Scott’s Blog

I remember that Christmas very well. Bren and I had just gotten married. I was still in school and working two jobs. She was working and coaching and we were serving a church as volunteers. We rented the 2^nd floor of a farmhouse, complete with bats in the attic and that huge rat in our bathroom that I fought in a pair of shorts, work boots and my Louisville Slugger. We didn’t have any money to buy gifts for our families. I used our whole Christmas budget to buy Bren a very special gift that I was sure she’d just love. However, when I gave her the rowing machine I could tell by her face that I had a lot to learn about being a husband. Not good. Because we didn’t have any money left we had to be creative, and Bren is really good at that. We ended up staying up all night baking special Christmas cookies that we presented to everyone on our gift list. The amazing thing is that people loved the trays of cookies. I still remember my grandmother crying when Bren handed it to her.

A few years later we had a little more money and a few sons. I was excited for Christmas morning. It was going to be great! Bren and I got up early and went downstairs to get everything ready, then the boys came. Pandemonium! They had a blast tearing through the Christmas paper and shrieking for joy at the treasures found. It took us weeks to find the right gifts, and even though we had some money saved we spent more than the allotted amount. Nothing was too much for my boys! The boys opened the presents in less than 15 minutes. I sat back in my chair with a strangely empty feeling. I still had to come up with the money to pay for some of what we’d bought and the fun just didn’t meet my expectations.

Then it happened. As I sat there in my chair I noticed how much fun the boys were having playing with their new… boxes! They were giggling and carrying on having the best time crawling in and out of the boxes! I did my fatherly best to redirect them to the great new, expensive toys that came in those boxes, but they’d have none of it. These boxes were great!

I wish I could say that I learned my lesson that year. But the truth is that over the 24 Christmases that Bren and I have shared in marriage we have moved in and out of sanity. We’ve taken steps to make our holidays simpler. We no longer buy gifts for each other, which takes a lot pressure off of us (I guess the rowing machine made a bigger impact than I thought.) We’ve stopped exchanging gifts with my brother and his wife and we don’t buy for his kids after their 21^st birthday. Even with that our gift list is long. The fact remains that I think both of us enjoyed that first Christmas the most (Ok, except for the rowing machine). With the exception of our elder’s Christmas party we don’t entertain heavily over the holidays. And, when family visits the food is very simple. We’d rather have Bren with us enjoying the time than slaving in the kitchen.

Over the last 10 years we’ve been increasingly intentional about finding ways to make the holidays simple. Why? Because simple is better. Simple Christmas is Christmas on purpose where we stay in charge of what Christmas will mean in our home. Simple Christmas means we don’t put the advertisers in charge, we don’t put the expectations of relatives in charge and we simply assume responsibility for our own Christmas. In our house that means two simple things; faith and family.

I want to encourage you to have a simple Christmas this year. Whatever progress you make toward simplicity will be worth it.

Simple Christmas is an intentional move away from affluenza. There is no joy in getting more of what you already have, and you already have everything you need. The wealthiest people are the people that need the least. Why not stand against our cultural tide of conspicuous consumption and add meaning to your Christmas this year. If gift giving is essential give gifts that have real meaning. Last year Brenda and I went through a ministry called LifeWater and purchased a clean water filtration system for a village inAfrica for my parents. My parents were thrilled. Another option is to set a dollar limit for the gifts you’ll buy or make. One thing is true, if you dig into your emergency fund, or worse, go into debt for Christmas you’re getting farther away from simplicity.

Simple Christmas is about moving toward peace. When you’re freed from the expectations of relatives and friends, and you don’t have the financial pressure of paying for a bunch of things you don’t need you’re free to relax and reflect. You’re free to enjoy the relationships that are most dear to you. You should have margin in your life. You should have extra time, you should have extra money, and you should have extra energy. If you don’t why don’t you?  This year, why not pursue some quiet evenings rather than more shopping and cooking?

 

Simple Christmas is about being able to hear. At Christmas we celebrate the most outrageous act of creation. At Christmas the creator is in pursuit of the rebellious creation, with love of another kind, to buy the creation back to have an ongoing relationship that restores the creation. If you’re so busy and stressed at Christmas that you can’t hear what the Creator is saying as he pursues you then you haven’t celebrated Christmas. Imagine taking the time off of work to connect deeply with God and your family rather than simply celebrate consumerism.

 

Go ahead, make this year a simple Christmas year.

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I’ve received a number of questions recently about which Bible translation is the best one to buy. The answer really depends on what you’re going to be using the Bible for. Every Bible translation strives for accuracy and faithfulness to the original text. There are however two philosophies in use today in creating the various translations on the market. Dynamic equivalence is the school of thought that tries to translate the Bible the way it would sound today. The way that is done is to first understand what is being communicated in the original language and culture and then try to arrive at a way of saying the same thing in the target culture. This way of translating requires a fair amount of interpretation and is often called “thought for thought” translating.

On the other hand, formal equivalence translations attempt to translate the Bible word for word from the original to the host language. This requires less interpretation on the part of the translator. Some interpretation is always necessary because of the great differences between Hebrew and Greek and English. There simply aren’t English words for every Greek word. So some interpretation is required for every translation.

If you’re doing serious doctrinal study with commentaries and histories and some Greek work, you should probably have a formal equivalence Bible. I think the best one is the New American Standard. It doesn’t read very well because that wasn’t the point. It is word by word accurate. Another great choice is the study Bible I reccomended last week on this blog. The ESV used the formal equivalence philosophy, but tried to make the text as readable as possible. I think the did a good job.

I enjoy reading “The Message” too. Eugene Peterson did this translation and it is very dynamic and helpful.

I put together a crude little chart to show you where some of the current popular translations fall. Just click on the thumbnail to make it bigger.

We are very fortunate in America to have so many quality translations to choose from. The bottom line is to have a Bible you’re going to read and enjoy. A Bible that is hard to read is going to sit on the shelf and gather dust. Our plan is to continue to preach from the NLT at EBC simply because it is so readable and yet maintains accuracy.

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I’m going to do something here that I’ve never done before. I’m going to reccomend that you spend some money. There is a new resource that was released last week that I think you should buy. The ESV Study Bible is the best study Bible on the market and it far outpaces any other study Bible I’ve ever seen. I purchased copies for all three of my sons and I’m using it for my personal study as well. The ESV is not my favorite translation of the Bible. It is however very reliable and a good tool for serious study. The notes throughout this Bible are detailed and helpful, the maps are placed right within the text and the essays after Revelation are superb.

Our EBC family needs to study the Word, and this is a tool that will help. You can find out more, and check out the endorsements at www.esvstudybible.org. One really cool feature is that when you buy the Bible you get a code that will give you access to the online version. I use that more than my paper copy. Good stuff!

Order one at www.amazon.com or www.christianbook.com.

I realize that substantive study of the Bible is not popular. We tend to like to sit in circles and share our perspectives on things and call that education. The problem with that is we often seem to ignore God’s truth as a prescription for our condition in favor of trying to fix each other or make each other feel better in our sin (I realize that is a pretty strong statement, but think about it, it’s true). Romans 12:2 tells us that transformation comes by renewing our mind. Our mind is renewed by God’s  Word. Get in the Word, study it, let it sink in deep into your soul and change who you are. It won’t be long and you may not even recognize yourself!

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I thought you might like to see the questions that have come in so far as a part of the “Ask Any Question” campaign.

• How does anger become sin? Is it ever justified to become angry?
• Is speaking in tongues for today or just for the days of old?
• What happens when a Christian or a non-Christian commits suicide?
• Where does a Christian go when he dies? Is he/she asleep until Christ returns or is he in heaven awake?
• Does God allow bad things to God’s people or cause bad things to happen to God’s people?
• How do I turn it over to Jesus?
• How do the Jews who don’t believe in Jesus atone for their sins today? In the Old Testament they did animal sacrifices, do they still do that today?
• What happens to our pets at the rapture?
• Can I have your #?
• Should I be ashamed to leave my family to go to my wonderful after life? I love both so very much.
• How much do you weigh? (If I know this handwriting, it came from my son!)
• How do I allow myself to trust my spouse after being cheated on twice in the last year?
• How do I know I’m saved? What is the “sinner’s prayer?”
• Does the Bible talk about cremation?
• Who were the Nephilim Giants in the land in the Old Testament?
• Are demons really fallen angels?
• Did the witch of Endor really call up Samuel?
• Are we the generation that will see Jesus coming again? What will it be like?
• How can I base my faith on the Bible, being written, compiled,  translated and interpreted by the human hand and mind?
• It is a weakness in my faith to feel fear and hurt at times for the pain and suffering experienced in this world?
• In the study of creation in Genesis, where did the wives of the sons of Adam and Eve come from?
• Where did God come from? How did he get here?
• I heard a pastor say that hell is in the center of the earth. Where do you think Hell is?
• If a tree fell in the woods and no one was around, would it make a sound?
• What percentage of the congregation has read the entire Bible?
• It states in the Bible, “As far as you are able, live at peace with one another.” My question: What is the difference between making peace and keeping peace? Is there every a time that one cannot extend the hand of peace to someone whom you feel is only going to hurt you again and continue the turmoil in your life?
• If we are to be like Jesus, who among other things was a great evangelist, why are you so against this type of witnessing?
• Why are there so little sermons on hell these days, do you think that even the elect are blind to teaching this in modern times?
• Election vs. predestination (I think what is meant by that is predestination vs. free will)

Well there you have it! As you can see I have my work cut out for me! Some of the questions will be answered through this blog, several will be a part of the new series for next year. Thanks for sharing your questions. If you have a question you’d like included just go the EBC home page and click on the “Ask Any Question” form at the top fo the page.

It will be fun and beneficial for our family to walk through these issues.

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It’s fairly early and I’m sitting on the love seat in our living room listening to a thunder storm. Flashes of lightening illuminate where the sun is not yet shining. Loud cracks of thunder remind me there is an overwhelming power out there, and the rythmic falling of the rain reassures me that the power is restrained, controlled.

It’s a nice morning for me, the power is controlled, and I trust the holder of the power.

I need that reminder this morning, maybe you do as well.

Yesterday was one of those days. Emails with situations that seems unsolvable, an appointment with a lady whose husband is a jerk; controlling, abusive. The families with serious medical issues this week. The phone call later in the afternoon from one of our precious families that their medical situation has taken a turn toward the worst. Major procedures are needed and will only forestall death for a few years, maybe.

I’ve been sitting here this morning listening to God’s restrained power in the storm, thinking, praying, repenting.

Suffering is difficult, but it is so good. Suffering is a gift of God’s grace because it reminds us to place our focus, our hearts, our passion with Christ in heaven, at home. The truth is I live under a curse right now. Sin. Anything good is a gift of mercy. I get so much that is good! Suffering helps me stay focused on what is true. Suffering helps me hang on to Jesus with an appropriate desperation. Suffering helps me remember that I’m living in the dot, not the line.

The power is controlled, and we can trust the holder of the power. Cling to Him, celebrate Him, don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember, on the earth we will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome, and because of that, you have overcome too.

Suffering helps us understand the truth of 1 John 2: 16 (For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.) Suffering helps move my cravings to the only place they will truly be fulfilled  -  Jesus.

Suffer well today.

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I can’t believe its been two months since I’ve been here to blog. Sorry! I will do better.

Last month Brenda and I took Seth, our middle son, to Wilkes University for football camp and to begin his college experience. After a few weeks of 15 hours days filled with football; classes started. Seth is majoring in mechanical engineering and he’s a part of the Air Force ROTC program. We were excited that Seth would be able to be home over Labor day. Bren and I are learning that there is nothing quite so special as having all five of us in one place at the same time. It was wonderful to to be together.

Even though he was “home,” Seth wasn’t around very much. During the times he was with us we couldn’t help but notice that he seemed a bit distracted. When we had some time to talk, albeit very briefly, he told us he was feeling somewhat over committed. Some days begin with football meetings at 6:00AM, followed by a course schedule of 17 credits and then more football practice and ROTC commitments and meetings in the evenings. His courses are challenging; calculus and physics with all the associated labs. All that added to the normal stress of a new life means Seth is going through some difficulty.

I find it very hard not to coach my sons and I found myself coaching Seth. He got more advice than he wanted I’m sure. We talked about “seasons” where busyness is overwhelming and how to manage them. We talked about managing his body and his mental and emotional life so that the situation wouldn’t take over and control him. We talked about time management and the wisdom of limiting commitments. Seth was gracious, he is a wise person for 18 and filled with tenacious courage. I really admire him. I’m sure he’ll work it out and be fine. He’ll learn from the process and move forward.

However, one of the pieces of advice I gave Seth got me thinking. I told him to “Use your resources.” In other words, use the people and things around him to help him manage his tasks and succeed. On its face, there is nothing wrong with that advice. In fact it is good advice. It’s just far too limited. I realized this morning when I was praying for Seth that I didn’t encourage him to use his greatest resource. I was praying that Seth would find God as his Strong Tower, a great help in times of need. I asked God to hold him close and hold him up, to make him strong and to be the core of Seth’s power plant.

I realized that where I failed my son was in not simply encouraging him to take his overcommitted life to God for wisdom and strength. I gave Seth lots of pointers that he already knows. I should have taken him to Isaiah 40:28-30 where God says this about himself: “Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No on can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.”  I should have taken him to Psalm 18 where the great warrior David writes this: “I love you Lord, you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold.” I could have taken him to Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the godly run to him and are safe.”

I know that Seth is going to be fine. I know that this time of difficulty will strengthen him for the challenges that God has planned for him. However, Seth isn’t going to be fine simply because he has some coping skills. Seth is going to be fine because he belongs to the Strong Tower who will give him strength and wisdom and courage for the adventure.

Go ahead; use your resources.

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There are a few things that I’ve said to my sons thousands of times. They are the things that represent the philosophy of life that I have come to live by. They are simple things, however they become very profound as one realizes the depth of their meaning. Almost every time one of my guys leaves the house whether it be to go to school or out with friends or to compete athletically I have said the simple phrase “Be who you are.” In a nutshell it means that we are not free to live authentically, to live genuinely until we understand that we have been fashioned by a sovereign Lord with exquisite intention and purpose. A key task of life is to uncover the glory of God as He has expressed it in our unique design.  It is blasphemous to try to be something you aren’t, to pretend that God’s design and purpose is somehow flawed.

The second phrase modifies the first and provides context for it. The two were often spoken in tandem and it is simply “Remember to whom you belong.” My life is not my own. It was given as a gift and it has a purpose. My purpose is to enjoy God first knowing that as I enjoy God in every circumstance his glory will be evident in me. Knowing that I am owned stokes my passion to know my owner and reminds me that I am responsible to Him for my every moment. If my life is only the pursuit of “finding myself” I reduce my experience to an egocentric experiment of tiny proportions. When I realize that the meaning and purpose of life comes from outside of myself I begin to understand how freeing and joyful “being who I am” really is.

The last phrase is simply this: “Life is a journey.” I hope my sons never look at life as a destination. Life is not getting married or finding the dream  job, or building the house or retiring. Those are all potential key moments, defining moments, if you will in the journey, but they are not life. Defining moments help us understand who we are and who God is, but they are merely sign posts along the journey.

These three phrases are an anchor for me when my life is in transition. A few weeks ago we celebrated with Seth as he accepted his high school diploma. We’re excited with him as he enters a new chapter of life. He’s going to start by studying engineering at Wilkes University. He’s going to keep playing football and will probably participate in Air Force ROTC. From what know right now about how God has framed Seth that is a good start. I don’t know if Seth will be an engineer, but the journey of study will make more clear to him all that God has wired into him. I marked Seth’s graduation with a letter explaining that he is now launched. He’s moving to a new relationship where Bren and I will be advisers to him and we will enjoy friendship with him. We will support and encourage and cheer him on, but he is not responsible to us any longer. He is accountable to us, but he is responsible to God alone. He does not represent Brenda and I, he is free from that, he represents God alone. Be who you are, remember to whom you belong.

You will remember four months ago Jake, our oldest, went off to the Navy. He was a special operations recruit training to be a Navy Seal. He was doing well and made it through a particularly grueling special ops boot camp. However, a body scan and other tests that special operations recruits have to go through revealed a very small kidney stone. Jake learned he was disqualified medically and would have to separate from the Navy. He’s spent the last three weeks processing out and will be home tomorrow. We’re excited to see him and he’s excited to come home. But he’s also disappointed. This isn’t what he planned. That’s okay because life is a journey, not a destination.  This experience will help Jake realize who he is, and he’ll learn more about the One who owns him. He’s already learned that God’s Word will sustain you when you don’t think you can keep going. That alone is worth the experience.

Be who you are; remember to whom you belong; life is a journey. You can live by those words.

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One of the authors I appreciate is John Piper. I read a lot of his work and I particularly appreciate the book called “A Godward Life.” It is written in short chapters and I tend to read one chapter on most days. Today the Chapter was about Hebrews 4:16, which most of us know this way: “Let us the approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” It’s a cool verse. Piper translates it more literally like this: “Let us approach with boldness the throne of grace that we might receive mercy and find grace for a well - timed help.” See the difference? The common translation focuses on our need. The more literal translation focuses on God’s timing.

Sometimes when I think through the list of our EBC family members that are going through deep water I get very sad. We always have a lot of people that are dealing with very tough stuff. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. If you’re anything like me when you need help you want it now!

This little verse reminds me that God is not simply a God that grants help. He grants help at just the right time. There is a great value in our suffering. In suffering we we grow more than at any other time. Suffering is exercise. God’s promise to provide well timed help is perfect. He promises not to allow more than we can handle, ever.

The truth is you can do more than you think you can. You can handle more than you think you can. As your focus moves from self to God your ability to show grace through difficulties increases exponentially. My guess is that as you think back through your walk with God you’ll notice that God has not only been faithful to help, he has been faithful to help at just the right time (which is almost never the time you wanted it!).

So let’s relax as much as we can in our difficulties. God is relentlessly faithful, and his help is well timed. You can trust that.

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As most of you know my family embarked on a road trip to Great Lakes Illinois late last week to see Jake. He graduated from Navy boot camp where he’s been since early March. We had very limited contact with him for the past two months so it was wonderful to spend some time together as a family. We were unprepared for how emotional it would be to see him. We were really unprepared for how emotional it would be to leave him again. But that is the way of life. Parenting is about launching and sometimes launching is very difficult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ride home was pretty quiet (except for my conversation with the Illinois State Trooper that wondered why I was speeding) and I was thinking about what Jake has been through. He entered the Navy on a Seal contract, which is by far the most rigorous program available. He was in a special division with other special ops recruits and he grew pretty close to those guys as they went through the experience together. Two difficulties came up for Jake that made his experience trying. First, he was thirty seconds too slow on the long run to meet SEAL standards. While he was more than fast enough for all other special ops programs the SEAL time was just beyond his reach. That meant that while other guys in his division got to rest he had to keep doing long runs hoping to meet the time. Every time he came up short the pressure got worse. Secondly he found out that he has some calcification in his left kidney that may predispose him to kidney stones, which would disqualify him from special ops. When Jake tried to re-classify to another special ops program he was not permitted. It was SEAL or out of the special ops division entirely. On the last day of boot camp for his division Jake was transferred out to another division of regular Navy recruits. The change was very difficult. Additionally he was not given choice as to what his new job would be. The Navy told him he was going to become a medic because his test scores indicated he could do the training. To make matters worse, he is on “hold” at boot camp until a new class of medics begins. That means he’ll do whatever they tell him to do while living in boot camp barracks for as long as it takes.

You get the picture. I’m a dad, and my son is dealing with failure, loneliness, stress and frustration. He has to deal with it alone because we can’t have regular contact with him.

The good news is this. Jake is OK. He’s not jumping up and down, but he’s OK. Jake understands that life is a journey full of detours. He knows that nothing that really matters about him is at stake. He knows that control is a myth and his job is to choose to respond well, with truth. Jake knows that happiness depends on knowing who he is and from where his identity comes. The truth is that every day when he wakes up, even in these circumstances, his toughest problem has been solved. He is free to experience the day regardless of what the day may hold. He knows that God is in control and He is laying the foundation for what comes.

Jake learned how to be happy when he learned that happiness can’t depend on circumstances. Happiness has got to depend on something outside of yourself that isn’t subject to the whims of any man. Your only option for lasting joy, happiness and contentment is your walk with God.

Parents, teach your kids to be happy.

Update Friday May 9: For those of you that want to know of Jake’s progress. He was able to call last night. He learned this week that the calcification of his kidney disqualifies him for any job in the Navy. Apparently there was a paperwork snafu in the medical office in that Jake actually shouldn’t have been given a contract in the first place. It’s hard to know how he only found out about this after completing boot camp, but sometimes things happen that way. Since Jake is contracted he has to go through a process to potentially waive the medical issue so he can stay in the Navy (at least that is what they say right now). He needs a urologist to do that process. Unfortunately the Urologist is on leave until June. Jake is set to see him on June 3rd. Between now and then Jake will have to wait at boot camp in a temporary hold unit. If he gets the waiver he will move on to medic school and stay in the Navy. If he does not get the waiver he will be separated from the Navy. I’m thankful that Jake knows how to be happy. I’m profoundly grateful for a relentlessly faithful God that is worthy of happiness in all circumstances.

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EBC has been on a great ride. By God’s grace our church family has more than doubled in the past several years. This year on Easter we had more than 800 people in attendance. People are coming to a saving relationship with Jesus and growing in him. All of that is super. However, it would be a great mistake to assume that somehow we’ve “arrived” as a church. In fact, all we’ve been doing so far is building a foundation from which to ramp up our efforts at “honoring God by moving people from mere belief in God to a passionate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.”

We have some new mountains to climb together if we’re going to enjoy increased and ongoing fruit for God’s glory. Our elders have spent the last few months praying and thinking through what our key objectives need to be as we move forward.

While this process is still very much in motion, a few things are bubbling to the top. First we need to do a much better job at moving people along toward Christ-like maturity. That means several things from becoming a more welcoming church for those who come investigating the faith to completely redesigning our adult education so that there are effective options for everyone to move forward through learning. It also means that we have to ramp up our small groups so that everyone who desires to be in a small group has that opportunity. We’ve gotten some good advice encouraging us to establish baby steps for those who are unchurched so they don’t feel overwhelmed trying to assimilate into established groups and classes.

The other key area that seems to be bubbling to the surface is our stewardship. We have a mortgage on our facility and our elders are working through what it would mean for us to be a debt free, faith dependent body. How do we become debt free while maintaining our facility and expanding ministry? What a great mountain to climb!

These are exciting times at the Chapel. God has been so very gracious to us in allowing us fruitful ministry for Him. But  we are just getting started! Our church family needs to grapple with what our next key objectives need to be and then work together to accomplish them for God’s glory.  I’m excited about the opportunity to move forward for the cause. I hope you’ll pray and participate in the discussion with us, and then roll up your sleeves and put your shoulder to the plow.

I believe with all my heart that the best days for EBC are yet ahead. Yeah God!

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