The Pastor's Page

2010-12-03T11:53:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At my house we have several traditions in preparation for the Christmas celebration. One of those is to light the advent wreath in expectation of Jesus – “the Light of the world” – coming into the world and our lives. A much sillier tradition is that we have a little elf, who we have named Jeffrey, who visits us and watches my kids and reports back to Santa. It is amazing the difference in their behavior when the elf is present. I was somewhat flummoxed by this at first, as I felt they should be on their best behavior at all times anyway. But I have gradually learned to appreciate the moral effect that our elf Jeffrey brings to the household.
The truth is that we adults are just the same as my children; all of us behave better if we know that we are under observation. It is ironic then that we, as Christians, profess that we live under the observing eye of God, yet we behave at times as if this were not the case. The Bible tells us “From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth— He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalm 33:13-15). The story of King David is instructive for us in this regard: although he was a “man after God’s own heart,” David forgot that he was under the authority of God and strayed from God and committed adultery, had a good man killed and deceived his people about it. As the King of Israel, he believed that he was immune from observation of the people. However, the prophet Nathan came and revealed to David that he could not hide his deeds from God and so, confronted with the truth, David repented and asked for forgiveness. We can learn much from this story of David’s struggling with sin and receiving grace, but today I hope we can remember that whatever we do in every minute of our lives, we do it unto the Lord. As Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” (Luke 12:2-3). We don’t need an elf to remind us to be moral, just and righteous this Christmas season. Selah.
Steve

2010-10-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

The weather is fantastic this time of year and it is great to be outside. I was playing baseball the other day with my 8 year old daughter Faith and my 6 year old son Luke when an event occurred which gave me further insight into human nature. After the third time that my son hit one into the woods full of briers, I decided that we needed to flip the field around and hit from the deck area into our yard. My son then wanted to run the bases clockwise so that what was previously first base could continue to be first base. After I explained that the base was now third base and that in baseball one runs the bases in a counter-clockwise direction, he proclaimed that he wanted the run in the direction and order that he deemed best - clockwise. This had now become a “teaching moment,” and I began to explain to him about the rules of baseball and that you cannot always do whatever you want. I have reflected upon that conversation with my son, and I realize that his desire to play the game his way is an affliction that besets all of us. We want life to go our way and we get frustrated when we cannot force our version of the rules upon life. The Bible explains it well, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:1-3). During these difficult times we live in, it can be so easy for us to get frustrated and angry because things are not going as we would like. Like my son, we must realize that we cannot always get what we want. Remember to ask God for the things that you need and not for the things you desire. Selah.

In Christ,
Steve

2010-06-11T11:37:00.000-05:00

Several Sundays back we celebrated Pentecost – the great event in Acts 2 when the Lord empowered the Disciples with His Holy Spirit to be His witnesses throughout the world. This not only was the birth of the Church but also reminds every believer that he or she is called by God to step out into the world in the power of the Spirit to share the love of Christ. In our Church we give people many opportunities to be “Pentecost” people throughout the year, but during the Summertime there are an especially high number of chances to serve and witness for Christ. We have mission trips planned to the Bahamas and Kenya in June, we are still hosting groups to serve in our area hurt by the flood that need welcoming and hospitality from our Church, and we have opportunities for people in Paulding County to serve during Vacation Bible School and River of Life. Jesus promised that His Spirit will empower you and lead you into all truth, therefore I am asking you to pray and seek to know where God wishes you to be His witness in the upcoming weeks of Summer. God bless you so that you can be a blessing to others. Selah.

In Christ,
Steve

Insights from a Snowy Day

2010-02-26T09:46:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful gift God gave us in the blanket of snow that gently covered our area several days ago. Faith and Luke were amazed at everything about the snow – the way it crunched under their feet, the way it muffled the sound and made the world look and sound differently, and the way they could fly down the hill in our neighborhood on their inner tubes. This was their first real experience with sledding and we celebrated by going in the evening and the next morning (I admit that Dad enjoyed it too). Our favorite part of the first day when it was snowing so heavily was a trip into the woods behind our house. The woods had become a magical place of wonder, each tree seemingly painted white by God. Through the dimming light and with the muffled sound, it seemed as if we had truly entered a different world – Faith exclaimed that it was like Narnia. In pondering how a blanket of snow can change a barren woods into a wonderland, I remembered one of the most mystifying teachings in the Bible. The Apostle Peter charges us to live as stewards of God’s grace, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8). I struggle sometimes to balance my convictions of justice and righteousness with my desire to be compassionate and merciful. While I know that this will be a life-long process of understanding true Christian discipleship, it is enlightening to look out at the transformative beauty of a snowfall on a wintry landscape and remember that love covers over a multitude of sins. Selah.

Preparing for Christmas

2009-12-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are entering into one of the most important times in the year; a time that is so important for the Church to celebrate properly – especially in our fast-paced culture. The season that I am talking about is Advent – the season of waiting for the celebration of the coming of the Lord at Christmas. We are living in a culture that is increasingly negative to the concept of waiting which makes the season of Advent uniquely pertinent for teaching and reminding us of the value of waiting for God. I have discovered that I can easily become irritated with having to wait in lines, wait for food at a restaurant, or wait for information to load up on my computer. The irony of this is that as the processes of life become quicker and more available, my expectation level of speed and efficiency goes up in proportion. While this is a reasonable reaction, I also know that the time I spent in the jungles of South America I had to learn the practice of patience. I also learned something even more valuable -- that in slowing down and spending time alone with God and my thoughts, I grew more in wisdom, knowledge, and faith than I did at any other time in my life. In a culture where I was forced to become more deliberate in my living, I learned the wisdom of “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Advent is the season of the year when the Church speaks a different word than the culture. Our culture leads us to frenetic activity to prepare for Christmas as we think about gifts, parties, activities and schedules in the month of December. While these things are good and help us to celebrate Christmas, Advent also reminds us that we need times of quiet, solitude and meditation to grow spiritually to fully understand the meaning of Christmas. The meaning of Advent is in the waiting. Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; ‘great is Your faithfulness’. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:22-26). Selah
Steve

One Nation Under God

2009-11-19T10:09:00.000-05:00

We live in a time of tremendous change and upheaval in our society. While it is both exciting and frightening to live in these times of uncertainty and possibility, I hope that we as a people never forget the importance of morality and a religious voice as we seek our way toward the future. We live in a democratic republic based on the belief that all people are created by God as equal, therefore we each have a voice in the shaping of our society. James Madison, in writing several of the Federalist Papers, understood that in giving so much power to the people there was a strong peril that the nature of the government would be largely determined by the morals of the people. Democratic action can easily devolve into decadence if the majority of the people are guided by self-interest rather than moral vision. In his Presidential Farewell Address in 1796, George Washington prophetically warned all Americans against this, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.” We must remember that the Bible also teaches, “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD . . .” (Psalm 33:11-12). Selah.
Steve

The Mystery of Alligators

2009-10-16T19:44:00.002-05:00

Since I was a small boy I have been fascinated with alligators. How could a creature so large and strong both run and swim with such agility to capture prey? Several weeks ago my wife, children and I went to the Okefenokee Swamp in South Georgia to see alligators in their natural habitat. We got on a boat to travel several miles into the Swamp, and as my daughter Faith was driving the boat we suddenly saw a gator rising out of the black water in front of us. Upon seeing this ferocious beast swimming beside our boat, I was reminded of the many great unknown aspects of life. I was reminded of God using crocodiles as an example of the limits of human understanding in his response to Job’s questioning (see Job 41-42). Many of the most important aspects of life require us to take a courageous step into the mystery of the unknown: marriage, child-rearing, job choice, committing our lives to Christ, etc. As Paul writes of both marriage and our relationship with Christ, “As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.” (Ephesians 5:31-33). In order to live with mystery, we need faith in order to live. There is an importance of faith in many aspects of our lives; but the most important is our relationship with God. Ask God to give you the courage to step boldly into the unknown of life, because “we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Selah

"How To Love Difficult People in Our Lives"

2009-10-16T19:44:00.001-05:00

Written for September 22nd
When dealing with difficult people in our lives, many of us resort to anger, resentment or isolation – we don’t appreciate how we are being treated by persons and our “fight or flight instinct” is triggered. Yet if we don’t learn how to deal with conflicts with others in a healthy way, our lives become agitated as animosities build up in our souls. As a Christian, I have tried over the years to remind myself that every person is created by God in His image and that all persons are someone for whom Christ died. That has helped me in my behavior towards difficult people in my life, but it was lacking in helping me to love these persons. After all, Jesus commanded us, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies] and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48). This seems an impossible standard -- we are merely human after all -- therefore many people make no attempt to move toward Jesus’ command of relating to difficult people with love. The truth is that it is impossible for us to do so as human beings, but there is a power that can help us go beyond politeness to difficult people toward actively loving them. In my recent studies, I discovered a passage of scripture that has provoked my thinking and given me a new understanding of loving my enemies. When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we receive the Holy Spirit within us and “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). When we react with anger, resentment and isolation toward difficult people, we are like the Apostles James and John when they became violently angry with the Samaritans after some conflict, we “do not know what kind of Spirit” we have within us. (Luke 9:55). We need to realize that how we relate to people is not dependent on their character or actions, but on who we are – children of a Heavenly Father who pours love on the righteous and unrighteous alike. He has given us His Spirit to transform us into His likeness throughout our lives. Selah.

"Finding Hope in Despair”

2009-10-16T19:41:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I was in New York City to see some friends and we visited the 9/11 Memorial Site. Each of us became quiet as we remembered the feeling we each had on that day almost eight years ago when the towers fell and so many people were killed. We then walked less than a block into the small Anglican Church, St. Paul’s Trinity, which served as the place of refuge and rest for the firefighters, rescue workers and aid workers. My eyes filled with tears as I saw the photos and messages left by desperate family members frantically searching for loved ones they would never see again. In another area were photos of church members and other people who came into the area to bring water, necessities, and compassion to those who were digging through the wreckage or waiting to hear word about their loved ones. I was heartened to see that there were many who followed the call of Jesus to “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galations 6:2). As I looked around at the many people walking through this church, I praised God for the hope and love that He was continuing to inspire through the gracious gifts of the persons in that Church during that painful time for many families and our nation. One of the greatest witnesses that we can have for Christ is to help those who are hurting. As Jesus commanded, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Selah

2009-07-13T09:05:00.001-05:00

I have just finished participating in Dallas First Methodist’s 12th annual River of Life mission where we spend four days working on different families’ homes in Paulding County and worshipping every evening. It is a marvelous time when almost everything else in life seems suspended and we get a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven. Youth and adults from churches all over Georgia and Tennessee who barely know each other form bonds as they work together in Christian love. We are welcomed into people’s homes and lives because we come in the name of Jesus. After working all day we share stories, sing songs of praise and hear the word of God in a new and powerful way. This is the way that we should be growing as Christians at all times in our lives and we must seek out ways in which to serve thusly. We remember that Scripture teaches us, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6). Look for opportunities in your life to use your spiritual gifts and graces to serve others and grow in faith and thus experience real life in God – faith expressed through love. In our salvation by faith we are freed by Christ from our self-centered lives to experience this life: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery . . . You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:1,13). Christ will bless you tremendously as you live out your faith in serving others in love. Selah
Steve

2009-06-17T10:09:00.003-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
If you are hurting at this time, look into God’s Word for help and assurance. Jesus preached His most well-known sermon to give help to the weary. In Jesus’ sermon on the Mount, He spoke comforting words that Rick Warren uses to formulate eight principles for encouragement:

1. Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.
“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” Matthew 5:4

2. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover.
“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”Matthew 5:4

3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
“Happy are the meek.” Matthew 5:5

4. Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself, and to someone I trust.
“Happy are the pure in heart.” Matthew 5:8

5. Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life, and humbly ask him to remove my character defects.
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6

6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.
“Happy are the merciful.” Matthew 5:7
“Happy are the peacemakers.” Matthew 5:9

7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will.

8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words.
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” Matthew 5:10

May God’s Word and the love of Christ strengthen you at this time. Selah.

In Christ,
Steve

2009-05-05T12:06:00.001-05:00

I have been reading about one of the great persons of this past century – Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Christian Pastor and Theologian, world-renowned musician, Doctor of Medicine and Nobel Peace Prize Winner. He serves as a great inspiration to me as I think about how God calls us into mission in every experience of our lives. This past month has been a kaleidoscope of experiences: Holy Week culminating in a beautiful celebration of Easter, a week-long mission trip to Mississippi where we helped two families return to their homes more than three years after Hurricane Katrina, a fantastic Revival in our church that helped bring about spiritual renewal and healing, and our book club in which we read “Out of My Life and Thought: the
Autobiography of Albert Schweitzer.” Although Dr. Schweitzer was an established Pastor, scholar and musician, at age 30 he gave all that up to follow God’s call into Gabon, Africa to treat the poor who had no way of receiving medical attention. I found it ironic that many of his friends found it unsettling in their minds that he should forsake his life of comfort and prestige for a life of servanthood. One of my favorite passages that Schweitzer wrote explains his calling to a life of Christian mission, “I live my life in God . . . [therefore] the idea that men should ever be favored by being free from the responsibilities of self-sacrifice . . . is foreign to the ethic of reverence for life. It requires that we should all live as men for men. Therefore, search and see if there is not some place where you may invest your humanity. As long ago as my student days, it struck me as incomprehensible that I should be allowed to live such a happy life while I saw so many people around me wrestling with care and suffering. Out of the depths of my feeling of happiness, there gradually grew up within me an understanding of the saying of Jesus that we must not treat our lives as being for ourselves alone. As the years have passed, I’ve found the truth lay hidden for me in Jesus' saying: ‘Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel shall save it.’”
Following the command of Christ and with the guidance of Dr. Schweitzer, I implore you to search in your life for ways to invest your gifts, time and resources for God and other people. For in the end, as another noted theologian Randy Travis says, “It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, It's what you leave behind you when you go . . . (Three Wooden Crosses)” Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

2009-04-07T13:11:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is the week that we celebrate the most important week in the history of the world – when Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem with a parade, when He instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion, when He was arrested, tried and crucified, and when He arose from the grave in glory and victory. In your personal devotion time, through prayer and meditation, focus on these particular truths from the last week of Jesus’ human life and their import to your life:
· Jesus’ death was a life-giving act of God’s love and mercy, not vengeance: “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) and “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11).
· God’s grace through Jesus was for our salvation: “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:27-28).
· Jesus taught that sacrificial love has a mysterious power: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” (John 12:24-27).
· Jesus’ sacrificial love was painful: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," He said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. "Abba Father," He said, "everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mark 14:35-36)
· Jesus’ expression of sacrificial love is the greatest example of love -- as Jesus teaches, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)
· Having received this grace and love, we are called to be dispensers of this same grace and sacrificial love to others: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16).
· Sacrificial love is our primary identity to the world, our chief witness according to Jesus,“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35).
· After the Resurrection, Jesus gave us our calling, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20).
Read and pray over these scriptures and God will reveal to you the calling that He has placed on your life and where He wishes you to go and be. Selah.

Steve

2009-03-17T12:04:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I know you are preparing yourself spiritually to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, I thought this poem might prove helpful. Some of you know my Father; he writes poetry and sent me this one on his insights about the time of Lent. He wrote these after hearing that more Americans define themselves as having no religion. My Father was moved by these insights while reading "Man In Revolt" by Emil Brunner -- humans are created by God to be “religious” and even those persons who characterize themselves as irreligious create their own false gods to worship:

We humans are part of creation; physical beings; considered the most complex of the mammals.
We are also homo faber, the maker of tools; creating some wonderful and some monstrous ones.
We are also the humanus, who can not only communicate with signs, but can speak.
We not only maintain our existence, but also create and shape culture and civilization.
What is more amazing is we have an individual identity, like no other known created being.
Soon after birth it is evident to those who care for us that we quickly become individuals.
We each are a person, who becomes the 'I-Self' in union with the 'Thou.'
We are also the creatures who are forever seeking to know ourselves, even while we flee from self.
We are forever drawn and attracted to something higher than ourselves.
We dream of 'eternity' and are forever trying to make an everlasting contribution.
Therefore, human beings have “gods” or a God, from whom we are seeking guidance.
In other words, human beings are religious, always seeking a Higher Being;
Someone who can help us to make meaning and eternal purpose out of existence.
Our sense of being related to a Higher Power drives us to seek to influence outcomes;
Not only in this earthly life span, but also in eternity.
Therefore, human beings are incurably religious, Often even trying to substitute Self for God.
We are never satisfied with accepting our physical and intellectual temporary existence.
No matter how sophisticated and knowledgeable we become we are always homo religious.
We are forever seeking to find meaning in our lives, not only for this life, but for eternity.
We can no more rid ourselves of our homo religious nature, than we can reject our need to experience life from the concepts of past, present, and future.
It is no wonder that from the time He was born until the present, 2000 plus years later, millions of human beings find in Jesus Christ the One who gives life meaning and hope.
During this Lenten Season we celebrate that in Jesus Christ, God became one of us; even to the point of taking our sins upon Himself, in order to save us for His eternal purposes.

I hope as you read these words that you will be inspired to recognize that we are all serving something or someone in our lives, and that you need to serve the One who created you, became flesh for you, died for your sins and rose in glory to open the gates of eternal life to you. In Him you are created, and in Him you find life. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

2009-02-18T09:45:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have been studying the Lord’s Prayer together for the past several weeks, and I have been thoroughly amazed at what the Lord is teaching me through this spiritual exercise. I hope that your prayer life has been enriched by this and that you will continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord. As I was preparing for my sermons in this series by studying differing books about this special prayer, I experienced several insights from God that have moved me to rethink the way I go about praying. Let’s look again at this gift from Jesus to help us in our walk with Him:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Such a simple prayer, but one of great depth and meaning. We first realize that Jesus teaches us to begin with God and not our needs, wants and desires. We desire nothing more than to come into His holy presence, and we recognize our absolute dependence on Him. We commit our lives to participating in His kingdom and seeking His will before we ever ask for anything from Him as an act of trust. He knows our needs and will provide; we must first seek His kingdom and righteousness. Then we can request our daily bread in full assurance that we have a heavenly Father who loves us and will bless us so that we can be a blessing for others. Next we need to recognize that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, that others have sinned against us and need our forgiveness, that God is a merciful God and desires to forgive us, and finally that we should forgive others as God has forgiven us. We then request God’s wisdom and providence to carefully lead us by His Spirit so that, as we struggle with temptation, we can make wise choices and so be delivered from the evil one. God helps us to continue to struggle with temptation so that we are aware of our vulnerability and our need for continued grace. This will keep us humble and compassionate toward others – who are also in a great battle to fight the temptations in our lives. The prayer instructs us that we close with a rousing AMEN. That the most important thing in our lives is our relationship to God and the way we celebrate this relationship is with worship. Our whole selves should give God glory and our prayer lives should reflect this celebration. This truly is the word of God. Selah.
Steve

2009-02-18T09:42:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
This certainly is a time of new beginnings in our lives: as a nation, we are getting a new president; as a county, we are getting new leadership; as a church, we are expanding our territory and influence and as individuals, we each have our dreams and goals for the future. It is a time of excitement and opportunity but also a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Change always is a complex combination of opportunity and risk. That’s why it is important for us to remember that in the midst of a sea of uncertainty, there is a Rock that does not move. As the Scripture reminds us “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and Forever.” Hebrews 13:8
My “New Years” wish for each of you is for you to delve deeper into your relationship with God through deepening your prayer life. Prayer is communion with God, and the result of prayer is not reward but relationship. As the psalmist wrote, “deep calleth unto deep” Psalm 47:7
You should claim the promise of the Bible, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

The world can neither give this special peace of God nor can it take it away; it is a gift that comes from God through prayer. May the Lord bless you as you grow in your walk with Him. Selah.
Steve

Focus on Prayer During this Election

2008-10-30T12:53:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
While we are about to elect our new leadership for our nation, I hope that we will all be in prayer for all the people in our country. I know that this is a time of passion, emotion, and anxiety, but there are a few things that I hope we will all keep in mind as we vote and wait for the results. First, no matter the outcome of this election, God will still be God. “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD . . .” (Psalm 33:10-12). Second, it is a great privilege to live in a nation that gives the people the right to determine the leadership that directs it, and we should be grateful for that right at every election. Third, although we live in a two-party system and each of us has differing opinions and worldviews, there is more that unites us as a people than there is that divides us. We are “one nation under God” and we do not want to come out of the election with bitterness and resentment. Fourth, we must respect our leaders, pray for them, and seek to help them make our nation strong, moral, and just. We remember that the bible says “that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior . . .”(1 Timothy 2:1-3). May the peace of Christ be with you and give you strength in this very important time in the life of our nation. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Remembering Solzhenitsyn

2008-09-24T08:54:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Several people expressed to me an interest in knowing a little more about Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the great writer and dissadent who defied the Soviet Union, after my sermon on Sunday on his life. I don't have enough space or expertise to share greatly, but I will give you a brief glimpse into the importance of the man from a historical perspective and into his soul through his own words. He became a powerful voice from behind bars that revealed to the world the evils behind the totalitarian Soviet state. Michael Kaufman wrote that Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago “was a monumental account of the Soviet labor camp system, a chain of prisons that by Mr. Solzhenitsyn’s calculation some 60 million people had entered during the 20th century. The book led to his expulsion from his native land. George F. Kennan, the American diplomat, described it as 'the greatest and most powerful single indictment of a political regime ever to be leveled in modern times.'” It is an irony of life that he outlived by 17 years the Soviet system that he battled through years of imprisonment, torture, and exile.
I believe his most inspirational legacy is that one person speaking out the truth with courage and God's help can literally change the world. Solzhenitsyn once wrote that “a great writer is, so to speak, a second government. That's why no regime anywhere has ever loved its great writers . . .” He wrote that while an ordinary man was obliged “not to participate in lies,” artists had greater responsibilities. “It is within the power of writers and artists to do much more: to defeat the lie! . . . If one is forever cautious, can one remain a human being?” He wrote that “men have forgotten God . . . spiritual death has touched us all.” He continued to tirelessly speak out throughout his lifetime. In 1977 Solzhenitsyn said in an interview, "My critics in the West are constantly saying, 'But what is he offering us in exchange?' Well, I could offer plenty if I wanted, but I'm not obliged to. It's not my job…The writer's ultimate task is to restore the memory of his murdered people. Is that not enough for a single writer?…They (the Communists) murdered my people and destroyed its memory. And I'm dragging it into the light of day all on my own. Of course, there are hundreds like me back there who could drag it out too. Well, it didn't fall to them; it fell to me. And I'm doing the work of a hundred men, and that's all there is to it…I'm no philosopher, I'm no politician, I get mixed up in this politics, but I loathe it..." Biographer Michael Scammell writes that, “Solzhenitsyn's allegiance [was] to the 60 million citizens murdered by the Soviet Communists.” No less than Mikhail Gorbachev said, “He was among the first to speak out about the brutality of Stalin’s regime and about the people who experienced it, but were not crushed . . . Mr. Solzhenitsyn’s books changed the minds of millions of people, making them rethink their past and present.”
I am always challenged by people like Solzhenitsyn. You and I have a voice too. How are we using our voices to speak out against evil, speak out for justice, speak the truth? With God's help, may we have the courage to speak. Selah.
Steve

Changing of Seasons

2008-08-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Summer is coming to an end, school is starting, and we are once again reminded of the rhythm of the seasons and of life. There are mornings and evenings, the weeks and months pass by, and we are both antagonized and reassured. We are antagonized by the knowledge that “all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall . . .(Isa. 40)” -- life is precious but brief. Luke and I went to see the Etowah Indian Mounds last Friday and saw some very impressive trees on the banks of the river. I remarked to Luke that these trees were there when the Native American Indians actually lived there, and the wonder in his eyes was beautiful. I thought about how these trees would still be growing by that river long after I walk this earth. Nevertheless, we are also reassured by the changing seasons of time. There is a comfortable ritual about knowing that Fall follows Summer and that soon Winter will come. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . .(Ecc. 3:1)” God has so ordained life that there is a variety of seasons, but also a secure order of time. This reminds us that although our earthly life is fleeting, we have security in the knowledge of eternal life with an everlasting God. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13-17).
Selah.
Steve

Newsletter Article June 11, 2008

2008-06-10T12:18:00.003-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have been blessed for the last three years to have Michael and Tina Dunbar serve us here at First Methodist. Michael has led many of you on mission trips to Mississippi, Louisiana and Mexico, prayed with you at difficult moments in your lives, touched you with his messages, and taught you scriptural truths about God. The love of Christ that he shared with us will always be a part of our lives. God sent him here at a special time in the life of this church, and our prayers will go with Tina and him as they embark on a new ministry and challenge in Social Circle. Selah.

Steve

Newsletter Article May 14, 2008

2008-05-13T12:46:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am reflecting on the events on the day so many years ago that we celebrate at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to begin the church. I am praying for a renewal of that same fire to engulf our Nation. I fear that the idea of human beings created and beloved by God has given way to a crude view that we are merely cogs in a vast machine. The overriding philosophy of America has become that we are not made for eternity but are useful only until broken. We are desperate to maintain youth and seek an immortality of flesh instead of spirit. This superficial understanding of life is shallow water which cannot sustain the health and well-being of a Nation for long. This reduces people to far less than God intended them to be; discounting compassion, morality, integrity, creativity, imagination, and lovingkindness for the sake of productivity and marketability. However, it is the Spirit which helps us to understand that for which God created us -- what historian Russell Kirk called “the ethical understanding and the religious sanction upon which any life worth living is founded.” I pray that God's Holy Spirit will enlighten and guide us to all truth so that we may again understand the worth of every person and the everlasting love of God. Selah

In Christ,
Steve

Newsletter Article for April 30, 2008

2008-04-30T09:11:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Springtime in Georgia is about as beautiful a place as you can be in this world. I love to marvel at the blooming dogwoods, azaleas, and various other flowers popping out of their buds. My daughter Faith is getting excited at the rosebuds at our house; she is waiting in anticipation for the coming blooms. We are also going to raise some butterflies and watch them go through metamorphosis and then set them free. It is a time of patience, it is a time of anticipation, and a time of great hope.
Right now there are many of you who are anxious about something in your lives. It may be family problems, economic problems, health problems, or just life problems. You need to remember that hope is a real gift from God and can keep you going. As the Psalmist writes, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." (Psalm 126). Life is a mixture of barren winters and beautiful springs, and we always look forward to the blooming spring. God has made the birds to sing to the dawn – while it is still dark. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”(Romans 8:24-25). Keep faith in the Lord and never give up hope. Selah
In Christ,
Steve

A Hero for Our Time

2008-04-15T12:00:00.004-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Many of you have expressed an interest in the Jacob Deshazer story that I shared in my sermon on Sunday. I think that more people should know about inspirational heroes, so I am giving you a bit more insight into this one. Here is part of his story as reported in “Christianity Today”: “December 7, 1941—the bombing of Pearl Harbor—changed the world. For Army Corporal Jacob DeShazer, an amazing drama was just beginning. Like most young Americans in the armed forces, DeShazer was eager to strike back at the enemy. He volunteered for a dangerous secret mission under Lieutenant-Colonel Jimmy Doolittle—to bomb Tokyo and surrounding cities. When two Japanese ships were sunk by the Americans nine hundred miles offshore, the command was given on the Hornet: "Army personnel, man your planes." It was April 18, 1942. They were eight hundred miles away from land, four hundred miles further offshore than originally planned for launching. The planes would not be returning to the carrier. They would have to land in China and elude the Japanese occupation forces there. It was a great risk for Doolittle's raiders. But the men were willing to take the risk in order to strike a demoralizing blow to the Japanese homeland . . . [After the mission, Deshazer’s plane failed to make it to safety in China]. Four other American prisoners and DeShazer were flown to Nanjing (Nanking), China, to a prison camp. There was more interrogation before a judge. Finally, the judge said in English, "In Japan it is a great honor for a judge to cut off a prisoner's head. Tomorrow at sunrise, I will have the honor of cutting off your head."
Their captors tortured them, trying to get information. They put DeShazer on his knees and beat him. They handcuffed one prisoner, Lt. Nielsen, hanging him for eight hours by his hands on a peg, his toes barely touching the floor while others were stretched out on boards for hours. The Japanese strapped others to chairs and beat them. They put towels over their faces and had water poured into their noses and mouths until they nearly drowned . . . A short time later, DeShazer learned that Emperor Hirohito (on Tojo's recommendation) had commuted his sentence to life imprisonment. This gave him little hope. For almost two years, DeShazer and the others struggled with starvation, fought dysentery and other illnesses, froze in winter without blankets, and baked in summer with no ventilation. At times the airman grew so angry at the brutal guards that he worried about his sanity. In quieter moments he wondered how they could be so inhumane.
On December 1, 1943, Lt. Meder died, weakened from dysentery. After his death, things suddenly changed. Someone among the Japanese "higher-ups" decided to keep the Americans alive. Food rations increased and a few books were given to the prisoners. Among them was one Bible . . . DeShazer memorized Old Testament passages, the Sermon on the Mount, and the first Epistle of John. He thought about what his parents and sister had tried to tell him for many years. Now it all made sense. When his three weeks were almost up, he read again Romans 10:9—"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." DeShazer prayed, "Lord, though I am far from home and though I am in prison, I must have forgiveness." He continued to pray until he was filled with inner peace and joy. His dirty cell and the abuse no longer held any horror. Death held no threat. On June 8, 1944, although imprisoned, he was free. A year after his conversion, in June 1945, the Americans were transferred to a prison in Beijing (Peking). Conditions were worse than in Nanjing (Nanking). DeShazer nearly died of starvation and disease, but he grew spiritually [and was liberated at the close of 1945]. In 1948, Jacob DeShazer returned to Japan with his wife, Florence, as a missionary. By that time, Army chaplains had distributed more than a million tracts containing DeShazer's testimony titled, "I Was a Prisoner of the Japanese." Thousands of Japanese people wanted to see the man who could forgive his enemies. In his first few months in Japan, the former Jimmy Doolittle raider had spoken in two hundred places. Soon he, with his wife Florence, helped Japanese Christians to establish churches. Although the church planting was going well, early in 1950, DeShazer longed for a revival for Japan. He fasted 40 days, praying for the salvation of the Japanese. A few days after he ended his fast, a man came to his home and introduced himself—Mitsuo Fuchida, flight commander of the 360 planes that attacked Pearl Harbor. After reading DeShazer's testimony, Fuchida had purchased a New Testament, read it, and had accepted Christ. DeShazer welcomed him as a brother and counseled him to be baptized. Within a short time Fuchida became an evangelist, preaching in Japan and all over the world.”
Jacob Deshazer’s life bears witness to the power of Christ to transform our lives so that we can make a difference in this world.
Steve

Celebrating the Resurrection

2008-03-25T13:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What a great celebration of the Resurrection we had this past Sunday – the music was tremendous, the baptisms were moving and the living cross was a beautiful witness to the city of Dallas about our living Savior. It is wonderful that we take a Sunday each year to proclaim the Risen Lord with such magnificence. It is right for the Church to do so, but it is interesting to note that the Gospel writers who proclaimed the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, did so in whispers and not pomp and circumstance. We are not told in the Scriptures how Jesus was resurrected, only that it was by the power of God. We don't know if there was an explosion, if beams of light shot out from Heaven, or if Jesus just sat up. It was not revealed to the Gospel writers how it took place; the importance of the Resurrection was simply that it occurred.
This is why the next few weeks ought to be spiritually precious to us. After all the celebration has calmed down we go about celebrating the Resurrection in our daily lives in the same way as Jesus' disciples did so many years ago. It is important to remember that Easter begins a seven week period of celebration of Jesus' Resurrection which culminates in Pentecost Sunday when we once again celebrate the initiation of the Church through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. These next few Sundays are the “Sundays of Easter” and not the “Sundays after Easter.” A world of difference hinges on understanding this. Now is the time to continue to read Scripture and meditate upon the Resurrection, but also begin to seek to understand the Holy Spirit and its importance in your life. This is the way to peace and joy which Jesus promised to us when He spoke to His disciples just prior to His death and resurrection, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:25-27). Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Talk About the Passion

2008-03-04T13:03:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Easter comes early this year; I hope that during this season of Lent you have been meditating on the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection for your life. It is important for each of us to understand the Passion of Jesus as being eternally relevant in our daily lives. If we make it merely an abstract concept or proposition, then it really loses all personal meaning. I remember my Ordination presenter Dr. Mac Hollins saying to me that it is not enough to know that Jesus is Lord of all; I must know that Jesus is my Lord. In the same way, we must remember that Jesus died on the cross not just for the world but for you and me in our 21st century lives. The cross of Christ has influence on every decision that you make or will make if you understand the meaning and importance of the cross. Two of the great thinkers in Christian history - Martin Luther and Thomas a Kempis - can help us to understand how to incorporate the Passion of Christ in our daily lives.
First, Luther shares how the Passion can help us in our struggles, “When your heart is thus established in Christ, and you are an enemy of sin, out of love and not out of fear of punishment, Christ’s sufferings should also be an example for your whole life . . . if a day of sorrow or sickness weighs you down, think how trifling that is compared with the thorns and nails of Christ. If you must do or leave undone what is distasteful to you; think, how Christ was led hither and thither, bound and a captive. Does pride attack you: behold, how your Lord was mocked and disgraced with murderers. Do unchastity and lust thrust themselves against you: think, how bitter it was for Christ to have his tender flesh torn, pierced and beaten again and again. Do hatred and envy war against you, or do you seek vengeance: remember how Christ with many tears and cries prayed for you and all his enemies, who indeed had more reason to seek revenge. If trouble or whatever adversity of body or soul afflict you, strengthen your heart and say: Ah, why then should I not also suffer a little since my Lord sweat blood in the garden because of anxiety and grief? That would be a lazy, disgraceful servant who would wish to lie in his bed while his Lord was compelled to battle with the pangs of death . . . For Christ’s Passion must be dealt with not in words and a show, but in our lives and in truth. Thus St. Paul admonishes us, “For consider Him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against Himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls;” (Hebrews 12:3) and St. Peter, “As Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind.” (1 Peter 4:1). But this kind of meditation is now out of use and very rare, although the Epistles of St. Paul and St. Peter are full of it. We have changed the essence into a mere show and painted the meditation of Christ’s sufferings only in letters and on walls.”
Second, Thomas a Kempis shares how the Passion of Christ can then give us the inspiration to follow Christ's call on our lives, “If, indeed, there were anything better or more useful for man’s salvation than suffering, Christ would have shown it by word and example. But He clearly exhorts the disciples who follow Him and all who wish to follow Him to carry the cross, saying: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23) . . . Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him . . . Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus—love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!” Selah
Steve

Newsletter Article February 13, 2008

2008-02-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Several times in my sermons, I have cited a passage from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship about the importance of each Christian to pick up his or her cross and follow Jesus. This is a very important biblical understanding and is very appropriate as we are in the Lenten season and approaching Good Friday and Easter. Here is an excerpt from Bonhoeffer’s famous work:
“That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sins departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must the asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son: “ye were bought at a price”, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”I hope this inspires you at this time. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Newsletter Article January 30,2008

2008-01-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the last two weeks something wonderful happened here in Dallas. It snowed. This was wonderful to me because Faith and Luke had never really seen snow and they were excited. We built snowmen and had a snowball fight. These were things that they had only heard Daddy talk about and Faith had feared that she would never get to build a snowman. I got to enjoy this snow with my kids as much as I would if I were a child again. Isn’t it wonderful how God has made us to be able to get so excited about new experiences?
God has made us so that our lives are enjoyable because of the serendipitous experiences we have, like the moment when we first fall in love. Yet, in our most important relationship – between ourselves and the LORD – many of us have become closed to encountering Him in new and exciting ways. Although, the LORD does not change, none of us has experienced the totality of all that God has in store for us. The Bible tells us that God is always doing “new things” and that as we walk daily with Him our minds and hearts will be continually opened to new understandings of Him and new possibilities in our lives. I pray that in this new year, you will be open to new ways of being with the LORD and experiencing His love. Along with the Apostle Paul, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19). Selah.

In Christ,

Steve

Newsletter Article September 26, 2007

2007-09-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
This week we are sending a team to Mexico (Michael Dunbar, Janis Woods, Rick Peggs, Sharon Vinson), and yesterday, the team that is going to Kenya met to prepare for our trip next month (Cindy Dudding, Melette Meloy, David Holt, Kenn Swehla, Steve Schofield). This may bring up the question in your minds: why do we do missions in foreign lands? The short answer is that Jesus commanded us to, but we will unpack that a little more fully. The PRIMARY reason we go on mission trips is to RESPOND TO CHRIST’S CALL - [Jesus declared,] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8); Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20); He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). These commands of Jesus are clear and explicit.
Another important reason is it reminds us our primary allegiance in life is in God, and when we commit our lives to Christ, we are made brothers and sisters with people from all over the world. Remember the Bible’s description of Heaven, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9). The suffering people of Kenya and Mexico are my brothers and sisters, just as they are yours if you have committed your life to Jesus Christ. We know the obligation that we have to be our brother’s keeper, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if a man or woman claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him or her? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him or her, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his or her physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”. (James 2:14-17). Knowing the extreme suffering that is going on in Kenya, with people dying daily from lack of food, how could I not go? What good am I as a Pastor of the gospel of Jesus Christ if I turned away? I want my children to know that when the cry of world’s suffering people is heard, those who have felt the saving grace of Jesus Christ respond with compassion and action because God loves them as much as He loves us. That is why we go. Selah.

Newsletter Article August 22, 2007

2007-08-22T12:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Along with “love” and “faith,” Jesus used the characteristic of “service” as the best evidence of being a true disciple. He continuously reminded His disciples, and us today, that He came not to be served but to serve. We are to do likewise. After exhibiting this truth powerfully by washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus says, "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the One who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:13-17). Our lives do not belong solely to us but to the One who made us, loves us, redeems us, and gives us life. He explicitly tells us that His purpose for our lives is to love and serve others. The Bible is clear, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus . . ” (Philippians 2:1-5). This Sunday, each of you will have a great opportunity to see where you can be of service to the LORD and to other people through the ministries in our Church – the “Simply Serve” celebration. We are having an event set up in the Family Life Center after each worship service that will allow you to know what ministry opportunities exist for you in the Church and give you an opportunity to join with others in service to the LORD and others. The promise of the LORD is that you will be blessed if you serve, and I can testify to the truth of that promise in my life. Have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Newsletter Article August 8, 2007

2007-08-22T08:31:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am very excited about the big worship event this Thursday at 7 p.m. in our Family Life Center. We are having a District Transformation Conference at our church; we were selected because of our excellence in Contemporary Worship at our 9:39 service. Our District Superintendent, Rev. Jackie Rose-Tucker, selected us and invited many in the Rome-Carrollton District to come and worship at Dallas First on Thursday evening. The worship will be led by our own 9:39 Praise Team and the sermon will be given by Dr. George Morris on the topic of evangelism. The Foundation for Evangelism describes the ministry of Dr. Morris thusly, “Dr. George Morris is a native of Virginia, and was selected as the 2005 Distinguished Evangelist of the United Methodist Church by The Foundation for Evangelism. He is currently the Dan and Lil Hankey Senior Professor of World Evangelism of the World Methodist Council and is considered one of the most respected scholars on evangelism in the world. Morris received his B.A. Degree at Asbury College and M.Div. and D.Div. Degrees at Vanderbilt University. He was ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church in 1964 and has ministered in the United States and in sixty-seven countries around the world. He has served rural circuit-churches, small town churches, suburban churches and two large inner-city churches. His last pastoral appointment was the First United Methodist Church of Peoria, Illinois, where he served as directing pastor for five years. In addition, he served on the General Board of Evangelism and the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church, as well as the executive committee of the World Methodist Council. For sixteen years, Morris was the Arthur J. Moore Professor of Evangelism at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. While there, he became the founding director of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute, a cooperative ministry of the World Methodist Council and Emory University. Currently, he is a member of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, the International Association for Mission Studies, the Advisory Committee of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute and the World Methodist Evangelism Foundation board of trustees.” I invite you to come and worship the LORD together with us this Thursday at 7 p.m. Selah.

In Christ,
Steve

2007-08-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At the close of many of his letters, the Apostle Paul would thank and greet many of the saints that were providing the ministry that was allowing God to work through the individual churches. In this way, he illustrated that the work of the Kingdom of God requires many persons working in tandem to accomplish great things for the LORD. In just the same way, I wish to thank all of you who worked so diligently and graciously during our River of Life ministry. The Holy Spirit moved very powerfully during that week and those who attended the service on Sunday are well aware how many lives were touched in the name and by the power of Jesus Christ. That Sunday service was the culmination of many months of planning and praying. Our theme was “Amazing Grace” and it was beautiful to see the grace of God on display in all its myriad forms throughout River of Life. Some examples that moved me:

- working on the roof of a horse ranch that helps disabled children to heal . . .

- building wheelchair ramps to help free people to have better access out of their homes . .

- comforting a family who had recently lost a child . . .

- working on the home of a woman who has given much of her life to helping the less fortunate

- reaching out to Jennifer McRaney whose husband David is serving our country in Iraq . .

- helping one of our clients commit her life to Jesus Christ . . .

- worshipping the LORD together with passion . . .

. . . and there were so many more. So thank you all and may God bless you.

In Christ,
Steve

2007-08-22T08:19:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10)
This has always been one of my favorite passages in the Bible, because it is the description of John’s glimpse into Heaven. It reminds me that not only is Heaven a place of celebration and worship, but it is grander, wider, and more diverse than I can imagine. Sometimes I can become too focused on the Church here in America, and I forget that we are but a small part of a vast worldwide Body of Christ. This passage of scripture reminds me that God is at work around the world in ways that I cannot fathom and that knowledge inspires me.
This Sunday we have the opportunity to be inspired by a fellow brother and sister in Christ from Africa and Europe – our special guests will be Bishop Muruiki from the Methodist Church in Kenya and Rev. Susan Johnson from England. They are participating in the 8th International Evangelism Seminar being sponsored by the World Methodist Evangelism Institute at the Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center in Atlanta, Georgia, from June 19-27, 2007. The theme of this seminar is: "THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW JESUS CHRIST: DEVELOPING MISSIONARY CONGREGATIONS." There will be several hundred Evangelists coming to Atlanta from over 70 countries for the conference, and they will be preaching in churches in the Atlanta area this Sunday. We are excited that God has sent the Bishop and Rev. Johnson to share with us what God is doing in their respective countries. The Evangelism Institute is a ministry of World Evangelism, the World Methodist Council, and Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The World Methodist Evangelism Institute is unique in world Christianity because no other world communion has an educational institution connected to a major university that is solely committed to the vision and task of world evangelization. I hope that you will come and celebrate with us this Sunday. Selah.

In Christ,
Steve

Newsletter Article May 16, 2007

2007-05-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

With the Pope’s visit to Brazil, the news media have actually begun to focus on the extraordinary growth of the Christian Faith in so-called third world countries over the last decade. We are living today in the greatest time of growth of Christianity in the history of the Church. God is working mightily and is inspiring millions around the world. The main question today for Christians in the United States is: will we be a part of what God is doing in the world or will we just become irrelevant? Consider this:
· Kenyan scholar John Mbiti has observed, “the centers of the Church’s universality are no longer in Geneva, Rome, Athens, Paris, London, New York, but Kinshasa, Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa, and Manila.”
· Today, in the Ethiopian Christian Church alone there are 25 million members – roughly the equivalent of Southern Baptists and United Methodists -- the two largest Protestant Denominations in the United States -- combined.
· A recent study by the Chinese Government estimates that there may be as many as three times the previously thought number of 70 million underground Christian worshippers.
· In South Korea, the Kwang Lim Methodist church reported 150 members in 1971 and 85,000 by the end of the century.
· By 2025, the estimated leading continents of Christianity will be Africa with 633 million Christians and Latin America with 640 million Christians.
These facts should not alarm us but make us excited to be living in a time when God is moving so purposefully in the world. We must begin to think more globally about our faith and look for ways to partner together with Christians in order to participate in God’s Kingdom building work in the world right now. Selah.

In Christ,

Steve

The Knowledge of God

2007-05-09T13:11:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Do you ever wonder why we should ever bother to study about God? Surely, we can never fully understand the mysteries of God. The Bible tells us, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9). The Apostle Paul counseled the Roman church, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" (Romans 11:33-34). Therefore, any study of God is bound to end in futility if our eventual goal is complete knowledge. At this point, many persons put aside seeking to grow in knowledge of God as impractical and irrelevant to their daily lives. Several years ago Microsoft founder and CEO Bill Gates remarked to TIME magazine that "Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There’s a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning." Maybe you have thought something similar to this at some point in your life. This is a tragic mistake.
God has created us to thirst for knowledge and has created knowledge as a way of transformation. There is no greater knowledge than to seek the One who has created you for a purpose and has given meaning to your existence. In his very next point after speaking of the “unsearchability” of God, the Apostle Paul wrote this interesting advice, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2). Although, we will never attain full knowledge of God in this life, it is in the seeking that we will be transformed and renewed into mature Christians with greater and greater wisdom. This is a life-long process of growth and God really is in the details. C.S. Lewis once observed that knowledge of God is analogous to the Sun – we may not be able to stare directly into the Sun but as it shines brighter in our lives we begin to see everything else more clearly by its light. We may never understand the fullness of God, but as He shines more brightly in our lives and minds we can understand everything else more clearly by His light. Selah.
In Christ,
Steve

Newsletter Article May 2, 2007

2007-05-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Here are some random thoughts to digest this week:
- If Jesus spoke more about the Kingdom of God than any other subject, why is it that we hear so little discussion about what it is?
- Spring always reminds me that I can’t always trust my senses. It always seems to me as if the flora and fauna explode into bloom overnight and I never see it coming . . . I think God sometimes works this way in my life.
- I wonder why my prayer life is always in disarray – some weeks I pray long and often and others I just don’t find the time. I would love to be as disciplined as Martin Luther who said that the busier he became the more hours he prayed everyday (yes, you read that correctly - “hours”).
- I am enjoying reading the stories from the Bible to my 5-year olde daughter Faith, because the questions she asks and the delight she shows for the stories have rekindled the memories of awe that I had for the stories as a child. It is a great gift God gives us to reencounter the joys of our childhood in the eyes of our children.
- For centuries the primary impulse for creating great art was God. Today, it seems as if the Christian world and the Art world are two worlds apart; that doesn’t make sense to me. I agree with Dorothy Sayars that one of the ways in which we are made in God’s image is our ability to be creative, and I fear that we in the Church stifle that creative ability sometimes . . .
- It heartens me to know that God loves me, even on my worst day . . .
- Finally, the older I get, the more I see the hand of God in everyday life. As a youth, I saw God primarily as a Judge, as a young man I saw God primarily as Inspiration to Shake Up the World, and now I am beginning to appreciate that God is Savior, Lord, Friend and Artist and has given us a beautiful life and world to enjoy. William Blake said that when you can see the work of God in a blade of grass, you are beginning to understand . . . Selah

In Christ,

Steve