Sermon Video "I can do everything" Philippians 4:10-19

"I can do everything", it seems like such an awesome promise from God in Philippians 4:13, the kind of thing I could grab hold of for just about anything in life; it seems to imply also that "there isn't anything I can't do".  As anyone who has lived for a while as a Christian knows, there are plenty of things we can't do.  So, what do the words of Paul here mean, and why isn't this the all encompassing promise that it seems to be at first glance?
The passage of Philippians, from verses 10-19 of chapter 4, are a great example of the need to interpret Scripture contextually, that is, within its proper context.  It may be that taking a phrase or verse all by itself will be harmless, but such a cookie cutter approach to Scripture has great potential for harm.  As such, we must also strive to see the whole thought of the author, whether that is one sentence, one paragraph, or even a chapter or more of Scripture.  When we put Scripture within its proper context, looking at what proceeds it and what follows it, we allow the Word of God to speak to us.  There is always a danger that we will look to Scripture for what we want to hear, with blinders on to all else, allowing Scripture to speak to us is a safeguard against that error.
In the case of Philippians 4:13, Paul is talking about his ability to continue the ministry of the Gospel whether his needs are met or not.  Paul had to endure times of scarcity, as well as times of plenty, while doing the work of the Lord, but through it all he learned the secret of contentment: God's power.  The "everything" in question, when seen in context, is a reference to Paul's ability to be content, to continue God's work, even when times are tough.  God's power thus is utilized by Paul to do God's work, and Paul was firmly convinced through his own experience that such power would never run dry.
The next time you see a Biblical quote out of context, take the time to read the entire passage, and then you will know whether or not the person utilizing that piece of Scripture is doing so as it was intended.  As Christians, God's Word is our guide, our direction in this life, we owe it to ourselves and to God to listen to all of it.

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Sermon Video: "think about such things" Philippians 4:8-9

What do we think about each day?  Can we shape our thoughts in order to think about better things?
After explaining that anxiety can be eased through bringing our concerns to God, Paul continues by saying that our thoughts should focus upon things which are, true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  But how do we do that, how do we avoid negative thoughts and embrace positive ones?  Throughout the Bible, right thinking goes hand in glove with right actions.  If we, as Christians, are going to focus upon the things of God, things like those in Paul's list, we're going to have to do so through our actions.  The more we do things which can be described as true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, the more our minds will be shaped by those actions.  Along those same lines, the more we fill our daily lives with godly things, the less room we will have for negative thoughts as well as temptations toward sinful actions.  As always, this is a group effort of the whole of the Church to be Christ-like, are efforts can and should be together.  This isn't a promise of a life free of anxiety or troubles, the Bible never promises that, but it is the path toward greater Christ-likeness, and that will guarantee, as Paul says, that "the God of peace will be with you."

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Speaking My Mind by Tony Campolo

This past spring our regional baptist association invited Tony Campolo to speak at our annual gathering.  The suggested topic for Tony was the problem of complacency among Christians (in other words, what do we do to get people on fire for serving God?).  Prior to going to the event, I received a letter written by one of the pastors of our association and signed by all of his board members that condemned the invitation of Tony and warned us that his teachings were dangerous.  The letter included snippets of quotes from a variety of Professor Campolo's books, many of which seemed to be out of context.  As a former English teacher, seeing quotes taken out of context sends up a huge red flag to me.  I went to the meeting, having heard good things about Tony's presentations from my friends, Pastor Jeff Little (First UMC) and Mother Holly (St. John's Episcopal).
What type of message would we hear?  Would the Gospel be clear or lost in the social efforts that Tony's critics accuse him of replacing it with?
It is amazing what you can learn when you give someone the chance to share what is on their heart.  Throughout his presentation, Tony Campolo gave a heart stirring call to the Church to truly be the servants of Jesus Christ that we have been called to be.  The Evangelical nature of his message was beyond doubt, there at the heart of everything he was preaching was the need for each man, woman, and child to find a relationship with God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and to turn that relationship into a life-altering experience of righteous living.  What more could any believer in the fundamentals of the faith want?
The hype, fodder for television commentators and blog posts, was entirely overblown.  The venom directed at Tony from his critics was a farce.  If this man's commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not genuine, then nobody who publicly declares their faith in Christ can be trusted.  If this man's passion for the Lost is not acceptable to you, then your problem is with the call of Jesus to champion the poor.
Which brings me to his book, Speaking My Mind, which I finished reading today.  I won't claim that everything in the book made me happy, nor am I in agreement with all of it, I will however confirm that the passion for the Gospel I found while listening to Tony last spring is part and parcel of his written works as well.  Are there things in the book that will cause some Christians to write Tony off as a liberal?  Yes.  Are there things in the book that those same Christians need to hear because they echo the words of the Gospel?  Yes.  Do yourself a favor, read the book, think about it, weigh what it says by the scale of Scripture, and then decide what God would have you do about poverty, nationalism, homosexuality, environmentalism, politics, etc.
If you close your mind, you won't be listening to God either.  If you truly are committed to being a disciple of Jesus Christ, don't you owe it to God to admit when you are in error?  Speaking My Mind may not have all the answers, but at least Tony Campolo was brave enough to ask the questions.

One man, one job, 45 years

It isn't very common anymore for a man to work his whole career for one company, it isn't even that common anymore for somebody to spend their whole career in one industry or field.  Modern Americans, especially, move around a lot; we get antsy and want to see what else is out there.  There are two things that you need to spend 45 years working for the same company: integrity and good fortune.  My dad, Walt Powell, "retired" (he's still going to work 30 hours a week for them as a consultant) from Amway this week after 45 years of service (with two years in there of service to Uncle Sam with the Air Force).  It has been our family's good fortune, in other words our blessing from God, that Amway has grown and prospered over that period of time.  How many of the companies that were manufacturing in America in 1968 are still doing so today?  This family owned company is a fixture in West Michigan, a leading employer and a leading source of charitable funds.  For our family, this company has been a steadying influence, something that allowed my siblings and I to attend the same school, the same church, and have the same friends as we grew up.
I also mentioned integrity, that word sums up the hard work, dependability, and dedication that has been common in my dad's years of working for Amway.  Walt rose from the factory line to the front office; climbing each step of the way because he was good at what he did and teaching himself advanced mathematics and engineering along the way.  His career has been a shining example of the American Dream (Amway stands for "American Way"), a hard working family man who is able to enjoy the fruits of his labor and advance in his career by being a good employee.
It goes without saying that my mom, Kathy, was an integral part of my dad's ability to work this job all of those years.  I'd be celebrating her retirement, but my mom hasn't shown any indication that she intends to stop mothering her long-since grown children, and has of course enjoyed starting all over again with the grandchildren.
In the end, I'm writing this post to do two things: encourage those of you out there who are wondering if hard work and loyalty is worth is anymore, and share my pride in my father's accomplishment as a way of saying thanks; good job dad.
Hmm, I've been at the First Baptist Church of Franklin almost 2 years, that means I've only got 43 to go to match my dad...Will they still want me around here when I'm 82?

Sermon Video, "Do not be anxious" Philippians 4:1-7

Life is scary, there are a lot of things worth being worried about in life,  becoming a Christian doesn't make them go away.  The Christian does have one advantage when dealing with anxiety that makes all the difference, we can give it away.  God isn't asking you to pretend that you don't feel anxious, and he isn't asking you to pretend that life's troubles aren't hard.  What God is offering to you is the chance to let your anxiety go by placing your trust in him.  The vehicle through which we, as Christians, can let go of anxiety is prayer.  In prayer we're not telling God things he doesn't already know, and we're not simply asking God for things that we want.  Instead, prayer is a conversation between two people who have a relationship; between God and his creation, between our Savior and his disciples.  In prayer, we share with God our burdens and in doing so we recognize God's authority, we count upon God's loving kindness, and we trust in God's promises.
Will all my troubles go away if I pray?  No.  Will I never be troubled by anxiety if I pray?  No.
What will prayer do for me?  Prayer will help you, and any follower of Jesus Christ, to see that God's ultimate purpose for your life, making you like his son Jesus, can never be derailed by life.  If times are good, God is working on making me like Christ, if times are bad, God is working on making me like Christ.  In prayer we enter into that process by imitating the many times that Jesus, God's own son, prayed to his Father.
There isnt' any reason to hang on to anxiety, you don't need it; God is in control, he will finish the work that he has begun in you in Christ Jesus.

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