In this episode of “Now is the Time” I share a story about how I ran away from home as a child! I also talk about why and how fathers can seek their children as an act of worship.

God the Father seeks us when we are rebellious and straying from him. Check out what Ezekiel 34:2-16 has to say.

How can we as fathers seek our children?

Announcements:

• We need your support for our student mission trip to Perm, Russia. Learn how you can help!
• You can now subscribe to “Now is the Time” in iTunes

Question: What are some other ways you can seek your children?

What are missionaries supposed to do?

There are many good missions books which can tell you how to work in another culture or what are the most effective tools for evangelism or how to reach a specific group of people. However, when it comes down to it the work of a missionary is really very simple.

A missionary must reproduce!

Jesus made disciples and Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples! (Mat 28:19-20)

We can’t just stop when someone gets saved.

We can’t even stop once a church is formed!

We must produce reproducing disciples!

A missionary does his job when a missionary makes disciples, disciples who go out and make other disciples. That’s why I’m so excited about what is happening next month.

Mission to Perm, Russia

For the third year in a row we are sending a group of our students on a missions trip. This time they are going farther than they’ve ever gone before. They are traveling 2,000 km by van from Kharkov, Ukraine to Perm, Russia.

Although the language will be the same in every other regard this will be a true cross-cultural experience for our students. Because space is limited we are planning on sending a smaller group of about 10 people.

The need for the gospel in this area is so great that Evangelical believers don’t even show up in the statistics!

Yet there are a few churches there! We have connected with a local church in Perm who wants to start a new church plant in one of the suburbs. They asked us to come and help with evangelism in the area where they are planning to start the new church.

During the day the students will be involved in personal evangelism and in the evenings we will be conducting our Good Soil evangelism and discipleship seminar to train the church members.

How you can help

Our students will be leaving from Kharkov by van on July 3rd. The cost for transportation, food and lodging for this 2 week trip is about $400 per student. Each student is required to raise $200 on their own. We need your help to cover the remaining $200 per student.

Not only will these students help start a church in an area where no church exists but they will also gain valuable experience in missions. Some of these students are seriously considering making a commitment to become full-time missionaries. God often uses trips like this to give people a greater heart for missions and to call them into missions full-time!

If you can give you’ll find instructions here.

If you can pray, please leave a comment on our site and let us know that you are praying. Below are some specific prayer requests.

• Pray for safety on the road (about 2,500 miles round trip)
• Pray that our students would be ready to serve
• Pray for open hearts in those who hear the gospel
• Pray for encouragement for the few churches in and around Perm
• Pray for the Good Soil seminar

Let our students know you are praying by leaving a comment!

I took this shot as Nickolas and I headed down the mountain to deliver the bread we had just obtained after visiting the shepherd’s cabin.

Check out this post for some lessons I learned on this recent family vacation.

Why do we sometimes not hunger for God’s Word?

Question: What can you do right now to increase your hunger for God’s Word?

Before I give you my reasons why preaching is still valid let me give you my definition of preaching.

Preaching is:

 -Personal communication of God’s Word that explains and applies truth to man’s life.

It’s a simple definition that includes what many pastors do on Sunday mornings but it also includes more than that.

• I can preach to my children around the dining room table.
• I can preach to my neighbor while working in the yard.
• I can preach to my co-worker during a smoke break.

The possibilities are endless but I’ll save that for another post!

A few reasons why preaching is still needed in today’s churches

1. Preaching comes with a divine command.

Check out what Paul tells young Timothy as he gives him instructions about how to lead the church.

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 2Tim 4:2

There is a long Biblical history of preaching from Noah, to Moses, to Isaiah, to Stephen, Peter and Paul! Jesus also spent much of his time preaching.

2. Preaching is not just a text it is also a person.

This is what I tell my students,

“A man must become a preacher before he can preach”

The preacher must preach because the Word that he is preaching has already changed his heart and he wants to share that with his listeners. If the preacher’s heart has not been radically changed by the truths he is preaching then he has no business preaching!

Preaching is personal because it is God’s Word coming through the life of an individual who has been changed by it. Look at how this made a difference when Paul preached.

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as you know what kind we were among you for your sake.” 1Th 1:5

Read the whole passage to see how Paul’s personal life affected his preaching to the Thessalonians 1Th 1:5-2:11

3.      Preaching can explain doctrine and apply principles in a way that other methods can’t. 

I’m all for using music, drama and the arts but these are all limited when it comes to explaining and applying God’s Word to people’s lives.  The primary method of learning for everyone is language.

When Jesus walked the earth he didn’t put on art shows or ask his disciples to act in dramatic reenactments of OT stories. Jesus’ primary method of teaching was to simply preach. Matthew 5:2

4.      Preaching allows for interaction.

You might be amazed by how much a preacher can read from his audience. I can sense when I’m going to long, when people are getting tired, distracted, not understanding or in disagreement with me.

Preaching allows for engagement and interaction. Some interaction happens in the pulpit with simple questions that engage the listeners mind. Here are some examples:

• “Who is the most important person you have ever met?
• “Do you think Joseph was scared when his brothers threw him in the well?”+
• Sometimes we can ask questions that don’t need to be answered.
• “Why does God allow us to go through painful circumstances in our life?”
• “Have you ever struggled with anger against someone and you don’t know what to do about it?”

Most interaction happens either before or after the sermon. This is when I often have the opportunity to talk with someone personally and help them gain a better understanding of the text or specifically apply the text to their situation.

5.      Preaching allows the speaker to make changes based on changing circumstances.

I don’t always know what will happen on Sunday morning.

• Who will come through the doors of the church?
• What major problems have people faced over the past week?
• Has someone died?
• Is there a major event that might affect the lives of many people in the church?

There will be occasions that will require us to change how we are going to preach or even entirely change what we had planned to preach.  Preaching gives us this freedom.

6.      Preaching does not rely solely on technology and thus provides greater flexibility.  

Sometimes we rely too much on our technology, don’t get me wrong technology is great, video clips and PowerPoint can all be used to enhance our message but they shouldn’t be relied on too heavily.

Preaching is an amazing form of communication! I have preached in the simplest villages with no electricity and in large churches where my image was projected on giant screens so I would be more visible. However, the basics don’t change, we preach the simple truths of God’s Word by opening our mouth, explaining the meaning and sharing how these truths have changed us and how they can change our listeners.

The only costs is our time and effort in preparation, yet the rewards are eternal! Preaching will always be the primary method of communicating God’s Word.

Question: What are some other reasons why preaching is still valid?

One evening as we relaxed and fellowshipped with our host family Christina mentioned,

“This is the first time we’ve ever taken a real family vacation.”

I quickly responded by saying,

“No, about 10 years ago we took a 3 day vacation with our 2 kids.”

Even as I said those words I realized how foolish I sounded.

It was true, it had been way too long and we really had never just gotten away with the family with the single purpose of resting and refreshing ourselves. Yes, we’ve been on a lot of trips but usually those trips involve some ministry in which mainly I was involved. The children were able to relax a little but more often than not I was in meetings, speaking in churches or leading seminars.

This time we did things different!

• We didn’t plan any ministry
• We got out of our regular environment
• We got away from the internet
• We hiked together
• We  read God’s Word together
• We played games together
• We prayed together
• We enjoyed each other’s company without the regular pressures

Why is it so important for families to get away like this? Here are a few observations I made after our vacation.

1. It provides an undistracted setting

At home we are often distracted. Everyone has different responsibilities and commitments. Our kids are getting older and now they are participating in activities in our church, not to mention sports, doctors appointments, shopping, school and everything else that’s involved in a busy household with 5 children.

Unfortunately all that business can distract us from what is really important. We decided to use our vacation to renew our focus as a family on God’s Word. We read the Bible as a family every morning and every evening discussing its meaning and significance in our lives.  The kids asked me,

“Papa, why don’t we do this more often at home?”

I admitted to them that we need to be more committed to reading the Bible as a family.

2. It promotes healthy relationships

Talking with your family without any of the pressures of everyday life is refreshing and it helps deepen the relationship.  We spent about 14 hours in the van driving to our vacation spot. You can’t spend that long in the car with 6 other people and not touch on some important topics!

We laughed and joked together and the kids probably asked a few thousand questions! Those questions gave way to many great opportunities to discuss everything from how to choose a spouse to why you can’t milk a boy cow!

3. It gives a fresh perspective

When our heads are constantly lowered focused on the work before us it is easy to lose perspective, to become discouraged and to forget our calling. Maybe it was the fresh air of the mountains, maybe it was the relaxed setting but we came away with a fresh perspective on what God has called us as a family to do!

4. It allows for physical refreshment

We hiked 5 out of the 6 days of our vacation! We even made an attempt to climb the tallest mountain in Ukraine with all of our kids! We didn’t make it to the top due to rain, wind and cold temperatures. Maybe that doesn’t sound like physical rest, but for a family that lives in the city this was just the thing we needed. We came home feeling physically better than we have in a long time!

5. It strengthens core commitments

What are we really committed to as a family? Life has a way of causing us to drift off course and forget those core commitments. Getting away provide us with the opportunity to correct that drift and bring our family back on course with God’s Word! As a family we are committed to growing together in God’s grace and sharing the love of Jesus with those around us!

Questions: Are you planning a family vacation this year? What tips do you have to make that time profitable and refreshing for your family?

“How can we prevent our young people from losing the faith?”

Here was my response:

I would propose that the question asked makes an assumption that is not correct and that assumption is also one of the main reasons parents and churches struggle with this issue.

Asking “How can we prevent our young people from losing the faith?” assumes that our young people had faith from the beginning. This is a very dangerous assumption to make however, it is also very common among Christian parents. In my experience many churches have built their children’s programs around this false assumption. I believe we need to change the paradigm and instead ask “How can we reach our children effectively with the Gospel?”

The answer to this question may not be as easy as we think. Children who grow up in a Christian home and have always gone to church tend to know all the right phrases to say and behaviors to show, however, they may have completely missed the Gospel. We need to think deeply about how we are communicating the Gospel to them. The Gospel must be repeated on every level and in varied ways.

We should also not assume that a raised hand during VBS is always indicative of a true conversion. Further more I would advocate far more caution in the practice of baptizing young children, especially if those children have believing parents. Waiting until at least the teen years can help ensure that the child is acting on their own will and has a complete understanding of the Gospel.

It is also important that the church realize that most youth do not have believing parents and even if they do have believing parents it does not mean that they are receiving solid Biblical instruction at home. The church must assume that in most cases the only Biblical instruction a child will receive is when they are in Sunday school, Awana or other church ministries. This should in no way lessen the importance of the parents role but simply understand that most parents are not capable of effectively teaching God’s Word to their children.

Finally if the church wants to reach the children with the Gospel she must focus her attention on the parents and make sure there are effective ministries in place that teach parents how to raise their children in a Biblical way and how to communicate the Gospel to them.

Questions: Are churches losing their youth or did they never have them in the first place? What does the church need to change in order to effectively reach and keep the youth?

That short sentence brought a hush over the crowd. Some were shocked some didn’t know what to think and others avoided my eye contact in the uncomfortable silence that followed.

Recently someone asked me to share some of my sermons online, however, I mainly preach in Russian while I’m here in Ukraine. I did however find, this is a sermon that I shared at my home church Discovery Baptist a few months ago.

Question: How is the sin of lust similar to worry? In what ways can worry destroy our lives? What  ways have you found effective in dealing with worry in your life?

Further reading

 Here’s a great book I used in preparation for this sermon. MacArthur applies sound Biblical truth to the problem of worry and anxiety in our lives. 

Anxious for Nothing: God’s Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study)

Let me give you some examples of how your location affects your life.

Where you live affects what you wear

If you live in Alaska you’re much more likely to have a closet full of coats, a pair of insulated boots and an assortment of thick gloves than someone who lives in the Florida Keys.

Where you live affects how you talk

When I moved to Ukraine in 2007 I immediately started learning Russian because I knew that in my new location no one would understand me unless I spoke it.  When I travel back to the US I quickly change back to English; my locations dramatically affects how I speak.

Where you live affects your outlook on life

Whether we like it or not we are all affected by the predominant culture around us. If you live in a pessimistic culture it will be hard to keep a positive outlook. If your culture values work over family, you’ll probably struggle with that too.

Where you live affects your relationships

Although we may be more connected by technology today than ever we still tend to develop and maintain more relationships with the people who live and work with us.  This usually includes immediate family, neighbors, church members and coworkers.

Where do you live?

Are you living in your ideal setting? Are you living in a place that gives you ample opportunities to be successful and live out what God has called you to do?

If you’re a Christian then you don’t have to worry because you are already living in the right place!

Living in Christ

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church he told them that they had a new home and a new identity, they now lived “in Christ”.  Eph 2:13 This new location affects every aspect of the Christian’s life.

Paul is so intense on communicating what life in Christ is about that refers to it over 40 times in Ephesians! Here are a few things which Paul indicates are yours and mine as a result of living in Christ.

What do you have in Christ?

• Blessings -Eph 1:3
• Adoption -Eph 1:5
• Forgiveness -Eph 1:7
• Purpose -Eph 1:9
• Hope -Eph 1:12
• Holy Spirit -Eph 1:13
• Faith -Eph 1:15
• Strength -Eph 1:19-20
• Life -Eph 2:4
• Citizenship -Eph 2:12-13
• Peace -Eph 2:15
• Access to the Father -Eph 2:18
• Family -Eph 2:19
• Boldness -Eph 3:12
• Maturity -Eph 4:15
• Unity -Eph 4:16

Question: In what ways does “life in Christ” affect how you live today?

Why?

Because that’s what everyone else was doing and I wanted to see how the people celebrate this holiday called “Pastele Blajinilor”.

Hundreds of people filled this cemetery in Moldova yesterday.

This was our view as we came around a corner on our way home from a few days of ministry in Moldova yesterday. Hundreds of people crowded into this small cemetery.

The priest made his rounds saying prayers for the dead.

Families gathered around the graves of their loved ones and ate a meal, drank some wine and enjoyed the beautiful weather. For a donation the priest would come to the grave and say a prayer for the dead, a choir of about 10 voices followed him.

An Orthodox church overlooked this cemetery.

Although the Orthodox church does not “officialyl” recognize this holiday it is certainly not against it. This cemetery was on the territory of the local Orthodox church.

Uneaten food is left on the grave for the dead.

The families celebrate as if their dead loved one is with them, they laugh and joke. The food is laid out on the grave and any leftovers stay there. They also sprinkle wine from the bottom of their glasses over the grave.

Will you pray with me?

• Pray for Moldova
• Pray for people who don’t know the hope that Jesus brings
• Pray for churches to preach the truth gospel of grace

If you don’t know Christina I suggest that you get to know her! You can start by listening to a bit of her testimony here. We are from two very different worlds but I’m thankful that God brought us together and has already given us 16 years of marriage and 5 children!

God gave me and excellent wife and for that I am thankful!

I thought there would be no better way to honor my wife than to do it with Scripture, so I decided to update Proverbs 31:10-31 to reflect contemporary life.

The text below is not a “translation” but rather an adaptation. You can scroll over the references to read the ESV translation of each verse.

Pro 31:10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

Pro 31:11 Her husband has complete confidence in her, he has no regrets.

Pro 31:12 She is kind to him, and never says mean thing to him all the days of her life.

Pro 31:13 She sorts the laundry, and willing folds the clothes with her own hands.

Pro 31:14 She drives all over town for the best deals and loads her minivan with health food from the grocery store.

Pro 31:15 She slips out of bed before the sun rises to get the coffee going and make sure breakfast is on the table.

Pro 31:16 She finds time to get outside and make the yard look nice, she even plants a garden.

Pro 31:17 She works out and keeps herself fit.

Pro 31:18 She stays up after the kids are in bed running an online business.

Pro 31:19 She washes the dishes and keeps the kitchen sparkling

Pro 31:20 She generously gives to those in need.

Pro 31:21 She dresses her family well for every season.

Pro 31:22 She  loves to make her home beautiful; she has style.

Pro 31:23 Her husband is well known in the neighborhood, he is a leader at work and in church.

Pro 31:24 She sells her handmade crafts all over the world on Etsy.

Pro 31:25 She is poised and strong and has a positive outlook on the future.

Pro 31:26 She always knows just what to say and says it with kindness, she is a sought after teacher.

Pro 31:27 She works hard and keeps to a schedule, she doesn’t waste her life on romance novels and Pinetrest.

Pro 31:28 Her children tell all their friends what a great mom they have; her husband praises her:

Pro 31:29 “There are a lot of great women, but you are the best!”

Pro 31:30 Glamour hides the truth and good looks are useless, but a woman who honors the LORD with her life is to be praised.

Pro 31:31 Complement her for all she does and tell others what a great wife she is!

Question: Who do you want to honor as a mother? How would you describe the contemporary “excellent wife”?