FINANCIAL PEACE

Our entire staff just finished 13 weeks of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace course. It's really some amazing, liberating, life changing information if you apply even half of it.  It is offered @ KFA (www.kenoshafirst.com and www.daveramsey.com) on an ongoing basis.  I cannot recommend it to you highly enough.

And be blessed.

CLAPPER

This is the awesome gift we brought home tonight from the Board of Deacons Christmas party. Can you believe it? Awesome.

Pretty great to serve alongside some terrific spiritual leaders and strong supporters.

And be blessed.

BEGAT

I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but when the story of Jesus begins in the first book of the New Testament - MATTHEW - people typically start reading in verse 18. Verse 18 is kind of one of those 'Once upon a time' beginnings. But there are 17 important verses PRIOR to that 'Once upon a time' beginning that are so critical to the real story of Jesus.

Those first 17 verses - you know ... the part you skip over when you come to them in your Bible reading - let us know this isn't just a STORY ... it's not a FABLE ... it's not a FAIRY tale ... it's REALITY.

And so Matthew uses the first 17 verses called "THE BEGATS" to tell us that Jesus was really real. He really happened. God broke in. Jesus was literally born. He literally died on a cross. He was literally raised from the dead. It’s an historical fact. It isn’t just my opinion. It happened. It’s not just a personal thing for me … when I say it’s historical, I’m saying it’s authoritative in history.

When I was in public high school, I will confess that one of my favorite classes was Greek & Roman Mythology. I'm afraid I found it all extraordinarily fascinating. But when you read the stories about Hercules and Atlas and Venus and Achilles … and even fairy tale stories like Beauty and the Beast and Snow White and the like – they aren’t factually true. And we all know that ... but they’re still about reality. They’re about life and the universe – they’re about good and evil – they’re about moral absolutes.

What is Beauty and the Beast about? That no matter how ugly we’ve made ourselves – whatever prisons we’re in – there is a love that can cut thru the ugliness – it is an undeserved love, but it can transform us.

Look at Peter Pan. The story is that we really aren’t meant to become unimaginative and grow old and eventually decay … we’re meant to FLY.

Sleeping Beauty teaches us that death isn’t really death … it’s sleep. And there is a great prince or Savior to wake us from it.

Are these old myths true? Of course not. But even though they’re not historically true, they still get at some reality. There is sin ... there is an evil sorcerer who tries to exert influence on us … we’re under a spell and we need a Deliverer to rescue us. We're supposed to fly – there IS an eternity.

And here is what Matthew is trying to get at with "THE BEGATS" … that when you come to the Christmas story, you don’t have just one more myth. Jesus Christ is the One whose love can turn you from a beast into something wonderful – beauty from ashes … He is the knight in shining armor who has been sent to rescue us … He is the Prince who comes to wake us from eternal death.

And if we BELONG to Him, we ARE going to fly … we ARE going to break the bands of evil and live happily ever after … we ARE going to rule and reign with the Great Lion … the stories are true! Jesus Christ happened. At a particular time at a particular place on a particular date, Christ the Savior was born to bring us hope.

And be blessed.

PAYBACK

Today was a chance for some PAYBACK.

I have had several opportunities over the course of my life to be recipient of a good-hearted person who has helped me jumpstart my vehicle when it's been stranded. I'm not sure what that says about my vehicle(s), but ...

So this evening, Joelene asked me if I would run to Hobby Lobby for some stuff for a party we're having tomorrow night at our home. I wasn't real enthused about heading up there at 8 p.m., but she was persuasive enough to convince me. So I went.

When I drove into the parking space, the woman in the minivan next to me got and kindly asked me if I would find another space because she was expecting someone to occupy that space shortly. Seemed like a rather unorthodox request since there were plenty of empty spaces around. But I, with my typical good-nature, complied.

When I got out to go into the store, I just sensed all was not well, so I asked her if everything was OK. She told me her battery was dead and she was waiting on her son to come give her a jumpstart, but didn't know when he would get there. I told her I would be glad to help her with it.

So, I had a chance to do for someone else what has been done for me enough times. It felt good to help someone in need like that.

Of course, I stood there with both ends of the jumper cables in my hands trying to remember if the red one went on the + or - terminals of the battery and what the implications might be if I guessed wrong. How bad could it be, right? 50/50. But I guessed right.

She offered to pay me, but it's Christmas and all, so ... (Nah, I really wouldn't have taken any money for it.)

I guess I should be more accommodating when my wife asks me to do these crazy, last-minute errands, huh?

And be blessed.

ERRANDS

Errands. That was the word for today. I spent several hours out running what seemed like 100 errands (exaggeration). Joelene was on her own, individual track running her own.

Hopefully, between the two of us, we accomplished running all the family errands required.

Why do we always 'run' errands? We never 'walk' errands ... or 'trot' errands ... although sometimes we do 'skip' errands.

But usually we 'run' them.

So -- both Joelene and I finished 'running' our errands today. And I thought this video was a fitting conclusion to a very busy day doing a bunch of 'running.'

What if ... ?

And be blessed.

SEMANTICS?

I was with some people not long ago and we were talking about how we should 'present' to those who don't know Christ. Maybe it's just semantics, I'm not sure. I'm not sure we're really that far apart on the issue, but it is cause for much discussion - however volatile - these days.

When Paul said, 'To the weak I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some," (I Cor. 9:22) I think he was saying, 'I will do what I can to change my ways so I can effectively reach out to others.'

We can't change the message; we shouldn't; we don't want to. We agree on that. We CAN change the methods. We don't change our message; we might change our manners.

There are things we can do to intentionally reach the people God has placed around us. We can dress like them (provided it is not immodest). We can speak in plain language. We can respect their time. Our style of music can have the lost person's ear in mind. We can let them know - in our advertising and presentation - that they have a place here - because belonging comes before believing.

I have spoken to some charismatic friends who talk about their approach to worship: "I'm going to jump up and down and dance and shout in the aisles; I don't care what people think." I was with them until they said, 'I don't care what people think.'

They lost me there. That doesn't sound at all like Jesus to me.

When we say we want to be an authentic community of followers of Christ which reaches out, we are saying we do care what people think. We love them enough to forego what may be comfortable for us in order to make it comfortable for them. We need to balance what works for us with what works for others. We have churches full of people who love Jesus. But that isn't enough. We need to love what Jesus loves; love who Jesus loves. If we don't reach out in those kinds of ways, we are effectively saying to the rest of the world (pardon the frankness): "You can go to hell."

????

And be blessed.

NARCISSISM

I guess I'm a little worried. I just realized I might be a narcissist. No, seriously. That might not even raise an eyebrow for some of you when I say that about myself, which is truly disheartening. Maybe it comes with the Senior Pastor role, I don't know.

But I have a blog (bookmark me here) that I hope all kinds of people read and I'm regularly checking to see how many people have. The title is even: "A DAY IN THE LIFE WITH PK," like I'm Martha Stewart or somebody.

I am on Facebook (follow me at www.facebook.com), where I am consistently updating my status -- changing my profile pic -- telling people I got my haircut and that I ate 4,000 calories for dinner (see November Thanksgiving blog).

I have a twitter account (follow me at www.twitter.com), which seems reserved for communicating the TRULY insignificant stuff of my day that isn't fit even for Facebook (follow me at www.facebook.com).

I heard my sister-in-law say once that she didn't understand people who Facebooked, as if anyone cared what you did today. SHE certainly didn't. I kind of sat there with my tongue rolled back massaging my uvula and let it pass. I don't know if she was aware that I was one of the morons informing everyone about what kind of toothpaste he prefers on his blog/Facebook/Twitter account (follow me at all of the above).

It seems I have this hidden 'need' for followers and for people to pay attention to what I think and do. I'm not sure. It could be a slippery slope if you think about it.

I know people who have managed to use Facebook for some pretty noble reasons. It's where I first heard about someone from our church who had been rushed to the emergency room for a fairly serious accident just seconds after it happened. Other people have used Twitter to communicate that they were stranded in their car and needed help. Also very cool.

I guess you can decide. If you're reading this, then I guess you've answered it for yourself.

So ... have you signed up to follow me yet? (www.facebook.com --- www.twitter.com). Did you bookmark this blogsite?
:)

And be blessed.

PITCHER

Every church begins asking the question, "What if ... " and the conclusion of that sentence is about how we could reach out. After awhile we start saying, "What if ... " and the rest of the sentence is about us.

I used to think that was a spiritual problem (and maybe it is) but more likely it's just the natural progression of an organization's life cycle. The longer you're together as a group, the more aware you become of each other's needs and the more responsive you become to each other's needs. Slowly the arrows all get turned inward. It's a natural progression. But a natural progression isn't what we want. We want a supernatural progression. We want God to help us so people far from God are continually prioritized at the top. It's time to love the pitcher less and the water more.

And be blessed.

BALL

There is a scene in the movie "BULL DURHAM" where the coach is talking to the team in the locker room and says, "Baseball is a simple game. You throw the ball ... you hit the ball ... you catch the ball."

That's as simple as the theme of the church: "You love God ... you live the Word ... you love those in the world."

And be blessed.

PLANK TWO

There was a young rabbi who took over a new congregation and discovered he had a serious problem. During the services, half the congregation stood for prayers and half the congregation remained seated for prayers. And each side shouted at the other, insisting their way was right. Nothing he could say would bring peace. So finally, in desperation, the young rabbi went to visit the 99-year old rabbi of that congregation who was now in a nursing home. And he said, “Please, tell me. Was it the tradition of the congregation to stand during the prayers?”

And the old rabbi said,”No.”

“Ah,” responded the younger rabbi. “Then it was the tradition to sit during the prayers.”

“No,” answered the old rabbi.

“Well,” the young rabbi responded. “What we have is complete chaos. Half the people stand and half the people sit. And they scream and shout at each other.”

“Ah,” said the old rabbi, “THAT was the tradition.”

And in 2,000 years of church history, that’s been the tradition for much of Christianity. There have been those who have loved to come up with their own set of rules about what spirituality looks like. And it’s not the fruit of the Spirit like love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control they come up with. It’s a list of rules that can’t be found anywhere in the Bible. And that’s one of the things Jesus is telling us to avoid when He says, ‘Don’t judge or you too will be judged.’

Let me tell you some of the issues that have been used to divide followers of Christ just in this century …

… Dancing of any kind. Playing cards. Roller skating. Wearing make-up (usually said by those who needed to wear make-up). Going to movies. Having a television in your home. Listening to jazz or rock music. Eating at a restaurant where alcohol is served. Shooting pool.

Now, my guess is, few if any of those things get under your skin today. My guess is most of you didn’t feel too sinful the last time you went roller-skating or played a game of rummy. But I guarantee you, there are issues that people reading this right now feel very strongly about that are potentially divisive and they are not issues over Christianity’s core beliefs. They lean toward being heart judgments even though some are just opinions. And many are issues where God has given flexibility and freedom to be led by His Spirit, but we turn them into condemnations.

There are those who believe true Christ followers prefer HYMNS.
There are those who believe true Christ followers prefer MODERN WORSHIP
CHORUSES.
There are those who believe male Christ followers don’t wear EARRINGS … that true
Christ followers don’t have TATTOOS.
There are those who believe true Christ followers would NEVER end up having to go
thru a DIVORCE … true Christ followers would never let their children WEAR
A COSTUME at HALLOWEEN.
There are those who believe true Christ followers would never allow SANTA CLAUS to
be part of their family CHRISTMAS TRADITION … true Christ followers
would never read a HARRY POTTER novel or go to a ‘TWILIGHT’ movie opening ... true Christ followers would never regularly VOTE DEMOCRAT …
There are those who believe true Christ followers would NEVER wear BLUE JEANS to
church.

Every single thing I've just listed is on somebody's hit list. I didn’t make them up. But you won’t find one of them on God’s list.

So we need to take the PLANK out of our own eye and deal in some grace toward one another - without condemning-style judging. Let's stick to what the Bible says -- nothing more, nothing less.

And be blessed.

H.B.

It is rather rare that I blog twice in the same day - I don't have THAT much to say. But today warrants it because it is the 19th birthday of our youngest daughter, Olivia.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE!

Hope you have a great day today even though we are separated by 400 miles. Enjoy the night out with your sisters. We are very, very, very, very proud of you.

LOVE, DAD & MOM

PLANK

When you talk about spiritual things with 'the people Jesus misses most,' they don’t care that God says not to live immorally. If they cared, they'd stop it and live for God. But it’s all foolishness to them, the Bible says, so don’t judge them for what they don’t understand, because pure and holy lives are foreign to them. You don’t judge the dark for being the dark.

God says He'll judge those in the world, not you. We get that backwards in the church a lot. We think we’re supposed to go down to the corner with a sign or a poster or a bullhorn and let everybody know where they’re wrong. WE call it evangelism. We actually think we’re witnessing, but that’s not what it looks like to the people we’re trying to reach. But that’s what we DO … and that can become a big PLANK in our eye.

Sometimes the plank is a lot closer to home. It’s your co-worker who lives a worldly lifestyle. It’s your neighbor with a different sexual orientation. It’s the gang at the office that tells crude stories about their wild weekends. It disgusts you and you’ve developed something of a self-righteous attitude and a judgmental spirit where they’re concerned. You can hardly be around them now without your holiness being offended. You call it ‘separation from the world,’ but God calls it ‘condemnation.’ I don’t know how you’re going to reach them with that attitude.

Because this is the heart of KFA … we’re all people God loves. All of us are. And all God asks us to do is to love the people Jesus loved. Nothing more … nothing less.

So what’s your attitude toward those outside the family of God? Do you judge them or do you love them? God says it’s His job to judge them, not yours. Here at KFA, we’re going to teach the Word, not judge the world. We're going to love people.

Join me in that, won't you?

And be blessed.