Sermon: From Ordinary To Extraordinary: The Church In Antioch (Acts 11:19-26)

This past Sunday I had the privilege of visiting Parish Park Baptist Church in Marion, IL again and preaching from the book of Acts.  They’ve been going through the birth of the early church in Acts for some time now and I was asked to speak on Acts 11:19-26, the beginning of the church in Antioch and where believers were first called “Christians”.  It was a blessing to my soul to dwell on and study this passage for the past week, and I pray that this sermon is just as much a blessing to those who listen(ed) to it.  To update you on the church, though there are still many struggles, it was a joy to see brothers and sisters excited about their faith, their church, and their obedience to the calling of making disciples of all nations.  They are now debt free, and though the future is still uncertain, they are stable and looking forward to what the Spirit of God wants to do in their midst.

Since I don’t have a whole lot of preaching experience, I would love any feedback you as a reader/listener can give.

Listen to the sermon here or download it by clicking the arrow on the far right of the embedded player:

~ t

Isaiah’s Story

Adoption has been on my mind quite a bit lately, and I’m thankful that it is increasingly on the minds of many evangelicals during these times.   I watched the following video today about the adoption of a nearly dead homeless boy and it moved my spirit deeply.  I’m so thankful for my adoption into the family of God through the work of Christ, and I pray that stories such as these continue to shine the light of the gospel in this dark world.  I also want to ask you to pray for some friends of ours who are in the process of welcoming an unknown son or daughter into their own family.  Go read the Roberts’ continuing story at Believing Is Seeing.

~ t

Don’t Wast Your Life Sentence

I know it’s been awhile since Danielle or myself have posted.  I promise that an update is coming soon, as well as pictures of my 32-week pregnant beauty.  But for right now I wanted to share a video with you.  If you remember a while back I posted a Q&A with John Piper at Angola Prison, Louisiana’s state penitentiary.  It seems that they have made a documentary on the faith of some of the men there and I wanted to share the trailer with you.

Serving a life sentence or not, I hope that Jesus Christ is “precious beyond anything in this world” to you.  It’s so good to have my affections stirred the way that this short trailer does, and I praise God for it.

~ t

On The Jesus Trail

I want to share an article with you that I read in last month’s issue of Christianity Today called “On the Jesus Trail: What we learned from Jews, Muslims, and Arab Christians as we traced the footsteps of Christ in Galilee” by Gerald and Ross McDermott.

I am often drawn quickly to articles discussing interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding because these topics are big interests for me.  This article is told by a father and son who walk The Jesus Trail, a 40 mile path from Nazareth to Capernaum, asking Jews, Muslims, and Arab Christians what they think about Jesus.  I found it to be an extremely beneficial read as they simply gave a voice to the villagers with whom they came in contact, allowing them to tell their own stories from their own histories.  The authors say,

“What we found surprised us.  In this ancient place dominated by Jews and Muslims, Jesus exerts extraordinary power.  Just as he did 2,000 years ago, he continues to fascinate the masses, inspire persecuted disciples, and split families and communities.  Maoz Inon, the secular Israeli who co-founded the Jesus Trail, is a good example of those who are moved by Jesus even if they are unsure he still exists.  Like many young Israelis, Inon backpacked around the world after leaving the army, and saw how tourism brought together people from different cultures . . . He then realized that a trail retracing Jesus’ steps in Galilee, where Arabs compose the majority, could not only revive tourism in Israel but also help Israelis and Palestinians understand each other better.”

Continue reading the article here.

I wish that the online article included the photographs in the print magazine because this story is also told with portraits and quotes of many of the individuals encountered.  Please take the time to read this piece – it is a great reminder that we all have a story to tell, and that that story often influences our own encounters with Christ and how we receive him.   If anything, it’s a spiritually intimate glimpse into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that replaces hatred and ideologies with people and their narratives.

~ t

Soup Or Sermon? Stetzer On Evangelism And Social Action

There’s been a lot of discussion recently concerning evangelicals and the phrase “social justice”.  I have been an advocate for social justice since my freshman year at Union, ever since I became involved with the campus chapter of International Justice Mission (an organization I highly respect and would encourage you to support).  We raised money to fight slavery, marched in downtown Jackson to raise awareness of child soldiers in Uganda, held letter-writing campaigns to stop sex trafficking, and were campus activists to end genocide in Darfur.  Of course, we thought that we held the responsibility for the world’s ills on our own shoulders.  And though there are many things we could have done better and many things we probably shouldn’t have done at all, one thing that we always remembered and prayed for was the importance that the gospel would go forth alongside of social justice campaigns.  We realized that those suffering in this world will never be fully healed until their hearts were reconciled with Christ, no matter how many meals are fed to the hungry.

I want to offer to you an essay by missiologist Ed Stetzer on evangelism and social action.  In it he gives a great overview of what has happened in the past when people equate social justice with the gospel, and he offers a very practical conclusion of how both should be played out in the everyday lives of believers.

An emphasis on social awareness and world transformation has led to problems. Any Christian with a history book and a willingness to learn can see that. Yet, I think it is essential that evangelicals be more engaged in social action– and I think that most evangelicals would agree. We need to care for the poor, visit the captive, minister to the marginalized, and engage in social action more (Ps. 14:6; Deut. 10:18; 24:17; Mal. 3:5; Mt. 6:2; James 2:2-6; 1 Jn. 3:17-18). We need to discover social action but I have pointed out many times that the last two times that Christians “discovered” social justice, it did not end well.

Continue reading.

Here’s a question that I’ve been asking myself for awhile (and I would like your input):  Should we as Christians require one of “the least of these” to listen to a sermon before they get their soup? Or should they get the soup before the sermon?

~ t

Dear Central Asia, Can We Come Back?

So we’re back from Central Asia.  It was an absolute blessing to be charged with leading a team of college students across the world to serve and encourage missionaries working in a predominantly Muslim nation.  Last year Danielle and I were privileged to lead a team to do urban home repair in Memphis, so how Union University decided we were qualified to go from Memphis to halfway across the world, I don’t know!  But, at least from my limited perspective, the trip was an exhausting success.

Our main priority on this trip was to lead a youth retreat for MKs (missionary kids) in the region.  We developed our own curriculum entitled: Where’s Jesus? Finding Christ In The Old Testament.  We walked through the entire Old Testament looking at how everything points back to Jesus Christ.  Our primary focus was Jesus as King in the creation and fall of man, Jesus as Prophet in the Exodus narrative, and Jesus as Priest on the Day of Atonement.  I had the opportunity to do the first sermon on Christ throughout all of scripture and the last sermon on Christ in the Day of Atonement.  This trip really solidified my passion and calling for preaching the gospel publicly.  I would like to offer you an audio of one of the sermons, but unfortunately, my recorder stopped midway through (at 32 minutes!).  I’m so thankful that God would use our group to encourage and admonish young missionaries, as well as exercise our own spiritual gifts in the process.  I think the entire team was blessed from having experienced this retreat together.

Our second priority on this trip was to be servants and encouragers of the workers already on the field.  This was done by teaching their kids for a week, bringing over 90 lbs of textbooks in our luggage for the school library, and lastly, by bringing 10 bags of luggage back for a family returning to the US in a couple of months.  The phrase the missionaries used to describe us was “International Beasts of Burden”, and we were glad to be an encouragement in that way.  Though however much we were able to serve the workers on the field, they served us in innumerable ways by inviting us into their lives and work, sharing their stories with us, and exemplifying Christ to us in very tangible ways.

Lastly, we couldn’t go to Central Asia without seeing some of the historical sights – such as Ephesus!  The touring was probably the smallest yet most exhausting part of this trip.  We were blessed to walk through the ancient city of Ephesus and see where the Apostle Paul would have lived, preached, and said his farewell to the Ephesian elders (and where he would have most likely used the restroom!).  Upon our return to the big city, we also visited the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar.  It is surreal to walk through a place with such an ancient history.  We are definitely a poorer people for not having such sites in the US.

You may be wondering where all the Muslims are in this story.  Well, we did not have much one on one contact with adherents of Islam since our primary ministry was to the missionaries and their kids.  We were not there to get in the way of ministry already taking place, but to encourage those who have given their lives to such a ministry.  We did, however, meet one Muslim background believer named S*.  She was from a small village, became a believer in Christ, and fled to the big city due to death threats from her own family.  It is culturally strange for a young woman to live by herself in this country (most women remain at home with their families until they are married), but this is just one way that S had to “count the cost” of following Christ.  May her faith be an encouragement to you, and a reminder to pray for her and her walk with Jesus in such a difficult context.

You may also be wondering how my baby mama did throughout all of this.  She was a spectacular servant to the team and wife to me during our 7 days abroad.  The trip itself was extremely exhausting for her (especially the travel and touring) but she persevered through it all, and baby Glodjo is doing just fine!

If you have any questions about this trip or anything I have said, please feel free to ask in the comments and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner.

To conclude, I’ll share a few photos from the trip . . .

The Ancient City of Ephesus

This is the public bathroom of Ephesus. We were hoping to sit where the Apostle Paul would have sat nearly 2,000 years ago!

Our teammate Rob sang Amazing Grace in the Ephesian amphitheatre. The acoustics were amazing!

At the end of this pier is where Paul gave his farewell address to the Ephesian elders.

Our spectacular team. From left to right: Rob, Legon, Nate, Matt, Kate, myself, Danielle, Emma, Kendall, Kara, and Stephanie

My Greek beauty!

You're probably wondering how a guy like this got the girl in that previous pic . . .

All that remains from the Temple of Artemis.

The Blue Mosque

One of my favorite pics of baby Glodjo

The Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom")

~ t

* For security purposes I have chosen not to use this person’s full name.

The Ugandan Mom From The Suburbs Again

I have former post entitled “How A Young Suburbanite Became A Ugandan Mother” that you should probably read before following my next link for Kisses From Katie.

I am often very blessed by reading Katie’s words about her life and faith as a young twenty-something adopting and caring for orphans in Uganda.  The following excerpt and link begins by summarizing God’s call on her life and the difficulty of being obedient, yet it goes much deeper into the nature of God’s character and what it means to count the cost of following Jesus.  I promise that you will be challenged by reading her post, so plead heed her caution at the beginning if you are living a comfortable life and unwilling to give up all for the sake of Christ.

“A few days ago an American woman who had spent about three days of her life in a third world country looked at me and said, “I would SO love to do what you do. I would do it in a heartbeat. Oh, I would take 14 kids in a second!” It is a good thing that I was having a graceful day, because I said, “Aw that’s nice.” But my not so graceful heart was angry. And the not so graceful voice in my head wanted to say to her, “Ok then, do it. I can have you 14 orphaned, abandoned, uncared for children tomorrow. So here is what you have to do: Quit school. Quit your job. Sell your stuff. Disobey and disappoint your parents. Break your little brother’s heart. Lose all but about a handful of friends because the rest of them think you have gone off the deep end. Break up with the love of your life. Move to a country where you know one person and none of the language. And when you are finished, I will be here waiting with your 14 children!” I wanted to ask her what was stopping her, knowing that the answer would be her comfort. I wanted to look at her and tell her that my life was full and joyful and WONDERFUL, but I also wanted to tell her to COUNT THE COST. Because my life IS full and joyful and wonderful, but it is NOT easy. My life is NOT glamorous. I do not expect it to be. I do not think that anything about carrying a cross was easy or glamorous either.”

Continue reading…

Also, if you have time, I really encourage you to listen to the sermon link that she has at the bottom of her page.  David Platt is a pastor who has radically influenced both me and Danielle with his passion for taking the gospel to all nations.

~ t

Follow-Up: The Extinction Of The Bo

Yesterday I posted a video on the threat of culture and language death.  Today, sadly, I came across an article on the recent death of the Bo.  The article talks about Boa Sr, the last speaker of the Bo language and last member of the Bo people, an Andamanese tribe that inhabited the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean for the past 65,000 years.  With the passing of Boa Sr came the death of the Bo culture and language.  Can you even imagine what it would be like to be the last speaker of your language, to have no one to communicate with in your mother tongue, to have no descendants to pass on your culture?

This death is a tragedy – we’ve lost a piece of the human race – but I know I can rest in the promise of my God that all peoples and languages and tribes and nations will be gathered in praise before his throne at the end of time.  The Bo people and language have not been lost forever.

The following video is of Boa Sr before her death singing a traditional Bo song and recounting her memories of the tsunami that devastated the Andaman Islands in 2004.

Read the full story of Boa Sr and the Bo people at CNN: “Ancient Tribe Becomes Extinct As Last Member Dies”

~ t

The Death Of Culture

First off, I apologize for having so many videos on the blog.  I just keep coming across them and want to share!

Today’s video is one I watched in my Language & Culture class this weekend.  It’s Wade Davis, an explorer for National Geographic, talking about the importance of cultural diversity and the threat of ethnicide, or culture death, in our lifetime.  You may not agree with everything Davis says, but it is definitely a thought-provoking dialogue and worth your time.  I especially like his statement that storytelling rather than politics is what will change the world.

It is truly inspiring to see pictures and hear stories of how diverse the people of the world are.  And I eagerly anticipate the day that all peoples are gathered around the throne of God unified in Him and glorifying Him through diversity.

On a side note, many linguists place a lot of blame on missionaries for the threat of culture death due to proselytizing the gospel in the English language.  There is some blame to accept, though definitely not all.  However, it’s encouraging to hear stories of Wycliffe Bible translators who recognize our own hand in language/culture death and are now working around the world to revitalize endangered cultures.

~ t

Where Would Jesus Live?

When I talk about missions I’m often told that I don’t need to go overseas because there are plenty of lost people outside my backdoor.  I don’t believe that is a valid argument against foreign missions, in fact, it would be direct disobedience to Jesus himself, but it should make one ask the question, “How often do I go out my backdoor?”

I fear that many evangelicals have kept their backdoors shut and locked for far too a long time.

In fact, some would rather get on a plane and go across the world to preach the gospel rather than going through their own backdoors.

The following videos tell the story of what’s going on in Memphis’ Binghampton neighborhood, a bipolar area of the city where you can walk by dilapidated house after dilapidated house while some of the nicest home you’ll ever see are on the next street over.

There’s a movement underway in Memphis called “re-neighboring”, and it is having a visible impact in the urban communities as Christians choose to live with their families incarnationally among the poor and downtrodden, amidst bullets and stray needles, in the center of God’s will.

Though the following videos don’t state it, the foundational philosophy for re-neighboring is centered in the incarnation of Christ.  Eugene Peterson’s The Message paraphrases John 1:14 saying, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.“  Jesus himself left his throne in heaven to live among a broken and sinful people, and so this group of disciples are choosing to do the same (while they recognize they’re own brokenness and sinfulness).

If there’s one word I could use to describe these people, it is humility.  Many Americans assume that they can go wherever and become the great hope and solution for whatever problems exist.  Those re-neighboring Binghampton are not moving into the city with the idea that they can change everything – they’re just being obedient to God’s will for their lives.

I highly commend the following short videos to you.  They give a small glimpse into how God’s Spirit is moving in inner-city Memphis.  And having met many of the people interviewed in the videos, I can honestly say that they are devoted Christ-followers seeking to live out the gospel in a very simple and visible way. (I’ve included a link below the videos for you to view them in full-size, which I would recommend since the attached widget is so small.)

Commission Stories – Where Would Jesus Live?

For more information also visit SOS and Christ Community Clinic.

~ t

HT: Binghampton