Tag: Role model

My Story: A Trial that Proves a Faulty Faith (Part 2)

On By pastorjonathanIn About Jonathan2 Comments

flickrcom-photos-flakstad-2681169006When I was 14 years old my life took a sudden and unexpected turn.  My family had moved from Montana to North Alabama.  My father now only worked one job being a full time pastor.  We were settled into the school system and began  enjoying life in the south.

Then I came home one day to find out that my dad had had a stroke and was in the hospital.  We visited him over the following weeks.  Many times I chose not to go because I didn’t want to see my father in such a helpless position.   He began the road to recovery only to be asked for his resignation a few months later.

At the time I blamed myself.  Around the same time he had taken me out arrowhead hunting one afternoon and he ended up being late to an important meeting.  I internalized what I perceived as the attack on my father as being my fault.

A Different Kind of Suffering

In the times past all the suffering that we had endured seemed impersonal.  My parents had seen two miscarriages.  We almost lost my mom and brother when he was born.  We were poor and trusted God to meet our needs. Yet, now I was faced with what appeared to be a very personal and direct attack on all that I understood to be right in the world.

There is no greater insult to a young man than to defame his father in front of him.  I chose to reject God and the church.  I hated God and rebelled against him in all that I knew to do. I did not know it, but my faith was being tested to prove I was not all that I thought I was (I Peter 1:6-7, II Corinthians 13:5).  I had been riding the coattails of my parents faith, but there comes a time when each person must trust Christ on their own (Ezekiel 18:21-32).

My Rebellion

I had a friend who would drink and so I asked to be included the next time he went out.  I began getting drunk on a regular basis.  I was mad at God for letting my dad get fired and I was mad at the church for being so full of hypocrites.

For a time we  would hang out in my parents back yard getting drunk in a cabin on the river.  We didn’t have a great way to dispose of the alcohol containers (I’m sure my dad would have noticed them in the trash can), so we cut a hole in the bottom of the cabin floor and stuffed all the empty containers in the hole.  Eventually there was no more room to hid the beer cans and vodka bottles.  My dad found out we were drinking and we had a “come to Jesus” meeting.

I hated disappointing my dad and knew a great way to get out of some of the trouble I was in was to “repent” of my sin.  I was genuinely sorry for what I had done, but mostly I was just ashamed that I had gotten caught  (I Corinthians 2:10). I set about to hide my shame by building a reputation of good works.

At age 18 I became a student minister.  I thought that if I was just good enough, God would be pleased with me.   I was wrong (Ephesians 2:8-9). I thought I could earn God’s favor, but its a gift that has to be given.

It would be years before I would really discover what a relationship with God was really all about.

Want to know more about the Christian message and how to become a Christ follower?  Click the link below.  Be sure to follow it to the end that is where the truly good news is shared.

Way of  the Master

My Story: A Godly Heritage (part 1)

On By pastorjonathanIn About JonathanLeave a comment

flickrcom-photos-hamed-258971456Richard and Barbara Hill had suffered two miscarriages between my sister’s birth and mine. My birth was anticipated with much fear and joy.  I was born on April 27st, 1979.  My mother named me Jonathan meaning “gift of God.” Though I do not remember them ever saying it, it was evident in the way we were raised that my parents believed that all children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127).

My Father

My father was a gentle but strong man.  Most of my childhood he was a church planter in Montana.  He would pastor a small existing church, lead a bible study that would develop into another church and work a full time job.  Montana was not known for its job market and often my dad would take seasonal low paying jobs just to help our family make ends meet.

Despite the overwhelming drain and stress of being overworked and underpaid my father was the priest in our home.  He lead us with a family devotional in the morning and family prayer time at night.   He was the first to discipline us, but always with love…I never saw my father lose his temper (Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 22:6 & 15).

My Mother

In my denomination women are encouraged to take seriously the highest office of influence over a man (motherhood).  My mother has influenced my walk with Christ more than any other individual.  She did it by being a Godly mom (I Timothy2:12-15, Proverbs 31).  Often I would rise early to use the bathroom in early hour of the morning and catch my mom in our living room with her bible open having a daily quiet time.

More than just the habits my parents exhibited I saw their faithfulness in the small things.  I remember having a desire as a young man to be so like my mom and dad that I asked how I could memorize scripture.   My parents loved God and they loved to be with the people of God.  Every time we were gone on a Sunday we would be in a church service at another location on our way to where ever we were going (I John 1:7).   To this day I can count on one hand how many Sundays I have not attended worship service in my life.  Not because I am trying for perfect attendance but because we so loved God that we couldn’t help but want to be with His people.

Trials

I saw my parents face trials with a patient endurance.  There were times that the ends would not be meeting and we would see God provide for us in miraculous ways (like a giant bag of pinto beans or a check in the mail).  My parent’s faith was unwavering and I learned by observation what it looks like to face difficult and dark days with an eye to see Jesus Glorified (James 1:2-4, Hebrews 12:1-2 )

I was off to a great start, but later around the age of 14 I would face a trial of my own that would expose my complete lack of faith in God.  I was trying to live in the world of my parent’s faith, but came up short when the pressure was on.  It was time I learned just where I stood in the world apart from God and without hope.  Check back tomorrow as the story continues with…

For more on the Christian Message Check out 2 Ways to Live

My Story (Introduction)

On By pastorjonathanIn About Jonathan1 Comment

flickrcom-photos-linnybinnypix-1189889644God did something to me a few years ago and I now have a story to tell.  I want to share my story with you for several reasons.  Some people want to catch up and know what life has been like in the Hill House these last several years.  Others of you want to know what, if anything is really different than the Jonathan you used to know.  Still more of you have only known me as a Christian and you wonder what was life like before you met me.  Most importantly I want to bring honor to God and tell the world the story of how he saved me and he can save you if you are willing.

Introduction:

Over the next several days I will be blogging my story (complete with scripture references).  My goal is to show you what God has done in my life looking through the lens of God’s word.  The title of each blog and day it will be posted are listed below.  Tune in this week to get the full story.

What I’m Listening to These Days

On By pastorjonathanIn Ministry3 Comments

Seriously, I didn’t start out a rap or hiphop fan and probably still don’t qualify.  But, these guys are delivering the message in a totally appealing and intense way.  Just listen to the lyrics.

Lacrae

Shai Linne

Just imagin if these lyrics got stuck in our kids heads instead of some of that other stuff

How I Learned that God is Faithful

On By pastorjonathanIn Family, PrayerLeave a comment

161992803_f87db32131_mSo I shared the story of how God touched my life with a group of men on Saturday night.  I talked about how I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere in Montana and the adventures I had as a child.  In the midst of it all I got to share my favorite memories from my childhood.

The truth is I have a terrible memory.  My younger brother can remember tons of stuff that failed to register with me as we were growing up.  What I do remember is this… God is faithful!

God heard my mother’s prayer to have a child after 2 miscarriages and gave me to her.  He heard my father’s prayer over my new born brother and mom when it looked like he might loose them both  (she had birth complications in a one doctor town in the middle of a blizzard in Eastern Montana).  He provided for our every need (especially when we were poor).  We would gather together as a family and pray about our circumstances and money would come in from a friend out of town or God would bless us with 60 lbs of Pinto Beans (you had to be there to hear the story).

Later after my father had his stroke and was fired from his church I rebelled.  I ran from all I had heard growing up.  Each night I that I would come home drunk I would have to pass by my mothers room where I would hear her praying for me (she didn’t know what all I’d been doing).   God was faithful and heard her prayers and eventually brought me to a point where I met Jesus Christ as  my Lord and Savior.

I learned that God is faithful through the prayers of my parents.  I’ve read the bible through 2 or 3 times now and understand every word to be true, but I saw it first in my parents simply trusting God in the midst of difficult circumstances. I pray that my daughter sees God’s faithfulness in my actions and response to circumstance.

I share more about my story in a series of blog posts.  You are welcome to check them out here.

9 Reflections on Disciple Now (Part 2)

On By pastorjonathanIn Family, Kingdom of God, Manhood, MinistryLeave a comment

3. Our teenagers glorified God by serving others with the work projects this weekend (They painted a house, built a ramp, hosted a backyard bible club, and took cookies to the home bound).

4. Our teenagers were given at least one more point of contact with our church family (they stayed in the home of church members and the relationships at Calvary were deepened and  developed as students and adults interacted)

5. Our Teenagers were given a positive aim for their life and real reason to remain pure (to glorify God in manhood and womanhood!)  Too often the loftiest aim we give our kids is to stay out of trouble… ie… “true love waits” and we fail to provide a positive challenge to our kids to raise the standard.

9 Reflections on Disciple Now (Part 1)

On By pastorjonathanIn Manhood, MinistryLeave a comment

2227885657_25a043b6e5_m The event is over.  The students have gone home and the quiet descends on what was once a room full of chaos and chatter.  The lives that were united for a few hours this weekend have temporarily scattered across Pensacola.  As I pray over the quiet room I recount all the events of the weekend and I can not help but give God the glory for all he has done.

9 Reflections on Disciple Now 2009

  1. Our teenagers were confronted with the gospel. (One of our students gave her life to Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior!)
  2. Our teenagers were challenged with a biblical definition of manhood or womanhood. (they can no longer live in ignorance of the issue, they must now choose their actions each day based on the knowledge of an existing framework for how men and women can glorify God together).
  3. our teenagers were exposed to a model of successful discipleship where students become teachers (all of our leaders had been through this topic with me before…With the exception of John who has lead his students through similar material).

3 things you should know before you judge your friends

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleship, Sermon, Thursday Post6 Comments

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.  (Matthew 7:1-6 ESV)


1. You will be Judged by the Same Standard you use with others (7:2)

It is easier to apply a stricter set of rules and regulations to others that it is to ourselves sometimes.  We see others faults much more clearly than our own.  We can be pretty harsh critics and most of us can be pretty good at fault-finding.  Think about this though, we should be expected to be judged for our faults to the same degree that we judge others.  I don’t know about you, but this makes me back off the need to be a harsh critic sometimes.

2. Sometimes the sin you see the most in others is the same sin you struggle with (7:4).

Ever notice how both the speck and the log were in the eye.  It’s easy to call out people who have sin in the same areas that we struggle.  This past week I have heard so many people condemn a girl about getting pregnant outside of marriage (don’t get me wrong… sex outside of marriage is a sin).  Though she is repentant she will feel shame for a while, her sin has become obvious to the world and is no longer private.  However, some of the people who seemed to take a perverse pleasure in her dilemma had requested help earlier for their struggle with pornography.  It’s easy to see in others the sin we struggle with.

3. It is difficult to do the right thing with the right motives (7:5).

It might be the right thing to lovingly confront a brother about his sin.  ( I would want to be confronted about mine.) However it can be difficult to do it in a way that glorifies God and does not promote your own ego.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .

People try to be righteous (right before God) in three different ways.

  1. Some try to do as much good as they can hoping God will overlook the bad things they have done.
  2. Some point out the flaws of others around them and say that since they are not as bad as others they must be okay.
  3. Some come to God knowing that there is nothing that they can do on their own and so they humbly trust in what Jesus Christ has done for them to save them.

The first group points to their deeds, the second points to their lack of bad deeds, the third points to Jesus Christ as a their source of Righteousness. Which group do you think is actually right before God?


Short Post: Christian Heritage Conference

On By pastorjonathanIn MinistryLeave a comment

heritage-conference-2007 So we are on the verge of another great Disciple Now and I started to think about all of the great events that I have had a privilege to be a part of in the past.  God has really blessed me to be a part of some cool things!  Disciple Now’s, Hunger for the Harvest, Camps, Christian Heritage Conference, etc.

Next to Disciple Now the most amazing events I have ever helped put together were the Christian Heritage Conferences.  We would pray over a theme, set up a team of helpers, develop a registrations strategy, line up a top notch speaker, get the word out, set up a bookstore, and all on a shoe string budget.  It was amazing!

Christian Heritage Conference

Though I cannot speak for the reason others were inspired, my inspiration came from a well spring of two sources.

One: The rappid movement in our day to redefine “church.” In the struggle to go back to Acts 2 many have missed the blessings that the church fathers in the first few centuries have handed to us as a guide to understanding and interpreting the scriptures (mainly the Rule of Faith).  In that many have also completely abandoned church history in order to become a “pure” church like the one in the New Testament.  (Which one? Corinth, Ephesus, Pyrgumum, Colasae?)  I figured that if we were to take our people down such a road that they should not do so with complete ignorance of what God has done through out history with faithful men and women so that we might be able to face the new gnosticism that such a forgetfulness will soon employ.  In short: if we do not learn from the past we are doomed to repeat its error and find ourselves facing the same obstacles that have already once been overcome.

Two: John Piper’s lectures in  Christian Biography.  I had to make a 16 hour ride home to Missouri one year while in college and was blessed to be able to listen to over 16 hours straight of the lives and times of great men that God had used to bring glory to his name throughout history. I understood then why history (for good or for ill) contributes to who we are today.

From these two wells of inspiration and a great friend and partner in ministry (Kyle Claunch).  The Christian Heritage Conference was born to popularize an education of Church history for the benefit of the whole church.

Like all things it morphed and changed over the years.  We covered a variety of historical figures and had a variety of Top notch Speakers.  We learned to advertise outside of our local areas and expand our vision beyond college students.   We contacted home-school associations, history and theology departments at local colleges and history clubs at local high schools.    We also contacted pastors in the surrounding associations.  We began to hold registrations so we could pull more people in earlier in the next years event.

When Church People do Bad Things

On By pastorjonathanIn Ministry, Thursday Post2 Comments

from-flikerSo here is the deal.  Most Wednesdays I teach and part of our strategy of discipleship is reteaching.  Which means that we challenge our students to take what they learn on a Wednesday and introduce it into conversation or get two or three of their friends together for a small groups Bible study using the Revelation Application Guide as teaching guide (its something we are working on and not a finished product).  So what better way to readdress the issues we discuss than to put up a blog post on Thursdays that highlights what we have learned on Wednesdays?

When Church People do Bad Things

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” – Matthew 18:15-17

It’s Not about You

One of the best things that can ever happen is for a believer to truly understand that it is not about being offended or hurt, but about individual relationships with God and each other.  Many times we are too easily offended because we love ourselves too much.  Self-love is not what should motivate us to seek out a right relationship with our brother in Christ, it is God-love.

For this reason it is important that that offended party (or the one who witnessed the brother in sin) go to him.  You should not wait for an apology before you attempt to reconcile with a Christian brother.  This models the way that Christ has come to us (Romans 5:8).

You Should Go Alone

It is not about you when someone has sinned against you.  It is about their relationship with God.  You should approach them about their offense in private in a way that makes much of God and minimizes your pride.  You should not use the world of social media (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc…) to defame the person who has offended you.  You should seek to reconcile things in the peaceful quiet of a one on one conversation.

The Goal is Restoration

The aim is to gently and persuasively pull your brother back into right relationship with Jesus Christ and others.    The gospel is preached and the drama of redemption is played out when we lovingly confront our brother’s sin for the purpose of restoration.  Real love does not allow sin to go unchecked but holds others accountable for the purpose of godliness.

I love my daughter and because I do I will prevent her from doing things that will cause her great harm and pain.  It is love to restrain and compel my three year old daughter that playing with knives is wrong.  It is hate to let her contently play with knives to the point that she causes serious harm to herself or others.  In the same way love compels us to reach out to our brother in sin and bring him back into the fold (Matthew 18:12-14).

. . . . . . .

Obviously there is a lot more to this passage that I have time for here.  We can pick up the debate about the later stages of this process later, but in the meantime check out some of the following passages that address this issue.

  • Matthew 7:1-7
  • Galatians 6:1-2
  • Romans 12:19