I Never...

Back when I was in college, I remember watching people play a drinking game called "I Never." They would proudly confess to something that they had never done and those who had were forced to take a shot. This game served two purposes: (1) it allowed you to get completely hammered; (2) it made it okay to confess truly humiliating stuff.

As I was reading in the Bible tonight, I came across what must have been a really tough "I Never" for Amos. In Amos 7, the prophet is called out by the priest of Israel for speaking out against the king. Amos simply tells the priest that he never wanted to be a preacher, being a prophet wasn't on his top 10 things to do. He was just fine being the cattleman, raising steaks instead of raising the stake.

He then boldly calls out the leadership for the sinfulness and their waywardness. Wow.

Here's my thoughts: (1) Are my ambitions always pure? Am I constantly seeking what God wants most rather than my own desires? (2) Would I have the cajones to call out a king? a leader? Would I be willing to follow God in saying "Your wife will become a whore in town"? What in my life needs to change for me to have that complete and utter trust in Him and His Word?

Life After Porn

"Knee deep in boxes at 217 Brackendale Lane, I heard the front door open. The jiggle of the doorknob was a familiar sound, for I knew the entrance of my husband was soon to follow. Inching my way through a small pathway in between many boxes, I looked up and saw the face of the man I married nine years ago. Chris walked toward me and asked if we could “talk”. The look on his face said enough - something was wrong.

"After getting our oldest son, Noah, settled with a Blue’s Clues video, Chris motioned me toward the newly-purchased sofa that had arrived just twenty-four hours before as we began our new life in a new town.

"He began by confessing that he had numerous affairs with numerous women from numerous places. My heart began to palpitate while I listened to him. I heard the cracking of my heart as he spoke and felt the devastation setting in almost immediately. As if that information was not enough to handle, he also informed me that one of the women was pregnant, and he was pretty sure the baby was his child."

Read the rest of Cindy Beall's story here.

Going Bi...Vocational (Part Four)

There are definitely drawbacks to being bi-vocational. However, there are also marked advantages. This week, we'll direct our attention to a few of those.

One huge advantage to doing ministry bi-vocationally is decreasing the burden of the church. The Apostle Paul did this over and over again. As he was planting churches, he would make tents. The tent-making would allow him to serve without demands.

As we were beginning our adventure with Discovery Church, I was challenged by the staffing of Muncie Alliance to consider the benefits of being bi-vocational. The staff at MAC has chosen to be bi-vocational so that the resources of the church might go further and enable more ministry to occur. My role at Bob's has allowed me to support my family and be less of a burden for Discovery.

Sunday Night Dump

Here's some quick thoughts that are still streaming through my worn-out head:

• Had two people serving at Discovery for the first time this morning. So cool. Rodney & Theresa did an awesome job with the Starbucks and donuts.
• The worship team sounded so good this morning.
• The tech. demons showed up. Media Shout died on us just as the service began. Let's just say the new rule is: "Save. Save. Save" and we're not just talking about spiritual issues anymore.
• Jack is doing a great job with "Talk to Jack."
• Excited about my Florida Gators football team. They're looking really good.
• Loved it that a family skipped a baptism so that they could come back to Discovery after visiting last week. Hopefully we haven't made the holidays awkward.
• Definitely challenged about how we're spending Thanksgiving.
• Talking about money is never easy, but I think it is healthy for me and the church.
• Got a stinkin' busy week ahead. Three open houses and a Presbytery meeting. Definitely going to need some strength and rest.
• Congratulations Kevin & Emily. When I showed Chloe's pic this morning, the collective response was "Awww."

Going Bi...Vocational (part three)

Over the next few days, we'll be discussing the pros and cons to bi-vocational ministry.

The natural outflow of the struggle with time is a struggle for family moments. My family is God's most precious gift to me (aside from salvation of course). I love letting my girls use me as a jungle-gym. I like spending time with my wife. I enjoy our family time together.

It has been said that when you say yes to one thing, you must say no to another. It is a shame that when we say yes to bi-vocational ministry that one area that can easily be overlooked is our family. One of the highlights of my week is when the girls stop by the gym to spend time with me. It makes me happy to see Alyssa sitting on a stool behind the counter "working" by coloring. Awesome! I appreciate those moments, because I do not get enough of them.

For me, I've tried to find ways to get those special moments with the girls. I might stop by the house on my way back from one of the other clubs. After working late one night a couple of weeks ago, I slept in a bit and dropped Alyssa off at school, just so we could have some time together in the morning.

What are you doing to make special time for your family?