Easter!

Happy Easter you guys! What does this day mean to you? Got any good Easter stories? Let's say the resurrection of Jesus is true...what would that mean to you? What if it did not happen? What would that mean for you?

I believe He did which means I will!!!!

BT

I am preaching on the good Samaritan this Sunday. It is so convicting to me. Jesus completely redefines 'who our neighbor is'. Before I spill the beans on my thoughts Sunday morning, I would love to hear your thoughts. The Lawyer in the parable trying to entrap Jesus asks, "and who is my neighbor"? How would you answer that? Why do we care so much about what others think about us? Who is hard to love for you?

How would a judgmental, closed, proclaiming Christian answer the question... "who is my neighbor"?

How would Jesus answer the same question?

Peace,

BT

Self-Righteousness Kills Compassion

This Sunday I am preaching about self-righteousness and how it kills compassion. It is difficult to have compassion for someone when we think we are better than they are or we think their bad judgment or wrong actions have gotten them into whatever circumstance they find themselves in. Compassion comes slowly when we think someone deserves what they get.

When have you been a victim of someone being self-righteous? How have you seen self-righteousness in others? Do you struggle with being self-righteous? If so, how?

Later,

BT

Who Do you Struggle With?

What kind of people do you struggle with? Who do you struggle helping? What bothers you in a person when you see it?

This Sunday I am preaching about Jesus touching the Leper in Mark 1. Leprosy is so nasty...google some pictures and see for yourself. It is a disease that keeps everyone away from you. What in your life feels like leprosy? What about leprosy you see in other people?

One leprosy area I struggle with in others is people that are never wrong. It is so easy for me to see in myself...I am often a complete screw up. But then I meet some people that no matter what, they are either the victim or just always right.

It is also hard for a Leper to tell you about your own leprosy...

The older I get the more I realize I am usually wrong and never the victim in that I tend to cause my own leprosy.

What about you?

Christians are Homophobic

What are your thoughts about homosexuality? I believe this is the big issue in the culture today. I will be sharing some thoughts this Sunday morning. Not so much the biblical view of homosexuality but more so how Christians have done a poor job of engaging the gay community. How does the church do a better job in promoting their agenda...which should be only one thing--the love of Jesus. Can the Church disagree with the gay lifestyle and still love well? How do you stand on a truth you believe in and yet still not write people off in our culture?

How would Jesus deal with this issue today? How have homosexuals stereotyped all Christians unfairly? How have Christians unfairly stereotyped all gay people? What needs to change to break through these stereotypes?

Love to hear your thoughts...

Peace,BT

Christians are Hypocrites

Hey everyone,

The dictionary defines hypocrisy as: "a pretending to be what one is not, or to feel what one does not feel".

Man, that is convicting. I admit that I am a hypocrite. And if you say that you are not, then you just became one.

The pretending part is convicting in that at times we all have a false perception of who we think we are or would like to be that may not be reality. This often comes out in me caring more about what you think about me than what God knows about me.

Same with the feel side of the definition. I want you to think I feel certain ways at times not because I necessarily do but because I want you to think certain things about me and view me in certain ways that make me look better. I want you to think I am a caring person more so than wanting to be a caring person. I want you to think I am a person of character more than I am willing to work on my character.

I don't think having a desire to be something or having a standard of truth that you struggle with and yet fall short of is necessarily hypocrisy. I think leading others to think you have a standard you are striving for and yet truthfully you are not striving and struggling toward that standard is a better definition of hypocrisy.

Jesus was clear on his definition of being a hypocrite: "Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye. Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from our own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye." Matthew 7:4,5

Jesus really has a way to break it down doesn't he?

Notice, He does not teach that calling a speck out in your brother's eye is wrong. He does teach to make sure we constantly practicing self-eye examinations as we encourage our brothers and sisters.

Ultimately, I want to point people to Jesus because I will always let them down as Jesus is the only perfect one.

Love to hear your thoughts on this subject of hypocrisy...

Peace,

Brad T.

Christians Are Too Judgmental

Nearly 9 out of 10 folks who do not attend church (87%) said in a recent poll from Barna Group Research said that the term 'judgmental' accurately describes present-day Christianity. This is one of the big three--the three most widely held negative perceptions of Christians (along with being antihomosexual and hypocritical)--which we will discuss in upcoming blogs.

To put this in perspective, when you introduce yourself to a neighbor, and you mention your faith, chances are he or she will think you are judgmental.

Equally alarming was the stat that 53% of young Christians (16-29) believe that the label judgmental accurately fits present-day Christianity.

All of this goes to show that in our world today, how we communicate is as important as what we communicate.

Are Christians Judgmental?

What defines being judgmental. Can you disagree with someone and not be judgmental?

It is interesting that being judgmental in our society has come to mean disagreeing. If you don't agree with me on something then you are being judgmental. If you are judging me then you don't/can't love me.

I have a 10 year old daughter that does lots of things, thinks lots of things, and has attitudes about things that I don't necessarily agree with but yet I love her.

I don't think disagreeing is judging. Judgment happens when my disagreement causes me to not love you or hinders my care for you.

It also interesting how many have created a Jesus in their minds that does not seem to be the Jesus from scripture.

This Sunday I teaching on John 8 where Jesus is presented with a woman caught in adultery. He gives a great response..."He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". People in the crowd sober up and one by one the stones hit the ground.

Now that is a great picture of Jesus--the non-judging one.

But if you read further, He then says to her, 'go your way, and sin no more'. Interesting!

He views her lifestyle choice, calls it sin, and exhorts her to stop.

Jesus does judge her sin but then again, he is the only one that can because he was the only one without sin.

If you read my first post, I wrote some things that annoyed me. Those were intentional because i wanted to see how long it would take before someone would judge me for my thoughts. Read the first response (anonymous). I was called judgmental right off the bat by someone that has never met me. The moment you think you are humble...guess what--you are not. It is also hard to make a judgment about someone without being judgmental.

We all judge. We all disagree with others over issues. The question is, can i disagree with someone and yet still love them.

i understand why people think Christians are judgmental. I am trying to change that perception to folks around me. Can i love those that i don't necessarily agree with?

I believe we can and i believe that is truly loving a person. It is easy to love those we like and that are like us but what about those who are hard to like. Can you love them?

Leave the judging to God for He is the only one with the credentials to do it.

Instead, love someone fiercely that is hard to love...you might be amazed at the effect.

Love to hear your thoughts!