Would the Real Gospel Step Forward Please?

My wife and I have an adopted son. Well, not in the legal sense. We came to know Riley in Junior High when he became friends with our youngest son. Riley was at our house often eating with us, for sleepovers. He was in our youth group so we saw him at least twice a week. He lived with us for several weeks after his house burned down. We attended his military graduations. He is part of the Hall family. He has all the rights and privileges a Hall has in our home.

Paul is trying to tell us the same thing when it comes to being a part of God’s family. We have been adopted but nothing we have done gets us in the family. It’s everything Jesus has done for us. See, the Gospel is the good news that Jesus came to earth, died for our sins and rose from the dead. Our belief in that story and faith in Jesus Christ makes us part of the family and makes us right before God.

In the letter to the Galatian churches, Paul is wanting to counter an argument that was leaning toward a “works-based” faith. Paul says there is a fake gospel circulating and the real Gospel is something totally different. So in Galatians 4, Paul teases out the difference between the fake gospel and the real Gospel.

Paul says the fake gospel is all about activity. The real Gospel is about adoption. The fake gospel says that God is only okay with you when you get your act together. The fake gospel is all about do, do, do while the real Gospel is all about what God has done, done, done. See, God did everything needed sending his perfect son, living a perfect life, dying a death we should have, fighting a battle we would have lost in order that we could be adopted and live with him forever. That’s the great, glorious Gospel.

The fake gospel ends at salvation while the real Gospel begins with salvation and continues through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Too many stories end with the salvific moment of accepting Jesus. People tend to believe that’s the end of the journey but truly, it’s only the beginning. When you say “yes” to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is poured into you, he transforms you and allows you to live into the fullness of the Gospel story. Until you understand that concept, you’ll live an empty and unfulfilled life. Then real Gospel is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us throughout our entire life and through him, we can do all things.

The fake gospel constantly works for acceptance while the real Gospel confidently works from inheritance. Paul reminds us that we are no longer slaves but children of God, heirs to the Kingdom. Because you believe in Jesus Christ, you get to live from a declared inheritance. Some 2000 years ago, you got a new name: child of God. You got a new family, a felt security, a new purpose. You received forgiveness, healing and freedom.

The real Gospel is all about adoption and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows us to live into our inheritance. Blessings on the journey.

You are a Child of God.

When I went to basic training for the US Air Force, we gathered as a group of 50 guys from all different walks of life and where just all over the map. But by the end of our seven weeks together, we belonged to each other. We supported one another, encouraged one another, helped each other. We were a family.

Paul in his letter to the Galatian churches is revealing to us we also belong to each other. Each of us were created in God’s image and we are part of the family of God…we are children of an incredible God.

That first century church was intensely relational. There were in each other’s business on more than just Sunday morning but every day of the week. Those followers of Christ belonged to each other and to God. Paul in Galatians 3 is working out that we are justified by faith in Jesus or how we are right with God by just believing in Jesus Christ. So many Jewish Christians were suggesting a “works-based” salvation and Paul is saying we belong to Jesus without works but based upon our belief in a risen Savior. Paul gives us four reasons why we belong in Galatians 3:23-29..

We belong to God because we believe. I don’t belong because I perform or earn it or work for it. I belong because I believe in Jesus Christ, period. You don’t have to clean yourself up and then come to God. You can’t do enough to be right before God. You come as you are and God cleans you up. That’s why it’s called the Good News!

We belong to God because we are baptized. When we believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ, we put on Jesus symbolically by joining Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection. Then, we are immersed in the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Why be baptized? Well, one, because Jesus said so but it identifies us with Jesus death, burial and resurrection; it unites us in the Gospel story and gives us new birth.

We belong to God because we become part of the blended family. Jesus removed all the cultural barriers that separated us. All the social, ethnic, and gender barriers are gone in Christ (Galatians 3:28). The point is, there is no favored status in the church family. Everyone has the same connection to God. Each of us, regardless of our ethnic heritage, skin color or background can be a part of the family of God!

We belong to God because we are beneficiaries of the promises God made to us as far back as Abraham. Because of what Jesus has done for me, belonging entitles me to all the benefits of being in the family. Being in the family doesn’t mean sitting on the sideline but actively being a part of what the family does. Using your giftedness to retell the story of Jesus is what it means to be part of the family.

So, know you belong. It’s nothing you have done but everything Jesus did for you that makes you a family member. It’s time to embrace believing in a risen Savior who has given you so very much. He’s removed the barriers that prevented us from connecting to God and given us life and life in the full. Blessings on your journey.

Blessed are Those Who Mourn.

What do you do typically when you feel down? When you have had a tough day, what helps you get through? Most of us have go-to actions when things don’t go as planned. Some of us sit on the couch and eat a half gallon of ice cream. Some of us go for a long drive. Some of us just sit and cry. But we all do something. Often it comes with guilt or shame because we weren’t big enough to stand against whatever Goliath stood before us that particular day.

But then Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” So what does that mean?

Well, in our world today, there are plenty of things to mourn. We just emerged from a pandemic that took away many of the people we love and care for. Some of us lost our jobs during that time which led to losing our possessions. We have a political system that is tearing our country in half. Crime is rampant. Racism seems alive and well. The list goes on for things we mourn.

Some of us try to avoid the spirit of mourning. In doing so, we invite other emotions into our life that hurt and hinder our growth and progress. When we don’t mourn, two emotions typically emerge: anger and anxiety.

But in the middle of all the frustration and mourning, Jesus says we’ll be blessed because we’ll be comforted. I think there are three reasons mourning really reveals God is working and comforting. When we mourn our personal brokenness and sin, God has the opportunity to mend us and remind us that no matter our personal struggles, He has not left us nor abandoned us. He loves us incredibly.

When we mourn over the brokenness of our world, we are reminded in the mess and darkness, there is a light at work called Jesus Christ. As we look at hunger and genocide, racism and unrest. As we see poverty and sickness, we are reminded this world is temporary and Jesus is making all things new.

That knowledge brings a growth in our compassionate response to the brokenness around us. See, Jesus’ life gives us the example of compassion that we are called to live out every day. We want to walk closely with the Master and adopt his example of compassion and love for the world around us.

So mourn as followers of Christ because He’ll give us the comfort needed. Realize your need for a Savior and walk closely with him. Know Jesus is working in the world around us and join him in the story of redeeming compassion. May the dust of our rabbi, Jesus, settle upon you as you journey. Blessings on your journey.

Handling Conflict.

The costs of workplace conflict help us to think about the Kingdom costs of unresolved church conflict. The church’s credibility is on the line when we preach and teach about love and forgiveness while fighting within our churches. Only God knows the extent of the damage done when individuals or factions within a local church refuse to reconcile.

Could we prevent much of the conflict that happens within the church? Let me give you a H.I.N.T. to help you stop church conflict before it begins. Each letter of the word “hint” will help us understand how to prevent conflict in the church: 

H-Honor your leadership team. Satan stokes the fires of conflict and bitterness in under-appreciated church leaders and volunteers. Your leadership credibility is on the line when it comes to dealing with conflict. The way you deal with conflict can strengthen or weaken your influence. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). 

I-Instruct your church leaders to handle conflict biblically. Do this in meetings and leadership huddles routinely. Seek to understand the causes of destructive conflict. People often behave with self-centeredness, ego, and pride. “What causes quarrels, and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1). The Bible says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). 

Immaturity is the source of many conflicts. Maturity helps a person understand that differences in perspective can broaden understanding. Mature people are self-aware and seek to improve their weaknesses. “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking, be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20). Wise believers look for the hand of God in stressful situations.

N-Never assume conflicts will just go away. Time does NOT heal all wounds. Be an “approacher,” not an “avoider.”  When Adam sinned against God, he said, “I heard the sound of you in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). Adam avoided confrontation with God.

Nevertheless, conflict must be handled in a timely fashion. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). Avoiding conflict may keep you from experiencing what God wants to do in your life by resolving the conflict. 

The goal of resolving the conflict is not compromising on an issue to the point that no sufficient work or innovative solution is possible; such approaches lead to other conflicts down the road. Often parties must remain in dialogue for some time to make their cases and clarify their differences.

T-Tools are available to help resolve or mediate church conflict. Use them! The most straightforward tool is to follow the commands of Jesus is Matthew 18:15-20. Begin with a personal conversation. If that conversation does not help to resolve the issue, involve another mature believer. Broaden the circle if necessary with the intent of restoring adversaries to a place of fellowship.  

Another powerful tool in the Bible is to overlook the offense. “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11, ESV). This critical verse reminds us that every personal offense does not warrant confrontation and reconciliation. Often, it is best to overlook the offense and move on.

Preventing conflict is an ongoing process in your church. People who are passionate about serving God often have strong opinions and preferences. Helping people imitate Christ—the One who emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave—is one of our highest goals in pastoral leadership. (adapted from Managing Church Conflict).

Drop the Mask.

I preach grace and mercy. I talk about being patient. We should be long-suffering with those around us. However, I’ve not always practiced what I preach. That’s called spiritual hypocrisy. And Jesus admonishes us to live in a consistent way so that his Name is glorified in all we do.

Brennan Manning said, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

See, hypocrisy is not the disparity between what we do and what we wish we did. Hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are. It’s the difference between public persona and private character. Jesus didn’t want the show, he wants real discipleship.

In Greek culture, a hypocrite was a stage actor…someone who wore a mask. So both Jesus and Paul remind us we are not to be “actors” when it comes to following Jesus but real, live disciples who are fully committed to pursuing the life Christ has called us to live.

Social media is the perfect breeding ground to create this kind of life. We post on our social media accounts everything we want the world to see and nothing we wish to hide. So we post amazing quotes about marriage but sleep in different bedrooms. We talk about how awesome our life is when in reality, we are suffering from isolation, loneliness, hurt, and depression.

Did you know we actually hold the key to our freedom? Jesus gave it to us. The writer in Proverbs 28:13 says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” Confession is the key. If we are real and authentic, we unlock ourselves from the prison.

So if hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are, how do we close the gap? Well, we don’t close it with perfectionism. We’ll never be good enough to be perfect. So, we close the gap with Jesus. He is our perfection. He is our savior and our healing.

So let Jesus do the healing. Let him be our redemption. Let his heart forgive us. Allow him to be the source of power in our lives. Blessings on the journey.

What is Worship?

Most people believe worship is that special hour on a Sunday morning when Christians gather to sing, pray and dig into the Word of God. While that is so very true, that hour is only 1/24 of 1/7 of our worship. Some of us believe we have this metaphorical click board and in order to worship, we are checking things off as “done”. I showed up on Sunday morning: check. I sang some songs: check. I put money in the plate: check. I’ve “worshipped” today.

But Jesus says if you are just checking boxes and your heart is not in the right place, your worship doesn’t even get to God (Matthew 15:1-9). See, true worship is a beautiful reflection of your heart toward God. So, with my heart in the right place, how do we express our worship to an incredible, amazing, awesome God?

Sometimes, we bow in reverence. There are times when I’m overwhelmed with what God has done for me and it puts me on my knees. Psalms 95:6, “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”

Sometimes we life our hands in adoration. In our culture, lifted hands can mean surrender or victory. When we say “yes” to Jesus, our surrender to him means we have the victory. See Psalms 63:4

Sometimes we offer a sacrifice of praise. “Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name” Hebrews 13:15. Even when I don’t see him or feel him, I worship him because my worship is based on my circumstances. It’s based on his character.

My favorite reminder of what worship is and when I should worship is found in Romans 12:1 where Paul says, “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Worship is an every day event, not just on Sunday mornings.

When I am doing my chores, I am worshipping. When I’m loving my spouse or raising my kids, I’m worshipping. When I’m helping my neighbor, I am worshiping. Worship is not confined to Sunday AM service but it’s every single day of my life.

We live a worshipful life every day of the week because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. We serve an awesome God. He deserves our very lives on Sunday, on Tuesday night, on Saturday morning. So, live each day in a worshipful posture to an almighty God. Blessings on the journey.

Signs of Indifference.

We have become a culture of “meh”. We can ask about any subject matter and our answer is “meh”. It’s an attitude of indifference. We have become individualists with no need to think about anything except that which WE care about. And it’s no different with church family and our spiritual lives. We have become spiritually stale and depressingly detached.

Jesus tells the church in Laodicea that they not only break his heart but turn his stomach (Revelation 3:15-16). There are a couple of things we can learn from that stale church full of “meh” followers of Christ.

One cause for spiritual indifference is the illusion of self-sufficiency. In other words, we don’t need anybody’s help, including Jesus. We are a nation who has everything, and yet, we have nothing that matters. Jesus says we are spiritually void.

A second cause of spiritual indifference are the distractions of this world. Jesus tells us in Mark 4, that the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things crowd out a real desire to follow Jesus.

So, how do I know that I’ve become indifferent? By what measure do I realize I’ve become someone who is not hot nor cold for my faith? Over 30 years of ministry has given me a few ideas to measure my life by. Here they are:

I may be more concerned with impressing people than living for God. Our social media really shows what we care about. We post pictures of last night’s dinner, our latest hair style, and our vacation but do we post prayers, or scripture, or how Jesus has effected our lives? We should be proud to proclaim our faith.

We may be more obsessed with life on earth rather than eternity. American life seems to be about gathering stuff and what I can get right now. Rather than focusing on our eternal life, we are busy outdoing the Jones’.

We may rationalize sin and live without truly fearing or respecting God. In our culture, we simply rename sin so it’s not as painful to hear. We call porn, adult entertainment; we call adultery, an affair. We begin pointing to others and saying, “I’m not as bad as they are” so the spotlight will hopefully fall away from us.

I may believe in Jesus but rarely share my faith. Do we not believe that Jesus is the answer? That he is the only salvation available? There are lots of ways to share the Gospel. Let me encourage you to use your social media as a way to tell others what Jesus has done for you.

We may turn to God only when we need him for something. Rather than seeking him every day, we call on him just when it benefits us. He becomes a tool to use rather than a God we worship.

Without realizing it, we wake up one day and realize we have become spiritually indifferent. We have become “meh” about Jesus and his church. So, how do I reignite the fire for Kingdom living?

I’d encourage you to pick ONE of the following items. Don’t do them all because you’ll end up doing none of them. Just pick ONE of the following and do it for the next 28 days.

Read God’s Word every day for the next 28 days. The Book of Acts has 28 chapters; Proverbs, in the Bible’s Old Testament has 31 chapters. These are just 2 of 66 options.

Or join a small group to attend every week to be with others who want to pursue God.

Or begin praying every single day for the next 28 days.

Or share your faith or something about your faith every day for the next 28 days.

Or discover how you can be more than a Sunday morning Christian by attending multiple church events over the next 28 days.

Now, why do I keep saying “28 days”? Because the experts say that’s how long it takes to form a habit. Do something everyday that requires faith…something you can’t do on your own. You and the Holy Spirit have got this. It’s time to change. It’s time to follow the Lord so closely his dust settles upon you. Blessings on the journey.

Here Come the Crossroads.

At the end of the movie, “Castaway”, Tom Hanks plays a marooned FedEx employee who has to fight for his life on a barren island. Finally rescued, he gets back home to Memphis, TN where he discovers everyone has moved on. At the end of the movie, he is literally at a crossroads in the countryside deciding which way to go.

A crossroads is where two roads intersect. Two different things come together. As followers of Jesus, we find everyday that different people cross our paths…we intersect with others. As Christ-followers, our call is to tell the story of Jesus and how He’s changed our life every chance we get. And any time people intersect with us is a great time to share our life with them.

Jesus tells two stories in Matthew 13:44-46. Both are about finding treasure. One person stumbles on the treasure accidentally; another person is intentionally seeking the treasure. Both give up everything to have the treasure and both end up with the treasure. Those of us who found Jesus either stumbled upon him or we intentionally sought him out. But either way, both ended up with Jesus.

And because we are disciples, we are called to help others find Jesus too. I believe the Holy Spirit creates space every single day of our lives to intersect with others and in those moments, it’s a great opportunity to share what Jesus has done for us. There are several ways we can impact others with our story for the cause of Christ.

One way is just showing interest in the other person. Have you every noticed in a group when someone becomes emotional and gets vulnerable, humans try to change the subject? It’s just uncomfortable to see someone’s pain when we feel we can’t do anything about it. But let me encourage you to lean into that moment. You can show real interest by asking questions. There’s something very powerful in asking questions rather than coming with data. Create space with others to grow relationally by asking questions.

A second way is intercession. Pray specifically for people by name. When you pray for others by name you tend to check on them differently, don’t you? We follow up by seeing how the situation has changed. It makes us think about them often and how they are doing.

Another way is watching for life’s interruptions. When someone’s life is unexpectedly interrupted, there is potential for life-changing dialogue. Moments when there is a divorce, a job loss, or a death of someone close creates space to come alongside people with the story of Jesus. In moments of a new birth, a marriage, or a new job creates moments to share Jesus.

Finally, just getting involved with someone by saying something to them or doing something. It’s often messy and inconvenient but sometimes, you are the best person to say something and interact. Sometimes, you are the answer to prayer.

The challenge is living each day with an open hand and open heart for those around you. Know the Spirit will cross your path with others whom you can share the importance of Jesus. You have the ability within you to help others see how important Jesus can be to them. Blessings on the journey.

Be an Influencer.

Country music has been in my family for a very long time. My grandparents wrote songs, cut records, and played on the Louisiana Hayride with Elvis back in the day. They influenced me to pursue singing country music in the early ‘90s. I cut two albums, played several township festivals, and went to Nashville once when I was invited by Charlie Daniels to be on his TV show. We have all been influenced in positive ways.

Jesus calls us to do just that. He wants us to go into the world and make disciples, loving on those around us like He loved us (John 13:34-35). And God showed us how to love close up and personal. He didn’t love us from a distance but came to earth and “moved into our neighborhood” (John 1 MSG).

Jesus also called everyone to an inclusive table. His Kingdom is not exclusive but anyone who will, can follow him. They are invited to the celebration feast. In Luke 14, Jesus is invited to a well-known church leader’s house for a party. Once Jesus is inside and looks around, he notices all the big names in town are present but there is no one there who isn’t popular or has a lot of money.

Jesus looks around and tells a story to the host of the party, reminding the host of what God is looking for in his followers. So in the story, the host invites everyone in town and everyone out in the countryside. The party becomes inclusive rather than exclusive. If you want to be an influencer for the Kingdom, you can’t pick and choose who you tell about Jesus or who you invite to the celebration. So being an influencer brings 2-3 things to mind.

One, being an influencer means being fully present. In other words, put down you phone and loosen up your calendar. You’ll be intentional with the folks around you and engage the people right in front of you. But to do that, you’ll need to be intentional and go into every day with your eyes wide open.

Secondly, being an influencer means loving uninvited and overlooked people. It means no matter the socioeconomic background, your skin color, your bank account, your political preference, or your theological bent, you love people for the cause of Christ. The people you might not normally pay attention to or you avoid are now on your radar.

Finally, being an influencer means going to unfamiliar and uncomfortable places. It’s hard to have a story to share when you decide to live inside your small, comfortable bubble. Jesus calls us to go far and wide to share our lives with others who need to know Jesus.

So, become an influencer for Jesus by stepping out. Remember we’ve been called to tell the greatest story ever. So many feel no value or purpose and we know Jesus can and will change all of that. You know what to do. Be an influencer. Lean into those right in front of you. Blessings on the journey.

In and then Through

Most things I purchase that need put together are met with a “jump right in” attitude. In other words, in typical male fashion, I don’t read the instructions. I just start putting things together but then wonder why I have a handful of screws left at the end of the project.

I can be like that too when it comes to what God wants to do through me. But to find my purpose, I first have to let him do something IN ME. I generally don’t want to wait around for God’s work in me because I’m impatient and stubborn. I’d rather just get to the thing he wants me to do.

The disciples needed some coaching in this area because they didn’t seem to get what Jesus was trying to do in them. They were not seeing the people in front of them Jesus wanted to help, teach, heal, move, and grow. The disciples saw those people as a hindrance…an annoyance.

Examples of this attitude are found in Matthew 14, 15 and 19 where Jesus is doing ministry for some needy people but the disciples are oblivious. “Just tell them to go away…” is what the disciples say in a paraphrased version. But God will eventually do something in the disciples so that later he can do something through them.

We need God to do that in us as well but we need to check our hearts. How does our heart line up with the heart of Jesus?

Jesus tells a story in Mark 4 about a farmer who sowed some seed. Some seed fell on the road, some in the gravel, some in the weeds and some on good soil. Good soil is where God wants our heart to be. But it calls us to some self-reflection to discover how we are leaning into the things God wants to do IN us before he can do anything through us.

Some hearts are like the hard road and the minute the seed is planted, Satan removes the seed. Maybe you’ve become hard and cynical toward a spiritual journey and how God has called us to live in his son Jesus. Some symptoms of a hard heart might look like you’re going through the motions just checking off a list. Some might develop spiritual apathy having no prayer life, no time in the Word of God, no community with which to travel. Some might have bitter resentment toward God, blaming him for your current position in life.

Some of the seed falls on rocky hearts. You’ve heard the message of Jesus and are happy about it but you do nothing to cultivate the seed and create deep roots. The minute any “heat” is applied from the world, you’re shaken and lose spiritual momentum.

And some seed falls in weed-infested areas. The seed breaks the surface of the soil but other things in life crowd out its growth. Jesus says things like the worries of this life, the lure of wealth and the desires for other things are what choke out spiritual maturity. We are unwilling to let go of the things that are opposed to God’s will.

So where are you? What does God want to do IN your life to accomplish his work THROUGH your life? God has an extraordinary purpose of you but you and I need to fully surrender to him and allow the seed to change us from the inside out. When we do, God will do something incredible through you. Blessings on the journey.