Hot Button Issues #5: Too Much Grace?

A divorcee in your church with three children volunteers to teach a class of third-grade girls. She proves to be a good teacher and has excellent rapport with the girls. Several months later you learn that she has become pregnant out of wedlock. “It would be best if you step aside from your leadership role,” you tell her. “Your pregnancy is not a good example for the girls in your class.” She agrees to resign.

At her last class, her assistant teacher leads the class in a farewell gesture, which includes small gifts for the unborn baby. One of the girls’ mothers calls to complain. “Not only have you condoned her behavior,” she says, “but now you have celebrated it.”

After listening to the mother’s concerns, you try to provide some context for the assistant’s good intentions. “If we’re going to err one way or the other,” you say, “I hope we can err on the side of grace.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned,” the mother bristles, “there’s entirely too much grace around here.” How do you respond?

What Do Pastors Do All Week

This is absolutely hilarious. In every satire there is an element of truth. Enjoy.

Raising Boys the Way They are Wired

I've raised two boys and one girl and I can tell you that raising boys is different than raising girls. For all of the talk of equality of the sexes, equality doesn't mean there aren't differences.

This book has caught England by storm and will probably fare even better in the U.S. Boys like to live on the edge. That is why they often do dangerous things and we are left with picking up the pieces.

If you are raising boys, this book is a must read. It will help fathers engage with their boys in a wholesome, active way while steering them through the perils of adolescence. Although I was somewhat creative in raising the boys, I wish I would have had something like this to draw from.

For those of you out there with children, could you verify or disclaim my observations about the difference between raising boys and raising girls? Do you have any cool stories of some off the wall things your boys did that made you question your sanity, or theirs?

What Would Happen if the U.S. Military Left Iraq?

There is a lot of debate as to whether American forces should be returned from their mission in Iraq. Our Congress has been debating this for months now and most of it seems to be centered around presidential politics for the upcoming election. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of time spent on addressing what would happen if we pulled.

One commentator has ventured to start a bit of a discussion on the potential scenarios we can expect from a troop withdrawal. I personally believe that this side of the discussion needs to be had, regardless of how one feels about the veracity of the war.

The question for me is not whether we should withdraw, as eventually we will, but under what circumstances? What is our responsibility to the American public, the Iraqi people and the overall issue of addressing terrorism, despotism, fascism and general human suffering in the world?

Hot Button Issue #4

GRACE OR STANDARDS?
Arrested two years ago for a sexual offense as a minor, a 19-year-old returns to your church after serving his time and going through extensive counseling. He welcomes mentoring from your church’s youth pastor as well as from some mature peers. He submits himself to an accountability structure and agrees to stay away from the children’s ministry areas of the church. Some in the church, however, become concerned when he asks if he can join the worship band to play drums during services.

What kind of standards should be required for him to minister publicly? Does grace release him quickly into ministry or lead him through a process of restoring trust? Does grace protect him from the misunderstandings of others? Does grace guard him against further temptation by maintaining a tight leash on his activities? How do you minister to the young man? And what do you say to the concerned members of your church?

Persecution and the American Church

There are times when I wonder how my faith would hold up if I lived in a land where religious freedom was not guaranteed. I get annoyed at the idea that kids are being sent home from school for wearing a witnessing t-shirt, or that creationism isn't allowed to be taught alongside of evolution. What would happen if I lived in a place where my door would be kicked down in the middle of the night and I would be dragged out to an undisclosed location to be tortured for my faith.

This blog article kind of put it in perspective for me. I would like to believe that I would be faithful, but my pampering as an American Christian would probably never be put to a real test.

Have you considered what you would do if you lived in a closed country? Would you be able to tolerate persecution, and torture for the cause of Christ? How often do you think of your brothers and sisters in the faith in other countries who don't experience religious freedom?

Winning the Lottery and the Will of God

Imagine that you are a single mom, with maxxed out credit cards, and thousands of dollars in tuition bills. You are in a convenience store and you find a $10 bill. What would you do with the money?

This woman decided to buy lottery tickets, and wouldn't you know it, she won a million dollars! There are many, Christians included, who would rationalize such a purchase in light of the other pressing needs in her life.

Some would have purchased food, or medicine, or just treated themselves to a Slurpee or a cup of coffee, while mulling over their little, but good fortune. Maybe a few of us would have actually tried to find the person who lost the $10. But, she chose to buy lottery tickets.

What other options would she have had? What would you have done?

Hot Button Issue #3

A homosexual man (currently divorcing his wife) starts attending your church—bringing his three young children with him. He emails you telling you how much the music and the messages have touched his heart and challenged him to grow in his walk with the Lord. His email continues: “Would it be a problem for you if I bring my partner with me to church services?”
You hit “Reply,” and an email form pops up. With your fingers poised over the keyboard, you pause. What do you type?

Stand in the Gap II

It was October of 1997. Two busloads of Christian men left the campus of Christian Life College in Mount Prospect to participate in the Promise Keepers call to Stand in the Gap. It was a meeting of over one million men who descended on the Washington D.C. mall area to worship, pray and call our nation to a time of prayer and fasting. I will never forget that day.

While we were traveling east on I-80 it seemed that every other car, van or bus had a sign in its window that said something to the effect of: Stand in the Gap, I am a Promise Keeper, Washington D.C or bust, etc. During the wee hours of the morning, at every rest stop there were vehicles filled with men fellowshiping, praying and encouraging one another to call America back to God.

Well, it looks like another call is being extended. It's called "Stand in the Gap 2007" and will be held in October, ten years after the original call. Our nation needs a humbling time of prayer and worship once again like never before. Men are being called to take the lead. I'm planning on being there.

I took my sons with me in 1997. It was a bonding experience and unbelievably edifying. To stand in Washington, the seat of political power, and to declare to the nation that it is not by might, or by power, but by God's Spirit, focused my attention on who controls the universe, our world, our nation, my family and me.

Pass this message on to other men, pastors and church leaders. Let's make a statement in Washington in October. It's never to early to block that date on your calendar and do whatever it takes to Stand in the Gap. You can get more information by clicking here.

Christians and Movies

A while back (see post below) I wrote about the top 50 religious films. Christians watch, rent and purchase movies in the same percentages as non-Christians. Sometimes they are not as discriminating as they should be.

The motion picture industry is its own police when it comes to monitoring the content of their films. The ratings are not reliable indicators for content that is suitable for Christians to view. There are excellent websites that are helpful in determining a movie's content. You can try Screenit.com or HollywoodJesus.com, but there is no substitute for good old fashioned common sense applied with solid biblical principles.

What should Christians be watching, how and why? This post helps with some guidelines. The writer has put together an excellent three part series that can change the way you evaluate movies.

How many movies do you rent per year? On the average, how would you rate a typical movie offered up by Hollywood? What can Christians do to influence the movie culture?

Jerry Falwell: R.I.P.

Jerry Falwell, pastor, televangelist and founder of the Moral Majority has passed away. He was found unconscious in his Liberty University office earlier today and never recovered.

Rev. Falwell was instrumental in activating much of the fundamentalist and evangelical church movement in addressing moral issues socially, politically as well as religiously. He was a a lightning rod for leftist activists, politicians and liberal religious leaders. In the meantime, he founded a college (7,700 student Liberty University), had his radio program on hundreds of stations, and grew his local church to over 22,000 members. Not bad for one lifetime.

Although there were times when he got himself into trouble with some of his pronouncements, he was overwhelmingly a lover of Jesus and His church. He only lived to age 73. He was still dreaming up to the end and had plans to continue building and enhancing the influence of the kingdom of God on earth.

Well done good and faithful servant. Our prayers go out to his family.

Let's Stay Together

The good news is that divorce rates are declining. The bad news is that more couples of living together without getting married. The good news is that many children are being raised by a mom and a dad. The bad news is that premarital cohabitation arrangements rarely pass the test of time.

There is a new kind of divorce occuring that isn't necessarily being tracked. Couples splitting after living together for a year, two or more. Often children are involved and the pain and the heartache is no less real.

Studies have shown that couples who live together most often do not get married. These same studies also show that if they do get married, the chances of their marriage lasting is no better than for those who didn't live together before marriage. The statistics are even worse for divorced people who get remarried. They stand a 60% chance that their second marriage will also not succeed.

God's prescription for marriage is as simple as it is difficult. A man and a woman join themselves in a covenant pledging to remain faithful to each other while honoring and respecting their partner until death separates them. But our selfishness often gets in the way and the vows are cast to the wayside.

Selflessness is at the center of a successful relationship. To put your spouse ahead of yourself is what is mandated by a marriage covenant. If both participants in a marriage relationship are doing it, the marriage will succeed.

What erodes a marriage relationship? What have you seen in your experiences as the key for married people to stay married? What can a church do to enhance the possibility of marriage success?

Saving Money at the Gas Pump

Gas prices are going through the roof and the summer season isn't even started yet. You can expect the price of gasoline to go up right after Memorial Day. What can you do about it?

Well, there are some myths that need to be busted about gasoline usage. Some of the myths were true at one time, but new technology has made these obsolete.

Christians should also be concerned about gas prices but for other reasons beyond just the price. Gasoline is not a renewable resource. Sooner or later we will run out. Supply will not meet demand by as early as the year 2029. That means the price will get higher than ever.

What are you doing to conserve gas? What are you willing to do in order to address this ticking time bomb?

Hot Button Issues Part 2

AND BABY MAKES THREE

A couple comes to see if you will marry them. However, you know the man’s history. This would be his third marriage—and he refused your advice when his second wife wanted to save their marriage. Though he claims to be a Christian, he displays little change and doesn’t seem to have matured since then.

As you begin to tell them you would feel uncomfortable about marrying them, they reveal that they are expecting a child in six months. They tell you, “We think the right thing to do before our child comes is to commit ourselves to each other in marriage.”

Your associate recommends sending them to the justice of the peace, but you have nagging doubts about that approach: How can you speak redemptively into their lives if you can’t walk with them through their problems? How can you encourage them to attend church after they are married if you could not help them before they are married?

You may have been wondering where I've been the past week or so. I've been busy packing my stuff getting ready to move. There isn't much time to blog when all your stuff is in boxes and your head is preoccupied with a move.

Moving is a difficult thing. Not the physical part. A good night of sleep and few days of sore muscles and that part is taken care of. The hard part is the mental and emotional part. Every item you pick up to put in a box triggers a memory of a conversation or experience. If you are not careful it can take you forever packing your stuff. On top of that, casual visitors drop by to say goodbye and to reminisce about your time together. By the end of the packing you are emotionally drained.

I'll be doing a bit more blogging than usual the next couple of months. I'm taking some time off between ministry assignments to retool, for recreation, and to revitalize. If you are interested in corresponding with me now that I'm no longer at Christian Hills, you can reach me at rivera93342@juno.com.

I'm looking forward to this time off. I'm especially looking forward to honing some of the spiritual disciplines in my life. Silence, meditation, contemplation, prayer, fasting and searching the Scriptures to deepen my walk with God is high on my priority list the next couple of months.

How do you handle moves? What would you do if you had an extended period of time free?