Pastor John Sleadd

The Best Youth Ministry in America: Homeschool Speech & Debate Clubs

2010-04-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

A subtle, spiritual revival has been stirring in the United States for over two decades now. It is the Christian Homeschool Movement. More and more parents are catching the vision for biblical discipleship, for evangelism, and for servant leadership. And from within this movement has arisen, in my opinion, the best youth ministry in America today: speech and debate clubs. That’s right, I said speech and debate clubs.

Speech and debate clubs are popping up around the country like dandelions in a summer lawn. These clubs are an expression of a percolating passion for biblical apologetics, for persuasive speech and for skillful argumentation. They provide a potent blend of academic rigor, engaging peer relationships, and high-amp, adrenaline experiences that come from public speaking. They are Christ-centered, Bible-enriched, skills-oriented, age-blended, and parent-supervised. They are family-integrated and multi-generational. I just had to throw in a couple more hyphenated combos. Homeschool speech and debate clubs are superior to the average Christian youth ministry model in almost every way. Perhaps I’m a bit biased.

My family has been in involved in speech and debate for six years now. Each of my five children has been a competitor in the NCFCA League (National Christian Forensics and Communications Association) and loved it. They have benefited from the research, writing, revising and rehearsing that goes into preparing and delivering a speech. They have also benefited from getting to know other Christian homeschool families from around the country who attend the tournaments.

We started our own club, Clarion Forensics, back in 2005 with just four families. By 2007 we had grown to over twenty families. That’s when we began hosting our own tournaments. Then, in 2009 we divided into two separate clubs, and began meeting in different towns. And next year a third club will begin meeting in yet another town nearby.

When I hear young Christians speak articulately on issues of interest and importance, my worldview opinions turn a shade brighter. My optimism in the future of my country is restored. 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.

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. Below I offer six essential reasons, along with some scriptural encouragement, for why your family should get involved in a speech and debate club.

1. For Christ – You will purposefully join with others to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

“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).

2. For Communication - You will be coached to speak articulately and effectively.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

“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).

3. For Companionship – You will develop close friendships with other individuals and families of like mind.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil” (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

4. For Competition – You will work hard to sharpen your communication skills through engaging contest.

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” Proverbs 18:17).

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

5. For Character Development – You will learn to be an example to others, growing in humility and gaining the ability to give and receive instruction.

“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).

6. For the Great Commission – You will serve as a disciple-making ambassador for Christ.

“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).

“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).

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.

Love to Work

2010-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

I’ve been pondering the works of mankind again. What gives us such drive to work, I wonder? Why do we strive to create, and produce, and evaluate what we do? Now that I have begun this post, for example, I detect the urge to finish what I have begun. I will revise my work, too, hoping that the finished product is worthy of my crafting and worthy of your reading.

I confess I love all manner of work. I love the work of designing and building, of planning and organizing, of producing and sharing, of developing and improving. I spot this love of work in many other people, as well. I observe that the love of work makes us learn and grow as we pursue knowledge and new experiences. Love of work makes our homes hum with harmony as we produce health, happiness and hope in the loving relationships born of faith. Love of work makes the economy buzz as we exchange goods and services for mutual benefit. Love of work helps us refine human government as we weigh and advance competing ideas by point and counterpoint.

Where does this love of work come from? I believe that our Heavenly Father has wired it into us. 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. The Bible says it nicely in two verses: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). “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” (Colssians 3:17).

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. Thus will I bring to a close one endeavor to engage in another.

May God bless you as you pursue the good works that He has prepared for you.

Caroling the Culture

2009-12-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

I am amused by the culture skirmishes that erupt each December over religious expressions in the public square. 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.” 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.” 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.

I find this state of affairs tragically funny. 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. 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.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying Christians should roll over and play 'possum in the cultural wrestling match of ideas and expressions. To the contrary. By every lawful, appropriate and charitable means we should stand up for our rights and for the preservation of our religious freedoms. But we should not be satisfied with merely engaging the culture and preserving our rights. We should be transforming the culture by seeding the Gospel of Peace throughout its core and substance. We should let the dazzling truth of salvation in Christ alone be on display in the Children of God, through a rejoicing Church. A caroling Church, if you will.

Let’s review the historic facts about our cause to sing. In the Christmas story we see the Lord God set the stage for His dramatic appearance on earth. He employs prophecies, signs and circumstances to reveal His divine redemptive plan for saving mankind from eternal damnation. An angel appears to a virgin and delivers a prophecy. A child is conceived by the Holy Spirit. 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. 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. The infinite Almighty walks the earth and grows with age until He is 33 years old. Then the Creator of life experiences death. 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.

The Christmas story is breathtaking. 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. Jesus came to die for us, to secure peace for us with God the Father. Yet He rose, and He lives, and He reigns. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

I think this is something worth jumping up down and singing about. This is the kind of good news that displaces the gloomy darkness in the culture. 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.” I heartily agree. A church that effectively engages the culture should be a rejoicing church.

We must not think that the Gospel will be received with joy in all quarters, of course. 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. 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 me as a Christian. This, too is amusing, ironic, yet glorious.

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. Let the rejoicing church be known for Who it loves more than for its disdain for darkness. Let Christ draw men unto Himself as He did with the wise men from the east, who came to worship Him. Let the rejoicing church be known for its Merry Christians, who are Light-hearted, filled with the illuminating love, joy and peace of Jesus.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing

Advent 2009

2009-12-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

In the fullness of time

God sent His Son to earth

To free the captives

From unbelief, and sin and fear

He arrived as a child of low estate

Born of a virgin under a star of promise

He grew in grace and power

Though tempted, He knew no sin

He healed the sick, and fed the hungry, and raised the dead

The masses followed Him seeking show and gain

They cheered His triumphal entry

Then within a week they cried "crucify him!"

Though He came to His own, they received Him not

Jerusalem chose a cross for her king instead of a throne

All this was done in the fullness of time

According to the prophecies of old

According to the will of the Father

Now the advent of Christmas marks time's onward charge

Today the children of God rest in salvation by grace through faith

We are nourished by the Word and the Spirit and the promise of eternal life

We are citizens in a heavenly kingdom that is already, but not yet

Ours is a calling and a knowing, not of this world

Our King is at once apart from us, yet with us and in us

We are drawn to trust Him enough to obey His commands

We are moved to serve Him by serving others

We live in hopeful longing with eyes toward tomorrow

We view the best things in this life as but a foretaste

Of even better things to come

We wait with joyful expectation

For our King to return in glory

In the fullness of time

To Tree, Or Not To Tree

2009-11-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

To tree, or not to tree? That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the den to suffer the needles of outrageous ornamentation, or to leave trees outside (where they grow), and by opposing end them (indoors). The conscience, which makes cowards of us all, has caused me to sickly o’er with this pale cast of thought: Why have I allowed a Christmas tree to dominate my living room, yet again?

I love Christmas. I love Christmas music. I love Christmas decorations. Do I love Christmas trees? I wonder.

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. Thus, the measured juxtaposition of my arm chair, book stand, and reading lamp has been set awry by the merry boughs of imposition.

I grow contemplative and cautious. 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? I don’t recall the gospel of Luke mentioning an evergreen tree stuffed into the stable in Bethlehem to crowd out the cattle.

I’ve heard stories about Martin Luther finding deep symbolism in a spruce tree he saw one night when he was feeling spiritually frisky. 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. 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.

For the record, my Christmas tree is artificial, so it probably won’t burn the house down. And it’s actually quite pleasant to look at. It is perfectly conical and uniformly green. Its wire branches are evenly distributed with factory precision, and stiff enough to hold up the heaviest ornaments China can make. Few real trees look so good, or require so little care.

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. Must give us pause. 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.

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.

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.

Have a Merry Christmas this year.

First Impressions In the Speech Driven Life

2009-10-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today I post a page out of my book-in-the-works, 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.

How to Make a Positive First Impression

It has been said that within ten seconds after entering a room most people will make a snap judgment about the social environment. In short order they’ll decide whether or not the people there are friendly. It’s called a first impression. Likewise, when you walk into a room you’ll be sized up in a matter of moments. People will notice your clothing, your hair style, the expression on your face, your posture, and your body movements.

When you speak, people will notice the quality of your voice. They will notice your pitch, your tone, your rate, your accent (if you have one), and your enunciation. They will make judgments about your emotional state based on your tone and style of delivery. Lastly, perhaps, they will notice what you have to say, which they will interpret by the first impression they have already made of you.

As a speaker you are essentially performing for an audience of judges. This is literally true if you are involved in formal speech competition. 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.

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.

1. Smile

Your face is your most important means for making a positive first impression. Wear a smile that can be seen in your eyes. It communicates friendliness and confidence. A grumpy disposition is a poor representation of a faith that brings joy. Avoid chewing gum or eating when you speak. Check to make sure you don’t have parsley stuck in your teeth or food smeared on your face. It’s distracting.

2. Dress to Feature Your Face and Hands

Wear clothing that directs people’s attention to your face. Dark suits allow your face to stand out in contrast. Include attractive colors in your attire (shirts, neck ties, scarves) to add warmth and personality. Dress modestly. Avoid clothing that directs undue attention to parts of your body other than your face. Avoid wearing colors and patterns that clash. Wear a hairstyle that keeps your hair out of your face and makes you look respectable. Keep jewelry to a minimum so that your eyes are the main focus. Temperatures permitting, wear long sleeves so that your hands stand out in contrast to your clothing and are easy to see.

3. Use Good Posture and Natural Movements

Good posture and smooth hand movements also help make a positive first impression. Take deliberate steps when entering a room. Let your hands swing naturally at your sides when you walk. Keep your hands visible and out of your pockets. Don’t slouch or look off balance. Let the impression you make show that you enjoy being with the people there, and that you look forward to communicating with them.

4. Sound Confident and Personable

The first words you speak will make an impression. Speak them loudly and clearly, in a calm, controlled voice. High-pitched, rapid speech indicates nervousness. Try to make your voice sound confident and friendly, generally in the lower part of your vocal pitch range. A greeting or welcome is a good way to be personable with your audience and put them at ease.

5. State a Clear Purpose and Preview Your Points

Let your audience know why you are speaking to them. State your topic clearly and give a preview of your main points. Hint at your conclusion to keep them tracking with you.

6. Have a Strong Beginning and Ending

Audiences tend to remember the beginning and end of a presentation the most. Make your opening and closing strong and memorable.

7. Keep Things Short, Sweet and Simple

Be enthusiastic. Be sincere. Be brief. People will appreciate it. Show gratitude to your audience for their attention.

It Is Well

2009-08-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Is there living water in your life?

Jeremiah 2:13 "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."

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 "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."

Revelation 21:6b "To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."

The Speech Driven Life

2009-07-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

Born To Speak

Imagine life without speech. There would be no words, no sentences, no greetings, and no good-byes. Life without speech would mean no stories, no songs, no sermons and no jokes. Bo – ring. Fortunately, the world is full of speech. It is a speech driven life.

I noticed right off that all five of my drooling and toothless offspring were hard wired to speak. As infants, they spoke in burbles and bubbles. 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.” “Good job,” I’d gush, “now can baby say ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’?”

The Science of Speech

Man has an amazing capacity for language. While other creatures on the planet might be able to communicate with various sounds and calls, only man can tell jokes and recite poetry. 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. He did this on his first day of existence. Talk about high aptitude. Then, a bit later, after God performed rib surgery on him to create a special-order bride (Eve), Adam woke up to wax eloquent. 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.” Busy day. (see Genesis 2:18-24)

The Bible states that God spoke all of creation into existence, and that man was made in God’s image. It’s no surprise, then, that man was given amazing language abilities. 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. Man was made to live in community with his maker and with his fellow man. God therefore equipped him with an exquisite neurolinguistic processor.

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. 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. It helps you deal with tricky figures of speech without losing sleep at night, thinking about ridiculous contradictions. Read the following oxymorons (incongruous words) to see if your perisylvian area is working.

jumbo shrimp

random order

tight slacks

pretty ugly

rap music

federal budget

God has equipped us with the marvelous ability to process and produce language. We should be eager to use it in ways that are pleasing to Him.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Graduation Invocation

2009-05-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

I was asked to publish the invocation I gave at a recent homeschool graduation ceremony. Here it is

O God , our Father,

You have called us to worship You in Spirit and in Truth.
You have called us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
You have called us to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth.
You have called us to receive children as a blessing, and to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
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.
You have called us to obey Your Great Commission, to make disciples in our homes, in our cities, and in every nation.

Thank You, Lord, for the calling to homeschool.
Thank You for the strength to heed the call.
Thank You for the grace and power of Your presence to persevere in it.

We now ask Your blessing on this assembly.
We ask that You would continue to bless the fruit of our labor.
We ask You to preserve our freedom to educate our own children.
We ask You to sanctify and motivate our students.
We ask You to grow them in knowledge and faith, in love and good deeds.

We ask You to direct our graduates with wisdom, and discernment, and vision.
We ask You to raise them up into godly men and women, husbands and wives, churchmen and statesmen.
We ask You to bring restoration to our community and to our nation through them.
We ask You to renew their minds and transform them into bold and effective ambassadors for Christ.

O, God, we ask You to pour out Your Spirit upon us. Fill us with Your holy cause.
May Jesus Christ be known among us and to the very ends of the earth.
May we be changed more into the likeness of Christ by our gathering.

May this evening bring You glory and honor, for the furtherance of Your gospel and for the expansion of Your kingdom.

We ask these things in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Same Church, New Name

2009-03-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

We've changed the name of our church from Coram Deo to Household of Faith.

Koran what? What kinduva church is that?

Quorum Deo? How many people do you need to hold a meeting?

I've heard such things over the last three years. Not from the folks who speak Latin, or read Ligonier Ministry's Table Talk Magazine, mind you. Just most of the people that I meet, or work with in Grants Pass, Oregon, including fellow evangelical pastors.

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.

Household of Faith Community Church, Grants Pass (HOFGP) 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.

3-D Distinctives

Doctrine - 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.

Devotion - 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.

Discipleship - 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.

Our purpose is to equip each family to live the Great Commission lifestyle as a team of ambassadors for Christ.

We believe that God has strategically placed men in the crucial role of raising their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord.

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.

Is God calling you into deeper discipleship? Contact pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com if you'd like more information about being a part of the Household of Faith.

Household of Faith, Grants Pass web site: http://www.hofgp.org/

Preacher Feature

2009-01-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

Training Men to Teach, Preach and Lead

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.

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 pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com with questions or comments.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 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.
2 Timothy 2:15 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.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
1 Peter 3:15 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.

Eight Sessions – Tuesdays Nights, Grants Pass High School main bldg, 6:30-8:30PM

Book Study: The Supremacy of God in Preaching, by John Piper; also recommended Preaching The Cross, by Dever, Duncan, Mohler , Mahaney

Session One (2/3)
Introductions & overview of class
Intro. to TnT Format (exposition, application & discussion)
Intro. to Impromptu Speaking
Intro. to Apologetics Categories
Assignments: 1) Read prefaces & Ch 1 The Goal of Preaching: The Glory of God, 2) Write out & memorize your testimony of faith (3-5 minutes)

Session Two (2/17)
Impromptu Practice: Existence & Nature of God
Share Testimonies
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Prefaces & Ch 1
Assignments: 1) Read Ch 2 The Ground of Preaching: The Cross of Christ, 2) Memorize scripture verses above

Session Three (3/3)
Impromptu Practice: The Scriptures
Share Memory Verses
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Ch 2
Assignments: 1) Read Ch 3 The Gift of Preaching: The Power of the Holy Spirit

Session Four (3/17)
Impromptu Practice: Nature, Purpose & Destiny of Man
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Ch 3
Assignments: 1) Read Ch 4 The Gravity and Gladness of Preaching, 2) Memorize the Two-Minute Gospel

Session Five (3/31)
Impromptu Practice: Salvation, or How to Know God
Share the Two-Minute Gospel
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Ch 4
Assignments: 1) Read Ch 5 Keep God Central: The Life of Jonathan Edwards, 2) Conduct at least three Spiritual Surveys by 4/21

Session Six (4/7)
Impromptu Practice: The Person of Christ
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Ch 5
Assignments: 1) Read Ch 6 Submit to Sweet Sovereignty: The Theology of Edwards

Session Seven (4/16) Meeting at Gateway Christian Fellowship
Impromptu Practice: All categories
Share results of Spiritual Surveys
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Ch 6
Assignments: 1) Read Ch 7 & Conclusion - Make God Supreme: The Preaching of Edwards

Session Eight (4/23) Meeting at Gateway Christian Fellowship
Impromptu Practice: All categories
TnT Practice
Book Discussion: Ch 7 & Conclusion
Wrap Up

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

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. “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.

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.

Good Times We’ve Had
Recently, we elders of Coram Deo Church preached our way through a series of topics that paralleled Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project. 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.

Good Works To Be Done
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.

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.

A Son Is Given
Tomorrow I will preach a Christmas message entitled God With Us, God For Us, & God In Us. 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.

Soli Deo Gloria,

John Sleadd

Our Worthy Religion

2008-09-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

A statement analysis: It has been said that “Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.”
I believe it is both.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)”

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).

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).

In conclusion, I believe Christianity is a relationship that produces a worthy religion. And this religion is worth proclaiming and worth defending.

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.

To the glory of God

My Musical Confession

2008-08-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

After my last post I thought it would be appropriate to retell the story of my conversion from atheism to faith.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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?”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise him according to his excellent greatness!Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!Praise him with sounding cymbals;
Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

How I Lost My Atheism

2008-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

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.

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 my free will. I ruled as king over reality. Rene Descartes’ supposition, “I think, therefore I am” helped established my lordship.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?"

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.

I stalled.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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?

“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” Psalm 19:1-2

“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?” Psalm 8:3-4

The Spirit of Skillful Work

2008-07-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

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 called into ministry.

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, do everything 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.

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.

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).

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).

There are many examples in scripture of God-given skills and abilities.

Hunting (Genesis 25:27)
Music and singing (1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Chronicles 15:22; 2 Chronicles 34:12)
Stonecutting, masonry &, carpentry (1 Chronicles 22:15)
Metal work, fabrics & engraving (2 Chronicles 2:7)
Law (Ezra 7:6)
Weaponry and warfare (2 Chronilces 26:15; Jeremiah 46:9; 50:9)
Wisdom, knowledge, learning (Daniel 1:4)
Ship building and sailing (Ezekiel 27:8-9)
Lamentation (Amos 5:16)

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.

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.

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.

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.”

Fourteen Things Every Young Disciple Of Christ Should Know

2008-07-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

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.

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 pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com.

1. Q: What is a disciple and why should we make them?
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.
(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)

2. Q: What is my main purpose in life?
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.
(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)

3. Q: Who has authority over me?
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.
(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)

4. Q: What good works am I to do?
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.
(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)

5. Q: What Is In The Bible?
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).
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.
For more details visit the following link. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm#part1
(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)

6. Q: How can I grow closer To God?
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.
(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)

7. Q: How can I stay pure and focused?
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.
(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)

8. Q: How can I resolve conflict?
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. http://www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.958145/k.7ECF/Foundational_Principles.htm (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)

9. How do I share the gospel?
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.

Good News: Man was created in the image of God, and he was good in his original state.

Bad news: 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.

Good News: 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!

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.
(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)

10. Q: What is a Biblical worldview?
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.
(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)

11. Q: How can I help transform the culture around me?
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.
(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)

12. Q: What career and ministry should I pursue?
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.
(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)

13. Q: How should I handle money?
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.
(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)

14. Q: How should I prepare for marriage?
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.
(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)

Beliefs Buffet

2008-06-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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 everybody into his heaven, instead of a righteous God, who casts sinners into hell.

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.

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:

“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).

The Multigenerational Household

2008-05-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pastor Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan

2008-05-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Promote reconciliation
Equip servant leaders
Assist the poor
Care for the sick
Educate the next generation.

“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.

“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."

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.

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).

Perhaps I’m overreacting to Warren’s illustration, which might simply need some fine tuning. I hope so.

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.

The TULIPs of Preaching

2008-05-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Here are five principles to help rookie pastors like myself blossum in their preaching.

T = True to the Text
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.

U = Useful
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.

L = Loving and Logical
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.

I = Interesting & Inspiring
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.

P = Passionate
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.

Acknowledgment
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 ...

T-therapeutic
U-unconventional
L-lucid
I-illustrated
P-passionate

Demographic Winter

2008-05-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Another letter to the editor of the local newspaper.

Dear Editor,

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.

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.”

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.

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.

The Cost Of Family Break Down

2008-05-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

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.

My latest piece:

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Sincerely,

Pastor John Sleadd

American Stealth Revival

2008-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.
Mom works long hours without pay. The kids may not get to play on a sports team or be part of a music ensemble.

Modern Day Puritans
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.

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.

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.

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).

Election and Evangelism

2008-05-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

Does Predestination Mean We Don’t Need To Evangelize?

No, it just guarantees the outcome.

Forgive me if this blog raises your blood pressure. It’s just that I’ve heard the misconception that election eliminates the need for evangelism often enough that I wanted to take a shot at explaining why that's not the case. Here goes.

First of all, God is sovereign. That means He runs the whole show. He knows everything, and He can do anything He wants. He created everything, and He controls it all. From the stoutest galaxy down to the scrawniest subatomic particle, God is in charge. He numbers the stars, and He knows how many hairs you have (or used to have) on your head. He dictates the rise and fall of nations, and He knows our thoughts before we can speak them. He comfortably manages everything that happens in the universe, including our salvation from the wrath that we deserve, thanks to the big fat sin problem we inherited from Adam.

Secondly, God is good. That means that when He does whatever He wants, it is good. Our salvation doesn’t depend on our good works. God saves us by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8), according to His will. For those who are called according to His purpose, all things work for good (Romans 8:28).

Thirdly, God predestines His elect. That means that God decides who He will save, according to His own good pleasure. Shucks, He even chooses them before they exist (Ephesians 1:4). Figure that one out. He has His good reasons, probably just because He can. Remember, He's totally in control. Those who He predestines, He calls, and those who He calls, He justifies, and those who He justifies, He glorifies (Romans 8:28). When people get agitated over predestination and election, I remind them that God is good, and He does what He wants. They can read Romans Chapter 9, and then take their dill pickle expressions directly to God.

Fourthly, God commands us to evangelize. That means we are to spread the gospel and make disciples everywhere, in obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 15:16). It’s not our job to persuade anyone into God’s kingdom, as if our methods close the deal. That's for brush salesmen, not evangelists. It is God’s Spirit who effectually calls sinners to saving faith. Yet, God includes us in the evangelism loop, even though He decides in advance who He will save. We don’t know who these people are, but since He has predestined them to be saved, our efforts to preach the gospel are guaranteed to be fruitful.

In conclusion, we should be zealous to preach the gospel and make disciples. God has promised that His Word that goes out will not return to Him empty, but will accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55:11). Our message of hope will be like a monsoon rain falling on a parched field, bringing new life and growth.

In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! (Romans 10:14-15).

Hey, God's elect, why not take a few bold steps with those fabulous feet of yours and spread the good news that Jesus saves sinners? As you do, pray for the Lord to send out more laborers into His harvest.

Ship Shape Salvation

2008-05-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

Biblical Ignorance
The Bible says that “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). This is certainly true today, when a meager 9% of those who call themselves “born again Christians” actually hold a Biblical worldview.

According to commentator, Chuck Colson, Christians don’t really know what they believe. It seems that sentimental slogans have replaced doctrinal knowledge. Many church-goers can recite bumper sticker sound bites like, “Let go and let God,” or “God said it, I believe it, that settles it,” but they can’t accurately explain what salvation is, or what justification means.

In ancient Israel, the priests failed to declare God’s scriptures to the people. They were sell-outs, idolaters, and religious adulterers. Thus, God judged and punished the entire nation. Such folk are active in the church today. They have blended materialism, individualism and multiculturalism into spiritual smoothies for consumers to slurp up. Their Sunday sermons depict Jesus as an inspiring example of a purpose driven life. A role model for overcoming obstacles. A ticket to the good life. They may sing “Jesus take the wheel,” but they’re still holding on for control and they want to operate the brakes and the accelerator.

Truth be told, many of us want Jesus on our own terms. Often, when we say “God has a wonderful plan for my life,” we really mean, “I have a wonderful plan for God in my life.” This is a man-centered view of faith. Some have called it therapeutic, moralistic deism, as if a distant god wants us to be our best, but lets us work out the details. We treat Jesus like a personal trainer. He might coach us, but it’s up to us to do the workouts. And once we master the program, we think we’ve outgrown the coach. Jesus becomes optional. The scriptures, however, present a thoroughly God-centered worldview. It’s really not about us.

The Good Ship Faith
Picture yourself floating out in the middle of the ocean. You are dead. A bloated carcass tossed by the waves, oblivious to your condition. Then God, by His sovereign mercy, brings you to life. You realize your predicament. You are lost and alone. Struggling. Perishing. The waves will soon swallow you up.

Now picture a ship on the horizon sailing directly toward you. You cry out to be saved. The Good Ship Faith arrives, its fluttering ensign a crimson cross. A sailor throws out a lifeline and commands you to grasp it. You hold fast and are hoisted aboard. You are soon dried and clothed and cared for.

In time you are instructed in the ways of sailing. The Good Ship Faith, under the orders of her Commander In Chief, Jesus, is commissioned to patrol the oceans, engage enemies of the Kingdom, and rescue those adrift in the ocean. You are adopted as a member of the crew and equipped for duty. You are grateful for your salvation, and you are eager to serve in the ship’s ongoing mission. You delight to recount the story of your rescue: You were dead, but were brought to life. You were saved by orders of Christ. Now you throw life lines to those who are perishing.

As a teaching Elder at Coram Deo Church I have used this illustration to emphasize the theological fact that salvation in Christ is ...

By Grace
Through Faith
From God’s Wrath
For good Works
For God’s Glory

By Grace – Grace refers to God’s divine and unconditional favor, freely given. We are spiritually dead, unable to seek or choose God. Yet He chooses to save us, not according to our deeds, but according to His own sovereign purposes. He gives us new life, enabling us to recognize our sin nature and our perilous condition. Our regeneration is therefore an entirely supernatural act of God’s Spirit. We are passive. God is active.

Through Faith – Faith is not a desire, or wishful thought. It is the exercise of trust in someone or something. Faith enables us to repent (turn from trusting ourselves) and to trust Christ to save us. God has ordained that faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of Christ. Our regenerated hearts and minds respond to the gospel, which is a summons to take the life line, to receive salvation. Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit we will remain spiritually dead. We cannot and will not respond to the gospel and trust Christ. The gospel is foolishness to us. To our peril, we choose to trust ourselves rather than Christ, like a drowning man refusing to be saved because he rejects the rescuer.

From God’s Wrath - We should tremble with fear as guilty sinners before a just and holy God. God has decreed that the penalty of sin is death. He has established hell as a place of eternal torment. Fortunately, God demonstrates His great love for us by allowing His Son’s crucifixion to fully satisfy His righteous requirements for punishing sin. Jesus received God’s wrath in our place. Those who refuse Christ as Savior bear the full weight of their guilt and will be cast into hell.

For Good Works - Our salvation is more than being spared from punishment. We are justified (legal requirements fully satisfied) and adopted into God’s household of faith. We are converted and transformed into Christ’s likeness by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who gives us gifts for righteousness in service to God and for the building up of His church. Good works are the result and the evidence of saving faith in us. The absence of good works is evidence that we are spiritually dead and do not have the Holy Spirit living in us.

For God’s Glory - God receives the glory for our salvation. It can be said that we contribute nothing to our salvation, but respond to it with joy and praise. We have not earned or deserved what we have received. We are chosen, justified, sanctified and glorified--all for God’s glory. While we certainly participate with the Holy Spirit in our sanctifying walk, we ultimately persevere in our faith by God’s superintending power and grace.

Conclusion
The solution to Biblical ignorance is to gain Biblical knowledge and wisdom. The Lord gave us His Word to bless us and direct us. By the power of His Spirit, the Scriptures illuminate and transform our minds, enabling us to be holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:4). May you delight in God's Word, and obey it as you sail through this life and into the next on the Good Ship Faith.

Pagan Christianity? A Book Review

2008-03-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

by Pastor John Sleadd

I recently read Pagan Christianity?, by Frank Viola and George Barna, which explores the roots of our church practices. The authors claim that, according to credible historic research, the majority of what takes place in today’s institutional church can be linked to Roman and Greek pagan traditions. They assert the following, and more.

That Emperor Constantine transformed Christianity into a state religion and instituted sacred sites, sacred rituals and sacred officers to unify and control his empire.

That church buildings evolved from pagan religious shrines

That preachers evolved from Greek sophists, who were gifted, yet often unscrupulous, orators

That pulpits evolved from Greek stagecraft used for entertainment

That salaried pastors evolved from pensioned, Roman government officials

That church music practices evolved from Roman pagan customs of pomp and formality

I confess that I found Pagan Christianity? a fascinating read. In it Viola and Barna criticize the authoritarian, high church system of clergy, costumes, customs and cathedrals. They say this system puts a few men in charge of lifeless congregations. They are equally critical of the pop culture, consumer system, which keeps the religious customers entertained in auditoriums with celebrity speakers, professional praise bands, and youth ministers who widen the generation gap. A return to the old ways is needed, they say. Out with professionalism and institutionalism. In with relationships and organic community. Back to the habits of the early church at the ground level, where believers met in equality and simplicity.

Viola and Barna are sincerely concerned for the health of the Lord’s church. I found many, perhaps most of their arguments to be persuasive. Their historic evidence was compelling. I would therefore recommend this book to anyone who is interested in church history and practice. I would, however, offer a few words of caution.

Viola and Barna seem to disregard legitimate authority and hierarchy in the body of Christ. They advocate an “every-member functioning” model of church meeting, and they rightly condemn the practice of professional clergymen dominating over a passive laity. Yet, in their disdain for abusive authoritarianism in the church, I believe they have overreacted and thrown the baby out with the bath water. Allow me to explain.

I believe the authors have ignored the hierarchy that exists within the Trinity and in God’s ordained institutions of family, church and state. In the Trinity, the Holy Spirit plays a supporting role to the Son, and the Son plays a submissive role to the Father, yet they are one and they are equally God. In the family the husband is the head of the wife, and the wife is commanded to submit to her husband, yet they are part of a one-flesh union (Ephesians 5:22-23). Together, they have authority over their children, who are commanded to honor and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1). In the church the Elders are given the authority and responsibility to rule (1 Timothy 5:17), and church members are commanded to obey and submit to them (Hebrews 13:17). Yet the Elders are told to govern with gentleness and humility, predominantly through the power of example (1 Peter 5:2-3). In the state, we see evidence of hierarchy as well. The ancient Hebrew republic had a hierarchy of military commanders and judges to lead the Jewish nation. Furthermore, a hierarchical chain of command is an essential part of our United States constitutional republic today. It can be said that hierarchical authority is both biblical and essential for right conduct in human interactions.

There are other troubling issues that bubble up from the pages of Pagan Christianity? The authors assume that all church members have equal privileges to share, to lead, and to teach, during each meeting, but this is in conflict with what the scriptures teach about the distribution of spiritual gifts and about church leadership. In their criticism of church liturgical practices, they imply that spontaneous sharing is more biblical than preplanned worship services that are directed by select individuals. This begs the question why the Holy Spirit cannot work through preplanning just as well as spontaneity, and through the specialization of gifts as well as through every member. Such things reveal a personal bias that taints an otherwise timely call to reformation of church practice.

I agree with Viola and Barna that every member of the Body of Christ should be fully functioning and contributing. But we must steer clear of the tendency to democratize the church into an egalitarian social construct. My prayer is that the Lord would continue to bless and refine His church, according to His perfect will and purpose. I recommend you read Pagan Christianity? for yourself and enjoy interacting with it as I did.

He Is Risen. He Saves.

2008-03-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Much hangs on the truth of Christ’s resurrection. No resurrection, no victory over sin and death. No resurrection, no certainty that God’s Word is true. No resurrection, no Lord Jesus mediating from the throne room of the Father on behalf of sinners. Like me.

The apostle Paul wrote that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. If we hope in Christ only in this life only, then we are to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

Fortunately, Christ has been raised from the dead. The resurrection is an historical fact. The empty tomb was solid evidence of His resurrection in the days and years following Christ’s public execution. Jesus’ appearance to a multitude of eyewitnesses in the weeks after his certified death are irrefutable. The conspiracy theories of body snatching, or mass hallucinations are flimsy concoctions of fiction, which have no credibility in light of the data.

Death could not keep Jesus in the grave. The Lord of creation, who has made all things and sustains all things, demonstrated His sovereignty over death itself. He was summoned to life. He lives. He reigns. And this is good news for us.

Jesus’ resurrection confirms His power to save us. He summons His elect into new life by the regenerative power of His Spirit. Thus, one can be born again.

The Bible says that all have sinned and offended God (Romans. 3:23). It says that we suppress the evidence of God and deny His authority over creation. It describes mankind as law breakers and rebels.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God cannot tolerate sin and His holy character requires that sin be punished. He has created hell, a place of unquenchable fire, and eternal suffering reserved for those who hate Him and reject Jesus, His Son.

But here’s the good news: The Bible says that God shows His great love for us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

We are saved by God’s grace, not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8). We cannot say we have earned salvation. It is a gift.

We have a place in heaven. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Jesus came to save His people. Are you one of them? Have you trusted Jesus?

The Infamy of Rousseau's Selfish Socialism

2008-03-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

I decided to write my third letter to the editor of our local newspaper. After the last letter, I received four public commendations and two criticisms. One writer said that I should go back to my pulpit and get a life.

I expect to be attacked in print. I write to inform and provoke. I also hope to stimulate Christians to rise up and challenge the culture. Here's my latest contribution to the cultural conversation.

Jean Jacques Rousseau was an eighteenth-century, French philosopher with a penchant for siring and abandoning children. Five of them. Rousseau was a dead-beat dad with a disdain for paternal duty. He championed the cause of self-love and personal entitlement.

Rousseau denounced civilization, social conventions, and traditional values. He believed the state was the perfect agent to liberate the individual from such oppressive relationships as marriage, family, church and work. He claimed that each citizen would then be completely independent of all his fellow men, and absolutely dependent on the state.

As an Enlightenment thinker, he postulated theories of socialism and nationalism, which inspired Robespierre in the French Revolution, as well as Marx, Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao and even Pol Pot. Curious, isn’t it, how the seeds of radical individualism and entitlement can produce a crop of totalitarianism.

Unfortunately, Rousseau’s theories are alive and well in America today. Perhaps that’s why we have no-fault divorce, same-sex unions, and abortion on demand, all supported by our government. Maybe that’s why a U.S. court ruled that parents have no exclusive right to teach their children about sex education, but must permit the state to teach them the legitimacy of homosexuality. Maybe that’s why a California court recently declared that home education is illegal unless the parents have a state-issued teaching license.

Statesman Edmund Burke reportedly said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Men of conscience, I adjure you to take action. Pray, speak, write.

Pastor John Sleadd
Coram Deo Church

Return to the City of My Second Birth

2008-03-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 28, 2008 I drove up to Bellingham Washington for a quick, nostalgic visit. I was in the north part of Seattle with some extra time on my hands, when on a lark I decided to zip up to my college alma mater, Western Washington University, for a blast from the past.

A quarter century earlier I had been an art and music student there at the beautiful campus perched above Bellingham Bay. It was at WWU that I brushed wild colors across stretched canvases in the art studio to the smell of oil paints and mineral spirits. It was there that I spent endless hours shut up in windowless practice rooms as a music student fingering scales and jazz riffs on my guitar. It was in this town that I played and sang in smoky night clubs filled with the rank smell of cheap beer. It was there that I watched the movie Elephant Man and was embarrassed by the overwhelming sense of pity that made me sob in front of my friends as if I had just seen my own pathetic spiritual condition exposed in front of a shocked audience.

It was there, twenty-five years ago, that I first suspected a sovereign God existed behind the canopy of stars, who might call me to account for who I was and what I thought and what I did. I was a Kentucky boy, the casualty of a broken home, who had wound up in the Pacific Northwest to chase after his life's purpose at a university. It was in Bellingham that I was yanked out of my atheistic existentialism and summoned into the Kingdom of God like a hapless islander who gets swept out of his village by the surge of a tsunami, then deposited back into a pile of debris that was his former life. There wasn't much worth salvaging, so I began a new life, trusting in Christ.

I had lived in Bellingham for six years. I had rented various apartments, dated various girls, been indoctrinated by various professors, and partied with various acquaintances. The kingdom of God had sent most of my friends packing. At the name of Jesus, they had grown suspicious and distant, like I was the Elephant Man, the freak of faith. Eventually we parted company, which left me with time on my own to soak up the words of C.S. Lewis, R.C. Sproul and Josh MacDowell, to name a few, who wrote about a God who redeems sinners. Like me.

I read the Bible, too, starting the with John's gospel, which introduced me to Christ, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Resurrection and the Life.

Back in the present, I walked across campus observing students bustling from class to class. They seemed driven by academic purpose, yet adrift in the relativistic culture of higher education with no sense of God’s superintending presence.

I began to pray. I asked God to call His elect out of the darkness as He had called me back in 1983. I prayed for dozens, perhaps a hundred individuals, asking the Lord to pour out His Spirit on the students. I circled back across the campus and aimed at every soul that came in sight, praying that God would redeem sinners and transform them into future husbands and wives and parents of faith, who would bring Him glory.

I entered the music building, where I had sung in the university choir as a cynical atheist, and I sang a hymn aloud in the elevator. I went into the Viking Union student center and asked the Lord to give me the opportunity to witness to at least four people on campus before I left. In my folder I had four spiritual survey sheets that I had developed for sharing the gospel.

For the next two hours I sipped Starbuck’s coffee and interviewed four students. I asked a dozen different questions. I explained the problem of sin and the good news of salvation in Christ alone. I left each of them with this thought to ponder: “Is it possible that God is calling you to believe in Jesus to save you from punishment? “ Two answered “yes,” one answered “no,” and one answered “not sure.” One young man said he thought that if God was calling him, He would probably do it by sending him a dream, or a vision, or something unusual. I asked him if it were possible that God might send a stranger from out of town (me) as a divine appointment to talk to him about faith. He might still be thinking about that.

After I had interviewed the students, I asked them about their majors, their interests, their goals in life. They, in turn, asked me why I was out interviewing people. I got to share my testimony of how I had been a student at WWU twenty-five years ago when God called me out of darkness and into light. He had chosen me for His own, even though I had mocked believers and claimed Christianity was a crutch for the weak-minded. God had allowed me to marry a wonderful Christian woman and start a Christian family. Now, as a father of five children and the pastor of a great church, it was a privilege to return to WWU to speak with others about God's amazing grace. I gave each of them a business card with my email address, along with a reference to Ephesians 1:4.

Now that I’m back at home in Grants Pass, Oregon, my trip to Bellingham seems like a dream. It was a wonderful little side trip from my commitments in Seattle. Since I may not be back for another twenty-five years, I will relish the dose of nostalgia. And I will pray: Lord, send your tsunami again into the city of my second birth.

The Scriptures are Supernatural, Sure and Sufficient

2008-03-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Disciple Makers Basic Training: Week 5

Q: What Is In The Bible?

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.

God and His Word are inseparable. He designed it that way for our benefit. To know God is to know His Word, and to love Him is to obey His commands. The Bible tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16), yet many of us neither know, or obey it.

Imagine a young woman who doesn’t read her fiancée’s letters. We would question her love. Imagine a soldier who doesn’t obey his commander’s orders. We would question his loyalty. What, then, are we to make of those who claim to follow Christ, but who show no love for His Word, nor trouble themselves to obey it? Do they merely honor Him with their mouths while their hearts are far from Him? (Matthew 15:8).

The Power of the Scriptures
The Bible is powerful and effective, sure and sufficient, life-giving and eternal.
· Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
· Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
· Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
· 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

The Authority and Divine Nature of Scripture
Jesus regarded the Scriptures as authoritative.
The Bible is self-attesting. It declares itself to be the authoritative Word of God.
The Bible records hundreds of supernaturally fulfilled prophecies.
The Bible records supernatural events (mass feedings, healings and resurrections), which were observed by multiple eye witnesses.
The Bible accurately portrays man’s true spiritual condition. It is a book that reads the reader.
The Bible has transformed the lives of many who read it.
The Bible has survived attempts to destroy it throughout history.

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)

(see 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 4:4, 6.)

The Contents of the Scriptures
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
7. revelation

The Canon of Scripture
The historic Christian belief is that the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the books also controlled their selection. The final canon of Scripture is therefore the result of God’s sovereign intervening in the discernment of believers rather than by historical research .

· 1 Corinthains 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
· 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Four basic considerations have guided the church in recognizing the canon (measuring rod) of Scripture.
1. Apostolicity – Was the book written by an apostle?
2. Apostolic content – Was the content of the book consistent with the ministry and purpose of an apostle?
3. Claim of divine inspiration – Did the author claim that his words were from God?
4. Acceptance as divine – Did the early churches recognize the author and/or writings as from God?

The Doctrines of Scripture
The Bible is God’s special revelation of Himself and of His sovereign plan to save His elect through the atoning work of Christ Jesus. The Bible reveals the sequence of creation, fall, redemption and glorification for those whom God brings to saving faith in Christ. The major themes of the Bible can be categorized into the following doctrines.

1. The doctrine of the Word of God (inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient)
2. The doctrine of God (sovereign, self-existent, almighty, holy, Trinitarian)
3. The doctrine of man (God’s image bearer, yet spiritually dead & sinful by nature)
4. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit (personal, sanctifying)
5. The doctrine of redemption (election by grace, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, preservation, glorification)
6. The doctrine of the church (unity and purity, purposes, ordinances, presence in the world)
7. The doctrine of the future (return of Christ, final judgment, new heaven and earth)

Abuse of the Scriptures
This might sound strange, but some people love the Bible too much. That is, they are drawn to its texts, but they are distant from the Author. The tendency to focus on the process of textual transmission and interpretation based on human reasoning can be a form of bibliolatry (book worship) if the texts are divorced from God’s character and will. The theological liberalism of higher textual criticism, which developed in Europe after the Enlightenment, pitted man’s interpretive powers of reason against God’s sovereign ability to transmit His Word through men. Clearly we are not to treat the holy Scriptures with academic detachment. Nor are we to twist the Word of God to make it conform to the plans of man.

As I said at the beginning of this essay, God and His Word are inseparable. And He has chosen to reveal Himself to us and minister to us through His holy Scriptures. Let us draw near to God by reading and meditating upon His Word. Let us love Him with all our heart, and soul, and mind and strength, as we walk in obedience to all that He has commanded, by the power of His Spirit for the glory of Christ.

Follow Up Assignment

Read Greg Koukl’s article, Never Read A Bible Verse http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5466

Good Works For God's Glory

2008-02-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

Disicple Makers Basic Training: Week 4

Q: What Good Works Am I To do?

A: All our efforts and resources are to be used in ways that glorify God, and should be in accordance to His Word.

Good works begin with humble submission and obedience to God’s commands. At the most fundamental level we are told to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:27-40). And since love is more of an action than a feeling, we are told to perform acts of kindness, care and charity.

We were created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
If we don’t do good works we are considered to be spiritually dead (James 2:17).
Faith produces good works (James 2:22).
We are told to do good works in public (Matthew 5:15).
We are commanded to inspire other people to do good works (Hebrews 10:24).

Some of the most basic good works include obeying and showing respect to those in authority over us. We are called to be holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4) before God, and to keep ourselves from being corrupted by the world. We are to honor our parents, submit to our husbands, and obey our masters.

We are also called to do good works for those who are in need of help. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, protect the orphan and care for the widow (James 1:27). And that’s not all. Right at home we are to help mom clear the dinner dishes and give little brother a hand with his shoe laces.

Since we are stewards of the life and resources God has given us, virtually everything that can be done as unto the Lord can be considered a good work. Here are some examples.

Worship is a good work.
Prayer is a good work.
Tithing is a good work.
Attending church gatherings is a good work.
Disciplining your children is a good work.
Voting wisely is a good work.
Checking your motor oil is a good work.
Saying thank you is a good work.
Controlling your temper is a good work.
Brushing your teeth is a good work.

Work and Vocation
In our current culture it is easy to view work as a means to an end, a way to earn money rather than a noble activity in and of itself. The primary vocation of believers, who are called to faith, is that of being children of God. But this includes serving the Lord through good works in the world. Theologian John Pless writes:

Luther understood that the Christian is genuinely bivocational. He is called first through the Gospel to faith in Jesus Christ and he is called to occupy a particular station or place in life. The second sense of this calling embraces all that the Christian does in service to the neighbor not only in a particular occupation but also as a member of the church, a citizen, a spouse, parent, or child, and worker. Here the Christian lives in love toward other human beings and is the instrument by which God does His work in the world.

Wisdom In Work
We need wisdom to perform good works, and it is important to do them in a way that honors God. It is easy to get distracted by competing allegiances for our energy and attention. The Bible warns about trying to serve two masters, because we will tend to favor one and despise (or neglect) the other( Matthew 6:24). Some things in life need to pruned, and others fertilized to produce the fruit of works. A man may need to give up his golf game to make time for serving someone. He may need to give up a costly habit to free up his resources to support ministries in his church.

Diligence In Work
While a sincere heart and good intentions are sufficient to start a good work, they might not finish it. It is wise to plan one’s work out carefully and to ask others for counsel (Proverbs 24:6). “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). Each day is an opportunity to expand the Lord's Kingdom on earth through productive stewardship. It has been said that a failing to plan yields the same results as a planning to fail. I tell my children to make a plan, and then work the plan, revising things as necessary. If it is bad stewardship to waste food while feeding the hungry, it is bad stewardship to be careless while doing one’s work.

I’ll close with two views of stewardship, courtesy of my friend, Ron Strom.

The World
Adolescence: rebellion, irresponsibility
Time is your own, waste it on yourself
Go for the gusto, you only live once
My life is my own to please myself

The Bible
Youth: time of preparation, fruitfulness
Time is God’s gift, use it to His glory
Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven
I was bought with a price to serve my Master

May the Lord bless you as you perform good works.

Immoral Unions - Letter To The Editor

2008-02-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

Since I've been teaching on institutions of authority, I couldn't resist writing a response to a front page article in my local newspaper celebrating the legalization of homosexual unions. My goal is to engage the culture in its operations and inject elements of a biblical worldview whenever practicable. Here it is.

Dear Editor,

I was disappointed, but not surprised to see a photo of two lesbians getting hitched on the front page of the local newspaper recently. That’s because in Oregon, it’s hard to blush about women marrying women when we’ve gotten used to no-fault divorce, abortion on demand, and assisted suicide. Traditional morality in the Beaver State seems to have gone out of style, like polyester leisure suits. Our legislators prefer to be bold and cutting edge.

So what’s next? Will polygamy be legalized next year? After all, if two women can be united, why not three, or four? Can we, in good conscience, continue to deny consenting adults (maybe minors, too) the right to be joined into one big happy whatever-you-call-it? Then, what will be legalized after polygamy?

An ancient prophet once said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” These words should be echoing in the chambers in Salem. Those citizens of Oregon, who still embrace biblical standards for marriage and family, are rightly alarmed when the state violates the public trust and legislates immorality. Fortunately, a ballot initiative process and an upcoming election is at their disposal. It is therefore fitting that the deeds of our bold legislators and governor be well remembered on election day.

Respectfully,

Pastor John Sleadd

Coram Deo Church

Autonomous Individualism and Disdain For Authority

2008-02-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

There is widespread disdain for authority in America today. Children disrespect their parents. Employees resent their bosses. Politicians are lampooned on talk television. There seems to be more respect for athletes and celebrities than for our leaders.

Commercial advertising has helped shape the American individual. We have been told for so long that we can have anything we want, when we want it, that we’ve come to believe it. We fancy ourselves as independent-minded consumers, so we think we are in control of the ideas and beliefs we adopt as well. We therefore, tend to frame questions of truth and behavior in subjective, rather than absolute terms. We are attracted to relativism because it permits us to be the mark and measure of authority. It’s all about us.

Consumerism is not new, of course. Satan exploited Eve’s desire for self-fulfillment by advertising forbidden fruit way back in the garden. She was deceived. She bought the lie. Adam condoned it. Mankind has been in bondage to self-gratification ever since.

No one is truly autonomous, and no one can escape authority. As a creature, man is subject to God's natural laws (gravity for example) and God's moral laws, which are revealed in the Bible.

Liberty and self-restraint go hand in hand. Men who are self-controlled by moral conscience and obedience to God's laws have little need for external control. But those who lack self-control must be restrained by others. Thus, the need for systems of human government. This is no surprise. The Bible says that man has a perpetual moral problem. He has fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). He does not seek after God or care to know God's commands apart from the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He is not a sick man calling out for the help of a physician, or a drowning man crying for someone to rescue him. He is incapable of asking for help, because he is spiritually dead. And only God’s grace can save him. This is how we must view all individuals.

Americans love their liberty. Part of our national identity is the fact that we cast off the yoke of oppression by declaring our independence from England back in 1776. Our founding fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to defend the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all men. They reasoned from a thoroughly biblical worldview when they declared that these unalienable rights emanate directly from God alone.

Today, Americans think they can retain their rights, but deny the God who grants them. This is not only true of secularists, who want to expunge the Christian faith from the monuments and textbooks of history. It is also true of many so-called Christians, who think they can recast God in their own image. As such, He is not a God of might and justice, of holiness and pefect law. He is a wrathless sugar daddy who brings self-fulfillment to all who seek it. He winks at sin. He is a year round Sunday Santa Claus, who brings only good gifts to boys and girls.

Autonomous individualism is a malignant disease in American culture that has crept into the church. It has produced rampant immorality so that adultery (through no fault divorce), child murder (through abortion), and sexual perversion (through homosexual unions) are just a few of the unbiblical practices that are now legal in our land. Don't get too discouraged, though. God has sovereign authority over all circumstances. He is not taken aback by the emergence of humanistic relativism or the corruption it produces. He will, however, certainly judge such things.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) .

The good news is that God offers mercy and forgiveness to those who repent and believe in Christ. Perhaps if we humble ourselves, and embrace the truth and authority of the Bible, we will be restored. Under the authority of Christ's cross there is redemption and there is transformation. Expect it. Rejoice in it.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Amen.

The Bible Is The Highest Standard of Authority

2008-02-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

Disciple Makers Basic Training: Week 3

Q: Who Has Authority Over Me?

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. When there is conflict between the demands of the state and the commands of Scripture, we are to obey God rather than men.

The Law

The great English Reformer and Bible translator, John Wyclif wrote, “The Bible is for the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” God summed up His standard for human conduct in the Ten Commandments by declaring who He was, how He was to be worshipped, and how men were to rightly live together. The Ten Commandments encapsulate God’s moral and civil laws, which apply to all cultures, in all circumstances, and in all times.

God’s Law is eternal, authoritative and expansive. The Law is not limited to the Ten Commandments, either. All of Scripture is inspired by God, and given to man for his benefit (2 Timothy 3:16). The whole Bible, then, is our standard of truth and morality for all of life. There is therefore no legitimate authority apart from that which is established by Scripture.

The Bible commands us to love God and love our neighbors. One of the greatest acts of love we can perform is our humble submission to lawful authorities. As we show genuine compassion and respect for others, we demonstrate our submission to the Lord, and obedience to His Word. The light and momentary trials of living under the authority of imperfect people is part of God’s sanctifying process of making believers more like Christ. So rejoice as you submit.

Institutions Of Authority

God has ordained three institutions of earthly authority. They are (1) the family, (2) the church and (3) the state. Within each of these institutions there are agents who exercise God-given authority over us. Extending over these institutions is the Law of God, which is the highest standard of authority for all human conduct and relationships.

1. The Family

Submission to authority in your family is inescapable. Your parents have authority over you. Your husband has authority over you. Your spouse has authority over you. All this is God’s plan for couples to stay faithfully married and to train up well-behaved children. Individuals are produced in families and they are God’s possessions, bought with a price, and under obligation to give God glory (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Fathers are commanded to be servant leaders in their homes. They are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and they are to discipline and instruct their children. Wives are commanded to respect their husbands. Children are commanded to obey their parents (Ephesians 5:22-6:4). When authority is properly exercised and respected in a family, the home is a wonderful place of nurture and joy. Therefore, the first priority of every Christian family should be to unleash the authority of God’s sure and sufficient Word in our homes.

* Deuteronomy 6:5-9 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

* Colossians 3:16-21 16 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. 17 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. 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Private Enterprise

The institution of the family does more than make marriages and babies. It is also the engine of economics and free enterprise. It is the realm of commerce, business contracts, personal industry and the creation of material wealth. The family populates the planet with productive workers, ministers of mercy and shapers of culture. The other institutions are completely dependent on the family for their personnel. All business dealing must be subject to the rule of God’s Law which regulates fair contracts and transactions.

2. The Church

Submission to the leaders of the your local church is required. Your church elders have authority over you, and they must give account for your spiritual condition directly to the Lord. Your proper submission to them allows you to grow in your knowledge of the Bible and to walk more faithfully as a follower of Christ. As you respond to their teaching and preaching of sound Biblical doctrine, you mature in faith and are better able to do good deeds. The Bible calls you to honor and obey them so that they consider it a joy as they watch over you (Hebrews 13:17).

The Church is God’s divinely appointed guardian of Truth. The Bible refers to the church as the Body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23), the Bride of Christ (Matthew 25:1-13), and the Household of Faith (Galatians 6:10). Although the church cannot produce children, it certainly helps shape them. Church leaders are charged with the responsibility of proclaiming God’s Word to edify the body and equip them for the works of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). Christians are commanded to maintain regular fellowship with one another and stir one another up to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:23-24). The Church plays a significant role in cultural transformation through the ministry of God’s Word made active and alive in the other institutions of family and state.

3. The State

Submission to the authority of human government is mandatory. Or else! You know this when you speed past a parked police cruiser on the highway with an officer inside pointing a radar gun at you. Your lead foot on the accelerator may have just cost you a hefty fine. And when you are pulled over, you know that the club, handcuffs and pistol on the officer’s belt are not merely ornaments. They are instruments of law enforcement, and he is authorized to use them if you decide to pitch a fit.

Human governments are ordained by God to execute justice and punish evil behavior. They regulate human conduct by justly enforcing God’s moral and civic laws. They ensure that individual rights are protected and that contractual agreements can be enforced. Because man is sinful by nature, human governments are necessary to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty. The need for the external law enforcement is directly proportional to the lack of self-restraint exercised by individuals in society. Therefore, obey the laws of the land and be respectful to those in serve in the government.

* Romans 13:1-7 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

* 1 Peter 2:13-17 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Application

In order for us to have a right perspective on living under authority in a fallen world, we should look to Jesus as our example. The King of Glory submitted himself to birth in a lowly manger. He was submissive to his earthly parents as boy (Luke 2:51). He humbled himself even unto death on a cross in obedience to His Father's will (Philippians 2:4-8). Christ, our Lord and savior came to serve, rather than to be served (Matthew 20:28).

We should do likewise.

Follow Up Assignments

1. On as many pages as necessary, write a list of good works that will get you into heaven :)

2. Listen to audio file on "Myth of Adolescence"

Knowing Your Main Purposes In Life

2008-02-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Disciple Makers Basic Training: Week 2

Q: What is my main purpose in life?

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.

Why Am I Here?
Most of us have wondered why we’re here. After getting squeezed, toothless and witless into the atmosphere as infants, we soon begin to wonder about our purpose here on the surface. I know I did. After a while we might think about our exit. Then what to do in between. Willy Shakespeare wrote about such things in As You Like It.

Jacques: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the canon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Life is more than advancing through stages, like an elevator rising up through the stories to return to the basement. It’s more than living to “eat, drink, and be merry” (Ecclesiastes 8:15) The Bible says that believers were chosen (predestined) even before the creation of the world to do good works (Ephesians 1:4). Amazing. It sounds like God has a purpose for us in mind.

In order to help you not waste your life, I offer three basic types of purposes that every Christian must consider. This information is an adaptation of a Vision Forum Ministries message by Doug Phillips on life purpose.

1. Universal Purposes
* Love God and love your neighbor (Matt 22:37-40)
* Glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (This is man’s chief end according to the Westminster Catechism question #1)
* Obey God and make disciples (1 Jn 5:2-3; Matt 28:19-20)

2. Gender Purposes
* Man is made in God’s image, yet they were made male and female (Gen 1:27)
* Man and wife are to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28; 9:1)
* Men are to be providers (1 Tim. 5:8), protectors (Pr 5:22-23; Pr 22:15; Pr 23:13-14; Matt 18:6), instructors of their children (Eph 6:4), and heads of households (Eph 5:22-23)
* Women are to be helpers (Gen 2:18; Pr 31) nurturers (Mal 2:15; 1 Tim 2:15) instructors of women & children (Pr 1:8-9; Titus 2:3-5)

3. Individual Purposes
* Children are to honor and obey their parents (Col 3:20)
* Children are be trained, instructed and discipled at home (Dt 6:7; Pr 22:6; Eph 6:4)
* Individuals are given a variety of gifts by the Spirit (1 Cor 12:4)
* Individuals must remain faithful to the Scriptures and to their relational commitments as they pursue their purposes
* Parents must be committed to the purposes of raising godly children, which should supersede and modify their desires for career advancement and personal status

It’s important to recognize that one’s individual purposes are subordinate to the gender and universal purposes established by God. A child may not justify a life purpose that denies the authority that is placed over him by his parents. An individual may not justify a life purpose that is contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Therefore, practices such as homosexuality, adultery and transgender identity cannot be legitimate life purposes for Christians, because these things are prohibited by Scripture (1 Cor 6:9; Ro 1:24-27). Women may not justify their desire to serve as leaders in the church as a life purpose for the same reasons, since Scripture forbids it (1 Tim 2:12).

If you find yourself resenting the call to submit your individuality to greater purposes, remember that being a disciple of Jesus means taking up your cross daily. It does not include carrying the your cultural tote bag of American individualism and feminism along with you. If you are to be a true disciple, you must let the Word of Christ dwell in you until you are willing to utterly trust the Lord at His Word and obey Him.

Here's a last word of encouragement. The sovereign God who has called you into His kingdom as a man, or woman, or child is faithful to complete the purposeful work He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6).

Follow Up Assignments
1. Memorize the Greatest Commandments and the Great Commission: (Matthew 22:37-40; Matthew 28:19-20)
2. Make a list of three things you'd like to accomplish in the next three years and why. Be ready to share your responses.

DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION

2008-02-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Disciple Makers Basic Training: Week 1

Q: What is a disciple and why should we make them?

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. We make them because Christ commands it.

INEFFECTIVE DISCIPLESHIP

According to Christian researcher, George Barna, most parents abdicate their responsibility to spiritually nurture their children (Barna 2000), a majority of youth abandon their faith when they leave home (Barna 2000), and most church discipleship activities are ineffective in producing disciples (Barna 2003). Ouch. Since I’ve criticized the consumer-driven church model in previous posts, I’ll cut straight to the chase. Radical reformation is in order. The modern evangelical church needs to prune the programmatic individualism and start cultivating DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION.

DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION

I believe that adequate reformation in discipleship will only occur when we return to Biblical orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxy (right practices). Here are some flash points.

God is sovereign and His Word is sure and sufficient

We must read obey the Scriptures pertaining to discipleship

We must return to the Biblical, home discipleship model of child training and youth preparation

We must relationally train followers of Christ to make disciples through systematic instruction

The marks of a disciple include bearing one’s cross (Luke 14:27), suffering as Christ suffered (1 Peter 2:21), loving the brethren (John 13:35), bearing much fruit (John 15:8), being chosen by God (John 15:16), making disciples ( Matthew 28:19-20), and expecting reward (Luke 18:29-30).

Disciples are known for their:

Faithfulness (commitment to the person and Word of Christ in obedience)

Fellowship (commitment to love and serve other believers)

Fruitfulness (commitment to do good works, share the gospel and make disciples)

To sum things up, DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION means Christians must be committed to the long term process of systematic, relational training. Churches must emphasize the equipping of parents to disciple their children for multigenerational faithfulness. Churches must train and equip followers of Christ to invest their lives in making disciple makers.

Follow Up Assignments:
Prepare to share your testimony of faith (When did you repent and believe?), including the event of your baptism.

Disciple Makers Basic Training - Overview

2008-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

The following questions and topics show the content of the Disciple Makers Basic Training Course. Subsequent posts will deal with each topic in greater detail. Remember that if you have questions, comments and suggestions you can contact me at pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com.

Week 1: What is a disciple and why should we make them?
Knowing What A Disciple Is And Does (understanding the marks and goals of a disciple of Jesus)

Week 2: What is my main purpose in life?
Knowing Your Purpose In Life (understanding God’s sovereignty, the chief end of man and one’s individual calling)

Week 3: Who has authority over me?
Honoring Authority (understanding God’s reign over family, church, and state)

Week 4: What good works am I to do?
Doing Good Works (renouncing adolescence; gaining wisdom in work, study, spiritual growth and productivity)

Week 5: What is in the Bible?
Knowing Your Bible (understanding the Bible’s contents and the basics of doctrine)

Week 6: How can I grow closer to God?
Establishing Devotional Habits (getting the most out of Bible study and prayer)

Week 7: How can I stay pure and focused?
Practicing Purity (gaining wisdom in an exploitive, materialistic, self-absorbed, sensual culture)

Week 8: How can I resolve conflict?
Being a Peace Maker (learning to listen, love, reconcile, deal with discipline, and bless others)
Week 9: How do I share the gospel?
Knowing and Sharing the Gospel (preparing and sharing a powerful testimony of faith)

Week 10: What is a Biblical Worldview?
Understanding Worldviews (examining religion and philosophy through the lens of orthodox Christianity)

Week 11: How can I help transform the culture around me?
Being An Ambassador (engaging the culture with an accurate and informed mind, an artful method and an attractive manner)

Week 12: What career and ministry should I pursue?
Your Kingdom Gifts (choosing a career for influence in family, church, marketplace and public square)

Week 13: How should I handle money?
Managing Money (understanding Biblical economics and private enterprise for family and Kingdom expansion)

Week 14: How should I prepare for marriage?
Looking For A Husband Or Wife (understanding marriage & Biblical roles, planning for marriage, family & ministry)

DISCIPLE MAKERS BASIC TRAINING - Introduction

2008-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

Coram Deo Church will begin its Disciple Makers Basic Training this Wednesday. For fourteen or so weeks we will gather as the “Called Out, Called Together, Called To Serve” Church to explore what it means to be a disciple maker. Each session will include a presentation of Biblically based content, a time of directed discussion and application, and some informal fellowship. Bring a Bible, a notebook, a writing utensil, and a desire to grow in faith, love and deeds. The sessions are family-integrated so I encourage whole families to attend.

Background
As I have researched discipleship programs I have concluded that modern individualism has radically influenced our concept of how disciples are made. Many discipleship programs seem to emphasize personal fulfillment rather than radical obedience to the commands of Scripture. This is no great surprise, since the recent church growth movement has drawn crowds into mega-facilities, but failed to make disciples of Jesus. The stunning admission by trend-setting Willow Creek Church, that their dynamic programming and small group emphasis did not produce self-feeding believers, should send a shock wave through the “seeker-sensitive” evangelical community.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-2, 8). I'd say it's time for some serious pruning.

The myth of separation between things sacred and things secular has become the default perspective of American culture, including many of those who call themselves born again believers. Most Christians send their children to secular schools and work at secular jobs. On Sundays they might spend a couple hours at church. That’s 2 out of 112 hours awake each week, or just under 2% of our time devoted to the things of God.

Some of us think we’re more committed to our walk of faith by listening to Christian radio. Some of us think we're evangelizing when we flash someone with a fish outline glued on the back of our car. Some of us think we're raising spiritual kids by dropping them off at a church youth group. Some of us join a small group and think we're rolling down the road of disipleship. In reality most of us do not really grow, or serve, or bear much fruit, says researcher George Barna. Mostly, we're content to be recipients of the spiritual work of others, rather than servants of Christ and His church, called to make disciples (Matthew 28:1-20).

The Challenge
God is sovereign over all of life. There is no secular realm beyond His authority. He owns all things and all people, and those He calls into His kingdom by faith, He calls to obedience and service as disciple-makers. Of course, in order to make disciples, one must first be a disciple. This means making a commitment to study the Bible, getting to know the person and teachings of Christ, then obeying everything He has commanded in His Word.

That’s where we’ll start in the Disciple Makers Basic Training. I look forward to breaking new ground with you in the service of our Lord. I will try to use this blog site as a way to keep online visitors up to date with our progress. Email me if you have any questions or comments.

In Christ,

Pastor John Sleadd
pastorjohnsleadd@gmail.com

Men's Ministry In The Church: Rise Up And Serve

2008-01-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

For many years I have had a passion and concern for the discipleship of men. Through my involvement in various men’s ministry activities, I have concluded that men are rarely discipled. Too often we mistake fellowship for discipleship. Perhaps this is why men can have a great time going to pep rallies and retreats, or playing golf and paint ball together, yet remain spiritually immature.

The idea of taking up one’s cross to follow Christ in radical obedience seems foreign to the average guy in church. Too often churches treat men like individuals who are in need of therapeutic, male bonding. Too often churches emphasize personal fulfillment for men, rather than duty and commitment. Where is the call for men to be faithful husbands, fathers and sons who are called as spiritual warriors, servant leaders, and ambassadors of God’s Kingdom in the culture?

Last week I had a conversation with a nationally acclaimed author of books on masculinity and men’s issues. He shared the opinion that men don’t like going to church because they are autonomous by nature, and chafe when sitting under the authority of an institution. While I think this is an astute observation, I do not think that men despise authority. I think that most men thrive under the right kind of authority. When men are expected to be passive spectators at a religious performance it is no surprise when they become disinterested and drift away. But when they are called into a glorious cause for which they have been created, I believe many men of God will rise up and serve.

Recently I watched a couple of DVDs featuring the leadership of Civil War Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. These men achieved amazing things in battle, and the soldiers under their command served with radical devotion. Although the cause for which they fought was tainted by the sinful institution of slavery, the character and legendary skill of these generals is an inspiring example of masculine leadership.

Men today need an urgent call, a noble cause, and a Godly leader. Our Heavenly Commander In Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ, calls men to serve under his authority. He calls disciples into obedient commitment, into self-denying sacrifice, into risk and adventure. A cosmic war rages between the dominion of darkness and God’s Kingdom of Light, while churches across America are content to park men in pews and lead them in what one wry pastor calls “prom songs to Jesus.” It’s not authority that makes them chafe and bail. It’s passivity. It’s feminized leadership that makes them prefer sitting at home watching sports contests on Sundays.

“We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and then bid the geldings to be fruitful.” - C.S. Lewis

Gentlemen, your God has summoned you to duty. Start at home. Keep your wedding vows, protect and serve your family. Train up your kids. It will cost you your life. The Lord has given His magnificent Word of Truth and He orders you to teach it to your children (Deuteronomy 6:7; Ephesians 6:4). Blessed is the man who fills his quiver full of them (Psalm 127).

Think twice before you drop your precious children off at a secular humanist institution where God's Word is forbidden, where the lordship of Christ is denied, where truth is relativized, and where immoral behavior is justified. This will shake up your lifestyle and it may cause you to adjust your standard of living downward. But better that a millstone be tied around the necks of those who cause the little ones who believe in Jesus to sin (Matthew 18:6). If you don't have children, then commit yourself to make disciples of young men who you call out of the world by the power of the Gospel.

Don't waste your life, gentelmen. Put aside the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of possessions. You are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before you, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

I pray that the Holy Spirit will call you once more into active duty. After all, your very life is not your own. You were bought with the price of Jesus’ atoning blood. Offer back, then, to your Lord the life that is rightfully His.

Rise up, O men of God
Be done with lesser things
With heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of Kings

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor John Sleadd

Women’s Ministry in the Local Church

2008-01-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

A Book Review by Pastor John Sleadd

I was asked a while back to review a book that a local church wanted to use to enhance its women's ministry. Here it is in the form of a letter to the authors.

Dear Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt,

I just read your book, Women’s Ministry in the Local Church. Thank you for challenging the egalitarian and feminist practices that have crept into many of our churches today. Thank you for affirming male headship and complementarianism in gender roles. And thank you for reminding women, particularly older women, to be spiritual mentors to the younger ladies. You make a strong case for promoting submission, compassion, community, and discipleship, all guided by Scripture. The material in your appendices for organizing women's Bible studies is strong on doctrine and organization.

As I read through your book, however, I got the feeling that you had missed something important. One of your foundational assertions is that women are “helpers” and “life givers, (pgs. 34, 35), yet not a single paragraph in your work addressed the role of women as wives and mothers in the home. This is curious since the major Scriptural proof texts you use for your assertion explicitly state homemaking as a primary ministry role.

“No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander” (1 Timothy 5:9-10, 14) [author's emphasis].

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:3-5 ) [author's emphasis].

Perhaps this oversight is due to your focus on the involvement of women solely in church programs, apart from home life. By omission, your book seems to imply that a woman’s helping role to her husband at home (in household management, business and ministry), and her mothering role to her children (including education), are not significant contributions to the local church. This is a serious mistake, I think.

While I appreciate your exhortations that women be involved in diaconal ministry in the church, I think you have neglected to remind them of their glorious calling to motherhood at home. God commands and blesses it in His dominion mandate to fill and subdue the earth. (Genesis 1:28) He seeks godly offspring (Malachi 2:15). He declares children as a gift and a reward. (Psalm 127:3) He declares that women are restored by childbearing. (1 Timothy 2:15) He commends diligent women who care for their children and their household (Provebs 31). A mother's instruction adorns the character of a child (Proverbs 1:8-9).

Church leaders should encourage women to rejoice in their roles of wives and mothers, and trainers of children. This does not prevent them from participating in great Bible studies, affinity groups, outreach projects, and church programs. It just helps them put the first things first. As they bring blessing to those around them in their homes, so shall they bring blessing to the gathering of the church, as well.

I admit that I have not read other books you have written. Perhaps you speak of such things in Susan’s book, Spiritual Mothering. Still, Women’s Ministry in the Local Church should itself include an emphasis on the crucial, primary service of women to fully employ their helping, life-giving gifts in their homes.

I recommend the book, So Much More, by Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin, for a good read on the ministry of young women in their calling to advance the kingdom of God.

Respectfully,

John Sleadd

The Gospel Is Good News

2008-01-09T22:26:00.000-08:00

Have you heard any good news lately? It seems like most of the news sources today report a daily stream of shootings, robberies, rapes, the latest terrorist attack, or the current, monstrous amount of the national debt. Talk about discouraging.

Or how about the latest celebrity drip gossip about who’s divorcing who, who’s wearing (or not wearing) what, and who’s in rehab.

I get the impression that mankind has a serious self-control problem. And it’s not just them out there: the criminals, the politicians, the celebrities. It’s all of us. And it’s me. I have a self-control problem. That’s why I want to share with you the gospel, the good news from the Bible to sinners.

It’s like this:

In the beginning, God made man in His own image and declared him good (Gen 1:31). But the first man, Adam, disobeyed God and brought sin into the world so that now all of mankind is sinful by nature.

The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God is all powerful, all knowing, holy, just and good, but no one seeks after Him. The Bible says that we, all like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). It says that we suppress the evidence of God and deny His authority over creation. We are subjects in His kingdom, yet we reject Him as king because we want to be in charge. We are law breakers and rebels (Romans 1:18-32).

The Bible also says that the consequences of this rebellion and unbelief is death and punishment (Romans 6:23). A just and holy God cannot tolerate sin. Hell is not a popular topic, but some people think that it’s a popular place because folks are just dying to go there :) However, hell is not a place to party with all the bad boys from the planet who prefer the devil over God. It’s a place of separation from all that is good. It’s a place of isolation and loneliness, of unquenchable fire and of eternal torment beyond mercy (Revelation 20:7-20).

But here’s the good news: The Bible says that God shows His great love for us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Jesus took the punishment we deserve. He came to save His people. Are you one of them?

The Bible says if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Christ is Lord, you will be saved (Romans 10:9) It says that no one comes to God the Father except through Jesus the Son (John 6:44), and that no one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws him by His Spirit (John 14:6). We are saved by grace, through faith, which is a gift from God, not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8).

Is God calling you to repent of your sin, and believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord? Think about that. Jesus saves sinners like you and me from hell. That’s good news.

Share The Gospel For Your New Year's Resolution

2008-01-07T23:34:00.000-08:00

New Year's resolutions are all the rage for the first few weeks of the new calendar. Freshly determined self-improvement practitioners pencil in their pledges to shed pounds, quit smoking, get a real job, or stop being a jerk. Fitness centers have booming business for the month of January. Donut sales dwindle for a week or so. This happens every year.

I recently went to a Christian concert and listened to a youth pastor talk about such things during intermission. He pointed out our tendency to make resolutions we can't keep and to dwell on things of the past. After some personal illustrations and a video clip from Napoleon Dynamite, he recommended that we choose Jesus and live for now. It was gospel-lite aimed at the "seeker" crowd.

Interestingly, the featured musician, presented a heftier message than the pastor. The singer mentioned the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and our desperate need for Christ to save us from the wrath we deserve. He pointed out that some of the churches he visits proclaim a gospel of success and self-improvement. Jesus is sometimes portrayed as the ticket to the good life, and he can clear up your acne to boot.

I am reminded of a popular TV pastor with a bright smile who encourages people to think positively and be all they can be. Why talk about sin, repentance and justification when we can find fulfillment by getting more in touch with our wonderful selves? Everybody's got an inner song and a voice like Josh Groban inside to sing it. We all just need to find it and let it out.

Folks are attracted to this stuff like moths to a porch light. Who needs a savior when God already loves you just as you are, and He has a wonderful plan for your life? Unfortunately, the Bible says that wide is the gate and easy is the way that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many (Matthew 7:13).

Perhaps 2008 is a good time for Christians to preach the gospel in full strength. It may offend some of the "seekers," and it may seem like a downer to the glibsters, but Christians are called to speak the truth in love.

When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone?

John

God Is No Santa Claus

2007-12-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

It’s the Christmas season and I have a confession to make. I used to believe in Santa Claus. My brother and two sisters did, too. Santa was way cool. He brought gifts.

That was when we were kids, decades ago. Yes, I know a guy named Saint Nicholas probably started the tradition of delivering presents mysteriously back when much of the world was Christian, but by the time I was a kid Santa was an icon in a fully developed consumer religion. We loved him.

My family practically worshipped Santa at our house in Ohio back in the sixties. We sang songs about him, drew pictures of him, and wrote what-I-want-for-Christmas wish lists to him. We lit candles made in his image (and watched his head melt). And we ate Santa cookies, making sure to nibble off his arms and legs first. We were told to be good because he was coming. He was the gift giver.

My brother, two years older, became a growing skeptic and decided Claus was a phony. He pointed out that Santa’s wrapping paper exactly matched the stuff Mom and Dad used. He also claimed that Santa couldn’t be in two different places at once. I had to think about that. In the month of December Santa seemed omnipresent. He could be standing on a nearby street corner ringing a Salvation Army bell, riding in a sleigh on a live television broadcast in another state, and sitting on a throne in the department store right in front of you, all at the same time. I suppose my tender young brain preferred denial to sound logic. After all, only one real Santa was needed, even if there were multiple imposters. He brought gifts.

Bing Crosby, the crooning baritone, seemed to think Santa was all-knowing. He sang about him like this.

He sees you when you’re sleeping.
He knows when you’re awake.
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.
You better watch out. You better not cry.
You better not pout. I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.
He’s making a list. He’s checking it twice.
He’s gonna find our who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.

My brother convinced me before I started shaving that Santa wasn’t really comin’ to town. It had been Mom and Dad stuffing presents under the tree all along. So I stopped believing. Maybe you should, too.

I don’t want to spoil the harmless delusions of children with holiday visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, but I do think we have an ongoing Santa problem in American culture. Some of us act like God is a cosmic Chris Cringle who always delivers presents even though he threatens not to. We imagine He lets everybody into his heaven, and that hell is simply the proverbial lump of coal that nobody really gets in their Christmas stocking. We think He’s too jolly to actually punish people. I often go out sharing the Gospel with strangers and many of them seem to regard God as a wrathless sugar daddy who hangs out in the great beyond, waiting to answer prayers like Santa in his toy shop at the North Pole. Is this true?

Here’s the bad news, first, from the Bible: All have sinned. (Romans 3:23a) The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) Sinners don’t go to heaven. (Corinthians 6:9) Yikes, it looks like everybody gets an F on their moral report card. No promotion. No admittance. We all get death and hell. Merry Christmas.

But heres’s the good news: The Bible says that every good gift comes from God (James 1:17) and that God will give us a new heart with His Spirit in it. (Ezekiel 36:26-27) God saves us by His free grace (Ephesians 2:4-9), and he gives such things as righteousness, sincerity, purity, humility, and wisdom to those who ask in faith. Even repentance is a gift from God. (see Acts 5: 31-32) I think we should ask for more of this good stuff. Forget the Harry and David fruit basket this year. Instead, go for the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:14)

God's greatest gift of all was giving himself in the person of Christ Jesus. God is no Santa in the sky who chooses to ignore our sins for the sake of holiday cheer. Far from it, He is just and holy, and reconciles us to Himself by paying for our sins through the shed blood and death of His Son. Our pardon was purchased at great cost to God, but it is free to us who believe. Isn’t that good news?

I have another confession to make. My own five children have never believed in Santa Claus. I chose not to repeat my parent’s gleeful deception about a jolly fat man with a long white beard, who squeezes down chimneys with a sack of toys each Christmas. We do, however, enjoy singing songs about somebody comin’ to town with good gifts. We look forward to Christ’s return and His righteous reign, wherein He will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34).

Are you ready? Better watch out.

A Toast To Wine and Wisdom

2007-12-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

To drink, or not to drink; that is the question. Is it nobler in the mind to partake of the fruit of the vine, or to shun its intoxicating flavors?

No Drinking Allowed
Last year the Southern Baptist Conference voted to condemn all alcohol consumption among its members and declare imbibers unfit for church leadership in the SBC denomination. I recently read SBC seminary president Paige Patterson’s support of the resolution online at (http://www.crosswalk.com/pastors/1406944/). While I admire the Godly work of the SBC, I wonder whether the baby has been thrown out with the bath water regarding wine.

If the Bible condemns the consumption of all alcohol, then believers are wise to not drink it. A hearty toast to abstinence, if this is the case. To do otherwise is sinful disobedience. But what are we to make of the Bible’s commendation of wine? Although Patterson fails to mention any positive statements for wine in his exegesis, they abound in Scripture. Are we to reject that which God has blessed?

Blessings and Curses of Wine
The Bible includes the advice of Paul to Timothy regarding the medicinal value of wine, as well as passages that depict wine as a desirable beverage.
“Spend the money for whatever you desire, oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household” (Deuteronomy 14 26 ).
“You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart” (Psalm 104:14-15).

On the other hand the Scriptures pull no punches in condemning drunkenness.
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whosoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).
“It is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes intoxicating drink” (Proverbs 31:4-5).

John the Baptist, who Jesus considered “the greatest born among men,” was a total abstainer. Perhaps we should all do likewise. A toast to abstinence. But then, the Lord himself made wine and drank it. How about a toast to wine? No toast to drunkenness, though. Neither John or Jesus got drunk. Incidentally, Jesus was falsely accused of being a drunkard (Luke 7:33-34), which is evidence that the wine he made and consumed at the wedding in Cana contained alcohol. How about a toast to moderation?

Abuse, Not Use, Condemned
It does not take a rocket scientist to see the connection between the consumption of wine and the intoxication that can result. It does require a bit of logic to not equate consumption with drunkenness, because wine can, in fact, be consumed without the consumer getting drunk. I successfully tested this hypothesis recently with guests and a lasagna dinner. We enjoyed God’s good gift and obeyed His command to not get drunk. I’m not sure the SBC would approve.

Martin Luther once quipped, “Do you suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused? Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women?”

Many of God’s good gifts to man are abused. The gift of food is abused by gluttons. The gift of rest is abused by sluggards. The gift of language is abused by liars and gossips. The gift of sex is abused by fornicators, adulterers and homosexuals. It’s no surprise, then that God's good gift of wine is abused by drunkards. And it is a sobering thought, indeed, to consider that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:10). The solution to abuse is not to ungratefully reject God’s good gifts, but rather to use them properly.

It is interesting to note that for some 1,800 years the church used wine during the Lord’s Supper. Proponents of the abstention position have tried to claim that communion wine was non-alcoholic grape juice. However, Paul’s rebuke of the Corinthians who got drunk during the Lord’s Supper makes no sense if the wine contained no alcohol (1 Corinthians 11:20-21).

Keith A. Mathison, points out in his book, Given For You, that the substitution of grape juice for wine had its origins, not in the study of Scripture, but can be traced to the nineteenth-century temperance movement. Mathison describes the movement as largely an expression of Christian liberalism and cultural feminism marshaled against the abuses of alcohol. It ultimately failed to transform the culture because it placed the responsibility of sin in an external object rather than in the human heart. The movement’s only lasting “success,” according to Mathison, is found in the churches that used its logic to replace the wine with grape juice in the Lord’s Supper.

Practical Merits of Abstinence
If abstinence was good for John the Baptist, then I reason it must be good for others as well. Let me count the benefits. First, abstaining from all alcohol keeps one a safe distance from drunkenness and all its attending sins. Since sobriety decreases in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed, drinking no alcohol ensures no drunkenness. Second, total abstention protects a weaker brother from falling into sin as a result of his exposure to alcohol through our free exercise to drink it. Paul writes that “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble” (Romans 14:21).

Be Filled With The Spirit
The Apostle Paul warned the saints in Ephesus, saying “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Dionysus worship, which was common in Ephesus, was notorious for its unrestrained orgiastic combination of wine, music, dance and sex. It sounds much like today's sex and drugs and rock n' roll idolatry. Drunken Dyonisiac worshippers equated their frenzied, ecstatic state with being filled with the spirit of Dionysus. Paul condemned this as counterfeit spirituality. In contrast, believers in Jesus are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will lead them in the righteousness of Christ through faith.

Part of Paul’s letter to the Galatian church is worth quoting at length here, since it so beautifully contrasts the works of the flesh with the works of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-26 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Freedom and Wisdom
As Christians are filled by the Spirit, it seems possible for us to drink wine in a way that glorifies God, and to thank Him for His good gift that gladdens the heart of man. The Holy Spirit’s gift of self-control enables believers to enjoy God’s gift of wine. By His power we exercise restraint, we avoid over-indulgence, and we avoid passing judgment on others for their use of God’s gifts (Romans 14:3).

To conclude, it seems there are really two options for Christians: no use, or moderate use. Abuse is not an option. One man abstains, like John the Baptist, and it is good. Another man drinks, like Jesus, and it is good. Both gave glory to God; neither got drunk. I think it would be wise for the SBC to modify its position and to forbid drunkenness instead of consumption. This would place it on rock solid Biblical ground and would restrict no one's legitimate Christian liberty. Ultimately, whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we are to do unto the Lord, giving thanks to the Father (Colossians 3:17). So abstain unto the Lord and drink unto the Lord.

I propose a final toast to wine and wisdom.

We Owe It To Our Children

2007-11-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

Today I submitted a letter to the editor in the Grants Pass Daily Courier. It's an experiment. Since local citizens openly opine and moralize on their favorite issues, I figured, why not me? Let the conversation with the culture begin.

We Owe It To Our Children

Family restoration is one of the most urgent needs of our day. As the family goes, so goes the nation. The home is the foundation of faith and virtue, and when the family crumbles, the entire structure of society is at risk. Today divorce and dysfunction are so common as to appear normal. Is it any wonder that a nation of broken vows and broken homes has produced so many broken contracts and broken laws and broken lives.

But here’s a note of optimism. It’s never too late for parents to turn their hearts toward home. A spark of conscience may yet ignite the hearts of fathers, and prompt them to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to their families. Men and women may yet devote themselves to honoring their God and their country through faithfulness in marriage and a commitment to train up virtuous sons and daughters.

The prophet Malachi declared God’s promise to “turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest [He] come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction” (Malachi 4:6). Clearly, God is serious about families; and fathers in particular.

Parents, let your marriage and your family be your most important earthly project. Men and women, let your faith in Christ be the uniting focus of your home. Moms and dads, let your career path, your finances, your leisure, every choice you make be consistent with your commitments to lead and guide your children into the next generation. You owe it to your kids. You owe it to your country. You owe it to your God.

Pastor John Sleadd
Coram Deo Church

Thanksgiving Tribute

2007-11-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

Three cheers for the English Pilgrims who founded the Plymouth Colony in America and celebrated their first harvest with a Thanksgiving Feast.

We know them as a group of English Separatists who broke from the corrupt, state church to form a “civil body politic” based upon steadfast Christian principles. Their efforts in self-government and private industry flourished, and the foundations of a new, freedom loving, Christian nation were laid. Independence from an oppressive English empire followed, as did the formation of a constitutional republic, based on the rule of law rather than the will of a human monarch. We celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in remembrance of God’s blessing upon these Pilgrims and this nation at the outset.

Benjamin Hart describes the Pilgrims in his book, Faith And Freedom: The Christian Roots of American Liberty.

A group of separatists, under the leadership of John Robinson, formed a house-church congregation in the home of Postmaster William Brewster in order to avoid arrest and execution. Many of Robinson’s followers were at one time, well-to-do Englishmen, with good educations from Cambridge University, and had bright futures ahead of them if they had merely conformed themselves to the English Church. Instead, they lost their homes and all their possessions to tax collectors, officers of the state, and unscrupulous shippers. They were unwelcome in their native country because they believed that the Bible, not the king of England, should be the final authority, not only on matters of faith, but in all areas of life. In their view, James came under the rule of Christ, Christ did not come under the rule of James. Their insistence on this one point caused them many personal hardships—but in the end would make possible the emergence of the freest, and most fervently Christian society in the history of man.

It is fitting that we give thanks to God for His hand of mercy and care upon those who established our nation. The flight of the Pilgrims from persecution in England and from moral corruption in Holland reminds us of the plight of Christians today. On the one hand the antagonistic, secular state seeks to marginalize sincere faith through its persistent campaign of multiculturalism and moral relativism in the public schools and legal institutions. On the other hand the American cutlure is awash in self-absorbed materialism. The Evangelical Church has all too often compromised the Gospel call of redemption in order to be “seeker friendly” and relevant. Rarely do we hear about taking up our cross these days.

Perhaps it is time to call the saints out of the culture again. The Bible warns us to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, and commands us to be separate from them (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). It states that those who accommodate the world system act as enemies toward God (James 4:4). It’s important to not equate separation from the world with isolationism, however. The Pilgrims certainly didn’t view things that way. Plymouth Plantation Governor William Bradford wrote,

Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone to many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; the glorious name of Jehova have all the praise.

Puritan Governor John Winthrop of Colonial Massachusetts wrote,

For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken...we shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God...We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us til we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.

I thank God for the work of the Pilgrims and the Puritans who labored before us to build a Christian nation founded upon the principles of freedom. They are part of the great cloud of witnesses who surround us and cheer us on in our walk of faith (Hebrews 12:1). I pray the legacy of freedom we received will be cherished and advanced until our Lord returns.

The Missional, Family-Integrated Church

2007-11-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

John Sleadd, November 5, 2007

What does it mean to be a missional, family-integrated church? It means that families are equipped as a team to live a Great Commission lifestyle. As families study the Bible, worship, pray and serve together, they are molded into ambassadors for Christ. Their homes become places of ministry for the Gospel.

Family-integration is not an end, it is a means. It is a method by which we further God’s kingdom through discipleship. A family-integrated church strives to teach sound doctrine to all ages inclusively in order to fulfill the Great Commission. This is wonderfully suited for training new believers and the un-churched as well. The establishment of household embassies, led by disciple-making fathers, creates a missionary network able to minister to people all over a community.

Family-integration is more than establishing a like-minded community of believers. Pastor Mark Driscoll, in his book, Confessions of a Reformission Rev, writes: “Without a clear definition of what a missional church community is and does, tragically, community will become the mission of the church. Consequently, the goal of the people will be to hang out together in love, like the family they never had. While this is not evil, it is also not sufficient. If taken too far, this can lead to the heresy of participatory redemption, in which the goal is to have authentic friendships and a loving community instead of repentance and personal faith in Jesus Christ as the means of salvation.”

Evangelism is the short term work of proclaiming the Gospel to all who will hear. Discipleship is the long term training of those who come to faith by hearing that Gospel. The beauty of a family-integrated model of discipleship is that it carries the work of ministry to the next generation.

Coram Deo is committed to uniting church and home, with a missional purpose, for the benefit of both. We believe God has strategically placed men in the crucial discipling role of leading their families and raising their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). When men recognize the missionary potential resident in their homes, a fuse is lit that leads to a powder keg of ministry, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail.

Coram Deo Church is calling men into the Lord’s service in obedience to the Great Commission. Our goal is to equip ambassadors. May God stir the hearts of men into the glorious service of expanding His kingdom.

Failing Forward In Church Planting

2007-11-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

When I was asked to take over as pastor of Coram Deo Church I was told to expect turnover in the congregation. It happened. It was painful. I decided to do some research on church planting and survivability to help me put things in perspective.

It appears that most new churches in America never make it to their third birthday. The ones that survive often end up with a different group of people from those who started it. I discovered some interesting advice online to help me, copied and pasted below.

(http://www.nextinitiative.net/)
Are You Called To The Extreme Sport of Ministry?
Start with a crowd, not a core group.
The larger the seeker crowd, the more potential impact of the Word of God.

(http://www.churchplanting.com/)
There are two inexcusable things people will not tolerate for more than two weeks – guaranteed. You need ...
1. a healthy and safe nursery (you knew that already)
2. a kick a%$ message at least 80% of the time.

(http://reformed.net/ncd/snapper.html)
The church planting reality is quite different from the rosy picture promised. The Church Growth Movement may not have done anything to change membership growth for most congregations.

(http://www.acts29network.org/article/church-planting-landmines)
Learning from failure is a key concept in life and successful church planting. When asked about his hundreds of failed attempts to invent the lightbulb before experiencing success, Thomas Edison simply said that he had discovered all the ways not to produce the lightbulb. Church planting is no different. It needs to be seen as a process of 'failing forward.'

On the one hand, it seems that Coram Deo needs a nursery, a celebrity speaker and a crowd to be successful. On the other hand, perhaps the church growth hype should be ignored. Maybe it’s best to stay true to our vision. So what exactly is the vision?

Coram Deo is called to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We delight in the things of God and in the fellowship of one another. We call ourself a family-integrated, disciple-making church. Our passion is to release the power of the God’s Word and Spirit in the heart and home of every Christian. Our goal is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry. We regard our homes as multigenerational embassies of discipleship, hospitality and ministry where the Gospel is lived out. We believe Christian fathers are an undertapped spiritual resource for the advancement of the Lord’s kingdom. We believe the faith that flourishes at home has the power to transform and restore the culture.

Such a vision is counter to the latest church growth marketing strategies. It may seem like a recipe for slow growth or failure. But I am optimistic. Revival may be on the way. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6). I invite you to join me as we “fail forward” together.

Sincerely,

Pastor John

Called Home To Make Disciples

2007-10-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

John Sleadd, October 2007

When my parents called me home as a boy it was often not good news. It meant my time to play had expired. Or maybe I was in trouble. It meant goodbye friends, farewell fun and games. It meant hello chores, hello accountability. On the other hand it could mean that supper was ready, which was always of interest to me. Home was generally a place to go because you had to eat and sleep and bathe and do necessary work. Home was where you went when everything else was closed. But the real action was elsewhere, so I believed.

When I was a grown man I called my own children home. It wasn’t just for chores, or dinner. I called them home out of the culture. Naomi was in high school, Nathan and Aaron were in middle school, Alexa was in elementary school and Caleb was being homeschooled. I decided that although the older four were getting good grades, they got along well with their classmates, and they were bragged about by their teachers, I needed them to come home so that I could train them.

Arden and I had started off teaching our children at home. Since we were both public school teachers, and we knew the inside of the government educational system, we were convinced that it would better for them to receive faith-based, individualized instruction at home instead of age-segregated classroom instruction. Arden quit her job to stay home and things went well for a number of years. As each child reached ten years of age, we enrolled them for a year in the public school where I taught so that they could have me, Mr. Sleadd, as their fifth grade teacher.
Then Arden’s health took a dive because of a mysterious illness called fibromyalgia. The disease laid her up for long periods with wracking pain and fatigue. Her erratic condition often left her so debilitated that she needed help with even simple tasks like getting dressed, eating and taking care of herself. She became physically spent, emotionally depressed and unable to teach the children. I decided to enroll them full time in the local public schools.

I figured we’d make the most of the situation and allow the kids to bloom where they were transplanted. Wanting to be a good dad, I indulged them in school sports, private music lessons, church youth groups, and visits with friends. Since Arden was unable to drive, I handled all the taxi responsibilities. At times I covered the shopping and cooking, too, with the kids pitching in when possible. You can imagine what our home life was like trying to keep up with swim team, football, wrestling, soccer, gymnastics, track, piano, violin and trumpet lessons; games, meets, concerts, recitals, parades, parent conferences and school functions—for three different school schedules.

Add to this our weekly church experience where each child was encouraged to attend age-segregated youth activities. Top it all off with invitations to parties and outings with friends, and you’ve got a recipe for family frazzle. I felt like I was herding rabbits. We were in a rat race and the rats were winning. We were fast becoming relational strangers, sharing the same roof and last name. There was no time for discipleship. The public school curriculum was thoroughly secular. The church youth activities were shallow and entertainment oriented. I was witnessing the hearts and minds of my children being drawn steadily to a peer culture and away from the things of family.

I started to recognize a huge discrepancy between the picture of Biblical fatherhood and how I was raising my kids. Certain verses in the Bible began to impress and convict me. The implications of the following Scripture passages hit me like a ton of bricks.

Genesis 18:19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Malachi 2:15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

Ephesians 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Imagine spending so much time in a house of distorted mirrors that you don’t recognize a true reflection when you see it. I found myself in such a place. My mind told me there was something wrong with this picture and it dawned on me that I was permitting others to train my children. I was not diligently teaching my children God’s Word, and I was allowing them to be surrounded with foolish companions, most of whom had no respect for a Biblical worldview. I realized that sending my children to Caesar’s schools was designed to bring Roman values into my home. Furthermore, our frantic family schedule was evidence that we had been stretched and distorted into the mold of the world. Our commitments to sports, academics and achievement crowded out time for reading God’s Word and for worshipping as a family. I wanted out of the house of mirrors.

I began to study my children closely, looking for spiritual fruit, and paying attention to their attitudes. I asked them a lot of questions about the things that were important to them. I looked for evidence of gratitude, contentment, a love of Scripture, a heart for service, and a preference for family. Finding these things lacking, I prayed for wisdom and decided that a radical change was in order.

Called Home At Christmas
I called my children home during Christmas vacation of 2002. I shared my observations in a family meeting, and confessed that I had dropped the ball in discipleship. I said that I felt God’s Word compelled me to train them properly, from here on, which I could not accomplish with them remaining in secular schools. I confessed that I had left the burden of child training to their mother when she was ill. I asked Arden to forgive me. She did. I apologized to my children for not being more involved in their discipleship and asked them to forgive me. They did. I told them that I would now fully bear the responsibility for their education and that I would need their support and patience in working out the bugs. I told them they would finish their current school year, and be homeschooled thereafter.

My children sat in shock, at the announcement, weighing their losses (friends, sports, etc.). But they understood. They will tell you now that they saw God at work in their dad, breaking me and directing me. I’m sure they also reasoned that I had the rest of the school year to change my mind, so why worry about it.

Having made the decision, I had episodes of doubt. On several occasions I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night wondering if I had lost my mind. “God, what are you doing to me?” I asked. “Can I really do this?” Certain of my inadequacy, I found comfort by reading the Bible and praying. Eventually I settled into the mindset that anything God calls me to do, He would supply the ability to complete. I began to look at is as a glorious adventure. How could five kids get a good education at home with a sick mom and a dad who left for his full time job each morning? If it didn’t work out, I figured I could always put them back in school and I’d be wiser for the trying.

Arden and I began to examine our schedule and lifestyle carefully to see what could be trimmed. We prioritized devotional time together over individual time apart. We used our reclaimed time at home to be together to play games and invite other families to visit. We found it easier to fellowship with entire families rather than invite one child to come play with one of our children. We cut most of the sports and maintained most of the music. We cut youth groups. We cut sleepovers. For academics we chose some self-paced curriculum the older children could use to teach themselves. With plenty of modifications and flexibility we found we could focus on godly character development and achieve good scholastic results. I woke my children up early enough to have Bible study each morning before I left for work at 7:15am. Some of them even stayed awake while we did it.

We started singing together as a family and learned to harmonize in four parts. I determined that music would be one of the glues that would bond us together as a family. I bought a drum set, a bass guitar and a keyboard and we formed a family band, calling ourselves Homemade Jam. We started playing jazz, blues and contemporary praise music, which was great fun for me since I had played in dance bands while in college and enjoyed it. We played music in churches, parks, and nursing homes. We played twice at the Medford Jazz festival. My two daughters and I sang a harmonized arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner for the state legislature in Salem one year, and the whole family recorded our first a cappella Christmas CD in 2005.

We found that we had more time to read the Bible and great literature together, and to grow closer in conversation. Arden and I embraced a new vision of parenting that included preparing our children for marriage and for raising their own families in the future. We began to question the practice of superficial dating and became interested in models of biblical courtship.

Called To Build A Covered Bridge Ministry
The ton of bricks that had clobbered me, namely Scripture, became the foundation of a radical, missional mindset. I began to see God’s purpose for fathers more clearly. The clarity of the Lord’s call to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut. 6:5), to love our neighbor selflessly (Matt. 22:39), and to make disciples, teaching them all that God has commanded (Matt. 28:20), had amazing ministry implications for dads like me. If a father’s closest neighbors are his wife and children, then it stands to reason that they are his primary mission field. T his missionary work is so important that a man’s ability to manage his family in godliness is a prerequisite for eldership in the church. “He must mange his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Tim 3:4,5)

This understanding brought Biblical purpose into our home. God blessed us with unity and contentment, and soon we felt called to help others find their way out of the cultural house of mirrors. Thus was created Covered Bridge Family Ministries, the bridge representing the father’s protective covering over his household as children are directed over the span of time and circumstances into the next generation. We believe healthy families are beacons of hope in our troubled society, and that Christian households can be effective embassies of ministry for the living gospel of Christ.

For over four years now we have enjoyed promoting father leadership, family-integrated worship and home education. We have sponsored barn dances, variety shows, academic events, family building seminars, and a competitive speech club for homeschool students. To visit out our ministry web page go to http://www.coveredbridgefm.org/. In calling our children out of the secular culture, we felt that it was wise to provide healthy social events and activities to spur them on in their walk of faith. At our very first barn dance our oldest daughter met a young man, who two and a half years later would ask us to court her for marriage. Today they are happily married and are the delighted parents of a cheerful little baby boy.

Called To Transplant
Little did I know what lay ahead. I soon discovered that my newfound perspective on family ministry and father leadership was not widely shared. My own church, where I helped lead musical worship, taught parenting classes, and served as an elder, viewed family ministry as just another program on the ministry menu. While our large church had paid staff dealing with nursery, preschool, elementary Sunday School, junior high, high school, singles, and seniors, no one ministered to families as a unit. Parents were welcome to attend the weekly children’s drama, and to volunteer to work in classes, but no efforts were made throughout the church to unite families in teaching on Sundays. A perusal of the church’s web site, its ministry brochures, and its activities newsletters routinely gave evidence that youth were minstered to apart from their parents. Families did not generally sit together during services, but instead the youth sat together with their peers in one section of the auditorium while their parents sat in another section. I pointed out to the other elders how our regular practices were routinely fragmenting families. On any given Sunday it was typical for children to be dropped off at age-graded Sunday School classes and youth groups while their parents visited an adult class for the first hour. Then, during the second hour, the kids might go to Children’s Church while their parents attended the service. It was therefore possible that the only common experience a family might share Sunday morning at our church was the car ride to and from the building. The fact that my five children sat with me during the service made us feel like a conspicuous island in a sea of segregation. The house of mirrors was inside the church and we appeared to be the ones who were distorted.

I don’t want to unfairly portray my church as being against family unity. We had simply settled into routines and staffing decisions that promoted programs which tended to produce the results of family fragmentation. To be fair, the elders and staff all agreed that family restoration was a serious need. One elder initiated a three day family camp that became a yearly event, which was a wonderful approach to cultivating unity. Several families, mine among them, established age-integrated home groups, which were a blessing to participants. By and large, however, the vision for family restoration did not gain footing among the church staff as a significant priority. My recommendations for the youth minister to equip fathers to be youth ministers in their homes were unwelcome. I determined that my passion for strengthening families could best be explored apart from the ministry model of this church.

After a season of church visits, which I considered fascinating religious field trips for my children, I felt more than ever the need for family-integrated worship in our community. At one particular church my family was actually prohibited from sitting together in the main auditorium, because one of my children, under age ten was required to be in a Sunday School class. To worship together we were forced to watch the service in a remote room on a monitor. Almost unbelievable.

After many months of enjoying our visits at a variety of churches, and concluding that reformation in church practice was needed, we eventually committed to attending Coram Deo, a new, family-integrated church plant in Grants Pass. In time I accepted the position of worship leader which allowed my whole family to minister musically in the congregation. Each Sunday Pastor Dale Meador would preach at Bear Creek Church in Medford, and then drive twenty miles to Grants Pass to preach at Coram Deo. In January of 2007 Dale determined that Coram Deo needed a local pastor, and he asked me to consider stepping into that role. Initially I declined with a string of excuses about my inadequacy, but his persistence, and that of the other elders, led me to view his request as another of God’s promptings.

Called Home To Pastor
I took an unpaid year’s leave of absence from teaching to explore the Lord’s leading in shepherding a congregation. It was familiar territory to find myself awake in the middle of the night wondering, “God, what are you doing to me?” followed by a sense of peace and even adventure.

What a blessing it is be with my family now in the mornings. I generally rise early for private study, then awake them for Bible study before breakfast. I also enjoy instructing my children in Providential history as part of our homeschool curriculum. My family, in turn, helps me to be a pastor by helping out with worship and producing the church bulletin. I have been meeting weekly with the Bear Creek elders since January as part of my pastor preparation program. We read and discuss books together on theology, church history, preaching, and more. I am trusting the Lord to build Coram Deo into a useful family-integrated body of believers who will rejoice in their calling to grow in God’s Word and to disciple their children.

What exactly is a family-integrated church? It is a church that avoids systematic age segregation because we believe God’s Word calls parents to train their own children. It stresses that a pastor must be faithful to shepherd his own family while he serves the congregation. It assumes that Biblical mentoring implies older men and women should be with the younger members to serve as examples among them. At Coram Deo we emphasize a Biblical view of marriage and family, the importance of family worship and discipleship, the benefits of Christian education, and the need for a plurality of Biblically qualified leaders. We take seriously our charge to equip the saints for ministry, and to encourage fathers to diligently train their children. Our desire is to faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to help our members make God's Word the centerpiece of their homes.

God turned my heart toward my family. Perhaps He’s calling you, too. He might not ask you to be the pastor of a church, but I believe He calls all fathers to serve as pastors in their homes.

Sincerely,
John Sleadd

Multigenerational Faith

2007-10-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know that faith can grow cold and vanish in a single generation? Christian parents have an obligation to train up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Why? Because the Lord desires godly offspring (Mal 2:15). I tell my own five children that God holds me accountable for training them with a Biblical worldview so that they, in turn, might raise their own future children in godliness. When we view our parental responsibilities as a long term investment in more than a single generation of Christians, we are more likely to resist the trends of the unbelieving culture which lure us into materialistic, autonomous individualism. With Christ as the author and perfecter of our faith, we can look beyond our own lifetimes and launch our children into the next generation.

Below I have included a set of beliefs which contribute to a multigenerational view of faith, followed by some key issues in our culture needing reformation. Finally, a few passages of scripture are listed which speak to the transfer of faith over time through the bearing and training of children.

* Beliefs Contributing to Multi-generational Faith
* Acceptance of Christ as Savior who redeems sinners by grace
* Acceptance of the sufficiency of Scripture and a biblical worldview in all areas of life, including faith and family.
* Acceptance of the father headship in the home for spiritual nurture

* Acceptance of parental responsibility to disciple one's children to replicate faith in their own future families
* Acceptance of age-integrated worship practices as guiding youth to become wise by walking with the wise
* Acceptance of the importance of the church in its role of equipping parents in Godliness
* Rejection of unbiblical models of child training, education and church practices which cultivate peer dependence and autonomous individualism

Key Areas for Transformation

1. Marriage & Children - The promiscuous, serial-dating, no fault divorce culture has become a major impediment to the transfer of multi-generational faith among believers. Christians now divorce more often than non-Christians. What is needed is a return to the biblical principles of purity before marriage and careful preparation under the loving protection and guidance of one's parents before being wed. We call it courtship. In its simplest form it is an agreement between children and their parents to work together, for God's glory, in the decision-making process to select a suitable marriage partner. We have included a helpful link to articles on courtship.

God's purpose for marriage includes the potential for having godly children (again, Malachi 2:15). While it is not my place to judge the size of any man's family, I will say that many Christian couples need to trust God more with their family planning rather than conforming to the two-child culture.

2. Education - The Bible is clear in its call for parents to train their own children. Whether this is done full-time at home, or in conjunction with sending one's child to an institutional school, Christian parents should maximize their ability to instruct their children in godly beliefs and behaviors (Ephesians 6:4).

Unfortunately, the majority of Christian parents in America today have turned the academic instruction of their children over to the secular government schools. In an attempt to achieve religious and multicultural egalitarianism, these institutions have become increasingly hostile to Christian beliefs. The Nehemiah Institute has discovered that a majority of Christian children (75%) attending public schools have accepted a secular humanist worldview. Furthermore, according to the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life's report to the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, 88% of the children raised in evangelical homes, a majority of whom are educated in public schools, leave church at the age of 18, never to return.

In sharp contrast, The National Home Education Research Institute, found that 94% of home school graduates retained the religious beliefs of their parents. While these data are not strictly parallel in focus, they do effectively show the dramatic difference between the fruit of a secular education versus Christ-centered instruction from one's own parents. Parents whose children are enrolled in Christian private schools should also make it a priority to disciple their own children to the greatest degree possible. Simply put, God did not intend for young children to be trained by institutions. He placed them with parents in families. Let's be careful that what we justify as a delegation of responsibility to others does not become an abdication of our duties to raise our children.

3. Family Worship - The need for fathers to exercise spiritual leadership in their homes is crucial for the transmission of multi-generational faith. Too often, parents assume that the spiritual training of their children is adequately covered by Sunday School classes or youth programs. Again, God does not mandate the training of children by an institution. Fathers would we wise to turn their hearts to their children, to establish regular habits of personal devotions, and then to lead their families in worship, prayer and Bible reading. In the Sleadd family we have made it our habit to have family worship each day before breakfast and after dinner.

4. Corporate Worship - The American Christian church has become increasingly program-based and consumer-oriented. Christians would be wise to return to the age-integrated practices of the early church where households functioned as embassies of the Lord and where congregational gatherings included families worshipping together. Coram Deo Church in Grants Pass is a family-integrated, disicple-making church that supports the Godly work of parents to train up their children in the faith.

Build The Church

2007-10-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

It was back in August. I was in Medford with the Bear Creek Church elders for my weekly studies to become a pastor. We were sitting in Grilla Bites Café discussing the future of Coram Deo Church, and my new responsibilities as part of the staff. When I asked what I should be focusing on, Pastor Dale put a pen to a paper napkin and printed, “build the church.”

That’s my goal in teaching from Paul’s Epistle To The Ephesians. I've chosen to highlight three major themes of emphasis to help us understand God's will for His church in the first century and today.

The Church Called Out (Redeemed & Adopted)
The saints have been chosen before the foundation of the world and predestined for adoption through Christ into God's kingdom (Eph 1:4-5). Our effectual calling delivers us from spiritual death and God's wrath, from the futility of the course of this world, and from the power of Satan (Eph 2:1-5). We are saved by grace alone (Eph 2:8-9) in order to glorify God through good works, which are the fruit of faith (Eph 2:10).

The Church Called Together (United & Equipped)
In Christ, the saints are reconciled to God and are joined together as the holy temple and dwelling place of God's Spirit (Eph 2:22). Christ has given leaders to the church to equip the saints for the work of ministry and attain unity (Eph 4:12-13).

The Church Called To Serve (Sanctified, Strengthened & Prepared for Active Duty)
The saints are called to walk in newness of life (Eph 4:24), building one another up (Eph 4:29), making the best use of our time (Eph 5:16), and rejoicing with one another in submission and reverence (Eph 5:19-21). We are to honor and serve God in obedience through husbands loving their wives, wives respecting their husbands, children obeying their parents, and fathers training their children in godliness (Eph 5:22-6:4). We are to engage in spiritual warfare by putting on the full armor of God, by standing firm in our faith, and by praying at all times (Eph 6:13-18).

I pray that as we explore Paul’s glorious letter to the saints in Ephesus, we will sense the hand of God knitting us together and building us up as the Body of Christ, His Church. We are indeed His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Eph 2:10).

May we grow strong in love and deeds.

Come To Church

2007-10-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

By John Sleadd, August 30, 2007

Dinner’s Ready
“Come and eat!” This command rings out regularly in the Sleadd house at dinnertime. My children (5 total, 4 remaining at home) have rotating chef duties and they call the rest of us to the table when the food is ready. Sometimes it’s hard to get everyone gathered together. We are scattered throughout the house, or around our acre of property engaged in various projects. Someone’s in the studio practicing a musical instrument. Someone’s in the back yard catching frogs. Someone’s on the computer composing a blog post. Someone’s on the couch with an exciting book.

“Come and eat!” is repeated, a little louder. The supper chef wonders why no one is coming (One of the reasons we rotate this duty is to give each child the responsibility and experience of serving). “Hey, the food is getting, cold,” we are warned. Eventually, we all get washed up, sit down, give thanks, and begin our meal. We enjoy conversation and companionship as our stomachs are filled.

Church is often like this. A pastor prepares a meal of God’s Word to nourish his congregation. Any number of projects and activities distract us, but we lay them aside to gather together on Sunday morning as the Lord’s people. Or should.

A Commitment Problem
For over a year I have enjoyed leading worship at Coram Deo Church. It has been a pleasure to welcome the congregation into corporate celebration to sing and pray and enjoy warm fellowship. Now, in my new role as teaching elder, I have the immense pleasure of studying and preparing to nourish the Body of Christ with His Word. Sometimes I wonder why folks who attend our church do not “come and eat” each week. Some of them drop in from time to time as if the church is a restaurant and they are customers. Perhaps this is because they don’t understand the importance of being together regularly. I’d like to review the basic purposes of the church and why believers should commit to showing up every Sunday.

1. The church ministers to God through praise and worship. Christ is the head of the church. We are the body. A healthy church is committed to honoring God through unified worship under Christ. “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” (Psalm 22:22) “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)

2. The church ministers to believers through nurture and discipleship. The body of Christ is comprised of many members, each important in the function of the whole. “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Roman 12:10-13) “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

3. The church ministers to the world through evangelism and mercy. Christ has given all believers a testimony of faith, which we are to share freely. We are called to be light bearers in a dark world, commending salvation in Christ alone, and the sufficiency of God’s Word, the Bible. “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) “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:35-36)

I recognize that many of the passages I’ve cited above can be interpreted within the context of a home fellowship. Researcher George Barna has documented the popularity of the house church movement, into which many people have retreated from institutional church models for various reasons. The second chapter of the Book of Acts sets a clear biblical precedent for believers to meet in their homes, but it also includes regular attendance at the temple. “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)

Honoring Community
It’s true that members of a family could eat dinner in their own rooms to fill their stomachs. But think about the other elements of a good meal that would be missing. When we talk to each other about how good the food is, it actually tastes better. When we praise the chef for preparing it, we celebrate excellence in cooking (and the cook feels appreciated). When we converse and laugh and practice good manners together (still working on that in the Sleadd house) we get full hearts as well as full stomachs. When we read from the Bible, or from other uplifting material, together, we are inspired to think and to grow and to serve in unity, to become more like Christ.

An Earnest Plea
Dear people of God, do you honor your brothers and sisters in the faith by being with them? Or are you dating the church? Do you realize your potential to be a blessing to others in the congregation? Or do you imagine that going to church is only about satisfying your own needs, and not about serving others? I pray that the Lord would ignite a fire under your soul that prompts you to walk in deeper faith, which means humble commitment. I pray that you would delight in the fellowship of the saints, and make it your habit to build up your local church. Find one and settle there long enough to become united in spirit. It begins with showing up regularly, and on time. It grows with love and good deeds.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

A Jingle On The Basics Of Christian Living

2007-10-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

By John Sleadd, August 2007

I love simple explanations. I wondered what to say if a new believer asked me what he should do to grow in faith. I racked my brain for the shortest possible list, and came up with four basic habits. Next I put the list to a melody and created a jingle to help sear the message into the listener’s memory banks. Since I often lead worship at church, I taught the song to our congregation back in August. They smiled like they were preschoolers at a vacation Bible School camp. Here are the lyrics.

Read and pray and serve and make disciples.
Love the Lord your God and read the Bible.
Pray each day for strength to love your neighbor as yourself
O read and pray and serve and make disciples

Do it with love and thanksgiving
And faithfulness, and a heart of praise
Glorify our Savior, Jesus
Spread the Gospel into every place
(In your home, in your city, in your nation, in the world)

Read and pray and serve and make disciples.
Love the Lord your God and read the Bible.
Pray each day for strength to love your neighbor as yourself
O read and pray and serve and make disciples

My jingle approach must have worked. After church my ten year old son informed me that the jingle had been “over the edge, Dad.” The sing-song-y melody had stuck in his mind like an annoying burr in the sock. I caught him hating it later, too, by humming it around the house. Sweet success.

Now let’s test the substance of my lyrics.

Read - The Holy Scriptures are the inerrant, sufficient Word of God, sharper than a two-edged sword, useful for every good work. We cannot know God or His righteous commands apart from His Word.We should delight in reading the Bible. Sola Scriptura.

Pray - God both commands and invites us to pray. I view prayer as a conduit of conversation with and to God. When we speak back to Him words from Scripture with pure motives, our prayers become powerful and effective because we are conforming our thoughts to His revealed will. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer.

Serve – Jesus was obedient unto death in the service of His Father. Just as He washed his disciples feet and offered himself on a cross to atone for our sins, we are to have a heart of service.Children are to serve their parents by obeying and honoring them. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, which includes caring for their needs and serving them.

Make Disciples – The Great Commission calls us to go and make disciples, teaching them all that the Lord commanded.

What exactly has the Lord commanded? To find out I recommend that Christians start by reading the Scriptures and then pray about it. Jesus summed it up like this: Love God utterly and completely. Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). The Scriptures also tell us to practice confession, repentance, belief, trust, humility, submission, patience, and gentleness. We are to be ambassadors of faith bearing witness to God’s grace. The call to serve and make disciples becomes clear. Especially if you sing it. May God bless and sanctify you as you ...

Read and pray and serve and make disciples.
Love the Lord your God and read the Bible.
Pray each day for strength to love your neighbor as yourself
O read and pray and serve and make disciples

Introducing Pastor John Sleadd

2007-10-08T16:18:00.001-07:00

Help. I've been turned into a pastor. It was around January of 2007 that my pastor, Dale Meador, challenged me to consider stepping into full time ministry. He was pastoring two churches at the time, one in Medford where he lives (Bear Creek Church), and one in Grants Pass where I live (Coram Deo Church). I guess he figured it was time for the church to have a local pastor, so he asked me to step into leadership. Gulp. At first I was terrified by the prospect. Then, after much prayer, wise counsel from friends (I hope), and encouragement from the church elders, I overcame my fears. Kind of. Actually the excitement slowly edged out the reservations. I agreed.

For the last twenty years I have been a school teacher in grades 5, 6 and 8. I have taught in Anchorage Alaska, Stockton, California, and Grants Pass, Oregon. Most recently I was a fifth grade teacher at Redwood Elementary School in Grants Pass. In my spare time I've enjoyed helping out in various churches as worship leader, adult Sunday School teacher, seminar and retreat speaker, men’s discipleship leader, family home group leader, and church elder. Four years ago I founded Covered Bridge Family Ministries (http://www.coveredbridgefm.org/) to support Christian families who are committed to home discipleship. Out of this ministry grew the Clarion Forensics Speech and Debate Club in which I have served as director and speech coach. It has been absolutely delightful to work with families in the training of young disciples for the Lord. I’m taking a leave of absence from teaching school to help build up Coram Deo Church.

Two things in life have blessed me more than anything else: Jesus and family. I am amazed at God’s mercy and grace to save a sinner such as I, and then to bless me with such a wonderful wife, children and friends in the faith. Arden and I have enjoyed the power of God’s Word and Holy Spirit in our home, directing our family life and fueling our desire to minister to others. Arden and I have been happily married for 23 years now. We have five children: Naomi (20), Nathan (18), Aaron (16), Alexa (14), and Caleb (10). Thanks to Naomi and her husband, Nathanael (24), we are the proud grandparents of Boone (3 mos.).

While I have enjoyed being involved in church work for many years, I confess my inadequacy for my new role of being a pastor. I am humbled by the awesome privilege and responsibility of helping shepherd the Lord’s people at Coram Deo Church, and I will rely on God's strength to help me in my weakness. I am grateful to Pastor Dale and the elders for their commitment to mentor and disciple me. We have been meeting weekly since January for ongoing pastoral studies and training.

My daughter, Alexa, informed me that pastors these days need to blog in order to be relevant. It’s her fault you’re reading this right now. I’m not quite sure where I’ll go with it, but I’m hoping it will be an authentic account of a regular guy’s ministry journey. I’ll try to articulate vision and direction. I’ll try to admit struggles and mistakes along the way. Maybe it will encourage others to take risks as well. I’ll try to be serious about the things of God, but not take myself too seriously. Please pray for me. It will help things progress a lot more smoothly.

I’ll end with a favorite John Piper quote from Future Grace: “Ministry is a lifestyle devoted to advancing other people’s faith and holiness.”