Today’s Pulse of NewLife is written by guest writer Tammy Choleva.  Tammy and her husband John’s family was one of the original families of our church, and they have recently returned to NewLife with their six kids, Trevor, Jeremy, Aaron, Gabriel, John, and Danielle.  As I preach through Proverbs on the subject of wisdom this summer, my hope is to use the blog to give voice to many of the more experienced members of our congregation, so that they can share what they have learned through their journey with the Lord.

No Longer a Slave to Sin

“…knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:6 (NKJV)

Back some time ago after I was saved by the grace of God, I was given a revelation of truth.  I remember at the time having been disgusted with myself over something I had done.  I don’t remember what I had done, but I know it didn’t honor the Lord.  I remember telling God I was sorry, but I also remember stopping and pondering (for quite some time) how in the world Jesus could have been sinless.  I knew He was sinless because the Bible tells me so; yet, I started to think deeply and wonder how that could have been.
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Last week I shared a story of a man who drowned in a pool full of lifeguards to illustrate what it’s like in the church when someone who comes in need of God yet is overlooked by all the Christians around them.  One of the comments I received pointed out how that metaphor could apply just as well to the cities, where there might be a church on every block yet still the same issues that destroy people while the church is afraid to get their hands dirty and jump in to help.  In light of that comment, I thought it would be interesting to share an article I read last week about an organization called Family Promise and the difference it is making in Lawrence, Kansas (among many other locations).  Family Promise is a partnership of congregations in a community that help families who are homeless get back on their feet.  For all those people who ever looked at big empty church buildings that stay empty night after night and wondered if they could somehow be used to help those who are homeless, this article is for you (the article can be found at http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/jun/14/program-helps-homeless-get-back-their-feet/).

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In September of 1985, there was a celebration held at a New Orleans municipal pool.  The party was being held in order to celebrate the first summer in memory without a drowning at the pool.  In honor of the occasion, two hundred people gathered, including one hundred certified lifeguards.  As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end.  They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late.  He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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Over the past two days, there have been two events which have caused serious reflection on the second most important relationship in my life (after God).  The first happened Sunday night, when I read of a young pastor of a fast-growing evangelical church who had resigned that morning due to an emotional and physical affair he had gotten into with his assistant.  News like this is always devastating to me, as it is agonizing to see how years of service to God can be undone in a moment by sinful choices.  It reconfirmed in me the need to guard myself against compromising situations, and reminded me of how Satan will come hardest as the leaders of a church, because he knows that if he can take them out, the whole thing will be shaken.  I know that Michele and I would covet your prayers and your support in making sure that our marriage and family are protected.   

Most importantly, however, that event reminded me how much I love my wife and how desperately I never want something like that to happen to our family.  Read more »

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and I want to pass along to the men of the congregation a sermon by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle called “Marriage and Men,” based on 1 Peter 3:7 (you can watch the sermon at http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/marriage-and-men).  Pastor Driscoll is becoming more and more influential and widely known, usually for his Calvinist theology, his macho man image and depiction of a manly Jesus, and for occasionally crossing the line into inappropriate or crude humor.  But one thing I have always admired in him is that he appears to me of a man who knows how to love and protect his wife, love and train up his children in the Lord, and teach immature men what it means to be a real man – not a macho American man or an immature wanna-be man, but a man like Jesus.

The one word Pastor Driscoll uses to sum up what it means to be a man is this:  Read more »