A Bulldawg Story

I’m a lifelong Georgia Bulldog football fan. One of the things that makes it particularly easy to root for the ‘Dawgs’ these days is their head coach, Mark Richt. Mark is a top quality head coach who also happens to be a very upfront Christian man.

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Facing the Giants”, there’s a scene where the high school coach is in the locker room before the big state championship football game. In walks a strapping man who is referred to just as ‘Coach’, who proceeds to encourage the high school coach on the game, but more importantly on playing for the glory of God. That ‘Coach’ is Mark Richt, and the little movie cameo tells you a couple of things about him. For one, it tells you how big football is in the state of Georgia, where the movie was filmed. He comes into the movie and isn’t even named, yet the viewer is supposed to know this appearance is a BIG DEAL in the movie. But more important, the fact that Richt is willing to come into an overtly evangelistic movie and lend his cache tells you something about what he wants to represent.

This past October ESPN ran a feature story on Richt in a lesser known aspect of his life – his role as husband and father. The piece describes the Richt family’s adoption of two small children from the Ukraine. Mark Richt is a major college football coach, but his impact seems to be significant off the field as well.

Check it out.

Media and My Heart

In the book we’re featuring this week, Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World (you can order it at a special sale price at ginormous sale ), Pastor Craig Cabaniss offers some great questions for people of all ages in how they relate to media.

Heart Questions

• Why do I want to watch this program or film? What do I find entertaining about it?
• Am I seeking to escape from something I should be facing by watching this? Am I seeking comfort or relief that can be found only in God?
• What sinful temptations will this program or film present?
• Do I secretly want to view something in it that’s sinful? Am I deceiving myself by saying “I’ll fast-forward through the bad parts”?
• Similarly, am I telling myself, “I’ll just visit this web site once, and I won’t click on any other links I find there”?
• Am I watching because I’m bored or lazy? If so, what does that reveal about my heart?
• Am I watching simply because others are? Am I trying to be relevant or to fit in?
• How have my online relationships impacted my face-to-face relationships? How has my online activity impacted my soul? For better or worse?
• What motivates me to create and maintain a blog, MySpace, or Facebook presence? Am I attempting to impress others? Am I being prideful, slanderous, deceitful, or self-righteous?

Here is some additional perspective from Russell Moore on children and cell phones.

And from Al Mohler on social networking (Facebook, etc.) sites.

Slingshot Disciple

Here’s a little quiz on discipleship.

First, read through the statements below about what it means to be a disciple.

• A disciple doesn't go and learn something and then perform it. A disciple develops godliness through application in real life over time.
• A disciple doesn’t bother to compare himself with others. Who he is and what he does in light of what he should be and do is enough of a concern for him.
• A disciple is willing to have others observe his life
• A disciple doesn't mind being considered odd by others.
  

Second, watch the short video which you can access from this link (courtesy of Stephen Altrogge at The Blazing Center): Incredible Slingshot Man

Third, think about this: If I could learn one thing about being a disciple from the Slingshot Man, what would it be? (Hint – the statements above are a good place to start)

The Other Side of The Field

Lori Snyder sent me the article below this week. It was taken from the Truth Project web site at Focus on the Family. You can look at the original ESPN article as well

As we endure the bloated hype of another Superbowl week, hoping the game isn’t overwhelmed in the process, here’s a reminder of what can at the other end of the field.

High school football is big in America. But I suppose there is no place where it is bigger than in Texas. Friday nights there are legend.

The fans scream; the stands are packed; cheerleaders with pom-poms jump and sway to the beat of the school band; parents yell encouragement (mostly); mom's turn their eyes away when their little boys are crunched by the "bullies on the other team who didn't really have to hit him that hard, did he?" and everybody joins in the chants and stomps their feet on the metal stands until you are sure they will collapse.

This is the frenzy of Texas high school football.

However, there is a football team in Texas that is a little different. When they play on Friday night, their stands are pretty much empty, no band, no cheerleaders, no mass of parents or townsfolk wearing the school colors and waving banners and flags. They take the field without anyone cheering them on. When they get a first down, there is no deafening surge from the stands. When they score a touchdown, which rarely happens, there is no wild celebration behind them…only the individual shouts of satisfaction that come from the 14 players and their coach and the 20 or so people that are sitting on their side of the field. All of it seems hollow and muffled in contrast to the tidal wave of roars and drums and chants that come from the opposing side.

They are the Tornadoes of the Gainesville State School, a fenced, maximum-security facility of the Texas Youth Commission. The young men who go to Gainesville State are there because they have made some major mistakes in their lives. But the players who are on the team are there because they have worked hard and have disciplined themselves to meet the "criteria" that gives them the privilege to leave the facility and play football on Friday nights—always an away game for them—always a home game for their opponents—and almost always a loss. They don't have a weight program or training equipment or high-paid coaches and assistants. They don't have a large pool of players to draw from. The school has 275 boys, but many are too old or too young or can't or don't meet the "criteria" to play. And they don't have the support of a town and a mass of parents and family and reporters and bands and cheerleaders.

That is, until November 7th. Something changed. They played Grapevine Faith Christian School.

The way the Gainesville coach, Mark Williams, recounted it for me, it went something like this: Earlier in the week, he had received a call from Faith Christian coach, Kris Hogan, asking him if it would be okay if Faith formed a "spirit" line for his team when they ran on the field. Mark said, "Sure, that would be a real encouragement to the kids." He thought that the line would consist of a couple of the JV cheerleaders, but when they took the field, there were a hundred people in it and it stretched to the 40-yard line, filled with Faith parents, fans and varsity cheerleaders, complete with a banner at the end for them to burst through that read "Go Tornadoes!". And then, those parents and fans sat in the stands behind the Gainesville players and when the Tornadoes broke the huddle and went up to the line they could hear people cheering for them, by name. When they got a first down, "their" fans erupted.

You see, coach Hogan had sent an email out to the Faith Christian family asking them to consider doing something kind for these young men, many who didn't know what it meant to have a mom and dad who cared, many who felt the world was against them, not for them. Hogan asked that they simply send a message that these boys were "just as valuable as any other person on earth."

So half of the Faith Christian fans were now sitting on the visitor's side of the field, cheering for the Gainesville team, and in some cases, against their own sons.
–Cheering for a team decked out in old uniforms and helmets.
–Cheering for boys who wouldn't go home that night and have a smiling dad slap him on the back and feel his mom put her arms around him and say "I'm so proud of you son!"
–Cheering for the underdog.

Though the score was familiar (down 33-0 at half-time), this was a Friday night like no other for the Tornadoes. In the locker room, the players were confused.
"Why are they cheerin' for us, coach?"
"Because, men, they want to encourage you. They want you to know that they care about you…that you have value."
Coach Williams said the boys were stunned. For many of these kids, it may have been the first time that anyone had shown them, so visibly, unconditional love.

Williams then encouraged them to set a goal for the second half: to score a touchdown. And when they took the field again, with their fans cheering them on, they did. Williams said, "Everything started to click in the second half. Our passes started to click. Our sweeps and counters started to click." And they did score. Two touchdowns.

And the fans went wild.

I asked Coach Williams what the bus ride was like on the way home and he laughed and told me that they were all asleep—their bellies were full. After the game, the parents brought a whole bunch of food over to the guys: hamburgers, fries, candy, sodas…and included in the meal sack was a Bible and a letter of encouragement from a Faith Christian player. But then, he said, they formed a line for us out to the bus. And the parents patted them on the back and said, "Nice game" and "Look forward to seeing you guys next time."

The phone went dead at this point. I think Coach Williams was choking back some tears. And so was I.

I asked him one final question: "If you could tell other people one thing about your kids, what would it be?" He said, "Don't be scared of them. Treat them with respect. Yes, they've made some mistakes, but they are trying their best to turn their life around. Give 'em a shot at it."
As they left the field that night, Coach Williams grabbed Coach Hogan and said to him: "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

When the world looks at a Christian, the number one thing they should see is what was shown on a high school football field last fall in Texas.

Jesus said: "Let your light shine among men is such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Let us do so.

Thanks to Coach Hogan for caring and sending that email.
Thanks to Coach Williams for his dedication and love for his guys.

Many Paths to Christ

I’m sitting in a counseling observation class. What’s a counseling observation class? It is a small group of students (like me) who watch a counselor do a series of counseling sessions with an individual or couple through previously recorded video. The goal is to interact with the experience of the counseling relationship and process. There are a lot of differences between this kind of formal setting and what I do as a pastor. But I find it tremendously helpful to peer into the experience and skill of another counselor. Particularly when that counselor is Ed Welch.

In the midst of this counseling situation we are observing, Ed is seeking to determine what path to take in counseling in a very complicated situation. Among a number of issues he can choose from for focus, he selects one. That makes sense. Good counseling technique. It’s what he says about it that floors me.

We’re going to choose this as the path that will lead us to Christ.

First of all, I’m thinking – how is that going to lead anywhere near Jesus? Then I realize. ‘No, is there any struggle we can have that somehow can’t find its resolution in Christ?’. Is there any problem that falls outside of his ability to save? Is there any person so far from Christ that He can’t carve out a trail to rescue? No! Everything we face is just the starting point of a path that can lead to Christ.

What are you facing right now? Difficult circumstances? Relational struggles in your family? Health concerns? Career frustration? Discouragement in your fight against sin? Brothers, no matter how bad it is, because of Christ, nothing you face is a dead end. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is simply helping you see the path of his choosing that will lead you to Christ.

A Hero From History

It’s been awhile, maybe years, since I’ve read anything by my historical hero. Recently, I went back to rediscover what originally got me jazzed. Wow; this stuff is incredible. I’ve never read anyone so overwhelmed and dazzled by the God-man Christ Jesus. I get so familiar with the Lord, and easily lose my grasp of the glory of our Savior. It’s time to climb the mount of transfiguration again, and have the roof blown off my concept of God.

Nobody does that for me like Samuel Rutherford. He’s not exactly a household name. He was Scottish, born in a farm family in the 1600’s. He studied at Old St. Andrews and became a Presbyterian pastor. Rutherford was a significant participant in the Westminster Assembly. Interestingly, one of his published works which attacked the divine right of earthly kings and proclaimed God the only true sovereign became one of the significant underlying theories of modern democracy. He died being chased down by the English monarchy (no wonder) saying that he couldn’t appear before the royal prosecutor because he had a prior summons before the Holy Judge.

Not much is left of his pastoral writing and works except his letters. But what letters! Spurgeon valued them as much as anything outside the Bible. Rutherford was a pastor, but had been exiled from his congregation due to persecution. He wrote to his congregants from there. The thing that hit me for the first time the other day was to realize, wow, we still have these letters! The people he wrote to obviously felt that he had something eternally valuable to say. The letters survived long enough for someone to come along much later and collect them, so that they could be preserved in a single volume. Here is a sample from a letter I just read:

O, come all and drink at this living well; come, drink and live forevermore; come, drink and welcome; welcome says our fairest Bridegroom; no man finds any ill will in Christ; no man comes and is not welcome; no man comes and regrets his voyage; all men speak well of Christ, who have been with Him; men and angels who know Him will say more than I now do, and think more of Him than they can say.

Before you go to Amazon and think about buying the book (there are at least two actually), I’ll warn you that he gets a little dense, due to obscure Scottish words. My wife kindly bought me a short, abridged version of some of his letters, called “The Loveliness of Christ”, edited by Sinclair Ferguson, which just came out in 2007. It’s very short and very readable. You can find it here. I’m so thankful for the heroes that went before us who inspire our faith, and lately, especially, for Samuel Rutherford.

Pray for Revival

At exactly noon on September 23, 1857 a small group of six businessmen gathered together in the upstairs classroom of an old church in New York City. This small lunch hour prayer meeting yielded little in the way of evident power. But the faithful men decided to meet the following week to pray – again. The group grew to about 40 by October 14. On that afternoon the worst financial crisis in the history of the country to that date was unfolding. In the midst of the panic God invaded the little prayer meeting and within a few weeks over three thousand people from all walks of life were gathering. And within six months the City of New York was seeing ten thousand people gathering daily for prayer throughout the City. The Fulton Street Revival was a two year visitation of the Spirit that rejuvenated churches across the nation and across denominations.

In the history of the church revivals come rarely and unexpectedly. But when they do come they have always come from the faithful efforts of small groups of praying people. Charles Spurgeon gives us the heart of the saint in prayer for revival.

“Coming events cast their shadows before them, and when God is about to bless his people his coming favour casts the shadow of prayer over the church. When he is about to favour an individual he casts the shadow of hopeful expectation over his soul. Our prayers, let men laugh at them as they will, and say there is no power in them, are the indicators of the movement of the wheels of Providence. Believing supplications are forecasts of the future, He who prayeth in faith is like the seer of old, he sees that which is to be: his holy expectancy, like a telescope, brings distant objects near to him.”
- Charles Spurgeon, The Holy Spirit’s Intercession

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Jump Starting the New Year

Hi Gents. If you’re catching this blog, chances are you’re like me. We woke up this morning and everything seemed pretty much the same – except a big calendar page flip occurred just a few hours ago. We’re probably packing a few extra pounds from holiday indulgences. We’re just about to hit the ground running as we head back to work and all those things that were part of ‘next year’ that now have become part of ‘right now’. So let me give you five simple tips for a successful start to the New Year. None are profound, and all are easy to do.

1. Find some way to get a good quiet time in today.
2. Only make one resolution, and make it something you can actually complete in January
3. If you still use paper checks, write ‘2009’ in the year column of the first 10 checks, until you get used to the New Year.
4. Try to do one completely others-centered thing today – something that the other person will recognize as your expression of kindness, affection, gratefulness, or respect.
5. Psych yourself up by watching the two minute video that Stephen Altrogge came across in his blog, The Blazing Center. Like Stephen, we don’t endorse all the movies referenced here, but this is really well done and you’ll certainly get the point.
   

Happy New Year!

Holiday Greetings From Your Family Life Pastors

This Christmas Season we thank God for the opportunity to serve the families of Covenant Fellowship Church and to build our lives together as couples and families in the mercy and grace of God.

That man should be made in God's image is a wonder,

but that God should be made in man's image is a greater wonder.
That the Ancient of Days would be born?
That He who thunders in the heavens should cry in the cradle?"
~Thomas Watson~



MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Loving Rebuke of Christ

I’m reading through the gospel of Mark these days and a particular section really stood out to me. In Chapter 4:35-41 Mark explains the account of Jesus and the disciples in their boats on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, exhausted from ministering to the masses, falls asleep while a fierce storm rages and causes the disciples to panic. Jesus is woken up with accusing remarks from his closest friends that He is uncaring for the safety of their lives. After rebuking the wind and the waves, Jesus turns to rebuke His followers. “How can you be in such disbelief?” At first glance it appears Jesus is a bit harsh with these guys. Being that some of them were experienced fishermen, their reaction to the storm is telling. They honestly thought their lives were in jeopardy and were fearful of death. This was no small storm. They, however, forgot who was in the boat with them. They had been with Christ for some time now. They saw His power and ability to perform miraculous things. He was obviously no ordinary prophet. Yet the disciples still had trouble trusting Him.

I see myself here. Having walked with Jesus for a little while now I’ve seen Him do amazing things in my life and in the lives of those I love. Still, though, I can be found doubting His control of and care for my life and it doesn’t even take a life threatening nautical experience. Just give me a night that doesn’t go my way or an unexpected car repair and I can respond with, “Lord, don’t you care about what’s going on here?” That’s why I am grateful for this loving rebuke of Jesus in Mark’s gospel. I think the Scriptures show us that Jesus had plans to make something out of these men and that He wanted them to learn faith in the severest of trials. He was forming them into men who could glorify their Father in heaven by maintaining a trust in their God when all around them seemed to fail. The truth is, He’s still making men like that today.

As followers of Christ we need the loving discipline of our Savior. Hebrews tells us that God rebukes and disciplines those whom He receives as sons (see Heb. 12:3-13). It is a comfort to know that divine discipline is always done in love and it always achieves its purpose: righteous, Christ-like, God-glorifying lives. So, whether the boat’s filling up with water or the car needs another $500 repair, may we respond in faith and humbly cry out to Jesus: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Ps. 56:3).

Newly Married and 20 Years Later

So there I was sitting across the lunch table from a newly married couple. I didn’t see literal twinkles in their eyes as they spoke but they sure did have a refreshing simplicity to their conversation. Missing from the conversation were topics that a couple married twenty years would have, and rightly so. A short time later I thought to myself, if I could go back twenty years what would I do differently in our marriage? The thoughts came to me like a flood. Here are the ones that stand out:

EMPLOYMENT. My wife worked full-time for many years before we had children and is now home as a full-time Mom. Although we do not regret her having worked, we needed her income to help balance our household budget. Looking back, it would have been preferable if I had designed our budget around my income alone and instead put her income toward the down payment on a home or long-term savings so that she did not carry a burden for providing for our daily needs.

DEBT. Early on I made several misguided financial decisions resulting in debt. Here is one that still causes me to scratch my head today. I decided to bless a missionary couple with cash . . . cash that I didn’t have. I borrowed the money from a line of credit and took years to pay it off. My intentions to bless the couple were good but my method of borrowing money was bad. Today, we are wiser and with a course like Financial Peace University, we are focused on a biblical approach to finances.

INTIMACY. This one is simple. Guys, we are built like light bulbs. When the switch is turned on the light comes on instantly. Our wives are more like irons. When the switch on the iron is moved to on, the warming up process takes a little while longer than a light bulb. A simple concept but when I ignored this I revealed my lack of sensitivity to God’s design of my wife. Enough said!

DATES. Yes, we do have dates as a couple, but I have not always been consistent with getting the dates onto the calendar. Even though it’s never too late to build the consistency of dating into the schedule, early in our marriage it would have been a great practice to have them built in on a regular basis.

Don’t think I’m locked up with regrets. God can use all our experiences to His glory. We’re in a church that regularly provides us with both the vision and practical resources we need to grow and excel as husbands. Courses (like Alpha, Financial Peace University, Vital Life), sermon series (like Sola Gratia and The Money Crunch) and discussions with friends or community group members can keep us on the right track. While you have the chance, make wise decisions…they do affect your future which will be here sooner than you realize!

90 Candles

Billy Graham recently celebrated his 90th birthday. He was born when Woodrow Wilson was president and World War One was coming to an end. He has lived a long life. But it isn’t simply the number of his days that is worthy of attention, but how Billy has numbered his days.
In a recent interview he described his view on growing old.

Someone said to me recently that the most exciting part of his day was waking up and discovering what was hurting today that didn't hurt yesterday! Sometimes I can relate to that. But seriously, I'm thankful for each day, and I'm thankful for the measure of health I do have. Every day is a gift from God, no matter how old we are.

Here is a man who once traveled the world, preached the gospel to more than two billion people and counseled presidents, but can now rarely leave his home due to multiple hip replacements, prostate cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He remains grateful for the health he has and considers every day a gift. His words and example convict me.

I've discovered that just because we'll inevitably grow weaker physically as we get older, it doesn't mean we must grow weaker spiritually. In fact, we ought to be growing stronger spiritually, because our eyes ought to be on eternity and Heaven—on the things that really matter.

There’s his secret. The decline of our physical life does not mean our spiritual life must decline. In fact, aging is a tool God uses to bring death into view so that we see beyond death to eternity and Heaven. This should have a wonderful, sanctifying effect on our attitude towards aging. Consider how Billy turns weakness of old age into strength.

One of the things I miss most is that I can no longer read, due to age-related macular degeneration… it is hard for me to pick up my Bible and read it like I used to, and I miss that very much. But I probably pray as much now as at any time in my life, if not more—not just definite times of prayer, but all during the day.

This is a vivid picture of the heart of wisdom that Moses petitioned God for in Psalm 90. It comes from the ‘numbering of days.’

As I've looked at my own life, and the lives of others, I've come to realize that the time to prepare for old age isn't when it arrives. By then it may be too late. The time to prepare for old age emotionally and spiritually is before it hits us.

How am I preparing for old age – and eternity beyond? How are you? May our answers be similar to our mission as a church: Treasuring, Proclaiming and Growing in Christ until that day when we see Him face to face.

Happy birthday Billy, and thank you.

I Second that Devotion

The situation is pretty familiar. The time is well after dinner, and my kids are buzzing around. “OK guys, time to get ready for bed.” My mind drifts to that moment when they will all be quietly tucked in, with lights out, so that I can grab a few strategic minutes to get something else done. Things typically move more slowly than I would like, and I start to feel the fatigue of the day. With PJ’s on and teeth brushed, I announce, “Alright, hop in bed and turn your lights out.” A voice comes back, “What about family devotions, Dad?”

Oh yeah. Resisting the temptation to pretend I didn’t hear, I gather the kids up so we can share the Word of God and prayer together. The time together takes us later than I would have liked, but it is sweet, and I walk away reflecting a bit.

• First, I remember that time in the Word of God with their father is the primary means of grace that my kids have. Some of them can’t read yet, and even when they do they wind up with so many questions. What an amazing privilege it is to lead them gently toward Christ and Him crucified as God’s answer to our greatest need.
  

• Second, I think of how kind it is of God to supply us Dads with so many resources for leading our children into grace and truth. It makes it so much easier to get started each night. When we are not doing God’s Story by Marty Machowski, my kids and I are currently going through Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven for Kids. My oldest can’t wait for these times, because there are so many references to Narnia, which she loves. I usually let her read these sections. Not only Narnia, but also Alcorn’s vivid illustrations, make it easy to draw kids into a discussion of eternal things. We’ve read other great stuff, plenty of which is in the church bookstore, like Big Truths for Little Kids or Dangerous Journey.
  

• Third, I realize that we are building a routine into our kids’ lives. I don’t mean something mechanical. When we give our kids hugs on the way out the door for work, or just before bed, they come to expect hugs. They will come to expect regular interaction with God too, if we make this a regular pattern when they’re young.

• Fourth, I think of how we Dads are called to provide for our kids. Sure, I love to provide fun parks and wholesome entertainment when I can, but the most lasting contribution I’ll ever make is inspiration. I don’t want to dazzle them with HD; I want to dazzle them with God! My kids have been inspired by seeing God’s grace at work in David Livingstone, as he courageously wrestles a lion with his bare hands…or in Harriet Tubman, as she absorbs incredible personal cost to go back to the pre-Civil War South time and again to rescue slaves. Best of all, we talk about the King of Glory, who incarnated as a son of man, offering up his body and soul, so that we could become sons of God!

• Lastly, I realize that the effect of all this is slow but cumulative. If we keep leading our kids this way, little by little, we build a legacy. Even now I see glimpses of this at the dinner table when a child makes a connection between one of the bad guys that Christian faces in Dangerous Journey, and his own temptations.
  

I finish reflecting on these things, and head back downstairs. Freshly inspired myself, I keep those devotions coming.

The Addict in Us All

This past weekend a number of the pastors, and some of the other folks in the church, attended the annual conference sponsored by The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF). This year the theme was “The Addict in Us All”. It was an outstanding time of instruction on a biblical understanding of addictions and how God works to free people from addictive behaviors. We learned that ‘addictions’ are complicated and life-controlling habits that root, not primarily in our genetic disposition or social environment, but in our idolatrous hearts.

As you can see from the conference title, we also learned that there is not as much difference between the normal Christian and the out-of-control addict. As David Powlison remarked, "Addiction and Religion are words that are defined in very similar ways. Both communicate devotion to something that shapes our lives and defines our pursuits and commitments."

I spent much of the time pondering my own idolatrous and addictive tendencies. Here are some things I heard that the Lord used to go after my self-sufficient and self-righteous heart, by reminding me that there is nothing ‘addiction-proof in me. See if you can identify with me:

Ed Welch, biblical counselor and neurobiologist: ‘Commitment to a lie becomes voluntary slavery.’

• What lies about me and God do I tolerate that in fact leads to me submitting myself to voluntary slavery to something that isn’t true?

Mark Driscoll, pastor of a church that ministers to an urban area where addictions are a basic reality of life: We not only seek after false gods, we set up false heavens, places where we can live in personal peace, untainted by the sin around us. When we are in our personal heaven, we are ok if everyone else is living in hell.

• What are the little ‘heaven cocoons’ I set up in life where I escape into myself away from others and their suffering in the reality of life?

Mark Driscoll: People who struggle with addiction are usually aware of the effects of their sin on others, but can have difficulty in seeing the effect of sin on God.

• When I sin, do I keep things on a horizontal level, clean up the mess and try to get past my ‘stumble’ as quick as possible? Or do I realize that I can’t presume that God will cover my sin if I never acknowledge it is against him?
  

Mike Emlet, Biblical Counselor and Medical Doctor: Physiological issues of addiction include pleasure achievement (something makes me feel good, or keeps me from feeling bad), dependence (need for the drug to avoid withdrawal), tolerance (need of greater quantities to achieve same effect), and withdrawal (bodily reaction to the absence of the drug.

• Isn’t this essentially what happens in my life? For example, when I’m driving in the car and get bored with the silence (usually by the time I get out of my driveway), do I crank on the radio by habit, so I can stop being bored (pleasure/pain avoidance drive)? Do I feel the need to have the radio on every time I’m in the car (dependence)? Am I willing to tolerate listening to things that might not be spiritually edifying because the stuff I used to listen to is boring to me now (tolerance)? If someone else is in the car and would rather talk, do I keep looking at the radio hoping they get tired of talking (withdrawal)? How many other areas would I show myself to be at least a minor league addict?

Jeff Black, Biblical Counselor, Psychologist and Pastor specializing in Addictions Counseling. All addictive behaviors work. They give us what we want or feel we need at the point of desire. The issue is ‘at what cost?’

• I think this helps me see one of the reasons ‘waiting on the Lord’ is not just something we have to do, but something that is essential to the life of faith. The immediate is the realm of sensual craving; the eventual is the realm of biblical thirst for God.

Directionally Challenged, Yet Grateful

Some guys I know really get into driving. You may know some, too. If you’ve gone on a road trip with them, they’re the guys who print out the maps, use a highlighter to show the routes you’ll take, and you can pretty much forget about leading the caravan. They’re out in front of that baby, hands down. I’m not that guy. I love that guy. I’m grateful when I drive with or behind that guy; I’m just not that guy. In fact, that guy probably would get easily angered if I tried to be that guy.

One of the first memories my wife and I shared together was when we went to Georgia for my college graduation. After a great weekend of celebrating, we planned to catch our return flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia. The Atlanta airport, we were told, was notorious for having long lines and we were encouraged to get there early. We left plenty of time to drive the airport, drop off our rental car and get to our gate for boarding. As we were driving to the airport reminiscing about the weekend it dawned on my wife that it had been a while since she had seen anything but farmland.

“If the airport’s in Atlanta, shouldn’t we be seeing skyscrapers or at least some large buildings by now?”

She then quickly got out the map and found that we had been traveling a good 45 minutes in the wrong direction. I’d love to tell you at this point that this was my one and only major driving catastrophe. It would be great to report that since this pleasant-turned-panic attack trip to the Atlanta airport I’ve not once made such stupid mistakes. The problem is I’d be flat out lying if I did.

It would be truthful, however, to say that my wife has made very few driving blunders. She is great with directions and I am convinced that I’ve become a better driver because of her. She also happens to be the person in my life that God has used most profoundly to teach me about grace. From her I have received incredible love, patience, and mercy which can only be attributed to the grace of God at work in her life. She helps me to be a better father, a better son and brother, a better friend, and ultimately a better servant of Christ. In my wife God has given to me a daily, flesh and bones reminder that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

As the men of Covenant Fellowship Church let us express gratitude to God for the gifts He has given to us in our wives. We should consider the ways our lives are enriched, balanced, and enjoyed because of the grace of God that comes daily to us through our wives. And may we always trace the blessing of our spouse back to the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which purchased for us every good thing from the hand of God.

Philly Rephlections

It’s been a week since I woke up in a world where a Philadelphia sports team has a won a championship. I kind of like the feeling. But I’ve also had a chance to take a breath and consider what will linger with me in years to come. Here are some things that come to mind.

• I think the Jamie Moyer story is a great one. As a kid he skipped school to go to the 1980 World Series Championship Parade. Twenty-eight years later he is riding in it himself. By all accounts Moyer is a class guy who seems to have a humble appreciation for the opportunity he has to be playing ball at age 45. Hope he finishes his career here.

• Brad Lidge has nerves of steel. He also seems, judging from his comments in the midst of the victory celebration on the field after Game 5, to be a genuine believer. His short, but very natural and sincere, expression of thanks to Jesus Christ in a scene of bedlam got my attention. Interesting how that little video clip doesn’t show up in the network highlights. It does in mine.

• Being originally from the Deep South, I actually understand what Charlie Manual is saying. He talks like all my relatives from the Appalachian hills. When he opens his mouth I feel a little closer to home.

• A world championship in baseball won’t change hearts, won’t end poverty and racism and crime in the city. But it might give folks something to talk about when nothing else seems appropriate. And it will make wearing bright red cool – at least for a while.

• My enduring memory? Being able to sit in my father-in-law Walt’s hospital room with my son Grant and watch the Phillies win the World Series. Walt has been in a hospital bed for four months now. More often than not, if I’ve seen a great sports event in the past 25 years, it’s been with Walt. Apart from being physically at the game, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. To be in that small room huddling next to a twelve inch screen, trying not to make too much noise during quiet hours, was a privilege and a blast.

What are your enduring memories of this World Series? What memories will you pass on?

Your Father’s God

Tim Challies recently posted a quote on his blog by 19th Century Missionary John Paton. It is a very moving description of Paton’s departure for training to be a missionary, where the young man describes the parting of ways between him and his father. It brings home to me that my fathering finds its tearful joy when we release our children into their future in God, whether that is in marriage, or in mission.


My dear father walked with me the first six miles of the way. His counsels and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are fresh in my heart as if it had been but yesterday; and tears are on my cheeks as freely now as then, whenever memory steals me away to the scene. For the last half mile or so we walked on together in almost unbroken silence - my father, as was often his custom, carrying hat in hand, while his long flowing yellow hair (then yellow, but in later years white as snow) streamed like a girl's down his shoulders. His lips kept moving in silent prayers for me; and his tears fell fast when our eyes met each other in looks for which all speech was vain! We halted on reaching the appointed parting place; he grasped my hand firmly for a minute in silence, and then solemnly and affectionately said: "God bless you, my son! Your father's God prosper you, and keep you from all evil!"



Unable to say more, his lips kept moving in silent prayer; in tears we embraced, and parted. I ran off as fast as I could; and, when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me, I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him - gazing after me. Waving my hat in adieu, I rounded the corner and out of sight in instant. But my heart was too full and sore to carry me further, so I darted into the side of the road and wept for time. Then, rising up cautiously, I climbed the dike to see if he yet stood where I had left him; and just at that moment I caught a glimpse of him climbing the dike and looking out for me! He did not see me, and after he gazed eagerly in my direction for a while he got down, set his face toward home, and began to return - his head still uncovered, and his heart, I felt sure, still rising in prayers for me. I watched through blinding tears, till his form faded from my gaze; and then, hastening on my way, vowed deeply and oft, by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonor such a father and mother as he had given me.


This excerpt is taken from Paton’s autobiography, John G. Paton, D.D., Missionary to the New Hebrides. An Autobiography.

Thanks to Tim Challies for this post

Right Around the Corner

Recently, I met two families attending Covenant Fellowship who are new to this region. Each Sunday morning new visitors are invited to get to know us by attending the Guest Reception. Maybe you have met some new families or are new to this area yourself. Here is an addendum to the Guest Reception, a short list of things to enjoy nearby our church. These might even be good for you to check out:


Longwood Gardens. Longwood is world renowned for spectacular indoor and outdoor gardens, water fountains and stunning horticultural displays. Fireworks in the summer, Christmas lights in the winter and flowers year round. Admission is a bit pricey but well worth it – consider an annual pass. Important note! Don’t pick the flowers. Plucking a Phalaenopsis is a definite no-no.


Concord Town Center: Have you checked out the new Concord Town Center just a stone’s throw from the church? There are a bunch of good places to shop. There’s a new Cosi’s there, a great place to hang out. I also recommend the Home Depot Garden Center. Not only can you get flowers, shrubs and bulbs but they also guarantee many plants. If they die in a year return them for a refund. Wouldn’t it be great for all those workers to get to know us as faithful customers?


Newlin Grist Mill: A quaint and cozy park and historic grist mill 5 minutes from church. Great place for a picnic after church with scenic ponds, small waterfall and trout fishing during the summer months (fee charged for fishing).


Baldwin’s Book Barn: If you love books but are tired of the chain book store approach, stop by Baldwin’s Book Barn. Over 300,000 books nestled in a historic barn on four floors with nooks and crannies to explore. They don’t have a café but there is a picnic table outside by the parking lot.


Speaking of book stores. Looking for Christian books and music? Look no further than the Covenant Fellowship Book Shoppe. Open before and after Sunday services with great customer service.


Have small children? Looking for a great playground? Be sure to stop by Castle Park, right next to the Rachel Kohl Community Library in Glen Mills. The playground has a massive wooden castle structure that children are attracted to like coffee drinkers to Starbucks. A word of caution however. When your 4-year-old yells out, “Daddy, come get me!” bring your GPS. The castle has twists, turns, little steps, and passages some only a few feet wide. Be prepared to duck, squat and slither your way through mazes and catwalks. Have fun!


Speaking of coffee. If you can’t start your day without a cup of ground beans you have choices in the area. If you like comparing the price of coffee to a gallon of gas then stop by Starbucks, they are all over the region. For less frills and cost, there is Wawa . . . yes “Wawa.” If you are not from the area don’t let the name scare you off. Wawa is a convenience store chain throughout the tri-state area. They sell over 165 million cups of coffee a year. A Wawa trip tip: In the morning, Wawa looks like Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport but instead of planes there are cars coming in and out of the parking lot from every direction. Proceed with caution, the coffee is hot!

Worst to First

This is the best time of year for baseball – playoffs and World Series! This year the Tampa Bay Rays are the story – a ‘worst to first’ team in the playoffs for the first time in their history (see Cubs, it can’t be THAT hard!). During Spring Training this year, Tim Challies interviewed one of the Ray’s players, Ben Zobrist. Ben is a Christian who has some interesting things to say about what it’s like to be a Major League baseball player and authentic disciple of Christ at the same time.

One of the things that struck me in the interview was how he works to try to stay connected to his local church during the season.

TC: How do you stay connected to your local church during the baseball season? What role does your home church play in your life during the season?
BZ: We listen to our home church pastor Byron Yawn’s sermons through podcast. I am part of a men’s Theology class at church as well, and one of the men sends me an mp3 of the study that week. We keep up with prayer requests and activities through massive church emails. Pastor Byron calls every so often to check on us to see how we are doing. We also try to do a mass update to everyone every so often to let everyone know how we are doing and how to pray. Prayer is the main role the local church plays in our lives during the season. Prayer is powerful and much needed as it seems there are few ballplayers that have a strong connection to a local church back home that is praying for them.

The Point: Few men have more challenging schedules than baseball players in season. Let’s follow Ben’s example of creative effort to stay connected to his church regardless of his schedule.

Zobrist is also committed to study, including Richard Baxter’s "The Saint’s Everlasting Rest" and A. W. Pink’s "The Attributes of God", among the books he has read.

If you want to read the whole article, go here

Appreciation in Transition

Tim Ashford sent me these thoughts he had written for Dave. I thought they spoke for all of us men on some significant ways Dave Harvey has affected the men of Covenant Fellowship Church as their Senior Pastor. Dave – from the Bro’s to you!


Dave,
Dave, your influence on our family has been an undertow of grace. Like a current beneath the surface, it has exerted its pull on the direction of our church, our personal ministry, and our marriage. We know that it flows from Him who loves us; because the net result is that He seems closer and more real. I want to give you three ways you’ve affected us. Like any true fan, I have to mimic you, so all my points begin with the same letter.

Disarming. Dave, you are one of the most disarming people I've ever encountered. You've coaxed us out of hiding since the first sermon we heard you preach over eight years ago. As the proverb so well says, our hearts were like deep waters, but you helped to draw them out (Proverbs 20:5). When we arrived, our arms were folded, our guard was up. We were tight-lipped and rarely admitted our sins. Now, more than eight years later, we're more comfortable, like you, to be ourselves in the presence of God, and before one another. We're even trying to follow your example of laughing at ourselves. You do that better than anyone, period. We've learned from just watching you. Now it’s becoming something of a sport in our family. There's just so much material!

Delegating. Even from the cheap seats, the undertow of your leadership pulls us further into the waters of grace. You have the humility to realize that you can't and don't have to be Andy, Jim or Marty, but you've cultivated them and unleashed their gifts on us. As a result, we're so much more able to listen as we look at our hearts, to share the gospel, and to biblically raise our children. By making yourself less, we have gained so much more. Jared is the most obvious current example. Who is more excited than you that he will carry forward the torch of reformed exposition? Like John the Baptist, you may decrease, while he increases, but the net result is really that Christ increases, and we all gain from that. This reveals true greatness in you, as Jesus himself said of John. Thank you!!

Delighting. We're commanded to delight in God, but we're still sinners, and have to confront that reality. When we do, it’s easy to fall into despair, anxiety, or striving - but not when we follow you as you follow Christ. You seem to rest confidently on Christ's finished work. You rejoice easily. You are a strong proponent of celebration – and not just the conference we used to have. In your joy you live out a key part of our mission statement. You Treasure Christ and His cross, you greatly enjoy your church, you delight in your wife. Yet you've looked squarely at the Enemy Within, you've studied Sin and Temptation, you've even had to deal seriously with the sins of others while at the helm of the sanctuary over the years. All the while your joy seems to increase.

My dear brother and esteemed pastor: We thank God for you and delight in you! And as we turn the page on over twenty years of faithful ministry at Covenant Fellowship, we are eager to see what God has prepared for this next exciting chapter in your life and ministry.
How can we possibly thank God enough for all the happiness you have brought us?" (I Thessalonians 3:9, my own translation)
Tim for all the Ashford’s