David Whiting Live

Books Worth Reading

A good friend recently emailed me asking for a book to "fire him up" spiritually. I made a list and thought that a broader audience may want to see the list.  Here are 12 that have made a significant difference in my life in recent years:

Books that will challenge your commitment:

• The Cross-Centered Life - by C.J. Mahaney
• Crazy Love - Francis Chan
• The Best Question Ever - Andy Stanley
• Pursuit of Holiness - Jerry Bridges

Books that will challenge your marriage:

• Sacred Marriage - Gary Thomas
• Choosing to Cheat - Andy Stanley (cheating your work instead of your family)

Practical Book that will Challenge/Encourage you:

• The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley

Book on working with others/ difficult relationships / counseling

• Relationships: A Mess Worth Making - Tim Lane & Paul Tripp

Book about leadership challenges (when you have a difficult boss / ministry leader)

• A Tale of Three Kings - Gene Edwards

Great apologetic book

• The Reason for God - Tim Keller

Great books to think about the Church:

• The Radical Reformission - Mark Driscoll
• Simple Church - Eric Geiger & Thom Rainer

Completely life-changing but deep book

• Desiring God - John Piper

Don't Forget the Time Change

Don't forget to move you clock back one hour before you go to bed tonight. It means an extra hour of sleep... or no excuse to be late to church...

Stage Construction - a BUSY weekend!!

For those who don't attend North - we have two projects happening simultaneously. Our new building and a stage addition to our gym.  The stage addition is being done primarily by volunteers.  This is a summary of that stage work over the past few days.  A lot has been going on!

Here are some quick pictures.

This was a MAJOR volunteer project - setting the trusses.  This took place on Saturday.

Thankfully, Art brought a couple of guys from work to help bring expertise to our volunteers.

It is a bit intense preparing a 1500 pound truss to be lifted into place.

One in place - and a long way to go...

The finished truss project...

Sunday - it was time to attach plywood to the roof.

I asked Kim if they needed help. She told me, "We don't need bodies on this one - we need people who know what they are doing."  That was the nice way to tell me, "Just go to your office and work."

By Sunday night - the plywood was attached.  Thankfully, NO MORE blowing tarp noises during the AM services!!!

Tuesday - two projects were happening at once - bricking and roofing.  The brick work was done by our subcontractors who did the new building brick and block. The shingles were done by our volunteers.

We asked the masons (Rayburn) - if they minded guys roofing above them.  They simply said, "As long as they don't drop anything."  For over two months we saw Rayburn as they did all the block and brick work on the new building - so it has been great having them back this week.

Should Churches Accept Credit Cards? - part 2

You can read part one of this post HERE.

Wow! I received a lot of feedback on the first post (if you receive this by email or in facebook - go to the blog to read comments). Thanks for all the input. Very interesting discussion.

Philosophically, I have no problem with allowing the use of credit cards.  We don't drop our website because people misuse the Internet. We probably will even allow people to put sugar in their coffee. Just because things are misused doesn't mean that we will keep everyone from using those tools. I would rather see those who live in debt learn to use wisdom.  If they cut up their credit cards - good for them.  They can use their debit cards or carry their envelope system.  I think that is great!

The second issue that I want to mention in this blog is the practical issue.

A very common comment was to only allow debit cards to be used. Philosophically, I am fine with that. But that creates a practical problem - bank surcharges.  Our cafe/bookstore team has done some research.  If someone uses a credit card - it will cost us .22 cents per purchase PLUS 1.67%.  BUT if someone uses their debit card - it it a flat fee of .72 center per purchase.

To illustrate it - think about this.  If we sell a cup of coffee for $1.00.  Here is the breakdown:

• Cost of the coffee to us (23 cents)
• Cost for use of Visa (22 cents)
• That leaves 55 cents that goes to the cafe

BUT - if someone uses their debit card - this is the breakdown:

• Cost of the coffee to us (23 cents)
• Cost of debit transaction (72 cents)
• That leave 5 cents that goes to the cafe

And this does not add cost of the cup, stirrer, cream, sugar, lid, equipment, etc. It also doesn't include the loss that will occur by giving free coffee coupons in our guest packets.

The cafe and bookstore won't be there to make money, but we can't have them lose money either.  Any profit that is made will be put right back into the cafe and bookstore. 

So - here is the question (for those of you who want us to take credit/debit cards): Are you willing to a bottle of water to cost $1.50 instead of $1.00?  Are you willing to pay $1.50 instead of $1.00 for the cup of coffee? Are you willing to have everyone pay 40 or 50 cents more per item?

Based on this knowledge of fees - NOW WHAT IS YOUR FEEDBACK?  Does it change your opinion? What do you think we ought to do? Cash only? Cash and debit only? All three?

Should Churches Accept Credit Cards?

This is part two of a post on credit cards (although they aren't all that related).  You can read part one HERE. ("Getting Spanked for Paying My Bills")

In a few weeks, we will be opening our new building. As part of that, we will be opening a cafe and a bookstore!  I am VERY excited about those (each for different reasons).

But here is the dilemma we are facing - "SHOULD WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS IN CHURCH?"  Today, I want to ask a philosophical question. In my next post - I will ask a practical question...

PHILOSOPHICALLY:

WHY WE SHOULD ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS:
The main reason we should accept credit cards is that we are becoming more and more a cashless society. I rarely carry cash.  I use my debit card for everything.  When I come to a cash only business - I usually have to pass.  I just don't carry cash.  If we have a bookstore and cafe that only takes cash - both will get underutilized (in my opinion). Ultimately, the is about convenience and the direction of our culture.

WHY WE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS:
This is pretty simple - 55 to 60% of Americans carry a balance on their credit cards (they don't pay it off every month).  That means they are wasting massive amounts of money on interest.  And the average household with a credit card balance carried revolving debt of nearly $10,000! Are we just encouraging people to go further into debt to buy a bottle of water (if they use their credit card)?  One of our responsibilities as a church is to teach people fiscal stewardship - to be a manager of God's money. 

SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Some would say that we shouldn't encourage further debt - so don't allow cards to be used.  Others would argue that we can't stop people from misusing their credit cards and that we shouldn't stop others who use them in responsible ways.

I am guessing the day will come when we MAY become very close to a cashless society and we may not have a choice, but for now - we do.  It may hurt sales, but it could help people be responsible.  I'm sure the business meeting will come when a church debates accepting credit cards in the offering. But I'm sure there was once a debate about accepting checks too...

I really don't know what to decide on this.  Help us out - WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO?

(Tomorrow - a practical question)...

A New Name for Our Church

Today (Sunday) our church approved the motion to change the name of our church (North Baptist Church). 79% agreed with the motion.  I thought that was great considering how many love and are tied to the name "Baptist."

We now will begin the process of narrowing down the list of 275 suggestions to a manageable list.  The leaders (pastors, deacons and trustees) have already been working on this.  We will get your involvement in the next week or two.

Thanks for your prayers!

Tomorrow! Important Stuff to Know...

Those who attend North - a couple of important things to know for tomorrow...

• Tomorrow will be a day you will remember for a long time!!!  Don't be late.  To get the full affect of the day tomorrow - you need to be here before the service starts.  You can do it... really... Some of you have never been here before a service started.  Do something crazy and be early!! :)  Tomorrow will be a day you won't forget... five years from now you will be able to answer this question: "Were you at North on the day that...?" (I don't want to spoil it.)  So - be here tomorrow and be on time.  It won't overly impress you, but you won't forget it. (Hopefully that is enough to draw your interest to get you here before the service starts.)
• Tomorrow all members vote to change our church name. Don't forget to vote.  Voting will only be available immediately following each of the 3 services (you will see why tomorrow). 

Let me encourage you to think and pray about a couple of things with the name change:

• Although this may be an easy decision for you - it isn't for many. I've talked to several who are voting "yes" - in spite of some conflicts they have internally (but for the sake of the Gospel - will vote 'yes'). 
• Pray especially for those of us who are STRONGLY tied to the name "Baptist" - it is the only church title we've known. This is REALLY hard!
• No matter how you feel - we love. No matter how you are voting - we love. No matter how the vote turns out - we love.
• We've publicly seen everyone handle this difficult situation with grace, patience and love. That needs to continue tomorrow.

See ya' tomorrow!

Getting Spanked for Paying My Bills

Have you heard? Bank of America is going to charge "a small number of customers an annual fee, ranging from $29 to $99."  It seems that the ones that will get charged are the people that pay their bills in full every month. 

Citigroup is now charging annual fees - if you don't charge at least $2400 annually.  Other banks are charging inactivity fees if customers don't use their credit cards during a specific period of time.  One article estimated that if you pay your bill every month in full - you won't be able to find a credit card with no annual fee within one year.  That will REALLY frustrate me.

In other words - if they don't make enough money off of you (through interest payments or through percentages made off of your purchases) - they will find another way to make money off of you. My dad always taught me to pay off my credit card bill every month.  I've never carried a credit card balance - ever. And because I've used credit cards responsibly, I'm going to get penalized. There is something very frustrating about that.

A majority of my purchases are with a debit card, but I still use a credit card regularly.  I earn miles and there is no annual fee. If that changes - I will be bummed.

This really does have a point... I'll make it tomorrow. I've been doing a lot of thinking about debit cards and credit cards and our culture's addiction to stuff which causes them to live beyond their means.

Hiding Behind Our Theology

One of my favorite things to teach about is the sovereignty of God. I remember - as a freshman in college - when it slowly dawned on me the implications of God's sovereignty. At first, I was upset ("That can't be!"). Then I was confused ("But that means..."); Finally, I rejoiced in it ("This is amazing!").

For the rest of my college career - I was a Calvinist recruiter... attempting to convert every Arminian to the wonderful beauty of God's sovereignty over our depravity.  I was functioning as a hyper-Calvinist (see previous post on that topic HERE) during my college years.

As I look back at those years, I wonder if I often excused my lack of passionate evangelism on God's sovereignty - and felt theologically superior in doing so.  Once I became a youth pastor, I still equally enjoyed and taught the sovereignty of God as I did when I first discovered it, but that teaching began to be balanced with human responsibility. It is only recently that my passion for lost people has begun to bring accusations that I'm not trusting in God's sovereignty enough. 

That is why Nehemiah 4:9 means a lot to me these days: "We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."

God is absolutely and totally sovereign, and we must take reasonable steps of responsibility. And if that seems theologically confusing - then it probably is just about right.  Because if we have God's sovereignty "all figured out" perhaps He isn't as transcendent as we think.

For me, I will continue to live in the confusion of knowing He is totally and completely sovereign, and I will continue to do all I can to "win as many as possible."

Spiritual Asbestos - Silent Killers

While our church was having asbestos removed last month - by law, we were required to post signs all over the facility warning people about the danger of asbestos.  And it made me start to think about how churches spread spiritual asbestos.

According to an OSHA website "the inhalation of asbestos fibers by workers can cause serious diseases of the lungs and other organs that may not appear until years after the exposure has occurred. For instance, asbestos can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye." (you can read more HERE - if you want to scare yourself silly)

So - asbestos is an unnoticed killer...  That is what made me wonder what types of things seem harmless in churches, but are actually very deadly.

1. Legalism

There are thousands of churches that practice a "rules-righteousness" approach to Christianity and they have no idea what a deadly killer that is.  They set their rules on movies, cards, dress codes, alcohol, translations, and hundreds of other things... and it creates a prideful arrogance that is deadly. I wouldn't want a new Christian to attend a legalistic church.  They kill souls - both by creating false pride in Christians and by making new believers feel that such a standard is actually a goal to be attained.

2. Confusion of preferences versus conviction

This is a common spiritual asbestos found in all types of churches, and it is a deadly killer for new Christians, and it stagnates the growth of all Christians. If we can't tell the difference between personal preference and biblical conviction - we will create Pharisaical judges who only want to be around people who are just like "us."  And that is not only boring - it is deadly.

3. Country club for saints rather than a hospital for sinners

A silent killer of churches happens when a church acts like they are a country club for saints rather than a hospital for sinners.  When we start thinking that church is all about "give me what I want" or "give me what makes me comfortable" - we've lost our mission and we have airborne asbestos and need to mask up and protect ourselves! What if we ACTUALLY BELIEVED that the purpose of the church was to win people to Christ and grow them in biblical faith?  We talk a good game of evangelism, but most church-going people would never want the church to actually PRACTICE evangelism in effective ways.  That wouldn't make them comfortable.

4. Lack of emphasis on the cross

When a church deals more with sin management than cross dependence - it is spreading spiritual asbestos. When we don't emphasize the cross - we will emphasize "earning God's favor." When we don't emphasize the cross - we will convince ourselves we aren't great sinners.  If we are small sinners - we have a small Savior.  If we see how great of sinners we are - we can rejoice in our great Savior.

Let's avoid all forms of spiritual asbestos. It really is deadly!