from Same Sex Marriage? “How can Bobby and Billy hurt your marriage?”

A: “Who gets harmed? The people of this state who lose our right to define marriage as the union of husband and wife, that’s who. That is just not right.”

A: “If courts rule that same-sex marriage is a civil right, then, people like you and me who believe children need moms and dads will be treated like bigots and racists.”

“Religious groups like Catholic Charities or the Salvation Army may lose their tax exemptions, or be denied the use of parks and other public facilities, unless they endorse gay marriage."

“Public schools will teach young children that two men being intimate are just the same as a husband and wife, even when it comes to raising kids.”

“When the idea that children need moms and dads get legally stigmatized as bigotry, the job of parents and faith communities trying to transmit a marriage culture to their kids is going to get a lot harder.”

“One thing is for sure: The people of this state will lose our right to keep marriage as the union of a husband and wife. That’s not right.”

5. Why do you want to interfere with love?

A: “Love is a great thing. But marriage isn’t just any kind of love; it’s the special love of husband and wife for each other and their children.”

6. What about benefits? Don’t gay couples and their kids need the benefits and protections of marriage?”

A: “If medical proxies aren’t working, let’s fix that problem. If people need health care, let’s get them health care. Don’t mess with marriage.”

A: “The issue isn’t benefits, it is marriage. Local folks can decide benefits. This is about the meaning of marriage, our most basic social institution for protecting children. “

7. Isn’t divorce the real threat to marriage?

A: “High rates of divorce are one more reason we should be strengthening marriage, not conducting radical social experiments on it.”

8. Are you saying gays cannot be good parents?

A: “Two men might each be a good father, but neither can be a mom. The ideal for children is the love of their own mom and dad. No same-sex couple can provide that.”

9. What about older or infertile couples? If they marry why not same-sex couples?

A: “Every man and woman who marries is capable of giving any child they create (or adopt) a mother and a father. No same-sex couple can do this. It’s apples and oranges.”

Are the issues that homosexuals face on par with civil rights issues?

This is a question that has been getting asked a lot lately. I have had this particular side of the argument used many times by advocates of same sex marriage (even in the comment threads on this blog).

So to phrase the question properly: Are homosexuals an oppressed minority that should have the same civil rights extended to them regarding the homosexuality as other minorities?

Homosexuals are seeking not only to affect public policy, but also to determine the terms of the debate. The more the homosexual community is able to construe the issue of homosexuality and public policy along the lines of "civil rights," the more success it seems to have in achieving its agenda.

There are several things wrong with regarding homosexuality as a civil right. First, the law already protects the civil rights of citizens. Homosexuals now enjoy these civil rights as everyone else does. It is true that individual homosexuals have had certain rights deprived at times (just as anybody could), and it may be because of their homosexuality, but this is nothing that the law does not already address.

For example, it is already against the law to beat someone up. If a homosexual is beaten up by someone who hates homosexuals, the offending party is already culpable by law. To extend protection to a homosexual on the basis of his homosexuality is unnecessary and unfair.

One's behavior should not be the subject of civil rights laws. With the new onslaught of potential hate crimes legislation being proposed before Congress, we are potentially going to be saying that it is more brutal to beat up a 22 year old homosexual than a 92 year old lady. I say, both crimes are equally evil and wrong. But with the hate crimes legislation, it would add more weight for the one perpetrating a crime against a homosexual. That puts a class distinction on victims. That is wrong.

Homosexuality is not a benign factor like race. It is a behavior and a choice...no matter how hard those who are homosexuals stomp their feet and say it wasn't a choice. That's precisely what it is.

Also the criteria to judge whether or not a group is an oppressed minority do not apply to the homosexual community. Tony Marco, in his book Special Class Protection for Gays: A Question of Behavior and Consequences, notes the three criteria that the Supreme Court established in awarding special protected status:

1. There must be a history of discrimination evidenced by a lack of ability to obtain economic mean income, adequate education or cultural opportunity. This certainly does not apply to homosexuals. Homosexuals have an average annual income that is $20,000 more than the general population. More than three times as many homosexuals are college graduates than average Americans. Three times as many homosexuals as average Americans hold professional or managerial positions...some 65% of homosexuals are overseas travelers - four times the national average.

2. Protected classes should exhibit obvious immutable, or distinguishable characteristics like race, color, gender, that define them as a discrete group. It should be clear that this does not apply to the homosexual community.

3. Protected classes should clearly demonstrate political powerlessness. Again, it should be clear from the impact that the lobbying arm of the homosexual community is having across the nation currently. Our recent ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court makes this a mute point. The homosexual community is far from being politically powerless.

There is no one who can rightfully argue that homosexuals should be a protected class using the very criteria that our Supreme Court used. But I believe that it isn't merely acceptance and tolerance that is the true spirit of the homosexual agenda. I believe that they are fully intent on silencing anyone who would question their lifestyle. That, I think, is the end goal.

Nation For Marriage Ads

Nation For Marriage has launched a series of ads that are very well done educating people on the issue of same sex marriage. Here are a couple of them:

Phil Keoghan in Des Moines

Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race was in Des Moines yesterday on his ride across America. Yesterday was day 23 of his ride and he started the day in Atlantic, IA and rode into Des Moines (to the capital steps) around 5:30PM. Today, day 24, he will be riding to Iowa City, IA. You can read more about his stop in Des Moines Here. These are a few pics I snapped at the event. He was actually very close to where we were...



By the way, in case you are wondering, I am rooting for Margie and Luke this season.

Same-Sex Marriage in Iowa

Let me begin by saying this, I believe wholeheartedly that under no circumstance should any Christian attack the character of a person who claims to be homosexual. People who make trite, offensive comments like, "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" only work to close down the dialogue that needs to take place on this issue.

What we see from Scripture is that Jesus showed grace and truth in all He did ( John 1:14 ). We need to follow Jesus' example. We are to demonstrate grace to a person who claims to be homosexual, but we should also have the courage to speak the truth in love about homosexuality.

Solomon said that a "friend loves at all times" ( Proverbs 17:17 ). He also said that "wounds from a friend can be trusted" ( Proverbs 27:6 ). This is the kind of friend that a Christian needs to be to the person who says he or she is a homosexual.

Currently there are four states that have sought to legalize same-sex marriage. Iowa was the third state in that list. No matter what rogue Justices decide on a bench as they revise and reinterpret state constitutions, Marriage has always had one uniform definition. It is a religiously and civil sanctioned union between a man and a woman.

Biblically, marriage is a divinely ordered institution designed to form a permanent union between one man and one woman for the purpose not only of bringing blessing to each other but also of procreating or propagating the human race ( Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5 ). Obviously the Biblical definition is not only impossible, but ultimately wrong in a same-sex marriage.

Jesus Himself only understood marriage in a heterosexual way ( Matthew 19:4-5 ).

Traditional marriage has a stabilizing effect on society and provides an optimal and healthy environment for raising children. Same-sex marriages, by contrast, have a destabilizing effect on society and do not provide an optimal and healthy environment for raising children. Research has proven that in countries that grant marriage rights to same-sex couples, traditional marriages decline, out-of-wedlock births increase, and the family unit suffers injury.

What happened on Friday, April 4th here in Iowa with the ruling by our State Supreme Court has sent our state into an out-of-control tailspin. The majority of citizens of this state have been left without a voice and without representation in their legislature.

This is NOT a political issue. This is an issue of right and wrong. Either marriage is what the Bible says it is or our Courts are right. I choose to believe the Bible over the pirates who have taken hostage our State's constitution to rewrite and revise it in order to fit in with our current slouching toward Gomorrah.

What this decision means, if left unchallenged, is that someone like me (a Pastor) may in the future face criminal prosecution for not being willing to perform a same-sex marriage. This issue is very important.

Again, every homosexual person deserves our respect and no one should ever be demeaned or devalued. We should always treat others with the love and respect that Jesus showed us. But we can very strongly disagree. (It is okay to disagree...you just don't have to be disagreeable!)

Homosexuality is a dangerous lifestyle. And it is wrong. Not because I say so or because I hate any people group but simply because the Bible is true.

In this time of increasing darkness we need to know what God's Word says and be willing to stand up for what is right. The issue of marriage is an issue that I personally would be willing to be jailed over in order to fight for the truth. I will never let a judge or a legislator dictate to me what God's Word has clearly spoken on.

Pray for our State and our battle for marriage! One positive result from the Supreme Court ruling is that they have awakened a sleeping giant! There are many who are standing now to defend marriage. The Bible says that marriage should be honored by all ( Hebrews 13:4 ).

Rick Warren Waffling on Same-Sex Marriage

I have to be honest, I have very high regard for Rick Warren. I respect him and admire his love for the church. But he has been called in to serious question lately concerning his position on same-sex marriage. And his appearance on Larry King Live the other night did NOT help his case. Watch the video...

It is sad when pastors begin to sound like politicians. What people need from our pulpits is a CLEAR statment of truth. Hear me, small church guy, say it as loudly and clearly as I can: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS WRONG! That is something I will never change my position on. In fact, I'd be willing to be thrown into jail on this one.

Flutter: The New Twitter (This is Hilarious!)

There are eyes watching my eyes...

Last night my oldest son and I were talking and he shared with me that he had seen me earlier that day when we are at a party for someone we know. We both were sitting at a table and right next to us a young mother came and bent over to deal with her child. As she did this you could see right down her blouse.

I quickly turned my head away because I didn't want to see that and didn't think anything else of it. That is, until my son brought it up to me later that night. He told me that he saw me look away and he knew what I was turning my head away from. He told me that is why he turned his head away as well.

It makes me glad that I scored one right (finally). But I have to be constantly aware of the fact that if I become the guy that is always turning my head to notice a pretty female that my sons will become that same guy. If I am the guy that is always looking for those brief shots down a woman's blouse then my son's will also see my wandering eye.

My discussion with my son brought to mind the Scripture Job 31:1 and I need to remember the same thing it says and keep the same covenant myself with my own eyes. Where I look, my sons see it. What I look at, my sons look at too.

So this time I won! And if you are a dad and you have a son, you need to remember this. Train your eyes now! Because if you aren't training your own eyes you are training his regardless.

Crispus Cremus and the importance of baptism

Crispus Cremus from Granger Community on Vimeo

My Review of "Knowing"

I went to see the new Nicolas Cage film Knowing today. I went in not sure of what to expect because one review I had read said that Christians will either love this film or absolutely hate it...there will be no in between.

After having seen the film now, I think that is a very accurate statement.

The story opens in the sweet-and-innocent 1950s. The children—at least the children at William Dawes Elementary School—are full of optimism and hope: When their teacher asks them to draw pictures of what they think the world will look like in 50 years—pictures to place in a time capsule—they draw rockets and flying cars.

Well, except for one little girl named Lucinda, who instead covers her paper with lines and lines of numbers. So absorbed is she that she doesn't even get to finish writing before the teacher whisks her paper away.

Fast-forward 50 years, and a new generation of William Dawes students opens the capsule to marvel at these bright pictures of the future. Well, except for the kid who sees Lucinda's numbers.

The kid—Caleb's his name—brings home the paper and obliquely suggests that it might be a code of some sort. John, Caleb's father and a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, decides (after a few whiskeys) that Caleb could be right. In fact, many of the numbers seem to correspond with the dates of every major tragedy in the last 50 years, along with the number of those killed. 9/11? It's on there. Tsunamis in southeast Asia? Check. Oklahoma City bombing? Check.

John sees that there are just three dates left on the sheet—and all of them are set to take place over the next few days. Which leaves John to ask himself some pretty hard questions:

Does this mean that our lives are guided?

That our fates are predetermined?

Can we change our future?

Am I going crazy?

Could this sheet of paper represent an even more ominous future than a few plane crashes?

Here's the deal. This movie deals with some very tough issues. Determinism, fatalism, random evolution are all themes that pop up in this movie with lots and lots of spiritual overtones.

There is a ton of biblical imagery in the movie...especially end time imagery. They have the earth being destroyed by fire, they have angel-like creatures that come to hearken the world's end (four of them actually). There is one scene when one of these creatures opens his mouth and light and a trumpet-like blast comes forth.

There is the Bible placed on a bed side of the one woman who seemed to be able to predict all of this (she's also portrayed as crazy).

So the movie is full of biblical images. Even a new earth is shown at the end.

But there are unsettling themes as well. I only heard two cuss words. The darkness of all of this was a bit unnerving. There is no return of Jesus. There is no Bible usage per se. The number code is the most important thing...not references to Scripture.

And the other oddly disturbing thing is the fact that all that happened could have a simple scientific explanation or it could be a spiritual thing or it could even be an alien thing. The angelic creatures I spoke of, could very well be aliens...but they are very intentionally given angelic-like qualities...but they have also have a "ship" which is unlike your typical flying saucer.

So all in all, the movie kind of leaves you feeling the tension between is it spiritual or is it scientific? They really don't make a conclusion one way or the other.

I enjoyed the film, but it made me think. I like movies that do that. This is probably not a movie for little kids because there are some pretty scary scenes. I actually cowered in my seat at one point!

But it is definitely worth the time. I think you may either hate it or love it!

I got stimulated

This morning I opened up my check to find that it was $9.00 more than normal. I called my treasurer to see what happened. She told me that was my part of the economic stimulus package. So that totals out to $468.00 more per year in my pocket. So they used my money to give me more of my money. That's kinda weird.

My personal plan with this extra windfall is to add it to what I put in my savings account every week. I know that really isn't stimulating the overall economy but otherwise this amazing windfall would most probably land me at McDonald's every week! And I don't think they need any extra stimulating.

Decluttering

Got to thinking about something today (after reading a blog post). What are the things that I do in ministry. So, not to sound self-promoting, but rather a critical analysis of my role and in no certain order here are the things I do:

I twitter.
I blog.
I maintain a Facebook account.
I write sermons each week. I preach a sermon most weeks (at least 45 weeks of the year) and I do it twice.
I prepare lessons for Sunday School and Wednesday evening class.
I teach Sunday School and Wednesday evening class.
I host a small group.
I facilitate discussion in small group and spend time preparing for small group.
I attend board meetings and prepare for board meetings.
I attend elders meetings and prepare for elders meetings.
I prepare powerpoint slides for my sermon.
I create sermon series graphics.
I help produce sermon videos.
I prepare iWorship slides for powerpoint.
I do book studies with different individuals.
I visit people in their homes, at the hospital or at their place of work.
I field numerous phone calls.
I field numerous emails.
I make numerous phone calls.
I compose numerous emails.
I capture the audio of my sermon on Sunday mornings.
I upload the audio of my sermon on Sunday afternoons to our web site.
I open up our building on Sunday mornings.
I close up the building on Sunday afternoon.
I prepare advertising slides for our lobby TV.
I handle any and all criticisms related to the church, ministry and my preaching.
I set communion out on our communion table each Sunday (and sometimes prepare it when the person that was supposed to prepare forgets).
I turn on all audio/visual equipment on Sunday mornings.
I turn off all audio/visual equipment on Sunday afternoon.
I make sure microphones are working on Sunday morning.
I practice with praise teams.
I perform with praise teams.
I handle IT problems and help troubleshoot PC and copier issues in the office.
I make runs to the office store to purchase office supplies and equipment.
I HAVE TO CLEAN UP MY OFFICE FROM TIME TO TIME!
I attend other meetings from time to time (worship, Joy Ladies, etc.)
I help distribute food pantry items to needy individuals and families from time to time.
I help out with youth group activities from time to time.
I try to stay fresh and continually keep casting the church's vision!

Wow! That list sucks! The common denominator I see in that list is the word "I" on the left column. I am definitely doing too much. And honestly, sometimes it is really hard to determine what I should let go of or not do anymore so that I can be more effective in what God has called me to do.

That is the dilemma most smaller church pastors face, honestly. They do too much but they kinda need to.

So my challenge is going to be to wade through what it is that I absolutely need to do (and no one else can) and what is it that I don't need to do (because someone else can) and what is it that I absolutely should not be doing (I'm thinking the clean my office part).

Pray for me because I really do want to declutter my life and focus to be the person that God called me to be in the first place. But the funny thing is the very thing He called me to (the church) is the thing that gets in the way of me doing His will!

Being a 1st Time Visitor Again

Today was a little outside the norm for me. I wasn't preaching, my youth pastor was, so I didn't even attend services at The Fort this morning. We don't let anyone know in advance anymore when I won't be preaching because people have a tendency to skip church when they know I am going to be gone.

It was kind of funny as well because we got a very concerned person call today worried that I was looking at another church this morning. Don't worry, I ain't going anywhere...you're stuck with me at The Fort!

We decided to see if we could glean any insights by going to a local megachurch this morning. We went to Lutheran Church of Hope. I have attended services at both Willow Creek in Chicago and Lifechurch in Oklahoma City. Let me say right up front that Hope is neither.

We had people pleasantly smile at us as we entered but no one spoke directly to us. I had to ask (TWICE) which way and what it was I should expect. That is nothing like what I experienced in Chicago or Oklahoma City where we started receiving our first welcomes in the parking lot.

After being seated in the massive auditorium (and after finding it), we looked through our bulletin. It was very busy with loads of information. I felt a sense of anticipation though as I sat there.

Musicians and singers began to line up on stage just a couple minutes prior to service. I noticed five screens that were used for projection up front plus two more in the back that were for the praise teams.

Worship began (and it was very good). Didn't know the first song, but that was okay. I enjoyed listening to it. After it was done, there were a few announcements given (the first of which was a video that advertised their upcoming Easter services...and it was done by a local news media personality Eric Hanson). Very nicely produced video. Then a couple more were given by a pastor on staff.

Then we were to greet others around us. There were a couple folks right next to us that shook hands with us. They seemed very friendly.

Music began again and we were off into two more worship songs. During this phase of worship, a 19 member choir joined the other 11 musicians and singers on stage. There was also an American Sign Language interpreter on stage the whole time as well (she was great!) And during the last song an interpretive dancer joined everyone on stage (I found her to be pretty distracting personally).

Then it was offering time (but it wasn't announced, it just kind of happened) while a special solo took place.

Then it was time for the sermon. The speaker was an associate pastor on staff Molly Junjunet. I wondered what I'd think because I really am not fond of women preachers to be blunt with you. But she did a good job.

My only two serious critiques of her sermon were that she spoke entirely too fast (making her hard to follow at times) and her sermon was way too dang long! She spoke for close to 50 minutes! No joke!

Although her content was good...it was too much. She needs to learn to trim the fat!

And here is the other really funky weird thing for me. At the end of her sermon, she simply raised her hand and said, "Go in peace." And that concluded the whole service.

No closing song or prayer or anything. Just a hand gesture and a little saying. That felt really weird! There should have been something more there to close everything out.

Overall, I didn't come back with any great ideas (except maybe a sermon idea) and I was a little surprised at how Hope wasn't as friendly as I thought it would be. They need to work on their greeters helping people (from the parking lot) know exactly where to go.

Plus, at the end of the day, I still don't care for women preaching that much!

Worship Unplugged...

Next Sunday worship will be "unplugged". The whole service will be entirely acoustic (two acoustic guitars and one string acoustic bass). I am jazzed about it. We had a practice this morning. Check out the pics from practice...

Jonathan and Jacob

These past couple of weeks I got to see Jacob and Jonathan take on challenging roles in plays that they performed in. Jacob played a character named "Chase Hermann" in the play "Clues Encounter of a Third Kind." His production wasn't as large-scale as his brother's but Jacob definitely stole the show. He had the most laughs and really did a fabulous job acting.

Jonathan played "Atticus Finch" in the play adaptation of Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird. I have to be honest and tell you that I was blown away by my son's acting ability. Jonathan had the lead role and he had some incredibly difficult lines and scenes but he did it all with great skill!

I am bursting proud of both of my sons! They are really talented! They get that from their mother!

I only had video of Jacob's play, but here are a few pics from Jonathan's big night...

My Favorite Halo 3 Screenshot!

In honor of Halo 3's amazing milestone last weekend I thought I would post my favorite screenshot from the game...it is called "We love you." I think it is a pretty cool tribute for Christian gamers!

Shot in Pulpit

Today's news is headed with the tragic story of the church shooting in Maryville, IL at First Baptist Church. Pastor Fred Winters wasn't long into his sermon when an unknown gunman walked down the middle aisle of the church and started shooting.

The story said that he held up the Bible he was preaching from to shield himself from the coming bullets. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.One week ago Fred Winters preached a sermon about finances. He had no idea that one week later he would be dead.

My hope and my prayer is that every Sunday when I get up to preach that I will leave everything there. My heart needs to be completely exhausted so that I know that I have preached as if it was my very last sermon I will ever preach.

Fred Winters was a good man. What a horrible tragedy for his family and the church he served. Please pray for them.

The Hooter Hoodie

Quite a while back, right as our current youth pastor was starting, I was still involved in the youth ministry. On one particular night at group we had a young gal that came and visited the group for the first time.

She was quickly the object of all the boys' attention. Why, ask you? Because she was wearing a shirt so low cut that her boobs were almost falling out!

So I asked her to step in the hall for a minute. I told her she was going to have to cover up. She ended up leaving because she got mad. Oh well.

Listen, parents of teenage girls, keep your teenagers in their dang clothes! I don't want to see your kids' anatomy and I definitely don't want my boys to see it either.

This led to an interesting solution that we still have hanging at the church somewhere. It's affectionately called the "Hooter Hoodie." It is a hooded sweatshirt that we can give to a young gal who comes to group with inappropriate apparel on.

I'm not involved in group really anymore. But the "Hooter Hoodie" is still there ready to be used at a revealing-chest's notice.

Unfortunately this isn't just a youth group deal. Women attend church all the time dressed like they are headed to a porn film right afterwards. That's a real drag to be honest with you.

Every man struggles with lust. We don't need our Christian sisters tempting us at church where we have come to worship Jesus!