But we are not like those who have no hope. We know how all this is going to end. Think about all that the Jewish people have been through. Through the centuries, they have survived Egypt, the Babylonian captivity, dispersion and the Holocaust. They formed a nation when no one was truly on their side. They are surrounded by enemies who hate them, yet they survive.

Someone once said, “Tough times don’t last; tough people do.” Are we tough? Do we have the stamina to stand when things are not going our way? Will we stand for what we believe or fall to the whims of the world and the adversity that might come our way?

It seems the only people in America today without civil rights are believers. As I read and listen, Christians are increasingly persecuted in this “land of the free and home of the brave.” There are forces at work (fleshly covers for demonic influences) to take away our freedoms and undermine our faith. It’s been eroding for decades, and we may well live to see the demise of all we’ve taken for granted.

But are we the stuff of which martyrs are made? Can we take the heat, or will we run out of the church kitchen? That’s a question each individual and church will have to ask and answer. The choices we make determine the roads we take.

For instance, since we have the freedom to worship, will we make use of it or make excuses for not doing it? Will we take the summer off from church and jump in the lake, or will we make the most of every opportunity to worship Him? The word “worship” is a shortened form of the old English word “worthship,” which means showing God the worth He holds in our lives.

With that being said, what’s God worth to you? Is He worthy of your worship, giving, praying, studying and witnessing? The weeks ahead will reveal whether we are a people of convenience or conviction. Remember, moms and dads, what we do in moderation, our kids do in excess. We set forth a model, and our model sets the mold.

For the next three Sunday nights, we have the opportunity to gather at the Sports Park for worship and fellowship. It might be hot or it might be raining, but God forbid that heat and rain would keep people away from church.

The truth is that we are assembling at a facility we’ve built for this purpose. Although the pavilion will find many uses over the years, we built it for outdoor worship. Each service will be followed by a time of food and fellowship. Nothing can get a Baptist off his blessed assurance like food! It will be a great time to get your family of one or more out for an afternoon at the park.

What about other opportunities this summer like camps, Vacation Bible School, Bible study and worship services? All the activities of summer are designed not only to minister to your family, but also to give you an opportunity to invest in others and reach others for Christ. Something is fishy if we aren’t fishing for men.

The gospel is not something we go to church to hear; it is something we go from the church to tell. Let’s reach out to a world in need with the Word it needs. Our world begins in our neighborhood and across the street from the church.

While it blesses me to meet people from across this country who have come to “see the church that made the movie,” I want to see more folks who have come because they’ve been invited by us during the week. Last week we had visitors from Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Kansas, but were we able to convince our neighbors in Albany, Leesburg, Sylvester, Dawson and the surrounding area to join us? We have not been given this strategic role to impress others, but to impact those we know.

Events like Freedom Festival will demand much of us. The impact could be massive. This year we are focusing on being much more intentional in our sharing of the gospel at Freedom Festival. You will hear much more about this in the coming days, but let me say now that we are focused on reaching people through this event. If we do all we are supposed to do, we could see hundreds come to Christ on that day. Will you help us?

If God can find us faithful in giving, growing and going, we could see the weeks ahead as some of the strongest in our history. Already, this has been one of the strongest years in our history in terms of baptisms and new members. But there is MORE to be done. We must not rest on our laurels. We must not become slack in our giving or our going.

The days demand the church at her best. We can’t control what is happening in the world. We can make conscious decisions to make the Lord and His church our priority. We can choose to make an impact this summer. The other option is to do what you please, but when you do that, do you please God? Christianity is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions. A great church is one that remembers the past, lives in the present, and works for the future. Christianity is not just Christ in you, but Christ living His life through you.

A few years ago, a family in our church was vacationing in New England during the summer. They passed a church whose sign read, “Closed for the Summer. See you in September!” Don’t let that be the sign this community reads from your life over the next few months. Model your Master this summer.

Copyright 2009, Michael Catt

I find parents concerned about the character of their children. The greatest book on discipline, character and integrity is the Word of God. Someone has wisely said, “Study the Bible to be wise; believe it to be safe; practice it to be holy.” I remember one of the first Bibles given to me—the person had written in the front of it, “This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.”

There is no substitute for reading, meditating, listening to and studying the Scriptures. A church that does not emphasize the Scriptures will soon be on the shelf and out of business. Political correctness must be gone. It’s time to restore the prophets.

One of the most famous authors and preachers of our time holds up his Bible and begins to quote a creed or a philosophy regarding the Bible each time before he preaches. The statement is strong. But the problem is that it’s almost the only time we see or hear him use the Bible in his sermons. His sermons are feel good, be good, smile, don’t worry, be happy. You can’t be truly happy if you aren’t holy. You get holy by yielding to the Holy Spirit and reading the Holy Bible.

John Blanchard says it well, “Hit-and-run Bible reading can often become hit and miss. The man who reads on the surface will live on the surface—and a superficial Christian is a pathetic parody of the truth.”

When people believe the Bible, they long to learn it, study it and apply it. They allow the Scriptures to sit in judgment over their character, creed and conduct. Jerry Bridges says, “It is impossible to practice godliness without a constant, consistent and balanced intake of the Word of God in our lives.”

The reason we see little difference between church members and lost people in our land is because we don’t know, understand or apply what God says. The Bible will correct your thinking, talking and walking. Chrysostom said, “The source of all our troubles is in not knowing the Scriptures.”

E. F. Hallock wrote, “A well-understood Bible is the only basis of a sound theology, an enlightened piety, practical godliness, solid comfort and extensive usefulness.” The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.

I love what Martin Luther said about how precious his Bible was to him. “I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf.”

D. L. Moody wrote, “I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.” One author said, “If all the neglected Bibles were dusted simultaneously, we would have a record dust storm and the sun would go into eclipse for a whole week.” J. I. Packer wrote, “If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible.”

God made the importance of the Scriptures clear to Joshua when he said, “Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.“  (Joshua 1:7, 8)

J. C. Ryle wrote, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is the root of all error. Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition.” Read it, study it and meditate on it. Learn what’s there and why.

I challenge you to join me as we move through this series on “The Living Word.” It’s my hope, that when we come to the end of the series, we’ll be more committed to studying God’s Word than ever before. This is no time for mental midgets. We need giants for God. Let God stretch you, refine you, teach you and equip you. Ask Him to give you an appetite for His Word, a thirst for truth and a mind to learn.

(copyright 2009, Michael Catt)

I don’t care whether we are talking Democrats or Republicans—they’ve all forgotten their base and the people they represent. They are, for the most part, self-centered, greedy, arrogant, and absorbed by their own egos. They love to hear themselves talk, and they love to pontificate. Their words are empty, their motives should be questioned, and the end result will be more of the same.

The question is: Does the church have anything different to say? In the church, we find people in bondage to sin, greed and materialism—many of the same godless sins we find in the culture. The church, as a whole, bears little resemblance to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In our church, I am sure there are some people who are hoping for a great influx of funds from our movies so they can excuse themselves from sacrificial giving and tithing. Such an attitude would be the death of Sherwood Pictures. God would take His hand off of us so fast that it would be like a flash of lightening. No matter what happens as a result of movie monies, remember this: movie monies do not replace our personal responsibility before God anymore than government bailouts can fix the greed of corporate America.

The church has to be better than the culture. The Reformation dealt with the gospel of grace and was an affront to the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, which was selling indulgences and had a corrupt priesthood. Today, the church has been corrupted by the prosperity gospel, which offers health, wealth and a life where no personal holiness or sacrifice is required. The answer is not more of the same, but a return to godliness which is strangely lacking in our pulpits and pews.

We must have a prophetic voice. We must repent before we can call others to repent. It’s easy to yell at Wall Street and Washington right now. But the reality is that we’ve robbed God, and He has shut the windows of heaven. The devourer is stealing from us, and we are watching it happen. Until we say what God says, we can’t expect blessings.

The church has to be salt and light. It must be distinctive if it wants to make a difference. The world will not be impressed with our buildings and budgets. They will be impressed if they see the life of Christ in us and through us. If we are seeking help from heaven instead of from government, we’ll find help that lasts.

There is a famine in the land for a Word from God. There’s a famine in the land that demands we pray for a cloud the size of a man’s hand. There’s a thirst in the land that cannot be filled by entertainment, appeasement, handouts and bottled water. It can only be quenched at the fountain of living water.

Over the last few years, I’ve been able to develop some friendships with the folks at Life Action Ministries. They are on the cutting edge of calling America to revival. I will have the privilege of speaking with several of them at The Cove in November. Today, I was reading an article they recently sent out, entitled, “What Could Change With Revival?”

“The following are excerpts from a letter sent by Pastor Jonathan Edwards to Rev. Thomas Prince in Boston, dated Dec. 12, 1743. They describe some things God did in what we call the First Great Awakening, which influenced the American colonies between 1730 and 1745. (The Mr. Whitefield that is mentioned is preacher George Whitefield from England.)

“The congregation was extraordinarily melted by every sermon [of Mr. Whitefield's in the meeting-house]; almost the whole assembly being in tears for a great part of sermon time. Mr. Whitefield’s sermons were suitable to the circumstances of the town, containing just reproofs of our backslidings, and, in a most moving and affecting manner, making use of our great profession and great mercies as arguments with us to return to God, from whom we had departed…

“The revival at first appeared chiefly among professors [of salvation] and those that had entertained the hope that they were in a state of grace, to whom Mr. Whitefield chiefly addressed himself. But in a very short time there appeared an awakening and deep concern among some young persons that looked upon themselves as in a Christless state; and there were some hopeful appearances of conversion; and some professors [of salvation] were greatly revived.

“In about a month or six weeks, there was a great alteration in the town, both as to the revivals of professors and awakenings of others. By the middle of December, a very considerable work of God appeared among those that were very young;…religious subjects almost wholly took up their conversation when they [the people in general] were together.

“Ever since the great work of God that was wrought here about nine years ago, there has been a great abiding alteration in this town in many respects. . . . There has remained a more general seriousness and decency in attending the public worship. There has been a very great alteration among the youth of the town with respect to reveling, frolicking, profane and unclean conversation, and lewd songs. Instances of fornication have been very rare. There has also been a great alteration among both old and young with respect to tavern haunting. I suppose the town has been in no measure so free of vice in these respects for any long time together for this sixty years as it has been this nine years past.”

If you want to see change that matters, look to God. Forget the government—they can’t help. They take, but God gives. They spend, but God invests in His people things that are eternal. Where’s your trust today? Is it in Him or them?

Copyright 2009, Michael Catt

God is working through UPWARD. We are seeing increasing numbers of children and families impacted by what God is doing through the Sports and Recreation ministry. Jay Flynt and his staff of volunteers are helping us reach our “Jerusalem.”

God is working, and you’ll see evidence of that this Sunday. We have scheduled a third grader to share what God is doing in his life, giving powerful evidence of how “it’s not about me.”

God is working in Bible Study. John Spencer and the Bible Study team are working to connect with the many new people who are visiting us every week. We have had hundreds of first-time guests in the last few months. You can help us by loving on new people and connecting with them. I am hearing some amazing testimonies of God moving in many of our Sunday School classes. That’s ministry where the rubber meets the road.

God is working in our services. For the last few weeks, the air has been electric with the presence of God. You can see the hand of God moving in our midst. While I would not want to judge a work of God by externals, we do know what God is doing in a person’s life by the fruit they bear. We are seeing the fruit of praise and hunger for God in our services. This means the devil is working as well, hoping to distract or discourage those in whom God is working.

God is working through the Love Dare Bible Study. I got an email today from a pastor who has seen five people come to Christ through the study in his church in Florida. God is working in the lives of first responders. Churches are buying the Love Dare for firemen and policemen in their community.

God is working through Fireproof on DVD. The sales have been incredible, and it was # 4 in rentals in the nation its first week out. Praise God that we have been available to be used by Him. Remember, God’s working because we don’t take the credit—we’re just the vessels He has chosen to use at this time.

God is working in cities around this country. I’ve been in Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida and Missouri in the last three weeks. I saw God moving in the hearts of people who gathered for the Arkansas State Evangelism Conference during an ice storm. Many committed to reaching the next generation for Christ in that two-day conference. I saw God working at Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City where I had the opportunity to speak last week. Students are hungry for God and want to be used by Him.

God is working as we prepare for ReFRESH™ in the Smokies. We have well over 200 signed up, with pastors coming from New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Louisiana and other states. Several churches and organizations have been gracious to provide scholarships for many of these pastors, most of whom are in small churches or bi-vocational positions. Pray for God to work in the conference. Pray for Tom Elliff, Ken Jenkins, Bill Stafford, Ed Litton and me as we pour our lives into these men of God.

God is working through Fireproof Your Life and Prepare for Rain. I get emails every week from pastors and people around the country who have read one, or both, of the books, and God has used them to touch their lives. God is working as we prepare for the national release of The Power of Desperation in June.

God is working. We are starting a podcast the first week in March. I’m excited about the work Brian Kelley has done to make this happen. I’m praying for God to use these messages to impact people around the globe.

God is working through Frontline Parenting. We’ve now had two of these events, which I believe should be required for any parent. We’re offering great encouragement and principles on how to raise your kids in a world that is trying to destroy their lives. Chuck Allen and the Rosbergs have both done an outstanding job. You can purchase the CDs or DVDs from these events in The Source.

God is working in our staff. I see a hunger in them and joy on their faces. They demonstrate love for one another and a unified team spirit. I see Jesus in them, and I’m grateful I get the chance to work with this team.

God is working through our Generations giving. We continue to make progress in eliminating our debt and expanding the Sports Park. God is our source when it comes to finances, and having the faith to believe God and obey God in tough economic times is a sign of a healthy believer.

God is working. Do you see it? Sense it? Don’t take it for granted. He is looking for humble, contrite, available people who will avail themselves to Him without reservation or hesitation. If we will live that way and stay that way, He might look our way and send a sweeping wind of revival.

Copyright 2009, Michael Catt

Nationally, we need some change. Wall Street has been more like a back alley with drug dealers making quick bucks than a business handling the investments of hardworking people. Politics needs to change. Democrats and Republicans alike are self-absorbed. They don’t do what’s in the best interest of the country; they do what’s in their best interest. We are insane if we think the same old political cronies are going to produce real change. It’s the clowns in Congress who allowed the legislation that got us in this mess. I’m for change—make the Representatives and Senators live in their districts face the music every week for the constituency that elected them. The car companies need to change. The unions have destroyed the free enterprise system, and we are paying people not to work. Unions have set up their own welfare system within the auto industry. That needs to change.

Churches need to change. Churches obsessed with business meetings or run by a few families need to go out of business. Churches that treat pastors like slave labor need to close their doors. Communities would be healthier if about half of the churches were shut down or combined to make vital, stronger churches. We don’t need a church on every corner. We need churches that are more committed to the four corners of the earth than their corner on the pew.

Denominations need to change. We are losing a younger generation because we aren’t listening and leading. The younger preachers flock to conferences that lack balance and do little to encourage biblical preaching. Why? Because the majority of mainline denominations don’t have a clue what’s going on in the pew. The ivory castle is no place to figure out what is needed. Jesus walked among the people; He didn’t sit in an office removed from them.

There has been much debate in my denomination about the name of the Cooperative Program. I believe that program is a solid way to join together in a common cause and mission. It was right to change the name of the Foreign Mission Board to the International Mission Board. It was right to change the name of the Home Mission Board to the North American Mission Board. It was right to change the name of the Baptist Sunday School Board to LifeWay. So what’s the problem with changing the name of the Cooperative Program?

I know of meetings where men have dug in their heels on changing this name. They refuse to think of Kingdom business. They are more stuck on two antiquated words than a name that will (a) continue to emphasize CP giving and (b) get the attention of a younger generation that thinks in missional, kingdom terms. Of course, they would rather let the funding die and ministries cease than do anything about increasing our giving to missions. The change that needs to come is (a) in the name and (b) in anyone who wants to hold on to a name for a name’s sake.

Change is not the same old thing with a new label. Baptists are notorious for changing the label on the same old product. We use to have BYU on Sunday nights, and then it was Training Union, then Church Training, then Discipleship Training. The problem was never the name. The problem was that we weren’t doing a good job of training and discipling. Call it Bible Study, Sunday School, Small Groups or Cell Groups—the key is the leader’s commitment to the purpose of the event and process.

Churches have to be willing to change. We’ve changed a lot at Sherwood in my nearly twenty years here. When I came, we were King James only, women couldn’t wear pants, and Scofield was as sacred as Saint Paul. Today, nothing has changed theologically, but we wouldn’t be the church we are today if we had not changed.

We changed the music, but not the message. We changed the translation we use, but not the commitment to inerrancy. We changed the way we do ministry, from committees and deacons running the church to Pastor-led. The result? Over 5,000 people have joined in the last twenty years. With the declining population of our area, it is a God thing that we are growing.

What if we had stayed the same? One, a lot of folks who left would have been happy. They would still be large and in charge. Two, we wouldn’t be making movies. We wouldn’t have a Sports Park. We wouldn’t be an integrated church like we are with people from nearly a dozen nations. We wouldn’t be reaching people in 29 surrounding communities. Three, we wouldn’t be “anchored to the rock and geared to the times.”

We must be consistent and at the same time changing. One day, we may not be in the movie business anymore. I don’t foresee that day coming soon, but if it does, God has something else for us. We need to be constantly thinking, “How do we keep the vision of ‘reaching the world from Albany, Georgia’ when we are aiming at a moving target?” The methods must never become sacred. The message must always be essential.

Paul was willing to become all things to all men that he might save a few. Paul never compromised the gospel, but he did whatever it took to carry the gospel to others. Will you join me in praying that God will continually use us in a changing world to change lives and the culture? Let’s pray we never get stuck in our ways or preferences. Let’s ask God to make us fluid in our thinking, while at the same time fixed on the cross.

Copyright 2009, Michael Catt

As we begin 2009, this is no time for business as usual. The militant church has become the decadent church in the last 25 years. The church has always had issues, problems and scandals, but now with the ability to beam stories around the globe in minutes via the internet, scandals seem to take a bigger stage.

There’s another issue we face: the complacent church. Most of the evangelical churches in America are status quo or dying. Many never baptize a soul. It’s not that there aren’t lost people, it’s that the church cares little about the lost. Some churches are more concerned about business meetings than doing the business of the church. The Great Commission has become the Great Omission.

Someone somewhere has to persistently push to change these things. Somebody has to say, “Enough is enough.” Some preacher, some church has to step up and say, “We will not sit silently while the world races toward hell.”

We hear the rumblings of socialism in the halls of government. We are a debtor nation on our way to being a second rate country. Like Rome, decadence is applauded. Rick Warren and others are criticized for taking a stand on same sex marriage. We are pushing toward a society where there is talk of tolerance, but no tolerance if you have a Judeo-Christian ethic.

The auto industry is in shambles because of the greed of white collar workers and union bosses. Americans have become their own worst enemy. Our greed, materialism, obsession with credit cards, and the assumption that we have a right to health and happiness is taking us down a dead-end road.

Where are the people who are persistent in the things that matter? Where’s the bulldog tenacity to do the right thing, even when it hurts? Where’s the passion for the higher good? We are a nation of couch potatoes. We will talk back to the TV commentators, but we won’t get off our blessed assurance to do anything about the times in which we live.

This is no time for believers to be spiritually ADD. Spiritual attention deficit disorder cannot be treated with medication or counseling. It has to be taken to the altar. We must fix our gaze on God, not on passing fancies or secondary issues. The church cannot afford to do business as usual. It’s later than it’s ever been.

The times in which we live could be depressing, but I believe it’s a great opportunity for God to work. It’s an opportunity for the church to have a laser focus on the Lord. These days provide a chance for us to seek the Lord, pray, witness, teach, train and equip. Knowing that the days are evil, we have good news.

As we begin this new year together, let’s be sharp, focused and resolved to do all God has for us. If we listen to the prognosticators, we will be discouraged. If we listen to the prophets of the Bible, we will not be surprised by these events. Judgment always comes upon a nation that forsakes God. If we will seize this time to listen to the Lord and follow Him, we could find ourselves in a position for God to move in mighty ways.

Be persistent in prayer. The greatest thing you can do for yourself, your church and this nation is pray. Be an intercessor. Pray for God to move in mighty ways in our midst. Pray for His hand, His power and His presence to be manifest among us.

Be persistent in attendance. I noticed attendance went up when gas prices skyrocketed. I also noticed that people began to focus more on spiritual things (a low motive is better than no motive). Being in God’s house puts you in a position to listen and learn. Be persistent in bringing your kids on Sundays and Wednesdays. We want to help you raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Be persistent in serving. We are in constant need of workers in our preschool area. This is a good problem because we have so many children. Jesus loved children. The church that is persistent in ministering to children will find God’s blessings.

Be persistent in inviting others to come. Over the past few months, we’ve seen a significant increase in guests. Invite your friends to be a part of what God is doing here. Speak lovingly and often about the Lord and this church. You are the greatest advertisement we have. Be persistent in friendliness. Walk slowly through the halls. Linger after the services. Meet new people. Invite new folks to eat with you. Enjoy the blessings of this incredible fellowship.

Be persistent in giving. I know the economy is in trouble, but God’s economic plan has worked for thousands of years. If you want to see your money go further and make a difference, obey the Word. Luke 6:38 reminds us, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Matthew 6:33-34 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.” Malachi writes, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts (3:10-11).

These verses are not given as a means to raise money for the budget. They are given to raise our faith. In times like these, persistence in giving is a shot over the bow of the devourer that says, “We will take God at His Word.”

Will you join me in being persistent?

Copyright 2009, Michael Catt