Pastor's Blog Archives - Page 3 of 7 - University Baptist Church

A People on Mission

Posted on Mar 3, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Hello, blogosphere! I’m back! Don’t you just love when God seems to take the events of your life and arrange them in perfect symmetry to the point where they just blend together? Let me give you an example of what I mean. I have been preaching through the book of Genesis on Sunday mornings, and this past Sunday, my sermon was focused on Genesis 12:1-9 and the calling of Abram. In verses 2-3 of that passage, God lays out a striking responsibility to Abram:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (NIV)

It suddenly occurred to me that God is laying out to Abram the missionary mandate not only for him but for generations to come. The missionary mandate for believers does not originate with the Great Commission in Matthew 28, nor does it originate in John 3:16. It doesn’t even start in Acts 1:8, though that verse does lay out the missional strategy for believers. No, the missionary mandate begins with the call of Abram in Genesis 12. Why? Well, it’s very clear. The Lord tells Abram that He is blessing him in order for him to be a blessing to others. In other words, we are all blessed so that we can be a blessing. Wow, what a thought! Now, this is the part of the story where God just kind of lines everything up in a connective way. Later that Sunday night, we had scheduled our church wide missions fair. This was an event where our church’s missions committee, known as our Acts 1:8 team, would roll out our church’s missions strategy for the upcoming year. When I scheduled the missions fair a few months ago, I had no idea that I would be preaching on the calling of Abram and the missionary mandate for all believers earlier that day. That is nothing but the hand of God working everything in unison and harmony! He wants to do the same thing in your life! The question is, are you allowing Him to move in such a manner in your life? Are you giving Him every aspect of your life, or are you holding something back? Let me encourage you to give Him every detail of your life, both the big and seemingly small details, and watch how He weaves everything together to serve His purposes.

Allow me to come back to our missions fair for just a moment and share with you our church’s missions strategy, mostly for the benefit of any of our members who were not able to be there. I mentioned earlier in this writing that while Genesis 12:2-3 lays out the missionary mandate, Acts 1:8 lays out the strategy we are to follow in fulfilling that mandate. In that verse, Jesus says this:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. (NIV)

Several things from that verse stick out to me. The first is that Jesus said that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us. It is not a question of if He comes, but when He comes. It is an absolute guarantee from Jesus to all of His disciples, including us. The second thing that sticks out to me is the cause and effect relationship that is evident in this verse. Jesus continues by essentially saying, “Because my power is guaranteed to go with you, you have a responsibility to go out and be my witnesses.” See the cause and effect? Because I am going with you, you now can go out with boldness. Amazing! And look where Jesus says to go. He says to go to Jerusalem, which would have been the disciples’ local context; AND Judea, which would have been their equivalent of a statewide understanding; AND Samaria, which would have been a national context; AND then finally, Jesus instructs them to go out to the ends of the earth, which of course would be an international context. You see, Jesus didn’t say “pick one of these areas and focus on one.” On the contrary, He said to be His witnesses in all of these areas. And because Jesus said that is what His disciples are to do, that is what UBC is going to do as well. So that being said, here is a very rough outline of our strategy.

Jerusalem (city of Thibodaux):

We are going to assist Nicholls State University’s BCM in renovating and refurnishing their kitchen. We are also going to provide volunteers at Crossroads Pregnancy Center to serve in a variety of areas.

Judea (state of Louisiana):

We are going to partner with the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans, which serves the homeless as well as women and children in need. Our first event with them will be Saturday, April 2, when we will assist them with their health fair.

Samaria (North America):

We are partnering with Redemption Church in Ogden, Utah as they minister to the Mormon community and college students. We will be organizing a trip to Utah for some time next year.

Ends of the Earth (International):

We will be partnering with a team in Greece in ministering to the refugee community there. Our first trip to Greece will be sometime next year.

As you can see, this is an ambitious strategy. This is not a strategy to bring UBC glory. This is a strategy designed solely to bring God glory. It is a strategy that is going to take all of us being actively engaged. From prayer support to financial support to donations to people on the ground in these areas, it will require every single one of us. Start praying about what role the Lord would have you fulfill in order to make His name known in Thibodaux, in Louisiana, in the United States, and in the world. You better buckle up, because it’s going to be one amazing ride! Are you ready?

I love you,

Mardi Gras Madness

Posted on Jan 28, 2016 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Hello friends, I’m back! Sorry that it’s been so long. Time sure does fly! Can you believe that we’re already almost in February? This time of year in south Louisiana always ushers in the start of carnival season, commonly known as Mardi Gras. Over the next few weeks, revelers from all over the map will enjoy numerous parades in a number of cities, all with ornate floats, shiny beads, exciting marching bands, and other elements that make south Louisiana one of the most unique places in the United States, if not the world. Thibodaux is no exception to this madness. In fact, the church that I have the privilege of pastoring sits right on the parade route here in Thibodaux. Growing up in this area, I have seen firsthand both the good and bad of this season. I have seen the families laugh and smile together over the colorful costumes and eccentric dancers, and at the very same parades, I have also seen some of the most depraved behavior imaginable. This naturally begs the questions, “What should be the Christian’s response to Mardi Gras?” “As a believer, should I participate in Mardi Gras?”

No doubt that these are questions that you have likely heard a multitude of responses on, and they might even be questions that you yourself have wrestled with. I too have heard the countless arguments on both sides, and I have determined that after years of listening to said arguments very little good comes from these “discussions”. Therefore, I’m not going to get into the ramifications of whether one should attend or not attend a Mardi Gras parade. While I certainly have some thoughts on this, such matters are ultimately left to the individual under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Having said that, I do believe that we as the body of Christ have a responsibility and a mission to fulfill. When I consider that responsibility along with UBC’s strategic location in carrying it out, I feel compelled to respond. The question that keeps popping in my head is “How can you sit back and do nothing?” So, the question that I want to try to answer for you is not “What should be the Christian’s response to Mardi Gras?” but rather “What will be UBC’s response to Mardi Gras?”

Over the past month, the Lord has been speaking to me regarding the topic of meeting people where they are, and He has been using the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman from the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John in order to make His point. This story opens with an explanation that Jesus would be leaving Judea and returning to Galilee. Now the limited amount that I know about the geography of that time tells me that Jesus could have embarked on one of three routes in order to get back to the region of the Galilee. The first route would have taken Him straight up the coast. The second route would have Him going through Perea and then up to the Galilee. The third route would have Him going straight through Samaria. Now, for any self-respecting Jew, this third option was not really an option at all, for no Jew would be caught dead going through Samaria. To say that these two groups didn’t get along would be a gross understatement. Jews considered Samaritans to be half-breeds who could not prove their geneaology. The animosity between the two factions was so bad that when the Jews wanted to insult Jesus in John 8, they called Him a Samaritan. Yet verse four of the fourth chapter says this:

“Now He had to go through Samaria” (NIV)

Other translations say that Jesus was compelled. Whatever your particular translation says, the thought here is that Jesus had a divine appointment and nothing was going to keep Him from missing that appointment! Wow! What a thought. Jesus had to go into “enemy territory” because there was someone there that was important enough to risk persecution for. It’s a radically simple concept, really. Jesus didn’t invite her to go to the temple with Him. He went to where she was. And I don’t see anywhere in Scripture where it says that He compromised His principles by going to where the Samaritan woman was. He simply went there because He knew that she wasn’t coming to Him, and He loved her enough to bring the truth of redemption directly to her.

As I have pondered over this passage, the Lord has solidified His conviction, His passion, and His direction regarding the issue of Mardi Gras within my heart as clear as crystal. As I said before, our campus sits directly on the parade route. By the time our Sunday morning services draw to a close next week, hundreds of parade watchers will be huddled in front of our building. Now we have a choice. We can tie up our parking lot, lock the building, and turn our lights off, turning our back on the “evil” that is Mardi Gras. Or we can go to our Samaria. I told you that the Lord kept on prodding me, “How can you do nothing?” So, I choose to go to Samaria. We are going to grill hamburgers for folks and offer portable restrooms and hand-washing stations. Our band will be providing a little pre-parade entertainment. Most importantly, we are going to engage folks in intentional, Christ-centered conversations. We are going into our Samaria to meet people where they are because, the fact of the matter is that they will be out there whether we choose to be or not. At the least, people will leave that parade having heard the Gospel of Christ and having felt His love through the people of UBC.

Now, I don’t say this to say that we are right and everyone who doesn’t do this is wrong. I am simply sharing with you the conviction the Lord has placed on my heart, but I will leave all of you with this. The apostle Paul speaks directly to this in the tenth chapter of Romans when he says:

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:12-15, NIV).

The bottom line is that we all need a savior, and that savior is Jesus. We are going to go and bring Jesus to others. Here’s praying that we all bring Jesus to our Samaria, wherever that is. I love you.

Until Next Time,

Glory Days

Posted on Dec 30, 2015 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Can I admit something to you? I love Bruce Springsteen. There, I said it. Don’t judge me. His music rocks. My favorite song from “The Boss” is Glory Days. It’s all about this man who longs to recapture the glory days of his past. The first verse of the song goes like this:

I had a friend was a big baseball player
back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We went back inside sat down had a few drinks
but all he kept talking about was

Glory days well they’ll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days

As I think about those lyrics, I can’t help but look forward to the new year, which begins in just two days. It’s almost unbelievable to me that 2015 is just about over. Time passes much too quickly. As I ponder a new year, I wonder how many people aren’t looking ahead but are just stuck in the past, similar to the main character in Springsteen’s song. Perhaps you are one of those people. Perhaps you aren’t excited about the opportunities (and maybe even challenges) that lie ahead. Perhaps you are preoccupied with what should have been, with what could have been, with what used to be. It seems to me that there are far too many people that are stuck in the past instead of looking to the future. If you are one of those people, can I submit something to you? To be stuck in the past is to miss the opportunities of the present. I am not telling you to forget about the past, but I am telling you to avoid living in it. If you don’t find a way to move forward, you’ll never be all that God desires for you to be, and you certainly will never accomplish all that He has for you to do.

I preached a sermon this past week from Esther 4 that included three things not to do in order to avoid the trap of living in the past. Here they are:

Don’t be daunted. Moving forward means lots of opportunities, and even some challenges. They won’t be easy, but serving the Lord wasn’t meant to be easy. Quite honestly, it is one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do, but the upside is great. There might be days where you walk in the valley but you can have the reassurance that you’re never walking alone. When you are serving the Lord and are in the center of His will there is no need to be scared or daunted at the task before you, because you know you are not “going it alone”. Just like the Lord used regular people like Moses, Gideon, and David, he can use us too to accomplish great things for His Kingdom, but we’ve got to be willing to step out and do the heavy lifting. Let’s be a people of faith and not of fear in this new year.
Don’t doubt the divine call. There are things that you will be called to do. Callings that will come from the Lord Himself. Don’t doubt those calls. When the Lord call you to something, have the assurance of knowing that He will also bring you through it. Be prepared to answer His call. Now remember that not all promptings or callings are from God. A divine call is a call that can only come from God Himself. So how do you know when He is calling? That brings me to my third sand final “don’t”.
Don’t deviate from the essentials. You want to make sure that God is really speaking to you and discern what He is actually saying? Then it’s time to get back to basics. Fasting, praying, and reading Scripture all on a consistent, regular basis. Fasting will drive you to your knees quicker than anything I know. Don’t believe me? Go without food and drink for one day. I dare you. Once you’re on your knees praying for His strength and wisdom, you will be amazed at what the Lord does not only in your life, but for others whose behalf you are fasting and praying. Sometimes we crave the “deeper” things of God that we forget the essentials. If we really want to move forward, then it’s time to get re-rooted in the foundations of our faith.

So, that’s it. That’s my grand plan. More of a list of what not to do as opposed to what to do, but important all the same. As we approach a new year, it’s time to move forward into exciting new areas of service that the Lord wants us. It’s time to blaze new trails. Simply put, it’s time to get going. You can’t get going if you don’t let go. Otherwise, you will end up missing the blessings and you will be left with nothing but stories of what could have been. Don’t get caught up in trying to go back to the “glory days”, because we might miss the glory days that are right in front of us.

Let’s get going. I love you.

JP.

p.s. If some of you want to relive the glory days of “The Boss’” hey-day, here you go. You’re welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM

An Ornament Worth Sharing

Posted on Dec 17, 2015 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Well, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We are now just eight days away! Christmas is without a doubt my favorite time of year, as I’m sure it is for many of you as well. I love everything about it. The lights. The movies. The traditions with our kids. I can’t wait to read the Christmas story with the family and watch them open their pj’s on Christmas Eve, then sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and open presents on Christmas morning while eating Lacie’s famous sausage and cheese balls. All of these things and so many more just conspire to make a season of enchantment and wonder.

But as I sit and ponder the beauty and majesty of the Christmas season, I am reminded of a sobering fact. For many people, the holiday season is not a time of enchantment and wonder. On the contrary, for many it is a time of great pain and reminder of loss. For a variety of reasons, many folks are just trying to get through it as quick as they can. As strange as it seems, many folks are simply trying to survive the holiday season rather than relish it.

So what should the response of one that loves Christmas be? Should we simply say “poor them”, offer a quick prayer and then get back to our Christmas celebrations? I’ve been pondering this question a lot lately, and because there so many people, including many in my congregation, that deal with great heartache year round but particularly during the Christmas season, I’m reminded of the importance of focusing not only on the true meaning of Christmas but also focusing on the deeper meaning of the Advent season.

For whatever reason, many churches choose not to focus on Advent. That is certainly their prerogative, but I choose to celebrate it as a corporate body because of its powerful themes. Advent simply means “coming”, so we celebrate the coming of Christ for five weeks leading up to Christmas. We started the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and we’ve been focusing on a different theme related to the Christ’s coming each week culminating in our Christmas Eve services. The themes are hope, peace, love, and joy. These themes speak powerfully to all of us about who Christ is and why His coming was and is so important, but they can be particularly powerful to those who are hurting during this season. Christ came so that we might have hope in a dark world, that we might have peace when chaos surrounds us, that we might be washed in His agape (divine, all-encompassing) love when we feel unlovable, and that we might experience the infinite measure of His joy, even when we might not necessarily be happy about our life situations. Wow!

What a message! What a savior! My friends, this should be our response! We need to share the message of advent with those we come in contact with, particularly those who are mired in a sense of hopelessness and despair this season. Let’s share the hope, peace, love, and joy that Christ did bring, is bringing, and will bring to a world that so desperately needs it, whether they realize it or not. Let us look at those around us, whether it’s at church, work, home, or wherever we may be with intentional eyes. May we think with intentional minds, and may we feel with intentional hearts.

Have you ever wondered about what the prettiest ornaments on a Christmas tree typically are? Most of the time, they are the ones that twinkle and shine the brightest. Why? Because those ornaments reflect the light that is shining upon it. What a concept, right? If the light of the world is shining upon us, then are we reflecting that light and shining brightly so that others can see it and experience the power of its glow? Everyone seems to love to exchange ornaments during this time of year. How about we be an ornament of hope, peace, love and joy this season? That, in my humble opinion, would be an ornament worth sharing with others.

Let us not get caught up in just looking at lights that we forget to be the light.

Merry Christmas. I love you.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on Nov 19, 2015 by admin in Pastor's Blog |

Can you believe that it’s only one week until Thanksgiving? My, how time flies! I don’t know about you, but I just love this time of year. The sights, the smells, the fellowship with family and friends. I can just about smell the fried turkey and picture my family gathered together around the table. All of it comes together to produce a wonderful season. But as I’ve been thinking about the approaching holidays and all the fun things that go along with it, I’ve been reminded that if I’m not careful, I could quickly lose sight of what is really important. So with that in mind, I just want to remind you about the importance of having an attitude of gratitude, not only this time of year, but all year around.

As I have pondered my attitude of gratitude, the Lord keeps placing one particular passage of scripture on my heart:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus-Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV)

I love this verse! Paul is writing this letter to the church in Philippi. At the time of this writing, Paul was writing from Rome and was awaiting trial. It is remarkable to me that despite his precarious situation, Paul was thinking of others and not of himself! His mind has gone back to the believers in Philippi, and every recollection brings him great joy. This is particularly noteworthy when you read Acts 16 and discover some of the horrible things that happened to Paul while he was in Philippi. He was illegally arrested and beaten, was placed in stocks, and was humiliated before people. For most people, these memories would produce great sorrow, but not for Paul. Even these painful memories bring him great joy, because it was through this suffering that a prison guard found Christ! You see, Paul fully recognized that it wasn’t about him. It was through his sufferings that a greater purpose was realized and fulfilled. Paul knew full well what it meant to have an attitude of gratitude!

As I ponder upon Paul’s example, my mind and heart are flooded with gratitude and joy for so many people. First of all, the Lord has seen fit to bless me with a wonderful family. Lacie is truly an amazing wife, mother, pastor’s wife, best friend, and partner in ministry. She is also the mother to the three most beautiful, precocious children in the world. M’Lynn , Mallory, and Tripp stretch me in ways I never thought possible and push me every day to be a better Christian, a better father, and a better man. For that, I am eternally grateful. I have been blessed with wonderful parents who raised me in a loving, Christlike home and who taught me what it truly means to be a Christian. It is my privilege to be called their son and to be their pastor. I am also thankful for my baby brother, whom shall always be my best bud, even if we don’t see each other as much as either one of us would like. I am also blessed beyond measure to have the honor of pastoring an incredible church family. They are some of the warmest, most genuine, servant-hearted people I know, and it is a pleasure to serve Christ with them. I have the best friend in the world, and I work with the best staff on the planet. I am blessed beyond what I deserve.

I could go on and on. As I write this, my heart is full. What about you? As we approach yet another Thanksgiving, who in your life are you thankful for? Let me encourage you to tell that person or people that you are thankful for them. Tell them now while you still can. Remember to adopt an attitude of gratitude not just for this season but for all eternity. And from my house to yours, please know that you have my prayers for a most blessed Thanksgiving season!

Happy Thanksgiving,