I am currently taking a class called Spiritual Discipline And Development.  The focus of this class is on the 12 spiritual disciplines that are listed below.  As you can see they fall into one of three categories. This is something that I am just beginning to study, but I hope to gain a greater understanding of these disciplines.  As I learn and formulate opinions, I will share how and why they each are important to the Christian life.

The Inward Disciplines                                                 

• Meditation                                                                                                       
• Prayer                                                    
• Fasting                                                
• Study                                                           

 The Outward Disciplines                                                                     

• Simplicity
• Solitude
• Submission
• Service

The Corporate Disciplines

• Confession
• Worship
• Guidance
• Celebration

Christian Living

I am all for breaking away from the tradition model of church that is so prevalent in America and committing more to the biblical model.  For example, I believe that door-to-door visitation is a weak substitute for true evangelism.  In my opinion, it is good to try new and different methods.  I think Sunday School is usually ineffective and a waste of time…let’s mix it up and try something different.  I believe that not being able to explain why you believe something is really no different than not having a belief to begin with.  Let’s focus on learning how to defend our faith in a more logical manner.  I am all for trying new methodology and new formats and different programs and styles. I believe that doing so is both necessary and healthy as long as the Bible is still the focus.

The problem is that so many that are breaking outside of the box in terms of ministry are also failing to take a firm stand on Scripture.  As a result all who are non-traditional in church format are often labeled as unbiblical. We need to realize that many of the churches that are non-traditional are not unbiblical…just different.  However, there are many who do fail to take a strong stand on issues that our society deems controversial.  Here are a few.

Homosexuality- Many in the non-traditional emerging church movement fail to take a stance on this issue.  While I admire and respect their effort to reach out and minister to this often avoided and even hated group of people, the Bible is clear that homosexuality is sin.  There must be a balance between taking a biblical stand on this issue (which the emergent church does not do) and reaching out and intentionally ministering to those who practice homosexuality (which those in traditional churches do not do). 

Holiness/Morality- Many in non-traditional churches focus so much on God’s love and forgiveness that the reality of his perfect holiness is ignored.  I am all for telling people about God’s love and forgiveness…it is who God is.  But at the same time God is holy, and a holy God demands holy followers.  There must be a balance between focusing on God’s love and on His holiness.  A neglect of either has a significant impact on the lives that believers live. 

The Reality of Hell- This is another issue that is often avoided in the emerging church movement.  There is such a focus on discovering God in this journey that we call life that the destination is ignored.  I firmly believe that we should desire to know God more and grow spiritually and be all that we can be in Christ.  But there is a reason that Jesus talked about Hell more than any other person in Scripture.  He did so because it is a reality.  There is a coming judgment, and it should not be ignored.

Again, I am all for breaking out of the box of traditional ministry and trying new methods and new approaches.  But doing so to the neglect of taking a strong stand on biblical issues is foolish and ultimately undermines the cause of Christ.  We must remain true to the Bible in the midst of traditional as well as non-traditional ministry.

 - Pastor Jeremy

Christian Living, Church

For some reason, some of the most aggravating experiences in my life have all been while moving or helping someone move.  I remember being so excited to get our first apartment.  I was even more excited when some friends gave us a sectional couch that contained two recliners and a hide-a-way bed.  The problem came when trying to carry this monster up a couple flights of stairs.  I’m not sure it was worth the trouble.  That was my first aggravating experience…not too bad, right? 

My wife and I first moved from Chattanooga to Northeast Ohio.  When the moving company arrived we realized that they had lost several items, we discovered torn lamp shades, and scratches on several pieces of new furniture.  When we moved to North Georgia a couple of things happened.  First, we got the truck completely full…I mean packed tight.  The problem was that we still had some more stuff that needed to go on the truck…we had to rent a trailer.  Second, when we finally got on the road, our trailer came off of the UHaul while driving at night…in the snow down I71.  It was a complete nightmare (oh, and Dana was 7 months pregnant).  I didn’t know whether to curse or cry!  I may or may not have done both (just kidding).

For some reason these aggravating times that we all go through in life really test us.  If we were honest we would admit that during those times we really couldn’t care less about acting like a Christian should act.  Our Christianity all of a sudden becomes completely irrelevant to us.  Our focus is completely on the situation in which we are  submerged.

The Bible is full of examples of how we should respond in those times.  Regardless of what Paul was going through he knew how to keep his focus on Christ.  Job, in the midst of the pain that he was enduring, kept his focus on God.  Stephen, while being stoned to death still focused on Christ.  Silas was beat and thrown in prison, but was still able to sing to God.  Joseph was falsely accused but still acknowledged that God was in control.

I have been challenged in the past few days about keeping my focus on Christ regardless of what is going on around me.  During the difficult times there is even a greater need for me to narrow my focus and look to Christ.  I realize that my moving aggravations are nothing compared to the pain and difficulties that some people face on a daily basis, but I do know that when we focus on Christ and rely on Him we can get through any situation with the right attitude.  The key is looking to Christ.

- Pastor Jeremy

Christian Living, Church

The other day my wife fixed Nathan (our 2-year old) a sandwich for lunch.  It wasn’t anything super-healthy or tasteless, in fact it was one of Nathan’s favorite kinds of sandwiches….grilled cheese.  Who doesn’t like grilled cheese sandwiches?  But for some reason, Nathan had his mind made up that he didn’t want to eat it.  All he wanted was a cookie!  I told him that it was the sandwich or nothing.  Neither of us gave in.  I didn’t let him have a cookie and he never ate his sandwich…he simply refused.  

What Nathan just could not understand is that a constant diet of chocolate chip cookies is not healthy, in fact it is harmful.  But all he could focus on is the fact that he wanted a cookie.  He couldn’t even begin to comprehend all the ramifications that eating nothing but cookies could bring to his life.  I ended up being the bad guy…the one who stood between him and his cookie.

After this battle of wills ended, I realized that this is a good example of how we view God.  At times in our lives we view God as the one who stands between us and what we want.  The entire time we refuse to learn from the situation that we are currently in, focusing completely on what we see as more appetizing.  What we need to realize is that God knows and understands that dangers that our desires can bring.  He sees the whole picture and is really looking out for our interest.  This is where trusting in God is required.  We have to acknowledge the fact that God is all-knowing and we are not.  We have to admit that we don’t know what is best, but God does.  We have to submit to Him, trust Him, and be obedient to Him.  

- Pastor Jeremy

Christian Living, Uncategorized

Having a 2 year old boy in the house creates many interesting moments. Nathan is at the age where he is testing all the limits. It doesn’t matter if is about eating, sleeping, or playing; he is determined to do what he wants to do regardless of what I say. Recently, we went through one of these battles where what I wanted Nathan to do and what he wanted to do didn’t line up.

Like most every two year old boy, Nathan likes to climb on the coffee table and that happens to be one of the things that he is not allowed to do. I calmly said “Nathan, please get off the coffee table”. His response was to look at me….smile…and begin to stand up on it. “Nathan, get off of the coffee table; you are going to fall and get hurt.” Again, his response was to smile and continue his energetic walking and rolling around on top of the table. I proceeded to get up from my comfortable chair and go and get him off of the table and offer more persuasive instruction. But before I got to him he jumped up and one foot landed on the table and the other slipped off the side of the table sending Nathan into the floor, landing half on his back and half on his head. His immediate response was to cry like the world was coming to an end. After getting him calmed down, he looked at me and said in his 2-year old lingo “I get on table, hurt head”

After telling Nathan that if he would have obeyed this wouldn’t have happened, I thought about all the times I have done this to God. The Bible is filled with instruction that warns us about the dangers of living in contradiction to God’s will. And just like Nathan, we smile and keep on ignoring the instruction and warnings…doing what we want to do. Eventually, when we fall on our head we realize that God really knows what He’s talking about.

We could all save ourselves some pain if we would acknowledge that God does know what is best for us and will never lead us astray. Let’s make it a point to live in obedience to God’s Word, realizing that God wants the best for us and can see the dangers that our disobedient actions will bring. It boils down to simple obedience!

- Pastor Jeremy

Christian Living