November Elders’ Message

Hope all is well with you and all the people you love.  It was a honor and privilege to pray for the RiverWalk congregation this Sunday and every Sunday in November.  I hope all of you have been encouraged in seeing our Godly young men the first week in November who are leading in our Missionary efforts in Wichita.  The examples they gave us of reaching the world through their jobs at Starbuck’s to their coworkers and customers is the same opportunity we have in our individual lives.  It was a joy to have them this last week at our Life Group and to get to know them on a more personal and family basis.  I see two wonderful young families that came to our city walking in faith and living the Gospel of Christ with us and with those outside the church.  A special thank you to those who helped at Franklin Elementary.  When Eric mentioned that they had no Parents Group to help them, I feel we as a church are doing our Lord’s will by stepping in to aid and help our community by volunteer efforts.  Our volunteers are opening doors for the Gospel message of good news and God’s Kingdom that is here and now in Wichita.
The many missionary efforts and good works have been highlighted in our bulletin inserts this last month and I would encourage anyone interested to check these individual missionaries and their good works we support here and around the world.  May this inspire you in your Christian walk.
Also inspiring was to hear the power of prayer in the lives of Brother and Sister Farmer.  Thank you, Vernon and Linda, for taking that step forward and explaining your life struggles and your reason for hope.
May our Lord bless you and keep you, may He make His face shine upon you and give you peace.
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Handcuffed by Policy

Handcuffed by Policy

Earlier this week fire crews and local police in Alameda, California could only watch as a man waded into San Francisco Bay, stood up to his neck in the water, and waited. After nearly an hour in the water, the man eventually drowned. Emergency crews did not respond because they could not–Alameda city policy did not allow them to try and save the 50-year-old man. The policy was implemented after budget cuts forced the department to discontinue water rescue training and stop maintaining wetsuits and other rescue gear, according to the fire chief. The chief went on to describe how frustrating this was from the emergency responders perspective–they wanted to do something for this man who was determined to commit suicide, but were “handcuffed by policy at that point.”

“Handcuffed by policy”…those are chilling words, aren’t they? These emergency crews knew what to do; some had been trained to do what needed to be done; no one doubted the action that needed to be taken; but local government policy kept them from engaging. There were other factors involved. They didn’t know if the man was violent, or if he had a weapon. Even if they hadn’t been shackled by policy, the risk might have outweighed a rescue attempt. But ultimately they were “handcuffed by policy.”

To be fair, there were about 75 other people who stood along the beach and watched this man drown, and none of them ventured out into the water, either. They weren’t handcuffed by policy; they were held back by other barriers, like perhaps fear or apathy. And as I reflected on this story today, I thought about how this tragic situation illustrates the challenge faced by followers of Christ when it comes to sharing our faith.

We encounter “drowning people” regularly–people without the hope offered by the gospel. They don’t know it, but they keep inching their way into more dangerous territory day-by-day. And we watch. We have conversations with them, we may go to lunch with them, we might even carpool with them. But our conversations never take a turn in the direction of the good news about Jesus. They are drowning and we know what to do, but like those spectators on the beach, we make no move to offer the lifeline of hope. We are handcuffed by fear, apathy, or perhaps insecurity. Whatever the barrier, we watch as they inch their way into more dangerous water without Jesus Christ.

This story has been a wake-up call for me. How about you? What are you handcuffed to when it comes to sharing faith?

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I’m Keeping My Appointments

I’m Keeping My Appointments

So, do you have anything planned for the upcoming weekend? Perhaps you scheduled time to be with friends; maybe you have some home improvement projects on a “to do” list; maybe a little weekend trip out-of-town. It’s possible you have gone to a lot of trouble, planning and preparing…for nothing. According to a radio evangelist, Jesus will return Saturday, May 21st, and the world as we know it is going to end.

This guy has gone to a lot of trouble and expense to get noticed. Billboards have been secured; a full page ad in USA Today was purchased. He’s been traveling the country for months with a caravan of busses, promoting his end of the world scenario. He’s been interviewed for radio and television stations. All because he is convinced that the world is going to end Saturday, May 21st.

It’s not the first time this individual has made such a claim. He once had a 1994 date circled on the calendar, and had to back track a bit when nothing happened. He has a way of reading the Bible that convinced him he is right this time. I would suggest there is part of Scripture that he has missed…that would be the part where Jesus told His disciples, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) No one knows, not even a modern-day radio evangelist.

I’m not wanting to ridicule or make fun here–this guy may be very sincere about what he believes. But it is possible to be sincerely wrong. I am concerned that this is one more example of why today’s culture refuses to take the Christian message seriously. Too many stories like this one give people one more reason to tune out the good news of Jesus.

I’m looking forward to the weekend. I’m finishing up a sermon for Sunday, and working on a new sermon series for the summer. I’m excited about honoring our graduating seniors during the Sunday morning assembly at RiverWalk this week. My LIFE group is having a cook-out Sunday night. I don’t plan on changing anything based on what this radio evangelist has predicted. I will approach this weekend as I try to approach each day: grateful to God for opportunities to serve Him and others.

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Elder’s Message – Spring 2011

The Joy of Serving

It’s a joy to continue to see new faces at worship and at our many activities that RiverWalk is engaged in. The Love Wichita program seemed to have more public exposure this year than last. As we went along the river by Exploration Place where tourists looked down out of the large windows, along the sidewalk where many people were walking for MDA (Jerry’s Kids) by the Vietnamese Memorial where the strains of Oriental music was being played during their veterans ceremony. We live in a wonderful diverse world.

The Lord who made it all has blessed me with the beauty of a wonderful and rich land, the degree of health that lets me walk and work, the freedom to meet and worship in peace, and the hope to live eternally with God and his saints. Draw strength and comfort from the scriptures but also celebrate with us this month, New Life Celebration, Honor 50 + Club, and each week the Lord’s Supper. May the Lord bless you and keep you and may he make his face to shine upon you and give you peace.

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Prodigal Me

I have been reading a book entitled, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller.  The point of this book is to look in depth at the parable Jesus told the Pharisees in Luke 15. Through this parable Jesus is showing them the difference between results-oriented faith and faith based on love. Inside the book Timothy includes an excerpt from the book These Strange Ashes by, Elisabeth Elliot, to help reiterate the message of the parable.  She came up with an apocryphal story (not in the Bible) about Jesus that conveys the difference between results-oriented selfishness and a faithfulness born of love.

“One day Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I’d like you to carry a stone for Me.’ He didn’t give any explanation.  So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could possibly find.  After all, Jesus didn’t give any regulations for weight and size!  So he put it in his pocket.  Jesus then said: ‘Follow Me.’  He led them on  a journey.  About noontime Jesus had everyone sit down.  He waved his hands and all the stones turned to bread.  He said, ‘Now it’s time for lunch.’  In a few seconds, Peter’s lunch was over.  When lunch was done Jesus told them to stand up.  He said again, ‘I’d like you to carry a stone for Me.’  This time Peter said, ‘Aha!  Now I get it!’  So he looked around and saw a small boulder.  He hoisted it on his back and it was painful, it made him stagger.  But he said, ‘I can’t wait for supper.’  Jesus then said: ‘Follow Me.’  He led them on a journey, with Peter barely being able to keep up.  Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river.  He said, ‘Now everyone throw your stones into the water.’  They did.  Then he said, ‘Follow Me,’ and began to walk.  Peter and the others looked at him dumbfounded.  Jesus sighed and said, ‘Don’t you remember what I asked you to do?  Who were you carrying the stone for?’”

The moral of this apocryphal story is that we can be faithful followers of Jesus and at the same time, be following him with selfish ambition.  Most of the time the younger son is the one most illustrated in the parable.  However, the older son has the same selfish heart as the younger son once had.  You see, the younger son saw his wickedness and repented and went home.  The older son “followed the rules” but he had ulterior motives behind his obedience.  He wanted to earn his father’s inheritance.  He thought if he was “good” enough, then his father would reward him with what he was entitled.  He didn’t “follow the rules” out of love and utter devotion to his father.  This is where we come in…

We have been taught that if we are good Christian’s we will have a home in heaven.  If we “follow the rules” we will find favor in God’s eyes.  How selfish of us to love and follow God in order to EARN a home in heaven.  I encourage you to live your life for God and God alone.  Don’t be the older brother and feel entitled to everything our Father has to offer us!

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Follow or Unfollow

More Than Conquerors

RiverWalk Church of Christ Wichita Ks  Minister

I came across this video and was taken back by it.  What a great way to get the message of Jesus across to all kinds of people.  Ignitor has put out a new video for everyone to see.  Please take a moment to watch this inspiring video (Click “follow” below).

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A Hero of Faith

A Hero of Faith

RiverWalk Church of Christ Wichita Ks  Minister

We all need heroes of faith; people who’ve had more than their share of challenges in life but whose faith never (or seldom) waivers. I believe I’m watching one hero of faith “in development” right now as my sister faces challenges brought on by her husband’s stroke. Charlie suffered a devastating stroke in early January, just a few days after we visited with them at Christmas. At first, the fear was that he wouldn’t live; then that he would be seriously disabled (total paralysis, partial paralysis, loss of sight, loss of speech, loss of the ability to think). As the days went by and each function began to return, the hope for a return to normal or close to normal seemed to be a distinct possibility. A Facebook page was set up and literally hundreds of people responded with prayers of healing and hope. Many expressed the belief (in their postings) that God was at work in Charlie’s life as he healed. But the one reality that I observed in my sister was her unwavering faith that God’s will be done in Charlie’s life. Her faith in God has been no stronger in Charlie’s healing than it was in the darkest days of his disability. In Deuteronomy 8:2 Moses wrote, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” He goes on to say in verse 3, “He humbled you…to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Charlie doesn’t have to be healed for God (and others) to know what is in my sister’s heart. Her faith has developed to the degree that whether Charlie is totally healed or has to live with disabilities, she will revel in the goodness of God. Sounds like a pretty strong faith to me; maybe the faith that God is looking for in all his followers.

Monday Charlie took a bad fall, hitting his head (he still has not had his skull reattached), injuring a knee and shoulder. The speech that was returning has now regressed and his vision is still impaired. But despite this setback, my sister emailed me this response: “Charlie is now in a wheelchair so getting around is a challenge. We are centering our thoughts on Jesus’ agony. We are thanking God for the resurrection and the ‘wonderful grace of Jesus—deeper than all our sin. How can my tongue describe it? Where shall my praise begin?’” Praise, indeed. Faith, undeniable!

How about you? Does everything have to go just so, for you to maintain your faith in God? Do you see the negative in every little thing or do you see God at work in the worst of challenges? I believe God is on the lookout for some high, faith followers. What’s he finding in you?

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The Need for Parents

The Need for Parents

RiverWalk Church of Christ Wichita Ks  Minister

I was on Facebook this morning and I came across a blog post by one of my good friends.  He had attached a link to his blog on parenting and it moved me to post it on mine as well (Thank you Tim Hall). 

It doesen’t take a rocket-scientist to see that parenting is a difficult job. Parenting is such an awesome responsibility given to us by God.  God has given us the freedom to choose how to parent our children, but at the same time he hasn’t just “thrown us to the wolves”.  God gives us much insight on parenting through his Word in the Bible.  The model set before us is one that includes: authority, spirituality, Godliness, faithfulness, kindness, and love.  Unfortunately, some parents choose to be their childrens friend instead of their parent in an attempt to gain the respect and trust of their children.  Therefore, parents slack on being the “bad guy” or inforcing much needed rules in their childrens life.  What happens to our children when parents decide to take a backseat to parenting?

Below is a link to an article that is found on the CNN webpage.  It has some interesting thoughts on parenting.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/04/19/granderson.children.dress/index.html

A plea for parents…please remember the awesome responsibility that God has given you.  You have the greatest chance of being the best influencer in your childrens life.  Don’t blow it by being more concerned about earning their friendship or being their best friend.  What is your job as a parent?

Your # 1 job is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9!!

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Everybody Needs Somebody

Everybody Needs Somebody

RiverWalk Church of Christ Wichita Ks  Minister

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells the strange story of Christopher Langan, a genius with a staggering IQ of 195. Mr. Langan was raised in poverty, one of four sons, each with a different father. One brother spent time in a foster home; another brother was sent to reform school. The Langan home was chaotic and constantly on the move.

During high school, Langan could ace any foreign language test by simply skimming the textbook a few minutes before the exam. He got a perfect score on his SAT, even though at one point he fell asleep. He was offered college scholarships. But Chris Langan failed to use his exceptional gifts and today works on a horse farm in rural Missouri. He maintains an appetite for reading and learning, but is somewhat content with his life, working for others on the farm.

According to Gladwell, Chris Langan never had a community to help him capitalize on his gifts. He did not have a network of family or friends to encourage him to utilize his intelligence and knowledge. No one spent the necessary time to help Langan develop practical intelligence–the set of skills we need to learn in order to know how to relate to people or how to handle a specific situation. Chris Langan had the analytical intelligence and ability measured by IQ, but lacked a community that could help him function effectively in the day-to-day routine of life.

Gladwell summarizes the story of Langan in one sentence: “[Langan] had to make his way alone, and no one–not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses–ever makes it alone.”

God created us for relationship, never intending for us to navigate life alone. The church is a place where vital personal connections can be made. The church is a community of faith where we encourage and challenge one another, where we find strength to help meet life’s obstacles, where we are reminded that we aren’t in this journey alone, where we can draw on the spiritual wisdom and life experience of others on the journey. The church was, and is, God’s idea, because He knows how much we really do need each other. The church is where we learn that everybody needs somebody.

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One.Life

One.Life

RiverWalk Church of Christ Wichita Ks  Minister

I just finished the book One.Life: Jesus Calls We Follow by Scot McKnight.  This book has probably been the most insightful book I have read this year.  Scot goes into great detail about the various opportunities we have to glorify God in our One.Life.

What are you going to do in your One.Life?  Some people choose to do great things, and yet others choose to sit around and wait for great things to happen.  I hope you choose to be proactive in your One.Life.  God created us for a purpose.  We are not here on earth to become the most prosperous person, drive the nicest car, own the biggest home, or even become the most educated person in order to attain the American Dream.  We are here to honor God and love God by honoring and loving his people.  If your life is not people centered you might need to reevaluate your life direction.  It is impossible to escape the fact that Jesus was people centered.  When we read about Jesus in the Bible we read of him constantly engaging and pursuing those around him.  Let me put it to you in a different way, there are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that refer to the poor.  When you average that number out over the span of the whole Bible, 1 out of every 16 verses are about the poor.  That should illustrate for  us the importance of being people centered.   If you take out the “helping people” parts of the Bible, you are left with a book full of holes.

What are you going to do with your One.Life?  May God bless you in your journey to a stronger relationship with him through serving his children.

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