CLG: February 2012 Archives

hcsp.jpg I was reading through a list of quotes recently on "change." Some were inspiring. Others were convicting. A few were humorous. Here are some of my favorites:

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. --Arnold Bennett 
hcsp.jpgOftentimes, leaders are not always measured on their wins or successes but rather their mistakes and failures. A leader is supposed to have wins; therefore, they are oftentimes overlooked. However, those mistakes stick out like a sore thumb.
hcsp.jpgThe best way to describe it is to say that Spouse and I are in love. We are crazy about each other. We've lived a lifetime of building a good marriage.

But there are times when we disagree. Not argue - we don't participate in that activity much anymore. But we just plain and simple do not agree on a specific topic. Be it the children, the climate, the animals, or something else, we come at it from different perspectives and make dissimilar deductions.
hcsp.jpg
"Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:13 (NIV)

"It's okay, slugger. Keep trying. Remember, 'Practice makes perfect.'"

The Little League baseball coach attempted to encourage my son who'd just struck out at the plate. Coach Mike wasn't the only adult to utter that phrase to one of my kids during their young life. 
hcsp.jpgWhen you think of fishing, what image comes to mind: a solitary figure with a rod and tackle box, patiently choosing a lure, casting, and reeling? Or a commercial shrimp boat with nets spread wide?
hcsp.jpgIn October 2009, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. This legislation created a firestorm of controversy, with exaggerated and unfounded claims being made on all sides. According to some, pastors who preach against homosexuality from the pulpit, or even quote passages of the Bible pertaining to homosexuality, will be guilty of a hate crime. Is this fear warranted?
hcsp.jpgI'm fanatical about a lot of things: coffee, books, clothes, work, running--not necessarily in that order (in case my employers are reading this). But more than any of these activities, I'm fanatical about sleep. Like Brooke Shields and her Calvin Klein Jeans, nothing gets between me and sleep.
hcsp.jpg
SUNDAY EVENING EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE
WITH DANIEL WHYTE III

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:5-11:  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  
hcsp.jpg
The legacy you leave is the life you lead.

For a long time I did not think about leaving a legacy. It seemed arrogant to me that I should leave a legacy.  What do I claim as my legacy? A building maybe? We did erect a building for the church that we started and pastored, but I didn't build that building -- we built that building. The elders and staff worked together to communicate the need, the people responded with time and money, but the Lord built the building. Since I left, the church erected two additional buildings totally without me. Others may claim a building as their legacy, but I don't think I can.

Be Transformed by Joyce Meyer

hcsp.jpgBut now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! . . . And . . . clothe . . . yourselves with the new [spiritual self ], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [ fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. --Colossians 3:8, 10

Epic Fail by J.R. Briggs

hcsp.jpgI've attended many pastors' conferences--and seen hundreds of advertisements promoting others. All of these events were geared around a definition of success that assumed that "bigger" and "more" were a pastor's goals. I pushed back from my desk after reading an ad for one such conference thinking, That's a lot of pressure for a pastor. Furthermore, I wondered if the ad's assumed definition of pastoral success was even accurate.
hcsp.jpg"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV 1984)

I completely lost my patience and started yelling, "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

Praying for Your Children by April Motl

hcsp.jpgParenting is hard. And yes, we don't have kids, so no, I'm not going to offer advice from a soapbox I have no business standing on. However, I do want to share a piece of parenting I learned from the "back-side" of things, from my own childhood.

Of all the things my parents did right, praying for me bubbles to the surface of my memory. I know they prayed for me. I remember it, I felt it. Their Christian friends prayed for me. I was a kid surrounded by some difficult times, yet equally surrounded by prayer.

Why Should We Witness? by Matt Slick

hcsp.jpg
Have you ever asked yourself, "Why should I witness?"  Several reasons should come to mind.

First, because Jesus commands you to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matt. 28:19). Also, Ezek. 3:11 says, "and go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not..."
SUNDAY EVENING EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE
WITH DANIEL WHYTE III

Our enemy, the DevilThe Bible says in Matthew 4:1-11: 

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Harps or Spears by Aaron Keyes

hcsp.jpgYears ago, a friend of mine asked me what I thought about some big artistʼs new worship CD, and I remember taking the opportunity to (ever so subtly) slander the artist. I was able to word it in a way that it sounded impersonal, objective, and merely a matter of opinion, but deep down I was giving in to a nasty little sin.

Guard Your Tongue by Richard R. Hammar

hcsp.jpgChurch office staff members often learn personal, and sometimes embarrassing, facts about other individuals. When it comes to passing on information, an administrator may feel confused or experience tension about what to say and to whom. Defamation can occur in situations in which the alleged offender is acting in what he or she believes is the best interests of the church. In fact, that often is the case.
hcsp.jpg
There's a great deal of pain out there.

Recently, a pastor's wife wrote with her husband's story. After beginning a successful church, then merging with another and watching it grow into something special, he was suddenly ousted from the pulpit and victimized by unscrupulous leaders. His anger is almost palpable, she says. Depression sits on him like a vulture.

All for God's Glory by Tony Evans

hcsp.jpg
In His Presence: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity (2 Peter 3:18).

First Corinthians 10:31 tells us that even our eating and drinking should be done to the glory of God. God's glory is like a pair of colored glasses that tint everything you see. Whatever you do should be done for His glory. The question you must now ask about everything is, "How will this glorify God?"

Next Generation Needs by Sam S. Rainer III

hcsp.jpg
Leading Millennials requires exercising a different type of authority.

They are America's most educated generation, most diverse generation, and surprisingly, America's largest generation. They're the Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000. And they are beginning to get married, enter the workforce, and lead the world.

hcsp.jpg
What the globally connected, purpose driven pastor is learning and unlearning about mission.

"It's not about you." Those are the first four words in a book you may have heard about--The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. While that sentence alone is a much needed tonic for a culture that's become increasingly me-centered, it also has come to describe the ministry vision of Warren himself.

Let's Make Time by Lynn Cowell

hcsp.jpg
"...for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed." Ecclesiastes 3:17b (NIV 1984)

I didn't want to...yet I did.

Hungry, cold and dirty, my daughter walked through the door, home from softball practice. She wanted a snack, to talk and a hot shower, in that order. I wanted to keep working. I was on a roll; walking away from my computer was going to stop my progress.

Why Men Need Valentine's Day by Kevin East

hcsp.jpgI haven't liked Valentine's Day since 5th grade. Cindy Smith was the girl for me back then. Valentine's was my opportunity to express my vast, undying love for her. I did the best I could to fully describe it in a little hand-written note. To seal the deal, I topped it off with a few sweethearts in the same envelope. She read my note, ate my candy, and then promptly threw the note down the sewer drain.
SUNDAY EVENING EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE
WITH DANIEL WHYTE III

Our enemy, the DevilThe Bible says in Matthew 4:1-11: 

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Witnessing to Neighbors by Jim Killam

hcsp.jpg
Being a good neighbor is a natural and effective way to share your faith.

Most people, when they move, picture the ideal neighborhood: friendly couples, with well-behaved children, who drop by (always at the perfect time) with a plate of cookies--or perhaps to mow your lawn.
hcsp.jpgMy top recommended book on a biblical theology of worship is David Peterson's Engaging with God. If you're responsible for leading in your church, either as a pastor or a musician, I think you'll serve people more faithfully and biblically if you read it. I go through it every year with my interns and never fail to come away from our discussion times with fresh understanding and inspiration for leading corporate worship.

Trademarking the Church by Brock Shinen

hcsp.jpg
Editor's note: Two stories that garnered recent, widespread media attention have put the spotlight on churches and trademarks. Mars Hill Church in Seattle recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to another church over the use of a name and logo similar to its own; in Chicago, a church's trademark for a ministry has been challenged by Adidas, the athletic apparel company. We asked attorney Brock Shinen, who represents Copyright Solver and other faith-based organizations across the country, to address how churches should handle such situations.

hcsp.jpgThe predicament of the American church is that we live in a kind of Magic Kingdom. Like going to Disneyland, you buy your ticket, and once you are inside the gates, everything you experience is controlled. The rides, the food, the shows are all there to entertain and amuse you. All you have to do is be there and observe.
hcsp.jpgDr. Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished many things in his much-too-short life, and he initiated many more -- some of which continue to blossom today. His most-remembered moment came on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when he delivered his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C.
hcsp.jpgWe have been instructed by Jesus to "occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13). But how are we to be occupied? The answer is clear in Jesus' last instructions to His disciples in Acts 1:8, "You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." We have been left on this earth to lead others to Christ. Witnessing makes the wait worthwhile.
SUNDAY EVENING EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE
WITH DANIEL WHYTE III

Our enemy, the DevilThe Bible says in James 4:7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 

As you may recall, we are in a series titled "How to Avoid Being Destroyed by the Devil". Last week, the first message in the series was titled, "The Unseen Devil is Just as Real as Our Unseen God". In that message, we covered three important points, which are as follows: 
hcsp.jpg
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

We were off the beaten path for about an hour when we realized we were lost. I pulled the car into a small motel to ask for directions. There were two elderly men sitting behind the counter with their feet up, watching a small television set.

Gaps in our Ministry by Steven Furtick

hcsp.jpg
At its core, ministry is about connecting people to God.

For me, that automatically brings the idea of a bridge to mind. Now of course Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross is the only bridge between God and humanity. But in ministry, we're connecting people to Jesus, who ultimately connects them to God. So the bridge metaphor is apt.
hcsp.jpg
When is a youth worker too old to be effective?

I've noticed something that happens to us youth workers around our mid-30′s, or so. We find ourselves unable to naturally relate to teenagers. Most of us have reached a point where we don't automatically pick up on their references like we did in our 20′s. They mention a fad or a movie and we realize we have no idea what they're talking about. This happens enough, and it begins to bother us.

God's Plan for Marriage by Chuck Colson

hcsp.jpgSo often we hear that allowing two men or two women to marry will not hurt anyone, and certainly not "straight" people. Well, the truth is, we already know what happens when a society promotes sexual license and devalues marriage. We just have to look at history.

Way back before anyone was talking about so-called "gay marriage," radio talk show host and Jewish theologian Dennis Prager wrote a fascinating article called -- get ready for this -- "Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism Rejected Homosexuality."
Bestselling authors, Valorie Burton (Successful Women Think Differently -- Nonfiction) and Vanessa Davis Griggs (Forever Soul Ties -- Fiction) lead the bestsellers list of Black Christian authors on the February 2012 edition of the Black Christian News/Black Christian Book Company National Bestsellers List. BCNN1.com has also released the February 2012 edition of the BCNN1/Amazon.com Kindle E-book Bestsellers List. This list ranks African-American Christian e-books based upon their sales rankings in the Amazon Kindle e-book store. Also, BCNN1 is releasing the February 2012 edition of the BCNN1/Barnes & Noble Nook E-book Bestsellers List. This list ranks African-American Christian e-books based upon their sales rankings in the B&N Nook e-book store.

Press Releases

Christian Booksellers Association
Bestsellers List

BCNN1/BCBC
Bestsellers Lists

Lookup a word or passage in the Bible


BibleGateway.com


World Vision Advertisement
When Black Preachers Preach Advertisement

Whyte House TV Advertisement