At Cross Purposes

by Tom Goodman

They wanted Jesus but not the cross.  It's a parable for our times.

A few years ago thieves snatched an 8-foot statue of Jesus off a crucifix in Detroit's Church of the Messiah.  Police suspect that the thieves had assumed that the image of Jesus was made of copper and robbed it to sell as scrap.  They didn't see any value to the cross and left it behind.

As I said:  A parable for our times.  A lot of people prefer Jesus without the cross.

But while many may respect Jesus as a great moral teacher, his teaching is only a small part of what the original Christians considered important.  As you read through the Gospels, the account of three years of teachings and miracles moves quickly.  Then the writers slow down to linger over the details of the week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.  The events of that single week dominate the four New Testament Gospels, taking up two-fifths of Matthew, three-fifths of Mark, a third of Luke and half of John.  I recall one of my seminary professors saying that the Gospels were essentially "Passion narratives with extended introductions."  The word "passion" traditionally means "suffering," and clearly the four Gospels consider Christ's Passion the most important part of the story.

The centrality of the cross shows up in our artistic designs and architecture today.  Judaism is identified by the Star of David, Islam by the crescent moon, and Buddhism by the dharma wheel; but Christianity is identified by the cross.  Why?

Across the next four Sundays we're going to look at four biblical images that explain why Jesus died for those he would call to himself.  We'll go to the altar, the market, the courtroom, and the laundry.  Each of those images reveals the meaning of Christ's death: 

The Altar: Christ absorbed God's holy anger that burns against our impurity

The Market: Christ bought us for himself

The Courtroom: Christ exchanged moral records with us to enable us to pass the Judgment Day

The Laundry: Christ washed us clean

Don't be like those Detroit thieves who wanted a Jesus without the cross. P.T. Forsythe said, "You do not understand Christ till you understand his cross."  Join us at the foot of the cross this Sunday at 10.

O Leave, Let Us Adore Him!

by Tom Goodman

We tend to separate worship from daily life. In the thinking of many, on Sunday mornings we leave home and go to worship.

But in the Christmas story, after the shepherds found Christ they returned home to worship.

That’s what Luke wrote: “The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (2:20).  Did you catch it? Yes, they knelt before the Christ child in the manger, but then worship continued as they returned back to daily life.

In light of this little verse, maybe some of our Christmas carols need updating:

O leave, all ye faithful!

Joyful and triumphant!

O leave ye, O leave ye from Bethlehem.

O leave, let us adore him

O leave, let us adore him

O leave, let us adore him

Christ the Lord!

There’s a serious point here. While you should come to worship you should leave worshipping, too.

This is hard, I know.

In a worship service we sing all these glorious statements about God’s power and care. But then maybe we leave the service and return home to not-so-glorious living. It’s not easy to return home worshipping when your marriage is strained, or your kids disappoint you, or there’s tension in your workplace, or you’re fighting cancer, or there’s financial anxiety.

But what you experience from worship music and from Bible study should re-arrange your priorities, attitudes, and choices in daily life. Declaring gospel truth in a worship service is scrimmage; living out the implications of gospel truth throughout the week is where the real game is won.

This Thursday at 6:00 p.m., we’ll hold our annual Christmas Eve worship service. We’ll sing carols, observe the Lord’s Supper, look into the Word, and close with “Silent Night” by candlelight. Come, let us adore him. But follow the example of the shepherds. At the end of our service, leave adoring him, too.

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Schedule: The Christmas Eve service is a 45-minute family-friendly service that begins at 6:00 p.m. Then on Sunday, December 27, we will gather for worship at 10 a.m. There will be no meeting for Common Ground or Sunday School that day.

There’s Something About Joseph

by Tom Goodman

In most manger scenes Joseph is just a guy in the background behind Mary and the shepherds and wise men. But we men need to pay attention to that guy in the background of our manger scenes. In Matthew 1:18-25, we find three qualities from Joseph's life that should be imitated.

First: Be a righteous man. Though Joseph didn’t have the whole story when he first discovered Mary was pregnant, he knew he wasn’t the father. The only conclusion he could draw at this point was that his fiancé had been unfaithful to him. So he decided to break off the engagement. It’s notable that the Bible doesn’t say, “Joseph, being a jealous man, decided to divorce her” or “Joseph, being a humiliated man, decided to divorce her” but “Joseph, being a righteous man, decided to divorce her.” (Engagement was a serious matter in New Testament times, so breaking the engagement was tantamount to divorce.) Joseph did not shrug his shoulders at what at first appeared to be ungodly choices in Mary’s life. His walk with God mattered to him—and her walk with God mattered to him, too. Like Joseph, we men need to develop our own spiritual self-discipline in all areas, and then let those around us feel the weight of our influence.

Second: Be a merciful man. Matthew 1:19 says, “Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.”  His plan to break the engagement was evidence of his righteousness; his plan to break the engagement privately was evidence of his mercy. It’s a rare thing to see both character and compassion in the same life today. On the one hand, we have Christians who uphold righteousness but in doing so act very unmercifully. On the other hand, we have Christians who think they are being merciful because they water down God’s commands to be righteous. Joseph was both righteous and merciful, and it’s a characteristic for Christian men to imitate.

Third: Be an obedient man. The angel commanded Joseph to proceed with his planned marriage to Mary. And “Joseph did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him” (Matthew 1:24). It’s notable that the angel said, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” He knew that obeying God on this matter would deeply complicate his life, but he said yes. It’s still true that God calls on us men to do hard things. It’s in those times we have to decide what God’s leadership really means to us.

If you’re looking for something to say when your family gathers this Christmas, read Matthew 1:18-25 to the group, then read this little post from me, and then pray that the men of your clan rise up to the honorable example of Joseph. Merry Christmas!

How to Pray for Your Pastor

by Tom Goodman

 “Join with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf,” Paul wrote in Romans 15:30. The apostle said you can partner with a pastor by your prayers, and he often asked for that help.

In that fine tradition, how can you pray for me? Here are a few suggestions from a list Pastor Ligon Duncan shared in a blog post. Duncan said to pray...

That I would know, embrace, and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

That I would be useful servant of the Lord; that I would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that I would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

That I would study, practice, and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

That I would love to pray, would love to commune with God.

That I would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that I would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

That I would be holy unto the Lord; that my tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

That God would give me guidance as to where to focus my efforts in ministry.

That He would protect me from myself, from the enemy of my soul, and from all earthly enemies.

That many would be converted and many built up under my ministry, to God's glory alone.

That the Lord would bless my wife with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

That God would make me a decent husband and father.

It's a comfort to know you're praying for me as I pray for you!

Sign Up for the Next PrayerWalk. Speaking of prayer, have you signed up for our next PrayerWalk? It’s 8-10am on Saturday November 21. Go online to Hillcrest.Church/PrayerWalk to learn more and to register. Childcare is provided for those who RSVP.

Sign Up for the Next Missions Munch. On November 22 we will kick off our annual Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions by welcoming David and Janet Hooten, our missionaries serving in Mozambique. David will preach in the worship service. After the small-group hour, David and Janet will talk about their service during a BBQ lunch. Tickets to the lunch are required and can be purchased after this Sunday’s service or online.

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Your Presence is a Present

by Tom Goodman

What’s true for Saturday college football teams is true for Sunday church attendance, too: Missing players impact the whole team.

By this point in the college football season, every team is banged up. At my alma mater an injury last Saturday sidelined our star quarterback for the season. Of course, we look forward to what his highly-touted freshman replacement will do. But already the commentators who predicted my team would run the table this season are second-guessing their prognostications.

When you’re not attending, your church misses your involvement as much as a college football fan misses their favorite player.

You may say, “Who me? What’s so vital about someone like me showing up each Sunday? I’m not important.”

Think again. According to scripture you serve others in three ways. These are absolutely essential for the spiritual growth of others and the well-being of your church body.

First: You sing to your church. No, I’m not talking about singing in the choir. Colossians 3:16 says that “you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” When you’re not present, we don’t have your voice teaching and admonishing us through communal singing. Sure, we like to hear the trained voices on stage, but it’s your voice next to us in the pews that Colossians 3:16 says we need.

Second: You encourage your church. It’s not just the pastors and deacons who are responsible to keep the flock on the right path. In Hebrews 10:24-25 we are told that gathering with the church gives us a chance to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Even a brief word to someone in the aisle following the worship program has a powerful impact. Sitting with your small group gives you even more time to perform this ministry.

Third: You support your church. A growing number of members give their offering electronically regardless of their ability to attend. But a majority still base their giving on whether they’re present. If they’re not there, neither is their offering. This significantly impacts the ministry of your church.

You deny your fellow members what they need from you when you let other things replace involvement on Sunday morning. You’re a key player, and you’re missed when you’re missing.

This weekend, set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed, get an extra hour of sleep, and join your church family at 10am. Your presence is a present to others!

Six Things to Look for in the Lord’s Supper

by Tom Goodman

The late Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”

Smart man.

When we schedule the Lord’s Supper in a worship service, as we will this Sunday, we sometimes call it the “observance of the Lord’s Supper.”  So what can you “observe” in this sacred time?  According to 1 Corinthians 11, there are six things that deserve our attention.

First, look around.  In verses 17-22, Paul says that, because of the Corinthian believers’ insensitivity to each other, “it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat.”  Let’s make sure we never deserve that reprimand ourselves.  Instead, we should take time during the Lord’s Supper to think about the health of our church relationships.  Are we growing closer together or further apart?

Second, look up.  Paul wrote, “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it” (verses 23-24).  The Lord’s Supper is a chance to look up to God in praise.  A communion service should be solemn but not somber!

Third, look back.  Jesus told them to eat of the bread and drink from the cup “in remembrance of me” (verses 23-25).  So, look back to the crucifixion and remember what it cost the Lord of Life to bring you to himself.

Fourth, look outward.  In verse 26, the Apostle wrote that we “proclaim the Lord’s death” every time we participate in the Lord’s Supper.  Remarkable:  We serve as God’s witnesses simply by the devotion we give to this ordinance.

Fifth, look forward.  In verse 26, he continues to say that by participating in the Supper we proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes back.”  The Lord’s Supper is a time to think about Christ’s promised return.  “I tell you,” Jesus said upon establishing the Supper, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29).

Sixth, look within.  In verses 27-28, Paul says to “examine yourself” before taking part in communion.  Since the Lord’s Supper commemorates Christ’s death for our sin, we should confess to God those besetting sins which required his precious sacrifice.

This Sunday, you have a chance to make these six observations as we take part in the Lord’s Supper.  Join us at 10 a.m.

Messy Church

by Tom Goodman

Church is messy.

I’m not talking about a building with dinged-up walls and overflowing trash baskets. I’m talking about a congregation that struggles with moral compromise, theological shallowness, and relational tension.

Welcome to church.

This is church? Of course. Haven’t you read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians? The church in Corinth had a member who was sleeping with his stepmother. They snubbed each other. They didn’t understand the resurrection, one of the most important truths of the Christian faith. But Paul understood that these were men and women drawn to the gospel out of a culture with very different views of success and sex and God. Their spiritual progress couldn’t be microwaved. It was going to take time for them to live out the implications of the gospel they had received.

So he wrote to the church of God in Corinth.

And to the church of God in Austin.

Paul’s letters to the Corinthians are remarkably relevant for us today. So, this Sunday we’ll begin a study through 1 and 2 Corinthians. We’ll see how Paul accepted them as members of God’s family, and yet patiently and firmly pressed them to live more consistently as those who belonged to God.

This should be a great encouragement for us whether we’re coming out of the surrounding culture or leading people out of the surrounding culture. In a sense all of us come out of the surrounding culture. Even if we’ve been raised in a Christian home, we are deeply influenced by our culture. It takes time for all of us to believe the gospel and to live it out. And if you have the responsibility to lead people through this process, Paul’s letters help you lead patiently but diligently.

Join me this Sunday at 10 and let’s listen to Paul address a messy church--ours.

Baptism. I’m baptizing in this Sunday’s service. Watch a video of some of our members explaining their decision to be baptized at www.Hillcrest.Church/Baptism. Contact Lisa (lisa@hillcrest.church) if you want to schedule your baptism.

Keep on Prayerwalking. We had a great experience at our first prayerwalk through the neighborhoods immediately around our church building! We’ll schedule another churchwide effort in the future, but you don’t have to wait. Write Lisa (lisa@hillcrest.church) and she will send you a map with a one-mile assignment. Return that map with your name and the date you walked it.

No More Hermit Holes

by Tom Goodman

“God told me it was time to come out of the hole. But I don’t know if I have the energy.”

I love that line.

It comes from an old Boston Globe story about Thomas Johnson, an eccentric hermit. For ten years he avoided society by wandering deep into a Boy Scout campground on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts and burrowing eight feet underground.

Then a deer hunter stumbled over his stovepipe jutting out of the ground, and soon federal agents and state health officials were demanding he abandon his unauthorized hideaway.

He surrendered to the inevitable. “God told me it was time to come out of the hole,” he told the Boston Globe with a shrug, adding, “but I don’t know if I have the energy.”

Like Thomas Johnson, believers are tempted to burrow down into bunkers in escape from the world around us. But when Jesus was asked to identify the most important commandment, he answered with two: Love God and love your neighbor.

It’s impossible to love your neighbor from the comfort of your hermit hole. That’s why I challenged you six weeks ago to simply discover the names of 8 of your closest neighbors. The deadline for that challenge is this Sunday, October 11.

Some of us can identify with Johnson. Though he knew what he had to do he admitted, “I don’t know if I have the energy.” That’s where prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit comes in. Take a step in the direction of a neighbor today: Once you start you’ll find God supplying what you need to finish.

This Sunday is the end and the beginning of our neighboring project. It is the end of the six-week challenge to simply discover the names of 8 of your closest neighbors. But it’s also the beginning of actually building relationships. Some of those relationships will remain superficial, but some will go deep. And some may even impact eternity. I’ll tell you more about the “next step” in good neighboring this Sunday in our 10 a.m. service!

Keep on Prayerwalking. We had a great experience at our first prayerwalk through the neighborhoods immediately around our church building! We’ll schedule another churchwide effort in the future, but you don’t have to wait. Write Lisa (lisa@hillcrest.church) and she will send you a map with a one-mile assignment. Return that map with your name and the date you walked it.

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The God-Forsaken God

by Tom Goodman

God-forsaken.

These days, we just use that term to express our displeasure at our setting. “What a God-forsaken place!” we’ll say about a region without water or greenery. Or a city on the skids. Or even just a town that doesn’t interest us anymore.

We tend to use the term to describe a place, but not a life.

And yet, on the cross Jesus lifted up the cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

He had been forsaken by the religious leadership, forsaken by his own followers, forsaken by the political leadership that had the duty to protect him, forsaken by the crowds he served—but nothing, nothing, was like the abandonment of his Father.

It was a quote from Psalm 22, and Psalm 22 is stunning in many ways. The old poet described Christ’s crucifixion a thousand years before it happened:

 “They pierce my hands and my feet” (verse 16)

“They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment” (verse 18)

“My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth” (verse 15)

“All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ‘He trusts in the Lord,’ they say, ‘let the Lord rescue him’” (verses 7-8).

But it is the very first line of the poem that Jesus lifts up from the cross. How did it come to this? At the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry, at his baptism, the Bible says the heavens opened, the sun shone out, and the Father said to Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).  Now at the end of his earthly life, the heavens close, the sun hides, and Jesus says to the Father, “Why have you forsaken me?”

Indeed: Why?

Join us this Sunday at 10am as we reverently consider the question raised in Psalm 22 and echoed from the cross. It’s the last week in Sacred Blues, our study through selected psalms. 

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Why You Should Prayerwalk with Us

by Tom Goodman

On Saturday October 3, from 8-10 a.m., we’ll treat you to breakfast tacos and give you an assigned area to prayer-walk.

Prayer-what?

“Prayerwalking” is the simple act of walking through a neighborhood and silently praying for the residents. It’s a low-profile event, since the goal is to be on the scene without making one. There’s no knocking on doors, and we don’t pray aloud “standing on the street corners to be seen by others” (Matthew 6:5). Prayerwalking is a simple stroll through the neighborhood—but with profound purpose. As we walk, we silently speak to the Lord of Hosts:

“Awaken the residents of this apartment complex to their need of you.”

“Bless the people on this street.”

“Help city leaders and school leaders make good decisions for this neighborhood.”

“Make our church your instrument to reach this very block.”

“What is my role in making sure this house hears your gospel?”

We can prayerwalk solo, but it’s more fun by twos or threes. So, on October 3, we’ll encourage you to go out in (very small) groups to fulfill your assignments. We’ll give you maps marked with a mile of residential streets. If you can’t do a mile, walk what you can. If you can walk more than a mile, take more map assignments.

Why actually get out with these map assignments and walk? Couldn’t we just sit at the church building and pray over these maps? Any praying is better than no praying, of course. But in my own prayerwalking I’ve found something interesting takes place. I start noticing things about the neighborhood that I would never notice from a map. And since I’m walking past only one or two houses in the time it would take me to pray for several miles of roads on a map, I have more time to think about what I should pray for. I’m more likely to sense Christ’s heart for the neighborhood when I actually walk through it than when I just pray over it on a map.

My goal is to cover 25 miles of neighborhood streets on October 3. That will require about 30 people in two-person teams taking on 1-to-2 mile assignments. So, tell us you’re coming by registering at www.Hillcrest.Church/PrayerWalk. If you need childcare for kinder and under, note your child care needs when you register.

First-Sunday Fellowship. Bring a covered dish to the Multipurpose Center at 5:30pm on Sunday, October 4. There will be no HILL classes that night. Join us for food and fellowship and hear from Dr. Jim Richards, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

The Anxiety Antidote

by Tom Goodman

Don’t underestimate the damage that worry can do to faith and life. Even tiny flies can bring down the king of beasts, and worry can do the same to you.

Tiny flies known as “stomoxys” will bite a lion and then keep biting its wounds, inflicting nagging, relentless pain. Over time, the lion dies of trauma. A few years ago, at least six lions in Tanzania’s world-famous wildlife park were killed by swarms of these flies.

Our worries can do the same to us. Left unchecked, our anxieties will buzz around us like a swarm of blood-sucking flies, pestering us and distressing us until we collapse.

Maybe we’re revealing more than we intend when we sigh and say, “I’m worried sick!”

As the late Corrie Ten Boom once noted, “Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” That’s why Jesus said, “Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34, Msg).

Of course, warnings against worry create an interesting phenomenon: We start worrying about worrying!

That means we need more than a reprimand: We need a cure! Psalm 3 reveals the anxiety antidote. The third psalm of the Bible is also the third psalm of our series, Sacred Blues. In his book, Just Do Something, Kevin DeYoung wrote: “We walk into the future in God-glorifying confidence, not because the future is known to us but because it is known to God.  And that’s all we need to know.” If you haven’t reached that state of worry-free living, see you this Sunday at 10!

It’s Not Too Late to Join the Anchor Course. Each Wednesday starting September 16, I’m leading an 8-week book study called the Anchor Course. It’s designed for those who are trying to make up their mind about Christianity, and also for those who want to explain the faith to others. To sign up, contact Lisa at 512-345-3771 or lisa@hillcrest.church. Learn more at www.Hillcrest.Church/AnchorCourse. 

Special Women’s Event: Our WINGS ministry is hosting “Love, Sweat, and Tears” this Saturday with special speaker Julie Lyles Carr. Find out more and register at www.Hillcrest.Church/WINGS.

Prayer Walk. On Saturday October 3, from 8-10am, we’ll treat you to breakfast tacos and give you an assigned area to pray over. Don’t miss it! Sign up at www.Hillcrest.Church/PrayerWalk.

When You Question God's Plan

by Tom Goodman

We wonder why bad things happen to good people, but we also wonder why good things happen to bad people.

Asaph did. He was the court musician for King David, and some of his compositions are in the book of Psalms. One of them, Psalm 73, is his cry of bitterness that bad people seem to be doing just fine while faithful people suffer.

He wrote the poem looking back from a position of renewed faith, but he admits—

My feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.

To him, the life of faith was an upward climb to the heights. But bitter suspicion of God was like a stumble that would have sent him tumbling to his death.

When the upward path of faith got unsteady, what secured him? He wrote—

When I tried to understand all this,    it troubled me deeply    till I entered the sanctuary of God.

In other words, he went to a place where he could reflect on God’s character and promises. It was from that perspective that he reassessed the unfairness of life.

We question God’s plan sometimes. The problem isn’t just that bad things happen to us. No, what’s galling is when bad things happen to the obedient while good things happen to the disobedient. This Sunday, we’ll look closely at Psalm 73 to see how to keep up the climb of faith in those times. It’s the second week of our series, Sacred Blues. We’re looking at selected psalms where the faithful poet reached up to God out of the midst of hardship. See you at 10!

The “Get Anchored” Dinner is this Wednesday! On September 9, 6:30pm, join me for an introduction to the Anchor Course. The Anchor Course is designed for those who are trying to make up their mind about Christianity, and also for those who want to explain the faith to others. The “Get Anchored” Dinner will introduce you to the 8-week study that begins September 16, 6:30pm. An RSVP to the September 9 “Get Anchored” Dinner is strongly encouraged. Contact Lisa at 512-345-3771 or lisa@hillcrest.church. Learn more at www.Hillcrest.Church/AnchorCourse.

The Hillcrest Institute begins this week! Find a course and register at www.Hillcrest.Church/HILL.

Prayer Walk. On Saturday October 3, from 8-10am, we’ll treat you to breakfast tacos and give you an assigned area to pray over. Don’t miss it!

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“I Knew My Daddy Would Save Me”

by Tom Goodman

Elizabeth Woodman knows how important it is to trust your father in a crisis.  One April afternoon, 39-year-old Edward Woodman was steering his houseboat toward the north end of California's Lake Oroville.  His 11-year-old son, David, was at his side.  He did not see it when his 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, fell over the bow.

The girl tumbled helplessly between the aluminum pontoons of the houseboat, straight toward the churning outboard motor at the stern.  Hitting the propeller, the blades tore into her right arm and then jammed in the tangled mass of her pink sweater.  While she tried to free herself, Elizabeth remembered what her father had told her so many times:  “The only thing that can hurt you in the water is panic.”  Calmly, she tried to untangle her sweater from the prop while she reminded herself over and over:  “My daddy will save me.”

Edward heard the thud under the boat and he felt the engine stop.  Puzzled, he walked to the stern and looked over the railing.  Seeing Elizabeth’s pink sweater, the father jumped into the dark water and found his daughter.  She stared back at him with no fear or panic—just patient trust.  He knew her calmness would give him a chance to free her.

The father surfaced and descended four, five, and six times to breathe life-giving air into her mouth as he yanked and cut at the pink threads holding his daughter under.  Finally, he got her free and to the surface.  In moments they were at full throttle toward the nearest marina and to a hospital where her arm was mended.

The next day, a reporter asked the little girl if she had been afraid during the rescue.  “Oh, I knew my daddy would save me,” Elizabeth said, and then looked at her father, adding, “And he did.”

How can we have this kind of trust in our heavenly Father? This Sunday we’ll find out in a study of Psalm 27. It’s the first in a new series through selected Psalms. We’re calling the series Sacred Blues, because all the psalms we’ll study are about reaching out to God from the midst of hardship and crisis.

Billy Graham wrote, “If we can trust God for our eternal salvation, can’t we also trust him for our lives right now?” The old evangelist was right. Join us at 10 this Sunday to learn how to do this. 

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Like a Good Neighbor

by Tom Goodman

When Jesus was asked what he considered the greatest of all commandments, he said “Love God with everything you’ve got, and love your neighbor as yourself.” But who is your neighbor?  

That senior adult couple across the street from you?

The roommates who share your adjoining duplex?

The family with the foreign accent two doors down?

Could Jesus have expected us to love our actual neighbors?

I think we all know the answer to that. The definition of “neighbor” means more than just your street’s residents, but it certainly doesn’t mean less than that.

And loving our neighbors starts with just knowing who they are. Their names. Their kids’ names. Where they moved from. How long they’ve lived here. What they think of the neighborhood. Where they work.

This Sunday we’ll challenge you to get to know your neighbors through two practical projects. One happens soon and one can happen now.

The first project is National Night Out. This is a nationwide effort promoted by police, EMS, and other first responders. The belief is that a neighborhood is safer when neighbors have a greater awareness of those around them. This year’s National Night Out is Tuesday, October 6. Your neighborhood may already have something scheduled. If not, see if you can get something organized!

The second project is easier and you can start it right away. Start implementing the “Walk Don’t Wave” rule. For most of us, the extent of our interaction with our neighbors is to wave at them as we get groceries out of the car or put out the trash cans. Here’s where the “Walk Don’t Wave” rule can help. Whenever you’re tempted to simply wave at a neighbor, walk instead. Walk over to him or her and strike up a conversation. It doesn’t have to be any more than a few minutes. You may end up developing a relationship, but at the least you’ll be able to greet them by name next time you see them.

National Night Out and the “Walk Don’t Wave” rule. These two projects may not sound very “spiritual,” but they are! The projects will get you taking the first step in obeying Christ’s command to love your neighbor as yourself. It has to start somewhere. I think it starts with a name and some conversation.

We’ll tell you more this Sunday. See you at 10!

Are You Mayor of the Center of the World?

by Tom Goodman

Jacques Istel thinks he lives at the center of the world.

He is the mayor of Felicity, California.  Twenty people live in the town in an empty corner of California near Yuma, Arizona.  But a tiny population and remote isolation hasn’t diminished Mayor Istel’s estimation of the place.  In the mid-1980s, Mayor Istel showed up at the meeting of the supervisors of Imperial County and asked them to officially declare that the Center of the World was located at his town.  They did so.

To mark the Center of the World, Mayor Istel built a 21-foot-tall pink marble pyramid.  For $1, tourists can enter the pyramid, stand on the official Center of the World marker, and get their picture taken with the mayor of the Center of the World.

We’ve all run for office as the mayor of the center of the world, haven’t we?  We’ve all had points in our lives where everything has to revolve around us.

That’s why Matthew 18 makes us so uncomfortable.  In that chapter, Jesus tells us that we have to humbly take responsibility for each other if we’re going to be a church that pleases him.

What is our responsibility to each other as believers?

For some of us, that may seem like a strange question.  The consumer mentality of our culture has completely infected us to the point that we even see church involvement like picking a restaurant or a health club.  For some of us our only question is, “What can this organization do for me?  Do they have the goods and services I want, at the time I want, in the style I want?  What can this place do for me?”

But the Bible tells us over and over again that we have responsibility for each other.  The phrase ‘one another’ or ‘each other’ is used over fifty times in the New Testament.  We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, sing to each other, submit to each other, and be devoted to each other.

This Sunday, come and learn how to do this from Matthew 18.  It’s Week Six of our study, “The Church You’ve Always Longed For.”  Join us at 10! 
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What Got Jesus Frustrated

by Tom Goodman

Jesus once looked at his disciples and said, “How long shall I put up with you?”

Yikes. Do you think he sometimes says that of his disciples today?

According to Matthew 17, what provoked his frustration was his disciples’ inability to meet a father’s desperate need. “I brought my troubled boy to your disciples,” the father complained to Jesus, “but they could not heal him.” And Jesus looked at his men, shook his head, and said, “How long shall I put up with you?”

There are only two times in scripture where Jesus came anywhere close to discouragement.

It wasn’t when he faced his great temptations. Nowhere in that passage (Matthew 4) do we hear him say, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

It wasn’t when he faced the crowds with their pressing needs. As a boy I remember watching the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar. In one scene the crowds with their constant needs are pressing in on Jesus and Webber’s Jesus is backing away saying, “Get away from me!” Even as a boy, I knew enough from Sunday School to know Jesus never looked at the crowds with their needs and said, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

Even in the agony of the cross, Jesus never said, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

There are only 2 times in the Gospels were Jesus speaks with this kind of, well, annoyance. In both instances it is when he sees how little faith his followers have.

Think of that. What frustrates you about your church? Some of us get frustrated when the time of service changes. Some of us get frustrated when the length of service changes! Some of us get frustrated when the style of music doesn’t suit us. Some of us get frustrated when the way we’ve always done things gets changed.

Let me clue you in: None of that frustrates Jesus. But when he sees a church with a feeble faith, according to this text we can be sure he is throwing up his hands and saying, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

This Sunday, we’ll look at Christ’s promise that faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish great things for God’s glory! Join us at 10am for this challenging study!
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God’s Forward Observers

by Tom Goodman

Have you noticed how often the words “watch” and “pray” are combined in the Bible? Our praying should make us more attentive, our attentiveness should lead us more often to prayer, which should make us even more attentive, and on and on in a building cycle.

If we should we watchful, for what should be watching? We should be alert to the activity of God and pray for its success, and we should be alert to the activity of the Evil One and pray for its defeat.

I remember a story from a pastor who was a Vietnam vet. He recounted how his battalion would set up a firebase in the jungle with huge 8-inch guns. Then, companies of soldiers would fan out in four directions from the base, looking for the enemy. Often, when the enemy was found, they would be in much greater number than the company of American soldiers. When that happened, the company would simply get on the radio and call in the coordinates of the enemy so the firebase could rain shells down on them. The vet said that Christians are God's forward observers in enemy territory. And when we encounter the enemy, we must call down the firepower of heaven.

Ever since he visualized prayer in that way for me, it has energized my prayer life. We must be alert to the work of the enemy. We must be sensitive to his ways in personal relationships, church matters, governmental affairs—we must be awake to his whereabouts, and when we discover his acti­vity, we must radio those coordinates to heaven, calling on the power of divine guns.

We must obey the Scriptures that repeatedly tell us to watch and pray. We must pray for the divine activity we see around us and against the demonic activity we see around us.

How alert are you to these things? Some of us are so focused on our own plans, our own pains, and our own pleasures so much so that we have no sensitivity to the spiritual warfare around us. Maybe today you need to confess, “When it comes to my prayer life, I want to be more alert. I’ve neglected to be God’s forward observer, I’ve been AWOL, but I want to count for him again.”

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Lost in Translation

by Tom Goodman

Mistranslations can be funny, but not always.

The Wall Street Journal reported on some signs at overseas businesses.  The signs were translated into English for American tourists, but the signs lost their meanings in the translations.

Here's one from a Swiss restaurant:
"Our wines leave you nothing to hope for."

Then there's the posted notice in front of a Budapest zoo:
"Please do not feed the animals.  If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty."

One dental office boasted:
"Teeth are extracted by the latest Methodists."

In Copenhagen at least one airline was up front in how it handled luggage.  Its sign read:
"We will take your bags and send them in all directions."

Or here's another from a Japanese hotel, which led to some misunderstandings, I imagine:
"You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid."

That's like the laundry in Rome that advertised:
"Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time."

Finally, there was the sign at a Paris hotel that advised:
"Please leave your values at the front desk."

Those signs are good for a chuckle.  But it's tragic when things get lost in the translation between Christ's vision for his church and actually seeing the church in action.

That's why we've started a new sermon series called "The Church You've Always Longed For."  We're looking at six challenges from the Gospel of Matthew; and if we rise to those challenges, we can be a better church.  Last week we began the series by looking at how to place divine truth ahead of human tradition (listen here).  This week we continue our series with a lesson on how to let love overcome prejudice.  You can prepare for the message by reading Matthew 15:21-39.

This series is for your seeking friends as well as for believers.  Some start to consider Christ and then give up their examination of Jesus because a certain Christian or a particular church has disappointed them.  But isn't that like rejecting Beethoven's genius because your kid's middle school orchestra performed his work so poorly?

Christ's vision for his church is an ideal worth realizing.  To love Jesus means loving what he loves -- and, according to Scripture, Jesus "loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25).  Let's get together and figure out how to love the church as he did.  Join us this Sunday at 10!

Jump into July!

by Tom Goodman

From pancakes to picnics, we’re doing something special every Sunday in July. Bring a friend and enjoy these special events with your Hillcrest Family:

July 5 at 10am: Pancakes and Praise. This Independence Day weekend, our worship service will take place in the Multipurpose Center (MPC). We’ll meet at 10am for a pancake brunch—and the organizers tell me they’re planning patriotic pancakes, so you’ll have to come see what that’s about! We’ll stay in the MPC for the worship service around the fellowship tables. Expect the festivities to end around 11:30am. Our thanks to Pam Dahl and her Common Ground group for hosting this!

July 12 at 5:30pm: Family Movie Night. Bring your lawn chair or comfy quilt for this one, and we’ll turn the MPC into a big living room for the whole Hillcrest Family. We’ll watch Big Hero 6 and visit the free concession stand. We don’t want to run out of goodies at the concession stand, so help us plan by registering for this event at our website.

July 19 at 5:30pm: Game Night. Bring your homemade ice cream, some goodies for the snack table, and come enjoy board games and volleyball. Our thanks to Rebekah Fountain and her Common Ground group for hosting this!

July 26 at 10:00am: Baptism in the Park. An annual tradition! We’ll start off at Hillcrest with our regular 10am worship service. Instead of our small-group hour at 11am, head to Emma Long Park with your lunch. We’ll eat together, celebrate baptisms, and spend a lazy afternoon under the oaks and junipers. To participate in the baptism ceremony, adults need to complete the Discover Hillcrest course. The next one is July 19 and you can contact me to let me know of your interest. Youth should contact Steve Cloud and children should talk with Karen Raulie. There’s a great video explaining the importance of baptism at www.hillcrest.church/baptism.

New Summertime Sermon Series. This Sunday we begin a new series called “The Church You’ve Always Longed For.” It’s an exposition of Matthew 15-18, where Jesus shows us his expectations for those who belong to him. Read ahead and pray in preparation for this important summertime study.

Too Busy Not to Pray

by Tom Goodman

 

Are you “reviewing the dailies” with God?

Pastor John Ortberg was struck by an article from cinematographer Bob Fisher about the need for movie crews to spend some time every day reviewing the film that was shot the day before. Before rushing into the next day’s production, reviewing the previous day’s work enables filmmakers to spot little mistakes while they can still be corrected, and they can celebrate what is going right.

Ortberg recommended that we take a few moments to “review the dailies” with God, too. How are you doing in that important work? Do you have a daily Bible reading routine? A place and time to pray and briefly reflect?

I have a love-hate relationship with the writings of Anne Lamott, but Andree Seu alerted me to an absolutely beautiful Lamott story of a friend whose two-year-old inadvertently locked himself in his room while they were on vacation. It illustrates why we need that regular time of prayer and Bible study. As Seu recounts it:

The Mom struggled vainly to get the door unlocked -- trying a few keys she knew weren’t the right ones, phoning around to get the landlord. Finally someone was reached and on the way, but there was still a frightened little boy to deal with as they waited for rescue, and his reasoning and verbal skills being minimal, he would not understand the nearness of his deliverance.

So Mom got the bright idea to get down on her knees on her side of the door and slip her fingers underneath in the inch or so gap between door and floor, and she asked the inconsolable child to do the same. He would not be able to see his mother’s face until the savior bearing keys arrived, but the feel of her presence through her fingertips while they waited provided some comfort and a sense that everything would be all right.

This is like our relationship with God. For now we are bereft of his full presence, for reasons not entirely clear. But he holds out his fingers and I hold out mine, as we touch through his Word and his Spirit every morning. Like Anne says, “It isn’t enough. And it is.”

We are often very much like frightened, confused children. Through prayer and Bible reading, let God give you that “touch” from the other side, reassuring us that everything’s going to be okay as we wait for deliverance.

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