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1 Corinthians 15 is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible. It is commonly referred to as the “Resurrection Chapter” not because it tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection but because it speaks of the necessity of it and how it applies to our lives today. As we approach Easter Sunday 2014, I encourage all of my readers to take some time and read through this great chapter.  I intend to do so with my own family during our family devotional times.  Let’s look at some key points of this chapter…

“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:12–19, NASB95)

Here we see the absolute necessity of the resurrection to our faith. If He is not victorious then there is no victory for us. However, Christ has risen from the dead, so there is victory for us.  In fact, Paul goes on to explain that Christ’s resurrection restores spiritual life to sinful humanity who had lost their spiritual life through Adam’s fall in the garden of Eden…

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22, NASB95)

Because Jesus is victorious over sin, death, and the grave we can have that same victory through faith in Him!  Furthermore, Paul explains that Christ’s resurrection ensures our resurrection – comparing Christ’s resurrection as the first one of many to come…

“But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:23–28, NASB95)

I hope that’s enough to get your Bible study juices flowing and encourage you to dig into 1 Corinthians 15 this week as we count down to Easter Sunday – resurrection Sunday!  A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel for the first time to visit the Biblical sites. Of course, one of the great highlights of any trip there is a visit to the Garden Tomb…

We do not know for sure exactly where Jesus was buried.  The Garden Tomb is one of two locations that many Christians believe to be the place. The other is found just a short distance away in Jerusalem inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The Garden Tomb has a number of characteristics that coincide with what we know from the Bible, making it the location that is preferred by most evangelical scholars today, although we cannot be certain.

This is the burial chamber inside the Garden Tomb.  If Jesus was actually buried here, this is very likely the spot.  Take a moment and think about that. Every group that enters the Garden Tomb grows silent as this awesome thought sinks in. For me, it is a spiritually moving experience to be reminded in such a concrete way that I serve a risen Savior!  You see, the most important issue is not WHERE Jesus was buried, but rather THAT Jesus has risen!  Here is what you see above you as you exit the Garden Tomb…

Yes! That is what really matters! As the old hymn says, “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today. I know that He is living whatever men may say…”  That is the message and the hope of Easter.  In fact, Easter Sunday is not the only Sunday that the Christian church celebrates the resurrection. Have you ever wondered why we worship on Sunday?  Because Jesus rose on Sunday.  The early Christians did not gather to worship on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) but gathered to worship on Sunday because that was the day their Savior rose.  So, every single time we gather for worship on Sunday, we are celebrating the resurrection of Christ.  Yes, Easter Sunday and every Sunday is resurrection Sunday!

I will confess, I do enjoy talk radio.  As an avid sports fan, I enjoy sports talk – particularly about college football and basketball.  I also enjoy news talk about politics and current events.  Several months back, I realized that I had fallen into the trap of turning on my radio to talk radio every time I was in my car. I do enjoy great Christian music, but I have never really been a huge listener of music.  It’s live and in person where music blesses me most.  Bottom line:  I realized that was spending a lot of time just mindlessly listening to talk radio about the latest issues of the day. Too much time.  So, I searched for some podcasts to subscribe to that would intentionally teach me, broaden my horizons, and help me be more of the Christian and the leader that I need to be. While I had dabbled in podcasts in the past, it was strictly to listen to sermons from other preachers. Now, I have much greater variety.  Now, I spend my time in the car  listening to podcasts that help me. I listen while I exercise. It’s been a great blessing and encouragement to me that I had to share. Here are some podcasts I have found that are well worth my time (and yours) to listen to…

*****DISCLAIMER*****  My listing of these podcasts does not mean that I endorse every single viewpoint found in each one.  It simply means that I have found them valuable to help me think or to equip me.

The Briefing by Dr. Albert Mohler.   This is a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview hosted by the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.  Dr. Mohler is one of the foremost thinkers in the evangelical Christian world.  I never listen to one of these podcasts that I do not learn about a development or issue that I had not heard of.   If you like to think through issues, this is the podcast for you.

The Table by Dallas Theological Seminary. Hosted by Dr. Darrell Bock, this podcast features a lengthy sit down conversation between Dr. Bock and another theologian or ministry leader about church and ministry issues.  I have listened to in-depth discussions of such subjects as the differences between Roman Catholic and evangelical theology,  cultural challenges facing the church today, and interpreting Old Testament narratives. If you have the time, this podcast is well worth your time.

Rainer on Leadership by Thom Rainer. Dr. Rainer is the CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.  Every week, he churches out a podcast in which he discusses church leadership issues with recognized church ministry leaders.  The topics have ranged from church health to pastoral compensation to training people for ministry.

Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast by Andy Stanley.   Andy Stanley is the well-known Atlanta area pastor best known for his engaging communication style and unique approach to ministry.  Personally, I enjoy his leadership lessons far more than his sermons. He only produces one leadership podcast per month, but I absolutely will not miss it.

This is Your Life by Michael Hyatt.  This podcast is primarily focused on business leadership, but Michael Hyatt is a committed Christian who made his name in the publishing industry.  He covers such topics as “top 10 productivity hacks” and “4 difficult sentences for leaders and why you must say them.”   Michael is transparent and often splices in his personal leadership experiences in the business world.

Dr. Ted Traylor of Olive Baptist Church.  Not only is Ted a personal friend, but he is one of my favorite preachers.  It’s a joy to hear Ted teach expository messages with boldness, clarity, and a great sense of humor.

Dr. Lon Solomon of McLean Bible Church. A converted Jew, Lon Solomon is a tremendously gifted preacher and church leader.  Even though he serves in the Washington D.C. area, he stands firmly on the authority of the Bible, but he does it in a compassionate and engaging way.

 

What other podcasts have you found helpful?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I finally had time to breath and sat down to write a blog post. Sadly, I realized that it has been almost six weeks since I posted. To all my readers, I am sorry and I will try to do better!  There really isn’t one “reason” why I haven’t posted, but rather it is a combination of many factors. As many of you know, our family is going through a time of transition as Becky and the boys finish the school year in Huntsville, we look to sell our house, make decisions on where to live in our new place of ministry, etc. Even though those are good things, they are not easy things. On top of this, my mother-in-law has been going through some very serious health challenges and has been in the hospital or rehabilitation for three weeks now.  This has added stress and anxiety for my wife particularly and certainly for all of us.

We typically have our family devotional time around the dinner table after we have eaten the meal. One night this week as we were about to pray, we were talking about all of the things we had to pray about. Yes, the list is long!  As we sat around the table, I reminded our family that we are going through a time where we are being called on to live what we have said we believe. Every Christian goes through times like this. Now is one of those times for our family. Together, we prayed for many things, but we closed with prayer to be faithful and joyful during these days.

I couldn’t help but think about a message that I shared at Lakeside back in January. It’s one thing to preach about living by faith. It’s another thing to actually live by faith.  Perhaps you are going through a time where this message will minister to you. See below some excerpts from my preaching notes for this message. May it help each of us live by faith and not by sight.  God is good. Praise Him!

“Living By Faith”

2 Corinthians 5:1-9

From this text this morning, I want us to see that living by faith involves five distinct decisions as we go through life…

I.               Living by faith is placing your faith in the Lord

You see woven throughout these verses is a rock solid, all-encompassing faith in the God of the Bible. Jesus Christ the Lord. Notice in v. 6 and v. 8 the word “Lord” is used. It means one who rules or commands. The word Lord is used to describe Jesus Christ AND it is used to describe how we relate to Him. Look back with me and let’s read 2 Corinthians 4:5-6  This theme runs all through the New Testament …

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ is Lord and that means there is no middle ground. Your faith is either all in Him or none in Him and all in something else. You don’t half-way have your faith in the Lord Jesus. It’s an all or nothing proposition. That’s why most people really chose nothing!  Did you know that?  Oh sure, you can find folks who know about Jesus and know the story of His life. You can find folks who will tell you that Jesus even died on the cross for the sins of the world. You can find folks who even know several Bible verses. But yet when you ask them about their relationship with God they will say to you, “I’m a good person.”  “Now, I have been a member of that church for years.”  “Well know, I just…I just have my own way of believing…”  When it comes right down to it, they stop short of really trusting Jesus Christ alone. Their faith is not totally and only in Him for their salvation.  You see there were millions of people in church in America this morning who are trying to live by faith but who have MISSED the Lord of the Faith!  Living by faith doesn’t work without the Lord of the faith – our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

II.               Living by faith is believing God’s promises

As we seek to live the Christian life, we very quickly learn that life is not easy. We have to learn to take God at His word. Look back with me at 2 Corinthians 5:1  In v. 1 he compares our body that we have right now to a tent.  The NIV translates it “the earthly tent we live in…”  Now,  remember what the Apostle Paul’s trade was.  He was a tent maker.  So, it’s not surprising that the comparison he uses is that of our body as a tent.  And notice what happens to tents – they get torn down…”is destroyed…”   Get the picture. Our body is a tent and tents are temporary. They don’t have staying power. Likewise our body is temporary.  In fact, someone once said that the human mortality rate is holding steady at 100%!!   So what happens when Christians die? “we have a building from God…”  A building is a permanent structure. The building in v. 1 refers to the new body that Christians will be given one day.  It’s clear he is talking about that in v. 2-4.   One day our mortality will be swallowed up by life.  What a statement! 

The Bible uses similar language to express this same idea in1 Corinthians 15:50-54   Now maybe you are here and you are a little confused.  You say, wait a minute, Greg, I see all this in the Bible about the resurrection. But the resurrection hasn’t happened yet. So, where do Christians go when they die?  They go to heaven – remember 2 Cor. 5:8 says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  When a Christian dies, their spirit goes to be with the Lord and then, on the resurrection day, their spirit will be reunited with their glorified body to be with the Lord in the air.  What about the people who are alive when Jesus comes? The Bible says that their body will be changed immediately. They won’t die, they will just be changed in a moment. The end result is the same. Every Christian will have a glorified body – a body like our Lord Jesus.

 Now, what does all of this about resurrected/glorified bodies have to do with living by faith?  How does that tie in to believing God’s promises?  Look back with me at 2 Cor. 5:1   “we KNOW ….”  In the original Greek it means “know.”  We are certain. No doubt. 

Look on down at 2 Cor. 5:6 “we are always confident…”  2 Cor. 5:8  ‘we are confident…”   Paul was saying that he took God at His word.  He believed God’s promise of a new body and eternity with Him.   That is living by faith.While the immediate context involves death and our resurrection body, it is very helpful to make some very practical application.  Yes, there are promises of God to believe about our body one day, but we can believe some other very important promises too…

“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19)

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5).

“The LORD preserves the faithful” (Psalm 31:23)

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5)

 You see, really living by faith eventually comes down to this question: 

DO I REALLY BELIEVE GOD WILL KEEP HIS WORD? 

Do I believe that that God really meant it when He promised to supply all my need?   Do I believe that God really meant it when He said that he would never leave me or forsake me?  Living by faith is believing the promises of God. That’s the second decision, but now I want us to see that the Bible teaches that living by faith involves another decision…

III.               Living by faith is anticipating the future

Look back with me now at v. 1-2  “groaning”  He uses the word again in v. 4.  Now, when we see the word “groan” we immediately think of groaning in agony or distress, but the world here basically means “to sigh.”  Did you know that all groaning is not from distress? 

Think about the last time you took your young children on vacation.  “Are we there yet?”  SIGH.  “How much longer?” SIGH. ‘Let’s hurry. I’m ready to get there.”  SIGH.  They were groaning, but in a good way!  They were groaning with anticipation.

That is exactly the sense in which the word is used here. In v. 4 Paul says that he is groaning for his mortality to be swallowed up by life. He was not groaning in agony – he was groaning in anticipation!   Now look at v. 5  God gives us the Holy Spirit in us as a guarantee of more to come!  You see, living by faith is anticipating the future, knowing that the Lord will ultimately bring what he said to pass.

IV.               Living by faith is persevering through problems

Look with me now at 2 Corinthians 5:6  “we are always confident…”  Vs. 8 uses the same expression  “we are confident…’   Here is how that word confident is used here. The Greek word has this idea…

to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing—‘to be courageous, to have courage, to be bold.’

 This is why the New American Standard Version says, “being always of good courage!”  I like that translation. You see, if we really believe what we say we believe, then we can have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing.

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

 How easy it is to just want God to get us out of our pressures. Living by faith is living through the pressures.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed’  2 Corinthians 4:7–9 (NASB)

Living by faith doesn’t mean we have so much faith that we have no problems. It means that we live by faith through our problems. Now, I want us to see a fifth decision that living by faith means…

V.               Living by faith is desiring God’s pleasure 

Look back with me at 2 Cor. 5:9   Basically Paul is saying,  “In light of all of this, here is my goal.”  This was Paul’s ambition. You know it’s good to be ambitious if you are ambitious for the right things.  Let your ambition be to please God and that ambition is a great and worthy thing!Don’t miss the connection.  “therefore” connects this with all that is before it.  In light of all of this. In light of what living by faith means, I chose to make pleasing the Lord more important than anything else.

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,” (Ephesians 4:11, NASB95)

 

This verse describes the Biblical office of a pastor.  First and foremost, God calls men to be pastors.  Being a pastor is not something that we decide to do, but rather it is something that God compels us to do. In fact, most pastors that I know resisted the call due to feelings of unworthiness, a lack of ability, etc.  However, when God calls there is no option but obedience.  Being a pastor is a calling, not a career.

This week, something interesting happened to me. I realized that 20 years ago this week I had become a pastor.  Yes, the first Sunday in February, 1994 was my first Sunday as pastor of Pisgah Baptist Church in Pisgah, Alabama.

I often say that I don’t know much now, but I didn’t know anything then and people always laugh.  However, I am not kidding!  Becky and I were 23 year old newlyweds when we moved into the pastorium in Pisgah.  Those were precious days indeed. I could not have asked for a better first church to pastor.  If you are interested, here is the link to a post from last year when I returned to Pisgah to conduct a funeral. https://gregcorbin.com/2013/04/04/part-of-my-heart-will-always-be-at-pisgah/

As I think about investing 20 years of my life as a pastor, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude to God. It’s a privilege to serve as a pastor.  Today, I thought I would write about some of my greatest joys of being a pastor.  Yes, in case you are wondering, there are aspects that are not pleasant.  However, I prefer to subscribe to the wise words of a pastor I met several year ago: “Remember the best and forget the rest.” So, here we go!  My greatest joys in being a pastor:

(1)  Seeing lives changed through salvation.  Without question, the greatest joy of a pastor is seeing people come to faith in Christ and letting Him change their lives. I have seen people saved in a worship service, in their home, in my office, standing on a street corner, in a gymnasium, and a host of other places. My favorite story of a person coming to faith happened while I was serving in Pell City.  The choir was singing the special music – “Bow the Knee.”  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man coming forward right in the middle of the song.  It was a man that I had recently witnessed to in his home and who had been attending with his wife. He came forward and knelt down weeping. By the time I got to him, he was crying out to the Lord asking God to save him.  After he finished praying, he looked up at me and said, “Pastor, I’m sorry I messed up the service.”  With tears streaming down my face, I said, “You didn’t mess up the service, you made the service!”   It has been my privilege to baptize several hundred people over the years. God is good.

(2) Seeing lives changed through the Word and growth.  Practically all pastors really enjoy teaching the Bible. After all, that is a primary aspect of what we do.  It’s such an encouragement to a pastor when someone “gets” it and really begins soaking up the Bible teaching and living it out. It brings a pastor great pleasure to see spiritual growth taking place among his people.

(3)  A sense of fulfilling God’s call and pleasing Him.  One of my all-time favorite movies is Chariots of Fire.  It’s a movie based on a true story about two Olympians and their motivations for running. Harold Abrahams was a Jew who ran to overcome prejudice and anti-semitism.  Eric Liddell was a committed Christian and ran for the glory of God.  In one scene of that movie, Eric Liddell says “I believe God made me for a purpose. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”  In a very real sense, I never feel God’s pleasure more than when I preach.  In my early days as a pastor, preaching was all that I really cared about, but over the years, I have also learned to view all of the other aspects of ministry in a positive light too.  It brings God pleasure when I lead the people of God well and the church makes progress. It brings God pleasure when I spend some time with a person and help them with problems, etc. It brings God pleasure when I seek to comfort a family in grief.

(4)  Friends for life.  When I first became a pastor, I had a retired pastor tell me, “You can’t have friends in the church. People will get jealous.”  Early on, I took that advice, but I am thankful I quickly came to my own conclusion.  As a pastor, you love everyone,  but there will naturally be some people that you grow closer to than others.  Sometimes it’s through the activities of your children or sometimes a friendship just “clicks.”  Without apology, my wife and I have close friends in the church.  That’s part of being healthy people.  Having good friends helps me be a healthy pastor so that I can minister to everyone.   I am so grateful that Becky and I have friends for life from every church we have served.  This is why it doesn’t bother me when I know that someone in my present church is still good friends with one of my predecessors. After all, there are several pastors in the state who have members that are still great friends with me!  Friends are a treasure.  I treasure them more as the years go by.

(5)  Progress.  There is no perfect church. All churches need leadership. While leading a church to change and progress is certainly not always easy or pleasant, there is a great fulfillment in seeing progress over the long term. By God’s grace, I have been able to see progress at each church the Lord has called me to serve.  Sometimes the progress involved numerical growth in attendance, but sometimes it also involved greater unity in the church, better organization, paying off debt, renovating facilities, etc.  I am not wired well for just doing maintenance.  God has wired me to constantly be looking to move my church forward.  By His grace (and often in spite of my short comings), we have seen that happen over the years.

This list could be longer, but I really need to stop. Next to my salvation and the privilege of being a husband and father, serving as a pastor is the greatest privilege of my life. While I certainly have not been anywhere close to a perfect pastor, I have sought with everything in me to be a faithful one. I am praying and believing the Lord that my next twenty years of ministry will be my best and most productive.

 

Tuesday, January 28 began just like a normal day. There was slight talk of a dusting of snow, but no one expressed any real concern.  Even as snow began to fall around 10 a.m. no one had any idea that within an hour all of the Birmingham metro area would look like this…

Believe it or not, it was even down hill from there!  Things got worse. By the time the schools realized this was not going according to the weather predictions and they needed to close the schools, it was too late. Buses never left the school or soon turned around to come back. By 11:30 a.m. hundreds of thousands of people were in full panic mode trying to get to their children or trying to get home – or both.  11:30 a.m. was also about the time that the Rocky Ridge Fire and Rescue department came to the church offices and asked if we could shelter people because they believed many were going to be stranded.  By noon, all of our staff had left for home or to take care of children except for Regina Houser, our Weekday Education Director who was caring for children and stressed out parents who could not reach them, the Weekday Education staff, Facilities Manager Mike Dennis, Administrator Steve Taylor, and myself.  We began to make plans to provide for people and stay as long as needed.

As the day progressed and the situation worsened, people began to come in for shelter.  Gisele Glaze, my Administrative Assistant, could not make it home and (barely) made it back to the church facilities. We were soon joined by Stacey Boutwell, our Minister of Education, who was returning from the airport, became stranded, and walked four miles to get to the church.  By mid-afternoon, the McDonalds and Krystal down the hill from our church facilities were jammed with stranded people and no longer open for business.  By God’s grace, we happened to have a church member in each restaurant and they brought many people on foot up the hill to Lakeside. Cheryl Lea and Becky Akers were God’s provision in so many ways!

By around 5 p.m. it was clear that we were going to have around 40 weekday children to care for overnight whose parents could not reach them and dozens more adults and children who got here after being stranded on the roads. We surveyed the church kitchen and found enough chicken fingers, french fries, and frozen pizza to feed everyone dinner. We also had an ample amount of drinks and snacks on hand for the overnight hours. As the evening progressed people kept arriving.  At 2 a.m. a mother and her two young children walked up to the door after being in their car on the interstate for ten hours.  More people came at 3 a.m.  We were able to offer each one some food and warmth.  Other than the weekday kids and their staff, everyone slept on the pews in Lakeside’s worship center.  Because we live in the age of smartphones and social media, we kept up with the stories of many family and friends all night long.  It was a long night.

Wednesday brought a little sunshine and some improvement to the roads. All of the Weekday children were able to be reunited with their parents by late that afternoon.  Nevertheless, we still had around a dozen people spend Wednesday night at Lakeside because they still couldn’t get home for various reasons. By noon on Thursday, everyone was able to leave for their destination and the sun was shining brightly most of the day. Over that 48 hour period, the stories that unfolded were truly incredible. Thousands of school students stranded at school. Thousands of people who spent the night on interstates. Thousands of abandoned cars all over the metro area.  Families separated for two days. It was certainly a traumatic event for our region that cast all of us quickly into fear and unknown.

Yet, God was good.

I couldn’t help but go back to a time in the Bible when the disciples were suddenly caught in an unexpected storm…

“As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:23–26, HCSB)

Jesus reminded them that He was with them in the storm and He was in control of the storm. Those of us who lived through the last few days in Birmingham, Alabama can certainly attest to that!  Please allow me to close with a few reflections now that the storm has passed…

1)  God provides.   We know this truth, but at times like this storm we see it in a profound way.  God provided for Lakeside – the facilities we have, the people who wound up here, and the supplies that we had.  Therefore, Lakeside was able to provide shelter for so many. I heard countless stories of people who were helped by total strangers.

2)   The church is here for the community.  It was a privilege to be able to open our doors and be here for anyone in need.  While that is true all of the time, this week was a tangible reminder that our church is here for the community. It’s easy to get consumed with ourselves and have an inward focus.  People all around us are hurting every day – not just when there is a storm. It was a privilege to witness of Christ to many of those who stayed here.

3)   I lead a great team.  I cannot say enough about how Regina Houser handled the situation in our Weekday.  Steve Taylor, Mike Dennis, Gisele Glaze, and Stacey Boutwell went above and beyond the call of duty in every way.  Cheryl Lea and Becky Akers were honorary staff members for these two days and we couldn’t have done it without them!  Even though we housed 120+ people overnight on Tuesday, I did not hear a single complaint or problem. Everyone was so appreciative and complimentary. That’s a direct result of the leadership and servant spirit of our team.

4)  People need Christ.  We had people from all backgrounds here.  Many did not know Christ.  I am praying that the Lord will use the ministry and witness that we gave to sow gospel seeds in their hearts. I am challenged to be a greater witness because people are no less lost now that the storm is over.

God is good. Praise Him!

41 years ago today, the United States Supreme Court issued the famous Roe v. Wade decision.  See below a blog post that I wrote a year ago while serving in Huntsville on the 40th anniversary of this decision. I am looking forward to learning about the pro-life ministries that we have in the Birmingham area where I am presently serving.  Here is my post from one year ago….

Why January 22nd is a day you should mark on your calendar.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 will mark the 40th anniversary of one of the saddest days in the great history of the United States. It was on January 22, 1973 that the United States Supreme Court handed down the famous “Roe vs. Wade” decision that paved the way for legalized abortion in our country.  Since then, tens of millions of abortions have been performed.  A number of years ago, this led many churches (including the church I serve) to observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on the third Sunday in January.   This issue is one that I care deeply about.

In thinking about any issue, it is most important to look to the Word of God and make sure we build our perspective on it from the foundation of scripture.  On the issue of life, scripture is crystal clear on two points.  First, from the beginning of creation, God makes a distinction between human life and animal or plant life…

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:26–27, ESV)

Much has been written about what the Bible means when it says that human beings are made in the image of God.  You might consult five different Bible commentaries on the issue and find five different perspectives.  However, it is clear that God intends to make a distinction – while God created all life, only human beings are made in the image of God.  Certainly, there is nothing wrong with having a beloved pet or enjoying the beauty of nature, but human life is a special type of life created by God and valued by God above all others.

The second crystal clear perspective of scripture is that life begins at conception and that God is involved in our lives even while we are in the womb….

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:13–16, ESV)

We can stand firmly on scripture and declare to anyone that they are not an accident and the God of the universe fashioned their existence.  Consequently, every single human life is precious in the sight of God and should be precious in our sight as well.  So, why is January 22nd a day that you should mark on your calendar?  Mark your calendar and be reminded to pray especially on this day that our nation might once again return to the value of life and end abortion. It is also a great reminder that if we really believe every human life is precious, that will also greatly affect how we treat others.  Think about it.

Finally, I could not conclude this post without mentioning some unsung heroes of mine who are on the front lines of ministry right here in our own state. The folks at Choose Life of North Alabama are there for women to offer free services like pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and counseling.  They share the gospel of Jesus Christ with every single one who comes their way.  They exist to help women choose eternal life in Christ Jesus and to choose life by having the child that is growing in their womb.  After you support your local church with your tithes, I do not know of an organization that is more worthy of your support than Choose Life.  I personally know many of the leaders in this front line ministry and encourage you to pray for them and support them financially as the Lord leads you.  For more information, go to http://www.chooselifehuntsville.org

Interestingly enough, “Jane Roe,” the lead plaintiff in the Roe v. Wade class action lawsuit, was actually a 21 year old pregnant young woman named Norma McCorvey.  Two Texas attorneys recruited her in order to bring the case.  However, Norma McCorvey never had an abortion. Instead, she gave birth to a little girl that she subsequently gave up for adoption.  You see, “Jane Roe” actually chose life forty years ago. Join me in praying on January 22nd.

On Monday & Tuesday of this week, I had the privilege of gathering with almost 400 other pastors from 28 states for one and only one reason: to pray.  I must admit that it was one of the most refreshing times I have experienced. The agenda really was focused on the Lord and prayer. We had well known mega-church pastors, small church pastors, and every type of pastor in between!  We had young, middle aged, and old. We had Calvinists and not-so Calvinists.  We had pastors from very traditional churches and pastors from very contemporary churches. Yet, for two days absolutely none of that was mentioned. Really, none of those issues were on our minds. We were there to pray for revival and spiritual awakening. Here’s what it looked like…

Certainly, we had times of worship and several speakers challenged us, but every one was designed to lead into a time of focused prayer. I left that meeting refreshed, but also convicted and burdened.  I am firmly convinced that revival and spiritual awakening is the only hope for our country. God seems to be raising up people to pray for that to happen. I believe it can.  Powerful things happen when God’s people agree together in prayer.

Probably the highlight of the meeting for me was being reminded of the great preacher/theologian Jonathan Edwards’ writing on prayer for spiritual awakening. Here is the title of his work on that subject…

A Humble Attempt to Promote the Agreement and Union of God’s People Throughout the World in Extraordinary Prayer For a Revival Of Religion And The Advancement Of God’s Kingdom On Earth, According To Scriptural Promises And Prophecies Of The Last Time.

Ronnie Floyd and the other pastors who helped to put this prayer meeting together did so in that spirit. It was the only agenda on display and for that I am most grateful.  Ronnie Floyd also had the quote of the week…“I don’t know how much extraordinary prayer is, but I do know it is more than I am doing.”  To that I say a hearty, “Amen!”

Will you join us pastors in moving toward extraordinary prayer for revival?

Like many readers of this blog, I spent Monday night riveted to the television watching the Auburn-Florida State national championship football game. It was a great game between two great teams. Certainly, big-time college sports is greatly influenced by money, and there are many who fail to keep it in the proper perspective.  It’s easy to forget that the overwhelming majority of those who play team sports never appear on television or have any sort of fame or fortune.  They play in little league, middle school, or high school on their respective teams. Unfortunately, all of us are familiar with the stories of those who have trouble keeping sports in the proper perspective even in those younger ages. Sports are NOT the most important things in life, and sports should never become the foremost priorities for any of us.  I fully recognize that, in today’s world, it is more difficult to keep a proper balance for lots of reasons.  Nevertheless, I still believe that team sports are overall a good and positive thing to be involved with. My sons are involved in sports and I encourage it, in spite of the tensions and pitfalls involved.  Please let me share a few reasons…

(1)  Sports teach the value of hard work and dedication.  Every sport requires years of training and practice to really excel or even be “good.”  The earlier our kids learn the value of consistent hard work over time, the better off they will be.

(2)  Sports provide an antidote to selfishness.  Let’s face it, we live in a self-absorbed culture. Everything is more and more about “me.”  Sports provide great opportunities to learn the value of teamwork.  When you are on a team, others are depending on you and you are depending on others. It’s not all about you.  That’s a great lesson to learn in life.

(3)  Sports teach mental toughness and resilience.  No one wins all the time. No one plays well every single game.  You win. You lose. You have great games, and you have games where it feels like you can’t do anything right.  Sports teaches a player to keep going through adversity and to never take the good times for granted. A set back isn’t the end of the world.  Put the past out of your mind and play the next play.  Again, those are great life lessons that will go with our kids for a lifetime.

(4)  Sports provide an opportunity for Christian influence.  All of us know of the positive influence that Tim Tebow has had, but there are thousands of other deeply committed Christians involved in team sports all over America. They just don’t make the news.  Just this week, I had the opportunity to meet a man who is a long-time, very successful Alabama high school football coach. “The Lord called me to be a coach,” he told me.  He views his role as a coach as a ministry the Lord has called him to and he has positively influenced hundreds of young men over the years.

Personally, I am thankful for the impact that playing team sports had on me growing up, and I am thankful that my boys are playing too!

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:18, NASB95)

It’s so easy to be selfish – even with our prayer life.  While I do keep two “prayer lists” consisting of people and needs that I pray for regularly, I realized in recent days that the circle of these is actually pretty small.  This blog has readers from a wide variety of places and I use it as a ministry, so I felt led to use this week’s blog post for those who would like for me to pray for a specific need. So, I am inviting anyone to leave a comment regarding a specific prayer need.  Please allow me a few reminders…

(1)  I do promise to personally pray for each request, even though I might not respond to each individual comment on the blog.  If we have a large number of responses, I likely will not be able to respond personally to each, but I will see every single one.

(2)  Please remember that these comments/prayer requests will be posted publicly on this blog.  Be mindful of this with prayer requests of a personal nature or on behalf of others.  As always, I reserve the right to filter any requests that I am not comfortable posting here.

(3)  Finally, if you have a request that you cannot share publicly but wish for me to pray for you, then you can feel free to email me at gcorbin@lakesidebaptist.com  Only myself and my administrative assistant will see these emails.  However, I hope that most of my readers will share in the comments so that all of the readers of this blog can pray for one another.

How may I pray for you?

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12–14, NASB95)

While the Apostle Paul was not talking about a new year in these verses, I certainly believe that they relate particularly well to this time of year.  As I write these words, only about eight hours remain in 2013.  Unless Jesus comes, 2014 will arrive very soon!  Like many readers of this blog, I use Facebook as a tool to stay connected with hundreds of friends and family members.  Today has brought posts by many people recapping their feelings about 2013.  For some, 2013 has been a year of great blessing and joy. They are praying that the new year brings comparable blessings.  For others, 2013 has been the most difficult year of their lives, and they look forward with anticipation to a year that hopefully doesn’t bring the same pain. For most of us, 2013 has been a year that cut both ways. It’s been both a year of blessing and a year of tears.  No matter which of these categories you may fall into, the reality is that 2014 is almost here and with the turn of the calendar comes a new year to live.

A new year of life is nothing to be taken lightly. If the Lord blesses you with another year of life, then by all means make sure you live it to the fullest for Him. That’s what the Apostle Paul was speaking of in Philippians 3:12-14.  When he stated that he was “forgetting what lies behind…” he didn’t literally mean that he wouldn’t remember it.  In fact, he had been through some unforgettable circumstances in his life!  Paul was saying that nothing in the past was going to stop him from living to the fullest in the future.  That should be your heart as well.

If the Lord has given you life, then He has a purpose for your life. If He has given you life and a purpose for your life, then you have a future. Believe God for it. Go for it. Live with all your heart and all His might!  Press on into 2014 with faith and courage.