Shared from All-Pro Dads

I got this in email today and just have to share it with you. Hope it helps you and your family.

Do you have a family-centered life?  Review the list below and add your own thoughts in our Comments section.

1.    Mom and Dad have a consistent date night alone together at least once a month.

2.    Dad has scheduled one-on-one time with each of his children at least once a month.

3.    Entire family gathers for dinner at least 3 times a week.

4.    Dad texts, e-mails or calls each of his children at least once a day.

5.    A monthly family home video night.

6.    A monthly family board game night.

7.    Saturday chores are done with the kids helping.

8.    At least once every three months, Dad brings lunch to school for his kids.

9.    Dad prays with each of his children before they go to bed each night.

10.  Weekly church attendance.

11.  Three TV shows per week are watched by the entire family (with commercials muted).

12.  Dad's job does not keep him working a lot of late nights or weekends.

13.  Entire family has at least one week of vacation time together per year.

14.  Mom and Dad attend at least one marriage strengthening conference per year.

15.  Family attempts camping at least once a year.

16.  Dad attends or coordinates a Daddy/Daughter Dance.

17.  Dad personally knows all of his children's teachers and is involved in the PTA.

18.  Dad's time with his buddies more often than not includes everyone's kids.

19.  More family activities are planned outdoors than indoors.

20.  Dad honors his own parents.

http://www.allprodad.com/articles/general-fatherhood/20-tips-for-creating-a-family-centered-life/

Weekly Devotional - October 26, 2012

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing."

1 Timothy 2:8 NIV

You lift your hands for a lot of reasons. When someone asks for volunteers, you lift your hand. When you agree, you raise your hand. When you disagree, you raise your hand. You raise your hand in support. You raise your hand in protest. A raised hand is a welcome sign. A raised hand can also be a stop sign.

The Bible tells us to pray with lifted hands. A lifted hand is a surrendered hand. Prayer is hindered when the pray-er has not surrendered to the Lord. Prayer is not a way of telling God what to do. Instead, prayer is a way of joining God in what he is doing. Not "Lord, do this for me" but "Lord, I will do this for you."

Lifted hands must be holy hands. A popular end-of-prayer-tag is this, "Father, forgive us of our sins." We say it as if it is a formula and as if it is forgotten. Asking for forgiveness ought to be in our prayers as often as sin is in our lives. Holy hands are hands that aren't stained with sin. And there is only one way to wash the sin from your hands. Pilate tried to wash from his hands the guilt of handing over Jesus for crucifixion but could not do it with water. Some religions teach that baptismal waters wash away sins but they do not. Only the blood of Jesus, applied to the repentant sinner, can wash away sins and make hands holy.

Lifted and holy hands must be connected to a heart that is right with God and right with others. Anger and disputes drive wedges between the pray-er and God and between the pray-er and his fellow man. Isn't it ridiculous to pray, "Lord, help me do your will," or "Lord, here are my needs" when you have a wedge in your life separating you from God or other people?

Prayer is an act of worship. Surrendered, your prayers are rightly turned toward God's will. Holy, your prayers are unhindered by sin. With good relationships, your prayers are made with right motive. Pray that God will help you lift holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

God's Love

As we run we have some pretty good talks about God and people. I've gotten inspiration for many sermons and sermon illustrations on these dark mornings on Rushing Road. Today is just another example of God speaking to us through believers. (Remember, that's one of the ways God speaks according to Blackaby's "Experiencing God.")

I really don't remember exactly what we were talking about but my running buddy said, "Do you think God will ever learn?" He wasn't being disrespectful to God but was pointing out that we wouldn't be as persistent as God is. You know how God continues to have faith in the church to carry out the Great Commission? Or how he is ready to forgive the repentant, even repeating, sinner? Or how he continues to bless us even when we don't get it right. The conversation wasn't along those lines exactly but that's a good application of the thought.

So he says, "When I was a kid I slammed my hand in a car door. One time. I never did it again." That was in the context of "Do you think God will ever learn?"

I gathered my breath and in a little while said, "If we loved getting in the car as much as God loves us, we'd get our hands slammed in the door more often." We ran in silence for a few seconds.

Think about how much God loves you. John 3:16 says that he loves you enough to send his only son Jesus to die for your sins so you won't have to. Romans 5:8 says that he did this even before anyone placed faith for salvation in Jesus and his sacrifice, while we still enjoyed our sin.

Sometimes love hurts. Like slamming your hand in a car door. At some point the pain hurts more than the joy so we keep our hand out of the car door or off the hot stove. Or we keep our hearts out of relationships. Or we give up on somebody. But we miss the joy.

God must have decided that the joy of loving us was greater than the pain of loving us. I'm glad he did.

A Victorious Day

The Major League Baseball Postseason is in full swing. These teams are out: Braves, Rangers, Reds, Nationals, Orioles, Athletics, and Yankees. These teams are still in: Tigers, Cardinals, and Giants. Detroit has a punched ticket to the World Series. St. Louis and San Francisco have one more game to play to decide who the National League team will be.

Every team - except the Tigers - that advanced to the next level did so in a win or go home game. The Cardinals beat the Braves in a one-game Wild Card game. The Cardinals beat the Nationals in the fifth of a five-game series. The Orioles beat the Rangers in a one-game Wild Card game. The Yankees beat the Orioles in the fifth of a five-game series. And tonight the Cardinals and Giants face off in the seventh game of their seven-game series.

The Tigers, however, swept the Yankees to win the AL pennant.

I expect the World Series will go six or seven games.

In other words, winning the World Series will not be easy.

Seems like that describes life on most days. Lots of hard work is necessary to succeed or just survive. Sometimes you find yourself in a win or go home situation. To be your best you have to play the best and do your best. You have to overcome obstacles, injury, loss.

Except for the Tigers/Yankees series, the winner who moved on won only one more game than they lost. Success isn't always a clean sweep with no losses or errors. Success is just winning more than you lose.

The good news for Christians is that we are on the winning team! Jesus died to clean up our mistakes. Jesus resurrected and lives now to promise our victory. We still have delays, face disappointments, and get derailed. But these are light and momentary issues, as Paul would say. In the end, we win!

There's just one way to lose. Refuse to be on Jesus' side of the battle.

• "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).
• "No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
• "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57)
• "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:5)

Here's to a victorious day!

Weekly Devotional - October 19, 2012

"Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul

to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

2 Samuel 9:1 NIV

 

Saul was anything but kind to David. Israel's first king was the jealous type and tried to kill the young man who would be Israel's second king. Saul grew to hate David although David had been of great help and comfort to him. And David was Saul's son's best friend. David and Jonathan were like brothers.

 

David had sworn to be kind to Jonathan's family in spite of Saul's actions. Saul and Jonathan died in battle then David became king of Israel. Jonathan had a five year old son at the time of his death. Years later, after David had waged war against his enemies, the king remembered his oath to his friend. Jonathan's son was old enough now to have a son of his own but the passing of time did not diminish David's love for Jonathan.

 

Remembering his oath, David looks for someone from Saul's family to whom he can show kindness. A couple of interesting aspects are here. First, we should remember and keep our promises. David may have forgotten the promise along the way but he finally came around to remembering it. In his commentary, Matthew Henry suggests that this is because David was a good man who sought to please God. "Good men should seek opportunities of doing good." David was a man after God's own heart and that led him to keep his promise and be kind to Saul's family.

 

The second interesting thing about David's actions was that he did not hold a grudge. The oath was with Jonathan and certainly it was Jonathan's son  to whom David would show kindness. But I believe had there been another member of Saul's family living at that time that David would have been kind to him, too. David asked if anyone was left from Saul's house, not Jonathan's house.

 

Forgetting commitments you've made or neglecting to keep them because of ill feelings is not godly. Pray that God will help you keep your promises.

Get Going!

My trainer let me have it Saturday. He said I am hardheaded. Can you believe that! Actually, it's true. I've come to the point that I'm happy with the results and comfortable with the effort. What difference does that make? I'm not progressing in my fitness trek.

Doesn't the same thing happen spiritually? I mean, do you sometimes just get satisfied with your current level of spiritual maturity? So you slip out of drive into neutral and you coast. But the truth is that if you aren't moving forward you are going backward. That is certainly true in physical training and it's also true in spiritual growth.

Are you at a plateau in your path of growth? Somebody needs to get in your face a little. OK, I'll do it. GET GOING!

Apply these spiritual disciplines daily.

• Pray in faith.
• Read the Word.
• Fellowship with believers.
• Witness to the world.
• Serve others.

GET GOING!

Weekly Devotional - October 12, 2012

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."

1 Corinthians 3:6 NIV

I had conversations recently with two men who expressed a desire to see the harvest of their labors. The desire is not limited to these two but seems to be a hunger across humanity. If you put in the labor you want to see the results.

Jesus talked about the value of each person involved in bringing a crop to harvest. The soil must be prepared. The seed must be sown. The growing plants must be watered. And the ripened grain must be harvested. That's a lot of work! You who are farmers or gardeners know the effort that must be used in each step. And you know the reward for putting out the effort.

No harvest ever comes without the prerequisite work. I was an accounting major in college for a couple of years. Because I transferred from one university to another after my first semester, I was behind and out of sync with the recommended coursework. Trying to catch up, I took Cost Accounting before taking Intermediate Accounting - a prerequisite course. I struggled through Cost Accounting more than I should have because I didn't have the groundwork of understanding needed for the course. I did not "harvest" a good grade because I had not "planted" and "watered" my knowledge of accounting!

The harvest will come and it will be bountiful when the planting and watering have taken place. So Jesus says each part of the process is important - not just the reaping.

Paul refused to argue about this and simply said, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." At the end of the harvest, the glory belongs to God not to us. I believe that although those who sow and water may never know the outcome of their labors while on this earth, they will be pleasantly surprised in heaven.

Are you planting and watering? Are you looking for the harvest? Pray that God will help you see how you can be a worker in the field.

Adversity and Faith

Adversity waits along the pathway for everybody. Nobody is immune to it. The best we can hope for it to handle it effectively. Rather than let it turn us away from God, adversity can strengthen our faith.

How do you handle adversity?

Some of us just give up at the first bit of resistance. Life's going pretty good but then something happens and you struggle. Then you quit. You quit trying. You quit moving forward. You give up on your dreams.

Others will fight for a little while but then adjust their course so the resistance is bearable. If you believe your original path was right, worthy, or legitimate then to change that course for whatever reason is to cave into the pressure. The world calls this "compromise" but it's really just letting go of what you know to be true.

Then some will stay the course no matter what. You may not understand why the adversity came. You may not know how survival is possible. But you press on. You press on because you believe that God exists and that he has a plan for your life. You believe that his plan is greater than any plan you could devise and implement. Even though you do not know the plan, you know God. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and confident of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

Adversity can shake your faith. Or adversity can strengthen you faith. Which will it be? It's up to you.

Weekly Devotional - October 5, 2012

"And without faith it is impossible to please God."

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

 

Riley has been playing baseball for seven years. I won't say that he is a natural but he has learned the basics very well. He's in his second season of football and I can't say he's got the basics of this game down yet. But he's learning!

 

I go to all the practices. I'd really like to help coach like I do in baseball but I sit in my red folding chair ($10 from Walmart) like a bunch of other parents. Riley likes defense better than offense. He's worked his way onto the starting defensive unit. And when the first team offense is practicing, he loves to play on the defensive scout team.

 

So he plays on defense for most of the practice. His position is usually on the same side of the practice field where I'm sitting. When he makes a good play he looks over at me and I give him a thumbs up.

 

Riley wants to please me. He wants to know that I am pleased with him. He doesn't look for the affirmation with baseball because he's been doing it long enough to know when he's done something that will please me. But with football I get several glances each practice and game.

 

Christians ought to want to please God. You should try to live so as to please your father. But what does God expect? What pleases God? The simple answer is: faithfulness. The more in depth answer is: faithfulness.

 

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." That classic definition comes from Hebrews 11:1. When your hope is in Christ Jesus you can have faith. When you believe although you do not see, you have faith. Trusting God to do what only he can do is living by faith.

 

And if you live like this and then glance toward your heavenly father, he'll give you a thumbs up. Pray that God will help you help you live by faith and be pleased with you as his child.

Weekly Devotional - September 28, 2012

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love."

Psalm 103:8 NIV

 

When David wrote the 103rd Psalm he poured out praise to God. Read it and notice that David mentions dozens of attributes of the Lord. Each attribute praise-worthy and taken as a whole they paint a picture of one worthy of our honor and devotion.

Couched in the middle of the Psalm is a phrase we might overlook. We might even take for granted that the Lord is slow to anger. I've done enough - haven't you? - that the Lord would be totally justified to take immediate and harsh action to punish me for my wrongs. Yet he is slow to anger.

That makes me think about the way I treat other people. I would rather you not ask my family if I, too, am slow to anger. I'm one of those people who is pretty good at holding back the emotion but when it does surface...well, it's nothing to be proud of.

What is it about God, that I lack, that allows him to be slow to anger? The answer is not just a deficiency for me; I hear it from so many people on a regular basis. God is patient. He is supremely patient. We are not. Some of us may be more patient than others, but we are not supremely patient.

Patience keeps God's anger in check. He's not just stuffing his anger down inside until he will one day explode. He is actually willing to wait and put his anger aside. He's angry with sin. He will punish the sinner. The Bible makes clear that a day is coming when those who do not claim the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of sins will receive the most severe punishment - separation from him. Until then he is patient while people come to him for salvation.

If God can be patient, can I? Can you? Yes, because patience is a character quality that grows from a cultivated relationship with Jesus. See Galatians 5:22-23. Pray that God will grow his character within you.

Replacement Officials

So the National Football League and the officials' union have come to an agreement that ends the lockout. Last night's game between Cleveland and Baltimore was the first this season to have to regular referees officiate the game. Up until now the games were officiated by replacement referees - guys from various levels of experience, some whom had been released from obligations at lower levels of football. A few had been fired by the Pac12 in college football. One had been fired by the Lingerie Football League.

Unless you've been successful at ignoring the sportscasts, newscasts, and pop culture shows, you already know that each week featured a few bad calls or no-calls by the replacements. The worst was a game-ending, game-changing call on Monday Night Football. The Green Bay Packers, with the lead, intercepted a desperation pass in the end zone as time expired. But the replacement officials called it a touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks. Game over. Seattle wins. Green Bay and everyone else loses.

This is where Dandy Don Meredith should sing "Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over." Over for the replacement officials. Almost 48 hours later, a new contract was ready for approval by the officials' union.

That was an interesting 48 hours. Every sports talk show on radio and TV talked about it. National mainline media carried it on their news programs. Presidents, past and present, weighed in on the issue. I don't particularly like the NFL's style of the game but I was captured by it.

Labor disputes really irritate me, especially when an agreement is quickly reached after months of negotiations. Actually, I just hate negotiations. I've walked off car lots when they start that. Just give me the best price and if I can do it I'll pay it. But don't ask me what I think I can pay or float a ridiculous price out there.

Anyway, labor disputes irritate me. They highlight selfishness. At least one side, sometimes both, is acting without much regard for the other. Philippians 2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." If we would just apply biblical principles to our negotiations, everybody wins. But, no, one side feels cheated or disrespected or oppressed if the other side gets anything out of the negotiation.

So the NFL was extremely embarrassed Monday night. The public turned up the heat on both the League and the officials' union. Both are at fault. And an agreement that could have been reached weeks ago is negotiated. Both sides step forward to take credit, neglecting to acknowledge their fault.

I thought it was funny that the NFL Network, airing last night's game, went to commercial break with a highlight package of the real referees back at work. The game was scoreless at the time so maybe having the regulars back on the field WAS the highlight.

Now, what about the replacements? Seems to me that out of the dozens of men who took the field so that the most popular sport in America could go on, just a handful of them are really to blame. Sure, they were probably all in over their heads but they weren't all totally confused. I'm thinking that most of them did a pretty good job. In fact, as the NFL hires a pool of "referees in training," some of these replacements might be in that group...if the union can quit thinking like Big Labor and not call these guys "scabs." Some of them may deserve a legitimate shot at the NFL. Given the training that the regulars have had, and placed on a team of officials with senior members, some of them could have a respectable career with the NFL.

I'm afraid that won't happen. Typical of our society is to lump the good with the bad and call it all bad. We'll throw out the baby with the bath water. One bad apple (or a few) WILL spoil the whole barrel. If his resume lists "Replacement Official" he'll get shuffled to the bottom of the pile and won't hear back from his prospective employer. The good guys take a black eye they don't deserve. Or a black ball they don't deserve.

I hope I'm wrong. I'd like to see the refs who caused the problems go back to doing something else. And I'd like to see the refs with some potential given the opportunity to develop that potential. And I'd really like to see labor disputes handled better next time.

Random Scripture

I have a Bible app on my iPhone. To navigate to a particular verse you scroll through the list of books then chapters then verses. So I thought about trying to use it like you would in a printed Bible. You know how you'll just open it, point your finger to the page, and read wherever your finger lands?

"Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the short ephah, which is accursed?" (Micah 6:10)

Now to figure out the application. Not too hard here.

People sometimes act like they think God will overlook their sins. Whether you are a believer or not, you should be aware that God is serious about sin. If he took on human flesh in order to deal with sin, it's not something he's likely to forget about - especially when we live as if there are no consequences.

But God did take on human flesh. Jesus did die for our sins. You can be forgiven. You can receive power to stand strong when facing temptation. You can be changed.

God sees your sin. God takes note of it. God is angered by it. And God is moved by it.

You can't hide your lawlessness, your disobedience, your twisting the truth, or your missing the mark. Not from God. Maybe from friends or family. Not from God.

You can't wait out God, either. His memory is long. He won't forget. There will be a day of reckoning.

But God's grace is greater than your sin. Sin must be punished; that's why Jesus died. Now grace offers forgiveness to those who are repentant. Confess you sins and God forgives.

That is no random act of kindness but a calculated act of love. Here's another verse that "just came to mind."

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

These are no random passages of scripture. God placed them in my path today to remind me of the seriousness of my sin. And to remind me of his grace and forgiveness.

Weekly Devotional - September 21, 2012

"In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance
with the riches of God's grace."

2 Corinthians 7:6 NIV

We had a common tie from over thirty years ago. Outside that, I didn't really know him other than by name. But the common tie lead to being "friends" on Facebook. He was not a Christian - not anything, really, but certainly not Christian. Some form of Eastern mysticism had of his spiritual attention.

He didn't like the southern Christianity we had both grown up on. For me, it was life-giving and life-sustaining. For him, it was repulsive. And he said so on several posts on my timeline. Until I asked about the health of a person in his family. That seemed to break the ice.

He initiated a chat session that lasted about an hour. The chat was cordial even when we talked about Christianity. He just couldn't accept the deity of Christ and ridiculed the faith expressions he had seen years ago.

But he said if Christians could somehow talk about three things more than anything else - if we could show him how Christianity provides these three longings in his life - maybe he would believe.

Love. Forgiveness. Redemption. I'll never forget that conversation. I'll never forget his desire to be really loved, forgiven, and redeemed. He died about a year later having never found what he longed for.

Love. Forgiveness. Redemption. People look for these things in lots of places...all the wrong places, according to a country song. But love, forgiveness, and redemption can only be found in Jesus Christ. And those of us who have found him must share him with those who are without him.

God loves you. God is willing to forgive you of your sins. God can redeem you and make of you something beautiful, meaningful, and useful. Pray that God will help you know his love, forgiveness, and redemption, and share it with others.

Church Discipline

I'm preparing a message on church membership so I've been reading a lot about the subject. One of the articles was written by Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in the Dallas area. Matt asks how can a church do church discipline if there is no membership? He says, "How can you kick someone 'out' if there isn't an 'in'?'"

That brings to mind two instances of church discipline I've been involved with as a pastor over the years. Both took their toll on the church's statistics: attendance and offerings plummeted. I had some who supported what we did and others who questioned the actions.

My question is this: Why do churches avoid church discipline? I think there are at least three reasons. First, they just simply don't know to do it or how to do it. Matthew 18:15-18 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-12 are two good sources of teaching on the topic. Clearly, Jesus commanded it and Paul endorsed it. Apparently, Paul even applied church discipline. Churches will be wise to learn what church discipline is and how to biblically apply it.

Another reason I believe churches avoid church discipline is that they don't want to offend anyone or create conflict. Christians are supposed to be loving and forgiving, aren't we? So rather than butt heads with the transgressor we just let it go. There's a difference between forgiving a repentant church member and ignoring the offense. Sometimes we equate forgiving a brother's sin and hoping it just goes away. Rather than risk offending a brother we neglect our responsibility. Onlookers see this as condoning the sin. The church loses its integrity. Non-believers may not agree with our beliefs but they do expect us to live by what we believe.

And the idea that bringing a wayward believer to discipline creates conflict misses the mark. The conflict already exists. The church already suffers. The kingdom already has a tarnished image. The member already is outside God's will. Church discipline doesn't bring on conflict, it deals with conflict already present.

A third reason churches look past the necessity of church discipline is that they don't want to lose people. Prideful people count things that aren't what counts most. I'm all for keeping the stats that most churches keep. It helps us manage resources and plan for current and future ministry. But when the number of people we attract to a service is more important than the depth of each person's relationship with Christ, we have missed the point. Sure, the best case scenario is that we have lots of people in church; all at different levels of maturity but all maturing. And we need lost people in our midst with whom we are sharing the gospel and to whom we are demonstrating the Christian life. I'm convinced that neglecting church discipline puts a limit on the number of people a church will see and the quality of the relationships being cultivated.

Let's take Jesus' word and put it into practice. The passage in Matthew 18 says to try to reconcile the offender and if that does not happen then we are to "treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." That doesn't mean to give up on them but to do all you can to bring them to the cross and to redemption and forgiveness. That's how Jesus treated pagans and tax collectors.

Church discipline does not weaken the church. It strengthens the church.

Weekly Devotional - September 7, 2012

"But God, who comforts the downcast,

comforted us by the coming of Titus."

2 Corinthians 7:6 NIV

Case One: He had recently lost his wife of 60 years. They were rarely seen apart from each other. Friends and family looked to the senior couple as an example of a godly marriage and lasting love. You can understand his loneliness and emptiness.

Case Two: The job had been steady for her. With a recent promotion and pay raise behind her, she and her husband decided to buy a new house. The payment was higher than they were accustomed to but the raise would cover it, right? Then the company had to downsize and she was laid off. You can understand her fear and uncertainty.

Case Three: He was seventeen years old and the world was full of promise. He starred on the football team and dated a cheerleader. He was to graduate at the top of his class in the spring. But Thanksgiving break saw his father move out. By Christmas his girlfriend left him. On New Years Eve he sits in his truck with a shotgun on the seat beside him. You can understand his hopelessness.

These three cases are close enough to reality to help us see into the thought processes that lead to suicide, alcohol or drug use, or loneliness. Our first response might be that we don't understand these responses because we are Christians. Maybe it's because we are not dealing with these issues.

But you are right, Jesus is the answer. It's just that we don't really know how firmly we are standing on the solid rock until actually buffeted by the howling winds of disaster. And if someone is hit unexpectedly he might become downcast.

God sent Titus to comfort Paul at a time when Paul really needed it. Someone in your circle of influence may really need comfort today. Will you be Titus to them? Pray that God will help you see them and be a comfort to them today.

Why Read a Daily Devotional

Many of us have a quiet time each day. If you do, what do you use for that? Do you read the Bible? Do you use a daily devotional? Both? Do you pray? Do you use a list? Do you keep a prayer journal?

Let me be honest. I answered "yes" to some of those questions and "no" to some of them. I can spend time expounding on reasons to do all these things because each of them will help you draw closer to the Lord. Don't even think you can have a quiet time or close walk with Jesus without reading the Bible and praying. Sometimes we need a little help, though.

That's why I want to tell you why I think it's important to use a daily devotional.

First, reading and thinking about God's Word will bring to light some aspects of the scripture because the Holy Spirit will direct your thoughts. The Spirit also directs the thoughts of others who have studied the passage. By reading their thoughts published in a devotional (printed or online, formal or just a blog) you can see how they responded to the Spirit's leading. You know how you can read a passage over and over again and then all of a sudden you see something new? Gathering your thoughts along with those of others sort of speeds up that process. Their reflections on a passage may or may not click with you but if it does, it's worth the time to look at it.

Second, because of God's omniscience (he knows everything) and his sovereignty (he has ultimate control of everything), what I read in a daily, dated devotional often is exactly what I need for that period in my life. I can't tell you how many times this has happened. I experience something then the devotional directs me to a passage that speaks directly to the experience. Or I read an entry in the devotional then have an opportunity to share it with someone or put the principle into practice in my own life within a day or so. I never think that this is just a coincidence; it's God at work! He used that bit of structure to impact my life.

Third, as the word "devotional" implies, you can be inspired by just a sentence or thought shared in the reading. I love to study and dig deep into God's Word. I also love those "drive by" inspirations. They are unexpected but refreshing. Sometimes even convicting.

Fourth, you will find excellent fodder in a daily devotional for your posts to Facebook timelines and Twitter feeds. Just this morning I read a post on a friend's Facebook timeline and a sentence jumped off the page and into my heart. He is reading "Jesus Calling" and shared this. "Nothing is wasted when it is shared with Me." That line just popped for me so I shared it, too! If something in your quiet time touches you in a special way, share it! Your friends will be glad you did. [Suggestion: mix in scripture and one-liners from a devotional along with your other stuff on social media.]

I'd like to hear some other reasons you may have for using a devotional in your quiet time. Leave a comment!

Weekly Devotional - August 31, 2012

"If the Lord delights in a man's way,
He makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

Psalm 37:23-24 NIV

Life is not lived on level ground. You deal with ups and downs, potholes and ruts, obstacles and challenges. You know those "Adopt a Highway" programs where community groups or Sunday School classes pick up trash along the sides of the roads?  I need someone to do that for the road of life I'm traveling!

And I have someone like that. So do you. His name is Jesus. Do you ever wonder how much stuff Jesus has picked up and removed from your path? We'll never know the full extent of what he does to protect us, but I don't think all the landfills on the earth could hold the trash he removes from our paths.

But sometimes he leaves it there. Sometimes he does not remove the obstacles. Sometimes he chooses to have us deal with the ups and downs. And I don't know why.

Psalm 37 does give insight into how we should live our lives. Just listen to some of the phrases from this psalm. "Do not fret." "Trust in the Lord." "Commit your way to the Lord." "Be still before the Lord." "Refrain from anger." "Turn from evil." "Wait for the Lord."

Can you do those things? Can you live like that? God promises us that his Spirit is with us to help us live like that. The key is to focus on the Lord or, as the psalmist puts it, "Delight yourself in the Lord" (37:4). Do you know what happens when you do that? "He will give you the desires of your heart."

When you delight in the Lord, the Lord delights in your way. He makes your steps firm and upholds you even when you stumble.

How do you deal with the ups and downs you are facing today? You can focus on the stuff in the way or you can focus on the Lord. Pray that God will delight in your way as you delight in him today.

I Want To Be Like That

I took the 90 minute drive to Searcy today to visit one of our church members. Dee Beckham moved from Little Rock to Arlington, Texas a couple of years ago. She's now living in an assisted living facility in Searcy. Her sister lives in Searcy and she wanted to be closer to her.

Here's the back story. Dee and Jim have been married for quite a while. Second (at least) marriages for both of them. They make a wonderful couple. They've lived in our neck of the woods for a long time and were faithful in our church. As they aged, they both had illnesses and conditions so that they could no longer live on their own. Due to family issues (it's a blended family, remember) Dee went to Arlington to live with her daughter and son-in-law and Jim went to South Carolina to live with his son. Wouldn't that be a hard decision to reach? No decision at all, really. They had no choice.

Dee's 85th birthday was July 30. She came to Searcy to spend some time with her sister and decided to stay. Searcy is home to her and she and her sister are the only ones left. I found out last week that she had moved so I planned the trip to see her.

I've always enjoyed visiting with our seniors because they have good stories to tell and wisdom to offer. That's Dee and Jim! The last summer before moving away, they had lots of doctors appointments. They couldn't drive so I was their driver. And Riley (9 years old at the time) was my side-kick. That was a really good summer. Riley and I spent a lot of time together. I was able to show him a side of ministry I never saw as a child growing up in a preacher's home. We both enjoyed getting to know the Beckhams a little better.

What really sticks out about those summer conversations and today's conversation is this. Dee believes in prayer. Any problem they faced back then, she bathed in prayer. One of the first things she told me this morning was that she had been praying today for everyone in the church she could remember. Nothing is too small to pray about or too big for prayer to help. Dee is a prayer warrior. I want to be like that.

Another thing about Dee that I really admire is her simple understanding of our problems. During the summer trips to the doctor she asked about some of the problems our church was facing. I couldn't say much because of confidentiality so she did most of the talking. Finally, she said, "I just hope ________ will repent." Sin is sin and there's only one thing to do with it: repent. Dee understands the root of our problems, she knows the answer, and she's not afraid to say it. I want to be like that.

I count it a joy and a privilege to be Dee's pastor even if she will never again live in our community or attend our services. I'm a better pastor because I'm Dee's pastor.

Coffee, the Word, and Tunes

This has been a good morning. The weather has been nice. The house is quiet. The coffee was aromatic and tasty. The Bible challenged me. The songs helped me express my worship. I've neglected spending a lengthy time in this setting. Not sure why but my quiet time is often rushed, short, shallow. I don't like it like that. It's better like it's been this morning.

Your schedule may be more crammed than mine but I know that spending time with the Lord ALWAYS makes the day better. Let's say that you jump out of bed, hit the showers, feed the kids, get everyone off or delivered to their place for the day, drive through Starbucks for a shot of caffeine, rush to work just in time, then rewind all that eight hours later. Where's the time to have a quiet time?

A book is titled, "Too Busy Not to Pray." I think we can expand that idea to "Too Busy Not to Have a Quiet Time." Prayer and Bible study, time alone with God, is essential. What happens if your schedule gets one hiccup? That messes up everything! Doesn't it make sense that spending a little time with the Lord might help?

Here's how. First, he may keep your path smooth ahead of you so you get to all your stops today. Second, he may give you patience to deal with the delays when you hit the bumps. Third, he may have taught you something this morning that will help you be gracious to those who mess up your plans. I can think of many reasons I should reserve time for Jesus before I get started with the day.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the day and to tomorrow! This is the day the Lord has made. Let's rejoice and be glad in it...even if it's Monday.

Weekly Devotional - August 24, 2012

“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks

that they must turn to God in repentance

and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

Acts 20:21 NIV

What does it take to be right with God? That’s a question that gets a variety of answers in response. The most common response I hear is that being right with God requires living according to a certain code. Doing the right things is the key to being right with God, they say.

Some of these people never go to church and aren’t involved in a community of believers. They think that being a good person who does good deeds is the goal of life. And if they believe in an afterlife, then being and doing good opens the portal to it. Some are extremely generous and do much good for their families and for society. But are they right with God?

Others go to church as if attendance is their religion. They are more pious than others when the church doors are open. They are as worldly as anyone when the doors are closed. They think they are better than others because they do more for the church and for the Lord than anyone else. But are they right with God?

The apostle Paul was one of those in this last group prior to his conversion to Christianity. Read the first few verses of Philippians 3 and you’ll sense the arrogance he once had. But keep reading in that chapter and you’ll learn what he thinks about empty piety and meaningless religion.

Paul knew what it meant to be against the Lord and he knew what it meant to be right with God. Two words: repentance and faith. Repentance is turning away from your sin and following God. Faith is dependent trust that following Jesus is the path of righteousness. Only through repentance and faith (both - one alone won’t work!) is a person right with God.

Are you right with God? Have you turned to him in repentance and placed your faith in Jesus? Pray that God will save you as you turn to him in repentance and faith.