Honestly, what do we really need? What can’t we do without? I want to engage your imagination and I hope doing that will illustrate the point I’m trying to make…

Imagine you’re in a burning building…what would you save? Let me add an element to this. Imagine you are in a burning building and you had to make a choice between someone’s life and Rembrandt’s “Portrait of a man, half-length, with his arms akimbo” worth $32 million, what would you save? No question, we’d choose the person’s life every time.

The reason? I believe we ultimately value people above possessions. The problem? We have a tendency to value lesser things in everyday life when the choices we make are not life and death. We don’t think we’re sacrificing our family over stuff when we choose to overspend. It just doesn’t register in our minds that we’re doing anybody any harm when we bow to the altar of “more.” But the truth is we are doing great harm to our relationships every time we do this.

I love what Joseph did when he was warned that his new baby was in danger. At this point in the Christmas story Jesus is a toddler, and King Herod is looking for this revolutionary with a pacifier, hard on the heels of the would-be king of the Jews in a diaper. An angel comes to Joseph and tells him to get out of town. The Bible records this young father’s response:

            And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt. (Matthew 2:14)

He got out of Dodge. Why? Joseph did this because he knew that little baby meant a whole lot more than his security in Bethlehem. And remember, Bethlehem was Joseph’s hometown. He was comfortable with his familiar surroundings, but his family was more important than his comfort. He made a decision to get them out of danger.

Are we not putting our lives in danger when we give into the Empire of Greed? Are we not teaching our children and friends that their soul can only find satisfaction with things when we dive into the pool of hyper consumption? This is something with which we all must wrestle. I just want to encourage each of us to shift our focus at least a little. When it comes time to spend and give, and there is great joy in giving and receiving, think along the lines of how that gift is going to build your relationship. With some creative thinking I believe we will begin to walk away from the danger of overspending this Christmas.

Grace & Peace,

Got a question for you: “Have you been doing Advent?” By that I simply mean have you been able to focus time and energy on the true meaning of the coming of Jesus? Before the stores and parties and concerts and gathers highjack our time I think it’s necessary for us to reflect on what the Advent of Jesus means.

Celebrating the coming of Jesus cannot become just another opportunity to spend money, go to parties, and have a Christmas musical. Let me be clear: I’m not against any of the festivities and traditions of Christmas, but I don’t want the true meaning of Christmas to be completely ignored either.

Jesus came into this world on purpose; God gave us the gift of His Son for a reason. Throughout Scripture we find that purpose laid out. This week I’d like to draw our attention to one of those Scriptures and unwrap at least part of the reason Jesus came.

            You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. (1 John 3:5)

            …The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

And there you have it – in part at least. Jesus came (“appeared”) to deal with sin.

Sin is what destroyed the beautiful relationship God intended for us to have with Him. Sin is debilitating relationally. God has always known that we would be powerless to change our human condition no matter how hard we try. Amazingly He was not satisfied to leave us in that sinful condition.

God in His wisdom and mercy acted by giving His Son to remove (“take away”) sin. It is through believing and trusting that Jesus came, lived a sinless life, was publicly executed on a cross, rose from the dead, and is coming back that we will receive forgiveness and relational rightness with God.

Jesus effectively dealt with the problem of sin by destroying it. The only way sin could be removed from our lives and the works of Satan destroyed was by Jesus facing them head on at the cross. The cross makes a difference in our lives that will last for eternity.

Jesus was born for this battle. His purpose was to go to war against sin and the devil. Ultimately that cosmic fight took place at Calvary. The good news is that Jesus won!

And so, part of our reflection during Advent season is to remember that it is about a child who came to save us in a battle we couldn’t win, but He could. In a sense, those first cries 2000 years ago from the Village of Bethlehem were battle cries declared against sin and the devil.

Grace & Peace,

Christmas is upon us once again. This is a most exciting and wonderful time of year. I find it fascinating that right in the middle of the most commercially charged time of year, where consumption reigns as king, God has placed a loud and clear reminder of what Christmas is all about: the coming of Jesus! At what other time of year will you hear people singing about the birth of the Messiah? When will our neighbors be more open to us sharing the gospel?

We have all sorts of Christmas pointers that surround us during the next four weeks…

·      Music

·      Decorations

·      Special Church Services

·      Movies

·      Parades

A concentrated focus on Christ during this time is not automatic, we must prepare ourselves personally, our family, and our community to sit up and take notice of the God-intended meaning of Christmas. Just how do we prepare? We need to begin through spending intimate time with God in the Bible and in prayer. Luke 2, Matthew 1-2, Isaiah 9 and Jeremiah 23 are good places to mediate on the birth of Jesus. After you’ve gotten yourself there, get your family to these Scriptures. Read them together, talk about them, and pray.

These are also great passages to memorize so we can pull them up at any time. With that in mind I am issuing another memory challenge: memorize the following verses during the Christmas season…

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:2)

⁴In him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁸The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

¹²…To all who receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:4-5, 8, 12)

Begin today and memorize one each week. By the time Christmas rolls around we will have them hidden in our lives and maybe God will open up a door for us to share the true meaning of Christmas through these simple but profound verses.

Every year we have a golden opportunity from God to point others to the Savior. It is during this time of year when people are more open to the gospel than any other, and point we must.

Grace & Peace,

Often when we are suffering, going through a trial, facing depression, being persecuted, etc. we react according to our circumstances. We don’t necessarily think biblical thoughts and direct the course of our life according to wisdom. We offer up all kinds of excuses for this type of wrong thinking: “I’m human.” “I deserve this moment of self-pity.” “I’m a victim of my circumstances.” And the list goes on. These excuses are really a direct hit against God.

What I believe we need is to refocus our attention on what God’s Word says about God’s purposes behind the testing. Let’s look at one that I hope will help us all…

²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV)

James doesn’t explain the cause of trials, he explains their purpose – perseverance that leads to maturity.

We don’t need to know the cause of our suffering as much as we need to know that there is a purpose behind it. This is where we discover hope in our pain. When we come to realize that God has a grand design to grow us spiritually through the pain we are experiencing then we have reached a pivotal point in our journey.

I’m not saying we can’t ask questions. But the tone of our questions will determine the condition of our hearts. If we react in an argumentative, bitter tone then we are shaking our fist at God and accusing Him of not being good. However, if we ask in a humble tone then we are opening our hearts up to God. Open hearts learn while clenched fists languish.

As we face trials, and certainly we will, let’s be confident that God has a sovereign plan for the trials. We then can find joy even in the pain.

Grace & Peace,

We are coming into Thanksgiving week. One of the quintessential attributes of a believer is to be grateful, and this doesn’t apply to just one day or one week out of the year. Thankfulness should permeate our lives everyday, all year long. We can always see the bad in people and events, but what marks the difference for someone who has a genuine faith is to be thankful no matter what. I was thinking this week that I would like to share a short primer on giving thanks to help and encourage each of us.

We can give thanks in every situation because we see our lives under the control of a loving God.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

We can take great comfort in the fact the God is God and we’re not. We can confidently face anything that comes our way knowing God has His hand all over it. He is not going to turn His back on us or forget about us. He is God and can handle everything all at once for us.

We can give thanks in trials because we look beyond the circumstance to the purpose. Suffering doesn’t just happen to Christians haphazardly; God has a purpose behind each and every event in our lives. God custom designs trials to produce, grow and perfect our faith.

…We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. (Romans 5:3; cf. James 1:2-4)

Giving thanks guards our hearts against our enemy.

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Satan is not that concerned with a complaining, non-praying Christian; he is quite satisfied to leave us alone if that is how we’re going to live. However, a believer who is praying will be attacked. Praying with thanksgiving guards our hearts against the onslaughts of the evil one.

I hope everyday is a day of thanksgiving for you. Even when life is severe you can give thanks, but especially when life is good we should be shouting thanksgiving from the top of our lungs. For what are your thankful?

Grace & Peace,

“Thank you” doesn’t even seem to touch the surface about how I feel toward everyone who helped this past weekend for Homecoming. From those who helped plan, to set up and tear down, those who decorated and built, Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes, the Kitchen Crew, everyone who cooked, baked, mixed and fixed food, the “parking guys”, and those who purchased the chicken and ham! We all owe so much to you for helping make this year’s Homecoming such a successful event. Thank you, every sacrifice of obedience is greatly appreciated.

Something I have grown to realize and appreciate about doing ministry is that it cannot be a one-person show. Long ago somebody said to me (don’t know who), “Many hands make light work.” I can’t imagine giving one person the responsibility to get Homecoming ready. The diversity of the people involved is exciting to see. For example, I didn’t relish the idea of getting up Saturday to go to 4000 Parris Bridge Road and set up tables and chairs. I knew it would be a lot of heavy work. But, as the morning progressed people saw where they fit in and pretty soon we had a slick running machine. And then, to our delightful surprise the Kitchen Crew had ham biscuits for lunch – AWESOME! Yeah, food will do that for me.

To say the least Calvary Church is a pretty neat place to serve. I am grateful for those who are able to put their hand to the plow and get the job done. I am thankful for the many people who stay behind the scenes, not seeking praise, but simply wanting God to be honored through their service.

One more thing I want to add…another “thank you” goes out to those who took the youth to the Hearts on Fire Conference in Gatlinburg, TN on Friday and Saturday. Everything I’ve heard has been great. As a former youth pastor I know how memorable those times can become to the youth. Again, your obedient sacrifice will pay off in the end. Parents and college students, you are a blessing to all of us.

Grace & Peace,

In the back of my journal I have a pocket, and in that pocket I collect all sorts of “things.” Most of those “things” are reminders. Among them is: “My Edification List” from Barb, a poem from Courtney, a foot rubbing coupon from Abby, an encouraging note from Ben, a Father’s Day card from Blake, a letter from my brother, two prayer request cards from men, and my Dad’s obituary.

I laid these reminders out on my desk today and read them. Each one was a gentle shove to keep honoring God and serving others. As I look at them my heart breaks for the times I’ve failed, but I am also encouraged. I am encouraged because I realize that I have these people (and many more) in front of me courageously following God and behind me faithfully supporting my efforts.

We all need these kind of built in reminders. We need things in our life that remind us of God’s faithfulness to us and of people’s love. The Israelites had these reminders. On certain momentous, God-is-faithful-and-came-through occasions they would stack rocks so they wouldn’t forget (Joshua 4:1-7). They would write down the stories of God’s faithfulness so that the coming generations would continue to trust God (Psalm 78). Even God had a “book of remembrance” (Malachi 3:16); how cool is that!

What reminders do you have? Let me encourage and challenge you to get some. Put these reminders in your life personally, and then put some in place for your family. It is so easy to lose faith when discouragement hits. We all need to know that God is faithful and that people are for us. We need to know that we aren’t going through life alone.

Grace & Peace,

I’m so glad last week is over, and I think I’m equally thankful I don’t have a crystal ball to let me know how hectic a week is going to be. If I did have that sort of think in my life I think I would have cashed in all my sick and personal days and just checked out. Now I know every one of your reading this has weeks like that, right? Well, last week’s busy schedule got me thinking and had me meditating on strength.

It seemed that many of the songs I heard on Pandora throughout the week, and the Scriptures I read touched on the subject of strength. So often I think all I have to do is tag Christ’s strength on my own and I’m set. In reality I have come to understand that when I am doing God’s will I can only do in through His strength. I really don’t have anything to bring to the battle.

On Tuesday morning (10-8-12) God providentially lead me to Isaiah 40:28-29,

²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Oh, how we so easily go out and try to tackle our day in our own power. We believe that if anything is going to get done we’re the ones who’ve just got to suck it up and push our way through. All the time God is saying to us, “Hey, do it in MY strength, don’t go through this alone. I want you to do My will through My Son. Get it done through Jesus!”

²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Did you see that? Did you notice how Jesus brings together “labor” and “heavy laden” with “rest”? Yeah, rest is what we’re looking for, but how? Verse 29 is the key. Take His yoke and learn from Him. We continue to work in His strength and that is where we find soul rest! Isn’t that beautiful?

Something that we need to be reminded about from time-to-time is that Calvary Baptist Church exists to glorify God. That is the primary responsibility of all creation that God established from the very beginning. The first approval we see is that of God’s…

And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25)…And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31).

Creation had to meet God’s approval, nobody else’s.

Once we understand what our primary responsibility in all of life is and what it means, then we can begin to ask important, rubber-meets-the-road kind of questions. Like, “How do we reflect God’s image through the church.” The answer to that is both simple and complex. It is simple because I believe we could list four key elements that describes that for us: worship, discipleship, fellowship and outreach. It is complex because of everything that is involved in each of those areas for us as a church.

What I would like to do this week is take just one of those and inspire and encourage all of us in that one area. Let’s consider discipleship.

Discipleship is learning. It is the process through which we learn, change and grow spiritually. This process must be intentional for us as a church. We can’t think it will “just happen”…like we have some sort of discipleship fairy that sprinkles spiritual growth pixie dust on everyone who comes through the doors. That may sound ridiculous, but isn’t that how we are approaching the spiritual growth of the body if we don’t intentionally plan and practice for teaching and training one another in the Bible?

What God uses over and over again in my life to convict me of this is the great commission passage in Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” The command (imperative) in this verse is not the word “go.” The going is an assumption that Jesus makes. In other words, He never imagined that His followers would not go across the street or across the ocean (cf. Acts 1:8 for the ever widening influence the church is to have). The command is to “make disciples.” The way this is written in the Greek could literally be translated: “as you are going I command you to make disciples.”

Too much can take place in our church to side track us from this core value. Don’t you think the enemy would be happy if we busy ourselves with issues that take our intentional focus away from teaching the Bible?

Remember Whose approval we are after – the Creator of the universe’s. We desperately want to hear the God of all creation say to us that what we’ve done is “very good”; the opposite of that, even if it’s mediocre, is “very bad.”

Grace & Peace,

On Sunday mornings we have been working our way through the book of Malachi. On thing that has been screaming out at me week-after-week is the fact that God begins His rebuke (and saves His sternest rebuke) for the spiritual leadership of the nation of Israel (cf. 1:6; 2:1, 4, 7, 8; 3:3). The strongest section is found in chapter 2. Read these words and let them sink in:

⁷For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. ⁸But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, ⁹and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction. (Malachi 2:7-9)

Wow, what an indictment. God didn’t shy away from taking them out behind the proverbial woodshed. He bent them over His knee and thoroughly got to the seat of the problem.

What are some of the lessons we learn from this?

First, the direction of spiritual leaders is the direction of the people. The entire nation stumbled because of the wrong teaching of the priests. The tone of the book of Malachi is belligerence. The people were debating God’s steadfast love because the priests began doing it.

Teaching God’s people God’s Word carries with it a high level of accountability. Teachers of God’s Word can’t mess up and then say, “Oops, my bad.” That may be okay every once in a while, but to consistently mislead people through sloppy teaching is unconscionable. Remember the words of James?

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers [and sisters], for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1)

Repentance is the only way out. Once the wrong has been pointed out the only course of action is to seek forgiveness and change direction. This is what God was shooting for in Malachi, but unfortunately it didn’t take place. We see the theological mess when Jesus shows up 450 years later.

This is why it’s crazy for us to think being a pastor or spiritual leader is cool. Too often this is the reason behind choosing this path. We think becoming a pastor is a piece of cake with lots of benefits. It would be “off the chain” to lead a group of people, teach them, and play with the youth once in a while. That is so far from the truth it’s pitiful.

The life of a pastor is a wonderful life. I love what God has called me to do, but my calling doesn’t come from what I think is hip and cool; my calling comes from the LORD of hosts who tapped me on the shoulder in 1981. It was a calling that I couldn’t shake. I am compelled to pastor and I would be miserable if I had to go through a season of not under-shepherding a group of Jesus’ disciples.

I write this not looking for pity or accolades; I write this letting you know that when the church gets off course God will begin the process of correction with me. He will take me over His knee to get us back on track.

We are told in 1 Peter 2:9 that all believers are priests. One of the responsibilities of being a priest is to guard knowledge (Malachi 2:7). We worked some of that out Sunday morning, but I didn’t have time to look at the contrast between mouths that guard truth and mouths that don’t. As God’s priests how should we guard God’s truth? Let’s think the contrast found in Proverbs 4 and 5.

The writer of Proverbs advises us to be attentive to his words (4:20 aka, wisdom). This careful attention paid to wisdom is accomplished by guarding wisdom (“keep them within your heart” [4:21, see also 5:2]). The word “keep” is the same word we looked at in Malachi 2:7 (“for the lips of the priest should guard knowledge”). Now comes what I believe to be helpful contrast…

In contrast to lips that guard wisdom are lips that guard nothing but their own interests (5:3-6). He calls lips like those the lips of immorality (a personification). Notice how they are described in 5:3:

In other words, they are sweet and they are smooth; they taste and feel good. Those who choose to live immorally will have the feeling like nothing ever has been this good. They’ll shout, “I’ve never been more free to be myself! I’m really alive!” And you know what? The Bible doesn’t disagree. But look at where it all ends up…

“⁴But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. ⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol.” (5:4-5)

Living for pleasure is like drinking poison and swallowing a Buck knife. And in the end it leads to death and destruction. It may taste and feel good now, but later it will destroy.

There is a huge difference between lips that guard wisdom and lips that drip with honey. The one who guards wisdom tells the truth in love, but the one who doesn’t lies about what’s coming around the corner if we keep going in that direction and making the wrong choices.

Grace & Peace,

Deacons are ministers of mercy. They have never been called to be the board members of the church, and I can’t find one Scriptural proof that says they are chosen to take care of the details of the building and grounds. Unfortunately this has become the modern paradigm (i.e., pattern). It is high time we get the deacons of Calvary Church out of the boardroom and building business.

We have all sorts of committees that take care things around here. For example, we have a Building and Grounds Committee that can make sure something gets fixed or the lawn gets mowed. If the deacons take over this area of serving then I have to ask the question: “Why do we need a committee to watch over the building and grounds?” And we can go right down the list.

Let’s begin with the word “deacon” itself. The term deacon simply means “servant.” They are called of God and chosen by God’s people to lead as servants. They are not called to plunge the toilet, unless of course they are either on that committee or in the immediate area! (We have a toilet plunging committee?) What I am trying to say is that a deacon can serve in a ministry of the church, but his office does not demand it.

Deacons first appear on the scene because mercy was not being adequately shown to the poor widows in Jerusalem (Acts 6). The apostles were so taking on the needs of the poor widows and because of the growth of the church they needed help. The needs of the poor were pulling them away from prayer and preparation to teach God’s Word. Something had to give. Very wisely, and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, they decided to have the church choose seven men to take care of the poor widows. Their singular job description was to serve (provide mercy through relief) those widows.

At Calvary because of their leadership abilities the deacons provide oversight for the different committees. They provide relief for me to give myself to prayer and preparation in the Word. Without these men I would be overwhelmed.

As we choose deacons this week I want us to prepare by reading two passages of Scripture: Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Read them diligently and decipher them carefully. Secondly, I want us all to continue zealously in prayer.

Grace & Peace,

I’ve been really selfish by thinking what I would do without Ben being at Calvary Church to help me. I’ve neglected to think of the impact his move would have on his mother and their daily talks. I’ve not thought long and hard about how this would affect his sisters (when he came home he usually went to their room and sat on their bed just to talk). I’ve also not thought through how this would change his relationship with his brother who was just a short drive away. And I’ve certainly not contemplated too much on the youth at Calvary. Yes, I’ve been extremely selfish. His life must go on; he must follow the Lord’s leading in his life just like the rest of us. I am both sad and enthralled at the same time.

We all must move on, one day at a time. There is much serious work to do for our great God here in Boiling Springs. I cannot forget that…I will not forget that. I have wallowed in my self-pity long enough. We will all be just fine, and moving on will not diminish the effect Ben has had, it will only enhance it. The greatest injustice we can do to his, or anybody’s, ministry is to curl up in a ball and suck our thumb. It’s time to move on, it’s time to make changes, it’s time to take risks and step out by faith. Are you ready? I am. I am so excited about the future of Calvary Church. I am just thrilled that He allows me a consistent, weekly ministry with people I love deeply. I am so thankful and humbled to exalt and adore our heavenly Father with YOU!

Let’s put our selfish interests aside, roll up our sleeves, pour our hearts out to God in prayer, and serve Him together like we’ve never done before. This will take sacrifice of our time, energies and money. We will need to look deep into our selves and repent of pride, we will need to sincerely strive to honor God in everything, and we will need to follow hard after God.

Grace & Peace,

Last week’s annual tax free weekend reminded me that it’s about time for school to start. I talked to kids who went school shopping and they told me about their school bags and new clothes. For some that is the only reason they look forward to this time of year! What has been cool about the last 12 months at Calvary Church is that as God has expanded His church we now have new kids from all over. It is so exciting to have homeschoolers, public schoolers and Christian schoolers. This adds variety and diversity to our church, and it gives us the privilege of having different views and opinions. It also gives us the chance to expand our outlook on parenting and it challenges our thinking. Finally I believe it stretches us to strive for unity in the midst of diversity.

Soon we will post the names, schools and grades of our students. We are taking a different approach to our students this year. I honestly think we missed the boat in the past because we turned the focus of praying for our students into buying gifts for them. I don’t want us to get into a competition of who gets the best gifts and in turn teach our children the greed of consumerism – I think the culture has that one handled. The focus of listing our students is so that we can more effectively pray for them. Consistent prayer is the best gift we can give the children at Calvary.

On that note I want to encourage everyone to come for our annual Back-to-School Pizza Bash. The evening will start with a pizza party at 5:30 and then at 6 pm we will have a worship service of music, special prayer for our students and preaching by Ben Linnerud. This is one of those nights you won’t want to miss.

Grace & Peace,

Proverbs is a book that encourages listening.

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance. (Proverbs 1:5, emphasis added)

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. (Proverbs 1:8, emphasis added)

The author encourages more than just listening, he encourages listening to the right voice. Too many “church people” listen to the wrong voices. The author’s approach in Proverbs is to call young men to listen to the right voice by talking about what they are interested in. Young men are interested in young women. He takes that interest and personifies women as either wise (the moral woman [1:20, 32 – 2:2]) or unwise (the immoral woman [5:1-8]). He is not saying that women are this; he is simply using women as a figure of speech to get his point across.

It would be nice if the only one speaking were the sensible woman of wisdom; if that were the only voice we heard life would be much easier to live; unfortunately the sensual woman of immorality is speaking, seeking to gain our ear. And the problem with the immoral woman is that she tastes really delicious and sounds really good (5:3). The author of Proverbs devotes all of chapter 5 to the description of the dangers of following this sensual woman.

Following leads to destination, and following begins by listening. We will end up in the wrong place because we’ve followed the wrong voice. To whom are we listening?

Grace & Peace,

I want to share that I was challenged in my Sunday school group this week by Keith Higginbotham. He said something that got me thinking. He shared that before his feet hit the floor in the morning he meditates on the Lord’s Prayer. I want to encourage and challenge all of us to do just that. Wake up 5 or 10 minutes early and meditate on God’s Word. This is a time that we all would connect with God. Go over the verses you are memorizing (hint: Proverbs 26:13-16) and meditate on them. Ask three key questions: “What do they say?” “What do they mean?” “What does it matter?”

Remember what David wrote,

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11)

Grace & Peace,

Scott

The body of Calvary Church encourages me! Thank you so much for the generous gift on my sixth anniversary at Calvary Church. I will put it to good use as I’ve been thinking about getting SCUBA certified with my brother, Jack. Yes, that is one of the things on my “bucket list.” It’s either that or skydiving!

These years have gone by so quickly, and I stand amazed at all that God has accomplished in such a short time. Can you even imagine what the next six years will bring? As I look back on these years together what I see most prominently are the faces of people – you! I am so blessed, honored and humbled to pastor such a wonderful church. The business of church work is first and foremost about honoring God through discipling people. What I desire most is to see each of you take steps in your life spiritually that will bring more and more glory to a wonderful and great God.

I also want to praise the name of the Lord for a great time at our annual cookout, and I want to thank the Recreation and Fellowship Committee for organizing, gathering, preparing and cooking to make our afternoon so great. I noticed that we have quite a few avid fishermen…uh, fisherwomen…mmm, fisher-people in our family. It is truly a joy to see you out there in a different context than the four walls of 4000 Parris Bridge Road. Something to think about…fishing contest?! I do believe Bascom Ford wins the prize this year for the biggest catch with a 6’ 8” Zebco, caught late in the day; our hats off to you brother! I’m just saddened that we didn’t get to the “toss the new members in the lake” activity.

Grace & Peace,

This last week has been a wonderful week of vacation. I appreciated the opportunity to take some time off, sit poolside, and enjoy my family. I’ve discovered that it takes about 2 days to finally feel relaxed. Until then I am a pretty keyed up person. Ok, to be honest an 8 hour day on the interstates of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida don’t help, neither does getting awakened at 3:11 am to the sound of your neighbors fighting, nor witnessing the near drowning of a four year old, but I guess these are things I need to learn to take in stride when leaving the comforts of the small, unincorporated town of Boiling Springs. But there were so many good things during the week…the laughter of adult kids playing Nertz, 24 hours a day for a whole week with Barb, getting to see my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, newly married niece, and great nephew, and spending a day at “Harry Potter World.” Yeah, all that stuff is good! Overall the good definitely outweighed the bad!

I missed my Calvary Church family while I was gone and can’t wait to see you Sunday morning! One of the truly soul satisfying, Christ exalting things I do with my life is teaching the Word. Every opportunity I have to open God’s sacred Book and explain what it has to say fills my heart with joy. I hope you will be there as we look at the second thing a lazy person will not do – Start Things (Proverbs 26:14).

That’s all I have for now. I’ll get back to enjoying my view of the pool from five stories high!

Grace & Peace,