Walking The Walk

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 ...

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."   ~2 Corinthians 3: 2-3 Think about that for a moment. You are a letter from Christ. Every day, your neighbors are reading you. They're watching how you handle stress, how you treat your family, how you respond when things don't go your way. They may never pick up a Bible, but they're reading the gospel story written in your daily life.   The question isn't whether people are reading your life, because they are. But what story are they reading? Are they seeing Christ's love, patience, and servant heart reflected in your everyday actions? I've lived in the same small community my whole life--in fact, we built our house on the corner of the family farm. Small towns have a reputation ...

  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." ~Isaiah 43: 18-19 Somebody asked me a very hard question this week, and it’s not the first time I’ve been asked this question. How do you start over?   I’ve been there, and it’s a tough place to find yourself. There’s a lot of ways people find themselves in this place. Some of you feel stuck because of broken relationships. Perhaps you’ve had a marriage that ended badly, or a friendship that has dissolved in conflicts, or problems in your family that are broken beyond repair. Many of our problems we cause ourselves because we’ve made bad decisions. We’ve made a poor career move, or made bad decisions about money, or fallen into a destructive habit that you can’t seem to break. But I have good news for you. It’s never too late to begin again.   In fact, God specializes in fr...

"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."  ~Romans 6:12-13 (NIV) In today's world, we face a subtle but dangerous challenge: the redefinition of sin. What God clearly names as sin, our culture often labels as personal choice, alternative lifestyle, or even virtuous behavior. Paul's words in Romans 6 calls us to something radically different. The apostle doesn't mince words. He commands us not to let sin reign in our bodies. This implies we have a choice-- we can either surrender to sin's authority or stand against it. Victory over sin begins with recognizing God's definitions, not the world's.  The world can call sin whatever it wants, but the Bible is clear.   Paul balances this fir...

Just about everyone has at least one difficult relationship in their life. As Scooter would tell you siblings can be especially challenging at times. All of us encounter situations that test our patience and ignite our emotions. The book of James offers us profound wisdom in chapter 1, verses 19-20: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." These words cut straight to the heart of how our anger can derail both our spiritual journey and our personal well-being. James makes a direct connection between our anger and our righteousness before God. When we allow anger to take root in our hearts, it creates a spiritual barrier. Ephesians 4:26-27 further warns us, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Unchecked anger grows.  It becomes resentment and unforgive...

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." ~Proverbs 19:21 I know many unhappy people in this world.  You know what nearly all of them have in common?  They put themselves first.  They are focused on their own needs.  Their own desires.  Their own wants.  Their career.  Their reputation.  The respect they feel is due to them. The pay they think they deserve. The car they want.  The list is endless, and because it is endless, so many people in this world are never content. They never get everything they think they are entitled to, because there is no end to what they want. Too many of us just don't understand why we're here. We don't understand we are custom built for a specific purpose. And the discontent we have in our lives isn't because we don't have our dream house--it's because we haven't found the thing we were put here to do.  Our true purpose! God didn't put us here to consume goods and...

What would it take to make you happy?  Do you ever think about that?  Most people do.  Most people have a mental list of things they'd need to be happy.  It's a mental wish list.  I call it the "if only" list . . . If only I could get more time to myself I'd be happy. If only I had a promotion at work with a nice raise and an office with a window--then I'd be happy! If only I had a bigger house in a nice neighborhood, then I'd be happy. Or maybe it's just one big thing.  One big achievement that you believe is the key to everything.   But the truth of the matter is, there isn't one thing on this earth that will make you happy.  There is not one thing or a hundred things on this earth that will make you content.  There is nothing on this planet that will give you the peace you're looking for.  Because that's not where peace and happiness come from.  I could give you a hundred examples of very wealthy, and very successful people ...

The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. ~Luke 16:10 We donate clothes to Goodwill often. Several times a year.  And both my daughters and my wife like to shop at the Goodwill thrift store.  I went with them once, and while I was there, I found a nice men's button up shirt I liked.  I bought it for like $6.  We get home and we're comparing treasures, and I show my wife the shirt I bought.  "That's your shirt!" Valerie said.  "You donated that in the last batch we took in."   I'd bought my own shirt back.  But I got a great deal!  The first time I bought it, it was like $30!   A couple weeks ago, Valerie was scanning photos from an old album, and she found some of us back when we first started dating, nearly 30 years ago.  I was a lot thinner then, and wearing button fly 501 jeans and a plaid shirt over a t-shi...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good  of those who love him, who [ a ]  have been called  according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28 I was hanging a picture in my study the other day, and I went to my toolbox.  There's all kinds of tools in my toolbox--there's a hammer, and screwdrivers, and sockets, and pliers, and saws, a tape measure, a level, and many, many more.  Different tools for different tasks.   I don't need a screwdriver to hang a picture.  Or a saw.  Or a pair of pliers.  I need a hammer, and a nail.  Those are the tools made specifically to do the kind of work I was doing. And just like those tools in my toolbox, God makes each one of us different, too.  He makes each one of us for a specific purpose.  We have different abilities, talents, and gifts to serve different uses.  You wouldn't ask a musician for advice on your 401K, nor would you hire a plumber to cut down a tree in your yard. W...

 "Teacher . . . we want you to do for us whatever we ask."   ~Mark 10:35 How often do you pray? With some Christians, they pray every day--some even pray throughout the day.  They follow more of a model of "praying continuously" asking for strength, and wisdom, and peace, and patience as needed throughout the day.  And giving thanks throughout the day, every day, when things go well.   With other Christians, they pray when things go wrong.  They see prayer more as a thing you do in a crisis.  Or they may pray when they really want something. These two different approaches to prayer can tell us where God is in our life.  When we live with God in the center of our life, we're more likely to communicate with God frequently, even continuously, because we feel that God is near to us.  God is part of our life.  God is part of our decision-making.  God is there with us whenever we reach out to him.  And there's no concern we...

It has been more than three months since I left my professional career and began full time ministry. It was a difficult choice leaving something I'd been doing for basically 37 years, and jumping into something I had only a year-and-a-half experience doing as a part-time bi-vocational pastor. But I knew it was God's plan for me.  I knew because God began closing doors on my professional career and opening doors in ministry.  The more I resisted where I knew God was leading me, the more miserable the environment I was working in became.  It got the place where I could no longer ignore the obvious--it was time to go.   Change is hard.  That’s what you hear a lot.  But actually, change is inevitable—it’s the decisions about change that are hard. Once I decided it was time to go, I trained my successor, I cleaned out my files and my office, and walked out the door in roughly six weeks. I do miss a couple people I worked with.  I thought I would miss t...

"And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all."   ~Matthew 21:22 I am about a year-and-a-half into my first pastorate.  What that means is that in that first year, that first trip around the calendar, almost everything I was doing as the pastor of the church, I was doing for the very first time.   In the Baptist Church, when a pastor is called to the pulpit, it is the decision of the congregation.  They not only vote in this big meeting, but they interviewed that potential pastor, too--imagine standing up and being interviewed by the entire membership of a church. One question I was asked was what I wanted to accomplish in that first year. And what I said was, "I'd like to get through the entire year looking like I know exactly what I'm doing."   Of course everyone laughed.  I knew they would.  But I wasn't kidding.  That was an actual goal.  To get through communion services, and weddings, and funerals, a...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:9 I often hear people lament about how things have changed.  And the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to change.  But change is normal.  Change is inevitable.  Time never goes backwards.  Things never go back to the way they were before.  If you don't believe me, pull out your high school yearbook, or an old family album and check out the clothes and the hairstyles.  Change is not unnatural it is inevitable. We have to learn to adjust.  And sometimes that's hard.  Especially when life changes in a very fundamental way for us.  Like with the loss of somebody close to us.  Or maybe we've moved to a new place and we're having a tough time adjusting to it.  Or we change jobs.  Or as I've learned recently, retirement can be a very unsettling change in lifestyle and routi...

Sometimes we don't spend enough time looking in the mirror. We know that in our hearts we're saved. We go to church on Sunday. We try and do the right things in our life. We believe in Jesus. The question is--are we followers of Jesus? Jesus set us an example not only to read about and to acknowledge, but to follow. As we mature as Christians, we should aspire to become more and more like the model Jesus set for us. Do you? It's not easy being a Christian, because we live in a world that's contrary in so many ways to what we believe. To be a Christian, we have to accept this idea that we're living in the world, but we're part of a very different world. We're members of God's Kingdom.  And God's way is a very different way that the way of the secular world. We have a tendency sometimes to overlook areas of our life that are inconsistent with our faith. We give ourselves "carve outs."   Maybe there are things in your job that put you in awkwa...

A few years ago, a friend of mine decided he was going to retire.  He'd put in his 30 years, and he was the right age, and he decided it was time to go.  I asked him what he was going to do after he retired.  He said, "not work!"  He said he'd spent all of his life working, and he wanted to spend the rest of it relaxing.   I hear people say this a lot.  How they've "spent" their life.  How they're going to "spend" the rest of it.  There was always something about that idea that bothered me, but I could never put my finger on what it was.  Until now. Because now I'm that age.  I've put my time in.  And I'm old enough I can retire.  I'm thinking about these things.   With one difference. I don't plan on "spending" the rest of my life.  I've not "spent" my life up to this point.  I have a different perspective about life.  I've always looked at life as something we should invest in, not spend. I...

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  ~Ecclesiastes 1:9  One of the most difficult challenges we experience, is navigating the constant and continual changes we experience in life.  Just about the time we get used to things being one way, something changes.  And there's a mix of good changes, and bad changes.  Things that bring us joy and things that bring us sadness.  Sunshine and rain. We celebrate a new job.  There's a new baby in the family.  Maybe we move to a new town and begin a new adventure.  Those are all things that can bring us joy.  But sometimes we suffer losses as well.  Somebody we love passes away.  We find ourselves in a bad situation in our finances.  We have a relationship that begins to fail.  We have a medical issue we're dealing with.    And sometimes we will get into a cycle in life where we become overwhelmed with all...

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ~Luke 6:37-38 We are so quick to judge others today.  We're so quick to condemn.  We are so slow to forgive.  I've never seen things the way they are today.  The complete opposite of what Jesus taught is what we're seeing today.   We talk so much about being "tolerant."  But then we're only tolerant of people exactly like us. We talk so much about being "inclusive."  And we accomplish that by dividing and excluding entire groups of people based on factors they have no control over.  We talk about being understanding and forgiving and kind and generous.  But we only show these things to people we like.   We talk about lov...

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ~1 John 1:9 My wife and I have been watching a show in History Channel since 2015 called "Forged In Fire."  It's a blacksmithing competition.  They start with four bladesmiths each week, and through three rounds of competition where one is eliminated each round, one rises as "The Forged In Fire Champion " at the end of the show.  And the judges always have a twist.  Sometimes they're making blades out of metal from an old car, or sometimes rusty old bolts, or garden tools, etc.  Or sometimes they're making a specific kind of knife, or utilizing a particular forging technique. But forging is an art, and one of the skills necessary to be a good bladesmith is knowing how to correct an error or a flaw when one appears.  If a crack forms.  Or a flaw in the metal becomes known.  How do you go about fixing that potential weakness b...

"Love covers a multitude of sins."  ~1 Peter 4:8 We have a choice when it comes to how we interact with other people.  We can either look for their faults, or we can look for their strengths.  We can either dig dirt, or search for gold. It's always been an adage that the first impression is the most important.  I've learned from experience that's not necessarily true.  Too often we make snap judgements about people the minute we meet them, and it's not THEM that made the bad impression it was YOU that made a quick judgement.  It takes time and effort to get to know somebody well.  Some of the best friends I have in my life were people that when I first met them, I wasn't overly fond of.  Over time, I discovered my first impression of that person was completely wrong.  Try to see people the way the Lord sees them.  Get over that "I'm a good judge of character" thing I hear so often.  Give people a chance. Be generous.  Be kind. ...

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." ~Luke 6:36 (CSB) One of the hardest things in life is forgiving.  When we are hurt.  When we are treated poorly.  When we feel like we've been cheated.  Man, is it hard to get over those feelings.   We're not called on to be doormats.  We aren't expected to let people treat us badly over and over again.  We're not called on to let the same crook cheat us over and over again.  Or to let the same liar mislead us time and again.  But we aren't built to carry unforgiveness with us either.  We need to learn the lesson, and let it go. There's a saying "live and learn."  Life is a learning experience, and we learn through successes, and we learn through failure--and believe me, we learn a lot more sometimes from failures than successes.  Some of the hardest lessons we learn are about people.  People ...