Marriage is serious business …..

Gordon Yeager, 94, and his wife Norma, 90, left their small town of State Center, Iowa, on Wednesday to go into town, but never made it. A car accident sent the couple to the emergency room and intensive care unit with broken bones and other injuries. But, even in the hospital, their concerns were each other.  Reports say they died holding hands exactly one hour apart.  They were engaged and married within 12 hours in 1939, the day Norma Yeager graduated from high school.   In their 72 years of marriage they did everything together, they were inseparable.  It’s a beautiful story but sadly one that’s become the exception rather than the rule for marriages.   Too many couples today approach marriage with not only wrong but unbiblical views of what God expects from a marriage.  The idea of if this marriage doesn’t work we’ll get a divorce is unbiblical.  Yet, the sad fact is that while the divorce rate is soaring across the country it’s alarmingly high in the church.  Marriage does take work, hard work, as most couples will attest who’ve been married any length of time.  Marriage isn’t a 50/50 proposition, if that’s true, where does your 50 begin and my 50 end?  Marriage is both parties giving all that they have if it h as any chance or working. The vows are simple yet profound, to have and to hold from this day forward for better for worse for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health to love and to cherish until death parts us. I wonder how many couples just say those words on their wedding day?  Gordon and Norma Yeager showed us how to live that commitment for 72 years.  What if we took seriously our marriage vows that we’ve made before God?  I believe the divorce rate would begin to dwindle and our homes would be stronger which in turn makes this nation stronger.  Thank you Gordon and Norma for giving us a life lesson on what it means to take marriage seriously.

Who’s on the Stool?

 

It’s a great question, isn’t it?  Who really sits on the stool of our life?  Does Jesus occupy all of the stool, all of the time?  Or are we often prone to take Him off when His plan goes against what we really want to do?  The follow up question is simply this, who is the center of your life, I mean the absolute center?  Where is Jesus Christ in your life?  Have you given Him some small part of your life?  Does He reside on the far corners of your life, just close enough to be there when you need Him but far enough away that nothing really changes in your life?  Most of us don’t really want Jesus to have too much of our life because that means our lives and our priorities must change.  One day Jesus met a man who had a burning question: “Jesus, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life.  This Sunday morning in worship (October 08) we’re going to continue our Jesus Makeover series by looking at what Jesus said to this man (and to us).  I hope you’ll join us on Sunday as we worship and study God’s Word.

Fan or Follower?

Several weeks ago I began reading a book.  It wasn’t a large book, it didn’t have many pages and I generally read pretty fast but it’s one that I haven’t completed.  It’s one of those books that you have to absorb what you’re reading, not because it’s complicated but because it’s convicting.  Kyle Idleman’s book Fan or Follower: Becoming a Follower of Jesus Christ  is the basis for our LifeGroup study for the Fall Semester.  We begin this study on Sunday morning as we look at John 6 and ask the simple question:  Are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST?  It’s not an easy answer if you really look at the definition of what Jesus says it means to follow Him completely.  So I encourage you to find a LifeGroup if you haven’t already.  Be here on Sunday morning with an open Bible and a tender heart and let’s make sure we’re really following Jesus and aren’t just a fan.

New Sermon Series for July 3 and 10

Since the Garden of Eden Satan has been tempting humanity with lies about God.  All of us know what it’s like to fall victim to the traps and lies of Satan.  For two weeks (July 03 and July 10) we’re going to look at Joshua 7:1-26 and the story of Achan.  In that story we’re going to look at seven lies that cost Achan his life.  I hope you’ll join us as we open God’s Word and allow it to challenge us and encourage us.

Has anybody been saved here lately?

When you read the book of Acts you see the birth of the church at Pentecost and 3,000 were saved.  In the chapters that followed the church grew and expanded into a mission movement.  It’s a great story of growth but what bothers me is that our churches today don’t come close to resembling that growing church in Acts.  Oh, I know there are a few churches where God’s spirit is moving but they are the exception rather than the rule.  When you read the book of Acts there is a phrase that repeats itself quite often, and the Lord added daily to the church.  Think about it, in the early church, it was the norm to see folks saved but yet there are many churches that go for a year or more and see no one saved.  How many times have we been burdened when a week goes by and no one is saved?

I don’t believe for a moment that the power of God has diminished or the Holy Spirit is any less powerful today than it was in the book of Acts.  I believe the problem is with those of us who claim the name Christians (or Christ-followers).  We have somehow reduced God to a few hours on Sunday and Wednesday.  Basically we have moved God down a few spots on our priority list and it shows in our churches.

When I read the book of Acts it’s evident that these followers of Jesus Christ lived out the Gospel seven days a week.  Everywhere they went they were telling people about Jesus and inviting them to meet this Savior who had changed their lives.  Their whole lives were wrapped up in Jesus and it began to spread like wildfire.

I know, we say we aren’t trained in evangelism, we don’t know the Roman Road or the Four Spiritual Laws, we don’t feel adequate but when you read the book of Acts it’s a simple formula, one person telling another about Jesus and how He changed their life.   If we have a testimony, if Jesus Christ has radically changed our life and saved us from sin, then we have a story that must be told.

I believe the hope for America is when our churches become places where people are saved.  I remember the story of the woman touring through Westminster Abby and the guide showing all the places where famous people were buried.  Somewhere during the tour this woman raised her hand with one question:  tell me son, has anybody been saved here lately?  It’s a great question for our churches today, don’t you think?  Our business as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be telling the story so here’s the question, how’s business?  

It’s my prayer that those in our churches who claim the name of Christian or Christ follower will tell the story of Jesus and the Gospel that saves to those who are lost.  That’s my prayer and Lord, let it begin with me.     jfh

Fan or Follower?

Several weeks ago I began reading a book.  It wasn’t a large book, it didn’t have many pages and I generally read pretty fast but it’s one that I haven’t completed.  It’s one of those books that you have to absorb what you’re reading, not because it’s complicated but because it’s convicting.  Kyle Idleman’s book Fan or Follower: Becoming a Follower of Jesus Christ  is the basis for our LifeGroup study for the Fall Semester.  We begin this study on Sunday morning as we look at John 6 and ask the simple question:  Are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST?  It’s not an easy answer if you really look at the definition of what Jesus says it means to follow Him completely.  So I encourage you to find a LifeGroup if you haven’t already.  Be here on Sunday morning with an open Bible and a tender heart and let’s make sure we’re really following Jesus and aren’t just a fan.

Sunday, May 29 Message

Last Sunday we began a new sermon series called Got Questions.   The plan of this series is to take our question(s) to the pages of God’s Word to find the answers.  Last Sunday, as we celebrated our graduates we looked at How Can I Be Successful in Life?  Many around us claim they have the answer to our happiness but everything the world offers leaves us empty and wanting more.  We took one verse from the teaching of Jesus for our answers;  Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).  The answer to the successful life is a proper priority (Jesus), a proper position (His Kingdom over my kingdom) which leads to a promise if we’ll follow those instructions:  all these other things will be added as well.

Tomorrow, May 29 we continue our series with a question that’s been in the news quite often lately?  What about the End of the World?  Predictions of the world ending have been numerous over the years, this isn’t a new phenomenon.  However, God’s Word is unbelievably clear about the answer to this question.  I hope you’ll join us tomorrow morning in our Celebration Worship at Ridgeland Baptist Church as we turn to God’s Word for our answer.  Just a final word, in the message there will be a clear presentation of the Gospel, it would be a great time to have a friend or family member who needs Jesus to hear the Gospel.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow ……..

Welcome to something new and different (at least for me)

Welcome to something new and different (at least for me).  My goal in writing this blog isn’t to impress you with how smart I am (you’ll quickly figure that out as you read).  No, my goal in this blog is to share with you some of the things God is teaching me along this journey of life.   Sometimes we’ll laugh together and other times we’ll turn our hearts and minds to things that are important to all of us.  My prayer is that along this journey is that we can grow together, as friends and followers of Jesus Christ.  I will confess before we begin this journey that I’m a work in progress.  As Paul wrote the the church at Phillipi (Philippians 3:12-14).   Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me ….. one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  I look forward to sharing with you in the coming days, I encourage your comments but I’m most thankful for your friendship.