In the first post on this subject a week or so ago, I made the case that the Gospel doesn’t have any real power unless there is faith. Today, the point I want to make is that the Gospel doesn’t have any real power unless there is weakness. Does this mean that Christianity or the Gospel is a crutch for the weak? In a sense, yes.  I think you could say that. Most people use that phrase as if it is a derogatory statement. They are implying that us weak people need something like the Gospel, but they are not weak like us. To someone who sees themselves strong, or a self-made person, the Gospel is not needed or desired. Is it possible to build a successful life without the Gospel? Is it possible to have meaning and purpose in life without the Gospel? Is it possible to build a successful church without the Gospel? Yes, yes, and yes. Jesus even says that we can build our house on the rock or sand. Both can be built, but which one will last? Both will stand for quite some time. It’s not until the time of testing comes that one will fall. Some people’s house (not built on the sand) will endure their entire life on earth, and will only fall when the test of eternity comes. Jesus says everyone will be salted with fire (Mark 9:49). In that moment, will what you’ve built last in eternity? Many of those who have built on something other than the Gospel feel quite secure with what they have. The Gospel then is a threat to them. It requires tearing everything down and starting all over. Some people are more than willing to do so, because as they build, they recognize that it’s not working. While seen as a frustration, this is actually a blessing. It’s those whose lives are working for them who I worry about. They feel they have no need to tear down and start all over. They do not feel weak at all. But the Gospel does its work in those who recognize their weakness. For these people, there is no greater power than that which is found in...

It’s the day after taxes were due, and we’re ok for now. That shouldn’t be the case, but it is. When I resigned my part-time job in January, I had nothing lined up to fill the loss of income. Before my resignation, we were already living month to month, with very little wiggle room to adjust our budget. A few times, in fact, we had to borrow from the money we had set aside for taxes to pay for gas in the car or buy groceries for the week. This was the few months before I resigned. Regardless, we had felt a peace two months earlier (November) to resign, which was a little daunting to us on a financial level for many reasons.. First, Christmas was coming up, which was going to be a hard hit for us. Second, income taxes were going to be due in April, and we didn’t have nearly enough resources set aside for what we estimated our taxes to be (I am self-employed, so instead of a nice refund check this time of years, it’s a honkin’ check to the IRS instead). Third, our yearly homeowner’s association dues were due in March. Fourthly, we later found out in December/January that we were expecting another child, which although is a great joy, also introduces further financial strain for the next nine months and beyond. And then there’s all the unexpected stuff that you can’t budget for, but seems to pop up at the most inopportune times. It was our hope that the two months between November and January would give us time to locate supplemental income when the time came to resign. That never happened, but we stepped out in faith anyways. Three months later, it still hasn’t happened. Five months of hoping, praying for additional income within God’s will has been unanswered. But even with a crushing 33% reduction in salary when we were already living paycheck to paycheck, our taxes are paid in full and with no debt (outside of our mortgage) or credit cards! I was convinced that if we didn’t obtain supplemental income by now, this day wouldn’t have arrived. I anticipated we would currently be in the process of foreclosure...

I don’t think it does. I think it may once have had power, but largely it’s fizzling out. I think church growth experts out there recognize this. Simply sharing, spreading, teaching, exploring, reviewing, singing, articulating, living out the Gospel is largely ineffective. It is not enough to draw in droves of new people, and it is not enough to keep existing people from moving on. That’s because the Gospel holds no real power—unless it is met with faith. Without faith, the Gospel is powerless. It is just a theory among other theories to explain the human condition. Not only this, but it is a very distasteful theory. It describes the human condition as literally on a road to hell itself, and that we are all lost sinners. And it only offers one way out–a conversion that ends in utter selflessness where God gets His way, not me. More than this, the necessary, prescribed conversion is specific with regards to Whom you must turn to and what you must turn from. Make no mistake that indeed  turning to Him requires turning away from everything else. Syncretism is not allowed. You cannot serve two masters. Sin is clearly spelled out, as is the way of holiness. He wants all of me. Without faith, this is too demanding for the masses. It is too intolerant of other people’s opinions. It is not relevant within today’s sensibilities. In other words, church leaders are recognizing Jesus was right all along—we have lost our first love. It has grown cold. We are lukewarm at best. Indeed, while the Gospel is becoming distasteful to us, Jesus says that we are becoming distasteful to His own mouth. We need to be entertained. God forbid if we didn’t have a drama–or a video clip–or a funny joke slipped in during the sermon. And if the pastor doesn’t come across as hip, or if the worship team doesn’t look attractive enough, or if the music doesn’t pump me up, or if the service doesn’t move along fast enough, or if the…well, I could go on. Let’s face it–most people don’t really understand the Gospel. If we did, we would be repenting every time we heard it. We would be...

H2O, the youth group at Wellspring Worship Center, invited me to speak this past Wednesday night. What a great youth group! Not so sure about the youth pastor, though… Actually Josh is a great friend of mine, and I appreciated him and his group inviting me. Josh, you guys have an awesome youth ministry! I was touched by the passion for God coming from the youth and the leaders. I had a blast–I hope everyone else did as well. When I arrived, I learned they made this video in honor of me, and I am honored to share it with you and the rest of the world. You guys are hilarious–and even somewhat talented in some twisted kind of way… This Wednesday, I’ll be speaking at Valley View Baptist Church youth group! I feel like a traveling evangelist. Now I just need a TV gospel show that takes old people’s money. Until then, enjoy this quality piece of...

That’s right–our third child due to arrive September 1 will be a girl, as confirmed by today’s ultrasound! I project that the estrogen levels at home these upcoming years will be quite a force for me to reckon with–I covet everyone’s prayers! 🙂 We don’t have a name picked out yet, so we are open to all suggestions! We received a DVD of today’s ultrasound that includes the determination of gender and the ability to listen to the heartbeat, among other things. So without further ado, for your viewing pleasure, enjoy nine tantalizing minutes of baby movements and ultrasound tech...