gregcorbin.com

PRAY – more than a message series

In 20+ years as a pastor, I have preached many message series. I have no illusions that everyone remembers everything I say. Instead, I pray that something I say in every message speaks to every person who hears the message. However, over the last two Sundays I have begun a message series that has shaken my own soul: PRAY. The first two message focus on how to pray. Here is where you can watch both messages if you have missed them…http://lakesidebaptist.com/pages/media.htm

Upcoming messages in the series include….

“Powerful Prayer” August 30

“Praying for Your Church” Part 1 September 6

“Praying for Your Church” Part 2 September 13

My own prayer life has been greatly changed as I have studied to prepare these messages. However, the PRAY series is much more than a message series. It has revitalized my own prayer life, and I believe that it is the beginning of a prayer movement in our church.

Make sure you are praying daily – preferably praying multiple times daily. Pray with your family. Pray with your church family. Study the Lord’s Prayer and Bible passages on prayer. Stay in the Word daily. Watch the messages on prayer. Finally, join me in praying at two specific times on Thursday – 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. I will be praying at those times on Thursday. I will be praying through the Lord’s Prayer. I will be praying for our hurting country to experience a mighty revival. I will be praying for needs in my own family and church family. I will be praying for Lakeside as we look toward the future. I will be praying for friends going through difficult times. No matter if you can pray for five minutes or fifty minutes. Join me in praying. Pick the time that fits your schedule and join me. If you can, pray with me at both times. Just do it. Make it a priority!

God is calling the church back to true dependence on Him and back to relying on His power rather than our own efforts. PRAY folks. PRAY. PRAY. PRAY.

Put it on your calendar now and go see WOODLAWN!

I want to use this space today to urge you to go see a movie the weekend of October 16-18, 2015. That is the premiere weekend for the movie Woodlawn in theaters. Last night, I was invited by a friend to attend a private screening of the movie with several members of the team and other local pastors. I must say that I was stunned (in a good way) by what I saw. Woodlawn isn’t just the best Christian-themed movie I have seen, but Woodlawn is one of the best movies I have ever seen, period.

Most importantly, Woodlawn is a true story of what happened with the 1973-74 football teams at Woodlawn High School and how it affected the entire city of Birmingham. Yes, there is the football. Tony Nathan rose from obscurity to become a football legend in the state of Alabama. There is the climactic 1974 Woodlawn vs. Banks game that to this day holds the record for the largest crowd ever to attend a high school football game in Alabama. In addition, Caleb Castille, the son of Alabama great Jeremiah Castille, has the lead role playing Tony Nathan. The football scenes are intense and startlingly realistic. The movie was filmed on location here in Birmingham, so we actually see Legion Field, Woodlawn High School, etc.

However, football is not the message of the movie, nor is it the message of the 1973-74 Woodlawn football team. That message is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A great spiritual awakening and movement of God that began among the football team spread throughout the city. During a time of great tension, the only thing that could bring true racial reconciliation and love for one another was the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lives were changed. The city of Birmingham was changed.

This movie absolutely doesn’t flinch. It not only shows the brutality of the game of football, but it also shows the ugliness of racism, abuse, and mistrust. It shows the struggle for teens to grow up in a fallen world. It shows the soul searching of our own individual hearts regarding our own prejudices. It shows the struggle to forgive. Most of all, it shows the hope of a better way – the love that only comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. It does all of this with a $25 million production budget – meaning that the production quality is completely on par with any Hollywood blockbuster.

I’ve never seen anything like it. I wept. I cheered. I can’t wait to watch it with my sons. Join me in praying that the message of this movie will bring hope to our hurting country. The directors of the movie are praying for 3 million Christians to buy tickets the weekend of October 16-18. It is on my calendar, and unless we are providentially hindered, my family will be there. I intend to encourage my church family to be there and bring anyone they know who will come. Due to the Birmingham connection, I have no doubt it will be big in the Birmingham area, but it needs to be big in places like Huntsville, Nashville, Mobile, Memphis, and Atlanta.

Tell everyone you know. Put it on your calendar. Pray hard. Believe that God is up to something great with this film. Here is the link to the website for more information…http://woodlawnmovie.com/

This Time is Our Time

Recently I was talking with a pastor friend about church life in the south back in the 70’s and 80’s. In those days, the cultural trends that we see today were in their infancy and there was still a fairly widespread cultural agreement on right and wrong, the Bible, and a host of other issues. In those days, people who were far from Christ often sought out the church. You could announce revival services and people who needed Christ would come and be saved. In those days, many families ordered their lives around faithfulness to the church. There was no little league sports on Sundays, very little travel ball, and movie theaters even had limited showings on Sundays. In those days, many churches even had very robust Sunday evening services with a full house and decisions made on Sunday nights. In those days, people were receptive to home visits and it wasn’t uncommon for churches to have huge numbers of their members on a weeknight for “outreach” to make visits in the homes of their community.

As we were having that conversation, I jokingly said, “I would have loved to have been a pastor during those days.” We both laughed and then moved on in our talk. However, the Lord brought conviction to me about that statement recently as I read the book of Esther in my personal devotion.

The book of Esther is about God’s people at a perilous time in their history. It was written after what is known as the Babylonian captivity during the early 400’s B.C. before what is called the second return under Ezra. You can study the background of the book on your own, but suffice it to say that God’s people were in great danger due to the plotting of a man named Haman. He sought nothing less than the extermination of God’s people and it looked like it was going to happen.

However, there was a lady there named Esther. She was an orphan who grew up among the Jewish exiles in Persia. In His providence, God had moved her into a strategic position; King Ahasuerus had made her queen. That’s right, Esther went from an orphan slave girl to queen. However, it was no accident that she was there. During this time of great danger for God’s people, Esther had a conversation with her uncle, Mordecai, about the situation they were facing. It was then that Mordecai made one of the most famous statements in the Bible…

“…Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Es 4:14).

Mordecai was saying to Esther, “God has you at this place at this time to use you greatly.” And he was exactly right! God used Esther to save the Jewish people and the promises of God kept right on being fulfilled. Even though I had read this passage many times over the years, it took on fresh relevance for me – indeed for every pastor and every Christian alive today. God has us where we are at this time in history to serve His purpose and plan.

Yes, most of us can remember easier, more pleasant days. However, our Lord has seen fit to give us life in these days. Therefore, we are called to serve His purpose and His plan in these days. God has us here for a reason. This time is our time. We can spend our time and energy pining for easier days or we can put our hand to the plow and go forward in faithfulness.

This time is our time. Now is the time to make disciples. Now is the time to share the Gospel. Now is the time to model Biblical marriage. Now is the time pray. Now is the time to have a church. Now is the time to disciple our children. Now is the time to be salt and light. Now is the time to lead.

This time is our time. Let’s not wish for another time.

Remembering a most special Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day that America has set aside to remember those who died while serving our country in the armed forces. From what I have read, Memorial Day originated after the Civil War as an effort to remember those who had fallen in that way, and by the turn of the 20th century had become a time for our nation to remember all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. On this Memorial Day 2015, I am spending a relaxing day off with my family. However, on Memorial Day 2012, my family had an awesome privilege that we will never forget. On this day three years ago, we were here…

Yes, we had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. If you have never been there, pictures and words cannot describe it. If you have been there, you know what I am talking about! All of the ceremonies had taken place earlier in the day, and we arrived in the late afternoon and enjoyed a couple of wonderful hours there with light crowds.

Later on our trip to Washington D.C. we visited the Vietnam Memorial. I had always wanted to see it particularly because I have a family member whose name is one of 50,000+ inscribed on that wall. My mom’s brother, Royce Hall, was drafted during the Vietnam War and died there. My mom was pregnant with me when that happened, so I never had the privilege of meeting my uncle Royce. It was a great privilege to take my boys there, find his name, and spend a few minutes remembering him. Below is a photo of Daniel tracing his name on the wall.

On this day, Americans often say that “our freedom isn’t free” but three years ago today my family was reminded of that in a very tangible way. On this (and every) Memorial Day, we remember and we say, “Thank you” and “May God bless America.”

Encourage a mother this Mother’s Day

Sunday is Mother’s Day 2015. My Mother’s Day sermon is ready and plans are made to honor our mothers here at Lakeside on Sunday. I am so very grateful for my own mother, Janice Corbin, who raised me to love the Lord and provided for me in countless ways. I am very grateful for my wife, Becky, who is a great mother to our two boys. So, Mother’s Day is a happy occasion at our house. For some reason, this week I have thought about the fact that Mother’s Day is a hard day for many mothers – or those desperately desiring to be mothers.

“So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept.” (Genesis 21:14–16, NASB95)

I won’t take the space to go into the details of this particular Old Testament passage, but suffice it to say that Hagar was caught in a very difficult family situation and she was left as a single mother who did not know how she would provide for her son. She wept. Unfortunately, there will be many ladies who are weeping on Mother’s Day.

Single mothers. Whatever the reasons, there will be many mothers in church on Mother’s Day who are single moms. For some, it could be their first Mother’s Day as a single mom. Many single mothers have been through terribly hurtful situations and struggle financially. The overwhelming majority of single mothers never dreamed they would ever be single mothers, but they are and it is not easy.

Those who have lost their mother. I have known very faithful Christians who stay away from church on Mother’s Day because it is just too painful. Many others come on to church on Mother’s Day, but they fight through their own tears during the entire service.

Those who have lost children. No matter if it was an infant or a grown adult, the trauma of burying a child never goes away. Mother’s Day serves as yet another reminder of their loss.

Those who struggle to have children. The pain of infertility is very real. Mother’s Day is not a joyous day for those couples who want a child more than anything.

Broken relationships. Sometimes we forget that not every son or daughter goes to see or calls their mother on Mother’s Day. These mothers live with the pain of broken family relationships every day.

This list is certainly not exhaustive, but these five scenarios came to mind as the most common reasons that many struggle on Mother’s Day. If your church has more than 50 people in attendance, I will near guarantee you that each of these five scenarios will be represented in the pews on Mother’s Day. Sometimes those of who who look forward to Mother’s Day don’t think about that fact.

So, this Mother’s Day make sure you honor your own mother, but why don’t you take it a step further. Encourage another mother who is hurting this weekend. It could be as simple as a good word of encouragement or it could mean blessing them financially or otherwise. Think about it. Pray about it. Then do something!

Challenging trends in the same-sex marriage debate

As a pastor, I use words every week in my speaking and writing. I am also an observer of the words people use, the arguments people make, and how they make their arguments. In recent months, I have seen a definite shift in terms of the debate regarding same-sex marriage in our culture. As a Christian pastor who believes the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, I stand solidly and publicly with those who believe that marriage should be defined only as the marriage of one man and one woman for life. This post isn’t arguing that point. This post is about the trends that I have seen develop in how this debate over marriage is playing out in our culture – even here in Alabama. I will not link to any specific articles or blogs. Suffice it to say that I have seen multiple examples of each of these trends. Again, my focus is on the shift of how the argument is being made.

1) The argument has shifted from the legitimacy of same-sex marriage to calls for opponents to cease opposition. It wasn’t that long ago that the most common argument in an article supporting same-sex marriage was that same-sex couples deserved the same rights as heterosexual couples. Now that same-sex marriage is legal in 36 states (with Alabama briefly becoming #37), those of us who advocate for the Biblical definition of marriage are told to accept the inevitable, get on the right side of history, or “get over it.” Increasingly, we are told all three of those things in the same column.

2) The argument is made that opposition to same-sex marriage can only come from bigotry. I have seen several columns and blog posts recently who leave no room for any sincere opposition to gay marriage. In their worldview, the only possible explanation for opposing it is a deep seated bigotry. In their worldview, it is not possible to love homosexuals and yet oppose same-sex marriage.

3) Using Old Testament passages as a club to shame and silence. Increasingly, I see advocates for same-sex marriage pull a verse from the Old Testament law and say something like, “This is in the Bible too. If you want to take the Bible literally then what do you say about this verse?” There is no understanding or at least no explanation of Biblical theology, progressive revelation, historical context, scriptural context, etc. The end result is confusion and silence for many Christians who might not understand the theological issues involved and how the narrative of scripture unfolds. The clear implication that is intended is that those of us who believe in the Biblical definition of marriage should not be taken seriously because we hold views that are dangerous.

4) Ridicule and disdain in place of a coherent answer. The scenario is the same over and over again. A person makes a logical, thoughtful, gracious argument in favor of the traditional definition of marriage, and their arguments aren’t really answered. They are simply mocked and dismissed as being “on the wrong side of history” or “out of touch with civilization.”

These trends and others like them mean that those of us who advocate for Biblical marriage face increasing difficulty in even having our position heard in the broader culture. Furthermore, when it is heard, our position is often misrepresented, distorted, and twisted beyond recognition. On one hand, there is nothing we can do to control what is happening, but on the other hand it is helpful to understand what is going on and seek to be as wise as possible. These are challenging times indeed. None of us know where all of this will end. However, our response to these issues must be guided by a principle that we do know for sure…

We are not called to be popular, but rather we are called to be faithful.

40 Days of Prayer for Moral & Spiritual Awakening

I am publicly joining Dr. Rick Lance and Dr. Travis Coleman in encouraging Alabama Baptists particularly and all Bible believing Christians generally to pray specifically and daily for moral and spiritual awakening to come in America. Just today the headlines in our nation show our great need for this to happen. On one hand the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the definition of marriage, and on the other hand all of us have seen the tragic situation in Baltimore. Our country is in trouble and the only hope we have is a mighty revival to come in our land. Here are some excerpts from a blog post Dr. Lance wrote to kick off this emphasis…

Selected Bible Passages relating to Revival & Spiritual Awakening
(Taken from a resource by J. Chris Schofield)

2 Chronicles 7:14 (HCSB): “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Psalm 85:6 (HCSB): “Will You not revive us again so that Your people may rejoice in You?”
Isaiah 64:1 (HCSB): “If only You would tear the heavens open and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence.”
Psalm 119:37 (HCSB): “Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless; give me life in Your ways.
Habakkuk 3:2 (HCSB): “Lord, I have heard the report about You; Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy!”
Acts 3:19 (HCSB): “Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
1 Timothy 2:1, 3, 4 (HCSB): “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone…This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Prayers for Spiritual Awakening
(Taken from a resource by Greg Frizzell)

Holy Father, we humble ourselves and acknowledge Your righteous Judgment upon our sins. (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 85:6)
Righteous God, please send overwhelming love, godly fear and genuine repentance among Your people. (Psalm 51:17; Proverbs 28:13; Matthew 22:37-39; 2 Corinthians 7:1, 10)
Righteous God, grant to us a mountain-moving faith and a passion for fervent prayer.(Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 21:13; Acts 2:1)
Holy Father, please bring us to loving unity in our churches and a deep harmony between our churches. (John 13:34-35; 17:20-22)
Gracious Lord, please fill us with a burning passion to pray for and witness to the lost.(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 19:10; Acts 1:8; Romans 5:5, 9:1-3)
Lord of the harvest, please call thousands into ministry, missions and Christian witness. (Matthew 9:37-38; Acts 1:8)
Holy Lord, we ask You to deepen and purify our very motives in praying for revival and blessing. (Ezekiel 33:32; Hebrews 4:12; James 4:1-4)
Righteous Lord, we plead for Your grace upon persecuted saints around the world. (Matthew 26:39; James 4:1-4)
Holy Father, we humbly ask for a mighty move of conviction in government and cultural leaders. (Psalm 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Sovereign God: We ask You to rend the heavens and show forth Your awesome presence in sweeping revival. (Isaiah 64:1; Ephesians 5:26-27; Revelation 22:17, 20)

Seven Covenant Prayers for Revival and Spiritual Awakening
(Taken from a resource by Greg Frizzell)

Pray for God to have mercy upon the church and nation–(2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 29:13)
Pray for love, repentance and holy fear to grip God’s people–(Matthew 22:37-39; 2 Corinthians 7:1)
Pray for a spirit of faith and intercession in God’s saints–(Matthew 21:13; Acts 2:1; Hebrews 11:6)
Pray for holiness, boldness and power in God’s leaders and churches–(Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4)
Pray for loving unity and oneness in Christ’s Church–(John 13:34; Acts 2:42-47)
Pray for burning passion and power in evangelism and missions–(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
Pray for God to “rend the heavens” in sweeping revival and spiritual awakening–(2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 64:1; Psalm85:6)

Being a friend to your pastor (or a staff member)

“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV)

Recently Becky and I went out to dinner with a couple from our church with whom we have become friends. It was a couple of hours filled with laughter, stories, and great food. It wasn’t a sermon or a Sunday School class; it was just two couples having dinner like all of the other people in the restaurant. Like everyone else, pastors and church staff members really need those times. Over the years, I have been blessed to have very good friends in every church I have served. It doesn’t threaten me when I see our staff members developing friendships with church members either. Many readers of this blog do not attend the church I serve. Please let me share a few thoughts about being a friend to your pastor (or a staff member).

(1) Be faithful to pray. Some of the most treasured friends are those we know pray for us on a regular basis. There have been times the Lord has used the encouragement of a praying friend in a great way.

(2) Feel free to have fun & talk about “normal” stuff. Sometimes people think since they are talking with a pastor the conversation must be about spiritual things or the church. Those things are certainly important – eternally important – and we are glad to talk about them. However, the truth is that we “do church” all the time, but we enjoy far more than just the church. We enjoy talking about college football, favorite vacation spots, hobbies, or a host of other things. We enjoy laughing, hearing your stories, and telling our stories!

(3) Be a “safe place.” As I write these words I am thinking of a family in a previous church who had us over to their home on several occasions. The very first time we went to their home, the wife told us as soon as we arrived: “Here you are just our friends, Greg & Becky.” That was her way of saying that they intended for their home to be a safe place for our family, and it was. There was never an agenda and never an expectation of anything other than friendship. Those were times filled with love, laughter, and generosity that I will never forget.

(4) Disagree but remain a friend. In one church I served I could always count on one phone call when the proposed budget for the next year was distributed: a call from one of my best friends. Every year he was bent out of shape about something in the budget and he would give me an earful. Then it was over. He disagreed, but he remained my close friend. Our friendship meant far more to him than a line item in a budget or an item on the agenda of a business meeting.

(5) Understand when we can’t share. One time we were having dinner with close friends and a particularly sensitive issue in the church were we serving at that time came up in the conversation. Realizing the position she had put me in, the wife looked at me and said, “I’m sorry; I know you can’t go there.” Every pastor and staff member has things they cannot share with even their closest friends due to confidentiality, etc. A good friend respects that even if it means we can’t tell them.

Every pastor and staff member needs friends. I am so very grateful for the gift of friends for life.

A Good Friday prayer

No, I’m not going to write out a prayer for you to pray. I am going to encourage you to pray this Good Friday. Read these passages, meditate on them, and pray this Good Friday. I will see you in church on Sunday to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ!

“But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.” (Isaiah 53:5, HCSB)

“He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, HCSB)

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; you have been healed by His wounds.” (1 Peter 2:24, HCSB)

Visiting with an Old Friend – Psalm 27

This week leading up to Easter, I am consciously trying to spend less time looking at a screen (either the TV or my iPad) and more time consciously in the Word. Tonight as I settled in for the evening and began to catch up on my Bible reading plan, I realized that tonight’s reading would reunite me with an old friend – Psalm 27.

It was July 2002 in Waverly, New York. I was leading a mission team of 35 people, and my heart was heavy. That particular mission trip was a difficult one in that nothing really went according to plan. Our group didn’t even get an hour from home before a flat tire delayed us! To be quite honest, about halfway through that trip, I wondered if we had done the right thing in coming. In addition, one of my closest friends in the church & a well-respected deacon there was in the hospital in Birmingham fighting for his life. It looked bleak, and any moment I was expecting to get the call to fly home. In addition, I was the full-time pastor of a growing church while also pursuing my doctorate degree from seminary. Literally, I was working both day and night seven days per week. I was physically & spiritually exhausted. Finally, I had a pregnant wife and a four year old little boy at home that I missed & worried about. Like I said, my heart was heavy – and my tank was empty!

One morning I went outside to have my Bible reading & prayer time. The sun had just come up enough to give light to read by. It was then that these words gripped my heart…

“Davidic. The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploys against me, my heart is not afraid; though a war breaks out against me, still I am confident. I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple. For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high on a rock. Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord. Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me. My heart says this about You, “You are to seek My face.” Lord, I will seek Your face. Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation. Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me. Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path. Do not give me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence. I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27, HCSB)

It was then the Lord assured me that I would see His goodness even though I couldn’t sense it at that moment. Psalm 27 strengthened me, encouraged me, and convicted me of my lack of faith all at the same time. Since that day almost 13 years ago, I have at key times each year been drawn back to Psalm 27. It’s like an old friend that visits at just the right time. I am grateful for the visit tonight.