Posted: 11/12/04

'Once in a lifetime' venture becomes
life-changing mission for TBM volunteer

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–In 1994, Sam Dunkin thought he stumbled upon a “once in a lifetime opportunity” when he found a flier noting the need for people to roof a Kenyan church.

Looking back, he says that advertisement seems more accurately described as life-changing.

He has taken a trip every year since finding the flier, helping roof 51 churches, a Bible school, kitchen and dining room–and he said God has confirmed his ministry every step of the way.

He first asked God to enable two people to become Christians through his efforts. About 20 people converted to the faith following an invitation at the dedication service for the first church he roofed.

“God said, 'You asked for two.' He said, 'Here's 20,'” said Dunkin, who received the 2004 Texas Baptist Men Parabaloni Award that recognizes “risk takers.”

Dunkin, a member of McDade Baptist Church, has developed a relationship with Kenya to the point that his pastor says he is “like a missionary.” Kenyans call him “awongo,” which is similar to a blood brother.

“Kenya's a bunch of friends,” he said.

And the circle of friends is growing. Dunkin's teams routinely include young men who want to grow in their faith. One of them is in training to be a long-term missionary. Others are strong Christians, he said.

Dunkin also brings Kenya back to his McDade congregation. He and his pastor, former Ugandan missionary Scott Talbert, frequently talk about Africa. Dunkin's efforts have energized church members.

“It has the effect of them understanding missions because he brings it back to them,” Talbert said.

Dunkin's next project is a dormitory at a Kenyan seminary that will provide students a place to stay free. That trip is scheduled for June 2-23, 2005. Looking back brought tears to his eyes as he said he is amazed at how God has used his life.

“I'm just a volunteer doing God's work,” he said.

Posted: 11/12/04

Texas WMU celebrates families involved in missions globally

By Teresa Young

For Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–With “Celebrando la familia en misiones … Celebrating the family on mission” as its theme, the Woman's Missionary Union of Texas 124th annual meeting presented the stories of families working to spread the gospel around the world.

Cheryl Gochis of San Antonio opened the WMU meeting at First Baptist Church in San Antonio with a testimony, noting stamps in her passport that marked missions involvement and education for her family and her parents.

“You have a passport, too, and tonight's stamp will read 'Celebrando la familia en misiones,'” Gochis said. “My prayer is that you will consider what that stamp will mean to you after today and after this meeting.”

Earl W. Johnston admires the period costumes worn by (left to right) Jeane Law, Wilma Reed and Barbara Baker in honor of the upcoming 125th anniversary of Woman's Missionary Union of Texas.

Outgoing WMU President Kathy Hillman of Waco said, “As Christians, we claim many different families–our biological families, our church families, the Baptist family and the Christian family worldwide–and tonight we celebrate those families on mission.”

WMU Executive Director-Treasurer Carolyn Porterfield pointed to the Old Testament story of Abraham, noting how obedience to God resulted in blessings to future generations and how knowing God is part of his followers' spiritual DNA.

“Being on mission is not just what we do; it's who we are,” Porterfield said. “Who will be blessed because of your obedience in the mission?”

Porterfield detailed WMU's staff reorganization completed in the summer, aimed at helping churches strengthen leadership in missions education, organize missions involvement and spur missions growth.

In keeping with the theme, participants heard from two South Texas families who are on mission in various ways.

Mike and Karen Perkins serve as houseparents at South Texas Children's Home in Beeville and have become involved in mission work in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, through New Life Baptist Church. Seeing the need for food in the poverty-stricken area, the Perkinses challenged Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action at their former church to collect packages of ramen noodles to be distributed to the colonias in Mexico.

The Matson family of Victoria became involved in the project when Charlsa, an 8-year-old GA, decided to request that guests to her January birthday party bring noodles rather than gifts. The group gathered more than 600 packages and later became part of a churchwide challenge that resulted in 3,000 packages donated for the Nuevo Laredo residents.

Testimonies from two missionaries to Asia, identified as Kandy and Kathy, demonstrated the importance of mission work as families in areas closed to evangelical witness. Members of First Baptist Church in Lubbock, both women shared the vital role their home church has played in their missions endeavors, serving as prayer support and welcoming them while on furlough.

Nelda Taylor Thiede of Gonzales described her experiences on a prayerwalking trip to New York City and told about the need for other Christians to join in similar opportunities.

In her final address, Hillman shared about a 10-day visit to Athens, Greece, for the Olympics, where she and fellow WMU members worked as volunteers in First Evangelical Greek Church, providing a hospitality center near the games. The trip involved many opportunities to share the gospel and witness, especially with face painting and clowning, provided by WMU board member Suzy Wall of Hereford.

“What a celebration it was as the worldwide family of faith joined together there,” Hillman said of a worship service in the church. “I find myself wondering: Do we carry God's message with the same fervor as those carrying the Olympic torch, or do we watch as bystanders?”

Participants at the WMU annual meeting also elected officers for 2005, naming Thiede, a member of First Baptist Church in Gonzales, as president. Thiede has served in numerous positions in her church and as associational WMU director and state vice president. She also has served on the boards at Highland Lakes Encampment, WorldconneX and the Texas Christian Women's Job Corps advisory council.

Other officers are Edna Wood of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco, named recording secretary for another term; Shirley McDonald of Green's Creek Baptist Church of Dublin, first promotional vice president; Nina Pinkston of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, second promotional vice president; and Frankie Harvey of Nacogdoches Bible Fellowship, third promotional vice president.

Posted: 11/12/04

Texas WMU board fills staff vacancy,
hears reports on missions programs

By Teresa Young

For Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–The Woman's Missionary Union of Texas board of directors approved three recommendations involving its program staff.

At the recommendation of the personnel committee, the board voted unanimously to hire Erin Maddox of Dallas, a 2002 Hardin-Simmons University graduate, to fill a vacant missions resources program staff position.

The board also approved a personnel committee recommendation that Texas WMU program staff receive merit raises of up to 3.74 percent for 2005.

The finance committee also brought a recommendation that funding be moved from salaries into program expenses to provide contract help for Hispanic WMU work.

The board approved a recommendation by Frankie Harvey, representative of the African-American Advisory Council, that the Sisters Who Care Retreat location be moved to Waco for 2005.

The board also heard reports of Texas WMU programs, including photos and information from Girls in Action/Acteens camps for the year that reported 580 professions of faith and 400 other faith decisions at 35 missions camps held across the state.

Christine Hockin-Boyd, missions involvement program staff, described a Touch Point event in East Texas where volunteers helped clean and repair a facility that will become a home for children displaced from their own homes, held a health fair and prayerwalked a university campus.

Other projects of note were a prayerwalking trip to New York City and a MissionsFest event in New England, she said.

Debra McCammon reported on a Sisters Who Care Retreat in September at First Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston. More than 300 women from 16 associations attended, with participants bringing hygiene items for distribution to the homeless in Houston through seven different organizations.

Jeane Law of Lubbock presented a report from the 125th anniversary committee, which is preparing resources for churches to help celebrate the Texas WMU anniversary in 2005. Other plans include a celebration during the 2005 annual meeting, Summit and Texas Leadership Conference and soliciting testimonials of missions involvement by church members. The theme for the anniversary is "Sharing the Light … Passing the Torch."

In her report, Executive Director-Treasurer Carolyn Porterfield talked about the ways Texas WMU is helping to make a difference and sharing the love of God around the world.

“God has not changed his mission. He has a plan, and we are part of it,” Porterfield said. “It's a matter of helping people see things from God's perspective.”

Posted: 11/12/04

Look for common ground to avoid
worship wars, ETBU dean suggests

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

SAN ANTONIO–A church discussion about worship that begins with the divisive subject of personal musical preferences is doomed to failure, the dean of East Texas Baptist University's School of Fine Arts maintained.

Rather than beginning a congregational conversation with controversial subjects such as musical styles and the use of drama, Thomas Webster advised, find “common ground” on matters of prayer and Scripture.

“Worship should be the single most unifying factor in congregational life,” Webster told participants at a workshop held during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

Instead, it has become divisive because churches see it as “an activity designed to meet the needs of the worshipper instead of the One we worship,” he said.

“Worship is about God. Worshippers receive blessings and benefits, but those must not be our motivation for worship.”

Average church members understand little about what the various elements of worship are designed to accomplish or what the Bible teaches about worship, Webster insisted. Instead, their ideas about worship are based primarily on their own experiences and preferences.

“When we truly seek to honor God in our worship, then our personal preferences regarding worship become less important,” he said.

Churches can help by teaching their members what the Scriptures say about worship, he suggested.

“When people understand what we are doing and why we are doing it, that eliminates much discord,” he said.

Prayer offers a good place to establish common ground for a discussion on biblical, God-honoring worship, Webster maintained.

He recommended using a variety of resources beyond extemporaneous prayers, such as studying prayers recorded in the Bible, examining liturgical resources and listening to the prayers of heroes of the faith and the testimonies of prayer warriors in a local church.

Webster strongly advocated using periods of silence in worship, allowing worshippers an occasion to reflect and pray.

“Scripture should play a very significant role in every worship service,” he added. He encouraged the public reading, recitation and dramatic presentation of Scripture in public worship.

Worship planners should set as their goal involving every church member “regardless of age, gender or status” in some kind of worship leadership role, he advised.

“We should model in corporate worship what people should be using in their private worship” such as prayer, Bible-reading and times of contemplative silence, he said.

Posted: 11/12/04

Baptist Briefs

Baptist benefactor McAfee dies. James McAfee, benefactor of Baptist educational causes, died in Atlanta, one week after heart surgery. In 1997, Mercer University named its new seminary the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology following the couple's $10 million gift. McAfee, 65, built a successful career in health-care management and most recently served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hallmark Systems. McAfee served the past six years as chairman of the board of the autonomous, national newsjournal Baptists Today, headquartered in Macon, Ga. He was a member of Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta.

D.C. Baptists pass $1.2 million budget. Messengers to the District of Columbia Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted a $1,225,842 budget, even though the convention's executive board earlier had set a $1,050,000 cap on the 2005 budget. When executive board members became aware the budget would mean the elimination of three staff positions, they reversed themselves and asked the convention's finance committee to come up with a new budget. The convention used to receive about $475,000 a year in supplemental funding from the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board. But that agency's officials decided in 2002 to discontinue the funding after a dispute over whether the regional body was too open to liberalism through its congregations and affiliations. The last year the convention received Southern Baptist funding was 2003.

GuideStone trustees approve budget. Trustees of GuideStone Financial Resources–formerly the Southern Baptist Annuity Board–approved a $55.7 million budget for the coming year, a 4.8 percent increase over 2004. President O.S. Hawkins told trustees many participants in GuideStone's medical insurance plan will see no rate increase in 2005, and about 40 percent will have reduced rates. He also announced a 10 percent reduction in rates for personal plans' long-term disability coverage. Doug Day, executive officer for benefits services, told trustees GuideStone medical plans will transition to Blue Cross Blue Shield as its single network provider Jan. 1.

Posted: 11/12/04

70-year-old Baptist layman swims
the English Channel, breaks record

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (ABP)–George Brunstad of Wilton, Conn., gives new meaning to the term “putting feet to your faith.” In fact, he also put his arms and his legs into it. In an effort to raise awareness for his church's ministry in Haiti, the 70-year-old Baptist layman swam the English Channel.

His swim set a new record, not for speed–he finished in 15 hours, 59 minutes–but because he is the oldest person ever to tackle the channel. He broke the record of Bertram Cliffort Batt of Australia, who was 67 years old when he made the journey in 1987.

“His inspiration for the swim came when he went with our church last November on a mission trip to Haiti,” said Bob Guffey, Brunstad's pastor at Wilton Baptist Church. “George swam to raise awareness of and money for the Center of Hope orphanage and school project that (the church) sponsors in Hinche, Haiti.”

Brunstad, who is a retired American Airlines pilot, has competed in several open-water swims, even winning medals. But he said the channel swim was the most grueling feat he has undertaken.

“My preparation swimming in Long Island Sound and especially off the coast of Maine helped me,” Brunstad told the News-Times of Danbury, Conn. “But I had to swim as hard as I could for as long as I could” to make it across the channel.

Brunstad swam a total of 32 miles–seven more than a direct route across the channel from England to France.

“Near the end, I had to swim four hours to make two hours' time because of the tide coming toward me,” he recalled. “It was pulling me to the north. I had to fight it.”

Brunstad credited the “hand of the Lord” for giving him good swim conditions.

Posted: 11/12/04

ANOTHER VIEW:
'Gift' must be exercised responsibly

The role played by religious faith and moral values in the 2004 election is the biggest story to emerge in the wake of George W. Bush's victory.

It is staggering but true that in a time of war and terrorist threats, more voters cast their ballots based on their perception of the faith and moral values of the two candidates than for any other reason. The huge majority of those voters went for President Bush. They won him the election.

These voters are all around me here in Tennessee, a state that went for Bush by a large margin. They are not necessarily committed Republicans. They are not generally all that interested in politics. They are just regular folks who go to church on Sunday (and often on Wednesday), work hard all week, raise their families and try to do the right thing.

When it came time to vote, these folks could not imagine punching the chad for a candidate who had never cast a vote for any measure to restrict abortion during his 20 years in the Senate.

They heard Sen. John Kerry say he was not for gay marriage but saw he was very friendly to the organized gay-rights community. They heard him talk in general terms about his faith but had trouble embracing a candidate who seemed able to bracket off his “personal” moral beliefs from his “public” moral responsibilities.

Many of these voters don't like the war in Iraq. They don't like partisanship. They had various other concerns. But for these “moral values” voters, such hesitations about Bush were outweighed by the sense that a vote for Kerry would be a vote for the weakening of American moral values, which they already perceive to be in decline.

To put it more viscerally: For these voters to vote for Kerry would be to vote for a cultural stranger.

This is not to say that Kerry ran a bad campaign. Not surprisingly, he is being savaged in the post-election analysis, but this is most unfair. The reason why the electoral map was overwhelmingly red across the South, Midwest and Great Plains is not because of Kerry.

This is a Democratic Party problem, not a Kerry problem. Until the Democrats run a candidate who does not offend the moral values of those who decided this election, they will not win the White House or Congress again.

Before the election, an increasingly intense debate raged within the media about what it really means to vote according to Christian values. This debate will only intensify in days to come.

In a variety of venues, self-identified religious progressives pleaded with Christian voters to consider a wider understanding of “moral values” when going to the polls. They argued that such matters as war, economic and budget priorities, racial justice and environmental policies also are moral issues, because they also are addressed in the Bible.

For some vocal progressives, alarm over a narrow understanding of the key moral issues in the election led to increasingly intense opposition to Bush.

For moderate progressives, such as myself, the moral blind spots of both candidates–in different areas–made the vote an agonizing call rather than an obvious choice. For most religion/morality voters, however, the vote wasn't agonizing at all: Bush was the choice.

Democrats have much soul-searching to do. As long as abortion-rights and gay-rights activists set the agenda of the party, they will keep losing. Republicans should do some soul-searching, too, because a 51 percent-48 percent vote is not a landslide.

But the group that needs to do the most soul-searching is the religious community–churches, seminaries and Christian colleges, pastors, teachers and writers. We need to get much better at teaching the whole moral vision of the Bible, so that the voters who stream out of our churches will hang on tightly to their traditional moral convictions but also develop a deeper passion for the poor, love for God's creation, desire for racial justice, commitment to peacemaking, concern for global human rights and so on.

It is not too much to say that in an age of Republican ascendancy, and in an era in which that ascendancy depends on committed Christian voters, the people who will be most influential in setting the agenda of this nation are those who shape the moral vision of Christian communities.

If they demand that policies change because of a broad and rich understanding of biblical moral values, senators and congressmen and presidents from places like Tennessee, North Dakota and Texas will have to listen. This is real power, it is a gift, and it must be used responsibly.

David Gushee is the Graves professor of moral philosophy at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. His column is distributed by Religion News Service.

Posted: 11/12/04

DOWN HOME:
Lifetime prayers yield a blessing

“Daddy, I have something to tell you,” Lindsay said over the phone, calling me at my office late on a deadline night.

“What's that, Doll?” I asked, anticipating the next words from my oldest daughter, who has blessed me with incomprehensible joy and delight for 21 years.

“Aaron asked me to marry him.”

This was not a shock. Aaron and I went to breakfast and had “the talk” five days before, during homecoming at Hardin-Simmons University, where Lindsay and Aaron are students and where her mother, Joanna, and I met and fell in love.

Still, my eyes misted and my throat tightened. I'm not sure a father ever fully prepares for a moment like this.

I told Lindsay this was wonderful news, that I was so proud of her, that I was thrilled for her. And I meant every word of it.

Meanwhile, as I spoke, beautiful images raced through my mind–how she looked the first time her mother and I were alone with her in the hospital room; the way 4-year-old Lindsay held onto my shirt when I took Sunday afternoon naps with her, so I couldn't get up before she awoke; how she used to run to hug me when I got home from work in the afternoon; the way she talked to me in the mornings in the car in sixth grade, when I drove her to school; the first and last times I saw her perform as a drill team member in high school; how her hair smelled when I hugged her goodbye as we left her at HSU her freshman year; and more.

A father feels conflicting emotions at such a moment.

First is deep and abiding joy and gratitude. I've been praying for Aaron nearly all his life. Years before I met him, I prayed for him. And I prayed for his mom and dad, that they would raise him to be a Christ-following, God-honoring, gentle and decent man. Now, I'm grateful and glad God answered that prayer.

Second, I must admit, is a more bittersweet feeling. Before Aaron came along, I always had been the most important man in Lindsay's life. And while their love and this relationship are wonderful gifts from God, I admit I feel a bit out-of-balance.

That's OK; I'll adjust.

Especially because of what Aaron said when I asked him why he wanted to marry my firstborn daughter: She's his best friend. She always makes him laugh. He knows that at the end of every day, she'll always be the one he most wants to see, and she'll always be there for him. He thought she was gorgeous the first time he laid eyes on her. Later, he learned she was smart, and he was intrigued. And then, when he discovered she is a deeply faithful Christian, he knew she was The One.

Perfect answer: That's exactly how I would have described her mother.

Aaron is blessed–and a blessing.

Posted: 11/12/04

EDITORIAL:
San Antonio provides historic stage for Texas Baptists

The symmetry of history cast a glow over the 2004 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session in San Antonio.

Meeting just three blocks from the Alamo, Texas Baptists elected their first Hispanic president, Albert Reyes.

Reyes' choice would be exceptional, even if it weren't historic. He's one of the BGCT's most outstanding leaders. He's a successful pastor/church-planter and trained missiologist who now leads the rapidly growing and increasingly vital Baptist University of the Americas. He's articulate, a natural coalition builder, passionate and compassionate, with a gracious, Christlike spirit.

But Reyes' election also is historic. This year, Texas ceased to have a majority culture, as Anglos slipped below 50 percent of the population. Soon–and I hesitate to pick a date, because it keeps moving–Hispanics will comprise the majority. But while we still have a solid Anglo presence, we also have strong minorities from other groups, most notably African-American and Asian-American. We are a multi-cultural, poly-lingual state, and Reyes' election as the BGCT's leader marks a milestone on the road to ensure that the convention looks and sounds like our state.

“Ensure” is the operative word, because Reyes is no mere token. This year, he served as the convention's first vice president alongside an African-American second vice president, Dennis Young, and an Anglo president, Ken Hall. They named ethnics to chair the officer-appointed committees. Now, Reyes serves alongside an African-American first vice president, Michael Bell, and an Anglo second vice president, Stacy Conner. Hispanics have chaired the BGCT Administrative Committee and Executive Board, and the current Executive Board chairman is an African-American, John Ogletree. More and more ethnic leaders are serving on BGCT boards, committees and commissions. They're making tremendous contributions, shaping decisions in ways that were inconceivable just a few years ago–not because Anglo leaders were opposed, but because they didn't know to think that way.

This growing spirit of inclusiveness provides a tremendous reason to be excited about the BGCT. We are moving forward in a way that not only looks more like our state but, more importantly, looks and sounds like the kingdom of God. And we need to–and will–keep moving forward. Soon, we should elect an African-American as president, as well as a layperson, and a woman.

The BGCT also made history when messengers approved new mission, vision, values and priority statements and cast the first favorable vote to reorganize our convention. If messengers vote the same way again next year, they will amend our constitution. Key changes include trimming the Executive Board from 234 members to 90, as well as eliminating two coordinating boards, two commissions and the Administrative Committee and assigning their duties to the Executive Board. The impetus for the changes is to make the convention more effective and to increase both the responsibility and accountability of the Executive Board.

True to their heritage as Texas Baptists, messengers vigorously debated the changes. Opponents primarily worried West Texas and other rural areas would lose representation on the Executive Board. Some expressed concern the Christian Life Commission would lose its prophetic voice. Despite strong feelings, a positive spirit prevailed, as did the proposal, by an 82-18 percent margin.

And now for the really hard part:

First, the changes need to be fleshed out with bylaws, a final proposal for Executive Board representation and procedures for doing the convention's work under a new structure. Rural Texans have asserted their support is contingent upon not being left out of the decision-making process. Convention leaders now must demonstrate how all Texas Baptists will be fairly represented and how all voices will be heard.

Second, with the passage of the guiding statements, BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade is free to begin reorganizing and redeploying the Executive Board staff, to shape the convention according to what those statements say Texas Baptists want it to be. This task involves far more than strategy and tactics. It touches the lives and ministries of committed Christian servants. And it also will impact our churches and the lives of lost and hurting people across Texas and beyond for generations to come.

Now that the annual session has passed, the profile of the BGCT and these important issues will decline for awhile. But vital proposals of long-term consequence will be shaped in the coming months. Pray that wisdom will guide, harmony will prevail and God's kingdom will expand.
–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted: 11/12/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Nov. 21

Jesus strings puts a few pearls on a string

Luke 12:1-59

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

Chapter 12 is a typical example of Jewish preaching. Jewish preaching is called a “charaz,” which means stringing pearls. We can see very clearly that this chapter is compiled of several thoughts or themes not necessarily closely connected together. But if one wants to find the connection between these thoughts, he can find “a string” that puts all the “pearls” together.

Being Christians in this world, we should be honest and sincere. Even though we may suffer and be persecuted for our honesty and sincerity, we fear no man, for they cannot destroy our souls. Sometimes, they don't have power over our physical lives and possessions, so we don't need to worry, because God loves and cares about us.

Therefore, we need to set our priorities straight and live a simple life. Our life purpose is to seek God's kingdom and do his will. We always should be prepared and watchful for Jesus, because he is coming back any time.

During the end times, the conflict between Christians and the world will become more intensive, and we should be able to discern the signs and their spiritual implications. We should live peacefully with our brothers and sisters. Also, maintaining unity among Christians will be very important in church life to allow us to stand firm in any difficult time.

Let us now look at several pearls closely to appreciate their beauty.

Whom should we fear?

Fighting against terrorists became one of the major concerns of this country. We are living in fear of terrorism and trying to do everything to protect ourselves and the country from attack. As Christians, we always are under attack. Jesus has told us that people will hate us just because we are his disciples (John 15:18-19). It is good if we can develop certain security-alert systems in our spiritual life to warn us of spiritual attacks or danger.

We are alert and prepared, but fearless. There are two reasons we should not fear any attack from people. First, people may destroy the body or take away possessions, but they cannot destroy our souls (v. 4). It happens all the time in church history, but the church prevails and grows even stronger. Second, God will take care and protect his churches and us. Jesus used sparrows and our hairs to illustrate how God will care about us. “Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows,” Jesus said (v. 7).

But Christians should fear losing their faith. Satan will use physical persecution to threaten our faith. He wants to destroy our souls and throw us into hell (v. 5). We may not have any physical persecution in the United States, but we have a lot of spiritual persecution in the form of lust and temptation. They will destroy our souls and throw us into hell. James offers a tactic to fight against these enemies: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Set the priority straight

One of the most dangerous enemies is our materialistic lifestyle. From church building to church program, and from Christian mentality to lifestyle, we are almost totally materialistic from inside out. Christian services and programs are more professional than spiritual. We measure God's blessings with our physical well-being and wealth. People waste their money on junk food that can feed a whole family in other countries.

A person's life is just like a barn, and it can only store a certain amount of things. If he puts more physical things in it, he has to empty some spiritual stuff to make room for his wealth. Even if he wants to build a bigger barn, the world is much bigger than his barn and will fill it up, leaving no room for spiritual things. That is why Jesus says, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (v. 21).

We need to set our priority straight if we want to serve God. Whom should we serve, God or Mammon (money)? (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). A simple lifestyle is one of the spiritual disciplines we need to put back into our discipleship training. If we can live a simple life, then we will have more energy and resources to serve and invest in the kingdom ministry (vv. 32-34).

Be watchful and ready

Our Lord will return at any time, and we, as servants, need to be alert and prepared. It is a very important reason why we should live a simple life and give high priority to God's kingdom works, because our Lord is coming, and he will come back at any time. When we know Jesus is going to return very soon, we will not waste our time and energy in any less-important things. How to define a faithful servant? A faithful servant knows how to set priority and focus on the task. Jesus also warns us that when he comes he will bring judgment to us (vv. 46-48).

Discussion questions

What is your priority as a Christian?

Does your lifestyle reflect your Christian priority?

Do you have difficulty in setting a priority that will please God?

Posted: 11/12/04

Falwell plans to 'resurrect' Moral Majority with new name

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP)–Jerry Falwell will “resurrect” his Morality Majority with a new name in order to turn conservative momentum from the recent national elections into an “evangelical revolution.”

The Southern Baptist pastor and political activist announced the formation of the Faith and Values Coalition one week after “moral values” voters helped re-elect President George W. Bush and denounce gay marriage in 11 states.

Falwell said the new group will build on “the national momentum” of the Nov. 2 elections and encourage evangelicals to continue to “vote Christian.”

In a news release, Falwell described the new coalition as “a 21st century resurrection of the Moral Majority.”

That earlier group, founded by Falwell in 1979, helped launch the Religious Right to national prominence by supporting Ronald Reagan and other conservative Republican candidates and campaigning against abortion and other perceived social ills.

“At that time, God burdened my heart to mobilize religious conservatives around a pro-life, pro-family, strong national defense and pro-Israel platform, designed to return America to her Judeo-Christian heritage,” Falwell said.

“And I distinctively feel that burden again. Our nation simply cannot continue as we know it if we allow out-of-control lawmakers and radical judges, working at the whims of society, to alter the moral foundations of America.”

Falwell made news in the early 1980s by publicly wishing for the death of liberal Supreme Court justices so they could be replaced by conservatives. More recently he called on President Bush to kill terrorists “in the name of the Lord.”

He and other evangelical political leaders have claimed credit for President Bush's re-election and called on the president to enact conservative moral reforms, such as bans on gay marriage and abortion.

“One of our primary commitments is to help make President Bush's second term the most successful in American history,” said Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, who joined the Southern Baptist Convention in 1997.

Helping Falwell in the new coalition are “Left Behind” co-author Tim LaHaye, who will serve as the coalition's board chair; Falwell's son, Jonathan, who will be executive director; and Mathew Staver, president of the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel, vice chair.

The Faith and Values Coalition, Falwell said, will organize in 50 states and pursue three goals–passage of the Federal Marriage Amendment banning gay marriage; confirmation of “pro-life, strict constructionist” judges to the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal bench; and “the election of another socially, fiscally and politically conservative president in 2008, along with other state and national candidates.”

“The thought of a Hillary Clinton or John Edwards presidency is simply unacceptable–and quite frightening,” he said.

Falwell, 71, said he disbanded the Moral Majority in 1989 to devote more time to his Liberty University. He committed to lead the new coalition for the first four years.

“On election night, I actually shed tears of joy as I saw the fruit of a quarter century of hard work,” Falwell said.

“Over the past few days, I have been inundated with requests from across America to 'finish what you started 25 years ago,'” he added.

Falwell said more than 30 million evangelicals “voted Christian” Nov. 2, when 116 million Americans cast ballots. He predicted the number of evangelical voters will jump to “at least 40 million” in 2008.

Posted: 11/12/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Nov. 21

Thanksgiving should be a regular occurrence

Psalm 65:1-13

By Angela Hamm

First Baptist Church, Lewisville

David wrote this thanksgiving psalm. Most likely, the Israelites would sing it when they gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths. This feast was a harvest festival.

After the harvest had been gathered, the Israelites would hold a great festival in Jerusalem. They would make booths out of branches and live in these booths seven days. These booths would remind them of their temporary shelters when they were traveling in the wilderness to Canaan. During these seven days, the Israelites would give special thanks to God for his goodness in rescuing them, giving them land and the good harvests from the land.

Psalm 65:1-4

The opening verses of this psalm establish a personal dimension of the people's relationship to God. God is the one who answers their prayers, forgives their sins and enjoys their worship. God does the same thing for us–he answers our prayers, forgives our sins and enjoys our worship. These three things alone should cause us to have a heart of gratitude for all God does for us.

Psalm 65:5-8

David wrote about the mighty power of God evident in nature. These verses celebrate the role of God as Creator. God did not merely create matter and put it in order; he established order out of chaos. God formed the mountains and quieted the raging oceans. The psalmist described these actions as the awesome deeds of God. The awe and wonder of God create a spirit of worship.

Psalm 65:9-13

The concluding verses of this psalm remind us God cares for the land by sending rain which produces an abundance of crops. David tells us the hills, meadows and valleys shout and sing to God for joy. It is God who provides all we have.

A grateful spirit

Psychologists tell us a grateful spirit is the healthiest of all human emotions because a spirit of gratitude produces more positive emotional energy than any other attitude in life. Gregg Easterbrook writes, “People who describe themselves as feeling grateful to others, and either to God or to creation, in general tend to have higher vitality and more optimism, suffer less stress and experience fewer episodes of clinical depression than the population as a whole.” Thanksgiving enables us to have a proper perspective of ourselves and of God.

Practical ways to develop thanksgiving in our lives

One of the first things we can do to practice thanksgiving is to remember everything we have is from God. Everything we own or receive is ultimately from God, and we need to give him thanks. James 1:17 reads, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Second, we need to eliminate the art of complaining in our lives. Complaining is the enemy of thanksgiving. It spreads discontent and discord, which causes us to take our eyes off of God. God's word tells us to do everything without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14).

Last, we need to be intentional, continually giving thanks to God. Thanksgiving must be a daily habit. My dad always tells our family we celebrate Christmas every day. I think we could put his saying into being thankful–we should celebrate thanksgiving every day. One practical way of incorporating thanksgiving into our lives is to keep a gratitude journal. In an experiment with college students, those who kept a “gratitude journal,” a weekly record of things they should feel grateful for, achieved better physical health, were more optimistic, exercised more regularly, and described themselves as happier than a control group of students who kept no journals but had the same overall measures of health, optimism, and exercise when the experiment began. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 encourages us to give thanks in all circumstances.

Robert Bruce describes the following incident: “While walking along a busy street one day, I heard someone singing. His sweet voice was distinguishable even above the noise of the traffic. When I located him, I noticed he had no legs and was pushing himself through the crowd in a wheelchair. Catching up with him I said, 'I want you to know, friend, that to hear singing from a person in your condition gives everyone a lift.' He answered with a grateful smile, 'When I stopped looking at what I had lost and began concentrating on all I had left, I found much for which I could rejoice and be happy.”

May we do the same.

Discussion questions

What are some personal ways you can live out a grateful spirit?

How can you make this Thanksgiving more meaningful for you and your family?