A Major "Banking" Concern

One of the saddest, scariest stories I have read in a while was published in today's Daily Mail Online out of the U. K.. You may be wondering, "Why are stories from the U.K. and Europe that big a deal for the United States?" The reason is that our country is headed toward a post-modern, post-Christian culture that already prevails in the U.K.. Unless changes are made in how we address issues like embryos and medical ethics to a more biblical worldview, then we are headed down the same path they are headed.

The story is Storm Over Embryo Bank, and it is something everyone should pay attention to on this side of the Atlantic. The first line sums it up.

Couples could be allowed to store embryos in order to use them to create new body parts or cure diseases.

Read that line and think about it for a second. Serious thought is now being given to allowing people to have embryos created for the purpose of harvesting them as a "repair kit." This treatment of human life as nothing more than a commodity to be used as one pleases is downright terrifying. One must not leap far to move to harvesting the tissue, blood, or organs of a less favored child to save the favored sibling in this sort of twisted worldview.

As leaders in a small group, you must not shy away from teaching the hard, difficult truths of the Bible, even if it means "offending" some people. Some people don't think about these issues from a biblical worldview. They are so mired in a utilitarian perspective on life, that they don't think about the fact that the intrinsic value of human life comes from being made in the image of God.

Causing Trouble

I have had a couple of things come before me this week that has me thinking about the impact small groups and the church have on people. Or in this case, the seeming lack of impact on people. The first incident was a question in my small group. "Why don't we see the power that was present in the early church in our churches today?" This has caused me to be thinking about the book of Acts this week.

The second incident that has contributed to my thought processes was an interview of a "talking head" on a news program. The person was asked about why "Person X" was generating so much news and angst among people. This television person said something to the affect, "'Person X' has turned the world upside down." This got me to thinking about Acts 17:6, "These men who have upset the world have come here also." Of course, the verse is referring to Paul and Silas and their missionary journey.

The reason why we don't see the kind of power displayed in the early churches found in the book of Acts can be learned by looking at two aspects of this problem. Theologically, we know that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God has not changed since those accounts of the early church were written, therefore, we know the "problem" is not with God. I would argue He stands ready to display His power to the world through the church.

Which leads us to the other side of the coin. If the problem is not with God, then it must be the church. I am speaking specifically about the church in the United States as a whole. There are individual churches that are avenues for God's power and work, but the churches in aggregate are weak. Why? Too many churches have set out to not upset the world. It can show up in a variety of ways: performance over biblical truth, fear of conflict, lack of concern for the lost, ignorance of the Bible, etc.

I had a friend of mine this morning mention that there is talk that legislation might pass that targets certain kinds of speech as offenses for which you can be arrested. He rattled off a couple of those potential topics and asked me what it would mean. My reply was, "I guess I'm going to be arrested." I don't think we seek to upset people, but we should not be afraid to state the truth, even if it means others will become upset. Paul and Silas were doing nothing more than standing for truth and were accused of "upsetting the world." I wish the same could be said of us.

What I Learned At Augusta

As some of you know, I had the chance to experience Augusta National the week of The Masters golf tournament. Even if you don't play golf, you will want to check out my thoughts because God showed me several things while I was there.

1. God is revealed in His creation.
The dogwoods, azaleas, and other plants were blooming while we were there, and the colors God uses in nature are almost indescribable. You have the green of the grass, the brown of the pine needles, and the colors of the flowers. I just don't have the words to describe how beautiful it all was.
In addition to the colors, I had opportunity at times to enjoy the sounds of nature before the golf started. We got to the course early enough that it was pretty quiet. The sound of the creek, the birds singing, and the wind blowing through the pine trees let my mind wander back to where I grew up. All of it is declaring the glory of God.

2. Great events are experienced with family and friends.
I got to experience this with my wife, my best friend since kindergarten, and his wife. We got to share stories, experience the sights and sounds through the eyes and ears of one another, and have fun together. I found myself thinking about other friends who would have enjoyed the event as much as I did and wished they had been there. It is one thing to have an experience, but it is so much more meaningful when it is shared with others.

3. No matter what you do, be a leader.
One of the fun things to do is sit at hole #16 and watch the golfers play this short par 3. After the practice shot, the fans start chanting, "Skip it." In other words, they want the golfers to skip a golf ball across the water. It is the loudest place on the course during the practice rounds.

Greg Norman, who is one of the great older players, was practicing with three of the youngest guys on the tour. The young guys were about to ignore the fans chanting, until Greg motioned for the other guys to come back and skip a golf ball across the water.

We should never forget that we have influence on others. We can lead the next generation to have a proper understanding of our role in this world. even when it is not "game time."

4. Purpose and standards matter
I've been to many golf courses, and a handful of "nice" golf courses. I've been to professionally maintained gardens. However, I've never seen anything like Augusta National. They have committed to making the course the best it can be for the event. They plan accordingly and accept nothing less than those high standards for their venue. They expect the patrons of the event to act in accordance with those same standards.

One of my questions as I noticed this about the course is whether or not Christians have that same focus on their purpose and their own standards? My guess is no. If a group of people can be that focused and intentional about a golf tournament, shouldn't we have that same focus on our purpose and standards for something that really matters?

5. Simple elegance
As nice as everything was at Augusta, it was not ostentatious. There was a simplicity to everything, and it was done very well. Compared to our community, it would have seemed austere. See number four above to understand why simple works.

These are just some of my thoughts. I really cannot fully express the experience because it was sensory overload. You have Amen Corner and Magnolia Lane and a myriad of other aspects of the event that are amazing. In light of all of this, God showed me things about Himself, leadership, and conduct that are lessons we could all apply.

What's Next?

Well, if you're like me, you have finally had a moment to reflect on the first quarter of the year. Our church and the small groups have experienced an extraordinary time of spiritual growth. It has been the most fun I have had in my six years of ministry at First Baptist Church at Weston. Spending time with Dr. Tackett was a great blessing indeed.

As great as it is to reflect on the triumphs of the past, we need to look ahead to the "lands" that are to be conquered next. What we face in our small group ministry is similar to the task the people of Israel had once they started conquering the Promised Land. They had to maintain and build what they had conquered, while continuing to overcome the next obstacles that lay before them.

Our small groups must do the same. We need to be about the task of discipling the people in our current groups and care for those that God places before us. At the same time, we must look ahead to see the next "great task" that needs to be accomplished. We need to finish the spring strong. We have eight weeks until school dismisses for the summer. As leaders, you need to help people process through what they learned, while helping them put into practice those truths that were revealed to us.

We have three great opportunities that lie ahead for our church that you can join me in prayer. One, it appears we will be hosting a Regional Training for The Truth Project in Spanish. This is a tremendous opportunity to equip the body of Christ in Florida and South America. Along with that opportunity, we will be launching a Truth Project campaign for our Spanish speaking small groups during our fall launch on September 13. Finally, we are tentatively scheduled to host a simulcast of a parenting conference in November. All three are great opportunities to help us grow individually and as a church, while serving a role in the kingdom.

Join with me in prayer about these opportunities. Dedicate yourself to holding the ground that has been conquered, while looking ahead to the upcoming opportunities.