I flew out of northwest Arkansas yesterday, one half hour late because of the 1 inch of snow on the grass around the runway… landed in Atlanta and had 25 minutes to get to my terminal – T-03. After taking the subway to T-03, I saw that the flight had been moved all the way back to B-31. Both of these gates are at the far ends of their respective terminals. Needless to say, I arrived at the gate just in time to see my plane take flight.
I remember seeing that phrase on a license plate once and laughing. But sadly, that’s how many of us live our lives. We work because we have to do so. I think it’s one of the reasons get-rich-quick programs are so successful at recruiting people. We have a dream, for some reason, of being rewarded for being less productive.
I recently posted some thoughts about what discipleship looks like and that article was really the product of a recent men’s Bible study at Bethel. Every Tuesday a bunch of men get up and get to church by 6:15 a.m. for a pre-workday Bible study.
We opened the year with an open discussion about the meaning of discipleship and I found it highly encouraging. I wanted to pass along the audio in case you’d missed it, are interested in coming, or just need some inspiration about discipleship and men.
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It’s funny, you know, how a particular headline can grab attention. I’m guessing that some people are reading this because they like the idea of the man being the head of the woman. Others have their proverbial guns drawn.
Saying that the husband is the head of the wife is controversial in light of the modern emphasis on gender equality. The statement Paul made in 1 Corinthians 11:3 was controversial when he wrote it for a different reason – because of a lack of gender equality. You see, whether we realize it or not, Paul was arguing for balance in the marriage relationship. Let me explain…
Back in September, I mentioned that I was beginning a wild goose chase, meaning that I was beginning to read the book Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. I haven’t written an official review, but the short version is that I’ve been challenged since reading the book to break out of some cages in my life to keep pace with the Holy Spirit.
Now we’re studying Samson, one of the Bible’s wildest heroes. He messes up constantly. He takes a wife from the Philistines, touches a dead animal, sleeps with a prostitute, and gives away the secret of his power with God. Yet God chose him even before conception to “begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.”
David lived a rough life too, and he was a man after God’s own heart. Peter put his foot in his mouth continually, but God chose him to be the lead Pastor of the first church of Jerusalem. God likes wild men.
I’m attempting to begin a new habit – once per week I’d like to pass on a list of five great books on some subject. I’ll try to keep it up until I run out of subjects or books I’ve read. I’ll be passing on suggestions concerning subjects such as the Holy Spirit, the Church, Leadership, Theology, etc. and even a few study Bibles.
Al Mohler published a blog article today entitled Is the Abortion Argument Changing?. It’s excellent. At the end, he references a sermon by Russell Moore that makes the argument that Joseph (Jesus’ step-father) was a “single-issue evangelical.”
I’m fairly progressive. I’m quite forward-thinking. But when it comes to the issue of life in relationship to politics, elections, legislation, etc., abortion is still a deal-breaker for me. Am I a narrow-minded single-issue evangelical? Absolutely. Why? Because the whole time we’re focused on…
God is focused on the innocent. He always has been. He always will be. We can say “just look beyond this one issue.” As far as I’m concerned, that’s like asking the guy who is having a heart attack to focus on his runny nose. We have a problem for which God will surely pour out His wrath. They are ultimately his babies, after all.
And here’s another point: Abortion IS Racism! Read or watch…
Tomorrow we kick off our Men’s early morning Bible study at 6:15 a.m. I invite you to come if you have the time and can get out of the bed. It’s a challenging time together, in spite of the donuts and coffee.
This semester, we’re going to be studying from the book Because We Love Him by Clyde Cranford. It’s all about “embracing a life of holiness.” Frankly, it’s one of the single best books I’ve ever read on what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Cranford was a personal disciple-maker and spent untold hours pouring his living beliefs into young Christians.
He died prematurely, but not before making a mark on many believers and leaving behind this great work. I’d encourage you to get a copy (click the photo) and dive in. It’s life-changing.
Brandon is first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. He's a husband to Angie and a Dad to Ella Grace and Samuel David. He's a Pastor to Bethel Baptist Church, Editor of Fuel Your Blogging and also a logo and web designer.
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