Even God knows you need a vacation...

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.”   Allen Saunders

  Timelines have never been one of my gifts. I’ve continually had difficulty estimating how long a project will actually take and am too optimistic. Jane, on the other hand, is much more realistic. It makes me very thankful to be married to someone so smart. So a normal conversation for us is for me to ask her input on a realistic appraisal on how long a project will take.

  Sometimes my ineptness at time estimation costs me, as it did recently. There’s a project related to our new building that I thought I could focus on and complete on my first day of vacation. Boy, was I ever wrong! It took bits and pieces of our whole week…and we’re still working on it. But we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

  Vacations are very important. For the past few years, there’s been a lot of criticism of both President Obama and Trump on the amount of vacation time they take. Personally, I have a hard time believing that the President is really ever on vacation. I just can’t see, “Well, I know a hurricane just took out Florida BUT don’t bother me now…I’m on vacation.”

  In a few weeks the summer vacation season officially starts. So is there a biblical worldview when it comes to vacations? While Scripture never specifically says anything about vacations, the Bible has a lot to say about rest and a stewardship of life. Both concepts are applicable when it comes to the matter of a believer taking a vacation. Sadly, while Christians value work (as we should), too few value rest. Have you ever shared with a friend that you were “so busy” and they responded, “Not me. I’ve had so much time off, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself.” It’s a conversation that’s not going to happen in American culture.

  On top of that, what many of us call a “vacation” has little to do with rest. We’re so time and activity oriented, we have difficulty adjusting to true down time. But if it’s a vacation why do you really need to know the time? Maybe to catch a plane, but if your vacation is as brimming full (sometimes even more) as your typical work week, what’s really the point?  

  In the very beginning our Creator God set the example of rest after the biggest project of all time. “On the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done” (Genesis 2:2). Part of the very identity of the Jews as God’s chosen people was that they were commanded to take an entire day of rest from all work. And while as New Covenant Christians, we are no longer under the Old Testament Law, that doesn’t mean that rest isn’t part of God’s plan and essential for us. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for us, meaning that God gave it as a gift to us (Mark 2:27). God knows that we need rest. In resting and ceasing from work, we demonstrate faith and dependence on God for His provision.

  In a culture that values busy and accomplishment, taking a break to recharge your batteries, bond with your spouse and family, to see God’s wonderful world are vital, yet too often taken-for-granted blessings. Vance Havner said, “We need to come apart and rest awhile, and if we don't come apart, we will come apart, we'll go to pieces! It is true that the devil never takes a vacation, but we are not to follow the devil but the Lord.”

  The Lord Jesus told His disciples after an exhausting day of ministry and meeting people’s needs, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” We need to turn off our phone and all other electronics, pack up and get away trusting God that things won’t fall apart in our absence. It’s biblical wisdom to take that step of faith in God and rest.  

  Vacation improves us. The vacation tradition was started by companies in the early 20^th century as a productivity strategy. Employers found that their employees returned re-charged and much more productive as a result of taking a break. Recent studies show American workers are much more productive after returning from a vacation. Increased hours of sleep and decreased levels of stress resulted in more productivity.

  Are you and your spouse constantly bickering? Is family life a war zone? Maybe you don’t need a marriage or family counselor, you all just need some real rest. Take an electronics fast. Believe me, if it’s truly an emergency, they’ll always find you. Take a walk on the beach or in the forest, listening to God’s matchless symphony. Breathe deep, relaxing in the glory of His creation. Have long conversations with your spouse and children. Make s-mores and stare up at a star-filled sky. Play table games. Read a book until you doze, just make sure it’s not work related.  Count your many blessings! For most of us, it will take a few days to decompress.

  Vacation spurs our creativity and gratitude. My favorite vacations are the ones where I can enjoy the outdoors and marvel at God’s creation. For me, the artificialness of a theme park is like a TV dinner. I want true beauty by the Master. Seeing God’s creativity spurs our creativity. In most jobs or hobbies, if you can add a creative element you’ll be more productive and fulfilled with what you’ve created. That’s also true of worship. You are God’s masterpiece…a one of a kind. There is a deep fulfillment in living out your purpose through the talents and abilities God has given you. 

  Please take some time and enjoy it. Enjoy it with your Heavenly Father. We were created to love and enjoy Him forever. A vacation is a wonderful reminder of that. So go ahead and schedule it. If you need to, tell your boss that it’s a church thing and your Pastor made you do it.  

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Church Leadership in an Anti-Authority World

“Contrary to contemporary wisdom, the Bible teaches that one cannot yield to the authority of the Word without submitting to the authority of the church.”  

                                                                     John Muether

  Christian author and pastor, John Stott, insightfully wrote, “Seldom if ever in its long history has the world witnessed such a self-conscious revolt against authority.” Be honest. When you hear these words, authority or submission, what comes to your mind? Do you welcome them as pleasant words? Or bristle and put up your guard?

  Our nation was founded on a rebellion against authority. One of our early mottoes was, “Don’t tread on me!” Nearly 250 years later, we’re still known for our defiant national spirit which exalts individual rights. The concept of submission to authority seems wimpy…even foreign to us!

  Then, our culture is permeated by postmodernism which holds that there is no absolute truth. Each person is free to make up “truth” or at least interpret it as they see fit. So your “truth” is fine for you, but I have my own, and do not feel obligated to submit to your “truth.” You can believe as you like, but you must let me believe as I like. Truth is not authoritative. “I” am the authority over my life, and use “truth” for my own ends.

  When we add to that the concept of congregational church government, where each member has an equal vote with passages in the Bible like Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you,” this all becomes particularly problematic!

  Tragically, church government is often notoriously political. Christians are infamous for dividing from other Christians over petty issues. In our individualism trumps all world, if a believer doesn’t like something at church, they’d never consider submitting. They’d just join or even start a new church! Yet, against all of these powerful cultural influences, comes Hebrews 13:17: “Obey your leaders and submit to them….”

  No doubt, some of you reading this are thinking, “What happened? Why are you writing this now, Scott?” And that’s why I am writing it now. There are no leadership issues that I’m aware of. Consider this pre-protection for our church because there will be.

  Churches typically fail for one of two reasons. The first is poor leadership—the failure of those whom God has called to lead, to lead well, lead biblically and lead in an exemplary fashion. Many churches have been destroyed because leadership didn’t live up to biblical expectations.  Second, churches fail because of a lack of congregational support. All the leadership in the world can't lead those who refuse to follow. Leaders must lead well, but they need people to follow well, too.

  God has blessed us with wonderful leaders at Grace: Rich Benson, Ron Strelow, Mike Wiemer and Ray Ziebell. All of these men love the Lord and love you. They’re not perfect, yet they’re committed to pleasing the Lord, and serving you. Only their wives and families know fully their commitment and the hours they pour into serving the Lord and our church. I’m thankful for each one of them and I hope that you are too.

  The vast majority of folk in a local church are never an issue, nor do they want to be. It’s usually only small minority, like 5% who make being a leader wearisome and grievous. Some don’t want to submit to any authority. Usually, if someone has problems with leadership at church, it’s very likely they also have problems with leadership at their job and other places. More often than not, they’re chronic and even petty critics of government or anyone in authority. Sometimes it’s driven by jealousy and an arrogant longing to be in charge. Please mark it down. When someone longs to be in charge, it’s a warning that they shouldn’t be. So what are the church family’s responsibilities to church leadership?

  Pray for them. It’s instructive that the Apostle Paul frequently asked for prayer. We’d think that a great Christian like Paul wouldn’t need prayer but he knew that he did. If Paul was aware of his need for prayer, how much more do the rest of us who seeking to serve the Lord need it! Pray they will have a clear conscience because leaders are accountable to God, that what they say and do brings glory to God and our church’s spiritual welfare.  Every leader who is faithful to God must say or do some things from time to time that undoubtedly will offend someone. So pray that they not only do the right thing but that they do it in the right way. If more people prayed consistently for church leaders, maybe there would be fewer church splits and fewer people leaving churches over petty matters.

  Submit to them. The Greek words in Hebrews 13:17 for “obey” and “submit” mean to obey and submit! The difference, if any, between the two words is that obedience implies going along with direction or commands, whereas submission involves an attitude. We all know you can obey outwardly while seething with anger inwardly, but you aren’t submitting. Submission implies a sweet spirit of cooperation that stems from trust. You trust that the leaders have your best interests at heart, and so you follow them. Obviously, this is not talking about blind obedience. If a congregation doesn’t trust their leaders because the leaders are carnal, then those leaders must be confronted and removed (1 Tim. 5:19-21).

  Be concerned about your leaders. Hebrews 13:24 says, “Greet all of your leaders.” We don't understand greeting in our contemporary culture. When we greet one another, we say, "Hi! How are you doing? (But don’t really answer. I’m just being polite and I’m in a hurry.”) That's not how they greeted one another in the Scriptures. A Jew would say to another Jew, “Shalom.” Shalom does not mean “peace” as we often use the word. When a Jew greeted another with shalom, he meant “total wellness.” They were saying, “How are you, over all?” To greet leaders means then to express personal concern. We’re to look out for the concerns of our leaders. We’re to affirm and encourage them. 

  The bottom line is for all of us is to grow in becoming a better church family and our leaders will try to be grow in being better leaders as we all seek to build our church together for the glory of King Jesus.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Up There Down Here

“Jesus is not saying, ‘Make sure you pray a prayer of repentance, start going to church, and wait for Me to come back.’ He is saying, ‘You can live a radically different life because there’s a new world order that just broke in, so stop walking in the direction you’re going, turn 180 degrees, and walk toward Me and life in the kingdom of God’.” Hugh Halter

Several weeks ago I preached on the Lord’s Prayer as part of our series on the Gospel of Luke. More recently, I finished a book by a favorite author, John Ortberg, where he worked through that phrase, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Like many of you, I was wrongly taught that salvation is all about heaven, in the future and after this life. It’s not.

  Sometimes as Christians we pray and live out a version of a Star Trek prayer to Scottie, “Beam me up!” The Christian life is not just about getting our final destination taken care of, where heaven is merely our retirement program. Christianity is much more than just the afterlife. It’s not about hanging on down here, treading water until we’re all ejected.

  Jesus never taught us to pray, “Get me out of here so I can go up there.” No, His prayer was “Make up there come down here. Make things run down here the way they do up there.” Salvation has two parts, present and future. Salvation is not just about heaven. It begins by living out heaven and bringing God’s Kingdom here by living heavenly now.

  In that interim before we are called Home, as John Ortberg puts it, “it’s to pray and by God’s grace be part of advancing God’s Kingdom by making up THERE come down HERE.” We’re to be grace-filled. We’re to be Jesus now in this world. That’s nothing short of a spiritual revolution.

  The Church is not to entrench itself into some spiritual fortress, holding out until we’re finally rescued. No, you and I are to storm the gates of Hell (Matthew 16:18), rescuing Satan’s victims. It’s truly revolutionary! We’re to break out of our safe “Holy Huddles.” How do we do this?

  By continuing to develop personally as followers of Jesus. It’s tempting to jump ahead to doing, when we must first focus on being. It means regularly being in God’s Word, prayer, worship and the local church community. First, move forward with your own spiritual health and growth. God’s Kingdom must first rule in your life. Up there coming down here begins in you. It’s not perfection, it’s a direction. It’s always tempting to focus on the superstructure and ignore the foundation.

  By genuinely loving and caring for others. Our first “others” are those closest to us, spouse, children and extended family. Sometimes it means loving when we’re not loved in return. Sometimes it means loving when we’re treated unlovingly in return. It spreads from there to neighbors, co-workers, church family, etc. It’s not loving abstractly; it’s love in action.

  It means saying kind things when you’d rather return verbal fire. It means showing respect, being nice, kind, encouraging and compassionate. It begins with saying the right thing and is followed by doing the right thing.

  It can be something as simple as stopping and listening to a child or a senior citizen. It might be giving a ride to someone who doesn’t have adequate transportation or making a meal for someone who’s ill or who recently lost a loved one. It’s making cookies for a new neighbor and going out of your way for a new employee to help them learn the ropes. It means dropping a note of thanks or affirmation. It will probably mean being taken advantage of, but you’re not doing it for them, you’re doing it for Jesus. 

  By loving and making a difference in the lives of the poor, broken and marginalized. Who is there for those who have failed? When I fail, I know who is always there for me – Jesus. If those who have so greatly experienced God’s love and forgiveness are not there for addicts, ex-convicts, teen parents, the divorced and the broken – who will be?

  What about the immigrants, legal and illegal? Too many of us spout political talking points and forget these are real people with flesh and blood needs. Kingdom commands, not government policy must drive us.

  Twice God has used our family to minister to illegal immigrants. When we stepped up to help (one lived with us while employed in the area), we didn’t know if they were legal or illegal…and didn’t care. They were image-bearers of God. We didn’t break any laws. We just sought to help someone in need. Sadly, when we’re politicized instead of Kingdomized, we look at immigrants and those from different ethnic groups with suspicion. While I’m not suggesting we do anything illegal, we must be aware that our mission is set by King Jesus, not a particular political party.

  What about those who’ve done jail time? Or, are addicts? If those who themselves have been forgiven and restored fail to offer hope and restoration, who will…who can? It’s not easy. It takes time and commitment. The failures will often outnumber the successes. But God has not called us to be successful, He has called us to be faithful.

  By sharing the Good News. It is tempting to focus on humanitarian and social results. Yet, if we help someone break an addiction, find a job, get back on their feet financially, restore their marriage, etc. yet fail to share the Gospel with them, what have we truly accomplished. 
  The best way to share the Good News is to first begin with a relationship, yet it’s a relationship with an end in view. Because the greatest gift I can share is the greatest gift that I’ve ever been given, forgiveness and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s the ultimate of make up there come down here one life at a time. 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Guilt Free!

God has dealt with our guilt. It is the best news in all the world. It is the only strategy that owns up to the truth of God's righteousness and the depth of our debt before Him…Jesus removes our guilt.”  John Piper

  William Shakespeare might have made a great psychotherapist. He accurately described guilt in Macbeth as “life’s fitful fever.” Anyone whose suffered pangs of guilt knows that the Bard nailed the essence of this spiritual malignancy. It contaminates our life and even invades our dreams. An obsessed Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, incessantly washing her hands, screaming, “Out damned spot. Out, I command you! … Why should we be scared, when no one can lay the guilt upon us?” All the soap and water in the universe couldn’t wash away the dirty guilt in her own heart.

  What is guilt? It’s that awful feeling which hits us in the pit of the stomach when we know we’ve done wrong. We’ll do almost anything to get rid of it. It’s the dread of the past; a pain that wells up because we committed an offense or failed to do something right. It’s a phantom pain, a bit like amputees experience after a limb has been removed. Some experience this same kind of dread obsessed by the memory of some wrong committed years, even decades ago. It never quite leaves, crippling the enjoyment of life and relationships with others. They live in fear that someone may discover their past failure.

  Guilt is the bane of human existence. It’s one of the most crippling maladies of the soul. Psychiatrists and doctors say that unresolved guilt is the number one cause of mental illness and suicide. Psychologist Roy Baumeister of Case Western Reserve University studied guilt, discovering that the average person spends approximately 2 hours a day feeling guilty.

  Yet, guilt is God ordained and for the most part, guilt is constructive. It’s like an electric fence that gives us a jolt when we stray beyond our boundaries. Like pain, guilt tells us when something is wrong. When you feel it, you don't just sit there, you do something about it. It’s guilt that ultimately drives us to God, to the Cross and to Jesus Christ as our Savior.

  Guilt cannot be ignored. We were not designed to handle guilt. Either it’s forgiven and we’re free from it, or we must attempt to escape it…but it can’t be escaped. Guilt is the “hound of heaven.” Yet many still try…

  Some seek to blame game away guilt. Adam and Eve established a pattern continuing to this day – the Blame Game. They rationalized their choices, blaming others…even blaming God. We foolishly think that if we can blame someone or something, we’ll feel less guilty. It doesn’t work.

  It’s why many are incessantly angry or critical. Those can be coping mechanisms for a guilty conscience. If you can aim anger toward parents, spouse, circumstances, job, ad nauseam, it’s a distraction from peering into the darkness of your own heart at your failures and personal responsibility.  

  Some attempt to relabel guilt as a disease. It’s common to relabel moral failure as a disease or some addiction, but calling sinful behavior a disease isn’t really helpful. If guilty behavior is a “disease,” isn’t it unjust to incarcerate someone for actions they did as a result of their addiction? We don’t lock up cancer victims. I can’t help it if I get sick, but I volitionally choose to have another drink or engage in some wrong behavior. 

  Some attempt to excuse guilt with a victim mentality. It’s the rational of “I’m poor. It’s why I steal.” Yet, what about individuals who are poor, yet never steal and even choose to work to change their economic situation? Being poor is not morally wrong; stealing is. It’s as silly as if I were to suggest that because I’m bad at math, I don’t have to pay taxes. Children are victims; adults are volunteers. 

  Some attempt to anesthetize guilt. Countless individuals seek to self-medicate, numbing the pain of guilt with substances or behaviors. The cure is frequently worse than the disease. Think about the myriad of “aholic” terms commonly used; workaholic, shopaholic, rageaholic, even chocoaholic. Some take medications to hopefully silence symptoms of guilt like paranoia, anger, stress or depression. (Please understand, not all mental health issues are guilt related). It’s why there may be seemingly no end to the treatment because the root problem is never addressed – guilt.  

  God gave us a conscience to make us aware of sin. There’s never been a civilization that didn't have laws…rules about right and wrong. The moral codes of every civilization prove there’s an objective authority who has set a standard. The human conscience is evidence of God's existence and His standards for behavior. As we violate His standards, we feel guilty.

  Is there a cure for guilt? Yes! It’s the Easter story. Ultimately, God is the One we offend when we sin. That means only He can provide the remedy for guilt. It’s why Jesus came to earth to die. He’s our Substitute in that Jesus took the punishment for our sin so we could be forgiven and right with God. God wants us to be free from guilt. Through Christ, He’s wiped our record clean and wants us to live in freedom. “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14). 

  Jesus’ death on the Cross and His resurrection is God’s cure. When we trust Him, He forgives our sin, cleansing our conscience of guilt. When we trust Christ as Lord and Savior, sin and guilt are gone. In God’s courtroom, they’re eradicated, as if they’d never even happened. It’s why we begin a new life in Christ with a clean slate. As a new creation, God gives us His Spirit, empowering us so that we’re free from sin’s penalty, power, and ultimately in heaven, it’s very presence. Christ’s Cross is our emancipation proclamation from guilt!   

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Easter: Be Our Guest!

“During Easter a lot of people regret

not buying the clothing that was on sale.”

There aren’t many church or family traditions that I’m nostalgic about. One Easter tradition I’ve always enjoyed is when children got new clothes and dressed up for Easter. Today you’d be hard pressed to find a sport coat in a store for a young boy. We’ve become so practical and I understand, yet I always enjoyed seeing the girls in their Easter dresses with black patent shoes and the boys in sport coats and ties…for at least one Sunday.

  When I was a child, Easter was a highlight of the year. It meant new clothes. Our whole family dressed up. My Mom and sisters would even have Easter hats. My Dad, brothers and I had new suits or sport coats. And we’d all pose for a family photograph on the front steps of our home.

  Easter meant an Easter basket. On the Saturday before Easter we’d color hardboiled eggs. There might be an Easter egg hunt, though I never did figure out Easter egg hunts. Maybe the eggs they hunt today are better but the ones we hunted for were like rocks. Why someone wanted to “win” gathering the most of those repulsive things, I’ll never know. It seems to me the winner would be the one with the least Easter eggs.

  Easter means many things to different people. Probably for most it’s an opportunity to get together as a family. Those are some special times. Yet, it’s so much more. As believers, we know that, or at least, we should.

  I’ll never forget a lady many years ago telling me that she was going to have to skip church on Easter because her family was coming over and she had to make Easter dinner. Somehow she missed the point.

  So please don’t miss the point. Easter is about Jesus and His resurrection. It’s about the fact a just and holy God sacrificed His own Son for our sin to pay our debt. Jesus suffered and died a horrible death. But it’s not the end of the story. It looked like evil had won. Jesus was dead. There was no hope…

  But that was Friday and Sunday was coming. On Sunday, the One who was dead physically rose again and walked out of the tomb. It demonstrates that God was satisfied with His sacrifice. It gives us hope. Death is now a defeated foe. “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).  

  Easter is about forgiveness, eternal life, victory, hope BUT do your lost family members, friends and neighbors know that? Or, do they think Easter is about family get-togethers, bunnies and Easter egg hunts? Unless you tell them there is so much more, how will they know? Sometimes in the church we’re so enjoying the victory of the Easter Celebration, we forget the many who are just enjoying the “celebration,” yet have no idea what they’re celebrating. Easter is also a time when many who’d never consider going to church will attend because it’s tradition or even out of curiosity.

  So are you inviting guests to come with you to one of our Easter services? There are many people in your circle the Holy Spirit is already working on. They’re being drawn to the Lord. The Lord can use you—your words and courage—to bring someone within the sound of the gospel.

  According to Thom Ranier, 82% of the unchurched are at least “somewhat likely” to attend church if they’re invited. That means more than 8 out of 10 of the unchurched would come to church if they were simply invited. But Ranier sadly points out, “Only 2% of church members ever invite an unchurched person to church.” When was the last time you invited someone to come to church? Easter is one of the times when people are more open to attend church than nearly any other time of the year. So how can you invite folk for Easter?

  Pray for God’s help. Prayer is always the place to start. Creativity flows from God and so does the power to incline your neighbors toward Christ. Take some time with your family and ask the Father to help you with the ideas and the energy to do it. First, pray. Then, invite.

  Have a time and a plan. The Enemy does not want you to invite anyone, so he’ll pull out the best in his bag of tricks: busyness. Easter will come and go, and you’ll be buying discounted chocolate bunnies before you know it. So once you land on an idea, put your plans on the calendar.

  Ask if they’re planning to go to church this Easter. An easy place to start is with a casual conversation. Even in a passing chat about the weather, ask if they’re planning on attending an Easter service. Many are already thinking about it. Even if they’re not, going to church on Easter is still cultural enough to be an inoffensive topic. One of the most common hesitations potential visitors have is not knowing anyone at the church. Resolve that by offering to attend with them and to sit with them.

  Make cookies and deliver them. Who doesn’t like cookies? Making Easter eggs is fun too, but they don’t quite go down as well with a glass of milk. Your neighbors will not only enjoy it, they’ll be impressed that you took the time to make it and share it. If cooking isn’t your thing, there’s nothing wrong with buying some candy to share. Deliver the goodies and then invite them to an Easter Service.

  Take them some spring flowers. So candy isn’t your thing. After a hard winter, flowers are a breath of fresh air. Drop off a small bouquet. Send the kids. Who can resist a cute kid with a handful of flowers? Then, invite them to come as your guest.

  We have invitations that you can use to invite folk. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter how you do it, it just matters that you do it! Will you?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

The Church is the Hope for the City

“We need new churches if the body of Christ in a city is going to grow”  Tim Keller

  I grew up in the city. My childhood home was just inside the city of Atlanta limits. When my Dad built our home in the early 1960’s, it was a totally Caucasian neighborhood. Our church was seven miles away in a suburb called East Point. That small burb and our church were also Caucasian. But like many southern cities, Atlanta was changing. African-Americans began buying homes in white dominated areas. There was an ensuing panic and “white flight” began to take place. The neighborhood around our church also changed. Eventually, the church merged with another church, moving some 30 miles away to the suburbs.

  It’s easy to second guess what churches and people did in the past because of neighborhood and ethnic changes. My concern is that while white churches followed their white congregations into the suburbs, often they didn’t leave a Gospel witness behind. While the ethnic and economic make-up of the church’s neighborhood may have changed, there were still people there – people who needed the Gospel. It’s a scene that’s been replayed in America countless times. Drive through any urban area and you’ll see empty church buildings or that have been transformed into something other than a church. The former church has ceased to have a ministry in that neighborhood.  

  Several years ago I read Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? by Dr. Roland Allen. When Dr. Allen first wrote this book in 1962, it was considered revolutionary. Unlike other studies, he didn’t focus on Paul’s doctrine or character but on his missionary methodology. As you study Paul’s missionary journeys, you discover that Paul focused on urban areas.  

  There’s no question that Paul was the greatest missionary of all time. His missionary strategy was designed to reach the greatest number with the highest efficiency. What he did was also abhorrent to his own Jewish countrymen. While Paul didn’t neglect the Jews, he didn’t stop with the Jews. He did something that’s still rare even today – Paul reached out to people groups that were very different from him. Few churches take the initiative to reach out to those who are different than the majority of the congregation. Few Christians step out of their familiar circle across economic, ethnic, age or moral lines to reach someone with the Gospel.

  Paul took the Gospel places it’d never gone before (2 Cor. 10:16), “not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation” (Rom. 15:20). Not only did he concentrate on the great cities, he concentrated on economic centers. He’d come from the large city of Tarsus himself and preached in world’s political capital, Rome, as well as in Athens, the world’s cultural center. Philippi was the “chief city” of Macedonia (Acts 16:12), as were Corinth in Achaia and Ephesus in Asia Minor. Antioch, Troas, Thessalonica—all were great seaport cities. Establishing solid churches in such cities provided centers for carrying the Gospel throughout the world. Over the course of his life, Paul traveled some 15,000 miles and preached to thousands of people.

  Our own church was started by a church in the City of Racine, Calvary Memorial. The Pauline model of missions begins in an urban center and then reaches out to the regions beyond those urban centers.

  Too often, evangelicals have abandoned the cities. The church I grew up in gave $200,000 annually to world missions. While they sent missionaries around the world, even to Africa, there was little concern for their African-American backyard. Churches pour missions money reaching the far ends of the globe, yet fail to consider needs a few miles away in the city. Too many of us see the problems in the city, yet overlook Gospel opportunities.

  For example, a city is where you can do cross-cultural ministry without having to leave the States. Many are centers for universities and colleges with international students. When we reach international students with the Gospel, often we send back “missionaries” are already prepared for the culture. They know the language and because they have a degree, have the financial support they’ll need. With a college degree they’re respected members of society. It’s similar to the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch repeated in a contemporary setting (Acts 8:26-40).

  We’ve lost the “War on Poverty.” Sixty years later our cities are worse than they were when President Johnson declared “war” in his State of the Union address in 1964. From a biblical worldview, it’s because we’ve used the wrong “weapons.” There’s no question the inner city needs jobs, housing and education. Sixty years later we know that merely adding those things fails to bring lasting change and does nothing for eternity. One can work hard, live in a nice home, even have a Ph. D and yet not know Jesus.  Contrary to the conventional wisdom, a job is not the best social program.

  Tim Keller who planted a powerful church in New York City points out neighborhoods stay largely the same if new types of residents (richer, poorer, or culturally different from the rest) comprise less than 5% of the population. But when the number of new residents reaches somewhere between 5% and 20%, the whole neighborhood ethos shifts. Perhaps if instead of planting more churches in white middle class America, we used our resources to plant churches in cities, we’d see transformational change. 

  This morning it’s a privilege to welcome Tom & Joanna Kubiak to Grace. The Kubiaks are planting their second church in the city of Chicago and we hope to partner with them in this wonderful Great Commission endeavor! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Stay in school...the school of life!

 “True humility is staying teachable regardless of how much

you already know.”

  There’s an old Taoist story about a student who comes to a master and asks the master to teach him. The master invites the student to sit with him and have tea. While they are sitting, the master starts to converse with the eager young student. But every time the master starts to explain a point, the student would interrupt him and say, "Oh, I know that, I do this when that happens, or I don't have that problem because…” Soon the master stopped talking and picked up the teapot. He began pouring tea into the student's cup. As the cup filled, he continued pouring until the cup overflowed and spilled out. The student shouted, “Stop! It is enough! My cup is full!” With that, the old master smiled and replied, “Yes, your cup is full, therefore I can teach you nothing until you empty your cup.”

  The moral of the story is clear. The student was unteachable. Instead of listening to the master, he wanted to show how much he already knew. He wasn’t open to learning anything new that he believed he’d already learned. His cup of knowledge was too full and he had to empty that cup before he could learn from the new master. Emptying your cup does not mean you must give up all that you’ve learned or forget all that you know. That’s silly. To empty your cup simply means to adopt a teachable attitude.

  The greatest enemy of a teachable spirit is pride. It’s not surprising in an unregenerate world. Pride is the first sin recorded, costing Satan heaven. Pride causes more to reject Christ and the need for the Cross than any other sin. It’s not surprising to find pride amongst those who don’t know Jesus.

  What’s sadly shocking is to find pride among those who should be the most humble. We’re the ones who join John Newton in his well-known refrain, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” Wretches have no basis for pride. I love the encouragement found in Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” Scripture teaches that a Christian is to have a very humble, teachable spirit.

  Oftentimes, what we become most arrogant and opinionated about would be laughable if we weren’t so inflexible in our opinions. For example, much of what is adamantly purported as right or wrong when it comes to parenting is merely opinion. Scripture never tells us what educational choice is best, how active or inactive our children should be, what time they should go to bed or get up. About the only things the Bible is clear on is that we’re to teach our children biblical truth and our goal must be godly children, not “good” ones…or successful ones.

  The same could be said of many other things that we’re sadly often so arrogantly adamant about: finances, food choices, career, vacation, time, athletic loyalty, entertainment options, politics…to name just a few.

  But there’s one characteristic that separates the successful from the unsuccessful in every walk of life: teachability. Those who are teachable and are lifelong learners, usually succeed. The unteachable typically fail. You’ll observe this in education, career, business, marriage, parenting, ministry, Christian walk and nearly every other field. Most importantly, a teachable person will listen when God speaks via reading His Word or in a preaching/teaching setting, and then change their direction to obey Him.

  In fact, arrogant believers (that’s a conundrum), hurt churches. It’s God’s grace when He protects a local church family from arrogant Christians who erroneously believe it’s their calling to “fix” a church. They leave a string of battered churches behind and believe all the churches out there “stink.”

  Take a moment and picture the folk that you love to be around because they’re so Christlike. Spending time with them is a continual feast. They leave you feeling so refreshed! Probably each of them is humble and has a gracious, teachable spirit. So what does teachability look like?

  Someone who is teachable listens more than they talk. When they listen, they’re engaged. They’re quiet, contemplating follow-up questions, seeking to really understand. They may even take notes. They read books or learn everything they can to be a better steward and glorify God.

  Someone who is teachable asks questions, lots of them. They’re willing to appear ignorant or risk looking stupid. They accept responsibility for blunders and failures. They don’t make excuses or blame others. They seek and accept guidance or mentoring from mentors, coaches, parents, teachers, pastors, godly leaders, etc.

  Someone who is teachable accepts criticism or correction without resentment or retaliation. They’re not defensive. They see criticism from those they trust as beneficial. They’re willing to move out of their comfort zones. They’re flexible and adapt to embrace change to be more effective.

  Someone who is teachable is aware of their own limitations of their own knowledge and abilities. They openly admit their limitations, inability, and ignorance to others who can teach and help them grow.

  Someone who is teachable regularly seeks out godly counsel. They ask for help, instruction, guidance and advice (before the event, not after disaster strikes). They learn from anyone and everyone they can. Usually, they realize that they can learn something from nearly everyone.

  Someone who is teachable is willing to change. Whether it’s their views or habits when convincing evidence is presented to them. They’ll change even if it means admitting they’re wrong or causes a level of discomfort. 
  The teachable are a magnificent minority! May teachability be true of us!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.