The One Church American Christians Need to Be Praying for NOW!

You probably don't know their pastor, but he needs your prayers.

You likely don't know the town, but they are unprepared for what's coming.

While the specifics aren't clear, we must begin praying now for the church that will be challenged on same-sex marriage.

While watching an episode of "The West Wing" recently, President Bartlet uses a game of chess to teach staffers a lesson on international politics. While his subordinates continuously focus on the most recent move, the President keeps reminding them to "look at the whole board".

It's time Christians stopped focusing on their next Facebook rant and started looking at the whole board. The obvious next move is to force a church to allow a same-sex ceremony in their building. And the gay community won't be focused on accomplishing this in a church that already approves of such unions.

Same-sex marriage reminds me of Social Security. It's often said that Social Security will never be fixed because the issue is more valuable to politicians than a solution. A solution would remove a major set of talking points that both parties would sorely miss in their campaign platforms. And the same holds true for the gay community who no longer can bang the drum for legalizing same-sex marriage.

They need an issue. And if the board truly sits as I imagine, we shall soon find out how much religious freedom we truly have as followers of Jesus Christ. Will a church that has adequately stated their stance against same-sex marriage, through by-laws and constitution, be legally forced to provide their church to a gay couple if they demand it? This will be the litmus test that proves our ability as people of religious conviction to stand firm when there are other avenues available for someone to exercise a legal right.

I am neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, and I truly hope that I have evaluated the board incorrectly. But instead of hoping the hour never comes, let us pray that if it does, we as Christians are ready to stand up! Not with a "spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." (1 Timothy 1:7). 

Let us take the power, love, and mind of Christ into the next round of this debate. And let our first priority always be to win souls first and arguments second. 

Can Pastors Be Restored After a Fall?

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." -Peter Drucker

This is a bit raw for me still this morning, and I'm trying my best to keep a check on my emotions.

Good luck with that, Heath.

Sunday I preached a sermon on "The God of 2nd Chances" from Acts 15. I demonstrated through the life of John Mark that a past failure doesn't indicate a pointless future.

And then I read Monday morning of Tullian Tchividjian, a mega-church pastor in Ft. Lauderdale who just resigned from his church due to an affair. It was barely a year ago that another mega-church pastor in Ft. Lauderdale had to resign his church for the very same reason.

Ft. Lauderdale just got harder to reach for Jesus.

So what do we do with these pastors and others like them? Don't they deserve a second chance just like the man or woman in their congregation who committed the same sin?

As a person, yes. 
As a pastor, no. 

John MacArthur recalls the story of a pastor who made national headlines after being caught in an adulterous affair. After a year of counseling and restoration, the church had a recommissioning service to welcome him back to public ministry in their church. They wanted to show the forgiveness of Jesus, but in doing so, they are enabling that man to make the same mistakes as before.

Pastors can be restored, but the idea of restoration needs to be adjusted. They don't need restored to leadership, but to a closeness with Jesus (both of the Ft. Lauderdale churches are doing this openly). They need to be restored to their wives, their children, and their friends.

Leadership is a privilege, not a right, and the man who has chosen sex, money, or power over the righteousness of Christ has lost that privilege. Once restored, he can be useful to the kingdom in a number of ways, but public pastoral ministry shouldn't be one of them.

So whether a pastor or church member, pray for and encourage the pastors you know as they face temptations around every corner.

Why Christians are losing the marriage fight.

Do you know what I hated about being a Southern Baptist as a teenager? I was always against something. Much like the Pharisees, we were always saying don't, but hardly ever saying do.

Christians are becoming more known for what they're against, than what they're for. As a Bible-believing follower of Jesus, I hold to the view of scripture when it comes to marriage. But for me, this isn't just about whether men marry men. It's concerns a more fundamental breakdown of marriage.

When polled, the U.S. population in general estimates the homosexual community to comprise 25% of the U.S. population. The real number is just under 3%. So even if homosexual marriage becomes the norm across the country, an opportunity taken by a fraction of 3% won't be the death blow for marriage.

Marriage is dying because we are raving against homosexual marriage, but not advocating for heterosexual marriage. People across this country are bailing on promises to the "love of their life" and setting a precedent that affects children's views of marriage for the rest of their lives. Of course Millennials aren't getting concerned with marriage commitments. It didn't mean much for their moms and dads. 

So as Christians, let's take a stand for marriage! Encourage hurting families in your church. Talk to that friend that you can see is teetering on an affair. Unless once again the vows of marriage truly mean something, our nation as a whole will never care who makes them. 

Why Your Diet Didn't Work (And Probably Never Will)

Tomika: "Why don't you go on a diet?"

Dewey: "Because I like to eat! Is that such a crime!"
-"School of Rock"



Due to the overwhelming response to my article in the Illinois Baptist last week on Physical Health Being a Spiritual Issue, I thought I would post a quick follow-up on some practical ways I accomplished my goals.

So here are 5 tips to help you in your journey. I'm not a health expert. Just a guy that finally got over the hurdle of food in my life.

1. Pray.
     This isn't just something I'm throwing in. Ask God to change your attitude towards food and to strengthen your efforts to be more active. Prayer was a missing component in my efforts for years.

2. It's a lifestyle, not a number.
     A recent University of Pennsylvania study found that 65% of dieters return to their pre-dieting weight within three years. This is because they tried to hit a number, lost the weight rapidly, but never changed their attitude towards food or physical activity. If food takes up a lot of your thoughts during the day, that must change before the number on the scale ever can.
     It's OK to set a goal for your weight, but don't hold yourself to a time goal as long as you're moving in the right direction. It took me 2 years to lose my goal of 50 lbs. But it's stayed off.

3. Do Fun Exercise!

     P-90X may shape your body quickly, but are you having fun doing it? I tried exercise videos that certainly worked, but I didn't enjoy them. So I started running while listening to my favorite podcasts and always looked forward to it. Now that I'm trying to save wear and tear on my knees, I ride my bike several times a week while listening instead. Try several different options until you find what's right for you. Even walking can make a difference!

4. Eat smart, not sprouts.
     Eating smart doesn't mean you can't have pizza. It means you can't have the whole pizza. I look forward to my weekend pizza and soda, but I drink water until it's pizza time and save myself about 400 empty calories during a normal Saturday.

5. Remember that food is fuel.
     Do you overflow you car's gas tank? Of course not, because it wastes gas and money. It's the same with food, except that instead of spilling on the ground, your body packs that fuel away. Listen to your body, eat slowly, and "eat to live, don't live to eat."

This isn't an exhaustive list, but these helped me create a lifestyle and not just a lower number on the scale. If I can offer any other tips or answer questions, don't hesitate to ask!