Fellowship in the Gospel

I thank my God upon evey remembrance of you...for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now... Philippians 1:3;5 (KJV)

Dr. Leake (my new pastor) mentioned Paul's relationship with the church in Philippi during last night's message. I have always loved the story of Paul and that wonderful church. The book of Philippians is basically a thank you letter to the church for all the kindness they showed Paul. He began it by praising God for the joy that accompanied each remembrance of the church.

Yesterday was my "first day" @ FBC Meridian. I woke up this morning praising God for them and the kind way they welcomed our family to Meridian. They shared with us and we are truly grateful.

I Believe

It is important to look within and see what is in there from time to time. Dr. Levi Price asked a group of us Truett Seminary students to do a spiritual formation exercise that I found very helpful. He asked us to sit down - pray - and then jot down a brief affirmation of belief concerning our present season of ministry. This is what came out of me -

Statement of Belief
For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake...Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. II Corinthians 3:5; 4:15 NRSV

I believe that I am called by God to serve in pastoral ministry. This demands that I personally grow in three primary areas of relationship and that I lead other followers of Jesus Christ to grow in these areas as well. These relationships are -

1. The relationship with God in Christ
2. The relationship with the church
3. The relationship with the community

I believe that scripture is the guide for faith and practice. I believe that the church is God's chief instrument of grace in the world. I believe in the hope of conversion through faith in Jesus Christ. I believe in the fullness of the Spirit. I believe in the great commandments and the great commissions. I believe in the restoration of God's creational intent.

Statement of Values

I value loving God, self, and neighbor. I value faith. I value hope. I value working with God (I Cor. 3:9). I value the potential in God's people. I value my family.

Mission Statement

My mission it to love Christ, his church, and the community he died to save with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to lead the members of First Baptist Church Meridian, MS to do the same.

Vision Statement

My vision is to lead the followers of Jesus @ FBC Meridian to love God through worship and obedience - to love each other through genuine fellowship - to love the community (world) through compassionate service and evangelism.

NOTE- I believe that every Christian needs to be an active part of a Sunday School or small group unit. I believe every Christian needs to worship God in private and corporately. I believe that evey Christian needs to be able to identify thier primary mission field and sharpen their ministry skills through the equipping ministries of the church.

That's a few things I believe. What do you believe?

Changes

This Sunday will be our last Sunday at Truitt Memorial Baptist Church. I will baptize and preach my last sermon in a church we truly love. Meredith and I have shed more than a few tears over the transition before us. We are moving to Meridian, MS where I have accepted the position of associate pastor (something I never thought I would do) at First Baptist Church. We are really excited about the new ministry and believe that God has a wonderful work prepared for us. We are in a time of change and we have two congregations in our hearts. That is not easy! I'll be in Waco, Texas over the next two weeks working at Baylor. I'm leaving Meredith to close on our house and prepare for our move. My first Sunday in Meridian will be July 1. As Scott Peck once said, "Life is difficult." It is also a great adventure. Please keep us in your prayers as we walk through changes together.

Take Your Time

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

My grandfather Charlie has always been a solid source of wisdom for me. He once looked at me on an afternoon fishing trip and said, "Take your time." He wasn't talking about fishing - he was talking about life. Scripture speaks of time as a season in a man or woman's life. Time is to be received as grace. It is a gift and often a surprising one. Our family is entering a new season of time with excitement and joy. God has surprised us with a new season of time. We are taking it. I think my grandfather's advice is sound - Take your time. It is a gift from the hand of God! May God bless your times and seasons.

The End is Near: I Peter 4:7-11

Growing up in the South has given me an appreciation for the folk art that decorates the interstate highway between Dallas and Atlanta. REPENT! Get right or get left. THE END IS NEAR!!! All these slogans and many more call out to the prodigals of Dixie to straighten up. I'm not sure that reminders of life's brevity are all that bad. Peter spoke up and said years ago, "...the end of all things is at hand" (I Peter 4:7). Sometimes we need to be reminded of the fragility of life and the need to focus on the big things. Peter instructed the church to spend the little time they had focusing on tree things -

• Disciplined Prayer
• Hospitality
• Stewarding the manifold grace of God given through spiritual gifts.

That sounds like a strategy for missional renewal to me. Join us tonight as we talk about this powerful passage of scripture.

"Doubting" Thomas' Scarred Up God

The Apostle Thomas is widely known for his doubting. I'm glad we don't all have to carry names binding us to our weak moments. There was a kid in our church in Monticello that called me Fat Matt for a number of years. Yes, it fit. No, it did not speak to other aspects of my life and devotion. I'm fat and Thomas doubted but that's just part of the story - the part to be restored by God's grace.

If you read John's gospel with care you will find that the strongest affirmation of Jesus' divinity came from the lips of "Confessing" (?) Thomas. Eugene Peterson tells it like this - Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe." Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"

"My God!" That was Thomas's affirmation. "My God!" He declared the divinity of Jesus AFTER he touched his scars. Thomas confessed the craziest notion the world has ever known - God has scars. The God of blazing fire has scars. When it comes to brokeness - God gets it. We do not have a God that is unmoved by our challenges and suffering. Therefore we can join with the writer of Hebrews and encourage each other as Jesus encouraged Thomas -

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

From Great to Good

I appreciate the fact that Thom Rainer is now leading Lifeway. I think that he is a good researcher and believe that he will do good things at the Southern Baptist institution. Rainer and Ed Stetzer are two reasons that I can't give up totally on the SBC.

I, like many others, have been influenced by Rainer's book Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap. This book was based on the Jim Collins' Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. Both works are filled with important information for churches seeking to increase their missional impact. Greatness is a noble goal but I was reminded today the goodness must not be left behind in pursuit of it.

On of my favorite pastors is Robert Creech of University Baptist Church in Houston, TX - www.ubc.org. I watch his sermons when I clean up my office. Recently Eric Swanson preached a sermon at UBC, Houston titled, From Great to Good, based on Acts 10:36-38. He talked about Jesus' ministry of goodness and how we need to follow his model. He pointed to three aspects of Jesus' good works -

• Ministry of Mercy - making someone's day better
• Ministry of Empowerment - making someone's life better
• Ministry of Evangelism - making someone's eternity better

As a child I learned to pray - God is great! God is good! Let us thank him... In an effort to be truly Christian our desrire should be greatness AND goodness.

And God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (KJV)