Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Gross and Graphic

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I came across another thoughtful article the other day on the CNN belief blog called “My Take: Stop sugarcoating the bible.” Here’s an excerpt:
For example, look in any modern translation of Isaiah 64:6, and you’ll find that, to a holy God, even our most righteous acts are like “filthy rags.” The original language doesn’t say “filthy rags”; it says “menstrual rags.” But that sounds a little too crass, so let’s just call them filthy instead.
And let’s not talk so much about Jesus being naked on the cross, and let’s pretend Paul said that he considered his good deeds “a pile of garbage” in Philippians 3:8 rather than a pile of crap, as the Greek would more accurately be translated.
I’m glad to see someone recognize that the bible isn’t “proper.” It is so far from proper or an etiquette manual, it’s astounding. The bible has language, stories, characters, activities that are certainly not rated PG, but R. Let’s just consider the “language” part of it. 
Many people who think any use of any cuss word in any situation is always a sin often point to this passage in Ephesians 5:4, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
But the problem with such thinking is that the bible itself doesn’t pass it’s own “filthiness” test. Unless that is, filthiness means something different than gross or graphic. God inspires writers to write in such language that is, well, something. It’s raw. It’s earthy. It’s real. It’s gross and graphic. It’s filthy in some sense, particularly when it describes sin in sexual terms (Ezekiel 23:20) or menstrual rags. (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3). 
Ultimately what happens when we ignore the graphic language of the bible, we just get a safe, proper, black and white, Christianity where everything has an easy answer. We forget the depth of sin, the ferocity of the spiritual battle, the nastiness (crap, or S%$*) of self-righteous behavior. 
Don’t be too quick to condemn someone’s language that actually closely aligns with the bible. Someone once said in bible study, “We think we are the s%*^, but we’re really not; we are really more sinful than we think.” I commended this guy’s spiritual breakthrough. I think he finally understood the gospel and simply reiterated an expression more “Pauline” than the words “rubbish” or trash” our modern translations have substituted in Phil 3:8.
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You just never know someone

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Jim Rome radio interviewed Charles Barkley this week and the most interesting part of the segment centered around this question: “Were you surprised to hear that your friend Tiger Woods was thinking about becoming a Navy Seal?” Tiger’s old coach explained that this was actually the case, that he considered leaving golf for the seals.  Barkley’s pithy retort landed pretty close to real wisdom: “You just never know someone Jim.” 
Barkley had been friends with Woods for about 15 years or so and had no clue. You just never no someone Jim. I mean, did you think OJ Simpson would go out and kill people?
I think OJ probably gave those near him a few clues…but that’s coming from someone who really didn’t know him.
Jim Rome responded in complete agreement, particularly when it comes to athletes. We have no idea who they really are. 
Again Barkley commented, “You just can’t get to the know someone from sound bytes and interviews.”
I wonder how true the “you just don’t know someone” principle is in our churches today. Could someone consider leaving his/her profession and become a Navy Seal, yet none of his/her friends know that it was a serious option? 
Yep.  Much of church interaction is a bit more than “sound bytes” or “interviews,” but not that much more.
Gathering together for small group ministry of some kind in homes provides a great place to “consider” such options. In order to know and be known, you have to put yourself in places where it is natural and conducive to know and be known. However, you also have to take the step of faith and bring others into your “considerations.”
While it’s true we can’t know athletes, I do have hope that small groups can help us negate the statement: you just never know someone.

But that will only be the case if we choose to offer our brothers and sisters in the faith more than just sound bytes or interviews. We need to offer our homes and respond to the offer of homes. However, when inside the homes, we need to offer ourselves. If Jesus knows me and my warts and still loves me, I can be hopeful that His people will know me and love me. But even if they don’t-and they never will know or love me 100% satisfactorily-we can still be free to know and be known.

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Calling without "altar calling"

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No one has asked me why I don’t do altar calls. However, my step-grandmother (for a few months) several years back, did say she wanted me to speak at her funeral and “do an altar call.” I can’t remember how I responded, and I’m not sure that she has even remembered that request. But I think that we should at least have a robust reason why we do or don’t do them.
I grew up in an evangelical P.C.U.S.A. church which has a tradition of not doing altar calls. Yet I came forward to trust Christ at a revival-although I think they called it a “renewal” we had at that church. I think it was at this time when I was truly “born again.” But uncertain of my salvation, I came forward another time at a Methodist church altar call during a youth day camp. These are the first, but not last, “altar call” moments I can remember.
I’ve also “come forward” for different times of “re-dedication” or commitment to do certain things like commit to missions. I’ve never noticed any difference in my life after these times.
Ironically-or maybe not ironically-I felt guilty for not raising my hand “to be counted” among those who made decisions at a college retreat. Yet that was the time when my life most changed.
At the Gospel Coalition, they welcome folks to ask them all kinds of questions. This altar call question came up, and here is their response. All I’ve written is from an experiential perspective, and perhaps from a pragmatic perspective-(it doesn’t seem to “work”). There are other reasons why I feel uncomfortable with doing an altar call. But these folks say it just about as well as I could myself. So check it out here.
It’s a gracious response (a lot of Christians can be jerks when they disagree), not attacking those who do altar calls, but simply why it can be good or better NOT to do them, and what we can do in their place. Certainly when we preach or teach at any level, we have to continually call people to respond to the gospel, whether it be for the first time or the thousandth. I don’t do a very good job at calling people to respond for the first time-to become as a Christians-as well as I do calling Christians to come back to the gospel. Articles like these challenge me to not just say No to the practical application (altar call), but to recognize the correct heart behind it (to call non-Christians to repent and believe). Even though I disagree with this 18th-19th century invention, I am still challenged to intentionally and deliberately call unbelievers to repentance and faith.
Here’s on of the articles practical applications from a Baptistic point of view I think is worth thinking about.
Invite people throughout your sermon to “repent and be baptized” like Peter did in Jerusalem (Acts 2:38). But when you do, don’t just stand there waiting with emotionally charged music playing, staring them down until they relent. Rather, make several suggestions about how and where to discuss the matter further.

Check the rest out here. 

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Another untraditional QB

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Yesterday I commented on how I think God has lifted Tebow up, but has done it in such a way as only God can receive the glory-and then Tebow can bask in that. The polarization of Tebow stems partially from his outspoken Christianity.
But some of his larger critics are in fact professing Christians. Former Buc’s QB, Trent Dilfer is certainly one of them. I’m not surprised that “the Dilf” has taken issue with Tebow because he is a fellow brother in the Lord. I’m surprised that “the Dilf” has taken issue with Tebow because “the Dilf” was not a traditional quarterback either. Or at least not a “traditionally” good QB. You don’t typically win a Super Bowl and then get cut by your team soon afterwards if you are a good QB. Yet he did. Then he went on to Seattle, to Cleveland, to San Francisco. Traditionally good QB’s don’t pack their bags that often.
Yet “the Dilf” won a super bowl with the Ravens when his replacement couldn’t win games. The replacement the following year just didn’t work, and they didn’t enjoy the same success as they had with “the Dilf.”
“The Dilf” was far from a traditional QB because he wasn’t asked to win the game. He was told “to manage” the game. That’s it. Don’t lose it, just manage it. He was a “non-traditional” QB, who temporarily was lifted up despite his lack of “traditional” QB skills.
He was lifted up, winning the highest honor a QB can have: a super bowl victory. Yet he couldn’t boast in how well he played because the defense was clearly the ones who would receive the most glory. Lifted up and then humbly cut just months later. 
So that is why its so surprising that “the Dilf” has become such a Tebow “hater.” They are not only brothers in the Lord; they are brothers in the “non-traditional” QB family. 

When we forget that we’ve been lifted up ONLY because of Jesus’ good pleasure (even the good things we do are ultimately produced through His power-Phil 2:11-12), we will not only be prone to arrogance, but prone to disdain the grace and joy of others who’ve been humbly lifted up as well.

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Tebow, Israel, and when God "humbly lifts us up"

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Yesterday was a crazy football day. Not because the Bucs lost, again, which I think I should be getting used to by now (false hope is terrible!), but because Tim Tebow and his Bronco’s won again. He’s now 3-1 as a starter. The guy who most analysts pull against because he is not a “traditional” quarterback, is now 3-1 and his team is still in a play-off race. But only because of the weak division that is the AFC West.


He actually completed 2 passes yesterday. He was 0-4 in the first half and eventually finished 2 for 8. Yet his team one again. 

I really don’t think God cares that much about football. We see certain places in the scriptures that seem to suggest God does have a “special place in his heart” for widows, orphans, and the oppressed (Psalm 68:5). But it is also true he has a special place in His heart for His children the way any good father does. And he cares about their sanctification even more than their “success” (Romans 8:28). So that includes Tebow, as it does any Christian in the world or in the NFL for that matter.

And isn’t it funny how God shows love, how he both lifts up and humbles at the same time? You can’t get much worse than 2 for 8. Yet his team won. God lifted Tebow up, but he did it in such a way as he couldn’t rest upon his individual stats. God lifted him up in such a way that Tebow would know it wasn’t his efforts. And I think today Tebow is just fine with it. 

God has been doing this for some time. He lifted up Israel, and made sure they knew that they were chosen not because of anything IN them, but simply because, well, He chose to love them (Deuteronomy 7:5-7).

So he lifted up Israel, but not in the “traditional” way that He did for opposing nations-by sheer might and power. Remember, he had them shout down the walls of Jericho after marching around it 6 times. How untraditional? Frankly it would have been a quite humbling victory if they were thinking about “individual stats.” Shouting? A battering ram would have been much cooler to me. 

God lifted them up in victory and at the same time humbled them.

From what we can tell, Israel actually rose to power because there was a power vacuum in the Ancient Near East-similar to the AFC West division. It wasn’t Israel’s might and power that did it. And I would argue that was by design. 

The goal of God lifting us up is never simply so that we can be lifted up. It’s always His glory. And so when you are lifted up, keep looking in that same direction. There’s a reason that God lifts people up, and doesn’t allow them to have great “stats.” You can then freely bask in God’s glory instead of your own. 
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Jerry West and the burden of being thought a hero

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You’ve probably heard about how Penn State hero Joe Paterno has tripped over the wake of destroyed lives of which he has had a large part to play. No longer is he the hero. He’s the goat. And a sadder more perverse thing I cannot dream of happening in college sports. I’m truly “speechless” from my computer.


I would guess one of the more currently heroic West Virginia natives would have to be former NBA star Jerry West. Pretty soon it could be Andrew Luck, the Stanford QB, and probable number 1 overall pick in the NFL draft next spring. But for right now, the man who IS the NBA logo (or rather the logo is him), probably takes the cake. 


I listened to a rare impressive local interview with Jerry a month or so ago. Then this article came out a few weeks ago regarding Jerry West and his depression. 

Some people like to be heroes until they are eventually, like Joe Pa, dethroned. Many others simply realize that they are not heroes. Role models for sure, but heroes is much tougher. That’s a burden that’s quite a bit too heavy to carry. 

Jerry West’s new book West by West: My Charmed Tormented Life apparently reveals the darker side of Jerry and his struggle through depression. 

Most people writing memoirs/autobiography want more money. But probably part of the memoir/biography craze is a desire to be known. For people to know the truth about them, that there is more going on inside of them than what everyone else sees. It’s hard to be a hero because we weren’t meant to be heroes. We were meant to be have dominion over the earth and be “vice-kings/queens” but not heroes (Gen 1:27-28). 

There is one hero to the story and his name is Jesus.

Deep down inside people will suppress that truth, but they can only suppress it so far. The burden becomes too heavy and out comes the junk. I think that’s why people like Steve Jobbs can give the OK on books which make them look less than “heroic.”It’s why I would want my depression story in any biography of me (not quite sure that would sell though…) 

Any book written about you or I would eventually paint us in less “heroic” colors than much of the outside world sees. And that’s OK. It doesn’t mean we necessarily think less of the person, but instead that we realize that they still need Jesus. A lot. Whoever they are, wherever they are, they still need Jesus. 

The burden of perfect and outwardly respectable performance for the Christian need not be ours to carry. Even though I think we do bear more of the burden than we let on (by refusing to recognize our weaknesses and sins), Jesus regularly speaks to us through His word and says, “Enough is enough. Let ME carry that burden (Matt 11:28-30).”

You can let others know your mess and how much you need Jesus because you don’t need to be a hero. You don’t need people to think more of you. In fact, in the end, we find it far more enjoyable for people to think less of us and more of Jesus. Deep down inside, even though I don’t where West stands with Jesus, I think that’s what his heart ultimately wants.

In the end, Jerry West and Tina Turner have a lot in common. One sings, and another one says, “We don’t need another hero.”
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Sensitivity training?

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While I’m still not comfortable enough to place myself solely within ONE Christian counseling “camp,” I’ve recently been encouraged and become more and more impressed by the work of the CCEF folks. 


Here is an audio clip of Dr. David Powlison and Andrew Ray from their “Help and Hope.” It’s only 9 minutes long and an easy listen-not to be confused with “easy listening” music of course. You’ll have to get past their very quite, soft, and gentle voices that remind me of the ladies from the S.N.L. sketch “Delicious Dish.”


These two lads tackle an incredibly practical question from a listener to their show: “How can I stop being over-sensitive?” 

Wouldn’t that be nice? I think I can be over-sensitive at times and under-sensitive at others. In this short discussion, you can see that the answer is not to become more “thick skinned,” as Jon Gruden told his former player Keyshawn Johnson even though he was being “thin skinned” in his retort. Nor is the answer to let over-sensitivity rule the day and ignore the fact that sensitivity turned inward neglects Jesus. It is the best answer I’ve heard to date regarding this question.

I told someone the other day that I’m good at diagnosing problems, but not as good at providing the solution. I actually said it in connection to this very question. Now at least I feel more prepared at redeeming and embracing a gospel centered sensitivity. 

Here are a few notes I jotted down while listening to this helpful resource. I hope they will whet your appetite for a 9 minute dinner.
  • sensitivity is one of God’s greatest gifts
  • sensitivity turned inward takes God out of the picture and we’re left with you and me and what you think of me
  • thick skinned is basically the same as being callous; not a good goal to shoot for
  • Jesus is the High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weakness
  • We can turn sympathy tables around; because we are so loved, we don’t focus our sensitivity inward
  • The goal is to be safer in Christ and more thin skinned toward FOR others 
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Gospel Centered Risk

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I’ve had a heart for church planting for some time now. I can’t point to a time or day, but over time I felt convinced of the need for it, that it is the best way for the gospel to go forth and change a city. If you worship at Redeemer, you can’t help but recognize the need for church planting. At one point, not too long ago, there was no PCA, or even Reformed work in Teays Valley. Now there is. And there wouldn’t have been if God hadn’t called a man and his family to come up here. And take that risk. By default, you recognize the need for more gospel centered churches.

Church planting is a risk. Sometimes God calls us into risks that we don’t understand. Sometimes those risks work out the way we pray. Sometimes not. But we don’t receive a special wisdom from heaven that means we can figure out how to follow Jesus so things just “fall into place.”
We have to take risks. We don’t have to take risks because God won’t like us if we don’t take risks. We have to take risks, because if we don’t, we really don’t believe the gospel all that much. For instance, we really are free to fail-not have the desired outcome from a certain risk. We can try things that may or may not “work.” For instance, we can introduce a new ministry opportunity, and experience the frustration of no one or only a few showing up, and still wake up the next day with a smile on our face. We can be thankful for the none or the few. We can present the gospel sloppily, love someone much older/younger, ask a girl out who will possibly say, “No,” try our hand at teaching a class we don’t feel qualified, lead with some uncomfortable uncertainty when our leadership is needed, because the gospel reminds us that God’s love for us doesn’t fail us. Ever. Even when we sin.
When we don’t take risks, it says, “I believe I can fail, but I’m just not willing to find out if that’s actually true.”  It reveals an underlying disbelief in the gospel. And to really love a people, a community, a church is ALWAYS a risk. Always. You don’t know how your moving toward them will end for you. But taking risks is part of God’s design.
We can’t follow God without taking risks. And I’m not talking about stock market risk. Gospel-centered risk. Risking something for God’s glory that is so great, that without Him blessing it, it will fail. Here’s a story of great risk which one family took for the spread of the gospel by means of church planting in New York City. And it didn’t “work.” It “failed” in the sense that the desired outcome was different than the actual outcome. The church closed. It’s sad. But it didn’t really fail. The risk takers who partnered through their prayers, pocketbooks, and presence, didn’t really fail. 
The true story, as written by a friend and former seminary buddy, is amazing. It is a story of a pastor who loved, who took the risk of planting, pastoring, and then having to move on. 
Read the story. It will do your soul good. Here’s an excerpt.
But even as we move forward I don’t want to forget Flatbush and I’m grateful that my experience there will make it hard to do that. I’m most grateful that John and Kathy were willing to take the risk. I wouldn’t have done it. But then again I wouldn’t have so eagerly given up a kidney to a fellow parishioner. But John did. I wouldn’t have so easily jumped out of bed at 1 AM to drive the streets of Brooklyn looking for a kid from my church. But John did. I wouldn’t have joyfully tackled the endless laundry list of responsibilities that come with being a solo pastor of a church plant in an urban neighborhood. But John did. And so now maybe I will.
Why God allowed such a church to close, when he allows others to remain on life support because one or two wealthy folks go there, I don’t know. But this story challenges me. How much do I believe the gospel? A lack of risk-taking in life reveals a lack of not just faith in WHAT GOD WILL DO, but faith in WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE in the gospel. We can take risks if we are confident in what Jesus has done for us. We can “fail,” and yet not fail at the same time.
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When to tell someone, "This may not be the right church for you."

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I really appreciate my “facebook friend” (he might not be able to pick me out in a line-up of former Buccaneer quarterbacks Brad Johnson-I’ve been told I look like him-Rob Johnson and Josh Johnson) Ed Stetzer. Yet I could be wrong, because he is one my few followers on Twitter! Anyhow, he works for Lifeway Research as well as writes, speaks, and promotes church planting. Some church leaders  involved in leading church planting efforts like Tim Keller and Mark Driscoll do so from their senior pastor platforms, by writing, speaking, and forming church planting networks. Stetzer frequently speaks at the church planting networks, but is also personally assisting in planting a church now. So he has a special place in my heart, and has had such a place since I met him in a breakout session at the National Outreach Conference in San Diego 2008.

When it comes to planting a church-and I think this applies to most established churches as well but not to same level of necessity-leaders and committed core group members have to be on their guard for what he calls “Issue Christians.” Someone camp up to Ed after the service the other day and wondered why more churches don’t speak about “prophesy” in the way that John Haggee and Jack Van Impe do. Immediately the “issue” radar went off. Here is a pastoral response that really makes sense to me, and is probably more loving for both the “issue Christian” and the church.

Honestly, if this person were unchurched and told me they thought highly of Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer, I would have sought a point of contact and encouraged further discussion. I probably would have tried to get together– if they were open– to see what the Bible says about the kinds of things that Wayne Dyer talks about. I would have used the bridge to talk about Jesus. However, in this case, I simply said something like, “We are not one of those churches that you would think talks about prophecy enough– this would not be the right church for you, but I do hope your search for a church home goes well.”

You see, I don’t spend a lot of time with “issue Christians.” It’s not just the issue of prophecy either. I’ve had similar conversations with “issue Calvinists,” “issue political Christians,” “issue charismatics,” “issue homeschoolers,” and many others. These are often good people and those are important issues, but when these are the primary defining issues in the first (and every other) conversation, the correct response is help them move on and do so quickly.  

You can read more of his justification for such response here. But this is just one that stuck out.

3. Some “issue Christians” drift from church to church looking for willing ears–you do not need to let that in your church.
“Issue Christians” love to debate and display their knowledge. It is not good stewardship of your time to have these debates and you are not being a good steward of your church to let them loose inside.

Sensitivity to individuals needs is extremely important. When Jesus describes the people who are invited to his Great Banquet, he describes people in unflattering terms (Luke 14:21). We’re spiritually disheveled and dilapidated and desperately still in need of Jesus. As a result we welcome folks who are spiritually and/or physically in a similar condition. 

However when a church comprises folks who expect to come and have their particular issue coddled, preached about, encouraged, or enforced, it will not go well. Division will be next in line and all parties will end up bitter and the focus will be taken off of Christ and His mission. Thankful for the many pastors who care about Jesus’ mission so much, that they will boldly love and protect their flock and their mission field.
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Rake-A-Thon

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On Sunday afternoon, youth from our church gathered together for the 87th (that joke NEVER gets old-at least to me) annual Teays Valley Rake-a-Thon. We had previously solicited any folks interested to sign up or to let us know of needs in our community. Some folks took us up on the offer and we actually had a few ladies outside the church, as well as several folks from our congregation.


When I gathered the yutes together, I explained that what we were doing that day was actually just as “spiritual” as having a bible study. We gathered together to do this in order to apply what the bible actually says. I quoted them James 1:27 where “true religion” involves such things as this. I told them we would be visiting widows, or folks in distress, though we might not be seeing any orphans. 

The Lord blessed with us absolutely gorgeous weather, and a nice crowd to where we could actually split up into 5 teams. But perhaps even better were the attitudes before and after. Some youth were actually posting on facebook that they were looking forward to it. Crazy.

After we got back and looked at before/after pics to determine the winner, good feedback soon trickled in. One lady, tickled pink someone would come rake her yard, was blown away by the youth response: “thanks for letting us rake your yard!”

Another lady currently experienced a very serious traumatic event and was blown away that people she didn’t know would show such love. Jesus was in this for sure.

Below I’ve listed some reasons why I think these things are so important

1.) Unless you’re a Methodist church, your church may not be as good at mercy as you think. That’s a caricature of course. But many churches are heading in what I consider the right direction. Our church formed a women’s ministry called “Kindness in Action.” It’s just some ladies showing kindness and mercy to those in and outside the church. How cool is that? 

2.) You learn and teach not simply by “classroom” type study, but by actually doing. We want to teach our youth and families that God is honored with such activity by actually doing those things. As Presbyterians, I think we undervalue the role of “doing” in our teaching. Doing does teach. When you regularly choose to skip church because of sports or sleep or busyness or activities, you ARE teaching something. Equally important in Christian Education is this “doing” component. Even more, Tim Keller points out that as we serve our communities with our “hands,” we can really “work the gospel” deeper into our “hearts.” As we serve those in need, we begin to grasp the gospel even more.

3.) Regular religious instruction in this area has to start early. Our aim is not simply to keep the kids off the streets but to prepare them to leave the home. The goal in regularly doing things like this is to make service a regular part of their Christian lives from here on out. I can remember how a young Methodist girl involved with our campus ministry at Furman and help us better apply the gospel with our “hands” from the very get-go. As a freshmen she organized a service event for all. Connar and Jude, our 3 and 4 year old workers will only know (ideally) a Christian faith that seeks the good of others, not just a personal experience with God detached from community.

4.) When one’s Christian life actually makes a difference in the lives of others, he/she will becomes less burdened with the unscriptural mantra which destroys marriages, friendships, and other commitments: “God ultimately wants me to be happy.” Somehow, the whole, “Love God and Love others thing seems to get replaced with a God who promotes love of self and personal fulfillment. Somehow in this new Oprah-esque paradigm, God actually excuses sin because he simply wants us to be happy. Yet the ironic thing is that if we enter into suffering and don’t center our lives around self-fulfillment, you’ll find more joy. Most don’t get past the suffering part because God exists to make them happy and thus forfeit real joy.

5.) Community makes things more fun. I don’t have a scripture reference for this; but I don’t need one. We know this is true. Community can make a mundane job like raking leaves for others quite fun and fulfilling. Do the same thing in your yard, by yourself, well, not so much fun. Particularly when they are 100% your neighbor’s leaves…..