Death by Meeting

One of my favorite authors concerning leadership is Patrick Lencioni. Over the past 20 years, he has written a series of “leadership fables” that illustrate various points about organizational health. Perhaps you have read “Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” “3 Signs of a Miserable Job,” or “Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars” – all excellent books any leader can benefit from. One of my favorite Lencioni books is “Death by Meeting.” Every time I see that book on my shelf I chuckle a little. That title is just classic. If you have ever been a part of team that had staff meetings, the title “Death by Meeting” probably makes you laugh too . . . because you can relate to it.

Most all of us have gone to meetings that we felt like were a waste of time. At times it feels as though meetings exist merely because someone put them on a calendar. Not many people I know list “meetings” in the top 5 of “reasons I love my job.” Meetings have a reputation of not giving life, but taking it . . . therefore Lencioni’s title seems appropriate at times, doesn’t it?

I am a Pastor of a church. After 40 years of attending churches and 20 years of helping to lead them, I can honestly say churches love meetings. As a member of a congregation you are invited to many meetings. As a leader in ministry, you have meetings to plan your meetings. As a Pastor, I am invited to conferences (meetings at someone else’s church) to learn how to better prepare for the meetings you are a part of to plan your church meetings.

Think about it, as a church member, you are encouraged to attend a weekly meeting (of sorts) on Sunday mornings at 9:30 . . . we call it a worship service. Additionally, you are encouraged to attend a second meeting several times each month with a smaller group of people . . . we call it a Sunday School class or Home Community Group. If you were to attend the worship service 75% of the Sundays each month AND participate in a Home Community Group 3 times each month in the fall and spring, your church attendance would include attendance at roughly 60 meetings each year!

Since meetings have a negative connotation for many, the prospect of this level of involvement causes some (even some Christians) to slow, or even cease regular church attendance. Some have even tried to spiritualize the experience by saying that they “love Jesus” but “hate the church.” I believe some who are saying this believe that the meetings at their church bring death not life, so they want no part of it.

While all our lives could benefit from a reduction of some meetings, I have also found that the right gatherings bring life, not death. I believe that regular participation in church worship and small group are two of the life giving type of meetings. I feel that way NOT simply because I am a Pastor and these are meetings I help lead, but for some specific theological and practical reasons. Including:

Who we are meeting with (part 1). When two or more gather together in Jesus name, there He is also. Gathering together in worship is life giving because we are communing with the God of the Universe.
Who we are meeting with (part 2). Jesus saved us and placed us inside the Church (capital “C”). He dispersed and entrusted various gifts, insights, and opportunities to each person He has saved. That means that I cannot be all that God created me to be alone. I need to be in community with others to be all God has created me to be. The church is the relational incubator God has placed us inside to foster a vibrant spiritual life as we grow toward maturity.
Who we are meeting with (part 3). Left to myself, I can get weird. Ever have a stressful situation going on in life that keeps you up late at night? So late that all the other people in your house are sound asleep and all you have is “Bowflex” infomercials to keep you company? On those nights I can convince myself that the world is falling down around me. You know what I need in those moments? Another person to speak into my life and stop the runaway train of our thoughts. We can convince ourselves that life is far worse than it is when left alone. We need someone to shake our brains forward and free . . . to unstick our cereberal needle that is skipping across the record of our mind. My friends in my community group and in my church move me forward at times like this. God increase the quality of my life through others.
What we are meeting about. God has shared His truth with us in His Word. When we gather to read it and study it together, collectively we embrace it and generate corporate inertia to help us follow it and keep it.

I have found that life in Christian community is life giving, and I would love to share with you more why that is. This Sunday, August 24 at Wildwood Community Church in our 9:30 and 10:50 services, I will be talking more about community in part 2 of our Fall “Kickoff” series. We will be using Hebrews 10:24-25 as our base passage. Additionally, we will be highlighting an opportunity you have at Wildwood this fall to connect deeper into community. We hope to see you Sunday!

Kickoff #1: Sermon Discussion Questions

On Sunday, August 17, I preached a sermon at Wildwood Community Church called “Kickoff: Worship.” This was the first sermon in our “Kickoff” series. The message was based on Isaiah 6:1-8. Below you can find discussion questions related to this message for individuals or small groups.

Kickoff #1 Discussion Questions

Read Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah lets us know that he wrote this prophecy “in the year that King Uzziah died.” King Uzziah was mostly a good king and ruled Judah for 52 years! Because of his longevity and the nature of most of his rule, his death would have been unsettling to many in Judah. What are some major events that unsettle us in our understanding of the world around us?
God invites Isaiah to come into heaven to see a clearer vision of who God really is. The scene is awe inspiring in Isaiah 6:1-4. What stands out to you most about the picture of God described here?
Do you typically have a view of God similar to what Isaiah saw? Why or why not?
How did Isaiah react when he saw God high and exalted (6:5-7)? What does this tell us about humanity’s standing in relation to God?
When Isaiah admits his sin and brokenness, God immediately springs into action, sending the Seraphim to offer cleansing via the coal from the brazen altar of sacrifice. In a similar way, when we turn to God in light of our sin, He offers forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus Christ. What did Isaiah have to do to receive His cleansing? What did He not have to do? What do we have to do to find forgiveness in Christ?
After seeing God for who is was and being cleansed by Him, Isaiah is willing to go and do anything God wanted him to do . . . even taking a difficult message to a stubborn and defiant people. With God at the center of his life, Isaiah was willing to reorient his life around God’s purposes. What would it look like for you to reorient your life with Jesus at the center? How would this impact your family, work life, friendships, ministry, etc.?
What was your primary takeaway application from the message today?

Kickoff (pt. 1) Preview

I love the fall. It is my favorite time of the year. Maybe you are like me. Here is my list of top 4 reasons why I like the fall:

Thousands of college students descend on our city making the lines at Wal Mart longer, the traffic on Lindsey Street insufferable, and my life . . . full. We came to Norman as college students, came back as a College Pastor, and love the life OU brings to our city.
For twelve Saturdays every fall, I wear crimson and cream, cheer until I am hoarse, sunburn my face while sitting in the east side upper deck, and argue with friends over who is better Bob, Barry, or Bud. I was an OU fan back when the schooner tipped over on Owen Field . . . and love fall gamedays.
I love having to pack a jacket for after the sun goes down, the cool breeze of an Oklahoma autumn, and the sunsets that paint the western sky in September/October. The best part of Oklahoma weather is September and October in my opinion . . . cooler temps without the tornados.
I love dropping my son off at school and watching him run to the door, eager to spend a day learning with his friends. God has given us a great community at our son’s elementary school, so “back to school” night feels a bit like a family reunion.

I LOVE this time of year. Beyond these reasons, though, I also love the fall because it is the kickoff to our ministry year as a church:

Our students (birth through seniors in high school) promote to their new grade each fall in our children’s and student ministries.
Our hallways are flooded with college students coming to be a part of what God is doing through Wildwood’s College Life community.
Small groups start and serving opportunities launch for the coming ministry year.

As a Pastor, the last few weeks of August are a great Kickoff to our ministry year.

Recognizing this launch, we are intentionally kicking off our ministry year together at Wildwood in a special way over the next three Sundays. Here are a few of the highlights:

We want to begin the year in a spirit of dependence upon the Lord. To facilitate that, we are joining together as a church to pray this Sunday morning (August 17) at 8:45 in the Gathering Hall at Wildwood Community Church. We will spend 15 minutes in prayer together. Please make plans to join us . . . and bring your kids!
Throughout the day on Sunday (August 17), we will have some light refreshments in the Gathering Hall. Feel free to stop by and catch up with an old friend and meet some new ones!
In our worship service the next three Sundays, we will be walking through a 3 part series breaking down three components of Wildwood’s mission statement:

Wildwood exists to glorify God by connecting people to Christ: His worship, His community, and His mission.

The series will break down in the following way in our 9:30 and 10:50 worship services:
- August 17: Worship (Isaiah 6:1-9). We will look at how an accurate understanding of who God is drives us to worship Him and reorganize our lives with Christ at the center. We will worship together, look into God’s Word, and hear a testimony from Wildwood Elder Courtney Brackin about how God has worked in his life.
- August 24: Community (Hebrews 10:24-25). We will look at the importance of living our Christian lives in community and what a true “Christian community” looks like. We will also be sharing more about opportunities you have to connect in deeper fellowship at Wildwood this fall.
- August 31: Mission (Romans 10:14-17 & 1 Peter 4:10-11). On this Sunday, we will wrap up the series by talking about what it looks like to live on mission with Jesus in this world. We will talk both about serving opportunities inside and outside the church as we share the good news of Christ with those in need.

So, we have an exciting time at Wildwood over the next few weeks. We would love to have you “Kickoff” with us the ministry year August 17-31. See you Sunday!

Risen!

On Easter Sunday 2014, I had the privilege of preaching my very first Sunday morning Easter message at Wildwood Community Church. Below you will find that message in both video and audio format.

Video:

Audio:

To listen to the audio online, use the media player below:

To download the audio to listen to later, click on this file:

Risen

Risen: Preview

Certain events are so important you can mark time by them. For instance:

If you are a television fan, your favorite shows growing up all had game changing moments. When Roger replaced Richie on “Happy Days,” things were never the same. When Colonel Potter replaced Henry Blake on “M*A*S*H,” the show did not die, but it certainly was different. When Michael Scott quit the regional manager position at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton “Office,” two mostly forgettable seasons followed. In your favorite show, there was probably a pivotal moment or cast change that divided the show into distinct sections.
In my lifetime, the terror attacks of 9/11 were truly watershed events. How long it takes to board an airplane, the price of a tank of gas, and the number of U.S. soldiers killed or wounded on foreign soil all went UP that day. The twin towers, our feeling of security, and right to privacy all went DOWN that day. In a sense, our world today can be divided into “pre-9/11” and “post-9/11” eras.
In our personal life there have also been huge events that have defined time for us. Marriage, the birth of our son, starting a new job, and going through a kidney transplant have all been events that forever changed our family. I have friends who mark time by the amount of time since their last drink, or since their divorce, or since the death of a beloved family member.

Because of the impact of certain events varies from person to person, in a sense, we are all living on different calendars. While Kimberly and I measure time pre and post transplant, you probably don’t . . . and even if you did, it would not be measured off of Kimberly’s transplant . . . it would be someone in your family. Further, even though some events impact all of us in some ways, the same event does not impact all of us equally. 9/11 has an even greater weight in the life of a family who lost a loved one on United Airlines Flight #93 than it does on me.

However, there is a single event in history that equally impacts all mankind. Truly our calendars count years up to and away from this significant event. It is the events of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These events are the most critical in history, dividing the world into “B.C.” and “A.D.” epochs. Though the vernacular has changed today to talk of “B.C.E.” and “C.E.,” the events that hinge history remain the same, and remain centered around the person of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament Gospels that detail and recount for us the earthly life of Christ, they all build to a crescendo around the pivotal events of the last week of the life of Christ. Don’t believe me? Check the evidence:

25% of Matthew deals with the last week of the life of Christ.
33% of Mark focus on the period of time between Palm and Resurrection Sundays.
62% of Luke is spent with Jesus “setting His face to go to Jerusalem” where He would die on the cross (see Luke 9:51-ff.)
43% of John zeroes in on Holy week events
Every major sermon in the book of Acts expounds upon the crucifixion/resurrection.
Paul even makes the statement in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 that our “faith is in vain” if Christ is not raised from the dead.
When Jesus appears in the book of Revelation, He appears as the Lamb that was slain . . . a picture back to the events of His last week on the earth.

The crucifixion/resurrection of Christ are THE KEY events in history, and they impact all humanity. At first glance, it may seem that they impact only Christian people. Certainly the Easter events mean so much to me . . . I trusted Christ as Savior on Easter Sunday 1990. However, a deeper gaze at the cross helps us see that the events of holy week impact all in an intense way.

On the cross, the innocent/perfect Son of God died. As He died, God poured out His wrath concerning sin on Jesus, making His death even more horrific spiritually than physically (if that is possible.) Any who place their faith in Jesus Christ will see their sins forgiven and paid for by Jesus atoning work, while any who reject Him must face the same spiritual punishment Jesus endured after their death. In this way, all humanity hinges on the cross . . . not just for this temporal calendar but for eternity. What you do in response to this critical event is the single most important thing about you.

This weekend at Wildwood Community Church, I will be leading two different worship services: A single Good Friday service tonight at 6:30 PM and then our Resurrection Sunday worship services at 9:30 and 10:50 AM (these two services are identical). In these services we will be reflecting on the most important events in the history of the world. I hope you will make plans to join us.

Personally, I am very excited for this weekend as it will be the first time in my life that I have preached on Easter Sunday morning. I cannot wait to open up God’s Word with His people and celebrate together the blessed news of Mark 16:1-8.

Come tonight and reflect on the death of Christ around the communion table, then join us Sunday morning to celebrate the fact that He is Risen! See you this weekend. . .

What Was He Thinking?

On an overcast June morning a group of young men were sailing toward the French coastline. Though France has long been a tourist destination, the men on board this vessel had uniformly serious looks on their faces. The choppy sea turned some stomachs, but the waves of world events were the real source of sickness on this day. The young men in this boat were a part of the nearly 160,000 allied troops who landed on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches on June 4, 1944 — D-Day.

I have always been captivated by the stories of D-Day. Perhaps it is because the lines of good and evil seem so clear in WWII. Or maybe it is because my Grandfather participated in this theater of war. Or possibly it is because the story of D-Day has been beautifully told on paper and on film by Speilberg, Ambrose, Hanks and others. For whatever reason, I am always drawn to this real life drama.

I often wonder what it would have been like to have been born 50 years earlier. If I had been born in the 1920’s I would have probably been on a boat headed for Normandy that morning. Had I been on that boat, what would I have been thinking?:

How gripping was the fear?
How sure was the plan?
How right is the cause?
Would I ever see my loved ones again?

These would have certainly been among my thoughts had I been there. Certainly I would not have been playing games or telling jokes . . . knowing the intensity of that day would have precluded such activities.

I was thinking about this today as I reflect upon Jesus entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jesus was with a group of young men journeying into the capital city. Though Jerusalem was a common destination for the Passover among the Jews, Jesus’ face was focused. The long dusty roads made many travelers weary, but it was the sting of sin, not wind blown sand that caused Jesus’ jaw to lock. In just five days Jesus would bear in His body the entirety of God’s wrath in judgment on sin for all mankind as He would be stripped, beaten, mocked, tortured and killed on a cross.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day, what was He thinking? The Scripture gives us some clues as to what Jesus was thinking about as He walked toward His D-Day, the last week before Crucifixion (a day of His destiny and our deliverance):

He was aware of the consequences for people who reject Him. (Mark 11:12-14, 20-26)
He was concerned with people exploiting God’s children in the name of worship. (Mark 11:15-19)
He was aware of the brutal death that awaited Him on the cross (Mark 12:1-12)
He was frustrated by the fact that religious leaders wanted to play word games instead of dealing with deeper issues of the heart. (Mark 12:13-40)
He saw humble acts of faith missed by others, but rewarded by God. (Mark 12:41-44)
He wanted to prepare His followers for the days between His death and His triumphal second coming. (Mark 13:1-37)

As Jesus sailed toward Golgotha, He knew what awaited Him — His rejection and death . . . but our deliverance and life. The first Easter was not about eggs and candy — it was much more serious than that. It was a Man on a mission of mercy.

Though fear and dread surrounded the cross, He moved forward because He loved us. God’s plan was sure and His cause was righteous. Because He desired to see His loved ones (you and me) in eternity, He landed on the beach head of Calvary . . . and won the battle.

This week, may you take a moment to seriously reflect on reality of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. On June 4, we commemorate the soldiers who won WWII for the Allied forces. On April 20 this year, we rejoice that Jesus Christ won Eternal Life for all who believe.

The Wonder of His Mercy

Last Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message entitled, “The Wonder of His Mercy” from Jude 21. In case you missed the sermon and would like to hear it (or watch it), or share it with a friend, I have posted the audio/video here on my blog.

Watch the sermon video:

Listen to the audio online via the imbedded media player:

To download the audio to listen to later, click on the file below:

The Wonder of His Mercy

Also, we closed the service singing a song originally recorded by Matt Redman called “Mercy.” Here is that song as originally performed by Matt Redman:

Reflections on a Snow Day

For whatever reason, over the past three months God has entrusted Oklahoma City area Pastors with the task of navigating snowy Sundays. I know . . . as I type this, anyone who lives north of Salina is rolling their eyes . . . but for Sooner state Spiritual Leaders, the past few months have been full of white weekends.

Starting the Sunday before Thanksgiving, it was either snowing or snow covered every other Sunday through the month of December. After a brief break in January, this morning brought 3 more inches of snow on Sunday morning between the hours of 9-12. For a church administrator, days like today can be a headache as difficult decisions have to be made:

Do we remain open and risk people getting hurt making their way to the church?
Do we cancel the early service with hopes that the extra hour will help thaw the iceberg?
Do we cancel everything and deal with the insecurities such a decision brings? (Do we not worship due to weather?)

My perspective is only one half of this drama. I know that in homes across Norman this morning, families were watching David Payne on News 9 while deciding if they were going to brave the elements and drive to church. No doubt your options went like this:

Do we drive to church and risk a car accident?
Do we tune in online to LifeChurch.tv or have a version of “home church”?
Do we sleep in and catch the early pre game for the Super Bowl?

We all had these decisions to make today.

Given this matrix (and another forecast this week that looks like the ice planet Hoth), I thought I would share a few thoughts tonight to help us in making a decision on days like today.

Church attendance is important (regardless of the weather). It is important for believers in Jesus Christ to gather together regularly for worship, fellowship, and teaching. We need to be reminded of the Truth, given a regular opportunity to publicly and corporately proclaim God’s enormous Worth, and be around people that help us keep spiritual “inertia,” moving toward Jesus instead of away from Him. We all attend things that are important to us when the weather is bad. Green Bay fans filled Lambeau in dangerously cold weather to watch an 8-7-1 Packers team play a playoff game last month. Why? Because the Packers are important to them. People drove all over town to Super Bowl parties this afternoon. Why? Because the experience was important to them. This morning a number of people got up all over OKC and headed to worship services. Why? Because worshipping Jesus in community is important to followers of Christ.

Church attendance is not of ultimate importance (regardless of the weather.) While church attendance IS important, it is not necessary every time the doors open. We do not earn our salvation by attending church on inclement weather days. God is not “more impressed” with us when we have to use 4 wheel drive to get to the sanctuary. This is a basic, but important point. There are 1,000 reasons why someone cannot make it to church on a bad weather day: only owning rear wheel drive cars (or no car at all), being in a real danger to fall on the ice due to health concerns, living in a neighborhood that is inaccessible when slick, significant fears of icy roads based on past experience, etc. In any of these situations (or even more), God is not upset with you if you stayed home today. We have freedom in Christ! Our salvation is not impacted by the barometric pressure.

Stop playing the comparison game (because no one else is . . . or should be.) Let me share with you my insecurities. If we canceled our services but another church in town doesn’t, I feel terrible. “They must love Jesus more than us (I say in my head.)” “If we cancel services, I wonder what the rest of my staff will think? What about the Elders? The congregation?” These are the thoughts I deal with on mornings like this. Sound familiar? You may have similar thoughts in your head. “If I don’t show up will the Pastor think less of me?” “If I fail to man my post in the children’s ministry will the staff think I am less than spiritual?” These are the thoughts we have in our heads. They are just modified versions of the “Spiritual Curve” grading system our flesh pushes on us 12 months a year. I understand these feelings. We all do. So let’s just give it a rest. I did not take attendance this morning at Wildwood. I didn’t judge you. Stop judging yourself.

With these thoughts, here are a few suggestions for all of us:

Make a decision right now to make regularly worshipping Jesus the default decision of your life. I don’t know why we get so bent out of shape on snow days about our worship service attendance. Even in an active winter year (like this one), you will only have snow impact your decision process 3 or 4 times a year. That leaves 48 other Sundays where your decision matters. If worship is important, then make it your plan and pattern. Even if circumstances keep you home on days like today, decide now what you will do next week . . . and the week after that.

Feel the freedom to make the best decision for you. As a Pastor, one of the most difficult parts of the “should we meet this Sunday in spite of the weather” decision is that a decision to keep calm and carry on seemingly obligates scores of volunteers to attend. This morning demonstrated that at Wildwood. Our attendance was down today by nearly 70%, and many of those who did come were people who had a serving role somewhere in our building today. Seriously, I agonize over this decision because I do not want any of our leaders to slip and fall, have a car accident, etc. trying to make their commitment at the church. Here is how I reconcile our decision to meet, however: I am trusting our people to make the best decision for them. Sometimes the best decision is to come, other times it is to not come. Either way, I want to trust the Spirit of God inside our people to lead them in this decision. Knowing people have the freedom to say “no” helps me in saying “yes, we will have church on a snow day.” If you are one of our volunteers, know that we think your role is valuable every week . . . but we also want to give you the freedom to not feel coerced into getting out when you feel led to stay home.

Be consistent. You have the freedom to attend services or stay home. Just be consistent with your decision making process. Don’t stay home from church because the roads are bad then go to a movie or out to lunch instead. If the roads are what are keeping you from worshipping at a church, then the roads will probably also keep you from other activities.

Worship Anywhere. In John 4, Jesus makes an amazing statement. He says that true worship is done in Spirit and in truth and is NOT location specific. This means that you can worship Jesus even if you are in your living room instead of in a church building. If you stay home due to weather, take the chance to worship at home that day. Pray with family or roommates. Read Scripture together. Listen to a sermon online. Sing songs acapella, around the family piano or through a spotify playlist. You don’t have to be in a “holy place” to worship the One who is Holy.

Unusual days lead to serving opportunities. The snow today allowed me to see God at work through the hands and feet of many in our body:

The speed and joy demonstrated by the professional crew that showed up spreading ice melt and plowing the parking lot before people arrived at 9:30.
An Elder that showed up early to make coffee, then left to pick up two members of the worship team so they could lead us in worship.
An Adult Sunday School Teacher who (after finishing his class) went to the parking lot and cleaned the windshields of dozens of cars.
A team of men who volunteered without coercion to spend time all morning clearing sidewalks to make getting in and out of the building as easy as possible.
A fellow staff member who cleaned the snow off my car despite the cold weather and a tired body after a long morning.
The countless volunteers who showed up to work children’s ministry, greeting, etc. God used you today!

There you go friends. My hope is to put on paper some of the things I deal with on days like today. Hopefully it is helpful for you as well. At one level, it feels shallow to reflect on these things. This morning believers in the majority world were risking far more than a fender bender as they gathered to worship. However, just because a decision is not of ultimate importance, does not mean we don’t have to make a decision about it . . . and today many of us were faced with the same decision. That’s why I decided to write about it tonight . . . that, and the fact that the Super Bowl was terrible. 🙂

Prison of Doubt (Sermon Audio)

On Sunday, January 26 I preached a message at Wildwood Community Church entitled “Prison of Doubt” that was drawn from Matthew 11:2-6.

These verses talk about John the Baptist’s doubts about Jesus identity while he was imprisoned in Herod’s dungeon. Below you will see the sermon audio from the message. You can either listen to it online via the media player, or download for later use.

To listen to the message online listen here:

To download to listen later, click on this link:

Prison of Doubt

Prison of Doubt (Preview)

Prisons are places where the world is confined and controlled by artificial walls. By saying that the walls are artificial, I am not implying that they are not real, I am simply saying that they are not natural . . . that they have been added by someone else to control and confine their inhabitant.

I have been inside three different prisons in my life . . . twice to play basketball in “scared straight” or evangelistic events, and several other times for pastoral visits to inmates I know. Walking into a prison always gives me pause. Though I have often found lots of evidence of hope and God’s work inside the hearts of the men on the inside, I have found the physical environments of the prisons to be quite tragic. In each case, a beautiful section of farmland or open countryside is hemmed in by razor wire and chain link. Like seeing a lion inside a cage on the plains of the Serengeti, seeing men locked up in these surroundings always screams “something has gone terribly wrong.”

In most cases, the inmates housed in these prisons have made serious mistakes and are paying the penalty for their wrong doings over a series of months or years. Their mistakes in life in partnership with the legal system have placed them inside these artificial walls.

In Matthew 11:1-6, John the Baptist finds himself inside a prison. Actually, if you look closely, he finds himself inside two prisons. The first prison he found himself in was Herod’s dungeon. Apparently being critical of the royal family’s immorality was worthy of hard time in first century Israel. Herod’s dungeon is the most famous prison to artificially hold Jesus’s most famous cousin behind artificial walls. However, Matthew 11 describes a second prison that sought to contain and control Mr. “The Baptist”: the prison of doubt.

Unmet expectations and personal hardship combined to create artificial (and invisible) walls around John’s mind that caused him to doubt what he already knew, question what he already experienced, and worry about what he had already concluded. These concerns artificially began to hem John in and confine and control his emotions. Satan used these experiences to incarcerate John’s mind while Herod held his body captive.

While most of us will not spend any time in Herod’s prison, John’s prison of doubt has many of us inside its walls right now. If your personal experiences are causing you to doubt and worry right now, then this weekend I hope you take “parole” and come to Wildwood Community Church where we will be looking at the key to unlock the razory sharp gates of doubt holding us artificially inside. Read Matthew 11:1-6 before you come and I hope to see you in either our 9:30 or 10:50 worship service.