Summer Reading List

So here’s my Summer Reading List. Most of these books are ones that I haven’t read up to this point, but there are a handful that I try to go through two or three times a year because they are not only so challenging for me personally, but they keep gospel-intensive truths in my thoughts with amazing clarity. These books are not for seminary—there’s no class assignment with these. They’re just for enjoyment, challenge, growth, and stimulating thought. 

• 1. John Owen, The Mortification of Sin (Christian Focus Publications, 1996). 

(Written in 1656) This is one of my favorites of all time. I try to read through it at least two or three times each year, but I haven’t read it in over a year. So, it made it as an enjoyable time for this summer. 

Here’s three glimpses from Owen:

"When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all ways”

"The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it, the course of the world takes away the shame of it”

"Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you”

• 2. Tim Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (Dutton, 2013).

Keller has influenced me greatly in the last few years. I haven’t heard much of his thoughts on pain and suffering so I thought I would use the summer to hear more from him on this. 

• 3. C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (MacMillan, 1948). 

A classic. For many believers, this is one of their favorite fictional books by Lewis. I’ve never read it. I really haven’t read a lot of fiction, especially in the last fifteen years. In fact, I don’t know if I’ve read a fictional book in that time. I know that makes me even more lame in some of your heads. 

• 4. Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy (Crossway, 2013). 

In a world of ever-ceasing busyness, we’ve tried to back out of the frantic spinning wheel. It’s so easy to think that just because “everyone is doing it”—that it’s normal. DeYoung discusses, among other things, subtle things like pride, expectations, over-commitment, lack of rest, and suffering, that we actually use as justifications that keep us spinning plates. 

• 5. Daniel Montgomery, Timothy Paul Jones, Proof: Finding Freedom Through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace (Zondervan, 2014). 

I’ve always been most intrigued and in awe of the reality of irresistible grace and how God draws us to Himself. I also believe that it should produce great joy as we discover more of these truths. 

• 6. Ken Sande, Peacemaking for Families (Tyndale, 2002). 

I’ve been through this one before in a class, but Jamie and I want to go through this again to see God’s mercy and love more prevalent in the lives of the boys as they get older. Three Lynch boys spells conflict. This book is great for families to discover ways to move from conflict to God’s peace. 

• 7. C.J. Mahaney, Humility  (Multnomah, 2005). 

Another one that I try to read through two or three times each year. This one not only addresses one of our greatest blindspots, multifaceted pride, but it gives practical ways of cultivating humility. 

Dr. Albert Mohler Jr., President of Southern Seminary gave out his list and unapologetically mentioned that his list is more geared for men. And since it’s close to Father’s Day, you could surprise a man around you with a book from one of these lists!

See Dr. Mohler’s Summer Reading List HERE.

Books have become one of the loves of my life. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. People ask that famous question,  “If you were on a remote island and could only bring three things—what would they be?” or “If your house were burning down and you had only three minutes to grab the most important items—what would you take with you?”

As long as everyone was safely outside, I would probably want to grab some family videos and pictures, some guitars my dad handed down to me, and a couple of bags full of books! No tv’s or iPads, no jewelry or clothing, no furniture or fixtures—and definitely not the Wii (though the boys might risk life and limb to get it). Instead, I’d be throwing books out the window to safety. 

Why books? Because obviously you can simply replace a book by buying a new one or even getting it on your iPad or Kindle, right? --Wrong!

That’s not the relationship I have with books. I like to open them and smell the different smells that time has deposited on the pages. I like some of the coarse feeling paper in some of the older collections. I tear books up in personalizing them by writing thoughts and notes on parts that stick out to me or catch my attention. I have my own little coded system with asterisks, arrows, circles, underlines, double-underlines, stars, capital notes, normal notes, exclamation marks, question marks, and some with letters assigned to paragraphs that reveal beautiful truths (T), influential thought and application to life (L), and specific steps of implementation with concrete action steps (A). 

You can’t do all that to an iPad. You can’t smell or feel the texture of the paper. 

Books are special. God, in all His most glorious wisdom, decided to communicate with billions of people and reveal to them captivating truths about Himself, themselves, His creation, and all His incredible purposes—and He decided a “book” would be the instrument He used to do that. A book inspired and set apart like no other book in the entire universe. A book with completely no errors or falsehood. A book that was really greater than simple print on papyrus or paper. The book was all pointing to a Person—and that Person was the very “Word of God,” the second Person of the Trinity. You see, books, even in God’s sight, are very wonderful and powerful. 

One of my favorite things is when I find or receive as a gift an old, old, weathered version of one of my top ten favorite books. With some of my favorites, which I may read through more than once each year, I have two or three different older printings. Those are gems!

Books are powerful. They can change so much for so many people and have such lasting influence. Universities and Seminaries could really be simply understood as a very large stack of books that the professors believe are the most intellectually stimulating, growth-producing, mind-expanding tools that can influence culture and the future. If you go to this University or Seminary, you will pay for a stack of books that are purposefully meant to persuade your thinking and attitudes to be formed towards certain ideologies. You go to a different University, they give you a different (but maybe similar) stack of books to read and comprehend. Even the Universities and schools that pride themselves in not “pushing” a person or “indoctrinating” students towards a specific agenda—those places have some of the strongest agendas! 

Of course, the dialog, discussions, and lectures of professors shapes some of the intake of these volumes. But have you ever thought about how much influence books have had on history? Great leaders in all of human history had usually read some of the known classics up to their time and had been influenced incredibly by the thought-provoking interaction in their stack of books. 

So, books…enjoy some books this summer. Expand your thoughts this summer. You never know, there may be some life-changing things that happen from simply opening up a book!

Sankie P. Lynch
www.nbchurch.info
www.nbfamilies.info
sankie@nbchurch.info

Confessions from MattGyver

When I was a child, one of my favorite TV shows was MacGyver. There was something about the way Richard Dean Anderson’s character could always maneuver his way out of trouble and ultimately save the day that just drew me in each week. In fact, I often pretended to be…MattGyver!

On one such occasion in kindergarten, I was well into character and playing around in the bathroom. We had just finished recess; so naturally, naptime was up next. That naptime placement still makes no sense to me, but I digress. Before hitting the mat for a bit of shut-eye, we were encouraged to take a quick potty break. I had finished my business but a fellow classmate was not quite done. While he was wrapping things up in the neighboring stall, something came over me and I started to pretend that I was making a homemade bomb. I grabbed a couple rolls of toilet paper, a few squirts of hand-soap, positioned them in a certain way in the sink, turned the water on, and tiptoed out of the room as if my imaginary timer was counting down to an imminent detonation.

A few minutes later I heard our teacher’s aid discover the Charmin explosives I had left behind. Unfortunately for the colleague that had just finished flushing, I had unintentionally framed him. He knew not what I had done. He had simply left the stall to wash his hands when he was suddenly faced with the Asian storm known as Miss Mioko. I heard her questioning turn into scolding as he emphatically exclaimed his innocence. My heart sank to my stomach. I knew that I must come forward with the truth, but I was also well aware of the wrath I would incur. I had endured a Mioko spanking in the past and it was no bueno! So… I just reclined there and played opossum. Meanwhile, that poor boy was taken into the hallway and given a terrible whipping that should have landed on my backside.

Here’s the deal… While my actions were indeed hideous, we all should be able to resonate with the same weight of guilt. For when we consider Christ’s crucifixion, we know from the Scriptures that we were the ones deserving of the cross – not Jesus. There are none of us that are good; none that are righteous (Romans 3:10-12). We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect mark (Romans 3:23). In fact, the wages for our transgressions is death (Romans 6:23). Damnation, separation, and God’s wrath is what we have earned. You and I should have been the ones hanging on that cruel Calvary tree. We are the culprits worthy of such agonizing abandonment. Consider these words penned from the old bishop J.C. Ryle… “Terribly black must that guilt be for which nothing but the blood of the Son of God could make satisfaction.” Sin is serious. It is a big deal.

The good news is that the illustration from my childhood is quite different in one very important detail. Unlike my kindergarten “buddy” that was doing all in his might to avoid the unmerited wrath of Miss Mioko, Christ endured our punishment for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Knowing what the cross would accomplish, Jesus humbly submitted to the will of the Father and made an atoning sacrifice for our sins – past present, and future – once for all (Romans 6:5-11)! The murder of God the Son on Golgotha was not some accident or afterthought, but rather God’s divine plan all along (Acts 4:27-28).

I share this story today because my public, written confession and apology is way over due – like 27 years or so. However, I also do so because my heart is in agreement with Ryle’s assertion that “the first step toward attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin.” Even worse than my iniquity as MattGyver is the fact that I often go through short spurts of taking for granted God’s gift of grace. Though I’d never articulate it as such, my actions imply that I’m doing just fine without Him and that ’ll give God a shout when I need something. Those seasons reveal how at times I minimize my sin and fail to see the mercy and favor of our Lord.

I pray that our failures and inconsistencies will not lead us to a place of wearing unnecessary guilt and shame; for those in Christ have had such a yoke removed. Rather, it is my hope that as we think on all we’ve been forgiven of, a spirit of gratitude might produce genuine, grace-driven motivation to live our days in obedient submission to the Father. 

matt@nbchurch.info     Twitter: @FattMowler     Facebook: TheFattMowler

Senseless Parenting

Last week I encouraged parents by assuring them that their best days, as parents and families, are ahead of them! The future is bright - not because of parent telling jokes or stories, not because of careers or money-making capacities - but because of something far more important. Today’s topic is hard. No one wants to hear about bad news and this news is as bad as it gets. However, if we have been warned that there is a poisonous snake in the path ahead, we can choose a different path. Parents must choose the right path.

We have all read and heard about the alarming rates that young adults leave the church when they leave home. Parents and Christian leaders are working to try and find a solution to this growing problem. There is a tragic reality about our culture and it infatuation with false gods (pleasure, money, and entertainment).

People who replace their affection and devotion to Almighty God with anything else lose their ability to see God reveal Himself, hear God speak, or experience the truth of God. This is the curse of idolatry and the reason that our foundation of faith is crumbling.

Our foundation is built exclusively on God’s promises. God made a promise to those who would carry out His covenant. God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:1-4,

“I will make you into a great nation,
 I will bless you,
 I will make your name great, 
and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you,
 I will curse those who treat you with contempt, 
and all the peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

Read again the verse above and pay special attention to the section in bold. What is this curse? Those who worship false god will become like those false gods – blinded, deafened, muted, unfeeling, without essential senses for worship.

Idolaters bring upon themselves the curse of the loss of their senses (speaking, vision, hearing, smell, touch, physical). When idolaters are separated from God, the true Creator, Sustainer, and Inspirer of life, their sensory faculties are diminished. When idolater’s sensory faculties are diminished, they cannot perceive God, even when they are directly confronted by His revelation.

Look at these parallel passages::

Deuteronomy 28:64-65 Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. 65 You will find no peace among those nations, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despondent spirit.

Psalm 115:4-8 Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. 5 They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 6 They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. 7 They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

Psalm 135:15-18 The idols of the nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands. 16 They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 17 They have ears but cannot hear; indeed, there is no breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

Romans 1:21-26 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. 26 This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.

This same warning is repeated across the entirity scripture (Both Testaments – Old and New; and three literary genres – historical, wisdom, and theological). It is no accident that the loss of senses in Psalm 115:4-8 and Psalm 135:15-18 are duplicated in Deuteronomy 28:64-65 and Romans 1:21, 24, 26.

The covenantal curse for all “who treat (His covenantal partners) with contempt” is that their hearts are hardened as a consequence of testing God (Psalm 95:8-10) and refuse to repent (Jeremiah 5:20-23). Refusing the call to repent has always gone hand in glove with idolatry (Jeremiah 9:13-14; 13:10).

Our God is incomparable, invincible, intolerant of syncretism, and jealously committed to protecting His covenantal partners. In the Old Testament, people committed spiritual suicide through covenant infidelity (Deuteronomy 28:64-65).

Parents, the Family Ministry efforts of NBFamilies is not a program or curriculum. We are mobilizing as God’s covenantal partners, as families and disciples to save the souls of future generations. Please understand the priority of your hearts.

What has God revealed to you about your false god’s? Can you hear, see, smell, touch what God is revealing to you? What needs to be done to repair what your kids have been observing? Do you have any apologies to make (to God?, to your spouse?, to you kids?)?

Your best days are ahead of you!

Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor
twitter.com/philsallee
facebook.com/phil.sallee
philsallee.info
nbchurch.info
nbfamilies.info

Are you a Thermostat or a Thermometer?

"People are either Thermometers or Thermostats. They will merely reflect the climate around them, or they will set it. Leaders develop values and principles to live by and set the tone for others."

This quote is taken from a book called "Habitudes" written by Tim Elmore. I'm going to be teaching some of this today, to a group of high school students, who have chosen to spend a month this summer learning about ministry here at New Beginnings. Their group is called "The Next Level". They will get to hear from all of the pastors on staff through the month of June.They are all doing this on their own time.I find it inspiring that they are so willing to come and not only learn from us, but also that they are required to serve at the church in some capacity on Sundays during the duration of the program and they are so willing to do so.

Here are some additional quotes from Elmore: "Most people are like thermometers. They tend to reflect the culture around them. They buy things that others buy, say things others say, wear things others wear, and value things that others value. Oh, there are slight variations. But most people don't set the "climate" for the world they live in; they just mirror back the climate."

"Leaders, on the other hand, are people who decide to take life to the next level. They become thermostats, and set the social climate in which they are placed"

Did you catch that? I was talking about a group of high school students who are called "The Next Level". They are spending a portion of their summer, getting up early and coming to church to learn and to serve. How many high school students do you think are doing something like that for the month of June this summer? Are these students in "The Next Level" thermometers or thermostats? I believe they are thermostats. According to Elmore, "they're pace setters. They influence, rather than merely allowing others to influence them."

Elmore says "Leaders who are "thermostats" have developed values and principles they live by. God calls us to be authentic.The word "authentic" comes from the root word "to author". It means to write your own story, not copy someone else's. When someone owns a set of values, it's like they have a moral compass on the inside that guides them in their decisions."

"It's like they have a moral compass on the inside that guides them in their decisions."

Parents, are you thermostats or thermometers? Are your children growing up to become thermostats or thermometers? What's their "moral compass like inside"? What does this story below in Luke 6:46-49 say about our values?  What's the connection between living like a thermostat and living like a thermometer?

  ⁴⁶ “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? ⁴⁷ I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: ⁴⁸ He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”
Luke 6:46-49






Terry Langenberg
Twitter: TheLangenberg
Facebook: TheLangenberg

#Haiti2014

Live from a small village in Haiti for the second year in a row!!  Internet is still terrible here and I have literally lost two posts... so I am going to just upload a couple pics and call it good today (be sure to check back for a full blog and an entire photo album of pics later).

So far this week, we have:

Visited the My Life Speaks sponsored School!!

Toured the village (Neply, Leogane Haiti)!!

Put on a FREE Soccer camp for the kids in the village!!

Prepared activities & crafts for the FIRST EVER carnival in Neply!!

Served bowls of food at the My Life Speaks Meal Program!!

Made New Friends!!

Thank you New Beginnings and so many others who made this trip possible for so many.  It was the first overseas stamp for several people and the first mission trip for many more.  Please continue to pray for heart change by members of our team as well as incredible Faith Walk moments with our new friends!!

May God show you places to serve this week wherever you are... May the Spirit guide you through great conversations that lead to the cross... May WE love like the hands and feet of Jesus... May our city and world be a better place because of His Church!!

The Bergs

**Follow Jeff (Family Pastor of High School), also known as "surgeberg" on: Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Enjoying A Legacy

We had a great time creating some memories over the past week. 

I grew up going to Lake Tenkiller with my family when I was younger. I loved being around the water and camping. Jamie also grew up going to Grand Lake with her family when she was younger. Now, Jamie and I still love anything that includes the beach, the ocean, the lake, or being around any kind of water.

Over the last several years, since my dad passed away, my mom has been returning to Tenkiller and camping again. She loves having the boys up there with her to enjoy some of the same places I enjoyed as a young boy. We take the boys camping a few times each year as my mom has her camper set up. 

We’ve been able to enjoy some of God’s beautiful creation in some very simple ways. The boys are learning to build fires for smores, how to fish and cast lures with their rods and reels, how to take fish off a hook, Owie and Javi are learning to swim better, learning different types of trees and leaves, going on hikes and taking walks onto the dock late at night, and checking out God's heavens through the Skyview app. In all of it they're amazed and intrigued by so many things we could easily take for granted as adults. 

We also took a trip to the Tulsa Zoo. Some friends at church gave us a yearly pass so we're trying to go several times. They love everything about it. With these three, each time is it's own distinct adventure! 

Watching Sea Lions at the Zoo

3 monkeys watching other monkeys at the Zoo

These little trips are so enjoyable as a family. We are trying to create many memories while pointing the boys to the reality that God is the real giver of all good things that we enjoy. We hope this summer is going to be a time of increased growth together as a family. 

I hope some of this goes into building a legacy that may last for generations. The boys may not stick with camping or hanging out at a lake when they grow up. They may not do any of that. But I hope, more importantly, that they become captivated by the grace of God and live for His beauty and glory everyday of their lives. 

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info

Remember Middle School?

Do you remember your middle school years? Remember those awesome pre-adolescent days? Gosh, I do… And they were terrible! Back then my body was seemingly in a constant state of transformation. My voice was squeaky from late sixth grade through my first semester as a freshman in high school. Unfortunately during that time I was often mistaken for my mom when I’d answer the phone at home and I struggled with acne to boot (I strongly resembled the “before” pictures on the old Noxzema commercials). Growth spurts were never convenient either. Seemed they preferred to hit right after my parents would buy me jeans. In fact, my seventh grade girlfriend actually broke up with me because my “high-waters" embarrassed her.

Now my memories may be a slight exaggeration from the way things truly occurred, but I can promise you it felt like Gospel truth back when I had to shamefully walk those junior high halls. To be honest, I still think about singing Toby Keith’s “How Do Ya Like Me Now?!” to that mean girl that dumped me. But that’s beside the point. What I’m getting at is this: we can all agree, pre-adolescence is a tough stage of life. Puberty, hormones, awkwardness, you name it – it’s all quite difficult to navigate. How I wish I could have had someone reminding me of my real identity. How I wonder how many hurt feelings might have been avoided had I been affirmed in the truth of Scripture.

Well, our hope is that some of our middle schoolers might find such comforting truth this week at our summer retreat. Their value is not found in their jump shot, their perfect complexion, their envious possessions, but rather in the finished work of the cross. We left this morning and are currently enjoying some outdoor games and activities. Please be praying for these young people and the stamina of the numerous leaders and volunteers that sacrificed vacation days and time off work to invest in our students. We will be looking at one of the biggest BUTs in the bible. No, were not doing a Judges 3 devo on Eglon (that would have an extra "t"). We will instead be walking through Ephesians 2 and focusing on the big BUT in verse 4 – “But God…”(Ephesians 2:1-10).

God doesn’t tell us to get cleaned-up and straightened-out. He doesn’t leave us to try to figure things out on our own. Despite the old saying, He doesn’t just help those who help themselves. Praise God He gives the grace to the helpless, sight to the blind, raises the dead to life, and calls us to walk in the good works He’s prepared for us! During this challenging phase of life, might our youth be confronted with the hope of the Gospel and may they begin to take ownership of a real, genuine, trusting relationship with Christ. Many prayers appreciated this week as we seek to make much of Him…