I'm Not Insecure! Am I?

For those of you who might not get that, if you have to ask the question, you probably are. Insecure, that is. I believe that it is the incredibly well-adjusted person -- the exception to the rule even -- who is not at least a little insecure. Am I doing enough to keep my job? Do they like me? Does he love me? Are they laughing at me over there? Our insecurities evidence themselves in so many ways: ego-centric questions, anger, self-pity, worry, ulcers, high blood pressure, headaches, anxiety, bitterness, distrust, heart attacks, stomach disorders, etc. I could go on and on and on and on and on. Any improper behavior and almost any medical disorder could be traced back to our insecurity. Are you overweight? Chances are you eat too much in an attempt to compensate. Do you have problems sleeping? Chances are you cannot stop wondering if people really love you. Do you bite your fingernails? Chances are you are insecure in some way. I'm not a psychologist and I don't remember if I have ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but I have had my share of opportunities to observe human behavior and come to some conclusions that I believe are correct: people everywhere are insecure.

Where does it come from? Childhood? Adolescence? Young adulthood? Yes to all of these. It could be you did not experience unconditional love as a child. It could be that you were never good enough in the eyes of parents, teachers, or friends. It could be that someone hurt you with unkind words or actions. It could be that one of the most important people in your life betrayed you or left you. It could be that you didn't get something you wanted in life. There are probably as many possible reasons as there are symptoms. Counselors everywhere are determined to make people talk about their life experiences in the hope that people will recognize the root cause and overcome whatever imagined deficiency has brought their clients to this time in life. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it seems to work for a little while, and then we find ourselves right back where we started.

So what is the answer? If I wanted to be mean, I would say something like this: "If you deserved to know, I would tell you." But that would probably not help you out. So let me give you the answer: "For God so loved (your name here) that He gave His only begotten Son, that if (your name here) believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." Do you see it? The Creator of the universe loves you unconditionally. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to pay the price so that you could live forever with Him. Then, on top of that, Jesus says, "I come that (your name here) may have life and have it more abundantly." He says, "If no one else loves you, I do. If everyone else betrays you, I never will. If you cannot trust anyone else, you can trust Me." So stop worrying. Stop overeating. Stop biting your fingernails. Stop stressing out. Stop being insecure because you are good enough. You are worth loving. You are important to the Most Important One in the world.

Merry Christmas! Thank you, Jesus.

Drifting Away Again

What a way to start the week! Thank you, God, for giving us great times of worship on Sunday at Southside and Monday at FBC Hartselle. The choirs were fantastic, and the message by Dr. Frank Lewis from FBC Nashville was right on target. He used the illustration of whitewater rafting to describe the Christian life. I wish I could remember all of his points, but here are just a few:

• If you always listen to your guide, you will make it through safely. The guide knows where all the dangerous spots are. Sometimes he leads you through them; sometimes he leads you around them.
• When you stop paddling and start drifting, you are in trouble because you never drift upstream.
• The longer you drift, the faster you drift and the harder it is to get back to where you need to be.

For the Christian, our Guide is the Holy Spirit. If we would make it a practice to listen to Him, He will always lead us safely home. But too many times, we don't listen. Too many times, we stop paddling and allow ourselves to drift. How do we do that? By not spending time with our Heavenly Father through prayer and Bible study. By not witnessing and worshiping. By not giving of our time, talents, and tithes. It starts slowly, but as we drift, we never drift closer to God -- only farther away. The longer we drift, the faster we move away from God. And the only way back is to "paddle" harder, but it is well worth the effort when you can get back in the raft.

Understand, it wasn't a typical "revival" sermon, but it is exactly what needs to happen if the church is ever going to experience the kind of Spiritual Awakening we so desperately need. So, dear Lord, help us all to keep paddling.

Hear My Heart

Us versus them. Why does it seem that it has always been and will always be so? Gentiles versus Jews. Jews versus Christians. Christians versus Muslims. Religion seems to have a way of creating division. The good news is that Christianity is about relationships – not religion. So at the forefront, let me say that it is all about a relationship with Jesus Christ that brings us into God’s family that makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. Unity, not division, is the cry of our Heavenly Father. And yet the beat goes on. Perhaps it is because like all families, the Christian family has its good points and bad. Perhaps it is because even Christians are human, and human frailty causes us to give in to the temptation to fuss and feud.

In my lifetime, the church has struggled through the turmoil of black versus white, conservative versus liberal, traditional versus contemporary, and young versus old. I’m sure that many of you did not see that last one coming. Most of us are still stuck on that traditional/ contemporary battle. Do we sing the old hymns or praise choruses? Do we use the hymnal or project the words on the screen? When you put it down on paper, it seems kind of silly. In reality most of these battles have been “silly” to some extent. Never should race have been allowed to play a part in determining who could be a member of our churches. Please understand. I love a good, upbeat traditional worship service. I love a well-planned and executed contemporary service that doesn’t necessarily “rock my face off.” I use that descriptive phrase only because it was how a church was described to me recently.

Simply for disclosure purposes, I am the pastor of a very traditional church with a large population of senior adults with a good variety of younger people as well. Recently I shared with a group of men two principles that I firmly believe and know that are equally important to my church family. First, I will never disenfranchise our senior adults by taking away our traditional worship and replacing it with a contemporary service. I’m certain that I will take some heat for that statement from some of my colleagues, but if I have any understanding of scripture, I believe that even senior adults need to worship, and this particular set of senior adults have made great sacrifices to ensure that this church is still in existence. Some even mortgaged their homes to pay the bills during difficult financial times. Perhaps I am just not aware of it, but I have not seen the same commitment from those who are part of my own generation. However, having said this, the second principle is as important as the first. If we do not offer a contemporary worship service, we will lose many of our young families who are attending, and we will not reach the lost of that generation. Just as our senior adults may not be able to worship with the heavy beat of drums and the rhythmic strumming of electric guitars playing behind the singing of the same words over and over, our young people do not relate to organ music accompanying the singing of the first, second, and last verses.

With that said, I come to the point of this story. The ugly beast of division that seems to have reared its head today is the battle between the young and the old. But this battle seems to be raging not in the pews but in the pulpits. Younger minister versus older minister. I feel almost blindsided by this because, until recently, I considered myself one of the younger ministers. Recent events have caused me to reevaluate my position. During the Southern Baptist Convention this year, I was shocked to hear our leaders say that we must be very careful or we will lose our younger ministers. We must give them positions of responsibility within the convention so that they will not feel left out. While I have no animosity toward these “younger” pastors, I am filled with wonder that Albert Mohler and other “convention leaders” would express such sentiments. We have older ministers, more mature pastors and denominational leaders who have given much to the Kingdom of God and to our convention, who are being verbally attacked and ridiculed by this younger generation of ministers, but we are afraid of losing them? I will admit that there were times when I was younger that I felt the older pastors were looking down at me as just a young, immature pastor who was wet behind the ears, but I respected their wisdom because the Bible tells me that I should. But it seems that this new generation of pastors, and perhaps members of our churches, believe that at some point in life the Holy Spirit no longer leads, gives wisdom, or blesses the man of God who has served well for many years. At what age does that happen? 40? 45? 50? It seems to me that godly wisdom is given to all who seek it, and that wisdom should grow greater with age. It seems to me that since the majority of Southern Baptist members and clergy are older that they should have greater representation – not less. It seems to me that since the population of the United States is growing older rapidly that we would not want to disenfranchise this demographic but harness its wisdom and energy by including them in our ministry and ministering to them.

I know that this article will be viewed as a rant of an older minister against the younger ministers. I know that I will be criticized as being one who wants only to slap down these young “whipper-snappers” and put them in their place. I have already been accused of that, but I am not that kind of person. I believe in inclusion for all true believers. I believe the best church is the church that has a wide representation of all age groups. So to the younger ministers I say this: I will respect your opinion, but I ask you to respect mine. I will not complain about you wearing blue jeans and flip flops when you preach, but don’t complain about my coat and tie. I will not question the way you do ministry as long as you are doing ministry, but please don’t question the way I do ministry as long as I am doing ministry.

Finally, to all Southern Baptists, let me say this. Let us hold firm to the things which make us unique. First, let us renew our undying commitment to reaching the lost world through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Second, let us cherish the genius of the Cooperative Program that has allowed us to send missionaries around the world and provide theological education to our ministers that is second to none. Third, let that spirit of cooperation and fellowship guide our discussions and our ministries in the future so that the world will see that Christianity is about a relationship of unity amidst great diversity that makes us stronger.

Father's Day Weekend 2009

What a weekend it's been so far. Even though my wonderful daughters and their husbands can't be here, they have blessed me with gifts and the knowledge that they love me. Thank you, Jennifer and Rob and Jon and Ashley for being so great. And thank you to my wonderful wife for being such a blessing. She is absolutely the best. Thank you, dear friends, for an evening of good food and fellowship. You know who you are. Conversations about speed dating while driving in a car with "extra weight" causing the breaks to do weird things made my night. Thank you, God, for the blessings of life and ministry! Of all men, I am most blessed!

Great Things!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post.Things tend to get busy this time of the year. But God is doing great things at Southside and in my life. Church is going well -- new members, great Spirit/spirit, people excited about what God is doing, VBS, youth missions.... As a pastor, there aren't many things that could make me happier. Well, maybe a few. But this is not the place to talk about those. I will say that in the last few weeks I have witnessed some of the most supreme acts of Christian love, witness, and service of my entire ministry. Thank you to the greatest church I've ever had the privilege of being a part of -- thank you for allowing God to use you in the ways that you do.

On a personal note, God is blessing, too. I am going to be a grandfather. I know. I know. I am much too young and good looking to be a grandfather, but I have always been an early achiever. Sonya asked me to marry her at age 12, and the rest is history. I'm just kidding. I was 19 when we got married, and I didn't know Sonya until I was 18. And just so you know, I was 21 when my first lovely daughter, Jennifer, was born. She is the one gifting us with this grandchild. I'm told that her husband Rob had something to do with it, too, but let his father write about him on his blog. Just kidding, Rob. You are a great son-in-law. I am so excited that we got to spend the weekend with this fine young couple as they went from store to store to store to store to store signing up for their "Baby Registry." Actually, it was just Target and Babies R Us, but it seemed like sooooooooo much more. It was a chore to keep Rob from scanning things like barbecue grills and quesadilla makers, but he made a good argument that he needed to provide healthy food for the child. Anyway, we are excited. The big date is in the first part of December. Pray for us all, especially me. If these first few weeks are any indication, I'm going to have to take on a second job just to afford this pregnancy. Who knows what it will cost after the next great future "whatever he or she is going to be" is born. So just call me Grampy.

Already Loved Follow Up

I sent this out by e-mail to our church family, but I thought it made a great blog post, too. So here it is.

I received this e-mail yesterday and asked permission to share it with you. I was given that permission on the basis that I preserve the anonymity of the sender. I have done my best to do this because I believe this summarizes what Already Loved is about. Thank you to all of you who made this such a wonderful event. If you have other stories, please send them to me.

"We had 3 deliveries last night and three good visits. Actually two of the visits were great. I am a bit confused though -- this program is supposed to be an outreach program for our community. It seems to be working, but there is a greater impact that is taking place with our own church body. Wow! A real win/win opportunity.

Our first visit was to a mom with two small kids who were sick and running fever. She was very appreciative of the gift and plans to attend when she is able.

The second visit was to an older black gentlemen named Mr. Nelson Goodloe. Mr. Goodloe invited me in and apologized for his work clothes as he had just finished mowing his lawn. The point of inviting me inside was so that I could meet his wife. His wife was in a hospital bed in the living room, partially clothed and obviously suffering from dementia or cancer or both. She was asleep and unable to communicate. Mr. Goodloe is the primary caregiver which must take incredible effort on his part as he is an older gentlemen. He said that he has a couple of ladies who sit with his wife a few days a week but I could tell it was a job that consumed him 24 hours a day.

I explained why I was visiting and he immediately remembered the phone calls and conversations. He immediately mentioned that he was very interested in our men's disciple group and that he would love to be a part of such a group. I was completely humbled by his statement. Mr. Goodloe also told me how much it meant to him that people were praying. In my opinion, Mr. Goodloe will probably never get the opportunity to be away from his wife long enough to attend. I will never take for granted the opportunity that we have to meet on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 and the camaraderie and study time that we share is so easy to take for granted.

Before I left we had prayer. Mr. Goodloe stated that they were making it just fine. This would be a great mission opportunity if I just knew how we could help. I think we already helped by just communicating and praying. I know that it helped me to look beyond my own woes and see a picture of strength and gratitude in a frail older gentlemen.

Lastly, we visited a couple who lives in a neighborhood where time has passed and the neighborhood changed. They are on an island. Living in a house surrounded by cars with loud radio's and people walking in the streets whose intentions are probably not good. Mr. Kindread has worked at Lynn Layton as a mechanic for 44 years. He has plans to retire next year. The Kindreads have antique tractors which are a strange sight in this neighborhood in the middle of town.

We shared that we are a "country church" in the middle of town and that they should visit. I believe these folks will visit and they will feel comfortable in our church.

Three very good visits. Thank you for leading me to get outside of my comfort zone and practice some of the principles that are so clearly defined in God's word."

Just so you will know, we had 38 people to attend our Already Loved Sunday. Many of them have expressed interest in continuing to come to Southside. Through our Follow-Up, we are identifying others who were unable to attend but who are still interested in coming. Only eternity will reveal the total impact of what has taken place here, but in the present, I can see the impact it has had on our church family. 40 different families have taken part in delivering the follow-up gift bags. Over 150 people were involved in the actual campaign. Thank you for all of your hard work. Thank you for following my leadership in this. Thank you for taking on leadership positions. Thank you for being the body of Christ. I am proud to be your pastor.

Already Loved Update

We started our confirmation calls last night. Remember, we had 75 households representing 199 people who said they would attend this coming Sunday. We had 184 households that said they were interested. Last night, we completed 72 phone calls basically asking if they were still planning to come. 65 people said they would be here Sunday morning. We still have 191 calls to make. Statistically, by the time we finish the calls, we will have 25o people saying they will come. According to the statistics provided by Harvest Unlimited, only 30% (I have been quoting the wrong percentage on this) of those who confirm their attendance will actually attend. If that holds up, we will have 75 guests on Sunday. I can live with that. I will keep you posted.

Sorry It's Late

Hey, folks. It has been a busy week, and I have fallen down on getting the reports out for Already Loved. We did have a man to call last night after everyone had gone home. I took the call and went through the script. He was churched, so I asked if he had any prayer requests. He said, "Sure, I do. I would like for you to pray that God would send me a godly wife." I'm beginning to see a theme here. We have gotten almost as many requests for spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends as we have for benevolence needs. Well, let me just give you the totals for Already Loved last night:

• 132 Completed Calls (1,877 total)
• 97 households attend church (1,275 total)
• 35 households do not attend church (602 total)
• 2 households said "Yes" to our invitation (71 total representing 185 people)
• 13 households said, "Interested, send me more information (164 total)
• 43 prayer requests were taken and prayed for immediately (830 total)

Our prayer warriors have done a great job. We are getting cards and calls almost everyday thanking us for praying and even giving us additional requests. What a thrill to be used by God this way. I am lookin forward to what God is going to do with all of this.

I'm Back

Sorry for the delay in communications about Already Loved. Sonya and I took a few days off to go to Atlanta. We had a powerful worship service at First Baptist Atlanta. Got some ideas for Bro. Wayne and the choir: hydraulic risers. While it was actually the orchestra pit that was on hydraulics, I think we could get the same response with the choir. Can't you just see them beautifully rising up out of the floor? Then we went to a Braves game -- and the Braves won. Thanks for the time off, church. Thanks for taking care of everything while I was gone. To catch you up on Already Loved, I will give you the daily totals in chart form:

Day Completed Calls Churched Unchurched Yes Interested Prayer Requests
Thur 139 89 50 4 10 65
Sun 90 63 27 7 7 40
Mon 119 94 25 2 4 51

Total 1,186 792 394 52 115 549

As of Monday night, 150 people have indicated that they will attend our Already Loved Sunday on May 17. That is OUTSTANDING!

Wednesday's Wonderful

I never knew how OCD I was until I realized that using two different colored markers to keep track of the totals bothered me. Thanks, Mary. And by the way, the remark about how quiet it was on Tuesday -- right on track because with the presence of those who were missing, the noise levels went right back up. Thanks, Mrs. June. It was great. And another very successful night, too.

• 126 completed calls (838 total)
• 96 households attend church (546 total)
• 30 households do not attend church (292 total)
• 2 households said "Yes" to our invitation (39 total representing 117 people)
• 8 households said "Interested, send me more information" (94 total)
• 49 prayer requests were taken and immediately prayed for (393 total)

Any time that God is using something to reach people, the devil is going to rear his ugly head. People are going to say things about our outreach that aren't true. It's a sure sign that God has something good in store for us. Keep praying for us because the spiritual warfare is increasing, but God is the One who gives the victory.

Tuesday's Totals

It was a quiet evening at Southside Baptist Church. I'm not sure why other than the absences of certain people from the conference room who shall remain nameless. But it was a well-deserved night off, and the rest of us were able to get the job done. Some of our callers had the experience of calling some of our members, but I don't think any feelings were hurt. In fact, some had extended conversations with old friends, and that is never a bad thing. Here are the totals for Tuesday:

• 137 completed calls (712 total)
• 98 households attend church (450 total)
• 39 households do not attend church (262 total)
• 6 households said "Yes" to our invitation (37 total representing 113 people)
• 11 households said "Interested, send me more information (86 total)
• 45 prayer requests (344 total)

It has been an amazing experience to watch how God is using this to bless those involved in the process as well as those we are contacting.

Monday Number 2

Well, it was a Monday alright. No, our folks were all alert and working hard -- especially that Ali Johnson. She walked around and around and around all night long picking up paperwork. Everyone else did their part as well -- especially the boss Helen Hill. She keeps a tight ship all night long. We had a little trouble keeping some of the prayer team out of the brownies, but we won't mention any names. It was a good night though with the most completed calls since we started.

• 115 completed calls (575 total)
• 74 households attend church (352 total)
• 41 households do not attend church (223 total)
• 2 households said "Yes" to our invitation (31 total representing 99 people)
• 14 households said "Interested, send me more information (75 total)
• 53 prayer requests were taken and prayed for immediately

Please understand that we take these prayer requests seriously. In fact, we all see this as the most important part of this program. We prayed for them last night and they will be prayed for daily for the next three weeks. We are even making multiple contacts with some of the more serious needs. This is the body of Christ reaching out with compassion to a hurting world. Thank you, Southside.

Sunday's Team Shook the House

What a dramatic evening. Just as I was about to start my sermon, Sonya bursts into the room to tell us there was a tornado watch. Then just as I was reading my Scripture, Sonya and Amy came in to tell me what I had just heard -- the tornado sirens were going off. So we quickly closed the service and headed to the basement. Our Already Loved callers and intercessors joined us until the all clear was sounded at 7 p.m. I think it is ironic that just when the service was supposed to end, the weather cleared. Hmmmmmm. Well, even with our calling time shortened by 2.5 person-hours, we had a great night by any standard.

• 79 completed calls (460 total)
• 59 households attend church (278 total)
• 20 households do not attend church (182 total)
• 11 households said "Yes" to our invitation (29 total representing 97 people)
• 10 households said "Interested, send me more information" (61 total)
• 30 prayer requests were taken and prayed for immediately (246 total)

What a week. And on top of it all, 3 people were in our service Sunday morning that we had called this week. God is blessing.

Week One Is In the Books

Drum roll, please! I guess not. Well, Thursday night was great. Rachel had kind of an odd prayer request that she interpreted as God telling her to clean out her closet. Mike said that would be a miracle in itself. Another great group of Christian men and women worked hard to do what God has called us to do -- reach Decatur with the message of hope by offering them a listening ear, a group of mighty prayer warriors to pray for their needs, and an invitation to church. So here are the totals:

• 112 completed calls (381 total)
• 62 households attend church (219 total)
• 50 households do not attend church (162 total)
• 5 households said "Yes" we will come (18 total)
• 17 households said "Interested, send me more information" (51 total)
• 55 prayer requests were immediately prayed for (216 total)

Once again, many of the prayer requests were tremendous needs ranging from drug addicted parents to a soldier in Iraq who was depressed to lost jobs. The amazing thing is that even though we are inviting people to church on May 17, we have already had 2 families who say they will be in church this Sunday. One woman called back to thank the man that had prayed for her and sent her a post card. God is doing some amazing things through this, and not just to the people of the community. Our workers are being touched by the power of God. I am excited.

If it's okay, I'll ramble on a little longer than usual. We need to be ready as the body of Christ to welcome these people into our church with love and acceptance. Many of these will not look like us or act like us or dress like us. They may not know the proper language or how to follow our "rituals." We need to simply love them like we love each other and watch God transform their lives. Southside Baptist Church, we can do this!

Wednesday Went Well

It was another great night for Already Loved! Once again, everyone was nervous at the beginning, but after that first phone call, things got exciting. The great news is that by the end of the night, callers were enjoying the experience and had lots of stories to tell -- some fun and some sad. We even received a call back from a lady that was contacted Monday night. When she received her post card from the prayer team, she called to request more information. Wow!
Here's the numbers update:

• 77 completed calls (269 total)
• 38 households attended church (157 total)
• 39 households did not attend church (112 total)
• 5 households said "Yes" to our invitation (13 total)
• 15 households said "Interested, send me more information (34 total)
• 46 prayer requests were taken and prayed for immediately (161 total)

Now from the 13 "Yes" households, they have indicated that 46 people will attend our Already Loved Sunday. Please continue to pray for God's blessings and guidance on this program. Also pray for the very serious needs: a daughter hiding from an abusive husband, many people searching for jobs, granddaughter in hospital needing emergency surgery. We are becoming more and more aware of the major needs of our community. May God give us the strength and the ability to meet their needs.

Tuesday Team Rocks

I cannot believe it. I just thought Monday night was going to be hard to duplicate. "O, ME of little faith." Here are the numbers hot off the report:

• 104 completed calls. (192 total)




• 57 households attended church. (119 total)




• 47 households did not attend church. (73 total)




• 7 households said "Yes" to our invitation. (8 total)




• 12 households said "Interested, send me more information." (19 total)




• 60 prayer requests were taken and prayed for immediately, four requiring follow-up. (115 total)

This is amazing, because in two nights, we have had households representing 32 people who say they WILL come and a whole lot more saying they might come. Now we know they all want make it, but Praise the Lord! Keep praying. God is blessing.

Already Loved

What a night! I've never seen such activity at church. All the phone lines lit up. People walking in circles to pick up prayer request after prayer request. Listening to bits and pieces of conversations: "Are you regularly attending church anywhere?" ""Our church is having a special event for those who are unchurched?" "Is there anything we can pray about for you?" There were a few other conversations about who was authorized to put numbers on the tally board. I was NOT one of them. I think they must have thought I would ministerially exaggerate the numbers, but I don't think I have to. Here's the breakdown of what we did last night:

• 88 completed calls
• 62 households attended church.
• 26 households did not attend church.
• 1 household said "Yes" to our invitation.
• 7 households said "Interested, send me more information."
• 55 prayer requests were taken and prayed for immediately. Sadly, one of the requests was for a grandmother who needed to tell her grandson that his half brother had died. Another was for a family whose son was killed while playing with a gun. A third was to pray for a father in ICU with brain damage.

And that was just one night. Pray for these families with us. Pray for our workers who are feeling anything but overwhelmed because God gave supernatural grace to deal with everything that happened. God is good!

What a Day!

Wow! I can't believe it's been a month since I have posted. Life has been a little crazy around the Hayes' household and Southside. But it's all been good. God is blessing in so many ways I couldn't begin to list them all. Well, okay, just a few: my wife, my children (and their husbands), my church family. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you too much more. However, there is one more blessing I have to mention. Yesterday! Easter Sunday! What a tremendous worship service. It started out with a great drama and song by our student ministry which was the conclusion to their great Good Friday service. Then the choir under the leadership of Peggy Baggett. That's right -- Peggy. If you missed it, you had better get the CD. I don' t know that I have ever heard them do three songs any better than yesterday. I'm sorry, Bro. Wayne, but I have to call it like I see it, but we still miss you and can't wait for you to get back. By the way, it was great to see Bro. Wayne sneak in after the service started -- that means he's getting better. Anyway, back to the blessings of yesterday. What a crowd! The people just kept coming in. Lots of families. Lots of guests. What a blessing.

This week begins another very important outreach program at our church. Already Loved begins tonight. For the next four weeks, we will be calling homes throughout Decatur offering to pray for their needs and inviting them to a special service on Sunday May 17. From this vantage point, it appears to be almost overwhelming, but I know once we get started, God is going to give us the strength and wisdom we need to get the job done. I'm grateful for the leadership we have in this campaign. They are keeping us headed in the right direction. I'm looking forward to the many opportunities of ministry this program is going to afford us in the days ahead. So if you read this, please pray for God's blessings. For more information on Already Loved, go to our webpage at http://www.southsidebaptist.net and check under the Ministries heading.

Just so that you know: God is good all the time.

Deeply Troubled

I am deeply troubled in my spirit today. I have been for the last several days. Maybe it's because I am tired -- I still haven't gotten that hour of sleep back from DST. Or maybe it's because of everything that is going on in the world. Death is everywhere. Senseless murders of a pastor in Illinois and people in Samson, Alabama and everywhere else. Predictions of economic collapse. Prophecies of cities burning from major ministries. The signing of the executive order reversing the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Approaching war. Freedom of Choice Act. Legalizing gambling in Alabama. Out of control spending in Washington -- led by our own Richard Shelby. We are in deep trouble as a nation and as the body of Christ. Christianity is on the decline in America. God cannot be happy. For the last several weeks, at least one of our visitation teams has been rudely rejected by someone we were trying to minister to. One person in the USA dies every 11 seconds. 75% of these are lost. Every hour, 300 people die and 225 of them go to hell. Can we be living in any time other than the last days? Can we not see that God's hand of judgment is about to fall on this country? How can we not be deeply troubled in our spirits? How can we be going about our business as usual? We desperately need for God to work, but it must begin in each one of us. We must fall on our faces and claim the truth of 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land." We can't count on the politicians to do it. We can't expect our schools to handle it. We must fall on our faces before Holy God and cry out to Him for mercy. We must get rid of the pride that fills us. We must get rid of the root of bitterness that separates us. We must get serious with God and beg Him to touch us and to fill us once again. "Lord, please forgive me and forgive your church for our prideful rebellion, our spiritual apathy, our overall indifference to You and to Your Word. Forgive us our sin, and guide us in Your way."

A Hero's Reward

In a day when there are very few real heroes, I heard a story about one. His name is John Cook, and he has gone home to his eternal reward. Ever since I have been in Decatur, I have heard about this godly man, about all the things he does for people and organizations -- how he prays with his employees and ministers constantly. But what impressed me most was a story I heard about Mr. Cook on Wednesday. Literally, he was on his death bed, knowing he would soon leave this life but not aware that he had only a matter of days. A dear friend walked into his room and saw Mr. Cook holding the hand of his nurse. Not knowing what was happening, he quietly exited the room to come back later. When he did, he found them still sitting there, holding hands, with tears in their eyes. Mr. Cook looked at his friend and then said to the nurse, "Why don't you tell him what just happened to you?" The nurse looked at this man and said, "Mr. Cook just led me to Jesus." On his death bed, John Cook was concerned about the spiritual well-being of a woman he didn't even know. What a hero!

I know that I may not have all the details of the story correct; it may not have happened exactly like I have written it. Tales like this sometimes take on a life of their own, but everything I know about John Cook leads me to believe that even if the details aren't correct, the story is true. As I reflected on this story, all I could do was pray and ask God to make me a soul-winner like John Cook. I know that he wouldn't want people to consider him a hero, but in my mind, he is.

February is Romance Month

Well, what more can I say. The month of February is filled with hearts and love and Valentines. So why shouldn't it be about the second most important relationship in our lives: our spouses. Last week we focused on becoming best friends with our spouses. Isn't it funny how we sometimes get married and then prefer to spend time with other people? I guess funny isn't the right word for it. It really is sad, at least to me. I can't imagine not spending my time with Sonya. That doesn't mean she has to watch science fiction movies with me all the time, but she does watch them a lot. Just like I watch HGTV with her. We do spend a lot of time together, but we also are comfortable doing things alone or with other people, too.

Today we focused on communication. As important as it is to be best friends, it is just as important to communicate with our best friend. When we first meet, it's like we don't have enough time to say everything that's on our minds. But after we've been married for any length of time, we don't have enough things to say to fill up all our time. So we read the newspaper or watch television or find other things to occupy our times. It is okay, in fact it's good, to get to the point where you are comfortable with the silences as long as the silent moments don't become the norm.

Some people may wonder why I am spending so much time on this topic when we have a church full of senior adults. It's because we have couples in our church, young and old, who are having problems in their marriages. It's because we have youth who need to hear what it takes to have a godly marriage before they get married. It's because no matter how good your marriage is, there is always room for improvement. I am hoping that the couples in our church will take seriously their role as mentors to couples in need. And don't forget, if you missed the messages, you can listen to them online at www.southsidebaptist.net . Go to audio sermons and scroll down to "Making Good Marriages Great."

We will conclude this series with a special event on Sunday morning, March 1 and then a special viewing of the movie "Fireproof" on Sunday night. You don't want to miss it.

Belize--Final Report

We made it home -- finally. It was a long day yesterday as we waited in the Belize airport and then we waited in the Houston airport. We were a little worried in Belize when one of our team members was pulled out of the line and searched. I know this is a common occurrence, but we were worried because there was a slight situation in which she misappropriated some muffins from the Mennonites. We feared that they had her on video and had sent her picture ahead to the airport to stop her. But all was well. You are probably waiting for the name, but I promised Nikki I wouldn't put it in the blog, so I am going to keep this one anonymous. Oops!

Mark found a friend in the duty free section of the Belize airport, but I think it was because he wanted Mark's watch. Can you believe Mark wouldn't give it to him? Even though there was one Mark could buy for only $4000 U.S. The flights were good, but we had a long layover in Houston. The only problem there was that we couldn't keep Bro. Berry out of the bar. I probably should say that was the closest place he could find to watch the Super Bowl. Gorman pretty much behaved himself, but I think it was because he was tired. He did get some fishing tips from the flight steward during the wait on the tarmac in Houston. We had to wait because of some bad weather, and apparently we had to fly very high to get over and around them.

And when we landed, it was great to see family and friends who came to pick us up. It was an amazing week, but I am so thankful for home. See you all soon.

For more information on the Belize Vo-Tech School, go to http://www.belizevotech.com/ .

Belize--Day 8

Well, we finally made it back to Belize City and the hotel -- after LOTS of shopping. We first stopped at a corner market where they had all kinds of goodies. The woodworking over here is amazing. But in some of the shops, they are aware of just how amazing it is. I tried to get Gorman to buy me a wooden elephant for my birthday in August, but he wouldn't do it. It only cost $400 Belize which is $200 U.S. Sometimes you just can't understand people. I just realized that if I had told him it was for Sonya, he would probably have bought it. Just my luck. We have seen some amazing jewelry and artwork of all kinds. All I can say is that Brian and Kerry are going to have to carry some heavy suitcases back home.

We ate lunch at Cheers in Belmopan. I had a Hawaiian burger, a fantastic change from the chicken, beans, and rice we've had twice a day. Some of the team members were getting pretty tired of the same thing over and over again, but I really enjoyed it. However, I am looking forward to getting back to some good home cooking at Ruby Tuesday, O'Charleys, Cracker Barrel, etc.

The Belizean people are very talented. Most of the boys at the school can play guitar. After the first day back, they really got into the singing during the devotion time. It was fun watching some of them sing and pretend to sing. This morning, I made a point of talking to each of the five boys that made a profession of faith to remind them how important it would be to pray, read their Bibles, and truly worship. So please remember to pray for Brandon, Travis, Reymundo, Winfield, and Matthew. Matthew started the week without a smile on his face. It was hard to get him to even respond to us. But Thursday, Friday, and this morning, he was laughing, talking, taking our cameras and making pictures. He was a different young man. Reymundo was really under conviction last night before he gave in to Christ's gentle tug on his heart. My heart was full seeing these young men come forward. Ralston, the principal of the school, and his lovely wife Iona and their beautiful little boy Stefan were there last night. I promised him that our church would continue to pray for his family and the school, so please put them on your prayer list.

It is cloudy, rainy, and 70 degrees today with a nice ocean breeze. We have enjoyed it immensely. The hotel is nice enough. Of course you have to imprint your credit card to get a remote control for the television. Ordinarily I would just get up and punch the buttons, but our television has no buttons.

Lyle drove us by the U.S. embassy in Belize. It is an amazing structure. The guard at the residential compound didn't like us taking pictures, so he urged us to move on.

Things are good as we wrap up this week. Please pray for our safety as we travel. We all look forward to seeing you soon. I want to take a few lines to say thank you to a great team of people who worked hard and well together. To Bro. Berry, thank you, Sarge, for keeping us on our toes and keeping things organized. Randy Smith -- thanks for being a great project manager. You worked us hard, but you made it enjoyable. To the rest of the team-- Betty, Ed, Nathalie, Lamar, Joyce, Brian, Amy, Kerry, Nikki, Terry, Sammy, David, Gorman, Ryan, Mark, and Greg -- you all made it a fantastic time of ministry. I couldn't have asked to be part of a better team. I've enjoyed writing this blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading it. Mrs. June, I probably won't continue a daily posting, but I will try to do better.

Belize—Day 7

What a great day. We left early for the Mayan ruins called Xunantunich. The guide says it rhymes with tuna sandwich. He was a funny man with a lot of information in his head. He told us all about the Mayan civilization, its rise and downfall, as well as about some of the religious rituals they performed. Needless to say, I don’t think many in our group will complain about tithing ever again. The ruins are spectacular. They believe they were inhabited from 600 to 1000 A.D. We climbed to the top of the ruins – a harrowing experience. As the guide said, no one from OSHA had inspected their work. There were stairs that were 100’ from the ground without guard rails. It was amazing in that once you were in the top, you could talk in your normal voice and the people below could hear you clearly and vice-versa. The Mayans engineered it that way so that the priest and the king could talk to the people and keep them intimidated. He knew exactly what people were saying about him. You can see for miles, so from his vantage point, the priest or king could predict changes in the weather. No wonder they believed he had supernatural powers. Terry and I hugged a lot of walls going up and down the stairs. Once we came down an even scarier set of stairs, we gathered at a picnic table in the shade, mostly to recover from the exertion. What we found was Sammy and some of the others who didn’t want to climb to the top witnessing to two Belizean soldiers. They told us they had to guard the border with Guatemala that was just a short distance away. Apparently the Guatemalans like to cross the border, mingle with the tourists, and then kidnap, rob, and do other bad things to them. We were glad they were there.

We ate lunch at Clarissa Falls, a beautiful little hotel/restaurant/bar on the water. It is an open air dining area with a few parrots, dogs, hummingbirds, and a toucan that stayed away. The food was delicious. There was chicken and rice and beans, which, by the way, has been our basic diet for a week. We did have pancakes and dak this morning. Dak is the first thing they have served that I didn’t think was good. It was a cross between fried bologna and fried spam.
On the way there and back, we were treated to some beautiful scenery. The houses are very colorful, much like you would see in Gulf Shores – the colors, not the size or quality. People line the roads walking or waiting on buses or riding their bikes. We passed horses staked out along the road eating grass, conservative Mennonites in their horse and buggies carrying produce to market. But as I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, the gang problem is bad and getting worse. They have all the American gangs which are ran by their American cohorts. They also have some local gangs from the Central American region that are increasingly violent. You can understand the attraction for the young men who have a choice between a life of extremely hard work just to survive or to become a part of a group of men whose only work is to take what they want from those who work hard. It is a problem that only God can solve, but He will choose to do it through His people who come and help to educate the young and let them know there is hope in Jesus Christ.

Tonight, we had our closing service with the boys. Nikki and Amy gave out awards for class performance, and Berry gave awards to the rest of the boys. It was only $1, but they were ecstatic. Berry talked to the boys about heaven and hell. I gave a brief devotion, and we had an invitation. Five of them made professions of faith. I talked with them afterwards, and they all seemed to be sincere. Mr. Ralston, the principle of the school, will play a major role in discipling these young men. He is a fine man who loves the Lord and cares for these boys. I know he will do great things at this school. Tomorrow we leave for Belize City. My heart is torn because of the needs here, but at the same time I want to be with my church family. My heart goes out to Gail Holbert in the loss of her mother and to Pat Baggett who fell last night and to Maxine Gay. I am so sorry that I could not be there for them in their need, but please let them know I am praying for them.

Belize—Day 6

Today is our 27th anniversary. I am blessed that I was able to start the morning off with a phone call to Sonya, my lovely wife, whom I miss very much. As Bro. Berry said this morning, when you get married, God truly makes us “one.” And as the years pass, it just gets better and better. I love you, sweetheart, and I can’t wait to see you Sunday night.

Thankfully, no one was hung over from the ice cream last night. It has been a great trip in that everyone has stayed healthy and in good spirits. You can tell that we are all tired, but everything is winding down today. We have completed all of the major projects that Lyle had on his list for this trip and many little projects that were on his wish list. We are even tackling one project that he never dreamed we would get to: we are preparing for the concrete, including the towers, that will support the water tank. I think it has been as hot today as yesterday, but most of the morning was spent in the shade tying steel for the towers. We wanted to go back this afternoon and stand the towers up, connect them together, and build the forms for the concrete, but we didn’t complete that task. Sorrowfully, we won’t get to see that poured. So far today, everyone has behaved themselves; however, Gorman has gotten a little too comfortable with the short jokes, all of them pointed at me. But that’s okay, because I love him and the Bible says I have to forgive him as well. We are all giving and taking a lot of good-natured ribbing, including Greg Johnson who sweats more than any man I’ve ever met, even me. The good thing is that I haven’t smelled him – so far. We have taken some interesting pictures of Randy Smith. All I will say is shorts and boots. Overall, I guess it was a good combination. Working together like this really pulls you closer to each other. The work was more like fun than work. The staff took very good care of us—the food was great. I even enjoyed the boiled okra.

We are done. We didn’t get finished, but we ran out of supplies. We worked after dinner trying to complete the forms for the towers. But we had soft nails and hard wood. Ryan was looking on and wanted to know how many Baptists it takes to drive a nail. It took quite a few to drive them into that wood. We are very proud of our accomplishments, but we know that all the glory must go to God. He kept us strong and healthy. He gave us almost perfect weather. We only saw one Tarantula, and only Ed saw that. There were a host of other spiders, mosquitoes, and ants.

We are all excited about going home, but it will be sad to leave the boys. While we will most likely see Lyle and Rose again, it is very probable that we will never see most of the boys again. They really behave a lot like our children, but without all the stuff we have given them. A simple thing like a bag of candy brightens their smile. I hope we have touched their hearts as much as they have touched ours.

One more thing. The team has told me over and over again that what happens in Belize stays in Belize. So please do me one favor: forget everything I’ve written so far!

Belize—Day 5

Another beautiful day in Belize. It started out foggy, but that didn’t last long. The sun is out with a vengeance, but the breeze keeps it from being too bad – although the guys with the shovels probably wouldn’t agree with that. We have accomplished a lot of different things this week so far: everything from changing faucets to renovating and painting the cook’s room to laying pipe. Today we will make our tie-ins to the buildings from the water lines. It was such a good feeling to see that water come through the lines and find no leaks. While we are doing the tie-ins today, some of the guys will also lay the steel for the concrete to be poured tomorrow. Everyone is getting along well, but I may have gotten the boys into trouble. I just mentioned in my devotion this morning the fact that some of them had chosen to chase a “squash,” which is an animal like our raccoon, before morning devotion. It turns out it wasn’t a squash. It was a type of monkey, but it looked to me like a large rat. The boys went running down the hill, grabbed sticks and tried to herd it towards one of the boys who had taken his shirt off to catch it. They were not very successful, but they kept trying, even climbing the tree to try to knock it off the branch. Needless to say, the animal got away and the boys got a talking to.

I did have to deal with a couple of issues yesterday. First I caught Nikki and Amy in the guys dorm, but Brian said it was alright because he was chaperoning them. And then there is Gorman. I think that is all I will say. Because of him I almost had to change my devotion to the ten commandments of which we had decided that he was only keeping seven of them. And one doesn’t count because it isn’t the Sabbath yet. Now everyone is calling me their redneck preacher. I’ll let you guess why. If you ever travel to Belize, take my word for it. SPF 30 is not adequate sun block. David Ward has sung us a few of his songs that he has written. He has one that I hope he will sing at Southside very soon. Another issue that has just come to my attention is that our project manager, Randy Smith, decided to go to town with Lyle just before lunch, and they just so happened to get caught there and had to eat out at a fish place. But I’ll bet their food wasn’t as good as ours.

We got the whole system together and everything tied in. Since I had to wash dishes after supper, Randy let me go take a shower. A few minutes after I finished, I turned on the faucet and nothing came out. Apparently we had forgotten to cap one of the lines we were abandoning so they had to turn it off and fix it. But now everything is working well. When Lamar and I finished washing dishes, we started back to the houses when suddenly an awful roar and something came charging out of the ditch by the office. Lamar and I almost died, but it was just Ashburn, one of the boys having a little fun with us. I’ve never seen a boy laugh so hard.

Apparently Gorman almost killed David today when David tried to pull Gorman out of a three foot deep hole. I would pretend that he had fallen in, but he had actually climbed in to get it ready for the rebar we put in it. I’m sad to say that we may not get to actually pour concrete tomorrow, but we have gotten more done than any of us thought we would.
We took the boys into town for ice cream tonight. It was a good trip. Some of the team had a better time than the rest of us. I didn’t realize the reason they wanted to go is that the ice cream shop serves “rum raisin ice cream.” There were a few who are very happy right now. God is good. We are developing good relationships with the boys. I would like to take a couple home with me.

Belize—Day 4

Last night, several of us gathered in the Rainey’s living room and enjoyed quiet conversation about plans for today. The engineer/construction experts talked about loads and diameters while the rest of us listened in and pretended to know what we were talking about. Terry and Sammy looked like they were about to nod off a few times, but then I realized I probably did, too. So we went to bed early last night to the sound of a steady rain. It made for a beautiful bedtime serenade; Tom Wilson, one of the missionaries asked if there were any leaks. He said if it leaked on my head, just move the bed. But what a mess. The mud really stuck to your shoes.

It is much hotter today. We have just finished lunch, and the sun is bright and high. We will finish up gluing the pipes together and will test the water lines this afternoon. The work is going incredibly fast. So fast that we are discovering some hidden talents amongst us. For instance, since we were doing so well, we let Mark McCurry, Kerry Hawkins, and Terry Glover (under the supervision of Joyce Smith) begin to tear out some ceiling and clean out some spaces to get the cook’s room ready to paint. That isn’t the hidden talent, though. We found out they were excellent at killing rodents: rats, gophers – you name it, they killed it. Even Joyce got in on the act. Lamar says he is not surprised; Joyce is the only woman he knows that can kill a snake with a fly swatter. That makes two of us – she’s the only woman I know who can do that.
Nikki Hawkins is teaching reading classes for the boys, and Amy Hill is doing a study on developing the habits of godly men. We were told this morning that all but four of the boys are professing Christians. What they need are godly examples to show them how to live the Christian life unashamedly. As I watched them during devotion time, I noticed that few of them actively participated in the singing – a mirror of what we saw in the church on Sunday. As in the states, it is the ladies who are actively involved, but it seems to be more of an issue here. The men hardly participate.

Well, we did it! The water lines are laid and they don’t leak! Praise the Lord! Even the sections that Gorman and Sammy glued are holding for now. We still have to tie in to the dorms and other buildings, but that shouldn’t take too long tomorrow. As we feared, the sun came out in full force this afternoon, but God blessed us with a nice breeze for a good part of the day. Everyone is doing well and looking forward to completing the task. We will work on the pad for the water tank tomorrow and Thursday as well as finish several other projects. God is so good!

Belize-Day 3

What a beautiful day—overcast and cool. We started off in light jackets, but by lunchtime, the temperatures had increased. Both nights we have been blessed with very cool temperatures and the amazing aroma of skunks. I’m not sure what we did to deserve them, but man what a smell. Someone told me that it was just Ryan Grisham taking off his socks, but I didn’t believe them. Sometime in the early morning hour we heard the bird that Lyle had told us to expect. His description was it sounded like a drunk in the gutter moaning for help. It sounded more to me like a cross between a rabid dog and an angry bear. Suffice it to say that I would not have wanted to be camping on the river when I heard it for the first time.

We got off to a slow start this morning since we needed some supplies, but we have made significant progress. Lamar Smith and Greg Johnson have stayed on the tractor all day digging trenches. Rumor has it that they have figured out how slow they need to go to make it last all week. We’ve laid some pipe and started gluing pieces together. I became Gorman’s assistant as we surveyed the elevation for the water tank. Someone asked me if I had become a surveyor, now, so I told them it would be something to fall back on if this preaching gig didn’t take off.

The boys have all made it back to campus and are helping us out. It’s fun trying to learn all their names and keep them apart – especially since four of them have told us their name is Marvin. I am surprised at how much the Belizeans are like us, but I guess people are people everywhere. And with the advent of television, we are exporting a lot of our culture to them.

The day is ending and we have accomplished a great deal. Most of the pipe is laid. We still have some short trenches to dig and pipe to put in there. We will also need to build the tower for the water tank, but that will happen in the next couple of days. Dinner was fantastic. I have found out that Gorman likes to crumble his cake up and put it in his soup. Sometimes you can’t figure some people out. Like why Sammy and Gorman would smear glue all over me and then tell me they were scared of what Sonya would do to them. The ladies are headed back to church for a meeting. The speaker for their meeting cancelled, so Amy is going to share her testimony. Overall, it has been a great day. Everyone is still healthy and happy. Thanks for your prayers.

Belize-Day 2

What a day! We were up bright and early for breakfast: pancakes and sausage. I won’t mention any names, but at Greg Johnson’s table, lots of pancakes were eaten. If we hadn’t had sausage, I might say they made pigs of themselves. Just kidding. The food has been very good, and the quantities have been more than sufficient. Our hosts, Lyle and Rose, are taking good care of us. After breakfast, we did a little bird-watching. The trees are filled with Green-headed parrots. We tried to take pictures of them, but we weren’t very successful. I think Nikki Hawkins got some good pictures of a few crows, however. Then we were off to church. The music was fantastic and the people were so very gracious. We sang for an hour and then I got to preach. Following church, we dashed back to the school for fried chicken, their weekly Sunday lunch. I think I could get used to that. Then some of us headed back to church for a block party while others stayed and got started digging. Fortunately, Lyle had a good part of the digging done before we got here. As we were driving out, I looked and our guys were doing their very best state-worker impersonation: three of them were leaning on shovels while the others supervised. They did work hard and got a lot done.

We had almost 30 Belizean children at the block party. Many were neighborhood children and not from the church. We did Bible stories, arts and crafts, and recreation. Mark McCurry tried to play a little soccer. Pictures will be available later, but Mark did a great job with the kids. It was back to the school for dinner and then back to church for worship. Randy Smith said he would fit in well at the church because when we got there at 6:55 p.m., no one was there. But by 7:15, we were up and going with a good crowd. We sang for over an hour, and then I got to preach again. These Belizean Christians love to praise the Lord, and they do a great job at it. They sing at the top of their lungs and put everything they have into the service. Pastor Cliff and the congregation were such a blessing to us. The young ladies who led the music were gifted and spirited and energetic. I’d like to bring them to Southside for a few months. So far, everyone is healthy but tired. David has had a little problem with his asthma, so please pray for him. We get started in earnest tomorrow. Pray that no one gets hurt digging and that God uses us to minister to the staff as well as the boys who will be back at the school tomorrow.

Belize-Day 1

Well, we finally made it to Belize. A little engine trouble kept us on the runway in Houston, but the flight was great. Gorman was a little nervous, but according to his seatmates, a couple of $5 beverages calmed him down. I think that was just a joke. But we made it just fine. It is an amazing place. Flocks of green-headed parrots flew all around us as we looked over the work to be done. They make loud noises, so Lyle said we could take as many home with us as we wanted. The sounds of nature are amazing. It is cool and crisp this morning. I am getting ready to eat breakfast, then we will head to church. I will preach for the first time this morning. Pray that God will use me as He sees fit. I believe that people are people everywhere, but I have never preached to a congregation that wasn't American. I have a message of hope and assurance. My desire is that God will use it to strengthen this congregation. The job ahead is large, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

God is good!

Exciting Days

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I posted. Time has surely flown by. Sonya and I were blessed to be in Memphis last week at Kirby Pines, a senior adult community, for their Crusade For Christ. I had the privilege of preaching on Thursday night. It was great fun, and the staff there was extremely nice. Thanks, Bro. Berry, for the invitation.

Next week, I am headed to Belize with our mission team. I am filled with anticipation and a little fear. Anticipation at the good things God is going to do in us and through us there. Fear in that I don't want to come back with scalp burrowing fly larva. I also don't want to embarrass myself by screaming like a little girl when the large tarantulas come out of the woodwork or by out-snoring Gorman. But most importantly, fear of missing the great opportunities that God will present to me while I am there. Opportunities to minister and to witness and to love unconditionally. It is going to be a great week, I know, because so many of you will be praying for our team. If circumstances allow, I will try to blog each evening to keep you updated on what is happening. And if I have any pictures of the scalp-burrowing fly larvae, I will post them for you to enjoy.

Your Priorities

Well, as promised, here is what I feel should be the “priorities” of every Christian. But before I give you my list, I wanted to share with you my heart. I was reading Ephesians 4 this morning which reminded me of my true ministry priorities. In vs. 11, Paul gives a listing of church leaders, and in vs. 12, he gives their responsibilities. What he says is that God has given to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers for the purpose of equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry and to edify the body of Christ. I was reminded by a dear friend this week that in the Book of Acts, the apostles refused to allow anything to distract from their two tasks: prayer and the ministry of the Word. In essence, my responsibility as pastor/teacher is to teach you the Word and train you to minister. Don’t panic. I’m not going to quit visiting, ministering, and evangelizing. I believe the best teaching method is demonstration. I teach you by modeling ministry. With that said, here is what I think your priorities should be:

1. Personal relationship with God – First and foremost in this priority is Prayer and Bible Study. I don’t believe one is effective without the other, and I know that we cannot be effective without both of these. Please understand that this priority includes every aspect of your personal relationship with God including your call to ministry, to meet the needs of others, and your responsibility to share the gospel. After all, Jesus said that “loving God completely and loving others as myself” summed up who we are as Christians and what we are supposed to be.
2. Your family – The Bible says that a man who neglects his family is worse than an infidel, so I believe that we must spend time with our families.
3. Leadership in church programs – We all need to be involved in making our programs the best that they can be. Your church staff cannot do it by themselves. Take your positions seriously whether it is teaching a class, leading a program, serving on a committee, or whatever it may be. Our church will only be what we allow God to make us.
4. Ministry to Southside – Please understand that ministry includes visiting the sick and shut-ins, ministry to members in need, and counseling/comforting those who hurt. Neither you nor I can do it all. But each one of us has been gifted spiritually to do certain tasks. Let’s discover our gifts and use them to do what God wants us to do.
5. Fellowship with church members – Fellowship is one of the five purposes of the church. We can’t be a “family” without getting together on a regular basis.
6. Community Involvement – I don’t believe it’s possible to be “the salt” and “the light” that Jesus called us to be if we are not involved in our community.

You may have noticed this list is very similar to what I believe are my own priorities. My friends, we are in this ministry together.