THINK ABOUT IT           8-8-24    
MISSING OUR MISSION   

Although I have told this story before it is worth repeating. It serves as an illustration of what has happened in a great many churches. May God help us to not miss our mission. The church is to be soul-saving station, not a social club. Here’s the story:

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks were frequent, a group of concerned citizens decided to build a rescue station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat manned by the few devoted crewmen who kept constant watch over the sea. Day and night these courageous men faced the dangers of the sea, risking their lives to save the lives of many who were shipwrecked.

After a while, the station became famous. Some of those who were saved, as well as others in the community, wanted to become part of this mission. They gave their time and money to improve the quality of the station. They bought new boats. They replaced the shabby emergency cots with modern hospital beds. They even tore down the crude station hut and built a new “multi-purpose” facility.

The station soon became a popular gathering place for its members. It wasn’t noticeable at first, but over time, it looked less and less like a rescue station, and more like a social club. Few members were interested anymore in actually facing the dangers at sea, so they hired life-saving professionals to do it for them.

One day a large ship wrecked off the coast, and the hired crew rescued boatloads of cold, wet, frightened people. Some of them were sick. Some lost everything they owned. Some were uneducated. And all were indigent.

The influx of shipwreck victims upset many members of the club; so the issue was addressed at the next business meeting.

One leader said, “If we allow our facility to be overrun this way, it will become run-down. And we all know how expensive repairs can be.”

Others nodded in agreement. But there was a handful of people who said, “Wait a minute. We are first and foremost a life-saving station. We can’t close our doors to those who need us most.”

The leadership said to them, “If you’re not happy with the way we do things here, go start your own station down the coast.”

And they did: With a small, crude hut and a single boat and a few committed workers. Then this group of dedicated workers risked their lives to save those who were wrecked at sea. They saved many lives, and soon, this second life-saving station became popular, too. They bought new equipment and built a new facility. The members lost interest in facing the perils of rescue, but they loved to gather and talk about their sea adventures of days gone by. Soon, like the previous station, they stopped sending boats into the water.

This scenario was repeated again and again throughout the years. Today you’ll find a number of exclusive clubs along the shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown. THINK ABOUT IT!- HDS  

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble, TX

“The following was written by a dear friend of mine, the late  Norman Wells. I had the privilege of visiting him in the hospital shortly before he died. I would to God that we had more preachers like him. We need them! – HDS

Most churches are regularly favored with “specials” by duets, trios, and quartets. These singing groups are usually composed of people who are faithful church workers and are of real value to the church. If their singing group is any good, they will get invitations for “guest appearances” in other churches. This finally necessitates the group’s dropping all their church work in order to be available whenever an invitation to sing is given. Too many times these “gypsy singers” become cold professionals who have lost their real value.

THINK ABOUT IT              8-5-24          
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?   

Someone once asked John Wesley how he would spend the next day if he knew he was going to die the next evening. Wesley gave a list of his preaching engagements for the day and then concluded by saying he would then “retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in Glory”.

That reminds me of what my schedule used to be as opposed to what it is now. Had someone back then asked me the same question I would have answered much differently than I would answer today. I can’t travel and average preaching three times a day as I once did. So, were someone to ask me what I would do if I knew I would die tomorrow evening I would answer, “I would do what I can from from where I am to please God and then die in peace”.

I’m confident that my answer in the second instance would be just as pleasing to God as in the former. I don’t have to do what I used to do to please God. Nor do I have to do what Wesley did or what you are doing. All I have to do is to do the best I can. And it’s the same way with you.

God rewards us according to our faithfulness, and that requires different things from different people. You don’t have to do as much as somebody else, or as much as you used to do to please God and gain a reward. If we do the best we can we will hear the Lord say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant “(Matt. 25:21).

Think about that. Even if your abilities have diminished, or you are confined to a nursing home, or a sick bed, there is something you can do for God – something that will bring a great reward in heaven. You can pray and you can probably, by some means communicate with others. Hopefully you can say, as Paul did, “ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.“( 2 Tim.4:6-8). “ “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭20‬ ‭- HDS

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church  

 Humble, Tx.

THINK ABOUT IT            7-31-24

 When God Doesn’t Give His Beloved Sleep
This one of the most unusual subjects I’ve ever mentioned on Think About It. But knowing this is a matter of concern to so many people I couldn’t resist the thought that some might benefit from what blogger Tim Callie’s wrote. He said:

One of the simplest of all skills has evaded me for much of my adult life. One of those skills that most babies master in their earliest days seems to have mostly passed me by. One of the most basic of all talents has become my greatest battle.

I’m referring, of course, to sleep. Though I’m really good at falling asleep, I’m extremely poor at staying asleep. And, as I’m sure you’d agree, the staying is every bit as important as the falling! When night comes and bedtime draws near, I always face it with a mix of eagerness and dread—eagerness to get some rest but dread of waking up before I get enough rest. More often than not, I sleep for a time, then wake up in the wee hours—too tired to feel rested but too rested to fall back asleep. I often begin a new day discouraged, with my mind hazy and my brain sluggish. It’s a battle that has gone on for decades and one that is getting no better as I age. In fact, it could actually be getting worse.

I’ve long observed that insomnia is one of those afflictions that everyone else knows how to cure—everyone except the person experiencing it. Have you tried chamomile? Melatonin? Adjusting the temperature? Lowering the humidity? Cutting caffeine? White noise? The Calm app? Of course I have. I’ve tried all of that—I’ve tried the fringe and the mainstream and everything in between. None of it works for long or for good. Sleeping pills may work their magic, but that’s no long-term solution since they inevitably lead to a cycle of increased dosages providing diminished effect. So what to do?

In biographies, I’ve often noticed the connection between great men and short naps. Often those who accomplish the most are able to work until they are tired, then have a nap of twenty or thirty minutes and awaken feeling like a whole new man. That hasn’t proven an option for me. If I lay down for a half hour, I’ll spend the first 15 minutes in self-pity and the second in self-loathing. I’ll eventually give up and feel worse than I did when I began.

In Psalm 127, Solomon calls God’s people to labor with diligence, to expend their lives working toward those things that matter, for work is vain unless it is done for the Lord. “It is in vain that you rise up early / and go late to rest, / eating the bread of anxious toil.” And then he adds this: “for he gives to his beloved asleep.” And I wonder: But what about those times when he doesn’t give his beloved sleep?

I often think of all I could do if I wasn’t so tired so much of the time. I think of the extra capacity it would give me—the capacity to write more, read more, serve more, and do more. I think of how that kind of capacity is so close at hand, just an hour or two of sleep each night and my days would be transformed. Yet despite many prayers and much pleading, God has not seen fit to give it. I may go through brief phases when I sleep better, but a new bout of insomnia is never far away.

So I have decided I ought to receive this as God’s will—as a reality to be accepted rather than resented. After all, who am I to resist what God seems to have decreed? It is within his capacity to give me the sleep I crave. It would be no struggle for him to grant me a solid seven or eight hours each night. But that does not seem to be his plan for me. And so in this, as in so much else, I bow the knee to him.

That doesn’t mean I won’t keep praying and won’t keep trying—praying for sleep and trying to get better at it. That doesn’t mean I won’t try the next herbal concoction someone recommends as the one that changed their life. But it does mean that I won’t let myself feel like God doesn’t care about this or that it represents some kind of failure on my part. For I have long observed that as much as we always want God to strengthen us so we can do his will, he often chooses to weaken us so we can do his will. As he makes clear in his Word, his power is better displayed in human weakness than in human strength. And sometimes, I guess, that means in fatigue rather than in rest. Either way, it falls to me to trust that he loves, that he cares, and that he knows best.”

THINK ABOUT IT

When you can’t understand God’s ways, trust His heart!

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble, TX

I’ve discovered that during difficult days It helps to defeat discouragement by thinking about the things for which I’m thankful. I was recently thinking about God’s blessing on our church when something came to mind that you might not have ever thought about. The word balance comes to my mind.

 I’m familiar with a lot of churches, and as you might expect, they are all different some are made up almost entirely of old folks and few of any other age group. Others are just the opposite. They consist mostly of young families with few seniors, and no ministries for that age group. This list could go on and on but I’ll stop and tell you what is on my mind.

When I consider our church I think about the blessing of balance. We have a lot of older folks who are pillars in the church. Having faithfully provided a firm foundation for it, others in the church have the benefit of their godly example to follow.

We also have a core group of faithful members between 30 and 60 who have taken up the banner and doing the work that others can’t do. They are the kind of people you can count on, giving assurance that the church is in good hands.

In addition to them we have many young adults who not only have remarkable potential but are presently involved in ministries right now.

Then we have a good group of teens and younger children who love the Lord and are helping out in various ministries already. Watching them grow is a great blessing.

Lastly we have a good number of children and ministries designed for them led by dedicated teachers and leaders working with them.

Along with all this God has moved us from a back street that was hard to find to a prime location with beautiful facilities, all paid for.

Here is one more thing I want to mention. I have always hoped that when I have to step down that the new pastor would be someone from within our church, sparing the church of going through the process of trying to find a new pastor. God has answered my prayer. Although it is the church’s decision, I believe Bro. Preston has proven himself to be that man. Please read Phil.2:20-22 if you want to know how I feel about him.

When I think of all of this, it makes me thankful for what God has done,  is doing and will do. This is a dream come true for an old pastor, who knows when he is gone the church will carry on better than ever. Although we are far from perfect, the same God who brought us thus far will be with us during the most trying of times. He who has never failed will not fail.

In this day, when so few churches are standing true to God’s word, and so many are dwindling and dying we are should be exceedingly thankful  for God‘s blessings on us. I don’t expect everyone to appreciate what I’m talking about as much as some others. That’s  because this church is the only reference point they have. Not being familiar with other churches they assume it’s like this everywhere, but they’re wrong. Some churches are barely holding on , trying to keep the doors open and others are departing from the faith, and some are divided by contention. So when we think about the faith of those who have brought us thus far, the faithfulness of those who are involved in our ministries, the financial security we enjoy, and the focus of our vision minded members, our future looks bright.

It is my firm belief that one reason that God has blessed this church so much is the fact that I don’t know of any church that has taken better care of its pastors than this one. Hebrews 13:17 says,” “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” That is exactly what this church has done. For 37 years I have joyfully pastored this precious church.

But let us never forget that all these blessings are due to the grace of God. He alone deserves the praise! Let us then never cease to worship him in spirit, and in truth. “ As Paul said, “unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬. THINK ABOUT IT!

Your grateful servant in Christ,
Bro. Stone