The Hate-filled United States Will Destroy our Children

We live in a world full of hate. In a time when we are told to be tolerant of each other, I think there is more hate now that I ever remember. Hate is everywhere...and most of it is done in the name of tolerance.

• Black people hate white people.
• White people hate black people.
• Conservatives hate liberals.
• Liberals hate conservatives.
• Some "Christians" hate gay people.
• A lot of gay people hate Christians because of the actions of the "Christians."
• Just about everyone hates the President.
• "Christians" hate Muslims.
• Muslims hate Jewish people.

The list goes on and on. There is no end to the amount of hatred that is found in the world. And, quite frankly, it is completely ridiculous. If we continue to hate each other, we will destroy our children.

Romans 2:11 states "For God shows no partiality." No group is better than the other. We are all, whether we want to admit it or not, sinners. Every one of us is a wicked, condemned individual who on our best day deserves to go to Hell. With that in mind, there is no room for hate. There is no place for looking down on someone because of the color of their skin or because of their religious choice. We can disagree and we can believe the other person is wrong, but there is no place for the hate and rhetoric that our world is full of.

And we wonder why there is so much violence and bad behavior with students today.

What is my suggested solution? Prayer and a whole lot of it.

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

Do You Remember Getting Your First iPhone?

Okay, I don't, but that's because I don't have an iPhone.

I do remember getting my first iPod Touch. It was a gift from a wonderful family who I had the privilege of teaching both their children. I remember thinking it was the most amazing invention on the planet. I spent all kinds of time reading about it, playing with it, downloading apps for it, loading music onto it. My iPod Touch was incredible. I was completely in awe of such an amazing tool. The day my iPod broke was devastating to me. I couldn't wait until the time came when I could purchase another one.

How many of you have felt the same way about something? Maybe it was a new toy. Maybe it was a new car. It might have even been a girlfriend or boyfriend. Everyone can remember something that they had or wanted that absolutely consumed them.

That is the feeling of desire we should be attempting to foster in our students. We should be teaching them the Bible in such a way that they are hungering and thirsting for more of it. They are so excited about hearing the Word of God that they cannot wait until Sunday or Wednesday and they are telling all of their friends about it and inviting them to church.

So why isn't that happening? Why aren't our students that excited about church and the Bible? Could it be that we don't exhibit the same desire we want from our students? Are we so consumed with the desire for God's Word that it is spilling out of us?

If not, let's start there.

CTBC Youth Bible Study - Ephesians 6:12

I had the opportunity to teach the youth group of Charles Town Baptist Church. I've been listening to Greg Stier and modified one of the lessons that he was teaching as the basis for the lesson. The text began in Ephesians 6:12 and we looked at a number of the strongholds that keep individuals from coming to church or from becoming Christians. The audio (there is no video...yet) is below.

You can also download the handout from the lesson by clicking here: "What Are We Fighting Against?" (Just click the box to open the PDF file to print.)

You can download the mp3 here.

I'm Tired of Hearing about Tim Tebow and Lolo Jones

Over the past few days, it seems like any time I turn on the sports station, I am hearing about Lolo Jones. For those of you who don't know, Jones is an Olympic hurdler who recently announced that she is saving her virginity until she gets married. This has been the cause of a great deal of ridicule. It would seem that no one on the radio can believe that an attractive young woman is capable of saving herself until she is married. If she is saving herself, then there must be something wrong with her.

Since she is a high-profile athlete who isn't sleeping with everyone who comes along and since she has made the public proclamation that she is not going to have sex until she is married, Lolo has been tied into Tim Tebow. Tebow is a quarterback for the New York Jets and an outspoken Christian. He has also made it clear that he is saving himself for marriage.

Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it. Not because I don't appreciate the message that is being proclaimed and the fact that there are some heroes for young people to look up to. No, the thing that I am tired of hearing is all of the ridicule that is being heaped upon these two for their decision not to have sex. Enough already! It is sad that this is the world that we live in, a world where two people can choose not to have sex and they are considered freaks.

It breaks my heart, but it gives me the motivation to teach my boys and my students the way it should be.

FinishYear 2012 - Fun Facts About My Bible Reading

I have made it a goal to read over 3,000 chapters of the Bible this year. To do so requires that I read a minimum of 10 chapters a day. I do this by reading from various places throughout the Scripture. This prevents from getting bogged down in certain areas and losing the motivation to continue reading. As of this writing I have read 735 chapters (that number changes every day, of course).

Here are a few fun facts about what I have read this year so far.

• There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. The Old Testament has 929 chapters and the New Testament has 260.
  
• Of those 1,189 chapters, I have read 625 unique chapters. This equals 52% of the Bible.
  
• I have read 387 chapters out of the Old Testament. This equals 41% of the Old Testament.
  
• I have read 238 chapters out of the New Testament. This equals 91% of the New Testament.
  
• So far, I have read at least one chapter from every book in the New Testament. I have also read Proverbs 2 1/3 times, Acts over 2 1/2 times, Job almost 1 1/2 times, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians twice. Other books will soon be added to that list.
  

It is is not my goal to brag about my accomplishments with these fun facts. I am simply sharing them because I found them interesting and I hope that it will provide some motivation to others who might want to begin a Bible reading plan. You can never go wrong by reading God's Word.

Why Reading Scripture Is Vital to Pastors

I know that my title seems a bit redundant and obvious. Of course, pastors need to read Scripture. But why? Can't we just read the latest book and build our sermons off of what someone else wrote? Matt Chandler, from the Village Church, gives a dynamite answer as to the necessity of intimately knowing Scripture.



This is why I'm working toward reading over 3,000 chapters of Scripture this year. I want to know and understand what God has revealed to us in the Bible. How can I think that I can stand before God's people if I don't intimately know what I am speaking to them of?

FinishYear 2012 - Reading 3,000 Chapters of the Bible - How It's Going

If you were to do a Google search for "Professor Grant Horner's Reading System," you would discover it is quite the rage this year. There is even a Facebook group with almost 2,000 members. I am using to help me reach my goal of reading 3,000 chapters of the Bible this year. Here is how it is going so far:

• I have read over 420 chapters of the Bible so far (more by the time you are reading this).
  
• I have read through Proverbs and Acts once each and am working on my second time through.
  
• I have read a good portion of the New Testament.
  

Additionally, I have read through the following books of the Bible:

• Joshua
  
• Job
  
• Proverbs
  
• Matthew
  
• Acts
  
• Romans
  
• 1 Corinthians
  
• 1 Thessalonians
  
• 2 Thessalonians
  
• 1 Timothy
  
• 2 Timothy
  
• Titus
  
• Philemon
  
• James
  
• 1 Peter
  
• 2 Peter
  
• 1 John
  
• 2 John
  
• 3 John
  
• Jude
  
• Within a week, I will have finished Genesis, Judges, Ecclesiastes, Mark, and 2 Corinthians
  

I realize that reading 10 chapters per day is quite a stretch for some individuals. There are days when I am unable to do it. However, I find that the more time I spend in the Word, the more time I want to be in the Word. Also, the multiple readings of the books will be of great benefit to me. If my desire is to be a pastor (and it is), I need to know what the Bible says so that I can share it with others.

How are you doing with your Bible reading this year?

A Song of the Rescuer

My boys and I have been reading through The Jesus Storybook Bible each evening before going to bed. This is a truly wonderful book that takes many of the classic stories of the Old and New Testament and shows how Jesus fits into what is more than just a great story for Sunday School.

Last evening, we read about the birth of John the Baptist. Here is a little sample of that story:


Because God loves us with a Never Stopping,
Never Giving Up, Unbreaking,
Always and Forever Love -
Heaven is breaking through!
He is sending us a Light from Heaven
To shine on us like the sun
To shine on those who live in darkness
And in the shadow of death
To guide our feet into the way of peace