Here is a picture of Christopher serving communion for the first time yesterday at the Contact Church. Yes, we are proud parents of a little man who is learning to serve others in the church.Monday, August 31, 2009
Our Son's First Time to Serve Communion Alone
Here is a picture of Christopher serving communion for the first time yesterday at the Contact Church. Yes, we are proud parents of a little man who is learning to serve others in the church.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Value of a Quiet Life
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
God values quietness in his people--not in the sense that we are to be silent, but in the sense that we are to be people seeking peaceful and calm lives. We don't need to be going through life looking for problems in the lives of others (especially when we are ignoring our own). We don't need to go around looking for arguments. We don't need to be seeking unnecessary conflicts. We don't need to be spreading gossip and offering unsolicited opinions on every subject under the sun.
Christians will face conflicts, problems, tension, rumors, and other disruptive elements in our lives--just as Jesus Christ and his apostles did. When such problems arise, we will attempt to handle them appropriately. But our goal is to lead a quiet life of responsible behavior that honors the one in whom we have placed our trust.
God values quietness in his people--not in the sense that we are to be silent, but in the sense that we are to be people seeking peaceful and calm lives. We don't need to be going through life looking for problems in the lives of others (especially when we are ignoring our own). We don't need to go around looking for arguments. We don't need to be seeking unnecessary conflicts. We don't need to be spreading gossip and offering unsolicited opinions on every subject under the sun.
Christians will face conflicts, problems, tension, rumors, and other disruptive elements in our lives--just as Jesus Christ and his apostles did. When such problems arise, we will attempt to handle them appropriately. But our goal is to lead a quiet life of responsible behavior that honors the one in whom we have placed our trust.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Worldwide Violence Against Women
Author and filmmaker Carolyn McCulley has an excellent post on her blog concerning worldwide oppression and violence against women and the Christian response to it. The post can be found at http://solofemininity.blogs.com/posts/2009/08/half-the-sky.html.
"Learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:18).
"But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream" (Amos 5:24).
"Learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:18).
"But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream" (Amos 5:24).
Monday, August 24, 2009
Bible Studies, STDs, and Unplanned Pregnancies
Here is an excerpt from our minister Ron Babbit's recent newsletter to supporters of his ministry with the Contact Church:
"Recently, during a Bible study, I was reading Luke 7--JESUS AT HIS BEST. The harlot was washing JESUS' feet. The young lady in the Bible study told me that she has a sexually transmitted disease. She hasn't been in school since February 2009. She doesn't stay with her mom; they are battling. GOD provided an opportunity to share the love of the LORD. Before our Bible study with this darlin, we picked her up as she was walking to visit with her friend who is 12 years old and pregnant. That gives us another opportunity to set her up with Mary Lasarsky. Mary loves, encourages, and teaches darlins who are in trouble with early pregnancies. Remember in Luke 7 the Pharisee sits back and criticizes the harlot washing JESUS' feet? Have you ever noticed how (#1) Pride Paralyzes Us, (#2) Forgiveness Releases Us, (#3) Faith Saves Us?"
For more information about the Contact Church's pregnancy program, please see www.contactchurch.net/Contact_Life.
"Recently, during a Bible study, I was reading Luke 7--JESUS AT HIS BEST. The harlot was washing JESUS' feet. The young lady in the Bible study told me that she has a sexually transmitted disease. She hasn't been in school since February 2009. She doesn't stay with her mom; they are battling. GOD provided an opportunity to share the love of the LORD. Before our Bible study with this darlin, we picked her up as she was walking to visit with her friend who is 12 years old and pregnant. That gives us another opportunity to set her up with Mary Lasarsky. Mary loves, encourages, and teaches darlins who are in trouble with early pregnancies. Remember in Luke 7 the Pharisee sits back and criticizes the harlot washing JESUS' feet? Have you ever noticed how (#1) Pride Paralyzes Us, (#2) Forgiveness Releases Us, (#3) Faith Saves Us?"
For more information about the Contact Church's pregnancy program, please see www.contactchurch.net/Contact_Life.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Daddy, What's a Wuss?
Last night during our football scrimmage, Christopher came to me and said, "Daddy, that boy I'm going against spit at me and called me a 'wuss.' What's a wuss?"
As one of his assistant coaches and his father, I told Christopher, "Don't worry about it right now. Just go out there and knock that boy on his rear every time. Don't let him intimidate you. You are tougher than him. He can't handle you, so he's trying to scare you. But you're better than that. You can take him."
We are going to run across those kind of people in our lives, the type of people who call names but who cannot back up their words. Sometimes I am called a racist because I am pro-life. I have been accused of being apathetic toward the poor because I do not buy into Emergent theology. My job is to live my life in such a way as to make the accusations look as stupid as they are. Christopher's job on the football field is to make the boy wonder who the real wuss is...the name-caller or the boy who is acting with class while knocking him on his rear every play?
I was reminded of this verse from 1 Kings 20:11, "One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off." Prove yourself by your actions. Don't boast before you have proven yourself capable of backing up your words.
As one of his assistant coaches and his father, I told Christopher, "Don't worry about it right now. Just go out there and knock that boy on his rear every time. Don't let him intimidate you. You are tougher than him. He can't handle you, so he's trying to scare you. But you're better than that. You can take him."
We are going to run across those kind of people in our lives, the type of people who call names but who cannot back up their words. Sometimes I am called a racist because I am pro-life. I have been accused of being apathetic toward the poor because I do not buy into Emergent theology. My job is to live my life in such a way as to make the accusations look as stupid as they are. Christopher's job on the football field is to make the boy wonder who the real wuss is...the name-caller or the boy who is acting with class while knocking him on his rear every play?
I was reminded of this verse from 1 Kings 20:11, "One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off." Prove yourself by your actions. Don't boast before you have proven yourself capable of backing up your words.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Football, Faith, and Action
"...I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18).
I appreciated ESPN's story about University of Georgia coach Mark Richt's Christian faith at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Src61ByXEzk. In addition, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy's remarks at a prayer breakfast before the Super Bowl a few years ago are classic. You can watch them at www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8fEpvdHC40 and www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3PUPCR7NFA. These two men are coaches who have earned the respect of everyone around them by the way they live their lives. I hope everyone enjoys the videos.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Family Room - Finding Men Worthy of Marriage
FamilyLife's The Family Room contains a good article about the need to
find men worth marrying. Author Voddie Baucham contends that fathers need to help their daughters recognize the essential qualities to seek in a potential husband, and they need to help their sons to develop those qualities.
Voddie Baucham writes, "I believe God has spoken rather decisively in His Word about what our daughters should look for. Moreover, I believe there are some non-negotiables that our daughters must be looking for. There are some things a man simply must be before he is qualified to assume the role of a Christian husband. For instance, he must be a Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14); he must be committed to biblical headship (Ephesians5:23ff.); he must welcome children (Psalm 127:3-5); he must be a suitable priest (Joshua 24:15), prophet (Ephesians 6:4), protector (Nehemiah 4:13-14), and provider (1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:5). A man who does not possess--or at least show strong signs of--these and other basic characteristics does not meet the basic job description laid down for husbands in the Bible.
"Moreover, as a father, it is my responsibility to teach my daughter what these requirements are, encourage her not to settle for less, and walk with her through the process of evaluating potential suitors. Of course, these ideas may come as a shock to many in contemporary Christian circles (not to mention society at large). However, I have found that there is a growing discontentment among young women today. They are tired of being thrown to the wolves. They are also tired of feeling like they have to settle for less than God's best. My question is, why should they?"
For more excerpts from Mr. Baucham's book What He Must Be if He Wants to Marry My Daughter, please click on the link below.
find men worth marrying. Author Voddie Baucham contends that fathers need to help their daughters recognize the essential qualities to seek in a potential husband, and they need to help their sons to develop those qualities.Voddie Baucham writes, "I believe God has spoken rather decisively in His Word about what our daughters should look for. Moreover, I believe there are some non-negotiables that our daughters must be looking for. There are some things a man simply must be before he is qualified to assume the role of a Christian husband. For instance, he must be a Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14); he must be committed to biblical headship (Ephesians5:23ff.); he must welcome children (Psalm 127:3-5); he must be a suitable priest (Joshua 24:15), prophet (Ephesians 6:4), protector (Nehemiah 4:13-14), and provider (1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:5). A man who does not possess--or at least show strong signs of--these and other basic characteristics does not meet the basic job description laid down for husbands in the Bible.
"Moreover, as a father, it is my responsibility to teach my daughter what these requirements are, encourage her not to settle for less, and walk with her through the process of evaluating potential suitors. Of course, these ideas may come as a shock to many in contemporary Christian circles (not to mention society at large). However, I have found that there is a growing discontentment among young women today. They are tired of being thrown to the wolves. They are also tired of feeling like they have to settle for less than God's best. My question is, why should they?"
For more excerpts from Mr. Baucham's book What He Must Be if He Wants to Marry My Daughter, please click on the link below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
