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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on October 14, 2011

For the past four years I have attended Rock Bridge Community Church in Dalton, Georgia where I sit under the preaching of Matt Evans.  In the last year I have also made great use of preaching podcasts.  If I’m in my car alone I’m probably listening to a downloaded sermon.  My favor podcast preacher is Andy Stanley.  So between Sundays at church and Monday through Friday in the car, I listen to Matt and Andy a lot.  For a while I have considered these guys two of the top five communicators in church world today, but it was not until recently that I realized how spoiled they have made me.

There are a lot of things that make Andy and Matt great preachers.  They are solid Bible teachers, they are great at connecting with their listeners, and they live lives of integrity that back up what they say from the stage.  However, there is something more I have noticed about these men and is the reason I say that when it comes to listening to preaching, they have spoiled me.

In listening to Matt and Andy, I no longer hear what I hear from a lot of other preachers.  They don’t make the same kind of jokes.  They don’t settle for the same kind of illustrations.  I truly consider theirs a finer kind of preaching.  As part of that I do not hear them using:

• Corny jokes
• Shock effect to get attention or stir anger
• Self-deprecating humor just to get a cheap laugh
• Information without application
• References to their wives as demanding or domineering
• Consistent insistence on how hot their wives are (something I wrote about here)

Sadly, these habits are common place for most preachers, even those liked and respected by many.  To me, such things cheapen the sermon and distract from the message.  Then again, I may just be saying that because I’m spoiled.

Category: Church Life / Denominations, Communication, My Life / Personal | No Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on October 10, 2011

In a relationship book my wife and I read earlier this year there was an entire chapter dedicated to the subject of self-talk.  Whether we want to admit it or not, we are easily influenced.  This is a consequence of being human.  The way others act toward us and the words they say to and about us can have great impact on us – positive and negative.  And there is no one who says more about us than us.  We are the biggest influencers on ourselves.

Most of our talking about ourselves comes in the form of our thoughts.  We think about ourselves all day and at any given time are currently holding a view or opinion about ourselves.  Though we may never vocalize the majority of it, how often do we have internal thoughts along the line of, that was stupid, why did I say that? That didn’t work, you are such a moron, or they probably didn’t speak to me because they don’t like me?

We would not put up with others saying such things yet we allow ourselves to take cheap shots at ourselves and call ourselves names all throughout the day.  If a couple times a day we are telling ourselves you’re not smart enough, you’re not good enough, or you could never do that, it should be no mystery as to why we doubt ourselves and are in a place to easily accept the negative things others say about us.  We are beating ourselves up in our mind.  And whether you want to accept this or not, that internal dialogue takes a toll on your soul.

Part of being emotionally and relationally healthy is monitoring our own self-talk.  If you are married it’s also important to be careful of the things you allow yourself to think about your spouse.  You may never say it to them, but continual thoughts such as he will probably forget, she is so clumsy, and they just don’t care about me can create distance and barriers in your marriage.  You’ve heard it said that if you hear something enough you begin to believe it.  Well that is partially true.  You at least begin to accept it, expect it, or even look for it.  So even if what you are hearing is coming from your own thoughts, you will put yourself in a negative disposition toward yourself or someone you love by constantly dwelling on your (or their) bad habits, negative traits, or character flaws.

This is the power of negative thinking.  Ultimately it is your view of yourself that determines how valuable you think you are.  If you are married, your spouse’s opinion of you is the second most important.  Don’t allow this unspoken talk to put you at a disadvantage in your relationship before you even begin to speak.

Category: Communication, Emotion Issues, Marriage/Family, Relationships / Love | No Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on October 4, 2011

The second piece of disagreeing feedback I received from someone who read my book was over my usage of 1 John 1:9.  This popularly quoted verse says that if we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive them.  At one point in my book I stated the context of that verse is that it was written to non-believers, calling them to salvation.  Someone who read my book disagreed with that and emailed me to challenge me on it.

My defense is…………….I was wrong.

To be honest I heard a speaker say this one time and I was simply repeating what I heard inaccurately taught about this passage of Scripture.  Doing so is poor research on my part and I now realize I was wrong.

My point about the passage was that it is not a ‘fix-all’ for Christians to repeatedly quote so they can be guilt free while having unchanged behavior.  Though my application was wrong my stance on this is still the same.  The verse is not a model for repeated confession.  I feel it is often taught in a way that says we’re all going to sin, but thankfully if we just go to God and confess our sins then it’s all good.  Being able to say this verse was meant for non-Christians fit with my agenda so I put that spin on the verse.  Again, I now realize this was wrong.

However, I still do not see 1 John 1:9 as a catchall for present sin.  The verse is usually quoted out of context but the chapter of 1 John 1 very clearly has a ‘looking back’ theme.  The writer is remembering what has been given.  He is listing what the believers have done.  He uses a lot of past-tense wording.

In that context I think verse 9 is saying that if we have (or since we have) confessed God has forgiven.  The verse is not a mandate to be in continual confession as to receive continual forgiveness.  John is teaching a promise.  He is telling his readers that if (assumed) they have confessed then God has forgiven.  They do not need to wonder if they have been forgiven or fear that their sin will be held against them.  No, if they have confessed, then they have been forgiven.  That attitude is consistent with the verses immediately before and after verse nine.

In looking at this chapter closer and reading better commentary on it I have to admit I made a mistake before and I hate that it went to print that way.  My point though was to show that 1 John 1:9 is not saying Christians must continually seek forgiveness.  I was trying to say that forgiveness occurs just once.  Repentance is continuous.  You are forgiven and become a Christian.  Once you are a Christian you will realize your need to repent on a pretty regular basis.

Our motivation for this is not forgiveness though.  It’s purity.  It’s holiness.  It’s a relationship with God that cannot exist while habitual sin is present.  God has already forgiven us of that sin, but allowing it to stay in the picture keeps us from enjoying all the blessings of His forgiveness.

Category: Bible Study, Jesus, Prayer, Repentance and Recovery | 2 Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on September 27, 2011

I have received a small amount of feedback on my book.  There were two instances in particular where someone wrote me to disagree with something I said in the book.  I want to use this post and the next to further address these issues.

The first has to do with the nature and place of repentance.  Someone wrote me a message on facebook after reading my book and pointed to a section of chapter four in which I state repentance is not necessary for salvation.  The person who wrote me on this went on to say that we cannot turn toward God and salvation until we have turned away from self and sin.  They said that what I wrote was dangerous and misleading.  That’s why I want to talk about it in more detail here.

I realize that stating repentance is not necessary for salvation is certainly bold and perhaps I should have more accurately wrote that repentance is not required at the moment of salvation, though I do not believe my original statement to be unbiblical either.  In clarifying the definition of repentance (page 66) I address the meaning of the original Old and New Testament words translated into our English word repentance.  Any proper definition of these words portrays them as acts, works or deeds to be done on our part.

Repent means to turn.  A more expanded translation would be to feel such regret and sorrow that you change your mind and turn to a different set of actions.  It is something we must do.  It’s an act.  It’s a work. It is work!  It does not happen immediately or easily.  So when people say that the first step in salvation in repentance, they are saying that salvation is based upon a work you do.  This is completely inaccurate!

Such understanding for the term repentance is common in contemporary and traditional churches alike.  In the conservative, Baptist church I grew up in I heard the pastor preach something along the lines of, “you don’t have to make yourself clean before you come to God.  You come to God as you are and He will make you clean.”  To me, that is the exact point I was making in the book!  To say repentance is an essential for becoming a Christian is to say you must have already turned from your sin and be acting like a Christian to become one.  That would be a works-based salvation.

I believe the misunderstanding comes from a confusion over terms.  Certainly if you are actively running from God you are not in the position to become a Christian.  At some point you must at least be open to Him and want salvation.  Acknowledging that need is confession.  Making the conscious decision to work toward a changed life and do things differently than you did before is something completely different; that’s repentance.  (By the way, the entire second chapter of my book is spend noting the differences between confession and repentance)

You see, repentance is work.  And it’s hard work at that.  The Message Bible sometimes translates repentance as “life change.”  Perhaps the hardest thing to do as humans is change.  That’s why I believe God desires to, through the Holy Spirit, help believers in repentance.  The Holy Spirit comes into the life of a believer at salvation and is then able to lead and guide them through a time of life change to become more like Jesus.  Saying repentance must come before salvation leaves non-Christians on their own to do this difficult work on their own as they try and become good enough to be saved.

Another common misunderstanding here is that repentance is not a one-time act.  It’s not something we do on the front end to be accepted by God and then we’re done with it.  Because repentance is a turn or change in our actions, away from self and toward God, it is needed over and over again throughout our entire lives.  We consistently sin against God.  We continually turn our back on Him and the desires He has for us.  Each one of those times requires some degree and form of repentance.  Sometimes this means a long, drawn out, public repentance that is worked out over time for a ministry leader who has had a major failure in their life.  Often it is a quick realization of the wrong we have done and an immediate action to end that sin and pursue something better.  Either way, repentance is work.  And it’s most successfully done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

For more on this, I would encourage you to check out this book! 

Category: Life Change, Repentance and Recovery, Writing | No Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on September 16, 2011

For a while I was frustrated at the low amounts of comments my blog was generating.  Though the number of hits on my posts continued to increase, few if any people were taking the time to leave comments on my site.

I have a pretty good number of followers who are subscribers to my blog and receive updates on new postings through email.  I also have generated more traffic to my site by linking many of my posts to my facebook and twitter accounts.  Surprisingly to me, this got more people reading my posts but still produced very few comments.

What did begin happening however is people gave me feedback in different ways.  Since I know about half my readers personally, it was not uncommon to be at work or church and have someone come up to me and tell me they read my blog and give me some feedback.  Some people emailed me their comments about what they read on my site.  Others gave comments via twitter or text.  And some people would click on the link I posted on facebook, go to my site, read my post, go back to facebook, and type in their thoughts there.  Again, this frustrated me.  I would think, why don’t they just leave their comments on my site?

I had to realize that for whatever reason, most of my readers just did not (or do not) want to leave public comments attached to the posts they read.  This did not mean that they were not giving me feedback though.  And that’s what I ultimately wanted.  It would not be wise of me to condemn others when they email me or give me their input in person.  Yelling “put it on the blog” would probably not get me the response I want.  Among the unique people who read what I write there is a trend of giving feedback in a more private and sometimes more personal way.  It would be counterproductive for me to fight this and try to force on them the model I want.

Rather I am embracing this trend.  I now send every new post out on twitter and link most of them to facebook.  I try to encourage conversation when people tell me they read my post.  If I’m getting what it is I want (feedback) it doesn’t really matter how I’m getting it.  I can’t be so concerned about which method or form I think is “right,” it’s more important to know what works!

In your work or relationships are there any new trends you are still trying to put into old molds?  Do you need to forsake what you think is right for the enhancement of what works?  Be on the lookout for how people and processes change and embrace them.  Fighting to keep things the same does not provide greater outcomes.

Category: Communication, Leadership, My Life / Personal, Writing | No Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on September 12, 2011

I set a goal for myself this year to read 30 books.  With so much going on I have got behind on my reading and will probably finish the year closer to 25.  But I have read some great books this year as well as some not-so-great ones and have certainly read on a broader range of topics than I have since school.  Perhaps I can help give you some guidance in your reading as I share a brief summary of the best and worst of the books I’ve read so far this year.

Worst:

Safe in the Arms of God by John MacArthur – I have read several MacArthur books and yet to find one I liked or agreed with.  With this book I agree with his big point (that babies go to heaven) but think that his logic was poor and he came across as arrogant in a book that just really was not that good.  He also makes leaps from Scripture to points I do not think are true, such as the age of accountability.  Perhaps you have to be a parent who just lost a child to appreciate this book.

Doing Virtuous Business by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch – I accepted this book for free in return for doing a blog post about it.  In the last year I’ve become more interested in reading business books.  This one promises to show the value of religious morals in secular business.  I thought it did not accurately portray strong morals or true business.  No CEO would read this book.  You can read my full review of it here.

Detox by David Putman – There was nothing horrible about this book, it simply under-delivered.  I try not to only read books by big name authors so I gave this one a try after visiting the church where the author is on staff.  It promises to be a cleansing “experience” for those caught in the rituals of religion.  I think the idea is great, the book is just inadequate.  Also, it’s a book.  I am turned off when authors say that reading what they write will be a life-changing experience.  It was not.

Love Wins by Rob Bell – I do not list this book here simply because I disagree with it.  I was actually disappointed in the logic and Scripture use in this book.  I expected better from one of the most followed pastors in America.  You can read my full book review of Love Wins here.

Best:

From The Top Down by Michael Lukaszewski – A simple, short book on the details of church planting.  Many of the church planting books I read are idealistic and general strategies.  This book is the more nitty gritty stuff and the specific resources and stories that went in to the church the author planted.

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley – This book was much more simple than I expected.  When I anticipated theology this book provided stories.  Stanley answers those who claim the Old Testament does not show God’s grace and then applies the message of how grace should be shown in the church.  A great read!

Jim and Casper Go To Church by  Jim Henderson, Matt Casper and George Barna – This book is basically a story of a Christian and a non-Christian going to several American churches together and writing their thoughts on the services.  The book does well to point out all the shallowness and façade that goes on in churches in order to appear “cool,” however, it is only one lost man’s opinion.  He does not speak for all seekers, mainly because Casper does not even claim to be a seeker.  Though the book is certainly challenging, I would not change everything in your church based on this book alone.

Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix – This book was recommended by the marriage counselor my wife and I see.  The book teaches amazing principles and the new edition includes a section of exercises to help you improve your marital communication.  Warning – if you are a conservative Christian, you may be put off by a few things in the introduction, but give this book a chance.  I would recommend it for every engaged or married couple!

Radical by David Platt – Though the other books on this list have been great, none have challenged my thinking or made me aware of the heart of God as much as this book.  I know understand why Radical is changing the lives of so many within the church today.  It also saddens me when people accuse Platt of saying what he’s not saying and writing him off rather than listening to all the great points he makes.  There is no way I could even try to give you an accurate summary of this book.  You simply have to read it for yourself!

What are the best and worst you’ve read this year?

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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on September 2, 2011

In July I finally read the highly acclaimed Radical by David Platt.  The book was certainly challenging and bold.  So when I saw Platt had written a follow up book titled Radical Together I immediately requested a copy.

The short book was very obviously written from the same burden for the poor, un-reached and spiritually dead as Radical.  Actually, Platt refers to his first book so often throughout Radical Together that I’m not sure I would have understood as much of this book had I not read the other first.

Radical Together delivers what it promises though, as Platt writes to reveal how so much of what we do in church-world today is more American than Christian.  He challenges the notion that a church service is meant to be a performance by professionals and argues for an involvement of all people in the mission of the church; reaching the world.

Platt’s messages challenges readers to evaluate the how and why of their ministry while encouraging them to become part of a community for the sake of taking the message of Jesus to those on the other side of the world who have never heard of Him.  In doing church in a way Platt sees as closer to the method of Jesus, we would certainly be radical, together.

But because Platt’s message is so unique and grassroots compared to what modern Christianity looks like today, he is constantly interrupting his own message to “clarify” what he is not saying.  Perhaps he is doing this to protect himself from those who may take his words to an unhealthy extreme, but it hurt the flow of the book and also made his logic seem more cautious than confident.

The back of the book contains thirty pages of small group study text.  These sessions are meant to create conversation around the ideas of the book and help the readers have direction on how to apply what they read.  I appreciate that Platt is not asking people to buy an additional study guide but rather includes this in his book.  I find this appropriate for a book and a message that is all about challenging the reader to movement rather than just giving them more information.

Radical Together, along with Radical, have certainly had a deep impact on me as God is using Platt to point to an entire part of the message of Jesus that has been mostly ignored by many American churches in recent years.  The books have challenged my beliefs and caused me to consider what my responsibility and the responsibility of the church is when it comes to giving of our abundance toward a much more worthy calling.  Caring for those who are in physical and spiritual need is the most worthy cause for which we could spend our money.  Platt challenge to Christians to leave their comfort zone, spend time ministering in a foreign context, give painfully of their resources, and depend on God through intense prayer is causing some major shifts within our Christian culture.  I consider this a very good thing and is why I encourage you to pick up both these books and wrestle with these issues yourself.

You can click these links to purchase Radical and Radical Together.

Category: Book Reviews, Caring for the poor, Church Life / Denominations, Ministry, Stewardship/Giving | No Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on August 30, 2011

Last week I introduced a video clip from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in which he shows Fox News reporters and guests blaming America’s poor for our economic problems.  I got comments, emails, and tweets about the post, most of which were surprisingly approving of the clip and my comments about it.  However, I want to go deeper on this subject of the poor in America and layout why the video clip was so appalling to me in the first place.

I believing addressing the poor of our culture and speaking of them the way Fox News did crosses moral boundaries and is more than just a political issue.  I often hear conservatives and Christian politicians get fired up about the issues of abortion and homosexuality, claiming they are a spiritual issue and not a political one.   If they want to claim that abortion (a term not in the Bible) is a spiritual issue rather than a political one, then clearly caring for the poor is also a spiritual issue.  And one where we are failing.

Jesus never spoke to the issue of abortion and great links have to be made between his words and Old Testament passages to claim he opposed homosexuality.  While these issues may be moral ones, even more clear is the truth that Jesus had a lot to say about the poor and what our obligation is toward them.  Jesus spoke more about the poor than any other “political” issue.  He talked about the poor when teaching about time, when teaching about money, when teaching about serving, and when teaching about the kingdom of God.

Labeling today’s lower class as those looking for hand-outs is a form of arrogance.  The truth is that removing all forms of government handouts would create uproar from both the rich and the poor.  The upper class actually enjoys forms of a higher level of government benefits.  To see one person abusing the system or using food stamps in a way you find inappropriate and claiming this to be true of all those in the lower class is poor logic and shows you are out of touch with the poor in your community.  It also means you believe people should be assisted, given to, or blessed with conditions when this is not taught in Scripture.

Truly the Bible teaches that a man should eat after he has worked, but the word work does not necessarily mean possessing a job.  To claim the poor are poor because they are lazy is a huge generalization and no more true than that every working person is a hard worker and rich.

What the Bible teaches is stewardship.  Those of us who have been blessed have been blessed to be a blessing.  Along with all we have, we have been given the responsibility to care for those who have not.  This is true materially, emotionally and spiritually.

When considering the poor, allow me to ask a question:  Is it easier to be generous, perhaps even careless, with something that we earned or something that was given to us?

The argument we are taught as young children is ‘if you earn it you will appreciate it more.’  I think this same reasoning is behind political conservatives who suggest poor people are looking for hand-outs and abuse their government assistance.  However, the idea that we earn or deserve what we have is a complete farce.  The Bible says we are to recognize every good thing we have as a gift from the Father.

It is true that we are much more likely to hold loosely and give away things that are given to us and that we don’t actually see as our own.  However, this is not a reason to blame some poor people for being irresponsible, but to be free with our own possessions when it comes to meeting the needs of others.

You and I are much more likely to hold what is “ours” with open hands when we realize it’s all simply a gift from God.  The money and possessions we have, we have because God allowed it.  Even our talents and skills that we think created our wealth are in reality blessings God chose to give us.  A simple reading of the book of Acts will show that our possessions, resources, and abilities are meant to be leveraged for those in need through the context of ministry.

If there are people in our communities in need, it is our own fault.  And if it’s our fault, it is also our responsibility.

Category: Caring for the poor, Jesus, My Life / Personal, Politics, Stewardship/Giving | 5 Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on August 26, 2011

I try to avoid getting political on this blog as posting about politics has caused conflict in the past. However, the following is something I feel deeply burdened to address.

Since watching the August 18th episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart I have been unable to get the following video clip out of my mind. To be honest, the way Fox News deals with the subject of national debt and America’s poor makes me sick. To me, this topic is more than a political issue up for debate.

I know Fox News watchers (aka Republicans) will defend the network by saying those clips are taken out of context. However, I don’t really know of a context where demonizing the poor is appropriate. The newscasters are also obviously distancing themselves from the underprivileged while at the same time painting them as the bad guys.

The stats Stewart gives are amazing. The bottom 50% of economic earners in our country represent only 2.5% of our nation’s wealth. That is not capitalism at its finest. That is a system problem. The widening gap between the upper and lower class is alarming and anyone who would defend such a system that allows this is not in tune with the heart of God.

When we react to this clip with political reasoning and arguments we are putting our politics before our religion. We should not interpret our religion through our politics but our politics through our religion. I believe this video addresses something that is more than a political opinion.

What are your thoughts about the clip?

I will be sharing mine next week.

Category: Caring for the poor, Entertainment, My Life / Personal, Politics | 7 Comments »
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Posted By Aaron Marcelli on August 22, 2011

A lot of good things have been happening for us in the last few weeks and a couple big opportunities have presented themselves.  Allow me to share them with you.

- Katy and I were asked to lead a small group at our church.  The group we have been part of for about a year has grown to 10 young couples.  We have agreed to split the group and we have been asked to lead the new split-off group.

- I have been promoted as a church volunteer.  Rock Bridge has a Thursday night worship service and I am now the service captain for those services.  I will be responsible for making sure everything pre-service flows, take-down is completed, and all volunteer positions are filled or recruited.

- Katy and I have seen some breakthroughs in our communication.  We have been reading books together and attending counseling and are excited to see some of the pay-offs from the time and work we are putting into the quality of our marriage.  We have also been given the chance to share some of the principles we are learning at our small groups’ upcoming couples retreat.

- We have been offered a new live-in job that would allow us to get into a better living situation for us and at the same time provide extra income toward saving for a down payment on a house in the future.

These things have served as a reminder that God is at work and in control.  He is at work even when it seems like life is on pause.  He is in control and can open the flood gates at any time.  All of our prayers and desires do not have be addressed right away when the One we pray to is capable of bringing about every blessing whenever He so chooses.  And, like the case has been for us, God may choose to provide for and promote you in many areas in a short period of time.

Category: Church Life / Denominations, Communication, My Life / Personal | No Comments »
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