Houses Built on Sand

I saw him staggering across the beach as I packed up our chairs at the end of a great day of vacation. Soon he was not just staggering, he was vomiting into the sand. He slowly made his way over the walkway through the sand dunes, stopping to relieve his lurching stomach every few steps. As I followed a few steps behind, I realized that he was drunk. He finally sat down on the steps to the boardwalk and continued to discharge the contents of his stomach off to the side, in full view of the many who were walking by.

Finally his father found him and tried to move him over to a more discreet place where he could finish emptying himself of massive amounts of alcohol. But it was hard not to overhear the conversation between father and son. The father kept saying, "Puke over here out of the way" and the son kept saying "Dad, you have never been there for me." It did not seem to bother the father that the son had drunk so much that he was puking, it only seemed to bother him that the son was puking in front of others. The son did not seem to understand that his father was trying to help him, even if only with part of the problem.

As my family passed by the sad scene, I said to my own adult son, "I hope we never have a conversation like that." He assured me that we would not. We saw that young man several other times during our recent vacation at the beach, and it became painfully obvious that excessive amounts of drinking was only one of that young man's many issues.

As I reflect upon that situation, I cannot help but think about the story Jesus told in the Gospel of Matthew 7:24-27. That story illustrates in a powerful way that if we build our lives on the Rock of Christ, then when difficulties come, we will find the strength to endure. But if we build our lives on the shifting sands of human opinion and what feels good in the moment, then when difficulties come, life falls apart. That young man, though barely launched into adulthood, is living a life that is already falling apart. It is a challenge to those of us who claim to know Jesus to build our lives on His Word, empowered by His Spirit and in a way that conforms us to His image.

Lord, help us build our lives on the eternal Rock of Christ!

For more devotionals like this one, consider Touching the Footprints of Jesus. 

What it Takes to be a Dad - A Guest Post by Pastor Dave Bentley

When we think of dad's, we often picture them as fishing, teaching us to ride our bike, cooking at the grill, giving piggy-back rides, and teaching us to drive the car. But for some people, such images may
■be blank because dad wasn’t part of the picture.
■may not be happy, but might be painful memories.
■Regardless, in Psalm 68:4-6 GOD HAS PROMISED TO BE THE FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS

Three Familiar Fathers Figures who offer Negative Examples of Fatherhood:
■The Irresponsible Father “I’ll get around to it eventually.”
■The Dictator Dad – “King of this castle” (Irritable, Impatient, Inflexible)
■The Absent Dad – “Where’s dad? …hiding behind the newspaper, or out with his friends

A Good Example of Fatherhood from Scripture with 3 Crucial Characteristics for being a good father can be found in Luke 15:11-32. Though this is often referred to as the story of prodigal son, it really should be called the story of the loving father.

1. Great dads have AN OPEN HAND – They are TOUGH ENOUGH TO RELEASE
This Tells us something about the Father’s Relationship to His Child
Remember that this is a parable that illustrates God’s love for us.
■He had an open and honest relationship with his son.
■He Had a mature and Secure Relationship with his son
AS PARENTS WE KNOW…
■There are times when we need to hold on to our children.
■There are times when we need to release our children. (Tough Love)
■Letting Go will not be easy to do.
■The Son’s Rebellion was severe – painful
■The son’s rebellion was severing – departed
■HE HAD SOMETHING TO REBEL AGAINST!!
■Apparently there were rules, standards, expectations
■Consider Adam and Eve and the rebellion in the garden

2. Great Dads have TWO OPEN ARMS – They are TENDER ENOUGH TO RECEIVE
Notice some things about the Return of the Son
■The Son walked Home
■The Father RAN to Greet him.
■The Father’s Response Demonstrated
■Compassion – moved when he saw his son
■Passion – RAN to meet him
■Expression – Ordered a Celebration

3. Great Dads have AN OPEN HEART – They are TRANSPARENT ENOUGH TO REVEAL
■Express Emotion
■Sharing Celebrations
■Bearing Burdens
■We do alright at showing Strength
■We need to work at showing sensitivity
■We do alright at showing displeasure
■We need to work at giving praise.

What does all this mean to us? God invites us:
■To Know the Father’s Heart through Salvation
■To have the Father’s Heart through Discipleship
■To Share the Father’s Heart through Evangelism

NOTE: this sermon outline was adapted from an original post by Pastor Dave which can be found at: http://networkedblogs.com/juPEp

Dirt Biscuits and Beach Houses

I grew up poor. Though we often did not have what we "wanted," we always had what we "needed." With the help of scholarships, I worked my way through college, where I met my future wife. Through hard work, my wife and I have been able to provide a middle class lifestyle for our children. Though our children have never been rich, they have also never known the poverty I knew growing up.

This week my family is enjoying a lifestyle slightly more than middle class as we relax in a beach house for a week long family reunion with lots of relatives. Yesterday my kids and I were discussing how blessed we were to experience this level of luxury, even if only for a week. In the discussion we also talked about what it must be like for people who live in other nations in which such luxury is not possible, even for a week long vacation.

We specifically talked about Haiti, since our family will be visiting that small island nation next year on a mission trip. The poverty in Haiti is almost unimaginable by those of us who live in relative comfort in the United States. Food prices are so high in Haiti that many of the people eat what is commonly referred to as Dirt Biscuits. The biscuits are made from dried yellow clay mixed with water, salt and vegetable shortening or margarine. Though originally designed for medicinal purposes, the biscuits have now become the staple diet for a significant number of people in Haiti. It is hard for those of us who live in America to imagine people being so hungry they would eat a biscuit made from dirt. Yet, that is a common meal for far too many people in Haiti.

As we sit in our rented beach house enjoying family and eating far too much junk food, we cannot help but think about people in places like Haiti who tonight will eat a dirt biscuit to stave off hunger for one more day. Dirt biscuits have come up several times in our conversations the last few days. But it must be more than just a subject of conversation. It must translate into action. This is one of the reasons why our family will travel to Haiti next year to work with God's Littlest Angels orphanage. We feel compelled to put feet to our conversation. We know we cannot change a whole nation in a week, but we can help a small group of children eat something other than dirt, even if only for a few days.

Those of us who have been blessed by God to have more than dirt biscuits to eat must do something to make a difference in the lives of those around us. The 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew reminds us that when we help the least of these in the name of Christ, then we have served Christ Himself. Let us learn to pray: "Lord, help those of us who have so much see the needs of those who have so little and respond in ways that can make a real difference." And then let us put feet to our prayers.

For more devotionals like this one, consider Touching the Footprints of Jesus. 

Involving Young Adults in Church Leadership

Some time ago I was invited to be the guest speaker at a church for "Youth Day." Most people who know me understand that I have a burden for helping churches reach the next generation, so it made sense that they would invite me to speak on this topic. It was a fine church, with friendly people, good music and a warm fellowship.

But as the service began I noticed there were only three young people present. Since it was "Youth Day" I was a bit surprised, having assumed they would have made some type of special effort to get the youth to come for the emphasis. As the service continued to unfold, I noticed that even though it was "Youth Day," the youth were not scheduled to help lead the worship. Since that is the normal pattern for such a day in a church, this was surprising to me. Other than one young man on the praise team, all the other parts of the service were led by senior adults.

Because I knew a couple of people in the congregation personally, I asked a few questions afterwards and learned that the congregation did not view young people as "mature" enough for leadership. They had a couple of negative experiences in the past where young people did not lead in the way the church wanted, so the church no longer allowed young people to lead. Thus, even on "Youth Day," youth did not lead.

Though I can understand the frustration of dealing with immaturity and have a lot of experience in working with young people who have their own ideas about how things should be done, I just could not grasp why this church would swing the pendulum so far one direction. Even after all this time, I struggle to wrap my mind around the idea that even on "Youth Day" the young people could not lead. I have shared this experience (without mentioning the church's name) with many youth workers in other churches and have been surprised to find out this scenario is far more common than I thought.

If we expect young people to be involved in church, we need to find ways to let them participate in leadership. While it is true that they may bring their own ideas to the table, and some of them will be less mature than we would like, if we do not give them a place at the table, they will not show up at all. And that has very negative long term impact on the future of a congregation.

In short, if we want them to lead, then we must let them lead.

Where is God? A Guest Post by Bill Davis

There is the story of the small child that had just finished Bible School. A rough old neighbor saw the small lad skipping happily home. He stopped him and asked where he had been going the last few days. "I been to Bible School", he enthusiastically answered. Bible School? The neighbor answered. What in the world did you learn at Bible School he said sarcastically. "I learned about God", was the quick reply. I will give you a dime if you can tell me where God is; came the neighbor's challenge.-----Silence-----I will give you a quarter if you can tell me where God is, was the new challenge.


The boy looked him square in the eyes, and quick as a flash his answer came! And his accents were not even faint, "I'll give you a dollar Mister, If you can tell me; where God ain't."

Have you ever asked, Where is God? Or have you wondered where God was? When this question is asked by a Christian or even someone who merely believes in God; they probably aren't asking where He is physically but where He is spiritually. He is probably missing in their life. If you believe the Bible is the word of God, then that would be a good place to start. 2 Timothy 3:16; "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." If you feel God is in your heart, your own thoughts and actions would be a good place to start. James 4:8; "Come near to God and He will come near to you." If you want to know where He is in the world, just look around. Look at His work in nature. Psalm 19:1; "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Look at His work in the life of your Pastor or lay person, the friend that stands by you no matter. The one that you know will always be there for you even if they don't really have too. Gee, seems like God is pretty much everywhere. Look in the mirror, maybe just maybe there is a resemblance there to your Heavenly Father.

Where Is God? The Question Should Be, "Where God Ain't."

Bill Davis writes a daily devotional that he shares via email for those who want to sign up. For more details, contact Bill at: davisb2213@yahoo.com

Learning Not to Complain About Each Other

A sermon based on James 5:9-11, developed by Dr. Terry W. Dorsett

Verse 9 - Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
• Throughout the book of James the term “brothers” is used to refer to Christians.
• Christians are not supposed to complain about each other.
• The late Louis Binstock was a Jewish rabbi who penned the famous quote, “We are often our own worst enemies.” Though written to a Jewish constituency, this quote applies to Christians too.
• When we become stressed out by the difficulties and complexities of life, we often lash out at those around us.
• In our stress, we may attack family members or life-long friends or fellow church members.

The Relationship Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan, has identified three reasons why we lash out at those who are closest to us.
(Please note that the RI is not a Christian organization and therefore many of its conclusions would not be endorsed by the author. However, they do seem to have a good grasp on WHY people behave certain ways in relationships.)

1. Un-conscious recreation of emotional trauma.
• Whatever we experienced as children is what we consider “normal.”
• Therefore, when we feel stressed out, we tend to retreat to our “normal” place even if it is unhealthy.
• We must learn to cast all our anxiety on Christ instead of projecting them on others (1 Peter 5:7)

2. Trying to find a person who will give us the love we have always wanted.
• Since we feel most comfortable with whatever our version of “normal” is, we tend to seek love from those who have similar characteristics as people who were close to us as children.
• This may seem to work at first because we understand each other since we have the same view of “normal.”
• But eventually various issues will emerge, often the very same difficulties that we experienced as children. Then we feel less loved than ever.
• We must find our source of love in Christ.

3. We lack the skills to communicate our feelings in a constructive manner.
• Our culture does not do a good job of teaching us how to express our feelings in healthy ways.
• Therefore, we tend to express emotions in unhealthy ways. The people who are around us the most are the most frequent witnesses to our unhealthy expressions of emotions.
• We must ask the Lord to give us wisdom in how we express our emotions and to renew our personality into one more like Christ.

Verse 9 - Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
• When we fall to the temptation to complain and grumble about each other, we are in danger of being judged.
• The ultimate Judge is the Lord Jesus Christ who sees all, hears all and knows all.
• We cannot con The Judge about our actions or motives.
• The Judge stands at the door of our hearts looking into the window of our souls.
• Sometimes He is pleased with what He sees.
• Sometimes He is not pleased.
• Do we realize He is there all the time watching?
• Though we are thankful for His grace, let us not treat His grace with contempt.

Verse 10 - Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name as an example of suffering and patience.
• James urges us to think of all the people in the Bible who endured difficulties and struggles.
• Though they experienced both success and their failure, they learned how to endure difficulties with a patience that only comes from understanding the grace and goodness of God.
• We can learn from every experience in life if we will view life from God’s perspective.
• When we are struggling with issues in our lives, instead of taking it out on those around us, we should strive to practice faithful patience as we wait on the Lord to renew our strength.
• This will be difficult, but with God’s help, it is possible.

Verse 11 - See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord: the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
• People who have remained faithful to the Lord while enduring difficulties find a blessing in their struggles.
• We like to remember the blessings, but often forget that many blessings only come in the midst of difficulty.

James gives us the example of Job.
• Job lived around 2200 B.C.
• Job had ten children and great wealth.
• Job loved the Lord and was a man of great faith.
• Satan wanted to test Job and asked God for permission to take away all Job’s blessings.
• God gave His permission and Satan used a series of disasters to take away all of Job’s wealth and kill all Job’s children.
• Many people, including his wife, thought Job should abandon his faith in the Lord.
• Job went through a time of terrible depression. He lost his health and questioned God’s activities in his life. But Job refused to give up his faith.
• Job realized that God had a purpose and a plan and that if he would follow it, God would somehow turn a difficult situation into something good.
• God finally told Satan that Job has passed all his tests and forbid Satan from doing anything else.
• After this, God allowed Job to have ten more children and gave him twice as much wealth as Job had before.
• Job experienced much more loss than most people can imagine, and though it caused him great pain and made him ask questions about God, it did not destroy him or his faith.
• We can learn a lot about how to respond to difficulties from Job’s example.

Verse 11 - See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord: the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
• When we are going through difficult times, we must remember that it is the outcome that is important, not the various details along the way.
• We must remember that the Lord is compassionate and merciful to us.

Conclusion:
• When we are facing difficulties, we must resist the temptation to take our stress out on those around us.
• Instead, we should ask God to help us find healthy ways to deal with our stress.
• We should faithfully trust in the goodness of God as we wait for the final outcome of our temporary struggles.
• Through endurance, we find God’s blessing.

The Challenge of Leadership

In my role as a denominational administrator, I attend a lot of meetings with other leaders. It is exciting to hear of their plans for strengthening existing churches, starting new churches, holding strategic evangelistic events and training the next generation of leaders. My role gives me a unique vantage point of being able to not only hear about these plans, but to watch them be put into action over the course of time.

Everyone loves it when a plan works perfectly and the goals are achieved. God gets the glory, the Kingdom is expanded and the leadership teams' abilities are affirmed. Most are equally thrilled when a plan hits an unexpected bump along the way and the leaders listen to the Spirit and display wisdom in adjusting the plan in order to keep move forward. Making adjustments to a plan mid-stream should not be considered failure. God is still glorified in those moments and the Kingdom still be expanded according to God's great plan of world redemption.

Regretfully, there are also times when a plan just does not work at all. Leaders must have the courage to recognize that sometimes they just misunderstood what the Spirit was saying and then seek the Lord for a new plan. This can be hard for leaders to do. It is much easier to continue to cling to the failed plan and attempt to pour more money or manpower into it in the hopes that it will work better with increased resources. But this rarely happens and eventually the leaders must abandon the plan, even if they never publicly admit that it failed. Though this can be embarrassing for leaders, such realities are just a part of being a leader.

All leaders make mistakes. But great leaders learn from those mistakes and grow through them. When great leaders experience failure they seek to discover why the plan failed and what kind of plan would have been more effective. Due to this learning process, great leaders tend to make fewer mistakes in the future than they did in the past.

Less effective leaders fail to learn from mistakes and keep repeating them. Less effective leaders tend to blame others for their failures. They may even look for an "enemy" to lash out at even if that enemy had nothing to do with their failure. Their goal is to re-direct attention away from their failure so that people will not notice their lack of leadership. Though this may appear to work in the beginning, if less effective leaders continue to make the same mistakes long enough, people begin to see through their smoke screens. Less effective leaders will eventually find themselves no longer in leadership.

We live in a time in which effective leadership is in great demand and short supply. For those of us who seek to serve the Lord in Kingdom expansion, we must look to Him to help us become great leaders. The church of Christ deserves no less.