The NEU Mann

Check Out My New Bookstore!

2011-09-27T00:10:00.005-05:00

I'm really excited about the beginning of my new on-line bookstore for Mission Navigation. I'm still building it so there are lots of books to put in the cyber-shelves. but you can already start shopping!

Click Here to visit the store.

Why do Pastors Leave the Ministry?

2011-04-21T16:32:00.007-05:00

I know this is just a list of statistics, but much to our surprise, they hit closer to home that one might realize. The job is harder than you think but I love it so much and I'm not going to be a statistic or let them sway me from my calling in Christ. The NEU mann is always ready to beat the odds. In fact, Scripture clearly says, "All things are possible for him who believes."

As you read these stats, think about all the pastors you know and say a prayer for those in the fight of their life. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." I view these statistics as the devil's doing. His pursuit of God's servants is unparalleled, relentless, and intense.

80% of pastors believe the ministry has had a negative effect on their families. Many pastors' children do not attend church as adults because of what they saw the church doing to their parents.

40% of pastors report a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.

75% of pastors report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.

90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands.

90% say that the ministry is not the same as they thought it would be when they first began to serve.

80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role in the church.

80% of pastors' spouses wish that their spouse had chosen a different profession.

70% of all pastors fight depression constantly.

70% of pastors do not have someone they would consider a close friend.

70% of pastors have significantly lower self image than when they began in the ministry.

50% of pastors starting in the ministry will not make it more than 5 years.

94% of clergy families feel the pressures that face the pastor.

66% of church members expect the pastor to live at a higher moral standard than themselves.

The moral behavior of church-going Christians is not appreciably different than those who claim to be non-Christians.

The average American tells 23 lies each day.

Many Christians get drunk.

Christians divorce at the same rate that non-Christians divorce.

80% of pastors' spouses feel left out and underappreciated by church members.

The profession of "pastor" is near the bottom of a survey of most respected professions, just above "car salesman."

50% of pastors report feeling so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could but have no other way of earning a living.

Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year.

Over 1,300 pastors were terminated by their congregation each month, many without cause.

1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.

Research has shown that the #1 reason pastors leave the ministry is that church peopllle are not willing to go the same direction as the pastor feels God is leading.

** These statistics are provided by the Fuller Institute, The Barna Research Group, and Pastoral Care Inc.

A Book Recommendation...

2010-09-15T12:03:00.002-05:00

What if life’s transitions are there to remind us that God is present before, during, and after these periods? In The Land Between, author Jeff Manion uses the biblical story of the Israelite’s journey through Sinai desert as a metaphor for being in undesired, transitional space. After enduring generations of slavery in Egypt, the descendants of Jacob travel through the desert (the land between) toward their new home in Canaan. They crave the food of their former home in Egypt and despise their present environment. They are unable to go back and incapable of moving forward. The Land Between explores the way in which their reactions can provide insight and guidance on how to respond to God during our own seasons of difficult transition. The book provides fresh biblical insight for people traveling through undesired transitions (e.g. foreclosure, unemployment, parents in declining health, post-graduate uncertainty, business failure, etc.) who are looking for hope, guidance, and encouragement. While it is possible to move through transitions and learn little, they provide our greatest opportunity for spiritual growth. God desires to meet us in our chaos and emotional upheaval, and he intends for us to encounter his goodness and provision during these upsetting seasons.

I found the book to be very refreshing and challenging. It helped me see God's perspective on my own times of transition.

Wake Up To The Risk! 3 - 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

2010-05-18T05:50:00.005-05:00

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. (v.10)

Sometimes we think about the risk involved in giving. If I give some of what I have, doesn't it stand to reason that I will have less? Isn't it possible that I can run out of what I'm giving away? If giving is losing then that would be true but when Christians give, they give out of a supply that God provides. Our giving is done with the element of faith which says, "I can't out-give God." And, it's true! God always has more for us to give. There are a few words in this text that really stand out. They are God's verbs, his action in our generosity; "supply," "multiply," and "increase." In other words, out of the resources that God has available to him, i.e. "EVERYTHING", he will supply what we give away, he will multiply what he gives us to give away in proportion to how much we freely release. Then, when we step back to look at the result, we see an increase in effectiveness because he stepped in to bless the giving from the very start. His work in us is so much better than when we try to go it alone, giving from what little we have rather than from the rich supply he gives us to give.

Lord, help me to realize that the supply you have for me to give is already in my possession. Give me the courage to give it and the faith to trust that you will delight in multiplying my capacity to give. Help me see how you are at work in my life to increase my effectiveness for your kingdom's work. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Wake Up In The Solitude! 6 - Luke 4:1-44

2010-05-14T06:46:00.005-05:00

"And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.'" (v.42-43)

These words from today's text come right after Jesus taught and healed many on the busy day before. He got away to a quiet place the next day but not for long. People chase after Jesus as though they could posses Him and keep Him for themselves. Do we blame them? They had never before witnessed God's blessings so greatly. Yet, with His blessings, Jesus would also teach us his generous ways, that He belongs not only to us but to all. His kingdom knows no human boundaries. I think sometimes we forget that Jesus must be preached and His ministry extended EVERYWHERE! He's not just for our church gatherings and quiet personal devotion. We can't just keep Him here for ourselves.

Lord, for the sake of all people, fill me with a passion like you have, to spread the Word without limits. Amen.

Wake Up To The Conversation! 3 - Psalm 34

2010-05-04T06:58:00.001-05:00

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him have no lack! (v. 6-9)

This poor man... I know that I can be guilty of self pity from time to time. "Poor me" echoes through my mind when I think about my trials. Then I often feel ashamed, knowing that so many others face things far worse than I do. Well, that's when the poor man needs to cry out. God will indeed save us from our troubles and give us a new perspective on our situation. It comes when we "fear" him, "take refuge in" him when we "taste" his goodness. I like to remind people that the fear of God has two ends of the spectrum. On one end is the fear that makes us tremble at His wrath and power, the fear of his righteousness in the face of our poverty. The "poor man" or the OLD mann as I like to say, is oriented toward fearing God this way. He knows what he deserves. But on the other side of fear is the amazement of something too wonderful to fathom. God, is his grace and love has brought his wrath down on the Sacrifice and extended forgiveness to the poor man and made him a NEU mann. The NEU mann is oriented toward a fear that hold out his hands to the extended arms of God. He is oriented toward a fear that worships the amazing God of Grace and Glory. So, do you want to see the "poor man?" Look in the mirror and realize that you can call out, you can fear God and lack nothing when he saves you.

Thank you lord for hearing my cry to you. Teach me to fear you in worship for you have made me NEU in Christ. Amen.

Wake Up To The Conversation! 2 - John 15:1-17

2010-05-03T05:31:00.003-05:00

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you."

There are some very important words in these 3 little verses that need our attention today...

Jesus is the vine... He is the living God and our life as a Christian flows from him to and through us because we are branches.

The Father is the vinedresser... He is looking for fruit in the lives of all Christians.

In me... These verses talk about Christian people. The words, "in me" denote a relationship with Christ whereby life, his life, his righteousness, flow from him to his people.

The branch that does not bear fruit... This is not a dead branch, it is a living one. Remember the words "in me". Yes, Christians can have a living faith and go through periods of fruitless living. What does the vine dresser do?

He takes away... Here's where the most accurate translation is helpful. The Original Greek DOES NOT SAY "he cuts off". Here's an excerpt from Bruce Wilkinson's book, The Secretes of the Vine. Bruce was having coffee with a vineyard worker in California who explained it this way. "New branches have a natural tendency to trail down and grow along the ground. But they don't bear fruit down there. When branches grow along the ground, the leaves get coated in dust. When it rains they get muddy and mildewed. The branch becomes sick and useless." Bruce asked, "What do you do? Cut it off and throw it away?" "Oh no!" he exclaimed, "The branch is much too valuable for that. We go through the vineyard with a bucket of water looking for those branches. We lift them up and wash them off. Then we wrap them around the trellis or tie them up. Pretty soon they're thriving."

That's a great illustration to ponder. In our struggle to contend with the OLD mann, even the NEU mann will experience fruitless periods of time. That's when the world's dust and dirt needs to be washed so that the branch does not die.

Now, there's still some controversy around this interpretation. After all, the vinedresser is looking for fruit and there will come a judgement. James says, "Faith without works is dead!" Lying in the dirt of worldly living will eventually kill us. Dead, we would fall from the vine and from the life he wants to give us. When a Christian examines himself, as we do before communion and preferably every day, we confess our sins and repent. God is faithful to forgive and cleanse us. he "takes us away" from the dirty ground and lifts us up.

Branches that produce fruit are pruned... Our lives need the attention of the pruner's knife. It doesn't kill the branch to get rid of some of it's useless and weak parts, rather it allows more life from the vine to invigorate and produce more excellent fruit. Missionary and Martyr, Jim Elliot used to say, "he is no fool who loses what he can not keep to keep what he can not lose."

You are clean because of the Word... It is God's Word that made us clean through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need God's Word to daily keep us in a clean condition.

Lord, thank you for keeping me alive in Christ. Thank you for cleansing my in His blood and bringing forth fruit in my life. During those fruitless times I pray that you will forgive me and make me strong. Cut away, with your pruning knife, the OLD mann, so that the NEU mann is strong and bears much fruit. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Wake Up To The Conversation! 1 - Luke 11:1-13

2010-05-02T06:54:00.004-05:00

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say..." (v1-2a)

What follows these verses is, of course, the Lord's Prayer. But the reason I want to focus on the verse and a half before it is that we see the disciples and Jesus in a very special moment together. The disciples want Jesus to teach them something that seems really basic. After all, by this point in their lives, a group of Jewish men should know "how" to pray. But there's really more to this. I think the disciples were looking to learn to be more intimate with God in prayer. I think that's what Jesus modeled for them. As parents, many of us made the pledge, at the Baptism of our children, that we would make them disciples of Jesus. We promised to teach them. I pray that all of us would take the opportunity to help our children take their prayer life to a more intimate place with God. I ask, are we modeling that for our children? Would they ask one day, "Dad/Mom, teach me how to pray like you do."

Lord Jesus, So that I may be ready for this task of teaching my children, teach me how to pray. Amen.

Wake Up to Wisdom! - Day 7 - Psalm 119:89-176

2010-05-01T08:44:00.001-05:00

"Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path." (v. 105)

Well, how could I not pick this classic verse for my focus today? It's a short verse and a simple, short application for me today. If I'm living in a dark, uncertain world, why wouldn't I take the light I need? All kinds of dangers and traps abound. God's gracious Word exposes those traps. But not only does it illumine the dangers but also the path ahead.

Lord, lead me in the light of your Word, For Jesus' sake, Amen.

Wake Up to Wisdom! - Day 6 - Psalm 119:1-88

2010-04-30T08:30:00.001-05:00

Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
for I trust in your word. (v. 41-42)

The more time I spend in God's Word, the more He teaches me about His love. I really need to know it so that I can handle the taunting I get on a consistent basis. You wanna know who's picking on me? That's right, the enemy we read about on day 1 of this reading plan. Satan, (the Bible calls him "the Accuser"), would just love for me to be discouraged. He wants me to believe that God doesn't care about me. Or at least, get me to focus on the unlikely, no the impossible, prospect of my measuring up to what he wants from my life. But God's promise to me is rock solid. I'm his child! I've got an answer for the one who taunts me.

Lord, hear my prayer. Let your steadfast love come to me, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Wake Up To Wisdom! - Day 5 - Isaiah 55:1-13

2010-04-29T07:44:00.005-05:00

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (v. 10-11)

These amazing words from the pen of the Prophet Isaiah tell me that there is a powerful reason to spend daily time in the Word of God. He's taking the "NEU mann" I am in Christ and causing spiritual things to happen in my life. He's making me grow! His clear prophetic word to ME is that He's going to accomplish something in me that will come to pass as I receive the Word with a ready and open heart. There's a purpose for which He sends His Word to me. Will He use it today to encourage someone else? Will he expose any traces of the "OLD mann" that He wishes to purify? Will He challenge me to greater boldness? He will not send it to me as an empty exercise just for "devotion time" but to make some things happen today!

Gracious God, make my heart ready and fertile for the heavenly rain of your Word. May it bring forth flourishing fruits and accomplish the purpose for which you have sent it today! In the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen

Wake Up To Wisdom! - Day 4 - James 1:1-25

2010-04-28T07:06:00.005-05:00

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (v. 22)

This whole reading for the day is great! I've only quoted verse 22 but I urge you, as with all the readings in this series, read the whole thing every day.

As I pondered this today, I thought about the instability in the world. These are difficult times for God's people. It's no time to be "double-minded"(v. 8). That's when the instability of the world matches the instability of the "OLD mann". The results can be a catastrophe! Verse 12 tells us that we are blessed when we remain steadfast under trial. The answer for the growing "NEU mann" is to be daily in the Word of God. That's not to say fulfilling the daily obligation to read or hear it. In this little letter we are reminded that "hearers only" deceive themselves. The OLD mann can "hear" the whole counsel of God but the NEU mann does it! What is God telling you to "DO" today? Let His Word be a call to action!

Father in heaven, thank you for the amazing guidance of your Word. Teach me not just to hear it but to do it, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Wake Up To Wisdom! - Day 3 - Proverbs 3:1-35

2010-04-27T06:41:00.001-05:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (v. 5-6)

The "OLD mann" seeks to be wise in his own eyes. but leaning on this understanding can be disastrous. Human wisdom simply will never measure up to our need. The world is filled with crooked and deceptive paths that lead to places, people, and situations that will trap us in the tight hold of sin and death. The Bible teaches us that wisdom from God will literally "save" us. That's why it is commended to us as a priceless treasure. Get all of the wisdom you can from God. As that store of wisdom grows in the "NEU mann" it enables an ever-increasing trust in God that can take powerful authority over our whole heart. These little verses speak so clearly to our need.

Gracious Lord, I trust you. Cleanse away any remainder of the "OLD mann's" heart so that my whole heart trusts you completely. The "NEU mann" does not need to lean on his own wit and clever understanding. It's worthless without the wisdom that comes from you. Fill my heart to acknowledge you in all my ways and I will take the straight paths you set before me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Wake Up To Wisdom! - Day 2 - 2 Timothy 3:1-17

2010-04-26T06:17:00.001-05:00

"But understand this, that in these last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be...having the appearance of godliness but denying its power." (v 1&5)

In today's reading, I thought that the last part of the reading would be the part that would naturally draw my attention, since our focus at church was being in the Word. It's "useful" and "profitable". But this first section really made an impact on me. I shutter to think of my own tendency to deny the power of godliness even as I live for all the world to see that I'm a pretty decent guy. The "OLD mann" can fake it especially in these last days but the "NEU mann" won't deny the power of God at work in him, he will rather embrace it. My own confirmation verse, Luke 11:28 says, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it." To keep it, isn't an outward show, it's embracing the power of His Word internally. God has also been laying on my heart that the Church has really, significantly reduced the meaning and power of "fellowship". We've turned it into, "hanging out with my Christian buddies." While there's nothing wrong with this kind of social life, it can have the form of fellowship but deny the real power of Biblical Christian fellowship. Read the "one another" commands of Scripture and you'll see what I mean.

Gracious God. I beg you to help me see and embrace the power of godly living to make it authentic and effective in my own life, especially in these last days. In Jesus name, Amen.

Wake up to Wisdom! - Day 1 - Ephesians 6:10-24

2010-04-25T16:13:00.002-05:00

"...Our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." (v.12a)

How easy it is to fall victim to the idea that my enemy is another human being! After all, it seems that there are plenty of my troubles that come from people, whether they are cutting me off in traffic, wounding my pride, or just being mean. The temptation to turn them into some sort of enemy, even for the moment, is an easy trap. The real struggle is the enemy who is aiming at my impatience, bloating my pride, or working to make me think only of myself. It's not a struggle with people but a struggle with the spiritual enemies of my eternal soul. That's why I need the armor God supplies...

The Belt of Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness
Feet fitted with the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace
The Shield of Faith
The Helmet of Salvation
The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God

AND... Prayer... LOTS of it every day.

Father in heaven, forgive me for the times I look to blame people for my struggles with the real enemy. Fit me with your armor and help me do battle with the real enemy. In Jesus' name, Amen!

2010-04-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

Success and Marriage

2010-03-22T11:51:00.003-05:00

This morning in my reading and study time I came across a startling sentence. I'll modify it just a bit so that it applys to everyone. "[A person] owes [his or her] success to [their] first [spouse] and owes [their] second [spouse] to [his or her] success." What are you succeeding at? And, are you spending your husband or your wife to achieve that success?

The bible doesn't hide the scars of even it's greatest heroes. There's a story in the life of Isaac and Rebekah that is a repeat of Isaac's parents'. This account from Genesis 26:7-11 takes place when Isaac and his wife moved to a new community called Gerar. Here's what it says, "When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.” But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.
Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
“Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.
“How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”
Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!”

When you put your spouse at risk in order to protect or even promote yourself you demean his or her worth and exalt your own. While we may not face the seemingly life or death circumstances of Isaac and Rebekah, Our selfishness and insecurity can drive us to try to make impressions on people at the cost of our spouse. Are we putting in too many hours to make an impression while neglecting our spouse and children? Are we determined to make people like and respect us so much that we hide our relational poverties by drawing attention to the weaknesses and sins of our spouse rather than our own?

I've seen it from both men and women. Today's Christian woman has the pressure of displaying a piety and heightened spirituality that far surpasses the bumbling spirituality of modern males. I've seen and heard it from bunches of people, and the spiritual expectations for men are so low that any woman who isn't "suceeding" at being more spiritual than her husband faces great pressure to promote herself and deminish him in the sight of her girlfriends.

Though I've taught it for years, I'm guilty of breaking the charge I always give to men, "Don't blame your wife for your problems." Since the Garden of Eden, this has been the sinful pattern repeated by generations of men to the present day. Men try to look good too. They are driving and forceful, often very competitive. They too often point to their wife as the reason they are being held back from achievement. Men, your wife is not an "achievement hernia!" She is God's gift to partner with you for the very most important life successes. It's about faith and family. My favorite quote from a very old book on family relationships says, "This is the work of all our life that is the most divine."

Husbands and wives, I'm hoping and praying for you today. Sadly, I've played the part of the "old man" too many times. I've followed the sinful patterns of the old way of doing business as I've sought ways to promote myself. The "neu mann" is called to be different. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he or she is aiming to succeed at serving God and others. This type of success eases the burden of "impression pressure". Who needs to self-exalt? The Bible teaches us that humility is nearly like a lightning rod for the grace of God. I can't even be the neu mann apart from His grace at work in me.

I began with some very hard words, and realize how fortunate I am to have such a godly wife and partner. It makes me think that I don't want to succeed at anything more than faith and family. I know without question that I would owe THAT success to my wife. But I also know that rather than cost her, it ought to bless her. Any of us could easily fail at marriage. If you are on your second, third, or whatever marriage. Now is the time to live the neu life and build where you are to make the partnership of your current marriage the one that will mark success for you and your spouse in all the most important of life's successes. It is not good for a person to go at it alone. In marriage, God has made a helper to match us on earth as He helps us from heaven and from within.

Haiti Earthquake Relief

2010-01-20T14:55:00.012-06:00

Have you wondered how you can make an impact in the Earthquake disaster in Haiti? Writing a check or making a donation is a wonderful way to help. I've learned that get "STUFF" to the victims is critically important. I'm learning valuable lessons about how the "STUFF" will make a strong impact for the poorest of the poor. Maybe that's why the Lord laid on my heart, a very physical response to our neighbors in Haiti. I really wanted an opportunity for people in our great community of Hudson to get up and do something to provide STUFF.

Trinity Lutheran church is teaming up with two LCMS churches in Florida to help the earthquake victims of Haiti. In partnership with LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the Florida-Georgia LCMS district and Cross International will be sponsoring a number of 40 foot containers shipped as soon as possible filled with relief supplies to Haiti.
They are collecting the following relief items:

Bottled water
Canned food with pop tops
Peanut butter
Rice
Beans
Dishwashing liquid
Bed sheets
Shovels
Buckets
Antibacterial ointment
Band aids
Washcloths
Soap
Good clean used clothing IF IT IS BOXED AND LABELED (i.e.; women's clothing, children’s clothing etc.) NOTE: Make sure clothing is boxed and labeled, we do not have volunteers available to box the clothing!!

You can drop off items at either Trinity Campus through the end of January.

For those of you who are not local but would like to help Trinity with this effort. There are financial needs for theis project You can mail your tax deductable contribution to...

Trinity Lutheran Church
1206 Sixth Street, Hudson, WI 54016

Write "Missions" in the memo line.

Or to make a contribution on line visit our website, http://www.trinityhudson.org/, click on "Giving", go to the online giving form, enter amount on the line marked "Special" and put "Missions" in the memo line.

Join us in growing a heart for "Global Compassion"!

Wise words from a friend...

2010-01-18T12:42:00.005-06:00

Here's one of my favorite quotes from my buddy "B" on a day, years ago, when I was complaining that I always have to be the one who makes up, makes peace, confesses sin, tries harder, takes the blame, in problems at work, at home, in life...

"O.K. Mark... so, who's willing to be the 'CHRISTIAN ON DUTY' in this circumstance?" (Isn't that an awesome question?) Of course it inspired me to answer, "Sign me up! I'll be 'on duty.'" That doesn't mean that I won't suffer, that doesn't mean that things will get easy. It might get even harder or much worse. But to be on duty is a priviledge. Have you thought about what spiritual warfare you will be called up to fight?

So... who's willing to be the "CHRISTIAN ON DUTY" today? What's your answer?

Just wanted to recomend an outstanding book...

2010-01-11T14:20:00.006-06:00

What does it take to be a "biblical husband"? Sure, many books on the market seem to speak to this issue. However, none of them has ever "put it all together" in one volume in an easy to understand and scripturally sound way--until now. The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo is the ground-breaking book that Christian men have been waiting for. In it, the author turns his years of biblical counseling wisdom to the subject of being a husband. But not just any husband. Rather, the husband that the Lord Jesus Christ wants all Christian men to be. The author reminds men that if they wished their wives came with an owner's manual, they did; it's called the Bible! Far from giving men carte blanche to order their wives around, Priolo shows men how the Bible instructs them to "know their wives." After all, wives have dreams, goals, desires--and sorrows, just like men. It is the husband's job to find out what they are and "cultivate" his wife so that she becomes spiritually fertile. The author reminds his readers that pleasing their wives does not automatically equate to the sexual arena. Men must think in terms of the whole relationship, and the whole person. However, since he is aware that sexual relations is part of the blueprint God created for marriage, he devotes an entire chapter to the subject. Above all, Priolo stresses that it is correct biblical thinking that leads to tender actions, that in turn leads to complete fulfillment in the marriage bond.

This book has personaly challenged me. The NEU mann needs to constantly look for ways to be made NEU in Christ. Marriage is such a critical part of our witness, especially to our children. May God grant his grace and favor to the further discoveries of married life. Diana is not only my beautiful bride, she is an outstanding Christian woman with amazing gifts and abilities. I thank God for the high priviledge of being her husband. I want to become the Complete Husband for her and hope somehow to be the blessing to her that she is to me!

Accountability - Allowing your life to have an editor!

2009-06-17T15:43:00.003-05:00

Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron,and one man sharpens another."

Every Christian man needs loving, brotherly, relationships with other Christian men. From the basis of trust and love a NEU mann, allows a trusted friend to edit his life. While some may see accountability as a design for preventing bad behavior, "edit"ability helps you accomplish the good your life was designed for. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) Editing means asking questions. Sounds a lot like "accountability" doesn't it? In search of the right style for editing, I searched for some sample accountability questions for men. Here's a sampling of what I found. I'd love to hear some feedback on your thoughts. Do you have at least one editor? Are you accountable to another Christian or group? What do you think of these questions? Which is your favorite set and why?

A. John Wesley’s Small Group Questions:
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
20. Do I grumble and complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?

B. Wesley’s Band Meeting Questions:
1. What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
2. What temptations have you met with?
3. How were you delivered?
4. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
5. Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?

C. Chuck Swindoll’s Accountability Questions:
1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me?

D. Renovare Questions:
James Bryan Smith and Richard Foster have compiled a list of questions for accountability to spiritual disciplines which is one of the Renovare resources.
1. In what ways did God make his presence known to you since our last meeting? What experiences of prayer, meditation and spiritual reading has God given you? What difficulties or frustrations did you encounter? What joys or delights?
2. What temptations did you face since our last meeting? how did you respond? Which spiritual disciplines did God use to lead you further into holiness of heart and life?
3. Have you sensed any influence or work of the Holy Spirit since our last meeting? What spiritual gifts did the Spirit enable you to exercise? What was the outcome? What fruit of the Spirit would you like to see increase in your life? What disciplines might be useful in this effort?
4. What opportunities did God give you to serve others since our last meeting? How did you respond? Did you encounter injustice to our oppression of others? Were you able to work for justice and shalom?
5. In what ways did you encounter Christ in your reading of the Scripture since our last meeting? How has the Bible shaped the way you think and live? Did God provide an opportunity for you to share your faith with someone? How did you respond?

E. Five Life Questions:
1. How have you experienced God in your life this week?
2. What is God teaching you?
3. How are you responding to His prompting?
4. Do you have a need to confess any sin?
5. How did you do with your reading this week?

F. The Highway Community:
1. Did I invest the proper quality/quantity of time in my most important relationships?
2. Did my life reflect verbal integrity?
3. Did I express a forgiving attitude toward others?
4. Did I practice undisciplined or addictive behavior?
5. Was I honorable in my financial dealings?
6. Was I sexually pure?
7. Did I spend time with the Lord this week, completing the Bible reading for the week?
8. Did I pray for my pre-Christian friends? Did I talk with someone about Christ?

G. Florent Varak, a French pastor in Lyon, developed these questions:
1. What have the Scriptures revealed in your life this week:
- In terms of specific sinful behavior?
- In terms of specific sinful thoughts?
- In terms of specific sinful words?
2. What errors or lies that you once believed have now been corrected by your reading of the Scriptures?
3. What encouragement have the Scriptures given you in your daily walk?
4. What do you need to ask the Spirit of God to reveal to you that you have not yet understood?

H. Neil Cole developed a list of less specific questions:
1. What is the condition of your soul?
2. What sin do you need to confess?
3. What have you held back from God that you need to surrender?
4. Is there anything that has dampened your zeal for Christ?
5. Who have you talked with about Christ this week?

I. Dave Guiles, director of Grace Brethren International Missions developed these questions:
1. How have you sensed God’s presence in your life during this past week?
2. Have you received a specific answer to your prayers? What was it?
3. Have you spoken with a non-believer about your faith in Jesus Christ? With whom?
4. To whom have you shown God’s love during this past week?
5. What have you learned about God in your personal Bible reading this past week?
6. As a result of your Bible reading this past week, how have you determined to better obey God?
7. Specifically, what area of your life do you feel that God most wants to change? Have you taken specific steps to make those changes?
8. What good habit do you feel God wants to form in your life? Have you taken specific steps to develop that habit?

J. Paul Klawitter, a church planting missionary in France has developed the following questions:
1. What worries or other issues are you currently facing?
2. Is there an area that God is working on in your life or any sin that you would like to pray about?
3. For what non-Christian friends can we pray?
4. In your reading of the Bible: Who is God? What does Jesus expect of you? What do you think he is saying to you? How do you think you should respond?

K. Two simple questions:
1. What is God telling you to do?
2. What are you going to do about it?

Putting Others First

2009-01-15T15:20:00.003-06:00

Not long ago I overheard my father talking to one of my children about the old “JOY” formula. You might also remember it from our Sunday School days. We were told that we should prioritize our relationships “Jesus-Others-Yourself”. I think that many Christ followers would say that the more they get to know Jesus the more natural it is to put him first. That’s what it means to make Him the Lord of our life. The question then turns to how do I put others before myself? How can I do so and make myself last? Compared to the Lordship of Jesus, this doesn’t seem to come as naturally for God’s people either. We don’t stand in line at the grocery store and let everyone go first until the cashier has no one in line except for that last humble Christian with all the JOY from letting others go first. We feel it is good enough to be polite. Perhaps, maybe, “thinking” of others first. There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Galatians 5:21) In the original language of the New Testament, the word submit means “order yourself under”. Some Bible commentators say that it’s like a military command to line up in rank. It means to take action, personally, to move to a place that is under the other person. People like to be above not below. We fail to see that the place below is a place where real love and service can be shown, where we can lift others up. Typically, we “climb” the ladder of success we don’t descend on it. I’ve often asked young engaged couples why they would want to put their partner “first?” The most typical answer I hear is “Because I love her/him.” But that’s not the Biblical answer. The verse from Galatians says we do this because of our relationship with Christ. So, the JOY formula must have Jesus first and descending a ladder of success makes sense to His people. Jesus did that when He came to save us. He taught that to be great in God’s kingdom, we will learn to be the servant of all.

I love my job!

2008-12-10T14:33:00.010-06:00

Trinity serves hundreds of children every week, through our Childcare, Preschool,Elementary Academy, Children's and Youth Ministries. I'm so grateful for the opportunities I get to very regularly share the love and grace of Jesus Christ with children and youth. This morning I enjoyed the precious time of leading little ones to discover the truth about the manger and the Savior who came to give us all a new life and eternal joy with God. They were amazed to think that Cattle really ate from Baby Jesus' bed of all places! I told them that the sweetest place for Jesus was a place in their heart. Receiving and trusting in Christ for his work of salvation is the greatest way to celebrate CHRISTmas. Our hearts were made to receive Him, not to push Him away. The prophet Isaiah said that this child was born "to us"... a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." It grieves me that countless people would forfiet such a gift at CHRISTmas time, or any other time. I hope that you will join me in this holy season to share with people the truth of Christ and His gift of salvation. An old CHRISTmas carol includes this precious prayer...

"O dearest Jesus, Holy Child,

Make Thee a bed soft, undefiled

Within my heart that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee."

My little friends and I all agreed that we would like Jesus to find a quiet sweet place in our hearts this year. It seemed so easy to convince them to love the Baby from heaven. They have "child-like faith". For adults, though it usually means that we must become humble, realizing that our sinful rebellion has made us in desperate need of God grace. We thankfully welcome the Savior and trust that He has come to save us. That's the "Merry" in "Merry Christmas!" It's a heart that is free in Christ. It has made me the "NEU Mann" I was meant to be. It is God's desire to make us all new in His Son.

Christmas Tell Overture

2008-11-17T14:44:00.006-06:00

I'd like to introduce you to Cheri Buelow. She is our Family Ministry Director and Praise Team Worship Leader. This is a video of what she wrote and sang at out last Christmas Eve service. It's a message to parents about the Christmas season. We are fortunate to enjoy her many talents. (PLEASE NOTE!!! She is NOT available to book at your congregation this Christmas Eve.)

Christmas Tell Overture
Cheri Buelow
Christmas 2007

Get a tree, get a tree, get a Christmas tree
Cut it down, drag it out on your hands and knees
Put it up, put it up, get it straighter, please
How about a plastic tree?

Get the lights, get a star, get the ornaments
Get the cat out of here, I am feeling tense
Hang 'em high and low, I need balance
And no, don't give me your two cents

Onto the house, the decorating...everything must look festive
Boughs and bows and holly and the mistletoe - it's poisonous!
Gotta keep up with the guru, Martha Stewart, she's the queen of home
But I bet is she did try, she could not write a better poem

My house is all ready, my tree is still standing tall
It's time to go shopping, with VISA, I'll have a ball
Buy a gift, buy a gift, it's getting late
My list is long, one thing I hate
Is to stand in line and wait and wait
It wrecks my mental state

Oh, look here it comes, it starts to snow
If I don't slow down my car will go in the ditch and then I'll really know
I'm in deep...trouble!

Why do we rush about at Christmastime
Bake cookies, see Santa, attend the Nutcracker Ballet
Why don't we take the time to slow it down and ponder and wonder
What Christmas really means

And there were shepherds abiding in their fields
When suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared
Fear not, I bring you good news
For tonight in the city of David, a Savior has been born
And a host of heavenly angels began to sing
Wisemen followed a star and traveled to the East to see the babe
And they found Him in a manger
With His mother, Mary, and His father, Joseph
God has sent His only Son
The Christ Child had come

This is the meaning of this time of year - a story - it happened a very long, long time ago
I need you all to understand the power and glory that really did unfold
So forget all about the shoveling, the Christmas cards, the light parade
There's nothing else that matters more than saving those who've strayed
Our children need to grow up hearing everything about God's Word
Our job is to make sure that every person has heard

God loves you...His Son came to save us from all our sin
Accept Him...and heaven is the gift that you will win

Light a candle, it's an Advent thing
A nativity will help to bring clarity
Be sure to sing songs about the newborn King
Joy to the World and Silent Night
Sings songs about the star so bright
Peace on the earth that holy night
Let's not lose sight of all the people in the world who do not know
About the Lord who came to show us how to live and love and He, He has a plan for you and me - a plan to prosper and be free
From all the hustle and the bustle and the stress and strain

God has, He has a purpose for your life
It doesn't mean there won't be strife
But without Him the world is lost - that cannot be!
It's up to you...it's up to me
We need to raise a generation that will follow Jesus Christ
And so I plead
Raise 'em up, raise 'em up, get your Bible out
Raise 'em up, raise 'em up...don't you pout, take this route, there's no doubt

That...
Jesus is the great I AM
The Prince of Peace, Redeemer, God
He's worthy, worthy, worthy, worthy
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
And now my song is done, I give all glory to the Son! Hurray!
And so this is the end, the end, Amen!

What do you think?

2008-10-30T15:38:00.002-05:00

As a pastor, I often wonder what people think about these kind of things. I'd like to use my blog to generate some discussion on this topic, NOT to make enemies or push any agenda. I'm just curious. Please read this article and either comment or vote in my opinion pole or both. (By the way... I don't have a political speech ready to go for my next sermon. I love talking about Jesus Christ and His wonderful love for humanity. My other blog www.tlccross.com discusses my vision of mission and ministry.)

IRS Takes a "Wait-and-See" Approach to Pulpit Freedom Sunday
In 1954, the U.S. Congress amended (without debate or analysis) Internal Revenue Code §501(c) (3) to restrict the speech of non-profit tax exempt entities, including churches. Before the amendment was passed, there were no restrictions on what churches could or couldn’t do with regard to speech about government and voting, excepting only a 1934 law preventing non-profits from using a substantial part of their resources to lobby for legislation.
The 1954 amendment, offered by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson, stated that non-profit tax exempt entities could not “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.” Since the amendment passed, the IRS has steadfastly maintained that any speech by churches about candidates for government office, including sermons from the pulpit, can result in loss of tax exemption.
Historically, churches had frequently and fervently spoken for and against candidates for government office. Such sermons date from the founding of America, including sermons against Thomas Jefferson for being a deist; sermons opposing William Howard Taft as a Unitarian; and sermons opposing Al Smith in the 1928 presidential election. Churches have also been at the forefront of most of the significant societal and governmental changes in our history including ending segregation and child labor and advancing civil rights.
After the amendment, churches faced a choice of speaking Scriptural truth about candidates and risking their tax exemption, or remaining silent and protecting their tax exemption. Unfortunately, many churches have allowed the 1954 Johnson amendment to effectively silence their speech, even from the pulpit. Ironically, fifty years after the amendment passed, and despite the strict IRS interpretation of it, to date, there is no reported situation where a church has lost its tax exempt status or been directly punished for sermons light of Scripture. Nonetheless, the IRS maintains that pulpit sermons comparing candidates’ positions with Scriptural truth violate the Internal Revenue Code. Thus, many churches accept the IRS interpretation of the Code and become silent, avoiding these topics altogether.
ADF believes that the Johnson amendment is unconstitutional in restricting the expression of sermons delivered from the pulpits of churches. This initiative is designed to return freedom to the pulpit by allowing pastors to speak out on the profound and important issues of the day.
There are many reasons why the 1954 Johnson amendment violates the Constitution according to ADF. Here are some of the key reasons why ADF believes the amendment is unconstitutional:
The amendment violates the Establishment Clause by requiring the government to excessively and pervasively monitor the speech of churches to ensure they are not transgressing the restriction in the amendment. The amendment allows the government to determine when truly religious speech becomes impermissibly “political.” The government has no business making such decisions.
The amendment violates the Free Speech Clause because it requires the government to discriminate against speech based solely on the content of the speech. In other words, some speech is allowed, but other speech is not. The Supreme Court has invalidated this type of speech discrimination for decades.
The amendment also violates the Free Speech Clause by conditioning the receipt of a tax exemption on refraining from certain speech. Put simply, if a church wants the tax exemption, they cannot speak Scriptural truth when it comes to candidates for governmental office. This is an unconstitutional condition on free speech.
The amendment violates the Free Exercise Clause because it substantially burdens a church’s exercise of religion. The government does not have a compelling reason to burden religion in this way.
The IRS has taken a “wait-and-see” approach to the Pulpit Freedom Sunday. ADF senior counsel Erik Stanley told Tax Analysts that 32 churches participated in the event on September 28 and that it was a great success and was well received by the congregations.” Senator Charles Grassley commented: “A minister ought to be able to speak politically just like anybody else can. The only thing that I would say, a pastor can’t use the resources of a church or a nonprofit organization for political purposes.
Marcus Owens, an attorney with Caplin & Drysdale and a former director of the IRS Exempt Organization Division said, according to Tax Analysts, that the individual churches participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday will likely face an audit and a letter asking them not to do it again.
Milt Cerny, formerly with the IRS and Caplin & Drysdale said he thinks it would have been more responsible for ADF to seek a meeting with the IRS to formulate guidelines for churches and religious organizations that would protect the right of free speech while upholding the congressionally-imposed restriction on political activity, according to the EO Tax Journal.

Fall Family Hike (Interstate Park MN/WI border)

2008-10-18T22:18:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed a wonderful family hike at Interstate Park. This is the St Croix River by our new house. We live about 35 miles downstream from this lovely spot.

I Love Autumn!!!!

2008-10-16T16:20:00.012-05:00

Here are some reasons that I'm glad to live on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border! All I can say is "WOW Lord! Great job this year!!!!!!!"

Summac is my favorite
for fall color!

WOO HOO!

Understanding the Revelation

2008-08-28T12:53:00.003-05:00

In light of my most recent sermon on the end times, I wanted to recomend a wonderful book on the interpretation of Revelation. As I mentioned in my sermon, interpreting the Revelation in a linear fashion is what has created the massive ammount of confusion concerning the end. We can easily understand the Revelation as it was intended to be interpreted. John simply tells the story of the end seven times. John was privileged to see the end with images and numbers and events that could make a person's head swim with confusion. But it clears up and remains consistent with the rest of the scriptures when it is studied with the proper interpretive methods.
Maybe you've asked the question, "Will I ever understand Revelation?" Here is a Bible study which covers all of this amazing book. Written by Rev. James Knotek. It is in laymen's language and yet is an excellent tool for ministers. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Excellent for Bible classes or individual study. Reflects a sound, Biblical method of interpretation, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. (167 pages) Available at the following Web address...

http://www.churchpress.com/UnlockingTheMysteryofRevelation.htm

Dependence Day

2008-07-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

Every year it rolls around, that wonderful summer holiday we, Americans, call “Independence Day”. It’s the holiday that celebrates freedom and Americans love freedom. We’ve fought for it over the generations. We defend the cause of freedom around the world today. It was on the 4th of July in the year 1776 that our young nation was formed by a Declaration of Independence from the British Crown. America was born!
Independence is in our blood. The every person grows from formative, dependent, childhood to the independent youth that is reaching toward adulthood. There comes a time when we desire to be free and “on our own”. I often think of this as I watch the annual season of high school and college graduation. I remember my own venture from home to college and my taste of independence. We feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when we’ve done something on our own, from the first batch of cookies I made “by myself” to the water pump I replaced on my Plymouth Horizon in only 4 days. (Can I help it if the whole engine sank four inches when I removed the wrong bolt?)
Yes, America was born on Independence Day, by breaking ties of loyalty to the King. But it’s different for you and me as Christians because we are reborn by ties of grace and faith that are given to us by the King of kings. Americans enjoy “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We Christians know that life, that is real life, is not a right to claim but a gift to receive. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullest.” (John10:10) Indeed, the Bible was written for that very purpose. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) God’s people also celebrate liberty as they believe and trust God’s amazing grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Freedom throughout our history has always come at the high cost of bloodshed. Our liberty from sin and death is far costlier because God’s Son had to lay down His life as a ransom for our sins. Our life and our liberty are eternal and complete. Our life and our liberty put us in the pursuit of something far greater than earthly happiness. We pursue love, a greater love for God and a greater love for others. The pursuit of love causes us to hunger for a greater knowledge of God. It moves us to worship and prayer. The pursuit of love causes us to reach out to others with the awesome news that Jesus died to save them. God turns us around from the empty pursuit of worldly living and death. It happens on “Dependence Day”, that time when the human soul is placed in the dependent state of God’s grace.
Dependence Day is when Baptism ushers in a new citizenship, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Even the helpless little child may belong to His kingdom. Jesus said it “belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16-17) Our problem often comes from the human tendency to “do it by myself”. It won’t work! You can’t be righteous enough. You can’t know enough. You can’t serve enough. You can’t pay a high enough price on your own. We depend on Christ!
Dependence Day was clearly marked on the calendar of the ages when Jesus went to the cross. Every time we cling to God’s grace through Christ, every time we go to the cross, or call out to Him for mercy and strength to help us in our time of need we make a bold “Declaration of Dependence” I can’t do it on my own! A year has now come and gone since I answered the call to be pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hudson, Wisconsin. I am more aware of the truth that our church can’t have the, “I’ll do it myself” attitude. That will stand in the way of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of love.” We're joinning together to declare today a Dependence Day.

God's Story: Cover to Cover

2008-06-17T06:19:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty excited about the Summer message series that we've planned for both Trinity site this summer. Pastor Tim and I are preaching through the Bible to give people an overview/sketch of the flow of God's story. Of course we won't be able to cover every chapter and verse. We will be summarizing the message of major events and themes. This past week I preached on the Patriarchs (Genesis 12-50). We covered a lot of ground but I think that the hearers got an idea of this important time in Bible history and why God used these men to reveal His story and pass it to the generations that followed. You can listen to any of the sermons in this series by clicking the links on the right side of this blog.

Unity in the Cross

2008-04-14T12:53:00.003-05:00

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
John 12:32
It takes power beyond the best of human effort to unite that which is divided. We all know that people can sit side by side, pews full of them, and sing the same songs, pray the same prayers, and read the same Scriptures and still be void of unifying power. Just as men may spend years together in the same prison cell and never become brothers, church folk can be locked into the same church routine for a lifetime and never experience the power of unity in Christ.
We often point to the Bible as the basis of unity, but even the Bible makes no such claim for itself. No book has the power to bring distant hearts into oneness, not even a book that comes from God. God did not give a collection of documents to heal broken hearts, but a Person. It is the wonderful Person of the Bible that makes wholeness possible, not the Bible itself, however much agreement there may be in the study of it. If a book could have reconciled people to God and to each other, then the God of heaven could have looked to the printing press rather than the Cross. If we could have been saved, and made sisters and brothers, by the law or by a book, then Christ died for nothing.
If unity is a matter of seeing the teachings of the Bible eye¬ to¬ eye, then believers will never be united, for they never have and never will see the Bible alike. And if believers ever have been united, it was not because of doctrinal agreement upon the Bible but because of their common devotion to Jesus Christ.
If you have the joy of the Lord in your heart and I have it in my heart, we are going to be one, in spite of our differences. The Apostle Paul names the basis of unity, even when referring to other Christians with whom he had serious differences: Philippians 1:18 says, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice…” Christ is preached! Any other basis of unity falls short, for only the Cross has the power to unite that which is divided.
It takes nothing from the importance of the Bible to acknowledge that it never has been and never can be the basis of Christian unity. The Bible as the word of God strengthens and enriches the unity and fellowship that is found only in Christ. It is enough to allow the Bible itself to describe its function: 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Devotion and loyalty to Jesus Christ is the basis and source of our oneness in the faith, while the Scriptures are given to "build us up" as the family of God on earth (Acts 20:32).
Together At The Cross
When you are drawn to that Cross and I am drawn to that Cross, we are together, in spite of all our faults and warts and diversities. However much people may be separated, they can find unifying power in the Cross. Each step we take toward the Cross puts us one step closer to each other. Once we stand at the Cross together with empty cups to be filled by His grace, our differences will not be as important to us as when we stand at shouting distance from each other.
Paul addressed a church riddled with factions, not in terms of doctrinal conformity, but in terms of the power of the Cross. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2 “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” In the same context Paul refers to "the message of the Cross" as the power of God (1:18), which is the power to unite as well as the power to save. If we would just be like Paul by making the Cross our message, we would discover the power to overcome any of our sad divisions.
We are a people who have always been concerned, and perhaps rightly so, as to where to draw the line in terms of unity and fellowship. There is obviously a place to draw the line since everyone is not a Christian, but we are reluctant to draw the line except where Christ drew it, at the Cross. He accepts all who come to the Cross. Should we require more?
We look to the Cross for our healing. When people do that, we should meet them there in loving acceptance, for they have yielded themselves in humble obedience to Christ. That is unity and fellowship. If they are deficient in some ways (and who isn’t?) there will be time enough, in an atmosphere of loving patience, to show them the way of the Lord more perfectly. They in turn will help us live the way of the Lord more fully.

Recent Sermons at Trinity

2008-02-11T06:19:00.000-06:00

Check out the new side bar item on my blog page. It links you to a web site called sermon cloud where a few guys from Trinity started posting recordings of sermons preached at the Trinity Family Center. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Updated Family Photo

2007-12-30T06:23:00.000-06:00

I've updated our family photo. The previous phot on this blog was taken almost three years ago. Wow! The children grow so quickly. in this Christmas photo Lydia is 21, Hannah is 19, Elijah is almost 15, Abram is 13, Noah is 10, Isaac is 8, and Faith is almost 6.

The Double Fence

2007-12-27T12:31:00.000-06:00

Church unity is fine as an idea, but it is another thing entirely when we deal with application. I read this story recently, and it illustrates my point well:
“Between two farms near Valleyview, Alberta, you can find two parallel fences, only two feet apart, running one-half mile. Two farmers, Paul and Oscar, had a disagreement that erupted into a feud. Paul wanted to build a fence and split the cost, but Oscar refused. Since he wanted to keep cattle on his land, Paul built the fence anyway.
“After the fence was completed, Oscar said to Paul, ‘I see we have a fence.’ ‘What do you mean, ‘We?’ Paul asked. ‘I had the property surveyed and built the fence two feet into my land,’ Paul continued. ‘Some of my land is outside the fence, and if I see your cows trespassing, I’ll shoot them.’ Oscar knew Paul was serious, so when he eventually chose to use his land next to Paul’s for pasture, he was forced to build a fence two feet away.”
Unity in practice is time-consuming, costly, distracting and difficult at best to attain. It means sacrificing our preferences and desires. So why bother? Before Jesus was arrested, he prayed, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23 NIV).
Unity in practice is sometimes painful, and it does mean we must sometimes give up our preferences, tastes and traditions. So why bother? “…to reach out daily with a growing heart to heaven, home, and humanity near and far.” Unity at Trinity is of utmost importance. Several factors present both the challenge and the blessing of striving together for unity in our congregation. We have the blessing and the challenge of two ministry sites. We have the blessing and the challenge of ministries that take our efforts in different directions on a daily basis. We have the blessing and challenge of combining resources of people, facilities, finances, and energy with people who are come at life from different perspectives.
The last thing we need is a double fence built in any of our ministries. I am always encouraged when I see the wonderful cooperative working of God’s people at Trinity. I look forward to a new year of building unity and working together to share God’s love with our community.

Thankful...

2007-11-24T11:07:00.000-06:00

I'm posting this blog entry from a Caribou coffee shop, while enjoying a wonderful cup of coffee. Thanksgiving was just a couple of days ago. It's honestly one of my favorite holidays. I like it because it hasn't become as "secularized" as so many other Christian holidays. Though not everyone is asking the question, it's not out of place to ask people, "What are you thankful for?" I did so at acouple of places. I asked the receptionists at my physical therapy appointment, I asked a gas station attendant, I asked a waitress. The response from each of these people was a thankfulness for "family." People really seem to value the relationships around them. I can well understand that sentiment. I too, am so very grateful for the lovely family that God gave me. I feel so blessed when I think about my precious bride, Diana, and each one of my children. Life with them is a special joy and blessing. In addition to the family I live with, I am grateful for the family that I worship with on a regular basis. My church family is precious to me. Both my family at home and my church family are gifts from God and a special testimony of His wonderful grace in my life. I've got to trace those blessings right back to the one who gives every good and perfect gift, the Father in heaven. When I think aout the things I am thankful for, the chief blessing and the source of all good in my life is the Lord. He has made me and given me all my blessings. What a joy to offer Him my worship and praise! The gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is by far the biggest blessing I have to be thankful for each and every Thanksgiving, but also every day. The death and resurrection of my Savior Jesus has given me life through the forgiveness of all my sin. There is nothing I could be more thankful for. Now we turn our sights to the next big holiday, "CHRISTmas". I'm looking forward to sharing the joy of Christmas with everyone I can. I'm thankful for such a joyous message in a world where we need it so desperately.

Fun, Fun, Fun,...

2007-09-25T11:43:00.000-05:00

What a welcome for my family and me!

Watch this video of the song the praise team wrote and performed at the installation service. (The guy shaking his head just to the right of the center of the screen is my dad... a fairly traditional Lutheran, himself, but a very good sport!)

Fun, Fun, Fun...
Well the call committee met
And decided we should find
a new man now
Packer – Viker didn’t matter
But he had to be a Jesus fan now
And with the congregation saying their prayers
Just as fast as they can now
We will have fun, fun, fun
‘Cause we got the Texas preacher to stay

Well we knew all along
That our preacher was kind of unique, yeah
Seven children – Faith, Elijah,
Isaac, Noah, Abram, Lydia, Hannah
And the saint of the family
Is the mother and wife, Diana
Praise Father Son, Son, Son
For the blessing of this
great family
(instrumental)

Well, we got the pastor
Who speaks and leads
like an ace now
We’ll be moving just
as fast as we can
Keeping up with his pace now
He’s got enthusiasm
written all over
That baby face now
And he will run, run, run
Doing ministry at Trinity, yeah
And he will run, run, run
Doing ministry at Trinity, yeah
And he will run, run, run
Doing ministry at Trinity, yeah!

A wonderful dance...

2007-09-13T15:30:00.000-05:00

This awesome liturgical dance was sent to me by a friend. I had to post it for the rest of you. It's a great celebration of freedom in Christ.

EE-Taow

2007-09-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

I've had several requests for the video I shared with the church called EE-Taow. Here it is... with even more footage!

Here's a link for ordering the DVD which now includes a sequel to this amazing story...

http://shop.nogreaterjoy.org/product_info.php/cPath/6_36/products_id/172

Nutshell Verses

2007-09-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed preaching a message today called "Getting It... Nutshell Verses". My vision for the message was that there are several key things that God really wants us to get. They can be stated in simple verses from the Bible. It's possible to glance over these verses without getting it. They are so important that I wanted to be sure that they were examined today and clearly understood. Here are the "nutshell verses" I shared today...

Truth in a nutshell
John 17:17 (ESV)
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Consequence in a nutshell
Ezekiel 18:4 (ESV)
Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

Law in a nutshell
Luke 13:5 (ESV)
…but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Gospel in a nutshell (of course)
John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Salvation in a nutshell
Acts 16:31 (ESV)
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Power in a nutshell
Romans 1:16 (ESV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Obedience in a nutshell
Matthew 22:37 - 40 (ESV)
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Responsibility in a nutshell
Matthew 28:19 - 20 (ESV)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Worship in a nutshell
Revelation 5:12 - 13 (ESV)
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” …“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Here are the results of my last poll...

2007-09-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

What do you think about "Video Sermons"?

68% I get just as much out of them.
26% They're OK ocassionally, but I really don't like them.
47% They are a good tool for multi-site churches.
5% They are less effective and their use should be discouraged.
0% They do not belong in today's church.

The percentages do not add up to 100 because more than one response could be registered

Learning Curve

2007-07-20T07:35:00.000-05:00

As I begin work at Trinity, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about the ministry that lies before us. In the fastest growing county of Wisconsin, planted in two locations, with a strong historic tie to the Hudson community, we are poised to have a powerful effect on the St. Croix River Valley, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Together, we have so much to give our Lord, in faithful service. Right now, I’m climbing a great big “learning curve” which is O.K. with me since I do enjoy the process of learning new things. The “learning curve” refers to a relationship between the duration of learning or experience and the resulting progress. Initially introduced in the discipline of cognitive psychology, over time the term acquired a broader interpretation, and the expressions "experience curve", improvement curve", "cost improvement curve", "progress curve"/"progress function", "startup curve", "efficiency curve" etc., may be used interchangeably, depending on the context. Some of these terms may also have other meanings. Another specific context of the term "learning curve" is acquiring a new skill, e.g., an experience in usage of new tools.
The learning curve has been described with other words too. When we hear of a “steep” learning curve, it implies the need for a strong effort to climb quickly to the place of high efficiency. A “short” learning curve implies one that will not last long or is relatively easy. The implication of a “flat” learning curve is that there is nothing new to learn to be more effective.
How would I describe my current learning curve? I guess I could say that it looks enormous, sometimes. It is at the same time energizing and exhausting. I am eager to learn it quickly yet see that it will never cease to be a challenge for a pastor in today’s culture. I’m happy to say that I can’t describe it as “lonely” because the staff and members of Trinity are walking with me through the newness of this ministry in my first couple of weeks.
What do you need to know? Since I am learning, (and may be doing so for quite a while,) please understand that it will take a while to learn names and faces. Just today, I met five members out and about in the community. They knew who I was but this was the first time I met them. Please feel free to introduce yourself to me for the next couple of years, even if you think I know your name and face. I will do my best to learn quickly. I’m also learning the “system”, how things work around here and what I need to know about all sorts of processes. I’m learning about the ministry teams (and there are many of them), finances, leaders, movers, and shakers. I’ve had the delight of meeting and praying with area pastors and getting to know how we will work together in the Hudson community.
Scripture tells us that we are all learning together. That’s right, you’re on a learning curve too! The Bible reminds us that we are each given to one another, with important gifts and abilities to share. “…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12-13) You see, we’re on the learning curve together so that we can be a unified body of Christ-followers. It’s a big, challenging curve that takes a life-time of learning and growth. But, I’m excited to be sharing this experience with all of you. Let’s each share our knowledge and experience as Christian people to build his kingdom at Trinity and everywhere we are able.

A New Call!

2007-06-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

PRAISE GOD!!!

Thanks to our many dear friends for the prayers and support as I deliberated with prayer and godly counsel over the call to serve as Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church. As a church body we believe that God has His hand in the movement of ministry personnel when and where it pleases Him. So we pray that God fills the need of the churches as he sees fit. That’s why we call it a “divine call” when it is issued. I want to thank you for your prayers that God would direct Trinity to her next pastor.

I have been waiting for God to move with decisive clarity to reveal His will for my future ministry. My own prayers and ponderings have left me hoping that I would soon be serving again, in full time ministry. I am now very convinced and filled with deep peace that God Himself, moving with His Holy Spirit, The Counselor, has given me a clear and compelling call to serve Trinity. I joyfully accept that call and look forward to building our lives under the Word of God to extend his kingdom near and far. I look forward to the vision we will see together as He enables us to follow His call as an entire body of faith-filled travelers on the journey of life.

When I return from the Philippines, I anticipate very exciting days through the month of July as we make the necessary transitions and settle into the community as a family. Diana and all the children join me in this excitement as we eagerly embrace a new day together. They, like me, are happy about the new ministries they will come to serve as members of the body.

New Testament Postcards

2007-06-15T06:04:00.001-05:00

A new summer sermon series!

"New Testament Postcards" are the quick little notes that were sent to the people of the early church. They are not as theologically packed as the "Letters" or Epistles, like Romans or 1st & 2nd Corinthians. But they have great things to say to us today. I'm looking forward to sharing these messages in the summer time because each message can stand alone on its own. During the summer, the church has some guests who are just passing through while they are away from home. Likewise, some of the local church members are out of town, at the cabin, or on vacation during the summer and often miss one or more of the series' messages. Stop by, and let me share a postcard with you. Titus, Philemon, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd John, and Jude have much to say about our walk with Christ.

It's a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

2007-05-17T14:27:00.000-05:00

New Sermon Series for June...

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

Summer is right around the corner. The neighborhoods are coming to life once again. People are out walking, working in their yards, grilling on their patios. It’s the perfect time to reflect on our life as God’s neighbor. He has a neighborly calling on each of our lives and wants us to make an impact for Him in the world around us. Your neighborhood is a beautiful place to let your faith show. God has always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. He’s always wanted to live in the neighborhood with you. I'm really looking forward to sharing these messages at Trinity Family Center in Hudson, Wisconsin. We're going to get into the Bible with a twist on some themes from one of my all-time heroes, Fred Rogers.

June 3rd “I Like You Just The Way You Are” – 1 Cor 1:26-31
June 10th “Let’s Make The Most Of This Beautiful Day” – Col 4:2-6
June 17th “Would You Be Mine, Could You Be Mine?” – John 17

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What To Do With A New Life: Practical Christianity

2007-04-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

A New Post-Easter Sermon Series!

New life! When the grace of God comes to us we are offered a totally new life, one that the Bible describes as life "in Him." The constant presence of God is the most practical part of your life and ministry. Unfortunately, we often assign God to a limited place in our lives. Then we call on Him whenever we need help. That is the exact opposite of what we find in the Word of God. He is the One who is working in our world. He invites you to relate to Him, so He can accomplish His work through you. His whole plan for the advance of His kingdom depends on His working in real and practical ways through His relationship to His people.

Knowing and experiencing God through a real and personal relationship was practical in the Scriptures. In this new sermon series, I want to cover a lot of ground. I believe you will find the new life to be a walk with God that is exceedingly "practical." God can make a practical difference in your relationships in your family, in your church, and with many others in the world.

Wipe Out!

2007-04-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Talk about wipe outs, I had a bad one on Wednesday, March 21, 2007. I was enjoying my "secon-to-last" run of the day. Hoping to get to the chair lift before they closed it and wanting to sail righ up to the line without have to push myself with the poles, I tucked like a professional and tried to grab all the speed I could muster. I was going way too fast. When my left ski hit a patch of ice, my wonderful "tucked position turned into a flurry of flying ski equipment and very suprised skier taking to the air and comming down in a crumble. My right ski did not come off and so my right achilles tendon was torn. I had surgery a week later to repair it and I'm now doing a lot of sitting. I'm not used to sitting so long and in one place. I asked several friends and family to pray for me. I was worried about the post-operative pain (It was worse than my kidney stone incident) but I'm over it now and looking forward to getting my surgical dressing removed on Tuesday, April 10th. The doctor tells me that I'll be in an "achilles boot" which is like a legbrace where my foot will rest on wedges to prop up my heel. Gradually we will reduce the number of wedges so that my tendon will be stretched to its normal condition. He says the process will take about 8 weeks. Would you join me in praying for patience and quick healing. My hope is to be completely restored before my scheduled departure for the Philippines mission trip in June. I want to thank all the prayer warriors who have joined me thus far in this journey. God is answering those prayers and I feel great.

Pastors Are Thankful For Your Prayers!

2007-03-09T14:03:00.000-06:00

This past week I had the wonderful privilige of going to King of Kings Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. It has to be one of my very favorite churches. They have a powerful prayer ministry that I admire so much. While I was there with my collegues from the Pastoral Leadership Institute, their prayer warriors did much to minister to us. Each of us was treated to a significant amount of personal prayer. Much grace was flowing from God's throne. We were made acutely aware of the warfare around us as pastors. I sensed a tremendous love from God through these brothers and sisters in the Lord. The healing was fantastic! At one point, during the Sunday service we were called to the front and surrounded by prayer team they were directed by their pastor to remember the unique challenges and struggles that pastors face. Then they started praying... All at once, out loud, and with great passion. These people knew how to lift up their pastors. The petitions were "real" and dealt with life and ministry in an honest way. Thanks to all those wonderful prayer partners for such a blessing. I know that there are others who remember me in daily prayer. You have no idea what a lifeline you are. I thank God for each of you and pray that His blessings fall abundantly in your life and ministry too!

http://www.kingofkingsomaha.org

Missions Made Possible: Eye On Our Goal

2007-02-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

UPDATED TOTAL $4250.00 3/9/2007

We're making some decent progress on our mission goal! As you know from our earlier blog, I am going on two special missions this Spring/Summer. On the first mission, planned for June, my daughter Lydia, a nursing student, and I will travel to the Philippines two serve three orphanages in the country. She will be able to assist the team doctor with health assessments for the children. I will have the joy of teaching the children about Baptism and have been asked to baptize 65 children! Then, in July/August, my wife, Diana, and I will travel with a group of pastors and their wives to Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China. We will assist LCMS missionaries in some of their summer ministries and get a taste of the Asian mission operation so that we are better communicators for the work they are doing. If you would like to know more about these mission trips or if you would be so kind as to support them. Please see the earlier blog "Missions Made Possible" Our total cost is $8,000 (Airfare is very costly) Each $2,000 raised essentially pays the way for one Neumann on each trip. So far we've received support that exceeds the first $2,000 benchmark. We've assured our nursing student that her way is completely paid for!!!! Praise God!!!!!!

The Life You’ve Always Wanted

2007-02-24T07:56:00.000-06:00

I grew up in the Detroit, Michigan auto economy. When times were tough for car makers, things seemed tough for everyone. Though we never went hungry, there was no question that times were often pretty tough. Even as a child I could see the evidence of this hard reality. In highschool I was exposed to kids that were better off than we were. My parents made great sacrifices to send me to private Christian schools from start to finish. They couldn’t really afford it to be honest, and that meant that I was going to school with some kids whose parents really could afford the cost. Sadly, I started seeing the bits and pieces of the life I wanted. I know there were bunches of kids in my boat, but I felt like I was the only one who didn’t have his own car, wore jeans without the right label, and couldn’t get around to all the right places at all the right times. I made my way by being popular and influential even without all the “stuff.” But even popularity was pretty empty to me. It seemed I was never satisfied and always wanted more of what the other guy had. Many of us have grown up and still live our lives today looking at the stuff that we think will give us the life we’ve always wanted. We wish we had the right house, the right car, the right job, the right spouse, the right kids, to make us feel happy and fulfilled. We want power and influence. We want, want, want. How will we ever have the life we’ve always wanted?
To be honest, we are usually dissatisfied with all the “stuff” we surround ourselves with. We are sometimes surprised to find that the life we’ve always wanted is really more about the quality of our lives on the inside. It’s the heart and soul, the unseen self that is really only satisfied when it is filled with the grace and goodness of God at work in our lives. One of the very best moments in my whole life was when I heard my wife say, “I’ve finally got the marriage I’ve always wanted.” I knew it wasn’t about the wealth I had brought into our home. It wasn’t a gift that I bought or any special sweetness shown. I wasn’t even me that she was satisfied with. Our marriage had changed because we began spending weekly time with two other couples for the purpose of building our marriage on the foundation of God’s Word. We held eachother accountable for the kind of marriage God wanted us to have. We found out that it was the kind of marriage that we wanted too. God’s Word sheds light on the life we’ve always wanted in our homes, in our churches, in our world. He shows us how the impact of His love and grace makes life the best it can possibly be.
I’m very excited to be preaching during the season of Lent about spiritual disciplines for ordinary people that promote and help us realize the life we’ve always wanted. The message series will be based on the book by John Ortberg by the same title. We will explore the following topics… Meditation on God’s Word, slowing the pace of life and celebrating, prayer and confession, servanthood, a well-ordered heart, and spiritual endurance. As we go to God’s Word for the direction He wants to give us in these areas, we will find ourselves challenged and blessed with an awesome life, to praise and glory of God!

Missions Made Possible

2007-02-24T07:44:00.000-06:00

I want to tell you about some exciting opportunities that our God has laid before us. As many of you know, I am on a sabbatical between now and September, as I await a call to serve a congregation. I am substitute preaching, and using this time to heal, to learn and to be physically and spiritually refreshed. God continues to put in our path opportunities to serve in His kingdom as well. One of which is the culminating event of our 4 years in Pastoral Leadership Institute “PLI”- a mission trip to Hong Kong and Macao, for Diana and me. This trip is for 2 weeks in July and August and is for the purpose of awareness and priority of world missions in us and in congregations we will serve. We will be working with LCMS missionaries, the men will do some teaching and we will have opportunity to work with the local people.

Our daughter, Lydia, is planning to go on a mission trip to the Philippines in June and will have learned in nursing school how to do complete physical assessments. Among many opportunities to serve, she will be able to help the team’s physician with the long lines of children from 3 orphanages in need of medical care. Diseases of the skin, ear and eye infections are common and go untreated. Lydia has a calling to become a nurse because of her desire to care for people.

Very recently I was asked to go with this mission team to the Philippines. This trip is sponsored by the newly formed nonprofit ministry, Missions Made Possible, which exists to further God’s kingdom through helping individuals go on short term mission trips. This team asked me to accompany them in June because the children at Shepherd of the Hills Orphanage would like a pastor to teach them about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. There are 64 that are planning to be baptized after this instruction! You can imagine the joyous event. Shepherd of the Hills is run by a vibrant spirit -filled couple whom we were privileged to meet several months ago (http://www.shepherdofthehills.org.ph/). We were able to see video of these children singing and dancing out their obvious love for the Lord. The 120 children in this orphanage are home schooled in groups of 12 using Alpha/Omega Christian materials. Because so much of what the children need is attention, we believe this might be an ideal mission for parent child teams or even families to go on in the future. The Philippine teams will be doing outreach in the villages, handing out food and clothing and also ministering to handicapped orphans and nursing home residents.

We are asking for your prayer support for the weeks of June 13-28 as Mark and Lydia serve in the Philippines and July 27- August 8th as Mark and Diana serve in China. Especially for good health, safe travel, and hearts receptive to the gospel, and that we could encourage the believers that we meet there.
We also need financial support:
--$2,000 each for Mark and Diana’s PLI mission to China (Normally pastors get support for this from their congregation but we don’t have one right now).
--$2,000 each for Mark and Lydia’s mission to the Philippines Deadline!! These funds are due in March.

Other needs at the orphanage:
--$2,000 orphanage playground equipment
--$3,000 Girls bathrooms- to replace their outhouses
--$250 Chickens
--$1,000 For a stone fence to replace the wood fence that is being torn apart by neighbors using it for fuel!
You can contribute online at www.missionsmadepossible.org (see also the link on this blog site)for either the Philippines trip, the Hong Kong trip or the orphanage projects -just specify who and what you are contributing to.
If you send us your email address we will be sure to send pictures and testimonies of God’s work in Hong Kong and the Philippines!!!!
We believe that where God leads, God supplies. We do not want to take away from your financial commitments to your local church. However we would be so thankful if the Lord enables you to help make these missions possible.
We are grateful for your partnership!

Teaching People How to Use the Bible

2007-02-14T06:28:00.001-06:00

This weekend, I'm excited to share be with the fine people in Hudson, Wisconsin once again. In my sermon message, I will be teaching the people the basics of using a study Bible. I want them to see how they can reference the Word of God almost as easily as using a dictionary. God's Word is meant to be part of our daily life and it is so applicable to our needs on this earth. I'm encouraging parents to bring their young people. If they know how to use referencing skills in school, with dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other material, isn't it time we train them in the practical referencing skills with God's Word? We're going to see how the concordance, cross references, and study notes all help today's disciple learn what they need from the Bible.

If there's a blog visitor reading this post who doesn't know how to use these tools, I would recomend that you ask your pastor, youth leader, or other Christian friends for a little help. I know they would be glad to make the Bible more accessible to you.

I'm preaching again!

2007-02-13T09:16:00.000-06:00

God has been very good to me. I'm getting the opportunity to preach at a wonderful church in Hudson, Wisconsin. (Just a short 1 hour drive from home) While I am on a long sabbatical, between calls, I am so grateful for the people of Trinity who have provided this place to keep me preaching the Word of God. You can visit the web site of this congregation and learn about its ministries online. I've provided links at the side of this page. I'm preaching at Trinity's Family Center, a contemporary worship venue with an amazing amount of musical talent. In addition to the music, the heart of these people really touches me. I love to hear about their excitement for the future. It won't be long before the corn fields surrounding the Family Center grows a bustling, busy, community to serve rather than a crop of corn. I pray that God continues His awesome work in and among them.

What's the NEU Mann?

2005-12-28T13:43:00.001-06:00

"The NEU Mann" is of course a take off of my last name. Which in the original German means "New Man". That's what I am because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. When God's own Son came to live a sinless life for you and me and the entire world, His innocent death on the cross accomplished a great exchange. He took my life, with all its faults and shame, upon himself and was fittly punished for all my wrongs. "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) With my guilt on His own body, He paid those awful penalties by dying in my place. Then the awesome exchange was that His life, without sin, was credited to me before God. Because I trust in the substitutionary death of Jesus for my sins, God sees me as though I lived my life without sin. Though I am not righteous on my own account, God "declares" me righteous because of Jesus. I am a "NEU Mann" "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Being a "NEU Mann" means that life doesn't have to be in all the old ways. My marriage partnership, my family life, my daily interaction with the people around me can be as the new creation God has made me in Christ. I hope to discuss some of this new life with others who are interested. I'd love to compare notes with other people who have received Christ and with those who might still be living without Him.

2005-12-27T16:47:00.000-06:00

The Neumann Family