Pastor's Circle - Joseph Parker

Joseph Parker, Pastor of Trinity AME Church and Director of Outreach and Intercession at AFA, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about the Word of God. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is the importance of the Word of God?

The Word of God is the mind and heart of God. As we teach that which God has commanded us to live by, it makes us productive and fruitful, whether we know it or not.

God's Word ministers to our mind, our body, and our spirit. It speaks to every aspect of life. 

In Mark chapter 4, the parable of the sower, everything centers around the Word of God. The devil knows he can't defeat it, so he focuses on getting it out of our lives.

Jesus said, "He that has ears to hear, let him hear." What are the implications of that?

After Jesus rose from the dead, he went to his disciples, cooked breakfast, and invited them, "Come and dine."

We think he's inviting them to breakfast, and he is, but he's also inviting them to feast on the Word of God. We often want to snack or nibble on it, but this is Jesus' invitation to us every day, to come and dine.

The Word is such a treasure, but many people don't realize that.

Is it worth reading the Word if you don't act on it?

God's Word is the Sword of the Spirit, it's our guidebook, it's our strength, it's our power.

There's all kinds of things we can do with it. We can read it, believe it, hear it, obey it, speak it, meditate on it. We can do any one of these things alone, but they all go hand in hand.

The Word is Jesus, and Jesus is in the Word. When an unbeliever reads the Word, he's interacting with Jesus.

It's important for us to read the Word, but to walk it out as well. A lot of believers trip up there. We read it, but we don't really believe what we've read. 

Deliberate obedience is an important part of our lives.

Pastor's Circle - Jerry Horner

Jerry Horner serves as the Executive Director of New Creation Ministries. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss the recent emphasis on having Jesus without "religion". Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Can you come to Jesus without the Church?

People ought to realize that the Church is God's chosen instrument to carry out his plan for the redemption of the world.

The Church is so important that Jesus loved it and gave himself for it. There's no such thing in the New Testament as lone-sheep Christianity.

You never find the word saint in the singular in the New Testament. One of the most striking features of the New Testament is the body of believers. 

We're talking, of course, about the true Church.

What does it mean that Jesus and the Church are one?

A head must have a body. A head without a body doesn't accomplish much. Conversely, a body without a head is dead.

The Church is the body of Christ. The head gives the direction, the body carries out the desires of the head. We are one.

Why does the younger generation disdain the Church?

I think it's due to a misconception of what the Church is. Is it possible for a person to live without food, without air, without water, without nourishment? No.  

The world today seems to be dismissing the Church as a worn-out institution that is past its time. 

The farther we get from the New Testament picture of the Church, the more disdain the world will have for us.

But the Church will never die. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Pastor's Circle - Mitchell Tolle

Mitchell Tolle is the senior pastor of Man Of War Church of God in Lexington, KY, as well as an artist, speaker, and author. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss service to and beyond the church. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

Is there a certain power in bi-vocational pastors?

There's no question. First of all, we have very good company; the Apostle Paul was a tent-maker. We're out in the real world every day, not shut up in an office.

Also, I think it gives you a certain rapport with the people. We do not have a single full-time staff member at Man Of War. I think there is a strength in that.

All of the great revivals in history began in the marketplace, not inside the four walls of the church. Many times pastors don't even have friends who are not Christians, and I think that's a tragedy.

How imperative is it for believers to serve?

We cannot possibly begin to express the significance of that. The idea of stepping out from the crowd and getting into the game.

When David walked into the situation with Goliath, he was provoked by the question that confronts all of us: Is there not a cause? There is. The cause is that the world may know there is a God.

That need in all of us to serve God has come out in history by our serving idols, carving out of blocks of wood and stone. 

But David stepped from where he was, presented himself in service to the one true God, and God rewarded him with a great victory.

The reason we serve is that the world may know. There's an answer, there's an antidote, there's a Savior, there's a cross.

Spiritual gifts overlooked?

In the book of Romans, Paul actually lays out what some people might even think of as natural gifts. Leadership, encouragement, and so on.

We put more value on the gifts of tongues, or prophecy, or discernment. But all of the natural gifts are from God as well. 

Adam's gift wasn't to sing or preach; God simply wanted him to keep the garden.

Outside the church?

I don't think there is any such thing as a lone ranger. Even when you go outside the church, you're still operating as the body. 

So yes, all of those gifts are of use in the "marketplace" as well.

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 talk about spiritual gifts. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his segment.

 

How important are the gifts of the Spirit?

It is very interesting that you would ask that.  The last three sermons I have preached are on that very theme. 

 

God in his sovereign wisdom decides what the church needs and then gifts people to carry out the kingdom work.  

 

There is no aspect of the church or of kingdom mission that is unaffected by gifts of individual members.

How important is this idea of spiritual gifts in the smaller congregation?

The first congregation I pastored was a small church, only 35 members.  But I believe that congregation was just as important to God in the view of entire kingdom ministry.  

 

The gifts in that church are just as significant to work of the entire kingdom.

What is one of the biggest hindrances to finding your spiritual gifts?

We have to believe that these gifts are real.  God has given every believer a spiritual gift, but you need to believe that and accept that gift God has given you.  

 

We have a class at Mt. Zion that helps people understand what the gifts are and then gives them an inventory of the gifts.This helps people to employ their gifts.

What should a pastor do if they don't have these resources? 

Early in my ministry I realized that there were somethings that I did that I had a great passion for. I could work on them all day and not grow weary in them.  I loved doing what God had gifted me to do. 

 

Also, look around at spirit-led people and observe how God is moving in other spiritual people's lives.

What gifts are you seeing as most significant in your church right now?

Straight teaching to some of our young people that have not been raised in a Christian home.  

Another is the gift of worship, we have seen God moving in calling Mt. Zion to authentic worship.

What encourages people to go find out their own spiritual gift?

One thing is creating an atmosphere where if people come forward with their gifts they will be able to use those gifts in the church.  

 

We haven't always discovered the spiritual gifts that we thought we would, but God has surprised me.  

Can we end up celebrating some of these gifts at the expense of others?

Absolutely. Every pastor has his passion; he has his favorite gifts. 

 

One of my favorite gifts is singing, but I need to be careful that I don't overstep my desire to incorporate all the great singers in our church.  

 

That might give the impression that is all that the pastor is looking for.

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.

How important is service?

Absolutely important. Until we're serving, until we're using our gifts, I think we're actually robbing ourselves in the Christian life. 

I think it's important that we build up our brothers and sisters, but I think it's also important for ourselves. 

It's when we begin to serve them that we begin to benefit and have fulfillment in the Christian life. 

I think it's about living the way God has designed us. He has a purpose and a plan for each of our lives, and he has gifted us according to that design. 

When we serve, we are doing what we have been made to do, and I don't think there's any greater satisfaction.

Is serving inside the church the whole nine yards?

If we don't get outside of the church, if we don't go where people are, how are we ever going to reach them with the Gospel? 

Until we realize that the people we're called to touch are outside of our walls, we're never going to get out there and reach them.

Have we lost the service component of discipleship?

I'm afraid we have. There's nothing wrong with small groups; I think we need those. But Jesus used the small group to huddle up and then go out and serve. 

It's a little bit like football. I think we've forgotten that the huddle is for the purpose of running the play. We've gotten so comfortable with the huddle that we've just decided to stay there.

How should we be talking about spiritual gifts?

I think the bottom line is to get people in God's Word, to help them get an idea of what the gifts are, and even to help them realize they have gifts. For a lot of people, it's just a matter of recognition.

Pastor's Circle - Mark Durie

Dr. Mark Durie is the vicar of St. Mary's Anglican Church in Caulfield, Victoria, Australia. He came on The Matt Friedeman Show to discuss the spiritual impact of what we allow into our lives. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

In your church, what kind of things do you encourage that promote a deeper spirituality?

One of the things I've found to be truly important is to be cleaned up. We come into church with all this baggage.

Obviously we need to repent, but how do we take that a step further? The process of cleaning up our lives is very important.

What are some influences that you've helped people deal with?

I've met some people who have a lot of trouble with gambling and things like that. A lot of times they had an experience when they were younger, and the imprint stayed on their lives.

I pray for them that God would not only take away the current problem, but also take away the imprint of that experience on their lives.

How do you "un-imprint"?

I think it's owning your own decisions, the things that you've bought into. Part of the key is things that you've come to believe that are false.

It's not just about rejecting the sin, it's rejecting the lies that Satan has brought into your life through the sin. Part of it is just a decision, but also a careful process of cutting off is very important.

What are some positive experiences that imprint on our lives?

Sometimes we encounter God unexpectedly and miraculously. Those experiences are important, and should be honored and treasured.

Peter's whole experience of realizing his own sin, and also God's grace and mercy had a huge impact on him. When we experience God's grace, we need to allow those experiences to shape us.

Are there any regular habits that leave an imprint?

I think it's to do with the way truth works. You can believe that something's true and know that it's right, but for that to really permeate your life, it's not enough just to have that one insight.

You have to nurture that in your life. We can claim what's good and healthy in our lives through meditating on what's true.

Pastor's Circle - Michael Catt

Michael Catt is the pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA. Dr. Catt joined The Matt Friedeman Show to talk about One Cry and America's need for revival. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is One Cry?

I've been in several meetings as this initiative was rolled out.

People from across the country have come together believing that this is the year to call the nation to revival.

It is a pivotal year.

How can we position ourselves for revival?

I think the first thing that we have to do is humble ourselves before God.

We have tried every program, and every scheme, and we've got the best technology in the world, but we still haven't seen an awakening in us like the revivals of the past.

One Cry is trying to get intercessors to bombard heaven, to try to get God to send revival to this nation.

Can technology hurt us rather than help us?

I think you're right. We are bombarded with noise, and I think it distracts us. We can tweet about God more than we can talk to him.

I think we need to be sure our first priority is having a relationship with Christ, and sharing that relationship with other people.

Is it dangerous to seek God's hand more than we seek his face?

Absolutely. We have limited revival to a meeting. We put revival on the calendar. Revival is where the people of God get their hearts right with God.

The reason the church is not impacting the culture is because carnal people don't care about lost people.

But when we get our hearts right, we will care about what God cares about. And one of the things he cares about is the lost.

What are some things that are keeping the Church from revival?

One is prayerlessness. The Church lacks power because it lacks prayer. When you study the history of revival, they have always been birthed in prayer and unapologetic preaching of the gospel.

The second thing is fear of man. We fear man more than we fear God, and it affects the way we live.

The third thing is pride. That's why you don't see people confessing and building relationships and getting right with each other. It's pride.

We call our sin a mistake, an error, a defect we were born with, but no matter what you call it, it's sin.

How can we make sure to seek revival for the right reasons?

I think it was Tozer who said, "When revival comes, some people who are in leadership in the Church will be disqualified." People have to decide either to go with God or to continue in mediocrity.

John Edwards was a leader in national revival, and he got fired from his church. Revival doesn't eliminate our problems, it just gives us another set. But they're better problems.

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 ministry to the family. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How does your church minister to families?

Part of what I think we need to do is to think outside the box of what we're currently doing.

Just about every study out there shows that we're losing our young people. Maybe we should refocus as to what we're really investing our time and money in.

Most pastors, if they're honest, realize that 90%  of their counseling stems from the destruction of the family. Surely there's more that we can do along those lines.

How can we become a discipleship church for families?

I think as pastors, we need to go back to Scripture to find our job description. There is a very narrow band of things we are to be focused on; prayer, ministry, devotion to the Word.

I would challenge people to ask themselves what's really important.

We need to reach out to the men in the congregation, the husbands and fathers, to encourage them to be the prophet-priests in their homes.

How can a pastor begin to minister to the men in his church?

I think you have to start spending time with them. Encourage them to take the message that we as pastors give them on a regular basis, and go and talk about it.

Urge them to start stepping into the God-given role that God has given them.

Pastor's Circle - Chris Lohrstorfer

Dr. Chris Lohrstorfer is the pastor of Hinds Independent Methodist Church and an adjunct professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary. He joined The Matt Friedeman Show to talk about Epiphany. Here are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is Epiphany?

It's actually an ancient feast going way back into the early centuries of Christianity. 

It commemorates the Magi coming to visit Christ. I think that story is important for a couple of reasons.

It's about the revealing of Christ to the Gentiles. The Magi come out of their pagan place to visit the King, and God was drawing them. 

It's a great picture of a God who wants to reveal himself.

What are some application points from this story?

First of all, I notice when the Magi come to Jerusalem, they ask for the King. But the people who should have seen him had not. It took the pagans coming in.

Second, Herod asked the religious leaders where the Messiah was born. Why didn't the religious leaders run to Bethlehem? 

I see the church in that. We say we believe, but we just sit there in the pew a lot of the time.

Another thing I see is that when those kings go and visit the Christ, they go back another way. And that's so true. When you see Christ, you cannot go back the way you came.

The primary thing I see in this text is that you cannot be king and worship the King. 

Now, the Magi weren't really kings, but when you look at them in contrast with Herod, they're willing to bow down to this baby who is King. Herod can't.

Because in order to worship him, in order to make him number one, you have to be something less than number one. 

When it really comes to giving him our lives, we have to lose our lives. And most of us would rather not.

This is going to cost you. It's going to matter in your life. The main problem is that we don't really want to lose anything when we receive revival.

People don't want to move out from the pew into the world, because it costs too much.

Pastor's Circle - Kevin Dodd

Kevin Dodd serves as senior pastor at Grant Avenue Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss . Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

How can a church get back to its purpose?

I think some of it comes back to getting back to some foundational things. 

What's our view of God? What's our view of his purpose? Why are we here? What has he called us to do?

I think sometimes we try to complicate so much, and sometimes we need to just strip away and get back to some basic things.

If you do that, it helps people knit together a little better. You see God's blessing, you see fruitfulness. It keeps taking you forward.

Why do we continue to do things when they've lost their effectiveness?

I think there are always programs or "ministries" that are legacied or institutionalized. 

Or even events; there are events that our church has done for decades that have lost their effectiveness in the community.

But something I've tried to present to our leadership since we came is that it's a question of whether we're effective.

I think we always need to be examining what we do, asking if it's effective, or glorifying, or even good stewardship. 

If not, even though it might be painful to us personally, let's move on and focus on our mission.

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.

How vital is a daily devotional life??

It's our life and breath. Without it, I don't think we can sustain any kind of vitality in our relationship with Jesus. 

It's the life's blood for anyone who has come to know Jesus and wants to know him more deeply.

We're all afraid of becoming legalists, but I would love to see a little more legalism in the churhc and a little less of the "anything goes" mentality.

I just finished reading the Bible, so I read the last chapter of Psalms, the last chapter of Proverbs, the last chapter of Malachi, and the last chapter of the Bible.

I was astonished by the common themes: praise, of course, but also incredible intimacy. 

The theme of fathers and children, the bride concept; the intimacy in both Testaments is incredible.

Why do people see daily devotions as legalistic?

I think it's our excuse. There's an aspect of the Judge coming into your life, but you're a child, you're a bride, you're a lover. 

Your response should be breathing back love and adoration and worship. Legalism is an excuse for us not to be about the hard work, and love is hard work.

What do we mean when we talk about the "means of grace"?

I think immediately of the way John Wesley talked about it. He said the means of grace are ways the Lord lets his grace into our lives.

But the means can quickly become an idol as well, taking communion and going to church.

Daily time in the Word is a means of accessing his grace in my life, no more and no less. Daily prayer, attending worship, the Lord's Supper, all of these are ways that God reveals his grace.

Memory of the Word is another means of grace. Singing the hymns of the Lord. Really anything we can do to draw closer to God.

Pastor's Circle - Rurel Ausley

Rurel Ausley, lead pastor of Niceville United Methodist Church, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about the choices we make. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

You're doing a sermon series on choices; what exactly is that about?

I've always been big on New Year's Resolutions. The choices that we make determine the direction we go, and who we are, and what happens to us.

What are some choices you've made that have impacted your life?

One choice is that I asked Jesus into my life. That changed everything I've ever done. Another choice would be marrying my wife. That has made the second most difference in my life.

Even today, I look at some choices I need to make this year; I think especially a new commitment to his Word.

That's a choice I need to make every day. When I do that, it makes a big difference in my day, because I sense his presence with me all day long. I need that.

I would say I need to work really hard to make sure I'm operating on my priorities. It's so easy to get sidetracked, to get trapped in other things.

What are ways that you've studied the Word of God?

One way I did for years, is that I read the Bible through every year. I've also just taken a book and spent some time in it. If your audience has never read the Bible through, I encourage them to do that.

On the prayer time, the most recent thing over the last four or five years for me has been contemplative prayer, trying to learn to just be silent before the Lord.

It slows me down, it gives me a sense that he's there, it gives me a sense of reality with him. I've enjoyed that, although I'm not really a "sit still" person.

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.