Unbelieving Generation

What happens if we don't pray? Have you ever considered the ramifications of a life without prayer, or a church without prayer?

Recently, I was reading the story of Jesus' disciples who were among a large crowd a the base of a mountain (Mark 9). When Jesus reunited with them, He found the disciples arguing with the crowd. The argument, of course, stemmed from the disciples' inability to cast a demon out of a young boy.

Jesus, after hearing why they were arguing, said to the disciples and the crowd, “O unbelieving generation” (Mark 9:19). Jesus then proceeded to cast out the demon from the young boy.

When the disciples were in a private place with Jesus, they asked him, "Why couldn't we drive it (the demon) out?" Jesus replied, "This kind comes out only by prayer" (Mark 9:28-29).

What amazes me about this story is the fact that the disciples had already experienced success in casting out demons in a previous chapter. In the sixth chapter of Mark, we see Jesus sending out the disciples in groups of two, and they were able to do that which they could not do in chapter nine—cast out demons.

What happened? They did the same thing they did last time—they followed the same program, the same method, used the same authority that they used last time—so what happened?

Clearly, the reply that Jesus gave reveals the problem. They didn't pray. However, the fact that they didn't pray reveals a deeper issue. The deeper issue is unbelief. A prayerless church is an unbelieving church.

If we really believed that God wants to do a great work then why aren't more Christians praying?

If we really believe that God is the one that provides all of our needs, such as volunteers or finances, then why aren't more Christians praying?

If we really believe that God wants to add people to His flock, that is to say, grow the church through corporate prayer, then why aren't more Christians praying?

Why isn't the church truly a house of prayer? I am afraid that the answer is found in the discerning words of Jesus "O unbelieving generation."

My prayer is that we won't be numbered with the unbelieving. “… when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

Praying for Revival,

A Marriage that Works

In my experience as a pastor, I have had many opportunities to give counsel to couples who desire to marry. I ask the couples to take a test that will help them see the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship. One of the areas that is dealt with on the test is marriage expectations. Every couple that has taken the test has always had a low score in the area of expectations. The reason that most score low in this category is found in their unreal expectations concerning marriage.

Every couple has a picture of marriage that is many times far from reality. They often think that the problems they face now will magically go away when they get married. They think that the fights that they have now will go away when they get married. They are wearing rose colored glasses when it comes to marriage.

My job in the counseling sessions is to take off those glasses and graciously aid them in understanding that marriage is a beautiful gift from God, but it is hard work. I try to tell them that successful marriages, that is to say, marriages that truly work are marriages where the devoted couples work hard to make it work. I communicate to them that a marriage that works is one where the married couples work hard at making it work.

If I was only allowed one piece of advice to give to married or about to be married couples it would be these words from the Lord Jesus Christ, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Marriages that work are marriages where God’s people are denying self and following Christ, meaning that God’s people are truly wanting to be disciples of Christ. Marriage is discipleship, and the sooner couples understand that reality, the sooner they can enjoy the fruit of discipleship in their marriage.

This study from the book of Malachi will give great principles to married couples on how to have a working marriage. The principles will be gleaned from marriages that were not working, and because they were not working they were not pleasing the Lord.

A Vision for Generations to Come!

Blessed!

I have been blessed by a wonderful church with a trip to Israel. I can't say enough how thankful I am for their generosity. I am excited to see in person what I have studied all these years. Thank you First Southern for allowing me this opportunity.

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!

It takes discernment to discover a vision for the church. Discernment is needed because a vision and strategy must originate with God. Consequently, much prayer and listening to God is needed. Waiting upon the Lord's direction is paramount.

When God is ready to make his vision known, the means by which God makes it known is through a leader. This is seen throughout the Bible. The most notable example would be Nehemiah.

It says in Nehemiah 7:5, "Then God put into my heart." That is how God communicated his vision to Nehemiah. It is also how God communicates his vision to his church. He will put the vision on the heart of the pastor.

As the pastor of First Southern, I am excited to share what God has put on my heart. I am more excited to share the journey of how God put the vision into my heart, and confirmed it along the way over and over.

You don't want to miss this Sunday!

Vision Sunday

On Sunday April 3, I will be sharing a vision for First Southern that God has put on my heart. This vision has been formulating for over a year. As God formulated his vision, he taught me some very important lessons in leading his people.

First, the Lord taught me to investigate before I initiate. Many great plans have failed because of haste. For the first ten months of my ministry at First Southern the Lord led me to prayerfully investigate the situation of First Southern.

Second, the Lord taught me to wait until he puts the vision in my heart. This process of waiting took ten months of soul searching. I wanted to make sure that what was in my heart was from God. When he finally gave me the peace I needed, I shared with the church what God has put into my heart.

On August 22, 2010, I shared with the church that God had not given me peace about relocating to the north campus, and that he wanted us to stay at the main campus. However, that was all that God had put on my heart at the time. I still didn't know what to do next, but God did.

Soon after I shared my heart with the church, I was contacted by an architect who said his firm would do the master planning for our main campus vision for free. This was a blessing because I didn't have a clue what to do next. I also knew that I needed to investigate further before I presented a long-term vision for the church.

After seven months of investigating and planning, I am ready to share the vision that God has for First Southern Baptist Church for generations to come.

Christian Leaders Are The Problem!

This morning, I had the opportunity to use Glen Beck, as an illustration. My focus was not intended to be on Glenn Beck and his false spiritual beliefs. No, my focus was intended for the Christian leaders who have embraced him as a Christian. He's not!

When leaders embrace someone whose beliefs differ from the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, there is a problem. People can be deceived to think that what Glenn espouses as spiritual truth is TRUTH. This concerns me tremendously.

I have been astonished how many Christian leaders have put aside doctrinal purity for the sake of political advancement. The kingdom we serve is not of this world, and the purity of the gospel we preach must be protected. Doctrine does matter. What you believe is important.

My prayer is for God's people to know the basics of Christianity and the uniqueness of the person and work of Jesus Christ.