I Need Your Help

I am reading a fascinating book while I am on vacation called “Essential Church?” by Thom and Sam Rainer. I encourage you to read it if the church is important to you because it is very eye opening. It has raised a question in my mind for which I want as many responses as possible. So I am asking for emails to my regular email dhamlin@shelbychristian.org / my facebook email / or responses to my blog. (You can even respond anonymously to the blog – I’ll read it just not post it) All I need is your age (ballpark is fine), approximate number of weeks each month you attend worship and past church history.
Here is the simple question … Why do you or don’t you attend church? (Please be somewhat personal and don’t try to give me the “right” answer you think I am looking for.

God of Wonders

As I sit on the deck at my mountain escape I am amazed at the absolute beauty of the trees and the sky. The trees are as full and green as they can possibly be and the sky is that perfect shade of blue that can not possibly any crisper. I am sorry that I get so caught up in the stress of life that I forget to recognize his beauty. The birds have just now broken into song this very moment as if to be another reminder from God of his presence. I pray that we will all be able to find something each day to remind us of God's presence.

To those who have followed our family and provided us shelter I say thank you and hope that you will comment on the wonders of God in your life.

Chapter 29 - Faith

So many people misinterpret scripture and want to turn it into whatever they want. There are some things of scripture that are hard to understand because they describe things that we have never seen or imagined. Yet that is what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Our faith reminds us that God is in control even when we can't see him. The difficult thing for many men is that they are used to being in control, or at least thinking they are in control. That has been a real struggle for me as someone who likes to look at a problem and find an immediate solution and get to work on it. The reality is that some things can't be fixed here on earth. God's will has to penetrate lives to make the difference. Some will always question God's existence or at least His involvement in our lives because of the bad things that happen in our world, but God never promises us anywhere in the Bible that all things would be good. In fact, if anything he warns us over and over about the evil that is in the world and about people that will do anythign for their own self-glorification including hurting anyone who gets in there way. The encouragement of scripture is that "God is working all things out for the good of those who love him." The implication is that there will be some bad stuff that happens in our lives. In faith we trust that God has already seen that and is working things out for our good. The ultimate good is heaven and sometimes that is simply what we will have to wait for which is difficult. But if you are a blood bought believer in Jesus Christ who has accepted the forgiveness of your sins through the blood of Jesus it's gonna work out just fine! Keep the faith and keep on reaching!

Chapter 28 - Relationship with Christ

I've heard people say, "The Bible says that God helps those who help themselves." No it doesn't. What the Bible does say is that, "God blesses those who are poor in spirit and admit that they need him." I once heard an old indian tale of a caterpillar inside a small ring of fire. As the fire grew and the smoke thicken the caterpillar rather than crawling would raise the front half of its body straight up in the air balancing itself with the back half, jus tlooking for a way out. I think that there are a lot of people stuck in a spiritual ring of fire and rising up to look for anyway out. Jesus said that he was the only way out and that no man would be able to see the Father except through him. So why do we try so hard to find answers in other places?

Dungy gives the following three suggestions to protecting your heart as you search for truth. First, guard what goes into your mind. As the computer world has taught as "garbage in" means "garbage out". Second, spend time in the Word of God. You have to know the word to live the word. Third, pray! Not just pray about those who are sick and dying, although you should never stop praying for them. But expand your prayer life to include the real life day to day decision making that you have to go through on your journey to have a relationship with Christ. Let him guide the way!

Chapter 27 - Eternal Self-Esteem

This may be the shortest chapter in Dungy's book, but possibly the most powerful. I love the scripture that he begins with about the time God takes in creating each and every one of us. I find myself asking questions that begin with "why" quite often these days, and even when I can't see an answer I have a faith that God "knows why". I am about to become a grandfather far earlier than I would have chosen, but I am excited because I know God is knitting my granddaughter together. Every life has a purpose. Often times our choices take us down different paths than God originally had in mind. He allows us to make choices and then works to "make our paths straight" again when we step out of his will.

Jesus said that we are each far more valuable to God than any flowers of the field and yet God creates them beautiful, just as he has us. I feel so bad for those that have been so beaten up and beaten down that they feel they can do nothing. I pray that I can do a better job of encouraging those that are so beaten.

Chapter 26 - Role Model

I feel so sorry for young people today who don't have readily available positive role models. My life was full of them. I remember Coach King, Coach Rose, Coach Petry and Coach Copeland who were my youth baseball coaches and taught me a lot about the game I love, and my college coach that showed me that hard work and dedication paid off in more ways than wins and loses. I remember the Brookings, Billy Pyle and Dwayne Weber that were youth sponsors who taught me so much about the God I love. My parents were phenomial as I watched my dad serrve diligently in church and my mom sitting on the edge of the bed reading her Bible and praying every morning. Now after twenty years as a parent I know who she was praying for. Now I watch my wonderful wife dig into the scripture and I long to have her knowledge and understanding of the truths of God's word.

There is a verse of scripture that challenges me and haunts me all at the same time. It is found in 1 Corinthians 11:1 - Paul says to "follow me as I follow Christ". I love how the emphasis is on following Christ, but what a challenge to show others the way.

I hope you have a role model and I hope you realize you are someone's role model. I'd love to hear your stories ...

Pardon the Interruption

I will be posting twice today and wanted to use this first one to pass on some information. I apologize for the glithces over the last two weeks. Two weeks ago I had some very trying personal issues that I had to take care of and simply was not on the computer. Last week I had login difficulties. Ok better said ... I messed it up on my end. Everytime I think I have become a computer wiz, I screw something up. Oh well ...

Secondly, to my anonymous friend I have prayerfully chosen not to respond or post or even read anonymous responses. That has been my policy for years in regards to email, snail mail, phone calls etc. I will be more than happy to discuss issues in person and through the blog when people are kind enough to identify themselves. I know that when I send letters to the editor about important community events I always receive a courtesy call to make sure the letter was from me. I will follow that practice.

So to my anonymous reader, come see me and let's talk, or if you are really searching for Jesus and don't live close to us I pray you find someone you can talk to in person. Any now for the rest of the story ...