October 7, 2007 – Bulletin

September 30, 2007 Bulletin

September 22, 2007 Bulletin

On a day like this I want to revisit one of our core values:

Diversity – “By Loving people who are not like me, I am reflecting the Love of God.”

We have a list of core beliefs and core values that we hold tight.  In everything, we want our love for God and  for people to be the lead banner in our theological parade.

Happy Monday to you all!

I know that I am conservative enough to make the Christian Hippies mad, and liberal enough to make the Wake Forest mascot mad. I want to be true to scripture and still care for my fellow man. I certainly can’t deeply cover all the topics in Ruth 3, but we will go below the surface on a couple of them including drinking alcohol.

Let me shoot a warning shot across the bow on the subject, by letting you know two facts about me.

Fact One – I grew up in an environment where I was taught that drinking at any level was a sin. I thought the Bible clearly stated that. Sadly, my pastor who taught so heavily on the subject was secretly losing his battle against alcoholism. Consequently, I have spent many hours thinking, praying, and seeking wisdom on this subject.

Fact Two – I don’t drink alcohol. My ministerial credentials are with the Assemblies of God and their stance is that no minister should drink alcohol (except Nyquil). I have made myself accountable to this fellowship, so I am under the same conviction as the students who are under 21 years old. The act of drinking for a 16 year old is full of sin because they are under the authority of the laws of this country and the law of their parents, and to willfully break either of these is sin. While my age allows me the choice to consume alcohol, my commitment to be accountable to the Assemblies of God for life and doctrine dictates that I remain abstinent on the subject. I am ok with this. I do not desire to drink, and if the Assemblies of God changed their stance, I would not be throwing a big kegger to celebrate.

This is an area of great debate, and I want to encourage you to be of gentle spirit as we enter areas that are uncomfortable for many and very personal for some.

If you want to get ready for Sunday, read Ruth 3 and then Romans 14.

On a completely random note: Happy International Pirate Day. Check out Dave Wilson’s Blog to learn more.

Ruth (Part 3) – God in our Blessing (Ruth 2:14-23)

September 9, 2007 Bulletin

Proverb 1:18

In any athletic competition there is the proverbial wall. The point that you have to decided whether to push through the pain, or to quit out of complete exhaustion. When I played college basketball at Central Bible College, Coach Hanson would make us run 2.5 miles for a warm-up run during pre-season. I have always hated to run long distances, but I love basketball. There was a final hill at about the 2 mile mark of my daily mini-marathon that was always the wall for me. It felt like at that point someone strapped a bag of college textbooks to my back. Everyday for two-weeks I had to decide if I could make it running the whole way or walk for just a few steps to catch my breath. I had to make an internal choice to keep running.

Orpah, who seems to be a good girl, left Naomi on the road to Bethlehem to return to her home, and her name is lost in the chronicles of time. But Ruth, step up with sheer determination, and give the speech of a lifetime.

” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.”

Ruth 1:16-18

Following God will feel more like climbing a mountain than sliding down a water slide. The pathways of right living are less traveled, and will take many moments of sheer determination.

Many people hit the proverbial wall with their walk with Christ, and they give up every time. I just want to give you a pep talk if you are hitting an uphill climb. Don’t give up. Being a godly parent is hard, but worth it. Being a godly spouse is hard, but worth it. Staying away from temptation and sin is hard, but worth it. Planting a church is hard, but worth it. Don’t give up. (that last one is for me!)

September 2, 2007 Bulletin

Can Ice Cream be great tasting and low fat? Can you watch pro football without seeing a beer commercial? Can a beauty queen from South Carolina enter Harvard? Can you eat Habanaro Peppers without Sweating?

An antinomy is two truths that seem to contradict each other. If God is sovereign, then how can there be suffering. We are going to open up this can of theological worms, and I hope we come to the same conclusion. God is soverign; God is good; and we can trust Him.

Have a great labor day weekend!