Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

My friend Jason Burns is in need of much prayer this week. Jason is having his first preview service for his church The Springs Church. Jason helped me get started with the Bridge Church when we planted 4 1/2 years ago. He is a great guy. He just returned from Nicaragua where he was a missionary with IMB. Jason has a real heart for lost people. He is also a discipler and just a great guy. The first service will be held this Sunday @ the Carmike Theater in Newnan, GA @ 10:30 EST. Please join me in praying that God will use this weekend to make a difference for His glory! I am praying for you Jason!

Today I began packing my office. It is kind of depressing. People keep asking me if I’m excited about moving to NC and YES I am. However, there is something depressing about packing up my office. It brings finality. There are great people @ FBTC. Today JMO and Jessi came by to see me. I am forever grateful to JMO and Justin Hase for showing me the ropes here in Mobile. JMO has a great heart and he has been a great friend. Soupie (Brad) came by later and he has had a major part of my ministry here. We built the Attik together. He has such a heart for youth and he has been a great friend. Angela and Whitney are here too. They are talented young ladies. They will make some men very Godly wives one day. Neil is here as usual. I’m excited to see what God has done in his life. God will use him in a mighty way. Greg has been a good friend also. I don’t know if I have been around a more talented musician. I’m glad Joe came by Sunday. It was great to see him. He has such a passion for missions and God will use him in a great way. I hate to leave the Harbins, Bradley’s, Blackmon’s, Hardy’s, Howell’s, Davis’, Bannon’s, Pates, Vise’s, Jones, Paige’s and others who have supported my ministry and befriended my family. I am thankful for the youth who have loved us. We love them. I have been grately blessed here in Mobile. Sure we have been through a lot, but I will have fond memories of those mentioned above. I will miss the Schillinger Starbucks. I have made great friends like Todd, Dave, Brad, Christie, Kathy, Tori, Augie, Amy, and others. Thanks for the freebies!

I am excited about moving to NC and the church that we are going to. They are very loving people. But for one day it is kind of depressing.

Sometimes you just can win with certain people. No matter what you do they have to be right. They have to win. I confess, I have been guilty of this before. But somehow I believe God is more concerned with our hearts than being right. In SBC circles we have purged our denomination of the “liberals” and such over the last 25 years. The only problems was the way it was done was without love. When Southwestern fired Dr. Dilday, it was cruel. He wasn’t even a liberal.

Anyway, this morning I read on monday morning insight that Bill Hybels and Rick Warren, mega church pastors were confessing their sins for not stepping up on the fight for AIDS/HIV. Good for them. But there were people who were saying they were “Unequally yoked” for partnering with Pharmaceutical companies! Give me a break! Come on, I will accept any free stuff I can to help hurting people. In fact, yesterday, Toys for Tots and Wal Mart gave FBTC a huge truck load of toys and stuff for its Christmas Store. The Christmas Store gives FREE Christmas presents to needy people in Southwest Mobile. Does this mean that FBTC is unequally yoked? I don’t think so.

I think we can nit-pick everything to death. Marty Duren has been bringing up another important issue in SBC circles. The International Mission Board is now requiring that its missionaries be baptized in an SBC church. My question is when is being “right” more important than love?