Heavy Burdens and Heart Issues

Mark Driscoll on Idolatry

Great video of Mark Driscoll teaching on Idolatry in America. A few weeks old...but very good!

I won!!

I actually won a contest! I'm really pumped!

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Matt Chandler (one of my favorite preachers) had a DVD set on the book of Philippians (check out some of the clips here). It looked really cool and I considered getting it...but the price was out of my budget (the box set is $199.95). But then I noticed they were GIVING a set away for FREE in a contest. And along with the set, you could get a free Flip video camera! So I entered....and I WON! Looks like a sermon series on Philippians is coming soon!

You can check out the video of them picking the winners below. I'm #5!

Flip Winners from The Hub on Vimeo.

Video Blog Sept. 22, 2009

Tweet!

We have decided to get with the rest of the world...we're tweeting! If you don't already know, Twitter is what's called a Microblog site. It's simple...you answer the question "What are you doing?" and you can send updates to all those who follow you.

To be honest, even though I'm a Technogeek, I didn't see much use in Twitter. Why do I need to know what my friends are having for breakfast; or that they just got back from buying groceries? Seems a little...stalkerish...to me! But I decided to give it a shot this weekend and began following some of my favorite preachers. My friend Jeff convinced me to give it a try and told me I could have some of the tweets go right to my cell phone via text messaging. After my first weekend...I can say I'm hooked! I was regularly encouraged by John Piper's tweets! He regularly posts insightful quotes, or thoughts on Scripture. James MacDonald's tweets were entertaining and challenging as well.

But I was sold on our church doing one when I started to follow The Village Church; Matt Chandler's church in Texas. They used Twitter to send reminders, announcements, and words of encouragement! The thought of Cornerstone being able to send a reminder about worship practice...or to pray for one of our members...or that church will be cancelled due to snow (this is NOT an announcement!) to our member's cell phones seemed to make sense!

So come follow us by clicking here. It will be a real...Tweet. (oh boy...couldn't resist!)

VBS 2009!

Operation Space is underway and God has already blessed us beyond our expectations! We are using the Answers In Genesis VBS material and couldn't be more pleased!

You can see more photographs of our first day here.

Camp Pictures!

Just in case you are not in the facebook loop, I wanted to be sure you had a chance to enjoy the camp pictures! Below are links to the pics! Enjoy!

Monday and Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Twin Lakes Camp - Biblical Philosophy

This week I am enjoying a week at Twin Lakes Camp in Hillsboro, IN (www.twinlakescamp.com). Grant is here as a first-time camper, and I was able to bring the rest family with me. We couldn't be enjoying it more. Grant is aware of our presence...but just barely! He's having too much fun to notice. Courtney is doing pretty well with everything...though she has had to restrain from yelling across the dining hall "Grant...change your shirt! And put on some shorts...it's hot out there today."

We've made it a point to join the campers in their activities any chance we get and I'm pumped my son is a part of this week. Camp is fun experience...but here at Twin Lakes it's also a spiritually challenging experience! The camp counselors are called "facilitators" and they are trained not only to help with the safety and fun of camp, but to look for opportunities to teach heart issues. In fact, they often set up scenarios where heart issues can come to surface!

For example, we decided to join a group for archery. I was thinking, "Landen will have a blast shooting some arrows. Let's try that." So the kids all got the safety speech and the rules were laid out. They were divided into three groups and each group received a bundle of arrows. Two of the three groups were given 1 arrow for the entire group, and the third group was given close to twenty arrows! Needless to say, there was quite a bit of discussion...and heart issues came flying to the surface! "Why do THEY get more arrows? Can we have some?" "NO WAY...these are OUR arrows!!"

After that went on for a few moments, the kids were all sat down and the counselors facilitated a great conversation on generosity (our theme for the day)! Adam shared the story of the servants and talents from Matthew and the kids were asked great application questions! They had fun...and they learned practical biblical principles along the way!

That's one example of many here at TwinLakes. The campers are learning when they are on Challenge Mountain, the Water Zipline, and while swimming at the lake front. The counselors take every opportunity to teach them how to live biblical principle. All I do in the evening is simply wrap things up with a Bible challenge that follows the theme!

Getting at the heart issues that drive us is what we are all about at Cornerstone. It's very exciting to be teaming up with a camp that shares that philosophy and runs their program with excellence!

Thanks to Jon Beight, Nathan Chambers, and all the camp staff!

Have You Cheated Today?

Was your first answer to this question a solid "No"? Were you then relieved that you could answer so surely to an activity that is obviously wrong? When I asked myself that question two weeks ago my answer was a strong "No"! And I was relieved that I wasn't at least cheating in my daily life. But then I read the book Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley. My answer was challenged.

I am regularly wrestling with balancing my family life and my ministry life. I love my family. They are my favorite people to hang with. I also love my ministry of counseling. The women I meet with are a pleasure to serve. Herein lies my wrestling! I desire more time with my family and I also desire more time to counsel. How can I get more time? I can't! So my dilemma is how to best use the 168 hours of every week to their fullest and best potential.

In a desire to get clarity on this issue I picked up Andy's book. His premise is that we all cheat. It is a conscious choice that me must all make every day. And that choice is usually being made multiple times a day. We are either choosing to cheat our families or we are choosing to cheat our employers, but we are choosing to cheat someone. Can you relate to that statement? Do you have times where you really want to be with your family but you have to work? Are there times when you can't wait to work at your job but you are stuck doing family things? I can certainly relate!

Some of our dilemma of balance is due in part to how our loyalty and interest is perceived by our families and employers. What communicates to both our families and employers that we are committed, hard-working people who are invested for the long haul? TIME! There's that word again. Commitment is communicated through the amount of time invested.

This is what I wrestle with often- just ask my family and boss! I want all these people to know that I'm invested for the long haul. I want them to know that I love them and am committed to the work that needs to be done for Christ's glory and their good. How that fleshes out week to week is the struggle for me. I want to be committed to "giving up good things for the sake of what is best" (Choosing To Cheat pp. 89). I want to be clear in my calling and effective in how I fulfill it.

I know the wrestling will continue for now. I still haven't found the perfect balance for every day. I'm thankful that my husband helps me by leading me in an understanding manner. I'm thankful for my boss being honest with me and appreciating my bent. And I'm thankful that God is gracious as He continues to teach me where and how to cheat!

Who Are You Carrying?

One of my favorite movies is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I thoroughly enjoy watching it over and over again as well as rereading the books it is based upon. There are many admirable themes running through the trilogy but my favorite is the emphasis upon friendship.

Sam and Frodo are dear friends who embark on a dangerous and difficult journey. Frodo has volunteered to carry a ring, that wields influence for evil over its' possessor, to the fires of Mount Doom of Mordor. There it can be destroyed. Sam refuses to let him go on the journey alone. So they set off together. Toward the end of the trilogy Frodo is exhausted and wearied from the carrying of this "burden", the ring, and he falls to the ground as if to quit. In true friendship form Sam declares, " I cannot carry it (the ring) for you, but I can carry you". He then puts Frodo on his back and begins the arduous ascent up the side of the mountain towards the fires.

I am reminded of Gal. 6:2 each time I watch this scene. We are commanded in this verse to "bear one anothers' burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ". The Greek word in this text for burdens denotes a load that a person would not normally be able to carry alone. God is asking us to help others carry their loads that would be too heavy for them to carry alone. We fulfill the law of Christ when we do this. That is powerful!

Have you been there? Have you had a burden that was so heavy that you believed you wouldn't be able to bear it? Have you been so physically and emotionally exhausted that you thought you couldn't carry it one more day? I have been! And I'm sure you have been also. We are in good company in those situations. Moses is one such example.

In Ex. 17 Moses has instructed Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle against the Amalekites. Joshua does this while Moses, Aaron, and Hur go to the top of a mountain to watch. When Moses raises his hands up holding the rod of God in them the Israelites prevail. But when he lowers his hands holding the rod the Amalekites prevail. Verses 12 and 13 are so powerful! Moses' hands become heavy so Aaron and Hur hold them up "until the going down of the sun" and the Israelites win a victory over the Amalekites! Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and helped him carry his "burden" when he lost strength to do it on his own!

What about you? Are you aware that someone this week is weighed down under their burden? Is there someone that you know is struggling to continue to carry their load due to physical or emotional exhaustion? What are you doing about it? Are you helping carry them as they carry their load?

I want to be a burden bearer. I cannot carry anothers' burden for them, but I can carry them! I want to be a Sam to the Frodos in my life! I want to fulfill the law of Christ! How about you?

Thanksgiving - Steve Fulton

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  (1Thes. 5:18)

Nothing is quite so fitting to a Christian as a mantle of thanksgiving.  Indeed, one of the things that clearly separates the world from the Christian is the ability to give thanks.  Unregenerate men are unwilling and unable to acknowledge God and give Him thanks (Romans 1:21).  For a Christian to be unthankful is a wrong condition.

Our text says “in everything” (Greek: en pante) which means in everything that enters your life experience.  This is a clear indication that God is actively in control of all the things that we experience in life. Since they come from Him, we are required (this is a command) to give Him thanks or risk implying that we are kinder and wiser than He..  Thanksgiving is the proper response to the contemplation of His goodness.

When our boys were young, we tried to create thankful hearts within them.  With the command “Say thanks!” , we  were able to demand submission (or stimulate rebellion).  But it was, by itself, totally unable to create a thankful heart. 

We found that the best way to generate a heart of thankfulness was to involve them in profitable work . The kind of work where they could see the results and participate in the reward.  If  they rejected that process, we took away fundamental privileges (meals, clothing, freedom).

God works the same way.  He involves himself in our work.  Our tendency is to survey the results of the works of our hands and celebrate what we have accomplished.  In truth, God is the provider of every good thing.  In time, God may judge our thanklessness by taking away the privileges of life.  Life can be hard while He waits for us to turn and give him thanks.

The second part of the text declares that giving thanks is God’s will for those who belong to Jesus Christ.  We study the scripture to see how we should act.  There are just a few passages that declare openly that God wants us to do something.  This is one of those passages.  

My 90-year old mother came to me the other day with a Bible question (Praise the Lord!).  I asked her if she would do the will of God for her if she knew it.  Or, would she go her own way and risk offending and answering to Jesus Christ.  Thankfully, she responded that she would be sure to do it.

Consider the ten lepers of Luke 17.  Ten were healed.  Only one returned to give thanks.  Jesus saw his heart and gave him salvation in the bargain.  “It’s so hard to find someone more thankful than a brand new Christian” MacArthur.  

How about you?

Are you going through life complaining because of the things that happen to you?

Are you anxious about your circumstances?

Or, in humility have you counted yourself a servant of the Most High God and daily declared your thanksgiving for his goodness to you?

Stop now and thank him for your ability to read this document.  Practice thanking Him with each step you take today.

Kicks

I tend to get on "kicks." I'll find some new activity and I'll get real gung-ho about it...but only for a while. After a little time, the thrill seems to wane and my kick will be set aside.

For a while it was chess. I remember the excitement of a new chess board, reading chess books, and studying the games of masters. I memorized many of the common openings (Ruy Lopez, Spanish variation is my favorite with white, and Sicillian for black) and I got pretty good...then I got bored. And now, though I play from time to time, the kick is over and my $100+ chess board sits on a shelf collecting dust.

Sketching was another kick. I got the set of pencils, the sketch pads, and the technique books. I've sketched lighthouses, still lifes of vases and coffee cups and I recently started studying caricatures. And now, though my pencils are still used from time to time, there is still that half finished portrait of my daughter that I never got around to completing. The sketch books are shelved next to "Winning Chess Techniques and Strategies."

Last week I started painting rocks. Courtney had checked out a book from the Library and for fun one night I painted a lizard. Larry (the kids named him) appears to be sunning himself and in just the right light he almost looks real! So next I painted a coiled up snake (even more real)! A few nights ago I tried flowers (for the record, the flowers were for Courtney...she wasn't a big fan of the snake). It's a fun hobby...but chances are it won't last for long. I mean, what do you do with painted rocks? Courtney is not totally sold on the idea of decorating her house with tacky art. Not that she hasn't been supportive. After all it was her suggestion to start a rock garden...in the far back corner of our yard. I can't say I blame her. I mean, just where do you put a coiled up cotton-mouth? It's sad, really. I'm sure in the next couple of weeks Larry the Lizard will join the others on the shelf of the short-lived.

Growing weary of hobbies is one thing, but a far greater challenge is not allowing my heart to grow weary of ministering to God's people. At times, pastoring can be exhausting on every level. It's physically exhausting as I'm often going to bed late and getting up early. It's mentally exhausting as I'm constantly thinking, strategizing, and studying. It's spiritually exhausting as I'm often under attack and working hard to fight the enemy. At times, I must admit, I find myself growing weary.

My wife noticed this a few weeks ago and posted the following passage around the house in several places;

Gal 6:9-10 ESV And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

What a reminder! And what a promise! There is a HARVEST coming if we continue to work hard in the lives of people! If we keep on loving, serving, and ministering to God's people, we will see fruit! Love, joy, peace (Gal. 5), virture, knowledge self-control (2 Pet. 1). We will see lives changed, people saved, and eternity impacted. And most importantly, GOD will be GLORIFIED! And isn't that so much better than painted rocks?!?

"Our Response To Difficulty" by Deanna

I have been greatly encouraged by my Bible reading over the last several weeks! God's Word is always right on when it comes to what I need for the day or week that I am facing. The past few weeks have been no different. My family has been under incredible pressure over the past few weeks as have many people in our extended family and our circle of friends. That has led to times of deep discouragement and doubt for me. I have been asking God some tough questions. "Do you care, God? Do you see the pain we are in down here? Are you working on our behalf? Have you forgotten mercy in this trial?" The list goes on and on. But God in His greatness is not changed, threatened, or affected by my questions! Instead, He brings me to passages in His Word such as James 1:2-4 that remind me God has a definite purpose. It is to grow patience and maturity in me through the difficulty. He also emphasizes His involvement and care for me in passages like Is. 49:15-16. My name is engraved, as it were, in stone for God! He cannot and will not forget about me!

If I would need more truth, He reminds me of Joseph, who was mistreated and forgotten multiple times yet Joseph chose not to focus on that (Gen. 41:51-52) and instead chose to attribute it all to God's plan for his life (Gen. 45:4-8). This is the view I so desperately need! I tend to focus on the here and now- how difficult something is- how it doesn't fit into what I want! God wants us to be looking for His plan and heart in the matter. I might not understand but I can respond as Paul did. In Phil.4:11 he tells us that he had "learned to be content in whatever state" he was in! Imagine! I don't know about you but I struggle being content even when things aren't necessarily difficult. But when they are difficult? Be content? Not my first choice!
God, help me this week to remember that you have a plan for my pain! You love me and cannot forget me! You are working within my difficulties to produce your character in my life for the purpose of your glory! God, help me not to resist You and Your plan but to expectantly embrace both!

Video Blog 2/3/09

WHO ARE YOU?

In class this past Sunday, the teens were studying the life of Stephen. I have spent the past couple of days since then looking at his life more closely. We aren't given very much information about Stephen in the Bible, and yet, the information we are given speaks volumes. Acts 6 & 7 comprise his life story. Acts 6:3 tells us that Stephen was chosen, essentially as the first deacon of the NT church, because he was a man of “good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”. Then verse 5 tells us he was a man “full of faith and the Holy Spirit”. Wow! He wasn't mentioned in the Bible as a good guy or a nice guy. He was labeled as “full of the Holy Spirit”, wise, “full of faith”, and of “good reputation”. That is some description!

Being “full of the Holy Spirit” or filled with the Spirit is a biblical command. Eph. 5:18 tells us to be “filled with the Holy Spirit”. This is an ongoing, daily reality that God wants in our lives. It is the Spirit controlling every aspect of my daily living, not my fleshly desires controlling my daily living.

Spirit-controlled living (being filled by the Spirit) goes hand in hand with wisdom which is the application of biblical truth. For a person to have the label of “ a wise man/woman” they would need to be daily applying biblical truth to their lives. We will only be productive at applying biblical truth when the Spirit is in control of our choices, decision, and thought processes.
When we are living biblical truth through the filling of the Spirit it impacts our faith. Heb. 11:1 explains that faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. We have a God-given assurance of our future reality. This is a trust in God for Who He says He is and what He says He can and will do!

We see a building of these principles toward the climax of our reputation. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we apply the truth of God's Word in our lives because we believe it and Him. This builds my faith. This then impacts my reputation. Reputation is “the general estimation in which a person is held by others”. (Webster's Dictionary) The Bible tells us in Prov.20:11 that “even children are known by their actions...” and then in Matt.7:16 Jesus said that false teachers will be “known by their fruit”. Actions or fruit are the by-product of Who or what is controlling us. We allow control of our lives from that which we believe or accept as truth. When the Spirit is in control of our lives our reputation with look like Gal. 5:22-23.

All of this then begs the question: How would people describe you? Would your reputation look like Stephen's in the Bible or would it look more self-serving and self-absorbed? May we all strive to have a reputation like Stephen's!

New Video Blog!

Propitation - by Steve Fulton

Propitiation (PRO-PI-TI-A-TION.) To find peace with an offended party by offering restitution.  Seat of mercy.

1Jn 4:10  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God gave Sue and me two male children.  The oldest took nearly a full day to work his way into the world.  The youngest rushed into the world in what seemed but a few minutes—tearing, breaking and stretching everything he passed on the way.

The oldest recognized his hopelessness without a Savior when he was only four years old.  The youngest struggled to give Jesus his rightful place into his late teens.

There were times when I had to apply the board of education (a wooden spoon) to the seat of knowledge (you know what I mean).  The oldest began to cry when I went for the spoon.  I did not need to discipline him very often.  For the youngest, the cost of punishment was less important than establishing his right to act any way he pleased (and we struggled often).

I can remember a time when the two brothers were fighting.  I asked them who started it.  Each said the other brother was responsible.  In my heart, I knew it was the younger; but, I paddled them both.  The older brother was hurt.  The younger brother was celebrating in the fact that he had not born the punishment alone.

That’s how it is with Jesus and me.  God is holy.  I am a sinner.  God demanded a payment for my sin that I could not pay.  When the time for my punishment came, God reached over and paddled Jesus.  I was free.

Wait!!  It is worse than that!!  I am no better than the lowliest creature in the universe.  Unlike me, snails, slugs, leeches, and mosquitoes are without sin.  I deserve to live in a land of mud, mire, darkness and ooze--A place where Scripture says there is only darkness, burning, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

And Jesus!!  Jesus is neither mere man nor good brother.  He is the creator of all things on heaven and earth, natural and supernatural, invisible and seen, physical and spiritual.  And, he created them for his own pleasure and to glorify God the Father.  He is co-equal with God and the completion of His love.

His punishment was no mere spanking.  Scripture says no man was ever treated as badly as he was.  His body was so marred that he didn’t look human.  And, instead of looking on his death with kindness, God turned His back on Jesus.

So, remember, the next time you are discouraged, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”  Believe it.  And rejoice. He is the propitiation for our sins.

Really, really bad worship.

Here are a couple of videos of where we are NOT headed in worship!! Someone will answer at the Bema for this!

Here are the links...
"80's style dance" Worship
"Stinky" Worship
Jesus is My Friend - "funky" Worship

Enjoy...or weep...but pray for these people. Some crowns were certainly lost!

Geeking out about God!

Sometimes God just blows my mind! There is certainly an aspect where God amazes me daily as I consider, the big things; His grace, mercy, long suffering. These are awesome truths about the cross that humble and amaze me. But sometimes God blows me away with the small things...when He evidences His sovereignty in the little details of life. This week God blessed me in some amazing ways. Let me explain...



I listen to preaching on a daily basis. I podcast a number of guys (Chuck Swindoll, Mark Driscoll, Steve Viars) but I end up listening to Dr. James MacDonald, the pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel, almost every day. This week, I downloaded several messages from the Straight Up! Pastor's Conference the church put on recently. Keep in mind, this was "random." I saw the link and was just amazed and, might I add, greatly pleased to see they offered the MP3's for FREE! So I was listen to Joe Stowell preach a great sermon on the call of God and how life is ALL ABOUT being a follower of Jesus Christ. After the message, I turned to studying my text for Sunday's sermon; James 4:13-17. As I was reading the passage and thinking through the message, God blew me away! The text is REALLY all about...being a follower of Jesus Christ! James is saying, "Don't' be all about making a profit...be all about OBEDIENCE to the LORD (as the Lord wills)." Man! God had just filled my heart with that truth through the "random" choice of a podcast! And listening to that message will add a new depth to my sermon preparation!


So the next morning I'm sitting down for my devotions. Currently I'm working through the Psalms via a book by Nancy Lee Demoss. That morning Ps. 90 was the focus. Ps. 90 is all about the brevity of human of life and we are told to "number our days (vs. 12)". Then it dawns on me...James 4:14 is all about the brevity of human life..."our life is but a vapor." Wow! I mean, how AWESOME is God to give me that text to study! Again, doing this study on Ps. 90 will add depth to my message!

There's more...

Later that day I'm reading the Pastor's blog over at Harvest Bible chapel. There was post about determinism vs. non-determinism...how much does God really control when it comes to suffering? How much does His will impact our lives? So as I'm pondering through the theological ramifications for either view once again it hits me. James 4:15 is all about God's will! This pondering, though seemingly at "random" is going to help me in my sermon prep!

I didn't plan all this...but MY GOD did. He put a number of seemingly "random" things together just for me to enrich my study and to maximize my time. I suppose some "Non-determinist" will say it's just the course of life. I guess I'm a little more about God doing it all (Eph. 1:11). My GOD is in control of everything and when He works things out like He did this week it makes me feel loved and cared for. And it brings Him glory! And I want to be all about that!