On 6/25 I have the opportunity to preach at Community Bible Church while my friend Pastor Scott is out of town. I have been working on my sermon and have decided on 2 Corinthians 11 as the chapter I'll be preaching out of. The theme of the message is: Do you have the credentials to be a Christian? Here is a small excerpt from the message:
III. STRESSFUL CONCERNS
V. 28 "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."
Concern for the churches. Talk about "stressful concern." To be concerned about just one church would be stressful enough, but Paul was concerned about all the churches where he had preached or served. One credential of a committed Christian is that he or she is concerned about their church.
ILL.- A known backslider told his preacher after the church service, "Wonderful sermon, Pastor. Everything you said reminds me of somebody or other I’ve known or met."
Brothers and sisters, we should have a concern for the church, but not a critical concern, not a condemning concern. Our concern should be discerning, but not damning. It should be perceptive, but not policing.
Rom. 14:1 "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."
Rom. 14:19 "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Rom. 15:1-3 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself..."
Our concern for the Lord’s church should be to build up, not to tear down. It should be toleration for one another in the church, not torment of one another. It should be edification, encouragement, helpfulness, kindness, consideration, compassion, and sympathy...Much of the time in life we are only concerned about ourselves, but the credential of a true Christian is that he or she is concerned about others. The Christian is always watching out for others: carrying packages, helping with this or that, opening doors for others, running errands, attending to needs, looking for ways to serve others.
Brothers and sisters, a genuine concern for people makes the difference. It makes the difference in life and in the church. Concern for the church must mean concern for one another. And when this is evident, good things will happen. Genuine love, genuine concern will build a church and bless the world around it.
John 13:35 Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Genuine concern for the church, genuine concern for others is a credential of a committed Christian.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Malone it is!
Again it has been some time since my last blog entry, and I am amazed at the way the Lord works in my life. This time, it's about my seminary studies. Where to start...
It was fall of 2008, I had just completed 21hrs of the 36hrs needed in my Master's in Christian Ministry program at Malone. Only 5 classes left! Even though I was so close, I decided to take a semester off because Laurie was expecting Luci and there was a lot to do in preparing for baby #4. The plan was to start back up in the spring.
But during my time off, I was starting to reflect on my degree, an I felt that I was not getting enough of what I was craving, which was theology. I expressed this concern to several professors at Malone. They told me that they were working on it, but it would probably not happen in time for me.
That said, I was still planning on going back in the Spring. But then, crazy stuff began happening with my work schedule so I ended up skipping Spring semester as well. As I missed spring semester I really started to question what I would do. I felt like I needed a real Theology based degree.
So, in fall of 2009, with the advice of my Sr. Pastor, I decided to enroll at Liberty University and complete my degree online. I was ecstatic! I was going to complete a degree in Biblical Interpretation in the same amount of time as I would have at Malone. All I could think about was all those cool theology and hermeneutics classes. But believe it or not, I missed registration deadlines in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010.
Now I had had enough. I was absolutely, positively committed to starting in the fall of 2010. I was starting to feel like I would never finish this degree that I had already done so much for. I was not crazy about studying online, but I had to get it done.
So this week, as I called Malone for some unrelated transcript info, I had a conversation with the Dean of the School of Theology. He shares with me that they have just started offering a Masters in Theological Studies and if I wanted I could pick up in the program from where I was!! Seriously! So now I am registered starting in the fall to complete my MATS through Malone. I get my theology, my Greek and Hebrew, my hermeneutics, and I still get to graduate in just 3 semesters.
Looking back on it, what seemed like hurdles, frustrations, and setbacks was probably God telling me when and where was the right time to start and finish school. I pray this is it. I so want to complete school and move on with my ministry. I pray it all goes well and I cannot wait to get my new Malone student ID card!!
It was fall of 2008, I had just completed 21hrs of the 36hrs needed in my Master's in Christian Ministry program at Malone. Only 5 classes left! Even though I was so close, I decided to take a semester off because Laurie was expecting Luci and there was a lot to do in preparing for baby #4. The plan was to start back up in the spring.
But during my time off, I was starting to reflect on my degree, an I felt that I was not getting enough of what I was craving, which was theology. I expressed this concern to several professors at Malone. They told me that they were working on it, but it would probably not happen in time for me.
That said, I was still planning on going back in the Spring. But then, crazy stuff began happening with my work schedule so I ended up skipping Spring semester as well. As I missed spring semester I really started to question what I would do. I felt like I needed a real Theology based degree.
So, in fall of 2009, with the advice of my Sr. Pastor, I decided to enroll at Liberty University and complete my degree online. I was ecstatic! I was going to complete a degree in Biblical Interpretation in the same amount of time as I would have at Malone. All I could think about was all those cool theology and hermeneutics classes. But believe it or not, I missed registration deadlines in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010.
Now I had had enough. I was absolutely, positively committed to starting in the fall of 2010. I was starting to feel like I would never finish this degree that I had already done so much for. I was not crazy about studying online, but I had to get it done.
So this week, as I called Malone for some unrelated transcript info, I had a conversation with the Dean of the School of Theology. He shares with me that they have just started offering a Masters in Theological Studies and if I wanted I could pick up in the program from where I was!! Seriously! So now I am registered starting in the fall to complete my MATS through Malone. I get my theology, my Greek and Hebrew, my hermeneutics, and I still get to graduate in just 3 semesters.
Looking back on it, what seemed like hurdles, frustrations, and setbacks was probably God telling me when and where was the right time to start and finish school. I pray this is it. I so want to complete school and move on with my ministry. I pray it all goes well and I cannot wait to get my new Malone student ID card!!
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