Promising and tragic

I read today from the first several chapters of the book of 2 Chronicles. What a story! It is amazing to see God orchestrating Solomon's rise to power. It was not Solomon who decided to be great, but God who lifted him up. It is encouraging to see Solomon's initial humility. It is challenging to read of Solomon's impression of God. In desiring to build a temple, Solomon is overwhelmed by the greatness of God, and realizes that he is more than inadequate to build such a structure. It is gripping to see the kings and queens of other nations give gifts and their allegiance to Solomon.

And yet, the story of Solomon has a tragic ending. His heart is drawn away from God. His son is stubborn. His legacy is certainly not that of his father, David. Ecclesiastes is a book that is often attributed to him, and it begins "Useless, Useless." Such a promising life, such a tragic finish.

But, I also am reminded of the words of Christ when, speaking of Himself, he reminded us that "something greater than Solomon is here." As I look to people to be examples of how to live (even if they are Bible characters), I am often disappointed in what I see. I see traces of grace, but often I see the same flaws I have. But looking to Christ there is never disappointment. We can always look to Him as "someone greater."

People I have met - Dr. David Barnhart, my college Greek teacher

In a previous post, I mentioned that we are influenced greatly by the people we meet and the books we read. So, here is installment one along those lines.

In college I took Greek for five semesters (It was my minor). For each of the five, I learned Greek from Dr. Barnhart. He was one of the best teachers I have had in any course of study, period. What made him such a great teacher? Among other things...

1. His knowledge and love for the subject.
2. His constant attempts to make Greek understandable.
3. His sense of humor.
4. His tough exams which made me make sure I knew the subject, not just memorized facts.
5. He made sure to show us how we could use Greek in future study and ministry.
6. He made an old school textbook work in a contemporary setting.
7. He taught us how to think, not just what to think.
   

Dr. Barnhart would probably not approve of my use of computer Greek resources like this one. He wanted us to know it so well that we wouldn't be "slowed down" by such tools.

My college Greek textbooks (in case you wanted to know. I am sure you are on the edge of your seat):

• New Testament Greek for Beginners by J. Gresham Machen (very old school)
• Syntax of New Testament Greek by Brooks and Winbery
• A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament by Rogers and Rogers.
• Lexical Aids to the Greek New Testament by Bruce Metzger

So thank you, God, for the ministry of Dr. Barnhart! What a difference it has made in my love for Your Word! I study harder (and hopefully better) because of the godly respect he instilled in me for the Bible.

Unwind and rewind

Every Sunday is special, but today stands out for several reasons...

1. I missed preaching a bunch, but...
   
   
2. I enjoyed Greg and Blake sharing about joy.
   
   
3. I got to sit by my wife during the sermon.
   
   
4. I got to hear the choir/instrumentalists preparing for next Sunday night. The music was great. I can't wait.
   
   
5. I got to hang out with some of our high school students tonight. Good times.
   
   
6. Another person joined our church, and a boy expressed his faith in Christ and his desire to be baptized.
   
   
7. I found out that half the church eats at the Border Cafe for lunch.
   
   
8. I got a chuckle out of the fact that the Advent candles wouldn't light in the 11:00 service. What do they say about the "best laid plans?" Oh well.
   
   
9. I met tons of people new or fairly new to Ogletown.
   
   
10. The tours of the new facility went well, I think. I caught the tail end of a couple. Chilly, but encouraging!
    

Oh well, I am not sure how good I am at unwinding on Sunday, but I am so glad God has us here, and I cannot wait until next Sunday.

It's great to be a Blue Hen...

Okay, so I am not an official Blue Hen by birth or by schooling, but I am a resident of the state (Yes, I paid my $435 to transfer the title of my car to this great state). So, I have a little state pride in how good the athletes of Delaware have done this year.

Today in the 9:45 service we had a bunch of the athletes here in our services. So far, I've met players from the volleyball team, the rugby team, and the football team (who are headed to my old stomping ground Chattanooga this Friday to play in the national championship game).

I am so glad that God has placed so many Christians on the campus to share the good news of Jesus there. And I am also glad that OBC can be a church they can be a part of, even if it is not their home church.

Let It Snow...

Outside my window, I looked up this morning and noticed it was snowing. No big deal to most people in this area, but my Southern instincts kicked in:

1. Take the requisite walk outside (in case that is all the snow you see this year).
   
   
2. Go to the store and stockpile eggs, milk, and bread (my assistant, Susan, mentioned that her husband is always puzzled by this, wondering if people just like to make a lot of French toast).
   
   
3. Turn on the radio and listen for school closings.

For some reason, I don't think my Southern-snow instincts will serve me well in Delaware.

The People You Meet and the Books You Read

Here is a quote I read...

You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. - attributed to Charles Jones

I think that the quote is a little simplistic. For instance, an illness could change us into a different person. A personal tragedy could impact us significantly. Also, a change in our relationship with God could transform us into a different person.

However, I think there is some truth to the statement. We are heavily influenced by people and books. So, I thought I would begin in the near future some blog posts about "Books I Have Read" and "People I Have Met." I think it's a great exercise for us to evaluate who and what has influenced us for good or for bad.

Favorite Christmas CD's

Okay, one of the best parts of Christmas for me is the Christmas music! (Not the best part, but one of the best parts!) So, here are some of our favorite CD's in no particular order (all the links are iTunes links).

• Let It Be Christmas by Alan Jackson - I love the track "Let It Be Christmas." Growing up in Georgia, it's hard not to like Alan!
  
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - Every year the gospel is told on primetime network TV, thanks to this special. I love Schroeder playing the piano (Beethoven's Christmas Music)!
  
• Still the Greatest Story Ever Told by the Gaither Vocal Band - Although I don't listen to a lot of Southern Gospel, this CD is one of my favorites. If I started listing songs that I like on this CD, I would list all of them.
  
• These Are the Special Times by Celine Dion - Shawna and I have enjoyed this one since the ole' college days. I especially like "Another Year Has Gone By."
  
• Faith by Kenny G - Love the CD, and being a history fan, I love the Millennium Mix of Auld Lang Syne.
  
• Elf [original soundtrack] - The movie is silly (but hilarious), but this soundtrack is a lot of fun. The cover of the CD makes me laugh.
• The Messiah by Handel - Straight Bible. Great music. "Every Valley," "And the Glory," "For Unto Us a Child Is Born."
  

Songs that are worthy of honorable mention:

• Christmas Cookies by George Strait - Canaan loves this song year-round.
  
• Christmas in Dixie by Alabama - Christmas has arrived when I hear this one!
  
• Tennessee Christmas - Meant something different last year, than it does this year.
  
• How Should A King Come? - I don't know why, but I have always enjoyed this choral arrangement.
  

I am open to adding some new music to this eclectic Christmas collection (i.e. Elf and The Messiah). Any suggestions?

Also, is there a song about "Christmas in the Mid-Atlantic?" (It just doesn't have the same ring as 'Christmas in Dixie')

Two good friends,1 great CD

Tyler and Jenny Somers lead worship at OBC! This coming Friday, they are going to release their first CD, called "a prelude." Actually, the CD release will be at OBC at 7:00pm. I have had the privilege of getting an opportunity to listen to the CD in advance. It's great. The first song on the CD is called "American Dream." Powerful song. Check it out at their site.

Lottie who?

Every year during the Christmas season, Southern Baptists emphasize giving to a special offering called the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I mentioned it this morning in our services, but wanted you to know where you could find more information concerning it. God is doing great things, not just at Ogletown, but around the world. This is one way we can be a part of it.

Unwind and rewind

Sunday night is kind of the time where I unwind and rewind the days events. This weekend was a good one, I think, for Ogletown. Just a few thoughts...

• I love the fact that through the Advent portion of our service, we reminded ourselves that God keeps His promises. That is part of the core meaning of Christmas.
  
  
• To hear the congregation sing "Amazing Grace" was pretty powerful. It's awesome to be able to sing about grace!
  
  
• I was encouraged that 3 people joined today. Not just because they joined, but because each of them had expressed to me personally a desire to not just sit on the sidelines, but to be connected with the faith family at OBC.
  
  
• The church itself was decorated nicely. Big thanks goes out to those who worked to make that special for us.
  
  
• Next week, we will look at some more of Isaiah 9, that talks about the joy that the Light brings.
  
  
• I am looking forward to the building tours next week. You will be amazed at the building, I'm sure.
  

Anyway, God is good to us at OBC!