What if

A former hospital administrator is convicted of indecent exposure; a major entertainment personality accused of drugging women for illicit activities.  Successful businessman accused of fraud.  Did you ever wonder what kind of an impact those actions may have had on their families?  Do you suppose they ever stopped to think about the repercussions?  Only they would be able to answer that question with certainty, but my guess is they probably didn’t.

The first chapter of Proverbs begins with the words, “These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, Israel’s king - written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair; To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.  There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn - Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.” (The Message)

Over the years I have met with many individuals whose lives are literally in ruins because of their failure to understand “how to live life well and right.”

The best thing we can do to guard against making bad decisions in life is to spend time in the scriptures daily, as Pastor Jim pointed out on a recent Sunday evening.  The book of Proverbs teaches us how live wisely.  And lest you think, that won’t happen to me, I suggest you consider the problem Sampson had or what happen to Noah following the flood, or maybe the activity of King David in an idle moment.  Then there is King Solomon, considered the wisest man who ever lived who squandered that wisdom by disobeying God’s commandments.  These were all men of God who knew better but stumbled at some point in their lives; many of the individuals I have dealt with come from a church background, but because they failed to gain wisdom, they veered off the track.

Psalms 119:11 admonishes us to hide the Word of God in our hearts because it will keep us from making bad decisions.  Along with hiding the Word and gaining wisdom let me suggest one more activity that I have found to be effective over the years.  THINK DOWN THE ROAD or “play the movie” as a recent book I read recommends.  It means to plan ahead.  Think through the “what if’s” of life in advance of them happening.  How will you respond and how will that response impact you and those closest to you?  How you live life will determine what kind of a legacy will you leave that will impact others (parents, spouse, children, and those who come long after you are gone).  

Whatever it is that crosses your path that would be in opposition to the Word of God, should not cause you to have to think about your response.  Your response should be immediate and automatic, because long before you hid the Word of God in your heart - and you played the movie.
–Wayne Bernard

The Church is My Front Yard

It was way back in the spring of 2001 when a men’s breakfast was held in what is now the children’s playroom in the basement of the church building.  A large group of guys were present and if memory serves me right the speaker was Arne Jensen, a local landscaper.  During that morning an appeal was made to get a group of guys who would be willing to maintain the church lawns and landscape areas.  Fast forward to the present and you now have one of the longest-term ministry teams at SFB. Somewhere over 30 different individuals have served on the team over those years and some of the original team members are still active.

Why do these people serve?  What has motivated some of them to have served continuously from day one?  Let me share some of their thoughts:  “I marvel at God’s creation and enjoy working in it”; “It’s just another way I can connect with my maker”; “I enjoy the connection with the others on my team”; ”The landscape is one of the first impressions people have of our church so I want it to look sharp”; “I enjoy serving and I get a workout at the same time”; “I like the flexibility” (There are three teams and each team serves a month at a time.  While most work is done on Saturday mornings, any day will work if necessary.)  “I like things to be orderly and trimming the hedges and mowing lawns gives me that satisfaction.” 

 In addition to these people being able to use their talents in a satisfying way, they have saved the church many thousands of dollars since the inception of the team.  While this team was started by a bunch of guys, women have been involved.  So if you are one of those who would enjoy helping to maintain God’s creation, let us know by putting a note on the bulletin tear off piece and dropping it in the offering plate.

 Oh, and by the way, if you were to drive by the house of one of these people, I don’t think you would be at all surprised to see a beautifully maintained and neatly manicured front yard.

 --Wayne Bernard

 

First Baptist website: www.fbcsalem.org

to respond to this email: fbc@fbcsalem.org