How Long O Lord?: A Pastoral Reflection on the Problem of Evil

My wife and I go on walks several times a week around our apartment complex.  Without fail, a mom and her daughter blissfully walk down the same sidewalks we do.  We both are out enjoying the day; we both have our dog by our side, exchanging genuine hellos as we pass one another.  But there is something different about her daughter – noticeably different.  Yes, she is youthful, jovial, and full of laughter, as every young girl her age should be – probably around 10 years old.  Yes, she stumbles and giggles when her dog pulls her a little too hard or licks her in the face.  And like most young girls her age, she wears beautiful flower printed dresses, especially now that it is springtime.  Yet again, there is something noticeably different about her.  She is missing her hair.  She seems, though I may be wrong, to have the appearance of a young girl struggling with the disease of cancer.

I can only imagine that this little girl has asked the age old question that so many of us ask, or perhaps even struggle with daily, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Or, you may have heard it stated like this, “If God is good then why is there so much evil in the world?”  It is the question philosophers and theologians have been asking for thousands of years.  It is the problem of evil. Read more of this post

Beautiful Things Sermon Series

I am really excited about the next series we will begin this Sunday. I love the band named Gungor.  They are an up and coming band that I heard for the first time at the Catalyst conference this year in Atlanta.  I bought their album immediately after hearing them sing a song entitled Beautiful Things.  The song begins with these words, “All this pain. I wonder if I’ll ever find my way. I wonder if my life could really change at all.” Rhythmically the song reveals the answer to each question.

God takes all our pain and in Christ he creates a beautiful new life.  He creates a new you by taking your shame and guilt and giving you a brand new identity.  He can take all the mistakes that you have made and he offers grace and forgiveness.  In Christ our mess transforms into a beautiful thing.

For the next several weeks we’ll unpack this truth from God’s Word.  Week one we’ll look at Genesis 3 and The Fall of mankind.  We’ll see the tragic cycle of sin and how the enemy works against us.  As soon as Adam and Eve sinned they experienced an unfamiliar emotion, but we know it very well today…shame.  Sometimes we are ashamed of the sins we commit against others.  Other times we are ashamed because of some form of abuse.  Victims suffer the shame of abuse and feel the pressure of guilt.  In week two of the series I’ll share how we can overcome shame and guilt through the grace of God.

Week three I’ll remind you about God’s story.  God’s story is a story about himself.  It’s a story of redemption.  This story unfolds in God’s word clearly in the Exodus and we’ll examine the Passover Lamb and how Jesus ultimately provides the perfect sacrifice to redeem his people from sin.

Week four is Easter Sunday.  As we continue to understand how our life can be a beautiful thing in Christ, we’ll look at the life Jesus wants us to experience.  We’ll see how the resurrection offers us victory over all sin and the promise of new life.

Finally, on week five will focus on our identity in Christ.  In my experience, far too many believers live their life as if they have no hope of overcoming their sin or abuse.  This series is not about becoming something better…it’s about understanding who you already are in Christ.  Forgiven, restored, blessed, a child of God, loved, accepted…you are a beautiful thing in Christ.

To watch the promo video for this series click here.

10 Great Date Spots in Maryville (& Surrounding Area)

There are 3 reasons for this post.  First, I have been thinking about putting together a resource for our people on good, albeit somewhat cheap dates in and around the greater Maryville area.  Second, this post is simply an elbow nudge of encouragement to our men to call a baby sitter, make some reservations, put on your dancing shoes, and take your woman out on a hot date.  And, finally, we are going through a series on finding rhythm in our marriage and what better way to begin to find our rhythm then to intentionally plan a nice and romantic night out on the town for you and your spouse.

It is probably no secret by now that my wife, Grace, and I have a date night every Thursday night.  You can probably find us anywhere from Sullivans and Froyoz to strolling on the greenway, walking up and down Market Square, or simply just hitting up the movie theatre.  Now, I know everybody’s situation is different and not everybody’s schedule will allow a date night every week.  Nonetheless, I want to encourage all of our couples, no matter the age or number of years married, to have a date night at least once a month.

What that said, here are few resources that I have put together for 2011.  Feel free to add any that I might have missed as well!

1. Sullivans and Starbucks. $30.00+.  My two favorite establishments in the city of Marvyille.  A nice dinner followed by a good dessert coffee at Starbucks is my number one outing!
2. A dinner and walk on Market Square. $20.00+. If you don’t mind a 20 minute or so drive then Market Square is the coolest place around.  There are a ton of restaurants to choose from and the atmosphere is always top notch.  My favorite is Cafe 4.  There is also a really cool coffee shop called Coffee and Chocolate that is worth checking out.
3. A walk and/or picnic on the Marvyille Greenway. $10.00+. Pick a nice evening out and go for a stroll on the Greenway.  This is romantic, cheap, and a ton of fun.
4. An old movie or concert at the Palace Theatre. $6.00+. They were just showing Casablanca on the big screen.  I think it’s pretty fun to go watch old movies in a theatre like the Palace.  They also have a lot of fun concerts, often featuring local musicians.
5. Coffee and a concert at the Capitol Theatre. $5.00+.  The Capitol Coffee Shop is open only on Friday and Saturdays until 10PM.  Every time I have been it has been packed.  Great coffee and a cool atmosphere.  They also have a few concerts there a month.
6. Shopping at Foothills Mall and dinner at Chick-fil-a. $12.00+.  We might not have the coolest or biggest mall around but just think on the bright side, you won’t get tired walking from one end to the other.  It’s a fun outing and a cheap and delicious dinner.
7. Dinner at The Roaming Gnome or Panchos and Redbox. $20.00+.  These two restaurants have quickly become two of my favorites here in Maryville, and the Redbox is a quick $1.00 tub of fun!
8. Dinner and a movie at Turkey Creek. $35.00+.  If you want to brave the traffic in Farragut then Turkey Creek has everything you can think of.  Multiple restaurants to choose from, shopping galore, and the best movie theatre around.  If it’s a busy night and a popular movie then you might want to get tickets on Fandango and just pick them up at the door.  My favorite restaurant on Turkey Creek is Pee Wei… a cheaper version of PF Changs but with all the bang!
9. Parkway Drive-In Theatre. Starting in the spring, they show two movies for only $7.00 a person.  It’s pretty romantic and the perfect atmosphere for some kisses.
10. Pizza & Froyoz. $15.00+.  This is a staple for the Gibsons.  Sometimes we do this even when it’s not date night.  We go to pizza hut and order a large deep dish, half pepperoni (for Greg) and half black olives and pepperoni (for Grace) and demolish it.  Little Caesar’s has the best deal in town – $5.00 hot and readies.  And if you haven’t had the manna of froyoz then you are absolutely missing something that will become a delight to your world.  Thank you Jesus for frozen fat free yogurt!

Rhythm: How Do Your Relationships Move?

We have spent eight weeks studying the book of Nehemiah and it has been a great experience for our small groups and our church as a whole.  Our next series is called Rhythm and it begins this Sunday (3-6-11).

There is a natural rhythm in every family.  It’s the way you do things.  It’s how you communicate with each other, love each other, do things together.  It’s how you interact or don’t interact with each other.  This rhythm is unique to every person, every family. The rhythm of our life is learned in part by our childhood and the rhythm we saw our parents live. We pick up on that tune and carry it into all of our relationships. Read more of this post

Envision: Nehemiah 11:1-36

Okay, let’s all be honest. When you saw that chapter 11 was mostly a list of names…how many skipped it? Read more of this post

Envision: Nehemiah 10:32-39 (The Obligation of Tithing Our First fruits)

The OT law has so much in it that just doesn’t make since to us today.  Nonetheless, God chose Israel and called the nation, “His son.”  Therefore, because Israel was God’s chosen nation, they were now to live a certain way.  The law was given for this very reason.  Yes, it was given to establish a way of life for Israel that set them apart from their pagan nations, but it was also given so that they would know and understand their sin and need for a Savior.  It was a tutor, as Paul says in Galatians, to point to their sin.

In this particular passage, we find Israel fulfilling different obligations of the covenant, or law (the law is often known as the Mosaic Covenant), and in this particular cluster of verses, they were fulfilling their obligation to give a tithe to the house of God.   Read more of this post