Leadership That Lasts

One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is from Remember the Titans, when Julius Campbell said to Gerry Bertier, “Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” What an important statement of truth (and what a turning point in that movie)!

Attitude does reflect leadership, and leadership that lasts is good leadership – leadership that impacts others for the better. Such leadership comes by the grace of God when people trust in and look to Him for wisdom and help.

I am so blessed and grateful to have been the lead pastor of Richland Baptist Church for nearly 9.5 years now. During my time as pastor, our church has experienced a sweet spirit of unity and resulting spiritual growth. Praise the Lord!

The reason for such fruitfulness, I believe, is because of leadership that lasts. Before I became pastor, our church was already blessed with godly lay leaders who were faithfully serving Jesus and helping others faithfully serve Jesus. That is discipleship.

No, none of them was or is perfect, as no one besides the Lord is perfect. Yet, godly leadership has been used by God to make disciples and grow this church. Godly leaders were here before me, and more godly leaders have come and/or been raised up since I arrived. To God be the glory!

A great example of this reality is our preaching ministry. In my entire time as pastor, I have never – not once – had to look for someone from outside our church family to fill the pulpit on a Sunday morning. When we had an average of 60 people on Sunday mornings at the beginning of my pastorate, we still had a couple men who could preach God’s Word. Now, we have at least eight men who can and do preach God’s Word. Praise the Lord!

The lasting leadership and spirit of unity go far beyond the pulpit, though. Our church is full of men, women, teenagers, and children who are walking with Jesus and helping others walk with Jesus. People are using the gifts God has given them to be disciples who make disciples. That has caused our unity to be based on Jesus and His Word, and our leaders – pastors, deacons, family group leaders, youth ministry leaders, children’s ministry leaders, discipleship accountability group leaders, etc. – have truly led the way.

“Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” The attitude of gospel-centered unity is contagious in our church and why I have so loved being a pastor. Are we perfect? No. Can we be and do better? Of course. What a blessing to be part of such a godly, united family of faith, though!

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through Acts 6:1-7 on “The Structure of Our Purpose,” which should be available later that day HERE. We will be considering what biblical leadership looks like, and why such a structure is so important. I am thankful to the Lord that our church is desiring and pursuing such faithfulness to the Word of God!

Leadership that lasts comes from the Lord. Do you have such leadership in your life? Are you seeking God’s help to be such a leader? If so, you will impact the attitude and behavior of those around you, and God will get the credit and the glory. Let us pursue His glory and others’ good! Let us follow and facilitate leadership that lasts!

True leadership that lasts comes from the greatest Leader to ever walk the earth – the eternal Son of God who equips His followers to lead others well. To experience such transformational equipping, trust in and turn to Him today. Learn more by checking out The Story.

Requesting Prayer

Will you please continue to pray for the people of Turkey and Syria? I returned this week from a trip to southeast Turkey, just over a month after two devastating earthquakes hit the region. They are still reeling in the midst of the tragedy and heartbreak. If you want to give to the relief efforts, I highly recommend giving to Send Relief by clicking HERE.

Regardless, please pray…

1. Pray for God’s mercy and grace to be experienced and realized.
2. Pray for local believers and churches in Turkey to endure and remain faithful as they minister to those affected by the earthquakes.
3. Pray for God to use this horrible tragedy to open the eyes, minds, and hearts of people to see their need for Jesus Christ.
4. Pray for God’s name to be glorified across that land.

Thank you!

Please pray for Turkey.

Thursday, I was with a water filtration team in Elbistan, Turkey, and my heart hurts for the people. Today (Friday), we will be heading to another city hit hard by the recent earthquakes. The pictures below are just a glimpse of the devastation we witnessed Thursday.

Will you join me in praying for Turkey (and Syria)? Pray for peace, hope, and healing in Christ. Pray for local churches who are faithfully and sacrificially serving others while dealing with the heartache and devastation themselves. We heard about one believer who lost 30 family members in the earthquakes. Can you imagine?! Please pray for God’s sovereign hand of provision and grace amidst this devastation.

If you are able to give to the disaster relief efforts for Turkey and Syria, you can do so HERE.

Below are just a few pictures from Elbistan…

Christmas Pics

I love Christmas time and am already sad that it is over. Well, almost over (we still get to sing some of the great Christmas hymns of praise in our upcoming Sunday morning service with our church – praise the Lord!). Over the past couple of weeks, though, I have loved time with family, including our amazing church family. God has been so good to us. To Him be all the glory!

Here are some picture highlights from the past couple of weeks…

Children’s Christmas Program

Gingerbread House

Christmas Story with the Kids

Christmas Candlelight Service

ELF and Caramel Corn

Worship on Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas!

3-to-13 on Christmas Night

Christmas Dance Routine

Christmas Presents

More Christmas Presents

Silas with His New Walking Stick

My Attempt at a Christmas Panorama

Problem or Provision?

What is the most disappointing broken promise you have ever experienced? In asking that question, I am thankful to say that I am having a hard time thinking of one that stands out above the rest. Sure, I have been disappointed by a lack of loyalty and faithfulness, but by the grace of God, I have a great family, great friends, and a great church family.

Admittedly, I take for granted that I have not experienced some of the most devastating broken promises imaginable – the infidelity of a spouse, the abuse and neglect of bad parents, the backstabbing betrayal of a close friend, etc.

The reality, though, is that everyone experiences broken promises and betrayal, as we live in a broken world full of sinful people, including you and me. Some might have an overwhelming sense of gratitude for most of the people in their lives, as I do, whereas some might struggle and wonder, “Can I rely on anyone!?”

Really, we can boil relationships down to one of two categories – problem or provision. Do they cause problems, or do they provide what you need? Yes, we all cause problems at times, but generally speaking, do you fall into the problem or the provision category?

Are you a problem because of unreliability, or do you provide assurance through your reliability? Are you a problem because you run your mouth, or do you provide security by honoring confidentiality? Are you a problem because of dishonesty, or do you provide sincerity through honesty? Are you a problem because of laziness, or do you provide dependability by your hard work?

The questions could continue over a variety of other issues, but while we all have our strengths and weaknesses, we are all prone to weakness apart from the grace of God. He alone is perfect in His provision and never the problem. Yet, are we looking to and trusting in Him first for the provision we all need?

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through Isaiah 11:1-9 on “The Promise of Provision.” God’s provision is perfect in and through the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us trust Him! Let us find our satisfaction and fulfillment in Him!

Regardless of how many broken promises you have experienced and/or broken yourself, it is not too late for you to trust and depend on God’s provision above all else. He never breaks His promises, and He never fails.

As we trust and rely on the Lord, only then can we really be the faithful providers we need to be for one another – at home, in the church, at work, for the team, etc.

God declared about the promised Messiah who was yet to come (and who took on flesh and was born of a virgin, as promised), “Righteousness will be a belt around His loins; faithfulness will be a belt around His waist” (Isaiah 11:5). Yes, it was true. Yes, it is true. Yes, it will always be true. He is righteous and faithful!

Our perfect Provider came as promised, and He will come again as promised. Are you ready for Him? Are you trusting in Him? Are you following Him?

To make sure you are truly ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ our Lord, check out The Story and follow Jesus now.

Please Judge Me

One of the most quoted (and wrongly applied) Bible verses is Jesus’ statement, “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Many people love to say things like, “Don’t judge me,” when defending themselves in confrontations.

What people often miss, though, is the context of that conversation during Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount,” a message in which He was judging all of us and also calling us to judge one another. Matthew 7:1 is a clear command to not judge others wrongly (by our own standards, rather than God’s standards).

Just verses later, though, Jesus is quoted, “Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). In other words, do not be a hypocrite and expect from others what you yourself refuse to do. Remove the sin from your life, and then you can help others remove the sin from their lives. Examine (and judge) yourself according to the standard of God’s Word, and then you can rightly judge others according to that standard.

While those in rebellion against God and His Word are quick to say, “Don’t judge me,” followers of Jesus should be quick to say, “Please judge me.” Why? Well, because we are all in need of such judgment – accountability, encouragement, and sharpening.

Please judge me. It might be the most loving thing you can do.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through Galatians 6:1-10 on “The Service of Grace.” How does the gospel of grace impact our relationships in the church? How are we called to serve one another?

One of the most important ways we can and should serve one another is through intentional discipleship – building one another up and opening up our spiritual lives to one another. “If someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).

Do you see the call for judgment there? Please judge me. Judgment that seeks restoration is essential to that burden carrying and thus essential for fulfilling the law of Christ – to love God and love others.

To be clear, of course, there is gentleness and love required for such judgment. We are not called to the harsh and condemnatory judgment that is anything but loving, but rather to the concerning care for others that longs for them to experience a right relationship with God and with others. That kind of judgment is restorative.

Please judge me. For the sake of my relationship with God and for the sake of my relationships with others, please judge me. When I am stuck in “any wrongdoing” (and this happens to all of us, since we are all sinners), then I need to be judged – called to repentance and action – for the sake of restoration and healing.

Do you love others enough that when you notice unrepentant sin in their lives, you seek to “restore such a person with a gentle spirit“? Also, though, are you careful to seek and trust God according to His Word, “watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted“?

Please judge me according to the standard of God’s Word, and please open your life to the judgment of others. Jesus called us to this judgment, and we all need it.

Realize, too, that we all judge people, as it is impossible not to. We make judgments all the time. The key is – what is your standard for judgment? Let us make sure the Word of God is the standard.

We must invest in one another and have the tough conversations, not allowing our judgments to unnecessarily damage relationships.

God is the eternal Judge, and He created us in His image. Naturally, we are going to judge one another when mistakes are made and sin is committed, but we must also forgive one another and love one another, even in our judgments.

Please love those closest to you by judging them for the purpose of restoration, and be sure to communicate that such judgment is a two-way street. We need such accountability to be who God created us to be and to do what God created us to do.

To know the eternal Judge of the universe and pursue a right relationship with Him, simply call upon His name – Jesus Christ our Lord – today. Check out The Story for more information.

Recent Picture Highlights

Here are some family highlights from the past few months…

August

September

October

Why No Checklist with God?

If you, like me, are blessed and thankful to be married, why do you do the things you do for your spouse? I happen to be married to the woman of my dreams, and while I am far from adequate in showing her how grateful I am for her, the reason I do the things I do for my wife is because I love her. Also, I am confident in and grateful for the love she has for me.

Thus, when I give my wife a gift, perform an act of service for her, tell her how much I love her, or give her a kiss goodbye, I never do those things to earn her love. I do those things because I have her love and because I love her. There is no checklist I must complete in order to become my wife’s husband. I already am her husband, and so the things that I might put on such a checklist are things I desire to do. Unfortunately, I wish I did a better job, but the truth and reality remain the same, regardless of my failures.

Did you know there is no checklist with God, either? Well, at least not one we are able to complete. Before I truly understood the gospel and placed my faith in Jesus Christ, I thought such a checklist was exactly what I did have to complete in order to earn God’s favor and have eternal life. I was wrong. The Law of God recorded in the Word of God is such a checklist, but none of us is able to complete it. None of us is good enough to obey it. None of us is sufficient to fulfill it. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Jesus to come, die on the cross in our place for our sins, and rise again to win the victory over sin and death for all who call upon His name.

Because God is perfect and holy, we are required to be perfect and holy to enter His presence and have a relationship with Him. None of us is perfect and holy, though. Yet, He loves us so much that He sent His perfect and holy Son to “complete the checklist” for us. Jesus alone obeyed the Law of God perfectly before becoming the sacrifice (in our place) that God’s perfect justice demanded. Now, if we simply place our faith and trust in Jesus to forgive us of our sins and take over our lives, it is as if we “completed that checklist.”

Praise God that there is no checklist we must fulfill to know and follow Him! His Son did that for us.

Now, His followers do not seek to serve and honor Him to earn His favor and become His children. Rather, we seek to serve and honor Him because we have received His favor and been declared His children through Jesus Christ our Lord.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I am going to preach through Galatians 4:8-31 on “The Identity of Grace.” When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, He gives us a new identity. This identity of grace declares us to be children of God, as if we fulfilled His perfect checklist. Why? Because in and through Christ, we “know God, or rather have become known by God” (Galatians 4:9).

Just as Paul pleaded with the Galatians, I plead with you – do not try to fulfill some sort of religious checklist to make yourself right with God. Put your faith in the only One who can make you right, and trust in and follow Him every single day. To God be the glory!

Have you struggled to trust in Jesus, rather than in your religious works, to make you right with God? Would you check out The Story and turn to Him today?

The Greatest of Blessings

I have long-made the argument that if our most important relationships are healthy, we can endure just about anything. On the flip side, even if we are successful in our careers, healthy, wealthy, and wise, we will be miserable without healthy relationships. Relationships matter.

Perhaps the greatest curse of sin that we all deal with in this life is broken relationships. Certainly, the greatest curse of sin eternally is broken relationships – most importantly, with God, but secondarily, with everyone else. Eternal death includes the death of all good relationships, namely any chance at a right relationship with God.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through Galatians 3:26 – 4:7 on “The Promise of Grace.” Without giving too much away before Sunday, I will be discussing the greatest blessings of the gospel of grace. God’s grace is promised and fulfilled in Christ. How? That is what we will consider from this amazing passage of Scripture.

How are your relationships? How is your most important relationship – your relationship with God? While our sin prevents us from perfect relationships (for now), we should certainly pursue and can experience healthy, growing relationships. That is God’s desire for us, but such relationships are only possible (in any lasting way) if and when you turn to the Lord Jesus for help. Jesus alone brings about reconciliation in our most important relationship and establishes for us the second best relationships.

For those who are part of our church family (or who live near us and do not yet have a church family), I pray you will join us Sunday to learn more about the greatest blessings of the Christian life. If not, the message should be available online Sunday evening.

“When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Praise be to God!

To experience the greatest of blessings, surrender your heart and your life to Jesus Christ. You can learn more by checking out The Story.

Russian Roulette Is Not Love

When was the last time you held back saying something to someone, though you knew you should have, because what needed to be said would have been hard to hear? We have all been there, right? Perhaps we even hold back sharing truth under the supposed act of “love” for that person. We might say or think something like, “Well, I love them and don’t want to hurt them, so I’ll just look the other way [(or accept them as they are) or (let them live their lives)].”

To be clear, though, that is not love. Love demands truth.

You cannot claim to love someone, for example, while at the same time being okay with them playing Russian Roulette. If you know what Russian Roulette is, you know that “dangerous game” is an understated description. Furthermore, if someone continues to play Russian Roulette, they will eventually “lose” (and die). Love, then, demands we share the truth with them.

To say something foolish like, “I know playing Russian Roulette makes you happy, and I want you to be happy. If that makes you happy, play on,” is not a loving thing to do. No, the loving thing to do is to beg and plead with them to put the revolver down and live. Do not take such chances with your life. Please!

As dangerous and devastating as Russian Roulette can be, how much more dangerous and devastating is the eternal death that comes as a result of sin. It is the death we all deserve because of our sin, but God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to “take that bullet” for us. Now, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Refusing to turn from sin and surrender your life to Jesus, though, is like playing the ultimate horrifying game of Russian Roulette. The consequences are so much worse than a bullet to the brain and the end of physical life. The consequences are eternal death.

We cannot be sure when this life will end for any of us. We cannot be sure when Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. And, once this life is over, the chance for repentance and faith will be too late. That is why God’s Word appeals to all, “‘Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.’ For God says: ‘I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation‘” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

Do not play Russian Roulette with your spiritual life. Do not be content with any plan other than God’s plan for you (according to His Word). And, do not think that the loving thing to do is to sit by while others play Russian Roulette with their spiritual lives. We cannot take the gun out of their hands, but we can love them enough to tell them of the consequences and plead with them to surrender their all to Jesus and let God “take the gun.”

We discussed in our adult Bible study with our church family last night the calling of Jesus on our lives – “Whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them — this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

If you were so blinded from the truth that you thought Russian Roulette was the right thing to do, would you not want someone to tell you? Would you not want someone to do whatever they could to get that gun out of your hand and help you experience hope and healing? Of course you would! To love someone is to act on that love. To love someone is to speak the truth into their lives.

God alone saves. He alone has the solution to our eternal problem. Have you surrendered your all to Him and begun to experience that solution? Do you love others enough to tell them?

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Will you share this with someone today?