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With March Madness in full swing, I thought you'd enjoy the following story, sent to me by Keith Stone of Shasta Bible College (he doesn't know the original source; if you do, let me know so we can credit it properly): "On the 21st of the month, the best man I know will do what he always does on the 21st of the month. He'll sit down and pen a love letter to his best girl. He'll say how much he misses her and loves her and can't wait to see her again. Then he'll fold it once, slide it in a little envelope and walk into his bedroom. He'll go to the stack of love letters sitting there on her pillow, untie the yellow ribbon, place the new one on top and tie the ribbon again. "The stack will be 180 letters high then, because the 21st will be 15 years to the day since Nellie, his beloved wife of 53 years, died. In her memory, he sleeps only on his half of the bed, only on his pillow, only on top of the sheets, never between -- with just the old bedspread they shared to keep him warm. "There's never been a finer man in American sports than John Wooden, or a finer coach. He won 10 NCAA basketball championships at UCLA, the last in 1975. Nobody has ever come within six of him. He won 88 straight games between January 30, 1971, and January 17, 1974. Nobody has come within 42 since. . . . "There has never been another coach like Wooden, quiet as an April snow and square as a game of checkers; loyal to one woman, one school, one way; walking around campus in his sensible shoes and Jimmy Stewart morals. He'd spend a half hour the first day of practice teaching his men how to put on a sock. "Wrinkles can lead to blisters," he'd warn. These huge players would sneak looks at one another and roll their eyes. Eventually, they'd do it right. "Good," he'd say. "And now for the other foot." "Of the 180 players who played for him, Wooden knows the whereabouts of 172. Of course, it's not hard when most of them call, checking on his health, secretly hoping to hear some of his simple life lessons so that they can write them on the lunch bags of their kids, who will roll their eyes. "Discipline yourself, and others won't need to," Coach would say. "Never lie, never cheat, never steal," and "Earn the right to be proud and confident." "If you played for him, you played by his rules: Never score without acknowledging a teammate. One word of profanity and you're done for the day. Treat your opponent with respect. He believed in hopelessly out-of-date stuff that never did anything but win championships. No dribbling behind the back or through the legs. "There's no need," he'd say. "No UCLA basketball number was retired under his watch. "What about the fellows who wore that number before? Didn't they contribute to the team?" he'd say. No long hair, no facial hair. "They take too long to dry, and you could catch cold leaving the gym," he'd say. That one drove his players bonkers. One day, All-America center Bill Walton showed up with a full beard. "It's my right," he insisted. Wooden asked if he believed that strongly. Walton said he did. "That's good, Bill," Coach said. "I admire people who have strong beliefs and stick by them, I really do. We're going to miss you." Walton shaved it right then and there. Now Walton calls once a week to tell Coach he loves him. "He's almost 90 now. You think a little more hunched over than last time. Steps a little smaller. You hope it's not the last time you see him. He smiles. 'I'm not afraid to die,' he says. 'Death is my only chance to be with her again.' "Problem
is, we still need him here." Michael
Duduit, Editor
Always ask for commitment In his March 22 issue of his Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren emphasizes the importance of offering listeners an opportunity to respond to the gospel. He says, "I believe we should always offer unbelievers an opportunity to respond to Christ in a seeker-service. They may choose to not respond, and you must respect that without pressuring them, but I feel the opportunity must always be offered. Too many pastors go fishing without ever reeling in the line or drawing in the net. . . . Here are some suggestions for leading people to make a commitment: 1. Clearly explain exactly how to respond to Christ. Too many invitations to salvation are misunderstood. The unchurched often have no idea what's going on. 2. Plan out your time of commitment. Deliberately and carefully think through what you want to happen. Extending an opportunity to come to Christ is too important to just tack on to the end of a message without planning it. People's eternal destiny lie in the balance. Be creative. If you say the same thing every week the audience will disconnect out of boredom. The best way to avoid getting in a rut is to force yourself to write out your call for commitment with each message. 3. Lead unbelievers in a model prayer. The unchurched don't know what to say to God. Give them an example: "You might pray something like this …." Ask them to repeat a simple prayer, in their hearts, after you. Help people verbalize their faith. 4. Never pressure unbelievers to decide. Trust the Holy Spirit to do his work. I tell my staff -- "If the fruit is ripe, you don't have to yank it!" I believe an overextended invitation is counterproductive. It hardens hearts rather than softening them. We tell people "Take the time you need to think through your decision." I believe that if they're honest with themselves, they will make the right decision. Keep this in mind: You're asking people to make the most important decision of their lives. Evangelism is usually a process of repeated exposures to the Good News. I doubt that you decided for Christ on your first exposure. It's pretty unrealistic to expect a 40-year-old man to completely change the direction of his life on the basis of one 30-minute message. People usually aren't as closed as we think they are. They just need time to think about the decision we're asking them to make." (Click here to read the full article.) http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/default.asp?id=251&artid=3102&expand=1
Skipping Big Church Is the house church movement a major trend or a brief blip on the cultural radar? The March 6 issue of Time magazine includes an article about the growth of house churches that are viewing their setting as an alternative to congregational worship. "In the 2005 book Revolution, George Barna, Evangelicalism's best-known and perhaps most enthusiastic pollster, named simple church as one of several 'mini-movements' vacuuming up 'millions of believers [who] have stopped going to [standard] church.' In two decades, he wrote, 'only about one-third of the population' will rely on conventional congregations. Not everyone buys Barna's numbers -- previous estimates set house churchers at a minuscule 50,000 -- but some serious players are intrigued. (Click here to learn more about Barna's book Revolution.) "The Maclellan Foundation, a major Christian funder based in Chattanooga, Tenn., is backing a three-year project to track Colorado house churching. The Southern Baptist Convention, with more standard-church pew sitters than any other Protestant group, has commissioned its own poll and experimented in planting hundreds of its own house churches. Allan Karr, a professor at the Rocky Mountain campus of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary who is involved in the poll, guesses that three out of 10 churches founded today are simple and that their individual odds for survival are better than those of the other seven." The trend has its dangers, however, as the Time article notes: "Critics fret that small, pastorless groups can become doctrinally or even socially unmoored. Thom Rainer, a Southern Baptist who has written extensively on church growth, says, 'I have no problem with where a church meets, [but] I do think that there are some house churches that, in their desire to move in different directions, have perhaps moved from biblical accountability.' In extreme circumstances home churches dominated by magnetic but unorthodox leaders can shade over the line into cults." (Click here to read the full Time article.) http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1167737,00.html
Pastors, Laity disagree on tithing While 56 percent of all Protestant clergy believe there is a biblical mandate for people to tithe 10 percent of their income to the local church, only 36 percent of regularly-attending laypeople agree with that notion. The statistics are based on surveys done by Ellison Research and published in the March-April issue of Facts & Trends, a publication of LifeWay Christian Resources. An additional 23 percent of laypersons believe there is a biblical mandate to tithe, but not necessarily to the local church. Another 27 percent believe they are supposed to give but reject any set percentage, while 10 percent of church attenders believe giving is purely optional. Pentecostals and Baptists are those most likely to express belief in tithing to the local church, while Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans are the least likely. Among those who do believe in tithing, 52 percent believe one should tithe on gross income (before taxes) and 48 percent believe the tithe should be on net income. Clergy overwhelmingly (72 percent) fall into the "gross income" camp. And though almost 60 percent of laity say they believe in tithing to some cause, other studies show that less than ten percent of church attenders actually give a tithe of their income, according to Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research. He also noted that "over half of all Protestant churchgoers don't even give any preference to Christian organizations in their giving decisions."
ILLUSTRATION: Father, Grace In a sermon called "What Child Is This?" Atlanta pastor Vic Pentz says, "I have a friend who is an actress in Houston, Jeanette Clift George, who tells of flying from Tucson to Phoenix. During the flight she noticed across the aisle a young mom with her baby daughter. Both mother and daughter were wearing, crisp, white pinafores. The mother was smiling and the baby was saying "Dada, Dada." She had a little pink bow where someday she was going to have hair and anytime anybody walked by, she greeted them with "Dada, Dada." Jeanette concluded, "I think I know who is going to be there waiting when this plane lands, Dada". Meanwhile that baby was the magnet of everyone's attention on the plane. The mom had a baby bottle filled with orange juice. It turned out to be a rough flight and when the baby got fussy, the mom would pacify her with the bottle of orange juice. "The flight became even more turbulent. Seat belts were buckled and flight attendants had to take their seats. Soon all the fruit juice that had gone down the baby, came back up until it seemed there was more up than there was in her. The rest of the passengers were not in good condition, Jeanette said. As the plane was pitching back and forth, Jeanette kept reaching into her purse and handing tissues to the mom. Finally the plane landed and instantly the baby was fine and again saying, "Dada, Dada." Jeanette said she looked out the window and there he was. It had to be him -- a young man in white slacks, white shirt, carrying white flowers wrapped in green paper. Jeanette thought, 'This ought to be interesting. He's going to come running and see that baby and keep right on running and say, that's not my kid, that's not my kid.' "Jeanette writes, 'As he ran to the young mother, I wouldn't say she threw the baby at him, but she did kind of leave quickly to go get cleaned up. This young man picked up that baby, and I watched him as he hugged that baby and kissed that baby and stroked that baby's hair. He said, 'Daddy's baby's come home. Daddy's baby's come home.' "'All the way to the baggage claim area he never stopped kissing that baby. He never stopped welcoming that baby home. I thought, 'Where did I ever get the idea that my Father God is less loving than a young daddy in white slacks and white shirt with white flowers wrapped in green paper.'" My friend, God welcomes you home this morning. If you've been away from church for a while, no matter how stained you may be by failure or even by unbelief, God will not hold you at arm's length. He welcomes you as his child. Come on home and know that our . . . Everlasting Father is waiting for you.'"
There's
still time to register for the "Preaching Creatively" is the theme of the 2006 National Conference on Preaching, scheduled for April 24-26 at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX (suburban Dallas). (Visit the new and expanded conference website at www.preaching.com/ncp.) Learn about creative preaching in a postmodern age, how to do creative exposition, ways to use story, and much more. A remarkable team of speakers will be on hand for NCP 2006, including: Ed Young, Jr., Haddon Robinson, Calvin Miller, Dieter Zander, Jack Graham, Doug Pagitt, Steve Wende, Bryan L. Carter, Mike Glenn, Leroy Armstrong, Jr., Rick White, Timothy Warren, David Allen, Reg Grant, Oscar Lopez, Calvin Pearson, Steven Smith and many more. You'll draw insights and encouragement from the theme-related addresses on preaching creatively, plus great sermons and many practical workshops. Mark your calendar now to be part of the conference. Click here for additional information or to register (or call 800-288-9673). Don't wait -- hotel rooms are filling up fast!
ILLUSTRATION: Talents, Service Christ expects us to use our talents and gifts for His glory. Recently, Anthony Burger, pianist at the Gaither Homecoming events, died suddenly. As a small child, Mr. Burger fell on a furnace grate and was severely burned on his hands, legs, and face. He later wrote, "gradually the Lord healed my hands because He had a job for me to do." What a lesson for us. God has plenty for us to do. Dare we refuse? (Bill Graham, Brentwood Baptist Daily Devotional, 3-16-06)
ILLUSTRATION: Providence, Work, Quality The USS Astoria (C-34) was the first U.S. cruiser to engage the Japanese during the Battle of Savo Island, a night action fought 8-9 August 1942. Although she scored two hits on the Imperial flagship Chokai, the Astoria was badly damaged and sank shortly after noon, 9 August. About 0200 hours a young midwesterner, Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples, was swept overboard by the blast when the Astoria's number one eight-inch gun turret exploded. Wounded in both legs by shrapnel and in semi-shock, he was kept afloat by a narrow life belt that he managed to activate with a simple trigger mechanism. At around 0600 hours, Staples was rescued by a passing destroyer and returned to the Astoria, whose captain was attempting to save the cruiser by beaching her. The effort failed, and Staples, still wearing the same life belt, found himself back in the water. It was lunchtime. Picked up again, this time by the USS President Jackson (AP-37), he was one of 500 survivors of the battle who were evacuated to Noumea. On board the transport Staples, for the first time, closely examined the life belt that had served him so well. It had been manufactured by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, and bore a registration number. Given home leave Staples told his story and asked his mother, who worked for Firestone, about the purpose of the number on the belt. She replied that the company insisted on personal responsibility for the war effort, and that the number was unique and assigned to only one inspector. Staples remembered everything about the lifebelt, and quoted the number. It was his mother's personal code and affixed to every item she was responsible for approving. (Commander Eric J. Berryman, U.S. Naval Reserve, Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute, vol. 15/6/1036 (June 1989), P. 48; via SermonCentral.com)
ILLUSTRATION: Prayer, Self-Interest Mom was headed to McDonald's with her five-year-old son one day, and as they drove they passed a car accident. Usually when they saw someone having problems like that, they would say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so mom pointed and said to her son, "We should pray." From the back seat she heard his earnest prayer: "Please, God, don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."
'Preaching Truth' conferences resume in May A new series of Preaching Truth in a Whatever World events are planned for May 2006. These one-day preaching conferences explore strategies for effective biblical preaching in a postmodern world. Led by Preaching editor Michael Duduit and a variety of guest speakers, these conferences offer a valuable time of insight and refreshment for those who proclaim the Word. Preaching Truth conferences will be held in the following cities: Ontario,
CA -- May 2 For more information or to register, call (800) 288-9673, or visit the website at www.preaching.com/truth
ILLUSTRATION: Grace "There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less." (Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?)
"Some ministers would make good martyrs; they are so dry they would burn well." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
ILLUSTRATION: Communication Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings several times until one of the men engages the hands free speaker-function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen. MAN: "Hello?" WOMAN: "Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?" MAN: "Yes." WOMAN: "I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only 1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?" MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much." WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2005 models. I saw one I really liked." MAN: "How much?" WOMAN: "$60,000." MAN: "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options." WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing. The house we wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $950,000." MAN: "Well, then go ahead and give them an offer, but just offer 900,000." WOMAN: "OK. I'll see you later! I love you!" MAN: "Bye, I love you, too." The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are looking at him in astonishment. Then he asks: "Anyone know who this phone belongs to?"
''If you seek power before service, you'll neither get power, nor serve. If you seek to serve people more than to gain power, you will not only serve people, you will gain influence. That's very much the way Jesus did it.'' (Timothy J. Keller)
Top
Ten Silliest Questions asked on a Cruise Ship
10. Do these steps go up or down? 9. What do you do with the beautiful ice carvings after they melt? 8. Which elevator do I take to get to the front of the ship? 7. Does the crew sleep on the ship? 6. Is this island completely surrounded by water? 5. Does the ship make its own electricity? 4. Is it salt water in the toilets? 3. What elevation are we at? 2. There's a photographer on board who takes photos and displays them the next day. The question asked: If the pictures aren't marked, how will I know which ones are mine? 1. What time is the Midnight Buffet being served? (from Cybersalt Digest)
And finally . . . I'm guessing there'll be nothing in Tyrone Terrill's Easter basket this year. A March 24 Associated Press story reports that a small Easter display -- a cloth Easter bunny, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words "Happy Easter" -- was removed from the St. Paul, Minn., City Hall lobby last week out of concern that it would offend non-Christians. The display was put up by a City Council secretary with no city money involved. Tyrone Terrill, the city's human rights director, apparently decided the bunny and eggs might offend non-Christians, and asked that the decorations be removed. Terrill said no citizen had complained to him. Council Member Dave Thune called it a shame, saying, "This has just gone too far. We can't celebrate spring with bunnies and fake grass?" No word so far as to whether St. Paul's non-Christians are feeling affirmed by the bunny-banning at City Hall.
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