Why church?
Sometimes we get to a point in life when we start to take a few things for granted. Just this week, I overheard someone making the statement, “I can’t. I have to got to church tonight…” I can only speak for one person, but I am sure most church goers have made this very statement. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I have said this before, and I have meant it EXACTLY the way it sounds. Just imagine a teenager, eyes rolling… It’s almost like a complaint!
We have church-wide Bible study on Sunday and Wednesday nights. A few people from other churches have questioned and even criticized me for not preaching at every service (I’m getting to my point, I promise). Frankly, the people who come to Sunday and Wednesday night services have been preached to enough, and I think it is more benefiting for everyone that we study. In January 2010, we started studying prophesy (Daniel, Revelation, etc…) mostly relating to the end times. In November (2010), we decided to start at the beginning since we had studied the end. We study verse by verse, and let me just be honest: it is AMAZING! Everyone is encouraged to speak up when something crosses their mind. We help each other learn! We are finally to Genesis 46, and we have found Jesus EVERYWHERE. Joseph has been a great study, and has allowed us to see how Jesus accepts us, forgives us, and reveals Himself to us!
Now, back to the point. I get to hear people testify about how God has changed their life, given them greater understanding, or an illustration to which we can all relate. Here is a sampling of the folks in the crowd (names withheld to protect the ones whom I did not ask if I could use their name 
):
- A retired pastor who served faithfully for almost 40 years. 21 of those years were in our church! He is an inspiration to me, and is always there to help. He walked me through my first funeral as a pastor. He is very wise, and I look up to him!
- A widow who walked with her husband through the process of dying with cancer. She also is very wise, and knows the love of God! She comes up with some great illustrations…some of them find their way to sermons!
- A retired kindergarten teacher who must have the patience of a saint. Not only was she the kindergarten teacher, she is the retired pastor’s wife!
- A widow that lost her husband suddenly, and has family members burdened with health concerns and problems.
- A recent retiree who has a great burden for lost members of her family. She loves being a full-time grandmother.
- A mother of three who has a husband like me…poor gal.
Every single person there has a lifetime of different experiences and encounters with God. I have heard them recount difficult times, good times, times of doubt, and times of fear; but they made it! It is so encouraging for me to get to worship with these people. I believe we keep each other encouraged and keep each other going. I like to go to church; it’s water for my soul!
A trend in traffic…
I have noticed a trend in the traffic on my blog. I am sure it is from folks who stumble across through a search engine or something, but the numbers have been pretty consistent these last few months and I haven’t written much. For that, I apologize. However, writing takes time. Now, I have a phone that is TOO powerful for me, but it does have this nifty app that let’s me write from my phone! Technology these days.
Since there are a few more readers, I want to take a few minutes and say something I should say more often. Since Mother’s Day is only a few days away, I’ll say HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
I have been blessed beyond measure when I consider the mother God gave me. She is the definition of what a Godly mother should be. She has always been the most supportive of everything my sister and me were trying. She is our constant encourager. She even still loved the kid who told her (and I quote) “SHUT UP!” from the pitcher’s mound. I’m not going to mention any names, but I personally know he regrets those words to this day…but momma forgives, and still loves. And now she is also a wonderful grandmother! We are very blessed in the grandmother department…
I am also blessed to have the perfect mother for my children. My wife is simply amazing. She is with our children all day, and still cooks supper every night! She also has the resonsibility of putting up with me, AND the impossible task of being a pastor’s wife. She seems to handle every change with grace, even when there are struggles or heavy decisions. She is perfect for me, and I just could do it without her.
I hope that you call or visit your momma if you are able…not just Sunday, but as often as you can. Many are not as fortunate…
I covet your prayers daily.
What has happened to prayer? Pt.2
I miss my family. This house is too quiet, even with the new fur ball running around and playing. Since I have the house to myself, I have been able to listen to a few great sermons, do some reading, and just have a little quiet time. Tonight, I listen t a message by Johnny Hunt, Pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock, GA. It’s amazing what you stumble upon when you are seeking answers. I just love it when God uses others to speak to me, even if it is a recording that is months old!
Back to the subject at hand…prayer.
I’m not going to go into the full sermon mode here, but think about this: what do we lose when we are not praying correctly? I believe, based on the scripture, God desires a relationship with His favorite creation: you! Let me illustrate: if you wanted to build a relationship with me, there are a few ways you could go about it. You could see what others had to say about me. Talking to my friends, family, and even enemies (which I hope I have none) will reveal many things about my personality and character. However, this is second-hand information; another person’s perspective; what they think they know, etc. You could study my writings (not that anything I say would make a good study). You could follow me around and watch from the shadows to see how I interact with others…but that may get you arrested. I do work in a public school, you know.
Let’s go further: I have a best friend. His name is Brandon and I think of him as the brother I never had. Now he is not my only best friend (I could use my dad or my beautiful wife who have known me much longer than Brandon), but for this illustration, I want to make a specific point. Brandon and I met about 6 years ago when I started serving on the ministry team at his girlfriend’s church. As best as I can remember, we hit it off immediately. Thankfully, we all became friends; however, we did remain casual friends. We started playing golf together…at least two times a week during the summer (you know BEFORE I had kids!). Before long, there was nothing we did not know about each other. We shared our concerns, burdens, joys, fears, secrets, the whole nine yards. It is an amazing feeling to know that you have a friend you can trust. There was only one thing we did to strengthen our relationship as friends: we spent the time talking and learning about each other. There is something else i gained from getting to know Brandon very well, I learned to trust him and depend on him.
I believe prayer is the key to building a relationship with God. We can ask people about Him, read about Him, even watch how He interacts with the people around us, but until we meet Him through salvation in Christ, and develop a relationship with Him through prayer and study. Not only will be learn more about God, we will learn to trust and depend on Him:
6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7
Don’t give up your peace or let you your relationship with God suffer…talk to Him! He’s waiting to hear from you!
What has happened to prayer?
It seems I always start a post like this…but it’s been a while. I love to write. Really, I do. But I also love to have the TIME to write! Tonight, my wife and children are visiting the Mammaw’s and Pappaw’s in East TN so I am at home alone. I miss them when they are not home; especially when I finally sit down and have nothing to do. I have filled some time tonight playing GoldenEye on the Wii, reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (which is a great story…I never thought I would say that…), watching a few sermons online, and working on the finishing touches to Sunday’s sermon. Which brings me to the reason for this post…
It seems as though Christians today have forgotten what should be one of the most treasured gifts we have: prayer. We have the privilege of speaking directly to God. Like all spiritual gifts, this comes to us because of Christ’s finished work on the cross! What standing…to approach the throne of grace. However, we have a tendency to think of prayer as the “emergency” line to God. You know, when we need to get out of a speeding ticket, get bad news from the doctor, or need to come out of a meeting with the boss and STILL have a job. I hate to be critical, and maybe it’s just a reflection on what my prayer life used to be, but it seems like we see God as one waiting by the super-secret red phone, just waiting for a crisis.
I have been preaching through the Sermon on the Mount, looking at what Christ said (instead of what we think or we have heard that He said). For the last few weeks, we have looked at the motivations for Righteousness. Now don’t get me wrong, my righteousness, on my best day, is still not acceptable to God. Thankfully, Christ died on the cross and rose again so that I could share in His righteousness! The only standing the Christian has is the standing we have in Christ. What a gift! That being said, I believe one of the great gifts of righteousness is prayer.
So what’s the motivation? Why should we pray? Jesus gives some specific instructions about prayer in Matthew 6, especially “babbling” in public, repetition of empty words, and having a time for praying in secret. Do I believe that He is teaching us to never pray in public? NO, but I do believe that He is teaching that if the only time we pray is when we are asked to pray in public, then we are NOT praying correctly, or enough, for that matter. I believe it is vital for us to private, intimate time with God. I think this is the “secret” praying Jesus is teaching.
So what should be say? I wish there was a secret formula I could share for the effective prayer. If there was, someone smarter than I would probably sell it. We do, however, have a model that shows us consistent prayer:
9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come.Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
More on what Jesus said tomorrow evening!
A Letter to Grandpa
Death is something we all must face eventually. We all have lost someone very close to us before, and someone close to us will pass away again. Scholars say that 1 out of 1 people die; Therefore, we all must face death ourselves!
I have heard people say time and again that their loved one is still with them in spirit, or that they are in heaven looking down on us right now. Pastors even teach this as Biblical fact calling it the “Grandstands of Heaven”. While it is a lovely sentiment to imagine a loved one watching over us, I just don’t think it happens. I have never been able to find this teaching in the Bible. In fact, Heaven is a place I know very little about (so I kind of talking out of my league here…)! Heaven is described as a place of perfection where worship of God the Father and Christ the Son never ceases.
Using some simple logic, what would the atmosphere of Heaven be like if everyone there sat around and watched the people of earth? They would see innocent men, women, and children dying from starvation because of their location. They would see people being killed in cold blood for various reasons. They would see family members addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, or ___________. They would see a husband destroy his family because he is selfishly unfaithful. They would see the world we see now, only they could not do anything about it. That sounds more like torture, and that is reserved for hell.
Tonight I had the privilege to attend a church service with three different churches. My dad preached a great sermon, and asked me to sing. It was a great service! I sang a song written by a friend of mine, Jimbo Whaley, called “A Letter To Grandpa”. The song is about a grandchild writing to grandpa, asking him to tell them about Heaven. It is a great song and I love to sing it.
I would love to be able to sit down and talk to my grandparents just one more time. I cherish the memories from my childhood when we would spend the endless summer days at Granny and Pap’s house with all the cousins, or the Saturday nights at Grandma Dottie’s house. I miss the time when life seemed more simple to me. One more time making Grandma laugh so hard she has to turn up the oxygen; one more trip to the garden and then a trip to big rock or the baptizing hole to cool off; one more ride in that old brown Chevy (in the back, of course, because it was safer back then ). But I can’t go back, and there is no way I want them to come back here!
I am thankful my grandparents where Godly people. I am thankful they showed me the wisdom and example that helped me become the person I am. I am thankful for their faith which assures me they are in heaven with Christ. Someday soon we will get to be together again…that is something to be thankful for, friends!
Thank You Lord!
Well, it’s been a while, to say the very least! This has been the craziest semester I have ever taught, and there are more big changes to come in the very near future. Thankfully, everything is going very well, and I am being taught some very valuable lessons! I would love to give you all of the details, but I will hit the highlights:
I now have a three-year old. She is too smart, too hilarious, and just too much! Potty training is almost complete! She loves music and loves to sing. She also has a memory like an elephant, and always surprises me with the little details that she never forgets. Her favorite musicals are Momma Mia and Hair Spray and can sing most of the songs from the soundtracks.
I also have a 23 month old boy…who is ALL boy! He likes trucks (the bigger the better), throwing balls, climbing, running, jumping, and aggravating his sister. He likes to wander off and do his own thing, which he gets honestly from me. He just loves to talk and sing, but you really can’t understand what he is saying just yet. He will say “I love you”! It sounds like “la lew”, but I know just what he means. He is a very affectionate little man and never meets a stranger. I tell everyone at church he is now my campaign manager…
I also have a 10 month old who is in charge of exploration around the house. He has learned to be mobile by crawling, and is very fast! He can also stand up and has recently started taking a few steps while holding on to the furniture. He still has bright red hair, and loves to laugh! He is at eating and sleeping, and practices both activities frequently. He can also say “dada” and “mama”. He is learning more tricks daily.
There have also been huge changes at school, but I won’t bore you with the details. I am now teaching 5-8 grade band and 6/8 grade general music. I love the new schedule and the new grades. It is a challenge, but I am learning. We are also moving into a new school build very soon! We are all ready to go. My new band room is HUGE; the stage is HUGE; I actually have space for STORAGE! It is a beautiful building!
Since it is almost Thanksgiving, I am going to do something I think we all should do from time to time. I am going to attempt to list a few things for which I am thankful. Sometimes, we just forget to be thankful…
- I am thankful that God knows me, and I know Him! I am thankful for Christ’s supreme sacrifice as my substitute on the cross. There is nothing good about me because I am a sinner. I am thankful that Christ died for me.
- I am thankful for salvation and the gift of Christ’s righteousness so that I can have a relationship with God!
- I am thankful for my wife. She is perfect. She is perfect for me. She is THE perfect mother for our children. I cannot imagine life without her. I know God placed her on this earth just for me, and I pray that I am a suitable husband for such a great woman.
- I am thankful for my children. Natalia, Slade, and Gavin are the lights in my life. I cannot praise God enough for allowing me to have these cherished blessings. I pray that I am a suitable father for these three gifts from God. I am learning to understand my relationship with God, my Father, by being a father.
- I am thankful for my parents. I am blessed with Godly parents who spent their lives giving my sister and me every opportunity we wanted to pursue. They taught me to work, love, laugh (a lot), respect others, be disciplined, and to honor God. I am most thankful that they loved me so much, they took me to church and lead me to have the relationship with God that I cherish.
- I am thankful for my little sister. I am thankful we have both become the adults we are today. She shows true perseverance and will have the degree she is working so hard to earn! Hanna, I love you, you are the best!
- I am thankful for my wife’s family! Yes, that’s right, my in-laws. How many people can say that and mean it??? I am thankful they opened their family to me 12 years ago, and have always treated me like I was one of the bunch!
- I am thankful God provides for my family. I am thankful my wife is able to be a super-mom and spend every day raising our children. The ends are not always tied, but God always makes the meet. His blessings overflow!
- I am thankful for my church family. I am so blessed to be the pastor of a great church, full of loving people. I am thankful we are able to study the Bible together and be present when the Word of God is opened before us! I cherish our time together, and I pray God allows us much more time in the future!
- I am thankful for my work family. It is so pleasant to be able to go to work and know there are people who genuinely care for you. The school where I am blessed to work is not just a job, it is not just a career, it is a family. I love my Prescott peeps!
- I am thankful for this: 6 For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! ~Romans 5
This should go on forever…I am working to be thankful for everything. I hope we all have a fulfilling holiday season.
Time to Catch Up
It’s been a while since I have written about life in Nathan World. I think we’ll play catch up in this post.
We are going through some big changes at school! We are evolving from being a 5-6 grade middle school to being a 5-8 grade middle school. In the midst of this evolution, we will be moving into a new school building. This new building is VERY swanky, for lack of a better term. It is state of the art in every way. My new room is HUGE with plenty of storage and work space. The campus will actually house two schools: and elementary and middle school. This put kindergarten-8th grade on one campus.
There is one small problem…the new campus will not be ready to open when school starts! That means the whole k-8 campus will be housed in our current building! This should be interesting. To throw continual wrinkles in this sheet, several friends have received different assignments AND we have a brand new administration! Changes are always tough, but it will be great!
On the home-front, the kids are growing too fast! Slade woke up screaming just a few minutes ago. I went to get him and Gavin woke up, looked at us, grinned from ear to ear, and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I was adorable. Slade is just all about pappaw and yells for him constantly. I’m not sure which one he’s yelling for, but I’m sure he’d take either. He is also mastered the art of escape from the high chair, which could be dangerous. He thinks it’s funny. Tali is working on potty training. She is a daddy’s girl, if you ask me, and is too funny. If we can’t do anything else around this house, we laugh a lot!
My bride is still beautiful and I’m still in love. I also think she still likes me! She is the greatest! This Saturday, June 12, we will celebrate our 6th anniversary. This year also marks 12 years we have been a couple. Now I guess you know why her still liking me is a surprise, and a blessing! The longer we love, the sweeter love grows!
I am also the proud new owner of a BlackBerry. We ended up switching to Sprint from Verizon. It was actually a very pleasant experience from both companies, much to my surprise! I always said I would never have one because I didn’t want to be too connected, but I will admit, they are pretty neat! We will also end up saving some money on our monthly bills by switching which is always a good thing. If you want to know the specifics, leave me your email address, and I’ll be happy to share.
Think that’s about…just remember to live who you claim to be!
-Nathan
Christian Atheism…mostly! (pt.2)
Finally, the school year is over! I am excited to be home with the family, and I’m excited about the things we have planned. In a few weeks, we are taking a whole week for a family vacation! We also have Vacation Bible School at PSBC June 21-25! If you have children who like to have fun and learn about Christ, bring them on up! I am also hoping to get back on a consistent writing schedule. Most of the last few weeks I had to choose between writing and studying. As you can see by the post dates, studying won!
I have also been able to finish the latest book I have been reading, The Christian Atheist. It’s a pretty good read for everyone. It has definitely made me more aware of the importance we SHOULD place on living the right lifestyle! Please don’t misunderstand, I am NOT turning legalistic or anything, but how a Christian lives matters! I understand the Bible teaches that salvation is a gift from God, and is absolutely free for mankind. However, there is a cost of discipleship. It costs everything. As Christians we are called to give up everything and follow Christ! Most Christians, however, have a tough time doing that, or going that far.
Unfortunately, many people look at this fact as though Christians are required to live a heavily restricted life, and we are not allowed to have any fun. Judging by the look on most church member’s faces, I have no clue where someone would get that idea…most of us look miserable, or like we had to start sucking on lemons the day we were saved! I see this differently. I see a life of freedom, not restriction! As a Christian, I am no longer required to live up to the world’s expectations. I have the freedom to be different! We are finally given an opportunity to live at peace with God and not pursue the things of the world! This opportunity only comes through the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Let me illustrate:
I know a couple with whom I attended the same church, under the same pastor, and have expressed the same salvation experience. Please keep in mind this one little thought about what I am going to say next: I see the truth because I have experienced this truth. As I have admitted in the last post about this subject, I have personal experience with being a Christian Atheist, I just didn’t know this fancy term when I realized I was not who I professed to be. Back to the illustration: this couple paid their tithes, donated beyond the tithe, were baptized into church membership. However, these two people have destroyed their witness in front of me, and several people I know!
They have been seen stumbling out of a vehicle after partying with the “unchurched” friends. I have personally witnessed him screaming at his wife and calling her profane names. These are just a couple of their public displays of character. Please understand, I am no better. I am a sinner saved by God’s amazing grace, and truthfully, if it were not for His grace and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I would be no different.
I use this as an example to say this: if you proclaim that Christ has changed your life, your life should be DIFFERENT! This realization came as a shock to me one day. I was telling a friend from college about the love of Christ, and how he needed Him. My friend asked me one question, “why? We go to the same places, watch the same movies, talk the same, everything. What’s so important about Christ if we’re already the same?”
I realize now that I have had too much wasted time being a misrepresentation. God loved me and can confidently say He loves you just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. Let’s be the change He has called us to be.
Not What I Deserve
May is busy. Being a husband, daddy, pastor, band director, general music teacher, yard mower, weed eater, and _________ takes time all year. Unfortunately, time is at a premium during the end of the school semester. Between the concerts and all of the other wrap-up activities, it’s easy (especially for me) to be taken into the “rat race” and neglect the focus to which I have committed. I am not going to preach the message of “smelling the flowers” or “taking it easy”, but I constantly have to be reminded that my power is insufficient, God’s is infinite.
I try to keep my quiet time each day. In the mornings, I usually have about 20 minutes in my classroom before students and other co-workers come in, and it is usually the only time during the day when I am alone. I like to devote this time to prayer and usually read a Psalm or some verses out of Proverbs. This time of year, however, I am usually sliding into the parking lot with only a few minutes to spare before I’m late. I blame this on not going to bed early enough because of everything else having to be finished the night before. I really miss my quiet time when it just doesn’t happen. I would love to devote several hours every day to prayer and study…
Yesterday morning at church, we spent some time during the sermon showing how God gives His children exactly what we need, not what we deserve. Jesus Christ died on the cross because we needed a Savior, even when we deserved death because of our sin. I am amazed how He provides what we need in life every day. Even when we get so busy with life, He still generously provides. When we need rest, He provides. When we need food, He provides. When the kids need diapers, He still provides.
19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Wow…I’m thankful for that promise!
Christian Atheism…MOSTLY!
I read a lot. I read blogs, books, the newspaper in Cookeville (which is a day behind, but we love it anyway…), and my Bible. It is interesting to see many different points of view on basically every subject known to man. I like to read about everything from sports to politics to religion. I usually wait until every one else is in bed, and I read, work on sermons, or write on this page. Thankfully, I do not require much sleep, and the kids like to sleep all night these days!
Since yesterday, I have been reading a book called The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. I know, the title alone is a point for controversy! While I have only made it through the first fifty pages, I think Mr. Groeschel is on to something big! This is by NO means a book review, but here’s the thesis for the book: Many people know God, and have maybe accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, but continue to live as though God doesn’t exist!
I would venture, from personal experience, to say most Christians live the role of a Christian Atheist at some point in their walk with Christ. I went through a time of rebellion from God, and refused to submit to His will for my life. It was miserable, and I suffered for it. Like the Corinthian church, the suffering hit its intended mark and brought about repentance; therefore, I am grateful for it. I think, and often preach, Christians somehow forget who we are and how we got the name “Christian”. Look at these verses from Acts 11:
25 Then he (Barnabas) went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
I read this verse, which appears to be only historical, the other morning in my quiet time, and it hit me like a ton of bricks: the term “Christian” was a title given by people watching the disciples! The disciples were living among the people in the church and teaching them the Gospel of Christ and Godly living, and they EARNED the title! The people watched these men for a whole year. It is evident these men had a certain characteristic, or set of traits placing them separately from the rest of the world: they lived like Christ! How would the church (the universal body of Christ) be different if we still lived to earn the title “Christian” or “little Christ”? I am NOT asserting that we can earn salvation because it is a free gift from God(see the Grace…Get It Right! series), but living in such a way that is worthy to be associated with Christ’s name.
More thoughts on this soon…
