I’M NOT GOING TO BE DISTRACTED
It is almost May and the year will soon be half over. Time passes quickly, and we have seen how events that have serious and far-reaching circumstances can happen quickly. As a child, although I believe them, I wondered how things about which the Bible spoke could possibly happen. How would people so easily accept dramatic changes in world governments, or how a one-world society could replace the sovereignty of individual nations (of course those were not my actually words back then). Yet here we are, apparently dealing with those very issues.

As a pastor, I must keep focused on the “main thing” and not let these circumstances distract me. In the twenty-first century, Jesus’ commission to His churches is still to win the lost, to baptize the saved and to teach them the “all things” that He taught (Matt. 28:19,20). I understand that while methods may change, the message doesn’t. However, I am afraid if we are not careful, and without realizing it, we may let our methods become more important that our message. It is possible for those of us who pastor smaller churches to look at larger churches and say, “If we could do things they way they do maybe our attendance would grow.” We go out and attend seminars and lectures and buy books that are going to absolutely tell us how we can pump our people up and increase the size of our congregations. While we know attendance is not our primary goal, we can’t seem to help judging success by it. When preachers get together, one of the first things they ask one another is, “How’s your attendance?” or “What are you running?” Most of us do it, and I have to admit I do too, sometimes. That, however, is not the most important criteria for judging a church’s effectiveness.

I am not writing this because ours is a small church. Would I like to see our auditorium full? Sure I would. Would I like to deal with the prospect of having to build a larger building? Wouldn’t mind it at all. Am I disappointed when our attendance is low? Certainly. I would bring people kicking and screaming into the service if it were possible. Three thousand souls were saved on Pentecost because there were at least three thousand people there when Peter started to preach. I would love to see more people in our services, but regardless of our attendance, people have been saved, families added to our church and individuals have grown stronger in the Lord. I consider that effectiveness, therefore, I am not going to be distracted by the crazy conditions of the world but continue to preach Christ and Him crucified.

GREAT EASTER SERVICES
Our "Son-Rise" service was great. We had one of our best attended services in several years. The singing was enthusiastic, the worship was inspiring and the fellowship was sweet. Afterward, the men served a great breakfast of pancakes, sausage and bacon. This was the 20th "Son-Rise" service I have enjoyed with our great church I will be posting pictures of it on our website (www.westwoododessa.org) in the next day or so. In the morning service, our new young puppeteers gave their first puppet presentation and it was very good. At the close of the service, four people, three adults and one young man, came forward professing Christ as their Savior and requesting baptism. Sunday evening we observed the Lord's Supper. What a great day.
I have started to work on a message I will present at the dedication of our mission's new house of worship in Lawrence, Kansas on the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd.