More Questions??

Pflugerville Community Church is ramping up preparation for the Explore God initiative. “Explore God” is a unique, coordinated effort to engage the greater Austin area in spiritual conversation. 300+ churches have signed up to host a 7-week sermon series and discussion group series, aimed at giving Biblical insights into life's most challenging questions. In our “Explore God” training we talked about spiritual ice-breaker questions. Some suggested questions included, "What gets you through hard times?" and "How are you doing... I really want to know?" Here are 7 additional questions Andrew Wilson offers in his book, If God Then What? Wondering Aloud About Truth, Origins and Redemption. If you’re interested in how he develops his questions you can pick up a copy of his book at http://www.amazon.com/God-Then-What-Wondering-Redemption/dp/1844745694/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374789586&sr=1-5&keywords=Andrew+Wilson

So, here’s his questions which I think are quite good:

1. What’s wrong with the world? I cannot imagine anyone saying, ‘nothing’.
2. What’s the solution? This is a question that effectively asks, ‘what’s your gospel?’
3. How did we get here? Lots of people haven’t got much further than ‘the Big Bang and then evolution’. But why was there a Big Bang, do you think?
4. Why do you think? Does the fact that humans love thought, and poetry, and spirituality, suggest anything about the nature of ultimate reality?
5. What is possible? If God is possible then presumably ‘miracles’ are possible. Dead people rising again, for instance?
6. What happened on 9 April AD 30? I'm not sure how Wilson came up with that exact date, but I think it’s important to ask people what they make of the resurrection of Jesus.
7. So what? It’s good to ask what they think it might imply if Jesus was alive. Who knows? They might even ask you what you think it implies.

Before asking those questions it would be wise to first contemplate them yourself, and even do a bit of reading and research. Let’s keep praying for God to pour out his Spirit upon us as we look for those divine appointments, opportunities to have a conversation about God. Miss the two training sessions? You can watch the first video, “How to Have a Spiritual Conversation,” here: http://vimeo.com/61399032 and the second video “How to Use ExploreGod.com” here: http://vimeo.com/63711008.

PCC Welcomes Scouts

Five leaders of local Boy Scout Troop 4277 crowded around the church boardroom table to make their case. In response to BSA’s national policy change no longer denying membership to boys on the basis of sexual orientation, another local congregation withdrew sponsorship and the free use of their facilities. So a local Scout troop was suddenly without a home-base. By “suddenly” I mean the decision was sudden, the Scouts were graciously given till the end of the year to find another meeting place. The five men representing Troop 4277 were requesting that Pflugerville Community Church pick-up the sponsorship and host the troop and pack meetings.

The Scout leaders pointed out that Troop 4277 is one of the larger troops in the state, largely as a result of its excellent adult volunteer leadership. They emphasized that a number of boys from PCC have gone through the Scouting program and were part of Troop 4277. In fact, PCC has had three Eagle Scouts in that troop in the past, and one young man is currently working toward his Eagle. Several members of PCC are current leaders in BSA. The Scout leaders talked about the good work BSA does in the community and in molding young men into leaders. They made their case and eagerly awaited the church council’s decision.

At that June meeting the church council of Pflugerville Community Church approved the request from Boy Scout Troop 4277 and Pack 406 to meet in our facility. PCC is the new official sponsor of BSA Troop 4277. The decision was unanimous. A warm welcome was extended to the Troop leaders. It was not a difficult decision. I understand that some congregations feel the need to draw a “line-in-the-sand” regarding the biblical position on homosexuality. However, I do not agree that severing congregational ties to BSA is the place to draw that line.

BSA has not changed the purpose or goals of their organization. What they have done is to determine that a boy will not be excluded because sexual “orientation”. I asked myself, “If a young man or woman in our church’s student ministry expressed feelings of same-sex attraction would that student be excommunicated?” My immediate answer: “Absolutely not!” Attraction does not equal sin. Temptation does not equal sin. We all have attractions and desires that would become sinful if acted upon or harbored in our hearts. What better place than the church for young people to find the grace, mercy, and support needed in both finding their moral compass and living up to it? That moral compass for us is Christ and the law of Christ which is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.

PCC continues to stand on God’s Word alone for the values we hold dear. We will not change the definition of sin based on the popular views of our culture. However, the most basic of all biblical values is love God and your neighbor. Troop 4277 is planning to begin meetings at PCC in August. I am sure they will find a warm welcome.

Coming to a Church near you: Explore God!

PCC, along with over 270 churches in the Austin area, has signed on to the Explore God initiative. The goal of “Explore God” is to invite people to investigate questions about God in natural, non-threatening conversations. I love that goal! It’s not one of those “evangelistic crusade” campaigns that tries to turn believers into Jesus salesmen. In September, along with the other pastors, I’ll be preaching a 7-week series of messages on the “Explore God” theme that deals with the hard questions like: “Does life have a purpose?” “Is there a God?” “If God is good, why is there evil in the world?” All of our fall small groups will be using corresponding Explore God study material. Nobody is expected to win any debates or close any deals. The idea is to engage in honest conversation.

You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to talk about God, but there is one essential, central, life-changing truth in the Bible that you’ve got to know. We call it the gospel. The word “gospel” means “good news”, the kind of the good news that changes individual lives, entire communities, nations, and the world. It’s good news… there is a God and he has made your redemption possible and the restoration of all creation guaranteed. The gospel is the point of the Bible, what the OT points to and the NT openly proclaims. All the little stories add up to the big story, the main story, God’s story, the gospel. You could say it’s “the main thing”. It’s what 270+ churches in central TX have in common.

“The Main Thing” is the title of the summer sermon series I began on June 2. The purpose of the series is to root firmly in our minds what the gospel of Jesus Christ is truly about, and not about. I hope to rediscover together the practical, life-changing impact of the gospel. Our text will be the eight gospel sermons found in the New Testament book of Acts. What do these 8 sermons have in common? How is each unique? What do we learn from each about the impact of the gospel on our lives and how to share the gospel? On June 2 we began with the opening chapter, the introduction to Acts, what you might call “the sequel to the Jesus story”. This Sunday, June 9, we’ll get to the first gospel sermon preached by Peter at Pentecost.

In case you missed it, the homework given at the conclusion of the message last Sunday was: Read through the book of Acts again paying close attention to the sermons. What do you learn about the gospel? Pray for the Explore God initiative. Ask God for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit.

Grace and Truth

Preaching is a delicate balance of grace and truth. Sometimes I miss that target. Sometimes what I say from the pulpit is just plain wrong. No preacher’s interpretation and proclamation of Scripture is flawless. Sometimes what I say is misunderstood. Sometimes truth gets tainted by my own bias. Sometimes my passion comes across as anger and/or judgment. I’ve said many times that the job of a preacher is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. By afflicting the comfortable I mean challenge to grow, to think deeper about God and faith and how we live that out. “Afflict the comfortable” also means preaching the gospel in a way that convicts people of sin, leading to confession, repentance, and spiritual renewal. It’s never my intent to heap guilt and shame on anyone just to make them feel very, very bad about themselves.

So I am disappointed, to say the least, that last Sunday’s (May 12) message came across to some as guilt-based, unfair, untimely, & offensive. Part of my preparation for the message that dealt with the tragedy of abortion included seeking out the counsel of two women I respect, my wife, who is a volunteer counselor at the Pflugerville Pregnancy Resource Center, and a woman that had told me she’d had an abortion many years ago. Obviously there is no way for me, a man, to know what it feels like to be a woman in the tragic situation of coping with an unwanted, untimely pregnancy. There is no way for me to comprehend what it’s like to feel trapped with the limited options available seeming equally catastrophic. So I took time to listen to a woman who’d been in that position and to a woman who counsels them.

I wanted to communicate my view that women who choose abortion are victims too. No woman wants to be in that situation. I want to be a church that welcomes all with love and grace and mercy, because we all need love and grace and mercy. I’m not sure why that failed to come through to some, but I deeply regret that it did not. PCC has supported pro-life in the most positive ways that we know how for the entire history of our church. That means providing financial support and volunteers to the Pflugerville Pregnancy Resource Center since its inception. This support has been open and uncompromising for 17+ years. On the other hand, we’re not into the politics of the issue. We do not campaign for pro-life candidates or any political candidates for any office period. I personally do NOT believe the answer is with Congress passing laws, courts striking down laws, or electing pro-life candidates. But we are for life; always have been, always will be. We will always be for the “least of these” and that includes both prenatal babies and their mothers.

Some may be right in saying that Mother’s Day was the wrong time for that message. I struggled with the timing. I even had a different message ready if I decided late in the week not to go forward with the original. In the end, I decided that it was part of the “Justice for All” series and that it fit. I felt like it was what the Spirit was leading me to do. That’s a subjective perspective. It was my decision and I won’t blame God for it, but I still feel that God was leading me. I’m not infallible; sometimes I miss God’s leading.

Christians differ on this issue. No one at PCC is required to sign anything supporting pro-life. No one will ever be asked to withdraw his or her membership from PCC over this issue. And for those offended by last Sunday’s message, I would like to have the opportunity to sit down face-to-face and talk. I feel certain that we agree on so much more than on what we disagree. It is not my goal or desire to change minds on the issue, but to make sure we understand our differences and what we stand united upon. So, if the message last Sunday challenged you, pushed you out of your comfort zone to think deeper and harder about your faith and how you live it out… good. I hope that happens every Sunday at PCC. If you were deeply offended and you’re angry with me about that message, whether it be the content or the timing I want to hear from you. I want to hear your story and better understand your perspective. I want to walk together in faith serving God together, even if we agree to disagree on some things. So call me. The church office phone is 512 251-0719.

Divine Guidance

Recently I received an email from a young man asking advice in determining God’s will for his life. He was looking for divine guidance regarding career and marriage and frankly, escaping what appeared to be a dead-end career-path in a location he believed to be detrimental to his spiritual life. Here’s how he put the question: “I would really appreciate your help in determining when God is trying to tell me something and when I’m simply hearing the normal voices in my head. How can a person claim to follow God if he cannot tell what God wants him to do?”

I thought it was a great question and was honored that he was interested in my thoughts on the subject of divine guidance. I began with a practical first step, “Seek godly advisors who love you and want God’s best for you, and that starts with your parents. Did you talk to your mom and dad about the direction you’re considering?” To which he replied, “I did. They said to call you.”

So I went on to my next piece of great wisdom: “God is more concerned with your character than your job. He is more interested in kind of husband you will be than the person you will marry. His primary directive is to love your neighbor wherever you live. You find this kind of clear direction in God’s Word.”

His response was, “Ok, but that still doesn’t tell me if the voices in my head telling me to move to a different state and look for a new career are from God or not.”

While I do indeed believe our character and remaining obedient to God in the basic commands to love Him and our neighbor are central to God’s will for us, I also believe He leads us in very specific ways as well. God didn’t call Abraham and then say, “Just wander in whatever direction you want as long as you have faith and love.” He said, “Leave your father’s house and go to the land I will show you.”

I asked that young man what he really wanted, what were the deepest desires of his heart? “I want to be good husband and father,” he replied, “and I want to leave this place.”

Those kinds of desires are from God. The desire to love, to serve, and to make the world a better place are from God. Desires that are essentially selfish are never from God. Desires that seem neither good nor bad are sometimes difficult to discern whether they come from our own hearts or from God. That’s where faith comes in. God may or may not be leading in a certain direction, but when we feel he is leading in a certain direction, after much prayer and seeking godly counsel, it’s time to take a step of faith. Why would we think that the God who requires faith to be saved would not require faith to follow his specific guidance? As the writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) (NIV) We can be certain of God’s love and presence when we are unsure of His specific direction. Faith requires taking a step when the way ahead is dark.

Do we hear God perfectly every time? No. But, the beautiful thing about God is that he is fully capable of bringing correction to our direction.

Sinai Revisited

Sandy on her Sinai Adventure

Exodus 24:13 (NIV)
Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God.  

Yesterday’s message centered on that obscure verse in Exodus 24 that reveals Joshua accompanied Moses to the top of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. On the way home after the service my wife, Sandy, said, “I could have added something to that sermon today. I know why Moses took Joshua with him to the top of the mountain.”

I was wondering if she had discovered something in the Exodus text that I had missed. She had certainly piqued my curiosity. “So, tell me why Moses took Joshua with him.”
Sandy proceeded to remind me of our own trek to the top of Sinai.

Early on Monday morning, March 12, 2007, and I mean really early, Sandy and I began our adventure of climbing Mount Sinai. Wake-up call came at 1:00am. After the short bus ride to the base of the mountain we were paired up with a camel and camel driver for the first two-thirds of the way up Sinai. I named my camel Chewbacca because he sounded exactly like the Wookie in Star Wars, no kidding. When my kneeling camel, and it was huge, made that loud angry Wookie growl just as I was getting on I wasn’t too sure about this mode of transportation up the mountain. There is no ski lift at Sinai, so I climbed on Chewy and held on for dear life. Chewy was feisty and fast. We passed 8 or 10 camels on the 8 foot wide path that zigzagged up the mountain. Sandy’s camel had a few problems.  She had the youngest camel driver, a 15 year-old Bedouin boy. She had to dismount after a short way so the young driver could tighten the cinch. Sandy’s camel fell far behind our group, but in the darkness no one knew. This was no little kiddie ride like you’d see at a zoo; this was an hour-and-a-half climb up a steep mountain path. The scariest part for me was when Chewbacca got close to the edge of the path allowing me, or perhaps forcing me, to peer down the sheer cliff beside the path. Chewy and the other camels were sure-footed and everyone made it to walking point two-thirds of the way up Sinai with Sandy arriving about 20 nervous minutes after everyone else.

 
There are literally 750 steps to the top from the place we dismounted the camels, and they are not easy steps. They were steps of varying height chiseled out of the stone face of the mountain often with the mountain wall on one side and a shear drop on the other. Sandy and started the long climb together. At about the half-way point her knees were hurting so bad she had to stop. I encouraged her to keep going, that we’d go slow and take plenty of rest stops. But it was no use; she was done. She told me to go on without her, and she’d wait at that spot till I returned. So went on to the top alone. That’s when she witnessed the reason Moses took Joshua with him up the mountain.
 
The place she had stopped had a large group of people that couldn’t go on. Enterprising young Bedouin boys were there as well, offering their services to the elderly and worn-out pilgrims who wanted to go on to the top. Some would hire two Bedouins, with one on each side to support and lift them to each succeeding step, they went on. Sandy passed on the opportunity to hire the human walking sticks, but she remembered watching others do so while listening to my sermon. “Moses was an old man when the people arrived at Sinai,” she said. “He needed Joshua to physically support him to get to the top of the mountain.”
 
She is probably right. And that leads me to a fifth thing Joshua must have learned about spiritual leadership as he assisted Moses to the crest of Sinai. Spiritual leaders are humble enough to admit they need help and rely on younger faithful learners along the way. Spiritual leadership is never a solo experience. I don’t mean they know how to delegate, although that’s true too. I mean they need help in leading… fresh ideas, different perspectives, challenging questions, and encouragement. This mentoring thing, you see, is a two-way street. That means listening to those we lead as well as instructing them and being grateful for the young Joshuas in our lives.

Churches in Kenya

The blessing of our Christmas Eve offering will soon be received by fellow believers in Kenya, Africa. Our goal was $10,000 to build 2 churches in a remote area of Kenya. One church would also serve as school for children and the other a seminary to train pastors. The total for the Christmas Eve offering (including a few late gifts) was $16,500! PCC will be able to fund 3 churches in Kenya for the Maasai people and provide some furnishings as well. Trudy Marshall, founder and director of Libraries of Love, leaves for Kenya on Jan 30 to see that the churches are built. The blessing of Christmas Eve 2012 will be felt by our brothers and sisters in Christ in Kenya for many years. Praise the Lord!

Check out the website of Real Life Ministries to learn more about the work in Kenya and to see pictures of the people our Christmas Eve offering will be helping. http://www.rlmkenya.com/