tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83634568550486703872024-03-21T06:21:25.074-04:00Actions and TruthDear children, let us not love with words or tongue,
but with actions and in truth.
- 1 John 3:18Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-79271711313016212212015-04-13T12:28:00.003-04:002015-04-13T18:44:06.275-04:00I love my church, but I love Jesus more…<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 125%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 20px;">I thrive on familiarity and comfort so yesterday was weird. I don’t know any other way to describe it except to say it felt strange not walking through the doors of Idlewild Baptist Church. Although I have known for quite some time this day was coming, I’m just now realizing how difficult it is to mentally prepare yourself to stop doing something you’ve done for 12 years. Over the past few weeks we have said our goodbyes, stepped down from our various responsibilities, and now we begin walking down a brand new path. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">Admittedly, when I walked into Idlewild for the first time 12 years ago it felt just as strange. I snuck in, sat in the back, and made sure I didn’t make eye contact with anyone. I came late, left early and did my best to ignore the people around me. I was a skeptical, immature, baby Christian looking for every reason to walk away. But I didn’t. For some odd reason I kept coming back, drawn to the incredible Spirit filled preaching of my pastor, Ken Whitten. Week after week I walked through those doors and slowly but surely God changed my heart and I started growing in my relationship with Him. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">It didn’t happen overnight but my commitment didn’t happen overnight either. Thankfully, God is faithful and as I slowly pursued Him he guided and directed my steps. I can actually look back over my time at Idlewild and see how He used circumstances, people, and conversations to help weave His purpose into my life. I love missions because a seed was planted by a missionary sharing his story and a few months later I traveled to Africa on my first mission trip. I love teaching and preaching because my good friend Jake English told me he needed me to lead a bible study with college students. I remember looking at him like he was crazy and telling him not only have I never led a bible study, I’ve never even been in one. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and 8 years later I can honestly say teaching God’s Word every week has completely changed my life. I met my wife at Idlewild and we have two amazing, beautiful adopted children because our church family encouraged us and taught us the biblical importance of adoption. I could go on and on but in the end my relationship with Christ is what it is today because the Spirit of God spoke through the men and woman of Idlewild and they helped mold and shape my life. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">So why walk away? We have been asked that question many times over the past six months and to be honest I have asked myself the very same thing. Ultimately, as much as we love our church and as nice as it is to walk into a comfortable, friendly environment each Sunday we can’t ignore the stirring in our hearts for the people in our city who don't know Jesus. I’ve tried to fight it, ignore it, and even postpone it but in the end obedience is the only path. So, as of today, my wife and I are stepping out on faith to plant a church in Tampa. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">Tampa? Yes Tampa. Believe it or not our city still has many places with little or no access to a loving body of believers and our desire is to begin where there is great need. This journey has taken many years and we have spent a lot of time in prayer seeking the face of God. As much as we would love to stay with the families we have grown to love, our desire to see gospel centered communities develop in new neighborhoods beckons us to walk down a different path. So with hope and anticipation we walk away from the only church in Tampa we have ever known. We don’t leave out of bitterness or dissatisfaction but because of an honest desire for the gospel of Jesus to be preached in our wonderful city. We love you all very much and would appreciate your prayers as we begin this journey.</span><br />
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Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-84335510857322963322014-04-18T10:00:00.000-04:002014-04-18T12:10:27.035-04:00One Year Later...<i>A year ago today a friend of mine, Dan Witt, left this earth and went home to be with Jesus. I originally wrote this blog the day of his funeral to share something very important I learned from his example: the glory of God should be the ultimate focus of our lives and everything else pales in comparison. Anyone can say it but Dan actually lived it out. It's kind of ironic that the anniversary of his passing falls on Good Friday, the same day Jesus paid the ultimate penalty for our sins. Dan lived a life focused on His Savior and always kept the cross front and center. I will never be able to articulate how focused he was during his final months on earth. But my prayer is when God decides to bring me home that I will have lived my life with the same faith and hope that Dan showed us all. </i><br />
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<b>Life, Death, and the Glory of God...</b><br />
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The Glory of God is a phrase that Christians have used for thousands
of years. But if you ask those who claim to be followers of Jesus what it means
you might be surprised by the variety of answers. Take it from someone who has
asked the question on numerous occasions and it’s clear that we really don’t
know. Just about the only thing Christians do agree on is that we need to
glorify God in all we do. So how is it that a phrase we use so frequently can
be so misunderstood? Before I go on you should know that I am definitely not an
expert on the topic but for the last six months this phrase and the
ramifications of it have been placed on my heart.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I almost hesitate sharing these two stories together as evidence of
the Glory of God because they are so different and they raise such different
emotions. But at the same time God has used them both in a mighty way to open
my eyes to what it means to bring Him Glory. This entire journey started back
on August 12, 2012. I was sitting in a church listening to a friend of mine,
Dan Witt, share the heartbreaking story of what was happening to him. Months
earlier he had been diagnosed with cancer and it was literally beating him
down. He sat up on stage that morning and recounted the details of the last
year of his life. I was hanging onto every word he said and trying to imagine
what it would be like to be in his shoes. As he spoke he did so like a man on a
mission and he said a lot of things that I will never forget. He talked about what
chemo was like and how the growing tumor in his stomach was taking its toll. He
talked about how frustrating it was to feel helpless and he told us one of his
greatest fears was not being there for his family. He talked about hospitals
and emergency rooms and all the tests that were being run to
monitor his health. He shared that at one point with the continuous flow of bad
news the discouragement began to set in and finally he asked God a simple
question, “When am I going to get a break?” It’s a valid question and I have no
doubt that I would have been asking God the very same thing. But what Dan said next
forever changed my understanding of perseverance in the face of suffering…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>“God said what do you mean a break?
Look at what we’re doing here. Look at what I’ve done for you. Then I realized
God has opened so many doors for me to start glorifying Him through this
process. I’m blessed that He chose to give me cancer.” </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember hearing those words and thinking at the time that
blessed isn’t exactly the terminology I would have used. Blessed is reserved
for good times and happiness not sickness and pain. On top of that glorifying
God through this process definitely sounded difficult and no matter how hard I
tried I couldn’t wrap my head around what he meant. Then he clarified by
saying…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>“I know it sounds completely crazy.
But I have been able to talk to so many people and tell them how awesome Jesus
is and how awesome God is. It doesn’t matter what your life situation is He is
going to be there for you and walk beside you. You can trust Him.”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I sat there with a blank stare on my face and wondered if
the situation was reversed if I would be as strong and as focused on bringing
God glory as he was. I wasn’t sure of the answer and honestly I wasn’t sure I
wanted to know the answer either. So like I have so many times before I filed
away his impactful words and went on with my life. During the months that
followed Dan continued to fight his battle with cancer and continued to give
God glory for everything that was happening. My wife and I prayed for him often and began to focus our lives on what God was laying on our hearts, adoption.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
My wife and I have been talking about our desire to adopt ever
since our very first date. Obviously at that point we didn’t have a clue we
would be adopting as husband and wife but God implanted a desire in each of us to
be involved in the things that are closest to His heart. It’s embarrassing to
admit but one of the biggest hindrances for us (and by us I mean me) in
following through with adoption has always been the cost of the entire process.
For those of you who don’t know adoptions involving newborns generally run
around $20,000. Being the good steward that I am (I use that term loosely
because steward can often mean a Christian license to hoard) I couldn’t imagine
a scenario where we would have $20,000 just sitting in our bank account. We
have debt to pay off, houses to move into, cars to buy, vacations to go on, and
a long list of other American necessities. But God had other plans and as He
usually does He let my wife know first (or quite possibly she obeyed first). So
in August of this past year, a week after Dan shared his testimony, my wife
approached me and said she really felt the Lord moving in her heart for us to
begin the process. I listened as she shared and assured her I would spend some
time in prayer because I wanted to make sure we were both hearing the same
thing.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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So I prayed (every so often) and tried to justify in my mind
why it wasn’t the right time to adopt. Interestingly, God doesn’t like it when
we have a halfhearted commitment to the things He has called us to do and He will
often work in our lives to expose our hypocrisy. So in January of 2013, He
decided to expose my heart very clearly through Matthew 18. My wife and I both
teach college age bible studies and we were teaching through what it meant to
have childlike faith. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Matthew 18:1-4 At that
time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and
said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I remember standing in front of the students and asking them
if they had any areas in their life where they were not exhibiting childlike
faith. Areas where they were neglecting to turn, as verse three says, and
become like children who place their complete trust and dependence on God. Even
as the words were coming out of my mouth I knew where I was lacking that same
faith and trust in God’s direction. So I confessed to the group and spent a few
minutes sharing with them our desire to adopt. I also asked them to pray for me
in the area of trusting in God’s provision and timing. They prayed, I trusted
and later that week we decided to move forward with the two to three year
process of adoption. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We spent the rest of January exploring our options and on
February 4<sup>th</sup> committed to an agency here in Tampa, FL. As you can
imagine February was a busy month filled with lots of paperwork, background
checks, home studies, interviews and all the other fun things that go along
with adoption. We finished everything up the first week of March and then moved
on with our lives. Much to our surprise (or lack of faith) two days later on
March 5 we got a call from the agency telling us that we had been selected by a
couple that was having a child. The mother’s due date was in less than a month
and the parents wanted to meet with us to confirm their decision. I remember
hanging up the phone in shock and just staring at Courtney as we both tried to
let the good news sink in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Good news has this amazing ability to overshadow everything
else in your life. Unfortunately, bad news almost always does the exact same
thing. As my wife and I spent March contemplating our future and the exciting
addition to our family Dan and his family received word that his health was
declining and the doctors were at the point where there was nothing else they
could do. They sent him home and gave him just a few weeks to live. I can’t imagine
the emotions that must be involved in getting that type of news. But as he has done
every step of the way Dan stayed strong and attributed everything that happened
to ultimately being part of God’s plan. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The month of March was obviously very different for us then
it was for Dan and his family. For us it was a blur of last minute paperwork
and finalizing the preparations to our house for God’s little blessing. We met
with the biological parents and were able to spend some time getting to know
them. They were both nice caring individuals who thought long and hard about
their decision to choose adoption for their son. The days passed and on Saturday,
March 30, 2013, my wife and I stood in a hospital room with our unborn child’s
birth parents. They were gracious enough to let us be in the room when he was
born and even gave me the opportunity to cut his umbilical cord. Minutes later
as we held him for the first time we couldn’t help but be in awe of God’s graciousness
and His provision in our lives. Even the next day as we came to pick up our son
we couldn’t help but thank God that his adoption into our family was happening
on Easter Sunday. What a great reminder of the day that Christians are
officially adopted as heirs into the kingdom of God with Christ’s death on the
cross. We could do nothing but praise His name for who He is and how He works
in the lives of those who follow Him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5mhCySCZfL3GgKkN_nIg7xsJkzf_mvG3I8FPZaqRPnm1iEyjBxYpXRU1uqDYhCdI_85B7ySjO_-USbxCiUsHSgKgP-FzBRVSTYZrqZyH_x3JkRUV7AV1LYg3301abAiXkkYkFk_aIt8/s1600/IMG_9538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5mhCySCZfL3GgKkN_nIg7xsJkzf_mvG3I8FPZaqRPnm1iEyjBxYpXRU1uqDYhCdI_85B7ySjO_-USbxCiUsHSgKgP-FzBRVSTYZrqZyH_x3JkRUV7AV1LYg3301abAiXkkYkFk_aIt8/s320/IMG_9538.JPG" height="320" title="Jadyn and Courtney " width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtney & Jadyn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I write this blog our son Jadyn is three and a half weeks old.
Minus a little bout with pneumonia he is perfectly healthy and doing his job of
keeping us up at night. It is amazing the opportunities we have had to tell
people about the adoption and how quickly everything transpired. Everyone is amazed
and we literally can say nothing except God has a plan and He is always at work
in the lives of those who trust Him. I have been reminded many times over the
last few weeks of what Dan said as he shared his story “it doesn’t matter what
your life situation is He is going to be there for you and walk beside you. You
can trust Him.” Dan’s words seem to make so much sense when times are good and
yet so difficult to understand when times are tough.</div>
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It’s easy to thank God and give Him glory
during the good times. It would be senseless for my wife and I to think we had
anything to do with the speed and ease of our adoption. People spend years
trying to adopt and our process from beginning to end didn’t even take three
months. That literally can’t be explained any other way except to say that God
is awesome and for that we praise His Name. On the flip side Dan did something
that was far more difficult by giving praise to God and giving Him glory in the
midst of suffering. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So how can God use two events, life and death,
which are so contradictory in their very nature to bring glory to His Name? Even
though it has taken me almost a year to truly understand I think I'm finally starting to get it. <span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God's
goal from the beginning of time has been to display His glory and bring honor
and praise to His Great Name. The phrase God's glory points to all of His divine attributes (His wisdom, holiness, knowledge, love, mercy, righteousness,
perfection, beauty, goodness, etc) working together in harmony and on display in one
infinitely perfect being. All of these things represent how awesome God is and as believers in Christ even though these attributes
are hard for us to understand our goal is to reflect His glory for
the world to see. We do this in many different ways such as speaking of His goodness to us and His faithfulness in our lives. We share of His love
for us and the comfort and peace He offers when times are tough. We speak of the mercy He has on us even though we are sinners and undeserving. When you think about it our lives are filled with peaks and valleys but the honor and praise we give our Savior should always remain the same. </span><span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we strive to reflect His glory to those around us He too is working </span>among His people to
display His glory. Sometimes that may come in the form of suffering and
sometimes that may come in the form of triumph. How we react to these circumstances tells
the world that <span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">we <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">love His glory</span> more
than life itself. </span><br />
<span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So how is this possible? It’s possible when we understand
that our focus is not on this life but on the future glory prepared for us in heaven.
The Apostle Paul explains it perfectly to the church at Rome. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i>Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is
to be revealed to us.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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No matter the situation we find peace in
whatever God has in store for our lives and we praise Him every step of the way. <span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">John Piper says
that our duty is to bring our thoughts, affections, and actions in line with
this goal and ultimately it should become our goal. The way we glorify God is to delight in His
glory more than in anything else and be grateful for it. Psalm 73 does an amazing job of </span>explaining this mindset that Dan exemplified so well. </div>
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<i>Psalm 73:25-26 - Whom have I
in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My
flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion
forever.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On April 18, 2013, at the age of 34 years old, Daniel Witt </span>lost his fight with cancer. Thankfully on that same day he gained entrance into the most glorious place imaginable. As I look back it's weird to think that a man I knew for such a short amount of time could change my perspective on life in such a dramatic way. But I guess that's how God works. Constantly placing people in our lives to redirect our focus to Him.<br />
<br />
T<span style="color: #231f20; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">oday at 12
o’clock we honored Dan and the life he lived on earth. It was evident to all who
attended that his hope, his peace and his joy were found in Christ. He lived and died
knowing that God had a plan and even though he might not fully understand what
it was he would be faithful to it until the very end. I'm thankful for his
testimony and I pray that his unwavering faith will point all who knew him to the God
of the universe and they too will glorify His name. </span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>1
Corinthians 10:31 - So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge01x7nuKIAcnybgEj6rZMae6_e_RJ6XUyHtVE2OefkaMLiYyY5YFEk1l6kP0zR0EwdeXd9sIs1rEpIHqZ7lEeCeLsdHO-GwUe9Z7i_GtsgIfHSf-aUorGqhMn4fENowcAcHUKK73CsWI/s1600/Witt.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge01x7nuKIAcnybgEj6rZMae6_e_RJ6XUyHtVE2OefkaMLiYyY5YFEk1l6kP0zR0EwdeXd9sIs1rEpIHqZ7lEeCeLsdHO-GwUe9Z7i_GtsgIfHSf-aUorGqhMn4fENowcAcHUKK73CsWI/s320/Witt.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Witt</td></tr>
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<b>This is a video that was played at Dan's funeral and </b></div>
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<b>it has some great audio clips of his testimony. </b></div>
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Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-81378215556650230232013-11-21T09:10:00.002-05:002013-11-21T09:27:42.908-05:00Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">"Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. God could forgive people in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death."</span>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-40035624859644562482012-09-01T09:48:00.000-04:002015-09-01T09:49:32.724-04:00The New Middle Road...<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A7MdYV8gRws?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-45424164407788962132012-08-14T12:16:00.000-04:002013-04-25T10:34:18.289-04:00Amazing<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">~Psalms 19:1 </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: white;">When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? </i><i style="background-color: white;">~ Psalm 8:3-4 </i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Praise him, sun and
moon, praise him, all you shining stars! ~ Psalm 148:3</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">For the eyes of the Lord
move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose
heart is completely His. ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9a</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
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Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-53906538601641086302012-07-23T11:08:00.000-04:002013-04-23T15:37:32.033-04:00Preaching...Preaching has to be one of the toughest, most complicated, difficult areas of full time ministry. Not only do you have members from your congregation who don't approve of how you do things, but the spiritual warfare from outside the church has to be outrageous as well. In case you read this blog and choose to think I’m attacking pastors let me tell you up front that’s not true. I understand that God clearly calls men from all walks of life to communicate His gospel to people everywhere. <br />
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So here's where I get confused. A couple of years ago I spent a few days in Orlando at the Southern Baptist Convention’s Pastors Conference. No I’m not a pastor but it was open to the public and the lineup of preachers was pretty phenomenal. In two days I listened to 12 different speakers, and left wanting to move overseas and adopt an entire village of orphans. Maybe that’s a little exaggeration but the speakers were great and I left motivated to proclaim the Word. The speakers preached wonderful, challenging sermons to a convention center filled with thousands of preachers. <br />
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On the way home I was talking with a buddy of mine and something came up that I haven’t been able to forget. Why is it that our most gifted communicators travel the country week after week speaking to millions of people who already know Jesus?<br />
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I know that sounds extremely arrogant so please try and ignore the feeling to punch me in the face and listen to the root of my point. It seems to me that a preacher in America has arrived at the pinnacle of success when they are being fought over to preach at conferences, cruises, weekend retreats, conventions, seminaries and other churches. We advertise these events based on which dynamic speaker we were able to bring in, and 90% of the time these events are filled with people who already know Christ. When a preacher get's really popular we even create conferences based on which preachers can be there and what they can bring to the table. It just seems so weird to me and I'm not sure I can find that model anywhere in scripture. <br />
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I remember sitting at the convention and thinking I wish they could broadcast this all over Orlando for everyone to hear. I wish these guys could go to India and Africa and use their God given gifts to preach to the unreached people groups of the world. And better yet I wish just a small percentage of the men in America who feel called to preach would preach in areas that have the most need or have never heard. But sadly that doesn't happen very often.<br />
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No, I'm not against conferences. It's exciting and convicting to hear great communicators share the Word of God. I'm also not against preachers using their gifts to encourage, challenge, and proclaim Christ to His followers because clearly that is a fundamental aspect of the church. All I'm saying is that churches need people who will speak truth from the pulpit, but the nations need men who are called to preach that same truth as well. Preachers who are willing to use their gift in unfamiliar territories and in dangerous situations for the sake of reaching those who have never heard. <br />
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It's sad, but even as I write this I'm convicted that I share in
that same responsibility and rarely do I act as if I do. At the end of the day
if we are born again followers of Jesus Christ then we are all filled with the
same Spirit of God. If we listen to His commands and allow Him to speak through
us then we are just as capable of sharing the Word as someone who’s been to
seminary and preaches every week. I’m not quite sure why but as members of the church we tend to leave
the duties of sharing the gospel to the pastors, elders and deacons. In
reality it is a required part of every believer’s walk with Christ and it is of
utmost importance that we understand the task. I like what Paul writes in 2
Timothy 3:16-17 when he says, <i>All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete, equipped for every good work.</i></div>
<i><br /></i>It's amazing to think that every single word in Scripture was breathed by God to men and recorded for all of us to read. Not just those placed in charge of leading our churches but those sitting in the pews as well. Every man (or woman) of God has complete access to the Spirit of God as well as the Word of God. What more do we need in order to be made complete and equipped for every good work. The word work in this verse is
referring to the work of the Father and is used over 150 times in the New Testament.
It is also the same word used by Jesus in John 17:4 in the holiest
prayer ever prayed, <i>I glorified You on the
earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.</i><br />
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Obviously our work is very
different from that of Christ but ultimately our work is tell the world about His work. My prayer is that we will all be able to stand before the throne
one day, give Him thanks for His sacrifice, and say with confidence that we accomplished the work he
gave us to do. Maybe the real
question is not so much why do our most gifted communicators travel the country speaking to people who already know Jesus, but why don’t we all spend more time sharing with those who have never heard?<br />
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<i>Romans 10:14-15<br />How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they
to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear
without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As
it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good
news!"</i></div>
Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-46327566051895369642011-11-14T09:48:00.000-05:002011-11-14T10:53:41.011-05:00Are You Content?Could you honestly be content with only food and clothing? Sadly most days the toys around me contribute more than I know to my satisfaction in life. If they were gone I'm not sure how content I'd be...<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. <br />~ 1 Timothy 6:6-10</span>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-5124285222592439332011-08-26T14:23:00.001-04:002012-01-10T11:19:02.887-05:00Unboxed Missions...It’s weird how God sends certain people into our lives to open our eyes and help us grow. Leon was one of those people. He worked in the youth group I was a part of when I was a kid and then one day, all of a sudden, he decided to be a missionary and move to Russia. I was probably 12 at the time and I remember being dumbfounded that he would simply say goodbye to everything he knew and start a whole new life halfway across the world. People I knew just didn’t do that. It’s not that we didn’t love Jesus but foreign missions was not for everyone. It was for a more select group of really sold out people like retired pastors or for a few radically extreme holy rollers who spoke with God on a daily basis. Normal Americans just didn’t move to Russia where for all I knew the people ate polar bears and lived in ice huts. But Leon told us the Lord was calling him to work with the people of Russia and he wanted them to understand that Jesus came to save them. He wanted to share with them what it meant to have a relationship with the Lord and that was the most important thing he could do. Although I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that concept I went with the flow and cheered him on. Like any good church we added his picture to the “missions wall” and his name started appearing in the Wednesday night prayer sheet. My family added his picture to the refrigerator with all the other prayer cards and life went on. <br /><br />That’s what happened in those days. When someone left for the mission field we all said goodbye and we prayed. We didn’t expect to see them again for at least a couple of years. Then out of the blue they would show up on a random Sunday night and we would all celebrate while listening to everything the Lord had done. They would be wearing weird clothes and would always start their sermon with a foreign language. Usually it was something along the lines of “Greetings from -insert random country-, we are excited to be here.” Before they left we would all get our updated refrigerator prayer cards and once again say our goodbyes. In the months that followed we were prayer warriors but ultimately their picture would get covered by the next missionary that came into town and the prayers would slow. It’s not that we didn’t love them or care about them but unfortunately they ended up being like any other family that moved away from the church and life went on. <br /><br />Fast forward 18 years. Life is different now and although the seed to reach others has grown, Leon and the pictures on the refrigerator are all distant memories. I graduated high school and went on to receive my degree from the University of South Florida. I got married to an amazing woman who loves Jesus and loves helping other people. Life is predictable and deep down that’s probably the way I want it. Now I spend my days sitting in an office in downtown Tampa following the ups and downs of the stock market. Every so often I’ll catch myself daydreaming about the people around the world who have never heard the name of Jesus and my mind drifts back to the refrigerator pictures that will be engrained in my head forever. I spend a few minutes wondering how they’re doing and I even google their names to see if I can track them down to help. As you’d expect I can’t find anything of value so I give up and they vanish for a few more months. <br /><br />Like any good Southern Baptist I go on the occasional mission trip and for a brief moment in time the seed of full time missions has life. I’m reminded of how much I truly enjoy partnering with missionaries for the sake of the gospel, but ultimately struggle with whether or not God is calling my wife and I to dedicate ourselves full time. I spend weeks questioning myself and my motives for not giving up everything and moving overseas. But in the end the Lord always gives me a peace that I’m right where He wants me. Eventually life goes on and everything returns to normal. <br /><br />Right when I’m beginning to hate normal the Lord introduced me to a young man who changed my life. We became friends through a ministry geared toward international student outreach at the University of South Florida. He was originally from South Asia and came here for his education. While in the states he was saved and the Lord gave him a huge burden to return and reach his people. So he did. <br /><br />We spent some time together in the months leading up to his departure and as any friend would, I asked him if there was anything I could do to help. I’m not exactly sure what I expected him to say but I do remember a small smile on his face as he began to lay out the vision the Lord laid on his heart. He explained that in the area of South Asia where he was headed persecution was a normal part of the faith. Obviously in these areas of the world there aren't as many traditional church buildings so most believers attend house churches; essentially small groups in the home. Thanks to local training centers and missionaries who have given their lives most of the house church pastors do have some basic biblical training. Unfortunately they don’t get a lot of encouragement or relief from the everyday grind. Most are bi-vocational and have families they are trying to raise. As you can imagine this puts a ton of responsibility on the pastors who don’t have multiple staff members to help lead their flock.<br /><br />As he shared what life was like for a house church pastor I’m pretty sure I just sat there with the same dumb look on my face I had when Leon announced he was moving to Russia. The only difference was this time I was trying to figure out how I could take TWO mission trips a year to help my friend build the ministry the Lord was entrusting to him. As I worked numbers in my head and rearranged my vacation plans he began to share his vision for a ministry so beautiful that if successful could only be explained by the hand of the Lord Himself. I listened intently for the next 15 minutes and slowly watched my traditional view of missions climb outside of the box it had been in for so many years. <br /><br />He explained that on the surface the ministry was no different then many others. The majority of the work would be done by nationals and missionaries who were living and working in the communities every single day. They would help their neighborhoods, start churches, and organize specific ministries aimed at reaching kids. Where things got interesting was the addition of 21st century technology. Due to the fact that some large Asian cities have house church pastors numbering in the thousands there is no possible way they can all receive the training, encouragement, and support necessary to reach their communities. He smiled and told me that’s where I come in. My responsibility was to set up a network of believers in the United States that would be willing to go through a basic theological training and then as the need arises train house churches pastors through Skype. In the end the goal was to bring house church congregations in South Asia together with churches and small groups in America for the sake of training, fellowship, encouragement and missions trips. Once the partnerships were in place and pastors were being trained he would move on to new regions and establish new relationships. <br /><br />When he could tell my brain couldn't handle any more information we prayed together and said our goodbyes. Later that week he boarded a plane and left to start a new life halfway across the world. The church cheered him on as he said goodbye and his name started appearing in the small group prayer lists. Within weeks the excitement began to cool off and for a while everything returned to normal. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Unboxed Missions…<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br /><br />Then I was introduced to Mong. Mong is a house church pastor in South Asia. He and his wife run a small orphanage as well as minister to the people in their community. Even though he has never been to the United States, thanks to modern technology, Mong and I spend a little over an hour together every week. We have been studying the bible for almost 4 months now and I can honestly say God has used Mong to open my eyes. I’m not even sure I understand the ramifications of what we’re doing but it blows my mind to think that God is giving me the opportunity to encourage, teach, and pray with someone who lives halfway around the world. <br /><br />For the teaching portion of our time together we use Davis Platt's Secret Church notes. Thanks to the Church at Brook Hills the notes have already been translated into his language. Admittedly we do go into more depth then the notes but they are an amazing place to start. While I teach, Mong has a copy of the notes in his language and in English as well as the bible in his language and in English. He was really excited at the beginning of our study to get his first copy of the bible in English; not sure why, but he loved it. Throughout the week that follows Mong uses the material that we studied to prepare his weekly sermon. He also uses the Secret Church notes to train other house church pastors who are not bilingual and would obviously have a difficult time partnering with small groups from the US. <br /><br />I’ll never forget our first meeting together and listening to the story of a pastor who loved Jesus but was living a very different life than mine. It’s not that we didn’t share the same passion for the Word or a desire to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, but the way in which we lived it out was very different. Even down to something as simple as prayer. He explained that his house is always open no matter the time of day or night so people can stop by for prayer. In addition, every night of the week from 5pm-7pm people from all over the neighborhood and surrounding community come to his house for a time of prayer and worship. They sing together, they fellowship together and they ask God for wisdom and strength to live their daily lives. They pray for the salvation of their families and friends and they ask God to mend the broken relationships caused by their conversion to the faith. They pray for God to give new believers the courage they will need to walk down to the river and make a public profession that will change their lives forever. They also pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers because the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.<br /><br />I can honestly say I have never experienced anything in my own life which has so quickly opened my eyes to the reality of how Christians live around the world. Each week I hear more and more of what God is doing in Mong’s churches and I’m reminded of the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. I completely understand that discipleship/training through internet is not ideal, but I’ve been amazed these last 4 months to hear everything the Lord is doing through Mong and his ministry. Mong told me in our meeting this week that a revival has happened since we started meeting. His daily prayer meetings have quadrupled in size and people are coming from all over to hear about Jesus. The number of house churches he oversees has more than doubled since we started meeting bringing the current number to 30; when we started he had 13. A few weeks ago the high priest from the local temple and his family prayed to receive Christ and in the coming weeks Mong will be baptizing the entire family. The priest now stands at the door of his temple and tells anyone who comes to worship to turn from their worthless idols and go to Mong’s house to hear about the Living True GOD. <br /><br />I need to make completely clear that there is nothing I am doing that warrants anything that has taken place. I teach the Word each week, pray with my new friend and God does the rest. I can’t explain it any other way and in actuality that’s how it should be. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">What next…<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br /><br />It’s been a little over a year since I sat down with my friend and he told me he was returning home. Thanks to local believers and faithful missionaries on the ground the network of house church pastors is growing. With that growth comes opportunity as well as a great need for small groups to strategically partner for the sake of the gospel. I was introduced this week to another house church pastor who oversees 23 churches. He has very little theological training and is excited for us to start meeting every week. He also reaches out to his community and within a 2 mile radius of his house there are over 1 million people who are considered unreached. He has his own extraordinary testimony of conversion and it’s amazing to hear how God is using him. One of the most powerful parts of his story is that he’s only 23 years old. <br /><br />Please join us in praying that the Lord would raise up groups in the US who are willing to embrace house churches in South Asia. Our prayer is that your fellowship of believers will come along side a house church leader to train, pray, fast, encourage, and even send members to the mission field. My own bible study plans on being bound to these pastors and the churches in South Asia for the rest of our earthly lives. <br /><br />Welcome to missions and the 21st century. I’m humbled to be a small part in a massive, God-centered, church driven, worldwide network of Christians working together for the sake of the gospel. There are tens of thousands of Mong’s that would love to study with and be encouraged by a group of dedicated Christians in the US and I'm reminded of that every week. The last time I spoke with Mong he said something I'll never forget. “Pastor Shale, I thank God for bringing you into my life. Many great things have happened since we met and God is using our churches for His glory. I want you to know that your friend gave us a picture of you and your wife and we keep it in our house so the church can pray for you every day.” It’s humbling to think that a picture of my wife and I is hanging on a refrigerator in a house in South Asia and THEY are praying for us. Praise the Lord for allowing us to meet and share our lives together.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ~ Luke 10:2</span>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-15723528688402493452011-05-26T11:30:00.000-04:002011-05-26T11:32:39.943-04:00Francis Chan - BASIC - Follow Jesus<iframe width="525" height="329" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AX_mA93jtgo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-89343684615616209832011-04-21T11:09:00.000-04:002011-04-21T11:37:40.142-04:00Jesus Praying Before the Cross - John 17Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. <br /><br />But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. <br /><br />The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-38900404116199239812011-04-20T13:42:00.000-04:002011-12-21T12:08:14.775-05:00What is the GOSPEL?<iframe width="555" height="329" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jyYFxp7apl4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-85816906607051081342011-04-14T11:39:00.000-04:002011-04-20T12:06:20.332-04:00Radical - David PlattVery thought provoking book by David Platt. I read the book a while back and did a small group study on it. The sad part is I heard quite a few people say they thought the book was a little extreme and God's not really calling us to live that way. Guess those people don't spend much time in God's word.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">What we call radical Jesus calls normal...what we call normal Jesus calls lukewarm... <span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="520" height="323" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aoicm4wnQ4c?rel=0&hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-62023626217167796892011-04-10T07:27:00.004-04:002012-03-08T09:56:21.636-05:0012,480 Sermons?I have lunch about once a month with a really good friend of mine from the church I attend. He is actively involved in the senior adult ministry, but also takes time out of his schedule to fellowship and mentor me. During our lunch I asked him if he thought his Sunday morning bible study would have any interest in hanging out with the college age guys bible study I teach. I explained to him that I hoped it would eventually lead to some mentoring relationships but in the meantime it would at least allow the different generations a chance to get to know each other. He said he would love to and so we started running through the schedule of the average member in his class. There is Sunday morning bible study and then attend the main service, Sunday night service, Wednesday night service, Thursday mornings men’s fraternity, and since the new push this year is to take a seminary class of some type quite a few had either signed up or were planning on signing up for one of those as well. His class did service projects every so often and they helped out some with other various ministries. This of course does not include choir practice, part time jobs, time with wife and grandkids, or any class activities. I sat there for a second with my head spinning and realized this was going to be pretty tough. I suggested maybe we could do it every so often during the Sunday night service or even during the Sunday morning bible study hour, but he assured me there was almost no way his class would miss a service. We both just kind of sat there and I honestly believe we were thinking the same thing. These guys honestly don’t have time to disciple or mentor due to all the church activities they are involved in. Now my friend is clearly the exception because he is mentoring, but at the end of the day most of us have attended thousands of church services, but have never discipled a single person. <br /><br />Let me see if I can make it a little clearer for you. If I die at 80 and attend church like a good Christian, I’ll sit through <strong>12,480 sermons</strong>, but how many people will I disciple? Think about that for a second, and then let me say it again <strong>12,480 SERMONS</strong>. Amazing right? Now before you pat yourself on the back for your amazing sitting in a pew staring forward and listening skills let me add a few more things to that list because those numbers are just weekly services. They don't include Bible studies, small groups, Sunday School classes, Christian conferences, youth camps, mens fraternity, seminary classes and the list goes on and on. Now let be as clear as I possibly can so no one reads anything into what I am saying. All of these things in and of themselves are great and essential for the growth of the church, but they never have and never will replace the need for Christians to make disciples. God’s not handing out crowns for church attendance, and if the Great Commission calls me to go into all the world and make disciples, then I really need to take a look at my life and see who I’m discipling!<br /><br /><em>Matthew 28:19-20 <br /><br />"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." </em>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-85461200956522395862011-04-08T14:59:00.000-04:002011-09-26T11:59:45.955-04:00Howard Hendricks - DiscipleshipGreat sermon by Howard Hendricks discussing his method of discipleship. It might be an old recording but his points are biblical as well as very applicable. <br /><br /><object width="440" height="26" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param value="true" name="allowfullscreen"/><param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess"/><param value="high" name="quality"/><param value="true" name="cachebusting"/><param value="#000000" name="bgcolor"/><param name="movie" value="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" /><param value="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':[{'url':'HowToDisciplePeople.mp3','autoPlay':false}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/HowImInvolvedInDisciplingMen/'},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'audio':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.2.1-dev.swf'},'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':false,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true},'scrubberHeightRatio':0.6,'timeFontSize':9,'mute':false,'top':0}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" name="flashvars"/><embed src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="440" height="26" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" cachebusting="true" bgcolor="#000000" quality="high" flashvars="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':[{'url':'HowToDisciplePeople.mp3','autoPlay':false}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/HowImInvolvedInDisciplingMen/'},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'audio':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.2.1-dev.swf'},'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':false,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true},'scrubberHeightRatio':0.6,'timeFontSize':9,'mute':false,'top':0}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}"> </embed></object>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-46823663309177103202011-03-18T10:56:00.000-04:002011-03-21T10:06:44.438-04:00Approval Of Men?Most of us love the approval of men rather than the approval of God. It's such a weird concept but ultimately we don’t want to rock the boat, or get people upset. So instead we live our lives silently. Trying our best not to offend the people we pass, in hopes that we can live at peace with a world crying out for a Savior. And in the end we will realize that we have successfully gained the approval of men, but tip toed our way into an eternally glorious kingdom, alone. Having left our friends and coworkers behind, all because we were too scared to share our faith with a culture that spends their entire lives searching for the peace that surpasses all understanding.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. <br />~ Galatians 1:10</span></span>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-44985752279650992952011-03-12T10:21:00.000-05:002011-03-18T10:58:20.427-04:00What is the Gospel?<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="520" height="323" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ClfLFeb5vww?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-62045295425289959812011-02-22T12:44:00.000-05:002011-04-20T15:52:32.496-04:00The Imitation of Christ - Thomas KempisConsider the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing, we do. What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs? <br /><br />The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered--the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity.<br /><br />How strict and detached were the lives the holy hermits led in the desert! What long and grave temptations they suffered! How often were they beset by the enemy! What frequent and ardent prayers they offered to God! What rigorous fasts they observed! How great their zeal and their love for spiritual perfection! How brave the fight they waged to master their evil habits! What pure and straightforward purpose they showed toward God! By day they labored and by night they spent themselves in long prayers. Even at work they did not cease from mental prayer. They used all their time profitably; every hour seemed too short for serving God, and in the great sweetness of contemplation, they forgot even their bodily needs.<br /><br />They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and associates. They desired nothing of the world. They scarcely allowed themselves the necessities of life, and the service of the body, even when necessary, was irksome to them. They were poor in earthly things but rich in grace and virtue. Outwardly destitute, inwardly they were full of grace and divine consolation. Strangers to the world, they were close and intimate friends of God. To themselves they seemed as nothing, and they were despised by the world, but in the eyes of God they were precious and beloved. They lived in true humility and simple obedience; they walked in charity and patience, making progress daily on the pathway of spiritual life and obtaining great favor with God.Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-89427807763865887602011-02-16T19:24:00.000-05:002011-02-16T17:15:38.241-05:00Generational Differences...<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="525" height="325" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hQvnIXQH6-w?rel=0&hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-60659357043095696442010-12-30T14:36:00.000-05:002011-01-03T08:31:10.428-05:00Heaven...What's Your Desire?“If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?” <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">John Piper God is the Gospel</span>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-20219496646529294332010-12-26T17:36:00.000-05:002011-02-03T17:37:57.441-05:00Living For Heaven...<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="525" height="423" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jF_x8dsvb_4?rel=0&hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-39148689188252279642010-12-21T14:54:00.000-05:002010-12-21T14:56:28.359-05:00Taxi Ride...<span style="font-weight:bold;">This story makes me want to slow down and remember that God is orchestrating circumstances and putting people in my life every day!</span><br /><br />I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.<br /><br />After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.<br /><br />By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.<br /><br />'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”<br /><br />'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' "It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a Hospice...<br /><br />I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.<br /><br />For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. <br /><br />As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.. Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.<br /><br />Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.<br /><br />'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said. 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded.<br /><br />Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.<br /><br />I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.<br /><br />We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.<br /><br />PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-855798427484196392010-10-31T20:16:00.000-04:002010-11-09T10:57:19.355-05:00Jesus Breaks the Rules...Mark Driscoll - Seattle<br /><br /><object width="520" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mSiukCCxJtM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mSiukCCxJtM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="520" height="300"></embed></object>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-41138511754742668892010-10-29T12:58:00.001-04:002010-10-30T08:34:02.088-04:00My Life is a Mission Trip...If you’ve ever been on a mission trip, especially one to a third world country, you’ll understand exactly what I mean when I say there’s a wave of emotions that you experience while on the trip. It’s hard to put into words, but every aspect of the trip is encouraging. Even if things go wrong, as they often will, no one seems to worry because everyone understands that God is in control of the trip. We are traveling for His glory and trying to reach people with His gospel and therefore whatever happens, happens. The team spends time praying together and studying the Bible; we encourage each other, we watch out for each other, and in the end most of us come back forever changed. We return with a sense of gratitude mixed with fear, happiness, thankfulness and honor to be serving a holy God on His mission. <br /><br />Unfortunately the spiritual high, at least for me, seems to be short lived. I get back home, get into my routine, and before long I’m stuck in the grind of everyday life. That bothers me…a lot. Yeah, I completely understand that life is not all about the highs and there will always be times in your life when you’re on a high and times in your life when you’re low. I also understand that even people who are working in full time ministry, like missionaries, experience the same range of emotions. <br /><br />But I think the reason it bothers me so much is that when I read the Bible, especially the books about the early church, I see a group of people experiencing exactly what I described in the first paragraph. Now I can try and argue with myself all I want that times were different back then and it was easier to live that way, but we both know that’s not true. My life doesn’t look anything like theirs and to make matters worse I rarely experience the radical things they speak of in the New Testament. <br /><br />But should I really be surprised? Think about it…the early church was completely focused on God's will. Their priority in life was growing the kingdom and reaching other people. So should I be surprised that when I would rather live my life the way I choose instead of being completely focused on God's will that I constantly long for those mission trip experiences.<br /><br />At the end of the day it’s pretty simple. The reason I don’t experience life and faith and power like the early church did is because I often separate my life into the secular and the sacred. Work is over here, and Jesus is over there. I earn money over here and work as hard as I can on the secular side and then when I’m helping others and trying to reach out to people on the sacred side that’s when Jesus can be involved in everything. I know it sounds weird but most of us live our lives in that exact way. Jesus over there on Sundays and my life over here every other day of the week. <br /><br />I begin noticing this in my own life a few years ago and have truly made strong strides to make a change. I pray that one day I will fully understand that I am on a 24-7-365 mission trip that does not allow for a secular/sacred divide. Just because I’m in a different country doesn’t mean my focus should shift. My focus should ultimately be the same no matter where I am. Every person I meet and every circumstance I go through is ordained by God and my calling as a Christian is to reach out to the people around me that God has placed in my life. <br /><br />I really want everyone reading this to understand that the Christian life is not this lame, boring existence filled with rules and legalism. I know it often appears that way and unfortunately that's because even people in the church sometimes just don't get it. But please know this, the Christian life when lived as God has designed it, is an adventure, orchestrated by a wonderful loving God whose desire is for you to be on mission with him.Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-23796737799375273972010-10-18T12:50:00.000-04:002010-10-19T13:06:20.318-04:00Great Orphan Video...<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/13831236" width="525" height="325" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8363456855048670387.post-16470872447268476342010-10-17T21:07:00.000-04:002010-10-25T21:51:29.672-04:00Decisions That Define Us...Excerpt from the book Decisions that Define Us by David Crone...<br /><br />We have decided that teaching the Gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching, good doctrine, and being good people is not enough. We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough. We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough, that just making it to heaven is not our goal, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless. We have decided that having good programs is not enough; that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying the same is not an option. We have decided that gifting without character is futile. We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is hallow and having meetings without God showing up is pointless. We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable - that our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.<br /><br />We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable. We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better. We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is silly, that believing in His presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy, that believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous. We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered - anything less doesn’t work for us. We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God’s power - not the ones hearing about them. We have decided that living saved, but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for. We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army, not an audience; Special forces not spectators, missionaries not club members. We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers - pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories - but we are not squatters - people who take up space others have fought for without improving it. We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign. We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers. We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum<br /><br /><br />THEREFORE:<br /><br />We honor the past - we don’t live in it. We live in the present with our eyes on the future. We see past events - successes and failures - as stepping-stones not stop signs. We pursue learning in order to be transformed, not learning in order to know. We are people of engagement not observation. We focus on what could be, not on what is or has been. We are not limited to the four walls of this building. Our influence is not restricted by location - not even the nations are out of bounds. We raise up world changers - not tour guides. We train commandos, not committees. We are a people of our destiny, not of our history. We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the impossible that God has planned for us than succeed settling for less. We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom come, His will be done in our world as it is in Heaven will satisfy. We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world freaks out and cries out “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”<br /><br />These are some of the decisions that define who we are as a community and how we live our lives. These decisions are not destinations - but rather journeys - journeys along an ancient path - we have not found some new way - but rather rediscovered the path as old as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The same path followed by Moses, Joshua and Caleb - Paul, John, Peter. The path followed by the first century church - a church that revolutionized the culture of the first century and beyond. It is a path that will impact the world we live in today. It is a path of Bold Faith - believing that what God says is really true and acting on it; Outrageous Generosity - giving our life away in order to demonstrate His Kingdom; Radical Love - loving God with everything in us and our neighbor as ourselves.<br /><br />It is a path of liberty, freedom, and healing. On this path you find significance, purpose, and destiny. This is a path less traveled – however - it is not a path only available to a select few - but to whosoever will - may come. It is for people of every nation, tribe and tongue -for those in any occupation or vocation. No matter where you are in your life journey - there is room on this path for you.Name: Shale Latterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12595363678578305753noreply@blogger.com0