From the Shepherd's Heart - July 30, 2015

Dear Church Family:

Our first six Sunday morning sermons are based on the theme "Setting the Pace" from Colossians 1: 28-29.

Since I don't have time on Sunday morning to share this, let me introduce Colossians to you.

Paul wrote Colossians, but he did not found the church at Colosse and actually never visited (2:1).  It seems Epaphras was the founder.  He met Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:9-10) possibly having been converted under his preaching, but certainly having been taught by him.

Epaphras:
*  was a  Colossian - 4:12
*  was a servant of Christ - 4:12; dear fellow servant - 1:7; faithful minister - 1:7
*  was an envoy from the other churches in the Lycus River valley - 4:13
*  most likely founded the church at Colosse as they "learned from" him - 1:7
*  carried the message of Christ back from Ephesus to his home town and founded a church

It seems Epaphras was troubled by some teachings in the church and went back to his teacher and mentor, Paul, to get advise. Thus, Paul wrote the letter.

Colosse was a small town in the Lycus River Valley that might have been severely damaged in an earthquake around AD 60.  Due to several factors, it once was a great city, but by the time of Paul's writing it had lost its glory. It was about 100 miles from Ephesus.

There are three possibilities of where Paul was when he wrote the letter.  We know he was in prison (4:10), but was he in Rome? Ephesus? Caesarea?  We know Onesimus (4:9) was with him and the book of Philemon was written concerning him.  Furthermore, most likely Philemon was a member of the church at Colosse and the letter bearing his name was written first and then Colossians was written second; both delivered at the same time.

We are not sure of the exact "heresy" Paul was addressing, but from the letter it seems the false teachers were "attacking the total adequacy and the unique supremacy of Christ" (William Barclay).  This letter is the single greatest writing in the New Testament of the Centrality of Christ.  No other book is more Christ-centered.

R.C. Lucas suggest due to references to "fullness" (2:10), "deliverance" (1:13, 2:15) and evil powers (1:13, 2:10, 2:15) there seems to have been teachers coming in suggesting the church had not experienced all that is possible and offered a "spiritual fullness," "a new freedom," "more authority," and more.  As one said, they were teaching a "spiritual elitism."

Paul writes to remind them of what they already have in Christ.  We are "complete in Him" (2:10), "He has delievered us" (1:13), and Christ is "the head of all principality and power" (2:10) "having disarmed" them making a "public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (2:15).

This Sunday I will be sharing message two "The Presentation" based on 1:28 "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom..."

Sunday night will be part two of "The Kingdom of God" from the "First Base as a Church" Series.

Can't wait....

From the Shepherd's Heart - July 29, 2015

Dear church family:  I will normally update on Tuesday some news about our church, but I realize this is Wednesday...which means I will see you tonight for Bible study at 6:10.

The biggest news I want to make sure you know is what you received in your Sunday School classes this week concerning "Get Acquanited Fellowships" with Roxanne and me.

Each Sunday School class will have opportunities to attend one of the fellowships that are planned for Sunday lunch,  Sunday night supper and Wednesday supper.  A Sunday School class will be assigned to one of the dates and whoever can come (up to 6-10 people maximum) will sign up.  According to the size of the Sunday School class, there will be multiple opportunities through this process for everyone in the class to participate.

The meal of chicken fingers, baked potato, slaw and tea will be catered (from Katy's Katfish) and we ask each person to pay $7.00 per plate when you arrive for the fellowship.  We will meet in Room 107.

·      The gathering will last about an hour

·      *       Children may attend but won't be counted toward to the 6-10 maximum number

·      *        If you want your child to eat the catered meal, you will need to indicate that on the sign up sheet so     the additional meal(s) will be purchased

·     *        There is no childcare provided.

Sunday lunch will begin at 11:45, Sunday night supper will begin at 7:15 and Wednesday supper at 5:00.

Beginning this Sunday, these Sunday School classes will be visited by a deacon wife (in parentheses) to begin registering you for your first fellowship - the date to the right.

Joe Burke's class (Crystal Hall) - August 9 lunch

Keith Williams' class (Sharon Wigley) - August 9 supper

Damon Olson's (April Murdock) - August 12 supper

Missions:

*  Pray for the 56 who leave Saturday for a two-day mission trip to Kentucky led by Keith.

*  Pray for Issac Mays and Justin Shankles as they travel today and tomorrow back to Mobile to Semmes Boys and Girls Club to minister to them in their summer-ending celebration.

*  Pray for Wally and those ministering during the de-briefing of the 150 Nehemiah and Project 52 teams at Nazareth through tomorrow night.  We are hosting the men at our church and I look forward to attending the closing service.

I enjoyed getting to sit in on the Upward Football Coaches' Training last night.  I look forward to this ministry and I appreciate the good leadership Drew Hogsed gives to this ministry.  Practices begin next week.

I will send out another update tomorrow about our preaching/teaching ministry.

We've Confused The Soulish with the Spiritual by Michael Catt

I’m an emotional person. I cry at movies or when I hear great stories. That’s okay. Most men are too cold and refuse to cry. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet. If Jesus wept, I can weep. I just need to make sure I’m weeping over things that matter. I need to weep over my sin more than I weep over things that won’t last one minute into eternity.

Because we no longer have a Christian worldview in our land, we have lost our spiritual moorings. We are soulish, but not spiritual.

If it’s a sermon series I like, I’ll make sure I’m there. But, if the preacher is talking about giving, I’m going to the beach to spend money on myself.

If the music is the style I like, I’ll lift my hands. But, if the music doesn’t turn me on, I’ll fold my arms and complain it was too loud.

Soulish churches don’t pray; they just look for their emotions to be stirred. Soulish is looking for a feeling instead of a filling of the Spirit.

A lack of loyalty to a church can be evidence of a soulish believer, while the man or woman of God who is in a deep walk with Him is not easily offended. Soulish people are fickle; spiritual people are faithful. The faithful understand that to reach the world with the Great Commission, it’s not about us or what we like.

Few think through the fact that the church is not, nor has it ever been, about us. It’s about the glory of God and the expansion of the gospel. It’s biblical and spiritual to become “all things to all men that we might win a few.” It doesn’t mean watering down sin; it means reaching people where they are. The world is messy. Life is messy. A spiritually minded church is attractive to messy people who find a safe haven to learn what it means to follow Christ.

Worship can be soulish. There are many songs that may have a great rhythm, but they aren’t theologically accurate. There are even songs in hymnals that aren’t spiritual. To be honest, I’ve preached enough camps and conferences to know that jumping up and down and raising your hands is no sign of connecting with the Almighty. It’s not how high you jump on Sunday – it’s how straight you walk during the week. We are far more concerned in our Christian subculture with emotions and energy than exegesis and exposition. Examine your worship and walk by the Word, not by your feelings.

New Sermon Series beginning Sunday at Rainsville First Baptist

I am not a NASCAR fan and anybody who knows me would be shocked if I said I was.  In fact, I may have only watched five minutes of a race and that was when Roxanne finally talked me into getting a HD TV and one Saturday night I saw five mintues of a race only to reply, "HD does make a difference."

But I do know in a race, there is a Pace Car. This car, also called a Safety Car, is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on the racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather.  The aim of the Pace Car is to enable the safety of those clearing the tracks or waiting for more favourable track conditions during bad weather.

The first Pace Car was used in the inagural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.  The first pace car was a Stoddard-Dayton driven by Carl G. Fisher.

Why would I choose a "Pace Car or Safety Car" as the theme of the first series of messages with you? Is there impending bad weather?  Do we need to slow down the race?  Or is there an obstruction on the track of Rainsville First Baptist?

The answer...an obstruction.  You have a new pastor.  It's me! A change in the Shepherd of a local church is a cause for a yellow flag - caution.  The race of the church's ministry slows down (it does not stop thank God) and there is caution resulting in much prayer during the process of calling a new pastor. Then when that new pastor arrives, there is caution. Who is he?  What is he like?  What are his priorities.

For about an year, I have written Colossians 1: 28-29 in the front of my Bible. It has become a benchmark for me...if you will a "setting of my pace."  I had no idea of God calling me to a new church family, but I believe the reason God put this in my heart was for "such a time as this."

So, over the next six Sundays I will be "Setting the Pace" using these two verses of Scripture.

"Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

July 26 - "The Person"

August 2 - "The Proclamation"

August 9 - "The Presentation"

August 16 - "The Parameters"

August 23 - "The Perfection"

August 30 - "The Power"

Then on Sunday nights I will do a series "First Base As a Church" glimpsing as some important issues of "first base" to assure we all touch "first base" so we can count as we attempt to score.  In baseball, you may round the bases and reach home plate, but if you don't touch first base..you are out and the run doesn't count.

This Sunday night I begin with a message on "The Kingdom of God."

Wednesday nights I will be doing a teaching on "The Attributes of God."  A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."  I want to explore the depths of who God is so that we can think rightly about our great God.    

Exciting days ahead.  I can't wait.

Blessings to you church family.  See you Sunday.

On But Alone by James Emery White

The Net Generation has come of age constantly exposed to computer-based technology. They do life differently than any other generation; the way they think, learn, play, interact, communicate, purchase, build wealth, create … it’s all different from the way previous generations went about the same tasks. And not only is this transforming our minds, but also the very nature of our relational world.

But what does this mean?

While we live in a world that is “always on,” the heart of the change to our relational lives is simple: “We spend more time alone than ever before.”

And apparently, more time doing nothing.

Studies show that for people under the age of thirty, the Web is mostly a time killer. On any given day, 53 percent of all the young adults ages eighteen to twenty-nine go online for no particular reason except to have fun or pass the time. So what is isolation and waste doing to us?

More than you might imagine.

As Maggie Jackson titled one of her books on the matter, we are distracted. Relationally distracted. Her lament is simple: How did we get to the point where we keep one eye on our Blackberry and one eye on our spouse – in bed? How did we get to the point where we tweet on vacation, text during family dinners, read emails during meetings and classes, and learn about our spouse’s day on Facebook?

Of course how we got to this point may not be as important as what it is doing to us. Jackson’s conclusion is direct: “The way we live is eroding our capacity for deep, sustained, perceptive attention – the building block of intimacy, wisdom, and cultural progress.” Studies bear out her concern.

According to the psychological research of Larry Rosen of California State University, teens who spend an abundance of time on social networks like Facebook are more likely to show narcissistic tendencies and display signs of other behavioral problems. Specifically, they become more prone to vain, aggressive, antisocial behavior. It’s certainly giving rise to new forms of harassment, from cyber-stalking to cyber-bullying.

The 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study also found that heavy media use, amplified and energized by the internet, is associated with behavior problems, poor grades and obesity. According to the study, the “heaviest media users were also more likely to report that they were bored or sad, or that they got into trouble, did not get along well with their parents and were not happy at school.”

Perhaps one of the more intriguing studies related to the way the internet affects our behavior researched the relationship between texting and lying. A study published in 2012 in the Journal of Business Ethics found that people are more likely to lie via text than any other form of communication, such as when compared to face-to-face communications, video conferencing, or audio chat. The researchers say that lying via text makes intuitive sense because it is known as lean media, which means it doesn’t convey the important emotional cues that signal someone may be lying – such as stuttering, twisting your hands nervously, or darting your eyes. When lying is covered up by lean media, it opens the door of temptation to lie even more.

So it isn’t simply that the new media are changing how we do life, they are changing the very character of our lives. We do not simply text each other; who we are to each other changes because we text.

In the past we have called ourselves a race of Homo sapiens, which means “thinking beings.” Lee Siegel suggests that perhaps we should consider a new name: Homo interneticus. Our primary identity is quickly becoming “connected beings.”

But all this connecting seems to have left us feeling more alone than ever before.

On … but alone.

James Emery White

Sources

Adapted from James Emery White, The Church in an Age of Crisis: 25 New Realities Facing Christianity (Baker). Click here to order this resource from Amazon.

      

What We Need Is More Knowledge by Tim Challies

Few people have had a deeper impact on my way of thinking than John Stott. In his little book Your Mind Matters, he writes about the importance of being Christians who use our minds. But knowledge is not an end in and of itself. Rather, all that knowledge is meant to lead somewhere.

Knowledge should lead to worship. The true knowledge of God will result not in our being puffed up with conceit at how knowledgeable we are, but in our falling on our faces before God in sheer wonder and crying, “O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” Whenever our knowledge becomes dry or leaves us cold, something has gone wrong. For whenever Christ opens the Scriptures to us and we learn from him, our heart should be aglow within us. The more we know God the more we should love him.

Second, knowledge should lead to faith. We have already seen that knowledge is the foundation of faith and makes faith reasonable. “Those who know thy name put their trust in thee,” wrote the psalmist. It is our very knowledge of God’s nature and character which elicits our faith. But if we cannot believe without knowing, we must not know without believing. That is, our faith must grasp hold of whatever truth God reveals to us. Indeed, God’s message brings no benefit unless it meets with faith in the hearers. This is why Paul does more than pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened to know the greatness of God’s power which has been demonstrated in the resurrection; he adds that this power which God accomplished in Christ is now available to use who believe. The first and necessary step is that we know in our minds the magnitude of God’s power, but this should lead us to appropriate his power in our lives by faith.

Third, knowledge should lead to holiness. We have to see how the more our knowledge grows, the greater our responsibility to put it into practice. Many biblical examples could be quoted. Psalm 119 is full of aspirations to know God’s law. Why? In order the better to obey it: “Give me understanding, that I may keep thy law and observe it with my whole heart.” Thomas Manton, the Puritan minister, who at one time was Oliver Cromwell’s chaplain, likened a disobedient Christian to a child suffering from rickets: “Rickets cause great heads and week feet. We are not only to dispute of the word, and talk of it, but to keep it. We must neither be all ear, nor all head, nor all tongue, but the feet must be exercised!”

Fourth, knowledge should lead to love. The more we know, the more we should want to share what we know with others and use our knowledge in their service, whether in evangelism or ministry. Sometimes, however, our love will restrain our knowledge. For by itself knowledge can be harsh; it needs to sensitivity which love can give it. This is what Paul meant when he wrote: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

Knowledge is indispensable to Christian life and service. If we do not use the mind which God has given us, we condemn ourselves to superficiality and cut ourselves off from many of the riches of God’s grace. At the same time, knowledge is given us to be used, to lead us to higher worship, greater faith, deeper holiness, better service. What we need is not less knowledge but more knowledge, so long as we act upon it.

Our House For Sale

Our house is officially for sale.

Donna Holden is our agent. Contact her at 256.810.2020

To see the MLS listing, click here.

How Do You Say "Good-bye?" by David O. Cofield

(Today is my tenth anniversary as pastor of CrossRoads Baptist Church; but this Sunday is my last day of official ministry at CrossRoads as their pastor.  In light of that....)

How do you say "goodbye" to family?  We have been together for years - sharing the Word, seeing God move in our lives, meeting and receiving new people, rejoicing at weddings and birth of children, weeping at open graves of loved ones, breaking bread together, praying together.

We are family and there is no family like the brothers and sisters in the Lord.  But it's time to say "goodbye."  Since human words are inadequate for me, let me turn to Paul's words when he left Ephesus in Acts 20: 36-38

1.  They prayed together - verse 36

We need the prayers of each other.  As I pray for you, I pray for you to remain strong and stedfast in your calling as CrossRoads. You are a unique church with a fablous future. Don't give up or let up.  Stay strong.  

2.  They wept together - verse 37

I have shed more tears in the past few weeks over this than I have in a long time.   They wept - cried and wailed.  They embraced - hugged and held one another for support.  They kissed - expressed fervent affection and devotion.  They grieved - they felt pain. Its okay to cry....parting hurts and it causes pain.

3.  They went to the world - verse 38

They accompanied him to the ship to see him off.  Then they turned their back on the departing ship and went back to their lives.  They sent Paul off to the world and they returned to their world to continue to reach and disciple people.  We both have a task to complete in reaching our worlds for Christ.  We must return to our labor in our specific places where God has called us.  It is not a dishonor of the past to move forward in the future.

Let me add one final word...let's all give glory to God.  He alone is worthy of praise and adoration.  It is to Him and Him alone we submit our lives.  It's All About Him.

So, thank you church for your love, prayers, support and just "being you" to Roxanne and me for these ten years.  We love you and will always count it an honor to have been the first pastor of this great church.

So we say, "Goodbye until we meet again."

Love you and have counted it an honor to be your Pastor;

Blessings;

David

This Will Cause Leaders to Fail Every Single Time by Brian Dodd

This Will Cause Leaders To Fail Every Single Time

Leaders focus on many things in order to be successful – Vision, Teamwork, Conflict Resolution, Passion, Character, Creativity, Competency, Preparation, Continually Learning, Character and several other items.

However, there is one skill which if you do not possess it, you will NEVER, EVER be a successful leader.

On the June 1st edition of ESPN’s The Herd With Colin Cowherd radio show, legendary NBA player and executive Jerry West said the following regarding young players entering the league out of college, “One thing people really don’t talk about enough is hard work.  Hard work is a skill.  I don’t care how talented you are or how gifted you are as an athlete,  if you’re not willing to work hard in college where you play a 35-game schedule maybe, how in the world can you do it in the NBA when you play 82 games, maybe a 100 games a year if you’re lucky enough to get into the playoffs?”

Young players are entering the league not knowing how to work hard and it is causing many to fail.  Can you relate?

West’s words resonated with me.  Last summer I analyzed 60 blog posts I had written over a three-year period about leaders who are at or near the top of their professions.  My goal was to identify common threads which contributed to their greatness.

The second most common trait of these Apex Leaders was HARD WORK.

The following are statements from 10 posts about great leaders and their commitment to hard work.  Click each name to read the full article.

1. New England Patriots – Former star cornerback Darrelle Revis says, “Our work ethic gives us the opportunity to win.”
2. LeBron James – During the off-season (of 2012), James took hundreds of jump shots and practiced countless numbers of power moves on a daily basis.  James also now frequently arrives to the game prior to his teammates to hone his skills.
3. Nick Saban – “Signing day is the culmination of a lot of hard work,” says Saban.
4. Albert Pujols – Pujols said, “When you’re here, you’re working. This is what gets you ready. If you want to have a championship ballclub, this is where it starts.”
5. Robert Griffin III – Griffin said, “First guy in.  Last guy out.  A lot of guys say that but I have to do it to be ready.”
6. Roger Goodell – “I learned in high school that I was going to have to outwork people…If I work harder than him, I’ll beat him.  And to this day, I overprepare.”
7. Von Miller – During the (2013) offseason, Miller trained at Velocity Sports Performance in Irvine, CA.
8. Derrick Rose – “He lives in the gym he is so committed.  He is in early, he stays late, he prepares, he studies, and he does all he can do to be the best he can be.  His teammates see that, and they follow.” – Tom Thibodeau
9. Jason Kipnis – Cleveland Indians general manager says of second baseman Kipnis, “We kept hearing story after story from our scouts about how competitive he was.  That drive came out when he worked extraordinarily hard to make the transition (from college outfielder to second base) work.”
10. Kemba Walker – “Every day, he plays like he doesn’t have a scholarship.  Every day…That’s a challenge to be that consistent as a leader.” – UConn Head coach Kevin Ollie

Characteristics of healthy churches by Dave Kraft

Over the last several weeks I have posted thoughts about healthy and unhealthy churches. When I think of health I am thinking both of quantitative and qualitative.

Church health is just as important, if not more important, than church growth.

A church can be large with lots of people and money and still be unhealthy in a myriad of ways.

I believe that church health will eventually lead to church growth, but church growth won’t necessarily lead to church health.

Obviously no church has as its goal to become unhealthy, but it happens because certain foundational ideas are not given adequate attention.

Here are some thoughts about elements of a healthy church.

Healthy churches…

1.  Are lead by healthy pastors and leaders

As goes the health of the leadership, so goes the health of the church. As John Maxwell has rightly said, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.”

Is the leader secure, safe, empowering and caring, just to name a few important things. Study your way through I Timothy 3, Titus 1 and I Peter 5 and you will see what healthy leaders look like and how they function.

2.  Are outward focused

Generally speaking, healthy churches are outward focused. They have a deep desire to reach out with the gospel to new people while they are discipling those people they have. It is not either/or but both/and. Healthy churches have a missional mindset and the leadership is modeling this. Not just missional overseas, but missional also in the neighborhoods, schools, and marketplaces where church family members work, live, study and play. They are proactively and intentionally seeking to introduce others to our Lord Jesus, both corporately and individually. They are making a difference in the world, not just within the four walls of the church.

3.  Create safe and nurturing cultures

 Samuel Chand in his excellent book, “Breaking Your Church’s Culture Code” writes:

 “Organizational culture includes tangibles and intangibles. The things we can see are the way people dress and behave, the look of the corporate offices, and the messages of posters on the walls. The intangibles may be harder to grasp, but they give a better read on the organization’s true personality. The organization’s values (stated and unstated), beliefs, and assumptions; what and how success is celebrated; how problems are addressed; the manifestations of trust and respect at all levels of the organization; these are the intangible elements of culture.”

Does the leadership at your church model and develop a culture of candor, freedom, joy, safety and trust.  Do staff and volunteers enjoy working there or do they walk on egg shells most of the time waiting for the other shoe to drop. Chand writes:  

“Culture—not vision or strategy—is the most powerful factor in any organization.”

I could not agree more. A toxic and unsafe culture with a “domineering” leadership style will not (over time) produce church health of a biblical nature.

4.  Develop future leaders

In my 48 years of pastoral ministry, I have never been in a church where they had too many leaders.  On the other hand, I often hear:  “We desperately need more leaders.” 

But these needed leaders are not going to drop from the sky, or just wander in on a Sunday morning mature, with great motives and attitudes ready to roll up their sleeves and go to work. Quite the contrary, they need to be identified, recruited, developed and deployed in the area of their passion and gifting. I run across very few churches that have a thought-through leadership development process.

This is one of the things I help churches with when I put on my “Leaders Who Last”seminars.

5.  Have a clear understanding of, and a working definition for, biblical discipleship

It is both amazing and sad to me that many churches that say they are all about making disciples have nothing in writing or agreed upon among their leaders as to what a disciple is.  It would be the equivalent of, say, a new business opening to make blue widgets. The business rents space, hires people, creates sales, marketing and manufacturing departments but has no idea of what a blue widget is! That’s crazy, yes? Yet the church is to be about making disciples with many, if not most, churches having no definition or process for vigorously pursuing the wonderful task of helping people become His disciples.

Here is my working definition of a New Testament disciple.

A disciple is a person who:

1. Is converted to the kingdom of God
2. Is experiencing communion with the Son of God
3. Is in genuine community with the people of God
4. Is committed to the purposes of God

 Activities and programs of the church need to be contributing to each of these four aspects of becoming a disciple, not just keeping people busy.

Additionally, I like Michael Breen’s three categories of In, Out & Up:

In: Community with some fellow believers

Out: Being missional with the gospel

Up: Growing in Intimacy with Jesus

6.  Have an intentional assimilation process for new people

I mentioned this one just last week, Assimilation, so won’t go into more detail here, except to say that there needs to be a champion with gifting and time to oversee this process so that those coming in through the front door don’t soon leave through the back door.

3 Ways to Show Honor: The Forgotten Virtue? by Craig Groeschel

What the Bible Says About Honor The Bible says that there are several different groups we should honor. I’m going to focus only on the three that I believe are most important for you to become all God wants you to be. First, we’re supposed to honor our parents. The Bible is incredibly clear on this one. It’s so important, God actually included it in his top ten in Exodus 20:12: Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. So often, the opposite happens. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen teenagers (and even children) speak disrespectfully to their parents. It seems like some kids even go out of their way to dishonor their parents, trashing them online or even to their faces. And our culture seems to celebrate this behavior, often playing it as comedy. And this verse doesn’t apply just to children. God doesn’t give an upper age limit on honoring our parents. We don’t do it just when we’re little kids. We continue doing it when we’re in our twenties, our thirties, our forties, our fifties. If you have children yourself, a good way to demonstrate honor to your parents is to speak well of them in front of their grandchildren. Maybe your parents didn’t live honorable lives. Maybe your dad ran off with another woman. Maybe your mom struggled with substance abuse. Whatever their circumstances, it really doesn’t matter. It’s respect that people have to earn; honor is a gift that you give freely. Find ways you can honor them, not just because they deserve it but because it’s the right thing to do. Honor Those in Authority The next group that the Bible says we ought to show honor to includes those who are in authority over us. Romans 13:1-7 explains that God, in his sovereignty, has placed people in positions of leadership. In this context, verse 7 says that you should  give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Notice that this verse makes a distinction between respect and honor again.) Last year, I was invited to speak at a leadership event that was to span several days. I spoke on Thursday. Then on Friday, former president George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, were scheduled to speak. That Friday afternoon, as we were waiting for the president and the first lady to arrive, I was visiting casually with the gentleman seated next to me. I learned that he was not a fan of President Bush — at all. He told me, “I didn’t vote for him. I never liked him. I didn’t agree with his policies.” But that was just the warm-up. This guy went on and on, specifying the things he didn’t approve of and why. Suddenly a door opened and a soldier walked in, carrying the flag of the United States of America. “Hail to the Chief” began to play, and everyone in the room rose to their feet, cheering and clapping. The president walked in, holding the first lady’s hand. I glanced sideways at this man standing next to me, the man who couldn’t stand the guy, and tears were streaming down his face. He was clapping and smiling broadly. In that moment, my neighbor was no longer a Democrat or a Republican. He wasn’t a fan of President Clinton or of President Obama, and he wasn’t a critic of President Bush. He was simply a citizen of the United States, freely offering honor, if not to the man, then at least to the office. The feeling in the room was electric. Everyone there showed honor. We’re supposed to show honor not only to powerful people in government but to all of those who are in authority over us. If you play sports, show honor to your coach. If you’re a student, honor your teachers. If you have a mentor, show them honor. Honor your boss. Even if you believe deep down that you’re smarter than your boss, you still need to show that person honor. Maybe you’d like to be the boss someday. Before you can learn to be over, you have to learn to be under. Practice being under by showing honor to those people whom God has put over you. If you’re a married woman, but you don’t particularly like your husband — maybe he’s not the leader that you want him to be — honor him. If you treat him as ordinary and common, he won’t feel empowered to lead your family. But if you honor him, give him the opportunity to rise to the occasion, to become honorable. Treat him like he’s the man you want him to be; with grace and honor, help him envision himself as a better man. Honor Your Church Leaders The third group God calls us to honor is pastors and church leaders. The Bible tells us that we are to show honor to those who are spiritually instructing and discipling us: The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. — 1 Timothy 5:17 Giving honor where it is due has tremendous power. When you show honor to those who lead you spiritually, I guarantee you that they will take very seriously the role that God has placed them in. Since most of us have been raised in a dishonoring culture, how can we grow in honor? The English Standard Version of the Bible translates Romans 12:10 like this: Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. So it’s really that simple. Take that verse to heart, and not only show honor to other people but try to outdo one another in showing honor. What does that mean? That means that you go out of your way to demonstrate honor to them. Whether they deserve it or not (and honestly, many won’t), you give it out freely. Treat honor like it’s the most renewable resource on the planet. If there are people who take care of your children during the week while you work, show them honor. Find out their names. Learn their birthdays. Bring them gift cards and handwritten thank-you notes. When a person serves you, whether at a business or a restaurant, make a point to be overly courteous to them. Tell them that you appreciate what they do. Offer them some encouragement and a smile. Tip generously. Ask them if there’s anything you can pray for them for. If they give you something to pray about, then pray for them. At your church, single out the people who serve you. Thank them. Show them honor. Write a note to those who minister to your kids. Bring a gift to your small group leader. Email the worship pastor to say thanks for helping you grow closer to God through worship. Outdo one another in showing honor. Lean in. Listen closely. Outdo each other. Lift them up. Encourage them. Esteem them highly. Tell them you value them, and then demonstrate it by your actions. You might just be surprised to see them grow into what you speak to them in faith. God’s Autograph I’m convinced that the reason our culture is known worldwide as a place of dishonor is that we, as a culture, have dishonored God. All true honor is born out of a heart surrendered to the King of Kings.  Psalm 22:23 says, You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! Our culture tends to treat God as common. We’re too familiar with him. We refer to Him as “the Man Upstairs” or “the Big Guy,” or we say things like “Jesus is my homeboy.” Jesus is not your homeboy. He is the soon-to-return, ruling, reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Alpha and the Omega. When He returns, it will be with a sword. He is the Righteous One who shed His blood so that we would live. We have to stop treating God as common or ordinary. When we’re able to see Him as He is, we’ll honor others not because we want to be good people but because His name is on our hearts. We’re no longer common or ordinary, because having His name on us makes us valuable. We have God’s autograph written across our hearts just as a great painter would sign His masterpiece. If you’re a Christian, what makes you valuable is the name of Jesus written on your heart. Because of what He did for us on the cross, our only reasonable response is to do something with our lives that honors Him. Sadly, the Bible describes a truth that is much more common: The Lord says: ‘These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.’ — Isaiah 29:13 That won’t be us. That won’t be you. We will not be a generation that gives God only lip service. Instead, we’ll show Him honor from our hearts. It’s because of what He did that we are who we are. We should value others and show them honor, and we should help them see that they were valuable enough for Jesus to give His life for. Living with honor reminds us of who we really are, who God is, and how much He loves those around us. When we place our selfish egos on the altar of honor, we become aware of the value that God places on each and every life, including our own. Excerpted with permission from Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are by Craig Groeschel, copyright Zondervan.

12 Questions for a Six-Month Spiritual Checkup by Chuck Lawless

At this time last year, I wrote a post on “10 Questions for a Six-Month Spiritual Checkup.” If you haven’t done a spiritual self-reflection yet this year, I encourage you to take time to read those previous questions and analyze your spiritual life today. Then, review the questions in this post to look at your life at an even deeper level.

1. Do you need to forgive someone? Jesus is clear that if we don’t forgive others, the Father does not forgive us (Matt. 6:14-15). So, while we may think our anger is justified, it only hurts us to stay bitter. The cost, in fact, is serious as it harms our relationship with God.
2. Does your daily talk reflect godliness? It’s hard to read Ephesians 5:4 (“Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving”) without evaluating our daily conversations. If other believers heard everything you said last week, would your witness be strengthened or harmed?
3. Does your budget reflect a commitment to God’s work? I know it sounds trite, but what we give toward God’s work really does have eternal dividends. Any sacrifice so others may know Jesus is no sacrifice at all. Would your checkbook show you prioritize God’s kingdom?
4. Do you know your neighbors and co-workers? It’s easy to be so “on the go” that we know our neighbors and co-workers on only a superficial basis, if we know them at all – which makes it difficult to share Christ with them. Even our prayer for them is surface-level if we don’t know them.
5. Do you pray regularly for leaders? Regardless of our political positions, we are mandated to pray for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Think about those for whom you might pray: school officials, bosses, mayors, governors, the president. Obedience here is especially important in this election season.
6. Do you read more blog posts than you do the Bible? Obviously, I tread softly here, as I’m deeply grateful you’re reading this post. On the other hand, what bloggers have to say is nothing compared to the Word of God.
7. Do you pray only when you have to? Many of us pray more reactively than proactively. Prayer is not in our DNA; it is only our response when we face something we can’t handle. That kind of praying misses the point of being in a relationship with God.
8. If you’re married, does your marriage reflect the love of Jesus for His church?Do you love your spouse sacrificially (Eph. 5:25), to the point of being willing to die? Would your spouse agree with your response to that question?
9. Are you hiding anything? Hiddenness is usually a sign the enemy is winning in one’s life. Then, the anguish of such sin is only deepened by the efforts we expend trying to keep it covered up.
10. Do you really love God’s church? Paul thanked God for the Corinthians at the beginning of his letter to them (1 Cor. 1:4-9) and expressed his love for them in his closing (1 Cor. 16:24). In between, though, he described them as a mess. Only God can give us this kind of love for His bride, especially when the church is problematic.
11. Are you ready to quit? Maybe your church role has drained you to the point you wonder if it’s worth the effort. If your faith is being stretched to its limit, I encourage you to gather prayer partners and talk with friends before giving up.
12. Where do you most need to strengthen your walk with God for the rest of this year? Reading this post will make no difference unless you make an intentional plan to change. Tell us what commitments you are making, and give us the privilege of praying for you.

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Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.