Archive for the ‘Blog Posts’ Category

This is the beginning of a new year that will be filled with opportunity and with challenge.  We can stay focused on the little things of life or we can take hold of the big picture of doing something great for the Lord. A lot of people have become familiar with the term “bhag.”  It stands for “Big hairy audacious goals.”   We need some Bhags in our life.  These ought to involve what we want to do for the Lord in the coming year.  It can’t be about what we want to accomplish for ourselves but how we are to use our lives to bring glory to Him.

At the beginning of the new year,  we are surrounded by the ideas of a “fresh start” and the desire to be more productive and successful in so many areas.  In a national survey, the top twelve most common New Year’s resolutions were:

• Drink less alcohol
• Get a better education
• Get a better job
• Get fit
• Lose weight
• Manage debt
• Manage stress
• Quit smoking now
• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Save money
• Take a trip volunteer to help others.

We were created for more than this.  We cannot make the changes on our own.  If we are going to do something significant with our lives, it is going to begin with drawing closer to Him.  It has to be more than talk.  We have to see transformation take place.  Do you need to make a change?  Are you ready to make a change?  Now is the time for us to understand what it means to be transformed.  We will take some steps in that direction starting this Sunday.

It seems like only yesterday that I had just finished a church event and Andrew walked in and said he needed to talk to me.    We went down the hall to the parlor. I had no idea what it was about, but it seemed that his attitude was somewhat serious. It was not going to be just a casual conversation. As we walked into the parlor, it didn’t take long for him to share with me that they were pregnant.

These nine months has flown by. It is hard to believe in many ways that it is even happening, but it is here. There is a great sense of excitement and there is a great sense of urgency. The world that she is going to come into is a lot more challenging, and at the same time, offers a lot more opportunity. As I sit here I am reminded of how important it is for us to pray for our children and our grandchildren. I am also reminded of how important it is for our priorities and conduct to match our prayers.

This is one of those things that you can’t train for. You are not sure how you are going to react. I have seen people in every type of health situation. I’ve seen more new babies than I can count, but I’m don’t think anyone can prepare for this. I have been in this hospital hundreds of times, but when I walked in this morning, it was like I had never been here before. I needed to be here at the right time and needed to be in the right place. In most cases I always feel like I have an idea of what is going on. But right now I feel like a complete rookie.  I guess that is part of the excitement. My prayer is that from the very first moment God will have His hand on this little girl and in some form or fashion I will be the grandfather I need to be.

Today there are over 500 South Carolina Baptists that are coming together to talk about the impact of the Great Commission Resurgence.  This was a recommendation that was overwhelmingly passed by the Southern Baptist Convention this summer. It has to do with the way we have to look at missions, missions giving, and a lost world.

Over the last couple of days I have been rereading some reports preparing for this meeting today. It has reminded me once again of the importance of our missions conference and the sense of urgency that we need to have about a lost world. This week here in our church we are going to have the opportunity to see some great missionaries who are doing some significant things around the world. This is an opportunity that most people do not have.  My prayer is that our folks will take advantage of this opportunity and make it a priority. This is important for a number of reasons.

1. It gives a greater perspective of what we are to do with our lives.
2. It unites us as a church around a great purpose.
3. It reminds of us of the obligation that we have to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
4. It ignites in us a sense of urgency as we realize that there are literally billions that have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

I have been praying about this meeting today and my prayer is that we will be able to rise above personal interests and projects, our own philosophies and have a heart for the world. I hope that you will join me in praying for this effort. This meeting will be very significant for many people.

Mike

Yesterday during our message, I shared how to pray for your kids.  A lot of people commented on the message and asked me to provide the list that I gave in the service yesterday.  The Bible talks
a lot about what we are to do and provide for our children. The book of Proverbs is a great handbook for parenting. In the first seven chapters of Proverbs there are ten parental warnings about how we are to teach and encourage our children.  Here’s a list of seven things that every parent needs to be doing as they pray for their children.

1. Pray that they will know Christ as their Savior.  Religion is not enough. We should make sure that our children have an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. Pray that you will be consistent in your walk with Jesus Christ. Our children are constantly looking at us no matter what our age, and so often they will take a cue from us in so many areas. There are two specific things we need to remember. (A) What we use in moderation, they will abuse in excess.  (B)  What we neglect, they will reject.  If we don’t take seriously  studying the Word of God, being involved in the body of Christ, sharing our faith, living for the Lord…they will certainly not think it is a priority.
3. Pray that you will practice the right God-given values and priorities. If you have any doubt about your values or priorities, there are three areas where you can look and it will give you a clear indication. (A) What you are talking about (B) How you spend your money (C) How you spend your time.
4. Pray that God will give to your kids the right values and priorities.   Hopefully they will be able to see this in our lives.
5. Pray that God will give you the wisdom to take advantage of the tools He provides. The things of God and the work of Christ should always be kept in front of our kids.  They must continually be encouraged to understand that serving the Lord makes every part of life better.
6. Pray that they will understand and apply the truth in their lives daily.  Much of what they hear in our culture is simply not true whether it is through the media or the culture, through economics, politics, or in many cases, man-made philosophy, and it will lead them in the wrong direction. Our kids are going to have to learn to live in a minority until we see revival in our land.
7. Pray that God will bring the right influences in their lives.  Every parent needs weak-side help. Ask God to give you a great Christian who happens to be a coach or a teacher, a special friend, a youth worker or another relative to be a Godly influence in their lives.

Certainly there are many other things that we need to pray for our kids, but these need to be practiced diligently.  Deut. 6: 6-9 gives us very clear instructions on what we are to do with our kids. The problem that we have today is that many parents are only doing the minimum in terms of preparing their kids spiritually, when we need to be doing the maximum.  None of us have arrived in this area. There are certainly strides that each of us needs to make but this is a beginning.   By being consistent in these areas we honor the Lord and we make a real investment in the lives of our kids no matter what their age.  These principles are applicable whether your children are preschoolers or older adults. These principles of prayer are also powerful for grandparents as well as parents.

Mike

This weekend provides us with a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the birth of our nation, to be reminded of the part that the Lord has played in the founding of our nation, and the responsibility and challenge of being a follower of Christ in a secular nation.

We have some wonderful things planned. Saturday night.  We have LIFE in the Park which will be a time of music, games, entertainment, inspiration, fireworks, and food. This will be a great place for you to spend Saturday the 3rd. It begins at 7:30 p.m. and will conclude with a fireworks display. We are holding it at Boiling Springs Park. You can go to our website and get more information about this event.  This gives you a great opportunity to invite your friends, neighbors and co-workers to a very open and non-threatening environment and it is a great place for us to build relationships where we can share our faith. You will run into many people that you know on Saturday night and I hope you will not be hesitant to seek to make it clear to them where you stand in your relationship with the Lord.

On Sunday morning, we are having one worship service at 10:30 a.m. It will be a time of great worship, celebration and challenge.  We will be talking about the respect that we should have for our nation and the responsibility we have to our nation.  July 4^th is a great time for us to declare the freedom that we have found in Christ. I certainly hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.