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| February 3, 2008 |
it has been quite a month. Nathan has been called to another church outside of Lexington and I would like to encourage all of us to lift him and the students at Liberty Baptist in our prayers.
Also, let's lift Derek Fortenberry (D. Fort) in our prayers and our support as he comes on board to lead our student ministry in worshiping Jesus and teaching our young people how to live in Christ like maturity.
There has been a very visible change in our church over the past few months. I, and others with whom I've talked, can sense the spirit of the Lord moving in the congregation. Things are changing, people are again excited about serving, and there is once again a sense of purpose.
Pastor Derek talked today about unity. All I can say is "Amen Brother!" 'Nuff said.
Jeff
| December 11, 2007 |
Hi,
I'm writing this to our Youth Group. If you're reading this and are over the age of 19, feel free to continue, but I'm writing today's entry to our teens.
While I'm deeply saddened to see Nathan moving on, I'm equally excited about the possibilities for the future of the EBC Student Ministry, and I'm very excited for the possibilities of Nathan's future.
Nathan and I are very good friends and I pray that each of us share our excitement and encouragement with him as he transitions into an area of ministry about which he feels passionate and in an area and church where he can serve the Lord according to His will.
I also wanted to share something with our Youth Group. As the chairperson of the EBC Personnel Committee, I want to take this opportunity to let you all know how committed I am personally, and how committed Pastor Derek and the entire EBC Personnel Committee is to finding the right person to fill our Student Ministry position.
We are praying for the Lord to send the right person to us. I'm sure He already has someone in mind and that person is going to be a wonderful addition to your group and your family. We're praying for someone who is fun and who will pick up from Nathan the awesome responsibility of leading our young people to Jesus Christ and developing the future church leaders to Christ-like Maturity.
Let NOBODY fool you. You all are the future of the church and the future of the Gospel. Us old guys are not going to be around forever and out time in leadership positions will soon pass. It's you who are the next generation of great leaders. It is your generation who will spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to areas where my generation has failed. Through Christ, it is your generation who will fix most of the mess my generation has made of the world.
Make no mistake about it. The future starts today. My generation will leave an awesome responsibility and tremendous opportunity for you. We've made so many mistakes there is plenty for you to fix. Everything from the environment, to hunger, to those in our very own communities who do not know Jesus will be left behind as opportunities for you. Yes, we are leaving plenty for your generation to clean up. After getting to know a few of the young people in our group, let me say proudly that the future is in good hands. You all are heading down the right track.
With that said, I give you my word as a man, father, and most of all a Christian that we will seek the Lord's wisdom and leadership in our search for a new Student Minister. You're a strong and wonderful group of young people and I love and respect each and every one of you. By our faith in the Lord, our entire team is going to do the right thing for our Student Ministry!
Guys, if you really are reading this, "we got your back" on this one.
Jeff Sluder
| December 3, 2007 |
Hi,
It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. I apologize for not keeping up with this. The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Our church called a new senior pastor, Dr. Derek Coleman. I don’t know much about him yet, but if first impressions count, Derek is going to be a wonderful pastor, shepherd and leader for EBC. My first couple meetings with Brother Derek have been positive and productive. He seems as if he’s going to be a loving caring shepherd to the flock (that’s you and me) and when a tough decision needs to be made, he’s not going to shy away from it.
I’ve been in business for 27 years and I can, with a great deal of experience under my belt, say the ability to love and care for people and at the same time being able to make the priority calls is a rare combination.
For anyone reading my blog, I would like to encourage you to spread the positives among your friends, family, and fellow EBC members (and non-members). I’ve heard the word “honeymoon” mentioned. Please (PLEASE) do not look at it this way. Brother Derek is our Senior Pastor. We all need to lock arms and support him. Not just for the short term, or until he does something that makes you angry or says something with which you disagree. No, we need so support him through good and difficult times. I believe God has chosen him to come to EBC and it’s in God’s will that Derek is here. As long as it is within God’s will for Derek to be our Sr. Pastor, and as long as he is in God’s will, we need to support him. My personal prayer is that it is God’s will for him to be here for a very long time. We need strong leadership, we need stability, we need love and shepherding, we need care and feeding, and we need a man in the pulpit who will share the good news of Jesus Christ and who will preach the Gospel of our Lord.
I also believe it is within God’s will for our church to be a bright beacon of light for the
People outside of the doors of our church look at us, they watch us, and, quite frankly, more than a few are waiting for us to fail. We HAVE to be known by how we love each other and how we love our community. That also means by how we resolve the occasional conflict. Conflicts will happen, we’re Christ followers, we are not Christ which means we’re all sinners, and none of us is perfect. Do we handle conflict maturely, in accordance with Scripture and with love, or do we let the fight spill out into the streets (gossip, talking about it in public, etc.)?
If we’re going to get people to come through the doors of our church, we have to be known and seen as different, genuine and loving. In other words, we have to do what “they” expect us not to do but to be what I believe God wants to be.
Let’s support Derek. If he wants to make some changes let’s be encouraging and celebrate new possibilities. If he wants to keep things just as they are, let’s celebrate and do the work of the Lord with excellence.
Brother Derek, if you’re reading this, welcome to EBC. Leslie, Daniel, Ernie, Judy, and I are thrilled that you’re with us. My family is looking forward to many, many years of serving alongside of you and your family.
Jeff
| October 30, 2007 |
I can't ever remember not believing in God. I can remember having some doubt as to scripture and the accounts of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It's hard to explain because in my heart, I really wanted to believe and had even convinced myself that I did believe, but my head had doubts.
I had doubts if the historical Jesus Christ ever really lived. If he was not flesh and bone, who could he have died, and if he didn't die, how could he have been risen from the dead? Then, my heart would take over and try to convince my head that Jesus did in fact live.
To be honest, much of my life this was not a struggle. I pretty much, around age 16, put such questions out of my head and went on with my life. I was a very convenience oriented Christian and that is being quite kind. For the most part, I was not walking with Christ, I was definitely not talking with Him, and I pretty much just didn't spent any time thinking about Him.
I remember with clarity the moment I lost all doubt and started believing. We had been attending EBC for about 6 months or so and I was reading my Bible. It was just before Easter and I was reading about Jesus' return to Jerusalem. Today, we celebrate it as Palm Sunday. When Jesus was riding into town on a donkey and the people laid palm leaves down in front of him.
I do not know what it was about that scene, but I could visualize it as if it were happening right in front of me. It was total chaos. People pushing to get to the front to see Him. A woman who had a health problem (prolonged bleeding) desperately trying to touch His robe, cheering, yelling and dust all around.
While all of this was happening, He noticed the woman who had touched his robe and He healed her. All of this chaos going on around Him. He knew what was ahead, and He healed this poor desperate woman who had enough faith to push herself to the front of the line and touch Him.
Did it really happen like that? I think it did. He shared with me a mental picture of the scene in a way that made me absolutely sure that it really happened.
From that moment on, I've never doubted. You see, once you believe that Jesus is real, then you have two choices. Choice 1) all of the Bible is factual and Jesus Christ is the son of God who came to die for my sins. He died on the cross, was buried, and was raised from the dead. This choice is to have faith that everything in scripture is 100% true and Jesus is who he says he is. 2) the second choice is everything in the Bible is a lie. That Jesus either never lived at all or, if he did live, he was a madman who thought he was God.
You see, there is no middle ground. Jesus is the son of God, or it's all a lie.
Nearly 10 years ago, Jesus laid those options in front of me. He used His word and the description of His return to Jerusalem to paint a picture for me. He allowed me to sense the scene as it unfolded. Forever, he burned in my heart and mind the knowledge that He is not a lie, that it all happened just as we have read, and that He is who he claims to be, the risen son of God.
To quote Thomas, "My Lord and my God".
I've learned that the hardest part about having faith is just having faith. Once you believe and believe unconditionally (like a child), having faith in His promise and in His word becomes very easy.
Yes, I still have moments of doubt, but never again doubt that He is the truth and that He is my Lord and my God. My doubts are more around my own inadequacies but I no longer doubt Him.
Jeff
| October 24, 2007 |
It seems to me that most significant changes in Human History have been accomplished by small groups of dedicated people. As it relates to the Church and Christianity, I see the same thing.
Moses - Here we have a young man and his brother, a very small group). Moses was not a good speaker (perhaps a speech disability, or maybe just a shy stutter, Scripture is not very specific). God called on Moses to free His people from bondage in
Joshua, with a relatively small army, defeated nations. Again, a small group of dedicated people following God's will changed the world.
The greatest change in all of human history was brought about by Jesus Christ. Jesus, with a group of 12 men changed the world forever. How did they do this? A small group of dedicated people were following Jesus and listening to the will of God. Think about it, 12 men changed the entire course of history.
Another common thread, with the exception of Jesus, all of them were flawed. Some were flawed in serious ways. Moses was a murderer and initially scared. Peter was a hot head who tried to cut off a man's head and ultimately denied even knowing Christ. Joshua failed to follow God's orders.
I think a lot of us (I am guilty as charged here) think we have too many skeletons in our closet to jump out in faith or there are things that are not perfect in our lives. We're afraid of the unknown and afraid of failure. We're afraid our friends may not approve of the changes God has asked us to make (think people didn't laugh at Noah? Hey, Noah, what you building? A boat? You're miles away from water you crazy old man. Poor old Noah, he must have lost his mind).
We're afraid to take the personal risk that others may not see the vision or approve. Wasn't that Jonah's problem? Sometimes we’re afraid people will laugh at us or get angry with us.
However, if the leading is really from God, all he asks of us is to have the faith to step out of the boat and keep our eyes on Him. If we take the first step and keep our focus on Him, God will handle the rest. And, yes, some will not like it (Think the leaders of the day liked what Jesus had to say?). Some will strongly disagree (The Roman authorities were not terribly happy with Paul). Doing the right thing may even cost you some friends (Jesus made this quite clear to His disciples),
So, where am I going with all of this? Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm more thinking out loud and it helps to write these thoughts down so that I can verbalize them more effectively when the time is right.
I see changes that need to be made around me. God has pointed these out to me. I’m afraid to step out of the boat. I’m afraid that I will be seen as rocking the boat. I’m afraid that I will lose friends. I’m afraid my views may be seen as too far out of the mainstream. I’m afraid people are not ready or willing to change. Mostly, I’m afraid I do not have the faith needed to make that step.
Bottom-line, what I need to tell myself is:
1) don't be afraid that your group is too small. God makes an army of any size group following His will.
2) don't be afraid to step out. No reward comes without risk. God promises the reward. He does not guarantee a risk free ride.
3) If God has shown something to you that needs to be changed, change it. He would not have pointed it out to you. He made you aware of these things for a reason and He’s asking you to start the change. (Moses is a very good example of this).
Now, the next step, I have to read this again and again until I have the faith and the nerve to jump out of the boat and know I won't sink.
That's it for today.
Jeff
| October 18, 2007 |
Something that has been weighing on my heart lately is what seems to be me an air of apathy in our church when it comes to volunteering and serving. I don't know what it is but it seems that we have about 400 people who come to our church every week, but less than 25 percent of those are actively involved in serving. Perhaps I'm wrong and I honestly hope I am. I pray that my observations are clouded and I'm not seeing the full picture. If not, I think there needs to be a revival of the heart among our congregation.
I do not have answers and I do not know any answers but am very open to hearing what others may have to say.
So, some questions to get conversation going>
What to you think is the best attribute of EBC?
What are we doing that is working well?
What do you think are the strengths of EBC?
Is there a crisis of serving in our church?
If so, what do you think is causing it?
If there is a crisis, how would you fix it?
What is the single most important thing you would keep at EBC?
What is the single most important change you would like to see at EBC?
Where do you see EBC in 5 years (what types of ministries, what type of worship services, average age of members, etc)?
Well, that's it for today.
Jeff
| October 7, 2007 |
Well, today it started off all about me. I really was not in the mood to play guitar this morning. I reluctantly practiced and come worship time, I went through the motions. I knew the songs we were playing and pretty much could have played them in my sleep. My mind was a million miles away from church and worship through the first couple songs we played. I went through the mechanics of playing guitar, I hit the right notes at the right time. I'm sure nobody but me really knew that my body was on the stage but my mind and heart were elsewhere.
It's times like these when either God wins or we let Satan win. Far too frequently, Satan wins. The good news is today, God won. I don't know what happened, but right before offering, we were playing the introduction to Heart of Worship. It was quiet and we were playing softly as Krishna said a prayer for the offering. I looked out at the congregation and saw people worshiping and praying. God pointed out to me they are why I'm there. It has nothing to do with me or what I want, but I needed to give my best for Him and for them. I honestly have no idea what Krishna was saying but her voice was very soft and I felt the Holy Spirit energize my body. My guitar came alive and I started playing for Him and not for me.
The lyrics say, in essence, I will bring you more than a song because a song is not what you desire. As I was playing the introduction, watching His people worship Him, it hit me that a song was all I was bringing Him this morning. He opened my heart.
I suppose the reason I'm writing this today is to share with anyone who is reading this to look into your heart whenever you feel you're just going through the motions. If you're heart is not into worship, listen for His voice and draw strength from others who are worshiping.
It is really not about you or what you want or what you need. It is about Him and those around you. If you're just going through the motions, others will sense that and it may prevent someone else from opening their heart to Jesus. If nothing else, it will keep your heart from opening to His message.
He wants and deserves our very best.
'nuff said.
Jeff
| October 3, 2007 |
I’ve been sitting in on the Contagious Christian class. Tonight, we discussed the different styles of witnessing for Christ. I won’t rehash the different styles, but what struck me tonight is how perfect God’s plans really are. He has made all of us different and given us all unique gifts and skills.
Some people excel in a very direct witnessing approach and some are better at sharing their testimony, and others are better at forming relationships and sharing Jesus with people through friendships.
Just like some people are more gifted in one area than another, God has made us all receptive to differing types of message delivery. Stop and think about that for a moment. God has equipped us with what we need to share His message and to receive His message. That’s pretty cool.
When it comes to sharing what God has done in your life, there are no wrong answers. If you think you have no good story to share, you’re wrong. God has given you the perfect story to share. Your story is unlike any other story out there. He has done unique things in your life that He has done for nobody else. There’s nothing too small or too big. So what if your story is not heart wrenching? Who cares if you have not overcome some seemingly insurmountable obstacle? I believe the more “normal” testimonies are just as effective. The reason? Most of us lead normal lives. Most people are not facing the depths of addiction or other insurmountable life problems. Most people lead normal boring average lives.
I know I fit that latter category. When I heard people sharing how God helped them up from the bottom of a pit, I always thought that my life was not a mess and what could God do for me? I was a “nice” person, I believed in God but I was not close to Jesus.
Now that I’ve seen what God can do I have a much different perspective. My life was not bad. I have a beautiful wife, a good job, a nice house in the burbs, a son that would make any dad proud. But to be quite honest, there was something missing. I’m much happier, I like my job more and I love serving in my church.
Then there’s the 50lbs+ that I was able to lose. Faith and trust in God was the key. It’s a discussion for another day. Let’s just say that if one has faith the size of a mustard seed, he can tell a mountain to move and it will. Everyone has mountains. Mine was being seriously overweight. God moved my mountain.
That’s enough for today.
| October 2, 2007 |
Other than a personal hygiene issue, what is dirty feet?
Dirty feet is the initiative our student ministry is making to get involved and serve the church and the community. Jesus was not afraid to "get his feet dirty" and get involved. When it comes to servant hood, Jesus is the ultimate good example.
As stated many times, the mission of EBC is to "Introduce people to Jesus Christ, and develop His followers to Christ like Maturity." Time and time again through the Gospels, we find examples of Jesus serving. There is His example of washing disciples feet, he fed thousands with a single loaf of bread and some fish, He loves us and serves us. He is also quite clear that He demands that we be servants as well. What did He tell Peter upon the reaffirmation of Peter's ministry? "Feed my sheep".
So, in the interest of helping to develop our students to mature followers of Jesus Christ, Nathan and the student team has started an initiative called Dirty Feet. Keep an eye on our young people and you're going to see them serving in various capacities.
I encourage everyone to take a moment and talk to some of these young people. You will be amazed that behind the sometimes scruffy hair, or sloppy dress, there lies the heart of a true servant and follower of Jesus Christ. These kids are awesome and their love for the Lord is genuine.
As old "grey beards" we need to foster their devotion to Jesus. We need to look far beyond outward appearances and, as Jesus does, look into their hearts. You will find these kids are quite mature, they have deep feelings for the Lord, they have deep feelings about serving each other and the community, and they very much want to be accepted for who they are.
Assuming we really want to be Jesus to others, let's start with the teens of our church. Jesus does not care if they comb their hair, He does not care if they're wearing flip-flops, and Jesus does not care if their shirts are tucked in. Jesus cares about what is in their hearts. I'm sure you will find their hearts are good and like Jesus, you're going to love them.
One thing I will caution as you get to know our teens. They're going to make YOU look in the mirror and consider "What am I doing." Quite frankly, from what I've seen of our kids, all of us "adults" can learn a lesson or two from them.
Remember, THEY are the future of not only EBC, but of the Church. Our time of leadership and church activity will pass. These kids, in 10 or 20 years will be the church leaders. They will be committee chairs, they will be Deacons, and some of them will be ministers. Unfortunately, without proper mentoring and guidance, some will drift away from the Lord, while I'm in no position to speak for Jesus, I have to believe watching one of these precious sheep drift away breaks his heart the same as it does mine.
So, please take a moment to get to know one (or more) of these kids. Don't judge their outward appearance or clothing, but listen to their heart. Guide them, mentor them and help to fulfill our church mission of introducing people to Jesus Christ and to developing His followers to Christ like Maturity.
In case you think Jeff may have lost his mind (not a totally unreasonable assumption) please go read Matthew 19:13 and Matthew 19:14.
Random thought for the day.
Jeff
| September 30, 2007 |
God has taught me some valuable lessons and the longer I walk with Christ, the more I realize it's really not all about me but it is all about Him an dseeking HIs will. We all need a reminder of this very simple fact and today, Jim's sermon was just the reminder I needed and I'm sure I was not alone.
Jim, thanks. Not only for today, but for all you have done for our chuch.
Jeff
| September 29, 2007 |
Went fishing at Brookville today. I caught 3 Brown Trout but nothing to brag about.
Leslie and I were talking about the state of our Church today. I'm so full of hope for our church but I what I continue to see is a lot of apathy, especially in the serving. It's sad when our children are serving more regularly than many of our adults. I really do not know the answer but it seems to be a cultural thing. For so long, there has not been a culture of serving at EBC that we seem to have become too comfortable and taken a collective attitude of "let someone else deal with it." It's very sad.
Our Church Mission is to introduce people to Jesus Christ and develop His followers to Christlike maturity. I think a start is to evaluate every mission and program against that mission. Any that are not living up to the mission need to either be revised to support the mission, or we should stop doing it. It's far more honoring to God that we do a few things with excellence than to do a lot of things poorly. Perhaps if we were laser beam focused on a few things and committed to doing them with excellence, we would have more volunteers.
I believe people would be more willing to be a part of something that is successful and wanting to be on a "winning team" than we have today. There are so many needs that it's like looking at a mountain and tryingto figure out how to move it. People are overwhelmed by the need and the needs are so great that they may be thinking one person will not make a difference.
We need some "new stuff' some "new people", and a "new heart".
I have great hope for our church. It's not too late. God has great plans for His people. We have a choice to make; are we going to be part of His great plans, or are we going to be inwardly focused and let our enemy win?
Jeff