by Ryan Smith | Apr 13, 2015
Last year, I wrote an article called, “Christian McCarthyism: Tony Dungy.” It was about the swarming media and personal outrage over Super Bowl winning coach and NFL commentator Tony Dungy stating that he would not have selected Michael Sam (openly gay NFL seventh round draftee who has since been waived by two teams and is now a free agent).
Dungy stated this was not because of his homosexual lifestyle, but because of the pros/cons of such a media frenzy surrounding a football player with minimum NFL potential. Even though Dungy said nothing about Sam’s sexuality, because he was a Christian, Dungy was accused of hate, bigotry, and his job was on the line.
The message was clear to Christians: change or suffer the consequences. An interesting progression (regression?) has intensified this definition of “consequences” aimed at those who hold to a Christian worldview based on the authority of the Bible.
The Dungy case turned the tide from directly saying something to having something implied about you based on your religious beliefs and convictions. Now we see the turn from implication to projection as statutes long-held upholding religious liberty are pro-actively being attacked because of what they could or might mean in the minds of those on the offensive.
Recently, Indiana and Arkansas passed legislation known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The RFRA was a federal law passed in 1993 by President Clinton (Democrat – Arkansas). The law’s intent was to protect the First Amendment right of all U.S. citizens which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
The RFRA is a state-level protection of its citizens. This was needed after a 1997 ruling was made in the case of City of Boerne v. Flores from the Supreme Court that the RFRA breached federal power when applied to state laws.
As a result, individual states (19 to be exact: AL, CT, FL, ID, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, NM, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX and VA) began adopting the protection for their citizens – confirming at a state level, their First Amendment protection of religious liberty and application. Other states such as AK, MA, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, OH, WA, and WI have adopted relatively identical laws.
A word of note is that none of these laws mention the word homosexuality (or a derivative). Neither are they about upholding discrimination. However, when a person’s religious convictions and beliefs are in danger of suppression by federal or state law, those beliefs and their expression are to be protected. That’s it.
Enter Christian McCarthyists. These are the people who are making it their mission to root out people living out a Christian worldview under the authority of Scripture and taking them down violently.
Remember, this law protects religion. It is not only focused on Christianity. This is the same law that protects a Jewish butcher from having to filet some pork chops and a Muslim clothing retailer from selling or displaying immodest women’s clothing. And this should be noted: it doesn’t matter whether that Jewish butcher is gay, straight, or whatever designation in between. This law protects heterosexuals as equally as homosexuals.
The outcry, however, has been that this law discriminates against homosexuals (which it does not). This is because while the law protects the Jewish butcher from handling pork, the Muslim retailer from modeling skimpy panties, and the Christian baker from participating in something that violates biblical marriage, it is only the Christian who finds themselves in the crosshairs of Christian McCarthyism’s growing arsenal of weapons.
Consider this: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and the vast majority of the world’s religions all uphold the sacredness of marriage as being between a man and a woman. Islamic bakeries are also refusing to participate in homosexual wedding ceremonies. Jewish cake-decorators are also refraining from participating in wedding ceremonies celebrating anything other than a male/female union.
Where are the news pundits verbally accosting the Muslim community for their religious freedom <crickets…crickets>? Where are the boycotts of major corporations against Jewish leaders, businesspeople, media or financial figureheads <…tumbleweed…>? Exactly.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple (a maker of fine products) expressed his desire to boycott business in Indiana because of the proposed law. Wal-Mart (a traditionally pro-family business) made threats in its home state of Arkansas. Why? Because the expression of religious conscience and belief was being upheld over what indirectly could affect the expression of individual sexual conscience and belief.
It should be noted that Apple recently expanded into Saudi Arabia, a country that not only discriminates against women under Islamic ideology, but tragically and inhumanly stands idle as homosexuals are murdered by the hundreds by Islamic militants.
Herein lies the rub. The target is not hate. The goal is not standing up for the rights of certain individuals, but to stand against the civil rights and application of religious belief for Christians. This is an attack on Christianity around and over the courts in the arena of business and public opinion, which will eventually work its way into legislation.
Yes, you heard me. The way is being paved for Congress to make a law prohibiting the exercise of religious expression for those who uphold the institutions of marriage and family as being directly related to religious teaching.
While this is an over-arching direction, in direct application, it (unsurprisingly) is only being taken out on Christians. Blatant offensive discrimination in business is being supported and upheld by companies like Apple and Wal-Mart against small businesses who simply function in states where businesses are not being forced to violate religious conviction. All in the name of stamping out discrimination.
If you’re confused, you’re on the right page. This is Christian McCarthyism at its finest. Weed out the Christian who stands for Christianity and take them down by whatever means necessary.
Sex is our new god, and we shall have no other God before him/her/them.
by Ryan Smith | Mar 9, 2015
I want you to do something. It may seem weird and uncomfortable, but I want you to see what I am seeing.
Before I tell you what it is, I want to give you some context. Our church is in a university town. A huge perk of this is that I get to sit across the table from a lot of college students talking about the church, the Gospel, and their journeys to this point.
College is such a formative and exposing time of life. It is where one’s roots start to break the soil and see what kind of fruit results. The majority of students I get to talk with are ones who are chasing after Christlikeness (that’s why they are meeting with a pastor to talk about the church). They feel the push of the Holy Spirit, are woven into accountable community, and are interested in being a part of a healthy local church family.
I often find myself marveling at the depth and Christian courage of these students.
Almost without fail, as I lead with open-ended questions about background or faith, the answers funnel down two ideas: parents matter and churches matter.
1) Parents matter. I talk with students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Take courage – God uses and is saving kids from broken homes, single parent homes, Christian homes, and everything in between. Regardless of your past, your children have a future. But also know this: your kids know. They know if you wear a Sunday School mask. It is highly influential on emerging adults as they watch their parents go through church motions. They can spot a phony from a mile away. Authentic Christian parents, they relate, are those who know their Bible, ask and answer difficult questions, walk through adversity with their kids, and place themselves as shepherds in their home keeping their kids within biblical boundaries.
2) Churches matter. Pastors are important. They often serve as wise guides and teachers in the minds of young adults. However, beyond the pastor, the church body is just as important. Young adults continually relate that they need to see Baby Boomers and Senior Adults actively loving Christ and their family. They don’t just need to see busy adults. They need to see loving and embracing Christians. The churches they have come from have been instrumental in their upbringing. They can see the warts for what they are and aren’t under the illusion that the church is perfect. They do, however, want the church to be genuine. Pastors, the young adults who grow up in church and come through with the most solid footing aren’t those who were rushed through a children’s ministry assembly line. Rather at key points in their formative years, when they had questions, their pastors and parents took time and gave answers. They clearly articulated the whole Gospel. They made children wait. They let them wrestle with realities of faith and the Gospel. Teach the children well – they are indeed listening. Not one student talking about their church upbringing has told me about how cool their VBS was or how much fun they had on Wednesday nights with their youth group. Many, however, have told me about the adults who sat down and shared Jesus with them at VBS or the importance of Christian influence and mentorship of older students and adults through their teenage years.
Every coffee shop talk with a student leads me to think about my role as a father. With every young man I meet, I pray that some day, like them, my son will be sitting down across from a local church pastor talking about the local church, God’s Word, and the Gospel. I know undoubtedly if and when they do, the conversation will veer towards his upbringing in our household and the impact of his local church.
I want him to be able to say he knows his dad is a Christian. I want him to tell the pastor across the table that his dad walked with him through the hard stuff, held him accountable as he learned, and always displayed the love and conviction of Christ. I want him to have such a biblically-elevated understanding and expectation of the local church and his role in it that he is both an encouragement and a tool for his pastor and church leaders. I want the fruit that buds to show roots grounded in respect and admiration for the Gospel and God’s Word.
So back to what I want you to do. I want you to go to a coffee shop. I want you to get a cup of something so hot it requires you to sit for a while before you can start drinking it. While you wait, look across the table. Look at the empty chair and imagine your child in a few years sitting across from a pastor talking about their home and church. What questions do you want them to ask? What do you want to be said about you as a father or mother? What will they say about their involvement with people from your church? What will be their understanding of God’s Word and the Gospel?
Sit at that table and imagine the conversation then go home and hug your kids tight. Determine to be that kind of father. Be that kind of church member. Pray for those kids who don’t have fathers or a church. See them through the lens I get to experience weekly as a pastor in a university town. Drink that hot cup of coffee and then resolve to spend time back at that table with your kids and their hot chocolate, living life in Christ together.
Raising Christian young adults takes gospel intentionality. That intentionality must be seen first in the home and the local church. Those roots provide beautiful fruit.
by Ryan Smith | Jan 19, 2015
To the Better Version of Me,
I know it may seem strange that I’m writing to you. I’ve never met you, but I think about you a lot. If I’m going to be honest, you have been both a tremendous inspiration to me as well as the most strangling albatross. You keep me awake at night. You frustrate me. At the same time, the mere idea of you is a comfort to me.
That being said, I would like to touch base with you on a few things. First of all, congratulations on finally losing that extra 15 pounds I’ve been carrying around. I don’t know how you did it, but you look great.
That’s one thing I admire about you. You’re so disciplined. I have tried and tried to be disciplined but I’m not very disciplined at it. What was it that finally made you get there? Was it something you got, an event, a tragedy, a book? I keep reading, buying, and looking for opportunities (honestly I’d prefer not to go through the tragedy) but nothing is making it click. I’d love to know your secret.
I think if she knew you, our wife would like you better than me. The same for our son. Not that they don’t like me, I just don’t know where you found that level of balance to make the home feel centered. I struggle to keep it on course. You make it seem so effortless. I feel like I’m gone too much. I fear I don’t do enough with them – that I don’t lead them fully in the way God wants me to. I know what I’m doing is a start, but honestly when I was younger, I thought my home would look a lot more like yours. God knows I’m trying.
It’s not easy trying to be you. I suppose the funny thing is even if I somehow am able to become you, I would still want more. I wonder – are you writing this letter to a better version of you? Are you as obsessed with the thought of the better version of yourself as I am?
I really don’t know what to say to you beyond the fact that I appreciate you. The fact that you finally turned my “I wish” list into your daily task list is inspiring. Well done.
Sadly, you don’t exist.
I would love it if you did. I’d love to see your impact on our family, our church, and our community.
I wonder…if I finally set my alarm and woke up earlier, exercised more, prayed more, read more, actually stepped out into those conversations I avoid more, if I finally got that break, if I poured more in and gave more out, would I finally start measuring up to you or would I just be a more busy version of the over-busy version of myself that I am?
I’m also glad that somehow, despite how much I wish I was like you, I know God doesn’t love me any less because I’m not you. Don’t get me wrong, you probably have a deeper understanding of God, a closer relationship with him, and probably a greater understanding of what it means to love and be loved by God. I want that. I really do.
Still, He didn’t save me just so that I could become like you. He saved me so that I could become like Jesus.
Honestly I think I focus more on becoming like you than like Him. I’ll bet you don’t have that problem.
I’m sure you would probably say something humble and self-effacing like how you’re still a work in progress and you’re not perfect…blah blah blah. That’s what I both love and hate about you. Still, I’m thankful for the way God uses you to push me forward.
I hope to see you soon,
Ryan
by Ryan Smith | Dec 18, 2014
While Christmas Day will always (and should) be the main event, Christmas Eve has become quite the icing to an already beautiful cake. It is a time filled with anticipation, joy, celebration, and often close friends and family.
Christmas Eve is a great time for dads to lead out in their homes. Men need to point their families to Christ as the center of the season. But what should you do beyond reading a Christmas story or a prayer before a figgy-pudding meal?
Perhaps you are a man wondering how to lead out this Christmas. Perhaps you are a single mom, grandparent, or hold a place of leadership in a circle of influence. If so, I want to offer the following Christmas Eve idea. This is something our church is embracing this year as families gather to celebrate Christ.
Feel free to use this with your family on Christmas Eve. It is just a quick guide, so feel free to get creative. Grab the cocoa, the blankets, and make this a special family event.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: A CHRISTMAS EVE REFLECTION
Why do we like Christmas lights?
We don’t just put out lights themselves, but we put them up on and in things.
We put lights around houses, trees and use them to spell words of celebration.
They make the ordinary extraordinary. They draw attention to things we see every day (houses, trees, etc.) but tell us at this time, there is something more to celebrate.
Luke 2:1-20 is perhaps the most familiar Christmas story in the whole Bible. Let’s read it. As we read each passage, we are going to stop and identify two things together: Christmas Lights and Christmas Stars.
Christmas Lights are things that stand out to us in the verses. They are words or phrases in the text that highlight the verses. Christmas Stars are things we see in the passage that direct us to action. Just as the wise men followed the star to Jesus, Christmas Stars are things that when we see them, urge us to walk forward into something new for God’s glory.
LUKE 2:1-20 – Have someone read these sections. Pause between each one and discuss the questions. Have those with you read from your own Bible if possible.
JESUS IS BORN – LUKE 2:1-7
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius (Kwy-re-nee-us) was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
- What is a Christmas Light in this passage?
- What is a Christmas Star in this passage?
GOOD NEWS! GREAT JOY! – LUKE 2:8-14
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’”
- What is a Christmas Light in this passage?
- What is a Christmas Star in this passage?
JUST AS THEY HAD BEEN TOLD – LUKE 2:15-20
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
- What is a Christmas Light in this passage?
- What is a Christmas Star in this passage?
ADVENT
Many churches light Advent Candles in the weeks leading up to Christmas representing Hope, Joy, Peace, Love and Christ. Looking at Luke 2:1-20, where do you see Hope? Joy? Peace? Love? Christ (the Savior)
PRAYER – Home leader, lead your family and loved ones in prayer.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Light a Christmas Candle in your home. Ask why we light candles at Christmas. Ask what other events we celebrate with candles (Birthdays!). It is significant we light candles as markers of important people, events, or celebrations. A Christmas candle represents the most important person, the most important event, and the greatest celebration!
Encourage your family to see every Christmas or candle light this year as a testimony to God’s faithfulness that we celebrate year after year. Place the lit candle in your home somewhere where it will be safe and visible throughout the Christmas season.
This might be a great time to go out and look at Christmas lights in your city or neighborhood and remember this verse:
“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations!” (Psalm 100:5)
Merry Christmas to you and yours as we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ this Christmas!
by Ryan Smith | Dec 8, 2014
I recently sat around an early-morning table with nine men. As the coffee steamed and the donut glaze congealed, we batted around the topic of conversation rooted out of Psalm 1.
We know the man is blessed who does not walk in the way of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. We take Ephesians 5 to heart and know we are supposed to love our wives as ourselves and carry the glad acceptance of sacrificial responsibility.
These are wonderful truths, but lofty concepts. We get the parameters, but what does the footprint look like when the rubber meets the road?
Former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, addressing the issue of pornography, related his difficulty in defining the word itself, but coined the adage, “I know it when I see it.”
Much like Justice Stewart, while many men in the church have difficulty defining godly manhood, they know it when they see it. Sometimes it is a specific common trend among men we admire (i.e. their bookshelves are lined with biographies). It can also be in a short word, an overarching conviction, or a defining trait.
In all its various forms, when men see godly manhood displayed in another, it is a pull, a magnetism, and a battle cry unlike any other.
While our compiled list was capped at around 20, I will catalog our list down into seven distinct habits of godly men. It should be noted in our circle of Christian men, habits like prayer, Bible reading, and memorization were givens.
WE NOTICE GODLY MEN ARE HABITUALLY:
- RELATIONAL
This isn’t to say godly men are all extroverts. However, we observe godly men make a habit of being with other people and listening. They meet with other men. They are gentle challengers, motivators and leaders. While challenging and motivating, they are also empathetic. They make a habit of exercising appropriate touch, words, and care that reach through the common manly veneer.
- CONSISTENT
While it may sound redundant, godly men make a habit of consistency. Their “yes” means “yes” and their “no” means “no.” When they say they will be somewhere, or do something, you can believe it will be done, and they will be there on time. They finish what they start.
- FORWARD MOVING
Godly men are marked by a drive to accomplish a vision that is very clear to them. They are comfortably uncomfortable with the status quo. This means they are proactive agents of Gospel-change while not being reactionary or on the offensive.
- LEARNERS
Whether 18 or 98, a godly man makes a habit of intentional learning. They are readers – not just ESPN the Magazine or the ticker at the bottom of the Thunder game – but of biographies, challenging books, and above all, the Bible. They always have new insights to share and know that others play a vital role in their growth. They meet with others, confess their need for others, are continually asking good questions, and listening in conversation – not just waiting for their next turn to talk. A godly man never “arrives.”
- BRAVE
Godly men habitually do things that express courage. They aren’t afraid to try. They aren’t afraid to fail or succeed. They know sometimes better futures come through current sufferings.
- SELF-AWARE
A godly man is self-aware. He is on guard physically, emotionally, and spiritually, knowing he is frail in and of himself. He works out his body, mind, heart and spirit to make sure he is fit and ready for the day.
- AFFIRMING
Godly men habitually speak well of their wives. Not just on anniversaries or in public, godly men are marked by an appreciation for marriage in general and their wives in particular. The godly man affirms others both to their face and behind their back.
While obviously not exhaustive, this is our list. These seven things do not make a godly man, but they are things that mark a man who is bearing spiritual fruit. This is not an argument for morality or a standard of being “good enough.” But it seems when men are seeking to follow Christ, these things are consistent in their lives.
I would love to hear what habits mark the godly men in your life. If you are a man wanting to grow in godliness, try applying one of these areas where you are weak. Talk about it with other men.
We need men who follow Christ. The church needs men. Families need men. Men need men.
Let us strive to be the men God has called us to be in Christ.