Don’t Defend Yourself

I tend to get very defensive when I am accused of something I did not do and/or in cases of injustice. While there is certainly a time for this, I believe we would do well to focus less on self-defense and more on honoring God through defending gospel truth.

So often, we are quick to get on our “soap boxes” and get defensive about our “pet topics” (i.e. why Daylight “Saving” time is ridiculous), but are we so quick to defend the truth of God’s Word for the purpose of pointing people to Him?

Furthermore, are we as adamant about declaring the eternal truth as we are about righting temporary wrongs? I fear the answer is far-too-often no. May God help us to be biblical in our walks with Him by prioritizing the right tone and content of our conversations! Do not defend yourself. Defend eternal truth.

When warning of the coming persecution that was and is the reality for much of the Christian world and is promised to continue until He returns, Jesus said, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name. It will lead to an opportunity for you to witness. Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:12-15).

Did you catch all that? Persecution and injustice will “lead to an opportunity for you to witness.” Pointing others to Jesus, not defending our “rights,” must be our top priority. “Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” Praise the Lord!

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from one of my favorite passages of Scripture in the entire Bible (Acts 6:8 – 8:3 ). I love the story found in these verses because Stephen lives out Jesus’ promises in Luke 12:11-12 and 21:12-19. Stephen was wrongly put on trial before the most powerful religious court in the land and falsely accused of things for which he was innocent. Yet, Stephen did exactly as Jesus declared and promised – he did not defend himself but rather preached the gospel.

Through Stephen’s boldness and biblical faithfulness, he actually put the Sanhedrin on trial! What an incredible moment in church history!

In my message Sunday morning, I hope to challenge my hearers to really count the cost of biblical discipleship and see why following Jesus is worth the cost. The message should be available Sunday afternoon HERE.

Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? Are you relying on His Spirit to enable you to live for Him, knowing that only then are you truly prepared to die for Him? That begins, of course, by truly surrendering your life to Him and then continually walking with Him in obedience and faith.

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, you can be assured you have His Spirit, just as Stephen did, and the evidence of His Spirit living in you is that you will endure to the end, just as Stephen did. As a result, let us focus on Jesus, not our temporary “rights and privileges,” being the priority of lives. To God be the glory!

To learn more about what it means to follow Jesus and endure to the end, check out The Story.

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!

Update from Turkey

Below is a story I wrote for SEND Relief to share about my time here for the purpose of helping with water filtration in response to the recent earthquakes…

I am really having a difficult time processing what I am seeing and experiencing here the past 10 days.

Overwhelming is a the word that comes to mind. I am overwhelmed by the devastation and destruction – the buildings and the lives. I am overwhelmed by the hopelessness of those trying to move forward without knowing the hope of Jesus Christ. I am overwhelmed by the necessary recovery efforts that will undoubtedly take years. Overwhelming.

Inadequacy is another word that comes to mind. We are so inadequate to meet the needs here. We cannot get enough filters or install enough filters to provide clean water for everyone who needs and requests it. We cannot have enough conversations and pray for enough people to make a spiritual dent in the darkness. We are completely inadequate for the task at hand. Inadequacy.

Discouraging is another unfortunate word that hurts my heart. I am discouraged by the buildings which still lie and ruins with bodies buried underneath. I am discouraged by a local organization that promised to provide water for a tent community after we installed a filter in their building, but then they refused share the water as they promised. I am discouraged by the overwhelming inadequacy of our relief efforts. Discouraging.

Despite all I said above, though, hopeful is the most important word that comes to mind. I am hopeful because of the local church here stepping up in amazing ways to serve their community. I am hopeful because I see people serving others even though they themselves have experienced tragedy. I am hopeful because the Lord is still in control, even in the midst of unspeakable brokenness and heartache.

Sure, I am overwhelmed, inadequate, and discouraged, but there is hope in the Lord. He is infinitely bigger than anything which overwhelms. He is infinitely stronger than my inadequacy is weak. He is infinitely more comforting than any discouragement is disheartening. Praise the Lord!

Will you pray for the people of Turkey and Syria? Pray for local believers to have wisdom, boldness, courage, and compassion. Pray for survivors to find the only hope that will not end – hope in the Lord Jesus. Pray for relief from the suffering, safety from further disaster, and peace in the midst of sorrow. Pray for God’s name to be glorified in this land.

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…

The Message Never Fails

If you pray for a miracle, but said miracle does not happen, has God failed you? Have you prayed for a miracle and then doubted God’s power and provision when such a miracle did not occur?

In Acts 3, there is an incredible story of the miraculous healing of a man who had been crippled since birth. In fact, the man was resigned to his crippled state and was only asking for money, not for healing. Yet, God showed great mercy and grace to this man and healed him, giving him a gift far greater than what he expected.

Is that not how God so often works? We think we want or need one thing, but God gives us something else. We think we know just what we need, but God opens our eyes to His bigger purpose.

Still, sometimes things do not go well. Sometimes, miracles do not happen (at least not yet). Sometimes, we find ourselves disappointed, desperate, and hurting. Life is full of tragedy and heartache, so what are we to do? How are we to respond?

If you are always looking for the next miracle in this life, you will eventually be let down. That is, let down unless you discover the ultimate miracle.

There is only one miracle that lasts forever, and that is the miracle of a changed heart made right with God. And, there is only one message that brings about such a change – the message of the gospel (the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation – the salvation of everyone who turns away from sin and turns to Him).

Yes, miracles like physical healing can and do happen, but they are not promised. What is promised is the eternal healing and restoration for everyone who trusts the message of the gospel and surrenders to Jesus as a result.

The message never fails.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through Acts 3 and sharing how we can make sure we are finding our hope in the lasting message and not the temporary miracles. “The Message of Our Purpose” will likely be available HERE sometime Sunday afternoon.

Yes, pray for miracles. Yes, rejoice when they happen. When the miracles do not happen, though, God is still in control. His plan is still perfect. His way is still right. His message is still certain. The message never fails. Praise the Lord!

To understand and experience the greatest of miracles, check out The Story.

We have a man-child!

Last Friday, Noah turned 18. Whoa! Per usual, we celebrated as a family, and here are a few pictures…

Is Your Church Family?

The first church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Do you have such a devotion alongside your church? Does your church have such a devotion together?

If so, then church is family, as it should be. Here are a few questions to measure whether your church really is your family…

1. ARE YOU INVOLVED?

You have to be there to do what most of the New Testament calls us to do – to fulfill the commandments of loving God and loving one another. In order to be devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers, you have to show up.

Not only do you need to gather with your church family, but you also need to be actively involved. Simply showing up without any intentionality in developing relationships will not facilitate biblical fellowship.

Are you involved with your church?

2. ARE YOU BIBLICAL?

What did it mean that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching? Simply put, they were committed to the Word of God. The apostles were teaching the Old Testament Scriptures and how they point to Jesus as the Messiah. They also wrote New Testament gospels and letters, testifying about their first-hand witness of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for our salvation.

The Bible is the foundation for everything else we do together as a church because the Bible tells us who God is, who we are, and how we are to follow Him.

Are you involved, and are you biblical? If you are being biblically faithful, you will be involved with your church.

3. ARE YOU DEPENDENT?

As you can see throughout the book of Acts (and really, throughout the New Testament), the early church was dependent – dependent on the Lord and dependent on one another. The most obvious way they proved this was through their unity in and devotion to prayer.

In prayer, we recognize our dependence upon the Lord. Uniting together in such prayer, we depend and lean on one another. What a great way to love God and love one another!

Are you involved, biblical, and dependent?

IS YOUR CHURCH FAMILY?

If you are a faithful follower of Jesus, then yes, your church is family. As Richland Baptist Church, we say, “Our passion is the GOSPEL. Our church is our FAMILY. Our world is our MISSION.” Few, if any, passages in all of Scripture better exemplify this truth more than Acts 2:42-47. On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching through this passage and challenging our church to prioritize what the Bible prioritizes when it comes to our life together.

Having been a follower of Jesus for more than 24 years now, I cannot fathom life without a church family. That was true from day one, though, long before I ever imagined God would call me to be a pastor. You see, I need my church family today, just as I needed my church family as a new believer. Likewise, we need Jesus no less today than we did yesterday or any other day.

You and I need Jesus, and we need His church. There are no exceptions to this, so if you are struggling to be involved and thus not being biblically faithful and dependent, ask for the Lord’s help now. Ask for others to pray for you. You need your church, and your church needs you. Real church is family.

To learn more about following Jesus and being part of His family, check out The Story.

Words Are Necessary.

It has been said that Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” Whether or not he actually said those words, I do not know. More importantly, some people actually believe those words can guide a Christian’s life. Wrong.

While I understand the emphasis in that statement of living what we preach – walking the walk and not simply talking the talk, it is not a good statement to live by because it is not a biblical statement and not even possible to achieve.

Why? Well, because to preach the gospel requires words.

Yes, we must also walk the walk and live out what we preach, but without the words of the gospel, there is no “preaching of the gospel.” The gospel, simply put, is the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation. While loving and serving others can be (and is) used by God to point others to Jesus, what will they actually understand without words accompanying the necessary actions of love?

By only witnessing a good example of kindness and generosity, can someone know enough to be saved from their sins and have eternal life? Does an act of service declare that we must repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ in order to be made right with God? Of course not.

Words are necessary.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from Acts 2:1-41 on “The Mission of Our Purpose” (which should be available Sunday evening HERE). We must rely on the Lord to live out the mission He has for us – every single one of us, and words are part of that mission.

What is that mission, though? How can we know? The Bible tells us (Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8) that our mission is to follow Jesus and help others follow Jesus. To do that requires both words and deeds. Loving kindness is necessary (see Jesus’ words in John 13:34-35), and the Word of Truth is necessary (see Romans 10:9-17).

Words are necessary.

Yes, let us always be sure to love others by our actions, but let us also realize that we must explain where such love comes from – that Jesus alone enables us to live the life He has called us to live and that He alone can take away our sins and make us right with God.

Preach the gospel, which will always require actions and words. To God be the glory!

If you are unsure about the gospel message and how you can know if you have eternal life, please check out The Story.

What is God’s will?

What is God’s will for your life? How can you know? What should you do to find out?

Contrary to what people might say or how you might feel, God’s desire is not that you walk through life aimlessly and confused about His will. Rather, He has revealed Himself to us through His Son Jesus Christ and through His Word – the Bible.

The problem we have in learning God’s will is not with His plan but rather with our pursuit.

God’s plan is perfect. Our pursuit, though, is flawed. We are sinners, and when we find ourselves confused, uncertain, scared, or uncomfortable, we tend to look everywhere except to God and His Word for answers. Yet, His desire is that we pursue and trust Him.

What is His specific will in your specific situation? You will only find the answer with the proper pursuit. Above all, pursue the Lord in two of the most basic but important ways possible…

1. PRAY TO HIM

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will continue my sermon series through Acts and preach through Acts 1:12-26 on “Prayer & Provision for Our Purpose” (available before Monday HERE). One of the most important things we can learn from the early church in the book of Acts is the importance of uniting together in prayer.

Seek the Lord by praying to Him. Pray to Him with your family. Pray to Him throughout your day. Pray to Him with your church.

Sadly, we are tempted to only resort to prayer before a big decision when we are unsure what else to do. Why not begin with prayer and continue in prayer?

Wrongly, we are tempted to think of prayer as a last resort when everything or everyone else has failed. Why not begin with prayer and continue in prayer?

Let us continually depend on the Lord in prayer, seeking and trusting Him for His provision. He is faithful, and what He said is true: “You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).

Are you seeking God with all your heart? Are you surrounding yourself with others who are seeking God with all their hearts? A sincere pursuit of God in prayerful dependence on Him is worth the regular, continuous commitment.

2. LISTEN TO HIM

While sincerely pursuing God in prayer, you might hear from Him through the conviction of His Holy Spirit, an overwhelming sense of peace and direction, and/or a clear desire He places on your heart. Are you listening to Him?

Most importantly, though, how we listen to God (and can be certain we are listening to and hearing from Him) is by listening to His Word – the Bible. Are you spending regular time in God’s Word? Are you talking with others about God’s Word? Are you listening to the preaching of God’s Word? Are you studying God’s Word? Are you praying God’s Word back to Him?

We are so incredibly blessed that God has preserved His perfect word for thousands of years so that we can know Him and follow Him!

So often, the very simple answers to our questions about God’s will are found in God’s Word. Pray for His help to understand, and listen to the truth of His Word.

Far more often than not, when people come to me for pastoral counsel and advice, the answers to their questions and concerns are abundantly clear in the Bible. Of course, I am grateful for that because I know that God’s Word is perfect and true, so any advice I give by sharing God’s Word is great advice because it is not from me.

Sure, there are plenty of questions we have that the Bible does not address, but the Bible does address the most important questions (Who is God? Who are we? Why are we here? Who are we to be?). For everything else, if you are sincere in your pursuit of God, you will not regret the results.

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:4). Are you delighting yourself in Him? Are you depending on Him in prayer? Are you listening to Him through His Word? Are you seeking the counsel of godly friends and leaders who are listening to Him through His Word?

What is God’s will? His will is that you “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Praise the Lord!

Before you can begin to know and understand God’s will for your life, you must have a right relationship with Him. To learn more, check out The Story.