I often wonder what happened to the teens I attended youth group with as a young adult. We had a group of about 30 teens who gathered every Sunday night to play, connect and learn. I have no idea if they continued in the Church and in their faith. I do know that statistically speaking most of them are no longer involved in any Church even though they might still claim to be believers. Time is not kind to people of faith. Quite often people will quit on their journey with God long before they reach their destination. Some people get hurt, others lose interest and still, others fail and just quit trying.

I am unique. I have stayed their course with my faith. It has been 36 years since I proclaimed Jesus as my Lord and Savior and was baptized. My faith has changed through the years but I am still trusting God’s grace daily and actively involved in Church. Lately, I have been kicking around the question, “Why do I still believe when many others have given up?”

1. My decision to follow Jesus was purely my decision
I did not feel any manipulation from my parents, my youth leader or my Church. In fact, I think I surprised people the day I walked forward to accept Jesus. Many people come to faith at a week of camp or CIY where there is a lot of emotion in the moment. Some people come to faith to make their parents happy. I really didn’t feel that pressure. I made my decision based on what I understood and as a result, I feel a personal obligation to God.

2. My faith is built solely on Jesus.
My dad explained the gospel to my brother while we rode around in his truck. I overheard everything and it made sense to me. My preacher offered an invitation to accept Jesus and be baptized and I went forward. I trusted Jesus as my Savior. I did not get scared at some “Thief in the Night” or “Heaven’s gate and Hell’s flame” production. I clearly understood the gospel message and built a life of faith on a strong foundation.

3. I have sought answers for my questions.
Through the years I have had numerous questions about my faith. I struggled through the death of my best friend. I was tossed around in seas of doubt. I have nearly drowned in guilt and shame. Each time I encountered a new struggle I went back to the Bible. I prayed and read God’s word. I read books and articles to help me understand. I talked to people who lived through a similar crisis of faith. Each time I came out of the mire of doubt a little stronger than before.

4. I wanted to help instead of fleeing
The Church can be incredibly ugly. I was there in the Church lobby when my dad was verbally assaulted by a lady about his work as an elder. I have heard the horror stories of my dad as a young man. I decided I wanted to make a difference in the Church and not run away. As an adult, I have realized most of my childish fears. People were mean, ugly and nasty to me. With each encounter, I asked God to teach me and help me make changes that would make the Church better. Honestly, wherever two or more are gathered to do anything, there will be issues. The Church is no different, unfortunately. You can either be a part of the problem or a part of the solution.

5. I still need grace
No matter how hard I try to achieve it – I am still not perfect. I still make mistakes. I still struggle with temptation and sin. I still struggle with guilt and shame. I still need the forgiveness that I find in Jesus Christ. I still need the grace to let go of my yesterdays and embrace today. I still need the hope of heaven. I still need Jesus.

I have always said that if I find anything better than Jesus and I come to the point of believing it, then I will leave my faith in him. To this point, I have found nothing that can compare with my faith in Jesus. In fact, I find most people desperately need what he offers. Even when I could have walked away from faith and no one would have blamed me, I didn’t. To whom shall I go? Only Jesus has the words of life.

As a preacher, I am thinking about the Church all the time. I work at the Church building 5-6 days a week. I will preach 49 times this year. I am here for youth group and numerous other meetings. If you were to ask my wife, she will tell you that I think about Church and my ministry a great deal even when I am away from the office. I talk to Christians and some non-Christians about faith. I keep notes on what I am thinking and what I am seeing.

Here are a five of my current thoughts on Church.

1. Bible resources are high, Bible knowledge is low.
Honestly, I am not completely sure what is going on. People have Bibles on their phones and resources that past generations would have never dreamed about. There is great preaching on the web along with some wonderful Bible study tools. And yet, most people I meet have little Bible knowledge. They don’t know the stories or the point of the stories. There is a huge disconnect between the amount of tools and the amount of knowledge we are getting from them.

2. Time Management is more important today than financial management.
I see this in the Church along with every other area of life. Money is no longer as valuable as time. People will gladly give their money to a project long before they will give you a single minute. Time is a resource that must be managed to be used effectively.

3. Christian parents need Godly guidance.
I fear we are raising a generation that is selfish and confused at the same time. Christian parents are striving to be good parents and in the process, they give their children everything. Unfortunately many are neglecting the most important things in life while exalting the temporary. Sports and success are the idols used to deceive a new generation.

4. A one-time good work is quickly becoming a replacement for discipleship.
People would rather spend one Saturday month doing some project like working at a homeless shelter or food pantry or meals on wheels than time in Bible study or prayer. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in people serving and doing good works. I simply do not believe that those are the only part of living a righteous life. In fact, we can quickly shift to a works related salvation that has very little to do with the grace of Jesus. True believers will develop into a Christlikeness through all that they do.

5. Strong, real relationships are second only to Jesus.
Our first priority is a saving relationship with Jesus. Our second is to connect people to other people. With the rise of electronic devices, there has been a steady decline in relationships. Combine that with poor time management and overactive parenting and most people are very lonely. One of the biggest issues for the Church of the future is how to get people connected into deep meaningful relationships. In fact, I believe many people will develop a great relationship with Jesus but struggle with other people because of limited to no social skills with other believers.

These are five of the biggest issues that I see facing the Church today. Would you add anything to my list? I know that some of these will change in the very near future, but some will only increase in the future. I spend a lot of time thinking, reading and praying about these issues. I don’t have a lot of answers yet, but I am asking God to guide his people through these into a better future. I hope you will join me.

Lately, I have been getting startled with increasing frequency. There is one simple reason for this; I am slowly losing my hearing. Yes, along with my failing eyesight I have hearing issues. The result is that quite often I do not hear people when they are trying to talk to me. After a few moments of speaking, they begin to move closer to get my attention and meanwhile I never hear them coming. Suddenly they tap me on the shoulder or shout something to get my attention and I jump like I had seen a ghost.

I was wondering recently how many times we have grown deaf to God and he is desperately trying to get our attention. I think there are a few ways that God tries to get our attention.

1. Sometimes He Speaks in Our Circumstances.
Some events in life are simply beyond explanation. A job opens up that you did not expect. An opportunity appears from out of nowhere. I believe that sometimes God opens a door of blessing that should cause us to pause and thank him for all he has done. When great things happen in our lives that we did not plan or prepare for, it might be God trying to show himself to you.

2. Sometimes He Underlines Himself with Repetition.
I know this happens to me. In one week I hear a song on the radio, I read an article on the internet, I listen to someone on TV and each one seems to be saying the same thing. I have audibly said, “God, are you trying to tell me something?” I think God is trying to grab our attention by repeatedly showing us the same information over and over.

3. Sometimes He Shouts in Our Pain.
It was CS Lewis who is reported as saying, “Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” When everything is going well we have little need for God. Thrown into the midst of difficulty and suddenly we realize we are not in control and cry out for help. Maybe in those dark hours of our lives, God is reaching out to us to get our attention.

4. Sometimes He Speaks through Other People.
I have a minister friend who used to always say, “I cannot tell you the color of my own eyes.” Then he would draw this conclusion, “There are some things in my life I need other people to see and tell me about.” He’s right. That person who questions my behaviors. That voice of someone challenging me to live differently. Those people might be the word of God being spoken into my life.

In a world filled with noise, it is easy to not hear the voice of God. We can get wrapped up in just making through each day that we lose sight of God in our lives. He is speaking to us. He is warning us to change. He is challenging us to grow. He is leading us toward a better tomorrow. If we do not stop to listen, he may try to startle us awake. Even then we need to pay attention to what is going on around us. Maybe you will find that God is trying to get your attention this week.

Here are some of the best articles I have read in the past month or so. Enjoy.

4 Types of People Leaders Must Not Listen To – simply excellent

Yes Christian, You Need the Church – I had not thought much about his last point. Good thoughts.

Jesus Never Worried About Politics – reminds me of my sermon a month ago.

10 CHURCH MEMBERS WHO DRIVE ME CRAZY

How VBS Saved My Life – good story with great reminder.

7 Words of Encouragement for Sending a Child to College – I found this article helpful to me

THE 14 KIDS YOU FIND IN EVERY YOUTH GROUP – I found this humorous … and true.

The boundaries have been ever expanding. When he was born I didn’t want to let him out of my sight. When he was a toddler, I couldn’t let him out of my sight. When he began to ride a bike and venture out on his own, we would say, “Stay where I can see you.” Frequently we had to add in the phrase, “If you can’t see me, then I can’t see you.”

With every passing phase the boundaries expanded a little more. I didn’t sleep the first night he was out late in his car. I have lied in the bed quietly listening for the texts to come or the door to open. And to this point it has always arrived. Almost every night he has slept under my roof and I knew he was safe.

Today, all of that changes. As I drop my oldest son off at college I know a pain I have never felt before. No longer will he play where I can see him. He will be off on his own adventures far away from the comforts of home.

I really am okay with this but the separation is hard. I have prayed, planned and prepared for this day. It still feels like I am loosing a part of myself. The pain will linger as I wait for every text, call or visit. I don’t want to let him out of my sight but I know he must go.

I am proud of my son. He is a big man with a soft heart. He loves and feels deeply. He will touch people and be a great adult. Today as I drop him off. I ask the God of heaven to guide, guard and direct his life until I see him again.

It is hard to embrace good things in life when you are holding onto bad.

Let go of your guilt and shame
All of us have failed. Some of us have failed in big ways. It was public enough that other people know about it. It is embarrassing. You feel shame. You know you were wrong and you feel guilty. Run to grace and let it go.

Let go of your pride and arrogance
You might find yourself on the opposite side of the issue. You have no real guilt or shame and you are happy to let others know it. You feel self-confident and would never allow yourself to be less than perfect. Your pride is also your downfall. You can’t sympathize with weakness. You are demanding. You are self-centered. Your quest for perfection has left you feeling smug… and alone. Face the truth and let it go.

Let go of your anger and hurt
Your struggle is not just about you. Someone said something. Someone did something. And in their words and actions you were hurt. How could they have done that? It hurts. The natural response to being hurt is to go one of two possible directions. You can be crushed spiritually or you could get angry. Most people let their hurt simmer long enough that anger is the main byproduct. You have all these open wounds that whenever someone gets close you lash out for fear of being hurt again. Fill your mind with forgiveness and let it go.

Let go of whatever is holding you back. Empty your heart, mind and soul of the evil that keeps pulling you down. Let it go. Open up your mind. Say you are sorry. Offer forgiveness. Embrace grace. Put away your selfish pride. Let it go. Let go so that you can grab ahold of something better. The only person you are hurting is yourself.

Frequently people come into my office because they “need to talk”. Whenever someone schedules a meeting like that I know it will not be good news. Often their marriage is falling apart. Occasionally they are having problems with their children or grandchildren. There are a few other varied possibilities, but it is extremely rare that anything good is happening. For most people the relationships in their life are not going as planned and they are looking for help.

Quite often I have several suggestions that will turn their lives around. I can make suggestions for both parties that will get things started the right direction.

Unfortunately I have found two common beliefs that stand in the way of better relationships. First, most people believe that their problems are really the result of the other person. They accept little responsibility and place lots of blame. Second, if they were to admit they needed to change then that change should be easy. People want a quick fix from a few rehearsed lines or activities.

It is very rare in my experience that things get better until I admit my share of the blame. Then once admitting I made mistakes there is a need to change the damaging behavior. This change is never easy. We get into trouble with one set of behaviors and we stay in trouble by continuing those behaviors. Improvement takes deep systemic changes in my thoughts and actions. All of that is unbelievably difficult. It does not come easy. There is always a price.

So if you are struggling in some arena of your life, the solution will not come through repeating what comes naturally. It only comes by doing the difficult thing. Changing your miserable situation will not be easy.

The good news is that you have that power to change. Plan a different course of action and follow the difficult path. It is hard, but it leads to a better tomorrow.

In a few days we will load up my oldest boy and drive him off to Southwest Baptist University. So this Sunday will be the first time he attends Church without his family. He is off on his new adventure which will include a preacher other than his father and a Church other than the one I am leading. That has me thinking about his 18 years as a preacher’s son.

1. He spent every Sunday in the nursery
From the first Sunday after he was born until he was old enough to move to the next class he was in the Church nursery. We learned to trust the care of the workers. When we found problems in the nursery we took steps to fix them and not give up. He was never a distraction to anyone, including us.

2. Children’s Church was never an option
We never asked him if he wanted to go to Children’s Church. We just took him and he loved it. I won’t lie, not every Sunday was a great experience that made him excited about God. But with every passing year he learned more and grew in his faith.

3. Church programs were mandatory
Whenever the Church was hosting some sort of program from VBS to candlelight at Christmas we were going to be there. We don’t make plans late Saturday night and never on Sunday morning. We don’t skip youth group or Sunday School. The programs are created to help you grow and missing them seems like an unproductive thing to do.

4. Serving started young
When my kids were old enough to help, they started setting up at Church. At the time I was working in a new Church and we had to set up everything on a college campus each week. My son started by setting out toys or wiping them down after Church. He moved on to setup and tear down of everything starting at 6:00 am on Sunday morning. As he got older we moved him into worship ministry where he sang or ran Powerpoint and sound. Every week there was something he could do for God.

5. We never sheltered our children from some Church people
Some things in Church can be ugly. Some people in Church can be unchristian. We talk openly about it in our home. Some ministers shelter their kids from negative experiences but I wanted them to be fully aware of the people in the Church. We all need grace and some people desperately need to change. I did not want him to grow up and be shocked by people as an adult.

6. We strove to underline everything at home.
It has been a struggle to do this as he got older, but for most of his life we had daily devotions. We have also talked about spiritual issues on a regular basis. My wife and I have tried to model faith in our lives. Faith was not just something for Sunday morning. Church is an extension of a families faith and not the only part of it.

7. Our biggest regret was other Christians
I have frequently had to have the same conversation. Why are my boys expected to attend and serve when the adults don’t do it? That is a hard question to answer. I can’t always explain why other people refuse to participate when they claim to be Christians. It is a hard lesson for a 14 or 15-year-old boy when he realizes how little other people live out their faith.

After all of the years and all of the experiences both good and bad I am proud of the adult Christian my son has become. I am excited to see where God takes him next and how he will bless God’s kingdom where he lives. I pray God will use him, teach him and grow him into a wonderful man of faith.

We want our Church to be a place of prayer. It is one of the biggest things we do. If you are in need of prayer we can handle it several different ways –

1.Prayer before worship – Each week a group of 2-4 men gather before worship with me to pray about the program and any special pressing needs.

2. Prayer during our worship – Every week, except special Sundays, we stop during our worship program to pray. You can give us your requests and they will be listed on the back of the program or you can turn them in before worship. We want to share the needs people have and take time to pray.

3. Prayer after worship – Our elders would love to step over to the side or into a room and talk to you and pray with you. If God has laid something on your heart this is a great time to stop and talk to him in prayer.

4. Prayer over email – If you send an email to adrianchurchoffice@gmail.com we will send your request out to a group of people who are committed to prayer. This is better than Facebook for making sure your needs are addressed by other believers in prayer.

5. Prayer on our own – Most of our leadership has a daily time of prayer. I know that for me, if I have a special request, I put it on my own personal prayer list.

6. Prayer in private meetings – One or two of our leadership are always willing to come to your house and pray with you. I have also had people schedule special appointments just so that we can meet and pray in my office.

7. Prayer in elder’s meeting – Our elders meet regularly (at least twice a month) for the specific purpose of prayer.

8. Prayer in Hospitals – If you are headed to the hospital and would like prayer before a big event like surgery, then just let someone know. You can email the office, tell the elders or write it on a prayer card. Communicate it with us somehow. Some people don’t want prayer, some don’t want us to know they went to the hospital and some do not know they are headed to the hospital beforehand. These are some of the toughest for us to know about.

Our Church is full of people who pray and they want to pray for you. There are a lot of ways we can pray for you. Just let us know.

I am fully aware that every Church has different thoughts when it comes to giving and finances. Today I want to share a few of my thoughts on these topics.

1.I Believe in Sacrificial Stewardship –
I believe that God owns everything under heaven. He simply allows us to use it (or steward) while we live on the earth. He gave us our gifts and abilities. He put us in the right place at the right time to have this job. As a result we are to share part of what he has given us to further the work of the Lord on earth.

Do I believe in a tithe – or giving 10%? Well … sort of. In the Old Testament people were to give a 10% of everything. Now we live under the grace found in the New Testament. We are not required to keep the law, but I do think it is a good starting point. Bob Russell gave a great illustration years ago. He said, when he had one child the babysitter asked him for $25 an evening. Then we he had a second child the sitter said, “give me what you think is right.” Now, should I give more or less? God said give 10% in the Old Testament when we struggled under law. Now we are covered with abundant grace and he says, “do what you think it right.”

2. I Don’t Believe in Fundraising –
Fundraising is usually an exchange. I wash your car and you give money. I sell you this overpriced item and you give me money. You eat a meal and overpay for the plate of food.

I hate fundraising. I believe in faith-raising. Faith-raising is where people are stretched to give to the work of the Lord. They do that to stretch their faith and learn to trust God’s provision. Fundraising pays bills but faith-raising grows people.

3. I Believe in the Mission of the Church –
I believe the Church is called to live and function on purpose. We are to spread the gospel while making the kingdom of God present in the world. The Church can do this in many ways. We can have food pantries, go on mission trips, host a VBS, support missionaries and a number of other things. The Church collects people’s giving with the purpose of continuing this great work with the money given.

4. I Don’t Believe in Multiple Ministry Accounts –
Many Churches have multiple accounts all over the Church. There is a ladies aid society fund, building fund, youth fund, library fund and on and on. I once visited a Church with 9 different accounts. The problem was that the Church was not unified. Some people wanted their money to only go to kids and never buy a book. People were territorial and givers were courted by each ministry. It was a mess. I believe in one account. People give their money to the work of the Lord and the leadership strives to do the best with what they are given. One church with one account working together as one body.

Some of these ideas may not sound radical to you, but in some contexts they have been revolutionary. Hopefully they will serve as a guide for you to think about the finances of the Church … at least where I preach.