What’s a Nail Worth?

This is a photo of a nail that was once in a sailing ship from the 17th century.  They were pretty valuable.  Back in the day when these ships would dock at south sea islands, sailors would occasionally pull them out of the boat to use to purchase items and favors  from the islanders who would use them for fish hooks and other things, a very valuable commodity in a society that had no iron.  The problem was that the sailors had to decide “How many nails can I pull out before the ship becomes unsafe!”, one, two, one hundred;  and even then it might be safe in the harbor, but would it be able to sail back home, especially if a storm came up.  I think people sometimes today do this with sin,  thinking “Can I  do this one time, two, or one hundred before bad things begin to happen in my life, in my friendship with God, my family, Etc”.  In other words, how many times can I do “This” before I began to break apart;  how many drinks, how many flirting moments, how many abusive words,  how many angry acts, how many white lies, unethical financial choices, unhealthy time on the Internet,  underhanded acts that may benefit me personally and hurt another, taking amazing grace for granted. (you can name these as well as I can for we each know what we might be tempted to exchange a nail for, the very nail that is holding the ship together).  There are too many of us facing a storm we are unprepared for because we have exchanged too many nails that are of great value for things that are not of value at all.  What does the devil want to get us to believe?   That something is nothing, and something is nothing.  Hammer the nails back where they belong.

Faith Quiz

1.  When I pick up my Bible do I put on a hard hat and get ready for reconstruction?

2.  When start my day as a Christ follower do I put on my seat belt and get ready for adventure?

3.  Am I letting Christ guide me through the conversations, obligations, and journey of the Day?

4.  Do I experience God’s amazing grace in my heart and in my relationships?

5.  Do I have expectations of people benefiting and serving me or am I the servant benefiting others?

6.  Do I pray about my decisions, seek Biblical direction, and then accept responsibility?

7.  Does Jesus make a difference in my life or is He a default when trouble comes.

8.  Am I defined by generosity, faith,  love, and selflessness, (Christ Centered)  or am I self centered willing to sacrifice others on the altar of my own happiness?

9.  Is my live a monument to Jesus (what I believe)  or is it a mission for Jesus (what I believe, how I live, and what I do?

Rethink Church

Just began our fall emphais “Rethink Church”  a denominational wide theme.  The Church is not just a building, where you go, or what we call ourselves.  It is not a monument to Jesus, but a mission for Jesus.  Rethink Church with us each weekend for the next few weeks.  It might change your life, your relationship with Jesus, and maybe your relationship with the Church.  This coming week I am preparing the message, “Rethink Amazing Grace!” 

Patriots Day, 9/11 A picture says a Thousand words

Remembering

This Sunday: Life-Check Sermon

The Leading Edge 3

This morning, Wednesday, we begin the last day of  “The Leading Edge”.  We were late last night talking about the major issues that divide the Church and hope to make a recommendation for the 100 largest churches at next general conference that might allow us to more effectively do the real work of the Church, bringing people to Christ and serving the world.  I went to a seminar yesterday with Mike Slaughter;  it was on stewardship.  His blue collar Church in  Tipp City Ohio has given over one million dollars to Darfur, even with the decline in this area fueled by the auto industry.  But he did say they needed new Audio Visual equipment badly but could not afford them at this time.  He had a lot of great ideas how a Church can focus on the importance of generosity, generosity that reflects one’s faith in Christ.  One idea I have long believed,  generosity is a spiritual gift, coming from the same place as Love, Joy, and Peace.  Also spent two hours with John Ed Mathison from Alabama.  He led the same Church, Frasier Memorial, for 36 years.  He was talking about longevity and effectiveness in the same Church.  I hope I can, at least come close, lead First Mansfield effectively for 20 plus years as well.   One thing he said I especially remember is the important idea  that churches must examine themselves regularly, as must their pastors, and then change and grow as needed to continue to be effective. The church can’t, and the pastor can’t just maintain things,  they must continue to be innovative in reaching the world for Christ in faith and mission.This is exactly what we are doing this year with our “Reveal” survey, strategic planning, and “Rethink” Church that begins next week. I have been both inspired and challenged by this amazing event.  Rhonda, also for the first time, met with Pastor’s wives form the large churchs;  met with Lynn Hybels, the spouse of Bill Hybels.  I know she was encouraged a great deal.   Hope to be back in Mansfield this evening if the thunderstorms don’t hold off.

The leading Edge 2

It is early Tuesday morning as we are preparing for the second day of this gathering of the Sr Pastors of the 100 largest attended Methodist Churches.  It is exciting to gather with these leading pastors,  Adam Hamilton who has written many materials some of our classes use, Mike and Carolyn Slaughter who put together Transformation Journal  our Bible reading program, Kirbyjohn Cauldwell who gave the invocation for George Bushes inauguration, Mark Beeson who was picked as one of the top 100 most influential pastors in the US.  As we connect, pray, and fellowship, we are talking about ways to revitalize the United Methodist Church we all love.  Three of the new topics we will be looking at is how we might come along the side of our Bishops to help them be successful, encourage and help direct our seminaries more effectively, and how we might revitalize smaller neighboring Churches who might be struggling.  There is a tangible sense of the importance of what we are doing, especially as we have been made aware that last year the Methodist Church lost 73,000 people in average worship attendance nationally. Something has to be done.  Maybe God will use these 100 Churches that have found a way to reverse this trend in our own communities. I anticipate a great day today as we look at ways each of our Churches can be more effective in our mission.  I expect to learn a lot.  On a side note, I am once again proud of our Church family.  This weekend you gave 11,000 in a special offering to help build The House of Community and Blessing United Methodist Church in Mexico.  With the 9,000 we already have this will be enough to match their gifts and complete the Church.  As we expand our Church in the Mansfield area, God is using us to help expand the Church in the Matamoros area.  Thanks be to God and Thanks for being one of the most generous churches in North America.

The Leading Edge

Monday through Wednesday of this week Rhonda and I will be at “The Leading Edge” an event for the Senior Pastors of the 100 top attended United Methodist Churches in the Nation.  This is the second gathering for this Event led by Adam Hamilton the Senior Pastor of Church of the Resurrection the largest Methodist Church in the world.  The purpose of these three days is for each of us to encourage, support, and give ideas for ministry to one another.  Large Church pastors very seldom get together, and it certainly seldom happens nationally.  It will be a blessing to us all and hopefully we will bring some of those blessings back to our individual Churches.  But this event is also designed to be a core piece of revitalizing the United Methodist Church as a whole around three major ideas; Worship, new worship services and churches,   Mission and its expansion locally and around the world, and recruiting and encouraging new young pastors to lead the Church into the future.  First Methodist has long been about these God given goals, but in this last year we have emphasized them even more, preparing to add new worship services, supporting the creation of a new Methodist Church in the Mansfield area, expanding our mission (we are excited to help build a Church in Mexico and wheelchairs will be on the way there on Thursday) and we are actively pursuing ways to recruit and train new young pastors.  Please be in prayer for me as I represent you in one of the most significant and exciting moments in the life of our Church.  In many ways the future of the Methodist Church is on the line.  It is especially meaningful because my twin brother,  Steve Ramsdell will be representing First Waco at this event as well.  We will certainly be the only twin brothers, or even brothers in the top 100 Methodist Churches.  I will be blogging each day from Jacksonville Florida updating you on what is happing.  I have high expectations.

thoughts on Wineskins

       Jesus said that we have to put new wine in new wine skins.  If we use the old ones they will burst.  He offers so much that is new, fresh, abundant, full,meaningful.  There is nothing better than life in Christ, both walking with God and living in the new way He teaches us.  Why is it so hard?

       I think it is hard because it is so difficult to give up the old.  When someone tells me they are going to start coming to Church and haven’t been.  i know it is going to be hard.  They are going to have to give up what they normally do on Sunday morning; or at the very least find some other time to do that.  As I write this it is 6:30 Saturday morning.  I am doing this as part of a devotional time.  But it is taking a concerted effort to not turn the TV on and flip from fox news and CNN to see what’s going on in the world;  not that the information I will gain is going to help me or anyone else.

Our Habits often own us, control us, dominate us, even own us more than our faith, values, and beliefs.  Addictions, Television, food, ETC.  Those habits become comfortable, known, familiar, patterns we easily fall prey to that often prevent the new from taking hold in our lives, things we do that control our future before God can give us a fuller one.  Can I find time to pray and connect with God.  What do I give up?  Can I find time to go to Church consistently?  What do I give up?  Can I find time to connect to my wife, family, friends, those important to me?  What do I give up?  Can I find time to serve, bless, love, and make a difference in the lives of others.  What do I give up?  If we did a careful inventory most of us would find our lives are full of things that really don’t count

 for very much, things that do not reflect our faith in Christ, or even who we really are.  Where does it begin?  What are we really willing to give up?

When I purchased my motorcycle a few years ago I made a very easy decision.  My little car made its way into the driveway.  The motorcycle gets the coveted garage spot.  What do we really care about?  To make room for the new that Jesus is calling us to, we have to begin moving out the old.

Thoughts on the New Heavens and New Earth

I got a great question from this weekends message on The New Heavens and the New Earth: 

“When you say God’s people are sealed against spiritual harm and will overcome in the end;  will this mean that everyone will be free of temptation and sin?  Will we live freely with no desire to sin or to break His law;  I just can wrap my mind around a world like that!”. 

The idea of the seal is how God marks us as His in this life as we wait for the new heavens and new earth. This mark is a spiritual seal that makes us fully His no matter what happens to us in this world;  cancer, rejection, martyrdom, Etc;  God will fully restore us to everlasting life.  In other words the believer will always win in the end.  This seal is opened as the Lamb’s book of life by Jesus Christ Himself,  and the names of all God’s people are in that sealed book.  Now the idea of living in an eternal kingdom with Christ that has no sin, death, or temptation, that I can’t wrap my mind around either.  It is a life beyond what defines too many of us and a new life defined by living as the redeemed;  the idea of living the restored garden of Eden, remembering that back in that time they had yet to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the first time they saw God after they disobeyed and ate, they hid, realized they were naked or exposed, and blamed each other and even God for the situation.  Imagine a restored garden of Eden; where God is accessible and we love each other without regard to any selfishness, fear, envy, jealousy, misunderstandings, etc.  I can’t imagine it, but I yearn for it.

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