CaseyJones1979

I trust you are all doing well in the Lord this evening. I cannot believe I have already been at Northside Baptist Church in Talladega for a month. Last week I was talking to a friend about one of my goals at this church. One of my immediate goals is to get to know the folks here and see where they are spiritually. As I told him this goal he told me to go and memorize Proverbs 15:1-2, here is what it says, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge but the mouth of fools pour out folly." I hate to admit this, but this evening is the first time I looked at the verse after my friend's suggestion. But as I looked at and just read the verse I was convicted. I was convicted again that as a believer the words of our mouth have the power to heal or the power to kill. They have the power to build up or to destroy. They have the power to bring about life or to bring about death." The question is what do we do with our words. Our we turning away wrath or stirring up anger? I don't know about you, but this breaks my heart. It does to think that sometimes without thinking I may be breaking somebody down. Especially as a pastor leading the flock of God. I am greatful that by God's grace I am not supposed to be perfect. But I do have an example. The example is Jesus and the way he treated the flock of God.

As I am reading this verse I am also reminded of an upcoming conference I will attend later this year. In September I will fly to Minneapolis, MN. The conference is entitled "The power of words and the wonder of God." It is the Desiring God Ministries National Conference. It will have people like John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Mark Driscoll, Paul Tripp, and Bob Kauflin. Would you pray for me as I prepare for this conference and learn how I can more effectively build up God's people and most importantly exalt the name of Jesus Christ with my mouth.

I hope you are doing well in the Lord this evening. As most of you know who know me at all know what I do and what I am about. As a Southern Baptist Pastor I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2003-2006. During that time I made some good friends, I also saw some who for whatever reason or another stop being my friend. However painful that was I am greatful to the Lord for the ones I made. I made some friends like Ben Cole, Madison Grace, Kyle Zuber, BJ Brooks, Sam Stevens, Brett Rogers and tons and tons more. It would be impossible to list everyone of the students God has blessed me with the privilege of meeting.
I have also made friends with some of the professors there. I appreciate so much guys like Drs. Michael Wilson, Calvin Pearson, and Steven Smith. God has used these men in different ways.

There have been times when I have made comments like, "If I had my seminary to do over I would have went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY." After this evening and just being able to have real meaningful relationships with these professors who are pilgrims on the same journey I see otherwise. Just about an hour ago a professor I never had in class called me. I got to know Dr. David Allen, Dean of the School of Theology just through conversations in passing and going out to lunch, emailing from time to time and the occasional phone conversation. But this evening he called. We talked on the phone for about an hour. I began with telling him how I at random drove by the tattoo parlor in town to see if I could meet somebody. Of course he got a kick out of that. It was just a humbling experience that God would lead him to call and check in to see how I was doing at a new church.

Several years ago I had a pastor friend ask me if I had any life long friends. I have some now who have been my friends for more than ten years now. The Lord truly uses friends for times of encouragement. I just want to say thank you to Dr. Allen for calling and checking in on me. If you need to go to seminary I would highly recommend Southwestern for your education!

Last night I picked back up a book I started reading awhile back. Have you ever done that start a book only to put it down to move to something else and then discover what a foolish mistake you had made? I do that far too often. I am getting ready to preach in a couple of hours and again started reading a little this morning.

Anyways, this book I picked back up is called The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment. It is by a puritan preacher named Jeremiah Burroughs. I remember when I was in Seminary being challenged by one of my professors to just "be content." Contentment is a hard challenge, Burroughs however gives some good reasons why we can be content. I am just in chapter 3 right now page 67. Here is what I read in regard to "The Mystery of Contentment," "A gracious heart can indeed tell how to enjoy God as all in all to him. That is the happiness of heaven to have God to be all in all. The saints in heave do not have houses, and lands, and money, and meat and drink, and clothes; you will say, they do not need them--why not? It is because God is all in all to them immediately. Now while you live in this world, you may come to enjoy much of God, you may have much of heaven, while we live in this life we may come to enjoy much of the every life that is in heaven, what is that but the enjoyment of God to be all in all to us?"

What a challenge this is for us as believers. The real problem with much of Christianity is this, we have a tendancy to love our stuff more than God. We love our friendships, possessions, dreams, visions, etc... more than God! A contented heart should have a heart to love God above everything he or she has. I am challenged by this as I lead a group of people. The cheif end of everything I do as a pastor is not to get the folks to follow me per say, but to more importantly follow Jesus and to fall madly in love with him. The way we begin to do this is through having a contentment in God alone!