3 years & counting...

Today marks the beginning of my fourth year of writing #MattMondays here at NBC. And as I have done in each of the previous couple years, I will devote one blog to looking back at the previous 52. I will share some things that I’ve observed and learned along the way, as well as a few stats and fun facts.

If you’ve been one of our faithful readers, you may have noticed a slight change in my style this past year. Having greatly benefitted from reading Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening, I noticed that I began two-dozen of my blogs in a similar M & E style. I started out each of these posts with a verse, quote, or portion of a passage, before elaborating on the opening phrase in greater detail. I enjoyed writing in this way; you can expect more of it in the future.

I had at least seven blogs based out of the Gospel of John. We walked our high school students through key passages of this NT book last fall. Hopefully, they’ll be ready to follow along with Phil’s new sermon series (LIGHT: The Gospel of John) that he just started yesterday. Five weeks worth of posts were devoted to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and Isaiah 55 inspired another three.

Below is a list of my most read blogs from this past year with a quick sentence description for each.

1.  A Good Mom & Our Great Father (5.11)

This post gives a glimpse into our world by sharing part of our family story.

2. God’s Plan for Chan the Man (7.20)

Since it worked out that Chandler’s birthday fell on a Monday this past year, I wrote about him and how we’ve witnessed God’s grace through our son.

3. The Power of Grace (8.3)

I wrote this blog with my friend and boss in mind – our Executive Pastor, Terry Langenberg.

4. When bread’s not bread… (8.17)

This blog was inspired by a line in Isaiah 55.

5. Hurry up and slow down (3.2)

 #busyness I’m too familiar with this topic.

6. In Good Hands (6.22)

This was written about my fellow lifting partner, Mike Krebs.

7. Natural Revelation & Its Implications for Global Missions (10.19)

I think the title kind of gives this one away.

8. How to spend a snow day (2.16)

I share a friend’s story about how he and his girls spent one of their days out of school.

9. The rest of the verse is just as sweet (3.16)

Sure, you know Psalm 46:10(a), but do you know v.10(b)?

10. What our shadows say (2.2)

Careful, this blog was inspired by one of my favorite holidays, Groundhog Day. (Once you click on the above link, you may have to read it over and over again.)

Here are a couple more lists…

Top 5 Most Read #MattMondays (Through first 3 Years)

1. Worth a look (January 6, 2014)                                                

2. That We Might Help them Hear (January 28, 2013 – my very first blog)              

3. A Good Mom & Our Great Father (May 11, 2015 – this year’s most read)

4. Sing a New Song (April 29, 2013)                                          

5. Identity Theft? Not on our watch! (February 11, 2013)

Other blogs I greatly enjoyed writing last year…

The Shadow She Casts (11.23)

Be Not a Dammed Pool (8.24)

Rest is best (7.27)

Right Where I Need to Be (Part II) (5.25)

Plant, Water, Wait (4.20)

While the Lord is growing me in my ability to write, I have to admit that I published some clunkers last year (sorry, not gonna be sharing those links). I’ve put out some thoughts that just felt a tad underdeveloped. There were many Mondays that I was truly excited about what I was going to write, but then again, there were several times that I simply wrote out of a sense of obligation. If it appeared phoned in, I’m sorry, I was most likely slammed for time. Funny thing is that dilemma is representative of much of my life of faith. And really, my biggest takeaway from the last year is this: When I have time in the Word and margin in my schedule to reflect and process, life is so much more enjoyable.

Though I’ve talked and typed a great deal about rhythm and pace and balance, I’ve been a poor example of what this should look like in the life of a believer. For the sake of my own soul, my wife, our kids, and the ministry opportunities God’s given me, I pray that He will grow me in this area.

I truly appreciate all your support and faithful readership. It is my hope that I might play a part in encouraging and challenging you with the gospel. It is this hope that keeps me at it each week. Might 2016’s writing efforts be more helpful than previous posts of the past. For our joy and His glory, may we make much of Him…

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

The Love that Transforms

“While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son…” Romans 5:10

It is one thing for us to admit that we have our share of weaknesses. Most of us can at least confess that we daily struggle in a variety of ways. Yet for us to truly own the weight of our sin and the depth our depravity, well, that’s a step more difficult to take. Scripture describes us as weak and ungodly, sinners far from God that have fallen short of His perfect mark (Romans 5:6-8, Romans 3:23). But it goes on to reveal that we are even worse than that.

Left alone, not one of us would seek for God; not one of us would pursue Him or His righteousness (Romans 3:9-12). In fact, we were hostile towards the cross. Not only did we fail to see our desperate need for a Savior, we wanted nothing to do with Him. And this is what makes the gospel so scandalous – that, “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” What kind of love is this?! How rich is this mercy! How great a grace! Not as we were displaying signs of improvement, not at the moment that we started trying harder, or because we showed hints of our untapped potential, but in the midst of utter rebellion, that is precisely when and why Christ died for us.

So on this day that we remember and celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy, let us examine that which fueled his perseverance. When faced with threats and opposition at each and every turn, what drove him to stay the course? Where did King gain such a capacity to endure? I contend that his strength and inspiration came from the cross of Christ. Reflect on his own words and consider his motivation.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

Martin Luther King could only say this in light of the grace he had received. He knew it to be true. The God who had liberated the Israelites from Pharaoh had broken the chains of his own heart. He had personally been forgiven of much, freeing him up to forgive others. He had been shown love he did not deserve, which enabled him to be merciful to his most contentious opponents. The only hope for peace and justice in the South would come in the same way – through a gracious, determined, undying, love. How did King resist returning violence against those who so vehemently opposed him? And how can we ever learn to pray for our enemies? Only through love, the kind rooted in the One who is Love (1 John 4:8).

Have you thought about where you’d be without Christ? Who are we that God is even mindful of us? Has there ever been a greater proof of love, than God chasing after the affections of His enemies? May we dwell on this gift so divine and might we allow God’s radical love to compel us today. We have taken steps forward since Dr. King, but we still have such a long way to go. The only remedy to evil in MLK’s day remains our only hope in this hour. Might we work together to fulfill the dream – bringing glory to God through our love and service to one another as those made in His very image. Christ has come to set the captives free, and one day, He will come back again to redeem all things. Might we persevere in the promise of His hope and meditate on the love that transforms enemies to friends.

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

Thursday Morning's High & Lows

I wanted to share with you what happened yesterday morning, Thursday – January 14, 2014. Both of these events occurred before 7:00 in the morning. One was a significantly tremendous thing, the other represented and very difficult thing.

First the difficult thing: I drove my wife Carol to the airport to fly to California. It is difficult for a variety of reasons. Here are only a few:

• Carol and I made a vow to be together (in sickness & in health, in poverty & in wealth, to love & to cherish) 35 years ago and we cherish time with one another.
• I am a better person with Carol near me.
• She likes having me around too.
• We both enjoy laughing, flirting, eating, exercising, and discussing spiritual truths together.

But we learned that our oldest daughter Julie is very much needing her mother’s help during her last month of pregnancy. So off she goes.

As soon as I learned that she would be flying out early Thursday I texted a group of young men that I meet for discipleship that I would be unable to be at our weekly meeting so I could take her to the airport. This leads me to the significantly tremendous thing.

Secondly significantly tremendous thing: As I am taking my wife to the airport I get the above photo above sent to me. It is a picture of two groups of guys who both meet on Thursday mornings for discipleship and bible study. Why is “significantly tremendous” you ask? There are far too many reasons for me to describe but here are a few:

• I have been meeting with the older group of men for 18-19 years. I love these guys and have enjoyed their friendship and encouragement for a very long time.
• But over the summer I felt led to begin a new group of younger men who I believed needed an old mentor to disciple them.
• I regretfully announced to the older group that they didn’t need me to lead their group. I told them that each of them was well qualified to take over the leadership. I told them that I would be starting a new group and that I would miss greatly miss the time we spend together on Thursday mornings. AND I HAVE MISSED THEM DEEPLY.
• I had assumed that since I had unexpectedly cancelled our young men’s discipleship group that they would be thankful for the morning off and sleep in (that’s what I would have done when I was in my 20’s).
• The new discipleship group of younger men decided on their own to join with the older group of men at another restaurant.
• Two of my greatest joys:
  1. A group of my peers, whom I have been meeting with for bible study many years, who I have grown to love and enjoy, who I miss almost every Thursday…
  2. And a new group of younger men, who I am going to watch grow in spiritual maturity; who are going to be better men - better husbands - better fathers - and become disciple makers themselves.
  These two groups of men are sitting together at the same table enjoying one another, enjoying one of the older men leading a bible study, enjoying breakfast together, enjoying the presence of God together!

My heart smiles.

I love my church! I have a dream that everyman in our church would be intentional about beginning the process of becoming or helping others to become growing, vibrant disciples of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor
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nbfamilies.info

With gratitude or regret?

This past weekend I had the honor of officiating my sister-in-law's wedding. I knew there was some likelihood it could be a tad emotional for me. I mean, I had looked over my notes a couple times; I had read my lines about being a protective big brother; and I had already thought about seeing her exchange vows with Matt. So yeah, I knew I my eyes could moisten, but I also knew what to expect - prelude, processional, handoff of bride from father to groom, prayer, and on with the rest of the show. I could handle it. I'd be fine, I thought. However, I hadn't considered the actual weight that would accompany each of those moments, nor had I imagined going through the experience with my wife (one of the best ladies) standing right next to me. I had read the order of service on paper, rehearsed it a few times with the wedding party the night before, but it was far more than I had anticipated.

As Allie and my father-in-law, Brian, started walking down the aisle, I was overcome with emotion. It was like it was happening in slow motion because I could simultaneously see backwards and forwards, all while being presently engaged. The bride’s entrance was a beautiful one. Allie looked gorgeous as ever and Brian was beaming with pride, as they progressed toward the altar through the glowing warmth of the quickly setting winter sun. No sooner had they come into sight than my wife was moved to tears. By the time they made it halfway to the front, most of the family had followed suit. But that was just a third of what I saw.

As Allie made the journey toward her guy, that sweet procession that every girl dreams of one day enjoying, my mind went back to my wedding day. I remembered seeing Brittany as she entered through the back of the worship center. She absolutely took my breath away! She was crying tears of joy then too. And the same dad was walking her down. When I watched Brian pass Allie off to her groom this past Saturday, I recalled asking for his blessing to marry his daughter. I remember the anxiety I had in the moment, but knowing that every nervous feeling I’d endure was worth it for my girl. As I soaked up the scene before me, I also reflected on some precious memories from the past.

Yet that was not all; I had a chance to peek into the future. Although I’ve done other weddings in recent years, for the first time ever, it really hit me… The day is coming for me too. If the Lord wills and tarries long enough, I will give a daughter away (and maybe two). My wife and I have two precious little girls – one that’s not as tiny as the other. Though my wife and I joke about them being 30 before they can date (I’m actually about halfway serious), we know that the day will be here before we know it. And if that is indeed the case, what can we do to make that day as precious as possible?

Now, I may need to clarify. I’m not talking about venues, music, bridesmaid dresses, catering, or any of the like. I mean this: How can we prepare our girls to position themselves for God’s favor? The decisions they will make, the way the live their life, the things they live for, they experiences that they have between now and then – all of it will ultimately influence the future. Are we readying them for their future? I know we are enjoying them now, but are we truly leading them today, with days ahead in mind? Again, this is not to say that the end goal is that they marry well. Far from it! Are we equipping them to be obedient in fulfilling the story God has written for them? His mission is clear – be a disciple that makes disciples – to know the God of the gospel and make Him known to all peoples. But, is it clear to our children?

One of the ways I am to lead my wife and our children, is to position them for success. And since I’m writing in an affluent American context, dear reader, you must know that this is not a reference to academic, financial, or athletic acclaim, “success”. As my wife asks her small group girls regularly, are we positioned beneath the waterfall of His grace? Are we walking by faith? Are we moving forward in obedience? Are we warring against the flesh? Are we living for His glory and renown? If so, then we are in a place the Lord will bless. Bless with the accomplishing of His mission. So when we consider how we parent and our idea of success, our desire ought to be to know, grow, and protect our child’s heart, not their financial future. If the heart is right (seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness), the right kind of success will come (His glory) and all these other things will be added in due time.

Wow, you got all that from the bridal procession? Yeah, I did. That and I’ve had some time to reflect upon it. Our daughters (sons too) will be responsible to what they do with this gospel they’ve been given. But the sobering reality is that B and I have the blessed opportunity to help them find the inexpressible value of our risen Savior, starting right now. Oh that we will play our part well, ultimately entrusting our kiddos to their perfect heavenly Father.

There are no timeouts in life. As that lousy soap opera taught us, the world just keeps on turning. We can pretend that we have lots of time and imagine that things will work themselves out. But then again, that seems to go against the experience that most people describe. “Where did the time go?” “Seemed like they were just a kid and now they’re all grown up.” This may be one of those blogs that is just for me. And if so, that’s fine, because I need to think deeply on this topic. But maybe this is a gracious reminder for you as well. Many things are coming… If the Lord permits, our children will grow up and eventually leave the house. Are we preparing them well? Will we be ready to launch them out? But guess what else. Unless Jesus returns, we will all most assuredly taste death. Are we ready for that? How about the judgment that will follow? We can ignore these things if we like, but it will not keep them from coming. May we meet all such future certainties confident in Christ and with gratitude, not regret.

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

The Gift of Reflection

I enjoyed it more than my water purifier that I’ll be using on all future hiking ventures – more than my wireless headphones that might actually get me through some workouts at the gym – more than the many new books I received. Yes, I even value this gift more than the creative and thoughtful homemade cards I was given by our children. So what Christmas present am I raving about? Well that would be the simple gift of reflection.

While I was blessed with gift cards and money and lots of wonderful presents, the best gift was having some time to reflect back on this past year and really, just on life in general. On one of our lazy evenings at home, I spent a few minutes going through our dozens of photos that my wife and I have posted on Instagram & Facebook. You know, for the big distraction it can be, social media is wonderful in this regard, as it is easy to visually see a timeline of the last many weeks and months. As I skimmed through the various pictures I was reminded of different life events and experiences.

I saw snapshots from family vacations, from my brother’s baptism, and from the birth of our youngest. I remembered some of the rich conversations that were shared along the way. I recall both tears and laughter – sometimes happening at the same table. I was able to remember some of the thoughts and feelings of the past few seasons as I attempted to patiently wait on life to play out. And friend, I must tell you again, that this type of mindfulness is a gift.

When you spend each day with your children, it can become difficult to observe their growth. It’s always going on, but it is so gradual. Yet spend a weekend away, or leave town on business for a week, and upon returning you can see it. Better yet, compare pics from last Christmas or even six months ago with the ones you took this Christmas and the maturation and development will be obvious. This is not unique to parents with children; this is so much of our life. We spend so many hours up close to the action that without some time and distance away, we miss the progress being made.

This is a gift from God for individuals, for families, for businesses, and for the church. As I reflect upon this past season, I find much to be encouraged about. For one, I’m waking up weekly and heading into the office to see the same cast of characters. We have maintained the same staff for another year (a bigger accomplishment than one might think), and as an added bonus, I dearly love these people. They make it a joy to serve, especially when ministry is hard and the burden is heavy.

Personally, I will enter another year with the same job title and description. Considering that I‘ve had a handful of other titles in as many years, I would say that this is a good sign. This is easily attributed to the fact that as leadership, we are arriving at a place of greater clarity. We are committed now more than ever to be about relational discipleship and reaching the ends of the earth with the hope of the gospel. But things have only started to crystalize. This has not come easily; and it is for certain that will not be easy moving forward. It has come with much laborious prayer and discussion, but ultimately because God is gracious.

Oh there is so much more I would like to say, but I’ve said enough for now. A few hours of reflection and I’m reminded of the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness to myself, to my family, and to our church. But you must know this gift of mine can be yours as well. It is still in stock, in case you missed it. It can be here quicker than an Amazon Prime order and the price is better than you might think.

However, to enjoy the gift of reflection, you will need some time. You will also need to recognize a couple of significant points. You must be able to rightly and honestly observe both where you are and where you have been. Without these facts before us, we would do no better than daydream of our present and be deceived by the nostalgic sentiments of days past. Friends and loved ones might be able to help you find perspective, as well as some invaluable waypoints for your journey. Take a few moments to contemplate this past year. Ruminate on the events that have made your life what it is and see where the Lord has been active.

To be clear, an honest reflection may be somewhat of a disappointment. Growth might not be so great. In fact you might even realize that you have taken a few steps backward. I’m not proposing that everything is fine and dandy. We may ponder long enough to see all that has transpired, only to wind up miffed – agitated that things have gone down like they have. But if that is real, if that is a fair assessment of our past, I contend that this too is a blessing.

To be able to see that things have not worked up to this point or to notice that things are currently not working… Is this not a gift? Consider if we couldn’t see our error. What if we continued to drift further and further off track? Do we deserve the kindness of having a clear picture of our current status? Of course not! But God is gracious and loving.

2015 was good, but 2016 has the opportunity to be much better. No, we may not make it to the gym any more often than last year. We may close out the year in similar financial debt, but we have chance to be more intentional with our time and energy. We can glean from the wisdom of days gone by and make adjustments moving forward.

Might we take the time to enjoy God’s gift of reflection. May we see how He has providentially worked in our lives, in our families, and through His church. Might we be encouraged and might we chase hard after Him – making much of Jesus with the time we have left. May we be found faithful, and through the power and leadership of the Spirit, might our striving be fruitful.

Where are you now? Where have you been? Where might the Lord lead you next year? May it be ever closer to Him.

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