Posted: 10/01/04

EDITORIAL:
Poll results turn America's faith tradition upside down

A new survey illustrates why our nation's Founding Fathers wisely built our government on a constitution and not public-opinion polls.

The Council for America's First Freedom, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting religious liberty, has learned that half of all Americans think the separation of church and state has gone too far.

The council's recent survey revealed 29 percent of Americans believe church-state separation has become “too severe and needs to be less strictly interpreted.” Another 20 percent agree “there is really no need to separate church and state” in the United States today.

Our Baptist forebears and constitutional visionaries such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison must be rolling in their graves.

U.S. separation of church and state is grounded in the religion clauses of the First Amendment to the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” For more than two centuries, those 16 words have safeguarded religion from government intrusion and protected government from religion run amok.

Now, some Americans think church and state should be allowed to intermingle. Many people would like to see public schools reinstitute daily or other specified prayers, and some would prefer that teachers be permitted to read devotionally from the Bible in their classes. A large number of people favor direct government financial support for church-run charities. If you've paid attention to the news the past few years, you can think of other examples of circumstances where fellow citizens would like to breach what Jefferson called the “wall” of separation between church and state.

To be fair, any sympathetic listener can understand why folks would like to see a closer relationship between God and government. This is a scary and immoral world, and it's getting scarier and more immoral by the minute. We who believe prayer provides direct access to God and soothes the savage breast would like to see more prayer. We who believe the Bible provides the answers to moral, ethical and social ills, as well as spiritual needs, would like to see God's word proclaimed.

But the passion for pushing down the wall of separation between church and state is both ill-informed and illogical.

For example, much of the clamor regarding religion in schools is based on ignorance. The Supreme Court did not “throw God and Bible reading out of the schools.” Besides reflecting bad theology (Who could possibly “throw” God anywhere?), such statements are just plain wrong. Students can pray in school; they can read their Bibles in school. Teachers can't lead them, and students can't interrupt ongoing school functions, but students can pray and read the Bible on their own. If other non-academic groups are allowed to meet on campus, student religious clubs can meet on campus. Students can't be expelled for mentioning Jesus or for presenting their faith in academic projects. The overwhelming preponderance of case law supports voluntary–student-led–religious expression in schools.

Similarly, government can legally fund an array of benevolence functions operated by faith-based organizations. For decades, denominationally related children's homes and hospitals have used government grants or functioned under government contracts to provide specific services. They are not churches, but legally incorporated agencies. And they take steps to ensure that government funds do not underwrite evangelistic endeavors, or what the government would call proselytizing. And that's only fair. Think about it: Would you want your tax dollars to fund a Muslim charity that tried to convert people to Islam?

The push to knock over the wall of church-state separation proves illogical on at least two points, which history and current events demonstrate. Of all the nations, whose religious heritage is most vibrant? Whose citizens demonstrate the highest degree of religious activity and say faith matters most in their lives? The United States. Contrast this with two other kinds of nations.

Many countries of Western Europe provide state support for churches and religious functions. Their measures of religious involvement are among the lowest in the world. Their people are the most secular. And, as a rule, their churches are the most anemic. (This points to a sub-irony: The people who push most for a closer relationship between church and state are the very ones who trust government the least. The religion-botching of the European governments should send them running the other way.)

And then look at the countries where religion and government are welded together. These are the countries where anyone who is not Muslim does not have a right to worship God. These are the countries where Christians and others have been persecuted and killed for dissenting from the state-run government. These are the countries exporting terror around the world. You may say, “But that's another kind of religion.” Yes, but never doubt that such absolute power could corrupt “Christian” governments, too.

A dozen years ago, columnist Cal Thomas advised fellow conservatives to quit seeking answers to spiritual problems through political solutions. He was right. Such endeavors always fail. Religion always suffers.

But faith is strong. Our faith should enfuse all we do. But it should be persuasive, not coercive. For while we need Christians involved in government at all levels, we don't need “Christian” government.
–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted: 10/01/04

Mexican pastor tracked down a lost
boy; set his feet on path toward Jesus

By George Henson

Staff Writer

LONGVIEW–Even though he only was 13 years old, Javier Elizondo already had gone to work and bought his own books and clothes. Since he bought his own shoes and wanted some that would last a long time, he bought a pair of work boots.

“As far as I could tell, I was the only one in Camargo with those kind of ugly shoes,” he said. The distinctive footprints he left in the dirt streets of Camargo, Mexico, attracted the attention of a pastor starting a church in the Mexican border town. After seeing Elizondo's tracks all over town, the pastor asked one of Elizondo's friends to introduce him.

“Brother Margarito was not interested in shoes; he was interested in the person who wore the shoes, and what he could use to make a connection to the person who wore the shoes,” Elizondo explained.

Elizondo, now academic dean at Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio, came to First Baptist Church in Longview to describe the impact of the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions on his life.

He grew up in Camargo, just across the border from Rio Grande City. He could not afford to continue schooling beyond junior high school, and education was the thing he wanted most in the world. His parents were divorced and he lived with an aunt and uncle.

“It was a time in my life when I did not feel like anybody loved me. I did not feel like my parents loved me,” he admitted.

He also didn't have God to look to as a source of love.

“I had never seen a Bible. Nobody had ever told me that Jesus Christ could save me from my sins. No one had ever read me any verse of Scripture. I was not anti-God, but I did not know anything about God,” he said.

He felt like his door of opportunity to live the life he wanted was closing.

Pastor Margarito started Elizondo on a journey he could never have imagined.

The pastor came to Elizondo's home the evening they met and shared the plan of Christian salvation with him. The young teenager was skeptical, but interested. Many family members had told him he was a sinner and no good, but “what I didn't know was what to do about it,” he recalled.

Pastor Margarito filled that gap in his knowledge.

“He told me God loved me. You can imagine how that made me feel. Later, I learned that the Scripture has a verse that says even if your parents forsake you, God will never forsake you. Then, I did not know that verse. But that day, for the first time, I felt someone really, really loved me, and he was God. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to save me,” Elizondo said.

Still he was doubtful. “There has to be a catch,” he told the pastor.

He was interested enough to borrow a Bible and study for himself, though, and six months later accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

“If you gave to the Mary Hill Davis Offering in 1969, you had an opportunity to help me to come to know the Lord, because the salary of my pastor who stopped me in the street and witnessed to me, was paid half by Texas Baptists and half by Mexican Baptists.” he said.

“If you were a member of a Baptist church in Texas in 1969 and gave a tithe to the church, and the church gave a percentage to the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program, and then you participated in the Mary Hill Davis Offering, you had an opportunity to win me to the Lord. You had a part,” he stressed.

“My life changed that day I received Jesus Christ. It has never been the same.”

Elizondo was the first believer in his immediate or extended family, but a Texas church mission group soon changed that. Church members were coming to Camargo to lead Vacation Bible Schools, and Pastor Margarito asked if one could be held at Elizondo's home. The family gave their permission, even though they were not believers.

His aunt was working in her kitchen as children gathered around her table for Vacation Bible School, and by the end of the week, she was the second convert in the family. Today, many in Elizondo's extended family are Christians.

“It all started with some people giving and some people going to share Jesus with us,” he said.

Still, Elizondo had a desire for education that looked like it would be unfulfilled.

Before he became a Christian, he said, “My definition of 'hell' was staying where I was with no education.”

Texas Baptists once again delivered him when a director of missions along the border arranged for him to attend Valley Baptist Academy on a scholarship.

“If you gave to the Mary Hill Davis Offering from 1970 to 1974, you helped me achieve one of my dreams–to learn English and get an education,” he said. “All I needed was an opportunity, and Texas Baptists gave that to me.”

An older brother had dropped out of school in Mexico in fifth grade, but he also later attended Valley Baptist Academy on a scholarship even though he had passed his 20th birthday. He agreed to give up smoking, drinking and cursing for a semester to give it a try.

He did well and accepted Christ during that semester and eventually graduated. Elizondo finds an easy answer as to why his brother was able to excel in a school taught in English and yet failed in a Mexican school.

“Do you know what they difference was? Jesus. Jesus makes all the difference. Anybody can tell you you are dumb, but if Jesus tells you you are worth it, you believe Jesus, and it makes all the difference,” he said.

The difference made in his family is a picture of the impact missions giving and action make, he said.

“That is the best of who we as Baptists are–people who give generously to see people come to know the Lord; who go with passion to share the gospel wherever they might be,” he said.

“If I serve Texas Baptists for another hundred years, I will never repay what Texas Baptists have done in my life, because they gave me Jesus.”

Posted: 10/01/04

BGCT Executive Board approves
$47.38 million budget recommendation

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS–The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board voted to recommend to the convention's annual meeting a $47.38 million budget for 2005.

At its Sept. 28 meeting, the board approved the BGCT Administrative Committee's budget recommendation–a 3 percent increase over the 2004 budget.

Final budget approval rests with messengers to the BGCT annual session in San Antonio, Nov. 8-9.

Of the $47,380,959 proposed budget, $40.5 million would depend on the Cooperative Program giving of Texas Baptist churches.

Much of the remainder would come from gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions, endowment income, allocated funds and fees.

The budget includes a 4 percent average merit raise for BGCT Executive Board staff in 2005, Administrative Committee Chairman Bob Fowler noted. The 2004 budget contained no salary increases.

More than half of the budget–$23.3 million–is earmarked for universities, Baptist Student Ministries, theological education and human care institutions such as child and family ministries, homes for the aging and health care systems.

The area that would receive the largest proposed increase over the 2004 budget–$511,736–is church missions and evangelism at $7 million, with the bulk of the increase in new-church development.

The proposed amount for the executive director's office and program areas directly answerable to him increased $423,767, thanks largely to a $250,000 line item for strategic planning and an increase of more than $50,000 in regional offices.

The recommended budget for the executive director's office–including the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, Cooperative Program services, human resources and communications–totals $3.5 million.

The recommended BGCT budget includes $4 million for financial management, $3.9 million for church health and growth, and $1.8 million for associational missions and administration.

Christian ethics and public life would receive $637,469, and Texas Baptist Men would receive $804,314 in the recommended budget.

The minister's protection plan–which provides church staff limited matching funds for insurance and retirement–would continue to receive $1.59 million.

The Minnesota/Wisconsin Baptist Convention would continue to receive about $200,000.

WorldconneX, the BGCT-related missions network, would receive $452,744, a $200,000 increase over 2004.

The Administrative Committee recommended the adopted giving plan continue to allocate 79 percent for the BGCT budget and 21 percent for worldwide causes, with each church indicating how its worldwide portion should be channeled.

The Executive Board approved the committee's recommendation about reallocating funds designated to the BGCT world missions initiatives by adding the Baptist World Alliance and eliminating the missionary transition fund.

The BGCT had created the missionary transition fund to help Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionaries who resigned or lost their positions because they refused to sign the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.

The reallocation also increased percentages for WorldconneX and Texas Partnerships.

For churches that designate the worldwide portion of their budget gifts to BGCT world missions causes next year, 35 percent would go to WorldconneX, 25 percent to an ongoing missions relationship with Baptists in Mexico, 20 percent to Texas Partnerships, 15 percent to the Minnesota/Wisconsin Baptist Convention and 5 percent to the Baptist World Alliance.

In other business, the Executive Board:

Re-elected as chairman John Ogletree, pastor of First Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston, and elected as vice chairman Jim Nelson, a layman from Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin.

Affirmed articles of incorporation for Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio, the BGCT-affiliated entity created by the sale of assets of Baptist Health System of San Antonio to Vanguard Health Systems.

Approved revised articles of incorporation for Valley Baptist Health System, allowing the hospital system to select up to 25 percent of its own trustees as permitted by the BGCT constitution, as well as updating terminology and bringing language in line with current laws.

Adopted a resolution of appreciation for Mike Waters, who is retiring after 24 years as president and chief executive officer of Hendrick Health System in Abilene.

Posted: 10/01/04

Excerpts from the BGCT Mission Statement

The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board overwhelmingly approved a set of mission, vision, values and priority statements to guide the convention's work in coming decades. Here are some excerpts.

Values

Bible–God's written word. We value the Bible as the divinely inspired record of God's revelation of himself to us. It serves as the authoritative guide for life and ministry.

Transformational churches. We value the church as the body God has called to carry out his purposes according to his will. We make every effort to develop transformational churches that help believers become Christlike and prepare them to engage culture and advance the kingdom of God. We value being on mission with God in our communities and in reaching a lost world.

Spiritual formation–discipleship. We value intimacy with God that forms the image of Christ in us. We submit our lives to be shaped by God through feeding on his word, praying continually, sharing Christ and living in community with other believers.

Servant leadership. We value servant leadership that models the ministry of Jesus as he called people to become his disciples and to serve all the interests of his kingdom. We are committed to the ongoing nurture and development of courageous servant leadership in our churches.

Worth of all persons. We value every person, for all are created in God's image. We commit ourselves to love others as Christ loves us and to serve others in his name.

Baptist distinctives. We value those biblical truths that shape Baptist life and history, including the soul's competency before God, the priesthood of the believer, the autonomy of the local church and a free church in a free state.

Integrity. We value integrity in our lives and in our churches, demonstrated by Christlike attitudes and actions that are consistent and evident in all we think and do. Integrity is the foundation for the mutual trust, accountability, excellence in ministry and teamwork that marks our work together.

Inclusiveness. We value including all persons redeemed by his grace and called to his service in the missions and ministries of this body. We embrace the mosaic of God's family, grateful for the richness of gifts, backgrounds and experiences.

Vision

We are a fellowship of transformational churches sacrificially giving ourselves to God's redemptive purpose. Continually being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ, we join together to transform our communities and the world. Engaging culture, we reach people where they are for an encounter with Jesus Christ.

We are on mission with God to continue Jesus' ministry of teaching, sharing the good news and meeting human needs through our churches, institutions and organizations. Our ministries reflect the heart of Jesus.

We share a vision of the world's peoples coming to know Jesus Christ and becoming transformed in his image. As a fellowship of diverse churches, we advance the kingdom in ways that individual churches cannot do alone. We belong to the larger body of Christ's church, his presence in the world.

We accomplish our work through individuals with diverse backgrounds who love Jesus Christ and his church. Lives, families, communities and nations are transformed as ordinary Christians take extraordinary steps of faith in obedience to God.

Priorities

Unto the glory of God, we commit ourselves to:

Starting, developing and strengthening transformational churches.

Meeting human needs.

Identifying and developing transformational leadership for churches and affiliated ministries.

Providing a comprehensive strategy that enables churches and individuals to support missions financially and be on mission in their communities and the world.

Conducting research and development for cutting-edge ministries, methods and processes and for understanding multiple cultures.

Being a truly multicultural organization.

—from the BGCT's set of guiding pronciples approved by the Executive Board.

Posted: 10/01/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Oct. 10

Jesus' teachings extend far beyond morality

Luke 6:1-49

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

What makes Christian faith superior? It not only is that it has a sound moral teaching. It is the life- changing power of God's word.

This chapter has the most-admired moral teachings ever given in human history. Many great thinkers were inspired by these teachings, even though they were not Christians. Even so, moral teaching itself cannot change life. We have hundreds and thousands of moral theories written by great thinkers in the past 3,000 years. The moral situations of human beings basically have not shown great improvement.

What is lacking in our moral life? This is what Jesus wants to address after giving the moral teachings in his discourse.

Two principles (vv. 20-26)

After selecting 12 disciples, Jesus went down from the hill. People surrounded him for his word and healing. Jesus took this opportunity to preach a very important sermon on morality. There are two golden rules in this sermon–the kingdom principle and the principle of reciprocity.

Verses 20 to 23 promise those who suffer for God's kingdom will be blessed. Paul encourages us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). We, as Christians, are willing to suffer for Jesus because we know God will turn sufferings into blessings to bless us, and also through us to others.

There are also warnings to people who think they are self-content and ignore the gospel. When the days come, those who are self-content will no longer be contented. They will mourn and weep for their ignorance and selfishness.

Christians should be aware of whom we serve and what we seek. If we serve only people's desires and our own selfish needs, we will be in trouble. People will turn against us some day when they need us no more. Our selfishness will condemn us and leave us only vanities.

To others (vv. 27-42)

Verses 27 to 42 give us the principle of reciprocity. We can sum up this paragraph with this verse: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (v. 31). Jesus asks us to go beyond legalism. These are difficult teachings for Christians to hear, so they are very selective in what they use or they will find ways to explain them to fit their understanding and desires. But Jesus our Master set the example, for he did what he preached. He said, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (v. 40).

Two parables (vv. 43-49)

Jesus used the images of a good tree and a bad tree and their fruits to illustrate the relationship between behavior and inner self. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit” (v. 43).

Morality goes beyond behavior. Just as good fruit comes from good trees, good behavior comes from good character. Jesus is more than a moral teacher. He knows very well the problem of our moral life. Our behavioral and social problems have deeper roots. They are the problems of the heart (v. 45).

Sometimes people may manage to display an acceptable behavior in public life, but their hearts still are evil. The first moral discipline for us is to reflect on our inner life. Jesus wants us to be transformed first in him so we will be renewed as a new being (2 Corinthians 5:17). Even good behavior of a hypocrite will not sustain and will not truly benefit anybody, for no good fruit will come from a bad tree.

In the second parable, Jesus used wise and foolish builders to illustrate the foundation of life. We all are builders of our lives. Every act in every moment is a brick we lay on our lives. God is our final inspector who will inspect our buildings (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

From this parable, we first learn that Jesus is our only foundation of life. He is the rock (1 Corinthians 10:4). There is no other foundation that will give us eternal security–only in Jesus Christ will we be saved and have eternal life (Hebrews 9:11-15).

Second, we learn we must build our lives on this foundation, which means we should rely on Jesus in our daily lives.

How can we rely on Jesus? We love him and obey his word (John 14:15). Christians today are very weak and cannot face challenges from the world. Our lives are not transformed by Christ, but rather conform to the world (Romans 12:2). Even if we want to obey God's word, we do not obey completely or wholeheartedly. We listen to Jesus very selectively.

A lot of times, we think God's word will not work in this world and our life situations. We choose part of Jesus' teachings that fit into our lives or our understandings of our life situations. When we approach God and his word, we act like a customer shopping in God's warehouse to select what fits our needs. That is the reason our foundation is so shaky, and it will be shattered if confronted by any pressure or challenge.

Discussion question

What is your life foundation?

Are you a wise builder when you build your life?

How fully will you listen and obey God's word?

Posted: 10/01/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Oct. 17

Christ is worthy of loving, sacrificial service

Luke 7:36-50

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

The Pharisees were a highly respected and influential group among the people. They also were religious leaders who emphasized their own version of purity rules.

A Pharisee invited Jesus to a banquet that took place after Jesus taught in a synagogue. It was considered a virtuous act to invite a teacher for dinner. It also was customary in the east for people to come and listen to the wise sayings from the guest teacher without an invitation to the banquet. This would explain the presence of the woman.

A sensitive heart and a noble action (vv. 36-38)

Luke told us this woman was a sinner (v. 37). She might have been a prostitute or lived a morally loose life. Her bad reputation was known throughout the town. She may have heard Jesus' message before, and this message may have convicted her to repent from her sinful life.

On this particular occasion, she knew Jesus was eating at Simon's house and brought an alabaster jar of perfume. She used that fragrant balm on Jesus to show the extent of her gratitude.

There is no record of this woman in other gospels (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9 and John 12:1-8 have similar narratives but should not be considered the same as Luke), and we do not know what Jesus had done for her. Most likely, she heard his message in one of the discourses, and the message of forgiveness convicted her.

Her conviction was so deep, she was willing to express her repentance publicly in a Pharisee's house during the banquet given in honor of Jesus. She was very humble and “stood behind Jesus at his feet weeping. She began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them” (v. 38).

Even though this woman was a sinner, she had a sensitive heart. She heard Jesus' message and responded to it. Her response motivated her to do a very noble act to Jesus to show her love and appreciation.

Who has more reason to love Jesus? (vv. 39-43)

This Pharisee, Simon, should have known more about Jesus than the woman, and probably had heard Jesus speak on many subjects many times. He almost certainly would have heard someone say Jesus was a prophet. Or he might have seen some miracles Jesus had performed, but he was very suspicious of him (v. 39). He invited Jesus for dinner, but he might have had other motivations–it definitely was not out of love and respect.

When he saw what the woman did to Jesus, he was grumbling (v. 39). Jesus responded to his criticism by telling him a parable and asking him a rhetorical question: “Which of them will love him more?” (v. 42). Simon answered, “I supposed the one who had the bigger debt cancelled” (v. 43). Since Simon was a very self-righteous man, he did not need Jesus' forgiveness; and he, of course, did not have any love and gratitude to Jesus.

Some Christians do not love Jesus very much, because they do not think they were forgiven very much. They may think they were not very bad, even though they had some sins. It was nice to be forgiven by Jesus so they could be better people than they were before. Jesus and the Christian faith are just the decorations in their lives. They love Jesus, but will not be as passionate as that woman.

The beauty of a grateful heart (v. 44-50)

Our love and gratitude to Jesus determine our service to him. The service rendered by this woman to Jesus was so genuine and deep that it became an act of beauty. What that woman did for Jesus, Simon should have done when he first entered his house as an honored guest. Simon called Jesus teacher (7:40), but he did not treat him as someone worthy of respect.

We call Jesus our Lord, but do we treat him as our Lord in our daily lives? What kind of service should we render to Jesus? Will the service we do in church show our gratitude and love to Jesus? Will it be as public and sacrificial as that woman's? Will we be as willing to take on the role of a servant, without thought for our own importance?

“Christian” is the most beautiful name on earth, for it reflects lives that have deep gratitude and love for Jesus. A grateful heart is like perfume that will fill the house with aroma. We will never completely understand why our Lord Jesus died for sinners like us. When we worship him with deep gratitude and thanksgiving, we will once again experience his awesome love.

Discussion questions

Who do you identify with, the Pharisee or the woman?

Do the services you render to the church reflect your gratitude to Jesus?

How can we make worship more of a priority during the week and not just something we try to do for an hour on Sunday?

Posted: 10/01/04

Family Care helps teens, adults wrestle with their problems

By Miranda Bradley

Texas Baptist Children's Home & Family Services

ROUND ROCK–Every Monday night, First Baptist Church of Round Rock becomes a battleground where adults and teenagers meet to wrestle with problems that torment them.

And workers with Texas Baptist Children's Home Family Care program stand willing to help them fight the good fight.

Four teens congregate upstairs, where they make sand tray dioramas. But hidden meanings lie behind the toys and dolls used to create them.

“What's going on in your scene?” Susan Lee, Family Care program supervisor, asks one teenaged girl.

“Well, this family is on a picnic, and this snake is about to come out of the sand and bite them,” she replies.

As the young teens describe their creations, Lee notices three of the four sand trays depict some type of battle.

“What battles are you all fighting on a daily basis?” she asks.

Then it begins. Soon, the youngsters are talking about everyday struggles that plague them–particularly the temptation of giving in to peer pressure.

Downstairs, single mothers who are involved in the Family Care program or recently graduated from it share their pain.

In “Making Peace with Your Past,” a group of women describe the struggles of raising children with no support, finding and paying for childcare and, mostly, trying to understand the choices they have made.

“When I met (my ex-husband), I knew he was bad,” one participant says. “I wanted to fix him. That was my upbringing. People always cared for us, so I wanted to care for somebody.”

Another woman talks about her painful relationship with her abusive ex-husband.

“I didn't see it until it was too late,” she tells the group. “I wanted to speak my mind, and I got slapped around for it.”

Now, she, like most of the women in Family Care, is learning how to raise her child in a new reality.

The groups act as a healing balm on the wounds of both adult and child. Krista Payne, who has guided at least four Family Care groups, said it is very therapeutic.

“I think the most important thing is group feedback,” she said. “They are in the same situation, so they can give an honest opinion.”

Lee is just thankful they have a place to fight these battles. A year ago, they were trying to make do in a building not suited for their childcare needs.

“We were bursting at the seams,” she said. “We had babies who needed cribs, and we didn't have any in the facility we had been using.”

Because the mothers work, and classes are Monday nights, childcare is necessary. Family Care needed help, and they got it.

First Baptist Church Administrator Ralph Lee learned about the needs of the program and gave the green light for the use of the church's buildings.

Soon, Family Care was using many of the childcare rooms and various meeting areas in the church facility.

“We're here to serve whatever needs are out there in the community,” he said.

“And this program matched our vision and purpose as a church–to help the single mothers.”

First Baptist Church has been partnering with Texas Baptist Children's Home since the Round Rock home was built in 1950. Louis Henna, who donated the property where the children's home sits, was a member of the church, and the relationship has continued to blossom.

As tissues are passed around the table in the Bridal Room, the women of Family Care begin to dress their battle wounds.

To them, there's no better place for a war to be fought than on such sacred ground.

Posted: 10/01/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Oct. 10

Our hope is strong because God is its foundation

Matthew 8:1-13

By Angela Hamm

First Baptist Church, Lewisville

Webster's New World Dictionary states that “hope” is “a feeling that what is wanted will happen; desire accompanied by anticipation and expectation.” Author Nicole Johnson describes hope in the following manner: “Hope is a little bit of a mystery because when you think about it, hope has no strength on its own. Hope is only as strong as what it hopes in. Hope is like a hitch that connects your heart to whatever is strong enough to pull it along–faith.” In Matthew 8:1-13, we see hope personified.

Jesus and the man with leprosy

As Jesus came down the mountainside, a huge crowd followed him. From somewhere within this crowd, a man with leprosy approached Jesus. Leprosy was a dreaded skin disease that ranged from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of fingers and toes. Josephus tells us lepers were treated “as if they were, in effect, dead men.” People with leprosy were declared ceremonially unclean–meaning they were unable to go to the temple to worship God. Anyone who came in contact with a leper also was considered unclean; therefore, lepers were confined outside of the city, usually the dumps.

Imagine how life must have been for this man. He was forced to leave his family. He was forced to stay away from the temple. He had lost his dignity. He had lost his self-respect. Yet he had heard about this man called Jesus and had hope Jesus could help him.

The man knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus did the most amazing thing–he reached out and touched this man, this outcast, this untouchable person. Jesus said to the man: “I am willing. Be clean.” Jesus responded to this man because he wanted to. Jesus reached out and touched this man, the same man who people avoided touching because of his dreadful disease.

Jesus and the Roman officer

Matthew relates another incident of a man who needed healing. When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, he was met by a centurion, a Roman officer. The Roman officer had a servant who was paralyzed and in great pain. The officer asked Jesus to heal his servant.

It is interesting the Roman officer would come to Jesus. He was an outsider to the Jewish faith because he was a Gentile. He did not believe in the Jewish law Jesus had come to fulfill. Why did the Roman officer come to Jesus?

Jesus' response was, “I will go and heal him.” But the officer did not want Jesus to come to his home because he did not feel worthy for Jesus to be under his roof. The officer knew Jesus could just say the word, and his servant would be healed. He told Jesus he, too, was a man of authority. All the officer had to do was to say go here or go there or do this or do that, and it would be taken care of. The Roman officer's word was law to his soldiers. If he told his men to do something, he knew it would be done. His faith and hope in Jesus' healing his servant was illustrated with the influence he had with his soldiers.

Jesus was amazed with the Roman officer's great faith in him. The officer did not have a Jewish history, no Scriptures to read, no rabbi to teach him and no theological training, but he had a simple knowledge of Jesus. Hebrews 11:6 reads, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

The parallel

The man with leprosy and the Roman officer knew Jesus was the very person who could help them. They laid aside their cultural stigmas. They laid aside their pride. They laid aside the rules that others imposed upon them. They approached Jesus with hope because they knew he could help them.

Conclusion

How do we find meaning in these stories? Certainly the man with leprosy and the Roman officer were changed from their encounter with Jesus. How do we experience the same transformation in our own lives? What speaks to us from these stories? What needs healing in our own lives–marriage, home situations, addictions, finances, friendships, family relationships?

When all things seem impossible and there is no hope, remember Jesus can help when no one else can; Jesus will help when no one else will. Our hope is in Jesus, because nothing is too hard or impossible for him.

Discussion questions

How do you define hope?

Why are we so often filled with doubt?

What keeps you from having the hope that God can do anything?

How can we have greater faith in God?

Posted: 10/01/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Oct. 17

Allow Jesus to illuminate your life's purpose

Luke 4:42-5:11

By Angela Hamm

First Baptist Church, Lewisville

Living a life with purpose means living with intentionality and determination. From the beginning of time, Jesus Christ knew his purpose. When Jesus came to earth as man, he stated his purpose again and again. In Luke 4:42, Jesus said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

Jesus' purpose was to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. Jesus knew his purpose, and he was not going to let anyone or anything distract him.

Do you ever feel God is asking you to move to a deeper level of commitment? A new level of involvement? A new purpose? This week's lesson addresses these questions through the lives of Peter, James and John.

The story

The setting is on the Lake of Gennesaret, which also is called the Sea of Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. Jesus' teaching was attracting great crowds, and on this particular day, the crowds were especially large.

Jesus decided to get in Simon Peter's boat and teach the crowd from the shoreline. Peter, along with John and James, the sons of Zebedee, was a commercial fisherman.

On this particular occasion, the text tells us they were pretty discouraged. They had fished all night and had not caught anything. By the time Jesus comes to them, they are washing their nets and getting things ready to be put away.

When Jesus finished teaching the crowd, he challenged Simon Peter to let down his nets into the deep water for a catch. Jesus seems to be asking a great deal of Simon Peter. After all, Peter is the professional fisherman. Peter follows Jesus' request and lets down the nets into the deep water.

The results were amazing. There were so many fish the nets were breaking. Peter, along with James and John, was so overwhelmed with the power and glory of Jesus, he realizes his own sinfulness. Jesus told to Peter not to be afraid, because his future business would not be catching fish, but catching men.

Peter, James and John immediately left their boats and began to follow Jesus. Peter, James and John were taken away from their professional fishing occupation and given a new purpose–preaching the good news of the kingdom of God.

Living out a new purpose

Living out a new purpose involves at least three things.

First, we must be willing to listen and follow.

Jesus asked Peter to do something contrary to his knowledge about fishing. Jesus was asking Peter to trust him. Jesus desires to lead us. Jesus desires us to follow his leading.

God tells us: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8). God wants to show us the best pathway for our lives. We would be wise to listen and follow.

Second, we must be willing to be risk-takers. Jesus encouraged Peter to go out into the deeper waters. We must be willing to leave our comfort zones.

A few weeks ago, a friend told me her comfort zone was anywhere God took her. I think that is a profound statement. Jesus may ask us to go out into the deep, riskier waters.

We may need to call someone and invite them to come to church. We may need to share the gospel with someone and help them cross the bridge of faith.

We may need to volunteer in some ministry of the church. We may need to heed the call of God and enter full- time vocational ministry. We may need to go to a foreign country and help with missions.

As one author so aptly states, “The real key is that only in those deep, riskier waters are there fish, and yet in those deep waters, there is always a solid rock on which you can stand.”

Are you willing to take the risk of going into the deep waters, or do you want to stay in the shallow, familiar, fishless waters?

Finally, we must be willing to be guided by our faith and not allow our fear to dictate our actions.

Jesus told Peter not to be afraid. That admonition hasn't changed. The greatest obstacle we face in life is our own fear. We are afraid of failure. We are afraid of being inadequate. We are afraid of what people will think about us.

Yet the truth of the matter is this: “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

We would be wise in not allowing fear to keep us from following God's purpose for our lives.

Discussion questions

Do you feel God is leading you to a new purpose? What is it?

What fear is keeping you from a new purpose?

What can you do this week in launching out into the riskier deep waters?

Posted: 10/01/04

Retirees retreat to Glorieta During a recent Retired Ministers' Retreat, Efrain Diaz(in photo at left) from Theo Avenue Baptist Church in San Antonio leads in a morning prayer at the Glorieta Conference Center prayer garden. In the photo at right, Jimmy Tak (left), retired director of international ministry at First Baptist Church in Amarillo, meets retired missionaries Stan and Norma Foskett of Kerrville and Mary Nell Giles of Dallas. More than 400 retired Baptist ministers, missionaries and spouses from across the nation enjoyed fellowship and times of inspiration at the Retired Ministers' Retreat. Bill Pinson, executive director emeritus of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, led a series of Bible studies. Jess Moody, retired pastor and founding president of Palm Beach Atlantic University, was the featured preacher. The retreat was sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the LifeWay Glorieta Conference Center. Next year's retreat will be Sept. 19-23 at Glorieta.

Posted: 10/01/04

Texans bring hope to hurricane-ravaged Grenada

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

For the devastated island nation of Grenada, relief will arrive in the form of Texas Baptists with fryers.

Victim Relief Ministries is working with Texas Baptist Men and the International Salvation Army to start disaster relief camps as soon as possible with a shipload of donated supplies and groups of cookers normally used to fry turkeys.

A team of 34 volunteers, including doctors, Victim Relief Ministries chaplains and Texas Baptist Men cooks is scheduled to leave for Grenada Oct. 4. Victim Relief Ministries is an interdenominational group launched by Texas Baptist Men.

The men are hoping people in Grenada will be drawn to the collections of cookers because they will be one of the few sources of fresh food, said Dick Talley of Dallas, a Texas Baptist Men volunteer who recently returned from a scouting trip to the island.

The Texans then can show residents how to use the cookers effectively for themselves.

From there, Talley said, the plan is for those cooking areas to become distribution sites that eventually will be turned over to the Grenadines as well.

This effort will provide some of the earliest on-the-ground disaster relief work in a nation where more than 90 percent of the buildings were damaged or destroyed. Grenada's electricity flow is spotty at best, Talley said.

Grenada has not received as much news coverage as other regions like Florida and Haiti, but the situation remains serious, and the people there need help, Talley insisted.

“The world does not know Grenada was hit,” he said. “The others made the headlines.”

Victim Relief Ministries needs to raise $90,000 to finance the trip. The group has to fund the volunteers' flight to Grenada. It also must pay for fuel to ship supplies–including 400 tons of tarp–to the island.

Once the volunteers arrive in Grenada, Talley believes, they will bring hope to an island that badly needs it.

Residents are walking around “in a daze,” he said. They are in shock. Communication lines are minimal, and Grenadines do not know where to find help, he added.

This trip will be the beginning of an extended relief effort that later will include agricultural and oceanic engineers who will assess and begin to correct issues with the trees and beneath the ocean, Talley said.

If trees are not planted, the island will remain ripe for the kind of mudslides that killed hundreds in Haiti, he explained.

Service like this leads to opportunities for Christians to share their faith, Talley added.

“Once you've given them hope, they're going to ask you why you do what you do,” he said. “Then you can share the gospel.”

To support this effort, send checks designated “Help Grenada” to Victim Relief Ministries-Grenada, 5351 Catron, Dallas 75227.

To support the overall Texas Baptist disaster relief effort, send designated checks to Texas Baptist Men, 333 N. Washington, Dallas 75246.

Posted: 10/01/04

Health care needs in Texas demand
innovative response, ministry leaders say

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–Medical needs in Texas are vast, as 8 million uninsured residents struggle to receive adequate and timely healthcare, health ministry leaders maintain.

Jim Walton, senior vice president for the office of community health in the Baylor Health Care System, noted uninsured children are 1.6 times more likely to die during birth and 1.5 times more likely to die within their first year of life.

Uninsured individuals also are twice as likely to die because of an accident, Walton said during a conference for medical ministers sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Missions Equipping Center.

These statistics largely are due to the fact uninsured and impoverished people often do not receive medical attention regularly or quickly, Walton said.

In response to these needs, Texas Baptists must respond to God's creative and diverse calling in their lives, said Kevin Dinnin, president and chief executive officer of Baptist Child & Family Services.

Christians need to find ways to provide medical care for people who cannot afford it, he said. That may be a medical clinic supported by a church. It may mean medical mission trips or supporting a medical missionary.

Baptist Child & Family Services has a mobile clinic that visits pockets of people in need of healthcare. Leaders found poor people in colonias did not have transportation to come to church clinics, so Baptist Child & Family Services took the clinic to them.

“The prescription this morning is diverse, and you are the author of how it is worked out in your congregation,” Dinnin said.

No matter the approach Texas Baptists take, Dinnin encourages them to utilize all their passion in doing it.

“Do all you can with all you have,” he said. “And never give up. Never give up.”