A Father's Pain For His Broken Hearted Child...

Hello again,

I find myself writing today as therapy for my own heart and soul. Let me explain... As some of you know, I have three teenagers. The two oldest are my daughters, the youngest my son. As teenagers grow up and start feeling out their independence, they also find that the opposite sex isn't quite so yucky anymore. They don't see them as cootie infested monsters. No more "Run! Run away!" Suddenly it's "Slow down so maybe someone will catch me!" And it will happen, mark my words.

Both of my daughters have found themselves in a place where they thought that maybe they found that special someone. The person that they could share their thoughts and feelings with, things once reserved only for Mom and Dad. And they have given their hearts not in haste, but in prayer and patience, not wanting to make a mistake, trying to be sure that the first one is the right one. That special person God has placed on this earth for them... and then comes disappointment and heart break. It hits like a whirlwind. An emotional tornado that ravages their very gentle and soft hearts.

As a father, you take time to listen to them, as they share what they believe is their world coming apart at the seams. There are plenty of tears, loud sobs and feelings of betrayal. How could this happen to them? What did they do wrong? "Why me?" And as a father, you can physically hear their hearts breaking inside of them. How could they do this to my daughter? Don't they know how very special she is? How very precious? The great things she brings to this world? How blind are they? You go through feelings of frustration and anger, all the while wanting to make your little girl feel better. To mend her broken heart. To hug her until everything melts away. You go through the heartache with them.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. How much more did God feel about watching His son die on the cross for us? Jesus went to the garden to pray (Matt. 26:36-39) and asked "if this cup could be passed from me..." But he knew that he would have to go through it. Just like my little girls had to go through their first heart-breaks. They didn't want to. And here I am, as a father, watching and knowing it had to happen. How heart-broken must Jesus have been when he had to bear the sin of the world, and the Father who had to endure the pain of watching it happen the whole time, knowing His son must go through it? I think I now have an even greater idea of the sacrifice made for my heart and soul, the love of a Father who sees me go through hard times, and who shares in the pain we must all go through. And much like He is always willing to hold me in His arms and bring me comfort, so am I willing to do the same for my own children.

Serving Him,

Pastor Brian

How Can It Be...

I was just sitting here tonight thinking and this came across my mind: What are the people of my generation searching for the most? What is that one thing we want but can't find? We want to make connections. Look at all of the things we have created to help us be connected: MySpace, Facebook, instant messaging, text messaging, cell phones, video phones, Skype, etc... all in an attempt to be more connected.

And yet, it is those very same things that prevent us from making real connections. We all have hundreds of "friends" on Facebook, but how many of them do we actually see in a given week? We see updates on their lives, pictures and their every thought. But are we really connected to them? I know what a lot of my friends from high school are doing tonight, but I'm not really connected. Most families I see coming into the church today are wanting genuine connections with others. Why else would small group ministry become so popular over the last few years? It is a very real, intimate connection with other people who believe like we do. Time spent studying God's Word, praying and uplifting each other and spending time in fellowship.

There is so much depression and despair right now. People losing jobs, their homes and their retirements. Record numbers of suicides. Pills for everything that may ail you. And yet the solution is so much easier than we think. First, make a connection with the one who created you. God should be the first relationship in all of our lives. Then, maybe we should start taking more time away from our computers, cell phones and other gadgets and find a group of people that we can enjoy spending time with. I think the world might just turn out to be a better place.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Must Read Book for Pastors!

Good morning! If you should know anything about me, you should know that I strive for excellence in ministry. Probably the best book I've read is Dick Hardy's latest book, "27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask". Whether you are a Senior Pastor or a volunteer, this book will change the way that you look at ministry in your church. It covers everything from the parking lot to the pulpit. And not only does it get you asking yourself some hard questions, but he also gives you practical steps to help remedy some of the things you may need to change.

The bottom line is this: If you want your ministry to be the most effective in reaching the lost in your community, get Dick Hardy's book, "27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask". I recommend buying a copy for everyone on your staff and going through it as a team.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

National Day of Prayer

It's that time of year again. A time when our President and politicians all look for a reason to ignore, not attend and try to remove The National Day of Prayer from our country. Never mind the fact that this country was built on the backs of persecuted people who came here to be free from religious persecution. Or maybe it would be better said that they fled to be free of religious CENSORSHIP. The issue wasn't about believing in God, just that they chose to express it in a different way than their government saw fit. And the government didn't like it. Sound familiar?

Censorship is a very delicate thing to talk about. I as a Christian must be careful what I say so as not to offend somebody. I believe if you sin you are going to hell unless you ask God for forgiveness. That is what the Bible says, right? That is what I believe in. But... if I were to say that to somebody, I would be called bigot, hateful, intolerant, etc... I'm not allowed to do that. I am censored. But if you tell me you are gay or want to have an abortion, I can't have an opinion. Why can't I call them "heterophobes" or 'baby killers"? I am censored. And because my God tells me it is wrong to be that way. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The government gets to legislate morality in our country. They believe that they have the right to tell us what we can and should believe in. If any other groups of people get to believe what they want to, why can't I? Oh yeah, that's right. There is that old pesky "separation of church and state" thing. You can't pray in school or have Bible Clubs there, because it is a government institution. Forget that your tax dollars are paying for it all. You can't have an opinion. OH WAIT!!! The separation of church and state isn't about not allowing God in government institutions, BUT KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT FROM SETTING A PARTICULAR RELIGION AS THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED IN THIS COUNTRY. That's why people left England and came here in the first place, right?

I believe that religious censorship is the best way to keep anybody from questioning somebodies twisting of the Constitution to make it say what they want it to say. To stand for what they believe, not what the founding fathers of our nation believed. Shame on us for allowing our government to be by the special interests, for the special interests.

Maybe that is why our country seems so weak anymore. We are too afraid to stand on our convictions because we don't want to upset anybody. Guess what? In order to make an omelet, you've gotta break some eggs. No other country will see us as a voice of reason in all of the chaos if we can't take care of our business at home. The odds were against our forefathers, but because of their convictions about what they believed, we broke free of British rule and became independent.

Okay, I'm getting down off of my soap box now. It's National Day of Prayer, and I will be spending it praying for all of you. Those I know, and those I don't. Those who think like me, and those who don't. From the cashier at the grocery store, to the President of the United States. Why? Because I should be free to do so.

Serving Him,

Pastor Brian