Category: Evangelism

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Forgiveness, Grace, Leadership, Life Inspiration, salvation, Youth

Where are the Accusers?

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chick rock

“Woman where are those thine accusers?” – John 8:10b

Last night I was the woman standing in the midst… of five little girls. I say little, and yet not so little, they were young teens. Actually I was sitting, playing and teaching guitar. One of the girls had recently attended a revival where I had sung a song I had written called “When Misery Met Mercy,” and she asked me if I’d sing it for them. What an honor! And an opportunity. I began to tell them the story of the woman caught in adultery and they were amazed. They’d not heard that story, nor had they heard that adultery was wrong. I’m shocked at my own naivety sometimes. I grew up with the teaching of bible morals and I just assume that the rest of the world at least knows, even if they choose to ignore it. But the shock in the young girl’s voice was evidence clear in my mind that she really had no idea that adultery was a sin… and for a second I judged…

Not her but the world around her. And then this morning I ponder this thought, and I am convicted of my own rock throwing. It’s so easy to become that religious crowd. An honest to goodness rock throwing Pharisee is what I felt like.

In irony, the night I sang that song at the revival a man preached who was fighting his way back from addiction, which was almost as hard as fighting his way back from the judgement of rock throwing Pharisees. And that night I was angry at the church people who had thought they had the right to sit in the seat of God and tell a man who has fallen, but gotten up, that he has no right to stand for Jesus. Who were they to condemn a man Who God had said “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11b

Who am I?

Jesus said to the crowd that lingered behind, the ones who hadn’t picked up the stones, they were only spectators, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” And there I was a child of the living God, privileged to walk in the light of life and yet blinded to the world around me. I was a spectator. I didn’t throw the rock, but I sure didn’t feel as if I’d been defending that little girl either. I did not know her world, and yet every day I live in it.

I have no right to judge her world, especially if I’m not willing to go out into it. The religious crowd goes out into the world and drags the sins of the world before the church and says “We are better!” A child of God goes out into the world and says “I am you… the only difference is I’m forgiven.”

And then they share forgiveness.

No rock throwing for me today… just tears of compassion. Please continue to pray for our camp.

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Telling people about Jesus is my Superpower – what’s yours?

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chick power

Yesterday afternoon I met with a small group of our Sunday School Teachers and the Pastor for an appreciation luncheon and kick-off to the fall programs. Sunday School Teachers are my heroes of the faith. As a young girl moving into a new community, it was a Sunday School Teacher who also worked for the Board of Education who made me feel welcomed and loved both at church and school. I grew up in the ranks (literally) in the faith by starting out in pre-school and working my way up through each grade level into the teen class where I’ve been for ten years or so. I’ve watched the eyes of a toddler sparkle as they learned a simple song about Jesus and then watched a teens eyes sparkle when they learned to tell someone else about Jesus. It’s an amazing transformation to go from just an average citizen to a Superhero!

Hebrews 1:1-3

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The Privilege of Sharing Hope

Not everyone is cut from the Sunday School Teacher fabric, but there is no doubt in my mind that there is some fabric draped over the seat of church pew failing to listen to God’s calling on their life. In so doing they’re missing the opportunities that God has set before them one of those opportunities is to share hope. Adults can get so caught up in the bad news of the world that the Good News is overlooked. We take our own salvation for granted as a generation of children, churched and un-churched, are growing up without hope. Yes the world is bad… but God is good.

It frustrates me as I see parents battling behavior issues and attitudes, of which many could have been taken care of during the Sunday School and Worship hour. Are there misbehaving children in church? Of course! Multitudes of them. Many of which who have been in church since the week they were born. But the difference is made in the foundations that are laid during those times. Yes it’s hard, yes it’s sometimes embarrassing; but realize that every church going parent has been there. During those precious hours that your child is in Sunday School and Church, those Heroes of the faith are instilling foundational truths inside of your child that if they are continually nurtured and encouraged will give great joy to your heart. What joy it is to know that if Jesus returns your family will be together in Heaven! There is peace in the unknown. Not knowing is heartbreaking.

God’s Report Card

The elders obtained a good report. Are you excited for report cards to come out? I never was as a child but I’m looking forward to the one that God has waiting for me. There will likely be some things in the comment section that says I could have done better. But when the grades are shown I think I’ll get a “P” in every class for pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus ~ Philippians 3:14.  

  • Pre-School (P)
  • 3rd-5th (P)
  • 6-8th (P)
  • Senior High (P)
  • Life (P)

Press on pilgrim! And if God’s been pecking on your heart to share Christ through serving in your local church, don’t deny yourself the blessing!!!

Our Sunday School Worker Luncheon was a blessing! And I had the privilege of celebrating my Super Heroes with a Superhero themed day. The links below are some of the designs I gathered from Pinterest ideas and a few of my own and the tools to help you create your Superhero day too!!!

I gave each Sunday School Teacher and youth worker their very own Supehero name. I really put a lot of thought and prayer into this as a blessing for myself. I thought about the various characteristics of each person and what made them an awesome servant of God. I used those characteristics to search for scriptures that would serve as a reminder to us both and then gave them a hand made I.D. Card. They loved it and it was great fun!

Super Hero tight bags where too cute! Another Pinterest idea using white gift bags and craft papers cut and glued in place. I filled them with appreciation gifts and the tootsie pop buy below.

I 

superhero sucker capes were printed on card stock and hot glued to a tootsie pop.

superhero cupcake toppers were a hit! I picked up toothpick toppers from Walmart and hot glued my printed cartoon actions on top. Easy Peasy!!!

Superhero Shield fruit tray was a Pinterest idea. They used marshmallows or cheese cubes to add a circle of white between the fruit. I opted for just fruit and used vanilla yogurt in the center. Makes a great stress free dip! We also served Pizza, but if I would have had more time to plan I think I would have done hero sandwiches 🙂

$1 Lanterns and a little hot glue and craft paper.

And finally my Victory Sunday School Worker Luncheon Power Point. It may or may not be suited for your church, but it’s got some great images on it and you can tailor it to your needs.

 

Posted in Christian Service, Church Unity, Evangelism, Grace, Leadership, Life Inspiration

The Ugly Side of the Church

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chick pork

The Ugly side of Christianity. Why that was on my mind this morning I do not know. I actually haven’t dealt with it for a while. “There’s an ugly side to Christianity,” you ask? You likely didn’t because we all know it’s there, it’s just usually not the topic of conversation unless someone’s upset, and then it’s ugly! Well let’s just say up front, I’m not upset. I’m just tired…

I’m tired of the church focus being far left, far right and the ones in the middle make God and I both puke. I’m tired of Methodist, Presbyterians, Catholics, Pentecostals, and yes my own beloved Baptists. I’m tired of  Bapticostals,  Presbythodists and yes those are made up names, but let’s just call it like it is, the church of the living God didn’t have a name over the door when it came to be.  Acts 11:26 said “the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

There are some very notable characters in the eleventh chapter of Acts.

The chapter begins with Peter witnessing the first Powerpoint presentation on earth. It’s true! Verse 5 says “I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:” Clearly that was an automatic screen! And upon it was a sermon outline for Peter.

Vs. 6-9 ~ Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

Point number 1 – It’s all good. Even bacon.

Point number 2 – Let’s argue about it.

Point number 3 – I said Shsssh. Eat more pork.

Okay… that might be a stretch, but it’s in there. Peter had been preaching and teaching Christ to the Jews. He loved his people, and there’s nothing wrong with that! I love my people… But God was about to take him outside of his comfort zone into the land of the Gentiles and those people eat bacon!  For us that argument sounds silly, but for a man brought up to have no communion with those outside of the Jewish faith, this was a huge deal and the church folk were upset and demanding answers. So Peter answered and not only that, he brought witnesses, those who had been saved as God had said they would. I won’t expound on that I just encourage you to read the book for yourself.

But here’s my point. Peter stopped labeling people and just viewed the people as sinners needing saved by grace. And through that preaching and acceptance that God’s grace belongs to all people, the word of God went further and the church grew.

Now… I’m not suggesting that we all link arms and sing Kumbaya. I’m not saying we ignore sin.  But it’s time to eat more pork, or chicken or just cut a slice of bread in two and agree that even though we may differ in some ways, those  of us who preach Jesus, crucified, risen the third day and the only way to Heaven can love on one another outside the church.

Let’s get rid of the ugly side of the church, it’s so unbecoming. Preach Jesus! Love one another… it really is a Great Commission!!!

Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

IT’S THE SEASON OF VBS!

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chick crayonThere is for certain a soldier within me, and if you strive to serve the Lord there is no doubt one within you too. Every day – day in and day out we’re on the battle field; however some days our weapons are crayons and glue. Those are serious tools in the ministry if you are a Sunday School Teacher. The subtle words that are uttered during a coloring session in the preschool class are the foundation for which ministry leaders are born. As we advance into early elementary we’re introduced to scissors and it is there that the Lord begins to cut a servant from the cloth of ministry. Markers are mayhem for middle-schoolers but as they create with newly discovered boldness it is also a time that they become vocally bold, for good or bad… they   want to be heard. Crayons and markers are childish tools in the hands of Junior and Senior High, or so they think until you show them that they no longer have to stay within the lines but can cast their own vision on the paper and go places they’ve never been before.

These are my thoughts as we prepare to go into Vacation Bible School at Victory Baptist Church this week. I’ve once again been on the edge of exhaustion and was about to give way to it today until these words rallied my mind. Exhaustion is a dangerous thing. It allows Satan to bully his way into your mind and get your mind off God’s intended purpose, sucking the creative fun right out of your world like a giant vacuum. Thursday of this week I was to the point of going through the motions of ministry as we so often to do because it has to get done. But Friday came and I’d had a little rest under my belt and renewed my vision as the stage was set for VBS! Suddenly my adrenalin was moving again.

The puppets were stage center. Their little lifeless bodies, or in the case of Kodijack the Bear’s big body, were propped up into position for the children to see on Sunday morning and like a kid with my first box of markers I found myself ready to make stuff happen! This is a week that we rally the troops; people who generally don’t teach, do. And kids who generally don’t come, get to and it’s an opportunity to stir hearts for Jesus and hopefully by week’s end our people will come to life like those puppets do when someone takes control.

Bring on the Holy Spirit and let’s have church! Yes I have big expectations! The battle is raging when Satan sees the church getting excited for any reason, even crayons and markers.

1 Corinthians 1:27

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

The world sees no power in crafts and crayons. But put it in the hands of a child and not only is their soul touched for Christ, but quite possibly the adults in their life will see Christ through the eyes of that child and have a desire to know Him as Savior.

And the weak things might just be the VBS leaders who have come home from their day job tired and exhausted and have two hours of rowdy VBS children before them and they’re not sure it’s going to end well. But it does! Because in their weakness they are made strong in the eyes of a child who may not have ever known love until a VBS worker introduced them to the love of Jesus.

Yes I have big expectations because I serve a big God, and I want the VBS workers of Victory Baptist Church, (or your church) to know that crayons and markers may be washable but the blood of Jesus is eternal and so is the difference you will make in their lives. I hope you’ll pin 1 Corinthians 1:27 on your wall this week and that you’ll act like a fool for Christ!

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Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Take Heed Church

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CHICK WORDS

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. – Acts 20:28

I truthfully don’t believe that those who lay out of church read my blog, and I’m totally not offended. I’m quite certain that they likely don’t spend much time with other Christian writers either, they’re just not into it. So I have to ask myself a few questions this morning:

Why they are not in church?

Why they are not convicted about not being in church?

How do we reach out to them?

Acts 20:28 breaks it down quite nicely for me.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves

If I’m spending my Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday night performing a role call in my head, I’ve missed the point of attending church. That’s what I needed to hear! Because I do. I don’t do it in condemnation (okay that might be a lie)… I don’t want to do it in condemnation, I am honestly concerned for their spiritual wellbeing and I miss them. But then the flesh kicks in occasionally and I get all pious and holy and miss the whole point of me being in church which is to improve my relationship with Christ and give me the tools to make it through the week; because it’s work to make it in this world. So my first responsibility is to make sure I’m covered spiritually and if I truly did that there would be no condemnation of those who didn’t make it.  But then I’m to

Take heed to all the flock

Once I’ve gotten what God needed me to get I need to turn my attention to the flock. I do that by listening to the Holy Spirit. I cannot oversee the entire lot of the missing masses of church members; which is my issue. I see the number missing and don’t know where to start! What I need to do is pray and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on who I can encourage this week. One or two will do! Imagine if each leader in the church took one or two, how much quicker we would cover the entire missing mass and in so doing we would serve the way God intended us to, which is a unified body of believers concerned for the welfare of one another. So simple, yet so seldom done.

Feed the church of God

We’re a malnourished generation. We spend so much time doing and so little time digesting the Word of God and applying it to our lives. If we ate literal food the way we feed on the Word of God we’d have been in the grave long ago. That goes a long way to explain why the church is so dead. So how do we feed those who refuse to come to the table? One spoonful at a time every chance we get.

Social media is an awesome tool to post scripture, but it’s by far not the only way. I cannot count the times I’ve been encouraged by a card, note, phone message or email that had a scripture included. Every time we correspond with friends and family a scripture should be noted. Our words of encouragement are awesome, but God’s are powerful!

Luke’s final thought was God’s final words on the cross. It is finished. His blood bought the church and it is His blood that cleanses each one of us from all unrighteousness. Spread the Word!!!

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Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Grace, Life Inspiration

Are they glad you’re gone… or did you leave them longing…

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chick longing

Good night a mighty! I’ve seen so many Christians tear down the body of Christ with their words and actions that there’s nothing left but the knee caps! Praise God… at least they can still pray. This is where my mind was when I awoke this morning in frustration. Coffee did make it a little better, but didn’t make the thought go away. Just so you know up front… I’m a Christ lovin’, Church goin’, Hymn singin’, Bluegrass pickin’, Blood Bought child of God, Saved by Grace through Faith alone, and not one bit concerned about what denomination you are so long as you have those last two in your statement of who you are as well. I’m not here to argue, I’m here to edify and encourage the body of Christ. When you leave my presence I want to have added something to your life, not taken away.

Ephesians 4:11-12 says:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

To edify is to educate, illuminate, inspire, and nurture. Nowhere in its definition, nor biblical intention does it tell you to make someone feel like a dirt dog because they don’t believe as you do. That attitude will only serve to drive them away, which may not be a bad idea…Am I on a soapbox today? Oh possibly. Will the person who needs to read this see this post… probably not? My point of this ramble this morning is to encourage you to share Christ’s love and encourage someone today with your presence.

God said He sent us into the world with those job descriptions with a three fold purpose:

1 – Perfecting the Saints

We’ll never be perfect in these fleshly forms, but we are perfect in Christ Who is perfect. To perfect the saints is to bring them out of being babes in Christ to adulthood, ready for service on their own. It’s where I feel most churches are failing miserably and that’s in discipling young Christians , training them how to serve God and being an encouragement in their lives. So when they meet a negative Nellie of the faith that tries to suck the life out of them by pointing out their faults and failures, they’ll be spiritually prepared.

2 – Work of the Ministry

It is a labor of love, but it most assuredly labor! Working in the ministry is a 24/7 job whether or not you are full time ministry or a Sunday go to meetin’ kind of Saint. Somewhere within that Ephesian 4 description is your job title; now it’s between you and God which one it is.  But for certain it’s our job to tell someone about Jesus!!!!

3 – Edifying the Body of Christ

Back to my soapbox… who have you encouraged today? When you leave their presence are they longing for more… or glad you’re gone. I hope that I left you longing…

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Is Your Light Still Shining?

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CHICK LIGHT

On my heart again this morning was the scripture from yesterday’s blog in Judges, Chapter 9; so off I went in pursuit of more information on that matter… which lead me to other places…people… things. All of which brought me back to Judges 9 and the pursuit of God’s will for our lives and leadership.

The character of Abimelech (which evoked Jotham to share the parable of the trees) is one of seventy sons belonging to Gideon. Yes… the same Gideon who we love to tell the story of from Judges 6-8 and his victory over the Midianites. But the story of what happens in Gideon’s life after the great victory is not one for the wall of fame… at the end of Gideon’s life the people tried to make him King (which he refused, because God alone is King) Thumbs up for Gideon. But he did allow the people to put up an idol for himself, which the Israelites worshiped. Committed fornication with the bible says, meaning they had an affair on God with Gideon’s image… Thumbs down!

How do we get so far?

Judges 8:23-27

And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.  And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.  And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

Gideon didn’t have those 70 children with one gal… which means he likely had many wives and concubines and his sites were not centered on God. So much so that by Judges 9, we find his son Abimelech conspiring with the people of Shechem to capture and kill his brothers so that Abimelech could become King. The failure of one generation in leadership can create deterioration of the next generation’s morals to the point of destruction. I believe we’re living in those days.

Gone are the days when children have the numerous godly role models that we were blessed to be brought up with; people who knew and took serious their station in life. And it’s a proven fact that if one generation accepts something as “the norm”, the next generation embraces it and also promotes it. But this can also be said of good role models as well; although it’s harder to overcome the negative effects of the world.

So this is where I see myself captivated by the tree parable. I have a station in life, given by God, to be a role model and an encouragement to women and children. If I leave that role… going after the world… those that I was intended to influence for good will now have the power of evil to influence them in my stead. Because where light is absent, darkness takes hold.

Where did God call you to be? Is your light still shining?

Posted in Christian Service, Church Unity, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

5 Ways to Grow God’s Kingdom

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CHICK COFFEE

1 – Pray Genuinely

Nehemiah 1:6

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

If we’ll all be honest, none of us have lived as close to the cross as we should have. Nehemiah takes this petition to the Lord in all sincerity that he and his fellow church folk are about to take some drastic steps to get right with God in order to get the Nation of Israel back under the protection of God’s mighty hand. I believe that if the remnant of the church in America followed Nehemiah’s suit, we too would be back under God’s hand.

2 – Pray Reverently

Nehemiah 1:11

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

Nehemiah desired to fear God’s name. I believe that the church is no longer afraid of God. We’ve forgotten His power, and in so doing we no longer prosper. I can only speak for myself but I know that if I truly feared God as I should I’d serve Him better. I do not speak of fear in the sense of hiding under the bed, rather I speak of the reverence of His awesome power. He spoke the world into existence, His breath is life (and death). At His command our enemies can only go so far and yet we take the least amount of time possible to commune with Him in the course of a day. We  do not fear Him. We fear His wrath when things go wrong, but when things are right we just “assume” He’s got us and move on.

3 – Prepare for Action

Nehemiah 2:5

And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.

The problem with reading or writing a blog such as this is once its written there’s an unseen “The End” as we complete the reading. We’ll say “Ain’t that the truth!” and then we’ll pour ourselves a cup of coffee, and go about our day unchanged. When Nehemiah got a burden to see his city restored, he prayed about it, and then come what may, he sat into action the plan to make it happen! By even going into the presence of the king with a sad countenance he risked death, but that didn’t deter him from following through. What risk are you and I willing to take to rebuild our church? And will we follow through?

4 – Prepare for Adversity

Nehemiah 2:19-20

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?  Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

Stepping out in faith will get you laughed at and despised; either because they’re against what you believe or they don’t have the gumption to step out and do it themselves. And the bigger the task you have before you the bigger the enemy.

5 – Put Your Differences Aside

I won’t list a scripture reference for this point because it would take the entire third chapter. It’s the “And next unto him’s” that got my attention. Israel came together, different tribes, different families and began rebuilding the wall. My greatest frustration right now with the Church of God, and that’s the Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc. say they serve the same God, but you’d never know by the way we serve. Christ did not die for Baptist alone… and yet there are some Baptist that secretly believe that, and every other denomination. In these end times that we most likely all agree we’re in, when the world is running out of time before Jesus returns, we should be laboring to get souls into Heaven, not pointing out what another church is doing differently (therefore in error) to a non-believer. How on earth will they get saved?

Tell them about Jesus. Build the wall around your community and get as many people into the Kingdom of Heaven as you can. If they go to another church, give God the glory that you’ll see them in Heaven when we all belong to one church.

This is why the church is not prospering, we’re too busy disagreeing.

One wall was built around Jerusalem. Lots of gates, lots of different jobs to do, but only one wall. We have only means of protection for our friends and family and that’s Jesus Christ. Preach Jesus… get your people behind the wall and let’s serve together until Glory!

Put your coffee in a thermos to go, we have some work to do!

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Grace, Life Inspiration

Incarcerated by Life?

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chick freedom

My friend Chief Eisley was about to preach the Word of God at a State Dept. of Corrections facility after I had sang and listened to the DOC Choir. My heart was full and overflowing. I love these guys because they love Jesus. It’s not jailhouse religion it’s an honest to goodness meeting with the Holy Ghost in a “controlled environment.” With God in control! As Chief began to preach I realized that my Bible (which is on the same iPad my soundtracks are on, was on the platform. One of the inmates who had ran the sound for me realized I didn’t have my bible and motioned for me to use his that was on the pew beside me. I can’t tell you how blessed I was to see its well-worn cover and pages. Regardless of whether you are in Dept. of Corrections facility or a beautiful house in the suburbs the walls can be that of a prison. I’ve known wonderful people on the outside of a prison who were bound to the world and didn’t have near the freedom that the fellas last night did. It really can’t be told and do it justice, it has to be experienced to see the gladness in their hearts and on their faces. As we traveled back to our car one of the inmates carried my guitar and spoke candidly about his gratitude for being in that place. Because it was in that place that he had returned to Jesus where he found true freedom. That freedom is found in the Word of God!

Why is it that nobody cares to argue what Buddhist’s, Islam’s, and New Age religion are spouting off? Because their words do not cut like a sword. They have no power. But let someone speak the Word of God and you’ll have a multitude up in arms because Satan and his band of demonic menaces will make sure of it. The Word of God transforms lives! Prior to my salvation I would read the Word and it might as well have been Greek. I could understand the basics but the vast majority of it just seemed over my head.  But then that Sunday came…. When I met Jesus and asked Him to come into my heart and fix my troubled soul. And all of sudden, what had formerly been Greek suddenly became the plainest English I could read and O Glory did it satisfy my thirsty soul!

Following the service inmate after inmate came up to me to shake my hand, talk to me about the music and encourage my soul. They handed me poems they had written and just thinking back on it causes me to weep. They’re like anybody’s sons, uncles, dads, and friends who are incarcerated. They’re paying for their crime but they are also Brothers in Christ. And they have a freedom that those who are not saved by the blood of Jesus do not have. The freedom in knowing “It is well with my soul!”

John 8:30-34

As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Youth

When Change has gone too far

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on When Change has gone too far

chick change

Change has gone too far when the gospel no longer looks or sounds like the good news and Jesus no longer looks or sounds like the Jesus found in Scripture. – Outreach Magazine

That was a quote in an article in Outreach Magazine that  I read this morning that caused me to go, yep, that’s what I’ve been thinking, I just hadn’t put it that eloquently. I would say something more along the lines of “That doesn’t work,” or “Show me where Jesus was in that.” Both of which immediately put those on the other side of my argument on the defensive. And this comment might, but I think not. Because this comment puts Jesus right in the front of the conversation; and you have to go around Him to argue it. Once you’ve done that the argument is essentially over because Christ is no longer in the picture.

I’m all about change, I love the latest and the greatest. If there’s a new tech toy trending, I need it. Not, I want it… I need it. No, it’s not a healthy need. But I have a curiosity level that resembles that of a toddler. If you don’t believe me look at the “stack” of techy things in my living room; I’ll go one further and say look at the stack of instruments in my living room. I go from old to new it matters not, because I can make the old new again. But here I am at 52 years of age learning to play the fiddle, mandolin, guitar and upright bass. I figure I don’t have enough years left to try one at a time and that plays well into my Attention Deficit Disordered personality.

The problem lies when we treat church the same. I must reiterate the thought that I’m all about change, until the change has Jesus standing on the outside of the church asking to be allowed back in.

When change works:

Jesus was a culturally adept Savior. The culture was the people He met on the street, the hard working blue collar workers as well as the prostitutes and politicians. It was not the people at the church who were trying to fit the world into their building. Jesus said they were stinky, empty tombs.

Matthew 23:27

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

And while that is certainly an excellent description of the religious crowd it could just as well be said to those who are shouting loud how “culturally correct” they are and yet I don’t see Jesus. Jesus met in the middle with the commoner on a level ground where everyone could love on Him. Yes, He was extreme, but He spoke clearly. Yes, He offended…those whose hearts were not right with the Lord, He did not offend His own people.

As a youth leader I want to keep it hip and fresh. Yes, I am aware “hip” is an old word, I am an old woman, but I still like youthful things. That is why I attended Winter Jam with a few of our youth back in the winter. It wasn’t my genre of music, I’m a bluegrasser, but I enjoyed parts of it. It was the parts that I didn’t enjoy that I still have an issue with and are always in the forefront of my mind when I’m pondering the direction of our youth ministry.

  1. When the music level of a few of the bands got to the point where babies cried and my ears physically hurt I didn’t see nor hear Jesus. And I don’t really think He would approve of them causing hearing loss in His creation. Just sayin’.
  2. When a few of the groups screamed into a mike and called it music, and said they were proclaiming the gospel, yet I didn’t understand a word they said, I disagree that they are proclaiming the gospel. Jesus may have hung out with rockers, but He spoke clearly.
  3. When one group of guys “pranced” across the stage and sang a song about a chainsaw I thought… I don’t see Jesus.

Now for the flip side of that coin. If we expect youth to sit in a church that makes no attempt to keep it relevant to their world they’re not going to see Jesus either. I’m not talking about the preaching time. That time is between God and the man of God. And if He is preaching the Word… leave Him be. Kids need to be in a preaching service, whether that is one of their own or the regular worship hour. They need to see the gospel preached. But when it comes to the Sunday School hour and the youth ministries, that time should be their time, exclusively.

  1. Keeping it culturally correct doesn’t mean doing everything they like.
  2. Whatever it is that you do, when you’re done they better have seen Jesus, or you were just entertaining.
  3. Only infants like to be read to. If they are above the age of two, stop it.
  4. Invest in them both financially and on the clock.
  5. Find out what’s trending in their world, good or bad and then talk about it.
  6. Make sure it’s a two way conversation.
  7. All of these rules apply to adults as well!