If I were not already predisposed to believe the negative things bloggers and writers say about the Attractional Church, I would think that “Attractive” would fit into the definition. But as I read on and on no one ever says anything positive about being an Attractional Church. So I will take my liberty here to crank out a positive description of the Attractional Church. Why? Because I believe in the mission of Attractional ministry…the way ARC does it. Anyway, here are some thoughts.

The Attractional Church is attractive… The vocational church is not attractive… The missional church that is not attractive soon loses its momentum and becomes vocational. (Read my blog on the vocational church) It’s true that the Attractional Church has a strong focus on Sunday services, services that are designed to draw many unchurched people. For discipleship purposes an emphasis on small groups is commonly found. It has a city-wide vision that includes outreach to all groups of people and specific missions to the needy and hurting. Often there are small groups in the Attractional Church that are very missional in their approach. KEY: The more the pastor and leadership express the need to be missional, the more missional the church becomes.

The Attractional Church tends to draw people to its services because of its “attractive” style and relevant approach to communicating the Gospel. In most cases worship is contemporary but doesn’t have to be. Services are fun, happy and the people are friendly.

Theologically, the Attractional Church is biblically rooted and the messages are biblically based. There is also concern and consideration for the culture around it. Therefore, much is done to know the “market” or culture in the area, and subtle adjustments are made to be relevant to that market. So the way the Bible is presented is influenced by the culture/market that is being reached. The difference is not in the content of the message but rather in the style of presenting it.

Application of the truth presented is a big part of the message in the Attractional Church. “What I want them to know” and “What I want them to do” are huge elements in the presentation. It is in the application of the message that missions and outreach is encouraged. Application of truth is also related to everyday issues such as family, employment and finances.

The Attractional Church has a large variety of services that it offers the community. Eventually, with growth, its financial and human resources can be a one stop shop for nearly every need that a member would have. If I were going to make a comparison in medical terms, it is more of a “hospital” whereas the Missional Church is more of an “urgent care” clinic. The Vocational Church would be a classroom on the ills of society. Apparently we need all three types because people attend them all on a regular basis. One is not better than than the other…just different.

Challenges – The Attractional Church can become inwardly focused and lose sight of its mission to the under-churched culture around it. It can inadvertently train up a group of Christians who speak “Christianeze” and become introverted and isolated from non-Christians. The fact is that most churches lose their evangelistic and missional mindset after four years.

Alan Hirsch, who is widely attributed for coining the term “Attractional Church”, said at a recent conference, “To be missional means we must live as a “sent” people. People that go into their community and reach others for Christ. The church goes to people not the other way around. Sent people go into their community and reach others for Christ. Acting “incarnationally,” sent people equip those that they reach to reach their own culture” He added, that in a missional setting, when we act “attractionally”, we effectively extract them from the host tribe/culture and that this is highly problematic. The reason is, the Gospel travels along relational lines within any given culture or sub-culture for that matter. Acting “attractionally” in a missional context effectively extracts people from that context and leaves unreached people and cultures unchanged”

The lesson here is not to “extract” people from their culture once you win them to Christ. So “acting attractionally” is really acting “extractionally.” Bottom line is this. What I define as a true Attractional Church is one that lives as a “sent people,” reaching and discipling converts in their own culture through small groups and outreach, and then providing them with places of worship to bring their families and friends to hear Christ preached….anyway that’s what we’ve been doing for the past ten years. And it works.

Give me some of your thoughts. Billy

Vocational Church – What is being described as the “come and see” or “come to us” church is not “attractional” but rather “vocational.” By “vocational” I mean a church that is led by a “vocational” leader/pastor who sees his “job” as a means of income for his family and livelihood. He doesn’t necessarily feel “called” as much as he just enjoys the ministry as a vocation. He feels a strong suitability to the work and approaches it as his career. He is trained to lead a church, to teach his congregation and to provide guidance in the dispersing and partaking of the sacraments. He learns to be a good communicator, counselor, and leader…but it is his vocation…not necessarily the call of God on his life. This church is for the most part passive towards the community and inward focused. There is little or no concern for the lost and hurting unless there are family members of the congregation that are lost and hurting. Numerical growth is not an issue. As one pastor told me, “We are a small church that is not growing and that’s the way I like it.”

The Vocational Church focuses on its congregation. It is most often controlled by a family or a group of deacons or elders. It is mainly interested in having sermons on Sunday and the needs of its members attended to by the “preacher” or “minister.”

In most cases the Vocational Church does not have small groups and does not do community outreach. It seems to be somewhat opposed to having outsiders coming in fear that it would interfere with its quaintness or social order. One conversation I overheard on a flight from Atlanta to Birmingham two ladies were talking and one said, “That church was so big I didn’t know anyone there. At our church I know everyone by name.” Value is put on knowing everyone not on reaching everyone.

The Vocational Church is not attractive to the under-churched and is mostly avoided by people who think church is boring, irrelevant, and clannish.

Theologically the Vocational Church preaches its denomination or affiliation’s doctrine mixed with illustrations from everyday life. Application is not always made to the truth being presented.

Negatives – The overall lack of mission is the underlying weakness of the Vocational Church. Every other negative factor stems from that.

I will talk about the Attractional church later. Let’s not confuse the two….Billy Hornsby

The BRONZE Leader- The Legislator – Moral Police

When I use the term “Bronze,” I am comparing it to Gold, like medals in the Olympics. Anyone that goes to the Olympics always “go for the gold,” not the bronze. They may end up with the bronze but that is not their goal. And so it is with many pastors that I know and have met, they started out with great visions for reaching many souls and ended up with a struggling flock of disheartened people.

In this post I am writing about those pastors who struggle with the freedom that Christ provides us as His follows in favor of legalism…rules and pastor imposed restrictions that accuse and condemn. Whether it is out of fear of losing their flock, which almost always happens, or just not knowing better, it makes it hard to for those who attend their churches to thrive spiritually. Christian’s long to love their church and see their children grow up and serve God but it doesn’t happen here. Too many of these churches have a negative impact on families and lose them to the world. There are way too many of these churches with this kind of leader and hopefully some will read this and ask God to help them find grace to change. I’ve been there and maybe you have too, so change is good for us and the church.

The bronze leader can be characterized as self-defined by his upbringing and personal views on Scripture and local church life. He lives by his own set of rules that reflect his personal weaknesses and temptations. He ignores the “Great Commission” in favor of an exclusive, “we are the real followers of Jesus.” He fails to grow the church so he begins to possess it. He gathers a small flock that supports him financially for what he does, and what he does could hardly be described as ministry. It is more the corralling of a few vulnerable souls into his fold that he dominates and controls with legalistic preaching. He can be very confrontational and critical of anyone who doesn’t agree with his ideas. He is fairly insecure and finds it difficult to tolerate those that challenge him. His church is most of the time very small but can grow to a couple of hundred if he is a good preacher. He is a good person with a negative outlook on life and the world around him, and therefore very critical.

The bronze leader focuses on the externals of life and demands outward perfection from his followers. His message is condemnation to the sinner, separation from the “world” to the congregation and adherence rules that he thinks are important to embrace. Most of his sermons deal with what he is against and are very shallow. He legislates your behavior and lifestyle. However, he knows certain doctrines that he is an expert in and comes across as a teacher of deep truth to a not-so-informed congregation

This type of leader does not have to worry about anyone getting the credit for accomplishments because there are none. It is just  the preacher with a building that teaches some Bible to a congregation that feels inferior to others and tries to hold on to an awkward kind of faith. This all serves the basic need that people have to feel forgiven and “right” so they can tolerate the world and “hold on until He comes to take them up.”

Attributes of a Bronze Leader

1. He leads from his position – not influence

2. He “pressures” everyone to give and to obey.

3. May know the scriptures but preaches mainly from traditional preferences

4. Insecure and very territorial – wants others to keep away from his flock

5. Very legalistic and has biblical “proof” for every rule he wants to enforce

6. Thinks that he has the inside scoop on all truth and that other churches and pastors are not spiritual

7. Almost never releases anyone into ministry but keeps them in his discipleship circle not for the sake of developing them but holding on to them.

8. Is likely to have many flaws that he covers up with a controlling, manipulative leadership style.

9. Always has an angle in his message and actions.

10. He doesn’t trust many people.

I have been in many of these churches and know that deep down inside this leader is a person who could reach many more un-churched people for Christ if he could find the liberty that Christ offers. If he could learn to embrace the lost with the love of Christ and learn to accept people they would flock to his church. If he would be willing to give up control to Christ and see value in people, saved or unsaved, and lead them with the love of Jesus he would reach more souls.

Why is this important to address? Because there are thousands of these Bronze Churches in America that could be so much more effective in God’s Kingdom if they would realize that Christ came to set people free. And when the church can lead un-churched people into freedom from sin and bondage it will flourish.

Disclaimer – Churches in small communities with limited numbers of people to draw from that don’t experience huge growth are not necessarily Bronze Churches. They can be full of life and will reach a proportionately larger number of people per capita than other churches in similar situations. The Bronze Church has totally different characteristics than the life-giving churches that we mentioned in this blog. Any church can be life-giving!

Wow, our new government administration is throwing a lot of new legislation at us that could change life as we have know it FOREVER. Am I ready for all of this? What should I do about the things that I disagree with? What if I am not ready for all of the changes? These are questions we need to be asking ourselves.

Change, as a dynamic to life, is something we all count on happening, but we often allow ourselves to become complacent. “The change will be gradual enough that I will have time to adjust,” is the line we sell ourselves. “I’ll wait and see how it affects me and then I will do something about it.” “All this change won’t be that drastic” is what we console ourselves with. But it could be drastic and life could look totally different than any of us ever expected. So, how do we handle it.

There are 4 distinct ways in which we might choose to deal with a major upheaval in our lives:

1. Deny It.

“I wasn’t ready for it!” We don’t want to believe it could happen to us, or can’t admit it was coming. Or maybe even worse, we say to ourselves, “This won’t last long, it will all return to the way it was before.” Regardless of how we get hit with the news, shock and denial are often the first reactions that we experience when confronted with a major disruption to our routine lives.

If we deny that change is here, the very changes that we detest and resist, we will be left behind and unprepared for the future.

2. Fear It.

This could be you. You’ve just been told that you are being laid off because of budget cutbacks (Every week I get calls from pastor friends that have staff positions that are being cut). Or, that the house you need to sell before you lose it is only worth 65% of what you paid for it three years ago. That the new government bailout plan with the addition of a national health care program will raise your taxes 35%!!! What to do?

Don’t fear…respond! Sit down with everyone affected by the sudden changes and think it through. Make the tough decisions and come up with a plan. Anything you can do, do it. Anything that is out of your control commit to the Lord and be ready to accept the outcome. But, don’t fear it.

Just like you would turn on the lights in a dark room, it is important to apply wisdom in situations where fear runs rampant. By doing so, you will quickly learn the facts and be able to deal with the matter. It is amazing how facing the truth about your situation will help motivate you to come up with solutions.

3. Fight It.

As we learn in school, the fight or flight instincts in us come out when confronted with matters of survival. A common aspect of dealing with change is to attempt to fight back the coming tide. This can often be viewed as noble, and there are most certainly times where continuing the fight is exactly what needs to occur. Never just lie down and let it overtake you like a tsunami, rather learn how to make positive use of the tides that come in.

If you are rational about where you make your stands, and keep focused upon your long term goals, fighting can be exactly what you need to do. However, don’t get caught up in the backwash of fantasy when reality demands that you move on.

4. Embrace It.

Change will come, it is inevitable, and whether we like it or not we will sooner or later have to embrace it in order to move on. Embracing it does not mean that we like it, it just means that it is reality. Generally speaking, this is the final aspect of change management - acceptance of the facts as they stand. By embracing change you agree to view the world as it stands, and not howyou choose to see it. This allows you to make decisions clearly and concisely.

5. Final thoughts.

What I see coming down the pike is a little scary. Things like a government run national healthcare system, double digit inflation, extreme unemployment, churches losing status with tax exemption issues and many other disturbing changes have gotten my attention. So, what will I do? I will prepare myself spiritually, financially and emotionally for it. God has brought me though some of the most difficult events and changes that you can imagine and He will do it again.

When changes come that I don’t like, I will also respond pro-actively. As I resist what I disagree with I must also make the appropriate adjustments in my personal life that these changes affect. Next, I will become a change agent.  I will support the proponents of the ideals that I embrace in our nation that will re-establish what I believe would be better for me and my family in hopes that new changes will counter the bad changes that take place. After all, this is America and I am an voting American.

This could take a while…..I’m ready for the journey.

Ever hear some religious teacher say, “God is doing a new thing”? They talk about the new revelation that they just received that will change the church forever and make everything better. Well, most of the time these kinds of new ideas, especially when expressed by popular leaders, get all kinds of press, books are written and conferences are held to promote them, then they fade away into obscurity. Sounds familiar? These movements will garner support by many other well know leaders and then thousands will begin to follow them, then they begin to fall apart…one misinterpretation after the other…one over emphasis after the other…one subtle heretical idea after the other. People are left reeling with confusion and lose their faith in leadership and many drop out altogether. How do we avoid falling headlong into these traps? Read on.

1. Stay in the Word! The Bible is the source of truth and the soul authority in matters of doctrine and church matters. The Word will never let you down, lead you astray or confuse the issues. The problem is when people have a “private or personal” interpretation of scripture things go awry and heresy triumphs. Be careful of these interpretations that are extra-scriptural (can’t be found there) or lead to one extreme or the other.

2. Stay connected to the “Body of Christ.” Most movements that embrace a heretical private revelation also move away from the established church. Granted, the established church in many cases has moved away from scripture and biblical authority…BUT MOST HAVE NOT. So we can’t discount the whole church for the wanderings and failure of some. Heresy gets rooted and grounded in smaller groups that become fanatical and obsessed with the “heavy revvy” of it all. Stay connected to the established church. It is absolutely necessary to HEAR OTHER VOICES besides the one with a new interpretation or revelation.

3. Stay close to Jesus. If we stay intimately yoked with Christ, He can speak into our lives. The Holy Spirit still speaks to the hearts of men and women to help us discern the words we hear whether they are truth or lies. If you sense that what you are hearing, no matter how intriguing, is a “little off,” it probably is. Go to Jesus and ask Him…ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you in scripture and in your heart. Can’t go wrong here.

4. Stay humble. When you think that you are to sole possessor of “this new truth” and close your heart to learn or be corrected by others, you will fall into the trap of heresy. Lone rangers with so called “new and great revelations” that are extra-biblical are sure to hurt themselves and all that follow. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. Humble yourself and let older wiser leaders speak into your heart….and listen.

There’s probably more to say about this….so chime in…give me your thoughts and wisdom on this.

On a flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma in September, 2008 I met a distinguished looking man that had an interesting perspective of what the church should be. He was dressed up in a suit, 79 years old and looked to be highly educated…he was. He had spent over 40 years of his life in a Christian University first as a teacher then as an administrator. As we began to talk I found out what church he was a part of. He insisted that they were not a denomination, had no headquarters, and that each church, over 8000 of them nationwide, were totally independent of any organization. This interested me.

I shared that I was also in the “church” business and that our group, I avoided using the “O” (organization) word, planted churches around the USA. I also mentioned that one of our churches was listed as the fastest growing church in the USA. Immediately he said, “We are not charismatic!” He went on to explain that charismatic style churches were very fast growing with their style but that they, his group of churches, were fine with the smaller congregations that made up the many independent churches that he associated with.

Then he made a statement to me that sums up the kind of church that most people today have quit going to. He said, “We are not charismatic, we do not entertain people, and we don’t do community service. We just teach the Bible and that’s all we do.”

Let me interpret that for you. From further discussion I understood these four distinctions about his church.

1. They did not believe that spiritual gifts were for today.

2. They did not have a live band that provided music.

3. They did not try to grow their churches by reaching out to the needs of the people in the community.

4. They only preached the Bible…that’s it.

This would be the antithesis of people-wise. This is not understanding a modern culture that thrives on entertainment, desires that someone understand their felt needs and wants an encounter with a real God and His spirit. This culture wants a church that “lives” the Bible.

Relevant?

We often use the words “relevant” and “authentic” to describe our approach to ministry. They are good words…howbeit a little overused. What I think we are trying to say is, we are “people-wise.” People-wise in the sense that we understand that people have had a problem relating to the old school church. The church of pews and hymnals, religion and tradition and same ole same ole just isn’t drawing new people or holding members anymore. Church just doesn’t seem to fit into the cultural needs of modern people so they just stop coming. They stop coming by the millions.

On Sunday mornings over 13 million Christians who use to attend services are now absent. They are saying “yes” to Jesus but “no” to church.

How does this fare with Great Commission? The local church, with its Sunday services, has been the great evangelistic arm of the church for centuries. Small groups are also a great part of that effort. But most successful small group ministries are a result of the harvest on Sunday mornings. If Christians quit church, who will bring the lost to hear the Gospel? A bigger question is, “How can we make the church more people-wise so that Christians will come back?”

These days it is not too hard to find great life-giving churches. I speak at one nearly every week of my life. They are exciting, engaging and full of the life of God. What God is doing is amazing in these days and we should thank Him daily for providing the world with real God-life opportunities.

But the perception of church is not what I am experiencing at all in the minds of the majority of Americans. Many think that church is still the boring, uninteresting and non-engaging “service” of their parents and grandparents. And there are reason why they perceive church to be this way. Look at the seven reasons they come to church but are disappointed when they leave.

Seven reasons why Christians and others go to church and are not fulfilled.

1. They only go out of Duty – “We were raised in church and we just do it because you are supposed to.” Though not bad to go out of duty, if there is the lack of desire to find fulfillment it can grow old really fast. Duty will only do so much to keep you in church.

2. They only go out of Habit – “It is what I have always done. Sundays are for church, I have done it so long I guess it is just a habit” Habits can be changed and people change their church going habits on a regular basis these days.

3. Friendship – “Church is where my friends gather each week. I love the relationships.” Now this is a great reason to come to church. However, if this is the only time you get to see your friends, you will focus on the friendships more than what you can get from God on Sunday. (hence the need for small groups.)

4. Hope – “I guess I am looking for something that will make my life better and give me hope in these difficult times.” If I am coming for this reason, i better find that something. Church is the last resort where people go sometimes to find answers to life’s toughest challenges.

5. Understanding – “My motivation is to try to find some understanding of my life and what it all means.” Living a meaningful life is absolutely vital to happiness and fulfillment. Let the church be where is all starts!

6. Purpose – “My main reason is to find purpose for living. There has to be more to life than just working and recreation.” Many people have found success in business and other pursuits yet feel they have no purpose. What could be a greater purpose than the cause of Christ.

7. God – “Church is my weekly connection to God. I look forward to the chance to disconnect from the world and enter into the spiritual realm.” This is a great goal for attending church. It is the church’s responsibility to help people connect with God through worship, the Word, prayer and fellowship.

Life is full of good and bad stuff. It’s like eating pasta, you can sure fill up on a bowl of pasta yet in a couple of hours you start getting hungry again (at least I do….same with Chinese food). The stuff in life that fills us up, many times, is not fulfilling. It does not have the “spiritual nutrition” that we need to really make us feel that our lives are significant.

People are looking for fulfillment in their “church” and God experience. Too often they get full of sermons, full of religion, full of activities and are still empty… still hungry…. amazing.

I believe the answer can be found in Life-Giving churches…I believe every church ought to be a place that creates and gives life to all that come. I have dedicated the rest of my life to starting life-giving churches that can bring people to a place of fulfillment in their hopes and dreams, walk with God and family, and everyday life and existence. Let’s join together to see this become a reality.

What’s in your wallet?

What’s in your message? How do you as a Christian portray the God of Heaven? How is the Good News shared where you go to church? Is your God waiting to punish you or bless your socks off? This will make a difference in those that you talk with about God’s nature.

As in the Capital One Visa Card commercial, do you feel as if God is like a band of Viking looking barbarians pressing down on you about to take off your head if you don’t have His credit card? Or do you see God as a loving and forgiving God who wants to rescue you from a tormented or unfulfilled life? Do you carry His card?

For the life of me I can’t understand the legalistic message of so many churches today. Yes, God hates sin, He wants to eradicate it from the face of the earth. God is opposed to Satan and wants to take back for Himself all that the devil has stolen. And He has a plan to do so. That plan is for His church to tell the Good News about His redeeming grace to as many as will listen. A message that speaks only of all that is wrong and the subsequent penalty for that wrongdoing is not the Good News. It leaves the hearer with the wrong perspective of God.

It is equally erroneous not to warn the sinner of his way. The Bible is clear about the hopelessness of the unrepentant soul. But forgiveness and God’s desire for mankind to escape the consequences of their sins is the message. Christ alone offers this escape through the blood of His cross…nothing else. Not condemning, guilt casting, blame laying nor “hell if you don’t change before you leave this building,” is able to convert the wayward sinner to Christ.

Christ is the Hope!

People need hope. They need hope for finances, family, friendships, and forgiveness. They need hope and they need it now. Thank God for the Gospel of Hope!

We preach Christ crucified and raised from the dead for the hope of the world. Every need is met through the sacrifice of Christ and every issue that mankind faces is addressed and relieved in God’s word.

Being relevant means the church ministers at the level of people in their daily experience and lifts them up to the place where Christ sits…at the right hand of the Father on our behalf. He is our mediator, reconciling the world to God.

Hungry people need food, the depressed need a reason to live, the lonely need a friend. The destitute need a place and provision, and the tormented need deliverance. The unfulfilled need fulfillment and the insignificant need significance. This is where the people that Christ died for live. We focus on the place where people live and the place where the knowledge of Christ can bring them. Then we share the Gospel from this perspective and all that hear are helped.

The Christian needs a place to be built up, a place to bring family and friends to find fellowship and godly relationships, a place where grace and truth is offered and hope is lavishly dispensed every time the Word is brought. This is relevance…this is knowing people and what they need…this is giving it to them when they need it in a spirit of love and compassion.

What’s in your wallet? The Word of God that brings to light the plight of the sinner and the hope of forgiveness though the Cross of Christ…it is the answer to everything.

No kidding! This really happened…an atheist let me to Christ! I gave my life to Christ when I was 24 years old. But the journey started when I was a small kid.

At 10 years old I was standing at the ironing board pressing out the shirt I would wear that day. With six kids in the family it was difficult for Mama to get around to meeting all our individual needs. So, I was ironing my own clothes.

 The ironing board was chest high and, not being proficient in ironing, the hot iron slipped off the board and fried my chest. I screamed and ran around the kitchen looking for some relief. I ran to the freezer and scraped some of the ice that had collected around the Freon coils. In the midst of my pain and agony, Mama said, “See, God punished you!”

God punished me? That’s right, that’s what I had been told all my life. “There is a God in Heaven that sees everything that you do wrong, and He will punish you for it.” It was the Gospel according to Mama, who by the way, was the most precious little Cajun Catholic woman that ever lived. Mama wasn’t a theologian, but she was a loving and devoted mother. As a matter of fact, Mama was the greatest influence in my life. But her theology wasn’t actually biblical, and as a result, neither was mine.

 I spent the first 24 years of my life believing that the only reason that God existed was to look down from Heaven and take every opportunity availed to Him to punish me. He must have seen an opportunity when I was ironing my shirt. He zapped me! If Mama was trying to win me to the Lord, it didn’t work. However, I did have a healthy fear of God.

Growing up like I did, under Mama’s “God in Heaven” theology, kept me in Sunday Mass and helped me in some ways that I look back on and appreciate now, but it did not lead me to Christ. As a Catholic, I never found Christ. I prayed constantly, never missed Mass, didn’t curse and tried to be good. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t seem to please God. He kept on punishing me…according to Mama.

Then one day, many years later, as a Louisiana State Trooper, I met a man that claimed to be an atheist. This really messed me up. I got mad at the things he told me and the very thought that someone would not believe in God…even though my idea of God was wrong. He said he tried being a Baptist, a Catholic and even read the Bible and came to the conclusion that there was no God. Well, this made me mad. I knew there was a God in Heaven because how else could you explain all the times He punished me? So, I went on a quest to find God and prove Him to this atheist.

I did not own a Bible. However, My next door neighbor Barney did own one. And a Bible it was! He had this huge 20 pound Masonic Family Bible on his coffee table; I asked him if I could borrow it; he said yes; and I took it home and starting reading it…I was going to find out about God and convince this atheist of just how wrong he was.

While reading this huge bible I came across the following passages of scripture:

Deut: 1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

What? I couldn’t believe what I had just read. Blessed? God wanted to bless me? I knew He wanted to punish me but never that He wanted to bless me. Now, for the first time in my life I had the motivation to want to not only please God but to serve Him. To know a god that wants to bless me had to be the greatest experience mankind could have.

The impact of this truth drove me to my knees. I went to my bedroom fell to my knees and told God I was sorry for my sins and lifestyle and asked Him to forgive me. He did, and I left that room a new person. It was like 100 pounds of weight had just fallen from my shoulders.

Immediately I went to the Christian bookstore and bought my first bible. It was much later that I read in Romans 4:2, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” KJV The goodness of God had led me to repentance and salvation.

After this incredible experience with the Living God, I went back to the State Police Training Academy and begin to witness to my atheist friend. I don’t know if he came to Christ, but over the years I have led many policeman to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Simply reading my neighbor’s bible had produced faith in me…a faith that has carried me for over 35 years to serve Jesus Christ with a glad heart. This Word had guided my family and me for the majority of my life into fulfillment and significance. It still works today for anyone that will believe and obey it…even for an atheist.