Christian Standard | November / December 2022

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The Gospel and the Invitation

I admittedly write this column with some bias. Either because of how I was raised or how God wired me, a church service just seems incomplete without an invita tion to enter a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When I was growing up, invitations came after the preacher finished his sermon. He would leave the pul pit and come down to the floor—to the same level as his hearers—and invite those in the congregation to come forward and do some business with God. During an in vitation song the preacher would scan the audience for movement. Those who came forward—to accept Christ, rededicate their life to Christ, be recognized as part of the congregation, or ask for prayer—were greeted and counseled as to their next step.

I experienced these invitations during weekly church services, at church camp, junior church, CIY . . . pretty much every time Christians gathered. When I entered the preaching ministry, it also became a fixture in the order of worship for me.

I remember a particular invitation from early in my min istry at The Crossing. Two high school girls came for ward, and when I asked them why, one of them looked at me and said two words: “You asked.”

Could it really be that simple?

James 4:2 gives us an answer: “You do not have because you do not ask.” While James was referring to asking God for what we need, the principle applies equally well in our human interactions. James went on to explain that when we ask, we need to possess the right motives, and what could be a greater motive than telling someone who would surely die without it about the greatest gift ever given?

Our movement was born out of a desire to restore the church to what it was at its inception—that is, to do Bible things in Bible ways. The sermon that heralded the birth of the church carried an invitation, and that invitation carried a sense of urgency; the Bible says Peter “pleaded”

with his listeners (see Acts 2:38-41). It was not a flippant appeal, for Peter also used “many other words.” The Spirit-filled message “cut to the heart” (v. 37). And Peter’s sermon was fruitful, as about 3,000 people responded that day.

These days, churches of all stripes have relegated in vitations to the church attic (along with hymnals, pul pit furniture, pews, bulletins, banners, and bulletin boards). Some say an invitation is too confrontational, that it makes people uncomfortable, and that we need more subtle ways to move people for lasting change. I don’t agree. I think that having a time during worship for people to respond to the message is critical. It serves to remind the congregation of why we do what we do and what the desire to change looks like.

In our May/June issue, Chris Philbeck wrote about the necessity of preaching the gospel. Under the heading of “Zero for Thirty-Six,” he described a recent study.

I read [an article] by a man who wrote about listening to four sermons each from the na tion’s nine largest evangelical churches (accessible at www.9marks.org). Colton Corter wrote, “Let me begin with the most important observation: In 36 sermons, the good news of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection was unclear 36 times.” A little later he wrote, “I don’t mean to say various elements of the gospel weren’t occasionally mentioned; they were. . . . But none of those elements [were] articulated or explained.”

Chris stressed that he didn’t want to call these churches or their preachers into question, but it left a striking im pression on me nonetheless.

It occurred to me that an invitation to accept Christ at the end of a message during a worship service forces the speaker to articulate who Christ is and what it means to accept him.

As ministers, we were commissioned not only to preach, but to preach the gospel. The apostle Paul made very clear what that gospel is in his first letter to the church at Corinth:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins ac cording to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

In Romans 1:16, Paul clearly said the power of our preach ing is in the gospel, and in 1 Corinthians 9:16, he made clear the preacher’s woeful position if he fails to do so.

In 1977, Wayne Smith concluded his message at the North American Christian Convention with these words:

Preach the gospel, brother, preach it! Put it high, where men can teach it; Put it low, where men can reach it, But preach the gospel, brother, preach it. 

@_jerryharris /jerrydharris

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and teaching pastor at The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest.

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The Stories God Tells the

W ho doesn’t love a gripping story of adventure told by a master storyteller? Some of my favorites are epic sa gas: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and the like.

I was reminded about the adventures of the Pilgrims as I read Bob Russell’s feature article about Thanksgiving in this issue. It’s a true story about religious convictions, bravery, suffering, perseverance, and faith. God uses sto ries like that to teach us and transform us. It’s why Bob used this and a story about his grandson Charlie in his article, and it’s why I often remind our writers to include compelling stories.

One of the greatest stories ever told is the story of Jesus, beginning with his conception and then his birth in Beth lehem. It’s a bigger-than-life adventure that has it all: a provocative setting, lots of drama and action, some mys tery, engaging dialogue (even some inner monologue), and, of course, intriguing characters (including an ex traordinary main character).

Every Christmas when our kids were young, our family gathered around our Nativity set to tell the story of Jesus’ birth from the Gospels. Each of our four kids had a role—

our youngest, Anna, insisted on playing the angel each year—and Heidi and I were the narrators. The telling of Je sus’ story is now part of our family’s story, and that story includes stories embedded within it, like how a ceramic wise man lost his head one year . . . and, by the power of Je sus to reattach severed body parts—and a little superglue— I was able to make him whole again.

In a similar way, the story of Jesus is an indispensable part of a much bigger story, which the Bible chronicles in four acts: Creation, the Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. This greater story, the ultimate drama, spans the history of hu manity. It is the framework for each of our lives as Christ followers, and it gives our lives purpose, hope, and our mission.

Our personal stories are nested like Matryoshka dolls into this supreme story. God created everything, including you and me; he knit us together in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13). He created you and me as his image bearers and to be in relationship with him. He saw each of us and knew us and had a plan for our lives as part of his grand story even before we were born. Each of us is his handiwork, his mas terpiece, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

Yet I went my own way and preferred my will rather than his—and so have you (the Fall ). The sins I’ve committed represent pages upon pages of the darker side of my story. But this is where Jesus’ story intersected with mine and changed the whole plot line. His suffering and death re deemed these sordid parts of my story. He has metaphori cally torn out these damnable pages; he balled them up and cast them into oblivion (Psalm 103:12). This is where God’s grace entered my story. And that story involved people who shared their stories and God’s story with me—people like an ex-girlfriend’s grandmother, a friend I worked with, my niece, and the Christian church minister who planted a church near me and ended up baptizing me. Each played a major part in my story, and now I am a part of theirs.

As we live in Christ, and with Christ in us, our stories are filled with great joys and great sorrows, with tremendous triumphs and colossal losses, with overwhelming suffer ing and seeing God produce perseverance, character, and hope through them. I believe it’s good for us to realize we are not in complete control of our stories. Things often hap pen to us that we did not plan for or desire, but neverthe less, they become part of our stories. Just as your life is not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19), your story is not your own. No, the Master Storyteller tells his grand story through your life according to his plan and for his glory.

One day, perhaps very soon, Christ will return. God will restore his creation and once again all will be good. As un thinkable as it seems, we—his people, his bride, the wife of the Lamb—will be a part of his restoration story (see Rev elation 21).

Whether you are flourishing or failing, know that your story—your life—is a gift from God. It’s part of his greater story; he has a reason and a purpose for every part of it.

And this gift from God is meant to be given away to others. Recovery movements like the 12 Steps have discovered the power of carrying your story of spiritual awakening to oth ers who need to hear it. And when you do—although you expect nothing in return—your own joy, satisfaction, and sense of godly purpose expand.

As you gather with friends and family over the next couple months, I want to encourage you to let God tell his story and make his appeal through you (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). It’s amazing that God chooses to use imperfect people like us to tell his love story of redemption and restoration . . . and he uses our redemptive stories to tell the world about his grace.

Let God tell his story, through you, for his glory! 

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Roe v. Wade Overturned . . . What Now for the Church?

By Tina Wilson Guest Columnist

T he landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision from 1973 was overturned in June. For many, this was an answer to decades of prayer. For some, this was a repeal of freedom. For Christians, this should be a call to action. Proper response, though, demands proper understanding of what happened.

Prior to 1973, abortion was a felony in most states, except in a few that had relaxed abortion restric tions in the years shortly preceding the ruling. “Jane Roe”—a pseudonym for Norma McCorvey— challenged Texas state law on abortion. To expedite the case’s hearing in the Supreme Court, McCorvey lied about having been raped. (She later recanted.) McCorvey didn’t actually have an abortion, but the case resulted in the striking down of all state laws that had previously made abortion illegal.

A companion case that challenged Georgia state law—Doe v. Bolton—was upheld that same year by the same seven U.S. Supreme Court justices; it broadened the definition of women’s health to make abortion on demand legal through all nine months of pregnancy. Like McCorvey, “Mary Doe” (Sandra Cano) later said she had been lied to and pressured by her attorney and abortion advocates. She didn’t have an abortion either.

Though the cases were built on deception and co ercion of vulnerable women, they transformed our culture. The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice re search and policy organization, reported 744,000 abortions in the United States in 1973, the year of the Roe decision; the number of abortions rose sharply from there, peaking in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Guttmacher reported 1.6 million abortions in 1991; after that year, abortions saw a fairly steady decline. In 2020, an estimated 930,160 abortions occurred.

For perspective, if the U.S. observed one minute of silence for each of the 64 million babies who have been legally aborted in this nation, the silence would last more than 100 years. Aside from the hole in the population (equal almost to the combined popula tions of Texas and California), Roe has sharply split our nation on questions of personhood, women’s rights, social issues, and health and safety for near ly 50 years. With the nation divided and the decision reversed, where do we go from here?

State-Level Decisions

Moving forward, the legality of abortion will be de cided by individual states. At the time Roe v. Wade was reversed, according to Guttmacher, 26 states were expected to move quickly to ban abortions and 13 already had “trigger laws” in place (so named

because they were “triggered” by the overturning of Roe). Nine states still had abortion bans that pre dated Roe.

With the fight coming home to every state, the church has much to consider. How will we love peo ple with whom we disagree? How can we say we love babies and we love women? How can we share Je sus? How can we best serve our communities?

Response of the Church

What we cannot do is nothing. When such a major shift occurs in our culture, the church must be a voice of truth. We need to talk about the sanctity of human life from conception till natural death. We need to re member that God chose Jacob to father a nation before he was born. God knit David together fearfully and wonderfully. God appointed the prophet Jeremiah be fore he formed him in the womb. God filled Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit, and the preborn John leapt at Mary’s greeting. God first revealed his Messiah to a young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.

This is a promising season for the church. When we are called to stand on hard truth, we also are commissioned to do hard things. It won’t be easy to meet the needs that follow this decision, but it is necessary . . . and we can do it all in the name of Jesus. Here are some responses churches ought to consider:

• Provide Special Abilities Ministry: Ba bies often are aborted when disabilities are discovered in utero. The church needs to serve families facing these challenges. Ability Ministry is a great resource for U.S. churches. Con sider offering worship services specially designed for students and adults with special needs. Consid er offering sensory rooms and buddies in kids min istry, specialized training for staff and volunteers, better accessibility, and accommodations (like an adult changing table), and respite nights for parents and caretakers of kids and adults with special needs.

Learn more and start the process at abilityministry. com.

• Support Foster and Adoptive Families: The an swer to “unwanted pregnancy” is adoption, not termination. Contact the local agency in charge of licensing for foster and adoptive parents in your area and ask how your church can help. Provide your congregation with the steps and connections to begin fostering. Find out if you can host monthly required classes for families to obtain or maintain

This is a promising season for the church. When we are called to stand on hard truth, we also are commissioned to do hard things.

licensing. (Parents who are already fostering chil dren have a tough time making these meetings be cause they often are without childcare. The hosting church can welcome these parents and families to their campus and provide care and dinner for kids while their parents complete classes.) Consider keeping a freezer filled with meals available for pick-up by foster and adoptive families.

• Provide Support for Struggling New Moms and Moms-to-Be: According to Guttmacher, some of the top reasons women give for having abortions are concern that a baby will interfere with edu cation, work, or her ability to care for her depen dents; other reasons include apprehension about being a single mother and being in a troubled re lationship. These are issues and concerns that can be overcome with the right support system.

“

about the author

serves as social me dia director at Ekklesia Christian Church in Conway, South Caro

Are there licensed counselors in your church who would be willing to volunteer their time? Is there a local crisis pregnancy center your church can part ner with? Do you have space on your campus that you could offer for these resources? Most impor tantly, can your church really love these women?

The time to start warning a young or unmarried woman against premarital sex is not after she is al ready expecting. Mentor her before that happens. Once she is pregnant, there is no need to restate the obvious consequence. At that point, it’s time to love her and love her child.

• Offer Childcare: Guttmacher has found that 75 percent of women who have abortions fall into the categories of “poor” or “low income.” Most states offer some form of voucher program for childcare for such families. Many churches have facilities that could be used for childcare, ensuring their building is used for kingdom work throughout the week (not just on week ends). It might require some updates or modifications to your building to meet state licensing requirements, but those costs can be recouped in state funding if you are willing to provide care for families in need.

Aside from the many ministry opportu nities before the church right now, we also can have real, honest conversations. It’s crucial that Christians are informed. The abortion debate is highly emotional, and the most passionate ire often is based on bad information. Most women are not having abortions because of rape, incest, or ectopic pregnancies. Pro-life means pro-woman too, and phy sicians agree.

Overturning Roe does not mean that women will have to die in childbirth. The quality of women’s health care hasn’t changed. The sweeping legalization of abortion is what has changed. A move toward pro tecting the most vulnerable lives—little ones who are created, known, and loved by God—is a great victory for our country. Let’s make it a great victory for our churches as well. 

This article first appeared at www.ChristianStandard.com.

“ Mentor her before that happens. Once she is pregnant, there is no need to restate the obvious consequence. At that point, it’s time to love her and love her child.

e 2:effective elders

By David Roadcup

T he sons of Issachar are widely noted in church lead ership circles for having the ability to read their cir cumstances and respond in wisdom: “Of the sons of Is sachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command” (1 Chron icles 12:32).

This text comes at a time when Israel had divided into Israel and Judah. The nation needed to reunite under the leadership of David. The sons of Issachar knew it was time for this to happen for the sake of the nation.

The church’s leadership team (paid staff and elder team) should play this role. Their agenda should al ways include studying and understanding critical scriptural guidelines, the times, the culture, trends, and the implications they bring. We minister in a vac uum when we do not understand what is taking place around us.

This article is intended to encourage and build up (not tear down) church leadership groups, and to stimulate discussion, analysis, and action. My findings recorded here come from the last 34 years as a church consul tant and local church pastor, having served over 800 churches during that time.

Friends, something’s wrong, out of joint, not operat ing correctly in our beloved segment of the Restoration Movement, the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ.

My personal journey concerning this topic began sev eral months ago when I started seeking the Lord about where our movement has been and, specifically, where it is going. The journey started while I was recover ing emotionally from the deep grief of seeing my alma mater, Cincinnati Christian University, after decades of powerful kingdom service, close with a whimper in such a pitiful and pathetic way. In addition to CCU, over the last few years Minnesota Bible College (Cross roads College), Nebraska Christian College, St. Louis Christian College, the North American Christian Con vention, Standard Publishing, and many other minis tries and gatherings (such as state or area conferenc es), etc. have been lost or are not what they once were. Change is continuing.

Why is this happening in the beloved institutions that have shaped our movement over the last century?

My discipling group members and I were doing our Bible reading regimen (one chapter a day for nine months). We came to Revelation 3, in which Jesus is sued a strong exhortation to the church in Sardis. He told the church they had a reputation for being alive, but they were dead. In verse 2, Jesus stated in the

The Sons of Issachar, the Church at Sardis, and Our Leadership Teams

imperative (command) tense, “Wake up!” or “Show yourself watchful!” and used the word for “watchful” again in the next verse, accompanied by a warning. In that moment, it came to me that the leaders of every church should continuously be watchful when leading and guarding their churches.

Scripture teaches that (1) God blesses and multiplies churches and individuals when they obey his will and follow his plan, and (2) God removes himself and his blessing/anointing in the face of spiritual complacen cy, drift, carnality, and disobedience. This pattern is seen in both the Old Testament (Israel’s continued dis obedience, Saul, and Samson) and the New Testament (Revelation 2–3).

A seminal question: Is God frustrated with the Restora tion Movement? In light of our brotherhood struggles, is he communicating his angst with us as with the church at Sardis? Or is what we see happening simply due to the changing times (cultural shifts) and events (COVID-19, etc.) that are taking their toll on us? Are we doing anything that would cause the Lord to remove his blessing and anointing?

Let’s look at just two fundamentals in today’s church.

A RENEWED FOCUS ON PRAYER

We all know the importance of personal and corporate prayer and the power it can bring to our churches. Prayer is a critical part of the culture for some churches in our movement, yet many churches talk about prayer but give lip service to its practice.

Acts 1–7 teach us a great deal about prayer in the church. In his book, Forgotten Power: A Simple Theology for a Praying Church, David Butts wrote,

Prayer in Acts was obviously not windowdressing. It was not just a way to open or close meetings. It was a part of everything they did. And the power of God was poured out in amazing ways in response to their prayers. What congregation would not want to see this happen in its midst? If we want to see power, we must see prayer.

The leadership team needs to preach and teach on prayer and model it. Our own personal, heartfelt prayer closet is an absolute must when leading. We must make prayer more a part of our personal spiritual journeys and a major part of our corporate worship experiences.

Let’s start with our corporate worship services. In my preparation for working in churches, I discovered

that, while most churches talked about prayer, many churches practiced very little prayer in their corporate worship experience. I timed the amount of prayer in wor ship services in several churches. I found that the average time spent in corporate prayer (total) was approximately 2 minutes and 25 seconds. If the worship service was 70 minutes in length, that means that 3.5 percent of the ser vice was devoted to prayer. We must find a way to make prayer a more vital part of our corporate worship.

Prayer must infuse the church! It must be a part of every thing the church does. Paid church staff as well as elder and deacon teams must pray. Home Bible studies and discipling groups must pray. Men’s and women’s groups must pray. Members of the worship team and youth groups must pray. Senior saints must pray. The missions team must pray. Prayer must absolutely saturate the life and culture of any church desiring to minister in the pow er of the Holy Spirit!

And not just typical prayer, but prayer soaked with ear nestness and passion. Intense prayer accompanied with longing, pleading, and tears. All-night prayer meetings where we seek our heavenly Father’s face and plead for his presence. We need to preach and teach on prayer. We should offer prayer retreats, walks, and workshops. We need to make resources available to our people to help them grow in their personal discipline of prayer.

Is it any wonder that many of our churches are weak, sick, and operate in the flesh without spiritual power, making no impact on their cities whatsoever? Prayer is our power source! We would model a powerful example for our peo ple if we devoted a significant amount of time in our cor porate services to prayer. And seekers might also come to understand that prayer is significant in the body of Christ.

When it comes to prayer in the church, I would tell the en tire leadership team, “If you want your people to bleed, you must hemorrhage!” As leaders, we must model the discipline of prayer and communicate its importance to our body as a serious part of our life in the Spirit.

THE LORD’S SUPPER—ATTENTION TO A SACRED EVENT

One of the most significant parts of any believer’s wor ship experience is to observe the Lord’s Supper with reverence and awe. Jesus said he is present with us when two or more gather in his name (Matthew 18:20). I think we especially would sense his presence as we remember his passion. I can see him walking among us in the worship center, touching, blessing, loving, and embracing his children. Jesus desires for his Sup per to be a deeply intimate moment with each of his family members.

Let’s consider our present practice of the Lord’s Sup per.

14

This celebration is based on our deep love for Jesus. We want to remember him, his trial, suffering, sac rifice, death, and resurrection. We give thanks in memory of all he has done and continues to do for us. In this service, we repent of our sins of the week. We ask forgiveness and recommit to following him with all our hearts. All of this and more should make up our time of remembrance, fellowship, and gratitude to Jesus for his ultimate and selfless sacrifice.

Under our present arrangement, little of what I have written is possible. Let’s examine two of the main is sues:

Time: Many of the worship services I have attended move through the Lord’s Supper rapidly. I often have the sense that this part of our service needs to be hur ried through to “get everyone out on time.” I have also timed the Lord’s Supper in some churches as part of my consultation ministry. The longest Passion Cel ebration was over 4 minutes, 30 seconds. This was a beautiful, meaningful time of personal nurture and filling. The shortest was 18 seconds (no exaggeration); it began with the announcement to take the container and peel the plastic back and ended with the closing song. We should consider increasing the amount of time dedicated to this transformational experience. Considering the extent of his sacrifice, I can’t imag ine what Jesus must think when he looks at how our “Feast of the Friends of Christ” is handled.

about the author

David Roadcup is cofounder and outreach director for e2: effective elders. He serves as professor of discipleship and global outreach representative with TCM Interna tional Institute. He is also on the board of directors of Christian Arabic Services.

/e2elders

@e2elders

A friend who moved from a “high church” denomina tion to our Restoration church described our Commu nion service method as “drive-by Communion.” We must give our people time to think, meditate, consid er, ruminate, and muse about the sacred act before us.

The Emblems: Due to COVID-19, most churches were compelled to go to the little containers with the bread on top and the juice in the cup below. This worked well through the pandemic, but we now face an attitude of, These “creamer packets” are handy. Why would we ever go back to the mess of using trays? This breaks my heart to hear. Considering the deep meaning of the Lord’s Supper, would we have the audacity to be con cerned with the “mess” of using the actual emblems of a piece of bread and a small cup of grape juice? With all due respect to the companies that produce what we are using now, I have the sense we are ingesting a piece of Styrofoam and a gulp of grape cough syrup.

Let’s think deeply about how Jesus feels about the way we meet him around his table.

If space allowed, we also could examine the areas of correct doctrine, evangelism, discipleship, community outreach, home and cross-cultural missions, and other aspects involving the life of a healthy and fruitful church.

In revisiting the message to the Sardis church in Revela tion, we hear Jesus’ emphatic words, “Wake up!” or “Show yourself watchful!”

I recommend that leadership teams take Revelation 3:2 se riously and ask the following questions:

• Is Jesus pleased with our congregation? Why or why not?

• What does Jesus want from this church?

• According to Scripture, what are we doing right?

• According to Scripture, what are we doing wrong?

• What would Jesus change about our congregation?

• What would he ask us to correct, add, rearrange, or emphasize?

So, we receive a letter from Jesus with the heading, “To the church in America . . .” What would this letter contain? What do we need to hear?

Through heartfelt prayer, fasting, obedience, and seeking the Lord, we must examine our churches and our practic es. Once we hear, fellow believers, we must act! 

Crucial Questions for Church Leaders

By Tyler McKenzie

I grew up a preacher’s kid in the rural outskirts of a small city. Every time we walked into a restaurant, my dad visited at least two tables to check-in on people we knew from church. Often, someone would pick up our check. The community honored him. Back then, people looked to clergy for care and accepted their moral ex hortation.

Gone are those days! Barna president David Kinnaman reported on the clergy credibility crisis in his 2017 book Good Faith. “The public’s respect for pastors, priests, and other faith leaders has significantly declined,” Kinnaman wrote. “Today only one-fifth of U.S. adults strongly believe that clergy are a credible source of wis dom and insight when it comes to the most important issues of our day.”

If you are a pastor, especially in more cosmopolitan areas, you feel this at a deep level. People expect you to preside over their weddings and funerals, but they take the hard stuff to their therapists. Add to that all the leadership scandals headlining the front page, and I can sympathize with the public’s suspicion.

What Do We Do When We Have No Institutional Authority or Cultural Influence?

Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor says our culture has moved from the “Age of Authority” to an “Age of Authenticity.” For most of human history, people ac knowledged that truth, identity, and morality were dis covered from the outside-in. We looked to traditional authorities like God, religion, politics, and the wisdom of elders to determine what is best. Today, in our “Age of Authenticity,” we have rejected that. We moralize from the inside-out. “Follow your heart.” “Make your truth.” “You do you.” These are mantras of a generation that believes doing what you feel is being authentic to who you truly are.

These days, the church (i.e., an external traditional authority) is treated like a repressive institution. For example, consider the biblical concept of church dis cipline. The classic example comes from 1 Corinthi ans 5:1-13 where Paul instructs the Corinthians to call a church meeting and excommunicate a sinner. Could you imagine a minister doing this today? Calling the church together to publicly discipline a grown man?

I was recently in a meeting with a congregant who felt we should do this to another member. They quoted verses about standing for truth and putting the sin ner out. This method of church discipline may have worked in the first century or on the American fron tier, where there was only one church in town and no automobiles to drive to the next. Today, if you put someone out, they blast you as judgmental on social

I grew up in a time when Christian living was seen as dif ferent but tolerable. Today, it is castigated and shamed. A whole brand of spirituality has emerged that is one big impugning reaction to orthodoxy. They don’t organize or envision around belief statements insomuch as they do around disbelief statements. “We don’t believe in . . . Hell, sexual holiness, an inspired Bible. . . .” In their defense, many are deconstructing from a place of deep woundedness.

What Do We Do When Our Decades-Long Methods Lose Their Relevance?

Techniques that seemed to work 10 years ago are losing their appeal. Many of our churches came of age during the “contemporary move ment” aimed at “cultural relevance.” Some call it “seeker-sensitive” or the “attractional model.” Back in the 1990s, we started doing skits, mak ing silly videos, and punctuating sermons with practi cal life-application. We sang Hillsong. We allowed cof fee in the auditorium. We loosened our dress codes. We told ourselves, “Church doesn’t have to be boring,” and people found Jesus. As we saw success, we built bigger auditoriums, added screens, and installed moving lights and Jesus smoke. We did secular rock songs. Easter and Christmas Eve became Disney-style productions. “This is not your grandma’s church,” we shouted.

At the time, the novelty shocked people’s sensibilities and opened them to hear God’s Word afresh. But these techniques are not unique anymore. You can go to a work conference and find loud music, a graphics pack age, a hashtag, a lighting rig, bumper videos, and a peppy speaker. This helps explain the recent movement toward tradition, liturgy, and simplicity among some of our youth.

What Do We Do When the Secular Tools No Longer Work?

To summarize, the church is wrestling with the loss of three secular tools on which we have long depended: institutional authority, cultural influence, and relevant methodology. Secular is not a synonym for evil. Secular is a term used to describe things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred. Every institution (cor porate, political, educational, and religious) leverages these three. So, what ought the church do when these secular tools don’t work anymore?

Simple. We should repent for depending on the secular to begin with! We should remind ourselves that effective

ministry is built on the spiritual. And we should praise God for a cultural moment where we have no choice but to grasp for spiritual power.

Westerners are haunted with the unshakeable feeling that there is more to life than this. Many have a deep hunger for the transcendent. Look at all the shows that imagine spiritual realities. Consider the massive resur gence of ancient practices like meditation and pilgrim age. Look at the burgeoning industry for life coaches who help you with everything from squaring your diet to centering your soul. People say things like, “I’m spiri tual, just not religious. I pray to the universe. There’s something out there.”

For years, the academy has been predicting that religion will disappear in the enlightened West, yet here we are. We cannot exorcise the ghost. We have a better under standing of science and more technology than any civili zation in history, but just like the most primitive people praying to the gods of rain and wind, we have an undeni able sense that there is more than what we can see. The next generation is not looking for institutional authority, celebrity swag, cultural woo, or entertaining worship. They are asking, “Who knows God? . . . Can anyone in troduce me to the transcendent?”

What Do We Do When We Cannot Cast Out the Demons?

Jon Tyson made a crucial point in his main session at a Spire Conference a few years ago. He was preaching from Mark 9, where Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration and drove out a demon from a boy, after his disciples failed at this. It caused quite a com

“

We should remind ourselves that effective ministry is built on the spiritual. And we should praise God for a cultural moment where we have no choice but to grasp for spiritual power.

about the author

motion. Later, in private, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

Maybe we should be asking this same question. Why can’t we cast out the evil spirits that are haunting our kids, families, coworkers, and country? Why can’t we cast out the demons of polarization and political idolatry? The demons of racism and ethnocentrism? The demons of sexual immorality and abuse? The demons of marital brokenness and the devaluation of life? The demons of gun violence and homicide? The demons of anxiety, fear, and depression? The demons of addiction and gluttony, distraction and disillusionment, greed and materialism, and the demons of consumerism and individualism?

Here’s how Jesus answered them: “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Could it be that simple?

What Do We Do When It Seems Like Nobody Cares and Nothing Works?

What do we do? We pray. I have prayed with Christians in the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Uganda, and Pales tine. When they pray in those countries, it’s different. If you know, you know. Prayer has a much more prominent place in the Global South and East than it does in the West. This explains why we in the West have no power.

In our churches, we talk a lot about having a relationship with God, but prayer is the key to that relationship. Why is prayer so absent in the gatherings, methods, and strat egies of the church? I may be overspiritualizing this, but I wonder what would happen if prayer became central.

We need to be prepared to answer when the lost and searching world asks, “Does anyone really know God? Is there a community that has an other-worldly beauty and power? Can someone introduce me to something more transcendent and eternal than the American Dream?”

I wonder if we can tap into a level of God’s power that has thus far eluded us so we can help meet the challenges of our lost world. Genuine, earnest prayer is the best place to start. 

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Christmas Is Good for Mental Health

By Wes Beavis

The incarnation of Jesus Christ, God’s rescue plan for humanity, contributes to the mental health of the believer more than anything else. At Christmas we cel ebrate the advent of salvation through Christ our Lord. But people who celebrate Christ’s birth also typically experience three additional factors that have positive impacts on mental health.

Collective Effervescence

In 1912, French sociologist Émile Durkheim coined the term “collective effervescence,” which describes the euphoric self-transcendence that individuals feel when they are unified in focusing on a single subject or effort. Take a competitive rowing team, for example. Eight individuals climb into a racing boat and start rowing in complementary unison. With every synchronized stroke, the boat is propelled across the surface of the water.

Rowers testify to the elation of being completely unified in rhythm and stroke. This experience of purposeful at tunement releases endorphins within the brain that cause a feeling of elatedness. The brain also releases oxytocin, which creates and strengthens relational bonds between participants.

I witnessed the power of collective effervescence in my son, Zack, when he joined his high school crosscountry team. It was a sport unfamiliar to him, but he chose it because basketball, his other option, looked to involve a lot of bench warming!

During the cross-country season, Zack experienced heartbreaks and breakthroughs. It was a tumultuous journey that ultimately led to a second-place finish in the state finals. Almost 10 years later, that squad’s re cord still is the best-ever at his high school. But that was not the best outcome. A few months ago, Zack got married. Half of his groomsmen were cross-country buddies. Zack experienced collective efferves cence when he was a part of that team. A handful of guys came together with one purpose—a singular focus and a combined ef fort. Although the team went their separate ways after high school, they remained close. Their rela tionships, forged through the experience of collective effervescence, have become lifelong strong.

Weekly worship services—and especially special ser vices such as during Christmas—provide the opportu nity to come together, sit together, stand together, sing together, listen together, and pray together. All of these

“ When we sing, the cares and concerns of life and commercialism recede.

group activities prompt the release of endorphins (that make us feel good) and oxytocin (which strengthens our relational bonds). And this is all good for mental health—not to mention the spiritual boost it provides.

The Positive Impact of Music

A second way Christmas is beneficial to mental health is through the music associated with the Christmas season. Scientific researchers have identified the positive impact music has on our mental states. In The Joy of Movement, Stanford University researcher Kelly McGonigal writes, “The brain responds to music it enjoys with a powerful adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphin rush, all of which energize effort and alleviate pain.” When we gather and sing Christmas carols and worship songs, it has an up lifting effect on mood and even an analgesic effect on physical pain we may be experiencing.

In 2007, the U.S. governing body for running competi tions barred the use of personal music players in official races after it was determined runners who listened to music experienced a performance advantage. As a mara thon runner, a big part of my preparation is compiling a set list of upbeat and inspiring songs I can listen to as I pound my way through 26.2 miles of relentless running.

I have never run a “music-less” marathon, nor do I want to. A marathon is too long and painful to be left to my own thoughts. I need music and lyrics to hijack my mind from thinking, Why am I doing this? and I’m too old for this! and What was I thinking when I signed up for this? Music transports my mind to a brighter and more hope ful place.

When we gather in church to sing, our minds are infil trated by the truth and sentiments of faith and salvation. When we sing, the cares and concerns of life and com mercialism recede. For some people, singing alleviates pain. Singing Christmas songs is good for mental health and physical pain relief.

The Gift-Giving Blessing

Finally, consider the giving of gifts at Christmas. I know that Christians can be conflicted by the commercializa tion of Christmas. To be sure, the pressure, expectation, or feeling of obligation to buy presents can overshadow the true meaning of Christmas. In short, commercial ization can be a real turn-off. But on the positive side, the spirit of communal generosity released at Christ mas is unlike any other time of year. Scripture says, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35). So, when we give to others, we create a conduit through which blessings flow. Being a blessing to others is good for the mental health of the giver and receiver.

Ultimately, the best thing we can do for our mental health is to accept the redemptive gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin and cruci fied for our sins, but he rose from the grave, conquering death for all who believe.

So, yes, celebrating Christ’s birth affords us certain flow-on health benefits.

The collective effervescence we experience when we join with others to worship the incarnate Messiah cre ates strong relational bonds. Christmas songs and sing ing have a positive impact on our mental and physical well-being. And we feel blessed when we are generous to others.

Sure, some aspects of the season will not be so good on our mental health—the increased traffic, crowded stores, and commercialization. But it is best to focus on the ways Christmas is good for our souls and mental health.

about the author

Dr. Wes Beavis has served as a pastor in Restoration Movement churches in both the United States and Australia. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping minis try leaders navigate the leader ship journey. His latest book is Let’s Talk about Ministry Burn out: A Proven Research-based Approach to the Wellbeing of Pastors.

drwesbeavis.com text 949.246.7836

Missionary Uses Trauma Healing in Ministry

By Laura McKillip Wood horizons

R enee Flory had already taken a mission trip to East ern Europe when she heard Glen Elliott (a mission ary to Ukraine for five years in the 1990s and later lead pastor of Pantano Christian Church in Tucson, Arizo na, for more than 20 years) speak to her church about Tavriski Christian Institute (TCI), a Christian seminary in Ukraine.

During her previous trip, she had felt drawn to the people of that nation but believed God was telling her to wait. She returned to teaching kindergarten in California. But then in 2000, when she met Glen, she told him she felt God was preparing her for something but did not know what.

“Unbeknownst to me, Glen passed that on to one of the staff members at TCI,” she says. Six weeks later, TCI in vited her to be part of the English department.

That invitation began Renee’s ministry in Ukraine. She moved to the southeastern part of the country, where TCI was located—an area that Russian troops attacked early this year—and she lived there from 2000 to 2005. She initially taught English and mentored students, but she eventually began working with the dean of students.

“For those first five years in Ukraine, I came alive for the first time in my life,” she says. “Spiritual gifts such as the gift of hospitality emerged for the first time.” Renee spent a lot of time with students, planning girls’ nights, minis try nights, and holiday parties.

Her initial interest in ministry occurred when she con nected with a campus ministry in college. Her mentor at that ministry positively impacted her life, and Renee dreamed of doing the same for other students. Now she was doing just that, and God was working through her. Those years in Ukraine were special to Renee because she felt so connected and useful, but it also made it hard to leave when she felt sure it was time to go. The institute was moving to a new campus, and Renee felt burnt out. She returned to the States to rest.

New International

In 2008 Renee began working full-time with New Interna tional, a mission organization based in Fort Myers, Florida, that has missionaries around the world. She worked in the media department in the home office.

“It was one of the hardest seasons of my life,” Renee says. She missed Ukraine deeply, but she felt sure God was telling her to stay where she was. During the six

“ Within an hour of landing, I was unexpectedly present ing about this trauma healing program.

years she spent at New International, she slowly healed from the grief of leaving Ukraine and began noticing what God was doing in other parts of the world. The Haitian earthquake in 2010 brought a greater apprecia tion for the value of her position. Her duties included updating people on what different missionaries around the world were doing, and so she began updating the website with breaking information about Haiti.

“I suddenly felt like I had the most important job in the world,” Renee exclaims. She had been praying that God would give her contentment and joy in her work, and he began changing her heart during her time at New Inter national. She had no plans to return to Ukraine, despite her love for the country.

Russia’s Invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine

In 2014, Russia attacked, taking over Crimea and in vading eastern Ukraine. Renee had started working with Ripe for Harvest in 2013 and, in that capacity, she began translating everything she could from Russian to English so people could pray more specifically for Ukraine. At ICOM, she taught a workshop on how to pray for Ukraine.

She also attended a conference called Mental Health and Missions and learned about the Trauma Healing Institute’s program geared toward helping people heal from trauma and PTSD. The program uses a book called Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help written by Harriett Hill, Margaret Hill, Richard Bagge, and Pat Miersma. The program’s method, which is based on mental health practices and biblical prin ciples, helps people learn about trauma and how to ac cess spiritual and emotional resources for healing. The presentation focused on the child soldiers in Uganda and the healing some of them have seen through this program, but Renee heard God saying, “In Ukraine peo ple are suffering right now.” She received official train ing in how to use the program, and she began to pray for opportunities to implement what she had learned.

Healing in Ukraine

In 2015 a Ukrainian pastor told Renee, “We don’t know how to help the people coming back from the war.” Renee began to plan for how to use the program she’d learned about, and she bought a ticket to Ukraine.

“Within an hour of landing, I was unexpectedly present ing about this trauma healing program.” She planned to stay for two months. Instead, she stayed for seven years.

Ukrainian people have weathered many tragedies. In the past, they have been reluctant to embrace counseling,

not understanding how it might benefit them. That be gan to change in 2014. Renee has been leading Ukrainian Christians in trauma healing and has taught them how to help others heal. She considers the program an important way Ukrainian churches can receive healing from their own traumatic experiences and offer that same healing to others.

Renee was on furlough in America this summer. She sees the atrocities happening in Ukraine and knows God will work through his people there. She sees ways that Ukrainian believers are poised to lead the church around the world because of their experiences in this war. She believes God will lead her back to Ukraine.

“God told me I won’t be a first responder but will go in when things are more settled,” she explains. “I’m waiting.” 

Learn more about the Trauma Healing Institute at traumahealinginstitute.org.

Learn more about Renee’s work and Ripe for Harvest at ripeforharvest.org/renee-flory.

Contact Renee Flory at renee.flory.ministry@gmail.com.

about the author

Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now serves as bereavement coordinator and palliative care chaplain at Chil dren's Hospital and Medical Cen ter in Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers.

@woodlaura30 /laura.wood2

@woodlaura30

lauramckillipwood.com

lauramckillipwood@gmail.com

By Rudy Hagood intentional

H ave you ever considered how unthinkable it is that we have intimacy with the Spirit of God within our marital unions? The prophet Malachi asked this simple rhetorical question: “Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?” (Malachi 2:15, Eng lish Standard Version).

Your marriage is not simply between two people, but three, since it includes the third person of the god head. For this reason, I want to talk about the health of our marriages by talking about how we engage God.

Since our marital unions consist of three people, knowing and loving God takes on a unique and nu anced perspective once we are married. So, I wonder, What love language does God speak?

God’s Love Language in Our Unions

That question causes me to think of Gary Chapman, who in 1995 came out with his signature book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. The five love languages are words of af firmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch.

These may work with our spouses, but I believe God has his own love language. I think God has a way to express heartfelt commitment to his people and a way to receive love back. I believe God’s love language is pursuit

God Pursues Us

Ephesians 2 reveals that we were dead in our trans gressions. Dead! We were without life, without anima tion, without desire; we were expired, done, and with out hope. Yet, Ephesians 2 reveals that God, through his “great love . . . made us alive together with Christ”! Wait. Before reading on, think about that for a mo ment. We had no inkling to even begin to approach God and he pursued us! What kind of love is this?

One morning on my drive to work I listened to the David Crowder Band sing “How He Loves,” and these lyrics wrecked me: “He is jealous for me. Loves like a hurricane. I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.” It’s too much for me . . . his love, pursuit, grace, and his mercy . . . it all has me bending like a tree, at the mercy of the wind, under the weight of such “great love.” God loves me, and he is jealous for me. He has an overwhelming passionate love for you and for me. It’s unthinkable!

This is not new. God has always been in pursuit of us. God has always gone out of his way for us, and he wants us to respond in kind. You see, Christian mar riage is a love relationship, and its love language is pursuit. God has pursued us, and he calls us to live

a life in pursuit of him. God said, “You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine” (Leviticus 20:26, ESV). Can you feel God’s passion for those who are his? Can you see that he has done everything to be in relationship with you and he wants you to pursue him in re turn? He tells us, Be holy to me! Be separate to me! Be about me! Can you feel God’s heart and desire to be in an existence-shattering love with his people . . . with you and with me?

We Pursue God

We are intimate with God the Father, with God the Son, and with God the Sprit! Is that unthinkable or what? It’s a crazy-person, imaginative-little-kid, Hollywood-

“ Simply stated, Paul got it. He loved God, so he spoke God’s love language. My God, give us all this pursuit!

The apostle Paul lived in full pursuit of Jesus Christ. Paul said he pressed “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, King James Version). Paul never took his foot off the gas. God pursued Paul (as he pursues us), and in response, Paul spent his life pursuing God. He wanted to know “Christ Jesus my Lord. . . and the power of his resurrection, and [to] share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8, 10-11).

This was not a statement of conversion. Paul had been converted 40 years earlier. Yet, he was still striving to “know” Christ! He was still googly eyed in that sense! He was still in full-on courtship. He was still pressing in for perfect intimacy.

If relationship with God was a jar of peanut butter, Paul was scraping everything he could get out of that jar. He wanted the power of his resurrection, which means he wanted holiness. He wanted to share in his suffer ing, which means he wanted devotion. He, like a son, wanted to put on Daddy’s clothes. That’s why he said, “becoming like him in his death.” Paul had no limits and no pride. He would do anything to attain the resur rection from the dead. He would do anything to finish the race and be with the One he loved. Paul pursued God with a passion only love could produce! Simply stated, Paul got it. He loved God, so he spoke God’s love language. My God, give us all this pursuit!

We Pursue God Together

Finally, as it relates to our three-person unions with our spouse and the Holy Spirit, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are in full-on relationship with the godhead, and our marital unions form another trinity. A trinity connected by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Consider that.

drawn-out climax scene for marital unions to be this kind of intimate with God. How could this even hap pen?

The answer is right in our faces.

God pursues us. He pursues our marriages. Our unions, then, are to pursue God together. Loving God as indi viduals and as unions, is to speak the language of pur suit. 

about the author

Rudy and Osharye Hagood have seven children and nine grandchildren so far. Osharye is a women’s minister who is also certified as both a life coach and a health coach. Rudy is a lead pastor with a background in social work. They love being married and love to bless both married and engaged couples.

@rudy_hagood_

@rudy.hagood

Why Do We Gather?

By Kent E. Fillinger metrics

Giving USA 2022: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for 2021 reported charitable giving rose for its fourth consecutive year, reaching its highest level in history, $484.8 billion. Total giving increased 4 percent in current dollars but decreased 0.7 percent in inflationadjusted dollars.

About two-thirds (67 percent) of total giving came from individuals, the fourth straight year individual giving totaled less than 70 percent. The wealthiest 1.4 percent of the country accounted for 86 percent of charitable donations, according to the Philanthropy Roundtable. Giving is highest among those in their 60s and 70s.

Charitable giving since World War II has remained consistent. Americans tend to give about 2 percent of their disposable income and 2 percent of the gross domestic product to charity. But the Giving USA 2022 Report showed that givers donated only 1.8 percent of their disposable income in 2021, the lowest percentage in over 100 years (a time frame that includes the Great Depression).

Fewer than half of American households now give to charity, down from two-thirds in the early 2000s. Giv ing USA found that 62 percent of religious households give to charity, compared with 46 percent of nonreli gious households. This trend is extra troubling when noting that 44 percent of Generation Z (those people born 1997 to 2012) and 42 percent of millennials (born 1981–96) identify as “nones” (people who claim no reli gious affiliation).

The Almanac of American Philanthropy reports that those who attend religious services regularly give to secular causes at more than double the rate of those who seldom or never attend religious services. Over half of evangelicals (54 percent) named a secular orga nization as their favorite charity to support, according to a recent report by Infinity Concepts & Grey Matter Re search. Those who give to charity tend to support three to five organizations.

Religious giving decreased by 1 percent from 2019 to 2021, based on inflation-adjusted dollars. Giving to reli gion was still the largest percentage of total charitable giving in 2021 (28 percent), but has seen a steep decline since 1989, when it was 60 percent.

Recession Fears?

As I write this in July, economists are predicting a reces sion. History shows that charitable giving in the United States is as likely to go up as down during recessions.

But donor pessimism grew during the first half of 2022 as the economy wobbled and inflation rose. An

online survey in April by research firm Campbell Rink er (sponsored by Dunham & Company) found the high est levels of pessimism among donors since 2008, the first year of the survey.

A Federal Reserve study found that 78 percent of Ameri cans described their household’s financial situation as “good” or “excellent.” Less than half (48 percent) rated the state of their local economy the same way, and only 24 percent described the national economy as good or excellent.

Pastoral consultant Dave Travis noted, “People tend to be optimistic about their own life but feel pessi mistic about the world around them.” Church leaders shouldn’t automatically let national fears influence their church’s financial decisions; each local situation is different, and it varies from church to church.

Eighteen percent of donors in the Rinker survey said they planned to give less in 2022 compared with 2021, 55 percent said they planned to give the same amount, and 21 percent planned to give more. More than onethird (35 percent) said inflation was a reason they planned to decrease their giving this year.

The last two annual surveys of Christian churches and churches of Christ found that in almost three-fourths of our churches, giving levels were at or above prior years; this was positive and encouraging. Most churches also reported a higher level of cash reserves each of the last two years. So, it will be telling to see how our churches fared in 2022 when they report their total giving in our next survey in January 2023.

The Positive Side

The good news is Americans have more money in sav ings today than before the pandemic. At the end of March, households had $18.5 trillion in various bank accounts, $5 trillion-plus more than before COVID-19, according to Federal Reserve data. Two-thirds of Ameri cans (68 percent) say they have money for an emergen cy. At the end of March, checking account balances for low-income families were 65 percent above 2019 levels. And the growth in retirement accounts has resulted in fewer people (below 50 percent for the first time) saying they expect to work past their early 60s. Many people used the federal stimulus checks to pay down their debt.

Church Giving

Financial giving to the church is often the last thing a new believer or new church member does . . . but also the first thing they stop doing if they become upset with

something or someone in the church or when money becomes tight.

The five primary reasons people give to the church in clude (in no particular order):

• Need—people like to give to campaigns and spe cial appeals

• Vision—people give to support a clear and compel ling vision

• Emotion—stories of life change and heartwarming appeals prompt gifts

• Relationship—people give when they trust the staff and elders, and when they have connections with others in the church

• Obedience to God’s Word—many people in your church know and understand that the Bible com mands believers to give

What if everyone in your church took the next step in their generosity journey? Everyone is in a different place when it comes to generosity and giving, but each of us can pray about our next step and then take it. I have provided four action steps your church’s leaders can take to help prompt people to take their next steps. Find it at ChristianStandard.com/fillinger22-sidebar.

about the author

Kent E. Fillinger serves as presi dent of 3:STRANDS Consult ing, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

/3strandsconsulting

3strandsconsulting.com

How Do We Answer the Great Questions in Life?

By Chris Philbeck preach

O ur preaching team decided to devote June to an “Ask Me Anything” series. I know that’s nothing new or dramatic; churches and preachers have been doing these kinds of message series for years. But I’ve never done one, so we encouraged our church family to send in their questions during May. And even though I had a basic expectation of the kinds of questions people would submit, I was surprised by the response.

On the first weekend of the series, I began by saying that upon reviewing the questions I was left with two overwhelming feelings. First (half-jokingly), Why in the world did I decide to do this? I had looked on the gotquestions.org website to review their “Top 20 Most Frequently Asked Bible Questions” in preparation for what would be coming, but the questions I received were much more difficult and detailed than anything on their list. My second feeling was profound sadness at the reality of what so many people in my church family were facing in their lives. I’ve been a pastor too long to be naive about life.

Stick with the Authority

Reading the questions was overwhelming and com pelled me to ask my church family, Do we believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God for all matters of life and living? The way we answer that question provides the answer for the great questions in life. That should challenge everyone who has been called to preach to make sure the Bible isn’t an afterthought or an add-on in preaching, but the one thing that sets the sermon’s agenda, drives the application, and pro duces the conclusion.

I recently watched a YouTube interview between two veteran pastors who shared a close friendship. Both pastors were older men, and one of them, at the time of the interview, was nearing the end of his life (he has since passed away). Toward the end of the vid eo, the now-deceased pastor said this of his friend: “When I listen to him preach, I know he’s been in the text.” I wrote down that powerful statement on the only thing I had handy at the time—a napkin that came with my lunch from Subway. I have that napkin next to my computer as I write these words.

Teach Precepts and Principles

The Bible addresses the questions of life in one of two ways: by precept and by principle. I’ll attempt to ex plain the difference.

A precept is like driving down the road and coming to a stop sign. There’s only one way to understand and

respond to that sign because its message is singular, it’s clear, and it needs to be obeyed. The Bible contains instructions (commands) like that. A good example is the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex odus 20:13).

This commandment is from the Old Testament, but it was repeated and affirmed in the New Testament. One example appears in the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not mur der, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22).

you into its own mould.” That’s exactly what happens to Christians who don’t know the truth of God’s Word. One thing I learned from our “Ask Me Anything” series is that the stakes are high when it comes to the chal lenges of living in this modern world. So, let’s preach in a way that gives our people the opportunity to have

Effective preaching will always be biblical preaching where the precepts and principles of God’s Word are taught in a way that challenge and change people’s lives.

In this passage, Jesus not only acknowledged and af firmed that one should not commit murder, he also raised the bar on how God wants us to behave by fo cusing not just on our behavior toward others (“You shall not murder”) but on the attitudes of our hearts toward others.

A principle, on the other hand, is like driving down the road a little farther and coming to a sign that says, “Drive carefully.” That sign means there are some challenges ahead, so be alert, pay attention, and be prepared to make the right choice with your driving.

A good example would be Paul’s words, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). That verse means our ac tions and choices have consequences, so be careful and thoughtful about the choices you make. There are many other examples of precepts and principles in the Bible.

Effective preaching will always be biblical preaching where the precepts and principles of God’s Word are taught in a way that challenge and change people’s lives. So, if you’ve been called to preach, use your Godgiven gifts to deliver your message in a winsome and compelling way, but never forget that when it comes to the questions of life, the divinely inspired Word of God is our only source of authority for life and living.

Preach for Transformation

Paul also wrote, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Ro mans 12:2). The JB Phillips New Testament translates it this way: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze

their minds saturated and guided (renewed) by the truth of God’s Word. And one day, when our time in the pulpit has come to an end, someone might say of us, “When I listened to him preach, I knew he’d been in the text.” 

about the author

Chris Philbeck serves as senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Chris tian Church in Greenwood, In diana. He has been in ministry since 1980 and has had the privi lege of planting a new church, leading a turn-around church, and now leading a megachurch. Chris is passionate about biblical preaching, effective leadership, and developing new and better ways for the local church to make an impact in the community and the world.

“

THANKFUL

Bob Russell in all circumstances

Gratitude may be the most important virtue. The Liv ing Bible paraphrases Hebrews 12:28, “Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe.” The Bible teaches that gratitude pleases God. Our heavenly Father takes delight in the praise of his people.

When we parents and grandparents give our children an expensive Christmas gift, nothing pleases us more than to hear, “Wow! Thanks, Mom! This is great!” Or, “Thanks, Pop! This is exactly what I wanted!” We are thrilled with their expression of genuine gratitude. When God’s people have joyful, thankful spirits, it pleases our heavenly Father.

A POSTURE OF PRAISE

Gratitude contributes to personal happiness more than any other virtue. We erroneously think happiness is determined by what is happening to us in the moment. And admittedly, circumstances do occasionally con tribute to our fluctuating moods. But Paul wrote that he learned to be content whatever his circumstances. Consistent contentment is determined more by devel oping a spirit of appreciation than by external events.

Romans 1 documents the downward spiral of a godless culture. The result is sexual perversion and spiritual defiance. Romans 1:21 describes the reason for the de cline: “For although they knew God, they neither glo rified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The Bible teaches that spiritual apostasy begins with ingratitude.

If I begin to slip into a dark mood, I usually can recover a joyful spirit by doing two things. First, I analyze why I am down. What has contributed to my gloom? Usu ally when I list the factors that have made me some what depressed, I realize how shallow they are or what I should do to correct the situation. If it’s obvious there is nothing I can do, I repeat some of the Good Shep herd’s promises to care for me and restore my soul.

Second, I take time to list as many of God’s good and perfect gifts as I can. Colossians 4:2 commands us, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Usually, the reason we are not grateful is we are not “watchful”—our eyes are closed to God’s blessings. So, I begin my morning prayer by express ing thanks for the people and the experiences that have blessed my life from childhood to the present day. Soon the words of a popular praise song come to mind, “All my life You have been faithful; all my life You have been so, so good! With every breath that I am able, Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.” I discover a grateful heart soon overrides a melancholy spirit.

PROMISES AND PRAYERS

The Bible teaches us to give thanks regardless of our circumstances. One of the most difficult commands in Scripture is this: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thes salonians 5:18). We are not commanded to give thanks for all circumstances, since there are some things for which we are not grateful. But even in those circum stances we can thank the Lord for his promise that all things work together for good to those who love him.

Last fall when my grandson Charlie spent 77 days in the intensive care unit of a Nashville hospital, I thought a lot about the biblical instruction to give thanks in all circumstances. Charlie was battling COVID-19 and was under sedation for well over two months. He was on a ventilator, undergoing kidney dialysis, and on an ECMO machine (cleansing his blood) all at the same time. At one point a doctor told me, “We are down to divine intervention.”

Those were extremely dark days for our family, but we were so grateful that thousands of Christians across the nation joined with us in praying for Charlie. Central Christian College of the Bible president David Fincher said, “Bob, I’ve been traveling all over the country, and I’ve never seen our brotherhood so united in prayer for one person.”

While I was encouraged by the many prayers, it was still a difficult period for me. I didn’t know whether Satan was attacking us or God was testing us. Either way, I didn’t like it. But I remembered how often I had preached to my congregation to be grateful in all cir cumstances and to “rejoice always.” So, I tried to re main joyful even though I wasn’t happy. I had to fake it at times, but the Bible says, “When you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees every thing, will reward you” (Matthew 6:17-18, New Living Translation).

In the middle of Charlie’s struggles, my daughter-inlaw sent me a text that really lifted me up.

Happy 78th birthday to my most favorite father-in-law of all time!! I’m incredibly thankful for you! One thing I’ve always loved about you is how your mood and personality are so steady and temperate. I can say that has been even more appreciated over the last (almost) 8 weeks! I know you’ve said Char lie’s hospitalization has been one of the most challenging experiences you’ve ever had, but you haven’t behaved like that . . . and for that, I am thankful! I really appreciate that you don’t punish everyone else around you because of the pain you are experiencing! (I know some people like that! It’s pure torture!) But I will say that I am so sorry that you are experiencing this level of heartache and pain.

I’ve always believed that God gave you to me as a really sweet and special gift. And I’m realizing that you are the same gift to our three (almost grown) kids. I’m grateful you have been one of the most influential people in their lives . . . for their whole lives! Please continue to do what you’ve been doing! (It is working!) God was so good to give you to all of us! I love you! Happy Birthday!

That’s about the nicest birthday present I have ever re ceived.

I was taught in preaching class to “seldom make your self the hero of an illustration.” I realize this story makes me look better than I am, but that experience makes such an important point: You are more likely to have others boost you up if you are joyful than if you mope around and beg for sympathy. And you are more likely to be joyful if you continue to give thanks even though it doesn’t seem to be paying off at the moment.

Gratitude contributes to personal happiness more than any other virtue.

THE PILGRIMS’ PERSPECTIVE

The importance of giving thanks in all circumstances was demonstrated by the Pilgrims at the first Thanks giving. Consider what our forefathers had endured the previous year. From our pampered perspective, they didn’t have much for which to be thankful.

In the late summer of 1620, about 130 Pilgrims and crew dared to embark on a hazardous, 3,000-mile jour ney from England to America. They craved a new be ginning in a land where they would be free to worship God without government interference.

These courageous souls were confident they were fol lowing God’s guidance, but their trip to America was beset with numerous complications. They initially set sail on two small, 100-foot vessels. The Mayflower ac commodated more than 100 passengers and the Speed well carried most of their supplies. They weren’t even out of the English Channel when the Speedwell began taking on water. Both ships returned to port for repairs.

A week later, the two ships departed again and were more than 200 miles out to sea when they had to turn around a second time because the Speedwell was tak ing on water again. Though it was dangerously late in the season, the hearty religious separatists were deter mined to proceed. Twenty people volunteered to stay behind while 102 brave souls boarded the Mayflower with as many of their supplies as they could cram on board and headed out to sea a third time.

Much to their dismay, about halfway to their destina tion, the Mayflower encountered a tropical storm with 50 mph winds that produced enormous waves that threatened to capsize them. Even the experienced sail ors feared for their lives. They could do nothing but plead with God to spare them.

The seas became so rough the passengers were con fined to the hold and got very little fresh air. Rats and insects ravaged their food. Everyone got seasick. Pas sengers vomited into pails; the stench was unbearable.

Finally, after 65 agonizing days, they spotted land. However, they were 500 miles north of their target, the Virginia Colony. Keep in mind there were no hotels on Cape Cod, no one to greet them, no one to advise them about best practices. Hostile natives lurked in the woods. Winter was coming.

A terrible flu epidemic hit during that first brutal win ter, and half of them died. The Pilgrims buried their dead at night so the spying Indians would not know of their depleted ranks.

When spring arrived, those that survived prayed, planted seed, erected more stable shelters, and la bored for a good harvest to sustain them through the approaching winter. It was then that they paused to have a service of thanksgiving to God for his good ness.

Is that what we would have done? Rather, might we have had a gripe session and given God a piece of our mind?

Not the Pilgrims. Instead, during that first Thanksgiv ing, they quoted Psalm 100:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Could you give thanks if you had prayed for a smooth journey yet barely survived? Could you praise God for his goodness if half of your loved ones had died? Could you shout for joy if you were one of 50 people scraping to survive in a terrifying territory with no guarantee you would live through the next winter? They did!

What made the Pilgrims so spiritually strong and men tally tough? They considered themselves steppingstones. The Pilgrims knew it was not about them; it

was about God’s will, and it was about the welfare of their descendants.

Contrast the Pilgrims’ attitude with our consumer mentality. The Pilgrims considered themselves stepping-stones, but we consider ourselves keystones. We assume we are the center of the universe. It’s all about us . . . our needs, our comfort, our desires.

The Bible teaches us to “do nothing out of selfish ambi tion or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

That’s why the Pilgrims were thankful. Their sacrifice had paid off. Their children, grandchildren, and future generations had hope. Their descendants were going to be free to worship God and free to reach their fullest potential. That’s what made them thankful, and that’s what eventually made America exceptional.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). 

Bob Russell retired as senior minister of Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, in 2006.

THE JEWEL OF WORSHIP

COMMUNION

BY VICTOR KNOWLES

T he Lord’s Supper is the crown jewel of worship. It should be the central act of our Christian worship. In his foreword to the book The Lord’s Supper: Remember ing and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes, Christian educator David S. Dockery wrote,

The highest form of corporate Christian wor ship is the Lord’s Supper. The celebration of the Supper directs our attention backward to the work of Christ on the cross and also encourages a forward look to the Second Coming of Christ. In addition, it provides a time for believers to examine their own personal relationship with God as well as their relationship with other believers while experiencing communion with the exalted Christ. The observance is so simple a child can partake with a sense of understanding, yet it contains so many theological ramifi cations that even the most mature believer will not fully comprehend its meaning.

Please consider four vital truths from the inspired writ ings of Paul in regard to Communion. It is the crown jewel of worship because . . .

IT IS A SACRED MEMORIAL

On May 29, 2004, the National World War II Memo rial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. Located on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, it is dedicated to the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the war, especially the 400,000 troops who died during the conflict. The Freedom Wall is covered with 4,048 gold stars, each star representing 100 Americans who made the supreme sacrifice. Memorials are hallowed, not meant to be hollow. We stand at attention when the flag passes by. We should be on our best behavior when the bread and cup are passed. Communion is our Freedom Wall. It is decorated with one gold star—representing the One who paid the supreme sacrifice for our sins.

Paul wrote,

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remem brance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

Please notice that Christ himself passed along this teaching to the apostle Paul. The words “do this in re membrance of me” are Jesus’ own words, spoken at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19). Augustine called the Lord’s Supper the verbum visible—the visible word at the action of the Lord’s Table. The visible Word of God (the bread and the cup) belong with the audible Word of God (Je sus’ words of institution).

Jesus said, “Do this.” What are we saying when we don’t “do this”? Is he the Lord of our lives or not? Jesus wants us to remember him, his great love, his tremendous sac rifice. What do we imply if we don’t remember him . . . if our minds are a million miles away? On Memorial Day, far too many Americans never take time to remember those who died to keep our country free. On Sunday, the Christian’s Memorial Day, far too few of us think of the One who died to set us free from sin, death, and Hell.

IT IS AN ACTUAL PARTICIPATION IN THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

The apostle Paul asked,

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf (1 Corinthi ans 10:16-17, my emphasis).

Other translations use words like communion or sharing or fellowship. I like The Message’s rendering of 1 Corinthi ans 10:16-18, for it makes clear what is going on in Com munion:

When we drink the cup of blessing, aren’t we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn’t it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don’t we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our many-ness be comes one-ness—Christ doesn’t become frag mented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don’t reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is. That’s basically what happened even in old Israel—those who ate the sacrifices offered on God’s altar en tered into God’s action at the altar.

In an illustration about the Lord’s Supper on Preaching.com, Christian minister and educator Mike Shannon says,

Imagine if you stood before the Washing ton Monument and suddenly the father of our country was at your side. Imagine if you stood inside the Lincoln Memorial and sud denly you heard a deep voice intoning, “Four score and seven years ago.” When we come around the Lord’s Table, we come to a memo rial of the dying Christ and find ourselves suddenly confronted with the living Christ. It is His Table and He is there.

Jesus is always with us. He said he would never leave us. But have we left him alone at his Table during Com munion when we are thinking of everything in the world except him?

IT IS A POWERFUL PROCLAMATION—THE WORLD’S GREATEST SERMON!

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Bible commentator Matthew Henry called the Lord’s Supper “a sermon to the eye.” Even when the sermon is bad, the Supper proclaims a good message—a great message!—that Christ died for our sins. Many are un aware that taking Communion is a form of preaching.

“The Lord’s Supper has been greatly instrumental in keeping his cause alive,” 19th-century minister Charles F. Deems said. “It is the voice of all believers preaching the Lord’s death until he comes again. He who believes that the Lord did come and die for us, and will come again and take us to himself, will not hesitate to regard this last request of our Lord and Savior.”

We are telling the old, old story of Jesus and his love. That’s why baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two divine ordinances in the church. In baptism we are bur ied with Christ into his death.

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in or der that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:3-4).

Every time we partake of Communion, we are proclaim ing [preaching] that Christ died for our sins! “For when ever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death. . . .” Other translations say that you are broadcasting or telling or retelling or announcing the good news that Christ died for our sins.

It is beyond me why more churches don’t realize the Lord’s Supper is one of the greatest evangelistic tools they possess. Jewish children asked their parents, “What does this Passover mean?” Our children, before they gave their lives to Christ, asked my wife, Evelyn, “What does this Communion mean?” It was a great teaching opportunity.

If Communion is not a part of our weekly church ser vice, we are omitting “the sermon to the eye.” We are taking away “the voice of all believers.” We are shutting down the main “broadcasting” business of the church— broadcasting the good news that Christ died for our sins! Churches that relegate Communion to a side room are sidetracking the gospel.

IT CONTAINS AN EXCITING PREDICTION OF A TRULY EPIC ‘COMING EVENT’

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corin thians 11:26, emphasis added).

Yes, the Lord’s Supper reminds us we are sinners saved by grace, and that Christ died for our sins, but it also reminds us that “this same Jesus” (Acts 1:11) is coming again! The Living Bible says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the message of the Lord’s death, that he has died for you. Do this un til he comes again” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

My friends, there is an “expiration date” on this meal. Jesus is coming again, but we do not think of his coming nearly as often as we should. That’s why Communion is the crown jewel of worship. It reminds us Jesus is com ing again. I tried to get one church to put the words “Un til He Comes” on a new Communion table, but the idea did not take. Perhaps the leaders resisted because the Lord’s return was not in their consciousness as it should be.

Sermons on the Second Coming are forbidden in China, but in America they are pretty much forgotten. I mean, when was the last time you heard a sermon on the re turn of Christ? The New Testament includes more than 300 warnings about the Second Coming. The weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper is a huge reminder that the same Jesus who instituted the Lord’s Supper is com ing again to take us to that stupendous “Supper in the sky”—the greatest feast of all—the wedding feast of the Lamb! But according to Revelation 19:9, it will be an “invitation only” event. If we’re not accepting his Sup per invitation now, do we think we will be invited then? Christ invites us now to meet with him at his Table and to sup with him at his Supper.

Every Lord’s Supper could be our Last Supper! We must ask ourselves, am I ready for his return? 

Victor Knowles serves as president of Peace On Earth Ministries, Jo plin, Missouri.

This article is adapted from the new book by Victor Knowles, Communion Time: Making the Lord’s Supper Memorable, written, Knowles says in the Introduction, because of the “great need to make the Lord’s Supper a more meaningful and memorable experience for all Christ followers” and to “revive and restore the practice of the early Christians who continually devoted themselves to the ‘the Breaking of the Bread’ (Acts 2:42, Weymouth New Testament).” It is available at www.poeministries.org; click on “Publications.”

HOW TO BE A ‘CHEERFUL GIVER’

AND HOW TO DEVELOP MORE OF THEM AT YOUR CHURCH

BY MEGAN RAWLINGS

I first heard of Chuck Lane from my husband’s time at Alliance Defending Freedom, where they worked together. Chuck mentored me in development (sometimes referred to as fundraising). He taught me everything I know.

Fundraising is all about relationships and not be ing afraid to ask.

It is a ministry to teach people how to be cheerful givers.

Chuck’s insight was unrivaled, and his warmth was immeasurable. We talked a couple of times a month until his untimely death last year. So, to honor his legacy, I want to share with you several thoughts about giving that have changed my life.

GET TO THE ROOT OF GENEROSITY

People often don’t want to discuss giving, but it is vital to our spiritual development and growth, and it requires a level of trust in God to meet our needs when we sacrificially do our part in furthering the kingdom.

As the first line of the most popular Psalm says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, English Standard Version). Men grow great when they do things out of gratitude for what Christ has done, not so he will love us more.

However, greed is one of the greatest sins Ameri cans face, and the cure for greed is generosity. The root of generosity is contentment, and contentment comes from Christ. Only when we truly grasp the sacrifice of Christ can we find contentment, which is a direct result of generosity.

“God loves a cheerful giver,” the Bible says (2 Cor inthians 9:7), and he has given us the opportunity and responsibility to participate. When we give sac rificially with a spirit of thankfulness and compas sion, we can truly affect the lives of those around us while carrying out our Christ-given mission.

So, where do we start?

Christians give in two basic ways: individually and corporately. We can also donate in an alternative way through contributions to fundraisers. All are vital, and God blesses the efforts.

Let’s look at these categories and see what we can do about financial outreach.

INDIVIDUAL GIVING: BE PROACTIVE

Philippians 4:10-20 shares a touching example of how unrequested generosity from the believers in Philippi deeply affected one of the most influential people of biblical history.

Paul was a man of great faith. Paul relied on God to provide for his needs even when he was in dire situations. He said he had learned to be content whatever his situation, “whether well fed or hun gry” (v. 12).

However, when he wrote this Epistle, Paul was in prison and facing difficulties.

Guess what . . . the brothers and sisters in the Phi lippian church came to the rescue again!

They first helped Paul when he left Philippi to go minister in Macedonia, and Paul never forgot their generosity. He let them know that they were the only ones who helped him at that time. In fact, Paul recounted that they continued supporting him fi nancially at other periods in his journeys.

At this juncture, Paul was in prison. The Philip pians had heard of his dilemma and sent gifts to him through Epaphroditus, their partner in min istry. Paul hadn’t asked for anything, and he was so moved by their donation that he wanted them to receive a reward for their kindness.

How does this apply to us?

We need to be proactive in giving. We don’t need to wait until someone asks for help. If we listen closely enough to what God is leading us to do, we can make a difference just by being generous with what we have.

CORPORATE GIVING: SHARE THE WEALTH

The book of Acts is an action-packed adventure. But hidden among the exciting stories of the ini tial stages of evangelism are two small segments regarding corporate giving. Acts 2:44 and 4:32-35 show how the early believers came together and shared everything they had. We are told that no one lacked any necessities.

This group of people was willing to take their per sonal resources and voluntarily share them with anyone who had a need—even if they received nothing in return. They were selling homes and land and bringing the money to the apostles to share with those who were struggling. There was unity among the believers, and they were changing the world!

There is good news . . . God notices our efforts (or lack thereof). And he takes care of us. Paul said, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

What if we came together as a unified body in Christ and sacrificially donated to the needy the value of our possessions? What if we used our wealth to en sure that Christian nonprofit ministries were fully funded? What if we gave willingly and generously? How would that affect our Christian mission and outreach potential?

Can you imagine the difference we could make?

There is strength in numbers. When we work to gether to do the Lord’s work, our effectiveness is multiplied, and the outcome of our efforts is unlim ited!

FUNDRAISING: DONATE TO A CAUSE

Another aspect of giving is fundraising. Many people are more willing to do nate money to a particular cause instead of as a general gift. However, this method of raising money can be challenging, especially for church leaders.

When I first started fundraising, Chuck was my mentor. I once told him that it often made me uncomfortable to ask people for donations. He told me, “When people are too embarrassed to ask for money, their ego is typically the culprit. They do not want to be painted in a certain way or are fearful of rejection.” Chuck shared three points fundraisers must remember:

1. We ask for money to further God’s kingdom, not for selfish purposes.

2. We ask for money to please God, not people. Paul said, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

3. We ask for money to give fellow believers the opportunity to trust God and be generous. Paul told Timothy,

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arro gant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

If you are a leader and someone says, “No, I don’t want to give,” you must take yourself out of the equation. It’s not about you. They are not denying you per sonally; they are just not interested or able to contribute in this specific way. You might possibly offend someone when you discuss money, but remember, if someone is upset, you have hit a nerve.

Part of the job of a pastor is to help Christians grow closer to Christ and repre sent him well. It is vital that leaders speak to one of the greatest sins plaguing our churches: greed. As the old adage states, “If your toes are being stepped on, you should move your feet.”

FUNDRAISING IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS... NOT BEING AFRAID TO ASK

TAKE THE TRUST CHALLENGE

One of the most challenging aspects of the Chris tian life is choosing not to depend on money for se curity and happiness. Many of us feel pressure to keep up appearances through material goods: big houses, designer clothes, luxury cars, and even well-padded bank accounts.

The Bible looks at money differently. Here are two brief examples:

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you’” (Hebrews 13:5, New Living Transla tion).

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Additionally, the Gospel of Matthew tells about a man whom we often refer to as the “rich, young, ruler”:

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testi mony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Tru ly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:16-26).

Are you trusting in your paycheck more than you are relying on Christ? If so, that’s a problem. Think of something you could sacrifice and trust God to provide.

I want to challenge you to not just give, but to do so with a cheerful heart, open mind, and in such a way that you must rely on God instead of your checking account balance. After all, as Paul said to Timothy, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8). 

Megan Rawlings serves as vice president of planned giving with The Solomon Foundation. She is the founder and CEO of The Bold Movement. She is an extro-vert, pastor’s wife, and lover of the Scriptures.

Ever since I was a small boy, I have lived to honor my earthly father. Even though my dad died in March 2020, I try to honor him daily. God must have put it in my heart to have such love and re spect for my earthly father that I wanted to please and honor him every day.

I don’t claim to be perfect like Jesus, but our Lord also strove every day to honor and please his Fa ther. When Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River at Bethany in the Judean desert, God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus did exactly what his heavenly Father called him to do.

When a person decides to be baptized, they do what God the Father has called every believer to do in his Word (see Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; John 3:5; and Acts 2:38, to name a few). What a blessing that this simple act of obedience pleases the Lord God Almighty. And when you think about the beauty, meaning, and implications of baptism, and as you begin a new journey with Christ, you can’t help but become filled with joy and gratitude. I will share four reasons from Romans 6 why bap tism and thankfulness are inextricably connected:

1. YOU GET TO BE UNITED WITH CHRIST

Baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resur rection of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross. Af ter he spoke his last words and breathed his last breath, they took him down from the cross and buried him in a tomb. Three days later, God raised him from the dead. When you are baptized, it’s a picture of being buried like Christ, because when you choose to live for Jesus, you die to yourself. The “old you” remains down in that water, while being raised up out of that water symbolizes the “new you” being resurrected to new life—just like the Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

(As a quick aside, Greek words are far more color ful, descriptive, and specific than English words. Greeks used the word baptizo to describe bibli cal baptism; baptizo means to fully immerse, not sprinkle.)

Jesus never committed any sins, so he did not have to be baptized. He was baptized to set an example, to initiate his ministry, and to please his heavenly Father. And when we are baptized, we emulate Christ and follow his example. Not only that, but we are also united with him!

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were there fore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his (Romans 6:3-5).

Our baptism is beyond symbolic—our baptism su pernaturally unites us with Jesus Christ for ever lasting life. What a joy! What an honor! This real ity is almost too wonderful to comprehend, and it leads us to immense gratitude.

2. YOU GET TO PREACH A SERMON

When you are baptized, you announce and portray that you personally believe Jesus died, was bur ied, and rose from the grave, as described in the Scriptures. Next, you present your desire to die to yourself—your sin, your old ways—and become a new person in Christ.

For we know that our old self was cruci fied with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—be cause anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him (Romans 6:6-8).

In baptism, you, in essence, preach your own testi mony. You preach a powerful sermon. You preach the story of what’s most important in your life. Your baptism is a blessing to everyone who wit nesses or hears about it, because they hear the story of the gospel and how God transforms lives— including yours! They hear about the hope we can have in Jesus to be free from sin and to live a new life in Christ. As you walk with Christ (and turn away from sin by his grace and through the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit), others see your sermon lived out continually. Not that you will be perfect— only Jesus is perfect, and our sanctification in him is a process—but those around you hopefully will see a sermon of love, grace, humility, and obedi ence exemplified through you. Additionally, bap tisms provide a witness to the entire church and community that Christ is still transforming lives today. This great privilege is a huge reason to be thankful!

3. YOU GET TO BE FREE

Paul announced in the previous verses that the be liever is set free from sin through Christ. He then wrote, “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:10-11). When we put our faith in Jesus and are baptized into his name, we are to consider ourselves dead to the sins that made us spiritually dead. After baptism, we are alive to God because of his Son Jesus. This is a rea son to celebrate and be filled with thankfulness!

A few verses later, Paul further clarified, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (v. 14). Sin no longer is your boss—Jesus is. However, Jesus is a different master from sin in every way. Jesus is lov ing, good, merciful, powerful, and full of light and grace. And there is freedom in grace. Not only that, but there is also family in grace. Jesus said,

Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no per manent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36).

After your baptism, you no longer are a slave to sin, but a free and loved member of God’s family with an everlasting inheritance. Aren’t you glad? I am so thankful to have an earthly family—my parents, siblings, wife (the perpetual sunshine of my life), children and grandchildren (who bring me joy and make me so proud), and my extended family. Then, to be a part of not only a church family, but also God’s eternal family . . . and to be regarded as his child? That makes the many very good things in life unendingly better! The freedom and family we receive through salvation, which begins with be lief and baptism, are great reasons to be thankful, wouldn’t you agree?

4. YOU GET TO BE FORGIVEN

One of the best-known verses in the Bible is Ro mans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our sins were deserving of death. (Our sins were the cost, the wage, the price.) But God—through his mercy, love, and forgiveness—cancels our sin because of his Son’s death on the cross. We are forgiven. And for this, we should thank God every moment of every day.

Peter preached the sermon of his life in Acts 2. The apostle went all the way back to the prophet Joel to explain why Jesus was the Messiah and the fulfill ment of the Scriptures, and that he was crucified and resurrected from the dead.

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgive ness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3738).

Peter said to repent and be baptized. Those two things are connected . . . you really can’t do one without the other. Then Peter said, every one of them should be baptized. In other words, there are no exceptions. Every person in the crowd that day needed to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.

When Peter said, “for the forgiveness of your sins,” he meant all sins. No matter what sin you’ve ever committed, no matter how many times you’ve com mitted that sin, no matter how bad and wicked and evil that sin, no matter whether you consider it a little sin or a big sin—all your sins are forgiven. Think about that. Every sin you’ve ever committed gone, vanished, washed away. You’ve been forgiv en. That’s great news! It’s a reason to rejoice and overflow with gratitude. You can’t help but thank God for his amazing grace.

Baptism may seem like a simple, one-time event in the life of a Christian, but the blessings of bap tism are manifold and far-reaching. When you are baptized, you participate in something special that was initiated more than 2,000 years ago. It’s amazing to think about. Baptism enables us to be united with Christ not only in a symbolic way, but a supernatural way. It allows us to preach a sermon to others and provide a witness to the church and community that Christ transforms lives. Baptism is an important step in our walk with Christ, which ultimately results in freedom from sin. And lastly, as the apostle Peter declared, when we repent and are baptized, we receive the forgiveness of sins.

I hope that whenever you think about baptism—be it your own or someone else’s—or witness a person being baptized, you remember these four awesome truths. I pray your heart will overflow with thank fulness as you continue to live to please your heav enly Father. 

Dudley Rutherford is the author of One Thing: Rediscover a Simpler Faith in Our Complicated World, available at Amazon and from other booksellers. He serves as senior pastor of Shep herd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los An geles area.

@pastordudley /pastordudley

@dudleyrutherford

liftupjesus.com

BY DANIEL SCHANTZ ETERNAL OF THE

My father, Ed Schantz, had trouble making ends meet in the 1950s. He preached in small churches that couldn’t pay a living wage, so, with six children to feed, he took up door-to-door sell ing to augment his income, and he was very good at it.

It helped that he was nice-looking: clean-cut, with satin black hair, innocent green eyes, and a happy smile born of inner peace.

He started by selling Wear-Ever aluminum cook ware. Whenever possible, he would arrange to cook a meal for the prospect, while giving his sales pitch as he went along.

“These aluminum pans heat up 16 percent fast er than steel or iron, saving you electricity. The unique lids hold in the nutrients and the flavor. And these pans will last two lifetimes. Wouldn’t you love to have a set of these?”

Then, for a while, he sold a fire-extinguishing powder that came in a round box like Pringles potato crisps. He would go downtown, set an old dishpan on the sidewalk in front of, say, the hardware store, fill it with wadded-up newspa pers, and set them on fire. When the store man ager came running out to see what was going on, he would toss a handful of powder on the flames and snuff them out, like magic. The store owner was impressed and bought two boxes, but the lo cal fire department was less impressed and urged him to find a safer approach.

His favorite product to sell was the large family Bible. The index to the Bible helped to sell them; it was a long listing of contemporary topics, such as “automobiles” (Nahum 2:4) and “flying sau cers” (Ezekiel 1:15-20). It was hard for Dad to sell Bibles, however, without also selling the Savior, and sometimes a Bible demonstration would end with a trip to the church baptistery.

Inspired by my father’s sales success, I answered an ad on the back of a comic book to sell greeting cards door-to-door and earn “swell prizes.” Unfor tunately, I was not an extrovert like my dad, and I approached every door with a mixture of hope and despair. When the door opened, I would say something like, “Hi, my name is Danny, and I live just down the street. I’m selling these really swell greeting cards, but I don’t suppose you need any.”

When Dad learned of my approach, he said, “You need to realize you’re doing those housewives a fa vor. You’re not begging for a handout. You’re spar ing them a shopping trip and offering them unique cards they can’t find in stores. Be upbeat, and just assume she wants to buy them and ask her how many boxes she would like to have.”

That seemed a bit pushy to me, but the first time I tried it, the lady bought three boxes!

The qualities that made my father a good salesman also made him a good preacher. Not that he was an orator. He was not. Nor was he a great administra tor. His office was messy, his daily schedule was “loosely” organized, and he dreaded board meet ings like trips to the dentist.

What my father did best was to get people to make a decision for Christ, and he didn’t wait for Sunday to do it. He just assumed that everyone wanted to go to Heaven, so he gave everyone he met an invi tation. He was friends with store clerks, librarians, auto mechanics, school principals, police officers, even the bank president.

After some small talk he might say, “Well, Jerry, have you thought about bringing the Lord into your life and your banking business? I would love to talk to you about that, when you are ready, and we would love to have you at church services at any time. They start at 10:30, and here’s my card. I think you would really enjoy it, Jerry.”

When I became a teenager, I thought about becom ing a preacher myself, so I started going with my fa ther on evangelistic calls.

After just a few teaching sessions with one individu al, he paused and said, “Now, Robert, I have shown you what God requires of us to be forgiven of our sins and go to Heaven. Are you ready to give your heart to the Lord and be baptized?”

I was flabbergasted when Robert said, “Yes, Ed, I am ready to do that. In fact, I wish I had done this years ago.” I knew that Robert was a difficult man, but Dad reached him with a simple, direct question.

When I later expressed my surprise at Robert’s deci sion, Dad said, “Son, you never know what’s going on in people’s hearts. You must never hesitate to call for a decision. No matter how good your presenta tion, if you don’t close the sale, you have wasted your time. Always close the sale; close the sale!

Not surprisingly, my father’s favorite part of the church service was the invitation time. He lived for it.

“There is always the possibility that someone in that service is on the verge of making a decision,” he said. “If we don’t give them a chance to respond, they might never have another opportunity.”

During the invitation my father would get rather emotional. He saved his most touching stories for that time. When I teased him about the tears in his eyes, he got defensive. “Well, on the Day of Pente cost there was a lot of emotion. People were cut to the quick and cried out for help.”

“God gave us emotions to help us make decisions,” he added, “like, to get married, or to take a better job, and, yes, to choose Christ. Emotions are not the only factor in decisions, but it’s a mistake to disre gard emotions.”

As I visit churches around the country, I am sad dened to see that some of them no longer offer an in vitation hymn, followed by baptism, although many

churches still do. I wonder why they would want to waste emotions raised by a stirring song service or a powerful sermon, and then just drop the whole sub ject at the end of the service. What a let-down!

“Close the sale,” I can hear my father say. “Close the sale!”

Yes, there are other ways to lead people to a deci sion, but it’s not necessary to abandon the triedand-true public invitation in order to implement those alternatives.

When people make a decision in public and are bap tized in public, it inspires others to make the same decision. And it lifts the mood of the whole congre gation to see new members added, giving them a chance to encourage the new convert with a hug and congratulations.

As a teen, I was sitting in the audience at a revival meeting. In front of me was an old man who had been coming to church all his life, but he had never accepted Christ as his Savior, even though many people had tried to reach him. He was short, with thin gray hair, and he walked with a limp.

When the first strains of “Softly and Tenderly” be gan, he stepped into the aisle and hobbled down front, wiping his eyes with a hanky as he went. When he came up out of the baptistery with a shout of joy, and hugged my dad for baptizing him, it was the most powerful sermon I have ever witnessed.

Why did it happen so late in his life? Did he do it for his grandsons? Was he having chest pains that made him think about eternity? Did he want to be with his beloved and godly wife who by that time was in Heaven? We will never know. But it was a vivid reminder that it’s never too late to offer an in vitation to Heaven.

As my dad said, “Close the sale; close the sale!”

Daniel Schantz is a professor emeritus of Central Christian Col lege of the Bible, Moberly, Missouri.

WHAT MY FATHER DID BEST WAS TO GET PEOPLE TO MAKE A DECISION FOR CHRIST, AND HE DIDN’T WAIT FOR SUNDAY TO DO IT.

A Fresh Look at the Gifts of the Spirit

By Glen Elliott

You Don’t Have What It Takes!

At times, we all feel like we just don’t have what it takes. We wonder if we are good enough as a spouse, parent, boss or employee, etc. The “imposter syn drome,” as it is sometimes called, particularly affects leaders and high achievers. It occurs when we doubt our ability to do our job and make a difference. We can also feel this way about our work for and with God.

About 10 years ago I faced one of my most difficult personal leadership challenges. I questioned my ability to lead our church, which seemed to have pla teaued. I was facing intense criticism. Maybe I’m not the right guy for our church, I thought. I entered a rare season of doubt and depression. The court that con vened in my mind told me I didn’t have what it took to lead my church out of this “great recession” to be come the people God wanted us to be. Since then, I’ve spoken with many men and women who don’t think they have what it takes to advance the work and mis sion of God.

God gave us a daunting mission. We are to reach a dark world that’s been bought and shaped by Satan’s lies. We are to share light that will free people to dis cover real life in Jesus. But the evil one’s lies are pow erful . . . and so is the power of self that exists in us all. Our mission is even more challenging as our culture embraces ever more post-Christian views. God loves the world even though it is hostile to the church and faith. So, it’s rather easy to begin thinking, I don’t have what it takes

But consider Jesus’ profound words: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Read that again slowly. You and I can do nothing apart from Jesus. Without Jesus, we will never have what it takes to advance the mission of God. We will never be able to push back the power of darkness. We will struggle to reach lost people and make disciples. I fear that many of us have been tricked into thinking it’s entirely on us to carry out this supernatural mis sion. But since our mission is supernatural, it requires power beyond our natural abilities.

Why Do We Need Spiritual Gifts?

It’s time to take a fresh look at spiritual gifts. If we want to bear kingdom fruit, then we’re dependent on power that comes directly from God. The context in which Jesus said “apart from me you can do nothing” is critical. Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death, resurrection, and ascension. He would physi cally leave them. He was launching them on mission. He promised the Holy Spirit would guide them and give them the power they needed to establish the church amid opposition. Today, more than ever, we need that same power and ability.

Bottom line, we won’t see the kingdom of God ad vance apart from the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and ministry. But, sadly, we settle for what comes to us naturally, not supernaturally. We are con tent to rest on our own abilities and talents. At our birth, God gave every human being certain talents. We rely on these talents (building, organizing, speak ing, artistic abilities, etc.) to make a living and to provide enjoyment. But natural abilities alone won’t empower us to win the spiritual war in which we are engaged. We need the power of the Spirit working in and through us.

Peter made this clear. After reminding us of the ur gency of our mission, he wrote,

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faith ful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Consider that incredible statement for a moment. You can speak as if you were speaking the very words of God! You can serve out of the strength and power God provides! And God will be praised in what we say and do. Peter’s admonition is to lead, speak, and serve through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that provide us spiritual power.

What Are Spiritual Gifts?

So, just what are these spiritual gifts? Here’s my defi nition: A gift of the Spirit is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit according to God’s grace to every mem ber of the body of Christ for use in service to others.

Paul provided the basis for the above definition in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11. These verses focus on the fol lowing key principles:

• There is unity among believers (vv. 4-6).

• Each believer is unique but the body of Christ is diverse (vv. 4-6).

• Gifts are for the common good (v. 7).

• The Holy Spirit is the source of gifts and distrib utes the gifts (v. 11).

On the day you were born, God gave you some amaz ing talents. At your rebirth in Christ, God gave you spiritual or supernatural gifts to accomplish what he’s called you to do for him and his kingdom. Every believer is spiritually gifted in some way. This doesn’t mean God won’t use your natural giftings to advance the kingdom, but those gifts alone are not enough, and in some cases your natural giftings are not what God will choose to use to accomplish his mission. There will be no spiritual movement and advance ment without his power in our lives, for we can do nothing apart from Jesus.

Do We Receive Spiritual Gifts for Life or for Specific Ministry Opportunities?

We all have a spiritual gift or a mix of spiritual gifts. These gifts are essential if we want to see God work in supernatural ways through us. When I teach about spiritual gifts, I’m often asked, “Does the Spirit give a spiritual gift or set of gifts at our spiritual rebirth that are static or do they change depending on the work and mission we are involved in?” Here’s what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:11 after he mentioned several spiritual gifts: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

The Holy Spirit is the source of all gifts. He decides who gets what gift(s) and for what period. We can ask for a gift, but he decides based on what is best for the body of Christ. The Spirit decides if you get a gift that is constant and steady. The Spirit decides whether to give a gift for only a special ministry or season. And that’s because the Spirit is who guides us in ministry.

I’ve discovered the Spirit gives me both a consistent ministry focus and the gifts needed for that, and he also leads and empowers me into unique service op portunities that come and go quickly.

for we can do nothing apart from Jesus

How Do We Discover (and Use) Our Spiritual Gifts?

I’m also asked how we discover the gifts God has giv en us. Over the years several spiritual gift inventories have been created to help Christians discover their gift. But here’s the deal. An inventory can only help you narrow your focus on what your gifts might be. An inventory cannot confirm the gift or gifts the Spirit may have given you.

The New Testament is silent on a procedure for dis covering spiritual gifts. So, how did first-century Christians discover their spiritual gift(s)? It was done in community . . . and that’s how it should be done to day. Fellow Christians you know will encourage and confirm the use of your gifts. Here are some practical steps for discovering and confirming your spiritual gift(s) in the context of a spiritual community.

1. Pray. Ask to be used by God in ministry, ask for guidance and direction, and ask to discover your gift(s).

2. Identify possible gifts that you may have been given. Prayerfully read the lists of spiritual gifts in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. Several online spiritual gift inventories are available to help you narrow your options. Have conversations with those of faith who know you well.

3. Match your gift possibilities with your ministry possibilities. You’ll only discover your gifts in actual service to others. As you serve, prayerfully ask yourself and others of your community these four questions:

• Have I experienced this gift being used in min istry?

• Has using this gift had a tangible and beneficial spiritual effect in ministry to others?

• Have other Christians observed and confirmed that I use this gift?

• Does using this gift in ministry bring joy?

After discovering and identifying your gift(s), commit yourself to using them in ministry and remain open to continual feedback on your giftedness in ministry.

Most of us struggle to believe we have what it takes to be and do what God wants of us. So, sometimes we just attempt to ignore the call. Or sometimes we are like Moses who argued with God that he didn’t have what it took. We know deep down that apart from the Spirit of Jesus, we can’t do anything significant and meaningful. But God has not left us alone. He’s given us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to live in us, guide us, and empower us to be on mission to make a difference in the name of Jesus. 

Glen Elliott served as a pastor at Pantano Christian Church in Tuc son, Arizona, for 24 years. He now spends much of his time mentor ing, teaching, and encouraging leaders and pastors to help them lead healthy, life-giving churches.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Peace for All Seasons

By Douglas Redford

THIS ARTICLE, REPRINTED HERE WITH MINOR UPDATES, FIRST APPEARED IN CHRISTIAN STANDARD ON DECEMBER 22, 1985.

During the Christmas season in 1984, an event occurred which served as a revealing commentary on the times. Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Af rica, an Anglican church leader, was in Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But the presentation was held up for more than an hour after an anonymous telephone caller told an Oslo newspaper that a bomb had been placed in the reception hall and would explode in 10 minutes. Although a careful search turned up nothing, it is ironic that an award for peace could not be given because of the absence of peace.

Though numerous peace prizes have been awarded through the years, yet another Christmas season is approaching in which peace on earth is far from a reality. Once more the angels are singing, but who is listening?

One of the fervent hopes of human beings everywhere during this season will be “peace on earth.” It is so every Christmas. The fact that peace is still a hope and a dream indicates that the peace the world seeks has not yet been achieved. It isn’t that the world does not desire peace. Humankind has presented awards for peace, sought and signed peace treaties, and promoted peace talks, yet our world is falling into pieces, not falling into peace.

If only the world could, as the carol says, “rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.” Society’s longings for peace are energized, not by God’s power, but by human ingenuity. People seem to have forgotten that the declaration of peace on earth came not from earth, but from Heaven to earth.

It came at the point in time when Jesus Christ entered the world. Peace is not found in a human pact, paper, or program, but in a divine person. Of this person, Paul would later write, “He himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). This person declared, as he faced death by crucifixion, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

The peace on earth which Jesus came to bring is far different from the peace of earth. This difference is crucial.

Wrong Situation

In the first place, when the world speaks of peace, it is trying to achieve it by focusing on the wrong sets of circumstances or situations. Peace is usually defined in terms of an end to global conflict or a cessation of strife between nations. Treaties or agreements concerning weapons are carefully construct ed. A call for a ban or moratorium on weapons is issued, that there might be peace.

Yet such circumstances as these were not Jesus’ primary concern. He dealt with the timeless, universal obstacles to peace, which lie within each of us. Even if at this very moment no more nuclear weapons were built and the oth ers that we have could be disposed of, we would still not have the real peace Jesus desires for us.

Numerous other problems and crises remain in our world. There would be an abundance of other reasons for our hearts to be troubled and afraid, as Je sus put it. What the Bible calls the “works of the flesh” (King James Version) would still be rampant (Galatians 5:19-21). Whatever “world peace” might have been attained through human effort would not affect the strife in indi vidual hearts and homes caused by sin.

Wrong People

The world also looks to the wrong people for aid in achieving peace. It pro poses that if we can bring the right leaders to the same table, there will be a greater chance for peace among the nations represented by those leaders. But the Christmas message declares that the problem is not nation versus nation; it is people versus God. God’s leadership makes peace possible. This peace is attained not on a national level, but on a personal level.

Usually when Luke 2:14 is read during the Christmas season, it is rendered, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (King James Version). This is not the best translation of the text. Many of the more modern versions offer a more accurate reading—such as the New Re vised Standard Version (“on earth peace among those whom he favors!”), New American Standard Bible (“peace among people with whom He is pleased”), and the New International Version (“on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”). In these translations the emphasis is not merely a general con dition of peace on earth; it is peace to people. It is a personal peace, specially possessed by individuals pleasing to God.

Peace is not found in a human pact, paper, or program, but in a divine person.

Wrong Place

The peace of Jesus is not a quality one looks around and sees in the society surrounding them. The world believes, “Let us have peace in our society or our world and then we will have a better world and thus a better chance for personal peace.” This is not the “peace on earth” which the angels an nounced.

The peace of which they spoke can remain within a person regardless of what may be happening on earth. This peace abides despite circumstances and can sustain and encourage even when the world’s attempts at peace are frustrated. Jesus did not come to change world conditions by altering the conditions; he came to change individuals regardless of the world conditions under which they might be living.

He even indicated that acceptance of his peace might well produce condi tions of conflict and tension, much of this brought on by an unaccepting world. He spoke of this paradox on different occasions, as in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Even when there is very little peace on earth (as today), the individual can have peace.

The Scriptures seem to indicate that world conditions may not improve; cer tainly they will not improve as long as people seek peace without God. “Evil doers and impostors will go from bad to worse,” wrote Paul, “deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). Yet God’s personal peace can abide.

Where Peace Is Found

These truths are perhaps no more clearly seen than in the details of the Christmas story itself. The surroundings were the worst under which a baby could be born. Mary was forced to make the grueling trip to Bethlehem in her condition, an innocent victim of an emperor’s scheme to generate more income. When the child was born, he did not even have a decent place to sleep. But what mattered in all of this was not the circumstances; the focus was upon Christ the Lord, who had just entered our world. Many things were absent from that stable, but peace was not one of them.

The political climate of the time was also far from ideal. We look at our world, and we may shudder at brutal leaders such as Bashar al-Assad of Syria and

Kim Jong-un of North Korea. But we can only speculate as to whether ei ther of these men could “hold a candle” to Herod the Great, whose palace was no more than a few miles from the manger. Herod’s atrocity (recorded in Matthew 2:16-18) is the most horrifying detail of the Christmas story. Yet the Herods of the earth did not disappear when Jesus was born, nor was the burden of Rome lifted. Herod remained cruel to the day of his death; Rome remained unyielding. On the surface, nothing seemed to change, and yet everything had changed.

Luke 2:13 states that “a great army of heaven’s angels” (Good News Transla tion) appeared to the shepherds. This army was present because a battle was beginning to rage. The Prince of Peace had come, and he did not rest until he had paid the price of peace—his own life, given for the sins of the world, given so that individuals in all times and places could have peace. The treaty has been established by his death, burial, and resurrection; the price of his own blood has been paid. When this peace is received and becomes a reality in any individual’s life, it means indeed, “Glory to God in the highest.”

The peace which the angels announced has come! It is not a wish or a fan tasy, to be constantly frustrated by the failures of governments and their leaders. The peace of Christmas did not depend upon the efforts of any gov ernment to be maintained in the time of Christ. Neither does it depend on such efforts today!

When circumstances are most trying and world conditions seem to deterio rate daily, personal peace remains an individual’s secure possession. Let us not be overwhelmed by such conditions (or influenced by the efforts of many churches in our society to devote themselves to “peace” as the world defines it).

Let us offer peace on the terms of Heaven, not of earth, for peace is Heaven’s Christmas gift—for all peoples in all times and seasons. As Peter declared to the house of Cornelius, “[This is] the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). 

In 1985, when he wrote this, Douglas Redford was serving with Christ’s Church at Plymouth in Indiana. Currently he is the minister at Highview Christian Church in Cincinnati. In the intervening years he was an editor of adult Sunday school curriculum and a Bible college professor.

By Jordan Rabenstein

Vision without Sight

I visited Liberia, Africa, in July 2018, as part of my first-ever short-term mission trip. I learned many lessons through various experiences and encoun ters, but visiting an orphanage for the blind left the deepest mark on my heart.

When our group was told we would be visiting such a place, I commented to a friend, “It’s not enough that they are orphans in Africa, but they are blind too? Can you rip my heart out any more?” I really had no clue.

During that visit, we found the majority of the chil dren were away in the village, but while we visited with an older man (people of various ages live there), a few children made their way to us.

I suddenly found myself looking down at a shy but smiling 6-year-old girl named Princess. She had an eye that looked almost normal but rolled off and didn’t focus and an eye that was mostly shut; she had no vision in either one. I let her “see me” through feeling my skin, face, and hair. She came across my sunglasses and placed them on her own face. I gently switched her sandals to the correct feet, which seemed to cement our friendship as she felt for my knees and climbed into my lap.

I spent the rest of this visit reading Bible stories to Princess as she turned the pages of my book. She overcame some of her shyness to sing to me about love being all we need.

While I was on the porch with Princess, some members of our team met with Kennedy, the blind principal of the school. His computer allows him to type words and hear them repeated back. In a matter of seconds, he created a sheet of Braille that included the entire alphabet, numbers 1 to 10, and a personalized message for HOPE2, our organiza tion. The time came to leave, but I wasn’t ready. For the first time, I prayed to return to a place we’d already visited.

Meeting Princess Short-Term Mission to a Liberian an and a Blind Girl

An Adventure into Darkness

The next morning during our team meeting, our trip leader, Sam, asked who among us considered themselves to be adventurous. The nine of us who volunteered soon learned we’d be spending the next three-plus hours blindfolded at the orphan age for the blind. I was conflicted. I was thrilled at the opportunity to go back to visit with Princess, but I lamented not being able to see her face, read to her, and help her navigate. I wondered wheth er wearing blindfolds to approximate blindness would come across as disrespectful. Was this re ally a good idea?

Upon arriving, Kennedy said he loved that we would attempt to step into a blind person’s shoes. We were helped out of the vehicles, and most of our newly “blind” team members just stood still. We felt utterly alone and helpless unless someone was touching us or guiding us. We could hear peo ple moving around and visiting, but we felt like we were not a part of things.

Later, we talked about these feelings, about how vulnerable we felt during our brief time living in darkness. We learned it’s more difficult to build relationships when one is sightless. I was fortu nate in that I had the foundation of a friendship on which to build.

Little Princess was the first child over to our cars; she was searching for me, I was told. She heard my voice and reached out for me, and we embraced. I couldn’t see her face and she would never see mine, but our hearts knew one another. This time, in stead of reading to her, I sat on the porch, held her in my lap, and recited a Bible story from memory to her. Then Steve, a team member who’d become my blind guide for the day, read to both of us. In all this, I got to know Princess differently than the day

before. I became more attuned to this sweet girl by touching her braids, holding her tiny hands, feel ing the heat of her skin, hearing her voice.

She sang to me as she had the day before. It was more difficult to understand her because I couldn’t see her mouth moving, but I experienced the music altogether differently, especially the way she sang the music, because there was nothing to distract me.

In a schoolroom, Sam taught that Joseph overcame multiple challenges after being sold into slavery; Sam stressed that God is able to work anything for good and beauty. His message seemed especially appropriate as I sat there, unable to see, and imag ined living in a destitute country with a physical affliction likely to cause even more hopelessness.

Steve had guided us into the schoolroom. As we listened, Princess got up from her chair, hurriedly got onto my lap, wrapped my arms around her, and hugged my neck with her thin arms.

Over the two visits, our bond grew deeper. When it was time to leave, I held her longer than before; I told her I loved her and that Jesus loved her. I felt her face smile and she said, “Yes, Jesus.”

Life changed for us that day.

Some in our “voluntary blind” group spent that visit in chairs in the corners of rooms feeling very alone and unsure. Some others felt the weight of the difficulties these people face daily and gained appreciation for their perseverance and resilience to overcome trials and adversities. Still others forged unexpected bonds when their hands and heart did their seeing for them.

One Final Visit

We went back to the orphanage one final time on the last full day of our trip. We put on a small car nival for the kids. Earlier in the trip, we had put on a carnival for children with sight. For the second carnival, we revised the games and offered help at every turn. For prizes, we handed out trinkets that made noise or had interesting textures. We openly built relationships; their physical handicap had ceased to be a barrier.

At that event, we behaved with a compassion and understanding we may not have possessed had God not challenged our spirits through the experi ment of becoming temporarily blind a week before. The level of participation by these little, blind or phans—their joy and excitement, their determina tion and tenacity—spoke volumes to our hearts.

As we left, I embraced Princess a final time.

If God allows me to return to Liberia, I hope to find this beautiful soul again. No matter what our fu tures hold, no matter what she remembers of me as she grows older, I will never forget a little blind girl who climbed into my arms and into my heart halfway around the world. 

Upon returning to America from Liberia in 2021, Jordan Raben stein took on a full-time position with HOPE2. She has a passion for loving others, building relationships, and watching God cre ate beauty from broken people.

‘You Must Preach the Gospel’

By Tina Wilson

The Testimony of the First-Known Somali Gospel Preacher

On a recent mission trip to create a clean water source for a rural community in East Africa, I was invited to the wedding of a Somali man and woman. Both had become followers of Christ, and they were quietly transported to a Church of Christ in an area where many Muslims live.

As soon as we passed through security, we were warned against taking photos or videos. This was partly due to concern about persecution for the bride and groom, but it was more about another guest named Ibrahim, who is known to Muslims as the big kafir (the big infidel). On the other side of the church gates, however, many respectfully refer to Ibrahim as Father

Ibrahim is a familial father to several of the people we met there, including the Somali couple he was marrying that day. But he is also a father figure to the many people he has led to the Christian faith. He is the first known Somali gospel preacher, and perhaps the first Somali Christian convert.

I was eager to learn more about Ibrahim, so I ar ranged to meet him at a private residence where an underground church assembles. The testimony he shared with me is akin to that of the apostle Paul, demonstrating that, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Nomad, Imam, Soldier

Ibrahim was born under a tree and grew up a no mad. He was only 6 years old when his father was killed by a bull that fell into a well on top of him. His mother was left to move from place to place seeking pastureland for their 160 cows and 9 camels. She cared for Ibrahim for the next nine years, teach ing him the Koran and enrolling him in a Muslim school. From childhood, Ibrahim learned that any one who is not Muslim is an infidel and should be killed. He went on to study under a Muslim sheikh for two years, and he became an imam, leading a local mosque.

From an early age, he was exposed to and engaged in conflicts between clans, mostly over pasture land, camels, and control of water in the Somali region. As a young man, Ibrahim was drafted to fight for the British colonizers. Serving in the Brit ish army as an askari, or native soldier, in the mid1960s, Ibrahim was commissioned to keep peace at a large gathering where a Christian missionary was scheduled to speak.

Ibrahim recalls that a white man who preached the gospel there read from Exodus the account of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. Ibrahim recognized this account from the Koran and wanted to learn more. The missionary gave Ibrahim a Bible and en couraged him to keep reading; and Ibrahim’s per sonal study of Scripture led him to conclude that the Koran was a modification of Hebrew Scriptures. His acceptance of the Bible as the inspired and au thoritative Word of God led him to faith in Jesus Christ.

Ibrahim recalled the persecution that ensued. “When I say the Koran is modified from the Bible, they are beating me.”

Christ Follower, Bible Smuggler,Church Planter

His new faith in Christ led him to be baptized in obedience to Christ’s command, but he wanted to do more. He arranged to be baptized a sec ond time so that he could declare his faith to his whole tribe. About 400 people came to witness Ibrahim’s second baptism, including 30 Somali leaders. He testified to them that he believed in Jesus Christ, and he was not afraid. There he was first named kafir for accepting the gospel.

Ibrahim’s first evangelistic efforts included standing on top of a vehicle with a loudspeaker to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has been shot at three times and stoned several times dur ing his preaching over the years. He has been imprisoned. Additionally, more than a dozen people whom he led to Christ have been shot to death by extremists, their wives and children left without fathers.

Ibrahim has planted 22 churches where he both preached and completed building projects. He helped translate the Scriptures from Swahili

into Somali, and he made several journeys on foot to smuggle hundreds of Bibles across the So mali border on the backs of camels. A trip would take seven days one way, and Ibrahim traveled by night to avoid detection. The Bible had not been available in the Somali language before, and possession of a Bible could be treated as a capital crime. Yet, Ibrahim was determined to distribute the Christian Scriptures. In rural parts of Somalia, he broke the Bibles into pieces and gathered by night with groups who read God’s Word by firelight.

During our interview, Ibrahim cheerfully pro duced from his pocket the Bible he has carried for 30 years. He is over 90 years old but can still read its small print without glasses. He called on a person sitting near him to read to us from his English Bible. No one in the room could hold back tears as we considered his story against the backdrop of Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi. “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles” (Philippians 4:14).

Preacher and Podcaster

Ibrahim’s life purpose has not shifted nor has his passion for Christ waned through years of plant ing, preaching, and persecution.

“If God [is] willing,” he says, “I will go to Somalia and preach the gospel.”

He speaks via the internet for Somali Bible study groups. He recently was honored at a secret gathering of Somali Christians and missionar ies to Somalis. At their conference, Ibrahim was anointed with camel milk to be the ugaas (para mount chief) of the Somali believers. Other ugaas are anointed with camel milk to nonreligious po sitions as chiefs of Somali clans. Yet, because So mali Christians come from many different clans, they expressed their unity in appointing the oldest Somali believer and preacher to be their ugaas and to act as their spiritual adviser based on his experience and wisdom.

Ibrahim now lives in a rural area where clans and tribes still persecute him through threats and at

tempts to seize his property. Yet he does not live in fear.

“If I die, I know where I’m going. No problem,” he says. “You must preach the gospel.”

Far fewer than 1 percent of his beloved Somalis are Christians, thus the Somalis qualify as an un reached people group. Islam is the state religion of Somalia, and Muslims are prohibited from converting to or propagating any religion other than Islam. The law of the land complies with the general principles of sharia. Some Somalis seek refuge in nearby countries. If the people try to attend a church service, they may be stopped, questioned, and arrested.

As Ibrahim continues to fight the good fight, finishing the race while keeping the faith, he is ready to switch from loudspeaker to podcast. Our church recently sent funds to purchase equip ment so that Ibrahim can continue preaching to people who need an introduction to the inspired Word of God so that they too may come to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

BY JERRY HARRIS

'WHAT IF WE, ONCE A SMALL, RURAL, OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH CHURCH, COULD BECOME A CATALYST FOR REACHING PEOPLE WE WOULD NEVER MEET IN THIS LIFETIME?'

F or almost two decades, Doug Crozier has had big dreams for The Crossing, my Midwestern church home for 25-plus years. And all during that time, Doug has worked with us to remove whatever obstacles stood in the way.

When the idea of a multisite church was still in its infancy, The Crossing decided to reach out into mi cropolitan and rural communities with a fresh ap proach to the gospel. Conversations with Doug gave us the confidence to push forward beyond what we ever imagined. Eleven campuses and thousands of baptisms later, the dreams we dared to imagine have become realities. Following through on these dreams required big steps of faith into previously unknown territories. Following through also called for trusting God to provide the increase . . . and God did not disap point.

EXPANDING DREAMS

When I came to serve the church 25 years ago, it was a small congregation of about 230 meeting in a rented facility on weekends and maintaining offices in its original, outgrown, 8,000-square-foot church space. While our worship space was inadequate and we had adopted the mobile worship concept, we were debt-free, which freed up money for ventures other than buildings.

Then things changed. The congregation quickly grew and expanded into new spaces that required a high debt load to manage the additional people. We adopted the multisite model in 2006 when we launched out into a new community 60 miles away; this required even more funds. Not only did Doug dream with us for what we needed, he challenged us to dream about a future with five locations. And in 2011, when The Solomon Foundation was formed, dreams at The Crossing grew even larger.

God provided abundantly for our church; we not only managed our debt, we were able to make triplesized repayments every month. Still, as the years went by, I dreamed of a day when our church could completely pay off the debt. But with every capital campaign or generosity initiative, new ministry op portunities would arise, the church would grow, and the quiet personal dream of being debt free seemed a bridge too far.

As 2021 ended, so did my senior ministry at The Crossing. Although we had seen many victories dur ing my years here—and the new senior pastor had been raised up from within our church over a 16-year period—one thing had escaped us . . . escaped me . . . one thing I couldn’t pass on to him. We still were not debt free. I reflected on being the one who led the church into debt. Selfishly, I wanted to be the one to lead us out.

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4.65% APY is based on a minimum investment of $10,000 for a term of 5 years. 3.565% APY is based on a minimum investment of $10,000 for a term of 3 years. 2.99% APY is based on a minimum investment of $500 for a term of 1 year. The content and material contained herein are not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy Investment Certificates of The Solomon Foundation. The offer is made solely by and through our Offering Circular, which you should read carefully before making an investment decision. The Investment Certificates are sub ject to certain risk factors as described in the Offering Circular. Investment Certificates are offered and sold only in states where authorized. Investment Certificates of The Solomon Foundation are not insured by the FDIC, SIPC or any other governmental agency. TSF has the right to call Certificates for redemption at any time upon sixty (60) days written notice. In such event, interest will be paid to the date of redemption.

UNFOLDING POSSIBILITIES

In September 2021, four months before my transition to teaching pastor, I got a text from Doug Crozier ask ing about a beautiful church camp that The Crossing had acquired and had just started using. He talked about putting that equity to work for the kingdom and how it might also allow our church to become debt free. I wondered about the equity we had in the camp property and in our other locations; soon I shared with our elders the possibility that was unfolding. Our debt was low enough that we likely would retire it in three years, but Doug shared a dream of putting that equity to work not just for us but for other churches across the nation that were struggling (as our church once had struggled).

As I mulled over these ideas, it occurred to me that the church never was called to own property; the church was called to make disciples. And while church prop erties are incredibly valuable tools for making dis ciples, if owning property were the point of our exis tence, then property would be our idol.

What if we, once a small, rural, off-the-beaten-path church, could become a catalyst for reaching people we would never meet in this lifetime? What a fresh thought! Being debt free was just an added benefit to a blessing that God alone could measure!

LEVERAGING OUR EQUITY TO MAKE MORE DISCIPLES

Our elders were not overly concerned about being debt free; they were most focused on paying it for ward and being a blessing to help other churches get to the next level in the same manner we had been helped. Appraisals on 5 of our 11 locations showed their value was more than $18 million and that we had over $13 million in equity. Doug proposed a gift/ leaseback arrangement to put that equity to work in order to increase opportunity and make disciples in other churches. Not only could The Solomon Founda tion immediately pay off our debt, but they also could provide money for needed upgrades to the gifted prop erties and outreach we never thought possible. All of that was incredible, but the most important thing was that the property’s equity would allow for loans of $2 million each (on average) to 81 other churches that needed a hand up.

In 30 years, the five properties we have gifted to The Solomon Foundation will revert back to The Cross ing’s ownership. (I wonder whether the leaders of that future church will see an opportunity to leverage that equity once again for the sake of the gospel. I hope so.)

I look back on the last 25 years and marvel at a God who can turn 8,000 square feet of space into more than 500,000 square feet under roof fully utilized in serving God and discipling people every day. I mar vel at more than 7,000 baptisms over those years. I marvel at God’s provision that we could be debt free. I marvel at what only God knows he will do with what was never ours to begin with . . . and I wonder if some day, in the glory of heaven, I will get to see an incred ible harvest of souls that came from that one decision.

Scripture says, “Now to him who is able to do immea surably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all genera tions, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

I thank The Solomon Foundation for looking beyond the simple and predictable things with an eye toward innovation. Thank you for not insulting God with small thinking and safe living. Thank you for doing fresh things in fresh ways to reach people no one else is reaching. But most of all, thank you for listening to and honoring God first!

Here is an incomplete (but growing) list of the church es our gift/leaseback is helping to get to the next level:

TSF LIST

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PSALMS (PART 2)

GODLY HEART

If our hearts are rooted in God (October lessons), then they will be godly. November, like February, is a good a month to think of “heart” matters. Having a thankful heart, especially during this month of Thanksgiving, helps us develop a godly heart. Through our Bible study this month, students will learn that a godly heart seeks after God, humbles itself before God, strives to be strong and courageous for God, and gives thanks and praise to God.

MATTHEW

JESUS IS LORD

Saying that “Jesus is Lord” can be difficult for someone living in a democratic republic. The paradigm of a democracy runs counter to living in a kingdom. Lordship implies that someone else is in charge. Perhaps the earliest Christian confession was “Jesus is Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Romans understood that to be a reference to a king. But Matthew’s audience used other titles to indicate the same; examples include “Christ” or “Son of God.” In this unit, students will learn from the disciples that Jesus is Lord of the harvest, they will learn from the mira cles that Jesus is Lord of creation, they will learn from a parable that Jesus is Lord of judgment, and they will learn from the Magi that Jesus is Lord of all.

INTERACT

THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP CRISIS IS ‘ON US’

John Davis @BibleJD The recent “Interact” response [to “Solving the Church Leadership Crisis, by Jerry Harris, p. 48, May/June 2022] from five college presidents in the back of the new issue [of] @ChrStandard was dead-on in my opinion [p. 94, September/October 2022]. The lack of new/young preachers and ministers is not due to cost of higher education, but our young people choosing other vocations. The task of raising up preachers and pastors is given to the local church. Our young men don’t want to become ministers. That’s on us. I don’t have the answer . . . but I deeply want to see my own church produce young men who aspire to go into ministry.

A TOPIC TO KEEP DISCUSSING

John Scott @dadofandrew I appreciate your Sept/Oct 2022 article [Engage, “8 Ways Church Growth Has Reach an Idolatrous Level (Part 2),” by Tyler McKenzie, p. 12]. I wish this would be discussed during Spire Conference. . . . I appreciate your wisdom.

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF GATHERING?

Rick Willis I enjoyed reading Kent Fillinger’s article entitled “Why Do We Gather?” in the September/October 2022 issue [p. 20]. He asks, “When did you last study the New Testament to see what it teaches about our purpose for gathering?” Then the article provides many statistics to illustrate what people think about the design of worship, how long sermons should be, and the worldview of church pastors. I was hoping for more on what the New Testament says about our purpose for gathering.

I get why we try to use Sunday worship services to make evangelistic appeals to visitors. And I wish I had a full-fledged plan for how to do it better. But my concern as we try to “speak where the Bible speaks” is that I don’t see it speaking about church gatherings for evangelistic purposes. The typical house church, which was common in the first century, appears to have met for the reasons outlined in Acts 2:42: to study the apostles’ doctrine, to have fellowship, to take the Lord’s Supper, and for prayer.

Such things provide knowledge, encouragement, correction, reminders of our needed focus on what Christ did for us, and our need to communicate with God through prayer. Thus prepared, we go out to evangelize. What that looks like is our need.

Meanwhile, back at the church building, as we gather, is our attempt to somehow mesh a Christian growth message with an evangelistic appeal (the Sunday sermon) the biblical way to both grow Christians and sow the gospel seed? It’s what I’ve spent my whole life watching, but I struggle to find it in Scripture. As we try to speak where the Bible speaks, [this is] a worthy topic for the Restoration Movement to pursue.

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Kevin B. White Thanks Ben! Excellent as always! [“How Will the Church Respond to the Mental Health Crisis?” By Ben Cachiaras, p. 34, July/August 2022]. Appreciate your wisdom and the compelling way that you express your insights!

MULTIPLIERS AND/OR DIGITAL ATTENDANCE CARDS?

Daniel Shelton Why would a church continue to use a multiplier when they also use a digital attendance card? [Metrics, “Behind the Screen: Insights into Online Church,” by Kent E. Fillinger, p. 20, July/August 2022]. I’m not sure they need to be mutually exclusive. A good online form (or digital attendance card) may likely ask how many are watching with you today. It’s highly unlikely that each person in a living room will take the effort to fill out the card. This information can actually provide a more substantive multiplier. I know of at least one church that bases its multiplier directly on the number of attendees per online card.

SHARING OUR STRUGGLES

William Reed Your article really hit home with me [From the Editor, “Health: Give Careful Attention!” by Michael C. Mack, p. 6, July/August 2022]. I’ve never met anyone else with Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. I was a correctional chaplain, but I just couldn’t make it to work, and now I’m on Social Security disability. I can’t thank you enough for sharing about your struggles, I pray that you will get better and better.

THE CURE

Rob Tuttle Thanks, Jerry Harris, for your excellent article [From the Publisher, “The World Is Sick and Jesus Is the Cure,” p. 2, July/August 2022]. I will use part of it for my sermon on the Rest (sabbath) of Jesus.

Charles Jesus is indeed the answer and to receive his answer one must accept his teachings as given [in the article]: get out of your hog pen, wash off the stink, and find believers who accept you just as you are, and willingly give unto you fellowship, teaching, and encouragement. The church seems to expect people to have a “road to Damascus” revelation and forget that it takes the church to set examples of living in Christ. Be a reflection of the Light of the World. ON NEXT

INTERACT (CONT'D)

GENTLE SLOWDOWN?

Andy Pryor One thing about rhythm and aging, at least for me, is the gentle slowdown [“The Rhythms of a Well-Lived Life: Being Healthy Is Your Responsibility!” by Alan Ahlgrim, p. 28, July/August 2022]. My experience resonates with Alan’s. . . . The slowdown should be more than a matter of age. But while it could have helped me to live a slower lifestyle as a pastor, I wonder (doubt?) that I could have accomplished all that needed to be done in the church. That, of course, is a rather self-aggrandizing attitude. Thanks, Alan!

Loren C. Roberts I’m 81, a widower, and quite fit. I struggle with the lack of being humble. I know God values humility highly, and in my prayer time I ask God to help me be humble in his eyes. He does help me, and it can be humorous.

I ride a mountain bike . . . and it gives me a chance to witness at times. I pray for chances before each ride. Last week while riding I got to thinking I had not crashed for the whole year. Lack of humility. Well, I crashed. Thankfully, I was not hurt. I’ve broken bones, [suffered] lacerations, etc., in the past.

After riding about a tenth of a mile down the trail, I realized I lost a hearing aid. I walked back and was scratching around in the leaves looking for it when two guys came along, asked what I was looking for. One of them spotted it right away. This led to a long conversation and my being able to witness to them and point them to a place of worship. I kind of think God killed two birds with one stone. He humbled me and gave me an opportunity to witness his love.

Matt Newburg Great article. Learning to take care of self . . . relationship with God (vertical) and others (horizontal) is huge!

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