It is never too late to learn

I have spent the past three days in class at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Dr. Haddon Robinson has brought in Dr. Don Sunukjian from Talbot Graduate School to teach us the stages of sermon preparation. Some of it was review, but much of it opened up new doors for me. I am being challenged to adjust my 20 year approach to sermon writing. Yes, the day is long and we sit on hard chairs for hours in class, but it is fun to learn new approaches. Dr. Sunukjian will be us for one more half day. Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

I am in Boston

Good Morning. I am in Boston for my two-week residency for a Docter of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Class actually is delayed by three hours because of a snow storm last night. It was a "nor-easterner!" I am in the class room typing this blog. I made it to school early. My rental car had around six inches of snow on it. The roads were all cleared on the way to school (about 13 miles).

It was good to see my classmates and Dr. Robinson yesterday. A couple of people dropped out of the program for various reasons. This past year went by fast.

I will try to post some more in the next couple of weeks. Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

Reaching People for Jesus

Part of my preparation for my second residency for my Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is the requirement that I read the book, “Culture Shift: Communicating God’s Truth to Our Changing World.” It is written by David W. Henderson and it is the most practical book on how to reach other people for Jesus. If you are wondering why people do not care about your faith and your Jesus, then you will want to read this book. Henderson will go back centuries to explain the forces that have been at work to shape our current attitudes. If you are interested to know why we are self-centered individuals, then get the book.

The book is a wake-up call for Christians to seriously work hard at fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus. Matthew 5.13 and 14 that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. How can we bring preserving flavor and light to our world? Henderson points out that because our culture has changed, the days of door-to-door evangelism, cold-turkey witnessing and leaving tracts in restaurants are behind us. Americans are individualistic; and they tend to be isolated from others.

Henderson writes, “Our brazen preoccupation with self ripples through every tributary of our culture. It shapes how we do business, how we teach, how we parent, how we vote, how we marry. Not surprisingly, our individualism and self-concern wash over into the way we approach matters of faith. In a supreme act of self-reliance, we decide for God what is true about him and his intentions for us” (pg. 97).

Thus, if each person decides what is “true” about God, then they will have little time or tolerance for those who claim to have the ultimate truth about a relationship with God. Back in the mid 1970’s when I was in high school; some of us after youth group would sometimes drive to the Westroads Mall (in Omaha here) and witness to strangers using “The Four Spiritual Laws”. We found out that most people were willing to listen to us as we nervously shared from the tract.

Now that we are in the 21^st century, many people may not be as open for a total stranger to talk to them about their need for a savior. The problem just isn’t with the Christians sharing about Jesus. Self-absorbed individualism has allowed people to isolate themselves. Thus, the building of meaningful relationships becomes more and more difficult. As a matter of fact, many Americans are not very connected at all with other people. Three out of four Americans do not know the people who live next door to them. One out of seven people do not even know the name of their neighbors (pg. 103).

Henderson puts it this way: “Contrary to what you might see on a map of the United States, America is a land of islands. Disconnected and alone, we have forgotten the benefits of mutuality and life shared” (pg. 103). Of course, there are many “islands” in the church as well. We can see this with the superficiality of relationships and the lack of desire for many to be part of small group of fellow believers. No doubt, being part of a small group can be intimidating, but once relationships are formed and trust is found, then that is when authentic church life can begin.

So how do we communicate God’s truth and love to others? Well, there can still be a place for using a gospel tract, but only after a relationship has been established with people. And this requires the investment of work and time. Henderson writes that we must bridge the islands. Pastors must do that on Sunday mornings in the way they communicate God’s Word, and all Christians must do it in the way they form relationships with people who need Jesus.

Henderson urges Christians to put a premium on friendships and relationships. He writes, “A guarded, get-lost society requires that we approach people with the gospel in the context of a relationship” (pg. 113). How are we doing in the relationship building department? As followers of Jesus, we are to work hard at attaining loving and edifying relationships with our brothers and sisters within the church. Plus, we are to establish relationships with the people that God has put into our lives. I will close with one more quote from David Henderson:

“…it is crucial that we befriend non-Christians, winning our way into their distracted hearts and busy schedules. That means spending the kind of time with them that lets us get to know each other; having them over for a cookout, watching their kids play in a high school game; feeding their fish and collecting their mail while they’re on vacation, all while waiting and praying for the opportunity to comfortably and naturally talk about our faith” (pg. 114).

Was Galileo wrong?

I am reading a book by David W. Henderson called "Culture Shift: Communicating God's Truth to Our Changing World". What a wonderful and helpful book. Henderson referred to a saying on a t-shirt that said: "Galileo was wrong. The universe does revolve around me!" I know that my cat believes that, and it is probably reflects (or come close to) the attitude of millions in our self-absorbed nation.

The solution to this "I am the center of the universe" mentality is a passionate love for Jesus. Only he can set us free from ourselves so that we can truly live.

Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

The Words of William Law

Good morning. I want to share the words of William Law (1686-1761). His words correspond well with the second memory verse of the "40 Days of Purpose". E-mail me at bryan@harveyoaksbaptist.org if you know what verse I am referring to. Have a great day.

Pastor Bryan

"Religion is not ours till we live by it, till it is the Religion of our thoughts, words, and actions, till it goes with us into every place, sits uppermost on every occasion, and forms and governs our hopes and fears, our cares and pleasures."

RE: Loving God with All That We Have

Good morning. It is a colder and snowier day in Nebraska. The memory verse at Harvey Oaks Baptist Church this week is Mark 12.30: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. As followers of Jesus, we are to love God with our entire existence. Jesus said that this is the greatest commandment in the Bible. In 1998, the Dean of Chapel at Calvin College, Cornelius Palntinga Jr. said these words about loving God...

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, says our Lord (Matt. 22:37). In other words, you shall love God with everything you have and everything you are. Everything. Every longing, every endowment, each of your intellectual gifts, any athletic talent or computer skill, all capacity for delight, every good thing that has your fingerprints on it-take all this, says Jesus, and refer it to God. Take your longing, and long for God; take your creaturely riches, and endow God; take your eye for beauty and appreciate God. With your heart and soul and mind, with all your needs and splendors, make a full turn toward God."

The Death of Johnny Carson

Do we know and understand the purpose that God has given to us? Ashleigh Brilliant said, “My life has a superb cast but I can’t figure out the plot.” Is our life like that? Life is way too short not to know the reason we exist.

Yesterday, Johnny Carson passed away. He was born in Iowa and raised in Nebraska (just like me). Since then, the news channels have continuously given coverage to his passing. Commentators and friends and colleagues could not say enough how wonderful he was. For example, he was a gentleman, and he was the “king” of late-night and was very generous.

If you asked him what his purpose in life was, he might have said that he was put on earth to entertain people. Perhaps he would say it was to give others an opportunity to succeed on his stage. Many comedians and singers would say that Johnny opened the door for them to greater things.

Did Johnny Carson know that the ultimate purpose in life is to know and serve and glorify Jesus Christ? I don’t know? We certainly cannot rule out a death-bed salvation experience. It was reported that when Rock Hudson passed away, he turned to Jesus for salvation. Maybe, Johnny Carson is with the Lord now because he repented of sins and placed his faith in what Jesus did on the cross for him.

His death reminds us all who follow Jesus that we all have relatives and friends who need Jesus as their Savoir.

Have great day. Pastor Bryan

Re: 40 Days of Purpose

Harvey Oaks Baptist Church is about to begin the 40 Days of Purpose. The kick-off is January 29th with a Soup Supper. It is crucial that we as the followers of Jesus know that life is not about our individual needs and concerns. Life is about God and glorifying him forever. Ultimate joy and satisfaction is found only in Jesus. If you have any questions about this, please e-mail at bryan@harveyoaksbaptist.org. Have a great day. Bryan

Sanctity of Life Sunday

The Sanctity of Life Sunday is coming up. I will be preaching on Psalm 139.13-16. That passage points out that we have been wonderfully created by God within our mother's womb. He was directly involved in our conception and development. And verse 15 declares that before we lived one single day, God planned all our days. Praise his holy name! Let us pray that abortion will someday become illegal in America. Have a great day. Pastor Bryan

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! God is so good to give another year to begin. May His people truly be salt and light in the world. It isn't up to the politicians to improve things in the world. It is up to the Body of Jesus. If any of as any questions about what this means, please e-mail at bryan@harveyoaksbaptist.org. Pastor Bryan

Reading the Bible in a Year

Good Morning. It is hard to believe that 2005 is almost here. Since 1988, I have read through the Bible in a year. I have read through the NIV from 1988 to 2003. Last year, I read through The Message paraphrase using the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. This can be downloaded by going to www.discipleshipjournal.com. For 2005, I am going to use the same plan and read from through the English Standard Version (ESV). I encourage all the followers of Jesus to have a plan (one year, two year, etc.) to read through God's Word. Since I graduated from Seminary in 1985, I believe I have learned more about God's Word by reading it.
Have a great day in the Lord. Pastor Bryan

Lance In Iraq

Lance In Iraq

RE: Christmas Eve

Good Morning and Merry Christmas. This is my first blog post. I am at Panera Bread in Omaha preparing my Christmas Eve sermon at Harvey Oaks Baptist Church.