Good morning, everyone. I was planning on doing this tonight in our Prayer Meeting time to help us prepare for our Sacred Assembly on Sunday, but since we are not meeting tonight, I am asking you to help me through e-mail. I know that this will not allow for anonymity, but I promise that if you respond to this, I will be the only one who sees it and will not pay attention to who writes what. Following is a list of corporate sins found in the Bible and in many churches. Would you read through the list and tell me which of these you believe our church is guilty of as a whole. I know that you could probably select every one of these and be accurate, but would you pray and ask God to show you those that we as a church need to focus on in repentance. It is a long list. You can select as many as you would like. Just comment anonymously with your list.

LOCAL CHURCH CORPORATE SIN TALLY

Use the following worksheet to tally the responses of your leadership and membership.

___________ Abandoning God

___________ Anger

___________ Apathy

___________ Attacking Leadership

___________ Backsliding

___________ Bitterness

___________ Blinded by Tradition

___________ Broken Covenant

___________ Carnal Decision-Making

___________ Carnality

___________ Complaining

___________ Compromise

___________ Correction Refused

___________ Corruption

___________ Covenant-Breaking

___________ Covetousness

___________ Defiance

___________ Dependence on Men

___________ Destroying Leaders

___________ Discord

___________ Disloyalty to God

___________ Disobedience

___________ Disputing

___________ Disrepaired Place of Worship

___________ Distrusting God

___________ Division

___________ Doubting God

___________ Dull Hearing

___________ Empty Offerings

___________ Evil Hearts/Minds

___________ Evil Speaking

___________ Evil Thoughts

___________ Excessive Spending on Self

___________ Factions

___________ Faith Without Works

___________ False Dealings

___________ Forgetting God

___________ Forsaking Commandments

___________ Forsaking God

___________ Forsaking the Assembly

___________ Grieving the Holy Spirit

___________ Grumbling

___________ Half-heartedness

___________ Hardened Hearts

___________ Hearing Without Doing

___________ Horizontal Focus

___________ Hypocrisy

___________ Hypocritical Worship

___________ Idolatry

___________ Ignorance of God’s Law

___________ Ignoring God’s Discipline

___________ Ignoring God’s Voice

___________ Ignoring Leadership

___________ Image Consciousness

___________ Immorality

___________ Indifference

___________ Inferior Offerings

___________ Ingratitude

___________ Iniquity

___________ Lewdness

___________ Limiting God

___________ Loss of First Love

___________ Lost Respect for Marriage

___________ Lukewarmness

___________ Lying

___________ Meaningless Ritual

___________ Misplaced Trust

___________ Murmuring

___________ Neglect of the Poor

___________ No Fear of God

___________ Non-submissive to Leaders

___________ Partial Obedience

___________ Powerless Rituals

___________ Prayerlessness

___________ Prejudice

___________ Pride

___________ Profaning the Sabbath

___________ Quarreling

___________ Rebellion

___________ Refusal to Repent

___________ Refusal to Return to God

___________ Rejecting Leadership

___________ Self-Centered Fasting

___________ Self-Sufficiency

___________ Selfish Ambition

___________ Speaking Against God

___________ Spiritual Adultery

___________ Spiritual Deadness

___________ Stiffened Necks

___________ Strife

___________ Stubbornness

___________ Superficial Healing

___________ Testing God

___________ Tolerating False Teachers

___________ Treachery

___________ Turning Aside

___________ Turning Back

___________ Unfaithfulness

___________ Ungodly Alliances

___________ Unmindful of God’s Works

___________ Unresponsive to Leadership

___________ Wickedness

___________ Withholding Tithes

___________ Worldliness

A New Year's Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Are you coming back today? It is Rosh Hashannah, but you know that. It would only be fitting to start the Jewish New Year in heaven with you. The signs are all there. They are talking peace in Israel while all the world is aligning against them. Even the good old U.S. of A. is adding pressure to Bibi to make concessions. But that doesn't mean much because this great country has just about reached its lowest point of relevancy in her history: economically we are bankrupt; politically we are impotent; militarily we lack the courage to win; and spiritually, ah Lord Jesus, forgive us, but spiritually we are not even in the game. WE have allowed our morality to be dictated by liberal judges who don't even understand the concept of morality. WE have let them remove prayer and Your Word from our schools, and they are quickly removing them from the public square. WE have let them tell us that our unborn children are not humans so that it has become acceptable to murder the innocent unborn while they rest in what You meant to be the safest, most love-filled, space in the world -- a mother's womb. WE have let them change the laws, Your law, on marriage, and now men marry men and women marry women. How disgusted with us You must be. And we, Your people, called by Your name, called to be the salt and light -- change agents and preservatives -- have chosen to sit idly by and let it all happen in the name of tolerance. WE see it all happening and we bemoan the fact that this old world just keeps sliding farther down that slippery slope into the abyss of depravit all the while wringing our hands and wishing You would do something about it when You already have. You Already Have! You sent Your Son to die on the cross for our sins so that "whosoever believes in You" will be saved. You sent Your Holy Spirit to comfort us, to guide us, and to empower us to transform this world. And You have promised that in our darkest moments you will be the Light that shines in us and through us to not only illuminate our need but also to extinguish the darkness. And all WE need to do is to come together as Your people, humble ourselves before You, seek Your Holy Presence, and turn from OUR wicked ways of apathy and laziness and pride and selfishness and then you would heal our land once our sins are forgiven. So Lord Jesus, are you coming back today? Or are you giving us another chance? Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Come soon! Come today! Happy New Year!

Partnership Building

I read this great article, and I thought I would share it with you today. It speaks volumes as to what we need to be doing to reach people today.

Brad Lomenick on Partnership-Building

“Building a bridge is an art...I’m referring to building bridges in business, friendships, co-workers, mentors, and key partnerships,” says Brad Lomenick, director of the Catalyst movement of young leaders. In a blog post, he talks about the importance of connecting with those we work, live, and partner with in ministry, particularly in this culture where new relationships can be intimidating, and 15-minute lunches are common. The following are his thoughts on how to best build a connecting bridge of partnership between yourself and another person:

1. Love people until they ask why. Lomenick says your actions of love should speak so loudly that people “ultimately demand an explanation for why you do what you do.”
2. Prove your craft before asking for something. People want to know you are competent before they partner with you, and valuing excellence and execution is key.
3. Ask more questions than they do. Lomenick says asking great questions can be “way more strategic” than giving great answers.
4. Spend lots of time listening. “Once you’ve asked a great question, listen. And listen more. And listen more,” says Lomenick.
5. Find points of connection and shared interests, and be intentional. Make a point to discover the person’s interests, hobbies, and what truly motivates them. Then build on shared interests.
6. Follow-up. Lomenick says this is the most important step that everyone seems to forget. “Never assume that because you haven’t heard from someone, it means they’re not interested. They’re busy, just like you. Take the first step and reach out. And then reach out again.”

Brad Lomenick, BradLomenick.com, 7/2/10

How To Listen To A Sermon

I have stood before congregations large and small along with Sunday School and Discipleship Training classes to proclaim God’s Word on the average of 3 times a week for about 25 years. Figuring in vacations and guest speakers along with the times I filled the pulpit in churches where I was not the pastor, I calculate that I have done this about 3,900 times. I have seen just about every reaction possible ranging from complete apathy to intense conviction that resulted in some people storming out of the church and some storming into the arms of God. How is it that many of these different reactions take place with the same group of people sitting through the same message? I think it is because some people know how to listen to a sermon while others do not. So I thought I would share my opinion on how to properly listen to a sermon.

It is as simple as this; ask the right question. For example, the wrong question is, “Which one of these heathens sitting around me is the pastor talking to?” Out of those 3,900 opportunities to proclaim God’s Word, I cannot begin to tell you how many times someone has said to me, “I sure wish so-and-so were here to hear this. They sure needed it.” I am fully convinced that God knows who the audience will be for every sermon preached, so let God be God and let us ask the right questions. Another wrong question is, “What is that preacher trying to say to me?” I’m sure I’ve heard someone else say what I am about to share with you because I am not that profound, but the other day, this thought came into my mind and I cannot get it out: “To believe that a godly pastor would target individuals with a certain message is either the height of arrogance or the depth of conviction.” To believe that a pastor has the time or energy to search out Scripture and put together a sermon that targets you demonstrates a level of conceit that is almost mind-boggling. However, I know there are times when individuals hear a message that pierces their hearts and souls to the point they know that they are the target – and that, my friends, is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. So the right question that must come from an humble and honest heart is simply this: “What is God saying to me today through this sermon?” If you will ask this question, God will answer it every time, for His promise says, “Seek me and you will find me if you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).

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.