What We Have is a Failure to Communicate

            The other night I was trying to explain my sermon to Tami by telling her that Jesus came DOWN from heaven and then went OUT into the world. Thus, my sermon was entitled “Down and Out.” As I was telling her this, Tami kept asking, “You mean when he was a baby?” “No,” I said, “when he was older.” We went back and forth for a couple of minutes until I realized that we were having a failure to communicate. Tami thought I was talking about Jesus coming again (which was confusing her), but I was just trying to explain why Jesus came into the world.

            It is easy to have trouble communicating with others even though we have the wonderful ability to speak and hear and understand. Sometimes we know what we are saying, but don’t say it clearly enough for others to understand. This happened to me when I first started to preach regularly. I knew what I wanted to say in my sermon, but it didn’t always come out that way to the listener. So now I preach my sermon to Tami on Saturday night to get feedback on anything that might be confusing or unclear!

            I have also noticed that when I try and speak to people about Jesus Christ and Christianity that there can be a failure to understand what is said. This often comes from people not having the biblical background to understand biblical truths. It also can come from me expecting them to understand spiritual concepts that might be beyond them.

            So, what are we to do? I think the best way to communicate the message of Jesus with others is to talk about who Jesus is to us, and what He has done in our lives. I like to talk about how I was selfish in nature and sarcastic in my speech. But then I met Jesus and realized that I need to care about others, not just about myself. Or as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

            I also memorized Ephesians 4:29, which says: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  

            Through the touch of Jesus on my life, the forgiveness of my sins, and the realization that my words were important, I began to change who I was and become more the person I was created to be. Hopefully now, through my story and my actions, I don’t have a failure to communicate, but communicate well the love of Jesus! Blessings.

Why is it important to read the Bible?

Regularly seen on the bestseller list are “How to” and self-improvement books. Why is this? Because people want to learn, grow, and have more success in life. People are searching for a better life and hope the information in these books will help them achieve this. Another book that is regularly a best seller is the Bible. The Bible is full of wonderful stories, information, and guidance. But even more, we are told in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

            One of the problems that people can fall into is thinking they don’t need to learn and grow. The only way that this would be true is if a person was perfect. It is pretty clear that no one is perfect in our world. In fact, God, our creator, has clearly stated that: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Since we are not perfect, then it follows that we can always be improving. The best way to seek how growth is needed, and can come about, is to read the Bible. In reading the Bible we will be taught the word of God, we will be able to train ourselves to be the person God created us to be, and we can be corrected from our errors.

            When I met my wife Tami I found out she was a professional golfer. I was reluctant to tell her that I played golf, because I’m not sure I would call what I played golf. I swung a golf club, but there were many errors to my game. When I decided to finally play with Tami, she was able to “instruct me” in how to play correctly; she corrected my errors. The Bible is an important tool in correcting our errors and helping us to live more righteously.

            Along with this, the Bible helps us to get to know the creator Himself. The Bible is full of stories that help us to see the character and love of God. The life of Jesus is a direct picture into the nature of God. The overall story of the Bible leads us to understand who God is, why God created us, and the purpose we have in this world. The Bible also instructs us in how we can receive eternal life (through faith in Jesus Christ), and how Jesus’ death enables us to be forgiven from our sins.

            The Bible is the most important instructional book that has ever been in print. The more you know and understand the Bible the fuller and richer your life will be. The Bible will give you direction and clarity to life. As Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” You can’t live according to God’s word if you don’t know God’s word.  I highly encourage you to read the Bible often. Blessings.

Proof That God Exists

It does not surprise me that there are many people who do not believe that God exists. By our nature, we tend to doubt what we cannot prove; what we cannot see. Since God is not visibly present in our world, people will doubt that God is real. There are many who lean toward the idea that only that which can be quantitatively proven is real.

                        So, I ask, is there proof that God exists?

I would answer, “Yes, there is proof.” When Jesus came to this earth, He gave proof of God’s existence. As John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In Jesus we behold the glory of God. Just His existence shows us proof.

            But there is more, as Jesus performed many miracles that showed He was God in the flesh. Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead after He had been dead for 3 days! (John 11:1-44) Jesus was seen alive, risen from the dead, 3 days after it had been verified that He was dead.

            Even more, the existence of God is proven in the miracle of life. If you analyze the human body, you can see that it is intricate and complex. The way our body functions together is not an accident, and did not come together through some evolutionary process. When you see the way each part of the body supports the rest of the body it is clear that our body has been put together by a creator who carefully structured it!

            I also know that through my faith and living by my faith God is alive and real. Christians will tell you that they experience a deep communion with God. God has changed me from the sinful, selfish person I was before I knew Him, to a caring, loving, compassionate person. I am transformed because He is alive and at work in me! My God, who is real, gives me forgiveness for my wrongs, purpose for my life, and strength to live each day.

            I am confident that God is real, and that there is strong proof that He exists. Blessings.

Is faith compatible with logic and reason?

One of the definitions for faith in the dictionary is: “Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” In Hebrews 11:1 it says: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” On the other side you have logic and reason. A definition of logic says, “A particular system or codification of the principles of proof and inference.”

Faith is something we believe even though there is no proof. Logic is a principle that comes from proof. The question is then; can logic and faith be compatible? Can you have faith in God, and yet seek to apply logic to your faith? Is spiritual practice to only be about faith, or does logic fit in somewhere?

I believe logic and faith actually can co-exist. Since God made us beings with the capability for both, it stands to reason that we are to use both in our lives, including our faith in God. However, belief must come first. The scriptures teach us that when we are filled with God’s Spirit, through the Spirit we begin to understand spiritual truths. Without the Spirit of God these spiritual truths elude us. Our physical minds cannot comprehend the things of God. As God said through the prophet Isaiah, 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Yet, if we were to live our lives on faith alone, then we would struggle to make even the simplest decision. It is like the story of the woman who would wake up each day and pray to God to see if she should get out of bed. If she felt God was leading her to get out of bed, she would then pray to see what God wanted her to wear. Some days she would only wear one shoe, some days no shoes! This story is a bit ridiculous, and rightly so. This woman sought to use only faith and no logic.

Even more, in our faith walk we must use logic. We have to make decisions all the time how we will “love our neighbor as ourselves.” We are called to eat well and stay healthy. These are all choices that come from knowledge, reason, and logic.

After I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, there have been many occasions where I have seen the logic of a loving, and personal God. I have experienced and seen many miracles that have come from prayer and faith. I have learned through study how Jesus fulfilled many prophecies foretold hundreds of years before He came to the earth. Our logical minds help to affirm the faith we place in God.

So, give yourself to God through faith, and then let God impart to you the reason and logic needed to live this life well and to understand spiritual truths. Blessings.

When Life Doesn't Make Sense

When my kids were learning addition and subtraction, I would tell them that 1+1=2, or 2-1=1, but they struggled to understand it at first. Then I would take out 2 marbles, and I would count each one as I pointed to it: one, two. Then I would take one away so that they could see how 2-1=1. I would then add one back so they could see that 1+1=2. Our minds are great at learning, but for some it takes time.

Each of us learns in different ways. I tend to learn best when I see it and experience it. When I first meet someone and they tell me their name, it is easy for me to forget it at first; especially if it is not a common name. However, if they spell it for me then I am more likely to remember it. Even more, I will add them to my prayer list and pray for them each day. The next time I see them it is easy for me to recall their name!

I have had many conversations with people who don’t think that life makes sense. Relationships are difficult, sin is rampant, life is hard, and it doesn’t seem to all be fair. They wake up and try to find reason for their life, but it just doesn’t make sense. I believe the reason for this is because they fail to understand their purpose. If you understand the purpose of life, then it will makes sense. Similar to learning math and names, we need to experience and understand what brings purpose and meaning to life.

When God came to this earth in human form, in Jesus Christ, one of the things He sought to do was to help us make sense of our lives. One great way He did this was by giving us the 2 great commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40)

The first command helps us to understand our relationship with God. We have been created to be like God and be in relationship with God. The second command helps us to understand our relationship with each other. We are to seek to love one another and to work together. When we are fulfilling these two commands, not only does life make sense, but it is meaningful and blessed.

The problem comes when people fail to live according to one or both of the commands. When we are not in good communion with God, then we do not have God’s presence, power, and guidance in our lives. We struggle all the more in life, and find ourselves in more difficult situations with seemingly no way out. When we aren’t loving towards one another, we tend to experience more conflict and frustration.

I want to encourage you to use Matthew 22:37-40 as not only a guide to make sense of life, but to bring more meaning to your life as well. I believe that if you do this, you will find that you will experience the power and wonder of God’s presence, and the joy of living well with others. Blessings.

Does the evidence support evolution?

I’m not an expert by any means on evolution, so this blog post is not designed to be “expert” testimony. However, I do think that there is information available for the average person to have an informed position. My goal here will be to briefly explain what I believe the evidence shows us.

Creationism and evolution are really seeking to answer the same question: how did the universe and all life in it get formed? Creationism states that all things were formed by an all-powerful, always existing God. Evolution, which is derived from the principles of Charles Darwin, states that all organisms are descended from common ancestors by a process of branching. The theory continues that evolution took place over a long period of time.

Many people will look at the theory of creationism as unreliable, because there is no “scientific” proof to show it to be true. They will argue that there is much evidence in fossils and archaeological discoveries to give proof to the evolution theory of the origin of life. Yet, I believe this evidence falls short because there are no “intermediary” fossils that prove the evolving state of one species to the next. Even more, if evolution is true, why has the process ceased (i.e. we no longer see apes becoming human beings)?

In truth, both theories take an aspect of faith to believe. You need to have faith that evolution took place as believed, since we cannot experience this phenomenon first hand. You need faith to believe that God created all things from nothing, since we were not there when it was said to have happened. Yet, if you look closely at the human body, and see its complexities, it is difficult to believe that this just randomly happened through a series of mutations. The human body is a wonderful, and artful arrangement of organs and nerves and structure. It is clear to me that our lives, and this world that we live in, was designed by a creator who deeply cares for His creation.

Further evidence helps us to see that the man known as Jesus Christ was indeed God in the flesh, come to ‘save His people from their sin.’ You don’t have to look too hard to realize that human beings are sinful and corrupt. When Jesus Christ came to this earth as the Messiah, He fulfilled numerous prophecies foretelling His coming. After His death, there were hundreds of witnesses who saw Him appear again. Through the millions of believers who exist, there is great evidence of the miracles and power of this creating and loving God.

While faith is required to believe in creationism, it doesn’t take too long after one believes to know it is true. On the other hand, there are many gaps and questions still unanswered when it comes to evolution. My conclusion is that the evidence does not support evolution, but does support creationism. Blessings.

Spiritual Implications of Movies

Movies are full of spiritual implications. I believe this is because we are spiritual beings, and people are searching for answers. You have your overtly spiritual movies like Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ”, you somewhat subtle spiritual movies like “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, as well as your controversial ones like “The Da Vinci Code”. But the movies that have intrigued me the most are the Star Wars movies.

In the Star Wars movies they talk about ‘the dark side,’ and ‘the force.’ The whole concept of the force is that it is the spiritual guide for their lives. The main character of the original Star Wars movies is Luke Skywalker. Luke is trained by a Jedi Master name Obi Wan Kenobi. Obi Wan helps Luke to feel the force and use the force for his benefit. He tells Luke that he can listen to the force for direction and guidance. The force empowers him, especially when he learns how to channel it.

The dark side is really the evil side of life, the evil side of the force. The main character on the Dark Side is Darth Vader. Darth Vader is turned to the dark side by his anger and hate. Darth Vader also uses the force for evil, not for good. Darth Vader finds out that Luke Skywalker is his son, and tries to turn Luke to the dark side. Luke is conflicted by the fact that the force on the Dark Side is so powerful.

It is interesting how people are willing to talk about the force and Darth Vader and Sith Lords, and yet they are not as willing to talk about God, Satan, and sin. When I talk about people being lured to "the dark side," it is not just about the sin that is in people’s lives, though sin is certainly central to "the dark side." Rather, it is also the issue of what causes good people, even godly people, to turn away from God, not just in momentary actions, but in a pattern of living. Why does someone who once walked with God end up living in an ungodly manner? What has changed this person's heart and lifestyle?

In the end of Star Wars, Luke realizes that the Dark Side is full of evil, and anger, and hatred, and that the force is not meant to be used in this way. Luke is able to stand strong in being good, and even is able to pull his father (Darth Vader) back to the good side. Even though this leads to Darth Vader’s death, there is an air of joy knowing that it is better to die on the good side, than live on the Dark Side.

What is best about the Star Wars movies is the implication that the force is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and the Dark Side is sin. While we may be pulled toward the dark side by our tendency to sin, the Holy Sprit is there to help us overcome our sinful desires. Even more, when we stumble down the dark side in our sin, Jesus is there to forgive us and cleanse us from this sin. We are then brought into God’s presence. What a difference it is to be in the presence of God, as opposed to the presence of sin, and evil, and darkness!

Thanks be to God for giving us the life force we have; the very breath of life; His Spirit. May we let movies lead us to search the Bible to help us understand all the more. I encourage you to look for spiritual implications in the movies, and find a way to turn them into Biblical truths. Blessings.

The Colors of the Rainbow

The rainbow is one of the most beautiful natural phenomenons that exist. Often times when we are traveling in the car after it has been raining, the kids will see a rainbow and they always shout out so that everyone else in the car can see it as well. The colors that are seen are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. What a beautiful array of colors they are!

What is even more beautiful about the rainbow is what it represents. In Genesis 6:5 we are told, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” God saw that the sin of humankind had gotten so great that they didn’t have any regard for doing good or for following God. So God made a decision that we are told about in the scriptures: “The Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” Because He was so grieved, God decided to send a flood. Whoever was on the ark that Noah and his family built would be saved. In the end, ONLY Noah and his family chose to follow God’s word and seek safety on the ark.

After the flood receded God made a promise, a covenant, to Noah and his family in Genesis 9:12-16, “And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

The rainbow is a reminder of God’s love for His people and His desire to see His people follow Him. The rainbow displays the beauty, and wonder, and holiness of God. The colors of the rainbow remind us of all the colors of God’s creation. The colors of the rainbow remind us of the wonderful colors that exist in heaven (for more on this you can read Revelation 9:9-21).

So, the next time you see a rainbow, I hope you remember to give thanks and praise to God, and remember the wonder and splendor of God. Maybe it will help you to serve God all the more and commit your life to Him a little more deeply. Blessings.

My Favorite Bible Verse

The Bible is full of wonderful wisdom, insight, and instruction. The Bible teaches us how to love, the importance of giving of yourself, and reasons why you should pray. So to choose one verse or passage is a tough challenge. Yet, I believe that one verse speaks very powerfully to me: Romans 6:23. This verse says, “For the penalty of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

A few years ago I was at a pastor’s conference. As I walked into the auditorium on the first day, I was surprised to see something on every chair: a free gift. There on my chair was a Bible and a music CD! I was excited about this because I like free gifts as much as anyone else. It was nice to have these gifts passed on to us by the vendors who were helping to sponsor the event.

Romans 6:23 tells us that God gives us a free gift. This free gift is the greatest gift that has ever been given. It is the gift of eternal life. To receive this free gift all we have to do is take hold of it, just like I had to pick up the gifts off my chair. Jesus Christ has done all the work that is needed (being crucified on a cross) to pay the penalty for our sins. In our saying “yes” to Christ, we are saying “yes” to this free gift.

What we have to do in the midst of this is to first understand our sinfulness, then accept our inability to save ourselves, and finally acknowledge what Christ has done for us. Admitting sinful nature is often a draw back for many people. Even more, accepting the fact that people can’t save themselves can be a hard pill to swallow. Acknowledging Christ’s work simply requires us to humble ourselves before God. If we can humble ourselves, then we find ourselves at that place where we are ready to grab hold of the free gift.

The reason why I state that this is the greatest gift ever given, is because this gift enables us to have an eternal future in heaven. We will forever be in the presence of God; the presence of love. Heaven will be a far superior place and environment than we will ever experience here on earth.

I love the Bible as a whole, but appreciate the truth of Romans 6:23. That is my choice for favorite verse. How about you?

Interruptions

In the months of January and February I have spent many of my days at church dealing with heater issues. Our church buildings are well over 50 years old, and fixing the heaters has been long overdue. Whenever work is being done, it is not uncommon for there to be problems or issues that arise. Because of these issues, my attention has been taken away from what I want to accomplish and directed to the issues at hand with the heaters. This can be frustrating because I have not scheduled time for these interruptions.

Of course, these are not the only interruptions that I experience. Phone calls and people who come to the office are also a cause of interruption in my schedule. When someone goes into the hospital and I need to visit him or her, this also can be seen as an interruption from what I have scheduled. How can I change my outlook in regards to these “interruptions”?

It is important for me to live my life scheduling “open” times. What I mean by this is that I tend to plan my time without room for interruptions. Every half an hour I have something new scheduled to do. This not only keeps me from being able to handle interruptions, but also leads me to think of interruptions as a negative thing.

Even more important, I need to understand that most of Jesus’ ministry involved interruptions. In one story, Jesus is teaching at a house, when a paralytic is dropped down from the roof right in front of him. Instead of being upset at this, Jesus took the time to talk to the man, find out that he wanted to walk, and then He healed him. In another story Jesus is walking along when a woman touches the hem of His robe. Jesus feels ‘power’ go out from Him. He stops and discovers it was because the woman wanted to be healed. She believed she would be healed if she could just touch Jesus. Jesus took the time to talk with her and make her well.

I believe we are too caught up in life with what we are supposed to do, forgetting that there are things God wants us to do that aren’t even in our plans! Let us live our lives with the idea that interruptions are a part of life, and then we will be able to enjoy life so much more. Amen.

A New Year, Another Chance

In the Bible, the gospel of Luke, chapter 13, Jesus tells a story of a fig tree which is planted in a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard comes to visit, but there is no fruit on the fig tree. The owner wants to tear the tree down and plant something else that will make good use of the soil (since if a fig tree hasn’t produced in 3 years it probably never will). But the caretaker of the vineyard talks the owner into giving him one more year with the tree. The caretaker wants to do three things. These three things I believe give us an important lesson for our lives as well.

1. Work the soil- The caretaker wants to first work the soil. He believes that
by preparing the soil, the tree will have a better chance. The truth is, without good soil, a tree cannot produce. This is true for you and me. If we don’t have good soil (which Jesus likened to our hearts), then we will not be able to produce. So we must make sure that we are letting God soften our hearts to care for others around us.

2. Fertilize- Second, the caretaker wants to fertilize. Fertilizer helps to put nutrients into the soil that will make the soil more able to nourish plants and trees. For us, fertilizer is the word of God and Christian fellowship. When we are reading the Bible and when we are around other Christians, we will be more likely to live in a way that will bless others around us, and help others understand the need to believe in and follow God.

3. Extra care- Last, the caretaker wanted to give the tree extra care. Sometimes extra attention can help provide the right conditions for growth. Maybe there are insects that are affecting the tree. Or maybe the tree isn't getting enough water. That extra attention can make the difference. This is true in our own lives. It is good to have someone in your life who is making sure that you are doing the things you need to do to grow. It is important to have someone checking up on you, in love, so that you might become all that God created you to be.

This is a parable of second chances. This tree was given another chance. Jesus wants us to know that He gives us another chance. If we stumble, if we fail, if we stray, if we sin, if we feel like we don't measure up, Jesus is there to pick us up and help us move forward. As we enter 2012, let this be a reminder that you get another chance in a new year.

Getting Out of God's Way

My dad was a painter. He specialized in painting boats. I remember when I was in high school I would go and help my dad paint boats in the summer. Actually, I had to do the sanding and my dad did the painting. Every once in a while he would let me paint something, but often my dad would come over and re-do it. There were times when I felt like I was just in my dad’s way.

Do you ever feel like you are in God’s way? The truth is, sometimes we do get in God’s way. We get in God’s way when we say we are Christians but our actions don’t match our words. Then others will wonder what kind of God He is when His followers act like everyone else in the world. We get in God’s way when we are willful and don’t want to listen to what God has for us to do. We get in God’s way when we support the things of this world.

To get out of God’s way doesn’t mean to step aside and let God do the work. To get out of God’s way means we humble ourselves so that we have minds that will hear what God has to say to us. It means that we have hearts that receive God’s love to the point where His love overflows from us to others. It means that we follow God’s leading for our lives. It means that we make ourselves available to serve God wherever He might call us.

When we are able to get out of God’s way, we put ourselves in a place where God will use us, and bless us, and minister to others through us. God has chosen to impact this world through your life and mine. That is one of the main purposes of why we are on this earth (the primary one is to worship God and be in relationship with God). If we can understand this, and get out of God’s way, then wonderful and powerful things will happen!! Blessings.

How Do You Handle Failure?

Just a couple of weeks ago the Los Angeles Galaxy professional soccer team won the Major League Soccer cup. In doing this they were considered ‘winners.’ This was an especially important win for English soccer player David Beckham, because he had been paid millions of dollars to come and help the Galaxy win. For four years they had failed to win the ultimate prize. So when they won this year, everybody applauded David Beckham for again being a winner.

The blunt truth is that there are very few “winners” the way the world defines this term. Out of 16 teams in the Major Soccer League, only the Galaxy won the cup. Out of 30 basketball teams in the NBA, only the Dallas Mavericks won the trophy. If we go by the world’s definition of winning, then all the other teams in these sports were failures; they failed to win it all.

I think we all too often apply this definition to our lives as well. We believe that if we don’t continue to climb the company ladder then we fail. We believe that if we aren’t making ‘lots’ of money, then we fail. We believe that if we don’t have a spouse, two kids, a house, and a dog, then we fail.

The good news is that God looks at things differently. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us: “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” God looks at the heart.

It is true that we do fail in that we might fall short of the expectations of others, or we might fail to meet our goals. How do you handle failure? If you have the definition of the world, then it might lead you to get down on yourself or your life. But if you think about 1 Samuel 16:7, then you realize that what is important is the status of your heart.

As long as you are doing your best and seeking God’s will, then you will be fine. So, anytime you experience what seems like failure, then you need to seek after God, who will make sure your heart is in the right place, and set you off on the correct path again. Failure then turns into an opportunity to adjust ourselves in God’s will and to re-focus on the goal God has for us. Blessings.

What New Thing I Learned Last Week

This last Sunday we had our annual Youth Sunday. Usually Youth Sunday is held when I am away, but this year I got to be there. I had a wonderful time watching our youth do the prayers, read the scripture, do the children's sermon, and even help with the main sermon. I was moved by the maturity and seriousness the kids displayed, but also by their enjoyment of the experience.

The scripture passage for the morning came from Matthew 18:1-5, with the main verse being Matthew 18:3, "And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" The title of the sermon was "Faith Like A Child."

The sermon started with one of our high school boys giving his testimony of how he came to our church and has grown in his faith while attending. I was excited to hear his story and watch as he spoke with great enthusiasm and style. The sermon was finished up by our high school director, who went on to talk about how the youth encourage and teach her even in the midst of her teaching them.

However, what really spoke to me was the word 'change.' I have read this passage many, many times, but this time I was caught by the word ‘change’, as Jesus said, 'unless you change and become like little children.' Our high school director pointed out that in our younger days we are trusting of what we are told, but as we get older we begin to question and doubt. So, for us to have faith like a child, we have to change our thinking from our questioning mold of adulthood to the trusting mindset of a child.

I realized that the only way I can change is to let God change me. I cannot change myself because I have grown too far past trusting like a child. I have been lied to and deceived too many times by people to trust like a child. This can even at times affect my ability to trust God. I know that I can trust God, but there is a part of me that doubts.

Can you relate to this? Do you have trouble trusting others? Does this carry over into your relationship with God? Does it affect your faith in God? We must allow God to help us to believe in Him as a child does. We need to pray to God to give us the ability, the faith to trust in His word and His way; His will and His power. Only then can we truly experience God and see the Kingdom of Heaven. What have you learned lately? I'd be interested to know. Blessings.

Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?

I think most people would agree that life is not easy. Life can be very challenging with school, work, marriage, children, as well as the every day problems that come along. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by life. Which leads us to ask the question, ‘Does God give us more than we can handle?

There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I believe that just as God doesn’t give us more than we can bear in regards to the temptations of life, so He doesn’t give us more than we can bear in the events of our lives.

There are indeed problems in life, some that are great, but God doesn’t give these problems to us. Instead, God promises to be with us in the midst of them. As Isaiah 43:2 tells us, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” God is ever with us and will watch over us. God will help us in our struggles and will give us strength.

The problem really lays with us, not God. Too often we don’t look to God for help, and so we will struggle along in our own limited power. Without God’s help our problems, challenges, and struggles overwhelm us. Another issue is that we allow our lifestyle to become more than we can handle. We allow our kids to be in choir, and baseball, and Girl Scouts, and the next thing we know we are running in too many different directions. Soon we find that we are facing burn out blaming God for all that has come down on us.

The answer for us is to be wise in the choices we make. The first choice needs to be to seek out God daily. Seek out God through prayer, Bible Study, and fellowship. The second choice needs to be limiting how much we plan in our lives. Don’t do too much, and if you start to feel stretched, cut back. Third, if and when you feel your life is too much to handle, go to God for help and allow Him to give you extra wisdom and strength. Trust in Him to not let the waters sweep over you.

Don’t let your life be too much too handle. There is a way out and God can help you find it. Blessings.

Deepening Relationships

The truth is that we have been created to be in relationships with others. All people not only desire to be in a deep relationship with another person, but it is a part of their make-up to have deep relationships. In this blog I would like to explore how we can deepen our relationships.

First, for a relationship to go deeper there needs to be honesty. You need to be able to share with the other person your thoughts, and feelings, and desires, and dreams. You need to be able to talk about important topics and not hold back. You need to allow yourself to tell this other person what you experienced, both past and present. You need to develop an environment where both of you can talk openly.

Second, communication is important in a relationship. In my counseling of couples, I see this as one of the weakest points of people’s relationships. People have trouble communicating with others. There have been many times when I have told one spouse something, and then I will see the other spouse a week later, only to learn that the wife never communicated the information to the husband; or visa versa. People don’t talk that much anymore, and if they do talk, there is not much depth to their conversation. We have to learn good communication skills, and have a willingness to communicate, if we hope to develop deeper relationships.

Third is what I call the triangle of relationships. How this works is that God is at the top of the triangle, one person in the relationship is on one side of the triangle, and the other person is on the other side. As a person grows in their relationship with God, they move up the triangle toward the top (where the triangle gets more narrow). If both people are growing in their relationship with God together, then they will inevitably be growing closer to each other as well. The stronger they are in their faith, the deeper their relationship with each other will be able to grow.

I pray that we will all seek to deepen our relationships with those whom we desire to grow closer to. May God bless you in your relationships!

What is Most Important ?

Everybody has something or someone that is important to him or her. How do you know what is the most important thing in your life? Is what is most important really what should be most important? This is a helpful subject, because all too often we don’t fully think about what we value or what we should value.

First, how do you know what is the most important thing in your life? The answer to this is really pretty easy. Look at your schedule. How do you spend your time? Where does most of your time go? Does it go to your work? To sleep? To family? To friends? As you see where you spend the bulk of your time, you can see what you value. Now you may want to argue with me that you work more than you spend time with your family, but you value your family more. Let’s look at it closer then. Most full-time jobs require around 40-45 hours per week on average. Let’s say that you have about 25-30 hours free in your week. If you are spending extra time at work and only a small percentage of your free time with your family, then again, your work is more important. If you are going off to dinner with a friend instead of spending time with your family or significant other, then your friends are more important.

What should be most important? The Bible helps us to answer this question. When Jesus was asked what the greatest command was, he said in Matthew 22:37-38, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.’” In other words, our relationship with God should be the most important thing to us. Jesus also said that if we held to this truth, then our lives would be much better off. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When we seek to be in a right relationship with God, and with God’s will for our lives, then all things will work out for us.

The thing that should be the next most important part of our lives is our relationships with others. Jesus said in Matthew 22:39, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” We have been created to be in relationship with others. If we do not have good relationships in our lives, then it won’t matter how successful, or rich, or powerful we are, our lives will not mean much. Even more, we will constantly be searching for peace and fulfillment.

I hope that the two great commands Jesus talked about are what are most important to you. If not, may you can seek to make them important in your life. Blessings.

A Parable Re-told

One day a high school boy decided he was going to invite four of his friends to church. They all said yes and went to church the next week. At church they heard about Jesus and how He died for them so that they could be forgiven and have eternal life. They all thought it was nice and told the boy they would like to come back. The next week the boy invited them all again. This time only three said they could come. The first boy was hanging out with his ‘cool’ friends, and didn’t have time for church. After a few weeks of the boy asking his friends to come to church, only one of the four continued to go. The second boy got ‘too busy’ with school to go anymore. The third boy joined an after-school group that met on the church day and began to be influenced by his friends against the church. But the fourth boy who kept on going to church gave His life to Jesus and even started inviting his friends as well!

This is a re-telling of Jesus’ parable of the sower. Jesus’ parable goes like this: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown…” (Luke 8:5-8)

Why did Jesus tell this parable? I believe it was meant to give His followers encouragement. I believe that Jesus wanted them (and us) to understand that not everyone who hears the message about Jesus will receive these words with enthusiasm. In fact, many will reject what is told to them. There will be a few, however, that will receive Jesus. But we won’t know who will receive these words, and who won’t, until after we share. And if even one person receives Jesus, then our efforts will be worth it!

So sow your seeds; tell people about Jesus; invite people to church; share your experiences. Bless others as you have been blessed.

Looking Up

If you remember Chicken Little, you know that looking up got him into trouble. If you look up, maybe something from the sky will fall on you. Maybe you will see something that will cause you concern. Maybe things will appear out of place. Maybe, Maybe, Maybe… The Bible has a different take on looking up. In Colossians 3:2 we are told, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” What this verse is saying is that we are to have a heavenly, or eternal perspective on life. The things of the earth are temporary. Relationships begin and end. We have a possession and then we don’t. We are born and we die. If we try and put too much trust in the things of this world, it will disappoint us.

The things of heaven are eternal. Eternal life. Love. Worshiping God. Impacting the lives of others, especially for God. That is what makes the Bible such an amazing book. It is constantly pointing us to the things of heaven. The Bible is regularly leading us to look up to God for guidance, strength, perspective, and His saving grace.

Think about the things of the earth. What do you have? What do you possess? What do you want? How have you been disappointed? Now think about the things God brings into your life: love, forgiveness, strength, salvation. These things do not disappoint. When you regularly look up, you remember what is important and where your focus should be. As Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God will give all that we need for a wonderful life when we look up to Him and trust in Him! Blessings.

A not-so-well-known Bible verse that impacted you

The Bible is one of the most read books of all time, if not THE most read book. It has many verses that are well known: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Turn the other cheek.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Yet, there are so many verses in the Bible that we don’t know which contain great and wonderful truths.

One verse that is not as well known, but has impacted my life comes from the book of James, chapter 4, verses 13-15: “Come now you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there, and engage in business, and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.’”

This passage makes a powerful statement of living according to God’s will, not my own. When I live based on my own desires, I am saying to myself that I am wiser than God. When I make plans apart from God’s input, and apart from the guidance of scripture, then I believe that I am capable of knowing what tomorrow will bring. It is a much better plan to seek out God’s will and live according to what He wants for me.

This concept of living according to God’s will can be tough for many, because so many people have an independent spirit. People don’t want to be told what to do by others, or even by God. Instead, they seek to do what THEY WANT TO DO, not always what is best to do.

This passage has helped me understand that God is eternal, and my life is just temporary. God is the God of the universe. I am His creation. God has all wisdom, and I have limited understanding. God is holy, and I am sinful and flawed. I do not know what my life will be like tomorrow, but if I trust in God, and follow His will, then I can know that I will walk a good path of fruitfulness and purpose! Blessings.