Deep Well Discipleship

Just a short note as I contemplate much today.  I am preparing the final touches on Sunday mornings sermon out of Acts 6 & 7 looking at the Character of a Christian based on the life of Stephen.  It has been compelling to me as it has caused me to look at my own life.  Do I truly reflect Christ in Scripture, I mean truly reflect Him; not my opinion of Him, not what I think others see Him as, not what I want Him to be, but who He truly is in Scripture?  As I have prepared I have read through a book written by Dan Crawford about the Wedgwood Church shootings in 1999.  What a remarkable read, you can read it for free -  http://www.wedgwoodbc.org/files/NightOfTragedy_ADawningOfLight.pdf  (I would encourage you to take some time and read this - full of many who reflect Christlike Character.) I have also been pursuing the web and looking at how the world views Christians and also how Christians themselves view their character, it has been disturbing to...

In my most humble opinion I believe that social media can be an incredible means to present the gospel to a culture that is in dire need of Christ Jesus.  But I fear that many are destroying the Gospel more than actually presenting it.  People in mass are posting "I love the Bible" and "God loves you" along with a multitude of Bible verses yet the average Facebook poster, twitter user, etc can see if this is truly authentic or just another ruse.  We did this in real life so we turned to social media and we are ruining it there as well.  You know, professing Christ with our lips and living completely opposite - I call it Bi-Polar Christianity, which I would argue is not Christianity at all (see 1 John 1:5-7).  I am reading more people showing their disgust towards this type of lifestyle than ever before, maybe they have a point?  Maybe it's time those that claim Christ live like him authentically.  Read Acts 19:15 and understand that the world, and Sata...

WOULD ANYONE CARE? I have been reading through Darrin Patrick and Matt Carters book "For the City".  It has been challenging and convicting to me as a pastor and leader.  The question that has weighed on me most heavily as I have read this is, "If FBC Seminole shut it's doors, would anyone in Seminole know we were gone and would they even care?"  This question was posed in chapter one by Matt Carter in regards to his own church in Austin Texas.  Stop for a minute and ask yourself this question.  Would anyone care if your church shut their doors for good, would they even notice?  The answer is haunting and sad because for many of our churches the answer is that they wouldn't. Why is this happening?  For many churches their concern is not the community around them and reaching them with the gospel but instead it is focused on programs, finances, and numbers.  Nothing, by the way, is inherently wrong with these things but instead of these...