Scott Freeman

I’m 75% of the man I used to be.

I start 2005 weighing 60+ pounds less than I began
2004. A somewhat rigid combination of
diet and exercise were the keys to my extreme makeover.

That is quite an accomplishment for the guy in the past
whose idea of a healthy meal were extra onions on a hamburger and whose
exercise regimen consisted of running to the refrigerator between commercial
breaks. (I wanted a house where the
living room television was viewable from the kitchen. That would have eliminated the rash decisions of choosing what to
eat before the game resumes. But, alas,
it was not to be.)

One problem that arose due to my weight loss was the fact
that none of my clothes fit me anymore. (That may be a good thing when you consider I was still harboring shirts
from the late 80′s.)

Well, this past week I decided to do something about
it: I cleaned out my closet and
dresser.

When I was done, there was a tremendous pile of clothes that
no longer fit. Left behind were a
handful of clothes that I could wear without feeling I was wearing a potato
sack.

I decided to donate my wardrobe to the Clothes Garden.

“But wait,” I thought, “what if I gain all that weight
back? Then I will have nothing to
wear. Maybe I should keep a few pieces
just in case.”

Then I began looking closer at the donated pieces and
realized that some of those articles of clothing were incredibly
comfortable. “Maybe I’ll keep a few of
the T-shirts for around the house.”

Then I thought about the cost. It’s going to be expensive to replace all those clothes. Especially my “going to meeting”
clothes. Maybe I should keep the dress
pants.

Before long, I wasn’t getting rid of much at all. A few worn-out pieces that I had needed to
get rid of anyway.

Isn’t that the way many of us live our spiritual lives. Instead of fully embracing the new person
that Christ has called us to be, we hedge our bets. We give only our castoffs: sins long overcome, token church attendance,
half-hearted devotion.

We fail to give all of the old so God can recreate us.

We hold on to the past and refuse eternity.

We look back instead of moving forward.

And to justify our unwillingness to be transformed we use
the same old excuses:

1) Uncertainty-what
if I gain the weight back?

It will do me no good to live in
fear of the old life. I need to
celebrate the new life, the new outlook and approach that God has given
me.

2) Comfort-but
what if my new clothes don’t fit as well?

Let’s face it, just like old
clothes, the sinful life can be pretty enjoyable. We enjoy the allure, the seduction, of vice and sinful
habit. It is what we know and to leave
that behind for something new can be overwhelming.

3) Cost-But
how can I afford a new wardrobe?

I need to go buy some new shirts
this week. It is going to cost some
money. But a new life costs. So does the Christian life. There is no crown without a cross. There is no new life without a death before
it.

When I came to my senses I loaded up the van and got rid of
those old clothes. Now I have an almost
empty closet but I am filled with the hope of a better life. Free of the weight that has held me back for
so long.

When we give God all of our old clothes then He is able to
clothe us in something far better: the very essence and person of Jesus.

Let’s be sacrificial this new year. Clean out the closet. Allow Him to remake you and transform you.

Quote of the Week:

The cross is
laid on every Christian. It begins with the call to abandon the attachments of
this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his
encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to
Christ in union with His death — we give over our lives to death. Since this
happens at the beginning of the Christian life, the cross can never be merely a
tragic ending to an otherwise happy religious life. When Christ calls a man, He
bids him come and die . . .In fact, every command of Jesus is a call to die,
with all our affections and lusts. But we do not want to die, and therefore
Jesus Christ and His call are necessarily our death and our life.

Dietrich
Bonhoffer

How Do You Talk to Girls?

I’ll never forget the moment that she asked the question,
“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

She, in this story, was Lucy**. Lucy was one of my classmates. I had known her all of my life.

We, of course, had never been friends.

You see, while I was still at a relative young age, I
entered into an unspoken agreement with the girls at both my school and church.

That agreement was simple: I wouldn’t talk to them and they would not talk to me. As the years passed all parties remained
rigidly committed to the particulars of this contract.

Granted, there were times when it was violated for various
reasons. However, such offenses as
saying, “Excuse me,” or “Would you please pass the glue?” were often seen as
less egregious than being rude.

Needless to say, as the years passed, I grew less and less
satisfied with the terms of our agreement. I wanted to talk to girls. And I
wanted them to talk to me.

However, I was without the powers of negotiation to propose
a new accord that would be beneficial for all parties.

I wanted to talk to girls: but I was too socially awkward to know how.

I wanted girls to talk to me: but their unswerving commitment to the original treaty had not
seemed to diminish or waver over the years. They still weren’t that interested
in talking to me.

Then Lucy stepped through the red tape, alighted from the
mountain, and spoke to me.

Not only did she speak. She was asking me out! I was
incredulous, intimidated and excited in one moment. I had broken through to the other side. Girls now found me appealing and were clamoring to spend time
with me.

Should I hold out for other inquiries for my time?

Should I play hard to get and tell her I was busy?

Should I pretend like I couldn’t speak English to avoid the
likelihood of embarrassing myself?

No, none of these were worthwhile options. My answer? Honesty. I wasn’t doing a thing on the night in
question.

I was totally free.

Unbooked.

I can pencil you in. Name the time.

“I’m having a surprise birthday party for my boyfriend,
Bobby. I know the two of you are
friends. Would you like to come?”

Oh.

It was one of those acceptable violations again. Politeness trumps the no-speaking rule.

Needless to say, I went. Bobby was after all, my friend. I had a great time.

Lucy gave me a ride. (I couldn’t drive yet.) We
started to talk. I can’t remember
saying anything embarrassing.

I was still a few months away from becoming semi-coherent
around girls. But this event started
the ball rolling.

In the meantime, I was happy to have been invited.

Just to have been included. Just to have my presence matter was important.

Maybe you know somebody who needs to be invited.

Who needs a place to belong.

Who is looking for connection and relationships.

Who needs to know the Lord.

Maybe they just need to be invited.

February 6^th is Bring a Friend Sunday. That is just 3 weeks from today.

Won’t you break the silence and invite someone?

It may make all the difference.

We pass out nomination forms for new elders today. It is an overwhelming responsibility to
serve as shepherds in the Lord’s church. It is also an important duty to nominate qualified and able men to serve
in that capacity.

This week, as I have ruminated over the intricacies of this
process, my thoughts have turned to many godly men who have blessed my life and
truly been shepherds to me through the years.

Forgive my personal reflection but maybe the legacy of these
individuals in my life may help spur your thoughts to holy men who would
faithfully fulfill the role of elder in this place.

I owe a great deal to:

–My father, for first showing me what an elder truly
is. For raising me in a godly home and
instilling in me a faith that has impelled me to my own life of service.

–Bill Weeks, for teaching me that elders can be men of
great humor.

–Buck Pierce, for showing me the gentleness that is the
hallmark of a shepherd

–LT Blevins, for paying me out of his own pocket when I
first began as a youth minister intern in 1990.

–Bill Arnold, for always being a constant encouragement as
I found my way in ministry.

–Jack McGee, for showing me a shepherd who was continually
involved in the lives of the members.

–Larry Hutchings for always opening his home to me and
giving me a place at the dinner table.

–Burley Bearden for loving people and his display of
genuine sadness when I moved on to a different work

–Carlin Brooks, Mike Flanagan, Kai Grissom, and Trice
Sampson for being patient with me and never giving up. They had ample reason to cut their losses
with an immature, brash, know-it-all youth minister but they never did. I would not be in ministry if it were not
for each of their steadfast faith that I had something to offer.

–Morris Reed for getting me involved in singles ministry
when I thought that I had nothing more to give.

–David Lee for his intellectual curiosity and encouraging
me to be more of a student of the Word.

–Aaron Ellis and Larry Smith for their willingness to be
used as shepherds and desire to grow as men of God. Both of these men displayed genuine humility as they answered the
call to serve for the first time and in the process became lifelong friends.

–John Ray Smith for his wisdom and experience during the
trying first days of a new eldership. His constancy validated the work that we were doing.

–Billy Evans and James Pearson for their desire to grow and
do great things for the Kingdom in Waco and for asking me to be a part of the
process.

Each of these men has collaborated to encourage, teach,
guide and shepherd me.

There were times when I doubted my role but they showed
faith.

There were times when I was discouraged and they lifted my
spirits.

There were times when I was weak and they offered me the
strength of Christ.

There were times when I was arrogant and proud and they
humbled me.

There were times when I was wrong and they rebuked me.

There were times of uncertainty and they stayed the course.

For those examples of holy and righteous living, I am
eternally grateful.

A church is truly blessed when it has qualified and godly
men willing and able to serve in that capacity.

As we fill out our forms over the next two weeks may we do
so with prayerful reflection on the qualities and attributes that God intends
for the shepherd to possess.

Quote of the week:

The prayers of holy men appease God’s wrath, drive
away temptations, resist and overcome the devil, procure the ministry and
service of angels, rescind the decrees of God. Prayer cures sickness and
obtains pardon; it arrests the sun in its course and stays the wheels of the
chariot of the moon; it rules over all gods and opens and shuts the storehouses
of rain; it unlocks the cabinet of the womb and quenches the violence of fire;
it stops the mouths of lions and reconciles our suffering and weak faculties
with the violence of torment and violence of persecution; it pleases God and
supplies all our need.