Happy New Year!  It is amazing how fast the time goes by and how a new year is upon us again.  Whether you are a resolutions person or not, I wanted to post some resources for you to consider as you think about your reading of God’s word in 2012.  As Christians, we simply cannot live without God’s word.  Psalm 1 tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.”  (Psalm 1:1-3)  This is a picture of health and growth that comes from delighting in and meditating on, digesting and applying God’s word.  There are many other places in Scripture that commend to us the regular practice of spending time in God’s word – reading, listening, understanding and applying.  No matter what else happens in 2012, a prayer and goal for every Christian should be to go deeper in the knowledge of God through His word.

Justin Taylor has posted a number of different Bible Reading Plans for 2012 and we wanted to post a link to his sight so that you could consider following one of these plans in the new year.  If you’ve never read through all of the Bible or haven’t done so in one year; I would highly recommend it to you – 2012 would be a great year to try it out!  And even if you are not planning to read through the Bible in a year, but plan to continue your current reading routine, I pray that we will all grow as we live our lives based on the perfect word of God.

Happy New Year!

Eric

How kind was the Lord to us on last Sunday!?! We enjoyed beautiful weather, great games, and a wonderful picnic where we had plenty of time to simply love one another. It was so wonderful for us as pastors to look out over the picnic area watching you enjoy time together as a part of a church family. It’s days like Sunday when I know God is pleased with our church.

Thanks to everyone who served on that day. I know we had countless individuals serving in a a variety of ways to make this year’s picnic a huge success. Thanks for manning the snowcone machine, thanks for overseeing the moon bounce and obstacle course, thanks to our awesome grill-masters, thanks for all your work on kitchen duty, clean up duty, etc.

Finally, congratulations to our Horseshoes champions: David Hunt and Jack Rhoades; and to the basketball team that took first prize: Sean Dowling, Kyle Hunt, Brett Parsons, Mike Parsons and Austin Wynsma.

What a wonderful tradition our church picnic is and what a wonderful church family God has provided for us to be a part of.

See you all Sunday.
Eric

It’s already been a couple of weeks since Jeff addressed us at our Men’s Breakfast on the topic of vocation.  I have  heard from so many who were there how refreshing, insightful and encouraging that message was.  I agree.  What a gift to be able to hear God’s heart for us in our work.  I just wanted to let you know that Jeff’s message is on our website.  You can access it here. I would encourage you to do three things:

1)  Download the message to your computer, Itunes,  Ipod, or other MP3 player.  I believe this is a message you are going to want to have in your “library” and will want to have access to over the years.  Just right click on  “Download” and hit “Save Link As”.

2)  Listen to the message again soon.  I guarantee you that there is more that you have forgotten than what you remember!  That’s always how it works for me.  That’s why it’s a good practice to re-listen to a message, no matter how much you think you got from it.

3)  If you have sons, listen to this message with them and discuss the content with them.  A big part of their lives will be the work God calls them to.  I can’t think of a better foundational message for our sons to hear and internalize than this one.

We are so grateful for the almost 200 of you that came out for our breakfast.  That makes a loud statement to us as pastors of your desire to learn and grow.  We are grateful to Mark, Dave and Clay, for your wonderful testimonies of how God meets you at work.  We are grateful for Jim and Brian, for your faith toward God through all he’s brought you through.  And we are very grateful for Kirk and his team who planned and organized such a wonderful meeting.

God is good!  Alright, back to work -

Eric

Okay, first let me say I have a Facebook account and post somewhat regularly.  [In fact, I just posted on Facebook that I’m writing a blog about Facebook].  Facebook has allowed me to catch up with people I haven’t seen in 30 years.  This post, however, isn’t about one of the most popular social networks to come our way in a long time it’s about friendship.

The advancement of computer technology is on par with the invention of the printing press.  Think for a moment how many things in our world run on some form of microchip or processor.  I used to be able to sit under the hood of my ’68 Plymouth Satellite and adjust the carburetor.   Now I need a computer (which only the dealer has) to make even the slightest adjustments to the air/fuel mixture on our mini-van.  Technology hasn’t only provided quantum leaps in the efficient operation of the things that make our world run.    It’s had a very personal affect in that it has transformed the way we “do” relationships.  Take texting for example.  Most phones now come with this feature.    And so we can text back and forth all day.  Each month individuals send thousands of texts.  I once had about four text exchanges with a person before it occurred to me that I could simply dial the phone I was texting on and actually talk to the person.

Facebook has allowed us to accumulate scores of “friends”.  One can easily find account users with friends numbered at 257, 432, 896 and on and on.  At times, reading the threads of two people having a “conversation” on a Facebook page can provide comic relief.  Apparently some folks don’t realize that what they post on Facebook can be read (depending on your security settings) by everyone.

What would we do without our e-mail, our text messaging, our Twitter, our IM account and of course Facebook?  Since we can connect with far more people than we ever could before and we’re now experiencing deeper and more meaningful relationships, right?  I don’t know.  No one is lonely now that we can all reach each other through cyber space, right?  I definitely know that one’s wrong.  Can you really be “friends” with that many people?  Maybe “acquaintance” would be a better term.

Let me offer an alternative.  To some it might sound antiquated but I’ve found it personally enjoyable.  There’s something to be said for two people sitting across from each other while engaging in meaningful conversation.  A dialogue, occurring in “real time” is unpredictable — which is what makes it so interesting.  Your next statement depends on what the person is currently saying.  The person’s countenance silently communicates to the speaker that he is considering the words being spoken.  A strong opinion is expressed with a gentle tone because the listener is visibly discouraged.  Comments that could be misunderstood as inflammatory are clearly being said tongue in cheek based on the speaker’s facial expression, and no offense is taken.  Through the spoken word one communicates an empathy that reaches out to the person because it is specific.  A brief encounter over coffee extends to an hour or more as the conversation is buoyed along by laughter and joy.  A weary friend is filled with hope because she has been in the presence of someone who cares about her.

When God wanted to reach our world He sent His son, in the flesh, to live among those whom He had created.  Jesus literally touched the hands of lepers, walked countless miles beside his closest friends, bounced children on his knees and wept in the presence of those in mourning.  The bible has much to say about relationships and friendships; how they are developed and what characterizes them (try Proverbs 17:7; 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).    Jesus said it best when he said, “greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for a friend”.

Visiting a friend, calling them on the phone or having coffee together will definitely take more time.  You won’t be able to do this with all 257 of your “friends”.  It won’t be efficient.  But as you slow down and allow the Lord to direct your time and your interactions with others I think you’ll experience the grace that God provides when people experience substantive conversation.  This is how relationships grow.

So, text me and let me know what you think, or Facebook me if you’d prefer.  Better yet, the next time we see each other let’s talk in person…for a while.

All Because of Grace,
Brett

About a week ago a significant event occurred in the Campbell household.  My oldest child turned 13.  If you asked my son, as I did, he’d tell you that he doesn’t feel much different than he did the day before; that nothing has changed.  But I know different.  A new season is beginning.  In Bible times when a young boy turned 12 he underwent intense spiritual training culminating in a joyous and solemn celebration on his 13^th birthday (today it’s called a Bar Mitzvah).  The boy was now permitted to sit among the men in the synagogue and was recognized as one able to offer comments on the Torah.  It’s telling that the only instance we have of Jesus’ youth is when he was found in the temple at age 12 (Luke 2:46).

As I ponder the contours of this new season a number of thoughts come to my mind.  I am freshly aware that I as a father bear the primary responsibility for discipling my children.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 lays out for me a vision of teaching my children, along the way, to love the Lord with all of their hearts and to obey His commandments.  God couldn’t be clearer in Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”.  No problem.  How hard can it be?  Plenty hard!  Paul Tripp provides a very important intelligence report; “There is a battle raging in the lives of young people, but it is not the battle of biology. It is an intensely spiritual battle, a battle for the heart.”  How will I lead my children through this important part of their journey when my own heart is the scene of frequent spiritual battles?

I find hope in three areas; God’s Gospel, God’s Word and God’s Church.  The Gospel that once changed this arrogant, boastful, and worldly sinner into a new creature in Christ continues to sanctify me.  The season of parenting that lies before me will no doubt be used by God to expose idols that I was unaware of.  I’m under no illusion of being the first parent to traverse the rugged terrain of the teen years “failure-free”.  But our desperation only serves to further highlight the transforming grace that God lavishes on His children through the Gospel.  My hope is that this same Gospel will transform my children as well!

Our culture is regularly communicating messages about life but it seems that the bandwidth is particularly fast and furious toward teens.  The messages have appeal because they all place self at the center.  Thankfully God’s Word is timeless and trustworthy because…well…it is God’s Word.  The Book of Proverbs is coming alive like it never has before because much of the content is beginning to happen before my very eyes.  Because it’s “living and active” the Word of God provides me everything I need to know about parenting my teen.  And because there’s “nothing new under the sun” it’s never irrelevant though the Truth it contains can often be unpopular.  My hope is that both my family and I will grow in a deeper understanding and love for the Scriptures in this next season.

Finally, we don’t live the Christian life alone and thus we don’t parent alone.  While we as Dads and Moms I are called to be actively involved in this task of parenting, God clearly uses others in significant ways to shape and influence our children.  This is why I am so thankful for God’s Church, specifically our local church.   Thirteen years ago my wife and I stood on stage before all of you and dedicated ourselves to raising our children to know the Lord.  I am so grateful for the examples that we have been able to observe of parents who are committed to God, His Word and His Church.  We welcome your input on our new teenager, as well as his two sisters who are not far behind.  Being part of a community of faith means we’re in it together; we bear each other’s burdens and rejoice with each other’s victories!

The teen years are meant to be a season of significant growth and maturity in both the child and the parent.  God uses a variety of means to get us there.  In a way it’s like hearing the clickety-click of the roller coaster as it’s making the steep climb.   When it crests the top you know to hang on for a wild ride but you remember that the coaster is on tracks so it’s sure to go exactly where it’s supposed to.  I’m looking forward to all the Lord has on the ride ahead!

Thankful for His Grace,

Brett

Recently, I was in the checkout line at Farm Fresh and I overheard a conversation between a customer and the checkout lady.  The checkout lady was lamenting because she wasn’t going to be able to get much in the way of gifts this year. Fair enough, I thought.  But what I heard next really got my attention. She said that her teen boys were “ready to die” when they heard that gifts would be light this year.  Seriously… ready to die?!

If you are like me, you are immersed in the American culture and one thing that seems clear is that Christmas equals giving and, especially for our kids, getting gifts.  Please hear me – I am not anti-gift giving!  I believe there are many good reasons to give gifts:  practice generosity, hospitality, thinking of others more highly than yourself (Philippians 2:3-5).  But I have observed that this season evokes a kind of expectation that we will get something, especially among our children.  How many of you have children that are making a list of what they want for Christmas?

Cindy and I were discussing this recently, and she brought a perspective that I found to be wise, and hopefully helpful.  On someone’s birthday, we get that person a gift in honor of him/her.  Why is it then that when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, we don’t get Him a gift, but give each other gifts?  Sure, I understand that we give each other gifts to remind us of the greatest gift of all, the gift of our Savior Jesus Christ, sent as a baby to live a perfect life, die on the cross for our sins, and rise to new life to defeat the curse of sin and to grant us eternal life.  But doesn’t it also make sense for us to give a gift to Jesus as a way to honor Him since it is His birthday that we are celebrating?

There is nothing wrong with giving each other gifts.  However, as parents, Cindy and I feel the responsibility to help our children understand the true meaning of the season, and do what we can to counter the influence of our culture telling our children that it’s all about “what you want” and “what you get.”

So, my wife suggested an idea that I have grown to love and can’t wait to do this Christmas.  We are going to give each child a pre-determined amount of money and explain to them that in celebration of Jesus’ birthday, we will each give Him a gift instead of giving gifts to each other.  But how do we give Jesus a gift?  Doesn’t He have everything He needs?  Jesus, the birthday child, tells us what He wants, “Give to the least of these and you give to Me.” I will read the parable in Matthew 25:31-40 where Jesus tells us that deeds done to those in need are counted as deeds done for Him.  We give a gift to Jesus when we feed the hungry, tend to the sick, visit those in prison, and clothe the poor. We will have gift catalogs for the children to look through from organizations like Compassion International, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Harvest of Hope and Gospel for Asia. The children will get to choose how they will use their money to give a gift to Jesus.

Will they choose to buy mosquito nets, a pair of rabbits, a cow, a water filter, fishing nets, blankets, a rickshaw, or…?  I can just hear the conversations now…  “They need blankets during the winter because their house has no heat.”  “A pair of rabbits will quickly multiply, providing a steady diet of lean meat and plenty of bunnies to sell.”

Our hope is that this will set the focus of Christmas on the Christ Child, whose birthday we are celebrating, and that it will bring about great conversations with our children and help them to appreciate all that the Lord has given them so that they desire to help others as they give to Jesus this Christmas.

Do you have ways to keep the reason for the season focused on Jesus Christ in your family?  I would love to hear your ideas!

Chris