Walking The Walk

"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...

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’S purpose that prevails.” ~Proverbs 19:21 Think about how much happier we would be in our lives, if we simply focused on what we can change.  But we don’t.  Too often we are worried about things we can’t control. We are focused on the behavior of other people. Or are fretting about events that haven’t even happened yet and that are completely out of our control. It used to irritate me when somebody would tell me to fix what I can fix and leave the rest to God. I thought it unrealistic. I’m wiser now. I gained that wisdom by spending so much time worrying about things I can’t control. Trying to fix people that don’t want to be fixed.  Most of the things we worry about in life are things beyond our ability to control. Instead of fretting over it, pray over it. It might surprise you the difference that makes. Just acknowledging the fact you are powerless in a situation can take much of that burden from you. And ever...

  "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;  for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 In an article I read recently, it said that a surprising number of Christians admitted that one area where they are lacking is in prayer.  The biggest challenge is often getting into a consistent habit of prayer.  Prayer can take many forms.  Some people pray when they exercise.  Some pray when they're commuting.  Some people keep a prayer journal and write their daily prayers down.  Whatever habit you create for yourself, always remember that God wants to hear from us.  He wants to be involved in our lives.  And God hears our prayers. Set a little time aside today and talk with God. (excerpted from Wednesday Night ReCharge message at Muncie Baptist Church 2/23/2022) ~Todd E. Creason

We were having a discussion in one of my seminary classes last week, and one of my classmates made the remark that she feels like the internet has made her dumber than she used to be.  She pointed out how she used to have to rely on her memory much more before smart phones--addresses, phone numbers, dates, etc. She said she doesn't even bother to try and remember details anymore, because as long as she has her phone she can just Google it.   I've noticed the same thing.  I'm a huge fan of cinema, and I can point out an actor in a movie in about two seconds--even somebody in a small role.  I can almost always come up with their name and tell you about three other movies or television shows they were in.  These days instead of searching for it in my memory, I'll just look it up on my phone. I do believe that the easy access to information has made us much weaker mentally.  We rely our our tool instead of our minds. And I believe it makes us spiritually w...

When I was beginning my career, I was anxious for a promotion.  An opportunity had opened for a store manager, and I had quickly made my interest known to my supervisor. My supervisor had simply declined to interview me for the job. I disagreed with his decision and we wound up having a long talk about it. He went over all the things a store manager does--there were a lot of things on that list I knew little about.  Scheduling. Inventory. Ordering. Banking.  Daily paperwork. Payroll.  He also pointed out to me the opportunities he had given me to learn about some of these things, which I had declined. He said I wasn't ready for it.   I knew he was right.  I decided then and there I was going to learn everything there was to know about running a store--and I did.  Six months later, that same position opened up again, and I didn't have to ask for an interview.  There was no interview.  The job was mine if I wanted it.  I wound up the top m...