Romans 10

Today's Bible study with Nathaniel took us to Romans 10, a great chapter of parallel between the new and old covenants. Noted in Deuteronomy 30 (quoted in Romans 10) is the greater context of God's dealings with His people.

Deuteronomy 30 NASB
10 If you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.
12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;

Family worship time "Amazing Grace"

I am sorry about the poor quality of the audio, as I was using our digital camera and evidently kept moving my finger near the microphone input. Nathaniel has started playing guitar (self taught) recently and this was the first time he led the family singing while playing his guitar. We made this video to share with our friend Earl as he always encourages our family in singing praise to the Lord. This was recorded during our "verse box" time where we learn and recite passages of God's Word and sing hymns, choruses, and even a few songs just for the kids. Each night is a little different, some times we read a few chapters of the Bible, other nights from our favorite Bible story book which was handed down to me by my mother. I remember reading from that same book (which is now falling apart a bit) when I was a little boy, and it is great to be able to share this with my own children.

Enduring for the truth

As we  walk through the trials that come with standing on God's Word,  this portion of Scripture has often served to remind us that we are not alone in our suffering. Indeed, there are many in this world who suffer for doing wrong, and they are rightly judged.  Conversely, there are also many who suffer for doing what is righteous and godly, too often at the hands of their brothers and sisters in Christ who have zeal without knowledge. I hope this letter serves to encourage those who have endured persecution for their stand on God's Word regarding marriage. 

We will begin by considering a portion of Peter's first epistle. Having endured great trials himself, Peter shares his heart with those receiving the letter and reminds them that the holy and righteous savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, also suffered wrong and patiently endured it. Surely we can agree that much of what we endure truly is momentary, light affliction compared with the public execution of God's only begotten Son. 

1 Peter 2 (NASB)

16 "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 

True patriarchy considered

The Christian patriarch of our day has an uphill battle ahead of him. With feminism taking a firm hold in most cultures around the world and the majority of the church, patriarchy may well be the most misunderstood Biblical teaching of our day. The word "patriarch" for some stirs up an image of a strict legalist who runs his home with an iron fist. Some in conservative Christian circles have laid hold of the term, but make special notice to distance themselves from certain aspects of patriarchy as demonstrated and prescribed in God's Word. This is sad to me, as in my opinion one of the necessary characteristics of a true patriarch is that of ruling well his own household, a belief which has been compromised to include egalitarianism.

Just as the characteristics of Biblical elders and deacons, the issue is less about how many children a man may have been blessed with (as some have held the standard), and more of how one cares for and manages that which is under his authority. The patriarch has been given a great responsibility from the Lord, a stewardship to lead his family in the ways of the Lord by teaching and example. If a man does not love his wife nor train his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, he has surely failed to accomplish the goals which were given to his charge.

The issue of headship is not one of worth nor even ability, but of obedience and faithfulness. A weak and simple man who will be faithful to obey all that God has given to his charge is truly more effective in representing Christ than would one with great intellect and accolades of men that relies on his own strength and disobeys the Lord in favor of doing things his own way.

A man is truly strong when he recognizes that he is weak, humbly allowing the strength of God to be manifested in his life. After all, the picture of a husband and wife is to proclaim Christ and the church. With the Lord Jesus Christ as our supreme example, we fall on our faces in humility and gratitude for the privilege to serve our families as Christ served the church. He is the King of Kings, yet His triumphal entry into Jerusalem was on the foal of a donkey. The One whose blood would cleanse away every stain of sin took upon Himself the duties of a servant, washing the feet of those under His authority. These pictures of humility and exemplary service surely show us that we should not be prideful or harsh to those under our charge.

In contrast, Jesus also said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Surely, the Savior is trustworthy in all things. Though husbands and fathers are surely human and quite capable of mistakes, nevertheless they are the trusted servants to whom Christ Himself has entrusted with a charge of headship and leadership. Thus, the godly man who understands his place will be trustworthy. There surely will be conflict and disagreement in some situations that arise in the home. The mark of a true patriarch will not be that there is never conflict, but rather how he leads through that conflict. 

Josiah Matthew Cowperthwaite

Josiah Matthew Cowperthwaite was born at 606pm on July 14th, 2012. This was a long, arduous labor but definitely worth the work! Josiah is our earliest baby yet, at 23 days prior to "due date", but all in God's perfect timing. Lots of stories to tell in this labor and delivery, but the important parts is he is here, everyone is healthy, and God has richly blessed our family yet again.

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127

Book review- "Man and Woman in Biblical Law"

I believe that when I publish this post, it will mean the end of many people reading our blog, supporting our ministry, and having Christian fellowship with us. Such response is not Biblical, necessary, or even logical, but it has happened with many already and so we accept that standing on God's Word often receives such a response. 

Those who know us personally and have labored in the Gospel with us, ministered to families alongside us, and have heard me teach and preach God's Word know that I not only speak truth, but live it out daily by God's grace. I fail often, but my heart's desire is to please the Lord in all things. Our desire is not to offend, but to stand up for those Christians who have been persecuted for their beliefs or practices. 

For those who have the standard questions on the topic, you may do well to read through this document http://biblicalfamilies.org/common_misconceptions

Clear in conscience before the Lord my Judge and my Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous,

~Mark Cowperthwaite

Review of "Man and Woman in Biblical Law" by Tom Shipley


I was given a copy of this book by the author, Tom Shipley, whom I met in the home of a friend. Mr. Shipley's work in this book is well researched, documented with large doses of Scripture, and I believe fairly deals with a difficult and divisive issue that need not be divisive in my opinion. This is not an issue of means of salvation, but of practical obedience and family life and therefore I believe it should be discussed calmly and rationally by Christians who come upon the subject. I do not necessarily agree with the assertion that there must be a return to complete obedience to Biblical (OT) Law in order for plural marriage to be instituted, though I see great value in doing so.

My wife and I have read and discussed this book and the Biblical passages it presents at length, and we see many possible blessings possible from such an arrangement, but we think it best to practice Biblical plural marriage only if one feels specifically compelled by God to do so as there are also many complications and challenges to life in a plural marriage. Men should not marry one woman for the purpose of proving a point, nor should we take that approach to polygyny. We ought to be led by the Holy Spirit, in agreement with the Scriptures, for the glory of God rather than practice something for the sake of sensationalism or any motive other than love and responsibility to care for those we love and have been given charge over.


I have been harshly rebuked for even suggesting the acceptance or practice of polygyny in the United States or the Christian church anywhere in the world. Indeed it is not my desire to suggest people practice plural marriage at all, especially if one is not already fulfilling the roles and responsibilities given to men as husbands and fathers. My primary desire in this issue is that we not unfairly judge those who feel led by God, in accordance with Scripture, to take more than one wife. Many who practice this Biblical practice have been excommunicated, dispatched from profitable ministry, and been rejected from Christian fellowship. This is not about cults, Mormonism, Islam, but about men stepping up to whatever God's call is on their life and family, to fulfill the role of Biblical patriarchy.


I suggest that if one is merely intellectually interested in the topic of polygamy due to recent popular TV shows, you may do well to spend your time reading something else. For those seeking to find God's plan for the family, or Biblical patriarchy so-called, (with one wife or multiple wives) this book may open your eyes to much of the background of the Old Testament. 


If you are open to finding what God says rather than what people think about it, then you might just find that the Bible actually says nothing derogatory about polygamy, but rather even blesses it in the historical record at times. There is a renewed interest in polygamy in our culture for many reasons, not the least of which is the failure of many American men to stand by their wives, provide for their children, and lead their families as men are commanded in God's Word.


I believe the American church at large has left much of the Biblical pattern for life and the function of the church behind, and I feel this is just one of those issues that most folks are unwilling to assess solely from God's Word. Rather we have been met with accusations, name calling, and character assault which are unbecoming to Christians. This book and its contents seem to bring out those very things in the fleshly nature of man, though most Christians may agree with the author's views on feminism and men's roles in the family. 


It is always through careful study of God's Word and prayer that the Holy Spirit leads us, but often Christians rely instead on the culture and traditions (whether or not they are based in Scripture) rather than being truly Berean in our approach to things.


I enjoyed the book and found it very informative. I do not agree with ALL of the assertions, but overall do agree with Mr. Shipley's assessment of patriarchy along with men's and women's roles in Biblical Law. The follow-up to this book "They shall be one flesh" is not available on Amazon, but is an excellent book also. It addresses many questions raised by the first book and delves a bit deeper into marriage traditions in the Bible. I have yet to study that book thoroughly and so will not share yet my opinions on that work.

Book Review- "Why do you believe that?" by B.A. Berean

A few months ago, we stayed in the home of some new friends. It is always a blessing getting to know brothers and sisters in Christ, and this stay was a special blessing in many ways. We were in Florida for a week, staying with multiple families over the course of our 3 city trip, and we were exhausted already with tired children, also preparing for a move to Maine the upcoming week.  When we arrived at Nathan's home, the hospitality was superb, and the fellowship of Christians was great. A few other families gathered to meet us for dinner as well, adding to the blessing. We were reminded that night that the fellowship of Christians is not limited to those we know well, but any who are brothers and sisters in Christ are instant friends.

As we spoke about our Savior, our families, convictions, about digging deep into God's Word, and the cultural traditions of the American church, even the persecution seen when we break man's rules and tradition in obedience to the Lord's calling on our lives, our host mentioned a book he had that might speak to some of our thoughts and discussions. He had just one copy of this book, Why Do You Believe That? and I read the book at bed time that night.

As a Christian man with deep convictions and a desire to always learn more of God's Word, I of course devoured the book in no time. I finally fell asleep at 3am, though I finished reading hours earlier. I needed to consider the thoughts shared in this book by God's Word (the point of the book) and pray. I had a great time of prayer that night, so lack of sleep didn't seem to matter. I asked if Nathan knew where to get more copies, and he thought the book was out of print, so I was especially blessed recently to find the book listed for sale on Amazon.You can use the link below to buy the book through our store.

Though it was a short read, a mere 148 pages, this book surprised me. It was conversational, gentle, and yet challenging. Along with many other books that have been handed to me over the years, I found this book contained some things that I agreed with immediately, some that I disagreed with, and many more that required further study. I had been led to study marriage and Biblical patriarchy for months as we noticed the demise of the family in our society, and looked forward to finding a book that stood on Biblical truth more than popular opinion. That is precisely the point of this book, though. He asks a lot of questions and will make you think, and though the book is about common misunderstandings about marriage in the Bible, it urges every step of the way that the reader would seek God's Word above all. We need more people who will study God's Word in the church today, and a little friendly debate wouldn't hurt either in my estimation.

The author does not want you to just believe what he says, but rather urges you to study God's Word on the topic at hand and every topic. He urges you to truly "be a Berean" in your approach to knowledge of God's Word, and in so doing shares the fallacies often seen when men neglect context, setting, audience, and other study tools that help us understand God's Word as it was meant to be studied.. He speaks of exegesis, that is taking what is in the text for what it says and seeing what it was intended to say as truth. Many people rather bring their beliefs to the Bible and find some verse or even part of a verse that seems to agree. They might even ignore context, audience, or skip large passages that disagree with their beliefs. We must seek to know what God wants, says, and intends if we are to obey Him and know Him more intimately. If you are not familiar with this term "Berean", you would do well to consider Acts 17:10-15

"The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 

Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as lwell, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left."

We see here what it means when the author calls us to "be Berean" in our approach to knowledge, that is to weigh out the teachings of men comparing them to the Scriptures to check the validity of the information. We see in the following verses of this passage that this truth was contrary to culture and therefore caused persecution for those preaching the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and Savior.

I believe it is important that we seek to extend ourselves beyond the groups of people with which we are comfortable, to listen to differing viewpoints and learn to love our brothers and sisters in Christ even when we disagree at times. Truth is truth, and I am not advocating heresy or relativism, just a willingness to see what the Scripture actually says without adding our own assumptions. This is easier said than done to be sure. There are some Scriptures that are clear or at least seem clear depending on the context of our culture. Other passages are difficult to discern with complete certainty, or if we are not careful we miss what is there because we think we already know God's whole counsel on a subject.

Are we reading the Bible to find evidence for our own opinions, or do we truly seek to know God's mind even when it runs contrary to what we believe? This was the problem of the Pharisees, who added laws and traditions to God's Law and then crucified the Lord of glory because they held so tightly to their beliefs that they did not recognize the One who they proclaimed to obey. Are there any sacred cows in your life that you will not hear the voice of the Lord about? Are you adding cultural traditions and long held teachings of men to the Word of God and possibly persecuting those who disagree with you without cause? Can you humble yourself enough to say "I was wrong, please forgive me"

Those that know our family have seen our vehement stance on the authority of God's Word even when it is not popular or forces us to change our own lives to obey new found understanding of God's truth. People have seen our testimony of sacrifice, service, and humility as we seek to honor our Savior in all things. Sadly our views on some things have set us at odds with the majority of Christendom. We have accepted that this type of radical obedience to God has given us many opportunities to encourage others to do the same. This is nothing good of us, but the reflection of Christ in His children by His grace.

We believe in the exegetical approach to God's Word, and strive to see what God actually says rather than try to get the Bible to agree with us or confirm what we already believe. How will we ever have unity in Christ unless we take this approach, to find the original intent of the Author who gave us the book for our edification and training?

This following of the Bible even when opposed to culture (even church culture) has put us in strange situations at times, as we see that in many areas we can have differing views on some subjects as Christians and yet be united. We also must recognize that some things are not ambiguous in God's Word and therefore must not be compromised in any way, shape, or form. How will we know which is which, or what side to take on an issue if we do not give due diligence to the whole counsel of God? I suggest that as a culture we have become apathetic and left it to the preachers and conference speakers to dig out the truth of God's Word. This is not acceptable in a society where we have multiple copies of the Bible in our language in most homes. Shame on us for not picking up that Word of God and cherishing it as the source of wisdom! Shame on us if we neglect the reading and study of the Bible and rather just watch the TV preacher, supposing we have no personal obligation to seek out His truth!

I may take up this thought more in another post, and urge you to consider Romans 14 as I have at length these last few months. That passage has reminded me that I ought not be a stumbling block to others, yet I must obey God even if that is not acceptable to others. These thoughts and many more are contained in this wonderful little book, and I highly recommend reading it. Even if you disagree with some of the points, I believe this book will be a great blessing and perhaps inspire you to dig even deeper into God's Word. 

Ask and you shall receive.... a plaque idea!

"One of my favorite passages of the Bible is James 1:26-27 concerning what is true and false religion. We have prayed regarding our ministry in Maine, about how to minister to widows and orphans, families and children. We wish to reach out with the Gospel and through friendship in community, and we prayed at length about whatever home the Lord would give us to live in. I had not really noticed our address is 2627 Friendship Road. Maybe I should open my eyes and see what God is already doing rather than looking for the next big thing! — at 2627 Friendship Road, Waldoboro, Maine."

I posted the status above on Facebook recently. The responses were fairly typical, but one brother helped out immensely by putting together a plaque that just might end up in our home sometimes soon. Below is the plaque idea offered by David Glendinning. Thanks!

Biblical Patriarchy- responsibility for the father/patriarch

I found this article online recently and wanted responses from folks. This is in relation to the recent discussion on men standing up to the call of God to be spiritual leaders. I believe the author wished to remain anonymous, but I felt the content was important enough to share. I know the last article ruffled a few feathers, but again I wish to stress that what we are considering is the responsibility of men in the spiritual realm. We are not attacking women for any reason, but hoping to encourage and help them. Our goal is to see the family live up to what God planned in all things, for His glory. ~ Mark Cowperthwaite

The Patriarch's Teaching Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the patriarch to teach his family the Scriptures. No one else has been given this responsibility. It is a responsibility that he cannot delegate to others. He is the divinely appointed head of the home, and he alone is responsible for the spiritual welfare of those under his headship. This is a God-given responsibility that cannot be surrendered to anyone. This is a serious matter before God.

This, by the way, relates directly to the truth of "the church in thy house." A home, with extended family and guests, led in ministry by the head of that home - the husband and father. As a general principle, other family men may from time to time be there - ideally on a temporary learning basis, until they too can or will learn to take on their own God-given family responsibility. The primary teaching place is home. That is the standard of Scripture.

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

"The father to the children shall make known Thy truth" (Isaiah 38:19b).

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:7).

"And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home" (I Corinthians 14:35).

James Wesley Stivers (Restoring the Foundations) writes concerning the truth of these verses:

"Can a pastor do this for your family? Can your child's Sunday School teacher? No. It is impossible. What God is describing in this text is a live-in spiritual tutor. One must live with the person he is discipling [training]. Jesus lived with His twelve disciples for three years. They ate and slept in His presence. All this talk about church discipleship is fantasy. So is the concept of home cell groups. These are phony substitutes.

"There seems to be something lost in a relationship between a parent and a child, if it is the decision of the parent to commission a third party to provide biblical instruction and spiritual nurture to the child in his stead. I argue that it is a dereliction of duty. Parents are to disciple their children. It is an immutable part of the vocation of parenthood.

"We naturally suppose that the 'institutional church' is the primary agent in proclaiming the Gospel and teaching the Word of God. That is the primary role assigned to the 'church' in our day. But it has not always been so. In early America, as it was in the earliest church, the Christian home was the spiritual center.

"It is impossible to provide the basis for Christian character and spiritual experience in one or two hours a week. Constant contact with a Christian leader is necessary. That is why the 'discipleship movement' was so popular in recent years. It recognized the inadequacy of the 'institutional church' to provide even the basic spiritual foundations in a persons life.

"Some people believe, as I was prone at one time, that if one wishes to do anything for God, one must do it within the confines of the 'church' apparatus that God's work is done primarily at 'church.' Actually, the family is the chief agent for the passing-on of the Christian faith from generation to generation.

"Even the work of evangelism, once thought to be the principle purpose of the pulpit preacher, is better done through the home. The most effective evangelist, as many men and women with tender emotion admit, is that of a godly mother or father. Better than three-fourths of all conversions come through the work of family and friends.

"It is a personal faith which must be transmitted, not an abstract and institutional one."

Baby News!

Some families choose not to find out the gender of their baby during pregnancy, others use the modern technologies available to find out. Our family is not terrible patient and we love to share good news. With all that in mind, Sara had her 20 week ultrasound (actually 19 weeks) yesterday and we found out we are expecting a boy. Yes, just one from all we can tell. Sara is finally "showing" in mid pregnancy, and is happy that people ask her if she is pregnant. You see, until she was pregnant with Samuel, nobody had asked, as she is so tall that babies tend to hide in all the vertical room available.

We gathered around the ultrasound room to find the verdict with the other 4 children, and realized again that the technology we take for granted in this day and age is truly amazing. More amazing still is the fact that God can open the womb and bless the union of a man and his wife with a child. We understand the biological process of this, but how God creates a human being with thoughts, a soul, and a functioning body inside a mother's womb is still amazing to me. It causes us to worship God even more, to understand His creative nature and love for His people. I am brought again to bow low before the Lord of glory that He would trust us with another child to raise for His glory. This is both a great privilege and responsibility, and we appreciate your prayers for us as we seek to do all things for the glory of Him who made us.

Mark and Sara
Nathaniel, Virginia, Naomi, Samuel, and "baby boy" Cowperthwaite

The unborn baby's mind

Our friend David Crossman wrote this beautiful song about Michael, Susan, and Ryan- three unborn babies as they speak about their situation and when their parents decided to abort them. This thought provoking song is not meant to condemn those who have aborted their children, but to show the gravity of the situation.

We cannot change the past, but we can together change the future. To save just one life from abortion will be worth it all, and to see that child grow up and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior would be worth immeasurably more.

Learn more about abortion and the devastation it has caused across the world at 180movie.com be sure to watch the 33 minute movie free on Youtube. It might just change the way you view the world. You too might do a "180" and want to help protect the lives of unborn babies.

Download "Michael" free or listen online here

"Michael" by David Crossman


I would have been Michael if I'd lived, if I'd had the chance
I would have been Michael but I didn't fit into your plans
And God only knows how you justified
and God only hears when an unborn baby dies
and God only knows how you sleep at night
and God only knows...
God only knows


I would have been Susan if I'd lived, I'd have loved to dance
I would have been Susan, but you said I'd never have the chance
and God only knows how safe I felt inside
and God only knows how painful was the knife
and God only knows...
God only knows


I would have been Ryan you'd have loved me if  you'd let me live
I would have been Ryan you'll never know the love I had to give
and God only knows how much I trusted you
and God only knows whatever made you do it
and God only knows
God always knows


I would have been your child. What might have been no one else can say
I would have been your child. Somehow we'd have made ourselves a way
It might have been hard, but God only knows
It might have been good, but God only knows
It might have been.....
But God only knows. 


David Crossman is an accomplished author, musician, singer, songwriter and a man of God who loves his dear wife and children with the love of Christ Jesus his Savior. We were  blessed years ago to be able to sing and lead singing at FBC Waldoboro with David and many other wonderful Christians. The times in their home were always a tremendous blessing to us, and we miss them dearly.

Mark and Sara

Cowperthwaite family news Feb 2012

Mark and Sara Cowperthwaite

12 Emery Avenue

Thomaston, Maine 04861

(207)-542-8916

Email: cowperthwaitefamily@gmail.com

Website: www.cowperthwaitefamily.com

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

As most of you know, our family has been asked to return to our home assembly, Grace Fellowship Bible Chapel in Union, Maine. With a lack of available teachers and aging elders, our family had seen needs in this local body for some time and continued to pray for the Lord's guidance. We prayed at length as to whether we should return to Maine for an undetermined amount of time to assist in the local assembly.

After speaking to the elders via email and phone calls,we all agreed that it would be well for us to relocate our family so that we could assist in the local assembly. This assembly typically has 12-15 adults in attendance for the Sunday meetings. Though at times, the attendance has been as many as 60 or 70 including children, we now see far less Christians who consistently come out to meetings. The last 3 weeks, the largest group including children was 27. We hope to see in the future some of those families who used to fellowship with us come back, and we are also praying for fruit from evangelistic efforts, bringing together more saints to worship and have fellowship together.

With these goals in mind and confirmation from the Lord that we were to assist in this work of reviving a struggling assembly, our family moved from McDonough, Georgia to Rockport, Maine February 1. A Christian widow from the local Baptist church heard of our housing need and offered us the use of her home for the months of February and March. This was such a blessing from the Lord, as finding a new home in the middle of the winter can be very hard. Praise God for putting this all together for our blessing. We plan to move out the end of March, and so we are prayerfully considering where we should locate in order to effectively minister to all those the Lord has put in our lives. We hope to find a home that will be adequate for hosting Bible studies and having times of fellowship also, as we have seen the importance of the Christian home in communities.

On the health front, most of you know that Mark's seizures had returned for a time while in Georgia. The last seizure Mark had was over a month ago now, and with the wisdom of the Lord and Mark's doctors, we believe we have found the problem that caused the seizures and we are confident that the issue is resolved. This is such a blessing as our family does a lot of ministry outside our home, and Mark was unable to drive while having seizures. Again, the Lord has done all things well!

With all the busyness of the family, it is not often that we have time to write newsletters. This is the first that we have ever sent by mail (though many are still getting this via email), as most of our information is passed along through our website, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and more. We always love to hear from folks via the phone, email, etc. It is a blessing to us to hear how the Lord is working in your lives and in assemblies all over.

The whole family has settled in well to our new home in Maine. As folks often ask how everyone is doing, we thought we would include personal updates on everyone so that you know what we are all up to. We all continue to study God's Word, memorize Scripture, sing praise to the Lord together, and educate our children in our home. We continue to have meals with Christians and reach out together in our community with the Gospel in varying opportunities as the Lord allows.

• Mark has taken on teaching at the local assembly whenever asked. So far, 2 out of 3 Sundays he has taken the ministry time at the request of the elders. He is also meeting with the men of the assembly to encourage and challenge them to be more involved, to discern gifting, and work alongside the elders in many aspects of the local body. Mark also meets with men from the community for prayer, has a discipleship study with 3 young men, and has been asked to teach at a few home meetings in the area. Some of these are associated with the local assembly, others with other Christians meeting in their homes. Mark is also coordinating Gospel outreach in the area, creating an equipping evangelistic website (www.equippedambassador.com) and still blogging.

• Sara is now 16 weeks pregnant, due in early August. She is nearly over the morning sickness (we hope) and is doing great. She met with the midwife that we plan to have deliver our baby at the local hospital. Sara assists Mark in counseling a young couple preparing for marriage, discipling a young lady, meeting with wives and mothers for encouragement, and of course home schooling our children. Sara is glad to be near her family at this time as we prepare for the baby's arrival.
• Nathaniel just turned 16 and wishes to get a job, to save up for driver education, a car, and such things as a young man needs as he grows to maturity. Nathaniel is taking part in Mark's discipleship study with the young men, and has taken on various jobs with Christian families nearby who need help with firewood, farm chores, and more.
• Virginia will turn 9 years old in May and has become quite the mother's helper. Virginia has volunteered to help a widow from the assembly in her home one day a week. She will help clean, prepare meals, and read to our dear sister for a few hours on Fridays.
• Naomi will turn 5 years old in March, and is so glad to be close to Grandma and Grandpa. She enjoys learning from her older siblings, playing in the snow, and has a great affinity for eating snow. We have had to teach her to find clean snow, but otherwise Naomi is doing great.
• Samuel just turned 2 a few weeks ago. He is talking more as of late, his health is good (no breathing issues for months now) and he is a typical energetic young boy.
• Baby Cowperthwaite is due to arrive in early August from our understanding. Everything seems to be going well for baby and Sara will have an ultrasound mid March

Thank you for your prayer and support. The Lord surely has blessed us greatly and we count it a privilege to serve Him in this mission field of Maine. Returning to where it all started has shown us just how great the Lord is, as we have always desired to proclaim the Gospel in Maine and now we have the chance to do just that. We wait on the Lord to see how long we are here, and we thank God for continuing to open doors for our family in His service.

All glory to God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ,

Mark, Sara, Nathaniel, Virginia, Naomi, Samuel, and baby Cowperthwaite

DVD review- Courageous

We have been looking forward to seeing Courageous since it came out in theaters, and yet we never got the chance until this past weekend. We borrowed the DVD from Sara's brother, and enjoyed every minute of it. From the opening scene, we enjoyed the action, emotion, and challenge that comes from this overtly Christian film. Sherwood Pictures has outdone themselves yet again as they continue to grow in screen writing, videography, and quality actors.

We found Courageous to be more broad reaching than previous Sherwood films, going beyond following a single family into the lives of 5 families, including 4 police officers. Add in the "Snake King", well created by Robert Amaya as "Javier Martinez" and you have the masterful blend of talent that makes Courageous a winner for families of all backgrounds.

In our opinion, this diversity is the key to the success of the film and its message to men, fathers, and husbands. From the father who cannot connect to his teenage son to the poor immigrant family scraping to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, this film excels at driving the point home in all family situations. Corruption, integrity, pain, and forgiveness are all included to show the broad range of problems in our families, and also that God can and will bless those who choose to do what is right in His eyes above all else. Top all the action and emotion off with a healthy dose of humor and you have Courageous, a movie that will surely be on the playlist at the Cowperthwaite home for some time in the future.

Check this video below explaining the heart of Courageous.

Biblical Patriarch profile- Noah

Genesis 6-10 contain the history of the family of Noah. This is one of the most well known stories of the Bible, and yet often I hear Noah proclaimed only as a preacher of righteousness and an ark builder, neglecting the great things I believe we can learn from his life as a father and husband. There are some details of Noah's life that speak volumes to the topics of obedience and faith, but also we can see those things that are seemingly taken for granted when discussing the worldwide flood that was the judgement of God on the wicked world.

For me, the first thing I noticed that made me look further into the life of Noah is found in Genesis 6:6-8. God says that He was sorry for making man on the earth, and that God was grieved. Oh, that I would never be one that grieves the Father heart of God, and yet apart from regeneration and faith in Christ Jesus, we will never do anything but grieve God. Glory to God for His gracious and merciful redemption of rebellious children through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!

What must it have been like for our Creator to wish that He had never made man, and then at the last of that passage we see what we see so often in Scripture. "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord" Hope in the worst of situations, a righteous man emerges from the chaos and violence that filled the earth. Noah was a righteous man in God's sight, and he walked with God. I pray that the Lord finds me to be such a faithful man that I would find favor in His eyes. Indeed, I know I have found God's favor, as He has saved me by faith in Jesus Christ, bringing me back from the dead, pardoned from the judgment so rightfully deserved. Praise God for His mercy!

Looking more into the story of Noah, we see that God blessed him. Children are a blessing from the Lord, and Noah had three sons, a triple blessing! While in today's society, we often see that the sons of Christian men do not follow in their father's footsteps (or maybe they do, but they are not a good example) Noah's wife submitted to him and followed him onto the ark. Noah's sons and their wives also followed. It would seem to me that Noah not only loved his wife and led her according to God's will, but that he also served as an example of this to his sons, whose wives also submitted to get on the ark. In all, God saved the whole family of Noah because of his obedience. This speaks volumes about the daily life of a man, even if we have limited details about his life other than the events surrounding the flood.

Chapter 6 of Genesis ends with a phrase that I hope the Lord would ascribe to me at the end of this life: "Thus Noah did according to all that God had commanded him, so he did." That type of obedience is commendable, and I pray that I find the grace and strength to obey the Lord in all things. That is a laudable pattern for a husband, father, and man of God, a Biblical patriarch who leads his family in God's ways no matter the cost. Imagine the pain in Noah's heart as he heard those he had warned, maybe others in his extended family, the parents of his daughters in law, as they saw the rain coming too late, and could not be saved due to their lack of faith and obedience to the command of the Lord.

In Genesis 8 we see the heart of Noah, that though we don't see any command to do so, in verse 20" Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma..." This picture of sacrifice, of offering that which is pure and undefiled to God, is beautiful. God then declares that He will never again destroy the whole Earth by flood. This is a covenant still in effect, but also reminds me of the promised judgement that will come by fire according to 2 Peter 3:10-15a. Let us be reminded today of the promise of God of judgement of this world again, and also the blessing that follows:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Since all things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements melt with intense heat! 

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation."

Will we be found faithful? Are we looking for, even hastening the day of God? What type of men ought we to be in light of all these things, including the example of Noah! What a responsibility given to men to lead their wives, children, and anything else given charge to them by God. We will continue our profiles next time with Abraham. I hope you will join me next time. 

2 Peter 2:5 AMP "And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people]."

Evangelism Friday- movie night

We have been blessed by many a Christian film, but most of the films produced with Christian themes have been produced for Christians by Christians. This is great for encouragement and edification, but with the rise of such films as Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and now Courageous we see that the Gospel can go forth through the medium of film. These films by Sherwood Pictures give a message of truth and challenge from God's Word.

I suggest taking the step that many have already taken, that is to put on a movie night at your home or church building with the intent to invite the lost to an excellent film that also includes a solid Gospel message. There are specific rules that govern public showing of movies like this, so be sure to check out this link before showing the film in a way that would require permissions beyond the simple purchase of a DVD.

See this link before scheduling a public showing to avoid any illegal public screening of movies. A warning from the site: ""When you purchase a regular DVD, the movie companies are giving you permission to view the film in your home with family members. The license provided with that DVD does not extend to a public showing of the film. This is true of all films." Whether or not you agree with special rules for public viewings, it is the law and Christians should go the extra mile to be sure to keep a good testimony before God and men.

With all that said, we suggest buying a copy of this DVD to show to your family, and maybe buy an extra copy to loan out or give to someone who would be blessed by this film. Use the link below to purchase from our Amazon store, or check the links in the right column of this blog to purchase from Christianbo

See this link before scheduling a public showing to avoid any illegal public screening of movies. A warning from the site: ""When you purchase a regular DVD, the movie companies are giving you permission to view the film in your home with family members. The license provided with that DVD does not extend to a public showing of the film. This is true of all films." Whether or not you agree with special rules for public viewings, it is the law and Christians should go the extra mile to be sure to keep a good testimony before God and men.

~Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature~

Patriarchy Profile- THE MAN Adam

 It is intentional that I have left some comments without reference, as I believe those interested should rather go to God's Word to find the truth rather than just having it fed to them. I have shared some references below, but these are by no means exhaustive. 

I challenge each one reading this article (which is targeted at men but profitable for all) to get into God's Word for yourself, and let the Holy Spirit show you the deep truths of His Word. This is part of being a man, and I hope to encourage that hunger for God's Word, yet if some need help I am willing so long as we are working together in this search for truth to obey for God's glory. 

As we consider Biblical patriarchy, and what we should learn from the men of Biblical history, we should take some time considering the example of the life of Adam, the first man on Earth. His name literally means "man", and I have enjoyed finding some pictures of the puzzle from God's Word.

Though Cain, Abel, and Seth are the only ones named, other children are recorded in Genesis 5:4 also as being fruit of this first marriage in history. We see from the Genesis account that Adam had other sons and daughters and that Adam lived 930 years. While we do not have more record of those children, one would wonder how many children one might have if they lives for over 900 years. Maybe Adam gave the Duggars a run for their money, maybe not. We just don't know. 

Adam and Eve had a marriage unlike any other in history. We can learn many good things from this first marriage and the physical parents of all mankind, but there are also some things that will be limited in scope as there is much silence also in the historical record. We know that Adam walked with God in the garden that was East of Eden. We know that Adam was a type of Jesus Christ in many ways and yet also failed in his calling from God and ultimately fell into sin even though he had firsthand knowledge of God's commands. What a variety of lessons we could learn from studying the life of Adam, but for now our focus will be on how Adam led his family.

Adam was formed first, and was given dominion over the animals. He was commissioned by God to name them and was told the boundaries of right and wrong in regards to the fruit of the trees in the garden. God had created this first man in the world, and then gave Adam a helper. We don't see the scope of what this role was in its entirety, but we see from many other passages that the woman's role was primarily not one of her own independence as Eve was literally created from Adam and as a suitable helper to him (Gen. 2:23). Eve was given a name by Adam, but we also see that she was known by Adam's name in God's sight (Gen.5:2) which would seem to be the practice by which we now see married women take the name of the husband.

The man is the spiritual head of the woman (1 Cor. 11:3-12; Eph.5:22-33; 1 Tim. 2:8-15) and given a great responsibility in the family, not lording it over those he leads, yet being firm in his convictions and living out the example of holiness for his family. While the Old Testament leaves some details unmentioned, we have lots of commentary on this first family in the New Testament. I encourage folks to consider the whole picture, and look up how often Adam is mentioned later on in the Bible.

As the Bible sums up Adam's history and genealogy, there is not much spoken concerning the parenting styles, discipline measures used, and so we are left to other men's lives to consider and need to continue looking if we are to find the pattern of Biblical patriarchy. Adam is not the poster child for parenting, as one son murdered the other, and Adam's weak leadership and protection of his wife allowed a serpent to deceive her and then join her in willful disobedience to God's clear and plain commands. When confronted, Adam blamed his wife (who he was responsible for) and in essence blamed God also, as it was God who gave the wife to him.

It appears that we will have to look a bit farther to find the perfect patriarch, husband and father. I am so glad that God didn't give up on the human race with the failure of the very first man. God's grace and mercy shine through in the failures of mankind, and it is through the victories and the defeats, the failures along with the successes that we see more clearly the complete picture of what God intended and allowed for marriage, parenting, and Biblical patriarchy. I am amazed at the mercy the Lord has shown to me in my failures, but more than anything, I am thankful for the perfect examples we see in God's own character on these topics.

Think for just a moment of some of the contrasts we find between Adam and God.

• Adam failed to protect his wife, whereas Christ paid the ultimate price and will protect His bride from the ultimate effects and even the presence of sin forever.
• Adam placed the blame on others for his faults, whereas Christ paid the debt for sin that was not His own. 
• Adam's sin brought death into the world and to all his progeny, whereas Christ died to keep sin from having power and dominion over His children. Christ provided life through death, and victory in seeming defeat.
• Adam's helper was deceived and fell into sin, whereas the Holy Spirit (Helper) is all wise and keeps us from sin.
• Adam had life breathed into his nostrils, whereas Christ is the Creator of life and gives eternal life to those who believe on Him.

I hope this short profile has helped you to see that even in human failure, we can see evidence of God's hand on a man's life. We see that in spite of the failures of man, God will accomplish His will, in His grace and mercy we get to be part of His plan for the world. While none of us live up completely to the fullness of God's character, we have many examples of the character of God through His dealings with mankind. Next up, we will look at a bit of the life of Noah to see what we can learn.

May we all seek the wisdom of the Lord and His strength to obey as we humbly accept the roles and responsibilities give to us by God. All glory to the Lord for the successes, and all glory to Him for His mercy as we falter along the way. One day, we shall see Him and we shall be like Him. What a glorious promise!

What is Biblical Patriarchy?

As we have decided to look at Biblical patriarchy, we might do well to look at what we mean by using this terminology. Since the phrase is not used in the Bible, and also the phrase is not used widely in society, we will share how some major proponents of Biblical patriarchy define it. See the links below for full articles that we suggest you consider.

The Tenets of Biblical patriarchy - Wikipedia
Biblical Patriarchy - Vision Forum Ministries
Patriarchy - Wikipedia

From these sources, you will see that there are many different interpretations of Biblical patriarchy. Some look primarily to the Old Testament, others to the Bible in its entirety. To be sure, there are not many references to how a family functions in the New Testament outside of those referencing the OT. We do have a very diverse history to consider in God's Word, including some good and not-so-good examples. What we don't have is a definition of terms to some extent, and so we will be focusing on profiling men in the Bible along with their families.

For our consideration here, we wish to state up front that our understanding is that God created man, and is often referred to as "Father" in the Bible. This patriarchal picture of God Himself is going to be the richest example we will find of the positive aspects of manhood. We get a picture from some of the names of God. Use the links below for an associated study from Blue Letter Bible online. One should be very careful not to add God's characteristics to man, but we would do well to consider the character of God the Father when we consider God's perfect plan for the family and how we ought to see the father role in families.

• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)- Men are called to lead, protect, and care for their family. 
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)- A man is called to integrity, to lead with consistency. 
• Qanna (Jealous)- As God is jealous when His beloved ones seek after another, so should man be jealous. This is no petty human emotion, but the result of dedication and responsibility. 
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)- Men are commanded to provide for the family. If a man does not work, then he should not eat, and so we ought to be providers for our families. 

A study of the character of the Lord Jesus Christ will also yield great results in the role of the husband. With the picture from God's Word of Christ as the Bridegroom and the church as the bride of Christ, we will learn much more about the role of men as husbands. Some examples we find at first glance:

• Taking the name of the Bridegroom. The church is the bride of Christ, having its identity through Him.
• Christ is the Savior and provider for His bride
• We are commanded to love our wives as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for her. 
• We are called in James 4 :4-5 says that Christians who love the world are adulteresses. 

The term "Biblical patriarchy" is not a Biblical term, but is based on principles understood from God's Word. In my opinion any word such as "religion" can not be redefined without extreme caution, as it is used in the English Bible translations. With the regular use of terms in the Bible, we must be careful to define them as dictated by context and principles of Biblical translation.

To conclude our look at what Biblical patriarchy is, we consider this to be a good working definition: 

"social organization, as exemplified in Biblical writings, that is marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line" We will add to this thought as we progress and see examples of men who led their families throughout Biblical history. 

In our next article, we plan to profile Adam. We hope you will join us as we explore Biblical patriarchy.

CBD Featured Product "Courageous"

I won't go on forever with this post. I just wanted to remind everyone that if you have not yet purchased your copy of "Courageous" on DVD, they will start shipping January 17. Buy from our Amazon Store or Christian Book Distributors store to support our ministry through your purchases. 

We are excited to see this movie, though we missed it in the theaters. If you have seen it, loved it, and want to share it, consider buying a copy just to loan out. We do this often, and have been blessed to see how the Lord uses such a simple thing to bless others. 

Courageous: Exclusive Collector's Edition, DVD Pre-order the latest movie from the creators of Fireproof! Police officers Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners are brave men well-equipped to deal with hardened criminals. But when they remove their badges, they face a more daunting challenge---fatherhood. As their children drift away from them, can these stalwarts find a way to defend and protect those nearest and dearest to them---and draw closer to God? Rated PG-13. Approx. 120 minutes. Special Features: The Making Of Courageous Commentary By The Kendrick Brothers Deleted Scenes Outrageous: Outtakes & Bloopers Courageous In 60 Seconds Heart Of Courageous The Story Of My Father Exclusive Collector's Edition Features*: Casting Crowns "Courageous" Music Video A Church of Prayer The Importance of Fathers Role of a Lifetime: Rev. Daniel Simmons Mark Willard: Ministering Through Music Erin Bethea: Serving Behind the Scenes Sherwood Pictures Retrospective Sherwood Volunteers Plus, Ministry & Resource Videos to Guide Your Next Steps! Languages: English 5.1 (Dolby Digital), Spanish Subtitles: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, French, Vietnamese, German, Korean * Additional features available only on Collector's Edition

The whole Gospel and the whole church

We just got home from the meeting of the Christians at Henry Baptist Church here in McDonough, Georgia. It was good to see some friends from the community, we were greeted with joy and acceptance in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the music was joyful and very well done. These are some of the characteristics many people think about in a local church. Some are looking for fellowship in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, others have other motivations, but for me one thing stood out from this visit: the passion and accuracy of the Gospel message preached.

This month at HBC brother Archie Norman is preaching a series of messages concentrating on the Gospel. His text today was John 3:36. While I would love to dig deeper into this chapter, the summary verse reads as follows, the very words of Jesus Christ our Lord:

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life,

but the wrath of God remains on him."

Brother Archie drilled down on one point that, to me, is the essence of what is missing from many false gospel messages. So often, this last phrase is neglected. I have seen this phrase left out entirely, and even had a few explain to me why they leave it out. I was told that God's wrath abiding on a person sounds too heavy, too harsh, even cruel. So, they took God's wrath out and left it that "whoever believes has life, and whoever does not obey the Son misses out on life, but is still a good person generally". This is not at all what God's Word says, even the very Word of Life Himself, our Savior, said that God's wrath abides on every person who does not believe, and that they shall not see life.

In our family ministry, we have had the privilege to meet Christians from all backgrounds, many cultural and denominational convictions and beliefs. Here lies the heart of what we really have to worry about when we discuss with whom we should work: How is one saved, that is, passed from death to life? We see from this passage (and many others that were shared) that it is by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, by truly believing and obeying the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Human reasoning and intellectual belief in God will save no one. Belief in Jesus as a good teacher or prophet is not enough. God's Word says to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. This changing of the mind, turning from sin and self righteousness to agree with God and receive life through the blood of Jesus Christ is the true Gospel,  and this is what gives us fellowship with other believers. 

I have great convictions about many  things that I should obey. There are things in God's Word that we must agree on, and our fellowship in these things is in Christ. On the more practical side, I might not join this or other churches that we have visited, and we differ some on the practical out working of leadership, worship, or even the pattern of the meetings. Still, we have fellowship in Christ. We preach the same Gospel, we serve the same Lord, and we are commanded to have unity within the body of Christ. 

This unity is not the same as uniformity or unanimity. Some may prefer different music, give lengthier messages, or be called to different aspects of ministry. Some will meet in homes, others in rented buildings or large campuses, and yet we are to be unified  in Christ. Those who have been born again, saved, redeemed, bought by the blood of the Lamb, we are all one in Christ and will spend eternity together with Christ and all those who have called on His name  for salvation. Sadly, there are many who have "done church" for years, feel comfortable talking about the Lord, but have never truly come to obey the Gospel and believe on the Son in truth, passing from death to life, and becoming a new creation in Christ. My brother pleaded with such people to give up religion and give their life over to the Lord in truth today. This is the heart cry of every true Christian, that all would be saved. This echoes the heat of God, who is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Can we Christians unite under the Gospel, or will most continue to divide and refuse fellowship to those who rightfully deserve our love and would be a great asset in reaching the lost for Christ? I pray that we see more unity among Christians, and I know it will take great humility and patience with one another. Eternity is a long time to avoid talking with someone, and I personally don't think God will allow segregation and denominationalism in Heaven.

I just wanted to share this with you all today, as the message, music, and fellowship were a great blessing to our family today, but most of all the Biblical truth of the Gospel was preached and for that we praise God. We know the Lord's people gather in many places, by many names, and in many ways. Some are looking to the pattern of God's Word, some disagree on exactly what that looks like or feel that there is not a specific pattern to obey, some are looking to please the world and draw people in. I don't generally desire to point fingers at any, but rather to encourage those who I believe are true and faithful to what they believe according to God's Word. Let us find fellowship in the person and work of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, and walk in unity, laboring together for His name's sake.

For a list of churches where we have had the privilege to minister and have fellowship in Christ, see the Churches tab

"To save a life" review... reviewed

I have watched the trailer for "To save a life" as linked by some friends who have used this film as an outreach for unsaved teens and their youth groups alike. "To save a life" was in theaters 2 years ago, and came out on DVD 16 months ago. I have not seen the whole film, yet I felt inclined to write this post as it concerned me so much.

I find it sickening the lengths to which some people will go to try to "be real". This review from Plugged In online sealed the deal that neither I nor anyone I have guidance over will ever watch "To save a life". Reading the youth pastor/screenwriters comments about how he chose to use certain curse words (and hand them to someone else to quote) is disturbing to me. Plugged In often does a good job with movie reviews, but I feel their discernment is in error as they have ended up promoting some seriously sinful activity in the name of reaching people. Says the writer:

"We never really set out to make a Christian film," he says. "We said we wanted to make a film for teenagers that would never set foot in a church but would go to the movies—something that would reach them. … We wanted to make a movie that really mattered, and that empowered students to be able to reach out to their friends."
The Bible clearly states (Romans 1:16) that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. It is not by being relevant, making friends with the world, "being like the world to win the world" (see James 4:4-8) and promoting sinful activity out of one side of your mouth while decrying that Jesus has a better way out of the other side. This is not the Gospel, it is not true to Scripture, and if we want to reach sinners, we might want to examine God's Word for better tactics before venturing into the arena of "To save a life". I know many will argue this point, and I encourage Biblical discussion of this post.

The review writer found a way to promote this movie, but he had to add an awful lot of qualifiers to do so. The "positive elements" section starts out with: Suicide. Sex. Teen pregnancy. Divorce. Drugs. Cutting. Hypocrisy. That didn't do me in, though, as I have been involved in youth ministry for years and know well the issues that many teens and parents deal with in our society. For me, to see a youth pastor writing a script that has two young folks not married to one another taking off clothes, rolling around on the bed together has gone a bit too far. We all know that this type of thing happens, but we don't need to see it, nor encourage people (in this case, they were paid) to engage in such activity. Whether you call it acting or not, the fact is this activity is sinful.

This movie adds to its credit a laundry list of ways to commit suicide, which at the least could lead some viewers to try out such methods that they might not have considered before. Add in a few drunken, stoned, drug dealing pastor's kids and you have the evidence the world is looking for to say that all Christians really are hypocrites at heart. Be sure the world is watching as this film directs people to curse, play-act sex, and more.

From the PI review: [Youth Pastor] Britts says he felt it was important for the party scenes to feel authentic—to show that there's a reason why teens gravitate to them. But he admits they were hard for him to have filmed. "Two or three times in between takes I had to say, 'I have to remind you that this life leads to sorrow,' because they were looking like they were having a lot of fun," he admits. "It was hard for me as a youth pastor to watch, even though I knew they were acting."

The writer seems oblivious to the fact that many youth group kids have not yet been involved in many of these activities, and in a sense he is actually luring them with these things that "they looked like they were having a lot of fun" with. These same Christians will complain that the public schools promote such things, yet they bring kids to church youth meetings to pollute their minds with more sinful, dangerous ideas in an attempt to prove a point. I have been around a while, and never seen something like this turn out for God's glory.

In my years dealing with teenagers, drugs, alcohol, sexual activity, and suicide, I have never once gone to the levels this film does to supposedly help. God's Word, the truth of the Gospel, and the power of the Holy Spirit to change and make new the old, dead sinful man is what will do the job. We don't need more movies about sex, drugs, and suicide. We need more people willing to invest in the lives of teens, to get in the trenches and do the dirty work. We need people like Jesus who loved the unlovely, but who kept Himself from sin in the process. We need more people to live like Christ, parents to do their job in training and nurturing young people, and to hold each other accountable for such things. Some are trying to do this, and they are using the tools promoted by "Christian ministries" while neglecting God's Word on the matters of evangelism, though their desires are pure they are missing the mark by a mile.

We are so scared as a society to offend someone that we are willing to watch their children die in the world to avoid a little pain for ourselves. I have no idea how after reading this review and seeing the trailer, that the review can end with a positive note:

 "The final product is polished, professional and one of the best Christian films I've seen."

At least the reviewer woke up enough to end well with this comment:

And, more significantly, Christian audiences may be legitimately troubled by some of this film's grittier aspects: The language. The drinking. The dope smoking. The cutting. The suicide. And the scene that shows the lead-up to teen sex.

For those who read this blog for my two cents worth, take the time you would have watched this movie and use it praying for God to open a door to reach a teen in crisis. Then, go out and walk through that door, following the pattern of God's Word for reaching the lost. Don't ask the world, don't ask any ministry that promotes sex in order to condemn sex. Don't follow the trends of the modern church, but go back to God's Word and obey what you read.