Folks, Listen!

Wishing I was in Virginia!

2012-02-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

I love living in northern Michigan. But today, I would much rather be in Virginia. Why? Because today is my lovely daughter's birthday! Joy is a senior this year at Liberty University where she is currently doing her student teaching and looking forward to graduating in May. I wish I could be there today to give her a hug and take her out to her favorite restaurant, 'Olive Garden.'

But for now, all I can do is think about being with her as I look at the picture of her and me that she gave me in a frame that says, "Daddy, I will always be your little girl!" A few days ago, Joy put the following post on my Facebook page. Here is what it said:

"Just watched the end of the 1950's version of the 'Father of the Bride.' It ended with a quote...'A son is a son until he takes a wife. A daughter is a daughter all of her life.' Love you daddy!"

So today, if I could be anywhere, it would be in Virginia. But since I cannot be there, all I can say is, "Happy Birthday, Joy! I love you and am very, very proud of the beautiful, godly woman you have become!"

A Trumpet, A Limo Ride, And A Twenty Dollar Bill

2012-02-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

So what was your first job? Mine was when I was in 8th grade attending the Goodyear Junior High School on the east side of Akron, OH. My band director, Mr. Hill, set me up with this initial plunge into the work force. Who did I work for? One of the local funeral homes. What did I do? I played taps on my trumpet at all of their military funerals.

That may sound somewhat morbid but, for the age I was then, it was actually kind of cool. On the days there were military funerals, I would show up to school in the only suit I had - a bright blue pin-striped 3-piece that, along with a fake ID, could have gotten me into any local disco hall. At the proper time, a shiny black limousine would pull up to the main entrance of the school and, as all my friends looked out the classroom windows, I would get into the back seat.

The limo would then take me to the cemetery where I would stand back by the military guys who would be giving the gun salute. Once the priest had finished his words and the guns had all been fired, it was time for my 60 seconds of fame as I played taps. I would then load back into the limo who would run me through a McDonald's drive-thru and buy me lunch and then take me back to school with a crisp $20 bill in my hand. WOW! What a job that was!

Actually, my trumpet provided me something even better as I entered High School. I attended a wonderful Christian School (Cuyahoga Valley Christian School in stow, Ohio) where I played in the band. Our band director was named Mr Don Bechtel. He was a kind of mentor to me in many more ways than just music. My senior year I was band president. In fact, band was my life in High School.

During those 3 years in Mr Bechtel's band he taught me one of the greatest lessons I ever learned. Over and over he would say to our band, "Just because it's Christian, doesn't mean you have to settle for mediocrity...shoot for excellence in everything you do!" It is very similar to what I heard Dr Jerry Falwell say many times during my four years at Liberty University. Dr Falwell would say, "If it's Christian it ought to be better!"

My trumpet has been packed away for nearly two decades. I doubt I could even play a note today but the lesson I learned playing my trumpet in Mr Bechtel's band has been far more valuable than a lifetime of limo rides and $20 bills!

The Super Bowl Strengthened My Marriage!

2012-02-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

AFC vs NFC

The Patriots vs The Giants

Tom Brady vs Eli Manning

This Sunday is the big day - it is Super Sunday in America as millions of people will gather around their large screen TV's and watch the big game lovingly known as "The Super Bowl." I for one am excited. Who do I want to win? I'm siding with the Giants. Does that mean that I like the Giants? Not necessarily. So why the Giants? That's simple. I am rooting for the Giants because I don't particularly care for the Patriots and I'm not a fan of Bill Belichick or Tom Brady. I would much rather see Eli Manning "one up" his brother from Indianapolis (at least temporarily from Indy) with a second Super Bowl trophy.

I know that the Super Bowl is just a game but it really has helped my marriage...seriously! I have a stronger marriage today because of the Super Bowl. Let me explain. I grew up in Akron, Ohio as an avid Cleveland Browns fan. My wife, on the other hand, grew up in southern Colorado as a Denver Broncos fan. The year before our marriage (while we were dating) and the first year of our marriage out favorite football teams were undoubtedly the best in the AFC and ended up playing both of those years against each other in the AFC Championship Game. Both years the Browns seemingly had the game wrapped up before watching it all unravel due to "The Drive" and "The Fumble" which propelled the Broncos, not the Browns, on to the Super Bowl.

As a result, our marriage faced one of its first obstacles. Most obstacles in marriage come from mere differences that get blown out of proportion. That's what happened to us. Our differences in football perspective created tension, especially when our first-born came along. There are so many adorable NFL outfits for babies. However, I was not about to let my baby girl be seen in public wearing anything associated with the Broncos and my wife dug in the same way in regards to my Browns.

Fortunately, over time our maturity took over and we realized that instead of dividing our home over our difference in sports allegiances, it was better to take the Biblical approach of Romans15:7 which tells us to "accept one another." I am shocked and saddened at how many times I watch marriages struggle and even dissolve over petty differences. So I am excited about the Super Bowl! It taught me an important lesson that has helped to make my marriage strong 25 years after "The Drive" and "The Fumble."

Go GIANTS! Go MARRIAGE!

A Season For Worship

2012-01-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

I can't imagine living in a part of the country that did not experience all four seasons - fall, winter, spring, summer! I think that's why I have so quickly grown to love living here in northern Michigan. Here we get all four seasons in brilliant fashion. But my current series on the life of Noah has given me a new appreciation for each of the seasons. Let me explain.

Genesis chapter 8 ends with God telling Himself that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood like He did in Noah's day. In the next chapter He will make that as a covenant with Noah, and ultimately, with you and I today. But in the final verse of chapter 8 God tells us that He has established the seasons as a perpetual reminder that God is still in control and that He always keeps His word!

Now each season as it comes and goes is not just another opportunity for beauty - it is a call to worship. As summer turns to fall and the leaves turn the brilliant colors (and I have never experienced color as I did this past fall here in northern Michigan), it is call to worship. Even as I am raking and blowing the billion or more leaves that fall in my yard here on Deepwoods Drive, it is a call for me to fall on my knees and worship a God who is always in control and who always keeps His word.

And when fall turns to winter and the snow begins to fall and the winds begin to blow and the temps begin to drop, it is a call to worship. Even as I rake my roof and fire up the snow blower to clear my driveway with the snow blowing back into my face, it is a call for me to fall on my knees and worship a God who is always in control and who always keeps His word.

And as fall turns to spring and buds form on the trees and the birds start to sing and the flowers start to burst through the ground, it is a call to worship. Even as I fight through the swarms of mosquitoes walking through my yard, it is a call to fall on my knees and worship a God who is always in control and who always keeps His word.

And as spring turns to summer with the long days of daylight and the perfect temperatures, it is call to worship. Whether it's being on the golf course, boating on a lake, or mowing the yard, it is a call for me to fall on my knees and worship a God who is always in control and who always keeps His word.

Here in Northern Michigan, it is always a season for worship!

Kissing Heaven's Ground???

2012-01-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

How many times have we seen it? Someone is held hostage out of the country or is away from their homeland for an extended period of time due to difficult scenarios and when they finally find themselves home, the first thing they do is kneel down and kiss the ground.

That's what I half-expected to read about Noah doing when he finally got off that massive floating box. Remember, he and his family were on that ark for over a year - with thousands of animals and birds (and in-laws). And finally, after more than a full year closed inside, he gets to exit the ark. It would have fit right into scenes like those I mentioned above to read that Noah exited the ark, knelt down and kissed the dry ground.

Well, Noah knelt down and he did offer kisses of sorts, but it had nothing to do with the ground. Genesis 8 says that the very first thing he did when he got off that ark was to build an altar. By the way, though we see instances of people making sacrifices prior to the flood (as in the case of Cain and his brother, Abel), this is the very first specific mention of an altar in the Bible. Noah then takes one of every clean animal and one of every clean bird that he took with him on the ark (remember, he took 7 of each clean animal and bird) and he sacrifices each of them in a lavish act of thanksgiving and worship.

What a lavish sacrifice it was. But Noah understood something. He realized that the only reason he was standing on dry ground with just 7 other people (his family) who survived the flood had nothing to do with him. Noah was a sinner. Chapter 9 of Genesis will make that clear. He didn't survive the flood because he deserved it. He survived the flood for one reason...Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Realizing this, Noah's first act after exiting the ark was not to kiss the ground, it was to make a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God because of His wonderful grace.

Now think about this. The ark is a picture of salvation and the door of the ark is a picture of Christ. Just as Noah was saved from the judgement of the flood by believing God and entering the ark through the door, so we are saved from the eternal judgement of sin by believing what God has said and entering God's salvation through the door of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So if Noah's entering the ark is a picture of our entering God's salvation, then Noah exiting the ark after his long journey could also a picture of our entering heaven at the end of our journey. What will be the first thing we do when we get to heaven? I doubt we will kneel down and kiss the ground. Instead, I think it will fully hit us that the only reason we are there is because of the grace of God. Our being there has nothing to do with us - it has everything to do with Him. And instead of kissing the ground, I think we will immediately fall on our knees and worship and give thanks to the One whose grace is so wonderful.

Gilligan Versus Noah

2012-01-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

TV sitcoms sure have changed, haven’t they? To be honest, there isn’t one current sitcom that I watch today. Why can’t we just bring back those great sitcoms from my childhood? I’m speaking of sitcoms like

The Brady Bunch

Welcome Back Kotter

WKRP in Cincinnati

Hogan’s Heroes

Gomer Pyle USMC

Get Smart

While we are on the subject, maybe we should start a petition to bring back the castaways of Gilligan’s Island? I bet most of you could sing the theme song along with me…

“With Gilligan; the Skipper too; the millionaire and his wife’ the movie star; the professor and Mary Ann, here on Gilligan’s Isle!”

What a voyage the “Minnow” had with that small group that had set out on a simple “3-hour cruise!” Along those lines, this Sunday morning here at Gaylord E-Free we will continue our series that we are calling, “The Noah Factor: All Are Welcome,” seeing the voyage of the Ark and Skipper Noah as we move into chapter 8 of Genesis and see what life was like on the Ark and what happened when Noah and his family were finally able to disembark more than a year after they first entered this massive floating box!

And to add to the effect of the morning, we will actually have everyone in attendance participating to help us make it rain INSIDE the Gospel Center. See you at 9:30am this Sunday here at the Gaylord E-Free Church in Gaylord, Michigan!

Earmarks of an Encourager

2012-01-27T00:01:00.004-05:00

On my study week this past week I spent the majority of my time pouring into the character of Barnabas seen in the pages of the New Testament. According to Acts 4, his given name was Joseph. However, based on the amazing nature he had as an encourager of those around him, the Apostles gave him the nickname, Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement." From studying the life of Barnabas this week I found no less than 6 earmarks of an encourager. We will examine each of these in detail come May here at Gaylord E-Free, but for now let me just list them:

The GOODNESS of an Encourager - An Encourager is filled with the Holy Spirit resulting in goodness. In Acts 11:24, Barnabas is described as a good man who was filled with the Holy Spirit. Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23) that comes from being controlled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

The GRACE of an Encourager - An encourager has genuine empathy toward outsiders. After the martyrdom of Stephen, Jewish believers were being scattered abroad and some made their way to Antioch where they shared Christ with Greeks who became believers. When news of this reached the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to investigate. When Barnabas arrived and saw the evidence of God's grace in the lives of these Greeks, he rejoiced and encouraged them in their faith. Many Jews would have been unwelcoming of Gentiles becoming believers but Barnabas had a genuine empathy toward outsiders (Acts 11:19-23).

The GOAL of an Encourager - An encourager's heart is to see people persevere in their faith. Barnabas' greatest encouragement to these new Greek believers was for them to have a resolute heart in remaining true to the Lord (Acts 11:23). The long term impact was that these believers were the first to be called "Christians."

The GLORY of an Encourager - An encourager is humble. Barnabas had no problem playing second fiddle. As you read about the ministry partnership of Barnabas and Paul, from Acts 11 through the first part of Acts 13 Barnabas is always mentioned first. But from the ending of Acts 13 and on, Paul gets the first spot in the naming of the duo and becomes the more prominent of the two. An encourager doesn't care if they get the recognition. They are selfless.

The GIVING of an Encourager - An encourager is free from materialism. When we first meet Barnabas in Acts 4:36, he sells a track of land and brings all of the profit to the Apostles to be used in ministry. Later in Acts 11:29-30, Barnabas and Paul are entrusted with an offering of money to be taken and given to hurting believers in Judea. It is hard to be an encourager if your focus and motive is materialism.

The GUTS of an Encourager - An encourager is willing to take risks on behalf of others. The leaders in Jerusalem were too scared of the newly converted Saul of Tarsus to allow him into their fold, it was Barnabas that had the guts to take the risk on Saul (Acts 9). When Paul wanted nothing to do with John Mark because he had failed them earlier on their missionary journey, it was Barnabas who had the guts to stand up for John Mark and give him a second chance (Acts 15). And how important was this? Keep this in mind - these two men that Barnabas took risks on ended up writing one-third of the New Testament!

BUZZ

2012-01-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

There is a BUZZ going on surrounding the ministry here at Gaylord E-Free Church. I love it. Now BUZZ is not simply seen through the numbers attending. It can be seen in many other ways. For example:

What is happening on Sunday mornings at E-Free is being talked about all through the city of Gaylord during the week. One of our church members who works at the hospital said that our service last Sunday with the ark and all the animals was the talk of the hospital. That's BUZZ!

People are coming that don't usually attend church. I heard this week of a Senior Citizen who has not attended church regularly for over 40 years who has now attended E-Free 3 weeks in a row and loves it. I heard of a lady who does not believe in going to church who was at E-Free last Sunday with her daughter and loved it. That's BUZZ!

One of the woman in the church told me with great excitement how wonderful it was to pull into the church parking lot Sunday and park behind a car that had a big "HOOTERS" restaurant bumper sticker on it! Seriously, how many times do you see a "HOOTERS" bumper sticker in a church parking lot? That's BUZZ!

Comments about our church are all over Facebook and the number of readers of our church Facebook page is exploding! That's BUZZ!

Our Life Groups are not just connecting people, they are resulting in people taking steps of faith. A lady came into the church office yesterday who wants to be baptized this Sunday? Why? Because she was encouraged to take that step of faith in her Life Group the night before! That's BUZZ!

You can literally feel the anticipation each Sunday morning as everyone arrives and the noise level in the foyer after the services each Sunday is amazing! That's BUZZ!

So join the BUZZ at Gaylord E-Free! To infinity and beyond!!!

Study Week

2012-01-25T00:01:00.003-05:00

There are many wonderful aspects of being the Lead Pastor of the E-Free Church here in Gaylord, Michigan, but the best part by far is being able to teach the Word of God to a wonderful congregation who so clearly desire to learn the Bible. As a result, a good portion of my week is spent studying and preparing for each Sunday's message. But a typical week also includes staff meetings, worship design group meetings, my weekly radio program, leadership meetings, one-on-one meetings with each ministry staff member; counseling appointments and other outside meetings and engagements.

But I have made it a practice to set aside one week each month as a study week. On this week, I don't have any of my one-on-one meetings with our ministry staff nor do I take any counseling appointments or other outside meetings. This week is set aside primarily for study. Along with preparing for the next Sunday, I also use this week to do my initial study and make my rough draft outlines for the series of messages that will take place four months down the road. This allows me to get these outlines to our Creative Ideas Group three months in advance so that they have a full month to prayerfully work through them before our Creative Meeting to plan the series which takes place two months in advance. My Study Week allows me to be able to plan enough ahead to allow our Creative Ideas Group the time they need to put together the creative elements that help our congregation better connect to the truth of God's Word.

This week is my study week for January. I am using part of this week to continue to prepare for this Sunday as we continue our study in the life of Noah by studying Genesis 8. I am using the remainder of the week to study in advance and make my rough draft outlines for our series scheduled for May which will be a series called "Lean On Me" as we learn from the New Testament character of Barnabas how we can be better encouragers to those around us.

I love my Study Week. I love taking a week each month to devote almost fully to study. Yesterday it was even more special as the whole time I was pouring into the Word of God I was watching the snow fall and blow outside my office window. It was both beautiful and inspiring.

When a Good Friend Brings Good Grief!

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

Laura and I had the thrill of having good friends from PA with us this weekend. Rick and Ginger Glass are some of those rare "true blue friends" that stay by your side through thick and thin. God really has and continues to use Rick and Ginger in our lives (The picture above is of meand Rick right before moving to Michigan).

We were actually in PA last week and had dinner with Rick and Ginger. Half serious and half jokingly we said, "Hey, you guys should come back to PA with us for the weekend!" They did and it was awesome. But if you were in Ryan and Carrie Sharpe's 2nd Hour Class last Sunday morning here at Gaylord E-Free, Rick told a story (at Ryan's devious prompting) on me from my previous church where for Christmas I dressed up like Charlie Brown.

It was my first Christmas at the church and our theme was, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Everything about that Sunday was centered around the Peanut's Gang. We had a giant inflatable Snoopy sitting on his dog house and we showed a clip from the classic Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon. And "yours truly" dressed up like Charlie Brown. I wore black shorts, knee socks, brown shoes and the infamous yellow shirt with the black zig-zag line around it.

As I was greeting folks at the doors as they arrived for the service I shook the hand of a college student who was home for the first time since I had become the pastor so he had never met me. There were many people coming in the door so we didn't really talk or make any introductions - just shook hands. Afterwards, his mom told me the following story.

She said that not knowing I was the pastor, and because of the way I was dressed, her son thought I was a man with "special needs." As he sat down for the service he thought to himself, "How cool that they let that man with special needs stand at the door and greet people - most churches would not see that as a good first impression." Then he was completely shocked when after the worship part of the service, that same man with "special needs" stood up and preached!

All I can say is, "Good Grief!"

Lions and Roosters and Bears - AMEN!

2012-01-22T14:03:00.003-05:00

Sunday morning at E-Free is always an exciting and inspirational worship service. But this morning was absolutely one of those WOW Sundays that will always be remembered.

We are in the middle of a series on the life of Noah that we are calling, "The Noah Factor: All Are Welcome!" Each week has been exciting with an ark built on our stage and Noah himself being active during each sermon. But this Sunday took an even more creative spin as we reached the point in the text where Noah had finished the ark and the animals paraded on board.

As we brainstormed this series two months ago, we talked as a Creative Ideas Group of how we could create an even greater connection for our church to this amazing story. We talked about how wonderful it would be if we could put animals all through the foyer and in the auditorium. I have to be honest, I was thinking "stuffed toy animals." But our Creative Ideas Group is amazing. They took the idea to a whole new level!

As people showed up at church this morning, all throughout the foyer around the Gospel Center we had fully mounted animals - not just heads...the whole animal mounted in action positions. They looked so real. There were lions, deer, bears, warthogs, hyenas and many more. One of the animals was laying on top of the main Welcome Center.

Up on the stage there were real animals - rabbits, goats, chickens, ducks and a rooster. Now the rooster stole the show, He gave his "cock-a-doodle-do" throughout the whole service. Through the worship he would "cock-a-doodle-do!" During the child dedication he would "cock-a-doodle-do!" And after every other sentence of my sermon (if you were there you know that I am not exaggerating) he would give his "cock-a-doodle-do!" I just pretended he was shouting out his own feathered "Amen!" It was great!!!!!

Hopefully, people left church this morning talking about the whole service. As they remember the animals, it is my hunch that they will more readily remember the main thrust of the morning's teaching which was that God is a God who does judge sin! But before He judges sin, He first creates a way of escape and gives opportunity for people to believe His Word and find salvation. He did this through the ark back in Noah's day and He is doing it through Jesus day.

And all God's people said? "Cock-a-doodle-do!"

Watch Where You Step

2012-01-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

This Sunday we continue our NOAH PROJECT series on the life of Noah here at Gaylord E-Free Church! This week the animals will be loading the ark! Seriously, watch where you step!

Why Creativity?

2012-01-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I shared a bit about some of the creative elements that our Creative Ideas Group here at the Gaylord E-Free Church use in our services. But why? I mean, it takes a lot of thought, work and energy. Is it worth it? Here are the reasons I think it is.

First, creativity comes from God. He is a creative God. It is one of the first things we learn about God. The very first verse in the Bible says, "In the beginning God CREATED the heavens and the earth!"

Second, creativity helps people to learn and remember. In today's culture most people have become "visual learners." They retain some things just by listening. But when you can use the other senses (sight, smell, touch and taste), they will remember even more.

Third, creativity creates excitement and anticipation. People come to church anticipating what is going to happen and they leave excited about what they just saw, heard and experienced. As a result, people openly talk throughout the week about what happened at church.

In other words, we don't use creativity just to be cute or cool. We have a purpose. As the Creative Ideas Group plans each element we do so using a 3-fold filter:

First, does the creative idea fit the theme? No matter how good the idea is, if it does not help people connect with the Biblical theme of the morning, it is not effective.

Second, can we pull off the element with excellence? If it can't be done with excellent, it loses effectiveness.

Third, is it too far out of the box? We want to be "cutting edge" but only to a point. If an idea is too far out of the box it becomes more of a distraction than it does an effective element.

I am thankful for the creative people God has put together here at Gaylord E-Free. I love how God is using this creativity. Is it Sunday yet?

First BALLOONS - Then an ARK - Next a TRAIN

2012-01-18T00:01:00.003-05:00

I am so blessed to pastor the church here in Gaylord, MI that I get to pastor. I love so many aspects but one aspect I especially love is working with our Creative Ideas Team in using creative elements to help people connect with our focus. As I think back over the last several months worth of message series, I love what this team has accomplished:

Back this fall we did a series called "The Mansion of Prayer" in which we saw a stage design consisting of 5 doors, one for each aspect of prayer that we were studying. Each door also had a giant key that helped to identify the key we saw from Scripture to open up that area of prayer in our lives.

December's Avoiding the Christmas Crash series saw an elegant holiday stage design that helped people connect visually with the concept of a "peaceful Christmas."

Christmas Day saw a worship service that people are still talking about with helium filled star-shaped balloons that represented the joy in our hearts because Christ was born. It was very much an emotional time to watch people release these balloons in the auditorium throughout the morning as a picture of the joy overflowing in their heart because Jesus was born.

January has brought our "Noah Project" series which brought about an ARK being built on our stage and which this Sunday will even see animals from all over the world coming to our ARK (Don't miss this Sunday but do watch where you step!).

And now the Creative Ideas Team is working on our next series that we are are calling "Meeting & Moving: A Purpose that Melts in Your Mouth!" For this series be looking for a train on our stage that will visit 6 specific stations to show our strategy to meet people right where they are at and help move them to where God wants them to be. Even the serial number on the engine will have a special meaning.

In my next posting I will share why we put so much effort into making our services creative!

My Frustration with Tebow

2012-01-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

OK - I have resisted the craze of bloggers everywhere who are writing about Denver Broncos quarterback sensation, Tim Tebow. But now that his end of the season and post-season run has come to an end, I might as well way in with my thoughts on this modern athletic phenomena.

I have to be honest, I'm to the point that when I see postings with the name "Tebow" in them, I find myself skipping right over them. After all, they all seem to be saying just about the same thing. So let me approach my thoughts on Tebow from a total different perspective. Let me take out the spiritual aspect completely which is difficult for me because I am a preacher and so I naturally see and like to point out the spiritual aspects of every situation.

So what's my take on Tim Tebow? It is total consternation! It is total frustration! Why all the angst? Here's why. Because on one hand I rally like Tebow. I love the story. It's one of those sports stories that you couldn't just dream up on your own if you wanted to. And I am for anyone who, as a follower of Jesus, genuinely wants to make his faith public and use his platform as an NFL quarterback to shine the light of Jesus to so many people. Because of all of that, I am very excited about Tim Tebow.

So what's the problem? Why the personal consternation? Why the personal frustration? It's simple. It's because Tim Tebow is not just any quarterback. He is the quarterback for the Denver Broncos. A huge part of me wants to get on the "Tebow Bandwagon." A huge part of my wants to put on the Tebow Jersey. And if it were any color other than Broncos Blue and Orange, I could and I would (unless of course it was the black and yellow of the Pittsburgh Steelers - that would be even worse).

Pretending that this posting is a public session of "Bitter People Anonymous," let me just take this opportunity to introduce myself. "Hi! My name is Scott and I am bitter." That's right, I admit it! I am still bitter from the late 80's when two years in a row those evil Broncos pulled out a miracle when my beloved Cleveland Browns were ready to pop the corks on the bubbly to celebrate an AFC Championship and a trip to the Super Bowl. "The Drive" and "The Fumble" are phrases that still cause a knot to form in the pit of my stomach.

You see, guys like me that faithfully root for professional sports teams that never seem to be able to win the big one have discovered that it's almost as fun to root against some teams as it is to root for your own. As a result, when it comes to the NFL, I will never be able to find myself with favorable feelings for the Denver Broncos (or worse, for the Pittsburgh Steelers).

You see, when the Broncos had John Elway as their quarterback, it was so much easier. There were no mixed emotions. I wanted to see old #7 fail on the gridiron just as much as I wanted to see the whole Broncos team come up short. That's why I am so frustrated with Tebow. Deep inside I would love to see him succeed. I would love to see him become the best of the best. But how can I do that as long as he's playing a Mile High?

Creative Disobedience

2012-01-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning we continued our series here at Gaylord E-Free called "The Noah Project." We gave special detail to the specific instructions God gave to Noah in Genesis chapter six when it came to the ark and the animals.

450 ft long

75 ft wide

45 ft high

Made of gopher wood

Include rooms

3 levels

A window

A door

Completely covered in pitch

2 animals of every kind on the earth

Enough food for all for over a year

And he was to do this in a day and age that had never seen rain and did not have the modern technology that we do today. And keep in mind, that he would also have do so in the crossfire of persecution and ridicule the entire time. Yet, he did all that God had commanded him

Why can't we be more like Noah? I mean, has God really given us any commands today that are more difficult than what I just listed above? Why is it that we so often use our own God-given creativity to get around the God-given commands that have been given to us? Let me give you a personal example.

My wife and I believe in the Biblical principle of tithing. We believe that all we have comes from God. It's all His! And He has commanded us to give the first 10% back to Him through the local church. And He has promised to bless us if we will. We have always practiced this throughout our nearly 25 years of married life.

But now we have two kids in college! Do you realize how expensive college is? There is tuition, room & board, books, essentials, travel, etc. And for us it is all of that multiplied by two! OUCH! The kids have some scholarships. They have some money from work. They have taken some student loans. But because we don't want to see them saddled with massive amounts of student loan debts as they go into life after college, we are trying to cover the rest. But honestly, it just doesn't all fit into our family budget - not by a long shot.

I discovered something, however, as I was reworking our budget going into 2012. I realized that the amount we tithe over the course of the year, especially if you include the amount above our tithe that we give to some missionaries we also support personally, would come very close to the amount we are short in our budget to pay their college costs and allow them to graduate having limited loans to repay. In other words, if I quit tithing I could do it! It's that simple! As a result, the following creative thoughts came into my mind:

Creative Thought #1 - It would just be for 2.5 more years! Then, we can go right back to tithing, maybe even upping the percentage a few notches!

Creative Thought #2 - Both my kids attend a Christian College. In fact, Liberty University (in my humble opinion) is the greatest, most exciting Christian University in the world. And it is making an enormous spiritual impact for Jesus world-wide. So by paying for my kids to go to Liberty, aren't I really investing money into a Christian ministry? Isn't that the same as tithing?

Creative Thought #3 - My daughter wants to teach Middle School. Lord knows that Middle School students need Jesus. And you have to be called of God to work with Middle School students day in and day out, right? My son wants to be a Worship Pastor who will lead people in worship of God, preparing their hearts to hear and heed the Word of God. By paying for their college education, am I not investing in ministry? Isn't this the equivalent of tithing?

How easy it would be for me to use any one or all of these creative thoughts to justify my getting around what God has asked me to do - TITHE! But if Noah can have enough faith to do all that God commanded him to do concerning the ark and the animals, can't I quit being creative in my disobedience and do what He has commanded me to do, trusting Him for the results as well?

Winter Weekend

2012-01-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

The snow has been falling in northern Michigan and it is just beautiful! I may ultimately get tired of dealing with snow living up north but I'm not sure I will ever get tired of watching it snow. Even though this weekend is going to be snowy and cold, it will also be filled with many ministry opportunities here at Gaylord E-Free Church to meet people right where they are at and help move them to where God wants them to be. With this in mind, my weekend will include 4 main areas of involvement.

CREATIVE IDEAS MEETING - Saturday morning at 7am I will meet with our Creative Ideas Group under the direction of our Director of Worship (Joshua Rupp) to brainstorm creative ideas for our next message series that we are calling, "Meeting & Moving: A Purpose that Melts in Your Mouth" which will begin February 26 and run through Palm Sunday, April 1. This team is gelling so well and I am so pleased and excited with the impact they are having here at Gaylord E-Free each and every Sunday. It's hard to believe that creative juices can flow at 7am on a Saturday morning, but this group makes that happen!

BABY ELIJAH MEMORIAL SERVICE - Later Saturday morning I will be speaking at a Memorial Service here in the Chapel at Gaylord E-Free for Elijah Wilkes, that I have been lovingly calling "Baby Elijah" who passed away last Sunday, about 1 month after his miraculous birth. What a thrill it has been to get to know Baby Elijah's parents. They are a wonderful couple whose faith has remained strong through a very difficult time. I am so very proud of them. As a pastor, it is a distinct privilege to walk through the highs and lows of life with the people God has brought to our church. I am praying that the story of Baby Elijah and the wonderful God that formed him in his mother's womb will have a major impact on those who will gather to celebrate his life this Saturday.

THE NOAH PROJECT - This Sunday with be week #2 of our new message series through the life of Noah. I can't wait for you to see the stage in the Gospel Center on Sunday. The ark is under construction and Noah, along with his 3 sons, will continue to work on it all through the message this coming Sunday. Be sure to be careful, especially as you leave the service Sunday, because rumor has it that wild animals are already migrating toward Gaylord, no doubt to load the ark. This past week 3 different people told me about frightening encounters they had in our church regarding coming face-to-face with a lion! I'm not kidding. So, if you see an animal Sunday, take my advice, don't try to feed or touch them (and please watch where you step)!

LUNCH WITH PASTOR SCOTT & LAURA - This Sunday following our worship service, my wife, Laura, and I are going to have the privilege of having lunch with many of the new people to our church! We are looking forward to getting to know each of them better.

It is definitely going to be a Winter Weekend physically here in Gaylord, Michigan, but with it there will be so much ministry that will be involved that it will keep us nice and warm spiritually. Some of the opportunities will be easier than others and some will be more exciting than others, but all of them will no doubt be used of the Lord to impact people for eternity, and that is what Gaylord E-Free is all about!

Welcome, Weekend!

300,000 VISITORS

2012-01-13T16:57:00.003-05:00

It's official. I have now gone over 300,000 unique visitors to my blog from 203 different countries around the world. Thank you to all who have visited "Folks Listen!"

Sanctity of Life

2012-01-13T00:01:00.005-05:00

January is Sanctity of Life month. Though I am decisively "pro-life" and passionately believe that all life is sacred from conception to natural death, I have to be honest and tell you that usually January comes and goes each year without me giving a lot of thought to the "sanctity of life." But as we move into the halfway point of January 2012, I have found the "sanctity of life" as a regular thought in my mind. Here is why.

A month ago a wonderful young couple in our church gave birth prematurely to a baby boy that they named Elijah. They knew before Elijah's emergency c-section that he had a problem that was going to require immediate surgery. What they did not know is the many other challenges that baby Elijah was going to be born with. Hours after his birth in Traverse City, he was transported 3 hours south to Grand Rapids where he had surgery.

The month that followed was filled with obstacles and set-backs. Baby Elijah's parents spent that month going back and forth from northern Michigan where their 4 daughters were to Grand Rapids where their sweet newborn Elijah was fighting for his life. Last Sunday baby Elijah passed away in his parents arms. This coming Saturday I will preach his funeral.

As I found myself praying for baby Elijah daily over the past month and regularly talking with his wonderful parents whom I respect so deeply and am so proud of as to how they have clung to their faith in a very difficult time, I have been vividly reminded of the "sanctity of life." Baby Elijah's life was filled with multiple challenges but that in no way made his life less valuable. Baby Elijah only lived for about a month, but that in no way made his life less important.

God caused Baby Elijah's conception. God had a plan and a purpose for Baby Elijah. And I am convinced that God fulfilled that plan and that purpose. I don't think we can know for sure at this point the impact that this one month of life had for eternity but I believe that when his parents get to heaven and God rolls back the eternal curtain and they see how God used Baby Elijah and how their sweet son fulfilled God's purpose, they will be amazed and they will fall on their knees in awe and worship of God.

Yesterday I was called to the hospital for another couple in our church who just last Sunday told me with excitement that she was pregnant. In the end it was an ectopic pregnancy (often called a tubal pregnancy) that required immediate emergency surgery. This time the parents did not get to see their baby or hold that baby in their arms. But as a believer that life begins at conception, I was again reminded of the "sanctity of life."

On the heels of all that, we received a call from parents in our church yesterday who would like to dedicate their child to the Lord this month. My first inclination was to say, "Sorry, those services are already planned but we can put you down for our next scheduled baby dedication which will be Mother's Day." But after crying with and praying with the parents of Baby Elijah and the parents of this ectopic pregnancy recently, "sanctity of life" Sunday, January 22, sounds like the perfect time to dedicate life to the Lord!

Me? Do What?

2012-01-12T00:01:00.003-05:00

God told Noah in Genesis 6 to do the following:

Build a floating box-like object out of gopher wood!

Make it 450 feet long (roughly 1.5 football fields)!

Make it 75 feet wide!

Make it 45 feet high!

Put three levels in it!

Cover the whole thing with pitch!

Put a window in it about 18 inches from the top!

Put a door in the side of it!

Put two of every animal in the world on it!

Put enough food on it for you, your family and the animals to eat for over a year!

Do all of this in a culture that has no modern technology!

Do all of this in the teeth of thousands of people who will persecute you daily!

Do it because God is going to send a flood even though nobody at the time had ever even seen rain!

And how did Noah respond to al of this? Genesis 6:22 says, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did?"

So tell me, why do you and I have such a hard time doing what God has commanded us to do today. I mean, listen, at least He hasn't commanded us to build an ark!

BEWARE...Animals Worshipping!

2012-01-11T00:01:00.003-05:00

This Sunday morning here at E-Free we will continue our new series that we are calling, “The Noah Factor: All Are Welcome,” which is a verse-by-verse study through Genesis 5-9. This Sunday we will continue in chapter 6 taking special note of the command of God to Noah to build the ark with very explicit instructions given as to its size and features. We will learn the answers to the following questions:

· What does the word “ark” mean?

· How is the word “ark” also used in the life of Moses?

· What was the ark made out of?

· What was the ark to be covered with?

· What does the word “pitch” mean?

· How long is a cubit?

· How long was the ark to be?

· How wide was the ark to be?

· How tall was the ark to be?

· How many levels were to be in the ark?

· What was the total square footage of the ark to be?

· How many basketball courts would have fit inside the ark?

· If the lower level of the Gospel Center was the size of the ark, what would be its seating capacity?

· What was to be put 1 cubit from the top of the ark?

· What was to be put in the side of the ark?

· How many train boxcars of animals could have fit inside the ark?

· Besides his own family, what two things was Noah to take into the ark?

· How did Noah respond to all that God commanded him to do?

Below are the special elements we are looking to have as part of our services this Sunday:

· We will once again have “Noah Trivia Questions” on the screen as part of our pre-service countdown clock

· We will show a clip from the movie “Evan Almighty” to show how God might have communicated to Noah with the command to build the ark if the story would have happened today

· The rubble on the stage from last week will literally be turned into an ark

· Noah himself will be back with us throughout the message, this time along with his 3 sons

· There will be a special Noah related skit as part of the Classic Service

· A special Marriage Mentoring Training promo will take place in both services.

· DON’T MISS THIS!!!! At the end of the sermon we will see God’s command to take animals on to the ark. Be careful as you leave the Gospel Center this Sunday morning as some of those animals just may already be making their way toward the ark! And whatever you do, please do NOT touch any animal you might happen upon while leaving the service this Sunday!

Staff Reviews Begin Today!

2012-01-10T00:01:00.002-05:00

Today is my first round of staff reviews with the ministry staff here at the Gaylord E-Free Church. It is my goal to conduct these one-on-one reviews twice a year. But why? Why do reviews in church work at all? Is it really necessary? Let me give some reasons why I believe staff performance reviews are important, especially in church work.

First, it helps to increase the development and performance of each staff member. Let's be honest - none of us function at 100% effectiveness. There are always weaknesses that can be worked on and strengths that can be further developed. Staff reviews allow each of our staff members to increase in ministry effectiveness.

Second, it helps to strengthen the working relationship between the staff member and the supervisor. The better the relationship I have with our staff, the greater effectiveness we will have as a team. Relationships are increased by building trust with each other and trust is built by honesty and communication.

Third, it clarifies job duties and responsibilities. Few things are more frustrating than not being sure exactly what your role is and being unsure of what your supervisor expects of you. Staff reviews take the guess work out of things.

Fourth, it allows an opportunity to appraise past accomplishments. Perhaps you have been there where you believe you are doing your job and doing it well and the only feedback you are getting from those around you and above you is positive. Then, out of nowhere you learn that there is dissatisfaction with your performance and it appears to be beyond the point of no return. Regular staff reviews allow each staff member to know if there are any problems well in advance so that they have the opportunity to make corrections.

Fifth, it establishes mutually understood standards for measuring performance and charting future objectives. Reviews allow me as the Lead Pastor and each of our ministry staff members to be on the same page as we move forward to reach our redemptive potential as a local church.

So this week will be our first round of staff reviews as I will meet one-on-one with all seven of our ministry staff members to talk through two documents. The first document is the Staff Self-Awareness Form. This is a form that each staff member has filled out and turned into me in advance that deals with their assessment of their performance; the status of their goals from the past 6 months; and to identify their new goals for the upcoming 6 months. Along with this, I will go through a Staff Performance Evaluation Form that I have filled out in advance on each staff member reviewing their performance in the following 4 areas:

CHARACTER = Are they exemplifying a Christ-like behavior and attitude?

COMPETENCE = Are they accomplishing their ministry role here at E-Free?

CHEMISTRY = Are they interacting well with our staff, church leadership and church family?

COURAGE = Are they willing to take Spirit-led risks to advance our ministry?

We have a wonderful staff here at Gaylord E-Free Church and I am praying that God will use these reviews to allow us to become all that we can be for the cause of Christ as individuals and as a team!

Sunday Rewind

2012-01-08T15:35:00.003-05:00

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know how much I look forward to Sundays. I often use my blog to preview the Sunday ahead because I am so excited about it. It's true, I live for Sundays and I wake up most mornings asking myself the question, "Is it Sunday yet?" But today let me write in reverse. Instead of sharing why I am excited about the upcoming Sunday, let me put things in reverse and share with you what I loved about last Sunday! Here is a rewind of Sunday's highlights:

I loved the two hours before church began on Sunday. Those 120 minutes were ones of great anticipation for what God is going to do. I loved spending that time in running through my sermon one more time, checking in with our sound techs, video techs and our Worship Arts Director to be sure everything was set and ready to go, and spending time in prayer and worship.

I loved chatting with a lady in the foyer before the service began who had just got home a few hours earlier from vacation after a 29+ hour drive. Her words were, "We got in late but I just can't miss church!"

I loved greeting people prior to the service and seeing and hearing the excitement they had to be in church and the anticipation they too felt regarding the service.

I loved participating in worship! I especially loved seeing my family participating in the worship as part of the band.

I loved being able to lead our church corporately in prayer for a couple who is newer to our church and who is down in Grand Rapids with a newborn baby that is in critical condition. Though this is a very difficult time for this couple, one of the things I love about being a pastor is the opportunities to walk with people through the highs and lows of life, literally to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep.

I loved being able to use a video clip from "Evan Almighty" to use culture to help our church family connect with what it must have been like to be Noah.

I loved being able to preach a brand new sermon starting off a new series on the life of Noah, showing our church family how one person can make a difference in a wicked world and how each of us can be a breath of fresh air in our homes, in our schools, where we work, and in our neighborhoods.

I loved watching our own NOAH being on stage and throughout the Gospel Center as I preached. He did such an awesome job of acting for 40 full minutes without ever saying a word. It was so much fun to see how his part in the service kept people focused on a much more detailed and deeper sermon than usual.

I loved meeting so many newer folks to our church during the "Meet & Greet" after the service.

I loved talking with a couple who I met at the Welcome Center because she lost her purse in church. It ended up that Sunday was their very first time at E-Free. Not only that, they live right up the street from us and had just signed up to be part of our Life Group! We were also able to reunite her with her purse!

I loved seeing how many new people signed up to be part of our Life Groups! Our group alone has 6 new people that will be part of the 12 people who are already part of our group.

I loved chatting with the representative that was in the lobby today with Bethany Christian Services as part of Sanctity of Life Month. It was exciting to see her pleasure with the great contacts she made with people from our church.

I loved seeing the numbers of people who were part of the new 2nd hour classes that took place after the service.

I loved spending some time in my office after the service with a toddler of one of our staff members playing catch with a football and teaching him how to enthusiastically say, "BUCKEYES!"

I loved the fun and laughter we experienced tonight at our Life Group leader's appreciation dinner. God is doing wonderful things through our small group ministry!

I could go on and on, but there is a partial glimpse of why this past Sunday at Gaylord E-Free Church in Gaylord, Michigan was so special!

Don't Miss This Sunday at Gaylord E-Free

2012-01-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

HERE IS ALL THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THIS SUNDAY AT GAYLORD E-FREE!

Classic service begins at 9:30am

Contemporary service begins at 9:30am

New sermons series starts called, "The Noah Factor: All Are Welcome!"

Enjoy great worship in the Gospel Center's Contemporary Service

Sing many of your older favorites in the Chapel's Classic Service

Look for a pile of rubble on stage showing the material that would become the ark as well as symbolizing the sinful rubble of the wicked world of their day!

Look for Noah himself all throughout the message

Watch a video clip that will show you what the story of Noah would have looked like if it had happened in our day and age

Nursery and full children's program will be available

Second hour classes will take place for kids and adults

"Meet & Greet" will take place right after the service for new and somewhat new people to E-Free to meet myself and my wife

Sign up at the Connection Area for the new session of Life Groups which begin this week

Sign-up and information will be available at the Connection Area for those interested in being part of our Marriage Mentoring Training beginning later this month

Bethany Christian Services will have a display and information in the Connection Area

Spencer Smith will be sharing second hour in the Suncathcer's Class about his ministry in the country of Jordan

Noah Trivia

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

This Sunday here at Gaylord E-Free we start a new verse by verse series through Genesis 5-9 as we take an in-depth look at the life of Noah. Below are several multiple choice trivia questions about Noah that have nothing to do with the Ark! How many can you get right?

What was the name of Noah's father?

A - Lamech

B - Lazarus

C - Leroy

D - Leonard

Who was Noah's grandpa and how old was he when he died?

A. Pastor Jim Mathis (age 777)

B. Methuselah (969)

C. Sigmund Freud (83)

D. Martin Luther (63)

Who was Noah's Great Grandpa and what distinguished him from everyone else?

A. Shrek (green skin)

B. Zacchaeus (short)

C. Enoch (never died)

D. Jonah (smelled like fish)

Who was Noah's great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandpa?

A. Tim Tebow

B. Ron Paul

C. Methuselah

D. Adam

How old was Noah when he had his 3 sons?

A. 18 years old

B. 666 years old

C. 500 years old

D. 12 years old

What was the name of Noah's 3 sons?

A. Larry, Moe and Curly

B. Shem, Ham and Japheth

C. Dopey, Sneezy and Grumpy

D. Ben, Jim-Bob and John-Boy

What does Noah's name mean?

A. To breath again

B. Don't miss the boat

C. Ark-builder

D. Rain man

JOIN US SUNDAY AS WE START OUR NEW SERIES ON THE LIFE OF NOAH

9 Generation Picture

2012-01-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

This Sunday we start a brand new series here at Gaylord E-Free that we are calling, "The Noah Factor: All Are Welcome." It will be a verse by verse study through the life of Noah seen in Genesis 5-9. We start this Sunday with chapter 5 in which we see the genealogy of Adam all the way to Noah covering 10 generations. But here is what I find amazing. Follow me on this:

Noah's father was Lamech

Noah's grandfather was Methuselah

Noah's great grandfather was Enoch

Noah's great great grandfather was Jared

Noah's great great great grandfather was Mahalel

Noah's great great great great grandfather was Kenan

Noah's great great great great great grandfather was Enosh

Noah's great great great great great great grandfather was Seth

Noah's great great great great great great great grandfather was Adam.

Following me so far? Now, figure this into the equation. Lamech (Noah's father) was 56 years old when Adam (Noah's great great great great great great great grandfather) died. That means that 9 generations were alive at one time. Think about it. When Lamech (Noah's father) was55 years old (Noah was not born until Lamech was over 180 years old) and attending his family reunion, he could have had a 9-generation picture taken with him, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalel, Kenan, Enosh, Seth and the very first man, Adam. Nine generations all alive at the same time.

I thought it was something when we had a 5-generation picture taken on my wife's side of the family with my wife, our daughter, my wife's mom, my wife's grandma and my wife's great grandma. A 5-generational picture is quite an accomplishment today, but Adam through Lamech would have covered 9 generations living all at the same time.

Now imagine the population explosion we would experience today if each person lived to be 600, 700, 800, even 900 years old and could continue to reproduce for most of those years. Chances are good that there were more people alive on the earth at the time of Noah than there are today. In fact, some estimate that the population of the earth at the time of Noah exceeded 7 billion people. But with the huge population explosion of that day there was also an explosion of evil, even to the point of a demonic invasion. And in the midst of it all, we find two of the greatest words in the Bible, "But Noah!"

Don't miss this Sunday as we see how Noah became a "breath of fresh air" to the wildly populated and the wildly wicked world of his day! My prayer is that through this study we will learn how to be a "breath a fresh air" today in our our homes, in our schools, where we work, in our neighborhoods, and in our very world.

Orthodontists for the Church

2012-01-04T00:01:00.002-05:00

Two nights ago was our first Elder meeting of the new year here at Gaylord E-Free. We meet on the first Monday of each month to conduct business and then again on the third Monday of each month for prayer. One of my goals this year is to take 30 minutes out of each of our first Monday of the month meetings throughout 2012 to take our Elder Board verse by verse through the book of Titus. I remember hearing Dr Falwell say many times that everything rises and falls on leadership. Elder Boards that understand and act on their Biblical role will be used by God to lead the church in reaching its redemptive potential.

In the first 5 verses of Paul's letter to Titus he exhorts him to 'set in order' that which was lacking in the church and to appoint Elders. The two commands seem to be linked together. The word translated "set in order" actually comes from a root word where we get our English word "orthodontist." Like with crooked teeth, churches can often have things about them related to false doctrine, lack of vision, or even sin issues that are "out of order." In the same way that an orthodontist works to straighten crooked teeth and put them in order, so Titus was to appoint Elders who would do the same in the church. That is why Elders are so very important to the church.

Yet, before Paul gives these instructions to Titus, he first gives two descriptions of himself in his opening greeting. He calls himself a "bond-servant" and an "Apostle." These two words are very different in scope. An apostle is a position of authority that carries a lot of weight. A servant, on the other hand, has no rights and really carries no weight. Paul said that he was both, a servant and an Apostle. And notice what he puts first in the chronological order. He is first a servant, then an Apostle.

How critical this order is for each church leader to understand. Yes, we who are pastors and elders have a position of spiritual authority in the church and that is very important. We need this kind of authority in the church when false doctrine is trying to seep in through the cracks. We need this kind of authority when there is no vision causing the church to simply drift with no purpose. We need this kind of authority when sin enters into the lives of its members. But without the realization that we as Elders are first and foremost servants of Christ and of His church, we can easily abuse our authority and ultimately cause damage to the very church that we are called to protect and lead.

Yes, Elders and pastors need to utilize our God-given authority to "set in order" that which is crooked in the church. But our first calling is to be servants. We are to serve our Lord. We are to serve our staff. We are to serve our ministries. We are to serve our people. Servant leadership - that is the foundation of the role of any Elder. That is the foundation of the role of each man called by God to be Elders and pastors here at Gaylord E-Free!

When It's Time To Depart

2012-01-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

In my posting yesterday I introduced you to Simeon in Luke 2, to whom God had made the promise that he would not see death until he had seen the Messiah, the consolation of Israel, that he had longed for his whole life. As you continue reading in this chapter you see that 40 days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph bring Him to the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice for the ending of Mary's purification process.

At that same time, the Spirit of God led Simeon into the temple were he sees the young couple and God reveals to him that the baby they carried in their arms was in fact the promised Messiah. Simeon then takes the Baby in his arms, blesses Him and says, "Now I can depart in peace!" With these words, he is speaking of his death. What a great word to use. The word "depart" is actually a word that was used in several different ways.

The word "depart" spoke of a prisoner being released. What a great view of death for the believer. Death for the one who has put their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus is instantaneous freedom from every burden of this life. Think of all the burdens we face. We face physical burdens. We face emotional burdens. We face mental burdens. We face relational burdens. We face marital burdens. We face parental burdens. We face occupational burdens. We face financial burdens. We even face spiritual burdens. But for those of us that know Jesus, death is the instantaneous freedom from every burden of this life!

The word "depart" spoke of loosing a ship so that it can sail to a new destination. What a great view of death for the believer. For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus, death is departing from this life to a more glorious destination - one that will be magnificent!

The word "depart" also spoke of pulling up the tent spikes and going home. What a great view of death for the believer. For those of us who have a personal relationship, death is pulling of the tent spikes on this temporary world that we live in on this earth and going home to our eternal dwelling in God's heaven!

It's true - for the Christian the best is most definitely yet to come!

Anticipating the Promise!

2012-01-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

In the last half of Luke 2, which gives us "the rest of the Christmas story," we are introduced to a forgotten character of the Christmas story...a man named Simeon. We learn that he lived in Jerusalem at the time of the birth of Jesus and that he was righteous and devout. In other words, he believed in the promises of God and took obeying God very seriously.

He was also a person who longed for the coming of the Messiah that had been promised through the many Old Testament Prophets. Most every Jew living in Jerusalem was very familiar with that promise of a coming Messiah, but for most, it seemed like mere words. After all, from the closing of the Old Testament 400 years had passed of Divine silence. Not even a peep from God took place during these 400 years until the angel appeared to Zechariah to announce that his aged wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to John the Baptist.

But unlike most, Simeon didn't just believe this promise intellectually, he daily anticipated it - even expected it. The possibility of His coming was the first thought that would cross his mind in the morning and be the last prayer that rolled off his lips at night.

My fear is that many, if not, most believers in Jesus have developed a similar mindset that most in Israel would have had at the time of Simeon. Hundreds of years ago Jesus made the promise (read about in John 14:1-2) that He would one day return. Hundreds of years have come and gone since then. Hundreds of predictions as to the date of His return have come and gone - but not a peep of reality. Jesus still hasn't come back. And, unfortunately, for many believers it has resulted in merely an intellectual knowledge of the promise of Christ's return. I fear that most Christ-followers, though they believe the promise in their mind, don't long for it in their heart as Simeon did His first coming.

As you keep reading in Luke 2, you discover that God, through the Holy Spirit, made an amazing promise to Simeon. He promised Simeon that he would not see death until He had seen the Messiah - until the promise became reality. How cool would it be to be the recipient of that promise? Well, we have not received that promise today (and beware anyone who tells you they know when Christ is going to return. Frankly, the date-setters are simply "shooting in the dark!"). But God did make a promise to us concerning His return.

In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul spoke of the crown of righteousness that in the future God would give to him, and not to him only, but also to all those who love His appearing! God has promised a future reward for those of us today who live in anticipation and expectation of His return.

Now don't get me wrong - I love life and there is still much I want to experience. I want to see my son graduate from college (please, God, let my son graduate from college)! I want to walk my daughter down the aisle and give her away to the little pervert that will be standing down front! I want to ensure that my grandchildren become Ohio State Buckeye fans! I want to retire (at about the age of 48)! I want to grow old with my wife (who will get there a couple years ahead of me)! But I would trade all of that in today for Jesus to come back! I really would!

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Jude 1:24-25

The world did not end in 2011...will it in 2012?

2011-12-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

The predictions were made. Many thought it would happen but the world didn't end this past year. We are now just hours away from 2012 and I for one am very excited.

The one thing I am looking forward to the most in 2012 is the opportunity to see many more people come to faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. That, my friends, is the biggest reason why the world didn’t end in 2011. The truth is that Jesus is going to return someday (the Bible is clear that we cannot predict exactly the time). But why hasn’t He done so yet? Why didn’t He do so last year? The Bible gives the answer to that question:

“The Lord is not slow about His promise (to return), as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Why hasn’t Jesus come back yet? Why hasn’t the world ended yet? It’s not because God is late. He’s never late. It is because He is patient. It is because He is loving. You see, God loves you so much that He doesn’t want you to perish apart from Him. Instead, He wants you to enter into a relationship with Him through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ for your sins. That’s the message of the most popular verse in the entire Bible:

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

That is why I am so excited about 2012. God in His patience and in His love is giving more time to communicate the greatest message in the world to the entire world…the message that says you can know for sure that you are going to heaven through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Happy New Year!

Here is to doing LESS in 2012

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

I have never really been into New Year's Resolution, but if I were going to make serious New Year's resolution it would be this:

"I resolve in 2012 to spill less coffee on the church carpet so that our custodians can spend less time cleaning up the messes made by their Lead Pastor!"

OK - I guess I set the bar a little high on that resolution. There is just no way that I can follow through on that level of a resolution. But here are some things I would like to do "LESS OF" in 2012:

Talk LESS

(James 1:19)

Sin LESS

(1 Peter 1:15-16)

Eat LESS

(1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

Waste LESS

(Ephesians 5:15-17)

Worry LESS

(Philippians 4:6-7)

Spend LESS

(Proverbs 6:6-8)

HERE IS TO DOING LESS IN 2012!

Teaching Truth in 2012

2011-12-29T00:01:00.003-05:00

My greatest passion in life is teaching and preaching the Bible. Seriously, I would preach every day if only someone would come and listen! It is perhaps my greatest joy in being a pastor. So as we enter 2012, here are some truths I am looking to preach and teach to our SHEPHERDS (Elders); our STAFF and on SUNDAYS here at the Gaylord E-Free Church.

SHEPHERDS - I will be taking time once a month over the course of 2012 to walk our Elder Board through the book of Titus. This is a wonderful New Testament book written by Paul that deals with the importance of Elders in the church; the qualifications of Elders in the church; and the elements that Elders are to ensure are "set in order" in the church. My focus is to see our Elder Board become better equipped to be shepherds to our congregation here at E-Free and the book of Titus is a wonderful starting point. We will begin as early as Monday, January 2, by looking at Titus 1:1-5.

STAFF - We have a great staff here at E-Free, but as Paul so eloquently said in the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 13, even if have great talent and accomplish great ministry feats, if we don't have genuine, godly love, all of our labors are worthless. We will be using staff meetings over the first part of 2012 to allow me to lead our staff through key passages that teach us the finer elements of what love is. We will start with our full staff by discussing the 16 descriptions of true Biblical love as defined in 1 Corinthians 13 by Paul. At the same time, our ministry staff will be taking a detailed study of the Great Commandment given by Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40. We will take time over the coming months to learn what it really looks like to love God, love our neighbor, and even to love our enemies.

SUNDAYS - Sunday mornings over the opening months of 2012 will begin with a 7-week verse by verse study through Genesis 5-9 and the life of Noah. We will be calling the series, "The Noah Factor: All Are Welcome!" Following that series and leading up to Easter will be a very important Vision Series entitled, "Meeting & Moving: A Vision That Melts In Your Mouth!" Then, following Easter, we will have a 3-week series leading up to Mother's Day that we are simply calling "Word!" This will be a detailed look at 2 Timothy 3:15-17 as we see what the character of the Bible is all about.

A Boar in God's Vineyard

2011-12-28T00:01:00.002-05:00

One of my all-time favorite speakers and authors has always been the delightful and insightful Chuck Swindol. He is about the best I have ever seen at taking spiritual truth and putting it out there in a way that anyone can understand it and apply it. And his humor is infectious. In fact, one of my most favorite books I have ever read is Swindol's "Laugh Again" which is a true masterpiece on the topic of Joy as seen in the New Testament book of Philippians.

Yesterday I watched a talk on You Tube that Chuck Swindol gave to a conference of pastors, ministry leaders and their spouses. He tackled a topic that most people don't want to admit is a reality. It deals with the ugly side of the church. In this penetrating talk, Swindol tackles the topic of difficult people in the church who cause division and destruction. If you would like to watch the video simply go to You Tube and type "Swindol - A Boar in God's Vineyard" into the search engine.

If you are a pastor, ministry leader, or the spouse of a pastor or ministry leader, you really need to watch this message. In fact, if you are a pastor or ministry leader, I can guarantee that you fall into one of three categories:

You have gone through an altercation with someone like this in your church!

You are currently dealing with someone like this in your church!

You will someday soon have to deal with someone like this in your church!

How do I know this is true? Because times haven't changed much. The Bible speaks of individuals like this that even the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John had to deal with in several different passages in the New Testament. Here are some examples:

"I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church."

(3 John 1:9-10)

"Now I urge you brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own appetites, and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting."

(Romans 16:17-18)

"A Boar in God's Vineyard" by Chuck Swindol. This is a video that I will listen to again. If you are a pastor or ministry leader, you will greatly benefit from watching it as well! The topic is very disheartening but the way Chuck ends the message is uplifting and liberating. Invest an hour of your time in finding and watching it. You will be so glad that you did!

Gaylord Evangelical Free Church 2011 Annual Report - Lead Pastor's Article

2011-12-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

Me? Move to Gaylord, Michigan? I have to be honest…at first glance it didn’t seem like the best fit. I had never golfed or fished. I don’t ski or snowboard. And I had never in my life even owned, let alone used, a snow blower. But after my family and I visited on the weekend before Christmas (2010) God sealed in our hearts that this was exactly where He was leading us and we are thrilled be living here in Gaylord and to be part of the E-Free family. In the 9 months since I came to Gaylord I have seen many strengths that this church has and that we can build upon for the glory of God. Let me highlight just four of them:

First, is the rich history of being an outward focused church. All churches “talk” about being outward-focused, but few churches really are outward focused. Pastor Jim has truly been used of God these past 24 years in leading E-Free to be outward focused and that is a history that is unique and one that we are blessed to have.

Second, E-Free Church has an exceptional reputation in our community. When my family visited for the first time in December 2010, we spent a lot of time in the community asking people what they thought about E-Free church. Every comment, without exception, was positive. One greeter at Meijer (who attends a different church) said, “That church is the best thing this community has going.” The sad truth is that if most churches shut their doors today, the community around them would not even notice. This is not the case with E-Free. If we were to close our doors today our community would feel the impact greatly.

A third strength is the amazing amount of lay people involved in leadership throughout our church. From Elders to Leadership Team members, to Ministry Team leaders and more, so many are involved in leading the different ministries within our church. These lay people really are the backbone of our church. Along with full-time jobs, families, and all the other pressures of life, they still choose to lead within our church!

A final strength I will mention is a team of committed staff members. From our Pastoral Staff to our paid Ministry Leaders, to our Administrative Team that works in the office, to our dedicated Custodial Team, we have a staff that is not only talented, but committed to the Lord and to the ministry of E-Free. What a thrill it is to be able to rub shoulders with them and partner with them daily in this place for the cause of Christ.

2011 has been a successful year of transition for our church. I believe that 2012 will be a successful year of continued ministry effectiveness. You are going to hear a constant theme in 2012. It will be easy to identify and remember. All you have to do is focus on the letters “M&M”! What does that mean? You will find out in the year to come.

JOY and BALLOONS

2011-12-26T00:01:00.003-05:00

It was an amazing weekend at Gaylord E-Free. 1300 people were part of our two Christmas Eve Services which saw many put their faith in Jesus Christ for the very first time. Hallelujah! Then came the "icing on the cake" as we gathered together again on Christmas morning for some more Christmas worship.

Our theme Christmas morning was "MEGA JOY" and we illustrated the JOY of Christmas in a very special way. As each person entered the Gospel Center they were given either a blue or white star-shaped BALLOON filled with helium. As the service started I told everyone that the balloon they were holding represented the JOY that was in their heart. I then instructed them that at any time during the service in which their JOY was overflowing to simply let go of the BALLOON!

I can't tell you how cool and amazing it was throughout the morning as we worshipped to see these blue and white star-shaped BALLOONS floating up to the ceiling of our auditorium - literally hundreds of them. By the end of the service we could look up and see these BALLOONS covering the ceiling as each of us were able in a creative way to visibly and physically demonstrate our JOY on the birthday of Jesus!

Between seeing hundreds of people holding lit candles on Christmas Eve and then watching hundreds of these blue and white star-shaped balloons floating up to the ceiling on Christmas morning, it really was a special weekend at the Gaylord E-Free Church! And over the next several weeks you will be reminded of this special and joyful day every time you enter the church Gospel Center and see those balloons above your head. The way I see it, they should all lose enough helium that they will all float back down by about Easter Sunday!

Today Christmas is over - but the JOY continues!

Happy Birthday, JESUS!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's Christmas Eve...Here's Wishing You a MESSY Christmas!

2011-12-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Personally, I do not think Christmas Day is the bests day of the year. For me, the best day is today - December 24. I love this day. It is a day of non-stop anticipation. For the Distler family, the day will include all of the following:

we will begin with a home made sausage gravy and biscuits breakfast (this is usually our Christmas Day breakfast, but since Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year and we will all be on stage for an exciting Christmas morning worship service at Gaylord E-Free, we are moving the annual sausage gravy and biscuits breakfast up to today)!

The majority of the day will then be spent in decorating Christmas cookies. This is when we see the real artistic revelations come out of our son. I will have to sneak away to the basement at some point during this time to wrap some gifts. My shopping is done and they are in boxes - all that is left is the wrapping.

Mid-afternoon our family will head out for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. Typically this takes place at Olive Garden. But since there is no Olive Garden in Gaylord, MI, we will have to experiment with a different Italian restaurant for this family tradition.

After dinner we head to church to get ready for our Christmas Eve services. We will have two identical services - one at 5pm and the other at 7pm. The theme is "MESSY Christmas!" Why? Because the very first Christmas was very MESSY! Jesus was born in a MESSY cave and lain in a MESSY manger. And it was fitting because He came into a MESSY world to follow a MESSY plan that would include a very MESSY cross. Even today, Christmas can get MESSY! That's what makes Christmas as meaningful now as it was way back then. It is going to be a great service. Laura, Joy and Jonathan will all be singing and I will be sharing a message which will include telling my favorite Christmas story of all-time about a boy named Wally. It's called "No Room! Go Away!"

Following our Christmas Eve services we will head home to continue our family Christmas Eve traditions. We open any gifts we have received from non-family. Then we open the stockings from my parents. We call them "Nana's Stockings!" This is always a time of great fun and laughter.

After Nana's stockings are emptied we will give Joy and Jonathan their first gift of Christmas from us. we will then sit down and watch a Christmas movie together.

Finally, it will be bed time but before we turn out the light, Laura gets to go through an extra stocking I do just for her. It's a purple stocking because purple is her favorite color!

After that, the best part of Christmas Eve takes place - SANTA ARRIVES!!!!!!

Happiness at Christmas is not the Goal!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

I love Christmas! I love everything about it! And here we are just 2 days before Christmas and I am loving it! I am happy! There are many things that bring me "happiness" this Christmas:

The decorations make me happy. I just love our house at Christmas! I love all the lights around town (though I'm not a big fan of all the inflatable elements in people's yards)!

Watching all the Christmas specials on TV makes me happy (especially Ernest Saves Christmas)!

The fact that my stocking will be full come Christmas morning (and I'm not talking coal here) makes me happy!

Knowing there are beautifully wrapped presents under our Christmas tree with my name on it that makes me happy!

The food that will be on our dining room table this Christmas - that will make me happy!

Having both of my kids home from college for Christmas indeed makes me happy!

But it isn't the "happiness" of Christmas that I'm loving. That's not what I am most excited about! It's the joy! There is a big difference. Happiness is a temporary feeling that comes and goes based on circumstances. Joy is different. It's better - much better.

Think about it. The very first Christmas was filled with JOY! Everyone involved seemed to experience it. The angels told the shepherds of "Great" joy and the wise men rejoiced "Exceedingly." This wasn't happiness.

There were no decorations!

The wise men were not checking out the light displays in people's yards on the way to Bethlehem!

There were no stockings hung by the chimney with care!

There were no holiday specials to watch on TV!

There were no gingerbread cookies to eat or egg nog to drink!

There were no beautifully wrapped presents under fancifully decorated trees!

But there was joy! What makes the difference? It's Jesus! Joy has nothing to do with circumstances (that's happiness) but everything to do with Jesus (that's joy)! The Bible says it this way:

"And though you have not seen Him (Jesus), you love Him (Jesus), and though you do not see Him (Jesus) now, but believe in Him (Jesus), you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory!" (1 Peter 1:8)

So my Christmas wish for each of you over the coming weekend has nothing to do with "happiness!" My wish for you is much greater than a temporary feeling that comes and goes with circumstances. My wish for you is JOY - a deep, inner, abiding contentment in the fact that you know and are eternally secure in Jesus, no matter if your holiday circumstances are favorable or frustrating.

As Christians we owe it to the world to be supernaturally joyful! And there is no day like Christmas to let that joy shine! May your Christmas be one in which, because you love and believe in Jesus, you "greatly" rejoice with joy that is "inexpressible" and which is "full" of glory!

The Adjectives and Adverbs of Joy

2011-12-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's not just any JOY that the birth of Jesus brings. Check out the adverbs and adjectives that described this JOY experienced by the shepherds and by the magi on that very first Christmas:

"But the angel said to them (the shepherds), 'Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of GREAT joy which will be for all the people.'" (Matthew 2:10)

"When they (the Magi) saw the star, they rejoiced EXCEEDINGLY with GREAT joy." (Matthew 2:10).

Did you catch that? The Christmas message to the shepherds was not just one of joy - it was one of GREAT joy! The Christmas star didn't just cause the Magi to rejoice - they rejoiced EXCEEDINGLY! The shepherds and magi didn't just experience joy, they experienced MEGA joy!

Join us this Sunday morning here at the Gaylord E-Free Church as we celebrate Christmas with MEGA JOY! We will have one combined service at 10am. There will be no kid's programs but there will be child-care for those 2 years of age and under. There will also be a special gift for every child in attendance this Sunday.

And to actively show our MEGA JOY on Sunday morning, we will be doing something as part of our worship that morning that has never been done in a Sunday morning worship service here at E-Free (and is likely to never be done again!)!

It's isn't often that we get to include gathering together as a church family as part of our Christmas Day celebrations. Join us for a service of GREAT joy!

Christmas JOY in People

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

In yesterday's posting we looked at the concept of JOY seen all throughout the Christmas carols we sing each year during the holiday season. Today let's notice how we see JOY throughout the people in the Christmas story!

Zacharias - In Luke 1:14, when the angel tells Zacharias that his wife, Elizabeth, was going to give birth in her old age to John the Baptist who would be the forerunner of the Messiah, the angel said, "You will have JOY and GLADNESS, and many will REJOICE at his birth."

Mary - In Luke 1:47, after the angel had announced to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus, the Messiah, she said, "My soul exults the Lord, and my spirit has REJOICED in God my Savior."

Mary's Neighbors and Relatives- Speaking of Mary's neighbors and relatives, Luke 1:58 says, "Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were REJOICING with her."

The Angel - In Luke 2:10, the Angel announced to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great JOY which shall be for all people."

The Shepherds - In Luke 2:20, after finding and worshipping the Christ Child, the Bible says, "The shepherds went back GLORIFYING and PRAISING God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

The Magi - When the Magi left Herod's palace and started toward Bethlehem, the star they had seen signifying the birth of a King reappeared. Matthew 2:10 says, "When they saw the star, they REJOICED exceedingly with great JOY!"

Like Zacharias, like Mary, like Mary's neighbors and relatives, like the angel, like the shepherds, and like the Magi, may you experience His JOY this Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Singing Christmas JOY!

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

JOY!!!! It is a key word at Christmastime, isn't it? You see it everywhere! Just think through the Christmas carols. You see JOY all through the lyrics. Sing through the following lines of these great Christmas hymns. May your Christmas this year be filled with JOY!:

REJOICE! REJOICE! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel!

Dear desire of every nation, JOY of every longing heart!

JOY to the world! The Lord is come! JOY to the earth! The Savior reigns!

And the mountains in reply echo back their JOYOUS strains!

JOYFUL all ye nations rise, join the triumphs of the skies!

How great our JOY! JOY, JOY, JOY!

Come all ye faithful, JOYFUL and triumphant!

A thrill of hope, the weary world REJOICES!

Good Christian men REJOICE with heart and soul and voice!

Pre-Service Stretching

2011-12-18T11:26:00.005-05:00

I love to follow sports and one of the things I know is that most athletes have a structured routine that they go through on "game day" in order to be ready in all aspects to perform. As much as I love sports, God never gifted me with the talent to play them (Although my dream still remains to be able to use my God-given talent in communication to announce a game some day).

Yet, for me as a pastor, Sunday is kind of like "game day" in the fact that it is my big day of the week (that is not meant to mean that I see preaching as a performance). I have found that much in the same way that athletes have "pre-game routines," I have developed some as well on Sunday mornings. This routine helps me to prepare myself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It's kind of like stretching before you run. For me, a typical Sunday morning goes like this.

6:30-7:10 - Wake up, shower, dress and grab a cup of coffee to go

7:10-7:15 - Drive to church

7:15-7:30 - Check email and eat a breakfast bar

7:30-8:00 - Read over my sermon notes and read a few additional commentaries on the passage I am preaching on just to refresh my mind on the content and context of the passage

8:00-8:45 - Go to a back classroom and practice my sermon out loud. This typically is my 3rd run through. My goal each week is to practice my sermon on Thursday afternoon, Saturday morning, and then again on Sunday morning.

8:45-9:00 - Go up to the sound booth and grab my microphone. Then check in with the video room and with the Worship Arts Director to be sure everything is "all systems go" and nothing has changed from the most recent plan for the service.

9:00-9:15 - Go back to my office and prepare my heart to preach by singing out loud several of the worship songs we are using in the service that morning. Typically, I plug the song titles into YouTube, crank up the volume on my computer speakers, and sing to the Lord from the bottom of my heart and the top of my lungs.

9:15-9:25 - Head upstairs and mingle with folks as they arrive at church.

9:25-9:30 - Prayer with the service participants backstage

9:30 - The service begins!

Christmas and Family

2011-12-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

How's the song go again?

"Faithful friends who are dear to us, travel near to us once more!"

After all, isn't that one of the best parts of Christmas? In most cases we are able to spend this special day with family and friends that we don't always get to spend time with throughout the year. But then again, sometimes it's the family dynamics of family being there that can cause the most stress at the Holidays. If you don't think that's true, take some time between now and Christmas and watch a couple Holiday movies like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" or "Home Alone!"

The truth is that for many, it is the absence of family that has put a cloud over their anticipation of December 25.

For some, this will be their first Christmas away from home.

For some this will be the first Christmas that the kids and/or grand-kids don't make it home.

For some this will be the first Christmas since losing a loved one to death.

For some this will be the first Christmas since a broken marriage took place.

This Sunday here at Gaylord E-Free we will continue our "Avoiding the Christmas Crash" message series and learn from Galatians 4:1-7, how we can avoid the Christmas Crash related to family. No matter what your family dynamic will be this Christmas, I think you will be greatly blessed and encouraged at what we will see this Sunday from this amazing passage in the Bible!

A White Christmas Guarantee

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Here we are just 9 days until my first Christmas living in the snow belt of Northern Michigan and there is not a flake of snow to be found. Growing up in a Lake Effect snow area in Akron, Ohio, I can remember many White Christmases as a kid - what can be better? But then God took me to southern Ohio, where White Christmases were very rare. When we lived in northwest Indiana we had a little better chance for a White Christmas. But over the last 6 years living in southcentral PA I can't remember any White Christmases.

That is one of the many reasons our family looked forward to moving to Gaylord, Michigan. When you live were they average 150+ inches of snow a year you are pretty much guaranteed a white Christmas, right? Maybe not! I mean we have just 9 days left until December 25 and there is no snow on the ground and the weathermen don't seem to have much good news that anything significant will happen between now and then. So I guess my first Christmas in northern Michigan just may be a "green" (or more like a "brown") Christmas. BUMMER!

But wait...I have just been handed a special bulletin. It says, "WHITE CHRISTMAS GUARANTEED!" That's right! I have just been guaranteed a white Christmas. By the way, the special bulletin did not come from the Weather Service. It came from much higher up the weather ladder than that! It came from God, the Creator of the Universe. He just guaranteed me a white Christmas. Here is what the bulletin said.

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:8)

How cool is that! No matter what the scene may look like outside of my window come Christmas morning, I will be celebrating a white Christmas. I will be celebrating the fact that because of Christmas, when God became flesh to save us from our sins, I am guaranteed a white Christmas. Though my sins (which are many) are as scarlet, through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ they have been washed white as snow! Now that is what I call a "white Christmas!"

Will you be having a white Christmas this year?

Where are the Christmas Wise Men Today?

2011-12-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Based on my last two postings it would be easy to conclude that I am "against" the Christmas "wise men." Such is not the case. In fact, we really need some Christmas-style Wise Men today. Here is what I mean:

In Matthew 2:1-2 the Christmas Wise Men sought out the newborn king to worship Him! We could sure use some Christmas Wise Men today who make worshipping Christ a passion and a priority!

In Matthew 2:10 the Christmas Wise Men "rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" when they saw the star reappear over the skies of Bethlehem. We could sure use some Christmas Wise Men today whose greatest joy in life is following hard after Jesus!

In Matthew 2:11 the Christmas Wise Men fell down and worshipped the Baby Jesus. We could sure use some Christmas Wise Men today who will humble themselves and make the exalting of Christ the greatest priority of their lives.

In Matthew 2:11 the Christmas Wise Men gave Jesus gifts of love and worship. We could sure use some Christmas Wise Men today who are more concerned about giving to Jesus then they are building their own wealth.

In Matthew 2:12 the Christmas Wise Men obeyed the warning of God in spite of the risk it was to them when they avoided King Herod on their way home. we could sure use some Christmas Wise Men today who will obey God at all costs.

Where are the Christmas Wise Men today? We could sure use them!

My Greatest Christmas Pet Peeve

2011-12-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

In my blog post yesterday we talked about the many misconceptions there are today about the "wise men" in the Christmas story that we take as fact, though the Bible does not necessarily teach them as fact. This brings about my greatest Christmas Pet Peeve! I can barely look at nativity scenes today because almost always they have the wise men at the manger. Most everyone thinks that is how it happened. Even churches have the wise men at their nativity scenes. Whenever I see the wise men at the manger in front of a house or church I always want to stop and take those gift-bearing fellows and move them to a house across town. Why? Because as I read Scripture it seems apparent to me that they never visited the manger. The shepherds did but not the wise men. Why do I say this?

First, according to Matthew 2:11, the magi (who are more commonly today called "wise men" or "kings") came into the "house" where the mother and Child were. They did not come into the cave or stable. They came into the house. By the time that the wise men showed up, Mary and Joseph were no longer in a "cave" but were now in a "house."

Second, according to Luke 2:21-24, eight days after the birth of Christ, Mary and Joseph took Him to the temple to have Him dedicated and to be circumcised. This would include offering a sacrifice. Luke's account tells us that they offered two turtle doves or pigeons. Now if you compare this with the details of the Law as seen in Leviticus 12:6-8, you will discover that this was the sacrifice of a poor person, which Joseph must have been. Those who were not poor would have offered a lamb.

Now how does this show that the wise men had not come yet? According to Matthew 2:11, what did the wise men bring when they came? They brought expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Had they already visited and given these gifts, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that Joseph could have afforded a lamb to offer? Why, then, was he only able to offer the sacrifice of a poor man? I believe it is because the wise men had not yet visited.

So, please do me a favor! Spare me some Christmas grief. Do what we do at our house. Take the wise men out of your mangers and set them somewhere clear across the room. Hmmmm, in looking around our own church, maybe we need to do some "redecorating" here as well!

Christmas - Dragnet Style

2011-12-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

I love Christmas, but as is the case with everything, there are parts of it that get under my skin a bit. If there is one area of the Biblical account of the very first Christmas that tends to get twisted when it comes to "the facts", it's those guys we commonly refer to as "wise men." Now don't get me wrong. I believe that these "magi" were part of the story, but I also think we have taken some liberties with the facts.

I would like to recommend a "Dragnet" (for those who remember that great detective show from TV days gone by) approach in which in Jack Webb style we say "Just the facts, please" when it comes to the Wise Men. I encourage you to read Matthew 2:1-12. The only "facts" we know related to the visit of these "magi" come from this passage. Notice what is missing:

It does not tell us exactly how many there were (I know the song says, "We three kings" but the Bible does not give that number).

It does not tell us the mode of transportation that the wise men used (most people say "camels" as if that were certain, but that fact is not mentioned specifically in the Bible).

It does not tell us what country these men were from.

It does not tell us that they followed the star from their homeland all the way to Bethlehem. Honest, it doesn't. Go back and read it. The sign in the sky informed them of the birth of a king over the Jews. They didn't follow a star across the desert directly to Bethlehem. Their journey took them first to Jerusalem. That made sense. If they were looking for a king, the palace was the most logical place to go. Once at the palace, they hear from the Scribes that the prophecy talked about Bethlehem. So they head toward Bethlehem and "rejoice" when the star that they originally saw now reappears over the place where the Christ-child was.

And most of all, it does not tell us that they visited the manger! That misconception is my greatest Christmas pet peeve. I will talk more about it in tomorrow's posting.

Santa Claus is Feeling Kind of Down

2011-12-11T19:48:00.002-05:00

I have it on good authority that even Santa is struggling this year with the Holiday Blues. If you know the song about him you know that this is true. I know you are familiar with the beginning of this great Holiday Classic. But do you know all of it?

You better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list

He's checking it twice

He's gonna find out

Who's naughty and nice

Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake

BUT

There's a rumor this year

He's not coming back

The elves went on strike

And the grinch stole his sack

Santa Claus is feeling kind of down

Dancer and Prancer

They both split the scene

They got all fed up

With that housetop routine

Santa Claus is feeling kind of down

BUT

There's a story to tell

Better than tinsel and tree

It's Christmas true meaning

And it's for you and me

Someone greater is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He died upon a rugged cross

And all your sins did Jesus take

You better repent

You better believe

Turn from your sin

And Jesus receive

Jesus Christ is coming...

Jesus Christ is coming....

Jesus Christ is coming to town!

Learn How to Avoid the Post-Holiday-Let-Down

2011-12-10T00:01:00.002-05:00

Even the best Christmas can come with a post-holiday-let-down! Just think of the first Christmas! It started with Glad Tidings. There was the birth of a baby! There were angels! There were shepherds. And ultimately there were Wise Men bringing amazing gifts. What a special Christmas.

But then the Glad Tidings of that first Christmas rapidly turned to a Great Threat! There was an evil king. There were murderous plans. There was an angelic warning. And ultimately there was a flight to Egypt in order to save a child's life.

See what I mean - even the best Christmas ever came with a post-holiday-let-down. Chances are very good that your Christmas this year will as well. Join us here at Gaylord E-Free this Sunday at 9:30am as we look at this story in Scripture and learn together learn three principles that we can apply to our lives even now to help us to avoid the Christmas Crash of the post-holiday-let down!

www.gaylordefree.org

An E-Free Holiday

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

The 9 days between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day are going to be absolutely awesome here at the Gaylord E-Free Church. Don't miss any of these holiday celebrations:

December 24 - We will have two identical Christmas Eve services at 5pm and 7pm. Each service will include drama, video, music, stories and candle-lighting suitable for the whole family. Child-care will be available for those 2 years of age and under for both services.

December 25 - We will have one combined Christmas morning worship service beginning at 10am suitable for the whole family. In fact, we will be doing something special as part of the service that has never been done in a service here at Gaylord E-Free (and may never be done again). There will also be a special gift for every child in attendance. There will be no Kid's Church or Children's Church and no 2nd hour classes for kids or adults. There will be child-care for those age 2 and under.

December 31 - Before you ring in the New Year, come to Gaylord E-free for a 7pm showing of the new movie, 'Courageous.' The event is free and will be designed as a true theatre experience for all. There will be no child-care available.

January 1 - We will have one combined New Year's Day morning worship service beginning at 10am suitable for the whole family. The theme will be, "Keep on Celebrating!" There will be no Kid's Church or Children's Church and no 2nd hour classes for kids or adults. There will be child-care for those age 2 and under.

JOIN US AT GAYLORD E-FREE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

www.gaylordefree.org

Why Joseph?

2011-12-08T00:01:00.002-05:00

Mary gets most of the press in the Christmas story and that is well deserved. But my question is, "Why Joseph?" Why did God pick a poor carpenter from Nazareth to be the greatest human example to Jesus when God became flesh? Why did he pick Joseph out of a choice of thousands to be the human (not biological as Jesus was born of a virgin) father of Jesus. I think I know the answer.

In Matthew 2:13, an angel of God appears to Joseph in a dream. His first two words to Joseph were "Get Up!"

In Matthew 2:14, the Bible says, "So Joseph Got Up!"

In Matthew 2:19-20, the angel reappears to Joseph in a dream and again his first two words to the carpenter were, "Get Up!"

Matthew 2:21 then describes Joseph's reaction with the words, "So Joseph Got Up!"

Both times God said, "Get Up!" Both times Joseph "Got Up!" In fact, back in Matthew 2:14, after the angel appears to Joseph and tells him that the baby conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit and to go ahead and take Mary as his wife, the Bible says, "And Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded."

Why did God pick Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus? I think it was because God wanted a father for Jesus who was committed to obedience. After all, isn't that the greatest quality of a dad? The best dads are the ones who are committed to obeying God!"

It kind of makes me wonder. If I were a Jewish man at the time that God sent His Son into the world, would I have been on His short list to be Jesus' dad? Am I known to God as a man who is committed to obedience?

My Goal Every Sunday is to LIE

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

Aren't preachers supposed to tell the truth? They probably are. But the truth is that my goal is to LIE. That's right. Each and every Sunday when I preach here at Gaylord E-Free I intentionally try to LIE! That is how I view a successful sermon. If I didn't LIE, the message probably wasn't effective. Let me explain. I am using the word LIE as an acronym. Each letter in the word stands for a goal in my preaching. Here is what I mean:

L = Learn! My goal each Sunday when I preach is that every person who is present will learn something they never knew about the Bible. This can be a challenge because each Sunday our Gospel Center auditorium is filled with a wide variety of people. Some are brand new believers. Some have been Christians years longer than I have been alive. And many are checking out the truths of Christ and have yet to cross that line of faith and place their trust fully and solely in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and for their eternal home in heaven. Yet, my goal remains that each person who attends can leave having learned something from Scripture that they did not know when they came to church that morning.

I = Inspire! The first letter ("L") deals with education while the letter "I" deals with application. My goal each Sunday is not just to teach facts about the Bible but to motivate each listener to desire to take steps of faith based on those facts about the Bible that they have learned and apply these principles to their lives. My prayer is that God would use the message to convict and stir the heart of each person who comes to E-Free on Sunday in such a way that they would leave church different in some way, shape or form through the working of Spirit and the power of the Word.

E = Encourage! My goal is that each Sunday every person would walk away, not only having learned something and being motivated to change their life accordingly, but that each person would also leave encouraged in their faith, in large part due to the message they heard preached.

That's what I mean when I say that my goal each Sunday when I preach is to LIE! If at the end of the morning of worship I didn't successfully LIE, how successful was I really? So be sure to invite someone to attend church at E-Free with you this Sunday as we continue our "Avoiding the Christmas Crash" message series. Lord willing, they will leave having LEARNED; having been INSPIRED; and having been ENCOURAGED!

E-Free Core Values Acronym

2011-12-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

At our Leadership Planning Day here at the Gaylord E-Free Church last Saturday, we broke into groups and discussed our core values as a church and how we would word them if we were using the acronym for E-FREE where we had one core value for each letter. Here is what the groups came up with (one of them actually included hand motions):

E = Exalt God and Emulate Christ

F = Faithful to the Scriptures

R = Reach people for Christ

E = Edify and Educate the body

E = Excellence in the Execution of ministry

E = Exalt Jesus Christ

F = Focus on God's Word

R = Reach out

E = Edify one another

E = Engage

E = Evangelism

F = Following God's Word

R = Reaching our to connect people

E = Encourage service to God

E = Excellence in all we do

E = Exalt God in all we do

F = Fellowship in Christ

R = Reach out to the community

E = Edify the body

E = Excellence in everything

E = Exalt Christ

F = Fulfill His commands

R = Reach the lost

E = Emphasize the Bible

E = Encourage one another

E = Evangelism

F = Faith

R = Relationships

E = Experience God's presence

E = Exemplify Christ

How do these pictures represent your church?

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

I started our day long planning meeting with our "3-legged stool of leadership" (Ministry Staff, Elder Board and Leadership Team) Saturday by having them discuss how the following pictures represent our church here at Gaylord E-Free.

So what are your thoughts? How do the following pictures represent your church?

My Christmas Gift to Each of You...Early!

2011-12-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

A large part of Christmas is “gift-giving.” Now believe me, I love gift-giving at Christmas but sometimes it is a hectic part of the Holiday Season that can steal our joy. We have to find the right gift for each person. Then we have to get them all wrapped and in some cases mailed in time for them to be opened on Christmas morning.

So between all of the list-making, shopping, wrapping and mailing, the whole process of “gift-giving” often causes us more stress than it does joy. And in most every case, the gift always focuses on the physical. But what if we were going to do something different this year and instead of a physical gift we were going to give each other a spiritual wish for Christmas. Let me share with you what Christmas wish I would give to you.

My Christmas wish for each of you comes from the little postcard of a letter called Third John found in our New Testament. This letter was written by the Apostle John and is one of the shortest books in the New Testament. John writes this letter to a man named Gaius who was a convert of John and an influential person in the church.

In this book, John makes a wish for Gaius. It is seen in the phrase in verse two, “I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health just as your soul prospers.” This first part of this phrase was a standard greeting. The word “prosper” simply means to succeed or to have things go well. John refers to two specific areas…Gaius’ “health” and “soul.” The word “health” is obviously speaking of physical health and the word “soul” refers to his spiritual health. John’s desire for Gaius was that his physical advancement (and the advancement of every other area of his life) would be equal to his spiritual advancement.

Gaius’ spiritual life was vibrant and growing, characterized by the description, “walking in the truth.” This is the ultimate goal of every Christian pastor and parent - That we would teach the truth; that our people (children) would understand the truth; and that our people (children) would live out the truth. If you really want to give a gift that brings joy to people this year, give them the gift of being a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, a neighbor or a coworker that walks in the truth of Jesus Christ.

So that is my Christmas gift to you. You can’t physically open it. You can’t necessarily wear it on your body. And you can’t take it back to the store and exchange it. It is a wish. It is a wish that your spiritual life would be so vibrant and your love for Jesus so genuine that I could say that my wish for you this Christmas is that your life as a whole and your physical health would prosper in the same way that your spiritual life is prospering as you walk in the truth of God.

Tomorrow at E-Free

2011-12-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow (Sunday) is going to be one awesome day at Gaylord E-Free Church. Here are all the elements that we will experience in a 75 minutes worship service:

KLFC (Children's Ministry Team) performing a mini Christmas musical entitled, "The Great Christmas Give Away"

Wonderful Worship Music

"Moments with Martha" original video to introduce the message

A message from 3 John 2-4 as we continue our "Avoiding the Christmas Crash" series which will include my giving to each person present their very first gift of Christmas

An original monologue in lighting our Advent Candle

Worshipping Christ through communion with the bread and the cup

DON'T MISS THIS SUNDAY AT GAYLORD E-FREE

The First Gift of Christmas

2011-12-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

We have a Christmas tradition at our house that I started several years ago. We call it "the last gift of Christmas."

At our house we have a certain way of doing things on Christmas Day. We start with the Santa Gifts (Yes, even though my kids are now 22 and 20 and are in college, Santa still visits our house and I half suspect that he always will!).

Then comes our most favorite part of Christmas - the stockings. It takes us a while to do stockings because we go slowly with each person one at a time pulling out just one item at a time from their stocking. That takes us to breakfast.

Later in the day we open the gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. After opening each set of gifts we stop and call that family member to say thanks and wish them a "Merry Christmas." That usually takes us right up until dinner time.

After dinner we open the best gifts of all - the gifts from each other. By this time it is well into the evening. And it was at this point every year, when we came to the last gift from each other, that my wife and kids would say, "I hate it when it's over."

So several years back I bought my wife, my daughter and my son one extra gift each without them knowing about it. I waited until it was about 11pm on Christmas and everyone was thinking about turning in for the night. Then I called them into the family room and presented them with "the last gift of Christmas." It has become a tradition that everyone in my family looks forward to. I try to make sure that "the last gift of Christmas," though inexpensive, is special in some way. That is how our Christmas celebration now comes to an end.

While you will not be at my house at 11pm on Christmas this year to receive a "last gift of Christmas," I would still like to do something special for each of you who are part of the Gaylord E-Free family. As a result, this Sunday I am going to give to each of you your "first gift of Christmas." That's right! You don't want to miss Sunday and this special gift. I have put a lot of time and thought into it and I think it is a gift that you just may end up appreciating more than any other gift you receive this holiday season.

So don't miss Sunday here at Gaylord E-free as I give to each of you your "first gift of Christmas!"

A Meeting of the Three Legs

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

I like to use the picture of a 3-legged stool to describe the leadership structure here at the Gaylord Evangelical Free Church in Gaylord, Michigan where I am privileged to serve as Lead Pastor. What do the "3 legs" represent? They represent three groups that make up the leadership of our church. We have the Ministry Staff which I lead. We have the Elder Board which is led by our Elder Chairman. And we have the Leadership Team which is led by our Church Chairman.

As is the case with any 3-legged stool, for that stool to be stable and usable, all three legs have to be equal in length and strength. If not, the stool will be wobbly and useful for very little. As a result, this coming Saturday will be a very special and important day in our church as we will be bringing together all the individuals who make up the 3 legs of this stool as the Ministry Staff, Elder Board and Leadership Team all meet together for a Leadership Planning Day.

It is my goal that we all walk away from this day thinking, "What a great day together! I am so excited about our church!" Below are just some of the topics that will consume our day and our thinking:

Unity (as seen in Philippians 2:1-5)

Core Values of E-Free Church

The Path to a Vision Plan

The State of the Church

B.H.A.G.'s

Saturday will be a very special and very important day in the life and future of our church. If you are part of the Gaylord E-Free family, please be praying that God would use this day in a major way. If you are not part of our church family, we'd love to have you pray for our day together as a a "3-Legged Stool" as well!

Visit the new E-Free Web Page

2011-11-30T00:01:00.004-05:00

Have you visited the web page of the Gaylord Evangelical Free Church lately? If not, I would encourage you to do just that at:

www.gaylordefree.org

Our Media and Marketing Team here at Gaylord E-Free has worked for more than a year on this project and the end result shows what an amazing job they have done. I could take a lot of time to highlight why I am so excited about this new web page, but as the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. So don't wait any longer! Go to our new church web page right now at:

www.gaylordefree.org

Take some time to peruse all the pages. I'm sure that you will be as impressed with it as I am! Thanks, Media and Marketing Team! Awesome job!

More Thoughts for the Modern Day Martha

2011-11-29T00:01:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday we started our "Avoiding the Christmas Crash" message series by looking at the different ways that Mary and Martha responded to having Jesus in their home for dinner as seen in Luke 10. We found Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to His words. We found Martha distracted from Jesus by all of the preparations which resulted in her dip into self-pity.

We can easily compare this passage to Christmas today. Just as Jesus was the central guest of honor at the dinner in Mary and Martha's home, so He is also the central focus of Christmas. But how often do we blaze through the Christmas season so focused on all of the preparations and accomplishing our "to do" lists that we allow our busyness to distract us from the main focus which should be spending time listening to and worshipping Jesus.

This is such a vital lesson for us to learn that I have added a few more thoughts below in a "Q&A" format:

Is this story in Scripture teaching that preparations are unimportant? NO! With Jesus and His disciples coming over for dinner, someone still had to be concerned with the preparations. If not, there would not have been much of a meal. The problem in the passage is not that Martha was working on the preparations. The problem was that she allowed all of the preparations to distract her from the main focus - JESUS!

How do we know that Martha's focus on the preparations got out of balance? We know she had lost her focus when she dipped into a state of self-pity and scolded Mary for not helping her (when Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus). In fact, she even kind of scolded Jesus in the process with her words to Him, "Do you not care that my sister has left me alone to do all of the work?" When your focus on the preparations takes you into self-pity and causes you to scold others, chances are very good that your focus is out of balance.

Is this story showing Martha as a bad person? NO! Martha was preparing a meal for Jesus! That is hardly a bad thing. Martha is a great example in the Bible of someone who had a bent for hospitality. That's a good thing. Though I do not see hospitality as a spiritual gift in Scripture, the book of Romans and 3 John both teach the need for each of us to show hospitality to others. Again, what Martha was doing was a good thing. But as is the case with anything, too much of a focus on even that which is good can cause us to lose our focus on what the most important element is - JESUS!

How do we see that Martha grew in the process? In John 12:1-3, Jesus is again invited over to Mary and Martha's for dinner. This time Martha is again working in her love and strengths which is serving. However, there is a major difference this time. Her serving doesn't control her focus and plunge her into a state of self-pity as happened earlier. This time she serves but with the understanding of the importance of worshipping Jesus as well. Even in verse 3 when her sister, Mary, breaks open a full pound of expensive perfume and uses it to lavish her love on Jesus, Martha does not in any way complain (Judas does -but that is another story!).

Is there anything wrong with being a Martha? NO! God has wired a lot of people to be like Martha - servants who understand the importance of preparation and hospitality. That is a good thing! But if you are a "Martha" type - please be careful this holiday season that you don't become so focused on the preparations that you miss out on the most important part of the whole celebration - JESUS!

The Christmas Chainsaw Massacre

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Some 15 or more years ago was a Christmas that still sends shivers down my spine and causes me to break out in a cold sweat just to think about it. We decided that year that instead of buying a tree from the corner tree lot like usual, we would do things the old fashioned way - cut it down ourselves. So I borrowed a chainsaw from a friend, got a quick instruction on how to start it, and headed into the woods.

If you know me, you know that I am very challenged when it comes to fixing anything and the simplest of tools, let alone a chainsaw, is very dangerous for me to have in my hand. Fortunately, a handsaw did the trick in the woods and we tied our prize to the top of our car and headed back to our house.

I drug the tree inside and down the steps to the family room leaving a trail of pine needles and tree sap all along the way. I then hoisted up the tree and jammed it into the tree stand only to discover that it was way to tall for our drop ceiling. "No problem," I thought, "I have my friend's chainsaw." I could shorten it!

Instead of dragging the tree back up the stairs and outdoors, I puled it into the utility room where the furnace and hot water heater were located and brought the chainsaw down to the tree. Next I primed the instrument as I had been instructed, put my foot (wearing only my house slippers) in the right location on the chain saw and right there in our utility room I began to pull the cord in an effort to start the cutting device.

To my utter frustration I could not get that chainsaw to start for anything. Today I realize how good of a thing it was that it did not start. Remember, I am in my utility room and my slipper clad foot is resting firmly on the chainsaw. Cuss words began to whip through my head with each failed attempt at the rip cord.

Finally, completely angry, I went out and turned on the TV to calm down (how ironic that the sitcom, "Home Improvements" was the show on at the time!). I then went back into the utility room to try again to start the chainsaw. Again, I was met with nothing but failure.

Outraged, I walked across the white carpet of our family room, up the white carpeted stairs, out into the garage and got the handsaw and followed my path back to the utility room via the same white carpet. Unknown to me, my slippers were now covered with small engine oil and my footprints were now all throughout our house on the white carpet.

I didn't realize what I had done to the carpet until I heard my wife YELL!!! Now my frustration and anger turned to rage. I marched back into the utility room, took the handsaw and cut a large piece out of our Christmas tree. I then walked across the white carpet (still wearing the oil laced house slippers) and stuck it into the tree stand only to discover that I had cut way too much off of the tree which now stood no more than 4 feet in height.

This, along with the soiled white carpet throughout the house, led to more "not so loving" words between my wife and I. Finally, about as angry as I have ever been in my entire life, I marched back upstairs (you guessed it...still wearing the oil covered slippers) where my small kids sat in wide-eyed wonder at the "Christmas spirit" wafting through our home and declared to them that "Christmas was cancelled this year!!!!"

I told that story the next Sunday at the church I was pastoring in Indiana and a couple who deeply desired that their pastor's marriage stay in tact, bought us an artificial tree. We have used an artificial tree every since...UNTIL NOW! Pictured above is my son and I with our first live Christmas Tree since that infamous Christmas so many years ago. However, it may be a little too tall for our living room...

Anyone got a chainsaw I can borrow?

Preparing for a "Mary" Christmas

2011-11-27T12:01:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday here at E-Free church in Gaylord, Michigan, we kicked off a new holiday message series that we are calling "Avoiding the Christmas Crash." The goal of this series is to help each person to experience the most joyful and peaceful Christmas that they have ever had. Or to put it another way - this series is our way of wishing you a "Mary" Christmas!

We saw last Sunday from Luke 10 a story in the life of Jesus when two sisters, Mary and Martha (who had a brother names Lazarus that Jesus would later raise from the dead), invited Jesus and His disciples over to their house for dinner. Now how would you react if Jesus accepted a dinner invitation at your house? Mary and Martha responded differently.

Mary was a worshipper. While Jesus is at her house she spends her time sitting at His feet, listening to Him. Not Martha! Martha is in the kitchen. Jesus is sitting in her living room but she is zoned in on one thing - the PREPARATIONS!!! After all, much would need to be done if you had Jesus and 12 of His friends coming over to your house for dinner.

After a while, Martha goes out and in a huff asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her with all that needed to be done. I love Jesus' response. He begins by telling Martha that she is distracted by so many things. He goes on to say that Mary had chosen the good thing -spending time with Him.

The truth is that most of us are pretty much like Martha when it comes to Christmas. There is so much to do. It isn't just the "most wonderful" time of the year, it is also the "most busy" time of the year. Christmas is all about Jesus, but we get so distracted with all of the preparations that we miss "the good part" of Christmas - spending time with Jesus! Sunday I ended the message by encouraging you to take to heart 3 insights.

First, LOOSEN up! If all the decorations don't get put up - that's OK! If all the cookies don't get baked - that's OK. If there is only 24 side dishes for Christmas dinner rather than 25 side dishes - that's OK! If all the presents don't have hand made bows on them - that's OK!

Second, LIGHTEN up! Martha, due to her distraction with the preparations, attempted to draw Mary away from sitting at the feet of Jesus. Sometimes in our zeal to have the "perfect" Christmas we can rob others in our family of joy and peace. Let's not do that this year!

Third, LISTEN up! Decide now that each day, now and all the way through December 25, you are going to carve out some time to sit at the feet of Jesus, talk to Him, sing to Him, and listen to Him through His Word.

I wish you a "Mary" Christmas!

Avoiding the Christmas Crash

2011-11-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

It happens every year. Thanksgiving ushers in the start of the Holiday Season and we are determined to keep focused on what Christmas is all about. But as each day counts down to December 25, our good intentions get overshadowed by the hustle and bustle of "the most wonderful time of the year." Before we know it, Christmas has come and gone and we feel like we experienced another Christmas Crash.

Wouldn't it be nice if this Christmas was different? It can be! Beginning this Sunday we will be starting a new message series here at Gaylord E-Free Church that we are calling, "Avoiding the Christmas Crash!" It is our goal that every part of this series, right down to the carefully designed stage setting, will help each of us to experience the most peaceful Christmas we have ever had. This series will cover the following:

Nov 27: Avoiding the preparation crash!

Dec 4: Avoiding the gift-giving crash!

Dec 11: Avoiding the post-holiday crash!

Dec 18: Avoiding the family crash!

And then the actual Holidays will continue this focus on a peaceful Christmas through two Christmas Eve services (5pm and 7pm); one special Christmas Day service (10am); and one special New Year's Day service (10am). The themes for these special Holiday services will be:

Dec 24: Messy Christmas

Dec 25: Mega Joy

Jan 1: Keep on Celebrating

Don't miss any of these seven services in our "Avoiding the Christmas Crash" series as together we look at the Word of God and see how we can experience the most peaceful Christmas we have ever had! Invite someone you know to be join us at Gaylord E-Free. If you live outside of the Gaylord, Michigan area, be sure to listen to the audio of each message on line at our church website at:

www.gaylordefree.org

Be sure to like Gaylord E-Free Church on Facebook as well!

Thank You

2011-11-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Dear God,

Thank you...for everything!

F.B.O.

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

It happened to Laura and I this past weekend. We came face to face with an F.B.O. The thing about an F.B.O. is that you never initially see it as a good thing. An F.B.O. typically begins with some level of anxiety that results in your mind racing a zillion different directions. When an F.B.O. first comes into your path it can be very scary.

An F.B.O. is an obstacle that comes into your life that seems to be much bigger than you can handle. When an F.B.O. does come into your life, and you try to deal with it on your own, you will most likely fall flat on your face. But in reality, though all of this is true, an F.B.O. is one of the best and most exciting times that can happen in your life. Why, because F.B.O. stands for:

Faith Building Opportunity!

Whenever we as followers of Jesus come up against an obstacle in life that is way too big for us to deal with and seems to have nothing but hardship that could result, it is an opportunity to watch God work which will result in your faith growing. But for this to happen, we have to be willing to lasso the anxiety and fear that comes with an F.B.O. and put our energy into three things:

Obeying God!

Trusting God!

Praying to God!

When we look our hardship and obstacles square in the eyes and choose to obey God in it; trust God in it; and pray to God often through it, our hardship and obstacle can result in an F.B.O. - a Faith Building Opportunity.

Are you facing an F.B.O. in your life? Remember, the obstacle you are facing is a Faith Building Opportunity!

Bountiful Harvest

2011-11-22T00:01:00.004-05:00

Last night I was able to be part of my first "Bountiful Harvest" through which 12 area churches here in Gaylord, Michigan partnered together to provide full Thanksgiving meals to over 650 families in our community. Each meal cost $35.00 and was paid for by donations from these area churches. And each meal was delivered last night in person by someone from one of these 12 churches.

My wife and kids and I were part of the hundreds of volunteers that were part of loading and delivering these meals last night. We had the thrill of delivering meals to 7 of these homes. In each home we were able to also give each family a booklet giving the plan salvation and a bookmark giving the names, address and service times of the 12 churches that participated. Best of all, we were able to personally pray for each family right there in their home. It was so cool!

What a thrill! The very first home we delivered to was a grandma who told us that her grandsons were disappointed that this Thanksgiving they were going to have chicken since they could not afford a turkey. Now, thanks to Bountiful Harvest, they will enjoy a Butterball Turkey for dinner this Thursday along with potatoes, gravy, vegetables, stuffing, rolls, milk and butter. We even provided each family with a disposable roasting pan as well.

I am thankful to know John and Jennifer Rakis, who organized this tremendous event. I am so proud to be part of a church that participated in such a big way this wonderful event. I am so proud to be living in a community like Gaylord, Michigan that cares for each other!

Only eternity will tell what impact took place tonight as we were able to show the love of Jesus in a tangible way! Thank you, Lord! Thank you!

One Morning at E-Free

2011-11-20T14:30:00.005-05:00

Some Sunday mornings will stay in my memory and in my heart my whole life. This Sunday was one one of those Sundays. It is amazing what all happened on one Sunday morning at the Gaylord Evangelical Free Church here in Gaylord, Michigan. To say that my heart is overflowing is an understatement. Here are some highlights:

We had an attendance this morning of 782! Our church is growing and for that we are very thankful and excited! Praise the Lord!

We saw 47 people follow the Lord in water baptism! It was such a joy to see so many of all ages taking this step of faith. 7 different staff members/elders did all of the baptizing in two different tanks. Praise the Lord!

We saw many people pray to receive Christ as their personal Savior! At the end of the day that is what it is all about! Praise the Lord!

We all enjoyed a home made Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings and got over 500 people through the serving lines in 20 minutes flat! In fact, you can see above the before and after pictures of this meal in our church gymnasium! Praise the Lord!

The stories I heard afterwards were amazing. I don't have the space to tell them all, but one comment I saw afterwards on Facebook summed it up well. It said:

Some very amazing things are happening at my church, E-Free. Today, I witnessed as 47 people were baptized. Some people gave their lives to the Lord for the first time, and some people recommitted their lives to Christ. Afterward, we ate Thanksgiving dinner with our church family (which just keeps on growing). God is working through the lives of people in Gaylord! I have never felt closer to God in my whole life, and it is the most beautiful feeling I have ever experienced.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Today I feel like Orphan Annie!

2011-11-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Saturday. Let's see...that makes tomorrow Sunday! I feel like little Orphan Annie right now as I think about that fact. "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love You, Tomorrow! You're only a day away! That makes tonight the equivalent of Christmas Eve! It has that kind of anticipation for me.

Why am I so excited about tomorrow? I am excited because tomorrow is what we call Ingathering Sunday here at the Evangelical Free Church in Gaylord, Michigan. It is going to be a very special service with four major elements:

WORSHIP! As we do each Sunday, we will spend time Sunday, just days before Thanksgiving, singing our praises to God. We won't have our Traditional Service this Sunday. Instead we will all be together starting at 9:30 in the Gospel Center!

BAPTISM! We will have the amazing thrill of seeing over 40 people following the Lord in water baptism this Sunday. These are men, women, teens and kids who have trusted Jesus to be their Savior and are now ready to take that step of faith and obedience in publicly identifying with Christ!

OFFERING! Along with our regular offering, this Sunday we will also take our annual Ingathering offering with a goal of $50,000. The first $30,000 of these monies will go to our Elder Fund that is used to help meet the needs of hurting people primarily in our church as well as in our community including our monthly Food Truck ministry. The remaining monies will be used for some needed upkeep in our facility in the areas of painting and floor coverings.

DINNER! After the service is over our entire church family will move down to the gymnasium and Youth Room for a full blown Thanksgiving Dinner together. What a great ending to a wonderful day.

DECORATING! After dinner, the Creative Ideas Group will start the decorating in the Gospel Center for our new Holiday series that will start the next Sunday that we are calling "Avoiding the Christmas Crash." It is our prayer that even the stage set in the auditorium will help us to experience the most peaceful Christmas this year that we have ever had!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love you, Tomorrow! You're only a day away!

Windshield Time

2011-11-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

I had a meeting yesterday down in Lansing which resulted in over 6 hours of time on the road looking through the windshield. I wouldn't want to do that too often, but once in a while, I enjoy extended windshield time by myself. Although yesterday morning I discovered that it doesn't take much snow, ice and wind to make I-75 between Gaylord and Grayling a bit treacherous, especially when your in a little 4-cylinder car with no snow tires. And if the weather conditions were not bad enough, I also had to dodge 5 different deer darting across the Interstate.

But still, I enjoyed a day that was spent mainly in some alone time looking out the windshield. I used this time to:

Listen to some good Christmas Music while looking at the snow falling in front of my headlights!

Call and talk to two very good friends from back in Pennsylvania that I really miss!

Listen to a few sermons on CD that brought I along for some inspiration!

Call and talk to my mom!

Talk through an upcoming sermon!

Do some thinking and praying!

A day in the church office is always valuable. But every once in a while it is equally valuable when a day in the office takes place looking through the windshield watching it snow while dodging deer!

Kids Coming Home Tomorrow!

2011-11-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow my kids come home from college for Thanksgiving Break. Yahoo!!!!

Starting Christmas Early

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am already in the Christmas mood. I know that we are still a week away from Thanksgiving, but I can't help myself. I love Christmas. I have Christmas music playing on my radio and the decorations start going up around the house this week. Two nights ago I watched the cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on television followed by the Holiday comedy movie, "Fred Clause." In fact, it is my goal to watch as many Christmas specials on TV this year as possible.

I've always loved Christmas, but ever since I have had the chance to visit Bethlehem (Israel, not Pennsylvania!), my longing for Christmas is enormous. Once you have stood at the site where Mary gave birth to the Christ-child and walked out in the fields where the angels visited the Shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, Christmas takes on a whole new intensity. At least it has for me.

And to add white icing to the holiday cake, this year I will most likely get to experience a "White Christmas" now that I live up here in northern Michigan. So let's start Christmas early!

Can't Wait for Sunday

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today is Tuesday. If my math is correct, that means Sunday is just 5 days away! I can't wait! This Sunday is what we call Ingathering Sunday here at the Gaylord E-Free Church. It will be a very special Sunday for several reasons.

First, this Sunday is the final week in our "Just Add Water" message series. Over the last 2 Sundays we have preached on the topic of baptism, encouraging all those who are attending our church and who have put their faith in Christ but have yet to be baptized since they made that decision, to take that step of faith. We have so many people getting baptized this Sunday that there will be no time for me to preach. Now understand, I live to preach but I will gladly give up my sermon time this Sunday to see so many people taking this exciting step of faith. I can't wait!

Second, this Sunday we will take our Ingathering offering. Our goal is to raise $50,000 in this special offering. The first $30,000 will go to our Elder Fund that is used to help people in our church and in our community who are hurting and to pay the cost for our Food Truck ministry that brings a semi-truck of food to our church each month to give out free of charge to people in need. The remaining $20,000 in our goal will be used for some building improvements in the older wing of our facility. I can't wait!

Third, after the service is over Sunday we will cancel all 2nd hour kids and adult classes and we will all head down to the gymnasium and youth center in order to enjoy a full-blown Thanksgiving Dinner together as a church family! Our staff had our own Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday for lunch. This Sunday we get to do it all over again with our entire church family! I can't wait!

5-days to Ingathering Sunday! I can't wait!

Missions Conference at Community Church (part 2)

2011-11-14T00:03:00.001-05:00

The best part of the past week is that between speaking 5 times at the Community Church's Missions Conference in West Milton, OH, as well as preaching this past Sunday morning back here at Gaylord E-Free, as well as sharing again Sunday night at the E-Free Annual Meeting, I got to speak 7 times in the past 8 days. Now that is what I call a great week!

Below are some pics of me preaching at the Missions Conference in Ohio. I even showed off my new golf swing that I have acquired since moving to Gaylord, Michigan. Some of these may make for a good caption contest (especially the last one!)!

Missions Conference at Community Church (part 1)

2011-11-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

Last week I had the thrill of being the keynote speaker at the annual Missions Conference at Community Church in West Milton, Ohio (the church where I first started in ministry as Youth Pastor many years ago). Below are some pictures from the week:

Woody Curtis, Missions Director at Community Church, prays for Laura and I at the end of the Missions Conference!

Adult Sunday School Teachers pray for the missionaries at the end of the conference!

My new friend, Nard (a missionary pilot) shares about his ministry!

BJ Bechtel, who once was in my youth group, shares about his ministry in Chicago with Inner City Impact!

My mentor, Steve Peters (Sr Pastor of Community Church) shares a laugh with Nard!

Stuart Peters, Youth Pastor at Community Church, leads worship!

More prayer for the missionaries!

Worshipping the Lord at Missions Conference!

The children help the Worship Team lead in the conference theme song!

Old friends of ours, Mark and Janice Hilt, play the role of Harry and Mary in this skit on the opening night of Missions Conference!

How do you spell baptism?

2011-11-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

How do you spell relief?

Remember that commercial? It was a great marketing strategy for Rolaids heartburn and indigestion medicine. Even Major League Baseball got in the act as Rolaids became the sponsor for the "relief pitcher" of the year. Every person in America who watched any amount of TV could answer that question. How do you spell relief?

R-O-L-A-I-D-S

This Sunday here at E-Free, I would like to spend the morning asking a similar style question. This Sunday's questions is,

"How do you spell baptism?"

I actually have been baptized 3 times since I trusted Jesus to be my Savior. The first time was at the age of 8 at the Goodyear Heights Community Church in Akron, Ohio. The second time was when Laura and I began in ministry at Community Grace Brethren Church in West Milton, OH. The final time was in 2006 when on my first trip to Israel I had the thrill of publicly identifying with Christ in the Jordan River, the very river where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

This Sunday I will share what the Bible teaches about "baptism" by spelling the word out: B-A-P-T-I-S-M! I will be taking each letter in the word "baptism" and using it to stand for a phrase that will help all of us to better understand what baptism is all about. So join us this Sunday as we answer the question,

"How do you spell baptism?"

Happy Birthday to the Pastor's Wife

2011-11-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

I love being a pastor. Ever since I was in Junior High School it is what I wanted to do. I remember a mentor of mine in High School saying, “Scott, if there is anything else you would rather do, do that instead.” That was his way of saying, “Be sure that this is what God has really called you to do because it isn’t easy.”

Still today, it is the only thing I want to do. Admittedly, there remains a desire deep inside of me to be a play-by-play announcer for a Major League Baseball team. In fact, even now at age 46, if there is a game on the television and no one is home but me, I will mute the sound and pretend that I am announcing the game. But yet, I would still rather be a pastor than anything else.

The same is true with my wife. Since Laura was a girl, all she ever wanted to be was a pastor’s wife. That is why she went to college – to find a “preacher boy” to marry. And she did – ME! And for that I am very thankful.

In just the short time we have been here at Gaylord E-Free, I am sure you have seen what a wonderful and valuable pastor’s wife Laura is. I simply see no way that I would be able to do what I do without her support and without her by my side. When it comes to ministry, we are a packaged deal. I say all that because today, November 11, is my wife’s birthday!

So, please allow me to take advantage of this e-mail communication to wish a very “Happy Birthday” to my favorite church member here at E-Free, my lovely wife, Laura!

BANG! Is this a mid-life crisis?

2011-11-09T16:00:00.004-05:00

I am 46 years old and wondering if I am entering my "mid-life crisis" or am just being influenced by my now living in northern, Michigan. I had never golfed (other than putt-putt) until now. But at the age of 46 I have now found myself out on the fairway. I have even golfed in church this year on a Sunday morning at our church in Michigan and just last night at the closing night of Mission Conference in West Milton, Ohio.

But now I have added another "first," again at age 46. Let me set up the story. Last week I attended my very first Wild Game Dinner up in Michigan. I ate wild boar (another first for me) among other wild game. But at the end of the night I walked away with the door price - a 12-gauge shotgun! Imagine me with a shotgun!!! If you know me you know that me winning a shotgun is the epitome of ironic! But now, at the age of 46, I am the proud owner of a 12-gauge shotgun.

Now here is where the next first comes in. Woody, who is the Mission Director at the church I have been speaking at this past week, heard that I now own a shotgun and that I know nothing about guns. Actually, I shot a gun one time out of a farmer's window at a youth event when I was a youth pastor (not smart, I know) and got me a ground hog right in the head! Anyway, Woody took Laura and I out to the shooting range today - another first for me at age 46. BANG! That was fun! My wife out shot me (but she grew up shooting a gun out in Colorado). However, I was the only one that got the bulls-eye! I think I might be hooked!

I'm age 46 and finding myself on the golf course and at the firing range! Is this a mid-life crisis? Either way - I wonder what might be my next first!

We broke curfew this week!!

2011-11-08T11:43:00.003-05:00

Laura and I have had the thrill this past week of being back at Community Church in West Milton, Ohio where we first started in ministry years ago. I have been able this week to have the joy of being the keynote speaker at their annual Missions Conference. Few things are better than returning to a former ministry and being able to pick up with so many old friends like we have never been gone.

There have been many highlights, but last Sunday night was by far the apex of our being blessed. One of the couples held an open house style event inviting through Facebook anyone who had been part of our youth ministry during the years that I served at the church as their Youth Pastor. How very cool it was to see so many of those who were on our youth staff and to spend time catching up with those who were teenagers in our youth ministry, many of whom who now have teenagers of their own.

In fact, we had such a great time that we didn't get back to our host family's home until 2am. I can't tell you the last time we were out until 2am (actually, it may have been way back when we were in youth ministry). We felt like teenagers sneaking back into our house after breaking curfew, trying not to wake up mom and dad. But this was one of those nights when you leave going, "I am so blessed...Thank you Lord!"

One of the guys who was a teenager who found Christ in our youth ministry brought his son up to meet me. He told his son something along these lines, "This is Pastor Scott. He is the one who told me about Jesus. It is because he told me about Jesus that you are able to grow up in a Christian home!" To say I was "blown away" was an understatement.

Later in the night all of the other adults who had been on our youth staff had left and it was just us and a group of those who had been in our youth group. As the party was coming to an end, one of them gathered everyone together and they prayed for us, thanking God for the ministry we had so long ago in their lives and asking God to continue to bless our lives and our ministry. Even as I type this, tears flow down my face just thinking about that moment.

We broke curfew Sunday night...but it sure was worth it! Thank you, Lord! And thank you, alumni of Community Church's Youth Group from 1987-1994! We love all of you!

An Exercise for Worry

2011-11-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

Here is an exercise that each of you needs to do. You will be glad you did!

Step 1: Take out a piece of paper and a pen

Step 2: At the top of the paper write the two words "Worry List"

Step 3: List the top 10 things in your life that you are worried about...be specific

Step 4: Go back to the top of the page and mark an "X" through the word "Worry"

Step 5: Above the "X'd" out word "Worry," write the word "Prayer"

In 5 easy steps you just turned your "Worry List" into your "Prayer List." That is exactly what Philippians 4:6 teaches - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." To paraphrase it simply, "Worry about nothing...Pray about everything!"

Imagine what would happen if you took all the time you normally spent worrying about something and instead you spend that time praying about that same area! Imagine what would happen if you took the same amount of energy that you put into worrying, and instead you put that same amount of energy into praying about that area! According to the very next verse in Philippians 4:7, you would experience the peace of God that passes all understanding and that peace will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus!

After all, in Matthew 6:27 Jesus asked this questions about the whole issue of worry, "Which of you by worrying can add one hour to your life?" The answer is "none of you can add an hour to your life by worrying!" In other words, worry has no value whatsoever. Someone who heard me preach on this recently left this quote on a sticky note on my computer, "Worry is like a rocking chair - it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere."

Worry has no earthly value. Prayer has eternal value. So I challenge you to do the exercise above. Turn your "Worry List" into your "Prayer List."

Just Add Water

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

I’ll never forget the first baptism I ever performed. I was a Youth Pastor in Ohio and had led a Jr. Higher to the Lord by the name of Beau. Shortly after that, this young man was ready to be baptized. I was very excited, but also pretty nervous. After all, we had never practiced “how to baptize people” in Bible College. In the church I pastored, we baptized people going forward (rather than backward). It never dawned on me to be sure that Beau was kneeling far enough in the back of the baptistery so that there was enough clearance for his head.

In my nervous enthusiasm, I brought Beau forward determined to use enough muscle to be sure he made it all the way under the water. Unfortunately, Beau was too close to the front of the baptistery and when I brought him down he hit his head on the edge, resulting in a nice gash. Not to be outdone by Moses, I had turned the water into blood. Beau forgave me and over the years I got much better at baptizing people without causing them physical injury.

I also remember my own baptism. I had trusted Christ to be my Savior at the age of 5 while attending a Child Evangelism Fellowship good News Club taught by my aunt. When I was 8 years old, Pastor Bruce Black baptized me at the Goodyear Heights Community Church in Akron, Ohio. Though that was 38 years ago, I still remember that day as if it were juts yesterday. I also remember being baptized again in the Jordan River on my first trip to Israel. How special it was to publicly identify with Christ in the very river where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Along those lines, I am excited that this Sunday here at E-Free we will start a brand new mini-series that we are calling “Just Add Water” as we look together in Scripture and see what the Bible says about baptism. What is baptism? Why do we do baptism? How do we do baptism? Who should be baptized? When should they be baptized? Over this series we will answer these questions and much more. So don’t miss this Sunday @ 9:30 here at E-Free as we start this series.

I'm Still Her Hero!

2011-11-03T00:01:00.005-04:00

Over 25 years ago I met my wife at a Flea Market in Lynchburg, VA. Tuesday night I had the thrill of being reminded that I am still her hero. We had an Israel Information Trip meeting at the church for those who are considering going to the Holy land with us in October 2012. I am simply way behind at work so she went home after the meeting and I was planning to stay at the church until about 11pm and get some items on my "To Do" list accomplished.

A few minutes before 10:00pm I get a text from my wife reading, "I think we have a critter in the house - like a squirrel or a chipmunk." Now, the text did not say, "Please come home!" But being the sensitive husband that I am, I was able to decipher that the message was code for, "Please come home!' I knew I had hit the bulls-eye when I texted back saying I was on my way and got a very quick one word reply..."hurry!"

So I got home and I grabbed a broom and headed in the door to rescue my fair maiden in distress. I knew the situation was serious when I found her in the kitchen, standing on a chair, clutching her cell phone. She told me that whatever the intruder was, it was in the laundry room where something had knocked over the laundry basket of clothes...twice. So I started pulling items out of the laundry room one by one wandering what was going to jump out at me without warning. At the end of the search, I found nothing.

I'm not sure what made the basket of clothes fall...twice, but I never did find a squirrel or a chipmunk. I did, however, go to bed that night with the deep satisfaction of knowing that after 25 years, I am still my wife's hero who she calls when she is in distress! So, though it is three days past Halloween, I think I will wear my Superman suit all day today!

Up, up and away!

Food Truck

2011-11-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

I am so proud of our church here at Gaylord E-Free. This part of northern Michigan has really felt the effects of the economic problems in our country. Many people are out of work and hundreds of people are struggling to make ends meet. It is our desire as a church to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus to this community. As a result, each month we have what we call the "Food Truck Ministry" in which we purchase a semi truck full of food from the Michigan Food Bank and we distribute it free of charge to families within our county that could really use the help. Last Thursday over 160 families from our community came to our church to receive free food.

This is why on Sunday, November 20, we will be taking a special offering here at E-Free. We call the Sunday before Thanksgiving "Ingathering Sunday." It is going to be a great day. There will be a special combined service @ 9:30am with a lot of worship, celebration and many people following the Lord in water baptism. Then we will all go down to the gym for a full-blown luncheon together as a church family. But on that Sunday we will also take a second offering, an Ingathering offering. Our goal is to see God use His people here at E-Free to see $50,000 come in for that special offering that morning. The first $30,000 of this special offering will go to our Elder Fund that is used specifically to help hurting people in our church and in our community. It is from this fund that we will also be able to fund the Food Truck Ministry for another year.

So thank you Gaylord E-Free for being a church that cares...a church that loves...a church that prays...and a church that gives!

The Music of Keith Green

2011-11-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I mentioned the late singer/song-writer, Keith Green. When I was a teenager one of the greatest things that God used to keep my heart on the Lord was the music of singer/song-writer Keith Green. I loved his music and the way he conducted his ministry. I was in High School when Keith Green was killed in an airplane crash in Texas where he lived. His music is one of the few that have transcended time in still impacting my life today. I will often pull out my CD collections of all of his songs and play them as I worship and reflect on the Lord. But no song of his touches me like this one. If you know it, why don’t you sing it with me right now at your computer.

There is a Redeemer

Jesus God's own Son

Precious Lamb of God

Messiah

Holy One

Thank You Oh my Father

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit

'Til the work on earth is done

Jesus, my Redeemer

Name above all names

Precious Lamb of God

Messiah

Hope for sinners slain

Thank You Oh my Father

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit

'Til the work on earth is done

When I stand in glory

I will see His face

There I'll serve my King forever

In that holy place

Thank You Oh my Father

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit

'Til the work on earth is done

The Merit in Halloween

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

I ended my last blog by asking the question, “Is there any spiritual merit in Halloween?” And since today is Halloween, it is a fitting time for me to answer that question. I described in my last blog entry the cultic background of many of our modern day Halloween traditions and how they stemmed from a day in which the Druids of Scotland and Ireland would honor Saman, known as the Lord of the dead.

In 834 AD, In order to combat these occult practices, Pope Gregory IV moved the church festival of “All Saints Day” to November 1st. This was a day to honor all the Saints who had died. The eve of the festival was called, “All Hallows E’en” (E’en is a contraction for evening). This gave us the modern name, “Halloween.” No matter what your feelings and convictions are about participating in Halloween traditions, I do believe that there is an aspect of this holiday that can spiritually benefit all of us.

We can make Halloween a very spiritually motivating day if we understand the true heritage and the benefit that there can be in remembering the life’s testimony and message of Saints who have already gone on to glory. We must first understand that one is not made a “saint” because a church council declares it. A “saint” is anyone who has been made righteous through faith alone in Jesus Christ. It is Biblical and profitable for us to remember saints who have gone on before us. That is what Hebrews chapter eleven is all about…remembering men and women of God who have shown great faith and then allowing their life’s message to still motivate and challenge us even today.

So let’s start a new Halloween tradition. It’s one we can all enjoy without compromise. Let’s take time to reflect on such great saints. We can break it down into 3 categories:

1. Saints of theology: These are individuals from the pages of Scripture whose life message greatly influence us for Jesus still today. For me, this is a man like Joshua from the pages of the Old Testament who led Israel in possessing the Promised Land.

2. Saints of history: These would be individuals who lived in history and whose testimony for Christ still impact us today. For me, that includes men like Dr Jerry Falwell and singer/songwriter, Keith Green.

3. Saints of family: These would be family members or close friends who are now with Jesus but whose heritage causes us to walk with Jesus today. For me, this is my Grandpa Distler, who was in full-time ministry for some 50 years before he died.

When we take time to reflect on great saints of the past, even Halloween can become spiritually profitable to us today. After all, it was on Halloween in 1517 that a great man of God named Martin Luther climbed some steps in Germany and posted his “95 Thesis” on the doors of the Wittenberg Church setting off what we know today as the “Great Reformation.” Ah, yes, I believe there is most definitely spiritual merit in Halloween.

Don't Miss the Final Key

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

This Sunday will be our final week here at Gaylord E-Free in our Mansion of Prayer message series. Over the month of October we have been imagining prayer as if it were a Mansion with 5 huge and wonderful rooms. Each room represents an aspect of prayer and we have been taking time to explore one room each Sunday making sure we understand exactly what that room and that aspect of prayer entails. Below are the rooms we have explored so far:

The Foyer: Place of Confession - this is where we wipe our spiritual feet!

The Throne Room: Place of Adoration - this is where we praise God for who He is!

The Trophy Room: Place of Thanksgiving - this is where we thank God for what He has done!

The Guest Room: Place of Intercession - this is where we pray for the needs of others!

We also have given a key to each room that will open up that aspect of prayer in a very practical and powerful way. Below are the keys to the rooms we have explored so far:

The Foyer: Place of Confession - KEY = Be honest!

The Throne Room: Place of Adoration - KEY = Be creative!

The Trophy Room: Place of Thanksgiving - KEY = Keep a spiritual journal!

The Guest Room: Place of Intercession - KEY = Identify with the person you are praying for!

This Sunday we will wrap the whole service up by looking at "The Living Room: Place of Petition." You don't want to miss this Sunday as we explore this final room in the Mansion of Prayer and see our final KEY to opening up this room in our daily prayer lives!

See you Sunday!

BOO! Did I Scare You?

2011-10-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

Boo! Did I scare you? I should have. After all, it’s that time of year again…Halloween. Perhaps this is the most controversial day in the Americanized church. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it evil? Is it Satanic? Is there any merit in it at all? My most favorite Halloween memory stems back to when I was working as a Youth Pastor. Each Halloween we had a big party that we called a “Halloween Turn-About.” We dressed up like everyone else and went “trick-or-treating,” but instead of asking for candy, we asked for canned food for needy families. After a time of food and games at the church, we then took the canned food that we collected and dropped them off on the doorsteps of needy families within our church, ringing the door bell and then running.

I assigned one couple on my youth staff to take a group of our teens in their van and go out to a specific area to drop off the food at a specific address. It was dark and their van inched up the street trying to read the house numbers. They would often stop and send a teen running up to a door to see what house number it was. Suddenly, without any warning, they were surrounded by police officers. We didn’t know that a credible threat had been made concerning an abduction in that area and Law Enforcement was on high alert. When they saw our van creeping up the street and people running back and forth from it, they thought we might be the culprits that had made the threat. Happy Halloween!

Well, there is no doubt that the history of parts of Halloween is founded in occult themes. Nobody I know debates that. It goes way back to Scotland and Ireland where Druid Priests celebrated a special day in honor of Saman, Lord of the Dead. The belief was that on the eve of this celebration, Saman called together all the souls of those who had died the previous year and who currently inhabited the bodies of animals, to return to their homes. Bon-fires were lit to scare off these spirits and children would dress in costumes to confuse these wandering souls.

Jack-o-lanterns also go back to this era, only they started as large rutabagas, carved with gross faces and lit with candles. This is due to a tale about a man named Jack who was a notorious drunkard but who was also smart. As a result, the fable says that when he died, he was turned away from both heaven and hell. As a result, he put a glowing coal into a carved turnip and he has been wandering the earth ever since. Poor Jack!

But the question I want to focus on isn't, "Is Halloween bad?" I want to focus on just the reverse, "Is there any spiritual merit in Halloween?" Be sure to read my blog posting on Monday to hear my answer.

SILOS or SYNERGY

2011-10-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

Here at the Gaylord E-Free Church we have over 20 Ministry Teams that really are the backbone of our ministry. Each of these teams reports to a Leadership Team made up of lay people in our church of men and women who are genuinely committed to seeing our church reach its redemptive potential. Last Monday night all of the leaders of these Ministry Teams met together with our Leadership Team and each took several minutes to share answers to the following 3 questions:

What is the most exciting thing going on in your area of ministry?

What about your area of ministry would it be good for all of us to know?

What is the greatest challenge your team is facing?

It was so very exciting and encouraging to hear these leaders share with great enthusiasm what God was doing in and through their area of ministry. This exercise was a first step in taking us forward in seeing more communication and teamwork occur among our Ministry Teams. You see, with 20+ Ministry Teams, each zealously doing their own thing, it would be easy and natural for us to become 20+ SILOS who are only focused on our own individual areas of ministry. But for us to really excel as a ministry we can't have a SILO mentality. We aren't 20+ individual Ministry Teams - we are 1 Church!

It is our goal and prayer as a Leadership Team to see our Ministry Teams continue to stoke the fire of SYNERGY through communication and teamwork with each other. The more we develop SYNERGY among our Ministry Teams, the more effective ministry we will see taking place. Instead of being 20+ Ministry Teams each going our own separate ways, we need to be 1 church all going the same direction. So as you pray for our church and our Ministry Teams, pray that we will not settle for the norm. Pray that instead of building SILOS, our Ministry Teams will continue to build SYNERGY!

Praying with Agony

2011-10-26T00:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we talked about praying for others with muscle. Today let me "stretch" that thought to the idea of praying for others with "agony." That's what Paul asked for when he asked the church at Rome to pray for him. He didn't just say, "Hey, if you think about it would you throw up a prayer for me?" No! He said, "I urge you to 'strive together' with me in prayer to God for me!"

The word translated "strive together" is one word in the original language which comes from the root word, "agonizomai." What English word do you see in the Greek word "agonizomai?" It is where we get our word "to agonize." So what was Paul asking the church at Rome to do for him? He was asking them to "agonize" in prayer on his behalf.

Jesus used the same word in John 18:36 translated "fighting." Paul also used it in 1 Corinthians 9:25 speaking of athletes who "compete" in a one-on-one setting like wrestling. Just as with the word "fervently" that we saw yesterday, this word also is used in Luke 22:44 to describe the way Jesus prayed in the garden the night before His death. He was in "agony" praying.

So how do we do this? How do we agonize in prayer for others? I think the best way is to take the time to identify with the person you are praying for. In other words, pray for their needs as it it were really your need. Hebrews 13:3 tells us to remember in prayer those who are in prison for their faith as if we were in prison with them. In other words, identify with the needs of the person you are praying for. Pray for them as if their need were your need.

You see, if a husband called me on the phone today and said, "Please pray for my wife. She was just diagnosed with breast cancer." I would pray for that wife. But if my wife went to the doctor today and was told she has breast cancer, I would pray far more intensely. If it were my wife, I would "agonize" in prayer for her. You see, my prayers for the other husband's wife will become far more intense if I pray for her as if it were my wife that had the cancer. Make sense?

So as you pray for others this week, pray with muscle (as we saw yesterday). And pray with agony, praying for their situation as if it were yours!

Let's pray!

Praying with Muscle

2011-10-25T00:01:00.002-04:00

Will you pray for me? WAIT! Before you answer, let me share with you a description of how I would like you to pray for me.

Let me take you back to Acts 12. As the chapter opens, we learn that Herod Agrippa (the grandson of Herod the Great who had all of the babies slaughtered shortly after the birth of Christ) has arrested and murdered James, the brother of John. Both of these brothers had been disciples of Jesus. James was the first Apostle to be martyred and his would be the only martyrdom of an Apostle recorded in Scripture (though many of the others would face a similar fate).

The result of this persecution against the church is that the Jewish people liked it. Herod, like most politicians even today, was looking at his popularity among his subjects and thought, "If they like me for murdering James, they'll love me for taking out Peter!" So he had Peter arrested as well and put him in prison with a date with the executioner waiting for right after the Passover Holiday. According to verse five, while Peter was being kept in prison under a more than usual quantity of Roman Guards (after all, he had miraculously escaped from prison before), the church had met in a home in order to combat this heinous intent of Herod Agrippa the only way they knew how - PRAYER!

But they did not just "pray"! The Bible says that they prayed "fervently"! This is a medical term (which shouldn't surprise us because the author of Acts was a medical doctor by the name of Luke). The word means to stretch one's muscle to its limit! Have you ever stretched, pulled or strained a muscle? Chances are good that you were engaged in some type of intense physical activity when you did. You see, the church, knowing that Peter was about to be executed, didn't just pray for him, they "stretched their spiritual muscles to their limit" praying for him. They didn't just pray, they prayed "fervently"!

This is the same word used to describe how Jesus prayed when He was in the garden the night before His death. Luke 22:44 tells us that, "being in agony, He was praying 'very fervently.'" He wasn't just praying. He wasn't just praying fervently. He was praying "very fervently." So fervent were His prayers that His sweat became like drops of blood according to the same verse.

So when was the last time you prayed for someone "fervently?" Imagine what would happen if when we prayed for each other we did so "fervently," stretching our spiritual muscles to the limit! In fact, imagine what would happen if we also "agonized" in prayer for each other! I'll talk about that in my blog posting tomorrow

An Open Message to Community Church in West Milton, Ohio

2011-10-24T00:01:00.005-04:00

Hello, Community Church! My name is Scott Distler and let me just say, “I love your church!” I really do. No local church in the entire world has meant more to me over my life than yours. Back during the summers of 1985 and 1986 I worked right there at Community Church in West Milton, Ohio as a Summer Intern Youth Pastor. Then, after graduating from college and getting married in May of 1987, my wife, Laura, and I started our lives together in West Milton where I spent the next several years serving on the pastoral staff in a youth and associate role.

To this day those early years of local church ministry at Community Church remain some of the best memories of my life. I remember Youthquake Rallies that saw literally hundreds of students come to Christ. I remember putting out that big chicken in the church yard each summer to officially announce to the community that Bible School was coming (even if it meant me wearing green panty hose…but we won’t talk about that). I remember Friend Days, Sowing Sundays, and Saturday Night Alternatives. In fact, I could literally walk through every room of your church and have a flood of amazing memories race through my mind.

It was at your church that I cut my teeth in ministry. It was at your church that I developed my philosophy of ministry. It was at your church that I found my mentor and my pastor for life – Pastor Steve Peters. It was during our ministry years at Community Church in West Milton, Ohio that both of our kids were born. Amazingly, Joy is now a senior in college studying Education and Jonathan is a sophomore in college studying Worship Arts.

But without question, I remember the most exciting time of the year at Community Church was always Mission’s Conference. I can remember dressing up one year as the Pope when our Sunday School class was assigned the country of Italy. I remember dressing up as a European fisherman from Portugal one year and even as a native from the jungles of New Guinea another year for Missions Conference. Missions Conference was always an awesome week.

Laura and I are looking forward to being back at Community Church for this year’s Missions Conference in November. We are really excited to see and catch-up with old friends. And we are equally as excited to make new friends.

I have been praying that God would use our time together at Missions Conference in amazing ways – literally that He would accomplish abundantly more than anything that we could ever ask or imagine. I believe He’ll do just that.

We are looking forward to being back at Community this November and I hope that each of you will make it a point to be at each service for this year’s Missions Conference!

Sunday - It's Worth Imagining!

2011-10-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

I told you in my posting yesterday how excited I am about all that our Worship Design Group and Creative Ideas Group has in the plans for Sundays in November and December here at Gaylord E-Free. Below are just a few teasers of what is to come as we worship the Lord together:

Imagine a giant Scrabble game to help us learn about baptism!

Imagine a service so packed with worship, testimonies, baptisms and more that there is no time for a traditional sermon!

Imagine all of us enjoying a thanksgiving meal together as part of our Sunday worship!

Imagine a 7-week Christmas series that just could lead you to the most peaceful Christmas you have ever experienced in your life!

Imagine a Christmas stage design that will help your eyes to grasp the goal of our Christmas series just as powerfully as your ears will grasp the messages!

Imagine a modern day Martha (you know, from Mary and Martha in the Bible) helping us to understand in a humorous way what often keeps us from experiencing a peaceful Christmas!

Imagine a contemporary twist on using "advent candles" to help us prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ!

Imagine our kids having a special part of a Sunday morning to add to our Christmas preparation!

Imagine two Christmas Eve services packed with people celebrating the birth of Christ through music, drama, preaching, video and candle-lighting!

Imagine something taking place on Christmas Sunday, December 25, that has never before occurred in a worship service here at E-Free!

And that's just a sample of what we are working on for Sundays here at the Gaylord E-Free Church! But November is still two weeks away! There is still a lot to experience and learn over the next 2 Sundays here at E-Free as we conclude our "Mansion of Prayer" message series by looking at "The Guest Room: Place of Intercession!" The key I give you this Sunday has the potential to revolutionize your prayer life more than any other key I have shared!

So don't miss any Sunday here at Gaylord E-Free! And be sure to invite someone else to join you!

It's Church Time...Sleep Tight!

2011-10-21T00:01:00.003-04:00

I laughed this morning when here at the church I went to make myself a cup of hot tea and saw that one of the tea options people can chose on Sundays here at Gaylord E-Free is the "Sweet Dreams" tea bag - you know, the one that relaxes you and helps you to sleep better! I couldn't help but laugh at the apparent irony I saw in that.

Seriously, I am so thankful to the Lord for bringing my family to a church here in Northern Michigan in which Sunday mornings are a highlight and not simply an afterthought.

I love coming into the church each Sunday morning and, whether it is outside of the chapel where the traditional service takes place or outside of the Gospel Center where the contemporary service occurs, there is an obvious sense of excitement and anticipation.

I love being part of the service and watching the joy on the musicians' faces and hear the people filling our auditorium entering into worship with genuine enthusiasm and praise to our great God.

I love to preach here at Gaylord E-Free. This is such an amazing congregation to preach to because you can sense and see their desire for the Word.

I love to stand in the foyer after the service each Sunday and hear the "buzz" in the air and watch the people as they share, laugh and connect.

I love to talk to our guests and the new people God is bringing to our church and to hear them verbalize their excitement about their experience worshipping with us.

I wake up every morning and the first question that comes to my mind is, "Is it Sunday yet?" And as I look ahead at what our Worship Design Group and Creative Ideas Group are working on for the rest of the calendar year, my excitement becomes even harder to contain. In my blog posting for tomorrow I will share just a glimpse of what is coming to E-Free on Sundays in November and December.

But for now, I'm having trouble sleeping so I am going to go make myself another cup of tea! Good-night! Sleep tight!

Hell and the Love of God

2011-10-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

In my blog yesterday I shared that I tend to interpret the Bible literally. As a result, on my radio program here in Gaylord, Michigan yesterday, I answered the controversial question, “Is hell real?” with an emphatic “YES!” But how can a loving God send people to such a horrible and eternal place of punishment? The truth is that in reality, few doctrines in the Bible reveal the love of God more than the teaching of a literal hell. How so?

Let me start with this question…"If hell is real, who do you think deserves to spend eternity in it?"

-Does Satan deserve to spend eternity in hell?

-Do the demons deserve to spend eternity in hell?

-Does someone like Adolph Hitler deserve hell?

-What about child molesters? Do they deserve hell?

Now let me ask you two more questions along the same line:

-Do I, Scott Distler, deserve eternity in hell?

-Do you deserve eternity in hell?

Again, if you are going to take the Bible literally, the answer to all of the questions above is “YES”! Yes, Satan deserves hell! Yes, the demons deserve hell! Yes, Adolph Hitler deserves hell! Yes, Child molesters deserve hell! Yes, I deserve hell! And, yes, you deserve hell too! Why? Because everyone on that list is a sinner. Everyone on that list, including you and including me, have sinned against a holy God (Romans 3:23). And according to the Bible, what we each deserve because of our sin is death – eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). You see, sinning against an eternal God is deserving of eternal punishment. That is the fact – cut and dry!

This is where God’s love comes in! Even though we all, me included, deserve eternal separation from God and eternal punishment in the hell that was created for Satan and the demons, God loved us so much, He made a way of escape! Remember the most popular verse in the Bible?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life!” (John 3:16)

God loved you and me so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus into this world to live a perfect life and die on the cross in our place. And while He was on the cross God put our sin on Jesus and God poured out His wrath on Jesus as a punishment for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). As a result, everything that had to be done to appease the wrath of a holy God due to our sin was accomplished by Christ on that day when He died for you and for me, paying the penalty for our sin! Against the backdrop of the horror of a literal and eternal hell, we see the love of God.

You see, hell is real. And yes, you deserve to go there…you really do! But God loves you so much that He made a way for you to escape. He sent Jesus to die for you. If you will believe that and put your trust fully and solely in the death and resurrection of Jesus for your sins, you can have eternal life. That’s why God loved you enough to send His son to die for you, so that instead of perishing (spending eternity in a literal and eternal hell), you will have eternal of life (forgiveness of sin that brings about eternity in heaven).

Yes, hell is real! That does not contradict the love of God - it heightens it!

Is Hell Real?

2011-10-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

This morning on my radio program on the only secular radio station in Gaylord, Michigan, I answered the question, “Is there really a hell?” I know that this is a controversial topic, even in the church. It seems that more and more pastors and theologians are diminishing the Biblical account of a literal hell or an eternal hell. Some will teach what we might call “A Second Chance View” which says that after death there will still remain a way to escape hell. Others teach “Universalism” that teaches that at the end of the day everyone will go to heaven. And still others teach what we would call “Annihilationism” which teaches hell simply means that we cease to exist. This view says that this life is all there is so “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die!”

However, I am more of a literalist when it comes to the Bible. I believe that the best way to interpret the Bible is to do so literally unless it obviously is meant to be symbolic. In other words, I literally believe things in the Bible like that God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it in a 6-day period. I believe that there really was a universal flood that destroyed all life except for Noah, his family and the animals on the ark. I believe that a guy named Jonah was actually swallowed by a great fish and survived in the stomach of that fish for 3 days and 3 nights. So, as someone who takes the Bible literally, I also believe that there is a literal and eternal hell. So below I have listed some literal facts seen in Scripture that I really do believe is true about hell:

-I believe that everyone will exist eternally in either heaven or hell (Daniel 12:2, 3; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28; Revelation 20:14, 15).

-I believe that everyone has only one life here on earth in which to determine their eternal destiny (Hebrews 9:27).

-I believe that your eternity in heaven or hell will be determined by whether you put your trust in Christ alone for your forgiveness of sins (John 3:16, 26).

-I believe that hell was originally designed for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

-I believe that hell will also be a place of eternal punishment of sin of those who reject Christ (Matthew 13:41, 50; Revelation 20:11-15).

-I believe that hell is a conscious torment (Matthew 13:50; Mark 9:48; Revelation 14:10).

-I believe that hell is eternal and irreversible (Revelation 14:11; Revelation 20:14, 15).

Perhaps one of the greatest arguments against a literal and eternal hell is the age old question, “How can a loving God send people to a horrible hell?” Actually, nothing shows the love of God more than the reality of hell. I will explain how in my blog posting tomorrow.

Welcome Winter...I'm Serious!

2011-10-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday at staff lunch one of the guys mentioned that summer weather days are now gone which means that my first winter as a resident of Gaylord, Michigan is just about upon me. I may not be saying the same thing this time next year but as of right now, I am looking forward to the first real snowfall of winter.

When we lived in in northwest Indiana we would average around 80 inches of snow each year (about half of what I am told Gaylord averages). But over the last 6 years living in southcentral Pennsylvania we were lucky to see 20 inches of snow most winters. To be honest, we really missed the snow. I love having a white Christmas and I love watching it snow. And again, I may not be saying the same thing at this time next year after living through my first winter in northern Michigan, but as of now I am looking forward to spending the next 5 months (give or take) living in a winter wonderland.

Above are some picture of my family when we visited Gaylord last December. Just looking at these pics gets me excited for winter.

3-Day Stories

2011-10-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday, I sat down with our Director of Counseling here at Gaylord E-Free, Jack Dutton, and we watched a video of one of the sessions of the recent World Conference he attended. The speaker was John Ortberg (one of my favorite authors/speakers) and he talked on the topic of "Saturday." When we think of the death and resurrection of Jesus there were 3-days involved. We know all about Friday when Jesus died on the cross. And we certainly celebrate Sunday when He arose from the dead. But what about Saturday?

I learned something that I did not know. Jack tells me that there are forty-one 3-day stories in the Bible. Along with Jesus dying and rising on the third day, you have 40 other stories like Jonah being in the belly of the fish for 3 days. 41 stories like this! And each of them follow the same pattern:

Day 1 is a day of TROUBLE

Day 2 is a day of SILENCE

Day 3 is a day of DELIVERANCE

On day 1 Jonah gets swallowed by the fish. On day 3 he gets spit out. But day 2 was a day of silence. On day 1 Jesus is crucified. On day 3 He comes out of the grave. But for the disciples, day 2 was a day of silence. So what do you do on the "Saturdays" in your life. What do you do during that time when trouble has reared its ugly head but deliverance has not yet come? Ortberg shared 3 options:

Option #1: You could despair and give up!

Option #2: You could just deny the whole thing!

Option #3: You could wait on the Lord!

It is during the "Saturday" times of our lives that we need to depend on God for all that we do. You can be with God on "Saturday" in a way you can't any other day because you know on "Saturday" that He is your only hope.

This message resonated with me. January through September of 2010 was a "Friday" period in my life when I faced a trouble that caused great hurt. "Sunday" didn't come until March of 2011 when God brought a sense of deliverance and victory. But those 5 months in between were very much a "Saturday" time - a time of silence - a time of waiting. But just like John Ortberg shared, I experienced being with God during those 5 months in a way that was far greater than the time before or even the time after.

So if you have recently faced a "Friday" in your life - a time of trouble and are waiting for God to bring about "Sunday" - a time of deliverance, don't overlook the importance of that "Saturday" - that time period in between the trouble and the deliverance. It is during those times of silence and those times of waiting that you can experience God in an even greater way. And as you do, remember - Sunday is coming because for the Christian, the best is always yet to come!

My Favorite Trophy

2011-10-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

Some people have major amounts of trophies. You can go into an athlete’s house and find dozens upon dozens of trophies and game balls. And that athlete can tell you a specific story behind each one of them. You can go into the home or trophy room of a hunter and see all kinds of animals and heads mounted in all sorts of forms and positions. That hunter can walk you through that room and tell you amazing stories behind each and every animal trophy and mounted head. That is the purpose of trophies. That’s why we keep them. They are physical reminders of great victories and accomplishments in our past.

To be honest, I was never a person who acquired a lot of trophies. I did get a trophy once for the “Most Original Car” in a pine wood derby. The only problem was that the award for “Most Original Car” was given to the only car that never made it to the end of the track. It was their way of making sure that nobody felt like a loser (I’m not real sure that philosophy actually worked but oh, well!). I also have a few trophies from my stint in Little League Baseball. Again, don’t get too excited. Every kid who played Little League got a trophy. The truth is that I was only ever to achieve a .032 lifetime batting average.

But there is one trophy that I received back when I was in the “Webelos” portion of the Cub Scouts. When I tell you what it was for it will blow you away. This Sunday I will be bringing that special trophy of mine to church with me and telling you its story. You will find out how I achieved it and why it is the most special trophy I own. Hopefully, it will help you to understand the next room we will be exploring in our “Mansion of Prayer” message series.

We have already seen “The Foyer: Place of Confession” and “The Throne Room: Place of Adoration.” This Sunday we move on to “The Trophy Room: Place of Thanksgiving.” Together as we explore this room we will see the components of Thanksgiving. And from Psalm 100 we will identify 6 ways that we can give thanks to God for what He has done in our lives. And, as we are doing with each room of the Mansion, I will end the message this Sunday by giving you a key to help you better open up this room in a practical way that I believe God can and will use to add energy to your prayer life!

See you this Sunday at the Gaylord E-Free Church!

I Ain't Afraid On No Ghost! Are You?

2011-10-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

We saw in my blog posting this past Wednesday that the spirit world is teeming with life. God is a spirit and the third person of the Trinity is called the Holy Spirit. We also know that God created countless numbers of spirit beings called angels, of which one-third of them were deceived by Satan, followed him instead of God, and became what we know to be demons today.

We saw in my blog posting for yesterday that it is highly unlikely that the spirits of dead people are able to come back to this present life from the after life to communicate to us or, worse yet, to haunt us. But in this final posting on this topic, let's answer the question, "If there are ghosts, and they are not the spirits of dead people, what are they?

Obviously, if they are not the spirits of the dead, then the only other two options are that they are angels or demons. There is no question in Scripture that angels appeared to humans in the Bible often, but never did they appear in a haunting sort of way. They did appear at times taking on a human form while bringing a message from God or being on a mission from God. So I do not see it as consistent with Scripture to say that if ghosts exist today, they are angels.

I think it is safe to say that many "ghostly" encounters have a natural explanation, but I do believe that some are of a supernatural category. And if these supernatural encounters are not the spirits of dead humans and they are not angels, that only leaves one explanation. They most likely have a demonic origin.

In fact, instances of demonic involvement in Scripture far outnumber instances of interaction with dead people (which we only see in the story of Saul speaking with the spirit of Samuel, which many would say was demonic as well; and Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus at His transfiguration). Remember that Satan and his demons have two main goals regarding people today - to deceive us and to frighten us. Certainly, ghostly encounters and experiences involving so-called spirits of the dead would go a long ways to accomplish these goals.

I won't go into detail here, but for years (as a child through my early adult years) I had a regular ghostly encounter that caused me to live in fear. However, I learned that this encounter was no doubt of a demonic origin and that through my position in Christ and through His authority, I could resist that demon and he had to flee form me, just as we learn about in the book of James..."Resist the devil and he will flee from you." That authority is not based on who I am but rather who I am in Christ. It's His authority - not mine!

I started this 3-part series by talking about the theme song to the old movie, "Ghostbusters." One of the lines in that theme song is "I ain't afraid of no ghost!" That line may be part of a silly song from an even sillier movie, but I can say the same thing today - "I ain't afraid of no ghost!" And if you have put your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin and have become a child of God as a result, you don't have to be afraid of ghosts either! Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!

Can Dead Relatives Come Back?

2011-10-13T00:01:00.001-04:00

Yesterday in my blog posting I introduced the topic of "ghosts." Are they real? We saw that the spirit world is teeming with life and that in Jesus day people, even His own disciples, believed at least somewhat in the existence of ghosts.

There is no denying that ghostly experiences occur. But what are they? Are they the spirits of the dead who have come back to guide us, warn us or even haunt us? What does the Bible say?

We learn from 2 Corinthians 5:8 that for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The writer of Hebrews said that is is appointed unto man once to die and after this comes the judgement (Hebrews 9:27). Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross that "this day" he would be with him in paradise. So we know there is an after life. But do the spirits of the dead come back from the after life?

In Luke 16, Jesus told the story of a rich man who died and immediately opened up his eyes in hell, and a beggar named Lazarus who died and the angels carried him to paradise. We learn from this story that there is a gulf that separated the two compartments of the after life prohibiting the spirits of the dead to go back and forth between hell and paradise. In the story the rich man begs Abraham to send someone back to warn his family members so that they would not come to that same place of torment.

It would seem from this story that the spirits of the dead do not have the freedom to go back and forth from the after life. Abraham did not grant the request of the rich man saying that even if someone returned from the dead it would not help. This would lead me to believe that the idea of the spirits of the dead going back and forth from the after life to this present life is not consistent with Biblical teaching.

I think the same can be said about many of the "near death" experiences we read about today as well. These make great stories - and no question something happened - but is it really the spirits of dead (or near dead people) going back and forth from the after life to this present life? To me , that is highly unlikely.

So how do we explain these experiences? That will be my topic in my blog posting tomorrow. I'll warn you in advance, you may not like my answer.