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The Myth of Baptism

30 Aug

This past month I’ve had a couple different people ask me about baptizing their children.  One was an old high school friend who grew up in the Catholic church but doesn’t really attend anymore.  But since he knew me he thought I could just baptize their kids.  The other was a mother in her forties, an old classmate of my sister’s, who stopped in my office to see if I could possibly baptize her older kids.  She said they had never done it and she really wanted to see them baptized.

And honestly, it all really makes me kind of sad.  First of all, sad to think that so few people who would call themselves Christians really don’t know what God’s word says.  I grew up in the Lutheran church and have come to respect greatly what Martin Luther did for the church (though he kind of went off his rocker later in life).  One of Luther’s greatest achievements was to get the Scriptures, God’s word, into the hands of ordinary people so that we could read and understand it for ourselves without having to depend upon the interpretation of priests.  Yet so few people today take advantage of it and that is one of the greatest travesties of American Christianity.  I will be the first to say don’t ever take my preaching or teaching (or anyone else’s for that matter)  for granted, but read the Bible for yourselves!

Secondly, I’m saddened to think that so many people have been taught and believe in the lie that “If I can only get my kids baptized then they’ll be okay and will be able to go to heaven” when it simply isn’t true.  Let me say that again… having your children baptized will not send them to heaven.  It is not true and is nowhere taught in Scripture.  Just stop and logically think about it for a minute.  If you’ve ever been a parent, or ever been a kid for that matter, how many decisions do you really get to make for your kids?  Really?  Actually none.  As parents we can only lead and guide and teach and discipline and pray the lights out, but at the end of the day our kids will make their own decisions.  So why in the world do some parents think that they get to make the most important decision for their kids… the decision on where they’ll spend eternity?  Parents don’t.  They don’t get to make that decision just like every other decision our kids make.  Again all we can do as parents is to lead and guide and hope that at the end of the day our children choose to follow Christ.  But it’s up to them to decide, just like it’s up to every individual to decide what they’re going to do with Jesus.

And really baptism isn’t what saves us from an eternity in hell.  While an extremely important step in following Christ it isn’t the “magic bullet” that gets us in.  They didn’t pull the thief on the cross next to Jesus down and dunk him in some water and yet Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk 23:43).  The thief is in heaven and he wasn’t baptized!    What saves us, or makes us right in God’s eyes, justifies us, is our own personal faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Another idea that Luther got right by reading the book of Romans.  It’s personal.  It’s our decision to make, not our parents.  A few weeks ago I had the priveledge of baptizing six people, both old and young, in the Little Cedar because they had made the personal decision to follow Christ as their Lord and Savior and wanted to unashamedly identify themselves as his followers. As parents it’s our responsibility to raise our children in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God so that they can make their own choices to hopefully do the same.  And that I hope you do.

 
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Posted in Baptism

 

A Biblical Vacation Griswold?

12 Aug

This past week we loaded up everyone into the van for a short family vacation to South Dakota.  Leaving Sunday morning we made it to the Badlands that afternoon and stayed in Wall.  Monday we then went to Reptile Gardens where Titus tried talking to the tortoises, then on to Mt. Rushmore in the afternoon.  Tuesday morning we headed to Bear Country USA and after it decided to start heading home around 1pm.  So of course being a male I decide that we’re going to drive straight home and finally got there around midnight.  Maybe not the wisest move for my wife’s sanity with our youngest, Kelly, screaming “mama, mama” the entire 10hrs strapped into her government required car-seat.  But we all made it home and had a great time.

So on the way home as Deedie and I talked about the progress of the church and how things have been going, having just celebrated our first year of ministry, it made me think about summer vacations and how they affect our walk with Jesus.  The trend has always been, summer comes and church attendance lowers drastically, and I think that’s extremely sad. Summer vacation has become synonymous with vacation from church & God.  So why?  Why do so many Americans seem to take a vacation from God during the summer as if the school calendar dictates our walk with Him?

Now I realize summer may be a busier time for many families, with ball games, vacations, summer festivals, and just a lot more to do outside.  The vast majority of those attending CPC have done pretty well this summer, but overall in American Christianity people pull away from church at this time of year and get plugged back in when school starts back up, but that’s not how it should be.  The illustration I love is that of the burning coal.  When you remove a burning coal from a fire and hold it out on it’s own, what happens?  It begins to die out and lose its glow.  Stick it back into the fire and it shines brightly again.  The same can be true for our faith in Christ.  When we are not involved with the church, the body of Christ, our faith withers and becomes less important.  We don’t get the opportunities to grow in our walk with God and can fade out and lose our glow.  There are, of course, those who will say they don’t need to go to church to be a “Christian” and to an extent I agree.  I have always been one who would be perfectly fine if dropped in the middle of the Rocky’s all alone.  But the more I grow in my walk with God the more I realize I can’t do this thing on my own and God has created us to need each other and live in community.  So really those who say they don’t need the church really don’t understand what it means to “be” a Christian.  When we take vacations from God it halts our growth to the point where we can become as dysfunctional as the Griswold family.  Times of refreshing, yes.  But a vacation from the church and God, no.  Faith is active and we need to be involved with the body if we’re going to continue growing in our walk and understanding of Christ.

 

 
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Posted in Faith

 

Remembering…

31 Jul

On Sunday, July 17th, Cedar Point celebrated its first birthday by having our service at the River Ranch Campground with a potluck and river tubing afterward.  We also celebrated the commitment six people made to Christ by baptizing them in the river.  Thanks to everyone who came out and made the day special.

While my opinion may be biased a bit, :) , I thought it was a great day!  My favorite part had to be baptizing six people in the river.  I love watching people declare to those around them through the step of baptism that they are indeed a follower of Christ, that their faith is no longer some game but impacts the way they live.  Being a part of those moments will always be special and something to be remembered.

But to think back a year, even two years, to where we were and where God has brought us is also an amazing thing to remember.  He has been incredibly faithful and deserves all the credit for where we are today as individuals and as a church.  The remarkable thing to think about is God will ALWAYS be faithful.  It’s a promise He’s made to us.  His word is full of them.  And so as I mentioned in my sermon that Sunday, what is it you may need to remember about God?  What promises have you forgotten?  Or maybe you haven’t been following Christ like you know you should be; where was it God tried gaining your attention?  What’s happened in you life recently where He wanted you to turn to Him?  We all have something we need to remember.  As I get older and am able to look back and remember all the things in my life I’m becoming more convinced that everything happens for a reason and that reason can be found in 1 Timothy 2: 4; God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  No matter where we’re at in our journey with God, whether we’ve been walking with Him for forty years or whether we’re still avoiding Him, He loves us and longs for us to follow Him.

While Cedar Point has had a great first year, this is just the beginning.  I look forward to looking back twenty years from now and remembering again the faithfulness of God.  I hope you’re ready for year two!

 

 
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Posted in Uncategorized

 

“You can’t handle the truth!” Thoughts from Colonel Jessup

14 Jul

A college friend of mine who likes to blog a lot, and make my head hurt with the depth of his theological insights, recently compared a scene from A Few Good Men to the doctrine of Sola Sciptura (Scripture alone) on his FB page.  I won’t get into his comparison but I do love that movie.  I love it so much I actually spent the time, back in the day, to memorize Colonel Jessup’s final courtroom rant (played by Jack Nicholson) which starts with the famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”  I guess I had some time to kill.  But thinking about that movie and God’s Word this week made me really think about Jack’s famous line from the movie and whether or not there’s any truth to it. Can we handle the truth?

I really think Jack hit it on the head.  Part of me feels that some of us really don’t want to know the truth because we believe that indeed we can’t handle it.  We feel better off if we don’t know it that way life can go on as normal (whatever that is) where we “think” we have everything figured out, or at least know how to cope with our dysfunctions.  To find out something isn’t true throws us all out of rhythm.  We don’t like hearing the truth because then we may just have to deal with it and it’s easier if we don’t.  It’s easier, but not always better.  And unfortunately in our American culture we’ll usually take the easy road.

But that famous statement, “You can’t handle the truth!” causes me to remember another famous statement from another famous person who said the opposite, “The truth will set you free.”  So which is it?  A lot of times we believe we “can’t handle the truth” and so we bury our heads in the sand and choose to ignore it.  Unfortunately when we pull our heads out whatever the ‘truth’ is, is still there waiting to be addressed.  Ignoring things or putting them off only makes matters worse.  But Jesus said in John 8:32 that knowing the truth will set you free.  What a powerful statement!  A statement that I will always point people to.  This has definitely been true in my life, especially in regards to salvation.  I went about my life believing in something I had never concluded on my own.  Instead I took the most important thing in my or anyone’s life (eternity) and simply took other people’s word for it.  But when I finally started reading the Bible for myself I discovered that what I had believed/been taught was not true at all.  Upon discovering this truth there were some extremely hard days where God & I battled because I had to face the reality that others I love were/are trusting in the same lie I had been.  In my case, the truth absolutely set me free in more ways than one and I am eternally grateful to God.

But facing the truth not only applies to matters of faith but to all areas of life.  Admitting the truth about our addictions, marriage problems, and all kinds of sin is the first step in finding true freedom.  There’s a reason Alcoholics Anonymous has people start by stating their name and that they’re an alcoholic.  There’s freedom in admitting the truth.  Yet how many of us when asked “How are you doing?” will every time say “Fine” when we know everything is not.  Telling someone that everything isn’t alright brings freedom, and it IS okay to do so.  And if things get tough, don’t leave or take a break from the church like most people do.  I don’t understand that and it drives me crazy!  The church is the one place you ought to be able to go for help.   And as a pastor, or just a friend, I want nothing more than to see individuals, couples, and families live in the freedom that the truth of Christ can bring.  This world needs a few good men & women willing to face reality and with Christ’s help YOU can handle the truth.  At our last Sunday service we learned “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).  If you’ve got your head buried in the sand or are avoiding “it”, whatever “it” may be, please take that first step in discovering or admitting the truth.  I guarantee the freedom that comes is well worth it!

 
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Posted in Faith, Scripture

 

God’s plan for YOU?

07 Jul

This past week while I was preparing for Sunday’s message out of Romans 8 I really didn’t know where to go with it.  My downfall is that because our worship services are currently only 1st & 3rd Sundays (*which will change this September to weekly services) I’ve been trying to preach sermons on an entire chapter each time when the content of Romans 8 could easily be spread out over 4 or 5 sermons.  As I read the chapter over and over I fell more in love with it.  So trying to decide what in chapter 8 God wanted to teach us was like trying to decide between seafood or steak; their both good to me!  But God had a plan and He eventually showed me what to preach on.

Within that sermon was a discussion on Romans 8:28-30 and a short explanation of Calvinism & Arminianism.  While you may or may not have found it interesting (if you were present) or felt like I was feeding you Somminex by the bottle full I’ll leave it up to you to decide which camp you fall under.  But a truth that both views can agree upon, whether you line up with John Calvin or Jacobus Arminius, is that God has a plan for all of us.  His Spirit is at work in each believer’s life as well as the world and his desire is to draw you near to Him and “work for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28).  If you are a follower of Christ know that God is very involved in your life and as any father does, He wants to see good come to you.  Elsewhere in Scripture God says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).  If you still have questions about this whole “God thing” and don’t yet call yourself a follower of Christ know that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1Timothy 2:4) and He is actively pursuing you too.  But as far as the plans go, will “we” always think those plans are good?  No.  Sometimes we don’t understand the plan or have any idea what God’s up to.  Sometimes we’ll wonder if there’s a God at all.  But just because we haven’t heard from Him in awhile or can’t see Him at work, or the circumstances we find ourselves in don’t seem very “good” doesn’t mean He’s not at work.

Think about all the things that have happened in your life.  Whether it was the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or the birth of a child, and think back to the questions you may have had at that time.  What did those events stir up in you?  How did you respond to them?  I firmly believe that God allows events like those to happen to wake us up, to get our attention, and to cause us to seek Him.  So again, the events in your life; how did you respond?  Did the loss of a job cause you to look to God as your provider?  Did the death of a loved one cause you to question the meaning of life and death and look to God for answers?  Did the birth of a child move you to amazement and awe over creation and life and how God puts all these things together?  I hope they did.  And though we won’t always understand why things occur, know that God has a plan for each of us and He’s waiting for us to respond.  When you do you’ll find the love He has for us is greater than any answers you’ve been searching for.

 
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Posted in Faith

 

The Early Church’s VBS

30 Jun

One of the most exciting things in church planting is the chance to start from scratch.  Hopefully we learn from other church’s past mistakes and with God’s help begin making disciples the way He intended and has called us to do.  In the past churches have looked certain ways and done certain things.  Most of them good, but not always healthy.  I often wonder if the institutionalization of the church which began with Constantine in 313 A.D. was what God intended to happen.  I’ll let you do your research and decide for yourself.  But before Constantine’s “Edict of Milan” the church looked much different than it does today.  Before that date the church was much simpler.  The people of God simply gathered to read Scripture together, pray together, sing together, eat together, and encourage one another.  Sounds rather nice, doesn’t it?

So, Cedar Point is at a place where we need to make some adjustments for the fall.  One of those adjustments is the area of kids’ ministry.  Traditionally churches have held Wednesday night ministries for kids ages 0-18.  Parents come and drop their children off for an hour and a half where “the church” then has some games or fun activity planned while teaching and instilling the things of God.  Good thing?  Yeah, I think it can be.  But is it the best thing?

In this whole journey of starting a new church I’ve longed to hear from God on how to shape the church.  What does Jesus want his bride to look like?  And so I’ve turned to Scripture time and again since it’s our primary source of God’s will, and this is what I’ve found.  When it comes to teaching our kids the things of God I have yet to come across an early church VBS.  I could be wrong but I haven’t found in Scripture where it’s, what we would call today, the church’s function to run a kids’ ministry.  Now I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that churches have children’s ministries when done right.  But I think the vast majority of parents rely solely on “the church” and others to teach their kids about God and I don’t think that’s a good thing at all.  In the  same way that people shop for the best deal or bargain for their money I think a lot of people in today’s culture shop for churches with the best programs or ministries, instead of thinking, “How can I help this church?  What could I do to help it become better?”  We look for things in a church that will help us.  It’s selfishness.

Now what I’d rather see, and what I believe God teaches us in His word, are parents who claim the responsibility to teach their own kids how to follow Christ.  In my recent Father’s Day sermon I challenged dads that they are the ones responsible for the spiritual direction of their team (family) including their kids.  Here are a few of God’s instructions when it comes to our children:

Ephesians 6:1–4 (NIV84)  ”Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 11:18–19 (NIV84)  ”Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV84) “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Genesis 18:19 (NIV84) “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Exodus 12:26–27 (NIV84)  ”26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them…”

Joel 1:3 (NIV84) “ Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

Colossians 3:21 (NIV84)  ”Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”

1 Timothy 3:4–5 (NIV84)  ”He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)”

2 John 4 (NIV84)  ”It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

Hillary Clinton wasn’t totally wrong in naming her book It Takes A Village To Raise A Child.  As a group of Christ-followers (the church) we should be aware of how each others kids are doing.  I wouldn’t have any problem with some of my Christian friends speaking into the life of my children.  But the sole responsibility of the spiritual teaching my kids get rests on my shoulders, not another pastor or Sunday school teacher, but me, their dad (or mom).  We’ve gotten so accustomed as a culture that if it isn’t easy, we don’t want it.  Many of us parents teach our kids so many things about life from how to tie their shoes to the in’s and out’s of dating yet we leave the teaching of spiritual matters to someone else.  We’ve gotten lazy when it comes to our kids and families.  How many of us have used the TV as a babysitter?  We’ve done the same thing in the spiritual life of our kids.

So how about this.  Instead of having a traditional Wednesday night kids’ ministry which takes the responsibility of teaching kids the things of God away from the parents, or at least enables them to become lazy at it, we as a church should come along side and help equip parents to teach their kids.  I think that is more of a biblical picture of the role of the church in teaching children.  It would also aid in strengthening families.  I don’t necessarily have anything against children’s ministries, but I’d rather train and equip families to be families and hold events which keeps everyone together.  The family is a model and picture of the church and in a world where dads are absent and families are falling apart anything we can do to help keep them together is a good thing.  What do you think??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Posted in KIDZ Point

 

God’s cure for cancer

27 Jun

This past Friday Cedar Point ran the Walk For A Cure at Nashua’s “Water Over the Dam Days” and had a great turnout.  It was a great time celebrating cancer survivors and caregivers, remembering those loved ones we’ve lost to cancer, as well as fighting back and raising cancer awareness.  We were able to raise $1300 which will go to the Eagles Cancer Telethon in Rochester, MN, to help fund cancer research.  You can look at some of the event photos at Cedar Point’s Flickr page (more will be uploaded later).

While I felt the event went well I couldn’t help but wonder what God thinks of cancer walks.  Cancer is a terrible disease that has taken many lives, and I in no way want to diminish the pain and loss people have gone through, but why aren’t there walks for plane or car crashes?  Why not walk for those who have drowned or kids who have died from SIDS?  Cancer is a form of death and the inescapable fact is we all die.  Death is a fact of life.  But cancer, along with every other form of death, is a result of sin.  When sin entered the world death came with it and brought cancer.  So while researchers continue to search for a cure for cancer, there is only one available cure  for sin and his name is Jesus.  He is the ultimate cure for every type of disease and illness.  I know the pain and hurt cancer brings to families.  I had a brother and grandfather die to cancer.  But I also have seen the pain that divorce, and drinking, and selfishness can bring to families as well.  No amount of walking is going to cure those.  But when God gets ahold of someone’s heart and they sincerely decide that He is for real and they begin to follow Christ their life is transformed and cancer won’t be as much of an emotional issue anymore.  Will it still hurt when someone we love is gripped by this disease?  Absolutely!  We’re still human, and it’s always going to hurt when we lose someone we love.  But our faith and hope in Christ will bring comfort amidst those dark nights when we feel all alone and are searching for answers.  Will there ever be a cure for cancer?  That’s up to God to decide.  But while those who hope for one wait, I pray that they would take hold of the eternal cure that God offers now through his son Jesus Christ.  I think you’ll find it does the job just fine.

 
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Posted in Faith

 

What R U Pointing At?

20 Jun

Welcome to my blog!  This is where I’ll be posting thoughts, comments, upcoming events, etc., as it relates to Cedar Point Church and our lives as Christ-followers.  One of Cedar Point’s desires is to “Point” people to Jesus.  It’s who we are.  As the pastor of Cedar Point one of the things I’ll constantly be reminding followers of and “pointing” to in this blog is how is your life, your family, your faith pointing people to Christ?  We as a church firmly believe that our faith should be evident by the way we live and interact in our communities.  As our vision statement says, we want “to be a church who transforms families, our community, and the world for Jesus Christ.”  Does your faith in Jesus do that?  God wants it to.  

I’m excited that our new website will soon be complete.  If you’ve had questions about who Cedar Point is and what we’re about then please come back here and check it out!       -Darin

 
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Posted in Introduction

 

Welcome!

17 Jun

My name is Darin, and I am the Lead Pastor of Cedar Point Church in Nashua, Iowa.

As our congregation prepares to launch a new website later this month, I have created this blog to be able to share some personal thoughts, ideas, links of interest and other resources.

Look for more to come in the following days.

Thanks for stopping by!

 
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Posted in Introduction

 
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