Breezes From the Beach

For the first time in my ministry, I am taking more than just a few days off in a row. I am currently enjoying some time with my family at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We have really enjoyed the change of pace from our day to day routine. It has given us some time to clear our minds and focus on some things that are easily overlooked. I watched my girls today in the ocean and could hardly believe how fast they have grown. As I watched a young couple feed their small child baby food under an umbrella, my mind drifted back to the days when Angie and I were the ones feeding our children in the same way. Now they are both so independent and able to take care of themselves. However, they will always be my babies, no matter how old they are.

As I spend some time away from my ministry, I am seeking God's guidance for my family and for the future of Spring Creek Baptist Church. Angie and I love our church with all of our heart. We are convinced that God has great plans for our church. We are seeking His guidance in allowing us to hear Him clearly as He guides our hearts. As the breeze blows in off the ocean waters, may the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit arrest our hearts to follow God's holy agenda. My prayer is that Spring Creek will witness the awesome activity of God upon the heart of their pastor when I return to the pulpit on July 11th. 21 days without preaching are going to be super difficult, but I am convinced that God has much to say to me and I need to get still before Him in order to hear His voice.

We serve an awesome Lord! To God be all the Glory!

Super Busy, but Super Blessed

It has been a couple of weeks since my last blog, but hopefully I will be able to do more in the coming days. We just finished a great week of VBS at Spring Creek. I have always loved VBS and this year was a huge blessing. I am so grateful for all of our workers and leaders who made this year's VBS great. It would be a great time to stop, relax and take a deep breath, but it's just not going to happen today. On Monday we leave with our Middle School and High School students for summer camp in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I am sure that it will be a great week of worship and excitement for our students. I really enjoy spending this time with them each year. I want them to know their pastor for more than just the guy who preaches on Sundays. I hope they can get to know Angie and I as people who love them and deeply care for their spiritual growth.

After we return from camp, I am going to do something I have never done in 17 years as a pastor. I am taking three weeks off from ministry work. I know that many of you who have known me for a long time cannot believe what you are reading. However, it is way past time for us to break away and have a chance to really hear from God on His direction for our family and our ministry to the wonderful people at Spring Creek Baptist Church. We plan to spend some time away together as a family and also to go and spend some time with our parents back in Alabama. During this time my prayer is that God would speak direction into my heart for the future of our church. I also realize that this is the last summer that Kaitlyn will spend with us before graduating from high school. When I entered my first pastorate, she was only ten weeks old. The only life she knows is the life of a pastor's daughter. Thankfully, it has not seemed to have adversely affected her. She has really had to grow up faster than normal due to the situations we have faced in ministry. I am confident that God has a great plan for her life and will use the experiences of these years to shape her for the future. Angie and I love what we do and enjoy the life God has given us, but we must not grow weary in well doing. We really need this time to break away from the day to day operations of ministry and get a fresh vision tomorrow.

May God bless all of you who read this entry. May you have a great weekend and and a fantastic Lord's Day!

Keeping Things In Perspective

This past week I had the privilege to serve alongside some wonderful men and women to provide assistance to those who have been affected by the recent floods in the Nashville, Tennessee area. We had a team of eight that served with about 50 other volunteers under the direction of Samaritan's Purse. It will take months of intense labor and millions of dollars to recover from the damages that are a result of the flooding. However, I am amazed at how God works through the lives of obedient servants. Not only were structurally broken homes put back together, spiritually broken lives were put back together. Even in the midst of devastation, it is such a blessing to see God at work in the lives of His children.

At this point in my ministry, I have so much to be grateful for. I have a great family and a loving church. These are two awesome blessing from God. Satan has used more tactics to discourage me in the past 26 months than at any other time in my ministry. However, the Spirit of God continually reminds me to trust in the call of God and in His holy power to sustain us through all of life's trials. I am currently reading a book called, "The Power of Desperation" by Michael Catt, pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. God is using this book to teach me of the greatest need in the Body of Christ which is the need to be desperate for the blessing and leading of the Lord Jesus. The wilderness that I have been traveling through has been one of the most difficult ever. I have often asked God what He is trying to teach me. I have even tried to convince God that I "get it" and am ready for the sun to shine again. I am constantly asking God for the night to end and the morning begin. Regardless, there must still be some important traits that God is still working into my life. Brother Catt makes some important statements in this book that have really spoken to my heart. He says, "God puts us in the wilderness until we want the Promised Land enough to fight for it." Could it be that God is teaching me to continue in the wilderness until I get so desperate for His presence that I am willing to do whatever it takes to reach the Promised Land? Brother Catt also says, "Only when we begin to see God as our source will we find Him to be the supply." I really believe that this is the main thing God is working into my life. I, along with all of God's children, must regularly and faithfully submit to Him as our source and supply. We need Christians and churches that are truly desperate for God.

Over the past few weeks, I have been preaching through the Book of Jude on Sunday mornings. This book really stirs my heart about the desperate days we live in. With each passing day, my heart becomes more and more desperate for God. When you spend a week helping people throw away everything they ever owned, it really puts life in perspective. Peter says that we are "strangers and pilgrims" in this world. We are literally just passing through. May we all rise to the challenge to be people of the BOOK, people of conviction, people of compassion who are truly desperate for God.

Little Things

This morning I was reflecting on my devotional reading from 1st Samuel. The Bible teaches us that the people asked Samuel for a king and against God's best plan for them, He allowed them to have just what they asked for. Not long after their request Samuel anointed Saul as King. Saul had a lot going for Him. The Bible says in 1st Samuel 9:2 that Saul was "a choice and handsome son.....There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people." (NKJV)WOW! What a vivid description of his physical character. Yet, Saul had a fatal flaw. He was a very prideful man who ultimately allowed his pride to overtake him when he became jealous of David. The lesson for us to remember is simply this: Even though we may have a lot going for us, it is the little things that have the potential to bring us down.

This morning while I was out for my morning run/walk (which truthfully is a lot more walking than running), God spoke to my heart about the little things. As I started to leave the park and head home, I noticed a lady leaving the park with a beautiful rose that she had just picked. The Spirit of God spoke to my heart and I stopped my truck, got out and pick a rose to bring home to Angie. As I was picking that rose, my mind traveled back to the days of the late 1980's when I was feverishly attempting to win her love. I would constantly do the little things, like bring flowers, balloons or small gifts to show her how much I cared. Now after almost 20 years of marriage, I must remember that it is still the little things that speak the loudest. I want to encourage everyone who will read this blog to go out soon and do something small for your spouse or children to let them know how special they are to you. God bless and have a great weekend. I just spoke with the Master this morning and He said it's only two more days til Sunday!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Mother's Day Reflections

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending the day with my wife and both of our daughters. We enjoyed a wonderful morning of worship and lunch after service at one of our favorite places: Olive Garden. After lunch we spent the afternoon together and made a late evening stop by another of our favorite places: Starbucks. There is absolutely nothing on earth that brings more joy to my heart than spending time with my girls. They are always happy just doing simple things, as long as there's some Starbucks in the future.

Yesterday, I could not help but reflect on our first Mother's Day as parents. Kaitlyn was only 8 months old which seems like only yesterday. Now sixteen years later we can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by. This Mother's Day was special because our daughters painted a new swing for our front porch as a gift for their mother. Angie was so surprised when the girls gave it to her. Honestly, we had to do a lot of "lying" to tell Angie where the girls were when they were over at our neighbor's house painting the swing. Thankfully, she forgave us for all of our sinful acts. Nothing like grace, huh.

With each passing year Mother's Day become more special to me. Most of all because my daughters were privileged to be given the best mother any child could ever have. I am grateful that God prepared her for me long before I was aware of His providence. I am truly married to a "Proverbs 31 Woman". All I can say is "Thank You Jesus".

Looking Back

Even though it is never a good practice to live our lives in the past, it can be profitable for us to take some time and look back over our years and witness how God has blessed and protected us. Today is a special day for me and my family. Today, I finally became a college graduate. It was twenty-one years ago this month that I graduated from Cleburne County High School in Heflin, Alabama. On that night, I had every intention of finishing college in four years and coaching football for the rest of my life. However, that has not been the case.

After one semester at JSU, I got discouraged and decided to just get a job. I went to work and within one year was married to my high school sweetheart. After a few years of marriage, I began taking night classes at Gadsden State Community College in hopes of finishing my degree and getting my coaching career started. Those were my plans, but not God's plans. I had made a decision in March, 1986 that would forever alter my life. I answered the call of God on my life to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I always thought that God could use me to help lead young athletes to Christ as a coach. That was my plan, but not God's plan.

In October, 1993 (after serving over 2 years as a student pastor) God made it clear to me that He was calling me to pastor a local church. The next month, I became the pastor of Center West Baptist Church in Delta, Alabama. For the next five years God would shape me for a future that I never imagined. In August, 1998, God made another move in my life. He called me to move into a full-time ministry at Waco Baptist Church Waco, Georgia. In October of that year, I would move my family and sell our home relinquishing us of any ties to our hometown. During my seven years at Waco, God began to deal with me about competing my theological training. In October, 2002 God used Dr. Johnny Hunt to speak words of encouragement at a conference to begin that process. I enrolled at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (North GA Campus) in January, 2003. Over the next seven years God would allow me to complete 90 hours at New Orleans before transferring to Tennessee Temple University for the final 36 hours.

As I walked across the stage today, I thought of several people who God used to encourage me in this journey. I thought especially of two people who are in Heaven on this special day. I thought of my preaching professor, Dr. Stan Wilkins, who encouraged me to never give up regardless of the challenges. I also thought of my Aunt Marilyn Thompson who went home to be with the Lord 30 years ago this month. She was the first person I ever remember telling me that God really loves me. She was also the first college graduate from our family.

Then I thought about my family. My dear wife and children have sacrificed many hours as I read, typed papers and studied for exams. They are my heroes! Without Angie, Kaitlyn and Brooklyn I would never have had the strength to finish. Also, my dear church family at Spring Creek Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia. I could never have asked God for a more loving and supportive church family. Your love and prayers are much appreciated.

I often get asked, "If you could go back, would you change anything?" I guess we all would makes changes in our lives if we had the chance to relive them, but I would not take anything for the experiences that God used to shape my life. I am grateful that God didn't allow me to have it my way. I am glad that He is teaching me that the best way is His way.

Approval From Heaven

I am sure all of us would agree that we desperately need a fresh touch from Heaven on our lives, families, local churches and our nation as a whole. As humans we are prone to begin to trust our own strength and leave God out of our life until a crisis occurs. We are taught in Scripture on multiple occasions of the necessity of trusting God in all things. Someone once said, "If the Holy Spirit was removed from our churches today, 90% of them would continue to run business as usual. However, if the Holy Spirit had been removed from the first century church, 90% of what they were doing would have had to cease." This statement causes us to stop and think about what we are doing and how we are doing it. Have we become religious institutions that are designed to run without any heavenly intervention? If so, we must repent and allow the Holy Spirit to redirect our hearts toward God's plan for His church. Jesus died for the church so that the church would seek to mold the world and not be molded by the world. Sadly, the opposite seems to be taking place. We must rise from our sleep and seek the approval of Heaven rather than the approval of man.

In my devotion this morning, Dr. Adam Dooley wrote, "You will never experience the abundance of God's strength until you yield completely to Him. God's commandments are not designed to rob us of blessings--they are meant to unleash them. He not only intends to demonstrate His power through you. He also longs to display it to you." As I read this statement this morning, I lifted my hands to Heaven and said, "Lord, I cannot be the man of God you have called me to be without receiving the abundance of Your strength. Lord, I must surrender myself totally and completely to your Lordship."

Friends, as you go about your daily duties today, be sure to yield yourself completely to the Lord Jesus. Love Him with all of your heart. Serve others with a pure heart and share the story of how He changed your heart. When we live in such a manner, we are free from the approval ratings of earth and we are focused on receiving the approval of our Holy God!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Days of Desperation

Over the course of my lifetime and ministry, I have witnessed many people living through desperate situations. These situations caused individuals, families and congregations to take bold steps to move through the time of desperation. In America we view those who live in desperation as failures. We often fail ourselves to realize that God has a purpose for our situation and that He is capable of bringing much good out of it. Most economists agree that the United States is living through the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression. These days have led many people to the point of desperation. If we only look at our circumstances we may miss what God is trying to teach us through that valley.

In my lifetime I have experienced many "valley" experiences. There were days that Satan wanted me to believe that God had forgotten my name. There were also many times that I was guilty of focusing on my circumstances and not looking for God's divine purpose. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 63:1, "God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water." We can regularly find ourselves in places where there is no water and our souls long for refreshing. It is during those times that we must remain steadfast and solid in our commitment to Christ. He has promised that He would never leave us (Hebrews 13:6) and that He never changes (Malachi 3:6). When Satan tries to remind you of your problems, just take a few moments and remind him of God's promises! Then you'll find yourself on some shoutin' ground! Let's stay strong brothers and sisters! At any moment we could behold the face of the risen Son of God!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Pollen and Showers

A lot of folks (even those much older than I) are saying that this is one of the worst spring pollen seasons ever. No doubt, many have had a difficult time dealing with the pollen (including my family). Several years ago I had taken one of my girls to an allergy specialist for testing. As he was discussing with us about the effects of pollen on the sinuses, he made an interesting statement. He said, "It's not the pollen you can see, it is the microscopic pollen that you cannot seen that causes the most difficulty." That statement really brought to light many misconceptions about what gives us all the sinus trouble in the spring.

Being a pastor, I quickly sought to make a spiritual application from that statement. In our lives, it is easy to spot and recognize the "big sins" that could cause us to stumble. However, it is often the "small stuff" that creeps into our lives that evades the detection of our spiritual radar. That is why it is so important to maintain a healthy and close relationship with the Lord. If not, we can easily become desensitized to the seriousness of avoiding sinful tendencies. It doesn't take long for Satan to con us into believing that our sin is not that serious and it could never lead to anything disastrous.

It is much like the story of the Titanic. Many folks believe that the Titanic hit a massive iceberg that caused it to sink. The reality is that what caused the Titanic to sink was ice that was not visible because it was beneath the surface of the water. My prayer for all of you today is that the Holy Spirit would make us very aware of Satan's tactics. As we walk with the Lord and as He speaks to us, He can help us to be on-guard for what is lurking beneath the surface.

Just as the showers this morning washed away the yellow pollen that we can see, it also washed away the white pollen we cannot see. We need the Lord to shower us with His Word to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
"Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need,
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, but for the showers we plead."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior."
- Titus 3: 5-6

Super Sunday

The Holy Spirit really ministered to our congregation this morning. I was dealing with a difficult, yet much needed issue in the 11 a.m. service. Jude warned that false teachers would creep into our congregations "unnoticed". That word describes how sly Satan is at sliding his false teachers into local congregations. These false teachers have the capacity to do great harm to the Body of Christ. Jude also warned that false teachers would "turn the grace of God into lewdness." He was facing a culture that had been infiltrated with false teachers that were teaching a doctrine that allowed those who had been saved by God's grace to do as they please without any conviction or judgment for their sins. As Christians, we are grateful for the grace of God, but we must also understand that it is not a license to do as we please, but an exhortation to do only that which pleases God. In our culture today, we must raise up a generation of men who will stand firmly on the truths of God's Word and declare if boldly. God has not called us to cultural relevance, but to radical obedience.

God moved tremendously in this morning's service. I can only imagine how He will speak to hearts tonight. We are having a cardboard testimony service tonight at 6:00 p.m. It is going to be great. To God be ALL the glory.

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

I Love Saturdays

Saturdays are special days around our house. My family spends time together doing special things that each of us enjoy. I also enjoy Saturdays because it is almost Sunday. The reason I named my blog "Born on Sunday Morning" is because I literally was born on a Sunday morning. I actually plan to write a book by this same title in the coming days. I arrived into this world on March 14, 1971 at 8:17 a.m. in Anniston, Alabama. I often joke with my friends by saying that I got here just in time to take a shower and be on time for Sunday School. The truth is that I didn't go to Sunday School or worship a lot as a child. My Dad worked 7 days a week for much of my childhood, therefore my family was not regularly involved in any church. My folks have always been good, moral people who gave me a good home. However, I shall never forget the day that God spoke to my heart again on a Sunday morning at Edwardsville Baptist Church in Edwardsville, Alabama. On March 15, 1981 God used Brother Burgess Austin to lead me to faith in Jesus Christ. On that Sunday morning I learned what it meant to be born again.

Yes Saturdays are great, but Sundays are my favorite day of the week. It is the Lord's Day! It is the day we celebrate His victory over death, hell and the grave. It is also the day we come together as the local church and corporately worship the Lord Jesus Christ! Tomorrow morning (4-18-10) I am continuing a new series from the Book of Jude. I will be dealing with verse 4 tomorrow. This book is one that has a real message for the church. The title of tomorrow morning's message is "How To Recognize False Teachers". There was no shortage of false teachers in Jude's day and there is no shortage of them today. We must be so in love with the authentic Lord Jesus Christ that we can easily spot a counterfeit. If you live anywhere in the Rome, Georgia area, I invite you to come and worship with us tomorrow at 11 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. If you do not, these messages will be posted to our church website as soon as possible (www.springcreekbaptistchurch.com)

God bless you all. Have a great Saturday and an awesome Sunday.

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5

Just a Word of Encouragement

As most of my church family knows, one of my favorite verses in Scripture is Proverbs 30:5. This verse reads, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." (NKJV) God used this verse to speak to my heart during a difficult time in my life while I was reading through the Proverbs. This verse reminds us of the purity and holiness of God's Word. David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Pslams 12: 6-7, "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever." (NKJV)

Not only is His Word pure, it is also a shield. Anyone who has ever entered into a battle knows the value of a shield. It can be used to deflect objects that are meant to destroy us. Paul talked about the "shield of faith" which is able to quench all the fiery darts of our enemy, Satan. Thanks be to God for being our shield and our provider.

However, it is important to notice the final part of verse 5. He is a shield to "those who put their trust in Him." The promise of His shielding protection is only available to those who put their trust in Him. This is where faith comes into the picture. Our society is filled with people who will not trust in God, because they cannot see nor touch Him. How do I know He is real? It's all a matter of faith! I believe by faith that Jesus came, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, rose again on the third day, ascended back to the Father forty days later and is soon coming again! Soon and very soon, dear Christian friend, our faith will become sight! "Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1st John 3:2) What a marvelous day it will be when we behold His face!

Pastor Brent
Proverbs 30:5