How to Be a Dad Your Children Will Love

This Sunday is Fathers Day. We are going to be talking about how to be a dad your children will love. I love these pictures of Ryan, Will and Matt with their children. These pictures capture what I want to say this Sunday. The love between dads and children is wonderful. God the Father is our model. Fathers want to be for their children what their Heavenly Father is to us. 1 John 1:3 1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. I like the way Eugene Peterson translates this passage in the Message - "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own."

Shayna Won the Camper of the Week Award

Shayna went to church camp this week at Howes Mills. She goes every year. But this year she went to the middle school week of camp and she did not know anyone. Many people would shy away from going to a camp where they didn't know anybody. Not Shayna. She was excited about going. A few days before camp while riding in my truck she said "I can't wait! I am going to get to meet a whole new group of people. I am going to make friends with people I've never met - it's so exciting. It's like a fresh start!" She was smiling so big when she said that. Shayna always smiles and her smile is absolutely beautiful. So Shayna went to church camp last Sunday and she came home today. But before she came home she was awarded camper of the week. How about that! She did know a soul on the first day but she knew everybody before she left - and everybody knew her. They nicknamed her "Africa" because the t-shirt she wore the first day of camp had "Africa" on it. That's my Shayna! She shines like a star, has a warm outgoing personality, she has a great sense of humor and she makes you laugh. She is fun to be with. She's great in sports, in school, she's a great friend - she is outstanding and awesome and best of all, Shayna is full of Jesus. That's right, Shayna loves the Lord with all her heart and that is the reason Shayna shines. Shayna shines because Jesus shines in her. I'm so proud of Shayna - not only for winning camper of the week - she is a wonderful daughter and she is growing up to be a beautiful young woman inside and out. I love her so much.

Easy and Effective Evangelism - Tell your story

My favorite style of evangelism is story telling. Jesus loved to tell stories called parables. It was Jesus' favorite style of teaching. Matthew said that "Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable" (Matthew 13:34). Now story telling is not the only style of evangelism. There are many different styles - Rick Warren identified six styles of evangelism. What follows is Warren's six styles with examples and theme verses. 1. Confrontational style (strong, stern preaching with warnings and rebuke) - Example – Peter’s sermon in Acts 2: 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Theme verse - 2 Tim. 4:2 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. I believe John MacAuthur (http://www.gty.org/) fits this style because he frequently warns and rebukes people with careful instruction. 2. Itellectual style (Apologetics) - Example - Paul with the philosophers in Athens - Acts 17: 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. … 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,… - Theme verse - 2 Cor. 10:5 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Paul's sermon on Mars Hill is a classic example of the intellectual style. I also think of Ravi Zacharias (http://www.rzim.org/). I have heard his lectures and debates via podcasts at prestigious universities - he is brillant and God is using him to reach thousands of unbelievers. 3. Missional style (“go and do” evangelism) -Example – Dorcas - Acts 9: 36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. Theme verse - Matt 5: 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do you know who writes and promotes this style? My friend Fred Peatros (http://fredpeatross.blogspot.com/). Last spring I went to the Innovation3 a conference in Dallas and heard several presentations on being missional i.e. an externally focused "go-and-do-church". 4. Invitational style (“come and see” evangelism) - Example – Philip invited Nathanael - John 1: 46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. Theme verse - Luke 14: 23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 5. Relational style (friendship evangelism) - Example – Matthew’s party - Luke 5: 29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. Theme verse - Luke 15: 1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 6. Testimonial style (story telling evangelism) - Example – The blind man Jesus healed - The blind man said in John 9:25 "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" Theme verse - 1 John 1:3a 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us ... Now, all of these styles are important and needed. It is a mistake to promote one style and argue that it is the best and only way. God wants you to adopt the style that fits you. For me, I love the sixth style - testimonial. When testimonial is combined with missional (servant-evangelism) and relational (friendship styles). It fits who God made me to be and I love to use it. I think God wired me that way. I like to build friendships with unbelievers, and then, when the time is right I'll share my story. Waiting for the right time is essential. The Holy Spirit will prompt you when the time is right. When you feel His inner nudge share your story. Keep it short and sweet and by all means smile. Then change the subject. Don't pressure, don't condemn, just plant a little seed and wait to see God work. Focus on friendship and service before and after. If you visit Steve Sjogren's website (http://www.servantevangelism.com/main.cfm) or Jim Henderson's website (http://doableevangelism.com/) you will find great ideas on how to build friendships with people who don't know Christ. The best way to make friends is to be their servant. Then, after you build a high level of trust in your relationship - tell your story. Stop thinking that you can't share Christ. You can tell others what Jesus has done for you. It's simple. It's scriptural. And it's sucessfully (btw - those are the first three points to my sermon this Sunday). Jesus told his disciples to tell their story. After Jesus healed the man possessed by a legion of demons do you remember what happened? Mark 5: 18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. I have told my story to thousands of people across the country and God has used it to give people hope. I get a little nervous before I tell them. I worry about what they will think of me when I tell them I am are recovering alcoholic. Will the reject me? Will they think I am bad? Will they stop being friends? So I have to fight through all those fears in order to get the courage to tell it. I don't know why I worry like that because I have never had anyone reject me when I tell my story. My story doesn't drive people away it draws people closer to Christ. My story was published in Wineskines Magazine a few years ago and this week it is posted on our churches website (http://www.norwayave.org/). This Sunday I am going to encourage our church to tell their story. There are so many stories that need to be told. Stories about how God helps people recover from grief and loss and divorce and physical illness and emotional problems. Your story demonstrates the love of God - don't keep it a secret. It's easy and effective evangelism. Share your story and watch God work.

From San Antonio

I am writing from San Antonio. I was today's keynote speaker for the Texas Association of Health Care Volunteers. There were over a 1,000 people in the audience and boy did they respond. I pack these presentations with the best principles, stories and jokes that I have collected over the past 25 years and mix it all with music as I play my guitar and sing. I also us media clips from movies and and such. Today I used Team Hoyt. I like speaking to different audiences. Today I spoke to hospital volunteers, Sunday I will preach the gospel of Jesus at church, Monday I teach Stress Management to my students at Marshall, Tuesday I will provide training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for counselors at the Pike County Recovery Council in Waverly Ohio. I like the variety. I especially loved today because - well, I can't decribe how it felt - sort of electric, alive, connected - you know what I mean? I could feel it man. They smiled, cried, clapped several times during my talk and they laughed really loud. When people laugh or cry it opens them up and then, just at the right time, I stick a little truth in them. You know what I mean? Well, anyway - they bought my music CDs and hugged me - I thought they were going to kiss me! I wish it was like that all the time - it's not. Some times I'm on and sometimes I'm off. One of the reasons people responded today is that I told them about my fall (which was not to topic I was speaking on but it fit perfectly and it was at that point that God started moving in a way that I could feel and see - I think the Christians in the crowd could feel God moving too. So I gave a little three minute summary of my fall and how God was helping as am a recovering alcoholic. Afterward people waited in line to tell me their pain - stories dad or mom or husband or son or daughter - how they were struggling with alcohol and drugs or other vices. I just listened and express concern for them. Well, anyway, God did it up good today and I give God the glory for it all. I hope he does it again soon.

After I spoke I went to the riverwalk. O', by the way, the convention where I spoke was at the largest hotel in San Antonio and it was right on the river walk. So after I spoke I found a good deal on t-shirts for the girls. I always bring back tee-shirts for my girls and I also bought a nice shirt for Kim. Then I went to the Alamo which was near the Marriott. I walked back to the river walk and heard a good band - the music was really different - fusion/Latin/Native America - I don't know what to call it but it was good music and a lot of people on listening on both sides of the river. I was hungry so I ate a great big delicious New York Strip with a bake potatoe and a salad at a nice resturant right on the riverwalk.

I am ready to go home. I miss Kim and the girls. They are coming home from the beach tomorrow as I travel home from Texas. Kim and her parents to the girls and their cousins to Myrtle Beach. I'm going to take them again this summer. OK. I have got to stop blogging and get back to my sermon - been studing worship all week and hope to finish it tonight so I will have it for the flight. I decided too extend my "Grow" series with one more sermon - it would not be complete without it. I am calling it "Evangelism for Dummies - an easy and effective way to witness to friends." I am excited about it. But now I am going to finish this week's sermon on worship. Later.