From the Tip of a Finger

"From the Tip of a Finger."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

 “By Him all things were created...He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  [Col. 1:16,17, NIV]

You are incredible!

No, this is not some “Pump ‘em up, Pastor!” speech, designed to cure the blues, increase self-esteem and increase Sunday offerings.  Nothing of the sort.  Now, granted, all those things might well happen when you and I consider just how incredible we are by God’s creating hand, but that’s not the agenda.  Honest. 

How incredible are you?  How’s this for starters…  God made you, by His intelligent -- no, His brilliant design in such a way that medical researchers have now learned we can safely and simply transform pinches of human skin into actual, functional, life-saving human blood.  Sure, the everyday production is still on the horizon, but we know we can do it.

So what’s the big deal about that?  Stay with me now; it’s worth it.

First, it means we’ll be able to personalize patient blood production for the first time ever.  The worry of cross-matching and rejection risks will be minimalized; safety will go up. 

Second, it means cancer patients will be able to have “clean” transplant cells without the same genetic problems as their tumor.  This is huge, because this modern medical miracle is “a seminal contribution” to the rapidly evolving field of stem-cell research, said the director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network [and Regenerative Medicine Program].  “That one can play with the fate of a cell and force it sideways into something that it doesn’t at all resemble, and then being able to use it, is tremendously exciting.”

Brothers and sisters, that paragraph is why I said above “it’s worth it.”  The day is coming when no one, even an unbeliever, can credibly claim in the name of science that the destruction of a child is necessary for the harvest of stem cells -- not when we can get what we need from the tip of a finger.

To use Paul’s words to the Colossians further, “My purpose is that [you] may be encouraged in heart and united in love… I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”

You are incredible, and so is your God, Who made you in His image.

- Pastor Jack

Kids Are Still Kids

"Kids Are Still Kids." 

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“All this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus: live with joy; pray constantly; give thanks regardless.  Respect Spirit-driven admonishment; test everything and keep what’s good, avoiding all evils.”  [1 Thess.5:16-22, PJV]

Having raised three marvelous kids who also happened to be typical adolescents and teens, I couldn’t help but chuckle upon reading these verses.  The picture that comes to mind for me is that of mom and dad preparing to head out the door, carefully giving last-minute instructions on what to do and what NOT to do, knowing full well anything not covered in the most specific detail would undoubtedly become a topic later under these words: “Well, you didn’t say we couldn’t….”  Yep, been there; done that.

So now, here’s Paul, who never married nor children, but if ever there was a time when he acted and sounded like a parent giving this type of last minute instructions, this is it!  Only difference is, these aren’t teens -- they’re adults, albeit sinful adults just like you and me who also struggle daily with our flesh and the world around us.  And no, he wasn’t selling this congregation short on their faith; he simply knew what it was like to wait in faith for Jesus to come back and take us to heaven [see vv.23-24].

Nothing has changed.  Kids are still kids.  People are still people, both sinners and forgiven saints.  Temptation is still as powerful as ever.  Pride and anger are just as deadly as they’ve always been, both outside the church and among the Body of Christ.  And what’s absolutely awesome is that someone who’s never been a parent -- someone like Paul -- can give great counsel to the rest of us because he understands what it’s like to live in submission and obedience to the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He knows that’s where we find life -- Eternal Life -- in Jesus Christ alone.

Same letter, same chapter, but zip back over to verses 5 & 6 with me: “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day.  We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.”  There you go.  Hey, kids, just remember who you are.  My instructions will be short and sweet, without a lot of details.  We’re not going to get bogged down in the law like the Pharisees; look what it got them.  Let’s live by love, let’s live by light; let’s live in the day, not the night.  I don’t have to say, “You can’t do this, you can’t do that…,” because Jesus instead spent His time saying “Let Me show you what you CAN do.”

“By this will all people know you are My disciples: whether you love one another.” [Jn.13:35]

Just do it, and I’ll see you later.

- Pastor Jack

Worship: Beyond the Act of Singing.

"Worship:  Beyond the Act of Singing."

By: KC Knippa

 

“Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
       the world, and all who live in it.   Let the rivers clap their hands,  Let the mountains sing together for joy;  let them sing before the LORD!” [Psalm 98:7-9, NIV]

Recently, I had the privilege to attend an amazing worship conference, led by many leading thinkers and shakers within the current Christian culture.  The best part of this conference was the fact that it challenged me to rethink the reasons for and purpose of what worship truly is… asking the simple, yet complex question, “Why do we sing?”

Have you ever thought about that before?

On the surface, this question appears to be simple, but when you really think about it, it begins to blow your mind! (Or at least, it did for me.)  Out of all the things; the sounds, noises, or actions that a human can make… Why is it that we choose to sing in order to praise our Lord?

For me, the conclusion that I have drawn is twofold:

First, we sing because it is truest form of emotional expression a person can make.  I have heard that physiologically speaking, the sound of singing and the effort to do so is related the closest to that of moaning… a deep guttural expression running the gambit of anything from happiness to pain… complete joy or anguish.  Now think about that in light of worship… Singing is the only way that we could possibly lift up in adoration the full complexity of emotions that our awesome Lord desires and deserves!

Which leads in to my second conclusion, that we sing because it is the closest expression we have to the divine.  Think about it, scripture is littered with this idea, explaining about how the Lord sings over his people or about how creation constantly rejoices and sings to the Lord.  Music has always been ethereal in nature… an art form to help us more fully understand the world around us… a precious gift from God, linking His people, to Him. 

So maybe the question shouldn’t be “Why do we sing?” but instead, “Why wouldn’t we sing?”  When it comes down to it, reflecting on all that the Lord has done for us… creation, salvation, and transformation… How can we not sing praises to God?

Besides, when we come together and lift up our voices, we are simply just joining the chorus of praise that creation has already been singing since before time began. 

Are you singing yet?

- KC

They Don't Believe... But They Know.

"They Don't Believe... But They Know."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“We pray this so you may live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every good work, growing in knowledge and being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.  May you have great endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to the Father Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light!”  [Col.1:10-12, NIV]

Man, that’s some prayer!  It shows Paul took seriously his role as mentor of God’s people and, hopefully, that they took seriously their role as students of God’s Word.  I know we’re doing that on this campus today because Pastor Andy stated this as one of our goals: Biblical literacy.

Interestingly, the newest Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has found from a survey of 3,400 Americans that, on average, atheists and agnostics are better with answers to factual questions about religion than Protestants and Catholics.  No joke.  When given 32 basic religious questions, average Americans answered only 16 correctly.  Mormons and evangelicals did better on questions about the Bible and Christianity; Jews and atheists/agnostics scored higher in areas about world religions and religion in public life.  To quote the tag-line from the newspaper article reporting this event, they don’t believe, but they know.

Hmmm.  Sounds like we need more prayers, doesn’t it…and more study, too.  You see, skeptics prepare themselves because they want to discuss the topic intelligently and from a position of understanding.  Unfortunately, it does not speak well of Christians when we come across as uninformed and disrespectful toward others.  When Paul spoke to the crowds on Mars’ Hill in Athens, he spoke with knowledge, with respect, and with effect.

Remember why we’re here.  Go back to the Great Commission of Matt.28 and the unique translation so fondly spoken around here.  “While you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing, make sure you’re doing this: making disciples.”  It has been said people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.  This begins with our immersion in God’s Book of Wonders, His life-giving Word, and it’s lived out in the way we sit and listen, share and pray in the name of Christ.  At last Wednesday’s “Digging Deeper” class ten folks ran through the 32 questions from the survey.  No one missed more than three.  Now, we can either feel smug about that, or we can ask, “How are we doing at loving our neighbor in Jesus’ name?”

Where do you think we all need to start?



- Pastor Jack

Let Go of the Rope

"Let Go of the Rope"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“Warn troublemakers once or twice, then don’t have anything else to do with them.  You know that their minds are twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are.”  [Titus 3:10,11, CEV]

                 Our 30-something surrogate daughter in Minnesota is a natural athlete…All-American track, basketball, you name it; even played great golf 7-months pregnant.  Recently she decided to take up water-skiing, and did so handily in one afternoon.  So that’s what it’s like to have coordination and balance!  Gag! 

On the other hand, I vividly recall when a former college friend [and gifted sportsman in his own right] made the same effort one summer day long ago and failed miserably not only to keep his balance but also to remember the First Rule in Water-Skiing.  You do know that rule, don’t you?  When you fall, “Let go of the rope.”  Ummm.  I never knew a man could drag that far and swallow that much water without actually drowning…  It was impressive, though; all we had to do was reel him in and pry his fingers off the bar.

Y’know, after 35 years of ministry, it appears to me associating with troublemakers and argumentative people is about as dangerous as not knowing what you’re doing when you water-ski.  I’ve seen way too many folks ruined in their weak faith by hanging on to bad relationships with sour people when the best thing they could have done was just “let go of the rope.”

Sure, that sounds harsh and unloving, but believe me, it’s not.  It’s love when you warn these sour-minded individuals and point them to Scripture, showing them God’s unconditional grace and peace.  It’s love when you remind them His plan is for joy, not division, and that their duty is to seek reconciliation and harmony.  And it’s love -- tough love -- when you tell them you will not put up with gossip or slander or malice.  In fact, to stay in that relationship, unchanging, jeopardizes your own spiritual health and makes it appear you approve of their unhealthy practice.  And BTW, rather than simply deciding which relationships to end, be sure to first remind and warn them.  After all, if these are friends, aren’t they worth the effort?  Indeed, there may be some ties you have to cut, but there may also be bonds you can forge in Christ. 

You see, for every person gifted with the balance and coordination it takes to ski, someone needs the vision and skill to drive the boat and keep the skier safe [but that’s another topic/article].  Together in Christ, there’s no letting go of the rope. 

- Pastor Jack

The Crisis of Now

"The Crisis of Now"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.’” [Is.2:2,3, NIV]

            We’re not in the country any more, are we? 25 years ago St. Paul was surrounded by farmland, but now 273,000 people live in Plano, roughly the same number as Buffalo, N.Y., Norfolk, Va., and St. Paul, Minn. It’s also true Plano has the highest median income [$85K] among large U.S. cities, even as we’ve begun suffering the growing pains and struggling tax base Richardson and Garland did 20 years ago.

            Nothing shocking about this info… It’s from a fine article by Theodore Kim and Matthew Haag of the Dallas News. What’s more intriguing is their revelation that nearly a third of Plano’s primary language at home is not English. That’s up 11% in the last 10 years. Before you jump to conclusions, yes, Plano has a significant Hispanic population; what city in Texas doesn’t? But Spanish is not the only major non-English language used in Plano homes. Read the Isaiah 2 text again and consider this phrase: “all nations will stream to it.” The fact is 14.4% of Plano’s population is Asian -- three times higher than the national average -- a result of education and technology.

            Kim and Haag suggest some city leaders seem to feel Plano faces an identity crisis based on how we plan to face issues like poverty, homelessness, budget and age. I’d suggest we indeed have an identity crisis on our hands, but from a spiritual viewpoint, and with an incredibly rich opportunity for our witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ in this community. Our own Christian Day School is a microcosm of the greater Plano community, and not a day passes without every person, from classroom teacher to facility supervisor to pastoral staff and volunteers asking, “How can we be the presence of Jesus Christ to every person who walks through these doors?”

            What about you? Does Jesus walk with you…in you…alongside you…through you each day wherever you go? You have been placed here for a purpose, to touch specific lives in His name.

“…And He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of Us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.” [Acts 17:26,27, NIV]

- Pastor Jack

Go Wash Your Feet

"Go Wash Your Feet"

By:  Pastor Jack Schneider

Jeremiah: “Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?”

God: “I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.” [Jer.15:18,21, NIV]


            I grew up in what was unlovingly and for good reason called “Swampeast Missouri,” but while the humidity never quit [think Houston on the Mississippi], neither did the creeks and springs. This is North Texas,though, and after three weeks of triple-digit heat we know all about brooks that disappear and springs that fail. Nothing new for this area. Before the advent of city water lines and reservoirs to keep communities supplied with life-saving, clean water, we were at the mercy of seasonal rains. Old-timers are harder now to find, but a few can still tell of dust-bowl days when water was more precious than gold.
            Jeremiah understood this firsthand and compared it to the mercy of God -- or the lack thereof. He actually felt cheated by God, abandoned in his zeal for God’s cause, and complained to God about it. “Look what I’ve done for You!” he shouted… “Look what I’ve given up because of my love for Your holiness! So where are You now when I need You?! Dried up like a Texas creek in August?” Truth be told, we’ve been there; felt like that, haven’t we? Sure, there have been times it seemed that God took the day off or sat on the porch with His feet up on the rail just watching the universe go by, thinking, “Nope…not gonna touch it today…que sera, sera; whatever will be, will be.”
            Don’t miss God’s answer to Jeremiah, because it’s also His answer to you and me. V.19,ff [paraphrased]: “Quit griping and I’ll use you for some good after all! Talk sense instead of crying, because you’re here to serve Me and I’m about to shape you into a strong wall that people will learn to respect and trust. I’ll save you…I’ll redeem you… no matter how things look.”
            I know you’re tired of the heat -- and I’m not talking about what’s outside. I mean what’s inside, in your marriage and family, at your workplace and even how you sometimes feel here at church. Yet in the midst of this heat and your feeling that even God has ceased to notice your pain, His promise is sure and His presence is real. You are His…You may actually be His answer to someone else.
            As you reflect on these words, do yourself a favor: go wash your feet in some cool water. Inside, in the tub or outside, with the hose; it doesn’t matter. Just do it, and enjoy the break. Then, wash someone else’s feet.

[Think about that..]

- Pastor Jack