This is normally the time that I would be writing something regarding last night's Bible Study that I left out, and I have been trying to put together a rational thought for longer than I care to admit, and sadly, I've failed.  See, since I woke up this morning at 7:20, all I can think about is tonight's game - no, not the Mizzou game, the Purdue-UCONN clash!  I'm nervous - after all, UCONN has been one of the best two or three teams in the country, and Purdue is, um... not.  So it's hard to be confident, but at the same time, it's hard NOT to get excited; after all, we're two wins away from the first Purdue Final Four of my life!

Some of you guys don't understand the sports thing.  I get it.  To some people, the idea of grown (or quasi-grown) men playing a game is assinine, and it's ridiculous that not only do some people watch these escapades, but some people are legitimately emotionally invested in the outcome.  To some, this is nothing short of pathetic, and I completely see where they (or you) are coming from.

I can't speak for everyone, but to me, sports mean a lot more than just a game.  See, as long as I can remember, the members of the Snyder family were Purdue Boilermaker fans, and I'm the only member of my immediate family that never attended the school.  And some of my earliest memories, ever, are at Mackey Arena watching Purdue.  Therefore, watching the Boilermaker basketball team (and to a lesser degree, football) is as much a part of who I am as it is something I do.  As much as love being in Missouri and Ashland (and I do - I really, really do), there's a piece of home in every Purdue basketball game: watching makes me twelve years old again, sitting by my dad and hoping the Boilers don't blow it.

More than just a game or a win, watching Purdue is as much about the relationships that sports are a part of as anything else.  I may not talk to my oldest brother for a month or two, but I can promise we'll be texting tonight.  And there are people back home that I haven't seen in years, but we all share a common bond - this game tonight.  Sports are like that - they are a commonality between people who are nothing alike, and they bring people together who would otherwise never communicate at all.

Most of all, I want Purdue to get two more wins this weekend for my Dad.  My Dad is, without a doubt, my best friend in the world, and I have seen him emotionally destroyed by this Purdue team time and time again.  I remember the 1994 Elite Eight like it was yesterday - Purdue had the best player in the country, and the best shot in my lifetime at being in the Final Four.  Unfortunately, the Duke Blue Devils had a pretty good team as well, and I ended up crushed.  This Purdue team is the best they've had since then, and they've got a legitimate shot at being the first team in my life to be in the Final Four.

I guess at the end of the day, I haven't defended myself very well.  Maybe I am ridiculous, and maybe there's something deficient in my intellect for caring so much about a game.  But even if that's true, here in about seven hours, I'm going to be feeling one of two emotions: pure, unbridled joy, or that same crushing disappointment I felt fifteen years ago.

And in case you're thinking, 'why did I just waste my time reading that drivol?' this is for you - it's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!  Enjoy!

At the end of January, I posted on this blog a fantastic quote by Tony Dungy, the former coach of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts.  I then said that you would be hearing more from him in the ‘near future,’ and up to now, I have not made good on that claim.  So, loyal blog reader, the ‘near future’ is here! 

In his book, Quiet Strength, Dungy describes a practice that he carried out before every season: he laid out the basic principles for what his team was going to do.  These principles - forcing turnovers, limiting big plays, etc., as well as how they would achieve them, became the cornerstone for every Dungy-coached team.  Win or lose, they were going to play based on those practices and goals.  Obviously, the strategy worked at times, as Dungy led the Colts to a Super Bowl victory in 2007.  Often, though, they did not - after all, he was fired in Tampa Bay after failing time and time again in the playoffs.  No matter what, though, in success or failure, as Dungy said, ‘we do what we do.’  Their principles would not change, because their principles were sound, regardless of the results. 

I think Dungy’s attitude is a reflection of Jesus’ - living and acting according to specific principles and goals no matter what the consequences.  Obviously, if you were to categorize the earthly ministry as either a ‘success’ or a ‘failure,’ the fact that I’m writing this and you’re reading it two thousand years after the fact should say it all.  Jesus WAS wildly popular, and His teachings have been lived out in His followers ever since.  But, as we discussed Sunday, there were times and places where what He did and how He did it simply didn’t work.  Nazareth was one of those places.  Because of their familiarity with His life, they simply could not accept that there was something eternally significant about Jesus.  They saw Him as a humble, blue-collar, uneducated carpenter who might have been a heck of a nice guy, but was certainly not God in the flesh.   

Their rejection, I’m convinced, hurt Jesus deeply.  After all, these were the people He grew up with, people He had looked up to and respected.  These were friends and extended family members, teachers and mentors and ‘good ole’ boys’ that He had known all His life.  If Jesus were going to redeem mankind, you’d think He’d have a special place in His heart for the neck of the woods He’d run around in all His life.  And yet, for all His trying, even though they were given more than one chance, they would have no part in God’s Kingdom if it meant they had to accept Jesus as their Messiah and Lord. 

I may be young, but it doesn’t take long to learn that for all the successes of the church, there are, inevitably, failures.  For every person who decides to give their lives to Jesus and accept eternal life, there are two or three who say, ‘no thanks.’  For every Sunday where you can’t find a seat or a parking space because there seem to be people spontaneously coming out of the woodwork, there are Sundays where ACC looks like a ghost town.  For every person who’s significantly impacted by a particular sermon or lesson, there’s someone else who’s offended or hurt by something they perceive, rightly or wrongly.  The fact is that if Jesus had up days and down days, then we will too, and a big determination as to whether a church will succeed or fail over a long period of time is how they will deal with the rollercoaster effect of ministry.  It’s up to each of us, individually, to decide how we will deal with the fact that we are all pretty terrible at following Jesus at one time or another (or, in my case, most of the time!). 

The best way, I think, to deal is to follow Dungy’s advice: ‘do what we do.’  At Ashland Christian Church, our goal is to ‘Connect, Call and Cultivate,’ and that’s no accident - we believe that this is what God, through His word, has taught that the church should adopt as its mission and method.  The principles that we operate under are sound, no matter how well they’re conveyed or received on any given day.  Some days it’ll seem like we can do no wrong, while others it’ll seem like we should have stayed in bed; but regardless, the mission and the method is right. 

Jesus did what He did, because His mission was too important to compromise.  And guess what?  His mission became our mission, and it is still too important to compromise.  Jesus took joy from His successes, and He experienced profound hurt from His failures; as His followers, we can expect nothing more or less than what He experienced.  No matter what, though, there’s only one thing we can do, in good times and in bad: 

Do what we do.

During our second week of our Bible study on the book of Genesis, we talked at length about what it means that mankind is made ‘in God’s image.’  We talked a lot about what unique attributes you and I share with God, and one of those was that we have the ability to reason.  We have the ability to use common sense and logic to come to the truth in difficult situations.  Well, it’s time to use that logic, common sense and reason to answer a difficult question from last night’s lesson. 

Here’s what was said: on the first day, we’re told that God created light, and while we were discussing just what that meant, someone had a fantastic observation and question - since Jesus is called the ‘light of the world,’ (see John 8:12),then could this be the day God created Jesus?  To follow up, someone then asked what it means that Jesus is called the ‘firstborn’ of all creation (see Colossians 1:15), and if a harmonizing of these three passages could lead us to believe that Jesus is a created being by God. To answer that question, we need to point out three facts:            

* Fact #1 - Jesus is called the ‘firstborn’ of creation. 

We’ve already noticed this fact, but we also need to discuss the ramifications of it.  According to Webster’s Dictionary, ‘firstborn’ means, “first in the order of birth,” OR “a first result or product.”   To be a ‘product’ or a ‘result’ means that you would have to be created, and NOT eternal.  This leads us to our second fact… 

* Fact #2 - If Jesus is a created being, the Jesus CANNOT be God, since God is eternal. 

Among the many attributes that are uniquely God’s (omniscience, omnipotence, etc; see 1 Timothy 1:17), there is the fact that God is eternal - which means, according to Webster’s Dictionary, that He is ‘without beginning or end,’ and is ‘always existing.’  And that leads us to our third fact… 

* Fact #3 - Not only does Jesus claim to be God, but the Bible claims He is eternal. 

As we discussed, Sunday, Jesus clearly taught that was one and the same as God (see John 10:22-39), but more than that, we read Jesus talk about how He shared in God’s glory and was loved by God before the creation (John 17:5, 24).  Furthermore, we read that Jesus is the ‘Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and end’ (Revelation 1:8, 22:13), and He is compared to Melchezidek, who is said to have ‘no father or mother’ and no ‘beginning or end’ (Hebrews 7:3).  While all of these lead us to believe that Jesus is eternal, we are blatantly told as much in Micah 5:2, where the Messiah is said to be from ‘long ago, from the days of eternity.’ 

Now, if you take those three facts as true, and you try to harmonize them, you are left with three options:            

Option 1: We have the wrong definition for ‘eternal.’           
Option 2: We have the wrong definition for ‘firstborn.’
Option 3: We have the right definition for both, and therefore a contradiction in the Bible. 

I’m fairly certain that we have the correct definition for ‘eternal,’ and I could not be more hesitant to accept the third option, that the Bible has a contradiction.  So, let’s take a look at what we have called, ‘firstborn’: 

The Greek word translated ‘firstborn,’ here is protokos, and is a combination of the words ‘first’ and ‘to beget.’  It is used of Jesus to mean ‘first in the order of birth,’ in relation to His physical birth on earth (Luke 2:7), but this is NOT the normal, Biblical usage of the word.  In Exodus 4:22, we read about God’s relationship with Israel, and they are referred to as God’s ‘firstborn,’ despite the fact that they come much later on earth’s scene than many other nations, and we read that the church, in the New Covenant, are God’s ‘firstborn children’ who belong to heaven (Hebrews 12:23), even though there are, undoubtedly, Old Testament saints who belong to Heaven as well (Hebrews 11).  Clearly, you can be ‘firstborn,’ and it means something different than ‘first produced or created.’ 

What we need to understand is that to the Jewish culture, the son who is born first is the favored child of the family, the chief heir to all the familial wealth.  Therefore, to be the ‘firstborn,’ is more than just to be the oldest in the family - it is to have the highest position in relation to the father in the family.  So, to be called the ‘firstborn,’ is a compliment of the highest order, a reference to the supreme and exalted position in the family; and in this sense, it is possible for Jesus to be both eternal AND firstborn. 

The question, then, is simple - does the context support this interpretation?  As we look at the first chapter of Colossians, the point is that the church at Colossae should seek to live a life to please Jesus instead of a life pleasing the world around them (verse 12).  To support this instruction (to live for Jesus), the Apostle Paul explains all that sets Jesus apart from anyone else we could follow: He is in charge of God’s kingdom (verse 13) and He is the source of the forgiveness of our sins (verse 14). It is through Him and for Him that everything in heaven and on earth was created (verse 16), He is the one who holds everything together (verse 17), and He is the head of the church (verse 18).  And yes, He is the ‘first-born’ of the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything (verse 18).  It’s important to note, however, one huge, important fact: Jesus was NOT the first person to be resurrection from the dead!  Jesus Himself brought Lazarus back from the dead after four days (John 11), and so if Jesus is the ‘first-born’ of the dead, it MUST be a positional description, NOT a chronological one.  Therefore, Jesus is the firstborn of God - meaning He is the favored being over all others, which is because He Himself is God. 

The thrust of Colossians 1:15 is in the position that Jesus has - He is the highest and most exalted being that we can follow.  The passage as a whole does nothing to contradict Jesus’ divinity, but instead, supports the idea that Jesus is God.  When we use the reasoning abilities and revealed information that God gave us, it is clear that we can worship Jesus with confidence, knowing that not only are we worshipping God’s Son, but we are worshipping God Himself!

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING BLOG POST CONTAINS INFORMATION OF A SENSITIVE NATURE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE EYES OF CHILDREN.     






This past Sunday, we showed what was, perhaps, my favorite video introduction that we’ve ever shown before a sermon.  In case you missed it, the video was called ‘Santa Claus,’ and it’s a 1950s piece of Mexican cinema where jolly old Saint Nick lives in space, hangs out with Merlin the Magician, forces children to work in his toy factory, and does battle with the devil.  As hilariously random as the clip was, and as beautifully as it led into our new series called ‘Which Jesus,’ there was one problem: how do I treat the comparison of a fictional character (Santa) with a historical one (Jesus)? 

The dilemma basically boils down to this: since Santa Claus is not real, the analogy of the mythology of Santa and the mythology of Jesus is a dangerous one.  On the one hand, I could choose to treat it as I did, and simply say that our choice as to whether or not to believe in Santa or Jesus should be based on the real account, and not a ridiculous story.  By doing this, however, I certainly keep open the possibility that Santa might be real (if, of course, the evidence leads us to that conclusion), which was done for one reason: to protect the innocence of whatever kid in the room still believes that Santa climbs down their chimney once a year to give them presents.  The problem is obvious – by comparing Santa and Jesus, I run the risk of giving people the impression that Jesus’ historical basis is in question.  On the other hand, I could have simply admitted the difference is that Santa is a fictional character and Jesus is not.  At that point, however, I run the obvious risk of causing a major tragedy in the life of an eight year old.  Having considered the dilemma, I could have either scrapped the Santa angle altogether and found a new illustration and video, or I could have done what I did and prayed I didn’t let anything slip.   

The fact is that I am constantly faced with these types of decisions.  On any given Sunday morning at Ashland Christian Church, we have between 110-130 people in attendance, and it’s a diverse group – there are long-time Christians, new Christians, young Christians, and old Christians.  On top of that, there’s the entire group of non-Christians, whom we have the charge of calling to a relationship with Jesus.  People come from different backgrounds and have different values and different ideas of what is ‘church appropriate’ and what is not, and it’s my job to present Biblical truth in a relevant, life changing way.  Unfortunately, not everyone agrees on what is and is not ‘relevant’ and ‘life-changing,’ and so it can be easy to be offended by a topic or choice of words or video clip or anything else that goes into one of my sermons.  This is an especially awkward subject when it comes to students who are too old for Children’s Church (third grade), but too young for the ‘Youth Group’ (seventh grade).   

The unfortunate truth is that in my position, if I spend all of my time worrying about making my sermons PG, I’ll miss the mark of Scripture – if you’ve spent any time reading God’s word, you’ll notice that it is in no way edited or censored, and taken as a whole, it’s not always a pretty picture.  There are accounts of rape and murder, mass genocide and adultery.  We read stories of demonic possession and satanic influence, of drunkenness and divorce and homosexuality and idolatry and unspeakable evil.  The Bible depicts real people living real life, and therefore, there are more ugly stories than there are beautiful ones – it’s just the nature of real life in this world. There are going to be times when I will soften the text, and there are going to be times that I will highlight a particularly ugly part.  No matter what I do, though, what I can promise is that my words have carefully and prayerfully been chosen for a specific purpose and specific audience.  As hard as it might be to believe, everything, including the silly videos, have a point. 

So, what should you, as a parent do?  Talk to your kids, and help them understand that there aren’t two worlds – the ‘church’ world and the ‘real’ world.  When we’re at church, we may talk about some semi-inappropriate things, but we will do so through a Biblical filter and with the goal of glorifying God in our lives.  Most of all, I humbly ask that you extend a little bit of grace to your preacher – I am rarely, if ever, talking primarily to children, and because of that, there are going to be times that you may have to shield your kids from a subject or topic.  That’s completely understandable.  I do hope, however, that the purpose and message does not get lost in translation for you. 

Our job is to Connect, Call and Cultivate, and if we’re going to do that, we’re going to have to be in and among the world around us.  Because of that, we may get our hands dirty from time to time, because that’s the world we live in.  At the end of the day, though, our goal is to allow Jesus Christ to mold and shape our character and actions into what He wants, and in doing so, live the type of lives that are not only glorifying to God, but are spiritually healthy for ourselves.  With that goal in mind, we’re going to journey together through God’s word, and we’re going to try to apply His wisdom to every area of our lives.  It’s not an easy task, but it’s worth it – even if it means there will be times that we run the risk of ruining Santa in the process. 

While I am by no means an expert on parenting, I do feel like I'm no stranger (most of the time, at least) to common sense.  And that's why this article bothered me to no end.

If you're not interested in reading it, it's an 'expert' opinion on raising children - namely, that you should teach your kids to break rules.  Why?  Well, as the writer says, the world isn't a perfect place, and to survive in it, people have to learn to adapt.  A couple of the rules are innocuous enough, but I was particularly irritated with three of the five:

- 'Sneak Snacks Into a Movie Theater': Or a baseball game.  Or a concert.  Or anywhere else that you think shouldn't charge you the prices they do.  In other words, if you don't like what someone charges for something, just completely disregard what's right and make up your own alternative solution!  And a whole new generation of internet piracy and tax evasion is born...

- 'Tell  A White Lie': Why?  Because telling the truth might hurt someone's feelings, and telling a lie may be essential to maintaining a happy home or a good job in the future.  Really?  This seems to be teaching your children that being honest is not only not good enough to survive in real life, but also an unnecessary evil to getting what you want.  I wonder if this dad will be happy when his teenage daughter is sneaking out of the house to meet up with Snake, the boy on the block who has a motorcycle and facial hair way too early in life...

- 'Bend the Rules While Playing Sports': But only a little - you wouldn't want little Timmy to think that steroids are okay, would you?  Maybe this just hit a little too close to home for me, but there's a word we call people who justify one type of cheating while condemning another: hypocrite.

The biggest issue I have with this entire article is that it assumes something that just isn't true: doing the right thing is a healthy way to live.  To the writer, anybody who would think to tell the truth or follow the rules of a game or pay someone for a service is out of touch with reality, and therefore, a detriment to themselves.

It's true that doing the right thing sometimes nets negative consequences in this life... but the fact is that comfort in this world is NOT the goal of life.  There are some things more important than prospering in the eyes of people around you.  Laying your head down at night and being able to say that you have lived with integrity, principles, and faith is far more valuable than winning a sixth grade basketball tournament or saving a few bucks on your Hot Tamales during 'The Watchmen.'  And teaching your kids that doing the wrong thing is fine sometimes is actually teaching your kids that doing the right thing is always optional. 

I, for one, would hate to leave that legacy for my children.

There are some questions that are asked in a lot of different ways.  For example, when I was a certified sandwich artist, I often asked people as I made their subs, ‘do you want all the vegetables on that?’  Other times, I would ask the same question, except I’d say, ‘What can I get for you on this?’  And within the context of the conversation, after they had ordered several veggies, I might have asked, ‘how about olives and onions?  Jalapenos?’  One question (‘what vegetables do you want on your sandwich?’), many ways to ask. 

I feel like I spend my time answering the same question a lot when it comes to Christianity.  Oh, sure, it’s worded differently: sometimes it’s in regards to music, TV shows or movies, and sometimes it’s about political affiliation.  Sometimes it’s about what the church should and should not do in the worship service, and sometimes it’s about what the role of a minister should actually be.  And there are even times when the question is about alcohol or hot button issues like abortion and homosexuality.  And yet, with all individual questions being asked, there’s one major question in the background: 

How should we, as Christians, interact with the culture around us? 

The Bible tells us that our citizenship is really in heaven, and therefore, we’re supposed to be different than the world around us.  Every Christian is holy, set apart, and a saint, and every Christian has a responsibility to share their faith with those around them.  That much we all know.  But the nuts and bolts of how we actually live out that charge is a different animal altogether. 

Some Christians have decided that the best way to do this is to completely ignore the culture altogether, and instead, create a counter-culture.  This can be done in a variety of ways: you can make up rules to make yourself even more different (no dancing, no playing cards, only skirts on women, etc.), or you can try to legislate morality until the laws of the land reflect your specific beliefs (if you haven’t heard a preacher pound the pulpit and yell that ‘this will always be a CHRISTIAN nation!’ then, well, you haven’t lived).  You can seek alternative forms of entertainment (do you like rock music?  Then here’s a ‘Christian band’ that sounds vaguely like what you’d really like to be listening to!), and you can even wear a Christian T-Shirt every day that show the world you love Jesus (my personal favorite: I once saw a shirt that had the Budweiser symbol on it, except it had been changed to ‘Bloodweiser,’ and underneath, it said ‘His blood’s for you!’  Classic.).  On the other hand, as irritating as the Christian counter-culture can be, this viewpoint is far better than its evil twin brother, the ‘My faith is completely separate from my life’ viewpoint.  In this perspective the Christian simply leaves his or her faith out of any discussion about entertainment, politics and really, any guidelines for life.   

I don’t know if the previous paragraph made a lick of sense to you, but if it did, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  It seems like either people are holy rolling weirdos who can’t relate to anyone who doesn’t think just like them, or they’re hypocrites whose faith means nothing to their every day lives.  Surely, there’s got to be something in between that we can strive for, right?  Right. In John chapter 17, we read a prayer by Jesus for His disciples.  And by ‘disciples,’ He specifically includes you and I in the discussion (check out verse 20).  Well, as He prays, He discusses the relationship between the disciples and the world, and He teaches three simple points:
 

1. Jesus has sent His disciples to live in this world.
2. Jesus does not want us to be living separately from the world around us.
3. Jesus understands that the world is going to hate the way we live, since we don’t live the way the world does.

That was easy, wasn’t it?  It really is - Christians, as a general rule, tend to over complicate things.  Our job is to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ – love everyone, avoid judgment, serve other people, etc. – and to present to those around us the truth that through a relationship with Him, we can know God and live eternally.  It’s really that simple.  And we’re called to do this while living among people who aren’t like us, so we’re not always going to be popular for doing so.   

When we look at the early church, we see that they took this charge so seriously, that they gave everything to stay true to it.  They didn’t try to change the culture around them or live in an insulated Christian bubble, and they certainly didn’t make any compromises when it came to their beliefs, even when it meant they’d die for them.  They simply lived out the teachings of Jesus and shared the truth of the gospel with everyone around them.  They did so in the most effective way they could think of, because they understood the stakes: if they didn’t reach people for Christ, those people would die and live eternally separated from their Creator. 

That’s just it: the question of how we interact with the culture around us is often a massive waste of time, because it doesn’t get us any closer to carrying out our mission of ushering people into God’s kingdom.  While we’re busy arguing over politics and music and what kind of pants to wear, people are busy dying without knowing that Jesus is the only way to eternal life.  That’s sad. 

So, to answer the question in a roundabout way, here it is: Christians should interact with the culture around them in any way they possibly can to win them to Jesus Christ… whether you’re ever blessed to own a ‘Bloodweiser’ shirt or not.

There is one invaluable resource for a person, like me, who simply cannot seem to avoid getting lost: Google maps.  Google maps is, in all seriousness, one of mankind’s greatest inventions – no matter where you want to go, whether it’s close or far away, a long trip or a short one, driving directions are a couple of clicks and a few seconds away from anyone with a working computer and the internet.  It’s truly amazing, and it is perhaps the sole reason why I’ve been able to visit anyone to talk to them about the church… even in the thriving metropolis that is Ashland, Missouri! 

While I’m not completely sure how long Google has been keeping track of every street in America, I am fairly confident that back in Bible times, people had to plan their trips a little differently.  As we wrap up our study of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, we read about his plans to visit the city.  He wrote from Ephesus, and he was going to travel through Macedonia before he hit Corinth.  There, he told the church, he would probably stay through the winter – after all, traveling wasn’t the easiest back in the day, even in the best of conditions.  It was at this point in Paul’s ‘Google mapping,’ that he gave a rather flippant remark about his work at Ephesus: he said that he was going to stay awhile longer where he was at, because a ‘great door of service’ had been opened to him.  And, oh by the way, he was facing many people who opposed the work he was doing (1 Corinthians 16:9). 

I think that most people today would see Paul’s statement as a contradiction of terms; after all, we tend to see opportunities to serve God in what’s convenient.  We determine what we’re good at, and then we use what we’re good at for God and the church.  We then try to share Jesus with people around us… but only our friends and family members and other people we’re comfortable with.  And if we ever think we’re stepping on someone’s toes, well, it’s probably best to stop whatever it is that makes them uncomfortable, right? 

The fact is that while there’s good sense in much of the last paragraph, the easy way of serving God is not the only way.  In fact, Jesus described two choices that every person can make - two roads that we can travel.  He said that most people will choose the wide path; after all, it’s easy, convenient and well-traveled by other like minded pragmatists.  There is a second option, however, and that’s the narrow road.  This road is harder, and there are fewer people on it.  And there are obstacles and roadblocks along the way as well.  All in all, it’s just a more difficult way to go – and yet, it’s precisely the road Jesus says leads to God’s Kingdom. 

The bottom line is that very often the road that God wants us to take is one filled with challenges and difficulties, and because of that, more often than not, when we face opposition to what we’re doing for our Lord, we can take solace that we’re on the right track.  The good news is this: when we have trials in this life, we’re not the first.  Jesus - who was not only God in the flesh, but also, the perfect picture of what a person should be - was belittled for teaching the truth and persecuted by the very people He came to show love to.  He was hated, and taught that we could expect the same treatment since we follow in His footsteps.  That’s why Paul could confidently say that a doorway for service was open in the midst of opposition: he was simply emulating the example of Jesus. 

So, don’t let life’s roadblocks get you down – when you struggle through this life, you’re in the best company there is! 

If you’ve been at ACC for the last sixteen months, you’ve heard me teach on a lot of different topics, hopefully, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve found me to be nothing if not consistent.  Sure, you might not always agree (and that’s completely fine), but at the very least, I try to stick to what I believe in no matter what.  And there are some topics that invariably get brought up more than others… and one of those topics is money. 

Maybe it’s because we live in the (still) richest nation in the world, or maybe it’s because the church at large has a horrible reputation when it comes to money.  Maybe it’s because Jesus taught more about money than any one topic, or maybe it’s because the survival of Ashland Christian Church is dependant on what’s given in the offering plate.  Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above, but the bottom line is that we inevitably talk about money a lot.   And when you’ve heard me talk about money, I’m usually taking a shot at what other people teach, whether they’re televangelists, or (in the case of last Sunday) people who teach that tithing is a necessary part of being a Christian.  Here’s what you should have learned so far: God hasn’t promised to bless you physically for giving money, and the practice of tithing is an Old Testament idea, and therefore not necessary.  Ok.  So, that leaves us with one, giant question: 

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO GIVE MONEY TO A CHURCH? 

I’m glad you asked!  Here are three really, really good reasons: 

Money is Not Excluded In Your Relationship With Jesus

When we talk about a person becoming a Christian, we often say that they ‘gave their lives to Christ.’  The language in this is purposeful; when Jesus talked about those who would be His disciples, He said that people were to pick up their crosses and follow Him, and that anyone who would ‘lose their life’ for Him would be saved (Mark 8:34-35).  Well, if being a Christian is laying down our lives for Jesus and His kingdom, then a part of our lives is certainly money.  The point is this: if we’re going to ‘die to ourselves’ and live a life that Christ wants, then that will impact all facets of our lives - even our checking account.  Christianity is a life of service, and it’s not limited to just the types of service we choose.  Giving of our finances is one of many ways that we can show God that He is more important than we are, and that we are placing the needs of other people above our own.  This, after all, is the attitude that Jesus had that we are told to adopt in our lives (Philippians 2). 

God  WILL Reward Those Who Faithfully Sacrifice

You might accuse me of being contradictory here, but there’s a big difference in what the Bible teaches and what the televangelists teach.  Jesus clearly taught that we are rewarded for the service that we offer in this life; to the degree that we give in this world, God will give us exponentially in the next (Mark 10:29-33).  We ARE rewarded for our sacrifices, though it might not always be in the way we might expect.  God might not make us wealthy or handsome, but He will give us gifts that we cannot imagine in eternity.  Jesus told a parable (Matthew 25:14ff) about a rich man who entrusted his servants with his kingdom while he was away on a journey.  When he got back, he rewarded the servants who had served him faithfully.  How did he do this?  He gave them more responsibility than they had before!  How does this apply to heaven?  I have no idea - but it sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it?  The bottom line is that God WILL reward His children who give in this life, and that includes money. 

Giving To ACC is Contributing To Changed Lives

The last one is the biggest - since 1995, 137 people have been baptized into Christ at Ashland Christian Church, including 33 (and counting) in the past sixteen months.  That means 137 people know Jesus today because of the ministry of this part of God’s body.  What does that have to do with money?  Well, not one of those people could have found faith in Christ through this ministry without the support of people like you.  ACC is a non-profit organization, and we are independent of any and all denominations; in other words, if y’all don’t give, we don’t exist!  But when you do, you allow God to use this part of His body to impact the eternities of countless people.  Make no mistake - God does not need ACC, but He does want to use ACC for His purposes.  Just think about it: God wants to use you and I in His plans to save mankind!  YOU are making a difference, for eternity, every time you give anything. 

The bottom line is this: you shouldn’t feel like you ‘have’ to give to ACC or that God is wearing a bandana over his mouth and holding a gun to your head telling you to give Him all your money.  Instead, you have the OPPORTUNITY to be a part of something that makes an eternal difference. 

So, don’t feel obligated - feel blessed that you have the chance to be a part of God’s kingdom here on earth!