For those of you in the know, I thought I would add a short message today.
Karen and I, as well as many of you, have earnestly been praying about a possible career change for me. If you have not heard the latest update, I will not have the opportunity to change careers any time soon. I appreciate all of your prayers and would humbly ask you to continue praying that the Lord will continue to use me as He desires.
We know that the Lord uses many things to stretch us and cause growth. This may be one of those times. I believe that the Lord gifts people according to the needs of the church. When those needs change, mightn't the gifts as well?
I ask that to say this, a calling may be specific and not general. At least for now, I am going to assume that is the case in this instance. Until the Lord shows me differently, my desire is to be used where I am at.
Thanks for your prayers, Jon
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The value of a dollar
Karen shared a story with me during lunch yesterday that I'm sure many of you have already experienced. The names may be different but I'll bet the circumstances are similar.
Our youngest daughter (Audrey) has a birthday coming up next month. As every parent does, Karen asked Audrey what present she wanted on her special day. Audrey was quick to give a reply. She wanted a "Just Like You" doll from the American Girl collection. She had seen it in the catalog and was quick to inform her mother that it was only $95.00
Ordinarily we would put this down as a child just not understanding the value of money. This however was clearly not the case for Audrey.
In an effort to challenge our children to read through the entire Bible this year, I promised the first girl who finished reading through the Bible $100.00 (Our children need to earn their own way to camp). The girls, including Karen, have been working at this faithfully. When Karen told Audrey that she was not going to purchase a $95.00 doll as a B-day present, she added that if Audrey thought the doll was a necessity she could use the money she earned from her bible reading to purchase the doll.
Knowing the value of a dollar, Audrey replied, "I'm not going to spend all my money on a doll, that wouldn't be worth it."
Our youngest daughter (Audrey) has a birthday coming up next month. As every parent does, Karen asked Audrey what present she wanted on her special day. Audrey was quick to give a reply. She wanted a "Just Like You" doll from the American Girl collection. She had seen it in the catalog and was quick to inform her mother that it was only $95.00
Ordinarily we would put this down as a child just not understanding the value of money. This however was clearly not the case for Audrey.
In an effort to challenge our children to read through the entire Bible this year, I promised the first girl who finished reading through the Bible $100.00 (Our children need to earn their own way to camp). The girls, including Karen, have been working at this faithfully. When Karen told Audrey that she was not going to purchase a $95.00 doll as a B-day present, she added that if Audrey thought the doll was a necessity she could use the money she earned from her bible reading to purchase the doll.
Knowing the value of a dollar, Audrey replied, "I'm not going to spend all my money on a doll, that wouldn't be worth it."
Monday, March 10, 2008
Child Rearing and your child's Rear
The last few weeks have been busy ones, and I have not taken the opportunity to post as often as I should. For that, I apologize!
To keep everyone up to date, I have been asked to preach on Easter Sunday. I am looking forward to the opportunity, but I have spent many hours seeking the Lord's direction for this message. Today I believe that I have the direction I have been looking for. Praise the Lord!
On a different matter, I have been meditating on this verse...
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
I truly believe that many have been in the habit of improperly applying this verse. The reason that I say this is because I have heard parents (when discussing rebellious children) say that they find comfort in this verse. They believe that their child will eventually come back to the Lord if they just give them room and make no waves.
Let me be perfectly clear when I state my opinion here...
This verse is not meant to bring comfort, it is meant to bring warning!
When we interpret this to mean that our children no longer need correction and guidance we are giving Satan a foothold in their lives. We are also allowing Satan to deceive us in regard to what the Lord has said. After all, that is what he did in Eden. He twisted what God said in order to deceive. How have we allowed Satan to take the word "depart" and change it to "come back"?
If your children are departing let it be a warning that they need more training. Is this becoming clear to you? I earnestly hope that you will not be deceived about your parental responsibility in regard to this passage.
To keep everyone up to date, I have been asked to preach on Easter Sunday. I am looking forward to the opportunity, but I have spent many hours seeking the Lord's direction for this message. Today I believe that I have the direction I have been looking for. Praise the Lord!
On a different matter, I have been meditating on this verse...
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
I truly believe that many have been in the habit of improperly applying this verse. The reason that I say this is because I have heard parents (when discussing rebellious children) say that they find comfort in this verse. They believe that their child will eventually come back to the Lord if they just give them room and make no waves.
Let me be perfectly clear when I state my opinion here...
This verse is not meant to bring comfort, it is meant to bring warning!
When we interpret this to mean that our children no longer need correction and guidance we are giving Satan a foothold in their lives. We are also allowing Satan to deceive us in regard to what the Lord has said. After all, that is what he did in Eden. He twisted what God said in order to deceive. How have we allowed Satan to take the word "depart" and change it to "come back"?
If your children are departing let it be a warning that they need more training. Is this becoming clear to you? I earnestly hope that you will not be deceived about your parental responsibility in regard to this passage.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Does God plan sin?
The following is an excerpt from a message (not mine):
{That presupposition is that for humans to be morally accountable agents they must have the ultimate power of self-determination at all those points where they are found blameworthy or praiseworthy.
That presupposition pushes people away from believing that God has the right and power in righteousness and wisdom to infallibly plan the death of his Son through the sinful acts of morally accountable men. But the Bible teaches that he did. There is no atonement and no gospel without God-planned sins against the Son of God. He died at the hands of sinful men by God’s design. That is an essential part of the gospel. “He died for our sins according to the scriptures.”}
This question is short and sweet. Does God, or did He when He sent His Son, plan sin or does He work His plan regardless of our sin? This is a critical point in ones theology! What Biblical evidence can you bring to support your position?
Respectfully urging you to weigh in, Jon
{That presupposition is that for humans to be morally accountable agents they must have the ultimate power of self-determination at all those points where they are found blameworthy or praiseworthy.
That presupposition pushes people away from believing that God has the right and power in righteousness and wisdom to infallibly plan the death of his Son through the sinful acts of morally accountable men. But the Bible teaches that he did. There is no atonement and no gospel without God-planned sins against the Son of God. He died at the hands of sinful men by God’s design. That is an essential part of the gospel. “He died for our sins according to the scriptures.”}
This question is short and sweet. Does God, or did He when He sent His Son, plan sin or does He work His plan regardless of our sin? This is a critical point in ones theology! What Biblical evidence can you bring to support your position?
Respectfully urging you to weigh in, Jon
Monday, February 11, 2008
Audible Heroes
For those that may not have had the opportunity to hear the message...
In case you are wondering, my father is my hero! After many hours of trying to get this audio message posted on this blog, my father stepped in and got it done. Thanks dad!
In case you are wondering, my father is my hero! After many hours of trying to get this audio message posted on this blog, my father stepped in and got it done. Thanks dad!
Monday, February 4, 2008
How do you deal with sin
The difference between how the believer and the unbeliever deal with sin is a fascinating topic. The first thing that comes to mind is that the unbeliever is only concerned with the immediate natural consequences to his sin. What is different for the believer?
How do we use this to our advantage when witnessing?
How do we use this to evaluate our own personal relationship with the Lord?
How do we use this to disciple those we are instructing?
How do we use this to our advantage when witnessing?
How do we use this to evaluate our own personal relationship with the Lord?
How do we use this to disciple those we are instructing?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Your Hero Too?
As the title cleverly suggests, this is the second post regarding heroes. I had promised to make this second installment but because I am preaching this message tomorrow, I decided to hold off completing it until tonight.
What I have seen in our church is an urgent desire to follow a man. I mean this in several aspects.. We claim to seek Christ, yet in action, we want flesh and blood. This desire is evident in the youth program, the morning worship service, the Wednesday evening service, and even in our pastoral search. I truly believe that many in the church feel that we are floundering corporately because we have not named a youth pastor or a senior pastor. I have seen (what I perceive to be evidence of) a lack of commitment to church services because we do not have a pastor to notice our unfaithfulness. The fact of the matter is our human nature wants others to see our efforts.
Several (3?) years ago I taught an ABF class on heroes of the faith. Hebrews 11. During that class, I stated that I found it ironic that we let the actions of others affect our faith. As a matter of fact, if we were going to lose heart because of the failures of godly men, we should lose heart because of the failures of the heroes of the faith.
Abraham and Sara laughed at the Lord when told of their future son. (Genesis 17:17, 18:12) Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. (Numbers 20:7-12) Rahab was a harlot, Samson sought after Delilah, David committed adultery and murder, and Samuel was hardly a model parent. With these men as our heroes why in the world would we lose heart because of an unkind word from a member in our church or quit coming to church altogether because we didn't like the guest speaker? How shallow have we become?
In truth, we are only as deep as our personal relationship with the Lord. If that relationship is predecated on the behavior of others, we will never become the people that the Lord wants us to be. Maturity comes when we stop comparing ourselves to other men and look to...
Well, let me say this:
All of the heroes of the faith in chapter 11 of Hebrews are human. We are not to idolize people, the importance of the chapter is on the display of faith (Hebrews 11:6). Though all men fall, the reminder here is that trust in the Lord is what is counted when all is done.
I can in no way expositionally teach through every verse in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Not in one Sunday. There are however four clues scattered throughout the chapter that are placed there to keep us on track. I will share these verses and let the Holy Spirit show you the meaning. I may write more on this later, if not, ask for the CD of the message.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Who is your hero?
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What I have seen in our church is an urgent desire to follow a man. I mean this in several aspects.. We claim to seek Christ, yet in action, we want flesh and blood. This desire is evident in the youth program, the morning worship service, the Wednesday evening service, and even in our pastoral search. I truly believe that many in the church feel that we are floundering corporately because we have not named a youth pastor or a senior pastor. I have seen (what I perceive to be evidence of) a lack of commitment to church services because we do not have a pastor to notice our unfaithfulness. The fact of the matter is our human nature wants others to see our efforts.
Several (3?) years ago I taught an ABF class on heroes of the faith. Hebrews 11. During that class, I stated that I found it ironic that we let the actions of others affect our faith. As a matter of fact, if we were going to lose heart because of the failures of godly men, we should lose heart because of the failures of the heroes of the faith.
Abraham and Sara laughed at the Lord when told of their future son. (Genesis 17:17, 18:12) Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. (Numbers 20:7-12) Rahab was a harlot, Samson sought after Delilah, David committed adultery and murder, and Samuel was hardly a model parent. With these men as our heroes why in the world would we lose heart because of an unkind word from a member in our church or quit coming to church altogether because we didn't like the guest speaker? How shallow have we become?
In truth, we are only as deep as our personal relationship with the Lord. If that relationship is predecated on the behavior of others, we will never become the people that the Lord wants us to be. Maturity comes when we stop comparing ourselves to other men and look to...
Well, let me say this:
All of the heroes of the faith in chapter 11 of Hebrews are human. We are not to idolize people, the importance of the chapter is on the display of faith (Hebrews 11:6). Though all men fall, the reminder here is that trust in the Lord is what is counted when all is done.
I can in no way expositionally teach through every verse in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Not in one Sunday. There are however four clues scattered throughout the chapter that are placed there to keep us on track. I will share these verses and let the Holy Spirit show you the meaning. I may write more on this later, if not, ask for the CD of the message.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Who is your hero?
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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