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Monthly Archives: May 2011

THANKS FBC!

23 May

June 22, 2011

Dear Church family,

I am very excited about what God is doing here at First Baptist church. The growth, outreach, camaraderie and excellence of this church is a minister’s dream.

BUT today is the culmination of about 9 weeks of resistance, prayer, and finally willingness to embrace what God seems to have for me and my family.  I have accepted God’s call to go to Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas and serve on her staff.   My last Sunday as Minister of Education and Discipleship here at First Baptist will be June 19, 2011

We make this decision with GREAT EXCITEMENT but a heavy heart.

I cannot thank everyone this morning but I want to thank THREE GROUPS OF FOLKS:

  • Staff Leadership
    • Dr Jeffress for taking a chance on me almost 9 years ago (personnel committee for agreeing to it) and asking me to be the Minister of Young Adults. Allowing me to come back to Wichita Falls and serve in my home church.
    • Pastor Bob (Dr. Bob McCartney) – for hiring me to be the Minister of Education and Discipleship shortly after he arrived here.
      • His Passion and Vision are infectious and we soon adopted them as our own
      • His steady leadership and excellence in the pulpit has blessed my family and this church.
      • He has become not just my pastor but my friend.
      • I trust him and respect him more than you will know
      • He (and MaryAnne) has blessed Margie, me, and my kids by being a man we respect and admire not just in the pulpit but at the dinner table.
      • I want to say publicly: “Thank you for allowing me to serve here on your team”.
    • Jerry Royal – It is no secret that Jerry is one of my closest friends in ministry.
      • Jerry is a gifted leader and teacher
      • He has been a ministerial peer, and then boss and has handled that transition with integrity, sensitivity and wisdom.
      • We have walked together through the ups and downs of ministry.
      • He has been willing to “pick me up” when needed and “push back” when necessary
      • I have grown more and “walked better with God” because of his friendship.
      • WE have grown more b/c of Jerry and Mary’s friendship.
  • The STAFF I have gotten to serve with:
    • They have been tested by the fires of ministry and been found faithful, deeply spiritual and competent.
    • They are fiercely loyal, incredibly competent.
    • They work hard and expect little in return.
    • They rallied around me and Margie when I assumed leadership of the Ed Staff
    • There are no self-absorbed egos.
    • I am honored to have served alongside them
  • THE CHURCH BODY (this is my home) 
    • When I was 13 years old (1980) I gave my life to Jesus Christ in what is now the East Sanctuary of this church
    • Asked Margie to marry me on the platform (East Sanctuary) and Dr. Chapman married us 11 months later here at FBC
    • Some of you even took care of Margie when she was a child.
    • I baptized my son here in this church
    • My kids have deepened their faith here
    • Not a Sunday goes by where someone does not come up to me and thanks me for something I may or may not have had anything to do with.
    • You have blessed my kids
    • You have blessed my wife
    • You have accepted me as one of your own
    • You have APPLAUDED MY STRENGTHS AND COVERED MY WEAKNESSES 
    • You have made it easy to serve here.

Our Pastor, Staff and Body have shaped our lives for almost 9 years. (IN many ways for 31 years).

There are exciting days ahead for First Baptist Church!

PLEASE PRAY for us during this transition as you can be sure that we are praying for you.

Thank you.

Hixon and Margie Frank, Sydney, Sarah-Clare and Grayson

 
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Posted by on May 23, 2011 in Family, Leadership

 

FRIDAY “BEST OF” RE-POST: “One Thing” (From 3-16-11)

20 May

This is a repost from a couple of months ago. I believe this subject is HUGE so I hit is a lot on this blog….. enjoy.  

Most of us remember the movie City Slickers. It is a great movie about some restless middle age guys from the city who find themselves on a cattle drive in the great Southwest.

The defining moment in the movie plays out between Curly (the old cowboy/sage) and Mitch (the lovable bumbling “city slicker”) After Mitch complains about his marriage and life in general, Curly asks the question…

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger] This.

Mitch: Your finger?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean anything* (edit).

Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”

Curly: [smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out.

When it comes to marriage I think that I have found the one thing that will get your further down the road than just about anything. At the risk of sounding like a simpleton…here…I believe…it is that “ONE THING”: Drumroll please……. (wait for it…..)

A HUSBAND SHOULD “SET HIS WIFE APART”! HUH? That’s it? Yep…THAT’S IT! I am convinced that the key to a good marriage starts with the HUSBAND SETTING HIS WIFE APART as UNIQUE AMONG EVERY OTHER WOMAN ON THE PLANET! Practical ways to “set her apart”…

  1. “Be NICER, more patient, and more thoughtful of towards your wife than you are to your secretary!” Don’ t laugh…I have watched men shower their secretary with praise and their wives with critique. It is ridiculous but common.
  2. Never compare your wife UNFAVORABLY to anyone else….EVER!  Even if she says she “doesn’t mind” or she insists it is “ok”. By the way, every time you say that another woman is pretty, sexy or hot…(even in jest) you are “killing” your wife.
  3. Never speak a harsh word TO your wife in public…ever! It destroys trust, security and will build resentment towards you. You become the enemy.
  4. No one else is your wife……. so don’t treat anyone with the same deference or emotional closeness that you give your wife. She should be the one you talk to. She does not understand you… make her understand.
  5. Study your wife...what are the things that are important to her? What are her dreams? Do you know?
Eph 5:25. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”
 
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Posted by on May 20, 2011 in Devotional Thoughts, Discipleship

 

3 WEEK: “Three RANDOM Things I Want My Kids To Know!”

19 May

Margie and I have been pretty systematic in teaching “our gang” things like:

  • We LOVE THEM
  • WE LOVE EACH OTHER
  • THEY HAVE A SAFE PLACE AT HOME
  • WE LOVE JESUS
  • WE EXPECT THEM TO WORK HARD
  • WE RESPECT AUTHORITY
  • WE LOOK FOR THE ONE WHO IS “LEFT OUT” AND INCLUDE THEM
  • WE PROTECT EACH OTHER, EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY and SPIRITUALLY
  • ETC…
Every good parent does these things! They have been written about 100’s of time and are central to kids growing up in a healthy environment. But here are a few other random things that are very practical and that they need to catch…..
  1. YOUR NAME IS IMPORTANT. My Kids represent two things. They represent our family. And they represent Jesus. (Each has embraced Him as their Lord and Master). 1 Timothy 3:7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. “Remember who you are!
  2. SIN FLOURISHES IN DARKNESS, BUT WITHERS IN THE LIGHT. Secrecy, unaccounted for time, no accountability….these things will eventually destroy your life. The reality is that we cannot withstand the constant pressures to be unfaithful, immoral, lazy, deceitful etc…if we live a life in secret. Practical stuff: share your passwords with your spouse (facebook, ATM, accounts of any kind). Don’t travel alone. Make sure someone knows where you are at all times (they don’t have to be with you to know where you are) Be sensitive to “white lies”, don’t dismiss your spouse’s questions. (Psalm 90:8) Psalm 90:8
    You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
  3. IT’S MARRIAGE……….THEN SEX. This is “NOT ME FINGER POINTING”! I am aware that bring this up will “tick off” about 50% of the folks who read this blog. But I have been amazed at the number of folks who think nothing of living together before they are married. While I am no prude, it is patently obvious that when people share a bed they share a whole lot more than the TV remote. There is physical, emotional and spiritual bonding that is irrevocable. Scripture tells us (and experience validates) that sex is intended to “glue” people together for life. There is nothing else more intimate that two people can do. THAT is why in a fully committed relationship in the bonds of marriage SEX IS AWESOME and SAFE. Outside of that SEX IS INCREDIBLY DESTRUCTIVE! (I matters little how much you have seared you conscious or hardened your heart, sex outside of marriage will destroy your soul.) As my kids grow up in a world that scream “Have SEX”….I will join in with the world and say the same thing….Just do it with in the confines of marriage so that you will be “bound” to your spouse.
 
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Posted by on May 19, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

“3 WEEK”: 3 Ways to Respond When the Critics Come!

18 May

We love to tear people down…really. (Well, maybe not you and me … but “they” love to do it!) From the new kid in Junior High to the celebrity that got a little too popular. (Beiber Fever anyone? Why would anyone hate this kid?)  There is a tendency for us to criticize anyone who seems to be further along than we are.  It is just usually how it is.

For “the believer” it can be particularly difficult because most of the critique comes from within the walls of the church. The Pastor might bow to his critics, the believer might temper his enthusiasm for his new faith, the evangelist who is chastised for his boldness might mute his efforts to avoid CRITICISM. And it is no wonder…CRITICISM HURTS!  BUT it can be devastating if we don’t have a way to handle it.

So here are three things to remember WHEN THE CRITICS COME:

1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE – If you don’t know…then you will let other people (typically your critics) define you. I would ask you to consider who Scripture says you are. You are “Chosen” –  Eph 1:4-5, “purchased” 1 Cor 6:20, “Loved” John 3:16, “Redeemed” Matt 1:21, etc…. it is all in there! THAT is who you are.

2. KNOW WHOSE YOU ARE – Know what team you are on, what colors you wear, who you play for…etc! If you claim Christ then live accordingly. John 10:27 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

3. KNOW WHO “THEY” ARE – We all have people in our lives who are just “critical”. These folks are often angry, have few friends and seem to struggle with accurately representing the truth. Just understand that they too are in process and need us to extend GRACE to them…even if they don’t extend it to us.

 
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Posted by on May 18, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

“3 WEEK”: 3 Things to Understand About Our “PRETTY SIN”

17 May

West Texas, like a lot of places, is full of quaint small towns that have become little “time-warps”. From the “Enjoy Coke” signs on the lone cafe’ in town to the small church set way off the main road, entering these towns is like stepping back in time 40-50 years! Margie and I have spent a lot of time in towns like this primarily looking for antiques.  I remember on one short stop in Memphis, Texas I found an old Zenith Radio. (love old electronics). It was made in 1938 and was priced fairly.

As I considered the radio, I noticed a display in the next booth. It was a series of well dressed,  piles of ….er……well….. “poop”.  All were dressed as different historical figures. First was an Abe Lincoln “poop” – complete with beard and top hat. Next was the George Washington “poop” – (I think they came as a pair). Marilyn Monroe “poop”,  Laurel and Hardy “poop” and, if I remember correctly, there was a Princess Di “poop” (next to a miniature black Mercedes-Benz with severe damage, not funny.)

The point: Even dressed as famous people the little brown piles were still POOP! Well-dressed, stinky, nasty, dirty…. POOP!

Some Things to Consider….

  • GOSSIP dressed up as prayer requests and shared with concern…is still GOSSIP (2 Cor. 12:20)
  • WORRY that looks like Godly piety… is still WORRY (Luke 12:22)
  • LUST kept secret….. is still LUST (Matt 5:28, Col.3:5)
  • ARROGANCE wrapped in “leadership principles” …is still ARROGANCE (Mark 7:22)
  • SELFISH AMBITION hidden in selfish networking… is still SELFISH AMBITION (Gal. 5:20)
  • SLANDERING an “acceptable enemy”… is still SLANDER (Rom. 1:30)
  • BITTERNESS…..well…. you get the idea

We all have a way of trying to make our sin look better than it really is…we dress it up in spiritual language, compensate ourselves that our motives are pure or hide behind “plausible deniability” but the reality remains…….. OUR SIN IS STILL SIN.  Nasty, dirty, stinky….. SIN!  (Romans 6:6)

  1. Sin must be dealt with honestly before the Lord.
  2. There is no freedom in simply disguising our sin.
  3. We will find neither joy nor strength in our faith if we refuse to deal with the “sin that so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 12:1)

excerpt from The Bible Study Series, “Things They Did Not Tell Me About My Faith” – Hixon Frank 2007

 
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Posted by on May 17, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

“3 WEEK”: 3 WAYS to RESTORE RELATIONSHIPS 5-16-11

16 May

I can’t remember the last time I started a post with references to the book of Revelations. Ok…I never have. But Something was brought to my attention this week that I wanted to share:

I had a long talk with a man who had walked away from his faith but wanted to come back. He told me that he grew up as a believer, interned at his church and even felt called to ministry. But now he was very ashamed of the life he was living…. he and his girlfriend are living together (yes it is wrong), he struggles with substance abuse, he is “tatted up”, pierced everywhere and has trouble keeping a job. He is full of self-doubt, unbelief, and addictions. He was at the “end of his rope” and he wanted to “GET RIGHT with GOD”.

His story is like many who start their faith well and then, for whatever reason (I have some ideas) they just fall away…. some, like my new friend, embrace everything that is the antithesis of what they once stood for.

So, I walked him through the following simple steps found in Revelations 2:4-5  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

1. REMEMBER. Can you remember what it was like when you desperately loved Jesus? Maybe it was when you first came to faith. Maybe when a child was born or you saw God do something miraculous. It might have been when you were a teenager….. whenever it was…… REMEMBER!

2. REPENT. literally “change your thinking” about the “sin that so easily entangles you”. Agree with God that some of what you are doing, thinking and even planning is SIN. Anger, jealousy, hatred, malice, gossip, fornication, lust envy etc….. turn from it and embrace God….then KEEP TURNING FROM IT.

3. DO THE THINGS YOU USED TO DO. Pray, seek, believe, trust… you used to do all of those things……. do them again.

By the way…this simple process works when restoring any relationship. If you are in a marriage that is “on the Rocks”. Remember what it was like early on in the relationship, repent of the “junk” that has infected the two of you, then do the things you used to do when you relationship was new.

 
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Posted by on May 16, 2011 in Devotional Thoughts, Discipleship

 

FRIDAY’S “BEST OF”: Followership

13 May

Everyone on the planet is writing books about Leadership! Casually walk through any major bookstore and you will see all kinds of books on the subject. These books promise you can: “Lead Like Jesus”, Lead from the “Second Chair”, Lead with a “Limp”, Lead in a Circle (360 Degrees), become the “Leader You Were Meant to Be” (scary) and of course “Release the Leader In You!”.

While most of us aspire to be leaders (and probably will lead others)  the fact is that the vast majority of our lives will be spent following someone else’s cause, direction or mandate. (Even when we have made it our own).

Ok, Here is the point: Most of us are terrible followers. We bristle when told we must do something that we don’t want to do…..And for the Christian, their faith will mean nothing to a lost and dying world if they cannot follow well. 

A Few Problems with Following:

  1. WE ARE AMERICANS!  Nobody tells us what to do! Our whole country was established based on the principle: Don’ t tell me what I can or cannot do!”
  2. LITTLE LAWYERS rise up inside of us whenever we are told we have to do something (Parent, boss, cop, organizational leader etc…) We question their authority, their direction and even their lineage!
  3. ABUSIVE LEADERS ABOUND! We have all had to submit to the authority of someone who abused their authority either by decree or neglect.
  4. WE HAVE REBELLIOUS HEARTS. (Jeremiah 17:9)

CONSIDER:

  1. God expects you to follow an unbelieving, unfair, mean….. boss, teacher, cop, parent, president, chairman and “grand poobah”! For it is God who established the authority in your life. (1 Peter 2)
  2. Authority in your life represents ORDER and not VALUE. In other words, someone’s authority has nothing to do with their value. (Contratary to Secular Humanism, scripture actually encourage followers of Christ to become less and less in their submission to both Christ and “every authority instituted among men” (John 3:30/1 Peter 2:13)
  3. Following a boss well gives you a unique platform to share what is really important, faith in Jesus Christ? You stand out “like a sore thumb”! How can you ever be a “light in a dark world” if your own bosses (and others) question your integrity or work ethic or loyalty?
  4. If we are unable to follow the authority that we can see, how can we follow the authority we cannot see? (John 4:20, interp)
  5. God uses an unfair authority figure to make us better….. (James 1:3)
  6. Scripture says rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft…. in other words not good at all.  (1 Sam 15:23)

While we are all busy learning how to be better leaders…we may want to pay a little more attention to following whomever God has placed in authority over us.

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2011 in Devotional Thoughts, Discipleship, Uncategorized

 

“HOW TO MAKE A WIFE” WEEK: “PURSUE HER” Devo 5-12-11

12 May

This next principle is easy to teach and difficult to actually do. The truth is that most of us stop “pursuing our wives” right after the first really big fight or when we discover that she has her “own” opinions. We tend to think that since we married her there is no need to pursue her…after all you don’t pursue something that you already caught…right?  Then when we allow work, raising a family, paying bills and busy schedules rob us of any

extra time and energy, we easily forget that our wives need to feel like we would choose them over, and over ,

and over again….. nothing wrong with that. (we are the same way…it just looks different)

PRINCIPLE #7 of “HOW TO MAKE A WIFE” is:

7. PURSUE HER. Every woman wants to be pursued. Every woman wants to be “won”!  When we were dating, (or newly weds) and men were trying to act like women (talk, be romantic, share details, listen) and women are trying to act like men, both parties were doing their best to “win the other one”.  Here is how we did it:

  • We were considerate – We got her door, we put the phone away, we did not watch TV and grunt when she spoke, we checked her car for safety, we made sure she got home, we followed her into the next room when she was upset…
  • We were self-sacrificing – we were willing to give up what we wanted for what she wanted. Everything from where you ate together to what movie you saw was determined by HER desires and not your own.
  • We were protective – we made sure she arrived to her destination, glared at other guys for even looking at her, gave her the helmet while we rode without one, held her close when going through a tough part of town etc…
  • We were thoughtful – we left notes, text messages, dropped by, phoned home, picked up our underwear, wiped the seat etc..

QUESTIONS: I Peter 3:7  Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 

  1. When was the last time you stopped and tried to figure out something that would win her heart? (when you were NOT already in trouble!)
  2. What would happen if you started to try and “win your wife’s heart” again?
  3. How would she respond? 
  4. What would you have to change in order to “pursue her” like you did before you “caught her”? 

SADLY, Our culture guarantees that someone else is pursuing your wife. In other words, there is another man she knows who would love to be in your shoes and he is probably working on it right now. It is the world we live in.  (Song of Solomon)

Don’t stop PURSUING HER just because you married her!  

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

“HOW TO MAKE A WIFE” WEEK: “Be Faithful!” Devo 5-11-11

11 May

Want to free your wife to be the woman she wants to be…and the woman you need her to be? 

TRY THIS:   BE FAITHFUL TO HER!!!   Before you dismiss this as WAY TO OBVIOUS, you need to know that being faithful is more than you might think.  I’m sure there are dozens of ways to “BE FAITHFUL” to our wives but try the following 7 principles…

  1. NEVER BE ALONE WITH A WOMAN WHO IS NOT YOUR WIFE, CHILD OR RELATIVE. I “get” that we all have times (assignments, training, surprise visits etc…) that it is impossible to avoid being alone with another woman but try this… leave the door open, get someone to ride with you, invite someone else to join you for lunch, etc… Psalm 44:20-21 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
  2. NEVER COMPARE HER UNFAVORABLY TO ANY OTHER WOMAN..ever! (Prov 19:4)  I don’t care if she says how pretty someone else is…never, never, NEVER agree with her! Why would you? (You say “Hixon, we have a mature and honest relationship, that can handle me finding someone else attractive”.  To that I say “Really? I’m not questioning the maturity of your relationship, just the WISDOM of sharing everything that “pops” into you head”. Proverbs 17:28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. Do you share EVERYTHING you think with your spouse?
  3. SPEAK WELL OF HER TO OTHER WOMEN  I have been in ministry for about 23 years. Very very rarely have I known a man who was unfaithful to his wife that was either not “looking to be” or not “incredibly reckless”. Just like the drug addict easily finds a dealer, someone bent on unfaithfulness will find many who are willing to fulfill that role. Scripture says “Deep Calls to Deep” (Psalm 42:7).  It is pretty easy to tell the guys who are “open” to being unfaithful and the guys who are not. This is one way to tell the world you are NOT “OPEN”.
  4. BE AFFECTIONATE TO HER BOTH PRIVATELY AND IN PUBLIC  not saying to start “making out” in front of other people but I am saying to send signals to anyone who cares to see that you are “WITH HER”! 
  5. DEFEND HER TO YOUR BUDDIES (better yet, get new buddies who don’t critique your wife). I know this is not Junior High but this happens all the time. You can never “give permission” (by agreeing or failing to defend) to anyone to be disrespectful to your wife. It is wrong and she WILL find out!
  6. DEFEND HER TO YOUR FAMILY (and hers).  Families are funny things. They can be a source of great strength and/or a source of great destruction. As the man in the home you cannot allow your family (mom, dad, siblings) to tear down your wife. It does not matter if you agree with their assessment or not.  
  7. SLEEP WITH HER. Seriously. A sexless marriage places two people in a very precarious position. One of need, desire and vulnerability. 1 Corinthians 7:5  Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again sothat Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.  You’re welcome!

In keeping these 7 Principles (and dozens more) you are helping your wife grow under the safety you provide. You are investing in the single most important human relationship you have….and it will pay HUGE dividends. 

 
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Posted by on May 11, 2011 in Devotional Thoughts, Discipleship

 

“HOW TO MAKE A WIFE” WEEK: “Viva la Difference” 5-10-11

10 May

One of the main reasons I married Margie is that she is a girl! She looks different than me, smells different, acts different. She prefers gentleness to harshness, communicating in “paragraphs” and not “mono-syllabic grunts”, she enjoys eating off of plates instead of from a can…ya know….girl stuff.

If you are like me in this regard…then we must ask ourselves: “why do we spend so much of our time trying to make our wives more like us?” (Don’t get me started on the wife that tries to feminize her husband, we will look at that soon enough) Can we expect her to think like us, handle situations like us, even parent and discipline our kids like us?

In our effort to “Make a Wife” we looked yesterday at “PROVIDING FOR HER” and “STUDYING HER”. Two more principles that will help you have a marriage that is BUILT TO LAST are…

3. ACCEPT HER. Along with all of the gifts, abilities and talent that you married her for, she also has the shortcomings, blind spots and issues she came with. When you said “I DO”, you were accepting the responsibilty to fuel her talents, smooth out the rough spots and tackle her weaknesses. BY THE WAY: her preference for a clean house, food in the pantry and emotional intimacy is not a weakness … it is something to be accepted and nurtured and, dare I say it, EMBRACED!

REMEMBER: You get the good and the bad (the richer and poorer, the sickness and health..etc) By the way….she got both good and bad with you! Ephesians 5:28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

4. GIVE HER A SAFE PLACE TO BE HERSELF.(emotionally, physically and spiritually) One of the surest ways to create an UNSAFE place for your wife is to allow SARCASM roam freely in your home.

It will absolutely pollute your marriage and your family in a sinister way. Sarcasm allows us to “say anything we want and not be held accountable”. You can make a sarcastic comment about your wife’s appearance, temperment, issues, family, decisons, etc… and cover it all with “JUST KIDDING”. Then when she responds with hurt feelings, you blame her for being too sensitive. Can you see how few things in marriage are more destructive than that!1 1 Peter 2:17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

from The Bible Study Series, “Things They Did Not Tell Me About My Faith” – Hixon Frank 2007

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2011 in Devotional Thoughts, Discipleship

 
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