Porn will make you squirm

**WARNING**  This series is PG-13

As you now know we are starting a new series, trust.  Trust is an action…it is a verb.  Woudn’t you agree?  Would you rather have a child, friend, or spouse SAY they trust or SHOW they trust?  Have you ever reached up to pet an animal only to have it flinch at your hand?  It’s a horrible feeling.  To know that there isn’t mutual trust is crushing.

This series is going to address some very uncomfortable topics.   I KNOW that people don’t want to mention words like PORN – MONEY – MASTURBATION – LUST – LIES – CULTURAL CHRISTIANITY.

Isn’t it scary to think that some of your best friends in the world…people you have been going to church with for YEARS…are totally and completely without faith in Christ?  They “look” like a Christian.  They talk like a Christian.  Yet, they are no more Christian than the old man in a small village (that has yet to be discovered by our missions forces) who has never even heard the gospel.  Is that hard to imagine?  Is it wild to think that someone could be without Jesus even though they make it to Sunday School and business meetings?

In regards to money—if you are a follower of Jesus does it bother you to think of yourself as a masked thief?  Money is a cool thing.  You can buy stuff.  You can bless others.  In the end it REALLY isn’t ours though.  It doesn’t get to come with us.  Why do we have it?  What does He say to do with it?

Your relationships—-People will wonder why we are having a sex talk in church.  Is it necessary?  If I KNEW that half of our church considered themselves to be NON-Christians (I pray for the day when we are outward focused enough for this to be a reality) then it would impact what needs said on Sunday.  Every day, nearly 40 million people visit one or more of 4.2 million porn sites the internet. At $6.2 billion yearly, porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, NBC, and CBS. According to statistics, nearly 50 percent of Christians say that pornography is a major problem in the home.  Don’t skip that!  That is HALF of the church.  Think for a moment about the impact on marriages.  Think about the impact on children, 90% of which have viewed online porn by age 16.  Think about the impact on all of our relationships.  God has trusted us with something.  Trust goes two ways.  Porn is a hook that the enemy uses to tear at the very fiber of what He has entrusted us with.

This is an opportunity to re-claim something beautiful.  Valentines–relationships–our minds….they are entrusted to us.  If you have had friends that have said they won’t go to church because the church refuses to talk about relevant things then you need to invite them to this series.

Trust

Trust is an interesting thing.  Is it REALLY trust if we never know the details?   If I tell my son, “I trust you to always do your schoolwork.  Just make sure you never ever give me the details of what you are doing.”  Is that trust?  During the next series we are going to talk about things that I promise will make you squirm.  They are things that you talk about with those that you REALLY trust.  They are going to be topics that will make you ask, “Is it ok to talk about this IN church?”

Why would we do this?  I would encourage you to think about it this way….We can’t say that we are a church—that we are a group that is serious about making much of the name of Jesus—and step around hard to talk about issues.

Have you looked at the calendar?  This Sunday is Valentine’s Day.  Let me warn you NOW.  Spread the word….this sermon will be PG-13.

I can’t wait!!!

Next Sunday

We have a brand new series starting THIS Sunday!  

Last week

As most of you know I was away last week.  We were in the Houston area for the trial of Brandon Ferguson.  Brandon is the man who was driving the car that was traveling at 135 mph on January 10th, 2009.  It was able to slow to 117 when it hit the van that held 5 amazing people.  Four of whom were killed.  Brandon also killed his 18 year old passenger, Kayla.  I can’t begin to describe how difficult the trial was.  All of it was full of hurt.  Hurt for the victims—hurt for the accused–hurt for the jury….and in the end there wasn’t closure.  How can there REALLY be closure in something like this?

I can tell you this….from the beginning it has been our prayer that God receive the glory.  It is one thing for a believer to tell those around us to “Have faith.”  It is EASY to spout, “Lean on Him when times are tough!  Just love God and love people.”  I wonder if the rest of the world looks at us and sees us as frauds because we only say these things when times are easy.  How do we respond to adversity?

In the midst of this crazy week I was able to see my wife love as Christ would love.  I was able to watch her hug Brandon and whisper that she forgives him.  I was able to watch the impact on a full courtroom of a Christian woman as she read her impact statement.  The statement was read after Brandon was told he would be going to prison for 15 years.

Here is a copy of what she read.  Here is her response DURING the rough times:

You don’t know me—but I’m Ami.  I’m Don and Karla Sexton’s oldest daughter.  I’m the oldest grandchild of Lloyd and Kay Edwards.

The main point I want to make is that I don’t want my Dad and my Nana and Papa and Uncle Curt to die in vain.  I don’t want you to ever forget them or what they have meant to those of us who are still here.

Brandon, I know that admitting you have messed up is hard.  I’m not sure if that is something you have ever had to do in life.   You are a man.  Right now you may be a broken man but you have a chance to heal.  Allow that healing to change you.  Don’t ever be the same again.  Don’t allow an excuse to enter your mouth.  Don’t allow despair or quitting enter your mind.

God had you survive for a reason.  I believe that reason is to help save others from making the same horrible mistake.

You will have the ability to take this situation and not only learn from it but to also allow others to learn from it.  You will be able to take this horrible event that has happened to all of us and bring good.  Brandon, I need you to and hear me.  Allow God to work good in you.  You still have a chance.  For all of those that don’t have tomorrow make it your vow to spend ever waking moment making your life count for something great.