I love Easter Sunday!

We’ve been preparing for Easter since January 1 this year, and we’re in great shape.  The body has been serving like never before, and I’m excited about this Sunday.

If you’ve received one of our postcards this week, come and check us out.

I’ve being studying spiritual warfare for about a month now in preparation for our series starting this week, and I also have to say, I’ve been practicing it as well.

I believe this series has the potential to change the way you look at your spiritual life, whether you’ve been following Jesus for years or are yet to met Him yet.

We have two identical services: 9:30 and 11:00.  We’ll be having an egg hunt for kids through fifth grade immediately after both services.

Come celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with us! 

I'm grateful for... My Upcoming Trip to Israel

Three years ago, our elders graciously instituted a sabbatical policy allowing a sabbatical for ministerial staff. This policy allows me a sabbatical time off after five years of service, and 2008 is my sixth year as pastor of Peachtree Church.

I've been thinking of what to do with my time for, let's see, I'd say...three years.

About three months ago, I got an email inviting me to apply for a grant for a "Holy Land Pastoral Renewal Pilgrimage."

I applied, and now I'm going to Israel for two weeks in April.

I love to travel, I love history, and I love God's Word.

I also love hearing from Jesus, being challenged in my walk, receiving direction, and getting away from the busy-ness of ministry (thought I often need an external force to make me do that).

The intersection of these various loves of my life would be a trip to the Holy Land.

The more I hear about this trip, the more I realize it is going to be life-changing for me. Though I am at one of the healthiest places personally I have been over the last five years of church planting, I really believe the Lord is providing this trip at this time to renew me.

Peachtree, I thank you so much for giving me the freedom to be a regular person. I never feel that you put unrealistic expectations on me, Katie, or the kids. All the freedom you give me to care for myself and my family just makes me love you guys more and want to pour my whole (refreshed) heart into you, my church family.

Elders, I thank you for being open to new ideas and always supporting where I believe the Lord wants to take us. I know this sabbatical idea was new for some of you, but I can assure you, I will come back with more of me to give for the long haul.

Katie, you are too good for me. To let me go to Israel twice since we've been married while you haven't gone once...and to be loving and supporting through it, you are very unselfish. (For all of you reading this, I received a scholarship to go to Israel for a three-week study trip in 2001, and because of funds, Katie stayed home (and by the way had to move us out of one apartment into another while I was gone), and this trip is a grant for pastors only (not spouses).

Katie, I promise the next time I go to the Holy Land, you are going!

Proverbs 3

Pr 3:2 – Wisdom prolongs your life “many years” and brings you prosperity.

Pr 3:3 – New subject: Love and loyalty as part of your life will win you favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Pr 3:5–6 – One of the most incredible Truths of life in a tiny, poetic sentence. Andy Stanley unpacked this verse so incredibly and took it out of my Sunday School understanding into a major theme for life direction. Here’s a few emphases:

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart (not half-heartedly, but with your whole heart; I’ll do WHATEVER you say, God)
Don’t trust your own understanding (just because I think it doesn’t make it right)
In all your ways ACKNOWLEDGE Him (not give Him a nod, but pursue hard after His will in all your ways (arenas of life))
and, (as a result) He will make your paths straight (plain or smooth) — it will be obvious what you should do…The Lord is not trying to hide his will from us.
But He’s not going to give it to you if you’re not serious about following Him. Very encouraging and convicting at the same time.

Pr 3:7 – Wisdom equated with fear of the Lord and shunning evil.
Pr 3:8 - Wisdom leads to good physical health.

Pr 3:9–10 – One of my favorites to teach giving. This wisdom proverb teaches the same thing as Malachi 3 (OT Tithing for Israel) and 2 Cor 9 (NT Sowing and Reaping)…at is essence, it is wise to honor God (who allows you to prosper). Those who do, he prospers more. “Overflowing” and “brim over” speak to the abundance of God blessing those who honor him with the firstfruits.

Pr 3:11–12 – When I feel God’s discipline, it’s a sign that loves and delights in me. Whenever I’m strongly convicted about something, I often feel joy that God has not given up on me.

Pr 3:13–15 – Wisdom is more valuable than money.

Pr 3:16 – Wisdom offers long life and riches and honor.

Pr 3:18 – Wisdom is a “tree of life”; a reference to the right choice for Adam & Eve back in Eden

Pr 3:21–25 – More benefits of wisdom: life, prestige, safety, security, courage, rest,

Pr 3:26 – If you live wisely, “the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” (wow!)

Pr 3:27–32 – The Golden Rule is wisdom.

Pr 3:33–35 – God curses the wicked, but blesses the righteous

Wise/Foolish Choice #3
Respond quickly to the Lord’s discipline. If you are being convicted about something, don’t look for reasons to continue. I find I generally know what wisdom is in a given situation, but sometimes I want to pretend I don’t know. Do the wise thing!

Proverbs 2

BTW, on this Proverbs journey, I’m reading from the NLT (my Daily Walk Bible): I like the word choice:

Pr 2:1 – “Tune your ears to wisdom” – you can choose what you want to pick up “concentrate on understanding” – you need to focus if you want to grow in wisdom

Pr 2:4 – “Seek [wisdom] as you would for money or hidden treasure” – it has value

Pr 2:6 – “The Lord grants wisdom” – Reminds me of James 1:5.

Pr 2:7 – “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest…” — very interesting, it says God gives wisdom to those who are honest…it very much is true to life (honest people I know tend to be wise); Honesty, as I see it, is part of biblical wisdom (skillful living with the viewpoint that there is a God in Heaven we are accountable to)…thus, if you apply wisdom, He gives you more…neat.

Pr 2:7b – “He is a shield to those who walk with integrity” I’d much rather God be my shield instead of me try to shield myself with lack of integrity

Pr 2:8 – He guards the path of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him — I’ve so seen this to be true.

Pr 2:11–12 – LOVE these verses:

“Wise choices will watch over you
Understanding will keep you safe
Wisdom will save you from evil people.”

And another great one!
Pr 2:16 – “Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman”

Pr 2:21 – only the godly will live in the land (the Promised Land being a primary symbol of blessing for Israel)

Wise/Foolish Choice #2
Katie and I have a great life. Things seem very often to go smoothly for us. We feel overwhelmingly blessed. I believe much of the stability and blessing of our life comes from from striving to make wise choices in our money, marriage, relationships, etc. according to wisdom found in God’s principles in His Word. Take the Lord at His Word!

Proverbs 1

Proverbs Intro
Chapters 1-29 Written by Solomon
(Ch. 30 by Agur, Ch. 31 by Lemuel)

Pr 1:2 - Purpose of Proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline (I need both!)
Pr 1:3 - Purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair

Pr 1:5 - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—

Pr 1:8 - Wisdom comes from parents' instructions to us

Pr 1:10-19 - Stay far away from sinners' influence

Pr 1:20-33 - Wisdom is personified as an announcer in the streets

She calls to the crowds, freely offering herself (point: it is not hard to get wisdom)
But
Pr 1:22 - "simpletons" (naive)
"mockers" (defiant toward true wisdom)
and "fools" (morally numb)
pay no attention to wisdom

Pr 1:26-27 - Consequences of Ignoring Wisdom:
"in trouble"
"disaster overtakes you"
"calamity"
"anguish and distress overwhelm you"

Pr 1:31 - If you ignore wisdom, you "must eat the bitter fruit of living your own way" (what a line!)

Pr 1:32-33 - Summary of this purpose chapter:

32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Finally, each day, I'm going to write one wise or foolish decision I've made in life (usually related to that day's reading).

Wise/foolish decision #1:
By far, the wisest decision I've EVER made (see definition of wisdom above) is to surrender my life to Jesus in June 1981.

My Proverbs Journey - Introduction

I’ve always wanted to do a careful study of Proverbs. This “Book of Wisdom” has so much meat in it that reveals God’s perspectives on so many things. Since “His Ways are higher than our ways,” some of the Proverbs are counterintuitive; others bear witness with our spirit immediately.

Proverbs covers an incredible range of subjects (Daily Walk Bible quotes “folly and wisdom, pride and humility, vengeance and justice, laziness and initiative, poverty and wealth, enemies and friends, lust and love, anger and anxiety, masters and servants, life and death.”

Most of them are sayings from the wisest man ever lived, King Solomon (see 1 Kings 3 (1 Ki 3:1) and 2 Chronicles 1 (2 Ch 1:1) for the source of his wisdom.

Wisdom, biblically speaking, means “skillful living”, not just being smart, but knowing how to apply good sense to your life. Also, in Scripture, to be truly wise has a spiritual aspect to it as well. Chapter 1 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This means that as you live your life, you recognize that there is a God in Heaven we are accountable to, and you recognize your place under Him, and therefore it informs how you live. A life lived in light of that truth reflects wisdom, skillful living in the fear of God.

Join with me for the next 31 days as I seek to apply God’s 3,000 years-young wisdom to my life in 2008.

Sunday Night Reflections

Where did January go?

Oh yeah, we got ready to go to Thailand, went to Thailand for two weeks and then had a week of jet lag recovery and reconnecting with our kids and each other after a big trip.

Was back in the pulpit today (after 3 weeks out including the snow day!), and loved it. There's a great feeling at church right now, and even though I preached too long today (always do after missing a Sunday, sorry!), I believe the message was just what God wanted me to deliver today.

I'm so excited about 2008; the staff is efficiently working on our 100 tasks for 2008.

My time with God has been incredible lately. God sent two Michael Card songs from his album Poemia directly to me. Check out the lyrics of Sunshine of Your Smile:

Reject the worldly lie that says,
That life lies always up ahead,
Let power go before control becomes a crust around your soul,
Escape the hunger to possess,
And soul-diminishing success,
This world is full of narrow lives,
I pray by grace your smile survives.

Chorus- For I would wander weary miles,
Would welcome ridicule, my child,
To simply see the sunrise of your smile,
To see the light behind your eyes,
The happy thought that makes you fly,
Yes, I would wander weary miles,
To simply see the sunrise of your smile.

Now close your eyes so you can see,
Your own unfinished memories,
Now open them, for time is brief,
And you'll be blest beyond belief,
Now glance above you at the sky,
There's beauty there to blind the eye,
I ask all this then wait awhile,
To see the dawning of your smile.

Michael Card is by far my favorite Christian artist. His music soothes my soul and challenges my walk. I'd love to meet him someday.