Bonus Blog: Have We Lost Our Minds?

My son, Bobby, wrote a blog recently talking about the tendency of youth ministries to be entertainment driven rather than Bible driven. Bobby rightly said that God knows what high schoolers are capable of and we should take that seriously and teach them the Bible.This blog received a well deserved "Amen!" from Bobby's Uncle Scott (my brother). What began in youth ministries has come to full bloom in adult ministries as well. Much of the church, especially the seeker sensitive branch, has mastered the art of church fun and games. Of course, here in Texas we are big into this like in so many other things. There are huge ministries that have lots of hype without content (think Joel Osteen and John Hagee).

Also, Texas is big on chuch tradition seen in strong denominationalism like Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, and Church of Christ. Of course, Catholicism is big here as well. Many are caught in a religious system that is void of real life. They are a perfect example of 2 Timothy 3:5, "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power." The church today is misled and under nourished which makes it unable to discern what really matters.

An example can be seen in the importance so many Christians place on politics. It is like they think we can bring in the Kingdom through the ballot box. John McCain just named Sara Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Mrs. Palin's choice will please many Christians because she is pro life. However, I have a question. How can a governor or vice-president be an effective mother to her five children? Mrs. Palin's oldest son is 19 and serving in the Army, but she still has three daughters at home (ages 17, 14, and 7) and another son who was born in April of this year. From my understanding of the Bible, being a mother is more important than being a governor or vice-president, no matter how much good you might be able to do in those positions. How many Christians will think about this extememly important biblical issue?

Speaking of women ... Last Sunday Irving Bible Church had a woman (Jackie Roese) preach in their worship services. That's Irving BIBLE Chruch. You can read about it here. You'll notice in the article that Tommy Nelson, pastor of Denton Bible Church said, "I believe this issue is the carrier of a virus by which liberalism will enter the evangelical church."

So if the happenings at Irving Bible Church are the carrier of a virus, what is the source? Well, I can tell you that Mrs. Roese received a Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching from Gordon Conwell Seminary. Problems in the churches usually start with the seminaries where pastors get their training. The threat for evangelical churches is not from liberal seminaries, but from the vast number of what I'll call lukewarm seminaries. These seminaries aren't cold - they haven't denied the faith. But they aren't hot either. They serve up heaping bowls of lukewarm mush to their students. They are soft on a growing number of theological and ecclesiastical issues.

Barak Obama has said that he is running for President because of the fierce urgency of now. How many Christians have a sense of the fierce urgency of now? If things are going to turn around spiritually in this country, it will not come through the ballot box. It will come when Christians and churches feel the fierce urgency of the truth and will totally commit themselves to learning it, living it, and declaring it boldly and courageously.

Do you have a fierce sense of urgency? Are you as passionate about Christ and the church as many are about their candidate and political party? All seven or eight of you who read this blog, let's encourage each other to that fierce sense of biblical urgency.

How's Your Love Life?

For the past few weeks we have been looking at the description of love that is found in 1 Corinthians 13. This is a brief but powerful and convicting definition of what real love looks like.

And, this description of love perfectly represents the loving character of our God and Savior. You could easily replace the word love with the name, Jesus, and the passage would make perfect sense.

It would read, “Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind” and so on.

The love that Christians are to practice is to be a reflection of their Lord. 1 Corinthians 13 was written to correct a church that was not practicing this kind of love. Therefore, this chapter was very convicting to them.

It is convicting to you and me as well. To find out how convicting, just try substituting your name for the word ‘love.”

Join us at Believers Fellowship as we study God’s Word in order to grow more like our Savior.
All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love Never Quits

The world’s love is temporary and based upon feelings and circumstances. According to the world, love is something you can fall in and out of.

This is not true of biblical love. The love that the Bible talks about is not dependent on feelings. Biblically love is defined as action. We see it described this way in 1 Corinthians 13.

And the difference between worldly love and biblical love is highlighted when we read that love endures all things. Love knows no limit. Love never gives up.

There is a real tenacity to genuine love. In fact, the word “endures” is a military term. It means to maintain an assault. Love remains steadfast under suffering, hardship, pain, loss, and loneliness. Love is determined to hold on.

This is the kind of love typically referred in a marriage ceremony where the couple vows to love each other for better or for worse.

Love endures all things.

Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love is Optimistic

As the song says, God’s grace is amazing. God’s grace is able to save even the most wretched of sinners. God’s grace is an expression of His great love.

The Bible calls upon Christians to love like their heavenly Father and remembering His grace helps us. For example, in 1 Corinthians 13 we are told that love hopes all things.

That means that love is optimistic. Love keeps looking forward. Parents of a wayward child or someone who has an unbelieving spouse can live in hope of salvation and restoration if they love. How? Because as long as God’s grace is operative, human failure is not final.

Bad things will happen if you lose hope. The relationship will sour and become more strained. That’s why love is so important. Love hopes all things.

At Believers Fellowship we are humbled by the grace that God has lavished upon us. That grace helps us to lovingly hope all things.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love Believes

To cut it straight means to accurately interpret the Scripture. We want to find out what God meant when He had the words of the Bible recorded by the men He used.

1 Corinthians 13 is a very popular and familiar part of Scripture, but it is seldom presented the way it was intended. It was written as a rebuke to a church that was not being very loving. And when read in that light, we can see how convicting this passage is.

For example, we are told that love believes all things. That means that love is trusting. Love is eager to believe the best. Love does not judge the motives of others. Love is not suspicious or cynical. That doesn’t mean that love is gullible, but love is willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
This is convicting stuff, but this is the truth. Love believes all things.

Join us Sunday as we worship our loving Savior. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love in Action

God demonstrated His love for the world by sending His Son so that whoever would believe in Christ would not be judged for their sins but their sins would be forgiven, covered by the blood of Christ.

Those who believe on Christ are called upon to love like their Savior loves. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul defines what that love looks like. His description shows us that love is expressed in action, just like God demonstrated His love by acting – sending His Son.

So Paul says that love bears all things. To bear all things means to cover or protect – to keep hidden. Love, then, protects the faults of others from public exposure. Love confronts others as privately and quietly as possible.

That’s what it means that love bears all things.

At Believers Fellowship we rejoice in the love that God has shown to us and we desire to grow and love more like Him.

Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

What Do You Rejoice In?

In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul corrects the unloving actions of the Corinthian believers by giving them a definition of real love. In this chapter, Paul tells the believers what love does and what it does not do.

For example, love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. That is contrary to our culture which seems to glory in so much sin. Love mourns over sin because it knows the damage that sin creates.

One way that love does not rejoice in unrighteousness is by not accepting or passing on gossip.

We are also told that love rejoices in the truth. Love is glad when truth prevails. Love doesn’t beat others over the head with the truth, but love rejoices when others receive the truth and walk in it.

Love is able to draw the line between what is unrighteous and what is true.

At Believers Fellowship we want to learn to rejoice in the right things.
Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Radical but Real

The old song says, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” Unfortunately the love that the world talks about is feeling that you can fall in and out of. The Bible defines love in terms of actions.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are given a definition of love. Our translations might not clearly represent this, but in the original language of the New Testament, love is defined here with verbs. Love is described in terms of actions.

For example, we are told that love does not take into account a wrong suffered. This is an accounting term. This speaks of keeping a record and checking the record to see what is owed.
What we’re being told is that love does not store up the memory of wrongs received. Love does not hold a grudge. Love is not resentful towards those who have wronged you.

This is a radical but real kind of love.

Join us in worship this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love Conquers Anger

We live in an angry world. Almost every day you hear about some violent crime committed out of anger. You read about child abuse, and spousal abuse, and verbal abuse. It seems that many homes have become a war zone.

We watch the news and are told about hate crimes and even such things as road rage. Our world is angry and it seems like it is only getting more angry.

But Christ can change angry people in to those who love. In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told that love is not provoked. Love is not characterized by outbursts of anger. Love is not easily irritated.
Loving people aren’t standing up for their rights and feeling like they have a right to get angry when their rights are violated. A follower of Christ knows that they have no rights and what they deserve is judgment.

The love of Christ can change angry people.

Join us as we worship our loving Savior. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

What Are You Seeking?

1 Corinthians 13 presents us with a very familiar description of love. You may have noticed though that much of the description is telling us what love does not do. Can you guess why that is? Simple. It’s because these are the unloving things that we often are guilty of.

For example, we are told that love does not seek its own. That strikes at the very heart of the issue. We are often unloving because we are seeking what we want. Actually, seeking its own means to insist on your own way. It’s talking about seeking your own advantage.

This is important because to seek your own seems natural in our society. We’re constantly being told that you’re worth it – you deserve it – you have a right to it.

But that is not love. Love does not seek its own. Love lays down its life, just like Christ did.

Join us Sunday at Believers Fellowship. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

We Need a Savior!

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are given a picture of what real love looks like. You could put Christ in here and read a perfect description of the love that He demonstrates. It’s much harder to put our own name in this chapter.

That reveals to us how much we need a Savior. We need a Savior who can forgive us of our many sins and a Savior who can change us from unloving to loving.

Christ is that perfect Savior. To try to love apart from Him will be a failure. It will be superficial at best and mostly just self serving.

I Corinthians 13 was written to correct some unloving Christians. We need this correction today. We live in a world that is consumed with self and which drinks deeply from the cup of arrogance.

Loving Christians stand out as a true testimony for their Savior.

At Believers Fellowship we want to be that kind of testimony. Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org

Feel The Rebuke

1 Corinthians 13 is a very well known chapter. It’s simply and popularly known as the love chapter. But did you know that it was written as a rebuke. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to correct the unloving behavior of the Corinthian believers. And if you study this chapter carefully you too will feel its rebuke.

For example, in this chapter we are told that love does not act unbecomingly. In other words, love doesn’t act ugly. Love is not rude.

Unbecoming behavior doesn’t care enough about others to act politely or appropriately.

Unbecoming behavior can be seen in how we talk and in such things as whether we show up on time or dress appropriately.

Love is always gracious and considerate not unbecoming.

So, you can see how convicting it can be to think carefully about what this chapter says.

At Believers Fellowship we want to know what God’s Word says so we can grow. Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love is Selfless

1 Corinthians 13 teaches us what real love looks like. We are told that love is patient, love is kind and love is not jealous.

We are also told that love does not brag. Love does not talk conceitedly. Bragging is having an excessive appreciation of one’s own worth. It is a building up of self while knocking down others. Bragging is self-glorification.

Love does not brag. Love builds up others. It is impossible to boast about yourself and love at the same time.

Along with this, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is not arrogant. Arrogance is an inflated selfishness. Arrogance breeds contention. And, as you might know, you can’t tell an arrogant person anything. God hates arrogance. Love is not arrogant.

Christ said that His disciples would be known for their love for one another. At Believers Fellowship we want to prove our love for Christ by loving others.

Feel free to join us this Sunday or call us anytime. Our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Learning to Love

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are given an inspired description of love.

We are told that love is kind. So not only is love patient and does not take revenge when it is wronged but love seeks to actively bestow good on others, even enemies.

To love like this requires real spiritual strength. It is easy to fight back. Any proud, arrogant, carnal person can do that. It is hard to be kind. We need God’s help.

Not only are we to be kind, but we are not to be jealous. Love isn’t into any kind of rivalry. Love doesn’t respond with hostility when someone else is given an advantage. You see, love is not suspicious of others. Love desires what is best for others.

Jealousy is a problem because it always seems that somebody is getting it a little better than me. But, love is not jealous.

At Believers Fellowship we want to learn to love. Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Love is Patient

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, we are given fifteen descriptions of love. It is important to note that each one is a verb. Biblical love is not so much a feeling as it is an action.

To look at this description is humbling. It makes you realize how unloving we can be. But this is meant to correct and help us. Those who love Christ want to learn to love as He tells us to.

The first description is that love is patient. This is talking about being patient with people. It is taking offenses and injuries without a desire for revenge.

Love is patient when people interrupt you, when they don’t respect you or appreciate you. Love is patient when you are mistreated by others.

Love suffers the wrongs of others without revenge. Love is patient.

At Believers Fellowship we want to learn to love like this. We want to develop true Christ-like humility.

Feel free to join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Confronted by Love

One of the best known chapters in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13. This chapter speaks of Christian love and it has a way of popping up almost everywhere. You will hear this chapter read at weddings. You will see it on calendars, on plaques, and even on coffee cups.

But the popular use of this chapter often distracts from the real purpose of it. It was written to correct the Corinthian church for their lack of love. This chapter is often used to make people feel good but actually it was written to confront.

If we are going to cut it straight then we must understand the original intent. This chapter cuts, convicts, and humbles. It shows us what matters to God and how unloving we can be.

This chapter is a real challenge to you and me. In coming days we will work at understanding what it means.

Join us at Believers Fellowship as we cut it straight. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Real Blogging Part 2

This is for my seven fans out there who read my blog.

Let me tell you what's been on my mind lately:

The thought that has been running through my mind with great regularity over the past few weeks is this, "There really is a heaven and there really is a hell."

When I think about heaven my heart is full of joy and anticipation and thanksgiving.

When I think about hell I can't be anything but soberminded.

Everybody I know and everybody I don't know is either going to go to heaven or to hell.

There are no other options.

Those of us who are Christians must let the joy that we have in the Lord drive us to a sober compassion for those who don't know Him.

We get distracted too easily.

Everybody is going either to heaven or hell.

There really is a heaven and there really is a hell.