While I do not consider myself a sports fanatic, I do enjoy watching a good ballgame or athletic event. I am among the 75% of Americans that either read about, watch, or participate in sports on a daily basis. If my assumption is correct, that percentage may even be higher in the Powell and Fountain City communities. Without a doubt, we live in a sports culture. This is why I am excited about and even willing to sacrifice to support First Baptist’s Family Life Center and Strive Sports program. The potential to reach our community and beyond through a biblically based well run sports program is huge.

After 2-weeks of operation, the Family Life Center has seen 90-100 people a day use the facility. I estimate that around 30% of those folks are not  members of First Baptist and quit a few have indicated that they have no church affiliation. Over and over again gratitude has been expressed to our volunteers by people from the community because we allow them to use the facility at no charge. One husband told us that his wife had had surgery and they did not have a place to walk so she could regain her strength until they found out about the indoor walking track.

God is already at work opening doors for us to use this building as a means to expand His Kingdom. He is allowing the facility to be used to minister to a group of women who desperately need to be shown the love of Christ. That is being done through a weekly fitness program. A friend of mine who is the regional leader of a para-church youth ministry expressed how he knew of a couple of kids from the community that were getting connected to the church through being invited by friends to play basketball at the FLC. On a daily basis, I see members bringing their unchurched friends, neighbors, and relatives with them to walk or workout. This is what it is all about!! This building is to be used for the glory of God in touching the lives of people through any means He provides!!!

We are also quickly approaching the first season of Strive Sports soccer. Registration has been steady but we would like to see more people participate. Tommy Fox, our Director of Sports and Recreation, has done a great job in getting things organized and everything ready for the season to start. He has been working with the leaders of the mobile home park churches and at Western Heights to register kids from those areas. One of the missionaries who is here on stateside assignment is preparing weekly, age appropriate, team devotions to be used by our coaches at practices. Strive Sports offers a great opportunity for FBC members to invite children they know to participate in a program that seeks to build them up spiritually as well as physically.

I truly believe we are just getting a small peek at how God can and will use the sports and fitness programs at First Baptist to reach people with the Gospel. Our job, as stewards of these resources, is to use them to their fullest potential by inviting those in our realm of influence to participate with us.

Many FBC members, including myself, say “amen” when Pastor Phil shares the quote “He who has Christ and everything has no more than he who has Christ alone.” But, do we as confidently affirm what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:7 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ”?

Some have asked since The Kingdom Challenge was presented “Where do we draw the line when it comes to sacrificial living?” I think people are really asking “Does God want me to sell all I have and give it to the poor then live in abject poverty myself in order for Hm to be pleased with my level of sacrifice?” Maybe He does in some cases and maybe He doesn’t in others. However, all of His children should be willing to do that if He asks us to. This is where The Kingdom Challenge becomes very personal.

God asks all His children to become “living sacrifices” who lay everything He has given them (health, money, possessions, time, jobs, family, etc.) on the altar to be used as He directs. The person who has by faith already released their grip on those things (counted them as loss) will typically have little problem when God says “give this resource up to support expanding my kingdom.” He may lead some to sacrifice everything and others to sacrifice some things but, I believe He will definitely lead us all to sacrifice more than we are comfortable with.

That is why it becomes so personal. Every individual and family must seek God’s will concerning how and to what extent He wants them to invest His resources. So, we must take the time to seek God’s will and direction in the specific sacrifices He wants us to make from day to day. For example, we all either own or rent a home or apartment. That is a resource God has given us and I believe He expects us to use for advancing His kingdom. He may lead some to downsize and use the money to support missions. He may lead some to fill-up their extra bedrooms with foster children. He may lead some to begin evangelistic neighborhood Bible studies in their home. While investing God’s resources isn’t optional, how to invest them is and should become our primary prayer focus.

Let me suggest a simple  way to begin determining your family’s level of sacrifice. First. let go of everything you posses and lay it on the altar as a sacrifice to God. Second, only take back up what He allows you to so that your family’s basic needs can be met. Third, invest what is left in God’s kingdom work which He does exclusively through His Body the church. This alone may seem like a radical step to take for many of us but, I believe it is the biblical approach that was clearly presented in The Extreme Teachings of Jesus sermon series.

Seek to please no one except God and compare yourself to no one except Christ as you sacrifice for the kingdom work we are called to support.

David Trent – Elder of Family Ministry

What would be your initial honest response:

1. If you learned that the president of a Fortune 500 company owned and lived in one 1500 square foot home? 
2. If you learned that a famous female movie star had 7 changes of cloths (one for each day) and one pair of shoes in her closet?
3. If your best friend at work just told you that he was devoting all of his large salary increase to supporting his church’s mission efforts?
4. If you learned that a local successful attorney had just given up his practice to live in poverty among an unreached people group in Africa?
5. If you learned that your neighbors had just sold their expensive car and big home to move into an inner city neighborhood to start a house church? 
6. If your child’s best friend announced that instead of pursuing a career as a physician that they were going to attend a local Bible College to prepare for vocational ministry instead?
7. If you learned that a parent from your child’s ball team was pulling their child out of sports so the family could spend time together ministering to residents of a mobile home park?
8. If you learned that a family in your small group was sacrificing many of their comforts and conveniences in order to provide their children with a biblical worldview education? 
9. If you learned that your best friend’s family, which includes five children, was now seeking to adopt a sibling group from a foreign country?  

 Last Question!

 What would be your initial honest response if God asked you and your family to do any of these things?

As I grow older, the more amazed I become at how God moves in my life in graciously unexpected ways. He truly surprises me with His timing and with His plans as they unfold before my eyes. Having now lived through the usual phases of life marked by marriage, having children, raising children, the marriage of those children, the empty nest, and now the coming of grandchildren, it has been nothing like I had planned or expected.

But, I can say with joy that His ways and His plans have far exceeded what I had envisioned or could ever deserve (Ephesians 3:20). I could not have orchestrated a better plan on my best day. I have to admit that there were times of doubt, times when it seemed as if nothing was working out right. I questioned my ability to be the husband and the father God had called me to be. Failures were plentiful so, I questioned what, if any, positive effect I was having within my home.

Looking back now, I see that God was active in and around me the whole time. He was using my failures and my struggles to refine me. He was testing me and trying me in order to transform me into the image of His dear Son. I can see clearly now that my failures did not thwart God’s plans. He was guiding the whole process to produce good in the life of each member of my family. He was graciously providing wisdom and endurance beyond my own limitations to let me experience glimmers of success. But, even in those, I knew that He alone deserved the glory.

I say all this, to make a point. God is sovereign in every area of our lives. Our failures and our successes are used by Him to accomplish His purposes. Our efforts do have effect and influence but, never to the extent that we are in control of what is produced through them. Now that my girls are married and are bringing grandchildren into our family, nothing has worked out how I envisioned. But, it is far better than I ever expected. It is their turn at the plate now and I hope that they someday will appreciate the sovereignty of God over their families as well.

I love the comforting promise of Isaiah 46:9-11 -“Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.” 

My admonition to us all is this: “Do everything for the glory of God then trust Him with the results.” Even through pain and struggle, success and failure, He alone can produce results which are better than we could ever imagine.

David Trent

Josh Griffin on March 7th, 2010 From www.morethanadodgeball.com

“In youth ministry, one of the hardest things I’ve had to experience is leading students into a growing relationship with Jesus, while their parents are doing the opposite. In a lot of cases, the parent wants the best for his/her teenager. It’s just that their definition of “best” might not match up with mine. There are some hard-and-fast rules to engage if you don’t want your teenager to care about God. The following are just a few.

1. Make sure their extra-curricular activities are priority over church. You should always make sure that their scholarships are intact, and that they don’t get kicked off the team. That’s definitely more important than their relationship with Christ and eternity, for that matter.

2. When your teenager screws up, ground them from church. Of course! If they don’t care that you take away their TV, cell phone, or friend time, hit them where it hurts. Take away church. Yeah – that oughta do it.

3. Don’t call them out when they need guidance. Always let them make their own mistakes. And if they’re about to do something super-destructive, it’s probably best that they learn on their own. Because learning it the hard way is always the necessary path, right?

4. Talk negatively about your church staff around your teenager. If your pastor messes up, make sure that you call a family meeting to roast him. You should definitely let your teenager know that people can’t be trusted, especially incompetent church leaders. Your teenager needs to know that trusting church leaders isn’t smart! If they don’t trust church leaders, there’s a small chance they’ll ever accept God’s direction in their life. And that’s the safer way to live.

5. Don’t model real faith. At the end of the day, the last thing you want to do, if you want your teenager to ignore God’s voice, is to follow it yourself.”

Please know my heart on this issue. We parents need to be leading our families to Jesus every chance we get. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of who or what we’re actually leading our families to.

After all, actions speak louder than words.

This post was written by Derek Duvall the FBC Middle School Pastor.

I love technology. Actually before I came to Bible College in Tennessee, I went to a school in Indiana for Electrical Engineering Technology, with the hopes of one day becoming the guy you might see on the Today Show on NBC, showing all of the latest gadgets for the year. But with technology comes dangers, and Satan desires to use anything he can for evil, we see this all throughout Scripture. And that is why the need to not only educate yourselves on the dangers of new technology, but also equip your youth to handle them in a mature, Christ-like manner is so important.

One technological advance I believe Satan is really using right now is the cell phone. It has great conveniences, for example it allows parents to contact their youth at anytime, but it also comes with great dangers.  Youth are able to make private phone calls, send text messages, picture messages, download music and games and now some can access the internet from their phones. This necessitates the same amount of parental monitoring, as a home computer.

It is not only the internet that opens up doors to content that you should attempt to protect your youth from; text messaging and picture messaging have also become a great danger. According to a report by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, “20% of teens have sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves to someone else, and 39% have sent sexually suggestive message.” Also, a Girl Scouts survey in 2002 revealed “54% of teen girls thought they could have an ongoing, online relationship without their parents finding out.” If this percentage of teenage girls believe they can have an ongoing, online relationship without their parents discovering it, chances are, they think they can get away with sexually explicit text or picture messages.

This is not something that is just happening in the high schools; this is happening in our local middle schools as well. I was talking to a parent recently about this topic and the parent was informing me of the alarming number of middle school students who they have overheard in one way or another, talking about what is being called, “sexting.” Even if you believe your youth is one who would never send an explicit text or picture message, there is still a good chance they could receive one from someone else, even when unsolicited.

There are some conveniences to your youth having a cell phone, but with it also come many dangers. As a parent, you must protect them and train them up in the way they should go Proverbs 22:6. You must be diligent about teaching your youth the Word of God, in every opportunity Deuteronomy 6:7.

Some easy and practical things that can be done to protect your youth who have cell phones:

• Check the bill from your provider; it lists each number of sent and received calls and messages. You can then use this to monitor who your youth is sending/receiving calls and messages from – Parents, don’t be naïve, youth know how to delete information from their phones, if you check them – look at the monthly statement.
• Many cell phone companies also provide means in which you can limit or remove certain features. Give them a call a see how they can help you in protecting your teen.
• It is my thinking that there is NO reason for a teenage child to have picture messaging, I am not able to think of one reason to allow for the temptation to be allowed, but also it provides protection for your youth, in that if picture messaging is turned off it does not allow for them to receive an inappropriate picture message.

 If you are considering buying your youth a cell phone, remember that you have been given this child to shepherd and lead. You don’t HAVE to give into the peer pressure and culture that surrounds you and your child. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Don’t let the culture shape the decisions you make, but God’s Word!

Derek

As we approach what is suppose to be a “major snow event” in the Tennessee Valley, the anticipation is so thick you can feel it. It is the subject of discussion around work places and on the news. Schools and businesses are already closing before the first flake falls. And, the milk and bread isles of the grocery stores are looking bare. But, with all this anticipation, those who have lived in the area for any period of time know not to get too excited until the snow is actually on the ground. Knoxvillians who enjoy a good snow occassionally have had their hopes dashed too many times to buy into a weather forcast no matter how acurate it may seem.

I was thinking this morning about anticipation of another kind. I was wondering why I, and many other brothers and sisters in Christ, do not have the same sense of excitment and expectancy over the imminent return of our Lord and Savior! In Revelation 22:12 Jesus makes this promise, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work”. Now there is a forcast we can truly count on. Our Savior is returning and I personally believe it could at any moment! The question is, do we really live our lives in light of that truth?

The preparations made for a significant weather event rearranges. at least for a short time, our priorities and daily routines. So shouldn’t the expectancy of the Second Coming produce the same response in us except in a permanent way? If we truly believe the event is imminent (at hand, just around the corner) then shouldn’t we rearrange our priorities and alter our daily routines? What would that look like in the life of a Believer?

First, I think we would want to have our Lord return and find us at work in His vineyard. We would make less time for the many things that fill up our schedules but are of no eternal value and make more time for those things which further God’s Kingdom. If we knew for certain tomorrow was “the Day”, wouldn’t we make a profound effort to share the Gospel at least with those we know and love? Second, I think we would see our comfort, conveniences, and material possessions in a different light. We would readily lay those things aside in an act of loving sacrifice to our Lord in order to meet the needs of others, especially “the least of these.” The eternal would finally trump the temporal!!!

I hope that if we truly get a significant amount of snow and ice this weekend, that we all take advantage of the  ”down time” to reflect on our lives in light of Christ’s return. May there be areas of our lives that are permanently altered because we have by faith taken hold of this magnificent promise.

Have a great weekend!

David

Last summer, I tackled a home improvement project that nearly got the best of me. I knew the eight-feet tall privacy fence in my back yard was in pretty bad shape when Sherron and I moved into our current home a couple of years earlier. After making a few repairs along the way, I began to realize that at some point replacing it would be my only option. One day, after a pretty bad storm, I went out back to find a couple of the fence posts had broken and the fence was leaning over against some trees on our property. The time to replace the fence had come.

After finding the style I wanted, I purchased all the lumber and began what became a two-week project of building my new fence. The fence turned out great but building it reminded me that I am not a spring chicken anymore and that I don’t recover as quickly from a really hard day of labor. In thinking of this project, I often use the analogy of building fences in our lives that serve to protect us from sin and temptation. I specifically want to speak today about building fences to protect your marriage from an affair.

A fence serves two purposes. First it protects a person’s property from visual or physical entry by people or animals that do not belong there. Second, it helps provide boundaries that prevent children or pets from leaving the safety of the property. In the same way, setting up fences in marriage helps protect them. They provide barriers from anyone entering that sacred space that does not belong there and helps keep us from wandering outside of its covenant boundaries.

Let’s look at a few fences that can be implemented in a marriage relationship to see what they look like. These are things that every married person should be proactive in building and maintaining to protect their marriage. Here are a few examples.

• Be proactive in understanding and meeting your spouse’s needs unconditionally (Eph. 5:25-29; Eph. 5:33; 1 Cor. 7:3). A general rule for this is that men typically desire respect and physical intimacy and women typically desire love and emotional intimacy.

• Treat your spouse in such a way that they know you value them or someone else will (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Peter 3:7). Your spouse should feel that you are their biggest fan and that you consider them of great worth.

• Even at the expense of appearing unfriendly, never open yourself up emotionally to anyone other than your spouse. Never spend time with someone of the opposite sex such as taking them to lunch and never share intimate personal information with them (Psalm 141:3-4; James 1:13-15).

• Always look for and acknowledge the best qualities in you spouse and avoid dwelling on the negative (Proverbs 31:10-31; Malachi 2:13-15). We often focus on the personality traits and habits of our spouse that irritate us or cause discomfort. To combat this we must be proactive in looking for, appreciating, and affirming their positive qualities.

• Finally, and most importantly, see to it that your relationship with Christ remains strong and intimate. It is through this relationship that you will find both the desire and the ability to be the spouse God directs you to be (Phil. 2:13 NLT).

In closing, let me say that if you think your marriage is not susceptible to an affair then yours may be one of the most susceptible. Why, because you are the least likely to be proactive in building and maintaining these fences in your life. If that happens, your marriage will go on unprotected and Satan will attempt to send someone into that sacred space that does not belong there. You can “affair proof” your marriage but, like my fence project, it takes time and often great effort to do so.

Last week, I and 27 others from FBC-Powell went to New York City to work with the New York School of Urban Ministry during the Thanksgiving Holiday. The ministry opportunities presented to us were amazingly diverse. Our two teams ministered to the homeless by volunteering in shelters and soup kitchens and through street ministry at night. Some went to a hospital for HIV patients and others with chronic illnesses to encourage and pray with them. Some went to a day center for adults with Cerebral Palsy to sing Christmas carols room to room. We distributed Thanksgiving baskets alongside a new church plant in the poorest neighborhood in the Bronx. One group even participated in preaching and sharing their testimonies on the subway system.

After being home for a few days and a considerable amount of reflection, I wanted to share what I believe to be the most important lesson I took away from this trip. I learned that taking time to give a listening ear to someone who is typically ignored, to give a person most people will not even sit next to a compassionate touch on the shoulder, to offer a message of hope in Christ to those without hope, are the most valuable gifts we can give to the poor and disabled.

I have been going through a season of repentance because I have too often taken the easy way out to help the downtrodden. I have written a check here and there to support those who are on the front line of ministry. While doing this isn’t wrong, it is a level of love that is not truly sacrificial. You see, I can write a check without much inconvenience or discomfort. It won’t cramp my lifestyle. But, what about giving a few hours of my time to get to know someone and listen to their hurts and concerns? What about giving numerous hours of time to get to know someone so well that I am positive I know the most effective way to minister to them?

I have come to realize over the past couple of weeks that true sacrificial love is so much more than helping finance a benevolent ministry. It is more than passing out material things like a sandwich or toiletries to a homeless person. The deepest love we can show is by giving our time and attention to individuals that are in many cases forgotten, ignored, and abused. To show the love of Christ means we must go beyond the convenience of giving a few dollars of support. It requires us to give up our time, rearrange our schedules, and even deny our wants and needs for the welfare of others. Few times will this necessitate a financial contribution but it will always cost us some of the comforts and conveniences that we so greatly value.

I am reading Matthew 25:34-40 from a new perspective these days. It says:

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

David

In my estimation, the weakest area of spiritual nurture in the Christian home is parents that neglect their responsibility to teach and explain the Bible to their children (Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:6-7). There are a few parents I am aware of who make a daily habit of reading the Bible to their children. There are even fewer, I believe, that take the time to explain the meaning and application of what they are reading. As a Christian educator, one of the first lessons I had to come to terms with was just because I was teaching it did not necessarily mean anyone was learning.

While reading the Bible to our children is definitely a worthwhile endeavor, how can we know if they are really learning? Even if memorization is taking place, can we be sure they are able to make proper application of the Word of God? I do think there is a teaching method where parents can be sure they are teaching the Bible fully and accurately and also know that their children are “getting it” as well. That method is teaching through catechism.

What is catechism? A catechism is a short book giving a brief summary of basic Bible doctrine using a question and answer format. Nearly everyone is familiar with catechism as a teaching method whether or not we know the meaning of the term. Most of us learned our addition facts and vocabulary words using this time tested method. Our teacher would ask us, “What is 2 plus 2?”, and we would answer, “4″. In the context of Bible study, our teacher might ask, “What is the first commandment?”, and we would answer, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (NKJV) A catechism is a proven way to transfer important, foundational doctrines into our minds and hearts. (excerpt from J. Dan Boulton’s article Catechism- A Means for Learning and Teaching God’s Word)

Catechisms include teaching on such subjects as:
• The doctrines of God including His nature and attributes.
• The doctrines of man.
• The doctrines of grace, sin and salvation.
• The offices of Christ as prophet, priest and king.
• The Ten Commandments.
• The Lord’s Prayer.
• The meaning and place of baptism and communion.
• The doctrines of resurrection, judgment and the Lord’s second coming.

The most appealing aspect of teaching children through catechism is the fact that it is so simple. Parents can teach five questions and answers of the catechism at a time until they are memorized, read the accompanying Scripture verses, and in many instances use the content of those questions and answers as the topic of family prayer and praise time.

I am happy to let every parent know that through the Family Ministry, the church is making available, at cost, family devotional kits that utilize catechism material. The primary books we are using come from the Founders Ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention. There are three Truth and Grace Memory Books that are designated for different age levels. Each book contains a different Baptist Catechism with accompanying Scripture verses, Scripture memorization assignments, and the words to great hymns of the faith. One of the best things about these books is that they allow parents to teach and children to learn at their own pace.

You can purchase these books individually ($5.00) or together with the Family Devotional Kits our staff has put together ($24.00). The kits include one Truth and Grace Memory Book, the Family Worship book by Donald Whitney that expresses the theology of family worship, and the Hymns for Kith and Kin accompaniment CD that goes along with many of the hymns printed in the Truth and Grace books. If you are interested in getting any of these resources they will be made available in the church book store located at the Worship Center main entrance beginning Sunday, March 29th.

Grace and Peace,

David

P.S. If you are not a member of First Baptist Church or you attend our Fountain City Campus, let me know if you want any of these resources and I will get them to you.