In the Zone

"I can't believe your voting for Trump. If you vote for him, I have to seriously question your Christianity." "I would never vote for Hillary. I don't see how anyone who claims to be a Christian could seriously vote for her." The previous two statements are similar to things I have seen on social media the last few weeks and months. The statements aren't word for word quotes, but are pretty close to it. I believe they convey the messages I've read over the past few weeks. When I read them, I have to shake my head. It's almost as if Christians, on both sides of the political spectrum, are trying to guilt and shame each other to support their candidate. They'll even question the authenticity of someone's salvation based upon their intentions to vote for a particular candidate. And really, this needs to stop. NOW! When did your voting decisions reflect your status as a Christian? When did politics mean more than a dedication to C

Can you do those stereograph things? I can't. Stereographs are those images that you look like nothing but static. You look at them casually and nothing is there. Supposedly, though, if you cross your eyes and look a certain way and focus in the right direction, they will reveal some sort of hidden image. I've never been successful at finding the image. I remember, when I still lived with my parents, that my brother was really into them one year. He got a calendar that had a new stereograph image every month. I looked at the same image for a month and I still couldn't make the image materialize. Not if I crossed my eyes or looked over my nose or turned around three times and stood on my head. I just can't seem to see them. They just don't work for me. I've been told, though, that it is a matter or perspective. Just like 3D glasses in a movie, the idea is to change your perception. In the case of stereographs, you are changing the way your eyes look at

Black Lives Matter. White Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter. It seems like everyone has a hashtag and Twitter campaign to espouse their views. Everyone wants to start a movement or further a movement. This is especially true in the turbulent times that we live. It seems like every time I turn on the news I hear of more violence, more strife, more unjust and more divides in our country. It seems like everyone has their own solution. Some call for protests. Others for legislation. Some want more dialogue. Others want less. All of them are wrong. You see, the church is the solution to the racial, ethnic, social and economic divides in our country. The church, the bride of Christ, is authorized to speak on his behalf and promote an agenda of peace. It is a peace that comes only from knowing Jesus Christ. It is a peace that changes hearts. My wife has the ability to do many things in my name. That is because she is my wife. The church, as the bride of Christ, has the ability to do m

So the Ark Encounter is opening in Williamstown, Ky.  Surf the web and you will not miss the countless articles about the facility, many of them critical. Scour Facebook and Twitter and you'll find any number of memes and comments decrying the project and bemoaning the use of tax breaks for its construction. Yet, I just don't see the hate for it. First off, it is a theme park. If you don't like it, don't go. I promise you that if the facility fails to make money, it will close. Then you won't have to worry about it or see it and even have to comment on it. If you don't like, don't go. There are a lot of places I don't like, so I simply don't attend those establishments. Second, for all the complaints about tax breaks for the facility and how taxpayers are funding it, have you been to Williamstown? I have. In fact, I worked there for nearly seven years for the Grant County News. In my eighth year, the News office, like many other businesses in

A few weeks ago, I started a bit of a storm on my Facebook page. Now, I'm no one special and so I don't have that many followers, but I posted something that led to much discussion and even some blog posts. I had recently read the story about Trey Pearson , the Christian music artist who came out of the closet as a homosexual. In the article, it mentioned that he had to come out to his wife and children and in his words, he had to be healthy to them by being true to himself. As I read the article, I saw many, many posts congratulating him on his decision, encouraging him and praising him. As I read these posts, something occurred to me: why do we praise a decision to break up a family? So I posted the following: So seriously, if a man comes out as gay and leaves his wife and children behind, he is celebrated. If a man has an adulterous relationship with another woman and leaves his wife and kids for her, he's vilified? Am I the only one who sees the disconnect?

WARNING: This is not one of my typical blogs. I am delving into politics so if this isn't what you want to read, go ahead and leave now. Still here?  Good. I face a unique conundrum this election cycle. The Republican Party, in nominated Donald Trump, has selected someone in whom I cannot vote for. His campaign antics, name-calling and cursing have rubbed me the wrong way. His positions have changed too much for me to trust his policy decisions in office. He attacks evangelicals who oppose him and slanders anyone who questions him. I just don't trust him to run the country and he certainly does not align with my views. On the other hand, the Democratic Party will nominate Hillary Clinton, who is also someone I cannot vote for. She has covered up governmental actions and cost the lives of soldiers. She, too, has flipped positions over the years. She supports the current administration's policies, which I feel have been devastating for our country. Worse than that, sh

Last Sunday at our church, one of our church members shared a powerful testimony. He had a sense of urgency we all need in our present times. Having recently been diagnosed with cancer, he shared the truth of his diagnosis and his walk with Jesus. He shared boldly and bravely about what it means to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. He invited his family, friends and members of the congregation to give their lives to Jesus before it was too late. He gave a poignant reminder of something we should all be aware of: we are all dying. Whether you have cancer, a common cold or are completely healthy, you are dying. I am. You are. We all are. No one will live on earth forever. 100 percent of us will one day die. Yet, we live as if we won't. We make long-term plans. We avoid awkward conversations and moments. We keep thinking we'll have more chances to make things right or to share Christ with our friends and family members. We push things off. But the fact still remains: we won&#

This past week was our AWANA closing day and carnival.  It was so much fun seeing all these children get their hard-earned awards from the AWANA year. Then we celebrate with a bouncy house, games, candy and prizes.  It is one of my favorite events of the year. You see, I love AWANA. I love the ministry we have for children and parents in our community. Ministering to children is so vital in our context and in our Christianity. Jesus, in Mark 10:13-16, rebukes the disciples. Some parents brought their kids to Jesus to be blessed, but the disciples wouldn't let them come. Surely Jesus has more important things to do, they thought. But Jesus didn't. He makes it plain to the parents and the children and the disciples that he has plenty of time and resources for children. "Let the children come," he proclaims. In other words, they have value to him. He wants everyone to know that children are just as important as adults and religious teachers. We must live that way

America is for sale.  Did you know that? The price for freedom, for legislation, and for public policy is bought and sold and boycotted and threatened. Case is point number one: In North Carolina a bathroom bill that requires people to use the bathroom of the birth gender has riled many famous musicians and leaders. Already Paypal has decided to not open a new center in the area. Bruce Springsteen , Bryan Adams and the band Pearl Jam have all cancelled shows, citing their disagreement with the new law. Case in point number two: In Georgia, a religious freedom act was passed, but eventually vetoed by the governor of the state. He faced pressure from Disney, AMC, the NFL and others who threatened the city with economic boycotts if the bill was approved by the governor. Fearing the repercussions of that, the governor caved on the law. Case in point number three: Saudi Arabia, in a move that should shock no one, has declared that if the US makes legislation they disagree with, t

As I view our country today and our current political landscape, I often get discouraged. Disney, Apple and the NFL have come out against a law protect religious liberty in Georgia. Some companies have threatened to pull out of the state if the law passes and is signed into law. In North Carolina, some citizens are in an uproar about a new law that will require transgender people to use the bathroom of their original gender. In presidential politics, we have candidates threatening to bring wives into the political spectrum and other candidates pre-emptively protecting their wives. Already we have legalized gay marriage in the United States. Abortion has been the law of the land for 30 years (resulting over 50,000,000 abortions). Currently laws in Texas limiting abortion clinics faces Supreme Court review where only eight justices remain and a ninth judge could swing the court back to a liberal stance. And I as read all these things, I start worry and wonder about the cou

Recently, Andy Stanley made some comments in a sermon that went viral.  In his message, he called parents "selfish" for taking their teenagers to smaller churches that didn't have separate middle school and high school youth programs.  Stanley since apologized in Christianity Today and on Twitter for his remarks. I like Andy Stanley. I've used many of his books in my ministry. His book on preaching has been a big influence on my own preaching and teaching style. He does great work at his church in Atlanta. Plus, he apologized, and we all make mistakes and say things we regret, especially on stage. So I'm going to give him a pass. No shots or anger or vilifying here. But I do want to take a minute to defend small churches. You see, in my rural ministry context, I have attended and served in almost exclusively small churches. None of the churches I have served on staff were greater than 200 people in attendance. All had strong and vibrant youth ministries.

In Illinois, the primary election is less than two weeks away. Election signs are just starting to crop up. Commercials are starting to air. The political season has arrived. As a pastor, I am often asked about voting and candidates and the political process. People will ask me whom I'm voting for or what I thought about the recent debates. They will pose questions about picking the best candidate and how to determine that. As a pastor, I am very honest about my choice. And I'll be honest now when I say I'm not totally sold on any one candidate. I am evaluating my choices and probably won't have a final decision until the day of the primary. But my process and my recommendation is always the same. Research the candidates for office. Don't just watch the commercials or believe the rhetoric. Don't blindly believe all the shots the politicians take. Spend time reading about each candidate and learning their positions on important issues. That's what mat

'Tis the season.  Yep, time for political signs, attack ads and bullet-point rehetoric.  It's election season. As I view each of the candidates, they each, in their own way, say similar things. What's the answer for your problems? More government regulation, more legislation and better policies. All of these things, according to the people running for office, will make your life easier and help you significantly. Among their words is the discussion of the poor. Who is poor?  Who is rich?  Who should be taxed? Who should be helped? But really, who is poor? In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said we are all poor.  We are poor in spirit. He defines poor, not by wealth or means, but by our utter need for the presence of God in our lives.  We are all created with a hole that only God can fill.  We are God-poor. We need him and only Jesus can provide a relationship with him. It's the foundational statement in the Beatitudes. Those who are poor in spirit, when they recognize th

God values you. Did you know that?  It's true. God values you. We see in the pages of scripture - Psalm 139 to be specific - that God formed you in the womb, called you by name and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Not only that, Psalm 139 tells us that God is all-powerful, all-seeing, all-knowing, ever-present and yet still takes time to form you and know you. God values you. So many times in our society, we feel undervalued by someone. We decry racism or classism or sexism or corporate greed or environmental factors that retard our growth and development as valuable members of society. We start movements or Twitter hashtags to rally our cause.  We use words like "disenfranchised" or "discriminated" or "left behind." All of that is to say we feel worthless, oppressed or distressed. We seek to right the wrongs that have been done to us.  Yet, we miss the point.  God values you.  It doesn't matter what your skin color is or

I cut out the above cartoon several years ago.  I depicts a think-tank with the results of their latest study:  Life is a leading cause of death and they recommend against it. It's funny because it's true.  You can't die if you are not alive.  So life, in fact, is the leading cause of death.  It's funny when we think of it in terms of all the studies on food and nutrition and health.  It seems like every study releases reveals that eating or drinking something will inevitably lead to our death due to some debilitating disease.  But the reality of this cartoon is far too often we take the punchline seriously.  Since life is the leading cause of death and hurt and pain, as a society, we simply opt not to choose life. This week marks the anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion.  In that time, over 56 million abortions have taken place. 56,000,000.  Let that number sink in for a minute.  While we decry gun sales, wars, health concerns about f