Walmart Sues Brain Damaged Woman (CNN)

JACKSON, Missouri (CNN) — Debbie Shank breaks down in tears every time she’s told that her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, was killed in Iraq.

Debbie Shank, 52, has severe brain damage after a traffic accident in May 2000.

The 52-year-old mother of three attended her son’s funeral, but she continues to ask how he’s doing. When her family reminds her that he’s dead, she weeps as if hearing the news for the first time.

Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home.

It was the beginning of a series of battles — both personal and legal — that loomed for Shank and her family. One of their biggest was with Wal-Mart’s health plan. [...]

[My Commentary]

To me, this is outrageous! What do you think?

April 3, 2008 update.

Cheech and Chong Go To A Drive Thru Church

Update on the Conference

Listen, you have to go to Micah Fries site and read his comments about the Conference. Also, you should take the time to listen to the messages. If you can, listen to Dr. Frank Page’s message in which he challenges small church pastors to take a more active part in the Convention.

Thanks, Les for putting this together and making it happen!

Here is my first post on the Conference.

Live from Lewisville, NC (Impact 2008)

Let me just say that I am glad I came.  If you are a small church pastor who opted out of attending this conference then you have missed a blessing.  I met people from as far north as New Jersey and as far West as Oregon.  This is truly a national leadership conference for small church pastors and leaders. What follows is not by any means a comprehensive representation of tonight’s meeting but merely a thumbnail sketch of tonight’s messages.  Hopefully, tapes will be available for those who did not attend.
Les Puryear was the first speaker tonight. For his text, he used Matthew 16:18 and 18:20.  He pointed to these verses as being the focus verses for this conference.  He pointed out the American mindset that has invaded the church in believing that bigger is always better.  Puryear presented the large group with the fact that over 80% of the churches in the Southern Baptist Convention have less than 200 worship attendees on an average Sunday morning.  The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of small churches. He stressed that the eyes of the world are not the standard which God uses to measure His church.  Puryear urges us to avoid comparing churches because this is not wise in God’s eyes.  He offered the encouragement that the Convention is ready and willing to help the small church pastor.

Dr. Brad Waggoner presented statistics from Lifeway Research about the small church pastor.  His presentation was helpful and informative.  A critical issue for 65% of small church pastors was time. He emphasized the importance of not neglecting ones personal quiet time with God.  He was honest in admitting that he had no easy solutions for this obstacle for small church pastors but from his personal experience as a pastor, he offered his own insights on how to deal with the time problem.  30% of small church pastors described resistance to change as a problem in the church.  Dr. Waggoner pointed out that it is crucial to discover the church “bosses” and guide them to a biblical view of the church.  Other problems small church pastors encounter are a lack of commitment from church members, not enough workers, the age of the congregation, lack of money, worldiness in the church, age of the pastor, too few people, and demographics.  He did point out that growing churches had long tenure pastors who were humble, godly men who had a burning passion for Christ and were located in growing communities.  He shared three elements needed to lead a church through change.  This were:

1. The current reality for the church.
2. The future desired state for the church.
3. How to get there.

Most pastors have problems with element #3.  Dr. Waggoner closed his message by sharing many more statistics, concepts, and advice helpful to a small church pastor.

The final speaker was Dr. Alvin Reid.  Dr. Reid mixed humor with probing insights as he dealt with the topic, “God’s Call on the Small Church Pastor.”  He used 2 Timothy 2:1-10 as his text as he pointed out 7 characteristics of pastoral leadership.  In sharing these7 principles, he shared many illustrations.  He quoted Dr. Danny Akin who has stressed the need for a Great Commission Resurgence.  Shockingly, over 50% of senior pastors have not shared the Gospel with anyone in the last six months according the research done by Thom Rainer.  Dr. Reid pointed out that everything rises and falls on leadership. These 7 principles briefly are:

1. Leadership is grounded in the call of God.
2. Pastors lead by equipping others.
3. Pastors lead others in humility.
4. Pastors lead others to greatness.
5. Pastors lead with faith.
6. Pastors lead by defining the reality.
7. Pastors must lead by the strength of their character.

Dr. Reid’s message called pastors to be faithful in sharing the Gospel, teaching the Gospel, equipping the saints and preaching the Gospel.

As I said, if you are not here, you are missing a blessing and get the tapes of this conference if any are offered.

Ed Young imitates Joel Osteen

Here is a clip of Ed Young imitating Joel Osteen in Lakewood church. Honestly, I wonder how many pastors are imitating Osteen on Sunday mornings in their churches.

Somebody needs to tell Ed Young that it is not a pulpit but a podium according to Osteen. Osteen does this at the 5:00 mark in this video of his 60 Minutes interview.

2008 State Evangelism Conference listening files available at SCBC site

Listening files also to be offered on iTunes

By Butch Blume
butch@baptistcourier.com

Published March 18, 2008

 

The South Carolina Baptist Convention has posted at its Web site a slate of audio files featuring messages and breakout sessions from the 2008 State Evangelism Conference held Feb. 25-26 at First Baptist Church, Rock Hill.

The mp3 files, available for free listening, can be found on a single Web page (www.scbaptist.org/resources/secmp3.htm) and are accessed by clicking on graphics that include the speakers’ photos and subject matter.

The Evangelism Conference audio files will also be available at Apple’s iTunes store (www.apple.com/itunes) in about a week, according to the convention’s communications office.

The listening files include messages and presentations from Jim Austin, Ron Barker, Paul Fleming, Bill Gordon, Junior Hill, Bobby Jackson, Rosevelt Morris, Dennis Nunn, Jack Partridge, Tim Rice, Charles Roesel, Stephen Rummage and David Uth. [...]

More Bad News for the Televangelists

This is according to Fox News:

Senators Baucus, Grassley Join Forces in Televangelist Spending Probe

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

DENVER — The Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has thrown his weight behind an investigation of allegedly lavish spending and lax oversight at a half-dozen “prosperity gospel” ministries. [...]

The Dallas Morning News reports:

Baucus joins Grassley in follow-up letter to ministries

Sen Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Commitee, has joined ranking member Sen. Charles Grassley in writing four ministries, urging them to comply with Grassley’s earlier request for financial information. This would suggest that Grassley’s probe of the finances of the ministries, including the one run by Kenneth Copeland of the Fort Worth area, isn’t going away and enjoys at least some support by Baucus.

Here’s a press release from the Finance Committe. After that come letters from the senators to four non-complying ministries, including Copeland’s. [...]

Here is the original release from Senator Grassley’s web site.

[My Commentary]

As a Southern Baptist pastor in a small traditional church, we have regular business meetings with financial reports showing how the money is being spent, including my salary. So, I wonder why these ministries are dragging their feet. Maybe this report from the Canadian Broadcasting Company about Benny Hinn could give us some insight.

Parts Two, Three, Four, and Five are on Youtube also.

Jeremiah 14:14 (King James Version)

14Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain

Determination

Read the story behind this picture here.

A Thought for March 22, 2008

I planted my garden today. I had a gracious church member who came with his tractor and tilled the soil for me. He had come by earlier in the day to find out what I wanted done and where I wanted the garden then he left saying he would be back. In anticipation of his return, I prepared for his return. I made sure I had all the plants and seeds ready. I gathered my tools I would need. When he came back with his tractor, I was ready for him.

In the same way, Jesus Christ has come and said he is coming back. The question that we should ask ourselves is this:

Are we making ready for the return of Jesus?