Working Your BUTT Off!

Burnout. If you're in ministry, or even just remotely connected to a pastor, you've heard about this dreaded killer. Men and women - more of them every day - falling victim to drowning in the sea of ministry, being consumed by all of the work and drive and vision that comes along with it. More and more pastors all the time are neglecting their family, their health, their spouse, even their sanity - forgetting that their "being" is more important than their "doing". Burnout. It's officially declared war on all of those called to "equip the saints". But as this epidemic has been exposed and called out over these last few years, I believe we are seeing symptoms of a new and contrasting disease: Laziness. That's right. As we're so accustomed to, I see that the natural "preventive" reaction for some to avoid the consequences and ramifications of Burnout has been to completely swing in the opposite direction. So while some are lying on the side of the road in the ditch - dying to get their life back and gain a handle on leading and loving their families (and even themselves) - there are others who wouldn't notice their counterparts lying over in the ditch even if they were dressed in a pink bunny suit, screaming for help. Apathy. Laziness. It's the new Burnout. Are you going to be it's next victim?

In Colossians 3:23, the Apostle Paul (in addressing slaves) reminds them to "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Great exhortation for anyone. Work hard! Well...NEWSFLASH: If you're a pastor - or if you've been called by God to serve His church full-time - then there is no "as though" about it. You ARE working for God, not for people! Sure, we're called to train, equip, and serve others - this is part of being the church. But anyone who takes on the responsibility of surrendering to the calling of shepherding and pastoring the people of God - to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and taking it to a lost and dying world - best remember that you have agreed to an "honorable responsibility". And in surrendering to that calling, I don't think it's a bad thing - at least every once-in-awhile - to have someone accuse you of "working your butt off!" Is your butt still there? Is any of it gone?

I'll admit, I'm still fighting the battle of going home at the end of most Tuesdays and disconnecting - leaving "work" at work - and giving my family my full and undivided attention. It's hard for me to just pick up a book to enjoy or watch "The Closer" on DVR without feeling the urge to open my laptop and be productive. To make ourselves feel better, we call it multi-tasking. But I also have to admit that I have a tendency to live this way at times out of my own reaction to seeing and witnessing others who not only don't have much trouble leaving "work" at work, but appear to struggle even doing "work" at work. Laziness. Apathy. I refuse to allow them to be my excuse for Burnout or failing to put things in perspective and priority. But I also refuse to allow them to seduce me into thinking that I can just take it easy. It will all get done somehow. Sometime. Someday. By someone. Right? This reminds me of a story Jesus told.

While (once again) talking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus tells a parable about stewardship. And while the Parable of the Talents (or Loaned Money) is definitely a lesson about what we do with the material gifts the Lord has blessed us with, it goes WAY beyond that. Listen to Jesus' words in Matthew 25:29: "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away." If you've had any occasion or reason lately to think, "It sure doesn't seem like the Lord is blessing this the way I had hoped or planned", is it possible that you haven't done all you can with what He's given you? Could it be you're not really working "hard and cheerfully...for the Lord"? Is it possible that no one on the face of the planet would ever accuse you of "working your butt off"? Or worse yet - and forgive me ahead of time - is your butt getting bigger?

I know, I know. We're supposed to be relying on God, asking Him to do things that we could never accomplish on our own. Absolutely! But do you think He's going to come through on that promise because I choose to sit by and do a half-a$* job? No. Absolutely not! God blesses a cheerful giver. He blesses a hard worker! And to those who lay it ALL on the line for the sake of the Kingdom - to those who work their butt off for the Lord - He grants rest. And peace. And satisfaction.

I'm learning to disconnect and unplug and focus. I'm learning the difference between multi-tasking and misaligning my priorities. I'm discovering what it means to actually go and BE on vacation. But I believe the learning and the discovery will come with greater joy knowing that I "worked at it with all my heart for the Lord". How about you? Are you working your butt off?

THE NEED

I love the Advent Season! It's this amazing time of anticipation and waiting and expectancy - longing for the coming of the King. We have the opportunity like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:21-40) to see the fulfillment of a promise from long ago that God would redeem His creation by injecting Himself into it - by becoming one of us. He came. He lived. He loved. He selflessly bore the burden of the sin of all mankind...and He died. The King was killed. Dead. But that wasn't the end. He faced death, grabbed the sword out of it's hand, and like David with Goliath, He cut it's head off! He conquered sin and death! And He rose from the grave! Hallelujah! But again...that is NOT the end. Because for those who are trusting Him, pursuing Him, placing their hope in Him, and living for the sake of His glory and His Kingdom, He is coming AGAIN! And like Simeon and Anna, we have the opportunity to see the fulfillment of a promise from long ago. The question is, what do we do during the waiting? There is great news this Christmas! The King has given express orders (Matthew 25:31-46) to His people - to US - to open our hearts, our eyes, and our lives...to meet THE NEED. In our lives, God has met THE NEED. So in the lives of others, we will do the same.

This Christmas at The Brook, we are giving radically and generously to meet THE NEED in the lives of those who are waiting and hoping for the Lord to come and rescue and supply. While we faithfully pray that He would be the "Great Provider" in others lives, we are well aware that often the King chooses to use His people to meet THE NEED. He is calling us to give back! This coming Sunday, December 12th, we are giving to change the lives of others, to transform our hearts, and to change the world. Here are just a few of the things our gifts will go toward:

• Putting new shoes & clothes on every child AND on every nurse at Amor del Nino Children's Home in Guatemala.
• Meeting basic needs (shoes, clothes, food, rent) of children and their families right here in our very own city.
• Helping the Alabama Baptist Children's Home make improvements as they selflessly love and care for the sweet children in their care.
• Contributing to Inside-Out Ministries, an organization in Madison that exists solely to meet the basic needs of people in our city as they share the love of Christ with them. IOM does NOT just give handouts! They give counsel, get involved in the dirty and difficult parts of peoples' lives, knowing that often the greatest way to meet someone's needs is to teach them to be stewards of what the Lord has given them. IOM depends on the Lord to take care of their funding and expenses through local churches like The Brook.

Again, these are just some of the people and organizations that we will have the opportunity to bless. We hear the calling of our King to "feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit those who are alone, and tangibly love those we have never even met"...and we refuse to sit by believing that ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is unacceptable! God is faithful, so we must be also.  In our lives God has met THE NEED. So in the lives of others, we will do the same. We are praying that the Lord is powerfully stirring your heart this week as your ask Him what and how He desires you to give. We encourage you to give radically - to give generously - to give like Christ has given to us! Will you join us?

CUT IT OFF!

RATED PG-13
I want to warn you that some of what I have to say here - and how I choose to say it - may very well offend you. You probably won't want to print this out and read it to your kids. On the other hand, maybe you will. All that to say, "You've been warned".

Well, here we are again. I'm not sure why I keep convincing myself, "Surely this will be the last time I have to rant and rave about this". But this morning, as I'm enjoying my bowl of Mini Wheats, here comes the breaking news that ONE MORE well-known pastor has come forward to confess infidelity. And WHY did he decide to make this news public? Because someone was trying to extort him. And to make matters worse (in my opinion), he sat there on TV (on their religious network program) and allowed his wife to be the one to share this news with the world. I have to be incredibly honest at this moment and tell you that I wanted to reach through my TV, grab this man by the scruff of his neck, and knock the pious smirk right off his face! I know - "Brian, how could you?" Right? Well, I don't claim this is prophecy, but I'm here to tell you: I think God is sick and tired and fed up with the very men who are supposed to be shepherding His people transforming into the very wolves that Christ warned us to watch out for. 

Watch the story HERE

In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus speaks out about ADULTERY. Interestingly enough, He only spends a breath talking about infidelity and quickly narrows His directive to those who even allow their eyes and heart to wander into lust. And then He goes straight to the point: "...if your eye - even your good eye - causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand - even your stronger hand - causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." At this moment, standing on a hillside speaking to multitudes, there was probably no reason for Jesus to get any more explicit and detailed than this. I mean, He makes things pretty clear. But what seems apparent to me is that for some - for many men who have taken on the responsibility and calling of preaching and teaching this very truth - it just doesn't seem to be clear enough. So at the risk (or possibly the HOPE) of making this even more explicitly clear, indulge me for a moment.

For many men there doesn't seem to be the discipline or desire to train or purify their eyes - there's a lack of awareness or unwillingness to acknowledge that the "lust of the eyes" is leading their heart and mind down a path of destruction. Jesus said "gouge it out". No one actually, literally seems willing to gouge anything out, do they? And the debate has raged for centuries: Do you actually think Jesus literally meant to take an icepick, gouge your eye out, and toss it down the garbage disposal? Honestly, I really have no idea. But I believe the real reason we want to say, "No, no, Jesus wouldn't tell anyone to do something crazy like that", is because we're scared to death of the ramifications and consequences - of what it would actually mean for us - if He was being DEAD serious! And along those lines, believing that the Son of God was (and still is) just that serious about our sin and our holiness and our purity, I think for some it might be time to even take this a step further. 

It doesn't seem to be the eye or the hand - not even the "stronger hand" - that's ultimately landing men (and more specifically, pastors) on TV and spread across the headlines confessing, "I've cheated on my wife". At the end of the day, it's that male organ inside their pants. The thing the "hand" seems to be doing is unzipping the pants. So, here goes. PASTOR: If you can't seem to find the self-discipline and hunger for God and the accountability from other men to sharpen you to the point that you KNOW under no circumstance will you EVER take your pants off for any woman other than the one you made a covenant before the Lord to be faithful to, maybe it's time you get to the root of the problem and CUT IT OFF! And yes, as ridiculous as that sounds to 99.9% of the modern-day world, I'm just to the point where I have to say that I'm dead serious. Go back to the literal vs. figurative debate all you want to. But what I hear Jesus saying is plain and simple: "It's better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell!" Does that sound "figurative"?

What do we need to do? Do I need to cuss or yell and scream to make the point any stronger? Do we have to watch ten or twenty more "shepherds" be exposed for being a "wolf in sheep's clothing"? Do you think the Word of God is being figurative when it says that pastors "are accountable to God"? (Heb.13:17) What Gospel are you preaching, anyways? 

Many of you may read this and think, "Brian, where is your grace and mercy and forgiveness? What about restoration?" Let me be blunt. I'm sick & tired of having to see God's people being spent to forgive and restore the very men who should be the example of forgiveness and restoration. We're supposed to be modeling forgiveness and restoration, NOT the ones in constant need of it. Not for this! WAKE UP! Stop dragging the Gospel and the rest of those trying to live it and preach it into this hellhole with you. There are lives and souls and Eternity at stake! Do not allow 5 minutes of artificial passionate pleasure to be the death of you. Please! For the sake of the Kingdom of God and the glory of the Name of Jesus Christ, do whatever you have to do to ensure that you are NOT going to be the next statistic. And if that means you have to "CUT IT OFF", for your own sake, do it.

One of the men in my Life Group constantly challenges me and encourages us with the power of his prayer. One thing he prays often is this: "Jesus, we thank You for dying on the Cross for us, but we're so sorry that You had to." Pastor: Are you genuinely broken and devastated over the weight of what your sin cost our Savior? If so, I say this with all the love in my heart: Love your wife and keep your pants on.

My Thanksgiving Social Experiment

Allow me to introduce you to my friend, Darryll Dunwitty. I know, I know, there's a slight resemblance. Weird, huh? (Total coincidence) This Thanksgiving we were at my in-laws house. Their neighborhood has a yearly Thanksgiving Golf Cart Parade. While my family decorated the cart (and themselves) as Candyland - and it was quite good, I might add - I decided to send Darryll in my place. All I know to tell you is that sending a long-haired redneck headbanger to a family event at a beach resort was a social experiment that I hadn't prepared myself for. I've watched the videos of people who put on those fat suits or of a white guy made up to look like a black guy so they can attempt to get a glimpse of what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes. While I don't know that my experience would compare, it was quite a shock. 

I remember in junior high that one way or another you were somehow stuck in a group - you were categorized, stereotyped. Do you remember? In 1985 some of the more popular and populated circles were as follows: freaks, ropers, preps, jocks, nerds - and yes, these were actually real-life groups of people. There was much more truth to The Breakfast Club than we all wanted to let on. Well, it's 25 years later and for the first time in a very long time...I felt like I was placed in a group - I was stereotyped. As I walked around with my camera, snapping pictures of families and their lovely, creatively adorned golf carts, I saw more than a couple of people almost break their necks trying to get a 2nd look - like I could hear their brain inquiring out loud, "Is that guy for real?" I'm pretty sure one lady pulled her daughter back as I walked past. (Maybe it was my Bon Jovi T-shirt?) As I stopped to talk to one guy (who in his defense was pretty friendly) he couldn't contain himself any longer. He finally broke down and asked me, "Is that your real hair?" For some reason I had to tell him the truth. You should have seen the relief on his face. And then there was the man that my mother-in-law introduced me to, telling him that I was her "preacher son-in-law". He turned 5 shades of white (which I didn't even know was possible). After 15 minutes, I was ready to go home. I was there for 2 hours.

[For those who know me, you can just picture Darryll driving the Candyland Mobile through the parade, giving everyone a thumbs up, honking the horn, and throwing candy. Good times!]

I'm not sharing this with you to turn around and judge any of my fellow paraders. Or to say that the same thing couldn't (and wouldn't) have happened if Darryll had walked into any number of churches on a Sunday morning. But this was MY experience and it was extremely real. I sent Darryll out there to entertain my kids and (possibly) to slightly annoy my mother-in-law. While I'm quite certain I accomplished both of those missions, I learned a lot more. I believe I'm a book - a non-fiction adventure novel, mind you. But I felt like I had been reduced to a cover. Judged. And all I could think about - what kept running through my mind through this entire experience - was, "Lord, if I ever make anyone else feel this way, please kick my butt!"

If you haven't met Darryll I'd be glad to introduce you. But don't be surprised if he walks into your church sometime soon. Will you be ready?

WAITING & TRUSTING

Waiting stinks. No one's arguing with that one. If anything, we could debate who hates it more - you or me. No one would win the argument. We'd get sick of waiting to come to a conclusion. As Christ-followers though, there is a clear biblical pattern between the TRUST that we have in God and our willingness to WAIT. To go a little further, I'll put it this way: Without TRUST, there is no HOPE. And TRUE TRUST always involves WAITING! With that I'll ask you the question we asked yesterday: What are you waiting on the Lord to do?

Lamentations was written by Jeremiah as he looked back and reflected with a broken heart over the sin of God's people. But one thing that begins to rise and surface through the brokenness is hope. Jeremiah says, "The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin new each day. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!' The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord." (Lam.3:22-26) Jeremiah doesn't stand alone making this declaration. Dig further:

Isaiah 9:1-7, 40:27-31, 49:8-23
Romans 8:17-25
Psalm 25
Hebrews 11:39-12:13

To quote an old hymn (that NEVER gets old), "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness." Isaiah proclaims, "My only hope is in him!" (8:17) And while many of these prophets and apostles were reaching and searching for the plans and directions the Lord had for their lives, the thing they wanted more than life itself was him. They wanted GOD. Paul wanted what only Christ could give him, but most importantly he wanted CHRIST! (He's pretty blunt about this in Philippians 3:8) So what does all this have to do with waiting? (You're probably sick of waiting on me to get to the point!) Don't miss the connect.

Without trust, there is no hope. And true trust always involves waiting. Therefore - put the pieces together - ANYTHING worth hoping for will always require waiting. And anything worth hoping for is worth the wait. God's will for your life or your situation - what He desires to do in and through you or your circumstances - are worth the wait. And if you truly wait as Paul describes in Romans and David proclaims in Psalms, the thing you will gain is Christ. In the waiting, we find him. And the part of Christ you discover as you "wait for him and seek him" cannot be found anywhere else. Not in lifting your hands and your voice, not in the counsel of others, and not in the busyness of serving. ONLY in the waiting.

Right now, I'm waiting on the Lord to draw my son's heart to Him. I'm praying diligently and constantly that he will come to know Christ and long to give Him his whole heart and life. I'm waiting. And I'm praying. And I'm discovering more of my Savior. 

What are you waiting for the Lord to do?

To listen to the sermon on HOPE from our new series, "The Search For Christmas", go HERE.

This Message Is NOT For You!?

This week I had someone approach me who was concerned about the nature of the messages I've preached lately. We've been in a series called Leadership, examining the calling and character of biblical elders. And while I'm aware of the fact that this series has not been as overtly practical as many that we do where we biblically tackle issues like divorce, bitterness, relationships, sex, or talking donkeys, I'm still trying to process what I think and how I feel about this "concern" that was shared with me. The issue brought to my attention was that, particularly on the Sunday when I preached on "Pastoral Leadership", this wasn't a topic that everyone could relate to - that there was no "And this is how this relates to your life" moment. If you know me, you know that I'm obsessed with practical application! I am devoted and determined to help people discover what scripture means and how to apply it in their lives. That said, there are moments and circumstances and issues that occasionally need to be addressed that just might not be wrapped up with a bow for every individual. And the bigger issue and question that all this has raised for me is this: Who is the sermon for, anyways?

Some folks are of the persuasion that every time the Word of God is preached that an evangelistic presentation should be made, which therefore would imply that (at least to some degree) the sermon is for the "lost, unbelieving" person. On another note, others will hold that as the Body of Christ - the church - gathers for teaching and fellowship and worship, that this is an occasion for the Body to be built up and equipped - for "iron to sharpen iron" - and for the Gospel to continue to transform those who have already been saved and redeemed. Of course, if you're rational and open-minded, you can conclude that there isn't a mandate regarding WHO the message is aimed at or HOW the Gospel is preached. But going back to the argument of "If there is such a person as a 'Seeker', then what is it that we think they're seeking?", I would contend that even though a person who hasn't placed their faith in Christ might not walk out "feeling" overwhelmed with conviction over a message on "Pastoral Leadership", does that person not need to know the character of those God has called to lead His church? Are there messages, due to their lack of evangelistic appeal, that shouldn't be preached? Does there need to be a disclaimer before every message: Don't invite your lost friends today. The sermon is not for them. Don't Know Jesus? This message is NOT for you! Isn't this a bit ridiculous?

The other related issue that was raised is, "I like to invite my lost friends on Sunday. What about them?" Again, while I understand that we need to take every opportunity to speak and preach the Good News of salvation in Christ to the lost, are there not days and messages that are going to be explicitly aimed at "equipping the saints"? Is there an "evangelism quota" that I missed? To lay it out there, what I believe is that there is a rhythm and balance and discernment that comes only from the Holy Spirit that anyone charged with the honor and privilege to preach the Word of God is responsible for seeking on a regular basis. It comes from communion - from a desperate dependence on God to not only lead us to know what to say, but how to say it, trusting that HE is going to bring it to life in the hearts of those who need to hear it. And that pastor or evangelist can't be scrutinized every time the sermon doesn't "speak to me". (I'm also fairly certain the prophets were scrutinized a bit, too.)

[I do find it perplexing that most people either want to walk out on a Sunday feeling like the Pastor - or, uh, the Holy Spirit, I mean - blew rays of sunshine straight through their key appendages and orifices...OR...feeling as though they have had their toes stomped and been punched in the face and gut. Some folks want to be coddled and affirmed. Others want to be wrecked. How do you accommodate all the pious preferences?] *You don't.

Let me be clear: the first and last thing I said to this person who came to me with these concerns was "Thank you"! As a pastor, it refreshes and renews my heart when someone has the courage and conviction to call me, come in and look me in the face, and say, "This is what's on my heart". I'm not writing all of this with a dogged stance of what I believe the right answer to be. For certain, I have an opinion. But I would love to hear your's as well. Do you go on Sundays with an agenda? Or are you open to what the Lord has to say...even if it's not aimed straight at you? 

Unequally Yoked

Yesterday my neighbor dropped by. We watched some football, shot the breeze, ordered some pizza, and just hung out. He's very aware that I'm a Christian (and even knows I'm a Pastor) and we've talked openly about our faith before. In fact, I would even say that we're pretty like-minded in what we believe. But there is one distinct area of life where I can't relate with him - and he knows this. And yesterday he began to talk openly with me about his struggle. With no prompting or prodding on my part, he began to share with me that his marriage is in serious trouble and that he has no idea what to do about it. There hasn't been any infidelity or unfaithfulness or adultery - no secret addictions or deceit going on. The very real and contentious war that is beginning to be waged has everything to do with two people who wanted to believe that "love" could (and would) overshadow and overpower their faith. And it's just not working out that way.

In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, Paul says, "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. (Do not be unequally yoked... ESV) How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?" Essentially Paul is sternly warning anyone who confesses to be a follower of Jesus Christ: "Do NOT partner with, date, fall in love with or marry someone who is not also a follower of Christ. Period!" My friend sat on my couch yesterday [football game rumbling on in the forefront] confessing to me, "Brian, I look back now and believe I see very clearly where I disobeyed and ignored God. I know He was warning me. But I kept telling Him, 'I can make this work!' I didn't understand. I didn't listen. And now...I'm suffering the consequences."

My friend's wife is a Seventh Day Adventist. Years ago the Christian Research Institute gave the Adventist a "clean bill of health" in regards to practice and theology. Not long after this the leader of CRI came out and said, "This is one of the worst mistakes we've ever made." On the surface, Seventh Day Adventists look very similar to Christians. They confess to worship and follow Christ and to believe the Bible. Where the fracture comes in and the distinct division takes place is that Sabbatarians strictly follow a Saturday-Sabbath law and believe that anyone who doesn't is lost. You won't hear this in a one-on-one conversation with an Adventist. But if you attend one of their services or listen to one of their "prophets or prophetesses", many times this belief will begin to rise to the surface. So when your spouse believes and practices that the Old Covenant Sabbath is still in effect and that as a family we will do nothing to dishonor that, and you begin to want your son to play soccer or basketball - even Upward Basketball, for that matter - it isn't going to work. Saturday is for church. Someone or something has to give. And my friend told me last night, "When something's got to give, it's always me."

I'm not writing this to give you a theological review or dissertation into the Seventh Day Adventist movement or ideology. But I hope you'll take some time to actually explore what they really believe and practice. (Learn more HERE.) Do not take ANYONE at face value. Especially any religious or spiritual organizations that adds to or takes anything away from the Word of God. Scripture is complete. It does not need the help of a new "prophet". Again, more on that another day. I feel burdened and compelled to warn you and encourage you that, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and He has a partner planned for you to spend your life with, do NOT settle on any level. If someone's faith is not in the same things yours is, that is probably not going to change. Teenager or young adult: If you think you're going to date them, convert them, and change them, the kindest way I know how to say this is, you are playing the fool. You are being duped by your own ignorance and by the desires of your flesh, not the Spirit of God. It's time to wake up, get your mind right, and prayerfully weigh the decisions you are allowing your heart to make. There's a reason why Paul talks about the "renewing of your mind" and the Spirit of God transforming "the way you think". Your heart is misleading. Don't believe me? That's because right now you're wrapped up in the middle of this very battle, your flesh and emotions are waging war against the Spirit of God in your life, and pride won't let go. And your heart won't let go. 

I've been having this conversation for years. As a youth pastor, I don't know how many times I watched students allow themselves to get drawn into a relationship with someone thinking, "I'll bring them to church and show them how much I love Jesus and they'll eventually love Him too." I think in 20 years I've actually seen that happen twice. The other 187 times I saw broken hearts, wounded relationships and friendships, virginity and purity lost, and one more child of God become a statistic. Do NOT be unequally yoked! It won't work! "How can light live with darkness?" That's the main question here. 

I am praying for my friend. My heart is burdened and hurting for him. And I have no advice - nothing I can tell him to ease this. He chose this burden and this road. But I'm still praying, asking the Lord to do a miracle in the life of his spouse and show her that she is being deceived and manipulated. 

How can light live with darkness?
Dig Deeper:
Romans 14
Galatians 4:8-12
Matthew 12:1-14