Ken Pierpont's Blog, page 156

Tim Tebow

Our daughter Holly started a Facebook page for Christian girls who admire Tim Tebow. She has lived all her life in Michigan and Ohio and has become, first a Florida fan and now a Denver fan. What meaneth this? Read on:

Deep in my genetic make-up is a strand of loyalty to The Ohio State University Football Program. It's almost involuntary. I was born and raised in Ohio listening to Ohio State football on autumn Saturday afternoons, when Woody was King of Ohio. Dad owned an old black Studabaker that he would tweak while listening to the games.

Raising our boys we usually listened to the pregame while sweeping the garage or raking the yard or helping friends on those glorious October mornings in the fall. Once I won tickets to the Ohio State Michigan game in a radio contest and Kyle and I watched the classic rivalry in Historic "Shoe" on the banks of the Olentangy in Columbus.

2006 was a dream year for the Buckeyes. Our Buckeyes had run the table winning every game. In the final game of the season Ohio State hosted Michigan in Columbus. Ohio State was rated number one in the nation. Michigan, number two. Ohio State sent Michigan home in defeat and Florida leaped over Michigan in the polls. The Buckeyes would play Florida in Arizona for the National Championship on January 8, 2007.

Chuk, Dan, Wes and I drove from Chicago to watch the game with Kyle and his little family in their apartment in South Bend.

The game started with great promise. Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. We were euphoric. That is because we didn't know at the time the Buckeyes would only score one more time. Ginn injured his foot during the celebration and was never able to return to the game. It would be his last play as a Buckeye.

The rest of the game was dominated by Florida. Into the game came a young freshman quarterback named Tim Tebow. The word was that he was a believer and that he was home-schooled. His family used the same homeschool program we did. We were in the same organization. At the time we thought little of it. We were too busy choking back the taste of defeat. Florida won 42-14. Tebow would be involved in two national championships at Florida. Later that year he would win the Heisman Trophy.

I remember well our great disappointment that the Buckeyes were undefeated going into the Florida game and lost to Florida and their young quarterback. Kyle stood in the doorway and as we drove away I said what I usually say to take the sting out of temporal disappointment: "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name." The words, though I didn't know it at the time, were prophetic. We drove home quietly licking our wounds of defeat that night. Little did I know that in the providence of God he would receive great glory from the life of Florida's young quarterback.

Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines. His parents were Baptist missionaries. When his mother Pam was pregnant she was suffering from a life-threatening illness. The treatment threatened the life of the baby within her. Doctors recommended an abortion. She refused. Tim's life is a powerful story of the faith of godly parents and a child who was consecrated to the glory of God and as we all know now, he has a national pulpit to proclaim Christ.

Since our bitter defeat in January of 2007, following the career and testimony of Tim Tebow has become a whole-family obsession for the Pierponts. Some of our friends don't understand our unabashed enthusiasm for the young man. They think it is about sports. It has little to do with sports. It's all about Jesus Christ our King and his honor on earth. It is about the beauty and winsomeness of a young man playing and living with all his might and making Christ known at every opportunity. Some just don't understand that. It seems to me that those who are especially jealous for the honor of the name of Christ do. It's not about sports. It's not about winning and losing football games. Football games come and go and they mean little. It is about the Eternal honor of the Eternal King. God bless, prosper and protect Tim Tebow as he honors the King!

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory both now and forever Amen. (1 Tim. 1:17)

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

January 16, 2012

P.S. Young Ladies might be interested in my daughter, Holly's site Christian Girls Love Tim Tebow here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christi...

A Flyover of Amos

Amos was one colorful character. I taught the whole book of Amos in this message. Amos was a man with a burden, though he did not aspire to be a prophet or preacher. God took him from the sheep and figs and had a message He wanted him to deliver. This message was given at the close of a wonderful day of blessing at Evangel. I think you will sense the spirit of it.

Series: A Flyover of the Bible

Title: A Flyover of Amos

Passage: The Book of Amos

Place: Evangel Baptist Church–Taylor, Michigan

Date: January 8, 2012 6:00 PM

Speaker: Pastor Kenneth L. Pierpont

The HOME Button

I try to pray daily that God will bring people across my path, or that I will find people who are open to the truth of God. If they are not I try to sow seeds of truth wherever I go but I am always praying that God will bring people into my life who are ready to listen and I am always ready to tell them the good news.

When that is your great love the people around you know it. They tend to send people your way.

On Wednesday I got a call from a man who said a friend of a friend needs spiritual guidance. I'll tell you that story another day soon. Not long ago a young lady stopped in who wanted me to pray the "ghosts" out of her boyfriends house. I'll tell you that story another day, too. Yesterday I had an e-mail forwarded to me about someone who had strayed far from God. His brother wanted me to make contact.

When the secretaries received the e-mail they know that I would be eager to follow up. I called the man who had been far from God for many years. We had a pleasant talk. Before we ended the conversation I told him a little story. Here's how it went:

"My daughters bought me a GPS unit for my car. They call it a Tom Tom. I love the thing. No matter where I want to go, it can show me the way. It keeps me from getting lost. It even talks to me. Sometimes, though, I don't listen. I go my own way and I end up far away from where I ought to be.

The Tom Tom has a wonderful feature. It's called the HOME button. No matter how confused you are, no matter how far off you have wandered, if you just hit the home button it will show you how to get back home. Enough said?"

He thanked me far calling and took my number. His loved ones are praying for him. They are praying that God will do a deep work in him and that he will hit the HOME button.

Do you need to hit the HOME button?

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

January 14, 2012

Worse Than Sodom

If we aren't careful, our Christianity can be a cover for pride. God hates pride. He resists pride. God used this message in a beautiful way at Evangel. Listen to it prayerfully. I trust that God will especially use it to draw you closer to Him.

Title: Worse Than Sodom

Text: Matthew 11:20-24

Place: Evangel Baptist Church–Taylor, Michigan

Date: January 8, 2012 AM

Speaker: Pastor Kenneth L. Pierpont

Sleeping Alone

I found this entry in an old journal today:

We are trying to teach Hope to sleep in her own bed. In April she will be five years old so she is used to sleeping with us. The other night we had her stay in her own bed in the girls room where all four girls sleep. She was not happy. She was crying so I went into her room and said; "Why are you crying, Hope?"

She said, "I don't like sleeping in here. I don't want to sleep in here. I don't get any attention."

I know how she feels. I hate it when I don't get any attention. (January 29, 2004)

Dangerous Coffee

I noticed this little piece in an old journal from 2004 today.

I visited the doctor today. In the room waiting for him to arrive I read an article about a little, white clapboard Lutheran Church in Maine. Last year most of the church board got sick and one member died from poisoning. They discovered that someone had thrown a handful of arsnic into the coffee pot. Later that night a former board member took his life claiming responsibility for the deed.

They say he was a nice man. Some thought he may have been upset because a communion table his family donated was not being used.

What Kind of Doubter Are You?

Series: Matthew's Gospel

Message: What Kind of Doubter Are You?

Text: Matthew 11:1-19

Place: Evangel Baptist Church–Taylor, Michigan

Date: Sunday January 1, 2012

We baptized six people on New Year's Day at Evangel. This message is about two kinds of doubters. Which are you?

New Beginnings

I once visited a weaver's school where the students were making beautiful patterns. I asked, "When you make a mistake must you cut it out and start from the beginning?" A student said, "No, our teacher is such a great artist that when we make a mistake, he uses it to improve the beauty of the pattern." That is what the Lord does with our mistakes.

Corrie ten Boom

Post-Christmas Emotional Inventory

It is the 28th of December and I've just stepped into my study. I'm hanging my new 2012 calendars today, but my heart is tender when my eye falls on the page that was December.

Never before have I had such sweet sadness after Christmas. Maybe it's that a couple of our children now live a long way away and it is so hard to work out times to be together.

More and more the family is growing up and they are launching off and that's as it should be. Kyle and Heidi are married. Neither of them lives nearby. Kyle and his little family are three and a half hours away. Heidi and Austin are over six hours away. Heidi is radiant and with child. They will be parents in late February. We were all together for just a few hours last night. We celebrated Christmas. Soon they had to leave and I stood in the snow in South Bend until they drove out of sight.

Between us lie the vast blue sweetwater ocean of Lake Michigan, the great metropolis of Chicagoland, and over three hundred and forty-three miles of farm and field.

Today I am re-entering the regular, post-Christmas world. Everywhere I look are bittersweet reminders of Christmas. Colorful wrapping paper just a day or two ago adorning gifts of love under the tree, is now crumpled and soiled on the garage floor. I gather it up and walk it to the curb. I have a lump in my throat. I find myself fighting back tears. I'm doing an emotional inventory, an assessment of my soul. It's sadness at the passing of Christmas, but it is also sweet gratefulness for the outpouring of family love I just experienced.

For the first time in about three weeks the boys will be sleeping in their room instead of camping out in the family room by the tree. Soon we will have to bring ourselves to remove the lights and the decorations. Daniel will pack his things in his car and return to college in Grand Rapids.

I've always planned a number of things to look forward to after Christmas. I've never been blue. There is always a New Year full of plans just ahead. I've always told others to keep doing Christmas things after Christmas is past. I know the secret to joy is communion with the Spirit of God dwelling within us and obedience to his quiet voice. Today I need to preach that truth from my head into my heart.

Thank you, Lord for the love that was expressed at Christmas—for the month that was December. It was sweet. May the ring of it reverberate in my heart throughout the New Year that lies ahead.

Ken Pierpont

The Pastor's Study

Evangel Baptist Church—Taylor, Michigan

December 28, 2011

The Windward Shore-Jerry Dennis

Christmas Day my daughter Hannah added a treasure to my library. Jerry Dennis has written another wonderful new book. This one is about the Great Lakes in winter. It is called "The Windward Shore." Jerry is a skilled writer who lives in Northern Michigan. If you love good writing and nature and Michigan you will love his books.