Leadership is important at every level of society. It is important in the family. God has called men to lead their families. It is important in our schools. Without good leadership, learning will be slow at best, and non-existent at worst. It is important in our churches. Pastors are called to lead local churches under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is important in our government.
Every two years this nation holds local, state, and national elections. We elect men and women to serve as mayors, councilmen and law officers. We elect people to serve in the Congress, in the Senate and in the White House. These individuals take a sacred oath to uphold the constitution of the United States and to serve the people of this great nation. How well they serve is often determined by the kind of leadership philosophy they embrace.
There are dozens of leadership styles. However, effective leaders have several things in common. Effective leaders understand the importance of submission. Effective leaders understand their limitations. Effective leaders know when to ask for help.
This morning I was listening to an interview with former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. She was talking about a national security meeting which was held soon after the 911 attacks. There were two things that she said which caught my ear. First, she indicated that President Bush called upon her to lead the national security leadership team in prayer. In my opinion, that is leadership! It demonstrated a willingness to recognize their own limitations and to ask for help. Later that evening Attorney General John Ashcroft sat down at a piano and began to play. The song that he chose? His Eye is on the Sparrow.
May the Lord give us leaders who recognize that they do not have all the answers and who are willing to seek His face, His wisdom and His grace.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Parenthood
Parenthood is one of the most rewarding roles a person can enjoy. It can also be one of the most challenging, frustrating and difficult roles. Parenthood is God's idea. He created marriage. He created the family. He is the one who produces life and blesses a man and a woman with a precious child. It stands to reason that He has some pretty good ideas on how this parenthood things should work.
On October 31, we will start a four-week sermon series exploring principles from the Bible that will help parents through each of the major phases of parenthood. Join us each Sunday morning . . . and invite others. You can read more at http://www.hdbc.org/.
Monday, October 18, 2010
It’s the little things that often make a big difference. My office has one window and that window faces East. It does not happen every week, but I usually get the office before the sun comes up on Sunday mornings. I love the ability to gaze out the window and watch the dawning of a new day, especially on the Lord’s day. There is something special about meeting the Master during the quiet, still moments before the business of the day starts. It reminds me of the wonderful truth that “His mercies are new every morning.”
On weekdays I am usually up walking when the sun peeks over the horizon. Even those days, I am reminded that God is a God of freshness and new beginnings. Imagine what life would be like without new starts and the ability to begin again. It would get old and boring. I am so glad that God refuses to let that happen. Because of Him, life is not simply a single extended era, but a variety of moments, hours, days and years which are as unique as a person's fingerprint.
Thank you God, for new things.
On weekdays I am usually up walking when the sun peeks over the horizon. Even those days, I am reminded that God is a God of freshness and new beginnings. Imagine what life would be like without new starts and the ability to begin again. It would get old and boring. I am so glad that God refuses to let that happen. Because of Him, life is not simply a single extended era, but a variety of moments, hours, days and years which are as unique as a person's fingerprint.
Thank you God, for new things.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Gift
God has given many gifts to his people. We have the Bible, which is a guidebook for living. In it we not only learn who He is but how much He loves us. This is such a precious gift. We have the Holy Spirit living within us. God has given us His spirit, to guide, comfort, encourage and direct. What a wonderful gift. We have family. The family is God's idea. He set it up. It was His idea. What a marvelous gift.
We have the church. This may be the most neglected gift that God has given to us. Most believers have never stopped to think of the importance of this gift. In the church we have companionship, encouragement, mentoring, fellowship, accountability, ministry, and so much more. Because of the church, no believer has to walk alone. The church is God's answer to our need for relationships with other believers.
I cannot imagine my life without the church. I cannot imagine my childhood without Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I cannot imagine my teenage years without youth choir, retreats, mission trips, camps, and fellowships. I cannot imagine my young adult years without a group of other young adults walking alongside Jan and I as we adjusted to our lives as adults. I cannot imagine my current life without the sweet fellowship of Highland Drive Baptist Church.
To outsiders looking in, it may seem like only a building. Oh, but it is so much more. It is forgiveness, acceptance and comfort. It is service, ministry and fellowship. We laugh with one another. We cry with one another. We care for one another. We love one another because He first loved us.
The church . . . what a great gift! Thank you, Lord.
We have the church. This may be the most neglected gift that God has given to us. Most believers have never stopped to think of the importance of this gift. In the church we have companionship, encouragement, mentoring, fellowship, accountability, ministry, and so much more. Because of the church, no believer has to walk alone. The church is God's answer to our need for relationships with other believers.
I cannot imagine my life without the church. I cannot imagine my childhood without Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. I cannot imagine my teenage years without youth choir, retreats, mission trips, camps, and fellowships. I cannot imagine my young adult years without a group of other young adults walking alongside Jan and I as we adjusted to our lives as adults. I cannot imagine my current life without the sweet fellowship of Highland Drive Baptist Church.
To outsiders looking in, it may seem like only a building. Oh, but it is so much more. It is forgiveness, acceptance and comfort. It is service, ministry and fellowship. We laugh with one another. We cry with one another. We care for one another. We love one another because He first loved us.
The church . . . what a great gift! Thank you, Lord.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Men of Issachar
David was a gifted man. A musician, poet, shepherd, and king. But above all he was a warrior. He knew what it meant to be in battle, to risk life, to fight for a cause. There were times when he fought alone. He protected sheep during the night, and walk into the valley to take on Goliath. But as this warrior’s reputation grew he began to find himself surrounded by other men who also had a warrior mentality.
These men were tough, courageous, loyal men who would do anything for their leader. They seemed to thrive on the excitement of living on the edge of life and death. They were absolutely fearless. Their story is found 1 Chronicles 12. It reads like a report from the department of defense. They were an impressive force. These were fighting men who had earned great reputations. They are listed by tribes and groups.
They are also identified in some creative ways. There were the switch-hitters, the iron men, and others from various tribes of Israel. Then the Bible mentions a small group of men from the tribe of Issachar. They numbered only 200. But what is said about them is very important. They were not an impressive force, but they had two characteristics that set them apart.
They were Men of Discernment
The Bible says they understood the times. They knew the condition of their country. They saw the spiritual apathy and degeneration around them. They saw what the other warriors could not see. Others could see the battle at hand, but the men of Issachar could see the entire war. They understood what was behind it all. They saw the spiritual dimension. They knew that their country had followed a path of spiritual degeneration and that they needed a change.
The were Men of Direction
The Bible says they had a knowledge of what Israel should do. They not only understood the times, but they knew how to respond to the times. They knew that they needed to act.
These are critical days for America. May we understand the times, and may we know what we should do
These men were tough, courageous, loyal men who would do anything for their leader. They seemed to thrive on the excitement of living on the edge of life and death. They were absolutely fearless. Their story is found 1 Chronicles 12. It reads like a report from the department of defense. They were an impressive force. These were fighting men who had earned great reputations. They are listed by tribes and groups.
They are also identified in some creative ways. There were the switch-hitters, the iron men, and others from various tribes of Israel. Then the Bible mentions a small group of men from the tribe of Issachar. They numbered only 200. But what is said about them is very important. They were not an impressive force, but they had two characteristics that set them apart.
They were Men of Discernment
The Bible says they understood the times. They knew the condition of their country. They saw the spiritual apathy and degeneration around them. They saw what the other warriors could not see. Others could see the battle at hand, but the men of Issachar could see the entire war. They understood what was behind it all. They saw the spiritual dimension. They knew that their country had followed a path of spiritual degeneration and that they needed a change.
The were Men of Direction
The Bible says they had a knowledge of what Israel should do. They not only understood the times, but they knew how to respond to the times. They knew that they needed to act.
These are critical days for America. May we understand the times, and may we know what we should do
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Shattered Dreams
If you ever decide to read the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation you will read the biographies of hundreds of individuals whose lives touched the landscape of history. Some very good, some very bad, some apathetic. You will read of murderers, adulterers, redeemers and encouragers. You will read of betrayal, deception, forgiveness and courage. You will find characters who span the spectrum from moral purity to incredible wickedness.
Before you finish the first book of the Bible you will come across the life story of a dreamer named Joseph. His is one of the most amazing stories presented. From grandiose dreams as a young man he found himself in the depths of slavery and imprisonment, then ultimately to power and position.
His is a story of Shattered Dreams and how to respond to them. His is a fascinating story. And his story is repeated again and again in every culture in each generation. Even today there are those among us whose dreams have been shattered . . . not once, but again and again.
Before you finish the first book of the Bible you will come across the life story of a dreamer named Joseph. His is one of the most amazing stories presented. From grandiose dreams as a young man he found himself in the depths of slavery and imprisonment, then ultimately to power and position.
His is a story of Shattered Dreams and how to respond to them. His is a fascinating story. And his story is repeated again and again in every culture in each generation. Even today there are those among us whose dreams have been shattered . . . not once, but again and again.
Join us at Highland Drive Baptist Church as we explore the life of Joseph and learn how to respond to Shattered Dreams. The sermon series begins September 19.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Moments in Time
The history of our lives tends to be marked by moments in time. We seldom dwell on long eras of time, but are acutely aware of particular events that puncture the mundane of our lives. Sometimes they simply register a significant event to be remembered. At other times they radically alter the course of our lives. When I think back over the course of my life I seldom think in terms of months or years, but of moments.
I remember climbing into a tractor-trailer to ride with my grandfather when we were moving to Tennessee when I was six years old. I remember gazing out the window while my imagination expanded as my fifth-grade teacher read The Black Stallion to her class. I remember the first play that I ran at football practice in Monroe, Louisiana in August 1973. I remember watching Jan start down the aisle on our wedding day. Life is like that. When we look back we see a series of snapshots . . . each one an important event that left an indelible impression.
Our national history is the same. We remember it through moments in time. The surrender of the British at Yorktown. The discovery of electricity. The assassination of President Lincoln. The attack on Pearl Harbor or the death of President Kennedy.
The current generation will never forget the attacks on September 11, 2001. I vividly remember where I was when I saw the first tower fall. I am sure it is the same for most of you. For weeks we were glued to our televisions soaking up news related to those moments in time on 9-11.
Moments in time. Some of the most significant things that happen to us do so in short, unexpected moments of surprise. We tend to look only to the past when we think this way. It might be helpful to also consider the future. There will be other moments in time that will further mark the passage of this nation and of our lives. Are we ready nationally? Are you ready personally?
I remember climbing into a tractor-trailer to ride with my grandfather when we were moving to Tennessee when I was six years old. I remember gazing out the window while my imagination expanded as my fifth-grade teacher read The Black Stallion to her class. I remember the first play that I ran at football practice in Monroe, Louisiana in August 1973. I remember watching Jan start down the aisle on our wedding day. Life is like that. When we look back we see a series of snapshots . . . each one an important event that left an indelible impression.
Our national history is the same. We remember it through moments in time. The surrender of the British at Yorktown. The discovery of electricity. The assassination of President Lincoln. The attack on Pearl Harbor or the death of President Kennedy.
The current generation will never forget the attacks on September 11, 2001. I vividly remember where I was when I saw the first tower fall. I am sure it is the same for most of you. For weeks we were glued to our televisions soaking up news related to those moments in time on 9-11.
Moments in time. Some of the most significant things that happen to us do so in short, unexpected moments of surprise. We tend to look only to the past when we think this way. It might be helpful to also consider the future. There will be other moments in time that will further mark the passage of this nation and of our lives. Are we ready nationally? Are you ready personally?
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