Saturday Morning Thoughts

I love Saturday mornings. Typically, I wake up with Riley because we have been snuggling on Friday nights for a long time. He’s a good snuggle buddy but, like his older brothers, he’s almost at the age where snuggling with Daddy isn’t such fun. For now, though, I’m enjoying every moment.

Then we have breakfast. Sometimes, it’s pancakes (World Famous Pancakes) or cinnamon rolls or muffins. Today, it’s chocolate chip muffins and a cup of coffee. This is one of the few times we all have breakfast together.

But then my Saturdays usually take a turn toward the office. Today is no different. A couple of hours at home then the rest of the day at the office. This week, my Saturday is not a day off because of a three day seminar in Nashville. Most weeks, I just lollygag. So I need a plan to get everything done by Thursday afternoon so I can enjoy some time alone and with the family on Friday and Saturday. I’ll work on that, but for now, I’m enjoying my coffee and family.

I’ve gotten behind on my seminar assignments…again. I had a good plan six weeks ago but deadlines are here and I’m still reading and writing. I gathered all the books and even began reading, but one thing after another came up and I pushed aside the assignments. Most of the distractions were important things but not all of them needed my immediate attention. Then there were the “time gremlins” that stole my time but gave nothing in return.

When I worked in JC Penney during my college days, we had customers who shopped but never purchased anything. We called them “TWs” because they were time wasters. With a sales goal looming over your heard each week, you didn’t want to get stuck with at TW! But I let TWs have my time with these assignments and now I’m scrambling to get them completed.

Christians have been given an assignment from the Lord – the Great Commission. If we want to complete the assignment we must get on and stay on task. There will be many TWs and time gremlins along the way. Distractions await at every turn. Those serious about the task will focus on their responsibilities and draw strength from the Spirit; they will rely upon the Lord for direction and motivation.

The unique thing about this assignment is the due date: we continue working on it until we die or until Jesus returns. At first glance, that seems like an easy obligation; but when you realize that you don’t know when that due date will arrive, you should feel a sense of urgency to get busy. I want to become more and more like Christ so I can be more and more effective carrying out my task.

In Defense of the Association, State Convention, and SBC

I am in favor of a Great Commission Resurgence. I would have voted to assemble the Task Force if I had been able to attend the SBC annual meeting in Louisville in June. I am committed to praying for the Task Force daily. I believe the local church should hold all agencies, institutions, etc., accountable to be good stewards of the resources we send them.

This is the purpose of a Great Commission Resurgence and I hope the Task Force will stay on task. Getting side-tracked by a personal agenda would be easy and tempting; but the churches of the SBC do not want representatives of a handful of megachurches to restructure the denomination to suit them.

Now, let me defend the existence and work of the Pulaski Baptist Association, Arkansas Baptist State Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention from the perspective of a small church pastor who desires to see his community and world impacted by the church he leads.

Pulaski Baptist Association, under the leadership of Danny Johnson, is a group of churches working together in places like Little Rock, New York, Mexico, St. Louis, and New Orleans. Using a modest budget, the association staff does some preliminary groundwork and planning that helps churches like mine get plugged into ministry. Our church sends 3% of our undesignated receipts to PBA – that’s not much money. In return, we get the planning mentioned above plus the availability of vans to use on our trips. That saves us the expense of owning and operating a van ourselves. We have an older van but it is not road worthy for a long trip. PBA also gives pastors opportunities for fellowship where we encourage each other and have lots of fun. We need that. Ministers receive support for further education. Danny takes groups of pastors and leaders to convention meetings and mission vision trips. Even if our church is not able to go on a trip, we participate through our contributions. We are impacting lives through PBA.

The Arkansas Baptist State Convention receives 10% of our undesignated funds. This funds missions and ministry around the state. Their staff helps us with education, training, and planning. Bob Fielding and Robby Tingle have helped us with logistics of planning an international missions trip. The Arkansas Baptist Builders coordinated work in New Orleans so our teams could spend the week helping remodel houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina. ABSC sends about 42% of our contribution to the Southern Baptist Convention where additional ministry and mission work is carried out.

The biggest advantage of being part of the SBC for our church in recent years has been our partnership with SBC missionaries in Russia. We are able to work directly with TeamSOAR, led by Rusty and Lori Hart in Ekaterinburg. I have made two trips since coming to CRBC and plan to take one trip each year and lead many in our church to also go. While in Russia, we are able to plug into the work already ongoing and we also can help establish new work in the region. Our impact in that part of the world is greater because of the SBC.

A proposal by the Great Commission Task Force that hinders these relationships in any way will face opposition by small churches like ours. Big churches have pulled support away from local associations and state conventions in recent years. Many have reduced Cooperative Program contributions, too. The truth is, they don’t need associations, state conventions, and the SBC; and small church can’t make it without this cooperation.

The Last Days

For those of you familiar with my preaching/teaching, you are probably surprised by the title of this blog post. Let me clarify what I am talking about: summer vacation is almost over and school starts next week!

Riley and I have been watching “Phineas and Ferb” all summer and we love the theme song. It starts like this: “A hundred and four days of summer vacation and school comes along just to end it.” That’s what’s happening. Except I’m not sure how you get 104 days of it, though! I’m counting about 75 or so.

Anyway, as the summer break comes to a close, Riley and I get to spend the days together because his normal childcare is taking the rest of the summer off. What can we do? More “Phineas and Ferb” for one thing! Riley is also going with me as I make home visits and associational meetings. He’s a trooper. All he needs is him MP3 player and his Nintendo DS and he’s good to go.

I wish everyone was so agreeable. If Christians were “good to go” we might see more ministry, more missions, more evangelism…

We are, after all, living in the Last Days. One day Jesus will return to gather all the believers and establish his millennial reign on earth. Just like Riley and I are making the most of the last days before school starts, don’t you want to make the most of the last days before Jesus returns?

So get involved in the ministry and missions your local church is doing. Share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone today. Be found faithful by impacting eternity now.

Bruce Chesser

I consider Bruce a friend although we never hung out together or shared personal concerns. We don’t know much about each other personally. We came to Little Rock at about the same time. He came to pastor one of the largest Baptist churches; I came to pastor one of the smallest. But over the years I found Bruce to be a friend.

 

The main reason for this is that he took the time to have breakfast with guys like me and to know our names. And he seemed to like the time we all spent together. I did. I had a job in another town, spent all my time at the church, had almost zero interaction with folks outside those two circles and family, but could sit in a fellowship hall or IHOP and feel like I belonged.

 

So, thanks, Bruce. And the best of the Lord’s blessings for you and your family as you head to Hendersonville.

God Still Moves

I’m not sure I can adequately express what I’m thinking but I have to try. When I say that God still moves it’s not like I thought he had stopped; this is more an affirmation than a revelation. A southern gospel song has the words “it’s good to know how it feels.” I believe God’s presence is more than a feeling and that he is with me even if I don’t feel it, but it IS good to know how it feels!

 

Worship tonight was as good as I’ve experienced in quite a while. The songs were spot on. The prayer time was phenomenal. The Word was so relevant. I hope I’m not the only one who realized it! If you were there, didn’t you sense it, too? God was moving among us, stirring us and drawing us nearer to him.

 

Personal decisions I’ve made recently coupled with some specific needs within our church and an awareness of our responsibility to the Gospel seemed to create the perfect storm, if you will. I’m convinced that God wants to move like this all the time but I know that we have to be ready and open to receive it. So God moved.

 

Maybe some were just spectators and didn’t get it. Maybe some were bored or turned off. Maybe some were drawn closer to God. Maybe some, like me, know that revival is coming. Would you like to know the key to revival?

 

Humble.

 

Pray.

 

Seek.

 

Turn.

 

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

 

Humble.

 

Pray.

 

Seek.

 

Turn.

 

God still moves!

Staying Caught Up

That was a fast week. I really need to relax more. The problem is that I’m lazy and don’t stay on top of my work; so I’m always busy. Does that make sense – lazy but always busy? I don’t like being called lazy, even if I’m the one calling me names!

So today is a new day, a fresh start for me. I’m reading and writing in preparation for a leadership seminar I’m taking later this month. Something I read this week got my attention. Spiritual Leadership by Blackaby and Blackaby says that leaders must maintain a routine. We often think of routine as boring, monotonous, or mundane; however, the discipline of routine keeps leaders focused on what really matters. I’m easily distracted; therefore, I need routine. I need a schedule. This is not to say that I won’t or can’t allow important things to interrupt my schedule, but it is to say that by scheduling the important things I know I’ll get them done.

I’m using Outlook and my Blackjack II for organization and reminders. I’m hoping to get an iPhone in September, but I digress! The most important element of motivation and organization is prayer. Through prayer I will draw nearer to God and understand what he wants me to do and how he will help me do it. Through prayer I will stay focused on the important people and tasks in my life. Through prayer I will become more like Jesus Christ, the ultimate “on-task” leader.

Every priority in my life has suffered because of my lack of organization, my procrastination, and my laziness. Enough of that! Today is a new day.

Churches, Associations, and Conventions

The Sr. Adult Focus was a great time today. Thanks to the Pulaski Baptist Association (sponsor) and Calvary Baptist Church (host). Great things happen with churches work together! That’s what associations and conventions do: provide opportunity to do more together than we could do separately.

 

From missions and ministry to fellowship and worship, getting together with other churches is worthwhile. Be looking for another opportunity to get together with Cross Road Baptist Church, Holly Springs Baptist Church, and Martindale Baptist Church this Fall. We are planning a Fall Event that will include all age groups in worship, preaching, and fellowship spanning over five days. I believe God will do great things during these days!

 

Our partnership with TeamSOAR is Russia is possible because of our cooperative work through the Southern Baptist Convention. Please continue praying for a church plant in Talitsa where there is no Baptist work and very few evangelical Christians. CRBC, TeamSOAR, and other SBC churches will impact Talitsa and increase the Kingdom.

 

This week, a group of eleven from CRBC took a daytrip to Hope to visit the Hope Migrant Mission Center. Arkansas Baptists provide this great ministry to migrant farm workers traveling between the Rio Grande River valley and northern states to work in agriculture. These travelers can get clothing, snacks, and personal hygiene products. They can also relax and play while there. Great ministry led by Bob Williford and supported by CRBC and other churches of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

 

Cooperation is a hallmark of Southern Baptists. I’m glad we are part of the cooperative effort!

Wipeout

I’m watching the TV show called Wipeout on ABC. I’ve seen the commercials but this is the first episode I’ve seen. So funny! People go through obstacle courses and most of them end up in the mud or water several times. There’s no way I could do it!

 

Real life is hard, too. Lots of obstacles and enemies trying to knock us off course and into the mud. But it’s not a game. It’s real. Satan is roaming the earth looking for those he can devour. And he’s good at it. He attacks us at home or at work, at school or with our friends. Too many Christians take hard shots every day.

 

So what’s the answer? The apostle Peter wrote that we have to be alert, look to the example of other believers, and trust the Lord. Those are not the easiest steps to take but they are guaranteed. I don’t understand why we want to try something easier or shortcut the truth. Try the right way instead of the shortcuts.

Technology is rapidly advancing and changing how our world works. I can't seem to get enough of it. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, website...

World Famous Pancakes

The non-custodial dad has to find a way to make his four days a month count. Thus the evolution of the World Famous Pancakes. It’s a secret recipe full of hope. “I hope these turn out!” is always on my mind.

It’s probably not the pancakes themselves that are World Famous but rather the experience. The boys rarely saw Dad do much that was just for them. Don’t get me wrong, almost everything I did was just for them, they just didn’t see it. But they saw and helped on Saturday mornings – excuse me, on every-other-Saturday mornings – and a tradition was born. Perhaps I should say a tradition was borne.

A Dad will do just about anything to see his kids smiling and happy. I hope they also caught the flare and the style and the story. World Famous Pancakes are not just “breakfast,” but are really an event at the Loyd household. One of my high callings in life is that of family man; so I take this pretty seriously. And I hope I have passed along the important lesson that kids deserve a great Dad no matter what the circumstances may be. I hope I measure up.

Speaking of “measuring up,” I will now release my secret recipe for World Famous Pancakes. Nah!

Too Much of Self

You've noticed the same thing that I have noticed...people think too much of themselves. I am not advocating self-deprecation because thinking too little of yourself is just as bad. Balance! Balance is the key!

The Bible says that a person ought not think too highly of himself and should consider others first (Romans 12:10 and Philippians 2:3). When a person is so inwardly focused that all he can think about or talk about is himself, his accomplishments, or his ideas, he neglects others. A selfish or prideful spouse neglects the other spouse. The parent neglects the child. A friend neglects another. And so on.

The answer to pride, arrogance, and selfishness is humility. I like to think of humility as having a good understanding of who I am compared to who God is. None of us can get too puffed up when we see that comparison clearly. When I've gotten a little (or a lot) puffed up God has always done something to help me see him more clearly - because I have lost my vision of God's majesty.

When I see God more clearly and I see me more clearly I also will see others and their needs and value more clearly. Some people help others for selfish reasons, but the only motive God approves is that of Christian love expressed in humility. If I think too highly of myself I can't do that.

But I can't think too lowly of myself either. Because God's Spirit dwells within me (and every believer) I have great resource and ability. In fact, I'm able to do beyond my ability because of him. He strengthens me. He applies me - he uses me.

God thinks enough of me to die for me and save me. He thinks enough of me to equip me with gifts. He think enough of me to give me a task. If God thinks that much of me, then I must not thik too lowly of myself.

Balance.

Jesus, the God-man, said this, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19)

We are not God-men, but we are men and women who have God's Spirit within us. So a healthy, biblical perspective is one of balance.

Twikini

Have you heard about Twitter? I noticed on Facebook that some folks were posting via Twitter so I started looking around for it and found it at http://www.twitter.com/. So now I'm on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bobloyd so come on board and follow me. I'll probably follow you, too.

There's an application for my Blackjack II that helps me keep up with what's on Twitter. It's called Twikini. Now wherever I am I can access Twitter and see what's going on with those that I follow. I can also post a new "tweat" from my smart phone. It's pretty easy and a great tool. There are lots of applications for your smart phones; I'm just learning about them and hope to find more neat ones like Twikini. Find it at http://www.trinketsoftware.com/Twikini.

Hospitals

Hurry up and wait! That's what we are doing this afternoon at Baptist Med Center. Jim is ready to go home; just waiting on the paper work.
I'm ready to go home, too. To heaven. But it must not be time because I'm still here waiting. Like Paul, I see my time waiting as time to do something productive for the kingdom.
So while I'm waiting I'll stay busy for the Lord. That's more than Jim's doing here at the hospital..he's just waiting to go home.

Church Sign

Are you like me? Do you read the church signs as you drive through town or down the highway? I do. I like the funny ones but I really like the signs that are able to capture a deep theological truth in just a few lines.

I've written a few Christian songs and find it difficult but rewarding to say in three minutes something that is eternally true. Writing the good church signs is even harder. You must be biblically accurate, interesting, and short!

Driving down the road today going into Bryant I saw this:

The Bible is neither ancient nor modern, it is eternal.

GCR, SBC, CRBC

Those are a lot of letters up there! Cross Road Baptist Church (CRBC) is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). There is a movement among some leadership to have a Great Commission Resurgence (GCR). I’ve read the document at greatcommissionresurgence.com and have signed on to it because I agree with the tenets laid out in it. Johnny Hunt, SBC president and pastor in the Atlanta area, is one of the main drivers behind GCR. I like Johnny Hunt as a preacher and a person (based on what little, very little, interaction I’ve had with him).

But many do not like his “attack” on the convention bureaucracy and have become very vocal in these days leading up to the annual meeting to be held in Louisville, KY on June 23-24. I’m sorta glad that CRBC scheduled Vacation Bible School (VBS) for that week so I have an excuse not to be there for the fireworks. But I’m sorta gonna miss the fireworks!

Whenever a finger is pointed toward someone with a bit of criticism, people pointed to tend to get defensive. I understand that. What I don’t understand is the tone of the rhetoric being thrown around. The general media will have a heyday with this as they try to find ways to make the social conservatism of the SBC look bad. We (the SBC, generally) think that abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage, to name a few issues on the front burners these days, are biblical. And if not biblical, then wrong. So anytime national exposure of problems within the SBC can be overexposed, the media will do it.

Christianity is being marginalized in our society. I read today that North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing. Why is that? Partly, it is because evangelical denominations, like the SBC, won’t focus on what is most important: spreading the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Another reason for the stagnation of Christianity on our continent is that many formerly-strong denominations are allowing the culture to define their morality/ethic rather than the Bible. This is why the SBC and churches like CRBC take a hit when we speak out for decency and human life and the one-man/one-woman marriage issue.

The GCR is an attempt – a good-faith attempt, I believe – to focus our convention on what really matters. That is not saying that we are completely off focus and that every entity is at fault and that each church is missing the mark. But it is to say that the task of the Great Commission is so important that we should be willing to turn the magnifying glass toward ourselves and change what should be changed and champion what we are doing well.

Let me give you three more letters.

A – admit you are a sinner and repent of your sins.

B – believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and what he did on the cross is the only way you can receive forgiveness for you sins and gain eternal life in heaven.

C – confess that Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord and commit to live your life in a way that embodies that confession.

Talitsa

I spent 10 days on a trip to Talitsa, Sverdlovskaya, Russia. Talitsa is town. Sverdlovskaya is an oblast (state). My wife, Deana, and another couple from our church, Ed and Shirley Meux, went with me.

I had been to Russia last year to lead a pastor’s Bible conference. While I was there, I learned of the need for a Baptist church in Talitsa and of some specific prayer needs of a few believers there. So our church has been praying for over a year for them. Good news! The prayers have been effective as the situations these believers were experiencing have improved. We weren’t even praying for the specific problems because we thought the needs were different. This is just an example of the Holy Spirit taking our earnest prayers and directing his power to the real needs. God is so good!

I’ll post pictures and my journal soon. Til then, just know that God is at work everywhere on the planet. Even in your life. Leave a comment if I can pray with you about something in your life or talk with you about a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I'm ashamed to admit it...

Tonight I saw the best and worst of baseball and people. The opposing team had one player who was afraid to take his turn at bat. The team took an automatic out each time his spot in the batting order came up. We had two outs on them and his turn was next. The game was sorta close and there was no way the coaches were going to accept an automatic out.

 

The kid's name is David, #21. He stood in the box almost visibly trembling. The first pitch was at the bill of his helmet but he swung at it. The next pitch wasn't much better and he swung at it, too. The third pitch was below his knees but he made good contact as he gratuitously waved at it with his bat. A sharp hit ball to shortstop was fielded cleanly. The good throw to first secured the third out.

 

I cheered for David more loudly than I cheered for our team retiring the side.

 

Two boys on our team taunted David during his at bat.

 

The Bible teaches that we are to lift up others and think of them as highly or more highly than we think of ourselves. Taunting an opposing player - especially one like David who was scared of getting hit by a wild pitch - is totally out of line. Who cares if the 8-9 yr old team is on the verge of winning only the second game of the season! What matters is that these kids learn the game and learn to love the game.

 

David made great progress tonight. At least two on our side of the diamond made an error.

Reaching Talitsa

I’m excited about the trip to Russia. Just two more days then we are gone for ten. The team from Cross Road Baptist Church in Little Rock includes Ed and Shirley Meux, and my wife Deana and me. The tentative schedule – everything is tentative on the mission field, I’ve learned – is to have a couple of days in Ekaterinburg for orientation to the Russian culture then travel to smaller towns where there is virtually no evangelical presence. The goal is to talk with the one believer in Talitsa and try to discern what God is doing there and how our church can partner with this believer and another church a couple of hours away to reach the city for Christ. Long-term, we hope to plant a Baptist church there.

 

We may also be involved in similar projects in other small communities where there are no evangelical churches. Sounds like the book of Acts, doesn’t it! Pray that we will follow the Acts model: much prayer and excellent obedience. Wouldn’t you like to know that people halfway around the world can experience the impact of a relationship with Jesus Christ?

 

I am praying for the Spirit to show us how to be involved in the eastern part of Sverdlovskaya oblast (state). I am also praying that this focus on God’s Spirit will also guide our church in Little Rock into revival and greater community ministry. So much of the technology we enjoy today was developed for our use by the military or the space program – things learned far away change our near community. I’m hoping the same thing happens with regard to evangelism and missions. May the Lord’s work through us in a faraway place initiate his freedom to work in us at home.

 

Impacting Eternity Now

 

 

Reading Glasses

I am 45 years, 8 days old. And the eye doctor said this would happen. March 2008: "I can help you with your reading now or we can wait but we can't wait very long." He must have the spiritual gift of prophecy.

So here I am with my reading glasses. Here's my dilema. I am nearsighted and could not read the computer screen in front of me without glasses or contact lenses. I wear contacts most of the time. This is good for seeing road signs, too! I can read even small print without glasses or contacts but with them in I can't. So if I'm wearing glasses I prop them up on my head while I'm reading and drop them down when I look across the room. If I'm wearing contacts I wear the reading glasses to read and prop them up on my head while I look across the room.

I'm afraid of the next step.

Sometimes I'm myopic spiritually, too. I focus on the near things but neglect the far. I put energy into what I am doing right now and lose sight of the big picture. I sometimes think that everything filters through me.

The result is a shallow relationship with God and even less with the lost world. I'm to the point that I'm willing to put everything up for review. No sacred cows in my life. I want God to lead me in an assessment of my personal and professional life, in my family and in my church.

If there is anything myopic I'm willing to let it go. If there is anything useless I am willing to purge it. If there is anything to adjust I am willing to adjust.

I will learn from the past but will not dwell there. I will look to the future to form my present. I will live each day as if I do not survive until tomorrow.

I'll do anything. But I'm not ready for bifocals. Yet.