Another Roadtrip

We are in for Branson, Mo for the weekend. A nice drive to visit some friends, hit a great church at Telos Bible Church on Sunday and a meeting at the Kanakuk Institute on Monday. Only regret is that we are not going to be able to spend more time with the men and women attending the Institute this year.

Oh, well. You cannot have it all, all the time.

As usual, I am enjoying a road trip, it seems to be my favorite mode of travel these days. We have the CD series, The Best of Prof, to listen to. It is a collection of talks by Howard Hendricks, collected over 50+ years of bible teaching by one of the best. Really looking forward to spending a few hours with the Prof on the road.

Flat Stanley is also coming with us. He arrived from our great-niece in Virginia for some time in Texas, and he gets a bonus trip out to Branson as well.

So, a lot planned for a short road trip. But we are looking forward to it.

A Definition of Community

This is a recent picture of my friend wheel off of my Facebook profile. To me, it is a graphic depiction of what one intertwingled community, that of my Facebook friends, looks like. Every once and a while I look at it to try to understand how connectivity between people is building as my network grows. There are some well connected segments across the top (my church, 121 Community Church) and top right (the Kanakuk Institute) and a loner contingent across the lower right side. Not that these folks are loners, they are quite social, it is just they do not link in with others in this particular world of mine. This wheel probably says much about group dynamics and how they develop that I have not even begun to think about.

It is a picture of how community can develop over time, especially when using tools that were not available just a few years ago. The key to this type of community is working to keep it growing deeper as the on line aspect makes a surface relationship quite easy.

I think of community with God and how easy it is for me to keep my relationship with Him on the surface with the tools He has provided me. The death of Jesus for my sin allows me the access to the throne in prayer and supplication, in praise and joy 24/7. Yet if I do not reach out it will be a relationship on the surface only. To my loss and dismay.

So this wheel reminds my of that and the need to connect beyond and beneath the surface. Other than that, I like the pretty colors.

A Great Trip

We are back from a long weekend in Branson, MO and we had a great time visiting friends. We got to spend Sunday worship at Telos Bible Church where our friend Bernard is pastor. It was a great sermon on some of the resurrection appearances of Jesus (and the fact that I appeared that weekend in Branson is pure coincidence, do not read anything into it). It is always good to worship in a strong bible based church when you are away from home. There is none better on the road than Telos.


We spent Sunday evening and all Monday morning with the 2009 class and staff at the Kanakuk Institute. This is a great group of young men and women intensely studying the bible for a year and nurturing strong hearts for service in the Lord. This is a great ministry to pray for and support. Wed listened to a lesson on Esther that was taught by a fellow who is going to be a classmate of mine in Trinitarianism at DTS in the spring session. And we both had to go to Branson to meet for the first time. Small world!

It is very heartening to see a new generation of leadewrs developing right before your eyes. I expect wonderful things in the name of the Lord from all these folks at the Institute.




We stayed at the Chateau on the Lake while we were there. It is a great property and a fun place to spend some time. However, the weekend following New Year's is a bit slow in Branson so the hotel was quite slow. I do not want to say how slow, but the day we left I saw a kid riding a tricycle down the hall saying "Red Rum". I immediately located all the fire axes and checked out quickly (Here's Johnny!). For those of you who are wondering what I am talking about, I said my sense of humor was a bit off kilter.

We are going to be going back to Branson probably once or twice a year because of some stuff I will be doing out there. We love visiting all our friends out that way. It is becoming a home city away from home for us.

Getting Back More Than I Could Ever Give

I have talked about the 12DoCC and how it has impacted me. I have written about all the Bibles in my life as well. And how has the Lord given me some blessings this Christmas season?

He sent me another Bible.

And this one will have a special place in my heart. It is from my friends at the Kanakuk Institute. Even has that embossed on the burgundy leather front cover. I have had the privilege of meeting the staff and students at the Institute over the past few years and a more impressive bunch of young men and women you would be hard pressed to find. Don't bother, you will not, you just can't.

This Bible is a New Inductive Study Bible - New American Standard Bible. Yes, a NISB NASB. What makes this one dear to my heart is that the students penned thank you notes for our support and they are inserted on notecards all over the Bible. often the students included a verse reference and that is where you will find that particular note sticking between the pages. I read them quickly so I could see them all the first time. I will have to go back and read more slowly again in the very near future.

I have it placed on my Franklin library stand in my office. I'll see it every time I go in there, which is more than I can count daily.

I will treasure the thought that went into each note, the thought that made them send it to me and what it represents: a new generation of men and women eager to share the Gospel.

With people like this, I do not expect the following to happen too easily:

All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 (NASB)

People I like, if you happen to be in the neighborhood

Well, both people and organizations that I like. As I move down the road (the name of my blog is a result of my musing on Matthew 7:13-14), I find myself privileged to meet really great groups of people who have true heart for the Lord. Here are some of them:

• Telos Bible Church . My good buddy and first pastor, Bernard Bourque is the senior pastor here, and if you are ever in Branson, MO looking for a place to get some great bible teaching, here it is



• Kanakuk Institute . Another friend, Keith Chancey, started this organization, and if you want to meet a fantastic group of men and women, recent college grads, with tremendous heart to serve the Lord, check them out



• Evantell . The Gospel. Clear and Simple. I cannot say enough about what Larry Moyer and his team do here. Focused, direct and clearly having eyes on Jesus, and Him alone



• NeedHim. Maybe you have seen or heard their advertising. If you ever need someone to talk to about your faith, they have volunteers staffing the phones around the clock. Drew Dickens and team do a super job



• 121 Community Church . My home church. Where I go to be refreshed everyweek in the word of God. If you are near DFW airport some Sunday morning, stop by and visit, hear Ross Sawyers preach and teach.

Why do I mention these organizations? Like I said, I like the people. Also, we need to recognize, we need to acknowledge the community from which we get encouragement, from which we gain affirmation, from which we draw strength for the daily battle. These are some of the people who have made my walk on that narrow path a little easier to navigate over the past few years. I want to thank them, I want to tell them to keep doing what they are doing.

I could make this journey without people like them and finish, for I have the Lord by my side. But the trip would not be as rich if it is devoid of community like this. I encourage you to think about the community that surrounds you, to affirm and celebrate it. There is no need to make your own journey alone.