Walking The Walk

I preached on Sunday about our internal struggle.  That battle that rages within us every day between knowing what is right and doing what is right.  About knowing good from evil and still, at times, making the wrong choices.   Paul wrote about in Romans, and many believe he was talking about himself before his experience with Jesus on the Damascus Road.  I see it differently. Paul was describing himself, but I think he was describing the challenges he still dealt with as a mature Christian.   And why do I think that.    Because Paul wrote it in the present tense.   I don’t believe Paul is speaking of a former self, I believe he was speaking about his current self. The very fact that he delights in God's law in verse 22 reveals a transformed heart. Only a believer could say, 'In my inner being I delight in God's law.' But Paul describes an internal war raging in vivid terms in verses 21-23: 'So I find this law at work: Although I want to...

"Do not conform to the pattern of this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. " ~Romans 12: 2 On Sunday, I shared a story about Gracie-- a German Shepherd puppy Valerie and I got when our youngest daughter Katie was little.   German Shepherds are strong even as puppies.   Gracie was stronger than most.   We had a cable lead we let her out on when she needed to go outside.   It was tethered to our flagpole in the backyard.   Gracie didn’t like that lead in the beginning.   She didn’t like being chained up.   And she’d pull on that lead, and strain against it, and yank on it.   She was so strong, even as a puppy, she’d shake that entire flagpole.   Eventually she learned she couldn’t break that lead and she quit trying to. But things changed.  Gracie grew to over 100 pounds—she became a very big and powerful dog. But w e never...

I’ve been asked about fasting.  I imagine there’s a lot of Christians that have never fasted!  We pray regularly, read our Bibles, attend church, give generously. But fasting? Is that something we should be doing?  In Matthew 6:16-18, He didn't ask whether His followers would fast. He assumed they would. And tucked inside that assumption is an open invitation—to experience a dimension of spiritual growth that most of us are simply leaving on the table. Look closely at what Jesus says:  "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."  Jesus said "when you fast"—not " if you fast."  In the s...

As a pastor I get a lot of interesting questions as you might imagine.   I thought I’d start answering some of those questions.   I’ve gotten this question about tongues several times.   So here’s what I’ve come to know about this topic by simply reading what’s written in the Bible.      Many of us have come across videos online showing pastors and church leaders speaking in what they describe as tongues. These videos often show individuals speaking rapidly in sounds that bear no resemblance to any known human language, sometimes with large crowds responding emotionally, and with no interpreter present anywhere in the room. It is worth pausing and asking a straightforward question.   Does what we are seeing in those videos match what Scripture actually describes?   In a word.   No.   If we want to understand the gift of tongues, the right place to begin is where Scripture introduces it — the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. When the H...

"We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check"  ~James 3:2 I have a Bible study that I lead on Wednesday mornings at a local coffee shop.  This week, it just so happened that the verses that came up in our study are the same verses I’m preaching on this Sunday morning.  I wrote the sermon two or three months ago, and the Bible study we just started a few weeks ago, so it’s a pretty remarkable coincidence.  And I couldn’t guess how many times I’ve told the congregation to pay close attention to “coincidences” because I’ve learned throughout my life, that often what we call a “coincidence” is God working in our life. I can’t think of a better time to talk about the power of words.  The importance of how we speak to each other.  Our culture is out of control, especially with our speech.  The hate we spew.  The foul language that’s everywhere.  The awful things...

We all have that person, don't we? You know exactly who I'm talking about. Maybe it's someone at work who constantly undermines you. Perhaps it's a family member who knows exactly which buttons to push. Or maybe it's that neighbor whose very presence makes your jaw clench. You know who I'm talking about, because their face just popped up in your mind.  And you're not alone. We've all got difficult people in our lives, and today, Jesus has something radical to say about how we're supposed to love them. Read what Jesus says in Matthew 5, verses 43 through 48. Listen carefully, because this teaching goes against everything our culture tells us:   "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unri...

Emma defending her "snow fort" long after her brother Scooter loses interest in occupying it.   You know it's coming. The weather app has been refreshed approximately 47 times in the last hour. The meteorologist on TV is using words like "significant accumulation" and "travel not advised," which in snow-speak means "here it comes!" And suddenly, everyone in town has the same brilliant idea: I better go to the grocery store. Right now. As if we're preparing to survive on French toast for the next three weeks.   The grocery store looks like a Black Friday sale. Grown adults are speed-walking toward the dairy aisle. Someone's cart has five gallons of milk. Five!  We are terrible at stopping. Absolutely terrible. Even when we know rest is coming, we resist. We try to cram 47 tasks into the final hours before the universe forces us to sit down. It's almost like we're afraid of what might happen if we actually had to be still for ...

I’ll never forget my first day of seminary.  God called me to begin preparing for ministry just about the time I began thinking I’d be able to retire from my career in a few years. At first I tried to ignore it, but it quickly became clear that God’s plan for me didn’t involve fishing every day—well, at least not in the way I thought of fishing at the time. So I enrolled in seminary to begin preparing for this unknown and undefined mission God seemed to be pointing me towards. I was fifty-two years old when I walked into that first class—and I was late, which was very unusual for me. Every head turned when I walked in, and every student in that class was a fresh-faced twenty-something.  I remember thinking I have kids older than these kids.  I walked across the back of the room to find a place to sit, and suddenly, the instructor stopped and looked at me.  “We’re going to be in here until 9 or so. I’d prefer it if you would come back and clean the room after we’r...

If corgis could read, I'd have Emma read Mark 10: 32-45 because she always thinks somebody should be serving her night and day! I lead a weekly Bible study at a local coffee shop on Wednesdays, and this week we were looking at Mark 10: 32-45.   This morning, w e had a really remarkable conversation about our tendency to put ourselves first.   In these verses, we find Jesus walking with his disciples toward Jerusalem, and two of his closest friends, James and John, come to him with what might be the boldest request in history. They say, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Then they drop the bomb, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."   Can you imagine that? These guys wanted the VIP seats in Jesus' kingdom! They wanted to be his right-hand men, the ones with the most power and prestige. It's like walking up to your boss and saying, "Hey, when you get that promotion, can we be your vice presid...

As we look back on 2025, I want you to imagine something with me for a moment. Picture yourself carrying an invisible backpack. It's filled with all the "what-ifs" and uncertainties you're taking into this new year. What if the economy gets worse? What if my health fails? What if my relationships struggle? What if my job situation changes?   We're great at making New Year's resolutions, aren't we? We promise to exercise more, eat better, read our Bibles daily. But how often do we resolve to worry less and trust God more? How often do we commit to leaning on Jesus instead of relying on our own strength?   In Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. Paul writes these powerful words: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."   Notice that Paul doe...

You know, my wife Valerie has a Christmas decoration obsession.   She loves decorating for Christmas and finding unique decorations. She sent me a photo last week.   She was driving home, and she sent a selfie of herself in the car, with Mary, Joseph and Jesus strapped into the seat in the back.   She had found a big plastic lit blow mold of the Nativity scene, and she was thrilled!   The look on Valerie's face was pure, unfiltered joy. Her eyes were sparkling, her smile stretched from ear to ear, and she was glowing brighter than those plastic figures did in our yard that night. In that moment, watching her excitement over this simple find, I witnessed something beautiful: childlike wonder in its purest form.   Here was a grown woman, a successful professional, getting absolutely giddy over a plastic Christmas decoration. Watching Valerie's reaction reminded me immediately of something Jesus said in Matthew 18:3: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and bec...

Here we are again!  Looking at the beginning of another year!  I imagine many of you have been making plans. Maybe you've written down resolutions, set goals, or mapped out what you hope 2025 will look like. There's nothing wrong with planning—in fact, it's wise to do that. But this morning, I want us to look at what James has to say about our plans in chapter 4, verses 13-15, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"   James isn't condemning planning—he's challenging our attitude toward our plans. The real issue isn't making plans, it's making plans while fearing to let go of control. And if I'm honest, tha...

We all know somebody that just can’t ever be wrong.   They pick their position, and there isn’t anything on this earth that is going to change their opinion.   You can present them with incontrovertible facts, and present it in a flawlessly logical manner, and you’re still going to be wrong.      I call them 'right fighters' and I have a great deal of experience with people like this.   Anything you say they don’t agree with means you are automatically wrong, because they are never wrong.   And because they are never wrong, they never apologize for anything.   And getting upset with them is a useless exercise because it just means you’re going to be mad, and they’re still going to think they’re right. The Bible gives us some wisdom for dealing with these situations in Romans 12:18, where Paul writes, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Notice Paul doesn't say, “If possible, make sure everyone knows you're right.”...

I write a lot of stuff down . . . this is just the last ten years.   My dad told me when I was in high school to enjoy life while I was young, because life had a way of becoming very ordinary after you grow up. That stuck with me, because it didn’t sound at all appealing. I decided right then and there I wasn’t going to have an ordinary life.   In fact, I decided I wasn’t ever going to have an ordinary day.   And I started something way back then that I still do today. I’ve been keeping a journal since I was in high school, and after dad told me that, I started writing in those journals, every day, at least one thing that was unique about that day at the top of the page—one thing that made that day like no other day previously.   I’ve done this now for more than four decades, and that habit has changed the way I’ve viewed life.   I go into each day looking for that one remarkable thing.   Sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s a bad thing, but I’ve...

This morning I stopped to fill up my gas tank and couldn't believe my eyes—gas was 30 cents cheaper than last week!   After I filled up, I went inside, and the coffee was on special for just $1. With Thanksgiving approaching, I felt that was a good example of something to be grateful for, so I shared it on Facebook. And do you know what the response was? A few people got upset about it, because of the politics of the fuel prices coming down.   And that’s sad to me.   We've become a society that complains about high prices AND also complains when the prices go down. We've trained ourselves to find fault with everything, even good news!   And we wonder why we’re so unhappy! Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to "give thanks in all circumstances." Not just when everything's perfect, but in all circumstances, including when gas prices drop and coffee costs a dollar. I've made it my practice to actively notice and celebrate when things go righ...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." ~Proverbs 27:17  I was flipping the channels the other day, and one of the cable news channels was reporting on a story.   According to the reporter, it was the worst decision our government had ever made in our 250-year history.   I flipped to another cable news channel, and they were reporting on the same story—of course they were reporting the complete opposite. And we wonder why we’re always fighting with each other?   Because we make decisions based only on whose idea it was rather than if it’s a good idea or not. Our leaders are talking past each other, each convinced the other is completely wrong.   Nobody is ever listening—just talking. And it’s not just on the national level.   I've watched this scene play out countless times in our communities, too. And at family dinners and on social media and in workplace conversations. We’ve forgotten how to have a conversation.   We’ve forgotten...