Tour Championship

Anna and Caleb attending today's final round of the Tour Championship, at East Lake in Decatur. That usually means parking at the World Congress Center downtown and riding a shuttle bus to the course in East Atlanta.

They followed the leaders, Scottie Scheffler (above) and Rory McElroy (below).

Below: Justin Thomas.

Rory early in his round. He would go on to win the championship, becoming the first three-time winner.

Sermon notes: Where is God when I doubt He's real?

Clay Smith @ JFBC

Is it okay to doubt God? Most go through seasons of doubt

Mark 9:14-29 has layers of meaning. Jesus can cast out demons. The disciples needed to learn. The father needed help with his unbelief. As do we all.

Matt 28:17 and Jude 1:22

We live in a culture of doubt. We tear down what language means. We live in fear and pessimism. We inhale pessimism from others who deconstruct faith. Rhett and Link on YouTube used to be on Campus Crusade staff but no longer believe.

Doubt can derail our faith. Is this real? Alissa Childers on progressive Christianity. More people should examine their faith. Don't let doubt become a badge of honor to bask in. Don't glorify your doubt. Instead consider doubt a burden to overcome.

Contributing factors to doubt

1. Human failure. The boy has a demon. The father goes to the disciples, The story is about managing expectations but the disciples can't deliver. People are disinchantef with the failure of others to deliver. Happens over and over. We try to imitate Jesus but often fail. People will fail you. Focus on Jesus instead.

2. Natural unbelief. No one is born a Christian. We have a disposition not to believe. B 19 Jesus asks how will be

Sin is a lack .of trust in God.

ROM 1 we suppress the truth. We battle with our sinful nature. All things are possible for those who belief. Jesus asks for strong faith.

HEB 11 we have everything we need to know we don't have everything there is to know. 

He is dead! The crowd is often wrong. Podcasts tweets and messages individuals are often wrong. Am I seeking to conform to God, or I working to conform to God? Thomas Jefferson cut out the parts of the Bible he didn't like. Am I like that?

Our culture wrestles with

A. the authority of the Bible

B. do we believe God allows people to go to hell

C. Gods plan concerning sex and gender

3. Immediate gratification. Instead Jesus is advocating for a long obedience over time. Getting harder and harder. Thomas Oden book A Change of Heart. Oden changed and dug deep into classical Christianity changing from shallowness. 

Questions to ask:

1. Have you put in the work to pursue truth? Really? God wants us to ask questions?

2. is our group a safe place to discuss our doubts?

Christianity is less about me holding on to God and more about God holding on to me. My love is often cold, but God will still hold me close.

Sunday School: Brian: I realized it wasn't her who had the problem but me. Not my coworkers not others but me. Hard to get to this because I had been so self reliant instead of relying on God. 

Early AM golf yesterday at Candler Park, with Gulf War vet Paul. Our third time playing.

1. Two decent tee shots out of three. A flub, then a nice 5 iron to the fringe. Two putt for bogey.

2. Never saw where my tee shot went, but it felt good.

3. Flubbed several shots. Had two good chip shots.

4. Good tee shot to just short of the green.

5. Decent chip shot.

6. Great drive off the tee, long and straight to the middle of the fairway. Didn't think it was my ball. Flubbed one, then hit an okay 7 iron just short of green. Good chip up close to the hole.

7. Cruddy drive. Good punch out, fairway shot, and chip.

8. Okay mulligan off tee. Hit two good approach shots.

9. Okay tee shot. Didn't finish until like 8:25.