As I pen this blog, our church family is wrapping up our annual vacation Bible school (VBS).  Tonight, we will celebrate the week with parents and children, and tomorrow will be our last day.  Over the course of the past week, children ages 3-14 have descended onto our church and have spent their mornings engaging in Bible stories, music, crafts, missions, recreation, and snacks, all with the purpose of drawing closer to the Lord.  Kids are being exposed to the Good News of Jesus Christ, and at the time I write this, we have raised over 75 lbs. of coins, all of which will go to support the efforts of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home.  Of all the events we host, VBS is definitely one of my favorites.  I love getting to know the kids and getting to see their excitement and energy up close.  It is absolutely infectious.  I also love to see them wrestling with the things of God.  They ask such challenging questions.  One asked me whether or not I thought animals go to Heaven.  Another asked me about the roles of God the Father and God the Son in relation to the Trinity.  Yet another asked me about the nature of the virgin birth of Christ.  All of these questions came from kids that were under 11 years old.  Are you serious?  It has been such fun to watch how God has worked on them this week and drawn them to Himself, and I look forward to watching what He does next in their lives.  All that to say, while this has certainly been a tiring week, it is bittersweet to see it end.

As I think about VBS this week, and as I ponder the spiritual condition of my own children, the words of Proverbs 22:6 continue to ring in my head:

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (NIV)

I can’t help but thinking that, for many of the kids that attended VBS this week, we were the only glimpse of Jesus that they are ever going to see.  Many of them do not attend church on a regular basis, if ever, and so for them, this exposure to Christ was it for them.  How sad.  That also makes our mission that much more critical.  We have to make our time with them count.  It also got me thinking about the fact that we as parents are the ones that are ultimately responsible for the spiritual education of our children.  All too often parents depend on the church to give their kids a spiritual foundation.  Can I tell you something?  That won’t work.  Certainly, the church has a role, and pastors and teachers are important figures in building a solid spiritual foundation for our kids.  However, parents, it’s ultimately up to us.  We are the ones that are with our children more than anyone else.  It takes a model of consistency to foster spiritual development.  It is not enough for children to attend church two hours a week and expect them to have a solid understanding much less a personal relationship with Christ.

So, what are we as parents supposed to do?  I think this verse says it all.  We need to train our children.  In this passage, training implies consistency.  It implies a long-term commitment to something.  Most of you know me well enough to know of my deep love for LSU athletics, particularly the football program.  In order to be a perennial top-10 team that is constantly competing for a national championship, it takes commitment, dedication, lots of long hours, and incredible amounts of sweat, blood, and even maybe tears.  To be the best, it requires a maximum effort.  So why in the world would we put anything less than a maximum effort into the spiritual education of our children.  Would the Tigers be worth watching if they practiced for two hours one day a week?  Of course not.  So why do we think it’s acceptable to do that with our children’s spiritual future.  If we truly believe that making a decision to follow Christ is the most important decision anyone will ever make, what are we doing now to get our children ready to make that decision?  Are we training them consistently?  I’m not talking about simply taking them to church?  Most of us pray for our kids, but do you pray with your kids?  Do you read the Bible with your kids?  Do you sing songs of worship with your kids?  Doing all of those things on a regular basis is our training, and it is laying a groundwork for the future.  This verse says that when our kids are old, they won’t depart from the truth.  They will remember their training.  True, they might stray.  However, they will eventually return. 

So, are you training your kids, or are you leaving that responsibility to others?  Remember, they see you more than anyone else.  Let’s make that time count for something that has eternal consequences.  Let’s make sure that when the time comes our precious children are ready to make the most important decision of their lives.  It’s Training Day.  Are you ready?

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP

This has been a tough week, in that I have had two funerals this week for families that I love dearly.  Funerals are often difficult because you are often looked to as having the right answer.  You are expected to say just the right thing.  Sometimes it seems as though you are walking on eggshells because you feel like you don’t know what to say or you can’t be enough of a comfort to the family.  I have often felt like that too, but can I share a lesson with you that I learned a long time ago?  Sometimes you don’t have to say anything at all. 

This is often a difficult lesson to learn.  As a pastor, it is very hard to know when to speak and when to remain silent, but I’ve realized that often, the most important ministry to the grieving is the ministry of presence.  Just the fact that you are there can bring tremendous comfort to a family.  Jesus Himself demonstrated this ministry of presence in the Biblical account of the death of His friend, Lazarus.  The Gospel of John records this story in chapter 11.  Upon hearing of his dear friend Lazarus’ death, Jesus went straight to Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  ‘Where have you laid him?’, He asked.  ‘Come and see, Lord,” they replied.  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!” (John 11:33-36)

Of all people, Jesus could have whispered comforting words, provided an appropriate sermon or devotional thought, or even given a theological explanation of the nature of death.  But He didn’t.  Instead, Jesus said nothing.  On the contrary, Jesus wept. These two short words represent the shortest verse in the entire Bible.  They also represent one of the most profound and moving verses as well. Scripture says that He was moved in sprit and troubled.  That tells me that He was moved with compassion upon seeing Mary weeping.  Jesus simply made Himself available and cried with the bereaved. 

Perhaps we can take a page out of Jesus’ playbook.  We don’t have always have to say the right thing. We just need to be present, to be available.  This is not to say that we should never say anything.  There are moments when the grieving need to hear comforting words, and in those moments, we must pray for discernment and wisdom in exactly what to say as well as what not to say.  We have all likely seen the list of things not to say to those who are grieving.  There is a reason that such a list exists.  All too often, well intentioned people say insensitive things in an ill-advised attempt to comfort the hurting.  Let’s not do that.  If we are going to speak, let’s speak love, and let’s do it with sensitivity and caution. 

So, here’s the thing.  There are those in your church family that are hurting and grieving right now.  Perhaps you know others in different settings that are also hurting.  What are you doing about it?  Are you present in their lives?  Are you available?  Or are you consumed about tripping over your words or saying something insensitive?  Let me encourage you to practice the ministry of presence, just like Jesus did.  Remember, you don’t have to be profound.  You just have to be present.

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP

As you remember, we celebrated Memorial Day earlier this week.  Now for most of us, Memorial Day means a day off of work, grilling out with family and friends, swimming, and a fun kickoff to the summer months.  But for many others, Memorial Day is anything but fun.  It is a stark, painful reminder of the loss that they have endured.  For these people, Memorial Day is filled with tears, heartache, and regret. 

The observance of this holiday was originally known as Decoration Day and started in 1868, about three years after the start of the Civil War.  It was established as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers.  By the time the 20^th century rolled around, Union and Confederate holiday traditions that were originally celebrated on different days had merged, the result being that Memorial Day would serve as a day to honor all Americans who died while serving in the military.

I am ashamed to say that I was one of those people that always viewed Memorial Day as a day off of work.  But this year was different.  I was gripped with a sense of gratitude as I looked around at people that I know and love that were and are grappling with their loss.  I was overcome with a sense of immense thankfulness at the fact that people died in order to secure my freedom to be able to grill out and hang with my family on that day.  While I was playing with my kids, I was acutely aware of the grim fact that there were those children who longed to play with their mommies and daddies again but would not.  My freedom was bought with a price.

In the same way, my spiritual freedom was bought with a price as well.  Because of the redeeming and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, I have eternal freedom.  The apostle Paul said it well in Galatians 5:1 (NIV): “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  In other words, Christ died a death that He did not deserve in order to secure my eternal freedom.  This means that through His power working in my life, the chains of slavery and bondage have been broken.  I am a new creature through Him and am no longer held prisoner to the trappings of this world. 

Because I have my freedom through my decision to follow Jesus Christ, I am called to leave the things of my sinful nature behind.  Paul warns against using our freedom in Christ to return to the things of this world in the thirteenth verse of Galatians 5: “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  Because I am a new creation, I am called to live a new life-one that is focused on love and service to others. 

I am so thankful for those who died so that I can enjoy my freedoms in this most wonderful country.  I am even more thankful that Christ died so that I can have full freedom from sin and death.  Because of those freedoms, I am committed to live my life in such a way that others might see my gratitude.  I never want to take my freedom for granted.

What about you?  Have you found true freedom in Christ?  Are you living your life in gratitude for that freedom or are you taking it for granted?  Let’s not play around with our freedom.  Let’s remember that Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice because of His immense love for us.  Let’s live lives that point others to seeking and finding that true freedom in Him.

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP

This coming Sunday, we are beginning an in-depth study of various world religions and cults.  I am so excited about this study, as it is one that is so important, particularly in this day and age.  There is no question that we are living in a spiritual world.  People are desperately seeking sustenance to satisfy their spiritual longings, and it doesn’t really matter how they get it just as long as they get it and it makes some kind of sense to them.  I kind of liken it to a mirage.  People are so hungry for the spiritual realm that they will wander around in the desert to what they think is water and when they finally realize that it is not water but sand, they will bend down and eat the sand anyway in the hopes that it will satisfy them.  The result is a cafeteria-like buffet of religious options, allowing people to pick and choose what sounds good to them and what makes them comfortable.  The problem with this rationale is that, as Christians, we know that the sand will not satisfy folks.  They will continue to be hungry.  But they will continue to seek, and that provides us with a unique opportunity. 

As Christians, we have an obligation to point people to the truth that can change lives.  It is not optional for us.  It is our duty.  The illusionist Penn Jillette, who is an avowed atheist, tells a story of an encounter with a fan after one of his shows.  The fan approached Penn and gave him a pocket-sized Bible.  Penn said that the man was sincerely nice and genuine in his approach, and he also said that he believes that the man knew that Penn is an atheist.  Penn went on to say that he still believes that there is no God and that religion had done a lot of bad things.  However, he has no respect for those who do not proselytize.  “If you believe that there is a Heaven and Hell and people could be going to Hell or not getting eternal life and you think ‘well, it’s not really worth telling them because it would make it socially awkward’….how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?  How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”  Wow!  What an indictment upon Christians. 

So that made me think.  If we have the truth that can change lives, and if we are called to share that truth, not only do we need to know what the Bible says and what we really believe, we must know what others believe as well.  Gone are the days of handing a pamphlet to someone about the Bible and saying “Read this.  Have a great day.”  We are going to have to invest and build relationships with people.  It is going to take time.  You must get to know them and what they believe so that you can effectively dialogue and engage them with the truth, which is the Word of God.

In this study, we are going to take a look at the beliefs and doctrines of various major world religions.  We are also going to look at cults-what they are and how to combat them.  Why is this important?  The Bible says in Matthew 7:15, “Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (NIV).   In other words, these various world religions and cults will seem appealing and enticing to people on the outside, but inwardly, they will destroy and corrupt.  It is up to us as believers to make people aware of this and to share with them the truth that can change their lives for the better.

So how is your heart?  Is it full of love for others?  Do you have a desire to share the truth?  Or is it full of hate and indifference?  Come join us beginning this Sunday evening at 5:30 so that we can begin to learn how to truly engage people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hope to see you here!

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP

I just got back from a week-long cruise.  It was a wonderful getaway-a rare week with just me and Lacie.  No kids.  No meetings.  No phone calls.  It provided me a unique and much needed opportunity to recharge and refuel.  I spent a great deal of time in prayer and meditation about the work that lay ahead.  It allowed me to refocus on why I do what I do as well as whom I truly serve.  Sometimes, we get so busy “doing” that we forget exactly why we’re doing it in the first place and whom we are doing it for.  In other words, if you’re not careful, it is entirely busy to do the Lord’s work and be spiritually empty while doing it.  It’s kind of like being on a hamster wheel.  The hamster keeps going around and around on the wheel in a seemingly endless cycle because that is what it knows to do.  This cycle leads to a spiritual rut.

A verse that I’ve been focusing on a lot lately is Exodus 33:14.  “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’”. This comes from the Biblical account of Moses’ encounter with the glory of the Lord.  Moses was growing weary of leading the Israelites.  You will remember that they weren’t exactly an easy bunch to lead.  They were temperamental and spiritually shallow.  The Lord kept telling Moses to lead His people, but Moses was getting tired and wanted to know who would be going with them.  This led to the Lord’s profound declaration that He Himself would be present with them and would provide the rest and recharge that they needed to keep going.  Later on in this account, the Lord tells Moses that He will do this because He is pleased with Moses and even knows Him by name.  What a comforting thought that is!  The Creator of the Universe will give us the rest that we so desperately need because He knows us by name!  Wow!  This verse has refocused me, reminding me to allow His presence to accompany me in every aspect of my life.  I don’t want to get so busy doing the Lord’s work that I fail to walk with Him and find rest in His presence. 

Are you weary?  Do you need to recharge?  Do you need rest?  Look for the Lord.  Allow Him to walk with you.  Find comfort and peace in his presence and never forget why you do what you do and who it is that you truly serve.

Until Next Week,

Pastor JP