ICYMI Thursday

by Tom Goodman

Austin Zoo reenacts Jurassic World velociraptor scene in viral photo

 

Apparently I’m not the only pastor who found Allen’s Getting Things Done system helpful: “GTD’s most surprising superfans have their minds on higher things. "The clergy love it," says Allen. "I have often argued that we should create a clerGTD. From any and all denominations. It’s quite ecumenical. They know how to do the God stuff, but it’s all the stuff they have to handle that they weren’t trained to do. The more they do that, the more they can focus on the more meaningful stuff."”  This article provides a summary of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” system, which I (sort of) use, and his claim that not everyone is doing it right.

 

Here’s how our own BGCT-affiliated Baptist Standard angled the report on the SBCs action toward a church with views incompatible with our Baptist Faith and Message: “SBC ousts Alabama church over pastor’s stand on homosexuality.” Listen, folks, any time a reporter—or an editor—uses the word “ousts” in reporting on this subject, you’ve just received a big tip on his or her bias. So, the SBC did some “ousting” while the pastor “stood.” Got it?

 

Confederate Battle Flag Talk:

“The cross and the Confederate flag cannot co-exist without one setting the other on fire.” Russell Moore, in a must-read piece

 

“Some [in the 50s, 60s, and 70s] displayed it as a curiosity, a general symbol of rebellion against authority, or an emblem of regional pride…[but] the flag was created by an army raised to kill in defense of slavery, revived by a movement that killed in defense of segregation, and now flaunted by a man who killed nine innocents in defense of white supremacy.” The Atlantic

 

National Review’s David French on why the Confederate battle flag should stay.

 

NYT:

In Austin, Tex., a tall bearded man went into the tattoo parlor where Kelly Barr works with a request: the removal [of] a 10-year-old tattoo of the Confederate flag.

He told Mr. Barr that he had decided to get the flag removed when he saw the pained look on a middle-age black woman at his gym on Monday.

“ ‘If South Carolina can take theirs down,’ ” Mr. Barr recalled him saying, “ ‘I can take mine down.’ I told him, ‘Right on.’ ”

This week's newsletter from Karen

7 Things Every Kid Needs to Hear

I Love You – As parents I know we all show our love to our children in many different ways. We may even say “I Love You” very often. But how often do we really sit down with our kids and tell them we love them when we (and they) are giving our full attention to the words and their meaning. Take some time this week and purpose to tell your children how much you love them.

I’m Proud of You – Believe or not, parents are still the #1 influence in the lives of their children. Statistics show that this doesn’t change until well into their 20s. Our children need to know that they give us a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction just the way they are.

I’m Sorry – I don’t know about you, but I hate being wrong. But there is one thing I hate more – admitting out loud I was wrong. We all make mistakes and we must tell our children we are sorry when we have done something wrong. This not only humbles us, it models the behavior for them.

I Forgive You – Just as we are going to make mistakes, so are our children. If we are modeling proper “I’m Sorry” behavior, they will begin to say they are sorry for things they have done. Once they have taken responsibility for their wrongs, we must forgive them. They need to know that our love is never attached to their behavior.

I’m Listening – Have your ever been talking to someone and knew the whole time that person was not listening to you. How did you feel? Sometimes my kids will be talking to me and I’ll catch myself not listening to them. I immediately know that empty feeling they are having because they’ve been ignored. If you will listen to your kids when the topics seem silly, mundane, boring, etc., I can almost guarantee they will come to you when the topic’s of greater importance or dire.

This Is Your Responsibility – Kids need to fail. I’ll repeat that – kids need to fail. We cannot be parents that continuously clear obstacles out of the paths our children are taking. Some parents clear obstacles in such a way that their child never knew the obstacle existed. Kids need to come up against obstacles and (with your advice and support, but not your action) make the decisions of how to tackle them. Sometimes they’ll get it wrong and fail, but this failure won’t ruin them. It will most likely make them better decision makers in the future. The earlier we start letting them take responsibility in the small things, the better they will be when the larger and more complex problems come their way.

You’ve Got What it Takes – Kids need to understand that God has created them just exactly the way he wants them. They also need to understand that God is in control. Knowing and understanding these two things is all they need to know they can face anything that comes their way.


The above was adapted from JoshShipp.com

This week's newsletter from Steve

Summer is flying by, and July is already peeking its head around the corner. There are a couple of things coming up on the calendar that I want to highlight here.

First, our in-town Mission Trip, called Rock Week, will be held at Hillcrest on July 6-8, 2015. We will treat this like a mini-camp, in that the kids will stay at the church on Monday and Tuesday nights. We will work at the Soup Kitchen downtown, have a car wash to raise money for disaster relief, feed homeless on street corners, and so much more! We will also have a group Bible Study and worship time each night, led by Jesse Hicks from Spring, TX, with Joey Porter leading music each night. Top that off with some late night activities, and it is bound to be a great week together! The greatest part of this is the cost. Students can participate, and even bring friends along, and the cost is ZERO! What an amazing opportunity for our students to minister right here in Austin!

There are still a handful of spots open for Youth Camp at Pineywoods, July 20 – 24, 2015. It is going to be an amazing week! Looking forward to spending time seeking God with our students among the beautiful pine trees in east Texas!

Please let me know if you have any questions about either of these events!

This week's newsletter from Gene

Lynn, Michael, Paul and Jodena Smith and I are in Orlando, Florida with the youth choir. Lynn and I were here several years ago with a youth choir, and it was an excellent experience. We’re here Monday through Friday of this week.

We have a very busy schedule, including a mission project, an afternoon at Universal Studios, and lots of singing, Bible study and a special speaker.

There will be 800+ students, with rehearsals all week and then a special recording session Friday afternoon to record a CD.

After the recording session we will head home, and be back Saturday evening. Please pray for us.

ICYMI Thursday

by Tom Goodman

NYT: “Many in their 20s and 30s [are] feeling financial pressure over attending elaborate and demanding festivities that lead up to and also include the wedding.” Just the next stage in runaway narcissism that I’ve watched take over weddings during my years as pastor.

 

Jim Gaffigan: “My faith is very associated with the notion of mercy. I understand that there is something greater than myself that does not judge me in a negative manner—or forgives me I should say. For me, being in touch with the idea that I’m not in control of everything is important. When I find myself frustrated, I have some distance from that idea I’m not in charge, for instance in how this conference call is setup.” First Things interviews the Gaffigans about being Catholic celebrities.

 

“He has baptized 66 umpires so far, calling them safe in the only way that matters.” An ESPN profile of Pastor Dean Esskew and his ministry to major league and minor league umpires.

 

His conversion led him to the feet of one he oppressed under apartheid.

 

Know Your Southern Baptists: A Directory

This week's newsletter from Karen

Summer Camp by the Numbers

3650 – dribbles of the basketball.
2000 – waves of pom poms.
1164 – trips to the restroom.
633 – meals served.
473 – pictures developed.
213 – t-shirts given out.
108 – minutes of daily scrimmage time.
123 – elementary children.
71 – adult and student leaders.
25 – awards medals given.
36 – professions of faith.
17 – preschool children.
15 – cheers performed.
8 – very tired committee members.
1 – amazing God!

This week's newsletter from Steve

Steve is serving at Super Summer at Hardin-Simmons University this week. Please pray for him and for our other members who are involved in service there.

Are your students signed up yet for Youth Camp at Pineywoods? There are still a few slots open. This camp is open for incoming 7th graders as well, so get your registrations in as soon as possible! The camp is July 20-24, and the cost is $290. 

This week's newsletter from Gene

How often do you have to decide if you are coming to church? That may sound like a strange question, and for some, the answer is every week; for others, maybe a couple times per month. For some it will be, “I haven’t made that decision for years.” Which group is the “preferred” group? The group that hasn’t decided in many years. Does that seem like a strange answer? Not when you really understand.

I’ve seen many people over the years that make the decision regarding their church attendance every Saturday night, depending upon their circumstances. Consequently, their church attendance is kind of a hassle for them, since they have to decide every week and attendance is up and down. There are those who have adopted the position you heard Bro. Tom describing this past Sunday, and they have decided early on in their relationship with the Lord, that regular church attendance is a part of their on-going commitment. For these people, they have decided that they were going to church each week and the only decision they have to make is when their life circumstances make attendance not make sense. These people are at peace in this decision making process and it doesn’t come up as a family discussion for a vote each Saturday night. Life works so much better.

Decide to decide. Is church attendance going to be an important part of your relationship with the Lord or not? If it is, make that decision and be done with it. If it isn’t, ask yourself, “why not.” Hebrews 10:25.

ICYMI Thursday

by Tom Goodman

Austin couple's wedding photos go viral, but husband gets the last laugh

 

Uncertainty for Bruce Jenner Lane in South Austin

 

How the Red Cross Raised Half a Billion Dollars for Haiti ­and Built Six Homes

 

The Myers-Briggs Personality Test is unreliable—and why you should use it anyway.

 

At Georgetown University, Robert Putnam and President Obama said that America’s churches have failed the poor for being too obsessed with the culture war. Ross Douthat, in reply: “It would be too kind to call these comments wrong; they were ridiculous.” Indeed. “The belief that organized religion is organized around culture war is largely a conceit of the irreligious.”

 

What Would Clockwise Mean Without Old-Fashioned Clocks?

 

When politicians talk about “freedom of worship” instead of “freedom of religion,” are they watering down First Amendment rights?

This week's newsletter from Karen

In the coming days graduates will hear much advice on how to approach the next phase of their adult life. Some will catch their attention, some will get eye rolls, some will not be understood, and some will never even be “heard.”

What I think God would say if He was the keynote speaker at commencement:

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-24)

Congratulations Class of 2015!

This week's newsletter from Steve

This week’s column is from Amy Cloud:

Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ during my long recovery. My family is so thankful for all the meals, donations, and visits from so many of you. Thank you also for the continued prayers. You are a blessing!

This week's newsletter from Gene

We are in the process of changing out all our thermostats to ones we can control remotely and program to match our activities. However, we don’t have them all switched yet (we have 27 total), which leaves some of them available for anyone to change. Please allow me to present “Thermostat 101,” which will also help you at your homes and wherever you have access to thermostats.

Think of a thermostat as an “On/Off” switch. It is a “timer” with a thermometer. The thermometer tells the thermostat when to turn on or off. When an air conditioning system is in the “On” position and working properly, it will push air into the room at about 55 degrees.

When you set the thermostat to cool, you are telling the thermometer when to turn the AC off. Remember, the AC is either “On” or “Off.” It produces cool air of approximately 55 degrees. The question is, “How long do you want that 55-degree air to flow into the room?”

For example, the room temp is 80 degrees and you set the thermostat to 64 because it’s really hot and you don’t have much time to cool off the room. The AC comes on and puts 55-degree air into the room until the room temperature reaches 64. No one wants to be in a room at 64 degrees, which is what we sometimes find when we come in the morning: condensation on the windows and a 64-degree room when the AC was left on all night.

If you want the room to be 72, set the thermostat to 72. The AC will push 55-degree air into the room until the thermometer says it is 72, and it will turn off the AC. Setting it lower will not cool it faster.

If you happen to be in a room that is not yet converted to the new thermostats, please NEVER set them below 72 degrees, regardless of how hot it feels. Remember, you are turning on a timer. At what temperature do you want it to turn off? (By the way, when you leave a room, turning the thermostat to 85 really helps.)

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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This week's newsletter from Karen

Parents – Please read the blog post below and be aware. I’ve had conversations with elementary students that have been participating in this game. It might not be so innocent. 

Church and Culture
Vol. 11, No. 45
Don’t Call Charlie

A new challenge game is going viral. It’s about connecting with a dead spirit from Mexico named “Charlie.” 

Fueled by thousands of videos from young people supposedly showing “contact,” the game is played by placing two pencils in the shape of a cross on a piece of paper with the words “yes” and “no.” Those present then repeat the phrase, “Charlie, Charlie can we play?” in order to make contact with the demon.

If “Charlie” is there, the pencils are said to move toward his answer. 

If “present,” then questions of any kind are asked…and answered. 

To end the game, players say, “Charlie, Charlie can we stop?” 

If you are ever invited to play this game, don’t. In fact, flee the entire situation. Don’t even be present as an observer. 

If you are a parent that catches even the slightest whiff of this in your child’s life, do quick intervention.

Because it’s not a game.

It’s the occult. 

The word “occult” just means that which is hidden, or secret, beyond the range of ordinary human knowledge or below the surface of normal life. Used in that sense, it’s almost a neutral term. But it has come to be used as a reference to those practices which link up, intentionally or not, with the hidden, or secret, world of Satan and his demons. 

And that is not neutral.

Then it involves engaging the forces of darkness, connecting with Satan and his fellow demons. When someone does that, they willfully open the door of their life to their presence and activity. 

And nothing could be more dangerous. 

So what are the marks of something “occultic” in this way? There are three primary characteristics: 

The first characteristic is the disclosure or communication of information unavailable to humans through normal means. This would involve things like horoscopes, fortune-telling, psychic hotlines, and tarot cards.

The second mark of things occultic has to do with the placing of persons in contact with supernatural powers, paranormal energies, or demonic forces. This would entail the attempt to summon up a spirit, or a deceased relative through a séance, or channeling a spirit, or procuring the services of someone claiming to be a medium. 

The third mark of the world of the occult is any attempt to gain and master power in order to manipulate or influence other people into certain actions. This would include all forms of witchcraft and the casting of spells.

There is no dead spirit from Mexico named Charlie.

There are, however, demons only too happy for the ruse.

And the open door.

James Emery White

Sources 

“The Charlie Charlie Challenge – what is the spooky craze?,” The Telegraph, May 27, 2015

This week's newsletter from Steve

This Sunday, June 7, is our chance as a church body to recognize both our high school and college graduates from Hillcrest. We will be taking some time during the service to give a gift to our high school seniors, and to pray over them and our college graduates.

High school graduates need to be at the church by 9:45 AM, and please sit on the first or second row. We will give you some instructions about what is going to happen during the service, and when to come up onstage. Looking forward to honoring you guys this Sunday!

There are also still a few spots left for Youth Camp in July. If your student has not signed up yet, there is still time! However, space is very limited, so please contact me ASAP! Have a wonderful week!

This week's newsletter from Gene

You may have seen a new van sitting out front this past Sunday. We have a new 12 passenger van, a 2015 Mercedes Sprinter with lots of luggage space and extensive safety features. FEDEX owns approximately 60,000 of these vehicles, so they are some of the most reliable on the road. We have looked at the various vans in this class for the past several weeks and this model was head and shoulders above the other brands. The Lord made this one available at very little price difference from the others in the market.

As you are probably aware, we try very hard to avoid borrowing money. It’s been about 15 years since we had debt from a financial institution. That was for about 18 months to fund completion of the three story Education building. It was about a $1.5 million project. We completed the auditorium renovation by borrowing from ourselves, and those funds have all been repaid.

We paid cash for this van, as we have all the vehicles we have purchased since 1991. Part of what made this purchase possible was using funds from the Jeanne Schmidt estate. We are also using some of those funds to provide proper campus-wide signage, which we hope to have completed by the end of the summer.

As we have evaluated our vehicle usage, we have determined that there is a very limited number of times each year when we need three vehicles. We have decided it is more cost efficient to rent an extra vehicle for those times. We will sell our oldest van, a 1998 model, as soon as possible. We will wait to sell the other traditional 15 passenger van, a 2011 model, after it is used for a couple of summer camps. That will give us only two vehicles. Funds from these sales will go back into the Schmidt estate account for future use.

The two remaining vehicles should provide us the needed space for our ongoing events, and both are easily accessible by senior adults as well as the other age groups who will use them.

How to Survive a Cultural Crisis

by Tom Goodman

“It’s going to be an issue.”

These six words might tell you all you need to know about the road ahead for faithful Christians in the public square.

It was an answer given during oral arguments in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case that sets the stage for the legalization of same-sex marriage in all fifty states. Justice Samuel Alito asked Solicitor General Donald Verrili if the redefinition of marriage he was advocating would negatively impact the tax-exempt status of religious institutions who continued to maintain policies built on the traditional definition of marriage.

“You know,” Verrili said in reply, “I — I don’t think I can answer that question without knowing more specifics, but it’s certainly going to be an issue. I — I don’t deny that. I don’t deny that, Justice Alito. It is — it is going to be an issue.”

Indeed.

In fact, stories of discrimination against people of faith have already been piling up. On the west coast, the CEO of Mozilla was fired because someone dug back in contribution records and found the Catholic businessman had donated to the campaign that (briefly) codified traditional marriage in California. On the east coast, Atlanta’s fire chief was terminated when someone complained about a book the Baptist had written about his Christian faith because deep into the book it contained a line against homosexuality. It didn’t matter that investigations proved no actual acts of discrimination against gay or lesbian employees by either man. In between these two coasts are former owners of family businesses now made bankrupt by lawsuits and government fines because they wouldn’t use their talents and resources to celebrate a marriage their faith said was no marriage. Even in red-state Texas, when Houston pastors objected to the mayor’s equal-rights ordinance, her administration had all their sermons subpoenaed for review.

So, yeah, like the Solicitor General said, it’s going to be an issue.

Some react to these reports with apathy, but others react with alarm. Neither response is appropriate. When Peter and John wrote to Christians facing hardship, they both opened with the statement, “Do not be surprised” (1 Peter 4:12; 1 John 3:13).

So, then, what is a fitting reaction to the growing religious liberty crisis? That’s my topic this upcoming Sunday. Join us for the study at 10am, and then at the 11am small-group hour, I will lead a panel discussion in the Multipurpose Center on this subject.

__________________________________________

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"Tempting as it is to dismiss the malleability of sexual orientation, resist the urge"

by Tom Goodman

This was first posted on May 26, 2012. I’m re-posting it to correspond with our May 31 sermon and panel discussion.

William Saletan of Slate is a must-read columnist for me. He's center-left, which means we would not agree on a number of topics if we were sitting together at a coffee shop. But I could see us actually sitting at a coffee shop. In a recent column, "Fifty Shades of Gay," Saletan cautions his fellow pro-gay advocates against insisting on what kind of thinking must be right for everyone with same-sex attractions:

Homosexuality is fundamentally personal, not political. Like heterosexuality, it varies from person to person, and it can evolve over a lifetime. Experience and research suggest it’s extremely unlikely that you can change your sexual orientation, and you’re better off accepting who you are. But what’s true for you may not be true for someone closer to the margins of homosexuality. Tempting as it is to...dismiss the malleability of sexual orientation, resist that urge. Morally and therapeutically, it’s better to treat people as individuals....An unusual subset of highly motivated people can find ways to alter their sexual self-understanding and possibly their behavior. Those people have no grounds to say conversion therapy will work for the rest of us. And we have no grounds to say it can’t work for them.

He's written about this before. It seems a perfectly tolerant position, though stated more center-left than I would state it. In fact, other than the "accepting who you are" sentiment, his view is compatible with the Christian message.

The "accepting who you are" sentiment won't do: I don't want to "accept" those parts of me that are incompatible with Christ's expectation of me. But aside from that, Saletan's on to something with his defense of those "highly motivated people" who have found ways to "alter their sexual self-understanding and possibly their behavior."

That's a good description of discipleship for Christians who have same-sex attractions. The call of Christ to those with such an orientation is not to first expunge the attraction and only then surrender to Christ's saving Lordship. Rather, the call of Christ to those experiencing same-sex attraction is like the call He extends to every other believer: We receive his mercy and then accept the task of conforming our mind and actions to his values. We are indeed--all Christians--"highly motivated to alter our self-understanding and behavior," to use Saletan's words, in whatever ways our self-understanding or behavior is out of line with Christ's expectations.

Such a process isn't easy or overnight, but neither is it dangerous or unreasonable.

This week's newsletter from Karen

Over the weekend I read an article that contained the word mindsight. I wrote the following for a lifespan development class after reading the article. 

The term mindsight was attributed to D.J. Siegel and defined as “a capacity of the mind to intentionally focus attention, monitor thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, and to ultimately direct the flow of energy and information within the triangle of well-being — mind, brain, and relationships.” With this in mind, it would appear on the surface that individuals have a choice in how to react to certain situations that affect their neural health [health of the nervous system]. 

Does scripture in any way provide insight into this concept? Having a logical, scientific mindset, I am always searching for ways scripture (which by faith I believe is the inerrant Word of God) lines up with science. I did a quick search on the word mind in the Bible and found plenty of instances of its use. I was drawn to a passage in Romans which reads, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”  (Romans 8:5-8, NIV) In this passage is the word governed. Defined as “to hold in check or to control”, the passage indicates that we can hold in check or control our minds.

Using this approach, as the authors stated, is exciting to think about in the future of Christian counseling. Being able to say to a [child/parent/family member] “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8) and having my faith in the ability of God to work in their minds substantiated with the science of how it all actually works, would be very rewarding indeed.

This week's newsletter from Steve

Do you have a college-aged student in your house? If so, have they heard about the new things that we have been offering for their age group at Hillcrest? 

We have a regular weekly Bible Study that meets at our house called “The Gathering” that is just for college-aged students. What qualifies as “college-aged”? Well, we have set the parameters at roughly 18 to 23 years of age. They do not have to be a student, but should be in this age range. We also have a Bible Study each Sunday Morning that meets on the 2nd floor of the Education building during the Common Ground hour. Join us this week for some of our college-level activities! 

Speaking of graduates, Sunday, June 7th is our Graduate Recognition Sunday! If you have a high school graduate, please send me a digital photo, plus any plans they have for the next year via email.  You might also include any prayer requests that you have regarding your student. We will be making prayer cards to give out to the church for each graduate on June 7th. If you have a college graduate, please let us know about that, as well. We will not call them up on stage, but will recognize them during the service that day. If you have any questions, please let me know! Have a great week!

This week's newsletter from Gene

Some of you are wondering, did we get water in the auditorium again? The answer is “yes.” It’s about the same as the last big rain we had. I’m not sure what else can be done to the drain system to prevent it, so I’ve come up with another solution. I’ve purchased some fans to dry out the carpets rather than trying to beat everyone else to the few that are available from the rental places. Surely having them on site will be a deterrent!!  

Hillcrest has a long history of mission involvement and missionary support, primarily through the IMB, International Mission Board, which is the international mission arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. A substantial portion of our undesignated giving each month goes to the SBC for their work, and the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, which we participate in each year, goes directly to these approximately 5,000 missionaries around the world.

 

We also support these missionaries in other ways. We recently had a group of 16 who went to Malawi to provide a camp/retreat for all these missionaries in southern Africa. We periodically have “Missions Munches” which are lunches after our service so we can hear first-hand about their work when one of them is in the Austin area on furlough.

We currently are providing one of these mission families the use of one of our vans for a couple of weeks while they are in this area. They have been in North Africa for 8 years. They have a family of 6 children, so they needed a larger vehicle to carry them around. Thank you Hillcrest for your faithful giving so we can be involved in these mission opportunities.

No Place for Closets

by Tom Goodman

Attracted to same-sex intimacy and yet attracted to the call of Christ. Maybe this is the struggle for someone important to you. Maybe this is the struggle for you.

It was a dilemma Rosaria Champagne Butterfield knew well. In 1999, she was in a committed lesbian relationship and held a tenured English professorship at Syracuse University specializing in Queer Theory, a postmodern form of gay and lesbian studies. I loved reading The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, the story of how she began to consider Christ and then committed to him. What particularly struck me was how she allowed herself the support of a family of faith in this process. Because of this, she found the space to evaluate the claims of Christ and then the strength to make the changes necessary to follow him.

Sadly, that is not the case for everyone. She wrote:

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I counseled a woman who was in a closeted lesbian relationship and a member of a Bible-believing church. No one in her church knew. Therefore, no one in her church was praying for her. Therefore, she sought and received no counsel. No confession. No repentance. No healing. No joy in Christ. Just isolation. And shame. And pretense.

She added, “I think that churches would be places of greater intimacy and growth in Christ if people stopped lying about what we need, what we fear, where we fail, and how we sin.”

Is Hillcrest this kind of place? A place where it’s safe to open the closet? This Sunday, my message at the 10am hour will be about what you can expect at our church if you or someone important to you opened up about same-sex attraction. I’ll talk about who we want to be--who we’re trying to be--for our community. Then, at the 11am small-group hour, I will lead a panel discussion in the Multipurpose Center with some believers who know what it means to follow Christ while dealing with same-sex attractions.

“If it weren’t for other people, I don’t think I’d make it,” Wesley Hill wrote. “For me to live faithfully before God as a sexually-abstinent homosexual Christian must be to trust that God in Christ can meet me in my loneliness not simply with God’s own love but with God’s love mediated through the human faces and arms of my fellow believers.”

Let’s trust each other with our struggles--and let’s be worthy of that trust.

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This week's newsletter from Karen

Galatians 5:13 reads, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (NIV).

According to BibleGateway.com, the word flesh used here is translated from the Greek word sarx.  When used in this context, flesh (sarx) is referring to the sinful state of humans.  So, why exactly does Paul warn us about freedom leading to sinful indulgence?  Paul was saying to the Galatians they were free from the confines of the law.  Earlier verses indicate that some were still adhering to the practice of circumcision as a means to faith in Christ which Paul pointed out was false.

Paul was saying that with freedom [from the law] comes personal responsibility.  He must have known that once people realized they did not have to conform to every letter of the law the tendency would be to behave in complete contrast to the law (described in Galatians 5:19-21).  True freedom (being led by the Spirit) has evidence – fruit – which he describes in Galatians 5:22-23 which reads, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (NIV).

From verse 13, he gives us a simple way to keep from turning to a sinful state – serve one another humbly in love.

Take some time this week and plan how your family can – together – serve others in and around your neighborhood.  Is there someone who needs help with yard work?  Is there a park that needs trash removed?  Could you take a wagon around and collect items from your neighbors to help with the Spring Food Drive?  You could even ask another neighboring family to help and then invite them to have a hot dog cookout in your backyard once the task is complete.  The possibilities are endless.

This week's newsletter from Steve

Amy and I would like to thank those of you who have showered us with prayer, phone calls, cards, and food over the past week since Amy’s surgery. Your encouragement means so much! If you do not know, Amy had a torn ligament in her hip, and had to undergo surgery to have it fixed last week. She is recovering well, and in good spirits.  We would appreciate your continued prayer, as she still has 3 more weeks on crutches.

Just another reminder that time is running out to get signed up for Youth Camp at the early bird rate of $260.  After next Wednesday, May 27, the price goes up to $290. If you need more info, please call me in the office, or send me an email.

Parents of 6th graders, you too have the option of sending your student with the youth to camp! I have one signed up already, but there is space for a few more! Again, please let me know if you have any questions! Have a great week! 

Reminder: Graduate Recognition Sunday is June 7. If you have a graduating senior (high school or college) please send a digital photo, graduation info, and plans/prayer requests for the following year to Steve by Wednesday, May 27.

This week's newsletter from Gene

The rain is very beneficial, but because of it, we had to cancel our Alternate Shot Golf Tournament this past Saturday. It didn’t rain Saturday, but because of the rain nearly every day last week, the course was very muddy. Our goal with this event is to have golfers with some skills, and those who don’t necessarily have great golf skills, out together in teams to have a lot of fun using somewhat “unconventional” golf rules to have an enjoyable time. However, “mud golf” didn’t seem to fit this model. We will schedule another one after the monsoon season passes.

Sonshine Singers, be sure and put our next concert on your calendars. We’ll be at Woodlawn Baptist church for lunch and a concert Thursday, June 11th. We’ll leave our church at 11:00am and return about 1:30pm.

Some of you saw a posting this past week from my youngest daughter, Tiffany and her husband Jason, who live in Houston. They showed a picture of their feet with a pair of little girl’s shoes between theirs with the caption “Due October 9th.” Lynn and I are excited about our kids and another grandbaby!! She will be grandbaby number 3 and named Faith.

This week's newsletter from Karen

Tell your kids that you are going to reward them for good behavior for a time period (three days or five days).  You want them to understand that there will be a reward for obedience and good behavior.

Make up small pieces of paper that say "Caught ya" or "Way to Go." Tell your kids that you are very happy when they do what they are supposed to do, with a good attitude, and right away. Tell them you will be looking all week and will try to catch them doing good. When you do, give them one of the certificates. Let them trade these in at the end of the week for small prizes or a party or a campout in the living room.

At the end of the week as your child is enjoying their reward, read Colossians 3:23-24:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Explain to your children they should do everything to please God. Make sure they understand we cannot earn our way into heaven with our actions, but once we are believers our actions should reflect God’s image and one day God will reward our actions and it will be much better than anything we can imagine!

* inspired by Splink, May 31, 2009.

This week's newsletter from Steve

Are your students signed up for Youth Camp (July 20–24) yet? I know that July seems like an eternity away, but it will be here before we know it! We are looking forward to an amazing week together at Pineywoods. Camp Pastor Ryan Fontenot will be bringing the Bible Study each day, and the Dave Hassell Band will be leading worship, with some comedy by Bob Smiley. Add to that the amazing recreation time, church group time, and small groups, and you have an unforgettable week to look forward to! 

This is a GREAT way for students to introduce their friends to Jesus. Why not bring a friend along who does not go to church? A week surrounded by new friends, Bible Study, and a focus on Christ… could change your friend’s life! 

Sign up soon, as our limited number of camper slots are shrinking. Cost is $260 if signed up, $50 deposit made, and registration forms are turned in by Wednesday, May 27th. After that date, the cost goes up to $290. I will be emailing these forms this week, so look for them in your email. Please let me know if you have any questions!

This week's newsletter from Gene

Isn’t the rain good? Who would have thought that rain could get a little “old?” We still need it and can use it, so don’t change your prayer for rain; however, it would be nice to have it 30-50 miles to the northwest so it fills up our lakes. The rain we had this past week gave us 4 ½ inches in a very short time. This is never good for Hillcrest.  Our courtyard has only two outlets, one on each side. The one closest to the office side of the building comes around and join the one on the preschool side  underneath the big tree. Since it is “downstream” of the office side, the preschool side has more problems with overflows. The pipe tends to be rather full by the time it gets to the preschool side and the preschool side deals with the leaves from the tree. Consequently, this much rain tends to flood a part of our building. 

This last big rain was no exception. We got water in the very front part of the auditorium by the orchestra area and it extended down the hallway well into the choir room. This has happened often enough that we pretty well have  a routine to handle it, and we seem to be fine. We try to stay on top of making sure the drains are clear, but sometimes a very heavy downfall in a short period of time overcomes the capability of our drain system. There doesn’t seem to be a really good answer to completely eliminate this problem, but we have made good progress, and now it only happens occasionally rather than often.

ICYMI Thursday

by Tom Goodman

 

Introducing Texmoji.
Does your state have an emoji keyboard?
I didn’t think so.

 

It’s the Starbucks barista name generator

 

Science's Love Affair with The Lord of the Rings, from taxonomic commemoration to the topics of journal article.

 

“You can't save her. Only Jesus can. He'll help you too. Ask him.” Interesting lifeline thrown out to Don Draper in last Sunday’s Mad Men. Remember that when it all ends sadly in a couple of weeks.

 

“Should Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?” This was an important debate on NPR’s “Intelligence Squared.” 

 

Related: Here’s another excellent debate on Intelligence Squared, featuring Kirsten Powers sharing her conversion story: “Do Liberals Stifle Intellectual Diversity On The College Campus?”

 

“We will soon find out just how tolerant those who preached tolerance for same-sex marriage will turn out to be, now that they are ascendant in the culture. Meanwhile, even as we were repeatedly told that warnings about threats to religious liberty were overblown, the truth came out before the Supreme Court yesterday. Take the Solicitor General at his word. ‘It’s going to be an issue.’” Albert Mohler

 

Frederica Mathewes-Green: “I’ve resisted joining up with the ‘defend marriage’ movement for a long time, and you might wonder why I’d change my mind now….I’m joining the fray because it looks like the battle is lost. That means it’s time to stand together. It’s not hard to predict what happens next: winners silence their opponents, and losers are hounded, misrepresented, and punished for their views. Well, what did we expect….? Christ suffered ‘outside the gate,’ as an outcast, beyond the city wall. Why should we be any different? As the Scripture says, ‘Let us go forth to him outside the camp, and bear the abuse he endured’ (Hebrews 13:13). It’s time. Let’s go.”

When Children Turn into Cats

by Tom Goodman

“I just realized,” Adair Lara once wrote, “that while children are dogs, teenagers are cats.” I liked her analogy:

It’s easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.

Then, around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you king. Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won’t see it again until it gets hungry--then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you’re serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.

Realize that all dog owners go through this, and few find it easy. My glance used to travel from my cat Mike looking regal and aloof on the fence to a foolish German shepherd on the sidewalk across the street, jumping for joy simply because he was getting to go outside. Now I miss the little boy who insisted I watch Full House with him, and who has now sealed him into a bedroom with a stereo and TV. The little girl who wrote me notes and is now peeling rubber in the driveway.

The only consolation is that if you do it right, let them go, be cool as a cat yourself, one day they will walk into the kitchen and give you a big kiss and say, you've been on your feet all day, let me get those dishes for you--and you'll realize they’re dogs again.

Some of you moms can identify, huh?

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and it gives us a chance to honor moms and remember moms. It’s also a good day to review the important work of being a parent. In the sermon, we’re going to look at Proverbs 4:20-27 to discover some “Wise Words from Winning Parents.” It’s a useful review for dads as well as moms. Join us at 10am.

__________________________________________

Subscribe to “Winning Ways” and
it will arrive in your inbox each Wednesday
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This week's newsletter from Karen

Last week one of our Kindergarteners crossed the line of faith and became a member of God’s forever family. How do I know? He told me. No, let me take that back, he didn’t tell me, we blasted me with the news. And not only me, but anyone who would listen to what he had to say.

As he was talking to me I was reminded of Luke 18:15-17:
“People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”

When was the last time you were so excited about your faith that you were “blasting” those around you with your excitement?

When was the last time you were so excited about your faith that you told anyone and everyone who would listen without worrying about their reaction?

We all have great stories of faith worth sharing. So why don’t we share them?

Think about your greatest story of faith and picture how a child would tell it to someone. If you’re like me, you’ve pictured an instance of innocence. No fancy words, no pre-written statement, no filters. Just faith.

My prayer this week is that we’ll begin to ask God to help us remove the barriers/filters/fears/worries we face when sharing His love with others.

This week's newsletter from Steve

Are you dismayed by what has been going on in the world in the past few weeks? Are you hurting due to personal loss, or maybe dealing with feelings of sadness and loneliness? I have personally spoken with many in the past few days about very intense situations that they are dealing with. It can be very easy to feel isolated and alone during these times in our lives. These verses, along with the rest of Psalms 34, are an amazing reminder that we are not alone. In fact, it is in our most isolated and lonely moments that the nearness of Jesus can be felt. Take a look at this scripture:

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalms 34:17-18 (NIV)

It may seem difficult to do, but we must look to God during these intense times of struggle. We are reminded of this in 1 Peter 5:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

I pray that we rely on one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, but I pray even more so that we will fully rely on the power and direction of God in our lives. Have a great week!

This week's newsletter from Gene

We want to maximize our facilities for our own ministries, and for other groups that have missions compatible to ours here at Hillcrest, in addition to trying to be a good neighbor. We don’t rent out space for individuals or businesses, but try to accommodate other requests we receive.

This past weekend was a very busy time, particularly for our MPC. Friday, Casner had a special event for Grandparents; Friday evening, the Anderson Tennis team held a banquet; Saturday, the Deacons hosted the widow/widower banquet; and Sunday, we had the Missions Munch. These activities were in addition to a pretty full schedule, even on the weekends, outside our own usage on Sundays. We have a good custodial staff that stays on top of all this, and I am very thankful for all their hard work.

For the past number of years, we have tried to accommodate church member requests for personal use of some of our tables and chairs. However, with all the use our facility is receiving, this loaner program must come to an end. Please find other ways to provide tables and chairs for any special events you may have.

We recently completed an inventory and are missing some of our 8 foot tables and blue folding chairs. Please check your garages and storage areas to see if you might have some that haven’t yet been returned.