Getting Closer to God...

I had a long list of things that I wanted to do today in my yard and garden.  But I have a funeral that I need to work on.  Having already bought the plants, I decided I needed to get them in the ground.  So, I worked the garden and planted 25 strawberry plants, 12 tomato plants, 8 pepper plants, 2 blueberry bushes, 25 asparagus roots, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, sunflowers, and zinnias.  I love working in the garden and I feel so close to the Creator when I do!

More and Less....

Too many of us get it all wrong.  We are all about More and Less, but not in the right order or connection.  Last night's men's group read from John 3:22-36.  It is an interesting story.

In it John the Baptist's disciples are upset because Jesus and his followers are stealing the crowds.  They go to John to complain and an interesting thing happens.  John sets them straight.  You see it would have been easy for John to get a big head and bask in the limelight his followers were placing him in, but instead John knows his rightful place.  And he knows that Jesus is far more important than he is.  I love John's response to his followers... in talking about Jesus, John says, "he must become greater and greater and I must become less and less."

That my friends, is the constant struggle all of us have.  And too often we get it all mixed up... we think we are the ones who need to get greater and greater and in so doing we make Jesus less and less in our lives.  But John has it right and if only we can adopt his attitude our life will be filled with the same kind of joy that John talked about. 

How are you making Jesus greater and greater in your life?   And as you do that, how are you making yourself less and less?   As we make Jesus greater, we must also become less.  That is the way to become more!

Making Disciples

Jesus calls us to MAKE Disciples.  

One thing that is clear to me and has become increasingly more clear is that most churches and Christ followers in those churches don't understand what this means.  And consequently we aren't doing a very good job of making disciples of Jesus. 

During the last two months, while turkey hunting in the early morning hours, I read a book on my Kindle called "Insourcing: Bringing Discipleship Back to the Local Church" by Randy Pope.  That book along with witnessing the transformation that God is doing in the lives of the men in the Community Men's Group I lead called Get Nailed Men's Bible Study Group have caused me to make a decision that I want to spend the rest of my life making disciples of Jesus and encouraging those disciples to make more disciples.

You see, I have seen first hand how a transformed life transforms other lives!   In the past two years I have seen how one life that was transformed by the power of God has invited other men to join a movement and experience that same transformation.  That movement is growing and those men's lives are being radically changed and the lives of others who they interact with are also being touched by God!

Here is a definition that Randy Pope offers for discipleship... "Life on life missional discipleship is laboring in the lives of a few with the intention of imparting one's life, the gospel, and God's Word in such a way as to see them become mature and equipped followers of Jesus, committed to doing the same in the lives of other followers."

I believe that Jesus knew that making disciples who make disciples would transform the world.  And you know what, the world desperately needs to be transformed.  So what are you waiting for?

My Eulogy - Stephen Slocum

I was asked to give the Eulogy on Friday at my friend and brother in Christ's Celebration of Life service.  I was honored to do so.  Was given 5-7 minutes (which isn't much time!)  But here is what I said...

The Apostle Paul didn't know Stephen Scott Slocum, but he wrote about him. 

 You and I, we knew Stephen and many of us knew him well.

 Listen to what Paul wrote long ago and see if you agree with me that he knew Stephen too... I Cor. 9:24 -27.   “²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. ²⁶ So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷ I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”

Steve was a do what it takes kind of man.  And if what it takes was hard or challenging so be it!  He ran the race to win and he was purposeful in so doing.  In his acceptance speech last October as Steve was inducted into the Wagner College Athletic Hall of Fame, Steve talked about how learning and working the basics has helped him throughout his entire life. 

One day, a while back, Steve and I were sitting in his office talking about some of life’s challenges and he shared with me how as a center in football, he felt if the coach told him to put a hole in the wall (pointing to his office wall) it was his job to figure out a way to put a hole in that wall.   Steve spent his life finding ways to win.

And in many arenas in life he won.  He worked hard and achieved many successes.  He has a loving and supportive family, a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters of whom he was very proud.  He had a successful business.  He had many friends and I am honored to have been one.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at his college.  He was widely respected in and contributed much to the greater Salisbury community.  But you know about all those wins!

There is a bigger win, I want to talk about today.  Steve prepared for it all his life… but it wasn’t until recent years that he took seriously his preparation and on last Friday when he took his last breath on this earth he received the ultimate prize – eternal life with his Lord, Jesus Christ – the prize he had diligently prepared for.

Steve would tell you that for most of his life, he had a casual relationship with Jesus.  Then he stepped it up a few notches about 10 years ago when he joined Chris Gilbert and myself in a Men’s Bible Study that Chris and I had going on each week. 

But even then Steve wasn’t fully on board with the preparations necessary for a win in this arena. And again he would tell you that until more recently to use his term, he was living a double life.  That changed in a big way nearly two years ago. When Steve experienced his sudden death cardiac arrest where he actually died and had to be brought back 3 times. He joined what he termed as the 1% club, surviving that with no brain damage or other major effects.  This episode in Steve’s life opened his eyes to God’s incredible Mercy.  After that life changing time, he jumped into the serious training for winning the ultimate prize so that every time the ball was snapped he was ready to play!

He devoted his life to Christ.  He began praying in earnest and reading his bible.  He decided to focus all his living on loving, serving, and sharing Jesus.  And most importantly he relished the Mercy of Christ and received the gift that it is. It was at that point that he and I talked about taking our Men’s group to new heights… and he started inviting friends who he knew would benefit from meeting weekly and doing serious training as followers of Jesus.

He named the group, Get Nailed.  He had Melissa design a logo, he became the producer of the Get Nailed clothing line ( polos, button downs, and hoodies).  

The group is a place of accountability for all of us.  A place that would encourage us in our walk with Christ and enable us to grow in that walk as well as find support in the challenges of life.   The Get Nailed Men’s Bible Study group was transformative in Steve’s life and is transformative in the lives of each of the men who are part of it.

Steve had a way about him that pushed you farther than you thought you could go.  He was an encourager.  And in the last almost 2 years, he ran the race so that not only he could get the prize, but that others could as well.  He deepened his connection with Christ so that when the ball was snapped he was ready to play.  And he constantly invited others to deepen their connection with Christ too, so that when they too were ready to play!

One of the highlights of this past nearly two year journey for Steve was seeing his long time friend and sporting buddy, Bruce Elliott open his heart to Jesus and join our Get Nailed Men’s Bible Study.  And I know that three weeks ago when Bruce joined St. Thomas Anglican Church, Steve’s church, that made Steve burst the buttons on his shirt!

You see, not only was Steve a disciple of Jesus, who himself was ready to play when the ball was snapped, but he was also a disciple who knew his role was to help others get ready to play ball when the ball was snapped.

Several of us from the Get Nailed group are here today with our wives.  I would like to ask the guys to stand at this moment so that you can see this cast of guys that played an important role in Steve’s game plan.   And I want you to take note of who you can ask if you have questions about joining our Get Nailed Group or want to see one started in your community.  We produced new business cards just for today and you may have already picked one up or if you didn’t, please do.  The number on the card is my cell number and I would be happy to talk to you or any of these men would be happy to talk to you too!  Please don’t think that I am out of line to make this invitation.  Steve would be extremely disappointed in me if I didn’t!  No matter where you are in your walk with Jesus, there is a place for you in our Get Nailed Men’s group. 

Our purpose is to help you take your next step toward Jesus through Bible Study, Prayer, Support, Accountability and Service.  While this group will now be meeting at the church I pastor, it is not affiliated with my church and is made up of guys who go to several different churches in the area.  And going to church is not a requirement for coming either!  (be seated)

Steve did what he needed to do to prepare himself so that when the ball was snapped one last time, he would be ready to play.  And he would be delighted to have you on his team too.  That is one way his legacy will live on!

Some of you might look at his most recent battle with cancer and say he lost that fight.  But Steve didn't loose!  You see the training that Steve did deepened his relationship with Christ to such a level that Steve was able to embrace his new illness with the peace that comes from knowing that even if this illness took his life it would not defeat him. 

He deeply trusted that Christ had already won the battle and Steve walked freely in the Mercy of Christ and the peace that comes from knowing Jesus as his Lord. 

Many have remarked at how positive Steve was throughout his illness and how shocked you were in discovering how harsh his battle really was.  This my friends, is evidence of the new faith in Christ that Steve found and his confidence that even if physical healing didn’t come, because of God’s incredible mercy, Steve knew that he would win the prize. 

Steve knew that there is more to life than the life on this earth.  And today he is reaping the benefits of that trust and faith in Christ!

You see, for Steve, in this final battle, finding a way to win, meant trusting in the One who had already won the battle over death – Jesus Christ! 

Steve, my friend, you have run the race with discipline and purpose.  May your example and the memories we share inspire and encourage us all to run our race that we might join you in winning the eternal prize.