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!

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.

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.

Promise of Power

When I was a teenager, I was pretty disciplined in sticking to a weightlifting routine that my high school football and track coach helped me establish, particularly in the summer months. While I do not recall my coach ever telling me that I would look a certain way, gain a certain amount of weight, or run a certain speed if I stuck to the weight training, I had in my mind all of the above (and more). Surely I will get a lot bigger and be a lot faster, I thought. With weightlifting, I assumed there was some promise of power and strength that I could expect.

I never did get as strong as I had hoped, as big as I had hoped, or as fast as I had hoped, though. Still, the weight training definitely did help. My coach knew what he was talking about, as did my dad – who was my basketball coach and also emphasized strength and conditioning training throughout the year. While I never achieved the speed and strength I dreamed of, I did improve. For example, while I did not grow taller after my freshman year of high school, my weight increased from 120 pounds my freshman year to 135 pounds my sophomore year to 155 pounds my junior year, to 170 pounds my senior year.

After football practice one day my freshman year, one of my senior teammates jokingly asked me in the shower, “When the wind blows, do you just fall over?” I tried to laugh, but his mockery hurt because he was right. Sometimes strong gusts of wind probably did knock me over.

Strength training did pay off eventually, however. While far from where I had hoped to be, there was some improvement. All those push-ups, sit-ups, jumping rope, plyometrics, weightlifting, running, etc. were not in vain (at least not completely).

LIMITED PROMISE

Why did I not get as big, strong, and fast as some of my teammates, though? Simple answer – I was not made like them. Sure, there could certainly be a degree of training and consistency that would have helped more, perhaps, but we can only do so much to improve our conditions. Despite what some fools will try to tell you, you cannot “do anything you put your mind to.”

Yes, there are benefits to the disciplines of things like exercise, but the benefits are limited by our genetic makeup. I was never going to be as fast as our all-state backs or as strong as our all-state linebacker. Sure, I improved enough to be a starting cornerback for two years, but that might have been my football ceiling.

Promises are always limited, at least when it comes to our promises and abilities.

UNLIMITED PROMISE

While you and I cannot “do anything we put our minds to,” we can do far more when we know and follow the One who made us. He is not limited like we are.

As a 6-foot, 170-pound 18-year-old with average speed and strength, I was on no one’s radar as an NFL or NBA prospect. No one was recruiting me or “feeding my dreams” anymore. My promise was limited by my physical abilities (and lack thereof). That was difficult for me to accept at the time, but it was what it was.

Our Almighty God, though, is not limited like we are. He is the Creator of the universe and in control of all things. So, when He calls us to live the life He has created us to live, He can and will equip us to live such a life.

On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I will begin a new sermon series through the Book of Acts and preach through Acts 1:1-11 on “The Promise of Power for Our Purpose” (available Sunday evening HERE). I will be challenging those willing to listen that we must trust and depend on God’s promise of power to fulfill His purpose for our lives.

THE PROMISE OF POWER

No amount of “training” will get us to where God intends for us to go – not physically and not spiritually. We need Him. He is the Promise of Power we need. His Holy Spirit is the One who will guide us, enable us, and equip us to be the people He has called us to be.

Sure, do your best to follow His Word. Be disciplined by having daily time with Him in Bible study and prayer, by serving in His church, and by seeking to live out your faith. Realize all the while, though, that you can do absolutely nothing without Him (see Jesus’ words in John 15).

The Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to all his followers is the Only One who will enable you to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Are you trusting and depending on Him?

Sure, I worked hard in high school and reaped some benefits from the hard work and discipline, but God is the One who gave me arms and legs, who gave me health and stamina, who kept me safe, and who allowed me to do any of that, whether I realized and accepted this truth or not.

Likewise, God is the One who gives His Spirit, who calls His people, and who equips His people. Have you trusted in Him? Are you continuously trusting in Him?

Discover His purpose for your life by being in His Word and being involved in a faithful, Bible-believing church. Live out His purpose for your life by depending on Him – the Promise of Power. To God be the glory!

To receive and experience the unlimited power of God in and through His Holy Spirit, you must trust in the Only Son of God for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. If you have yet to make such a decision, would you consider checking out The Story and turning to Him today?

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

Joy because…

On January 24, 2018, the Minnesota Vikings traveled to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in the NFC championship game. Because the game was played on a Sunday evening and we had a special event with our church, I did not watch the game, except for the first drive. In that first drive, the Vikings marched down the field and got a touchdown, taking an early 7-0 lead, and I remember thinking as I headed into our church’s fellowship hall, “My favorite team might be going to the Super Bowl!“

I was excited. You see, the Vikings were, at that time, 0-5 in NFC championship games since they had last made it to the Super Bowl in 1976. Yes, zero Super Bowl appearances in my lifetime.

Well, if you know much about the National Football League, you know the Vikings are now 0-6 in NFC championship games since last making it to the Super Bowl two years before I was born. In that aforementioned game back in 2018, the Vikings went on to get destroyed by the Eagles 38-7. Yes, that is correct – the Vikings scored on that first drive and then got outscored 38-0 the rest of the way. Ouch!

Incredibly hopeful heading to our church’s event that night, I was sorely disappointed when I later learned the Vikings were getting demolished. Such is the life of a Vikings fan. Maybe this year will be different, though! That is, after all, what I have been saying almost every single year my entire life. Maybe this is the year!

Looking back on those rare glimpses of hope – including the 1998 season that ended with the Vikings going 15-1, entering the playoffs as heavy Super Bowl favorites and then losing in overtime in the NFC championship game after the team’s previously-perfect-on-the-season kicker missed a seemingly easy game-sealing field goal in the indoor Metrodome toward the end of the fourth quarter – none of those glimpses of hope ended with joy. None.

Why did those seemingly joyous and hopeful seasons not end in joy? Because they ended in disappointment.

Truly, that is how Christmas would be if not for the cross. We would not be celebrating the birth of Jesus if not for the death and resurrection of Jesus. Without the cross, Jesus’ birth would be like the last six NFC championship game appearances for the Vikings – an exciting moment that only failed to bring joy.

Praise the Lord, though, that He did not fail to deliver. He is so much better than the best of victors in this life because His victory is certain and eternal.

On Christmas morning, Lord willing, I will be preaching from Isaiah 53 on “The Promise of Payment.” Some might think, “Wait, Isaiah 53?! Isn’t that a passage for Easter Sunday?” Yes, typically, but without our suffering Savior, we have no Christmas to celebrate.

The joy of Christmas is not really because of the Baby who was born as much as because of the sacrifice He made. Thus, we are going to fast forward to the end of the story and be challenged to celebrate Christmas by looking to the cross.

“He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Christmas is on a Sunday this year! I love it! Let us worship the King (like always), while singing some of the best songs ever written, like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Praise God!

To truly know and experience the joy to come, you have to know and follow the Savior who won the victory. Learn more by checking out The Story today.

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.