March Madness National Semi-Finals

Tonya selected 3 of 4 Final Four teams correctly, missing only Louisville (she picked Missouri). Yes, she did better than Parker or me. Parker got 2 Final Four teams correct, Kentucky and Kansas; while I correctly chose Kentucky and Ohio State.

Here are our guesses for today:
Parker: Kentucky and Ohio State
Turner: Kentucky and Ohio State
Tonya: Kentucky and Kansas
Greg: Kentucky and Ohio State

Great Quote Thursday

Character reveals what a person will do when no one is observing. It is their default mode of living- Gary Chapman (The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace- pg. 50).

Book Review- Hard Call

Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them is the fourth collaborative effort between Sen. John McCain and Mark Salter. The book highlights the tough decisions and choices made by individuals and the impact of those choices.

There are six main headings under which the book is categorized: Awareness, Foresight, Timing, Confidence, Humility and Inspiration. Under each heading, there are 3-4 essays on individuals who made a "hard call" that had a significant impact on themselves and the world around them.

Some of the best stories in the book include: the story of Branch Rickey and the racial integration of baseball; of Ronald Reagan negotiating terms with Mikhail Gorbachev; of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat's efforts toward peace in the Middle East; of Robert Gould Shaw, a white man who led an all-black Union regiment during the Civil War.

The individual chapter format is very reader friendly, as some chapters are better than others.

3D...Discover, Develop, Deploy- Session 3

In Acts 1, we see the early followers of Christ develop as individuals and as a group. There are some steps of development that they took that will benefit each of us:

1. Develop a Core of Close Relationships- v. 12-14
The eleven remaining disciples (following the death of Judas the betrayer) had shared in some amazing experiences. By spending 3 years with Jesus, they had been first-hand witnesses of His healings; of Lazarus coming forth; of His miracles of loaves and fishes; of His walking on water; of His resurrection.

What kept them together after His resurrection? Who and what did they rely on as their world was changing around them? We read in verse 14 they continued in unity and prayer. When times were tough, they went to God in prayer and stuck together.

Who is always there for you in time of need? Who can you call when you receive an emergency call late at night and you need someone to keep your kids so you can race to the hospital? Who will pray for you and be there for you, and with you, no matter what?

You need a core of close relationships. But you must develop those.

2. Develop Relationships Outside Your Core- v. 15-22
Gathered together around the 11 in those days was a group of Christ-followers numbering about 120 in total (v. 15). Though not called to be disciples in the sense the 11 were, these men had been involved with the ministry of Christ from the beginning (v.21). And one of them was needed to join the core, the 11 (v.22).

Having a core of close relationships is a goal but it's also important to develop relationships outside your core. One effective way to develop new relationships is to serve as a mentor. Plus, it's biblical (Titus 2:1-8). Everyone should seek out a mentor but also be available to serve as a mentor. The 11 had obviously invested in the 120 because they were about to ask one of them to join them.

3. Develop an Expanded Core- v. 23-26
For the 11 to accomplish what they were tasked to do (Acts 1:8), they knew they couldn't remain the same. After prayer and discussion (v. 23,24), Matthias was added to the core.

In expanding their core, the 11 connected with believers ("he was numbered with the eleven apostles"- v. 26) but the apostles also connected with untold numbers of unbelievers and, under the power of the Holy Spirit, changed the world.

Great Quote Thursday

The moment that our memories of yesterday are greater than our dreams for tomorrow, the end is near- Tim Miller

3D...Discover, Develop, Deploy- Session 2

The followers of Christ in the early church were embarking on a significant life change. Their leader, Jesus Christ, returned to heaven after His resurrection and left them to carry on His ministry. But He didn't leave them without help, without hope or without purpose.

In our teaching series, "3D...Discover, Develop, Deploy", we are walking through the first two chapters of the book of Acts. In times of uncertainty, we can learn much from these verses to help us become the followers of Christ that He desires for us to be.

The first step of that process is one of discovery. This week, from Acts 1, we see some primary things that we must Discover to be who Christ desires for us to be:

1. Discover What's Less Important- v. 6, 7
Even though the Holy Spirit was about to come to them, the early followers of Christ were more concerned about the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. While that event is important and will occur in the future, these disciples (based on Old Testament teachings in Ezekiel and Joel) focused more on the restoration of Israel than on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They missed the major event to focus on less important matters (Luke 24: 18-21).

How often do we miss the main point because we're distracted by minor things? How often do we spend time and effort chasing down things that matter, but are really less important?

2. Discover What's More Important- v. 8
The early followers of Christ were about to receive Holy Spirit power. Think about that for a moment. Holy Spirit power! Now consider, if you are a Christ follower, you have Holy Spirit power as well! He lives in you. I don't think we truly understand what that means. Otherwise, we would likely live differently, with more urgency, with more life.

This verse not only points to the importance of the Holy Spirit but also to the mission our those who follow Christ, to be witnesses of Jesus. In our church, we live out the destinations for the Gospel along these lines:
Jerusalem- where we live and travel in a typical day
Judea- where we are linked by common culture; primarily the Unites States
Samaria- in countries where there is a Christian presence or practical access to the Gospel
End of the Earth- places where there is no Christian or practical access to the Gospel

3. Discover What the Future Holds- v. 9-11
"This same Jesus" is returning one day (Rev. 1:7; 14:14). We should live expectantly.

Fun on Friday- Final Four Predictions

With NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament beginning this week, our family filled out tournament brackets. Here's who we think will be in the Final Four:

Parker:
South- Kentucky
East- Syracuse
Midwest- Kansas
West- Missouri

Tonya:
South- Kentucky
East- Ohio State
Midwest- Kansas
West- Missouri

Greg:
South- Kentucky
East- Ohio State
Midwest- North Carolina
West- Missouri

Turner did not complete a bracket this year. Learning to read more words and watching more basketball should probably come first.

Great Quote Thursday

Your greatest assets will become your greatest liabilities unless you use them for God's purposes- Mark Batterson

3D...Discover, Develop, Deploy- Session 1

Everyone deals with uncertainty. Making adjustments and moving forward is part of life.

The followers of Christ in the early church were embarking on a path of major life change. Their leader, Jesus Christ, returned to heaven after His resurrection and left them to carry on His ministry. But He didn't leave them without help, without hope or without purpose.

On Sunday, I began a new teaching series titled, "3D...Discover, Develop, Deploy". The text is from the first two chapters of the book of Acts. In a time of uncertainty, we can learn much from these verses to help us become the followers of Christ that He desires for us to be.

The first step of that process is one of discovery. This week, from Acts 1, we see some primary things we must Discover to be who Christ desires for us to be:

1. Discover the Teaching of Jesus- v. 1
Luke, the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, says he wrote an account "of all that Jesus began to do and teach". But what did Luke record of what Christ did first? The first words of Christ's public ministry (Luke 4: 14-21) were of Christ reading from the prophet Isaiah and then proclaiming "today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing". In effect, He was saying, "all those scrolls, all that history, it's all about Me; I am the Messiah".

2. Discover the Orders of Jesus- v. 2
What did Jesus tell the disciples before He returned to Heaven? What was His plan, what were His orders? In Matthew 28: 19 and 20, we learn that Christ's disciples are to go, make disciples, baptize and teach.

3. Discover the Proofs of Jesus- v. 3
Following His resurrection, Christ appeared numerous times to numerous people. These appearances were proof of His resurrection. Among the many reasons for the proofs, Christ used them to encourage disciples (John 20: 19, 20); challenge Thomas (John 20: 26-29); do many miracles (John 20: 30, 31) and restore Peter (John 21: 15-17).

4. Discover the Promise of Jesus- v. 4, 5
Jesus told his followers to wait for the promise He had told them to expect (John 14:16). The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, was about to indwell them.

Fun on Friday- More Turnerisms (and a Parkerism)

Raising two young sons is a real treat. They often say some very interesting things. Here are a few more:

Turner: "20 is my favorite number".
Me: "Why?'
Turner: "Because it has a 2 and a 0".
Me: "Okay?"

While watching an episode of American Idol:
Parker: "I think Justin Bieber would do pretty well on this show".

For several years, our 11:00 Bible Fellowship group has gone to lunch together once a month on a given Sunday. We call this time "Cheap Eat Sunday". Last week, Cheap Eat was at Zaxby's on Cumberland. A long-time class favorite, the Zaxby's on campus has limited parking. As we drove around looking for parking, the following conversation took place:
Parker: "Why does everybody like Zaxby's so much?"
Me: "Couples in our class have always loved Zaxby's".
Turner: "Why nobody like Taco Bell?"

Great Quote Thursday

A leader who leads from the virtues of his character can motivate us in powerful ways- Gary Bredfeldt (Great Leader, Great Teacher- pg. 95).

Living on Commitment

The responsibility of mentoring is taught in the New Testament book of Titus (chapter 2) as well as in other passages in the Bible. We think having mentor couples who serve in young married Bible Fellowship groups is an important component to a group's health. It's a practice we've seen work time and again.

On Sunday in our 11:00 Bible Fellowship group, the class' mentor couple, Alan and Kris Savell, shared with the group. Over the past week, group members submitted questions for the Savells to address. The Savells were asked to share their personal testimonies, about how they met, about how Alan proposed, as well as the early years. They shared about the most difficult things they've dealt with as a couple as well as how they've dealt with in-law issues.

But in wrapping up their time of sharing, they were asked to share any wisdom they would offer to young couples. Alan referenced a song from the late 1990's by country musician Alan Jackson called "Living on Love". The song, released a couple of years after the Savells were married in 1994, contains the following lyrics:

Livin' on love, buyin' on time;
Without somebody nothing ain't worth a dime;
Just like an old fashioned storybook rhyme;
Livin' on love.

The Savells shared that their early years of marriage, while Alan was in medical school and Kris was in graduate school, were years of challenge but years filled with great memories. Years when they were, in Alan's words, "living on commitment". That's a great phrase and a great point.

Every couple should spend their years of marriage living on commitment.

Book Review- Winston Churchill by John Perry

This biography of Winston Churchill by John Perry is part of the Christian Encounters series from Thomas Nelson Publishers. However, there is little included in the book that leads one to believe that Churchill was actually a follower of Jesus Christ. Rather, despite Perry's efforts to portray Churchill as a Christian, the former British Prime Minister comes off as, at best, a deist and, at worst, a religious opportunist.

Though less than 160 pages, this brief biography of Churchill's life spends ample time in providing: a sketch of his early childhood and the distance between he and his parents; his close relationship with a nanny who become a close early confidant; his time away at boarding schools; his academic struggles; his adventure seeking nature and brushes with death. Additonally, the later years of Churchill's life as Prime Minister and as a member of Parliament are also well chronicled. Not excluded are several references to Churchill's opulent lifestyle.

There are numerous more lengthy volumes on the life of Winston Churchill but this biography is very readable and sufficient to answer initial questions about the leader of Great Britain during the dark years of World War II.

Great Quote Thursday

"God, I sinned, but...." is not confession of sin but rationalization of sin- Hollie Miller