Focus on Telling your Story.

I love watching the Amazing Race reality show. Couples are pitted against each other in a race around the world. Many times, they are asked to go to a city, climb the highest building and look for a clue on the ground level. They are laser-focused in their observations once on top of the building. There are lots of distractions with traffic, a sea of humanity, other buildings but they focus on finding that flag.

Jesus is the same way with us. His focus is finding us and bringing us home. We belong to him. We are his. And that takes a selfless character…a person who is focused on others rather than self.

Martin Seligman, a well-known psychologist whose an expert on happiness has done research on the subject and found, “We think what will make us happy is focusing on ourselves…we actually become happier by focusing on other people.” I love it when science proves what Jesus has already taught us.

Jesus was a great story teller and in Luke 15, he tells three in a row to make a point. The three stories show Jesus sees you, saves you, and celebrates you. But in the first story, the shepherd (that’s Jesus) goes out to find the lost sheep. That’s focusing on someone else over your own needs and wants. He leaves the bulk of the group and goes out to find the one sheep that has wandered away. Once he finds that sheep, he lifts it up and brings it home. Then, he throws a party.

So what does this mean for us if we are called to imitate him. After all, we are his disciples and disciples want to look like their teacher. I believe it calls all of us to focus on the people in front of us and discover who has wandered and who needs Jesus in their life. Our call is to tell the story of Jesus and the story of how Jesus changed our lives forever.

As followers, we want to go and seek. Our desire is that others should also have the life that only Jesus can provide. So, who in your life do you know needs Jesus? Who do you know needs hope for a better tomorrow? Who do you know needs a companion that will walk with them until they come home to the shepherd?

Discover ways to share your story. Find ways to get connected to reveal Jesus’ story. Stories are powerful and it’s time to use our story for the glory of God. Blessings on the journey.

Calm Down.

If there’s one word I wish I could eliminate from the English language, it’s “hustle.” Everything about the idea of hustling rubs me the wrong way-- it seems incessant, unending, frantic, stressful, and all I can picture is a hamster running crazily on a wheel without really going anywhere. To me, rest is the opposite of hustle. When I think about rest, it seems peaceful, restorative, calm, and I picture an early morning by a still lake, still and quiet and beautiful.

I’m drawn to the idea of rest. My wife and I just returned from vacation in southern Texas. We enjoyed time with friends, walks on beach, playing in the ocean, and well, resting. I know the Lord desires that we would be still in his presence and draw near to him in worship, and more and more, I see the richness and value of resting in Christ.

Matthew 11:28 is a famous verse about rest: “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”

Couldn’t we all use a little bit of rest in our busy, fast-paced lives where we are more prone to hustle than we are to really take a breather?

The Bible talks about rest quite a bit.

Bonnie Gray wrote an article called “How Embracing Rest Can Change Your Life” for Relevant and she shares what she calls “8 surprising ah-ha moments about rest in the Bible” that I found fascinating.

Here are 4 of the truths she shares:

1. “Rest is emotional honesty.” One of the things I love most about life as a Christ-follower is that Jesus never demands my perfection or my polished self-- he just desires my honesty and authenticity. I can come to him when I am weary, when I’m not feeling it, when I’m doubting or distracted or disinterested, and I can be real about all of my feelings and questions. When I rest at the feet of Jesus, I can be truly and completely honest with him and he will give me rest in return. What a gift that is.

2. “Rest is a return to your true identity.” I love the quote that Gray shares from Brennan Manning: “Defined yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.” Sometimes it takes stepping away from all of the other labels and roles and responsibilities to realize in rest who we truly are and who we are called to be-- children of a good and gracious Father. When we’re caught up in our work or our parenting or our volunteering and serving, we can lose sight of who we are at the core, and rest reminds us of that.

3. “Rest is radical and countercultural.” The world is obsessed with hustle, especially here in America. We’re consumed by the idea of the American dream, feeling like we have to work hard all the time and climb ladders and make goals for our lives to matter, but rest goes against all of that. Rest says that it isn’t what we do or get done that matters, but who we are, and who God is. It can be hard to hear his voice if we are always surrounded by the noise. I remember my mom giving me the advice during a particularly stressful finals week in college to “get out of the fray and pray” and those words have stuck with me even years later. It might go against the current, but rest will restore our souls and make space for us to hear from the Lord more clearly.

4. “Rest isn’t failure. Rest is spiritual intimacy.” I’ve often heard people say that they don’t feel like they can take time to rest, because it takes them away from what they feel like they need to be or should be doing. “Sometimes it takes greater faith and courage to admit we’re tired and we need to asses why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Gray writes. “God welcomes soul searching. He loves being with us on that intimate journey.”

We know that even if we love the hustle and love the work and responsibilities on our plates, we will burn out if we go nonstop. We know we need sleep, stillness, and slowness in our lives, but it still can be hard to carve out space for rest in the middle of all the busyness of life.

I love how Matthew 11 in The Message paraphrase of Scripture invites us into a radical, life-changing kind of rest:

“‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.’”

Let’s keep company with Jesus day by day, walking with him, doing our work with him, watching him as he shows us the best, healthiest, most beautiful ways of living. Let’s allow him to show us what true rest looks like as he showers us in his perfect grace and endless love. Let’s let go of the hustle for just a bit and remember that at our core, we are his beloved, and he wants to restore our souls. Blessings on the journey.

Dealing with "Needy" People in Your Life.

We’ve all seen the “adopt a pet” commercial with Sara McLachlan singing “In the Arms of an Angel” where the dog is shivering out in the cold, tied to a tree in the back yard. It really pulls your heartstrings, which is what they want. They want to emotionally manipulate you to give to their cause. That’s what needy people do.

You have needy people in your life and you can see them coming a mile away. You know when you see them, the conversation is going to be long, all about them and they will reveal how they are victim once again. It could be a family member who doesn’t have a lot of friends and expects you to fill that void. It could be a coworker who needs you to affirm and praise them for all they do. If could be a friend who always seems to be on the struggle bus.

And we do care about them. But when we pull back to catch our breath, we feel guilty because they believe we’ve abandoned them. Sometimes when we do feel we are helping them, we end up hurting them and us in the process. So, how do we love on people in our lives who are difficult to love?

Well, first, we are going to give strategically. We are going to give them a hand up rather than a hand out. That’s what Peter and John do in Acts 3 when they heal the lame man at the Gate Beautiful. So we ask, “What do they REALLY need?” verses “what do they want?" There is a definite difference between need and want.

For example, a friend came to me wanting to borrow $300 for his rent. But the week before, I saw them post a picture of a new tattoo. When I bring this up, they have all kinds of excuses. But I’m asking myself, what do they really need? So I offer helping to get the resume in better shape and helping them to find a better job than the one they have or I offer to sit with them to help them create a budget so they aren’t in this spot again. We are going to give strategically.

We are also going to serve wisely. Jesus served people his whole ministry and we are called to follow that example. But Jesus also took moments to say “no” so he could withdraw, connect to his Father, and get his cup refilled after pouring himself out in service.

During the safety briefing on every airplane flight, the attendant says, “In case of an emergency, if we loose cabin pressure, the oxygen mask will drop down. Put yours on first then help those around you.” See, you can’t serve others if your unconscious. You can’t say “yes” often if you don’t say “no” occasionally.

Finally, we are going to trust God completely with the story. We must recognize it’s God who brings change in people, not me. I’m just the vessel God works through to provide his love, peace, patience, and mercy. I’m never the answer…Jesus is the answer. Look, we deal with needy people everyday in our life. But the truth is we are all needy people because all of us need Jesus. Without him, our life would be chaotic and have no purpose. So we’ll close with a prayer from Psalms 70:5:

But as for me, I am poor and needy;

please hurry to my aid, O God.

You are my helper and my savior;

O Lord, do not delay.

Blessings on your journey.

How to Deal with Critical People.

We all deal with folks who are hard to love. People who seem to suck the life out of us. We will always have people who criticize us in life. No matter what you do, someone will want to tear into you. “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” That is attributed to Aristotle. He’s saying, you will always have critics. If that’s so, how do we deal with the critical people in our lives?

Often, you just don’t respond. That’s what Jesus did. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:23 that Jesus didn’t retaliate but left his story in the hands of God. As followers of Jesus, we want to imitate him. So like Jesus, we are under no obligation to respond to those who have critical words for us.

Now overlooking an offense is not the same as pretending it didn’t happen. To overlook is saying I know I could retaliate but I’m choosing not to do so. I’m not going to lose sleep over it or be bitter. I’m taking the high road and rising above it.

Sometimes, you do respond but do so carefully. Responding is not reacting. Reacting is emotional and knee-jerk. Responding is spirit-led. So wait before you respond. When you type out that email, don’t hit the send button until you’ve had some time to think about it.

Often I’ve discovered that those people who are my critics are that way because of hurt they have experienced in their own life. There’s a wound they haven’t recovered from just yet or something they don’t like about themselves that manifests itself in a critical spirit. So in moments when you respond to critics, act like Jesus and respond out of compassion and love, knowing most likely they are critics because of hurt in their lives.

Always, though, guard your heart because you never want to be the one with the critical spirit. Like Jesus, you want your words to be life-giving, not cutting. We’ve all been a part of conversations when we used words to hurt others. Many times, that critical spirit can be born out of hurt, ignorance, or pride. So what do we do to overcome a spirit of criticism?

We must become deeply grounded in who we are in Christ. Because I’m already approved by God, your approval really doesn’t matter. I can overlook criticism because I have a higher calling in Christ. You see, if I live by your praise, I will die by it’s absence. So stop being so offendable. Stop being so nit-picky. We are called to look like Jesus. His words are life-giving and so should ours be as well. Blessings on the journey.

What to Do with Controlling People.

There always seem to be people in our lives that are EGRs (extra grace required). As disciples of Jesus, we are called to love people…not just a few but everyone. So how in the world do we love people who are difficult to love?

The story in Matthew 16 shows us how Jesus handles people who are trying to control him. No doubt, you have people in your life who try to control you as well. So it seems important as believers that we look at how Jesus handled these types of difficult people.

So in Matthew 16, Jesus is telling the disciples how he will suffer in Jerusalem and die. But that he will be raised and conquer death on the third day. Then Peter tells Jesus, “no way will this happen if I can help it.” Jesus has revealed what God’s will is and Peter is looking at the situation through human eyes and wanting to control the situation.

How do we love those who want to control us?

First, know what you are called to do. Jesus knew this. He said repeatedly, he’d come to seek and save the lost. His calling and purpose was clear to him. You too have been called to live a holy, set apart life for God’s glory. You may feel called into a certain career or relationship and that could be true. But if you are not living into those areas of life understanding how you’re called to look like Jesus, then you are not living into your calling. Know how you’re called to live.

Second, know when someone is trying to control you. It’s what’s happening in our story. Jesus says God is calling him to die for humanity but Peter is saying, “No, no, no.” Earlier in Matthew 16, Peter had just won “Jesus Jeopardy” by stating Jesus was the Son of God. But in the next moment, he’s putting his plans ahead of God’s plans. Know when someone is trying to control you.

Finally, know when to draw a line in the sand. This is the hardest thing to do. We generally love and care for the people who seem to want to control us. But if someone is calling you to idolize their opinion and what they think over what God’s called you to do, it’s time to draw the line.

So if you don’t like a relationship you have that seems controlling, change what you expect and what you accept. Jesus told Peter he wouldn’t let Peter talk to him like that…it was inappropriate. And in your life you may have to say, “I care about you but I’m not letting you speak to me like that again.” Or “I love you but I’m not bailing you out again.” Or “I love you deeply but you can’t yell at me.”

What will happen when you do this? The controller will rear up, get loud and double down on their threat. It will be a difficult moment. It will hurt in the moment but it hurts everyday you live in a dysfunctional relationship. And once you realize you don’t have the power to control and God does, things will change for you.

Essentially, Jesus is saying in Matthew 16, if you want to follow me, you’ll never be in control again. Control belongs to God. Know what you want out of the relationship and create it like you know it should be. It won’t be easy but it will be healthier. Blessings on the journey.

Principles of Calling.

Most of us feel called to a certain career or work. We can feel called to date and then marry a certain person. We can also feel called to a specific philanthropic work. While there is no doubt each of us have specific areas where we are talented and perform well, God has called us to some things even higher.

You see, you have been called to salvation in Christ Jesus. God ultimately wants every single person to be in a relationship with him. Just read John 3:16-17 to discover that. Through Jesus, God’s son, there was a bridge built so that God and we could have a relationship.

You have also been called to sanctification. That’s a second semester word that simply means “set apart” or “holy unto God”. Paul tells us in Romans 12 that we, as followers of Jesus, are not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our mind. In other words, we have been set apart to live differently than the world around us. Our lifestyle is called to be holy…to look more like Jesus every day.

And you have been called to serve. As we imitate Jesus, we realize whether it was his Father or the people he interacted with daily, Jesus served. Paul says in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, do it for Jesus…” And we don’t have to have it all together to do this. God actually calls those who are imperfect and untrained (see 1 Corinthians 1:26). God doesn’t call the prepared, he prepares the called.

However, when you answer God’s call for you life, know there will be a cost. When you say “yes” to Jesus, there is a price to pay. Many of you have discovered this. You are the only Christian in your work place. As you try to live for Jesus, you get criticized and experience isolation. As you represent Jesus in the PTA or the neighborhood watch group, you get called crazy for wanting to look like Jesus.

I have also noticed in my own life, God will often use your deepest pain for your greatest calling. I’ve realized that over the last 10 years. I have some personal pain in my life and I have found God wants to publicly use that to point other’s to him.

But even so, I realize that your calling will sustain you. It carries you forward in your story and the story of God. Look at Paul. He endured so much for Jesus’ cause. How did he stay passionate and moving forward? It was not because he was competent but because he was called. In Philippians 4, Paul says “He presses on for the heavenly prize…” And we should as well. Our goal is to lift the Name of Jesus and move forward knowing we will get to live with our Creator forever.

So don’t let the world talk you out of your calling. Don’t let them hinder your giftedness. God offers you salvation. He calls you to a transformed life. He wants you to serve this world through His story. Blessings on your journey.

Is God Calling You?

You may have said before that you feel called to do something. Maybe called to play football or be a professional gamer. Maybe called to marry this particular person. Maybe called to be a missionary in Africa. But Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:1, that we are called to live a holy life. A life that is set apart for God. We are called to look different than the world around us.

See, calling is about who you are before what you do. Paul also reminds us in 2 Timothy 1, that we are called to live a set apart life. We’ve been called by God, infused by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish that kind of living. And it’s not a future event. That calling is for us to live that out now. Calling is about your faithfulness to Jesus today.

And Paul reminds us of how inclusive your calling can be. He says in Colossians 3, “Whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of the Lord”. So anything you actually do in life, you are called to live into that in set apart and holy ways. So I am called to be a preacher, dad, and a husband but called to do that in holy, Godly ways. I can be a dad and husband but if I don’t live those out in holy ways, I’m not living into my calling.

No matter what you are doing, know the size of your assignment never determines the significance of your impact. Everything you do, do it for God. That is your calling. Live a life worthy of your calling. We are called to look like Jesus so live that idea out in every way, every day. Blessings on the journey.

You are a Masterpiece.

Culture has a way of creating a dividing line. You are either “put together” or “thrown together”. In the 80s, I felt like I was put together. I had a mullet, parachute pants, and a gold earring in my left ear. Oh…I was happening! Culture tells us that if we look right, if we make the right money, if we live in the right part of town, then we are beautiful. But God has something to say about that idea.

In Psalm 139:13-16, God says we are unique. Indeed, we have been created from the inside out, not the opposite. God has known us since we were created in mother’s womb and we are created in His image. You are special in God’s eyes. He created you. You are beautifully and wonderfully made.

Jesus battled leaders during his ministry who were so caught up in outward appearances. Jesus sets them straight in Matthew 23:25-28. He says those who are over-interested in the outward appearance are like tombs. They may have flowers on the outside but inside, you are full of dead people’s bones.

So many of us deal with the negative words people place on us everyday. We’ve been called a terrible mom or an inattentive dad. We’ve been classified as a poor coworker and a leader who doesn’t know how. We’ve been told we are a selfish friend or that we are not talented.

But know this, you are created in the image of God. No words or plastic surgery can change that. Your worth doesn’t come from a bank account or how many people praise you. Your value is that God has called you His child.

No matter what the world says, nothing can ever change who you are in Christ Jesus. He loves you and has so much in store for you. Jesus came to give us life and life to the full. Embrace that truth today. Lean in to the love God has for you. Blessings on your journey.

Graduation is a Milestone.

Right between high school proms and summer break, there is an important rite of passage for our community’s young adults to mark their transition into adulthood. High School graduation is often one of the most exciting times in a twelfth grader’s life. Not everyone fits the mold, though, of when life moves on. 

Some high school students graduate early, turning 18 as a junior as they’re anxious to move on it life. Others need another summer’s coursework to complete all the requirements to graduate. Truly, each child’s transition into adulthood is as unique as their own fingerprints. We all must find our way and path to get on with life.

I remember being 18, feeling caught in limbo between being a kid and being seen as a new adult. Once you reach voting age, life is different. Your choice of career impacts lives of people you never imagined you could help. Your voice, your career—they both make a difference in the future of others’ lives and who will become your future family.

Expectations for the future are high—no adult plans for a child not to succeed. They want children to do better than they did, not make the same mistakes. Along with the freedoms of graduation, many young adults enter the military, enter the workforce, or enter college. All are great choices. The most important memories to make, particularly during graduation, are to be surrounded by generations of your family who, one day, won’t always be able to join you in life celebrations.

There’s preschool graduation (into kindergarten), and kindergarten graduation (into first grade) and eighth grad graduation (into high school). That made me think about the fact that, most of our lives, we are being celebrated for moving “from one stage to another.” And, for every person who has transitioned up to senior year of high school, they’ve known what was coming next.

Often, graduates who have not yet chosen what they want to do in life find that military service provides excellent skill training, discipline and encourages a commitment to seeing tasks through to completion. After four years of doing jobs that require much discipline, students who enter college later in life tend to do exceedingly well.

Then, again, college is not for everyone. Businessman Richard Branson dropped out of high school when he was 15 and he’s done exceedingly well. Despite Aretha Franklin’s leaving high school at age 15, she has received 18 Grammys and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and the Berklee College of Music. 

That is very important in a young person’s life, knowing they belong, especially to a high school class of 2022, to answer to the question, “Where do you go?” That means essentially “Where do you belong?” No matter where you go, you belong, at least to your family and extended family of friends that you build in life.

Those of you who share experiences of good and bad times without fail. The contemporary term is “ride or die” friends, who always have your back, and who care if you are present or absent, who look for you when something goes wrong in life, to make sure you’re not alone in your grief. Look around you and take serious stock of who the people are in your life whom you would miss for sure if they weren’t there. 

Then, above all else, spend time with them, take photos or phone selfies, shoot videos and get their face and voice on film or phone, because in 20 years it will mean more to you than anything else you might have around you.

Dale Carnegie once said, “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” Congratulations to all of our area high school graduates this May. The world is yours for the taking. Enjoy your path to your future, and remember to stop and reflect along the way from time to time. It’s not the destination, but the journey that matters most. Always be moving forward as best you can. Go “to” rather than “from.” Blessings on your journey.

How Do I Know God's Plan for Me?

We’ve all had those moments when we let our parents down. Moments when what they had hoped for us just wasn’t in the cards. Now it doesn’t mean it can’t happen one day. But to best know what our parents want, we have to pay attention as young kids.

God has a plan for us as well. He wants some pretty specific things for us. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that we shouldn’t make decisions flippantly but consider God’s will in every day life. Seventy times in the New Testament, the “Will of God” is mentioned. Almost every time, one of two of God’s goals for us is mentioned.

The first thing God wants for you is to be like Jesus. We discover how Jesus lived in the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Our prayer is that we are transformed, holy, new creations who look like Jesus. The process can be painful as God chips away our old selves and his Son is revealed in us. But any pain will be worth the outcome.

The second thing God wants for you is to be with Jesus. God’s ultimate goal is for you to spend eternity with him. By saying “yes” to Jesus and allowing the transformative process of becoming more like him to happen, we have the promise of eternity with God,.

We almost will never get a super clear message of what God is wanting us to do but there are a couple of things we can do to lean in and be more attentive to his calling in our lives. The first thing we need to do everyday is read the Word of God. In the pages of the Bible lie every answer to life you need to know. Whether it is how to have good relationships, or a healthy marriage; whether it is how to handle money and resources or be a great parent. Everything for life is found in God’s word.

The second thing we need to do is listen to God’s people. Being with and around God’s people is so beneficial and rewarding. So many people can give you great advice since they have been down the road a little further. It’s so important since we have been corralled by COVID these past two years that we desire to be together with each other.

When we lean in to both of these ideas, transformation will occur. Know that God’s part is the transformation and your part is surrender. We surrender to God working in our life for his glory. We strive to allow Jesus to remain in us and we in him so that real transformation will occur.

God wants you to be like Jesus and his desire is that you live with him. That’s God’s will. Live into that each and every day of your life. Blessings on the journey.