The church elders have the responsibility to be overseers of God's church. The church is made up of believers--all those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. Being a pastor, I serve as an elder of the church. My passion is to see others grow in Christ. The elders have the responsibility to oversee the church and to ensure that all of the believers are set up for success in becoming Christ-like.

But, what do you do when the elders of the church conflict with your way of life? Hebrews 13:17 tells us to obey our leaders. Prayerfully, the leaders have taken the word of God and have put into place a biblical strategy for me to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Again, though, what do you do when obeying them interferes with my way of life? The right answer, is to obey and submit, but let's face it, that is a difficult task in today's "I" first lifestyle.

Being a pastor, most probably think I don't have a clue to what the common church member is going through. This could not be further from the truth. There are plenty of times where God's word interferes with my way of life. There are times that I choose my way of life. I am very much a product of our society.

The reality is that, as a believer, I am no longer my own. That's right! As a believer, you life is no longer yours. Your life belongs to God. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

My responsibility is to glorify God and the best way to do that is to be obedient to His word and in this case to the elders too, as they give watch over my soul. So, when the elders of the church and my way of life conflict, do what the Bible says: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over yous souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you."

You probably are not used to me writing so much about current issues, but I could not resist writing about this one. I am proud of the new "Faith Anglican Fellowship" of Murfreesboro. This new church is a split from the "Holy Cross Church" in Murfreesboro, TN. I am usually not in favor of church splits, but in a day when many seem to stand for nothing, those that started the "Faith Anglican Fellowship" have taken and stand and a split has been the end result.

If you follow the news, then you know that the Episcopal church recently decided that it is okay to have a gay and lesbian minister. This was one of the main reasons the priest and Holy Cross Church and several of its members split from, not only the church, but also the Episcopal Diocese. These members left their building, their denomination, their comfort. Why? To take a stand for what they believe the Bible teaches on this current trend in churches across America.

Thank you Faith Anglican Fellowship for reminding us that God does not call us to comfort or to a denomination. He calls us to a relationship with Him and obedience to His word.

Psalm 1:1-3 states "How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

Well, for a guy who just came through a time where his leaves felt withered, this was an insightful word from God today. it made me questions some things. "Had I taken some bad advice? Did I take the path of a sinner or join a group of mockers?" I think I am okay on the advice and I don't remember taking the path of a sinner (Of course everyone sins, but there is a difference in living in sin vs. sinning). There have been times where I probably did join the group of mockers. I hang out with people who don't know Christ and sometimes rather than let my light shine and hide it under a bushel....NO! My real failure comes in the next part of the verse, my delight. What do I delight in? There are many things I delight in. My marriage, my kids, the church I pastor, UK sports. Upon answering this question, I noticed something and no, it was not that God was missing in the past list. Of course, I delight in God and His instruction. What I noticed was that all of my other delights I fight for. I fight hard to make my marriage work. I fight hard to be the best parent I can be. I work and fight hard for the church I pastor. I fight stupid fans from other schools...Okay maybe they are not stupid, but you get the gist of what I am saying. But here is a question: Do I fight hard to delight in God's instruction? When I sense that there is no joy in my life, do I fight hard for God? His joy is my strength, right?

So here is to fighting and delighting. The world does not want God or His instruction to be delighted in. I fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities of darkness that will do everything they can to take away my delight in God and His instruction. So the word for the new year is this: Fight and delight in God and His instruction. Read His word even when you don't have time or you don't feel like it. Fight for it and watch as God does something incredible in your life. Everything you do will prosper. Fight and delight!