Glen Moore

I graduated from Garden Webb University, Boiling Springs NC. While eating one day, with a new student, his chair was bumped from behind. Jokingly he said, “Watch out are you blind?” The guy who bumped is chair said, “Well yes I am.” The two shared apologies, for the student apparently was unaware of the deaf and blind population at our school. The new student felt very apologetic for his rash comment, but the two worked it out and became friends.

Do you find yourself watching the news on tv or your computer and saying things like, “How can people be so stupid?” Or, “Don’t they see how wrong that is.” Well I have also. There are two particular “News Worthy” issues that are in the mainstream now that do make me angry. One being the undercover planned parenthood videos and the other that has to to with the Ashley Madison Hack. Both of these issues I find disturbing yet for different reasons. I will write about the Ashely Madison deal in my next blog.

Planned Parenthood: The TRUTH about planned parenthood is that they are federally funded abortion clinics. They call it Planned Parenthood and the left thinking politicians call it “Women’s Health.” But in reality it is a place the public can go when they don’t want their baby and our federal government will pay to have that baby killed and removed. This has been going on forever. So there is no news there. The shock has come with the revelation that these clinics are now selling everything from the whole baby to amputated body parts and internal organs. They hide behind that it’s, “Not for profit.” The videos are graphic and horrific. They speak of a baby’s heart beating when it is removed. As a Christian I find this sickening.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not [d]agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he [e]has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that [f]godliness is a means of gain.

The depravity of the human mind deteriorates more with each passing generation. Like my beginning analogy, at first I am angry then I have to realize these people are blind to the truth. Abortion is murder. Abortion stops life. Abortion takes something that is living and kills him or her.

Lets take a look at this from a scientific point of view. If I am a pragmatic non supernatural believing scientist i more than likely have to believe in the BIG BANG. I would say LIFE started from a single cell that eventually, through natural selection, became what we know today as life. Then that same scientist can say well life does not begin at conception. That scientist might say, life only begins after a person is born and takes his or her first breath. To the Christian it is VERY EASY to see that these two notions are in direct opposition to rational thinking. It is crystal clear how contradictory these two ideas are. If life began as one cell and we can call that life, then how can you say that a fetus is not living. It is already become many cells and are growing.

If you are a believer, this makes complete sense to you. I am completly convinced that the non believer can not make that intellectual connection. The depraved mind is not only immune to spiritual things, it is also obtuse toward basic rational thinking. I am not even talking about right and wrong here. I am not not talking about philosophical or moral differences of opinion. I am saying on a scientific level if you can say life started as a single cell how can you say an unborn baby is not a life? Life means living. It is that simple, but the world is blind to it.

1.How would you define the depraved mind?

2. As a believer do you find yourself angry or sympathetic towards those who are blind to the truth?

3. Going Deeper…What does all this have to do with personal responsibility?

Let me begin by saying I take 0% credit for anything I am about to write. These were not my ideas. I am writing them down for two reasons. The first is so that I can remember them and use them at my church. The second is so other pastors or church leaders can use them as well.

Context: I was leading a youth retreat in N.Myrtle Beach S.C. We always take the group to Barefoot Church on Sunday Morning. It is a modern church with cool music, sound biblical preaching, and on the cutting edge in the use of technology. The morning we went we were invited to their Vision Night. They were serving a meal. Now from my experience if you want people to come to a church business meeting you call it something cool and serve food. So that is what I was thinking, so i did not take the youth back that evening for Vision Night, but myself and another leader from our group went. These are the things they did to turn a business meeting into something great.

Invite Everyone: Church members of course. People from the community. Anyone you have info on. Why? Create excitement. Some people are looking for something to get involved with. Yes visitors and kids at a business meeting imaging that!
Free Gift: Everyone who came was promised a free gift. You had to be at Vision Night to receive the free gift.
Greeting: We arrived at 5:30pm. The first greeter we met outside in the parking lot was the pastor of Barefoot Church. He was excited to see us. He was a parking lot greeter, outside, talking to people. (assume sarcastic tone) What a novel idea, the pastor greeting people. Now there were others as well but you could tell the greeters instructions were for the pastor to greet every person first.
Good Food: Under a large tent serving what looked like 400 plus we had our choice of 2 of 3 items. Hot dogs, hamburgers and a boneless chicken breast. All the fixen’s of course with coolers and tubs of iced down sodas and bottled water. It was good and we were full.
The Kids: The doors opened at 6:30 as promised as we walked in I received a card with church info on it and a red ticket which i could exchange for my gift at the end of the meeting. I noticed the kids were were getting a bag as they walked in. Coloring sheets and crayons! So cool. Now you and I both know that compared to an iPad coloring pages will not hold their attention for more than a few minutes, but that showed
they were thinking about the kids coming. It was cool.
Worship: Time to start lights went down, band started and we had worship for 30 minutes. This was the best business meeting i had ever been to. The band and singers lead us in a celebratory time of praise and worship. They took up an offering as well. The pastor explained they they had spent a lot of money on the gifts we were receiving. In no way was he asking people to pay for them. He said,”What better investment than to invest in our own people.” ….yes i gave…i figured being a visitor I had eaten their food and was going to get a gift from them..I did not want my being there to be an expense to their church.
The Message: The vision for the church was cast in the form of a message. Pastor Clay gave a challenge to everyone there. His sub points were
1. Everyone Matters
2. Each Person has a Purpose
3. Systematic training kids and youth into leaders
4. Barefoot Church is a church that changes
The Reveal: There were three things the pastor revealed
1. Theme: “Live You!” Previous to that night they had already painted the theme on two outdoor walls and it was already being used on a lot of their literature and web site
2. Symbol: Again already in use. The pastor explained the meaning of the symbol and then showed a video clip of a young girl drawing the symbol with sidewalk chalk during a children’s event. They use the symbol to share Christ and their church.
3. Shareable Video:
  
  Everyone was encouraged to share it on all social media.
The Gift: Outside lines formed. When you turned in your ticket you received a NICE t-shirt with the symbol, theme and church name. The shirt felt “Under Amor-ish.” In a bag we received nice window stickers, card explaining the symbol and theme. business cards with church info on it.

Every person left excited and EQUIPPED to tell others about Jesus and their church. Everyone was on the same page in understanding the Theme for the Year “LIVE YOU.”

Planning planning planning had gone into this night. As a pastor, I know how important good planning with good people is. This was done right. It was great and I was privileged to be a part of it.

pastor glen moore

The Depraved Mind

Church Vision Casting