The Dark Side

For some reason, the original Star Wars trilogy has been aired on TV several times in recent weeks. I remember when the first of what now is a six part series burst onto the scene. It was a refreshingly new movie that helped usher in a whole new series of space movies.

As you recall two of the key characters are Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Talk about opposites! Luke represented all that was fresh, new and innocent. He was ready to take on the evil empire and be a force for good in the universerse. Darth Vader, on the other hand, was an evil warrior for the Dark Side. He embodied what it really meant to be a villain. He was cold, cruel, and evil.

In one of the key scenes of the original triology, Luke and Vader are in a duel with their light sabers. During the course of the sparring Vader is constantly trying to lure young Luke to the "Dark Side," to join him on the side of evil. Luke steadfastly resisted the temptation even when it appeared that death was the alternative.

Is there a lession from Star Wars? Of course. What Darth Vader was to Luke and all that was good in the fictional universe of Star Wars, Satan is to the real universe. He is the ruler of all that is dark and evil. Like his Hollywood counterpart, Satan wants to lure us to the Dark Side. Especially vulnerable among us are the young. Those seem to be his most important targets.

How do we resist him? How do we help the young among us resist him? Two things are most important. First, a healthy and regular diet of the Word of God. Read the Bible daily! Second, consistent time spent with the one who has conquered the darkness with His wonderful light. Pray often!

Don't be lured to the dark side. Walk in light! (Check out Ephesians 5:8)

Johnny

Heavy

Sometimes the pastoral load gets a little heavy. Don't misunderstand . . . I love what I do and am grateful for the privilege to serve as a pastor. But there are those times when the pressures of spiritual warfare and of coming alongside fellow believers in ministry causes me to feel spiritually drained. There are so many needs, so many heartaches, so many hurting people who need encouragement and direction.

I praise God that He enables me to listen, pray and hopefully offer words of wisdom and encouragement along the way. Most of all, I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who is our daily guide and comforter. Satan is alive and well, but "greater is He who is within us that he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

Engagement

Well, it is now official. David popped the all-important question and Jana answered with a resounding "yes." My youngest daughter is now officially engaged. Congrats to David and Jana.

They have been friends since Jana was in eighth grade and she claimed even back then that David was the guy for her. It just took him a few more years to come around. Jan and I are very pleased. David is a wonderful young man who loves the Lord and will be a great husband for Jana.

They have set a wedding date for next April. With that in mind, the father of the bride-to-be is now taking donations for the wedding. Just kidding. We are looking forward to planning their special day.

192

192 is an important number for our church. That is the number of children we are expecting for this year's VBS (Vacation Bible School). This would be a sixty percent increase over last year's group, but we feel the Lord wants us to think big. I am so pleased that our VBS leadership team has embraced the vision of using Bible school as a tool to reach out to our community. I believe we will see a great number of unchurched kids participate this year and many of those will ultimately come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That, my friends, is the heart of our mission.

Most of our VBS staff is in place, but we still have a few holes to fill. Please join me in praying for God to lead the right individuals to make the commitment to help staff our school and in the process make an eternal investment in the lives of children.

192. I believe!

Johnny

Quick Trip

Monday was not a typical Monday for me. Normally on Mondays I clean up the desk from the weekend, contact those who visit with us on Sunday, send several emails and letters, prepare for our weekly staff meeting, begin preparation for the next Sunday morning's message, and a host of other things. This week I spent the day on the road.

As many of you know, my mom spent the night in the hospital on Sunday night. Thankfully she is doing great. On Monday I drove she and my dad back to Louisiana. It was an eleven-hour round trip, but it gave me more time to visit with my parents. God truly has blessed me with my mom and dad. They are the best. And as I have been preparing for the Mythbusters (Exploring the Parent Traps) series, I have thought a lot about them and how they have impacted my life. I truly hope that I am having the same kind of positive impact on my kids.

Remember myth number one from last Sunday: The Passive Parent is the Best Parent. That is a myth. Parents, let's be aggressive in the most important role of our lives.

This week's recommended book is For Parents Only, by Shaunti Feldhaun and Lisa Rice. Pick up a copy and let me know what you think.

Johnny

Men Who Pray

This morning I want to express my appreciation to a core group of men who meet each Thursday morning to focus on praying for our church, our community and our world. Many of these men have made it a regular part of their Thursday morning to be at the church from 6:30 to 7:00 to engage in one of life's great privileges. Each week we are blessed to enter into a sweet time of fellowship with the one who created us, and to bring needs and concerns to Him. I look forward to these special times. Men, your faithfulness is not only encouraging but also inspiring. Keep it up guys! God moves when we pray.

Johnny

The Monday Morning Anti-Blues

Sometimes people talk about the "Monday morning blues." There are no "blues" in my heart this Monday morning. I am so excited about the way the Lord blessed in our church yesterday. There was a great sense of excitement over our "One Mission, One World" focus.

I am so grateful to Jerry and Armentia Adams for their hard work and persistence in helping to keep us focused on missions and evangelism. Only God knows the ultimate value of their leadership. I am also thankful to all the volunteers who work alongside them: E-team leaders and members, other staff members and so many other volunteers who give time and energy to our global evangelism efforts.

I also want to commend our small group leaders for doing such a great job of making our small groups effective. Our groups are not only growing in numbers, but also in relationships and spiritual maturity. We were blessed to have 271 in small groups yesterday morning. God knows each one by name and cares passionately about them. Through our small groups we will have an opportunity to know and ministry to them as well.

I + I = E. It's working!

Johnny

Sweet Sounds

Hutch is expanding his vocabulary on a daily basis. He is now saying his own names (Hutch and Bristow), ketchup, sucker ball (suckers), ready, basketball, shoot the ball, dunk the ball, and a whole host of other words. It is so much fun to watch and listen as he is in that stage where he tries to mimic almost everything he hears.

So, I am trying to take full advantage of this window of opportunity. Whenever I am around him I say things like Go Bulldogs, just as often as I can. I know I am fighting an uphill battle but I am working hard to influence him into being a Mississippi State bulldog fan. I may lose the battle, but I at least I will go down swinging. By the way, if you love your pastor you will refrain from calling the hogs around Hutch for the next few months (make that years). I would not want him to be confused about where his loyalties need to be.

Regardless of the content of his words, it is just a pleasure to listen to that sweet little voice. Life is a gift from God . . . and what a precious gift it is. Oh, and did I mention the most important words that he is now saying? Papa J and Mama J. It doesn't get much better than that!

Johnny