time together

Chris and I flew to St. Louis today, rented a car and drove about 4.5 hours to Branson, MO where we'll be attending a pastor's retreat sponsored by Dr. David Shibley and his "Global Advance" missions ministry. As we drove, it was just so good to talk together leisurely...sometimes serious, sometimes just nonsensical stuff that came into our heads...but mainly, I was struck with how good it was to be together with this woman that I love.

As I said this past weekend in our "Faith for Your Marriage" teaching, it's incredibly important that husbands and wives make time for each other. Every relationship needs time together to thrive, and it was great to practice what we preached. That's my desire for every CLCer - that you'll do whatever you have to do in order to spend time with the important people in your life.

Marital determination

Given the number of marriages that seem to be under attack (or falling apart), even among Christians, this little reading that I found someplace sure exemplifies the attitude that each of us should have regarding our marriage.  Enjoy!

 

I am standing for the healing of my marriage!
I won’t give up, give in, give out, or give over till that healing takes place!

I made a vow; I said the words and meant the words…in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad;

So I’m standing now, and won’t sit down, let down, slow down, calm down, fall down, look down, or be down till the breakdown is torn down!

I refuse to put my eyes on outward circumstances; or listen to prophets of doom, or buy into what’s trendy, worldly, popular, convenient, easy, quick, thrifty, or advantageous.

Nor will I settle for a cheap imitation of God’s real thing.
Nor will I seek to lower God’s standard, rewrite God’s Word, violate God’s covenant, or accept what God hates, namely divorce

In a world of filth, I will stay pure.
Surrounded by lies, I will speak the truth.
Where hopelessness abounds, I will hope in God.
Where revenge is easier, I will bless instead of curse, and when the odds are stacked against me, I’ll trust in God’s faithfulness.

I’m a stander, and I won’t acquiesce, compromise, quarrel, or quit.

I will allow neither the reaction of my spouse, nor the urging of my friends, nor the advice of my loved ones, nor the economic hardship, nor the prompting of the devil to make me let up, slow up, blow up, or give up till my marriage is healed up. AMEN!”

 

 

Black History Month

What about “Black History Month” at CLC?

 

First, I want to apologize that our silence up until now could easily have been misinterpreted – especially our failure to publicly acknowledge the recent homegoing of a truly great American, Coretta Scott King.  Probably at the very least we should have included our condolences in the bulletin or via our video announcement slides, and we really have no excuse other than ‘tunnel vision’ toward our own upcoming events.

 

However, in regards to a February observance of Black History Month, we have chosen not to participate at CLC, not (as above) because we didn’t think about it, but rather because we have thought about it, and in fact, sought counsel from our African-American elders, pastors and leaders at the church as well.

 

Our collective wisdom is that in a multi-cultural congregation such as ours, where racial reconciliation is a stated and obvious core value, it would be best not to participate in a special observance honoring any one race, for several reasons.

 

(1) As some African-American pastors have pointed out, such an observance can seem to emphasize our differences rather than bringing us closer together.

 

(2)  In a multicultural church such as ours, if we follow the tradition of a ‘Black History month’, then it would only seem appropriate to also do a 'Hispanic History month' or an 'Asian history month', etc. which doesn't seem like a good idea, as it could easily take our focus off the Lord and onto man.  Instead, we do hope to creatively honor all the races during our annual Week of Missions this fall.

 

(3)  Because of our already stated core values, and my regular remarks in sermons against racism, we feel our visionary emphasis should remain focused on empowering people, regardless of age, race, or gender, without an additional or separate observance of Black history.

 

You are certainly free to disagree, but we did want our CLC family to know that this was not an oversight on the part of our leadership team.

 

Jerry McQuay
Senior Pastor,
CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER
www.clctoday.org

 

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CLC FAMILY

Our Porn Weekend is over, and now that we’ve opened the door for dialogue on this huge issue, I want to offer some suggestions:

For parents who want to protect your children from porn:
1. Probably the single-best thing you can do: keep any computer connected to the internet in the public areas of your house, not in the bedroom (yours or your child’s). Think about it: how likely is anyone to view porn in the kitchen or family room, with other people around? And, for that matter, why would anyone need a computer in their bedroom with the door locked? Duh…it’s a no brainer…but a real solution!
2. Now that we’ve paved the way for you, don’t be afraid to discuss this subject with your children, and get help if needed. Our student ministries are offering small groups designed specifically to help our youth with this issue, and one of our parents, Thomesa Hutcherson, offers a sexual abstinence group especially for our girls. Take advantage of these resources!
3. Speaking of resources, everything listed in the weekend guide is great, not to mention the accountability software and other helps at www.xxxchurch.com.
4. Another of our volunteers, Robert McCain, will be offering a seminar soon to teach you how to detect porn files on your computer if you suspect your child is dabbling. Be listening for details as to when and where the seminar will be held.

For women living with someone who struggles with porn:
1. Again, some of the resources listed in the weekend guide are specifically for you.
2. In addition, we have prayer partners and counselors and support groups available to help you in dealing with your situation – simply call the office or email our Women’s Ministry Director, Heidi Stevens: heidistevens@clctoday.org
3. I urge you to get a copy of my teaching, “Light is Good” from January 10, 1999 (you can order through our media booth in the lobby for the special price of just $4) and listen to it with the person in your life who is struggling, to help them see the need for dealing with this issue in the light. While I do not advocate divorce, I do urge you to be adamant and firm in your compassion – this issue will not go away on its own, and the person in your life must know that you find this behavior unacceptable, and that you will not budge from that position.

For anyone who personally struggles with porn:
1. Get a copy of the teaching listed above (“Light is Good”) and apply it!
2. Utilize the resources from the weekend guide, including the free software and other resources found at www.xxxchurch.com
3. Confess your sin to God and ask for His help!
4. Confess your weakness to an accountability partner. If you don’t have a godly friend willing to help you by asking the tough questions and holding you accountable, contact our office – we have prayer partners and Spirit-filled men who are ready to assist you either one-on-one or in a support group atmosphere.
5. Clean it up by getting rid of all porn in your life – deleting files, discarding magazines, destroying videos – any and every source that feeds your fantasies. Be ruthless and thorough! In addition, take the necessary precautions to help protect yourself from sexual temptation:
Remove any computer connected to the internet from your bedroom, and keep it in a ‘public’ area of your home, like the kitchen or family room.
Cancel any ‘questionable’ subscriptions – including, but not limited to Maxim, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, etc. Again, be ruthless!
Get into Cleansing Streams (first session is Wednesday, March 15) where you’ll learn habits that will help fortify you against temptation and empower you to break every additive habit that has been fueled by the spirit of lust in your life.
Fill your mind and heart with the Word of God (see Ps 119:9-11; Rom 13:14). When you are tempted, pause to read or meditate on such verses or call your accountability partner or find a place to pray; deliverance is your promise!
6. If you fall, get back up again – but don’t give up! Don’t make excuses for your sin, but be determined and merciless in getting porn out of your life.
7. Know that you are not alone, and that other believers all around the world have been set free, totally free, by the power of the Holy Spirit! As the song says, it is no secret what God can do, and what He has done for others, He’ll do for you!!
We’re praying for you. Please contact any of our pastors if you need further help or counsel. Blessings,
Pastor Jerry