What does it mean to have faith like a mustard seed?  In this verse, Jesus uses an analogy, and I find it interesting that he compares faith to a mustard seed.  I think there are a couple lessons we can learn from this wonderful illustration.

First, mustard seeds are very small, typically one to two millimeters in size.  I think this is the main lesson Jesus wanted to convey.  Even though our faith is small it can produce spectacular results!

The point of this verse is not that we need a tremendous amount of faith to move mountains or mulberry trees.  It’s that we have a tremendous God who is capable of doing anything, and all we need is a tiny bit of trust for him to operate.

That’s because our faith is only as strong as its object.  Faith is not powerful in and of itself.  It’s not like the “force” in Star Wars.  Instead, faith is reaching out in hope to grab a hold of the power of God and watch in awe and wonder as he works.
 
An interesting thing about seeds is they don’t cause themselves to grow.  They are dependent on external causes.  They need a farmer to plant them, soil to nourish them, water to hydrate them, and sunlight to energize them.  Likewise, faith depends entirely on God for results.  And since God is unlimited in power, the issue is not how big our faith is, but how big our God is!  Don’t forget that God is the one who gives us faith in the first place (Heb 12:2).

Having said that, a second lesson about seeds is that they do in fact grow.  A mustard seed is only a millimeter long, but it can grow up to 30 feet!  That tells us our faith is not meant to be static.  It should be growing and bursting through its shell and transforming into something big and beautiful that glorifies God.  Of course, this is by definition a painful process.  It takes time for seeds to germinate in the ground.  They can spend weeks or months buried in the earth, surviving in hostile conditions.  But when they grow, they produce a brilliant display of God’s grace, provision and sufficiency.

What are you facing today that requires a mustard seed of faith?  Remember the power to transform your circumstances does not lie in the greatness of your faith, but in the greatness of your God.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

How much of our peace depends on something changing?
“I’ll have peace when this situation gets resolved.”
“When this busy season is over.”
“When the relationship gets better.”
“When I know what the future holds.”

It’s easy to believe that peace is waiting for us on the other side of our circumstances. If we can just get everything to fall into place, then we can finally rest.

But Scripture gives us a very different picture.

Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned, their feet fastened in stocks. Yet at midnight, before the earthquake came and before a single prison door opened, they were praying and singing hymns to God (Acts 16:22–26).

Paul later wrote Philippians while imprisoned, facing an uncertain future. Yet he could say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). His circumstances couldn’t determine his peace because either outcome still led back to Christ.

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus while Martha was “worried and bothered about so many things.” Jesus told Martha that only “one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:41–42). Martha was consumed by the many things. Mary had chosen the one thing.

David fled Jerusalem during the rebellion of his own son Absalom. His family was fractured, his kingdom threatened, and his future uncertain. Yet David wrote, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me” (Psalm 3:5).

Habakkuk looked toward circumstances that could hardly have been worse: no fruit on the trees, no crops in the fields, and no livestock in the stalls. His response? “Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17–18).

Do you see the pattern?
The prison didn’t have to open.
The future didn’t have to become certain.
The tasks didn’t all have to get done.
The rebellion didn’t have to end.
The fields didn’t have to produce.
God was enough before the circumstances changed.

Maybe we have the order backward. We spend enormous energy trying to get everything in life to fall into place so that we can finally experience peace. But biblical peace begins somewhere else.

When we have deep, settled peace with Jesus, everything else may not fall into place…but it begins to find its proper place.

The problem may still be real. The future may still be uncertain. The prayer may still be unanswered. But none of those things were ever meant to carry the weight of our peace.
Jesus was.


Prayer:

• Lord, show me where I have made my peace dependent upon my circumstances changing.
• Help me know Christ so deeply that my confidence in Him becomes greater than my uncertainty about what is happening around me.
• Teach me to trust You before I know how the story ends.

New American Standard Bible®
Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

God has uniquely fashioned each of us to serve and live for Him.  We all have different personalities, abilities, and spiritual giftedness.  When God combines these things together, we all have special ways of serving the Lord that He wants us to use for the furthering of His kingdom.  Even though we may have the same spiritual gift as someone else, we will still serve God in unique ways.  That is because of our personality and the amazing way God has put each of us together.

Along with this, God is the One who puts within us the desire to serve Him. Paul tells us this in the letter to the Philippians:  “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  (Philippians 2:13 NASB 1995)

The word the Apostle Paul uses for “will” expresses a wish, will or desire. Those tugs at our heart, the interest we have, or that longing to serve in some capacity of spiritual ministry is ultimately placed in our life by God Himself.  He will lead us to serve in the very things He has equipped us to do.

Paul told the Philippians that God worked in them so that they could do His good pleasure and accomplish His good purpose. Both divine enablement and human responsibility are involved in getting God’s work done. We are partners with God, laboring together with Him.

God also makes us both willing and desirous to do His work.  He literalling “energizes” or “provides enablement” for us to serve Him.  God provides the strength and the ability to do the good works. We do not muster up the strength in ourselves. That is why the spiritual abilities that God gives us are called “grace gifts.” They are given to us by grace and through grace God provides the strength to do them. Notice all the glory then goes to God and not to the vessel.

Paul again reinforces this truth in his letter to the Corinthians:  “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB 1995)

We are the vessels the Lord chooses to use.  God has joy in giving us the ability to serve Him, that the glory might ultimately belong to Him.  But in the process He rewards us for serving Him, again all of grace.


Prayer:  Lord, thank you for how you have made me to serve You.  Help me to see the opportunities You give me to serve.  Thank you for the desire and strength to do these things for your glory.  Amen

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Have you ever heard the phrase: “keeping up with the Jones’s”? The idea is that if your neighbor or friend or peer has something, you feel the need to have that something as well, or at least equivalent to it, or something even better. It’s like a materialistic competition between you and those around you. It seems very natural here in America with our capitalistic way of living, but I assure you that it is not unique to America. Jealousy and covetousness are part of our sin nature and so it is natural for us to want what someone else has. In fact the most raw form of this is watching a small child not wanting to play with a toy, until suddenly his or her playmate begins playing with it, and suddenly now they must have it, and not having it, is world-ending, in their mind.

Jesus reminds us in this passage that our life is not about collecting stuff this side of Heaven. We are told money can’t buy happiness, and I would suggest that it actually can, but only temporary and ultimately hollow happiness. You see anything you buy today will eventually fall out of your favor. You will grow bored with it, it will lose its luster, it won’t be as useful, or as fun, or as cool, or it will degrade, break, or otherwise become unusable. Cars are really good examples of this, new cars with all the latest bells and whistles cost thousands of dollars, and for a few years can be really nice and cool, but look at a really high end car from the 80s or 90s and the lack of a touch screen, dashboard with harsh right angles, and physical knobs and buttons will make you wonder why anyone would have ever bought that thing. But in its day, the stereo was banging, the style of the dash was modern, and the car was worth a lot of money.

The point here is stuff is perishable and fleeting, and if your end goal is to acquire as much good stuff as you can, it's a never ending sisyphean task that can never be fulfilled. In contrast Jesus offers us a true purpose and true source of happiness. When we focus on Christ the money and stuff we naturally gravitate towards become less important in the light of His glory and grace. Jesus warned us not to store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, but to store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven, and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. All the things we attain here on earth for us will ultimately be meaningless, you can’t take it with you when you die. Only Jesus offers something lasting and eternal. Keep your focus on Him and not what your neighbor has that you don’t. You’ll be happier for it.

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I once heard the following line from a stand-up comedian: “On a scale of 1 to 10, parenting is a lot of 1s and a lot of 10s.” This was definitely true of Lauren and my first experience parenting a toddler. As our daughter Lottie began walking and talking, there were a lot of high points. Every day brought a new word or a new discovery. Seeing her personality blossom was a delight—we learned about her innate curiosity, her people-loving extraversion, her likes and dislikes, loves and fears. But we learned toddler parenting is not for the faint of heart. Lottie was fundamentally selfish, absorbed in her own needs and wants. She insisted on TV at every opportunity and threw fits when we said no… she yelled “No!” or “Mine!” if we try to take an object from her… she came up with EVERY possible excuse to avoid bedtime. We referred to her as “our adorable little sinner.”

That may sound a little harsh, but I think it’s supported by Scripture.  Proverbs 22:15 says that “folly is bound up in the heart of a child.” Even as young as a year, we could see folly—her “sin nature”—rearing its ugly head in Lottie’s heart. The Bible teaches that all of us, from birth, are sinners by nature (Ps. 51:5, Eph. 2:3), with a heart that is “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9, KJV). Sin, selfishness, rebellion against God, is inherent to every member of fallen humanity. For anyone unsure of this fact, I recommend spending a day or two surrounded by a group of toddlers.

Yet many hold to the idea that deep down, most people are basically good. In recent Internet polls, about three-quarters of Americans agree with this statement. According to this philosophy, people lose touch with their “inner goodness” because of factors in their environment, ranging from personal tragedy to social pressure. This worldview appears, for example, in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein, in which Frankenstein’s monster, initially curious and unselfish, is brutally rejected by society for his hideous appearance. Driven to hatred and rage, the monster turns on its creator and ends up murdering six people in cold blood. The Frankenstein myth perpetuates today in various forms. Consider Hollywood’s obsession with villainous backstories: childhood antagonists (Maleficent, the Wicked Witch, even the Joker) are really decent people ruined by bad circumstances. Disney’s Frozen says the quiet part out loud in the song “Fixer Upper:” “People make bad choices when they’re mad or scared or stressed, / But throw a little love their way, and you’ll bring out their best.” In other words, environmental factors (which cause anger, fear, or stress) are responsible for our misbehavior, not any inherent sin nature.

Toddlers pull the rug out from under this view. I don’t really think I can blame my children’s temper tantrums on some corruption of their inherent goodness due to environmental factors. Lottie—and as he gets older, Elliott—regularly make bad choices when they’re NOT mad or scared or stressed. My kids misbehave not because their basic goodness is waning, but because they are sinners.

So what? One, pray for Lottie, Elliott, and children everywhere, that the Lord would be working in their little hearts to draw them to Himself. Two, pray for me, my wife, and parents everywhere as we wrestle with the joyfully agonizing task of raising sinners. Three, maybe we need a reminder of our own inherent sinfulness. Do we blame our “bad choices,” our sin patterns, on our environment or factors outside our control, instead of facing the reality of our own sinful hearts (James 1:16-17)? May we pray like David for God to “create in us a clean heart” (Ps. 51:10) and continue His work of regenerating us by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."

Sometimes I find comfort in being reminded that the Lord is the Lord and there isn't any other god before Him. He is the Lord and no one else has that name. He is God.

In the 2nd set of verses He reminds me that I am His witness. It's so amazing that He entrusts me with such a powerful message. I can look at it as really daunting or  believing that He is God, He is Lord and there is no other savior besides him; I can rest in Him to open doors. I don't have to make it happen. I just need to be willing and ready to share my story.

A song our choir sang this past year is an example of how an everyday situation can lead to complete transformation. It is a great example of "neighboring." Just a guy/gal "enjoying and sharing the abundant life of Jesus!"

End Of The Beginning  David Phelps
Verse 1
I was taking a trip on a plane the other day             
Just wishing that I could get out
When the man next to me saw the book in my hand  (the open door)
And asked me what it was about
So I settled back in my seat a best seller I said
A hist'ry and myst'ry in one
Then I opened up the book and began to read   (His story)
From Matthew Mark Luke and John

Chorus 1
He was born of a virgin one holy night
In the little town of Bethlehem
Angels gathered 'round Him underneath the star
Singing praises to the great I Am
He walked on the water
Healed the lame and made the blind to see again
And for the first time here on earth
We learn that God could be a friend
And though He never ever did a single thing wrong
The angry crowd chose Him
And then He walked down the road
And died on the cross
And that was the end of the beginning

Verse 2
That's not a new book
That's a Bible he said
And I've heard it all before
I've tried religion it's shame and guilt
And I don't need it anymore
It's superstition made up tales
Just to help the weak to survive
Let me read it again I said
But listen closely
This is gonna change your life   (My story)      
                                 
Verse 3
The end of the beginning
He said with a smile
What more could there be
He's dead
You said they hung Him
Put nails in His hands
And a crown of thorns on His head
I said I'll read it again
But this time there's more
And I believe that this is true
His death wasn't the end
But the beginning of life
That's completed in you
Don't you see
He did all this for you

Chorus 2
He was born of a virgin one holy night
In the little town of Bethlehem
All the angels singing praises to the great I Am
He walked on the water
Healed the lame and made the blind to see
And for the first time here on earth
Did you know that God could be a friend
And though He never did a single thing wrong
He was the one the crowd chose
And then He walked and He died
But three days later three days later
Three days later He rose
Three days later He rose
You see He came He lived and He died
But that was the end of the beginning

2001 Winkin' Music and Soulwriter Music Company, Inc./Gaither Copyright Management and Music Services, Inc.
CCLI Song #3916313 CCLI Licenst #144-2-

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

There has been a debate in Christianity for centuries over works role in salvation. One camp points to Paul who says to the Christians in Ephesus, “For it is by grace you have been save through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Then we have the works camp citing James, “As you can see, a man is justified by is deeds and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24).

Since I accept the Bible as true, then I have to reconcile those two facially inconsistent averments. This can be done if you realize that there is no disagreement between the two, only an issue of the point in time to which each is referring. Paul is talking about our salvation. There is no work that man can perform to earn or merit salvation. It is solely and wholly the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. After salvation, comes sanctification. It is here that James chimes in with the idea that real salvation will result in works which will result in fruit.

God did not save us and simply release us to go about whatever life we decide to pursue. Rather He is a God of purpose and as Paul also tells the Ephesians, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). Works are simply evidence that the salvation already obtained is real. Jesus made the point that faith will prove itself when tested in Matthew 13:3-9:

“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘a farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had not root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.’”

            So how do these verses support what James has been saying here?  Real faith produces something.  Real faith is faith in the good soil which produces a crop.  As Jesus explains a little later (Matthew 18-23) to the disciples the other seed was not real saving faith but the illusion of faith which when tested fell away.  It works as follows:

            Hard Soil - The hard soil are folks that either have no reaction to the Word or have a negative reaction. They do not embrace Christianity at any level.

            Rocky Soil - The rocky soil is producing folks who are having an emotional reaction to the Word. It meets some needs within them and fills some void. It feels good to have community and purpose. Every church has these folks in it. They are self-satisfied but not saved. They may sing in your choirs, teach your Sunday schools, serve on boards and maybe even fill your pulpits. However, it is a charade. It may be a well-intentioned charade, but a charade, nonetheless. If things come into their lives that are completely unsettling, they have no real faith to hold on to and they may very well abandon the Church as the means of meeting their needs.

            The Weedy Soil - The weedy soil is similar to but different than the rocky soil. These are people who find some personal benefit from aligning themselves with Christianity. They have goals that are met by becoming part of the community. I know guys in high school who joined youth groups because of some girl they fancied. I know financial advisors and real estate agents who join large churches because it is good for business. The examples are endless. As long as involvement is serving their purposes, they are all in at the church. However, let something else become a better means to their personal goals then they are off.

            Within any congregation, it is your rocky and weedy “Pseudo-Christians” that need to be our concern. Our pastors are not simply filling sermon space when they make invitations to the people sitting out in the audience who are there most Sundays. The question is can they be awakened from their slumber and caused to face the reality of their situation? They are the comfortable lost in your midst. Many who identify as Christians will eventually forsake Christianity. However, those who are truly saved by faith in Christ will not.

            The Good Soil - The final soil is the good soil where we find the true Christian producing fruit of various amounts but all producing fruit. It is that persevering fruit that is the evidence and assurance of salvation.

            I know I am repeating myself, but it is important that we keep the fact that works are not necessary for salvation.  You are saved at the point of faith and faith alone.  No act on your part is necessary, only acceptance of the truth.  Your subsequent conduct tells us about and affirms the faith but does not have anything to do with your obtaining salvation it is already 100% in the book.
           
            One example of this would be a math proof.  You have a theorem in math.  It proposed that some formula with Xs and Ys is true.  The mathematician then provides a written-out proof of the formula to establish its veracity and make the theory axiomatic.  Was the formula true before the proof?  Yes.  It was already true, the mathematician’s work simply provided proof establishing the formula.  The same with salvation – it was already true before the works.  They just establish its veracity.

            You were saved with a Godly determined purpose. How are you doing identify and living out that purpose? If you have enlisted in God’s army do not be a goldbrick or worse yet be AWOL from service. The works are simply waiting for you to undertake them.      

New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A few years ago, I headed out to Millerton Lake with a friend and our sons for a day of fishing. As I stepped off the dock and into the boat, the only thing I told myself was, 'Yeah, this looks stable.' I didn't ask who manufactured the boat. I didn't demand to see its safety inspection records. I just trusted it. Most of us would do the same. We don’t rigorously test a boat before pushing off from the shore because if we spent all our time engineering-testing the hull, we would completely miss the joy of being on the water.

But there is a fascinating reality about boats: the moment they hit the water, the lake is constantly trying to get inside. Not in a “the water is alive” or “out to get the boat” type of sense, but I mean the water is doing what it does because of gravity and pressure.

Our spiritual lives operate similarly. We live in a world where culture, media, and daily anxieties are relentlessly pressing against us, trying to find a microscopic crack to leak through. If we aren't careful, compromises creep in, and we slowly begin taking on water.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was sitting in a dark Roman prison cell. Yet, surrounded by the literal and figurative "waters" of hardship, he gave us the ultimate blueprint for structural integrity. He tells us to guard our minds. We are to actively choose what we dwell on: things that are true, honorable, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy.

Fixing our minds on Christ isn't about ignoring the world's problems. It’s about ensuring the world doesn't get inside our boat. When we practice guarding our thoughts, the God of peace promises to navigate the waters right alongside us. Our boats don’t sink because they are in the water; our boats sink when we let the water in.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

When I started out in ministry I was a 22-year old, wet-behind-the-ears, fresh out of Bible college, Pastor. I thought I knew it all. I thought I could do it all. Every opportunity for ministry that came along, I said “Yes” to.

I received my call to vocational pastoral ministry when I was sixteen years old. I had been serving as a volunteer in my church for many years. My call was affirmed by the pastors working closest with me as they observed me, coached me, and encouraged me every step of the way. I knew God wanted me to be a Senior Pastor in the church someday, but my first ministry opportunity, as with most pastors, was in Youth Ministry.

I was in a 2,000 member EV-Free Church, so the Youth Ministry was large. There were high expectations, not just working with the teenagers, but with their parents and families. And if I was going to be effective in discipling all these kids, I also had to recruit a large number of adults to work with me.

But, as I was managing all the details of a large youth ministry, I never forgot my call to be a Senior Pastor. So, I was saying yes to every opportunity to do ‘Adult Pastor’ things. An opportunity to do a funeral, I took it. An opportunity to do a wedding, I took it. An opportunity to do premarital counseling, I took it. An opportunity to teach an adult Sunday School class, I took it. An opportunity to play piano and sing in the Sunday morning worship band, I took it (I was a music major in college). I was trying to earn my way into ministry and in the process thought it would help me get into the ‘good graces’ of God.

I was thrilled with all the Pastors willing to trust me to help with various aspects of their ministry, so I just kept saying Yes. And before long I was busy every night of the week, and all day Saturday and Sunday. At first, I loved it. But after a while, I started to get tired.

One day, my mentor, Pastor Jim Rosene, pulled me aside and said, “Brian, how many nights of the week are you here at church?” I thought about it and said proudly, “Every night.” He said, “That’s not good. As your mentor, I have done you a disservice by not seeing this sooner.” He said, “I need you to pull out of all ministries that don’t directly apply to your job description here at church.” I said, “But Jim, I love ministry. I am trying to get experience in the adult world to be a Senior Pastor”. He said, “I understand that, Brian, but in the process you are setting yourself up for burn out.” He said, “I’ve taught you a lot about ministry, and given you many opportunities to use your gifts, but one lesson I haven’t taught you yet is how to rest.” Then he quoted this verse.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

He told me that Jesus was speaking to people who labor and carry heavy loads. That was me. He challenges us to stop striving. Stop trying to earn your worth through performance. Jesus Christ promises us rest. It is a gift He gives us. A yoke was used to connect two oxen so the stronger ox can carry the heavier part. And Jesus invites you to connect with Him in a close relationship where He carries the heavier part. And Christ is gentle and humble, not like the harsh world around us.

So how can you rest?

1. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ daily. Give your worries to Him. Let Him carry the load with you. Don’t try to handle things alone.
2. Learn His pace. Not the frantic pace of being busy every night of the week doing unnecessary tasks. Instead walk with Him at a steady and constant pace.
3. Take His light burden. Following Jesus should be a joy, not a chore. When you are relying on Him every day, immersed in His love. Life becomes easier.

So take time to rest. Have at least one week night home with your family each week. Take a nap once in a while. And make sure you’re in the Word and pray every single day. When you do these things, God will bless you and you won’t burn out. Rest.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

On August 1st, my family celebrated my grandpa’s 92nd birthday. It was a good time spent at Yosemite Ranch as we looked to honor the life my grandpa lived. My grandpa was quite the character, talking to everyone he could come into contact with, just wanting to know them. He was an avid fan of sports, particularly any sports teams that had to do with LA. A big reason why I am an LA sports fan is because of my grandpa. The time with my grandpa was always well spent as we’d talk about sports and life. It was really sad for me when my grandpa passed away on Saturday, May 10th, 2025. It has now been a year and three months since my grandpa passed away from a tragic fall. In that time, though, God has restored something my grandpa used to say to me often when I was in elementary school and Junior High.

My grandpa used to always quote Psalm 118:24. Whenever I saw him, I used to ask him, “How are you doing, Grandpa? " and he’d quote Psalm 118:24 to say he was doing well. During my elementary and junior high years, those at times were not the best times in my life, but my grandpa was always there for me, reminding me that God is good even when it feels like everything is bad. When my grandpa passed away from a fall on Saturday, it was really hard to get the news that he had passed away, but I just remembered some of the sweetest moments with my grandpa were when he would quote Psalm 118:24 to remind me that everything will be ok because God is good and God is working everything towards His purposes to bring about something good in me.

It definitely would be easy to be angry at God over what happened to my grandpa, but I am thankful for all the good times I had with my grandpa while he was living. I’m thankful for all the times I was feeling down, and he and my grandma would pick me up from school and take me somewhere for a special treat. I’m thankful that I am a Rams, Dodgers, and Lakers fan and that I had many conversations about sports with my grandpa. I am thankful for all the lunches my grandparents would have with me to catch up and hear about what was going on in my life. I am thankful that my grandpa taught me to take an interest in the people around him, learn their names, and learn their stories. I am thankful for the encouragement my grandpa was to me in my faith.

Yes, it was hard to lose my grandpa on May 10th, 2025, but I am rejoicing that God let me experience a lot of time with grandpa and that one day I will be able to spend eternity with my grandpa in Heaven. Let us rejoice in what God is doing in our lives each day to give Him the glory, as He is sovereignly working everything together for His glory and for our good. Our God is good even when tragedy does strike us. Our lives are meant to be centered on who Jesus is and what He has done for us, and no matter what happens, we can trust that God is doing something wonderful in our time, even when things seem bad. Let us rejoice each day for what Jesus has done for us and what He is doing in our lives to conform us to live more like Him each day.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan river and entered the promised land, they encamped near the city of Jericho.  Tensions were high as the people prepared for their first battle with the Canaanites, wondering what would happen.

Suddenly Joshua saw an imposing soldier standing nearby with his sword drawn, and he asked: “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

I love the response he gets: “No.”
 
In other words, there’s a third option – one that Joshua hadn’t considered.

Personally, I believe the Commander of the LORD’s army is an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament.  That’s why Joshua falls down on the ground and worships him, and the Commander says, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy” (verses 14-15).  That’s what God said to Moses when he appeared to him in the burning bush.

So what lesson can we take from this?
 
One conclusion is that we can’t stuff God into our box.  Joshua thought there were only two possibilities, and he thought God had to choose one of them.  But God said, “No.  You’ve got it all wrong.  The question is not if I’m on your side or their side.  The question is… are you on my side?”

That’s an important lesson to learn in the divided, angry, polarizing times we live in.  Many of us try to cram God into our box – our political party, our church, our opinion, our theological camp.  “God is on our side.”

But our ways are not God’s ways, and our thoughts are not his thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).  He’s not limited by our ridiculous categories or our partisan politics.  He is infinitely wise… infinitely powerful… and infinitely good.  And we can barely comprehend how and why God does things the way he chooses.  But he’s absolutely in control.

The question is: “Are we on his side?”

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Most of us have encountered the frustration that comes with assembling a furniture item from a box. If not directly, at least second hand, like my daughters watching their dad groan and stomp about in the middle of putting it together. For some of us, this might stem from attempting to figure it out on our own without instructions, or convincing ourselves we've found a better way. Then comes the inevitable: taking it back apart, hoping we haven’t permanently damaged it. Of course, the consequences typically aren’t more than some extra time and a bruised ego. On a larger scale, history has shown several engineering disasters (in some cases, deadly) that have resulted from “cutting corners” and neglecting specifications.

In 1 Samuel 15, God’s servant Samuel had delivered clear and specific instructions to King Saul for completely wiping out the Amalekites (down to the last sheep) in a specific judgment from God. However, verse 9 says, “But Saul and the people spared king Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them”. When confronted by Samuel that there was clearly living livestock brought back, Saul justifies it in this way (vs.15): “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.”

We see a couple of insights here. First, notice that the “good” things were spared with the intent to bless God. Simply slaughtering these animals, especially the high-quality ones, would naturally appear inefficient and a waste. I can imagine someone reasoning, “Well, technically they’ll still be destroyed, right? So, it’s still obeying the command. What a tremendous sacrifice this can be to the Lord!” The antidote to this is humbling ourselves before the Lord, and allowing Him to search and examine our hearts, using his Word as the tool of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 bears this out more fully:

“For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Secondly, Saul mentions that the people spared the sheep. When pressed by Samuel on his disobedience, he doubles down further, saying “I have obeyed…but the people took the spoils”. When Samuel lays out the consequences, Saul finally confesses that he sinned by fearing the people and listening to their voice. This may seem like a turning point, but a bit later Saul begs Samuel to return with him and honor him before the elders and Israel in making sacrifice. He was still focused on his reputation before man, rather than his relationship to the true King. This isn’t saying that we shouldn’t listen to others. Seeking godly counsel from brothers and sisters in Christ is scriptural. However, that is quite a different thing than swaying to popular sentiment in opposition to God’s clear direction.

Samuel lays out that not obeying God is rebellion, which he then connects to the sin of divination (witchcraft) and idolatry. This was especially poignant, since Saul as part of his conquest drove out the witches from Israel. As commendable as that was, Samuel is basically saying that Saul’s disobedience is, at the heart level, made of the same stuff that witchcraft is.

To obey is better than sacrifice. This really means it’s a heart thing. Are we surrendering to Him daily, hearing His voice and devoting ourselves to Him completely? Are we settling for what appears to be “good sacrifices” before others, or diligently seeking His will?

Keith Green wrote a song with the title from this passage, challenging fellow believers to deeper devotion (I know it always gives me a good dose of conviction!). Each of the three verses begin with,
“To obey is better than sacrifice…” and then continue with:

1. “I don’t need your money; I want your life”
2. “I want more than Sundays and Wednesday nights”
3. “I want hearts of fire, not prayers of ice”

May we allow His Word to search us. Then may we respond in trusting obedience in presenting ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).


Feel free to dig a bit deeper into this theme with the following scriptures:
Psalm 51:16-17
Romans 12:1-3
Psalm 139:23-24

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

A few years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel.  It was my first time to see and experience the Holy Land.  The time we spent at the Sea of Galilee impacted my life.  To see the places where Jesus spent much of His time in His earthly ministry gave me new insights into His life and the life of His disciples.  There He fed the thousands, healed the sick, taught the crowds, and trained His disciples.  As the disciples walked with Jesus through His earthly ministry, they learned who He was and how important He was to their daily lives.  As I stood in the places where Jesus and His disciples stood, I realized that the disciples were in many ways just like me.  Men struggling to trust the Lord as they faced the problems of life.  Jesus gave them opportunities to trust in His strength or in their own human effort.

On one occasion, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples, and He told them to go to the other side.  The disciples were doing the will of the Lord.  They were in the boat crossing the Sea of Galilee just as He had instructed them.  A storm arose that was so severe, that it threatened to sink their boat.  The disciples were afraid and in human effort tried to save themselves.  When they were exhausted, they sought help from the Lord.  The Lord was asleep in the boat.  The disciples woke the Lord and asked him, “Do you not care that we are perishing, ‘Save us!’”  They were asking for material, temporal deliverance from danger.  They felt that the Lord was not concerned about them and the problems they were facing.  The Lord arose and rebuked the wind and the waves.  The wind immediately died down and the sea was calm.
 
Practical insights from the disciple’s experience…

• They had the Lord’s promise…“Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.”
• They had the Lord with them…He was asleep in the boat.
• They could see the example of Jesus…He was completely at peace with the circumstances.
  
  

Their reaction was common to ours…

• The problem seemed overwhelming…the waves were high and the boat was filling with water.
• Even though the Lord was there…they asked for His help only when they had exhausted all their efforts.

Life daily gives us opportunities to either trust the Lord or our own abilities.  Often, we respond to the problems in life like the disciples.  When I face the struggles of life I can hear the Lord asking me as He asked His disciples, “Where is your faith?”  The Lord is always with me and I need to turn to Him in faith every moment of the day.  What are you facing in your life today that you need to trust the Lord in and exhibit faith?  What steps can you take to deepen your faith?  How can you live out your faith in a practical way today?


Prayer:  Lord, often the storms of life seem overwhelming.  In those times I need to focus on You and not on the wind and waves.  I need to see You as the One Who can calm my storms.  Help me to deepen my faith and trust You more each day.  Amen

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

You ever have those days where you feel you just can’t do it. Maybe you can do some of it but there is just too much, or it’s too hard, or too out of reach. Whatever it is, your best does not seem to be good enough. It’s a sinking feeling, it deflates us and causes us to withdraw back within ourselves. But while we feel at our lowest, it is at this place that God can work wonders through us. God loves to take broken people and use them mightily for His glory. The Bible is full of stories of men and women who were not good enough, but God worked through them to accomplish His great purpose. Sometimes we have to be broken before we can step out of our own way for God to use us.

God says here in 2 Corinthians that always have all sufficiency in all things! Wow, what an amazing statement. Although it doesn’t always feel like that. But I think the point we need to take away from this is that God is the one giving us sufficiency for every good work. Its not coming from within us, or ourselves, it’s God. When we try to do things in our own power, our way, it often does not end well. However when we put our trust in God and lean on His power we are often amazed at what can be accomplished.

I’m very technically minded and can easily get lost in the troubleshooting of a problem when up against a deadline. I am so blessed by those around me who will stop everything in the midst of things not working to say “we need to pray.” It's times we notice our own power and abilities are not getting it done to stop and pray. We need to refocus on the One who is able to accomplish abundantly more than we can ask or imagine and rely on His power and strength to accomplish His purpose.

God calls us to do good works, but He doesn’t stop there. He gives us the grace and power to do those good works when we rely on Him and not on ourselves. I’m reminded of Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Had everything gone according to plan, I never would have come to Fresno.

It was the spring of my sophomore year of college—time to make summer plans. Internships were a big status symbol at my school, so I was eager to land a good one. Having spent the previous summer working in retail, I wanted something a little more aligned with my career aspirations. At the time, I was involved in multiple Bible studies and running an on-campus ministry, so I figured a church internship was the way to go.

For me, the logical choice was to intern at Stonebriar, the church in Dallas where I grew up. Stonebriar was a Bible-belt megachurch pastored by Chuck Swindoll, a well-known radio personality and author. Interning there would be great ministry experience.... and be prestigious enough to compare to my classmates’ law firm and D.C. internships. Plus, I had “unofficially” interned in the Stonebriar student ministry my senior year of high school, sitting in on staff meetings and helping plan events. I’d even won the church scholarship contest. After nailing my Zoom interview, I figured I was a shoe-in.

A few weeks later, I received a phone call from my old youth pastor. While he praised the strength of my application, I learned that Stonebriar had given the job to one of my old classmates in order to give “someone else a chance” (i.e. someone less sure of their ministry calling). I was disappointed, a little offended, and entirely without summer plans. I spent several days questioning this move by God: Lord, wasn’t this what you wanted me to do? Why would you close this door?
 
In my case, however, “when God closes a door, He opens a window” actually held true. Within a week, I was put in contact with an old friend of my grandparents named Jim Cecy. As it turned out, he had an opening in his church’s youth ministry and missions organization, so he invited me to intern in Fresno. Despite great misgivings about spending the summer in a place where I knew almost no one (AND that place being California, the butt of half the jokes my old friends in Texas made), I ended up accepting the offer.

The rest, as they say, is history. I interned two summers with Campus and JARON, then moved to Fresno after graduation. God did in fact use my internships to call me into vocational ministry. Not only am I serving as the student ministry director at Campus, but my “rival” who got the internship at Stonebriar is serving as their junior high pastor. Most importantly, I met a cute college student named Lauren during my first internship and married her a year and a half later. Our two children followed shortly thereafter.

I sometimes think back on that fateful rejection by the Stonebriar student ministry. I was so sure of what God’s plan for my life was and was so devastated when it turned out differently. But out of that painful circumstance came my calling, my current job, my wife and children. Maybe you can look back on a difficult circumstance in your life that God ended up using for good. Maybe you’re in the middle of a difficult circumstance and you’re not sure how God could use this for good. I don’t know what God has in store for me or for you, but I know his plans are better than my plans. Are we willing to trust Him?

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."

I thought this was such a cool passage. The analogies of the weather and how His word melts and nothing can stand against it. But I think what I loved is how He related it all to the way He guides His people.. How personal it was for Him to relate it to Jacob. Not just the whole nation of Israel but He made it personal down to an individual…Jacob.

We could look at the melting as a negative but then He states that He doesn't deal with any other nations this way, only His chosen people, Israel. He cares about their relationship with Him, I think that's why he makes it personal to Jacob. Verses 1-15 shows us how he strengthens, blesses, makes peace and fills us. These come about as His word runs throughout the earth and works through the "weather."  Because we know His rules, His statutes, they are what strengthens, blesses, gives us peace and fills us.

This weekend is one of the hottest weeks forecasted this summer. Because of that we had to change some plans that required a lot of reworking. But on top of that the air conditioning in our house quit working correctly. I say it's kind of like having "luke warm/cool" air. So by the afternoon our house has registered 90 degrees the past couple of days. We are dealing with the process of getting it fixed and we are fortunate to have family nearby.

I know these are "1st world" problems. Nothing compared with other storms in our family. But it's still enough for me to see this passage in a personal way.

It's hard to look at the struggles of life… hard, hard times, illness, death, conflict; and imagine what it would be like to never seek the Word that strengthens, blesses, gives peace and fills us with His outlook. The "weather" will get us down. Our ability to live in a manner that expresses the fruit of the Spirit is hindered. WE HAVE to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. We need it to teach and admonish us to bring us to the place that we can sing with songs, hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16).

I pray the "weather" isn't getting you down! If it is, run to the Savior. Can you put your name in the place of "Jacob" in this passage?

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:10-19

Other passages that may help when you're "under the weather…"
Isaiah 43:2-3 "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 tire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Psalm 61:2 "From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.”

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."

Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear: the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Years ago, one of the elders said something to me that has stuck ever since. It went something like this; “You know David, worship isn’t just people singing together in church on Sunday mornings. It’s what we do with our whole lives”. He was pointing out that worship isn’t an event, worship is a lifestyle.

How do I create a lifestyle of worshiping God? Let me make a list. Starting with singing together with others on Sunday mornings, I can add; praying to Him, works of service, studying His word, giving tithes and offerings, sharing the Gospel. This list could grow quickly, couldn’t it. However, without Joshua chapter 7, I may never have thought of including ‘confession’ as a form of worship.

Joshua 6 is about God giving Jericho into Joshua’s hand via an unusual process. The men of war marched around the city once a day for six days with trumpets blowing. Then seven times on the seventh day. After the seventh round, yelling and shouting was added to the trumpets. Not a typical battle strategy, yet the walls of Jericho fell down flat.

However, there was a problem. Joshua 7:1 says “But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban” (Joshua 6:17-19) “… therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.” This verse tells us who violated the ban. Joshua was unaware of who at that time. God instructs Joshua how to find the guilty party, again, via an unusual process.

“So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites by man by man, and Zabdi was taken. He brought his household near man by man; and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken.” Joshua 7:16-18

Certainly, everyone in Israel must now know that Achan is the culprit. One would also think how this elaborate process would be more than sufficient to convict and sentence him. But Joshua, fully convinced himself, still wants to hear it from Achan.

“Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”” – Joshua 7:19

Joshua doesn’t command Achan to confess, but endearingly draws it out of him. He starts off by calling him “my son”. He keeps it personal when he says, “tell me”, not ‘tell us’. Joshua then implores him in a way that shows Achan how his confession will give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him. Achan confesses, and hides none of it from Joshua.

Thus, I say confession to God is also worshiping God. Confessing our sin is agreeing with God, saying “I was wrong, You are right”, “My sin separates me from You, my confession lets me be rejoined to You.” The way Joshua handled this situation demonstrated godliness. I believe God endearingly calls us as His children to confess, wanting us to receive what He paid so dearly for; forgiveness and salvation.

“for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” – Matthew 26:28

I’m adding confession to my Lifestyle of Worshiping God list. How about you?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Do you remember the yearbook section that highlighted those who stand out for their superlatives? It was an exaggerated way to both recognize and celebrate people. They often say things like: Most Likely to Succeed, Most Likely to Invent the Next iPhone, Best Dressed, or Class Clown. Superlatives like these can set expectations for people who receive them, but what if those expectations feel too high? We may be expected to be the next big innovator or creative influencer, but all of that may seem like too much. In the midst of all that pressure, I’ve learned that I’d rather simply be known as the Most Likely to Follow Through.
 
In the story Jesus tells, the first son told his father that he would not follow his instructions, but after changing his mind, he did follow through. The other son said he would do what the father requested, but did not. The one who changed his mind, Jesus said, was “righteous,” or faithful, to what his father asked. He was the one who heard what the father was saying and actually did it. As we live for Jesus, like this son, we are called to be people who would follow through on our word. Jesus essentially says, “No matter how spiritual you seem on the outside, the thing that truly matters is following through on how God is calling you to live.”
 
Wise and righteous people are called faithful because they choose to follow through. Yet how many times have we told someone we would pray for them, and then forgotten? Or told a friend that we would text or call them, and never did? Or made plans and canceled without communicating beforehand? More often than I’m ashamed to admit. May we, in our desire to live as God has called us to, be more like the first son than the second. May we start thinking about ourselves as people who follow through on what we say we’ll do? May we act upon our opportunity to be faithful to how God calls us to live as we focus on the follow-through.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

I’ve been a pastor for many years, and I have seen it happen every year. Sunday morning church attendance drops in the summertime. People sleep-in and choose not to come. Or they say “I don’t feel like going today, let’s just watch on-line.” And as a result they miss the much needed in-person fellowship time with other believers who know and love them. Ministries try to line-up subs to help in nursery and kids ministry in the summer. And everyone knows that if you plan a Bible study in the summer, you better not expect many people to attend. Why is this?

Well, summer schedules are packed with vacations, weekend getaways, and backyard barbecues, making it easy to treat church as optional. There’s a break from school. And so it’s easy to think we can take a break from church. Yet consistent worship keeps our souls anchored in Jesus Christ. Gathering with believers at church on Sunday mornings reminds us that our faith doesn’t take a vacation. And it builds the habit of following Christ amid the busyness of the season.

Hebrews 10:23-25 – "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

The lazy, hazy, hot days of summer bring a shift in our daily routines. The sun is up longer, trips to the beach call to us, and our weekends fill up with opportunities to travel. While it’s important to take some much-needed time to rest and recreate, the danger comes when our physical rest turns into spiritual complacency. Someone might say, “Well, the Bible says rest is important.” And I agree, God wants us to find time for rest. But if you look up Bible verses on ‘rest’, they all have as a context, resting in the presence of the Lord.

It’s easy to develop a ‘vacation mentality’ in the summer, treating church as an activity we attend only when it’s convenient. The writer of Hebrews tells us to not forsake our own assembling together, and to do it all the more as you see the day drawing near (which is the return of Christ). Why? Because the church is supposed to be more than a good way to kill an hour on a Sunday morning. It’s family. When you are present in person, your physical attendance is an act of encouragement to those sitting around you. Your presence reminds them that they are not alone, and neither are you. We are on this journey of faith together.

I get asked on occasion, “Pastor, do we have to attend church while we’re on vacation?” And on the one hand I think, “Why wouldn’t you attend a worship gathering at a church on Sunday while you’re on vacation?” And on the other hand I think “You’re not in your home church, where people know you and rely on you, so why not take a Sunday off to do something else?” So I go back and forth. So I would say, pray about it. See what God thinks.

There are a lot of great churches in this nation of ours. On a Sunday morning while on vacation, it might be a good chance to see one of them. Experience a different worship team. A different preacher. Meet some new people. Get the feeling of being new to a church. Maybe it will develop in you more sensitivity to new people visiting our church.

So this summer, as you enjoy a vacation from the rigors of the school year, prioritize your spiritual family. Let your faithfulness in the summer be a testament of your relationship with Christ. It isn’t bound by seasons. God doesn’t take a vacation from us, so why would we take a vacation from Him? When you do this, watch how He uses those Sunday gatherings to keep your heart anchored in Him.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

When I was in the police academy, our instructors constantly reminded us that, statistically, the most dangerous thing we would do as police officers was also the thing we would do more than anything else in our careers…traffic stops.

They weren't wrong.

Throughout my career as a police officer, conducting traffic stops became one of the most common parts of my day. So, what makes them so dangerous?  It's a combination of frequency and uncertainty. Every time you approach a vehicle, you're walking to within a few feet of someone you know nothing about. You have no idea who they are, what they're thinking, how their day is going, or what you might encounter when you reach that driver's window. And odds are, they probably are now triggered into thinking that you are going to make their day even worse.

Now, were all traffic stops dangerous or life-threatening? Of course not. In fact, the vast majority ended peacefully and professionally. Some concluded with an irritated glare, a few tears, or a mumbled complaint under the driver's breath as I walked away, but most were routine.

And that’s where the real danger lies….the routine!

Traffic stops become dangerous because officers naturally let their guard down after doing them so many times. When hundreds of stops end without incident, it's easy to develop an expectation that the next one will too. That expectation can lead to complacency. We stop paying as much attention to officer safety, our positioning, constantly scanning our surroundings, and other habits that keep us alive.

Routine can create a false sense of security. If we're not careful, consistency breeds complacency…and complacency can kill (at least in the profession of law enforcement).

But routine doesn't have to breed complacency. It can also produce vigilance, excellence, and consistency. When I consistently applied the techniques I had been taught and remembered my training, I developed habits that kept me safe. Done correctly, those routines became muscle memory. But the opposite was also true…if I allowed bad habits to creep in, they too became muscle memory.

The same principle applies to our spiritual walk.

Routine can either breed complacency, or it can become a source of growth and consistency in our relationship with the Lord. Either way, routine builds muscle memory. The question is: What kind of habits are we creating?

Some of the most routine parts of our lives…spending time with friends, pouring ourselves into work, enjoying hobbies, investing in our families, and even serving in church, can slowly pull our focus away from Christ if we don't establish guardrails that keep us centered on God's will for our lives.

There's an adage I hear often and use frequently: "How you do anything is how you do everything."

In other words, the habits we form in the small things shape the way we live in the big things. When we pay attention to detail, follow through on our commitments, and strive for excellence in everyday tasks, we develop disciplined routines. But when we cut corners, hit the snooze button four times, run only two miles instead of the three we planned, or neglect simple responsibilities, we're also forming habits…habits of laziness and complacency.

The same is true in our spiritual lives, only with far greater consequences. When we neglect God's Word, go days without praying to our Heavenly Father, stop serving those around us, avoid sharing our faith, or withdraw from fellowship with other believers, those choices become routine. Over time, that routine becomes muscle memory, leading to spiritual laziness and complacency.

The routines we practice today will shape the people we become tomorrow. The question is whether those routines are drawing us closer to Christ or slowly pulling us away from Him.

Prayer Point:
Lord, help me to pursue You in everything I do. Develop in me a heart of discipline, consistency, and a deep desire for You until seeking You becomes second nature, spiritual muscle memory, and true passion of my heart. Guard me from becoming lukewarm like the church in Laodicea. Help be to not develop bad habits, bad routines.  Help me be faithful in the little things so that You can entrust me with greater things. May my daily routines draw me closer to You and reflect a life that honors You.
 
Proverbs 1:32
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." (NIV)

Hebrews 2:1
"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."

New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you ever wondered why people sometimes don’t get healed when we pray for them?  Especially in light of the promise in James 5:14: “the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

In the context of this verse, there are a number of possible explanations.
 
Perhaps the elders praying didn’t have faith.

Perhaps the sick person concealed his sin and lacked true repentance. It’s clear in Scripture that sometimes sickness is a form of God’s judgment against sin (E.G. Jn 5:14; 1Cor 11:30).

Or perhaps the lesson is that this verse must be balanced with the rest of the teaching of Scripture: namely that God’s promises about prayer always presume we ask according to his will.  In my opinion, this is the overarching principle for making prayer requests.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

If this is correct, here’s the point James is making.  When a believer is sick, sometimes God will give the elders a special leading, conviction or discernment that it is his will to heal.  He will give them a certainty of faith to heal, which James refers to as “the prayer of faith.”

But clearly that is not always the case!  (See Romans 8:26.)  Sometimes it’s not God’s will to heal miraculously, and this is evident from both personal experience and the express testimony of Scripture (2Cor 12:7-9; 1Tim 5:23; 2Tim 4:20; Phil 2:25-27).

So what do we do with a verse like Psalm 103:3, which states that God heals all our diseases?

Personally, I believe that statement is absolutely true!  But it doesn’t mean God always heals us when we expect… in the way we expect.  Sometimes he uses our natural immune system.  Sometimes he uses doctors.  Sometimes he uses advancements in medical technology.  And sometimes he chooses to take us home.
 
No matter how God chooses to work, as believers we can declare with the Psalmist: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:2-5).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

As summer comes to an end, life starts speeding up again. Parents are buying school supplies, students are checking schedules, teachers are preparing classrooms, and families are squeezing in one last trip before the routine returns.

It’s easy to get caught up preparing for everything the new school year will bring. But before we jump back into busy schedules, it’s worth asking:

Have I prepared my heart?

After the disciples returned from ministry, they eagerly told Jesus everything they had done. There was still plenty of work waiting for them, yet Jesus had a message for them in Verse 31 :

Mark 6:30-32
"The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves." (ESV)

Even in the middle of important work, Jesus knew His disciples needed to pause. They needed time with Him before continuing the journey.

As this season of rest comes to an end, take a moment to reflect. What has been most important in your life this summer? Is there anything that needs to be brought back into alignment with God?

The school year ahead will bring responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges. Before the pace of life takes over, spend time in prayer and God’s Word. Ask Him to direct your priorities and strengthen your walk with Him.

The journey continues, but the best way to begin a new season is by first spending time with the One who goes before us.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  James 1:17

Today we live in a world that is constantly changing.  Lynette’s grandfather would say, “Travel in my lifetime has gone from horse and buggy, to cars, to airplanes, to landing a man on the moon.”  Having been born in the late 1800’s he had seen tremendous change in his lifetime.  With all the changes we see going on around us today, I am glad that we have a God who never changes.  As I contemplate what that means in my life, I realize that I am so thankful that I have a God who is consistently the same day after day.  The fact that God is always truthful gives me a sure foundation when I live in a world that presents falsehood as truth and feels that if it is said enough times, I will eventually believe the lie.  Truth is found in God and in His Word.  The fact that God is always good, just, and fair gives me hope for today and for the future.
 
The Apostle James writes in this verse that there is “no variation” in God’s character.  He is telling us that, “God never changes nor is capable of changing.”   Because of His nature He consistently gives what is good all the time in every life situation.  The theological term is that God is immutable, which simply means He does not change.  Other scriptures speak of this truth:  

“For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”  Malachi 3:6

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  Hebrews 13:8

I am so thankful today that I can trust God to always be the same.  Even when I do not understand what is happening in my life or why it is happening, I can trust in God’s consistency.  He always treats me the same and I can count on Him doing what He says He will do.
 
James goes on to say that there is in God “no shifting shadow.”  The sun and stars vary for a variety of reasons.  We often say that the sun is very bright today or that the stars seem so close tonight.  We are saying there is a change in how we perceive the sun and stars.  “No shadow of turning” alludes to change and variation.  God does not change or vary in His nature.  He is completely consistent and there is never an occasion when He will act outside of His true character.  In other words, in all history or even all eternity past or future, God has never changed nor will He in the future make a single change in His character.

Shadows change with the moving of the earth in relationship to the sun.  The first century readers of this letter from James would have been familiar with the sun dial and the moving of shadows.  The shadows change as the earth turns on its axis in relationship to the sun.  Shadows are not consistent; they are constantly changing.  God does not shift or change as shadows do.  He is consistently the same.

Principle:  Since God does not change, we can always count on Him to be consistent with Who He claims to be.  He is good so He will always be good.  He will always give what is right and beneficial.

Application:    We can count on God in every situation in our lives because He does not change nor ever will.  He will always be true to His character as revealed in Scripture.

There are four facts about God’s goodness…

• God gives only good gifts
• The way God gives is good
• God gives constantly
• God does not change

Two practical applications:

• Coming to know God as revealed in Scripture is essential to your spiritual well-being.

Not as you may conceive Him to be…

Growing in our understanding of God is very important as we face the trials and testing of life.  We may draw conclusions as to Who God is that are not based on Scripture.  These conclusions may lead us astray and far from the truth of who God really is.  These deceptions can be very destructive.
 
But as He is revealed in the Bible…

We must always trust the revealed truth of Scripture when we think of God’s working in our lives.  Circumstances must be understood in light of who God is as presented in Scripture.  Circumstances may appear to be different than what they really are.  They must always be interpreted in light of who God is as we clearly see what the Scriptures teach about Him.  We often do not see or understand the big picture.  When we cannot see clearly, we need to completely trust God and His character.


Prayer:  Lord, thank you that You are totally dependable and that I can trust you to always be the same.  Help me Lord to trust Your character and to know that You always have my best interest in mind.  Regardless of my circumstances, I choose to trust You completely.  Amen

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

July is when we celebrate our nation’s birthday, our independence. We make quite a big deal about independence, and liberty and freedom in this country, especially in July. But why is that? Why do we as Americans think so highly of freedom, and make such a big deal about emphasizing it? If you look around at other similar nations to us you might think that we all have freedom now, that we are all basically the same. And on the surface there is some truth to that. However upon closer scrutiny of their core laws, constitutions, or other guiding documents shows that the liberty we celebrate in our country is not codified in their laws, meaning it can easily be altered and taken away at the whim of the ruling government.

So what does this all have to do with this passage in Galatians? Well before we get to that I think it shows there really is still something for us to celebrate in this country. For all its failings, for all the sin that seems to abound around us, we truly are blessed to live in a free society, under a freedom that is codified and cannot be taken away so easily from the government we elect. But celebrate as we should, we also need to focus on what we do with that freedom. As stated in the passage above that liberty does not exist so we can simply carry on as we might and engage in all manner of sin, by no means. As a result of our freedom we are called to serve one another in love and good deeds.
 
Just as we have freedom in Christ, we are not to use that freedom to go around sinning as we would like, but rather to use that freedom to make ourselves more like Christ. And the freedom we have here in America affords us a tremendous opportunity to share the eternal freedom we have with others. When we think about our independence, remember that there are people in countries where they are forbidden to worship or speak about Jesus as they please. Imagine them seeing us, with the freedom to worship and share the good news with whomever we wish, and yet being silent about the hope that is in us. This July let’s remember and celebrate the freedom we have in this country and take advantage of that freedom by sharing the ultimate freedom that exists in Christ with those around us.

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The first time I flew by myself was almost disastrous.

I was just shy of 15 years old, flying from my home in Dallas to Erie, PA, where I’d catch a ride to a Christian boys’ leadership training camp in upstate New York. I’d flown many times before, but never by myself. I remember the mixed feelings of pride in my apparent traveling abilities, excitement for my solo adventure, and anxiety about all the steps to get to my destination. There’s a lot of things to deal with when you’re flying by yourself as a teen.

At first, everything went smoothly. I dropped my bag at check-in, said goodbye to my parents, navigated through security, found my gate, and did a pre-flight pit stop at the nearest restroom. Sitting at my gate waiting to board, I went to double-check my seat number on my boarding pass and froze. My pocket was empty. No boarding pass. More importantly, no ID – my passport card was missing.

I refused to panic. In a flash of inspiration, I remembered setting my ID and boarding pass down when I had used the bathroom, about 20 minutes prior. They’re probably still there. I walked briskly to the bathroom and found the stall I had just used. Slamming open the door (the stall was, thankfully, unoccupied), I looked in the spot where I remembered placing my documents… and froze for the second time that day. They were gone. I hurriedly checked the rest of the bathroom, but my missing boarding pass and ID were nowhere to be found.

Now my brain exploded with panic. Who could have taken my stuff? How will I get on the plane? What happens if my identity gets stolen? How will I explain this to my parents? And on my first time flying by myself, too! In a daze, I slowly wandered out of the bathroom and back into the terminal, unsure what to do next. My prayers in that moment were exceptionally brief: “HELPPPP!”

In my dazed and confused state, I thought I heard my name. I paused to listen and heard an announcement come over the PA system: “Passenger Mark Tremaine, please report to gate ***.” When I got to the gate, the attendant handed me my boarding pass and ID with a slight smile. “Someone turned these in for you.” I mumbled a “thank you” and sat back down, awash in relief and more than a little embarrassment.

Some kind stranger must have found my documents in that stall, read the gate number on my boarding pass, and turned them there. To this day, I wonder if it was really the work of an angel. (Evidently, no one had found my documents in the twenty minutes I was waiting at the gate, but the documents managed to make it from the bathroom to the gate in the five minutes I spent looking for them.) In either case, I remember being overwhelmed by the realization that God was watching out for me.

The Bible abounds with verses about our sovereign God’s ability to help us in the midst of our troubles. He is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Because God is at my right hand, I will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8). For those who love him, “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Does this mean that God will miraculously deliver us from every problem? No. God answered my prayer for help finding my documents, but did not miraculously intervene an hour later when a bad round of turbulence made me horribly airsick despite my fervent prayers. (I still get queasy during landings a decade later.) What God does promise is no matter what we face, He is with us. The Good Shepherd doesn’t keep the sheep from traveling through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), but His presence and protection keeps the sheep from fear. I hope these verses and the story of God’s protection of a clumsy 14-year-old can encourage you with whatever you are facing.

"English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers."