How Much Do You Have to Hate Somebody to not Proselytize

Kindergarten Bible

Playing the game "Who Am I?"

"I fought against the Midianites with 300 men. I put a wool fleece before the Lord. My name rhymes with Midian."

"Zideon?"

Jesus, With Thy Church Abide by Thomas Pollack

Jesus with Thy Church Abide

Jesus, with Thy church abide;
Be her savior, Lord, and Guide,
While on earth her faith is tried:
We beseech Thee, hear us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Keep her life and doctrine pure;
Grant her patience to endure,
Trusting in Thy promise sure:
We beseech Thee, hear us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.

May she one in doctrine be,
One in truth and charity,
Winning all to faith in Thee:
We beseech Thee, hear us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.

May she guide the poor and blind,
Seek the lost until she find
And the brokenhearted bind:
We beseech Thee, hear us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Christian Gospel Temple to Host Dave Ramsey

I found out from a friend that the cult where I grew up is hosting the Dave Ramsey town hall meeting this evening. Another friend told me the discussion in their worship service this weekend was focused on the need for outreach. I was told leaders were saying the group should be more involved in outreach because they have something to offer. Going back a few months, the group held a community meeting to share a little bit of their side of the sexual abuse lawsuits that had been filed against them. One of the lines from that meeting centered on their commitment to transparency.

Tonight the group will open their doors to the community under the guise of offering a better grip on finances. The group has no written doctrinal statement. They will more than likely not share with visitors that they believe Jesus is a created being or that his death and resurrection only pay for an opportunity to be saved. They will probably not mention anything about current lawsuits or lies from the leadership. The leadership of the group is not being transparent. The leadership is slithering through the grass.

I pray today that their attempts at outreach fail. I pray that the eyes of people I love and miss are opened to the redeeming love of God the Son. Please pray with me.

Conversations with Andrew

Me - "Andrew, what's your favorite animal?"

Andrew - "Cookie Monster."

Sounds about right.

More Open Forum

Let's say you're having a conversation with someone and they say this...

"I believe I am saved because of Jesus, but I believe there are some who don't believe in Jesus who are saved."

How do you respond? If there are any readers who aren't Christians, I'd love to hear your response as well.

Reality

"All reality reveals God." - John Frame (The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God)

Thank You for ... Obeying???

I wake up around three in the morning fairly often. Sometimes I wake up to the cries of Joshua. Sometimes it's to the voices in my head. Two nights ago it was the voices.

I can't remember if there were thoughts that led up to my question or if it was the first thought as I awoke, but I remember the thought.

Why am I thanking my kids for obeying?

I'm all for positive reinforcement. I strongly believe parents should look for the positive things their kids are doing and encourage them to keep doing them. A 'good job' or 'I'm glad you remembered to obey and make a good decision' is great, but what about 'thank you for making the good choice.' I've found myself thanking them when they obey and I think that's teaching them something I don't want to teach them. I tried to think biblically about it. There's the 'well done, good and faithful servant,' but I can't remember any 'thanks so much for obeying me' comments from God. I remember Jesus saying that when we have obeyed, we've only done what we were supposed to do in the first place.

So, I'm now committed to encouraging them to make good choices and pointing out when they do, but not thanking them for it.

Any insights? Opinions? Comments? Concerns?

Thanking you in advance...

My SI Debut

My Sports Illustrated Debut

My letter is on page four.

Sports Illustrated has begun putting back issues online. I wrote a letter to the editor in 1992. You can click the above link to read my work. My friend Todd tells me I'm economical with words. Looks like it existed even when I was fourteen years old.

Union With Christ

Craig Brown, pastor of City Church in East Nashville, spoke at our Good Friday service this weekend. He talked about out union with Christ and said this, "He has blown through the back of hell and I am in Him."

Craig talked about the Father's adoration and acceptance of the Son and reminded us that we are in Him.

Our union with Christ is a sweet, sweet truth. I am thankful today to have been crucified, buried, and raised with Christ. I live today because he lives.

He is risen! Alleluia !

Not Writing Much

For many reasons, creativity isn't flowing from my mind these days. I feel the need and desire to write, but when I sit down, not much comes out. I think it might have something to do with these two...

Joshua Bon Jovi

And while we're on the subject of Joshua...

Bedtime ...

Joshua - "Daddy, I'm going to have a bad dream, pee in my bed, and come and sleep in your bed tonight."

Five minutes ago ...

Joshua - "Daddy. Daddy. I had a bad dream...

Me (entering his room) - "Hey, buddy. Are you okay?"

Joshua - "I peed in my diaper."

Me - "Joshua, you're not going to sleep in my bed tonight."

He just nodded at me like he knew something I didn't. It could be a long night.