Picture of our Creation Museum Trip Group

Group picture of our trip this week to the Creation Museum and Cincinnati

Chuck Colson writing on debt crisis

Chuck Colson has written today about the stalemate in the debt crisis and as always, he is written with great insight. Read here.

Sermon Notes from Sunday, July 24, 2011

On May 29, I began a new series of messages on the Kingdom of God as seen in Matthew 13. I'm calling it a "Peek at the Kingdom." The theme of the Kingdom has been a study for a long time, but I am wanting to see it through the lens of Matthew 13.

The notes of the sermon from this past Sunday (7-24) can be seen by clicking here. This is the first message on the parable of the soils. "The Kingdom of Heaven is Expanding and Engaging."

Sermon Notes from Sunday, July 17, 2011

On May 29, I began a new series of messages on the Kingdom of God as seen in Matthew 13. I'm calling it a "Peek at the Kingdom." The theme of the Kingdom has been a study for a long time, but I am wanting to see it through the lens of Matthew 13.

The notes of the sermon from this past Sunday can be seen by clicking here. This is the second message on the actual parables - this one on the wheat and tares. "The Kingdom Requires Patience and Truth."

31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Children

(Original post here)

by Bob Hostetler

1. Salvation—"Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)

2. Growth in Grace—"I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 3:18)

3. Love—"Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them." (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:2)

4. Honesty and Integrity—"May integrity and honesty be their virtue
and their protection." (Ps. 25:21)

5. Self-Control—"Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do."
(1 Thess. 5:6)

6. Love for God's Word—"May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb." (Ps. 19:10)

7. Justice—"God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do." (Ps. 11:7; Mic. 6:8)

8. Mercy—"May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36)

9. Respect (for self, others, and authority)—"Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands."
(1 Pet. 2:17)

10. Biblical Self-Esteem—"Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:10)

11. Faithfulness—"Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts." (Prov. 3:3)

12. Courage—"May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions." (Deut. 31:6)

13. Purity—"Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions." (Ps. 51:10)

14. Kindness—"Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (1 Thess. 5:15)

15. Generosity—"Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age." (1 Tim. 6:18-19)

16. Peace-Loving—"Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace." (Rom. 14:19)

17. Joy—"May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
(1 Thess. 1:6)

18. Perseverance—"Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them." (Heb. 12:1)

19. Humility—"God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all." (Titus 3:2)

20. Compassion—"Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion." (Col. 3:12)

21. Responsibility—"Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load." (Gal. 6:5)

22. Contentment—"Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength." (Phil. 4:12-13)

23. Faith—"I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them." (Luke 17:5-6; Heb. 11:1-40)

24. A Servant's Heart—"God, please help my children develop servant's hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men." (Eph. 6:7)

25. Hope—"May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)

26. Willingness and Ability to Work—"Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men." (Col. 3:23)

27. Passion for God—"Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard after thee,' one that clings passionately to You." (Ps. 63:8)

28. Self-Discipline—"Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair."
(Prov. 1:3)

29. Prayerfulness—"Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers." (1 Thess. 5:17)

30. Gratitude—"Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:20; Col. 2:7)

31. A Heart for Missions—"Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples." (Ps. 96:3)

© Bob Hostetler. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

Immigration and the Gospel

On Friday, June 17, 2011, Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY wrote the following "Immigration and the Gospel."

The Christian response to immigrant communities in the United States cannot be “You kids get off of my lawn” in Spanish. While evangelicals, like other Americans, might disagree on the political specifics of achieving a just and compassionate immigration policy, our rhetoric must be informed by more than politics, but instead by gospel and mission.

I’m amazed when I hear evangelical Christians speak of undocumented immigrants in this country with disdain as “those people” who are “draining our health care and welfare resources.” It’s horrifying to hear those identified with the gospel speak, whatever their position on the issues, with mean-spirited disdain for the immigrants themselves.

This is a gospel issue. First of all, our Lord Jesus himself was a so-called “illegal immigrant.” Fleeing, like many of those in our country right now, a brutal political situation, our Lord’s parents sojourned with him in Egypt (Matt. 2:113-23). Jesus, who lived out his life for us, spent his childhood years in a foreign land away from his relatives among people speaking a different language with strange customs.

In so doing, our Lord Jesus was re-living the life of Israel, our ancestors in the faith, who were also immigrants and sojourners in Egypt (Exod. 1:1-14; 1 Chron. 16:19; Acts 7:6). It is this reality, the Bible tells us, that is to ground our response to those who sojourn among us (Exod. 22:21; Ps. 94:6; Jer.7:6; Ezek. 22:29; Zech. 7:10). God, the Bible says, “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Deut. 10:18-19).

This is much more than a “political” issue, abstracted from our salvation. Jesus tells us that our response to the most vulnerable among us is a response to Jesus Himself (Matt. 25:40). God will judge those who exploit workers and mistreat the poor. No matter how invisible they seem to us now, God hears (Isa. 3:15; Amos 4:1; Jas.5:4).

This is also a question of our mission. There are upwards of 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country right now, and many more in the Latino community who came here legally. If our response to them is to absorb the nativism and bigotry of some elements of society around us, we are showing them a vision of what the Bible calls “the flesh” rather than the Spirit. If our churches ignore the nations around us who are living in our own communities, we will reflect 1970s Bible Belt America rather than the kingdom of God which is made up of those from every tribe, tongue, nation, and language (Rev. 7:9).

It is easy to lash out at undocumented immigrants as “law-breakers,” and to cite Romans 13 as reason to simply call for deportation and retribution. But this issue is far more complicated than that. Yes, undocumented immigrants are violating the law, but, first of all, most of them are doing so in order to provide a future for their families in flight from awful situations back home. Many of them are children (as our Lord Jesus was at the time of his immigration).

And, even given our nation’s Romans 13 responsibility to maintain secure borders, the message our nation sends to those across our borders isn’t clear and univocal. As Southern Baptist leader Richard Land puts it, there are two metaphorical signs on our border: “Keep out” and “Help wanted.”

This isn’t to say that there aren’t real political challenges here. I agree that the border should be secured. I support holding businesses accountable for hiring, especially since some of them use the threat of deportation as a way of exploiting these vulnerable workers. I support a realistic means of providing a way to legal status for the millions of immigrants already here. But there are many who disagree with me, and for valid reasons.

The larger issue is in how we talk about this issue, recognizing that this is not about “issues” or “culture wars” but about persons made in the image of God. Our churches must be the presence of Christ to all persons, regardless of country of origin or legal status. We need to stand against bigotry and harassment and exploitation, even when it’s politically profitable for those who stand with us on other issues.

And, most importantly, we must love our brothers and sisters in the immigrant communities. We must be the presence of Christ to and among them, even as we receive ministry from them. Our commitment to a multinational kingdom of God’s reconciliation in Christ must be evident in the verbal witness of our gospel and in the visible makeup of our congregations.

Immigration isn’t just an issue. It’s an opportunity to see that, as important as the United States of America is, there will be a day when the United States of America will no longer exist. And on that day, the sons and daughters of God will stand before the throne of a former undocumented immigrant. Some of them are migrant workers and hotel maids now. They will be kings and queens then. They are our brothers and sisters forever.

We might be natural-born Americans, but we’re all immigrants to the kingdom of God (Eph. 2:12-14). Whatever our disagreements on immigration as policy, we must not disagree on immigrants as persons. Our message to them, in every language and to every person, must be “Whosoever will may come.”

The new Alabama immigration law does have MAJOR concerns

The new Alabama immigration law passed in the last session of our legislature has pleased many by being one of the toughest in the nation and has upset many others.

But there is a MAJOR issue with the law that as passed for churches. Dr. Bob Terry, Editor, The Alabama Baptist, wrote about it in the June 30 edition. Read the article here or read the article and all the paper here.

I spoke last week with persons in our state who "watch" the law very carefully and they acknowledged that what Terry wrote about is true. The law that was passed omitted the part of permitting churches to minister to illegal immigrant without fear of government reprisals.

According to my sources, our Governor has been made aware of our deep concern about this omission and whenever the Senate and House convenes again in regular or special session, an amendment will be provided to change this.

Pray that it happens. Churches, pastors, and Christian people should not have to choose between "God and state" in this nation.

Effective Praying by Henry Blackby

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16b)

God promises all believers that if we live righteously and pray fervently, our prayers will be effective and produce significant results. How do we treat a promise like this? We might argue, “But I do pray, and nothing happens!” Our problem is that we do not hold ourselves accountable to the Scripture. God’s Word says that prayer ought to accomplish much. If our prayer life is not accomplishing much, what should we do? If we are praying but seeing no results, should we conclude that this promise is untrue? Should we excuse this Scripture as impractical and unrealistic? Or should we examine ourselves to see if we meet its conditions?

James says that fervent prayer avails much. Could it be that we are not as fervent in our praying as we should be? Fervent prayer means we do not quit easily. Fervent prayer means we purposefully spend sufficient time in intercession. Fervent prayer means we cry out to the Father, sometimes in tears, with our heart and soul. Fervent prayer comes as the Holy Spirit assists us in praying with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26).

According to James, our righteousness will ensure effective prayer. God’s standard of righteousness is different from ours, for He looks beyond our actions, even beyond our thoughts, directly to our hearts. How then should we hold ourselves accountable if our prayers are accomplishing little? If nothing happens when we pray, the problem is not with God. The problem is with us, for God’s word is absolutely reliable. If we adhere to what God requires, He will lead us to pray for things that align with His purposes, and God will answer our prayers in a mighty way.

Are you involved in a small group?

Small groups. Sunday School. LIFE Groups. Whatever you call them, they are absolutely necessary for a follower of Jesus Christ to be involved. Jesus had a small group of 12 that He gave His life to.

Thom S. Rainer in High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church, traced new Christians in random churches for five years. Among those who only attended worship, fewer than 20 percent were still active five years later. However, among those who attended both worship and Sunday School, over 80 percent were still active after five years.

If you are not actively participating in a small group, then your spiritual life could be in jeopardy. This Sunday would be a good day to begin. See you at 8:45 a.m. for our LIFE Groups.

Sermon Notes from Sunday, July 3, 2011

On May 29, I began a new series of messages on the Kingdom of God as seen in Matthew 13. I'm calling it a "Peek at the Kingdom." The theme of the Kingdom has been a study for a long time, but I am wanting to see it through the lens of Matthew 13.

The notes of the sermon from this past Sunday can be seen by clicking here. This is the first message on the parable of the soils. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like Soil."

Strongholds by Henry Blackaby

"And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars." But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, "I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you." (Judges 2:2-3)

God gave the Israelites specific instructions: Drive the Canaanites out of every corner of the land, and obliterate any vestige of their abominable idol worship. This assignment was challenging! Their enemies had formidable chariots. The Canaanites had seemingly impregnable fortresses that were dangerous and difficult to overcome. The Israelites failed to drive all the Canaanites from the land. Much about the Canaanite lifestyle and religion appealed to the Israelites’ sinful nature. Rather than destroying them and their idolatry, Israel compromised. The Canaanites would prove to be a troublesome distraction to the Israelites. Their idol worship would present a constant temptation.

When you became a Christian, God declared war on sin’s strongholds in your life. Sinful behaviors and attitudes were firmly entrenched in your character, but God commanded you to tear them down. The Holy Spirit pointed out areas of your life that were resistant to God’s will. Were you tempted to merely establish a truce rather than obliterating every sin? Is anger one of sin’s strongholds? If so, it will rise up against you in moments of weakness. Is there a stronghold of lust in your life? If so, you will succumb to it when caught off guard. In careless moments, these strongholds will still tempt you to continue your past sinful behaviors.

Do not underestimate the destructive power of sin. If there are strongholds in your life that you have never defeated, the Holy Spirit is still prepared to bring you complete victory.

(July 3, 2011 devotion - see online)

Exposing the Ten Pillars of Gambling by John MacArthur

Gambling is a blight on our nation, a cancer that eats away at the souls of millions. In spite of the fact that it increases crime rates, degrades morals, and destroys families, gambling has thrived. Why?

The answer is both simple and profound. Gambling is built on sin. If you clear away the glamour, the twinkling lights, and the jackpot sound effects, you’ll find ten pillars of sin that support the whole enterprise.

In this final post on the subject of gambling, John MacArthur will identify those pillars with precision, cutting through the clutter to bring biblical clarity to the issue. Just click play.

Listen to this 6-minute clip:

Launch Player | Download | Full Sermon

Sunday News Recap

One of my little habits is I like to DVR several of the news' talk shows on Sunday mornings. I have pretty well stopped listening to Fox and CNN News and will DVR a national news report normally each evening to get "news".

For intellectual talk, (especially since Larry King is gone), I DVR "Face the Nation," "Meet the Press," "This Week with Christiane Amanpour" and "Fox News Sunday." Of those four, "Fox News Sunday" is currently at the bottom of my priorities for I'm growing to dislike Chris Wallace.

Today, there were some interesting comments...let me paraphrase some of them.

George Will (ABC) - concerning immigration. We need to do two things: 1. Secure the borders. 2. Then deal with the 11 million illegals here without deporting them. We can't afford to deport them but America won't accept them here until we secure the border.

George Will - concerning those who come to this country for higher education, he said, "Every American advanced degree should come with a stapled green card," i.e. keep those with advanced degrees in this nation.

Bob Schieffer (CBS) made the best point that I've heard in a long time. He talked about the founding fathers who signed The Declaration of Independence risking their very lives to do so. He reminded us John Hancock wrote his name large so England would be able to see his name if they wanted to kill him.

He then showed a clip of Senator Tom Coburn (Ok) speaking June 14 when Coburn said, "This is the lowest level of votes taken in the Senate in my seven years there and in the past 25. Senators are afraid to vote for they will have to defend their vote. They are more interested in their political careers."

Did you understand that exchange? Our founding fathers were willing to die for a cause; our current senators won't even vote on issues (like the budget) because that will mean they have taken a stand for or against something.

On "Face the Nation," Ohio Governor Kasich said, "There is too much posturing, too much thinking about your party and your self."

Kasich further said about balancing the budget in Ohio, you have to "strip out the politics and look the problem straight in the eye."

Wisconsin Governor Walker said, " We need to think about the next generation, not the next election."

My thoughts: I don't know a Democratic or Republican that I have faith in that would be willing to lose the next election to do what is right. I pray we could elect some people that would change my mind, but I've not seen it yet. Money and political power is ruling Washington.

We need to pray for men and women in Washington to humble themselves and do what is right for this country and the next generation; and not what is right for their political party or what will get them elected next term.