tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76827624602598256682024-02-19T08:38:55.609-08:00Pastor John SleaddPastor John Sleadd is a teaching elder at Household of Faith Community Church in Grants Pass (HOFGP). Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-683348150507332522014-10-16T23:23:00.002-07:002014-10-16T23:23:28.915-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Examine Yourself</span></b></div>
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<span class="versenum">When was your last spiritual
examination? Most of us are familiar with physical exams. They are often
required for sports and various professional licenses. A physician had to inspect me to
declare I was of sound mind and body in order to get a teaching license in Alaska. You may be familiar with the routine: stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, bright light in the eyes, probe in the ear, mallet to the knee, awkward cough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="versenum">But what about an inspection of our
spiritual condition. How can we know if we have a soft heart and a transformed mind? How can </span>we avoid becoming plank-eyed pharisees who criticize the sin specks of others while excusing our own faults and failures? How do we know that the grace that has saved us is operating in us, circulating, and flowing out of us? </div>
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We likely we need an examination. A self-examination. If we are bold, we might even ask for a second opinion on the matter. Some caring friends may offer an honest appraisal of our spiritual and moral health if we are humble enough to ask them. </div>
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And if you find, as is likely, that your spiritual health is impaired by sin, I can recommend an exceptional doctor. Jesus is the great physician. Take your condition to him for healing and restoration. </div>
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<i>Examine yourselves, to
see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this
about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet
the test!</i> (1 Corinthians 13:5)</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-70327062699540912812010-04-28T20:42:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:12:26.691-07:00The Best Youth Ministry in America: Homeschool Speech & Debate Clubs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmow0kcjn5NgCEzB35LZmOtZxbmGC1X8S_BCJweisqYbkgF7DV1T9iV0LiK0k1ExHdBReCXxG1LogYCE1a8PVC3dJygGgBg7xaiiH4zPbxkC-SpmUOgMqjWHxNuqMQ5Xomz0Hr0Lpw_Q/s1600/speech-clubnew.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmow0kcjn5NgCEzB35LZmOtZxbmGC1X8S_BCJweisqYbkgF7DV1T9iV0LiK0k1ExHdBReCXxG1LogYCE1a8PVC3dJygGgBg7xaiiH4zPbxkC-SpmUOgMqjWHxNuqMQ5Xomz0Hr0Lpw_Q/s400/speech-clubnew.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465406803924166658" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >A subtle, spiritual revival has been stirring in the United States for over two decades now.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >It is the Christian Homeschool Movement.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >More and more parents are catching the vision for biblical discipleship, for evangelism, and for servant leadership.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >And from within this movement has arisen, in my opinion, the best youth ministry in America today:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >speech and debate clubs.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >That’s right, I said speech and debate clubs.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Speech and debate clubs are popping up around the country like dandelions in a summer lawn.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">These clubs are an expression of a percolating passion for biblical apologetics, for persuasive speech and for skillful argumentation.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They provide a potent blend of academic rigor, engaging peer relationships, and high-amp, adrenaline experiences that come from public speaking. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They are Christ-centered, Bible-enriched, skills-oriented, age-blended, and parent-supervised.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They are family-integrated and multi-generational.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I just had to throw in a couple more hyphenated combos.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Homeschool </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">speech and debate clubs are superior to the average Christian youth ministry model in almost every way.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Perhaps I’m a bit biased. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My family has been in involved in speech and debate for six years now.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Each of my five children has been a competitor in the NCFCA League (National Christian Forensics and Communications Association) and loved it.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They have benefited from the research, writing, revising and rehearsing that goes into preparing and delivering a speech.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">They have also benefited from getting to know other Christian homeschool families from around the country who attend the tournaments. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We started our own club, Clarion Forensics, back in 2005 with just four families.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">By 2007 we had grown to over twenty families.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">That’s when we began hosting</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">our own tournaments.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Then, in 2009 we divided into two separate clubs, and began meeting in different towns.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">And next year a third club will begin meeting in yet another town nearby.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When I hear young Christians speak articulately on issues of interest and importance, my worldview opinions turn a shade brighter.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">My optimism in the future of my country is restored.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">From such as these will arise the husbands and wives, the fathers and mothers, the businessmen, churchmen and statesmen to lead our communities and our nation in the next generation.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">If you’re not quite ready to join a speech club right now, then hear me out for another few hundred words of pointed persuasion.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Below I offer six essential reasons, along with some scriptural encouragement, for why your family should get involved in a speech and debate club.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. For Christ</span> – You will purposefully join with others to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. For Communication</span> - You will be coached to speak articulately and effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. For Companionship</span> – You will develop close friendships with other individuals and families of like mind. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil” (Ecclesiastes 4:9)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. For Competition</span> – You will work hard to sharpen your communication skills through engaging contest. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” Proverbs 18:17).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. For Character Development</span> –<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>You will learn to be an example to others, growing in humility and gaining the ability to give and receive instruction. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. For the Great Commission </span>– You will serve as a disciple-making ambassador for Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In conclusion, start homeschooling your children and get them involved with the nearest speech and debate club. Link up with other disciple-making, world-changing ambassadors for Christ. Be an active participant in America's best, family-integrated youth ministry. You'll be blessed to watch your children learn to speak the truth with skill and grace. You'll make memories that will last a lifetime.<br /></span></p> <span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-57397661465731342322010-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:002010-03-20T13:19:33.110-07:00Love to Work<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UVD9zLwK77A6ZmI8rleZfELJ3S5B8EL5IubDmH24aW39C7lyQPyq4vsurp-VobWvGj9teV9jrNzEjtNow7vDMFqGuiptOAsVDtNCE3yU_5KSOJzD3g6SmMcTsWWQ6mLyBQ6wSaYqQI8/s1600-h/work.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UVD9zLwK77A6ZmI8rleZfELJ3S5B8EL5IubDmH24aW39C7lyQPyq4vsurp-VobWvGj9teV9jrNzEjtNow7vDMFqGuiptOAsVDtNCE3yU_5KSOJzD3g6SmMcTsWWQ6mLyBQ6wSaYqQI8/s200/work.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450808478155533618" border="0" /></a>I’ve been pondering the works of mankind again.<span style=""> </span>What gives us such drive to work, I wonder?<span style=""> </span>Why do we strive to create, and produce, and evaluate what we do? <span style=""> </span>Now that I have begun this post, for example, I detect the urge to finish what I have begun.<span style=""> </span>I will revise my work, too, hoping that the finished product is worthy of my crafting and worthy of your reading. <p class="MsoNormal">I confess I love all manner of work.<span style=""> </span>I love the work of designing and building, of planning and organizing, of producing and sharing, of developing and improving.<span style=""> </span>I spot this love of work in many other <span style=""> </span>people, as well. <span style=""> </span>I observe that the love of work makes us learn and grow as we pursue knowledge and new experiences. <span style=""> </span>Love of work makes our homes hum with harmony as we produce health, happiness and hope in the loving relationships born of faith. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Love of work makes the economy buzz as we exchange goods and services for mutual benefit.<span style=""> </span>Love of work helps us refine human government as we weigh and advance competing ideas by point and counterpoint.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Where does this love of work come from?<span style=""> </span>I believe that our Heavenly Father has wired it into us.<span style=""> </span>We are, after all, made in the image of our Creator who worked for six days to make all that is. It is no surprise then, to detect similar impulses in man the creature. <span style=""> </span>The Bible says it nicely in two verses: <span style=""> </span>“<span class="versetext">For <a name="1" id="1"></a>we are his workmanship, <a name="2" id="2"></a>created in Christ Jesus <a name="3" id="3"></a>for good works, <a name="4" id="4"></a>which God prepared beforehand, <a name="5" id="5"></a>that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). </span><span style=""> </span>“And whatever you <span class="highlight">do</span>, in word or deed, <span class="highlight">do</span> <span class="highlight">everything</span> in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colssians 3:17).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’d like to ponder the idea of good works further, but the weather is fine, and there is much work to do on my acre of property. <span style=""> </span>Thus will I bring to a close one endeavor to engage in another.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>May God bless you as you pursue the good works that He has prepared for you.<span style=""> </span></p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-49508351950735908302009-12-21T16:56:00.000-08:002010-03-29T18:48:04.175-07:00Caroling the Culture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAL8YftwutQRX71oBfA705N33yWuaDcmMjjjYhV1rYHSzYeImJ3Y3cBHB28ctSLEyQq8maphzDYQhMfcNZqqK6akpUbCpI_6K90vsJppiYMmoTz_PSG7qlgdBod46lZ_Gw9iDOVvicmk/s1600-h/Caroling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAL8YftwutQRX71oBfA705N33yWuaDcmMjjjYhV1rYHSzYeImJ3Y3cBHB28ctSLEyQq8maphzDYQhMfcNZqqK6akpUbCpI_6K90vsJppiYMmoTz_PSG7qlgdBod46lZ_Gw9iDOVvicmk/s320/Caroling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418857269810868738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">I am amused by the culture skirmishes that erupt each December over religious expressions in the public square.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Thanks to an organization called StandforChristmas.com I can now know which retail businesses are most friendly, or most hostile, to my Christian faith, measured by whether their clerks greet customers with “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.”<span style=""> </span>StandforChristmas.com informs me that it’s still legal to put up a crèche in a public park if the display conforms to the “Three Reindeer Rule.” <span style=""> </span><span class="A1"><span style="">This Rule requires a municipality to place a sufficient number of secular objects in close enough proximity to the crèche to render the overall display sufficiently secular. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> <p class="Pa2" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="A1" style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="Pa2" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="A1" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">I find this state of affairs tragically funny.<span style=""> </span>The culture permits us to have our Merry Christmas as long as the Christ Child is wedged into in a group hug with Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.<span style=""> </span>Does the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who has called Himself Jealous, and who has zero tolerance for idols and pagan practices (read the Ten Commandments), wink at the sight of His Son reduced to a plastic manikin in a park flanked by fantasy figures? Christians should laugh at themselves if they think they are engaging the culture for Christ by maintaining the right to say "Merry Christmas" and to put up manger scenes.<br /></span></span></p> <p class="Pa2" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="A1" style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="Pa2" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="A1" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">Don’t get me wrong.<span style=""> </span>I am not saying Christians should roll over and play 'possum in the cultural wrestling match of ideas and expressions.<span style=""> </span>To the contrary.<span style=""> </span>By every lawful, appropriate and charitable means we should stand up for our rights and for the preservation of our religious freedoms.<span style=""> </span>But we should not be satisfied with merely <span style="font-style: italic;">engaging</span> the culture and preserving our rights.<span style=""> </span>We should be <span style="font-style: italic;">transforming</span> the culture by seeding the Gospel of Peace throughout its core and substance. <span style=""> </span>We should let the dazzling truth of salvation in Christ alone be on display in the Children of God, through a rejoicing Church. <span style=""> </span>A caroling Church, if you will. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let’s review the historic facts about our cause to sing.<span style=""> </span>In the Christmas story we see the Lord God set the stage for His dramatic appearance on earth. He employs prophecies, signs and circumstances <span style="">to reveal His divine redemptive plan for saving mankind from eternal damnation. </span>An angel appears to a virgin and delivers a prophecy.<span style=""> </span>A child is conceived by the Holy Spirit.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>A moving star hovers over the birthplace of the child, attracting wise men, bearing gifts, from the east. In Bethlehem the Ancient of Days becomes a baby.<span style=""> </span>The God, upon whom no one can look and live, is cuddled by His mother and is nursed at her breast. The High King of heaven leaves His throne to lie helpless in a manger. The Immortal, Invisible grows up in a family, working hard to please his earthly parents and His Heavenly Father. <span style=""> </span>The infinite Almighty walks the earth and grows with age until He is 33 years old.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Then the Creator of life experiences death. <span style=""> </span>The Perfect, Holy and Sinless One is executed, suffocating and bleeding on a cross for the crime of stating who He truly was, the Son of God.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Christmas story is breathtaking.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>It is magnificent mercy. The magnitude of limitation that God ordained for Himself to come to us in human form is staggering to the mind and heart.<span style=""> </span>Jesus came to die for us, to secure peace for us with God the Father. <span style=""> </span>Yet He rose, and He lives, and He reigns.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I think this is something worth jumping up down and singing about.<span style=""> </span>This is the kind of good news that displaces the gloomy darkness in the culture.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Martin Lloyd Jones has said, “The greatest need of the hour is a revived and joyful Church...Unhappy Christians are, to say the least, a poor recommendation of the Christian faith.”<span style=""> </span>I heartily agree.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>A church that effectively engages the culture should be a rejoicing church.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We must not think that the Gospel will be received with joy in all quarters, of course.<span style=""> </span>In the same way that a flashlight sends cockroaches scurrying in the shed, the light of Christ sends wicked men ducking for cover. The Gospel is a blessed beacon of hope to the repentant, but it is a blinding beam of exposure to the recalcitrant. <span style=""> </span>Men who love darkness rather than light will be repelled by it. I know this from experience. I was a mocker of Christians until Jesus, the light of men, broke through to reveal my spiritual blindness and to save me by grace. Soon my friends began to mock <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span> as a Christian. This, too is amusing, ironic, yet glorious.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Sing on, I say. Carol the culture. Sing songs about Jesus being born in a manger. Sing words of hope and joy for a troubled world held captive by dark deceit. Let the light of the Gospel do its wonders among men, penetrating and purging cancerous sin wherever it festers. <span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Let the rejoicing church be known for Who it loves more than for its disdain for darkness. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Let Christ draw men unto Himself as He did with the wise men from the east, who came to worship Him. <span style=""> </span>Let the rejoicing church be known for its Merry Christians, who are Light-hearted, filled with the illuminating love, joy and peace of Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style="">Joy to the world, the Lord is come<br />Let earth receive her King<br />Let every heart prepare Him room<br />And heaven and nature sing</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10px;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-76955798232509694332009-12-13T18:27:00.000-08:002010-03-20T11:22:19.821-07:00Advent 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxRryhPs7I-o4WQxq6tqlO9HGdImbSSiOKBucagYIELRe-Qzrw_GGI40u4h2UWzA6tC_3w74sjKQjANs-xRv4BTvyViDzokMbDnp27xUGmwhPXKEuku02h68tUizrDNYlEtqO-1QlWIg/s1600-h/the-birth-of-christ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxRryhPs7I-o4WQxq6tqlO9HGdImbSSiOKBucagYIELRe-Qzrw_GGI40u4h2UWzA6tC_3w74sjKQjANs-xRv4BTvyViDzokMbDnp27xUGmwhPXKEuku02h68tUizrDNYlEtqO-1QlWIg/s320/the-birth-of-christ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414913814639555586" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">In the fullness of time</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">God sent His Son to earth</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">To free the captives</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">From unbelief, and sin and fear</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">He arrived as a child of low estate</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Born of a virgin under a star of promise</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">He grew in grace and power</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Though tempted, He knew no sin </p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">He healed the sick, and fed the hungry, and raised the dead</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">The masses followed Him seeking show and gain</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">They cheered His triumphal entry<span style=""> </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Then within a week they cried "crucify him!" </p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Though He came to His own, they received Him not</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Jerusalem chose a cross for her king instead of a throne</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">All this was done in the fullness of time</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">According to the prophecies of old</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">According to the will of the Father</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Now the advent of Christmas marks time's onward charge</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Today the children of God rest in salvation by grace through faith</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We are nourished by the Word and the Spirit and the promise of eternal life</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We are citizens in a heavenly kingdom that is already, but not yet</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Ours is a calling and a knowing, not of this world</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Our King is at once apart from us, yet with us and in us</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We are drawn to trust Him enough to obey His commands</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We are moved to serve Him by serving others</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We live in hopeful longing with eyes toward tomorrow</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We view the best things in this life as but a foretaste<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Of even better things to come</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">We wait with joyful expectation </p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">For our King to return in glory</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">In the fullness of time</p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-34535566279414030972009-11-29T20:43:00.000-08:002009-12-11T14:50:15.573-08:00To Tree, Or Not To Tree<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCJrLVqL9hbEHY3WpfqUMeFmfp_xYFesaa7_nuYc6KU-LSQ3GVUEt4um8bm6AWpUxzuZdbWutQIer4K1lr1ubFakeHBD2qjtWQWTYUDnSMKLy9lxGa5rs7M0SRTp1dTLRSvqpGoI3UmQ/s1600/christmas-tree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCJrLVqL9hbEHY3WpfqUMeFmfp_xYFesaa7_nuYc6KU-LSQ3GVUEt4um8bm6AWpUxzuZdbWutQIer4K1lr1ubFakeHBD2qjtWQWTYUDnSMKLy9lxGa5rs7M0SRTp1dTLRSvqpGoI3UmQ/s320/christmas-tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409755326804974882" border="0" /></a>To tree, or not to tree?<span style=""> </span>That is the question.<span style=""> </span>Whether ‘tis nobler in the den to suffer the needles of outrageous ornamentation, <span style=""> </span>or to leave trees outside (where they grow), and by opposing end them (indoors).<span style=""> </span>The conscience, which makes cowards of us all, has caused me to sickly o’er with <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> pale cast of thought:<span style=""> </span>Why have I allowed a Christmas tree to dominate my living room, yet again?<span style=""> </span> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I love Christmas.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I love Christmas music.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I love Christmas decorations.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Do I love Christmas trees?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I wonder.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Beside me stands a monstrous, decorated intrusion into the order of my life. As tradition dictates in the Sleadd home, the furniture gets rearranged from Thanksgiving weekend until New Year’s Day to accommodate a coniferous guest.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Thus, the measured juxtaposition of my arm chair, book stand, and reading lamp has been set awry by the merry boughs of imposition. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I grow contemplative and cautious.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">If I make room for a tree in my house and den, will I next make room for blatant idolatry in my life and habits? And what’s a Christmas tree got to do with the birth of Christ anyway?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I don’t recall the gospel of Luke mentioning an evergreen tree stuffed into the stable in Bethlehem to crowd out the cattle. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I’ve heard stories about Martin Luther finding deep symbolism in a spruce tree he saw one night when he was feeling spiritually frisky.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">But I suspect that some German tree farmer found a way to sell more trees if he added holiday appeal, like a printer proclaiming a special day for the purpose of selling more greeting cards. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It seems dryly ironic to claim an evergreen tree represents eternal life in Christ, then to chop it down and set it in one’s house to whither into a parched, fire hazard. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">For the record, my Christmas tree is artificial, so it probably won’t burn the house down.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">And it’s actually quite pleasant to look at. It is perfectly conical and uniformly green.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Its wire branches are evenly distributed with factory precision, and stiff enough to hold up the heaviest ornaments China can make.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Few real trees look so good, or require so little care.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">But herein lies a typological quandary, which tests the native hue of resolution: What are we to make of Christmas tree symbolism when the specimen is a hypocrite, a plastic phony, a green-washed Pharisee stuck in a tree stand. </span>Must give us pause. <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Maybe that’s why a rash of American governors, and the president himself, recently couldn’t decide whether to call them Christmas trees, or Holiday trees.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I've not delved into the Christmas tree's alleged pagan past, nor will I. Research the subject yourself and find enough ambiguity to also give one pause. Alas, you must decide for yourself what to do about such trees. I recommend you enjoy holiday liberty as you practice whatever is God honoring and beneficial. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me thinks I'll let my Christmas tree remain standing in the house, as usual. Though if the Christ of Christmas has not returned by next December I'll probably have to think it all through again, to tree, or not to tree.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Have a Merry Christmas this year.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-21477783626627527502009-10-29T20:43:00.000-07:002009-11-09T05:51:34.617-08:00First Impressions In the Speech Driven Life<span style="font-family:verdana;">Today I post a page out of my book-in-the-works, </span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> The Speech Driven Life. I began the book to help equip students to speak the Truth with sincerity, skill and grace. While it is intended to prepare students for competitive public speaking, I think it's practical enough to be of benefit to every ambassador for Christ. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><o:p style="font-family: verdana;"></o:p><p style="font-family: verdana;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to Make a Positive First Impression</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It has been said that within ten seconds after entering a room most people will make a snap judgment about the social environment.<span style=""> </span>In short order they’ll decide whether or not the people there are friendly.<span style=""> </span>It’s called a first impression.<span style=""> </span>Likewise, when <i style="">you</i> walk into a room you’ll be sized up in a matter of moments.<span style=""> </span>People will notice your clothing, your hair style, the expression on your face, your posture, and your body movements.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When you speak, people will notice the quality of your voice.<span style=""> </span>They will notice your pitch, your tone, your rate, your accent (if you have one), and your enunciation.<span style=""> </span>They will make judgments about your emotional state based on your tone and style of delivery.<span style=""> </span>Lastly, perhaps, they will notice what you have to say, which they will interpret by the first impression they have already made of you.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">As a speaker you are essentially performing for an audience of judges.<span style=""> </span>This is literally true if you are involved in formal speech competition.<span style=""> </span>The more intentional you are about making a positive first impression, the easier it will be to establish the trust and credibility it takes to effectively communicate your message.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Here are some essential components for making a good first impression. These tips apply to the professional looking attire you would wear in speech competition, and they are good to consider for personal appearance in general.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >1. Smile</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Your face is your most important means for making a positive first impression.<span style=""> </span>Wear a smile that can be seen in your eyes.<span style=""> </span>It communicates friendliness and confidence.<span style=""> </span>A grumpy disposition is a poor representation of a faith that brings joy.<span style=""> </span>Avoid chewing gum or eating when you speak.<span style=""> </span>Check to make sure you don’t have parsley stuck in your teeth or food smeared on your face. It’s distracting. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Dress to Feature Your Face and Hands</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Wear clothing that directs people’s attention to your face.<span style=""> </span>Dark suits allow your face to stand out in contrast.<span style=""> </span>Include attractive colors in your attire (shirts, neck ties, scarves) to add warmth and personality.<span style=""> </span>Dress modestly.<span style=""> </span>Avoid clothing that directs undue attention to parts of your body other than your face.<span style=""> </span>Avoid wearing colors and patterns that clash.<span style=""> </span>Wear a hairstyle that keeps your hair out of your face and makes you look respectable.<span style=""> </span>Keep jewelry to a minimum so that your eyes are the main focus.<span style=""> </span>Temperatures permitting, wear long sleeves so that your hands stand out in contrast to your clothing and are easy to see.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >3. Use Good Posture and Natural Movements</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Good posture and smooth hand movements also help make a positive first impression.<span style=""> </span>Take deliberate steps when entering a room.<span style=""> </span>Let your hands swing naturally at your sides when you walk.<span style=""> </span>Keep your hands visible and out of your pockets.<span style=""> </span>Don’t slouch or look off balance.<span style=""> </span>Let the impression you make show that you enjoy being with the people there, and that you look forward to communicating with them.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Sound Confident and Personable</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The first words you speak will make an impression.<span style=""> </span>Speak them loudly and clearly, in a calm, controlled voice.<span style=""> </span>High-pitched, rapid speech indicates nervousness.<span style=""> </span>Try to make your voice sound confident and friendly, generally in the lower part of your vocal pitch range.<span style=""> </span>A greeting or welcome is a good way to be personable with your audience and put them at ease.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. State a Clear Purpose and Preview Your Points</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Let your audience know why you are speaking to them.<span style=""> </span>State your topic clearly and give a preview of your main points.<span style=""> </span>Hint at your conclusion to keep them tracking with you.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Have a Strong Beginning and Ending</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Audiences tend to remember the beginning and end of a presentation the most. Make your opening and closing strong and memorable. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Keep Things Short, Sweet and Simple</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Be enthusiastic. Be sincere.</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Be brief.</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >People will appreciate it. Show gratitude to your audience for their attention.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-19200489047218894062009-08-24T09:16:00.000-07:002009-08-24T09:54:33.887-07:00It Is Well<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_n7e-JXilBTN6JDhwfTO8Pbdl32hyphenhyphencg9g9TC3Cwime1yNOkef30iThb9MbxwoWj9zAnjww7xQVRtbC0hzD80cR3_IeW6wJC_wVgX67IfieLv4PriqffWDnHNOwWbTJEt3k8hgL0SuKc/s1600-h/26_DMD_well_big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_n7e-JXilBTN6JDhwfTO8Pbdl32hyphenhyphencg9g9TC3Cwime1yNOkef30iThb9MbxwoWj9zAnjww7xQVRtbC0hzD80cR3_IeW6wJC_wVgX67IfieLv4PriqffWDnHNOwWbTJEt3k8hgL0SuKc/s200/26_DMD_well_big.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373573646232388178" border="0" /></a>I broach the deep subject of well water, and the need to raise it up from the grasp of gravity. During the last decade my property has become increasingly parched. The water table has dropped, and my well cannot produce the flow to green up my acre. The installation of a holding tank, years back, only delayed the dehydration. When, this August, the water dribbled into the tank as slow as slobber I knew it was time to dig deeper for the precious liquid. <br /><br />Thus began the drain of our precious savings. We hired men to drill a 300 foot cylinder of space into the earth’s crust beside our driveway. Now I need to dangle the submersible pump in the abyss to draw the slurpy from the depths.<br /><br />I’m hoping for a happy ending to my water woes. But deeper meanings can be plumbed here. I am reminded of the story of Jesus beside a deep well in the dry region of Samaria. It was here that Christ told a promiscuous woman about the spiritual water of the Holy Spirit. He said, ”Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”<br /><br />In today’s culture of easy belief and casual Christianity, I suspect that many souls continue to thirst. Multitudes have crowded around the dry fountain of man-centered, seeker-friendly, religion, instead of being filled by the power and presence of Almighty God. Playing church does not a Christian make. Being chosen by God, in Christ, before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4) to be born again of water and the Spirit (Jn 3:5) does.<br /><br />Is there living water in your life?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jeremiah 2:13</span> "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 Corinthians 10:1-4</span> "For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Revelation 21:6b</span> "To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-56937982545534797092009-07-13T21:06:00.000-07:002009-07-18T12:13:58.364-07:00The Speech Driven Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIFfSPRVwfhz1Wrd6cJBhVQihYrACpXH3wF1o_5YCguxGgW1P1g_owN7BpBX_ZB-MU2YDBHmK27nvKZ_7UB3QmgzwmYIGbFZ0j1PwUewjxGEzZzrTjzoLoc2wTwpFhlmsWm3s3Mm5Fj4/s1600-h/525px-Speech_balloon.svg.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIFfSPRVwfhz1Wrd6cJBhVQihYrACpXH3wF1o_5YCguxGgW1P1g_owN7BpBX_ZB-MU2YDBHmK27nvKZ_7UB3QmgzwmYIGbFZ0j1PwUewjxGEzZzrTjzoLoc2wTwpFhlmsWm3s3Mm5Fj4/s200/525px-Speech_balloon.svg.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358165345160737154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Last year I began writing a practical workbook for beginning speech students, hoping to finish smartly and in due time. But as I labored away, new ideas kept creeping in to make it a larger work. I considered speech for all of life.<br /><br />Now I fear it may take all of my life to finish it. So I include an excerpt below, salving a sense of tardiness, and tossing out crumbs as from a piece of toast, so to speak. Here's to the speech driven life.</span><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Born To Speak</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Imagine life without speech. There would be no words, no sentences, no greetings, and no good-byes.<span style=""> </span>Life without speech would mean no stories, no songs, no sermons and no jokes.<span style=""> </span>Bo – ring.<span style=""> </span>Fortunately, the world is full of speech.<span style=""> </span>It is a speech driven life.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I noticed right off that all five of my drooling and toothless offspring were hard wired to speak.<span style=""> </span>As infants, they spoke in burbles and bubbles.<span style=""> </span>They wailed their vowels before nap nap, and they sputtered out their consonants while slurping from their sippy cup. They grunted like daddy did when he tried to fix the plumbing under the sink. They shrieked like mommy did when she watched spaghetti sauce get splattered onto the off white carpet. In short order, too, our wee ones babbled out discernable utterances like “momma” and “dada.”<span style=""> </span>“Good job,” I’d gush, “now can baby say ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The Science of Speech</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Man has an amazing capacity for language. <span style=""> </span>While other creatures on the planet might be able to communicate with various sounds and calls, only man can tell jokes and recite poetry. <span style=""> </span>Right from the start, the first man, Adam, demonstrated his language skills when he named all the livestock, all the birds, and all the beasts of the field.<span style=""> </span>He did this on his first day of existence.<span style=""> </span>Talk about high aptitude.<span style=""> </span>Then, a bit later, after God performed rib surgery on him to create a special-order bride (Eve), Adam woke up to wax eloquent.<span style=""> </span>He crooned, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”<span style=""> </span>Busy day.<span style=""> </span>(see Genesis 2:18-24)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Bible states that God <i>spoke</i> all of creation into existence, and that man was made in God’s image.<span style=""> </span>It’s no surprise, then, that man was given amazing language abilities.<span style=""> </span>Man’s brain is designed with regions of special function that enable him to speak, write, read, compute, reason and be creative in all manner of ways.<span style=""> </span>Man was made to live in community with his maker and with his fellow man. God therefore equipped him with an exquisite neurolinguistic processor.<span style=""> </span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Scientists have determined that a region of the brain called the perisylvian, located in the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe, is the chief command center for speech and language.<span style=""> </span>It is in around this region that cognitive thinking, abstract reasoning, and language comprehension are believed to take place. The perisylvian area kicks into gear when you try to have a conversation with your dentist while his tools and fingers are in your mouth.<span style=""> </span>It helps you deal with tricky figures of speech without losing sleep at night, thinking about ridiculous contradictions.<span style=""> </span>Read the following oxymorons (incongruous words) to see if your perisylvian area is working. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">jumbo shrimp<span style=""> </span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">random order<span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>tight slacks<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">pretty ugly<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">rap music<span style=""> </span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">federal budget<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">God has equipped us with the marvelous ability to process<span style=""> </span>and produce language. We should be eager to use it in ways that are pleasing to Him. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">“Let the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">words</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">of</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">my</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">mouth</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and the meditation </span><span style="font-family:arial;">of</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">my</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">my</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> rock and </span><span style="font-family:arial;">my</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> <span style="font-family: arial;">redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-52258159643783543072009-05-21T17:06:00.000-07:002009-05-28T06:04:38.580-07:00Graduation Invocation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BAClm6_7xc_GBSr6vsujOTsZXArt4U3Glw109g2IKnlr6txc7C3wryd1hXSEK70V0t4k24vlGetp3YOcFY4Dm5FUiVzjzmTA6i7btCzlRamwT-hX-t_h8RJeONd4uZz83S6GYlyh0x4/s1600-h/graduation1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338440354674257682" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 200px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BAClm6_7xc_GBSr6vsujOTsZXArt4U3Glw109g2IKnlr6txc7C3wryd1hXSEK70V0t4k24vlGetp3YOcFY4Dm5FUiVzjzmTA6i7btCzlRamwT-hX-t_h8RJeONd4uZz83S6GYlyh0x4/s200/graduation1.jpg" border="0" /></a><o:p>I was asked to publish the invocation I gave at a recent homeschool graduation ceremony. Here it is<br /><br />O God , our Father,</o:p><br /><o:p><br />You have called us to worship You in Spirit and in Truth.<br />You have called us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.<br />You have called us to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth.<br />You have called us to receive children as a blessing, and to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.<br />You have called us to diligently teach our children Your commandments, to talk of them as we sit in our homes, as we walk by the way, as we lie down, and as we rise up.<br />You have called us to obey Your Great Commission, to make disciples in our homes, in our cities, and in every nation.<br /><br />Thank You, Lord, for the calling to homeschool. </o:p><br /><o:p>Thank You for the strength to heed the call. </o:p><br /><o:p>Thank You for the grace and power of Your presence to persevere in it.<br /><br />We now ask Your blessing on this assembly.<br />We ask that You would continue to bless the fruit of our labor.<br />We ask You to preserve our freedom to educate our own children.<br />We ask You to sanctify and motivate our students.<br />We ask You to grow them in knowledge and faith, in love and good deeds.<br /><br />We ask You to direct our graduates with wisdom, and discernment, and vision.<br />We ask You to raise them up into godly men and women, husbands and wives, churchmen and statesmen.<br />We ask You to bring restoration to our community and to our nation through them.<br />We ask You to renew their minds and transform them into bold and effective ambassadors for Christ.<br /><br />O, God, we ask You to pour out Your Spirit upon us. Fill us with Your holy cause.<br />May Jesus Christ be known among us and to the very ends of the earth.<br />May we be changed more into the likeness of Christ by our gathering.<br /><br />May this evening bring You glory and honor, for the furtherance of Your gospel and for the expansion of Your kingdom.<br /><br />We ask these things in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.<br />Amen.</o:p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-21726543752862588292009-03-16T21:04:00.000-07:002009-03-17T16:44:50.919-07:00Same Church, New Name<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Kuf6bah8j5I-tOOoNXGKA3LnHZIvOUwe147MSaNWKe2VR6bEfyS1J5GtPPWBr6ChZKmS9mChhaTKcgiG6EnknzURnlmQov88zcdiyKt7ERxWyZCmZTamoLb8GWP-QV9O4t-IdJPDWFM/s1600-h/HOFGP.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314008500154743810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 102px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Kuf6bah8j5I-tOOoNXGKA3LnHZIvOUwe147MSaNWKe2VR6bEfyS1J5GtPPWBr6ChZKmS9mChhaTKcgiG6EnknzURnlmQov88zcdiyKt7ERxWyZCmZTamoLb8GWP-QV9O4t-IdJPDWFM/s400/HOFGP.bmp" border="0" /></a>We've changed the name of our church from <strong>Coram Deo</strong> to <strong>Household of Faith</strong>.<br /><br />Koran what? What kinduva church is that?<br /><br />Quorum Deo? How many people do you need to hold a meeting?<br /><br />I've heard such things over the last three years. Not from the folks who speak Latin, or read Ligonier Ministry's <em>Table Talk</em> Magazine, mind you. Just most of the people that I meet, or work with in Grants Pass, Oregon, including fellow evangelical pastors.<br /><br />Coram Deo, in Latin, means "before the face of God," which is where we're prayerfully laying the new church name. I'm hoping the change is not merely a practical marketing strategy, but rather a clearer way to communicate our vision and purpose for restoring households of faith. Furthermore, we will be affiliating with a Portland area, church-planting consociation, called Household of Faith Fellowship of Churches, a partnership which we hope will invigorate our efforts to make disciples.<br /><br /><strong>Household of Faith Community Church, Grants Pass (HOFGP)</strong> is a family-integrated fellowship committed to uniting church and home. We are a congregation of families in Southern Oregon who love Jesus and who desire to serve Him multi-generationally.<br /><br /><strong>3-D Distinctives<br /></strong><br /><strong>Doctrine</strong> - We desire transformation by the renewing of our minds in Christ. We treasure the Bible as God's sure and sufficient Word for all of life and godliness. We strive to teach the Scriptures expositionally in engaging ways that include each member of our age-integrated congregation.<br /><br /><strong>Devotion</strong> - We desire the power and the joy of the Holy Spirit to turn our hearts fully to Christ. We love to worship God in song and praise. Our sincere love for one another is evident in our prayers, in our joyful singing, in our time of sharing, in Communion, and in our fellowship meals which follow the teaching each Lord's Day.<br /><br /><strong>Discipleship</strong> - We desire to be a congregation of action in the world, living out the gospel of Christ. We are passionate about making disciples in our homes and in the culture. We strive to equip men to be servant leaders and pastors in their own homes, which serve as household embassies of faith.<br /><br />Our purpose is to equip each family to live the Great Commission lifestyle as a team of ambassadors for Christ.<br /><br />We believe that God has strategically placed men in the crucial role of raising their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord.<br /><br />We believe that the prophetic turning of the hearts of the fathers to their children (Malachi 4:5-6) is a spiritual prerequisite to the restoration of families in our community and in our nation.<br /><br />Is God calling you into deeper discipleship? Contact <a href="mailto:pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com">pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com</a> if you'd like more information about being a part of the Household of Faith.<br /><br />Household of Faith, Grants Pass web site: <a href="http://www.hofgp.org/">http://www.hofgp.org/</a>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-34546930664628778482009-01-21T21:42:00.000-08:002009-03-22T20:03:24.946-07:00Preacher Feature<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmwwywfJwHokyA2jHdenhh6z8X1jL_QOMY3w9BDS3gHMKTI91UE_CJJD3gK2v0ffVI-2aSz5vNu_9INR3wZlpiYqsHHZpTzxEFhmuESgw5K-PfIX-f6KPbynu1zKWbvdDMEsFffif7Vo/s1600-h/New+Picture+(5).png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293995249304330530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmwwywfJwHokyA2jHdenhh6z8X1jL_QOMY3w9BDS3gHMKTI91UE_CJJD3gK2v0ffVI-2aSz5vNu_9INR3wZlpiYqsHHZpTzxEFhmuESgw5K-PfIX-f6KPbynu1zKWbvdDMEsFffif7Vo/s400/New+Picture+(5).png" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Training Men to Teach, Preach and Lead<br /></span></strong><br />Earnest men of sincere faith, I invite you to join me to sharpen your skills as gospel ambassadors for Christ. Starting in February I'll be spearheading a preacher feature in the Clarion Speech and Debate Club.<br /><br /><p>The goal is to equip men with an Accurately Informed Mind, an Artful Method of delivery and diplomacy, and an Attractive Manner of relating to others. Thank you, theologian and apologist Greg Koukl, for the inspiration. Consider this blog post an assignment for those interested in growing as teachers and disciple makers. Contact <a href="mailto:pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com">pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com</a> with questions or comments.</p><p><strong>2 Corinthians 5:17-21</strong> Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.<br /><strong>2 Timothy 2:15</strong> Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.<br /><strong>2 Timothy 4:2</strong> Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.<br /><strong>1 Peter 3:15</strong> But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.</p><p><strong>Eight Sessions</strong> – Tuesdays Nights, Grants Pass High School main bldg, 6:30-8:30PM </p><p>Book Study: <em><strong>The Supremacy of God in Preaching</strong></em>, by John Piper; also recommended <strong><em>Preaching The Cross</em></strong>, by Dever, Duncan, Mohler , Mahaney </p><p><strong>Session One (2/3)</strong><br />Introductions & overview of class<br />Intro. to <strong>TnT</strong> Format (exposition, application & discussion)<br />Intro. to <strong>Impromptu Speaking</strong><br />Intro. to <strong>Apologetics Categories</strong><br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments:</span> <span style="color:#660000;">1) Read prefaces & Ch 1 The Goal of Preaching: The Glory of God, 2) Write out & memorize your testimony of faith (3-5 minutes) </span></p><p><strong>Session Two (2/17)</strong><br />Impromptu Practice: Existence & Nature of God<br />Share Testimonies<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Prefaces & Ch 1<br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments: 1) Read Ch 2 The Ground of Preaching: The Cross of Christ, 2) Memorize scripture verses above</span><br /><br /><strong>Session Three (3/3)<br /></strong>Impromptu Practice: The Scriptures<br />Share Memory Verses<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Ch 2<br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments: 1) Read Ch 3 The Gift of Preaching: The Power of the Holy Spirit<br /></span><br /><strong>Session Four (3/17)</strong><br />Impromptu Practice: Nature, Purpose & Destiny of Man<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Ch 3<br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments: 1) Read Ch 4 The Gravity and Gladness of Preaching, 2) Memorize the Two-Minute Gospel</span> </p><p><strong>Session Five (3/31)<br /></strong>Impromptu Practice: Salvation, or How to Know God<br />Share the Two-Minute Gospel<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Ch 4<br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments: 1) Read Ch 5 Keep God Central: The Life of Jonathan Edwards, 2) Conduct at least three Spiritual Surveys by 4/21</span><br /><br /><strong>Session Six (4/7)</strong><br />Impromptu Practice: The Person of Christ<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Ch 5<br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments: 1) Read Ch 6 Submit to Sweet Sovereignty: The Theology of Edwards<br /></span><br /><strong>Session Seven (4/16)</strong> Meeting at Gateway Christian Fellowship<br />Impromptu Practice: All categories<br />Share results of Spiritual Surveys<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Ch 6<br /><span style="color:#660000;">Assignments: 1) Read Ch 7 & Conclusion - Make God Supreme: The Preaching of Edwards<br /></span><br /><strong>Session Eight (4/23)</strong> Meeting at Gateway Christian Fellowship<br />Impromptu Practice: All categories<br />TnT Practice<br />Book Discussion: Ch 7 & Conclusion<br />Wrap Up</p>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-49829627760063758232008-12-20T14:44:00.000-08:002009-01-12T21:42:43.631-08:00Merry Christmas 2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG87lPhu49jXujdISuolScI-NJ2MxGtA7Ct3nhxyLvuhZpbc0Fs4UtnVH-Agzzkcdtqymorzhn6B4VyOqUwdht4nlLg9bf2-i2Ca-oaJeBCvDdpiAUOowCnyUqlnXss7BY5YnYpfsaENg/s1600-h/IMG_2899.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282009523407503794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG87lPhu49jXujdISuolScI-NJ2MxGtA7Ct3nhxyLvuhZpbc0Fs4UtnVH-Agzzkcdtqymorzhn6B4VyOqUwdht4nlLg9bf2-i2Ca-oaJeBCvDdpiAUOowCnyUqlnXss7BY5YnYpfsaENg/s400/IMG_2899.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRjL_b4yA1jsOMt8hxUbiP_7rtTs5a30rKcAFidVYfln3MU1a9giTLzY6VbEOAo9rnA-QTRgurd9UDor7eJHxP49JUdk0ugLMg7_OXFI2lDLNoMVuZBKBuNYsUpHqTi7YxaiMdNZ6ktI/s1600-h/familypic2008%5B1%5D.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282008774578243730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRjL_b4yA1jsOMt8hxUbiP_7rtTs5a30rKcAFidVYfln3MU1a9giTLzY6VbEOAo9rnA-QTRgurd9UDor7eJHxP49JUdk0ugLMg7_OXFI2lDLNoMVuZBKBuNYsUpHqTi7YxaiMdNZ6ktI/s400/familypic2008%5B1%5D.png" border="0" /></a>Here’s a post to acknowledge my absence from the blog-o-sphere. I’ve been away since September with too much to do, and too little time to do it. My household is shrinking, too. My firstborn son, Nathan has married and moved into his own home. God has blessed Nathan and his wife, Colleen, with a honeymoon baby. My daughter, Naomi, and her husband Nathanael, are expecting their second child. It’s a great thing to be a grandparent. Enjoy the pictures. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282010911554723746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHMjWv1AwMnvITrgRoi-lpywftsPe_HQgwgP62qZFT92HGdbr1w_JKw1pzzegDNJ5VKSxN0r4-DpWb4xMjQ_8ttEsYe0oyue_Cj6_nHcHUSFPdDyMvX79Fao3d8uJe_jp_uzWk2Dvc_g/s200/New+Picture+(2).png" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282010553003955938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCur9QmQeSGKgALAdh-Nankw1Ou4PJRc6hyphenhypheno6x-lBoC6TvvTnAfGMv27sAPk8e97CwodE94xstCfZfqGkS7au_Ho81P2Ck5AgzTgTmM9hxUw0j9fJcfaY7l8XrnnQlml3UjPriAvMQEM/s200/New+Picture.png" border="0" /> “So how is it being a bi-vocational pastor?” I’m asked by folks who know that I’m a homeschool dad who teaches public school students during the week, and preaches sermons to the saints on Sundays.<br /><br />Allow me to recount my blessings. I’m delighted to have the freedom to live out my faith in a great community. I’m blessed to be able to disciple my children in the ways of the scriptures. I’m privileged to work with students who have an appetite for knowledge and truth. I’m thrilled to spread the vision of discipleship to unite church and home, and to transform the culture. Shucks, I’m having so much fun, perhaps I should be tri-vocational. I jest.<br /><br /><strong>Good Times We’ve Had</strong><br />Recently, we elders of Coram Deo Church preached our way through a series of topics that paralleled Focus on the Family’s <em>The Truth Project</em>. We came to more fully understand the marvelous imprint of our triune God upon all human institutions. Since we are made in His image, it is no surprise that the very nature of God is expressed in marriage and the family, in the church, in the state, in the sciences, in the arts, in the economy, in everything.<br /><br /><strong>Good Works To Be Done</strong><br />In these times of economic calamity and political scandal I am more convinced than ever that we need to seek the face of Almighty God, Him who first sought us. God is sovereign over every aspect of His creation. He is just and powerful, yet He cares for the lowly and the needy. He ordains the rise and fall of nations. And He welcomes humble, child-like faith. </div><div></div><div>If the American dream of autonomous individualism and materialistic consumption comes crumbling down around us, then perhaps we will take notice again of our Creator. Perhaps we will see the deception of a worldview that curses children and blesses debt. Perhaps we will craft an exit strategy from our reliance on the secular state as our savior. Perhaps we will lose our fondness for being comfortable, religious spectators. Maybe we'll start shining the Light of Christ to the world around us. It will not be without cost, just as Jesus promised.<br /><br /><strong>A Son Is Given<br /></strong>Tomorrow I will preach a Christmas message entitled <em>God With Us, God For Us, & God In Us</em>. I am pleased to include a couple of young apologists from the Clarion Speech and Debate Club, Jachin Scott and Tait Deems, to help me make the case for salvation in Christ alone. It is young men like these who give me great hope for the future. May the Lord raise up more men in the church to boldly proclaim the gospel of peace and the salvation story of GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense.<br /><br />Soli Deo Gloria,<br /><br />John Sleadd </div>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-80805082825312323742008-09-30T16:55:00.000-07:002008-10-02T17:27:52.568-07:00Our Worthy Religion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglImcQ_ElabnMo5erSxJyxH2T__CRxH1ArcExx97CYbPk6cZZCiyWdvSct0Tv_7Lc_meTmWAYq_JjfGyfRsMnTZx5rhskBhrrOLDaGcXqHnpToQF98SfpM2Ghx5pexmIedA1ypx5Z6xmk/s1600-h/3crossesatsunset.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251967947951500338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglImcQ_ElabnMo5erSxJyxH2T__CRxH1ArcExx97CYbPk6cZZCiyWdvSct0Tv_7Lc_meTmWAYq_JjfGyfRsMnTZx5rhskBhrrOLDaGcXqHnpToQF98SfpM2Ghx5pexmIedA1ypx5Z6xmk/s200/3crossesatsunset.jpg" border="0" /></a>A statement analysis: It has been said that “Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.”<br />I believe it is both.<br /><br />Christianity is a relationship with our triune God, and it is a religion of beliefs and practices for all of life that flow from this relationship.<br /><br />Christianity is a relationship with God, the Father, our Maker and Creator. We are to humble ourselves before His sovereign power, and obey everything He has commanded in His Word. We are to fear Him and revere Him. We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.<br /><br />Christianity is a relationship with Christ, the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. We are to rejoice in the work of Christ, whose sinless life and death on the cross satisfies the justice of God, and reconciles us to God. We are to place our trust in Christ alone to save us. We are to submit our lives to Him. He is our Lord.<br /><br />Christianity is a relationship with the Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity of God, who exalts Christ to the glory of God the Father. We are to yield to His sanctifying guidance. We are to pray in His power. We are to be filled and sanctified by His presence, which leads us to be more like Christ.<br /><br />Christianity is a relationship with our neighbor. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves and give unselfish attention to their needs. The Command of Christ to love one another is expressed in the way we build each other up in the church and proclaim the gospel to the world.<br /><br />Christianity is clearly a relationship. But it is also a religion, which can be defined as the practice of our faith, or the working out of our right relationship to God.<br /><br />The Bible says that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (Jas 1:27)”<br /><br />It says that God chose us before the very foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him, that He predestined us to be adopted into His kingdom in Christ (Eph 1:4,5). It says that we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared beforehand “ (Eph 2:10).<br /><br />Christianity is a religion, in which we are saved by grace, and not by our good works. But it is a religion of faith that produces good works. The Bible says that “faith without works is dead”(Jas 2:17). Those who trust in Christ will most certainly bear the good fruit of their faith. Jesus said that “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).<br /><br />In conclusion, I believe Christianity is a relationship that produces a worthy religion. And this religion is worth proclaiming and worth defending.<br /><br />As we walk by faith in the power of the Spirit, let us be a light to the world and pierce the darkness with the gospel.<br /><br />To the glory of GodPastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-78122701364440636222008-08-06T16:26:00.000-07:002008-08-06T16:56:11.553-07:00My Musical Confession<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_4hA-LtC0nQKJVaaCURwoq4t3wumxmPanY4-R0uS-OsNwsMAtwQ0NMAdorth032MeOS0cF0rJg0hlBTWY0LtiYNZV6vSQJpnERrf5nwz25v73bOwP_va2ChE_hRIDXwJeYVZ0PvxsQk/s1600-h/Guitar.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231557736116318514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_4hA-LtC0nQKJVaaCURwoq4t3wumxmPanY4-R0uS-OsNwsMAtwQ0NMAdorth032MeOS0cF0rJg0hlBTWY0LtiYNZV6vSQJpnERrf5nwz25v73bOwP_va2ChE_hRIDXwJeYVZ0PvxsQk/s200/Guitar.bmp" border="0" /></a>After my last post I thought it would be appropriate to retell the story of my conversion from atheism to faith.<br /><br />I love to sing. My mother sang to me when I was a little crawler back in Kentucky. I sang nursery rhymes in kindergarten on the swings. I sang along with the radio when Michael Jackson was part of the Jackson Five. When I was ten, I sang Englebert Humperdinck songs in the basement to a broomstick microphone. When no one was around.<br /><br />When I was in college at Western Washington University I decided to get serious about music. I had been a starving art student for a time, but my minimalist professors, who alternately painted brown Xs across white canvases and white Xs across brown canvases didn’t inspire me much. So I switched to studying music, about which I knew next to nothing, but thought was really cool.<br /><br />Despite my thorough lack of musical knowledge and skill, I somehow got admitted into the music department and became a jazz studies major. Music gave me purpose, direction and drive. After a couple of years I learned to play guitar and sing well enough to join a dance band and play in night clubs. I sang Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, and top-forty tunes. I also sang Handel’s Messiah in the university choir.<br /><br />The choir director was a cute, young graduate assistant named Arden Steves, who called herself a Christian. I sang at her from the back of the bass section. I was an atheist, an unbeliever. I agreed with Karl Marx, who said that religion was an opiate for the masses. I thought Christians were weak-minded people who used religion as an intoxicating crutch. I didn’t like their songs much, either. I’d rather sing the blues than Amazing Grace. I didn’t really know what grace was anyway.<br /><br />One day, when I was feeling like a miserable existentialist, I asked Arden about her religious beliefs. She told me about her faith in God and her desire to live a life of purity. Her sincerity stunned me. We had music in common, yet we were worlds apart.<br /><br />I started to consider the possibility that God might really exist. It was exciting. Yet, if He had been paying attention to my immoral behavior during the past decade, I was in serious trouble. I decided to stop partying, just in case, which cost me most of my friends.<br /><br />I prayed one night for God to give me the desire to seek Him if He was really out there. I’m glad my roommates weren't listening, because I felt like an idiot, talking to the ceiling. Yet soon I was reading books by C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell and R.C. Sproul, which Arden recommended. I bought a Bible, and we read through the Book of John together. I went to church with her to “check things out.” I didn’t like the music much.<br /><br />The more I read the Bible, the more convicted I felt about the sins of my youth. The idea of forgiveness in Christ sounded appealing. Still, I resisted conversion, because I wasn’t sure whether I was more attracted to Christ the Messiah or to His pretty little gospel messenger, Arden. We had been seeing a lot of each other as performers in the university’s production of Music Man, and had grown close enough to talk about hypothetical marriage, as if it was a thing apart from us that could be viewed objectively. I admired her sincerity of conviction, which included her refusal to marry a non-Christian. Since I was one of those, I gazed across a chasm, it seemed.<br /><br />As things worked out, Arden flew out of town in August to take a teaching job, and I joined an international dance band (we played in Canada, just across the border, big whoop-dee-doo). We said we’d stay in touch.<br /><br />With Arden gone, I wondered whether I might just blow the whole faith thing off and return to my former, existential party life. One weekend when I didn’t have any dance gigs, I decided to go to Arden’s church again. The brakes on my beater van were shot, and I could only stop by frantically pumping the brake pedal, so I had a good excuse to skip. Still, I felt I should go, to see if I was really serious about spiritual things independent of her. Five intersections with traffic signals stood between my rental house and the church. I prayed this goofy prayer: “God, if you want me to be at church today, I need green lights all the way there.”<br /><br />Off I went, slow and steady through five green lights until I rolled safely into the church parking lot. Amazing. My skeptic’s mind told me it could have been dumb luck coincidence, but I had a sneaking suspicion that God had perfectly orchestrated the laws of physics, the flow of electricity, my choice of speed and time of departure, along with the choices of other drivers, to clear my path to that church and let me know He was in charge of such things. I remember thinking, “Nice, work, God.” “Hey, but can you do ten lights in a row?”<br /><br />While I was at church I enjoyed myself a lot. With Arden not there I could stare at people when every head was supposed to be bowed and every eye was supposed to be closed, like an infidel spy. It didn’t seem like an opium den for the masses. I was impressed by the sincerity and joy of the people in the room. I don’t remember the sermon, but I know it gave me an appetite to hear more. It didn’t matter that I hit red lights on the way home and had to pump the brakes like I was trying to kick a hole through the floor board. I felt I had received a small blessing from God that day. I determined to go to church as often as I could. I would fix my brakes.<br /><br />I’m not sure exactly when I entered the kingdom of God, but I think He arranged it like he did the green lights to church, and left me wondering how it had happened. I kept reading and questioning, examining my presuppositions, and grappling with the concept of grace. At some point in the fall of my 25th year of life, I simply surrendered, and trusted what I read in the Bible, even though I didn’t always understand it. I began to sing to God in my heart. I was a sinner saved by the blood of Jesus. I wrote to Arden about it and she said she thought I was a Christian. I was okay with the label. I was one of them, one of Christ’s.<br /><br />Soon, I made a public profession of faith at church that I had accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9). For me there was no recited sinner’s prayer, no dramatic moment of decision, just a confession. God had done everything. I was a recipient of grace. Amazing. I quit the dance band, married Arden, and moved to Alaska.<br /><br />I went back to school to become a teacher, but continued to be an active musician. Arden and I began having children. We sang in church choirs. I performed special music in church and in the community. I was a professional soloist for weddings, funerals, fund raisers, and private parties, which were much better than the lousy night club gigs I’d played back in my dance band days. As our five children grew up, we taught them to sing parts so that we could perform as a family choir. Then, when they were old enough to play instruments, we formed a family band called Homemade Jam. We have produced an a cappella Christmas CD, which was recorded in our home studio. Our oldest daughter has since married and moved away, but the remaining four children help me lead worship at Coram Deo Church in Grants Pass.<br /><br />I plan on singing and making music as long as I can. I think the Bible commands it. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” (Psalm 98:4) My family has chosen Colossians 3:16 as our musical theme verse. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”<br /><br />I thank God for his wonderful redeeming work in my life. He, not music, has given me purpose, direction and drive. What a privilege it is to use music to glorify Him. I think the last psalm in the Bible (Psalm 150) says it well.<br /><br />Praise the LORD!<br />Praise God in his sanctuary;<br />Praise him in his mighty heavens!<br />Praise him for his mighty deeds;<br />Praise him according to his excellent greatness!Praise him with trumpet sound;<br />Praise him with lute and harp!<br />Praise him with tambourine and dance;<br />Praise him with strings and pipe!Praise him with sounding cymbals;<br />Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!<br />Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!<br />Praise the LORD!Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-76953599756819924432008-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:002009-12-13T22:42:29.470-08:00How I Lost My Atheism<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231528718634162306" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgALeH6KayHWZgfXm_9_NyhYXAinQL2gaxuPCmhxg2Dtc4XhaBYiMMAIitqW3-MQx3la8t1c3klpqGyDVXn1sARUsg53aAUdiDknFRXmbdIGnPBusEZcC9sMCHU8OsTegb1hYj_dOaDDw/s320/atheism-anonprophetorganisation_1_107702_black-white-print_l.jpg" border="0" />I was once an atheist, or so I believed. I denied the existence of God and assumed that I was the measure of all things. I reasoned that it was my brain that processed all the data I observed in life. I was the one who thought my thoughts.<br /><br />I considered myself an existentialist, too. I figured that since my existence preceded my perceptions of reality, I was in charge of determining what was real. I believed in man’s free will, which I translated <em><strong>my</strong></em> free will. I ruled as king over reality. Rene Descartes’ supposition, “I think, therefore I am” helped established my lordship.<br /><br />One day the thought occurred to me that I was not entirely in control of my thoughts. I suspected that outside forces were at work, influencing me from a distance. This was a challenge to my sovereignty of mind. I realized that I thought much like my father.<br /><br />Dad was a high school biology teacher, a Darwinian evolutionist, and a skeptic of religious faith. He was an atheist. Me too, I believed. Like father, like son. Dad felt that religion was a crutch for the weak minded, the insecure and the old fashioned. He once said that love was not a moral commitment, but a chemically based, physiological response to the evolutionary impulse toward reproduction. When Dad cheated on Mom he was only exercising his evolutionary impulses, I guess.<br /><br />My parent’s divorce was very painful to me, though at the time, in my teen years, I played the stoic. I wondered if grief was just a physiological response to the evolutionary impulse toward parent attachment. Perhaps marital infidelity and family disintegration were part of the evolutionary process of self-actualization. After all, divorce rates were escalating throughout the nation like it was the latest, coolest social trend. Maybe the idea of long term, monogamous marriage was an outdated religious construct, due for disposal during the new age of enlightenment and individualism.<br /><br />At some point after moving out on my own I grew to realize that in addition to my father’s influence, the culture around me had determined much of what I thought. I was not truly master and author of my own thoughts. The same was true of Dad, of course. I realized he had picked up his ideas from the culture around him, as well. His practice of multiple marriages was in step with the rest of the nation. No-fault divorce laws were being passed in state after state. I began to connect the dots between the beliefs and behaviors that derive from an atheistic worldview. My worldview. I wasn’t sure I liked the implications.<br /><br />A bit of history. According to Albert Mohler’s book, Atheism Remix, a massive cultural, intellectual and epistemological shift resulted from the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, and Sigmund Freud. Nietzsche declared that, “God is dead.” He believed that Christianity was the worst enemy of human enlightenment and progress. Marx despised religion as the “opiate of the masses” and an obstacle to the community of man’s economic prosperity. Darwin posited that naturalistic explanations of life’s origin negate God’s supernatural creation. Evolution rendered God and religion unnecessary. Freud elevated the unconscious over the conscious. He believed that religion was an illusion that would eventually pass away. These four men contributed hugely to the worldview of secular humanism, another name for atheism. Remove a supernatural Creator God from the picture and you are left with humans calling all the shots on earth according to their own desires.<br /><br />Thanks to secular humanism, I was taught in college that primitive man had created gods to help him cope with threatening, natural phenomena, such as thunderstorms, droughts and earthquakes. Organized religion arose as an attempt to appease these fabricated deities with rituals and sacrifices. It was popular to agree with the French philosopher, Voltaire who said, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him,” as if religious sentiments were not credible, but nonetheless quaint, attractive and socially useful for ignorant folk who don’t know much about the modern god of science. The secularists of modernity thought that as mankind climbed the evolutionary ladder out of the pit of ignorance, it would gradually discard God as the explanatory, causal factor in civilization’s intellectual framework. They predicted that life would become increasingly rationalized, and that belief in God, and participation in organized religion, would dissipate into oblivion.<br /><br />The secularists had the demise of religion all planned out, too. According to John Sommerville, secularization would follow this pattern: 1) of land use and property, 2) of time and recreation, 3) of language and common speech, 4) of technology and work, 5) of art and entertainment, 6) of political and military power, 7) of personhood and association, 8) of scholarship and science. Secularists were confident that humanity was destined to grow up and leave the childish things of theistic belief behind.<br /><br />The secularist game plan works like a charm at most colleges in America today. Overwhelming majorities of Christian students lose their religious faith by the end of their freshman year while away at college. At college I learned to mock people with religious views. I didn’t know many Christians personally, but I was content to join the consensus in caricaturing and slandering them as intolerant bigots. At one point, though, I felt guilty for my ad hominem attacks. I thought my criticism should be more substantive. Therefore I decided to learn more about their beliefs so that I might refute them. Also, I wanted to know what was true. It was my undoing.<br /><br />I assumed that most Christians had been indoctrinated with a religious belief system, to which they agreed uncritically. But what about me? Was I unbiased? Hadn’t I been indoctrinated by an atheist father, and by many years of secular instruction in government schools? Dissecting the Christian theistic position meant dissecting my own atheistic position as fair play. Had I chosen atheism after careful thought, or had I merely accepted it as it was spoon fed to me? As I continued in this vain, I was disturbed to realize that my schools had censored virtually all religious information, as if the separation between church and state was a concrete barrier, never to be breached. Religion was relegated to the private, personal sphere. It was prohibited or marginalized in public institutions of learning. Only secular information had been allowed into my cage for regular feeding. Was that right?<br /><br />Troubling questions arose within my belief system. "What preceded the Big Bang?" I wondered. "Why does the fossil record that is supposed to prove macro-evolution lack any quantity of evidence of transitional species? Why is the theory of geologic gradualism favored despite abundant evidence of catastrophism? Why is supernatural phenomena rejected just because materialistic empiricism cannot test it? Why are secular scientists so afraid of following the evidence of cosmic design to a cosmic designer?"<br /><br />I lost track of my atheism when I found it could not answer my questions. Like a stray cat, it wandered away to go beg someone else’s attention. Since I was heavily invested in having rejected theism, though, I passed time like an aimless satellite orbiting a planet, unable to land. But not for long. A Christian acquaintance became a friend and counselor of truth. She spoke about God as if He were real, like a wise uncle back east, but supernatural and divine and almighty and eternal. She asked me to consider believing in Him too.<br /><br />I stalled.<br /><br />One night I spoke a prayer at the ceiling in my rooming house: “God, if you exist, you need to give me the desire to look for you.”<br /><br />I found that I enjoyed reading all the books my friend kept passing on to me on theology and faith. I read sections of the Bible, too, until I felt like I was a pretty fair-minded skeptic. I grew to like both her and the scriptures very much.<br /><br />One dark and beautiful evening the two of us walked under the stars, she a Christian, I an unbelieving, infidel friend. I thought of the vastness of space, the smallness of man, my ultimate purpose in life. Things like that. Was creation a myth? Was the story of Adam and Eve a cute fairy tale for toddlers? Then a thought struck me: If God exists, couldn't He control the things He created? It was as if I’d resolved a tricky syllogism that now seemed amazingly simple. God is God. He can do whatever He wants. A woman from a rib? Why not? God is God. If He created all the elements, then He can rearrange them in any order He chooses. He can leave His signature on His work, too so that we know He is Lord. God is God.<br /><br />That night I felt as if I had received a long-distance call from heaven. I heard nothing audible, but I imagined God speaking from His infinite expanse to answer my question: “I Am.”<br /><br />That’s how I lost my atheism. Atheism was a worldview of futility and despair. It was a shipwreck from which I was glad to escape. God, in His great mercy and love called me into His kingdom. I could not deny Him. Do you also hear Him calling?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><em>“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge”</em> Psalm 19:1-2<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><em>“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”</em></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Psalm 8:3-4</span>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-30217717941300992752008-07-19T09:18:00.000-07:002008-07-23T19:05:15.657-07:00The Spirit of Skillful Work<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxyQfHwAadpZS1IN3aFvNDjZeA7SLr1CtZ9fCPfiL9iJyWX9uf-fzUuIGphWQ9DvlLZ7V-HSrVlJbEPN0y-Pvp1Mu3zETSuQFb-VpQnR93ceH4sBzU3SeqE1xV70RVBMpVDxLWG_b8gY/s1600-h/work.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224760723838400978" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxyQfHwAadpZS1IN3aFvNDjZeA7SLr1CtZ9fCPfiL9iJyWX9uf-fzUuIGphWQ9DvlLZ7V-HSrVlJbEPN0y-Pvp1Mu3zETSuQFb-VpQnR93ceH4sBzU3SeqE1xV70RVBMpVDxLWG_b8gY/s200/work.jpg" border="0" /></a>Has God given you a spirit of skill to be used in your work? What about your ministry? People today often regard work and ministry as separate categories, one secular, the other sacred. They often view them as competing interests. Some even think that ministry work is only done by, well, … ministers. Professional clergy, that is--those who have been <em>called </em>into ministry.<br /><br />I want to challenge this view. I agree with Martin Luther’s doctrine of vocation, which views all good works, and all vocations (callings) as ordained by God for building up the church and transforming the world. I want to challenge the view that the clergy are the exclusive ministry workers, while the laity are passive spectators of ministry. I think the apostle Paul had more than this in mind when he wrote to the Christians in Colossae, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, <em>do everything</em> in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17) [my emphasis]. I'd like to convince you that, even though you may not be called into leadership as a pastor, or elder, your particular calling is vitally important to the health of the church and to the condition of society.<br /><br />We often hear about spiritual gifts for the building up of the church. Scripture mentions such things as wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, faith, working of miracles, healing, helps, administration, ministry, exhortation, giving, leading, showing mercy, and evangelism (1 Corinthians 12:1-30; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11). We often hear about the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). But seldom do we hear about the skills of craftsmanship, artistry and other works that God has ordained for glory and beauty. He has established His perfect purposes for such works, namely that we worship Him by our efforts, and that we care for our neighbor through the skillful work of our hands.<br /><br />God seems to be in the business of equipping people with the skills to do good work. When Moses served as the general contractor for building the tabernacle, God told him to appoint “all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill” to make garments for Aaron and the priests "for glory and beauty" (Exodus 28:2-3). God called Bezalel into service, saying, ”I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic design, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. ... I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded” (Exodus 31:3-6).<br /><br />The doctrine of vocation is more than occupationalism, or the pursuit of a good job. For the Christian, skilled work should be viewed as an act of worship and a response to God’s calling. King David knew about God’s desire for quality work when he commanded skilled leaders to direct the Jewish big band and the choir for celebrations and for temple worship (1 Chronicles 15:16-28). God even gave one director, Heman, a whopping family of fourteen sons and three daughters, all skilled musicians, to help him make merry with music (1 Chronicles 25:4-6). King Solomon recognized God’s vocational calling when he wrote, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).<br /><br />There are many examples in scripture of God-given skills and abilities.<br /><br />Hunting (Genesis 25:27)<br />Music and singing (1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Chronicles 15:22; 2 Chronicles 34:12)<br />Stonecutting, masonry &, carpentry (1 Chronicles 22:15)<br />Metal work, fabrics & engraving (2 Chronicles 2:7)<br />Law (Ezra 7:6)<br />Weaponry and warfare (2 Chronilces 26:15; Jeremiah 46:9; 50:9)<br />Wisdom, knowledge, learning (Daniel 1:4)<br />Ship building and sailing (Ezekiel 27:8-9)<br />Lamentation (Amos 5:16)<br /><br />This list in just a small sample of what God calls people to do skillfully. The vocational options are almost endless. Once we realize that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do our own good works (Ephesians 2:10), we can put our abilities to use in glorifying God and loving our neighbors through service.<br /><br />What abilities has God given you? Are you a doctor? Then treat patients for God’s glory. Are you a plumber? Then fix pipes to serve your neighbor. Are you a baker? Then bake delicious bread unto the Lord. Are you an artist? Then make something beautiful that reflects the character of God. Are you a parent? Then raise godly, virtuous children. Do it all with skill. Don’t forget that faithfulness in little things is a prerequisite for greater responsibilities, and that a good servant is one who does the will of his master.<br /><br />So use your abilities and callings as the Lord has enabled you. Let them operate in concert with your spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. Let every aspect of your life be a living sacrifice of service unto the Lord. You wouldn’t keep your lamp hidden under a basket, would you? Not when it can light the room and keep your guests from barking their shins on the furniture in the dark. Likewise, don’t keep your skills and abilities to yourself. Don't be bashful about them. Don't be stingy with them. Instead, use them to glorify God. He deserves the worship. Your neighbor deserves the benefits.<br /><br />Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-19867068888476017062008-07-01T07:24:00.000-07:002008-07-17T07:26:58.110-07:00Fourteen Things Every Young Disciple Of Christ Should Know<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218051741389611698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xkCVcR_hWbmLEPIPLwhRsA-KmA7uSIWGB_WVzcLKPy7j1b9RysJDnGJm5hNPg3ybD53KObdgnsAPEuzSO3-93Gogyd8MTzgCj99WLBX_fD2vRhcA2mXeV2j7SshWhiWFRyPdmmIK7hM/s200/DM+Logo.png" border="0" />Back in February I launched Disciple Makers Basic Training at Coram Deo Church as a mid week study. It was designed to systematically guide young believers through important areas of discipleship prior to adulthood and marriage. The topics are basically a condensation of the things I have been trying to teach my own children. What follows are fourteen questions and answers, along with scripture readings, to direct disciples of Christ into productive, purposeful lives dedicated to the Lord.<br /><br />I invite you to use them to disciple your children or another young believer. Discuss each question and read the scripture passages listed below. I pray that the Holy Spirit will illuminate God's Word in your heart and mind, and transform you into a disciple maker. If you find these questions helpful, or if you have suggestions for improvement, please email me at <a href="mailto:pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com">pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com</a>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">1. Q: What is a disciple and why should we make them?</span></strong><br />A: A disciple is a Christian who is fully devoted to Jesus Christ, living daily in His Word and by His Spirit, making other disciples. Our Lord commands us to make disciples, which includes instruction and training. Disciple-making requires a knowledge of the truth, as revealed in God’s Word. It includes a lifestyle of obedience as a faithful, fruitful servant of the Lord.<br /><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="color:#663366;">(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 14:27; Luke 18:29-30; John 13:35; John 15:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 15:8)</span><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">2. Q: What is my main purpose in life?</span></strong><br />A: A Christian’s main purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Additionally, we have purposes determined by our gender and by our individual giftings and interests. We must remember that, as Christians, we belong to Christ, having been purchased by His blood, so that we are stewards of our lives and resources for His purposes. We are therefore His disciples and we are disciple makers. The Bible describes roles for men as providers, protectors and instructors of their children. Women are described as helpers, nurturers and instructors of children and younger women.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Genesis 1:28; 2:18; Proverbs 1:8-9; 5:22-23; 22:15; 23:13-14; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 18:6; Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 2:15; 5:8; Titus 2:3-5)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">3. Q: Who has authority over me?<br /></span></strong>A: God has authority over all of us, and what He declares in His Scriptures is authoritative. The Bible says we are to submit to the agents of authority in each of the God-ordained, earthly institutions of family, church and state. We are to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.” And when there is conflict between the demands of the state and the commands of Scripture, we are to obey God rather than men.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Law: Exodus 20:1-17; Family: Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 1Colossians 3:16-21; Proverbs 22:7; Church: Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 10:23-24; State: Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">4. Q: What good works am I to do?</span></strong><br />A: All our efforts and resources are to be used in ways that glorify God, and should be in accordance to His Word. Our good works include trusting Christ alone for our salvation, and walking in holiness and obedience to all that the scriptures command. Simply put, we are to love God and love our neighbor. We are to be a disciple of Jesus and make disciples for Jesus. We should read the Bible, pray, live responsibly, and serve others, all in an attitude of gratefulness to God.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Proverbs 21:5; 24:6; Proverbs 24;11; 31:8-9; Jeremiah 22:3; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:15; 6:24; 22:27-40; 25:21; Mark 10:21; Ephesians 1:4; 2:10; Hebrews 10:24; James 1:27; 2:17, 22)<br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">5. Q: What Is In The Bible?<br /></span></strong>A: God has given His Scriptures as the highest standard of truth and authority for all of life. The Bible teaches what man is to believe about God and what God requires of man. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. “The Bible evidences itself to be God's Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints. But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God.” (answer to question #5 of the The Baptist Catechism, 1689).<br />The Bible is comprised of the 39 Old Testament Books and 27 New Testaments Books. It can be divided into the following categories. Old Testament: (1) history of creation and God’s people, (2) Laws of God, (3) psalms and proverbs, (4) prophecies of God. New Testament: (5) gospels of Jesus, (6) acts of the apostles, (6) letters to churches and individuals, (7) revelation. The historic Christian belief is that the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of the books, also controlled their selection in Holy Bible. The final canon of Scripture is therefore the result of God’s sovereign intervening in the discernment of believers rather than by historical research.<br />For more details visit the following link. <a href="http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm#part1">http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm#part1</a><br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Matthew 4:4; 24:35; 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">6. Q: How can I grow closer To God?</span></strong><br />A: We grow closer to God by loving Him and obeying His commands. If we abide in Christ, we will be nourished by His Word, we will be energized and comforted in our times of prayer, and we will be satisfied in our service to others. All of life can be viewed as an act of worship when done in the name of Christ. The following Christian disciplines are helpful for growing closer to God. (1) Internal: meditation, prayer, fasting, study; (2) External: simplicity, submission, stewardship, service, solitude, evangelism; (3) Corporate: confession, worship, guidance, celebration.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(1 John 5:1-5; 1 Samuel 12:23; 1 Chronicles 7:14; 23:30; Psalm 37:4; 111:2; 119:16, 24,35,47; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 6:1-34; Romans 12:1; Colossians 4:2; James 5:16)<br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">7. Q: How can I stay pure and focused?</span></strong><br />A: Knowing and meditating on the Word of God enables us to avoid sin. Consistent devotional habits of study and prayer allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and stimulate our consciences toward the righteousness of Christ. Our submission to godly authority in our lives (parents, church elders, wise adults and friends) and our commitment to remain in fellowship with other church members, help us to walk faithfully and fruitfully in Christ.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Psalm 19:7-14; 101:1-7; 119:11; Proverbs 22:11; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1Timothy 4:12; 5:2; Philippians 3:13-14; 2 Timothy 2:1-7; Hebrews 10:19-27; 12:1; 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 1:14-16, 22-24, 3:1-16)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">8. Q: How can I resolve conflict?</span></strong><br />A: Obedience to God’s Word, respect for one’s parents, love for one’s neighbor, along with the character traits of humility, patience, forgiveness and accountability in relationships are the keys to resolving conflicts. Every interpersonal conflict is an opportunity to exercise Christian grace. Having been forgiven much, we must practice the art of forgiving others, which our Lord commands. For more details visit the following the Peacemaker Ministry link. <a href="http://www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.958145/k.7ECF/Foundational_Principles.htm">http://www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.958145/k.7ECF/Foundational_Principles.htm</a> <span style="color:#663366;">(Exodus 1-31; Exodus 20:1-17; Numbers 5:6-7;Matthew 5:24;6:14; 18:15-35; Luke 7:1-4; Romans 8:6; 14:19; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:12-17; Hebrews 12:14; James 5:16; 1 Peter 3:8-15)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">9. How do I share the gospel?</span></strong><br />A: The gospel is the good news that condemned sinners are saved from God’s holy wrath by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. A right understanding of the God’s redemptive plan includes the following. It is a good news, bad news, good news proposition.<br /><br /><strong>Good News:</strong> Man was created in the image of God, and he was good in his original state.<br /><br /><strong>Bad news:</strong> Adam’s disobedience in the garden brought sin to all mankind perpetually. Now man is spiritually dead. He is naturally predisposed to reject God. He fully deserves God's just wrath: death and punishment in hell. Only the shedding of blood can atone for sin.<br /><br /><strong>Good News:</strong> God shows His love for us, in that even though we deserve to be condemned and punished, God sacrificed His own Son, Jesus, to suffer and die in our place. The person and sacrifice of Jesus was so perfect that all the sinners who God chooses to save are fully justified (declared just) by Christ’s death on the cross. God saves us by His sovereign grace (an unconditional gift), through faith, and not by our good works. Instead of perishing in hell, we are given new life and a new nature. Therefore, all who repent of their sin, and trust Jesus as Lord, will be saved. We cannot lose our salvation, because Christ has promised that none who are His can be snatched from Him. We are adopted into God’s Kingdom and we will dwell with Him in eternity. That's good news!<br /><br />The gospel should be proclaimed with joy, sincerity and diplomacy. Christians are commanded to speak the truth in love. We do not need to persuade anyone to accept the gospel. Only those people who are effectually called by God’s Spirit can and will confess Christ as Lord. Our job is to testify to the truth, proclaiming the gospel far and wide to any who will listen. We are commanded to make disciples of those who believe, baptizing them (public profession of their new spiritual life and saving trust) and teaching them all the commands of scripture.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 3:1-24; Mark 1:15; 16:16; John 3:16-18; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1Peter 3:15)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">10. Q: What is a Biblical worldview?</span></strong><br />A: Biblical Christianity is the worldview of belief and trust in a sovereign, personal, triune God who made us and who saves us. A Biblical worldview includes the belief and trust in the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God. It includes the doctrinal understanding that Jesus saves sinners by grace, through faith, from God’s wrath, for good works, for God’s glory. The Biblical worldview assumes God’s sovereignty over all things, including truth, philosophy, anthropology, theology, science, history, sociology, spirituality, government, work, art, and entertainment. Since God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere at all times), as well as loving and just, He perfectly superintends all things for His own purposes. In contrast, all other worldviews are necessarily false.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:1-6; Proverbs 14:12; John 1:1-5, 14; Psalm 19; Romans 1:18-23; 5:8; 8:28-30; 11:36; John 3:16-21; Colossians 1:12-20; 2:8-10)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">11. Q: How can I help transform the culture around me?<br /></span></strong>A: Culture can be described as the sum total of human knowledge, beliefs, and values operating in the world. Culture includes such things as language, religion, ethics, art, science, technology, and social customs. Christians are not to conform to the non-Christian culture in the world, but to be transformed by God’s Word and Spirit, and to serve as ambassadors of truth to the fallen world. It can be said that every Christian has the potential to change the world. As Christian apologist Greg Koukl puts it, ambassadors must have (1) an accurately informed mind (Biblical knowledge and worldview), (2) an artful method (ability to listen, reason, and debate), and (3) an attractive manner (character of humility and grace, ability to speak the truth in love). Another way to put it is that ambassadors should be skilled in (1) Doctrine - knowing what we believe and why, (2) Direction - guiding and steering our social interactions and conversations, and (3) Delivery – being able to communicate with clarity, humility and sincerity to speak the truth in love.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Proverbs 15:1; 22:29; 26:4-5; Matthew 7:12; Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Colossians 4:5-6; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">12. Q: What career and ministry should I pursue?<br /></span></strong>A: It is good to choose a career and ministry that are consistent with one’s spiritual gifts, heart’s desires, abilities, personality, and experience (SHAPE). It is wise to choose a career and ministry that allows you to properly manage your family, disciple your children, and participate in the activities of a local church. Be prepared to complete the necessary education and training. A good way to explore a vocation is to talk to people who are currently working in a field in which you have interest, and to seek out apprenticeship opportunities. Particular vocations need not necessarily be a lifetime commitment. It is possible, sometimes easy, to change careers.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Exodus 20:10; Proverbs 12:14; 14:23; 18:9; 21:25; 22:29; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 15:58; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12; 1 Timothy 5:10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)<br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">13. Q: How should I handle money?<br /></span></strong>A: We are to be good stewards of the material and financial resources the Lord allows us to use. In handling money, it is good to tithe faithfully, budget carefully, save consistently, spend prudently, invest wisely and share generously. It is good to live as simply as possible, avoid debt and appreciate the things that money enables us to enjoy.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Deuteronomy 14:26; Psalm 112:3; Proverbs 11:28; 22:1,7; 27:24; 30:8; Ecclesiastes 5:10,13,14; Matthew 6:24; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5)</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">14. Q: How should I prepare for marriage?<br /></span></strong>A: Marriage is a lifelong covenantal commitment between one man, one woman and the Lord. It is designed by God to produce a lasting, monogamous relationship of sexual intimacy and fidelity for procreation and child raising. When a young man and woman have attained the spiritual maturity, the training, the life skills, and the responsibilities necessary for marriage, a courtship for the purpose of marriage, may ensue. The more a young couple understands the biblical roles of headship and submission in the home, and parenting responsibilities, the better. Believers are not permitted to be unequally yoked to unbelievers in marriage. It is wise for young men to gain experience and earning ability in their vocation prior to marriage. It is wise for young women to gain experience in child training and household management within their parent’s home before they marry.<br /><span style="color:#663366;">(Genesis 2:24; Numbers 30:3-16; Proverbs 31:10- 31; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 19:5; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, 9,28, 38; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:31; Philippians 4:8; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:4)</span>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-75815822431511432782008-06-30T11:17:00.000-07:002008-09-03T21:17:02.583-07:00Beliefs Buffet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SoowEEwiRl9MSkxGi_AjwSDTXUyiga6n2fSXRnYA-p4SAIhJngZC5xcAkACu_9PmvGugzAglaym76cpdI5XnpJcv89Sf2FPW6hyphenhyphenZaL_YThRUqCCkn55KpyBEkSHBFE0EK4JWcF8oYU4/s1600-h/buffet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217741037797857042" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SoowEEwiRl9MSkxGi_AjwSDTXUyiga6n2fSXRnYA-p4SAIhJngZC5xcAkACu_9PmvGugzAglaym76cpdI5XnpJcv89Sf2FPW6hyphenhyphenZaL_YThRUqCCkn55KpyBEkSHBFE0EK4JWcF8oYU4/s200/buffet.jpg" border="0" /></a> Personal spirituality is in. Biblical doctrine is out. Such is the case in America today as individualism continues to define the religious landscape in our “one nation under God.” A recent article in USA Today proclaims, “Religion today in the USA is a salad bar where people heap on upbeat beliefs they like and often leave the veggies — like strict doctrines — behind.” Americans now treat religion as a buffet line, from which they can pick and choose particular beliefs based on personal preferences.<br /><br />According to recent surveys a whopping 92% of Americans say they believe in God, and 58% say they pray every day. Yet they appear to be uncertain about our their beliefs. Sixty-eight percent believe “there’s more than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion.” Fifty-seven percent of Protestants believe there are “many ways to get to God.” Fifty percent say “homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society.” Fifty-six percent think they should either ‘adjust to new circumstances” or “adopt modern beliefs and practices,“ into their religious beliefs. Relativism is clearly alive and well.<br /><br />I’m not surprised. What else can we expect when multiculturalism and relativism is the preferred worldview promoted by the government schools and the media, which are major shapers of values and beliefs in America today. In contrast, the teachings of the Bible seem intolerant and exclusive. Folks today have little appetite for Jesus’ claim that “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Nor do they agree with Jesus when He said that “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Americans prefer a “Santa Claus in the Sky” god, who lets <em>everybody</em> into his heaven, instead of a righteous God, who casts sinners into hell.<br /><br />What’s a pastor to do in times like these? Why preach about the depravity of man and the cross of Christ, when people want their ears tickled about self-esteem and life enhancement? Why offend listeners with the righteous requirements of God when you can tell the customers what they want to hear? It’s good for attendance. It’s good for the weekly offerings.<br /><br />I praise God for such times. When the gospel of Christ is viewed as foolishness by the world, it is all the more glorious when its transformational power is set loose to redeem sinners. The gospel was never intended to be popular and sell well in the culture. Christ, the Cornerstone, is an offensive stumbling block (1 Peter 2:8). The words of the Apostle Paul to his disciple, Timothy, are a great encouragement to me:<br /><br />“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-41737919521966548892008-05-30T08:10:00.000-07:002008-06-02T11:57:01.047-07:00The Multigenerational Household<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFC0IYLMcVkWVT0NkAbPPAUhgK1Exv1JhjUBATGkyrzLMGB3oBFHPQOpdiCYFSHzXBy45zhSPGJetr2jdFa1bpiFacat06HNhz5t01P1A92saqJHrbPt0SVkaQWxo40ij_F1XK5DQcnI/s1600-h/grandparents-main_Full.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206188871584279266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFC0IYLMcVkWVT0NkAbPPAUhgK1Exv1JhjUBATGkyrzLMGB3oBFHPQOpdiCYFSHzXBy45zhSPGJetr2jdFa1bpiFacat06HNhz5t01P1A92saqJHrbPt0SVkaQWxo40ij_F1XK5DQcnI/s200/grandparents-main_Full.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>In many cultures grandparents live in the same household as their children and grandchildren. Not so much in America. Why not? Is it because we need ample doses of personal space? Is it because greedy advertisers have taught us to reject our parents’ values to induce us to buy their latest stuff? Heaven forbid that we dress like mom or dad, or listen to their music. And once we reject their values, it’s easy to reject their company. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we put them in nursing homes when they get old, where they can watch yesteryear’s reruns. Maybe that’s why our own children might do the same thing to us in their time.<br /><br />But something seems wrong with this picture. When I consider what the Bible says about multigenerational relationships (the discipleship of children and honoring of parents), I get the feeling many Americans have missed the point of family by a fat, country mile.<br /><br />In the not-too-distant past, households were places of industry and productive work. Family farms were scattered all over the landscape, and people ran businesses out of their homes. Children were trained at home with their parent’s values, and they learned to contribute their share of the work on the family estate. Babies were born into the home and grandparents lived there until they died. The household was a cradle-to-grave enterprise.<br /><br />With the advent of industrialization, men began to leave their homes to join the urban work force. Thus was born the apartment building, the subdivision and the single-family home. Dads went off to industrial factories and children went off to industrial schools, Eventually moms went off to work, too. Homes became like hotels, places to eat, do homework, watch TV, and snooze.<br /><br />But things are starting to change. Thanks to the internet, UPS and FedEx, more and more people are using their homes as places of education and business again. Many parents are deciding to teach their own children there. No need to bus the children off to an institution. The same books that can be read at school can be ordered on line and delivered to the family's front door. The family's home computer can access the same web sites as those in the school’s computer lab. At home the children can receive individualized instruction and enjoy enriching curricula that is tailored to their particular interests, and is in accord with their parent’s values. Clubs, sports leagues and church groups are all available to enrich the social life of the family.<br /><br />A number of young entrepreneurs have discovered that they can do the same work from a computer at home as they would from one at a work station in a downtown office cubicle. Many of them are thinking outside the box, and integrating their work with the functions of their household. They are finding that when family members work in their business, instead of outside employees, it is easier to have a harmonious work environment. There are also significant tax advantages to a family business, which translates into greater profitability.<br /><br />Some people are bucking the nursing home trends as well. They are making room in the house for grandma and gramps. And the benefits are substantial. The costs of running two separate households are reduced to one. Energy consumption is lowered. Expenses on utilities, meals, child care and education can be consolidated. The retirement income of the grandparents can be used to help remodel the home for their privacy and comfort. Everybody wins. </div><div><br />Is there a down side to the multi-generational, multi-family household? Yep. Everyone must get along, which is tough for a bunch of imperfect people bumping into each other in a common kitchen, or waiting for the bathroom. And there’s always the potential for lazy adult kids to sponge off their parents, or for control freak parents to rule over their children like serf-lords. The good news is that where sin abounds, God’s grace can abound all the more.<br /><br />Keep an eye out for developments in the multi-generational household. It might just be that our ever-rising gas prices and general economic downturn will be the incentive for many Christians to return to a more biblical way of “doing family” together. </div>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-50770183138832943822008-05-27T08:35:00.000-07:002008-05-27T10:14:12.703-07:00Pastor Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205082865965951698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2x7agpy6xJs77K1bsOy2Lg_dftEb0uM8kDCPNzUUduqjhGvMTCdbD5Rt3Y4M8_EgjMjpAdfcJxoBkBIjSXDAoaUhXv7hg4ZFoL4XRj_cuBFi4k_uL856L19_kGzI7A0NkGlnaEE30yQ/s200/3d_art_-_our_world.jpg" border="0" />I thank God for Pastor Rick Warren’s vision and organizational skills. His latest efforts to unite church leaders in the world to do good works through the P.E.A.C.E. Coalition is highly commendable. As an antidote to what Warren sees as the five “global giants” on the planet (1) spiritual emptiness, (2) self-centered leadership, (3) poverty, (4) pandemic disease and (5) illiteracy, he offers the following goals by way of the acronym P.E.A.C.E.<br /><br />Promote reconciliation<br />Equip servant leaders<br />Assist the poor<br />Care for the sick<br />Educate the next generation.<br /><br />“First and foremost, the P.E.A.C.E. Plan is about reclaiming the primacy of the local church's role in global missions,” says Warren, whose Saddleback Church has invested $3 million in producing software and training modules to implement the plan.<br /><br />“At a wedding the bride is the main character, the centre, the star of the show - everyone else is supporting cast, but the glory goes to the bride," says Warren. "The P.E.A.C.E. Plan is built on the same principle. The Bride of Christ - of which the church is its local expression around the world - deserves the focus, the credit and the glory for faithfully serving their communities year after year."<br /><br />Actually the Bride Groom, Christ Jesus, is the star of the show. I don’t mean to be a hair splitter, but the distinction between who receives the glory seems important. As soon as we shift our focus from His glorious work on the cross, and His justifying, sanctifying, mediation for His elect, we set ourselves up to be the measure of righteousness on earth based on our good works. The principle that right doctrine precedes right deeds, is as important as it ever was. Christ is the head, the church is His body.<br /><br />Our striving to solve the problems of the world is noble and necessary. After all, the Bible declares that faith without works is dead. And we are called to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works. Yet all things are to be done to the glory of the Father, not to the church (see Matthew 5:16).<br /><br />Perhaps I’m overreacting to Warren’s illustration, which might simply need some fine tuning. I hope so.<br /><br />I pray that the Lord will use the P.E.A.C.E. Plan to glorify the PRINCE of PEACE in the world and to proclaim His GOSPEL.Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-21201293490499973652008-05-26T12:09:00.000-07:002008-07-13T22:09:15.383-07:00The TULIPs of Preaching<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEb0V6kf-cVuFPn9i4X2t4_00ixJd44sE0TIYfXfQ_JCfUfq-ZCelF06yARKSo_VbCoLxGDPCKc90gNRshLVZ1yZvqnBW0VC3SsO2GeUycwTlR-l3jFMobgPf99nNYol8KZ59rQtKtog/s1600-h/preacher.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204768495834720946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEb0V6kf-cVuFPn9i4X2t4_00ixJd44sE0TIYfXfQ_JCfUfq-ZCelF06yARKSo_VbCoLxGDPCKc90gNRshLVZ1yZvqnBW0VC3SsO2GeUycwTlR-l3jFMobgPf99nNYol8KZ59rQtKtog/s320/preacher.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here are five principles to help rookie pastors like myself blossum in their preaching.<br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>T = True to the Text</strong><br /></span>The foremost purpose of preaching is to faithfully declare what God has said in His Word. My desire as a pastor and teacher is to faithfully exposit the scriptures. My aim is to understand God’s inerrant, infallible Word in its historical, grammatical, and doctrinal context. Since scripture interprets scripture, I must examine any text in light of the full counsel of God. I must be familiar with the entire canon of scripture, Old and New Testaments, and appreciate God’s sovereignty over the transmission of His Word through diverse, human prophets and scribes over time. It has been said that any text without a context is a pretext. Scripture must not be made to conform to our current cultural dispositions. We must conform to the scriptures. To depart from the text is transgression, whether by detraction or embellishment. Preach it true to the text.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>U = Useful</strong><br /></span>God’s Word is intended to transform, bless, and direct the lives of believers. The Scriptures are intended to accomplish God’s purposes for those who read it and hear it. The Bible is meant to be obeyed and practiced. It is essential for godliness. Pastors do well to present the usefulness and applicability of scripture to transform the way we think and behave, and to equip the body of Christ for the works of ministry. Preach it useful.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>L = Loving and Logical</strong></span><br />Preaching must be sincere and understandable. As a shepherd, it is prudent for me to consider the condition and maturity of my flock as I attempt to lead and teach them. I must be loving, patient and as clear as possible in my instruction. The outcome of my teaching should be greater understanding, rather than confusion. I have found it useful to state the objective of my messages and give a roadmap of direction for moving through my sermon content. The logical flow of the main proposition, broken into key points, and supported by details and illustrations, helps the learner to follow along without getting lost. It is a comfort to the young wigglers in my congregation (and their parents) to know when the end of a message is in sight. Preach it loving and logical.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">I = Interesting & Inspiring</span></strong><br />I wish all my messages were inspiring. Realistically, I strive to make them interesting. A judicious blend of faithful, theological exposition and interesting illustrations helps to keep the congregation awake and engaged. Candor, humor and self-disclosure are useful in proper measure. Both laughter and seriousness are good for the soul. I find that using relevant, personal illustrations, deepens my relationship with my listeners and helps them track with me as I develop a message. I happen to have a background in graphic art so I can’t resist using photos, graphs, diagrams and lists to emphasize points. Power Point slides should not be the tail that wags the dog. Still it's good to recall that a picture is worth a thousand words. Preach it interesting and inspiring. Or try to.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">P = Passionate<br /></span></strong>Preaching is more than conveying information. It is imparting God’s very Word to the hearts and minds of the hearers. Energy and passion is appropriate when one is sharing the good news of the gospel or the hazards of sin. If you don’t care about what you’re preaching, others won’t either. While the pulpit is not a theatrical stage for dramatic performances, sermons need not be delivered like emotionless lectures. Preachers should preach as if lives depended on it. They surely do. Preach it passionate.<br /><br /><strong>Acknowledgment<br /></strong>I’m not the first person to use the TULIP acronym for preaching tips. Steve Brown (speaker for KeyLife, a prof at Reformed Seminary, and a Preaching Magazine senior consulting editor), has used it to suggest that preaching be ...<br /><br />T-therapeutic<br />U-unconventional<br />L-lucid<br />I-illustrated<br />P-passionate</div>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-62910587732542068172008-05-23T09:46:00.000-07:002008-06-25T22:34:02.238-07:00Demographic WinterAnother letter to the editor of the local newspaper.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSjFXgl0ojSbwiXk53ogzXKuNAVSWQdfFw_SMNgQzZEa_65OOgWQhKYfc8snckjL2mkBnC7vKNzWNMoTeUI5yAylUuO0-MDk7H3xmZMA3skuMY-aBeZmZO1WOcSI4x6zfy4hbyujQnhc/s1600-h/Oak-Tree-Snowstorm-Yosemite-National-Park-1948-Print-C10008163.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203617603513182866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSjFXgl0ojSbwiXk53ogzXKuNAVSWQdfFw_SMNgQzZEa_65OOgWQhKYfc8snckjL2mkBnC7vKNzWNMoTeUI5yAylUuO0-MDk7H3xmZMA3skuMY-aBeZmZO1WOcSI4x6zfy4hbyujQnhc/s320/Oak-Tree-Snowstorm-Yosemite-National-Park-1948-Print-C10008163.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dear Editor,<br /><br />Did you know we’re in the autumn of a demographic winter? I didn’t, until I watched a recent documentary by The Heritage Foundation. The sociologists, demographers and economists in the film present research data on depopulation trends around the globe. According to their findings, the overpopulation predictions of the past have given rise to an anti-child mentality in the world. The implications are chilling.<br /><br />As one sociologist puts it, the population explosion of the recent past was “not because people started reproducing like rabbits. It was because they stopped dropping like flies. It was a health explosion.”<br /><br />Ironically, the advances in medicine and technology that led to larger and healthier populations, have produced declining birth rates. Contraception and abortion are readily available worldwide, and children are commonly viewed as an economic liability rather than an asset. Birth rates have now fallen below replacement levels in many of the world’s nations, and the ratio of young people to the elderly is slowly being inverted. In time there will be too few workers to support the dependent elderly among them. The long term solvency of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in the United States are in jeopardy due to such trends.<br /><br />The researchers have found a curious exception to the case. People of faith still value children, and they are raising them. The Bible declares that “children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3). May God bless America with children. It could be a short winter, followed by a beautiful spring.Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-91285469378069681612008-05-07T08:42:00.000-07:002008-05-07T08:50:57.031-07:00The Cost Of Family Break Down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkNGNAZeYX984Ixw-HIvdJIaH0MvkdwaKvSSsHlqP_hcZA2JnoKAtuk-f199uiqyJaE0VjnVz8DvUGJEzCE8qXlqZLkGfbq6Oij5K0qP6roKNs0im0xS6FPhouVoZUuuhsAfeHDLHMVU/s1600-h/stacks%2520of%2520money.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197663942633443442" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkNGNAZeYX984Ixw-HIvdJIaH0MvkdwaKvSSsHlqP_hcZA2JnoKAtuk-f199uiqyJaE0VjnVz8DvUGJEzCE8qXlqZLkGfbq6Oij5K0qP6roKNs0im0xS6FPhouVoZUuuhsAfeHDLHMVU/s200/stacks%2520of%2520money.jpg" border="0" /></a>One of my ministry goals is to engage the culture with Biblical truth. Writing letters to the editor of the local newspaper is a way to inform, exhort, and rebuke the community audience. <div><div><br /><div>My latest piece: </div><br /><div>What is family breakdown costing American taxpayers? According to a recent study by The Institute for American Values and the Georgia Family Council, it is a minimum of $112 billion a year. The principle causes of these astronomical expenses are high divorce rates and an increase in the number of out-of-wedlock births. Today 36.9 percent of all children and 69.9 percent of black children are born out of wedlock.<br /><br />America is not alone in its woes. Great Britain is also reeling from family fragmentation. Justice Sir Paul Coleridge, a senior Family Division judge in England, has pronounced “The collapse of the family unit is a threat to the nation as bad as terrorism, crime, drugs or global warming. The government must put the family at the top of its agenda, alongside the economy and the war on terror.”<br /><br />Clearly we have an expensive problem that needs fixing, both at home and abroad. The solution, I believe, requires much more than government attention. Family breakdown is a moral problem. We need spiritual revival and reformation. An ancient prophet has said that God would one day “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). May that day soon dawn.<br /><br />One of the reasons Coram Deo Church has chosen to be family-integrated is to counter the ongoing trends of family-fragmentation. We believe strong families are a blessing to our community and to the nation.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Pastor John Sleadd </div></div></div>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682762460259825668.post-81171446422900907242008-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:002009-11-09T20:19:08.889-08:00American Stealth Revival<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197308021458788178" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0Ke9gjS5nlU7Ls3eLFAtOXszJZ-dRa8onuy5zVTz1PCkWKZYKDSkqsdK49NA-1fb4Wu-uT6MF8CNGMeGBRFSuHdJJpz5RiS9tT15a7-cUGFhVTtedvxrb40loK9LUSZo_vWQFVvYlAo/s320/homeschool+pic.jpg" border="0" /> <div><div><div>For well over two decades a quiet revolution has been occurring across the American landscape. My friend, Pastor Gregg Harris of Household of Faith Community Church, has called it a stealth revival.</div><br /><div>In virtually every state of the union a growing number of Christian families have been opting out of the secular school system and educating their children at home. They do so for a variety of reasons, but the main appeal of home education is the superior results. The benefits include individualized instruction, flexible scheduling, integration of curriculum with daily life, family bonding, and the freedom to pursue areas of special interest. For many, there is also the desire to bring all of life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in accord with a thoroughly Biblical worldview. </div><div><br />Home education is a picture of academic entrepreneurialism, with mom and dad choosing the curriculum and determining how and when it will be mastered by the kiddos. All over the nation students finish their morning chores and slip into their scholastic routines on the couch or at the kitchen table. No institutional desks. No lining up for lunch. No hallway passes. No social cliques. No bullies or drug dealers.<br /><br />On average, the cost of parents teaching their own children at home is one-tenth the cost of sending them to a public school. With such dazzling results, why don’t more Christian families teach their own kids at home? The answer in three words: It’s a sacrifice.<br />Mom works long hours without pay. The kids may not get to play on a sports team or be part of a music ensemble.<br /><br /><strong>Modern Day Puritans</strong><br />I think homeschoolers are modern day Puritans. The English Puritans were not the witch-burning, black-hatted legalists as caricatured in the public school history books. This is revisionist history for sure. While they were certainly not perfect, the Puritans’ commitment to family, faith and righteous self-government led them to establish the colonies (Jamestown and Plymouth) that would birth our Constitutional Republic. They loved God. They loved freedom. They were devoted to raising hard-working children with a vision of multigenerational, providential dominion. Like today’s homeschoolers. Puritan leader, John Winthrop, called the Massachusetts Bay Colony a “city on a hill,” an example of Christian charity and community for all the world to see.<br /><br />Christian homeschoolers are making waves by training up God-fearing children who are anchored in the faith, and who are eager to transform the world around them. They are independent minded. They love liberty. They are pro-faith, pro-family, and pro-life. Many intend to have gobs of kids, and homeschool them in the tradition of their own upbringing.<br /><br />Homeschool families are several million strong and growing. They are entrepreneurial. And they are politically active. It is likely that from their number the next generation of gifted churchmen and statesmen will emerge.<br /><br />An ancient psalmist was onto something when he wrote, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (Psalm 112:1-2). </div></div></div>Pastor John Sleaddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793570753540073167noreply@blogger.com