The end of the year is here, and I have made my picks for the Top 10 books I've read this year. Keep in mind that I'm not saying these are the 'best' books of the year, just the ones I liked out of the few I read. Most of the books I reviewed this year were not actually published in 2009, but I limited my Top 10 lists to this year's publications.

Anyway, you can check out my 2009 Review Page for all the details!

Thanks to everyone who's stopped by and read this site in 2009! I hope you have a very happy new year, and we'll see you in 2010!

Time Travel Tuesday #22
For the final TTT of 2009, I thought I'd go back to a new year's celebration from 2003. This picture is of Nick and I in Gatlinburg. Nick was part of the Parkwood youth group at the time, and we were on our annual trip to Xtreme Winter. Who would've thought that in a few short years we'd be members of the same family?!   


The youth aren't going to Gatlinburg this year, so it's the first New Year's Eve I haven't spent with teenagers in over a decade. Tricia and I haven't decided how we're going to ring in 2010, but it probably won't be with Sweet Home Alabama (that's an Xtreme Winter joke). However you plan to celebrate the start of a new decade this week, have a happy new year!

	W	L

 
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept the win streak alive by traveling to New Orleans and beating the Saints 20-17 in overtime. After being down 17-0, the Bucs kicked a field goal before halftime, then the defense held New Orleans scoreless in the second half while Cadillac  Williams ran for one TD and Morgan Spurlock returned a punt 77 yards for another one, forcing overtime (after New Orleans missed a field goal attempt). Tampa won the coin toss, took the ball, and drove down the field to kick the game-winning, 47-yard field goal.

Check out what Elias Sports Bureau had to say about the statistics of the game:

It was the first time in NFL history that a team with a record 10 or more games below .500 defeated a team that was +10 or better. It was the third time since November 2008 that the Bucs won a road game in which they trailed by 17 or more points. All other NFL teams have combined for only three such wins during that time.

A few weeks ago, I was ready for Tampa to lose out and get a high draft pick, but I have to admit that it's exciting to see this team win, especially over opponents with much better records. Tampa is young, and I don't think Josh Freeman is going to be the next Peyton Manning, but he's shown a lot of poise and potential in a tough season. The defense is also continuing to improve, and things are looking up for 2010. At this point, the Bucs are drafting pretty high regardless, so now I'm pulling for them to finish the season on a 3-game win streak and end up 4-12. Up next: home against the Atlanta Falcons (8-7). Games left: 1

Louisville Cardinals (4-8) Season Completed
PRP Panthers (3-7) Season Completed

Here are the new overall standings:

	W	L

TOP

Merry Christmas! Many people are still celebrating this weekend--but what exactly are they celebrating? The birth of Jesus is certainly an event worth commemorating, but it isn't the main point of the story. Today's quote from Edmund Clowney (The Unfolding Mystery, 11) helps us see the bigger picture of redemption:  

The Bible has a story line. It traces an unfolding drama. The story follows the history of Israel, but it does not begin there, nor does it contain what you would expect in a national history. The narrative does not pay tribute to Israel. Rather, it regularly condemns Israel and justifies God’s severest judgments. The story is God’s story. It describes His work to rescue rebels from their folly, guilt, and ruin. And in His rescue operation, God always takes the initiative.

And that, friends, is what Christmas is all about: God taking the initiative. God sent His only Son to rescue sinners from the doom of their own making. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem two millennia ago, it was a clear sign that God was intervening for His people.

Of course, the story did not start in the manger. God's plan was set in motion "before the foundation of the world" [Eph 1:4] and will only be finally realized when Christ returns and forever undoes the curse of sin and death.

But His birth remains a key part of God's salvation story. And when the angel visited Mary to tell her that she would give birth, he also told her some other interesting things about who this child was. The content of his message just happens to be the content of my message that I'm preaching this morning at Rockford Lane Baptist, so if you are curious, come worship there!
 

The following is a long post about Santa Claus. There's plenty more I could have said, but I tried to keep it concise (sadly, this is about as 'concise' as I get) and to the point. I hope I have come across clearly. I know this topic can generate a lot of responses, but whether you agree or disagree, I welcome any comments or feedback. Have a Merry Christmas!

The Santa Question
Should Santa Claus be a part of the Christmas celebration for Christians? This is a question that has come up several times in the past few years and it is one that Tricia and I have discussed at length. Seeing as we’re right in the middle of “the most wonderful time of the year,” I thought I would share our conclusions with you.

Santa is not Satan
But before we even get into that discussion, let me clear a few things up right away:

1. I don’t hate Santa Claus. I’m not on an anti-Santa crusade, and I don’t think that (in fine SNL Church Lady tradition) ‘Santa’ is just a clever anagram for ‘Satan.’ My goal in discussing this issue isn’t to minimize Santa as much as it is to maximize Christ. I’m also not trying to ‘ruin’ Christmas for anyone or rebel against my parents out of some deep-seeded childhood resentment; I’m just trying to share my thoughts on this issue, so let’s all stay calm.

2. Santa is not a gauge of spirituality. If you use Santa as part of your Christmas celebration, that doesn’t make you any less Christian than someone who doesn’t. A person or family’s maturity in faith has nothing to do with the use of Santa Claus. The Bible has many things that serve as evidence of faith and maturity, so we’ll let God’s standard continue to do its job and not try to amend or adjust it in any way. I’m not judging you, your family, or your faith based on your approach to Santa.

3. This isn’t a ‘deal-breaker.’ Because those first two points are true, that also means that the purpose of this post is not to try and convince you one way or the other. It’s to encourage you to think through these things in a discerning way, and that’s all. If you agree with me, that’s great. If you don’t, that’s great too. In the order of importance, the use of Santa is pretty near the bottom of the list. If you and I can agree of the deity of Christ, His atoning work on the cross, His resurrection, and His coming return—then I think we can still worship and fellowship together even if we disagree about Santa Claus.

I don't even have a chimney
Having said that, now I’ll take some time to (lengthily) explain why Tricia and I have decided not to use Santa Claus in our family’s celebration of Christmas. We have given this issue a lot of thought over the past few years and reached our conclusion together. There are a lot of factors that go into it, but here are (in fine Baptist preacher tradition) three main reasons that we have decided not to include Santa:

1. It’s not true. While there was an historical Saint Nicolas who gave gifts to the poor and destitute in the name of Christ, there isn’t a jolly old man visiting your house on Christmas Eve. While it’s easy to tell this to small children without too many questions, as they age you will have to continue to make up new and more involved ways of explaining how Santa works. Eventually, it will reach the point where you have to admit you were lying, and then come up with a reason to explain to your children that it is okay for you to have told them this lie—but it’s still wrong for them to lie to you.

I know most people cringe at calling Santa a ‘lie’ because they think it is a lie that can be justified. Which raises an interesting question: why do people feel like it’s okay to make up a story about Santa and use it for Christmas? I’ve asked that to several people, and here are some of the more common reasons I’ve heard:

a. It makes gift giving more exciting.
As a parent of a small boy, I can certainly see the appeal in having a technique that allows me to encourage good behavior for a few months (“If you’re not good, Santa won’t bring you any presents!”) and allows for at least one night of kids going to bed on time—or early! But why tell your children that their presents come from a stranger? Why can’t the gifts just come from mom and dad or other family members? Will a child honestly be less excited about opening a present because it came from a flesh and blood person? That seems a bit far-fetched to me.

b. It lets people give more freely.
I suppose there is something to be said for giving anonymously, but that’s not really what’s happening at Christmas, is it? Everyone except the small kids knows who the gifts are really from. Besides, what the historic Nicholas did was give anonymous gifts to the poor, not members of his own family, and he did it in the name of Christ, not the name of Saint Nick.

And when people say that Santa lets them give ‘more freely,’ they often mean ‘more expensively.’ Labeling a gift as ‘from Santa’ just to justify more extravagant (or unnecessary) spending is simply wrong. Although this is slightly off-topic, I think most people would agree that Christmas is already in danger of being over-commercialized and ‘consumer-ized’ to the point of emphasizing materialism and flat-out greed. While I certainly have no problem with exchanging gifts at Christmas, I don’t think the best way to celebrate Christmas is exchanging more gifts. If your kid cries because he doesn’t get that one toy he wanted, he’s missed the entire point of Christmas.

c. It preserves the “magic” of Christmas.
I know there are some theological concepts that are hard for a kid to understand, but we expect them to suspend disbelief over one man, countless toys in one sack, and eight flying reindeer that circumnavigate the globe in 24 hours. If they can believe that (which is false) then why can’t they be taught that the true ‘magic’ of Christmas is about the glory of God visibly returning to His people after a 400-year absence, the power of the Most High and Holy Spirit overshadowing a young girl named Mary, and God Himself taking on human flesh to save His people from their sins. Both scenarios defy conventional wisdom and ask for a certain level of faith. But one is true and one isn’t.

2. It can confuse people about the true nature of God. There are some things about Santa that are similar to God: he sees all, he knows a person’s true behavior, he generously gives gifts in an often mysterious manner. But there are some things about Santa that are not true of God as well. God does not simply give us whatever we ask for, nor does He base those gifts simply on our deservedness (and thankfully so!).

I grew up in a Christian home that chose to use Santa as part of the Christmas celebration, and I don’t confuse him with God. So I’m not saying that every kid will be unable to distinguish Santa and God if you use both. In fact, some atheists encourage families not to use Santa Claus because it might actually encourage believe in a god-like being. The difference is, of course, that God is real, has revealed Himself through His Word and His Son, and is not a cosmic wish-granter or mere behavior monitor. We don’t need to use a Santa Claus to encourage belief in God; we have the actual Word of God itself!

The point is this: using Santa is no guarantee that kids will misunderstand the truth about God, and often that does not happen. But I do know that many adults see God merely as a Santa-esque figure, and I can’t help but wonder if perhaps that is in part due to the way that we have used Santa at Christmas, causing that line of distinction to blur.

3. It can distort the Gospel. For me, this is the most convincing (and convicting) argument that finally persuaded me to leave Santa out of my family Christmas. The basic principle of Santa goes like this: if you are good, you will get presents. But the ultimate meaning of Christmas goes like this: no one is good in God’s sight, and we don’t deserve any gifts, but God still lovingly gave us the greatest Gift of all.

Now, I don’t have a problem with people being rewarded for good work. I do my job each week and expect a paycheck. Kids get allowance for chores, too. In that sense, the kind of works-based system of giving that Santa uses makes sense. But not at Christmas. That is perhaps the one time of the year when the whole point of the celebration—including any gifts we exchange with one another—should remind us that we are undeserving and cannot earn God’s gift; yet He gives it anyway.

Most parents can find ways to emphasize the Gospel message alongside the Santa traditions. I’m not saying it can’t be done or hasn’t been done well in many cases. What I am saying is that the potential for misunderstanding is there and I would much, much rather err on the side of caution when it comes to sharing the Gospel in an undiluted and clear manner—especially with my children.

…and to all a good night
So that's a brief summary of the main reasons why Tricia and I have decided not to use Santa in our Christmas celebrations as a family. But before I bring this post to an end, let me reassure some people with the following statements:

1. If you have chosen differently, we respect that. Like I said earlier, I don’t think that this is an issue to divide ourselves over, and it is most certainly not an issue that should cause disunity among those who are celebrating Christ’s birth together. If you use Santa, I’m going to assume that you have thought through it and reached an informed decision. I won’t question it with disrespect, and I ask that you extend the same courtesy to us.

2. Not celebrating Santa isn’t the same as ignoring or avoiding it. My kids will undoubtedly see Santa at the mall or have people ask them “what’s Santa bringing you this year?” When that happens, I’m not going to start screaming and cover my children’s eyes or ears! As they get older, we will explain the historical Saint Nicholas and the way that many people believe in Santa (like a fairy tale). We won’t expect them to avoid it or ignore it, and we won’t tolerate them being rude when people ask them those questions, but we also won’t be telling them that Santa’s real.

3. I’m not on an anti-Santa crusade. I have better things to do, especially at Christmas, then to rail against everyone who has any semblance of Santa in their homes, yards, or clothing. Frankly, I have no desire to do so. Like I said earlier, you and I can disagree on the use of Santa and still be friends. We can still worship God together and we can still celebrate Christmas together. And, rest assured, Tricia and I are going to work hard with our children to make sure they aren’t the ones who tell everyone else that Santa’s not real. They will learn the truth, but they will also learn tact and respect for other people.

 

So will Santa be a part of your Christmas celebration? Either way, don’t let Santa (or gift giving, or family time, or anything else) take the rightful place of Christ at the center of this season. And please don’t blindly follow tradition just for tradition’s sake. My prayer for you is that you would continue to think through these things and discern what is wise and best honors Christ in your family.

Merry Christmas!

Time Travel Tuesday #21
Here's another one from recent years, as we go back to 2007 for this picture taken at my parents' house on Christmas Eve. Although you can't tell it from the picture, Tricia was about five months pregnant with Ethan at the time. Who knew that in two short years Luke & Jessica would have had a daughter and Tricia & I would be getting ready to welcome Baby #2!  


On another note, I found out yesterday that I am preaching this Sunday at Rockford Lane Baptist Church here in Louisville. Their pastor has had to make other plans for this weekend, and he called me to see if I was available for the morning service. Since I hadn't planned on preaching, I haven't been working on anything, so please pray for me as I try to figure out what direction to go (and that I'll have time to work on my sermon amidst all the Christmas gatherings and festivities). Thanks!

	W	L

 
Just when I'm ready for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose the rest of their games and get a top draft pick, they roll into Seattle and--of all things--win by a score of 24-7! The Bucs were on the right side of the turnover ratio this time, causing the Seahawks to lose possession five times on four interceptions and one fumble. It's nice to see Tampa win, but at this point in the season, it really isn't accomplishing much. I'm not saying they need to intentionally throw games, only that in the big picture a win now helps very little. Of course, if they're going to win some games, they might as well win out and finish 4-12. Sounds good until you see who's up next: at New Orleans Saints, fresh off their first loss of the year (13-1). Games left: 2

Louisville Cardinals (4-8) Season Completed
PRP Panthers (3-7) Season Completed

Here are the new overall standings:

	W	L

TOP

Christians often speak of faith, but what does a life of faith look like? Samuel Ward (Living Faith, 35 & 41) helps us answer that question with today's quote:  

Place all your trust in the grace of Christ, and it will crucify the old man. Be weak in yourself and strong in the Lord, and by faith you shall be more than a conqueror. I do not promise you that you will arrive at perfection, yet as your grow from faith to faith, so shall you grow from strength to strength in his graces, till by degrees you will attain to maturity in Christ. You will be a saint upon the earth. You will be a light in this dark world. You will be able to live in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life, with much more comfort to yourself and credit to the gospel that strangers to the life of faith think possible.

Ultimately, the life of faith is one that must be lived. We can read about faith, learn about faith, hear sermons about faith, watch others display faith--but if we want to have faith, it must be practiced. We must trust Christ more than ourselves. We must believe God even when all circumstances seem to conspire against us. We must hold fast, certain that God is faithful.

When we do so, we will not only find our own faith growing strong, but we will find that God is using us as salt and light in this world [see Matthew 5:13-15] and is doing so in ways that are far beyond what we could have imagined.

So when you are faced with a choice of faith today (and we are all faced with such choices on a near constant basis) pause and think about this: will I trust God or myself? Will I do what is right in His eyes or simply what feels good to me? Will I seek His counsel above the advice of others? Bottom line: will it be His way or my way? The choice is yours. Choose faith and become more than a conqueror. [see Romans 8:37-39]

In other news: I haven't been posting a lot in December, and that's partly because I've been busy working on a new Sunday School series called The Family. Twice a year, Parkwood has what we call Super Sunday School where everyone (youth and up) meet together in one big class for four weeks. We start on January 10, so the study books need to be finished and printed by January 3--so I'm staying pretty busy with it! Please pray that I will have wisdom as I write and time to finish this project over the next two weeks. Thanks!

Time Travel Tuesday #20
The Ghost of Christmas Past isn't exactly wearing himself out this week as we only go back 12 months for this edition of Time Travel Tuesday. Today's picture is Ethan celebrating his first Christmas, surrounded by his presents on Christmas Day last year:  

	W	L

 
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the New York Jets and got smoked 26-3. The offense remains inept, unable to get any kind of running game going, and any time a team in the NFL becomes one-dimensional, it almost always equals a loss. Why? Because the defense can predict what you are going to do and force turnovers. Like last week, when QB Josh Freeman threw 5 interceptions against the Panthers. The good news is that he improved this week and...threw 3 interceptions. Ouch. At this point, I'm actually leaning toward cheering for the Bucs to finish the season with one win for the sole reason of getting the #1 draft pick (which I would like to see Tampa use on Ndamukong Suh, a monster DT from Nebraska) Up next: a cross-country trip to play the Seattle Seahawks (5-8). Games left: 3

Although the Louisville Cardinals have no games left, they still made some noise in the football world this week by announcing their new head coach: Charlie Strong. He has a long resume and most recently has been the defensive coordinator at the University of Florida, whose teams have had tremendous success--including two national championships and a 12-1 record this year.

From all accounts, Strong seems like a solid coach and it will be interesting to see how a defensive-oriented coach does following two offensive-minded coaches in Petrino and Kragthorpe (although Kragthorpe's teams never exactly sizzled in the offense department). Recruiting season is already underway, and Coach Strong should also be naming the rest of his staff soon. I think it's a good hire and my guess is that he will do some good things right away. I'm thinking 6-6 next year and a bowl game, and slowly building up to a more competitive level within 3-4 years.

Louisville Cardinals (4-8) Season Completed
PRP Panthers (3-7) Season Completed

Here are the new overall standings:

	W	L

TOP

Does God care if you go to church? Today's quote comes from Mark Dever (Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology, 114) and explains the mistaken notion that many professing Christians have when it comes to their involvement in a local church: 

Most Christians in America only think of the gospel as saving them individually, and thus completely neglect the functional congregation-centeredness that is supposed to mark our discipleship…church is simply one more means that Christians may choose to use in order to grow spiritually if they find it helpful, like their choice of music, a Bible study, a devotional book, or a conference…   The idea that they should be fundamentally committed to one congregation and submitted to the leadership there is a foreign to them as eating locusts and wild honey would be to most of us. It’s not even so much that they oppose the idea; it’s just that they simply have never even considered it.

Christ died for the Church, and Christ Himself is building His Church. While it is true in one sense that the "Church" is an intangible, universal, time-spanning entity comprised of all believers, that is not the sense in which we are to interact with it. The early apostles didn't speak of the Church in metaphysical terms, but met together with fellow believers regularly.

When we neglect or ignore the reality of investing in a local fellowship (and allowing that fellowship to likewise invest in us) we fail to understand the role of the Church for believers. It is not a social club or even merely a weekly boost to help us endure another week. It is our family--brothers and sisters in Christ--that we rejoice with, mourn with, and walk through this life with. We help each other in difficulty and cheer with each other in times of joy. We hold each other accountable to the Gospel and we testify to the genuine love of God displayed most powerfully in the cross of Jesus Christ. We disciple one another in Him.

The poet John Donne once said that "no man is an island." He's right. God does not intend for you to walk this road alone; in fact, He has gone to great lengths to establish and build His church to ensure the opposite. So don't neglect God's design any longer; decide this very day to be a part of a local, visible, present-tense Church.

Time Travel Tuesday #19
As this year's Christmas gets closer, here's another picture from Christmas Past, this one of me, Tricia, and Matt in 2002: 

	W	L

 
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were once again on the losing side of the contest as their road trip to visit the Carolina Panthers ended with a 16-6 loss. Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman threw for 321 yards but had 5 interceptions (ouch!) that cost the Bucs any chance at being competitive. With only four games left, it's starting to look like Tampa's going to be a 1-win team. Up next: hosting the still-in-the-playoff-hunt New York Jets (6-6). Games left: 4

Louisville Cardinals (4-8) Season Completed
PRP Panthers (3-7) Season Completed

Here are the new overall standings:

	W	L

TOP

Today's quote comes from Timothy Keller (The Reason for God, 181) and discusses the key principles of the Gospel, and how they affect those who are in Christ: 

The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling.   I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less. I don’t need to notice myself-–-how I’m doing, how I’m being regarded-–-so often.

At heart, almost every person is deeply concerned with how others view them. We want to be accepted, or recognized, or appreciated. The central message of the Gospel is that, in Christ, we are accepted, even though we are undeserving.

Let that truth sink in for a few moments as you read this: "God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us." [Romans 5:8] You are not better than anyone else--and you don't have to be. You are not worthy of God's love--but neither is anyone, and He gives it to us anyway through His Son.

As we near Christmas, and the celebration of Christ's birth, remember that our confidence lies not in ourselves, but in God and what He has done for us.

Time Travel Tuesday #18
Welcome to December! Since today's the first of the month, we're only 24 days from Christmas, so I thought I'd throw out a picture from Christmas Past to help spread the yuletide cheer. Here's Tricia and I at Christmas in 2005:


And since it's been a while since I've posted any non-TTT photos, I also thought I'd give you a few of the highlights from the last several weeks. Included are some shots from our trip to the Newport Aquarium, the extended family (on my side) from Thanksgiving, and of course, a few shots of Ethan--including one Tricia took as he ate a powdered doughnut. Priceless!