letting down others part 3

james 3:1 "not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will be judged more strictly."

last week i focused on different people in the ministry, whom i have seen fall. some of them i know personally. others i only recognize the name. these people were held to higher standards because of the positions that each of them held. each of them were teachers in their own way whether they were a prof, pastor or denominational official. we as humans look up to them. they are highly regarded because of what they have been able to accomplish in their daily task of life.

what i want to refer to in the rest of this article is why they are held so highly.

they are people in positions that people look up to them. and when one looks up to you, you are able to influence them. this influence will not only affect their lives but also the lives that these others come into contact with.

i am a youth pastor, so between 1 and 3 times a week i will speak to different people. i enjoy this time where i can challenge people to think out their views and also demonstrate my own. if i use this to speak my own personal opinions, preach heresy of some sort and through this one of my teens falls or it hinders their own walk than i am the one at fault. in james 3 where i took this passage we are influencers because of the words that we speak. we are able to help steer them with like bits with a horse or a rudder from a ship. our tongues are so small but effectively influence those around us.

1 Corinthians 10:32-33a "do not cause any one to stumble... even as i try to please everybody in every way"

i hope most of you have read this verse. this verse shows the freedom that we have when we are a believer in Christ. He allows us to do and get away with a lot of different things. but one with influence is put in more situations where he can stumble and therefore cause others to stumble as well. when we as teachers of the law only speak the word and then do not act on them someone is bound to find out and might stumble because of our actions.

paul continues to write in the following verse 34 to "follow my example, as i follow the example of Christ." unfortunately pastors fall and their influence on other people will effect those that look up to them because they have followed the pastors example. the interesting thing is that there can be times in a pastors life where they are not following Christ the way they should.

i wonder if for these reasons that pastors, teachers, etc. because of their influence if they are not attacked more by satan than the christians not involved in full time ministry. just a thought.
we need to check ourselves. we need to have times for accountability and continue our own relationship with Christ. most who have fallen have let these three things slide. we will be attacked more, tempted more, and therefore have more chances to fall. however there are many reasons why we need to continue perservering. one of them being not to let others down there by hindering their relationship with Christ. and even though we will be tempted there will always be a way out of that temptation. 1 Cor 10:13

letting people down part 2

previously i wrote about not wanting to let other people down. i think that is a part of us all. we want to please people and make them happy but for the most part we do not want them to be dissapointed in us. we want to live up to the potential that we have but at the same time we dont want to hurt another person.

it is inevitable though that we will let people down from time to time. and in reality we will be let down by people around us.

i have been let down a few times by different people but i want to dedicate this blog to those in the ministry that have let myself or others down in the past.

1. i had this youth pastor once who left our church to become a senior pastor. this didnt hurt but about a year later i found out his wife and him were going through a divorce. i lost track of him.

2. my first youth camp was one of my most memorable speakers of my life. about 4 years later he had an affair with a student. i believe this man is now a janitor.

3. my freshman year of college. the senior pastor of a church right beside the campus had an affair with one of the congregants. last i knew he was selling cars

4. my senior year of college. the associate pastor at the church i was attending had an affair with one of the congregants. also selling cars.

5. also senior year. denominational figure somewhat close to my father growing up was caught misusing funds.

6. also senior year. yet another denominational leader was caught in fbi sting operation meeting up with what he thought would be a 13 year old.

i only had a personal relationship with half of these people. and i want to stress that i am not positive that by these persons moral failures that they let me down personally. why? well i am not positive how many times the devil has tempted them in all of their own circumstances. i also dont how how hard the devil pursued them to get them to fall. i also do not know what i would do in their situation.

i am however disappointed in the idea that some of these people were unrepentive.

i am also disappointed by the concept that only one of these people received help from our denomination to eventually gp back into the ministry. maybe these people didnt ask or even want help but i want these people to know that they are appreciated no matter what they have done in the past.

by my observations i think it is more acceptable for someone who does not claim to be a christian. lives a life of sin, theft, drugs, etc and then commits his life to Christ and turns around and then feels a call to the ministry. we need to accept them so the can reach people that we are unable to reach. but why is it to accept someone who was a pastor or another denominational figure who has fallen back into the ministry. this is something that has been on my mind lately what do you think? grace, grace God's grace. grace that will pardon and cleanse our sins.

a new challenge for two as well as for you

i am what you might say a huge music fan. out of a desire to have a bass guitar in our worship band (our regular left for the summer, he is a swu student) and i wanted to learn something new. so i decided to learn an instrument. i bought a fender precision bass (the standard model) it has been fun and challenging the past couple weeks to learn something new as well as stretch the mind. of course i still have a long way to go on learning an instrument.

my mother in law also just started to take violin lessons. you got to give her props for that. i think people get to content with their knowledge and their ability in certain areas. it is nice to be able to stretch yourself for a change,

so i challenge you to find something new, something different that you have never been able to do and have some fun doing it.

letting people down part 1

i am eventually going to leave greenville. it definately will not be today but down the road within the next few months it will be inevitable that jenny and i will pack up the stuff in our two bedroom apartment to move on to our next appointment.
but what hurts most about is the people that will be hurt, saddened and missed. i think for me that is one of the hardest things about leaving a church. the idea that you might be letting someone down. i know i cant live life always wondering what people will think about one of my decisions and how that will effect them in the direct or even distant future. it happens, we consider the feelings of others. it is apart of human nature to want to win approval of your peers, to make people happy and not to have anybody affected by your decisions.
we have all been let down by someone in our lives. it will happen. i have been let down by other pastors, my parents, my wife, my friends. it will happen. but when i have been let down it has eventually made me stronger, wiser, hopeful and willing.
what is best for God needs to be considered. if you are letting someone down when God's best is at hand then it will all be worked out.

they will know we are christians...

the old hymn that was infrequently heard the past has been brought up into christian music once again. it can be heard on the new jars of clay cd. i also heard it at the audio a concert the other day. i like the song. people should know that we are christians by our love. we should be the most loving people on the face of the earth. i think christians can and do love really well. however, i think some of the people whom love best are not even christians.

the past few months with the tsunami i have seen people come together and help aid those areas affected. christians and non christians alike have stepped up to take care of those who could not help themselves. in this way i think the world is starting to unite in ways that have never been seen before. we focus on all the wars, the poverty, hunger rather than the good that is going on.

last night jenny and i watched "about schmidt" i love jack nicholson. the movie is about a guy who just retired, his wife suddenly dies and jack sponsors one of those children overseas. he writes to this child about all his life's problems. i wonder how many different places you can sponsor these children and how many childrens lives have been affected because of the money that comes in.

i am not sure what all of you are involved in, if you give money for a sponsored child in india, serve at a soup kitchen or even rake leaves for your next door neighbor. actively pursue a life of love. the book of james challenges us, jesus commanded us, now it is up to us.

sitting, laying, listening, looking

i am sitting here listening to my most musically talented friend dave rowe. i am sitting contemplating what God has planned for jenny and i. i know it will be "beyond belief" (any petra fans). we are definately up in the air in a lot of areas right now. here is the progress of looking for a new job. i was contacted by phone by the pastor from fellowship wesleyan in west seneca, ny. (no reason in particular but i do not feel that this is the place for us.) i have also heard from a church in easton, md. we have a schedule chat for tuesday at 2pm.

i have also been having trouble sleeping the past few nights. i have been laying in bed next to a beautiful woman wishing i could be asleep just like her. i guess i have a lot on my mind. well i guess it is not a lot. but the one thing of what God has planned for us is. it is amazing how that one thing can effect our whole life. i almost feel like i am graduating again with district conference being the graduating date. the good thing is that jenny and i are not worried. if we do not find a church by that time we know God will provide. i wouldnt mind traveling a little bit. this morning on the today show they featured a family who was taking their son on a world tour because their son will eventually (possibly by christmas) go blind.

i have also been trying to listen to what God thinks of this whole situation that we are in. i am pretty sure that he hasnt spoken or i am not listening intently enough. listening to what God wants is interesting. even thought i havent heard a tangible voice. i do feel that God is leading us away from the church here. there are many reasons why. maybe one day i will share those reasons. but for now i guess you will have to trust me on this matter.

i am also looking. looking at what specifically? i have no idea. but i am looking forward to finding out.

music clarifications

music fills the airwaves in my office a lot. i love music. not all music, but most. i have trouble with country, but some of the words in tim mcgraw's new cd are amazing. i also have a hard time with rap (even though it seems to be the rage around gville.)

i have always liked audio adrenaline. they are a good christian band that continues to put out good music through all the good and bad years of what christian music had to offer. they have really stuck to there roots when i think they could have moved over to the secular venue. of course we have seen switchfoot, p.o.d., and relient k smoothly make the transition as well as others.

this past sunday i saw audio a in concert i think for the fourth time. the other three concerts i did not enjoy them live. but sunday i was immersed in the talent and improvment of the band.

i have four classifications of music.

1. christian- definately christian lyrics, from the stage they proclaim the love of Christ and tour with other christian bands. (audio a, third day, delirious, shawn groves)

2. christians in a band. these are people who really hit emotions and everyday living that they face with a christian influence and perspective. they might talk about living for something more important than yourself and give all the glory to God. they might go to christian festivals in the summer but are more seen in bars, and other non-christian venues touring with other category 2 and 3 bands. they sign with labels like tooth and nail. (emery, anberlin, further seems forever, showbread, relient k, p.o.d., switchfoot)

3. secular- this music is not christian. there lyrics are about anything and everything. for the most part they are clean and have a lot of air time on the radio. (jimmy eat world, weezer, the ramones, softer, taking back sunday, sheryl crow, elton john, paul mcartney, bob dylan, counting crows)

4. pagan (heathen will work too) these are the ones with parental advisory labels, there is a reason for the labels.

1-3 for me are okay to listen to, however 4, be careful. listening to this might have eternal consequences.

music will always have a place in my walk, for fun, background noise and worship. i think everyone needs to know what is okay and not okay. music can play with our emotions. it can make a bad day turn around and vice versa.