Movie Review: God's Not Dead 2

Warning: Spoiler Alert! I will be talking about parts of the movie. 

I had a very low expectation for this film. The reason for my low expectation was two reasons:

1. As a general rule for movies, sequels are usually not that great compared to the original, and

2. “Christian films” don't tend to have the best acting or plots.

God’s Not Dead 2 was a pleasant surprise. The film picks up on a new main character, a teacher in a local high school. It appears a gag order has been placed on all teachers in regard to sharing of religious beliefs. The teacher goes on to answer a question about Jesus in class, which leads to discipline by the school board, which leads to the conflict of the movie. In my opinion, an excellent lead for the movie. Inspired by Real Court Cases, this film captures the first wave of attack on religious freedom, those serving in the public square as civil servants. Here is what I really like about the film, I liked the real struggle the characters face, the expert witnesses in court, and the uncertainty of what will happen up until the end.

It is easy to be drawn into the emotional turmoil of the main character as she struggles to do what will honor God. The overall message of the film is an excellent encouragement to Christians everywhere. Stand strong and courageous in the face of persecution, even if it means losing everything. This film is worth your time. It was better than the first one, in my opinion. I give it a seven on a scale of one to ten.

New Kindle eBook Released

I am excited to announce the release of my new book "Saying Goodbye: Practical Help for Talking to Preschoolers about Death." This book has been created from a lack of resources available on the subject.  It is written to aid parents, grandparents, and guardians on how to speak to their small children about death.  It is a tough issue, and many hid from it. I hope that you will find this resource a help!

You can purchase a copy of this resource to help you and any parents you know speak to your young children about death.  I pray that it is a help to you as you speak to your children about this tough issue.

http://www.amazon.com/Saying-Good-Bye-Practical-Talking-Preschoolers-ebook/dp/B01DWFMHZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461073362&sr=8-1&keywords=saying+goodbye%3A+practical+help+for+talking+to+preschoolers+about+death

What Should a Pastor Do? (Part 2)

In 2 Timothy 5:1-5, Paul gives Timothy a weighty charge. It is critical for Pastors and Churches to understand the biblical expectations for pastors. Being on the same page with expectations prevents much heartache. As Paul pens the words to his son in the ministry, he prepares for the end of his life. Soon the time will come when Timothy will not be able to send a letter to Paul asking for instruction. Paul gives a charge that will last Timothy for a lifetime. The charge Paul gives Timothy gives an excellent charge to present day ministers as well. In verse five Paul returns to his directed charge to Timothy with a series of four more commands. Paul gives Timothy so that he might be a faithful Minister of the Gospel:


· Be Sober - The first command to “be sober” is used in the New Testament only figuratively in the sense of being free from every form of mental and spiritual "darkness," and thus, it comes to mean "be well-balanced, self-controlled." The word most likely suggests the same self-control of an athlete in training.[1] In other words, Timothy does not need to stop drinking as he had to be encouraged to drink for medicinal purposes by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:23. But instead, Timothy is to think clearly, acutely aware of all happenings around him.


· Endure Hardship- Enduring hardship frequents Jesus’ and Paul's ministry; Timothy will be no exception. Any pastor could find themselves could endure relational, financial, health, or public hardships.


· Do the Work of an Evangelist - The word “Evangelist” only occurs three times in the New Testament in Acts 21:8, Ephesians 4:11, and here. In Ephesians 4:11 “evangelists” are mentioned as an office between apostles and prophets on the one hand, and pastors and preachers on the other hand in a list of gifts that Christ gives to the church. In Acts 21:8 "evangelist" designates Philip, whose work in this capacity is presented in Acts 8 namely "announcing the Gospel." Paul is encouraging Timothy to continue the work of declaring the gospel to all. Whatever capacity Timothy finds himself in, he must continue to do this work, the work of an evangelist.


· Fulfill Your Ministry- The reminder to "fulfill your ministry" functions as summary appeal embracing the preceding commands and any other aspect of Timothy's ministry. Πληροφορέω is used here with the meaning “fulfill,” i.e., fully and completely accomplish and carry out the duties of his ministry. However, Timothy gives himself to serve the Lord he is to do so to the fullest of his ability.[2]

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[1] Walter Lock, The Pastoral Epistles, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark LTD, 1978), 113.

^[2] George W. Knight, The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1992), 457.

Battery Saturday Report - April 2, 2016

Seven gathered Saturday Morning April 2, 2016 to be a blessing to 40 homes in the Elizabethton Community. The area covered was around E Main Street.  We handed out batteries (a reminder to change their home's smoke detector batteries), a copy of the invitation CD, and information about our church was the breakdown:

• 40 homes visited and received/left packets.
• 21 homes were very receptive to our visit and were spoken to by a team. Several of which there was evangelistic opportunities.
• We also did some survey work and found that these were the needs that the individuals listed as needs in our  community:
• Recovery Groups 
• Parent's Night Out
• Home Bible Studies
• Soul Winning
• The Lord

What We learned?

In this even we learned that those who are most receptive are those who appear to already know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Please continue to pray for those who we encounter on Saturday, that they would know Christ or be continually conformed to his image.

What Should a Pastor Do? (Part 1)

"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." -2 Timothy 4:2

In 2 Timothy 5:1-5, Paul gives Timothy a weighty charge. It is critical for Pastors and Churches to understand the biblical expectations for pastors. Being on the same page with expectations prevents much heartache. As Paul pens the words to his son in the ministry, Paul prepares for the end of his life. Soon the time will come when Timothy will not be able to send a letter to Paul asking for instruction. Paul gives a charge that will last timothy for a lifetime. The charge Paul gives Timothy gives an excellent charge to present day ministers as well. Here are five of the nine commands Paul gives Timothy in order that he might be a faithful Minister of the gospel:

• Preach the Word – Literally it means to herald. It is a very public aspect to this command given by Paul. This imperative carries the weight of the passage. Pastors are to clearly instruct what the word means and how it applies to the listeners’ lives. Sermons must have a human and divine connection. Preaching should look past the preacher to the message of God.

• Be ready in season and out of season – This command is straightforward, carrying with it a command to give God’s Word when it is desired, and when it is not desired.

• Reprove – Literally means expose or convict. Used several other times in the Word of God, it carries the idea of convincing someone of his or her sin. Other examples include Titus 1:13, Titus 2:15, Hebrews 12:5, and Revelation 3:19.

• Rebuke - means censure or prevent an action or bring an action to an end. Reprove and rebuke appear very similar at first reading. However, a closer review of these two imperatives reveals that "reproving or correcting" is a charge to speak to those who are in error or doing wrong and an attempt to convince them to that; "rebuking" is a charge to tell those doing wrong to stop. The same for rebuke is used in Matthew 8:26 when Jesus "rebuked" the winds and the sea, and they become perfectly calm immediately. 

• Exhort – means be encouraging in your speech not irritably zealous, nor without proper comprehension, but rather “with great patience and instruction.”

What does God expect us to do with the blessings He gives us?

God's people receive God’s blessing daily, and God’s people must allow the blessings to flow to others. The blessings of God give great benefit to God’s people providing both happiness and comfort, but happiness and comfort are not the only goals. God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:2 and God blessed him, and then God expected Abraham to be a blessing to others.  It appears to be a flow of blessing from God to Abraham then from Abraham outwardly to others. With this flow of blessing from God to man then to other men comes a return blessing.

After one understands the flow of blessing, God’s people must believe that God will take care of all His people’s needs. In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus said, "I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.” A guarantee comes with the blessing of God. Anyone who gives up anything for the kingdom of God will certainly receive many times more than what they gave! Believers will possess a great blessing in the world to come, and a boomerang effect occurs when blessing others in this life.

God’s people must believe the biblical truth that God’s blessing to others will come back to His people. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”  

Ask yourself this question, “How can you be a blessing to someone today?”  Now go bless them, as God has blessed you!

What is the Principle of the Harvest?

“Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest”- John 4:35

Church growth advocates have followed Donald McGavran’s lead stressing the principle of the harvest. The principle of the harvest serves as a launching pad for planning strategies of church and kingdom growth. In John 4:35, Jesus said, “Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest” The people Jesus spoke to in John 4:35 understood agricultural principles, because they lived them daily. While there were some large cities, most citizens were rural people. The rural Roman citizens knew what it meant to work the soil. In twenty-first century North American culture, food is around the corner at the local grocery store or a click away. Because present day North American culture is so far removed from ancient rural roman cultural, it is important to explain the principle of the harvest.

The most fundamental principle of farming is the principle of the harvest. It brings the vision of the fruit for the labor. Farmers plan a simple, effective strategy of gathering a crop of what has been planted. Jesus was giving a vision when he spoke  in John 4:35 to the disciples. Jesus mentioned that in some cases one person sows the seed while another gathers the fruit, but they all rejoice together, because their combined labors have resulted in harvest, see John 4:36-37.

Professional farmers prepare the ground and sow the seed, as a step toward the harvest. They dig out weeds and build fences as protection against predators in order to increase the harvest. All resources, which include time, energy, and money, funnel towards a maximized year from the harvest. Therefore, if the end is the maximum yield of the harvest, the means to achieve it must be constantly reviewed and adjusted. The harvest principle demands that we are constantly evaluating and adjusting to move from what is good to what is best. We must continue to assess and adjust our outreach methods to reach the largest harvest yield for the kingdom! The methods we use may change, but our message and principles do not.