Singles in the Age of the Home Run

Photo by Adam Tarleton

Home run. Long ball. Dinger. Moonshot. Bomb. Going yard.

For baseball lovers, the home run in one of the most exciting feats in America’s pastime. My family loves baseball, and our hometown team is the Texas Rangers. Every time a Rangers player crushes a towering shot over the outfield wall, fireworks erupt above the scoreboard and speakers blare the theme from the classic baseball film, “The Natural.”

Everyone loves the home run. It can give a team the added boost they need and turn the momentum of a game around completely.

Some teams live and die by the long ball, as they say. Their lineups are loaded with players who either hit it out of the ballpark or strike out. While this strategy certainly provides entertainment and a few of these teams have experienced periods of success, most clubs would prefer players who maintain a high batting average, consistently hitting singles and doubles, because this ultimately generates more runs in a game and more wins during the season.

There’s nothing really exciting about hitting singles, but a steady string of them can prove more powerful than a home run. In more recent years, teams have executed this style of play—called “small ball”—with great success. This was clearly seen with the last season’s Kansas City Royals.
We live in a culture that thrives on fireworks, huge changes, big plays and momentous occasions. We like to be entertained. Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend features a Home Run Derby, not a Batting Average Derby.

Often, I’ve heard people refer to sermons with baseball language. Church members remark that their pastor hit a “home run” on Sunday. Pastors languish over the fact that a sermon didn’t live up to their expectations, and they feel like they’ve struck out.

One of the best pieces of ministry advice I’ve received has been to focus on hitting singles and doubles rather than home runs. Just like baseball experts would say, if you try to hit a home run every time at the plate, you’ll usually strike out, but if you focus on putting the ball in play, you’ll actually increase your chances of hitting one over the wall. It’s more about patience than power.

Long-term, consistently biblical preaching will better produce healthier disciples and churches. In this way, fruitfulness becomes a byproduct of faithfulness, not flashiness.

This advice reduces the weekly stress of producing buzz-worthy sermons with tweetable lines and humorous illustrations. It encourages pastors to prioritize explaining and applying the text of Scripture. Pastors begin to realize it’s more important to feed the sheep than to wow them with your wit. Church members leave each week with a better understanding of God and what it looks like to follow him. These singles and doubles help “advance the runners” toward spiritual maturity.

This not only applies to preaching but also to a myriad of other avenues of the Christian life. In the church, do we judge the value of our worship services by whether the Lord “moved powerfully and visibly” or whether the gospel was faithfully preached and Christ was exalted and worshipped? Are we more excited about a great week of VBS or youth camp than we are at the consistent disciple-making of children and teenagers?

Certainly we pray for visible demonstrations of the Lord’s power, such as revival, but Jesus’ Parable of the Sower explains that it’s more desirable to have good soil that produces fruit with patience than rocky soil that generates quick growth with no root (Luke 8:4-15).

Consistency and faithfulness find value not only in the local church but also in our everyday lives, at work and home. It’s more important to demonstrate daily, sacrificial love toward your spouse than just springing for an expensive date or gift every once in a while. Likewise, epic family vacations have some value, but the week-in, week-out time spent talking with and discipling your children will bear more fruit in the long run.

In your own quiet times with the Lord, focus on a steady diet of the Word and prayer rather than being discouraged if you don’t have an epiphany every time you turn the page. Often times, this consistency tills the soil in our hearts that ultimately produces the greatest spiritual growth.

Life and faith truly are more about hitting singles and doubles. With this as our focus, we’ll strike out less and see more fruit over the long haul. And who knows, as we are faithful in the small things, we’ll likely experience a moonshot or two along the way.

How to Evaluate Your Pastor's Preaching

We live in a culture of critique with entertainment-driven evaluation and instant feedback:

• Celebrity judges on reality television evaluate people’s talents, singing, dancing, cooking, etc., offering witty comments and cutting judgments.
• Talking heads on sports and political broadcasts argue with each other, second-guessing every decision and analyzing others’ performances.
• Social media provides instant feedback loops on articles, photos, videos, and everything else. Many an ego has been stroked and many a heart has been broken by the comments (or lack thereof) that stream into one’s feed

In the church, we must walk the fine line between critique and criticism. I was recently asked to write an article for 9Marks on "How to Evaluate Your Pastor's Preaching."

Read the article here.

What James MacDonald and Matt Chandler Can Teach Us About Humility in Church Leadership

In the span of six weeks, two prominent megachurch pastors offered humble apologies for matters related to church government.

The first came in a blog post by James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Church in Chicago. MacDonald, who received criticism for a blog post four years ago that said congregationalism was from Satan, apologized April 16 for his “inflammatory,” “unbalanced,” and “unfair” analysis of churches who give final authority in decision-making to its members.

MacDonald says while he still holds to an elder-ruled church polity—not to be confused with elder-led churches, which still give final authority to members—he admits, “What has changed is my confidence that elder rule is a better protection against satanic attacks on a local church than congregational governance that attempts to be biblical in distributing authority among mature church members.”

Further, MacDonald says, he has realized that with both elder-ruled and congregational models, “The potential for damage to a church seems likely in both models if a lack of humility is resident in those participating in the governance.”

The second apology came from Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Dallas. After concerns related to several church discipline cases went public on news outlets and the blogosphere, Chandler told Christianity Today May 28 that elders at the Village Church were guilty of a “domineering” approach in some cases and that he would be publicly apologizing to his church the following Sunday morning.

“We have sinned against some people—and we are owning that before God and specifically before the people we have hurt,” Chandler said. He issued a lengthy, convincing apology during his sermon May 31.

I’m thankful for the humility by both of these men to own up to prideful comments and actions in such a public way. They did what was right and in the right way. I believe each of them to be sincere apologies.

Both of these scenarios are a striking reminder of the need for humility in the church. As Paul exhorts, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 2:3-5).

The relationship between church leadership and members can easily be fractured when we fail to reflect Christlike love and humility toward one another.

Likewise, the Apostle Peter exhorts elders to shepherd the flock that God has entrusted to them with carefulness and tenderness rather than compulsion and tyranny. He also urges church members to submit themselves to the elders’ care. (1 Peter 5:1-5). He concludes, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” Here, the call to humility is applied to both leaders and members.

Additionally, the scenarios with MacDonald and Chandler remind us to think critically about church government.

The church growth, or seeker-sensitive, movement of the 1990s encouraged churches to take a businesslike approach to leadership and structure, with CEO pastors steering the ship in a “more efficient” system that avoided the liabilities of too many hands in the decision-making pot (i.e., congregationalism). Even congregational churches that adopted this approach essentially relegated the members’ decision-making solely to approving a budget and calling a new senior pastor.

In recent years, more churches have adopted a plurality of elders as leadership. But, while I believe having elders is more biblically supported than the CEO-style of church leadership, I fear that some of the same “business principles” that guided the CEO model have filtered down into the elder model as well. For example, elder-ruled churches simply swap out the CEO for a board of trustees and minimize the biblical role of the congregation in matters of doctrine, membership, and discipline. (see Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 6:1-5; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:6-8; 2 Timothy 4:3). But even in elder-led, congregational churches, these business practices can find expression when elders overstep their authority, choosing control over compassion and policies over people.

Baptists have historically been advocates of both congregational polity and, prior to the 20th century, a plurality of elders (see Mark Dever’s By Whose Authority: Elders in Baptist Life). Even the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention, W.B. Johnson, spoke of this in his book The Gospel Developed. The two can co-exist provided both the elders and members exercise the humility of Christ.

But, ultimately, MacDonald is right—regardless of the model of church government (elder rule, elder led, single pastor, congregational, etc.), abuses abound when we do not demonstrate Christlike concern for and submission to one another. So, brothers and sisters, whichever camp you find yourself in, let’s practice this kind of humility and love. When we do, Christ will be glorified as the gospel is put on display to a watching world.

A Friend Closer Than a Brother

How many friends do you have? No, I’m not talking about the number of Facebook acquaintances. I’m talking about close personal friendships—the people that you talk with at least once every couple of months. It could be neighbors, coworkers, church members or lifelong friends.

Now, how many of those close friends are solid, biblically grounded Christians? These are people in whom you see a genuine, vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Of course, this criteria likely narrows your pool of relationships. For me, this smaller list includes friends from college and seminary as well as individuals in my church small group.

Now, let’s drill down another level. Of these close Christian friends, how many of these relationships go beyond the surface level, past generic discussions about weather, sports, mutual interests, children, etc.? These are people with whom you can share the most personal details of your life, both good and bad. They reflect the type of person referred to in Proverbs 18:24 when it says, “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” They encourage you when you’re down and challenge you in your walk with the Lord.

Taking it a step further, are there people not just whom you can talk with but whom you actually do talk with about these things? You don’t just have them on speed dial in the event of an emergency, but you are regularly walking in close community with them.

I’ll admit that in my busyness, I’ve neglected this deepest level in recent years. Yes, I have good friends in our church small group, and I know most of them would be willing to help at a moment’s notice. But other than a few prayer requests here and there, I haven’t intentionally shared my life with them. I say hello and make small talk on Sundays, but I haven’t personally invested the time and energy into sharing my personal struggles and getting to know theirs as well.

Two scenarios have reawakened me to our desperate need as Christians for a few close godly friends.

The first is a husband and wife I know who have faced difficulties in their marriage and recently filed for divorce. This came as a shock to friends and family because they never saw it coming. When asked if they had any close Christian friends with whom they’d shared their struggles or who could walk through this with them, offering counsel from God’s Word and praying with them, this couple said “no.”

Now these are not fringe church attenders. They are active volunteers in their church and teachers in the children’s ministry. But they have never developed close personal friendships with strong believers in whom they could have shared their marital struggles and received godly counsel and encouragement.

The second is a friend who battles with bouts of anxiety and depression. He is a strong Christian and a leader in his church. For a time, he kept his struggles to himself because he was embarrassed and did not want others to think he was “crazy.” Eventually, though, he shared this struggle with a few close friends who were able to listen, pray and encourage. He admits that sharing his weaknesses was difficult but freeing. Now he’s on the road to recovery with friends by his side.

I fear that too often in churches the first scenario is more likely than the second. Scores of church members are hurting but have isolated themselves from other believers. Facing financial crises, troubled relationships, spiritual dryness, etc., they slap on a happy face and attempt to fight these issues alone.

Maybe that somebody is you.

The writer of Ecclesiastes said it well: “But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up” (Eccl. 4:10).

We were not meant to walk through life alone. Even in the Garden of Eden, before the Fall, God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Yes, this has implications for marriage, but it also demonstrates how we are created for community. Throughout the Bible, God gathers his people in community.

If you’re like me, God has already surrounded you with at least a few close personal friends with whom you could dive deeper. Give them a call this week, invite them for dinner or coffee, and open up about your life. You may just find a friend closer than a brother.

Brothers, We are Not Brands

Recently, Forbes announced that NBA legend Michael Jordan has become the first billionaire professional athlete. Jordan’s net worth certainly can be attributed to his prowess and accomplishments on the basketball court, but what really made him a billionaire is his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets and, more importantly, his brand.

Jordan was arguably the first and most successful athlete to leverage his name as a brand. His partnership with Nike to create the Jordan line of athletic apparel was a game changer in its day and has paved the way for a myriad of superstars to follow in his wake.

Today, celebrities, athletes and business professionals alike seek to advance their personal brands and build their platforms in order to increase influence and affluence. Where entourages used to consist of trainers and accountants, they’ve now been replaced by “brand strategists” and “platform gurus.”

Social media has become one of the primary vehicles to accelerate one’s brand. Twitter and Instagram followers represent influence, and self-promotion is the name of the game. In fact, the very idea of social media carries with it at least a slight hue of narcissistic presumption.

Of course the church is not immune to the cult of personality and the culture of self-promotion. High-profile Christian celebrities and pastors are easily criticized for manipulating book sales, buying Twitter followers and using speaking engagements to promote their brands.

But what if I told you this allure toward pride is not limited just to the big shots? At the root of this is every man’s sinful desire for self-importance. Each of us seeks his own way. Each of us craves attention, significance and recognition. Even in a wholesome desire to serve the Lord and to make a difference for his kingdom, we can be easily sidetracked to make much of ourselves, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

I don’t think most Christians have a calculated, self-conscious plan to build their brands. At first blush, we recoil at the thought of pride and self-promotion. But the incipient nature of pride works its way into our thoughts and actions quietly. What we think are noble aspirations to build his kingdom can sometimes be tainted with a desire to build ourselves up. It’s a vice we must all fight.

Added to this is the relative newness of social media. For most of us, we’re still evaluating this phenomenon’s virtues and vices. This article is not a knock on social media. I’ve used Facebook and Twitter for years. I enjoy the personal interactions afforded, and I’m fascinated by the way it’s woven into the fabric of our relationships. Social media can be a powerful and helpful tool, even for Christians. As with any tool, we must be wise how we use it.

Simply stated, Christians are not brands. We are disciples. And as disciples, we should emulate our Lord. In Philippians 2:3-5, Paul exhorts believers to reflect Christ through humility, doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

The Bible is clear that God is the one who raises up individuals to places of influence. In his sovereignty, he often gives us platforms, but they’re to be used for his glory, not our own. I’m always encouraged to see Christians who get this. The Lord obviously has his hand on them and has given them a strategic voice, and they aren’t trying to leverage it for their own glory.

How do we guard against pride in our uses of social media? How do we emulate our Savior’s humility across a medium that tempts us toward self-promotion? To some degree, this is a matter of conscience, but here are a few places to start.

• Check your motivations. Before you tweet something, stop and consider your goal. Are there any hidden desires to make yourself look good or important?
• Take inventory of your social media posts. Occasionally, I look over the last six months of Tweets, Facebook posts and Instagrams and ask the questions, “If someone only knew me by what was posted here, what would they think? Is this an accurate portrayal of my life, or is it what I want people to think about me?”
• Avoid sharing or retweeting good things about yourself. If someone posts something nice about you, it’s OK to like or favorite it or even to reply with a thank you. But reposting kudos is self-congratulatory. This includes putting a period in front of the reply or quotes around it followed by “//Thanks” so others will see it.
• Beware of the humble brag. This may be a new term for you, but it’s basically when someone publicly pats himself on the back in a seemingly humble way. For example, someone may tweet, “Grateful to give $1 billion of my own money to a local charity.” The line here between thankfulness and false humility can be fuzzy. He may be genuinely thankful, or he may just want to tell everyone how awesome he is.

Honestly, I’ve been guilty of all of these. Pride knows no bounds in our self-conscious, depraved hearts. But by God’s grace we can guard against pride and build the kingdom instead of building our own brands.

--This article appears in the March 10, 2015 edition of TEXAN Magazine.

Did you vote?

Politics in Texas grew to a fever pitch in recent months in the wake of the ongoing saga over Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s subpoena of pastors’ sermons and mid-term elections that produced a new governor, new lieutenant governor and new attorney general for the Lone Star State.

The political involvement of Christians ranges across the intensity spectrum from fanatic to oblivious. Regardless of which political party you align with, the right to vote is a privilege and a responsibility that every Christian should take seriously.

I’ll admit, I considered skipping long lines at the polls on Election Day. However, something I heard regarding last year’s Houston mayoral election prompted me to reconsider.

As more than 6,000 gathered Nov. 2 for the I Stand Sunday rally in support of the five Houston-area pastors subpoenaed for their sermons, one of the participants mentioned that only around 10 percent of registered voters in Houston turned out for the 2013 election, where Parker was re-elected.

Even if this number was approximate, it’s still telling. Imagine what might have happened if conservative Christians in Houston had exercised their right to vote last November. The outcome of the mayoral election likely would have been different, and the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance likely would have never been on the docket in May.

Yet, now, Christians are up in arms over the city’s infringement on religious liberty, and rightfully so. However, there’s no doubt that many of them are at least partially to blame because they abstained from the ballot box last November.

Certainly as Christians we realize that our hope is not found in government, and the state of Texas—as glorious as it may be—is not our true home. However, in the United States we have the freedom and obligation to let our voices be heard, which is best done proactively at the polls rather than reactively after elected officials pass legislation we dislike. We should do both, but the latter without the former seems disingenuous.

This article is not meant to make you feel guilty if you didn’t vote. Hopefully, it will encourage you to make sure you exercise your right to vote in future elections and to consider how you can be both a good citizen of the state as well as a good citizen of the kingdom of God.

It’s growing increasingly apparent what happens when Christians remove themselves from the public square. We must not cower in fear nor should we be obnoxious revelers. There are ways you can be a responsible citizen, maintain your Christian convictions and make a difference. Here are a few suggestions to consider:

• Look for ways to be involved in the public sector. This could include running for a position on your local school board, city council or other civil office.
• Volunteer in your community. City officials are always looking for individuals to help organize or serve at community events. I know of many church planters who have found serving their city in these ways gives them credibility in the community and opens doors for ministry.
• Get to know and pray for elected officials, even if you disagree with their positions. What might it look like if your local city council received consistent notes of encouragement letting them know that you care about them and are praying for them? Who knows, those prayers may go a long way in turning their hearts toward God.
• Vote in all elections, not just the “big” ones. You never know what ordinance or decision may have a significant impact down the road.
• As much as possible, without violating the Word of God, submit yourself to those in authority over you. Peter’s words to fellow sojourners is helpful here: 

“Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:13-17)

Imagine the impact convictional kindness and community involvement can have in your city, in Texas and in the United States. In this way, Christians can be “in the world but not of the world.” 

This article first appeared in the TEXAN Digital Magazine.

What do you do?

What we do defines who we are. In America, your vocation is one of the most defining aspects of who you are. For example, when introduced to someone new, one of the first questions asked is “What do you do?”

This question generally stirs up pride or embarrassment, depending on how excited you are about your job.

The Puritans, our Christian brethren from four centuries ago, viewed vocation as a divine calling and an avenue for worship. “The main end of our lives is to serve God in the serving of men in the works of our callings,” wrote Puritan pastor William Perkins.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul instructed first-century Christians in Colossae, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Col. 3:23-24)

There is a sense of value or purpose infused in our work. Today many Christians have lost that sense of sovereign purpose in their jobs. Shuffling papers and never-ending deadlines cloud our view to the fact that what we do for a living matters much to God and fits into the big picture of his divine plans.

Christians must awaken again to the value of vocation not only as a form of worship but also as an avenue for fulfilling the Great Commission. For most, our greatest mission fields await us in the 9 to 5.

In the Oct. 8 issue of the TEXAN DigitalMagazine, we have stories on marketplace chaplains as well as ministries devoted to equipping businessmen and businesswomen to leverage their jobs for global missions. I pray that these stories will encourage and challenge you to view your vocation as a means for worship and witness.

Hopefully God will use them to spark ideas in your mind and in your church. Here are a few possibilities to get you started:

Witness in the Workplace

 How do you view the relationships you have in your job? Do you look for opportunities to share a verbal witness with your coworkers? Certainly, a Christlike attitude and personal integrity bring honor to Christ, but don’t forget to speak the gospel as well. Remember, “… faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

Often, an easy way to open gospel conversations is simply to ask, “How can I pray for you?” You’ll be amazed at how coworkers will open up to you about brokenness in their lives, giving you an opportunity to speak of the One who can heal their brokenness. The 3 Circles Life Conversation Guide created by NAMB can aid you in connecting the gospel to their brokenness.

Business as Missions

Global commerce and travel have flattened the world these days, as corporations fly employees to countries far and wide. Christians often lament countries that are “closed” to the gospel; however, companies like Coca-Cola have proved that virtually no country is completely closed. Genuine business efforts provide missionary platforms in some of the most difficult-to-reach locations in the world. How might you leverage your platform and the platforms of the people in your church for short-term or long-term missionary advance?

I know churches that have examined their congregation to see what vocations are most represented in their people and then created missions opportunities around those vocations to reach countries traditionally “closed” to the gospel. One church recognized a large group of special education teachers in the congregation and organized overseas teacher trainings in these countries. A friend who is a plumber has leveraged his skillset to help dig water wells in impoverished countries, opening doors for him to share about the Living Water.

Chaplaincy

As seen in our cover story on Marketplace Ministries, businesses represent an untapped mission field. Why not consider approaching local businesses or emergency response stations or sports teams and volunteering to serve as their chaplain?

Pastors can also make intentional efforts to visit with church members at their place of business. Of course, you want to be considerate and not distract a person from his job, but you never know what impact you might make on that church member and the people he works with.

Gil Stricklin, president of Marketplace Ministries, also advises pastors to show a genuine interest in church members’ jobs. Outside of sermon preparation, he says he would spend a great deal of his time “going out to guys' (worksites) and kneeling down beside their desks. ... I’d pray for them and encourage them. I think that would be some of the most significant ministry any pastor could have.”

Kingdom-Minded Parenting

 Parents, have you considered what your life and words teach your children about their future careers? Sure, we want our children to grow up and get good jobs, but why? Do we simply want them to make good money so they can live comfortably? What if Christian parents instilled in their children a desire to use their talents and careers to bring glory to Christ? It would certainly have implications on their decisions related to which college to attend, what major to pursue and what career path to take. The first step in teaching them this value is to model it in your own job.

What we do defines who we are. As Christians, we must our vocations as opportunities for worship and witness in the world? We must "work heartily, as for the Lord."

So, what about you? What do you do?

This article first appeared in the TEXAN Digital Magazine.

If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball

Photo by Adam Tarleton

My 10-year-old son Will and I share a common love—baseball.

While he’s not naturally gifted at playing the game, Will loves to be part of the team, and as with most kids his age his skills have progressed each year through repetition and practice.

This past spring, Will graduated from coach-pitch to kid-pitch, which brought with it both excitement and anxiety. However, after only a few games I could see that anxiety largely overshadowed the excitement.

Will hit the ball well during practices and pre-game warm ups, but as soon as he stepped in the batter’s box, fear froze him in his tracks—so much so that he would not even move when an errant pitch came right at him.

In the very first game, he was hit in the arm by a pitch. The painful experience only served to make him more fearful of batting. I joked with him after the game, “I know it hurt, buddy, but at least you didn’t get hit in the face.” And, wouldn’t you know it, the very next game, a wild pitch hit him square in the face.

Added to this, he struck out several times because he never swung the bat. This only intensified his timidity. Soon, whenever his turn at bat approached, he complained of feeling nauseous.

Following one of his games, I asked, “Will, what goes through your mind when you’re up to bat?” Will replied, “I’m afraid I’m going to strike out or get hit by the ball.” He was so afraid of pain, failure and embarassment that he did not even want to try.

I then gave him some baseball advice that eventually became a mantra we would repeat before every game and every at-bat: “If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball.” I encouraged him to swing at every pitch, even if it was outside the strike zone.

Over the course of the season Will began to swing the bat more and more. Yes, he still struck out on occasion, but he also began to put the ball in play and advance his teammates around the base paths.

And then the big moment came—Will got a base hit. The look of excitement on his face was priceless. And, of course, this success strengthened his resolve to swing again during his next at-bat.

Our mantra—If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball—reminds me of a similar statement by Southwestern Seminary evangelism professor Matt Queen to those who fear the pain of failure, rejection or embarrassment when sharing their faith:  “Not every time you share the gospel will someone profess Christ, but if you never share the gospel, you’ll never see anyone profess Christ.”

For many Christians, especially those of us who are not naturally gifted evangelists, the prospect of sharing our faith leaves us terrified and frozen in our tracks. Even the thought of it brings a nauseous feeling. Rather than risk “striking out” in a witnessing encounter, we sit idly by and refuse to say a word.

Maybe the remedy is simply to start swinging. Thankfully, God measures success in evangelism by obedience, not decisions. A rejection of the gospel is a rejection of Jesus, not of us. So, in a sense, we never strike out when we evangelize.

We must faithfully obey our Lord’s Great Commission and let the Holy Spirit do his work. Sometimes, we swing and miss. Other times, we plant or water gospel seeds, advancing a person’s understanding of his need for the Lord. Given enough swings, eventually we will experience the exhilarating joy of seeing someone come to faith in Christ. And with every swing we gain confidence for future opportunities.
Last week, the tables turned—Will became the teacher; I became the student. As the first day of school approached, Will said, “I can’t wait to start school so I can tell my friends about Jesus.”

He will likely never be a professional baseball player, but Will understands what it means to overcome his fears and swing for the fences when it comes to sharing his faith.

What if Christians took the Great Commission seriously and decided to risk failure, rejection and embarrassment to share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ? What if we intentionally sought out opportunities to share the gospel with family, friends, co-workers or those we meet as we go about our daily lives?

This week, pray for opportunities to share your faith, pray for boldness to witness when God brings someone across your path (and he will), and pray that the gospel would show its power.

If the thought of this makes you nauseous, remember: If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball.

This article first appeared in the TEXAN digital edition.

LAUNCH: Creating a Culture of Everyday Evangelism [VIDEO]

On June 11, Southwestern Seminary hosted a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention to discuss how churches can create a culture of everyday evangelism and reach their communities with the gospel. Pastors and SBC leaders from across the country shared their experiences with leading their churches and training their congregations in personal evangelism. Below is the video introduction for the panel discussion, which features the late evangelism professor Roy Fish recounting his “Three Driving Forces for Evangelism,” and the full version of the panel discussion.

Roy Fish’s “Three Driving Forces for Evangelism”

 

Click Here to get FREE Everyday Evangelism Resources

LAUNCH Panel Discussion

Click Here to get FREE Everyday Evangelism Resources

A Field Guide for a Dangerous Call

Are you walking into danger? Ministry is a dangerous call. Thankfully, God has provided guides to decision-making in ministry. 

In his latest book, A Field Guide for a Dangerous Call, Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson warns of potential pitfalls and points those in ministry to five guides—the law, wisdom, holiness, the Corinthian principles, and the Holy Spirit—to help them navigate life and ministry.



These chapters are adaptations of the warm affirmations that Patterson gave to the students of Southwestern Seminary in his spring 2014 chapel series.

“If you’re looking for an easy life and you want safety, a reprieve from all of the pressures that you’ll be under, then you need to decide now, today, to leave the ministry and get out of it. It’s not a safe place. If you are going to be in the ministry, you are going to walk into serious danger,” Patterson says.

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE OF A FIELD GUIDE FOR A DANGEROUS CALL

This article first appeared on TheologicalMatters.com.

Create a Culture of Everyday Evangelism in Your Church

What if every member of your church made evangelism a regular practice in his or her daily routine? Imagine the impact this would have on your church and community. Sadly, though, what should be a natural part of the Christian life is often neglected or passed off to “the experts.”

In his latest book, Everyday Evangelism, evangelism professor Matt Queen debunks the myths of personal evangelism, providing encouragement, insight, and practical steps for creating a culture of everyday evangelism in your church.

Queen and other professors have led students in taking the Gospel to every home within a one-mile radius of Southwestern Seminary and have now expanded the initiative to reach a two-mile radius. The book’s final chapter gives strategies and advice for churches to implement a similar evangelism strategy in their communities.

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE OF EVERYDAY EVANGELISM.

This article first appeared on TheologicalMatters.com.

New Go-To Guide for Every Preacher

Every effective preacher needs tools to craft faithful, text-driven sermons. However, since pastors have limited time each week and there are thousands of potential preaching resources, knowing the best commentaries and books to help in sermon preparation can be a daunting task.

In his latest book, Preaching Tools, David Allen draws from the well of more than 40 years of experience in the pulpit, both as a pastor and preaching professor, to provide the top commentaries and resources for every book of the Bible. Resources are categorized for quick reference, and Allen’s annotations provide insight into the books’ strengths, weaknesses, and backgrounds. At 160 pages, this quick reference is worth having in every preacher’s library.

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE OF PREACHING TOOLS.

“What I’ve tried to do in this book is provide an annotated bibliography for preachers of helpful resources, mostly commentaries, for every book of the Bible, in English,” says Allen, who serves as dean of the School of Theology and director of the Center for Expository Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“Most of the books listed in this bibliography I own in my personal library. These are the works that I have found to be the most helpful in sermon preparation.”

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE OF PREACHING TOOLS.

This article first appeared on TheologicalMatters.com.

Through Scripture, Reformation began in Luther’s heart

Wittenberg, Germany - Oct. 31, 2011

NOTE: This story was published in January 2012 in the Southern Baptist TEXAN and on Theological Matters.

On a cold, crisp, late October day in 1517, a concerned professor in a small German university town posted a list of ideas he wanted to discuss on the town bulletin board, which also happened to be the wooden door of the Castle Church. Little did 33-year-old Martin Luther realize, as he nailed what has now been famously called the “95 Theses” to that door, that he would soon become a lightning rod throughout Germany and that the town of Wittenberg would become the epicenter of the Protestant Reformation.

Luther’s accusations against the pope, the Catholic Church’s views on purgatory, and the heretical idea of purchasing the forgiveness of sins rang a resounding alarm. Aided by the rise of the printing press, the young monk’s questions flooded the German countryside. Alongside this was his call for a scriptural view of salvation, not by works but by grace alone through faith alone.

Yet Luther’s quest to return the church to its foundation did not spring from self-seeking motives or power-hungry ambition. In fact, the Protestant Reformation started with a personal reformation in Luther’s own heart as he studied Scripture and sought the Lord fervently in prayer.

"The Protestant Reformation started with a personal reformation in Luther’s own heart as he studied Scripture and sought the Lord fervently in prayer."

It was Luther’s love for the Bible that fueled his resolve against the pope’s threats of excommunication, which would brand him a criminal in the eyes of the empire. When he received the label of “heretic,” his friends kidnapped him and hid him in Wartburg Castle to protect him from those who sought his life.

During those 10 months of hiding, Luther translated the New Testament into the German vernacular, a feat that would burst open the doors of the Reformation as it now made the Scriptures available and understandable to the common man. No longer would the Scripture be shackled in the Latin tongue and sequestered from the people. They could now read the Bible for themselves and experience the same life-transforming power it gave Luther.

This high view of Scripture and trust in its absolute authority paved the way for a spiritual revolution across Western Europe whose ripples are still felt today in modern evangelical churches. However, the sad truth of the story is that this fidelity to the Bible did not stand the test of time, as Germany became the breeding ground in the 19th and 20th centuries for liberal theology, which jettisoned the conviction of biblical inerrancy and has left only a few embers of evangelical Christianity in the country as well as in the rest of Europe. Although Oct. 31 is recognized as Reformation Day in Germany, I wondered how many Germans realize its significance.

"No longer would the Scripture be shackled in the Latin tongue and sequestered from the people. They could now read the Bible for themselves and experience the same life-transforming power it gave Luther."

So as my wife and I waited to board the train headed for the small, out-of-the way town of Wittenberg on Reformation Day last October, I did not know what to expect. We were headed to the tiny university town because I am a church history buff, and since we were in the country, I could not pass up the opportunity to visit on such an historic day. Would we be the only people on the train headed to our destination?

To my surprise, I found myself standing among a small crowd waiting to board the same train. As we made the hour-long journey, more people hopped on at the various stops, and we all exited the train together in Wittenberg. My excitement escalated further as we entered the town and saw the main street packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people. Maybe I had short-changed the German people and their knowledge of church history after all.

Then, I saw it.

A banner over the street read, “Wittenberg Renaissance Music Festival October 23-31.” As we pressed into the crowd, there were booths with food vendors and merchants in medieval period garb selling their wares. Street performers entertained the crowds as minstrels plucked away. Although there were groups in the Luther Museum and visitors to the Castle Church that day, it became apparent that the masses were there to celebrate the Renaissance, not the Reformation.
Ironically, a statue of Luther holding a Bible towered above the crowd in the town square. Had it been the real Luther, I imagined a tear or two running down his cheek. Surely he would weep over the dearth of Christianity in his homeland.

A German friend of mine recently said, “Martin Luther brought the Bible back to the people. Today, we have to bring the people back to the Bible.”

As I heard these words, I could not help but consider Christianity in America and, more specifically, among Southern Baptists. History shows that trends in Europe reach the shores of America within a decade or two. Many see the writing on the wall that the United States is quickly becoming a post-Christian nation, if it has not already become so. Even the buckle of the Bible belt shows signs of rust.

"Martin Luther brought the Bible back to the people. Today, we have to bring the people back to the Bible."

Among Southern Baptists, the Conservative Resurgence of the last few decades defied odds and signaled the only Christian denomination to turn from its slide toward liberalism back to a faithful commitment to the inerrancy, sufficiency and authority of Scripture. Verbally, we claim to be “people of the Book,” but practically, signs of dusty, unopened Bibles often loom over our churches.

Yet we are not without hope. Revival is not impossible.

So how do we fan back into flames those fires that once burned so brightly? The answer is simple: it starts the same way as the Reformation. True revival starts with a personal reformation in our hearts as we study Scripture and seek the Lord fervently in prayer.

You may never be a Martin Luther, and you may never lead wide-scale national reform, but you can be an agent of change in your family and in your church. Remarkable things happen among those who love the Lord and are fully committed to living out his Word.

"Yet we are not without hope. Revival is not impossible."

In 2012, will you join me in a renewed focus on daily prayer and Scripture reading? Sure, many Christians commit to this every New Year, but what if this year it was less about checking the boxes and more about loving the Bible and, more importantly, its Author.

But one word of wisdom as you read and pray: You may want to post discussion questions on your church’s Facebook page rather than nailing it to the church’s front door.

Some missionaries need your help

As a follow-up to my previous post, I want to ask for your help.

The Lord has blessed me by placing me in an office whose job it is to promote what God is doing in people's lives around the world. One of our recent assignments was to create promotional resources for an offering that will help send missionaries to unreached people groups all over the world. It will also help keep many missionaries on the field.

The International Mission Board (IMB) is one of the largest missionary sending agencies in the world. The only way it is able to send missionaries is through the giving of Christians like you and me.

At Christmas time every year, an offering called the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is taken up in churches across America. Last year, that offering fell $30 million short. This shortfall has resulted in the suspension of critical missionary endeavors and the reduction of full-time missionaries they can send. There are missionaries who are called by God, trained and ready to go, but the funding is not there to send them.

The "Christmas in August" offering is a grassroots movement to make up at least a portion of the $30 million. It's simply a call for people to give whatever they can during August to make it possible for more missionaries to bring the Gospel to people all over the world.

You can visit www.swbts.edu/christmasinaugust for more details. The video above is available for free on the site so anyone can download it and use it in their churches, on their web site, or to send out as an e-mail. There are also other free resources available on the site and instructions on how you can give.

We have a critical mission, and it will take all of us to make it a success. For those willing to help I would ask that you consider which of the following would be appropriate for you:

1. Contact your pastor and ask him to raise an offering at the church during August.

2. Make sure the Mission’s Committee at your local church knows about the effort.

3. Send an e-mail to all of your friends making sure they know about the offering and the available resources.

4. Download the video and post it on your church’s website, your personal website, or anywhere else you can to raise awareness.

5. Pray that God would use this to heighten awareness of our missionary endeavors bringing unity and revival.

6. Skip lunch one Sunday after church to pray and fast. Then give the money you would have spent to the Christmas in August offering.

7. Give whatever God lays on your heart to support our missionary endeavors.

Romans 10:14-15

¹⁴How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

Christmas In August

There are 6.5 billion people inhabiting planet earth. Of those, 1.6 billion have never heard the name of Jesus.

At the same time, Southern Baptists gave $12 billion in 2008 to buildings, missions and budgets. Of that $12 billion, only 2.5% of that went to the IMB for international missions.

In 2008, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions fell short of its goal by nearly $30 million, resulting in the suspension of crucial missionary endeavors and a reduction in the number of full-time missionary appointments.

SBC President Johnny Hunt and others have challenged Southern Baptists to rally around the Great Commission and take up a Christmas in August offering. The Christmas in August offering is a special emphasis designed to draw awareness to last year’s missions giving shortfall and to ask churches to make a special effort to give in August as well as December this year to recover the deficit.

Southwestern Seminary has created and launched several videos and other free promotional resources to support local churches in partnering together for this unique offering.

What is the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering?
Southern Baptist churches collect the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the sole purpose of supporting international missions. Every penny of the offering goes to the International Mission Board’s overseas budget, thus supporting our missionaries and their work.

How to Give to the IMB Lottie Moon Christmas in August Offering
Churches and individuals can give to the Christmas in August offering just like they do for the annual Lottie Moon Christmas offering.
IMB encourages Southern Baptists to give through their local churches to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. IMB does, however, offer an online option for those who want to make a gift now.

If you would rather give by check or money order, make it payable to IMB and reference the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in the memo section. Send to:

Development Office
International Mission Board
3806 Monument Ave
PO Box 6767
Richmond, VA 23230-0767

Explaining Christ's Death to a 4-year-old

Tonight after our church's Good Friday service, I took the opportunity to explain Jesus' final days on earth to Will and Blake. Will seemed riveted as I started with Jesus' final meal with his friends, washing their feet and celebrating the Passover. I had to give a quick explanation of Passover, but that didn't faze him.

We then talked about Jesus going to the mountain to pray and Judas' betrayal, followed by Peter's denial. I shared with them how Jesus stood trial and how the people wanted a murderer released and Jesus killed. Will said, "But Jesus never did anything wrong."

I explained how men beat Jesus with sticks and whips and pressed a crown of thorns, like a hat made of needles, onto his head. They nailed him to the cross, pounding large nails through his wrists. We talked about the thieves on either side and the response of the soldier at the foot of the cross. I ended with Jesus' death, hoping to leave some suspense about what happened next.

I asked Will if he had any questions. He said, "What did they do with Jesus' dead body?" I gave him a teaser, saying we are going to look at that tomorrow. Then, Will said excitedly, "But then Jesus rose from the dead!" His enthusiasm united with mine as I gave him a high-five for the resurrection and told him that's what Easter is all about.

Explaining Christ's death to a 4-year-old is both sobering and exhilarating. It was sobering to talk about death with him because you don't know how a 4-yr-old will take it. It was exhilarating because he was zeroed in on the message. I'm praying for Will that the Spirit would continue to draw him to the day of salvation. In our family prayer time tonight, we thanked Jesus for His death/resurrection and prayed that people would hear that message this weekend and yield their lives to the Savior.

What about you? Where do you stand on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? Have you put your trust in Him? Are you following Him? (for more info, click on the "2 Ways to Live" button to the right)

Are you regularly joining with other believers to celebrate Jesus and unite with them in fulfilling His commands? Jesus died for individuals and for the church (Rom. 5:8 & Eph. 5:25). We must obey him personally and in with a local body of believers.

"... and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

2 Corinthians 5:15

Songs of a Pious Heart

Blake Hicks, a good friend of mine, has just released his new album, titled "Songs of a Pious Heart." The album was birthed out of reading St. Augustine's "Confessions," and I would call it a mix of ancient thought with a modern sound. I've been listening to the album for a week or so, and I have been truly blessed by his songs. I'm not just saying all of this because he's my friend, either.

Blake's the kind of guy I would fight in the spiritual trenches with anyday. His heart for the Gospel and sincere transparency are evident within his lyrics and his life.

Please go to Blake's website: www.blakehicksmusic.com, or find him on Facebook, to listen to some of the songs. This guy is so humble and genuine, that he's actually making his songs available for free on noisetrade.com so that others can be blessed by it. He didn't ask me to say this, but you need to listen to the songs, and then if you like the music, purchase the album, either through his site or iTunes or Amazon. At $10, it might just be the best Christmas gift or stocking stuffer you've ever purchased, and it has eternal value. It will also help support Blake, his wife, and two boys.

How do we avoid Christmas consumerism?

I want to start off this post with a humorous video:



One quick note about the video: the X in X-mas actually stands for the Greek letter "chi" which is a symbolic letter for Christ, so I get why people have called it X-mas.

But, like many Christians, I struggle with knowing just how much to embrace the holiday season. Nostalgia and excitement draw me into the "Christmas spirit" that our culture promotes as the goal of the Chrismas season. But how do I make sure this isn't my goal? I believe it's fine to enjoy the festivities, the parties, the music, and the decorations of the holiday season, but I also know that it's a challenge not to let this become all that Christmas is.

How do I lead my family in making Jesus the centerpiece of Christmas without jettisoning some of the fun things associated with it? Maybe it's impossible. Maybe I should follow suit with some who reject all the things like the festivities, the parties, the music, and the decorations.

As I was typing all of this, Will came up and gave me a huge hug and told me I was a great daddy. I took the opportunity to ask him what Christmas was all about. Unprompted, he said, "It's about Jesus' birthday." I guess I might be doing some things right after all. But, I will continue to strive to keep this on the forefront of our minds. Here's some thing we've been doing with this in mind:

- Each night, we read from the Bible and focus on an aspect of Advent. With the kids so young, I generally have to modify it, but they really seem to be picking it up.

- We don't do Santa. I know this sounds horrible for some, and my kid might be the one who blows it for your kid. I even know that I grew up believing in Santa Claus and it didn't destroy my faith in the long run. We basically tell the boys that he's pretend, just like Elmo or Bob the Builder, and that mommy and daddy are the ones who give the presents. We also tell them that there are some boys and girls who think he's real, and we will let their mommies and daddies tell them when they think it's the right time. The underlying principle for me is that I don't want to blur the line between reality/make believe to the point that my kids question the reality of Jesus Christ.

So, here's the question: What do you and your family do at Christmas to keep Christ on the forefront of your affections for the season? Post a comment or two and share how your family does it.

Vietnam Video

Here's a video about our team's work in Vietnam. One of our guys put this together while we were cooped up in the hotel during some of the flooding.

Thanksgiving - What question should we ask?

In a little more than a week, the United States will indulge in the national holiday called Thanksgiving. I, personally, love Thanksgiving and consider it possibly the best holiday of the year.

I know what you're thinking...what about Christmas? Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, and I consider it and Easter to be the most significant holidays of the year. My problems with the holiday called Christmas is that it has become over-commercialized, including in Christian circles, as we have commercialized the over-commercialization of Christmas. (For example, I've seen "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" plastered on everything from bumper stickers to throw pillows.) But, this is all for a separate blog post, so I'll get back to Thanksgiving.

The most common question surrounding Thanksgiving is "What are you thankful for?" I would contend that this is the wrong question to ask. We should be asking, rather, "Who are you thankful to?" As with many originally religious holidays, society has watered it down. While the Pilgrims expressed thankfulness to the LORD on that first Thanksgiving for giving them life and the necessities of life, we now express thankfulness for the things we have (much of which is above and beyond the necessities of life). As is common with humans, we've turned our thanfulness inward. We focus on what we have over Who gave it to us. In this context it's nothing for a Buddhist or an atheist or a Wiccan to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." My prayer is that we would recognize that everything we have belongs to the LORD and that we are merely stewards of it ... that we would recognize the Giver over the gifts. Who knows, maybe when we start doing that at Thanksgiving, the meaning of Christmas will take on a clearer meaning as well.

Now for a confession...I have realized that the primary reasons I love Thanksgiving are selfish reasons. I love hanging out with my family, overloading on incredible food, and watching NFL football. Sure, we say a prayer of Thanksgiving, but I don't usually dedicate the day to expressing my gratitude to God. The Bible says I should live everyday this way.

LORD, forgive me for failing to recognize You as the Giver of all things with my thoughts, my actions, and my words. Remind me each day in Your Word how blessed I am to know You and walk with You. Not only are You the reason for Christmas, but You're the reason for Thanksgiving and every day!