Archives For November 30, 1999

Tuesday News Briefing: Digital temptation near top of ‘favorite sins’ list

Meredith Flynn —  January 29, 2013

bar_chart_BarnaTHE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

Temptation is an age-old problem. But even it isn’t immune to new challenges posed by the digital age. A new study by Barna Research found 44% Americans admit to being tempted by the decidedly “digital” sin of spending too much time on media, like the Internet, video games and television.

Other technological temptations also beckoned respondents, including viewing pornography or sexually inappropriate content (18%), and reacting angrily via text message or e-mail (11%).

The study, done in conjunction with publisher Thomas Nelson for the new book “Our Favorite Sins,” asked more than 1,000 online respondents about which sins tempt them. Barna then grouped their answers into categories like “new temptations,” “old temptations,” and “particularly Western temptations,” which includes the sins of procrastinating, worrying, and being lazy.

Only the temptations to procrastinate (60%), worry (60%), or eat too much (55%) were more prevalent than spending too much time on media distractions. Spending too much money was also a temptation for 44% of respondents.

Go to Barna.org for more.

Other news:

Stanley responds to inauguration sermon criticism
Megachurch pastor Andy Stanley drew fire when he called President Obama the “pastor in chief” during a pre-inauguration sermon for the President, his family and advisors. But the title came as a result of the President’s actions following the tragic shootings in Newtown, Stanley told Christianity Today.

Chicagoland pastor will run coast to coast for clean water
Steve Spear, a regional campus pastor for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., quit his job earlier this year to get a running start on a project that will provide a lifetime of clean drinking water for 30,000 Kenyans. Beginning in April, Spear will run the 3,000-mile span between the U.S. east and west coasts in a fundraising endeavor sponsored by World Vision. Read more at christianpost.com.

NewYork_DR_page4_0128Illinois students help Staten Islanders start fresh after Hurricane Sandy
Collegiate volunteers spent part of their winter break on a whirlwind trip to New York, where residents are still deep in recovery mode after last fall’s super storm. Read the full story in the January 28 issue of the Illinois Baptist.

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Community change starts with pancakes

Meredith Flynn —  January 28, 2013

HEARTLAND (From Baptist Press) | Murders had become too frequent in the south St. Louis neighborhood where August Gate church meets.

Neighbors were fed up – including a few August Gate members who were leading a small group in the church’s Tower Grove East neighborhood. When they called to ask the three-year-old Southern Baptist church plant for help, August Gate community pastor Todd Genteman urged the young adults to get involved.

“You’re the Gospel Community in the neighborhood,” Genteman said, referencing the name by which the small group is known. “You should do something.”

So they did. The Gospel Community group organized a pancake breakfast at the church, bringing in community leaders, business leaders and residents to start a conversation about change. Organizers thought 10 to 20 people might show up, but more than 100 did.

The outreach echoed what the church plant’s lead pastor, Noah Oldham, has been teaching to the church which draws its name, figuratively meaning “harvest the city,” from the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. For August Gate members, Gospel Community groups play a critical role in living out the teaching that every member is a missionary. These neighborhood-based small groups commit to learning the Bible, being a family and living on mission together.

“We want the vast majority of our congregation to be living on mission,” said Oldham, who also serves as the North American Mission Board city coordinator for Send North America: St. Louis. “God calls us to be missionaries in particular places.”

Click on the video below for more about August Gate, or go to BPNews.net for the full story.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/57384208″>Noah Oldham: Empty on the Inside</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/namb”>North American Mission Board</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

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Big moments are big opportunities

Meredith Flynn —  January 24, 2013

pull quote_ADAMS_jan24COMMENTARY | Nate Adams

A few days ago I had the privilege of performing the wedding ceremony for our son Caleb and his now wife Laura. As is true for most young couples, it was arguably the biggest moment of their lives. So I was very pleased when, together, they told me their desire was for the ceremony to honor God. But I was especially moved when they went a step further, and asked me to make sure the Gospel was clearly presented.

You pastors that are reading this know what a welcome and freeing experience that is. We long, most of us, for opportunities to share Christ openly. But we also need to be sensitive to the couple’s or family’s wishes at times like weddings, anniversaries, or funerals.

And not everyone wants to give the big moments of their lives to the Lord. Even devoted Christians often expect the bride to be the primary focus of a wedding day, and that’s understandable. But I think you can focus on the bride, honor the Lord, and share the Gospel without diminishing any of the three. Let me share briefly here the few words I included in Caleb’s and Laura’s ceremony:

“Now let me pause here and say something to the rest of the congregation. When Caleb and Laura and I were planning this ceremony, I asked them, what would you like the central message of your wedding ceremony to be? What would you like the people gathered there on that special day to know above all else?

“Here’s what they said. ‘The most important thing about us and our story is that we would not be together except for the way God has worked in our lives. We want others to see His story in our story. We didn’t really know how to love each other until Christ became the center of our relationship. We would love everyone there to know what it means to have God at the center of their lives and their relationships.’

“You see, the way this young couple came to know and love each other is the way many people come to know and love God. It may begin with just a casual acquaintance, an occasional prayer, maybe even periods of disinterest and distance. And then one day, your realization that God loves you unconditionally comes alive, perhaps through the joyful expression and heartfelt testimony of someone who really knows Him. You realize the void in your life, and that God has been there all along, loving you and reaching out to you. Nothing would please Caleb and Laura more, and nothing would honor their wedding day more, than for you to turn to God as they have, and to surrender your life to Him.  Caleb and Laura want you to know that, with the certainty they do.”

Words along those lines can give wedding guests something to talk about at the reception. More importantly, they can give lost friends and family something to talk about on the drive home, or with the couple after they return from the honeymoon.

The biggest wedding day of all will be when the risen and victorious Lord Jesus returns to earth as a Groom coming for his bride, the Church. That day will certainly focus on the Bride, but it will also glorify God and lead every knee to bow at the truth of the Gospel. It will be a day when we will all be glad for the big moments of our lives that we gave to the Lord, especially if He uses them as opportunities to draw our loved ones to Himself for eternity.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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Tuesday News Briefing: Hobby Lobby avoids fines – for now

Meredith Flynn —  January 22, 2013

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

The craft retailer has shifted the plan year for its employee health insurance, thereby avoiding for several months up to $1.3 million a day in federal fines. Hobby Lobby is being penalized for refusing to cover abortion-inducing drugs in its employee health care plans. “Hobby Lobby will continue to vigorously defend its religious liberty and oppose the mandate and any penalties,” said attorney Peter Dobelbower. Full story at BPNews.net.

Weddings are Cathedral’s ‘next step’
Leaders of Washington’s National Cathedral announced this month the church will begin hosting same-sex weddings using a marriage rite developed by the Episcopal Church for same-sex couples. Rev. Gary Hall, dean of the Cathedral, said offering the weddings is the “next logical step” in the church’s evolving teaching on marriage. Full story at CNN’s Belief blog.

Is homosexuality a sin?
That’s the question measured in a new survey by LifeWay Research, which found that fewer Americans now believe homosexual behavior is a sin that in 2011. The study found 37% of U.S. adults answered “yes,” down from 44% the previous year. LifeWay Research President Ed Stetzer said the shift could be attributed to President Obama’s support of same-sex marriage. “The president’s evolution on homosexuality probably impacted the evolution of cultural values – there is a real and substantive shift, surprisingly large for a one-year timeframe – though this was hardly a normal year on this issue.” Read more about the survey at LifeWayResearch.com.

Warren tells ‘Oprah’ watchers: Read John
The Gospel of John got an unusual TV shout-out recently from Pastor Rick Warren. Appearing on Oprah Winfrey’s “Lifeclass,” Warren urged the audience to read the Bible book and also encouraged them to listen to God, instead of the world. “God says you’re valuable, you’re capable, you’re forgivable, you’re usable. You listen to the right thing, not the wrong thing.” Full story at ChristianPost.com.

CP up 1.7% in 2012
Giving through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program in 2012 was 1.7% above the previous year. As of December 31, 2012, contributions to SBC national and international ministries and missions totaled $45,019,759. “After several years of serious financial difficulties, I am guardedly optimistic that the economic prospects of our people have begun to stabilize, said SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page. Full story at BPNews.net.

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God’s world in pictures

Meredith Flynn —  January 21, 2013

HEARTLAND | International Mission Board photographers share their pictures of the year for 2012, images that showcase God’s grace and mercy, and the great needs of people around the globe. View the full gallery.

A South Asian teenager has seen her home burned four times because she and her family are Christians. Attackers even took hammers and machetes to shatter the bricks. Despite this persecution, the family remains in their village — the sole followers of Jesus Christ. The young girl lives a lonely life because of her faith.

A South Asian teenager has seen her home burned four times because she and her family are Christians. Attackers even took hammers and machetes to shatter the bricks. Despite this persecution, the family remains in their village — the sole followers of Jesus Christ. The young girl lives a lonely life because of her faith. Photo by Susie Rain

Edison Romero, 72, kneels in prayer while attending a missions training session at the School of Cross-cultural Missions near Iquitos, Peru, in the Amazon jungle. As he prays, the child of a fellow student sleeps on a nearby bench. Romero’s wife of 44 years died just three days before the training began, but he still traveled 12 hours by boat from his village to attend. Romero said he “just couldn’t miss it.” Photo by Rebecca Springer

Edison Romero, 72, kneels in prayer while attending a missions training session at the School of Cross-cultural Missions near Iquitos, Peru, in the Amazon jungle. As he prays, the child of a fellow student sleeps on a nearby bench. Romero’s wife of 44 years died just three days before the training began, but he still traveled 12 hours by boat from his village to attend. Romero said he “just couldn’t miss it.” Photo by Rebecca Springer

Boys play in their dorm room at a Christian children’s home in Choibalsan, Mongolia. The home was set up to provide a stable life for Mongolia’s street children. Its founder, a Mongolian follower of Christ, has had a long friendship and ministry partnership with IMB workers in Mongolia. Photo by Hugh Johnson

Boys play in their dorm room at a Christian children’s home in Choibalsan, Mongolia. The home was set up to provide a stable life for Mongolia’s street children. Its founder, a Mongolian follower of Christ, has had a long friendship and ministry partnership with IMB workers in Mongolia. Photo by Hugh Johnson

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The Louie Giglio moment: Where do we go from here?

Meredith Flynn —  January 17, 2013

pull quote_STETZERCOMMENTARY | Ed Stetzer

(From Baptist Press) Louie Giglio withdrew from the program at President Obama’s inauguration in the face of criticism over a 15-year-old sermon referencing homosexuality as a sin. Many will want to debate and desire to nuance the specific wording he used in the sermon, but his points are largely mainstream evangelical beliefs.

This Louie Giglio moment, and the Chick-fil-A moment that preceded it, and the Rick Warren moment which preceded that, raise the question: Where do people of faith with long-standing traditional religious/scriptural convictions go from here?

For those of us who know Louie, this is a strange moment indeed — but also illustrative of how our culture has turned. Louie has dedicated his life to helping others — the poor, the enslaved, those trapped in sexual trafficking. Yet, I do not recognize the person I see portrayed on the news — a bigoted homophobe driven by his hatred for gays. You can be certain that is not Louie Giglio — even though some prefer to believe that any opposition to homosexual practice, and people who hold that view, must apparently be silenced for the common good.

In a recent LifeWay Research study, 37 percent of American adults agreed that homosexuality is a sin. That number is declining (down from 44 percent according to a 2011 survey), but it is still a substantial minority. Yet, such views (which were mainstream just a few decades ago) are indeed now a minority position — and viewed as unacceptable by many in society.

So, what does this mean for Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, Orthodox Jews and others who believe that their authoritative religious texts teach something the prevailing culture finds so unacceptable that they are no longer welcome in the public square? Must they jettison their sacred texts and adopt new views to be accepted as part of society? If they do not, will they be marginalized and demonized even as they serve the poor, care for the orphan or speak against injustice?

Or, instead, can we recognize that a substantial minority in our culture hold views they see as rooted in their scriptures and part of their faith, even though those views may not always be popularly accepted?

Yes, the First Amendment protects these views. But we also have to decide if the people who hold such views can be protected by our self-identified tolerant culture as they seek not just to hold those beliefs in secret, but also dare to utter them in public — even on a sermon tape 15 years ago.

Ed Stetzer is president of LifeWay Research. This column first appeared at USATODAY.com.

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A miracle child

Meredith Flynn —  January 14, 2013

Haley_for_blogHEARTLAND | Meredith Flynn

Haley Willis has defied the odds all her life. Diagnosed with a neural tube defect 21 weeks before she was born, doctors told her parents, Jeff and Lynel, Haley wouldn’t survive the pregnancy. When she was born on her due date, the Willises were told to take her home and enjoy her for as long as she survived – two weeks, at most.

She’ll turn 10 this summer. And Jeff and Lynel Willis, who serve at Harvest Church in Anna, say their oldest daughter is a miracle with a special gift for making people smile and drawing shy kids out of their shells. And defying the odds.

“Even to this day, people don’t know what to make of her.”

But the couple, who were told it would be easier to “interrupt” or terminate their pregnancy and start over, knew from the moment of Haley’s diagnosis what their responsibility was concerning their daughter.

“I was realizing really quickly that this wasn’t about Jeff and I,” Lynel said. “This was about God showing his glory through something as little as this baby. And we were just along for the ride.”

One month before her birth, the Willises named their daughter Haley Faith. Lynel said, “We wanted faith in the name, because we were having her out of faith.”

Read the rest of Haley’s story here. January 20 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in many Southern Baptist churches.

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What will we learn from Newtown?

Meredith Flynn —  January 10, 2013

COMMENTARY | Eric Reedpull quote_REED

A man described to me a game his teenage son played at church. It’s an electronic version of paintball, where kids wired up in battle gear shoot each other with beams of light. “We’re going to give him all the equipment for Christmas,” the dad said. “It’s kind of expensive, but he’s a good kid. He doesn’t ask for much. I think he deserves it.”

“Really?” I responded. “He deserves to aim a laser gun at other kids and pull a trigger until they are all, um, eliminated? It sounds like you’re teaching your son to kill.”

“Oh, you’re making too much of it. It’s just a game.”

I objected. For more than an hour.

That conversation was two years ago. In light of the mass murder at a Connecticut elementary school in December, I feel even more strongly about my objection to the “game.”

As a denomination, Southern Baptists took up the cause of the unborn not long after abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade. By several counts, the number of babies aborted in the U.S. since 1973 is almost 56 million.

Every year, many congregations mark “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday” near the January anniversary of the court ruling. And many Christians participate in pro-life activities, standing outside abortion clinics, placing fields of white crosses on church lawns to demonstrate the numbers of babies lost, and supporting crisis pregnancy ministries to aid pregnant women.

That work is admirable, and must continue until abortion is ended. But what the killings in Newtown tell me is that in our recent discussions of the sanctity of life, we’ve missed the value of the already born.

Our culture has so devalued life that death seems to have little consequence. And we’re teaching that to our children every day. Parents might dismiss this as a predictable preacher’s rant, but I think it’s time to examine carefully the influences we allow into our kids’ lives and the values we uphold before them.

In so many movies and video games, for example, the goal is killing, and killing is rewarded. And for shooters who do the deed electronically, there’s no blood, no corpse, no funeral, no consequence for their actions – other than scoring points.

Perhaps it’s time for a field trip to the cemetery, so children can see that death is real, grief is deep, and life must be valued and protected.

And we need to broaden our discussion of the sanctity of life again, starting rightly with the unborn, but also including the first-grader in the classroom, the teenager on the gang-dominated streets, the despondent contemplating suicide, and the terminally ill. Sanctity of life is about protecting all the living.

Life has value – on earth and ultimately in heaven. But let’s not rush getting there.

Eric Reed is a pastor and journalist living in Wheaton. He serves as editorial consultant for IBSA media.

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Tuesday News Briefing: Good news and bad news for adoption community

Meredith Flynn —  January 8, 2013

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

Russia’s ban penalizes orphans
(Baptist Press) Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to ban adoptions between his country and the United States was a political move, thought by many to be retaliation for U.S. sanctions against Russians accused of human rights violations. But adoption advocates say of all the parties involved, the ban is most harmful to the most vulnerable: Russia’s orphans. Christians are called to take up their cause by praying, speaking truth, and creating a culture of orphan care, said pastor and adoptive father Tony Merida. “We must be a voice for the voiceless.” More

Adoption credit made permanent
(Baptist Press) The adoption community received better news earlier this month, when a tax credit for adoptive families set to expire at the end of 2012 was made a permanent part of the U.S. tax code. The credit makes adoption more affordable for families. “Every child deserves a protective, loving family, and I hope that a permanent Adoption Tax Credit will enable many more families to open their hearts and homes to a child in need,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D.-La.), who sponsored the act to permanently establish the credit. More

Hobby Lobby defies mandate
(Baptist Press) Craft retailer Hobby Lobby will face up to $1.3 million in fines every day it refuses to comply with a federal mandate that requires employee health care plans to cover contraceptives that cause chemical abortions. “To remain true to their faith, it is not their intention, as a company, to pay for abortion-inducing drugs,” said attorney Kyle Duncan. Hobby Lobby sued the federal government in September over the mandate, but a judge ruled the corporation isn’t a religious organization and doesn’t qualify for the exemption that covers churches and ministries. More

Thumbs-up for Cooperative Program
(LifeWay Research) A vast majority of Southern Baptist pastors have a high opinion of the Convention’s Cooperative Program, according to a recent study by LifeWay Research. The survey of 1,066 pastors found 81% believe CP “fuels an aggressive enterprise of reaching unreached people groups around the world,” and 73% say it supports ministries valued by their churches. Smaller majorities believe the entities supported through CP are moving in the right direction (55%) and using their contributions effectively (52%). More

‘Flat Lottie’ travels the globe
(IMB) The International Mission Board introduced a new teaching tool in “Flat Lottie,” a two-dimensional version of famed missionary Lottie Moon. IMB tracked Lottie across Asia on their Facebook and Pinterest pages, sharing how giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering makes missions and ministry possible around the world. Her stops included a well-digging project on the grasslands of Mongolia and a slum in Bangladesh where missionaries and ministering to women and children. Follow Lottie’s journey here.

 

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Change, risk, sacrifice and reward

Meredith Flynn —  January 7, 2013

pull quote_ADAMS_jan7HEARTLAND | Nate Adams

This month marks seven years since the IBSA Board invited me to return to Illinois to serve our churches here. At the time, the most difficult thing about saying yes to that invitation was the ages of our sons. Two were in high school, and one was about to enter his senior year.

One of the teenage daughters of an IBSA staff member later told me, “I remember praying especially for Caleb as soon as I heard that you were moving here for his senior year of high school. I remember thinking how hard that would be for him, and I wondered how you could do it.”

Following the Lord’s leading often involves uncomfortable change, risk, and even sacrifice. It’s hard to face those things without faith. And when our own frail faith requires that those we love also change, risk and sacrifice, well, that seems to require even more faith.

In Exodus 33, Moses pleaded with God not to ask him and his people to leave where they were without the assurance that God was personally going with them. They were comfortable, and they felt safe and secure, even though they were really just camped in a desert that God never intended to be their permanent home.

Again and again that seems to be God’s pattern, in the Bible, and in our lives too. Don’t grow comfortable where you are; it was never meant to be permanent. God is leading you to follow His purposes somewhere else. It will seem risky, even dangerous. It may cost you something initially. In fact, the sacrifice may seem great. But don’t make the mistake of staying. Trust Him. He will go with you. If you stay, you may dry up.

Sometimes I see a pastor, or another visionary leader in a church, recognize that God wants to take them to a new place as a church. They see how God is moving or wants to move in their community, to reach people with the Gospel and make new disciples. And with some discomfort, they realize that staying as they are, while comfortable, is not following God by faith to the lost people of their community.

My encouragement to you today is to embrace the change, take the risk, and make the sacrifice. The God who is calling you to trust Him and risk doing something different is faithful. He will go with you, and He has something wonderful on the other side of your sacrifice. In fact Hebrews 11:6 tells us that not only is it impossible to please God without faith, but that He rewards those who earnestly trust Him.

Seven years later, that son whose dad moved him to a new school for his senior year says that was his favorite year of high school. That son who was far from God at the time, beyond his dad’s ability to persuade him, has surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And that teenage girl who prayed for him without even knowing him is his fiancée.

Through a few years of discomfort, and occasional questioning, we trusted that God would eventually make the move to Illinois good for Caleb too. So when I pronounce him and Laura husband and wife in a few days, my smile will have behind it more than just joy at their union. Mine will be the smile of a dad seeing the faithfulness of God playing out before his very eyes. It will encourage me to trust Him again and again, whatever He asks. And it will encourage me to urge pastors and leaders and churches everywhere that they can trust Him too.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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