Standing Tall

In a day when some church leaders are openly denying Christian doctrine, and others are "evolving" on certain moral issues, it is so stinking refreshing to find one who is willing to stick to his guns.

The guns in question belong to Robert Jeffress, pastor of FBC Dallas.  Over the past year or so Jeffress has made statements that don't sit well with the PC police, so when it was announced that pro football player Tim Tebow would appear with him in April, all hell broke loose (pun intended).  After days of hysteria from the usual places, Tebow backed out.

This story stirs a variety of emotions in me, not least of which is hope.  Pastor Jeffress is not even a little apologetic about what he teaches, and has no plans of going away.  He addressed the controversy Sunday, and you can check it out here (10 minutes).

Counting My Blessings

Oh, how I wish I had a dollar for every time I have seen this: a young person is brought up in a solid evangelical church.  There are sermons and lessons galore, and not a few youth camps and other special events.  Life's big decisions must be made with care, these young people are told, and there are temptations on every hand.  Duly warned, they then proceed to choose a complete spiritual dud as a life partner.

Of course, it's not exactly a "life" partner.  After a few days/months/years the couple discovers that - you might want to hold onto something - they are not compatible!  The fires of passion that once raged have long since burned out, and only duty now holds them together.  But this can't last, so the end comes, with our young Christian deeply wounded and wondering how God could allow such a thing to happen.

I'm not trying to "pile on".  My point is that, while romance is not exactly a science, neither is it luck. Christians, of all people on earth, should have clear criteria for a potential spouse, and must stick to them no matter what.  This may not guarantee a long and happy marriage, but it sure beats sweaty palms and liver shivers.

Today is Valentines Day, and I'm reminded that I'm one of the lucky ones.  I've made mistakes, but not the one I just described.  Sure, Beverly and I have had our fights, our disappointments and tough patches.  But we're still together, and after all these years, she's still  the one I want to come home to.

An Honest Movie Trailer

If you find yourself needing a little levity this Valentines Day, check out this video that I stole from my friend Stephen Porter.

Multihousing Ministry

Here is a statistic that will blow your mind: about 57% of people in North America live in multi-housing communities, and roughly 96% of them are unchurched.  The obvious conclusion is that, if we are trying to reach people who need the Lord, we need look no further than our local apartment complex.

Next Saturday, February 16, we at FBC are happy to host Chris Rowley from "Multi-housing Champions" for a two hour workshop on the subject.  Chris will be teaching us innovative, effective strategies to reach these people for Christ.  The training is free, and everyone is welcome.

** The term "multihousing" refers to housing where there are multiple living units..........places like apartment complexes, mobile home parks, dorms, etc.

Vanity Of Vanities

Of all the sermon series I preached during my 11 years in South Carolina, one of my personal favorites was on the O.T. book of Ecclesiastes.  This book is a real gem, and it is a pity that we don't talk about it more.  Occasionally confusing, and always provocative, Ecclesiastes is the saga of a man who sought out wine, women, and song, but was left cold by the whole experience.  The only life really worth living, he finally concluded, was a life lived in service to God.

Tomorrow night we begin a 12 week study of this old book in room C-3 here at FBC.  We'll be using Tommy Nelson's book as a guide.  In fact, old Tommy himself will be teaching us through the miracle of technology.

You are welcome to join us.  For a preview, click here.

Missions Training

Several times a year the IMB (International Mission Board) offers world missions training at various sites around the country.  For those who can't make it to the live training, they also offer this training online.  A new round of classes begins tomorrow night, and it's all free.  If you'd like to be a part, you can register here.

♪ I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke...... ♪

When I was still living in South Carolina our church did a "Super Bowl outreach" one year.  I don't remember where I got the idea, but here are the highlights: we put a 2-liter Coke, a bag of microwavable popcorn, and a note into a plastic bag.  The note explained that this was a gift from our church, and that we hoped they enjoyed it while they watched the game.  We then passed these out in a local mobile home park.  It was a big surprise for the residents, and lots of fun for us!

We are doing the same thing here this year.  We have unofficially adopted a local apartment complex, and have done some ministry with children there over the past several weeks.  We hope to introduce ourselves to even more of the residents, and to let them know we are here if they ever need us.

p.s. For a trip down memory lane, click here.