I want to write a few articles that touch on Calvary…where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going. It is basically a recap of what I shared on Sunday night (12-28-08). To begin I wanted to share the entire letter written by R. G. Turner (Chris Paxton’s Grandfather):

"I am glade to be able to pay tribute to Rev. Vermillion by telling some of the facts of the Tabernacle Days and the building of our present church. I have always admired Mr. Vermillion who was a comfort to me when I went to him with my problems. I am glade that we were fortunate enough to have a man with the foresight to help build our great church.

"[The] lot [was] purchased in February 1925 for $12,000.00. [The] Cyclone Mach Tabernacle which was located on the corner of Magnolia and College was going to be disposed of when. When we learned of this we bought his Tabernacle [for] $3,500.00, tore it down and rebuilt it on our lot on my right. We had [an] auditorium with several Sunday school rooms behind and on [the] side of the auditorium. The entire floor was covered with sawdust. We worshiped in this building from February 1926 untile June 1936. The lot and Tabernacle together cost $15,500. We paid this debt off in November 1929.

"Under Mr. Vermillion’s leadership our membership grew and we realized the need for a larger place to worship. A building fund was started in November of 1929 and kept untile 1933 when the banks and building loan were closed. We never did get but 50 per cent of our money back. However we did not lose our faith.

"There was very little money raised from 1933 to 1935 but during 1935 and 1936 we managed to raise $30,000 and our present building was started. It is hard to determine exactly how much the church cost because many of the members contributed materials and came down in the late afternoon and worked on the building (late).

"The church started a pay as you go plan and we didn’t borrow any money untile April 1936. We entered this building in June 1936 and we owed $1,700.00 on it. The actual cash we had in the building [was] $50,496.46. [We were] raising money each week.

"Under Mr. Vermillion’s guidance six other men served on the building committee. They were R. H. Hines who was [the] building contractor, W. W. Miller (Chairman), Z. L. Madden, J. E. Taylor, J. B. Brown, [and] W. C. Smith.

"Mr. Vermillion worked hard and it was through his early efforts that our work at Calvary has been a success.”

This letter was not dated, but it stands as a testament to the faith, perseverance and hard work of the early days of Calvary. To God be the glory! What will be written about our generation?

Grace & Peace,
Scott

This past Sunday night (12/14/08) some of the folks at Calvary shared their favorite Christmas memory. The service was both touching and funny. It is amazing what is locked up in our brains, and probably even more amazing what comes spilling out of our mouths! Something came to my mind as I was sitting there. No, I’ll not share everything that came to my mind…that would be ecclesiastical suicide, but I will tell you the most captivating thought:

What would be God’s favorite memory of Christmas?

The only time the Almighty Creator of the universe really celebrated Christmas was the first one (if indeed we could call it the first Christmas). Reading the account of His Son’s birth in Luke 2 proves that it was a celebration in the Father’s sight. He sent His angels to announce this great event, and the invitation went to the last people on this little ball of dirt it should have gone to—the shepherds. The focus of the birth announcement was on the glory God would receive in giving this gift:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. (Luke 2:14)

As the years passed there are no other grand celebrations surrounding Jesus’ birthday. It was only when God the Father gave the gift of His Son that we have this celebration. God was celebrating His gift to His creation even though He was fully aware of the outcome in giving this gift. (He did plan it all.) He knew His gift would be rejected. In fact, Christ would be rejected to the point of being put to death! Yet, God gives the gift anyway!

Now why would I say this was God’s favorite memory of Christmas? Precisely because it summed up what was in God’s heart for the human race from the beginning: He would receive honor through a relationship with His most prized creation!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

You see, God doesn’t want a temporary relationship with us; His intention is to have a relationship that is permanent. The only way this could be accomplished is through giving His Son, even though the end result of that gift is the death of His Son. So God accomplishes what He set out to do when Jesus was born. I believe this is why there was such a celebration at the birth of the Son, and thus God’s favorite memory of Christmas!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

The most profound influence on my thinking about Christmas in recent years has been what Jesus said in John 14:9 (cf. John 6:46):

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!

That is an astounding truth that should permeate every fiber of our thought and action. I just can’t get over the truth that Jesus fully explains the Father to us. In a day when we are trying hard to explain God to the world and are looking for every nugget to pull out of the Bible to show what God is like, Jesus has said it all. To “see” Jesus is to “see” the Father, now just what does it mean to “see”? Glad this is on your mind.

Does seeing mean observing with the eye and perceiving with the senses? I believe it definitely can imply that, but I also believe it goes further than that. Seeing is equivalent to knowing. Let me explain…Jesus fully describes who God is because He is God. He tells the story of God, and those who believe in Him come to know Him through that faith experience. The ones who remain ignorant of God plainly don’t know the Son…they have not “seen” Jesus.

We must also keep in our thoughts that all of this affects what we do everyday; it changes our behavior. A faith that does not change behavior is not a faith worth having. God is not satisfied with stagnant children; He wants our relationship with Him to be dynamic. It is not change for the sake of change, but change because of the intimate and awesome relationship we have with our heavenly Father. Remember, He is the one who took the initiative by sending His Son before we sought Him. That is why we have a weekly celebration of Christmas…a time of worshiping God because He is such a great and wonderful gift-giving God.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

By now the turkey has been picked clean to the bone. We’ve all had the leftovers…warmed up turkey dinner in a plastic container that will just keep eating a bigger hole in the ozone, turkey sandwiches, turkey mash, turkey casserole, turkey soup, turkey tetrazzini, turkey stir fry, etc. I hope you had as great a week as I have…church, family, friends, shopping at the Yellow Mall, movies, and looking for my “next-size up jeans.” This is a fabulous time of year for me personally, something I look forward to even more than my birthday. It has an allure to me and I fixate my mind on all the possibilities that these few days of Thanksgiving will present to me. I only have about 360 more days until next year…can’t wait!

The older I get the more my “thankfulness” takes on a deeper and more meaningful dimension. I used to be thankful just for the break from school, food, or a couple of days off. Now I don’t go to school, I can’t eat the way I used to, and I basically dictate the days I take off for the holiday. What I am truly thankful for now is the grace that God gives to me in everyday moments…the grace of life, love, family, friendship, worship, encouragement, unity, forgiveness, eternity, and so much more. I am now seeing everything and everyday as a gift of God’s immeasurable grace. I am experiencing these everyday moments as something that I truly have not earned or even deserved.

I am learning everyday that since I was saved by amazing grace that is how I need to live, by God’s amazing grace. Paul said it well,

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. (Colossians 2:6)

The way we got in is the way we stay in! That is a lesson I am growing in daily. This is not just something I want to learn for myself, it something I want my family to grow in and something I want Calvary to learn well as a church. We never stop learning and growing in the amazing, marvelous grace of God.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

It is at the cross where we are restored; God did a marvelous thing for lost humanity at Calvary. In giving His Son He gave us a chance at getting things right with Him. Jesus, in giving His life, paid the price it would take for this restoration with our Father. This is wonderful grace…marvelous grace…amazing grace! But once we become a child of God what happens when we mess things up? After all no one is perfect, right? Glad these things are on your mind because they’re on mine as well.

People are looking to be restored and I believe we have a part to play in that restoration process. Paul instructs us in Galatians,

Brethren, even if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, let you too be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

The word Paul uses for restoration is a surgical term. The word means “to set a broken bone.” Now, I’ve never broken a bone before but in the nine years I worked with teenagers I had plenty of opportunity to see broken bones and they are painful, but “fixable.” This is how I see the Christian life. When we sin (“overtaken in any trespass”) it is painful to God, us and those around us, but every relationship can be put back into place (“restored”) just like a broken bone. It is the obligation of fellow believers (you and me) to surgically help people to rebuild their relationships. This will involve many actions on our part which include prayer, counseling, Bible study, and just being a good friend. It is when the church refuses to do these things that believers become discouraged and give up trying to be “restored.”

Casualties lie all around us evidenced by believers who are spiritually cripple because the church refused to get involved in their lives. I also realize this is a two-way street. Some of the cripples are that way because they refused the biblical correction offered, and that is a whole other tragedy.

So, are you scrubbed up and ready for surgery?

Happy Thanksgiving,
Scott

Martin Luther called the Lord’s Prayer a “fearful prayer.” When we seriously ponder the words of our Lord when He prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done” we begin to understand why he labeled it in this way. It is always a fearful feeling when we bow our own will to the will of another; the implications are even more fearful when we submit our will to the Creator of the universe. Why?

First, because we are saying that we are willing to follow in the footsteps of the only perfect human who ever walked the face of the earth. When Jesus submitted His will to that of His Father’s He fully knew where that would lead…to the cross. He knew the Father’s will for Him included giving His life for others. He knew it meant pain, rejection, and death. I must always ask, “If the fate of my King was pain, then what makes me think I will experience anything else?” When we pray “Your will be done” we are saying, “I bend my will to Yours, I will not argue with Your will. If it brings me joy then I will celebrate, but if it brings pain into my life, then I will trust you and suffer and continue to love You.”

This is also fearful so because we are putting the fate of our personal joy in the hands of another. Can we seriously do this? Our joy must be placed in the hands of someone we trust, and who can we trust better than God? Only God has our best interests in mind and only He can bring us a joy that will last longer than just when the good times are rolling. The good times will end and then we will be left holding onto creaturely comforts that are at best temporary and at worst illusionary.

God has put a song in my heart this week…You Are My All in All.

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Grace & Peace,
Scott

I am somewhat of a non-traditionalist in most areas of my life and ministry. One of my desires as a pastor is to allow God to shape Calvary from His Word and not the traditions of men. I sincerely don’t want to wake up ten years from now and ask, “What have I done?!” However, I do enjoy rich tradition in the church when it’s rooted in the biblical text. This is where I found myself last week when praying and studying for Calvary’s deacon ordination service. I was driven to Acts 6 because that is the first occurrence of deacons in the Bible (even though the word “deacon” can’t be found in the text).

One of the main focuses of the passage is the transference of ownership from the apostles to the deacons. You see, the apostles were finding themselves dealing with problems and putting out fires in the church. This in and of itself is not beyond the scope of any pastor, but they were doing this to the detriment of what God had called them to do—prayer and the ministry of the Word. They not only feared neglecting their God-given ministry, but they also feared a fracturing of the church if something wasn’t done immediately. The plan they came up with is to give the ministry of administering the finances for the ministry of mercy over to a well-qualified group of men whom the church trusted.

Once the church body chose seven men, one thing was left undone…the first deacons had to be given the authority and feel the responsibility of caring for the widows. This authority and responsibility was felt when the apostles laid their hands on the first deacons as a sign that they were transferring the ownership of this part of the ministry over to them.

This is what I wanted our deacons to feel Sunday. This is the heartbeat I desire when it comes to the deacons at Calvary Church. I don’t want us to have a group of men who are the CEO’s or the CFO’s or the CIO’s or any other CO’s who dictate the direction of the church. That is beyond the scope of New Testament deacons. I also don’t want a group of men who are the pastor’s assistants. God’s design and desire for deacons is that they be the Ministers of Mercy in the church.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Comebacks are hard to make. Just look at the world of sports and you’ll see how difficult it is…but it’s not impossible. I’ve seen all of our kids make comebacks in the sports they’ve played. What about the Boiling Springs High School baseball team last spring? They had so many “comeback” wins the parents didn’t have any hair left. It makes for an exciting, albeit nail-biting evening! Also, look at what the Chicago White Sox did this week, something no other major league baseball team has done…won three must-win games, three days in a row, against three different teams. I could go on and on, but sports are not the point, something else is.

How about relationships? One of the greatest illustrations of a “comeback” relationship is that of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). When read in light of a comeback it thrills my soul; I find myself mourning that this son made so many bad choices and then cheering when he decides he has had enough and wants to return home. As they say in Hawaii, “It gives me chicken skin just thinking about it!” (i.e., goose bumps)

One lesson here is that we shouldn’t give up on any relationship. As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” God does have a plan, and I believe if we’re patient enough we will experience a comeback in our fractured relationships beyond imagination. You know, sometimes all people are looking for is somebody who won’t give up on them. This is the way our Heavenly Father treats us. He truly is patient with me because He loves me.

We love these comebacks. There is just something about them that stirs our emotions and leaves us thinking anything is possible! So, what relationship do you have in your life that needs a comeback? Or, maybe you need to make a comeback yourself. Study Luke 15 and discover what role you play, and then follow the Lord’s teaching.

I Love You,
Scott

Do you ever get preoccupied with yourself? Glad to hear I’m not the only one! It’s tough because we have a culture that pushes us to be self-focused people who are so busy with our noses stuck in our BlackBerrys and iphones that we have no time for other people. We have become electronically proficient and relationally challenged.

I really think one of the chronic problems on this little ball of dirt we call “earth” is self-focus! I’m not against “me time”, but come on, seriously, just how much “me time” do we really need? Now I understand that we all need to take a break every once in a while and rest. (Jesus did…He broke away from the heard just to spend quality time with the Father while recharging His batteries.) But I suspect some need to take a break from “me time.” Selfishness abounds in our society, and we shouldn’t contribute to this epidemic of narcissism. Over and over in the gospels I read about a Jesus who was fully human and yet fully giving His time and energy to others, and we must follow His lead.

This same “me” focus must have been going on in the church when the great Apostle Paul was around because he wrote in a letter to the Christ-followers in Philippi,

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (2:4)

Do you see the balance presented in this verse? Yes, we do have personal interests that need attention, but our attention also needs to be given over to the interests of others. Time is probably the key ingredient in this formula for balance. People need our time; people need to know we genuinely care. One sure way of showing people we care is our willingness to give them some of our time. Indeed, it is a difficult balance to strike, but let’s not be guilty of stealing time away from others when they really need it.

I believe the world is filled with everyday, struggling, working, fearful human beings, who, on any given morning are even afraid to get out of bed because of what might happen. Your time could make all the difference in the world to somebody. Open yourself up for opportunities to look out for the interests of others this week.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

We have affections, and what’s really important is to know that God created those affections. The problem comes when those affections are misplaced…when we fall in love with the wrong things. John is very clear in his instruction to the church regarding this matter,

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. (1 John 2:15)

When our love is focused on the wrong things it shows that our heart is not in the right place. One of the major flaws of falling in love with the wrong things is that it is disappointing and temporary. Once the “love” has run its course we are left with feelings of betrayal and emptiness. (And sometimes a huge debt!)

Betrayal comes because of unfulfilled promises. What the world promises and then eventually delivers are different. The world promises us a beautiful portrait, but then it gives us an ugly picture. Now we are left holding that which we would never want to display in our lives.

Emptiness comes because of unmet expectations. It is very disappointing when something is built up as supremely wonderful; the bar of our expectations is raised; and then when what we experience just doesn’t meet that level of expectation. We now have a huge void in our lives.

John sums it up well for us,

The world is passing away…but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:17)

I believe God’s will is that we need to love what God loves, and He tells us to love at least four things: 1) love God, 2) love God’s Church, 3) love God’s Word, and 4) love God’s children. If we spend our time loving what God loves then we will not have time to love what we shouldn’t, and God will never leave us feeling betrayed and empty.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

We lose all kinds of things…keys, checkbook, pocketbook, glasses, the remote, etc. What do we do when we lose something? For me it depends on the item. If it’s not important to me at the moment then I put the lost item on the back burner and hope to run across it before I really need it. If it is something really important then you will find me frantically looking everywhere. I have pressed the panic button and you better not get in my way! Desperation is probably the key word for the day when I lose something that I really need right now.

What about when we lose someone we love from the very depths of our hearts? That is something altogether different. The Galloway (Bayliff) family has suffered great loss this week. In the span of 32 hours they lost both Cecil and Mary. We talk about the family’s great loss, but have they really? Yes! In a very real sense there is a significant feeling of loss. However, in another sense the Galloways (Bayliffs) have placed what they hold most dear to them in the safest place they could find…in the Heavenly Father’s Hands. There is no panic or desperation for them because they know for sure where Cecil and Mary are right now. There is comfort and hope written all over their faces. Comfort because the suffering has ended. Comfort because family and friends have surrounded them with love and kindness beyond measure. And hope because of the promise of the resurrection. Hope because they know one day they will see Cecil and Mary again.

I want to ask you if you have the same comfort and hope they have. Cecil Galloway and Mary Snyder are with Jesus in heaven today because their faith rested completely in what Jesus did on the cross for them. The cross made a difference in their lives, and you could certainly see it. They made a decision one day in their lives to trust in Christ’s death to get them to heaven. They knew their salvation rested in God’s grace through repentant faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Do you know that too? If not, give me a call…I would love to talk to you about it.

Linda and family, we love you. Thank you for showing us how to make it through one day at a time. We continue to pray for your comfort and hope. Remember, you have made a deposit in heaven and one day your withdrawal will be amazing!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

I love to pass along a great story, especially if it touches our lives in some way. So, let me share with you something that happened last week that blew my mind.

On Wednesday night, after prayer and Bible study one of the visiting young ladies was getting ready to leave when she discovered that she had a flat tire. The first cool thing happened when Matthew Bayliff and David Brunson changed her tire and saw it as a privilege! You guys are truly awesome!! Everything is fine and good right? No, not everything is “hunky-dory.” She needed a new tire. Really she needed at least two new tires, but didn’t have the money at this time to get them. Now there is only one place I take my cars to get tires—Boiling Springs Tire. I trust the guys, they are honest, and they are fair. So I told Martha Seals to take this young lady down there on Thursday and we could work out a deal. I didn’t really know what that meant, but I figured the Lord could handle a couple of tires in twelve hours. Here’s what happened next…

They pull into Boiling Springs Tire on Thursday morning and share the story. They just happened to have two good tires with a lot of life left in them. They balance, rotate and put on the two tires. Now just wait, the story gets better. I stop by later in the day to pay up and you know what they told me, “Don’t worry about it; we’ve got it covered. Chuck didn’t want to charge you guys for the tires.” Wow!

I want to personally thank everyone involved…David, Matthew, Martha, Chuck, Todd, and all the guys down at Boiling Springs Tire. You showed Christ to someone who really needed to see Him. God used you to open a heart and pave the way for a truly meaningful encounter with the gospel. I taught something a long time ago: It is not enough to believe the gospel, you must live it!

On more than one occasion I’ve seen the people at Calvary jump at the chance to show Christ by helping others in need. I could not imagine a better people to pastor. (I also could not imagine a better place to have my tires taken care of than Boiling Springs Tire.) You all challenge my life and warm my heart.

Scott

I’m sitting here thinking about my brother, Jack’s, baptism. I am also reflecting back on David Brunson’s as well. It was such an honor to be the one to baptize these men. I have been in the tank many times and God still humbles and amazes me every time someone is baptized. This brings me to a question I want to try and answer this week: “Why do people get baptized?”

For one, baptism is something the Lord expects of all His genuine followers. The Bible declares,

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12)

Being baptized is just synonymous with being a disciple of Jesus Christ. God never imagined that His children would balk at being baptized.

Secondly, Jesus Himself was baptized and we should want to follow His example. Jesus’ life is not just something to write about and admire; His life is one that we should emulate. In fact that is part of what spiritual growth is about…becoming more like Jesus.

Finally, baptism is a public testimony. It is public because everybody should know that we mean business about fully following Jesus. We are not a secret society that does things behind closed doors; we are open about what we do. The church needs to see believers who are not ashamed of being identified with the One who gave His life publicly!

If you have not been baptized what are you waiting for? Give me a call so we can talk about it. I would love to be the one who baptizes you for the honor of God and the encouragement of others.

Calvary Is Awesome!

Scott

Relationships trump rules! Now I like things in their place and everybody operating on a “let’s cooperate” basis, but in real life it doesn’t happen that way. You see, “let’s cooperate” is code for “do it my way…or else!” I wish this was a lesson I learned a long time ago, but I admit that I am slow. Let me translate…

I like my schedules, my online calendar rules my day, my routine helps my day to run smoothly, my MapQuest on my phone gets me to my destinations in the shortest amount of time, etc. Do you see the common denominator? It’s all about me when it should be all about HIM and YOU. What I have allowed in my life (that is so very dangerous) is for rules to rule, while relationships have fallen on tough times. Yes, I am the proverbial guy who keeps running his bumper car into the corner thinking I’ll get turned around pretty soon. Well, pretty soon is now!

The life of Jesus is a great example of how relationships trump rules. John writes about an account in John 9:1,

And as he passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

Do you see it? What astounds me about this verse is that in the middle of a busy day going here and doing that Jesus noticed someone’s hurt. Too many times I have passed by someone hurting and not even noticed. I justify this by saying that I am a busy man or that somebody else will take care of that. What God is saying to me is, “Scott, I want you to stop and insert my grace and love.”

This digs deep into the core of my being…how about you? I know I’m not the only one out here suffering from relationship atrophy. No matter what gets stacked on your plate or how busy your day is make sure you notice people around you. Don’t ignore their hurts. Do something about it. Just walk across the room and insert grace and love into their lives. Our lives are meant to impact people right now for eternity!

I Love You,

Scott

When I consider what others have faced this last week it begins to help me put some of my life into correct perspective. Too often I sit back in isolation and have a pity party for one reason or another. Usually the reason is not good…it’s just plain selfishness and “stinkin thinkin.” Let me explain, two families have faced funerals this week and two others are going through hospitalizations. These issues make any problems I face very miniscule. I have observed and noticed that in each case faith is what is getting these families through. Yes, faith…not luck…not money…not good planning…just plain, deep-rooted, white-knuckled, trust God faith.

I am still learning that faith is the absolutely non-negotiable ingredient we must all have in order to make it through everyday life. I think it is awesome how the writer of Hebrews defines faith:

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

Dr. Ron Allchin defines faith as believing God’s Word and acting on it no matter how I feel, knowing that God promises a good result!

When we line things up and make plans A, B, C and D and then have an escape plan just in case everything falls apart, we are operating in our own strength and ingenuity. If things work out then we get the credit. But, if we just trust God and the promises He makes to us in His Word and then do something, then when things happen (no matter what) He gets the credit. By operating our life according to faith others will take note of an awesome God and how He got us through any and every circumstance we face.

So, those who are facing the difficulties walk in God’s promises today. Allow Him to take your hand and lead you through. Wherever He leads it will be just fine!

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love you all. You are precious to God and to me.

Love,

Scott

God’s purpose for His Church is to spread the fame of His honor and glory throughout the whole world. It is the Church’s responsibility to make His greatness known in the world in which we live.

⁶Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
⁷Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
⁸Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name. (Psalm 96:6-8 NASB)

Nature does this beautifully. The Almighty’s creation shouts unashamedly from the top of its lungs the greatness of its Creator. Read what David wrote,

¹The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

²Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

³There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

⁴Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun. (Psalm 19:1-3 NIV)

The important question is, “How are we doing at proclaiming the greatness of our Creator?” This is the life-line of the Church; it is what keeps us connected to God. When we cease from doing this we no longer have a reason for existing.

Another question just begging to be answered is, “How do we spread the fame of God’s honor and glory in the world?” Specifically I believe we need to answer that question in light of Calvary Baptist, “How can Calvary spread the fame of God’s honor and glory in our world?” or, “Are we making His greatness know in our neighborhoods?”

I believe one way we spread the honor of God’s greatness is by obeying the commission He gave us in Matthew 28:18-20 (cf. Acts 1:8). This lays out, at least in part, God’s Vision for Calvary g Spreading the fame of God’s honor through reaching the lost with the gospel.

I Love this Place,

Scott

The last conversation we have with someone is very important. I remember the last “talk” I had with Dad and even the last words he said to me and I said to him…”I love you.” These are important to me; something I will never forget. As I was thinking about this, my mind wandered (not surprised?) to the last words of Jesus to His closest followers—His disciples.

All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-29 NASB)

These words not just for His disciples “back then”; they are also words for His disciples “right now.” Historically we call them the great commission. It’s what was in Jesus’ heart for His Church to do while He is away. Call them final instructions…the master plan…the play book…or whatever. We cannot and must not get away from them. The great commission is what Jesus expects us to do; these words are not an option, they are obligation!

Impacting lives for eternity was such an important responsibility for the Church that just before Jesus ascended to heaven He gathered His disciples together one more time and said,

You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NASB)

These words from Jesus provide the backdrop for God’s vision for Calvary. I will unfold this vision next week.

Grace & Peace,

Scott

Too often God does something ordinary or spectacular and we just go along our day without sharing what He has done. When God does something ordinary we must not ignore it; these are everyday events such as the rising of the sun, the air we breathe, the flowers that bloom, or the relationships we enjoy (the list is endless). God deserves to be honored for these acts of His grace. Now God will also do things that are spectacular and miraculous; things we cannot explain away other than by His hand. These events include, but are not exclusive to, the salvation of someone we have been witnessing to for years, the provision for a bill that we had no way of paying, the recovery from addiction, or the healing of a body. Please let me share one of these miraculous workings of God’s grace this last week.

As most of you know Doris Sawyer had surgery on Friday. It’s bad enough to go through a nail-biting day like that, but to receive bad news in the middle of it is literally heart-wrenching. Well, about half way through her surgery the doctor called with bad news…they found cancer on her bladder and pelvis. They told her kids that they would finish the surgery and then later treat the cancer with radiation in the hopes of shrinking it, but they could not operate to remove it. They were just hoping to shrink the cancer and buy more time. After agonizing tears from the family we prayed and asked the Lord to make the doctor’s diagnosis incorrect. I left. Later that day one of Doris’ daughters called and said the doctors were mistaken and they removed all the cancer. The one concern they had was a spot on the liver that looked suspicious. As Nehemiah said, The LORD is great and awesome!

We can’t miss this! We must understand that no matter who we are our Father is waiting and wanting to hear from us. He is pleased to answer our prayers when we ask with the right motives and seek to honor Him. This is the desire of Doris Sawyer and her family. They wish to give God all the praise and honor due Him and to thank you for faithfully praying for her.

This is something to think about as we go about our day. I write this with Doris’ permission. I hope it has been an encouragement to you as it was to me. It was just something God used to touch my life this week.

Grace & Peace,

Scott

Last night at Calvary was a truly Amazing Grace experience! It was refreshing to have experienced the Spirit in a worship service like that. I wish not to give accolades to people, but my desire is to give God the glory and honor His majesty deserves. Too many times “musicals” or “cantatas” or “dramas” showcase the talents of people and elevate our egos to new heights while God is almost completely ignored. Not last night…in fact, my experience at Calvary has always been that God’s is exalted and I have come away refreshed by a fresh breeze of the Spirit blowing upon me. The worship service focused upon the instrument of suffering and salvation—the cross! Let me pull something from that experience for us to focus on during this Passion Week…

Let our minds be riveted on the cruel instrument upon which our great and mighty Savior, Jesus Christ, died—the cross! The cross was an instrument used by the Romans to “shame” and “humiliate” its victim. But, what we often equate with “shame” and “humiliation” God turns around and uses it for “glory” and “exaltation.” Yes, the cross was a place of curse lest we forget what scripture teaches us,

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

But we must always remember that it was our curse that Jesus bore on the cross; it was us who deserved to hang on the tree. And, in taking our place on the cross (i.e., becoming a curse for us) He offers forgiveness through repentance. So, the curse becomes a blessing…a blessing for us. It is a place where the burden of our sin falls off when we believe.

When we look at the cross let’s keep in mind also that it is God’s power of salvation that was displayed through the crucifixion. Some would see the cross as weakness, but to God it was the ultimate show of power and strength. Some would see it as foolishness, but to God it was the quintessential display of wisdom.

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Cross-Centered,

Scott

We all get news we like to hear and some news we don’t. Whenever we get good news we just want to share it with everybody. It could be a job promotion, a new baby, a great tax return (What’s that?), a date to the prom, a great report card, or good news from the doctor.

Let me share some good news that came my way last week. You all have been faithfully praying for our Mom because of her epic war with cancer for the sixth time (yes, #6!). Well, on Friday, March 7, 2008 at exactly 2:38 p.m. (cell phone) Mom called and said she had just gotten the reports from the doctors and they told her she no longer had cancer. Yea Baby! Her response was that she didn’t have cancer any more because of all the people who were praying for her. No, the doctors didn’t get the praise...she gave the glory and honor to her heavenly Father! In any book that’s AWESOME!!! Nobody, but nobody can tell us that God isn’t on the throne controlling every microbe in the universe. He has chosen to heal Mom and to me that is “good news.”

It took me awhile but in time I remembered what Solomon wrote,

Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country. (Proverbs 25:25)

Now I realize that not all news is good news, sometimes it’s bad. What do we do with bad news? The same with what we do with good news…we share it. Paul is very explicit in his teaching when it comes to any news we have. He writes,

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

The Swedish Proverb that says, “Shared joy is double joy and shared sorrow is half sorrow” captures exactly what Paul was trying to communicate. God never intended for us to go it alone in this world. He knows how tough it is to make it all the way to the end. To keep our “sorrow” bottled up is not good. We must share our pain and sorrow with each other. It helps us through. God created the church to be a community…a family that shares both joy and sorrow.

My hope and prayer for all of you is that your “news” is good news, but if it’s not…still share it. Calvary is a family that wants to hug you and cry with you when your news is bad or good! Got news?!

Love Ya,

Scott

David asks a most perplexing question of God in Psalm 13:1,

How long will you hide your face from me?

When I came across this verse it got me to thinking seriously about playing hide-and-seek. Now hide-n-seek was a favorite game of mine growing up. In fact, I remember a time during which I was a youth pastor that I would play “find the pastor.” It was my grown up and respectable way of playing hide-n-seek and call it ministry. Those were fun times with the kids, and every once in a while I receive an email from one of those grown up kids and it brings back all the fun we had. Oops…I think I got off track. Now where was I? Oh yeah…Does God really hide from us? Does He play some sort of game when we need Him? Or, is David asking a question that is a human problem of perception?

I have come to believe it is a human problem of perception. It boils down to a God focus versus self focus issue. You see, when I am focused on me and the circumstances I face I only have eyes for me. I can’t see God working in and through my circumstances. My conclusion? I don’t see God and I assume He is not there for me.

Circumstances are what God uses to mold me and to shape me into the image of His Son. He is not hiding from me when I need Him most. In fact, He is never more near me during those times of distress and heartache.

The end of Psalm 13 helps get my focus in the right place,

I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. (v. 5)

God’s love is constant in my life and the salvation He offers is super abundant. What about you? Have you felt that God is hiding His face from you? Remember that He is always there and His love never fails you!

Grace & Peace,

Scott

I have often heard pastors and other people say, “Such-and-such church is a great church!” My mind then begins to ask a lot of questions. I know I would get myself into trouble and possibly lose some friends if I openly asked these questions. So, at the risk of saying “goodbye” to some, here are my questions…

“Why is that church a great church?”

“What are the criteria for a church being great?”

“Does the Bible ever call a church great?”

Here are my observations...Usually when a church is referred to as a great church it is because it is large, or it has a nationally known pastor, or it has a beautiful campus, or it is in a multi-million dollar building program, or it is on the radio, at least, and maybe even on television. These, in part, seem to be the litmus test for labeling a church as “great.”

More observations…What about churches that don’t pass this test? What are we? I can pretty much guarantee that you will never have a nationally known pastor. (Although I did make it on the front cover of the Spartanburg Today) We are not large, nor in a multi-million dollar building program, nor on the radio. (We might make the funnies!) What does this make us and churches like us? Are we the opposite of great? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!!

If we look at the Bible we find that the early church’s focus was not on the things that we focus on today. The church was focused on honoring God by impacting their world with the good news.

Paul commended the church in Rome for their faith, not their size,

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. (Romans 1:8; cf. Colossians 1:3-4)

He commended the church in Ephesus for their faithfulness, not their building,

…To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:1)

He commended the church in Philippi for their partnership, not their budget,

…I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel…. (Philippians 1:4-5)

Being big or being known or having a lot of buildings is not the criteria I see in scripture. Being a great church is being faithful to what God has called us to do while on this little ball of dirt we call earth…Honoring God by impacting our world with the gospel! Remember this lesson: Comparison kills contentment! And always remember what an AWESOME church Calvary is!

I Love You,

Scott

What’s up with this crazy weather? I will be honest…I love it when the day gets up in the 60’s, the sun is shining and I can see the mountains to the north. But lately it seems that the weather changes to the next extreme the following day. You know, overcast and cold. You know what really lifts my spirits on days like today? I’m glad you’re interested. (And still reading!) I just sit down at the end of the day and watch the 10 o’clock news from Chicago, and when the weather report comes around I am thoroughly back on “cloud #9.” In fact, last night (Monday) they were having heavy snows and it was really cold! Praise the Lord we’re in the good old South!

Now, you may be wondering what all this has to do with anything. I’m glad you’re wondering that. Too often I allow circumstances (i.e., weather, day at the office, car problems, how other people treat me, etc.) to dictate my mood and level of joy. Sound familiar? You too? Good, then we’re on the same page. What I fail to realize is that God’s love for me is constant; it is unchanging; it is unmatchable; it is unsearchable. That realization helps to keep me from being knocked off center. God’s unfailing, eternal love is my compass that points my life “True North.”

Paul wrote, ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 38-39 NIV)

Remember this the next time you are “down” or discouraged. Truly if God is for us who can be against us!

Grace & Peace,

Scott

We are going to spend the winter months unfolding God’s vision for our lives and His church. It is absolutely imperative that we not waste time by chasing after our dreams; we must be pursuing God’s dream for us! I believe His vision for us and Calvary can be summed up in a simple way…

Glorify God!

The complex part of this purpose statement comes when attempting to define how we are to honor God with our lives and in His church. The answer is as diverse as we are. How I glorify God in my life, with my family, and through my ministry is unique to me. Long ago (way back in the fall of 1981) God used a verse in His Word to center my life.

Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

This verse has sustained me at every turn and decision I have ever made. It is, as some would call it, my life verse. It has helped me when I was discouraged or overwhelmed. When the occasioned called for a long study time late into the night (or early evening) this word from God kept me going. I really every one of us should have a verse like this…a verse that keeps us centered in life…a life verse.

If you don’t have one ask God to speak to you through His Word and lead you to something you can “hang your hat on.”

Honoring God involves discovering His picture or vision of what our lives could and should be. Glorifying God involves discovering what we could and should accomplish. We were created and re-created with His purposes in mind. And until we discover His purpose—and follow through—there will always be a hole in our soul.

I Love You So Much!

Scott