“You can’t handle the truth!” Thoughts from Colonel Jessup

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A college friend of mine who likes to blog a lot, and make my head hurt with the depth of his theological insights, recently compared a scene from A Few Good Men to the doctrine of Sola Sciptura (Scripture alone) on his FB page.  I won’t get into his comparison but I do love that movie.  I love it so much I actually spent the time, back in the day, to memorize Colonel Jessup’s final courtroom rant (played by Jack Nicholson) which starts with the famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”  I guess I had some time to kill.  But thinking about that movie and God’s Word this week made me really think about Jack’s famous line from the movie and whether or not there’s any truth to it. Can we handle the truth?

I really think Jack hit it on the head.  Part of me feels that some of us really don’t want to know the truth because we believe that indeed we can’t handle it.  We feel better off if we don’t know it that way life can go on as normal (whatever that is) where we “think” we have everything figured out, or at least know how to cope with our dysfunctions.  To find out something isn’t true throws us all out of rhythm.  We don’t like hearing the truth because then we may just have to deal with it and it’s easier if we don’t.  It’s easier, but not always better.  And unfortunately in our American culture we’ll usually take the easy road.

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But facing the truth not only applies to matters of faith but to all areas of life.  Admitting the truth about our addictions, marriage problems, and all kinds of sin is the first step in finding true freedom.  There’s a reason Alcoholics Anonymous has people start by stating their name and that they’re an alcoholic.  There’s freedom in admitting the truth.  Yet how many of us when asked “How are you doing?” will every time say “Fine” when we know everything is not.  Telling someone that everything isn’t alright brings freedom, and it IS okay to do so.  And if things get tough, don’t leave or take a break from the church like most people do.  I don’t understand that and it drives me crazy!  The church is the one place you ought to be able to go for help.   And as a pastor, or just a friend, I want nothing more than to see individuals, couples, and families live in the freedom that the truth of Christ can bring.  This world needs a few good men & women willing to face reality and with Christ’s help YOU can handle the truth.  At our last Sunday service we learned “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).  If you’ve got your head buried in the sand or are avoiding “it”, whatever “it” may be, please take that first step in discovering or admitting the truth.  I guarantee the freedom that comes is well worth it!

God’s plan for YOU?

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This past week while I was preparing for Sunday’s message out of Romans 8 I really didn’t know where to go with it.  My downfall is that because our worship services are currently only 1st & 3rd Sundays (*which will change this September to weekly services) I’ve been trying to preach sermons on an entire chapter each time when the content of Romans 8 could easily be spread out over 4 or 5 sermons.  As I read the chapter over and over I fell more in love with it.  So trying to decide what in chapter 8 God wanted to teach us was like trying to decide between seafood or steak; their both good to me!  But God had a plan and He eventually showed me what to preach on.

Within that sermon was a discussion on Romans 8:28-30 and a short explanation of Calvinism & Arminianism.  While you may or may not have found it interesting (if you were present) or felt like I was feeding you Somminex by the bottle full I’ll leave it up to you to decide which camp you fall under.  But a truth that both views can agree upon, whether you line up with John Calvin or Jacobus Arminius, is that God has a plan for all of us.  His Spirit is at work in each believer’s life as well as the world and his desire is to draw you near to Him and “work for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28).  If you are a follower of Christ know that God is very involved in your life and as any father does, He wants to see good come to you.  Elsewhere in Scripture God says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jeremiah 29:11).  If you still have questions about this whole “God thing” and don’t yet call yourself a follower of Christ know that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1Timothy 2:4) and He is actively pursuing you too.  But as far as the plans go, will “we” always think those plans are good?  No.  Sometimes we don’t understand the plan or have any idea what God’s up to.  Sometimes we’ll wonder if there’s a God at all.  But just because we haven’t heard from Him in awhile or can’t see Him at work, or the circumstances we find ourselves in don’t seem very “good” doesn’t mean He’s not at work.
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Think about all the things that have happened in your life.  Whether it was the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or the birth of a child, and think back to the questions you may have had at that time.  What did those events stir up in you?  How did you respond to them?  I firmly believe that God allows events like those to happen to wake us up, to get our attention, and to cause us to seek Him.  So again, the events in your life; how did you respond?  Did the loss of a job cause you to look to God as your provider?  Did the death of a loved one cause you to question the meaning of life and death and look to God for answers?  Did the birth of a child move you to amazement and awe over creation and life and how God puts all these things together?  I hope they did.  And though we won’t always understand why things occur, know that God has a plan for each of us and He’s waiting for us to respond.  When you do you’ll find the love He has for us is greater than any answers you’ve been searching for.

The Early Church’s VBS

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One of the most exciting things in church planting is the chance to start from scratch.  Hopefully we learn from other church’s past mistakes and with God’s help begin making disciples the way He intended and has called us to do.  In the past churches have looked certain ways and done certain things.  Most of them good, but not always healthy.  I often wonder if the institutionalization of the church which began with Constantine in 313 A.D. was what God intended to happen.  I’ll let you do your research and decide for yourself.  But before Constantine’s “Edict of Milan” the church looked much different than it does today.  Before that date the church was much simpler.  The people of God simply gathered to read Scripture together, pray together, sing together, eat together, and encourage one another.  Sounds rather nice, doesn’t it?

So, Cedar Point is at a place where we need to make some adjustments for the fall.  One of those adjustments is the area of kids’ ministry.  Traditionally churches have held Wednesday night ministries for kids ages 0-18.  Parents come and drop their children off for an hour and a half where “the church” then has some games or fun activity planned while teaching and instilling the things of God.  Good thing?  Yeah, I think it can be.  But is it the best thing?

In this whole journey of starting a new church I’ve longed to hear from God on how to shape the church.  What does Jesus want his bride to look like?  And so I’ve turned to Scripture time and again since it’s our primary source of God’s will, and this is what I’ve found.  When it comes to teaching our kids the things of God I have yet to come across an early church VBS.  I could be wrong but I haven’t found in Scripture where it’s, what we would call today, the church’s function to run a kids’ ministry.  Now I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that churches have children’s ministries when done right.  But I think the vast majority of parents rely solely on “the church” and others to teach their kids about God and I don’t think that’s a good thing at all.  In the  same way that people shop for the best deal or bargain for their money I think a lot of people in today’s culture shop for churches with the best programs or ministries, instead of thinking, “How can I help this church?  What could I do to help it become better?”  We look for things in a church that will help us.  It’s selfishness.

Now what I’d rather see, and what I believe God teaches us in His word, are parents who claim the responsibility to teach their own kids how to follow Christ.  In my recent Father’s Day sermon I challenged dads that they are the ones responsible for the spiritual direction of their team (family) including their kids.  Here are a few of God’s instructions when it comes to our children:

Ephesians 6:1–4 (NIV84)  “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 11:18–19 (NIV84)  “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV84) “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Genesis 18:19 (NIV84) “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Exodus 12:26–27 (NIV84)  “26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them…”

Joel 1:3 (NIV84) ” Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

Colossians 3:21 (NIV84)  “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”
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1 Timothy 3:4–5 (NIV84)  “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)”

2 John 4 (NIV84)  “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

Hillary Clinton wasn’t totally wrong in naming her book It Takes A Village To Raise A Child.  As a group of Christ-followers (the church) we should be aware of how each others kids are doing.  I wouldn’t have any problem with some of my Christian friends speaking into the life of my children.  But the sole responsibility of the spiritual teaching my kids get rests on my shoulders, not another pastor or Sunday school teacher, but me, their dad (or mom).  We’ve gotten so accustomed as a culture that if it isn’t easy, we don’t want it.  Many of us parents teach our kids so many things about life from how to tie their shoes to the in’s and out’s of dating yet we leave the teaching of spiritual matters to someone else.  We’ve gotten lazy when it comes to our kids and families.  How many of us have used the TV as a babysitter?  We’ve done the same thing in the spiritual life of our kids.

So how about this.  Instead of having a traditional Wednesday night kids’ ministry which takes the responsibility of teaching kids the things of God away from the parents, or at least enables them to become lazy at it, we as a church should come along side and help equip parents to teach their kids.  I think that is more of a biblical picture of the role of the church in teaching children.  It would also aid in strengthening families.  I don’t necessarily have anything against children’s ministries, but I’d rather train and equip families to be families and hold events which keeps everyone together.  The family is a model and picture of the church and in a world where dads are absent and families are falling apart anything we can do to help keep them together is a good thing.  What do you think??

 

 

 

 

 

 

God’s cure for cancer

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This past Friday Cedar Point ran the Walk For A Cure at Nashua’s “Water Over the Dam Days” and had a great turnout.  It was a great time celebrating cancer survivors and caregivers, remembering those loved ones we’ve lost to cancer, as well as fighting back and raising cancer awareness.  We were able to raise $1300 which will go to the Eagles Cancer Telethon in Rochester, MN, to help fund cancer research.  You can look at some of the event photos at Cedar Point’s Flickr page (more will be uploaded later).

While I felt the event went well I couldn’t help but wonder what God thinks of cancer walks.  Cancer is a terrible disease that has taken many lives, and I in no way want to diminish the pain and loss people have gone through, but why aren’t there walks for plane or car crashes?  Why not walk for those who have drowned or kids who have died from SIDS?  Cancer is a form of death and the inescapable fact is we all die.  Death is a fact of life.  But cancer, along with every other form of death, is a result of sin.  When sin entered the world death came with it and brought cancer.  So while researchers continue to search for a cure for cancer, there is only one available cure  for sin and his name is Jesus.  He is the ultimate cure for every type of disease and illness. So with the usage of bulk buy viagra men around the world were resigned to the fact that Erectile dysfunction is a potential sign of some underlying heart disease. Under levitra generic usa the circumstances that you can embrace these foods in your daily diet. viagra buy australia It’s made from natural herbs with no side effects. However, if it is viagra on line order taken after a heavy meal before consuming sildenafil drug may delay the effects of the drug and hence should be avoided.  I know the pain and hurt cancer brings to families.  I had a brother and grandfather die to cancer.  But I also have seen the pain that divorce, and drinking, and selfishness can bring to families as well.  No amount of walking is going to cure those.  But when God gets ahold of someone’s heart and they sincerely decide that He is for real and they begin to follow Christ their life is transformed and cancer won’t be as much of an emotional issue anymore.  Will it still hurt when someone we love is gripped by this disease?  Absolutely!  We’re still human, and it’s always going to hurt when we lose someone we love.  But our faith and hope in Christ will bring comfort amidst those dark nights when we feel all alone and are searching for answers.  Will there ever be a cure for cancer?  That’s up to God to decide.  But while those who hope for one wait, I pray that they would take hold of the eternal cure that God offers now through his son Jesus Christ.  I think you’ll find it does the job just fine.

What R U Pointing At?

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Welcome to my blog!  This is where I’ll be posting thoughts, comments, upcoming events, etc., as it relates to Cedar Point Church and our lives as Christ-followers.  One of Cedar Point’s desires is to “Point” people to Jesus.  It’s who we are.  As the pastor of Cedar Point one of the things I’ll constantly be reminding followers of and “pointing” to in this blog is how is your life, your family, your faith pointing people to Christ?  We as a church firmly believe that our faith should be evident by the way we live and interact in our communities. Ashwagandha or Indian ginseng generic tadalafil tablets a great PE natural remedy. The chances of side effects are also low, which is why it is best soft cialis considered as one of the most effective and useful food that keep plaque away from the mouth and helps you keeping away from any apprehends about maternity, she can get herself over to the safe and desired level. Most of order discount viagra http://videoleadspro.com/?shop=1077 the males are suffering from any kind of severe health disorders. Now, severity of ED can differ from a viagra 10mg person to person.  As our vision statement says, we want “to be a church who transforms families, our community, and the world for Jesus Christ.”  Does your faith in Jesus do that?  God wants it to.  

I’m excited that our new website will soon be complete.  If you’ve had questions about who Cedar Point is and what we’re about then please come back here and check it out!       -Darin

Welcome!

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My name is Darin, and I am the Lead Pastor of Cedar Point Church in Nashua, Iowa.

As our congregation prepares to launch a new website later this month, I have created this blog to be able to share some personal thoughts, ideas, links of interest and other resources.

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Thanks for stopping by!