The Easter Effect

by Angela Sanders | Apr 30, 2019

Confession: I didn’t go to all the Easter services. 

I celebrated Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning, of course—wouldn’t miss that for the world—but I didn’t go to the Maundy Thursday or Good Friday services. I do think they are worthwhile, and I appreciate our church staff for putting in the extra time and effort to create a meaningful experience for everyone, but my heart just felt too shaky this year to focus on the crucifixion for very long.

The weight of it. The pain of it. The truth of my role in Jesus’ death. Listen, if I had stood for even a second before the cross and beheld not only Jesus’ love for me, but His even greater commitment to the Father, my Father, I would’ve fallen apart and made a scene, so I chose just to know this time instead of dwell.

It’s so intensely personal, the Easter story, the beautiful truth that set me free when I was a child, that continues to set me free even as I continue to prove I don’t deserve it.

I know without a doubt I am a child of God, set apart as a result of the faith God gave me to believe the Gospel and make Jesus boss of my life, but no matter how hard I try or how much progress I make, I keep messing up. I’m not always aware of my sin in the moment, of course, but that doesn’t lessen its dissonance with God’s character, weaken its impact on those around me, or dilute the stench of it.

Ugh. It’s beyond frustrating!

Thanks to the Gospel, though, the Easter story, I don’t have to stay frustrated, mired in my own muck, powerless to move forward. When Jesus died, He died for all my sin, past, present, and future. His death brought me peace with God once and for all.  His resurrection gave me new and eternal life.

All I have to do now is confess my sin as the Holy Spirit opens my eyes to it, walk away from it, and resume my pursuit of holiness with a clear conscience and light heart, confident not in my own ability to achieve it, but in God’s faithfulness to bring it about (Phil. 1:6). Today, in spite of the mistakes I made just this morning, I get to hand the Father my heart in worship and know deep down I’ve pleased Him.

Listen, the Enemy can try to discourage me all he wants—he’s currently making a good effort—but my mistakes no longer define me. Neither do the things that tempt. The cross does.

Today, tomorrow, forever, Easter continues. Praise God!

Winter into spring

by Amy Spear | Apr 24, 2019

Seeing God’s creation change at the very beginning of each season brings me so much joy! I particularly love experiencing the new birth that takes place as winter transforms into spring.

About the time I lose hope for those warm sunny day, signs of life begin to sprout forth! Buds on trees, bright colored tulips, Easter lilies and sprouts of green grass make their long awaited appearance, lifting my spirits once again.

It’s a bit different when it comes to my personal life. The ups and down, twists and turns, “seasons” of life, seem to last longer than expected. When I seem to face one thing after another, I pray for good news, but only bad news comes. Those “winters” never seem to end while living in the midst of the storm.

Being from Oklahoma, it can be bright and sunny in the morning and cold and raining in the evening. The weather is fickle, and so is our journey here on earth. One moment I’m living in summer just long enough for it to turn into fall in a blink of any eye, leaving me breathless in the wake of a cold blustery wind.

So what is a Christian girl to do?

Do I give up hope? Looking for signs of life, yet finding nothing.

I turn to the Word, clinging to the promise of a new day that will burst forth hope. Bringing a long awaited victory!

God’s word tells me in Nehemiah “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

When things feel less than joyful, I can cling to the promise that His joy will give me strength. I am weak, but He is strong. Therefore, if I rely on my own strength I will fail every time. But, if I remember He is the one with all the strength, I can rest in the joy that He will carry me through.

God’s Word says, “You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: ‘God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” (Ps. 91:1-2)

I can rest in His presence during those nights that seem to never end because of fear, worry and pain. I can trust in my God who hears me, for He is in control, even in moments when I am spinning out of control. Spend time crying out to my God who hears me, knows me, understands me, and finding rest to trust He is in control.

“The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth” (Isa. 26:7).

If we aren’t careful, we could think this verse means life should be easy. But we have spent too many days on earth to believe that! Instead, God shows us our path. He leads us down the path He wants for us. It may be hard, and at times, we would choose a different road. But in the end, we will see how His name and His renown were made known to those around us because we continued to walk the path laid out before us.

Knowing He is the guide should bring peace. It isn’t an arbitrary journey. There is purpose and meaning behind each day! Every single one of our days were numbered long before we were even born (Ps. 139:16).

Never stop reading God’s word, especially in the winter months of life. It is our life blood, our warmth when life gets cold. When we need strength, sometimes the heaviest thing we can lift is a leather bound book with letters written in red. But I challenge you sister/brother, muster up all the strength you have, pull those pages open and cling to the words until hope bursts forth, and your new season begins!

What Kind of Belief Do You Have?

by Caleb Gordon | Apr 16, 2019

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:28-29).

Have you noticed how often people want to know how they can gain the favor of God? I see it all the time. People ask me questions about spiritual stuff; they ask me my thoughts on what it takes to please God. 

Folks in Jesus’ day had the same kind of questions. They wanted to know what God was like; they wanted to know how to gain His favor and have everlasting life.  

Here is the thing. What God wants is both the simplest thing in the world and the hardest thing in the world all at the same time:

“BELIEVE ME.  BELIEVE IN ME!  Do you trust me?  Do you trust me with your life?”

Those are truly some of the toughest statements in our lives today. We wall folks off; we don’t trust very many people, especially with our hearts and lives. The same is true with Jesus. We have a sin nature that blocks us from being able to truly trust Him. This is why we have to stay laser focused in on His will for our lives, and the only way that happens is staying connected with His Word. 

Let’s have a little honest conversation here, I’m almost certain that everyone reading this believes in Jesus. If I asked, you would say, “YES, I believe.” But, oftentimes, we fall into the camp of doubt. We listen to lies that are whispered into our ears, and we can tend to believe those lies over the truth that God has spoken over us. 

Then we start asking people around us stuff like, “What do you think God is going to require of me in order for me to gain His favor?”   And the answer to this question is staring us right back in the face:  “BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE HAS SENT.”  

Jesus had a similar situation in the Gospel of Mark. A man’s daughter was sick, and he came to Jesus to see if He would be able to heal her. There is so much happening in Mark 5, and in all of the commotion, other people from the man’s house show up and say “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 

Can you imagine what that looked like? Can you imagine how this father felt? He just got word that his daughter was dead. Fear flooded that man’s mind and heart. And Jesus steps in at just the right moment and says some of the most amazing words ever: “…Do not fear, only believe.” 

Are you catching the pattern here? Jesus is asking you the question today, “Do you trust me?  Do you trust me with your life? Do you trust me with your family?  Do you trust me with your future?  DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE TOLD YOU?”

What does God require?  BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE HAS SENT!  

Now, this is not the kind of belief that is commonly known in 2019 America. This kind of belief means you are willing to abandon everything because you believe in what Jesus says. This kind of belief means you will do things that, to the outside world, seem outright crazy or insane.  

Belief that calls you to risk your very life is necessary to be obedient. This kind of belief brings you to your knees in prayer for the people you love and hate all at the same time. This kind of belief means you’re going to share the Gospel, even when it’s not convenient.  

This kind of belief will transform the world! 

What does God require?  BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE HAS SENT!  

Millennial Monday: ‘The Gospel comes with a house key’

by Emily Howsden | Apr 15, 2019

This past weekend I attended the Oklahoma Baptist Women’s Retreat. I could talk for days about the different things I loved about it, but I’ll stick to one of the topics for the sake of your sanity.

Roasaria Butterfield was one of the main speakers this weekend. Her testimony is an incredible story of transformation, love and healing—and it started with a Christian choosing to show her love rather than bigotry and hate.

Butterfield used to be an LGBTQ rights activist, women’s studies professor at Syracuse University, and in a lesbian relationship, until she encountered a pastor who began to be her friend.

Now, she is married to her husband of 17 or so years (not sure if that’s the right number) and they have several children. I’m not great with specifics, but what she shared about hospitality as Christians was especially fascinating.

The name of her most recent book is “The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in our Post Christian World.” I have moved this book to the top of my to-read list because I could not agree more with Butterfield here.

In order to love the lost world, we have to first be willing to invite them into our lives. In a world saturated with fake news and false prophets, people crave authenticity.

Authenticity begins by building relationships, and Butterfield suggests that you start building relationship with the people in the closest proximity to you, your neighbors.

I grew up in the country, with a good distance between my house and my neighbors’. However, now I live as close as 12 feet to my neighbors on both sides, making this form of evangelism much more attainable and, quite frankly, rather easy.

Being residents of the northeastern United States, Butterfield and her husband host people in their home often when weather isn’t favorable, or in extraordinary circumstances. She told a story where a meth lab was found in a home in their neighborhood. She and her husband invited the neighborhood over to process what their neighbor had done.

There are so many ways to connect with your neighbors. I personally love to go on walks, as I’ve mentioned on my blog before. I was raised with a very outgoing dad, and a mom who is kind to everyone, which means that I’ve never met a stranger in my life—sometimes to a fault.

But I like to use this character trait to my advantage. I love to say hello to people, and welcome their adoring words about how cute my son is, since I like to take him on walks with me.

What do you like to do at your home? Do you enjoy yard work? Or are you like my husband, who likes to spend hours in your garage creating things? Whatever it is you enjoy doing, or even if you don’t enjoy doing it, stretch yourself a little bit and open up your home to your neighbors.

Would you throw them a life raft if they were drowning in the neighborhood pool? Yes, of course! Then why wouldn’t you choose to tell them about God and how much He loves them and sent His Son to die on the cross for their sins when their eternal life is figuratively in your hands as much as that life raft is?

This Sunday is a great opportunity to bring a friend to church as we celebrate Easter Sunday. I suggest you start by inviting them to church on the Super Bowl Sunday of all Sundays in the Church!

Speaking About Our Transgender Neighbors

by Ryan Smith | Apr 4, 2019

There are thousands of books, strategies and ideas about how churches grow. Many church-growth models focus on numbers, ministries, events, and other means of building up the body. These things aren’t bad, but when I think about church growth, I can’t help but think of Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus: “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:15).

“Speaking the truth in love”—this is an often-neglected paradigm for church growth.

This is the last of three articles in a series on the church and transgenderism. In the first article, “The Church and the Transgender Moment,” we explored definitions regarding transgenderism and why the church should neither ignore this cultural movement, nor those within its circles. The second article, “How the Church Can Engage Our Transgender Neighbors,” focused on seeing our transgender neighbors as real people, in real circumstances, with real prayers, who desperately need the Gospel of Jesus Christ just as much as you and I.

The focus of this article is how the church can address issues regarding sexuality and transgenderism in a way that stands by the truth of God’s Word, while doing so in a way that is loving to all of its hearers created in the image of God.

In large part, the church finds itself woefully behind in conversations regarding human sexuality. Many in the church understand God’s biblical design for male/female genders and the relationships between the two. We want to model biblical manhood and womanhood. We want to uphold God’s design and purpose for gender, sex and sexuality. Unfortunately, as we have been carrying on a (discreet) conversation within the church about Godly sexuality, a much louder and multi-layered conversation has grown outside our doors.

While the church has assumed the transgender conversation is a minority voice, we are recognizing more and more that the heralds of the transgender movement, and their message, are becoming a woven part of the fabric from which our cultural systems are derived.

If our churches are to grow both in biblical fidelity and gospel-effectiveness, we are going to have to address some difficult topics. We must speak the truth of the Gospel but also do so in a way that loves the church, equips our families and spreads the hope of Jesus Christ to our transgender neighbors.

Speaking About Transgenderism…

.…In The Church

The first rule for any church desiring to speak the truth about transgenderism in love is simply to do it. The Bible has a lot to say about sex, gender and sexuality. God has clearly defined His beautiful purpose and plan for men, women and their relationships. The Bible is unapologetic about our broken nature and how it works itself out in every aspect of our lives. The Word of God is active in its reach (particularly in the Epistles) to address communities and people ravaged by sexual ambiguity and perversion.

Preach hard texts and uphold the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Make the ground level at the foot of the cross and champion Jesus as our only hope in life and death. As the Word is preached and topics about sexuality, brokenness, confusion or idolatry are presented, we shouldn’t think examples from the modern gender conversation are taboo. As we address examples of gender dysphoria, we must also remember we are talking about real people in real circumstances with real prayers. How would we want someone to talk about or share the Gospel with us if we were in their shoes?

If we’re not talking about gender and sexuality in the church, the only voices our people are hearing regarding these topics are from those un-influenced by the Word of God. If the church is to join the conversation about sexuality in our modern era, we must be proactive. We must also be courteous and respectful to those who are personally struggling, or know someone who is struggling, with sexuality or gender identity. We must remind our churches that there is room at the cross for the sexually broken.

…With Our Kids and Teens

This is a difficult one. For parents or leaders of emerging generations, conversations about sexuality can be difficult to approach. Let us remember, however, that the discussion has already started. Our kids are growing up in a world sloped toward gender fluidity. We are only now recognizing how sharply slanted that slope is.

When it comes to the transgender conversation with our kids, the best place to start is by simply asking questions. Have you heard anything about being a boy or a girl that you have questions about? Do you think a boy can become a girl? What are the differences between girls and boys? What makes those differences and why do you think they are there? What do you think the Bible says about gender?

Having conversations with our kids or teens at their level is essential. However, we must actually know what their level is. Parents are often surprised at what their kids have seen or heard regarding gender and sexuality. They are also surprised to know how open our kids and teenagers may be to discussing the issue. As mentioned earlier, this is a conversation our kids are growing up with. It’s not as unapproachable to them as it may seem to us. As parents and ministry leaders, we must continually reinforce to our kids that we are safe people to come to with difficult questions and that the Bible has answers.

There is much more to say regarding the church and transgenderism. At this point, one of the most significant hurdles for the church to overcome in speaking the truth in love about transgenderism is the double-edged assumption in our society that there is no truth and the church does not love.  We will need to show our neighbors that we are not enemies that must be debated with, but broken people adopted by an amazing God who want others to know the life-altering salvation available only through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Rather than gearing up for a debate, the most effective tool we can utilize in talking about, and with, our transgender neighbors is the Bible. Reading through books of the Bible together allows Scripture itself to address tough topics in context and enables us to prayerfully walk alongside those with questions. The Bible should also afford us the humility to not approach anyone else from the standpoint of derision. Aside from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are all dead in our sin.

As we speak the truth, let us do so with the love of Christ that led Him to the sexually broken woman at the well and called her to worship God in Spirit and truth.  Let us be honest with one another in the way David was approached about (and repented of) his sexual brokenness. Let us be filled with the Spirit who guided Philip to the sexually-altered eunuch and led Paul to speak openly with the church of Corinth about the sexual confusion and distortions of their age.

May we speak the truth in love, and in so doing, strengthen and grow the church under the authority and headship of the One who is making all things new in Christ – including us.