Wisdom and Goals: Understanding the Relationship
01/19/12 Filed in: Bible-Related
New Year’s Resolutions have become a tradition in America, but they have a high fail rate. Most people just hit the reset button every January and try again. This has turned into an annual teeter-totter of resolving and dissolving. This cycle of failure points to a deeper problem.
In our culture, achieving goals has become more important than wisdom itself! But without wisdom, goals become either overly fragile or outright foolish. God’s Word has just the answer to this dilemma.
First things first. Reaching physical or material goals is not more important than becoming wise. Proverbs 4:7 is crystal clear on this issue. “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Let’s apply this truth to goal setting.
Whatever goal you set, it must not lead to a constant imbalance in other areas or you will be foolish. Any goal you strive for must not damage important relationships or, again, you are foolish. It is possible to achieve your goals at the expense of wisdom. Goals are not the principal thing—wisdom is given that honor.
High achievers have often sacrificed health, relationships, and their own conscience to stand on the summit of success. But without wisdom, they become a striking contrast. The higher they go in their career, the lower they go in their character. Without wisdom, they will morally tumble to the bottom.
This New Year, make wisdom “the principal thing.” Where does that leave goals? Wisdom will purify and prioritize them. That way, they will never become more important than wisdom itself! Remember, the end does not justify the means. In sports, winning is not everything, but how you play the game. Honest losing is always wiser than victorious cheating. In fact, the real winners are those who are wiser after every contest, no matter the final score.
When you make wisdom “the principal thing,” you have your best shot at achieving your goals. With wisdom, goals are stepping-stones. Without wisdom, they are stumbling-blocks. Obviously, the lesser needs the greater. The relationship is one of master and servant. Goals must cooperate with wisdom, not compete with it. After all, wisdom is the best friend your goals will ever have!
Special Christmas Events at Northside Baptist Church
12/07/11 Filed in: Ministry-Related
During the month of December, our church will be busy celebrating the birth of Christ with four special presentations.
On Sunday, the 11th, after the evening 6pm service, join us for a time of Neighborhood Caroling, and some cookies and hot chocolate afterward.
On Sunday, the 18th, at 6:00pm will be our annual Candlelight Service with the singing of the traditional carols.
On Friday evening, the 23rd, from 7:00 to 9:00, enjoy our drive-thru Living Nativity, with actors in costume and carolers.
Finally, our Christmas morning, the 25th, at 10:30am, Northside’s Choir will present the new musical, Season of Light, in the main sanctuary.
So, in the spirit of Christmas, we extend a warm welcome to you and yours to join us for these special celebrations at Northside Baptist Church!
Thoughts on the Death of Steve Jobs
10/10/11
The recent passing of Tech Titan, Steve Jobs, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, has caused a worldwide outpouring of affection. Many tributes have been written to honor the man who turned Apple Inc. into a technology powerhouse. But common people were also very touched by his death because of the popularity of his high-tech gadgets, which are best represented by the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
He led the way with innovations across many fields—computers, cell phones, desktop publishing, computer animation, online music purchases through digital downloads, an advanced operating system, and retail stores. And he did it all with his relentless perfectionism and artistic style combined with a flair for showmanship and strong authoritarian control. He was truly a brilliant one-of-a-kind technologist who will be sorely missed by countless admirers and fans.
The saddest aspect of his passing is not his untimely death at 56, leaving behind his family and company that he co-founded. Nor is it the loss of his fertile mind that enabled him to glimpse the next great thing. For Steve Jobs himself, all that is now irrelevant. Mr. Jobs was a soul that left this earth with nothing but his character. From all that we know of him, he was not a believer in Jesus Christ. He held a mixture of Buddhism and New Age philosophies to the very end.
All those philosophies and successes cannot help him now. As Jesus said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). We must draw the line of admiration at salvation. We only feel pity for the lost while they live, and profound sadness if they die without Christ. Steve Jobs is no different.
While I certainly would have preferred his conversion to Christ over his success, nonetheless, I will go on using the products he inspired. I have used Macintosh computers since 1989. Generally speaking, my Macs are very reliable machines with intuitive software that have enabled me to be more efficient and productive in the Lord’s work.
I thank God for giving the world such a creative genius. Divine Providence used Steve Jobs to indirectly help us. Apple’s products are also used by our enemies to great effect. But we can strike back at them with the same tools! May we always work harder as well as smarter because of the legacy of Steve Jobs.
Don't Lose Your Head To Popular Culture!
05/18/11 Filed in: News & Views
Pop Culture permeates society or it wouldn’t be popular. And yet, while it is fashionable, it is not very thoughtful. In fact, it promotes mindlessness! We see this in advertising all the time. A certain product becomes “cool,” and then it becomes all the rage. A stampede to the stores leads to the gadget or gizmo flying off the shelves. Many of these shoppers can’t really defend their purchases intellectually. They just fell for the herd mentality of popular culture.
The mindlessness of Pop Culture is seen with the revelation that former California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a house staffer ten years ago. Now that his political career is over, he goes public with the news. This shows more political calculation than moral sensitivity. And yet many Americans are shocked at his reported behavior. Mr. Schwarzenegger never really reinvented himself from a shallow pop icon to a strong political leader. He could dress and act the part for a while, but the pressures of high office in tough times revealed the strong man’s moral unfitness. Most Hollywood celebrities are products of popular culture. A morally-clueless Hollywood is not a very good crucible for forging leaders.
What do we learn from Popular Culture? Never trade substance for style. What this country needs is moral and spiritual substance, not the thin veneer of style that promotes a celebrity mindset. Cool is a fad; character is a force. So, don’t lose your head to Popular Culture! Keep it by thinking on God’s Word—it’s not as trendy, perhaps, but timeless truth never is. Follow the example of one of history’s greatest substantive leaders, King David, who said long ago: “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto the testimonies” (Psalm 119:59).
Mainstream Media Indifferent to the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible
05/09/11 Filed in: Bible-Related
May 2, 1611, is the historic date of the publication of the greatest English Bible in history. And celebrations have been unfolding on both sides of the Atlantic. A great website to check on worldwide events is kingjamesbibletrust.org. However, though there are many churches, schools of higher learning, private museums and various religious organizations celebrating this mega-milestone, the mainstream media has made it a low priority. In fact, as it turned out, it was on the evening of May 1st that President Obama announced the daring raid by Navy SEALs that successfully took out Osama Bin Laden. Thus, the news cycle was focused on that event, and the key day for pointing out America’s greatest treasure was missed.
Since this is the biggest English Bible anniversary of our lifetime, there’s still plenty of time to celebrate it. Your church or ministry could honor the KJV anytime in 2011. It would be a great opportunity to learn how this one translation has become a cornerstone of modern civilization. And best of all, the providential hand of God can be seen in the preservation of the Word of God, which God said He would do in Psalm 12:6-7.
If you would like to show an outstanding video to mark this great anniversary, you can’t do better than The Indestructible Book, hosted by the late Dr. Ken Connolly. This series is a breath-taking overview of the Bible from the days of it first inspiration through the centuries of its preservation. Most of it is shot on location from historic places, giving the viewer a feeling of being on a guided tour. It can be ordered from many booksellers or from Amazon.com. We highly recommend it.
