Some days are great: hard work, good time with family, fun at church.  But other days are just “so, so:” trying to get everything done, feeling rushed, not much time for the kids.  And then some days are just not so hot…, like today.

About noon my wife called and said she was feeling bad (pregnancy) and wanted me to come home and spend a couple of hours with her before she headed off to work.  Which I did—and we had some quality time together.

But after she headed to work things got crazy!  I was walking barefoot to our swimming pool and stepped on something sharp and cut up my big toe… nothing broad, just deep, really deep.  Ouch!

Then after swimming, while in the bath, my oldest son had an accident and cut his lip wide open, which my neighborly nurse said could use a stitch or two but since it was mostly inside his mouth would probably heal on its own.  Super (hear the sarcasm)!

Later when he was fishing on the pond behind our house, he caught my youngest son.  Oh yeah, hook in the cheek.  Lots of tears and iodine later, and I’m just racing to get the kids in the bed before anything else happens.

So the wife gets prego-sick, I cut a deep hole in my toe, the oldest son gets gashed in the lip, and the youngest son gets a fishing hook in the cheek.  Nice, huh?

Anyway, i’m sitting on my back deck after the boy’s bedtime thinking, “What a day!” but then I remember my good friend whose beautiful baby girl will have continual and extensive health troubles all the days of her life; and two other wonderful families in our church whose daughters are autistic; and the three babies we’ve had to bury in the past year as tragedy struck two other church families.  And I’ve got to tell you, I’m counting my blessings.  And I’m blessed.  Really blessed.

Think about it.  I just mentioned good neighbors, a home, a back deck, a pool, property along a pond, sons, a wife with a job, a job for myself, and a new baby on the way.  Sounds pretty good, huh?  It is!  I guess it’s all about perspective and praise.

As the Christian song says, “Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise.  And when the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say:  Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your glorious name!”  Good days, mediocre days, and bad days…, we serve a good God and a risen Savior and that makes life worth living and worth enjoying!

What say you?

A couple of weeks ago, when we told our boys that we were having another baby, our oldest boy was giddy.  At first he just laughed for about 15 minutes.  Then he started giggling, which went on for another half an hour.  Then he started jumping on the bed, giving me high-fives (as if I had accomplished a major feat), and creating various cheers—which continued for another hour or so.  (About this time we realized that we shouldn’t have shared the news just before bedtime).

Later that night, as my wife and I were discussing the new baby, the oldest son excused himself from bed and joined us in the living room, crying.  First, he wanted to know if it was okay to cry when we’re happy.  Then, he wanted us to know that he would die, if necessary, to protect this new baby from harm (”robbers,” actually).  This sense of joy and responsibilty that he felt to an unknown baby was very impressive and I remember thinking, “Kid’s got character!”

I know I’m a doting Dad but that kid does have character.  And loads of it.  And everybody knows it.  And sometimes I wonder: Where does it come from?  Is it nature or is it nurture?  Can I take credit or is it part of one of God’s grand designs?  Was he genetically predisposed to his character or did he learn it from me (Ha!)?  And what does it matter anyway?

I have to confess something about my nature.  It is in my predisposition to look at women lustfully.  That’s right: “My name’s Matt and I’m a man.”  And if I wasn’t a Christian, and if I wasn’t worried about the consequences, and if I wasn’t so (not) tall, dark and handsome, I might have had numerous sexual encounters with numerous women.  But I haven’t even though it is in my nature!

Meanwhile, I was nurtured to be a one-woman-man.  My Dad was married to one woman all of her life and both of my grandpas are married to the “wives of their youth.”  So my upbringing encouraged and led me to become a one-woman-man (which I am in every way).

My nurture says “one-woman-man,” and my nature says “as many as possible;” and so there is a little nurture vs. nature battle that takes place inside me (and I’m neither a chauvinist nor a pervert).

Our post-modern, post-Christian society says: If it’s in my nature then it must be okay because I was born that way.  (Ah, now you see where I am going with this, right?).

If I accept this hedonistic philosophy I can say: “If it’s in my nature to sleep with lots of women then by golly I’ll sleep with lots of women.  Consequences to my wife and kids be damned.  God’s standards be damned.  I was born this way and I deserve to be happy!”  Certainly any reasonable person can see the many fallacies of such a philosophy.

So here’s what I think about the whole Nature vs. Nurture debate as it pertains to who we are and our moral standards…

First: who we are is determined by four things in no particular order: (1) nature; (2) nurture; (3) the choices we make; and (4) the will of God.

Second: just because something is part of our nature doesn’t mean that it’s morally acceptable (in fact, most of our natural/base tendencies are morally reprehensible; see New Testament discussion on flesh/sinful nature). 

Third: neither nature nor nurture have any authority or bearing on determining what is right and wrong (the moral equivalence of natural selection is genocide).

Fourth: only a Being with creative authority over human experience has the right to determine what is right and wrong (for romance, for marriage, for society, for faith, etc.).

So the next person who tells me that what they are doing is “okay because they were born that way;” well, I’m just going to slap them because that’s my natural inclination.

Yesterday was a great day at Crossroads.

Here are some of the highlights: (1) A lady named Beverly gave her testimony, telling how God has worked in her many struggles to keep her close to Him; (2) A powerful video called “This Hand” was played to commemorate the communion service [you can check it out at www.sermonspice.com search for "this hand"]; (3) I preached (which is always a highlight, ha!) on Psalm 23:3 which you can check out at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html; (4) a lady named Sue was baptized at the conclusion of the service; and (5) we had a ”Chili Cook-Off” as a fundraiser for students going to church camp.  It really was a great day—very powerful, very moving.

Serveral of our regular attendees were gone, but we continue to have lots of guests and returning guests, so that helps weekly attendance.  With some extra outside support and special fund-raising we finished the month in the “black” which we haven’t done in several months, and we ate into our deficit a bit, which is also good.  We received a really nice e-mail from some first-time guests yesterday afternoon that was very complimentary of Crossroads and indicated that they intended to make Crossroads their church home—which is awesome.  And a man named Bill pulled me aside after church to tell me he was ready to be baptized into Christ and wanted to do it next week while his mother visited from out of town—again, awesome!

This weekend we also had Duane and Jean, some of our old friends (old in age and kind), visit us.  It was so good to visit, reminisce, and encourage one another.  Also, the high school youth group came to our house for the evening to swim and have fun (about 15-20 students in all).  So, it was an exhaustive yet exciting weekend.  The Lord’s blessing was evident this weekend and now we’re looking forward to another great week.

I hope that the Lord’s blessing will be evident in your lives, this week, as well!

A few weeks ago my wife, an RN, had an accident at work.

She was giving a shot when she accidentally stuck the needle through her patient’s arm, and into her own hand.  Yes, that’s right, stuck with a dirty needle.

In the nursing field this is not a good thing.  Both the nurse and the patient go for immediate blood tests—looking for various diseases in both the nurse and the patient that might be passed from one to the other such as HIV, Hepatitis, STDs, etc.  Luckily for my wife, her patient was an 80 year old lady in pretty good health except for diabetes.

However, there was some unexpected news.  When the doctor was explaining my wife’s blood test results he asked, “Did you know you were pregnant?”

“What?”

“Congratulations, you’re pregnant!”

“Are you kidding?”

“No kidding, Mrs. Summers, you’re pregnant.”

So, that’s the accident; and let me tell you, it was a big one!  But accidents are often blessings in disguise.  And so we are praising the Lord for this one.

PS:  She is more than 12 weeks along and is due January 4th…, but I’m pushing for December 31st for tax purposes!  January 7th would be okay too.

Depending on your political persuasion you might have some highly respectful nicknames to describe our President or you might have some rather negative ones that reveal your dissatisfaction.  But how about this nickname: SHEPHERD?  As in the “The president is my shepherd.”  Sound strange?  Is the president’s job to lead, protect, and defend our people?

I have fond memories of my high school football coach, Brit Williams.  He was a good man and a good coach.  He protected our players and equipped us success.  He knew us personally and took an interest in each of our lives.  He spent countless ours teaching us.  he commanded our respect.  And for some players who were less fortunate he even helped provide for basic needs.  When I was playing high school football I could have said: “The coach is my shepherd.”

Of course I cannot forget my parents.  They provided for my needs growing up.  Did they make mistakes?  Sure.  But they fed me, they led me, they loved me, they educated me, they clothed me, they protected me, they sheltered me, they nurtured me, they guided me, and they kept my best interests in mind.  Growing up I could have said: “My parents are my shepherds.”

But what did the poet/king David mean in Psalm 23 when he penned the famous words: The Lord is my Shepherd?  That’s the question that we’ll begin to answer this weekend in a new sermon series entitled “The Shepherd: A Brief Study of the 23rd Psalm.”  You are welcome to listen to this sermon series at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html, starting 6/27/08.

Sunday was Father’s Day.  And it was a great day in that we celebrated Fatherhood.  We began the service with a Letterman-esque Top Ten List on being a Husband/Father; a Crossroads Partner named Bob led a communion meditation that discussed God as our perfect Father who gave up His son for us; I preached a sermon on Excellence in Fatherhood from Genesis 21-24 (listen at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html); and we ended the service with a challenge and blessing for fathers.  It was Father’s Day.

It was also the end of a sermon series called “Almost Famous Families” that was received really well.  We preached two sermons on parenting, two sermons on marriage, and a sermon on staying faithful to God as a family.  I think it was one of the better Family Series I have preached.  We had lots of good responses, all sermons on CDs disappeared from the welcome center, and it was evident that the Holy Spirit used this series to instruct and convict.

What has surprised me in this process is the lack of understanding about healthy families.  After talking with the folks each week it occurred to me how very messed up so many families in our sphere of ministry really are—probably more so than what is common in mid-western, bible-belt America (which I am used to).  I’m just trying to communicate God’s high-standard for family with God’s grace toward those who seek Him and still fail.  It’s a fine line.

Attendance was just OKAY.  It has dropped a bit since Memorial Day, which I guess should be expected since it’s Summertime and since we have such a high percentage of unChurched people who attend Crossroads.  I haven’t heard our numbers for offering, but it has been a bit low for the last six weeks or so.  We do have some big expenses coming up rather quickly, starting this week with the construction crew fixing/working on our parking lot.

Also, we have two ladies who are going to be baptized into Christ this week—which is very exciting.  I am getting ready to start a new series this week from Psalm 23 called The Shepherd.  We have an Outreach Event this weekend at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life which is a nationwide fund-raiser for cancer research.  We are going to give about 1000 bottles of cold water to all those walking the Relay.  We also have a kid’s ministry event at Splash Station.  Soooo, it’s going to be a very busy week. 

But I’m looking forward to seeing God at work in our church and in people’s lives.  He is awesome!

The Andy Griffith Show is one of the all-time great television situational comedies.  It first aired from 1960 to 1968 and spent much of that time in the top ten in the Nielsen Ratings.  And in the 40 years since its final episode it has never been off the air, still playing in syndication to this day.

I, for one, still enjoy watching Deputy Barney Fife bumble and stumble his way around Mayberry.  And I still laugh when Otis (the town drunk) checks himself into the County Jail on Saturday nights to detoxify.  I still get a kick out of Goober pumping gas for the locals while listening to the latest gossip. And I still appreciate Sheriff Taylor, played by Andy Griffith, who successfully balances his duties as a citizen, his career as a police officer, and (most importantly) his responsibilities as a dad.

In playing the part of Sheriff Taylor, Griffith really does offer a positive image of fatherhood.  And that is sorely needed in a culture that often disregards the importance of dads.  Just about every modern day television show portrays the dad as aloof, irrational, goofy, and unnecessary (apparently we’re all just another Homer Simpson waiting to happen).  Meanwhile the consensus of sociological research indicates just the opposite: the importance of fatherhood cannot be understated.  Therefore, we need positive images of fatherhood more than ever.

In the Bible we find many wonderful images of fatherhood—none more important than the imagery of God as our perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing Father who is full of grace and truth.  And in Genesis 21-24 we discover another positive image of fatherhood as we examine the relationship between father Abraham and his son Isaac.

This Sunday we’ll be studying their relationship; learning that Abraham was an excellent father to Isaac in that (1) he cherished his child; (2) he protected his child from predators; (3) he led his child to love the Lord; and (4) he helped his child make healthy choices.

And we’ll also make several points of application such as: we need to (1) set high moral standards for our kids; (2) constantly communicate them to our kids; (3) help our kids achieve the standards by being involved in their lives; and (4) restore our kids when they fail to achieve our (and God’s) standards.

You can listen to this Sunday’s sermon beginning June 17 at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html.  It should be a challenging message for all the dads out there this Father’s Day.

Note:  I must thank my dad, Tom Summers, for making such a positive impact on my life, and for doing his best to be a good dad, then and now.  Growing up, my friends were always jealous of me for having such a thoughtful, wise dad.  I’m sure this particular father’s day weekend (and birthday) is difficult for him—but we love him dearly and are praying for him.  And, truly, I am blessed to be his son.  Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

For the past 30 years the American Church has waged a hard fought battle against the progress (or decline?) of American Culture.  Lobbying for elections, picketing for social reform, developing coalitions such as the Christian Right, producing ultra-conservative news shows like the 700 Club, rallying most Bible-believing Christians to one Grand Old Party, etc., etc., etc.  The intent (I think good) was to keep the American cultural basically Christian in values and morality.  There was probably another intent to use the American Government as a platform for spreading Christian ideas throughout the world (probably not so good!).  Of course, all this has resulted in increasing polarization and hatred between the conservative Christians and the liberal Secularists.  Thus, “Culture War.”

As a conservative Christian leader, several things are evident to me: (1) the Christian Right didn’t really fight the good fight; (2) the GOP wanted Christian votes but not so much Christian values; and (3) the Culture War is coming to an end and social entropy seems to be the victor.

Interestingly enough, the Bible never sanctions Christians as “Culture Warriors.”  Instead God tells us to “Pray for kings and all those in authority so that you may live quiet lives,” in 1 Timothy 2:1-2.  And more importantly commissioning us, not to affect elections, but to affect eternity for as many Souls as possible by making Disciples (Christ-followers) by “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” in Matthew 28:19-20.

Jud Wilhite of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas writes: “The perception of hypocrisy emerges when we start fighting the “culture war”—meaning we attack people’s behavioral patterns rather than love them as people.  Or we lobby to legislate morality.  In Las Vegas, where I live, the culture war is over.  We lost.  Let me repeat: we lost.    Now our calling is to love and accept people one-on-one, caring for them where they are.  Our role is subversive as we carry the light and love of Jesus into the casinos, clubs, and streets of our city.  We’re trying to flip the perception of hypocrisy by being honest and straightforward about our faults and our hope for transformation in Jesus.  And we’re joining our community in a different culture war—one that attacks poverty, crime, addiction, and pain.  We are active in helping the homeless, we’ve declared war on child hunger in the Vegas valley, and we are showing our faith by our actions, even if imperfectly” (UnChristian, David Kinnaman, 61-62).

As I see our culture in decline I am agreeing more and more with Jud Wilhite.  It seems the culture war is lost.  Which I suppose is okay because we can finally get focused on the more important thing: recovering people for God!

It’s official.  Another Sunday is in the books.  Everything at Crossroads seems to be positively progressing. 

Attendance was down yesterday, but with severe weather in the forecast and Nascar at the Chicagoland Speedway, just down the road, I suppose it was to be expected.  We seem to be hitting an ebb and flow of attendance where we work our way into the 200’s in attendance for 4 to 6 weeks and then we drop to 175 or so for two months.  Then we build back up and then we drop down.  It is no doubt related to space, and cramped space at that.  We are very much looking forward to the launch of multiple services this fall—that should alleviate the ebb and flow of attendance.

Financially, we are still keeping our head above water, although May was a really poor month.  We received about ten thousand dollars less than we spent.  And with several large, unbudgeted needs arising we are simply trusting the Lord to provide for us through some generous Benefactor(s).  Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised at the giving at Crossroads, and then after a weak month I am reminded that our church is comprised of mostly un-churched people.  But I’m not complaining.  Reaching out to un-churched people is precisely why we exist.

I preached a sermon called “Forbidden Love: The Story of David and Bathsheba.”  Which was a bit provocative, but was received well.  We learned part of David and Bathsheba’s story (2 Samuel 11-12); we learned several important ideas about healthy marriage from the Bible (Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Corinthians 7); and we planted some seeds for developing a godly worldview in our city and culture.  One lady even asked if we could get her an expedited copy of the sermon on CD so that she could share it (and the outline) with her network of friends.  That made my day! (www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html)

Also, we have 4 different adults who want to be baptized.  But there seems to be no urgency for them as they want to have friends and family here to witness.  I understand the desire to experience baptism in the presence of loved ones, but at the same time I see a sense of urgency in Scripture that corresponds with the extreme importance of baptism in God’s plan for the salvation of every person.  (Note: One of these folks came into the Church office, shortly after I wrote this blog, to be baptized into Christ.  PTL!)

All that being said, I see God at work in people’s lives and that lets me know that Crossroads is growing and developing into a healthy, bible-based, fellowship of people who are trying to get connected to God and to each other.  It seems that we really are helping people live for, love, serve, and share Jesus.

Al and Peg Bundy, from the 1980’s FOX sitcom Married with Children were probably the most dysfunctional television family couple since Ralph and Alice Kramden of The Honeymooners.  They were awful at parenting, corrupt as people, horrible to their neighbors, and as selfish as they could be.  Al was a deadbeat husband, Peg was a deadbeat mom, and their kids were a great big mess.  Of all the famous television families, I cannot think of any that were more dysfunctional than the Bundy Family.

In fact, Married with Children was so offensive to my parents that it was banned from our household when I was growing up.  First, the entire sitcom was really raunchy.  Second, it portrayed traditional marriage as an awful thing.  Third, the children were seen as a hindrance to a happy life.  And fourth, it just didn’t fit with our family values.  So Married with Children was strictly forbidden in our home and if we were caught watching it, well, there would be hell to pay.

But then again, if you want a good example of what not do do in a marriage, you might want to check out the Bundys—kind of like the marriage of King David and his mistress Bathsheba.  Found in 2 Samuel 11-12, the story of David and Bathsheba is another one of those provocative, r-rated Bible stories.  It’s a story of marital infidelity and forbidden love.  And it’s one of those stories that you might want to check out if you want a good example of what not to do in marriage.

From the story we learn a number of mistakes and errors committed by David that led to his downfall: (1) he should have been working; (2) he shouldn’t have been looking; (3) he should have been listening to wise counsel; (4) he should have been confessing rather than covering; and (5) he shouldn’t have been surprised by God’s displeasure.  The marriage of David and Bathsheba is a good example of what not to do!

But what does God want us to do?  Or in other words, what is God’s vision for a healthy marriage?  I’m going to preach on four elements this Sunday:  (1) marriage is the union of one man and one woman for all time; (2) marriage is built for mutual encouragement; (3) marriage is built for mutual enjoyment; and (4) marriage is best when the couple is mutually submissive. 

And if you want to listen to this sermon you can check it out at www.crossroadsofjoliet.org/listen.html.  You can also listen to a song that corresponds with this sermon that Mick Murray, our Creative Arts Minister, wrote this week called “The Fall of David” at www.myspace.com/mickmurraymusic.