The Sin of Low Self Esteem?

Is having low self esteem a sin? That was the question that went through my mind last Sunday afternoon after church. What got me thinking about this was an interesting discussion that took place during Sunday school that morning. We were comparing the wisdom of men with God’s true wisdom. As the class progressed, some men brought up specific forms of human wisdom that should be rejected by Believers.

Our Sunday school teacher who is very well trained in doctrine and Scripture, brought up the fact that psychology was being used in Christian ministries today. He felt very strongly that any kind of psychology or counselling methodology did not belong in the Church. This was because much of that information comes from human wisdom instead of Scripture. I happen to agree with him that psychology has no place in public ministry within the Church. When it is used there will always be the temptation to move away form Scripture and preach mans wisdom completely. Also much of the change that takes place through psychology or counselling does not truly affect the heart. So band aids end up constantly being placed on a wound that needs surgery.

Our discussion on the usefulness of psychology in the church led to what I view as a more serious question. Is having low self esteem a sin for Believers? Some in our class would answer that question with a strong yes. In their view those who are struggling with low self esteem need to repent of that sin to God. In one sense I agreed with them that those who struggle with this many times focus on themselves instead of God which is a sin. But to say that low self esteem itself is a sin isn’t something that I can agree with.

I have suffered from low self esteem for the majority of my life. It is not something overwhelming that requires medication or counseling. Instead it involves a part of my mind that is constantly telling me that I can’t do things. I realize that this is Satan trying to discourage me so that I cannot accomplish God’s Will for my life. And by focusing instead upon Christ and the standing I have in him by God’s grace I am able to overcome those temptations.

But according to a few men in my Sunday school class last Sunday I am a sinner because I struggle with low self esteem. The discussion reminded me of a conversation I had with a good friend about my low self esteem issues. He told me repeatedly that I was wrong and simply needed to repent of my sin and stop doing it. What he did not understand is low self esteem (or a tendency to put myself down) is literally a part of my personality. It is not just something that I can turn on or off.

There are thousands of people in the world today who suffer from low self esteem. These people literally feel as if they are worthless and nobody could possibly love them. It is true that they focus too much on their own problems and allow those feelings of worthlessness to permeate their lives. But they are also in great need of Christ’s love and acceptance. This can be done by leading them to saving knowledge in Christ, and then focusing their eyes on the glorious blessings they have as a child of God. But it also involves embracing these discouraged souls and telling them of a God who does not feel they are worthless. We must come up with a much better response to their problem than, “stop it.”

Redefining Failure

“If you are where God wants you, fulfilling the responsibilities he has given you, you are successful. In fact, when that is the case, you are as successful as you will ever be.1 Success's is remaining faithful to the process God has laid out for you.2”

This paragraph reminds me of a conversation that I had with a friend a few months ago about failure. We were discussing the fact that many people (including both of us) are afraid to take chances. After a while she asked me why I was afraid to take risks. I told her that I was afraid of failure. The truth is that most of us if we were honest would say the same thing. That was when the conversation took an interesting turn. My friend asked me for a definition of failure.

Her question surprised me and I had to think about it for a few moments. How do you define failure? Finally I told her that failure was when things don't turn out the way that we want them to. In other words, If I attempted to teach a class in a way that led to discussion instead of simply lecture and nobody talked, then the class was a failure. This is the definition held to by most people today. If they don't agree with it verbally, their actions and attitude confirms it. Just look at someone who makes plans and things don't turn out perfectly. Most times they become discouraged because the entire situation is viewed as a failure.

But is that the true definition of failure? As our discussion continued I along with my friend came up with a hypothetical situation. Lets say a person is commanded by God to go witness to his friend. He does so in a spirit of love and truth, sharing the Gospel in a way that is pure doctrinally, but also with an attitude of humble love. His friend rejects the Gospel and slams the door in his face. Has the Christian failed? He did everything that God called him to do in the right way. Therefore the answer to the question is no, he did not fail. Instead this christian accomplished God's Will for his life.

Our definition of failure must change. If a person does God's Will in a way that brings glory to God then he has not failed. Do you realize what that means? It means that we can fall flat on our faces and still take confidence in the fact that, if we have completed God's Will, we are not failures. Literally what we are given is a freedom to fail! Now obviously we should not just go out and try to do things poorly. But this new definition of failure can give us the confidence to go out and attempt things that may not work out. Even those things that probably won't work out!

In about two months on October 27 I am going to begin teaching a class on Bible Study Methods using materials from the Bible College where I am currently ministering. It will be taught at a local church on Monday nights at about 7:00. This is something that I wanted to do for months, taking the college classes to the people instead of asking them to come to the college. The only problem is that I don't have any students.

Not only that, but there has been very little interest in the college classes at this time. Yet I feel that God has called me to begin planning as if a large amounts of students will come. So I am creating flyer's and letters promoting the class. Preparing lesson plans and power point presentations to use in the class sessions. Talking to pastors about holding the class at their facilities. I realize there is a high chance that on October 27 there will be no students. All of that work can be for nothing and I will go down in a blaze of glory. But I am willing to take that chance. Because no matter what happens on October 27, I will not be a failure.

Andy Stanley, Visionnering, pg.46, par.1, ln.3
Andy Stanley, Visionnering, pg.46, par.2, ln.1

He Knows My Needs

God in the month of August gave me financial blessings that I am incredibly thankful for. In recent months the American dollar became very weak in the Australian economy. Seventy seven cents of our currency was equivalent to one Australian dollar when I came in January 2007. In July the cost had risen to ninety six cents on the dollar and it was expected that both dollars would have the same strength soon.

While I am a single young man and can live easily on a small amount of money, the weakening of U.S. Currency was frustrating. Especially since I was hoping to move in a year to an area that had higher rent costs. In my heart I knew that God would care for those financial needs in his perfect way. But there was still anxiety and fear about the financial situation as well.

Then earlier this month the American dollar began to gain strength. For weeks now it has held strong at eighty-six cents on the dollar! The change is probably the result of Americans driving less and using less fuel. It results in more than one hundred dollars of new income for me in the month of August. I am fairly certain the American dollar will go down again. But for now I am rejoicing in the financial help God is giving.

The fuel here in Australia has become less expensive as well. In July gas was as expensive as $1.70 a liter ($6.80 a gallon) during the week. It was reported that families could not pay for necessities such as groceries because of the high fuel prices. Many people in both the U.S. and Australia stopped driving as much because of those prices. As a result the price went down and in July fuel could be purchased for $1.50 or less per liter. This was a great blessing for me because I do a lot of driving.

This morning as I checked the balance of my missionary account I found yet another pleasant surprise. A Church had taken me on for $75.00 of support a month! This was surprising because I had not been contacted by the church or talked to them recently. That extra support will definitely be useful as I continue serving God here in Australia. The last month has been one of great encouragement as God reminded me he knows what my financial needs are. He will not always meet them in a dramatic way like new support, or lowering fuel costs. But that does not mean he is blind to the needs I have. I am so grateful that God this month reminded me he knows my needs.

Lend Us A Hand

Recently I read this story about a catholic minister and the boys he met one day. It made me think about how many times the unsaved call out to Believers for help. Sadly most times we are too preoccupied to ever hear their voices.

“While walking to his parish one day in clerical garb, a couple of kids called to him from across the street. ‘Hey mister would you stop being a minister long enough to give us a hand?’ Stunned by the words but braced for the challenge he crossed the street. When he arrived on their side he found that the chain of one of their bikes had broken and needed to be fixed. So he knelt down right there on the sidewalk and started to dismantle the bike and remove the chain. The two young brothers couldn't believe that this minister would actually get down to help them. And they were even more surprised when he proved skilled at fixing their problem.

When he had finished repairing the bicycle, they apologized for making him get his hands so filthy with oil and grease. He shrugged it off. ‘No problem fellas. Want to learn how to get off grime like this?’ ‘No way’, one of them said, ‘you cant get that off here.’

‘Let me show you,’ he continued. Once again he got down on the ground, but this time he gathered up dirt and washed his hands in some loose soil. After he scrubbed the dirt into his hands he turned to them and said, ‘do you know where we can find some water?’ The boys said, ‘we live right around the corner. Come with us.’

So the three of them went marching right into the kitchen of their house, much to the surprise of their mother, who was asked to move over at the sink as she stood open mouthed at the strange priest her children had brought home with them. ‘Thank you for letting me wash my hands here,’ the priest said as the boys watched the water work its magic on his hands, restoring them to spotless purity. The mother then asked him to stay for tea. He confessed that this was one of the strangest pastoral calls he had ever made, but also professed to having learned a lot about ministry in the postmodern culture from this one incident.[1]”

[1] Dr. Leonard Sweet, Introduction to Organic Church (Neil Cole)

Flawed Extremes

I have been thinking a lot lately about the terms conservative and progressive. Here in Australia the conservative Christians are the ones who are very rigid and do things the way it was ten or fifteen years ago. The progressive Believers attempt to bring change into the church and are constantly looking for the next new idea. It is not surprising that both of these groups don't like each other and encourage people to adopt their ministry philosophy instead of the others.

I sort of got caught in the middle of this war between conservative and progressive Christians when I came to Australia. Both groups wanted me to make a decision on whether I would be conservative or progressive. The situation was very hard for me because I didn't completely agree with either group.

I agree with the strong doctrinal stand that the conservatives take. On the other hand, I personally feel that the church should grow and change its methods of ministry in order to make a stronger impact upon their community. Doctrine is never changed under any circumstances though.

I liked some of the new methods that the progressive churches used. But could not agree with all of their methods, or the weakened doctrinal position that those methods were based upon.

My response was to become involved with both groups. Friends told me that this was not possible and sooner or later I would have to choose one group. But after a year and a half I still have strong relationships with both conservatives and progressives. We don't always agree on everything but that is just part of life. In those situations we agree to disagree except when major doctrine is in jeopardy. Sometimes it feels like I am walking a tightrope hundreds of feet in the air while working with both groups. But that is a small price to pay in order to become a “balanced Christian.”

Both the conservative and progressive extreme have their problems. A part of me feels as if a new group of Christians should be developed. A group that takes the doctrine of the conservatives, and blends it with the creativity and growth of progressives. The doctrine will give us a foundation to evaluate and judge all new methods. And the methods will allow us to share God's timeless truth in a way that is applicable to the current culture. The problem is nobody is really clear on what balanced Christians look like. We as Believers must spend time studying the Scriptures and meditating upon God's character (Holiness balanced with love). As we study God's Word he will show us what it means to live the balanced Christian life.

It is important that we start thinking about what it means to live in a balanced way. This doesn't mean that we totally accept all of the new spiritual growth books that come along. It means we come to the realisation that both extremes are flawed in their own way. And in order to reach the next generation, we must allow God to help us think outside of our categories.

Pulling the Plug

About a year ago I began working with the youth group at a local Church on Wednesday nights. This was a very exciting thing for me because I love working with teenagers. I also believe that youth work is part of my ministry here in Australia. The ministry was a challenge because I did not know any of the young people at that church (I attend another one on Sundays). But I prayed as the ministry began that God would give me wisdom and guidance in what to do on Wednesday nights.

We started out small with five teens coming regularly. That actually helped things because I was able to get to know them better. Over time I began to learn what kind of ministry made the strongest impact upon their lives. And adapted my teaching style to one that met their needs. Instead of spending twenty minutes on Scripture I gave a fifteen minute devotional and followed that up with lots of discussion.

After adapting to their way of doing things more teens started to show up on Wednesdays. We started getting around thirteen every week! This made it a lot harder to control the larger group but it also was encouraging to see the ministry grow. Over the summer the youth group did not meet on Wednesdays. This gave me a chance to talk with the other youth leaders and plan what we wanted to do in the coming year.

Unfortunately for a number of reasons the youth group meetings have struggled greatly. Partly because the parents don't come to Church on Wednesday nights. Part of it is because the teenagers have other obligations at school or with sports teams. Some families with children are no longer attending the Church. For whatever reason we now two teens showing up each week, and three at the most.

This situation is hard because I am faced with a very difficult decision. I could continue ministering to the few teenagers that come on Wednesdays and pray that others start coming. Or I could totally change the way we do the youth ministry. The first choice means I just keep doing what I have been but with more energy. In the latter situation we would shut down the meetings on Wednesday for a short amount of time (a month to two months) and spend those weeks praying about what to do next. Planning and thought about future plans will take place during that time as well.

A few weeks ago I gave serious thought to that decision on the way home from a Wednesday evening service. It was a bit discouraging to think about going from thirteen teens to one or two. But at the same time it helped me understand what to do in the situation. Before getting home that night I decided to temporarily pull the plug on those youth meetings. There were a few reasons for my making that decision. But the strongest one was the fact that the ministry was simply not working any more.

Surprisingly there was a voice in my mind that did not want me to do that. It practically screamed that it would be too embarassing to admit that the ministry was not working. The voice encouraged me to simply go out and continue doing what I had been. Only this time I needed to put more of myself into it. And above all other things it told me that admiting the ministry on Wednesday nights did not accomplish its purpose made me a failure.

I know that voice all too well. It is my human pride that demands I never show any kind of weakness. It is in direct conflict with another voice in my mind. That of the Holy Spirit which reminds me that change is not a sinful thing. And that adapting or recreating a ministry when necessary brings great glory to God. I am not sure what the new ministry on Wednesday nights will look like. The new plan may fail miserably. But I do know that it is better to change and grow as a ministry than to ignore the fact that you are slowly dying.

Pulling the Plug

About a year ago I began working with the youth group at a local Church on Wednesday nights. This was a very exciting thing for me because I love working with teenagers. I also believe that youth work is part of my ministry here in Australia. The ministry was a challenge because I did not know any of the young people at that church (I attend another one on Sundays). But I prayed as it began that God would give me wisdom and guidance in what to do on Wednesday nights.

We started out small with five teens coming regularly. That actually helped things because I was able to get to know them better. Over time I began to learn what kind of ministry made the strongest impact upon their lives. And adapted my teaching style to one that met their needs. Instead of spending most time on lecture I gave a fifteen minute devotional and followed that up with lots of discussion.

After adapting to their way of doing things more teens started to show up on Wednesdays. We started getting around thirteen every week! This made it a lot harder to control the larger group but it also was encouraging to see the ministry grow. Over the summer the youth group did not meet on Wednesdays. This gave me a chance to talk with the other youth leaders and plan what we wanted to do in the coming year.

Unfortunately for a number of reasons the youth group meetings have struggled greatly. Partly because the parents don't come to Church on Wednesday nights. Part of it is because the teenagers have other obligations at school or with sports teams. Some families with children are no longer attending the Church. For whatever reason we now two teens showing up each week, and three at the most.

This situation is hard because I am faced with a very difficult decision. I could continue ministering to the few teenagers that come on Wednesdays and pray that others start coming. Or I could totally change the way we do the youth ministry. The first choice means I just keep doing what I have been but with more energy. In the latter situation we would shut down the meetings on Wednesday for a short amount of time (a month to two months) and spend those weeks praying about what to do next. Planning and thought about future plans will take place during that time as well.

A few weeks ago I gave serious thought to that decision on the way home from a Wednesday evening service. It was a bit discouraging to think about going from thirteen teens to one or two. But at the same time it helped me understand what to do in the situation. Before getting home that night I decided to temporarily pull the plug on those youth meetings. There were a few reasons for my making that decision. But the strongest one was the fact that the ministry was simply not working any more.

Surprisingly there was a voice in my mind that did not want me to do that. It practically screamed that it would be too embarrassing to admit that the ministry was not working. The voice encouraged me to simply go out and continue doing what I had been. Only this time I needed to put more of myself into it. And above all other things it told me that admitting the ministry on Wednesday nights did not accomplish its purpose made me a failure.

I know that voice all too well. It is my human pride that demands I never show any kind of weakness. It is in direct conflict with another voice in my mind. That of the Holy Spirit which reminds me that change is not a sinful thing. And that adapting or recreating a ministry when necessary brings great glory to God. I am not sure what the new ministry on Wednesday nights will look like. The new plan may fail miserably. But I do know that it is better to change and grow as a ministry than to ignore the fact that you are slowly dying.

Teaching with Passion

Last week I began teaching my second semester class at Victoria Baptist Bible College. The feeling I experienced during the first class session was very different from the one I felt when beginning first semester. I didn't know the student who I was teaching, had very little experience in teaching on campus, and was not totally sure what would be expected of me during the class. All these things made a bit nervous when teaching my first class in April. But my first second semester class session last Tuesday was totally different.

Actually this new attitude started about a month and a half ago. I was reading from a book on leadership that discussed the importance of being passionate about what we do. The author began to explain that many individuals do their jobs without energy, enthusiasm, or creativity. While they accomplish their jobs these individuals are left feeling unsatisfied because it isn't something they are passionate about.

As I read from the book it became clear that I was one of those people with no passion. I covered all of the information that I had in that class and did it very well. And I did put energy and hard work towards my teaching. But there was no real passion in first semester. I completed my goals, but did not look forward to teaching during the week. The morning I read about the importance of passion I decided that next semester would be different.

I began by thinking about the burden that God has placed upon my heart. It was a calling for discipleship that teaches truth in a practical way. Then I developed a teaching style that fit with that calling. Last year my teaching style involved covering the questions or reading that the student completed the night before. Then I would take some time to focus on the Biblical principles found in that lesson. There may have been some discussion questions at the end.

This semester the class session still revolves around the students homework. But pointing out the principles in that class work is not the end. Instead I use illustrations to show how the principle works in daily life. Some come from research and others come from personal experience. I also use video clips and audio to illustrate the truth that we discussed during the class session.

One of the core values in my class this semester is being able to think about what you have learned. In other words, it is not important to just know information. But the student should be able to think about the principles he learned. In most classes I bring up a hypothetical situation or belief that is different than the one he holds to see if he can defend his view or show the weaknesses of others.

Another core value is application. We get into many interesting conversations about how the Biblical Truths we learned can be applied to the Australian Culture. As I write this article I am excitedly thinking about tomorrows class period when we discuss whether sarcasm (good natured joking is a huge part of the Australian culture) is honoring to God. I realize that it has only been a few classes, but I truly feel that God is using my teaching ministry more now.

What does that mean for the rest of us? Find the passion, burden, or dream that you have from God and invest your time in it. It is true that not everyone that not everyone can do something that they are passionate about (current statistics tell us few are). But we can all find those passions and invest our time, energy, and perhaps finances into them. Even if it is for a few moments each week, taking time to do something you love makes a real difference. It will give you an excitement and adrenaline rush that is absolutely amazing.

Thinking and Driving

I love my Ipod.  It is an absolutely crucial part of my life that I could never do without.  But my use for the Ipod is different than most others.  I do listen to music while running at my local gym, but that is not my primary use for it.  I use my Ipod for listening to podcasts. 
 
For those of you who may not know a podcast is a weekly program that is downloaded to your ipod each week. You can subscribe to podcasts that deal with news, sports, leadership, religion, literature, or a number of other subjects.  Since I live in a suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne, a lot of time is spent driving during the week. And most of the time I listen to podcasts while doing so.
 
Those files on my Ipod make me laugh, smile, cry, or shake my head in frustration.  But more than anything else they make me think.  I personally believe that one of the greatest habits a Believer should have today is the ability to think.  And sadly this characteristic is rarely seen.  To me this means being able to think through, defend, and discuss your beliefs about a subject.  I don’t believe that this is lacking because most Christians are lazy or ignorant.  Instead it is because we do not challenge our way of thinking.
 
If you look at the podcasts I have downloaded on my Ipod you may be surprised by what you see there.  I have the preaching of man who claimed that religion is the worst of corruptions.[1]  I listen to a group of people who feel the Churches job is to redeem the culture that we are in.  Therefore helping cure social problems becomes more important than the Great Comission.  I used to listen to a minister who feels that there is no literal Heaven or Hell.  Instead he believes that places like war torn Countries are Hell.  And by helping them with their physical needs we in turn create Heaven.[2]
 
I listen to other episodes that loudly preach the ecumenical Gospel.  In other words, it shouldn’t matter what kind of beliefs that two people have about God.  As long as they both love Jesus those individuals should worship together.  Two weeks ago I heard a pastor state that he was not a preacher or an administrator.  Instead he was a dreamer.  By saying this he was giving the message that preaching or doing the day to day work in a church is unimportant.  Last Sunday I listened to an interview done with a young man serving God in poor countries.  He believes that embracing one another regardless off beliefs about God leads us all closer to Christ. 
 
Do I agree with what I hear in these podcasts?  No I do not!  I want to make crystal clear that I in no way agree with ANYTHING that I have put in this article!  But I am very grateful for those podcasts.  Because they made me think about my own personal beliefs.  They have also made me defend those beliefs, and find flaws in the arguments of others.  I have even learned a few things that can be used in ministry (within the context of correct doctrine).  I have driven many kilometers since my arrival in Australia.  And I have spent many of them developing the important habit of thinking.
 


[1] Erwin McManus, Soul Cravings, entry 10, par.8, ln.3
[2] Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, pg.147, par.2, ln.1

Revisiting a Torture Device

On May 19 I wrote an article on my blog about a painful workout machine at my gym called the lat pull. In that article I described the pain that I went through while using it. I also discussed how the only reason I continued using it was in hope of someday becoming stronger. I since learned that the correct name for this torture device was a chest press. But that didn't change the fact that it put me through lots of pain.

One of the worst parts about using the chest press is that I go through four sets of fifteen reps. From a seated position I have to push out a bar that has a certain amount of weight (in my case 50 pounds) attached to it. A few weeks after joining the gym the first two sets weren't really that hard to accomplish, but as I began my third set it would get a lot harder. Repetitions eleven through fifteen in the third set would take almost all of the energy out of me. So the fourth set is almost impossible to finish without stopping to rest. For a long time I couldn't get past the tenth repetition of that set without stopping.

Every time I worked out on the chest press I dreamed of the day that I could finish all four sets without taking a break to rest in the middle of one. I knew that stopping in the middle of an exercise made the workout a lot less effective. But at the same time my body could not physically finish the sets on it's own. So I decided to initiate a growth plan that my body could accomplish. Every time I worked out on the chest press my goal was to do one more repetition than last time.

I had a clear set goal of finishing all four sets on the chest press without stopping. But that goal was too large, so I was forced to set up the small goal of doing one better than last time. I wasn't always able to accomplish that goal. But after a few weeks the chest press started becoming easier to handle. I still wasn't able to finish the last set without a break to rest. But I began by being able to finish the second set without stopping. A few weeks later the third set started to seem easier and soon I was able to fight through it without quitting.

I can remember the day that I actually got up to the eleventh rep in my fourth set very clearly. Every time before that I had always quit after number ten. Then last week I actually got up to number thirteen! The goal of finishing strong was closer than ever before. I tried to finish the last set Monday but was unable to. I took some extra time walking over to the chest press for the fourth set this afternoon. I settled in and waited a few seconds thinking about what I wanted to do and took a deep breath before beginning. I got to thirteen and felt like there was no strength left, but somehow I finished the last two reps. It wasn't pretty but I had accomplished my goal!

I wasn't able to finish the second set without stopping when I started working out. There were times when I would quit at ten and not even try to do fifteen reps. Those days it seemed impossible that I would ever finish the first ten reps in my last set, much less finish it without resting. Since that goal was overwhelming to me I set a smaller goal that was achievable. And slowly I made that goal harder and harder to achieve. Finishing the second set without resting turned into finishing the third. And finishing the third became getting past the tenth rep in the fourth set, which became getting to thirteen, and then I achieved the impossible goal.

It is easy to become overwhelmed when we face challenges. It is important when facing them to break them into smaller things which we can accomplish. The majority of growth is done slowly one step at a time. So setting lots of small goals instead of one massive one would be the best way to accomplish our dreams. Of course once you meet those goals you have to set other small ones in order to continue growth. That's why in a few weeks I will change the weight from 50 to 60 pounds and begin doing battle with the dreaded chest press once again.

Five Important Minutes

The month of June has been a missions emphasis at the church I attend in Australia. As part of this focus one Sunday was devoted to the church becoming a home base for missions. This included things such as discpling Believers, training leaders, and sending out missionaries. The Friday before my pastor called and explained that he wanted to have illustrations of how the local church can train leaders. He asked if I could give a brief five or six minute overview of how the Bible College trains individuals through it's distance education program.

My pastor was very apologetic about only giving me five minutes and promised to let me come do a full ministry presentation soon. But the fact that it was only five minutes didn't really bother me. I was excited about having this opportunity to talk about the passion that God placed upon my heart. I did pray though that God would use the words that I said in those five minutes to make people think about taking classes.

I was nervous during the morning service sharing with others the CTT (Church Based Theological Training) ministry. Having only a few minutes made me think a lot about what I was going to say, and how I could say it in the best way possible. The day before I had remembered my favourite professor in College. What made him so influential in my life was his passionate teaching style in class. But he was also a mentor who was constantly giving advice to me along with other students. And not only that but he was a friend as well. This professor is one of the few I know of who would actually sit and eat with the students.

That Sunday morning I talked about that college professor who made an impact upon my life. And how that was what I desired for the CTT ministry to become. I ended by saying that I would love to become a teacher, mentor, and friend to any of them who desired training. It felt good to share with the church the passion of my heart. But I didn't feel as if a five minute story would spark any real interest. After the service a man from the church began asking questions about the classes that I would be teaching. He also asked for more information about the classes and showed interest in doing on in the future. This was exciting because up until that time nobody had expressed much interest in the classes.

That afternoon while eating lunch at the pastors house I had the chance to have a good ten minute conversation about the classes that I would be teaching. Another gentleman there began asking questions about what was taught and allowed me to describe my vision for the classes in more detail. While he did not express interest in taking a class he did ask a lot of questions about them. I could see him taking a class in the future if he has the time.

That Friday night I went to a Bible study that was held at a church members house. After the devotional and prayer time was finished the husband asked me in front of six other people if I would begin discipling him once a week! This would not be done using Bible College material but is still a wonderful teaching opportunity.

In less than a week two individuals showed interest in taking one of my classes at the Bible College, and another asked me to disciple him.  I can't help but think that happened as a result of my five minute testimony about having a passion for discipleship. My prayer now is that God's Will would be done in this situation. It would be a great encouragement if one of the men who expressed interest would start taking a class from the college. But even if that does not happen I am still amazed with what God could do with five short minutes.

The Sin of Embarrassment

This morning I read something that made me think about failure. While that is not a very positive subject that people enjoy thinking about I am glad that I did. Because it made me realise how many of us turn mistakes or failure into something much more serious than it really is. The statement that made me start viewing embarrassing mistakes differently was, “at the end of our lives, we'll regret opportunities missed a lot more than mistakes made.”1

The article continues to show proof from two sociologists. They did a study on regret and how it changes over time. According to the study over short term we tend to regret our actions. These are things such as mistakes, failures, or anything else that will embarrass us. But years later we regret inaction. This would be avoiding a hard or scary situation because we were afraid of failure. These statements are backed up by the results of their study. Over the course of an average week regrets for actions outnumber regrets for inaction 53 percent to 47 percent. But when people look at their life as a whole, inaction regrets outnumber action regrets 84 percent to 16 percent!2

Nobody enjoys failing or making themselves look foolish. But it seems as if making a mistake has sort of become an unpardonable sin that must be avoided at all costs. Maybe we fear failure a little too much. Because the regret of failure, though painful at the time, will only last for a little while. This doesn't mean we should go around doing things with little or no preparation. It does mean we should be willing to fail.

Why do we fear failure or making a mistake so much? It is probably because of the embarrassment that comes when we do those things. Last Sunday I was running the power point for a church that was having it's organisational service. People from Churches all around came for this special occasion. About ten minutes before the service the pastor began working with the laptop and I jumped up to help him. About that time I tripped on a chair and came very close to doing a face plant on the floor! The noise from the people let me know that everyone had seen my lack of coordination. So I did what just about every man does in the situation and acted like nothing happened!

After the service was over I moved very slowly past the chairs and looked where I was stepping to keep from tripping again. It is funny how small embarrassing experiences have such an impact on us. But those same experiences can be used to help us learn important lessons. They can make us strong, wise, mature Believers. Yes the lessons can sometimes be painful to learn. But in the long run they help us immensely.

Interestingly I read from another book this morning an anonymous poem that goes perfectly with the article. “There was a very cautious man, who never laughed or cried. He never risked, he never lost, he never won or tried. And when he one day passed away, his insurance was denied, for since he never really lived, the claimed he never died.3” Failure is something painful. But the pain of a foolish mistake will be nothing compared to the regret of a life spent avoiding risks.



1Catalyst, Courageous in Calling, pg. 25, “Chase the Lion” par.1
2Catalyst, Courageous in Calling, pg. 25, “Chase the Lion” par.2
3Peter Irvine, Win In Business, pg.107, par.3,ln.3

Free Discipleship

God has given me the wonderful opportunity to serve him at a bible college in Melbourne, Australia. I really enjoy teaching classes on campus, but my passion is in the classes that are taught at local Baptist Churches. The college has a distance education program where an individual (usually me) meets with small groups of Believers in churches once a week. The students will be discipled using college level material that can later be used for class credit if they are interested in pursuing further studies.

The material itself is good. But it is the small group type setting that I think really makes these classes great. It gives people the opportunity to be taught truth, but also discuss what is taught, apply it to their lives, ask hard questions about it, and get clarification. These small groups also minister to the emotional needs of students for acceptance, encouragement, and comfort. The relationships developed in these situations are great sources of help for both the teacher and students as well.

In January I taught a young man named Tim using the colleges discipleship program for a few weeks. His pastor had begun teaching the class but was too busy to continue. Since the lesson was pretty basic I decided to spend some time learning more about Tim the first time we met. Within about five minutes he started talking to me about a serious struggle he was going through. Tim had become married while unsaved and although he accepted Christ as his Savior, his wife had not. A month before that class she left him. What made things so hard for Tim was that he still loved her and wanted to reconcile their problems. But she was not interested in being married to him any more. The fact that they had a little girl didn't make things any easier.

In my classes with Tim we spent time covering the lesson. But we also spent a lot of time talking about what God wanted him to do. And about the love he still had for his wife. I realised that Tim simply needed someone who he could talk to about the struggles he was experiencing. And that class gave him the opportunity to do that. There was one other student in the class but he was well aware of the situation, and helped me encourage Tim.

At the end of four weeks the class was finished. I honestly wanted to continue teaching Tim because the truth of Scripture would be a great source of strength to him. But I knew that having a place to talk about his emotions was helpful as well. Inwardly I prayed that he would take another class so that we could continue meeting together.

In May my prayers were answered when Tim's pastor said he was making plans for the next class. I talked to the pastor about the situation and learned that Tim needed good christian friends more than ever before. There was a great desire in my heart to start the next class that very week! But sadly the class still has not begun.

Tim has an outstanding bill from the previous class that he took at the Bible College. And of course he will not be allowed to take another class until he has paid the balance of his first one. This does not upset me because it is a wise move on the part of the Bible College. If payment for classes was not demanded, then students could take classes without paying at all! And the college deserves payment for the good quality education that are received by the students.

What bothers me is the fact that Tim may not be able to pay his bill. Currently the Australian economy is lower than it has been in some time. And many people in Melbourne are having a hard time paying for groceries or petrol (gasoline). In a hard financial time it is very probable that Tim won't have the money necessary to continue taking classes. Maybe he would have enough to pay his outstanding bill, but not enough for the next class.

I feel with all of my heart that Tim needs to continue taking bible college classes. They would minister to his spiritual needs by pointing him to Christ as the one true source of hope. And they would also give him the encouragement and strength he needs at this time. But I will not go against the colleges rules about students paying their bills. So by God's grace I will do the next best thing. In a few weeks I will begin meeting with Tim again and discipling him using my own books and Bible studies. These meetings will be totally separate from my Bible college responsibilities, and will in now way use the colleges material. This probably will put a lot more work on me, but I feel that those in need should be ministered with the Word of God, even if you have to do it for free.

A Wooden Stage and a Door

This month is a missions emphasis at Grace Baptist, the church I attend in Australia. The special events include a fellowship dinner after church where people bring kinds of food that can be found in foreign countries. I was going to bring biscuits and sausage gravy as an American dish but thought better of it. My pastor brought up the possibility of having some teenagers and young adults perform a short drama or skit during the dinner. Because he knew I was interested in that kind of thing he asked me to do it.

Immediately I began thinking about a large wooden stage that is found in the chapel of Piedmont Baptist College. I graduated from Piedmont with a bachelor of arts degree in 1999 and a Masters in 2003. I have some wonderful memories from my time there. But the best ones involved that wooden stage. Because for almost five years that was my stage.

I started doing short skit announcements on that stage in my Sophomore year of College. Those simple skit announcements turned into elaborate performances. I quoted The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe from that stage, as well as the Road Less Travelled by Robert Frost. I performed fake wrestling manuevers from that stage. I recited a love poem that I had personally written from that stage! But beyond a doubt my greatest memory was being part of a dinner theatre production there.

Every year the Junior class of my college has a dinner theatre that includes a nice meal. It is followed by an hour and a half to two hour play (almost always a comedy). More than anything I wanted to be part of the dinner theatre but only students were allowed to be actors. Since I had already graduated and was on staff it was not possible to act in the drama. But during my last year working at the college the director gave me a part.

I will never forget the feeling that I had backstage that night. It was a strange mixture of fear, adrenaline, excitement, worry, and frustration all at once. I can still remember standing behind the door that I would walk through when entering the stage. As the lights went down for actors to go off stage I closed my eyes and savoured the moment. The lights came on and for a brief second I stood there at the door trying to calm my nerves and pounding heart. I held my breath, reminded myself for the thousandth time to say my lines slowly, and turned the knob. The night was a huge success! That was the last time I did anything on the stage but I couldn't think of a better way to go out.

Now after all of this rambling you are probably wondering if I have a point. What I have just written clearly shows that I am passionate about acting. I can't guarantee that I was the best actor at that dinner theatre, but I can guarantee that I enjoyed it more than anyone else. Yet I have not become involved in much acting since that that night in 2003. I still do tell jokes and stories to entertain people. And I would take part in a Christmas or Easter play if asked. But acting wasn't something that I was actively involved in.

Why is it that I don't do something that my heart is so passionate about? To put it simply my love of acting was drowned out by needs and crisis situations of every day life. There are more important things to spend my time on than directing a skit or taking part in a play. So I put it off until later. Oh I still remembered the wooden stage and the dinner theatre. But I sort of “buried” my passion to act and direct so that I could focus on more pressing matters.

We are all passionate about something. And most of us bury it in the sand because we don't have the time or energy to pursue it. But taking the time to dig that thing up and do it can help us greatly. Being asked to put together a skit for the missions banquet reminded me how much I love acting. And it filled me with that same adrenaline, fear, anxiety feeling I had backstage in 2003. I sure did miss that feeling.

A Long Wait for Coffee

I had to wait longer than usual for my coffee this morning. Actually my whole routine of getting a coffee at a local Gloria Jeans, and drinking it there while studying at one of their tables was thrown off. I noticed something strange when a large crowd of people had gathered around outside. Inside it was absolutely packed so I decided to come back later after doing some shopping. About an hour later I returned to find people lined out the door. On a normal Friday I can almost immediately walk up and place my order. This morning there were six people in front of me! What usually took about three to five minutes instead took fifteen.

What could possibly make such a dramatic change in the amount of people visiting this coffee shop? They were giving out free samples of coffee at a table outside. Also in honor of it being Friday the 13th they decorated the shop with cobwebs and halloween decorations. While the servers were all dressed in halloween costumes.

As I stood waiting for my coffee I began to think about what brought all of those people there. For most of them the answer would be a small sample of coffee that was given to them outside. But small cups of coffee alone should not bring in that many people, so it wasn't just about the coffee. The large crowds came because they were being given something that they wanted.

What I witnessed this morning illustrates an important truth. Offer people what they want, and they will come to you. Applied this truth challenges companies to find out what their consumers want, and then give it to them. In this case of course the people who were shopping this morning wanted to actually sample the coffee that was prepared inside for free. I imagine many people after drinking that free sample went inside and paid more than $3.00 for a coffee.

Companies all around the world apply this simple truth. That is why suggestion boxes can be found in many restaurants or coffee shops. To find out what the customers want from the business. And if those suggestions aren't too hard to implement many times they lead to changes being made. As I stood waiting for my coffee this morning another thought crossed my mind. What would happen if churches actually offered to individuals what they wanted?

Now allow me to explain what I am saying. It is not my belief that churches should give unsaved people a questionnaire about how the church should change, or ask them what they want church to be. Neither should the church ask their members what they want to have. Both of these actions will lead to a consumer religion where people will attend the church as long as it gives them what they want. This also leans towards a management type approach to church ministry.

Each of us has certain desires in our hearts. A desire to be loved, a desire to feel safe, a desire to be satisfied. Each of these desires will find their ultimate fulfilment only in Jesus Christ. But we can be used as vessels to meet those desires in an incomplete way. What would it be like if we offered to the unsaved a place where they would feel loved and accepted? What would be the result if they were connected with loving Believers who helped them in times of need? How would the react if we treated them with respect and dignity?

Sometimes we get the idea that an outreach ministry has to be elaborate with flashy lights and video presentations. While the large scale outreaches do succeed things don't have to be that complicated. All it took to bring customers to Gloria Jeans was a table with coffee, coffee plunger, milk, and a lady who served it. It was incredibly simple yet lots of people came. As I walked away with a well earned cup of coffee this morning (I never got my table) I began to think about how this principle of management could be applied to a discipleship ministry. There has to be a balance between becoming a spiritual McDonald's and ignoring the needs of others.

Relational Teaching

Those of you who receive my prayer letters know that I have a passion for teaching. This passion comes from a burden that God has placed upon my heart for discipleship. Since mid March I have had the wonderful blessing of teaching a student at the Bible College where I minister two days a week. That opportunity was a great encouragement to me because it showed that passion truly did come from God. It was also encouraging to know that God was giving me an opportunity to live out that passion.

In the view of most people teaching just means the transfer of information. But I feel that teaching should be more of a mentorship type of ministry. This includes developing a relationship with the student, applying the truth that is taught to the students life, getting the student to interact in the learning process, and helping the student in times of need among other things. This kind of teaching style is not carried out much because it is almost impossible to implement in large groups. But having only one student made the mentorship philosophy easy to attempt.

My student is a young man named Jonathan Wolfe. He is only eighteen but shows more maturity than most adults I know. On Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings I will pick him up from a local train station at 8:39. Then after classes have ended I drop him off at another train station around 2:00 in the afternoon. While I greatly enjoy my time teaching Jonathan, I feel those rides to the college and train station have made a greater impact.

During those rides we have discussed the doctrine of election, foreknowledge, and atonement. We talked about the difference between a Calvinist and a hyper Calvinist. But it wasn't all theological discussion. We talked a lot about cars and the stunts that he attempts with a friend on their bikes. We discussed the great sports of Aussie rules football, and rugby. We shared stories of good times with friends, and laughed at some jokes.

During those trips and over lunch at the college we have talked about more serious issues. Such as American and Australian politics (he is extremely conservative), the prices of oil and gasoline, the differences in our two cultures, and historical events. This week in class we discussed in detail the subject of confronting other Believers in Christ. Among other things we asked when should confrontation take place?, how does God want it to take place?, what are the different views of confrontation?, and is confrontation Biblical since God is the only true judge? (that was just Wednesday!).

All of this connection and discussion have developed the beginnings of a close friendship between us. In May I attended a youth rally where teens from churches in the area gathered for a day of fun and teaching. When I got there a basketball game had already started with what appeared to be about twenty to twenty-five teenagers. I had barely stepped onto the court before Jonathan walked over and shook my hand. Then three times he said loud enough for all of his friends to hear, “this is my teacher”.

My time with Jonathan has reminded me that teaching involves more than just giving information. It involves becoming a part of the persons life and ministering to their needs. I am pretty sure that he would not have been so excited to see me if I had just taught the facts. I thank God for allowing me to become part of Jonathan's life. And pray that he will allow me to do the same for many others.

Worth the Wait

When I came to Australia in 2007 I was worried about many things. Fortunately my finances was not one of them. The American dollar has always been more powerful than the Australian dollar. In 2004 the exchange rate was around 55 cents so that you would receive almost two Aussie dollars for every one from the US. By the time I arrived it had risen to 77 cents, but it still helped to gain extra money on the funds I transferred from America.

Today the exchange rate has risen to 96 cents and it is almost guaranteed that the dollars will be even by the end of the year. There is even talk of the American dollar becoming weaker than the Australian. This is a hard time financially for missionaries here who receive funds from the states. Especially those who are paying mortgages on houses. But in the midst of the financial turmoil I am incredibly blessed by God, and have no problems with money.

I have a business account here that pays the expenses that relate to my ministry (and are therefore non taxable). Upon arrival in Australia I made plans to transfer money from my Baptist Mid Missions account in Cleveland Ohio to the business account. The funds would be used to purchase items I needed to have such as a car, computer, and furnishings for my house. This is usually a fairly large amount of money and is referred to as outfit and passage.

Outfit and passage is crucial for a new missionary. So it is very important to make sure that you raise enough money to pay for necessities. Horror stories are told of missionaries who raise too little and have a very hard time surviving on the field. Because of this I contacted the Australian Missionaries in early 2007 and asked if I had raised enough money to get started. Their answer made me very nervous. The estimate that I had been given was $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 to little! I was encouraged to use the entire amount of the estimate on a car alone!

I can still remember the sinking feeling of depression I had while reading that e-mail. It had taken a very long time to raise the amount of funds that where in my account already. To raise another $5,000.00 seemed impossible! But I knew that God would be faithful to provide the finances that I needed. And though it took longer for me to leave for Australia, plenty of money was raised in my account.

In February 2007 I was faced with the decision of how much money to transfer from my account in the US. I was tempted to request the smallest amount possible because the funds themselves would be taxable income. But after wrestling with it mentally I decided to bring in more money than I would actually need for Outfit and Passage. The extra money would be used in emergencies.

Today that extra money is still in my business account, and I thank God for it. I can now clearly see that he was preparing me for this time in Australian history before I left the United States. He led me to contact the missionaries to see if I had raised enough money. He provided the extra finances for my outfit and passage so I could live comfortably in Australia. He laid it upon my heart to transfer more than enough money.

Each one of those instances, finding out I need to raise a lot more money, having to delay my departure, and bringing over a large amount of taxable income were discouraging situations for me. And in each of those situations I was not terribly excited about doing God's Will. But today I can look back at those situations and thank God for them. For it is because of those experiences that I can have peace in my heart even though the American dollar is weaker than it has been in the last eighteen years.

An Encouraging Evaluation?

I had a meeting with members of the Baptist Mid Missions field council last Tuesday night. The field council consists of the president, vice president, and secretary treasurer of all the missionaries in Australia. It sounds like a very serious meeting but was actually a time of great encouragement and fellowship for me.

About six months ago I met with the field council so that we could evaluate how I was doing. I shared with them some issues I was struggling with and we talked about how to deal with them. They gave me lots of advice at that meeting which proved extremely useful during the months that followed. Now six months later they wanted to have another meeting to check up on my progress.

As I sat down into an easy chair with a cup of coffee Tuesday night I wasn't worried about the meeting. There was no fear in my heart about failures or weaknesses being pounded into my head repeatedly. The biggest reason for that was because I knew the people who sat in that room with me. And I knew that they were only interested in helping me grow to become a stronger missionary. Their goal was to build me up, not tear me down.

To my left was the secretary treasurer of Baptist Mid Missions Australia. Because of this position it is her unfortunate responsibility to care for my business account. There are two accounts for me in Australia. The first is a personal account that I use for items that are not ministry related. The second is a business account that will pay for ministry expenses. It is necessary to have both accounts because it is required by the immigration department of Australia.

About a year ago she took control of my accounts and soon found it was a very complicated job. The fact that I send her receipts for ministry items that I spend personal money on for reimbursement probably doesn't make it easier. But she never once complained about how much work she had to do for me or how hard it is. Instead she does an absolutely amazing job keeping my finances organised. Other times she and her husband have had me over for wonderful dinners. One sticks in my mind because she made me real southern food. It consisted of biscuits, bacon, eggs (scrambled in the bacon grease of course) and sausage gravy. That fattening but delicious meal alone showed that she was willing to help me in any way possible.

To my right was the pastor of the church I attend in Australia. He is officially the vice president of Baptist Mid Missions Australia, but he means much more to me than that. He is a mentor who has given me countless pieces of advice that have helped me in my ministry. He is a friend who will call me just to see how I am doing that day. He is the selfless individual who drove for forty five minutes just so he could have coffee with me at a local McDonald's. He is the counsellor who listens to me vent when I have a bad day.
He was the first person I called when someone broke into my car last month. And even during the meeting he gave me a quick wink of encouragement so I didn't take things too seriously. Sitting across from the secretary treasurer was the vice presidents wife. I have eaten wonderful meals at her house countless times and spent long afternoon with them both. Just last Sunday I came to their house at 1:00 for lunch and ended up leaving at 7:30 (I think they wanted me to stay later)! She is always willing to give me advice and help when I am in need.

Across from me was the president of BMMA. This man is also a great encouragement and friend. He is currently working with a solicitor (lawyer) to help me gain a permanent residency visa to Australia. Before I even came to Australia he was instrumental in trying to get my permanent residency visa application accepted. I have spoken at his church on two different occasions, and he is the first pastor to schedule a meeting so that I can present the CTT ministry. During the evaluation he asked me about any struggles that I was experiencing so that other missionaries could help. He asked me what I wanted to do in the future, and didn't just dismiss my plans as dreams. He expressed concern about my living so far away from the other missionaries and asked about my getting homesick. His last question was, “how can we help you”?

I left the meeting late Tuesday night exhausted but happy. It made me thankful that I have such a strong support team in Australia. It also reminded me of how important it is to have people who will lovingly help and support you. Because things will always go wrong in life. And for those who follow Christ there will be extra “drama” from Satan trying to discourage them. At those times a strong group of mentors who will help you is vital. I could go on about the friends and role models I have in Australia but it would take too long. I do thank God for every one of them though. A solid support team can even turn work evaluations into encouraging and fun experiences!

Pain Equals Growth

As I used a terrible tool of torture called a Lat pull at my local gym this morning a thought occurred to me. Almost every type of growth involves pain in one way or another. When there is no pain then there is very rarely any growth. This is not just true for physical growth but spiritual, mental, emotional, and all other types as well. Which leads me to wonder why pain has to be involved in growth.

It should be easy for us to grow into mature Believers of Jesus Christ. But instead the road to maturity is filled with painful hills and depressing valleys. It is tempting to become frustrated by this until we remember that Adam was the one who got us into trouble in the first place. If he had not disobeyed God's command along with Eve it would be easy to become like Jesus!

Living a Godly life in today's age is a very painful thing. But God has given us sources of strength and motivation to make us faithful. First and foremost we have been given an incredible standing in Christ as children of God. And because of this we also have a close intimate relationship with God himself. But another source of help for the painful journey is role models.

Role models are those people who give you motivation and support when you are struggling. They have give guidance when you are confused. But more than anything else they become a model that you strive to achieve. You see those role models go through painful trials and yet remain faithful. And their maturity challenges you to become more mature when facing pain. It is true that we should find our greatest source of strength in Christ instead of men.
But we can find motivation and strength through watching Godly role models as well.

Which brings me back to the horrible torture device called a Lat pull. It consists of pulling down a bar attached to weights that puts a massive amount of pressure on my chest and abdomen. I have to do four sets of fifteen reps. The first set wasn't terribly bad. But when I was struggling after number five on the second set I knew I was in trouble. On each of the last three sets I could not finish them without taking a rest after ten repetitions. This is not a terrible thing considering this was only the second time I worked out at the gym. The bad part was that I really wanted to stop at ten.

There was a reason I chose to finish each set even though my arms begged for mercy. Standing a few feet away from me where men who were lifting with the heavy weight machines. These were not professional body builders but still quite impressive. And as I watched those men lifting their heavy weights there was a small part of me that wanted to do the same thing. Now I am never going to be the muscle bound weight lifter. But I can begin doing the heavy weight exercises someday.

Growth of any kind is usually painful. Because of this it is very hard to have continually sustained growth on our own strength. Which is why having a Godly role models is so important. As we watch them live for God in the midst of all situations there will be a small part of us that wants to be just like them. And their testimony will be a source of help as we attempt to grow. We must surround ourselves with true role models. Ones who may not be able to lift heavy weights, but have integrity and holiness, which is much more important.

Many Small Steps

For years I have wanted to run in a marathon. I realise that this is not a dream that many people have. It is just that something about the idea of running twenty three miles is exciting to me. Actually it is being able to cross the finish line and know that I have done my best is what I look forward to.

Unfortunately running a marathon is not a very easily obtained goal. It is a long and painful race that demands the runner be in good shape. Otherwise they will collapse after running a few miles! That is what makes accomplishing this dream so hard. A person does not go to bed one night and wake up the next morning ready to run a marathon. Instead finishing the race is the result of months spent exercising, dieting, and training. A person would probably need to start preparing for a marathon almost five or six months in advance!

Doing something like this means you have to evaluate many of your decisions with that one goal. When I make a decision I will have to ask myself, “will this help me get stronger physically?”, or “Is this going to make it harder when I run today”? If nothing else keeping that goal of running a marathon in my mind will make me evaluate my decisions. In short it will take discipline and lots of small steps (making the right decisions) to accomplish my goal instead of a few large ones.

That is the way most of our goals or dreams are obtained. And sadly that is why so many of us don't live out those dreams. We aren't willing to spend the necessary time preparing ourselves for the opportunity to accomplish them. Sometimes this is because we are too busy with other things to spend time preparing for something so far in the future. But normally we don't do it because preparation almost always involves hardship and pain.

I will never be able to run a marathon the way I am right now. So this afternoon I am going to start the process of preparing myself. Step one has actually already been accomplished by my beginning to run four to five days a week. But in about two hours I will take another step that for me is much more painful (literally). This afternoon I am going to join a gym.

I have wanted to join a gym and work out with weights for years, but I never did. Partly because of embarrassment over only being able to bench press the bar. But more importantly because weightlifting is a painful experience, especially at first. So I had a long standing argument between my body that did not want to go through pain, and my heart that knew I needed to get stronger in order to run a marathon. I finally decided to join the gym in order to accomplish my goal.

The background on my desktop is a picture of me running a 5k race (3.2 miles) on July 4, 2005. At the time I had lost a lot of weight and ran three 5k races that summer. Right now I am 10 pounds heavier than the person in the picture, and nowhere near as fit. But I am going to become that physically fit again. It won't happen overnight, but take months of hard work. But by God's grace I will be able to get myself back into “running shape”. This is not done by one leap of faith, but by taking one step at a time.

Loving Confrontation?

This afternoon I finished a book that discusses of the most important attributes of a mature Believer.1 Sadly very few Christians have developed this characteristic. And most of those who do use it don't know how to do it correctly. It is the ability of confrontation. There is a good reason why most of us don't take the time to view confrontation as a characteristic that needs to be developed. For most of us the word itself brings up the mental image of a person blindfolded before a firing squad.

We seem to believe that confrontations consist of a group of people pointing another persons faults. The “confrontation” ends with the person at fault being beaten in submission and repenting of what he has done wrong. This is not really a confrontation at all, but what is referred to as an intervention. These are reserved for individuals who are involved in situations that are damaging not only to them but those around them such as addiction. Confrontation consists of lovingly pointing out to another person how they are hurting you in the relationship.

As I read this book it made me realize that our view of confrontation is totally different from Gods. In Colossians 3:5-17 Paul challenges Believers to walk as children of God instead of the unsaved (3:5). This involved allowing love to be the foundation of all their relationships (3:12, 14). It also included walking in unity with other Believers and reconciling when there differences (3:13). God's peace was promised if they walked in humble love and unity (3:15). But interestingly they are commanded to confront one another as well.

In Colossians 3:16 Paul commands the Believers to “admonish” one another. Admonish here comes from the Greek word noutheteo. The word is translated to “caution or approve gently”. So according to Scripture to confront someone means to show them something that they are doing wrong in a spirit of love. The best way to do this is simply point out to the individual where they are rebelling against God and let Scripture speak for itself.

It is true that stronger confrontation is needed when a person refuses to repent. And a stronger confrontation will be necessary for more serious sins. But confrontation does not have to begin with our kicking down the door and demanding that the person change. I believe that one of the reasons few of us (including myself) don't confront those who hurt us is because the very act of confrontation frightens us. When in reality a confrontation could be as simple as, “you know I would really appreciate it if you would not just point out what I do wrong. Let me know what I do good sometimes!”

This gentle form of confrontation will not offend the other person if it is given in an attitude of love. Actually it will create an opportunity to have more open and honest communication in the relationship. It is when we don't share with others how they hurt or offend us that the real problems start. The pressure builds inside of us like a volcano until we simply explode in anger someday about something that has nothing to do with the real reason why we are upset. These blowups have destroyed many more relationships than humble confrontation.

So join me in trying to learn this new habit of loving confrontation. It may be very hard for you to do at first like me. But in time honest and open and honest communication will become a part of our daily life. This is not to say that we just go around looking for someone to confront, or go to war just for the sake of going to war. But it means we will not bury the feelings of pain when we are hurt by others. Loving confrontation will allow us to keep balance in our relationships. We will not be a human doormat that everyone walks all over. But we will not be a human volcano that everyone will be afraid of either.

1How to Have the Difficult Conversation You've Been Avoiding, Dr. Henry Cloud/Dr. John Townsend

Thinking About the Future

Not having my car around this week has given me lots of time to think about things. There are some hard decisions for me to make in the next year and they commanded a lot of my attention this week. One of the biggest decisions was where I would live after coming back from my first furlough.


I am planning to take a six month furlough in the United States in June of 2009. In April the lease that I have on the house I am currently renting ends. For the last year I have told everyone that I planned to move somewhere closer to the city when I came back in January of 2010. The plan is to live with friends between April and June. Or possibly rent the house on a monthly basis if they would allow me to do so.

There a few reasons why I want to move from my current house. The biggest one is because the area I am staying in is far away from where I minister. I drive forty five minutes both ways to get to church on Sunday mornings. This gets pretty expensive when it takes about $50 to fill up my tank. Thankfully my little car gets excellent gas mil age. The long distance makes it hard for me to spend time with friends because one of us will have to drive a long ways.

There is a positive side to my living in this area though. This is by far the cheapest housing that can be found anywhere. Normally a small house or apartment will cost $250.00 a week for rent. I rent a three bedroom house complete with front and back yard for $185.00 a week! If I do move to a closer location it will mean having to raise more funds. It will probably take at between $200.00 and $300.00 of extra support.

Right now I have two options about my living accommodations. Moving to a new location closer to where I am working. Or stay where I am and saving up money to buy a house. Renting a house for $250.00 a week will end up costing about $1,100.00 a month. That gets pretty close to the payment that you would actually make on mortgage! The problem is the housing market in Australia is worse than it has been in years. Every house is at least $200,000, and the standard interest rate is above 8%.

Right now my heart tells me to stay here in Melton for a few more years until the interest rate goes down (if it ever does!). That time will allow me to save up money for a nice down payment for a small home. But at the same time if my teaching ministry continues to expand I will find myself traveling more and more during the week.


It may seem strange that I am worrying about something that is almost a year away. I have always been the kind of person who likes to look years in advance. I am planning things in my mind that probably won't happen for at least three years (I wrote about it in the article “taking a moment to dream”). I would really appreciate your prayers concerning this situation, I want to make sure that I rely on God's wisdom instead of my own.

Losing My Freedom

In November I was involved in a minor traffic accident. Another car hit me from behind when I was stopped at an intersection. The result was a decent sized dent in my cars bumper. About a week after the accident I called my insurance company and they gave me the number of a repair shop. I brought my car by the repair shop in December and they told me it could probably get fixed in January. They ended up calling in March and scheduled to have it fixed on last Monday.

So I drove my car over at 8:00 Monday morning. Then I decided to walk the four miles back to my house since I needed the exercise. I was hoping that the car would be fixed by Tuesday since it would not take too long to fix the dent. But when I called Monday afternoon they told me the damage was worse than originally thought. So the car would not be ready until Thursday.

It may seem strange, but losing my car for three to four days made me very angry. I don't get upset about much because losing your temper doesn't help fix the problem, but not having my car until Thursday really frustrated me. Why would that make me upset? There were actually two reasons. The first was that I would have to ask other people to drive me to work on Tuesday and Thursday. Thankfully the missionaries who work at the college live less than five minutes from me, and were more than happy to drive me.

But there is another reason for my frustration and anger. For those three days I lost my freedom. I could not get into my car and drive to the coffee shop where I usually studied because it was too far away to walk. It wasn't really not having coffee that bothered me, but the fact that I couldn't get in the car and drive somewhere.

Not having my car has reminded me how much I love having freedom. The freedom to go where I want when I want to do it. Losing my car takes that precious freedom away from me for a few days. But all other types of freedom are precious to us as well. The freedom to make our own choices. The freedom to try doing things differently. Freedom to express our view on a subject even though people disagree with us. But is it right for us to act as if losing some of that freedom is the end of the world?

Monday night I went to a local grocery store for some well deserved ice cream. When I am driving it takes less than four minutes to get there. It took me about half an hour to walk to the store and back. Yes it was a little bit frustrating for the trip to take almost ten times longer walking than it would have been driving. But I lived through the ordeal. Walking to the store and back did not kill me, and it was actually kind of nice walking in the warm night air.

I called the repair shop this afternoon because it was Wednesday and I was hoping my car was finished. Instead they told me that my bumper had to be completely replaced, and the new part would arrive Thursday. That meant the car “should” be ready by Friday. So I will be making the thirty minute trip to the store and back for a few more days. But I am thankful to learn that it is possible to live without a car.

The Art of the Cuppa

Last Sunday I went out to lunch with my adopted Lebanese parents and their extended family. Fifteen of us (a small group for them) enjoyed a great time of fellowship. As we ate our food I was asked a question that I have answered countless times since coming to Australia. The question is whether I like Australia or America better. And I answered that question last Sunday the same way I had all those other times. I would rather live in Australia than America.

I deeply love the United States, and will always be proud to be an American. But there is one big difference between the U.S. And Australia that makes a big difference for me. I got to the restaurant at about 1:15 Sunday afternoon. I left the host's house about 4:00 in the afternoon. The reason why I didn't leave from the restaurant was because we had not yet had a “cuppa”.

The routine for lunch or dinner at someones house goes something like this. You sit around and talk while the dinner is being cooked. Then following dinner you sit around and talk a bit more. Sweets (dessert) is served shortly afterwards with coffee. You usually sit around for an hour or so after the coffee having fellowship before leaving. The churches in Australia actually have “cuppas” after church so that people can stand around and talk while drinking coffee and eating cookies (biscuts). It is very rare that everyone will be gone before 1:00.

Why does lunch at a persons house take three and a half to four hours? Because Australians make relationships and connecting with one another a priority. Almost everything in the Australian worldview revolves around relationships. And therefore taking time out of the day and having a cuppa (cup of coffee or tea) while talking is more than just sitting around and having a chat. It is a cornerstone of Australian culture.

Because cuppas are so important coffee is almost a religious thing in Australia. If you don't drink it people will think that you are strange. I didn't drink coffee when I came here but that soon changed. I can still remember my first cup of coffee in Australia. Actually it was a cappuccino given to me by a pastors wife during a church fellowship at their house. I loved it from first sip, and now remind her that my addiction to coffee is because of her (although I am not totally addicted yet).

I have grown to love cuppas. During the week they don't last for more than three hours. Sometimes they just last for a few minutes. But it gives friends a chance to slow down for a few moments and share what is going on in their lives. It is not really about the coffee at all. It is about reconnecting with people who you know and love.

Not many people have cuppas in the United States. We are all so busy with life that it is almost impossible to just take a few minutes and talk with an old friend. I do understand that we all constantly have things that need to get done. But the Australian people make time to connect. They may even put something off until tomorrow that they can do today in order to have a cuppa. I am not saying that this isn't a dangerous thing to do. For if we continue to procrastinate on important things our lives will suffer the consequences. But being in Australia has taught me that if people make connecting with others a priority, they will find time for it.

There have been many times since I came here when I was discouraged about situations that weren't going the way I wanted them to. But after sitting down with friends and sharing the burdens I experienced the peace of God. Sometimes having a cup of coffee with a friend means I have to drive forty-five minutes both ways to do so, but it is worth it. The experiences I had led me to minister to others in this way.

About two weeks ago I finally broke down and bought a Plunger (french coffee press) so that I could make coffee at home, and real coffee (Gloria Jeans Caramel flavoured). I am praying that God would give me the chance to have some friends over for a good cup of coffee. But if not thats okay, I can enjoy it by myself.

Creating Creativity

I was drinking a coffee at a local McDonald's this afternoon when I read this interesting statement about the Big Mac. In a Ukrainian Big Mac the beef patties come from Hungary, the lettuce from Ukraine, the bun from Russia, the pickles and sauce from Germany, the sesame seeds from Mexico, and the cheese from Holland.1 The world is so diverse today that eating a Big Mac has become a multicultural experience!

Reading about the diversity in the world made me think about a meeting I had last Wednesday. I along with one of my friends met with the pastor of a local church. His church had a thriving youth ministry and we hoped to use some of his ideas for our Wednesday night ministry. A young woman who coordinated the activities and youth services attended the meeting as well.

It took about ten minutes to figure out what this pastor and the coordinator were passionate about. They focused on the importance of having strong leadership, and creativity. As they answered my questions I learned that being creative was truly one of the core values for their ministry. The pastor was quick to point out that they didn't just want to, “be different for the sake of being different.” But they were very serious about giving people freedom to try things that were different.

The entire ministry was built around this idea of what I would call “creative liberty”. Even the leadership style which they spent a large amount of time talking about was centred on it. The pastor explained that there is not one youth pastor for that church. Instead there is a core group of leaders who all get together and make decisions regarding the youth group.

This team philosophy of leadership is becoming very popular in churches today.
While I think it is a great way to foster creativity (everyone gets to voice their opinions) it is flawed because there is no real leader. Without a true leader who makes final decisions the group of leaders would just go in circles. The church met this need by making the coordinator authority to make final decisions.

When I came to that meeting I expected the pastor to talk about the program that they used. Instead he went out of his way to say that they didn't follow a curriculum or program. When we met for a coffee that night my friend pointed out that was the last thing he expected to hear. Actually I would have felt a lot better if they had told me about a program that they used. I love being creative in things that I do (I am always looking for ways to “recreate” myself). But basing a ministry on it is very scary.

Creativity leads to a roller coaster ministry. Some nights what you use will really connect with the teens. Some nights it will bomb miserably. It is much easier to use methods that you know the teenagers will like. But where there is little creativity there is little reward. It is one of those big risk big reward things. So even as I write this post I am thinking about how to become more creative in my speaking and leadership.

I am not quite ready to make creative liberty a pillar upon which my ministry is built. But the diverse multi cultural world around us demands that we show creativity in how we do things. Yes there will be moments when creativy turns into organised chaos, but that is the price that must be paid for growth. Toward the end of the meeting I asked Mel (the coordinator) whether or not all of their ideas worked out. She told me that there were some good nights and some bad nights. Then she said, “but that's what makes it fun” with a big smile. Maybe it's just me, but it seems as if she has a warped sense of humour.

1Leonard Sweet, Soul Tsunami, pg.369, par.3, ln.10

Meeting Physical Needs

I have never been much of a handyman. Some people are naturally gifted with the ability to fix things and work with their hands. While God has given the ability to make people laugh communicate with passion, I am not very good at fixing things. Usually when things needed to be repaired at my parents house I would let my father and brother do it. I would always be there to supply tools and follow instructions. But my general attitude towards jobs like that where, “somebody needs to fix that (not me).”

Now that I am renting my own house that attitude no longer works. For instance a spring hinge for the screen door on my front porch broke a few days ago. I could walk out that door every day and say “somebody needs to fix that”, but it will never get fixed. At some point I will have to buy a new hinge and install it myself. You can't always rely on someone else to fix your problems. Because of that fact this afternoon I bought some things I needed to do odd jobs around the house.

We are surrounded by problems and needs that are much more serious than a broken spring hinge. Problems such as poverty, hunger, climate change, diseases, and overpopulation. These social needs cry out for our attention every day. It is true that meeting the social needs of those around us is not as important as their spiritual need. But we can't ignore these needs either. There are individuals who feel that curing societies social problems is God's calling for the church today. I wrote an article last month about the problem with this philosophy (A New Great Commission).

How do we help meet those needs? The first step is to start discussing them openly. I was talking with some friends after the lesson at a Young Adults Bible Study last Monday night. I enjoy having conversations with them because they are extremely socially conscious. In other words, they think a lot about the physical needs of those around us such as poverty and famine. We began talking about the fact that churches seem to be at different extremes when approaching these issues.

The first group feels that curing social ills are the calling of Believers today. The other does not minister to the physical needs of those around them at all. “Why can't they just be more balanced?” I asked in frustration. It is possible to meet both the spiritual and physical needs of the lost around us. Of course the spiritual need is met first because these problems need a serious “spiritual surgery” (Ending the Dump Truck Method).

During that conversation we began thinking of how those physical needs can be met in a balanced way. Obviously we did not come up with the answer that night. But it was the first of what I hope will be many conversations about how we can meet the problems around us in a Biblical way. The problems around us are great and we need to begin thinking about how each one of us can start meeting those needs.

Some Believers will be able to do huge things such as invest money or become actively involved themselves. Others will only be able to talk with friends about finding solutions to these issues. Whether we become involved in a large or small way, soon it will be time to do something more than say, “somebody needs to fix that.”

Ending the Dump Truck Method

One of my college professors described the way that most students take exams as, “the dump truck method”. Basically this means they will dump massive amounts of information they don't really understand on paper. Even though they many times don't truly grasp the information these students will get good grades on the test. Of course using the dump truck method doesn't really help them because most of that information will be forgotten in the future. And the truths which are still remembered usually aren't applied.

As a person who used the dump truck method countless times during High School and College I understand it's usefulness. But there must be a better way of learning and applying information. The blame for using this method of learning and test taking should be placed upon students who refuse to study ahead of time. But some teachers are also taking some of that responsibility upon themselves. They believe that, “True Biblical teaching doesn't take place unless the students have learned. If they haven't learned, I haven't taught.1” As a result these instructors focus on reaching specific goals in their classes instead of just giving out information. And therefore become more like coaches instead of teachers.

Recently the professor I work with at the Bible College helped me develop lesson plans for my classes in April. He told me to make very specific aims (goals) for each class that can be evaluated later. This would be done by asking questions like “what will they learn?”, “what will they do with it?”, “what do they already know?”, and “how can I assist them?” These questions can make a big difference. It takes a general goal (“we will learn how to make paper air planes”) and makes it specific (“we will learn how to in ideal conditions create paper air planes that will travel an average distance of twenty to thirty feet”). These specific goals will in time turn into habits and responses. And those responses will help the student years after the class has ended. That is why I feel this form of teaching should be viewed as coaching. It focuses on preparing students for things that they will face in the future.

Thinking about teachers/coaches reminds me of a professor at Bible College. I took a class from him on counselling those in need with Scripture. In one of the first classes he told us about having trouble breathing because of nasal congestion. He would take medicine and it would clear up, but only for a few days. Finally he went to the doctor and learned that surgery was needed. Following the surgery he did not have any other problems.

The professor went on to explain that many people don't deal with serious problems correctly. They will put a band aid where surgery should be done. The rest of the classes that semester was about finding the real problem when dealing with those in need of counselling and dealing with it using Scripture. To this day when ministering to those in need around me I try to find the core issue that they are struggling with instead of making them feel better for a short time.

I realise that it isn't possible to make dramatic impact upon students in each class. But teachers can develop within their students character traits and habits that can help them be successful in the future. Becoming more of a coach than a teacher will not keep every student from using the dump truck method. But it will plant seeds in their hearts that can make them stronger people in the future.

1Bruce Wilkinson, The Seven Laws of the Learner, pg.17, par.2, ln.1

Shattering My Comfort Zone

As a teenager I attended a camp affiliated with my church during the summer. I loved going to that camp because it gave me a chance to see friends who lived in other states. But the reason I kept coming back was because it challenged me. One of the foundational goals of that camp was to help push teenagers “comfort zones”. In other words the counsellors and other workers challenged campers to try new things that they may not have attempted before. Many times I was nervous while doing these things, but in the end pushing my comfort zone always made me a stronger person.

Last Saturday night I did not just push my comfort zone. Instead I shattered my comfort zone into thousands of little pieces. About three weeks ago one of my friends at the church I work with told me about a young adults activity that was coming up. They were going to take a dancing lesson! For an hour and a half a trainer would walk them through a dance routine and at the end of the session they would attempt it on their own. These sessions were great for exercise and just having fun so a lot of people decided to go.

When people asked me if I wanted to go I immediately answered with an emphatic no. I have never in my life taken any kind of dancing lessons, and did not want to start. Basically I was embarrassed about making myself look silly by not being able to keep up with everyone else. But my friends all kept encouraging me to come since a bunch of them couldn't dance either. After a few weeks I finally agreed to go. The plan was to go out there for ten or fifteen minutes then watch everyone else.

When I got to the activity Saturday I was a nervous wreck. My nerves weren't helped at all when I realised that there was nowhere to just sit and watch everyone else. Whether I liked it or not I was going through the entire lesson! I put myself in the very back of the group and prayed that I would not break any body parts. After doing some stretches we began learning the routine. At first I felt pretty good about being able to keep up with everyone else without making too many mistakes. But the instructor kept on adding more complex moves to the routine, and I kept trying to move farther back.

Since there were so many of us the instructor split us into three smaller groups. I was in group two but there was not too much room to move because there were so many people in my group. After a break I saw that a lot of people in group three had either moved or left. I knew that getting into group three would give me a lot more room. But group three only had three people while the other groups had about ten. Being in group three would make my lack of coordination really obvious. But I decided to just join the group and have fun.

Towards the end of the lesson our instructor had each group do the routine by themselves. As I watched the first two groups perform I felt sick. It is not easy to hide bad dancing skills when there are only four people in your group! Finally it came time for my group to perform. I took a deep breath, and did the best that I could. There is little doubt that I was the worst dancer in my group but people cheered us anyways.

I left the activity at 8:30 with sweat dripping off my face and my shirt was soaked. My back and legs were killing me when I got up this morning. But I am still happy I went. Because there is a certain satisfaction that comes from challenging our comfort zones. Challenging our comfort zones is not about being the best person out there. It is about forgetting the fear in your heart and just having fun. It is about forgetting the mistakes you made and trying better next time. It is about accepting the challenge and doing your very best. Many of us live our lives believing that comfort zones are supposed to be protected. But maybe they were meant to be shattered.