Chris' Blog

Hang On!

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:52:00 +0000

Today was my 15^th trip to the Cancer Center (sounds strange to read those words). At the end of this week, on Friday, I will receive radiation treatment number 18 so I’ll be just past the half-way mark of this journey. And while I’m in a battle every single day I meet someone who is in a bigger and more frightening battle than me. Today I met a man named Rusty who is 54 (one year older than me). He’s having radiation to treat a cancer in his throat right on the edge of his vocal chords. The Dr.’s have told him there’s a good chance me will lose his voice. On top of that he’s already had three back surgeries and a year ago December he was laid off from his job and hasn’t been able to find a new one or qualify for disability. NOTE: I’d like to ask you to add Rusty to your prayer list.

If you walk into the doors of the Cancer Center than no doubt you’re going through a difficult time in your life. But when difficult times come we need to remember that the Bible teaches us that there are certain things that we need to hang on to in order to make it through. One great example is found in Psalm 20. Let me just list them for you.

1. Hang on to your hope. Psalm 20:1 says, May the Lord answer you when you are in distress (trouble); may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. (NIV) In verse 5, he writes, May we shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God (those banners should say “Great Joy!”). When you’re in a difficult time in your life you need to remind yourself that while things are ugly now, God is going to see you through

2. Hang on to your commitments. Psalm 20:3 says, May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. (NIV) Oftentimes when we are in a time of difficulty we are tempted to stop everything we’re doing or at least put it on hold until things turn around. But when you stop being faithful to God (in worship – in service – in giving) it’s almost like you’re saying, “This isn’t working…I’m not getting my money’s worth for all that I’m contributing, if I were I wouldn’t be going through this difficult time.” But that’s not how it works. We need to hang on to our commitments even in difficult times because God continues to see our faithfulness and He won’t forget. Hebrews 6:10 says, For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers as you still do. (NIV) NOTE: I’ve been thrilled at the attendance and the giving that have taken place over the past three weeks while I have been in treatment. Thank you, church family, for hanging on to your commitments in this difficult time for all of us.

3. Hang on to your dreams. Psalm 20:4 says, May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. (NIV) When I was first diagnosed with this cancer I have to be honest and say I had thoughts that I might not ever be able to preach and lead the church again. I don’t have those thoughts anymore. Instead, I look forward to coming back and being a better preacher and leader than ever before. That’s my hearts desire.

4. Hang on to your prayers. Psalm 20:5b says, May the Lord grant all your requests. (NIV) God wants to answer our prayers so we need to continue to pray. What a blessing it is to know that so many people, all over the world, are praying for me. And my encouragement is to be persistent in those prayers.

5. Hang on to your priorities. Psalm 20:7 says, Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (NIV) There’s nothing like walking through a difficult experience to help you see exactly where your priorities need to be. As Christians, our priority is the Sovereign God who created and sustains all things. Every other choice falls short.

Thank you all for your continued love and support. Thank you for your faithfulness to the ministry of Mount Pleasant Christian Church. And thank you for praying for me each and every day. I love you and miss you and look forward to the day I will be back in the pulpit. Here are some updated prayer requests:

1. Pray that my pain meds will ease the discomfort in my throat that’s only going to get worse over the next few weeks (this is a big deal when I try to sleep).

2. Pray that I maintain a satisfactory weight. Right now I’ve lost about eight pounds. I’m told that those who lose the least amount of weight do the best.

3. Pray the radiation that my thyroid is receiving as a part of the overall treatment will not do any permanent damage.

4. Pray for me to have the strength to meet this challenge one day at a time.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Random Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:57:00 +0000

As I write this blog I’m seven days into my radiation therapy which is exactly 1/5^th of the way through. That might not sound like a big deal to some but it’s a big deal to me. Every day closer to the end is a big deal to me. It’s also enough time for me to formulate some random thoughts about where I’ve been and what I’ve experienced.

When the Dr. first told me that I had cancer my first feeling was anger. But I wasn’t angry with God. I was angry that cancer is a part of this sinful fallen world and that anyone has to have it. As time went on that anger remained but it slowly became replaced by a resolute trust in a Sovereign God who doesn’t make mistakes. That’s not to say that I don’t have my “down” times. The absolute last thing that I want to do is make it seem as if I’m some kind of spiritual giant in this journey. Sandy and I both continue to have moments when fear creeps in. We continue to shed tears and fight the temptation to ask, “Why me?” But here’s the great thing about faith…it’s a foundational thing that keeps the fear and the tears and the questions from being in control.

Every time I go to the cancer center I’m struck by the kindness of those who are working/serving there. I guess we get used to some pretty lousy customer service when we shop and dine, etc. But I’ve encountered a lot of kindness in my cancer journey. There should really be a way to honor people who give hope to the hurting.

I seem to be the youngest person in the Cancer Center…and I’m not that young. I mentioned that to Sandy today and then said, “That just gives me a longer period of time to be a cancer survivor.”

I ran across this quote today when I was doing some study. “God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.” (John Aughey) I don’t think I have cancer because God is punishing me. That thought never crossed my mind. I do believe, however, that every Christian could use some cleansing on a practical level. I’m praying that God would do just that for me.

One thought that keeps coming to my mind is, “Will my life ever get back to being normal?” In some ways I believe that it will. I’ll have normal days with normal activities and normal outcomes. At the same time I hope that it doesn’t in the sense that, just like Jacob walked with a limp after he wrestled with God (Genesis 32), I can see great value in “limping” through the rest of my life because the limp will always remind me of an incredible encounter with God.

Finally, one of the things that sustains me is the knowledge that thousands of people continue to pray for me. I don’t know where I’d be without the prayers of God’s people. Please continue to pray for me, Sandy, Andrew, Tricia, Kara and Grace. I love you all and can’t tell you how much I miss being with you each weekend.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Specific Prayers:

1. Pray that I will be able to eat and drink and maintain my weight.

2. Pray that some of the “extra” problems I’ve had this first couple of weeks (cold – stomach problems) will go away and not make this more difficult than it has to be.

3. Pray for my Dr.’s (Dr. Garrett – Dr. Fairchild – Dr. Smith) as well as the nurses and therapists who are caring for me (too many to name).

4. Pray that my witness will be strong.

5. Pray that every day the cancer in my neck and throat is being completely destroyed and eradicated from my body.

6. Pray God’s blessing on the church and all of our staff.

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

There are two things I believe about 2012 at Mount Pleasant Christian Church. First, it’s going to be a year of great learning for me and two, it’s going to be one of the greatest years in the history of the church.

I write those words as I find myself in the beginning stages of my treatment for a cancer that began in my right tonsil and has spread to two lymph nodes on the right side of my neck. Already I am learning the importance of patience and allowing someone else to be in control of what’s happening in my life. Those are not easy lessons…especially for me. I’m also learning the value of trusting others to do what I often convince myself I can do better. That’s an extremely difficult lesson to learn. But I know that God is involved in all of this and when the conclusion to this chapter of my life is written it will be for my good and God’s glory.

I also believe that God is going to do some great things at Mount Pleasant throughout this process as well. We just finished an incredible year of ministry filled with too many highlights to mention. And I can tell you that, from a leadership perspective, we’ve got some great plans for the future. In fact, as I write these words I am chomping at the bit to share some exciting news about future expansion but I’ve got to wait until all the pieces are in place. In the meantime, I want to encourage you to continue to be faithful in your worship, service and stewardship. I’m not going to be able to be in the pulpit for a while but I know you’ll be blessed by the speakers we’ve got lined up. Here’s a look at the next several weeks:

January 7/8 – Andrew Philbeck (my son and one of my favorite preachers)
January 14/15 – Kenneth Philbeck (my brother and the East Campus Pastor at Savannah Christian Church, Savannah, Ga)
January 21/22 – Kenneth Philbeck
January 28/29 – Andrew Philbeck
February 4/5 – Ajai Lall (President and Director of Central India Christian Mission)
February 11/12 – Ajai Lall

I know you’ll be blessed by each message these men will deliver and I believe that this will be an opportunity to have a front row seat to see how God is going to continue to build His church even in circumstances we would have never sought on our own.

Please continue to pray for me and my family and pray for Mount Pleasant. Paul writes about the power of perseverance in I Corinthians 9. My favorite part comes in verse 24 when he writes, Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (NIV) I’m looking forward to seeing how God will bless and reward each of us for continuing to run the race of faithfulness.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Real Faith (An excerpt from the sermon “God is Good”)

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

I’ve always known that there are basically three kinds of faith that are represented among people who call themselves Christians. First, there is inherited faith. Inherited faith is a faith that you receive from someone else like your parents or a spiritual mentor like a Pastor or Sunday School teacher. I had the good fortune of growing up in church where there were many faithful people who impacted my life so I know what inherited faith is all about. The second kind of faith is textbook faith which is a faith that you read about in the Bible or maybe in the biography of a great Christian. Again, because I grew up in church I have vivid memories of learning about the great faith of Abraham who was willing to obey God and sacrifice his son One of my favorite Bible stories was how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because of their great faith, were willing to defy the kings edict and not bow down to an idol. Textbook faith is what the Hebrew writer was talking about when he wrote in Hebrews 12:1, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… (NIV) He’s talking about the many men and women who lived by faith in Hebrews 11. In addition, over the years my life has been blessed on many occasions by reading stories about people like John Wesley or Hudson Taylor who were men of great faith. The third kind of faith is proven faith. Proven faith is personal faith that’s been developed and refined by going through the trials of life and comes out on the other side saying God is good.
Here’s what we need to understand. When the trials of life come…when you find yourself in the middle of a storm…when things are more difficult for you than they’ve ever been before, as good as inherited faith is, it’s not going to carry you through because it was something that was just passed on to you by someone else. When the trials of life come…when you find yourself in the middle of a storm…when things are more difficult for you than they’ve ever been before, as good as textbook faith is, it’s not going to be the faith that carries you through because it’s just something you’ve read about. But when the trials of life come…when you find yourself in the middle of a storm…when things are more difficult than they’ve ever been before, it will be proven faith that helps you make it through because proven faith is your faith…your faith that has been tested and found to be true. Proven faith is your faith that will be able to stand up to any circumstance no matter how difficult it may be. And at the end of the day proven faith helps you to say, “Yes, this is awful, this stinks, this is terrible but it doesn’t change the truth that GOD IS GOOD.” Sometimes it is hard to remember that. Absolutely it’s hard. But in those moments your only choice is to hold on to that immutable truth about God that he is always good and just know that ultimately his goodness is going to come through, somehow, some you’re your circumstances today might be causing you to have a hard time seeing that God is good but he absolutely is, and THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE.

Two Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:08:00 +0000

It’s pretty amazing to think about how significantly your life can change in two weeks. Actually, I think we all know that life can change in the matter of seconds, but as I write this I’m thinking about two weeks.

On Wednesday, December 7^th, Sandy and I heard the Dr. say, “I’m almost certain you have a tonsil cancer.” What…I’ve never even heard of tonsil cancer. But that’s where it began. Two weeks later on Wednesday, December 21^st, I had completed a needle biopsy of a lymph node, a tonsil biopsy, a laryngoscopy and a PET scan (more about that later). I had also consulted with an ENT, a Radiology Oncologist and a Medical Oncologist along with numerous people who have had the same or similar cancer. Two weeks later I had stood before my church family twice, the first time asking for prayers during a time of waiting, the second time asking for prayers during a time of trusting. Two weeks later I’ve read hundreds of emails, cards, notes, facebook posts and tweets. Two weeks later and it feels like I have logged more minutes on my cell phone than I had for the entire first 48 weeks of the year. Two weeks later and I’ve/we’ve prayed, read Scripture and shed a lot of tears. Two weeks later and I know that God is still sitting on the throne just exactly where He was on Tuesday, December 6^th.

Today is Thursday, December 22^nd and I’m moving forward. As you probably already know, my PET scan was clear…the cancer has not spread from my neck. I told Sandy that while I know I’m in a very serious “life and death” situation, I’m going to let that good news carry me through the Christmas holiday and be glad. However, once Christmas is over I’m setting my sights on what I know will be the most difficult journey of my life. I will begin a 7 to 8 week series of chemotherapy and radiation to completely eliminate and eradicate this cancer from my body. My Radiology Oncologist, my Medical Oncologist and my ENT Dr. have all told me that this cancer is treatable and curable. They can’t make any promises but they are very positive and optimistic. The treatment will be very difficult…they have not tried to sugar coat that at all. I will receive my first chemotherapy treatment on December 28^th. The following week (the first week of 2012) I will have a feeding tube inserted into my stomach and I will begin my radiation treatment. The chemotherapy will be once a week while the radiation will be daily (Mon – Fri).

I will be in the pulpit for all three Christmas Eve services as well as for our Christmas Day service. I hope I can attend at least one of the services the following week when Christ Franklin is preaching but that’s not definite. After that I may not see you again until sometime in May (I’ll leave that up to God). Our Elders are strong men of faith. Alan Baumlein, our Executive Pastor will be leading the staff. I will be in constant contact with Bill Cragen the Chairman of our Elders and with Alan. We’ve got some great preachers who will be filling the pulpit. January will be a special month as my son, Andrew, and my brother Kenneth will both spend some time in the pulpit. And by the way, I’ve already got a great idea for a new sermon series when I’m back.

Here’s how you can pray for me in the days to come:

1. Pray for my strength to endure the treatment.

2. Pray for my family (Sandy, Andrew & Kara, Tricia and Grace) this will be hard on them…pray especially for Sandy). I will need them to make it through.

3. Pray that I will not need a temporary tracheotomy. While the radiation will ultimate shrink and eliminate the tumor in my tonsil the Dr. has told me there’s the possibility of swelling. My airway is already blocked by the tumor.

4. Pray for the complete and absolute elimination/eradication of the cancer from my body so that I will be cancer free!

5. Pray that I along with my family along with all of you will honor and glorify God through all that happens.

I can’t tell you what it means to me to know that all of you are walking with me through this trial. I love you all, I love this church and I love the God who is bigger and greater than any crummy two weeks that changes our lives. I love the God who can take the two worst weeks of your life and use them for your good and His glory!

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Youth Group

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:07:00 +0000

Recently, a random conversation with a couple of staff guys caused me to think back to my days as a teenager and my high school youth group. I really participated in two youth groups. My first youth group was at the church where I grew up in, in Tulsa, OK, and the second youth group was at the church I attended for a little over a year when we moved to Houston, TX. Both were great experiences for me. But in reflecting back on those days, I couldn’t help but think of how much things have changed.

I never went to youth group with anyone who went to the same high school as me. In Tulsa, we drove all the way across town to go to church because of a long family connection. In Houston, I didn’t live in the same school district where the church was located, so none of my “friends” went to my youth group. Not only that, but I didn’t really share anything in common with any of the kids in the youth groups. When I was in high school, I played football and basketball. My first summer job was working at an indoor tennis facility. I was pretty heavily involved in all things sports (that was before that kind of involvement kept you out of church). The rest of the kids in both of my youth groups were pretty much the original “Geek Squad.” There were no athletes in my youth groups and, honestly, no one that would have been in the “popular” crowd (whatever that means) in their school. I never had a young or “cool” Youth Minister. In my Tulsa church, our Youth Minister had kids older than me, and in my Houston church there was no Youth Minister. There were no special facilities, no big budgets…nothing.

Now, that doesn’t sound very appealing, but the truth is, my time and commitment with both of those youth groups were some of the most enriching experiences of my life…certainly my spiritual life. To this day I continue to have a connection to kids I went to youth group with, as well as some of the sponsors who gave their time to teach and to lead. But it wasn’t just good for me. Looking back through the lenses of time and maturity, I can see how my participation was beneficial for others. I’m hesitant to write that because I don’t want it to sound too self-important, but I know from personal conversations with others that God was able to use me as a witness and example and leader to others.

What is so sad and disheartening for me today is the reality that many teenagers don’t even participate in church youth group (we call it Student Ministry today). And if they do, it’s often a classic “consumer-driven” choice or it’s not even a church at all. I’ve heard all the reasons why over and over again (friends – youth ministers/leaders – time – schedule – popular kids – etc.). Here’s my response – observation – question – whatever you want to call it. And I’m not writing this for the purpose of offending or accusing, I’m just expressing my thoughts and experiences (isn’t that what a blog is for?) and I’m asking you to take a minute to think about what I’m writing. We live in a day and age where everything is measured by how much we get out of it. That’s the reality of the world. Shouldn’t the church and our participation…our commitment to it be different? Shouldn’t the church, which includes the youth group (student ministry), be measured by how much of ourselves we put into it for God? Isn’t this something that we should be passing on to our children?

Over the past thirty-plus years, I’ve seen youth programs that were driven by big personalities and by big events. They’re impressive…there’s no question about that. But I’ve also seen that when that particular personality is gone or the big events end, there’s a noticeable drop-off in participation. When Jesus fed hungry people, he had thousands of them pursuing him. A little later when he began to tell them what it cost to be his disciple, many of them said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60). Then the inevitable happened. “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66).

I didn’t go to the youth group with the dynamic youth minister, or with my friends, or even with the kids that I wished were my friends. Sometimes we rode in an old broken down church bus to a “rustic” church camp or a pizza parlor (which was a big night out in the 1970s). I saw “Jaws” with Ginger Braun and Deena McCollum, girls I knew from youth group…girls I would never have been friends with in any other setting…girls who became great friends. I played church league basketball with guys who were terrible basketball players (that meant I got to take a lot of shots). We had Bible studies, swim parties, youth services, and on and on. And as lame as those things may sound, I know my life wouldn’t have been the same without them.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

The Solomon Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:36:00 +0000

I want to take a minute to tell you about my personal involvement and our church’s partnership with a new ministry called The Solomon Foundation (TSF). The Solomon Foundation is based in Englewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. In December 2010, I was invited to join some other leaders of Independent Christian Church mega-churches for a meeting to talk about the beginning of a new church extension fund. From that time on, God opened doors for my involvement on the Board of Directors of this new extension fund, as well as our church’s involvement as a strategic partner.

Check out the website for The Solomon Foundation: www.thesolomonfoundation.org

The Solomon Foundation exists to provide financing for churches to help them grow to the next level in their ministry, thanks to the many individuals and churches that invest in one or more of TSF’s savings and investment plans.

What do you need to know about The Solomon Foundation?

- TSF began with and will always have the oversight and accountability of two of the most dynamic churches in our “brotherhood” of churches (Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, TX, and Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, AZ).

- TSF is committed to core values that are simple, biblical, and inspirational: (1) Honor God, (2) Help people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, (3) Help investors get a great return on their investments, (4) Help churches get to the next level in their ministry, and (5) Have fun!

- TSF has a board that consists of some of the most trusted and respected Christian leaders in America. The board is a unique blend of some of the top pastors in America, along with other gifted leaders with ministry, finance, and business experience. Check out these board members at www.thesolomonfoundation.org/board-of-directors.htm

- TSF is committed to providing financing to churches to help them grow and move to the next level in their ministry. TSF will only make loans to churches and will not make loans to any church that has not submitted a written plan for paying off the loan as expeditiously as possible.

- TSF offers savings and investment rates that are beyond competitive with other financial organizations. TSF is actually an industry leader. Check out the current rates at www.thesolomonfoundation.org/rates.htm

- TSF has a vision to partner with Christ in building the kingdom of God by helping churches get financing to purchase land and build facilities so that more people can come to know Jesus Christ.

I want you to know that I consider it a great privilege to be a member of the Board of Directors of The Solomon Foundation. And I’m thankful that our church is a strategic partner of a ministry committed to excellent interest and eternal impact.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Rest

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:12:00 +0000

Today is my first day back in the office after my summer break. It’s interesting that my daily devotion was taken from Matthew 11:28-30, where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (NIV) When I read those familiar words that begin that passage, it struck me how, as a Christian, my “rest” doesn’t have to come from time away from my role and responsibilities. My “rest” comes from my faith in and dependence on Jesus, no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

I got some rest while I was on my break (and I’m defining rest as more than simple sleep). But I also had some times of restlessness. My restlessness could always be traced to things like worry, a lack of trust, and self-imposed pressure. I worried that our church attendance and offerings would suffer in my absence. I had a certain lack of trust related to things that people needed to get done while I was away. And I spent an entire evening feeling unhappy about an even par round of golf because all I could think about was the three short putts I missed and what might have been (my golf game is heavy with self-imposed pressure).

Rest can be an elusive thing. Even as I’m typing these words, I’m thinking about two ministry trips I have on my calendar for August, a new sermon series that will begin in September, different ways I can help my staff be more productive, and on and on.

Where do you go for rest? If I understand my Bible, the answer is simple: we go to Jesus…we give him all of our worries, all of our doubts, and all of our pressure, and we trust Him. We trust His presence in our lives to be the only provision we need.

Summer breaks, vacations, sabbaticals, whatever you want to call them, are great. I’m very thankful that the church gives me this opportunity each summer. But I need to remember that genuine “rest” comes from living in the presence and provision of Jesus, and that’s something that can happen every day.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Summer 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Tomorrow is the first day of July, 2011 and I wanted to take a minute to share with you what I’ll be doing for the next few weeks. Last summer our Elders put into place the opportunity for me to take a brief break in the summer. My break will officially begin on Tuesday, July 5^th, and I’ll be out of the pulpit for the next few weeks that follow. First, I want you to know that I have some excellent speakers lined up while I’m gone. On July 9^th & 10^th, Robin Sigars will be filling our pulpit. Robin is the Senior Minister at Carterville Christian Church in Carterville, MO and has been a close friend of mine since college. For several years Robin worked for Christ in Youth and was one of the country’s most sought after youth speakers. It’s not an exaggeration to say that God has used Robin to impact the lives of tens of thousands of young people. Robin brings a lot of energy to the pulpit and he will challenge you with a dynamic message from God’s Word. On July 16^th & 17^th, Jerry Harris will be filling the pulpit. Jerry is also an Ozark Christian College graduate that I have gotten to know through our participation in the mega-church roundtable as well as our service on the board of The Solomon Foundation. Jerry is the Senior Pastor of The Crossing in Quincy, IL. Jerry has led The Crossing from a church of 200 in a single campus to over 4,000 in six different campuses in Illinois and Missouri. This is one of the great church growth stories in America and you will be blessed by the passion and vision that Jerry brings to the pulpit. On July 23^rd and 24^th, Bob Russell will be filling the pulpit. Bob Russell has been one of my favorite preachers for the past 30 years. Shortly after graduating from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1965, at the age of 22, Bob became the Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. At the time the church had a weekly attendance of 120. When Bob retired in June of 2006, Southeast had a weekly attendance of over 18,000. Along with being a great preacher, Bob is an accomplished writer and continues to be one of our movements most powerful and sought after speakers. Believe me when I say it is a tremendous honor to have Bob filling the pulpit at Mount Pleasant. There is no one in ministry that I respect more than Bob Russell. Finally, on July 30^th and 31^st, I will be back at church but filling the pulpit that weekend will be my son, Andrew. I can’t tell you how proud I am to have my son on staff here at Mount Pleasant and how much joy it gives me to listen to him preach. I know he will be a blessing to each of you.

I hope you will plan to be here each of these weeks and I hope that you will invite family and friends to be here as well. I’m counting on your continued support while I take this time away. When I return to the pulpit we will conclude our special series “Next” (Understanding Tomorrow, Today) series by talking about The Great White Throne Judgment, The Reality of Hell and The Glory of Heaven and I have a very special new series planned for September that is based on The 23^rd Psalm.

Keep me in your prayers while I’m away. I’ll be at the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati, around Greenwood, In Florida for a vacation with family and visiting my mother in Texas. I’ll be busy but I’ll be thinking about and praying for you.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

You Don’t Need God?

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:54:00 +0000

Probably many of you have noticed that a very different kind of “ad” campaign has been launched in the Indianapolis area using billboards on the I-465 loop to tell motorists that they “don’t need God” to live fulfilling lives. The campaign is the effort of a secular humanist group called The Center for Inquiry. They have purchased space on four billboards around I-465. The Amherst NY-based group has said it selected Indianapolis because it’s located in the nation’s heartland. One of the messages reads: “You don’t need God – to hope, to care, to love, to live.” The CFI says they want to reach out to non-religious people in a positive way. “We’re not trying to get other people to give up their religion. We’re just saying that there’s a misunderstanding that some people think if you’re not religious, you can’t even be a good person,” says the center’s Indiana director, Reba Wooden.

I will agree with CFI on one thing:you don’t need God to be a good person. But according to the Bible, good is not good enough when it comes to your eternal destiny. No matter how hard you try, your goodness and all of your good works, on their own, will never be enough to overcome the reality of the sin that separates you from God. That’s why Jesus came into the world and died on the cross. You can hope, you can care, you can love, and you can live without God, but none of those things, individually or collectively, can create a right relationship with God. Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NIV). And simply being good can’t create the fulfilling life that we all long for, either. It’s not possible. The Bible teaches us that we were made to live in fellowship with God. Sin separates us from that fellowship. And no amount of hoping, caring, loving, and living can change that. When you don’t live the life you were created to live, you know — no matter how hard you may try to deny it — you know deep down inside that something’s not right. That’s why the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22, with all of his goodness (vs.17-20), came up to Jesus one day, desperate to know what he needed to do to get eternal life.

Unfortunately these are signs of the times in which we are living. My encouragement is to simply use this kind of misguided effort to embolden you to be that “light of the world” and “salt of the earth” Jesus talks about in Matthew 5, because the hope and care and love and life that comes from a someone who knows Christ is unmistakable.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Lonely?

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:20:00 +0000

This past weekend we began a new series called “Questions & Answers in Jesus’ Day” based on the truth that some of Jesus’ most effective teaching happened when he asked and answered questions. So we’re spending several weeks looking at some of those questions and answers and applying them to life today.

I’ve known for a long time that I was going to begin with Matthew 16:13-17, where Jesus pressed the disciples on the issue of his identity (But what about you…who do you say I am?). I’ve also known for a long time that I was going to use this as an opportunity to preach a very pointed message aimed those who have never made any kind of profession of faith. I was prayed up and prepared, but when we closed the final service not one single person had responded to the invitation.

I’ve got to tell you that I was surprised…very surprised. Not because I thought my words and delivery were so powerful that dozens of people would stream down the aisle. I prayed several times that God would just use me as His messenger and that He would speak through me. I was surprised because, as I wrote earlier, it was a pointed message. I felt the emotion of how tragic it would be for anyone to reject Christ. And I asked people to admit the need of their life, step out in faith, confess that faith, and join me in the baptistery to experience a new beginning. But no one came.

I received some strong encouragement from different people after each service. I was genuinely appreciative and encouraged by what they said. I knew in my mind that “seeds” were planted and that one day there would be a harvest. But I was still surprised. Later in the day, that surprise turned into sadness and disappointment.

Then Monday morning came (it’s Monday at 4:46 p.m. as I write this). When I got to my office, I began to read the online devotion that comes to me each day. Today’s devotion was called “Only for the Lonely.” The Scripture reference was 2 Timothy 4:9, 11, 16-17, and the devotion itself was a prayer for those times when we struggle with loneliness. Here’s the part of the devotion that was most meaningful to me. We pray especially for those who are lonely because they are distant from You. We ask You to bring them to a knowledge of Your Son and keep them restless and sleepless and struggling until they have come to that place of faith in Your Son.

This past weekend, 2,908 people were in church. Of the 2,908 people, 2,195 heard, if they listened, a very pointed message about the need to recognize and confess Jesus as “the Christ…the son of the living God.” I’m praying that some of them are feeling lonely tonight and that they will one day find the comfort and companionship they need in Jesus. I hope you join me in that prayer.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Persistence

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:43:00 +0000

I just got home from my last Elders Meeting of 2010. Tomorrow, weather permitting, Sandy, Tricia and I will get on a plane for Dallas and we’ll spend Christmas with Andrew, Kara and Grace. While we’re in Dallas we’ll get to see my mom, my sister Candy, and my Uncle Mike Nuthman and his family. I’m really looking forward to our time away.

I’m also looking forward to what God is going to do both in and through Mount Pleasant Christian Church in 2011. At our Elders meeting we went through our monthly “Ministry Report” where we were able to see some of the highlights of the past month. The truth is there have been many highlights in 2010. Throughout the year we spent our time in studies like Contagious Generosity, A New Command, Where is the Hope (a verse-by-verse look at I Peter), Let’s Pray, and The Joshua Project. On the weekend after Easter (April 10/11) we had the incredible experience of baptizing 114 people in our four services. Our Easter weekend, Patriotic weekend and special Christmas weekend were all outstanding. This year’s Christmas services saw a record attendance of 4,930. In 2010 we saw the completion of a massive re-model of our facilities that included Bibleopolis, an interactive children’s ministry space that is absolutely incredible. There were Mission trips, VBS, Sports camps, a Blue Bell ice cream truck at our Volunteer Appreciation picnic- I could go on and on.

As I think about 2011 I understand the importance of things like vision and strategic planning. But I’m also convinced that one of the most important elements of continued growth and ministry will be persistence. To that end let me share a series of inspirational quotes and truths about persistence.

If Columbus had turned back, no one would have blamed him. No one would have remembered him either. --Unknown

Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm. –Unknown

There is nothing so fatal to character than half-finished tasks. -- David Lloyd George

We can do anything we want to as long as we stick to it long enough. --Helen Keller

The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. --David Sarnoff

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. -- Theodore Roosevelt

Failure is our teacher, not our under-taker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It's a temporary detour, not a dead-end street. --William Ward

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. --Calvin Coolidge

It is never too late to be what you might have been. --George Eliot

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success: if I persist long enough I will win. --Og Mandino

Genius, that power that dazzles mortal eyes, is oft but perseverance in disguise.
--Henry W. Austin

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. --Dale Carnegie

Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance. --Samuel Johnson

As inspirational and challenging as these words are they pale in comparison to what Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV)

Here’s to continuing to discover the power of persistence. I love you all and I’ll see you next year,

Pastor Chris

Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:13:00 +0000

One of the interesting things about the Bible, the Old Testament in particular, is that God often chose to speak to people through dreams. Personally, I don’t believe God speaks to us through dreams today in the sense of revealing things. Revelatory dreams in the Bible took place as God’s Word was unfolding. Now we have it as a finished product, and it’s all we need. And while I’m no expert on dreams, I believe they are, for the most part, subconscious thoughts that reach the conscious level when we are asleep. I’ve read that dreams are usually a projection of fears, anxieties, tensions, hopes, ambitions, etc. One of my favorite authors and preachers, John MacArthur, has written that it may be possible that you have a dream connected to a specific passage of scripture because that’s what you’re studying. He goes on to say, “The Spirit of God might even prompt you to think a certain way in a dream. I know some people have had very fearful dreams and it has driven them to know Christ.” I guess the bottom line is that God may use something like a dream to accomplish His purpose but not as vehicles for some new revelation.

Some people wake up with a vivid memory of their dreams. That’s the way my daughter Tricia is. When she has a dream she can (and will) tell you all the details. Me, on the other hand, I have dreams, but I have a hard time remembering more than bits and pieces. But here’s something interesting. Recently I have had several dreams in which my children (26 and 22) are young again. I don’t really remember anything significant about the dreams but my children are there, and it’s like I’ve stepped back into time.

Now, I like seeing them that way. Andrew has a little round face, and Tricia has that curly blond hair. But I’m not sure what, if anything, this means. Maybe it’s because we’re about to get a new baby in our family and that has been a big part of my thoughts and prayers. And while I have had many questions about her as we anticipate her arrival there are, I know two things for sure. First, she will never be wanting for love. Second, she will be special.

When my children were young, I chose a special Psalm for each of them, and I read those Psalms as a prayer for their lives. For my son, I chose Psalm 112. It begins like this: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land…” That word “mighty” in the Hebrew language basically means “honored” and “distinguished.” The idea is honored and distinguished for their virtue, their influence, and their success in life. Those are some big words and big thoughts for such a little baby and while I don’t know exactly how those things will unfold for little Grace, I genuinely believe God will make them true.

Maybe I’ve been seeing/remembering my children when they were very small in my dreams as a way to be reminded that God holds little lives in the palm of His hand. I see their tiny faces then, think about them now, and know that God has always been in charge of their lives just like He will be in charge of Grace’s life. In the end I’m thankful for those dreams, those memories and that reminder.

When Andrew and Tricia were young, people would always say, “Enjoy every minute, because they grow up too fast.” They were right. Now that baby Grace is on the way, people always say, “There’s nothing like being a grandparent.” I’m very confident that they’ll be right once again.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:56:00 +0000

One of the best books I’ve read in recent years is 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life[ELaC1] . The book was written by Dr. Henry Cloud (you can buy the complete book or a condensed version). The basic premise of the book is identifying the difference between people who win at love and life and those who fail. Dr. Cloud said that when he carefully observed successful people, they gave him a certain “déjà vu” feeling. It wasn’t that he had met them before, but he had met people like them. The result was nine different “practices” that set them apart.

One of the practices identified in the book was that Déjà vu people (his name for successful people) “play the movie.” Now, I know that sounds a little crazy, but keep reading. His point was that Déjà vu people…successful people rarely take any action without considering its future implications. Another way to say that is that they never see any individual action as a singular thing in and of itself; they “play the movie.” And by playing the movie, they see how actions and choices today can impact tomorrow. This is how Dr. Cloud describes it in the book: “Any one thing you do is only a scene in a larger movie. To understand that action, you have to play it out all the way to the end of the movie.”

One of the difficulties of being a leader is that you not only have to give your best to each and every moment or day, you also have the responsibilities of thinking about and planning for tomorrow. That means you’ve got to spend time “playing the movie.” This isn’t one of my favorite things about being a leader, but I certainly understand the importance.

Life will always be filled with difficult choices. Oftentimes we choose the immediate comfort that comes from doing nothing. The problem with that, though, is that while it will bring immediate comfort, the comfort will be short-lived. The third servant in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) who received only one “talent” from his master chose the immediate comfort of doing nothing (remember he buried his talent in the ground). However, when the master returned (the future will always come), he paid for his choice (vs. 24-30).

Most people don’t live the individual scenes of their lives today with the end in mind. Most people aren’t interested in “the big picture” or “the final scene.” But while the Bible gives us clear instruction about not worrying about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34), it also shows us the value of living in a way that allows you the privilege of one day hearing the Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” When you’re faced with a difficult decision…when you hear about difficult decisions that have been made by others…play the movie. There’s more going on in the story of your life and my life than what happens in each day (scene). At least there should be…

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:25:00 +0000

If you asked my wife, she would tell you that I have a great memory. She might go on to say something like, “Don’t tell him something you don’t want to ever hear about again because he won’t ever forget.” Now she has good reason to say that. I have a knack for remembering things. I can remember things about the Bible I memorized when I was a kid at church camp. I can remember the entire starting lineup for The Big Red Machine (Cincinnati Reds in the 70’s). I can remember trivia, names, golf courses (every hole and what I shot), etc. I am noticing that my memory is slipping a little with age, but I have a good memory.

That said I find myself wishing I had a better memory today. I say that because last night (November 4^th) one of my lifelong friends in Oklahoma suffered his second heart attack in four days and died. Duane was 53-years-old. We became friends when I was in the eighth grade, and we shared a lot of great times growing up together. He had one of those “larger than life” personalities. He was friendly, he was funny, and he had one of the best tenor voices I’ve ever heard. I could listen to him sing for hours. Sometimes we sang for hours. We were very close as classmates and remained close even though life brought all the natural changes that getting older can bring. One thing that helped is that we were both pastors so we shared not only the bond of friendship but the bond of living out a calling. And even though I’ve spent the last few days remembering him and our time together, I really wish I could remember more.

I’m mindful today that the Bible has a lot to say about “remembering.” Most of it is a reminder to us to remember the presence of God, the promises of God and the way God has provided for us in the past. No doubt God knows that remembering is not something we do well which brings me back to wishing I had a better memory today.

There are certain things I don’t ever want to forget. Here are a few in no particular order. I don’t ever want to forget the sorrow I feel when I am confronted with the reality of my sin because that feeling helps me to avoid sin in the future. I don’t ever want to forget that God has forgiven my sin and that once it has been forgiven; He has chosen to remember it no more. I don’t ever want to forget how I feel each time I hear Tricia sing. I don’t ever want to forget how Sandy looked on the day Andrew got married. I don’t ever want to forget how I feel when my son asks me for advice about ministry. I don’t ever want to forget all the ordinary people in the church I grew up in who loved and encouraged me. I don’t ever want to forget wanting to be exactly like my Uncle Mike when I was growing up. I don’t ever want to forget the unique bond I have with my brothers and sisters because no one else will ever know what it’s like to grow up together. I don’t ever want to forget that my mom and dad did not grow up in perfect homes. I don’t ever want to forget how much I love the local church. I don’t ever want to forget to be thankful for everything I have and thankful I don’t get what I deserve.

That’s just a very partial list. I don’t have enough room for everything I’m thinking. But if I were going to add just one more, it would be that I don’t ever want to forget the blessing of having some special and unconditional friendships when I was very young. And I don’t want to forget to look for my good friend Duane when it’s my time to walk on streets of gold. I don’t think he’ll be hard to find. I’ll just listen for his voice and follow the applause.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Never Alone

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:54:00 +0000

We’re just a couple of weeks from beginning a new weekend series called, The Joshua Project. What we will be doing is looking at selected passages (stories) in the first six chapters of Joshua to see what lessons we can learn about Promised Land living. It should be a great study.

One of the things that I have noticed over the years is the tendency that we all sometimes have to make excuses for our lives rather than take responsibility for our lives. A classic example of this can be found in the familiar parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. In this parable Jesus talked about a man who went on a journey but left three different servants with varying amounts of talents (5 -2 -1). The first two servants put their talents to work and doubled them so that when the man returned, he was able to celebrate their efforts. The third servant, I’m sure you remember, simply buried his talent in the ground. When the man returned, he presented him with what he had been given along with an excuse (I know you are a hard man so I was afraid of losing your talent). As a result, the talent was taken from the third servant, and he was thrown “into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30).

How many of us live our lives with no results but plenty of excuses? Part of the good news of God’s Word is that we don’t have to live this way, in part, because we are not alone. When God gives us a responsibility or a challenge, He also gives us Himself as our number one resource. When Moses died and God gave Joshua the responsibility of leading His people into The Promised Land, He said to him in Joshua 1:5, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.” (NIV) Now that promise wasn’t exclusive to Joshua and the challenge before him. This is a promise that God gives to all believers.

You can take ownership and responsibility for your life and leave all of your excuses behind today. You can face the giant or mountain or whatever it is in your life that’s keeping you from experiencing God’s best today. You can be a leader today. You can accomplish whatever goal and realize whatever dream you have today. You can do it if you remember that God will be with you, the same God who parted the Red Sea and multiplied a handful of fish and loaves to feed thousands. But you also need to remember that God expects you to do your part. Here’s a simple truth to remember about your relationship with God. God will do the God things, and we have to do the people things.

Identify the challenge(s) in your life today, take the first step, and remember that you are never alone.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Certain Truth's for Uncertain Times

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:35:00 +0000

As we look back on the last ten years, one thing that seems to be consistent in our world is some level of economic uncertainty. Just consider the following:

2000 – Tech bubble bursts in March 2000

2001 – Terrorist attack of 9/11

2002 – Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, Qwest, Global Crossing, ImClone, and Adelphia – hiding debt and misrepresenting earnings

2003 – War waged by the U.S. and Britain against Iraq begins; North Korea withdraws from the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons

2004 – Spain rocked by terrorist attacks; UN Atomic Energy Agency tells Iran to stop enriching uranium.

2005 – Hurricane Katrina; Rising interest rates

2006 – Political corruptions scandals; Interest rates rise; Housing markets begin to slump.

2007 - Housing markets melt down.

2008 – Credit crisis hits financial sector.

The truth is you can go even further back in time and find some event or threat that has created uncertainty in the economy. The question isn’t, “Will there be economic uncertainty?” The question is “How will we handle economic uncertainty when it comes?” There’s no better resource than God’s Word when it comes to answering this question. Here are some biblical instructions that will never let you down:

1. Keep Track

Proverbs 13:16 says, Every prudent man acts out of knowledge but a fool exposes his folly. (NIV) The first step to handling economic uncertainty is to know your own economic condition. Ron Blue, founder of Ron Blue and Company (a firm that provides financial services from a Christian perspective), says that every person or family should take a financial physical. This involves answering four questions: What do I have? What do I owe? How much am I spending? How strong are my safety nets (insurance/savings accounts/etc.)? Once you do that, you simply need to begin to keep track of your finances.

2. Plan Ahead

This means make a budget (Call it a “spending plan” if you hate the word budget). Rick Warren says, “A budget is telling your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went.” Proverbs 21:5 says, The plans of the diligent leads to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (NIV) A budget is critical to personal economic health because financial freedom is not based on how much you make. It’s based on how much you spend.

3. Save Consistently

Proverbs 13:11 says, Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers little by little makes it grow. (NIV) The Bible says that it is a mark of wisdom to save for the future. Proverbs 21:20 says, In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. (NIV) American Demographics magazine shows that the majority of baby boomers (those born between 1946-1964) will be broke at retirement age. What’s the problem? The problem is materialism funded by debt. I know that in our current economy many people are showing more of a willingness to save, but materialism has already done its damage. And if we were completely honest, we’d have to admit that we got into debt before the economy began to struggle. When times are good, we buy, and then we pay for it by signing away our future. When times are bad, we struggle. Proverbs 22:7 says, The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (NIV) When debt keeps us from being good stewards (saving – giving - etc.), then debt is a big problem.

4. Give Habitually

Proverbs 3:9-10 says, Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (NIV) Giving is an act of gratitude. When we give, we acknowledge that everything comes from God. Giving is an act of priority in the present. When we give, we demonstrate that God has first place in our lives. Giving is a statement of faith. When we give, we put ourselves in a position to allow God to fulfill His promise of blessing in whatever way He chooses to bring that blessing.

Economic uncertainty won’t steal your happiness and peace if you live prepared. In the end, it’s just a matter of obeying God’s Word.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

The Future

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:04:00 +0000

Recently I read an article on crosswalk.com by Ed Stetzer called “Future Trends in Evangelicalism.” The article began by talking about how for the first ten years of this new millennium churches have been finding new and successful ways to communicate the gospel. Stetzer went on to say, “For that to continue in the next decade, several issues will need to be discussed and resolved.” Here are four specific issues he highlighted:

1. Evangelicals must learn to navigate what I call a “post-seeker context.” In the past churches have targeted “seekers” from the Baby Boomer generation who, for the most part, have some kind of religious or spiritual memory or knowledge. In the future we will need to develop new models of outreach that recognize people who don’t have that same memory or knowledge.

2. Evangelicals need to regain confidence in the gospel. In the past several years many churches have experienced numerical growth by catering to the superficial needs of people rather than the one great need of all men everywhere, a need that can only be met with a clear proclamation and acceptance of the gospel. In the past decade the emerging church (however you want to define “emergin” because everyone seems to define it differently) has sought a broader and more “holistic” gospel that was less authoritative and more inclusive. That’s a false gospel. We need to get back to the pure gospel of the Bible.

3. Evangelicals will need to address the definition of evangelicalism. Stetzer writes, “Right now, people often define evangelicals as anyone from Joel Osteen to John MacArthur” (If you’re familiar with those two men, you know they could not be more different in their approach to the Scriptures, to preaching, and to the stewardship of their influence). If you apply the term evangelicalism to everyone and everything, it will end up meaning nothing.

4. Evangelicals must address our shallow definition of discipleship. Stetzer reveals that Life Way Research has published a book called The Shape of Faith to Come by Brad Waggoner. Based on a study of 2,500 regular Protestant church-goers, he found statistics revealing that only 16% of participants say that they read their Bible daily, and another 20% say they read the Bible a few times a week. Only 23% agreed strongly with the statement, “When I come to realize that an aspect of my life is not right in God’s eyes, I make necessary changes.” In the past six months, only 29% said that they had shared with someone how to become a Christian twice or more, and 57% said they had not done so at all. Perhaps the most disappointing, however, was what had happened when they were surveyed again a year later. There was very little change in the actual data, but over 55% indicated that they had grown spiritually in the past year.

It’s this last observation that troubles me the most. James 1:22 says, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (NIV) Jesus says, in Matthew 7:24, Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man. . .(NIV) The key to discipleship is not just “hearing” God’s Word; it’s putting it into practice.

I’ve got some very real concerns about what the future holds when it comes to the local church. One of my biggest is what kind of influence will the church have on the world when it’s filled with people whose lives are indistinguishable from the world? It’s time for Christians to recognize and embrace the call to be different. Not odd. . .different. When Peter wrote his first epistle to encourage suffering Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor, he wrote, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (I Peter 2:9 – NIV) That’s a great description of what it means to be different. We need to be people marked by different priorities, different passions, different parenting, and different pursuits; different. . .you get the idea. But this only happens when we make knowing and obeying God’s Word the foundation of our lives.

My prayer for Mount Pleasant Christian Church is that we would be a people who love God’s Word, know God’s Word, and live God’s Word so that we can be a church that presents a clear reality of who Jesus really is and how He wants to heal and change broken lives.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

It's Not Rocket Science

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:47:00 +0000

One of my favorite biblical characters is Joseph (His story is told in Genesis 37-50). If you grew up in Sunday school, then you know that as a very young man he was sold into slavery by his brothers who were filled with jealousy because Joseph was their father’s obvious favorite. Joseph ultimately wound up in Egypt, the slave of Potiphar, who had such confidence in him he put him in charge of everything he owned. While in this position, Joseph was sexually propositioned by Mrs. Potiphar, who falsely accused him of rape when he emphatically told her “no.” As a result Joseph wound up in prison where he developed a reputation as an interpreter of dreams. When this talent (gift from God) came to Pharaoh’s attention, he called on Joseph to explain two very disturbing dreams. After listening to Pharaoh’s account of the dreams, Joseph interpreted them by saying Egypt was headed for seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. That was the economic forecast of the day. Joseph then recommended a plan for storing food during the good years so Egypt could survive the bad ones. Pharaoh liked the suggestion, so he made Joseph his Chief Operating Officer and gave him the authority to make it happen—which is exactly what Joseph did.
There is a lot we can learn from Joseph when it comes to the reality of our current economic forecast. I, like all of you, grow concerned when I hear and read the negative economic forecasts that dominate our news. At the same time, all of us, like Joseph, need to understand and embrace a common sense approach to the future. In his book, Surviving Financial Meltdown, Ron Blue identifies that like this:

Take a financial physical. The beginning point to a proactive approach toward money management will always be determining the actual state of your finances (something most people aren’t realistic about).

2.) Establish a finish line. Decide where you want to go (Set some goals). What’s important to you when it comes to your finances?

3.) Plan how to get from here to there.

This is basically what Joseph did when he was given the responsibility of preparing Egypt for the seven years of famine that would follow the seven years of plenty. And, if you know the story, you know that Joseph was quite successful. The best thing about this kind of plan is that it’s not “rocket science.” It’s just common sense.

One more thing, that famine in Joseph’s day spread beyond Egypt. As a result, people came to Egypt from all over the world to buy food (Genesis 41:57). That meant that Joseph was able to be a witness to the rest of the world about the power of common sense and stewardship.

That same opportunity is available to each of us today. Will you be like Joseph or will you be like the rest of the world? God’s will is for each of us to practice good stewardship in our lives so that we can live without fear and anxiety. And in times like these, that kind of life provides a powerful witness.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

P.S. Don’t forget that during tough economic times, the number one commitment we need as believers is a commitment to giving. When we give we acknowledge that God has first place in our lives and that we trust Him to provide for all of our needs. This kind of commitment brings blessing and peace. This may not make sense by the world’s standards, but I’ll take God’s standards any day.

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:34:00 +0000

Recently, as part of a college speech class my daughter took this summer, she was required to give a seven-minute “persuasive” speech. This wasn’t the first speech she had to give, but it was the last one and by virtue of that, it was important to her grade. In preparation for the speech, the professor gave the class a list labeled “Restricted Topics,” which included date rape, drinking and driving, going Greek, euthanasia, AIDS, teen pregnancy, smoking, physical fitness, marijuana, drinking age limits, alcoholism, teen suicide, eating disorders, recycling, child abuse, procrastination, washing your hands, seatbelt usage, abortion, safe sex, STD’s, organ donation, and global warming. These restrictions were based on not wanting to offend someone in the class.

In one class leading up to the speeches, the professor went around the room to get an idea of what each student was thinking about with regard to the speech. Tricia said she was leaning toward “volunteerism.” He didn’t seem too excited about that topic. Another man said he was considering a speech focused on how foolish the Christian faith was, which emphasized the ridiculousness of believing in the supernatural or miraculous stories of the Bible.

In the end Tricia spoke on volunteerism and got a very good grade. The man I mentioned above did his speech on the foolishness of faith. He began his speech by saying, “What would you think if I told you that 92% of all the people in the U.S. believed in unicorns? He went on to liken that to a belief in the literal interpretation of the Bible citing a Fox News survey that indicated 92% of Americans say they believe in the Bible. You can just imagine the rest of his speech’s content.

Here’s my question. When did we get to the place where we won’t talk about something like physical fitness because we don’t want to offend someone who is overweight or out of shape, but it’s okay to completely trash and dismiss someone’s personal faith in God with ridicule and a condescending attitude? That, friends, is an up close and personal illustration of the state of our culture. At first it makes you angry. Then it just makes you sad.

The way Tricia described this man in her class made it clear he was pretty impressed with himself. How do you respond to someone like this? Proverbs 26:4 says, Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself (NIV). In the end all we can do is pray for someone who openly mocks God because the Bible makes it clear the day will come when that will no longer be an option.
Pastor Chris

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:49:00 +0000

This past week we enjoyed a great Father’s Day celebration in all of our weekend services. I appreciate the great work that Brian Tabor and Joey Santos do in our worship and arts ministry. I hope you know how blessed we are to have them both. And I hope you know how blessed we are to have so many talented singers and musicians right here in our church.

I was surprised and deeply moved by the video element of my son sharing a Father’s Day blessing to me from his church in Grand Prairie, TX, (Brian and Joey managed to keep that part of the service hidden from me). Sandy and I haven’t seen Andrew and Kara in a while, and we really miss them. The news that they are expecting their first child in December makes us even more anxious to see them.

I can’t think of anything that makes you more conscious of your role as a father than learning that your son is going to become a father because, as we learned this past weekend from a brief look at the lives of Abraham and Isaac, a father passes on the reality of who he is to his children. I’m praying that my son will have the wisdom and discernment to follow the example, not just of his earthly father, but of his Heavenly Father as he prepares to face the challenge of being a dad. It’s a great blessing and a great responsibility.

While studying for last week’s message, I ran across a story of how when John Wooden graduated from grammar school, his father gave him a card. On one side, it read: “Four things a man must learn to do if he would make his life more true: To think without confusion clearly; to love his fellow-man sincerely; to act from honest motives purely; to trust in God and heaven securely.”
On the other side of the card was this Seven Point Creed:

Be true to yourself.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Help others.
Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
Make friendship a fine art.
Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

When Wooden told the story of receiving this card, he said that his dad gave it to him with these words, “Son, try to live up to these things.”

I encourage every dad who reads this blog to find the time to share a personal moment with each of your children. It may be a moment they remember for the rest of their lives.

Jesus cares,

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:01:00 +0000

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what the future can look like for Mount Pleasant Christian Church. In the local church, just like in so many other areas of life, there is always a need for strategic planning. At the present time our church is experiencing God’s blessing in some very tangible ways. The completion of our Community Life Center/Student Ministry Center almost a little over a year-and-a-half ago has been a great blessing. And I hope that you would agree with me that the discomfort of re-modeling and re-purposing almost all of our main campus was well worth it. This week our staff is moving into the new Administrative space and the only two items left on the agenda are converting the Y.A.C. to a Chapel and re-modeling the Music Suite.

But the blessings we are experiencing go well beyond buildings and construction. We are also welcoming a lot of new people to our services each week and, better still, we are seeing many new people become a part of God’s eternal family. And virtually every week someone takes the time to tell me about the great things that God is teaching them or that God is doing in their life or family. Does that mean everything’s perfect, no, but it does mean that things are moving in the right direction.

That brings me back to strategic planning. Every leader knows that success (blessing) today does not guarantee success (blessing) tomorrow. And every leader knows how important it is to look down the road and try to be prepared for what tomorrow brings remembering that ultimately God is in control. Proverbs 16:9 says, In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. (NIV) I believe those words…I’ve lived those words. So it’s important to plan for the future but to do it with an eternal perspective.

This is something I’ve been doing as a pastor for the past 30 years. But I’m going to be honest and tell you that it’s not my favorite part of being a pastor…it’s not my favorite part of being a leader. I believe in strategic planning. What we’ve seen happening on our campus for the past three-and-a-half years has been a part of a strategic plan. I’m excited about what God has in store for Mount Pleasant. But let me tell you what I like the most. I like the challenge of making each and every weekend something special. I understand the importance of planning for three years, five years, ten years down the road. But I love planning for Saturday and Sunday.

This might sound a little benign to someone who gets captivated by long-term vision, but I have always wanted the church I serve to be a place where people are moved and blessed and…happy. A few weeks ago we had a baby dedication ceremony. We do these on Saturday nights so we don’t have as many time constraints. On this particular Saturday we had seventeen babies and it was exciting. In fact you could feel the excitement in the building. A few minutes before the service started I was walking off the stage and saw as woman who is a pretty new member. She asked me, “What’s happening tonight?” I told her it was a baby dedication and I said, “You’re going to love it.” This was her reply. “I love everything this church does.” And that friends, made my day because that’s the way I want people to feel. That’s a strategic plan that’s been in my heart in every church I’ve every served.”

We’ve got some big plans for the future. But even better than that, we’ve got some big plans for this weekend. I hope I see you there.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:02:00 +0000

This past weekend, as most of you know, we experienced 114 baptisms in our weekend services. I’ve got to tell you that in 30 years of full-time Christian ministry, I have never been a part of something like this. I have never seen God move in so many people so spontaneously to respond to the call of faith expressed in baptism. Months ago I made the decision to preach about baptism on this particular weekend. But apart from praying diligently, making sure we had extra towels and baptismal “clothes,” and letting people who had gone through our Membership Inquiry process know that I was going to be sharing a message about baptism, we didn’t do anything on our own to create this response. It’s Wednesday morning as I write this blog entry, and I’ve got to tell you I’m still feeling very overwhelmed by what God did. Here are some of my reflections and thoughts from the weekend in no particular order.

After you’ve baptized your first 22 people, don’t change back into your street clothes because there just might be two more people who come. After you’ve baptized your first 24 people, don’t change back into your street clothes because there just might be three more people who come. After you’ve baptized your first 27 people, just wear your wet clothes home because, who knows, you might meet an Ethiopian man in a chariot somewhere along Bluff Road, and you’ll need to be prepared.

While the Bible makes it clear God moves and works in response to our faith, I’m so thankful there are times when God also chooses to move and work in spite of a lack of faith, or, at the very least, uncertain faith. I’ve never been as bold in my call for people to come and be baptized as I was this past weekend. But after the message in each service I changed into my baptismal clothes, came out of Joey Santos’ office and asked someone on staff, “Did anyone come?” I even did that at the 10:45 service when I had already baptized 64 people. Thank You, God, for all the patience You have shown to me over the past 30 years. Help my faith to grow.

As strong as my conviction is about New Testament baptism (all the things I shared with you this past weekend), driving home after the 10:45 service my heart felt a little heavy because I know there were people in each service who do not understand or share that same conviction. And my prayer was that our relationships will still be strong and open, and that, together, we will trust God to guide and direct our lives.

I can’t even imagine what it must have been like on the Day of Pentecost when about 3,000 people accepted the message of Christ and were baptized.

I’m thankful to be the Senior Pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church. I’m thankful to lead a staff who is willing to say, “What can I do to help/serve?” I’m thankful to be a part of a Brotherhood of Churches who has a common goal of restoring the biblical pattern of the church for the ultimate purpose of uniting all Christians as one.

Jesus cares,
Pastor Chris

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:33:00 +0000

I wanted to take a minute to write and say what a blessing this past Easter weekend was for me, and I hope and pray it was for you as well. I’ll be honest and tell you I didn’t quite know what to expect in terms of the crowd because Easter fell on one of the two weekends that bookended Spring Break. I’ve never seen anything like Spring Break in Central Indiana (I hope many of you were able to get away and experience a time of refreshment and renewal). But the end result was an attendance of 4,385, which is the second highest weekend attendance in the history of the church. What makes that even more amazing was that Saturday night’s service was far from full (not sure why…maybe it had something to do with the 6pm tip-off of the National Semi-Final game involving a certain Indianapolis area team). If you were at one of our Sunday morning services, you know that the Worship Center was packed. And each Sunday service included more than 100 people in the overflow area. Our Video Venue also had a record crowd of 125. In the end it was simply a powerful weekend. I’m very thankful for all the efforts from our Worship and Arts staff as well as the entire church staff who demonstrated a willingness to serve in whatever capacity they were needed.

On April 17-18 we’ll begin a new verse-by-verse study of the Book of I Peter entitled, “Where is the Hope?” The apostle Peter wrote this letter to believers scattered throughout the regions of Asia Minor because of increasing hardship and persecution that was causing some of them to wonder if God had abandoned them. He wrote to let them know it was possible to find hope and meaning in the midst of their suffering. This series (with a few breaks for holiday weekends) will take us through the summer and provide a great opportunity for growth for all of us. I hope you will pray for me in my preparation, and then plan on being present for each study.

Finally, on a lighter note, I can’t tell you how blessed I feel to have a freezer full of Blue Bell ice cream. I hope you did not miss the April 5th introduction of Blue Bell into the Indianapolis market. I also hope you are doing your part to make sure Blue Bell stays around. Let your local Meijer store know how much you appreciate them for carrying Blue Bell, and fill out a product request form at your local Kroger or Marsh or wherever you shop. There’s an important reason for this that will become clear when I get to share my latest Blue Bell story with you at church. I’m hoping that will be soon. In the meantime, keep buying. My newest recommendation is a flavor called “Butter Crunch.” It’s vanilla ice cream with chunks of Butterfinger candy bars. (I know…I know…this is a little over the top).

Jesus cares,
Pastor Chris

A Blue Bell Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Mount Pleasant Christian Church) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:21:00 +0000

In my last blog entry I shared some thoughts about friendship based on a recent trip Sandy and I took to Houston. I have to be honest, though, and tell you that one of the things I miss the most about living in Houston (and Broken Arrow), is Blue Bell Ice Cream. Now if you've been a part of the Mount Pleasant family for any length of time, you know that I have a slight addiction to Blue Bell. My recent trip to Houston didn't help this addiction as I discovered a new flavor called "Candy Jar." Listen to how Blue Bell describes "Candy Jar" ice cream on their web site. "Rich caramel ice cream containing all of your favorite candy pieces - peanut butter cups, chocolate chunks, peanut brittle, chunks of caramel, and chocolate crisp pieces." Who could say "no" to that?

The original Blue Bell creamery is located in Brenham, Texas, located just outside of Houston so there was never any problem getting the ice cream there. The second creamery Blue Bell opened just happened to be in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and its opening just happened to coincide with my family moving to Broken Arrow. But, alas, there is no Blue Bell joy in Greenwood, Indiana. So for the past eight years I've had to be satisfied with occasional splurges of three gallon containers of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla purchased from Carrabbas restaurant or a few days of Blue Bell gluttony when I'm on vacation. But the winds of change just might be blowing through Central Indiana.

According to INDYSTAR.COM Blue Bell has plans to break into the Indianapolis market with the construction of a cold storage warehouse on the northwest side. The article says, "Plans for an Indianapolis distribution facility appear to signal a major move into Northern markets."

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100215/BUSINESS/2130332/Blue-Bell-ice-cream-hopes-to-build-here?GID=3eT7/UFIjiUdALQLCWsKAq3l4Ku0KQflkgsHVWyLF0M%3D

Suffice it to say that we've all got something new to add to our prayer lists. If Blue Bell does make its way to Indianapolis, I'm going to be modest and only claim somewhere between 75% to 90% responsibility.

You can thank me later,

Pastor Chris