The Simple Truth

A Lot Can Hide Behind a Smile

Check out this poem my son, Drew, wrote for school. I was blown away when I read of it. Proud dad moment...

“A Lot Can Hide Behind a Smile”

What everyone sees is only just part

We cannot see what hides in your heart

Broken dreams and long-past success,

Unorganized thoughts and memories in a mess.

Love of people you’ll never meet,

Hating people you’ll never beat

Images of warmth and joy,

Pictures of Death’s great ploy.

Feelings of blissful togetherness,

People you love who could care for you less.

Hurt and pain, unending sorrow,

Things you dread to happen tomorrow.

Birthdays to come and birthdays that passed,

Gifts you know will never last.

The list goes on and on for miles;

A lot can hide behind a smile.

 

How Do I Study a Bible Passage

I'm a proud owner of the Lord of the Rings DVD collection. My favorite part of the collection is watching the "Making of..." extra features on the DVDs.  They go through the details of how the movie is made. It's fascinating to watch!  Thousands of hours poured into the making of a 2-3 hour movie.

This Sunday I'm going to give you a behind the scenes look at how to study the Bible (a live "Making of..." session on how to study a Bible passage). If you've ever wondered how to dig into a passage of the Bible and get something out of it you don't want to miss this Sunday's service.

See you there 10am in the Playhouse at Westminster Choir College.

What Does Revival Look Like?

One of our ALL IN prayer requests for PBC in 2012 is that God would bring revival into our midst. But what does that look like? How will we know when we're experiencing it? Will it be like Acts 2 with the Spirit descending upon us like a mighty rushing wind and people speaking in unknown tongues? Will it involve thousands of people coming to faith at a single service? OR how about miraculous signs and wonders happening all around us? While those things would certainly be exciting and I would love it if God would move in this way at PBC, it's more likely that revival will happen when individual sparks are fanned into a raging fire which cannot be contained. These sparks happen as people make God honoring decisions that push them ever closer to their Lord and Savior.  Let me share some of the sparks that are igniting all around PBC (the names, genders, details have been intentionally excluded to protect the innocent :))

Revival looks like...

• People committing to read the Bible from cover to cover for the very first time.
• The shackles of addictive sin being broken after a 20+ year battle.
• People wrestling with passages of scripture that have bothered them for years.
• Families rearranging their budget so that they can give sacrificially.
• Someone anonymously paying to have repairs done to the church truck.
• Small groups doubling in attendance during 40DITW.
• A person committing to follow Jesus in the midst of marital struggles.
• A person praying for their spouse and seeing them finally come to church after years away.
• A group of people faithfully meeting at 5:30am to pray for the church and each other.
• A young person, who had wondered away from God during their college years, now finding a renewed excitement about God and His word.
• A person hardened by the hypocrisy of certain Christians feeling their heart softened once again to their Savior.
• A revived spirit of prayer that continues to grow with each passing day.
• A person emerging from a prolonged state of depression and discovering a renewed commitment to Christ.
• A married couple reading God's word and praying together every day.
• A group of guys helping a fellow brother move.
• A person praising God in the midst of being diagnosed with cancer. Glorifying Him because it was caught early.
• A group of people who minister to a family during a time of sickness.
• Someone giving a substantial financial gift to help another family in the church.
• A person at the end of their emotional rope being lifted up in prayer by friends and finding the peace that passes all understanding.
• People finding courage and strength to face obstacles they thought to be insurmountable.
• People using their extraordinary giftedness to serve the Lord in unique ways. 

Just to mention a few. 

So, now what?! Ask God to get out his revival fan and fan the sparks of revival until they become an unquenchable flame that engulfs every person at PBC.

Have you got a "spark" of revival story? Share it with anyone who will listen. Spred the good news of what God is doing in your life.

It Has to Get Personal

Here's an interesting article about outreaching to the community. Even in our media driven culture, word of mouth is still the most impactful means of advancing God's kingdom.

OutreachMagazine.com - Want More Visitors? It Has to Get Personal.

Every Need Met...

This morning as I read through the fifth chapter of the gospel of Mark I was struck by the similarities and consistencies within the three miracles performed by Jesus in this chapter.  There are three different people with differing needs but in each instance Jesus is the answer.

• Demon Possessed Man (v.1-20) - He has a spiritual need.
• Woman with Issue of Blood (v.25-34) - Has a physical need.
• Jarius with sick/dead daughter (v.21-24, 35-43) - Has an emotional need.

Let me share some of the consistencies I observed between these stories...

• They involve the number 12. The woman had her issue for 12 years. Jarius' daughter is 12 years old. The possessed man's story doesn't specifically mention the number 12 but when the demon is asked his name by Jesus he responds "Legion" because their were multiple demons - might there have been 12? I say very likely given the consistency of God's word. Why twelve? The use of this number most likely points to spiritual condition of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus is illustrating Israel's need for him through these healings.
• In each story the people in need are desperate for help. They had tried other alternatives and nothing was able to resolve their issue.  The possessed man had been bound with chains many times but simply broke free. The woman with the issue had spent all her money going to doctors and had only gotten worse.  You can be pretty certain that Jarius, a ruler in the synagoge had tried every other option before turning to Jesus. The fact Jarius finally turns to Jesus for help shows how desperate he is. Sadly, sometimes desperation is what it takes to drive us to the Lord.
• In each instances the participants worship Jesus. Even the demonic man comes and falls at the feet of Jesus worshipping (v.6). This blew me away. The demons find their proper place before Jesus, why do we struggle so much with this. After her healing the woman falls at the feet of Jesus and confesses all to him. Jarius comes with an attitude of worship and falls at Jesus' feet. After the healing, Jarius and all other present are astonished at what Jesus has done.
• Fear must be replaced by faith. Each stories involves a person who is afraid (or feared) and who finds faith in Christ. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same place at the same time.  If I'm fearful I don't have faith. If I have faith, I will not fear. Another way of looking at it is my fear is shifted from my circumstances to a healthy fear of God.  Jesus tells Jarius in v.36 "Do not be afraid; only believe." That's his advice to us as well.
• Every need is met by Jesus.  Whether you have a spiritual need, physical need, or an emotional need. Jesus can provide the healing you need.  Come to him in faith and receive his healing.

Scariest Blog Post Ever

This is undoubtedly the scariest blog post I've ever written. Why? In a word, ACCOUNTABILITY! Yep, I'm putting myself out there and making myself accountable to all my blog readers (all two of you).

For years now the Lord has been bugging me about writing more. I've dabbled in it off and on and even had some articles published. However, I've sensed the need to do more, to go bigger.  I've tried to ignore these promptings. I've squashed them at every turn. I've come up with every excuse imaginable (usually centered around time) for why I can't make writing a larger part of my life / routine. Finally, at the beginning of 2012 I made a commitment to write more regularly. Upon returning from India at the end of January I put my plan into action.  Here's how I'm incorporating writing into my weekly routine...

Several years ago (it feels like a lifetime ago) I actually ran a marathon (26.2 miles). The race was of course grueling, but the training was the hardest part. While training for a marathon your life revolves around when you are going to fit in your runs, especially the long runs. You rearrange, re-prioritize, and get creative to make it happen. That's what I'm doing with writing. I actually got one of Hal Higdon's marathon training schedules which details how far you are supposed to run each day.  Instead of running, I'm writing - it's much easier on the knees.  I write for the amount of time it would take me to run the distance listed in the training program - believe me when I say this is a big commitment, because I run really slow.  I've been at it for a couple of weeks now and so far so good.  We'll see how it goes as the distance / time starts to climb into the teen and twenty mile range.

I hope to share more with you as I progress through this journey. I also hope to share some of the finished product with you once its suitable for reading. Until then, keep me in your prayers and don't be afraid to hold me accountable to my plan. 

Control

This week I've been applying the "Pronounce It" method of devotional Bible study to particular passages in scripture.  The Pronounce It method forces you to concentrate on each word of a verse by placing the emphasis on a different word during each subsequent reading.  One of the passages I "Pronounced" this week was Colossians 3:15...

"...let the peace of God rule in your hearts..."

Two words jumped out of this short passage and challenged me - "let" and "rule".

The word "let" shows me that having the peace of God in my life is a choice. I have to allow it to happen. Too often we choose the opposite of peace and continue to live in constant turmoil, worry, anxiety, and stress.  Each day, in every situation, I have to actively choose God's peace.

The word "rule" shows me that the peace of God is a matter of control. Who is ruling my life? Who is in control of my life? Me or God? The world or the word? My circumstances or my Christ? As long as I battle God for control I will never experience peace.  Peace requires surrender. I need to actively relinquish control of my life to God.

My prayer is that I would make the CHOICE to allow God to CONTROL my life. Each decision to do so causes the peace of God to flood into my heart.

Can I Trust the Bible?

Hope you can join us on Sunday for week one of 40 Days in the Word. This week we'll answer the question, "Can I Trust the Bible?" Trust is not automatic - it must be earned. The thing/person being trusted must show itself to be trustworthy.  We'll discuss seven reasons why the Bible is in fact trustworthy.

If you haven't already done so make sure you sign up to be part of one of our six-week 40DITW small groups as together we love, learn, and live God's word.

PBC on the Radio

At the beginning of 2012 God opened an amazing door for PBC.  God provided an awesome opportunity for us to demonstrate we are "ALL IN" in 2012.  At 8:00am on Sunday, 1/8/12 we rolled out our very first radio broadcast called, "The Simple Truth", on WCHR 920AM.  We will occupy that time slot for the entirety of 2012 and hopefully beyond.  During our 30 minute time slot we are broadcasting edited versions of the PBC Sunday morning sermons.  I'm so excited about this opportunity for our church. I think it is a tremendous opportunity for us to broaden our reach in the community and give the congregation of PBC another tool in their personal outreach to friends and family.

How can you help with The Simple Truth radio broadcast?

• Prayer - ask God to change lives thru these broadcast. Ask God to bring people to PBC as a result of listening to us on the radio. Ask God to help us raise the funds needed to pay for the broadcasts.
• Let people know. Invite your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors to tune in at 8:00am on Sundays.
• Help us fund the broadcast. The cost for this is very reasonable (about $65 per week). If you'd like to sponsor a week, month, or year :) we could certainly use your help.

I'm excited to see how God is going to use this ministry in the coming months. May it be for His honor and glory!