What Binds Us Together

For the past two years I have been getting up early three days a week (most weeks!) to walk or jog on Rushing Road. One person has been with me the whole time, Forrest Grimmett. It was his idea. At Thanksgiving Dinner at church two years ago he looked across the table and over my piled up plate and asked if I wanted to start exercising with him. What could I say?

It's been a great two years in a lot of ways. I've lost weight. I've cut my BP and cholesterol meds in half. I have more energy. I've bought new clothes! And I've gained dozens of sermon ideas and illustrations.

A few days ago I was thinking about this journey. Forrest and I have had others join us. And we've had some leave us. The reasons for hopping off Rushing Road vary. "Not for me." "Too much work." "Too early." "Not getting enough out of it." "I'll do something else, somewhere else, with someone else."

As we started out and began to shape up a bit, our band of merry walkers was strung out along Rushing Road. We didn't all go at the same pace. Then some began to run while others still walked so we were strung out further and further.

I think people think that doing something together means doing it at the same pace. Granted, I've told Deana that I'd rather walk with her than run without her. But I prefer to run while she is walking.

What binds us together isn't that we are within arm's reach of one another but that we are all on Rushing Road. It's the road, the path, the journey that binds us together. Some of us run on Rushing Road. Some of us walk on Rushing Road. It doesn't matter if your pace is 18:00 per mile or 8:00 per mile, we are on the same road. We are journeying together.

That reminds me of church in a lot of ways. We ought to focus on the journey - which is walking with Jesus. As a church, we journey together. So I don't understand why some who start the journey quit. "Not for me." "Too much work." "Too early." "Not getting enough out of it." "I'll do something else, somewhere else, with someone else."

Rather than focus on how spread out we are on the journey, focus on the journey. It's true that some people have been walking longer with Jesus. It's true that some people put more effort into walking with Jesus. It's true that - for whatever reasons - some people get more out of walking with Jesus. To let that frustrate you (or puff you up) is like using the differences on Rushing Road as an excuse to quit exercising.

The journey, the walk with Jesus, is what binds a group of people together as a church. We help each other. We encourage each other. We share the load. But letting the fact that we aren't all within arm's length of each other deter us from the journey makes as much sense as letting the same reality keep us from Rushing Road.

Sometimes I think that church people think we are to be bound by a rope tied all around us keeping us firmly together. Maybe that rope is to be stretched out along the path and we are all to hold on to it - wherever we are along the path of walking with Jesus. It's time to break out of the Holy Huddle and enjoy the journey.

Me and the Goofballs

I bought a bright green cord for my iPhone. That's about the flashiest thing about me. Well, that and the little dance move that only Deana, Riley, and I know about. And they can't share that or they might turn up missing!

On the other hand, there are people who seem to announce their arrival into a room. "Hey, it's me!" You'd be shocked if you found out they hand a black or white phone cord. Maybe black and white stripes.

People are so different from each other. I guess that's a good thing but I think the normal ones are the ones like me. The rest of you are just goofballs!

It's when we make a big deal about our differences that we should get a slap on the wrist...or bottom...or face. The biblical perspective is that every person is created under the great care of our heavenly Father. Each of us is special and carry the image of God within us. I understand the biology of reproduction but I also know there is a mystery of creation behind all of it. Creator God is not far away and aloof. Instead, he is near and engaged.

He cares.

In the New Testament we can read that because of and through Jesus Christ there is no longer a difference between races, sexes, occupations, or anything else. There are really just two kinds of people: those who follow Jesus Christ and those who do not.

Yet there is no other person who looks just like me (Silence!) and nobody else acts like me. I'm unique and so are you! The diversity obvious in the human race is a testimony of God's genius. Blend that with a single purpose that we all hold in common and something about God comes into clearer focus.

We are all created to honor God with our praise. That looks different from person to person but the bottom line is the same. A person in Asia honors God with her praise differently than a person in South America does with his.

Don't misunderstand me...I'm not talking about a syncretistic outlook that sees all religions as equally valid. I believe faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to righteousness with God. No world religion can accomplish this so all of them fail. Praise is genuine only when directed toward Jesus.

The book of Philippians says that we will all one day bow to Jesus and confess him as Lord. That's a good thing except that for some people this will happen in hell as they finally realize and admit the truth. But by then it will be too late to escape the place of torment reserved for those who reject Jesus during their lifetimes.

Does that bother you? As followers of Jesus we ought to get a sick feeling in our stomachs when confronted with the reality that many people we see today will spend eternity in torment separated from God. We ought to have a sense of urgency to help others come to Jesus.

Jesus isn't looking for an army of clones who spout religious sayings. He is looking for people of every nation, tribe, and tongue to honor him with their praise. We will all look different. We will all speak a different language. We will all praise him in ways unique to us. But we will all direct that praise to the one true living God - Jesus Christ.

The Bible paints a clear picture of such a diverse group praising Jesus in heaven for eternity. When we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we are really yearning for a little bit of that heavenly picture to be our reality today. Amen! Let it be so!

Now, what can you do to gather this diverse crowd around the praise of Jesus?

Running the Race and Keeping the Pace

Today was the first day to run in over a week. I could feel it. My lungs were protesting.

Forrest is my trainer. You probably know him pretty well if you've read much of my blog over the last two years. He's in great shape and probably gets very little physical exercise from these outings.

As we ran today Forrest kept a steady pace. At times I would stay up with him, then lag behind. I realized that I lagged behind as we headed up an incline. On flat ground I could stay with his pace. On the downward slopes I could catch up. My pacesetter didn't change his pace, I changed my pace. Once I realized this I concentrated on keeping the pace on the inclines. For the most part, I did pretty good.

Since I'm usually breathing too hard to talk during these runs, I think to myself a lot. My thoughts today were connecting the reality of the running pace to my spiritual life. Jesus sets a steady standard that I am to live by but I often lag behind. I get off track. Sometimes I stumble and fall.

I have to stay focused and stay with the pace. I want my life to honor God and help others see Jesus even when life gets hard. If I'm wandering or lagging, well that just doesn't get it done. I'm working on keeping the pace and running the race. Christians must "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus" (from Hebrews 12:1-2).

Although I haven't put out much effort to run on Rushing Road lately, I admit that sometimes I put out even less effort to run the Christian's race. Father, forgive me.

Our plan is to run three days each week. The Christian race must be our focus seven days each week. Lace 'em up and let's go!

Veterans Day

Today is Veteran's Day.

I'm thankful for people like my grandfather, Jim Appleton, for serving in WWII. I admire mens like David McLemore who served in the Gulf War. I appreciate guys like Forrest Grimmett who served in Iraq. So many of my classmates have served in the military. The closest I ever got was JROTC in 9th grade.

I can't remember ever wanting to enlist but I also can't remember ever thinking anything but respectful thoughts for those who did.

The debates that go on across our country about political, economic, religious, social, and cultural issues could not take place outside the framework of freedom that marks the United States. Without freedom, we would be limited in our expressions. Our Founding Fathers did a good thing when they established a land with constitutional freedoms like ours.

Merl Haggard wrote, "Stand up for the flag and let's all ring the Liberty Bell." What a great thing it is to be an American!

So I say "Thanks" to all the veterans, those serving today, and their families for the great sacrifices you've made so I can live the life I do and express myself like this. We are a great nation because of great men and women like you.

Beisball

I'm in the Dominican Republic for a few days showing the Jesus Film in neighborhoods around San Pedro. Not far from where we are working are developmental camps for several Major League Baseball teams. Today we drove past the facilities for the Tigers, Blue Jays, Brewers, and Braves.

These camps are for young men ages 16 - 21 who are hoping to make it into MLB. Each camp may have 60-100 young men but there are several times more than that playing ball all over the island.

We can barely drive 15 minutes without seeing kids playing ball in a vacant lot, a run down ball field, or even in the streets. Today we visited the village of Monte Cristy. Our host pastor leads a church in the village along with one in a nearby town. The church in Monte Cristy runs a nursing home for elderly people who have no family members to look after them. The staff takes care of them from the moment they move in until they die. They take care of the funeral, too.

Southern Baptists from Georgia built a medical clinic years ago that is staffed by doctors provided by the Dominican government. A doctor and nurse come to the village two days each week. We stopped in during the lunch break to meet them. They had already seen 20 patients this morning. The doctor is a family practitioner and she told us that it has been years since a dentist has been to the village and she is not aware of an optometrist every coming there. The village has a great need for medical teams to come alongside the clinic and provide basic services.

Across from the village is the road leading to the baseball facilities. We drove in because two or three of us are baseball nuts. We stopped alongside the road and peered through the chain link fence, under the scoreboard, through the right field fence and watched an inning of Tigers and Blue Jays. No numbers of the jerseys. Only one umpire - and he was dressed like the coaches. But a bunch of guys who love the game and hoped to make it to the show.

Hustle. Sound fundamentals. Teamwork. These guys know that if they don't make it here they'll never make it to the next level. For some of them, this is their hope for a better future. Others just dream of being the next Sammy Sosa or Pedro Martinez.

We drove to the next complex and were able to sit behind home plate. We had the attention of every one in the park. Six white guys... We stood out. We sat on concrete bleachers and watched another group of Tigers and Blue Jays. These must have been the older or more advanced teams. They had numbers on their uniforms. They had three umpires in uniform. Most of them wore their pants up to their knees like real baseball players do.

I wondered how many would make it and how many would become stars. Probably just a few out of the 60 or so players involved in the game. I bet they all thought they would be one to make.

Not everyone will be the next slugger or ace pitcher. But as long as they have the dream they should follow it. Great opportunities are lost when the opportunity is ignored or mis-managed.

Everyone in my church has the potential to be a slugger or an ace. Not in baseball but in the Great Commission. We have opportunities every day to share with someone how they can trust Christ for salvation. I'm afraid that we let too many opportunities slip by. Many we don't even notice.

What is at stake is not a contract or fame but eternal life for people we pass by in the market, at school, and in the home.

While I was watching the game, I could smell the fresh cut grass from the next field. And I thought how I could spend a lot of time doing just this.

Is my interest in sharing the gospel that great? Is yours? Can you think of spending lots of time just helping others know Jesus?

Where Did the Time Go?

As November looms larger and larger, I'm reminded of a few key dates. One is November 5, 2006. On that Sunday I stood before Cross Road Baptist Church and preached from Colossians 2. I knew five of the people in the congregation. They were the pastor search committee. Since then, I've shared seven years with this church. God brought us together, we agreed with God, and I became their pastor.

Another date is November 17, 2006. Two things happened that day. First, I wrapped up almost six years of employment with ICT Group. I made some great friends. I worked for some wonderful bosses. But Cross Road would be my first full-time pastorate so my time with ICT was over.

By the time I got home (our new home) most of our stuff had been moved from one side of Little Rock to the other. We spent our first night in our new home that night. We are still unpacking! Actually, we've unpacked what we need; the rest must just be junk. We ought to have a yard sale.

November 19 was my last Sunday at Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church in Little Rock. They were such a great blessing to my family and me. I was excited to move into full-time ministry but sad to leave these sweet folks behind. I've been able to keep in touch with some of them through social media. I'm glad for my time there and glad for the friendships still in tact.

The Community Thanksgiving Service was on Tuesday, November 19, 2006. Cross Road, Holly Springs Baptist Church, and Martindale Baptist Church hold joint services each year for Easter and Thanksgiving. We rotate which church hosts the events each year and the pastors of the other two churches preach. Martindale hosted the service. The pastor of Cross Road was supposed to preach. I was brand new and they had already made arrangements for someone else to preach. Like someone in my church said this past Sunday, I should let it go! This service was my first official function as pastor of CRBC. I've enjoyed these joint services each year. We host this year and Joe Berry from Holly Springs will preach.

My first Sunday to preach at CRBC as pastor was November 26, 2006. Here we are seven years later. Where did the time go? When I came, one of the ladies said she expected me to be here a long time - long enough to have Riley's wedding here. He was almost 6 years old then. I replied that I wanted to baptize my grandbabies here! We have a way to go. But these first seven years have flown by.

The years have been filled with challenges. Some we've handled well, others we haven't. We've seen people come and go. They've given various reasons. If all the people who have left would have stayed... I guess I shouldn't think much about that.

What I should and do think about is the wonderful people of Cross Road Baptist Church. God brought us together. He has accomplished much through us. I believe he intends to accomplish much more.

I thought I made a mistake...

I remember hearing this joke when I was a kid and still chuckle at it...especially when I tell it.

"I've only been wrong once in my life. That was when I thought I was wrong but was right all the time." (Insert rimshot)

I heard a man introduce his son at a conference this week. The father listed his son's credentials then said that one of the younger preacher's great qualities was humility. Then the dad said, "He didn't get that from me." It's true. Everyone in the room knew it. Later, in another setting, the same man offered his advice with this preamble: "In my humble opinion..." I wanted to raise my hand and mention his previous admission! I respect this man for his leadership of his church and our Southern Baptist churches. At least he is honest about his lack of humility.

Well, in my humble opinion, I made a pretty good cup of coffee today. I thought I had made a mistake but it turned out good so I think I'll just spin the story to make it look like I did it on purpose.

I usually drink my coffee black. No cream. No sugar. That's pretty much a knee-jerk reaction to what I call "candy coffee." Too many people (my wife included) add a bunch of stuff to a cup of coffee and still call it coffee. Beige coffee is not really coffee. Sweet coffee is not really coffee. Cold coffee is not really coffee.

Every now and then I'll put a little sugar in my coffee. I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm feeling a little uppity or something. Just a little sugar. I do this so seldom that the sugar in the little sugar bowl thingy is usually stuck together in one big blob. So I tap the bowl against the kitchen countertop to loosen the sugar then I carefully shake a little into my cup of coffee. I don't want to dirty a spoon so I just grab whatever is close and stir with that. I rinse it off and put it back where I found it. Don't judge me.

This morning I felt like I needed a sprinkle of sugar in my coffee. So I went through my routine. All was going just fine until what amounted to about four teaspoons of sugar shook from the bowl into the cup. A big chunk made a big splash. I had to wipe off the counter. What am I supposed to do now? I'm not patient enough (and I am too cheap) to pour out the coffee and start over.

So I went all in. At the coffee shop I almost always order a cup of coffee black. I'm almost embarrassed to order something off the menu board. I can't pronounce some of it and have no idea what's in any of it. My wife, on the other hand, fits right in with that crowd. Our friends own a coffee shop and they have a drink named "The Deana." I couldn't even tell you what's in it.

Well, I'm standing in the kitchen with a five pound bag of sugar dissolving in my coffee. Then I do the unthinkable. I head to the refrigerator and get the milk. I think my red-headed fair-skinned son's summer tan is darker than what I'm drinking right now.

But it's pretty good. I could never duplicate it. And I would never consider trying. It was a mistake that turned out good.

One of my favorite Bible verses in Romans 8:28. God has a way of taking my mistakes and making something good out of them. He can and often does fix things for me so that he gets the glory and honor. Just like I would never try to remake the concoction I made this morning, I would never purposefully mess up my life expecting God to wave his hand through the air and fix it for me. But when I do make a mistake I know that I can confess my sin, turn from it and toward him, and he will show his glory somehow.

My responsibility is to acknowledge my mistakes, trust God to help me through them, and the let God be God. He does that God stuff better than anyone.

First and Second

The World Series is now two games old and is shaping up to be a thriller. Boston and St. Louis split the games in Fenway Park and now move to Busch Stadium for the next three. This is the best of baseball. Or is it?

In these two games these two teams have committed seven combined errors. In Game 1 the Cardinals pitcher let an easy pop-up fall the ground at his feet. In Game 2 the Red Sox pitcher made a bad throw allowing a run to score and a runner advance on the bases.

First and foremost, pitchers pitch the ball. Those who do this really well get paid really well. They aren't paid to be hitters, and they aren't paid to be fielders. Well, sort of. Their primary responsibility is to pitch the ball, but as soon as they release the pitch they are fielders and must field their position. And should they have a plate appearance they must do something to help the team.

Most of a pitcher's practice is spent on pitching. That makes perfect sense. But he also practices fielding and hitting - at least a little, maybe only in Spring Training. A pitcher can help his team and his own cause by fielding the balls hit to him, covering a base when required, and getting on base now and then - or at least laying down an effective bunt.

The first things are important, so are the second.

Your primary responsibility as a Christian is to honor God. You have to work on that because, for most of us, that doesn't come naturally. It gets easier and/or more enjoyable, but it always requires effort and intentionality. First things first: honor God.

You also have secondary responsibilities. You have family responsibilities and school responsibilities and work responsibilities and other responsibilities. And they are all important, too. Maybe this baseball analogy applies here. It seems the best pitchers are also fairly good hitters (for pitchers!) and field their positions well. In other words, the person who takes care of the first thing usually takes care of the second things.

I believe that if you honor God you will be a good family member and good employee or boss and a good student and a good friend, etc. In a way, maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

First things first but second things matter, too. Let us live so that God is honored in every part of our lives.

Beautiful!

We've had a taste of fall a couple of weeks ago. Then summer temps reminded us of the unpredictability of weather. Forecasting appears to be foreguessing. Weather patterns, currents, and causes intrigue me so I'm not making fun of the professionals. With just a few changes in destiny, I could see myself as one of them. After all, I can play the piano, too!

But today is a truly fall day. I woke up about 5:20, laid in the bed for 15 minutes, then got up and took the dog out for her early morning outdoor venture. The temp was 51. Beautiful. When the sun came up over an hour later, the skies were (and still are) clear and blue. Beautiful. I put on my jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and sweater vest and thought about sending my resume to the North American Mission Board.

It's now 3:30 and 73 degrees, clear skies. Beautiful. I could live in this year-round. Just throw in a few snow days and I'd be very happy.

Things aren't always perfect, are they? Sometimes the overnight temperature is 18 and the pipes burst. Sometimes it's a high temp of 108 and it feels like 118. Other days brings storms or droughts.

Weather isn't the only unpredictable part of life. Relationships can over-heat or go frigid. Jobs bring turmoil and dissatisfaction. Even our spiritual lives can see long, dark nights and periods of dryness.

The one constant that you can always count on is Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). When relationships turn upside-down, cling to Jesus. When the job situation is unsure, cling to Jesus. When friends forsake you, cling to Jesus. Even when the storms - the literal ones - come, cling to Jesus. Here's a point that I've found many times to be true: Jesus will take you through the difficulties and things will be OK.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Beautiful!

Reality Exposed

I spent Sunday evening and all day Monday attending an apologetics conference. Apologetics is the discipline of explaining or defending your faith to those who believe differently. Dr. James K. Walker from Watchman Fellowship and Dr. Barbara Pemberton from Ouachita Baptist University addressed differences between Christianity and beliefs like Mormonism, Islam, Hinduism, the occult, and the New Age Movement. Walker also addressed false teachings from within Christianity, specifically the Word of Faith movement. Over twenty area churches participated in the event offered by Pulaski Baptist Association.

I was somewhat aware of the differences but not at all aware of the depth and subtleties of the complete picture. If interested, you can find information at Dr. Walker's website at www.watchman.org. This post is not intended to teach apologetics but to expose something I learned yesterday. Maybe I didn't learn it yesterday but it was certainly reinforced during this conference.

Very few people on the planet - Christian church attenders included - believe the Gospel presented in the Bible. The Gospel is centered upon Jesus Christ who is God's son; he is God himself. Many religions believe Jesus was a good man and even an honorable prophet, but they reject the deity of Christ. They simply do not believe he is God. But that is exactly what the Bible claims and what Jesus claimed and what his followers claimed - even those who were executed for that belief.

The Gospel also claims that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. Jesus said he was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). The offer of salvation is infinitely broad including every person. Anyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. But the way of salvation is exclusive - salvation is only through Jesus. Even folks who populate the pews week to week in our churches may not believe that. They think that somehow people will be saved some other way. At least our lack of concern for those without Christ seems to suggest we at least hope there is another way. But there is not. Jesus is the only way.

Imagine the transformation that would take place if every person who claims to be a Christian really believed these two things. And there are many other truths that are basic and necessary that people also struggle with. But just these two truths could transform the lives of so many people. And our churches would reflect the passion of the early believers.

And, best of all, our world would feel the impact today that the world felt in the earliest days of the church.

Maybe you are well-grounded in these truths and others. I hope so. But would you at least ask yourself if you truly believe that Jesus is God and that he is the only way to heaven? The implications include that, if believing, you would passionately share your faith with others. We live in a world that desperately needs real believers fulfilling the Great Commission's directive to make disciples. Once you and I are firmly established and on track, we can make a difference in the lives of our family and friends, our neighbors and co-workers, and our city and world.

Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Colossians 1:9 NIV

The opening phrase "For this reason" suggests we ought to know something more. The reason Paul prayed for the believers in Colosse was because of their faith and love. The verses leading up to this passage tell us that he had heard of their faith in Christ and their love for other believers. That's why Paul prayed for them and his prayer was filled with thanksgiving.

That makes me consider my own prayers; perhaps you should do the same. When you pray, do you pray for others? And when you pray for others, are you thankful for them? We probably pray for others. Intercessory prayers are great because we lift up their needs to our Father. We are supposed to pray that way. But we are also supposed to pray prayers of thanksgiving. Paul was thankful for the believers in Colosse.

Look at the specific requests Paul made. He asked God to fill them with the knowledge of his will. Knowing God's will is a big deal - and a big challenge - for most Christians. We want to know what God has planned for us. We want to know what God wants us to do. "What is God's will?" is a question I ask and hear others ask a lot. So how do we begin to know God's will?

Paul teaches that we know God's will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. Not just any wisdom and understanding - it must be spiritual wisdom and understanding. We have to admit that the ways of the world are not the ways of the Lord. What seems to make sense from a worldly perspective often is a huge mistake. So to move forward as a Christian or a church based upon human thinking is a tragedy. We can know God's will when we apply spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Just knowing God's will seems to be the goal for many Christians. We have to go beyond knowing God's will and actually do it. The subtitle to Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King is "Knowing and Doing the Will of God." Knowing is hard enough; doing is actually the goal.

Remember that spiritual wisdom and understanding are the keys to knowing God's will. If what we do is determined based upon human wisdom and understanding, it will fail. A wise Jew advised the opponents of the early church that anything of God will succeed no matter what the opposition is, and anything of human origin will fail.

Sharing Your Faith with Muslims

Volunteers Make It Happen

The people are what make any organization great. You never hear a CEO say, "Our technology is what make us who we are. The people? Eh, not so much." He would be blasted with email, social media messages, blog posts, phone calls, and office visits. He might not survive the next board meeting.

Whether it's a for-profit business, a non-profit organization, or a church, the people make the difference.

That's the case at Cross Road Baptist Church. We have two people on payroll: the pastor (me) and a person who cleans one of our buildings. Everything else that gets done gets done by volunteers. From those who teach to those who cut the grass to those who keep the nursery to those to keep the books to those who cook the meals...did I leave anybody out?...our volunteers make it happen.

Thank you for giving your time and abilities. That's part of Christian stewardship. Each Christian is called to manage his resources (time, talent, and treasure) in ways that glorify God. So many of the folks at Cross Road are doing just that. That makes me happy. Probably makes God happy, too!

Are you looking for a way to volunteer? We always need volunteers for something. Here are some examples. We provide nursery care during the Sunday morning worship service for babies through 2-year olds. We now have six volunteers rotating week to week. You can volunteer to join this team. You'll be serving families who choose to worship at CRBC.

We also have a group of four or five who rotate month to month leading our children's church for toddlers through 5-year olds. If you volunteer to serve here you would lead children's church for a month twice a year.

We've had a wonderful group of men who keep the yard mowed. But we can use another volunteer or two. The men (women are also welcome) sign up to mow and trim for a month at a time beginning in March and going through October. You can help us in this way right now or start next year.

Every Bible study class could use a second person who can facilitate the lessons. Everyone has to miss from time to time and having an automatic substitute would be very helpful. And the experience would prepare you to start a class when the need arises.

These are a few of the ways you can volunteer in our church. I'm sure every church has similar opportunities. Contact your pastor and get involved because volunteers make it happen.

That's My King

You've probably heard this before but it's worth coming back to...

Her Bark Is Worse than Her Bite

Lexi (our dog) is very protective of our property. She's a 13 pound Pookie (Deana calls her a Yorkiepoo) that spends upwards of twenty hours a day sleeping on the back of the couch. Really, she's not much of a threat to anyone or anything that nears the property line.

On a potty walk the other day she stopped near a big tree that shades the house. She looked straight up into the tree and cut loose with a barrage of barking and growling. I laughed at her. Then I looked up, too. I didn't see anything but Lexi was sure she did. And she went on for several minutes letting the hidden invader know it should leave the premises immediately. As far as I know nothing flew or crawled away.

Lexi is like a lot of Christians. You know who I'm talking about. Those people will raise their voices about something that is not the point. They can raise money and followers who will show up at just about any venue at any time to protest. These folks rant and rave in blogs and social media posts to stir up others who are like-minded.

The point of the Christian's life should be to know Jesus and make him known. Sure, social issues can come into the realm of what we might talk about but the main thing is to share our faith in Jesus. The tangent topics can become a distraction keeping us from making disciples. Or we might hide behind those topics to avoid making disciples.

Let's clear our agenda and adopt God's agenda. The most important thing is to let people know how they can find forgiveness and redemption through the love of Jesus. In the process of helping them learn to live to honor Christ we can talk about the other issues. Otherwise, we bark a lot but don't accomplish much.

Media Mess

Heard on the radio that Zimmerman may be in trouble again. Besides the Trayvon Martin case, the report said he had other run-ins with the law: a speeding ticket.

My question... Is a speeding ticket a "run-in with the law" or is the media hyping the ticket because of the Trayvon Martin case?

The current issue is domestic violence. If he is guilty he should be punished, no question. But what does a speeding ticket have to do with it?

The report came from a source that more than likely disagreed with The Trayvon Martin ruling. Do they have an agenda? Are they trying to say, "I told you so"?

Maybe media has never been unbiased but these days you'll be hard pressed to find a journalist that reports the facts without first filtering the facts through his bias. Unbiased reporting may be too much to ask for. And if it is, can they stop pretending to be fair and just admit it?

On the bright side, I surfed into Morning Joe just long enough today to hear them applaud Vogue magazine (I think) for dropping Miley Cyrus from an upcoming cover. Good for them - both the show and the magazine.

I've plugged into more news today because of the situation in Syria. I remember now why I usually avoid it.

The Gospel

Take a look...and listen...

Cleaning Up a Mess

I make coffee on a regular basis. This morning I made a mess.

Ed Meux used to stop by my office occasionally so I would almost always have a pot of coffee ready. He passed away over a year ago so it's just me drinking coffee now. So I swapped out the 12-cup coffee maker for a 4-cup machine. Still, I should not have had the problems I had this morning.

I still don't know what happened other than to simply say I made a mess. And the coffee wasn't that good, either.

Five trips down the hall to the bathroom sink to rinse things off and about half a roll of paper towels later... You can imagine.

Why is the clean-up always more involved than the mess-making?

I make a mess of my life from time to time. Not always big messes; sometimes just a little mess. Do you do that? Do you make decisions without praying first? Do you rush to a decision without waiting for an answer? Do you do what you want to do even after hearing from God?

Sometimes I don't need to pray - please hear what I'm saying - because my understanding of God's word should already be guiding my steps. Yet I act in ways that do not honor or glorify him. Or I act in ways that harm other people or take advantage of them. Do you do that?

What a mess we make when we don't seek God's guidance and don't follow his word! It would take more to clean up those messes than a few trips to the bathroom and some paper towels. Actually, those messes are called sin and you will never be able to clean it up yourself. God knew that and at the same time still demands that sin be cleaned up. That's why Jesus - God himself - came to earth, lived among us, died for us, and lives again. Jesus cleaned up our mess!

Now, you can continue to live in the filth and squalor of sin or you can turn to the Lord. Confess you sin (which means to agree with God that what you did is sin), repent of it (turn away from the ways of the world and turn toward the ways of God), and commit to live your life his way with Jesus as Savior and Lord.

The messes you make with your sin are too big for you to clean up. But Jesus will do it for you. Ask him to do it and he will. Then let me know so I can rejoice with you...maybe over a cup of coffee.

What if...

I'm sitting at Subway just down the street from Riley's school. They are having a preseason game tonight so I picked him up to get him some supper before going back to the fieldhouse. Instead of eating with me, he sat with some others from his team. That's probably best.

I overheard them talking about their fathers' ages. I am the oldest! Hope that doesn't embarrass him. At least they weren't talking about the mothers' ages. She's even older than me.

Since I can't spend this time with my son I've turned to watching people. Most everyone in here is a student. My mind wanders back to 30+ years ago.

Did I treat everyone the same?

Did I respect my parents, teachers, and friends' parents?

Was I a good influence in their lives?

Was I an ambassador for Christ in my school?

I can answer some of the questions "yes" but some "no."

What if I had been a better witness for Christ? What if I had made better decisions?

I can't go back and change things, but can I make a difference now? I'm trying even with those same folks. And I'm trying in my current environment.

And I'm trying to teach Riley to be a good influence and a difference-maker in these wonderful years of his life. I didn't do that for Jim and Caleb. I think that's an important part of fatherhood.

Weekly Devotional - August 23, 2013

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:2 NIV

Several months ago I was running down Rushing Road at 5:00 in the morning. The sky was overcast so there was no light from the moon to illuminate the road. It was dark! I came to this particular portion of the route where there is a street light. But it's on the other side of a crest so it cast a shadow where I was running.

I had learned from earlier runs that when I am first able to see the street light it lines up perfectly with the middle of the road. If I run directly toward the light I will stay safely on the road. So that's what I planned to do on this dark morning.

I ran a few strides. Looked down a few strides. Looked up again and discovered that a tree blocked the light but I could still see the light pole. So I set my eyes on the pole. A few strides later the light appeared from behind the tree and I was shocked at what I saw.

The light is set off the road in a pasture. The pole I had been following was right up on the road. The closer I got to the pole and the light, the farther from each other they were! And I had fixed my eyes on the wrong guide. As a result I was running right down the middle of the road toward the top of a hill. I was a sitting duck for oncoming traffic.

Isn't that just about how life is? We think we are going in the right direction - a safe direction. But the least miscalculation in judgment sends us off course. Maybe even into dangerous territory. Do you see how important it is to use the right guide to determine your course?

I know people who use the latest fashion magazines to determine their dress code. Too often modesty is forsaken. I know people who use the latest interviews of sports stars to determine their attitudes. Too often humility is forsaken. I know people who use the latest sitcom to determine their relationships. Too often faithfulness and purity are forsaken.

But if we fix our eyes on Jesus we will run the course of righteousness, holiness, and faithfulness. You'll find some impostors and pretenders. Remember my problem of following the pole instead of the light?

Jesus is true and faithful. He will lead us where we need to go. Pray that God will help you fix your eyes on Jesus today.