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Let it Snow
Shoveling...again! No school today! And the best news of all...FREE Grand Slam Breakfast from Denny's!!! Rock n Roll, baby!
Pancakes have a way of making everything better. I actually prefer Crack House (Cracker Barrel) to Denny's but when they are free, hey, come on, Denny's is great! If anyone actually reads this in the next couple of minutes you can meet me there. I'm picking up Tabor and we are headed to Denny's on 31 in front of HH Gregg. Noon o'clock its on like Donkey Kong!
The other beauty of this Denny's run is that I get to drive in the snow! Love me some snow driving. Its a rare look at danger in the real world. I mean lets face it, we don't get a lot of opportunities for high adventure or risk in the everyday commute. Something inside every body wants to do something dangerous once in a while. Especially men. Its in our blood. The challenge, the risk, the danger, the fear. The chance to win, to defeat, to overcome, to kill. Its the stuff movies are made of and life seems to be void of.
I don't know how I got here but, can I just say that being a follower of Jesus is awesome when you realize that all of these elements are possible. When you follow Jesus (for real) you join him in battle. The fight is on. We must risk popularity. Wager all we have. Go to war against sin in an effort to win all to him. He is our master, our commander in chief. We follow and obey no matter what the cost. It is the grand adventure.
Next time you see the snow coming down think of pancakes and the danger involved in abandoning yourself completely to Jesus.
PS. Thank God for snow blowers!
The Rev
Pancakes have a way of making everything better. I actually prefer Crack House (Cracker Barrel) to Denny's but when they are free, hey, come on, Denny's is great! If anyone actually reads this in the next couple of minutes you can meet me there. I'm picking up Tabor and we are headed to Denny's on 31 in front of HH Gregg. Noon o'clock its on like Donkey Kong!
The other beauty of this Denny's run is that I get to drive in the snow! Love me some snow driving. Its a rare look at danger in the real world. I mean lets face it, we don't get a lot of opportunities for high adventure or risk in the everyday commute. Something inside every body wants to do something dangerous once in a while. Especially men. Its in our blood. The challenge, the risk, the danger, the fear. The chance to win, to defeat, to overcome, to kill. Its the stuff movies are made of and life seems to be void of.
I don't know how I got here but, can I just say that being a follower of Jesus is awesome when you realize that all of these elements are possible. When you follow Jesus (for real) you join him in battle. The fight is on. We must risk popularity. Wager all we have. Go to war against sin in an effort to win all to him. He is our master, our commander in chief. We follow and obey no matter what the cost. It is the grand adventure.
Next time you see the snow coming down think of pancakes and the danger involved in abandoning yourself completely to Jesus.
PS. Thank God for snow blowers!
The Rev
This Ain't the 80's Yo!
Here's a news flash for ya, "times are changing"! I know its hard to believe but we just don't live in 1950 any more. Well, that may be stating the obvious. How about this, we don't live in 1980 anymore either. The facts are in and you don't have to look far to know this is true. Here are some examples:
In the 80's, Christians didn't get tattoos, guys didn't get their ears pierced (unless they were gay or in a rock n roll band or possibly both), everybody had their "Sunday best" and wore them on Sunday to church, Christians didn't drink or smoke and if they did they tried to hide it from church folk, and oh, church took place in church (not in homes, coffeehouses, health clubs or bars). Well, you get the idea.
Yesterday a tattoo free brother in Christ asked me how he would know it was OK to get a tattoo. It made for an interesting lunch conversation. I told him there were a lot of things to consider. Could it hinder future employment, what would his future wife think of it, get a good tattoo artist because they don't come off, etc. Parents have often said to me, "my kid wants a tattoo and they say I should allow them to get one because Pastor Gene has one". I tell those parents to tell their kid, "Gene got his first tattoo when he was 30 and when you are 30 you can make that decision for yourself!"
Something else happened last night that reminds me that this ain't 1980 anymore. My 12 year old son got his ears pierced! Wow! I can remember when "no christian woman should have her ears pierced" and later when girls had to be a teenager to get them done and now my own son has his pierced and no one under the age of 30 will even think he is gay! Have things changed? When I got married in 1989, I got one ear (the left one of course) pierced on my honeymoon. The following two weeks Paula and I had to live with my parents until we went back to college. When my dad saw my ear his exact words were "take it out or get out!" ...I took it out. I had no where else to go. By the way, my dad got his first tattoo last year at age 62. He was also there when Tabor got his ears pierced last night and he didn't have a cow! Amazing.
What is the point? Just because something becomes acceptable in society doesn't make it acceptable to God. Addiction to anything is still a sin. Coffee, dessert, cigarettes, energy drinks...ouch! Being drunk is still a sin and the scriptures plainly teach that the highest standard is abstaining from alcohol all together. Modesty is still the rule for believers. Cover yourself for cryin' out loud! Paul said in 1 Co. 6:12 and again in 1 Co. 10:23 that everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Just because it isn't frowned on by society or even the church doesn't make it a good idea.
We only have one chance. Represent well!
The Rev
In the 80's, Christians didn't get tattoos, guys didn't get their ears pierced (unless they were gay or in a rock n roll band or possibly both), everybody had their "Sunday best" and wore them on Sunday to church, Christians didn't drink or smoke and if they did they tried to hide it from church folk, and oh, church took place in church (not in homes, coffeehouses, health clubs or bars). Well, you get the idea.
Yesterday a tattoo free brother in Christ asked me how he would know it was OK to get a tattoo. It made for an interesting lunch conversation. I told him there were a lot of things to consider. Could it hinder future employment, what would his future wife think of it, get a good tattoo artist because they don't come off, etc. Parents have often said to me, "my kid wants a tattoo and they say I should allow them to get one because Pastor Gene has one". I tell those parents to tell their kid, "Gene got his first tattoo when he was 30 and when you are 30 you can make that decision for yourself!"
Something else happened last night that reminds me that this ain't 1980 anymore. My 12 year old son got his ears pierced! Wow! I can remember when "no christian woman should have her ears pierced" and later when girls had to be a teenager to get them done and now my own son has his pierced and no one under the age of 30 will even think he is gay! Have things changed? When I got married in 1989, I got one ear (the left one of course) pierced on my honeymoon. The following two weeks Paula and I had to live with my parents until we went back to college. When my dad saw my ear his exact words were "take it out or get out!" ...I took it out. I had no where else to go. By the way, my dad got his first tattoo last year at age 62. He was also there when Tabor got his ears pierced last night and he didn't have a cow! Amazing.
What is the point? Just because something becomes acceptable in society doesn't make it acceptable to God. Addiction to anything is still a sin. Coffee, dessert, cigarettes, energy drinks...ouch! Being drunk is still a sin and the scriptures plainly teach that the highest standard is abstaining from alcohol all together. Modesty is still the rule for believers. Cover yourself for cryin' out loud! Paul said in 1 Co. 6:12 and again in 1 Co. 10:23 that everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Just because it isn't frowned on by society or even the church doesn't make it a good idea.
We only have one chance. Represent well!
The Rev
10 Objectives for 2010
Greetings one and all! 2010 is off and running to a frigid start! Now you know why they had to take Global Warming and re-title it Climate Change! Let's not get started already this year on politics. Jesus isn't going to change the world using the government or politics anyway. He's going to use the Church!
With this is mind, I preached a sermon on Sunday about some objectives I believe God would have every member of Current Church attain to in the coming year. I thought it would be good to rehash the message in this blog so we can refer back to it in the weeks and months to come. If you are not part of Current, you may still find some goodness in this and discover an area God may challenge you in this year.
So here we go! 10 Objectives for 2010.
First, Be a Person of Prayer. Jesus taught that his house would be a house of prayer Mark 11:17. The Church is the house but so are you. Here are a few ways to BE a person of prayer.
1. Find a quiet place were you can DAILY meet with Jesus.
2. Take advantage of corporate prayer times.
- 5:30pm on Sundays in the newly finished "Upper Chamber" (or whatever it gets named).
- 7:00pm on Mondays at "SOAK" at Current Church/The Gear.
3. Pray with your friends when you see them. Even if it is short prayer of encouragement.
4. Learn to pray "prayer models". The simplest example is to pray The Lord's Prayer.
-Use your own words.
-Pray other scriptures the same way.
Second, Be a Student of the Word. The word is a lamp to our feet Psalm 119:105 and that the memorized word helps us not to sin Psalm 119:11. Here are a few suggestions for becoming a good student of the greatest book of all time, The Bible.
1. Read the word, sometimes aloud.
2. Get on a scheduled reading plan.
3. Use study guides and devotionals. Have them sent to your email daily.
4. Memorize key/favorite scriptures.
5. Share what you learn with others.
Third, Be in an Organic Small Group. This should be a group of friends or a group that want to become friends. Jesus had a group of 12 as well as a group of 3 within the twelve. If Jesus did this, so should we. This group will provide several things that will help you BE the person God wants you to be.
1. Develops Godly friendships.
2. Encourages Accountability.
3. Gives you friends to pray, study and evangelize with.
4. Encourages Godly entertainment.
Fourth, Be Actively Involved in Evangelism. Col. 4:2-6
1. Share YOUR grace story (testimony) of how you came to Christ and how following him has changed your life.
2. Develop creative relationships.
-Visit the same teller every time you go to the store.
-Ask for the same waitress (oops, server) when you go to restaurants.
-Get creative and meet your neighbors. Make them want to know you.
3. Love your neighbor as yourself.
4. Give those in your circle of influence repeated opportunities to accept or deny Jesus.
5. Don't QUIT!
Number 5, Be Unified with the Body at Current Church. Check out Ephesians 4:3-16.
1. We should share a unified vision and purpose.
2. Edify one another.
3. Encourage the Family of believers.
4. Always speak well of the whole body(every church), Current Church, church leadership and the ministries of Current.
5. Assume the best of others not the worst.
Sixth, Be a Servant. Jesus said if you want to be great learn to be a servant Mark 10:43.
1. Look for ways to serve the body of Christ.
2. Look for ways to serve the lost. This opens doors for evangelism! But do it just because you love Jesus.
3. Serve the Church facilities.
4. Discover how God would use you in ministry and DO IT!
Seventh, Be a Faithful Giver. Yes, I mean money. Don't forget that God owns it all. We are to be stewards of what he has given us. Since our money is actually his, we are to spend it as HE would want it spent. Check out Mal. 3:6-12 it shows how God feels about us when we are disobedient with HIS money. You might also want to read 2 Co. 8-9 to understand the generosity God expects from us. If you are part of Current Church, we expect your faithful, consistent giving. Here's how:
1. Financially support Current Church with your tithes (a tenth of your gross income) and offerings.
-The government TAKES a much higher % and often uses if for evil.
-God ASKS us to return to him only a portion of what is already his.
-Your tithes provide for the ministry, gospel presentation and support of missionaries at Current Church.
2. Follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit regarding offerings.
3. Live like everything we have is God's, BECAUSE IT IS.
Numero 8, Be a Person of Humility.
1. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Js. 4:6
2. He must become greater, I must become less. Jn. 3:30
3. We are not all that and a bag of chips! Consider Php. 2:1-8
The ninth objective is Be Desirous of Wisdom. "Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisdom though it cast you all yu have, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7
Finally, the tenth, Be in a Mentoring Relationship. You may have heard it called discipleship. Everyone needs a "Paul" in their life. Someone they look up to as a spiritual father (or mother for the girls). Someone they can ask questions of and allow that person to speak into their lives. We also need a "Timothy". A son (or daughter for the ladies) that we can sow into, teach and train what God has taught us. Finally we also need a "Barabas". A friend or equal of the same sex. Someone from your small group perhaps. You can encourage one another.
I'm sure that many of you are already doing well at many of these objectives. Some of you may need to improve in a lot of areas. We are here to help. Working at any of these will bring growth and that is the ultimate objective.
I love you all and I am looking forward to an amazing 2010! Let's Go!!!
The Rev
Total Goodness
Check out these lyrics from a song called Complain by the band King's X:
Ozone disappearing in the sky
Bud man asking us why ask why
If I could find my magazine
This bug would die
I complain
China boy standing up to a tank
Southern boy living in the house of yanks
If I can't see to get my motorbike to crank
I complain
Chorus:
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier, easier
Small kid begging for a crumb of bread
Next kid bloated lying nearly dead
I wonder what to take
For my aching head
I complain
Lots of people crying for a little rain
Whole nation learning how to live in pain
I don't know how
I'm gonna clean this little stain
I complain
Chorus:
Complain, so much easier
I Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
I complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, complain
Solo
Black man singing Mississippi blues
Africa starves a little baby drools
I'm trying to figure out
All the basketball rules
I complain
Mr. Rush Limbaugh giving me the facts
Treetops falling and the newsman yaks
I'm thinking about Carter
And how I'm gonna be taxed
I........
Chorus:
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, complain
Bud man asking us why ask why
If I could find my magazine
This bug would die
I complain
China boy standing up to a tank
Southern boy living in the house of yanks
If I can't see to get my motorbike to crank
I complain
Chorus:
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier, easier
Small kid begging for a crumb of bread
Next kid bloated lying nearly dead
I wonder what to take
For my aching head
I complain
Lots of people crying for a little rain
Whole nation learning how to live in pain
I don't know how
I'm gonna clean this little stain
I complain
Chorus:
Complain, so much easier
I Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
I complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, complain
Solo
Black man singing Mississippi blues
Africa starves a little baby drools
I'm trying to figure out
All the basketball rules
I complain
Mr. Rush Limbaugh giving me the facts
Treetops falling and the newsman yaks
I'm thinking about Carter
And how I'm gonna be taxed
I........
Chorus:
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, so much easier
Complain, complain
WHY? Why complain? Even in the worst of times we have a Savior who is watching over us, guarding us, protecting us, providing for us. What we have is total goodness in Jesus. Cast your cares on him. Why are you carrying a weight that is not yours to carry? Sit back, relax and enjoy the total goodness that is salvation in Jesus Christ!
Watch King's X play Complain Live and then go make a difference in your world!
The Rev
LIP TO COAL
Its been about a year and a half since the my old band Liptocoal has done anything. We used to play all the time, everywhere. In fact, in 2005 we travel across the country spreading the gospel through rock n roll. It was truly a ministry of rock. Lots of lives changed for the glory of God.
A little over a year ago, a band begged us to play on a bill with them at The Gear. Some of the guys were super psyched and ready to go. For others of us, putting the band back together even for one show would be painful and cause us to face some issues that were buried and unresolved. We were patient and managed to face each other, talk through some stuff and get on the stage for a "one off" (a one off is a single date that is not in conjunction with any other shows or tours. In the concert world, these are more expensive to do and typically must pay well to make it worth while). This wasn't a paying gig but was worth it cause the boys were back together again!
In the beginning of this summer, The Gear began to put together the plans for Rock United '09. This was going to be a night of ministry with bands that do what they do exclusively to spread the gospel. By the time this event was in full swing, 8 bands were scheduled to play. Along the way, several of the bands asked me about bringing out LTC for the event. I wasn't real interested. Eventually, I threw the idea out the the band and they were down for it! You can remove the band from the rock and roll life but you can't take the rock out of the band! We asked the promoter (my man, Chad Everson) if it was too late to get on the bill. He assured us there was room for one more band.
So now its on! Tomorrow night we will join some of the greatest ministry bands in our area. These bands have all played at The Gear several times and kids always find Jesus when they play. I can't tell you how honored I am as an old dude to get to share the stage with these great men (and a few women) of God. We anticipate the powerful presence of God tomorrow. The night will conclude with a powerful word from a very passionate, metal man of God, Jonathan Overmeyer and finally, some great worship with The Current.
You can visit The Gear for details about the show. Come out and help us "change the world, one rock show at a time".
The Rev
OTC - This is NOT Drug Related
This thing started with a conversation with my mom. Dad was a pastor for some 25 years. A good one at that. I've been to bible college and all that but i would say most of what I know biblically, at least until recently, I learned from dad. Good preaching and living it out at home can make for a pretty stinkin' sweet childhood.
Well, I said this all started with mom. She, of course, was there with dad through it all... the good the bad and the ugly. There has been plenty of all three. It comes with being a pastor. Mom was telling me that at one church she lead a group for young women. I suspect some of them were newly married and most were new to the church and christianity. Mom, in the course of conversation with these ladies, discovered that they had little or no knowledge of the people of the bible. These young women didn't know the difference in Joseph and his coat of many colors and Jonah and the whale (probably just a big fish, but you get what I mean). What followed was a bible study where these ladies could learn the significance of these people from the bible.
Mom was relaying this story to me and thought I might consider doing a sermon series on "the greats" of the bible. I prayed about it and decided to go for it! The result is OTC - Old Testament Characters.
We started Sunday with a sermon on the life and significance of Adam. Sunday the 26th we will tear into Noah (the original Capt. Steubing from the Love Boat or was he the original Skipper from Gilagan's Island). There will be a couple surprises I'm sure.
The Rev
Mr. Green Gene's Lawn Care
I can remember being the official yard mower in my family from the time I was 8 years old. I had cut some grass before then but didn't become the "head man" until the end of second grade. You need to get a visual here. A lot of times I would push from the middle bar! I was super skinny and short too! This was before the days of safety shut offs and the like. My dad was in Bible college when I started mowing so needless to say, our mower was a beat-up run-down DANGEROUS piece of machinery.
I probably wasn't very good at mowing at the time, but I assure you (oh I assure you) my dad was loving the fact the HE no longer had to get behind the mower, I have to say though, my dad was a beast behind that push mower! I often saw him mow barefoot! Yikes! And he was the fastest mower on the planet. It seemed like he was running in comparison to my pace. My dad was a big guy, especially back then so he only pushed the mower with one hand. I have noticed over the years that all "big" guys only mow with one hand. I have a theory as to why, but you'll have to ask me in person for the details. I've also noticed that "big" guys refuse to where shirts when they mow. Maybe that's because they usually have a "natural" sweater on already!
Over the years I became quit good at mowing. Even meticulous. Imagine. In college, I worked for a lawn care company called Mr. Green Gene's. I also did grounds keeping for the college. Its hard work but the end product is so gratifying.
We've been talking at Current about growing. Growing in Intimacy with God, Growing in Our Giftedness, and Growing in Our Grace Story. This week we will be preaching about Growing in Quantitative Distinctiveness. Believe it or not this little mowing story is relevant to this week's message.
On a side note, my son is 11 and about to start 6th grade and is significantly bigger than I was at his age. This is his first summer to be the "head man" on the lawn. That kid is SOOOOO lucky! Of course you can't tell him that!
The Rev
A Little Sympathy Please
Sunday was a really windy day around central Indiana. Tabor and I went for a ride on the motorcycle (2006 Honda VTX 1300R, in case you were wondering) and it was so windy he had to hold his helmet down for fear it would rip his head off! It was kind of funny though I am really not interested in my son's head flying off.
Some time Monday, our family noticed that a bird's next had blown out of the one of our trees. Ok, I'm being real here, my first thought was "great!, less birds to poop on my car!". Tabor on the other hand was very disturbed as he has a soft spot in his heart for all of "God's creatures". This story would be short if the nest had eggs in it. I would have mowed over them and "accidentally" stepped on them or whatever to be done with the whole thing. Unfortunately, there were three baby robins in the nest. Well, they were in the nest when it fell. Now they are scattered around the nest on the ground. They all survived the crash to earth! This is good, right?
I don't know much about this kind of stuff, but I was always told if you touch the eggs, or the nest or the chicks that momma won't care for them anymore. So, by now every kid in the neighborhood knows about the tragedy and has taken a turn standing in the front yard cooing and cawing over these three little (ugly) robins. Each kid is trying to figure out how to save these little guys. Tabor and his friend Kyle are hand feeding them nightcrawlers left over from an earlier fishing expedition at the neighborhood retention pond. They suggest putting them into a box for fear that I may mow over them (I probably would have).
Well, I did mow the yard yesterday while three kids formed a "hedge of protection" around the baby robins. They had to do what ever it would take to keep those chicks from further harm!
Today, Tuesday, we still have three live chicks in the front yard. I see mother robin watching from the corner of the roof of our house. The kids haven't given up yet either. Will these chicks live, can they learn to fly without being in the tree, can they make it through the cool night outside of the warmth of the nest? These things remain to be seen.
Mt. 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
What if we were as concerned with fallen humanity as the kids in my neighborhood are with those little birds? Jesus is.
The Morning is Gone
Am I the only one who seems to have the day disappear right before my eyes?! I mean it seems like I just get out of bed and the morning is gone. No, its not because I'm sleeping the day away (though that is nice once in a while). I've been making a habit lately to break open the word and spend some time in prayer shortly after I wake up. Its been good, but still the mornings seem to go by so fast!
I wish I had a great answer for my dilemma. I don't. But I do have some options:
1. I could get up earlier. I gotta be honest here. This is not really a viable option for me. I know how my body works. It DOESN'T get up early. I have a friend who is up and spending time with God by 5:30am every morning! He then gets to his work by 7:30 and is there until 5:30pm. He usually finds himself in bed by 9:30 also. He is a pastor working a secular job. I admire him greatly but I just cannot imitate him.
2. I could work later. My schedule is pretty flexible so there is no reason why I couldn't work later into the evening. I tend to find myself wanting to spend time with the family after about 6. I think working a little later a couple days a week is a definite possibility.
3. I could be more disciplined. OUCH! Could you feel that? Discipline is tough. I don't like it...at all! You know I seem to remember something about being Jesus' disciples. This may surprise you but being a disciple requires discipline. I have found some tools to help bring discipline to my schedule, however the tools themselves require - you guessed it - discipline.
If you are like me and find that shortly after breakfast it is time for lunch, perhaps discipline is what we need. Find a schedule that works for you. If a few months from now you find that schedule no longer works, change it. Let's figure out a way to make time work for us!
Have a blessed day, yo!
The Rev
