Thursday, August 28, 2008

What if I wasn't afraid?

How would I live my life if I didn't fear anything? If I had no fear would I do things differently than I do now? If I wasn't afraid of getting sick would I try different food? If I wasn't afraid of what people would say would I wear a Speedo to the swimming pool? If I wasn't afraid of getting hurt would I take up rock climbing? If I wasn't afraid of heights would I try sky diving? If I wasn't afraid of losing would I engage in more contests? If I wasn't afraid of sleeping on the ground without a shower would I go to remote villages with the gospel? If I wasn't afraid of rejection would I engage more people in spiritual discussions? If I wasn't afraid of looking silly would I take dance lessons?

Fear keeps us from trying so many things. Fear is a barrier to so much potential enjoyment and fulfillment. But God's perfect love replaces fear. When we have confidence in the security of God's love, there is no place for fear. When you fear something, give it to God. Give yourself more completely into His love and watch the fear disappear.

Please- No Politics in Church.

I don't like political discussions (arguments) between Christians. Here is why. If you are talking to someone who agrees with you, then what is the point? You just confirm one another and cement your belief that it should be clear to everyone that you hold the only position that makes sense. If you disagree politically with someone else, you feel a need to point out how uninformed, inconsistent or ignorant the other person's position is. After both sides fire their shots, neither side has changed their mind, but the potential for a wedge between the two exists. I have friends and family from both parties and from all along the political spectrum, and my friendship with them has nothing to do with their political views.

Committed Christians will vote for both McCain and Obama. Some will not vote at all but try to act like they dd. Some will not vote and tell you why they didn't vote. God is not aligned with either party. He is found in the hearts of those who follow Him.

I don't want to know who you are voting for or who you are not voting for. I am pretty sure who I will vote for, but don't ask. I watch the news just like you do. I have access to all the information that you do, including most of the forwarded e-mails. Voting preferences are not a litmus test for who really loves God and they should not be a litmus test to determine relationship between believers. We show that we love God by loving one another. And when we love one another, something as as unimportant as voting preferences doesn't matter. I understand that voting preferences are of supreme importance in political matters, but they are irrelevant to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. And I believe that each citizen, acting as a good citizen should cast an informed vote, but our eternal citizenship is in heaven.

I am glad that we have Christians working in politics. We need Christians working in every facet of life. It is the individual Christian living the Christian life in the workplace; being salt and light to their sphere of influence that will effect change that will last.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Here he is!


I know that you all have been suffering from Tyler withdrawl. Some of you have even questioned what kind of grandpa I am since I haven't posted a picture in months. Maybe this will help. This is Tyler at Target. He is 7 months now.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I need some help.

Our Fall Missions Explosion will be the week of September 21 - 28. On Monday and Tuesday evenings, September 22 & 23 we will be having "Dinner with a Missionary" in several homes. These are informal affairs where someone opens their home to a missionary guest and the host can invite other people (as many or as few as their home will allow). Over a meal, pot luck or however the host wants to do it, people get to meet and get to know a missionary on a personal level. In this setting, you can ask the questions that are not possible to ask when a missionary comes for a service. They are always enjoyable, enlightening and encouraging to both the missionary and those who attend.

I currently have 5 missionaries who are available on one or both evenings. They are Wayne Gray, who is our new executive director of Teen Challenge Oklahoma, Gary Gunsolus, who directs the construction teams who help churches in our region, Bill Hicks, who is a missionary in Northern Asia, Christy Perry, who works with Teen Challenge in Russia, and Joni Middleton, who works with Project Rescue in Calcutta, India. All of them are interesting and passionate people.

I need some people to volunteer their homes for these dinners with a missionary. Please let me know if your are interested and I can get you more information.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Seeker or Sought?

I'm currently reading a book entitled Off-Road Disciplines by Earl Creps and it is making a fundamental positive change in my assumptions about evangelism. We hear different terms for those who are not in relationship with Christ, with "seeker" being a very common one. Creps takes the position that Christ is the "seeker" and that those who don't yet know Him are the "sought". He refers to the three parables in Luke of the lost coin, lost sheep, and lost son. In those cases, the ones doing the seeking were the owner of the lost coin, the shepherd for his lost sheep, and the father looking for his lost son. There was great rejoicing when the seekers found what they sought.

Creps says on page 145, "The practice of evangelism involves making room for the Spirit to draw the sought into a saving encounter with the Seeker through Christ. The Church's job is not to save people but to shape the space in which God calls them to Himself."

This sounds a lot like Lakeside's strategy statement of creating environments where the needs of people are met. These environments can look a lot different than any of the environments we have seen before. Many if not most of the environments must look different than what we have seen before.

Let's strive to be creative instead of conventional in our approach to our personal Great Commissions.

Friday, August 22, 2008

What am I supposed to do?

Today I got one of those phone calls I get every now and then. Pastor Mike usually gets the benevolence calls, but he was away from his desk, so it came to me. Usually I answer these calls with the expectation that I can do something to help. We try to assess the need, the legitimacy of the request, and our way of helping to meet the need at an appropriate level. We get several of these calls every week.

The guy who called today had called before and Pastor Mike had helped him with some rent. After that, subsequent conversations led Mike to decide that it was not good stewardship to give him any more. Today I didn't know any of that history when I talked to the guy. I listened to his story and asked him a number of questions. Without going into detail, I decided that we should not give him the help he was looking for. It was not a really difficult decision to make.

What was difficult, however, was the question that remains in my mind. What can I do for that guy? He is as well known and well loved by God as I am. As christians, don't we have a responsibility to help? I know all of the answers, I just don't know "the answer".

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Ministry isn't always pretty.

This is a picture of me on the mission field. You can thank Chris Griffin for recording this "Kodak Moment". This occurred in El Salvador on the day we visited a refugee camp for people who had lost their homes due to a volcanic eruption. We were playing with the kids and a game sprung up where one of the team members would be singled out and the kids would do their best to tackle. Finally my number came up and as they converged on me I turned all "Incredible Hulk" on them. They never got me to the ground. It was tremendous fun. This may be my favorite picture of me of all time.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Last Night's Guy Night

Last night was Guy Night and even after all the rain of the day, we had a perfect night to see a baseball game. The rain stayed away, and in the middle of August we had a cool, overcast evening to enjoy. I got to visit with several guys that I didn't know very well before and that was great. I also got to hang with some of the guys I have known for a long time and I like that, too. We had many Dads with their sons and that was very cool. Matt Stomprud took care of all of the details and made everything look easy. Donovan Dufrene drove the bus and made the ride comfortable and convenient. We have some really great guys here at Lakeside and I am always blessed when I get to be around them.

Remember Lakeside GUYS- God Uses Your Strengths!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Guy Night Status

As of 2:30 today the game is still scheduled to play. I talked to the Redhawks office and they said if the rain will stop they will play because the field has been covered. So Guy Night is still a go. If the game is cancelled we will move to Thursday night.

Keep checking back. If I hear something different I will let you know.

"Stay tuned. We'll keep you advised."- Gary England

Monday, August 18, 2008

Guy Night Tomorrow Night!


Don't forget- Guy Night is tomorrow night! We are going to have a great time. It won't be burning up hot. The rain will hold off and it will be a great night. We have sold out the original 40 seats and have reserved 5 more. But if you still haven't talked to Matt Stomprud, call him right away. I'll bet we can figure out how to get you there. I am stoked about the new guys who are taking this opportunity to get connected to the great guys of Lakeside. This is awesome!!!


Remember- Bring your dads-bring your sons-bring your grandsons- bring your cameras!


Meet at the church at 6:15pm ready for a good time.


BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

He Did It!


Well, he did it. Eight events. Eight gold medals. Seven world records. Michael Phelps is the undisputed king of the Olympics. What he did is unimaginable; to keep focus, stay rested, give everything over the past week and compete at the highest level in four different strokes.


What does a 23 year old who has reached that level have to look forward to? What will he be doing when he is 33?

Friday, August 15, 2008

Coffee Shop Culture

Yesterday Carole and I visited the Red Cup on Classen Blvd. for an afternoon coffee. It has been three or four years since I was there, but I wanted local coffee shop atmosphere. I wasn't disappointed. It was peopled with an interesting blend of personalities and appearances. This is not a coffee shop review. I just wanted to be around some people whose theology and political positions were most likely different from mine. It is easy to assume that "a lot of people feel like I do" when you are only in the company of people who feel like you do.

Learn to feel at ease around people who are not like you and you might be surprised at what you find.

Also, feel free to recommend other coffee shops around OKC for me to try. (I've already been to Starbucks.)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

It doesn't take much.

Last Monday I went to McDonalds after my morning round of golf. As I was walking to the door I saw a lady headed to her car with both hands full of bags and trays of drinks. I saw that she was unaccompanied and I saw that she would have a lot of trouble getting her car door open so she could unload her cargo. I just asked her if she could use some help getting her car door open and she gratefully said yes. I opened the door and she unloaded. Took about 6 1/2 seconds out of my life. She said, "I guess there are still good people out there."

It doesn't take much to be exceptional these days.

Random Question

Are you pro or anti- histamine?

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Michael Phelps


Is this guy superhuman or what? So far, 5 races, 5 gold medals, 5 world records. What a story. Imagine a guy so dominating that expectations will not be met unless he wins 8 gold medals in 8 events. If he wins a silver in one event, people will be asking him, "what went wrong" and "are you disappointed?" I can't even imagine what that would be like. Is the glory enough to justify the pressure?

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

What is the Deal?

What is it about southern gospel music that elicits such an immediate and powerful response from people? I was in a quartet Sunday evening with Robert Reeder, Larry Riggs and Pastor Darren and we sang an old favorite, "Sweeter as the Days Go By". It has a catchy tune, with lyrics that are nice, but light. But when we sang it, the Sunday night crowd erupted. I know it wasn't just that song; rather it was the type of song that elicited the response.

My guess is that the southern gospel songs represent a time in a generation's life when the Word was new and fresh in their lives. They were young, with career issues, new children, and Cold War fears (later, Vietnam War concerns) on the evening news. Their time at church in the company of dear friends, singing songs of hope in heaven, and listening to good old fashioned gospel preaching was precious. Hearing one of those tunes sweeps them back immediately to a time when all of life's possibilities lay ahead and their trust in God was foundational to their existence.

Today's young families face the same problems in different wrappers. All of life's possibilities lie ahead of them, as do all of life's difficulties. Their new children cause excitement and fear as they realize the responsibilities that come with raising children. Career issues are different because the day of the "company man" is gone, but the need to feed the family is the same. Cold war superpower foes have been exchanged for idealogical terrorists, but the songs written with the chord stylings and rythmns of today touch their hearts just as dearly as the southern gospel style did for the generation before them. I can envision 20 or 30 years from now, the 20 and 30 somethings of today will hear a song from today and be immediately drawn to the powerful tug of the Holy Spirit on their hearts they feel now. They won't be able to comprehend how the young people of that time won't appreciate their songs, but they will appreciate it when someone cares enough to sing one of "their" songs.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Props to Ali and Ken

Saturday morning we had our monthly men's breakfast and had about 25 men there. Ali Afshari and Ken Wickham prepared a great breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruit. Those guys are a blessing. They showed up early, did all the cooking and cleaned up afterward. They are a prime example of our Lakeside GUYS acronym- God Uses Your Strengths. They have an ability to cook and they make that ability available to God.

Great job, Ali and Ken!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Are You Called?

My entire life has been lived in the pentecostal church culture. There has never been a day in my life when I wondered whether or where I would go to church. But lately I have been giving much thought to the topic of "the call". Throughout my lifetime I have heard many different preachers talk of their call to ministry and it always sounded emotional, mysterious and specific. As a result, for most of my life I considered myself among the "not called" because I never had a specific revelation concerning ministry. The fact that I had specific abilities and general predispositions toward things of God were ignored because I hadn't received a "call". I did things for the Kingdom when I saw a need and knew that I had ability to help with that need, but I never saw it as "evidence of a call" and I never had a career minister challenge me or encourage me in any other way than as a good church member.

A couple of years ago I made the decision to pursue ministry credentials for several reasons, none of which are pertinent to this post. But I was disturbed in the application process when there were questions about the "clear evidence of a call", because I was never awakened in the middle of the night and given a vision concerning the specific call placed on my life by God. I just wanted to do some things that would only be possible with ministry credentials. I wondered if I was an imposter.

In Bible study and reading of books related to this topic I have decided a few things. First is that I believe that God does call people in a miraculous, mysterious, and specific way, but that not everyone gets that kind of call. Second, that everyone who has received salvation is called to ministry. We are all to be involved in evangelism and discipleship and we should all be preparing and ministering constantly. Thirdly, God gave me the gifts He gave me to be used for His Kingdom purposes. For me to see a situation which I am uniquely suited to do and not to do it because I haven't felt "led" or "called" is wrong. Fourthly, the qualifications for ministers listed in the New Testament focus much more on character than calling.

I would encourage you that if you have a predilection toward some type of ministry activity, don't wait for a shining light from Heaven to get involved. Obviously there are issues of preparation and submission, but don't live your life without doing ministry because you haven't experienced "the call". That is an excuse; not a reason.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Men's Breakfast

This Saturday morning at 9am we will have our monthly men's breakfast in the church fellowship hall. Ali and Ken will be cooking, so you know it will be good. We will have a special guest by the name of Gary Gunsolus. He is the coordinator for MAPS construction teams in our region. He coordinates teams who help local churches with construction projects. Some of our guys met Gary back in June when we were in Arizona on our construction trip. Gary will be sharing with us how we can get involved in MAPS teams here in Oklahoma and also he will be telling us about a new concept for local disaster outreach, such as immediate response to a tornado that would hit close by.

Come on out for the food. Stay for the fellowship.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Why does golf have to be so hard?

I played golf yesterday, which is my usual golf day. I have been playing golf, off and on, since I was a teenager, and it is as hard now as it was then. I still shoot the same terrible score. I have flashes when I seem to be gaining consistency, and then all of a sudden I start playing like I am playing my first round ever. I have never worked so hard to stay so mediocre at anything in my life. But wait until next week. I think I have it figured out!

Friday, August 1, 2008

What good does it do?

Who benefits from a mission trip? Certainly the people we minister to even if the ministry is just being friendly. Of course the missionaries are glad to have people come and help in the work (if indeed they help and don't just use the missionary as a local travel guide). Projects get completed sooner when churches partner with missionaries financially and with people to do specific tasks. People from the local churches who go benefit by having a greater understanding of how our missionaries do their ministry. They see that God works in ways that they haven't witnessed before and that expands their outlook on God possibilities. Local pastors get members who have an enlarged vision of God. I guess everyone benefits from a mission trip.