Resolution On The Importance Of The Annual Church Profile

 RESOLUTION: ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ANNUAL CHURCH PROFILE

 WHEREAS, The example of Paul and Barnabas in bringing a report to the church in Antioch (Acts14:26-27) established a precedent for the value of giving testimony to the work of God through our efforts; and

WHEREAS, Our present work of teaching the Gospel and creating disciples through the church is equally important to the health and growth of the Kingdom and should be evaluated regularly by the local church and pastor, as well as by leaders in the local association, state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention; and

 WHEREAS, The Annual Church Profile system is an essential tool for gathering information to identify some of the visible results of the work of our churches, thereby helping us see trends and better understand the effectiveness of our methods and strategies; and

WHEREAS, Completing and submitting the ACP annual survey reflects support of the cooperative effort and contributes to the cooperative spirit that characterize our Great Commission fellowship; and

WHEREAS, This yearly administrative exercise offers a beneficial opportunity for self-evaluation to churches and pastors; and

WHEREAS, The ACP survey data is used to determine the representation of Louisiana Baptists on the SBC Executive Committee, the LBC Executive Committee, the trustee boards for NAMB, the IMB, as well as to set the number of messengers each church qualifies to send to the state and national conventions; and 

WHEREAS, Approximately 15 percent of Louisiana Baptist Churches do not return a completed ACP survey form; and

WHEREAS, Users and administrators across the denomination have collaborated to simplify the ACP survey, reducing the number of questions and making it easier to understand; and

WHEREAS, The ACP survey can be completed online as well as in paper form; and

WHEREAS, Associational and state leaders offer help with completing the ACP survey, now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 174th session of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, meeting in Monroe, Louisiana, November 16, 2021, call on all pastors and churches to complete and submit the ACP survey each year; and be if further

RESOLVED, That we affirm the value of an accurate, yearly testimony to the work of Christ in Louisiana through local Baptist churches; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge associational and state convention leaders to actively promote participation in the ACP process, by highlighting its importance at annual meetings and also using other forums and means to encourage pastors and churches to take part.

#TurnInTheACP

 

Greetings!

I'm Clark Palmer, 64, SBC pastor from Pineville, LA. I'm asking for your help in creating a widespread emphasis on returning the Annual Church Profile. 

When I became Moderator of our local association, I considered setting some goals for increased attendance and/or baptisms. I searched for data to create a baseline and discovered our numbers were off. There were no discernible trends. One year we were up, the next down.  Numbers from a decade ago showed the same issue. I realized part of the problem was the number of churches not reporting. In fact, one of the largest churches in our area had not turned in an ACP recently.  

Clearly this is a problem for determining such things as  representation on our state Executive Committee and messengers to annual meetings and tracking progress or the lack of it.  Then I began to wonder if this could also account for at least some of the reported overall declines for the SBC in terms of attendance and baptisms.  

So I'm on a campaign to ask our leaders at all levels to make some noise about the ACP this August.  I have created the hashtag, #TurnInTheACP. I've started a twitter account devoted to this @acp_2021.  My request to you folks is to give some visibility to the effort.  This is non-partisan. I just think we need good numbers.

Also there is value in church leaders seeing their numbers and making adjustments accordingly. I know I've had years where the numbers revealed a lack of attention to certain areas of our ministry. 

The person with Lifeway connected to the ACP is Scott Mconnell. He's aware of my interest but I'm strictly a one-man team. He would be a good resource for information.  

Thanks for reading and considering, 

Clark Palmer

Simple Ways To Show Love At A Funeral

1. Take the time to attend. Your presence will mean the world to them. (Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15) 

2.  A funeral is a time to give attention to things being said and done. Your engagement matters. Probably it would be best to turn off the cell phone and put it away. 

3. Prior to the service visit quietly and respectfully. Now’s not the time for hootin’, hollerin’, and carrying on, as much fun as those things are. 

4. During the sermon, eliminate the chit-chat. You may not realize it but your side conversations can be heard everywhere in a funeral setting. 

5. Do your best to not be a distraction in anyway, that means take care of any personal needs before or after the service. The restroom will be there. You can probably wait.

6. If there is a time during the service to share a memory or a comment, don’t hesitate to stand up. Your kind word might be what the family needs to hear. Also, keep it brief.

7. In your conversation with the family make it about them, not you. Show your love because love helps heal hurting hearts. You don’t have to have anything clever or insightful to say. “I’m sorry. I love you. I’m here for you.” That’s about enough. 

8. Have a conversation with your teenagers about this list. Don't let them walk into the first funeral they attend unprepared to love well with their behavior. 

9. As much as we love small children and as hard as it can be to find someone to care for them, a quiet and sometimes emotionally difficult funeral service might not be the place for them. 

Ten Practices For Jesus Followers (1-3)

What are the basic practices that ought to be part of the life of those who have committed to following Jesus? Once the Holy Spirit has drawn someone to trust in the atoning death of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, now what? How does someone continue on as a believer? What would their life look like now?

Over the last few years, I've been asking these questions.  I wanted to be able to give a concise, clear answer to the question, "What now?"  If I'm all in on following Jesus, what do I do?  I've developed this list of ten practices.  These are not "THE" ten practices.  There may be more.  But I'm convinced that these ten ought to be in all of our lives on a regular basis. These can be done in different ways and take different forms but the essence of them is indispensable.  

They are not legalistic requirements for gaining or keeping God’s love. These ten are helpful exercises that shape our attitudes and character. These disciplines help us flourish spiritually and be emotionally healthy. All of them are part of creating a transformed character in you so that you can bring joy and benefit to the world around you.

The first three practices are:

   1. Surrender daily to the rule of God.

   2. Live in the Word and by the Word.

   3. Choose love in every situation.  

Here are messages on each of the first three.  Check back later as others are added!

Practice 1: Surrender Daily To The Rule Of God

Practice 2: Live In The Word and By The Word

Practice 3: Choose Love In Every Situation

  

Fighting Back Against Depression

Depression is a battle we'll all face at some point. I recently shared some thoughts with the good folks at Faith Baptist Church -Tioga to help us think about the issue. In these two talks, I share some of the basics of how we get depressed and how we can turn our thoughts toward God and hope and move forward.  The notes below are in addition to the central, Scripture-based, insights that I share in the talks.    

Depression- Part 1 The Downward Path

Depression-Part 2 The Way Forward

12 more practical steps you can take.

Remember: You are responsible for your mental, spiritual, and emotional health.  You can do it.  I believe in you. 

1. Rest - Your mind needs a rested body to function well.  Sleep might be the best performance-enhancing thing you can do.

2. Exercise- A simple 30-minute walk can have a tremendous, positive, mood-altering impact. Repeat daily.

3. Use ways of getting your mind off your troubles that do not make your problems worse.

 * A change of scenery.   

 *An uplifting book or movie.

 * Have your Quiet Time at a coffee shop.

4. Get help.  See a counselor. There are several in our local area of Alexandria/Pineville.  I know and trust Dr. Gilliland, Counselor .

5. Take medication if a health professional recommends it. 

    Medication can interrupt the negative cycle of thoughts. There is no miracle drug and there is no overnight cure but what they do is give you rest and some help. Then you can get on with the business of learning better how to face and think about your problems.

   It's a bit like being in water over your head - a life preserver can let you rest/relax and figure out a better strategy. You’ll still be in the deep water....but now you can swim on in a helpful direction.

4. If you are depressed don’t make the mistake of assuming it’s because you are a bad or inferior person. It happens to everyone. Don’t think it can’t happen to you. It can descend on you so powerfully that it has you in its grip before you know what’s going on and you may need help to get over it.

 

5. Put your thoughts and feelings into words. Journal. Share about your blah’s with a friend. See number 12 below as well.

6. Remind yourself that you are in a tunnel, not a cave. Be patient, it may take time to get back. 

7. Deal with the source of the depression if possible. Take Direct Action

    * Change your job situation.     

    * Take steps to improve your financial situation.

    * Change the relationship situation when appropriate and in appropriate ways.

    * Break the pattern or habit of sin.     

8. Strive-For-Straight-Thinking. 

 You might be the victim of distorted thinking.  Why is that important?  Because our thoughts, our self-talk/self-coaching control our emotions.

 Avoid these four thinking mistakes:

 A. Selective Memories.  We remember every bad thing that has happened to us and we forget every good thing.     So a single negative event can make us feel that we are trapped in defeat.  We dwell on the negatives.

B. All or Nothing Thinking.  If our performance falls short of perfection we see ourselves as failures.

C. Magnification. We exaggerate the importance of negative things and minimize the value of what's good.

D.  Jumping to Conclusions.  From one event we conclude,  "I never do anything right.."  "Things never go my way."   He/she doesn’t call when you expect them to so you conclude “they don’t like me at all.

     These aren't rational.  They are not accurate.  They are not the truth. Don’t believe every thought that comes into your head.  Sometimes they are lies.

9. Surround yourself with emotionally healthy people.

     Isolation makes depression worse. The problem is you might not feel like leaving your house.  Rise to the occasion and push yourself out of the door.

10. Turn outward, find ways to serve and help. 

11. Do what will help.  Not what you feel like doing.

12. Begin or begin again a regular time with God. Read, ponder, journal thoughts on Scripture. Live in the Word.  Read the Psalms. Make a prayer list and bring all of your thoughts, fears, needs to God. Make a list of the things for which you are thankful, name those things before God. 

I'm Glad You Said That: The importance of the rightly spoken word.

Remember trying to solve a mystery or a riddle?  We look around desperately for a clue.  Some hint that will help things become clear. You shake the wrapped present, listening to get an idea of what’s inside. Someone whispers a clue and the light dawns and we’re grateful. We’re glad for what they said.

You were faced with a problem and then someone said something that unlocked your mind to see a way forward.  We say with profound gratitude, “I’m so glad you said that.”

Or we see a lingering injustice, a situation that’s out of kilter and finally someone stands up and says something so that correction can happen.  We say “I’m so glad you said that.”

We’re unaware that our headlight is out or that our inspection sticker has expired or that our tire is low on air and someone says something and problems are prevented and we say, “I’m so glad you said that.”

Proverbs 25:11-12 expresses the feeling of joy and appreciation of hearing the helpful hint, the valuable clue, the appropriate warning.
:11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.
:12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.  

We often need someone to say something helpful. Life can be a mysterious riddle, we need all the clues and hints we can find.

For centuries, Jesus followers have found valuable clues and hints in the Scriptures. The Word opens the door of our understanding to the grace of God, the value of love, the evil of my sin, and so much more.

Read the Word. Listen to it taught. Go on a Sunday to a place where it is the center of attention. Position yourself to receive beautiful, helpful, true words.

You'll find hints and clues to help you think better and understand more deeply.

You’ll find yourself thinking, “I’m so glad someone said that.”

Simple Thoughts On Prayer - Part 1

There are those who believe in God but are unsure about how what to say in prayer.  These few thoughts in this blog and the next are for you. This is simply a description of how I pray in the hope that sharing my practice will help you get started.

These are things I ask for every day, knowing I need God’s help with them every day.

I am sharply aware of my limitations, imperfections, and inadequacies so there is a sense of urgency to all of them.

You’ll see that in much of this I’m doing the alliteration thing. I didn’t set out to do that it.  It just developed that way.  I like it because it helps me remember what I need/want to ask for.

First - God, I’m Yours.

It seems right to start the day with a prayer affirming my complete availability and submission to God as well as asking for His power for kindness, love, and strength for service. It helps me be in the right place as I recognize the rightful place of God.  If you want an "e" to keep the theme going, you might declare that you want to "Empty" yourself of you.

Second - Engineer The Day. 

I ask God to engineer my day. He is the Master Designer of all things  I trust He knows what is ahead. I trust He is wiser than me on the use of each minute. I trust that He can arrange the events, provide the guidance, and steer me through each task. As a teenager, I encountered Proverbs 3:5-6, this prayer for God to divinely engineer my day comes from these words, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”

Third - Empower Me

 I pray daily for God to empower me. The New Testament (John 15:5, Galatians 5:22) makes it clear that for there to be any of the character of Jesus in me, it will require a work of God’s Spirit. And, it’s not automatic. So I ask, “Holy Spirit empower me,” acknowledging what I know to be true, that there’s nothing in me that can produce the fruit of virtues such as love, kindness, and so on. My worldview starts with a belief that there is a God, who really does interact with people, and who can supernaturally work in them.

I would caution you against thinking that asking for God-empowered character eliminates the need to make efforts in that direction. That would be, in my view, unbiblical. I ask for a kind heart AND I strive to be kind. God works in me AND I engage in every effort in the same direction.

(To Be Continued.)

I'm Certainly Not Taking The Blame!

I blame Christmas. Or maybe it was the candy makers who shall remain unnamed. They made the sweet, chocolatey delights. They put the peanut clusters right there! Right in front of me where I had to walk by them.  And those things with the peanut butter in the middle and the chocolate on the outside. WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?? They basically forced me to consume them. And then what happened? I saw a number on the scale that I didn't like. It's their fault. No question. Wait....maybe the scale's broken? I hadn't thought of that.   

One thing's for certain:  I'm not taking the blame. The number I saw and what I may or not see in the reflection (I admit nothing) is their fault.  

Them. They. Him. Her. Isn't that how it goes? It's always someone else's fault. 

This is what we do, isn't it? We look for someone to blame.

Looking for someone to blame is a bad, unproductive, no-good  habit of the mind. And it's all too common.  

Two things about this blaming business:

First, it guarantees we won't fix the real problem. We won't look for how we contributed to the outcome. We won't evaluate our role, and we'll never see where we can make some changes.

Second, it often pushes someone away and raises the tension in the room.  Telling someone “it’s all your fault” only puts them on the defensive or triggers their sense of shame. No one wants or needs that. Here's what never happens:  You blame someone for what happened and have them respond with a genuine "Thanks for pointing that out. I take full responsibility, and I'm better for knowing that I did it." 

There is a thinking shift needed. Break the habit of instantly looking for someone to blame. Recognize the truth: When things go a bit sideways, we all contributed. Be honest about your part of making the mess.  Sharing your contribution first, will help get a conversation off to a good start. Then you can attack the problem, not the other person/people involved.  

Remember the words of I John 1:8 - "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." You build credibility when, with authenticity, you own your part of the problem. The path to progress always passes through honesty with your self about what really happened.

I need to wrap this up now. There's still Christmas candy in the kitchen that someone has to tend to.  

The wound of rejection or the gift of acceptance?

Rejection hurts.  We’ve all had a taste of it.  Or more.   Maybe from the group that didn’t want you or the parent that left you or the spouse that walked away.  Rejection wounds us and leaves us shaky and fragile and scared.

The New Testament tells us stories of rejected people who were shockingly accepted and intentionally loved by Jesus.  Read about a tax collector/thief/traitor in Luke 19.  See the story about a woman from a minority with a questionable past in John 4.  Or the story of the woman caught in adultery John 8.  In each case, Jesus did the unusual.  He pushed past the surface barriers to connect and offer kindness and hope.

You have a choice today.   You can wound others deeply by ignoring, avoiding, criticizing, rejecting.  Or you can offer the gift of making someone feel accepted and seen and cared for. 

“But, but, but....if you knew them you’d know they are bad people who do bad things.”  Possibly true.  However, there’s a difference between condoning or endorsing behavior and accepting/loving people.  Re-read the stories.  Jesus never once endorsed misbehavior.  In fact, part of his gift to them was to point them in better directions. 

“But, but, but....I’m not Jesus.”   True.  But then there’s this: “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did”   I John 2:5-6

So look past the differences and the issues today and find someone to move toward in love and acceptance.

The Ten Minutes That Matter

You have a public life. It’s the part everybody sees. There aren’t many who don’t give at least some thought to how they appear to others. That’s why my most frequent fashion question is, “Does this look ok?” I’m not even sure what “ok” is all the time but a certain part of me fears not getting there. It’s not just clothing, it’s the impression you make: calm, cool, and sophisticated, that’s the ticket. Or competent. Or deep. Or spiritually strong. Sometimes you want people to think you care. Sometimes you want them to think you just don’t care because you are that confident and together. But whatever the goal, we can all give a lot of time and attention to carefully crafting an image.

Many have a professional life. That’s where you perform for a paycheck. You tell someone, “I’ll get the job done.” Every day you go out there and put your effort, skill, and energy toward fulfilling a promise and getting a reward in return.

You have a personal life. You interact with family and friends. You have conversations and go to Dairy Queen and take walks together.

And, we all have a private life. Our private life is hidden from everybody else.  But here’s the thing, who you really are is determined by what you do in your private life. It’s alone, in a private place that you think through your values and decide what matters. It’s in the private moments that you connect with God, confess, repent, surrender, and settle the matter of who’s in charge in your life that day. You don’t build your character while you’re in public, at work, or with your family. If it’s going to happen, it happens when you are there in your private world, through feeding on the Word and the wisdom of others.

Everything about your public, professional, and personal life depends on what happens in the hidden, secret, solitary minutes of the day. The strength of a building doesn’t depend on the flooring or the paint or the pictures on the wall. What matters are the solid timbers and steel beams and the foundation that are hidden from sight.

So, are you giving time and attention to your private life?  Maybe tomorrow take ten minutes to set some priorities, remind yourself of the kind of person you want to be, read some Scripture, and tell God you need Him. All of that will show up in the rest of your day in a very good way.

Do Something Good Today

I love this description of Jesus from the book of Acts in the New Testament:

Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

He went around doing good.

Is there better advice for how to live life? Here are a few thoughts on doing good.

1. Do something good today because that is what you were made for. The New Testament doesn't teach that you are by your good works but you were most definitely saved FOR good works. You don’t have the capacity to do every good thing...but you were made to do some good things. In the area of your strengths and gifts and capabilities, do some good things tomorrow.

2. Do something good today because you doing good will please your Father in heaven.  Jesus made it clear, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) It's the "doing" that shows the reality of inner, genuine saving faith.

3. Do something good because the good things you do are the building blocks of a better world. It is true, we reap what we sow. Do good and good will come from it.

4. Do something good today and don’t let the devil keep you on the sidelines. Evil will whisper in your ear, "Who are you to try?  You're a nobody and your efforts will be wasted." Ignore that nonsense.

5. Do something good today and don’t listen to your excuses. “It’s not my job.”  “I”m too busy.”  “I’m too old.”  “I’m too young.”  “I don’t know how.” Ignore this nonsense too. Refuse to listen to your excuses.

6. Do something good today and don’t let past failures stop you. You may think the mistakes you’ve made in the past disqualify you from doing good today. If only people without past failures were eligible to do good then good things would never be done. Samson and Peter and Paul and many others...did their best work after they’d made serious mistakes.

7. Do something good today even if it seems like it's too small to matter.   Only God gets to decide what’s big and what’s little when it comes to doing good. I suspect the widow who did a small good thing in giving her mite to the Temple treasury is glad she didn’t think that act too small to count. I imagine that the boy with his lunch of fish and loaves is glad he was willing to do a small thing as well. You may have a sense of exactly what you could do and yet you hesitate because it seems so meaningless. Do the good things that are in your path regardless of how small they may seem.

8. Do something good even if it involves a task that seems too big for you.  If God puts the big job in your path, find the first small thing you can do towards tackling the big job and get after it. Every big job gets done because someone makes up their mind to start it.

9.  Do something good today because your family needs it. Family is responsibile to take care of family. Today there is some good thing that needs to be done for a family member. You can turn a few spare minutes into a chance to bless and help your spouse or a  child or a parent. You can warm their hearts and create the kind of family spirit that we all want in our homes. It may just be that someone else in the family is watching and the next generation may end up doing even more good things because of what they learned from you.

10. Do something good today for the glory of God and the love of others. Don’t get caught up in the need for applause or affirmation.

11. Do something good today because you need it. There is nothing that will bring you greater joy than doing good for others. The secret to self-esteem is to forget about yourself and do good for others. The more you focus on others doing good for you, the more miserable and unhappy you’ll be. You will never be more satisfied and fulfilled and happy in life then when you are doing good for others. Today, for your own sake, do something good and you just will find yourself at the end of the day, maybe a bit tired but able to look back with joy and gratitude on a day full of good things done.

Four Words. Four Prayers.

Listened to Annie Lamott (my new favorite) this morning.   (See her talk here.) .   She said there are only three prayers.  “Help.”   “Thanks.”   “Wow.”   There is some truth there.   I'll add one more.  "Sorry."

Help
I think we honor God when every day we ask Him for help with everything.   Our asking shows that we really believe He’s that powerful and that kind-hearted.  Our asking shows that we really understand how much we need help.  When we ask for help we exalt Him and we walk in an appropriate humility.

Here’s a great bit of instruction about asking for help all the time in everything from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
                Philippians 4:6-7

Thanks
Everything is a gift.  Every new day.  Every bit of sleep.   Every old friend and every new friend.  Every good thing.  And even the tough things are a gift to help us trust and grow and change.

Wow
God does amazing things doesn’t He?    When we trust Him across the years He guides us to places we could have never gotten to on our own and looking back we say, “wow.”   When we let His Spirit and his Word shape us, we become better people than we would have ever become on our own and we say “wow.”  We look at the intricate complexity of this world and the more we see how remarkable it is, we can only say “wow.”

Sorry
Sometimes we will fail.   Everyone reading this has pride issues and selfishness issues.  At times, fear drives all of us to anger and worry and other bad places.   That’s when we can just say, “sorry.”   And we can know that I John 1:9 is true, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”


Four words. Four prayers for all of us to pray.

Choosing Humility

There is nothing nice about pride.

I’m not talking about the pride which is akin to gratefulness.  I’m proud of my children.  I’m proud of my college.  Those sorts of pride are different.

 I’m talking about the pride that thinks, “I’m better than everybody else.”   That’s the dangerous kind of pride and from what I can tell, we all carry that with us like an invisible virus that’s just waiting to flare up.

A few weeks ago as I was preaching through I Peter, we came to I Peter 5:5 ‘In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,  “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

I love the picture of every morning, consciously choosing to put on humility.  Just as I select a shirt out of the closet, I can also choose the attitudes of my heart.

Paul seems to be saying that having humility is not automatic for any of us.  We have to reject the pride option and come out clearly on the side of humility every day.   It seemed to me that it would be helpful then to think about what the two attitudes look like.   I came up with this list which is helpful to me and may be to you.  I doubt it’s complete but it’s a start toward thinking about the issue.

1. Pride is bossy and controlling.  Humility is easygoing and sees leadership as service.
     
2.  Pride wants to be sure and get the credit, humility is content to have served.
   
3.  Pride is harsh and demanding.  Humility is gentle and understanding.
   
4. Pride doesn’t think about the feelings of others in the conversation or in the moment.   Humility is tender and empathetic.

5. Pride can be rigid and unbending. Humility is flexible and can adjust.

6. Pride is sinfully independent. Humility is gracefully interdependent.
    Pride would rather die than ask for help.
   The humble values the help of others and easily, comfortably acknowledges their need for help.

7.  The proud person is frustrated with the imperfections and weaknesses of others.  The humble soul is patient and accepting.

8.   Pride has to be heard NOW or else. Humility can wait.

9.    Pride hates to apologize. Humility is eager to set things right.
       Pride will defend, justify, ignore what happened, hide from responsibility and resist any suggestion of fault.  Humility will find no problem in recognizing that they can be wrong.

10.  Pride feels entitled. Humility is grateful.

11.  Pride hates correction and the suggestion there might be something lacking. Humility welcomes it because it is fully aware that there is room to grow.

12. Pride secretly thinks “I’m better.” Humility knows, “I’m not special.”

13.  Pride wants (needs?) to be better than...   Humility is content to do well.

 14. Pride automatically loves its own ideas best.  Humility welcomes everyone’s input
   Pride really wishes everybody would just keep their thoughts to themselves...because, why bother...”haven’t I spoken?”
   Humility honestly, welcomes everyone’s input and questions and thoughts:

15.  Pride makes others feel small.  Humility helps others feel significant and valued.

16. Pride is closed to instruction.     Humility is eager to learn.

17. Pride is mortified when mistakes are made or weakness exposed.  Humility is not shocked or embarrassed,  but ready to correct, learn, and improve.

This is a list I need to read often.  I hope it’s helpful for you as well.

Four Reasons For The Gospel Study Guide.

1.  Children aren’t born knowing the Gospel.

    There is nothing automatic about the process of a person coming to understand and believe.

     Teaching and learning have to happen.  Your child’s sport team has scheduled practices. They set a time and place and begin to learn the basics.  You may have already said, “let’s go to the backyard.  I'll show you how to kick a ball or swing a bat.”   In the same way, you can set a time and place and begin to teach your child the lessons of faith that can lead them to their own relationship with God.
 

2.  You need a plan and a tool that will work TODAY.

    You are busy, busy.  You don’t have time to create a plan or invent and build a tool. You need something that’s ready to go, straight out of the box.   Once the Gospel Study Guide and a Bible are in your hands, there is no preparation necessary.  Find Session One and start.  It’s really that simple.

3.   Understanding builds over time.

    Very, very few of us “get it” the first time we are shown anything.

   We need multiple exposures to an idea.  We need to hear it and then hear it again.  Repetition and review are built into the Gospel Study Guide.  Over time, understanding deepens.

4.    The Word of God is powerful. 

      The Holy Spirit has always used the Word to bring about saving faith.   “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”  Romans 10:17     The Gospel Study Guide leads your children and teens into Scriptures that teach the big truths about our sin, God’s grace, and the work of Jesus.

Want to know more?

Email me at clark956@hotmail.com.  Or, if you are local, come this Sunday, Sept. 25 at 6:00 PM to Faith Baptist in Tioga.   You can see the Guide for yourself.  I'll spend out about 45 minutes explaining the process, walking you through the Guide, and answering questions.

The response of so many to the news I shared about The Gospel Study Guide (GSG) has been very encouraging!  Thanks everyone.

I thought I would mention a few things about this new resource so here are five things I want you to know.


1.    This is 100% a PRE-conversion tool to help students come to really understand what the Bible teaches about our sin, the work of Jesus, God’s grace, and faith.   As a pastor, I am often approached by children and youth who want to be baptized.  I want to be sure that they have deeply understood the Gospel and said a whole-hearted “YES” to it before they are baptized.  Those of us in Baptist and other like-minded churches hear this story often: “I was baptized when I was 6 or 7 or 8 but I really didn’t know what I was doing.  It was later that my faith became real.”    It seems to me that we can prevent those kinds of confusing experiences with better teaching.  I couldn't find a resource that addressed this need so over the last few years I've been developing one.  Now, here it is.

2.   This resource can be used by anybody - student, parent, church leader, in any setting.   The GSG takes the user through the Scriptures and the key concepts of the Gospel.  There are answer pages in the back so you can check your responses.  You don’t have to be an expert or a professional.  You can do this!

3.   There are several pages of instructions and guidance for the students who will use the GSG and for the parents or other adults leading sessions.   If you choose to use the GSG, I strongly encourage you to read these pages.

4.    This is the kind of study that a pre-teen or youth can work through more than once.  In fact, the more times they walk through it the better!   Some who have genuinely said “yes” to the Gospel will benefit from gaining a clearer, sharper understanding of what they did when they trusted Jesus to be their Savior.

5.   We all want our children and teenagers to experience this wonderful thing we call being saved.  But wishful thinking is not enough.   The Holy Spirit doesn’t use  vague hints or indirect pressure.   The Spirit uses the Gospel to convict and create faith.    The guide provides a structure for a sustained exposure to the Gospel facts.  This is a long look at what this thing called the Gospel is all about.  This is a tool to help the child deeply engage with the Gospel.  

     If you are looking for something that is quick and easy...this is not for you.   This for the parent or pastor who wants to bring an older student through a sustained interaction with Bible passages that teach Gospel basics.  This allows the child to discover the Gospel for him or herself.  It requires their mental engagement with the hope that it will lead to heart engagement.
   This will require a serious commitment of time but this is, after all, a serious issue.

Copies are available for $10 plus $2 for postage costs.   Email me at clark956@hotmail.com.   If you find this resource helpful, I hope you’ll tell other parents and/or church leaders about it.

Thanks!
Clark Palmer

Walking In Our Forgiveness

Let’s talk about being chronically miserable because of the sinful/dumb/foolish things we did in the past. 

Let’s talk about that inner voice that says, “You can’t worship, pray, serve, because of that thing or those things.”  Or, “You shouldn’t even mix with those other, ‘decent’ people.”   

You hear those voices and sharp-edged feelings of guilt and shame explode inside you.  

I suspect that all of us have some experience with guilt and shame.   We’ve all behaved in ways that fell short of what God intended and short of what others expected and needed.   For some, the past may seem littered with a thousand small instances of failure.  The memory of those multiple mistakes is ever present, stealing the joy from today.   For others, the present is haunted by that one big failure in the past that still clouds every day. 

On the one hand, those of us who are believers would affirm our belief that when Jesus died on the cross, it was for our sins.  We believe what we sing... “Jesus Paid It All.”   But the truth is we don’t always feel it.   We aren’t walking in the forgiveness that was granted us when we put our faith in Jesus.

So we carry extra baggage with us through each day.   Guilt.  Shame.  Fear.  Sadness.  Emptiness.  Hopelessness.  Like a low grade fever these drag us down.

   

Events....trigger memories that trigger shame.  Opportunities....excite you but then you remember... ”Oh wait, I’m not fit.  I’m not worthy.   I can’t serve.  I can’t attend.  I can’t pray.  I can’t speak up.  Who am I to get involved?”

  

We aren’t walking in our forgiveness.   

Walking in your forgiveness means that each day you actively remember what the Bible says about the sins of your past.   

Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

All of Psalm 32, but especially verse 5, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.    I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

All of Psalm 103, and best of all verses 11-12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth,  so great is his love for those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west,  so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

How will you greet the new day with joy again?   By walking in your forgiveness

How will you be real again?  By believing what God says about your sin

How will you serve again?   By fully owning the fresh start God gives to those who confess. 

How will you worship and pray again?  By knowing you stand fully accepted before God because Jesus took your sin with him to the cross. 

You have to walk in your forgiveness. 

Shut down the relentless attack by your memories.  

Healing of the memories comes as you stand up to that part of your mind that puts the record of your past sin on "repeat" so that it plays over and over. 
Sternly, firmly tell that accusing memory to be silent.
Subdue the voice that whispers ''condemned."

It speaks lies.

When those thoughts say, “You are worthless and unacceptable,” you can forcefully respond with the truth:  “That’s not what the Word says.  The Word says I’m a cherished, beloved child of my heavenly Father."

Live in  joy.   Approach God in prayer.  Say yes to the chance to serve.  Take your place among the believers for worship.   Pull up a chair and take part in fellowship with the rest of the forgiven sinners.

Walk in your forgiveness. 

The Gift of Encouragement

I read a story yesterday that reminded me that words are powerful.   Larry Crabb tells of a man who struggled for years with a drinking problem and depression.   In the course of his counseling interviews, this story emerged.  His father started a business which grew to be a large corporation.  Repeatedly, this man told him, “Son, when you inherit the family business, I expect that you will ruin it.”  

You can imagine the stinging pain and discouraging impact of those words.  After his father died, the man was driven to prove his father wrong.  The pressure to keep that prediction from coming true pushed him to work long hours.  He found that alcohol was a temporary relief from the terrible fear of failure.  Eventually he fell into a dark hole of depression. 

Certainly the story is a warning about negative, discouraging words.    But I tell the story to make this point - positive, encouraging words are just as powerful.  

It is within your power today to give the gift of encouragement to the people in your world.  And it won’t cost a dime or take up much of your time or effort.   

Everyone you meet today is struggling in some area of their life.   Everyone.   

In some corner of their world they are insecure or uncertain.   Most of them are weary from the struggle.  Some of them have forgotten that their lives and efforts matter.   They have the feeling they are toiling on alone, in the dark, with no end in sight.

A long time ago, there was a group of Jesus followers who were drifting away from their faith.  Surrounded by an environment that was hostile to their faith, they were on the verge of giving up.  The advice that came to them was this:

  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”   Hebrews 10:24-25

Today you will walk by people who are carrying some heavy stuff in their lives.  Some of those you will speak to today think their lives don’t matter.  Others are discouraged by their circumstances.   

What if we decided that today, we would target the people around us with some encouraging words?   There’s something to appreciate about everyone.  What if you gave voice to that today?

  

“Hey, thanks for being here.   You are such a helpful person.”    

“We couldn’t do this without you.  Thanks so much.”

“I know things aren’t easy for you right now but I admire you for hanging in there.”

“About that job yesterday....well done.”

“Don’t give up.  I believe in you.”  

I’m going to try to be more intentional about being encouraging today.   I hope you will too.  One sentence at a time we can do some good.

1 Encouragment, The Key To Caring.  Larry Crabb, Dan Allender. Zondervan Publishing House, 1984. 

Patient, Understanding, Tender

I wish I could hear how my words sound before I say them.

I wish there were a recall button that I could press that would pull those words back out of their memories, their minds, the air.

Sometimes I wish others could hear  how they sound.  I know they don’t mean to be harsh.   I know in my heart they don’t really want to be mean and rough and insensitive.

I wish I could go back and whisper in my own ear, “be patient, be understanding, be tender.”

I can’t do any of that but I can tell myself today,
 “Be patient - it will all be ok without you saying something that will sting.”
“Be understanding - they are probably doing the best they can and maybe struggling with problems you don’t know anything about.”
 *Be tender - after all, that’s how you’d want others to speak to you.”

We can be patient, understanding, and tender and still be firm.  We can still give clear direction.  We can still say no.

How can we get ourselves to a place where the tone of what we say is patient, understanding, tender?

Jesus pointed the way when he said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  (Luke 6:45)

Perhaps in our morning prayers we can adjust the setting of our heart and choose to be patient with those we’ll meet and those we love.   We can remind ourselves to be understanding because there’s a lot going on in the minds and hearts of the  little ones, the older ones, the cranky ones.  We can decide to be tender with others just as we would want them to be tender with us.

The Gospel of Mark Project

Last Sunday I called on the wonderful folks at Faith Baptist to stretch themselves a bit and take on the challenge of reading the Gospel of Mark in December.   Many believers have never actually read a Gospel straight through.  It’s a mind-expanding, faith-building, exciting process.

And it’s completely doable.  Mark is the shortest of the Gospels with only 16 chapters.  I’ve already received reports from those who have begun.

What better way to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world, than by reading his story?

So, I thought I’d extend the challenge.  Find your New Testament.  Start reading today.  The goal at church is to be done by the 20th.   I plan to recognize everyone who has taken the challenge.  But....the goal for you might be to finish by Christmas Eve.

So, how about it?   Read a chapter today.   And let me know on here or on Facebook that you’re joining in.

It Doesn't Matter.

Thanksgiving and Christmas usually mean family gatherings.   Family gatherings sometimes mean tension, conflict, hurt feelings....you know what I mean.   Rivalries flare up.  Old hurts are remembered.  Differences of opinion emerge. Pride and stubbornness appear on the scene.  There can be clashes when their agenda doesn't match yours. 

Some of you are already dreading the day.

So here’s a thought: What if you decided to simply say to yourself - “It doesn’t matter.  I’m here to love and serve.”

Someone suggests something outrageous like “Let’s not have pecan pie this year.”   And instead of reacting with horror and contempt, what if you just thought, “It doesn’t matter.  I’m here to love and serve.”

Someone brings up that “thing” from your past.  And instead of helping re-start that argument or planning to bring up that “other thing” from their past, what if you just thought,  “It doesn’t matter.  I’m here to love and serve.”   

Perhaps the whole day could go better, at least for you and maybe for everyone if the thought you had in your head was,  “It doesn’t matter.  I’m here to love and serve.”

After all, the truth is,  it really doesn't matter.

When the Apostle Paul was trying to help some friends move away from tensions and conflict, he shared these words:

 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."     Philippians 2:3-4

As you work your way through the various encounters of Thanksgiving week, put others first and keep telling yourself,   “It doesn’t matter.  I’m here to love and serve.”  

You may find yourself pleased at how well it all goes.