Children's Stories

There are compelling stories in the Bible about how God relates to man. We traditionally teach our children these stories in Sunday School: Daniel in the lion’s den, David and Goliath, Joseph and his coat of many colors. But there is a disturbing phenomena arising in families across society. Children are being raised without hearing these foundational truths from God’s Word. Families are busy chasing after other activities and are leaving the Bible out of their homes.

The Psalmist stated, “Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders (Psalm 119:27).” Remembering the experiences of Bible characters is a great way to think on God’s nature. These stories, written from the oral traditions, make it easy to relate them to children.

I want to compile a “top ten” list of essential Bible stories for children. Send me your favorite three or five or even ten Bible stories. We’ll make a list together to share with families. I’ll send another blog with our results.

Is There Any Truth?

I get sick of reading and hearing editorialists interpret world events based on their political bias. Every national news network has its own slant on what is truth and they accuse all others of spreading propaganda. I would like to hear bipartisan truth. The Psalmist, looking for absolute truth wrote, “Show me how you work, God” (Psm 25:4).

Eugene Peterson, in Run With The Horses, “We get our interpretation of politics, economics and morals from journalists when we should be getting only information. The meaning of the world is most accurately given to us by God’s Word.” Our world is God’s creation. We are God’s creation. We live according to God’s design. Yet, we get our information from people who do not know God and do now want us knowing God as well.

As children we learned basic truths about life. As teenagers we learned everything that really mattered. As adults we came to realize that our knowledge was pretty limited. As we mature we come to know that our knowledge and abilities are limited, we are dependent on the world around us for the resources of life. This dependence is where God begins to teach us about his TRUTH - the ultimate and complete TRUTH. Not bent, or massaged, or spun, or slanted. Just basic truth that will last for all time. After you read your editorial page, open your Bible for a true interpretation of world events.

It's Time To Go

“It’s Time To Go”
Passage: Psalm 103:17 – “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children .”
For the last few years a couple of barn swallows have built their nest in our porch entry way. I am not a huge bird lover and didn’t like them dive-bombing my head when I went out to get the mail so I knocked down their nest. The persistent little creatures were not deterred by my efforts so they continued to bring their mud and rebuild their nest. One week while we were gone on vacation they completed the nest and we returned home to momma bird sitting on the completed nest. I’m not so heartless to knock down a nest with a momma and her eggs so we left it alone once again. Before long we heard the chirps from the fuzzy gray babies and knew they had arrived. Yesterday when I went out the door I was surprised to see three fully feathered birds perched on the edge of the nest. It looks like everything is going according to plan and any day now they will realize there is a much bigger world outside their sod home and even outside our porch and they will take that first scary downward dive toward a new life!
Our grandson Will starts kindergarten this next Friday at Oklahoma Christian School. I know how hard it was for my children to leave and go to school but it’s even harder for me to watch this firstborn grandchild leave the nest and enter the school world. It’s a big step and he is very excited and ready to learn but his mom and I know that he will face hurtful words and heartbreaking situations as he ventures out into the world and we would like to keep him from safe and protected a little longer. We have to trust his sweet young teacher Miss White will take care of him. We have to trust the school staff to ensure his education to be challenging and multifaceted. We have to trust ultimately in God’s Word parents and grandparents as we train him up in the Lord.
Our families are so much like the little barn swallows. We have our children for a while who are so dependent upon us for their very existence. They don’t know a lot about the world beyond what they can see but before long realize there is much more to see and learn. We are not as confident as a momma bird when they take their first dive into the world. We want to fly with them and keep them under our wing (so to speak) but soon realize we can’t follow them forever.
Amazingly God instilled in barn swallows the ability to return to the same nest each year so each year they build their nest in our porch alcove. I like to think they like the place and it brings fond memories of their growing up years (or in their case growing up weeks). I guess I will be a little more patient next year when the birds return and make a mess of our porch…it will seem a little like family coming home.

The Deadly Danger of Drifting

I mis-placed my grandson last week! I was coming out of Best Buy with Will, my five year old grandson, and when I turned around to say something to him, he was gone. I knew he was not far, but I could not see him. I walked back into the store but did not see him there, but when I walked back into the parking lot he was walking toward me with tears in his eyes. He had followed the wrong man out of the store and did not realize it until he ended up at the wrong pickup.

This is one of the ways we lose sight of God as Christians, we follow the wrong leader. Dr. John Allen calls this The Deadly Danger of Drifting - not rejecting salvation, but neglecting our salvation. It becomes easy to drift away from the things of God when we become distracted by the worldly culture around us. We drift away from God when we ignore the Bible, prayer, worship, and fellowship. We drift when we don’t take seriously the commands and warnings of God.

After Will’s little scare, he held tightly to my hand every time we were out of the truck: thus assuring he was not going to drift away again. Dr. Allen says, “you are as close to God right now as you want to be.” Are you holding tightly to God’s hand? Or are you dawdling along a few steps behind the Lord, watching all the things of a depraved society and not paying attention to God’s lead? Somewhere in life we all look up and realize that we are not standing next to our Lord, and we run crying to him for forgiveness - just read Psalm 51 for King David’s version of this concept.

This thought was inspired by Dr. David Allen who is teaching this week on the theme, "Engaging Our Culture." Dr. Allen is a dean at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas.

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Punishment Follows Disobedience

When our girls were in elementary school we went to Holdenville Lake (eastern Oklahoma) for a family picnic with my parents. While we prepared to eat I told the girls to stay away from the water until I could be with them. Of course as soon as my back was turned the girls started to wade around in the lake and got their clothes wet.
After lunch, in spite of the girl’s tears and my mother’s plea for mercy, we went home - no swimming, no sitting by the lake, no enjoying the day. It was a long trip home.

Who paid the price for the girl’s disobedience? Everyone! The day was spoiled for the family because I made a rule, the girls broke the rule, and I applied the punishment. It was an important lesson for the girls at the time, though they don’t remember the experience today, I have never forgotten it.

The writer of Hebrews states that Jesus made “purification for sin” (Heb 1:3). Since someone had to be punished for the sin of mankind, Christ died. That punishment came at a horrific cost to the Father - because it was at his command that Jesus was crucified. Punishment must follow disobedience: in families, in society, and in eternity.

This thought was inspired by Dr. David Allen who is teaching this week on the theme, “Engaging Our Culture.” Dr. Allen is a dean at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas.

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"Is That Valuable?"

On the back of my shop door is a piece of butcher paper with random scribbles in multi-colored ink. To anyone who would notice the door-size sheet they would wonder what it is and why it is there. It is the artwork of my two oldest grandchildren, Will & Hadley (work they did in my shop while I attempted to finish a project). The artwork is special, not because of its monetary value, but because of the value of my grandkids.

As my dad and I attended to the estate sale of my late Aunt Fannie, I noticed a small piece of color in the trash we had accumulated from my great-aunt's house. It turned out to be a small oil painting that my aunt had done many years ago. That small oil painting, about the size of a deck of cards, is now framed, matted, and is proudly displayed in our home - not because of the famous artist, but because of our love for Aunt Fannie.

Isaiah stated, "We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." (Is. 64:8). We are uniquely formed by God. The pattern of our life may not make much sense to our way of thinking, but to the Lord, we are beautiful. We are his artwork - flawed, broken, misshapen, but still his very own. We are created in the image of God. We are important to HIM.

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As the H1N1 virus lingers at the edge of the media consciousness, many people are left to wonder, "should I take this serious, or not?" In 1918 the Spanish flu, which originated in Austria, found a perfect breeding ground at Camp Riley in Kansas. What began in March of that year ended in November with over fifty million people dead around the world.

Today, the Center for Disease Control is at the front-line in the battle against deadly diseases and pathogens. Their mission: to control the introduction of infectious diseases. We trust them to do their job.

There is another serious threat that is always on the verge of overtaking and destroying. It is described by Peter, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). Sin is like a virus which infects and destroys, but it is not spread since we are all infected.

Luckily, Paul describes the vaccine for this deadly infection called sin - the spiritual armor of Ephesians. Paul describes it, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Eph 6:11). This armor is the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the feet shod with the gospel, the sword of the word and the shield of faith. These are tools that we take into battle that protect us against a fierce enemy and a deadly pestilence.

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Living the Community

During my childhood Sunday night was fellowship time for my parents and their friends. They would all meet at someone's home after church for snacks and discussion. It was always a special time for me, because there was plenty of food to eat, and I was always hungry. But beyond the food, there a comfort that came from knowing that there were friends around who cared.

Christianity is all about community. In small churches the whole church is community because everyone knows everyone else. In larger churches Sunday School or small groups are the center of community. Regardless of where a person attends church, the key to success is always in the aspect of community.

Eugene Peterson writes in A Long Obedience, "Scripture knows nothing of the solitary Christian. . . God never works with individuals in isolation, but always with people in community." The machinery of church is not sufficient to keep the body functioning, the church requires community. The fellowship and love of church members is the heart that keeps the body healthy.

Psalm 133:1 says in The Message, "How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along." People are not drawn to Christ through organization, plans, or purpose statements - they come to Christ because they see something alive in the church. Community can not be planned, it can not be manufactured, it can only exist through sincere Christian faith, love, and service.

Observations on children

While watching our Little Hands Preschool kids I made a few observations.
Four year old girls love to scream while they play. Is this practice for when they are married?
Four year olds prefer the oldest, cheapest, most worn out piece of equipment on the playground. Is this a direct correlation to the adage that the more expensive the toy, the more likely a child will play with the box it came in instead of the toy?
Let one kid pick up an unused toy and enjoy playing with it and every kid on the playground will want that toy they had earlier ignored. Have you ever heard of, “thou shalt not covet?”
Even at the age of three, kids have a “pecking order.” They will follow and do what ever the “leader” is doing. Is it ingrained in our minds that we follow someone?” And why is it, that more times than not, that “leader” is the last person we want our kids to follow?

Little kids give the greatest entertainment imaginable – I love to watch children play and interact with one another. Put ten kids, total strangers, on a playground and they will figure out how to play together within minutes. Children are honest about their feelings and they don’t mind being themselves at all times.

Many times I have been totally caught off guard by the insight that a kid can exhibit. Children have an ability to think of things that adults can’t think of any more. The other day my oldest, Heather, called because Sir William had a question for Pa. He wanted to know, “what does Heaven smell like?” Now what adult would ever ask that question?

Take a moment and don’t teach, scold, suggest or direct – just simply enjoy watching a group of kids. It is very relaxing, entertaining, and sometimes educational. We can always learn from the children that surround us.

My answer to Will? “Heaven smells just like a spring day right after it rains.” Got any better ideas? Go to the comment box and give me your suggestions.

The Problem With Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is always hard on us guys because we never have figured out what to do. Every so often we do the right thing and all is well, but then expectations are elevated and the next Valentine’s we do something dumb, and prove our ineptitude.

I remember back in third grade when we gave cheap little cards to all the girls? I went into the day with dread - knowing the wrong girl would get the wrong idea and I would be in a fix. All through elementary school I never knew what to do with the day, so I always bought my best girl, my mom, a box of candy. (with dad’s money or course)

When I got into high school I figured out that Valentine’s was a day of opportunity. If you liked a girl, you could send her a card and see what happened - in my case it was always nothing.

It wasn’t until I went to college that I met my ultimate valentine, a Freshman beauty from the hill of eastern Oklahoma. Lana has been my sweetheart from the first time I saw her. Even though on that first date she was with another guy, and I was with another girl, I still fell in love with her and nothing has been the same since.

But the problem still exists with this special day on February 14 - I still don’t know what to do. How do I properly express my love for the sweetest wife in the world. There are no flowers gorgeous enough to compare to her beauty. There isn’t a card that has ever been written that can describe my profound love for her. There has never been a box of candy that can measure up to her sweetness. There isn’t a diamond that is rare enough to match her extraordinary personality.

I will do my best on Valentine’s Day to tell Lana how much I love her. I will give her a simple gift that expresses my esteem. But no gift can ever express the overwhelming love I have for my sweetheart. Happy Valentine’s Day Lana, I love you.

The Antique Desk

People use our church parlor on a regular basis and never notice a beautiful antique desk which sits right next to the door. The table is used while Sunday School records are completed and occasionally used by the deacon secretary when the deacons are moved upstairs for their meetings. Otherwise, no one pays much attention to the small desk piled high with record books, paper, pencils and all the other church stuff found in our classrooms.

I had occasion to sit at the desk for a week while doing my private study time. Since I use various classrooms around the church to read and pray in the mornings I get a chance to see the classrooms where people meet. I also get to pray for the members of that class. Thus, I used the Adult 1 men’s classroom and their small records desk.

A survey of any church will find an inventory of hand-me-down furniture which has been donated by families over the years. Sometimes the items are extremely valuable and useful, while other items never find a home or use. This parlor desk is quite a find! It is small, well made and very useful for the space where it resides.

Church members seem to fit in the same categories as furniture. Some individuals are extremely useful from the moment they arrive, while others never seem to find their place. There are some who never even want to be noticed. But, God has a plan for every church member. He knows everyone’s personality, giftedness and purpose. We all have a place in the work of the church.

You may never fill a noticeable or public position in the operation of the church. But you may be like the small antique desk that was made for the spot where it resides. Everyone has a place - and must strive to find that place in their service to the Kingdom.

Can You Listen?

It is hard to listen. It is easy to speak, give an opinion, tell a story, brag, criticize, suggest, or simply ramble. It is hard to listen. Everyone has something to say, whether useful or worthless, it does not matter. It seems that the whole world is talking at once and it is impossible to assimilate all the chatter into something meaningful.

The Psalmists were constantly seeking to gain God’s attention to their plight in life. The writer of Psalm 7 even pleads with God to “wake up” and pay attention to his need for protection. We frequently are in need of a sounding board to the thoughts that are searching for release. Our associates and friends are open to ideas, solutions, and gossip but have no time for the emotions that swarm our lives. We need someone who will listen.

The writer of Psalm 7 goes on to say that God, “looks deep within the mind and heart,” and that the Lord, “is just.” It would be so nice to have someone who takes time to know our heart and is fair about the assessment of our feelings and thoughts. Jesus, through his emotion packed prayers, taught us that the Father listens.

Eugene Peterson, in Reversed Thunder, states, “it is rare to find anyone who listens carefully and thoroughly. (In having someone listen to us) we acquire dignity. We never know how well we think or speak until we find someone who listens.” Wouldn’t it be great if today we help someone build a healthy “self” by listening? It takes thought, practice, and self-discipline. Give it a try!

No Other Gods

I think often of what it means to worship God. Certainly, as a worship leader, that's vital to how I do my work. But every believer should consider what it means to be a worshiper of God.

We can learn a lot about what it means to worship God by looking at the first of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20). God begins by reminding the people of Israel that it was He who brought them out of Egyptian slavery. That statement must have immediately brought to their minds the many great miracles and wonders involved with their exodus from Egypt. When we worship, we should also begin with an understanding and acknowledgement of who God and who we are as His people. God goes on to tell the people in the first commandment that they are to have no other gods before Him (20:3). A good understanding of this commandment is that they were not to have any other gods "before His face." To do so would be an insult to who He is. God does not share His glory, and there is none worthy to be in His holy presence pretending to be Him.

So how does this affect our worship today? In corporate worship, we gather to first of all declare who God is -- that He is awesome, holy, and righteous in all His ways. We further declare that as God's people, we are aligning our lives to please Him. We have gotten rid of our idols, so to speak. "Idols"are anything that we may esteem or value more than God Himself. Psalm 139:23-24 says "Search me, O God...test me... see if there is any offensive way in me...". God, through his Holy Spirit, will reveal areas of our lives that where we have allowed the things of this world to take His place in our lives.

When we come together in worship, let us exalt the Lord, and let Him speak to our hearts. He calls us to bow down and worship Him alone.

Is it me or do some things take forever?

Are you as impatient as I am? Do you find yourself all the time calculating how long it will take you to do something and then are greatly discouraged and frustrated when it takes exponentially longer to complete the task? If so, you and I are cut from the same cloth.

The staff at FBC Burkburnett just completed a project that has taken about 6 months to complete - the redesign of our church website. This project was bombarded with problems from the beginning - many technological, some ideological, some pathological (I work with Bill Liggett you know). But in the end the project was completed ( go to www.fbcburk.com and see for yourself) and the staff is still talking to one another.

I thank the Sovereign Lord above that He is a patient God. He does not deal with me in the manner I deserve. He is long suffering - a word not often used today - which means he puts up with my shenanigans for as long as His character will allow. The love and grace of God rescues me from myself, and I often get what I don't deserve.