Walking The Walk

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...

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...

A few years ago, I was getting gas at a local convenience store.   As I’m waiting for my tank to fill, a guy walks out of the store after paying, gets into his car, and starts to pull away.   Suddenly, I see this young girl in a cashier’s apron dash out of the store towards the guy that’s pulling away.   I seriously thought maybe he’d stolen something.   She's sprinting after that car, and I mean like she’s trying out for the Olympic team.   She catches up to the car and knocks on his window.   He stops and rolls down his window.   “You forgot your change,” she said.   And she gives it to him.   Just change.   No bills.   Then she walks back to the store.   I was a little surprised by that.   It stuck with me.   In our modern world the fact she would have done that for less than a dollar in change is kind of remarkable.   That's not enough for a coffee these days. She could have easily pocketed that loose cha...

What they don't teach you in seminary is how awkward being a pastor can be . . .  I was riding to the cemetery in a hearse recently to do a graveside service, and a car pulled out in front of the driver.  The driver braked, honked at the car, and then let an impressive tirade of foul language fly.  That was followed by the awkward moment when he realized he was sitting next to the pastor.  “I’m sorry about the language, Reverend,” he said.  I went to my stand-by line, "I've heard way worse than that—I've been a Cubs fan my whole life."  Somebody is always apologizing to me for something, and I’m still not used to it. I haven’t been a pastor for a long time.   I've  spent most of my life "not a pastor."  I've been a Christian for a long time, but until I became a pastor, nobody ever apologized for swearing in front of me.   Nobody ever tried to explain to me items in their shopping cart at the grocery store. Nobody tossed a cigarette ou...

 “your kingdom come, your will be done” ~Matthew 6:10 Have you ever noticed how the smallest decisions often have the biggest impact? Like that time you decided to take a different route home and met someone who changed your life? Or when you hit snooze one too many times and missed something important? Our lives are shaped not by the occasional mountain-moving choices, but by the seemingly insignificant decisions we make every single day. This is especially true when it comes to one of the most familiar prayers ever spoken: 'Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.' Matthew 6:10 sits right in the middle of the Lord's Prayer, a prayer so familiar that sometimes we recite it without truly considering what we're saying. "Your will be done"-- these four words represent one of the most powerful concepts in our faith journey. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray this way, He wasn't suggesting a mere religious formality. He was...

"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." ~Matthew 7:1-2 This is a challenging verse.  This is a challenging concept.  Forgiveness. I'd say about half the challenges I help people deal with as a pastor has to do with forgiveness.  When people do us the wrong way, it's not easy to let it go.  But that's what we're called on to do.  And the consequences for not learning to let the sins of others go, is that our sins will not be forgiven.  That is a very steep penalty for holding onto those hurts, isn't it?  That doesn't even take into account the personal cost to us--that emotional cost of carry those hurts with us rather than give them up. But it's not easy to let go of those hurts for a few reasons.   We all make mistakes.  One of the most difficult things for us to do sometimes, is to admit when we've made a mistake.  If we could simply admit it when we're wrong, so many of the conflicts...

"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...

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." ~Matthew 23:25-26 We spend so much time thinking about what people see on the outside.  How we appear.  What people think.  Too often we build a facade on the outside that displays a character which doesn't match what's on the inside. And it's hard work, because it's not real.  It's not authentic.  It doesn't match who we really are.  And we go to this effort because we're embarrassed.  Or we're ashamed.  Or we're hiding weaknesses we don't want people to see.  Or sins we don't want people to know.  And we work hard on this veneer we show other people because we're afraid they're going to see or discover that truth within. And that's what Jesus is pointed out to...

" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ~Matthew 6:34 I used to often feel like I was jogging through my day.  I had too many meetings.  I had too many responsibilities. I had things I was worrying about from yesterday, things I was worrying about that day, and I was already worrying about things that were on my calendar for tomorrow and next week and next month!  And what happens when you're always in a rush and distracted? You wind up making mistakes.  You miss things.  You wind up spending unnecessary time fixing something you messed up because you weren't focused on what you were doing.  I think the most powerful idea in this verse is the idea that today already has its quota of worry built into it.  Focus on where you're at!  Focus on what you're doing right now!  Focus on what you can control! You can't change what happened in the past.  Move on from t...

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. ~Matthew 7:12 It's such a simple rule--the "Golden Rule."  Just think of all the pain and anger and frustration and disappointment that could be avoided if we'd just follow that simple idea to treat other people the way we want to be treated.  But it's more than just that.  If you look at that first part, it says "so in everything." In everything?  What's that mean?   Well, it means we're not just talking about being nice to people.  We're talking about empathy.  It means putting yourself in the place of other people. It's not difficult for us to come up with a lot of reasons why we think we have the right to be rotten to somebody.  He was rotten to me first.  He has it coming.  What's good for the goose . . .  We can use all those reasons to "justify" treating somebody in a way we certainly wouldn't want to be ...

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   ~Matthew 6: 19-21 Jesus expects us to decide who our master is.   He gives us two choices. Money, accumulating stuff, and earthly treasure can be your master.   We can decide to chase the material things this world offers.   We can make it our focus in life to accumulate things.   Many people do.   We can determine the purpose of life is to have more stuff than anybody else.   That can be our priority.     Or we can serve the Lord.   We can serve the Lord and make accumulating treasures in heaven our goal.   We can chase the things of God.   We can pursue a holy life.   We can invest ourselves in things that wil...

 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?   ~Matthew 6:27 In 1988, Bobby McFerrin wrote on of the most addictive songs in world history.  "Don't worry!  Be Happy!"  I don't think I've heard that song on the radio on time in over thirty years that it hasn't wound up being stuck in my head for a week.  It was the first a cappella song in history to reach number one on the Billboard charts.  There's not a single instrument used.  All the parts are vocal or sounds made by Bobby McFerrin.   Everybody seems to love that song when it came out, and it was made even more popular due to the music video that featured the antics of legendary comedian Robin Williams.   And you could almost say unintentionally, the song is a very Biblical concept boiled down into four words.  Don't Worry.  Be Happy! God didn't build us to worry.  But honestly I don't know many Christians that don't worry on occasion....

43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor [ a ] and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  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 unrighteous. 46  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ~Matthew 5: 43-48  Love is a central theme in the Bible--we've all heard it said that God is love.  So much of what we believe revolves around this idea of love.  But love is also a challenging topic for Christians, because we tend to put limits on it.  We want to love this group, but no that group.  We want to define how we love, who we...

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ~Matthew 14: 31  We are familiar with the story of Jesus walking on the water.  And how Peter, because he lacked faith, sank when he walked out to Jesus on the water.  That's the lesson we generally associate with these verses.  But the first time the read the story in Matthew 14: 22-31, I got something else from it as well.   Do you know what I originally thought Jesus was talking about when he asked “Why did you doubt?”   I understood why Peter doubted his ability to walk on water.   To my mind, it took tremendous faith in God to just step out of the boat, let alone to find his faith sufficient to carry him ON the water.   What I couldn’t understand is why Peter and the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus in the storm.   “Lord, if it’s you tell me to come to you on the water.” King James: If it be thou, bid me come New American ...