Buddy Champion

An Invitation

Holy Week! It is an incredible experience for the believer and gives unprecedented opportunities for outreach. Have you noticed this week that the History Channel, Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel have all had programming that is researching the life and ministry of Jesus? The world thinks about Jesus this week! So what will happen Sunday in Trussville? Most who read this will be at an Easter service somewhere.

My main concern is: who will YOU bring to church?

Easter is a time of celebration by believers and inquiry by seekers, but it is also a great opportunity to do what we are here to do…share the love of God! That’s why we gave out free coffee bags this past Sunday. We set the stage for you to invite someone to the cross! How can we make it any easier? We will conduct four services (five, counting the Annex overflow) with various styles of music but proclaiming the same message: Everyone needs Jesus! Even if you have asked someone 100 times to come to church…ask them one more time!

Pray for Sunday and bring someone with you! I’ll see you then.

Hard Times

Flip the coin of life and up pops the opposite of the fulfilled dreams I talked about in the last entry. Almost daily I see people watching dreams crash. In a matter of minutes, people can transition from celebration to discouragement. Sharing life when dreams come true is easy. However, when bad things happen to those good people, life gets hard. Good people lose their jobs, get sick, go through tragedy, and experience a host of other devastating things. When it happens it is not fair, right or easy to swallow.

So what do you do? At some point, bad things happen to all of us. How do you respond?

Determine to get better not bitter

Use the opportunity to learn

Capitalize on the situation to be a witness for Christ

Trust Christ…He was not surprised

Remain extraordinarily faithful

Believe and live in light of Romans 8:28

Anticipate God’s blessings in the days ahead

Pray for peace, wisdom and His perspective

Everyone likes a success story. You know, good guys doing well. However, my guess is we gain greater strength and encouragement observing good people remaining faithful in hard times. We admire them and want to emulate them because they give us hope for the hard day waiting for us.

Be A Dreamer

It has been said that “sometimes the good guys win!” Don’t you love it when good guys do well? Success stories are just fun to watch.

Yesterday John Calipari became the new Kentucky basketball coach. According to Calipari, the Kentucky job had been a dream of his for many years. His dream came true! I’m not a Kentucky fan and really don’t understand making that much money just to get some guys to put an orange ball through a ring. How sweet it is to watch a dream become reality!.

Some people are filled with jealousy and envy when others do well. In their opinion, dreams don’t come true without a long list of inappropriate activities taking place. Accusations of lying, cheating, deceiving, and other unacceptable behaviors are fired at the successful person. The truth is, on some occasions, the complainers are right on target.

However, sometimes people react negatively to others dreams because they simply don’t dream themselves. An elderly friend of mine scoffed at the notion that someone would go out to a swamp in south Florida and build a theme park. But for Walt Disney his dream became a reality. Many people thought launching a “plane” into space and expecting a return flight to earth was the height of foolishness. Today the shuttle proves dreams can come true. A friend of mine in Huntsville speaks of politicians who ridiculed the thought of shooting down one rocket with another…have you watched the launches out of Hawaii lately? Bullseye!

If you are dreamer, seeing others accomplish great things will motivate you to pursue the dreams God plants in you. God is a God of dreams/visions/blessings. Want a dream? Dream that one day you will hear “well done good and faithful servant!” When you chase God’s dreams for you, expect to come in first!

Lessons from a Chicken

Last Sunday, I told one of the worship services about the new addition to our family…a chick! Now, it’s not another female club member to the Champion “sorority house.” It is a baby chicken! She is now about 4 weeks old and has a few little feathers but is mainly still fuzzy and yellow.

Tuesday night I was working outside and Lynn came out of the barn and told me the chick was missing and Sadie (our black lab…yes, a female) just left the barn with something in her mouth. I ran around the front of the barn and yelled (not in a nice tone of voice) for Sadie. She soon came with her nose to the ground. It is always amazing to me that her body language matches what she has done! When she came to me I opened her mouth to look for any remnants that were to be found – nothing. For the next few minutes Sadie’s back feet walked on the ground while I pulled her by the collar to her kennel.

As I got close to the kennel I heard the “chirping” of little “Penny” (yes, chicks have to have names at our house)! Soon we found Penny walking around in the woods with not a bump or bruise to be found. Sadie had grabbed Penny out of the gage, carried her across the yard to her kennel and never consumed or even bit down on her new fuzzy friend. She even dropped her and came to me instead of enjoying her new morsel and then obeying me. I was amazed!

Why can’t I be that kind and tender with my mouth? When I hear God’s voice, why can’t I quickly turn and obey to avoid the results of my…mountain dew and Reese’s cup?

Competition

Since I am a pastor then I am qualified to question my profession, motives, and perspectives. We are a peculiar bunch…watch the reactions from the people in our church! Every Christ follower has his or her own set of doctrines, beliefs, and interpretations of Scripture. Often, the more study we give to the Bible makes us more grounded in those beliefs. But why do they have to divide us?

We classify our doctrines as “right and wrong” instead of “my understanding of God’s Word.” Now be careful, stray from the Word of God and you will lose the presence of God! I’m not talking about the major tenets of our faith, just the minor stuff that God isn’t really clear on! Sometimes we even wish negative things upon those who are not in our own “camp” and confess the same doctrines we do! I don’t understand it…does that thought come from the pews or the pulpit? To make matters worse, the more God blesses a place the more we tend to be critical of them.

Just for the record, Chris Hodges and Church of the Highlands were recently named the fastest growing church in America…Go God!!! I am pumped that Chris answered God’s call to start Highlands and, as always, God is blessing their socks off! I’m sure we have differences but we have the same Jesus!

May God continue to bless and anoint their efforts. By the way…God bless Crosspoint, North Park, First Methodist, Holy Infant of Prague, North Point, Willow Creek, Saddleback (you get the point) and God anoint First Baptist Church of Trussville too…that pastor needs your help!!!!

Peculiar Passions

Aren’t our “passions” peculiar? We spend a fortune chasing teams and competing in various events. We act like rabid animals and calls ourselves dedicated fans. This is really nothing new; man has always been competitive. By the way, this is a God-given trait. Watching people follow their passions is really a lot of fun, but where is the eternal benefit from these pursuits?

As I was watching the SEC basketball tournament, God reminded me of who He is and what He can do. Auburn (don’t miss the point Bama fans) was about to begin playing and the television broadcast showed the team huddled together and a perfect opening in the circle with our own Drew Smith praying with the team. The game was played and after the game another shot was televised again with a close up of Drew with guys huddled around him. Drew had his eyes closed. They turned up the volume as Drew said …”God we thank You and praise You…” then the volume was quickly lowered. The entire viewing audience caught this amazing scene for God. As I sat there cheering for a faithful Christ-follower, I remembered that God can use our passion for Him – if we let Him. We all have passions that God has placed in us. In His grace He has given them to us. Often, we don’t remember to use them for Him. Whether you are on the ball-field, racetrack, playing Bunko, catching a fish, or trying to put a round ball into a basket…be passionate…and ask Him to use it!

Lemonading Life

The typical experience of this life is really just a bunch of lemons! While driving down the road this week, I realized that God really does take those lemons of life and turn them into sweet lemonade. Sometimes I get so frustrated dealing with the “lemons” that I miss the fact that God has blessed me in unbelievable ways. It is overwhelming to “count my blessings and name them one by one!” Here they are: I hope they encourage you!

· A wife…indescribable;

· 3 daughters…how much fun they are;

· Many great churches that I have been a part of;

· A great heritage in my family;

· Hunting and beach opportunities that have been poured into my lap;

· A great team to work with at FBCT;

· People who trust your struggling leadership;

· Vision from God that I can’t keep up with;

· Flying airplanes…now that’s a blast;

· A pastor of a great church that 1000’s could lead better than I;

· A passion to work and provide for my girls;

· Abilities that only God can get the credit for;

· A great home that only God could provide;

· Good health, but if I die, I go straight to Heaven;

· Great friends who really do care;

· Opportunities to impact lives that blow me away;

· Fishing;

· All the “toys” that I can’t keep running;

· And did I mention an incredible wife?

Have you made your own list lately? Why does God bless someone like me? I don’t know but it sure is fun and I thank Him for it! I think I’ll go get some lemonade!

Buddy

Lead Like Jesus

For years leadership has been one of the buzz words that many people write about, study, speak on and have huge seminars to learn how to be one. Leaders succeed and fail, flourish and file for bankruptcy, have great homes and experience divorce. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes.

From a Biblical/Christian point of view…can you have leadership without servanthood? I just don’t hear that much about the leadership model of Christ who gave His life AND changed the world. Where are the leaders that give their lives and lead a team, corporation, city, state or country? Leadership has vision, influence and produces change but if not implemented with the model of Christ then the wake of destruction in peoples lives behind the leader is immense.

Is that the kind of leader that we see in Christ? Is leadership really power?

The opportunity to impact others or an organization is incredible but a Jesus leader doesn’t lead for self. He or she leads for Christ which automatically reduces self promoting power. Christians are leaders…the Bible called this “salt and light” but we must follow the model of Christ. Be a leader! But as you lead, watch Jesus who was the model CEO. It really is…”All About Him!”

Reasons Not to Go to Church!

What a difference a week makes! The “Blizzard of 09” was replaced by a spring day that made it hard to be inside! I guess on any given Sunday it is hard to be in church. Here is what I hear as it relates to church attendance:

“I live on a hill and wasn’t sure I could get home with all the snow.”
“I live in a valley and wasn’t sure I could get home.”

And then this time of year I am bombarded with things such as:

“It was such a rainy day.”
“My son/daughter plays travel ball (or cheerleading) and we were out of town.”
“I am leaving town on business.”
“We have family in town.”
“We are going out of town to see family.”
“The time change caught me off guard and I wasn’t able to get up.”
“I was out of town for Mother’s Day/Father’s Day.”
“It is spring break and we will be out of town.”
“I will be at a sporting event…like the SEC tournament.”
“I needed a few days away.”

The list could go on and on. All of these are good things; but, for many, one Sunday leads to another and before long we lose the perspective of being in God’s house on the Sabbath. Isn’t it amazing that anyone comes to church? I’m glad God shows up…every minute of every day! If you did not make it to church this Sunday, you missed a blessing but this Sunday is coming! Will you be there?

Snow on Sunday!

Why does it have to snow on Sunday morning? Man, it is pretty but what’s up with Sunday? Could James Spann tell us how many times it happens on Saturday night or Sunday morning when snow does come to the Birmingham area? You have services when you should have canceled them and you cancel services when you could have had them. It just messes up things and you really don’t ever recover! Check out our budget giving this past Sunday when it comes in! But don’t you like snow? I know most of you do because you stayed home to enjoy it! For southern folks it is so pretty…then it is gone just as fast as it came.

I’m glad God cleans us up just like a blanket of snow! Whiter than snow! What a great benefit of knowing a great God. Now we should go and do likewise. Just cover others up with the grace, love and presence of God. Snow! I wish it would have snowed a foot…just not on Sunday morning!

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