A Great Place to Start

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name give glory…” Psalm 115:1a

I cannot think of a better place to start this week, really any week for that matter, than in the same humble position of the psalmist. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory.” This is more than a desire of the writer’s heart; this is an acknowledgement of a fundamental truth. All that is to be sought after this hour, everything we shall achieve today, and whatever we might accomplish by week’s end, it is all ultimately for the name and renown of Jesus.

This shouldn’t strike us as odd. On the contrary, we speak of doing things for God’s glory all the time. We sing songs about it, quote verses concerning it, put similar terminology on coffee mugs and bumper stickers. We are all about making His Name famous…at least we convey that message in all our verbiage. Yet do we really live in accordance with our claims? Notice how the writer repeats Himself. “Not to us…not to us…” As a basic hermeneutical principle, this is Scripture’s way of drawing us in to make sure we hear what’s being proclaimed. It is as if God is saying, “Hey you, pay attention here! It’s not about you and your name, but Me, My mission, and My glory.”

But that sounds kind of selfish, doesn’t it? Well, if we were referring to anyone less than the Great “I AM,” then yes, that would most definitely be the case. However, that is part of what makes God, well, God. An essential element of God’s God-ness includes Him seeking His own glory. Being about His glory simply comes with the territory of being the Creator of the heavens and earth. To whom else should He give His glory? And would God not cease to be God at the very moment that His glory was placed upon another? I think of the Lord’s words in Isaiah 48:11. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it, for how should My Name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” Why? Because He is God! He alone is perfect. He alone is righteous and holy! He exalts Himself because He is the only one worthy of such honor and adoration. And as another example of Scripture’s repetition for our unhindered understanding and interpretation, observe that our sacred text makes it clear: “For my own sake, for my own sake…” says the Lord.

Going back to the opening line of Psalm 115, the writer twice states that it is not for us, but for God’s glory. This point is reiterated because it is of utter importance. And if we take an honest evaluation of our lives, we quickly realize that it is something we are often prone to forget. Even worse, we tend to replace His praise by personally claiming credit were it’s undue. We are intellectually aware of the innumerable passages that paint this picture. We know that all is to be done for His glory. Yet although we have heard this and believe it at a head-level, it is often neglected at our all-important heart-level. We finagle and find ways to steal from the Father exaltation suited for our Savior alone.

Success at work and home soon become trophies of our own individual accomplishment. “Our children are making good grades; they’re well behaved; they even respond to our spiritual leading. Ends are meeting; promotions are coming; people like us and we enjoy our jobs.” And just like that, the overwhelming temptation is to think that we have brought these things about on our own. Sure, most of us don’t start here, but in very subtle ways we gravitate toward hoarding glory for ourselves. Shall I give examples of how this plays out in the spiritual realm of our lives? Have we ever given credit to a preacher or a program or some special method of ministry when the enlightening, soul-saving work of the Spirit is the only One for which all transformation is to be attributed? Plainly and simply, when we reach after recognition for righteousness – whether it be for our own or for that which belongs to another, we grasp for something that is not ours.

But what about our faithfulness and obedience, can’t we take a piece of that? We could but we would do so in error. For who showed you the way you should? Who’s enabled and empowered you to walk in the light? By whose strength do you currently stand? It is evident in the church and secular worlds alike. Our default mode of operation, glory snatching, is silent, sneaky, serious sin. By identifying this threat, the Spirit speaks through the psalmist: God, it is for the glory of Your Name – the Name above every name, the Name for which every knee will one day bow before, the Name that will one day be praised by people of every tribe, tongue, and nation, the One who can only be described as holy, holy, holy, the King worthy of all glory and honor and praise, the Lion of Judah, the precious Lamb that was slain. It is for You, not us!

As Paul notes in Romans 15:4, this psalm was essentially given for our instruction and encouragement. It instructs us that our lives are to be lived for the praise of His Great Name. It encourages us by demonstrating that our struggle to be rightly motivated by this truth is not some new modern day distraction but something we as humans have forever wrestled with. Additionally, we can take heart knowing that the remedy remains the same… Before we take another step this morning, before we make another move, we cry out and acknowledge in the innermost part of our being, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name give glory!”

Matt Fowler
Associate Pastor of Missions & Students
matt@nbchurch.info
@fattmowler

Kids in Danger!

Last night, at men’s Bible study, we had a discussion that is important for responsible parents to hear. The men were discussing an upcoming study of the book of James, in the New Testament. One of the topics covered by James in his letter is controlling your tongue. As we had a conversation about this topic, we agreed how social media has intensified the importance of learning how to control your tongue.
During the conversation one of our men, a middle school teacher, made a very good point. He said,

“You wouldn’t give a loaded gun to a middle school boy. You wouldn’t give car keys to a middle school boy and ask him to drive. Middle school boys are too immature to negotiate the responsibilities of guns or cars. Guns and cars in the wrong hands are potentially dangerous under the control of people who have not yet learned to control themselves.

Then he asked a very important question:

“Why would we permit a child or preteen, who has not yet learned to control themselves, access to the internet, where they can hear or say anything to anyone, anywhere in the world?” It is dangerous. We may be exposing our developing children in ways that threaten their development: socially, morally, and spiritually.

The men in the bible study were all in agreement that parents have a critical responsibility to guide their children through the complexity of the digital age. Digital technology, the internet, and social media are value neutral. The values of the users either redeem or poison the value. Please don’t assume they know how to negotiate this potentially dangerous and threatening chance without your guidance.
I prepared a Parents Guide in 2009 for this very reason. There are many helpful tools for parents. But the best protection your children have for any threat is a calm conversation with caring parents. If your kids are confident that you love them and have their best interest at heart, they will look to you for guidance, especially when potentially dangerous and threatening experiences are concerned.
Parents Guide Prepared in 2009
Thank you for keeping your kids safe!

Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor
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Be not a dammed pool!

“But grace was given to each one of us…” Ephesians 4:6

Today, let us examine an illustration from the Lord’s created work. The first photo will warn us of what we can easily become, while the other two will clearly depict what we’ve been called to be. The former is representative of our greatest fear; the latter couple exemplify what we long for. Which currently describes you?

We’ve all seen similar bodies of water. Perhaps we've observed the like in a large spill of a dried-out creek bed, maybe we've surveyed such in a swampy marshland, or noticed the scum of a pond in the midst of a hot summer's pasture, but to be sure, we’ve all witnessed the unwelcoming sights and smells of old water with nowhere to go. Often algae covered and parasite-ridden, these large puddles have become stagnant. At one point, maybe through a creek, series of streams, or heavy rains, fresh water poured into the low-lying area. However, with the absence of fresh water, that which remains has no outlet for release. In fact, what’s left is so detestable it’s as if evaporation has denied this moisture any hope of reentering the water cycle. Some folks are beach people; others enjoy visiting a local reservoir; yet no one goes for a soak at a mosquito-infested lagoon.

Then there is the alpine lake. It is altogether different in its appearance and function. Water here is cool and clear, clean and attractive. It is a life giving body of water, as snow and glacial melt not only flow into it, but through it and out of it as well. Animals and hikers alike are drawn to such picturesque places, where on a clear day, the inexhaustible source of the lake is clearly reflected. Again, some folks are beach people; others hit the water with their boat and skis; then there are those who might identify themselves as mountain people (my family); but truly, folks that have experienced (in person) the majesty of alpine lakes such as the one pictured below, typically (if not always) become mountain / alpine lake people.

In Genesis 12 God promised Abraham that he would become a great and mighty people. The Lord told the first patriarch that he would be blessed in order to be a blessing – that all nations would be blessed through his line (Genesis 12:1-3). Paul reiterates a picture consistent with this idea in 2^nd Corinthians 5. Since the old has passed away and newness in Christ has come, believers are called to live in a new way. Those who have received reconciliation with the Father through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice are to now become themselves reconcilers (2 Corinthians 5:17-20). We too have been blessed to be a blessing. Those who have received grace are to share and dispense grace to the world around them. We have been redeemed to resemble the alpine picture above – grace pouring in, simultaneously gushing out.

Unfortunately, we often forget the damnation we’ve been saved from, digressing into the spiritual equivalent of dammed-up ponds. Perhaps we are hearing truth preached, maybe even studying the Scriptures for ourselves. But if the Word is not applied, lived-out, and shared through our daily lives and conversations, it is retained in vain. While this may be difficult to believe, faith grows stagnant without new mercies coming in; profession alone becomes repulsive without brooks of gracious, loving-kindness rushing from the hands and feet of those who have been reconciled to the Father.

When we isolate from community and living in light of our reconciled state, we work like a colony of beavers to the demise of our own souls. For without being tapped into the Living Water, without means to release the message of reconciliation, we become ineffective and unfruitful (2 Peter 1:8). Ah, but if we are living at the foot of the cross, if we are positioning our lives to be soaked beneath the fountain of His faithfulness, basking in the riches of His righteousness, if we are seeking to extend life-giving hope and fellowship through the abundant overflow of His love, we have something entirely different to offer. Such an approach draws people in, not to marvel in the individual at all, but rather, to revere the One being reflected. So then, as it pertains to grace, are we complacent, closed-off cesspools or refreshing reservoirs reflecting the heart of our Redeemer?

Matt Fowler
Associate Pastor of Missions & Students
matt@nbchurch.info
@fattmowler

Precious Treasures!

Back Row: Phil, Josh, & Carol Sallee
FronRow: Jill & Corinne Lewolt, Julie & C. C. Partin

I am having mixed emotions today. I am basking in the delight of the time I had with my family last week. Last week was Carol’s birthday so our daughters flew in from California with my two granddaughters. Josh came in town from Oklahoma City for a few days too. It was the first time in a long time that all my adult children were together in my house.
This afternoon I will be preaching at the funeral of a young man who passed unexpectedly at the age of 26. I will be speaking to a crowd of people who are experiencing so many questions, so much grief, and too few answers. Funerals for young people are large and difficult.
I will give them the only gift that I have to offer anyone at any age.

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

The Good News of Jesus offers bring comfort in grief and hope in death. That is the message I pray to convey this afternoon.
But I also want to convey another very important message. This message is less about eternal life and more about life today. It is about life with your family. Treasure each moment you have with the people you love. Each moment is precious. Treat each moment as priceless and valuable.

Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor
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When bread's not bread...

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” Isaiah 55:2a

This is a good question for us all. Granted, it’s an uncomfortable inquiry, but only if we pause long enough to consider the Lord’s compassionate concern. Why would we proceed down a path so unpleasing? Why would we toil toward a target completely incapable of gratifying our inmost longings? Better question: Why do we?

My guess is that as we read this verse, the text becomes more tangible. It is illustrated in our mind’s eye as the very things that staunchly soak in life's dissatisfaction. But what if we did more than visualize these misguided moorings? What if we responded to our regretful misgivings of finances, time, energy, and effort, by observing the rest of this passionate plea? The Lord continues through His prophet…

“Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear that your soul may live.” Isaiah 55:2b-3a

There is something more available. There is something greater being offered. Delight, satisfaction, and fulfillment are on the table before us, ready to be found. Though life weighs heavily upon the soul with daily demands that drain us of all vitality, there is a way of hope. But we must act now; we must gravitate toward the grace that is being extended and acknowledge the shallowness of our strivings.

An obedient response will most assuredly translate into change. Perhaps it means adding intentional time into our week. It could also involve cutting back on things. While different for each of us, it is quite certain that maintenance of the status quo has no place. If we are drowning, we must cry out for help and purposefully ponder when and where we are to get back into the pool. If our maddening pace of life has made loving and discipling our families an unfortunate impossibility, then for the sake of our souls and the well-being of our households, let us pull back for a season. Regroup, revaluate, refocus - we must do whatever is necessary, but we must do so promptly. If we’ve been striving and struggling, only to strikeout and stray the course, let us hear our Lord’s call to come.

The past several months have humbled us in ways I’d never hoped to experience. Not the fun kind of humbling – you know, the kind where you’re extravagantly spoiled with surprising showers of blessings. Though we’ve received more of those than we could ever deserve, I’m referring to a different kind of humbling confrontation with reality. My wife and I recognized that we were out of rhythm with each other, out of sync with our children, ineffective in our ministerial efforts, and ultimately buried beneath a slammed schedule of events. The absence of time and margin left no room for forgetfulness, flexibility, or unplanned overlap. It was our fault, and prayerfully, we will learn from this past season and be better for it in the future. But would it not be ridiculous for us to carry on calendaring as if all was well after our desperate, joyless state of affairs had been revealed?

“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”

If our jobs are robbing us of joy…If the demands of little league sports are sucking our savings account dry…If our patterns of life allow no time for us to fulfill the demands of a disciple…If we have bitten off far more than we can chew…Will we continue cramming more down our throats until we choke? Will we be so ignorant as to stay the course, thinking that things will change or that we’ll toughen up and adjust? But we say, “The mortgage is dependent upon our paycheck”; “our children need these experiences”; “we’re just always so busy!” Seems we have an excuse ready for just about everything… Meanwhile, the Father beckons us to come, to incline our ear to hear the tenderness of His gracious offer, to draw near and discover real life.

In the New Testament, Jesus frames the question like this: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Where vanity and meaninglessness have been revealed, may we concede, repent, and be obedient to change. The bread of life has been broken for us. Might we feast on the only One who can satisfy. There is never-ending, unspeakable joy to be found and much glory to be given in return. So then, why would we refuse to yield? Why would we endure another single moment of bondage, when through Christ, we’ve been set free? Why would we settle for anything less than the delightful provision given us from the Savior of our souls? Why would we chase after bread that's not really bread?

It stinks to see when we’re stuck; spinning our wheels but going nowhere is incredibly disheartening. It’s troubling for life’s trivialities to become so blatantly apparent. Yet even such glances at our own shortcomings are glimpses of His goodness. It’s His mercy that shows us where we are and His grace that provides us with a chance to change. With this in mind, may we seek the Lord while He can still to be found, calling upon Him while He is yet near (v.6).

Matt Fowler
Associate Pastor of Missions & Students
matt@nbchurch.info
@fattmowler

Do You Love Your Work?

“If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you—like a fever.” -Sam Walton

Sam Walton was the founder of Walmart. He started his first variety store at age 26 back in 1962. Today Walmart has over 11,000 retail outlets around the world. I guess you could consider him to have been a successful businessman?

Let's break down Sam Walton's quote:

"IF you love your work

you'll be out there everyday

trying to do it the best you possibly can

and pretty soon, everybody around

will catch the passion from you

like a fever."


Now let's talk about your Christian faith. If you call yourself a Christ-follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ, and he is your LORD, and you "serve" Him, then what is it that you are supposed to be "doing" in your "work" as a "servant" and a "follower"?

Jesus says in John 13:34-35 "I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Now, let's match up the Sam Walton quote, arguably one of the most successful businessmen of our time, but just like you and me in one regard, sinners in need of a Savior AND quotes from the Word of God, from Jesus Christ, who is God, the only man and God in flesh, who ever walked on this earth, sinless, who is our Lord and on mission to be the Savior of the world....ie successful, ie perfect.

"If you love your work............"Love One Another....."....John 13:34-35

you'll be out there everyday........"Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, 
                                         he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23

trying to do it the best you possibly can........"....And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20


and pretty soon, everybody around........."No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come may see it's light." Luke 8:16

will catch the passion from you......."whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men,"  Colossians 3:23

like a fever."............................., "for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29


Do you "love" your work.....for Jesus Christ?