“When you read the Bible in Luke, you will know that Luke…is not from New Jersey.”

If these videos have been a blessing to you, you should send a check to ABI. Actually, just give me a call. And I’ll come and get it!

I know I haven’t posted in a few days. This week has just been crazy. And although this doesn’t have much to do with church leadership, when I have thought about blogging this week, I’ve thought only to write one thing:

I really love my wife!

She’s a homemaker and a theologian. An athlete and a wonderful cook. She’s got a dentist-commmercial smile, 4.0-GPA brains, and a wicked right hook. She reads Tim Keller. She’s great with kids. She bats and throws right. She’s beautiful beyond description. And she really loves Jesus.

And for seven months (and two days) she has been my wife, which is proof positive that God is good and loving to me.

Here we are last December:

You can file today under “Things I would rather not have to do.” And while you are at it,  you can go ahead and file the next three weeks under “Awkward.”

I resigned my job today, effective July 31, for several reasons. First, Shannon and I have decided to move in January to Wake Forest, NC so I can attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. We are very excited (and a little nervous too). But for reasons I’m not going to write about online, I felt it necessary to resign effective the end of the month.

I will say this. The decision to go ahead and resign came while reading Scripture and praying (after months and months of praying about my job situation). So I’m confident it is the right thing to do.

Still, it leaves me without a job for August-December. If you know of anyone in the Greenville area that is hiring, let me know. I need to pay some bills.

But I’m confident God will provide. As I’ve heard said, “if it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.” And I am really looking forward to what the next few months have to offer.

Some of you who read this blog are close friends and family who were praying for me today. Thank you. It will very well with my boss. She was very gracious and happy for Shannon and me.

And if you think about it, pray for Shannon and me as I look for a job over the next few weeks. Thanks!

False gospel: Moralism

What it looks like: If you want to be a good moralist, here is what you do. Just be good. Be a good person and you will surely earn God’s love. You will surely go to heaven. Avoid the big sins. You know, sex before (or outside of) marriage, pornography, drunkenness, gambling, drugs. Or at least avoid getting caught.  And remember to compare yourself to other people. You’re not as good as some people so you’ll need to try harder. But you’re not as bad as most so don’t be too down on yourself.

Moralism is defined by trying really hard. Do better. Be Better. Try, try, try. It is characterized by willpower. If you try hard enough you can obey God. And if you obey Him, he will love you more. And He won’t be mad at you. And He will accept you. For the moralist, everything is done by will to appease God.

Why it fails: Moralism only leads to one of two places: pride or despair. If you are really good at obeying all your rules, if you are really disciplined, then you will become very proud. Pride is a big deal. It got Satan kicked out of heaven. You look down on those who struggle with things that you don’t. And, slowly, you begin to think you are better than them. And you become rather impressed with yourself to the point you become your own idol. Remember, God opposes the proud.

The other place moralism can lead to is despair. This happens when you continue to fall. You promise not to get drunk, but you do. You swear you’ll never look at porno again. By midnight you have twice. You’re not going to smoke another cigarette, but then you just can’t resist. You try really hard. You even bribe yourself. But you are too weak. And now you feel worthless. You fell like you’re scum. So what’s the point anyway. God couldn’t ever love someone like you. Not after all you have done. So you give up. This is despait.

The Real Gospel: Whereas moralism says I obey, therefore God loves me, the Gospel says that God loves me, therefore I obey (kudos to Tim Keller for that one). It is precisely because God already loves and accepts us–as evidenced by Jesus–that we can ever obey Him. It is only by Grace. It is only when we find our acceptance and identity in Christ. The Gospel destroys both pride and despair. It destroys your pride because it shows you that you are not good enough to save yourself. You are dead in your sin and need a Savior. It destroys your despair by showing you Jesus who loved you enough while you were yet a sinner to die so that you would be reconciled to God.

I love the way Mark Driscoll says it. “You are worse than you could ever believe. You are loved more than you could ever imagine.”

Are you trying to be good enough? Is your identity, acceptance, or security lying in the fact that you are a good person rather than the fact that Jesus loves you?

False gospel: Self-help

Personal confession: I’m a recovering self-help guy. Yeah, I know. There’s a stack of books up in my attic that promise all kinds of winning, attitudes, success, and happiness. I now refuse to keep them on my bookshelf.

What it looks like: There are so many self-help books, motivational speeches, inspirational sermons pep-talks, and more out there. There are 7 steps to a great marriage, 4 easy steps to happiness, 11 steps to financial freedom, 6 ways to win at work, 3 keys to raising kids, and on and on and on.

All you have to do is practice the steps. Be disciplined. Work hard. You can do it (anybody else thinking about the movie Waterboy?). God made you special. Just buy the books. Listen to the speeches. Do the workbook. Buy the next book. Listen to another speech. Do another workbook. Tell yourself you are good. Just believe it. Because if your mind can conceive it and you can believe it, then you can achieve it.

Just have a positive attitude. Talk to yourself well. Have good self-esteem.

Why it fails: Here is one of my questions about the self-help industry. If self-help works so well, why do all the same people keep needing to buy self-help books? Hmm. Here’s why: Your self is not God. You cannot save yourself. So you never succeed in self-help. Because you are not Jesus.

Self-help relies on the ability of a person to save himself. Self-help relies on the willpower of man. But because our problems are not just a matter of a bad attitude, poor habits, or negative self-talk, our attempts to have a better attitude, better habits, and speak better to ourselves will not change us. Our problem is that we have rebelled against God and are separated from Him. We need reconciliation. We get that in Jesus.

The Real Gospel: It is true that many of us could use an attitude adjustment and better habits (if you’re talking to yourself you may want to see somebody about that). And I’m all for a happy marriage, good kids, good salary, and happiness. It’s just that we cannot get those through the sheer exercise of our will. When we try that we set ourselves up as our own little savior. And no man can sustain that burden of godhood. In self-help, we become our own idols.

In the real Gospel Jesus is our Savior. He saves us from our sin. It is the work of God that sanctifies us to make us more like Jesus, who has a great attitude and great habits–like loving and serving God and others.

What changes are you trying to make in your life by sheer will, discipline, and practice? Are you trying to be your own savior?

False gospel: Vehicleism (yes, I made up that word)

What it looks like: Vehicleism is a utilitarian gospel whereby one attempts to use Jesus to get something else that he really wants more. Rather than holding Jesus as ultimate, he gives something else ultimate value (in other words, he worships something other than Jesus). Then he tries to use Jesus to get that other thing.

For example, if you hold money as ultimate, everything you do will be to make money. You will pray for money. You will go to church and do good things so that God will be happy with you and give you money. You will follow Jesus as long as you get what you want.

You do all the “right” things and say all the “right” prayers so as to put God in your debt. To make it as if he owes you something. Like money. Or a good marriage. Or a good job. Or a vacation. Or (fill in your idol here).

Why it fails: Vehicleism fails because, ultimately, Jesus is not your god. Something else is. But it cannot sustain the burden of godhood. Additionally, you are asking God to give you your idol and God doesn’t give out idols. He casts them down.

The Real Gospel: Jesus is not the means by which you get something else. Jesus is what you get. Jesus is the not the vehicle that you use to get your idol in a shallow attempt at self-made happiness. Rather Jesus is the all-sustaining God who gives you joy. He does this with His great love and grace exemplified on the cross.

He alone is to be worshipped. He alone is God. He alone is sufficient.

Jesus alone.

Is there anything you desire more than Jesus? Are you using Jesus to pursue another idol?

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” –Galatians 1:6-9

There are many false gospels being taught and adhered to in the world today. Some are very obvious and have been widely and rightly denounced. Examples would be the prosperity gospel, where God just wants to make you rich, or the social gospel, where you don’t talk about personal sin and repentance, you just give to poor people.

But this week I want to touch on a few of the false gospels that hit a little closer to home within Christianity, especially evangelicalism. Especially in the Bible Belt of the American South where I live.

Clothed in Christian language and out-of-context verses, these false gospels have infiltrated our ranks and robbed people of true joy and life. We must contend for the faith by pointing out their lies and empty promises.

For only the real and pure Gospel of Jesus Christ can lead to complete love, acceptance, and joy.

One of the news stories that I am tracking closely lately is the worsening situation in Zimbabwe. I was there a year and a half ago and the country was in near ruins economically. It is worse now.

The inflation rate is 200,000 percent. Bread, grain, and other food is scarce. The dictator, Robert Mugabe, recently “won” an illegitimate election in which an opposition leader actually bowed out of a run-off because too many of his supporters were being murdered. Zimbabweans were being coerced to vote in the run-off with death threats.

Please pray that God will use other African nations to stablize Zimbabwe politically.  Pray that God will provide food and water to the people. Pray that the Gospel will continue to take root in the lives of Zimbabweans. It is a spiritually fertile country.

Pray for the missionaries and pastors who are ministering in the country. Pray for Darren Tipton of DoMissions who is mobilizing college students and adults across the nation to go to Africa, including Zimbabwe. DoMissions is the organization I went with to Zim in December 2006.

Pray for my Zimbabwean friends Valentine, Taps, Darlington, Jeffias, and More Blessing. That God will keep them safe and provide them with food.

Pray that Jesus will transform this broken country and heal it spiritually, economically, and politically. Thank you!

“David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.” –1 Chronicles 11:6

I’ve discovered a leadership struggle that I have. I am just not assertive at all. Sometimes this is good. I don’t harshly react too often. I usually think before I speak. I let ideas marinate. It allows be to be more calculating. I don’t threaten people.

Many times this is bad because I end up not leading people either. When I’m not assertive:

• Good ideas pass away
• Good opportunities are lost
• Bad habits (in me and/or in others) grow stronger
• I cede leadership/influence to someone else (not always bad)
• I procrastinate
• God uses someone else to do His work

I think this is mainly a confidence issue for me. I think other people are thinking, “Who is this guy trying to lead me? Why should I listen to him?” I think if I am assertive then I will come across as condescending or patronizing. Shannon and I were talking about his yesterday. She wondered if, rather, people were asking, “Why won’t he lead me? I need some help.“

I don’t want to let good opportunities for influence or leadership to pass. I want to strike first.

How do you stay assertive in your leadership? How do you know when to be more constrained?