Forest Home

I'm taking Joy and the kids to central and southern California for a couple of days. We're going to stop off at San Luis Obispo on the way. We're going to look at Cal Poly, the mission, go to Pismo Beach, and then continue south for family camp at Forest Home.

I hope to come back with some fun stories to share.

Until then, grace and peace!

When God's Grace Shows Up

In Titus 2 Paul tells us what happens when God's grace - his love and power - invades our lives.

It prepares and empowers us to say no to sin of every kind. It trains and strengthens us so that we are the masters of our impulses and we are able to live healthy and holy lives filled with the joyful expectation that Christ Jesus - our great God and Savior - is coming again.

Christ Jesus laid down his life for ours so that he could set us free from the power and contamination of sin. Now we can be God's holy people excited and passionate about doing what is right!

What if we prayed?

On Tuesday during staff meeting we had an interesting conversation. I asked the staff what would happen if we were to grow - really grow - in our understanding and practice of prayer and dependence on God? How would our church be different?

The answers were interesting. Elsa said we would hear from God. Matt said it would change everything. There would be a sense of God at work. Tessa said we would have a greater sense of boldness and urgency in everything we do.

There have been times for me when so much of prayer has felt boring or like a long list of petty petitions about a lot of things that don't really matter.

I want to change. I want to be changed. I want to grow in my understanding and practice of prayer and dependence on God!

Strategic Planning

In his book Advanced Strategic Planning Aubrey Malphurs says that every church or organization has a corporate soul. Effective leaders seek to understand and tap into the core values that are the heartbeat of the church or organization.

Malphurs says that these core values are building blocks or DNA that explain why the church does what it does. And these values become the foundation on which the mission and vision are built.

As a single individual’s values explain what is most important for a person and what drives his/her behavior, a church's values explain the priorities of a church and what drives its behavior.

The Importance of Values:

Malphurs lists nine reasons why a church’s values are important.

1. “Values determine ministry distinctives”

Values define the culture of a church and the culture of the church is what makes it unique.

2. “Values dictate personal involvement”

The more an individual shares the values of a church, the more involved they will be. The less that a person shares the values of a church, the less involved they will be.

3. “Values communicate what is important”

A basic principle for people and organizations is that what is valued gets done. What isn’t valued is usually ignored.

4. “Values embrace good change”

This, of course assumes, that the organizational values of a church are good. If a church doesn’t have healthy defining values, it may resist change when God wants it to embrace change and grow.

When we have healthy values and we have clearly identified them, they help stir the decision-making process of defining good change.

5. “Values influence overall behavior”

What is truly valued gets done. If we say it’s a value, but we don’t really value it at a heart level, then it won't really drive our decisions and behavior.

6. “Values inspire people to action”

When a group of people share values it has a unifying and energizing effect that mobilizes a cooperative effort that results in greater impact.

7. “Values enhance credible leadership”

Leaders must articulate their values well if they hope to lead people in any kind of kingdom-building venture. If people do not know or respect the values of a leader, then the leader’s ability to influence others will be compromised.

8. “Values contribute to ministry success”

Malphurs says, “It is the organization’s ingrained understanding of its core values more than its technical skills that make its success possible.” (page 99)

9. “Values determine ministry mission and vision”

Malphurs says, “Just because a church decides that the Great Commission will be its mission does not mean that this will be the case. If the church does not value evangelism, then in reality it will have some other mission that aligns more closely with its values, whatever they may be. churches that are not evangelical or that do not value the Bible may have some other mission and vision based on what they do value.” (page 100)

Silver Spur

Today I drove up to Silver Spur Camp in Tuolumne. I'm having a good time connecting with some friends and hearing from God. Tonight we looked at Psalm 22 together. I miss my family and look forward to seeing them again on Wednesday.

Unity of the Spirit

Dear friend,

God wants us to understand that our assurance is based upon the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ and his, rather than our good works. He wants us to build our lives on the solid foundation of his word. He wants us to draw near him in prayer. He wants us to delight in him through worship - both personal and public worship. And he wants us to experience the kind of spiritual connection that helps us grow.

Unity of the Spirit is a humble and rich way of relating as the spiritual body of Christ on earth that creates an environment where people grow spiritually and the world is drawn irresistibly to him.

This Sunday morning we are going to talk about how we can practice, promote, and protect this kind of togetherness that can change our lives while pointing others to Christ in a powerful way. And if you are not currently involved in a 2:42 Group or one of our 2:42 Ministries like Advance Student Ministries, these are wonderful opportunities to build safe friendships where you can grow spiritually!

Warmly in Christ,

Pastor Gary
Ephesians 4:1-3

Turning 50!

Today I turned 50 and I am excited about the future!

Here are a few thoughts on my 50th birthday.

I used to admire people mostly for their gifts and intelligence. Now I admire men and women who finish well by following Christ and serving him for a life-time! Besides my parents there are several men who inspire me to want to be like them:

I admire:

• My father-in-law Vic: He is energetic. He gets things done. He loves to learn. He enjoys life whether hunting, playing his trumpet, fishing, reading, playing pool or golf, preaching, or writing notes to his family and friends!
• My uncle Jim: An evangelist who has invested his life in leading "forgotten people" to Christ whether serving poor African-American churches in east Arkansas, men in jail, truckers at truck-stops, or the aging in assisted living centers.
• Bud Hart: My pastor growing up, a faithful teacher of the word of God, patient and forgiving when wronged, energetic, lover of people, and always gracious!
• Paul Null: A man who has encouraged me, admonished me with great kindness and patience, challenges me to think about the true measure of success, and makes me laugh when I feel like blowing a fuse or telling someone off!
• Glennon Culwell: Faithful messenger of God's word and servant with the board of Next Generation Churches when most men are dead or waiting to die!

These are just a few men who have marked my life! Thanks!

I am grateful for:

• Every day I spend with Joy! My partner for life, best-friend, and wonderful mother of my children!
• Caleb: a heart tender for the Lord, loyal friend, scary smart, athlete, loves to excel, Razorback-fan, and funnier than many of you know!
• Casady: bright, eager to explore and learn new things, lover of animals, creative, witty, personable, fun, and makes a pretty darn good chocolate cake!
• Faith: a reader, adores all things beautiful, artistic, lover of people, friendly, compassionate, smart, and feistier than most people know!
• My parents, sister, in-laws (or as Joy's mom likes to say, my "in-loves"), uncles, aunts, cousins, and my friends spread out from coast to coast!
• Four people who said they wanted to surrender their lives to following Christ as their Lord and Savior this past Sunday!
• Good health!

I hate:

• Anything that looks or feels like quitting!
• Complacency about our spiritual lives or the status quo!

I am excited about:

• The future!

A few thoughts on aging:

• "You don't get old until you outlive your dreams!" ~I would like to think that I was the first one to say this. But my guess is that there are probably a few thousand people who said this before I did!
• "Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." ~Samuel Ullman
• "In dog years, I'm dead." ~Author Unknown
• "A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams." ~John Barrymore
• "Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read." ~Francis Bacon
• "I don't believe one grows older. I think that what happens early on in life is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates." ~T.S. Eliot
• "First you forget names, then you forget faces, then you forget to pull your zipper up, then you forget to pull your zipper down." ~Leo Rosenberg
• "None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." ~Henry David Thoreau
• "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

May the Lord bless you and teach you to numbers your days and gain a heart of wisdom!

Warmly in Christ,

Gary

Faith Venture

Dear Friend,

You were made for the adventure of walking by faith and seeing God prove His faithfulness in your life! A life spent doing anything less will ultimately leave us feeling dissatisfied and empty.

In Matthew 14 we read the story of how the disciples were on a boat in the middle of a storm. When Christ comes to His disciples walking on the water, His disciples were afraid. In verses 26-27 we see an interesting parallel between the reaction of the disciples and the message of Jesus.

"But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, 'It is a ghost!' and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.'"

When the disciples were terrified, Jesus said, "Take heart!" When the disciples said, "It is a ghost!" Jesus said, "It is I!" When the disciples cried out in fear, Jesus said, ""Do not be afraid!"

Sometimes it's in an area of great fear that our Savior wants to meet us in a special way. God doesn't want us to live in fear. He wants us to walk by faith. And this life of walking by faith is the greatest and most satisfying adventure that any person can ever embark on.

This Sunday we begin a new five-part series called Faith Venture. I believe that God has a special purpose for the life of every person. I believe that God wants to use you to make a difference in your world. And I believe that God's plan for you is more thrilling and satisfying than any action-adventure movie.

I hope to see you Sunday if not sooner!


Warmly in Christ,

Pastor Gary

Dear friend,

Over the last four weeks, two of my heroes have come to our church to preach for me. This has given me a wonderful opportunity to reflectively read the word of God and pray with a listening ear. Too often the weekly deadline of preaching another message pushes me away from slowly marinating in the word of God and letting Him speak to my heart and mind.

As I have been reading and praying in this manner, I have thought a lot about the future of our church and where God is leading us to go. A lot of writers and seminar speakers like to talk about the importance of setting goals. And in particular they talk about S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acrostic for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-constrained or some other similar variation.

In large measure I agree with much of what these speakers and writers share. But I believe in a slightly different variation. I believe that each one of us, as followers of Christ, needs Christ-honoring goals for our lives. I believe that setting goals and planning is prayerfully seeking to know God's heart and mind for our lives, rather than dictating to God what His will for our lives should be. So let me offer you a slightly different acrostic for S.M.A.R.T.

S - Specific, but giving God room to do what pleases Him most: Goals that lack specificity can leave us without a real sense of direction to guide our actions. But we also need to understand that as the heavens are higher than the earth so are God's ways higher than ours. God oftentimes chooses to work in ways that we would have never planned. When this happens, we need to humbly yield to Him.

On one occasion the apostle Paul was planning to go to a place called Bithynia for ministry (Acts 16:6-10). But then the Spirit of God redirected the apostle Paul to Macedonia. As a result of Paul's flexibility to the leading of the Spirit,  the lives of many people were changed in cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth. Paul's plan was to go to Bithynia. God's will was for him to go to Macedonia. Paul surrendered his plan to God's will, and today we still reap the blessing of reading the books of Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and 1 and 2 Corinthians in our Bibles.

Specific goals can be very helpful. But we need to balance this by being flexible and giving God room to do what pleases Him most.

M - Measurable and in measure with how God has gifted us: I believe goals need to be quantifiable. But I also think the measure we use needs to be in measure with how God has gifted us.

Not all of us are equally gifted, but we are all vitally important to our Master. And nothing that we do is unimportant to Him. No one should ever think that because we are not as gifted as others, that our actions no longer matter or have value to God. We need goals that properly understand our part in God's plan. And we need to faithfully fulfill the stewardship we have from God.

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells the story of a master who goes away for a journey, and he entrusts each of his three servants with a portion of his property until he returns. To one slave he gave a portion of five talents, to another two, and to the third he gave one. According to Jesus, the master gave them a portion of his property in keeping with their ability.

When the master returned, he rewarded the first two slaves for their diligent service and doubling the portions that the master had entrusted them. But the master was deeply disappointed with the third slave, because of his wickedness and laziness. The third slave had only buried the talent entrusted to him, and so he had nothing to show his master on his return.

What are you doing with the time, talent, and treasure that God has entrusted you? What will our Master say to you when He returns? Each of us has a holy trust from our Master. We need to use it in measure with God's trust to us. To whom much is given, much is required. He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.

A - Aligned: Our goals must be aligned with God's mission for our lives: As followers of Christ, we do not get the privilege of choosing our mission for our lives. And it is hugely important for our goals and ambitions to be fully yielded to His mission and plan for us.

God's mission is for every believer to be involved in the task of making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). God wants us to make disciples who worship Him, grow in Him, serve Him, and reach others for Him.

R - Rooted in Scripture and born in prayer: When our goals are rooted in Scripture and born in prayer, we can have a greater assurance that we are truly being guided by what is important to God and with the assurance of His blessing.

When we delight in God's word, when we meditate on it day and night, then we will be like a tree firmly rooted by streams of water. We will live fruitful lives. We will have spiritual vitality. We will be successful in all that God wants us to do (Psalm 1:1-3).

When we come to God in prayer, not "dictating" to Him our will for our lives, but humbly listening to Him speak to us through His word, then we will hear God speak to us about His plans and will for us (Eccl. 5:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; and Jer. 29:11).

T - Time-constrained, but with an eternal perspective: Although it is important for us to have timelines for our goals and a right understanding for sequential action, we also need to understand that God's timeline is guided by His infinite wisdom and perfect plan. In Galatians 4:4-5 the Bible tells us that in God's perfect timing He sent His Son, born of a woman, and born under the law so that He might redeem those under the law.

What about you? What are some goals that you have for your spiritual lives? If you don't have any spiritual goals for your life or if it has been a while since you have taken time for prayerful reflection on how God wants to work in and through your life, I would like to encourage you to take some time to listen to God with a humble heart and partner with Him in how He wants to work in and through your life.

Warmly in Christ,

Pastor Gary

Update On My Parents

Dear friend,

I want everybody to know how grateful I am for your prayers and concerns for my parents. Everyday they seem to do a little better. When I first flew in to Little Rock on June 10th my mom was unable to carry on a coherent conversation. But now she appears to suffer from no long term effects of her brain bleed. She is able to carry on a clear and lucid conversation, although she still gets tired very quickly. Her broken neck, fractured sternum, and broken ribs will take longer to heal. She still needs lots of rest.

My Dad is getting around well with a walking cast on his broken ankle and with the use of a walker. In about a week and a half the doctor will confirm whether or not his ankle requires surgery.

Recently I have been meditating on Matthew 14. One of my favorite stories of the Bible is how God took the offering of five loaves of bread and two fish to feed an entire multitude. Verse 20 says, "And they all ate and were satisfied."

It is amazing how God is able to take such an "insignificant offering" and multiply it to feed such a large multitude. This text points out to us that there really is no such thing as an insignificant offering. And there is nothing that God can't do when we sacrifice what we have for Him to use for His glory.

In the summer months it is not unusual for giving to take a dip in many churches. I want to remind you that your offering is not insignificant in the Lord's eyes. Bring what you have to God and let Him multiply it to meet the needs of many. Perhaps because of your faithful offering to God, heaven will declare, "And they all ate and were satisfied."

Warmly in Christ,

Gary