Showboat or Battleship

I love Adrian Rogers.  I listen to him almost every time I drive my car. (No joke, my radio has been broken for about 3 years and the only CD's I have with me are his sermons.)  Today I was listening to a sermon of his that I had heard at least several times, but today, one of his statements struck me like it never had before.  The statement was simple, but it blew my socks off.

"The Church is not a showboat, it's a battleship."

Man! What a statement!  As I thought about it, I realized how appropriate it was for our churches today.  Many churches have begun to operate a lot more like showboats than battleships, and there is a huge difference between the two.  Let me share with you a few of the differences that stick out to me.

A showboat exists to entertain, a battleship exists for a mission.

A showboat focuses on pleasing it's passengers, a battleship focuses on pleasing it's Commander.

The people aboard a showboat are there to be served, the people aboard a battleship are there to serve.

The people aboard a showboat look for what makes them happiest, the people aboard a battleship must work together to accomplish their objective.

A showboat's budget is focused on luxury, extravagance, and comfort, a battleship's budget must be streamlined and used in ways that will bring the most BANG for the buck (some pun intended.)

A showboat really isn't going anywhere and nobody really cares as long as the show is good, a battleship has a mission to complete and a destination in sight.

My prayer is that our churches will start shutting down the games and start loading the guns!

Book Review: The Faith of Ronald Reagan

           The Faith of Ronald Reagan by Mary Brown, is a short biography that focuses on, as the title suggests, the faith of President Reagan, and the role that it played in his life and career.  Mrs. Brown follows the development and growth of Reagan’s faith from his childhood through his time in the White House.  Most of her attention is given to the influence that Reagan’s mother Nelle had in shaping the former President’s worldview.  Much of the book draws on interviews and writings from individuals who were close to President Reagan, as well Reagan himself.

            Although I am a huge fan of history, especially that of America’s Presidents, I left the book feeling a little bit as if I had just finished reading a college term paper.  While the book offers a very intriguing and personal look into the shaping of President Reagan’s faith, the author offers very little original perspective on the matter.  The vast majority of the book seems to be more of a stockpile of second-hand speculation, than an engaging narrative that I look for in historical biography.  With that being said, The Faith of Ronald Reagan would probably be well received by those who are looking for a short overview of the life of one of America’s greatest leaders.  But for those looking for an in-depth look at the personal faith and beliefs of Ronald Reagan…well in my opinion…they should keep looking.

Thoughts on the year and month ahead...

As the calender rolls over to 2011 we are faced with seemingly endless opportunities.  Our jobs, our families, and even our sports teams (GO GATORS!) offer us new hopes, chances to build upon last year's successes, and possibilities to correct last years mistakes.  I can see no greater example of this than right here at Airline.
As we go into 2011 we can see the exciting path God is leading us down to expand our outreach and influence as a church.  Although the road to opening up a new campus seems a long ways away, and there are many questions that have yet to be answered, we can be sure that the safest place for us to be is in the center of God's will, even if we may feel uncomfortable there.  We can also look to build upon the great finish to 2010 that we saw in our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  It still blows my mind to think how God can bless us when we are obedient to follow Him in faith.  I look forward to expanding Airline's commitment to mission's giving in 2011, and pray that you will join with me in making sure that last year's Lottie Moon was only the start.  Finally, 2011 affords us the chance to set right things that where left undone in 2010.  I have heard from many people that they felt (as I feel) that last year was a year of complacency for many in our church.  While I cannot make your choices for you, I can promise you that during 2011 you will be given every opportunity to set out of your comfort zone, follow God in a radical way.  Whether it be going on a missions trip across the world, across the state, or across the river; whether it be serving inside the four walls of the church, or outside the walls in the community; whether it be leading an existing ministry, or starting a new one through our new "Local Missions" initiative...you will have opportunities to be anything but complacent.
My prayer for this year is that it would start this month.  That may sound silly, but it is nonetheless true.  Instead of putting any of this off, my prayer is that it begins now.  As we set aside January to RE:focus, I pray God will grip our hearts in a fresh and new way.  We saw a great start to this last Sunday, but I'm trusting God that that was only the beginning.  Would you begin to pray with me that God would use this month to change our church, starting with you, and that in turn this year would change our community and even the communities around us.