August Reading

• A Selection of Poems - John Milton
• Selected Poems - William Blake
• The Problem of Pain - C. S. Lewis
• Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus - J. Mack Stiles
• On the Incarnation - Athanasius
• Out of the Silent Planet - C. S. Lewis
• Preach: Theology Meets Practice - Mark Dever & Greg Gilbert
• The Knowledge of the Holy - A. W. Tozer
• The Abolition of Man - C. S. Lewis

What Is Your Current Reading List?

Currently I am reading the following books:

1. Christian Apologetics - Norman Geisler
2. Calvin's Company of Pastors - Scott M. Manetsch
3. The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis (Vo. II) - Walter Hooper (Editor)
4. 10 Answers for Atheists - Alex McFarland
5. Gorgias - Plato
6. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky
7. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austin

I'm in Ezra, Psalms, Matthew, and John in my Bible reading.

Leaders are readers; readers are leaders!

"We may not eat, but we will read!" -Dr. Paige Patterson

What Are Your Prayer Needs?

Prayers for me or my family are always appreciated. It warms my heart immensely and strengthens my resolve as a pastor to know people are praying for me. Occasionally, someone will quietly whisper that they are praying for me at church. Wind in my sails! Even better, there are two men at church who regularly come by my office before the morning service each Sunday just to pray with me and for me. What a blessing!

Here's a few things you can pray for:
1. That I will constantly be revived in my own Christian walk. I can't effectively lead a church unless my walk with the Lord is healthy.
2. That I will make wise decisions for the church and for my family.
3. That I will preach the truth boldly in love.
4. That I will "preach the Word" and not something else that just "tickles ears."
5. That the Lord will continue to give me strength and health to continue to minister.

Thank you!

What Are Your Latest Efforts in Discipleship?

I divide my discipleship efforts into two:  formal and informal.

1. Formal:  This includes all the large and small group settings such as Sunday School classes, Discipleship Training classes, home groups, Life Groups, Bible Study groups, etc.  These settings have been primarily discussion based starting from what the Bible says, translating it to what it means, and finally showing possible ways of application for the individual or group.  It is then up to the individuals in the group to follow through in the actual doing of being a disciple.  Then the next time the group meets there can be a time of sharing of experience from applying the biblical principles from the previous meeting.  That way the whole group benefits.
2. Informal:  By far the greater of the two is this one.  Don't get me wrong, formal discipleship is important and useful, but informal discipleship brings greater investment and rewards (and yes, sometimes greater disappointment).  Because of anonymity issues (and because I haven't asked their permission to do so), I will not share the names of those I am currently investing in on an informal, yet more personal and practical level.  Right now I can call to mind two men (males should disciple males; females should disciple females) that I have been personally mentoring in the ways of discipleship.  Personal mentoring is one way.  It's the Paul-Timothy way.  Another way that falls into this category is the family discipling families model.  Amy and I hope to begin this at the parsonage soon.  This is where we will invite one or two couples or families over once a week for a meal and conversation geared toward living the Christian life.  

Well, that's it in a brief nutshell.  If you would like more information on being mentored, or if you would like to start the road of discipleship, just let me know.  Call me, send me a message, email me, send me a letter, or see me in person.  If we are going to have a strong, healthy, vibrant church, then we need disciples making disciples, who in turn make more disciples.

Treasure Hunt

I love a good treasure hunt!  I found these at Half Price Books in Fort Worth, Texas for $2 each.  Score!!!

Sing With All Your Might

"And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord."  2 Chronicles 30:21

Hezekiah was on the throne.  He restored worship in Judah.  He even invited the people of Israel to the celebrations.  Three things stand out in this verse.

1.  All the people present in Jerusalem showed up for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a time of celebrating and worshiping God.  They all went.  There was no, "Well, I don't think I'll go today."  No one said, "I had some family come in from Bethlehem, so we won't be there."  They showed up!
2. They worshiped "seven days with great gladness."  When you come to worship at church, do you praise the Lord with gladness?  Is there a joy in your heart?  Also, when you come to worship, are you just counting down the minutes until you can leave?  Do you sit in the back close to the door so you can hoof it out of the sanctuary as fast as you can?  They were there seven days, and they were happy!
3. The sang "with all their might to the Lord."  Oh dear, you mean to tell me they not only came to church, but they sang too?  And they sang loudly?  Yes!  That's exactly what they did.  They sang loudly because they were singing to the Lord.  They weren't concerned with what style the music was, they sang anyway because they were singing to the Lord.  They didn't worry about what the person next to them thought.  They didn't say, "Oh, I can't sing, so I won't."  They didn't offer excuses to God.  They sang with might!

This Sunday, why not get over yourself and the people around you, and do those three things.  Show up, be glad, and sing to the Lord with all your might.

What's Your Latest Efforts in Evangelism?

Like prayer and several other things, I always feel like I don't do enough when it comes to evangelism.  However, I am constantly looking for ways to get the gospel truth into the lives of the people I come into contact with, from the congregation in a public worship service to the individual sitting in the parking garage ticket booth.  When it comes to public proclamation, that's an easy one to witness.  Just come to a Malta Baptist Church worship service.  But what is not so easy for you to see is personal evangelism.  I'll simply list some of the kinds of things I do.  If you would like to talk more about evangelism, don't hesitate to contact me.

• When having conversations, I try to steer the talk to spiritual things (hoping for the opportunity for the gospel).  This goes for total strangers and people I am getting to know.
• I ask direct questions about their spiritual life.  Don't be afraid to ask people, the majority of people really don't mind you asking.  For example, ask, "Who do you say that Jesus is?"  It's simple and direct.
• I wear an explicit Gospel shirt in a hostile, public place.  For example, in downtown Montreal I wore a shirt that says (in French), "I choose to follow Jesus."  Jesus is worth taking some risks.
• I tell the parking garage ticket booth workers that Jesus loves them.  It always makes them smile.  Sometimes I have time for a follow up comment.  I at least want to get people thinking about Jesus.
• I constantly read up on evangelism, always looking for ways to improve.  My friend Jason just sent me a small book dealing with evangelism, for which I am very grateful.  I'm definitely not perfect, and I miss a lot of opportunities.  I ask God's forgiveness and strive to do better.
• Sometimes, when talking isn't possible, I leave a gospel tract or a magazine like Home Life or Mature Living that has a presentation of the gospel in it.
• I try to maintain a genuine, consistent witness on Facebook. (I just love it when people post something about loving Jesus, and the next post they're cussing someone out...not!)
• I pray for wisdom, guidance, and opportunities to share the gospel.

Remember, success in evangelism isn't defined by leading a person to Christ (although that is the best and hopeful outcome).  Success in evangelism is sharing the biblical gospel.  Over the past few weeks, I have been teaching the faithful at Malta about missions, practical evangelism, and practical discipleship.  My prayer is that we become a community of Christians constantly developing a culture of evangelism, which will in turn lead to worship of Jesus Christ.

What's Your Sermon Preparation Strategy?

1. Pray for God's direction and blessing.
2. Read the particular passage to be preached several times.
3. Pray for understanding.
4. Answer the question: What is God teaching me here?
5. Read and study resources dealing with original language, background, meaning, commentary, etc., and take notes.
6. Pray for guidance in making application to the congregation.
7. Begin putting the sermon together in a logical order, emphasizing the one meaning and making a few applications.
8. Consider illustrations, introduction, and closing.
9. Pray for God's blessing and use of the sermon.
10. Review it before I preach.
11. Pray before I preach.

What Is the Latest Truth You Have Learned from God's Word?

Well, let's take this morning for example.  So many times we hear Christians and non-Christians quoting Matthew 7:1, "Judge not."  It usually comes out as, "Don't judge," or, "You can't judge me."  But is that true?
Like any Scripture, you can't isolate one verse or one part of a verse and not pay any attention to the words around it.  It's called context.  Context directs our interpretation and applications.  Let's look at what Jesus said, shall we?

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."  Matthew 7:1-5

What kind of judgment is Jesus talking about?  Well, context shows us that Jesus is condemning hypocritical judgment, not all kinds of judgment.

John 7:24 confirms this approach, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

So Jesus is not saying that we should never judge, but that we should judge rightly and not hypocritically.

Furthermore, Jesus' instruction against hypocritical judgmentalism is in no way a prohibition against using discernment, which involves making judgments.  We, as Christians, are supposed to make judgments when it comes to moral and spiritual issues, not because we are being intolerant or unfair, but because we are basing our judgments on the content of God's revelation.  We should always think and act according to what we know from God's Word.

There is more I can say about this, but I want to keep it brief.  If you have questions regarding this subject, don't hesitate to ask.