Wed afternoon an acquaintance called me up to ask if he could spend the night. That night. He needed to get to a meeting at our church very early. I told him that I would get back with him as soon as I talked with my wife (I’m trying get better at not making decisions without her).

As soon as I talked with Amy, we felt it would be a good use of our baby’s room right now. Just this week I took the bed out of that room, and so I simply put the mattress back on the floor, threw some sheets and pillows on the mattress and went to bed. Since he was arriving at 12 am, I left a key under the mat and then prayed it was him when the door opened at midnight. It was and so everything was fine. A shower and few bowls of cereal later, and we said our goodbye’s. Not really a big deal sacrifice on my part. But it meant a ton to him.

What struck me was one of his comments before he came, “I don’t know you that well (and he didn’t, but since he was a ‘legend’ at RTS-I did know all about him) and feel guilty about asking to stay.” Certainly, at the very least, a Christian brother, ought not feel guilty or even weired when asking to stay for the night.

I think most of us probably would have felt ‘weird’ if not guilty, if put in his same situation (though some of us would have asked a few days earlier). Why is this? Shouldn’t we be so gracious with our homes that people wouldn’t feel weird in asking? That they could approach us with their need? I know there is always a sense of weirdness when we display our dependence upon others, but some of it comes from the idea that a home belongs to ME. Sharing it with others is optional. Having others in it is optional. But its really not optional. We are blessed to bless others. Period.

Some folks at my church have astounded me with their hospitality (among other things like showing mercy to members in need!). Its challenged me greatly and for that I’m grateful. They’ve expressed to the world that their house is really not theirs to hog, but theirs to share. And its theirs to share, because they understand know God is responsible for them having such a home. Its His house, and they are the stewards of the house. All we have is ultimately His.

Things are always easier to share if they aren’t ours, aren’t they? A bag of chips, 6 pack of beer, kayak, money, etc…Well it should be the same way with our homes. And it shouldn’t be weird for renters or many (or some) ‘homeowners’ since the bank owns just as much as we do! When we begin to view our homes as His and not OUR own private sanctuary to ourselves, I think we’ll open them up more to others. I certainly need to think more along these lines, and I so I thought I’d pass it on your way.

As good as our speaker was at the conference, I could have missed all this great stuff if I had let some peripheral stuff he alluded to on Friday night bother me. He of course used the trendy word, “Christ-follower” instead of “Christian,” and had a misunderstanding (in my opinion) on the place of corporate (Sunday church) worship.

Lately I have found it incredibly helpful to learn from others outside our own theological camps without completely embracing questionable or distinctive doctrine. I’ve enjoyed John Stott, but I will not embrace his understanding of Hell (very questionable). I love and have learned from John Piper and Marc Driscoll, but I’ll not abandon my belief in infant baptism (distinctive). I’ve been challenged by Donald Miller’s Searching for God Knows What and Bill Hybell’s Just Walk Across the Room video series, but I’ll not embrace their soteriology (the how of salvation; not reformed-distinctive). Our comm group has really benefited from Hybell’s emulation of Jesus’ methodology of evangelism: being an actual friend to “sinners.”

I love Reformed PCA writers like Tim Keller and Randy Pope, but there’s a number of folks out there who will continue to challenge and encourage me. Yet I doubt I will ever depart from my Presbyterian distinctives. Nevertheless, the body of Christ at large has much to offer, even those who are outside your normal comfort zone. Perhaps even people who use trendy language like “Christ-followers” instead of “Christian.”

Last Friday and Saturday were busy days for me, my wife, and 3 appreciated and very helpful volunteers. We, along with over 12 other churches, had our annual Disciple Now weekend. Just like last year, Stuart Hall came in and delivered some incredibly relevant, humorous, and challenging talks.

The first night Stuart took a page out of “John Piper’s playbook (of course Johnny Pittsburgh as we call him ‘stole’ most of his stuff from Jonathon Edwards)” on having a deep passion for God. We have settled for less than God offers as we are far too easily satisfied (C.S. Lewis, and Jeremiah 2 if you want to get technical). Even our obedience has become duty instead of delight, and very often pastors can lead to that problem. So that hit me in the gut. But in the words of Mellencamp, it “hurt so good.” I needed it.

He concluded the final two sessions addressing the males and females, respectively, respectfully, but truthfully. Really truthfully. Guys were reminded that our specific struggle related to validating ourselves through what we do: am I good enough, do I have what it takes? Clips from movies like 300 and Saving Private Ryan helped illustrate his point. If illustrations are priceless, movie clips are one step better than that.

The ladies were hit the hardest for sure. He challenged them with the fact that women want to hear someone tell them they are beautiful, loved, cherished. And of course he showed clips from the Titanic, The Notebook, and The Wedding Singer.

Ultimately only through Christ are these deep longings met. Yet he reserved the sharpest criticism to young ladies who often ignore the fact they have been bought at a price, and have cheapened themselves in settling for less. Anyone who will look at them (he hit the heart issue behind the way girls often dress) or tell them they look ‘hot’ or will make out with them is who they will settle for. And this is so often the case, isn’t it? How many women settle for losers/deadbeats simply because they fail to grasp that Christ has already displayed their worth before the world?

This post was getting really long, so I’ll continue some more thoughts on it later. However, because of my leaders that I trusted, I was able to miss the talk directed at the guys. Instead I accompanied Amy at the Baby class and saw some disgusting slide shows and I learned how to put a diaper on a baby doll. My first. Seriously.

The church needs leaders who will step up and do the work of ministry. And my leaders did just that: leading group studies, loving on the youth, and having deep conversations with them. It was beautiful to see God’s church at work and how expendable I am! The more expendable I am the better.

Unless you’re completely out of the loop, you’ve heard of the “Polk County’s finest” who beat up another cheerleader. Wisely, one of them video-taped everything and so it appeared on You-Tube. I’m not sure if one of them posted it, or if the cops posted it afterwards. Feel free to let me know who was responsible for the posting.

Regardless, video taping their malfeasance was on the other side of brilliant. It really was. Beating up a helpless lass reminds us of the affects of sin on the heart. Videotaping it reminds us again, that sin also affects our minds. We are dumber because of sin’s presence in our world.

Sometimes we can limit acting on our stupidity by looking at history. A wise man (not sure who) once said that he who doesn’t study history is doomed to repeat it. These young ladies probably didn’t know about Richard Nixon and the Watergate recordings. I’ve done stupid stuff in my life (not stealing government information or anything like that), but Nixon’s mistakes certainly taught me NEVER to videotape myself in the act!

Studying Church History can really keep us from repeating mistakes which have already been dealt with in the past. They can also actively help guide us as we deal with philosophical, missional, theological issues for today. None of us will probably video tape ourselves committing heresy, but we can save ourselves from much error as we look to the issues which have confronted the church throughout its history.

This post is not meant to be polemical against any particular person; it was primarily inspired by some rationally challenged teenage girls who right now, have to be scared to death as they face life sentences for a few very bad ideas.

Here is a the link to my article from the Bradenton Herald. This time I have no ‘beef’ with them for changing the title. I forgot to give one. Maybe its just what psychologists call “learned helplessness:” subconsciously, why try when it never works?

Anyhow, they did leave out two particular sentences. Now these forgotten sentences didn’t change the overall point of the article. But they did however, in my opinion, perhaps, slightly alter the tone of the article. It sounded as though I think of myself as just as busy as the busiest person. That is not true, nor do I hope that to be true. Some people are objectively busier than others. That truth was left out. Nevertheless, the evaluative questions I raise in the article can, and I think ought to be asked by us all. I have to ask them regularly so that my calendar doesn’t fill up without thinking of relationships with my wife and family, (and soon to be kid), my church family, outside the church family, neighbors, etc…

For one of our Christian Ed classes, we will be discussing Tim Keller’s The Reason for God. It is a fantastic and easy read, and provides great insight not only for the non-believer to deal with, but also for the believer. We are constantly coming under attack from our own doubts, and so the book can be a helpful resource to strengthen the faith of the believer as well. For more info on the book, click here.

Keller, borrowing heavily from people who’ve gone before him (but expressing more clearly) operates from the pre-suppositional apologetic method. In layman’s terms, this is a method which assumes that people are holding on to some sort of truth already, but they are suppressing it. So instead of attacking simply with external evidences (they are not neglected but used to supplement), the questions then are directed at the unbeliever’s/believer’s doubts. Their doubts actually require a greater step of faith.

This method assumes that every belief, whether in God or human rationality has some starting point requiring faith (read Romans 1:18-ff). In other words, every truth claim is ultimately circular. How does one know that the scientific method alone can lead to truth? How can there be no absolute truth? Ultimately it’s circular. I believe that because it makes the most sense or feels right (faith in personal rationality or feeling). All claims come back to faith in God or faith in self to determine what is good, true, beautiful (what Adam and Eve did way back when). Proverbs 1:7 gives us the correct starting point: fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Keller tackles a number of common and specific objections to the Christian faith and shows that these objections really require a greater step of faith. A middle age (not middle-aged) Church father Anselm said we must believe that we may understand, instead of understand that we may believe (Aquinas). Keller invites people into the Christian worldview, which does make more sense of the world, and is what folks already somewhat believe (though suppressed).

Another Christian philosopher Pascal reminds us that “Submission-and use of reason; that is what makes true Christianity (Pensees XIII 167).” Of course the former comes first, and that’s why I have enjoyed Keller’s approach in The Reason for God.

I would highly recommend reading the book, but also listen to his lecture and Q and A at Cal-Berkeley and at Google. Here’s the YouTube of his Google presentation. Yes he actually got invited to speak at Google. How cool is that? If you want the MP3 format from either of these-I just listened instead of watching them-leave me a post with your email address. I’d be happy to send it.

On Tuesday, the doctor we were supposed to have went to a baseball game. That’s OK though because we really can’t understand what he says anyway. And he probably wouldn’t have let me do what the midwife did: use the doppler thing.

Now when you hear the word “doppler” you probably think weather. I did too. But this doppler thing actually is something doctors, midwifes, and folks like me (sometimes) use to check out the baby’s heartbeat. And in my humble opinion, it sounded like a good heartbeat. Its slowing down now to about 135 or so beats per minute. Of course I checked with the midwife just to be sure, but I knew what I was doing.

They have these doppler things on E-bay nowadays, but I figured I would probably rather spend large sums of money on the child when he/she is actually outside the womb. Nothing against the child or doppler things. Maybe its just me…

Someone called one of the morning sports talk shows I listen to on Tuesday. It was the day after the men’s NCAA championship and she wanted to talk some women’s hoops. Mistake number one. Apparently the Final Four was in Tampa this year. Who knew? Needless to say her air time was short lived.

Most dudes I know don’t watch, follow, or care about women’s basketball. My reasoning is this: I don’t want to watch a slower game in which layups make the highlight reel. I can lay it up. I can’t dunk. I want to watch people do something I can’t do (I know several women can dunk, but it doesn’t look nearly as cool).

Regardless, most men don’t respect what women can do on the basketball court. But when it comes to the church, men must be careful not to take the same approach. As much as I don’t like watching (I’m not arguing against its existence!) women’s basketball, the opposite could be said of how highly I view women in the church.

I’ve personally been blessed by women in the church throughout my life. Obviously my mother has played a huge part in my life, as has my grandmother. But there have also been some more obscure folks who’ve just been around me for a season. One particular lady about 8 years ago listened to me when I was at my lowest battling anxiety. And on another occasion she flat out rebuked me for speaking against my church. I’ll never forget that-I needed it!

Just thinking about my own church now, I’m thankful for all of the “women’s work.” In addition to shepherding their own children, women here have taken initiative in ministry, reached out to neighbors, led discussions and bible studies, mentored others, served behind the scenes, shown mercy to those who didn’t deserve mercy, provided me necessary encouragement at just the right time, etc….Without women serving in the church, we would miss so much that only women bring to the table. I don’t think I could be part of a church that didn’t hold a high view of women, and recognized the necessity of them being actively involved in the ministry of the church.

According to Randy Greenwald, last week we had an excorcism of sorts. Our friends with the spray paint were back to leave us a clever little message on our church sign: “Satan.” Actually come to think of it, they could have thought of something more original. A lot more original. Nevertheless, I shan’t judge them by their lack of originality. They’re probably just kids, eh?

Regardless, what was really quite encouraging was how one chap exorcised our demons (or the biggest demon of all) for us. He actually is a member of our sister church Cornerstone of Lakewood Ranch, and the reason we know this is because someone ‘busted’ him removing “Satan” from our sign.

He lived in the area and saw a need, knew how to erase the paint, and ‘got to it.’ Unprovoked, unasked, he just saw the need, felt the passion, and served. This ‘grassroots’ desire to serve is exactly what we hope to see at Hope, and at any church for that matter. People who see needs within the church and in the community, have a passion to meet those needs (and take some others with them), and simply ‘get to it.’

So in light of one of my posts a week or two ago, “We salute you, Mr. Unasked Satan Spray paint remover guy.”

If you are debating whether or not to have, or when to have kids, don’t go to the mall. Amy and I are having a kid, and are really excited, but our recent trip to the mall gave us something to think about. Or rather worry about.

First there were the teenage girls wearing long belts for shorts and giving their breasts as much oxygen as possible. I guess these girls fear that if their breasts don’t get enough oxygen, they’ll turn blue or something. But that’s really not true-they’ll be just fine if fully covered. Nevertheless we really did feel compassion for these girls. Seriously.

Next we saw many dudes that looked like, well, like I would not want my kid looking. I’ll never get the skin tight jeans that dudes wear these days. The jeans we saw even tapered at the bottom, just to make sure the ankles were included in the tightness.

We of course had ideas of how we wouldn’t let our daughter out of the house looking like that and how our boy could buy those tight jeans with his own money. But I really discovered a lot more about myself than just future parenting strategies.

Amy and I were expressing the difference between compassion and prejudice. For the most part (our motives are never 100% pure), we felt compassion on these girls because they had fallen prey to a worldly picture of how girls should act, interact, dress, etc…Their lack of clothes expressed more than a fashion statement. Jesus had compassion on those who had no shepherd but the status quo.

For the lads, I saw their tight jeans and immediately judged them. Simply by their appearance and nothing else. My evaluation of them had nothing to do with their heart. I was concerned my child would one day look like them. This exposed to me how I was way different than Jesus. He hung around folks who didn’t look socially acceptable. And he rebuked those who did look good on the outside.

So I had to repent and realize that while tight jeans are not my style, they are not inherently sinful. Not my taste, but not sinful like my own judgmental heart. Things I learned at the mall.