*I feel a need to put a preface in place to ensure that all the readers know that I am a flawed man as well. It is not my standard that I stand upon but God’s. I fall short every day that is why I am so thankful for JESUS!

I love lions, as far back as I can remember I have always been mesmerized by them on TV, magazines, and in the movies. I think it is their size, power, and their abilities as a top predator in their environment that I love so much. They demand respect and if you do not think so, then go hear one roar in person, it is quite humbling and intimidating. You realize very quickly how grateful you are that you are in a zoo, or a reserve, and not the African plain where you as a human are no longer atop the food chain. I think that it is one of the most majestic animals that God created.

Matter of fact, the minor prophet Hosea tells us this:
Hosea 11:10-11
¹⁰ They shall go after the Lord;
    he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
    his children shall come trembling from the west;
¹¹ they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
    and like doves from the land of Assyria,
    and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

Did you catch the power and might of His roar? It so impacted those who heard it that even though they were wayward they turned back and came home trembling. Now I would say that is a bold roar, wouldn’t you?

Well, the past few weeks the Lord has not allowed me to rest on a subject within the Church and hence I am bringing a second challenge. For whatever reason, the Lord has put scripture, articles, books, videos in front of me that is continually challenging what the modern church looks like today. It is like a roar to me that I cannot let go of, and believe me in some ways, I wish I could because it causes me a lot of frustration. I see things in scripture that do not match what we as the Church look like and it does not make sense.

So here it is the second challenge which is specifically for the CHURCH (true believers, not a brick building): Be a LION, be the CHURCH that CHRIST died for!

We as the CHURCH have given away things that are our responsibility. We have allowed goats* (Matthew 25:31-46) to dictate the CHURCH’s direction and to run ministries which have, in turn, silenced our true voice. We have allowed false teaching and cultural trends to dictate what our services and worship looks like. We have allowed our voice and worse God’s Word to be removed from our places of education, our courtrooms, and in some cases our places of worship. Now before I give you an example understand that I am standing upon God’s standards because mine are indeed flawed. I am using scripture as contextually accurate as I can and with the belief that the Holy Spirit will cover my failures. So if this sounds judgemental then it probably is and that is one of the other issues that we will get back to in a second.

So here are a few examples. Many scholars, professors, and economists, smarter than I; have said that during the great depression the “New Deal” was crafted by the government due to the decline and lack of charitable work that the church was doing. Meaning you can correlate the welfare system today to the lack of work that the church was doing for the needy, homeless, orphaned, etc.. In doing this we have allowed some people to become dependent upon the government, and this has turned the government into the one who “saves” and provides for them. Therefore robbing the CHURCH the opportunity to share about the true provider and savior. Another example is that we have allowed the skill and talent of man to overshadow the calling of God. We have men in leadership that are not called by God but are gifted men with smooth voices, or musical talent, or business savvy, and this leads to cultural influence and a slow fade away from the things that God has called HIS CHURCH to be. And there are several more examples, but I will move on for the sake of time.

So as we think about the challenge what does it mean to be BOLD? Take a moment and read the scripture below:

Acts 4:29
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

2 Corinthians 3:12 (NASB)
12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,

Acts 14:3
3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.

Acts 19:8
8 And he (Paul) entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

So here is where we are today, we have allowed our culture and social media to dictate what we say and how we say. Yet, we see from the example in Acts that Paul went into his culture’s place of worship and argued using God’s Word to persuade those that would listen about the Kingdom of God. But in our culture, we are conditioned to keep quiet and not be offensive. And I get it; if you are in the public eye at all this culture will persecute you by looking 15 years in the past at a tweet, or by classifying you as a bigot for any disagreement, or one that is judgemental if you voice anything contrary to how others live. But scripture is clear we have been charged by God to be BOLD and declare HIS Glory! We are to stand upon HIS principles, HIS character, HIS righteousness, using HIS Word to call sin exactly what it is.

Proverbs 28:1 (ESV)
28 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Ephesians 5:11 (ESV)
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

And we are to do it humbly with the knowledge that it is not our own righteousness that God looks upon but HIS SON’s. CHURCH stop just brushing off those that are offensive to the GOSPEL and start speaking up, whether they sit in the pew beside you or just follow you on social media. Sure you will upset people, but that does not change the truth of SCRIPTURE. If someone is angered by a mirror that is held up in front of them and they accuse you of being divisive or offensive remind them that it is God’s standard, not yours and that HE is calling for repentance and will cover that SIN with the blood of HIS only SON.

Now this requires several things on our part as the CHURCH, we have to know scripture, we have to understand it contextually. Remember that when JESUS was tempted in the desert not only did HE defeat Satan but HE used scripture to do so. The only way to reach those that are against GOD or against Scripture, or against those of us that are the CHURCH is to use GOD’s WORD and then let the HOLY SPIRIT work. This is not an easy challenge and it is possible that you will lose connections and friends but ultimately we must GLORIFY GOD with our heart, actions, words, and our confrontations.

* goats= people that attend church but are not part of HIS true CHURCH (God’s Sheep)

Proverbs 13:20
²⁰ He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Can you think back to when you were a little child and were on the playground and someone would come running up and ask a question so fast that you said; “What?” And this retort sent those asking running off laughing and you stood confused. Well, the point of that game is to say something in such a way that no matter which way you respond; you look as if you are what they said you were. For example, someone runs up and says “Idiot say what!” real fast and you were not sure what they said so you say, “What?”. Hence answering the question affirmative that you are an idiot.

Well, this little game has continued due to the nature of social media in our culture today. A vast majority of people feel extremely confident behind the keyboard but would never take the time to have a confidential, behind closed doors, conversation about what they believe or better yet challenge you on what you believe. You see when you have a conversation face to face it might be possible for someone to challenge what you’re saying and this will impact your ability to say you believe something if you are unable to articulate that accurately. So this typically means that the most egregious offenders are so often the ones that are the least informed and they become the loudest and often the biggest bullies around.

Let me give you an example. Most people that would use the term “Bible Thumper” to criticize or chastise people typically do not even have a clue what the Word of God says; they just have some association between hypocrisy and religion due to probably something or someone in their past which claimed to be a Christian and harmed them in some way.

So that being said here I am, a man that has sinned and has fallen short in many ways, choosing to spend every day trying to live a life that is honoring to the Almighty God. I study my Bible and try to understand every word. I study the original meanings of the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew text to make sure that I understand contextually what it is trying to say. I would consider myself a man that is educated but I also understand that someone always knows more and so life is about constant learning. I am that man that decided for me and my home we are going to turn off the tv during the Superbowl half-time show (truthfully my 14-year son beat me to the remote because he has been trained to look for the good and evaluate what meets God standard and what does not). I did not sit on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter announcing my displeasure or disgust of the halftime antics, I just made a decision based upon my beliefs what would be best and then acted upon that decision. I did not choose to post about those that sat and watched the half-time show in support of it and claim that they were pagan sinful people worthy of Sodom and Gomorrah’s judgment.

But then again I grew up before social media, in a time where your words could unite people or they could start a riot. If you ran your mouth and were out of line the potential for someone to take offense and attempt to correct your thoughts physically was all too possible. We have lost respect for others and their beliefs in the age of social media. And instead of mature older generations teaching the younger how to act and putting their foot in someone’s behind when they get out of line. We have resorted to letting the younger generation teach the older on how to act on social media. So I have a challenge for you all and your social media if you are over the age of 30 and it is this: Next time you are on social media and getting ready to post something that might be offensive to those that try to live a life based upon the Word of God please contact me and we can sit down privately and discuss your thoughts and beliefs and what Gods Word would truly say before you make yourself look like a hypocritical intolerant secular thumper!

Pastor Tyler

Make sure that you tune into tomorrow for part 2 on The Church and our responsibility in all of this craziness.

Parents, let’s have a come to Jesus moment, shall we?

“You know what makes me sick to my stomach? When I hear grown people say that kids have changed. Kids haven’t changed. Kids don’t know anything about anything. We’ve changed as adults. We demand less of kids. We expect less of kids. We make their lives easier instead of preparing them for what life is truly about. We’re the ones that have changed.” -Frank Martin S.C. Head Basketball Coach

I read this quote the other day and I found that it scratched an itch of mine that tends to bring up much irritation in my mind. This quote was by a gentleman that spends his life trying to get young adults to perform at a high level and is then judged by their performance for his annual review. It stands to reason then that the character of the young adults that he recruits every year might matter to him and that he might be a skilled craftsman at evaluating that said character especially after 26 years in the industry. Then with that assumption in mind, it would also stand to reason that he can identify trends in our society within that particular focus. Now, I am saying that he is James Dobson with “Focus on the Family” and has all the answers to our parenting miscues, no. However, I am saying I bet he can identify the type of young adult that he wants in his program regardless of their athletic skill set and the type of parenting that supports it.

As a baseball coach I see all types of parents, from many different teams, but inevitably every team has a set of parents who are far too into their kid’s athletic career and probably even more so than their own athlete is. Parents are willing to go to great lengths to make sure that their kid makes the team (whichever one that is that they deem valuable) including defending their poor performance at try-outs. Explaining why the athlete has not done any work at home outside of practice, and I could go on and on. But ultimately this points to a parenting issue, I know that is hard to hear, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I also know that you’re just trying to protect Sally or Billy because you want them to have the greatest childhood and to be successful so that one day they are going to turn around and give you the greatest parent award. But ultimately that is not about Billy or Sally and what is best for them. That is about you and quite frankly, it is selfish. Because that is about you being proud of you and being able to tell your co-worker that your son or daughter made this team or received that reward.

Our job as parents is to teach them how to navigate this life without us. My parents never discussed my playing time, field position, or jersey number with my high school coach. In fact, I don’t think they ever even talked to my college coach after my recruitment period was over. A parents job is to teach, plain and simple. If you’re a parent then you’re a teacher and you’re teaching your child every day with your attitude, actions, skills, and don’t forget your reactions. If we react to our child falling down with cuddles, kisses, and band-aids when they are 1-year old that is fine, but when they are 8 years old probably not. That is an opportunity to discuss the words “injury vs. hurt” and provide the understanding when you’re injured you go to the hospital, but when your hurt you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, you wipe away anything that might have possibly resembled a tear and then you try again.

I cannot tell you the number of kids I see on weekends crying because they hit a pop-up or grounded out. This is really sad because in real life you cannot hit the reset button and start the game over just because it didn’t go your way! And if you think as a parent that Sally or Billy hitting a ground ball to the second baseman and getting thrown out by 30 feet is hard on her or him, then real life is going to crush your kid. Ultimately this world is not fair, it is not wanting your kid to be successful, they have to work hard for that to happen and the only way they can learn that is to be taught.

They have to see the realities of life and that you work hard in everything you do. They have to understand that we all live under authority and that we can’t always control what happens to us but we can control our reaction to it. That ultimately our response to situations in life is what matters the most not necessarily always the end result. We need to stop giving out the proverbial participation trophy and start teaching our children that just showing up doesn’t deserve a reward. If you want something then you have to go get it and to teach our children any differently is to set them up for failure and your reward will be them living in the basement wearing a Batman costume at 30. Let your child fail and let them learn from it. Teach them scripture and walk every day with them teaching diligently, as our ultimate authority has directed us as parents to do.

American culture is teaching children to be soft, weak, and entitled. This is an everyday battle for your children’s lives and us as parents cannot be lazy and allow the iPad or T.V. to teach them how to live.

P. T.

Sometimes I look at this world and I get so angry at what we have become.  And as I write this know that it is with a tear and a fist held in anthem.  It is not anger at anyone but anger at some and what has become so culturally grown.  Where because of this world and our failures we have become sinfully bound. We are weak and should be ashamed because that is how we sound:  Ashamed of the Gospel, ashamed to be truthful, ashamed to be open and ashamed to be human.   We hide behind our names and consider that worthy and that God should be grateful.

Well I don’t want to live my life that way.  I don’t want to build walls and hills to hide my shame and guilt.  I don’t want to appear to have it together cause I just need Jesus the one and only Savior.

Now the world tells us that we don’t need Him.  That its good enough to just love your own kin and all your freedoms.  We have addictions and struggles and the world does nothing but evolve them.  We have believers that fall and don’t know how to rise up again, so they hide and pray that no one will find them.  All the while believing that God somehow will mistake them.

Well that is not the legacy that I choose to have follow me, see I believe that Jesus broke the chains of slavery. I wanna be bold and live a life that honors, one that my son and daughters can see and that points them to the Victory. A life that reflects the true source of hope and mercy, not one that speaks of idols, greed, and heresy.

So let me put action where my mouth is, cause that is how He says that they will know I’m His. Let me be true with my failures, who they hurt and what depths I fell too. Let me love on those that are unlovable and help those that are broken.

With this vapor of a breath that God gave me I pray that He will use me. I pray that this will be my legacy to point like an arrow to the one who redeemed me. The one who sacrificed it all without a doubt for those who are called.

So if you wonder where I stand I’ll tell you the truth. It’s on my knees at the feet of the man with nail scarred hands. You may say that’s crazy but my heart ain’t hazy. Its redeemed, made clean all by the Host of Hosts, The Lord of All, my Hero – Jesus.

–Tyler

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. (Psalm 32:9)

Picture God’s people as a farmyard of all sorts of animals. God cares for his animals, he shows them where they need to go, and supplies a barn for their protection.

But there is one beast on this animal farm that gives God an awful time, namely, the mule. He’s stupid and he’s stubborn and you can’t tell which comes first — stubbornness or stupidity.

Now the way God likes to get his animals into the barn for their food and shelter is by teaching them all a personal name and then calling them by name. “I will instruct you and teach you the way that you should go” (Psalm 32:8).

But the mule will not respond to that sort of direction. He is without understanding. So God gets in his pick-up truck and goes out in the field, puts the bit and bridle in the mule’s mouth, hitches it to the truck, and drags him stiff-legged and snorting all the way into the barn.

That is not the way God wants his animals to come to him for blessing.

One of these days it is going to be too late for that mule. He’s going to get clobbered with hail and struck by lightening and when he comes running the barn door is going to be shut.

Therefore, don’t be like the mule, but instead let everyone who is godly come to God in prayer at a time when he may be found (Psalm 32:6).

The way not to be a mule is to humble ourselves, to come to God in prayer, to confess our sins, and to accept, as needy little farmyard chicks, the direction of God into the barn of his protection.