Pastor's Circle - Steve Blakemore

Steve Blakemore is the Professor of Philosophy at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and the pastor of Wesley Chapel He joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about the new year. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

2012 is the end of the world?

According to the people who have studied this thing, 2012 is when the Mayan calendar predicted the end of time.

How should we as pastors talk to our congregations about the Second Coming?

First of all, I think we need to talk about the Second Coming to people in very serious terms, but in hopeful terms, and in responsible terms.

What I mean by that is this: quite often, people take the Second Coming and make it an escapist doctrine: the world's just going to keep getting worse, and we just have to hang on until Jesus comes.

In Biblical terms, the Second Coming was always a hope, a hope that Jesus was going to come and bring his Kingdom.

And because we teach that hope, we have to say to our congregations that anything that is not of the coming Kingdom is not going to matter.

Why would we invest our lives in things that don't matter? Let's be about things that are of the Kingdom, rather than things that will perish.

What's your take on New Year's resolutions?

When I was younger, I was much bigger into trying to make New Year's resolutions, until I realized that I was an abject failure at keeping them.

Resolutions are about people realizing that time is passing in their lives. Even in very ancient cultures, people look at the beginning of the year as a time to look at beginning life anew.

There's something about marking the passing of time that can be sobering to us. In that sense, there's some helpfulness in taking a serious look at our lives in view of who God is calling us to be.

I think it does have some benefit. Accountability could probably help us there, though.

How important is it to reflect on the past year?

In the book of Deuteronomy, it is all about remembering the law of the Lord. Remembering what God has done is the inspiration for laying down a new trajectory in life.

What cultural challenges will the Church face in 2012?

One of the things that most concerns me right now is the potential for a divide among Christians in regard to how we should relate to the political field.

One of the great challenges we're going to have to face is probably how we're going to think about the Church's relationship to the State.

How do we think about politics? What do we do when we find a Christian, a true believer who believes in big government? Or when a big government Christian finds someone who doesn't agree with him?

I think this new election year that we're facing is going to be a real time of potential division for Christians. That's the kind of cultural thing that worries me.

Pastor's Circle - Albert Haase

Father Albert Haase, a Franciscan priest, joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the "challenge of Christmas". Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What are your reflections on Christmas this year?

Let me tell you something about Christmas. We often talk about how the feast has become commercialized. 

But I think there is something much more important that many of us miss. I like to talk about having an "adult Christ" at Christmas. 

We have turned our celebration of Christmas day into a celebration for children. But Christmas really has an adult challenge.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, we always celebrate the feast day of St. Stephen, the first martyr, the day after Christmas.

I think what that says to us is this: this Babe also comes with a great responsibility. If we're going to accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we have to be willing to die for that. The cross always shadows the crib.

The Christmas celebration is wonderful, but let's never forget that it also requires us to take a hard stand for the God that we have in our lives.

In Nigeria, for instance, Christians were killed for celebrating Christmas.

Also in Pakistan, where two Christian churches on Christmas Eve were attacked by Hindus. In America, we are so insulated from this kind of having our faith put at risk.

So much of American culture is Christian, we've really lost the counter-cultural edge of Christianity.

So what does it mean for us to take a stand?

No matter where anyone is in the world, we all experience injustices. In our homes, businesses, we see people treated with disrespect rather than dignity.

So you and I might not risk our lives by walking in the doors of the church on Sunday morning, but we still have a stand to take when we walk into the office.

You and I disavow Jesus Christ every time we turn a blind eye to an injustice that we clearly see.

Injustice was at Jesus' birth too, with the slaughter of the innocents.

I think that's really interesting. Herod hears about the birth of this newborn king, and he is so threatened that he has all the two-year-old boys slaughtered around the vicinity of Bethlehem.

You and I don't slaughter children, but how many times have I slaughtered the reputations of other people because my little power base was being threatened?

Christianity is meant to be a religion of life. There is no other way around it. But we as Christians often find it "inconvenient" to stand up for that.

Pastor's Circle - Jim Garlow

Dr. Jim Garlow pastors at Skyline Church in San Diego, CA. He also serves as the chairman of Renewing American Leadership, and is the author of a number of books. 

He joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about using buildings for discipleship. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

You build your facilities with the intention of discipleship. Tell us about that.

We build our building with a great symbolism. Out in front will be a sidewalk called the Heritage Walk.

On the tiles will be the names of the top 300 leaders in Christian history. I can use it as a teaching device so that we can help the people understand the level of sacrifice that came before them.

Right out beside that is a playground with a sidewalk and the books of the Bible, in a hopscotch pattern.

As you walk on this heritage sidewalk is a fountain that we call the "Revelation Fountain", based on Revelation 4. It's also a baptismal font.

The fountain is loaded with symbolism, all based around Revelation chapter 4. All this is done to draw people's hearts in. All this is designed for beaming strong, theological messages.

Do you include contemporary leaders in your Heritage Walk?

I do. It starts actually with the figures of the Old and New Testaments. The trinitary revelation is built into it. Then it goes through church history.

Of the three hundred leaders on there, 290 of them are deceased. But there are 10 that are still living; Billy Graham, for instance, is on there.

Who are a few more of those leaders?

Jim Elliot, for example, never made it to his 30th birthday. He was included on there just by virtue of the impact he had by his death.

There are other names; Orange Scott was one who fought hard to free the slaves. He didn't live past 37.

You don't have to live long to have a huge impact.

Pastor's Circle - Daniel Simmons

Dr. Daniel Simmons serves as the senior pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the characters in the Christmas story. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

Why did God choose the people he did for the Christmas story?

I think there are several reasons. Joseph and Mary are chosen because they are in the lineage of David.

But when you're talking about Simeon, or Zechariah, they were chosen because of their faithfulness to God.

When Simeon prayed to God that he would "see" that day, I think God honored that because of his dedication.

How important is that dedication in our lives?

I always say to my congregation that God will not choose people who are not doing anything, who have not proven themselves in some other way.

Obedience is critical. The idea of Christ being Lord and speaking to us, and that radical obedience. When God comes in, it's not a democracy.

How can we hear from God in the way that Joseph or Mary did?

First of all, we have to believe that he does speak. And secondly, we have to spend some time in his Word. We have to develop that ability to hear him.

Find those places in the Bible where God surprised people, and ask God to show us how he can do it in our lives.

Pastor's Circle - Gil McKee

Gil McKee, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa, joined the Pastor's Circle today to discuss giving at Christmas. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

What is a new insight God has given you into Christmas this year?

That's easy, and I'm glad you asked. Most people listening are aware of what we went through in April with the tornado.

I think what God has done in our church through that has been amazing. I've seen my church give and give and roll their sleeves up and work and work.

Even at Christmas, I'm seeing my church question what we really need.

Where do you see giving in the Christmas story?

Obviously, just go to the gift of God. For God so loved the world that he gave. This is about giving. God's love for us was so great that he gave the most valuable gift he could give.

And then of course, there are those who came presenting gifts to the Christ Child, but I think the whole theme of the story is God's Gift.

If I want to love as God loves, then I'm not caught up in getting; I'm caught up in giving. I think God has just reminded us of that in a very graphic way this year.

How do you keep that attitude stoked throughout the year?

I think you hit the nail on the head. One of the responsibilities pastors have is to keep that vision in front of people. For me, it just has to be a day-by-day, week-by-week thing.

I think for us, God is just birthing some new ideas and visions for our church family of how we can be a part of that ongoing ministry.

Why do we tend to become "takers"?

I think none of us are immune to the culture around us. Unfortunately, I think some of it has crept into the church.

In the church movement back in the 70s and 80s, there was an emphasis on meeting needs. Unfortunately, it became meeting the needs of those in the church.

You know as well as I do that there are many people out there who come to church only to have their needs met. We've got an entire mindset that we are going to have to work hard to change.

In many ways, we've become no different in our mindset than those outside the church.

Why is that so easy to get away from?

Most of us, when we think about ministry and our church time, spend the vast majority of our time inside the walls of the church.

Jesus did the exact opposite. He spent the vast majority of his time outside of the walls of the synagogues.

I think the good news is that there is a renewal and a revival of that vision. I think that churches realize that they have strayed a little bit from that vision.

We have to remember, it is still the Lord's church. He will do anything in us, to us, through us to get us back inside his will.

Pastor's Circle - Jerry Horner

Jerry Horner has been a university professor and administrator since 1962. He currently functions as the Executive Director of New Creation Ministries. He joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about the Virgin Birth. .Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Is the Virgin Birth important?

Absolutely. In the birth of Jesus, the chain of cause and effect was broken.

The Apostle Paul builds heavily on this. In his letter to the Romans, he gave a contrast between the old humanity, headed by Adam, and the new humanity, headed by Jesus Christ.

By birth, we are under the old humanity, characterized by sin and death. But Jesus Christ is the new Adam. He is the beginning of a new humanity. And without the Virgin Birth, that is not possible.

Christian belief builds heavily on such doctrines.

How important is it that we believe in it?

That is the key. If a person said he doesn't believe in the Virgin Birth, I would not question his salvation, but I would question his view of Scripture. 

The entirety of Christian doctrine rests on the veracity and reliability of the Bible.

If one part of Scripture is suspect, what about the rest of it? If I'm at liberty to cut out one part out of the Bible, why not any other part?

If I'm a judge of Scripture, Scripture is no judge of me. It comes down to submission to the Word of God.

What is one major part of the Christmas narrative that we miss?

I don't think that we can get away from the all-encompassing love of God. The Christmas Story is a love story. I think John 3:16 is the greatest commentary on the Christmas Story. What more could God give?

Pastor's Circle - Bert Harper

Bert Harper, chairman of the board and Director of Family Life and Pastoral Ministries of American Family Association, joined The Matt Friedeman Show today to talk about the decline of marriage and how we can bring revival. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

There's a poll that says marriage is declining. Thoughts?

I saw the same article, and I remembered the push a few years ago by a certain denomination to say that we need to marry earlier.

Marriage is looked down upon in our society. The church is partly to blame. But I would say that the marriage rate in the church is significantly higher than in society.

What are the effects of cohabitation and fatherlessness on society?

The black community in  America has already experienced this trainwreck, with so much of their male population in prison because of fatherless homes.

You have close to 85% of the black population being raised in single-parent homes. If we continue to go down this road, it's going to be a disaster.

The direction that we go determines everything. God's looking for us to go in the right direction. Marriage and family is the right way to go.

How can America have a "turnaround"?

We've got to turn to God. The Bible says "repent." I know it's an old-fashioned term, but we've got to bring it back.

Let the Word of God speak. If we can let it do that, the Word has promised that it will go forth and do what it is supposed to do. It works in a home, it works in a church, it works in a community, and it works in a nation.

How can a pastor invite revival?

Demonstrate it. The thing that hurts me is how many pastors are falling into moral failure.

My wife and I are doing marriage conferences for pastors. Because if we preach one thing and do another, then it falls on deaf ears. This generation can spot hypocrisy.

And then live it. When they see Christ in you, I believe the message will ring true.

Pastor's Circle - Darryl Starnes

Darryl Starnes serves as a bishop for the AME Zion Church. He came on The Matt Friedeman Show to share his insights into the Christmas story. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is the most surprising insight into the Christmas story?

Well, you know this subject is so exhausted. But one of the surprising things is the unlikely links in the chain of Christ's genealogy.

You find a woman who acted like a prostitute, by the name of Tamar. You find another woman, Rahab, who was a prostitute. You find a Moabite, Ruth. And then you find a woman who committed adultery, Bathsheba.

It shows me that God can use people who the world would never expect to bring his good news.

What do we learn from the shepherds?

It is so clear that the Lord is here and he is bringing God to everybody. God is with all of us.

Often the elite feel like the best things in life are for them, and those who are not elite feel like it's not for them. But the good news is for the poor.

God chooses a few people and he brings the good news to everybody.

What about Joseph?

Often overlooked. Can you imagine the faith that he had to have, and that Mary had to have?

To know that the angel told her she was going to have a baby and the Holy Spirit was going to get her with child; how do you explain that to Joseph?

But even before the angel came to him, he was going to handle it in a way that was not harmful or hurtful.

This shows us that once we know God, he may use us to do things that we never imagined were possible.

Think about the importance of timing in this story. Had Joseph not left Bethlehem when he was told to leave, can you imagine what would have happened?

This is why we must do what the Lord says, do it on time, and do it the way he tells us to do it.

Are we too often, like Herod, intimidated by Jesus?

It was not only Herod who was in an uproar, but Scripture says it was also all of Jerusalem.

I think there is a part in all of us that does not want to bow our knee to the Lord and Creator, Jesus Christ. All of us remember when we refused to do so.

But all of us who have bowed our knee know that it was the best thing we have ever done. He brings love, he brings joy, he brings peace, and our only regret is that we did not do it earlier.

Why are we reluctant to surrender to Christ?

I believe we are afraid that we will miss out on things that we love to do and love to be. But we are not aware that "no good thing will he withhold from us".

The truth is the best thing we will ever do is let him in, because he saves us from ourselves.

Pastor's Circle - Bryan Loritts

Bryan Loritts, pastor of Fellowship Memphis, joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss his newest book, A Cross-Shaped Gospel. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Tell us about the idea behind A Cross-Shaped Gospel.

I use the image of the cross to depict the point that the Gospel is supposed to develop on two planes.   

The vertical beam of the cross is the most important. It is rooted in the ground; the horizontal beam can't stand without it.

The vertical beam represents forgiveness of sins and our relationship with God.   

The horizontal beam rests upon the vertical.  This represents our reconciliation with other people.  

Because we are reconciled with God we can be reconciled with other people.

You have a different take on George Whitfield. Tell us about that.

 I was shocked to find out about this man who was a great evangelist. I believe he loved Jesus, but he was influential in causing slavery to be legalized in Georgia.   

Every generation has its blind spots. In Whitefield's day it was slavery. In our day it is materialism.

The example of Whitfield demonstrates the fact that Christians can often separate the vertical aspect of the Gospel from the horizontal. 

While Whitfield was one of the few in his day who would preach to slaves, he did not do anything to use his influence to alleviate the social condition of those slaves.  

He had made the Gospel into something that was entirely "spiritual" or vertical.

Why do we compartmentalize the Gospel like that?

Our church is currently renting a facility and each week we have to set up everything for service. Afterward we have to move all of our things out again.  

We have a very large, very heavy cross that sits upon the platform.  We were discussing how we could streamline the process of moving each week and someone brought up the idea of building a lighter cross.  

It really hit me then that, spiritually speaking, we all  want a cross that is light and convenient that doesn't cause a problem.  We don't like to be made uncomfortable.  

You mention generational sins, materialism, abortion.

I wholeheartedly agree, abortion is a major civil rights issue. This is not a political issue, it is a kingdom of God issue.  We need to find ways to be involved. 

I think racism does continue though.  It is not just institutional, but it is an issue of the heart.  

While the civil rights movement was successful in changing laws, it could not change hearts.   

Every ethnic group has its problem of racism.  We need to lean on the grace of God.  Our identity is in Christ and Christ alone.

You state that discomfort is an essential part of being a Christian. Could you explain that?

Jesus says take up your cross and follow.  The cross is uncomfortable.  The Gospel calls us to disadvantage ourselves for the sake of others. 

Jesus, in the Incarnation, humbles himself in the form of the servant - he models for us a life of discomfort.  

The disciples for the most part died uncomfortably.  Discomfort is the recipe for growth.  

Pastor's Circle - Jeffrey Klick

Jeffrey Klick is the senior pastor of Hope Family Fellowship in Kansas City. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss what a young woman should look for in a husband. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

What are the three things a young woman should look for in a husband?

As always, if the relationship with the Lord is not the primary thing in a young man's life, you shouldn't be getting involved with him.

Marriage is not always a bed of roses; it's not always a smooth, easy time. Two people merging their lives together can be pretty rough, and you have to have a foundation on which to build.

If we don't build on a good foundation, as Jesus said, the house is going to crash.

Most people are attracted to one another physically, and that's okay. God made it that way. But as the years go on, what you're left with is not the appearance. It's whatever maturity that man has.

So he second thing I tell my daughters is look for a guy who is teachable. If he's already arrogant and conceited and not humble at this point, he's just going to get more arrogant and conceited and not humble.

The third thing to ask is whether the man you're looking at is a kind man. Proverbs 19:22 says that what is desired in a man is kindness.

If you marry a kind man, he will be kind to you for the rest of your life. If you marry a harsh man, he's going to be harsh. If he's harsh or mean, you're not going to have a good life together

How important is his financial situation?

It depends on several factors. What people put up as standards aren't necessarily biblical.

His relationship with God, his humility, his kindness; those kind of issues are much more important to me than how much he has in the bank.

What about communication?

Extremely important. You hit on two of the biggest issues of failed marriages.

If you're able to talk, and I believe this goes back to your relationship with the Lord, then you will be able to work through the problems that are there.

There are going to be hurt feelings and things that are said the wrong way, and you have to know how to work it out.

To read more on this topic, see Jeffrey Klick's blog post here.

Pastor's Circle - Joseph Parker

Joseph Parker, Pastor of Trinity AME Church and Director of Outreach and Intercession at AFA, talks about witnessing at Christmastime.

Are there appropriate ways to witness for Christ during Advent?

This time of the year is a great time for us to take advantage of, because people are open. 

There are so many opportunities for God to use us.

The Holy Spirit can use us to do all kinds of witnessing during this time of year. 

Whether it's seed-planting or watering the seeds, we should be pointing people to Jesus.

Is the stress a big factor in our lack of witnessing/

It really is. As in the story of Mary and Martha, we're busy because we choose to be busy. We do what we want to do.

One of the things I think of is on knowhim.afr.net, which is basically for people to be saved or grow in their faith.

But one of the things we've put on there recently is a challenge to people to read through all of the Christmas narratives several times during this month. 

You will learn all kinds of things about Christmas that you didn't know.

Why is it important to do it multiple times?

That creates the classroom that the Holy Spirit wants us to have in our lives so he can teach us.

Not only is this a wonderful story to read at Christmas, it's a wonderful story to teach us about all kinds of issues.

Do you think the stress makes people more or less receptive to the gospel?

I believe they are more receptive. That's why I think it's important for us to emphasize that Christmas is about Christ. Those are seeds that the Holy Spirit will use.

I believe people have a much greater openness to the gospel at Christmas.

How do you encourage your churchgoers to prepare for Christmas?

Going back to what we just mentioned, I really push for them to read through all the Christmas narratives.

Don't just read it once, read it several times. The Holy Spirit will help you dig more and more out of it.

Is it more important to just read it or to meditate on it?

I'm of the opinion that both are important, although taking time is more productive.

God's word is God's word. There's value in reading it once. But there's greater value reading it two and three and four times.

I really like to encourage people to set reading goals.

Does it help to pray for wisdom in reading the Bible?

It does. It's always wise for us to pray the prayer specifically. Just before you read, pray every time. But also take time to think through what you're reading.

In the Gospel of Luke, Luke is writing from the standpoint of a doctor. He deals with pregnancy significantly.

In Matthew, for example, the powerful thing about Joseph is his fatherhood. God doesn't have to send a thousand angels to protect Jesus; he has a man who will listen to him and do what he says. That's what every father is called to do.

Pastor's Circle - Dan Boone

Dan Boone, president of Trevecca Nazarene University, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about his testimony and the moments of grace that run throughout. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Tell us about your testimony.

I grew up in a Christian home that was so profoundly Christlike that my earliest memories are of family altars with three kids on their knees.

I was probably 5 or 6 when I made a public trip to an altar and asked Christ to forgive me of my sins.

I think everyone's journey in God probably has other key moments. I was 12 or 13 once, at a youth camp, and I remember this deep sense of God telling me that he wanted me to do something for him.

Although I didn't know what it was yet, I remember being at the altar committing my life to whatever he wanted for me.

When I was a sophomore in college, like most sophomore kids, I was discovering my freedom from home and starting to start my own path. The Lord really dealt with me about the discipline I was establishing in my life.

And I remember playing tug-of-war with God over that. I remember kneeling beside a bunk bed and settling with God that he would be Lord of my life. Something happened in that moment.

It was the shift of the magnetic needle in my life, from my will to God's will. From that day, the lordship issue was sealed. He saved me, he is saving me today, and he will continue to save me.

Are there more of those moments in your life?

In trying to view life as a relationship with God, I often use the picture of trying to get from Nashville to the West Coast.

There are many roads that will get you there, but they all have to go west. And God is standing at the fork of all of those roads, pointing you to where you need to go.

Sometimes I think we do the gospel disservice when we define theology as the front edge of the gospel. The front edge of the gospel has always been testimony.

We are to be out there telling this story. We are to tell what God did in our own lives.

Pastor's Circle - Bill Ury

Dr. Bill Ury is Professor of Systematic Theology at Wesley Biblical Seminary and hosts the Hour of Holiness on AFR on Sunday mornings. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the importance of forgiveness in our lives. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Why is forgiveness controversial?

When it really comes back to is resentment. We want to get back at people; we don't want them to get away with whatever they did to us.

But Jesus is clear: if you're going to hold that stuff in your heart, you can't be forgiven.

So I began to look at Matthew 18, the story about the man who was forgiven and yet would not forgive.

Jesus said this was a pretty big deal. At some level, every one of us is accountable to have a willingness to let the other person go from whatever you're holding against them.

Every aspect of forgiveness is a process. You may not be able to completely forgive all at once, but you have to be willing to start the process.

At its base, forgiveness is bearing. You bear with the other person's sinfulness in your heart. That's what Jesus did when he died for us.

And then, probably the hardest of all, is the willingness to begin the relationship again. It may not be an intimate friendship, but just to put the other person ahead of yourself in every aspect.

All of this is a window for how we see God and for how he involves himself in our world.

Is it harder to accept forgiveness, or to ask for it?

In the story, what I get from Matthew 18 is that it's more difficult to receive it. The guy can't comprehend what God has done for him. He never allows it to permeate his life. If you can't receive, you can't give.

People will hurt you in life. It's going to happen. You've just got to keep receiving that grace in your life.

Pastor's Circle - Johnnie Moore

Rev. Johnnie Moore serves at Liberty University as Vice President and Campus Pastor. He joined the Pastor's Circle do talk about the "healthy soul". Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview. 

 

Does life get easier when you're a Christian?

No, it doesn't. A lot of times we think that if we get our lives right and start going to church, we've made a peace treaty with God. But the greatest miracle is that of endurance.

Sometimes, the greatest miracles from God aren't the ones that make life easier; they're the ones that teach you something more about God.

As you grow in a relationship with Jesus, you get stronger. Your fellowship with God starts influencing your relationship with God.

You're going to get better at dealing with temptations in life. James tells us that the trying of our faith produces all kinds of things. And they're all good.

How should we cope when bad things happen?

You have two choices: you can run to God, or you can run away from God.

We know what the right choice is, but sometimes when the storm is all around you, it's hard to see that.

I think it's very important to prepare for the trials before they come. Knowing Jesus today will prepare you for tomorrow.

What are some steps we can take to be prepared?

First, you've got to get your perspective right early.

You need to put the right stuff into your life.

And lastly, you have to have the attitude that you are not going to quit.

If you don't believe you have what it takes, you're not making a statement about yourself; you're making a statement about God.

I remember that famous quote by Winston Churchill, who said that success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

This is a man whose career almost failed multiple times, but who saved the entire world because he didn't give up. If Winston Churchill had that kind of hope, imagine the kind of hope we should have.

Pastor's Circle - Todd Hudnall

Todd Hudnall is the pastor of Radiant Church in Colorado Springs, CO. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the "storms of life". Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What kind of storms are we talking about?

One of the things that really struck me was when we talked about the source of our storms.

The tendency of so many people when storms come is to assume that God sent them, when so many storms that come into our lives really had nothing to do with God.

Ultimately, He allowed it, but many of them are self-imposed storms. It's more a matter of sowing and reaping than God's judgment on us.

I got a lot of feedback about how people really didn't put that together, that they're the source of the storms.

Give us some examples.

I think that the Bible lays that out when it says, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life..." People choose not to do that.

They get involved in sexual relationships out of marriage, and when there's an unexpected pregnancy, or a sexually transmitted disease, they blame God.

They don't spend time with their children or nurture them, and when their kids rebel, they blame God.

We treat our bodies disrespectfully, and then when our health fails, we blame God.

People want to blame somebody, and God's an easy target.

I think a lot of it is more sloppiness than outright rebellion.

I think there's no doubt about that. If God would zap us every time we stepped out of line, I think we would stay inside the lines a lot more.

But his grace and mercy make us feel like we can get away with more.

And sloppiness is hard to recover from.

I think the Bible talks about that, when it talks about God "handing us over."

I think those are the most terrifying Scriptures in the Bible. There comes a place where you just can't get back.

How can you get out of your storm?

One of the passages I used was Acts 27, where Paul was in an actual storm. You need to "drop anchors" in your life before the storms come.

In Matthew 7, where Jesus talks about the two men who built their houses on the sand and the rock, both of the men have storms. It's all about how you prepared.

Pastor's Circle - Steve Blakemore

Steve Blakemore is the Professor of Philosophy at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and the pastor of Wesley Chapel He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How important is the Advent season?

I'm glad you asked, because I think it's a shame that so many Protestant denominations have forgotten about what's called the "liturgical year."

It sounds boring, but it's just the calendar of the church that was established to help us live our lives around the life of Christ.

Advent was established by the church to be a four-Sunday period to have a time of introspection, a time of reflection, and even to some degree, a time of fasting.

Last week I was challenging my congregation about whether we really have taken seriously the idea that Jesus became flesh to redeem all flesh.

We always complain about the secularization of Christmas, and then we don't do anything to establish a greater meaning for that day.

What can families do to create a deeper meaning for Christmas?

One of the things I would suggest they do is to create some family rituals. "Rituals" sounds dead, but they aren't dead, they're just things we do to shape our lives.

Years and years ago for Advent, my wife got a wreath that we stuck four candles in, and each Sunday after church we would light a candle and have a devotional reading.

Another thing families could do is something like what we're doing at Wesley Chapel, which is that we're all fasting one meal a week.

We're setting aside the money that we would spend on that meal, and we'll put that in an offering on Christmas day. It's a way to give of ourselves to remind us that God gave himself for us.

You've talked for years to people about trying to capture and reclaim your family's life by what you do together.

We are a time-enslaved people, enslaved to clocks and calendars. It's so easy to forget to just stop and sing a song together, or read a passage of Scripture. 

What about churches that won't have services on Christmas Sunday?

Those are basically just pagan institutions.  

Pastor's Circle - Sam Shaw

Sam Shaw is the lead pastor of The Orchard Fellowship, located in Memphis, TN. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the book of Jonah. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

In your study of this book, what did you find to be the main emphases?

I think I could sum up the entire thing. As I finished it and thought back, it's about how God saves the saved.

God's problem wasn't Nineveh, it was Jonah.

Why was Jonah reticent to go to Nineveh?

Jonah hated the Ninevites; they were corrupt; they were the enemies of his people.

Knowing God's nature, Jonah was afraid that God would hear their prayers and send him, and he absolutely did not want that to happen.

Why are we reticent to evangelize today?

I think today we're fearful. We're fearful of what people will think of us, we won't get it right.

We're afraid of stepping out of our comfort zone.

I think the basic word in the Christian life is not "stop." We hear that a lot. But the basic word in Christianity is "go."

It gives me a lot of hope; if God could use Jonah, he can use me.

God is always working behind the scenes to prepare people's hearts to hear the message.

When we get the nudge in our hearts to say something about the gospel, we can assume that God has been doing work behind the scenes.

What about the last chapter, where Jonah loses patience with God?

If nothing more, it's about the fact that God is patient when we are not.

God makes a plant to give Jonah comfort, but then He sends a worm to eat it down.

I think it shows that we are concerned about different things than God. At the end of the book, Jonah is concerned with his own comfort, but God is concerned about fifty thousand people.

Pastor's Circle - Ed Litton

Ed Litton has served as the the senior pastor of First Baptist North Mobile since 1994. He joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about the mission of his church. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

Your mission statement talks about "making disciples." What does it mean to make a disciple?

That's a great question that we have been asking ourselves and re-asking ourselves. God's been taking us through a season of inspecting the words we use and the things we say we believe.

To us, discipleship begins when you hear the call and respond to the call to follow Jesus Christ. And then, of course, there are steps that you take.

Martin Luther said that it is the default of the human heart to be "religious". We don't believe that Jesus came to establish a religion.

We've discovered and rediscovered what it means to have our hearts on fire because of what Jesus did for us. That's what fuels my soul.

What is the antidote for a church that is focused internally?

That's right where we're at. It's interesting to me that 95% of southern evangelicals have never led a person to Christ. That tells me that we don't have a passion in our heart that makes us care.

Our church was becoming a social club. Jesus confronted his disciples on a regular basis about their moralism. That's not the place that we're supposed to be.

I noticed as a pastor that I saw the gospel as a diving board that got me into the pool of God's Kingdom. The fact is, the gospel is the pool.

If I was missing it, I knew everyone else was missing it. I think that's why the nation is in the state it's in. It's dark because the light is hidden.

God has also been taking us to the woodshed about idolatry.

What is an idol?

Anything that I love more than God. It could be Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State; it could be basketball or baseball; it could be hunting; it could even be my wife and family.

What are some of the idols in the pastorate?

There are deep-rooted idols that are very challenging to get out. For me, it's approval. It's the fear of man, it's wanting people's approval.

Which leads us to not being as fruitful. Most people who do what we do are approval junkies.

Pastor's Circle - Chuck Huckaby

Chuck Huckaby, pastor of St. Andrew's Church in Lawrenceburg, TN, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about  perseverance in prayer. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How did the Church get away from fasting?

I was just thinking about that yesterday. I grew up in Bible-believing evangelical churches, and I don't ever remember any talk about fasting.

Sometimes we can say, "I love the Bible!" but we really never read it much. We fight if the Ten Commandments are going to be taken off the courthouse wall, but no one knows what they are.

We need to stay close to Scripture, and let our hearts and minds be changed by God.

What does it mean to "persevere in prayer"?

In the Gospels it says that Jesus taught this parable to the effect that we should never lose heart. He told the parable about the unjust judge, and said if that's how judges act, how much more will our Father answer us?

Realize also that prayer isn't an instant download. God doesn't have to be convinced, but He is the Sovereign King. He is working out his own plans, and calls us to be persistent in our prayers to Him.

Why does God require perseverance of us?

I think it's to train us. If prayer was something we could fire off and forget, we would forget the Source to whom we pray.

It would all become about us, and prayer would become something to check off our to-do list rather than humbling ourselves and coming before God.

If we could just fire and forget it, we would think that God was working out our purposes.

What are some biblical examples of perseverance?

The one that I keep coming back to is Abraham. Imagine for yourself: you have this direct promise from God, and then nothing seems to happen. 

God delivers you, but the thing He promised is still not coming.

 So you come up with backup plans. We come up with all these plans, that we think are our own answer to prayer, and then God shows us how worthless that is.

Finally, about a generation later, you run out of hope that it's ever going to happen, and then it happens.

It's that way with us a lot of times. When our only hope is in the Living God, when He's purged us of our schemes and self-will, and when He's disciplined us to pray and do what we need to do, something happens.

Pastor's Circle - Gil McKee

Gil McKee, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa, joined the Pastor's Circle today to discuss thanksgiving. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

What's the hardest thing about being thankful?

I think just getting over the things that are so easy for us to grumble about.

We all know it's easy to pick out the things that aren't going well, but our discipline as Christians is to focus on the things that are going well and be thankful for those things.

In America, does our prosperity work against us?

Absolutely. It makes no sense. But when you live in a land as prosperous as this, you begin to take things for granted.

God has promised to give us everything we need, but not everything we want. In America, we are very very confused over those things.

We've developed the feeling that we are entitled to all of this stuff. Of all people, we in the Church ought to know better than that. But nevertheless, we do it.

We allow the world to move into the Church, rather than the Church marching out into the world.

It's an incredibly powerful force in the life of the believer when we live in the peace of Christ.

How does thanksgiving work relationally?

I think the life of the Christian should be one of edifying those around us. The Scripture teaches often that we're to build up the body of Christ.

Can you think of anything that edifies the body more than just looking in someone's eyes and saying, "I am thankful for you."

I think it's like any other discipline in our life. The more we practice it, the more second-nature it becomes.

In a culture where we're just not interested in accountability, we've forgotten that there's some disciplines that we need to follow. Thanksgiving is certainly one of them.

Pastor's Circle - Jerry Horner

Jerry Horner has been a university professor and administrator since 1962. He currently functions as the Executive Director of New Creation Ministries.

He joined the Pastor's Circle after extended world travel to talk about excitement over the Word of God. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Of any place you've been in the last year, where is God's work most exciting?

I believe it's in parts of Southeast Asia. There is mission work going out like nothing you've ever seen from places like Singapore and Malaysia and Indonesia.

One of the most exciting places is in the Philippines, where there is a revival going on in the police and the military.

It's amazing to see the movement of the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel. I'm wonderfully excited to see the movement of God in Muslim countries.

Is there a difference between Southeast Asia and America in their love for the Word?

You know, you're exactly right. One of the marks of a Spirit-filled church and a Spirit-filled individual is his submission to the Word of God.

I'm impressed that the very first characteristic of the first church in Jerusalem in Acts 2 is that they submitted themselves to apostolic teaching. 

They had just come from a tremendous spiritual experience, having the Holy Spirit fall upon them, but they knew that they couldn't live by experience alone.

We have bequeathed to us in the pages of the New Testament the very same teaching that they received. The Word of God has the power to transform lives.

I really believe that the agent of the devil could get up and read the scripture and people could get saved, because of the power of the Word of God.

What is your method in your personal devotions?

There are different ways to approach Bible study, and I think there is a variety that is in order here. You might concentrate on characters of the Bible. What can I learn from the life of David? What can I learn from the life of Paul?

Another way is a thematic study. What does the Bible have to say about love, about faith, about courage, about fear? Go through and saturate yourself in the teachings of the Bible on that subject.

I love to go back and read the prayers of the Bible and apply them to myself. I think Paul's prayers are still being answered today. I'll make it contemporary and put my own name in there.

I like what the Apostle Paul said more than once about the history of Israel. He said, "These things were written for our benefit." They were written for us to benefit in history, in doctrine.

You can read it and study it, but unless you apply it in real, contemporary life, it doesn't do you any good.

What happens to a movement that is excited about the Spirit but not the Word?

The early Church recognized that you don't live on experience alone.

I think that the Lord is less interested in how high you can jump when you praise Him than He is in how you walk when you hit the ground.

The Spirit of God is given to change us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Let's concentrate on knowing Christ, and being like Him.

Pastor's Circle - Johnnie Moore

Rev. Johnnie Moore serves at Liberty University as Vice President and Campus Pastor. He joined the Pastor's Circle do talk about the "healthy soul". Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview. 

What is "health" in the Kingdom of God?

We're talking about someone who is living how they were designed to live. We sometimes forget that we were created in the image of God.

When I talk about a healthy soul, I'm talking about getting to that place again with God.

We worry about healthy minds and healthy bodies, and sometimes we forget about our souls.

Why is it hard for us to prioritize like Jesus talks about in Luke 14?

America is the Disney Land of the world. When the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes into a desperate context, you really realize what you have with the gospel. Jesus isn't just your religion, he is everything.

Somehow in America, even if you live in a less Christian part of the country, we're a Christian nation, and we don't value our faith as much. We have a very small view of the Kingdom of God.

We have the most priceless commodity in the universe in the palm of our hand, but it's like we have the Hope Diamond and we treat it as if it were a piece of crystal.

The love you have for Jesus should make all these other loves look like a different word.

Another thing is that we're incredibly distracted. There are spiritual issues that keep us away from the right priorities, but there are also physical ones.

How can we balance being in a Christian environment and being in ministry?

I think it's both/and, not either/or. It's perfectly appropriate to say that for a portion of your life, you're in a Christian community learning the Word of God, and then you are sent out.

Jesus has taught us that you have discipleship moments and environments when you get to explore your faith. But at the same time, Jesus prayed over his disciples that they would not be taken out of the world, but left in it.

That's part of our problem. We don't know how to relate to the world, because we're not even in it. We've kind of become gluttons of grace in our own environment.

"If you make disciples by sitting around and talking, don't be surprised if your disciples sit around and talk." Agree?

Absolutely. And the only way that happens is intentionally. You have to push people out and get them out in new contexts.

From the very beginning at Liberty, one of our core values has been an "action-oriented curriculum."

Everyone is focused on bringing people into churches. It's much more difficult to push them out. And they will never come in if they don't see people outside.

Pastor's Circle - Rick Scarborough

Dr. Rick Scarborough, Founder and President of Vision America, joined the Pastor's Circle today to discuss the upcoming presidential election. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How should we, as Christians, pick a presidential candidate?

The first thing we've gotta remember is that Jesus isn't running for president.

There's always the striving in the church towards perfection. But when it comes to picking a president, we aren't gonna find Jesus on the ballot anywhere. We're going to have to pick a flawed person.

What you have to do is find the person who best respects your beliefs and values. We cannot give up our quest to find a godly man or woman.

I believe if you look carefully and with discernment, you can find the right person.

What about the objection to picking the "lesser of two evils"?

I hear people make much out of this idea, lesser of two evils, and they use it as an excuse to not vote.

Part of our responsibility is to exercise our Christian citizenship. That means we have to vote.

Every single candidate is a sinful candidate, so it's always the lesser of two evils.

What should our position be in a situation like Newt Gingrich's?

In the case of Newt Gingrich, it's not only in the marital difficulties that there are problems. He's taken positions over the years that are counter to the ones he has now.

Yes, God will forgive. But we have to be very careful as Christians to look at the history.

What should we think about Herman Cain's situation?

We have to look carefully, and with great discernment. But none of us have to make a decision right now.

What all of us have to do right now is pray that God would show us who He has selected, and then get on board.

We cannot let the secular press make the decision for us.

How should the pastors respond to this election?

What I'd be focused on right now is getting every church member of voting age registered to vote.

And then I would be exhorting them to pray, listen, and get ready to go vote their values.

Pastor's Circle - Jeffrey Klick

Jeffrey Klick is the Senior Pastor of Hope Family Fellowship in Kansas City. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss what a young person should look for in a spouse. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

What should a young man look for in a bride?

I just had a young man in my church who is publishing a newsletter for young men, and he asked me to write an article on that very topic. It's a very important question.

The first and foremost question for a young man seeking a bride, once he is in agreement with his parents that he's old enough and ready, is does she have a good relationship with the Lord?

She needs to be in love with Jesus. That's what sustains us when the difficulties come.

How do you discern that relationship with Christ?

I think observation is the big thing. Before you get emotionally entangled with someone, observe them in the church service, during worship. Observe how they treat the authorities.

You observe these things. When you start dialoguing with her, what comes out of her mouth? A guy should be looking for things that are going to last. Does the young lady have a proper value for the Scripture? That's something she's going to build upon.

Watch how the young lady treats her family. After you say "I do," you become family. After the courtship, what's going to come out is what she is at home.

Is she a servant? Marriage takes a death to self. Is she other-centered? Is she willing to lay down her life for others? Is she involved in service? Is she kind?

You're looking to see what her character is. Do you have common interests and dreams? If one of you wants to be a missionary in a foreign country, and the other won't leave the state, that's going to be a problem.

You're entering into a lifelong partnership, where two hearts beat as one. If you marry someone who doesn't believe in following what God wants you to do, there's going to be pain. How are you going to build a relationship on that?

Pastor's Circle - Mark Durie

Dr. Mark Durie, theologian, human rights activist and vicar of St. Mary's Anglican church in Caulfield, Victoria, Australia, came on The Matt Friedeman Show to discuss the persecuted Church. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.


Why should we be concerned about the persecution of the Church?

It's a very biblical concern. Persecution is one of the major focuses of the New Testament.

I've known a lot of Christians who come from countries that experience persecution.

In my church, we strongly encourage prayer for the persecuted Church.

In the 50 countries in the world where persecution is active, about 40 of them are Muslim, so that's a connection for me.

What about Christianity is so troublesome to Muslims?

Islam is based on the example of Muhammad, and when people stood in his way, he didn't do well.

He commanded Muslims to assume a position of dominance with their faith.

It's a case of the faith shaping the way society works. It's a very deep, difficult issue that goes back 1400 years. That's the heart of it.

At its heart, is it really about the difference between Jesus and Muhammad?

Interestingly, both Jesus and Muhammad suffered a lot of rejection, were opposed and vilified and slandered.

Jesus responded to that in a very interesting way, not trying to revenge himself, but praying for his persecutors.

Muhammad responded with bitterness, and a desire for retribution.

The heart of our faith is the cross. We aren't called to use power to face our rejections.

What can we do to help?

Prayer is very important, and many miracles have happened through prayer.

You need to remember, too, that persecution is not a mistake. If you follow Christ, you need to expect persecution. It's part of the Christian life.

Don't be dismayed, discouraged, intimidated by persecution. Don't give up. It might seem very difficult, but hold your ground.

Pastor's Circle - Michael Catt

Michael Catt is the pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church, known for making movies like Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous. Dr. Catt joined The Matt Friedeman Show to talk about Sherwood Baptist and its life as a church. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How have these movies affected your church?

It's certainly made us busy. It's been amazing.

One of the things that's happened is that before we make the movies and while we're making them, we're very intentional about our prayer and our unity on set.

Do you worry that the focus of your church will shift away from the Great Commission?

We see the movies as part of trying to fulfill our role in the Great Commission

We are unashamed about what we believe. We're very open about presenting the Gospel. We don't want anyone to walk away from the movies wondering what we believe.

We know of thousands of people who have come to know Christ through these movies.

How does your church minister outside its four walls?

For about 12 years, we've been feeding homeless people every week. As a result of that, we probably have about a dozen homeless men in our church on any given Sunday.

It's real easy to stand in the pulpit and talk about how the world is so bad. But until we put light in the darkness, complaining about it isn't going to do any good.

You say your favorite biblical character is Joshua. Why is that?

I think as a leader, Joshua followed one of these greatest leaders in all of human history. You have a young man who was content to be second in command for most of his life, and then he assumes command.

For me, Joshua pictures what a man is supposed to do as the leader of his home. He's not a dictator, but he leads his household in how they're going to live.

Why is that so hard for us today?

I think church discipline is an issue. I think accountability is almost lost in the American church.

I think the fear of man is a real problem in the Church today. Many of us see this with pastors, with leaders, with deacons who are afraid to stand out.

You can't blend in. There is a difference between the life of the Church and someone who is just playing with religion.

Pastor's Circle - Darryl Starnes

Darryl Starnes serves as a bishop for the AME Zion Church. He appeared on The Matt Friedeman Show to address the issue of accountability. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Why is it so hard for us as American Christians to get accountability in our lives?

I think you're right that our culture privacy has risen to almost a godlike status. And because of that, we feel we have the right to keep things to ourselves.

But that is not the Christian perspective. When we surrender our lives to Christ, we become part of a community. We have a responsibility not only to ourselves, but also to those to whom we are attached.

How can we get that kind of accountability??

I think that we must be intentional about asking God to bring into our lives people who genuinely love him, and people who genuinely love us.

Love that speaks the truth and love that is willing to hear the truth. You have to ask God to bring that person into your life.

How hard is it for you, as a bishop, to find someone like that?

I don't think it starts when you're a bishop. It has to start early in the Christian life.

In my college years, God brought into my life some people who are to this day holding me accountable.

You must have that before you get to all these positions. Because they're not talking to the bishop; they're talking to Darryl.

Sometimes the accountability has to be on different levels. It's all about being vulnerable.

What happens spiritually if we don't have accountability?

Much of our healing comes through this intimacy with another Christian brother or sister.

If we don't have that, we don't get healed from many things in our lives. We don't experience victory in many areas of our lives.

What kind of person do you want to hold you accountable?

That's hard, because people present what they want us to see. They show a side of themselves that may look good at face value, and you're going to have to depend on your discernment.

Once the Lord brings someone into your life, you have to trust him to guide you to show you who that person is.

They should be a person of integrity. It doesn't have to be a person who's perfect, but it needs to be someone who is pursuing holiness.

It should be a person who cares more about what God thinks than what people thinks.

Pastor's Circle - Bill Ury

Dr. Bill Ury is Professor of Systematic Theology at Wesley Biblical Seminary and hosts the Hour of Holiness on AFR on Sunday mornings. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the story of Hosea. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How should we be thinking on a deeper level about the Personhood Initiative?

I guess the one thing I've noticed in the church people I've talked to is that we don't want to be confused. We want to be compassionate.

On this issue, Mississippi needs to lead the way in saying that look, we do care. But we have an unshakable belief in the personhood of an unborn child.

What has been the historical position of the Church on this issue?

Until recent generations, there was no possibility of being able to abort like we do, with science covering the horror of what's going on.

But theologically, there's never been anyone who played with the personhood of the child. Once you move away from that, all kinds of issues arise.

All through Church history,this has been the undeniable idea.

Why are pastors shy about this issue?

I hope it's not because of money. I hope it's not because of fear of being called a "Neanderthal."

It's a hard deal. But I know that anybody who speaks the Word of God in public and who allows a barrier to be laid between the baby in the womb and personhood is responsible to God.

The need for pastors to be a moral force in the world has to be met. If the Holy Spirit is able to change a human life, then we can come back to what is right and true and good.

We are advocating a moral truth in the world, and that means that we have to step up to the plate.

Why is the Left so scared about 26 in Mississippi tomorrow?

I think that should tell us what's going on. Anytime you have evil challenged, you have an uproar of outrage.

These are all huge issues, and the Devil doesn't want us to have the victory.

We have to keep speaking the truth in love.

The lie of our culture is that we can separate the living breathing baby and the one in the womb. We have to go back and ask ourselves where the human being begins to be.

Before Jesus did anything in Israel, God said about him, "This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased."

I think that's what God says about every single embryonic being. This is my creation, in whom I am well pleased.

Pastor's Circle - Todd Hudnall

Todd Hudnall is the pastor of Radiant Church in Colorado Springs, CO. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the revitalization of the Church. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What does decline in a church look like?

The thing that strikes  me is it seems churches lose what they're there for. They forget what their purpose is. They forget they're there to fulfill the Great Commission, to make disciples.

Because of that, they lose their fire and their passion because they're not focused on what God wants them to be focused on.

We tend to think more about what we can get out of church, so it becomes a consumer thing. We come to consume, rather than to let God consume us.

When a pastor is going into a church, what needs to happen to revitalize it?

It's not an easy process. And ther'es far more failures than sucesses when a pastor tries to do that.

One of the first things that needs to happen is spiritual renewal in the hearts of the people.

You've got to get people praying. You've got to make them understand the urgency of their need to change.

What other changes need to take place?

I think part of it is understanding what their purpose is, get their eyes focused that way, help them understand the need of the community and the nation, and turn them to repentance. 

But I think alongside that, there needs to be a group of people who catch the vision for this and it begins to spread. 

It starts small initially, but over time, like a snowball, it begins to grow.

What's your advice to laypeople who want their church to take off?

Of course, this is going to sound like a platitude, but it's truly not. That is prayer.

You look in the Bible, and you see what can happen when you pray. And so often in the Bible, what happens is that God sends someone.

I do believe in the efficacy of prayer.

What does that kind of prayer look like?

I think it looks like desperation. It looks like a guy being pushed underwater and trying not to drown.

And unless you have that desperation, it's hard to truly understand prayer.

Pastor's Circle - Daniel Ketchum

In today's Pastor's Circle: Daniel Ketchum, Director of Nazarene Missions International. Dr. Ketchum talked about how God is working locally and internationally.

How is mission giving during this recession?

Most churches are still very committed to give beyond themselves, beyond their own communities and states and counties.

We're seeing mission giving fairly stable; there have been some reductions in various denominations.

Different denominations are experiencing different outcomes. But God is not troubled at all. He is still in control.

What can I do, as a pastor, to excite my congregation about missions?

There are several things.

First, to share stories as much as possible.

Second, to pray for missionaries as much as possible.

Third, to show video clips. This is great for Sunday morning services.

Fourth, to invite missionaries to come in and speak. This is a great way to excite people about God's work.

And lastly, to create partnerships with missionaries beyond shorter trips.

Is there enough money to send the younger generation to send them overseas?

I believe that the denominations will continue to give adequately to be able to continue God's work overseas.

It's not only essential, but we're going to see the sustaining of prayer support and financial support that needs to happen.

Pastor's Circle - Rurel Ausley

 Rurel Ausley, Lead Pastor of Niceville United Methodist Church, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about becoming radical followers of Christ. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

On Sunday at our church we ask our people to spend half as much as you spend on Christmas on missions this year. Thanks for letting me steal an idea!

Well thanks, but I got that idea from someone else as well.  It is a pretty radical idea though.   

We started it here in the teeth of this recession, we figured if we were hurting our missionaries were likely hurting as well.   

It has been a great way to challenge our people to give.

Your church has been reading Radical, by David Platt.  Tell us about it.

We normally don't do this where the whole church studies the same book, but this was a different situation.   

I had read the book and felt that this is what we should do.  We are combining this church-wide reading of the book with an 8-week sermon series.

What are the key points of the book for those who haven't read it yet?

The author calls for a radical experiment.  You must commit to pray for the entire world; commit to read the Bible in a year; minister in another context.   

He pushes everyone to join a small group for disciple growing.  For me it's just basic Christianity.

Shouldn't this emphasis be local as well as it is global?  There are some serious situations in our own communities.

He does make that point.  He states that most of our lives are spent in "our Jerusalem".   

In the book he challenged us to spend just 2% per year in another country.  That's just one week.   

The problem is with most of us is that we aren't going anywhere for Jesus.  It always starts locally, but it shouldn't end there.

For some of us just being involved locally is pretty radical.  I would say 98% of churches don't even do that.

I think that is why so many churches are stagnated or dying.  Compassionate ministries are typically ignored.   

However, when the church is out in the community it gives the gospel a hearing.

What happens in your people once they get out there in the community?

It is really benefits both sides.  You don't want nothing to happen in people who are serving.  I love to see what happens in the fellowship that occurs between our people as they serve in the community. 

Why is it so hard for 98% of churches to get this idea?

If we could get the answer to that we could write a best-selling book.   

I think a big part is that we have become so comfortable, so stagnant in our churches.  As Americans we are now more interested in our own comfort, and what makes us happy.   

People are largely biblical illiterate because they don't read the Bible and thus we don't know what it means to follow Jesus.  

Pastor's Circle - Jerry Horner

Jerry Horner has been a university professor and administrator since 1962. He joined the Pastor's Circle from Pretoria, South Africa, along with businessman Tony Sebastiao. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of the interview.

(For clarity, Dr. Horner's remarks are italicized, while Mr. Sebastiao's are in regular type.)

How can the Church help overcome corruption in the government?

What comes to my mind is 2 Chronicles 7:14. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

That's what the church needs to start emphasizing more and more.

There are some very good people in government. I believe the Lord will give victory to us.

How are people best reached in South Africa??

Obviously through the Church, but corruption has taken hold here. When you speak about freedom, people think that means pulling yourself up and gaining for yourself.

Even with my Christian brothers, they still have an element of wanting to grab, wanting to take.

There is a time of healing to take place. It's a time we have to come with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, preaching the message that we are one.

That's the message of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we meet someone who has accepted Christ, we are meeting a brother or sister.

Tony is a white businessman who for many many years has been in brotherly connection with black ministers. You see the dividends that it has brought.

When we realize that we are one in the Lord Jesus Christ, we welcome one another, love one another, and speak the Gospel.

What is the key to overcoming corruption?

We have to spread the Gospel. The Bible says we have to spread the kingdom. We need to spread the Gospel and preach to people that that is the only way.

Pastor's Circle - Steve Blakemore

Steve Blakemore is the Professor of Philosophy at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and the pastor of Wesley Chapel He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Talk to us about this upcoming "Personhoood Amendment."

It's always interesting to me when people want to talk about abortion, that they make it a matter of "rights." The rights of the woman over her body versus the rights of the unborn child.

People lose perspective on this one question. Exactly what is this "entity" within the mother's womb? The Personhood Amendment makes people grapple with the fact that the life within the mother is indeed a human life.

I think that's what the Amendment drives forth.

Do we need to reconsider the way we look at birth control?

I think there's no doubt about that. One of the things this discussion does is make people uncomfortable, because it forces us to move beyond "sound bite" discussions.

We have to get into deep discussions about the very nature of human life.

I remember in 2008 Rick Warren asked both Obama and McCain when life began. President Obama said it was above his pay grade.

It's certainly not above his pay grade to acknowledge the humanity of the life in the mother's womb.

When it comes to things like birth control, we have to think about how much we allow our convenience to determine our actions.

How do we persuade others using a Christian worldview?

First of all, for us to think about persuading, we have to teach Christians how to think as Christians.

People would be amazed how much other values systems influence what they think, and then they just baptize those systems in the Christian worldview. What does the Bible say? What does the Christian faith tell us?

If we go in fully informed, and able to think as Christians, but go in asking people with big hearts even towards those who are wrong, there should be compassion in our hearts toward them.

What are we trying to do, win arguments or win people?

So humility is an important part of it?

Every Christian can inform themselves not just about the issues, but about the Christian values that we have to embrace.

Not just personhood, but about poverty, how free market should be thought of in a Christian worldview, how we should view democracy.

We should be a people who are just as intense about winning the person's soul and mind as we are about the issues.