Now that that is out of the way, I will say I’m glad he won today.  I know a lot of people (friends included) who don’t care one way or another about Tiger’s golf game anymore.  And there is a lot of justification for feeling that way.  But here’s the thing – I, and the world, have watched Tiger for so many years; he’s given us so many thrills, I just can’t help but be happy for him.  I don’t want to feel down on a guy for the rest of his life because he was stupid – beyond stupid.  I have a friend who says, “we’re all just one step away from stupid!”

And here’s the other thing – you may find this strange.  I really care for those athletes I enjoy watching.  This goes for others in the “limelight” of who I enjoy their work:  athlete’s, actors, authors, etc.  As a Christian, I want the best for them and, you may find this stranger, I actually pray for them.  Not every day, or even every month, but I will offer up a prayer when I see them in action or think of them while reading an article or watching an interview.  The prayer is usually about their standing before our God.  Do they know Him?  Have they heard the Gospel?  Do they know what Jesus Christ has done for them?  So I’ll pray that God would send someone to them to share the Gospel message with them.

I know Tiger is intrigued with an eastern religion.  I’ll pray for him tonight that He would come to know the true joy of knowing Christ.  That regardless of the wreck that he has made of his marriage and other relationships, God loves him, redemption is available, and there are people who care for him as a person.

So congratulations to Tiger today for a win to end his drought of 2 years and good luck in 2012!

Oh yeah, and Tiger – if you ever want to talk about that other stuff, shoot me an email.  It will only cost you some putting tips.  (Like that will happen)

Deer, deer, deer.  I’ve spent a lot of time on the Midwest highways this fall and it seems that deer and cars must somehow be attracted to each other.  The evidence of these unfortunate encounters (for the deer and insurance premiums) is everywhere.

So – it just got me wondering.  How can an animal with such great reflexes, the ability to see at night, which has truly incredible speed and jumping ability not stay away from terminal encounters with vehicles?  I mean think about it – deer are a truly amazing animal that you can’t get close to when you want to (ask any hunter); but they just get slaughtered on the roads.

I finally figured it out.

It’s because of context.  In the woods there are few things faster, larger, and more wary than themselves.  Very, very few predators have the size and speed to overtake them.  In the woods a deer knows the speed of other animals.  They know what is dangerous or not and they have the speed to deal with dangerous encounters.  They know their territory and enemy.

However, out of this context – on the road – they don’t understand the threat.  They see a car 200 yards away and can’t imagine the absolutely frightening speed and size of this predator.  They deal with it using information from a context which doesn’t apply.  And they lose.

I thought about this regarding our spiritual enemy. Although he has been beaten by Christ, he is still dangerous.  And he has ages of experience in knowing how to tempt his prey.  A person may think they have the ability, in and of themselves, to withstand him. But in our own strength it is a mismatch.  Men (Herman Cain? Jerry Sandusky? Bill Clinton? Bernie Madoff?) think they have the power to face the temptations of the evil one on their own and they are fatally wrong.  All we have to do is read the papers to see the travesty the evil one can inflict on humanity.  We cannot face him in our own context; we need Christ.  We need the Holy Spirit.  We need other believers to hold us accountable and hold us up.  It is a fatal mistake to think we can face him on our own.

But, by relying on the spiritual resources given to us, we can face him successfully and live a spirit-filled, powerful life for the Lord.

Perhaps you have been facing temptation in your own power and losing.  Christ gives you the ability to face it and win. Why not try relying on Him instead of relying on your own strength.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1Co 10:13 NKJ)

Okay – just between you and me, I don’t know if you need to kneel after every touchdown, good play, or completed pass as a football player.  I don’t know how many times is “correct” to mention our Savior’s name in an interview.  I also can’t tell you how often to quote Scripture in an article.  So I’m not going to tell you to do it more, or that you’re doing it too much.

However, I do know one thing.  The world’s answer to those questions will ALWAYS be to do it less.  They will always say, “We are tired of this Jesus stuff.”  The media will ALWAYS find a well-known Christian to help you see how you’re testifying too much about Christ.  Thus, with that in mind – keep on doing what you’re doing. 

Remember that Jesus promised one thing when you represent him – opposition.  He promised persecution, push-back, and ridicule.  I’m sure you feel you’ve experienced all of that at this point.  So just remember, if you are dealing with this, you must be doing something right.  I haven’t seen you do anything “crazy”.  So take it from someone who has done crazy things for the Lord – you’re not doing anything that is out of line.

Remember what happened to Peter and John in Acts, Chapter four.  They were, “commanded not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus.”  Sound familiar?  Their response was, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  Who can shut up about Jesus considering the great love he has and sacrifice he made for humanity.  You can’t! (That’s you Tim!) and neither can anyone who has truly grasped the importance of knowing Christ.

I also don’t see Paul anywhere telling Christ followers to be a little less bold about witnessing.  Can you really imagine Paul saying, “Preach the cross – sometimes!”; or “Just live a good life, and you don’t really need to mention the name of Jesus.”  That is laughable.  Unfortunately, that’s what your friend Kurt Warner is telling you, “Just tone it down, and live the life.”  Fortunately, those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive.  You can live the life AND say the Name.

Hang tough Tim – keep representing Him in your locker room, on the field of battle, and in the interviews.  Let the naysayers comment what they will; but our example in the Word is to lift high the name of Jesus.

Your Friend and Fan,  Shawn

• Baptism – excited for the person we baptized yesterday (congrat’s Nicole!). Christ has given us this simple and beautiful expression to identify with Him and His work.  May this one be only one of many, many more at Grace Fellowship representing lives changed by the Gospel.
• Opposition – Yes, Christ promised it and it will come and there were challenges this week.  Nothing serious – but, just preparing for Sunday there were a few issues which came up.  John Wesley once had a brick thrown at him hitting him in the head.  His comment was, “Thank the Lord.  I hadn’t had anything thrown at me for a week and was beginning to think I was doing something wrong!” 
• Connect, Connect, Connect – I’ve seen many new folks come to Grace Fellowship.  I long to see all of them get “connected” into some kind of smaller group.  We’re working on getting some Life Groups (home groups) going and an additional group on Sunday mornings as well as a Men’s ministry.  I personally know the benefit of being in a smaller group of believers for sharing, caring, prayer, and learning.  It is powerful and life-changing as the baptism testimony from Sunday confirmed.
• Enjoying the Journey – Leader’s tend to live in the future.  We are always looking for the next hill to take, next person to influence, or next ministry event to plan.  I have to tell myself to live in the moment, enjoy what God is doing, bless and be blessed by those God has sent to Grace Fellowship.  But on Monday mornings my mind is always in fast forward.  God help me to enjoy you and your current working!  (Now…where’s that ‘to-do’ list)
• Word – I’ve been enjoying much time in God’s Word.  The Psalms have been my friend recently, as well as the text for the upcoming message.  I’m contemplating memorizing Ephesians or Galatians.  I believe our next message series will be in the book of John starting on January 1.  I appreciate your prayers as I prepare messages for our fellowship.
• Next Generation – I thank God for our children’s and student workers.  You guys are inspiring to me!  Our elementary class had 18 yesterday (a high) and the G3 Student Ministry had a party with 20ish last night.  Our nursery workers are heros of the faith.  Thanks for investing in the future of Christ’s body.  Really – you are making a huge difference.
• Evangelism – My heart aches for those who do not know Christ.  We will be starting a training class soon to help folks learn easy tools to share the Gospel with their acquaintances.  God made, loves, and sacrificed for people! I plan to make some “cold calls” this weekend to folks on the East Side and downtown.  I use a ‘multi-visit’ approach to make new friends and introduce the Gospel to them.  Pray for me as I go out and let me know if you would like to learn how.
• Missing, Missing, Missing – Sunday afternoon I knew I had missed something in the morning and couldn’t put my finger on it.  Oh yeah, since I baptized I missed most of our worship in song.  I missed that.  Thanks worship team for what you do each week to direct our attention to the Lord.  I look forward to this part of our gathering each week and missed it this week.
• More – I have more on my mind, but I’m beginning to ramble.  Things like Christmas, a January praise concert, more on LIFE Groups, food pantry, unseen servants each Sunday, facility projects, etc.  Those are for another time.

It’s a privilege to be a part Grace Fellowship.  Hope everyone has a great week.  Can’t wait for Sunday and our Thanksgiving Pot-Luck!  Warmly, Pastor Shawn

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So what makes us different from any other church?  Good question.  I’m not sure anything does – does that answer surprise you?

We just want to be a church that loves God, loves each other, and loves people.  This makes us like most other churches.  While we have a few things that are unique about us – we feel that being “different” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  The real difference-maker is Jesus and he is who we are trying to learn about, follow, and share with others.  Knowing him really does make all the difference.

What is important to us?  That might be a better question to answer.  Here are some thoughts:

a)       Genuine Worship – A weekly gathering (aka “service”) to genuinely express our love to God and get to know him better.

b)       Real relationships –  We are not perfect, but we follow one who is.  We want to care for and love each other following the example found in the early church writings (New Testament).  We also feel that true relationships don’t end on Sunday, but begin there.  We attempt to have groups meet during the week in which to “do life” together.  Groups meet for prayer, service activities, and to care for each other.

c)       Word – We truly believe the collective 66 books of the Bible are God’s, life-changing, communication to humanity.  We see that people are changed by the messages it contains.  Our goal is to communicate His message as it is written and allow God to use it in the hearts of those who listen.

d)       Gospel – The New Testament uses this word to encapsulate the message of Jesus Christ.  It is very important to us and the Christian community as a whole.  It is the message that…

• Jesus Christ, God’s son, has paid the price for humanity’s sin by dying on the cross.
• He came back to life after dying to prove who he was and that he has the power over death.
• A person can be forgiven, restored to a right relationship with God, and receive eternal life through Him.
• That Faith in Jesus is the only requirement God has for a person to be made right with Him.
• Faith is simply believing in Jesus and his work to receive forgiveness and eternal life.

e)       All People are Important – young, middle-aged, and elderly: everyone deeply matters to God. We want our church to consist of all ages.  We want all ages to be nurtured in their relationship with God and their ability to serve Him.

f)        Next Generation – babies, kids, students will be the next leaders of the church.  We intentionally want to reach out to young people, see them come to Christ, and equip them to serve God and eventually lead the church into the future.

Is there more?  Yes, but I’m out of space.  However, I would love to engage your questions, meet you, and visit more.  Feel free to email, FaceBook, or call me.  I would also look forward to having a cup of coffee with you. God bless you in your journey to know Him better.  Let us know how we could help.

Sincerely,

Pastor Shawn

• Changed Lives – This weekend I met with two men who are going to begin a discipleship process together.  Their conversation was so spiritually raw it touched my heart.  The one who is going to be the mentor was so honest about how Christ had changed his life it was jaw-dropping.  To quote him, he told the newer believer, “I used to be one mean son-0f-a-__________.  But Jesus and learning the Word has totally changed my life.”   Wow. 
• Children – I walked around the building on Sunday and was so grateful for the facilities and Kids ministry team God has given us for Children’s ministry.  My heart ached to see our rooms full with kids learning about God’s love for them.  On the other hand, I left the building on Saturday and saw about a half a dozen kids playing on the corner right across the street.  Now…how do we bridge the gap.  I’m praying God uses Grace Fellowship to do a miracle in the lives of kids and parents that He loves.
• Jake – I love you man!  No seriously, thank you for leading your team, to lead us to worship the Lord in song.  My heart was full when I stepped on the platform to share the Word.
• Chat Room – It was so good to see a “buzz” in the room on Sunday.  People were visiting, laughing, introducing themselves to others, enjoying coffee and donuts.   It was a warm place.
• Youth Ministry – I stood outside the door Sunday morning and heard Ryan telling the group what they would be studying the next few weeks.  It is meaty stuff.  I thank the Lord for our Youth Ministry team and look forward to what God will do in their midst.
• Behind-the-scenes-Servants:  A church functions so much with servants who are usually never seen.  There are donuts to be served, coffee made, lights to be turned on, bulletins to be copied, letters to go out, bathrooms to be cleaned, offerings to be transported, carpets to be swept, lessons to be studied, babies to be changed.  You know who you are and so does God.  Thank you for serving the Lord away from the limelight.  You are making an eternal difference.
• Souls – A good number of people in our worship gathering indicated they had questions about God, eternity, and the issue of salvation.  If you are reading this – you are among friends!  We love you and so does God.  I would love to talk with you sometime about how to know for sure you are right with God.  Call me, shoot me an email, Facebook me, or stop me in the hall.  I am praying for you…and did so this morning.
• Patience – I am a church-planter, thus I am impatient.  These go hand-in-hand and I actually think God has wired church planters that way for a reason.  But, it will take time to accomplish all we need to do to be a fully functioning church.  I see the need for small groups, missions, total-church involvement in outreach, leadership development, etc.  These are on my mind constantly.  Will you pray with me for patience, yet also God-directed steps to develop these important ministries in His timing.

There is more – but I don’t want to ramble.  I hope you are encouraged by what God is doing among us.  Keep praying, inviting, sharing Christ, serving, and reading the Word.  He is alive and at work in His body at Grace Fellowship.

In my devotions today this verse blessed my heart…

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”  (Ps 84:10)

“Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well…”  John 4:12 

The woman at the well asked Jesus a question that is still being asked today.  Jesus told her that he could give her living water; water that was more satisfying than the water in her well.  Her response was, “Who is this guy?” Or, in the words of Scripture, “Are you greater than our father Jacob…”  She wanted to know who Jesus was, how could he do this, what made him greater than any other man that he would be able to give her living water. 

In essence people are still asking the same question today.  It’s phrased a little differently; but essentially the same.  Some of the questions you hear are: 

* Was Jesus greater than just a good teacher?

* What makes Jesus greater than any other prophet or religious leader?

* Were his miracles greater than others done in the day  (or did Jesus do those miracles – from the skeptics)?

* Is Jesus great enough to make the claims he made?

* Is Jesus greater than my current god?

* Just who is this Jesus anyway?

In a nutshell, “Jesus, are you greater than ____________”.  Fill in the blank yourself. 

Interestingly enough, Jesus answered the woman’s question.  She told him in further conversation that she knew a Greater one was coming and would “tell them all things (vs. 25).”  She also called this anticipated person, the “Messiah” or anointed one. 

Jesus answered her first question by stating, “I who speak to you am He (vs. 28)” 

The answer today to those asking the similar question, “is Jesus greater than ____________,”  is…

yes.

Here’s the article…

http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/1202418.html

Here’s my letter…

May 23, 2009

Letters

The Kansas City Star

1729 Grand Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 64108

To the editorial board,

I am perplexed.  Why was the local Planned Parenthood public relations and media coordinator highlighted on the FYI front page recently? I am sure that Miss Phillips is an interesting and nice enough person.  However, it appears this section of the paper is reserved for human interest stories about random, local people. It’s surprising that this random person happened to be a Planned Parenthood employee during the week that the abortion/prolife issue was in the news because our President was scheduled to speak at Notre Dame. Perhaps the next person highlighted in this section could be one of the faithful employees of Rachel House an organization which serves several thousand young women each year with counseling, new baby supplies, and medical assistance.  The only difference between these organizations is that Rachel House protects life at all stages including the preborn.

Sincerely,

Shawn Barr

Adult Ministries Pastor

Antioch Bible Baptist Church

Okay – the accountant in me is coming out.  I’m game for a tax cut or check as much as the next guy; don’t get me wrong.  But I question the impact this upcoming $825 billion is really going to have on our economy.  $825 billion is a lot of money – even for Bill Gates.  But in comparison to our overall economy it’s a little over a penny on the dollar.

For comparison….

The US Gross Domestic Product for 2008 = $57,400,000,000,000 (that’s trillion – give or take a few billion).  The stimulus is 1.4% of this.

The US Personal Income for 2008 = $48,300,000,000,000.  Thus the stimulus equals 1.7% of this amount.

Is adding another trillion dollars to our national debt really going to do that much for our economy?  I’m questioning this philosophy of borrowing our way out of an economic crisis.  Isn’t debt what got us in this mess to begin with?

But hey…send me the check.  I’ve got four teenagers; I’ll find a way to use it!