The Occasional Atheist

Confession—sometimes I act like an atheist. 

Atheists are people who don’t believe there is a God.  They don’t think God is present and active and interacting with them in every circumstance.  Christians, on the other hand, believe that God is everywhere and he is interacting with them so that all things work together for his glory and their good.  I believe what other Christians believe, but there are times when I act like an atheist.  I forget that God is there, and my attitude and behavior reflects it. 

Usually this occurs when things don’t go as planned.  Something breaks down.  I can’t stay on schedule.  I get in the long line and everyone in front of me needs special assistance. Traffic is at a standstill.  Someone that I’m depending on doesn’t show up.  The computer goes down.  A mile from home I forget something and have to turn around and go back.   I hate it when stuff like that happens and my typical response does not honor Christ, much less take into account his presence and purpose.  It rarely occurs to me that Jesus has a plan that is much bigger than my agenda, and the breakdowns can actually be holy moments.

I’m not an atheist, mind you, I just act like one every now and then.  If a brother or sister were to stop me in the middle of my ungodly reactions and ask if I still believe that God is present and active I would immediately repent and adjust my attitude and behaviors.  But sometimes I forget.

In his book Respectable Sins Jerry Bridges identifies this type of reaction to circumstances as the sin of ungodliness.  Does that sound harsh?  What else would you call thoughts and deeds that do not acknowledge the presence of God? 

On a somewhat larger scale, ungodliness is manifested in categorizing spiritual things—as when a person is focused on Christ at church, but not at work; prays over a meal, but not a habit; loves his family, but not his enemy, etc.
 
The remedy is awareness.
 
Lord, teach us to remember you every moment of every day. 
 
 
Brian

Politics

Christ followers are often tempted to avoid the topic of politics because it can get pretty messy.  People can get passionate about their politics.  For many of us when we see blood vessels bulging and we feel the anger rising we just want to run the other way.  I’d much rather talk about community group. 

 

But to check out of the political process when we have the gift of participation is folly.  There is a ditch on the other side of the road as well.  To depend on the political process as the answer to every social ill is idolatry.  What is needed is cool-headed participation at whatever level of political involvement you sense God leading you to, without forgetting that your citizenship is in heaven and that ultimately you serve the King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

All that being said, here’s the Brian Bailey guide to political involvement:

 

Value Policy over Personality

I saw a news piece last week that shared how the presidential candidates were both trying to portray themselves as “regular guys” who look straight into the camera and may even take off the tie.  These ads are for people who may be swayed by seeing a candidate’s sleeves rolled up.  “He seems like a nice, outdoorsy, hard-working fellow.  He’s got my vote!”  How shallow is that?

 

Some time ago I decided I’d rather have a jerk who promotes policies consistent with righteousness than a misguided good person promoting unrighteous policies.  Of course, I’d rather have a good person with good policies, but that’s not always an option.  Policies, not personality, are what impact the lives of people.

 

Performance over Promises

I may be a bit cynical in this area, but what political candidates say they’ll do and what they actually do are often worlds apart.  Although they may be completely sincere when making campaign promises they always have to work with other people to actually get things done.  Those other people may not be on the same page and may block proposed legislation.  Also, believe it or not, candidates have been known to make promises they have no intention of keeping just to get votes.  I know--it’s hard to believe.

 

A better indicator of future performance is past performance.  What has the candidate stood for in the past?  How effective has he been in bringing people together?  How has he demonstrated effective leadership?  What causes has he effectively advanced?

 

Prayer over Passivity

The Bible commands us to get involved in politics.  In prayer God has invited us to participate with him in turning the hearts of kings.   Through intercessory prayer we have political influence far greater than the vote.  I’ve set an alarm on my phone to go off at 2:02pm each day.  In obedience to I Timothy 2:1-2 my alarm reminds me of Paul’s exhortation “that  requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority….”  Yep, I’m a political activist.

 

 

Brian

New Heights Men at New Heights Church Message from: Alex Hedgepeth Hey Men, I’m sitting here on the day after Labor Day wondering if the day off was worth the hassle that hits afterward. It’s been a rough morning. I take comfort knowing most/all of you have experienced the same kind of thing. Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble. Jesus, the master of understatement. Now, I know  the trouble we experience here is nothing compared to others in our world, such as a father in a third world country despairing about how he is going to feed his family, or families in war torn areas struggling to live out the day. The degree or severity of the trouble doesn’t really matter, what matters is the fact we all are going through things that concern us greatly, bother us, if you will. Things that move our minds off of the larger story and get us thinking about the little small stories that will mire us in a swamp of discouragement. A friend and I were fishing many years ago and he was relating to me how an old friend of his was letting the pressure of being an elementary school principal get to him. He was really worried about his friend and I was thinking, really????  An elementary school in the backwoods of Mississippi and the pressure cooker was on? Two weeks later that principal shot himself to death. If we stay in these small stories too long, they start becoming reality for us and then we are left, usually in small moments of clarity, wondering what happened to the abundant life promised to us in scripture. Why do you think so many people go on vacation and want to move to whatever tourist trap they just visited? It’s not an absence of stress there; they were just able to leave their small stories and stresses behind for a while. It seems like we have to be really stuck before we will talk to someone else and the more stuck we are, the higher up the help chain we go. We struggle through tough times in our marriage without consulting someone else, until one of us has an affair. Then we go see our pastor, or a counselor.  We hate our boss or coworker until our job performance stinks so bad that we are about to be fired, then we talk to someone to get it off our chest or get some advice on how to handle it. What is it about us that make us so reluctant to seek counsel from others? There are many reasons, so just take your pick, just don’t spend too much time trying to figure it out by yourself.   Proverbs tells us that the purposes of a man’s heart are like deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out (20:5). That man could be a friend, relative, co-worker, or, you could go to a counselor. In between the first two paragraphs of this note and the rest, I ran into Ryan Rana, the director of the Joshua Center and a good friend of mine. We actually had a few minutes to talk, and I related the story of my tough morning, and as always, he gave me some great wisdom which lightened the load on my heart tremendously. He then asked me a question about how I had parented my kids (my girls are 19 and 17 his are 9 and below). As I was answering his question, several times he said “really? I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has experienced that with my kids”. So two men willing to bounce their lives off of each other finding comfort more in each other’s presence, knowledge, experience and compassion. So, men, I urge you, in the problem areas of your life, quit going it alone. Seek counsel. Don’t stop seeking it until you get it. Climb the help ladder until you find a “man of understanding”. Hey, try this one to satisfy your practical joker side. Go to a counselor before your life is in the ditch. Tell him that, no, my wife hasn’t left me, or no, I’m not about to lose my job, I just know that I’m not understanding why I am struggling with _______________ right now and wanted to see if you could shed some light on this. Then sit back and look at his face real close as he is freaked out by not having to get you out of the ditch first. I look forward to hearing about it. Have a great week men Alex

 

Always Talk to Strangers

I think it’s interesting to observe the way strangers interact with one another.  In our culture the unwritten rule is to ignore those around you, and keep your distance.  (Every man knows what a buffer urinal is).  However,  circumstances sometimes require some kind of polite response.  This is called social inattention.  It’s when we feel compelled to acknowledge the existence of another person, but we still want to avoid meaningful interaction.  So when someone sneezes we say “bless you”—that’s usually just a reflex response; we’re not really interceding for divine blessing upon them because they sneezed.  When someone holds the door we say “thank you.”  When it’s just the two of us passing one another in a hallway we say “how are you” hoping they’ll say “fine” and be on their way.  Then there’s always the “have a nice day” line, which really means “next.”  (When someone says to me “have a nice day” I always want to gruffly say “I’ve got other plans”—but I don’t).

 

But I recently discovered the value of pushing the envelope a little with strangers.  I was flying back from vacation in California (by way of Atlanta, of course) and found myself seated next to a guy who was flying to Little Rock for a business meeting.  Unlike other flying companions I’d had on the trip he didn’t plug in the ear phones, fix his eyes on the screen, and hang a “do not disturb” sign around his neck.  (That last part didn’t happen, but the message was clear).  This guy was willing to talk a little, so we made some small talk.  He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him I was a pastor.  Sometimes that confession immediately kills the conversation; other times it opens the door to go a little deeper.  This time it was the latter and we talked about church and stuff.  Eventually he mentioned how he and his wife had lost their 30 year old son a couple of years ago.  He didn’t want to talk much about his own grief, but when I asked if it would be okay if I prayed for him and his wife he accepted the offer with gratitude.  I could tell it meant a lot to him.

 

I’ve been reminded that being just a little bold and taking a little risk with strangers can yield good results.  I’m not talking about stepping onto an elevator and facing the crowd and loudly asking if everyone there knows Jesus;  but just doing things a little out of the ordinary often produces good fruit.  It requires….

 

                Readiness—sometimes you have to act fairly quickly or you’ll miss an opportunity.  The other day I had a chance to help a mom who was struggling with a child, a cart full of groceries and a lift gate that wouldn’t stay up—it was a very nice exchange and I could tell she was blessed.

                Initiative—we have to take the first step.  More often than not there will be a very positive response.

                Boldness—a willingness to dispense with social inattention and go just a little deeper.

 

 

Essentially we need to unlearn a rule our parents taught us and always talk to strangers.

 

 

Brian

 

 

Don't Jump!

A couple of weeks ago Leslie and I were vacationing in San Francisco and one day we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge.  The Bridge is a work of art.  Spanning the inlet from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay it is often the thing that says “Welcome Home!” to those who have been away at sea.  But for many it is the end of the line in a much darker way.  The Golden Gate Bridge is the world's top suicide site. Since it opened on May 27, 1937, there have been an estimated 1,600 deaths in which the body was recovered, and many more unconfirmed.  37 people jumped to their death in 2011—the fourth highest total since the bridge opened.  An additional 100 people were stopped from jumping. In other words, every 2 1/2 days, someone went to the bridge planning to jump.  Amazingly, about 1 out of every 50 jumpers survives the 220 foot fall—some crippled for life, others with only minor injuries.

 

 

 

It occurs to me that following Jesus is very much like patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge.  We’re in the business of saving lives.  We hold up the truth; warning people against a course of action that is fatal and tragic, trying to talk them back from the edge.  Even when they jump we’re running a search and rescue operation to save who we can.

 

Many of the people we want to help are obviously in big trouble.  Their relationships are falling apart. They are depressed, lonely and despairing. They have a sense of desperation.  They know they’re in trouble, and because of that they are the most likely ones to call on the name of the Lord. 

 

But for many people we’re working with the fatal jump will not look like a tragedy at first glance.  They may have a relatively happy life, good relationships, healthy family, good job, etc.  They just don’t acknowledge Jesus as savior and lord of their life.  These are people in great peril.  Our task is to intervene with love and truth—to engage them with grace, and to pray that God will open their eyes to understand who Jesus is and what he has done.

 

I wonder if there may be someone reading this who is about to jump.  The problem with running away from God is that you are always running to a dead end.  Don’t jump! There is hope.  Make the call.

 

Brian

 

Give What You Want to Get

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  Luke 6:38

 

This passage is most often used in sermons about giving money.  If you want to experience financial blessing you must nurture a generous heart and an open hand.  Give generously and you will experience generosity in return.  It’s true!  Speak to anyone who has practiced generosity for any length of time and they will speak of God’s goodness to them.

 

But the principle of receiving an abundance of what you give to others applies to every area of life.

 

If you struggle with loneliness, consider what you can do to soothe other people’s loneliness.  Before you know it your life will be full of people who love you.  On the other hand—go chasing after lots of friends and people will run the other way!

 

If you desire to be influential—rather than trying to grab control, think about how to help others have positive influence in the world around them.  It won’t be long before you start hearing stories of how you impacted lives.

 

If you want people to listen to you, listen to them.  The time will come when you suddenly notice that people are asking for your input.

 

If you are lacking love, encouragement, affirmation, prayer support, money—you name it—don’t chase after it; don’t try to grab it and hold it tight; give it away and it will be given to you. A good measure, shaken together, pressed down and running over will be poured into your lap.  Approach people and circumstances with an attitude of generosity and you will experience abundance.

 

What do you need to give away today?

 

Brian

 

 

Are You Dying to Know?

Good Morning Men,

How’s your summer going? I kicked mine off with an Arkansas Bream fishing odyssey last weekend, with the pivotal point being spending the evening with an old friend who was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall and had some spots found on his brain a few weeks ago. I knew that circumstances wouldn’t allow me to spend more than Saturday evening with him, so I planned some fishing around it. I started with taking my youngest Friday and had a good catch, then I drove to Little Rock and spent the night with my oldest, then we didn’t catch anything the next morning. I then drove to the southern part of the White River to a lake that I have wanted to fish for 20 years. With good reason evidently, as I caught about 100 in 2.5 hours. Then it was on to see my friend and fish a couple of lakes on Sunday on my way back.

I also had a friend from high school die last week from colon cancer. He was our quarterback and star baseball player on a team full of stars. He was Mr. everything, grades, sports, etc. He played baseball at Ole Miss and committed like 2 errors in 4 years.

These incidents of cancer naturally had me thinking more about death and our short time here on earth than I normally do. It’s amazing when you start thinking along those lines how fast you can get all Ecclesiastes. Really, what is it all about? Vanity, Vanity, is it all vanity? Can you leave something behind? Is it all about waiting on heaven? Or do you get all you can in this life?

Reading my high school friend’s obit, it was amazing how it read. Lots of accomplishments in high school and college (mostly concerning sports) then the rest of his life consisted of having a couple of kids, serving his customers faithfully, and, drum roll please, performing, at every Christmas, a version of Baby Elephant Walk,  where he would add something to it every year. I sincerely hope my closest friends would not let someone put that in my obit. I swear, I will come back and haunt you if you do.

Tie that together with the blurb I just read for a new men’s book that, of course takes the bible and lays a course for a man’s life. The author says that men are to:

men are called to lead, to love their wives, to discipline their children, and to serve the church of Jesus Christ. Here is biblical exposition of the most practical sort teaching that reveals not only what men are to think but what they are to be.

Show More

Show Less

 

Really? Well, there are worse things you can do than that, that’s for sure. But does it stop there? Are you going to get in the latter years of your life and know that your life counted for something?

No, I honestly believe, and this was my conclusion after my weekend, that only by learning to follow God will you discover the life that will bring purpose and meaning. You will also lead well, love your wife and discipline your kids well too. But most of all your obit will show a man who brought the kingdom to the world he lived in. No matter what you did in high school it will pale in comparison to what you accomplished later in life as God led you into the battles that matter for the kingdom.

Enough of my opinion, what does Ecclesiastes say about this, as the author, like I did, pondered the meaning of it all? The next to last verse says: Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is the entire duty of man.

There you have it guys, follow God. Here comes the faith part. Enjoy.

 

Alex

 

Coming up for you guys:

Band of Brothers Friday mornings 6:00 at the warehouse

 

Man Night

June 11^th.  The warehouse. Dick Aryers will be sharing with us. I have known Dick several years and have always loved his heart. He has some great life experiences that will be an encouragement to us all.

We will be eating at 6:30. See you there!

 

The Discipline of Imitation

1 Cor 4:15-16

Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

 

Heb 6:12

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

 

Heb 13:7

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

 

3 John 11

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

 

1 Peter 2:20-21

If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.   To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

 

 

We are imitators by nature.  It’s how we’re wired.  Our tendency is to look and act and speak like everyone around us.  This is especially true of younger people.  Remember when everyone started embellishing their sentences with the word “like.”  “It’s like, you know. I like did this and he like did that…”  It like drove me crazy. 

 

People who want to sell things know that we are imitators and use that knowledge to make themselves rich.  If you want to sell a certain kind of shoe all you have to do is to get a sports star to wear them, and all of a sudden everyone is Michael Jordan.

 

Back in the day when I was learning to play the fiddle I would go once a week to see Ruel Bains.  Ruel was a great fiddle player, but his approach to teaching was very simplistic.  He would play a tune and then say, “Now you do it.”  It was the most awkward thing in the world at first, but eventually, by dent of imitation, I could produce sounds roughly similar to his.  By doing so I learned how the fiddle worked,  how to use the bow, etc.  (And no, I’m not going to play at church).

 

Being imitators is not good or bad in itself, it’s just how we’re wired.  Even non-conformists look and act like other non-conformists.  It’s how we learn.

 

That is why the discipline of imitation is so important.  We can’t help but imitate, but we can decide who and what we’re going to imitate.  If you want a good marriage, find someone with a good marriage and do what they do—awkward at first, but eventually you get the hang of it.  The same goes for following Jesus in general—if you want to be a fruitful and effective follower of Jesus, find someone who is good at it and do what they do.

 

Brian

 

When God Ditches the Script

 It is possible to interpret certain passages in the Bible as a script for God.  There is a human tendency to develop formulas through which God’s behavior can be predicted.  If we are not careful this can reduce the Christian experience to a matter of discovering and unlocking the combination for divine blessings.  “If I do A then God will see to it that B happens.”
 
Therefore, if

A = give generously, raise your kids right, believe for healing, pray in faith, live a clean, moral life, etc.

then

B = financial prosperity, goods kids when they grow up, health, answered prayers, general happiness, great relationships, etc.
 
The thing is, this is generally true—there are biblical passages that teach about how God responds to our actions—e.g., give and it will be given to you.  If I give generously I can generally expect a generous response from God.  But God reserves the right to ditch the script.  It is possible for people who give generously to experience financial ruin.  It is possible for kids who are raised right to harden their hearts, turn away from God, and die in their sin.  Sometimes when we pray for healing we aren’t healed.  Sometimes when we pray, that for which we pray is not given.  Godly people can lose everything that we typically describe as the blessings of God.
 
When that happens there is the danger of making wrong judgments either about ourselves or God.  When life doesn’t go according to script we may be tempted to think that there is either something wrong with our faith and obedience, or God has dropped the ball.  It is never the latter, and not necessarily the former.  It could be that we are in the very center of God’s will and favor and end up with a life-long debilitating illness or injury.
 
We live in a war zone, not heaven.  Although the war is won, every now and then we’ll take a hit.  God will allow it because somehow it equips us for eternity and displays Christ here and now.   It is not because God has stopped loving us. 
 
If things are not going according to script, it’s a good time to take inventory.  Maybe there are some adjustments you need to make in faith and obedience.  But if your heart is right, don’t despair.  It could be that God is insisting upon being God, and giving you an opportunity to introduce him to others.
 
 
Brian
 

Bucket List

New Heights Men at New Heights Church Message from: Alex Hedgepeth Greetings from Indianapolis, where I got to do another Bucket list item for me. I went to a game at Hinkle Fieldhouse, on the campus of Butler University. This is the gym that the state chapmionship game on the movie "Hoosiers" was played in. If you have ever seen a picture of Lucas Stadium where the colts play, Lucas was built to resemble Hinkle, and Conseco, where the Pacers play was also. Beautiful place, lots of enthusiam and history, but no air conditioning. I am reading a book that details the culture of manhood in America since the Revolution. It brings out an interesting aspect that is an American invention. The Self-made man.  How our striving in the world of business and industry caused us to become with out a community of our peers, caused us to look for lots of different avenues for escape, and in general made us miserable as men. While reading this, I'm wondering, well, how are we supposed to live? The self-made man, and other images we give ourselves, being part of the world's idea for us, what is God's idea for men? The one thing that I can grab onto, that is totally opposite of any alternative the world gives, can be sumed up in one word: Dependent. Everything our culture teaches us is to be independent. Cut the apron strings, get out on your own, see the world, get away from it all. And Jesus says abide in me. Apart from me you can do nothing. There is a total dependence in the Christian life that I don't think we quite understand. It is certainly not modeled very well this day and time, most models falling either in the self-made man camp, or the other extreme, God as ever-present Santa Claus camp. I'm not saying I understand it or do it well, but it is number one on my bucket list. To abide in Christ. If that happens in my life, I'll be sure to let you know. On second thought, I may not have to. Here's to abiding, friends, Alex PS, in preperation for the identity session at the next man night, I would like for you to start noticing when you say "I am" and then note what follows. Thanks men.

 

Hero Worship

Hey Guys,
It’s been a great week, hasn’t it? Championship game on Monday night, rain, great temps, not much to complain about. But we find a way, don’t we? We were stuck in a sort of malaise at the store in the middle of this week. As we sat down for our Wednesday staff meeting, I was searching and praying for some words to encourage my staff.  Yes, I recognize it for the warfare it was, and is. I may have never told you guys this before, but it has been my experience spiritual warfare is illogical. That makes a sort of sense, because we are dealing mostly with lies.

But warfare is not the point of this email which is supposed to encourage each of you in your walk as a Christian Man. The point is a topic that came out of our discussion. I asked each person who their hero was growing up. Who did they look to, to try to emulate? There were six people in the room, three women, three guys. None of the women had a hero figure, all of the guys did, and we didn’t have to think hard about who our hero was either. Interesting ramifications if it holds true across the board. So, if you will humor me, ask your wife who her hero was or not, and then tell me who yours was.
 
So let’s talk about heroes for a second. Mine was my grandfather. One of the greatest men I have ever known. Strong as an ox, yet loved everyone who would let him. Not just strong physically, but in every area of his life, he was resolute. I have lived most of my life attempting to be like him. On the other hand, I had people who I have tried NOT to be like. Most of you have heard stories about my father, and how he was married 9 times and couldn’t be counted on to do anything for you. Or my stepdad, absolutely one of the most angry, unapproachable men you would ever know. For better or worse, these men shaped my formative years and consequently, my adulthood.

Recently, as an experiment, I spent several years reading nothing of the Bible but the four gospels. Over and over.  It was an attempt to get to know Jesus better and it was an amazing thing. The things Jesus says and does, he is the ultimate hero to me. Really, I mean it. I’m not just saying it like a Sunday school teacher, because he really is the real deal. Check him out and see if I’m not right. Not a theology, not modern Christianity, not the way you do church or not, or any self-help tips on leading a better life. Just Jesus. Like you were traveling with someone getting to know them.

Enjoy the ride men.
Alex

Being the Person You Want to Become

Do you ever think about what kind of person you will be “one of these days?”  Often we fall into the trap of waiting on circumstances to change before we enter into our true identity and purpose.  “When I get a girlfriend, I’ll be happy.”  “Once I get the promotion I’ll be in a position to really make a difference at work.”  “When we have a baby our marriage will be better.”  “When we make more money I’ll be happier.”  “I’ll quit this bad habit if it ever starts to hurt other people.”

There is a tendency to think that it is okay to remain the way we are until our circumstances change.  Once our circumstances change we’ll be good to go.  Cop out!  Setting our minds to being who we will become will only hasten the process.  Not doing so will only postpone—maybe indefinitely—whatever goal we have.

My friend, Cole, recently came to grips with the need to be the man he wants to become.  Here’s his story:

God changed my life with a question. During one of my devotionals in early November, I considered what I wanted my life to look like after my graduation in December.   I wanted to be a man that loved and served Jesus Christ passionately, living life holistically devoted to him alone.  I wanted to be a man that honored God through loving and serving my future wife and children well, taking their lives on as my divine responsibility to encourage them to blossom in their faith rather than having them wither under my leadership as the head of my family.  I also wanted to be a man that served Christ's church well in the pastoral ministry that he has called me to remaining faithful to the Truth and shepherding my people with wisdom and love.

But as I looked to the man I wanted to be and observed
the one that I was, I saw a disconnect.

It wasn't that I was necessarily doing that much wrong,  I just wasn't doing much of anything.  I was struggling with sin like everyone else, reading my bible and praying every day; I had even served in youth ministry with the same students for the past 7 years.  But something was still missing.  God showed me what it was: I wasn't living my life as a real man in many areas of my life--I was still a boy.

The Holy Spirit then asked me clearly, "When are you going to start being the man that your wife respects, and your children want to be like?"  God helped me to realize that there was nothing holding me back from having the same character of the man I wanted to become in same man that I was at that very moment.   In asking me that question, God showed me that he wanted me to be that man then and now, and that the only thing that hindered me from being radically transformed daily to become like Jesus was my apathy for who God was and what he wanted to do in me.

So I gave up.

I prayed, "God, make me that man. Take my life, and transform me. I am sick of being a boy….  God I don't know how to be that man, show me…."

That’s a prayer that the Lord will answer.

Now is the time to be the person you hope to become.  Start today!

Brian

All In and Ready to Roll

There are some good things going on among the men at New Heights these days.  Last weekend many of us enjoyed the retreat at New Life Ranch.  (Thanks, Alex and Dog Soldiers).  The 70% chance of rain was prayed back to Sunday instead of Saturday and it was absolutely beautiful for the retreat.  On Monday evening we had our first monthly Man Night at The Warehouse—good burgers, good fellowship, good worship and teaching.
 
As I’ve been talking with many of our men lately I’m sensing a readiness to join God in what he is doing and to wage war against the evil one.  “I’m all in and ready to roll”—seems to be the attitude of a growing number of men.  They are accepting the call to be different from the world around them.  They are willing to stand alone if necessary, but they are finding many brothers to stand with them.  They are acknowledging the influence they have in the world (for good or bad) —especially in the lives of their wives and children—and are committing themselves to holiness and love.  They are learning to say “no” to their fleshly desires and to pursue the kingdom of Christ.  They are confessing their sins and committing themselves to community and service.  They are ready to be a different kind of man.
 
Satan will oppose it.
As we move out of selfishness and lazy spirituality we need to be aware that we are kicking a hornet’s nest.  We are sending an invitation to the enemy to “bring it on.”  We had better be well prepared, alert and on guard.  Acknowledging and anticipating the attack is 80% of the battle.  There will be an attack.  Don’t let the enemy catch you off guard.
 
God will bless it.
God is eager to respond to men who give their hearts to him.  He will fight for us.  He will hear and answer our prayers.  He will empower us to stand against temptation.  He will be our shield.  He will bless our efforts to serve him and to share his life with those within our reach.  He will stir up hearts to respond to the gospel, and he will be glorified.  Our lives will be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
 
Let’s roll!
 
Brian
 
 
Coming Up:
 
Band of Brothers, every Friday at The Warehouse at 6:15am.  Tomorrow is breakfast burritos, muffins and fruit, Jeff Courtway and a time of prayer and encouragement.
 
Man Night:  6:30pm, second Monday of every month.  Next one is April 9.  Feast followed by Alex Hedgepeth speaking on IDENTITY.
 
“It’s Your Call” retreat,  April 20^th-22^nd. This will be a regional retreat at New Life Ranch specifically designed to help a man find and walk in his calling. If you are at a crossroads in life, or just believe that there is something more out that for you, don’t miss this!
More info and sign-up at:  http://www.newheightschurch.com/itsyourcall

Be a Hose, Not a Bucket

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

2 Timothy 2:2

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

 

 

Joshua led the nation of Israel into the Promised Land.  By the mighty hand of God they conquered the inhabitants and took possession of the land.  That generation saw God’s mighty works and their hearts belonged to him.

 

The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.  -- Judges 2:7

 

That one sentence covers the brightest spot in the history of Israel.  That generation served the Lord.

Three verses later there’s a train wreck: 

 

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.   -- Judges 2:10-11

 

What happened!?  How can a nation go to hell in one generation?  It’s because their parents were buckets and not hoses.  They received and held the knowledge and blessings of God, but they failed in passing it on to their children.  The sweet, pure water of God’s favor filled up their lives; but it didn’t run through their lives to the next generation.

 

The same danger threatens the church.  Someone has said, “The church is always one generation away from extinction.”   That won’t happen.  Jesus is building his church and the gates of death will not prevail against it.  But the church will be stronger or weaker depending on our obedience to the great commission.  If we don’t pass on our faith to the next generation we’ll pass away like a mist and many will be lost. 

 

To be effective at making disciples we need to have several spiritual generations in view.  We must not be content with being disciples.  The Lord’s command is that we make disciples.  Just to be safe, let’s be sure we are making disciples who will make disciples.  Not only are we to teach the way of Christ, we must teach our students how to teach the way of Christ.

 

I have not truly learned until my students are teaching others how to teach.

 

 

 

 

Manly things coming up:

 

March 9-10—New Heights Men’s Retreat at New Life Ranch

Food, worship, teaching, outdoor stuff, building friendships.

Sign up this Sunday at church or online at https://newheights.ccbchurch.com/w_form_response.php?form_id=47

Cost:  $70 (students $55)

 

Monday, March 12—Man Night at The Warehouse

The first monthly meeting for men designed to help equip men to be men of God

Grilled burgers (suggested donation $5)

Worship,  teaching, and group discussion.

 

I hope you do

Hey Guys,
I know I was a little harsh on the last email about not being passive, but I couldn’t put the last half of that message on there in the interest of not writing a book in these emails.

The other part of that story is how do we live life with passion? How do we reject passivity? I believe that it’s not possible without tremendous effort unless you live with hope. You always have to keep in mind that Jesus said that my yoke is easy and my burden is light. If your life is experiencing some burn out, ask yourself a couple of questions. One, is the story I’m writing for myself a small one, that I am the center of, and two, am I putting any hope in the creator of this universe; do I believe his heart for me is good?

So for an example of living with hope, I have a young man that works for me that sometimes doesn’t make the best decisions in life and has suffered the consequences of those decisions. He is really trying to put his life on a good track but occasionally suffers from getting along with the women in his life, namely his ex and one of our managers. His ex is trying to keep him away from their daughter, which as you can imagine, causes him considerable stress. We sat him down with a law clerk that gave him some advice with his child custody case which really gave him some hope to be able to see his daughter on a regular basis. The next day, he stopped our manager and asked if everything was ok between them and that he was sorry for any grief he had caused her. Out of the blue. Unsolicited. There was a situation that was robbing him of hope and when he was able to see a ray of hope in the middle of it, he was willing to humble himself and ask forgiveness. Wow

When we are robbed of hope, we can be some pretty rotten people to get along with. When we live with hope, the love and joy of Christ has a much easier time flowing through us to the rest of the world. “My yoke is easy” has much to do with how much we trust Jesus and are following Him!
“and these three remain, faith, hope and love.”
 

What have you done lately?

Hey Guys,

One quick word and then an infomercial today.

The word: Passivity

I was watching a movie this weekend and at the end, the main character is monologuing about his last six weeks and how he had quit his job, found out who he was, got in the best shape of his life, learned how to endure pain, learned some skills, etc. Then he looks at the camera and says “What have you done the last six weeks?” Good question. What have you done to move towards the man you want to be and away from all the things that drive you crazy (or maybe others crazy)?  If you’re sitting still the word for it is Passivity.

But I’m at least not hurting anything, right? Wrong. I can name you at least a dozen guys, just that I know personally, whose marriage has failed because of their passivity.  They didn’t beat their wife, didn’t have an affair, they just didn’t step up emotionally or spiritually and it left a hole in their marriage that their wife got sick of trying to fix.

I have always had a desire to write and I believe that story (fiction) stirs more people that just propositional truths. So this semester I am taking a class at UA to help me learn how to write fiction. Do you have any idea how proud my wife and kids are of me? Something I wanted to do, a selfish pursuit, if you will, and all they can say is that’s so cool that you are doing that. I have really been blown away by their reaction.  They love the fact that I’m not sitting still.

Ok, so how do I get out of this rut I’m in? My life never changes, you might be saying. I tried this, I tried that, and none of it stuck. Ok, it’s time for the infomercial now. At our spring men’s retreat, every year we talk about following God and His plans for you. We are taking a little different approach to that subject this year and are planning for you guys to stay in your small groups on Saturday while you are geo-caching together. At each cache there will be time to dialogue about your life in particular areas, and time to dialogue with God about your life.

THENNNNN…. In April, we are hosting “It’s Your Call” a retreat to help men find out their God given calling and to overcome the obstacles to offering that to the world around you. Gary Barkalow, the author of “It’s Your Call” will be leading that retreat. I have known Gary personally for many years and he has been instrumental to my journey.

Either or both of these retreats will go a long way in your battle against passivity.

More info and sign-up on at:    www.newheightschurch.com/men

So will Band of Brothers in the morning at 6 in the warehouse.

Get to fighting, our enemies are winning too many battles.

 

Your Brother

Alex

 

Creating Opportunities for God

It doesn’t seem right to suggest that we can “create opportunities” for God.  How can mere mortals do things that would influence God’s behavior?  Part of me wants to declare that God will do what he wants to do when he wants to do it and there is nothing I can do to encourage or discourage God from behaving however he wants.  But the Bible reveals that God doesn’t just act—he interacts.  As in any relationship between two independent beings sometimes God initiates a relational encounter and we respond, or not; and sometimes we initiate the encounter and God responds, or not.

 

So perhaps God creates a beautiful sunrise.  I see it and respond with praise to the creative Artist who not only made the sunrise but made me.  Or maybe I see it and rush on and don’t worship at all because I’m distracted with a big to-do list.

 

God has revealed the steps to this dance.  He always moves first, but then our response will influence his next move.  For example, God blesses us with health and opportunity and we are able to work and produce wealth.  If we hoard the wealth, or waste it, that’s pretty much the end of the dance.  But if we manage it wisely and give generously God responds by throwing open the storehouses of heaven and covering us with even more wealth.  Before you know it we’re dancing around in the goodness and gifts of heaven, pulling other folks in to join the party.

 

I want to respond to God in such a way that his next move thrills my soul and throws light into the darkness.  My response creates an opportunity for God to do something wonderful.  My failure to respond to him can throw a wet blanket over the whole thing. 

 

God wants to throw a party.  Will you give him the opportunity?

 

Brian

Is it time to eat yet?

New Heights Men at New Heights Church Message from: Alex Hedgepeth  Hey Guys, Man, was that a game Monday night? Sorry LSU fans, but you have to admire the effort Bama put into that game. What was the difference? In a word, hunger. LSU had spent months hearing about how great they were and Bama stayed hungry to win. There was no doubt who was better prepared. I saw LSU run one play that Bama wasn’t ready for. I didn’t see that LSU was ready for very many of Bama’s plays. That showed a lot of effort spent during the holidays to get ready for this game. Now you know that I don’t talk a lot about sports in this blog, so that game can’t be my point. Hunger is the point. “How bad do you want it” is a topic I have addressed here before, I just had a good example of it this past Monday. A friend of mine asked the question “Do you know the difference between patience and resignation?” the other day and I think a lot of it boils down to how bad to you want something. A patient man never loses sight of his goal, a resigned man quit thinking about his goal a long time ago. A patient man that follows God knows that God is making him into the kind of man he needs to be to be able to follow God’s plan for him. That plan that requires faith, wisdom, revelation, risk taking, lots of things that don’t come easy. A resigned man has taken the path of least resistance and is just marking time until he dies wondering why his life has no passion (his wife is wondering that too, btw). So here’s to the New Year men, not to the resolutions you have already broken, but to something much deeper, the thing that God is using to stir your heart for you to be the man He created you to be. May your journey keep you hungry always.   Your Brother Alex Upcoming! Friday Morning at the Warehouse Band of Brothers at 6:00 Come and worship, be challenged and pray for you and your brother’s lives.   Spring Men’s Retreat What Every Man Wants New Life Ranch March 9-10 Registration at 5 supper at 6 on Friday. Plan to spend most of Saturday outdoors. Early Bird. If you pay a $25 deposit before Feb. 25th, the cost is $60 After Feb. 24th the cost is $70 College guys $55 If you would like to scholarship a man in need, please contact Brian Bailey (brian@newheightschurch.com ) or Alex (alex@pottershousethrift.com)

 

What are you looking at?

New Heights Men at New Heights Church Message from: Alex Hedgepeth Hey guys, Occasionally you will hear reference to “how we view life”. Or you might hear someone talk about what kind of lenses we use in our outlook on life, such as rose colored, referring to someone always looking at the bright side of things. Though lots of guys don’t go for the psychological side of things, this is true. Your life experiences, where you live, how you were raised, what kind of philosophies you embrace all color how you view life and the things in it. The question for today is: How do you perceive God? What kind of a being is he? What’s his heart and intentions towards us? I know men that hate the way they react to various situations and they honestly think that is the way God made them, that it is just their “personality”. REALLY? To view God as someone who’s purpose is to make you miserable, or that following Him is misery, wow. No wonder people are not lining up to get to heaven. That goes hand in hand with the perception that God is not actively involved in our lives. I was listening to a Christian kids show the other day on the radio (ok, it caught my attention as I was changing channels). It looked at the life of Solomon and his downfall with all the wives of other religions he had that led him astray from following God (they would actually do the whiney wife voice). At the end, at the “just in case you missed it, you imbecile, we are going to shove the point down your throat” time, they told the listener that if you are faced with temptation, to pray really hard and God would provide you a way out. Hogwash. That’s not what the scripture says (which they quoted, btw), the scripture says that God has already provided a way out; you just need to take it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.   Wow, move away from the subject of temptation for a moment and let the implications of that verse sink in for a minute. God provides. Wow, a God that loves us enough to be actively involved in our lives. I challenge you as you read scripture to see the different aspects of God and get a real idea of who He is and how He operates. It juuussst might be different from what we have misconceived most of our lives!   Upcoming! Friday 6:00 am Band of Brothers Warehouse   Spring Men’s Retreat March 9th and 10th. More details at our website www.newheights.com look under the men’s section. Early bird registration discount!   NEW!!!! It’s Your Call Retreat Led by Gary Barkalow, author of the book “It’s Your Call”. Come for a weekend of finding out who god made you to be and how He wants you to offer that to the rest of us. April 20th-22nd More details coming soon to our website. This retreat is being offered regionally, so men will be coming from Little Rock, NWA, Tulsa, etc. If you know anyone that is struggling with their direction, this will be a great weekend for them.

 

How to love your wife

 

I received the following from AJ Neufeld and wanted to pass it along.  Shared without permission--because we all need to hear it. 

Hey, men. 
I wanted to relay some news I heard today.  Dr. Jim Walters was a professor for 40 years at John Brown.  Almost everyone who has graduated from there since the 1970s until just a couple years ago has taken a course from him.  His wife Linda, who suffered from MS, passed away today.  The reason this is significant to you all is that this man was the personification of Christ’s love towards his wife.  She was wheelchair bound for as long as I knew them.  She couldn’t talk or even lift her hands.  And yet, he was almost never without her.  He took her to basketball games and to The Market Place to eat.  I witnessed him lovingly and slowly feeding her with a fork in one hand and a napkin in the other to catch the food that would fall from her mouth.  He would sit over her shoulder so he could whisper in her ear.  They were best friends.
 
I remember in a class I took from him once, he showed off his wedding picture.  She was gorgeous and he was puffed up and proud.  They looked like a couple madly in love.  He then told us how years later they found out she had MS and how she slowly began to lose functioning, from her legs, to hands and also her voice.  Someone once told him that he should divorce her and put her in a home because he’d done enough.  He should get on with his life.  Dr. Walters’ eyes flashed with righteous anger as he told our class that this person was a fool.  This person didn’t understand the love of God for us and how that affects a person.
 
Dr. Walters understood it well.  Long before his teaching days should have ended, he retired.  Linda had become his life and he couldn’t stand to be away from her anymore.  She needed him full time and he was happy to do it.  He wasn’t trapped by her inability to function.  Rather, he came alive when he was with her.  He loved her completely sacrificially in those last years.  She was unable to communicate or reciprocate her love to him, but he still smiled at her like a newlywed when they were out. 
 
I don’t claim to know the will of God.  But I know that He used Dr. Walters to affect me for all eternity because he superbly executed the job of loving his wife.  It was like watching art form at the hand of a Da Vinci.  But the real rub of it all is that Dr. Walters isn’t that special.  There is nothing about him that stands out as superior to any other man.  He simply understood that the God Who gave him salvation also gave him Linda and everything that came wrapped in that package was a treasure.
 
Men, you all have a treasure.  There are some really crummy things that happen to you and to your treasure (some worse than others).  But I pray you always remember that she is your second most precious gift ever given to you from your Maker.  And I pray that Christ would manifest Himself in you as you live out your days with her in such a way that someone might tell his friends that you affected them like Dr. Walters affected those of us who crossed his path.
 
Romans 5:6-10 NET
"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?"


Thanks, AJ.
Brian


Coming Up:
6:15 Every Friday Morning: Band of Brothers meets at The Warehouse (across from Mama Carmen's behind and below Monarch Dental).  Tomorrow: Sausage rolls, muffins, coffee and orange juice.  Dr. Thomas Soerens teaching.

March 9-10
New Heights Men's Retreat led by Alex Hedgepeth and The Dog Soldiers.  Online registration will be available soon.

Are you a noble man?

Isa 32:2
Each man will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
 
Isa 32:8
The noble man makes noble plans,
and by noble deeds he stands.
 
Are you a noble man? 

The word means generous, magnanimous, large-hearted.  It carries the idea of being a provider and protector for many other people.  As Isaiah 32:2 indicates, the noble man is a shelter, a refuge and a source of protection and refreshment for those who are wandering in the desert and lost in the storms of life.
 
The noble man makes noble plans.
Here at the beginning of 2012 many of us are in planning mode.  Are your plans noble plans?  Are you planning to do things and undertake projects that will express a generous heart and provide shade and drink for those in need?

As we get rolling on a new year I encourage you to ask yourself--This year, who needs to drink from my stream and sit in my shade?  Invite them in.  Let's live nobly.